Opinions of non-CPC personages on key reform resolution sought at symposium chaired by Xi

Xinhua) 08:28, July 20, 2024

BEIJING, July 19 (Xinhua) -- Xi Jinping, general secretary of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee, chaired a symposium on May 20 to solicit views and suggestions of non-CPC personages on the drafting of the CPC resolution on further deepening reform comprehensively to advance Chinese modernization, it was revealed on Friday.

The key resolution was adopted at the third plenary session of the 20th CPC Central Committee held from Monday to Thursday.

The symposium was attended by leaders from the central committees of other political parties and the All-China Federation of Industry and Commerce, and personages with no party affiliation.

Xi said at the event that the aim of convening the third plenary session of the 20th CPC Central Committee was to make systematic planning and arrangements for further deepening reform comprehensively and provide strong impetus and institutional guarantees for achieving the Second Centenary Goal of building China into a great modern socialist country in all respects.

Members of the Standing Committee of the Political Bureau of the CPC Central Committee Wang Huning, Cai Qi and Ding Xuexiang attended the symposium.

Non-CPC personages put forward opinions and suggestions on issues including stimulating economic vitality, further reforming the medical and healthcare systems, advancing high-standard opening up, and promoting integrated development across the Taiwan Strait.

In response, Xi said that it has been a customary practice and fine tradition of the CPC Central Committee to extensively seek opinions from all sectors when conducting research on major issues and formulating documents for important meetings.

Reform measures should fully cover prominent problems standing in the way of advancing Chinese modernization, Xi said, urging efforts to remove deep-seated institutional obstacles and structural problems with a focus on economic structural reform.

Xi also stressed that the enthusiasm, initiative and creativity of the entire Party and nation should be fully mobilized.

It is imperative to continue to pool wisdom to make reform decisions more rational and ensure effective implementation, Xi said.

Reforms must be carried out effectively with well-made plans and targeted policy enforcement, said Xi, warning against losing sight of reality.

(Web editor: Peng Yukai, Wu Chaolan)
China's top legislator holds talks with speaker of Chilean Chamber of Deputies

Xinhua) 09:41, July 20, 2024

Zhao Leji, chairman of the National People's Congress (NPC) Standing Committee, holds talks with Karol Cariola Oliva, speaker of the Chilean Chamber of Deputies, at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing, capital of China, July 19, 2024. (Xinhua/Gao Jie)

BEIJING, July 19 (Xinhua) -- Zhao Leji, China's top legislator, held talks with Karol Cariola Oliva, speaker of the Chilean Chamber of Deputies, on Friday in Beijing.

Zhao, chairman of China's National People's Congress (NPC) Standing Committee, said that China has always regarded Chile as an important cooperative partner in Latin America and the Asia-Pacific region, and is willing to work with Chile to implement the important consensus reached by the two heads of state, continue their traditional friendship, upgrade their level of cooperation, and continuously enrich the connotations of the China-Chile comprehensive strategic partnership.

Noting that Chile was the first South American country to establish diplomatic ties with the New China, Zhao said that over the past half century and more, China-Chile relations have maintained sound, steady growth regardless of changes in the international situation, setting a good example of solidarity and cooperation between developing countries.

The two sides should consolidate political mutual trust, strengthen strategic alignment, enhance people-to-people and cultural exchange, and reinforce international coordination, he said.

Zhao stressed that the NPC of China is willing to strengthen cooperation with the Chilean Congress, intensify friendly exchange at all legislative body levels, promptly approve and supervise the implementation of legal documents on practical cooperation between the two countries, and strengthen coordination and cooperation under multilateral mechanisms to safeguard the common interests of developing countries.

Cariola said that the Chile-China friendship is based on common values, and that both countries are committed to upholding international law and supporting multilateralism and free trade. She said that Chile upholds the one-China principle firmly, and that political parties and all sectors of society in Chile are highly consistent in their development of relations with China.

Next year will mark the 55th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between the two countries. The Chamber of Deputies of Chile is willing to strengthen friendly exchange with the NPC of China, share legislative experience, enhance the friendship between the two peoples constantly, and promote bilateral cooperation in such varied fields as the Belt and Road Initiative, the economy, culture, and science and technology, Cariola said.

Zhao Leji, chairman of the National People's Congress (NPC) Standing Committee, holds talks with Karol Cariola Oliva, speaker of the Chilean Chamber of Deputies, at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing, capital of China, July 19, 2024. (Xinhua/Gao Jie)

(Web editor: Peng Yukai, Wu Chaolan)
MIDDLEBURG HEIGHTS, Ohio  A Lakewood woman, 29, was arrested and given a court summons at about 9 p.m. July 8 after police caught her with drugs inside Neo Beach Tan, 15168 Bagley Road.

Police and paramedics were called to Neo Beach Tan regarding a man sleeping in a car in the parking lot. By the time police arrived, the man was awake and alert. He told police he was napping while his girlfriend, the Lakewood woman, was inside obtaining a tan.

Police found the woman sleeping in the tanning salon. She said she had not been drinking or using drugs and gave police permission to search her purse.
COLUMBUS, Ohio - U.S. Sen. Sherrod Brown is the latest Democrat to call for President Joe Biden to drop his reelection campaign.

Brown, a Cleveland Democrat, is locked in a tight reelection race that could decide control of the U.S. Senate in November. In a late Friday afternoon statement, he said Biden should abandon the campaign for a second term.

Biden has been under fire from within his own party for weeks following a shaky performance in the first debate, in which he trailed off and appeared to lose his train of thought as he answered questions and responded to his Republican opponent, former President Donald Trump. Dozens of Democrats and donors have called on him to withdraw, a drumbeat that grew louder on Friday, the day after the conclusion of the Republican National Convention.

Polling has shown that Biden is trailing Trump, raising alarms for Democrats not just about their prospects for keeping control of the White House but for winning down ballot races as well.

For weeks, Brown has said he was listening to Ohioans who have shared concerns about Biden. As recently as last week, he dodged questions from reporters on the topic. He said in a prepared statement on Friday, though, that he agreed with those who say Biden should drop his campaign.

Over the last few weeks, Ive heard from Ohioans on important issues, such as how to continue to grow jobs in our state, give law enforcement the resources to crack down on fentanyl, protect Social Security and Medicare from cuts, and prevent the ongoing efforts to impose a national abortion ban. These are the issues Ohioans care about and it is my job to keep fighting for them, Brown said in a prepared statement. I agree with the many Ohioans who have reached out to me. At this critical time, our full attention must return to these important issues. I think the President should end his campaign.

Brown was the second Ohioan to call on Biden to withdraw Friday. U.S. Rep. Greg Landsman, who represents a competitive Cincinnati-area district, did so as well.

Biden, who was diagnosed with COVID-19 this week, reiterated Friday that he was staying in the race and that he would return to the campaign trail next week.

Since the first presidential debate, calls for Biden to drop out of the race have grown louder with each passing day. White House reporters have pressed the administration over whether Biden, 81, is being treated for a cognitive disorder. In the weeks since the debate, Biden has campaigned heavily both within the party and in public as he tries to hold off those who want him to withdraw.

But he seemed to be losing ground this week, as congressional Democrats in both safe districts and tough reelection races ramped up public pressure for him to drop out. In addition to Brown, U.S. Sen. Jon Tester of Montana said Biden should withdraw. Brown and Tester are running in two of the most closely watched (and expensive) Senate races in the country this year as they try to win reelection in states that Trump won easily in 2020. Those races could tilt control of the thinly divided U.S. Senate.

Brown, seeking his fourth term in the Senate, is facing off with Republican Bernie Moreno, who used to own a network of car dealerships in the Cleveland area.

AdImpact, a national political-ad tracking firm, said recently that ad spending and reservations for the race had exceeded $240 million, making it the most expensive non-presidential race in the country.

After Brown called on Biden to withdraw from the presidential race, Moreno released a statement that accused Brown of helping Biden cover up Joe Bidens mental decline.

If Joe Biden is unfit to run, he is unfit to serve. I am formally calling on Joe Biden to resign the presidency because his continued presence in the situation room is a national security threat. I hope Senator Brown will join me, Moreno said.
American Airlines passenger jets are lined up at the gates at Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport in Arlington, Virginia, on Feb. 10, 2024.

American Airlines' 28,000 flight attendants have reached a tentative labor agreement with the company, their union said on Friday.

The Association of Professional Flight Attendants, which represents the flight attendants, said the deal addresses their concerns about compensation, work rules and retroactive pay. It did not offer more details.

Reached after more than three years of negotiations, the tentative agreement will be sent to the union's board for review. Once the board approves the deal, members will vote on ratifying it.

"If approved, this agreement will put billions of additional dollars into compensation and work rules for our flight attendant workgroup," said union head Julie Hedrick.

The White House had been closely monitoring the talks in recent months and had been concerned about the impact of a work stoppage. Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg and acting Labor Secretary Julie Su had earlier been involved in the talks.

President Joe Biden on Friday praised the deal saying it "averts a strike that would have been devastating for the industry and consumers" and demonstrates "once again that collective bargaining benefits workers, companies, and our economy."

American said the contract will provide immediate financial and quality-of-life improvements for the employees.

Last month, the airline offered flight attendants a new contract with an immediate 17% wage increase and higher profit sharing in 2024, which the union rejected.

American's flight attendants had authorized their union to call a strike if there wasn't a deal. The union had proposed an immediate raise of about 33%, saying the flight attendants had not had a pay raise in over five years and endured a lot since the pandemic, notably unruly passengers.

The contract negotiations started in January 2020 but paused at the height of the pandemic. Talks resumed in June 2021.
A Royal Australian Air Force E-7A Wedgetail takes off during Black Flag 22-1 at Nellis Air Force Base, Nevada, May 10, 2022.

The United States Air Force said it had reached a deal with Boeing for the supply of E-7 Wedgetail airborne warning and control aircraft and downplayed concerns that the company's internal crisis would harm its ability to supply the Pentagon.

The provisional deal covers the rapid production of prototypes as the Air Force phases out E-3 Sentry or AWACS airborne warning and control aircraft, and follows reports of disagreements over the price for the 737-based Wedgetail planes.

"We have reached agreement with (Boeing)... We have got a reasonable price point that we can afford," Secretary of the Air Force Frank Kendall told reporters at the Royal International Air Tattoo military air show in western England.

A formal contract will be finalized in August, he added.

It is the first major contract announcement since Boeing agreed earlier this month to plead guilty to a criminal fraud conspiracy charge to resolve a U.S. Justice Department investigation into 737 MAX fatal crashes over five years ago.

Experts have said the guilty plea, which is opposed by the crash victims' families, potentially threatens the company's ability to secure contracts from agencies such as the Defense Department and NASA, although it could seek waivers.

Asked how the plea deal had affected the Pentagon's ability to negotiate with Boeing, Kendall said, "The short answer is it has not; we are continuing to do business with Boeing".

U.S. stocks extended their slump on Friday as lingering chaos related to a global technical outage caused by a software glitch added uncertainty to an already anxious market.

Under U.S. rules, the Pentagon has to assess whether any supplier it does business with is a responsible company.

"We will be working in a coordinated fashion ... to understand what implications there might be from the plea deal, but I don't anticipate at this point that it is going to ... lead to significant disruption of our contracting," Andrew Hunter, assistant Air Force secretary for acquisition, technology and logistics, told reporters.

Boeing is the Pentagon's second-largest contractor and is widely said to be competing with Lockheed Martin in a strategically important contest to replace the F-22 fighter.

The latest agreement stems from efforts by the Air Force to replace Cold War-era E-3s, whose distinctive rotating radar dome allows crew to track targets and direct aircraft in a battle.

The transition between the two planes has been delayed amid negotiations over price, raising some concerns in Congress about gaps in capability.

"We are very glad to have an affordable basis for the rapid prototyping program, which is the basis for the production program going forward," Hunter said.

Boeing welcomed the agreement, which provides a boost to its defense business following a series of cost overruns and delays.

"We are focused on executing well and meeting the needs of our customer," a spokesperson said.
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The frequency of large-scale attacks on corporate enterprise IT is increasing. That's not unusual or unexpected as companies spend heavily on cyber defense in an asymmetric war against hackers who can string together a few lines of code and wreak havoc. But the largest IT outage ever on Friday resulted from a CrowdStrike software bug uploaded to Microsoft operating systems, rather than any malicious attack. The bug came from an increasingly common tech threat that that gets less attention than malicious attacks: the single-point failure  an error in one part of a system that creates a technical disaster across industries, functions, and interconnected communications networks; a massive domino effect. Earlier this year, AT&T had a nationwide outage attributed to a technical update. Last year, the FAA had an outage that occurred after a single individual replaced a critical file in a route update (now, the FAA has a backup system to prevent that from happening again). "It's more frequent even when it's just routine patching and updates," Chad Sweet, The Chertoff Group co-founder and CEO and former Chief of Staff at the Department of Homeland Security, told CNBC on Friday.

Digital boards are seen due to the global communications outage caused by CrowdStrike, which provides cyber security services to US technology company Microsoft, it was observed that some digital billboards in Times Square in New York City, United States, displayed a blue screen and some screens went completely black on July on 19, 2024. Selcuk Acar | Anadolu | Getty Images

Single-point failure risk management is an issue that companies need to plan for and protect against. There's no software in the world that gets released and doesn't later need to be patched or updated, and there are best security practices that exist for the period of time well after a production release that cover the ongoing software maintenance, Sweet said. Companies that the Chertoff Group works with are closely reviewing software development and update standards in the wake of the CrowdStrike outage. Sweet pointed to a set of protocols the government already provides, the SSDF (Secure Software Development Framework), that may give the market an idea of what to expect as Congress starts inspecting the issue more closely. That's likely after the recent string of incidents, from AT&T to the FAA and CrowdStrike, as the single-point technical failure has now clearly impacted citizens' lives and the operations of critical infrastructure on a widespread basis. "Get ready on the corporate side," Sweet said. Aneesh Chopra, Arcadia chief strategy officer and former White House chief technology officer, told CNBC on Friday that critical sectors including energy, banking, health care and airlines have separate regulations overseeing risk, and measures may be unique in the most regulated sectors. But for any business leader the question now is, "Assuming systems go down, what is plan B? We will see lots more scenario planning and if this is not Job No. 1, it is Job No. 2 or 3 to have those scenarios outlined," he said.

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Flight cancellations and delays continued on Saturday as airlines worked to recover from a global IT outage sparked chaos at airports and for other industries a day earlier.

More than 2,800 flights were canceled on Saturday, with over 2,100 of them in the United States, according to flight-tracking site FlightAware. More than 8,600 U.S. flights were delayed.

On Friday, more than 5,000 flights were canceled worldwide, with about 3,400 in the U.S. Nearly 13,000 U.S. flights were delayed.

The disruptions on Fwere similar to severe weather like a winter or tropical storm but airlines had no time to prepare for the outage, leaving them scrambling to accommodate customers ahead of a summer weekend.

A software update from CrowdStrike that went awry led to a major outage of Microsoft systems for businesses around the world.

Delta Air Lines canceled about 36% of its Saturday flights up from 32% a day earlier. Airlines waived fare differences and fees for affected customers.

American Airlines cancelled just 44 flights on Saturday, or 1% of its mainline operation, down from 11% a day earlier, the fastest recovery of the major U.S. carriers.

"Our customer is at the center of everything we do, and we thank them for their patience as our team worked together around the clock to return to normal operations just one day after the global outage," American said in a statement.

About 15% of United's mainline flights were canceled on Saturday, down from 22% on Friday, according to FlightAware data.

"Most of our technology systems have been restored and our reliability is improving, although we will continue to see cancellations and delays this weekend," United said.

How much customers with impacted flights will be reimbursed for additional expenses like meals or hotels depends on the airline's specific policy.

But customers are entitled to a refund for a canceled flight if they do not choose to travel on an alternate flight or accept a voucher.

"I am hearing reports of some airlines only offering flight credits to passengers for cancelled flights," Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg said in a social media post on Saturday. "Let me be clear  you are entitled to get your money back promptly if your flight is cancelled and you don't take a rebooking."

 CNBC's Rebecca Picciotto contributed to this report.
Nahjae Olin won the NYC housing lottery in 2023 and signed a lease on a one-bedroom apartment in the Bronx. She pays $881 a month in rent.

Nahjae Olin was born and raised in the Bronx, New York City. She and five of her siblings grew up in a one-bedroom apartment just one block away from the place she now calls home. In 2019, the 26-year-old preschool teacher had just moved back in with her family after graduating from college. By the end of that year, Olin tells CNBC Make It she had started planning to find her own apartment. "I was back from school in 2019, and towards the end of the year, I was going through a rough time with my mom and knew I needed to move out," Olin tells CNBC Make It. After searching online for apartments and seeing how expensive it would be to live alone or even with a roommate, she decided to apply to the city's housing lottery. She submitted her first of many applications in 2020. By the time she finally heard back in 2022, she had submitted over 100 applications.

Olin's apartment is just a block away from where she grew up in the Bronx. Molly Stromoski for NYC Department of Housing Preservation & Development

The New York City housing lottery program helps residents find affordable housing, including rent-stabilized apartments. The Department of Housing Preservation and Development defines affordable housing as housing costs no greater than 30 percent of a single person's or family's income. "Housing lottery is the way that the city of New York makes affordable apartments that we finance and we regulate available to income-qualified New Yorkers," Emily Osgood, associate commissioner of housing opportunity and placement services, tells CNBC Make It. "There are so many more people that need housing than we have apartments, so the fairest way to give people a chance is through a lottery process." Per the city's rent stabilization system, there is a legal limit to how much rent one can be charged in a year. NYC's Rent Guidelines Board determines the rate at which rent in a rent-stabilized apartment can increase lease-to-lease. "It's important to know that the way New York City funds affordable housing, it can be affordable to people at different income levels," Osgood says. The income requirement is determined by the area's median income (AMI), unit size, household size, and annual household income.

The NYC housing lotteries can be found at housingconnect.nyc.gov. NYC Housing Connect

The average ratio for HPD's housing lottery is 50 applications for each available unit. "It may not happen the first time, but you've got to stick with it. It's not an overnight sensation. The timeline is probably going to be long, but hang in there," Osgood says. Osgood also says it's important to remember that after the lotteries close, paper applications are added to the system, and everything is randomized and sorted into batches. Each applicant is assigned a log number, which can be viewed in their Housing Connect profile. "The lower the log number, the better. The closer you are to coming up soon in one of those batches," she says. To speed up the process, Osgood also suggests keeping the Housing Connect profile up to date and having certain documents on hand, such as pay stubs and copies of I.D.s for everyone in the household.

Olin pays $881 a month in rent for her one-bedroom apartment in the Bronx. Molly Stromoski for NYC Department of Housing Preservation & Development

When thinking about moving out on her own, Olin tells CNBC Make It she knew she wanted to stay in the Bronx because it's where her whole life is. Over the years, Olin heard back from several housing lottery properties in Brooklyn but kept holding out hope for an apartment in her home borough. Her persistence paid off in 2022 when she got an email advising that she'd been added to the waitlist for a one-bedroom apartment in a building in the Williamsbridge neighborhood of the Bronx. Olin assumed she'd land in a studio "because I thought there was no way I could afford a one-bedroom apartment on my own," she says. "As soon as I went to view it, I fell in love with it and wanted it. I could see myself living there and was absolutely obsessed."

To qualify for this building, Olin's yearly income had to be between $33,086 and $46,700. Molly Stromoski for NYC Department of Housing Preservation & Development

In May 2023, Olin signed a two-year lease on a one-bedroom apartment for $881 a month. The average rent for a one-bedroom apartment in the Bronx is $2,230, according to Apartment's List. Olin's building offers access to amenities like a laundry room, gym, and free Wi-Fi. To qualify for this lottery, Olin's yearly income had to be between $33,086 and $46,700, according to documents reviewed by CNBC Make It. When she was selected, Olin had to submit proof of income, which included bank statements, invoices, and tax forms. Olin says getting her keys and moving in is a moment she'll never forget. "It felt like a full circle moment. To live down the block from the apartment I grew up in is great." She plays hostess to her siblings and her mom who cried the first time she saw the apartment and told Olin how proud she was. "My family never wants to leave now. My mom gets to see that I'm not struggling or scraping by to pay for my rent like so many people," Olin says. "She knew how stressful it was for me to move out and find somewhere to live at my age and with my income. It just felt impossible, and she was super proud, and it made me even more proud of myself."

Olin plays hostess to her siblings and her mom who cried the first time she saw the apartment. Molly Stromoski for NYC Department of Housing Preservation & Development

Olin has been living in her apartment for over a year and doesn't plan to move out anytime soon. "It's so hard to see myself leaving...I feel like it's mine right now, and I'm not at a place where I want to leave just yet, but I do know that if I never do, I will be so sad," Olin says. "It feels like this was my first big girl responsibility and something I had to do for the first time by myself." For those looking to follow in Olin's footsteps, it's important to know that you don't need to be a New York City resident to participate in the New York City housing lottery. Still, Osgood says those who already live in NYC are contacted first, no matter the log number. You also don't have to be a U.S. citizen or have a particular immigration status to quality, Osgood added. "But if everyone in your household isn't able to show documentation of income or provide any information about your rent history, you'll get to a point in the process where it's just hard to prove that you, in fact, qualify," she says. "It can be challenging, but there's no prohibition if you're able to show that you're eligible; we want you housed and want you to have that opportunity."

Olin is only one of many New Yorkers selected for the housing lottery in 2023

Nkenge, who was born in the Bronx but raised in Harlem, also started her housing lottery journey in 2020. When she was selected for a one-bedroom apartment in 2023, she had submitted over 120 applications.

Nkenge, who requested to only be identified by her first name for privacy concerns, tells CNBC Make It she started applying to the lottery because she was paying around $1,900 for a small one-bedroom apartment in Harlem, but wanted to reduce her rent costs to around $1,000 a month. "I really want to save for a place, something that I can call my own and actually own," Nkenge says. "I had a budget and I wanted to stick to that. That's when the lottery ended up coming in right at the nick of time." Nkenge's yearly income had to be between $36,798 and $59,340 to qualify for the lottery. While waiting for final approvals, Nkenge was shown three apartments  two in Brooklyn and one in Manhattan. "I first walked into those apartments; they were definitely out of this world. They felt like a hotel," Nkenge says. "I was greeted by a concierge and it just felt so elevated."

Nkenge tells CNBC Make It she spent about $7,000 buying furniture for her apartment. Mickey Todiwala. Photo by CNBC Make It

Nkenge chose a one-bedroom apartment in the building in Manhattan. Her unit comes with a washer and dryer and the building has shared amenities that include a gym, game room, and rooftop. The market rate for one-bedroom apartments in Nkenge's building starts at $5,903 a month, according to StreetEasy. "Living in an affordable home has not only made my life easier and less stressful, but it has also allowed me to have more access to things," Nkenge said. "It has allowed me to save not only for owning a home but also even retirement, life insurance. That's never something that I've had in the past, but now I'm able to afford that as well." Nkenge's two-year lease guarantees her a rent of $997 a month, which includes a $85 utility allowance. If she renews her lease in May 2025, Nkenge's rent will increase by 5%, the current increase percentage rate allowed for rent-stabilized units in New York City.

Before winning her housing lottery apartment, Nkenge lived in a small one-bedroom in Harlem. Mickey Todiwala. Photo by CNBC Make It
Dana Saydak estimates she's been to about 40 or 50 weddings. "There was one weekend where I went to two or three," the 33-year-old tells CNBC Make It. Saydak, who works in tech sales in Chicago, says that since she's started dating she's attended about half weddings single and half partnered. "Women being single at a wedding is going to be exponentially more expensive," she says. Indeed, a single female guest will spend $480 attending a wedding, while a partnered one will spend $292, according to a new report by CouponBirds. Single men spend $442 per wedding compared to partnered ones who spend $254. The costs associated with being a wedding guest  gifts, accommodations, parties  don't change based on your relationship status. Those partnered can pool money for hotel rooms and presents, while single guests are often expected to attend the same number of events with half the budget. On average, single people spend $273 more to go to a wedding than those in a relationship.

'I'm still giving a $100 gift'

"Single wedding guests may find themselves incurring higher expenses compared to those attending with a plus-one because they are responsible for covering accommodations and gifts individually," says Allison Cullman, wedding expert and vice president of brand marketing at Zola. Even if the wedding is local and you don't need to pay for a hotel room, transportation costs can add up, says Hannah Nowack, a senior editor at The Knot. "Ubers to wedding events covered by one person, rather than multiple, will put a greater financial burden on that single person," she says. Those attending solo might feel pressure to get a wedding present of comparable value to those who are partnered. "I don't think the expectations have shifted in any capacity [when you attend single]," Saydak says. "I'm still giving a $100 gift." The cost differentiation is especially pronounced for destination weddings, which Saydak says many of her friends have been opting for in recent years. "As I'm getting older, every single one of these weddings is getting further from where I live," she says. "There are more events, and they are putting them at a higher price point as far as where they are going." More than one-third, 36%, of couples planned to have destination weddings, according to a 2024 Zola report. Sarah Pearlman, 31, estimates she's attended between 15 and 20 weddings, a handful of which have been destination ceremonies. "I think the travel is really the big issue and travel can be way more expensive single," Pearlman, who is an emergency room doctor in Boston, says. "You have to get transport from the plane to wherever the hotel is then to the wedding. You are invited to stay at the hotel with the wedding block, but that's often a pricier room."

'Consider which wedding events are must-attend'

There are ways to curb spending as a wedding attendee, Cullman says. "Consider which wedding events are must-attend and which ones you could skip to save on costs," she says. Perhaps you don't need to go to the bridal shower if you're flying to the bachelorette party. You can also save money on a wedding present by asking others to chip in on a bigger item, Nowack says. "Group wedding gifts aren't just for married and dating folks," she says. "Single guests can make the most of them as well. If there is a big-ticket item on the couple's wedding registry, consider asking another single friend to go in on the present together." If accommodations are necessary, don't hesitate to reach out to a fellow single attendee to see if they want to board together. "If a good single friend of yours will also be at the wedding and you're both comfortable going halfsies on a hotel room, by all means, do it," Nowack says. "If doing so is the difference between being able to attend the wedding in a financially responsible way and having to RSVP 'no,' the decision to split should be simple." While partnered, Pearlman attended a wedding in India alone. "My partner felt like the cost was too much to go to India," she says. However, she was able to defray costs by rooming with friends. "That was very expensive, but there were 50 of us going," she says. "Being able to split a hotel room was very helpful." The best way to not overspend at a wedding is to create a budget and stick to it, says Jen Glantz, founder of Bridesmaid for Hire. "That should include all the pre-wedding events," Glantz told Make It in June. "That budget shouldn't be what anyone else tells you." 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.
In the race to make EVs cheaper and more profitable, companies are pulling just about every lever they can. But while improving battery technology often hogs the spotlight, automakers are investing heavily into changing how the rest of the car is made.

One such method is megacasting, or gigacasting, as Tesla calls it.

Gigacasting is a form of die-casting  pouring materials like molten aluminum into large molds to form parts. Die-casting has been around for awhile, but the American automaker headed by Elon Musk has been credited with pushing the envelope, said Shea Burns, a partner at research firm AlixPartners who studies auto manufacturing.

Tesla said the process works to reduce weight and dramatically improve manufacturing efficiency.

For example, the front and rear portions of the early Model 3 chassis each contained more than 70 parts, according to Tesla. The same two portions on the very similar Model Y are now just one part each.

"A cast rear body or front body is lighter, cheaper, better noise vibration or harshness, much easier to manufacture," Musk told analysts after Tesla released its second-quarter earnings of 2023. "I think it's basically going to be how all cars are made in the future."

Other automakers have announced their own investments: Toyota , Ford Motor , General Motors , Hyundai, Nissan, and Volvo .

"I see tons of opportunities going forward," said Erik Severinson, chief product and strategy officer for Volvo. Reducing weight ultimately means more range for the customer, and substituting one large megacast for dozens of stamped parts reduces labor and boosts production, he said.

"If you want to make an efficient electrified car, you need to have more aluminum, you need to have less parts, you need to have less complexity," he said.

But those who study the field say that while megacasting is exciting, it faces technical challenges. Die-casting always bears the risk that the material won't fully or properly fill the mold, allowing "voids" or air bubbles to occur, critics say. Those voids could pose structural risks.

There is also a higher scrap rate. About 15 pieces out of every 1,000 have to be thrown out, Burns said. For stamped steel, the rate is 10 of a 1,000.

There are also concerns that any damage to large megacasts will be tougher or more expensive to repair or replace, simply because of their sheer size.

Even in low-speed crashes that occur at about 10 miles per hour, "you have a deformation of these big parts," said Wolfram Volk, a professor of metal forming and casting at the Technical University of Munich in Germany. "And currently the car is impossible to repair."

Volk added he has spoken with German premium carmakers such as BMW and Volkswagen , who so far have steered away from the technique.

For its part, Tesla has disputed that castings are tougher to repair. The company's vice president of engineering, Lars Moravy, said on that second-quarter 2023 earnings call that replacing a specific cast part on a Tesla car, a rear rail, was 10 times cheaper and three times faster than a comparable stamped part.

Severinson views repair as a solvable challenge: "There is a solution to repairing also a casted rear floor," he said. "It's not an easy operation, but it's definitely doable."

Tesla, meanwhile, has reportedly backed away from an ambitious plan to create the entire underbody of its vehicles in one single piece. Burns and Volk say that might be a sign that the company is hitting some technical limits. Currently, the underbodies of the Model 3 and Model Y are cast in three pieces.

"You should have a balanced view on this technology," Volk said. "It's really a big step forward in casting." But, he added, no one knows if the promises will be fulfilled or if obstacles will stymie development. "It's a open game."

Watch the video to learn more.
In response to recent media reports suggesting that Turkey has imposed a blanket ban on military exports to India, the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) of India has dismissed these claims as "disinformation at best."During a weekly media briefing, MEA spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal addressed inquiries regarding the alleged export ban.He stated, As far as my knowledge is concerned and information is concerned, that information is not good. So, I will refer you to please take that question to the Turkish Embassy who can for short give you an answer because it is a post which was generated in Turkey. To my understanding, to the best of my knowledge, it is disinformation at best.The reports in question had claimed that Turkeys decision to halt arms, military equipment, and other defense goods exports to India was intended to benefit Pakistan, thereby exacerbating tensions between the two countries.However, the MEA has effectively refuted these allegations.In a related development, India has achieved a record high in defense exports, reaching 21,083 crore (approximately $2.63 billion) for the financial year 2023-24.This figure represents a substantial 32.5% increase from the 15,920 crore recorded in the previous fiscal year. Over the past decade, defense exports have grown 31-fold compared to the financial year 2013-14.The Ministry of Defence attributes this significant growth to the combined efforts of both private sector firms and Defense Public Sector Undertakings (DPSUs).The private sector has contributed approximately 60% of the total defense exports, while DPSUs have accounted for the remaining 40%.
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In spite of the Walt Disney Companys obvious embarrassment, Disneyland celebrated its 69th anniversary earlier this week. And while the park has obviously had a big impact on generations of happy children/exhausted adults, its also worth noting that it helped to shape the career of one of the most famous comic performers alive today: Steve Martin.

Famously, Martin spent weekends and summers working at Disneyland as a kid, beginning at the age of 10, because, as the comedian later speculated, I dont think there were any child labor laws then.

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In addition to catching the act that later inspired Three Amigos!, Martin was also influenced by the parks resident comedian, Wally Boag, who performed a Western-themed routine as part of the Golden Horseshoe Revue in Frontierlands faux saloon.

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Boags time at Disneyland spanned decades, from when it opened in 1955 all the way to 1982. The attraction closed just four years afterwards, but was recognized by Guinness World Records as the show with the greatest number of performances of any theatrical production.

Boags act made a huge impression on lil Steve Martin. As Martin wrote in his memoir Born Standing Up, Boag was the first comedian I ever saw in person, plied a hilarious trade of gags and offbeat skills such as gun twirling and balloon animals, and brought the house down when he turned his wig around backward. He wowed every audience every time.

Martin also recalled how he absorbed Wally Boags timing, saying his next line in my head and took the audiences response as though it were mine, confessing that his ultimate fantasy was that one day Wally would be sick with the flu, and a desperate stage manager would come out and ask the audience if there was an adolescent boy who could possibly fill in.

Looking back at Boags act, its not difficult to see that Martins eventual stand-up persona was like a postmodern riff on the Crown Prince of Disneylands act  from the wild gesticulations, to the use of balloon animals. Boag demonstrated this skill when he hosted The Muppet Show in 1981, after Martin introduced him to Jim Henson.

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Martin has claimed that he saw Boag perform hundreds of times, which is a lot, but still just a small fraction of his reported 40,000 performances. In addition to the humor itself, Boags energy and dedication to a routine that he performed so exhaustingly frequently was also an inspiration to Martin. I didnt realize that, what it took to do the same show over and over and over and still make it look like youre doing it for the first time, Martin once revealed in an interview. It just made me love comedy.

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When Boag died in 2011, Martin Tweeted that the comedian was his hero.

All in all, its nice to hear that working at Disneyland was a pleasant experience for someone, and not a soul-crushing nightmare that required scrubbing feces from the floor of the Pirates of the Caribbean line.

You (yes, you) should follow JM on Twitter (if it still exists by the time youre reading this).
When revisiting stuff from your childhood, sometimes you have to call upon the magical power of nostalgia to distract yourself from how truly childish  or downright terrible  it is. Transformers, for example, is the dumbest cartoon ever made, and Nickelodeons Doug couldnt be anymore dull.

There are some kids cartoons, though, that have so many layers that they only get funnier as you age. Here are seven of them

6 Ren & Stimpy Ren & Stimpy is probably the first cartoon people think of when theyre talking about kids cartoons aimed at adults since its filled with all sorts of gross and suggestive moments, particularly when involving the relationship between its two leads.

5 Rockos Modern Life Like Ren & Stimpy, Rockos Modern Life had adult jokes that went over kids heads, but theres another layer to the show that appeals to adults, too. Nearly every story is built around how mundane life is, like doing laundry or buying a new TV, which then spirals out of control for the wallaby.

4 Bluey There have been so many times when Ive watched Bluey with my daughter and thought, I need to be as good a dad as this cartoon dog is.

3 Regular Show Regular Show is about two dudes in their early 20s trying to get their lives started, they just happen to be a raccoon and a blue jay. They make dirty jokes, they call each other holes and theyve been attacked multiple times by a giant coffee bean that shoots coffee from his nipples. How this show didnt just start out on Adult Swim is beyond me. Advertisement Advertisement

2 Animaniacs and Pinky and The Brain While Animaniacs had some subtly dirty jokes, the adult appeal mostly came from the pop-culture references clearly aimed at older audiences. For instance, the show loved to take jabs at Rush Limbaugh or shout out celebs like Mickey Rooney. And when Pinky and The Brain spun off from Animaniacs, the topical jokes only multiplied thanks to Brains often timely diabolical plans for world domination.
It wasnt only a bus that went up in flames in the Harehills suburb of Leeds on Thursday night. So did any remaining sense that our society is secure or that the police can be relied on to keep the peace.

The scenes were truly shocking. Liberal commentators primly referred to what took place as disturbances, but to the rest of us, it looked like sick, thuggish violence.

Gas canisters and even a fridge were thrown on bonfires. A police car was flipped over and a delivery van was looted.

Feral youths were seen kicking police vehicles in chilling contempt for the social order. Grown men wielded scooters and bikes as weapons, using them to smash the windscreens of abandoned cars.

By yesterday morning, Harehills resembled a mini-war zone, with charred, twisted wreckage, upturned cars, lethal shards of shattered glass and black craters where fires had raged.

Large crowds of people gathered in the Harehills area of Leeds on Thursday night, where thugs overturned and smashed up a police car with scooters, prams and bikes

A police was overturned around 5pm Thursday as disorder broke out in the street

As the Mail went to press last night, some feared further violence was set to erupt.

So what was the trigger for this spasm of fury and destruction? It seems to have been an attempt by social workers to take children from a Roma family into care.

Police were initially called to deal with pockets of disorder after a crowd had gathered to protest the childrens removal. Outnumbered, the officers retreated.

Riot police then arrived, and apparently took the children into care. But that was only the start.

As the night progressed, an increasingly frenzied mob  comprising men and women  formed, intent on violence. No doubt many didnt have a clue why the rioting had started in the first place.

Harehills is what they call a diverse area  and one of the poorest places in Britain.

Large swathes of its population are of Pakistani or Bangladeshi heritage, but there are smatterings of more recently arrived immigrant communities, too, including Romanians and others from Eastern Europe.

Many, no doubt, live fine, productive lives, contributing much to their adopted country. Others, perhaps, less so.

Almost 20 years ago, before he became Prime Minister, David Cameron raised the alarm about communities in Britain that, he argued, seem to live parallel lives. He described groups that appeared to exist in their own bubbles, in which their own morality, culture and language ruled the day.

Too many of these communities, Cameron argued, lack the emotional connection that binds a country together.

Large crowds gathered at the scene as police officers attend a disturbance at a property in Luxor Street, Harehills, Leeds at 5pm

Riot officers were seen at the scene in Harehills as the disturbance continued

Locals stand watching a bonfire in the street in Harehills, Leeds

Well, if he could say that in 2006, in the intervening years, Britain has imported  at a rough estimate  over five million people from wildly differing cultures, many settling in the same enclaves. The problems the then-Tory leader identified are unlikely to have softened.

None of us knows whether the State was right to seek to take those Roma children into care, but that is not the issue.

Far more important is that everyone in a single society should accept the norms and structures that make the country what it is: foremost among these, the rule of law.

That some in Harehills seem not to accept this  and instead respond to a child-protection visit with furious violence  suggests that they see themselves as somehow outside society instead.

And that is not only a danger to public order. It is a disgraceful contempt for the State  and the country. Which is why I fear that the significance of these riots extends beyond a few arrests and insurance claims.

Yes, some of the rioting was no doubt purely opportunistic  a case of collective madness driven by a charged situation on a hot summers night.

However, in the fire and fury of Harehills this week, we may also have glimpsed something deeply troubling: a community, or communities, that appear to show little sense of having any meaningful connection to broader British society.

The whole thing was made worse, of course, by the abject fleeing of the very people paid to stop this kind of thing from happening.

West Yorkshire Police stepped back and allowed the riot to play itself out for hours. Assistant Chief Constable Pat Twiggs said officers were withdrawn as it was evident that police were the sole target of the troublemakers. He added: This allowed for further community mediation to take place to calm the situation.

Disorder broke out in Harehills, Leeds, on Thursday as rioters set multiple fires

The chaos was carried out by a ranting mob

Indeed, it was even left to members of the Harehills community to put out the fires that local thugs had started.

Green Party councillor Mothin Ali  last seen screaming We will raise the voice of Palestine! Allahu akbar! on his election to local office in May  deserves credit for begging the rioters to stop.

Yet despite his efforts, this was clearly a catastrophic failure of our state institutions. Who now in that benighted community, or anywhere else in Britain for that matter, believes the police can be relied upon to protect them when mobs are coursing through the streets?

In fiddling while Harehills burned, West Yorkshire Police essentially admitted that the area was, for several hours at least, a no-go zone.

I should note, too, that this was the very same force caught up in the ludicrous and self-inflicted lesbian nana scandal last year. This was when an autistic 16-year-old girl in Leeds was arrested for saying that a female police officer looked like her lesbian nana.

The charred and twisted wreckage of the burned out bus in Harehill, Leeds

Terrified residents took to the streets of Leeds to defend their homes after 'violent' thugs drove riot police out after setting the city ablaze

When police officers come down like a ton of bricks on unwoke speech  but run a mile from a literal riot, you can see just how warped their priorities are.

This cant go on. We need to wake up and have a bracing, honest discussion about the dangerous fraying of our society. Or Harehills will only be the start.
Most people never think twice about living in a world which is ever more reliant on computer technology.

After all, great advances in IT over recent decades have made almost every aspect of our lives immeasurably easier  saving us time and money.

But it can be a double-edged sword. And yesterday we experienced the nightmarish chaos caused by a global cyber security outage  the largest in history.

A bug in updated anti-virus software from a firm called CloudStrike caused computers using Microsoft Windows to crash.

It sparked bedlam across the planet. In Britain alone, flights were stuck on the runway and train services ground to a halt.

A shop in Southend-on-Sea that went cash only today after card payment systems stopped working

A checkout worker in a Little Waitrose at Kings Cross Station told customers: 'It is cash only at the moment. The card machines are not working'

GP surgeries were unable to book appointments or access patient records.

Supermarkets were incapable of taking card payments, forcing shoppers to use cash  or not buy food.

Schools and banking services were hit. Even CBBC, the children's TV channel, was knocked off air. The meltdown will have inflicted huge economic damage.

Mercifully, it was not a cyber-attack. By early afternoon, a chastened CrowdStrike had admitted the blunder.

But the fact that a single blip in computer software could bring society from London to Sydney almost to a standstill is a terrifying warning of just how vulnerable our cyber systems really are.

It starkly reminds us of the fragility of the IT networks the world relies on  and the dangers of the all-powerful monopolies of giants such as Microsoft.

Naturally, this will have given great heart to hostile states and cyber-terrorists. They can't have failed to notice this weakness  and will aim to exploit it ruthlessly.

So when it comes to protecting our critical IT, there can be no room for complacency.

Hard questions must be asked. Are we using the most resilient systems? Are we over-reliant on certain firms? The havoc also exposes the perils of a cashless world.

Computers and broadband run our lives. If they fail catastrophically, our connected nation would be paralysed.

Justice for eco idiots

Three cheers for Judge Christopher Hehir who imposed record prison sentences on five eco-anarchists who paralysed the M25.

The self-righteous oddballs of Just Stop Oil had 'crossed the line from concerned campaigner to fanatic', he said. Spot on.

Their high-profile supporters in Labour claim the stiff jail terms are unfair because the protesters are non-violent criminals.

But the plot to cripple the motorway endangered lives, blocked ambulances and caused serious disruption to their fellow citizens. They should expect to pay a heavy price for such reckless illegality.

The climate warriors routinely boast they are prepared to go to prison for their hysterical beliefs. They are surely satisfied, then, that the courts have obliged.

From left to right: Lucia Whittaker De Abreu, Cressida Gethin, Louise Lancaster, Daniel Shaw and Roger Hallam. Hallam was sentenced to five years' imprisonment while the remaining four defendants were each handed four years' imprisonment

Switching off profit

Despite his demanding job, Sir Keir Starmer says he'll try to clock off at 6pm on Fridays. He doesn't want anyone else getting out-of-hours work calls or emails either.

For Labour has had the eccentric brainwave of giving workers a 'legal right to switch off', banning bosses from contacting them on evenings, weekends and holidays.

Sir Keir insists he wants to 'unlock growth', but this measure would do the opposite. It will further cripple businesses, which would lead to redundancies. Then those workers wouldn't have jobs to switch off from.
A business owner lives the life of luxury in Dubai has reflected on her humble beginning in life - after being raised in the care system in the UK.

Emily Abraham is the co-founder of pre-loved designer boutique Love Luxury and has found fame in her 40s alongside husband Adam and 11-year-old daughter Moo.

The familys TikTok account has over 1.9 million followers, while their business resells luxury pre-loved goods, often for hundreds of thousands of pounds.

But the entrepreneur's lavish life in Dubai is a far cry from her upbringing, as she grew up in foster care after her mother died when she was just six years old.

When Emily moved into care with her foster parents John and Elaine in the West Country, she explained she didn't know how to eat with a knife and fork and arrived filthy dirty and riddled with nits.

Emily Abraham grew up in care and now runs a TikTok account with millions of followers and a luxury business dealing with designer items

Speaking to FEMAIL, Emily said: 'They gave me my first semblance of normality that I'd had in my entire six years.

'Being with them was very positive to me because they were normal people and a normal family. I had a mum and a dad and they had their own three children.

'They're Christian people and they taught me values. I had a foul mouth when I moved in because I came from a person who was a drug addict and very free spirited.

'They taught me not to talk like that and how to treat people with respect.'

Before moving into permanent care, Emily was already moving in and out of temporary care from the age of five as her mother - a drug addict - was often absent.

One day, in February 1984, her mother didn't pick her up from school and the next day she was still missing.

Emily was told on the following Monday that her mother had been found dead. With a lack of other relatives capable of looking after her and having never met her dad, Emily moved in with John and Elaine for the next seven years.

Emily continued: 'I had a lot of lessons with them at that time. One of them that stands out in my brain is that my brother taught me how to tie my shoelaces and he paid me 50p for doing it.

Emily's business Love Luxury deals with items worth hundreds of thousands of pounds (pictured with her daughter Moo)

A younger Emily is pictured with her mother before she died and before going into care

Emily, husband Adam and Moo (pictured outside their Knightsbridge store) have now relocated to Dubai

Emily credits her thick skin and resilience to her time spent in foster care, admitting she felt 'unwanted' at the time

'And I was over the moon because I bought so many sweets with that money!

'I cannot thank them enough for everything they did for me - things that normal people would instill in their children but that I wasn't given for the first years of my life.'

Emily eventually moved out to live with her grandmother at 13 - but is still in touch with John and Elaine to this day and they are due to fly out to visit her in Dubai next week.

She said her love of luxurious things is something she has always had - and stems from watching her grandfather buying gold and spending hours sorting it out.

Emily's grandmother was a seamstress and made exquisite dresses and velvet coats.

Emily calls herself a 'magpie' and said she was always aware of good quality things - even at a time when she didn't have any of her own.

Eventually she met Adam, now her husband, and together the two of them created Love Luxury, their family-run business that resells designer items.

The brands include Hermes, Chanel, Louis Vuitton, Rolex, Cartier, Patek Philippe, Richard Mille, Van Cleef & Arpel, all coming with an expensive price tag.

The businesswoman now works with brands such as Hermes, Chanel and Louis Vuitton in her luxury reselling business

Emily always said she was found of luxurious things - even when she didn't have any of her own

Her lavish life in Dubai is a far cry from her upbringing - which was filled with difficult moments

Though the business has boomed - especially since the pandemic when other luxury outlets were unavailable - Emily and Adam still try to meet personally with as many of their customers as possible.

In July 2023, the family made the move to Dubai to expand their business, though Adam still divides his time between the UAE and Knightsbridge, where the Love Luxury shop is based.

Even now, Emily remembers her time in foster care and feels like she has brought vital lessons from her time there to her business.

She said: 'I think that when your child is in foster care you've got two routes you can go down - the destructive route or the positive route.

'For many years I was on the destructive route and I think that what I took from being a child in foster care was that I wasn't good enough. Nobody wanted me and even though that wasn't really the truth, that's how it felt.

'When I realised, actually that's as far from the truth as it could be, it helped me to see everyone and everything in a new light, I took resilience from that.

'Sometimes things get to me but I always take something from that negative that happened and try to learn from it and I believe that I got that skill from being in the system. I've seen so many different sides to life.

'I'm also very empathetic and understanding to human beings in general and it helps me to be a more rounded human being in business with my clients and my team. I'm very warm-hearted and very open.'

The family's TikTok account has over 1.9 million followers, while their business resells luxury pre-loved goods

Emily is pictured aged nine months with her mother - she began moving in and out of foster care from five years old

The business began to boom in 2020 when other luxury outlets were forced to close due to the pandemic

Emily has always been quick at picking up new skills, and she soon learned how to tell whether an item was authentic and people would turn to her to answer questions.

She has run a TikTok account for Love Luxury for around a year and a half - and ever since, business has sky-rocketed to the extent that she says she 'can't even quantify it'.

She also posts relatable marriage content, advice and informational videos, all of which help to keep the brand in people's minds.

Success has come to Emily in her 40s and at first she said she was 'shocked and appalled' by the 'dark side' to social media.

Over time, she came to realise that the benefits of social media far outweighed the difficult comments she was receiving.

She said: 'Although in the beginning I was shocked and appalled by the things that people were saying about me, I very quickly got over it.

'I am very aware that not a lot of people are like me. But I think that because of my childhood I am who I am today with this thick skin.'
Molly-Mae, 25, has embraced the 'less is more' aesthetic as she enters a new era

It has been five years since Molly-Mae Hague left the Love Island villa in second place.

She first entered the villa as a bright-eyed 20-year-old woman from Hertfordshire with bronze skin, bleach-blonde tresses and vibrant colourful outfits, where she met Tommy Fury, a professional boxer.

But half a decade on the blonde beauty has toned down her reality star look, gaining a fiance and welcoming her daughter Bambi.

Now 25, Molly-Mae has stripped back her look and is now opting for 'less is more' when it comes to her wardrobe, make-up and hair.

Ever since she gave birth to her child, the influencer has been donning an aesthetic dubbed the 'Sofia Richie effect,' which is full of classy, neutral ensembles usually consisting of blazers, high necklines and staple denim jeans.

Molly-Mae would usually run errands in the most colourful ensembles but now she opts for neutral tones. Pictured in 2019

Molly-Mae said she decided that enough was enough after seeing pictures of her face 'swollen' face post-procedure go viral

Ever since she gave birth to her child, the influencer has been donning an aesthetic dubbed the ' Sofia Richie effect'

At her sister's per-wedding celebrations in the Lake District, Molly opted for a simple, yet sophisticated, sleeveless dress and natural makeup in photos shared of her posing by the water.

Her hair is now a more toned-down shade of blonde and she usually wears her locks down in a sleek wavy blow-dry - rather than the large bun millions saw on the Love Island.

This is a far cry from the bright blue matching co-ord suit the content creator donned when she made an appearance on This Morning in 2019.

This shift may signal that Molly-Mae is looking to leave her reality television career behind and venture into new career prospects.

Celebrity stylist Rochelle White told FEMAIL: 'She has shown what she can do as a Creative Director for Pretty Little Thing when she was in that post-Love Island Era.

'More brands will be attracted to her as she has changed her image - which could also be why she did it.

'She has grown and so that will naturally attract bigger brands.'

Before she became a mother in January 2023, the former PrettyLittleThing Creative Director would often be seen sporting more neon cut-out clothing, extensions and bright white teeth.

She first entered the villa as a bright-eyed 20-year-old with bronze skin, bleach-blonde tresses and vibrant colourful outfits

Molly-Mae is pictured with her daughter Bambi in Dubai in January this year

Now, Molly-Mae opts for a more classy look for Wimbledon this year (pictured left). Pictured left: The influencer at a PrettyLittleThing event in 2021

Tommy Fury and Molly-Mae Hague attend the National Television Awards in 2020

Her ensembles now are a far-cry from the blue matching co-ord she wore when she went on This Morning in 2019

But it seems this Instagram modelesque era has had its time after she flogged many of her unwanted designer garments for as little as 15 on platforms such as Depop.

Brand and Culture Expert Nick Ede previously told The Sun: 'Molly-Mae has transformed herself into a yummy mummy who has ditched the glamour model style for a more relaxed and natural look.'

He added that this more 'down-to-earth' look would win over more fans, as she is showing off a 'softer side'.

Rochelle also believes that this switch-up in style has been sparked by becoming a mother. She said: 'I think she wants her daughter to be able to look up to her and be proud of her.

'She no doubt wants her daughter to be able to look back at photos and not ask "Who's that, or why do you look different".

Molly-Mae would often wear heavy makeup and use filler in her face, but she has since stripped back her look Pictured left in 2019 and right, in May

Molly Mae now opts for a more natural look after having her fillers dissolved

Molly-Mae Hague attended a red carpet event at Cannes Film Festival in May this year

'I feel that she is in a different stage of her life and her old look and style no longer work for her.

'I also feel that she is aware that she is raising a daughter and no doubt wants to be a Mum that her daughter is proud of and sets a standard from now.'

'[It's] very similar to Kylie Jenner when she [spoke] about the beauty standards she had placed on herself and also society and the impact that would have down the line.'

The Keeping Up With the Kardashians star, who is a year older than Molly-Mae, spoke about her procedures on the show, expressing regret over having them done.

She said: 'I dont want my daughter to do the things I did. I wish I never touched anything to begin with.'

This has similarly been echoed by Molly-Mae, who has changed her face via cosmetic procedures in the past.

The mother-of-one now opts for more neutral ensembles, usually donning black, white, grey or tan

Molly-Mae Hague seen leaving the Mayfair Hotel in August 2019 donning a colourful snakeprint co-ord

She continued to get filler in her face after appearing on Love Island. But she explained that it was time to stop the enhancements after posting a YouTube video following an appointment.

She reportedly paid 5,800 to get the filler dissolved and was left with a brand new face in a bid to get in touch with her authentic self.

Speaking on The Diary of a CEO with Steve Bartlett podcast, Molly-Mae said she decided that enough was enough after seeing pictures of her face 'swollen' face post-procedure go viral.

She said: 'I wouldn't say I got addicted to it, but by the age of 21, I didn't look like the same person.

'I literally looked like a different person. When I look back at pictures now, I'm terrified of myself. I'm like, 'Who was that girl?' I don't know what happened.

'But there was this one pivotal moment where I'd gone and got loads of filler and I posted a YouTube video and I hadn't let the filler settle and it was really swollen and a screenshot from that video, it trended on Twitter for weeks.

'It was horrendous. It was utterly horrendous. My face was literally like, it was just awful. That was the moment for me as well where I was like, I think things need to change.'

Rochelle believes the reaction to the infamous picture of Molly-Mae's swollen face played a big part in her becoming more natural and predicts that she was inspired by the 'clean girl' aesthetic, which is loved by other stars such as Hailey Bieber.

Molly-Mae Hague attends a celebration of women in business in London earlier this year

Molly-Mae has gone for a more classic look in recent years as she moves away from her reality TV image

Molly-Mae used to wear her hair in a large bun on Love Island but now she opts for a sleek wavy blow-dry

She said: 'Sometimes when things like that happen, it's a bit of a wake-up call. She started to see herself in a more natural light and that led to her removing her hair extensions.

'There is a "clean girl" aesthetic going around and although I don't believe she is on that trend, I do think that it could have inspired her.

'I also believe that the goal for her to be a social media influencer, was reached and as she got older she wanted to move away from that.'

In October 2021, Molly-Mae and Tommy had their Manchester home burgled whilst they were in London and lost around 800,000 worth of belongings.

Rochelle also believes this experience may have contributed to her posting more basic outfits online, to keep her wealth under wraps.

'I think like anything like that is a [warning] to be careful about what you show online and wear out,' she said.

'That is a scary experience and has an impact. I think she has toned it down and created a look that still feels like she giving her followers what they want, but in a way for her that is more careful and calculated.'
James Middleton has shared a heartwarming video of his son Inigo viewing his dog food range as it hits shelves in Sainsbury's.

The Princess of Wales' brother, 37, who lives in Berkshire, launched his brand James & Ella - which sells freeze-dried raw dog food - in 2020.

Since then, the father-of-one - who named his brand after his late dog Ella - has expanded into air-dried treats and freeze-dried raw food toppers.

Earlier this week, the father-of-one who welcomed his first son with wife Alizee Thevenet in 2023 - announced that his brand is now stocked in Sainsbury's.

Sharing the news with his 346,000 Instagram followers, James posted a video of him and Inigo going to see his products on sale in a store in Reading.

The Princess of Wales' brother shared a video of his son Inigo going to see James & Ella on shelves in their local Sainsbury's yesterday

The video opens with James pushing a trolley through the doors of the superstore with his son - who isn't facing the camera - sitting in the front.

After whizzing through the beauty aisle, James then pauses in front of his dog food range and filmed Inigo reaching out for a bag of treats.

Following this, the proud father took his son out of the trolley and showed the toddler knocking an Ella & James product off the shelf into an open shopping bag.

The clip ends with Inigo clutching onto a pack of dog treats after being put back in the trolley.

James captioned the post: 'THE RUMOURS ARE TRUE. Today I took Inigo to our local Sainsbury's to show him our new James & Ella range on the shelf! A very proud moment.

'Im passionately growing my business & watching Inigo grow at the same time, knowing that neither would have existed if it hadnt been for Ella: The Dog Who Saved My Life.'

The business owner then went on to reveal that James & Ella is stocked in over 300 Sainsbury's stores across the UK.

He continued: 'I set out on a mission to make all dogs lives as happy and healthy as they have made mine, starting with the food they eat.

Pictured: James Middleton with his wife Alizee Thevenet in November 2019. The couple welcomed their first son together in 2021

Pictured: James Middleton shares video of son Inigo viewing his dog food brand on sale in Sainsbury's

'Im so grateful for this incredible journey, and for those of you who have supported me. This is a big moment!'

The clip has amassed over 6,100 'likes' since it was shared yesterday afternoon and fans were quick to congratulate James in the comments.

One gushed: 'Aww Inigo looks so sweet.'

Gushing over James' 'cute boy', another added: 'congratulations also for your brand expansion.'

A third wrote: 'That moment when a son is proud of his father's passion and love for dogs.'

Pictured: The Princess of Wales' brother James Middleton with his late spaniel Ella, who inspired his food brand James & Ella

Last month, James Middleton shared a sweet snap of his baby son Inigo, his wife Alizee (left) and their dogs who watched him talk about his new book

Last month, James Middleton shared a photo of his wife and son as they watched him discuss his new book about grief with their dogs.

The Princess of Wales named his memoir: Meet Ella: The Dog Who Saved My Life.

In 2020, James revealed how his spaniel Ella - who was the first dog he had as an adult - helped him during his mental health battles.

Appearing on Lorraine, James explained: 'Dogs mean a huge amount to me.

'I think without my dogs, I wouldn't have the confidence to be sat here speaking now. So I could go as far as saying dogs have saved my life.

'They're incredible companions, that go further then sometimes humans can, in way of rehabilitation.'

In January 2023, James revealed that Ella had sadly passed away aged 15 and wrote a tribute to her in The Times.

Entrepreneur James Middleton shared this photo of him cradling Ella, taken just hours before she died in 2023

James even set up his own raw dog food company and named it after his beloved dog (pictured)

Describing how Ella helped with his mental health battles, James wrote: 'I have thought about suicide but never actually contemplated it. My thoughts were stopped short because Ella got in the way.'

He also recalled the moment he had to bury his therapy dog, saying it took him four hours 'because I knew once I had finished digging, that would be the final farewell.'

'All the family came to say their goodbyes. I cant speak for them but I believe she influenced their lives too,' he added.

James continued: 'My sisters [Kate and Pippa Middleton] came to some of my therapy sessions. Theyve always been there during difficult times and they were at my side during the hardest of times as well. For that, I am for ever grateful.'

He previously told his followers Ella helped him overcome depression and 'saved his life', leading him to sign up with Pets As Therapy, a charity which visits care settings with dogs in order to help people recover.

He and Ella had been volunteers with the charity for more than four years before her death.

James has previously described his 'really difficult battle' with the condition: 'A few years ago I was in a very dark and lonely place, I was existing without purpose or direction, the constant heart thudding anxiety stripped away any joy, excitement or anticipation.

'It was during this time that I realised how much my dogs, in particularly [sic] Ella, helped me during a really difficult battle with clinical depression. She saved my life.'
The Prince and Princess of Wales are looking to expand their team at Kensington Palace - but the successful candidate will need to possess a rare skill.

The royal couple, both 42, are currently hiring an 'Assistant Private Secretary', who will be based in London.

The permanent role will involve planning the Prince and Princess of Wales' engagements across the UK.

However, the job description stresses that there will be a 'particular focus on Wales' to 'maximise' the couple's impact.

Prince William and Kate Middleton inherited the titles of Prince and Princess of Wales following the late Queen's death in September 2022 - having previously been the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge.

Pictured: The Princess of Wales, 42, attending the Wimbledon men's singles final last weekend for the first time since her cancer diagnosis

The job description reads: 'This role requires excellent communication and organisational skills, with a proven ability to build productive relationships with a wide range of individuals and institutions.

'You will have a proactive, hands-on approach while operating in a small and agile team, and a strong understanding of Welsh communities, affairs, government, and business.'

However, the job specification did highlight that the royal couple are looking for an assistant private secretary who can ideally speak fluent Welsh.

It concluded: 'Conversational Welsh is essential, and fluent Welsh, both written and spoken, is desirable.'

The Palace have outsourced the hiring process to recruitment agency Odgers Berndtson and prospective candidates have until midnight on 21 July to apply.

The job ad comes just days after the Princess of Wales' triumphant Wimbledon return last weekend - where the royal was greeted with a standing ovation.

Before this, the Princess of Wales had only appeared in public for Trooping the Colour amid her ongoing cancer treatment.

Pictured: The Prince and Princess of Wales with Princess Charlotte and Prince Louis at the Trooping the Colour, which was the royal's first public appearance since her cancer diagnosis

The job description stresses that there will be a 'particular focus on Wales' to 'maximise' the couple's impact

In May 2024, a senior royal aide told the Mail that the royal will return to work when she is given the 'green light' from doctors.

Her spokesman said: 'The work of The Prince and Princess' projects is "always on"early childhood is a huge priority for The Princess and so she has been kept fully updated throughout the development of the Taskforce's work and she has seen the report. '

A senior royal aide added: 'The Princess of Wales was the driving force behind the business task force. She has been kept up to date since the inception of the task force and she has read the report and been briefed on it.

'This is a clear commitment she has made that throughout her life of public service that this will be focus. That will continue when she returns to work. But we have been really clear that she needs the space and the privacy to recover right now. She will return to work when she has had the green light from doctors.'

Earlier this week, King Charles and Queen Camilla visited Cardiff to celebrate the 25th anniversary of the Senedd's opening.

During a speech, King Charles referenced Prince William's visit to Anglesey this month and the current Prince of Wales 'relationship with this special land'.

The King said: 'It has given me great pleasure to see my sons relationship with this special land continue, including returning only this week to Anglesey - Ynys Mon  a place which I know means so much to him.'

The Prince and Princess of Wales moved to Anglesey in 2010 and lived there for three years while the future King was serving in the RAF.

King Charles holds the record for the longest serving Prince of Wales in the Royal Family's history - having held the title for over 64 years.

Ahead of his investiture in 1969, Charles was taught how to speak Welsh by university lecturer Dr Tedi Millward - who passed away in April 2020.
This week marked 25 years since Carolyn Bessette-Kennedy's untimely death - but her fashion influence remains as strong ever.

The 33-year-old, who lived in New York and worked as a publicist for Calvin Klein, was thrust into the spotlight as a result of her relationship with John F. Kennedy Jr, who was the only son of the late US President.

As a result of the intense media interest in their relationship, Carolyn was often photographed on the streets of New York - and unintentionally became the poster girl for minimalist 90s style.

In recent years, Carolyn's understated street style looks and her elegant occasionwear has seen her being rediscovered as a fashion 'it girl' for millennials and Gen Z on TikTok.

Currently, there are over 20,000 videos on the video-sharing platform devoted to CBK's style, which have amassed millions of views.

Pictured: Carolyn Bessette-Kennedy and John F. Kennedy Jr attending the Grand Central Gala in May 1998

Pictured: TikToker Andrea Ricci modelling a black strapless midi dress similar to the one Carolyn wore to the Grand Central Gala in May 1998

Earlier this year, TikToker Kate Kope recreated one of Carolyn's New York street style looks, which consisted of a minimal black coat, white t-shirt, blue jeans and some circular sunglasses.

She captioned her video: 'Forever loving [Carolyn's] style.'

Meanwhile, social media star Andrea Ricci posted a video of herself modelling a black strapless gown similar to the one the late fashion icon wore to the Grand Central Gala in May 1998 and described how she is in her 'Carolyn Besette era'.

Speaking to FEMAIL, Giorgina Ramazzotti - a London-based fashion expert and stylist - explained how Carolyn Bessette-Kennedy's style was at the forefront of a 'revolutionary' minimalist fashion movement.

The expert said: 'Early-nineties fashion was still emerging from the hangover of the eighties.

'Loud Versace prints, oversized gold jewels and the original supermodels ruled the airwaves, so when this ethereal, make-up free girl  who never wore jewellery and only donned understated separates  captured the heart of arguably Americas most eligible bachelor, she also captured the worlds attention.'

Describing why Carolyn has had such a resurgence among millennials and Gen Z, Giorgina added: 'Fashion designers such as Gabriela Hearst and Michael Kors still admit to looking to Carolyn for inspiration today, and Anna Wintour said the Kennedy had fabulous modern style, so its unsurprising that she is back on the radar of young fashion fans as the 90s once again rises in popularity.

'For a woman with every designer at her disposal, and all the financial means to be as bold as she liked, her quiet style and understated clothing was easy to copy and still resonates with the young today.

Pictured: Carolyn Bessette-Kennedy - who worked as a publicist for Calvin Klein - on the streets of New York in the 1990s

TikToker Kate Kope recreated one of Carolyn's New York street style looks, which consisted of a minimal black coat, white t-shirt, blue jeans and some circular sunglasses

Pictuted: John F Kennedy Jr and Carolyn Bessette leaving their New York apartment in the Tribeka district

Pictured: TikTok user Kate - who goes by the username Rhinestone Cowgirll - recreated this outfit online

'2024 has seen Gen Z and millennials embrace quiet luxury and old money aesthetic, with TikTok flooded with how to videos and tips on emulating the trend. Its number one requirement? Subtlety.

'What were seeing is a backlash to the pandemics exercise clothes and untailored sportswear. Where they were unable to leave the house, get dressed up or truly express themselves, Gen Z and millennials are now spreading their wings and embracing self-expression through fashion.

'From going back into the office, to seeing friends on the weekend, travelling abroad, or for some; going into a work environment for the very first time, they are moving away from the memories of sofa-bound lockdown and into their shiny new lives filled with elegant, polished styles with the freedom of expression.

'Large logos, garish t-shirts and battered trainers have been shunned in favour of tailored separates, classic accessories and fresh-faced makeup. Their poster-child? The understated, fresh-faced and independent style of Carolyn Bessette-Kennedy.'

What's more, Giorgina said Carolyn's wedding dress - a minimal white silk slip - has had the greatest lasting impact on fashion.

Pictured: John F Kennedy Jr and Carolyn Bessette-Kennedy return from the "Brite Nite Whitney" Kick-Off Party in March 1999 - four months before their tragic deaths

Pictured: The glamorous couple - who died in a plane crash in July 1999 - pictured at the Robin Hood Foundation 10th Anniversary Party in New York in 1998

Pictured: Carolyn Bessette-Kennedy and John F. Kennedy Jr seen returning home from brunch in New York in October 1997

The expert said: 'Designed by her friend and then-unknown designer Narciso Rodriguez, Carolyns 1996 dress, accessorised only with Manolo Blahnik sandals and a slicked back hair, was an understated masterpiece.

'With new husband John on her arm, the photograph of Carolyn descending the steps of an unassuming African Baptist Church in the backwoods of Georgia, surrounded by unkempt greenery just 40 guests, it was the outfit that launched a thousand replicas.

'From Kate Mosss John Galliano designed slip dress for her wedding to Jamie Hince, to Meghan Markles halter-style reception wedding dress by Stella McCartney, Carolyns legacy lives on.

Additionally, marketing and fashion expert Josh Neuman highlighted how Carolyn's 'timeless sophistication' has also made her a source of inspiration for millennials and Gen Z.

Pictured: John F Kennedy Jr and Carolyn Bessette-Kennedy's wedding photo featured on the front cover of this Gold Collector Series Magazine commemorative issue

John F. Kennedy Jr. and his wife Carolyn Bessette Kennedy arrive at the annual John F. Kennedy Library Foundation dinner and Profiles in Courage awards in honor of the former President's 82nd Birthday in May 1999

The expert continued: 'While CBK's closet may seem quite simple at first glance - crisp button-downs, pencil skirts and slacks, ballet flats - she had an uncanny gift for coaxing maximum impact from minimal accoutrements.

'She let the purity of fine fabrics shine through rather than relying on flashy prints or cuts. And that discipline of letting quality essentials stand on their own communicates a certain confidence and sophistication.

'What always intrigued me most was how she subverted feminine expectations by mixing presumed "masculine" silhouettes with intimate styling details. Shedding typical feminine ornamentation also made room for bolder accessories - oversized shades, striking brooches, vibrant nail polish. That playful defiance of binary stereotypes continues to excite many fashion rebels today.

'Of course, her most famous hallmark was cultivating a "French girl" allure with effortless wearability. While socialites of her era might have fussed over fits, Carolyn proved luxury could feel approachable and lived-in.

'You might say Carolyn Bessette-Kennedy proved less can indeed be more if the basics shine in their simplicity. And that spirit of thoughtful restraint combined with rule-breaking details is part of why her style legacy lives on today with fans like myself. Her influence is ever-present to those seeking chic essentials with an intriguing twist.'

JFK Jr. was flying the aircraft with Carolyn, 33, and Lauren, 34, when it tragically plunged into the Atlantic on July 16, 1999. Pictured: Carolyn and Lauren in New York City in 1998

John F Kennedy Jr. sitting in cockpit with wife, Carolyn, in 1998 (he is pictured in a plane in the same year)

On 16 July 1999, Carolyn, her husband John and her sister Lauren were killed when a plane JFK Jr was flying plunged into the Atlantic.

They were supposedly flying to Martha's Vineyard first to drop off Lauren, before continuing on to Hyannis Port, Massachusetts, to attend the wedding of John's cousin Rory the next day.

According to a new book, JFK Jr: An Intimate Oral Biography, Carolyn's mother had warned her daughters against both about boarding his small Piper Saratoga in 1999.

'She was panic-stricken,' RoseMarie wrote of the grieving mother in the book. 'She said something like, "I told him never to take two of my girls up at the same time."'

The author said Ann was 'angry' after her daughters' deaths. 'Crying. It was panic, shock. Disbelief,' she recalled.

Even though it was an inexperienced 38-year-old pilot at the controls of a complicated plane, Carolyn is often blamed for the accident.

In the aftermath of the aftermath of the 'Kennedy tragedy, Carolyn was blamed for leading an inexperienced pilot to crash into the ocean.

This is despite Carolyn often telling friends and family she 'didn't trust' her husband's flying skills, as noted in DailyMail.com columnist Maureen Callahan's book Ask Not: The Kennedys and the Women They Destroyed.

Carolyn believed JFK Jr. lacked the patience, diligence and attention span to be a good pilot.

He didn't take his training seriously, hadn't logged enough hours to fly alone, and regularly broke the rules by sneaking in solo flights when he was supposed to have an instructor with him.

On the night of the fatal crash, another small-plane pilot had told JFK Jr. he was alarmed by the worsening visibility of the sky, suggesting he should wait.

However, the eager pilot replied: 'No chance.'

A flight instructor offered to go up with him, but he had refused. 'I want to do it alone', he said.
Like millions of other young people, Sam Patterson thought if he worked hard enough, he could achieve the Australian dream of owning a home.

But even after saving up $130,000 for a deposit and having a $140,000-per-year job, the 35-year-old was still considered a risk by the banks as he didn't work full-time.

After being rejected three times for a modest home loan, Sam realised the system was broken and decided to forge his own path.

He packed a suitcase and moved from Melbourne to Canada, having come to the realisation he no longer wanted to live in a city that didn't want him.

'I wanted to buy a house because I thought it was the smart, grown-up thing to do,' Sam told FEMAIL.

'I wasn't even being greedy. I just wanted a one-bedroom, one-bathroom apartment near my work in the $350,000 budget.'

At the time, Sam was living in a St Kilda sharehouse - and paying $1,800 per month for the privilege - which left him wondering if there was more to life than bills.

'I tried so hard but the cost of living isn't easy - especially if you are single,' he said.

Sam Patterson (pictured) was sick and tired of living in Melbourne so he moved to Canada

'Melbourne just bummed me out,' Sam (centre with his new Canadian friends) told FEMAIL

Growing frustrated by the mundanity and rejection of Melbourne life, Sam knew he needed to make a change.

While he used to desperately want a mortgage so he could get on the property ladder, after three rejections the idea of being locked into a 30-year debt lost its appeal.

His father's death last year added to the emotional burden and his need for adventure.

'By the end of it all I had a friend tell me about Vancouver, how beautiful it is and how you can get a two-year visa until you turn 35 so I went for it,' he said.

'I was worried about spending a chunk of my savings but a good friend said to me, "Money is just numbers in an app," and I felt that.'

A friend's description of Canada as a 'Disneyland for adults' appealed to Sam after he had been so focused on scrimping and saving.

'I used some of my savings to move to Canada and be somewhere that makes me happy,' he said.

Sam has only been in the country for two months but already feels more alive than he had for years in Melbourne.

Sam was living in a St Kilda sharehouse - and paying $1,800 per month for the privilege - which left him wondering if there was more to life than bills

When he was working in Australia, he saved money by eating free lunches provided by his company, rode a bicycle, and drove a car he inherited from his father.

He no longer has to make the same sacrifices in Vancouver, which he says is simply a more affordable city compared to Melbourne.

He said petrol, food, car insurance and holidays are far cheaper due to the country's location.

'The only thing more expensive so far is phone data. I have a bike, snowboard, a nice van and a fishing rod. I'm very happy,' he said.

While Sam has found living in Vancouver cheaper than Melbourne, the Canadian city is experiencing a housing crisis.

Just like in Australia, it is difficult for first-home buyers to get into the market. The monthly rent for an unfurnished one-bedroom apartment is CA$2,367 (AU$2,577).

When asked what excited him the most about moving overseas in his thirties, Sam said it was 'taking a second chance' at a fulfilling life.

'Not being stuck on an island in the middle of the ocean eight hours from anything good excites me - being a fish out of water is pretty special,' he said.

'Almost every day someone is happy to hear my accent or learn I'm foreign. I'm most excited to get a dog and travel the U.S. and Canada,' he continued.

Now after just two months Sam is happier and Vancouver is proving to be a more cost-effective city compared to Melbourne

He's also an avid snowboarder and is thrilled to see so much snowfall, experience a white Christmas and see a bear.

Taking the leap of faith was perhaps the scariest thing Sam has done, but he's glad he decided to leave.

Having secured a working holiday visa at the latest opportunity, he now urges other Aussies to travel the world while they're young enough.

'The best way to double your money is fold it up and put it in your pocket and spend less at the bar,' he said.

'If none of your friends' values align with yours. Go alone. Life isn't fair, so just have fun.'
A never-before-seen fungus that can infect humans has been detected in China.

Two men, in their 60s and 80s, have already died while infected with the pathogen, called R. fluvialis, though it's unclear if the fungus contributed to their deaths.

Researchers at Nanjing Medical Center who made the discovery fear others may also have contracted the disease, which is a type of yeast.

In an experiment in mice, R. fluvialis was shown to mutate rapidly, suggesting the same could happen in humans if it becomes widespread.

Scientists have revealed they have found a new fungus that can infect humans, called Rhodosporidiobolus fluvialis (stock image)

The fungus was discovered as part of research into samples from tens of thousands of patients who were treated in hospitals across China between 2009 and 2019.

The two men were not known to each other  they lived nearly 500 miles away. There was a three-year difference between when they were hospitalized

They also had weakened immune systems, with one man on immunosuppressant drugs while the second had diabetes.

But the cases have raised concerns, especially after lab tests showed the new fungus was resistant to three commonly used front-line anti-fungal treatments (fluconazole, caspofungin and amphotericin B).

In a separate experiment in immunocompromised mice, R. fluvialis was shown to mutate rapidly to form 'hypervirulent mutants'.

And in a petri dish, it mutated 21 times faster at human body temperature than at ambient temperature  raising the risk of more dangerous strains emerging.

At this stage, the scientists said it was unclear how the patients became infected and whether the fungus contributed to their deaths.

But, in many cases, fungal infections  such as with C. auris  are contracted in hospitals after patients are admitted for separate conditions.

C. auris can spread to the blood and cause sepsis, which is where the immune system over-reacts to an infection. It is fatal in about 30 percent of cases.

Dr David Denning, an infectious diseases expert at the University of Manchester, in the UK, told LiveScience  which revealed the study  that it was a 'remarkable find' that 'bodes badly for the future'.

Dr Matthew Fisher, a fungal diseases epidemiologist at Imperial College London, added that the fungus should not yet be seen as a major, emerging threat.

'My kind of first feeling here is that there are un-surveyed environments in China where these yeasts dwell,' he said.

'These two patients have been unlucky enough to be exposed.'

The 61-year-old patient was admitted to a hospital in Nanjing in 2013 with severe pancreatitis  or inflammation of the pancreas  and kidney injury.

He died from multiple organ failure after being treated with anti-fungals.

The 85-year-old patient was admitted to a hospital in Tianjin, about 500 miles further north, in 2016 suffering from pneumonia.

He was also treated with anti-fungals, but died after suffering from respiratory failure.

Over the decade analyzed, a total of 27,100 strains of fungi were detected in hospital patients.

Of these, rare fungi accounted for just 1.7 percent of the strains  of which, only one  R. fluvialis  was a new species that had not previously been recorded.

The scientists said that their paper also highlighted the risk of global warming causing new pathogens to emerge  because the fungus mutated more at higher temperatures.

The study was published in the journal Nature Microbiology.
Details are beginning to emerge about the state of mind of Donald Trump's would-be assassin after the FBI gained access to his cellphone this week.

Though no concrete motive has been established, Thomas Crooks' internet history revealed he searched for information about 'major depressive disorder' in the days leading up the attack on July 13.

Psychologists say the condition, a clinical term to describe depression that lasts a long time and affects everyday life, is typically marked by hatred of oneself.

But it can also be turned outward. Depressed people are around three times more likely to carry out a violent crime, some research shows. At least a quarter of mass shooters in the US deal are clinically depressed or have other non-psychotic mental illnesses.

The prospect that Crooks may have been depressed and taking anti-depressants has reignited a debate in the medical world: do those drugs, in fact, play a role in creating homicidal tendencies?

Thomas Matthew Crooks shot at former President Trump while he was speaking at a Pennsylvania rally on Saturday. Experts are still working on pinning down his motive

Law enforcement do not know why Crooks targeted Trump and the shooter's politics appear confused.

He was a registered Republican and had been described as classmates as a definite conservative, yet he donated money to a progressive movement in 2021.

Still, even without a motive, doctors have said Crooks fits the standard model of a mass shooter.

He was believed to have felt disenfranchised and invisible and sought a sort of immortality through his violent actions.

Dr Craig Hands, a psychologist in California, told DailyMail.com that while antidepressants may be linked to homicidal behavior, major depression is the likely culprit

A review of Crooks' phones and computer by the FBI found he had Googled major depressive disorder.

However, it was not clear whether he had been diagnosed with the condition, which affects around 17 million adults in the US.

Dr Craig Hands, a clinical psychologist in California, told DailyMail.com: 'In the case of the shooter, I can only surmise, in many ways, from what I've heard, he fits a common profile.

'Indeed it may be likely, I don't know that he was depressed, but that may have contributed to his actions.

'This depression creates isolation there is kind of a burning ember kind of depression that's associated with internal rage against oneself, and rage against the machine as it were. Rage against the world.'

Major depressive disorder is a clinical diagnosis that causes a persistent feeling of deep sadness, hopelessness, loss in interest in activities, low energy, poor or increased appetite, concentration changes, suicidal ideations and behavior.

Dr Hands added: 'Typically the depression is criticism and rage towards oneself, self-hatred.

'I have to underscore the term hatred, hatred for oneself, but oftentimes, or sometimes, that hatred gets projected out externally.'

A 2015 Oxford University study of about 47,000 people in Sweden both with and without depression found that those with depression were about three times more likely than the general population to commit a violent crime, such as homicide, aggravated assault, or robbery.

Crooks' phone showed that in the weeks leading to his attack on Trump, the loner had researched Ethan Crumbley, who shot and killed four classmates at a Michigan high school in 2021.

Crooks also searched Crumbley's parents, who were both found guilty of involuntary manslaughter, the first time parents of a school shooter have been prosecuted.

Law enforcement said Crooks had photos of both Biden and Trump in his phone and had searched when the Democratic Convention was being held, and where.

Thomas Crooks' internet history revealed he searched for information about 'major depressive disorder' in the days leading up the attack on July 13 (stock)

Dr Rachel Toles, a licensed clinical psychologist based in California, who specializes in the study of violent criminals told DailyMail.com that Crooks may have been seeking to kill 'the most visible' people on the planet to make up for the fact felt invisible all of his life.

However, an old theory about mass shooters has re-emerged following the new details about Crooks' phone history.

Professor Peter Gtzsche, a medical researcher and co-founder of the famous Cochrane Collaboration, an evidence-based research institution in the UK, floated the idea medication could have played a role.

He said that it's 'quite possible that he was taking a depression drug, which we know increases the risk of homicide.'

The controversial idea is not totally unheard of. A study from the Institute for Safe Medication Practices, a nonprofit watchdog group based in Pennsylvania, drew a link between antidepressants and violent behaviors.

Researchers collated more than 780,000 reports of adverse effects linked to 484 drugs, 1,937 involved violence, including acts like homicide or physical assault.

They identified 31 drugs (6 percent of the total) that were disproportionately linked to violent events. These included 11 antidepressants such as Prozac, some ADHD medications, and a few sedatives

Paxil was associated with a 10-time increased odds of causing aggression, while the rest were around eight times as likely.

A separate study in PLoS medicine found that young people taking antidepressants like Prozac are more likely to commit violent crimes, with a 43 percent increase in risk for 15-24 year-olds.

Meanwhile, a 2015 Swedish cohort study found a link between SSRIs and violent crime convictions, but the results varied by age group.

A 2016 review of over 70 trials found an increase in aggression and self-harm in children and adolescents taking SSRIs, but not in adults.

Still, other studies have found that antidepressants may have anti-aggressive effects, and it is difficult to separate whether the depression itself causes violence.

Common antidepressants increase the amount of available mood-boosting and emotion-regulating neurotransmitters in the brain.

SSRIs specifically increase the levels of serotonin in the brain by inhibiting the reuptake (absorption) of serotonin into brain cells. This makes more serotonin available to improve message transmission between neurons.

SNRIs, meanwhile, increase the levels of both serotonin and norepinephrine in the brain. They inhibit the reuptake of these two neurotransmitters, making them more available to enhance communication between neurons.

By increasing the levels of these neurotransmitters, anxiety is reduced, mood is improved, and overall emotional well-being is enhanced.

The 20-year-old was shot by US Secret Service snipers moments after opening fire on Trump - but major questions remain about how he was not detected before

Police personnel stand over Crooks body on the rooftop of America Glass Research, located just a couple of hundred yards from where Trump was speaking on Saturday

Age seems to play a role.

At 20 years old, Crooks brain was not fully developed and wouldn't have been until around age 25.

Some research, including by Dr Amir Raz, a professor of clinical neuroscience in the psychiatry department at McGill University, suggests that tinkering with serotonin in children's brains is a risky idea.

He told Scientific American in 2007: 'The human brain is developing exponentially when we are very young.

'And exposure to antidepressants may affect or influence the wiring of the brain, especially when it comes to certain elements that have to do with stress, emotion and the regulation of these.'

Not all doctors are convinced, though. In response to Dr Gtzsche's message on X, Dr Benjamin Martin Janaway, a psychiatrist in the UK, said: 'Antidepressants are chemical modulators. They cannot plan and execute an assassination attempt.'

Dr Hands stressed that everyone deals with their depression differently and a 'subpopulation of people who may respond to antidepressants with suicidal ideation or thoughts and or actions.

'However, those situations have to be viewed within the contact context or the matric of the person's life.'

For instance, Crooks was reportedly on decent terms with his family, but didn't spend much time with them, suggesting strife in the household, Dr Hands suggested.

He was also said by a former classmate to have been bullied by other classmates. He had been teased for the way he dressed, with the former classmate noting that he was 'lonely' and often seemed 'socially reserved.'

Many perpetrators of violent crimes who have depression feel invisible, unnoticed by others and more often than not made out to be a bad person, 'weird', or dangerous.

The motive is often to reveal oneself to the world and gain the attention of which they believe they had been deprived. They want to seek a form of vengeance against the world that mischaracterized them and from their standpoint, hates them.

Dr Hands said: 'The hatred can accumulate and get externalized. Two things happen: not only do they get to act out against the world that has not seen them, that has mischaracterized them, and from their standpoint, who hates them, they get to punish them.

'They get to kill their aggressor, they get to get to be seen. And then they can act out their own self-destructive tendencies, and destroy themselves in one fell swoop. That aggression and self-hatred are absolutely critical to actions of violence towards others.'
Patients are not being warned about the debilitating risks of laser eye surgery, which can leave some in agonising pain and even suicidal, experts have warned.

Each year an estimated 100,000 Britons opt for the 4,000 procedure which promises to correct vision, allowing people to ditch their spectacles and contact lenses for good.

Yet specialist eye surgeons have told The Mail on Sunday the op, in which a laser is used to cut and reshape the front of the eyeball, can cause permanent scarring and leave some suffering an excruciating burning sensation.

Most private clinics offering laser eye surgery insist in advertising materials that serious problems are rare, with fewer than one per cent of patients suffering issues.

However, while the procedure is safe for the majority of people, recent research carried out by US health officials suggests the number of those who do experience painful symptoms is likely to be significantly higher than previously assumed.

Some studies have concluded as many as a third of patients who undergo the most popular form of laser eye surgery  LASIK (laser-assisted in situ keratomileusis)  experience long-term side-effects. Support groups for laser eye surgery patients in the UK and US have a combined 16,000 members, many of whom claim theyve suffered symptoms ranging from double vision to chronic pain and severe light sensitivity.

Each year an estimated 100,000 Britons opt for laser eye surgery to correct vision

Campaigners say theyve heard from hundreds of patients who have contemplated suicide as a result of these debilitating problems.

And The Mail On Sunday has learned of a 60-year-old mother-of-one, who killed herself earlier this year after developing painful laser eye surgery side-effects. Kim Hybarger was told her eyes had been butchered by the LASIK surgery she underwent in 2006, leaving her unable to see properly and in agonising pain. Her devastated husband Charlie said the former nurse couldnt live with what she was seeing any longer.

Despite these shocking findings, experts say that the UK health regulator is failing to ensure that all patients who are offered the treatment are warned of its potentially life-altering complications.

The Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA), which ensures the safety of medical procedures, does not require private clinics by law to provide a complete list of the risks of the procedure. This means these laser eye surgery firms can decide for themselves what risks to tell patients about.

IT'S A FACT The UK laser eye surgery industry is estimated to make more than 400 million a year Advertisement

During this investigation, we found some popular high street laser eye surgery clinics boasted of between a 99.2 per cent and 100 per cent LASIK success rate on their websites  and did not mention potential long-term side-effects.

Laser eye surgery patients who spoke to The Mail on Sunday described being handed a consent form that outlined the risks of the surgery just minutes before they went into the operating theatre.

Some had already had numbing eye drops applied when they were asked to sign on a dotted line that they could barely see  let alone make out the small text above.

Almost none had met their surgeon before the day of surgery  instead speaking to them briefly on the phone. And all said that if they had been made aware of the potential outcomes beforehand, they would not have gone through with the procedure.

Victoria Ball, 38, from Cornwall, had laser eye surgery in 2022 to fix her long-sightedness. I was told it went well but when I woke up the next morning I couldnt see anything, she said.

For the first six weeks it was hell. I now suffer from severely dry eyes and Ive become shortsighted. I never used to wear contact lenses before because my vision wasnt bad enough but now I rely on them.

Victoria Ball said she was given only a single-page consent form before her surgery

Victoria said the only warning she was given about potential side-effects was a single page consent form, which mentioned a handful of adverse outcomes including temporary dry eyes, visual disturbances and night vision problems  but said these were very rare.

After she returned to the clinic to complain about the issues with her sight, Victoria was offered a second procedure. This time, the consent form was more than 20 pages. Seeing all those risks now clearly outlined, I just couldnt go through with it, she explained.

And if Id seen them before, I definitely wouldnt have ever decided to have the procedure done in the first place.

Campaigner Sasha Rodoy says regulators need to do more to ensure patients are properly informed of the complications before undergoing laser eye surgery.

Since suffering horrific side-effects from laser surgery in 2011, Ms Rodoy has lobbied for Government regulation through her foundation My Beautiful Eyes. In 2013, she advised MPs on a bill that was put forward in Parliament, which sought to regulate the laser eye surgery industry.

It called for a legal requirement that companies provide a full and comprehensive list of risks to patients, which they should be given a week to consider before making their decision.

It also aimed to mandate that the laser eye surgery industry regularly publish safety data that would reveal how often the procedure was a success or led to severe side-effects. Since most laser eye surgery procedures take place in private clinics, much of this crucial information is currently unavailable to the public.

Although the bill did not receive a second hearing, Ms Rodoy  who suffers from extremely dry eyes and severe light sensitivity  hopes to see an updated version put forward in Parliament again.

I was in no way informed of the risks before my surgery, she said. If I had been warned at any point that I would lose my near vision I never would have gone through with it.

I speak with new patients every week who say they werent properly informed of the risks and are now left with devastating consequences. Hundreds of people who have contacted me over the years say theyve contemplated or even attempted suicide as a result.

We need guidelines that ensure surgeons are discussing with and explaining to patients side-effects they could experience.

Sasha Rodoy has been lobbying for Government regulation through her foundation My Beautiful Eyes

Laser eye surgery was developed to treat vision problems including long-sightedness, short-sightedness and astigmatism.

LASIK involves cutting a flap in the eye with a laser and reshaping the cornea  the eyes clear, protective layer  with another laser.

First approved in the 1990s, the surgery takes under ten minutes, so patients can return home the same day. Many organisations, such as the American Refractive Surgery Council (a group of laser eye clinicians), claim fewer than one per cent of patients experience side-effects.

However, more recent data suggests laser eye surgery may be riskier than previously thought.

Two years ago, the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) released worrying new guidance on the procedure. Outlining a litany of potential problems from the surgery  including a risk of permanent double vision, persistent eye pain and even suicide  the FDA told doctors that prospective patients must be warned of the dangers.

The FDA has received over 700 complaints of severe pain after laser eye surgery, including symptoms described by women as worse than childbirth.

In one clinical trial from 2017, FDA researchers found that nearly half of participants reported new visual symptoms including glare, halos and starbursts after their surgeries.

The FDA also warned in its guidance that nearly one in five of patients still needed eye drops daily to combat dry eye symptoms more than five years after their surgeries. Experts say this frequency of side-effects related to laser eye surgery is unsurprising as the procedure involves permanently damaging the eyeball.

Some LASIK patients have visible eye injuries, shown by the arrows, after surgery

Dr Cynthia MacKay, clinical professor of ophthalmology at Columbia University, claims that, often, the millions of cornea nerves cut during LASIK surgery never grow back properly.

Although the nerves are gone right after the surgery  meaning patients usually dont feel any pain  they begin to grow back in the weeks following, she said.

But this regrowth can happen in a chaotic, disorganised fashion. And thats when the pain starts.

In some cases, LASIK can trigger a complication called corneal ectasia, which occurs when the damaged cornea bulges outwards. Left untreated, it can lead to severe vision problems including blindness. Under close examination, clinicians report that many patients with corneal ectasia have visible stretch marks on their eyeballs and white dots where the cornea has detached (see image, left).

Dr Morris Waxler, one of the FDAs vision scientists who first approved LASIK, says he regrets playing a part in the process.

Dr Waxler carried out analysis of industry data and concluded roughly a third of patients experienced chronic eye pain after LASIK. If Id been more knowledgeable about the procedure at the time, I never would have voted to approve it, he told The Mail on Sunday.

Many surgeons who Ive met wont have LASIK themselves but are happy to recommend it, he said. Surgeons are supposed to provide informed consent.

But the documents they provide are totally lacking in information that would help a layperson understand whats happening to their eyes. Experts also warn part of the problem is many patients are offered LASIK surgery when they would be better suited to a different procedure. Another version, called LASEK (laser epithelial keratomileusis), does not involving cutting the cornea.

Instead, an alcohol solution is applied to the eyeballs. This loosens the thin layer of cells on the eyes surface, called the epithelium, which is then removed by hand. Once this layer is out of the way, the laser can be used to reshape the cornea.

A special contact lens is inserted following the procedure to protect the eye while the epithelium heals  which usually takes a week. LASEK tends to be more painful than LASIK, and the eyeball takes longer to heal.

However, experts claim it leads to fewer complications, which is why it is recommended for people with an especially thin cornea or other existing eye conditions.

But doctors have told this newspaper that High Street clinics in the UK are more likely to suggest LASIK to patients. LASIK is what they prefer because its quicker and less painful, with fewer complaints from patients at first, says Dr Robert MacLaren, professor of ophthalmology at the University of Oxford.

Alice Bentley says she was approved for laser eye surgery without being informed of the complications. She had the procedure five years ago. I didnt think Id be a good candidate as Id had quite a drastic change in my prescription the year before, the 28-year-old commercial manager from Kings Lynn explained.

Patients are often told not to get eye surgery after a new glasses prescription because the shape of their cornea may still be changing. I mentioned that I already suffered from dry eyes as well, says Alice.

Alice Bentley says she was promised a life without glasses but has been left in agony

But the clinician told me I was definitely suitable for LASIK and promised me a life without glasses. Just a few months after the surgery, however, I was wearing glasses again  and in a lot of pain. Now I have to go on multiple walks during the working day because Im in so much agony staring at a screen.

Even just a slightly bright day makes my eyes incredibly sore.

Software engineer Ian Waghorne, 51, had a similar experience when he received LASIK surgery from a high street clinic in 2017. The dad-of-two, who lives in Cheshire, said: I was told I was an ideal candidate, despite telling the clinician that I had previously been told I had dry eyes.

I regret signing that consent form without properly reading it but I felt I was being rushed and didnt suspect there would be anything on it that the doctor hadnt already discussed with me.

Later on, I discovered that my surgeon had written in his notes that I was at high risk of dry eyes and that I should never have been given the surgery at all.

Day to day is a cocktail of eye drops, hot compresses and ointments at night. When I go to sleep I wake up with dry, sore eyes that feel like theyre full of grit.

Ive tried to commit suicide twice and the second time I nearly succeeded.

The MHRA said manufacturers of medical devices should supply information on risks. The Royal College of Ophthalmologists said it was not a regulatory body and it was the duty of the General Medical Council to regulate doctors and the Care Quality Commission to regulate care providers. CQC was approached for comment.

A GMC spokesperson said: 'People choosing to undergo laser, or any other type of eye procedure, have the right to expect high-quality care and to be fully informed about the treatment they receive. Our own guidance for UK-registered doctors is clear they must use ethical marketing and advertising techniques and allow their patients a cooling-off period.

'We want to see patients feeling empowered to take more time, do more research or even walk away if they arent fully confident in any part of the procedure they are being offered.'

Kim could no longer live with what she was seeing

Kim Hybarger's husband says her death was directly linked to her botched eye surgery

Kim Hybarger, 60, took her own life on Mothers Day of this year, after suffering through almost two decades of debilitating eye pain and blurred vision.

Kims husband of 40 years, Charlie, says her death in May (the date of Mothers Day in the US) was directly linked to her botched LASIK surgery.

She couldnt live with what she was seeing, he said. She would tell me that she couldnt get any peace.

Kim, who worked as a nurse in their hometown of Cleveland, Tennessee, had already undergone a radial keratotomy  an outdated eye operation that cuts deep incisions into the cornea to flatten it  when she was approved for LASIK surgery in 2006.

However, this was unsuccessful and so she decided to get LASIK as well.

According to Charlie, a maintenance technician, this second procedure triggered a series of debilitating side-effects including double vision, light sensitivity and distorted vision.

Kims eyes were also extremely dry and felt, in her words, like leather.

When the couple travelled to Miami to get special lenses fitted so that Kim could see again, the ophthalmologist examining her eyes was aghast.

He told us that her eyes had been butchered, Charlie said.

And when Kims eyesight again began to deteriorate earlier this year, the mum-of-one could no longer cope.

Doctors may tell you that just one per cent of people have bad results but if thats you or your family, then your life may be ruined, said Charlie. LASIK destroyed my wife.
Starkers, save for a pair of paper pants, Im standing in the middle of a hi-tech machine having my moles mapped. My body is being photographed from 360 degrees to check for any suspect new growths.

After harbouring low-level anxiety about a mole on my back and a new growth in my eyebrow, Im hoping that this session at OneWelbeck Skin Health and Allergy centre in London (onewelbeck.com) will allay my fears.

A few flashes of light and its over in seconds. Soon Im in front of Dr Hiva Fassihi, consultant dermatologist and La Roche-Posay ambassador, who is as knowledgeable as she is glamorous.

She has a disconcertingly large naked image of me on the left of her computer screen. On the right it shows all the moles and lesions (142 in total) on my body. (Im given all this info on a memory stick so that, if I return, we can see if the moles have changed.)

Thankfully, Dr Fassihi tells me that my eyebrow growth is seborrhoeic keratosis (non-cancerous growth caused by a build-up of skin cells) and the one on my back is a naevus (AKA mole) with no suspicious features.

She adds that Im not alone in either a) my anxiety or b) going to a private clinic due to the squeeze on NHS GP appointments. I ask her if Im right to be worried and she tells me that mortality from melanoma [skin cancer] continues to rise worldwide and is the fifth most common type of cancer in the UK in females. Early detection remains key, as surgical removal of early-stage disease usually results in cure.

Keeping track of moles can identify potential problems and help calm fears

Asked what moles we should be concerned about she says, Doctors apply the ABCDE rule when assessing them, checking for Asymmetry, irregular Border, irregular Colour, larger Diameter and Evolving. We look for a mole that is changing in size, shape or colour; looks different to other moles on the body; a growth that is itching or bleeding; or new growth on the skin that is persisting.

Dr Fassihi believes its vital you follow up any mole-mapping machine results with analysis by a dermatologist who has expertise in the assessment of skin cancers. At OneWelbeck the results are used to assess a patients risk of skin cancer/melanoma, considering a patients skin type; sun, sunbed and sunburn exposure; plus their personal or family history of skin cancers.

This doctor-led experience isnt cheap (OneWelbeck charges 545 for an initial 3D machine and dermatologist assessment). There are also more purse-friendly options that utilise less advanced machines, such as the 2D versions used widely in many private mole-screening clinics. But these sessions can take longer and may be less comprehensive.

Boots offers a ScreenCancer mole-scanning service (boots.com/healthhub) that analyses individual moles rather than the whole body (40 for the first mole, 20 for each subsequent one in the same consultation).

A pharmacy-team member takes you through a 20-minute questionnaire to assess risk factors, and then a dermatoscopic imaging device is used to scan the mole or pigmented lesion. The result will be sent to a dermatology specialist for analysis and you will receive a report within a week. If they have any concerns, a dermatology nurse contacts you to discuss the next steps.

It is sometimes in the aftercare that discrepancies between different services can show up. A friend of mine went to a well-known mole clinic and, after one of her moles was flagged as concerning, she waited two anxious weeks for an expensive follow-up appointment. It turned out the mole was a blackhead.

Dr Fassihi says a dermatologists experience means this kind of situation can be avoided as a dermatologist can more accurately decipher what is worrying and what isnt. Inexperience can sometimes lead to unnecessary appointments and removal, which is expensive, time-consuming and can result in anxiety for the patient and potentially an unnecessary scar.

What have I learnt? If a mole is worrying you, your GP is the first port of call. But if youre struggling to get an appointment, mole-mapping services are a useful option. Just research what the clinic is offering before you book. Forewarned is forearmed.

Solar scents

This new fragrance is pure sunshine in a bottle. For dabbing my pulse points on the go, Soleil Vibrant Lalique Roll-On (39, lalique.com) is a perfume oil that boasts orange blossom, jasmine and cedarwood.

Make-up can only make you look pretty on the outside, but it doesnt help if youre ugly on the inside. Unless you eat the make-up Audrey Hepburn

Under a tenner

Feeling tired and flushed? Try Garnier SkinActive Hyaluronic Cryo Jelly Anti-Fatigue Sheet Mask with icy cucumber (4.99, boots.com). I like to keep it in the fridge to amplify its cooling effects.
Paris 1924, the eighth modern Olympics, was a historic one for swimmers. For starters, the Piscine de Tourelles  in use for the citys 2024 games  was the first 50m Olympic pool to be built and the first to feature actual swimming lanes, made from cork floats.

Meanwhile, Americas century as an Olympic superpower had begun, as US swimmers swept all before them, picking up nine gold medals, five silver and five bronze.

Johnny Weissmuller, who went on to star in 12 Tarzan movies, clinched gold in both the 100m and 400m freestyle as well as the 4 x 200m freestyle relay. He was even in the team that took bronze in water polo.

Crucially, American women also shone. Pictured here in an early press call at Tourelles on 1 July (the Olympic pool events took place from 13 to 20 July), the womens squad hadnt been allowed to dip a toe in an Olympic pool until 1920 in Antwerp due to a draconian US ruling that banned any show of female legs.

Four years on, unleashed in their customised bathing suits at the Paris games, they won four gold medals, including one in the 4 x 100m freestyle for Gertrude Ederle (far left).

Two years later Ederle became the first woman to swim the English Channel, a feat captured by Daisy Ridley in this years film Young Woman and the Sea.

Hows that for a Hollywood ending?
Outline

The little Balkan nation has all the seafood, crystal-clear water and climate of its Adriatic neighbours Croatia and Italy, minus the hordes of tourists. Yes, its short on coastline (not even 50km, north to south), but what there is works a treat.

Find somewhere to stay in Portoroz (population just 3,000), aka port of roses, for a supremely laidback break.

Recline

What was the most luxurious and architecturally ornate resort and health spa in the region when it opened in 1910 is now the Kempinski Palace Portoroz (kempinski.com, doubles from 275). The hotel is a mix of old and new.

The traditional part is home to chandeliers, wood-clad cocktail bars  even, staff proudly claim, the largest rug in Slovenia. The modern annexe is more relaxed, with its half-indoor, half-outdoor saltwater swimming pool as well as Rose Spa, where treatments include a massage with local olive oil (from 75 per person).

Pretty as a peach: the pastel-coloured harbour town of Piran

Incline

A short bus trip (1.25 each way) takes you to Piran, a port of just 800 residents that was historically Venetian  note the bell tower and pastel facades. Make your way up to the city walls, on foot or by taxi, admiring the sea views. If youre here on a clear day you can see Croatia to the south and Italy to the north.

Head through cool, narrow streets towards Tartini Square before walking along the bustling promenade. Refresh yourself at Fritolin Pri Cantini with a mixed fish platter (25 for two people) and a cold pint of Lasko lager. Its cash only and you may have to queue, but its worth it.

Saline

In 1879, Dr Giovanni Lugnano discovered the healing power of brine and mud in the surrounding saltpans (salinas) and began using them to treat a variety of aches and pains. Experience the elixir for yourself at Thalasso Spa Lepa Vida (treatments from 25 per person), a short drive from Portoroz.

You might enjoy (or endure) the spas Kneipp therapy, which means walking on different-sized stones in water of varying temperatures before relaxing next to the seawater pool.

Branch line

Family-run Gramona Farm (gramonafarm.com, tours from 23 per person) is an uphill walk from the salinas, but the views of the saltpans and neighbouring Croatia are superb. The ecological olive farm grows 20 different types, including the local Istrian Belica, used to produce extra virgin olive oil, which you can taste. The good stuff packs a strong peppery punch, but its nothing a generous helping of cherry tomatoes in olive oil, mopped up with fresh bread, cant fix.

Dateline

Factor in time for plenty of wine. Slovenias output may not compare to that of its neighbours in terms of volume, but theres an impressive range nevertheless. Something light? Look out for malvazija, a popular dry white. Koper is a very drinkable rose from the nearby port city of the same name, while the full-bodied rubino red has more of a velvety flavour.

Flat out: cabanas at the Kempinski Palace Portoroz

Waistline

Cuisine  rich in truffles, pizzas and pasta  nods to Italy, Austria and Croatia across the borders. We even heard boasts of Slovenian pizzas rivalling those of Naples. The beachside restaurant Hakala, in Portoroz, certainly lent credence to the claim.

Fishing line

Finding good seafood is easy when youre by the Adriatic. Grilled octopus is the signature dish at the Kempinskis Med-inspired Fleur de Sel. For a fine-dining experience, the resorts restaurant Sophia  named in honour of Sophia Loren, who has been a regular visitor at the hotel  has a Sailor Special set menu that makes the most of freshly caught seafood (from 75 a head).

Airline

Nonstop flights to Ljubljana from London Gatwick start from 33 each way with Easyjet (easyjet.com). Portoroz is just over an hours drive from the airport.

Helpline

For more information, visit slovenia.info/en

Next week Wellness: Contrast therapy
The King's Speech confirmed the Government will bring forward a Renters Rights Bill to end Section 21 'no-fault' evictions.

These changes were being considered by the Conservative government in what was previously the Renters Reform Bill.

However, it didn't pass before the General Election, meaning the unfinished legislation has passed to Labour.

> The first-time buyer's step-by-step guide

Incoming: The Kings Speech confirmed wider protections for renters would become law

During his speech in the House of Lords, King Charles said: 'Legislation will be introduced to give greater rights and protections to people renting their homes, including ending no-fault evictions and reforming grounds for possession.'

The end of no-fault evictions is likely to be introduced alongside other parts of the previous government's Renters Reform Bill.

This will likely include giving tenants the ability to challenge rent increases and the ending of bidding wars.

It will introduce the same decent homes standard that applies in the social housing sector and also ensure landlords don't discriminate against tenants in receipt of housing benefits or with pets or children.

> Stamp duty calculator: The tax you pay to move home

Ben Twomey, chief executive, of the campaign group for private renters, Generation Rent, welcomed the new government's plans to end no-fault evictions.

'After five years of promises from the previous government, with no improvements at the end of it, renters are understandably demoralised and wary of new commitments,' said Twomey.

'These reforms must therefore go further than the previous government planned, with real support for tenants whose landlord wants to sell or move back in to prevent homelessness.

'This includes more time to enjoy our homes without fearing eviction, and more notice and financial support if this happens.

'Similarly, empowering tenants to challenge rent increases won't work if we still end up with rents rising faster than our incomes.'

Ben Twomey, chief executive of the campaign group for private renters, Generation Rent

However, some argue the new Government needs to strike the right balance between safeguarding tenants' rights and maintaining supply in the private rental sector.

Landlords have sold roughly 300,000 more homes than they've bought since 2016, according to analysis by Hamptons.

Although this is by no means an exodus, it means there are not enough homes to rent to meet growing demand.

The fear voiced by some property commentators is that if the new reforms leave landlords unable to evict problem tenants - those exhibiting anti-social behaviour or in serious rent arrears - landlords will deem renting homes as too risky and sell up.

Jeremy Leaf, north London estate agent, argues that any reform should include improvement of the court system to allow landlords to evict problematic tenants more easily.

Evicting problem tenants currently takes almost seven months to process on average, according to the National Residential Landlords Association.

'One issue which has plagued the sector has been the backlog of cases and time it takes for landlords to gain possession of their properties from tenants who are in serious arrears of their rent or displaying anti-social behaviour to fellow residents,' said Leaf.

'The previous government wanted to delay implementation of measures until they had increased resources to the court system so those delays could be addressed.

'We believe it is important to increase capacity in the courts system as some landlords will sell up regardless and there is no point in adding to the backlog.

'Bear in mind landlords are increasingly selling up which is reducing stock and increasing upward pressure on rents.'

> The best buy-to-let mortgages for landlords

Tougher rights: New reforms will aim to abolish no-fault evictions and increase tenant rights

Greg Tsuman, director of lettings at Martyn Gerrard estate agents, thinks abolishing section 21 no-fault evictions should be widely accepted by landlords, provided landlords have certain safeguards.

He said: 'In practice, landlords should not have an issue with this change in the rules, and I am likewise in support of getting rid of no-fault evictions as long as there are robust provisions in place that mean landlords are able to efficiently deal with problematic tenants who are abusing the system.

'For the vast majority of the private rented sector, this is rarely a problem, but it is nonetheless a risk that landlords take on, and so they need to be protected or we could see a number of landlords exit the market.

'However, just stopping landlords from leaving the market cannot be the end goal. It is vital that the new Government aims to encourage more private investment into the rental market to increase the number of homes available to rent in line with growing demand, which should include expanding the supply of affordable housing.'

End of fixed-term tenancies?

Another measure previously tipped for Renters Reform is abolishing fixed-term tenancies.

This could see all tenants moved onto a single system of periodic tenancies. A periodic tenancy is often referred to as a rolling tenancy with no fixed end date.

How much can you afford? Find out how much you can afford to borrow for a monthly payment amount with This is Money's mortgage affordability calculator.

Most renters currently will be on an assured shorthold tenancy (AST), most of which become monthly rolling deals when their term is up.

This change will mean renters can leave sub-par housing without being held liable for the rent until the end of the contract. Equally they will be able to move more easily if and when their circumstances change.

Letting agent, Greg Tsuman, thinks this would be a bad idea.

'If introduced would create more problems than it would solve,' added Tsuman.

'Broadly speaking, both landlords and tenants want to enter long-term contracts which see tenants paying a fair price to be settled into a good quality home, as well as having peace of mind that their rent will not unreasonably increase and that the landlord has committed to not selling up during this period.'
Half of small business owners fear their businesses won't last the next 12 months

One in four SMEs faced opposition to almost all expansion in the past two years

A quarter of small business have seen their growth crippled by local objections over the past two years, research claims.

As many as 68 per cent of small and medium sized enterprises said they have faced opposition from local communities when trying to grow their business or begin new projects in the past, according to research from business advisory firm Xeinadin.

This opposition often comes in the form of objections to projects such as warehouses or manufacturing plants on the basis of traffic, pollution or property price concerns.

Local complaints: Garage owner Paul Miller's proposed solar farm was killed by red tape

Local opposition is a greater problem in London and the North, with 32 per cent of London-based SMEs having faced opposition almost every time they have tried to expand over the past two years.

Meanwhile in the North East, 33 per cent have faced opposition, as well as 37 per cent in Yorkshire.

In Northern Ireland, a staggering 43 per cent of business have faced local opposition against almost every expansion in the past two years.

This compares to just 14 per cent of SMEs in the South West, and 17 per cent in the South East.

Businesses in the consumer goods industry have been the worst affected, with 45 per cent having encountered local opposition most or every time they look to expand their operation, while 37 per cent of firms in the food and drink industry have faced similar.

A third of financial SMEs have experienced similar, while 36 per cent or consulting firms have also been stifled.

Tim Halford, chief commercial officer at Xeinadin, said: 'Nimbyism has been the scourge of SME growth for years. The needs of small business owners have been pushed to the bottom of the pile for years, so it is welcome news to see Rachel Reeves pledge to fight the nimbys as one of her first acts as Chancellor.'

Halford added: 'Xeinadin's recent findings show that one in four SMEs have faced growth challenges due to nimbyism in the past two years.

'To address this, the new Government must prioritise reducing bureaucratic hurdles and fostering a more supportive environment for SME projects. Streamlining the planning process, offering clearer guidance and ensuring local authorities work collaboratively with businesses are crucial steps.'

The issues facing expanding SMEs come as figures from Virgin StartUp show half of company owners are worried that their businesses will not survive the next 12 months, rising from 11 per cent in November last year.

Just 45 per cent said they think their business will be in a better financial position in six months' time.

Despite this, Andy Fishburn, managing director at Virgin StartUp, said: 'It's not all doom and gloom. Nearly three-quarters of business founders responding to the study said they are looking to expand in the next six months.'

In fact, according to data from Virgin StartUp, the biggest challenges currently facing businesses are obtaining certificates of license, the risk of another recession and tax rates.

However, for Paul Miller, the owner of Ashley Garage in Wiltshire, local opposition has proved the main hurdle to the expansion of his business when he decided to repurpose a five-acre field at the rear of his property as a solar farm.

The field was unproductive for most forms of agriculture, he said, and has previously been used for hay.

Stifled: Miller's hopes to expand his garage business were dashed by planning objections

Miller told This is Money: 'Initially, we agreed to invest 21,000 in planning applications and specialist reports. These all came in favourable to the project but at a hefty price, with costs ballooning to 44,000 at the time of submission.

However, when he submitted a planning application, Miller was met with responses from 18 interested parties, 14 of which requested further reports, which he expects would have cost thousands of pounds to complete.

Only the Climate Team, Fire Safety and Rights of Way had no objection for the proposal. Even then, Rights of Way requested a 2,100 contribution for footpath gates.

The local parish council said it strongly objected to the proposal due to a lack of community benefit, as well as impacts on Green Belt and nearby listed buildings.

Miller told This is Money: 'As we had already spent a considerable sum on this project and we felt there was no real prospect of it ever being approved I decided not to continue.

'This was a shame. The project would have made a small but local and direct contribution to reducing climate change, without any significant drawbacks. Wildlife would be unaffected and no views would be harmed except those from (mainly fossil fuel powered) vehicles being driven along the main road past the garage. And a line of trees could easily remedy that.

'In the light of the opposition from so many people bent on prioritising their particular parochial issues over and above the global imperative, I now realise it was probably doomed from the start.'
After seven days as a fugitive, Ian Spiro was finally found, slumped in the front seat of his car in the Anza-Borrego Desert, California. Cause of death: cyanide poisoning.

The hunt for the debonair British businessman had been sparked after his wife Gail, 41, and children Adam, 14, Sara, 16, and Dina, 11, were found gunned down, execution style, in their San Diego home on November 5, 1992.

In the days after his death, news reports revealed increasingly bizarre theories.

Was this a 'murder-suicide' as the official ruling eventually stated - a twisted escape plan driven by desperate financial troubles and a crumbling marriage?

Or was it something even more sinister?

Ian Spiro and his second wife Gail on their boat in Nice in 1990. Two years later, Gail was shot in the head and Ian was the prime suspect

Samantha was her father's first child, but his life remained much of a mystery to her

As her new book Beyond Bullshit to Bliss is published, Spiro's daughter Samantha has broken her silence.

A self-help memoir co-authored with her husband Noah David, she reveals how they were able to find love and healing in the wake of immense personal trauma.

The events of that first week of November 1992 will remain forever heart-breaking,' says Samantha. But this book isn't about assigning blame or revisiting unresolved questions. Instead, it's a testament to the power of human resilience and the possibility of finding peace even in the face of profound grief.

Ian Stuart Spiro was an enigmatic figure for most of Samantha's 22 years - flitting in and out of her life after his marriage to her mother ended.

When Samantha was just five, he 'abducted' her and took her to live with him and his new wife, Gail, in Beirut.

'Initially, I was excited,' she says. 'My mum had been struggling with her mental health at the time and I was relieved to see him. I adored my dad and felt safe with him. I thought we were going on a fun adventure.'

The reality was far from 'fun'. 'We flew straight into war-torn Beirut, a whirlwind of chaos and violence, with a constant soundtrack of warning sirens and gunfire, day and night. I spent years cowering under tables at the slightest bang as a result.

'But, despite the constant fear, I was happy to be with my loving, funny dad and Gail, whom I'd come to love.'

She couldn't have known then that her father was, in fact, working as a spy - sometimes even jokingly called James Bond by friends and colleagues thanks to his English accent and his undercover activities.

News reports blared 'murder-suicide' and 'international spy' after the family's bodies were discovered

Ian's name was linked to Terry Waite, who had negotiated the release of hostages in Lebanon and was himself held captive for four years

Spiro was also connected to disgraced US Marine Oliver North, who was synonymous with the Iran-Contra affair

And while he was able to give his tiny daughter a semblance of a normal life, it didn't last long. As the Lebanese civil war intensified, Spiro sent five-year-old Samantha to boarding school, where she was desperately lonely, and spent nights crying herself to sleep.

'Life became a series of broken promises and long stretches of waiting,' she says. 'My father would call sporadically, promising to visit soon, but often failing to do so. When he did show up, with Gail, it would be for a fleeting two hours.

'This pattern continued on and off for about two-and-a-half years. We bounced between Beirut, Switzerland (where I attended another emotionally distant boarding school), and even the US for a short while, with stints in New York and New Jersey, where I went to normal day schools.

'By the time I returned to live with my mum in London in 1977, the chaos had taken its toll. Gone was the carefree child I used to be. Shyness, anxiety, and poor sleep became my constant companions.'

It wasn't until she was 14 that she saw her father again.

'That first meeting was awkward, and it took a long time to feel comfortable around him again.

'Despite that sense of detachment from him, however, I felt close to my half-siblings,' says Samantha. 'We were a whole unit in my eyes - I saw them as my brother and sisters, and that's how I still feel.'

Over the next few years, she spent more time with them, though no one ever talked about what had happened in Beirut and why her father had disappeared from her life for so long.

Samantha's first passport photograph, aged 6, after being placed in a boarding school in Beirut

Samantha and her father in the south of France, around 1972

Ian and Gail outside their villa in Nice around 1989. Gail was found shot in the head in their home in San Diego three years later

Ian and Gail - Ian wearing his trademark dark glasses

She knew he'd dealt in commodities, but could never have guessed that he had been living a secretive life as a spy, making contacts and negotiating with dodgy governments that were financing militia armies as part of global clandestine games.

His name was even linked to disgraced US Marine Colonel Oliver North, and the UK's Church of England envoy Terry Waite, who had negotiated the release of hostages in Lebanon and who himself was held captive for four years.

Spiro, Gail and their children settled in Rancho Santa Fe in 1991 and friends said they were happy there.

But neighbors became worried when they hadn't seen the family for four days after Halloween 1992. Curious, they peeked into the windows and discovered a horrific scene: Dina's lifeless body, a gunshot wound to the head.

The police arrived to uncover the terrifying truth. Gail, Adam, and Sara, were also dead, shot in the head in the same execution-style manner.

Samantha heard the news three days later in a whispered call from her Uncle Jo: 'Gail and the kids are gone,' he croaked. 'Shot dead.'

He added: 'Ian's missing. You have to know he was a spy... You might not be safe either. Call the police.'

Samantha went into hiding for weeks, stopped going to university for months, and feared that perhaps those responsible were coming for her and the rest of the family too.

'It was November 5 and I kept calling his number in the hope Id get hold of him. Maybe he was trying to find a way to contact me, his first-born child,' she says. 'If he had, I could have warned him, brought him home.'

But the line remained unanswered and her father was found dead in his car three days later.

'Despite the confusion, the numbness I was feeling was bizarrely soothing. The tears wouldn't come. Not even when watching the bodies of Adam, Sara, Dina, and Gail being wheeled out in body bags on TV,' she says.

'It was only after the funeral, a busy, press-heavy ceremony in a quiet village in Cumbria, England, that the dam finally broke. The tears flowed freely, a torrent of grief for the years of lost love, and the childhood snatched away from me at the age of five.'

Sara and Dina - Samantha's half-sisters - were both shot in the head, age 16 and 11

Samantha (center) with Adam and Dina in Cumbria for Christmas 1987. She was close to her half-siblings and considered them her brother and sisters

Questions and conspiracy theories continued to surface. Some claimed the family had been the victim of a hit - a move to stop Spiro disclosing details about a major terrorist network in the US.

An article in The Sunday Telegraph in December 1993, written by its then-Chief Foreign Correspondent Con Coughlin, suggested as much - that Spiro's death was a chilling message to other operatives: keep quiet or face the consequences.

In October 1995, after months of investigations and interviews with friends, neighbors and colleagues, the police closed the case, ruling that Spiro had been responsible for killing his family, prompted by debts that had spiraled to $5 million.

A rambling recording found near his body, in which he spoke about himself in the third person and said that Gail was planning to leave him, offered evidence that supported the official conclusion. Gail's own diaries backed that up.

Also, beside his body was found a book called 'Final Exit', which details that the easiest, most painless way to commit suicide is by ingesting cyanide.

However, despite the 'case-closed, murder-suicide' verdict, Samantha and the family continued to believe in Spiro's innocence.

'The official coroner ruling was a bitter pill to swallow,' admits Samantha.

'Neither I nor anyone who knew my father truly believed it. And deep down, I knew that he wouldn't hurt his beloved second family, especially Adam, his only son. He loved Gail and my sisters, but the bond he had with Adam was unique, a deeply cherished connection.'

Ken Quarton, Gail's half-brother, dedicated the rest of his life trying to prove Ian's innocence. He died in 2012, in his early sixties.

'I knew I couldn't let the same obsession overwhelm me. I had to try to make peace with my past.'

Samantha moved to Hong Kong in 1996, and built a career as a journalist, 'a path driven by my desire to understand the world my father had operated in, a world cloaked in shadows and intrigue.'

But, still haunted by her past, she retrained as a cognitive behavioral hypnotherapist and reiki master teacher. 'The focus wasn't on dwelling on my challenging childhood, but a chance to discover the "real me" buried beneath the layers of unresolved emotional pain.

Samantha and Noah travel the world telling their stories

The couple got married in London on September 25, 2020

Flowers left after the funeral in Cumbria, England, in 1992

'It was during this period that I met Noah. Ours wasn't a typical love story. We were both the walking wounded, carrying the scars of our own trauma.

Noah's brush with cancer in 2012, a life-threatening wake-up call at 57, became the catalyst for a major transformation. He ditched his glamorous, hedonistic, booze-and-drug-fueled womanizing lifestyle for good.

He had struggled with his own demons, broken marriages and financial misfortune, before overcoming a second cancer diagnosis. The couple got married in London in September 2020.

Coincidentally, Noah worked on Adnan Khashoggis luxury mega-yacht in the early 1980s, during which time he looked after many guests and foreign dignitaries,' notes Samantha.

'It would not be surprising if he had met my father. Given the nature of his and my father's stories, and the world they inhabited at that time, this coincidence feels significant to me. Perhaps Noah unknowingly holds a piece of the puzzle.'

The pair have poured their experiences into Beyond Bullshit to Bliss: A Transformative Guide to Finding Self-Love, Abundance & In-Lightenment.

'The horrific events of our past no longer haunt us,' Samantha says. 'Instead, they serve as a powerful reminder of the strength we've discovered within.

'My father's story may remain a mystery, buried in the desert in California. But his death and the pain it triggered, ultimately led me to a place of peace and profound self-discovery.'
An industry that runs on exploitation, coercive behaviour and false promises of runway dreams to young impressionable girls - Japan's disturbing porn industry has long been a legal grey-zone.

In a country where walking the streets can result in being targeted by 'modelling agency' actors before victims are lured to discrete offices to sign their freedom away, the multi-billion-pound porn industry continues to be a poisonous trap from which unknowing women find themselves battling to escape.

With an estimated 2,000 to 3,000 new actresses debuting each year, and the annual number of released videos hitting over a concerning 35,000, these numbers become even more terrifying as many women and girls are subjected to rape, blackmail, and sexual assault as part of their introduction into the industry - by up to 15 men at times.

A 2020 government survey revealed shocking figures suggesting around a quarter of Japanese women in their teens, 20s and 30s have been solicited for supposed modelling jobs on their local streets and of those who agreed, 14 per cent were then pressured to perform sex acts.

But the glaring dangers of this spiralling industry became increasingly urgent in 2022 when Japan lowered its age of adulthood from 20 to 18 - meaning that teenagers could more simply get swept up into the sick porn world.

The chilling methods used by the fraudulent 'scouts' have been revealed over the years as light is cast over the shadowy crevices of an industry that has thrown countless women's' lives into darkness, as they recount living a life packed with shame, guilt, and trauma.

Here, MailOnline has explored the grim underbelly of an industry that continues to dominate one of the most influential and economically successful countries in the world.

Japan has an estimated 2,000 to 3,000 new actresses debuting each year, and the annual number of released videos hitting over a concerning 35,000

The problem also became more urgent in 2022 when Japan lowered the age of adulthood from 20 to 18 - meaning more teenagers could become legitimate targets of the porn industry.

Porn is a multi-billion-pound industry in Japan and a legal grey-zone as lawmakers battle to gain control over underground operations that lure women and girls into pornographic work under false pretenses

EXECUTING THE TRAP

There are a series of cruel methods to which industry scouts target their victims, and they all ultimately end with girls and women being sold false dreams and getting exploited.

One technique, revealed by Wakana Goto, a case worker at PAPS - a Japanese NGO focused on ending sexual exploitation, in a harrowing YouTube documentary, tells how single young women are approached 'downtown where the youths hang out' by predominantly male 'modelling scouts'.

In a twisted effort to woo the girls and lure them into trusting them, the recruiters shower them in compliments - telling them 'you are so beautiful, you could become a celebrity'.

The women often reject the strangers' offers and proposals, but the men persist until the target gives in and agrees to visit the agency.

While some believe they have hit the career jackpot, describing being 'scouted' as a 'dream come true'.

When the unsuspecting target enters the agency office, however, she is not met with a studio full of mirrors, lights, and designer clothes, but a small hidden room filled with anywhere from between three to 15 men.

These men then take over the recruiting process, convincing the woman to join their sick agency while continuing to gain her trust by telling her how 'popular of a model she will be'.

At this stage, many women reportedly still decline the offers, causing the men to become frustrated that their efforts are not paying off.

When they refuse to let their victim leave their discrete office, she is forced to sign a contract, tying her down to the agency.

'But when she gets home she realises she should cancel the contract so she calls the agency and tells them that she wants to cancel it, and they say: 'Fine, but you need to come here again to cancel the contract', so she goes back,' Goto explained.

The women, full of hope that she will be able to release herself from the contract returns to the male-run office where she is then raped.

Throughout the harrowing ordeal, a camera is set up and the assault is filmed - to later be used as either blackmail, or a porn movie.

Victims of the horrific porn trap have recalled being approached in the street before being lured away to hidden offices and raped by up to 15 men in front of a camera. Pictured: Japanese actors perform for the camera during filming on the set of Sex and Zen: Extreme Ecstacy in Hong Kong on August 13, 2010

One victim revealed they were told by scouts that their identity could be concealed behind makeup and costumes. Pictured: Japanese AV actors being filmed for Hong Kong director Christopher Sun's 3D porn film, Sex and Zen: Extreme Ecstacy, billed as being the world's first

Recalling a previous case that she had worked on, Goto said this scenario was frequently seen among victims.

'Since they had the footage that she was being raped, she couldn't go against them, actually she appeared in several adult videos as they demanded her,' the case worker said.

Many women feel they are then trapped in their contracts, under the hand of their new 'employers' and a signature they felt pressured to hand over.

The second most popular method of recruiting girls and women into the porn industry, is chillingly carried out online and involves none of the target, approach, attack method.

Instead, while college girls are browsing the internet for high-paying part-time jobs, they may come across 'parts modelling' or 'new goods testers' as seemingly credible options.

'There's no mention of porn, sex, or anything like that, they say it's just your hands or leg modelling,' Goto explained.

Desperate for extra money, but with little time to spare outside of their education, many girls get sucked into what they believe could be just the job they are looking for.

After applying for the position, and inevitably becoming accepted, she turns up to the office for her apparent first day, where she is then recommended to change her role to one which pays more.

This job is to appear in pornographic films.

As the 'employers' continue to try and convince her to agree to their sickening plot, it becomes harder for the woman to decline.

Eventually, many women say yes out of fear.

Another anonymous women in the documentary, who fell victim to a similar scheme revealed how the men would emotionally blackmail the girls until they felt guilty for rejecting their lucrative offer.

The nameless victim recalled the producer asking her: 'After preparing all this for you, you won't say you can't do it, right?'

'You did sign the contract, right?'

Many girls and women fall victim to the cruel, and often inescapable traps, as they are desperate for a job and money. Pictured: Nine adult Japanese porn actresses in Tokyo on August 30, 2014, as they were preparing to have their breasts squeezed by fans for 24 hours for a charity event loosely translated as 'Boob Aid'

The industry is estimated to churn out some 4,500 videos a month, to generate around 55billion yen (270million) a year, and to employ an estimated 10,000 performers

'It took us a lot of time and energy to prepare this for you, you can't tell me now you can't do this job, come on, don't cause trouble to the staff'.

These tactics then lead the women to believing they have to continue taking part in the filming - especially while surrounded by up to 15 unknown men.

In a sick attempt to console their victims, the recruiters will plant false promises into their heads - telling them they will never be recognised.

And the method they tell the women will conceal their identity is makeup.

Through dolling them up in heavy foundations, lipstick, wigs, and costumes, they convince the girls they will look 'totally different' while performing in front of the camera.

The woman had quickly appeared in several pornographic films and was desperately clawing her way out of a situation that had left her feeling intense guilt and shame.

'Looking back, I should've said no or run away but they were right that I did sign the contract and I was told "this is just a necessary process to become a successful model",' she said.

Despite these deeply troubling and consuming emotions, the victim bravely approached the police after being tricked into appearing in porn.

But in a horror turn of events, and one she had never expected, she alleges authorities turned her away, stating she had signed a contract.

She was informed that under the deal she had signed, she had to make at least two more films before she break her contract.

Goto said: 'When she went to talk to the police they said "Why not just do it? Only two more times, right?" which is so unbelievable'.

FIGHTING A 'HELLISH SITUATION' - IS JAPAN'S 'ADULT VIDEO LAW' WORKING?

In June 2022, victims of these porn recruitment traps joined forces with lawyers and pushed through an industry-changing bill to prevent the exploitation of adult video (AV) performers.

The law was tailored specifically to victims who had been lured into the industry through deceit and lies - over those who had willingly entered into the world of pornography through safer and more consensual channels.

The AV Law gives these workers the right to a one-month period between the signing of a contract and the filming of a video, as well as four months between the filming of the video and its release.

Producers are also required to give a copy of the contract to the signee, but many fake organisations that fly under the radar do not offer their victims this luxury.

As well as providing actresses with a copy of their contract, no matter their age, those who appear in adult movies also have the legal right to break their contracts within a year of the work's release for any reason and without paying penalty fees.

When this happens, the video must be deleted and recalled - an attempt by lawmakers in Japan to prevent talent scouts from bullying or tricking people into appearing in porn that remains online for years.

'Once the films are distributed they stay online essentially forever, to be consumed by an unspecified number of people, effectively becoming digital tattoos', the vice president of the Tokyo-based NGO Human Rights Now, Kazuko Ito said.

Contract misrepresentations are punishable with a prison sentence of up to three years or a fine of up to three million yen (14,600), while corporations can be fined up to 100 million yen (486,700).

Japanese activists and lawyers, (L-R) lawyer and the head of Human Rights Now Kazuko Ito, lawyer Hiroko Goto, activist Shihoko Fujiwara, and activist Setsuko Miyamoto, hold a press conference in Tokyo on March 3, 2016, about women being exploited and abused in Japan's multi-billion dollar pornographic film industry

In a twisted effort to woo the girls and lure them into trusting them, the recruiters shower them in compliments - telling them 'you are so beautiful, you could become a celebrity'. Pictured: Porn actor Ginji Sagawa (L) with actress Karin Itsuki (R) at a studio in Tokyo. Shimiken - real name Ken Shimizu - was revealed to have slept with more than 8,000 women for his 7,500 movies

YouTuber and social activist Kurumin Aroma speaks about her experience of being forced into pornography at a symposium to raise awareness about forced appearances in pornography on April 26, 2017 in Tokyo

Hideki Makihara, a member of the Liberal Democratic Party said the lack of research into the Japanese porn industry makes it a black box

Additionally, the law makes it, in principle, illegal to force people to take part in sex acts in front of the camera.

Members of PAPS, who had sought to have the legislation put in place, called the law 'groundbreaking' at the time and Ito said: 'Compared to the hellish situation before where there was no recourse for victims, this is really a valuable step forward.

'It's a law giving victims hope'.

But this hope was was fragile and doubts swirled around whether those lured into the murky adult film industry were even able to say 'No' in the first instance.

Kurumin Aroma, a YouTuber and social activist who previously fell victim to the horrific porn scam bravely spoke out on her experience after the new bill was launched, but was skeptical of whether it would be enough to combat the massive issue that had been consuming Japan.

She recalled wanting to break into the music industry as a university student before she was scouted and pushed into a situation where she couldn't refuse appearing in a pornographic production.

Aroma said she felt she was coaxed into starring in the film in a cruel exchange for her dream of becoming a music icon, with her scout suggesting 'How about putting on a swimsuit once?', 'How about getting nude?' and even telling her, 'AV actresses are No. 1 in the industry'.

'I tried to refuse many times, but eventually I couldn't,' she said at the time.

'I think this law is a step forward, but I'm worried about whether it is guaranteed that someone being victimised can actually say 'no' on their own when there are no observers around them.'

But despite the law, Japanese adult film remains a murky, grey area that continues to boom and dominate the porn industry.

It is estimated to churn out some 4,500 videos a month, to generate around 55billion yen (270million) a year, and to employ an estimated 10,000 performers.

The problem also became more urgent in 2022 when Japan lowered the age of adulthood from 20 to 18 - meaning more teenagers could become legitimate targets of the porn industry.

Yet, how much the industry has improved since the law is unclear, as is the extent of exploitation as research and data into the issue has dwindled since the bill was instated.

The lack of research makes the industry a black box, said Makihara Hideki of the ruling Liberal Democratic Party.

PORNSTARS PROTESTING AGAINST THE LAW THAT PROTECTS WOMEN AND GIRLS

In February, Japanese AV actresses marched through the streets of Ginza, Tokyo, carrying pink banners and umbrellas in protest - of the law that is in place to protect girls from being forced into the industry by predatory companies.

Around 100 pornstars took to the streets in what was considered the Japanese AV industry's largest ever demonstration to argue that the law did not protect people - but took work away from professional actresses.

Banners read: 'The law that was supposed to protect stars is instead pushing them into a dead end'.

Porn actress Kanae Nozomi told KoreaBoo a month following the protests: 'Legitimate productions go the extra mile to ensure consent at the time of signing.

'They shouldnt paint all of us with a broad brush because of a few bad actors'.

Despite the horror stories from women who have fallen prey to scouts and fake agencies, industry stars said the law was killing their livelihoods.

They stormed the streets in the rain, demanding legislators to revise the current AV Law to 'save the AV industry from the danger of collapsing'.

The protesters claimed the months-long bans on releasing films were too restrictive and violated their constitutional right to work.

TV producer Terry Ito, 74, marched front and centre, leading the large group of accesses to Yurakucho Station where protesters collected petition signatures.

He believes the AV Law has backfired - admitting that even though it is in place to protect women from being coerced into porn, the bigger issue revolves around how there has now been a notable decrease in the number of new productions and new talent.

But while large, well-known porn companies tend to be fairly transparent, there are still believed to be several underground businesses and teams of scouts that refuse to abide by the law and continue to exploit hundreds of thousands of women and girls every year.
A man who served for more than 40 years in some of Britain's toughest jails has claimed Charles Bronson's hardman persona is all 'an act'.

John Massey, 76, served 43 years for the murder of pub doorman Charlie Higgins in Hackney, east London, in 1975  making him the longest-serving prisoner in the UK at the time.

But now Massey has alleged that Bronson's notoriously fierce character - having been convicted of wounding while inside prison in 1975, 1978 and 1985 - was put on in order to make him appear more fearsome to other inmates.

In an interview with podcaster Dodge Woodall he also accused Bronson of being like 'a big soppy kid' when he was first banged up.

Massey said: 'As far as I'm concerned [Bronson] can have the f***ing title [of being the longest-serving prisoner in the United Kingdom, which Bronson is on track to surpass], because I don't want it.'

Bronson changed his named to Charles Salvador in 2014 (pictured in April 2004)

Bronson, who changed his named to Charles Salvador in 2014, was convicted of wounding while inside prison in 1975, 1978 and 1985

Massey was bullish in his belief that Bronson could gain freedom from prison if he chose to do so.

He continued: 'He could get out, he could still get his freedom now if he dropped all the b******s, started talking sensible and stopped telling f****** lies and putting all the act on.

'I don't wish the geezer any ill-will or anything but he's kind of made his own bed he's got to lie in it.'

Thinking back to their first meetings, Massey said: 'When he first came away I was in [HMP] Frankland , and he was just a big soppy kid then. We felt like he needed to tone it down a bit.

'We kind of looked after him, but then he kind of got too comfortable and the bully in him started coming out.'

It was then, according to Massey, that Bronson's behaviour began to noticeably change, although John feels that such a shift was an act to appear tougher and dismissed his antics as being 'scripted and manufactured'.

He concluded: 'He's built up this character and I think he's locked into the role now.'

The pair - who initially looked out for one another while serving time in prison - fell out after one of Bronson's fans sent Massey an unsolicited gift of 25  something Bronson felt was unfair.

Following a complaint from Bronson, Massey returned 50 to the woman who originally sent him money while demanding her to never contact him again.

Massey escaped prison multiple times, first doing so in 1994 during a home visit when he calmly walked out of a social club while his guards played pool and drank. Pictured in June 2012 after escaping from HMP Pentonville that year

A subsequent feud between the pair was worsened by Bronson's treatment of his former PA, who remains close to Massey to this day.

Bronson, who changed his named to Charles Salvador in 2014, was convicted of wounding while inside prison in 1975, 1978 and 1985.

He was released in 1987 but was back inside 69 days later after robbing a jewellers.

He was released again in 1992 but jailed again weeks later for intent to rob.

In 1994 he took prison deputy governor Aidan Wallace hostage, then three years later took two staff members and three inmates hostage in the same way.

In 1999 he took art teacher Phil Danielson hostage for two days then in 2014 assaulted a prison governor for allegedly withholding his letters.

But he told his Parole Board hearing last year that in the past decade he has become a peace-loving artist and described himself as a 'retired prison activist.'

Massey escaped prison multiple times, first doing so in 1994 during a home visit when he calmly walked out of a social club while his guards played pool and drank.

He fled to the Costa Del Sol and spent three years on the run before being caught and returned to Britain.

John Massey appeared on the Channel 4 documentary What Makes a Murderer in 2019

In 2007, he was released on parole but was told he must live in South London and could not stay with his family.

But he broke the conditions by travelling to stay with his father, Jack, 82, who was dying at the Royal Free Hospital, in North London.

Massey said at time time: 'My dad had travelled the length and breadth of this country a thousand times in 30 years in order to visit me in various god-forsaken and dingy prisons.

'I could not fail him or my mother. To do so would have buckled my shoulders with guilt of unspeakable things to come.'

In 2010, he absconded from Ford open prison in West Sussex after being refused permission to visit his terminally ill sister Carol, who was in the same hospital where his father died.

She died two weeks later but rather than hand himself in Massey went to live with his mother and was not caught for ten months.

He also made a daring escape from Pentonville prison in north London in 2012, by using a makeshift rope to scale the walls on the Victorian-built jail.
Laws surrounding alcohol in the US vary hugely from state to state - and several might come as a surprise to those who indulge.

From banning booze on Sundays to outlawing 'happy hour,' research compiled by USA Today reveals a host of little-known rules ranging from conventional to strange.

Only the legal age to partake and the illegality of driving drunk remain the same - with virtually every other rule left up to locals to determine.

So what is permitted - and outlawed - where you live?

The Rooftop Lookout bar offers incredible views of Boston - but no happy hour drinks, according to Massachusetts law

Pictured: Blu Violet's rooftop experience in Providence, Rhode Island

No Happy Hour

Several states - ranging from Massachusetts and Alaska - have banned discounted drinks at certain parts of the day.

Known as Happy Hour, the practice is decidedly American - but eight states have decided to abstain from allowing drinkers to get cheap drinks after a day's work.

The others include Indiana, North Carolina, Oklahoma, Rhode Island, Utah, and Vermont.

The reason behind the guidance is to not encourage binge-drinking - though they do not deter all-day specials.

Pictured: The Willard in downtown Raleigh in North Carolina, one of the states with the 'no happy hour' police

The Rooftop at the Providence G is one of Rhode Island's top rate rooftop bars

A sort of workaround the state legislation, the maneuver is not allowed in all states - with places like Alaska only allowing specials that run for at least a week, or until the product runs out.

The term happy hour, moreover, originates from American Naval slang used in the 1920s, when happy hours were actually periods of time on ships where sailors could engage in relaxing activities.

Since it offered some respite from the drudgery of their daily duties, the breaks were characterized as happy.

Still, some states elect to stay 'sad' instead.

'Drive-thru Daiquiris'

An alcohol-related quirk that began in Louisiana, daiquiris served to-go were dreamed up in the '80s.

It sees the rum-based cocktail served up in Styrofoam cups - all perfectly legal as long as the lid is closed.

Another stipulation is that there is no straw protruding from the cup while driving, and that the cups contents have not been removed.

Pictured: The Oasis Daiquiris in Monroe, Louisiana

An alcohol-related quirk that began in Louisiana, daiquiris served to-go were dreamed up in the '80s

It sees the rum-based cocktail served up in Styrofoam cups - all perfectly legal as long as the lid is closed on your way to your destination

Given the state's seasonal heat and abundance of long, rural roads, the rule offers some welcome respite - despite it being somewhat antithetical to laws deterring drunken driving.

But, again, it is all perfectly legal in Louisiana - and patrons are told upon purchasing to keep the container closed.

As long as the lid is intact, you're good to enjoy - with states like Mississippi, Texas and Florida since adopting the same model. It is not allowed anywhere else.

Unique Utah

Utah has some of the strangest laws in the world involving alcohol - including not allowing the sale of miniature alcohol bottles on airplanes and in hotels.

The shipping of alcohol to your home is also a state felony - meaning people can forget about purchasing booze online or taking part in a wine- or whiskey-of-the-month club.

There are also strict regulations surrounding the formulation of any and all cocktails - which state officials say must have no less than 1.5 ounces of primary liquor inside, and no more than 2.5 ounces.

Utah has some of the strangest laws in the world involving alcohol - like not allowing the sale of miniature alcohol bottles on airplanes and in hotels

An apparent attempt to keep drinkers from getting scammed as well as too drunk, such statues do not exist anywhere else in the US.

The state boasts an abundance of bizarre laws not involving alcohol as well - like the disallowance of so-called 'milk discrimination', and a need to keep your hat low at movie theaters.

The term milk discrimination refers to a phenomenon seen in the business of buying milk products, where one cannot discriminate 'between sections, communities, localities, cities, or towns of this state,' according to UT Code  76-6-105.

No-last-call Nevada

While New York is known as the city that never sleeps, night owls will be happy to know that it's Nevada where the words 'last-call' are almost never announced.

That's because such mandates are not required by law, likely to allow hotspots like Las Vegas the most money-making potential.

That said, the practice is not limited to Sin City, meaning the rest of the state is your oyster.

While New York is known as the city that never sleeps, night owls will be happy to know that it's Nevada where the words 'last-call' are almost never announced

That's because such mandates are not required by law, likely to allow hotspots like Las Vegas the most money-making potential. Patrons are seen at Guy Fieri's Vegas bar here

This comes in stark contrast to the rest of the country, most of which mandates that alcohol stop being sold sometime between 1 to 4am.

Some states have their deadlines set even earlier - like Florida, which has its pegged at midnight. However, the Sunshine State allows some leeway for certain cities like Miami, where bartenders stop taking orders at 5am.

The only other state to allow you to purchase drinks at any point in the day is Louisiana, home to New Orleans.

Dampers on Election Day

A grand total of two states prohibit the buying of booze on Election Day - meaning this year, come November 5, don't expect any adult beverages in Alaska and Massachusetts.

Located on opposite sides of North America, they both boast the prohibition-era guidance more than a century later.

All other 48 states have since repealed it, as the old law was mainly intended to clear out saloons then being used as polling places.

A grand total of two states prohibit the buying of booze on Election Day - meaning this year, come November 5, don't expect any adult beverages in Alaska and Massachusetts. A bar in Nome, Alaska, is seen here

Today, this is definitely not the case, though the rule does allow for a clear mind when heading to a local library or school to cast a ballot.

In both states, alcohol sales resume once the polls close at 9pm.

Locals and tourists alike will have to hold out until then, even if they're not voting.

'Never on Sunday'

As the Four Seasons once put it, Sundays are a day of rest - and whether it be a week day or a freak day, 'Blue Laws' still reign supreme in some states.

The term refers to laws that ban certain business and recreational activities on specific days, including the restriction of the sale of alcohol on Sundays.

A total of four states keep up the practice fully, centuries after they were first implemented.

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As the Four Seasons once put it, Sundays are a day of rest - and whether it be a week day or a freak day, 'Blue Laws' still reign supreme in some states. The term refers to laws that ban business and recreational activities on Sundays, including the restriction of alcohol sales

They are Mississippi, North Carolina, Texas, and Utah - all of which elect to close liquor store doors on that specific day of the week. The term Blue Law, moreover, not only refers to the barring of drinking, but other secular activities as well.

Because of this, blue laws have been frequently challenged in federal court, with many arguing they are unconstitutional due to the First Amendment, which demands Congress make no law respecting an establishment of religion.

Such efforts, however, are due to Supreme Court jurists finding that there is a secular purpose in creating a uniform day of rest.

Supermarket Statutes

The supermarket is a staple of America - but only some sell alcoholic drinks freely, and many have certain restrictive stipulations.

Alaska, Rhode Island, and Delaware groceries do not sell any - along with Maryland, which has a few exceptions.

Six grocery chains and one independent grocery store - Snider's Foods - are each allowed to sell beer and wine in just one store in one specific county.

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This is because of an exemption each received from the state government, due to them opening before the law banning beer and wine from being sold in grocery stores went into effect.

Chains include Giant Food, Safeway, Shoppers Food & Pharmacy, Magruder's, Bestway Supermercado, and 7-Eleven, each of which can transfer their license to sell to another location in the county as long as they obtain approval from the local Board of License Commissioners.

Spirits are completely off-limits, as is the case in Mississippi, Kentucky, New York, Connecticut, Minnesota, Kansas, and Utah, where only beer is sold.

Both beer and wine can be found on grocery store shelves in Oregon, Idaho, Montana, Colorado, Texas, Oklahoma, Arkansas, Tennessee, Alabama, Florida, Georgia, the Carolinas, Virginia, Ohio, Pennsylvania and New Hampshire.

All other states allow the sale of any kind of alcohol, as long as they're legal to be sold in the US.
The father of a geologist who vanished in the Arizona desert three years ago has revealed his theories about what he thinks could have happened to his son.

Daniel Robinson, 24, disappeared in a remote part of Buckeye on June 23, 2021, with his car found overturned in a 20ft ravine four miles away almost a month later.

The Jeep Renegade was badly damaged with the airbags deployed. Inside were all the clothes Daniel was last seen wearing down to his underpants - apart from one sock - along with his wallet, phone, and credit card.

Buckeye Police Department said the case was not suspicious and ruled out foul play - suggesting that Daniel, who was born with one hand, had simply disappeared of his own accord.

But his father, David Robinson II, a US Army veteran who served in Afghanistan, refused to accept this explanation and launched his own probe.

Daniel Robinson, 24, disappeared in a remote part of Buckeye on June 23, 2021, with his car found overturned in a 20-foot ravine four miles away almost a month later. Police ruled no foul play, but his father said he was 'high spirited' the day before he went missing

Daniel's Jeep Renegade was badly damaged with the airbags deployed. Inside were all the clothes Daniel was last seen wearing down to his underpants - apart from one sock - along with his wallet, phone, and credit card

David Robinson ii, the father of geologist Daniel Robinson who vanished in the Arizona desert three years ago has revealed his theories about what he thinks could have happened to his son. (Pictured: David with his son Daniel in the months before he disappeared)

Speaking with DailyMail.com three years later, Robinson revealed that his investigation never ended - and he's hoping to take it to the next level by becoming a Member of Congress in November.

David, who won the Democratic primary election last month for his home state of South Carolina's 2nd Congressional District, said police mishandled Daniel's case and there are plenty of disturbing clues they never explored.

He blasted Buckeye Police Department for 'covering up' what really happened and ignoring crucial evidence which could have led to answers if it was pursued at the time.

Robinson said the department did not properly investigate why his son's clothes were found discarded in the jeep, and simply bagged them up and returned them to him after two days rather than treating them as serious evidence.

They even told him they thought his son had simply wandered off to 'become a monk'.

They called it a cold case when it shouldnt be. I have leads and things that law enforcement officials can use and follow,' Robinson, 54, told DailyMail.com.

'For me, I really feel that foul play happened,' he added. 'We dont know what that exactly means, but he didnt do this by himself, given the circumstances.'

Robinson deployed drones, facial recognition technology and an army of more than 100 people to comb the desert for his missing son. He also enlisted the help of a retired police chief and a private investigator.

He revealed that they found a tranche of evidence which cops never mentioned, including Daniel's missing sock back at his job site, miles from where the other was found at the jeep in his ravine.

They also found that the jeep had miles on it beyond the day Daniel went missing, and that his apartment in Tempe, on the outskirts of Phoenix, had been ransacked in the hours before he vanished.

Geologist Daniel Robinson, 24, has been missing since June 23, when he was last seen leaving his worksite in Buckeye, Arizona

His father, Army vet David Robinson, has been in Arizona for months trying to find out what happened to his son

Pictured: Robinson's private investigator surveying the scene where his son went missing

Even more disturbing, they found that Daniel's personal laptop in his bedroom had been active after he went missing, suggesting someone else had been in his home.

His results were that someone was tampering with Daniels apartment,' Robinson said, referring to the private investigator.

David Robinson ii with his missing son Daniel

'He said that someone was looking for something in his bedroom. The way it was ransacked. His room was torn up.

Robinson revealed that given the state of his son's vehicle, he believes the best case scenario was that he got into a road accident and forgot his own identity.

Maybe he was in some type of accident and hit his head,' Robinson told DailyMail.com.

'He doesnt know who he is anymore. He is living among the homeless population in Arizona - its a big population.

'And someone was joy-riding his vehicle when they found it abandoned. If this is the case, maybe I can find him and rescue him.

The grief-stricken father said that based on what the private investigator had told him, the worst-case scenario would be that his son was stripped and trafficked across the southern border.

'Potentially he's crossed the border and is being held against his will,' Robinson said.

Though these possibilities seem far-fetched, Buckeye Police Department's conclusion in 2021 was even more bizarre.

Geologist Daniel Robinson, 24, has been missing since June 23, when he was last seen leaving his worksite in Buckeye, Arizona

Geologist Daniel Robinson, 24, has been missing since June 23, when he was last seen leaving his worksite in Buckeye, Arizona

Daniel's Jeep, which private investigator Jeff McGrath claims raises a lot of questions about the circumstances surrounding his disappearance. The vehicle was found with its airbags deployed and with Daniel's wallet, clothes, phone and credit card inside

Pictured: Damage on Daniel's Jeep Renegade in pictures his father shared with DailyMail.com

Buckeye Police Department said the case was not suspicious and ruled out foul play - suggesting that Daniel, who was born with one hand, had simply disappeared of his own accord

The police told me he had a brain injury and went off into the desert to cool off,' Robinson said - though no blood was found in his jeep or at the scene to support this.

'One investigator even told me maybe your son joined a monastery to become a monk,' Robinson added.

'We are very close, family-oriented people and thats not something that happens with my family. He could tell us anything. He would have told us if he wanted to become a monk.

In my opinion, this is some sort of cover-up by law enforcement,' Robinson said. 'The cops did not want to process the evidence.

'As a single parent I know a lot about my son which is why Im really uptight with law enforcement,' he added.

'We had a conversation about everything. He was high spirited before he went missing.

'He had just come back from hanging out with his friends at a local bar. He was talking about his dreams. He also mentioned a young lady.

Robinson - who was born with one hand - was the youngest of four children. He grew up in Columbia, South Carolina, and graduated from the College of Charleston

Daniel Robinson, 24, disappeared in a remote part of Buckeye on June 23, 2021, with his car found overturned in a 20-foot ravine four miles away almost a month later

Robinson said that two days before Daniel's disappearance, they had had a two-hour phone call where his son opened up about a girl he liked for the first time.

Daniel had been delivering something to a home where a girl named Caitlin opened the door and invited him to hang out with her and her roommate.

The young geologist ended up spending the night with Caitlin and she later appeared to spurn him - but his father said this had nothing to do with his disappearance.

'This was the first time he had girl talk with me,' Robinson said. 'He was kind of beating around the bush.'

Robinson said they used Caitlin's later apparent rejection of Daniel to 'twist the narrative'.

'Law enforcement used that as a basis to say, he was having troubles in his life,' Robinson said.

'They said he was depressed. It was very troubling to me because they twisted it. She had nothing to do with him going missing.

'They were sensationalizing the case to give off the vibe that Daniel was depressed in some way.

Robinson said Daniel left three sisters and a brother behind in their home city of Columbia, South Carolina.

Its hard because what happens is, you think about your loved one every single day. Its on your mind every day,' he told DailyMail.com.

'I dont know if hes here on this earth. We dont have the answers or the closure. I cant tell my son I love him any more.

'You reduce your loved one down to a phone call, an old voicemail. Its sad when you have to do that so you dont forget their voice.

Robinson's family have been organizing civilian search parties where he was last seen and have accused cops of failing to conduct a thorough investigation

A marker near the ravine where Daniel's Jeep was discovered in the desert in Buckeye

But Robinson is channeling this energy into his campaign for Congress.

He's running on a missing person's platform with policies he hopes will improve the future of policing and the approach to launching inquiries about people who go missing more quickly.

Robinson said this is particularly important for black missing people, as he feels part of the reason his son's case wasn't taken seriously was down to race.

I want to bring the missing persons crisis in America to the forefront,' Robinson said.

'Forty percent of those who go missing are black - and only 13 percent of the population are. Thats alarming. Being a black man I have to point that out again.

DailyMail.com has contacted Buckeye Police Department for comment.
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Traveller families living under one of London's busiest roads have claimed they get abused by yob locals.

On the face of it, the Westway is a drab dual carriageway leapfrogging one of the most affluent areas of London.

But for a small group of people it has been home since 1976.

It houses around 20 Irish traveller families under the A40 near Latimer Road tube station in North Kensington.

Homes nearby can fetch up to 3.5 million and average around 900,000 but the shabby-looking Stable Way traveller site fits right in between.

The legal site is made up of small bungalows and caravans with a small access lane in between and is just around the corner from the huge Westfield shopping centre in Shepherd's Bush.

Despite the hurtling traffic on the other side of their fences, the children happily play alongside their families in what locals say feels like 'another world'.

One traveller told MailOnline: 'We're very happy here. We just want to be left alone.'

Around 20 Irish traveller families live under the A40 near Latimer Road tube station in North Kensington, West London

A traveller community has lived under the carriageway in west London since 1976

The legal site is made up of small bungalows and caravans and is just around the corner from the huge Westfield shopping centre in Shepherd's Bush

They added: 'We don't bother people and we don't want people to bother us.

'We're just happy to ourselves.

'We get some trouble. People throw items at us and think it's funny to take the p***.

'We don't want that. We don't want trouble. But it's not good to annoy us.'

Another traveller, a father who has lived there for the last 20 years, said he loved the 'freedom' the area gave those living there.

He said: 'It's a joy to be here. Unless you're a traveller you would not understand.

'I could not live in a house. It would drive me insane. It's not for me.

'This is my life.

One man from the traveller community said that some locals have abused them and even through items at their homes

An aerial view of the campsite shoes it nestled on the narrow strip of land between the Westway carriageway

Homes nearby can fetch up to 3.5 million and average around 900,000 but the Stable Way traveller site (ringed) fits right in between

'This has been home for our community for around 50 years and they'll be travellers here for another 100.

'Leave us in peace and all will be fine.

'The noise is what it is. I could not sit here in total peace and you get used to it.

'I sleep easy at night.'

Another traveller told MailOnline: 'We do our thing. This is our life. We are happy.

'We do not bother anyone.'

The caravans and properties need constant hosing down as a result of pollution that builds because of the nearby traffic.

Pauline Wilson, 44, lives in a nearby street and said she has experienced no problems as a result of the site.

The retail manager said: 'It's just another world. Good luck to them.

'They are good people. It's their life, they can do what they want as far as I am concerned.'

Another local, who did not want to be identified, said: 'It's like living in two separate worlds.

'I forget they are there a lot of the time.'
A 24-year-old man involved in a tragic tubing accident which killed a young woman took his own life on the day of her funeral, DailyMail.com has learned.

Tony Dindia was allegedly driving the vessel towing Kaileigh Seidel, 24, on Willamette River in Oregon on June 22 when they slammed into another boat.

Seidel, from Vancouver, Washington, died from the impact around 8pm and her family had been calling for manslaughter charges to be brought against Dindia.

But a second tragedy struck before any legal action could be brought. Officers were called to Dindia's Sandy, Oregon, home to find that he had died on July 14 - the day of Seidel's funeral.

Seidel's relatives and Dindia's friends confirmed he had taken his own life.

'It's very sad,' Seidel's aunt, Rachelle Hunsperger told DailyMail.com. 'Not the kind of justice we were hoping for. Now his family has to go through what we are going through.'

Tony Dindia, 24, has taken his own life after he was involved in a tubing accident on June 22

Tony Dindia was allegedly driving the vessel towing Kaileigh Seidel (pictured) on Willamette River in Oregon on June 22 when they slammed into another boat and she died

Seidel's friend, Millie Lovea, who was on board the boat and witnessed the crash, remembered her as someone who left 'a mark on the hearts of others'. (Pictured: Lovea and Seidel together just three hours before the fatal accident)

Dindia's friend, Chase Tiffany, remembered him as 'an amazing man who was outgoing and adventurous'.

'Tony was a great person to the bone, I looked up to him and his accomplishments,' Tiffany told DailyMail.com.

'Tony will be very missed by everyone that had the honor to know him.'

Meanwhile, Seidel's family released hundreds of pink balloons in her memory on July 14 outside Reign Church in her hometown.

They were oblivious to the fact that Dindia had also died just hours earlier.

Seidel's devastated friend, Millie Lovea, who was on board the boat and witnessed the horrific crash, shared videos of the gathering on Facebook and remembered her as someone who left 'a mark on the hearts of others'.

'Her love for adventure and her zest for life were truly inspiring and that's what we were doing until the very last moment on that boat,' Lovea wrote.

'Kaileigh approached every challenge with courage and grace, always finding the silver lining in even the darkest of times.

'Her strength and resilience were a testament to her character, and she never wavered in her dedication to those she cared about.'

Dindia's death came after calls for an investigation into what happened on June 22.

Dindia was driving the vessel towing Kaileigh Seidel (pictured) on the Willamette River in Oregon June 22 when they veered off and she slammed into another boat

Seidel, from Vancouver, Washington, died from the impact around 8pm, police said, and her family had been calling for manslaughter charges to be brought against the driver

Seidel's family released pink balloons in her memory outside Reign Church in Vancouver, Washington, on July 14. Dindia took his own life the same day

The fatal accident also came just weeks before TV chef Naomi Pomeroy, 50, died while tubing with her husband and friend in the same river.

Benton County Sheriff's Office confirmed Pomeroy's body was recovered from the water close to Corvallis around 8.25pm Saturday.

Seidel's friend Lovea described what happened on June 22 in the immediate aftermath, saying the driver took a turn too quickly.

She claimed Seidel was pleading with Dindia to slow down and drive less erratically, but he didn't hear.

'My beautiful best friend and I had just gotten out on the water, having what seemed like a fun time, when everything changed in an instant,' she said.

'Seeing my friend hurt and feeling helpless is something I can't shake. Making the call to her family was even worse.

'I'm overwhelmed with guilt and sadness, wondering why things happened the way they did.

'I keep replaying the events in my mind, questioning what I could have done differently or better to save her.

'Survivor's guilt is real, and it's something I'm gonna carry every single day.'

Officers were called to Dindia's Sandy, Oregon, home to find that he had died on July 14 - the day of Seidel's funeral

Seidel's relatives said they were saddened to learn that Dindia, from Sandy, Oregon, had taken his own life on July 14 - the day of Seidel's funeral

The boat collision took place on the Willamette River in Portland, Oregon

The river runs straight through the center of Portland, the biggest city on Oregon

Pictured: Lovea and friends at the celebration of Seidel's life on July 14

'Survivor's guilt is real, and it's something I'm gonna carry every single day,' Lovea said. Pictured: Lovea (left) and Seidel (right) enjoying drinks with a friend

Photos Seidel posted before the accident showed the duo smiling and laughing just three hours before she was killed.

Seidel's aunt Rachelle Hunsperger, after hearing Lovea's account, said that the driver should be charged with causing her death before Dindia's suicide.

Hunsperger told KPTV that Seidel was not usually one to worry, and if she was pleading with the driver to slow down it must have been very dangerous.

'That just seems so unlike her. She was always like, let's go, let's have fun. If she was telling somebody to slow down then she was probably scared,' she said.

'This was no simple accident. I feel that there is somebody definitely at fault and hopefully that comes out.'

Seidel's sister Aliyah also hit out at the boat driver, whom Seidel did not know well, for their alleged dangerous conduct.

'She was so innocent and taken so violently because of someone else's decision to be reckless,' she told the local news station.

'She was very spontaneous and she loved to have fun. She got invited out on a boat and she had no idea that that would be the last day of her life.'

Since the tragic news of Dindia's death emerged, Seidel's friends and family have said they were saddened by the news of his passing.

Support can be found through the Suicide and Crisis Lifeline by calling 988.
FBI informant Alexander Smirnov, who was indicted for lying to the feds after claiming Joe Biden took a $5million bribe, has been unmasked for the first time by DailyMail.com.

Israeli-American Smirnov, 43, was secretly used for years by the FBI as a trusted Confidential Human Source.

But every time he appears in public he goes to great lengths to cover his face to avoid being recognized.

But now DailyMail.com has obtained previously unpublished pictures of the man who told his FBI handler he was at meetings with a Ukrainian oligarch who bragged about bribing Joe Biden and his son Hunter with $10million.

DailyMail.com has unmasked disgraced FBI informant Alexander Smirnov, who had only been pictured in public with his face covered since he was arrested and charged with lying to feds earlier this year. He is pictured smoking a cigarette in Las Vegas in 2022

Up until now, Smirnov had never been publicly pictured without his face covered. He is seen concealing his face while seen leaving a Las Vegas court after pleading not guilty in February

Republican lawmakers published an FBI write-up of the claims, and seized upon it as evidence of the president's corruption.

But in February prosecutors charged Smirnov with lying to the FBI by fabricating the bribery story  and suggested that he was in fact a Russian double agent planting Kremlin disinformation.

Smirnov, represented by top Vegas attorney David Chesnoff, has entered a not guilty plea.

Photographs exclusively obtained by DailyMail.com show him partying in Las Vegas, his city of residence before he was thrown in federal prison awaiting trial.

The mysterious informant has never been pictured in public without a mask.

At a court hearing on February 20, Smirnov's girlfriend Diana Lavrenyuk, 58, and cousin Linor Shefer, 38, were pictured flanking him as he walked through a gaggle of journalists and photographers with his face covered with sunglasses, a face mask, scarf and hood.

Photographs inside the federal courthouse were prohibited.

The unmasked pictures, obtained by DailyMail.com from a source who has worked with Smirnov, show him flying business class with Lavrenyuk, taking a selfie while smoking a cigarette beside the Bellagio Fountain in Vegas, and attending a gala dinner with his girlfriend, who wore a red dress, furs, and a costume mask over her eyes.

Other undated photos show Smirnov dressed in a black suit, red rose boutonniere and gold chain, appearing sloppy with his eyes closed, at a Vegas hotel dinner table with Lavrenyuk posing by his side.

In April CBS News previously obtained a grainy passport photo of Smirnov from several years ago  the only other unmasked picture of the mysterious man.

The Israeli-American kept a low profile while he acted as a paid informant for federal law enforcement over 13 years, helping numerous criminal and counterintelligence probes, according to prosecutors.

His indictment revealed he was the 'Confidential Human Source' who told handlers about alleged 2015 and 2016 meetings with the owner of Ukrainian gas firm Burisma, Mykola Zlochevsky, in which the oligarch boasted about bribing Joe and his son Hunter Biden with $5million each.

Smirnov and his girlfriend are pictured again during the same Vegas trip, posing around the dinner table

The unmasked pictures, obtained by DailyMail.com from a source who has worked with Alexander Smirnov, also show him flying business class with girlfriend Diana Lavrenyuk in 2018, when the two were returning to the US from Turkey

The only public image depicting his face had been a court sketch from his appearance in a LA federal court in late February

Smirnov now faces 25 years in prison for allegedly fabricating the claims, and is accused of 'high-level' and 'extremely recent' links with senior Russian intelligence officials  including the chief of an assassination squad.

An FBI report describing his claims about the Bidens became one of the shocking documents in the Republican impeachment probe of the President when it was published last year.

The allegations are now being cast as potential Russian propaganda by Special Prosecutor David Weiss.

In federal court filings, Weiss said Smirnov's travel and communication records show he didn't engage with Burisma executives until 2017, and he never met Zlochevsky.

One of Weiss's court submissions claimed Smirnov had 'high-level contacts with Russian intelligence operatives,' and that he passed on 'false information' to the FBI from these sources.

The filing said Smirnov told his FBI handlers that one of his confidants was a son of a 'former high-ranking Russian government official,' who 'controls two groups of individuals tasked with carrying out assassination efforts in a third-party country.'

Prosecutors said Smirnov had planned to be back in the US for just two days, before flying to meet his Kremlin spy contacts, when he was arrested in Vegas.

Weiss claimed Smirnov had $6million in 'liquid funds', including $3.8million accessible by his 'wife/girlfriend', who pays his personal expenses from her own account  an apparent reference to Lavrenyuk, 58.

Residency records show her living with Smirnov in San Juan Capistrano, California, until 2023. A three-bed, 2,805 sq ft condo in a Vegas luxury high-rise was purchased in her name for $980,000 in February 2022.

Smirnov has a murky background with ties to trading of penny stock public companies and offshore companies.

A source who worked with Smirnov provided company documents showing the FBI informant is linked to a firm called A.S. Financials Ltd in the Republic of Vanuatu, a tiny Pacific island chain off the northeast coast of Australia.

Smirnov was flanked by his cousin Linor Shefer, 38, and his girlfriend's son Nikolay Lavrenyuk, 39, - both of whom also covered their faces - during his court appearance earlier this year

A FBI report describing his claims about the Bidens became one of the shocking documents in the Republican impeachment probe of the president last year, but the allegations are now being cast as potential Russian propaganda

Smirnov is accused of fabricating claims, telling handlers about alleged 2015 and 2016 meetings with Ukrainian Burisma gas firm owner, Mykola Zlochevsky in which the oligarch boasted about bribing Joe and his son Hunter Biden with $5million each

Despite being named after Smirnov's initials, the firm's sole director and shareholder is his father, Konstantin Smirnov, a Russian-born Israeli resident, 2017 company documents show.

Konstantin is also a partner in Felymos Trades Inc, a company based in the offshore tax haven of Panama, another document obtained by DailyMail.com shows.

Hints of the FBI informant's double-life slipped through to neighbors at his former home in San Juan Capistrano in conversations over dinner at a local steakhouse or backyard barbecue.

'He said he had connections with important people. In one conversation he mentioned that he had a meeting with the Minister of Defense in Afghanistan,' one neighbor, who asked to remain anonymous, told DailyMail.com. 'And he had connections with important people in the US.'

'I know he was involved with the government. I know he was originally from the East Bloc. Though I don't think he actually told me that,' said Mike Pastore, a 75-year-old mortgage broker who lives opposite the terracotta-tiled four-bed house where Smirnov resided the past five years before moving to Vegas in 2023.

'From time to time, we talked about geopolitical stuff, and he was well informed. It was an interesting conversation with him He traveled a lot.'

The government's prosecution of Smirnov for lying is a dramatic reversal of their position from just last year, when FBI director Christopher Wray said that the then-unidentified informant was so valuable to the Bureau's investigations that they could not release a write-up of his interviews with a handler to Republican lawmakers.

And after using the intelligence Smirnov provided for many federal probes over a decade, the new charges against him have opened a can of worms for the government.

Other defendants, who were convicted after federal probes involving Smirnov, have started challenging their charges.

Andrew Hackett, 35, says he is a victim of a government cover-up of Smirnov's involvement in his case, over a pump-and-dump stock trading scheme.

A source who worked with Smirnov provided company documents showing the FBI informant is linked to a firm called A.S. Financials Ltd in the Republic of Vanuatu, a Pacific island chain off the north east coast of Australia

The firm's sole director and shareholder is his father, Konstantin Smirnov, a Russian-born Israeli resident, 2017 company documents show

The Justice Department claimed he used telemarketing and newsletters to pump up the price of a penny stock he owned, then planned to 'dump the stock at inflated prices on innocent investors'.

Hackett was convicted of securities fraud in August 2021 and sentenced to 46 months in prison.

Last week Hackett, who does not have a lawyer, filed a motion for a new trial in a California federal court, claiming the government failed to hand over evidence recorded by Smirnov that could prove his innocence.

Hackett says that Smirnov participated in his business calls, spoke with Hackett's business partners, and would have recorded those calls and meetings as part of his work as an FBI informant  but that prosecutors failed to hand over those records before Hackett's 2018 trial.

Hackett believes those records will show that he was conducting business legally, rather than orchestrating a pump-and-dump fraud.

'Smirnov's interactions and reports [] would have reasonably affected the jury's judgment,' Hackett wrote in his July 5 legal filing to a Los Angeles federal court.

'The intentional non-disclosure of such evidence allowed the Government to mislead the jury, deceive the Court during its Motions in Limine, and provide a false presentation of the facts at trial.

'The Government purposely continues to withhold disclosure of such evidence, in violation of the defendant's due process rights.'

DailyMail.com has obtained audio recordings of some of those business calls, where Smirnov can be heard speaking with an apparent Russian accent.
A Disney employee who was let go from his job after 15 years became an overnight sensation when his Twitch stream shot him to internet stardom.

Chet Atkins was the voice of Crush the Turtle for Turtle Talk with Crush at EPCOT in Orlando, Florida, but he says Disney 'abruptly' let him go due to an unspecified medical condition that meant he repeatedly missed work.

The lifelong entertainer - who said he misses the job, which had him communicating and improvising with guests as the turtle from Finding Nemo, 'every day' - turned to live streaming video games on Twitch gaining just 101 subscribers and zero views.

But his life changed overnight when TikTok user KindPenguins shared a video of himself live-donating $450 as an act of kindness to Atkins during his stream.

The sweet clip shows the streamer singing a song in-character as Crush when the donation comes in and he gasps: 'I can't tell you what that means to me!'

A Disney employee who was let go from his job after 15 years became an overnight sensation when his Twitch stream shot him to internet stardom

The clip has since garnered 59.3 million views while Atkins - whose username is chetter72 - has amassed 300,000 subscribers on Twitch and 619,400 on TikTok.

Upon receiving the donation from KindPenguins, Atkins was visibly shaking and tearing up on the livestream.

He said: 'KindPenguins, what the heck? What the heck? KindPenguins, what are you doing? Oh my gosh. I can't tell you what that means to me.

'I'm shaking right now. Can you handle that? Is that OK for you? I don't know want to stress you out.'

Kind Penguins responded: 'Love deserves love.'

Chet Atkins was the voice of Crush the Turtle for Turtle Talk with Crush at EPCOT in Orlando, Florida

The interactive attraction had Atkins communicating with park guests as the shelled character from Finding Nemo

Upon request, Atkins will impersonate Crush for his subscribers, whether that be singing 'Happy Hatch Day' or reminding his followers to 'just keep swimming.'

And the good deeds didn't stop there.

In an Instagram reel, Atkins unboxed a present from KindPenguins, who sent the streamer a care package including custom made Astro A40 Xbox headphones, decorated with the penguins. The device retails for $130.

Atkins said: 'I want to shout a big thank you to KindPenguins, what am amazing thing he did for me, changed my life for the positive, I'm so thankful for him.'

'I can't tell you what this means to me and what that this community means to me.'

Users in the comments of his streams and social media posts praise Atkins for his positive energy, and share stories of the times their families visited Turtle Talk with Crush

In an Instagram reel, Atkins unboxed a present from KindPenguins, who sent the streamer a care package including custom made Astro A40 Xbox headphones, decorated with the penguins

Upon request, Atkins will impersonate Crush for his subscribers, whether that be singing 'Happy Hatch Day' or reminding his followers to 'just keep swimming'

One user commented: 'You probably were our Crush when I took my boys to Disney World.

'I really recognized your voice...Thanks for making my boys dreams come true, dude!'

Another wrote: 'You picked my son out of the crowd as Crush and just made his absolute day many years ago and its one of our favorite memories.'

A third chimed: 'KindPenguins sent me to your page, YOU made me stay.'

The streamer is now getting sponsorships and growing his following day by day.
Millions of Tesco Clubcard holders could receive rewards worth up to 100 after it released its latest set of 'Clubcard Challenges'.

Financial guru Martin Lewis, 52, has revealed that the scheme is set to return on his Money Saving Expert show.

Shoppers can can complete up to 10 challenges, with a total of up to 50 worth of Clubcard points able to be claimed during six-week campaign - but there is a way to double this so you get 100 worth of points if you are a lucky winner.

You can double the total overall value of your points by spending them with a Tesco Reward Partner, which include over 100 brands, such as Pizza Express, Hotels.com and Disney+.

The challenges will vary for each participant and can range from tasks such as 'spend 20 on our Summer BBQ range over the next 6 weeks' to 'spend 10 on plant-based meals'.

Millions of Tesco Clubcard holders could receive rewards worth up to 100 after it released its latest set of 'Clubcard Challenges' (File image)

While Tesco has created 20 different spending challenges for customers, they can only take on ten before they expire on Sunday August 25.

Lizzie Reynolds, Group Membership and Loyalty Director at Tesco said: 'We are constantly looking for ways to make Clubcard work harder for our customers. With Clubcard Prices on around 8,000 products, it is saving customers up to 360 off the annual cost of their groceries.

'Personalisation is about using what we know about customers to make their experience better and our rewards more helpful and we're very excited to see how our customers respond to Clubcard Challenges.'

Even if Clubcard holders choose not to take part, they will still benefit from great value offers on products, while earning Clubcard points on every purchase.

If a customer completes the challenge, they will be rewarded with extra Clubcard points.

This summer, Tesco will donate 1 million to food charity FareShare and Trussell Trust to tackle high levels of need.

All large stores will have food donation bags that customers can purchase), making it even easier for shoppers to donate.

Claire De Silva, Head of Communities at Tesco, said: 'Too often families with too little support during the holidays see their children miss out on the good stuff every child deserves  not just for their physical health but for their mental wellbeing as well.

While Tesco has created 20 different spending challenges for customers, they can only take on ten before they expire on Sunday August 25 (File image)

'If we all pull together over the coming months, whether that's popping a few tins into a food collection point, picking up a food donation bag in our stores or rounding up our grocery bill, we can make a difference to the lives of thousands of children, who, without support, could have a tough summer holiday.'

Every pound you spend in store or online with Tesco equates to one Clubcard point.

When you redeem these points in the form of vouchers to spend in Tesco, they are worth one penny per point.

Those with Clubcards can also access discounts on select products in store and online, as well as exchanging points for other rewards.
Police bodycam and interview footage have revealed how a teenage baby killer smirked as he was questioned by police and called cops 'boring' in video that helped convict him.

Carl Alesbrook, who is now 19, will be given a mandatory life sentence for shaking four-month-old baby Elijah Shemwell to death in January 2022.

When he was 16, Alesbrook shook his then-partner's son so violently he suffered 'catastrophic' brain injuries and broken bones.

Alesbrook, from Matlock in Derbyshire, denied causing any harm to Elijah but was unanimously convicted of both murder and causing grievous bodily harm with intent by the jury at Derby Crown Court on July 11.

Video of his initial contact with police and later interviews showed Alesbrook admitting to leaving the baby unsupervised and taking drugs before he was meant to look after the tiny tot.

Killer Carl Alesbrook, then 16, (pictured) smirked when he was being interviewed by police

He told cops he had 'f*** all' to say when police officers said he had lied

When police first spoke to the teenage killer, he removed his hoodie to reveal a gold watch and blue T-shirt

Baby Elijah was shook violently while in this messy Derbyshire flat

Clothes were piled high in the bedroom, while in the living room what appeared to be nappies were strewn on the floor

He was often looking after Elijah while the baby's mother, India Shemwell, was at work.

Shemwell, who is now 23, was described during her ex-partner's trial as 'a thoroughly inadequate mother' who both generally and specifically neglected Elijah and failed to seek prompt medical attention for him on both January 1 and 2, 2022.

Alesbrook's violent outbursts caused little Elijah bleeding on the brain, whiplash-type injuries and multiple bone fractures between November 2021 and January 2022.

He said defenceless Elijah Shemwell was 'being a little c***' and complained that the baby kept spitting his dummy out.

Once 999 was eventually called on January 2, Elijah was taken by paramedics to hospital where he died three days later on January 5.

The jury also saw CCTV of Shemwell visiting a shop and buying milk and Coca-Cola on the night of the fatal assault.

Elijah Shemwell was just four months old when he was shaken to death by his mother's partner Carl Alesbrook

India Shemwell, 23, (pictured) admitted two offences of cruelty to her four-month-old son Elijah

India Shemwell pleaded guilty to two counts of cruelty to a person under 16  one between 31 December 2021 and 1 January 2022, and the second on January 2nd 2022.

She and Alesbrook will both be sentenced at a date yet to be fixed in autumn.

High Court Judge Mr Justice Jeremy Baker excused the jurors from jury service for the next decade.

He told Alesbrook: 'There is only one sentence that can be imposed but part of that sentence will be a determination of the minimum term that you will have to serve.'

Below are seven shocking moments from Alesbrook's interactions with police...

1) KILLER DESCRIBES BABY'S LIMPNESS

After two female police officers first enter his flat, the 16-year-old described how little Elijah's arms had been limp.

The killer said: 'He's been alright and then last night me and India both thought he had a toothache.

'He was practically screaming for a good hour and then he went to like a conscious state but he wasn't.

'His eyes were partially open but if you lifted his arm up it would just drop.

'He was breathing so it was like he was there but he wasn't, and kind of just gave him time to come back round, let him go back to sleep and then he was fine.

'He did it again earlier on.'

Sick thug Alesbrook described how little Elijah's arm had been limp

Carl Alesbrook, who was 16 at the time of the offence but is now 19, will be given a mandatory life sentence for shaking four-month-old baby Elijah Shemwell to death

2) ADMITS BABY WAS LEFT UNSUPERVISED

Officers questioned who was looking after the baby when his mother was out and Alesbrook was asleep.

One of the officers asked: 'So when [India Shemwell] and you were saying you were asleep, who was looking after [the baby]?'

Baby Elijah was often left alone with Carl Alesbrook

Baby Elijah suffered 'catastrophic' injuries at the hands of Alesbrook, who used to look after the youngster while the boy's mother was at work

The murderer replied: 'He was asleep himself. He woke me up by crying.'

The policewoman said: 'Right, so no one actually supervising him at that time.'

3) LIES THEN ADMITS SMOKING CANNABIS

By this point, the teenage killer had removed his hoodie to reveal a gold watch and blue T-shirt.

When asked whether he had taken drugs, his first reaction was to lie.

'No,' he said, before adding: 'Er, I mean truthfully I had a joint earlier on when I was out'.

The police officer confirmed with the teenage killer that is was a joint of cannabis that he had smoked.

When asked whether he had taken drugs, his first reaction was to lie

Police outside the home in Belper, Derbyshire, in 2022

4) KILLER: 'ONE HELL OF A START OF A YEAR'

While one officer talked with her bosses, Alesbrook went downstairs 'for a fag'.

After he lit up his cigarette, the teenager who shook baby Elijah so violently it died said: 'It's been one hell of a start of a year already.

'I had toothache, so I ended up having codeine to try and numb the pain of that, and then I ended up throwing that up at three in the morning on the first night of the year.'

'And then the second night, the kid.'

While one officer talked with her bosses, Alesbrook went downstairs 'for a fag'

After he lit up his cigarette, the teenager who shook baby Elijah so violently it died said: 'It's been one hell of a start of a year already'

He added: 'I had toothache, so I ended up having codeine to try and numb the pain of that, and then I ended up throwing that up at three in the morning on the first night of the year. And then the second night, the kid'

5) KILLER LAUGHS ON THE PHONE

When a woman called him on his mobile, he laughed and joked about the emergency services.

The sick thug swore as he paced around while taking puffs of his cigarette.

The killer said: 'Jesus Christ, f***'s sake.'

He laughed, adding: 'The police, ambulance. Do you want to get a fire engine as well?'

When a woman called him on his mobile, he laughed and joked about the emergency services

He took puffs of his cigarette while speaking into the phone

6) SWEARS IN POLICE INTERVIEW

During his police interview, cops said: 'You confirmed [to the police officers] you sent a message saying ''Where are you?''

'This was a lie. There is no message saying ''Where are you?''

'We have interrogated your phone and this is not confirmed on there. What do you have to say about this?'

Leaning back, his head resting against the wall, the killer replied: 'F*** all.'

In his police interview, the killer leant back on the wall as cops questioned him

7) CALLS POLICE 'BORING'

A policewoman said to Alesbrook: 'You repeated the same account in subsequent police interviews in that you were asleep in India's flat on January 2 and you were not aware that India had left the flat.

'You were also asked to confirm your previous accounts today on interview and again, you initially maintained the same account of being asleep, and then changed this account today when you were presented with evidence to state that you now cannot remember.

'What do you have to say about that?

The killer replied: 'I say you're boring, man.'

After a policewoman asked him a question, he said he thought she was 'boring'

Carl Alesbrook, 19, (pictured) caused bleeding on the brain, whiplash-type injuries and multiple bone fractures to Elijah Shemwell seven weeks after meeting the child's mother, India Shemwell
Furious locals have blasted the owner of an iconic art-deco building after they painted its historic stonework in 'grubby' grey paint.

Residents are up in arms after the grand property in Sheffield, South Yorkshire, was given the 'monstrous' paint job.

The Portland stone building - nestled between two Grade-II listed buildings - was built in 1938 and features huge friezes by the acclaimed sculptor Philip Lindsey Clark.

But they, and the rest of the limestone, have been rollered over in blotchy paint.

Campaigners have been told there is nothing that can be done because the paint job falls under permitted development rules and does not require planning permission.

The Portland stone building (pictured) - nestled between two Grade-II listed buildings - features huge friezes by the acclaimed sculptor Philip Lindsey Clark

 Slide me  Furious locals have blasted the owner of an iconic art-deco building in Sheffield after they painted its historic stonework in 'grubby' grey paint (pictured)

Retired computer programmer Mike Vickers described the bodged job as 'f****** horrible'.

Mike, 78, from Sheffield, raged: 'It's bloody horrible. I've got lovely photos of the building as it used to be - nice Portland Stone with no paint on it.

'I understand that they've done nothing illegal but that doesn't mean that they've done a good job or thought about it very much.

'They've just gone ahead and done it - no consultation, nothing.

'They've not painted about the lighting, they've not painted the other facade and they've got specks of paint on the listed building next door.

'It's just a catalogue of catastrophes. Someone needs to have a word with them because it does the city no favours at all.

'It should be illegal to do this to these historic buildings.'

Mike added: 'The building probably should have been listed in the first place, given the beautiful motifs. It was a fine example of art deco architecture. Now it just looks monstrous.

'People are up in arms about it. But there's very little we can do about it.

Grandmother-of-nine Julie Benson (pictured), 63, from Sheffield, said: 'It makes Sheffield town centre look cr** and the council needs to do something about it.'

Grey paint now covers the ornate art deco facade of the property (pictured)

The art deco building (pictured) was constructed in 1938 to house a gas showroom

'I might bang a letter off to the council but I won't hold out much hope. I'm sure there'll be a campaign about this at some point.'

The art deco building was first built to be a gas showroom with huge motifs by celebrated sculptor Lindsey Clark, whose works can be seen in church buildings across the country.

He crafted life-size sculptural figures of a flying female figure with a sunbeam behind her and a male figure backed by flames.

The friezes represent heat and light - a nod to the building's past.

Now the building, which contains nine flats with grey double-glazed windows, is covered in dull grey paint, which locals fear has seeped into the porous limestone.

Specks of paint appear to have crossed onto the listed building next door.

Waiting for a tram from outside the painted building, Maureen Gyarmati, 79, remarked: 'It's a grey monstrosity, isn't it? It's a shame - they've done a grubby job.'

'It doesn't do the architecture in Sheffield any favours at all. You go to somewhere like Budapest and all the historic buildings are pristine and beautifully preserved. You come to Sheffield and it's as if no-one cares.

'We need to look after our prestigious buildings and it's just not the case. The council needs to do something about this, because it's rubbish.'

Permitted development rights allow building owners to carry out certain works without the need to apply for planning permission 'where that would be out of proportion with the impact of works carried out', government guidance states

Now the building, which contains nine flats with grey double-glazed windows, is covered in patchy grey paint (pictured), which locals fear has seeped into the porous limestone

Grandmother-of-nine Julie Benson, 63, from Sheffield, said: 'It makes Sheffield town centre look c*** and the council needs to do something about it.

'It used to be a lovely building - it was a nightclub and then a camera shop. Now look at it.

'It's another building that puts the town centre to shame. You go to other cities and the centres are amazing. Even Barnsley looks better than this.'

Permitted development rights allow building owners to carry out certain works without the need to apply for planning permission 'where that would be out of proportion with the impact of works carried out'.

But locals said they were staggered that the paint job was legal.

Sandra Pollard, 76, also from Sheffield, added: 'They should have kept it how it is - it's historic stonework.

'Now it sticks out like a sore thumb and it doesn't blend in at all with the surroundings. 'It's in your face. I just think it's rubbish.

'There needs to be more care taken generally with the historic buildings in Sheffield. Lots of them are derelict and are just being left to decay.'

Howard Fieldstone, 73, and wife Wendy, 71, who live in Cambridge but are originally from the city, said: 'It's an eyesore. Why would you ever want to paint Portland Stone? It's not in keeping with the area.

Sheffield City Council's heritage champion, Cllr Julie Ridley, said that she tried to intervene when the paint work began in May (pictured, the building in Sheffield city centre)

'I think it's crazy - for what reason would you think to do that?'

Paul Mann, 63, from Dronfield, added: 'It should be brought back to how it was. It needs sandblasting back to its original condition.'

Alan Standiland, 83, was left despairing at the plight of historical buildings across the city.

Next to the painted building, he pointed out boarded windows on a listed building which had invasive climbing plants sprawling from within.

The Sheffield pensioner said: 'I wish they would clean them up. These beautiful buildings are being left to rack and ruin.

'You go to York, Leeds or Hull and see the buildings there that have been preserved. In Sheffield, they're just left to rot. There's just no care or forethought.

'I would love to see all these buildings cleaned up and brought back to life but, sadly, I'm not sure they ever will be.'

Sheffield City Council's heritage champion, Cllr Julie Ridley, told how she tried to intervene when the paint work began in May.

She said: 'It was a lovely original Portland Stone facade on an art deco building with sculptured friezes.

Alan Standiland (pictured), 83, was left despairing at the plight of historical buildings across the city

'In my opinion painting it grey has had a negative impact on the character of this historic building.

Unfortunately there's no action that can be taken as it's not listed. Permitted development is allowed, which doesn't require planning permission.'

It is unclear who owns the property. When MailOnline visited this week, the door to the former camera shop on the ground floor was shuttered. Several tins of paint could be seen inside.

Adam Watson Brown, 67, a co-founder of the Art Deco Society UK, said: 'The UK should be looking after its Art Deco buildings rather than greying them out.

'The owners should have cleaned the Portland stone rather than painting it.

'This would have harmonised better with the neighbouring buildings, as the original architect intended.'

A Sheffield City Council spokesperson said: 'The City Council is aware of the building next to Canada House being painted and while it is unfortunate, we do not have any jurisdiction over that building as it isn't listed and is privately owned.

'As there is a very small amount of paint on the [adjoining listed] building, it would be disproportionate to take any action against the owners.'
There was a surreal scene at the Republican National Convention on Wednesday as irate senior senators chased the embattled director of the U.S. Secret Service into a women's bathroom.

'You answer to us!'

'You can't hide from us!'

Senators Marsha Blackburn and John Barrasso shouted and pointed angrily - pursuing Secret Service director Kimberly A. Cheatle through the lobby of Milwaukee's Fiserv Forum and up a flight of stairs.

Cheatle, 53, flanked by her agents, scurried into the lavatory. Her staff held the door, blocking the livid lawmakers out.

'It is appalling that the Secret Service Director refused to answer our questions,' said Senator Blackburn after the incident.

A surreal scene unfolded at the Republican National Convention on Wednesday as two irate senior senators chased the embattled director of the U.S. Secret Service, Kimberly Cheatle, into a women's bathroom

Experts tell DailyMail.com that these failings are a symptom of an 'agency in crisis' after decades of understaffing and corrupt promotion practices

Fury had erupted earlier in the day after Cheatle and her top aides briefed senators in a private conference call about the attempted assassination of President Donald Trump at a campaign rally in rural Butler, Pennsylvania on Saturday.

Senator Barrasso called the meeting a '100% cover-your-a** briefing.'

Cheatle was apparently unable to explain how agents failed to stop Thomas Matthew Crooks from clambering onto a roof and shooting at Trump from less than 150 yards away  even though the gunman was spotted by law enforcement 20 minutes before the shots were fired.

'No one has taken responsibility. No one has been held responsible. Someone has died. The president was almost killed. The head of the Secret Service needs to go,' Barrasso said later.

Now as more fingers are pointed at Cheatle, new allegations have revealed the depth of dysfunction within the service, with Department of Homeland Security whistleblowers claiming the majority of Trump's security detail on Saturday were 'not even Secret Service' and were 'unfamiliar with standard protocols'.

Republican Senator Josh Hawley wrote to the DHS Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas on Friday outlining those allegations and a litany of other claimed security flaws: 'Detection canines were not used to monitor entry and detect threats in the usual manner.

Now as more fingers are pointed at Cheatle, new allegations have revealed the depth of dysfunction within the service, with Department of Homeland Security whistleblowers claiming the majority of Trump's security detail on Saturday were 'not even Secret Service' and were 'unfamiliar with standard protocols'.

'Individuals without proper designations were able to gain access to backstage areas. Department personnel did not appropriately police the security buffer around the podium and were also not stationed at regular intervals around the event's security perimeter.'

Whether or not Hawley's wild claims are true, the Secret Service and Cheatle have a lot to answer for.

And now experts tell DailyMail.com that these failings are a symptom of an 'agency in crisis' after decades of understaffing and corrupt promotion and hiring practices.

John Koskinen, from the nonpartisan National Academy of Public Administration, led an 18-month study into the Secret Service's workforce in 2019.

Saturday's events shocked him, but Koskinen was not surprised by the whistleblower claims, telling DailyMail.com that the Service has been struggling to cover an increasing number of people and respond to more sophisticated threats in recent years.

'Life has gotten much more complicated,' he said, 'the threats are more sophisticated and ongoing, and now you're in the middle of a campaign.'

Cheatle, 53, was appointed director of the Secret Service in 2022, having worked for the agency for 27 years before leaving in 2019 to head up global security at PepsiCo.

Announcing her selection, President Joe Biden revealed that 'Kim' had 'served on my security detail when I was Vice President' and he and Dr. Jill Biden 'came to trust her judgment and counsel'.

Some sources went as far as to tell the New York Post on Monday that Cheatle had been personally tapped for the role by First Lady Jill Biden's top aide, Anthony Bernal, who is reportedly 'obsessed' with DEI.

'Cheatle served on Dr. Biden's second lady detail and Anthony pushed for her,' one source said. 'I heard at the time she was being considered for director that Anthony had pushed her forward as an option,' another added.

For her part, Cheatle has spoken openly about her goals of raising the number of the agency's female recruits to 30 percent of all new hires by the year 2030.

And she hasn't done herself any favors in public appearances since that shock security failure in Pennsylvania on last weekend.

Cheatle said in an interview on ABC News days after the shooting that agents did not secure the roof from which the assassin fired because, 'That building in particular has a sloped roof, at its highest point... And so, there's a safety factor that would be considered there that we wouldn't want to put somebody up on a sloped roof.'

Critics, like former FBI Assistant Director Chris Swecker said that explanation was 'absurd.'

For her part, Cheatle (above, right) has spoken openly about her goals of raising the number of the agency's female recruits to 30 percent of all new hires by the year 2030.

'Nobody's saying you have to have somebody on the rooftop. You need to have eyes on the rooftop 100 percent of the time,' he told the Mail. 'If theyre too scared to climb up on top of the roof, just keep your eyes on it.'

Tristan Leavitt, who ran a year-long investigation into the Secret Service for the GOP Oversight Committee in 2015, told DailyMail.com it was likely that Cheatle was promoted due to her close relationship with the Bidens.

'It is pretty standard,' he said, 'directors have typically come from within, so if you're going to pick someone from within, you're going to pick someone you have a good relationship with.'

The danger, Leavitt says, is that personal connection is 'not a great basis on which to select someone'.

He added: 'The assassination attempt on Saturday appears to be closely associated to a manpower issue, the Secret Service have been hemorrhaging staff for a long time'.

'Many, many agents within the Secret Service thought that within the service the best people weren't being promoted, it's more about who you knew,' he said. 'It's an agency in crisis.'

Of course, previous Secret Service directors have also worked closely with presidents prior to their selection.

James Murray, who was the director before Cheatle, served at Trump's 2016 election and inauguration, and Joe Clancy, a few years before him, served in Barack Obama's personal protection detail.

However, this is not the first time that Cheatle's or the Secret Service's close ties to the Bidens have been called into question.

Experts tell DailyMail.com that these failings are a symptom of an 'agency in crisis' after decades of understaffing and corrupt promotion and hiring practices.

Agents were accused of improperly intervening in the investigation into whether the President's son Hunter Biden lied on federal firearms forms to buy a revolver at a Delaware gun shop in 2018.

In June, Hunter was convicted on three felony charges related to the purchase.

But early on in that case, FBI documents revealed, that the gun store owner claimed that Secret Service agents showed up at his business and asked to remove the documents Hunter has signed.

The shop-owner refused and the agents allegedly left.

The Secret Service has denied the claims, but two years later, the government transparency group Judicial Watch obtained hundreds of pages of internal communications between Secret Service officials about the alleged incident.

The documents revealed that agency officials discussed media reports of the incident.

One agent found it 'odd' that the agency would be involved in the investigation since the Biden Family was not receiving Secret Service protection at the time.

Another official responded: 'Maybe we were asked for a favor?'

'These new documents suggest that one can't take at face value the Secret Service's denial that it wasn't involved in the Hunter Biden gun cover-up,' Judicial Watch President Tom Fitton told DailyMail.com at the time.

Cheatle herself was then dragged into the debacle surrounding Hunter's trials in September 2023, when the House Oversight Committee ordered her to make her employees available for interview after whistleblowers alleged Secret Service agents tipped off the Bidens about an IRS investigation into Hunter.

Additionally, IRS supervisory agent Gary Shapley and FBI supervisory special agent Joe Gordon alleged that they were told by FBI brass to wait for Secret Service permission before they could go to Hunter's home to interview him.

According to Shapley and Gordon that Secret Service call never came.

Following Trump's near-death, Leavitt says there is no way Cheatle will be able to stay in her post.

'The difference between life and death in Saturday's attempted assassination of former President Trump was centimeters and a slight wind,' he said on X.

And as fury mounts, he says it is not a question of if Cheatle resigns, but when.
The public post went against royal standards around privacy and social norms

Princess Mahra said that her husband was 'occupied with other companions'

The daughter of Dubai's ruler has sent shockwaves through the city by announcing her intention to divorce her husband in a brutal Instagram post - railing against the emirate's gender norms and royal protocol.

Sheikha Mahra Bint Mohammed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum, who welcomed her first child with her husband Sheikh Mana just weeks ago after their marriage last year, appeared to suggest he had been unfaithful to her in the social media statement.

'Dear Husband, as you are occupied with other companions, I hereby declare our divorce,' the 30-year-old princess said in the post. 'I divorce you, I divorce you, and I divorce you. Take care. Your ex-wife.'

The sensational declaration is by no means the first time a female member of the emirate's ruling family has defied her male 'guardian'.

Two of Dubai's princesses - Mahra's half sisters Latifa and Shamsa - famously risked their lives for freedom amid allegations of torture, beatings and imprisonment against their father, billionaire Sheikh Mohammed Bin Rashid Al-Maktoum.

One of the Sheikh's wives, Princess Haya of Jordan, also fled to Britain in 'fear for her life' following what she said was a campaign of intimidation orchestrated by her husband.

The Sheikh has promoted the UAE as a progressive and welcoming place for women, but human rights observers warn the reality for female members of his family, and women and girls more widely, is vastly different, with disobedience often punished.

While it is unclear if Mahra will face repercussions for her unconventional public declaration, Emirati princesses who have stood up to their male guardians have faced brutal consequences in the past.

Sheikha Mahra Bint Mohammed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum welcomed her first child with her husband Sheikh Mana just weeks ago after their marriage last year

The post was put up on her official Instagram account, and there have been no updates since

The couple welcomed a baby girl into the world just two months ago

Princess Latifa escaped Dubai in February 2018 after recording a disturbing video in which she revealed her troubled relationship with her father

Princess Shamsa was abducted from Cambridge after she went on the run in July 2000

Princess Mahra is one of around 26 of Sheikh Mohammed's children, who he shares with at least six wives.

Her father previously divorced her Greek-born mother Zoe Grigorakos, who Mahra regularly shares selfies with and once described as 'my everything'.

The Emirati royal enjoys a public-facing role in the emirate, recently visiting a pre-school graduation, and flaunts her luxurious lifestyle online.

The British-educated princess has nearly half a million followers on Instagram, and has used her platform to be an outspoken advocate for women's rights in the UAE.

But Mahra has not posted since the black and white text post announcing her wish to divorce her husband two days ago.

The post goes against custom in the conservative state, where Islamic law governs marriage and divorce proceedings for couples.

In using the phrase 'I divorce you' three times, the princess appears to be referencing the controversial practice of triple talaq, which is banned in the UAE and elsewhere.

Under Sunni Islamic law, triple talaq allows a Muslim man to divorce his wife by saying talaq - the Arabic word for divorce or literally 'undoing the knot' - three times.

The man does not need to offer a reason or obtain his wife's agreement. Women are not allowed to use the talaq under Islamic law, instead needing to submit a formal request and citing a valid reason as to why they want a divorce.

Sheik Mana was seen with notorious social media personality Andrew Tate (pictured, left)

Sheik Mana Al Maktoum (pictured) hasn't yet commented on the matter

Sheikha Mahra Bint Mohammed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum (pictured) appeared to announce that she was leaving her husband

Her father previously divorced her Greek-born mother Zoe Grigorakos, who Mahra regularly shares selfies with and once described as 'my everything'

Speculation swirled over problems in Mahra and Mana's marriage when she recently posted a picture of her daughter with a caption: 'Just the two of us'.

The couple have both now unfollowed each other on Instagram and removed all pictures of each other from their pages.

Sheikh Mana - also a member of Emirati royalty who is a distant cousin of his estranged wife - appears to still be in favour with the royal family, sharing a post by his brother-in-law Prince Hamdan a day after his wife's announcement.

The House of Maktoum, the royal family that rules Dubai and which Mahra comes from, has remained silent on the issue.

Abdulkhaleq Abdulla, an Emirati political commentator, said Mahra's post 'violates lots of royal family code of conduct, let alone social norms.'

Mahra, who is said to be among the favoured princesses, has seemingly gone against royal protocol with the public move.

'If you want to be in favour, you buy into what the king does. If you're not, you're pushed aside and nobody really cares about you,' a source with knowledge of the family said.

Mahra's repudiation of her husband comes after her father's own messy divorce from Princess Haya of Jordan.

The sixth and youngest of his wives, Princess Haya fled Dubai in 2019 saying she was 'in fear of her life' amid a campaign of intimidation by the Sheikh's agents. Pictured together at the Epsom Derby in 2017

The pair became embroiled in one of the most high-profile and expensive custody battles of all time, with the Sheikh eventually paying a record 554 million settlement and losing legal responsibility for the former couple's two children.

The sixth and youngest of his wives, the Haya fled Dubai in 2019 saying she was 'in fear of her life' amid a campaign of intimidation by the Sheikh's agents.

She escaped to Germany and then the UK following reports that her husband had become 'concerned at her apparent closeness to her British bodyguard'.

But the Princess also went on to reveal her suspicions over the disappearance of two of her husband's daughters - Princesses Shamsa and Latifa.

In a case that made headlines around the world, Princess Latifa escaped Dubai in February 2018 after recording a disturbing video in which she revealed her troubled relationship with her father.

In the video, Latifa accused him of jailing her for three years in 2002 when she tried to escape what she called his 'repressive control'.

The princess said she was drugged and tortured on the orders of her father, was not allowed to drive, had no passport and was followed by a team of guards.

In an audacious plot, Latifa fled Dubai by jet ski to rendezvous with a yacht waiting to sail to India.

After eight days at sea, the yacht she was travelling on was boarded by Indian commandos off the coast of Goa and she was returned to the custody of her father in Dubai.

The sheikh says Latifa was tricked into escaping by criminals who wanted money and that returning her to Dubai was a rescue mission.

Six years on from her escape attempt, Latifa's situation is unknown. She was last pictured in Paris with the UN High Commissioner in 2022, and was said to be living 'living as she wishes', though many have been sceptical of these claims.

Ahead of her brave bid for freedom, she famously said: 'It will be the best or last thing I do... I have never known true freedom. For me, it's something worth dying for.'

'Runaway' Princess Latifa was captured in a yacht off the coast of India was said to have been a factor in the divorce of her Sheikh Mohammed and Princess Haya

Princess Shamsa (circled as a child) tried to escape her father's Surrey mansion as a teenager

Latifa's disappearance came 18 years after her older sister Shamsa made a break for freedom while on holiday in the UK.

The 'headstrong' teenage princess was reportedly angry her father wouldn't let her go to university and disgusted by Dubai's human rights record.

She also allegedly suffered abuse, with Latifa once telling her friends that she had seen her father punch Shamsa repeatedly in the head for interrupting him - allegations he denies.

In mid-July 2000, Shamsa evaded heavy security at her father's sprawling Longcross estate in Surrey, where the family spent most of their summers.

Princess Haya arrives at the Royal Courts of Justice in London in 2019

She drove her black Range Rover to the corner of the grounds and escaped through a perimeter fence on to Chobham Common, then ran off.

Staff discovered her abandoned car the next day, and a search operation swung into action.

The Sheikh flew in from his horse racing base in Newmarket, Suffolk, to take charge.

All staff were sent out, on horseback or in cars, to search for the runaway. Nothing was found except Shamsa's discarded mobile on the common.

For a few weeks, she evaded capture by staying at a hostel in south London.

But on August 19 2000, her father's henchmen caught up with her outside a bar in Cambridge.

The sheikh had traced Shamsa after ordering the bugging of her friends' phones, the High Court judgment found, and had even offered a Rolex watch bribe to one.

Shamsa was allegedly drugged and flown to Dubai via northern France using her father's private helicopter and jet, and hasn't been seen in public for more than 20 years.

In 2020, High Court judge Sir Andrew McFarlane concluded that her father was keeping her captive.

Princess Latifa has since begged British police to re-investigate the snatching of her older sister.

The Sheikh has been the subject of a number of other allegations from members of his family, with two former wives also claiming he abused them. He denies the claims.

Sheikha Mahra is an advocate for women's rights and studied International Relations at a London university

While princesses in Dubai's royal family are often afforded greater freedoms and privileges than women in wider society, the royal household is often described as a 'gilded cage'.

Like Mahra, who studied International Relations at a London university, some are educated abroad and have highly public profiles - in exchange for towing the line.

Meanwhile other women in the Sheikh's extensive family are treated like 'cattle', according to campaigners, bearing children and remaining out of sight.

'You have the fancy title of being a princess, and of course you have people waiting on you [hand and foot], but you're essentially a prisoner,' an Arab dissident told Vanity Fair. 'You're not supposed to socialize. You don't have a normal life.'
San Francisco police had sought the publics help in locating Kelley Guest, 76, but his body was found in Marin County on Saturday. San Francisco Police Department

A missing hiker, 76, was found dead Saturday in Marin County, San Francisco police say.

Kelley Guest, known as an avid hiker in and around the southern portion of the Marin Headlands, was last seen Monday morning exiting the Golden Gate Ferry in Sausalito, said the San Francisco Police Department, which circulated a photo of him wearing apparent hiking gear.

The Marin County sheriffs search and rescue team found Guests body after looking for him in those areas, police said.

Advertisement Article continues below this ad

The San Francisco Police Departments thoughts and prayers go out to the family and community of Kelley Guest at this time, the agency said in a news release Saturday night.

Kelley Guest, 76, was last seen Monday exiting the Golden Gate Ferry in Sausalito. San Francisco Police Department

Anyone with information on Guests disappearance and death is asked to contact the police department at 415-575-4444 or text a tip to TIP411 and begin the message with SFPD.
'To my beautiful boy,' begins Debbie Duncan's hand-written tribute to her son Jay Slater. 'I'm so sorry we never found you. I miss you so much.'

This poignant note now adorns a bouquet of white chrysanthemums left in the ravine where the British teenager's body was finally recovered by Spanish authorities in Tenerife earlier this week, 29 days after he went missing.

'Love you little bro,' writes Jay's brother Zak. 'I'll look after Mum and Dad... Hope to see you again some day.'

Jay's father Warren left a bracelet emblazoned with the letter 'J' and this simple, heartbreaking message: 'To My Boy. Love Dad. Always.'

The family decorated the memorial with a teddy bear wearing an England jumper and a single candle in a red jar.

Jay Slater with his brother Zak and mother Debbie Duncan, who as the Mail understands, are determined to fly home with his body

To the side stands a large plastic bottle of water. It might seem incongruous alongside these moving messages. But those who have followed this harrowing story will know that the water is a heartbreaking reference to Jay's final words  delivered over the phone to friend Lucy Mae Law  in which he told her he was desperately dehydrated.

With this gesture, Jay's family have shown they are there for their boy, even in death.

And perhaps, who knows, it might one day save the life of some other lost soul who falls foul of the blistering heat and disorientating ravines in the Rural de Teno Park in north-west Tenerife.

An official statement released at midday on Monday revealed that Civil Guard agents  belonging to the Mountain Rescue and Intervention Group  had located the 'lifeless body of a young man'.

The following day, a spokesman for the High Court of Justice in the Canary Islands confirmed: 'We have a positive identification and more data, fingerprint tests, show that the body is [that] of Jay Slater.'

The statement added 'the death was caused by trauma consistent with a fall in a rocky area'.

The Slater family decorated the memorial to their son with a teddy bear wearing an England jumper and a single candle in a red jar

Zak left a heartbreaking note to Jay, in which he promised to look after their parents and said he hoped to see his brother again

This was later verified by the Civil Guard: 'The result of the preliminary autopsy points to the cause of death being a fall or plunge from height due to the broken bones he suffered.'

Wild conspiracy theories had whirled around this case  from the suggestions Slater had been trafficked off the island to claims he had been murdered by a local drug cartel. But it appears the untimely death of Jay Slater was a tragic case of misadventure by a carefree teen abroad, who seems to have been seduced by the island's notorious drugs industry and perhaps fell into the wrong company.

The question is: what happens next?

Earlier this week, after three weeks investigating Jay's disappearance for the Mail, I made my final visit to the ravine, near the small village of Masca, where his body was recovered on Monday by helicopter.

It was eerily quiet. News crews had packed up, police and rescue teams returned to base. In fact, Barranco Juan Lopez was exactly how Jay Slater would have found it in the early hours of Monday June 17, a harsh, empty and unforgiving wilderness.

The teenager's remains were found deep in the ravine, just a few hundred metres from where it drops into Juan Lopez Bay and the North Atlantic Ocean. Here, the thicket gives way to steep cliffs and sudden, deep chasms where Slater is understood to have met his end.

That the teenager, in a T-shirt and shorts and after a three-day bender, managed to get so far into the ravine, which is carpeted in cacti and perilous underfoot with loose rock, is remarkable.

Almost five weeks on from his disappearance, the Mail understands that the Slater family were advised not to see his body in the morgue and say a final farewell.

In a statement, the Slaters said they took some 'very small comfort' from the likelihood Jay's death was instantaneous.

For now, Debbie, Warren and Zak remain on the island. The Mail understands they are determined to travel home with their son.

Debbie ended her message on Jay's GoFundMe page with a plea for further donations

Debbie, who has been posting on a GoFundMe page since her son's disappearance, left a letter to Jay, in which she said that he would be 'forever young'

Speaking on behalf of the family, Matthew Searle, chief executive of the missing persons charity LBT Global, said 'complex issues'  believed to relate to completing the autopsy  were hampering efforts to repatriate Jay's body. 'But the plan is for his family to be on the same flight,' he added.

Mr Searle also suggested that while Jay's travel insurance may cover some of the cost, money donated to a GoFundMe page to help with the search could now instead be used to take Jay's body back to Britain.

The teenager's travel companion Lucy set up the fundraiser on June 20 in order to 'Get Jay Slater Home.' Lucy originally hoped to raise 30,000 but the account now boasts almost double that figure.

Some of the cash has already been withdrawn to help pay for Dutch search and rescue team Signi Zoekhondon, according to information posted on the GoFundMe page by Debbie last weekend.

'We have a team of experts flying in over the weekend from the Netherlands,' she wrote on July 13. 'We are only able to fund this with the generosity of all those who donated.'

The rescue charity, which does not charge for its services but asks that a contribution be made to transport and accommodate its volunteers, confirmed to the Mail that a payment has been agreed, which they expect to be made next week. In an update posted on Thursday afternoon, Jay's mother  the sole listed beneficiary of the GoFundMe page  thanked everyone for their 'kindness, support and condolences'.

She confirmed that 'the remaining funds, along with any future donations,' would be used to pay repatriation costs, as well as 'Jay's funeral costs back home'.

Debbie ended her message with a plea for further donations: 'Please do continue to share and support our fundraiser however you can'.

This has prompted some questions. The expense of repatriation is small when compared with the 60,000 already at the family's disposal. According to Homeland International, specialists in body repatriation, the cost varies but it 'usually tends to be somewhere around 3,000 to 6,000'. Even at the top end, that's just 10 per cent of the money currently available to Jay's family.

Debbie and Jay's father Warren leave a Civil Guard station in Playa de las Americas, Tenerife

The apprentice bricklayer's father left a simple note at the memorial for his son

Along with the cost of freight, this fee includes the embalming process, a fit-to-fly coffin and a certificate to confirm the corpse is free from infection.

Few would disagree with Debbie that her son should also have 'the send-off he deserves' once he is repatriated, but once Jay's funeral costs are considered, it can be assumed there will still be a sizable chunk remaining.

A spokesman for GoFundMe said the platform was in 'regular contact' with the Slater family, and the Mail understands that Debbie is making a donation to LBT Global as a thank you for their support. It may be that she will give any leftover money to another good cause or set up a memorial fund in Jay's name.

What is clear is the sense of loss not just in Jay's own family, but in his hometown of Oswaldtwistle, in Lancashire.

On Tuesday evening at 7pm, the skies in the northern town turned blue as around 100 mourners released balloons at a memorial service hosted by the West End Methodist Church, around the corner from Jay's home.

'Today it might feel that the darkness has overcome us,' said Minister Matt Smith, presiding over the ceremony. 'But today we also stand together and say that we will remember Jay. His light will never go out. We will remember him.'

While his mother Debbie was unable to attend the service, she did request two songs be played: Wings by Birdy and a cover version of Alphaville's 80s synth-pop hit Forever Young  played at Debbie's father's funeral  which rang out through the church.

Andrew Williams, head teacher of Rhyddings High School, and James McBride, head teacher of West End Primary School, where Jay had been a pupil, released a joint statement: 'All members of our school communities, both past and present, share in our condolences and deepest sympathies for those who knew Jay.'

Similarly, Accrington and Rossendale College, where Slater was training to become a bricklayer, said they were 'deeply saddened' to hear of his passing.

Jay Slater smiles alongside his friends Brandon Hodgkin, left, and Lucy Mae Law, right, at the Hard Rock Cafe hotel in Tenerife

In a tribute on Instagram, Jay's friend Lucy posted images of the pair together, writing: 'I'm sure you'll have your dancing shoes polished and ready waiting for us all. We all love you buddy. Fly high.'

The discovery of Jay's body still leaves unanswered questions.

The police  who have remained almost totally silent throughout this investigation  have refused to say whether the Rolex watch Jay allegedly stole the night before his disappearance was found on his person. We are also waiting to hear whether Jay's phone  which last 'pinged' near the road at the top of the ravine and could contain vital information as to what happened to him  has been recovered.

Nor is there any clarity as to why Slater chose to travel 25 miles north to Masca at 5am with two men he'd met after partying at the Papagayo nightclub in Playa de Las Americas, rather than walk the short distance back to his hotel. And, perhaps most puzzling of all, it remains a mystery why Jay  on the way back to his accommodation at around 8am  chose to leave the tarmac road and head cross-country down towards the sea.

Having walked extensively in Jay's footsteps down the ravine where his body was found, I know just how difficult the terrain is.

The volcanic rock underfoot crumbles immediately upon contact, making every step a hazard, especially with the area's undulating topography.

When one slips, instinct kicks in and you reach out for something to hold on to. But all your hands find are prickly cacti or thin air. Indeed, in the penultimate phone call Jay made during his ill-fated trek, he told Lucy that he had slashed his leg on a cactus.

The question one cannot help but ask, is why did this young man not turn back in the face of such palpable danger?

It may make no sense to you or me. But on the morning of June 17, it made sense to Jay Slater. And, tragically, he paid for that decision with his life.

What the Slater family have since endured over the past five weeks is grief beyond comprehension.

In my first dispatch for the Mail from Tenerife almost three weeks ago, I warned that at the heart of this story was a son without his mother and a mother without her son.

Today, those words ring more true than ever.
Just over a fortnight has passed since Lucy Letby was handed a 15th whole-life sentence for trying to murder another premature baby girl entrusted to her care.

Baby K was the former neo-natal nurse's 14th victim  a tiny, defenceless infant, born 15 weeks early  who a second jury took a little over three hours to decide had been deliberately harmed at her hand.

I wrote in these pages soon afterwards about the strange band of misfits and ghouls who  convinced Letby is innocent and emboldened by conspiracy theorists online  travelled daily to Manchester Crown Court to see the woman in the dock who, they insist, is the real 'victim' in this case.

She's a scapegoat, they claim, for a failing NHS hospital; condemned to die in jail by a flawed and biased justice system.

Alarmingly, within days this group of dissenting voices began to grow and quickly moved into the mainstream, with articles in respected newspapers questioning whether both juries had 'got it wrong'.

Just over a fortnight ago, convicted killer nurse Lucy Letby was handed a 15th whole-life sentence for trying to murder another premature baby girl entrusted to her care

Was Letby  who desperately protested 'I'm innocent' as she was led away for the final time  really guilty of the cold-blooded murder of seven babies and the attempted murder of seven more?

The reports quoted medical professionals expressing doubts over the efficacy of tests to trace insulin in the babies, whose drips of feed and medicine had been contaminated with the drug, and the science of air embolism, the injection of air bubbles into the babies' bloodstreams. They also cited the concerns of statisticians, who claim the Prosecution relied on flawed hospital shift data.

Even in this newspaper, my colleague Peter Hitchens added reason and weight to the hysteria, writing how he felt 'baffled' by the Court of Appeal's 'swift' rejection of Letby's bid to contest her guilty verdicts. He also highlighted the 13,000-word dissection of her case by Rachel Aviv in The New Yorker magazine as evidence it should go before the Criminal Cases Review Commission.

I was one of four journalists who sat in court for almost every day of both of Letby's trials  around 160 days in total  and was also present for all three days of her Court of Appeal hearing.

I'm happy to say I'm not 'baffled' by the decision at all.

As I have stated previously, in the early stages, I  like many  doubted that this dedicated young nurse could have been responsible for some of the most heinous crimes in modern times.

Much of the evidence against her was circumstantial and all but one of the babies was born early and fragile. But  after listening to dozens of consultants, junior doctors and nurses from the Countess of Chester Hospital plus the evidence of eight expert doctors  I, like both juries, became convinced these children had been deliberately murdered or harmed.

A lot of this complex testimony  involving pages of medical records, nursing charts and documentation  was reported by myself and my colleague Caroline Cheetham via our award-winning podcast on Letby's trial.

Supporters of Letby demonstrate outside the High court in London during her appeal hearing. The campaigners claim she is a victim of a miscarriage of justice

But such evidence, by its very nature, is difficult to assimilate, which meant much of it did not make it in to the pages of newspapers  including those now questioning Letby's guilt.

Now, however, I believe the time is right to return to some of that evidence, to point out how important elements of the Prosecution case have been overlooked.

None of the doubters spent any time listening to the original case against Letby and have, at best, misunderstood and, at worst, simply ignored compelling and cumulative testimony in favour of cherry-picking evidence to suit their own misplaced narrative.

It is time for some serious sense to be delivered.

Here is the evidence that I believe proves Lucy Letby's guilt beyond all doubt.

The star witness

Of all the experts involved, Dr Dewi Evans, the Prosecution's lead medical witness, has come under the greatest scrutiny from doubters. Several have pointed out that Letby's defence KC, Ben Myers, twice tried  but crucially failed  to have his testimony thrown out for being biased.

Dr Evans worked as a paediatrician in hospitals in South Wales for 30 years and led the development of neonatal intensive care services before retiring in 2009.

He has produced hundreds of expert reports for the criminal and family courts and examined the medical notes of around 90 babies treated at the neonatal unit of the Countess of Chester Hospital.

He told me this week that he strongly refutes the allegations made in the articles and points out that he gave his testimony under oath. He says 'denial is a natural and understandable instinct' from people struggling to come to terms with events 'too awful to comprehend'.

Those protesting Letby's innocence want to 'shoot the messenger' but he insists his explanations for what happened to the babies were backed up by eight experienced specialist doctors during the trial.

Significantly, none of the (mainly anonymous) doctors and specialists now calling out his theories had access to any of the babies' medical notes that he spent months examining.

Letby pictured during her police interview on the July 3 2018

The defence expert

There has been much speculation online and in recent reports about why Letby's defence team failed to call their own expert, paediatrician Dr Mike Hall, to give evidence.

I've seen Dr Hall's report in relation to Baby A, the baby boy who was the first of Letby's victims. Dr Hall concludes that his cause of death was 'unascertained' but does not rule out air embolism or that a member of staff deliberately injected air to cause harm.

'If air embolism was the cause of Baby A's death it could have come about as a result of either inadvertent or deliberate actions taken by staff caring for him,' his report states.

Letby's defence team have never commented publicly on why Dr Hall wasn't called, but the only assumption must be that they did not believe his evidence would be helpful to Letby's case.

Sewage and insulin

Defence witness Lorenzo Mansutti, the estates manager at the Countess of Chester Hospital, told the jury that plumbers were called out five times to drainage problems at the unit in 2015 and 2016. It has been suggested online  and hinted at in The New Yorker article  that sewage back-ups in sinks on the unit could be behind the babies' deaths. However, no evidence was presented to show any of the infants contracted bacterial or parasitic infections linked to dirty water.

Similarly, although Letby's KC Mr Myers challenged the quality of blood samples which belatedly revealed two of the babies had been poisoned by insulin, the barrister never questioned whether the tests were suitable for use in a criminal prosecution, as some journalists have done.

But it was Letby herself, from the witness box, who said that 'somebody' added insulin to their drips, insisting: 'It wasn't me'.

The liver injury

Conveniently disregarded by The New Yorker and others, arguably the most important piece of evidence against Letby was the serious liver injury and internal bleeding suffered by Baby O, the first of two triplet brothers murdered on consecutive shifts, in June 2016.

His original post-mortem said the bleed was due to vigorous CPR. But Dr Andreas Marnerides, expert forensic pathologist from Guy's and St Thomas' Hospital in London, told the jury he'd only ever seen this type of 'extensive internal injury and haemorrhaging' in children involved in road accidents, or who'd fallen from trampolines or bicycles, or who'd been deliberately assaulted.

Letby herself, who was Baby O's designated nurse, accepted when she gave evidence that the injury took place 'on her watch'.

A court artist sketch of the convicted former nurse as she gives evidence during her trial at Manchester Crown Court earlier this month

Air in stomachs

The Guardian reported that seven neonatologists, who refused to give their names, have called Dr Evans' theory about how Letby injected air into the stomachs of several babies via their nasal feeding tubes, 'implausible' and 'ridiculous'.

Dr Evans admitted to me that injecting air in a nasogastric tube is 'utterly bizarre' and something he'd never heard of before. But he added: 'That doesn't mean it can't exist.

'Without access to the clinical records, I don't think these individuals are in a position to comment objectively.' He points out that all his reports were peer reviewed by Dr Sandie Bohin, the Prosecution's second expert witness, who also had access to the babies' medical notes and largely agreed with his findings.

Today the Mail can reveal that a third experienced neonatal paediatrician, Dr Martin Ward Platt, who was instrumental in setting up the first neonatal network in northern England, also assessed Dr Evans' initial reports. He too agreed that Babies G, I, O and Q all likely had air injected into their naso-gastric tubes (The jury failed to reach a verdict in Baby Q's case).

His report, which the Mail has seen, arguably goes further than those of Dr Evans because he identifies another baby boy, whose case was not part of either trial, who was likely hurt this way. Dr Ward Platt's report was never presented to the jury because he developed a terminal illness and died in 2019 before the trial began.

The shift rota data

A graph shown to the jury, which has Letby present at 25 collapses and deaths relating to all 17 alleged victims in the first trial, has been widely discredited by statisticians, according to The New Yorker and others. They say it is flawed because it excludes events relating to babies not on the indictment and covers too narrow a time frame.

But Dr Evans insists this is a misinterpretation of why and how the chart was created. He says all the cases he evaluated  apart from that of Baby L, the second child poisoned with insulin  were looked at 'blind,' months before the name 'Lucy Letby' was disclosed to him around the time of her first arrest in July 2018.

Crucially, Dr Evans says Cheshire police did not put together the shift graph until he had identified cases of suspected 'inflicted harm.' Only when officers cross-checked those events with staff on duty did the striking pattern of Letby's presence at every one emerge. Other deaths on the unit were not part of the Prosecution case because they were not suspicious, Dr Evans says, and not because Letby wasn't present.

Dr Dewi Evans, the Prosecution's lead medical witness, has come under the greatest scrutiny from doubters

The rash

Great focus has also been placed on the research, or lack of it, surrounding air embolus  air bubbles injected into the bloodstream  which block blood flow to the heart. Those who doubt Letby's guilt cite the trial's reliance on a single journal from 1989, co-authored by Dr Shoo Lee, an eminent neonatologist from Canada, which detailed a strange rash associated with the condition.

The Prosecution said eight of the babies, including five who died, displayed this rash.

Dr Lee didn't give evidence at the trial but told Letby's appeal he believed the rashes clincians saw at the Countess of Chester Hospital were not diagnostic of the condition.

Like other experts now questioning Letby's guilt, Dr Lee did not have access to the babies' medical notes or doctors' witness statements when making this assessment.

The appeal court ruled Dr Lee's evidence as inadmissible and, significantly, said the experts did not rely on the rash alone when they diagnosed air embolism in the babies.

The screams

The suddenness of the babies' collapses, and their failure to respond to standard resuscitation, was also a feature of an injection of air, according to expert paediatricians. There was also harrowing testimony of parents, doctors and nurses, who described uncharacteristic 'screaming' from several of the premature babies, who likely suffered extreme pain.

Baby E's mother described walking into the unit to find Letby alone with her newborn twin boy 'screaming... like nothing I had heard before'.

Letby, the Prosecution said, had rammed a medical instrument down the boy's throat moments earlier, causing internal bleeding. She later injected him with air to kill him.

Then there was Baby N, the premature boy with haemophilia, who 'screamed' and couldn't be consoled for around half an hour when his designated nurse went on his break.

Dr Bohin told the court that it was 'absolutely extraordinary' for a premature baby to cry like that and Dr Evans said it was his view an injection of air had caused him to suffer a heart attack.

Letby's supporters conveniently ignore these features and also fail to mention that both Dr Marnerides and Professor Owen Arthurs, the eminent Cambridge-educated radiologist based at London's Great Ormond Street Hospital who also gave evidence for the Prosecution, backed up the theory that the babies had been harmed this way.

Professor Arthurs found unusual 'columns' of air in the major blood vessels of Babies A, D, and O. The jury was also shown a striking X-ray of a 'line of gas' in a blood vessel along Baby D's spine which, in the absence of a fracture or infection, Professor Arthurs said, must have been injected into her circulation. Dr Marnerides also found a bubble of air in Baby A's brain and lung at post-mortem, while Baby D also had gas in a blood vessel in her belly which could not be explained by infection or death.

Letby's behaviour

Those who doubt Letby's guilt regularly point out that nobody saw her injecting a baby or inflicting any harm.

That is true but, while the Prosecution insist she was 'hiding in plain sight', they also pointed to plenty of examples  conveniently ignored by her supporters  of when her behaviour gave her away.

There was the 'I am evil' confession note and the 257 nursing handover sheets recovered from addresses linked to Letby after her first arrest  21 relating to babies she is alleged to have harmed.

Then there was the occasion when Letby told a colleague a baby 'looked pale,' when no lights were on in the nursery, and her face was obscured by a canopy.

That child, Baby I, had stopped breathing because Letby had attacked her, the Prosecution said. She was resuscitated, but Letby murdered her by injecting her with air the following evening.

After Baby I's death, her mother recalled Letby 'smiling' and making inappropriate comments. 'She kept going on about how she was present at the first bath and how [Baby I] had loved it,' the mother said. 'I wished she would just stop talking.'

She also sent Baby I's parents a condolence card and kept a picture of it on her phone for two and a half years.

Similarly, after Letby murdered Baby C, the shift leader told the jury she had to tell her to leave his parents alone.

And a senior consultant said that after the death of triplet Baby P, Letby  who had murdered his brother the day before  appeared 'excited'.

'She [Letby] was almost, sort of very animated [saying], 'Do you want me to make you a memory box for him, you know, like I did for Baby O yesterday?' I remember thinking, 'This is not a new baby, this is a dead baby, why are you so excited about this?'

Then there was the deliberate and cunning meddling of medical notes to place her elsewhere when children collapsed and the way she suggested false reasons for the deaths of babies in text messages to colleagues.

I have no doubt the jury took their job extremely seriously. They spent weeks mulling over each of the 22 charges in the original trial and let's not forget that they didn't convict her across the board. They cleared her of two attempted murders and were also undecided on another six.

Of course everyone is entitled to their opinion and, in the age of social media, armchair detectives have a vehicle to voice it. But only those 13 women and ten men of the jury sat through all the evidence in both trials.

And what must the families of the babies be thinking now? It must be almost impossible for them to bear.

For their sakes, and for faith in the jury system as the bedrock of our civilised democracy to endure, this parallel narrative must stop.

Justice has been done. It's time for the madness to stop.
Standing on the shores of a windswept lough in rural Ireland, Tori Towey closes her eyes and breathes it all in. A gentle drizzle has turned to lashing rain, but nothing can wipe the smile from her face. 'It's good to be home,' she says.

Less than a fortnight ago, Tori feared she might never see Ireland  or her family and friends  again.

Working as a flight attendant for Emirates airlines in Dubai, the 28-year-old had been living what  on the surface at least  looked like every young woman's dream.

'I travelled the world and saw so many amazing places: Sri Lanka, South Africa, loads of cities across Europe,' she says.

'And Dubai is really fun when you get there: it's all yacht parties, ladies' nights and wealthy people enjoying glitzy lives.

Less than a fortnight ago, Tori Towy feared she might never see Ireland - or her family and friends - again

Working as a flight attendant for Emirates airlines in Dubai, the 28-year-old had been living what - on the surface at least - looked like every young woman's dream

'I used to love getting dressed up, going out to fancy restaurants and posting photographs online.'

But behind the glamour of her social media pictures lay a sinister reality. Tori was living in fear, battling physical and emotional abuse at the hands of her controlling husband, a fellow Emirates employee whom she married after a whirlwind three-month romance.

The torment became so unbearable, resulting in hospitalisation, police reports and her husband ripping up her passport, that at the end of last month, seeing no other way out, Tori tried to take her own life.

Mercifully, she survived. But her hellish journey wasn't over yet.

For rather than receiving medical help, she found herself thrown in a Dubai jail that was notorious for torture and beatings, and charged with attempted suicide and alcohol consumption, both criminal offences under the United Arab Emirates' archaic laws.

Worse still, because of the charges, she found herself facing a court hearing and potential prison sentence.

'One lawyer told me that what I had done was equivalent to murder,' she says.

All the while, she was forbidden from leaving the country even following her release, rendering her trapped 4,800 miles from home.

Thanks to a viral campaign on social media, however, led by the London-based legal group Detained in Dubai, which escalated her case to the Irish parliament and made headlines around the world, the criminal charges against Tori were dropped, her travel ban lifted  and last Thursday, she landed on home soil.

Sitting in the living room of her mother's home in Boyle, Roscommon, this week, her skin still pale and her eyes dark-rimmed, Tori says none of it feels real.

Tori was living in fear, battling physical and emotional abuse at the hands of her controlling husband

'I'm in shock,' she admits. 'I didn't think I would ever get home. I felt like a criminal, when I'd done nothing wrong except try to survive. I had to abandon everything over there: my car, half my belongings, my little dog  I still don't know what's happened to her. The most important thing was to get out.'

Everything Tori has claimed in the past ten days about her horrific experiences in Dubai is, it is important to note, her version of events. She has never identified the man who allegedly abused her, whose callous behaviour drove her to the brink of suicide  and will not name him in this, her first ever newspaper interview.

Since she walked out of their shared house earlier this month, she has had no contact with him, and says she no longer has his contact details, nor those of his family.

Tori's experience abroad, from the thrill of excitement when she first arrived in April 2023 to the depths of despair in which she left the UAE last week, is a world away from the quiet upbringing she had in the small town of nearby Ballaghaderreen.

Her mother, Caroline, is a social care worker and her father, John, from whom Caroline is separated, works for the electricity board. She and her older brother Andrew had a modest, happy childhood, but as she got older Tori longed for something more.

After college and a four-year stint working for Dublin City Council, she sold her car and travelled round Asia. In January 2023, she got a job as a flight attendant with Emirates in Dubai, a country she knew nothing about.

'I moved over by myself on April 5,' she recalls. 'I had seven weeks of training and then, in June, I started flying. I absolutely loved it.'

Tori threw herself headlong into her new, exciting life. It wasn't until last December, when she spent Christmas Day on her own, that she recalls feeling lonely for the first time. And that, in a moment of vulnerability, was when she met him. On a night out after a shift on December 27, a co-worker introduced her to a friend.

'He was South African, a bit younger than me, and he worked for Emirates, too,' Tori says. 'We got on well, so well that soon we were spending every day together.

'In the beginning it was great: he was romantic, he would bring me flowers, he was lovely and sweet. I remember ringing home and saying, 'Oh my God, I've met this guy and he is the best thing ever.'

Tori moved to the UAE in April last year when she was offered a job as a flight attendant with Emirates

Tori's torment became so unbearable that it resulted in hospitalisation, police reports and her husband ripping up her passport. Seeing no other way out, Tori tried to take her own life

Things moved quickly  and in February, while out kayaking, he proposed. A besotted Tori didn't hesitate to say yes.

'Our plan was to have the wedding a year later in Cape Town, where he's from,' she says. 'But we were both living in cabin crew accommodation, and for us to move in together, Emirates policy said we had to be married. So we brought the date forward and decided to do it in Abu Dhabi.'

Her dreams of a big white wedding dashed, there was no dress, no loved ones in attendance and no romantic vows. Instead, they went to a register office in the UAE capital, signed a certificate  'and that was it'.

The newlyweds found a house on the outskirts of Dubai and got a dog, a five-month-old pup called Rosie. It was then, however, that things took a turn for the worse.

'All of a sudden, he became very jealous and controlling,' Tori claims. 'Once I had a female friend over while he was out, and he made me walk around the house with a camera to show that there were no men. He'd accuse me of being a whore and a drug addict  and make up lies. Once, I didn't make enough pasta and he threw our dinner in the bin. When he wanted me to come home, he threatened to skin the dog.

'He used to take my phone away to stop me contacting anyone. Sometimes he'd smash it  I went through three phones in a few months.'

Tori insists she'd never seen signs of this behaviour before they started living together. 'He was good at hiding it. One minute he'd be normal, and the next something would come over him. You could see it in his eyes. I've never seen anger or violence like that.'

As his anger spiralled, he racked up huge bills on her credit cards, leaving her 8,500 in the red  a debt she is struggling to pay off.

In a desperate attempt to keep him calm, Tori began cutting loved ones off. Daily phone calls and FaceTime chats with her mum ceased, and friends' anxious texts went unanswered.

Tori speaks to the media after arriving in Dublin Airport with her aunt Flynn, left, and mother Caroline on Thursday

'I put my phone on airplane mode for three months,' she admits. 'I was so drained that I couldn't keep arguing  all I wanted was to keep the peace.'

Then came the awful night in the spring when, after a violent outburst at a local bar, her husband came home to find her packing her belongings. What followed, she says, was a four-hour ordeal in which he choked her, held a knife to her throat and tried to break her arm by slamming it in a door.

Tori wipes tears from her eyes as she recalls screaming and pleading with him to stop, before making a dash for the front door, where her neighbours called the police.

'I believed that if I stayed, I would die,' she says. Photographs taken that night show Tori covered in blood and bruises, with ripped clothes and a tear-stained face. Emirates put her on sick leave for her mental health, offering her peer support, medical help and therapy  for which she is, today, very grateful. But she was too embarrassed to tell anyone what had happened, not even her family.

'I kept thinking, how did I get this so wrong? Why did I marry him? Everyone's going to think I'm crazy.'

She felt she had no escape: her debt meant she couldn't afford to stay in a hotel, and he had ripped up her passport so she couldn't fly home. Tori became a shadow of her former self.

'My hair was falling out and my mouth was full of ulcers,' she says. 'I stopped caring about my appearance. I struggled to get out of bed.'

Though her husband would apologise, and sometimes cry about his violent outbursts, they didn't cease.

'I was walking on eggshells,' she says. 'He would ask me 20 times a day if I loved him. He would demand I hug him. My skin would crawl, but I had no choice.'

Tori's experience abroad is a world away from the quiet upbringing she had in the small town of Ballaghaderreen

Then, on June 27, the pair had some drinks together at home. Tori had two or three glasses of wine; her husband was drinking brandy. A minor argument escalated and, out of nowhere, she says he started smashing glasses. Terrified he would kill her this time, Tori locked herself in the bathroom.

'I've never been a depressed person,' she says. 'I've never had dark thoughts. But I remember thinking, 'I know where this is going. If it goes on like last time, I'd rather take my own life'. So that's what I tried to do.'

Tori blacked out. The next thing she remembers is paramedics and police  she presumes called by her husband  at the door, giving her oxygen.

At Al Barsha police station, an over-crowded and controversial institution which has been dubbed 'hell on earth', Tori was put in a women's detention centre on the site.

Her crimes? Alcohol consumption and attempted suicide (which was supposedly decriminalised in 2020). Hysterical and confused, she was strip-searched and directed to the cells at 4am.

'There were mattresses on the floor and 50 or so girls lying on them,' Tori says. 'They were from eastern Europe, the Philippines, all over. They had nothing: no clean clothes, no toothbrushes. There's a bright light, like a surgical light, that stays on all night.

'They were all in there for minor things, and some of them had been there seven, eight months. At that point, I thought, 'I'm probably never going to get out'.'

Before officers confiscated her phone, she made one call: to her mother, who until this point had known nothing of her daughter's distress.

Caroline sprang into action, calling the police and the Irish embassy in Dubai, and scrambled together enough money to get on the next flight.

It is her mum's swift actions, Tori believes, which led to her release: at 11am she was told she could go. Caroline arrived shortly afterwards and, after an altercation with Tori's husband, who, somehow, was allowed back to the couple's house, the two escaped to an Airbnb.

But the now dropped charges against her remained  in fact, Tori was told that they had already been processed, with a hearing scheduled for July 18.

It was then that they contacted Detained in Dubai.

According to the organisation's founder, lawyer Radha Stirling, countless foreigners have found themselves on the wrong side of Dubai's draconian laws.

Both Tori and Radha are calling for travel warnings for foreigners visiting the country.

'I would warn people to do their research before they go,' says Tori. 'I'd warn them to be careful getting married over there: domestic abuse is not taken seriously.'

As she talks, she twirls a dainty diamond ring  her wedding band  around her finger. When she left Dubai, she switched it from her left hand to her right, a sign of taking back control after months of torment.

'I should take it off, but it's a reminder that I will, eventually, have to do something about that,' she says, sighing. 'I also want to look into getting a protection order, because I worry that, one day, he might come and look for me.'

At home, surrounded by cards from well-wishers and fending off constant cups of tea from her mum, who's never more than a few feet from her daughter's side, Tori is still trying to process what she's been through.

There have been lots of tears, long walks with the family dog, Caspar, and reunions with friends. Little by little, she's learning to smile again.

'I feel like I'm getting the old Tori back,' she admits.

As for the future, she hasn't given it much thought.

'It's so nice being back in Ireland. Even the weather,' Tori laughs. 'I used to have this dream of living in the sun, but never again. Now that I'm home, I don't ever want to leave.'
Calls for President Joe Biden to drop out have gotten so close to his inner circle that some in the White House know he 'can't' run in 2024 and want to give in the 'grace' to step down, top Democrats say.

Key figures in the 81-year-old's president party wants a new candidate on the ticket to prevent an electoral bloodbath against Donald Trump in November 2024.

More than 30 Democrats have called from him to step aside and have started to make astonishing claims about his cognitive decline.

The West Wing is under tremendous pressure to figure out a way forward and is now 'divided' over whether Biden call it quits, insiders say.

'Most of them know. Some of them will say, Oh calm down. But most of them will say: Oh he cant do it, just give him the grace,' said Johanna Maska, former director of White House press advance under Barack Obama.

'Its very divided. Its got to be hard for all of them right now,' she told DailyMail.com.

On a day when 11 House Democrats and counting called for Biden to step back, she referenced one longtime aide who called to 'just give him the grace to make the decision himself instead of just everyone coming out like this.'

A rift inside the party over President Biden's future was evident Friday as a string of lawmakers called on him to step back. Sources also point to divisions inside the White House itself over the best way forward

'I believe that they do know. And I believe that Biden doesnt want to watch the debate because he knows how bad it was,' said the host of the Press Advance podcast.

'My phone has been ringing constantly from incumbent House Democrats across the country. The ones in the swing districts feel like theyre between the proverbial rock and a hard place,' former New York Rep. Steve Israel, who used to chair the House Democratic campaign arm, told DailyMail.com.

'The Republicans are cruising to their destination and were like in the back seat bickering over whether we should turn off at the next offramp,' said Israel, now at the Institute of Politics at Cornell University.

'It's a doom loop. Every week builds a more negative narrative than the week before,' he said. As for Biden, 'I feel like the narrative is overtaking him at this point.'

The latest indications of inner turmoil come amid reports that members of Biden's family have been discussing what an exit would look like  with Party members split on whether a Biden withdrawal would amount to handing the wheel to Kamala Harris with an endorsement or setting up a newfangled process.

That followed reports that even members of Biden's cabinet were holding 'private discussions' about whether staff should intercede, and a House member saying the message is getting through to Biden

There are risks that the increasingly public pressure  which involved a volley of op-eds and lawmakers statements saluting Biden but calling him to go  could blow up spectacularly and depress some of the millions of voters who cast their ballots for Biden and who Biden needs to animate again in battleground states where he is trailing Donald Trump.

'It also could discourage a lot of people,' Democratic strategist 'Antjuan Seawright told DailyMail.com.

'This could backfire in such a way that it doesnt help us for the greater good and the greater good is winning the election up and down the ballot.

Pass the torch? Vice President Kamala Harris and her two grandnieces went out for ice cream Friday  a favorite pass-time of President Biden, who is in isolation with COVID

Some Democrats have asked how Donald Trump, 78, has built on his polling lead over Biden, 81, even while facing multiple criminal prosecutions

Asked about Biden's state, Seawright vouched for the 81-year old president's energy on the stump as the president deals with a COVID-19 diagnoses after slowly walking down the smaller stairs of Air Force One after diverting to his Delaware beach House.

'I spent time with the president interacting with voters. The Joe Biden Ive seen is the Joe Biden Ive seen campaigning in South Carolina just a few months ago for the primary,' he said. 'Its crystal clear that while lawmakers may have one opinion, voters who ultimately decide the fate of lawmakers have a totally different opinion.'

Officials have spoken to Vice President Kamala Harris' total loyalty to Biden as he struggles. But there was a show of how Biden could one day pass the torch to her when she stopped at an ice cream shop  indulging in his favorite treat Friday.

'By this weekend, it's going to be Nixon-land,' quipped one longtime Senate leadership aide at the Republican convention.

It was another brutal day for the Biden camp Friday as Democrats came out publicly against him hours after Donald Trump delivered a 92-minute speech accepting the Republican nomination.

Inside the White House there are calls to 'just give him the grace' to make a decision, said former Obama official Johanna Maska

In one brutal assessment, Rep. Seth Moulton (D-Mass.) said Biden didn't appear to recognize him when they met for the D-Day commemoration at Normandy in June.

'For the first time, he didnt seem to recognize me,' Moulton wrote in an op-ed. 'Of course, that can happen as anyone ages, but as I watched the disastrous debate a few weeks ago, I have to admit that what I saw in Normandy was part of a deeper problem,' he continued. 'It was a crushing realization, and not because a person I care about had a rough night but because everything is riding on Bidens ability to beat Donald Trump in November.'

'I know that he wants to beat Donald Trump, the problem is all that data is pointing in the other direction,' Rep. Zoe Lofgren (D-Calif.), a Nancy Pelosi loyalist and House January 6 Committee member told MSNBC.

Before the day was over, another at-risk incumbent, Sen. Sherrod Brown of Ohio, added his name to the roster of elected officials calling for Biden to go, after avoiding taking sides publicly. 'I agree with the many Ohioans who have reached out to me. At this critical time, our full attention must return to these important issues. I think the President shoudl end his campaign.'

The Biden campaign acknowledged the difference of opinion in a statement.

'While the majority of the caucus and the diverse base of the party continues to stand with the President and his historic record of delivering for their communities, were clear-eyed that the urgency and stakes of beating Donald Trump means others feel differently,' said campaign spokeswoman Mia Ehrengerg.

'We all share the same goal: an America where everyone gets a fair shot and freedom and democracy are protected. Unlike Republicans, were a party that accepts  and even celebrates  differing opinions, but in the end, we will absolutely come together to beat Donald Trump this November.'

Said Biden campaign chair Jen O'Malley Dillon: 'You have heard from the President directly time and again: He is in this race to win, and he is our nominee, and he's going to be our President for a second term.'
A quaint Northern California town that had become a must see for thousands of hikers traveling through the scenic Pacific Crest Trail, has suddenly been shunned.

Etna in Siskiyou County appears to be off the list for California's intrepid trekkers this season.

The reason: nearby forest fires which are forcing hikers to reconsider and reroute their journeys altogether.

Backpackers would often stop in Etna which had earned the reputation of 'the friendliest town on the trail.'

The town was the perfect place to pitch up for a night in the middle of a tour through the Klamath National Forest.

Etna in Siskiyou County, described as 'the friendliest town on the trail' appears to be off the list for California's intrepid trekkers this year

A June blitz of lightning ignited some of the fires near the Klamath National Forest

Up to 6,000 hikers a year would pass through the tiny town, which has a population of just over 1,000 people.

But the Shelly Fire, which began at the start of July, and has so far burned more than 15,460 acres, has thrown the tiny community into turmoil for the third year in a row. As of Friday, it is 18 percent contained

For those hardened hikers who are walking the entire length of the 2,650 mile journey from Mexico to California, Etna was the perfect place to recharge and relax before rejoining the massive trail.

Nestled beneath conifer forest in the Marble Mountain Wilderness, it was once ranked as one of the best towns in the in the country and described as a 'time warp ranch town' that's Yellowstone 'minus the gridlock'.

While those who live in Etna are more than happy with their bucolic isolation, the community had begun to rely on seasonal visitors over the years.

Etna has a couple of shops together with a few places to stay for the night, with several guest houses for weary travelers.

The Shelly Fire on the Pacific Crest Trail has closed a portion of the Pacific Crest Trail that extends from Etna Summit to the Junction with the Shackleford Trail

Backpackers sign in to log book at the Southern Terminus along the U.S.- Mexico Border in Campo, California

Etna is a tiny town in Northern California with a population of 1,000 which can balloon to as many as 6,000 as hikers pass through

The Shelly Fire has burned through 15,460 acres and it currently 18 percent contained

Last week, however, Etna received orders for people to either evacuate or to prepare to leave as a forest fire drew closer.

It means anyone thinking about hiking the PCT is now looking at taking a different route and missing Etna entirely.

Some have decided to divert to Mount Shasta City, about 70 miles away, where there are more resources, while others are simply bypassing the area altogether and heading to the neighboring state of Oregon.

Despite few hikers visiting Etna this year, the town has received an unexpected uptick from a different set of clientele  firefighters.

There are almost 4,000 working to contain the Shelly Fire with first responders coming from as far away as Maine, with many ending up in downtown Etna.

'We're seeing a little uptick in business from all these firefighters working so hard to save our little town,' Brandy Hudson, co-owner of the burger and fries joint Dotty's said to SFGate.

'They set up a fire incident camp two miles up the road, and while they have a mobile kitchen and caterers, they get tired of the food sometimes,' Hudson explained. 'And everybody knows that Dotty's has the best ice cream in the valley.'

Residents in Etna have put up signs to thank the firefighters for their service

Grateful residents of Etna display their gratitude for the town's new visitors

Even subtle signs can convey a town's thankfulness with more than 4,000 now in the area

There are almost 4,000 working to contain the Shelly Fire with first responders coming from as far away as Maine, with many ending up in downtown Etna

There are almost 4,000 firefighters working to contain the Shelly Fire with first responders coming from as far away as Maine, with many ending up in downtown Etna

Backpacker Stan Nassano heads out onto the Pacific Crest Trail at the Southern Terminus (file)

Despite the presence of heroic visitors, the absence of hikers has changed the overall feel of the town that had become a staple for those tracking along the Pacific Crest Trail.

'There's no silver lining to this', said Meg Pick, owner of Etna Creek Outfitters.

'Hikers have told us that Etna is the friendliest town on the trail. We're missing the hikers and the infusion of culture that comes into Etna,' said Craig Thompson, owner of the Bluebird Inn.

'They support the economy but there's that human element. We're missing the friends we haven't met yet.'

The Pacific Crest Trail Association (PCTA) had suggested that a smarter system needs to be set up that would communicate directly with hikers about possible closures along the route, and now an app have finally been developed.

Etna Summit on Sawyers Bar Road in Siskiyou County, California, looking towards the Russian wilderness

Etna Summit on Sawyers Bar Road in Siskiyou County, California

That way, hikers would not simply avoid the area when it is in fact still open to the world.

'On June 25, we built this app in house and launched it to the world,' PCTA's trail information manager Jack Haskel said. 'The next day, I had to update it with fire news after fire news.'

Nevertheless, the California wildfire season appears to be an active one with a number of large incidents already burning across the Golden State.

A blitz of lightning ignited some of the fires in early June, following back-to-back wet winters that pulled the state out of drought, but spawned abundant grasses that have since dried out.

The Vista Fire in San Bernardino National Forest and the White Fire in the Tehachapi Mountains have also closed off a number of trail sections in Southern California.

In Northern California it is the Shelly Fire that is the biggest threat in the area. Two weeks after it ignited it is still less than 20 percent contained.

Etna has been on a state of alert for most of July despite becoming 'accustomed to these big fires'.

Fire fighters are working hard to keep the flames from spreading eastwards towards the downtown area, but there is always an element of suspense, with much dependent on weather conditions, particularly the wind and rain.

'That's the strange thing about a wildfire. There's a lot of waiting,' Thompson added.

'There are certain catastrophic fires that move fast, but the fire we're experiencing now is slowly growing. There's just an eeriness of waiting.'
A young family is devastated after a new dad passed away after losing his battle with an aggressive form of cancer.

Perth man Josh Piscitelli passed away on July 14 at the age of 28, a little over a year after he was diagnosed with Squamous Cell Carcinoma of the tongue in June 2023.

He left behind wife Chelsea and 20-month-old son Hunter.

Mr Piscitelli, a mechanic for diggers and drills at Western Australia's Roy Hill iron ore mine, underwent surgery to remove the cancerous tissue in July 2023 and continued radiotherapy until October 2023.

He had first noticed on ulcer on his tongue which wouldn't go away, before a diagnosis of Stage Two cancer of the tongue and throat.

In January this year during a routine PET scan, it was discovered the cancer had returned.

On a GoFundMe page organised for Mr Piscitelli's young family by his friend and work colleague Callan Oorschot, his final months battling the disease were detailed.

'He commenced chemotherapy immediately but after a couple of failed rounds his treatment was intensified,' Mr Oorschot wrote.

Perth man Josh Piscitelli (right) passed away on July 14 at the age of 28, a little over a year after he was diagnosed with Squamous Cell Carcinoma of the tongue in June 2023. He left behind wife Chelsea (left) and 20-month-old son Hunter

'Josh then fell victim to an extreme side effect of chemotherapy which put his body into septic shock in March 2024.

'With multiple surgeons and specialists surprised Josh had made it through the never before survived, deeming him a medical miracle, it was then revealed Josh had suffered multiple strokes as a result of the septic shock.

'Josh commenced yet another intense road to recovery. His rehabilitation was coming along in leaps and bounds but unfortunately a short time later was advised that chemotherapy treatment wasn't working and Josh's condition was now terminal, less than 12 months after his initial diagnosis.'

The fundraising page was established because of the 'massive financial burdens' imposed by a terminal illness, in addition to the emotional pain and stress for his family, Mr Oorschot said.

'Josh was the primary income provider for his household and should have had his whole working life ahead of him. Josh's wife Chelsea and son Hunter are now left to pick up the pieces as they prepare for major financial and emotional shifts.'

Mr Piscitelli, a mechanic for diggers and drills at the Roy Hill iron ore mine, underwent surgery to remove the cancerous tissue in July 2023 and continued radiotherapy until October 2023 - but discovered the cancer had returned in January this year

The tongue is susceptible to several types of cancer but squamous cell carcinoma is the most common. Squamous cells are thin, flat cells that line the mouth and other organs.

The cancer is more common in people aged 40 and up, and is twice as common in men.

Signs of potential tongue cancer include a lump on the side of the tongue that touches the teeth, looks like an ulcer and is grayish-pink to red, and bleeds easily if bitten or touched.
The global IT meltdown has threatened to affect people's paycheques due to employers and banks relying on CrowdStrike.

The Texas-based company admitted responsibility for the outage which has seen GP appointments halted, flights cancelled or delayed and online chaos created for banking programs.

The Global Payroll Association (GPA) warned yesterday that millions of workers around the world 'risk going without their wages' due to the worldwide outage.

It remains unclear how widespread the payroll disruption is, but Melanie Pizzey, the founder and CEO of GPA, said her company had received complaints from a number of clients who couldn't access their payroll software because of the issue.

Payroll systems typically need to be notified of any issues that would stop direct deposits from going through at least two days before the payday for the issue to be resolved in time.

The global IT meltdown has threatened to affect people's paycheques due to employers and banks relying on CrowdStrike (Stock photo)

The outage first started with Microsoft, leading many people to believe that the company's systems were at fault (Stock photo)

'Depending on the length of this outage, it could have very serious implications for businesses across the nation, particularly those who process payroll on a weekly basis,' Pizzey said.

'Furthermore, we could see a backlog with regard to processing payrolls for the coming month end which may delay employees from receiving their monthly wage.'

George Kurtz, the CEO of the software company whose bug caused the issues, said it could be weeks before systems are back up and running.

Meanwhile, issues with Visa and Zelle are not allowing people to make or receive payments, and there's no estimated timeframe for when they'll be back up and running.

The outage first started with Microsoft, leading many people to believe that the company's systems were at fault, but within hours, Crowdstrike admitted that an update to its 'Falcon Sensor,' which searches for viruses and malicious attacks was to blame.
The newly-crowned Miss Kansas has been hailed as a hero after using her winner's acceptance speech to call out her abuser as he sat in the competition audience.

ICU nurse Alexis Smith triumphed over 26 rivals to win a place at January's Miss America contest on a platform of 'respect reclaimed'.

And she proved they were not empty words when she electrified the stage with a withering put-down of the man who tried to muscle in on her victory.

'My vision as the next Miss Kansas is to eliminate unhealthy and abusive relationships,' she began.

'Matter of fact, some of you out in this audience saw me very emotional because my abuser is here today.

'But that's not going to stop me from being on this Miss Kansas stage and from representing as the next Miss Kansas.

'Because I, and my community, deserve healthy relationships.'

Alexis Smith electrified the audience as she called out the abuser sitting among them during her acceptance speech after being crowned Miss Kansas 2024

The cardiothoracic ICU nurse form Wichita has found herself hailed as a hero

The audience erupted in a standing ovation and the health worker from Wichita has found herself at the center of a tornado since footage of last month's event went viral, with hundreds praising her for her bravery.

'You go girl,' wrote one. 'You make me proud of my home state.'

'This impacts Kansas in a much more profound way than you could ever imagine!' wrote another.

While another quoted the good witch who helps Dorothy return to Kansas from the Wizard of Oz.

'You had the power all along my dear,' she wrote.

Smith later told KSN News that 'every single woman in my family, was impacted by domestic violence'.

'At the age of 14, I got in my first relationship, but it was also an abusive relationship that I was in until about 2018, 2019.

'It's something that I'm still experiencing and dealing with today.'

And five years on her heart fell when she discovered that her abuser had arrived at the Pratt Community College to watch the competition final.

'On the night of Miss Kansas, my journey took an unexpected turn when someone I have been healing from tried to disrupt my peace,' she explained on her Facebook page.

'Instead of falling into silence, I chose to live out my vision for a better world.

'I took back the power  not just for myself, but for my dreams and everyone watching and listening.

'This isn't about shunning others; it's about turning our pain into purpose and channeling it in a way that unifies and uplifts.'

She won on a platform of 'Respect Reclaimed: Advocating for Healthy Relationships'

And she is finding support among other beauty queens ahead of the Miss America final

And her defiance won praise from organizations supporting victims of domestic violence across the country.

'We are deeply grateful for her courage in using her platform to advocate for victims and survivors of domestic violence, ensuring that everyone can experience safe and healthy relationships,' wrote the Rhode Island Coalition Against Domestic Violence.

Her bravery and grace, especially in sharing her personal story and standing strong despite challenges, inspire us all.

'We commend her vision with 'Respect Reclaimed: Advocating for Healthy Relationships' and eagerly anticipate the positive impact she will continue to make.'
Australian workers could miss out on getting paid amid fears the CrowdStrike outage could affect payroll systems.

A global IT outage on Friday saw airlines cancel flights, supermarkets close their card-only self-serve checkouts and TV stations displaying 'blue screens of death' behind their newsreaders.

The meltdown occurred after a software upgrade with security software program CrowdStrike caused problems with Microsoft applications globally.

Griffith University business and technology lecturer Graeme Hughes said businesses that relied on CrowdStrike were particularly at risk following Friday's outage.

'The risk is if employers or banks are using CrowdStrike, it may have stopped payroll transactions on Friday until systems are back up and running,' he told Daily Mail Australia.

Business payroll systems could be compromised if companies didn't have back-up plans to cope.

'It really does put at risk some of those fundamental things,' he said.

'With regards to payrolls, that's going to really come down to the individual providers and their technology - some may have some issues with it.

Australian workers could miss out on getting paid amid fears the CrowdStrike outage could affect payroll systems

'We know that it's going to be a bit of a wait-and-see over the next few days.'

Cybersecurity expert Benjamin Britton said online payments were at risk and described it as an issue that could be more serious than the public realised.

'It is all digital payments so that means it be can easily affected by a cyber outage,' he told Daily Mail Australia.

'Especially if the payments department of a company had systems that were affected by the outage or the banks' systems had outages.

'Just be aware though, the rabbit hole on this issue goes very deep.'

Australia is potentially facing the worst payroll disaster since 2010 when a new IBM payroll system in Queensland malfunctioned, leading to thousands of health workers being either underpaid, overpaid or in some cases, not paid at all.

Australian Banking Association chief executive Anna Bligh was Queensland premier during that IBM bungle to led to her Labor Party losing the 2012 election in a devastating landslide.

But the lobby group for Australia's banks, which she now leads, said any problems with payrolls would be minor.

'Major disruptions to payments systems as a result of the CrowdStrike outage have not occurred and are not anticipated,' a spokesman told Daily Mail Australia.

'Impacts on banks and payments systems have been relatively minor, with any disruptions having already been remedied or in the process of being gradually restored.'

Mr Hughes said CrowdStrike wasn't primarily a payroll program like the IBM system was more than a decade ago.

But he said it was premature to declare there would be no problems with payrolls.

'The reliance on technology these days, you can't ensure that everything's infallible,' he said.

A global IT outage on Friday saw airline cancel flights, supermarket close their card-only self-serve checkouts and TV stations display 'blue screens of death' behind their newsreaders

CrowdStrike released a statement on Friday night confirming a software upgrade had affected Windows hosts, noting it wasn't a cyber attack.

'The issue has been identified, isolated and a fix has been deployed,' it said.

'We understand the gravity of the situation and are deeply sorry for the inconvenience and disruption.

'We are working with all impacted customers to ensure that systems are back up and they can deliver the services their customers are counting on.'

In the US Daily Mail reported that the Global Payroll Association (GPA) had warned that people 'risk going without their wages' because their employers or banks rely on CrowdStrike for cybersecurity protection'.

Melanie Pizzey, the founder and chief executive of GPA, said her company had received complaints from a number of clients who couldn't access their payroll software because of the outage.

'Depending on the length of this outage, it could have very serious implications for businesses across the nation, particularly those who process payroll on a weekly basis,' Pizzey said.

'Furthermore, we could see a backlog with regard to processing payrolls for the coming month end which may delay employees from receiving their monthly wage.'
Anthony Fauci dismissed the gunshot wound Donald Trump sustained during Saturday's assassination attempt, telling CNN viewers: 'he's in the clear.'

Fauci made the comments after the former president, 78, wore a large white bandage over the gunshot wound on his ear throughout the Republican National Convention this week.

'I don't think there is much more to it,' Fauci, 83, said of Trump's wounds while talking to CNN host Wolf Blitzer on Friday. 'It was a bullet shot that grazed his ear.'

Trump was nearly killed last week when gunman Thomas Matthew Crooks opened fire at a rally in Butler, Pennsylvania - but there has been no formal update on his condition.

Fauci, who served as chief medical advisor to the president, added that, according to the physician who examined Trump, there was no other further damage.

Anthony Fauci (pictured) dismissed a gunshot wound that Donald Trump sustained during Saturday's attempted assassination: 'he's in the clear,' the doctor told CNN viewers

'I think he's in the clear... as far as I can see,' Fauci said - although he acknowledged that it's dangerous to make diagnoses from a distance.

However, based on Trump's physicians' reports and the way in which the former president is acting now, Fauci says it seems to have been a superficial wound to the ear and nothing more.

While Fauci believes Trump's wound is harmless... others in the medical field have warned that long-term health effects of the gunshot could be detrimental to the former president.

CNN's chief medical correspondent Doctor Sanjay Gupta asked for a 'public assessment' of the former president in an op-ed for CNN on Friday.

He added: '...gunshot blasts near the head can cause injuries that arent immediately noticeable, such as bleeding in or on the brain, damage to the inner ear, or even psychological trauma.'

The doctor argued that the public has 'very little insight' into Trump's condition after he sustained the injury on Saturday.

'The good news is that most physical symptoms of an injury would probably have revealed themselves over the past few days,' Gupta said.

'At this point, however, the Trump campaign hasnt yet shared whether a full workup was done at the time or if there has been any follow-up since.'

According to Simon McCarthy-Jones, professor of clinical psychology at Trinity College Dublin, Trump's minor injury could disguise far greater mental harm caused by being shot.

'Such experiences can shatter people's assumptions that they are living in a safe, understandable and controllable world, leaving them feeling unworthy, unsafe and unsure,' said Professor McCarthy-Jones.

Jones said the potential impact on Trump's mind cannot be ignored as he stands to become US President in November.

Tens of thousands of Americans suffer non-fatal gunshot injuries each year and studies have shown the trauma can cause long-lasting damage, including post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and severe depression.

Pictured: CNN's chief medical correspondent Doctor Sanjay Gupta

'Such experiences can shatter people's assumptions that they are living in a safe, understandable and controllable world, leaving them feeling unworthy, unsafe and unsure,' said Professor McCarthy-Jones.

'People may re-experience the event through flashbacks or nightmares. They may also have palpitations, sweating or breathlessness when reminded of the event.'

He told The Conversation that sufferers of PTSD may try to avoid reminders of the event, lose interest in activities and feel numb, irritable and jumpy.

They may be constantly watching out for threats, have difficulty concentrating, have angry outbursts and experience overwhelming emotions, he added.
A San Francisco man has been sentenced to 11 years in prison for firing a gun at a postal worker. Nam Y. Huh/Associated Press

A San Francisco man was sentenced Thursday to 11 years in prison for firing a gun at a U.S. Postal Service employee delivering mail to his house, the U.S. Attorneys Office announced Friday.

On May 2, Vo Nguyen pleaded guilty to attacking the postal worker while he was delivering mail to Nguyens residence in April 2023. Nguyen acknowledged he aggressively approached the Postal Service employee and acted like he wanted to fight, prosecutors said. The employee then backed away, turned and ran.

Nguyen followed the postal worker, who then pepper-sprayed him. Nguyen went home, retrieved a semiautomatic pistol, and drove around looking for the employee, according to prosecutors. He found the employee and fired several shots at him, continuing to do so as the worker ran away, following him in his car.

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Prosecutors said Nguyen then stopped his car in front of a parked sport utility vehicle that the postal worker was hiding behind and fired three more shots at him. Nguyen drove away, then came back to chase the postal worker on foot, before the employee pepper-sprayed Nguyen again.

Nguyen was arrested by San Francisco police shortly after, prosecutors said, and he has been in custody ever since.

A federal grand jury indicted Nguyen in May 2023, about a month after the incident, and he was charged with assaulting a federal employee with a deadly weapon and discharging a firearm in connection with a violent crime, among other charges.

Nguyen will also have three years of supervision after his 11-year prison sentence, and he faces another hearing in October to determine the amount of restitution he must pay.
Supervision of offenders in probation hostels after they have been released from jail has been cut back in the latest measure to tackle overcrowding.

The Ministry of Justice has reduced the length of time that most offenders spend under supervision in government-approved hostels in England and Wales from 12 weeks to eight weeks.

Plans to release thousands of prisoners early have raised issues about hostel capacity and officials have decided to cut the maximum time that lower risk offenders can stay in approved premises where their behaviour is monitored by key workers.

The development comes after the Justice Secretary Shabana Mahmood revealed that 5,500 prisoners would be released in September and October to tackle overcrowding.

Legislation was introduced this week for the early release scheme under which criminals will serve 40 per cent of their sentences rather than being freed at the halfway point.

The Ministry of Justice has reduced the amount of time prisoners spend in hostels from 12 to 8 weeks

But union officials have warned that this will put further pressure on staff to find 'move on' accommodation for cases and reduce the robustness of release plans in terms of public protection.

There are more than 100 approved premises across England and Wales supervising about 2,000 criminals deemed too dangerous to release straight into the community.

Offenders need to sign in and out and account for their whereabouts, can be monitored for drugs and alcohol, and can be searched by staff.

Refusing to stay in approved premises is considered a breach of licence and can result in a recall to prison.

Staff in approved premises are expected to monitor and manage the risk posed by freed prisoners.

They may also help them find jobs, accommodation and provide activities intended to help with reducing reoffending.

Since the last Government's early release scheme, when about 10,000 prisoners were released up to 70 days early in 2023 and 2024, many approved premises have reached capacity.

An undercover BBC Panorama investigation in May showed two dangerous convicted criminals running away from a probation hostel in Kent.

Shabana Mahmood (pictured before being sworn in as Lord High Chancellor of Great Britain at the High Court) is the newly-appointed Secretary of State for Justice

A Ministry of Justice spokesperson said: 'The prison system is in crisis which is putting significant pressure on the whole justice system.

'This Government is now gripping the situation and is recruiting 1,000 more probation officers to deliver robust supervision and protect the public.

'These changes to Approved Premises apply only to carefully assessed lower-risk offenders in the Approved Premises cohort, considered on a case-by-case basis.'
Ben Needham's mother is facing an agonising wait to see if DNA results will confirm if a Danish man is her son - more than three decades after he disappeared on the island of Kos.

Ben vanished from the Greek island aged 21 months 33 years ago on July 24, and was last seen playing outside a run down farmhouse.

A man from Denmark has now claimed his grandparents told him he was taken from the island, adding that his parents refused to deny the claims.

The man said he remembers going to a market 25 years ago and someone shouting 'Ben' at him, before he was then kept in a caravan.

Ben's mother Kerry Needham, 51, said she refuses to get her hopes up after being in a similar position multiple times, only to be let down.

The mother told The Mirror: 'This man is looking for his real family and he has given Danish police a sample of his DNA [...].'

Ben Needham vanished from the island of Kos aged 21 months 33 years ago on July 24, and was last seen playing outside a run down farmhouse

Ben's mother Kerry Needham, 51, (pictured) said she refuses to get her hopes up after being in a similar position multiple times, only to be let down

She added: 'In 33 years we've had hundreds of alleged sightings, the majority of them we have followed up ourselves in the earlier years.'

When a picture showing how Ben would look aged 31 was released on July 23, 2021, Ms Needham revealed that she did not believe the police theory that he may have been killed by a digger.

In September 2018, Ms Needham was told by forensic experts in Oxford they had found weak DNA profile from decomposed blood inside the car near to where Ben went missing.

She provided a DNA sample, only to be told there was no positive match.

At the time, Ms Needham said: 'If that blood is not Ben's  then who does it belong to? It's devastating. We had built ourselves up thinking it would be a positive result and would prove Ben had died.

'It would have given us closure and we would have been able to start the grieving process.

'When it came back negative it was a shock. I don't know what to think now. Is Ben dead or is he still alive?'

She added: 'I'm angry and I can't stop shaking my head.

'Some people on Kos have been lying for 27 years and we've suffered years of torture, slow torture.'
An Army major facing allegations of 'inappropriate' remarks directed at female soldiers has previously faced the heat with superiors over an affair with a married female captain during the fall of Kabul.

Major John Baileff played a leading role in the State Opening of Parliament on Wednesday, but was suspended just hours later over an alleged 'inappropriate' remark.

The 35-year-old led soldiers as they fired a 41-gun salute in Green Park at the start of King Charles III's address.

But later when he returned to Woolwich barracks, Major Baileff - who served as the Commanding Officer of the prestigious King's Troop, Royal Horse Artillery - was informed he was the subject of a complaint.

He was told that a younger, more junior member of the female personnel had reported him over inappropriate remarks.

Major John Baileff (pictured) was suspended on Wednesday after a junior female reported him for inappropriate remarks

It has now emerged that Major Baileff (pictured from behind) has previously been questioned by Army bosses over an affair with a married female captain in Afghanistan in 2021

Major Baileff has been placed on a six-week leave of absence while the Army conducts an internal investigation.

It has since emerged that Major Baileff previously faced questions over an affair with a female captain he met while serving in Afghanistan in 2021, The Sun reports, though no wrongdoing was found.

Both were working for the Army's 104 Theatre Sustainment Brigade at the time.

It is understood that the affair - which was the cause of the collapse of his marriage - did not result in any action by the Army, as the woman was not in Major Baileff's chain of command.

The King's Troop has a high percentage of female soldiers compared to other units.

According to a description appearing on The King's Troop profile on Facebook, around half of all soldiers are female.

One post said: 'We are unit of 50/50 male and female soldiers, the only in the British Army, and we are immensely proud of our diversity and all the good work our female soldiers do!'

Major Baileff led soldiers as they fired a 41-gun salute at Green Park for the State Opening of Parliament

Major Baileff joined the Army in 2011 and was awarded an MBE in the 2023 New Year's Honours List.

A keen triathlete and skier, he previously served as the King's Troop adjutant.

More than 1,100 members of the Armed Forces and almost 200 horses took part in the ceremonies for the State Opening of Parliament in central London which were watched by millions of people around the world.

Major Baileff and the married female captain were both working for the Army's 104 Theatre Sustainment Brigade at the time of their affair

It is understood that the affair - which was the cause of the collapse of his marriage - did not result in any action by the Army, as the woman was not in Major Baileff's chain of command

More than 1,100 members of the Armed Forces and almost 200 horses took part in the ceremonies for the State Opening of Parliament in central London which were watched by millions of people around the world.

With the immaculately tended horses and their First World War-era 13-pounder Quick Firing guns, King's Troop are a familiar sight on state occasions.

Recent appearances by the Troop have included the state funeral of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II.

The guns have also been used at the funeral parades for Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher, Sir Winston Churchill and George VI.

An Army spokesman said: 'Soldiers at all levels of the British Army are held to the highest standards.

'If any individual is believed to have failed to meet those standards, we will investigate, and will take appropriate action where necessary.

'We won't comment on individual cases.'
Foreign Secretary David Lammy triggered a backlash last night after restoring funding to a controversial UN agency branded a 'Hamas front'.

Mr Lammy told MPs the UN Relief and Works Agency for Palestine (UNRWA), the main aid agency operating in Gaza, was vital to alleviating the 'catastrophe' there.

He said he was resuming funding to the agency, with an immediate cash injection of 21million to help it continue its 'life-saving work'.

Funding was suspended in January after Israel claimed a dozen UNRWA staff had taken part in the October 7 massacres, and that hundreds more were supporters of Hamas and other terror groups.

Mr Lammy said he was satisfied the UN had 'acted' on the claims and that the agency now met the 'highest standards of neutrality'.

Foreign Secretary David Lammy triggered a backlash last night after restoring funding to a controversial UN agency branded a ' Hamas front'

Mr Lammy previously visited the Prime Minister of Israel Benjamin Netanyahu on July 14

The move was welcomed by Labour MPs, who have been pushing ministers to take a tougher line on Israel.

In comments that risk further antagonising Israel, Mr Lammy also suggested the country's troops should leave Gaza, telling MPs: 'Hamas cannot remain in charge of Gaza. But equally, the Israel Defence Forces cannot remain situated in Gaza. There has to be a new paradigm.'

But former Israeli government spokesman Eylon Levy described the move as 'shameful', writing on X: 'UNRWA is a Hamas front. It lets terrorists operate out of its schools and offices with impunity. It covers up Hamas's theft of aid. Its employees took part in the October 7 massacre.

'Our allies are funding our killers with their taxpayers' money.' The Board of Deputies of British Jews said funding must face 'much stricter oversight' given the allegations against the UN agency and 'longstanding concerns about anti-Semitism and incitement to violence' in schools it operates.

Former Tory party chairman Richard Holden also condemned the move and asked Mr Lammy to give taxpayers an 'unequivocal assurance' that the agency had no links to Hamas.

Mr Lammy made his first visit to the Middle East as Foreign Secretary on July 14, meeting both Mr Netanyahu and Prime Minister of Palestine, Mohammad Mustafa (above)

Former Tory party chairman Richard Holden (pictured) also condemned the move and asked Mr Lammy to give taxpayers an 'unequivocal assurance' that the agency had no links to Hamas

He said: 'I am concerned by the Government's decision to resume funding to UNRWA. Its schools have been repeatedly used by terrorists both to store weapons and to launch attacks, and over 100 UNRWA staff have had links to terrorist groups in the region.'

Mr Lammy said he was 'reassured' an independent review by his French counterpart Catherine Colonna had found the 'UNRWA is ensuring they meet the highest standards of neutrality and strengthening its procedures'.

It comes as the UN's International Court of Justice ruled yesterday that Israel's presence in the Palestinian occupied territories was unlawful. Its non-binding legal opinion said it should be ended as 'rapidly as possible'.
A war of words erupted yesterday over the causes of the Leeds riots.

The violent disorder was condemned on all sides, with No 10 describing the scenes in inner-city Harehills as 'shocking and disgraceful'.

Former immigration minister Robert Jenrick said the outbreak of violence showed a need to 'take our heads out of the sand' about community cohesion.

But Reform leader Nigel Farage, in the US for the Republican convention, faced a backlash after writing on X: 'The politics of the subcontinent are currently playing out on the streets of Leeds. Don't say I didn't warn you.'

Local sources said the violence was triggered by a dispute between social services and a family of Roma heritage.

Terrified residents took to the streets of Leeds to defend their homes after 'violent' thugs drove riot police out after setting the city ablaze

Former immigration minister Robert Jenrick (left) said the outbreak of violence showed a need to 'take our heads out of the sand' about community cohesion as Reform leader Nigel Farage (right) wrote on X: 'The politics of the subcontinent are currently playing out on the streets of Leeds'

Reform MP Lee Anderson also faced criticism for tweeting: 'Disgraceful scenes. Import a third world culture then you get third world behaviour.

'These animals need locking up for good. They are a product of our spineless namby pamby establishment who have betrayed our great country.'

Mr Farage's comments were condemned in an editorial in The Yorkshire Post, which said: 'Armchair experts hundreds of miles away were passing judgment on this great city without a clue of the issues that may or may not have led to the devastating scenes, seeking to capitalise on the pain of Harehills.

'Chief among them was Nigel Farage, leader of Reform UK and MP for Clacton.

'Mr Farage needs to remember that he is no longer a boorish street preacher but a parliamentarian whose job it is to represent his constituents.'

Alex Sobel, Labour MP for Leeds Central and Headingley, demanded an apology from Mr Farage, telling him: 'This is a situation you know nothing about and no one has briefed you on.

'You are inflaming a situation with misinformation.

'Politicians have a responsibility to not exacerbate situations, particularly with no knowledge of them.'

Reform MP Lee Anderson (pictured) also faced criticism for tweeting: 'Disgraceful scenes. Import a third world culture then you get third world behaviour.'

But Mr Jenrick said the riots in Leeds  as well as disorder in Whitechapel, London  raised serious questions about whether Britain had done enough to integrate migrants.

The former frontbencher, tipped as a potential Tory leadership candidate, said: 'It's time we took our heads out of the sand. Building a cohesive, united country is more important than ever.

'Justice must be done in regard to the criminality. But we also need to reform our immigration system, our integration strategies and our policing model.

'The scenes in Leeds and London ultimately reflect the failure of the British state Our country is divided and its social fabric frayed, as a result of past mistakes. A profound change is required.'

Former home secretary Priti Patel described Thursday night's scenes as 'shocking and concerning', adding: 'The rule of the mob should never prevail over the rule of law.'

Downing Street said the violent scenes had 'no place in our society' and urged the police to take the 'strongest possible action against perpetrators'.
A holidaymaker is facing a $15,000 medical bill after snapping her leg in three places and suffering graphic head injuries when she crashed a moped into a bus.

Victorian tourist Bridget Harvey was going for a ride on Magnetic Island, near Townsville in north Queensland, last month when she lost control on a windy uphill road.

'I lost control around a turn and had a head-on a collision with an oncoming bus,' she said in a GoFundMe appeal.

'I was knocked unconscious and busted up pretty badly.'

The collision on June 7 snapped and twisted her left leg in three places, requiring a pole and large screws at a hospital 2,500km away from home.

The 33-year-old woman suffered concussion head trauma which also broke her elbow and fractured her eye socket, nasal cavity and the base of her skull.

'I was lucky that two of the hospital's doctors were on the bus I'd crashed into and were able to assist immediately,' she said.

Her injuries were so severe she had to be airlifted to Townsville University Hospital during her holiday with boyfriend Anthony Main.

A traveller is facing a $15,000 medical bill after snapping her leg in three places as she crashed a moped into a bus during a Queensland holiday

Bridget Harvey was going for a ride on Magnetic Island, near Townsville, last month when she lost control on a windy uphill road

Ms Harvey, who lives in Ballarat north-west of Melbourne, isn't covered by the Transport Accident Commission because it only provides financial support if an accident occurred in her home state of Victoria.

'There is going to be a lot of out of pockets and loss of income,' she said.

As a counsellor and art therapist on a contract at a perinatal and parenting centre, she also has no paid leave, making life particularly tough as she endures months of rehabilitation to cope with broken bones and a brain injury.

'I expect to eat a fair bit into my savings to navigate this and I've been lucky enough to have had good work lately to help me survive a setback like this,' she said.

Her GoFundMe campaign has so far raised $4,170 since it was launched on June 13, with Ms Harvey hoping to raise $7,000 to take the pressure off her family and boyfriend.

Her injuries were so severe she had to be airlifted to Townsville University Hospital during her holiday with boyfriend Anthony Main

The money will go towards rehabilitation, crutches, accommodation, transport back to Victoria and medical bills.

'Thank you so much again for all of the love and support, it is helping me kick ass at my physio and therapies and stay positive about recovering, and I appreciate you all so very much,' she said.
It has been revealed that the gunman who attempted to assassinate Trump at a Pennsylvania rally last week flew a drone over the site just hours before the shooting.

Thomas Matthew Crooks, 20, was able to navigate the drone over the western Pennsylvania fairgrounds and obtain aerial footage on July 13 - the same day as Trump's Butler rally.

Crooks allegedly flew the drone on a programmed flight path earlier in the day, and officials say that the predetermined path suggests Crooks had flown the small aircraft more than once in order to scope out the site of the rally.

The shocking revelation was made on Friday - almost a week after the ill-fated campaign event - by law-enforcement officials, according to the Wall Street Journal.

It was yet another example of how the Secret Service failed to do an adequate job of securing the area, leaving the MAGA crowd and the former president exposed to the subsequent dangerous situation.

It has been revealed that the gunman who attempted to assassinate Trump at a Pennsylvania rally last week flew drones over the site just hours before the shooting

Trump sustained a wound on his ear from a gunshot graze and one spectator was killed when at least six rounds of ammunition were fired by the assassin.

Crooks was killed following the shooting after a Secret Service sniper team returned fire.

The Secret Service have come under intense scrutiny since they botched the job - with many calling for the resignation of its director, Kimberly Cheatle.

The incident is being described as an enormous security failure with an increasing list of things that went wrong leading up to and during the assassination attempt.

Terrifying video from TMZ captured the moment Thomas Matthew Crooks of Bethel Park, Pennsylvania, lay down on the roof of a nearby building, in full view of horrified Trump supporters, and fired towards the stage.

He had previously been spotted and then watched by law enforcement at the Trump rally site because they sensed something wasn't right, according to reports. But then they lost sight of him before the carnage unfolded.

Witnesses say they warned cops about a man armed with an AR-style rifle climbing on top of a building, but he was still able to open fire.

In a damning statement on Saturday night, FBI Special Agent Kevin Rojek said it was 'surprising' Crooks managed to fire off so many shots.

Thomas Matthew Crooks (pictured), 20, was able to fly a drone and get aerial footage of the western Pennsylvania fairgrounds on July 13 - the same day as Trump's Butler rally

Trump's sustained a wound on his ear from where the gunshot grazed him and one spectator was killed when at least six rounds of ammunition were fired by the assassin.

Rep. Tim Burchett, R-Tenn., became the first lawmaker to say that Cheatle 'needs to go.'

Speaking to ABC News on Tuesday, Cheatle claimed that agents were not positioned on top of the sloped building, deeming it too dangerous - despite images from the scene showing Secret Service snipers set up on a sloped roof behind where Trump was delivering his speech.

President Joe Biden, addressing Americans from the White House Sunday, promised an 'independent review' into what happened at the rally.

'I'm directing an independent review on national security [at] yesterday's rally to assess exactly what happened, and we'll share the results of that independent review with the American people as well,' Biden stated.

Former Secret Service agent Joseph LaSorsa said there will be an 'intensive review' and 'massive realignment' in the agency. 'This cannot happen' he said.

He told DailyMail.com that it was very lucky Trump turned his head at the last second so the bullet only hit his ear.

A shocking animation has shown just how close Trump came to death has the bullet whizzed past his brain and impacted his ear.

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Days later, Cheatle was shielded by her own officers after furious US senators pursued her down the corridors of the RNC, demanding she explain how a gunman was able to get a clear shot at Donald Trump.

She was in the Milwaukee convention hall to oversee security arrangements on Wednesday evening - just hours after making a 'cover-your-a** call' to senators about the shooting in Pennsylvania on Saturday night.

Senators John Barrasso of Wyoming and Marsha Blackburn of Tennessee led the chase, complaining that they had not had a chance to put their questions to Cheatle during the call.

A frustrated Barrasso then issued an ultimatum to the security chief.

'You put him within less than an inch of his life,' Barrasso yelled at Cheatle. 'So resignation or full explanation.'
Retailers, airlines and travelers across the world continued to recover late Friday after the the global chaos that unfolded after a devastating software glitch from the company Crowdstrike.

Instead of keeping computer systems safe, the company that pushes security updates for Microsoft Windows, triggered systems across the planet into one of the biggest IT meltdowns in history.

Millions of people around the globe spent most of the day staring at a 'blue screen of death' as a host of industries with everything from travel to banking, hospitals to hospitality were affected.

The costs to the economy are yet incalculable.

Thousands of flights were cancelled, banking and healthcare systems were affected and some TV channels were taken off air.

Following a day of worldwide IT chaos the Texas cybersecurity firm finally came forward to admit that a defect in a simple software update that it had issued, had crashed Windows devices globally.

Thousands of flights were cancelled as systems went down. Passengers are seen waiting to check in at Newark Airport

Crowds lined up at the United Airlines check-in counter in San Francisco only to find most were cancelled

Fixing the problem

The antivirus company has 24,000 customers around the world - many of them huge organizations. A faulty update meant millions of Microsoft users saw the dreaded blue screen of death that pops up when there's a critical error on a PC.

The company has since deployed a fix but not before widespread mayhem had ensued.

The fix is not straightforward. Every machine affected needs to be manually restarted in safe mode and not simply switched on and off again.

The CEO of the firm responsible, George Kurtz, made a groveling apology on American television saying it could be some time before all systems are back up and running.

The problems were first reported in Australia before spreading across the world, including the United States, leading to delays and long lines at airports.

In New York City's Times Square, the blue 'recovery' screens popping up on laptops appeared on several giant electronic billboards. A few were dark Friday afternoon.

In New York City's Times Square, right before 12:30am, the blue 'recovery' screens popping up on laptops also appeared on several giant electronic billboards

An overnight outage was blamed on a software update that cybersecurity firm CrowdStrike sent to Microsoft computers of its corporate customers including many airlines

Flight delays and cancellations

The outage wreaked havoc on people's travel plans with thousands of flights cancelled around the world.

Passengers who should have been on planes were instead forced to wait out delays.

Many airlines found themselves unable to use their normal systems for checking in passengers or issuing tickets.

Thousands of flights were affected in the U.S. alone, though by late morning on the East Coast airlines said they were beginning to mitigate problems and resume some service.

By late afternoon Eastern time, the worst appeared to be over, though there were still lingering cancellations and delays do to the cascading effect of the disruption.

On Friday night, passengers hoping to catch flights were hunkering down in terminals.

The U.S. Federal Aviation Administration said in a statement it was closely monitoring the technical issue impacting IT systems at U.S. airlines and that several airlines had requested its assistance with ground stops.

Airports, airlines, booking and check-in services were all affected. Pictured, blue screen are seen at San Francisco International Airport

A screen at JFK Airport Terminal 4 displays a blue recovery mode message after a faulty Microsoft update by the cybersecurity company, Crowdstrike

Travelers wait in line at Baltimore/Washington Airport in Baltimore on Friday

Healthcare

Doctors offices were forced to let down patients after they found themselves without access to patient medical records or notes.

At some places only the sickest patients were being seen with only written prescriptions were available after the electronic system failed.

The American Hospital Association said the impact varied widely: Some hospitals were not affected while others had to delay, divert or cancel care.

Mass General Brigham - one of the biggest healthcare systems in the country - axed all non-urgent visits, procedures and surgeries amid a global IT failure.

Hospitals were thrown into chaos as the outage knocked computers and medical devices offline, forcing medical staff to revert to pen and paper.

Mass General Brigham in Boston - which sees 2.5million patients a year in its 15 hospitals and clinics - said it would only provide care to patients who have urgent health problems.

A healthcare worker posted on TikTok that because of the Microsoft outage, she had to revert to using paper charts

Tufts Medical Center and South Shore Health, also in Boston, were also experiencing issues linked to the global tech outage.

In New York, The Mount Sinai Health System, which operates seven major hospitals in New York City and Long Island, as well as dozens of specialty and out patient clinics across the five boroughs, saw its computer systems go down because of the outage.

Workers throughout the institution, which is ranked as one of the best in the country, have had to move to pen and paper medical charting.

Employees at Cornell in New York also said some of their systems went down.

Other hospital systems affected include Cleveland Clinic, Kaleida Health/Cayuga in Buffalo, Harris Health System in Texas, the Hospital for Special Surgery in New York City, Memorial Hermann in Texas, Nationwide Children's Hospital in Ohio and Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center.

Harris Health System, which runs public hospitals and clinics in the Houston area, said early Friday it had to suspend hospital visits 'until further notice.' Elective hospital procedures were canceled and rescheduled.

Healthcare workers say Epic, a major medical software program, is non operational and causing the disruption in accessing patient charts.

Epic is used in hospitals across the world. According to the company, more than 305million patients have a current electronic record in Epic.

While paper charts were once the norm in healthcare, the advent of technology in the medical field made them obsolete and nearly all day-to-day operations are conducted via computer programs.

Healthcare workers say Epic, a major medical software program, is non operational and causing the disruption in accessing patient charts

Businesses

Businesses were also unable to serve customers using credit card or debit cards.

Hospitality businesses such as McDonalds and Starbucks suffered problems with their payment systems due to the outages, causing long lines to form at some of the the chains' stores.

A firm representing payroll processors has warned millions risk missing their payday because of the CrowdStrike issue.

Melanie Pizzey, the CEO of the Global Payroll Association, said it had been contacted by 'numerous clients... who have been unable to access their payroll software due to the Microsoft outage'.

She added: 'We could see a backlog with regard to processing payrolls for the coming month end which may delay employees from receiving their monthly wage.'

Businesses were unable to accept card payments after all electrical POS terminals went down

The same familiar 'blue screen of death' was seen at checkout terminals globally

Banking

Several of America's biggest banks saw their systems crash on Friday morning, preventing people from accessing their accounts or receiving or sending money.

TD Bank and Bank of America was still down for millions until well into the afternoon.

The Global Payroll Association (GPA) warned that people 'risk going without their wages' because their employers or banks rely on CrowdStrike for cybersecurity protection.

Payroll systems typically need to be notified of any issues that would stop direct deposits from going through at least two days before the payday for the issue to be resolved in time.

American Express said it temporarily had some difficulties processing transactions, while TD Bank responded to online complaints by saying it was working to restore customers ability to access their accounts.

Millions of office workers around the globe spent most of the day staring at a blue screen

The blue screens appeared in the most unlikeliest places including Petco Park in San Diego

Several local TV stations in the U.S. were prevented from airing the news early on Friday morning.

KSHB-TV in Kansas City, Missouri, aired Scripps News instead of local news until about 5:35am., the stations said on its website.

Other local stations owned by Scripps reported similar problems, though Scripps spokesman Michael Perry said early Friday that 90 percent of stations were able to air local news.

At WESH-TV in Daytona, Florida, some of the studio's screens were not functioning properly.

Some state and local governments reported problems at courts, motor vehicles departments, unemployment agencies, emergency call centers and other offices, but as the day progressed many of the systems were getting back to normal.
Democrats are discussing a possible 'loophole' that can be used to boot Biden out of the presidential race of he refuses to drop out.

Delegates at the Democratic National Convention are toying with the options they face if, by the time of the August convention, Biden has not yet stepped aside or dropped out of the race entirely.

Politicians are considering a 'good-conscience loophole' that would enable them to vote for a new candidate.

DNC delegate and political scientist Elaine Kamarck spoke with fellow delegates on Friday morning on a zoom call.

She briefed them on the 'loophole' - which would let them drop Biden if they do not have a 'good conscience' about their pledged choice determined by primaries and caucuses.

Democrats are discussing a possible 'loophole' that can be used to boot Biden out of the presidential race of he refuses to drop out

Kamarck has been a member of the DNC's Rules Committee for decades. She told the 50 delegates 'there's no such thing as Joe Biden releasing his delegates. And Joe Biden gets this.'

She said, 'I don't know why the rest of the press doesn't get it,' according to the Post.

According to Kamarck - previous rules demanded that delegates vote for who they were pledged to.

However, after the 1980 convention fight between Ted Kennedy and Jimmy Carter, who was president at the time, the rules changed and now Democrats can revolt at any time.

Part of the rules, according to Kamarck, is that the chosen delegates reflect the opinions of those that elected them - so they could bend the rules if Biden no longer represented the people's choice.

'See, we've never had a situation quite like this where the primaries were over. Very clear-cut winner. And yet something was discovered unclosed, whatever you want to call it, after the end of the primaries that caused people to severely doubt whether or not their nominee should proceed,' Kamarck said.

Kamarck is part of a new group, Delegates Are Democracy, and led Friday's delegate call on the group's behalf.

'Loophole' discussions come as a stream of prominent Democrats are calling upon Biden to step aside from the presidential race.

Calls for President Joe Biden to drop out have gotten so close to his inner circle that some in the White House know he 'can't' run in 2024 and want to give in the 'grace' to step down, top Democrats say.

Key figures in the 81-year-old's president party wants a new candidate on the ticket to prevent an electoral bloodbath against Donald Trump in November 2024.

More than 30 Democrats have called from him to step aside and have started to make astonishing claims about his cognitive decline.

The West Wing is under tremendous pressure to figure out a way forward and is now 'divided' over whether Biden call it quits, insiders say.

'Most of them know. Some of them will say, Oh calm down. But most of them will say: Oh he cant do it, just give him the grace,' said Johanna Maska, former director of White House press advance under Barack Obama.

'Its very divided. Its got to be hard for all of them right now,' she told DailyMail.com.

On a day when 11 House Democrats and counting called for Biden to step back, she referenced one longtime aide who called to 'just give him the grace to make the decision himself instead of just everyone coming out like this.'

It was not clear who the delegates who switch their allegiance to, if they were to drop Biden from the ticket.
A long-serving Democratic congresswoman from Texas has died.

Sheila Jackson Lee passed away at the age of 74, her family announced in a statement on Friday.

'Today, with incredible grief for our loss yet deep gratitude for the life she shared with us, we announce the passing of United States Representative Sheila Jackson Lee of the 18th Congressional District of Texas,' the statement read.

The 15-term-congresswoman was an outspoken advocate for Black Americans for decades.

Jackson Lee announced in June that she had been diagnosed with pancreatic cancer. At the time, she warned her constituents that she would likely be 'occasionally absent' from congress while she underwent treatment.

Sheila Jackson Lee (pictured) passed away at the age of 74, her family announced in a statement on Friday

'My doctors have confirmed my diagnosis of pancreatic cancer. I am currently undergoing treatment to battle this disease that impacts tens of thousands of Americans every year,' Jackson Lee said in a statement in June.

'I am confident that my doctors have developed the best possible plan to target my specific disease. The road ahead will not be easy, but I stand in faith that God will strengthen me.'

Jackson Lee was born in Queens, New York, and went on to attend Yale University and the University of Virginia School of Law.

She was a member of the Democratic Party and served as an at-large member of the Houston City Council before being elected to the House.

The congresswoman was elected to represent Texas's 18th congressional district - which includes much of inner city Houston and the surrounding area. It has been the Downtown Houston district since 1972.

The 15-term-congresswoman was an outspoken advocate for Black American for decades

The congresswoman was elected to represent Texas's 18th congressional district - which includes much of inner city Houston and the surrounding area. It has been the Downtown Houston district since 1972

In March 2023, Jackson Lee announced her candidacy for the Houston mayoral election.

She placed second in the first round, behind state senator John Whitmire, but eventually lost the election in a landslide to her fellow Democrat.

Jackson Lee was outspoken about racial issues - and suggested changing the naming practices for tropical cyclones and hurricanes to include 'all racial groups,' saying that meteorological organizations should 'try to be inclusive of African American names.'

She called for Juneteenth to become a national holiday to commemorate the end of slavery - and Biden signed the law into place in June 2021.
China's top political advisor meets speaker of Chilean Chamber of Deputies

Xinhua) 09:48, July 20, 2024

Wang Huning, chairman of the National Committee of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference (CPPCC), meets with Karol Cariola Oliva, speaker of the Chilean Chamber of Deputies, in Beijing, capital of China, July 19, 2024. (Xinhua/Gao Jie)

BEIJING, July 19 (Xinhua) -- China's top political advisor Wang Huning met with Karol Cariola Oliva, speaker of the Chilean Chamber of Deputies, on Friday in Beijing.

Wang, chairman of the National Committee of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference (CPPCC), said in recent years, China-Chile relations have continued to develop in depth, bringing tangible benefits to the two peoples.

He said China is willing to work with Chile to consolidate political mutual trust, deepen practical cooperation, carry out people-to-people and cultural exchanges, strengthen multilateral strategic coordination, and continuously enrich the connotation of China-Chile comprehensive strategic partnership.

The CPPCC stands ready to strengthen exchanges with Chile and contribute to the development of bilateral relations, Wang added.

Cariola said Chile attaches great importance to developing a comprehensive strategic partnership with China, and Chile abides by the one-China principle, admires China's development achievements, and is willing to learn from China's successful development experience.

Chile stands ready to deepen Belt and Road cooperation with China, and strengthen bilateral cooperation in the fields of science, technology, education, economy and trade, Cariola said.

The Chilean Chamber of Deputies is willing to contribute to deepening the friendship and cooperation between the two countries and create more benefits for the two peoples, Cariola said.

Wang Huning, chairman of the National Committee of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference (CPPCC), meets with Karol Cariola Oliva, speaker of the Chilean Chamber of Deputies, in Beijing, capital of China, July 19, 2024. (Xinhua/Gao Jie)

(Web editor: Peng Yukai, Wu Chaolan)
Sydney's oldest brothel - a series of lavishly decorated rooms hidden behind the unassuming facade of a compact terrace house - is up for sale with uncertainty about its future.

Tiffany's Girls on Albion St in the inner suburb of Surry Hills has hosted thousands of pleasure-seekers since it first opened in the early 1970s.

Billing itself as 'the best brothel in Sydney', its website claims it 'sets the standard for excellence in adult services'.

'Whether you're a first-time explorer or a seasoned visitor to the city, our distinguished brothel offers an unforgettable experience.

'Our brothel has consistently curated an exceptional roster of escorts, each chosen for their grace, allure, and intimate expertise.'

Inside there are 14 bedrooms and 12 bathrooms, with pictures of the interior revealing heavy red velvet curtains, gold statues of ancient goddesses, throne chairs, large Jacuzzis and mirrors on the ceiling.

But the future of Tiffany's Girls, along with a number of other long-running Sydney establishments, is unclear.

The rise of OnlyFans and other online streaming services means sex workers don't always feel the need to work in brothels any more, the Albion St establishment's owner Parry Bitsikas told the Sydney Morning Herald.

Tiffany's Girls in Albion St in the inner-CBD suburb of Surry Hills has hosted thousands of pleasure-seekers since it first opened in the early 1970s

'During Covid, brothels went through a big transition,' said Bitsikas, who is not involved in the day-to-day running of the brothel.

'Now the girls want to do their own thing on OnlyFans, run their own businesses in their own flats but a brothel provides the one thing a phone can't: security in a safe environment.'

As a result, the site encompassing five terraces and an adjoining corner building, all 10 minutes from the city, could be worth more than $13million in an area quickly being transformed by high-rise apartment developments.

Inside there are 14 bedrooms and 12 bathrooms, with pictures of the interior revealing heavy red velvet curtains, gold statues of ancient goddesses, throne chairs, large Jacuzzis and mirrors on the ceiling

The site encompassing five terraces and an adjoining corner building, all 10 minutes from the city, could be worth more than $13million in an area quickly being transformed by high-rise apartment developments

'I don't know what will happen to this site, to be honest. It's a true island in Surry Hills, it wouldn't take much to have it rezoned for high-rise apartments,' Bitsikas said.

Property data shows the site last sold for $1,124,750 in September 2006.

For what it's worth, Bitsikas told the Herald that while the business had changed a lot, there was still money to be made in brothels.

'It was the world's first business, and it will be the last.'
A teenage boy has had his spleen removed and is in an induced coma in critical condition after a shocking stabbing attack.

The 16-year-old was allegedly attacked on Ravenscroft Way, near Regina Drive in Kelmscott in Perth's south-eastern suburbs about 3pm on Friday.

The teen was injured after a fight broke out between six youths, some carrying knives.

'During the altercation, a 16-year-old boy was stabbed to the stomach area and is in an induced coma at Royal Perth Hospital,' a police spokeswoman said, reported The West.

'His spleen has been removed and he will require further surgery and he remains in a critical but stable condition in hospital.'

The boy was transported to Royal Perth Hospital where he remains in a critical but stable condition.

WA police released images of two youths they wish to speak to in relation to the incident, which is now the subject of a major investigation.

One male is described as light skinned, with short brown hair and wearing a black t-shirt with a white motif, black shorts, and white shoes

The teen was injured after a fight broke out between six youths, some carrying knives

One male is described as light skinned, with short brown hair and wearing a black t-shirt with a white motif, black shorts, and white shoes.

The second male is described as light skinned, with a moustache and wearing a black jacket, black pants with a white stripe, black shoes, and a black cap.

Detectives are urging anyone who saw, or who has any information about the incident or who has CCTV to contact Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000 or via www.crimestopperswa.com.au
More than 60 passengers were trapped on a tram as strong winds in Sydney caused a tree to fall on overhead powerlines.

Damaging winds sweeping across the state caused chaos shortly before noon on Saturday at Pyrmont, near the middle of Australia's biggest city.

The power had to be switched off before 67 light rail passengers could be safely rescued from the Darling Harbour scene where a fallen tree branch had smashed a glass window.

Strong winds are buffeting New South Wales from near the Victorian border to the mid-north coast, with gale-forced winds of up to 100km/h expected in Sydney this afternoon.

The Bureau of Meteorology has issued a severe weather warning, stretching from Cooma to Kempsey, warning of strong winds continuing into Sunday morning.

The bad weather is set to cause mayhem on highways as families return home, following the end of the state's school holidays.

Sydney's tram drama could be the start of more work for the state's Fire and Rescue crews, with a spokesman confirming 67 passengers were rescued after the power was switched off.

The Bureau of Meteorology issued an updated on Saturday afternoon, warning of 70km/h average wind speeds picking up to 100km/h.

More than 60 passengers were trapped on a tram as strong winds in Sydney caused a tree to fall on overhead powerlines

The power had to be switched off before 67 light rail passengers could be rescued

'Damaging winds are expected to ease during late evening into Sunday morning,' it said.

A weather bureau spokesman said strengthening northwesterly winds were affecting coastal and inland areas.

'A strengthening northwesterly flow ahead of an approaching cold front is bringing vigorous winds to inland and coastal areas,' he said.

The power had to be switched off before 67 light rail passengers could be rescued

Strong winds are buffeting New South Wales from the Victorian border to the mid-north coast, with gale-forced winds of up to 100km/h expected in Sydney this afternoon

'Winds are forecast to shift southwesterly from late afternoon and ease from the west during the late evening into Sunday morning.'

State Emergency Service crews are set to be busy with chainsaws removing fallen trees only a day after a CrowdStrike software update stopped self-serve supermarket checkouts from operating.
Jimmy Fallon made savage jokes about Biden's COVID diagnosis during the opening monologue of the Tonight Show.

'On the bright side... it's the first POSITIVE news he's had in months,' Fallon quipped to laughing audience members.

He continued to brutally mock the president, saying 'that's right - Biden has COVID. Luckily he can't spread it because Democrats have been distancing themselves from him since the debate.'

'Biden had fatigue, a cough and brain fog... then he got COVID,' the 49-year-old comedian joked.

'Thankfully, Biden is expected to make a full recovery - and his doctors say he'll be back to 60 percent in no time.'

Jimmy Fallon made savage jokes about Biden's COVID diagnosis during the opening monologue of the Tonight Show

Fallon's hilarious take on the diagnosis came after the news broke on Wednesday that President Biden had come down with the illness and would be quarantining at his Rehoboth Beach house in Delaware.

Bill Maher also poked fun at Biden on Friday night's episode of Real Time.

'Good news: Joe Biden has only minor COVID symptoms: a headache, a loss of smell, and an inability to see the writing on the wall,' he posted on X.

Maher also jokingly touched on the attempted assassination of Donald Trump: 'I'm glad you're okay... because if you weren't I couldn't keep making jokes about you.'

He then gave the Republican party props on a 'very good convention,' right up until the end - when Trump gave a '93 minute' speech.

'Joe Biden has spent the last three weeks giving Americans a lot of reasons to doubt his mental acuity... and then Trump gets up there and goes "hold my beer"' Maher said, ripping into both parties' candidates.

Days ago, Maher launched his latest takedown of President Biden as he maintained there is 'no chance' the 81-year-old will end up as the Democrat nominee.

The host of 'Real Time' said in a recent appearance on The Rubin Report that Biden will be forced to eventually exit the race because 'pressure will keep building' - but insisted that for Democrats, there is 'still time' to turn it around.

'It does not have to be a disaster,' Maher, who previously claimed the president was 'toast' on Friday's episode of 'Real Time,' said.

'Joe Biden has spent the last three weeks giving Americans a lot of reasons to doubt his mental acuity,' Maher joked on 'Real Time'

Maher sat down with the show's host, conservative commentator Dave Rubin, in an episode released on Tuesday - although it appeared to be recorded before the assassination attempt on Donald Trump.

Rubin, a former Democrat who has since become a staunch Republican and supported Ron DeSantis' presidential bid, began their interaction by branding Biden's spiraling campaign an 'epic disaster' for the Democrats.

But Maher countered that hope is not lost so long as Biden steps aside, and even speculated that the left could have an easy time defeating Trump if they nominate a moderate and charismatic candidate.

'This is a great opportunity, America likes new,' he said.

'It almost doesn't matter who it is. Just someone new. The less we know about them the better.'

Pointing his remarks to the Democratic Party, Maher continued: 'Just get everybody who is not 100 years old, got a 'D' by their name, and is sort of a centrist and you can win this election. Just give us that choice.'

On last week's episode of Real Time, Maher predicted the exact date that he believes Joe Biden will step aside in the presidential race as he issued an optimistic look at who could replace him.

The comedian, 68, rattled through possible replacements including Gavin Newsom, Kamala Harris and Gretchen Whitmer, as he insisted that 'Biden is toast.'

He joked that 'when' the 81-year-old bows out, he will pick August 9 as the date - the same day that Richard Nixon became the only president to resign in 1974.
The Secret Service agent who killed Donald Trump's would-be assassin pulled off a 'one-in-a-million' headshot, an investigator has revealed.

Thomas Matthew Crooks was concealed behind the lip of the roof on a building more than 140 yards away from where the protection unit was stationed at the rally in Pennsylvania on July 13.

The agent had only the 20-year-old's gun scope and a few square inches of forehead to aim at as his colleagues rushed to pull the injured ex-president off-stage.

But the agent felled the gunman with a single shot after a local tactical team had fired and missed, a source close to the investigation told Fox News.

The trigger was pulled seconds after the Crooks shot dead Pennsylvania fire chief Corey Comperatore, critically injured two others, and hit Trump in the right ear after scaling a building 147 yards away.

The Secret Service agent who killed Donald Trump 's would-be assassin pulled off a 'one-in-a-million' headshot, an investigator has revealed

The agent had just the 20-year-old's gun scope and a few square inches of forehead to aim at as Secret Service colleagues rushed to pull the injured ex-president off-stage.

'They were looking at him while he was looking at them,' a senior federal law enforcement official told CNN on Wednesday.

A video of the moment, shot by onlookers, showed Crooks peering intently through the sights of his father's AR-style weapon and firing towards the rally as onlookers screamed from the base of the building.

Instantly a return shot was heard and Crooks was pictured lying dead on the roof as those on the ground gasped in horror.

'The Secret Service don't f*** around man,' one exclaimed. 'Holy s***.'

The former president praised the Secret Service agents who came to his aid in his acceptance speech at the RNC on Thursday night.

'They're incredible people,' he told delegates. The Secret Service agents were putting themselves in peril.

'Bullets were flying right over them, missing them by a very small amount of inches. And then it all stopped.

'Our Secret Service sniper from a much greater distance and with only one bullet used took the assassin's life. Took him out.'

Thomas Crooks was shot dead by Secret Service officers on the roof of the police look-out just 130 yards from where former President Donald Trump was speaking on Saturday evening

Trump grabbed his right ear as the first shots rang out at 6:12pm

As Trump pumped his fist to the crowd, some were heard cheering his name and chanting 'USA' and 'Make America Great Again'

Secret Service director Kimberley Cheatle said the decision was taken not to put agents on the roof of the building where Crooks positioned himself because it had a 'sloping roof'

But the praise for agents in the ground is in stark contrast with the fury vented at Secret Service director Kimberley Cheatle who was pursued through the corridors of the RNC convention hall by angry senators demanding answers on Wednesday night.

She was in the Milwaukee convention hall to oversee security arrangements just hours after making a 'cover-your-a** call' to senators about the shooting in Pennsylvania on Saturday night.

Senators John Barrasso of Wyoming and Marsha Blackburn of Tennessee led the chase, complaining that they had not had a chance to put their questions to Cheatle during the call.

A frustrated Barrasso then issued an ultimatum to the security chief.

'You put him within less than an inch of his life,' Barrasso yelled at Cheatle. 'So resignation or full explanation.'

She is due to appear before the House Committee on Oversight and Accountability at 10am on Monday after more details emerged of how Crooks was allowed to saunter around the rally site in Butler for hours without challenge, despite repeated warnings from members of the public.

The building he scaled had been left to local police to guard after Security Service chiefs deemed it too dangerous to place an agent on it due to its sloping roof.

Three police marksmen from neighboring Beaver County were reportedly stationed inside the building as Crooks climbed on the roof and let off his volley of at least six shots from just inches above their heads.

The Wall Street Journal reported on Thursday that the killer even flew a drone over the site just hours before the shooting.

Cheatle is due to answer questions at a much-anticipated hearing of the House Committee on Oversight and Accountability at 10am on Monday

Crooks allegedly flew the drone on a programmed flight path, and officials say that the predetermined path suggests Crooks had flown the small aircraft more than once in order to scope out the site of the rally.

Secret Service spokesman Anthony Guglielmi insisted his boss would not resign in a statement late Wednesday.

'Continuity of operations is paramount during a critical incident, and US Secret Service Director Kimberly Cheatle has no intentions to step down,' he said.

'She deeply respects members of Congress and is fiercely committed to transparency in leading the Secret Service through the internal investigation and strengthening the agency through lessons learned in these important internal and external reviews.'
A Roma community in Leeds chanted 'Please bring the kids back!' as hundreds gathered in the city for the second night in a row after children were 'taken away by police' from a family home in Harehills, sparking mass civic unrest.

Scores of people took to the streets of Leeds on Friday night chanting 'please bring the kids back' in peaceful demonstrations, after locals set a bus on fire and a overturned a police car in an angered display late Thursday.

The removal of the children has sparked concerns about underlying prejudice against Roma communities. The ethnic minority group, who are widely subjected to discrimination and poverty across Europe, make up some 5,000 people in the area.

Last year, a report by Leeds City Council aimed at tackling problems faced by the community told of their 'fierce pride' and how 'a problem for one member of the community was seen as a problem for all' - as many now join in solidarity with the family's pain.

The father has appealed for authorities to return his children since West Yorkshire Police removed them 'to a safe place' while attending an incident with social services on Luxor Street on Thursday afternoon.

'Please bring my children back. I want them back. Why take my kids? They were taken from us,' the Romanian father of the children told The Mirror as he began a 'hunger strike' pending their return.

Distressing footage which emerged Friday shows police officers hauling a young boy out of a house and bundling him into a van

Locals arguing and arguing with police in Harehills, Leeds, following Thursday's disturbances

Riots in the Hare Hill area of Leeds began Thursday night after social services in the city removed all four children from a family

Another video shows locals singing along to music while people hold signs which say 'please give back children'

In videos shared widely on social media, members of the public can be heard chanting 'please bring the kids back' - in reference to the children taken by social services

A video shot Friday shows locals singing along to music while people hold signs which say 'please give back children.'

Further footage from last night shows a woman seemingly being led away by police because she was opposed to a second night of protests in Leeds.

The family, who are members of the Roma community, have committed to going on a hunger strike until their children are returned to them.

Stefania Banu, a local community leader, speaking to the the Daily Mirror said: 'The mother and father are refusing to eat until they get their children back. We are fully supporting them.

'We believe it was an injustice that can be rectified by the authorities if they revise the case. Which they have promised to do.'

Ms Banu went onto to say that the manner of which the children were removed from their home was 'traumatising' for the family.

A community leader told the Mail yesterday: 'We are persecuted at home and now here.

'The police should not have taken the children away, it is upsetting for the parents and family and children.'

Since Thursday's riots locals in the West Yorkshire city have claimed that they have been 'persecuted' by police amid a shocking evening of disorder in the city which saw neighbours clash with officers.

Assistant Chief Constable Pat Twiggs of West Yorkshire Police said in a statement on Friday: 'There has understandably been a great deal of speculation, commentary and concern following the disorder in Harehills, Leeds, overnight.

'Our officers responded to a call from Children's Social Care at around 5pm yesterday (Thursday 18 July) after social workers reported being met with hostility when dealing with a child protection matter.

'Responding officers were attacked and helped Children's Social Care staff withdraw to a place of safety.

'As the disorder escalated, damage was caused to vehicles and several fires set.'

A joint statement on behalf of the Leeds City Council and the Romanian and Roma community shared Friday said: 'The Romanian and Roma community have played a fantastic role in the community and have contributed much to the diversity and richness of the Harehills.

'We want this work to continue, and develop further work that makes Harehills an even better place to work and live. The events of last night will not help our community or the family.

'We need to work together with the authorities to ensure that best outcomes for the community, and to ensure our voices are heard at the highest level so we can avoid such scenarios in the future.'

Police removed five children from a red brick terraced house on Thursday afternoon because their parents were due to fly with them to Romania this Saturday.

Social Services had concern for the children's welfare after an incident in April when another child, a nine-month-old baby, suffered a head injury.

The father's boss, Neculai Tudorache, 44, claimed the social services were alerted to the property after nine-month-old baby was allegedly dropped on its head 'accidentally' by another child.

Leeds erupted into disorder late Thursday and saw a car being trashed while a double decker bus was set on fire.

Meanwhile, harrowing video footage showed a police officer hauling a young boy out of a house and bundling him into a van.

Witnesses said the removal of the child was the flashpoint which kicked off the rioting last night, with the disorder lasting for hours.

Photos from Friday show tensions rising in the city as locals appeared to argue with police while surrounded by a scene of chaos from the night before.

Families looked on at the immense clean up taking place to clear away the smouldering wreckage of a bus set alight in Harehills.

The intensity of the violence was deemed so severe that firefighters refused to enter the street for hours amid fears crews would be attacked.

West Yorkshire Police yesterday said that a number of people had been arrested following the violence and warned 'further arrests will be made over the next few days'.

A TikTok live stream of Friday's gatheirngs were shared widely on the site

A local argues with a police officer following the disturbances in Leeds on Thursday

Vehicles were set on fire and a police car was overturned as residents were warned to stay home following an outbreak of disorder in the Harehills area of Leeds

The smouldering wreckage of a bus set alight in Harehills, Leeds after riots brought chaos to the streets

The remains of a bus which was set on fire in the city amid the riots

Local people watch the clean up as police patrol Harehills neighbourhood after Thursday's civil unrest

Local people look on at the scene following riots in the city of Leeds

Forensic scientists examine a burnt out bus, as police patrol the Harehills neighbourhood

Local people watch the clean up as police patrol Harehills neighbourhood

Forensic scientists examine a burnt out bus, as police patrol the Harehills neighbourhood after Thursday's civil unrest

Police horses at the scene in Leeds after riots caused chaos in the city

Neighbours watch the clean up as police patrol Harehills neighbourhood

Protestors from the Roma community gathered in support of the family in peaceful demonstrations again Friday night.

Leeds City Council published an official report into the community and tackling concerns about prejudice last year, exposing the deep 'challenges' they have faced across Europe and in the UK.

The report's authors say: 'We were told about the fierce pride the Roma community had for their culture and heritage.

'This had remained despite the challenges, and the stigma and discrimination, they have faced.

'We were told about how community members would show great support for one another.'

Harehills has long been one of the most ethnically diverse areas of Leeds.

At the last Census in 2021, 38 per cent of residents of Harehills and neighbouring Gipton described themselves as being from Asian backgrounds, 36 per white and 17 per cent black.

It has also been ranked as the most deprived neighbourhood in the West Yorkshire city with among the highest levels of unemployment, crime and poor health.

At least twice before, violence and ill-feeling towards police has spilled out into street violence.

A JCB clears the remains of a burnt-out bus, which is cordoned off by police in Harehills, east Leeds, following the disturbance on Thursday evening

Aerial footage shows the aftermath of the trouble, with large sections of the area still cordoned off

A large number of police officers were seen on Thursday evening taking the children - understood to be from a family of Romanians - into protective custody

Police are still at the scene in Leeds where the violence erupted last night after a number of children were taken in to protective custody by social services (pictured: the street today)

Police cordons remain in place today after rioters torched a bus and flipped police car

Parts of Leeds resemble a warzone, with torched vehicles this morning pictured as smouldering wrecks

Pictured is the bus as a fire raged on board after riots set it ablaze in Leeds on Thursday

Police leave the scene of a burning bus after firefighters extinguished the vehicle

In 2001, hundreds of men went on the rampage in Harehills following the wrongful arrest of an Asian man, Hossein Miah.

Officers were lured to nearby Banstead Park over a false report that one had been hit by a petrol bomb.

A multi-ethnic mob then barricaded police with burning furniture from a second-hand store nearby as well as washing machines.

Over 20 cars were torched, 23 officers and a journalist were hurt and a shop was burnt down, with damage put at 500,000.

Twenty-five men were later given jail sentences for what a judge branded 'violence for the sake of violence'.

Then on Bonfire Night in 2019, terrified Harehills residents cowered indoors as police were forced to battle a five-hour siege by yobs armed with fireworks, bricks and axes.

As with last night's disorder, locals bravely tried to defend police, with six officers injured.

Three of the rioters were later given jail sentences totalling seven years.

However on the 20th anniversary of the 2001 riots, there were warnings that little had changed.

One business owner told Leeds Live: 'It's the same, it hasn't changed a bit.'

A local resident complained about 'blatant' drug dealing, adding: 'The police are present sometimes but I don't think it's enough.'
A Queensland nurse has been charged with fraud and stealing after she allegedly used the bank card of a hospital patient to treat herself to a spending spree.

Melelani Crelley, 42, allegedly racked up a $7,000 bill as she shopped around the Gold Coast while the elderly woman who owned the card lay in Robina Hospital and later Gold Coast University Hospital battling a serious illness.

The woman's son from Mackay, Daren Kirby, noticed dozens of transactions at supermarkets, cafes and bakeries had been billed in April and May this year while his mother was stuck in bed and did some sleuthing.

Mr Kirby found one transaction for a Varsity Lakes hair salon and brought in police, reported The Gold Coast Bulletin.

Detectives found the salon customer used a second card to pay for part of the bill after the cost exceeded the tap-and-go limit on the first card.

Officers on Thursday swooped on Crelley's Varsity Lakes home where they allegedly found the elderly woman's purse and bank card.

Mr Kirby said when he first looked at his mother's bank card bill he was 'in disbelief'.

'Then I decided to try and get to the bottom of it. I was like a dog with a bone and I didn't want to let it go because I just can't stand thieves,' he said.

Melelani Crelley, 42, allegedly racked up a $7,000 bill on a bank card she pinched from a patient while they lay in hospital

The elderly woman was a patient at Robina Hospital and later Gold Coast University Hospital

Crelley has been charged with one count of stealing and one count of fraud.

Mr Kirby's mother has since recovered from her bout with encephalitis, a condition involving swelling of the brain that can be life-threatening, and has been released from hospital.

Crelley was given police station bail to front court on August 9.

She moved to the Gold Coast from Sydney a decade ago when she graduated as a nurse.

It is unclear if she has been stood down pending the court appearance.

The police investigation remains ongoing.

Daily Mail Australia has contacted Queensland Health for comment.
An allegedly disgruntled customer is accused of starting a massive fire at a car rental agency by scattering firewood and used fast food packages as kindling before pouring petrol on the material under a $363,000 Mercedes.

Moon Serk Park, 41, appeared in the Brisbane Arrest Court on Saturday charged with arson over the fire that engulfed Queensland Luxury Car Rentals on Ashmore Rd, in the Gold Coast suburb of Bundall around 6.30am on Friday morning.

Prosecutors alleged Mr Park threw 'a flaming item' at the rental agency's grey Mercedes off-road SUV that he had earlier prepared to ignite by placing the combustible material beneath.

Police claim he poured five litres of fuel from a tin onto the firewood, and used paper bags from McDonald's as kindling, with his actions all captured on closed-circuit TV cameras, the court heard, reported the Courier Mail.

A new AMG G63 retails for around $363,591.

It is alleged Park was upset with the car rental company after he paid $1955 to hire a BMW but failed to pay an additional $2000 security bond meaning he could not collect the car.

Mr Park demanded to cancel the hire agreement and get an 'immediate refund'.

After he was told the refund would take five days, Mr Park allegedly became 'disgruntled and made various threats' to the business 'via text message', police allege.

A man has been accused of arson over a huge fire that broke out at Gold Coast car rental company

When Queensland Luxury Car Rentals asked for a copy of Park's credit card to process the refund he declined to provide it.

It's alleged Mr Park hired a white Mazda cx30 with Victorian registration and mounted the kerb to park on the footpath outside the car rental company before he stepped out in a 'black facemask and sunglasses'.

Police claim Mr Park collected a 15kg yellow bag of firewood from the boot and then approached the grey Mercedes before scattering the firewood beneath.

He allegedly returned to the hired Mazda and collected a five litre tin of fuel from the front passenger door and then poured fuel onto the scattered timbers beneath the Mercedes before adding McDonald's paper bags to the wood pile.

'The fire ignited causing unrepairable damage to the grey Mercedes and extensive damage to the building,' Magistrate Terry Duroux said, quoting the police objection to bail affidavit.

'Further damage was caused to luxury high end motor vehicles parked (nearby) by heat, smoke and soot.

'The estimate of the monetary value of damage is unknown at this time. The allegations to me seem to be quite strong.'

Police allege Moon Serk Park, 41, set alight a $363,000 car to create the inferno at the rental agency

Legal Aid Queensland duty lawyer Anastasia Stoenko submitted her client denied the allegation and questioned how Mr Park could be identified if he was wearing a facemask and sunglasses.

She said Mr Park, who has been an Australian citizen since 2003, had recently moved to Brisbane from Melbourne and was living in his car because he could not find a room to rent that he could afford from a $700 Centrelink payment fortnightly.

He was diagnosed with bipolar disorder during the pandemic and has had difficulty getting further medication, Ms Stoenko said.

Magistrate Duroux refused bail because he said risk that Mr Park would reoffend was too high.

Mr Park had been on bail for a separate arson, wilful damage and stealing charge.

He is due back in court in Brisbane on August 5, where all of his current charges will be heard together.

The full prosecution brief of evidence must be handed over to court by August 31.
This is the horrifying moment a teenager was stabbed in a vicious attack on a busy Wigan street.

Video footage, too graphic to publish in its entirety, showed the young man, who has not yet been identified, being held down on the floor on Wigan's Market Street on July 18.

A knife-wielding maniac towers over him as he waves a large knife at him several times, before plunging it into him several times.

The alleged victim has since been taken to hospital for non-life-threatening injuries. It is not currently know whether he is still at hospital.

Since the attack, two men, aged 30 and 19, were arrested on suspicious on attempted murder.

A spokesperson for GMP said: 'Emergency services are responding to a stabbing on Market Street in Wigan [on July 18]. A man aged 19 has suffered injuries which are not life-threatening. He has been taken to hospital for treatment.

A knife-wielding maniac towers over him as he waves a large knife at him several times, before plunging it into him several times

Since the attack, two men, aged 30 and 19, were arrested on suspicious on attempted murder

'Two men, aged 30 and 19, have been arrested on suspicion of attempted murder.'

Inspector Sam Davies, of GMP's Wigan District, said: 'Officers responded to the incident immediately and pursued the offenders. Both suspects remain in our custody and a knife has been recovered.

'Another of our officers provided first aid to the victim, who has been taken to hospital for treatment. Whilst the incident will undoubtedly cause concern, I want to highlight the positive response provided by us and reassure the public that we treat incidents of this nature extremely seriously.

'This would appear to be an isolated incident and there is no indication there is a wider risk to the community. The public should expect to see an increased police presence in the area by way of reassurance.

Distressing footage which emerged Friday shows police officers hauling a young boy out of a house and bundling him into a van

Locals arguing and arguing with police in Harehills, Leeds, following Thursday's disturbances

'GMP's commitment to tackling knife crime remains a priority, and we will continue to work alongside partners to identify those involved, provide preventative advice and ensure those carrying and using weapons are brought to justice.

'One person injured with a knife is too many and across the force we undertake lots of proactive, and educational work, to help take knives off the streets.'

The stabbing came on a day of social unrest across the UK, with a major riot plunging a Leeds suburb into chaos, while London's Whitechapel saw groups of men clashing in the streets.

In Leeds, riots in the Harehills area of Leeds began after social services in the city alleged removed all four children from a family, whose father is now reported to be on 'hunger strike' until his children are returned to him.

Leeds was a scene of 'shocking and disgraceful' disorder and saw a car being trashed while a double decker bus was set on fire.

Meanwhile, harrowing video footage showed a police officer hauling a young boy out of a house and bundling him into a van.

The disturbance in Whitechapel, east London, on Thursday evening saw hundreds of men gather on the street

Witnesses said the removal of the child was the flashpoint which kicked off the rioting, with the disorder lasting for hours.

Down in London, Scotland Yard said 'two large groups' of men were fighting in the street, while hundreds were involved in wider demonstrations in Whitechapel, east London, on Thursday.

Officers could be seen raising their batons as they allegedly came under attack during episodes of violence. Two police officers were injured.

The Metropolitan Police has now referred itself to the Independent Office for Police Conduct (IOPC) after a video shared on social media appeared to show an officer striking a man twice, with more police arriving on the scene and taking the man to the ground.

Other videos shared widely online appeared to show rocks being thrown and cars being damaged as large groups of mostly adult men clashed in Whitechapel, which has a large Bangladeshi community.
A British tourist has died after losing consciousness while swimming at a beach in Greece.

A lifeguard pulled the 66-year-old from the water at Achladies beach on Skiathos shortly after midday on Friday after she fell unconscious.

Medical professionals performed CPR and immediately took the woman to the nearby Skiathos Health Centre, but they were sadly unable to save her life.

The woman is believed to have lost consciousness in the 'intense heat in the area', with temperatures soaring to 31C on the island and little respite.

An excessive heat warning has been issued on Skiathos, and authorities across Greece are urging tourists to take special care following a number of deaths related to the rising temperatures in recent weeks.

A woman has died after losing conscious at Achladies beach (pictured, file) on Skiathos

The woman had left her hotel to go for a swim on the picturesque beach on the south of the island, CNN Greece reports.

She was found by the beach lifeguard after falling unconscious and pulled onto the beach.

The lifeguard and a private doctor both performed CPR on the tourist, but were unable to help her.

She was taken by ambulance to Skiathos Health Centre, a seven-minute drive from the beach.

Medics at the hospital were also unsuccessful in their efforts to save her.

The woman will now be transported to Volos for an autopsy, local media reports.

An FCDO spokesperson told MailOnline: 'We have offered consular support to the friends of a British woman who has died in Greece'

In May, a British tourist drowned while swimming in the sea during a day trip to the Greek island of Kalymnos.

The 76-year-old is believed to have drowned before he could be pulled from the water and helped by emergency responders at the port of Vathi.

The man's identity has not been released or reported in Greek media.

Six tourists were found dead in Greece in June alone, with officials warning of the perils of an intense heatwave sweeping the Mediterranean.

The remains of a German hiker were found in a ravine on the island of Crete on Monday, June 24.

The 67-year-old had been on holiday with his wife when he embarked on a 12.5 mile hike from the Omalos plateau to the village of Sougia on the southern coast.

Officials expect he lost his bearings in the heat and took a wrong turn on a path before going missing.

He is reported to have called his wife to say he was not feeling well before she lost contact.

At least three other tourists on Greek islands are still reported missing, including a retired US police officer and two French women.

Daily Mail columnist and health writer Dr Michael Mosley tragically died from 'heat exhaustion' after 'sitting down and losing consciousness' while walking across the Greek island of Symi at the start of June, police said.

Dr Mosley, 67, was found in a rocky area at the resort of Agia Marina on June 9 after a five day search.

It is thought Dr Mosley may have sat down to gather himself after being overcome with exhaustion and by effects of the heat having taken a wrong turn down a mountain path.

Temperatures at the time had been nudging 40C and the excessive heat is thought to have played a role in his death.

Temperatures soared past 40C (104F) through June, leading Greek authorities to close major tourists destinations and advise carrying water.

The heatwave has continued into July, with temperatures pushing 43C and causing wildfires in Greece.

Firefighters battled against two blistering infernos on Thursday near Thessaloniki in the north and a brush fire on Kea island as the heat makes dry regions susceptible to fire spreading.

The famous Acropolis in Athens, and other tourist sites, were shut this week as authorities urged visitors to be 'particularly careful' over the next few days.
Barcelona is set to slam tourists with new charges for overnight stays in the Spanish city amidst protests against 'overtourism', which saw visitors drenched in water.

Tourists heading to the capital of Catalonia currently get hit with two separate tourist costs- a regional charge and city tax.

However the latter charge is rising for the second time this year, having previously been hiked from 2.75 to 3.25 last April.

Now eager travellers will have to shell out 4 per night for up to a week's stay come October.

This combined with the regional charge, which is based on the type of accommodation could see some tourists paying as much as 7.50 (6.30) nightly, and 52.50 for a seven-night stay.

Barcelona is set to hit tourists with increased charges for overnight stays shortly after an anti-tourism protest saw visitors drenched in water (pictured)

Tourists are currently charged a city tax and a regional charge - accomodation dependent, however the first charge is set to increase for the second time this year (pictured: locals spraying tourists)

This could see some visitors staying in high-end accommodations paying as much as 7.50 (6.30) nightly, and 52.50 for a seven-night stay (pictured: anti-tourism protests in July)

The city says additional revenue will be used to improve local services, such as buses and roads (pictured tourists caught up in 'overtourism' protests in July)

Presently, visitors staying in four-star hotels are paying 1.70 a night in regional charges, whilst those in five-star hotels and short term rentals are coughing up 3.50 and 3.50 per night respectively, according to BirminghamLive.

The additional intake will be used by the local authority to ameliorate services such as buses, roads and escalators.

When discussing the new charges, Deputy Mayor Jaume Collboni declared Barcelona wants to encourage 'quality tourism which adds value to the city' instead of mass tourism.

The soaring charges for tourists gracing the Spanish city comes shortly after holidaymakers were forced to cower as they were sprayed with water guns by furious anti-tourism protesters in city.

On the weekend of July 6, thousands of locals marched through the city centre telling visitors to 'go home'.

Diners were taunted by one protester with a disturbing sign which read: 'Dear Tourist: Balconing is Fun!' - clearly mocking Brits and other foreigners who have lost their lives falling from balconies while on holiday.

In another show of intimidation, cordons were wrapped around restaurants in the popular Las Ramblas boulevard. Some of the tourists watching the unruly scenes appeared bemused, laughing and shouting back at the demonstrators surrounding them as they tried to enjoy their meals.

Angry with the cost of living and lack of affordable housing in the city, locals carried signs which read 'Barcelona is not for sale' and chanted 'tourists out of our neighbourhood' at people as they stopped in front of the entrances to hotels.

But many have pointed out that tourists eating in local restaurants and spending their money is a benefit to their local economy, with staff at one eatery shaking their heads at what many are seeing as misdirected and unprovoked attacks.

A disturbing sign was plastered on to one window during the protest which read: 'Dear tourist: Balconing is fun!'

A family are seen watching as the restaurant they are eating at is surrounded by anti-tourism protesters on the weekend of July 6

Customers watched aghast as the protest continued through the city on July 6

Protesters squirted water guns at tourists eating in popular spots in the city

A woman carries a sign that read 'neighbours in danger of extinction' through Barcelona

Police officers in riot gear were pictured keeping protesters away from the terraces of Barceloneta restaurants popular with tourists.

Under the slogan 'Enough! Let's put limits on tourism', some 2,800 people - according to authorities - marched along a waterfront district of Barcelona on Saturday to demand a new economic model that would reduce the millions of tourists that visit every year.

Barcelona's rising cost of housing, up 68 percent in the past decade, is one of the main issues for the movement, along with the effects of tourism on local commerce and working conditions in the city of 1.6 million inhabitants.

Rents rose by 18% in June from a year earlier in tourist cities such as Barcelona and Madrid, according to the property website Idealista.

For years, the city has worn anti-tourist graffiti with messages such as 'tourists go home' aimed at visitors some blame for the rising prices and shaping of the economy around tourists.

Barcelona's mayor, Jaume Collboni, announced a plan in June to phase out all short-term lets by 2028, an unexpectedly drastic move by the authorities who seek to rein in soaring housing costs and make the city liveable for residents.

He said the city has a 'firm' commitment to limit mass tourism, including by introducing a tourist tax and turning more than 10,000 tourist flats into into residential buildings.

But many still feel not enough is being done to balance the needs of tourists, who bring millions to the city each year, with those of locals.

Anti-riot forces gesture as protesters put march through Las Ramblas on July 6

A protester shouting at people in a restaurant in Barcelona amid anti-tourism protests in the city

A symbolic cordon was put around a bar-restaurant in an area popular with tourists

A line of regional police officers keep protesters away from the terraces of Barcelona restaurants mostly frequented by tourists

Demonstrators protest in front of a bar-restaurant during a protest against mass tourism on Barcelona's Las Ramblas alley

Customers at one bar shout back at demonstrators who have wrapped a cordon around the entrance

Protesters in Barcelona have told tourists that they are not welcome in the city

Demonstrators hold a sign reading 'Barcelona is not for sale' during a protest against mass tourism on Barcelona's Las Ramblas alley on July 6

Thousands of people are protesting in downtown Barcelona against the city's tourist overcrowding earlier in July

One local boasted a sign which read: No neighbours from outside the neighbourhood

'Local shops are closing to make way for stores that do not serve the needs of neighbourhoods. People cannot afford their rents,' said Isa Miralles, a 35-year-old musician who lives in the Barceloneta district.

'I have nothing against tourism, but here in Barcelona we are suffering from an excess of tourism that has made our city unliveable,' said Jordi Guiu, a 70-year-old sociologist.

The northeastern coastal city, with internationally famous sites such as La Sagrada Familia, received more than 12 million tourists last year, according to local authorities.

To combat the 'negative effects of mass tourism', the city council run by the Socialist Jaume Collboni announced 10 days ago that it was banning tourist apartment rentals - there are now more than 10,000 - by 2028 so that they can be put back on the local housing market.

The announcement could lead to a legal battle and is opposed by an association of tourist apartments who say it will just feed the black market.

The Barcelona protests come after similar demonstrations in tourist hotspots such as Malaga, Palma de Mallorca and the Canary Islands.
An American 'spy' who allegedly crashed into a British nurse in the UK before fleeing to the US was arrested on his base in Houston, a court heard today.

Isac (corr) Calderon, 23, was undergoing two-week training in Texas when the US Marshals apprehended him on an extradition warrant last week.

Calderon appeared at a court in Houston in handcuffs and leg shackles and an orange prison-issue outfit where a judge said that he 'just up and left' the UK rather than face justice there.

The US army Specialist appeared anxious and his parents cried after a judge remanded him in custody for another week.

Calderon is accused of smashing head-on into Elizabeth Donowho, 56, near Shucknall in Herefordshire last July then fleeing to the US.

Isac Calderon, 23, (pictured) is accused of crashing into a British nurse before fleeing to the US

He was arrested at his home in Houston and is facing extradition proceedings to bring him to the UK to face justice.

Calderon walked into court through a side door in an orange prison-issue t-shirt and trousers with his hands in cuffs and shackles on his ankles.

He sat in a chair with his hands firmly clasped together in his lap as if in prayer.

When his mother and father walked into court he gave them a pained look and welled up as they stared at him.

Judge Peter Bray told Calderon: 'You're charged with an offence in the United Kingdom is punishable by more than a year in custody in the United Kingdom'.

Elizabeth Donowho, 56, (pictured) was struck near Shucknall in Herefordshire last July

Calderon's court- appointed defence lawyer, Amr Adnan Ahmed said there would be special circumstances which meant he should be freed on bail.

Mr Ahmed said that the criminal charge in the UK 'does not correspond with a similar level in the United states'.

Prosecutor Jay Hileman said that the equivalent would be aggravated assault, adding that it was a 'pretty broad crime' that had been used for vehicular cases before.

Mr Ahmed said that other factors were that Calderon was 'in the military, he's in training in the National Guard'

Calderon was arrested on his base and was at the moment supposed to be undergoing a two-week training course.

Calderon's military identity document for the United States of America

Mr Ahmed added that Calderon's father Manuel, himself a former soldier, was 'prepared to testify' and that Calderon had been in contact with law enforcement.

While Mr Ahmed did not identify Calderon's base, Ellington Field Joint Reserve Base is the biggest National Guard base near Houston.

Judge Bray appeared sceptical of Mr Ahmed's claims.

Judge Bray said: 'Unless I'm mistaken I have evidence that says he told the people in the United Kingdom he was going to go to court, that he wasn't going to leave the United Kingdom until March and he just up and left and came back to the United States.

'You have to overcome that'.

Calderon pictured leaving his home in Humble, Texas where he lives with his family

Judge Bray ordered both sides to file briefs on the issue and set a July 29th date for both the extradition and detention hearing.

The judge said that it was 'not a normal criminal case' and that the US had an 'international obligation' to return suspects quickly to the nation where they face trial, or the risk would be they wouldn't do the same for America.

Judge Bray warned Calderon that if his main 'special circumstance' to stop the extradition was that there wasn't an identical criminal charge then he was unlikely to be successful.

According to Judge Bray there was a 'very long and strong line of case's that meant special circumstances were 'almost never' approved.

Judge Bray told the court: 'I'm not letting him out on bail today. It would be an abuse of discretion to do that'.

Ms Donowho returning to the scene in Herefordshire where she suffered several broken bones

Calderon's parents sobbed as he was led out the court. His father told him in Spanish would be in touch the next day.

They did not answer questions as they left court - Mrs Calderon hid behind her husband as they walked to their car.

Calderon is accused of overtaking multiple vehicles before the collision on the A4103 on July 31st last year.

West Mercia police issued an arrest warrant for him after he failed to appear for a court date to answer charges of causing serious injury by dangerous driving.

Ms Donowho, from Malvern, Worcestershire, said she was unable to walk for six weeks following the crash that left her with a fractured sternum and two broken ankles.

A x-ray image of one of Ms Donowho's injuries to her leg following the crash

Calderon was due to appear at Kidderminster Magistrates' Court on December 1st last year but instead boarded a commercial flight to Houston.

He was living with his family in a suburb of the Texan city until his arrest earlier this week and faces extradition to the UK after a formal request from the British authorities.

In court filings in Texas, prosecutors said that Calderon admitted to vaping moments before the crash.

He told West Mercia police his driving was 'definitely not safe' and agreed with a police officer's description of his conduct as dangerous, a transcript of the interview states.

Shown a video of the collision Calderon repeatedly said to police: 'S***'.

He also admitted he wasn't used to driving a manual gearbox - or British road signs - and that he just followed other drivers to know when he was supposed to stop.

Witnesses said he was doing 70mph in a 50mph zone and was overtaking multiple vehicles before the collision.

Radd Seiger, a spokesman for Ms Donowho, said: 'We are very pleased to see that the long overdue legal proceedings to extradite Mr Calderon are now well and truly underway in Texas and we hope he will be back in our jurisdiction soon.

'We also note that Mr Calderon was arrested last weekend on his army base confirming that he is in active service for the US Government.

'That tallies with what West Mercia Police told Elizabeth that he was in the UK working for the US intelligence agencies and it also means that the US Embassy's public statement last year after Mr Calderon left that he was in the UK only as a private citizen appears to be a fabrication.'
'LICKSPITTLE' judges who assist Vladimir Putin in repressing Russian dissent could face the International Criminal Court alongside him, a former UN War Crimes judge has said.

It comes as Wall Street Journal reporter Evan Gershkovich was jailed for 16 years by a Russian court after being convicted of espionage on Friday. His employer and the U.S. have rejected the charges as fabricated.

Geoffrey Robertson KC, who is also a leading human rights barrister, revealed lawyers are investigating whether action could be taken under international law against members of Russia's judiciary.

He also raised the example of a judge who remanded the country's late opposition leader Alexei Navalny into custody in 2021 for breaching probation for an earlier trumped-up charge  because he was recovering from being poisoned with Novichok.

Geoffrey Robertson KC said lawyers are asking if action can be taken against Russia's judiciary

Vladimir Putin has used the courts in Russia to silence opposition to his regime for decades

Evan Gershkovich was jailed for 16 years by a Russian court after being convicted of espionage

Mr Navalny, 47, died in a Russian prison in February.

Mr Robertson said: 'We're working to do something on the judges in Russia who are basically lickspittles (for Putin).

'Remember Navalny, who had just come back to Russia from Germany after recovering from being poisoned?

'The judge found he had broken his conditions by not meeting his probation officer and that was why he was put in jail.

'Can you imagine that because you have not been able to meet your probation officer because you were recovering from being poisoned by the FSB (Russian security services), you are put in jail? He never came back out.

'That's just one example of the lickspittles who are in charge of justice in Russia.'

Alexei Navalny 47, a prominent political critic of Putin died in a Russian prison in February

Mr Robertson - who served as president of a UN War Crimes Court set up in Africa from 2002-2007, which indicted Charles Taylor, president of Liberia, for war crimes and crimes against humanity in the Sierra Leone civil war - was speaking during a talk about his book, The Trial of Vladimir Putin, at the Buxton International Festival, Derbyshire.

In the book, the barrister argues international law which led to the Nuremburg trials of senior Nazis must be used to bring the Russian president to justice for his illegal war against Ukraine.

An arrest warrant for Putin was issued by the International Criminal Court after he was investigated for war crimes, crimes against humanity and genocide.

Mr Robertson, founder of London human rights law firm Doughty Street Chambers, said there remains hope the Russian tyrant could eventually be brought to justice if the 71-year-old is ousted and a new regime takes control.

He said: 'It may be that Putin is surrendered in time by a government that wants to get rid of western sanctions.

'It may be that he comes hobbling into the dock like some old Nazi. But there is a chance that hope might prove to be in vain.'

Mr Robertson said Putin had 'breached a red line in the civilised world by invading a peaceful country, slaughtering its soldiers and civilians and kidnapping children'.

He also said United Nations 'doesn't work' in terms of its ability to tackle crises such as the Ukraine War and the war in Gaza.

He said the UN General Assembly is 'basically a talking shop', while motions before the UN Security Council are vetoed 'by America, as Israel's closest ally', on Gaza, and 'by Russia on Ukraine'.

A Russian judge announces the verdict to US journalist Gershkovich, accused of espionage

Mr Robertson said that while 'the UN was designed to prevent the scourge of war', the way it was designed means 'it can't work, it doesn't work'. He added that the UN also' has no reference to democracy' in its constitution.

He added: 'The veto should be limited to situations where the vetoing country has no involvement in the matter.'

Mr Robertson told how three top members of the Labour government have been part of his law firm  the Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer, Foreign Secretary David Lammy and Attorney General, Richard Hermer KC.

'We're the equivalent for a Labour government of an Eton,' he joked.

'It's interesting that if you wanted a career as a Labour MP in the past, you always had to suck up to a trade union.

'In the future, maybe you have to join a human rights chambers.'

Recalling when a young Starmer came for an interview with Doughty Street Chambers in 1990, three years after being called to the bar, Mr Robertson said he wore a cardigan, 'looked about 14', and was 'very nervous'.

But the lawyer-turned politician's success showed 'you should never take anyone just on their face-to-face interview', he added.
The sobbing father of children 'taken away by police' broke down and begged for their return after members of the Roma community gathered in Leeds on Friday night in solidarity with the family following a night of rioting in the city on Thursday.

The family gathered in front of the wreckage of a burnt-out double decker bus to appeal for the return of their children after police removed several children from a house on Luxor Street on Thursday, sparking civil unrest.

'Please bring my children back. I want them back. Why take my kids? They were taken from us,' the father from Romania told The Mirror on Friday.

A family friend told the outlet the father had tried to stop the riots when they broke out on Thursday night and 'wants calm'.

Members of the Roma community later gathered in solidarity with the family on Friday in peaceful protest, chanting 'Please bring the kids back!' over the decision to remove them from the home.

West Yorkshire Police sought to clarify the situation in a statement released Friday, explaining that officers were responding to reports of 'hostility' towards social workers at the house on Thursday afternoon when they were themselves 'attacked'.

They 'withdrew to a place of safety' before the riots erupted across the city, leading to a bus being torched and a police car overturned in a dramatic show of anger.

The father broke down as he appealed for the return of his children on Friday morning

The family reportedly said they 'want calm' after riots swept Leeds on Thursday night

Distressing footage which emerged Friday shows police officers hauling a young boy out of a house and bundling him into a van

Shocking scenes in Leeds on Thursday night as a bus was set on fire and a police car tipped

Riots in the Hare Hill area of Leeds began Thursday night after social services in the city removed all four children from a family

Police stand by near the remains of a burned bus after civil disturbance on Thursday night

Riots swept Harehills after police responded to reports of 'hostility' towards social workers

Vehicles were set on fire and a car was overturned as residents were warned to stay home

A TikTok live stream of Friday's gatheirngs were shared widely on the site

Police removed the children from a red brick terraced house on Thursday afternoon because their parents were due to fly with them to Romania this Saturday, reports say.

Social Services had concern for the children's welfare after an incident in April when another child, a nine-month-old baby, suffered a head injury.

The father's boss, Neculai Tudorache, 44, claimed the social services were alerted to the property after nine-month-old baby was allegedly dropped on its head 'accidentally' by another child.

The father told The Mirror he had never hurt his children as he began a 'hunger strike' pending their return.

Witnesses said the removal of a child, seen being bundled into a police van, was the flashpoint which kicked off the rioting on Thursday night, with the disorder lasting for hours.

Photos from Friday show tensions rising in the city as locals appeared to argue with police while surrounded by a scene of chaos from the night before.

Families looked on at the immense clean up taking place to clear away the smouldering wreckage of a bus set alight in Harehills.

The intensity of the violence was deemed so severe that firefighters refused to enter the street for hours amid fears crews would be attacked.

West Yorkshire Police yesterday said that a number of people had been arrested following the violence and warned 'further arrests will be made over the next few days'.

Locals arguing and arguing with police in Harehills, Leeds, following Thursday's disturbances

Another video shows locals singing along to music while people hold signs which say 'please give back children'

In videos shared widely on social media, members of the public can be heard chanting 'please bring the kids back' - in reference to the children taken by social services

The smouldering wreckage of a bus set alight in Harehills, Leeds after riots brought chaos to the streets

The remains of a bus which was set on fire in the city amid the riots

Police horses at the scene on Friday in Leeds after riots caused chaos in the city

Forensic scientists examine a burnt out bus, as police patrol the Harehills neighbourhood

The story attracted great attention and shows of support from the Roma community in Leeds, reigniting concerns about underlying prejudice towards the minority ethnic group.

Stefania Banu, a local community leader, speaking to the the Daily Mirror said: 'The mother and father are refusing to eat until they get their children back. We are fully supporting them.

'We believe it was an injustice that can be rectified by the authorities if they revise the case. Which they have promised to do.'

Ms Banu went onto to say that the manner of which the children were removed from their home was 'traumatising' for the family.

A community leader told the Mail yesterday: 'We are persecuted at home and now here.

'The police should not have taken the children away, it is upsetting for the parents and family and children.'

Since Thursday's riots locals in the West Yorkshire city have claimed that they have been 'persecuted' by police amid a shocking evening of disorder in the city which saw neighbours clash with officers.

Last year, a report by Leeds City Council aimed at tackling problems faced by the community told of their 'fierce pride' and how 'a problem for one member of the community was seen as a problem for all'.

The report exposed some of the deep 'challenges' faced by the community, making up some 5,000 people in Leeds, in the UK and abroad.

The report's authors say: 'We were told about the fierce pride the Roma community had for their culture and heritage.

'This had remained despite the challenges, and the stigma and discrimination, they have faced.

'We were told about how community members would show great support for one another.'

Harehills has long been one of the most ethnically diverse areas of Leeds.

In light of the concern, a joint statement on behalf of the Leeds City Council and the Romanian and Roma community shared Friday said: 'The Romanian and Roma community have played a fantastic role in the community and have contributed much to the diversity and richness of the Harehills.

'We want this work to continue, and develop further work that makes Harehills an even better place to work and live. The events of last night will not help our community or the family.

'We need to work together with the authorities to ensure that best outcomes for the community, and to ensure our voices are heard at the highest level so we can avoid such scenarios in the future.'

Local people watch the clean up as police patrol Harehills neighbourhood after Thursday's civil unrest

Forensic scientists examine a burnt out bus, as police patrol the Harehills neighbourhood after Thursday's civil unrest

A JCB clears the remains of a burnt-out bus, which is cordoned off by police in Harehills, east Leeds, following the disturbance on Thursday evening

Aerial footage shows the aftermath of the trouble, with large sections of the area still cordoned off

Police are still at the scene in Leeds where the violence erupted last night after a number of children were taken in to protective custody by social services (pictured: the street today)

Police cordons remain in place today after rioters torched a bus and flipped police car

Parts of Leeds resemble a warzone, with torched vehicles this morning pictured as smouldering wrecks

Pictured is the bus as a fire raged on board after riots set it ablaze in Leeds on Thursday

Police leave the scene of a burning bus after firefighters extinguished the vehicle

At least twice before, violence and ill-feeling towards police has spilled out into street violence.

In 2001, hundreds of men went on the rampage in Harehills following the wrongful arrest of an Asian man, Hossein Miah.

Officers were lured to nearby Banstead Park over a false report that one had been hit by a petrol bomb.

A multi-ethnic mob then barricaded police with burning furniture from a second-hand store nearby as well as washing machines.

Over 20 cars were torched, 23 officers and a journalist were hurt and a shop was burnt down, with damage put at 500,000.

Twenty-five men were later given jail sentences for what a judge branded 'violence for the sake of violence'.

Then on Bonfire Night in 2019, terrified Harehills residents cowered indoors as police were forced to battle a five-hour siege by yobs armed with fireworks, bricks and axes.

As with last night's disorder, locals bravely tried to defend police, with six officers injured.

Three of the rioters were later given jail sentences totalling seven years.

However on the 20th anniversary of the 2001 riots, there were warnings that little had changed.

One business owner told Leeds Live: 'It's the same, it hasn't changed a bit.'

A local resident complained about 'blatant' drug dealing, adding: 'The police are present sometimes but I don't think it's enough.'
She has clashed with family and Maureen Lipman over her firm political stance

Veteran Jewish actress Miriam Margolyes has revealed she 'is wounded' by lost friendships and accusations of betraying her community due to her strong pro-Gaza views.

Having visited both Israel and Gaza - and even previously living on an Israeli communal settlement also known as a kibbutz - Margolyes has made her stance on the conflict abundantly clear.

Open in her critique of the Israeli government, the Harry Potter actress, 83, has called for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to be jailed, branding him a 'war criminal' and a 'common corrupt politician'.

In April she was also among the 151 Jewish creatives who signed an open letter backing director Jonathan Glazer and his Oscar's speech where he implied the tragedy of the Holocaust was being 'hijacked by an occupation'.

But despite her steadfast beliefs, she has been left in 'agony' adding how 'the abused have become the abusers' comparing Gaza to concentration camps during World War II.

Miriam Margolyes (pictured)has been left 'wounded' by shattered friendships due to her pro Gaza views

The Harry Potter actress has previously clashed with actress Maureen Lipman (pictured) over opinions on Israel and Gaza

'All the time, I'm thinking in Gaza, they've been told to move and move and move. And they're being bombed, and nobody's doing anything,' she told the Telegraph.

But her strong political opinions, has led to clashes with several friends including Coronation Street actress Maureen Lipman.

'Jewish people regard me with loathing, as someone who betrayed my nation and aligned myself with the Devil,' the actress told Saga.

'That is also the opinion of my erstwhile friend Dame Maureen Lipman, who is horrified by my attitude.'

Margolyes continued: 'I have no doubt I am right. I am convinced that killing women and children is totally wicked, does not help Israel or anybody.

'It's just vile. How it has been allowed to go on for so long, I don't know.'

However she confessed Lipman wasn't the only person who opposed her views on Gaza, with her family also being 'disgusted' by a clip she posted denouncing Israel for its response to October 7.

On October 7 Hamas gunmen went across the Israeli border and killed 1,200 people, among the victims were children, the elderly as well as 364 attendees at Nova music festival.

A United Nations report published earlier this year said that 'sexualised torture' such as rapes and gang-rapes had been carried out by Hamas thugs amid the atrocities which saw over a thousand people killed and 250 taken hostage.

The comedian also revealed her family were 'disgusted' by her video denouncing the Israeli government for their response to Hamas attacks on October 7

Hamas gunmen went across the Israeli border and killed 1,200 on October 7, among the victims were children, the elderly as well as 364 attendees at Nova music festival (pictured: items left scattered around the Supernova Music Festival site)

However this wasn't the first time Margolyes has spoken out in support of Palestine, with the Call the Midwife star suggesting famed author Charles Dickens would have supported the country.

'I am very pro-Palestine, I just want that to be very clear, and so would Dickens be if he was here,' she quipped.

Despite her opposition to the Israeli government, Margolyes confessed the conflict in the Middle East has opened the door to further anti-Semitism.

'There is anti-Semitism,' she told the Telegraph.

'I don't think people like Jews, they never have, and what is happening in Israel gives people a wonderful opportunity to be anti-Semitic and to speak against Jews.

'And that is why I always wish to say I'm Jewish. And I am absolutely pro-Palestinian.'
They have long been the scourge of summer, tormenting tourists and locals who dare go outside.

And this year is proving to be no different. In fact, there is reason to be even more cautious.

For the wet weather in Scotland this summer has led to perfect conditions for an increase in midges.

Surges of the tiny flying insects, are expected with the highest numbers predicted in the coming weeks.

Forecasters anticipate high numbers, reaching peaks of four and five on a scale of one to five.

People try and protect themselves from swarms of the pests by wearing hats and hoods

Tourist hotspots such as Ullapool, Fort William and Lochcarron have been among the worst affected areas, experiencing an early surge in numbers in May due to Scotlands wetter than average spring.

Jay Hutchison is the entomology project director at Dundee-based APS Biocontrol, which does extensive research into midges in Scotland and produces an insect repellent.

He said: They came about two weeks early this year. They usually appear in May but there were much larger numbers than expected. Scotland had a particularly wet spring and they thrive in damp conditions.

According to Met Office weather data Scotland had its wettest April on record, with some areas recording more than double their average rainfall. This wet weather has continued, providing a perfect habitat for the biting insects.

Mr Hutchison said: The second peak usually comes in August, so in the next couple of weeks we would expect the peak to arrive.

In 2015, a warm autumn led to a rare third hatching of midges.

While difficiult to predict due to the changes in weather, Mr Hutchison said it is possible that a third wave could happen again if the weather in Scotland continues to be wet and humid.

Tourist hotspots such as Ullapool in Wester Ross have been badly affected due to the wet spring

They may be tiny but being bitten by hundreds of midges is a terrible experience

Midges do not transfer any dangerous diseases to humans so the work of the forecast is mostly to predict peak nuisance level.

They can transmit some diseases to sheep and cattle, although it is uncommon in the UK because midges die out over winter.

The National Trust for Scotlands Upland path manager Bob Brown said the midges were so much of a nuisance they have been added to the tasks risk assessment.

Midges usually spend the winter in the soil as larvae until the days get longer and warmer in the spring, which initiates them turning into adults.

Normally they first appear in the south of Scotland and then later in the north west based on weather patterns.
The sister of a woman stabbed to death by her abusive ex-partner pleaded for victims of domestic abusive to 'stand up and speak out' after an inquest found authorities missed chances to save 27-year-old mother Regan Tierney.

Shannon, sister to Regan, thanked the jury and coroner on Friday as the inquest at Bolton Coroner's Court concluded after a long five years of waiting for the verdict that Regan had been killed 'unlawfully' by her former partner, Daniel Patten, in 2019.

She expressed gratitude on behalf of her sister and 'all past, present and future domestic violence victims', urging victims: 'Stand up, speak out. You are not alone.'

Regan Tierney was found stabbed to death at her Salford home in June 2019 after a ten-year relationship in which she was subjected to coercive and controlling behaviour, intimidation, verbal abuse, physical violence and threats.

The jury was told Regan - a mother of two - had faced abuse since she met Patten in 2009, aged just 17. Opportunities were 'missed' to intervene, the inquest concluded, as state agencies offered 'insufficient' support.

Patten, 31, was found with critical injuries and died shortly after killing Regan in an apparent murder-suicide.

Regan was stabbed to death in a 'murder-suicide' by her former partner in 2019

Daniel Patten (pictured) was found with critical injuries and died shortly after

Shannon (left, with Regan) pleaded with victims of abuse to 'stand up' and 'speak out'

Regan's body was discovered by her father in a semi-detached house in Salford in June 2019.

Her medical cause of death was later recorded as 1A multiple stab wounds.

For years, Regan had reported threats to the police, but none were deemed a high risk situation, the court heard previously.

Incidents dated back ten years, with Regan's mother calling police in August 2009 - just after they had met - to tell officers he had 'held Regan by the threat'.

At the time, Regan denied this, but later told officers he had 'strangled' her early into the relationship.

There were also missed opportunities to protect the young mother by Bolton NHS Foundation Trust A&E after she presented with a broken nose in October 2012, a report found.

Patten eventually received a suspended sentence for an attack on Regan, the court heard.

Shannon said this had taken place after Regan said she wanted to go home and he did not.

'He got in her face and punched her,' she told the hearing this month, appearing in court with a T-shirt with a picture of Regan printed on it.

'She fell to the floor and Daniel continued to punch and stamp on her.'

After the suspended sentence, the physical abuse appeared to stop for some time.

But Shannon told the inquest 'there was a lot of mental abuse' that followed.

'He would send her messages telling her she was fat, she was horrible and no other man would want her.'

Shannon said the relationship with Daniel was 'on and off'. In June 2019, she updated her Facebook relationship status to say she was dating someone new.

She told Daniel as she 'did not want to lie to him'.

She said he had asked calmly if she was seeing anyone else and when she confirmed she was, he sent her a chilling message that read: 'He is dead.'

PC Stephen Roxburgh, who visited Regan after she'd filed a complaint, told the court there were no signs she was in 'grave danger.'

Regan called Greater Manchester Police and told the call handler: 'He said he's going to kill me. Have my head on a spike. Kill whoever I'm with. It's getting quite scary.'

It took police three days to visit Regan, as reported by the Manchester Evening News.

The threats came just 11 days before Regan's body was found.

Following her death, GMP made a referral to the Independent Office for Police Conduct (IOPC).

At the time the Domestic Homicide Review was published in September 2021, the IOPC's report had not been published.

A report concluded there were 'missed opportunities' to protect Regan Tierney, 27 (pictured), before she was stabbed to death by Daniel Patten

Forensics officers at the scene where Miss Tierney was found dead in a semi-detached house in 2019

Pictured: Ms Tierney's funeral where her life was celebrated in an emotional service

Regan was described by her family as a lovely young woman who had 'everything to live for.'

In a statement released following her death, they said: 'She was a loving mum who loved family life, she will be greatly missed by her two children and family.

'Regan was taken from our lives too soon. She was a beautiful daughter, granddaughter, sister, niece, and an amazing mother. We will forever cherish the memories.'

If you are experiencing domestic abuse, you can call the National Domestic Abuse Helpline at any time of day or night for confidential, non-judgmental support and information at 0808 2000 247.

You can also find help by calling the UK police non-emergency number on 101, if you need support or advice and it is not an emergency. If you're in immediate danger, always call the police on 999.
Joe Biden suspects two longtime allies as being behind a campaign to oust him, insiders have revealed.

The president is currently recuperating from Covid-19 at his Delaware beach house in Rehoboth, but is said to be stewing over the betrayal.

Several elected Democrats have publicly called on him to step down following his disastrous performance at the presidential debate with Donald Trump last month.

The calls have only increased in recent days, with leaks to to the media further damaging the president's prospects.

Insiders told the New York Times that Biden suspects former House speaker Nancy Pelosi is stirring the pot, with former running mate Barack Obama acting as a 'puppet master' behind the scenes.

Joe Biden suspects two longtime allies as being behind a campaign to oust him, insiders have revealed

Both politicians- along with New York Rep. Hakeem Jeffries - have recently been at the center of news stories claiming they are predicting a devastating defeat for the Democrats in November.

Obama's own former aides have also come out to publicly disavow the president, without any comment from their former boss.

Biden and Obama forged a friendship by working closely together during the former president's two terms in office, but he has offered little in the way of public support.

The two appeared together at a glamorous Hollywood fundraiser in June, where Obama was said to have been 'shocked' at the deterioration in Biden.

Obama reportedly told allies that the president should seriously consider whether he should stay in the race, as speculation grows he could drop out within days.

The Washington Post reported Thursday that Obama - who's only spoken to Biden once since the disastrous debate - believes Biden's path to victory has greatly diminished, but thinks the president needs to make the decision to quit himself.

Meanwhile, the public calls from sitting Democrats for Biden to withdraw only continue to mount - particularly from Pelosi.

The president is said to have noted that those who recently came out including Senator Martin Heinrich of New Mexico, Senator Sherrod Brown of Ohio, Rep. Adam B. Schiff and at least nine House Democrats, including Rep. Zoe Lofgren are all close to Pelosi.

Senator Jon Tester of Montana became the second Senate Democrat to call on the president to axe his reelection bid

Senator Martin Heinrich of New Mexico (left) and Rep Seth Moulton of Massachusetts (right) are among those calling for the president to withdraw from the race

In addition, Senator Jon Tester of Montana this week became the second Senate Democrat to call on the president to axe his reelection bid.

On Friday, Rep. Seth Moulton of Massachusetts reiterated his concerns in a Boston Globe article where he shared that his 'mentor and friend' Biden id not seem to recognize him at a D-Day commemoration in France in June.

'Of course, that can happen as anyone ages, but as I watched the disastrous debate a few weeks ago, I have to admit that what I saw in Normandy was part of a deeper problem,' Moulton said.

Despite the growing cacophony of dissident voices, Biden has insisted he plans to continue in the race with his team strenuously denying that an announcement could be forthcoming in the next few days.

'I look forward to getting back on the campaign trail next week to continue exposing the threat of Donald Trump's Project 2025 agenda while making the case for my own record and the vision that I have for America: one where we save our democracy, protect our rights and freedoms, and create opportunity for everyone,' Biden said on Friday.

Campaign chairwoman Jennifer O'Malley Dillon told MSNBC that the president is 'absolutely' still in the race, although she acknowledged the challenging conditions of late.

'The American people know that the president is older,' she said. 'They see that.

'They knew that before the debate. Yes, of course, we have a lot of work to do to make sure that we are reassuring the American people that, yes, he's old, but he can do the job and he can win.'
The world is still reeling from what is being dubbed history's biggest IT meltdown, with borders backed up for hours and hospitals being forced to cancel operations, following a glitch pushed out to a piece of software, ironically built to help protect computers from cyberattacks.

Airports, hospitals, banks and stock markets across were world were sent spiralling into chaos after security software produced by American firm CrowdStrike caused computers running Microsoft Windows to reboot over and over again, rendering them unusable.

In the States, the northern and southern borders are still locked up due to what has been dubbed the world's biggest IT meltdown, causing snaking queues of cars to back up.

Germany, meanwhile, has been forced to cancel operations in hospitals, endangering lives.

And in India and China, authorities are finally managing to wrestle back control of airports, allowing passengers to make much-needed journeys across the globe.

So-called 'Blue Screens of Death' began popping up across the world on Friday morning, after CrowdStrike pushed out an update to its Falcon Sensor software, which allows its clients to detect and prevent cyberattack threats.

Billboards in Times Square, New York, showed the so-called 'Blue Screen of Death'

Pedestrians waiting to cross into the United States took four to eight hours to advance at the San Ysidro Port of Entry border crossing in Tijuana, Mexico

Indian workers try to repair a malfunctioning information screen at the Delhi International Airport in New Delhi, India, 19 July 2024

A checkout terminal hit by IT issues is seen at a Coles store in Australia

Passengers line up at Hong Kong International Airport in Hong Kong, China, 19 July 2024

By mid-morning, the outage was estimated to have caused $24billon in damages to the world's economy.

Part of this came in the form of delayed travel. In the US, people seeking to enter from both the north and south have been forced to queue for hours as crossing were delayed massively by the internet outage.

The San Ysidro Port of Entry was gridlocked on Friday morning with pedestrians waiting three hours to cross, according to the San Diego Union-Tribune.

Even cars with people approved for a US Customers and Border Protection 'Trusted Traveler' program for low-risk passengers waited up to 90 minutes.

The program, known as SENTRI, moves passengers more quickly through customs and passport control if they make an appointment for an interview and submit to a background check to travel through customs and passport control more quickly when they arrive in the Us.

Vehicles heading south into Mexico from California are shown at the border crossing between Mexico and the United States at the San Ysidro border in San Diego, California, U.S

Pedestrians showed their issued government identifications after US authorities allow them to advance into the United States from Mexico

Apology messages are on display at Hong Kong International Airport in Hong Kong, China

Companies and institutions around the world have been affected on 19 July by a major computer outage in systems running Microsoft Windows

Meanwhile, at the US-Canada border, Windsor Police reported long delays at the crossings at the Ambassador Bridge and the Detroit-Windsor tunnel.

Officials at international travel hubs desperately wrangled the outage, trying their hardest to bring some stability amid the IT chaos.

Officials at Hong Kong International Airport said that normal operations have been resumed, according to Chinese state media.

Citing the city-state's airport authority, media said that passenger check-in systems have returned to normal.

In India, two major airlines, SpiceJet and Air India, said that they managed to resolve all issues caused by CrowdStrike's glitch.

SpiceJet managing director Ajay Singh said: 'Our team worked tirelessly to ensure minimal disruption to our passengers' travel plans, and we are proud to have successfully operated all our scheduled flights.'

Digital boards at Delhi Airport are seen with error messages due to the global communications outage caused by CrowdStrike

Airports, hospitals, banks and stock markets across were world were sent spiralling into chaos

An Air India spokesperson, meanwhile, said: 'We confirm that none of Air India flights on 19 July was cancelled on account of the worldwide outage of travel systems, though there were some delays due to the impact of the outage on airport services.

'Air India's own, resilient IT infrastructure remained unaffected yesterday and continues to function as normal.'

Eurowings, a budget subsidiary of Lufthansa, said it expected to return to 'largely scheduled' flight operations on Saturday.

On Friday, the global IT outage had forced the airline to cancel about 20% of its flights, mostly on domestic routes. Passengers were asked to take trains instead.

'Online check-in, check-in at the airport, boarding processes, booking and rebooking flights are all possible again,' the airline said Saturday on X. 'However, due to the considerable extent of the global IT disruption there may still be isolated disruptions' for passengers, it said.

While international travel seems to be sorting itself out, emergency services still appear to be affected by the outage.

A ccreen remains off in Times Square New York, New York, USA, 19 July 2024

The US was severely affected by the IT outage

In Portland, Oregon, mayor Ted Wheeler declared an emergency on Friday after more than half of the city's computer systems were affected by the global internet outage.

Wheeler said during a news conference that while emergency services calls weren't interrupted, dispatchers were having to manually track 911 calls with pen and paper for a few hours. He said 266 of the city's 487 computer systems were affected.

And two German hospitals in the northern German cities of Luebeck and Kiel have cancelled elective operations scheduled for Friday, their operator said.

Patient care and emergency services are being maintained, the University Clinic of Schleswig-Holstein (UKSH) added in a statement.

The UK's National Cyber Security Center's former head, Ciaran Martin, said the worst of the crisis was over, 'because the nature of the crisis is that it went very wrong very quickly. It was spotted quite quickly and essentially it was turned off.'

He told Sky News that some businesses would be able to get back to normal very quickly, but for sectors such as aviation it would take longer.

Passengers wait inside the Terminal 3 as operations have been disrupted following a global IT issue, at Orly Airport near Paris

Madrid-Barajas International Airport also experienced IT outages

AirAsia airline international flights passengers wait to check in during a global technical outage at Don Mueang International Airport in Bangkok, Thailand

'If you're in aviation, you've got people, planes and staffs all stranded in the wrong place- So we are looking at days. I'd be surprised if we're looking at weeks.'

But other nations have warned that the issue may not be resolved any time soon. Australia's cyber-intelligence agency said on Saturday that 'malicious websites and unofficial code' were being released online, which could cause further havoc if implemented.

The Australian Signals Directorate (ASD) said 'a number of malicious websites and unofficial code are being released claiming to help entities recover from the widespread outages caused by the CrowdStrike technical incident'.

On its website, the agency said its cyber security centre 'strongly encourages all consumers to source their technical information and updates from official CrowdStrike sources only'.

Cyber Security Minister Clare O'Neil said on social media platform X on Saturday that Australians should 'be on the lookout for possible scams and phishing attempts'.
For a brief moment, the Tories' dilapidated attack machine sputtered back into life. 'The King's Speech was the most Left-wing in years,' the briefing declared. 'Nationalisation, new powers for the unions, abolition of heredity peers.'

The Financial Times followed its lead. Sir Keir Starmer was portrayed sporting a Che Guevara beret, above an article heralding 'Starmer's never-ending insurgency'. The Prime Minister was set to embrace his 'inner radical', it claimed.

Well if he is, that radicalism is set to be revealed via his political audacity, rather than the channelling of any great socialist ideology.

Because the truth is that the new Prime Minister's first programme for government is one of the most conservative  and Conservative  ever unveiled by a Labour administration.

'Our strategy is simple,' one senior Starmer adviser explained to me. 'We are going to spend the next 12 months parking our tanks slap bang in the middle of the Tories' lawn.'

If you want to know what the initial landing-wave of Starmerism really consists of, focus on what he and his ministers are actually saying and doing

That slightly desperate 'most Left-wing in years' jibe can be quickly dismissed.

The Government's Great British Railways idea is basically a formalisation of the de facto policy of creeping renationalisation adopted by Boris Johnson. The radical package of workers' rights being pushed by Angela Rayner and her allies has been significantly watered down by Rachel Reeves. And the planned reforms of the Lords  once including abolition and replacement by an elected second chamber  have been similarly neutered.

If you want to know what the initial landing-wave of Starmerism really consists of, it's best to ignore the spin and the hype. Instead, focus on what he and his ministers are actually saying and doing.

This first substantive policy announcement in the King's Speech made no reference to people's flags or the blood of the Labour movement's martyrs.

It simply said: 'Stability will be the cornerstone of my Government's economic policy and every decision will be consistent with its fiscal rules.

'It will legislate to ensure that all significant tax and spending changes are subject to independent assessment by the Office for Budget Responsibility (OBR).'

Fiscal responsibility, the guiding principle of every successful Conservative administration since the war, is now Labour's watchword.

And the appropriation doesn't end there. A Crime Bill. Another to strengthen the nation's borders. New anti-terror measures. A programme of radical reform of the NHS. A new Armed Forces champion. An iron-clad commitment to Nato. A specific recommitment to Britain's independent nuclear deterrent.

Che Guevara? All of this would have had Margaret Thatcher purring her approval.

In fact, if you look at Starmer's strategy, it doesn't so much involve parking his tanks on the Tories' lawn as sending drones round to former Conservative ministers' houses and pointing a camera through their windows.

As one Starmer aide remarked: 'We're going to take their good ideas and show that we're the Government that can actually deliver them. For example, our policy on planning reform was Michael Gove's big plan but he couldn't force it through. We will.'

Labour's legislative programme would have had Mrs Thatcher purring her approval

An expansion of the OBR, George Osborne's brainchild. An extension of the powers of elected regional and city mayors, introduced by David Cameron. An Industrial Strategy Council, tasked with finally delivering on Boris's levelling up pledge.

Rishi Sunak used his first and last party conference speech to completely trash his party's record in government. Starmer intends to pick through the detritus, find those elements he thinks will work, and recycle them.

For two reasons. First, he believes he learned from his time reforming the Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions that gradual transformation, rather than all-out revolution, is the most practical way of delivering change.

He also thinks the optics of Britain being served by a calm, pragmatic Prime Minister, rather than an ideologue, will help cement his premiership.

But there is also an element of opportunism underpinning Starmer's plan.

He is preparing to occupy swathes of political real estate previously owned by the Tories because he thinks it won't involve having to fight for it.

As one Labour minister told me: 'The Tories will have to lurch to the Right now. They'll need to try to deal with Reform, rather than spend time focusing on us. And that gives us a huge opportunity.'

Labour strategists believe the impending celebrity death match between the next Tory leader and Nigel Farage will benefit them in several ways. It will allow them to drive deeper into the centre, where they believe all elections are won. And, crucially, it will enable them to do so without unduly upsetting their liberal base.

Consider, for example, Labour's stance on cross-Channel migrants. In Prime Minister Gordon Brown's final Queen's Speech, there was no mention of immigration.

The issue was taboo, one that was only broken by his disastrous encounter with voter Gillian Duffy, whom he was later overheard calling 'bigoted'.

Some sections of the media tried to portray Starmer as a Che Guevara-type radical

Yet, last week Starmer put a commitment to strengthening Britain's borders and establishing a new Border Security Task Force at the heart of his agenda.

Home Secretary Yvette Cooper then announced the first ever direct small boats return of asylum-seekers to France by UK Border Force. At which point, liberal opinion actually cheered, welcoming ministers' more 'compassionate' approach.

This is how Starmer intends to proceed. He will sport the occasional bit of progressive bling to keep his metropolitan base happy. A wind farm here. A bit of bus regulation there. But his early agenda will be guided by circumspection, rather than radicalism.

The reality is, those people  on the Left and Right  who were hoping Starmer would start Day One by gleefully shouting from the steps of No 10 'Fooled, you suckers! We are the masters now!!!!!' are set to be disappointed.

In 1997 Tony Blair said: 'We were elected as New Labour and will govern as New Labour.' In his first fortnight in office, Starmer, in effect, made a similar promise. 'We were elected as Cautious, Incremental Labour and we will govern as Cautious, Incremental Labour.'

Over the past year, it has been common to hear Tory supporters and even MPs bemoaning Sunak's lack of vision and direction. 'Why can't we have a proper Conservative Prime Minister,' they wailed.

They can relax. Britain has one now.
People take advantage of a car-free Upper Great Highway. Since August 2021, the roadway has been closed to cars on weekends. Gabrielle Lurie/The Chronicle 2021 Bicyclists share the road with cars when the Upper Great Highway is open to vehicle traffic. Carlos Avila Gonzalez/The Chronicle 2021

When I ride my bike to Ocean Beach on a weekday, I sometimes forget that the Upper Great Highway is open to cars. Id gotten used to the roads closure to cars at the onset of the pandemic.

Im disappointed after pedaling the 10 blocks from my house and then being relegated to a bumpy ride weaving through people on the rocky asphalt of the shared walking and bike path or having to brave the traffic on the shoulder of the highway.

Its quite a contrast to the weekends, when on warm, sunny days, taking a walk or a ride on the Upper Great Highway when it is closed to cars is one of the best experiences in San Francisco.

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Whats not to like on days when the wind isnt whipping sand off the dunes into your face: the Pacific Oceans waves rolling onto 2 miles of beach and a wide, carless roadway for families, cyclists and walkers to enjoy the view.

The recreational opportunity is one of the reasons why five San Francisco supervisors submitted a proposal to place a measure on the November ballot that will let city voters decide whether to close the Upper Great Highway to cars all the time.

What to do with the Upper Great Highway has been divisive since the stretch from Lincoln Way to Sloat Boulevard was closed to traffic 24/7 at the start of the pandemic in spring 2020. It reopened to cars on weekdays in August 2021, and supervisors voted in 2022 to keep the current restrictions in place through 2025.

If the closure initiative makes it on the ballot, the Great Highways fate could be one of the most debated issues in the November election, especially for residents of the Richmond and Sunset districts.

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I spent a few days recently walking around my neighborhood in the Outer Sunset, asking other locals how they felt about the prospect of a full-time closure.

Its such a beautiful stretch of the Pacific, and San Francisco has such a rare opportunity to create yet another public space, Sunset resident Kim Lilot said when I interrupted his power walk on the shared path along the Great Highway.

Farther down the path, Sunset resident Dan Padgett said he had mixed feelings about banning cars. It would be great because I like riding my bike down here a lot.

But Padgett is worried about traffic problems and would want to see what the city plans to do with the roadway after its closed to cars. Id vote to close it. But its not like a slam dunk.

Over at Pitts Pub, three blocks from the beach on Judah Street, bar manager and part-owner Jordan Mason said the Great Highway is a vital commuter route, especially for service workers. Unless the city turned it into a world attraction, hes opposed to closing it to vehicles.

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He pointed out that the proposed initiative calls for turning the roadway into recreational open space but doesnt specify what that would entail.

Make it something so wild, like the New York High Line, that brings people, Mason said. Or, just let it be what it is, a road.

Two barstools away, Outer Sunset native Joey Chow overheard the conversation and agreed with Mason.

Its a super important road, Chow said. I love the weekends when it gets closed and people get to actually use it and walk on it, but during the weekdays, open it up and allow people to use it for what its for.

On weekends, an average of 4,000 people a day visit the Great Highway, according to the city. And thats just for the chance to frolic on car-free asphalt. There are no concrete plans for a park, but theres a tremendous opportunity to do something great with the Great Highway. I agree with Mason that if the road closes the city should try to do something spectacular with the space. Id look to Presidio Tunnel Tops park as inspiration.

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Ive seen a fair share of Open the Great Highway placards in the windows of Sunset homes, and I sympathize with drivers. Closing one of the few north-south thruways on the west side of the city would be a huge disruption.

The weekend closures already create congestion. And in 2026, the southernmost stretch of the Great Highway, from Sloat to Skyline boulevards, is set to close to cars because of coastal erosion. When that happens, southbound traffic will have to turn left onto Sloat, and there wont be a direct route to Daly City anymore.

With no exit onto nearby streets, what would be left in 2026 if cars remain on the Great Highway is a road that goes from Lincoln to Sloat, 2 miles away. Is it worth keeping open just for that?

Regardless of what happens with the ballot measure, traffic improvements will have to be made to get cars easily onto Sunset Boulevard, the only other major north-south conduit in the area. The challenge will be to ensure cars dont shortcut through surrounding streets in the neighborhood.

Done well, theres precedent to show that remaking the Great Highway would be a boon for San Francisco.

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There was widespread opposition to tearing down the Embarcadero Freeway after it was damaged in the 1989 Loma Prieta Earthquake.

After several ballot measures, the northern section of Central Freeway, also damaged in the 1989 quake, was torn down.

It took years of debate but look at what San Francisco has now.

The Embarcadero is a beautiful bayfront promenade, and who went to the Ferry Building when it was shrouded by an elevated freeway?

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

Theres a park and housing on a rebuilt stretch of Octavia Street in Hayes Valley where the Central Freeway once stood.
Ruthless human trafficking gangs are now using yachts to ferry migrants across the Channel into Britain.

British Border Force vessels intercepted hundreds of migrants this morning including a large number on a suspected stolen yacht.

The single mast boat was tied up next to Border Force catamaran Hurricane as three other groups of migrants arrived in the Port of Dover despite fog out at sea.

Large numbers of men as well as women and children were brought up the gangway at the immigration processing centre all wearing orange life jackets.

At least 200 people are thought to have been brought into the port so far today.

The yacht used to bring migrants into Dover by the people smuggling gangs in northern France

It comes as 413 made the treacherous journey in seven boats on Friday following a deadly week in which six people died in three separate incidents.

In total this year 15,389 have now been intercepted and rescued in small boats so far this year.

2,000 people in 34 boats have arrived in July alone, with an average of 59 people per dinghy.

A migrant died in the early hours on Friday - taking the total number to have died so far this year to 22 people.

Just before 1am French authorities launched a rescue mission just off the coast of Calais.

Border Force agents secure the yacht in the port at Dover after guiding it to safety from the sea

Passengers on the overloaded boat with 86 people on board, initially refused help from French authorities.

But, at 0.58am, they requested assistance after five people fell into the water, and they were recovered.

But French authorities said one person died.

All 85 migrants who survived the ordeal were returned to Calais and were treated by emergency services there.

On Tuesday night, one person drowned after a boat carrying 72 people was shipwrecked.

A joint operation between French and British authorities saw the surviving 71 people rescued and returned to Calais.

This was the first time since small boat crossings began that a British Border Force boat returned migrants to France, rather than the UK.

On July 12 four people were drowned when a boat loaded with 60 people deflated.

A Home Office spokesperson said: 'We all want to see an end to dangerous small boat crossings, which are undermining border security and putting lives at risk.

'The new Government is taking steps to boost our border security, setting up a new Border Security Command which will bring together our intelligence and enforcement agencies, equipped with new counter-terror-style powers and hundreds of personnel stationed in the UK and overseas, to smash the criminal smuggling gangs making millions in profit.'
A haunting photo of a straight-A student riding her bike to her aunt's house is the last time the teen was seen before vanishing - as her family is desperate to keep the public involved in the case.

Alison Jillian Chao, 15, was last seen on Tuesday on surveillance footage riding her GT mountain bike from her father's house in Monterey Park, California, to her aunt's in San Gabriel around 5:32pm, according to ABC 7.

The journey was only four miles, but the young girl never arrived, her family told KTLA.

'The more time that goes on, the scarier it gets,' her mother, Annie Chao, told the outlet. 'Im afraid the public will lose interest, and it will be harder to find her. Theres less evidence.

Alison Jillian Chao, 15, was last seen on Tuesday on surveillance footage riding her GT mountain bike from her father's house in Monterey Park, California , to her aunt's in San Gabriel around 5:32pm

Chao is around five-foot-two, weighs 96 pounds, and has black hair and brown eyes

'I havent slept in days, and its just every parent's worst nightmare.'

Chao is around five-foot-two, weighs 96 pounds, and has black hair and brown eyes.

She was last seen wearing a purple t-shirt with black shorts and dark shoes. She was also carrying a backpack.

Chao has not contacted anyone or posted on social media since her disappearance.

The family has been hanging flyers around Monterey Park in hopes that someone will recognize the Mark Keppel High School student.

She was last seen wearing a purple t-shirt with black shorts and dark shoes. She was also carrying a backpack. Chao has not contacted anyone or posted on social media since her disappearance

The Monterey Park Police Department Investigations Bureau is investigating Chao's disappearance (Pictured: Chao as a baby)

'It's been very chaotic,' Annie told ABC 7. 'It sounds crazy but, we don't have a play-by-play for this kind of stuff. What do you do? As a parent, you're making flyers, you're contacting the news, we were out driving around to anyone that was open, posting up flyers. We reached out to the community.

'The community has really come together to help me look for my little girl.'

Annie recalled a McDonald's worker who called off work and drove about the city at 1am after the story 'hit home' for him.

'He drove around at one in the morning looking for her with me,' Annie said through tears.

'I havent slept in days, and its just every parent's worst nightmare,' her mother, Annie Chao, said. 'The more time that goes on, the scarier it gets'

The family has been hanging flyers around Monterey Park in hopes that someone will recognize the Mark Keppel High School student

The mother said her her daughter was bubbly and upbeat and had a lot of energy, according to NBC Los Angeles.

The Monterey Park Police Department Investigations Bureau is investigating Chao's disappearance.

DailyMail.com has contacted Annie for comment.
How sad it was to watch King Charles, crowned and robed and seated on his throne, pronounce the death warrant of the monarchy. But he had no choice.

Amid the Blairite drivel and slogans of the official speech on Wednesday were the stark words 'measures to modernise the constitution will be introduced, including House of Lords reform to remove the right of hereditary peers to sit and vote in the Lords'.

Once they are gone, and they will be swiftly bundled out, the King will be the last remaining hereditary person in the government.

The few remaining proper peers were a sort of constitutional bodyguard. As long as they survived, after Sir Anthony Blair's original cull, the throne was  sort of  safe. But with them gone, why should the King have his remaining powers? Why should he be there at all?

The King and Queen at the State Opening of Parliament last week

Labour activists loathe the monarchy so much that they have banned themselves from discussing the issue since 1923. Since then, Labour has kept its republicanism confined to fringe meetings, back rooms and unread magazines. It knows that it plays badly with many of its own voters. Or it did. But for how much longer?

Millions are now indifferent to the monarchy. Others, propagandised for years by 'alternative' comedians, think they loathe the crown.

Labour dislikes monarchy because it hates the whole idea of inheritance and the family it sustains. Everything should be based upon the state, not on such private, uncontrollable things. That's why it rejoices in death duties, using tax to stop parents handing on their savings to their children.

Inheritance is the foundation of the family, and the family is the foundation of private life and of Christian morality, a tiny Kingdom where we can be ourselves, pass on lore and tradition, and be left alone.

Labour resents and seeks to undermine these private things. For it believes in the goodness of the state, and in its own right to interfere in every aspect of our lives to make us better.

And it wants all the trappings of Kingship for itself. Look at the grand ceremonies, the parades, fly-pasts, gold-fringed banners and giant statues, which surround the leaders of Left-wing dictatorships and republics. But they cannot have them for as long as there is a King upon the throne. He sits where they would like to sit.

Didn't you often get the impression that Sir Anthony Blair would have enjoyed the occasional outing in a horse-drawn carriage, and a 21-gun salute or two?

Even if the King does nothing more than keep Blair, and people like him, off the Buckingham Palace balcony, that alone makes it worth having a monarchy. That's what they don't like.

And inch by inch and peer by peer they still hope to dismantle the throne, perhaps hoping Australia will start the ball rolling towards final abolition.

I am still waiting for Boris Johnson's response to my challenge to him to debate with me about Ukraine. Come on, Al.

Scarlett is too bright a star for this

Scarlett Johansson makes the silly plot of Fly Me To The Moon seem bearable

I wanted Fly Me To The Moon to be a good film. The 1969 Moon landing remains extraordinarily moving, if you remember that actual day, and looking up at the Moon that actual night, as I do.

Having since then actually seen a Russian space launch, I find these events even more stirring. It takes such ferocious power to fight our way out of the atmosphere, that we must surely be incredibly strongly protected by that atmosphere.

But the film isn't any good. Scarlett Johansson, left, who increasingly looks more like Marilyn Monroe than Miss Monroe ever did, makes a silly plot seem bearable, and also gives too much glamour to the late 1960s, an era when such glamour was already fading and the modern world was starting to look scruffy and rundown.

Chilling consequences of green dogma

The dogma of climate change is the modern equivalent of Marxist teaching in the old Communist world, a sacred belief on the Left that thrusts itself into every aspect of life from arithmetic to children's books. It is part of the 'Red-Green' creed that Sir Keir Starmer learned in his days as a disciple of the adventurous Greek Trotskyist Michalis Raptis.

Its supporters seek to indoctrinate even tiny children with it (along with the anti-family propaganda of sex education). Now doctors are being told to raise the topic in consultations.

Yet, like the Marxist rubbish of the Stalin era, it bears little relation to reality.

National Grid announced last week that this country will still need to rely on gas to keep working, for years ahead. Why, even the co-leader of the Green Party, Carla Denyer, admits she still has a gas boiler in what I expect is her otherwise perfectly Left-wing home. She's getting quotes for a noisy, expensive heat-pump instead, just as Energy Secretary Ed Miliband is working on ensuring that we will soon have a less efficient and more expensive grid system.

And for what? Even if you believe the Green faith, Britain's efforts to strangle its economy with wind farms and solar farms are totally cancelled out by China and India and their ever-expanding use of coal.

I reckon Utopia is going to be very cold.

Lucy Letby was given a whole-life jail sentence 335 days ago, during which grave doubts have grown about her conviction. The justice system is reluctant to re-examine the case. The Appeal Court has refused Ms Letby leave to appeal. The Criminal Cases Review Commission, which might intervene, is mired in political trouble. If she is innocent, and I do not claim to know this, then every day she spends locked up will have been an outrage. We need a faster means of re-examining questionable cases.

Here is a notice observed by my surveillance team in Oxford, proclaiming that a (non-existent) footpath is 'under control'. I do not know who this mysterious controller may be, or what he or she does not want us to do there. But there is something very Starmerish about it.

Some guesses about Thomas Crooks, the young man who was idiotically allowed to climb on a roof within range of Donald Trump while carrying a rifle. He will have been 'diagnosed with ADHD' and given amphetamines from an early age. He may then have moved on to SSRI 'antidepressants'. And he will have smoked marijuana, now effectively legal in most parts of the US. All these things are now so normal in America that reporters won't even have noticed them. But they might explain his mad actions.
Longtime Texas Congresswoman Sheila Jackson Lee urged her supporters to unite behind President Biden just hours before she passed away.

The 15-term Democrat passed away aged 74 on Friday following a battle with pancreatic cancer that she revealed in June.

Hours before her family revealed her passing, Jackson Lee took to X to share her support for Biden as a growing number of her congressional colleagues call for him to drop out.

'The time is now to unite behind the President and get to work beating Donald Trump  one last time,' she wrote.

Some called on Democrats to come together behind Biden for Jackson Lee's 'dying wish', urging the fractured party to 'honor her' by supporting his floundering re-election campaign.

Longtime Texas Congresswoman Sheila Jackson Lee's death at the age of 74 was announced by her family on Friday

Jackson Lee was an outspoken supporter of President Biden, and earlier in the year shared a smiling selfie of them together where she said he was 'well prepared to lead this nation'

Hours before her family revealed her passing, Jackson Lee took to X to share her support for Biden as a growing number of her congressional colleagues call for him to drop out

Jackson Lee was known throughout her 30-year career in Congress as a champion of progressive causes, and she served on the House Judiciary, Homeland Security and Budget Committees.

In a statement announcing her death this week, Jackson Lee's family described her as a 'fierce champion of the people.'

Her support for Biden was far from reserved to her final tweet, with Jackson Lee previously saying there is 'no greater leadership for this country.'

In March, she shared a smiling selfie with the 81-year-old in Congress, where she also singled out Vice-President Kamala Harris - now seen as Biden's likely successor if he stepped aside - as 'well prepared to lead this nation.'

'In particular, Vice President Harris has shown us she can lead internationally and she can also be a fighter for the issues of womens and reproductive rights,' she wrote.

Jackson Lee's final tweet urged people to 'unite behind the President and get to work beating Donald Trump  one last time'

'How outstanding was her quiet and important visit to Planned Parenthood, the first time a President or Vice President has made such a historic visit! She showed the patients and leaders there that she was there to serve them.

'Lets fight for the re-election to the Presidency and Vice Presidency of the United States of America of Joe Biden and Kamala Harris!

'There is no greater leadership for this country! The nation needs to join together and elect them by large numbers. I will be working hard across the nation for their victory!'

Jackson Lee was born in Queens, New York, and went on to attend Yale University and the University of Virginia School of Law.

The 15-term-congresswoman was an outspoken advocate for Black American for decades

First elected in 1994, Jackson Lee's family said in their statement announcing her death that she became a beloved figure in her community as she was re-elected 14 times.

'She was affectionately and simply known as 'Congresswoman' by her constituents in recognition of her near-ubiquitous presence and service to their daily lives for more than 30 years,' the statement read.

'A local, national, and international humanitarian, she was acknowledged worldwide for her courageous fights for racial justice, criminal justice, and human rights, with a special emphasis on women and children.'

The statement listed her legislative victories including establishing Juneteenth as a federal holiday, and reauthorizing the Violence Against Women Act.

When she announced her cancer battle earlier this year, Jackson Lee cautioned her constituents that she would likely be 'occasionally absent' from congress while she underwent treatment.

'My doctors have confirmed my diagnosis of pancreatic cancer. I am currently undergoing treatment to battle this disease that impacts tens of thousands of Americans every year,' Jackson Lee said in a statement in June.

'I am confident that my doctors have developed the best possible plan to target my specific disease. The road ahead will not be easy, but I stand in faith that God will strengthen me.'
A prisoner who used a trip to hospital to slip his guards is back behind bars.

Graham Gomm, 63, escaped HMP Wormwood Scrubs sparking a manhunt across London which lasted three days.

Metropolitan Police detectives traced Gomm's movements to Putney, southwest London, roughly five miles from the Category B prison.

Gomm, who has been on remand for burglary offences, was taken to Hammersmith Hospital by prison staff after being taken unwell but was found to have absconded at around 1:18am.

The MET confirmed on Saturday that he had been arrested in Putney at around 8:30am and returned to prison.

Graham Gomm, 63, was captured after slipping his guards while at Hammersmith Hospital

HMP Wormwood Scrubs where Gomm was on remand for burglary offences

A spokesperson confirmed an investigation would continue into how Gomm escaped.

It is the second time in three years that a prisoner has gone on the run from the prison during a medical visit - in 2021 Manray Woolfall also slipped past his guards during a trip to hospital.

And ex-British Army soldier Daniel Khalife will stand trial next year for escaping from prison under a food delivery van.

The fugitive veteran and alleged spy, 22, is said to have escaped from Wandsworth jail in south London last year after strapping himself to the underside of a Bidfood delivery truck with a makeshift harness made from prison bedsheets.

Khalife was originally arrested last January on terrorism charges after plotting a fake bomb hoax at his army barracks at MoD Stafford and he is also accused of spying for an enemy state, which is understood to be Iran.

Khalife denies one charge of escape, one of committing an act prejudicial to the state, one of eliciting information about members of the Armed Forces and another of perpetrating a bomb hoax.
A woman who police say blew five times over the legal limit has allegedly smashed into four cars while trying to get out of shopping mall carpark.

Police were called to the Topham Mall carpark in the Adelaide CBD at 7.20pm on Friday to see the trail of carnage allegedly left by the 42-year-old woman's silver Mercedes-Benz sedan.

Four cars were extensively damaged with some wedged in against the parking lot's concrete pillars.

A driver police say was five times over the legal limit has allegedly left a trail of destruction in an Adelaide shopping mall carpark

Officers arrived at the Topham Mall carpark on Friday evening to be greeted with the sight of four damaged parked cars

Drivers who had been shopping at the mall returned to find their cars n various states of destruction.

A breath-test on the Mercedes-Benz driver allegedly recorded a blood alcohol reading of 0.257, which is more than five times the legal limit.

Officers reported the woman for drink-driving and gave her an immediate 12-month loss of licence notice.

The woman will be summonsed to appear in court at a later date.
A 20-year-old London man has been arrested for a sex assault on a teenage girl on Bournemouth beach.

The girl was on the beach close to Bournemouth pier at 8pm last night when she was allegedly assaulted.

The incident was reported to police officers who were on patrol in the area and the suspect was detained soon after.

The alleged attack led to a confrontation between two groups of youths at Pier Approach with extra police officers being called in to deal with the matter.

A 20 year old man from London was arrested on suspicion of sexual assault after a girl was allegedly attacked on Bournemouth beach around 8pm yesterday. Thousands of sun worshippers spent the day on the beach, pictured, enjoying the brief hot spell

Police confirmed they arrested the man after the girl informed them that he had 'touched her inappropriately'

A spokesman for Dorset Police said the arrested man was later released on bail.

He said: 'Officers - who received the report directly as they were on foot patrol in the immediate vicinity - responded and it was reported that a man had sexually assaulted a teenage girl by touching her inappropriately.

'Officers were in the area as part of their enhanced patrols of the Bournemouth town centre and beach area and we will continue to work with our partners to provide a visible presence in the vicinity.

'Police will be engaging with members of the public and can be approached by anyone with information or concerns.'

No arrests were made as part of the 'disturbance' that followed.
An Aussie has recounted the miraculous moment he and four others survived a horrific helicopter crash in Bali's South Kuta region on his birthday.

Outside hospital on Saturday, Russell Harris spoke about the moment the Bell Jet Model 5055 Helicopter crashed in cliffs at Pecatu 24 hours earlier.

'Probably three to four minutes into it, we see a kite, a bit too late,' he told 9 News outside a Balinese hospital.

There were five people onboard when the vehicle crashed - Mr Harris, his partner, another friend from Perth, along with two Indonesian locals and the pilot.

The flight was organised for Mr Harris' 46th birthday celebration.

After the kite string tangled around the helicopter's main rotor, it plummeted into a mixed-residential area near the ocean.

All five people on board were treated and three were taken to Siloam Hospital with serious injuries.

'It made us drop 30-50 metres quite quickly,' Mr Harris said.

Russell Harris worked in the mining industry in WA before he recently relocated to Bali, He survived the chopper crash on the island's South Kuta region along with the others on board

The Bell Jet Model 5055 Helicopter crashed in cliffs at Pecatu after the chopper blades became entangle in kite strings

He recounted the moment the vehicle fell from the sky before it ended upside down from the cliff face.

'Trees first... I remember that,' Mr Harris said.

'Then we hit a cliff, flipped us upside down.'

The Indonesian search and rescue agency, Basarnas, reported the helicopter took off from Garuda Wisnu Kencana (GWK) for a tour of the island from 2.33pm local time.

Basarnas reported the helicopter crashed just minutes later at 2.37pm.

Mr Harris said he was thankful the pilot managed to get control after the tangle with the kite, telling Nine News if the crash had occurred from 2-300m in the sky he and the others would not be alive.

'It's very scary obviously, that's my first time in a helicopter,' he said.

'It was my birthday today, that's what it was for.'

Mr Harris and his partner were both on board and after taking the trip for his birthday

Mr Harris said he remembered hitting trees and a cliff, before the helicopter ended upside down. No-one was killed and three people, including Mr Harris, were taken to hospital

Local safety authorities are looking into the crash which happened during a Balinese festival where kites are traditionally flown (pictured: the kite string around the rotor)

In a statement, Indonesia's transport ministry said: 'The Directorate General of Civil Aviation Ditjen Hubud has received a report on the accident of the PK-WSP type Bell 505 helicopter belonging to PT. Whitesky Aviation.'

'Initial information is that all passengers are confirmed to have survived the accident.

'Currently, aviation inspectors from the Region IV Airport Authority Office are heading to the crash site. PT. Whitesky Aviation has also sent an investigation team to the scene.

'The Ministry of Transportation, through the Directorate General of Communications, will carry out more intensive outreach and monitoring of the dangers of kites.'
A FATHER who has spent eight years battling for justice after his soldier son collapsed and died during a fitness test wrongly held in hot weather has presented a petition at Downing Street.

Phillip Hoole, 62, wants to see a new independent regulatory body created to ensure good governance is applied at all government organisations  with the power to prosecute organisations falling short.

He said the change is needed after a raft of scandals including Tainted Blood, the Post Office Horizon system and the Metropolitan Police's behaviour after the murder of black teenager Stephen Lawrence  as well as his own case.

Mr Hoole, whose son, Corporal Joshua Hoole, died at the age of 26 eight years ago, presented the petition yesterday as he revealed he has been in discussions with the Crown Prosecution Service about what would be a landmark corporate manslaughter case against the Ministry of Defence.

Phillip Hoole, 62, presenting his petition at Downing Street after the death of his son

As a government department, the MoD would normally have Crown Immunity from prosecution but the CPS is investigating whether there are certain limits to the immunity.

In a letter to Prime Minister, Sir Keir Starmer, he said: 'My experience - that of a grieving father who had to take on the Goliath that is the MoD - shows there is a desperate need for change.

'It cannot be right that injustices must initially be investigated by the families and individuals affected, battling against the odds.'

Mr Hoole, a retired Sergeant Major with First Battalion Devonshire and Dorset Regiment who served in Northern Ireland and Iraq, said: 'We urgently need such a body which can police all public organisations and has the power to sanction, remove or even prosecute senior executives and organisations who fall short.

'Investigations and justice - when appropriate - should happen after the incident and not decades later, through pressure from the next of kin or those wronged.'

Corporal Joshua Hoole died aged 26 during a fitness test wrongly held during hot weather

Although Mr Hoole is still collecting signatures for his petition online, he said: 'I'm handing it in now because I want to see if the government will be proactive and do something, as opposing to waiting for 100,000 signatures (the minimum support needed to secure a parliamentary debate).'

Cpl Hoole died while taking part in an eight-mile fitness test in the Brecon Beacons, carrying 25kg of weight, on the morning of the hottest day of 2016.

The temperature was already above 20C (68F) when the test began at 7am.

The location was close to where three soldiers died after suffering heat exhaustion three years earlier on a selection test for the SAS.

An initial Service Inquiry report blamed the tragedy on Cpl Hoole having an undiagnosed heart defect, triggering Sudden Adult Death Syndrome. It effectively ruled out any link to the heat.

But, at an inquest, Coroner Louise Hunt  who also led the inquest into the SAS deaths, said Cpl Hoole's death was due to 'high cardiovascular workload due to exercise and heat stress'.

The coroner highlighted how Army staff who ran the march in which Cpl Hoole died failed to use a trusted risk assessment system which predicts safe temperature limits.

Documentation in the petition which Mr Hoole presented at Number Ten Downing Street

Official guidance also states annual fitness tests - the type of march Cpl Hoole was on - should not go ahead in temperatures above 20C (68F).

Ms Hunt said: 'The AFT should not have gone ahead Josh would not have died when he did, had the AFT not gone ahead.'

And last December, Mr Hoole revealed he had received an email from a senior government lawyer admitting to 'a catalogue of failures' on the day his son died.

The lawyer, an adviser to the Defence Secretary, also said the failings 'amounted to a failure to ensure a safe system of training and which put soldiers at risk of injury from heat illness' and added: 'In terms of legal liability, we accept that the Secretary of State for Defence would be found liable if you were to bring a claim for damages for negligence and breach of your son's right to life.'

Mr Hoole highlighted how he believes unsafe practises are continuing within the armed forces and said its culture needs to change to prioritise being a 'safe organisation'.

He pointed to the MoD's most recent Health and Safety Report, published last July 2023, which revealed 25,103 health and safety incidents, 36 per cent classed as a 'dangerous occurrence' or 'near-miss', which could cause death or injury.

Mr Hoole, of Carlisle, who has spent the last eight years investigating his son's death, accused officials of 'sweeping his death under the carpet'.

Speaking to The Daily Telegraph, he said: 'The MoD showed no loyalty, integrity or moral courage to do the right thing, something that it expects its soldiers to do, but it didn't grant my son the same respect.'

He added: 'I want the MoD to be held accountable in a criminal court.'

Recalling a meeting with a senior Crown Prosecution Service representative in March, he said: 'They said I should never have had to investigate my son's death as I have and that I should have been consulted back in 2016 at the time of the original investigation.'

Dyfed Powys Police has confirmed an investigation remains ongoing.

Mr Hoole wants a regulatory body for government organisations with the power to prosecute

Mr Hoole's petition can be found at change.org, by searching for 'Magna Carta (1215) an overdue amendment: Justice for people by the people'.

A Crown Prosecution Service spokesman said its lawyers have met with Mr Hoole and are liaising with police but could not comment further.

A Ministry of Defence spokesman said: 'Our thoughts and sympathies remain with Corporal Joshua Hoole's family and friends.

'The coroner's inquest identified an underlying cardiac susceptibility as being the causal factor in Joshua's death. However, we recognise that heat combined with strenuous exercise were significant contributory factors.

'This tragic event was rigorously investigated by a Service Inquiry. Lessons and recommendations were identified, and we've made a number of changes and improvements to minimise risks to personnel.'

The MoD said it has worked with serving personnel and the families of soldiers who have been affected by heat injuries and 'introduced comprehensive mandatory training for all service personnel (and) new heat illness protocols'.

Officials said efforts were also underway to develop new technology such as wearable temperature and heart rate monitoring equipment.
A father allegedly shot dead his wife, their two kids, and his young niece and nephew an hour after one of the children's birthday party.

Brandon Allan Kendrick, 32, faces five counts of capital murder after the mass shooting at his pastor grandfather Allan's property in rural Alabama.

His wife Kelse Kendrick, 24, was found dead alongside their son Kaleb, 6, and Kynli, 2, and their cousins Colton, 8, and Haley Daniels, 6, on Thursday night.

Kelse and her side of the family were celebrating Colton's ninth birthday, but she returned about 7pm after Kendrick demanded she come home.

Kynli Kendrick, 2, Kaleb Kendrick, 6, Colton Daniels, 8, and Haley Daniels, 6, were found shot to death in rural Alabama on Thursday night

Brandon Allan Kendrick, 32, allegedly dead shot his wife Kelse Kendrick, 24, (left) along with their daughter Kynli and son Kaleb, and the children's two cousins

All five were shot in the head and found dead at the scene, other than Haley, who was still breathing and rushed to hospital, but did not survive.

Kendrick allegedly gunned down his family at the garage apartment they lived in on Allan Kendrick's property in West Blocton, about 40 miles south of Birmingham.

Allan is the pastor of Oasis of Praise Church in nearby Bessemer, and called 911 about 8.18pm on Thursday after finding the bodies.

Kelse's uncle Eli Morrow and his wife Brittany said the party was held at family patriarch Bill Morrow's house ahead of Colton's birthday on Tuesday.

Kendrick was at not at the party, and his schizophrenic episodes had worsened over the previous two weeks.

'All of the children were supposed to spend the night at [Bill's] home,' Brittany told DailyMail.com.

'Brandon repeatedly begged and pleaded with her to come home and she gave in within an hour they were all shot in the head.'

Kendrick faces five counts of capital murder after the mass shooting

Haley and Kynli together at a family Fourth of July gathering two weeks before they were killed

Brittany explained that Colton and Haley's mother Jessica Morrow, 35, was having major surgery the next morning, so there was no option but to send them with Kelse.

'We live 45 minutes away. I wish to God they had asked us to take them for the night,' she said.

'What we are struggling with the most, is that it was a last-minute decision to take them over there, it was never in the plan.'

Kelse's car was broken down so Jessica dropped all five of them off at home on Green Tree Drive about 7pm.

Kelse is Eli's niece by his older sister, who has since died, and Bill's grandfather, and the Morrow and Kendrick families have been intertwined for generations.

Eli had custody of Colton and Haley from January 2021 until last November, when a judge allowed them to return to Jessica.

'Jessica finally got her kids back, and then this happens,' Brittany said.

'I am devastated and destroyed... Eli and I had full custody of them for almost three years and they were my babies.'

Kendrick allegedly shot Kelse and the children less than an hour after they returned home from Colton's birthday party about 7pm after he demanded she come home

The shooting took place at his pastor grandfather property in rural Alabama (Kaleb pictured with his sister and family dog on his first day of Pre-K)

Police rushed to the scene and arrested Kendrick after discovering the bodies, Bibb County Sheriff Jody Wade said.

'It's absolutely horrible. It's unimaginable what the family is going through, what the friends of the family are experiencing, what the community is feeling right now,' he said.

'It was just a horrific scene that even seasoned officers told me it is the worst thing they've ever seen.

'As officers are going, they are saying there are more children that have been shot.'

Wade said Kendrick was yet to tell police why he did it, but 'I don't know what motive he could give us that would justify what he did anyway'.

Kendrick was booked into the Bibb County Jail about 3.30am and denied bail.

He is charged with four counts of capital murder of a child under 14, and one count of capital murder in the killing of two or more people in one act.

Kelse's uncle Eli Morrow (top left) had custody of Colton and Haley (front left and right) from January 2021 until last November, with the help of his wife Brittany (top right)

Kendrick and Kelse lived with their children in a garage apartment on Kendrick's grandfather Allan's rural property. Allan is a pastor at Oasis of Praise Church (pictured preaching there)

Oasis of Praise Church held a prayer vigil with more than 300 members on Friday night, saying proceeds from the collection plate would go to the families.

'Pastor wanted us to relay to all those asking if they can do anything: "Tell everyone asking if they can do something that they can be at church Sunday at 10am",' the church wrote on its Facebook page.

'The church has committed to helping the families with expenses. If you would like to be a part of this effort, please give your donation to the churchs benevolence fund.

'All donated money will be directed towards the needs of the families involved.'

Eli Morrow also started a GoFundMe page to help pay for the funerals, with his wife explaining the family didn't want the funeral at Allan's church.

'None of the family feel comfortable having it there, he's offered to have them cremated and have a memorial at his church, but the family has declined,' Brittany said.

'But we started the fundraiser because were trying to figure out how were going to pay for five funerals.'
Sabrina Lindahl of the federal Bureau of Reclamation checks the daily evaporation at Shasta Dam in Northern California. Evaporation at the reservoir is measured every day using an evaporation pan. Michael Burke/Bureau of Reclamation

Californias scorching July heat not only shattered temperature records, it also removed billions of gallons of water from the states largest reservoirs.

From July 1-18, about 4.1 billion gallons of water evaporated from Californias biggest reservoir, Shasta Lake. This loss highlights challenges water managers face not just this summer, but in a hotter, drier future with a thirstier atmosphere.

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If we have less coming in and more going out, were going to be struggling to manage the system moving forward if theres more demand, said Christopher Pearson, an associate research hydrologist with the Desert Research Institute. The system gets out of whack, just like your checkbook does.

Hundreds of millions of gallons  equivalent to several hundred acre-feet  evaporated each day from Shasta Lake during the historic July heat wave. Temperatures in nearby Redding reached at least 110 for six days in a row in early July. The reservoir, which has a total capacity of 4.55 million acre-feet, is the centerpiece of the federally managed Central Valley Project.

During hotter days, the air is less humid above, Pearson explained, while theres increasing humidity at the surface as a reservoir heats up. This produces a gradient that drives upward flux of water vapor. Wind can further increase flux, leading to even more evaporation.

Another factor is the amount of water in a reservoir, since it determines the surface area exposed to air.

The bigger the lake, the more evaporation you have, said Don Bader, area manager for Shasta Dam, working for the Bureau of Reclamation. Last year we started out full. This year we started out full.  Previous years the lake was not near as full, and the evaporation then was a lot less.

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During the same July time period in 2023, about 4 billion gallons of water evaporated from Shasta Lake. By comparison, in 2022, just 2 billion gallons evaporated.

The amount of evaporation this July corresponds with about 3% to 4% of the water that flows through Shasta Dam.

If you dont account for it, youre going to be short, Bader said. Thats why the Bureau of Reclamation factors evaporation into operational and allocation plans.

Billions of gallons of water have also evaporated at other major water supply reservoirs across California, including Lake Oroville, the states second-largest reservoir at 3.42 million acre-feet.

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For a reservoir of Lake Orovilles size and surface area, higher evaporation amounts during heat waves are expected, said Tracy Hinojosa, the Department of Water Resources State Water Project water operations manager, by email. But evaporation amounts remain a small portion of the reservoirs overall storage.

For example, an estimated 551 acre-feet of water  about 180 million gallons  evaporated from Lake Oroville on July 12, which corresponds with just 0.018% of the reservoirs 3.07 million acre-foot storage that day, Hinojosa explained.

More water evaporated from Trinity Lake and New Melones Lake this July than during the same period in the previous five years: 1.6 billion gallons and 1.8 billion gallons, respectively.

San Luis Reservoir bucked the trend, with 2.4 billion gallons of evaporation in July this year compared with 3 billion gallons in 2023. The reason likely comes down to volume: in 2023, the reservoir was very full, while construction this year has limited the amount of water being stored, Bader explained.

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Sabrina Lindahl of the federal Bureau of Reclamation checks the daily evaporation at Shasta Dam in Northern California. The extreme heat in July has vaporized billions of gallons of water from Californias reservoirs. Michael Burke/Bureau of Reclamation

There are limitations to the data. Evaporation at reservoirs like Shasta Lake isnt measured directly from the entire reservoir. Instead, staff measure the amount of water that evaporates from a pan thats about 2 feet wide and extrapolate to whats happening across the lake.

This standard approach doesnt fully represent the behavior of a deep, dynamic reservoir, said Pearson with the Desert Research Institute. Scientists are developing methods, such as using modeling techniques, for tracking evaporation rates more accurately.

Major reservoir levels are currently at 116% of average, according to the Department of Water Resources, but other signs have indicated a return of drought conditions to California.

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A Missouri woman who spent 43 years in prison for a murder she didn't commit has finally been released.

Sandra Hemme, 64, pleaded guilty to a 1980 murder after cops wrongfully accused her days after she was released from a psychiatric hospital where she had spent most of her life since she was 12.

There was no evidence directly tying Hemme to the murder of library worker Patricia Jeschke, 31 - although investigators did later find earrings believed to belong to the victim in the home of former police officer Michael Holman in 2015.

Just hours before her release, Attorney General Andrew Bailey was threatened with contempt by Judge Ryan Horsman for his repeat efforts to keep Hemme behind bars.

Sandra Hemme, 64, was freed from prison this week after spending 43 years behind bars for a murder she didn't commit

Hemme, 64, pleaded guilty to a 1980 murder after cops wrongfully accused her days after she was released from a psychiatric hospital where she had spent most of her life since she was 12

The 64-year-old left prison in Chillicothe this week and beamed with happiness as she was greeted by her sister, daughter and granddaughter.

Speaking to her granddaughter, Hemme told her: 'You were just a baby when your mom sent me a picture of you... You looked just like your mamma when you were little and you still look like her.'

'I get that a lot,' her granddaughter responded.

According to her legal team at the Innocence Project, Hemme had been the longest-held wrongly incarcerated woman known in the US.

Her innocence was originally ruled by a judge on June 14, finding that Hemme's attorneys had established 'clear and convincing evidence' that she did not murder Jeschke over 40 years ago.

'No evidence whatsoever outside of Ms. Hemme's unreliable statements connects her to the crime,' the judge wrote at the time.

But her release was quickly fought by Attorney General Bailey, with Hemmes immediate freedom was complicated by sentences she received for crimes committed while behind bars.

There was no evidence directly tying Hemme to the murder of library worker Patricia Jeschke, 31 (pictured)

Hemme (pictured before her arrest) was interrogated over the murder because she had been released from psychiatric hospital the day before the victim's body was found

Investigators found earrings believed to belong to the victim in the home of former police officer Michael Holman in 2015, after his death

She received a 10-year sentence in 1996 for attacking a prison worker with a razor blade, and a two-year sentence in 1984 for 'offering to commit violence.' Bailey had argued that Hemme represents a safety risk to herself and others and that she should start serving those sentences now.

This led to a back-and-forth battle in court that ended when Judge Horsman threatened Bailey with contempt over his efforts.

The judge also scolded Baileys office for calling the warden and telling prison officials not to release Hemme after he ordered her to be freed in her own recognizance.

'I would suggest you never do that,' Horsman said, adding: 'To call someone and tell them to disregard a court order is wrong.'

Courts noted that evidence 'directly tied' Jeschke's grisly murder to Holman, with a search on his home after he died in 2015 finding gold horseshoe-shaped earrings that Jeschke's father said he had given his daughter.

Jeschke's murder in November 1980 was discovered by her mother when she didn't show up for work.

She was found naked inside her apartment in a pool of blood, with her limbs bound by a telephone cord, a knife under her head, and a pair of pantyhose around her throat.

Hemme's attorney said this week: 'It was too easy to convict an innocent person and way harder than it should have been to get her out'

Hemme had been released from psychiatric hospital in the area just one day before Jeschke's body was discovered, and detectives brought her in for questioning after finding the timing dubious.

Police described Hemme as 'mentally confused' under interrogation, and she went on to accuse another man of being the murderer.

After it was found that man was in an alcohol treatment center at the time Jeschke was murdered, Hemme came under mounting suspicion.

She pleaded guilty to the murder in exchange for the death penalty being removed.

Following her release, Hemme's attorney Sean O'Brien condemned the legal turmoil she had been stuck in for decades.

'It was too easy to convict an innocent person and way harder than it should have been to get her out, even to the point of court orders being ignored,' he said.

'It shouldn't be this hard to free an innocent person.'
Australia's 'most tattooed woman' has revealed an insane detail about her body art as some enthusiasts and industry heavyweights descend on Brisbane for the Australian Tattoo Expo.

Amber Luke, who calls herself the Blue Eyes White Dragon, was among the stars who attended the Brisbane expo on Saturday.

She got her eyes tattooed at age 22 - the excruciating process rendering her blind for weeks.

Ms Luke revealed she had recently returned from Brazil to have her eyeballs re-inked.

'I wanted to own that and say: ''You know what? I may have gone blind for three weeks, but it turned out to be quite an okay experience'',' Ms Luke told The Apollo Show podcast host Adam Manikis earlier this month.

'The way I saw it back then, it botched me for three weeks.

'I really wanted to make that completely separate to what it actually was.'She told the podcast there were no complications and there was no pain,' she said.

Amber Luke, who calls herself Blue Eyes White Dragon, had her eyes tattooed at the age of 22

Ms Luke rose to prominence for her prolific body art featuring 250 tattoos including on her eyes

Ms Luke explained the process involved a 1mm syringe being injected into 'two pinpoints' directly into her eyeball.

'My eye is a solid blue ... if it's done correctly you feel no pain whatsoever,' she said.

Ms Luke revealed the first time her eyeballs were tattooed she was left in severe pain.

'It was the most intense, brutal pain of my life,' she said.

'I honestly felt like ... 10 shards of glass (had been rubbed) in my eye, for three weeks.'

Ms Luke rose to prominence for her prolific body art featuring 250 tattoos, along with multiple piercings and implants.

The Tattoo Expo, which has been going for 15 years, attracts about 60,000 people through its doors

The Tattoo Expo has been held in cities across Australia for the past 15 years, attracting about 60,000 people through its doors each year.

A Tattoo Expo spokesperson said the event was dedicated to supporting the tattoo industry and increasing the community's growth.

'It's a great chance to get tattooed by tattoo industry titans, form lasting connections and chat with both the pioneers and up-and-comers of the tattoo community,' the spokesperson said.
Police are hunting for a convicted robber who walked out of an open prison yesterday afternoon.

Gary Rootham, 42, was serving sentences for a string of driving, robbery and burglary offences at HMP Leyhill in South Gloucestershire.

He was last seen at around 4.50pm on Friday by prison staff. He was wearing a dark Nike polo shirt, dark jogging bottoms and black trainers with white soles.

He is described as being about 5ft 11, with short dark brown hair and is usually clean shaven.

Gary Rootham, pictured, absconded from HMP Leyhill in south Gloucestershire yesterday

Adil Maxamed, 20, left, absconded from Springfield Hospital in south-west London last night. He was last seen entering Tooting Bec tube station

He has links to Reading and Cornwall.

A spokesperson for Avon and Somerset Police said: 'If you see Rootham, please don't approach, call 999 quoting 5224188647, or call 101 with other information.'

Hours after Rootham escaped custody, the Metropolitan Police issued an alert after three men absconded absconded from Springfield Hospital in south-west London.

One of the three men are still missing after police detained one of the patients at 12.45am today at a residential address in south London. He was returned to the hospital.

Ramon Martin, who was injured during the escape attempt, was detained earlier this afternoon.

The men escaped the hospital at 10.10pm on Friday after they smashed their way through a glass door.

Scotland Yard said the man they are looking for is Adil Maxamed, 20.

He was being held at the hospital under the Mental Health Act.

He was last seen at 10.35pm yesterday entering Tooting Bec station. He was spotted boarding a Northern Line train.

A police spokesperson said: 'The public are warned not to approach Maxamed. Anyone who may have seen either of them is asked to call 101, ref 8713/19Jul. For an immediate sighting, please dial 999.'
Democrats supporting Kamala Harris for president are gathering behind the scenes to plan the vice president's ascension to power, even as she is continuing to publicly support President Joe Biden.

Publicly, Harris is not doing any of the planning, but NBC and Politico reports that her supporters are quietly organizing to make sure they are ready if Biden steps down.

Harris and her supporters want to move quickly to solidify power, should Biden abandon his reelection campaign as a growing number of congressional Democrats call for him to step aside.

As vice president, Harris is the natural successor to Biden, but her performance in the first three years in office has left many Democrat donors skeptical about her chances in the 2024 presidential elections.

Their biggest fear is that party elites and donors will try and push her aside for an open convention, allowing Democrats to select a preferred candidate, rather than a coronation of Harris as Biden's successor.

Vice President Kamala Harris samples ice cream at the opening of the SMiZE & Dream ice cream pop-up shop

Rep. Alexandria Ocasio Cortez warned followers on social media on Thursday that there was still a significant opposition to Harris among party elites.

'I'm just going to say it. If you think that there is consensus among the people who want Joe Biden to leave that Kamala, that they will support Kamala, Vice President Harris, you would be mistaken,' she said.

Former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi has proposed an open process to pick Biden's successor, rather than automatically selecting Harris, according to reports.

Harris' most influential supporter is former President Barack Obama, who not only supported her as Biden's choice for vice president, but would likely step in to support her claim to succeed him, according to Axios.

Even as VP, Harris does not have the natural grassroots support or enough elite donors to automatically sweep her into power.

But Harris supporters argue she as a number of political strengths that would play well on the campaign trail.

President Joe Biden, left, and US Vice President Kamala Harris on the Truman Balcony of the White House in Washington, DC

Vice President Kamala Harris reacts as President Joe Biden shakes hands with former President Barack Obama at the White House

Her supporters cite her popularity with younger voters as well as among voters of color, and her performance as a fierce advocate for abortion rights.

Strategists supporting Harris are preparing the case for the vice president, arguing she could do better than Biden at mobilizing black voters in Southern states such as Georgia and North Carolina, according to NBC.

A growing number of Democrats are describing themselves as 'coconut-pilled,' after an video of Harris talking about coconut trees went viral.

In May 2023, Harris spoke to young people, urging them to exist in the context of family members who came before them.

She quoted her mother saying, 'I dont know whats wrong with you young people. You think you just fell out of a coconut tree?' as she laughed.

The video resurfaced in early July, drawing more attention to Harris.

'F**k it, I'm coconut pilled. I just want this to stop,' said one well-known Democratic operative to CNN.

U.S. Vice President Kamala Harris campaigns at Westover High School in Fayetteville, North Carolina,

U.S. Vice President Kamala Harris boards Air Force Two as she departs on campaign travel to North Carolina

The political action committee EMILY's List, which centers on supporting abortion rights, has already helped prop up Harris with more than ten million to improve her public standing.

Rep. Jim Clyburn, the political kingmaker who helped Biden in South Carolina, told supporters that Harris should be Biden's replacement, if Biden stepped down.

In the meantime, Harris is asserting herself on the stage as Biden rests at his home in Delaware with his family after contracting the coronavirus.

After campaigning in Michigan and North Carolina last week, Harris plans to appear at a Cape Cod, Massachusetts fundraiser on Saturday followed by a campaign trip to Milwaukee on Tuesday.
Demonstrators in Leeds have said they have no regrets about taking to the streets to riot after a local family had their children taken away during a police call to reports of 'hostility' towards social workers this week.

'The Romanians will do this again,' one young Romanian woman told The Times. 'We all took to the streets because the family are desperate. This is a typical Romanian response, we are just fighting for each other.'

'This would not happen to an English family. This is happening because we are Romanian. This feels like racism. This does not happen in Romania,' she added, as a local charity support young Romanian and Roma people in care said the family had been victims of 'systemic racism'.

Leeds City Council said on Friday that representatives of the Roma community had met with the council to express their concerns about the 'family matter', and that the council had 'agreed to undertake an urgent review' of the case and work with local groups 'for the best interests of the family and wider Roma community'.

Members of the Roma and Romanian communities in Leeds gathered late Friday in peaceful protest calling for the return of the children taken away from their home on Thursday afternoon, echoing calls by the father to 'please bring my children back'.

A family friend told The Mirror he had tried to stop the riots when they broke out on Thursday night and 'wants calm'.

A horrifying spate of violence shook Leeds late Thursday after police officers were 'attacked' at the house of a Romanian family earlier in the day. Social Services also in attendance had concern for the children's welfare after an incident in April when another child, a nine-month-old baby, suffered a head injury.

Protestors peacefully called for the return of the children on Friday night

A bus was set on fire around 9.15pm on Thursday evening after police dispersed

Witnesses said the removal of a child, seen being bundled into a police van, was the flashpoint which kicked off the rioting on Thursday night

The father of the children called for the return of his children as locals protested peacefully

A large group of people demonstrated on Friday, after a riot tore through Harehills on Thursday

Forensic scientists examine a burnt out bus on Friday, a day after the riots

Local people watch the clean up as police patrol Harehills neighbourhood on July 19

Police removed the children from a red brick terraced house on Thursday afternoon because their parents were due to fly with them to Romania this Saturday, reports say.

The father's boss, Neculai Tudorache, 44, claimed the social services were alerted to the property after nine-month-old baby was allegedly dropped on its head 'accidentally' by another child.

The father told The Mirror he had never hurt his children as he began a 'hunger strike' pending their return.

Witnesses said the removal of a child, seen being bundled into a police van, was the flashpoint which kicked off the rioting on Thursday night, with the disorder lasting for hours.

The family of the children gathered in front of the wreckage of a burnt-out double decker bus on Friday morning to appeal for the return of their children.

The sobbing father broke down and begged for their return, telling The Mirror: 'Please bring my children back. I want them back. Why take my kids? They were taken from us.'

Photos from Friday show tensions rising in the city as locals appeared to argue with police while surrounded by a scene of chaos from the night before.

Families meanwhile looked on at the immense clean up taking place to clear away the smouldering wreckage of a bus set alight in Harehills.

The intensity of the violence the night prior, in which some 2,000 reportedly took to the streets, was deemed so severe that firefighters refused to enter the street for hours amid fears crews would be attacked.

Members of the Roma community later gathered in solidarity with the family on Friday in peaceful protest, chanting 'Please bring the kids back!' over the decision to remove them from the home.

West Yorkshire Police yesterday said that a number of people had been arrested following the violence and warned 'further arrests will be made over the next few days'.

Police have reported being attacked with a 'barrage of bricks and missiles from a large group', corroborated by witnesses.

Officers made the decision to withdraw after coming under fire, before the bus was set on fire.

Following the escalation, Leeds City Council - in announcing the 'urgent review' into the matter - said: 'We are asking all communities to remain calm and to ensure that we do not see further disturbances such as those witnessed last night, which brought fear and upset to communities in Harehills.

'Local people are devastated by what happened, and we want to ensure there is no repeat of the distressing scenes we saw. Such actions will have a long lasting and harmful impact on our community.'

Police stand by a still smoking bus on Friday after the night of violence in Harehills

A bus was set alight and a police car tipped over as emotions ran high in Leeds

Firefighters douse a fire, set in the middle of Harehills Lane on Thursday night

Police leave the scene of a burning bus after firefighters extinguished the vehicle

Fires burn during unrest in Harehills during a night of unrest on July 18

The story attracted great attention and shows of support from the Roma community in Leeds, reigniting concerns about underlying prejudice towards the minority ethnic group.

Stefania Banu, a local community leader, speaking to the the Daily Mirror said: 'The mother and father are refusing to eat until they get their children back. We are fully supporting them.

'We believe it was an injustice that can be rectified by the authorities if they revise the case. Which they have promised to do.'

Ms Banu went onto to say that the manner of which the children were removed from their home was 'traumatising' for the family.

A community leader told the Mail yesterday: 'We are persecuted at home and now here.

'The police should not have taken the children away, it is upsetting for the parents and family and children.'

Terezia Rostas, founder of a charity supporting young Roma and Romanian people in care, told The Times the family were victims of 'systematic racism'.

She and other representatives met members of the local council yesterday to share their concerns about what happened on Thursday.

Since Thursday's riots locals in the West Yorkshire city have claimed that they have been 'persecuted' by police amid a shocking evening of disorder in the city which saw neighbours clash with officers.

'We are persecuted at home and now here,' one anonymous person told The Times.

Last year, a report by Leeds City Council aimed at tackling problems faced by the community told of their 'fierce pride' and how 'a problem for one member of the community was seen as a problem for all'.

The report exposed some of the deep 'challenges' faced by the community, making up some 5,000 people in Leeds, in the UK and abroad.

The report's authors say: 'We were told about the fierce pride the Roma community had for their culture and heritage.

'This had remained despite the challenges, and the stigma and discrimination, they have faced.

'We were told about how community members would show great support for one another.'

Harehills has long been one of the most ethnically diverse areas of Leeds.

In light of the concern, a joint statement on behalf of the Leeds City Council and the Romanian and Roma community shared Friday said: 'The Romanian and Roma community have played a fantastic role in the community and have contributed much to the diversity and richness of the Harehills.

'We want this work to continue, and develop further work that makes Harehills an even better place to work and live. The events of last night will not help our community or the family.

'We need to work together with the authorities to ensure that best outcomes for the community, and to ensure our voices are heard at the highest level so we can avoid such scenarios in the future.'

The scene around the Compton Road area of Harehills on Thursday night

Police advised residents to stay indoors as multiple fires were set and a police car overturned

The spate of violence broke out after children were removed from a house in Harehills

Police tape cordons off the remains of a burnt out bus after civil disturbance on July 19

Local people watch the clean up as police patrol Harehills on Friday

At least twice before, violence and ill-feeling towards police has spilled out into street violence.

In 2001, hundreds of men went on the rampage in Harehills following the wrongful arrest of an Asian man, Hossein Miah.

Officers were lured to nearby Banstead Park over a false report that one had been hit by a petrol bomb.

A multi-ethnic mob then barricaded police with burning furniture from a second-hand store nearby as well as washing machines.

Over 20 cars were torched, 23 officers and a journalist were hurt and a shop was burnt down, with damage put at 500,000.

Twenty-five men were later given jail sentences for what a judge branded 'violence for the sake of violence'.

Then on Bonfire Night in 2019, terrified Harehills residents cowered indoors as police were forced to battle a five-hour siege by yobs armed with fireworks, bricks and axes.

As with last night's disorder, locals bravely tried to defend police, with six officers injured.

Three of the rioters were later given jail sentences totalling seven years.

However on the 20th anniversary of the 2001 riots, there were warnings that little had changed.

One business owner told Leeds Live: 'It's the same, it hasn't changed a bit.'

A local resident complained about 'blatant' drug dealing, adding: 'The police are present sometimes but I don't think it's enough.'
The fundraiser for tragic holiday teenager Jay Slater has smashed through the 70,000 mark almost a week after he was found dead in a ravine on Tenerife.

Apprentice bricklayer Jay, 19, disappeared in the early hours of June 17 after attending the NRG music festival in the Playa de las Americas resort on the island's southern coast.

Friends of the teen, from Oswaldtwistle in Lancashire, set up a GoFundMe with the intention of financing search efforts after he phoned pal Lucy Law to say his phone battery was low, and that he had injured himself.

The fundraiser, however, will now be used to repatriate Jay's body and to give him, as his mother Debbie Duncan put it in a plea for further donations, 'the send-off he deserves' after he was found in the Barranco Juan Lopez valley.

It has garnered 70,075 of donations against a 30,000 target at the time of publication.

Jay Slater (centre) with mother Debbie Duncan and brother Zak. Jay was found dead earlier this week almost a month after he disappeared on Tenerife

Tributes were left to Jay by the roadside near the spot where he was found in the Barranco Juan Lopez valley on Monday

The GoFundMe page has gathered more than 70,000 of donations as of this evening, which will be used to pay for search efforts and the repatriation of Jay's body

The Barranco Juan Lopez valley on Tenerife, where Jay Slater was found dead earlier this week

Ms Duncan, writing two days ago on the fundraising page, said: 'We are overwhelmed with grief and are so grateful for your support.

'We are working with agencies to arrange Jay's repatriation to the UK and the remaining funds, along with any future donations will be used to help with this if needed and to pay for Jays funeral costs back home.

'We want to give our boy the send-off he deserves so please do continue to share and support our fundraiser however you can.'

The family intends to fly back with Jay together before holding his funeral in Britain. A memorial service was held at the West End Methodist Church in Oswaldtwistle last week, where friends released balloons.

But the plea for further funds - when the GoFundMe had already reached 60,000 - was met with some derision and scepticism from online trolls, who questioned whether the family needed more donations.

This prompted a heartfelt defence of the family from Matthew Searle, chief executive of international aid charity LBT Global, which has been assisting Jay's family with the search and subsequent efforts to repatriate his body.

Mr Searle wrote in a social media posting: 'We are seeing vast amounts of hateful content online, regarding the family asking for more donations to help give Jay a really good send off.

'This hate comes from people who, I assume, have never had to repatriate a deceased loved one. Those costs can top 20k easily.

'These people probably havent had to arrange their own childs funeral, nor felt the need to make it the biggest and best they can as its the last thing theyll ever do for their child.'

Mr Searle later removed the post after it too attracted significant backlash, writing in a later entry: 'I was not trying to downplay the feelings of anyone who has lost a child. It was not aimed at those asking legitimate questions.

'As a result I have been called some very upsetting things myself but I can live with that. What I am attempting to do is slow the tide of hate and abuse towards a bereaved family.'

Some of the money from the GoFundMe - whose representatives say they are in constant contact with the family about the use of funds - have been used to pay Dutch search and rescue team Signi Zoekhondon.

Jay Slater's disappearance became global news - and attracted cruel conspiracy theories from social media users

Jay Slater's body was found and recovered earlier this week with a helicopter (left). The Civil Guard shared a video of rescue workers navigating the treacherous terrain

A message left for Jay Slater by his mother, Debbie Duncan, on flowers at an impromptu memorial close to where he was found

Ms Duncan pictured earlier this week. She intends to fly home with Jay's body once repatriation efforts have been arranged

It does not charge for its services, but asks for a contribution to be made to cover transport and accomodation costs. It has confirmed to the Mail it expects a payment to be made by the family next week.

Estimates of the true cost of repatriating a body can vary - but Homeland International, a specialist in body repatriation, says the cost 'usually tends to be somewhere around 3,000 to 6,000'.

Along with the cost of freight, this fee includes the embalming process, a fit-to-fly coffin and a certificate to confirm the corpse is free from infection.

The Mail understands Jay's family intends to make a donation to LBT Global in recognition of the support it has given.

Jay disappeared early on June 17, with his phone pinging a phone mast roughly a mile from where he was eventually found almost a month later.

A large-scale search was launched by Spain's Civil Guard and Jay's body was eventually discovered on July 15 at the foot of a ravine close to the village of Masca. Police believe he accidentally fell to his death from a large height.

An investigation found Jay had met and travelled with two men to an Airbnb after leaving the NRG festival. They were later deemed irrelevant to his disappearance.

Police have, however, remained silent on whether Jay was found with a 12,000 Rolex luxury watch he is alleged to have stolen from a reveller the night before he disappeared.

The family have taken a 'very small' degree of comfort from the knowledge that Jay's death was likely instantaneous, Mr Searle said.

'Chances are if he did fall from a height where we saw the recovery teams searching, then its very unlikely he would have known much about it,' he told the Independent.

Jay Slater's disappearance captured the attention of people across the world, who became heavily invested in the search for the young man - with echoes of the disappearance of Nicola Bulley, who vanished in January 2023.

TikTok conspiracy theory rabbit holes and a 'find Jay Slater' group on Facebook became sources of speculation and harmful, unproven rumours about where Jay had gone on the day he vanished.

This continued despite pleas from the family to stop sharing 'awful comments and conspiracy theories' online - as attention-seeking TikTokers flew out to Tenerife and filmed themselves in the valley where Jay had disappeared.

Jay Slater pictured in a photo posted by his friend Lucy Law on Instagram. His disappearance attracted conspiracy theorists and true-crime TikTokers

Rescue workers from the Dutch charity Signi Zoekhonden were flown in to help with the search. It is understood they will receive a donation from Jay Slater's family

The Barranco Juan Lopez valley where Jay Slater was found earlier this week

Friends gathered in Oswaldtwistle earlier this week for a memorial service for Jay Slater

Blue ribbons and blue balloons were on display for the service at the West End Methodist Church

And TV detective Mark Williams-Thomas flew out to Tenerife to chip in with the investigation - much as he had done in the case of Ms Bulley when she vanished beside a river at St Michael's on Wyre.

But, as in the case of Ms Bulley, whose body was eventually found a mile downstream from where she vanished, the truth of Jay Slater's disappearance was much simpler than social media may have liked.

Questions still remain as to why Jay travelled so far with two men he had just met, and why he set off in what ultimately proved to be the wrong direction as he tried to walk back to his hotel after missing a bus.

But LBT boss Mr Searle, speaking to Sky News earlier this week, says he intends to speak to Home Secretary Yvette Cooper about the damage and hurt caused by online trolls who turned Jay's tragic disappearance into a true-crime free-for-all.

'Ultimately it hinders the search and it's terrifyingly horrible for a family that are going through this,' he said.

'Wherever there's a real-life crime drama acting out in front of our eyes on television, half the population need to jump on Facebook, set up a Facebook group to tell the world "what really happened".

'It's really worrying to the point where our charity thinks it's time that it has to stop.'
Donald Trump has shared a heartfelt message about his children following the Republican National Convention, despite son Barron missing his dad's big night.

The presidential hopeful attended the event in Milwaukee to formally accept the Republican nomination this week.

He was joined by four of his five children on the final night of the convention - Ivanka Trump, Tiffany Trump and his two eldest sons Donald Jr. and Eric Trump.

All were joined by their spouses and partners, although youngest child Barron, 18, was nowhere to be seen.

His absence was of little consequence to Trump however, who took to Truth Social to gush about his family.

Donald Trump has shared a heartfelt message about his children following the Republican National Convention, despite son Barron missing his dad's big night

'How good were my kids at the convention?' He wrote, 'I'm proud of them all.'

Barron had previously been named an at-large delegate by the Florida Republican Party, but two days later, he declined the role through his mother's office.

'While Barron is honored to have been chosen as a delegate by the Florida Republican Party, he regretfully declines due to prior commitments,' Melania Trump said in a statement to MSNBC.

He still received a shout out from his father however, during his 92 minute acceptance speech - the longest ever recorded at a convention.

Three of Barron's siblings, Don Jr., Eric, and Tiffany, did serve as delegates for the Sunshine State while the brothers addressed the event individually on Wednesday and Thursday respectively.

Meanwhile, Barron's niece, Kai, 17, was one of the breakout stars of the convention as she spoke on stage in introducing her father, Don Jr., and talking lovingly about her grandfather.

Barron's mother, known to be extremely protective of her son, emerged at the convention, as the Trump campaign announced, moments before her husband's acceptance speech.

Barron's absence was of little consequence to Trump however, who took to Truth Social to gush about his family

Barron was not able to attend but still received a shout out from his father however, during his 92 minute acceptance speech - the longest ever recorded at a convention

Barron has long been the most private of all of his siblings, with the possible exception of Tiffany.

In January 2024, he mourned the loss of his grandmother, Melania's mother, Amalija, who passed away at the age of 78. Barron is reported to be very close to his mother's side of the family.

During his father's trial, in which he was found guilty of falsifying business records in order to pay off a porn star with whom he's alleged to have had sex with when Barron was just a few months old, Trump was allowed to leave proceedings in order to attend his high school graduation.

On July 9, Barron made his bow at a Trump rally in Miami where his dad heaped praise on him.

'Thats the first time hes done it. Thats the first time, right? Youre pretty popularhe might be more popular than Don and Eric. We gotta talk about this,' the former Apprentice host told the audience.
Two rapists have been jailed after they lured two women to a 'house party' where they assaulted them.

Ibrahim Kone, 24, of Moor Crescent Chase in Leeds, met the two women - who were on a night out in Leeds on July 3, 2021 - outside a fast-food restaurant before inviting them back to a house party.

West Yorkshire Police said the women later went to a house in the Harehills area and were met by Kone and another man - his co-defendant Ibrahima Krubally, 21, of Gledhow Road, Leeds - and were serious sexually attacked.

The men were identified and charged and after failing to attend a court hearing, Krubally was extradited from Germany when a Trade and Cooperation Agreement (TaCA) warrant was issued for his arrest.

He was jailed at Leeds Crown Court for 12 years after being convicted of three counts of rape and one of sexual assault by penetration.

Ibrahim Kone, 24 (pictured, left) and Ibrahima Krubally, 21(pictured, right) have both been jailed for a total of 20 years after being convicted of raping two women which they lured to a house party

Kone was jailed for eight years after being convicted of one count of rape.

Detective Constable Samantha Wilson, from the Leeds District CID team who led the investigation, welcomed the guilty verdict.

She said: 'I would like to thank the victims in this case, who have shown such bravery in coming forward and have been commended for their courage in giving evidence against both defendants in court.

'There is no doubt that Kone and Krubally have caused both victims significant physiological and physical harm because of their actions.'

The victims were taken to a home in the Harehills area where they were seriously assaulted, Leeds Crown Court heard (file photo)

Detective Inspector Richard James, of Leeds District CID, added: 'This has been a long and complex investigation which started in 2021. Unfortunately, the victim's wait for justice was prolonged by Krubally leaving the country during court proceedings.

'I hope this case demonstrates that we will work with our counterparts internationally to ensure that dangerous offenders cannot evade prosecution by fleeing overseas.

I also hope their convictions and the prison sentences they have now been given provide some closure for their victims and reassurance in the wider community.'
Dozens of police officers were paid to take part in a Pride parade through Scotlands biggest city despite the force slashing resources and cutting back on fighting crime.

Last week it was revealed that uniformed officers were being urged to represent the overstretched force at the LGBTI event in exchange for either pay or a day off in lieu.

While their colleagues were on duty at the parade to ensure order was maintained, police chiefs requested that other officers join in to show support for the marchers.

The event was deemed a community engagement opportunity, with top brass declaring officers could attend on full pay as a result.

Around 25 uniformed officers took part in the march through Glasgow, wearing special LGBT rainbow epaulettes, and flanked by a marked car and van draped in Pride flags.

Officers take part in Saturdays Pride march in Glasgow city centre

The group, which included some senior officers, would have accrued around 5,000 in wage costs.

The move comes after Police Scotland abandoned investigating some minor crimes as it battles a financial black hole which has seen officer numbers plummet to their lowest level for 16 years.

David Kennedy, general secretary of the Scottish Police Federation (SPF), which represents officers up to and including the rank of Chief Inspector, said: We are fully supportive of Pride.

Chief Constable Jo Farrell was accused of virtue signaling over apology for laws that 'criminalised love'

However, the issue here is about resourcing, as well as the fact that it potentially sets a precedent about what events Police Scotland may, or may not, support in this manner.

Its about the principle of paying people to go to events, when police are now not attending some low-level crimes due to resourcing.

The usual approach if someone wished to attend an event would be for them to do it on their day off, or to take a days leave.

The police service is absolutely stretched. They are not answering routine calls. The priority must be to make sure frontline resources are kept to a maximum level.

Calum Steele, former general secretary of the SPF, said after the policy was revealed: Moving to a situation where officers are paid to march is an astonishing development and has to raise questions over the effective use of resources.

Cathy Larkman, a police officer for more than 30 years, and now the national policing lead for the Womens Rights Network, also criticised the push to have police involved in political parades.

The policy was unveiled in an internal Police Scotland memo by Assistant Chief Constable Tim Mairs, revealed last week by our sister paper the Scottish Daily Mail.

The memo calls for officers to sign up to represent the force at the Pride event in Glasgow, as well as upcoming events in West Lothian, Oban and Stirling.

Sent to divisional commanders, the memo promises officers a shift change or a day back will be provided for those participating in line with regulations.

Mr Mairss memo said it was recognised that this is a community engagement opportunity, therefore participation will be considered a duty day.

The ACC said he would be grateful if the contents of the memo could be brought to the attention of all officers/ staff under your control.

It follows strong criticism of the single force after it decided to no longer investigate some minor crimes as part of a new proportionate response policy amid a major financial squeeze under the SNP Government.

The new policy also comes after Scotlands most senior officer was accused of virtue-signalling nonsense when she apologised for enforcing laws which criminalised love.

David Kennedy of the Scottish Police Federation said frontline policing should be a priority

Chief Constable Jo Farrell said in May she was sorry for recent and historical injustices suffered by lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer or questioning, and intersex people.

Assistant Chief Constable Catriona Paton said: We are responsible for policing a diverse community and one of our great strengths is that our officers and staff are drawn from different backgrounds and experiences.

We value the relationship we have with all diverse groups and it is important Police Scotland is represented at events such as these.

Participation was considered by line managers to ensure there is no impact on operational policing.
Landing on his backside in the school corridor, the music teacher took a moment to assess the situation.

He had just been ejected from his own classroom.

A 12-year-old boy had done it. The pupil had taken exception to being told to queue with the rest of the class to sanitise his hands  as school rules dictated at the time  and tried to barge past the adult in the room.

When that didnt work he took a few steps back then took a running leap, barrelling into him with such force the teacher was propelled through the door and off his feet.

Some weeks after that, the teachers car was keyed in the school car park.

A teacher in Scotland is attacked by a pupil every four minutes, according to shock figures

On another day, a group of pupils vandalised his classroom for a laugh.

They poured gallons of soup from a home economics class over musical instruments, damaging some irreparably.

He was spat on several times. Once, he was left to contend with an out of control S2 boy throwing instruments and chairs around the room and flipping tables.

The youngster then climbed on top of a desk and jumped from it onto the teacher as he launched a furious assault.

The pupil was removed from the class but remained in school. Two weeks after this incident, the boy attacked a first-year girl, breaking her jaw.

By that time music master Keith (not his real name) had decided his debut year teaching in a Dundee secondary school would also be his final one.

The profession was not for him, at least not in an educational environment in thrall to the notion that restorative conversations  an SNP policy  are the key to addressing thuggery.

After gaining a teaching degree in Scotland, serving his probationary year in a Perthshire school and then landing a permanent post in Dundee, the Irishman quit for the sake of his mental and physical wellbeing.

My year in Dundee was enough to burn me, Keith tells The Mail on Sunday. It burnt out the spark. He left teaching and took a job at a local Halfords installing dash-cams in cars.

Now living back in Ireland, he reflects: A lot of the issues that I was having with the kids were simply because I was making them put away their phones.

I was making them sit down and take their jackets off I was literally following the school rules and there was a lot of push-back.

The dismal experience which prompted him to abandon his teaching career in June 2021 is far from an aberration in Scottish teaching. Indeed, some describe it as situation normal.

According to whistleblowers, the explosion of violence in both primary and secondary schools in recent years is pushing some probationer teachers to quit almost as soon as they see the chaos they face every day in classrooms.

Longer-serving teachers are in despair over the indiscipline and threats to them and their pupils safety.

Many say senior leadership teams at their schools are determined to play down every incident  and even to regard the violence as stemming from a failing on the teachers part.

Figures revealed in The Scottish Mail on Sunday last week showed the number of assaults on teachers rose to 16,000 in Scotland during the 2023/2024 academic year.

That is one every four minutes of class time  and almost treble the number recorded three years ago.

Set against these figures, it becomes clear Keiths story is indicative of a systemic disciplinary failure across Scottish education.

Much of it, he says, he has tried to block from his memory. He suffered a year of sleeplessness and the stress of his job brought on weight gain.

F*** teaching, he declares now. Either youre an absolute martyr or you clock in and clock out. Thats no life for me.

Keith was thrilled to land the teaching job in Dundee when it became clear there was no permanent post available in the Perthshire secondary where he did his probationary year.

Many probationers struggle to land staff jobs and often join lists of supply teachers and support themselves by other means when they are not needed.

But the move from a rural secondary to an inner city one opened his eyes to the realities thousands of his colleagues were facing.

In Perthshire I was at a rural school and a lot of them were farmers kids. They grew up with that mindset of the cows need to be fed, the crops need to come in and you just get on with the job, you know? There was very little of that attitude in the city school.

He adds: We had no faith that serious problems could be addressed at all.

The incident where he was bundled out of his own classroom by the 12-year-old was a case in point.

Following procedure, Keith alerted his head of department to what had happened, and a restorative conversation was arranged with the boy, with a school resource officer sitting in.

It was worth absolutely zero. I detailed that I didnt expect to have to worry about being assaulted in class, that I wanted to be able to come and do my work and I wanted my students to be able to come and be safe in their class, and he was suitably apologetic.

The resource officer escorted him back to his class and said, That was a really good conversation. You had a really constructive meeting with him. Then he was back in my class later in the week and that was it, there was no punishment.

Its not that I am against restorative conversations as a thing, but I have just never seen them work  and that definitely didnt work because he continued to cause havoc in my class.

Not to the same extent, but I did have to call the resource officer probably on three or four occasions and have him removed from the room because he was jumping on the tables and just causing mayhem in the class.

The former teacher, who is in his 40s, had himself attended an inner city school in the Republic of Ireland in the 1990s.

He recalled: None of this would have been acceptable there, absolutely none. We had antisocial behaviour, yeah, sure, but it got dealt with.

If you did something like this you were taken out of class and you were gone for a month or six weeks until you were able to control yourself.

He adds: I want a room where there is order and there is a bit of discipline and I do think that was causing me hassle.

It is possible, then, that the vandalism attack on his classroom was some kind of twisted revenge. He recalls returning to the room during the lunch break and seeing a group of five or six pupils at the windows.

When they spotted him, they fled, but he was able to identify two of them.

When he approached the window he found vats of soup had been poured through it onto the musical keyboards and other instruments inside the room.

I had to clean them off as best I could, but the soup had gone down into the mechanism and gummed things up.

I identified a couple of them to my head and that was passed up the chain and, as far as I could tell, nothing was done.

By the time his car was keyed in the car park, leaving the drivers side scored with zig-zags and circles, he had lost all faith in the school authorities ability or willingness to take action.

I didnt report it officially, he says. The car was parked in an area not covered by cameras so, at that point, I had kind of given up. I had resigned myself to quitting the job.

The incident in which the S2 pupil ran amok in his classroom certainly was reported.

He came in late and something had set him off already.

He started kicking off and throwing instruments around. I eventually got him out after he had jumped onto the tables and then jumped into me.

Although the boy was banned from the class, he returned to it twice at the start of a lesson, deliberately causing disruption before sauntering away.

There was hassle with him all year long, says Keith.

Two weeks later, he assaulted an S1 girl and broke her jaw. At the end of the school year, he was still there.

The tragedy for Keith is not just a personal one. Indeed, in a sense, he is thankful he discovered early that an inner city teaching career would not work out.

What tears at him is the pupils who cannot opt out of the classroom environment as he did.

Even the first-year kids were old enough and wise enough to understand what was going on and the limits of my powers in dealing with stuff like this. You could see them all rolling their eyes when someone was kicking off again, knowing there was not a whole lot the teacher could do about it, so their education was 100 per cent suffering.

Back in Ireland with his partner, who had moved to Scotland to be with him during his teaching career, Keith is now doing a degree in arts management.

He says: I havent written teaching off entirely. I just said at the time Im done for now and if I go back to it, it will definitely be with both eyes wide open and testing the waters very carefully before I subject myself to that again.

A national survey last year by the nations largest teaching union, the Educational Institute of Scotland (EIS), found that 80 per cent of teachers had considered leaving the profession because of the rising tide of violence.

A second survey, carried out among only Aberdeen teachers, detailed their frustrations as they battled to control classes with too few resources and too little in their disciplinary armoury to deal with daily bouts of aggression.

One teacher said: Today I came home saying I had a good day. But when I described my day, it included having classroom objects thrown at me and being horrifically sworn at.

That is not normal, but it has become normalised. I was just relieved children were not hurt.

Others complained of the gaslighting of hard-working colleagues by senior staff who dont want to admit their school had a problem with violence.

One said: We as staff are asked to consider if the child has needs or if they were feeling strong emotions during the violent incident and what we should have been doing to prevent the violence and support the child.

Another reported: Extreme violent behaviours are tolerated, and the same pupil is often back in class the following day.

Restorative practices are absolutely insufficient.

And another said: I was told that boys will be boys when I reported an object being thrown at me. Nothing was done.

When Education Secretary Jenny Gilruth was asked about this report earlier in the year, she said she had not read it and that it would be for Aberdeen City Council to respond to.

Pressure is now growing on Ms Gilruth  herself a former teacher  to respond to what has become a national crisis.

Last week Tom Bennett, the UK Governments top adviser on classroom behaviour, told The Scottish Mail on Sunday that the Scottish Governments policy on school discipline was a ghastly dereliction of public duty.

Education Secretary Jenny Gilruth is accused of inaction

Mr Bennett, from Glasgow, said: The system is broken because schools are told to never exclude children, even for persistent abusive behaviour, and are expected to miraculously turn behaviour around by pastoral methods.

He added: This is utterly foolish and has never been demonstrated to work in any country in the world. These rules are written by people who have never successfully run a challenging classroom.

Responding to Keiths tale, EIS general secretary Andrea Bradley said: Sadly, the experience of the ex-teacher that you have been working with is not entirely isolated.

Its among some of the most extreme examples that we have, but worryingly the incidences of extreme behaviour like that has been increasing. Thats what our members are reporting.

She said schools lacked the resources even to ensure the restorative practice policy was properly administered.

Liam Kerr, Scottish Conservative education spokesman, said: This example is an utterly depressing reflection on the state of affairs in Scotlands schools.

Evidence shows its also by no means unique. Teachers, pupils and parents are suffering due to the SNPs abject failure in sorting this out.

For Keith, there are no regrets. He has moved on, relocated and set himself new goals. For thousands still in the profession, fearing each day in the classroom, the better place he is in must surely seem alluring.
He is no stranger to famous planes, having worked as an airframe mechanic which included a stint with the legendary 617 Dambusters Squadron.

However, James Smith had never flown in his favourite, the iconic Spitfire, until finally achieving his dream last week  at the age of 94.

And the pensioner, whose dramatic 30-minute sortie over Perthshire included a swoop over his home village, was not disappointed, describing the experience as beyond anything he could have imagined.

Taking off from Scone Airport, the first time that Spitfire ML-295 has flown from a Scottish airfield, he said: I told the family Id found what I want for my 95th birthday which will be in October  and that was to fly in a Spitfire.

The best moment was when I flew over my own village of Dunning. Id told neighbours to look out for me and I gave them a wave as we flew over.

James Smith gets ready for take-off at Scone Airport

The Spitfire is an incredible piece of engineering and to experience it is beyond anything I could ever have imagined. I trained with Spitfires and flew in aircraft such as Canberras and Lincolns, but this was the first time I have actually flown in a Spitfire.

Some would say I have left it late, but it has been quite unbelievable, an experience never to be forgotten for anyone who is lucky enough to fly in one of these.

Mr Smith, who completed his RAF National Service 72 years ago, was watched by three generations of his family, including great-granddaughters Georgia, four, and Pippa, two, in what he said was a dream come true.

He was one of a small number of enthusiasts to take to the skies above Scone in the aircraft viewed as an icon of British aviation and which, to many, will always be the ultimate fighter plane.

The adventure does not come cheap, with the price of around 3,000 for half an hour working out at an eye-watering 100 per adrenaline-filled minute.

The price reflects the Spitfires running and maintenance costs, ML-295 itself having recently undergone a 350,000 engine overhaul. Another participant, Derek Darnell, of Muir of Ord in Ross-shire, enjoyed the experience as a treat on his 69th birthday.

I feel like I left my stomach behind at one point but to fly in a Spitfire, to experience its speed and agility, is an unbelievable feeling, he said.

A third to enjoy a flight, Mark Newbold, whose wife Elly planned it as a 60th birthday gift for him, said: Its quite difficult to put into words how special it is.

The passenger cockpit, just behind the pilot, is very tight, and the aircraft achieves such an amazing speed, that it is just the most incredible feeling to be up there in this most historic of aeroplanes.

The Supermarine Spitfire was a short-range high-performance fighter conceived by designer Reginald RJ Mitchell and introduced shortly before the outbreak of the Second World War.

The aircraft would go on to play a key role during the conflict, in particular during the Battle of Britain in 1940, where Spitfires and their fearless pilots engaged and fought off the Luftwaffes Messerschmitt 109s.

Huge demand for Spitfires led to over 20,000 being produced but, more than 80 years on, only around 60 remain airworthy.

A trio of the preserved and restored aircraft have been returned to airworthiness by enthusiasts behind last weeks sorties in Perth, with more flights planned at the airfield soon.

Spitfire ML-295 high above the Perthshire countryside

Mark Hillier, the Spitfire Academys director of operations, said: Its a brutal aircraft, a proper fighter plane, and it performs like one. It is part of the British psyche really, so its a very special thing to be able to fly in one.

Some people want photographs, some people want aerobatics, and some people just want to fly in a Spitfire, so we try to give them what they are looking for. This is our first time in Scotland and to fly this aircraft in such beautiful surroundings is very memorable indeed.

At Scone Airport, the Spitfire stands out among the dozens of aircraft kept there, its sleek design still potent-looking 80 years after it came off the production line at Castle Bromwich in the Midlands.

Speaking after his emotional flight, Mr Smith said: I did my National Service in the RAF from 1950 to 1952 and had a lot of experience working with Spitfires.

I was stationed at St Athan, in Wales, and there were many aircraft types there, but the Spitfire always stood out as something special. It has been an incredible experience to finally fly in one.
A quarter of parents in the Outer Hebrides have decided not to have any more children because of a lack of childcare, a survey has found.

Organised by Western Isles MSP Alasdair Allan, the questionnaire also found that nearly a fifth admitted they were having to delay having more babies for the same reason.

Throughout May, SNP politician Dr Allan conducted an online survey of 270 parents and carers of children aged under five across the Western Isles. Now he has shared the results on his website.

The poll found that the majority of families with young children are concerned about accessing the childcare they require.

Eighty-two per cent of respondents said they and/or their partner couldnt work as many hours as they wanted because there wasnt adequate childcare provision, while a quarter said they had decided not to have any more children as a result of childcare access issues.

Western Isles MSP Alasdair Allan carried out survey on the island

Some 19 per cent said they were having to delay having more children.

The islands are the worst hit area for depopulation in Scotland, with Dr Allan arguing childcare workers are vital and the issue must be tackled.

The results demonstrate clearly the extent of the issue at hand, with most Western Isles families unable to have their childcare needs fully met at present, mainly due to a lack of capacity or the absence of any childcare provision locally, he said.

Progress must be made at a local level on this issue, as it has wide-reaching consequences. The present situation is exacerbating the pressure on our public services, including the NHS, schools, and local authority nursery settings, as staff are often unable to return to work as planned after their own maternity leave.

It is also affecting the health of the local economy, with 82 per cent of respondents reporting that either they or their partner was not able to work as many hours as they wanted to directly as a result of not having access to childcare.

Some parents have even had to close down their own businesses. There are now only nine nursery places available for newborns up to two-year-olds in Lewis, and many local childminders have waiting lists of up to two years.

No childminders are currently operating in Barra or Harris.

Council nurseries across the islands are also under significant pressure, with workforce recruitment and retention difficulties as well as capacity challenges.

Dr Allans survey found that only 15 per cent of parents with children under the age of five in the Western Isles felt they were able to have their childcare needs fully met at present.

A lack of childcare provision on the islands is making parents think twice about having more children

Of those who took part, 41 per cent said their needs were not being met and 43 per cent said they were only being partly met.

Scottish Government-funded childcare covers 1,140 hours a year for all three to four-year-olds and eligible two-year-olds, with the provision due to be rolled out in phases to all one to two-year-olds across Scotland.

However, childcare places have been becoming more and more in demand across the Western Isles, due in part to a decline in the number of childminders operating, as well as last years closure by the University of the Highlands and Islands of the An Cotan Childcare Centre in Stornoway.
READ MORE: Influencer gets stuck in South of France due to outage

It's another day of misery for airline travelers as more than 24,000 flights have been delayed and nearly 2,000 have canceled, a misery map shows, as airlines continue to deal with the world's worst technology disaster.

Saturday travelers are still facing a massive disaster, especially along the East Coast, as airports and airlines continue to recover from Crowdstrike outage.

Just in the last two hours, 825 flights have been delayed in the US, while 200 have been canceled, leaving frustrated travelers. More than 100 of those canceled flights were from Atlanta.

It's another day of misery for airline travelers as more than 24,000 flights have been delayed and nearly 2,000 have canceled, a misery map shows

Dallas-Fort Worth and Denver were also hit hard.

New York's LaGuardia canceled 13 percent of flights going out its terminals, and a near equal number canceled coming in. JFK Airport isn't far behind with five percent of its flights in and out canceled, according to Flight Aware.

Also along the East Coast, Miami, Boston, and Washington DC are leaving travelers struggling to get home.

The West Coast is fairing slightly better, with Los Angeles, San Francisco, and Seattle showing less than 10 percent of both in and out flights canceled.

Several transportation services, businesses, and government agencies are still working Saturday to recovery from the Crowdstrike outage that took place Friday.

Those flying out of Atlanta's Hartsfield-Jackson International Airport (pictured) are getting the worst of the chaos as more than 150 flights, or roughly 14 percent, have canceled and more than 30 percent are delayed Saturday

Just in the last two hours, 825 flights have been delayed in the US, while 200 have been canceled, leaving frustrated travelers. More than 100 of those canceled flights were from Atlanta (pictured)

Nearly 50,000 flights worldwide were canceled Friday and more than 5,000 were delayed.

Delta took to X to give its customers an update today, writing: 'We are continuing operational recovery today following an outside vendor technology issue. For updates on itineraries visit our website or the Fly Delta app. A travel waiver is still in effect for those impacted.'

Britain's transportation services are also still struggling to get back on schedule.

Gatwick Airport said the 'majority' flights would take off today, while Manchester Airport is still checking bags manually, according to CBS News.

The Port of Dover has hours-long wait times as an increased number of passengers are hoping to catch ferries to France.

Several transportation services, businesses, and government agencies are still working Saturday to recovery from the Crowdstrike outage that took place Friday (pictured: Chicago O'Hare Airport)

Britain's National Cyber Security Center has also warned citizens to be wary of phishing attempts from 'opportunistic malicious actors,' according to CBS News.

Germany's Eurowings airline has mostly gotten back to schedule, but not entirely.

On Friday, the airline encouraged passengers to take trains after it had to cancel around 20 percent of its flights.

US border crossings were also delayed Friday due to the outage.

CrowdStrike CEO George Kurtz issued an apology six hours after the 'blue screen of death.'

'We are deeply sorry for the impact that we have caused to our customers, to travelers, to anyone who has been affected by this, including our company,' Kurtz said in an interview with NBCs Today.
Thousand of Donald Trump supporters descended on Grand Rapids, MI on Saturday for the first campaign rally of the former president since the failed assassination attempt one week ago in Butler, PA.

Crowds of Trump loyalists started lining up in downtown early in the morning and by early afternoon, the line to get into the event spanned multiple city blocks as people came from all over Michigan and out of state to see the Republican presidential nominee speak.

Security for the rally was intense outside the Van Andel Arena. Dump trucks blocked off streets around the venue while fencing had also been erected outside.

Local and state police patrolled the perimeter on bicycles and and horseback.

This is the first rally since a gunman opened fire at Trump's rally in Pennsylvania one week ago, grazing the former president's ear with a bullet, killing one rally-goer Corey Comperatore and critically injuring two others.

The gunman was immediately taken out by a sniper but the horrific shooting has raised questions about how a man with a gun was able to get so close to Trump as the election season heats up.

Trump supporters chanted 'fight, fight, fight' as they waited in line for his rally, a reference to the former president's words when he stood up after the failed assassination attempt last week in Pennsylvania. The event in Grand Rapids is his first rally since the shooting and security has been intensified

Unlike the rally in Pennsylvania, Trump's rally in Michigan will be held indoors. There has also been a ramp up of federal, state and local law enforcement for the event as officials consider the best approach to security moving forward.

'We are approaching Saturdays event in the same way we do for the myriad events, large and small, that take place in Grand Rapids  with solid operational planning, effective resource deployment, and an unwavering commitment to the safety of the community we serve,' Grand Rapids police chief Eric Winstrom said ahead of the rally.

Secret Service monitoring the crowds Saturday outside the Trump rally venue. Federal, state and local law enforcement were all on the scene to provide security for the rally

Police monitoring the scene outside the Van Andel Arena in Grand Rapids from the roof of another building

Trucks blocking off the streets around the Van Andel Arena in Grand Rapids ahead of Donald Trump's rally on Saturday

Attendees lined up outside the Van Andel Arena in Grand Rapids to hear Trump speak on Saturday. Some told DailyMail.com they arrived in the early hours of the morning to make sure they got inside

Fences had been erected around the arena ahead of Trump's visit to Grand Rapids, MI

Rally-goers told DailyMail.com they were not concerned about security ahead of the Grand Rapids rally and were excited to attend. Many brought lawn chairs to sit in while waiting to get into the arena. It's the first rally since Trump officially accepted the Republican presidential nomination on Thursday in Milwaukee

Mounted police officers patrolling before Trump spoke in Grand Rapids, MI. Officers received applause as they walked by from the crowd

Law enforcement officer were applauded by the immense crowd waiting to get into the event as they made their way put and down the streets of Grand Rapids.

The event on Saturday is the first rally since Trump officially accepted the Republican presidential nomination at the Republican National Convention held in Milwaukee, Wisconsin.

It is also the first rally since Trump chose Ohio Senator J.D. Vance as his running mate. Vance will be making his first appearance as the GOP vice presidential nominee at the rally alongside Trump.

Despite the horrific events of a week ago, MAGA enthusiasts told DailyMail.com they were not concerned Saturday as they started lining up to get into the Van Andel Arena early Saturday morning. Some brought their own lawn chairs and other ways to stay relaxed as they waited outside the venue.

'I think after what happened last weekend, I felt like this was a historical moment to be here,' said Andrea Myaad from Holland, MI. She is a longtime Trump supporter but this was her first time attending a rally.

Trump rally attendees told DailyMail.com that they had been lining up since very early Saturday morning in the hopes of getting into the former president's first campaign rally since last week's shooting

Steve Dougan from just outside Lansing, MI has attended three other Trump rallies before heading over to the Grand Rapids one on Saturday.

'I'm extremely concerned about what happened last week - the colossal failure of planning and strategic enforcement,' Dougan said as he waited in line.

He plans to tune in for the hearings on Capitol Hill about the failed assassination attempt as lawmakers prepare to grill Secret Service Kimberly Cheatle about the security failures on Monday.

Dougan praised Trump's reaction after shots were fired when he got up and raised his fist in the air as 'amazing.'

'How many presidents in history would have had the courage to have done that?' he said.

Rally-goers were sporting shirts with the image of Trump raising his fist after standing back up after the shooting in Butler, PA

Former president Donald Trump raising his fist after the failed assassination attempt in Butler, PA on Saturday July 13, 2024

A man waiting in line to enter the Trump rally wearing a shirt with the image of Trump in Butler, PA

The Grand Rapids rally would be Sue De Young's seventh rally. She said she cried over the shooting last week in Pennsylvania, and she could not wait to attend the Michigan one.

'I'm just so proud of Trump and how he came through it all,' she said. He's just a fighter, and I'm so excited to see him again. I think he has a really good chance of winning now.'

In addition to the regular MAGA wear at the Trump rallies, many of the event-goers on Saturday were wearing t-shirts with the image of the former president raising his fist in Butler, PA. Many of the new shirts also included the words 'fight, fight, fight.'

One woman told DailyMail.com she ordered hers online just days after the shooting.

Attendees also had a new rallying cry as they waiting in line to enter the event. Rounds of the chant 'fight, fight, fight' could be heard numerous times as people waited hours to get in.
The House of Commons chamber descended into a shouting match after the ex-Tory health minister was slapped down by the deputy speaker for 'behaving abominably'.

The dressing down of Victoria Atkins came after she stood up at the dispatch box to loudly interrupt Labour's Environment Secretary Steve Reed while he was speaking.

It was a clear break of parliamentary procedure, which does not allow two members to stand at the dispatch box at the same time, forcing deputy speaker Christopher Chope to call for order.

After Ms Atkins, 48, backs down and retakes her seat on the Conservative bench, Mr Chope proclaims to the chamber: 'The right honourable lady has behaved abominably'.

A video of the exchange has been widely shared on social media, with many users expressing disdain at the conduct of the elected politicians.

The dressing down of Victoria Atkins came after she stood up at the dispatch box to loudly interrupt Labour's Environment Secretary Steve Reed while he was speaking

It was a clear break of parliamentary procedure, which does not allow two members to stand at the dispatch box at the same time, forcing deputy speaker Christopher Chope to call for order

Well-known Leftie and ex-Countdown star Carol Vorderman even waded into the row

In the video Ms Atkins can be heard asking Mr Reed 'will he give way?', but the minister had previously said he would not be giving way as he only had three minutes of time remaining.

Lib Dem MP Helen Morgan, who was in the room during the row, spoke of the incident in a post on X/Twitter.

'I witnessed this first-hand. The Conservatives proved the electorate got it right: they are not fit for government', she said.

Josh Fenton-Glynn, Labour MP for Calder Valley, also posted: 'I think the fact you don't get to speak as much in opposition is hard for them [Conservatives] to get used to.'

Labour MP Perran Moon said Ms Atkins' behaviour was 'an absolute disgrace' and called for appropriate action to be taken.

The incident happened on Friday while Mr Reed spoke during the planning, green belt and rural affairs debate in the Commons.

Well-known Leftie and Twitter-warrior Carol Vorderman even waded into the row, writing: 'Tory Victoria Atkins seems unable to behave as a member of the Opposition

'So much for Sunaks words this week "we will fulfil our duties, as the loyal Opposition, professionally and effectively" Righto (eye-roll emoji).

'Straight back to his "accountability, integrity blah blah" hot air.'

A video of the exchange has been widely shared on social media, with many users expressing distain at the conduct of the elected politicians

Ms Atkins (pictured on July 4) was privately educated at Arnold School, a co-educational school in Blackpool in Lancashire, and studied law at the University of Cambridge

A spokesperson for Ms Atkins' office said: 'Conservative MPs were trying to get answers about their budgets for farming, flood defences and food security, which the minister ignored.

'She will always stand up fearlessly for farmers and our rural area in Westminster, even if that means a rare admonishment from the Chair.'

Ms Atkins is the daughter of Sir Robert Atkins, a former Conservative MP and MEP, and Lady (Dulcie) Atkins, a Conservative councillor and mayor.

She was diagnosed with Type 1 diabetes at the age of three.

Ms Atkins was privately educated at Arnold School, a co-educational school in Blackpool in Lancashire, and studied law at the University of Cambridge where she was an undergraduate student at Corpus Christi College, Cambridge.

She was first elected as a Conservative in the safe seat of Louth and Horncastle in 2015 after working as a barrister in the field of fraud in London.

During her election campaign, she had the backing of former prime minister. Sir John Major, whom she has known since birth.

Nearly 70 per cent of her constituency voted in favour of Brexit, despite Ms Atkins being opposed to Brexit in the 2016 EU referendum.

Ms Atkins (pictured on Match 2021) was first elected as a Conservative in the safe seat of Louth and Horncastle in 2015 after working as a barrister in the field of fraud in London

Ms Atkins served as Secretary of State for Health and Social Care from November 2023 to July 2024.

Before that she had held several junior minister positions including minister of justice and minister for Afghan resettlement, between September 2021 and July 2022.

She had resigned as justice minister under then prime minister Boris Johnson citing that 'integrity, decency, respect and professionalism' had been 'fractured' under his leadership.

In 2018, as drugs minister at the Home Office, she was accused of 'hypocrisy on a grand scale' after it was revealed she had spoken out against legalising and regulating the drug while her husband was managing director of British Sugar, which is licensed to grow nonpsychoactive cannabis.

Shortly after the row, Mr Reed Labour MP for Streatham and Croydon North, closed the debate and said: 'I thank all members who have taken part in this constructive and insightful debate for their perceptive contributions and their dedication to making progress on important matters.

'After 14 years of chaos, there is once again hope for our environment, hope for our countryside, and hope for our rural communities.'
A couple who embarked on an eco-friendly voyage across the Atlantic were found dead in a lifeboat after seemingly being forced to abandon their yacht.

Brett Clibbery, 70, and British woman Sarah Justine Packwood, 54, were reported missing after setting off from Nova Scotia in Canada in their 42ft sailing boat Theros on June 11 - and were found last week in a washed-up liferaft.

The couple's remains were found on Sable Island, nicknamed the 'Graveyard of the Atlantic', 180 miles off the coast of Nova Scotia, the liferaft having washed ashore. They had intended to sail to the Azores 900 miles west of Portugal.

The Theros was a wind and solar-powered vessel piloted by the pair to show how travel can be done without using fossil fuels. The pair also shared videos on their YouTube channel showing them driving across Canada in an electric car.

Investigators are assessing whether the boat may have been struck by a larger vessel. No distress calls appear to have been issued by the couple.

In a message shared on their Facebook page, the pair had written: 'We aim to sail across the ocean, all being well, fair winds and following seas with us!' They labelled the journey part of their 'green odyssey'.

Brett Clibbery and Sarah Packwood, who were found dead off the coast of Nova Scotia earlier this month after their journey on an eco-yacht met a grim end

The pair shared videos of their sailing adventures on their fully solar and wind-powered yacht, Theros, on YouTube and Facebook

The Theros, a 42ft sailing boat, which was used by the couple to sail around North America

The yacht had been converted to run purely on sail and solar power after having its diesel engine removed

The pair got married on board their yacht in 2016 (left) before they held a Celtic handfasting ceremony at Stonehenge a year later (right)

Ms Packwood and Mr Clibbery were regular travellers - sharing images and videos of their sailing trips, electric car journeys and hikes

The couple were wed on the Theros in 2016, according to Ms Packwood's personal blog, a year after meeting at a bus stop in London. Mr Clibbery has been described as an experienced sailor and mechanic.

Ms Packwood, from Long Itchington, Warwickshire, was in the process of donating a kidney to her sister, Glory, the Vancouver Sun reported.

They later held a 'handfasting' Celtic ceremony at Stonehenge in April 2017, posting a video of the encounter on their YouTube channel.

Their trip to the Azores was meant to be the first fully 'green' journey on Theros after removing its diesel engine in favour of wind and solar power.

Posting a tribute on social media, Mr Clibbery's son James said his father and his wife were 'amazing people'.

He said: 'The past few days have been very hard. My father James Brett Clibbery, and his wife, Sarah Justine Packwood have regrettably passed away.

'I am so very sorry to the people who were friends of them.

'They were amazing people, and there isn't anything that will fill the hole that has been left by their, so far unexplained passing.

'Living will not be the same without your wisdom, and your wife was quickly becoming a beacon of knowledge, and kindness.

'I miss your smiles. I miss your voices. You will be forever missed.'

Tim O'Connor and John Dolman, friends of the couple, told the Times Colonist the pair 'loved to travel and meet new people'.

Mr Dolman said: 'She called him "captain" and called herself the "carpenter's apprentice".

'They were in love. They passed away doing the thing that they loved. Their adventure continues on the other side.'

Mr Clibbery at the helm of the Theros yacht. How the boat ran into trouble is still being investigated by Canadian police

Sarah Packwood and Brett Clibbery. Ms Packwood had taken to sharing stories of her time on board the yacht online

Sarah Packwood described herself online as an 'intuitive healer', practising so-called Reiki healing therapy

Mr Clibbery and Ms Packwood pose for a photo in front of the Theros. An investigation into how they came to abandon ship remains underway

The couple set sail out of Halifax, Nova Scotia (pictured) on June 11 - but contact was lost shortly thereafter

Their ultimate destination had been the Azores in the mid-Atlantic, 800 miles west of Portugal (pictured: Sao Miguel Island in the archipelago)

Sharing a final post on June 11, the pair had written: 'Captain Brett and First Mate Sarah set sail on the 2nd leg of The Green Odyssey on board Theros - GibSea 42 foot sailboat. Powered by the wind and sun. Heading east to the Azores.'

The post was accompanied by a video of Mr Clibbery telling viewers the boat was around 12 miles out from the shore, running at an average of 5.5 knots.

'If the wind stays the same as it is right now we're basically east south-east, which will get us to the Azores, so we'll see,' he said.

However, with no updates forthcoming thereafter, friends and family began to share concerned messages underneath their final posts - corresponding with rescue coordinators in Halifax to search for the Theros.

The couple were formally reported missing on June 18, a week after they had set sail. The journey to the Azores had been scheduled to take 21 days.

A mayday signal was issued by Halifax coastguard crews to all ships nearby on July 3 - while rescue workers in the Azores were also searching for the boat in case it had arrived across the Atlantic.

However, the worst fears of the couple's friends and family were confirmed earlier this month after the liferaft was discovered on Sable Island - 175 miles from Halifax.

Nova Scotia's Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) confirmed they had been made aware of the remains on July 10 within the Sable Island National Park Reserve.

'On July 10, at approximately 3:15 pm, RCMP Halifax Regional Detachment and the Joint Rescue Coordination Centre were contacted, by Parks Canada, after a 10-foot inflatable boat was found washed ashore with two deceased people on board,' a statement read.

'At this time, it's thought to be a lifeboat for a larger vessel named Theros. The remains are believed to be those of two sailors, a 70-year-old man and a 60-year-old woman, from British Columbia.

'They were reported missing to the Joint Rescue Coordination Centre on June 18 after leaving Halifax Harbour on June 11, en route to the Azores.'

A Nova Scotia RCMP spokesperson told MailOnline today: 'The incident remains under investigation and there is no further update at this time.'

How the boat came to be abandoned remains a mystery. However, one theory is that the boat was struck by a much larger vessel shortly after leaving Halifax.

Hugo Fontaine, Canadian transportation safety board spokesman, told the Telegraph: 'At this time, we cannot say with complete certainty that the sailing vessel was struck by a ship, as we are still gathering information regarding the overdue sailing vessel Theros.'

Mr Clibbery had explained in a YouTube video how the boat had been prepared to sail across the Atlantic with no fossil fuel assistance whatsoever.

'We've installed six solar panels to charge the batteries, we have on board a Nissan Leaf battery pack that we use to drive the engine, so we have to get everything put together,' he said.

Ms Packwood, who described herself as a 'adventurer, artist, bard-in-training, co-creator, intuitive healer, humanitarian, musician, nature-lover, singer-songwriter, traveller and writer', volunteered as a humanitarian aid worker in Rwanda following the country's brutal genocide in 1994.

She met Mr Clibbery in 2015 at a bus stop opposite the Department for International Development office in London, and later quit her job, sold her London flat and joined him on the Theros in Salt Spring Island, Canada.
Sadiq Khan is set to splash out over 2.5million on a new diversity training programme for TfL.

A four-year drive is being launched by the Mayor of london to create a more 'inclusive culture' and 'address inequalities' across Crossrail, Transport for London and the Department of Transport.

It comes as Mr Khan is demanding more than 500million a year for the capital's transport network.

The equality and diversity scheme, costing a total of 2.77million, will also extend to the London Fire Brigade and the Metropolitan Police.

An advert has been placed on the Cabinet Office website for a contractor to 'establish a framework' for the scheme.

Sadiq Khan is set to splash 2.5million on a new diversity training programme at TfL to 'address inequalities' across the transport network

Mr Khan's new scheme will support Greater London Authority bodies including TfL for four years until 2028

The move was panned by Richard Tice, the deputy leader of Reform UK, who branded the new training scheme 'a staggering, inappropriate waste of money', the Telegraph reported.

Unconscious bias courses were scrapped for staff within government four years ago, after a review concluded that the training didn't change behaviour or improve equality in the workplace.

A spokesperson for TfL said: 'This training will support tens of thousands of staff across several organisations, including the Met Police, the Department of Transport and other Greater London Authority bodies for four years.

'As public organisations, representing millions of people from all walks of life, it is right that organisations are inclusive and ensure people are treated fairly in order to better serve the community.'

Mr Khan's demands from Sir Keir Starmer's new government, which include travel fare freezes, over a thousand more police officers, 40,000 new council homes and permanent free school meals total 25billion, analysis has shown

Conservative London Assembly member Neil Garratt said that the Mayor was not spending his 21billion budget 'prudently'

While it has backed plans for a long-term strategy to procurement of new rolling stock, the government is resisting Mr Khan's demands to take control of more suburban rail services

The Mayor is seeking double 250million it was granted under the Conservatives for 2024/25 in an early test for new Chancellor Rachel Reeves.

Despite backing Mr Khan's plans for a long-term strategy of procurement of rolling stock for TfL, the government is so far resisting his push for an expansion of his control over suburban rail lines.

Conservative London Assembly member Neil Garratt said that Mr Khan was not spending his current 21billion budget 'prudently'.

But a spokesperson for the Mayor's office called the Conservatives' figures 'misleading nonsense', adding that Mr Khan was looking forward to 'working hand-in-hand' with the Labour government.
The European Union will demand access to UK waters in return for a renewed relationship with Britain - but such a move could cause a headache for Sir Keir Starmer amid claims by British fisherman of 'trading away their rights'.

Labour has made no secret of wanting closer relations with Europe and last week hosted a meeting of dozens of European leaders at Blenheim Palace.

The Prime Minister welcomed several premiers including Emmanuel Macron, Olaf Scholz, Pedro Sanchez and Giorgia Meloni for the European Political Community meeting, which discussed trade, security, foreign policy and immigration.

However senior Eurocrats have warned that any talks with the EU on a renewed relationship will be used to pursue their 'offensive interests'.

This includes fishing access, as well as a deal to allow young European migrants unrestricted access to the UK.

The European Union will demand access to UK waters in return for a renewed relationship with Britain - but such a move could cause a headache for Sir Keir Starmer amid claims by British fisherman of 'trading away their rights'. Pictured: Starmer with Spain's Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez at the Blenheim Palace summit

Just before the General Election, Sir Keir Starmer said that 'everything' about the post-Brexit relationship needed re-negotiating and described the deal struck by Boris Johnson as 'botched'.

He also vowed to strike a 'better' one if he won the Election.

Now in charge of the fledgling Labour Government, Sir Keir has been offered an EU-UK summit in Brussels Charles Michel, the European Council president, to begin such talks.

Deal or no deal? Under the post-Brexit UK-EU trade agreement, 25 per cent of the overall existing EU quota in UK waters will be transferred to the UK over a five-and-a-half-year transition period to 30 June 2026 - but this could be revamped under Labour

But what exactly will be on the agenda for the EU's 27 prime ministers and presidents still remains to be decided.

An EU official told The Telegraph: 'First they have to work out exactly what they want and then come to us and we will talk about it.'

Fishing is more than likely to be top of the list, according to EU sources.

French prime minister Emmanuel Macron is eager to secure a better deal from the EU side given that the UK-EU fisheries deal expires at the end of June 2026.

He told reporters at the EPC that any renegotiation should not become a 'cherry picking' of what had been decided before under Boris Johnson.

Macron said: 'This one obviously has to respect what was decided at the time and should not be a sort of cherry picking.'

German chancellor Olaf Scholz was more conciliatory and said: 'It is too early now to go into the details, but there is a willingness to solve every question that needs to be solved in order to have good relations.'

Before the election, senior Eurocrats predicted that fishing would take priority at any talks with the EU.

One told The Times in June: 'If a new government wants new trade talks, France will make sure that any trade negotiations by the European Commission are linked to fisheries.

'The problem for Britain is that the marine protection areas are where the fish are that the French, and others, want to catch.'

Under the post-Brexit UK-EU trade deal, 25 per cent of the overall existing EU quota in UK waters will be transferred to the UK over a five-and-a-half-year transition period to 30 June 2026.

French prime minister Emmanuel Macron is said to be eager to secure a better deal from the EU side given that the UK-EU fisheries deal expires at the end of June 2026

After 2026, negotiations on access and share of stocks will take place on an annual basis, although multi-annual agreements are possible.

Labour will be in charge of these if it wins the Election, along with a review of the wider trade pact scheduled for next year.

British diplomats were said to be alarmed last month when the EU, under pressure mainly from France, began pressing to begin the fishing negotiations and triggered a dispute mechanism over British marine environmental protection measures.

Fishing for a better deal? Lord Frost, Mr Johnson's chief negotiator for the post-Brexit trade deal, warned in June that 'if the EU gives you something it wants something back..'

In April the European Commission also tabled a 'youth mobility' proposal, including the demand that no limit would be set on numbers of people aged between 18 and 30 coming to work or study for four years, with full rights to bring their family members to Britain.

Lord Frost, Mr Johnson's chief negotiator for the post-Brexit trade deal, warned in June that 'if the EU gives you something it wants something back..'

While on the campaign trail, Sir Keir tried to play down any possible revers of Brexit in regards to fishing rights and said he acknowledged their importance for British fisherman.

He said at the time: 'I'm not going to go into negotiations which haven't even started yet.

'But I know how important it is to defend our fishing rights and how important that is to our fishing communities.

'I think they feel they've been let down because they were told they would get a better deal than they got, and we wouldn't let them down in this and trade away their rights, because that access and that fishing is vital to those communities.

'And I think just at the moment they are feeling they've been very let down.'

While Labour's manifesto said it would not re-join the bloc's single market, customs union or allow freedom of movement again, it did pledge to 'deepen ties' with Brussels.
J.D. Vance received a thunderous standing ovation from the MAGA supporters packing the Van Andel Arena in Grand Rapids, MI on Saturday as he made his debut on the campaign trail as Donald Trump's running mate.

He used his appearance to introduce himself to Republican voters with less than four months to go until election day and go on the attack against his opponent Vice President Kamala Harris.

'What a cool thing it was to be asked by President Trump's running mate and get out there on the campaign trail,' Vance said kicking off his remarks.

'There's some bad news actually. The Vice President Kamala Harris, she doesn't like me,' he said, launching his own line of attacks that can be expected in the months to come between now and Election Day.

J.D. Vance appearing at a Trump rally for the first time as the former president's running mate

Vance accused Harris of claiming he has 'no loyalty' to the country before touting his time in the Marine Corps. He also slammed her work in the Biden administration on the border.

'She did serve as the border czar during the biggest disaster, open border we've ever had in this country,' he claimed. 'Let's get President Trump back there, close down this border and bring back some common sense of security to this country,' he said.

The event in Grand Rapids, Michigan was the first campaign rally Vance has appeared at since he joined the GOP ticket. The Ohio senator spoke just hours before Trump was set to take the stage as well.

'We have never had an election where you have four years of one guy, four years of the other guy, and who could possibly reject the idea that four and a half years President Trump has been a hell of a lot better than four years of Joe Biden,' Vance said.

Vance came back out later to introduce Trump. Before their event, two planes were spotted at the airport including one for Vance as he sets out on the campaign trail.

J.D. Vance used his appearance in Grand Rapids to attack Vice President Kamala Harris and to share some of his background as he works to introduce himself to GOP voters

Trump supporters waiting in line to get into the Van Andel Arena. Security for the Trump rally in Grand Rapids was beefed up. It was the first campaign rally since the shooting in PA a week earlier

J.D. Vance walking out to give his speech accepting the GOP vice presidential nomination in Milwaukee, WI on July 17. Trump named him as his running mate two days earlier

Trump named the conservative Ohio senator, veteran and best-selling author as his running mate on Monday afternoon during the Republican National Convention after months of speculation over who he would pick as his number two.

The one-time Trump critic turned ardent supporter officially accepted the Republican vice presidential nomination at the convention in Milwaukee, WI on Wednesday night.

He's now working to introduce himself to Trump supporters and Independent voters with less than four months until election day.

Some Republican officials told DailyMail.com that they see the 39-year-old MAGA favorite as a good choice to bring in young conservatives and as someone who could help the ticket erode the so-called blue wall in Pennsylvania, Michigan and Wisconsin.

J.D. Vance retuned to the stage after speaking in Grand Rapids to introduce Trump on July 20. His supporters held up signs that said Trump Vance

J.D. Vance with wife Usha joined Donald Trump and former First Lady Melania on stage at the end of the Republican National Convention in Milwaukee on July 18

But many Trump supporters in Grand Rapids were still getting to know about the Ohio native and former venture capitalist who was only elected to the Senate less than two years ago.

Those who knew of him were mostly familiar with his book 'Hillbilly Elegy' or had seen the 2020 Ron Howard movie based off it by the same name.

'At first I didn't know until he gave his speech, and I learned a little bit,' said Denise Cook who drove to Grand Rapids from Portage, Indiana.

'I'd already seen Hillbilly Elegy, and I just know I thought he was kind of young, but after watching his speech, he spoke so eloquently,' she said, pointing to his convention acceptance speech on Wednesday.

Gregory McPherson from Traverse City, MI was also familiar with Vance because of his book.

'I think it's perfect,' he said of Trump's choice. 'I've followed J.D. Vance ever since his book came out and I believe he's the strong American, believes in America and just the strength of what we can all be together.'

Denise Bontembo from Battle Creek, MI called Trump choosing Vance fantastic.

'I'm from Ohio, he's from Ohio. I'm an Ohio state fan, and I'm a marine,' she explained.

'He's young, that will revitalize the party,' she added.

J.D. Vance and his wife Usha on the floor of the convention after he was announced as Trump's vice presidential pick on July 15, 2024

'I wasn't really familiar with him. However, what I do know about him I do like,' said Ben Casarez. 'I like the fact that he could probably move forward in four more years. I think that there's nothing that they can really dig up on him, but we need to keep this Trump thing moving.'

'I think it's very interesting. He wasn't on my radar. I know that he had been talked about. I had my picks that I wanted, but I'm happy with J.D. Vance,' said Lisa Donlin from Kalamazoo.

Ahead of the Trump rally in Michigan, the Biden campaign held a call where Democrats slammed the former president and Ohio senator's visit to the state.

'If there are two things we know about Michigan voters: it's first, they don't like Buckeyes, and they don't like politicians who want to rip away their reproductive freedom and JD Vance is both,' said Democratic Michigan Senator Debbie Stabenow, noting the senator's anti-abortion record.
During the General Election campaign, I promised readers of The Mail on Sunday that I would lead the most pro-growth, pro-business Treasury in our countrys history  and I meant it.

That is why in my first 72 hours as Chancellor, I announced the biggest reform of our planning system in a decade so we could get Britain building again. It is why in my first week I established a new National Wealth Fund that would work alongside business to unlock billions of pounds in private sector investment in the industries of the future.

It is why we have introduced a new law to bring stability back to our economy so never again can we see a re-run of Liz Trusss disastrous mini-Budget. And it is why I have backed the biggest overhaul in regulation of the UK Stock Exchange in 30 years to boost our global competitiveness.

But I know we must go further and faster. I am under no illusion to the scale of the challenge we face. We have inherited the worst set of economic circumstances since the Second World War. Taxes are at a 70-year high, national debt doubled under the Conservatives and public services have been pushed to breaking point.

Rachel Reeves has written in The Mail on Sunday today outlining her policies to lead the most pro-growth, pro-business Treasury in our countrys history

The chancellor has established a new National Wealth Fund that would work alongside business to unlock billions of pounds in private sector investment in the industries of the future

We cannot turn that around overnight. It is going to take time and some tough decisions. But let me be clear: I am ready to take those decisions.

There are some who would argue that now we are in power we can abandon the platform that we were elected on. That we can turn on the spending taps and follow the Conservative Partys path of unfunded promises that we know cannot be delivered.

I profoundly disagree. The mandate we were elected on was clear and I stand by it. We cannot tax and spend our way to prosperity, nor will we play fast and loose with the public finances. Instead, we need to back the wealth creators and deliver for the British people.

Previous governments have talked about a big bang on tax or regulation. I want to lead a big bang on growth because that is the only way we can fix the foundations, so we can rebuild Britain and make every part of our country better off.

That is why I can announce today our latest set of reforms to unlock growth, boost investment and deliver for pensioners.

Ms Reeves (pictured on July 8) has announced today a set of reforms to unlock growth, boost investment and deliver for pensioners

Pictured: A stressed woman trying money to pay credit card debt and many expenses bills

Millions of people across Britain work hard and make sacrifices to save for their retirement, and there are hundreds of billions of pounds worth of assets in UK pension funds. However, not only is the current system not delivering the retirement savings it should be, but it is not doing what it should to support some of our great British businesses.

Conservative governments over the past 14 years have promised action to reform the pension market, but have failed to deliver. Where they have failed, I will act.

That is why I have instructed Treasury officials to launch an urgent review to make recommendations in the coming months for how we can reform the pensions market so it can deliver a better return for savers and ensure successful businesses can get the funding they need to grow, invest and spread prosperity across the UK. It is what other countries are doing and it is what we should be doing.

My demands of this review are clear: I want to boost investment in Britain, increase pension pots and tackle waste in the system. Let me take each of those in turn.

Chancellor Rachel Reeves has warned Britain's public finances are in the worst state since the Second World War

A table showing the economic picture at the end of the last Goverment in 2010 compared to the start of Keir Starmer's Government in 2024

First, I want to see more pension schemes invest in fast-growing British firms. Even a one percentage point shift in the 800billion worth of assets that defined contribution schemes are estimated to manage by the end of the decade could release an extra 8billion of investment.

The same goes for the Local Government Pension Scheme in England and Wales. It is the seventh largest pension scheme in the world, worth 360billion. Its value comes from its 6.6million members, three-quarters of whom are women. This is money that could go towards building vital infrastructure, supporting small businesses and helping to put more back into our towns and cities.

Second, I want to see more done to deliver for pensioners to ensure the savings you make give you security and dignity in retirement. We will introduce new laws to boost some pension pots by more than 11,000 by ensuring schemes are well managed and deliver better value for money.

Reeves plans to implement the biggest overhaul in regulation of the UK Stock Exchange in 30 years to boost our global competitiveness (file image)

And we will tackle waste in the system through consolidation and the money spent on fees, including the 2billion spent by the Local Government Pension Scheme. Bringing pension pots together will also make it easier for people to manage their pensions, ending the administrative headache that comes from being part of multiple schemes.

This is only the beginning. If we are to turn our economy around, I know there is more that needs to be done. We need to tackle hospital waiting lists and reform our welfare system so we can help get people back to work. We need to give people more security at work by ensuring they are paid a decent wage. And we need to invest in our education system so we can build a workforce fit for the future.

I know we must repay the trust of those of you who voted for the Labour Party again or voted for us for the first time in your lives. I know we must also work just as hard for those who stayed at home or voted for another party.

But we were elected on a mandate of change and that work has already begun. We are fixing the foundations  and taking the country forward on a decade of national renewal.
July 19, 2024: Chinese trade was disrupted in 2022 when Russia was hit with economic sanctions for its invasion of Ukraine. The most harmful impact of those sanctions was the loss of customers for Russian oil and petroleum products. The major customers for these products were in neighboring European countries. Russia had built an extensive infrastructure of pipelines and other export systems to get the oil to Western Europe. This included the expensive Nordstream II Pipeline. Suddenly that business was gone and Russia was faced with major losses because of the lost customers.

Eastern neighbor China saw an opportunity and offered to step in and expand and offered to purchase the natural gas and oil that European customers had recently paid Russia to deliver. China pointed out that it and Russia would have to expedite completion of the $55 billion Power of Siberia natural gas pipeline and upgrade ESPOOP (Eastern SiberiaPacific Ocean oil pipeline). These two pipelines were built with excess capacity and now Russia used its unsold oil and natural gas to move these products to China. This was seen as an economic opportunity for China because the Russians had no choice but to sell the natural gas and oil to China or reduce production of both natural resources and sell what they could to smaller customers willing to face the possibility of being sanctioned also. China was a major trading partner with Europe and the Europeans were not willing to endanger that trade with sanctions. Because of this China was able to get Russian natural gas and oil and reduced rates because Russia had no other major customers. Oil and natural gas are major exports for Russia and account for 36 percent of government revenue. Selling to China at a discount would reduce government oil and natural gas revenue by a few percent. Not being able to divert oil and natural gas to Chinese customers would cost the Russians a lot more. Another downside for Russia is that this greater dependence on China for natural gas and oil sales means greater dependence on China in general. It is now a buyers market and China is making the most of it. It means a major shift in Russia-China relations with China becoming the dominant partner. The new boss is not the same as the old boss and Russia has to get used to it.
A woman who shot a baby who was in his stroller on a Philadelphia sidewalk has been arrested, police confirmed.

The woman - Dominique Billips - was arrested Friday night and charged with Aggravated Assault, Violation of the Uniform Firearms Act (VUFA), and related offenses, The Philadelphia Police Department told DailyMail.com.

Billips, who was dressed in a black sweatshirt, shot the seven-month-old baby shortly before 6pm Thursday on Meridian Street in the Holmesburg neighborhood.

'F**k your baby, b**ch,' the woman had shouted after the mother screamed 'my baby,' CCTV footage shows.

'Were very lucky that 7-month-old boy is in stable condition,' Philadelphia Police Chief Inspector Scott Small said.

The woman who shot a seven-month-old baby was arrested, police said Friday night. Her name will not be released until she's formally charged

The surveillance footage shows the woman slowly walking up to the couple on the side before raising her gun just feet away from the mother.

The child's father takes off sprinting after the first shot was fired. She fires a second shot toward the father, before turning toward the mother and firing one more, then leaving.

Dominique Billips was arrested Friday night and charged with Aggravated Assault, Violation of the Uniform Firearms Act (VUFA), and related offenses, The Philadelphia Police Department told DailyMail.com

When police arrived at the scene, neither parent was there and the child had been rushed to Nazareth Hospital by a neighbor.

'When I found out the baby was seven months and both parents said they have warrants. They got out of the car and I took the baby,' he told NBC Philadelphia.

The surveillance footage shows the woman slowly walking up to the couple on the side before raising her gun just feet away from the mother

Both parents fled the scene after the shooting and a neighbor brought the baby to the hospital for treatment. The baby's father was later detained by police and both parents were questioned

'I just felt like I had to protect this child. It was overwhelming. It was scary. This person came up and didn't care with no remorse and just fired and walked away like nothing happened.'

The baby was later transferred to Jefferson Torresdale Hospital, where he is in stable condition.

Neither parent was injured, and it is believed both left the scene due to having warrants out for their assets.

The family of three was not from the Holmesburg area and police do not know why they were there.

The baby's father was later detained by police and both parents were questioned.

The motive for the shooting is unknown.
Donald Trump held his first campaign rally since being shot and thanked his supporters Saturday for their outpouring of love while ridiculing Democrats for being a party of corrupt insiders intent on dislodging their leader in a coup.

Gone was the big, white, gauze-filled bandage that he wore during the week to protect his wounded ear. It was replaced with a smaller, flesh-colored dressing.

'Last week I took a bullet for democracy,' he said to roars of support.

As Joe Biden, 81, recovers out-of-sight at home from COVID-19, 78-year-old Trump walked out to a thunderous welcome, providing an extraordinary political split screen for the 2024 election.

While one president fights for his political life, another has survived a 2020 defeat, a criminal conviction and an assassin's bullet to once again stand astride his party.

He returned to the stage in Grand Rapids a changed man, according to his confidants.

Donald Trump has held his first campaign rally since being shot and thanked his supporters for their outpouring of love while ridiculing Democrats for being a party of corrupt insiders intent on dislodging their leader in a coup

But he launched quickly into his usual rally schtick, holding a poll of his supporters to find out who they would most like to face in the election.

They booed for Vice President Kamala Harris, but booed even harder for Biden.

'I don't think we have to go too much further,' said Trump, before turning his attention to Michigan's Gov. Gretchen Whitmer, another possible candidate.

'You have a terrible governor who did a terrible job. i'd like to run against her.'

Security was visibly tighter than previous rallies. Not only was it held indoors, but bags were given closer scrutiny than usual by Secret Service agents beside the Magnetometers.

Streets around the Van Andel Arena were closed off with dump trucks and snipers could be seen on nearby buildings.

It did not stop thousands of supporters lining up before doors opened. The Trump campaign claimed 25,000 packed the arena (which actually has a capacity of somewhere over 12,000) with another 15,000 outside.

He turned his attention to Michigan's Gov. Gretchen Whitmer, who is also spoken of as a possible candidate

Gone was the big, white, gauze-filled bandage that he wore during the week to protect his wounded ear. It was replaced with a smaller, flesh-colored dressing

Trump received an ecstatic welcome from his army of supporters who raised fists and phones in the air as the frontrunner for reelection took the stage. He spoke for an hour and 47 minutes

After the formality of the Republican National Convention and its delegates last week in Milwaukee, Trump reveled in the adoration of his grass roots supporters.

They held their fists in the air as he entered the arena and chanted 'fight, fight, fight,' in homage to the way Trump responded after picking himself up from the ground after being wounded last weekend.

He used the occasion to distance himself from the radical Project 2025 plan developed by allies and former officials as a blueprint for a second Trump administration.

'Some on the right - severe right - came up with this Project 25,' he said. 'And I don't even know ... they're sorta the opposite of the radical left ... I don't know what the hell it is ... some of the things - they're seriously extreme.'

Democrats have hit him with the extreme plans. 'I don't know what the hell it is,' claimed Trump.

His 107-minute speech included all his rally greatest hits. He promised to bring car manufacturing back to Michigan, pledged the biggest deportation operation ever seen, and said he would build an 'iron dome' for the nation like Israel has as he painted a picture of a nation in decline, 'run by fools.'

Trump's running mate Sen. J.D. Vance warmed up the crowd ahead of the former president as they made their first rally appearance together

Supporters said they were not about to be put off by last weekend's shooting

He said he would prefer electrocution to being killed by sharks, mocked his own combover when he saw it on the big video screens and made his favorite Hannibal Lecter joke. ('The late great Hannibal Lecter would like to have you for dinner.')

And he said criminal indictments would not deliver election victory to Biden.

'He's a weak, pathetic man who can't run an election. So he indicts his opponent, thinking that's going to win,' he said.

'Third world countries do this a lot, banana republics do it a lot.

'We've never done it. And we're going to teach you why they can never do it again.'

Michigan is one of the key swing states that could decide the outcome of the election. Trump won it by a little more than 10,000 votes in 2016, but Joe Biden flipped it four years later.

Grand Rapids holds particular special significance for Trump. He held his final election rally of the 2016 campaign here before securing a shock win.

Supporters were not put off by the shooting and lined up in their thousands

Police monitoring the scene outside the Van Andel Arena in Grand Rapids from the roof of another building

Trucks blocking off the streets around the Van Andel Arena in Grand Rapids ahead of Donald Trump's rally on Saturday

He returned for his final 2020 rally but could not secure victory.

During the past week family, advisers and officials all said the shooting had changed Trump and his party convention speech on Thursday was billed as a chance to call for unity and understanding.

That lasted about 15 minutes as the former president quickly segued into a rally speech, slamming Biden, 'crazy Nancy Pelosi,' and his usual targets.

On Saturday he went straight into his usual barnstorming rally fare, much to the delight of an army of fans who weren't wasn't about to be deterred by the small matter of an assassin's bullet.

'One of the messages that President Trump put out after what happened in Butler was a message that could best be characterized by two words: Fear not,' said Blake Marnell, a veteran of more than 40 rallies.

Dressed in his famous 'brick suit,' he was present in Butler, less than 10 yards from Trump, as he was shot in the ear and Secret Service agents bundled him to the ground.

Beside him were other 'Front Row Joes' who travel the country from rally to rally.

'We saw the hand of God protecting the president last week and I feel safe being here because that hand protects all of us here,' said Rick Lane, 55, from Pennsylvania,wearing one of the 'I bleed red, white, and Trump' T-shirts made by his own apparel company.
The Royal Parks have claimed the Albert Memorial in Hyde Park is 'highly offensive' because it reflects a 'victorian view of the world.'

Standing at 176ft, the memorial was built by Queen Victoria to honour her late husband Prince Albert in 1872 and has since become one of the most recognisable landmarks in London.

The colossal monument features a gold statue of the prince alongside four groups of large statues representing four continents across the world. It is these statues that the Royal Park website says draws on 'racial stereotypes.'

Asia is depicted as a woman on an elephant, America as a native American with a bison, and Africa as a woman riding a camel. The African sculpture also includes a white European woman reading a book to a black African tribesman.

Victorian guidebooks at the time claim this detail in the African statue was intended to represent him 'rising up from barbarism.'

The colossal monument features a gold statue of the prince alongside four groups of large statues representing four continents across the world. It is these statues that the Royal Park website say draw on 'racial stereotypes'

The colossal monument features a gold statue of the prince alongside four groups of large statues representing four continents across the world. It is these statues that the Royal Park website say draw on 'racial stereotypes'

Standing at 176ft, the memorial was built by Queen Victoria to honour her late husband Prince Albert in 1872 and has since become one of the most recognisable landmarks in London

The Albert Memorial's Asia sculpture which features a woman on an elephant.The Royal Parks said the new information was added last year as part of an attempt to 'regularly review and update information'

The website said: 'Though the Empire has traditionally been celebrated as a symbol of British supremacy, many today consider this view as problematic because colonialism often relied on the oppression and exploitation of people, resources and cultures.'

Speaking to the Daily Telegraph, The Royal Parks said this new information was added last year as part of an attempt to 'regularly review and update information about our landscape and heritage features, across all our parks to enhance visitor experience.'

In July 2022, as a part of the 150th anniversary of the memorial, special tours were allowed to take place. The Daily Mail's Robert Hardman also got a first-hand look at vas network of tunnels underneath the monument.

Writing at the time he said: 'Tucked away below ground, accessible only via a locked manhole, the engineering team from the Royal Parks charity take me inside a vast vaulted labyrinth stretching endlessly into the gloom.

'It goes on and on like the catacombs - until you realise you are actually going round and round a series of concentric circles.

'This is a monument in itself to the technical rigour and pride which went in to Victorian engineering.'

The memorial was commissioned by Queen Victoria in 1862 - a year after Prince Albert died.

It was designed by the 19th-century architect, Sir George Gilbert Scott, the man behind classic Victorian edifices such as St Pancras railway station hotel and the Foreign Office.

In 1983, Whitehall revealed plans to demolish the memorial which was saved when the Victorian Society and others, ensured that 11 million was found for a full refurbishment. In 1998, Queen Elizabeth II unveiled the newly refurbished memorial.
A third runway at Heathrow Airport could finally be built after more than 20 years of public wrangling, Government sources have indicated.

The 14 billion plan would form part of Chancellor Rachel Reeves' new dash for growth, which she describes in today's Mail on Sunday as her version of Nigel Lawson's 'Big Bang' economic reform during Margaret Thatcher's administration.

However, the plan would need to meet strict environmental criteria on emissions if it is not to be thwarted by Labour's green lobby, led by Energy Secretary Ed Miliband.

Mr Miliband came close to quitting the same job towards the end of the Gordon Brown regime over the runway issue.

It could also put the Chancellor on a collision course with Labour's London Mayor Sadiq Khan, who has argued that a third runway would 'have a damaging impact on air quality, noise and London's ability to achieve net zero carbon'.

A third runway at Heathrow Airport could finally be built after more than 20 years of public wrangling, Government sources have indicated

The 14 billion plan would form part of Chancellor Rachel Reeves ' new dash for growth

The extra runway would increase capacity by 260,000 flights a year, and meet business demand for the airport to become Europe's dominant hub for both tourism and trade

A third runway was first mooted in a 2003 White Paper and Heathrow, the world's fourth busiest airport, won government backing for it in 2018.

The extra runway would increase capacity by 260,000 flights a year, and meet business demand for the airport to become Europe's dominant hub for both tourism and trade.

The project, which would involve diverting the nearby M25 into a tunnel and demolishing hundreds of homes, a primary school and an energy plant, has been fiercely opposed by environmentalists and local residents.

The controversy led to Boris Johnson, who represented neighbouring Uxbridge, championing the idea of an alternative airport in the Thames Estuary, which became known as Boris Island.

A Government source said that Sir Keir Starmer's administration would react positively if Heathrow resubmitted the plan.

The source said: 'The ball is in Heathrow's court. If another submission is received it will be assessed in line with our stated aim of boosting growth, as long as it is also compatible with strict environmental standards.'

Business leaders say other countries have expanded their airport capacity rapidly while the UK has dawdled over the decision.

Plans for a third runaway could put the Chancellor on a collision course with Labour's London Mayor Sadiq Khan , who has argued that a third runway would 'have a damaging impact on air quality, noise and London's ability to achieve net zero carbon'

The expansion would be in keeping with Sir Keir's separate pledge to reform planning rules in order to build 1.5 million homes.

But the project is likely to require breakthrough engine and fuel technologies being developed on a commercial scale if it is to be compatible with the Government's net zero climate targets.

In 2018, the Commons voted in favour of the new runway, but four London boroughs secured a judicial review, backed by environmental group Greenpeace and Mr Khan.

Business leaders say other countries have expanded their airport capacity rapidly while the UK has dawdled over the decision

Two years later, the Supreme Court overturned an earlier ruling that a third runway at Heathrow airport would be illegal, clearing the path for plans to be submitted.

Heathrow expects a record 82.8 million passengers this year, beating the previous record of 80.9 million set in 2019, just before the Covid pandemic led to a crash in numbers.

In April, the airport posted a 189 million pre-tax profit for the first three months of 2024, compared to a 60 million loss during the same period last year.
Suella Braverman has denied reports she is considering defecting to Nigel Farage's Reform UK.

The former Home Secretary has been at the centre of fevered speculation in Westminster after repeatedly attacking her Tory colleagues.

MPs were furious after she wrote an article the day before polling day saying the election battle was over and attacking the Conservatives' record.

She has since launched attacks on leadership contenders Robert Jenrick and Kemi Badenoch.

One Tory MP said: 'She must be laying the ground for a defection. That is the only way to explain what she's doing.'

Suella Braverman (pictured on election night) has denied reports she is considering defecting to Reform UK

A Reform UK source previously said it expected her to 'come over to us' in the autumn. Pictured: Nigel Farage at The Spectator Summer Party earlier this month

Last week a newspaper quoted both Reform and Tory sources saying they expect her to cross the floor.

A Reform UK source said it expected her to 'come over to us' in the autumn.

But a spokesman for Mrs Braverman denied the claims, saying: 'Suella has only recently been elected as a Conservative MP and has been a Conservative Party member for three decades.'
A man has been charged with violent disorder and arson in relation to the riots in Leeds earlier this week.

Riots in the Harehills area of Leeds allegedly began on Thursday after social services in the city removed all four children from a family.

The disorder saw a bus set alight by the rioters. Tonight, West Yorkshire Police have charged a man in connection with the fire.

Iustin Dobre, aged 37, of Clifton Mount, Harehills, Leeds, has been charged with violent disorder and arson reckless as to endanger life.

He has been remanded to appear at Leeds Magistrates Court on Monday.

During the disorder in Leeds on Thursday night, a bus was set on fire. Tonight police have charged a man in connection with the fire

Distressing footage which emerged today shows police officers hauling a young boy out of a house and bundling him into a van

The smouldering wreckage of a bus set alight in Harehills, Leeds last night after riots brought chaos to the streets

Riots in the Hare Hill area of Leeds allegedly began last night after social services in the city removed all four children from a family

Earlier today, police arrested a further five people on suspicion of violent disorder. They remain in police custody at this time.

Four people who were initially arrested in connection with the violent disorder have been bailed pending further investigation.

Yesterday evening, a peaceful vigil was held in Harehills which passed off peacefully.

In videos shared widely on social media, members of the public at the vigil could be heard chanting 'please bring the kids back' - in reference to the children taken by social services on Thursday.

Another video shows locals singing along to music while people hold signs which say 'please give back children.'

Further footage from last night shows a woman seemingly being led away by police because she was opposed to a second night of protests in Leeds.

A woman was arrested on suspicion of a public order offence, she was released and given a conditional caution.

An increased police presence remains in place in the area and will do so over the coming days.

The family, who are members of the Romani community, have committed to going on a hunger strike until their children are returned to them.

Stefania Banu, a local community leader, speaking to the the Daily Mirror said: 'The mother and father are refusing to eat until they get their children back. We are fully supporting them.

'We believe it was an injustice that can be rectified by the authorities if they revise the case. Which they have promised to do.'

Ms Banu went onto to say that the manner of which the children were removed from their home was 'traumatising' for the family.

Harrowing video footage showed a police officer hauling a young boy out of a house and bundling him into a van.

Witnesses said the removal of the child was the flashpoint which kicked off the rioting last night, with the disorder lasting for most of the night.
A bombshell new poll has predicted which presidential candidate will win the election based on a 'no tossup' electoral map.

RealClearPolitics showed Trump taking multiple swing states in the Rust Belt region - in addition to one that hasn't been nabbed by a Republican in decades.

The map shows Trump winning in Arizona, Nevada, Pennsylvania, Michigan, Wisconsin and even Virginia.

Biden won Virginia in 2020 by 10 points and no Republican has taken the state since former president George W. Bush did so in 2004.

The RCP map shows that, as of late July, Trump will win the election 325-213 in the Electoral College.

A bombshell new poll has predicted which presidential candidate will win the election based on a 'no tossup' electoral map

His predicted landslide victory comes after an eventful few weeks in politics - included the attempted assassination of the former president, as well as calls for Biden to drop out of the race coming from all corners of the Democratic party.

Additional polling by Emerson and VCU have Trump leading Virginia by two and three percentage points.

However, polls carried out by a New York Times/Sienna poll finds Biden leading the state by three percentage points.

Polls conducted by Fox News and Roanoke College both found Biden and Trump in a tie.

Trump's popularity surged after the attempt on his life at a MAGA rally in Butler, Pennsylvania, last week.

A RealClearPolitics poll shows a blowout by Trump

The former president and failed 2020 candidate recounted Thomas Matthew Crooks' rally attack during the final night of the Republican National Convention in his over-90-minute speech.

He wore a bandage on his ear, which was grazed by the bullet, throughout the RNC - with MAGA enthusiasts showing their support by crafting their own bandages.

Trump's former physician revealed on Saturday that it's an 'absolute miracle he wasn't killed' after examining his ear post-assassination attempt.

Ronny L Jackson, 57, met Trump, 78, in Bedminster, New Jersey following his near-death experience to 'personally check on him.'

'I am extremely thankful his life was spared,' Jackson wrote in a Saturday letter, uploaded to Truth Social by Trump. 'It was an absolute miracle he wasn't killed.'

The doctor said Trump sustained a two-centimeter - roughly one inch - gunshot wound during last week's attempted assassination.

Biden's popularity in the polls is dwindling as voters continue to lose faith in the president following his debate performance and COVID diagnosis.

Democrats in the House and the Senate are calling for Biden to drop out of the race so a different candidate can step up.
A prosperous and idyllic Montana town is at the brink of economic ruin due to its reluctance to build a centralized sewer system.

Workers living in Seeley Lake, an unincorporated community in Missoula County, are being forced to leave the area after officials have been unable to replace the town's septic system.

Due to a lack of a proper sewage system, developers have been unable to build affordable housing - forcing people to move away.

As a result, Seeley Lake's biggest employer has also been compelled to leave and shut down their 75-year-old business after being unable to attract enough workers.

Workers living in Seeley Lake, an unincorporated community in Missoula County are being forced to leave the area after officials have been unable to replace the town's septic system

The owner of Pyramid Mountain Lumber said this was the 'toughest' thing they had done and couldn't imagine working anywhere else.

'To make the announcement to the crew was probably the toughest thing; I've got friends, family, you know, generations, good friends that work here. I had to tell them we're going to shut the doors,' Todd Johnson, the third-generation owner of the mill told ABC News.

'I've never drawn a paycheck from any other business in my whole life. I started here in sixth grade. This is all I've ever known.'

Explaining the significance of the mill in the town, he further added: 'There hasn't been an apartment, duplex or fourplex built in this town in over 30 years.

'When you're talking about entry-level housing for more blue collar workers it's not available.'

The owner of Pyramid Mountain Lumber said this was the 'toughest' thing they had done and couldn't imagine working anywhere else

'Our payroll just here to our employees is over $6 million a year. You take that out of this economy, it'll change the fabric of the town. There's no doubt,' Todd Johnson, the third-generation owner of the mill noted

The shutdown of Pyramid Mountain marks the official end of the county's once thriving lumber and sawmill industry.

'Our payroll just here to our employees is over $6 million a year. You take that out of this economy, it'll change the fabric of the town. There's no doubt,' Johnson noted.

Kyle Marx, Rovero's Hardware's general manager also noted that despite being in busy season, the store is 'running on a skeleton crew'.

'No affordable housing here. Rentals have diminished since COVID hit, and everybody came up here, bought every rental darn near that was available and turned them into vacation rentals or moved up here themselves,' he explained.

The shutdown of Pyramid Mountain marks the official end of the county's once thriving lumber and sawmill industry

According to Dave Strohmaier, Missoula Board of County Commissioners chair, the situation is a result of reluctance to pay for a centralized sewer system by officials

Dee Baker, owner of an antique store named Grizzly Claw Trading Company, said that the sewage problem has been going on for years.

'There could be low-income housing built but the people in the town cannot come to an agreement [for a sewer system] with Missoula County. And it's been going on for years and years,' Baker noted.

According to Dave Strohmaier, Missoula Board of County Commissioners chair, the situation is a result of reluctance to pay for a centralized sewer system by officials as well as a fear that such a major infrastructure change would alter the communitys character.

'The irony is that the lack of the infrastructure is a big reason why Pyramid Mountain Lumber cannot find the housing for their employees and the employees to keep it going, and hence change is upon us,' he said.
Removal teams have been hard at work as Rachel Reeves takes up residence in the flat above No 10  occupied until the election by Rishi Sunak.

However, there is still no word on whether she will enjoy sole use of Dorneywood, the magnificent 18th Century house in Buckinghamshire traditionally given to the Chancellor by the Prime Minister.

Ms Reeves moved into the two-bedroom flat with husband Nicholas Joicey, a former speechwriter for Gordon Brown, and their son and daughter on Friday evening; Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer has chosen to take the larger, four-bedroom flat above Ms Reeves office in No 11  as did his predecessors Tony Blair, Boris Johnson and David Cameron.

Mr Sunak, along with his wife and two daughters, had stayed in the No 10 flat when he was Chancellor to Boris Johnson and decided to stay there on becoming PM because he had been very happy there .

Rachel Reeves is still in the dark over whether she will have sole use of Dorneywood, the Buckinghamshire country house of the Chancellor

Sir Keir Starmer has chosen to take the larger, four-bedroom flat above Ms Reeves office in No 11 as did his predecessors David Cameron and Sir Tony Blair

Mr Blair, his wife Cherie and their family were the first to make the switch to No 10, swapping home with the then-unmarried Gordon Brown.

Sir Keirs two children with wife Victoria were left really sweet and thoughtful notes written by the three children of former Chancellor Jeremy Hunt when they entered the apartment.

However, the thorny issue of whether Ms Reeves shares Dorneywood with Angela Rayner is still being decided, sources said, adding that it was one for [chief of staff] Sue Gray to resolve.

The thorny issue of whether Ms Reeves shares Dorneywood with Angela Rayner is still being decided, sources say

Ms Rayners predecessor as Labour Deputy Prime Minister, John Prescott, was allowed to use Dorneywood.

Alternatively, Ms Rayner could share Chevening, the 115-room mansion in Kent which traditionally goes to the Foreign Secretary, with David Lammy, the occupier of that post: when Nick Clegg was Deputy PM he shared Chevening with Foreign Secretary William Hague.

And when Liz Truss was Mr Johnsons Foreign Secretary she had to share it with her predecessor Dominic Raab.

Sir Keir will enjoy the traditional prime ministerial use of Grade I-listed Chequers in Buckinghamshire.
Sir Keir Starmer is under mounting pressure to stop tying Ukraines hands and let Kyiv fire British-supplied missiles deeper into Russian territory.

The Prime Minister is facing renewed calls to ditch the UKs veto on its Storm Shadow bunker buster weapons being used to strike targets inside Russia.

Former Tory defence minister Tobias Ellwood urged Sir Keir to realise that unleashing the long-range cruise missiles on legitimate targets could be pivotal in crippling Putins war effort.

Separately, ex-prime minister Boris Johnson hit out at the ridiculous restrictions being placed on weapons supplied by the West to beat off Russian aggression.

The terms on which the UK supplies the Storm Shadow missiles to Ukraine are not published, but it is understood they are provided on condition that they are used only for defensive purposes.

Sir Keir Starmer is under increasing pressure to allow Ukraine to fire British-supplied missiles into Russian territory

Despite having a range of 186 miles, current rules mean the weapons can be deployed only on targets inside Ukraine

Kyiv is hoping to persuade other Nato countries to drop the ban on hitting targets, with a view to disrupting supply lines within Russia to blunt Putin's attacks

It means that, despite having a range of 186 miles, the weapons can be deployed only on targets inside Ukraine  including Russian-occupied territory, such as Crimea  although defensive targets just across the Russian border are apparently allowed.

So-called offensive use deep inside Russia is currently ruled out. But in an historic address to the British Cabinet last week, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky issued an impassioned plea to the Prime Minister to show your leadership and get the restrictions dropped.

Kyiv, which is hoping to persuade other Nato countries to drop their ban on hitting Russian targets, is understood to want to disrupt supply lines inside Russia to blunt Vladimir Putins attacks.

Moscow has warned of retaliation if Western-supplied arms are used in that way. And despite greeting Mr Zelensky with a hug last week, Sir Keir rebuffed his request, with No10 later insisting equipment provided by the UK is intended for the defence of Ukraine.

Writing in the Daily Mail yesterday, Mr Johnson said: Over the past two years, we have continually willed the Ukrainians the end  victory  without willing them the means. We have been chronically slow to give them the right kit, and even now we place restrictions on how they can use it, so the Ukrainians are fighting with one hand tied behind their backs.

At present, the Russians are using air-launched glide bombs to do significant damage to Ukrainian positions. But the Ukrainians cant fire back because the US wont let them use the ATACMS (Army Tactical Missile System) to get at the Russian airfields, and the UK, I am sorry to say, wont let them use Storm Shadow (our long-range air-launched cruise missiles).

Despite greeting Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelenskyy last week, Sir Keir rebuffed his request to drop the restrictions

Former Tory defence minister Tobias Ellwood urged Sir Keir to realise that unleashing the long-range cruise missiles on 'legitimate' targets could play a key role in crippling Russia's war effort

Mr Ellwood also urged a rethink on the use of Storm Shadows, which cost about 2 million each and are launched from specially modified SU-24 strike aircraft.

He said: Lets not tie Ukraines hands with caveats placed on British, French and American long-range cruise missile systems that could be pivotal in crippling Putins war effort in Ukraine.

He also stressed missiles must be used responsibly by Ukraine on legitimate targets within Russia to avoid the conflict escalating.

Last night, Government sources declined to comment on operational detail concerning the missiles. But a spokesman insisted: There has been no change in the UKs position.
July 19, 2024: Its been a decade since the last outbreak of piracy in the Gulf of Aden and the adjacent Red Sea waters was suppressed. Now there is a new campaign by Iran-backed Somali Shia rebels, led by a local militia leader Abdul Malik al-Houthi. Houthis group decided to declare war in Israel after the October 2023 Hamas attack on Israelis and other foreigners visiting a music festival near the Gaza Israeli border. Hamas killed over a thousand people, most of them civilians. The IDF (Israeli Defense Forces) soon arrived and Hamas has been on the run ever since. For over a decade the Houthi group has been supplied with weapons by Iran. This included missiles to attack targets in Saudi Arabia. The Yemen military was never able to suppress the Houthi violence but that changed when the Houthis began attacking commercial shipping.

The current round of Houthis violence against commercial shipping heading for the Suez Canal or making deliveries to Red Sea countries has led to over a half a dozen NATO nations sending warships to protect cargo ships in the Red Sea by attacking the Houthis rebels and their Iranian missiles in Yemen. American warships and naval aviation have already used hundreds of missiles against Houthi targets in Yemen. This has diminished the Houthi attacks but not entirely eliminated them. That would take a ground war in Yene. For over a decade the Houthis have been leading a rebellion against the Yemen government. For a while Arab nations sent troops to assist in suppressing the Houthis and now the Americans are sending an assault ship with a battalion of marines on board.

Violence against commercial shipping is nothing new in the Gulf of Aden, which is between the Red Sea and the Indian Ocean. The resurgence of piracy in this area began in 2010 when it had reached levels of activity not seen in over a century. But over the next three years that all changed. By 2013 attacks on ships by Somali pirates had declined 95 percent from the 2010 peak. The rapid collapse of the Somali pirates since 2010 was no accident. It was all a matter of organization, international cooperation and innovation. It all began back in 2009 when 80 seafaring nations formed, with the help of a UN resolution, the Contact Group on Piracy off the Coast of Somalia. The most visible aspect of the Contact Group was the organization of an anti-piracy patrol off the Somali coast. This came to consist of over two dozen warships and several dozen manned and unmanned aircraft, as well as support from space satellites and major intelligence and police agencies.

Back in 2010 the Somali pirates got most of the publicity but they only carried out 44 percent of the attacks. What was newsworthy was that the Somalis accounted for 90 percent of the hijackings, and some 80 percent of the piracy was in and around the Indian Ocean. Some 44 percent of all attacks involved the pirates boarding the ships, while in 18 percent the pirates just fired on ships, without getting aboard. There are still pirates out there, but there are more into robbery than kidnapping.

Piracy hit a trough from the late nineteenth century into the late twentieth. That was because the Great Powers had pretty much divided up the whole planet and policed it. The pirates had no place to hide. Piracy began to revive in a modest way beginning in the 1970s, with the collapse of many post-colonial governments. At the same time there were problems defining what exactly an act of piracy was. What most people agree on is that piracy is non-state sanctioned use of force at sea or from the sea. This could include intercepting a speedboat to rob the passengers, but that's usually just thought of as armed robbery. And something like the seizure of the Achille Lauro in 1985 is considered terrorism, rather than piracy. In the past, some marginal states have sanctioned piratical operations, like the Barbary States, but that rarely occurs these days. There has been more since 2001. For example, in 1991 there were about 120 known cases of real or attempted piracy. In 1994 that increased to more than 200 cases. In 2000 there were 471 cases, in 2005 there were 359 and by 2010 there were over 400.

The international effort to suppress Somali piracy halted and reversed this trend. But while there have been far fewer attacks off Somalia there was a sevenfold increase since 2009 in the Straits of Malacca and a similar increase off Nigeria. The big difference is that only off Somalia could ships and crews be taken and held for ransom for long periods. Everywhere else the pirates were usually only interested in robbing the crew and stealing anything portable that they could get into their small boats. Off the Nigerian coast pirates sometimes take some ship officers with them to hold for ransom or force the crew to move small tankers to remote locations where most of the oil cargo can be transferred to another ship and sold on the black market.

Pirates usually function on the margins of society, trying to get a cut of the good life in situations where there aren't many options. This is usually in areas where state control is weakest or absent, in failing and flailed states. A flailing state is something like Nigeria, Indonesia, or the Philippines, where the government is managing to keep things together but is faced with serious problems with areas that are sometimes out of control. In a failed state like, where there isn't a government at all, pirates can do whatever they want.

The solution to piracy is essentially on land; go into uncontrolled areas and institute governance. This has been the best approach since the Romans eliminated piracy in the Mediterranean over 2,000 years ago. Trying to tackle piracy on the maritime end can reduce the incidence of piracy but can't eliminate it because the pirates still have a safe base on land. In the modern world the land solution often can't be implemented. Who wants to put enough troops into Somalia to eliminate piracy? And flailing states are likely to be very sensitive about their sovereignty if you offer to help them control marginal areas.

Meanwhile there are two areas where pirates still thrive. Piracy is a major threat, because most of the world's oil exports pass through here, Straits of Malacca. This was largely an Indonesian phenomenon. It bothered the Singaporeans a lot, the Malaysians a little, and the Indonesians not much. But as Indonesia began stabilizing itself after the 2004 Aceh Peace settlement, the institution of a more democratic government, defeating Islamic terrorism. When that happened the number of piracy attacks declined. This decline was facilitated by the combined police effort of Singapore, Malaysia, and Indonesia itself, which didn't come about until a lot of issues among the three states were resolved. Neither Indonesia nor Malaysia were all that upset about smuggling, which bothered Singapore. Indonesia and Singapore still have some problems, as Singapore more or less encourages sand stealing in enormous volumes from Indonesia. Since 2010 there has been an increase in piracy off Indonesia, largely because the Indonesians reduced their anti-piracy patrols without warning or explanation. There are lots of targets, with over 50,000 large ships moving through the Straits of Malacca each year. Thats 120-150 a day. Lots of targets. The shallow and tricky waters in the strait forces the big ships to go slow enough under 30 kilometers an hour for speed boats to catch them.

The Iran-backed Shia rebels are losing but refuse to make peace, in part because of continued Iranian support and partly out of fear of the consequences. Yemen has proved to be an embarrassment for Iran and the Saudi/UAE backed Yemen government. The other Arabs are not willing to suffer the heavy casualties a quick victory would require. The war drags on into 2024 or until Iran just decides to halt support. Iranian withdrawal is a possibility because of growing popular protests in Iran against the expensive foreign wars in Syria and Yemen. Despite that, Iran smuggled in more and more weapons. These were not intended for the ongoing Yemen civil war but for use against targets designated by Iran. Until late 2017 there was not much progress in the Yemen fighting, a development that favored Iran. But by early 2018 the Shia rebel coalition began unraveling and Iran suddenly had its own domestic uprising to deal with back home. Worse, the U.S. government had changed in early 2017 and was much more aggressive dealing with Iran. There was also a radical, for Arabia, new government in Saudi Arabia with a young Crown Prince in charge and organizing more effective resistance to Iranian aggression. That played a role in causing the Yemen unrest evolving into a full-scale civil war in 2015. That was when Shia rebels sought to take control of the entire country. Neighboring Arab states, led by Saudi Arabia, quickly formed a military coalition to halt the Yemeni rebel advance. The Arab coalition succeeded and by 2016 pro-government forces were closing in on the rebel-held capital. The coalition did not go after the capital itself because of the expected heavy casualties and property damage in the city. The coalition concentrated on rebuilding the Yemeni armed forces, recruiting allies from the Sunni tribes in the south and eliminating al Qaeda and ISIL groups that had grown stronger as the Shia rebels gained more power. As the fighting intensified in early 2015 Iran admitted it had been quietly supporting the Shia rebels for a long time but now was doing so openly, and that support was increasing. Many Yemenis trace the current crisis back to the civil war that ended, sort of, in 1994. That war was caused by the fact that, when the British left Yemen in 1967, their former colony in Aden became one of two countries called Yemen. The two Yemens finally united in 1990 but another civil war in 1994 was needed to seal the deal. That fix didn't really take and the north and south have been pulling apart ever since. This comes back to the fact that Yemen has always been a region, not a country. Like most of the rest of the Persian Gulf and Horn of Africa region, the normal form of government until the 20th century was wealthier coastal city states nervously coexisting with interior tribes that got by on herding or farming or a little of both plus smuggling and other illicit sidelines. This whole nation idea is still looked on with some suspicion by many in the region. This is why the most common forms of government are the more familiar ones of antiquity like kingdom, emirate or modern variation in the form of a hereditary secular dictatorship. For a long time, the most active Yemeni rebels were the Shia Islamic militants in the north. They have always wanted to restore local Shia rule in the traditional Shia tribal territories, led by the local imam, or religious leader. This arrangement, after surviving more than a thousand years, was ended by the central government in 1962. Yemen also became the new headquarters of AQAP (Al Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula) when Saudi Arabia was no longer safe for the terrorists after 2007. Now there is ISIL and an invading army composed of troops from oil-rich neighbors. By late 2017 the rebels were slowly losing ground to government forces who, despite Arab coalition air support and about five thousand ground troops, were still dependent on Yemeni Sunni tribal militias to fight the Shia tribesmen on the ground. While the Shia are only a third of the population, they are united while the Sunni tribes are divided over the issue of again splitting the country in two and with no agreement on who would get the few oil fields in central Yemen. Many of the Sunni tribes tolerate or even support AQAP and ISIL. The Iranian smuggling pipeline continued to operate, and the Yemen rebels were able to buy additional weapons from other sources because they received cash from nations or groups hostile to the Arab Gulf state, especially Saudi Arabia and the UAE. The Shia rebels were from northern Yemen and controlled the border with Saudi Arabia. Over the last decade the rebels launched more and more attacks on Saudi targets. The rebels obtained more powerful weapons as well, including Iranian ballistic missiles, which were disassembled so they could be smuggled from Iran to Yemen, where Iranian technicians supervised the missiles being assembled and launched into Saudi Arabia. In the last few years, the rebels have received longer range ballistic missiles that could hit Saudi and UAE oil production facilities on the Persian Gulf coast. The rebels also fired more missiles at targets passing the Yemen Red Sea coast controlled by the rebels. This has always been a potential threat to ships using the Red Sea to reach the Suez Canal in Egypt, at the north end of the Red Sea. Transit fees from ships using the canal are a major source for Egypt, bringing in nearly $10 billion a year. Egypt and Iran are enemies and reducing Suez Canal income is a win for Iran, which supported the Yemen rebels for more than a decade to make that success possible. At the end of 2023 Iran ordered the Yemen rebels to open fire on shipping in the Red Sea, which moves along the Yemen coast on its way to or from Saudi ports or the Suez Canal. Ships unable to use the canal must take the longer route around the southern tip of Africa. This takes more time and increases costs for the shipping company and their customers.
It is one of British farmings cruelest secrets. Every year 45 million newborn chicks are killed, just to keep a plentiful supply of eggs on supermarket shelves.

The cull is of males, gassed or ground up while alive, usually within 12 to 36 hours of hatching. Only female chicks that will grow into laying hens are allowed to live.

Now the governments Animal Welfare Committee (AWC) wants the mass slaughter outlawed, following in the footsteps of countries such as Germany, France and Italy.

And the cost of ending this cruelty in the UK? Potentially as little as a penny an egg.

Thats why The Mail on Sunday flew to the Netherlands to meet a scientist who reckons that  with his big yellow egg machine Ella  he could soon be offering British shoppers the chance to buy cull-free eggs.

Wouter Bruins, 39, is co-founder of In Ovo, an AgriTech company which is in early talks with major British supermarkets, including Waitrose, about installing Ella in the two colossal UK hatcheries that supply most of the British market.

45 million newborn male chicks are culled every year in the UK, usually within 12 to 36 hours of hatching

In Ovo has pioneered the testing of fertilised eggs, identifying them as male or female prior to hatching. Those containing males are destroyed just nine days after fertilisation which, crucially, is four days before British government scientists believe the embryonic chick inside has the capacity to feel pain.

This is in stark contrast to the UKs practice of sexing live chicks after hatching  when they can feel fear, as evidenced by distress calling  and then despatching males at a rate of 885,000 a week.

Most are put in a depleted oxygen chamber and given argon gas to suffocate them. Other legal methods of killing are even more grotesque. Live males can be put through a mincer or a grinder, or have their necks crushed, from the moment theyre born.

This is not done to broilers, chickens bred for their meat, since both males and females can be eaten. The cull is only of males from laying breeds involved in commercial egg production. Since they are smaller and slower growing than broilers, they are not economically viable as food.

Mr Bruins says: People think of lovely old farmyards and a pretty wooden barn with chickens clucking about. Its just not like that.

Its time people understood what happens to Britains chicks. All those girls who lay your eggs, they have no brothers  theyre killed.

Chicken culling is horrible and the numbers are mind-boggling. Globally its six and half billion baby birds a year. Its cruel and in environmental terms not sustainable  think of the energy wasted incubating, hatching and then killing all those cockerels. What other industry throws away half of everything it creates?

Mr Bruins says two-thirds of 2,000 British shoppers surveyed by In Ovo did not know about chicken culling. Now they do, the same number would like to see it stopped. Sixty-nine per cent want the choice of cull-free eggs in supermarkets and 44 per cent would switch stores in search of them. Marks & Spencer is the grocer most likely to stock them, according to respondents, with Waitrose a close second.

Mr Bruins UK findings are in keeping with a report published in March by the AWC which advises the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs and the Scottish and Welsh governments.

It said: Government should make the routine culling of newly hatched chicks, due to their sex, illegal as soon as reliable, accurate methods for sexing eggs prior to hatch are available to be implemented in British hatcheries.

Mr Bruins believes Ella offers this kind of technology and is inviting British supermarket chiefs to the Netherlands to see it in action.

The Mail on Sunday has already been  visiting a hatchery near the German border. For such complex technology, it looks remarkably simple. A conveyor of eggs is fed into Ella which uses an array of tiny sterile needles to pierce each shell and remove a drop of liquid through a 0.3 millimetre hole.

The sample is drawn from the allantoic, the sac inside an egg where the embryonic chick deposits its waste as it grows.

Nine days after fertilisation theres sufficient difference between the chemical profile of male and female waste to enable Ella to sex the eggs contents.

The microscopic holes, open for 10 seconds, are re-sealed with a biodegradable glue while in an adjoining lab a rapid chemical test is conducted using a machine that In Ovo calls a highly advanced molecular detective .

Eggs containing a male chick biomarker are mechanically separated from those with a female chick biomarker and are sold as protein to the pet food industry.

Eggs containing an embryonic female chicken, which will go on to lay about 350 eggs across her lifetime, are returned to what is essentially a massive warm cupboard to hatch at 21 days.

Most are put in a depleted oxygen chamber and given argon gas to suffocate them. Others are put through a mincer or grinder and have their necks cut off after birth, writes SARAH OLIVER

It has taken Mr Bruins more than a decade to achieve In Ovos success rate which correctly identifies 97 or 98 eggs out of every 100. I am aiming for a 99.5 per cent success rate, he says. I doubt well ever get to the perfect 100 per cent, there may always be the odd boy who slips through. (But these cockerels are accorded the same right to life as a broiler.)

Ella technology has been rolled out across the Netherlands and Belgium as Europe moves to outlaw chick culling, which was banned in Germany in 2022.

France followed in 2023 and Italy will enforce anti-cull legislation from 2026. In 2022, Austria, Cyprus, Finland, Ireland and Portugal added their names to a European Parliament paper calling for an EU-wide ban.

In Ovos technology is leading the way, although the AWC report also outlined the possibility of using a special camera to determine the colour of an embryonic chicks first feathers. Males often have a yellowy-white plumage while females are brown. (In Britain, however, 15 per cent of our laying hens are pure white breeds and couldnt be sexed in this way.)

There is also speculation that one day MRI imaging combined with AI may be able to identify embryonic chick anatomy, and one Israeli company is developing software capable of managing incubation so precisely it is able to control the sex development of an egg in favour of females.

And there is a spin-off issue which needs to be addressed. The end of chick culling will interrupt the food supply for other animals.

The AWC says 70 per cent of chicks killed in UK hatcheries are sold as feed for birds of prey, zoo animals and reptiles kept as pets.

But given moves in Europe, the potential for consumer pressure and the AWCs unambiguous call for new laws, it seems likely the UK will end chick culling.

A ban has the blessing of the British Egg Industry Council, which says a number of active research projects are under way to find a long-term solution  exciting developments but some way from being commercially viable.

However, Mr Bruins may be the man to make it happen.

Originally a biologist at the University of Leiden, he isolated the biomarker on which In Ovos technology is built more than a decade ago.

He says hes still a scientist as much as a businessman: I am just trying to make the world better one chick at a time.

But while he loves animals, hes never kept chickens and doesnt even like eggs that much: Ill eat them in things like mayonnaise but a boiled egg? No, thank you.
A man has been found dead and a woman left fighting for life following an alleged brawl at a home.

A Victoria Police spokesman said a physical altercation took place between two men and a woman in Bentleigh East, Melbourne's south-east, at 8pm on Saturday.

A 20-year-old man has been arrested and remains in custody.

He is currently assisting police with their inquiries.

'It is believed all parties are known to each other,' the Victoria Police spokesman said.

The critically injured woman was rushed to hospital.

Anyone with information has been urged to contact Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000.
Former Cabinet Minister David Davis is to spearhead a Commons campaign raising questions about the conviction of nurse Lucy Letby as growing numbers of experts express concerns about the case.

The ex-Brexit Secretary plans to table a series of questions under Parliamentary privilege amid disquiet within the NHS and the legal profession about the case.

Mail columnists Peter Hitchens and Nadine Dorries have highlighted that Letby was convicted of the murders of seven newborns and the attempted murders of six other infants at the Countess of Chester Hospital, despite the fact that no one saw her kill, or attempt to kill, a baby and there is no forensic evidence to prove her guilt.

Two witnesses for the Crown, basing their views on a 30-year-old research paper, suggested that Letby murdered babies by injecting them with air through their feeding tubes.

However, the Canadian academic who wrote the original paper was not called as a prosecution witness and has since cast doubt on his work being used in the trial.

Listen to the #1 True Crime podcast, The Trial of Lucy Letby

The ex-Brexit Secretary David Davis plans to table a series of questions under Parliamentary privilege amid disquet within the NHS and the legal profession about the case.

Lucy Letby, 34, was convicted last year of murdering seven premature babies and trying to kill six others at the English hospital where she worked (she is pictured on the neo-natal ward in 2013 two years before she murdered her first victim)

Some members of the Royal Statistical Society have expressed concerns over the use of statistics to secure a conviction on the basis of probabilities. Its recommendations on using such data in the cases of medical serial killers were not followed here.

Separate prosecution claims that Letby tried to kill two babies with insulin were summarised in a damning investigation by The New Yorker magazine as: 'One would have to believe that she had managed to inject insulin into a bag that a different nurse had randomly chosen from the unit's refrigerator.'

Mr Davis is understood to be concerned about the justice system's institutional reluctance to admit to its own failings, leading innocent people to languish in prison.

He said: 'There is a mounting consensus among experts that Lucy Letby's guilt was not established beyond reasonable doubt. I will be using Parliamentary privilege to raise these arguments: we must exclude the possibility that she has effectively been scapegoated for the wider failings in the system.

'At the very least, this appears to be a mistrial But the justice system moves slowly when it comes to assessing its own failings, so if she is innocent it could be a decade before she is released. We must try to do much better than that.'

Helen Pitcher, the head of the Criminal Cases Review Commission, refused to resign last week despite a damning report into the watchdog's handling of the case of Andrew Malkinson, who spent 17 years in jail after being wrongly convicted of rape in 2004.

Dr Alexander Coward, a former Oxford maths lecture, has questioned data used in the trial which showed Letby on shift at every death and attempted murder, saying that could easily have happened by chance.

Ex-MP Edmund Bulmer, former chairman of the Herefordshire Health Authority, previously told Rishi Sunak he believed Letby was 'the victim of a monstrous miscarriage of justice'.

For more, listen to the No. 1 True Crime series, The Trial of Lucy Letby now - wherever you get your podcasts.
Australia is facing a second exodus from unaffordable major cities - with southeast Queensland the hotspot for those fleeing Sydney and Melbourne for good.

The Sunshine Coast and the Gold Coast are the nation's top two destinations for those leaving the big smoke for a regional area, a Regional Institute of Australia report has found.

They were followed by Moorabool - an area northwest of Melbourne that takes in towns including Bacchus Marsh; Lake Macquarie, south of Newcastle; and the regional Victorian city of Geelong.

Those making the move to a regional area are more likely to be aged between 28 and 43 - the time when people are more likely to marry and have children.

The exodus - which follows an earlier movement of young people away from the two largest cities during Covid - is expected to have a significant effect on families as Millennials move far away from their boomer parents to have children of their own.

'In terms of Sydneysiders, Millennials are the ones leading the charge out into the regions,' the report said.

Regional Australia Institute chief executive Liz Ritchie said the move from big cities to regional areas was more than a Covid fad.

'This movement in population can no longer be seen as a quirky flow-on effect from the lockdown years,' she said. 'A societal shift is under way.'

Australia is facing a second wave exodus from unaffordable big cities - amid fears this will worsen the national housing shortage

Regional hotspots for those fleeing capital cities 1. SUNSHINE COAST, Queensland: 11.8 per cent share 2. GOLD COAST, Queensland: 10.8 per cent share 3. MOORABOOL, Victoria: 5.4 per cent share 4. LAKE MACQUARIE, New South Wales: 4.7 per cent 5. GEELONG, Victoria: 4.6 per cent share Source: Regional Australia Institute data on capital city to regional area migration by council area in year to March 2024 Advertisement

Dr Tony Matthews, an urban planning lecturer at Griffith University in Brisbane, said the influx of young people from Sydney and Melbourne to the Gold Coast was likely to see more high-rise apartments near the beach.

Southeast Queensland has been grappling with a housing shortage, with Dr Matthews noting there are 'too many people wanting to move in and too few properties available'.

'If you can get into the Gold Coast, you're likely to have a better lifestyle and less commuting and more time to spend on the beach,' he told Daily Mail Australia.

'Whenever you get population pressures, and you don't want to just keep using up more and more land, then really, the only solution that you have with the urban planning is higher density.'

Gold Coast real estate is now more expensive than suburbs in major capital cities, with Elanora's median house price surging by 16.8 per cent during the past year to $1.385million - making it just as expensive as homes in Sydney's congested western suburbs.

Pockets of southeast Queensland also have some of the nation's most dramatic population growth, a closer look at Australian Bureau of Statistics data showed.

Caloundra West on the Sunshine Coast saw a 9.8 per cent population surge in 2023 - largely based on 1,407 new residents from other parts of Australia.

Miami on the Gold Coast had a 4.7 per cent population increase, with 116 new residents from within Australia and 201 from overseas.

This occurred as 38,425 people left Sydney for another part of Australia, as high overseas immigration pushed up house prices.

The movement to regional areas is become more intense as the nation grapples with a housing crisis, with construction companies now making up a quarter of insolvencies.

Dr Matthews said building companies that survived higher material costs would be unlikely to scale up to meet the higher demand for new housing, as the population surged.

South-east Queensland is the hot spot for those fleeing a capital city, as young people leave Sydney again for good as they did during the pandemic (pictured are houses in Ipswich)

'For every construction company that folds, that's one less around the place and so, you have less companies trying to handle the same volume of work and it's not like the survivors are necessarily able to upscale quickly,' he said.

'It also reduces choice in the market for consumers so it's a very bad situation and it's the worst possible thing to be having right now.'

The number of new homes is failing to keep pace with record-high immigration.

In the year to March, 171,667 new homes were built as 487,940 migrants moved to Australia.

That left a shortfall of 58,772 based on Australian households having 2.5 people on average.

'With any resource where you've got significantly more demand than supply, price goes up - economics 101,' Dr Matthews said.

'The trajectory of the migration system, currently and over the last few years, has absolutely added to the problem; it is certainly adding a lot more pressure into a system which is already under severe stress.'
Anthony Albanese is taking a five-day holiday in Queensland amid warnings scammers are now targeting Australians in the wake of the world's worst-ever IT crash.

The start of the Prime Minister's break coincided with the CrowdStrike software upgrade causing widespread outages, crippling airlines, banks and supermarkets.

Mr Albanese's spokeswoman Fiona Sugden told Daily Mail Australia Acting Prime Minister Richard Marles would be in charge as the PM was continually briefed.

'The Prime Minister will be on leave for five days from Saturday 20 July 2024,' she said.

'During this time, the Deputy Prime Minister will be Acting Prime Minister.'

Mr Albanese went on leave in Queensland, where temperatures are warmer in winter, as Home Affairs and Cyber Security Minister Clare O'Neil issued warnings about the world's worst-ever IT bungle.

'As for the size and scope of this event, this is the biggest IT outage in history,' she said.

'It is absolutely plausible that that's the case, certainly, the largest in the time that I've been alive.'

Anthony Albanese is taking a five-day holiday in Queensland amid warnings scammers are now targeting Australians in the wake of the world's worst-ever IT crash

Ms O'Neil warned scammers were trying to capitalise on the global mayhem caused by CrowdStrike's software update that has frozen Microsoft and Windows programs globally.

'What we are hearing is that some small businesses, in particular, some individuals are receiving emails from people who are pretending to be CrowdStrike or who are pretending to be Microsoft,' she told reporters on Saturday.

'So, what we are seeing some reporting of is attempts to conduct phishing through the incident that's just occurred.

'If you see an email, if you see a text message that looks a little bit funny, that indicates something about CrowdStrike or IT outages, just stop.

'Don't put in any details. If someone has called you, suggesting they are going to help you, talk you through a reboot of your system, I would hang up the phone.'

Ms O'Neil said Australians had a civic duty to report such scams where criminals were telling individuals and small businesses they needed to pay money for a reboot.

'I ask all Australians to be really cautious over the next few days about attempts to use this for scamming or phishing,' she said.

'The final thing is to report: this is a moment where we can help our fellow Australian citizens.

The start of the Prime Minister's break coincided with CrowdStrike software upgrade causing widespread outages, crippling airlines, banks and supermarkets

'If someone has tried to scam you, they are trying to scam others.'

Those who have mistakenly given details to scammers are urged to contact their bank straight away.

'If you have given away some personal information, just make sure that you're contacting your banking institution and making sure that you let them know that you're concerned about a phone call or an email that you might have responded to,' Ms O'Neil said.
Sky-high strata fees have forced a young Australian couple out of their cherished apartment - in yet another hurdle to property ownership for those starting out.

Josh Stubing and Emily Abbey were 20 and 19 respectively when they brought their one-bedroom unit in the north-west Sydney suburb of Kellyville Ridge seven years ago and thought that was their first step onto the property ladder.

However, having initially paid quarterly strata fees of $600 they are now being slugged a huge $3500 to fix defects and replace cladding now deemed illegal.

'We've been trying to keep up with it, but it's running us into the ground with the expense of the mortgage too,' Mr Stubing told realestate.com.au.

'It's so unmanageable... We bought when we were so young and thought strata fees were just about maintaining the cleanliness of the unit complex.'

Mr Stubing said the building has no amenities so the couple never saw the whopping increase coming.

He said he considered the decision to buy the unit a bad one in retrospect because they were advised by the real estate of strata fees but didn't realise they could increase so dramatically.

A long list of defects have been discovered with the complex including that its external cladding has since been banned in NSW because of fire safety risks.

Josh Stubing and Emily Abbey are being forced to sell their unit after being whacked with steep increases in strata fees amid Australia's already crippling housing shortage

Mr Stubing said they they are now trying to sell the unit after being unable to pay a special $20,000 levy upfront with the money being recouped from rent they are charging on the unit.

However, the high strata fees are making it difficult to sell the unit.

He said their monthly expenses are now so high they may as well have a loan for a house worth $1million.

Mr Stubing and Ms Abbey's story is not unique with anecdotal evidence suggesting strata fees have increased 15 to 20 per cent on average over the past year but it has been as much as 40 per cent in some cases.

Australian Apartment Advocacy director Samantha Reece said new owners needed to be better informed about strata fees and her group has prepared an education kit on them.

She said their research shows about 60 per cent of people who move into an apartment do so from a house so strata costs often catch them off-guard.

'It doesn't matter where you are in your life spectrum; if you're a professional couple, a single parent, a baby boomer or a retiree, if you're forced to pay $70,000 in six weeks  like a case recently in Melbourne  it's a shock that could cripple you financially.'

She called for government to make such costs more transparent and builders and developers to be more upfront.

Strata fees have increased 15 to 20 per cent on average over the past year but it has been as much as 40 per cent in some cases.

The NSW state government has proposed a string of changes to strata laws, which manage key decision-making in shared property blocks.

The reforms followed 965 complaints about strata agents in the five years to 2023, with most revolving around rules of conduct or budgets, levies or finances.

Breaching existing disclosure requirements around commissions would be met with a harsher penalty, conflict-of-interest disclosure obligations would be stronger and agents would be banned from getting commission on insurance products if they don't find residents the best deal.

NSW Fair Trading will be granted better enforcement and compliance powers, with the government believing the changes will ensure residents no longer have to feel like their agents are ripping them off.

'We want to change the perception that strata managing agents easily, and readily, take advantage of owners by significantly increasing the consequences for those who do the wrong thing,' Fair Trading Minister Anoulack Chanthivong said.

'The new laws are designed to take immediate action to help restore confidence in living and investing in strata schemes, ensuring more people consider apartment living as a housing option.'

Apartment living will have a big role to play in solving the NSW housing crisis with higher-density living planned to curb considerable recent urban sprawl.

The government said it will bring its changes to parliament later this year, after it consults with key stakeholders like the Owners Corporation Network and Strata Community Association on draft laws.
The Princess of Wales caught our collective gaze as she made her way to the Royal Box on Centre Court for the Wimbledon men's singles final last Sunday.

For the outing marked only Kate's second public appearance following abdominal surgery and a course of preventative chemotherapy for cancer.

She selected Safiyaa's 'Cecilia' dress, an exquisite lilac crepe design with a fit-and-flare silhouette, which complemented both the Princess and Wimbledon's official colours.

However, Kate is not the only royal admirer: Meghan Markle introduced the London-based brand in 2018 - and a host of international royals have followed suit.

The Princess of Wales appeared radiant at the Wimbledon men's singles final last Sunday, wearing an exquisite 1,295 Safiyaa dress

Founded in 2011 by German-born Daniela Karnut, Safiyaa takes its name, meaning 'purity', from her daughter.

Perhaps it was this heartfelt connection that drew Kate to the brand, considering her close bond with Princess Charlotte.

Alternatively, it could have been Safiyaa's penchant for vibrant colours and striking silhouettes that are guaranteed to garner attention.

Last November, Kate wore the brand's 1,745 'Destiny' dress for her attendance at the Royal Variety Performance.

The design boasted a diamante neckline, structured shoulders and flared sleeves that swept across the ground.

Interestingly, her 'Destiny' dress, created in an alluring teal shade named Poseidon, was the exact hue of Penny Mordaunt's iconic Coronation outfit.

Kate received widespread acclaim for her bold choice, which marked the first time she had ventured outside of her midi dress signature style.

The royal expertly styled the dress with J.Crew crystal and pearl earrings, a Jenny Packham 'Casta' lame clutch and Emmy London 'Rebecca' suede pumps - all of which she had previously worn.

Last November, Kate wore the brand's 1,745 'Destiny' dress for her attendance at the Royal Variety Performance

At the Royal Variety Performance in November 2018, Meghan exuded glamour in the 895 'Malaya' strapless bustier top, featuring a sequinned leaf motif and asymmetric peplum, teamed with a coordinating fishtail skirt priced at 850

The outing came five years after Meghan wore Safiyaa for her own appearance at the Royal Variety Performance.

In November 2018, Meghan exuded glamour in the 895 'Malaya' strapless bustier top, featuring a sequinned leaf motif and asymmetric peplum, teamed with a coordinating fishtail skirt priced at 850.

The previous month, during her 16-day tour of Australia, Fiji, Tonga and New Zealand with Prince Harry, Meghan debuted the 1,095 'Ginkgo' gown at a state dinner.

Crafted in a captivating azure hue, the sleek crepe design hugged her figure and was enhanced by floor-length cape sleeves, exuding a glamorous aesthetic.

Arguably surpassing this look was Meghan's appearance at the 2020 Mountbatten Festival of Music, where she stunned in a striking scarlet dress, costing 1,295.

The 'Kalika' incorporated a raised collar long dress, shoulder cape and back drape detail, once again crafted from the brand's trademark heavyweight crepe.

Completed with coordinating accessories, it was one of Meghan's finest outfits to date.

Ms Karnut writes on her firm's website: 'My goal is to make women feel strong, confident and desirable by providing elements of an elevated, versatile wardrobe.'

During her 16-day tour of Australia, Fiji, Tonga and New Zealand in 2018 with Prince Harry, Meghan debuted the 'Ginkgo' gown at a state dinner (left). Meghan arrived at the 2020 Mountbatten Festival of Music wearing a striking scarlet dress by Safiyaa

Safiyaa's timeless appeal has won a royal following around the world, including Crown Princess Victoria of Sweden (right) and her sister-in-law Princess Sofia (left)

Princess Princess Isabella of Denmark (left) and Princess Catharina-Amalia (right) both showcased Safiyaa gowns in 2023

She launched her brand with the aim of redefining demi-couture, providing women with accessible bespoke style solutions.

Her collections feature striking silhouettes crafted from luxurious fabrics and adorned with rich colours, showcasing artisanal craftsmanship suitable for day-to-night wear.

Other royals who like the brand include Crown Princess Victoria of Sweden, her sister-in-law Princess Sofia, Princess Theodora of Denmark, Princess Catharina-Amalia of the Netherlands, and Princess Isabella, the daughter of Queen Mary of Denmark.

Notably, Princess Victoria asked the label to dress her for the wedding of Crown Prince Hussein and Rajwa Al Saifn in Jordan last year.

She looked the epitome of opulence in a bright fuchsia 'Gingko' gown, costing 1,193, paired with the Laurel Wreath Tiara.

Defined by signature cape detailing, the contemporary silhouette made a lasting impression with its sculpting body and short caped sleeves.

Sustainability and craftsmanship are central to Safiyaa's ethos.

The brand operates multiple ateliers in major cities, where each item is made-to-order by a team of artisans using traditional techniques.

Every garment is meticulously crafted from sustainably sourced fabrics, with one tailor dedicated to each piece, ensuring it is made in a safe and ethical workspace.
The Princess of Wales is celebrated for her immaculate fashion choices, with particular attention given to the finer details.

During her second public appearance of the year, at the Wimbledon men's singles final, Kate's choice of earrings immediately caught the eye of keen observers.

The 'Sabine' design from British brand By Pariah showcases an architectural twist on the classic hoop style, meticulously crafted from 14-carat gold vermeil and recycled sterling silver.

These earrings hold a sentimental significance as well, since they are named after the mother of By Pariah's founder, Sophie Howard.

Naturally, Kate's highly-anticipated appearance led to these earrings swiftly selling out and they are now only available for pre-order online.

The Princess's choice of accessory underscores her commitment to supporting sustainable brands, a trend she has embraced since becoming a member of the Royal Family.

Below, we delve into Kate's impressive selection of hoop earrings, ranging from a 5 Accessorize design to extravagant Cartier earrings estimated to be worth 30,000.

By Pariah Sabine Hoops, 400

The Princess of Wales teamed a Safiyaa dress with By Pariah 'Sabine' earrings at the Wimbledon men's singles final

By Pariah's Sabine Hoops swiftly sold out after Kate's appearance. However, they are available to pre-order for 400

Since launching in 2016, By Pariah has garnered a loyal celebrity following.

Prior to Kate Middleton's appearance, the 'Sabine' hoops had been worn by Hailey Bieber and Rosie Huntington Whiteley.

The chunky earrings are designed to be simple yet striking, seamlessly transitioning their wearer from day to night, much like other pieces from the brand.

'My mum used to wear a lot of large sculptural earrings when I was little,' Sophie told MailOnline.

'They're inspired by her and that's why they're called the Sabine Hoops, they're named after her.

'It's completely surreal but so special to see Kate wearing them! I am so proud of our team and am deeply honoured and grateful for her support.'

Speaking of her brand's ethos, she added: 'By Pariah is rooted in versatility, each piece is designed to transform the wearers narrative and become an intrinsic part of their personal expression and identity,' Sophie told Mail Online.

'The brand name is drawn from and inspired by an article in the National Geographic, describing the Pariah parts of the Caribbean as the last frontier of natural beauty.

'At the heart of By Pariah is a love of raw, natural materials and an unwavering commitment to quality and craftsmanship.

'Sustainability is woven into every aspect of the brand, ensuring each piece not only embodies luxury but also reflects conscientious craftsmanship.'

Certified by the Responsible Jewellery Council, all pieces are made from 100 per cent recycled 14-carat gold or sterling silver, often incorporating natural, untreated precious or semi-precious stones.

Accessorize Twisted Circle Drops, 5

Kate wore 5 Accessorize earrings on six occasions between 2020 and 2022. Above: Kate wears the earrings during a visit to a community hub in Scarborough in November 2022

Accessorize's Twisted Circle Drops, 5, feature a hoop drop pendant with a textured, twisted surface

Kate wore budget-friendly earrings from high street brand Accessorize on six occasions between 2020 and 2022.

Costing just 5, these gold-tone earrings feature a hoop drop pendant with a textured, twisted surface that shimmers in the light.

Missoma Zenyu Chandelier Hoops, 139

Renowned for its high fashion appeal and affordable prices, Missoma is understandably on Kate's radar. For the Royal Variety Performance in November 2021, she wore the brand's 'Calima' Chandelier Hoops, priced at 139

The 'Calima' Chandelier Hoops echo Colombia's rich artistry and heritage

Renowned for its high fashion appeal and affordable prices, Missoma is understandably on Kate's radar.

She has acquired several pieces from the London-based brand, including its unique 'Calima' Chandelier Hoops, 139, which echo Colombia's rich artistry and heritage.

Cartier Trinity Hoops, 30,000 (estimate)

Kate showcased some of her most expensive earrings at SportsAid's 40th anniversary dinner, held at Kensington Palace in 2016

The dazzling Cartier design, estimated to be worth 30,000, boasts a trio of hoops in rose, white and yellow gold set with diamonds

Kate showcased some of her most extravagant earrings at SportsAid's 40th anniversary dinner, held at Kensington Palace in 2016.

Cartier's dazzling design, estimated to be worth a staggering 30,000, boasts a trio of hoops in rose, white and yellow gold, set with diamonds.

Spells of Love Alia Hoop Earrings, 79

Kate has donned the Alia hoop earrings from Spells of Love on nine occasions

The 'Alia' earrings boast a contemporary angular silhouette, crafted from 18-carat gold-plated brass

Based in the heart of Wales, Spells of Love specialises in demi-fine jewellery that is not only beautifully made, but also eco and ethically conscious.

The 'Alia' earrings, worn by Kate on nine occasions, boast a contemporary angular silhouette, crafted from 18-carat gold-plated brass.

Daniella Draper Mini Cupid Hoops, 215

Daniella Draper's Mini Cupid Hoops are undoubtedly a favourite of Kate's. She has worn them 16 times

Made from recycled 9-carat gold, the 215 hoops can be adorned with charms for a personal touch

Daniella Draper's 'Mini Cupid' Hoops are undoubtedly a favourite of Kate's, having worn them 16 times.

Made from recycled 9-carat gold, they can be personalised with charms.

On occasion, Kate has chosen miniature shamrock leaves, representing faith, hope and love.

Kiki McDonough Green Amethyst and Diamond Detachable Earrings, 1,600

Kate has showcased a total of six pairs of earrings from Kiki McDonough, including its signature detachable cushion drop style in green amethyst. Above: Kate wearing the earrings for a charity event in Lewisham in 2019

Kiki McDonough's Cushion Green Amethyst and Diamond Detachable Earrings cost 1,600

Kate is a loyal follower of British jeweller, Kiki McDonough.

She has showcased six pairs of earrings from the brand, including the signature cushion drop hoops in white topaz, citrine, pink morganite and green amethyst.

The gemstones are detachable, providing flexibility to mix and match as desired.

Liv Thurlwell Bobble Hoop earrings, 165

Kate accessorised with Liv Thurlwell earrings during a visit to Forest Kindergarten in Copenhagen, Denmark, in 2022

Liv Thurlwell's Bobble Hoop earrings, costing 165, are made from 18-carat gold vermeil

Liv Thurlwell's playful Bobble Hoops adorned Kate's ears numerous times between 2021 and 2022.

The elegant design, crafted from 18-carat gold vermeil, is secured with a scroll fastening.

Asos Twisted Hoop Earrings, 10

Kate teamed a scarlet ensemble with Asos earrings to deliver her keynote speech during the launch of the Forward Trust's Taking Action on Addiction campaign in 2021

The 10 open-ended design is made from 14-carat gold-plated brass and stainless steel

Kate introduced a pair of Asos twisted hoop earrings in 2021.

Since then, she has selected the open-ended design, made from 14-carat gold-plated brass and stainless steel, for four royal engagements.

Maria Black Cha Cha Earrings, 304

Kate has favoured Maria Black's mother-of-pearl huggies eight times since 2022, including for an outing to the Dog & Duck pub in Soho last year

Maria Black's iconic 304 'Cha Cha' earrings are instantly recognisable

Maria Black's 'Cha Cha' earrings are instantly recognisable thanks to their distinctive gold hoop and shiny pearl drop.

It's no wonder that Kate has favoured the 304 mother-of-pearl huggies eight times since 2022.

Sezane Bruna Hoop Earrings, 75

Kate revived her charming 'Bruna' hoops from Sezane in 2023, after debuting them two years earlier

Sezane's 'Bruna' Hoop Earrings, 75, are a favourite of Kate's

Like many, Kate was captivated by Sezane's Parisian charm, leading her to embrace the brand with a collection that includes seven pairs of earrings, a bangle and a belt.

After debuting the charming 'Bruna' hoops in 2021, Kate revived the look in 2023 during a visit to The Baby Bank in Windsor.

Shyla London Biaritz Squiggle Earrings, 74

When launching her Shaping Us campaign in 2023, Kate accessorised her Victoria Beckham dress with Shyla London's Biaritz Squiggle Earrings, costing 74

The Biaritz Squiggle earrings are handmade from multiple layers of gold-plated silver

Kate owns four pairs of earrings by Shyla London, a contemporary label that utilises natural gemstones and ethically sourced or recycled metals.

When launching her Shaping Us campaign, Kate accessorised her Victoria Beckham dress with the 'Biaritz Squiggle' earrings, 74, which are handmade from multiple layers of gold-plated silver.

Orelia Chain Huggie Hoop Earrings, 18

Orelia's Chain Huggie Hoop Earrings provided the perfect accompaniment to Kate's sporty attire during a visit to Maidenhead Rugby Club

Kate has worn the gold-plated huggie earrings an impressive 11 times

Displaying her penchant for high street brands, Kate has worn Orelia's Chain Huggie Hoop Earrings an impressive 11 times.

Most recently, the 18 gold-plated design provided the perfect accompaniment to her sporty attire during a visit to Maidenhead Rugby Club.

Vanleles Bespoke Honeycomb Bee Hoop Earrings

Kate commissioned female-founded jewellery brand Vanleles to create a special pair of earrings for the official opening of The Glade Of Light Memorial at Manchester Arena in 2022

The 18-carat gold design featured bee motifs, the symbol of Manchester and a symbol of unity, commemorating the terrorist attack that took place at an Ariana Grande concert five years earlier

Kate commissioned female-founded jewellery brand Vanleles to create a special pair of earrings for the official opening of The Glade Of Light Memorial at Manchester Arena in 2022.

The 18-carat gold design featured bee motifs, the symbol of Manchester and a symbol of unity, commemorating the terrorist attack that took place at an Ariana Grande concert in 2017.
It was an idle boast made amid the Royal Family's grief following the death of King George VI.

At a party at his home, Lord Louis Mountbatten had proclaimed that the 'house of Mountbatten now reigned'.

It was a reference to how his nephew Prince Philip, as the husband of the new Queen Elizabeth II, expected his surname to be adopted by his children.

But, as royal writer Valentine Low delves into in his recent book Courtiers: The Hidden Power Behind the Crown, Queen Mary had heard about Lord Mountbatten's comments and was furious.

The furore was followed by the Queen's announcement in April 1952 that the Royal Family would keep Windsor as its official name.

The decision left Prince Philip deeply upset and prompted him to tell his friends: 'I am the only man in the country not allowed to give his name to his children.' He would go on to add: 'I am nothing but a bloody amoeba.'

Louis Mountbatten with his nephew Prince Philip after a polo match in Malta in December 1952. Lord Mountbatten boasted after King George VI's death that the 'house of Mountbatten now reigned'. It was a reference to the expectation that Prince Philip's children would adopt his surname

Princess Elizabeth holds baby Princess Anne following her christening ceremony as Prince Charles sits on the lap of his mother Queen Elizabeth and Queen Mary sits the other side. Standing behind them are King George VI and Prince Philip

Prince Philip was originally a member of the House of Schleswig-Holstein-Sonderburg-Glucksburg.

His mother Alice was Lord Mountbatten's sister, but Philip only adopted the surname of Mountbatten when he renounced his position as a Prince of Greece and Denmark to become a naturalised British subject.

The Queen's decision to keep Windsor rather than choosing her husband's surname would have been influenced by her grandfather King George V's proclamation in 1917.

With Britain at war with Germany in the First World War, he dropped the royals' distinctly German name of Saxe-Coburg-Gotha and chose Windsor instead.

King George declared that 'henceforth our House and Family shall be styled and known as the House and Family of Windsor'.

After hearing of Mountbatten's boast, Queen Mary summoned the private secretary of prime minister Winston Churchill to complain.

With Churchill allegedly left as outraged as Queen Mary, the decision was taken that the family name should remain Windsor.

Princess Elizabeth holds Princess Anne at her christening as Princess Alice, Countess of Athlone (left) and her mother Queen Elizabeth (right) sit next to her. Standing are Earl Mountbatten, Prince Philip's sister Princess Margarita and Andrew Elphinstone, the Queen's cousin

Prince Charles, nearly two, seen being patted on the head by Queen Mary as Princess Elizabeth holds her newborn daughter Anne in her lap alongside her mother Queen Elizabeth and Prince Philip watches on

Princess Elizabeth and Prince Philip seen with their young children Prince Charles and Princess Anne at Balmoral, 1951

Queen Mary sipping from the Challenge Cup, before presenting it to Lieutenant Commander Lord Louis Mountbatten, after a polo match at Ranelagh Club, London, 1931

Prince Philip's fury did nothing to change the minds of the PM, the Cabinet and Alan 'Tommy' Lascelles, the Queen's abrasive Private Secretary.

The Queen's decision was formally announced to the Privy Council on April 9.

It was declared that it was the monarch's 'will and pleasure that she and her children shall be styled and known as the House and Family of Windsor, and that her descendants, other than female descendants who marry, and their descendants, shall bear the name Windsor.'

The Mail reported the day afterwards: 'Until yesterday's announcement there had been speculation about whether the Royal Family would take the name of Windsor, Mountbatten or even Edinburgh.'

The furious Mountbatten family blamed Churchill for the decision. John Brabourne - Lord Mountbatten's son-in-law, later told author Gyles Brandreth: 'It was Churchill, encouraged by Lascelles. They forced the Queen's hand.'

According to author Ben Pimlott's biography of the Queen, Lascelles drew a parallel with King John signing the Magna Carta when he described how he stood over the Queen like 'one of the Barons of Runnymede' as she gave her formal approval to the proclamation.

Prince Philip celebrating his bachelor party in a private suite at the Dorchester Hotel with Captain McGregor and his uncle Earl Mountbatten, November 18, 1947

The Duke of Edinburgh enjoys himself with Lord Mountbatten and friends at his bachelor party

Queen Mary was still furious and allegedly said of Philip: 'What the devil does that damned fool Edinburgh think that the family name has got to do with him.'

In his 2001 work, Pimlott quoted an unnamed sympathiser of the Duke of Edinburgh. They said: 'But it really did upset Philip. If she had realised how hurt he was going to be, a way round would have been found from the beginning.'

Jock Colville, private secretary to the PM, allegedly felt that Philip had not shown 'wisdom or tract' in his attempts to ensure his surname would be adopted by his wife and children, Pimlott noted.

However, Philip did have precedent on his side. In 1947, the then Lord Chancellor had been in no doubt that any children produced by Elizabeth and Philip would bear his surname.

The recent precedent of King Edward VII backed him up.

He reigned as a member of the House of Saxe-Coburg-Gotha (his father's house) and not of the House of Hanover, which is mother Queen Victoria was part of.

However, both Churchill and his Cabinet were not fans of Lord Mountbatten.

According to Pimlott, they 'deplored the prospect of linking the British dynasty to the Duke's uncle, a politically engaged and often controversial figure who, though related to royalty, had none of the passive attributes considered desirable in a constitutional monarchy.'
China's population will more than halve by 2100, dramatic UN forecasts show.

Startling projections suggest the economic superpower will be home to 634million people by the end of the century, compared to 1.42billion now.

China's unfolding population 'disaster' has sparked panic worldwide, with much of the world dependent on its huge manufacturing output.

Birth rates have plunged to their lowest level on record, fuelled by its decades long one-child policy. Beijing's efforts in recent years to encourage women to have more children have failed.

MailOnline has today created a spellbinding chart showcasing the UN's projections for every country's population between now and 2100.

As well as capturing China's decline, it showcases how African nations such as the Democratic Republic of the Congo and Angola are both projected to quadruple in size.

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Our mesmerising time-lapse graph also reveals how each country's population has changed since 1950, including the exact moment India overtook China to claim the title of world's most populated country (1.44b).

Between the two, they are home to more than a third of the world.

Forecasts from the UN show that while India and China will likely keep the top spots for the next 76 years, the latter's population is is set to plummet to below 1billion by the late 2060s.

This is the equivalent of the Asian nation losing more than the current population of the US in around 35 years.

By 2100 China is forecast to have lost more 55 per cent  nearly 790m  of its current population, leaving it standing at about 630m.

Last year marked the second in a row that China's population fell, due to record-low birth rates fuelled by the one-child policy which had been in place for decades.

While the limit was raised to two in 2015, and scrapped entirely in 2021, Beijing has failed to encourage women to have more children.

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Experts have also blamed the rising cost of childcare and low wages for the failure to reverse the trend, despite extending maternity leave, offering tax breaks the big families and a clamp-down on 'non-medical' abortions  a move experts previously warned could endanger women's lives.

President Xi Jinping's eventual lifting of Covid restrictions was also partly blamed for death rates jumping to a 50-year high.

India, on the other hand, will see its population grow until the early 2060s, reaching a peak of around 1.7b, before starting to gradually fall (1.5b in 2100).

Within the next two decades, Pakistan will overtake the US and Indonesia to become the world's third-most populated country.

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Its population is forecast to hit 385m in 2053, compared to the US' 383m. By 2100, Pakistan will be home to 511m people.

The UK, which currently ranks 21st with 67m, is forecast to drop from the top 25 list in the late 2040s, being replaced by nations such as Kenya, Afghanistan and Sudan.

However, the population is still forecast to reach 74million by 2100, ranking 61st.

The US, meanwhile, will drop from third to sixth place, with a population of 421m by the turn of the century

Falling fertility rates are behind the 'underpopulation' crisis, which Tesla billionaire Elon Musk has been seriously concerned about.

He has warned in 2017 that the population is 'accelerating towards collapse but few seem to notice or care' and in 2021 that civilisation would 'crumble' if people did not have more children.

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Fertility rates are forecast to continue to fall in developed nations such as Britain and the US, and will force them to rely more so on immigration to support an ageing population.

Musk has claimed that Japan  which is seeing its population shrink  could 'flat-out disappear' if its low birth rates continue to decline and that Italy 'will have no people' if the current trends persist.

All the top ten countries set to see the highest percentage population growth are in sub-Saharan Africa, which will contribute nearly 1billion to the population growth between them.

The least populated countries in the world  many of which are island nations  are forecast to remain fairly stagnant.

The tiny Polynesian island of Niue has a population of less than 2,000 as of 2023, the least of any nation in the world.

The UN forecasts Niue's population will grow to a little less than 2,400 by 2100.
July 20, 2024: Russia continues to threaten NATO with nuclear and conventional retribution for their aid to Ukraine. Russia is particularly angry at proposals by some NATO members to send in troops. This threat is particularly upsetting because Russia is running out of soldiers and weapons to arm them with. The shortage of soldiers is visible to countries that border Russia and can actually see the departure of most troops from local units. The soldiers are needed in Ukraine and many border garrisons have only twenty percent of their original strength left.

In Ukraine there is additional evidence of Russian shortages as dead Russian soldiers are found alongside their 1890s vintage Mosin-Nagant rifles. Since over 39 million of these rifles were produced between 1891 and 1973, millions of them are still in use and many are being issued to Russian soldiers sent to Ukraine. Russia has run out of more modern weapons but still has millions of Mosin-Nagants in storage. Ukrainian forces have been seeing a lot of serviceable but antique Russian weapons showing up including sixty year old T-64 tanks that were in storage. Russia refurbished many of these tanks and sent them to Ukraine along with the Mosin-Nagant rifles and even uniforms that went out of fashion decades ago, but were put into storage just in case. For Russia, the Ukraine War became that case when its reserve stocks of older Russian tanks, rifles and uniforms had to be brought out and sent to the front.

Ukrainian troops are still receiving modern weapons and new uniforms, but the contrast between how the soldiers of each side are armed is becoming more visible. Ukrainian soldiers are perplexed at finding dead Russian soldiers with Mosin-Nagant rifles. If nothing else, this boosts morale among Ukrainian soldiers who note that the Russians are running out of soldiers and modern rifles to arm them with.
READ MORE: One big lie? Conspiracies reignite as NASA delays its moon landing

It was one giant leap for mankind, but 55 years on NASA has arguably been unable to better its remarkable feat of putting people on the moon.

The successful Apollo 11 mission delivered two American astronauts  Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin  to the lunar surface on July 20, 1969 (while Michael Collins famously remained in orbit).

Another 10 American men walked on the moon, leaving flags and footprints embedded in the lunar dust, but the Apollo programme was prematurely scrapped after the last mission in 1972.

Since then, no one has been back  but why?

MailOnline spoke to experts about the long gap, which may be fueling the famous conspiracy theory that the landings were staged.

The Apollo 11 mission delivered to American astronauts - Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin - to the lunar surface on July 20, 1969. Pictured, Aldrin on the moon, captured by Armstrong

Pictured, astronaut Buzz Aldrin Jr. poses for a photograph beside the US flag on the moon during the Apollo 11 mission, July 20, 1969. Artemis is considered the successor to Apollo

Famously, America's monumental achievement of putting humans on the moon in July 1969 was the climax of a 'space race' with the Soviet Union.

Earlier in the 1960s, the two superpowers had launched space probes to the moon's surface (the first one to achieve a successful landing was the Soviet Union's Luna 9 in 1966)  but human feet on the moon was the ultimate aim.

Following Apollo 11, NASA put humans on the moon on another five occasions, ending with Apollo 17 in 1972 (Apollo 13 famously failed).

But since then neither NASA nor the Russians  or even any space agency worldwide  have even attempted a manned return.

Dr Martin Elvis, senior astrophysicist at the Smithsonian Institution, said there are three key reasons as to why NASA packed up the Apollo programme.

'The USA had won the race, the Vietnam war was costing a lot, and the moon looked like "magnificent desolation" in Buzz Aldrins words, so there didnt seem much point,' he told MailOnline.

Pictured, Eagle, the part of the Apollo 11 spacecraft that landed Armstrong and Aldrin on the lunar surface

The Apollo 11 crew: Neil Armstrong (left), Michael Collins (centre) and Edwin 'Buzz' Aldrin (right). Collins famously didn't step on the moon

This timeline of the orbit shows how the astronauts progressed after the rocket launch and how they went on to land, take steps on the moon and even moon walk. The Lunar module transposition was also fitted with a command/service module which detached from Saturn V and rotated through 180 degrees before docking prior to its journey to the moon

Famously, America's monumental achievement of putting humans on the moon was the climax of a 'space race' with the Soviet Union

'MAN WALKS ON THE MOON': How the Daily Mail covered the incredible news on July 21, 1969

Peter Read, professor of physics at the University of Oxford, said the main reason humans have not been back to the moon is 'largely political'.

'Once the Americans had demonstrated they could land people safely on the moon and bring them back, the Soviet Union basically lost interest in trying to compete,' he told MailOnline.

'Indeed the Apollo program was actually cut short in the 1970s as public interest waned in the manned missions.

'Renewed interest in landing people now seems to be with a view to exploiting the moon itself and using it as a staging post for going to Mars.'

Anna-Lena Kjniksen, professor at the stfold University College's department of engineering in Norway, blamed the high costs required.

At the time, Apollo 11 cost $355 million (equivalent to $3 billion today), but a manned moon mission today would be an estimated $28 billion.

NASA astronaut Neil Armstrong made history when he stepped out of the Apollo 11's 'Eagle' landing module on July 21, 1969 and left the first human footprints on the moon

The surface of the moon as seen from the Apollo 11 shuttle while in lunar orbit. The 1969 Apollo 11 voyage was the first time man walked on the moon

'You need to have a purpose for going there that justifies spending the huge amounts of money involved,' Professor Kjniksen told MailOnline.

What's more, it was figured that a mobile space probe could survey parts of the moon more effectively than a manned landing in one spot.

'After many years new science missions showed that the moon was much more varied and interesting than our first impression,' Dr Elvis told MailOnline.

NASA is of course finally planning to return to the moon with the successor to the Apollo programme, called Artemis, named after the mythological Greek goddess of the moon.

The first mission, Artemis I, flew an unmanned spacecraft around the moon and back in late 2022, while a follow-up mission with astronauts along the same route (Artemis II) will allegedly happen next year.

NASA says it won't put humans on the moon again until September 2026, although some experts think Artemis III will be delayed again.

Following Apollo 11, NASA put humans on the moon on another five occasions, ending with Apollo 17 in 1972 ( Apollo 13 famously failed ). Here, astronaut David Scott salutes next to the American flag during the Apollo 15 mission, the fourth US mission to the moon

Unlike Apollo, Artemis will eventually establish a permanent base and 'sustained human presence' on the moon, with buildings and infrastructure.

Thomas Herzig, CEO of space architecture firm Pneumocell in Austria, thinks renewed moon interest from the likes of China could start the next space race.

But this time the space race will be different  sending humans to new regions of the moon and setting up a proper civilization there.

'With China there is a strong and ambitious new competitor in space,' Mr Herzig told MailOnline.

'In 1972, the budget of NASA was dramatically shrunken and there was no more political interest for further crewed missions to the moon, or even build a moonbase.

'This might change now.'
When Anthony Hopkins dines out, you'd expect him to order liver and fava beans topped off by a nice Chianti.

But unlike his enduring character Hannibal Lecter  now back in the news thanks to Donald Trump's repeated mentions of him  the Welsh actor opted for lentil soup and grilled eggplant with sparkling water.

Hopkins, 86, lunched at Taverna Tony in Malibu a few days before Trump was making his reference to the terrifying fictional cannibal during his acceptance speech at the Republican National Convention.

In his rambling 90-plus minute speech, the GOP's presidential candidate asked the audience if they had seen The Silence of the Lambs, the movie that won Hopkins his first Oscar.

'The late, great Hannibal Lecter,' Trump, 78, said. 'Who would love to have you for dinner...that's insane asylums.'

No liver, fava beans or Chianti for Anthony Hopkins when he had lunch at Taverna Tony in Malibu

He ate with his assistant Juan Miguel, or 'JOTS' as the star prefers to call him (an acronym for 'Johnny On The Spot')

He's had a lengthy career that has spanned five decades, and he was knighted by Queen Elizabeth II at Buckingham Palace in 1993

In May he made several stump speeches comparing migrants to Lecter  who he again called 'late' and great' despite him being an invention of novelist Thomas Harris.

Trump claimed countries such as Venezuela and El Salvador are 'emptying out insane asylums' and sending terrorists to the United States 'at numbers that we've never seen before'.

At one speech he even called Lecter 'a great man'.

But Hopkins isn't keen on his most famous character being part of Trump's re-election bid.

'I'm shocked and appalled what you've told me about Trump,' he told Dominic Patten in an interview for Deadline.

'Hannibal, that's a long time ago, that movie,' he said.'God, that was over 30 years ago.'

Hopkins had lunch with his assistant Juan Miguel, or 'JOTS' as the star prefers to call him (an acronym for 'Johnny On The Spot'),

The wait staff attending to the Welshman asked him if he would like to have his 'usual' seat in the back corner of the Greek restaurant.

Whispering back in his British accent, he replied: 'Oh yes, that would be lovely.'

The nattily dressed star wore a plaid light blue blazer with a white Polo shirt underneath, navy pants, black sneakers and topped it off with a jaunty blue newsboy cap.His eyes were a twinkling icy blue and he appeared as alert as ever.

Presidential candidate Donald Trump mentioned Hannibal Lecter during his acceptance speech at the Republican National Convention on Thursday

Hopkins won his first Oscar playing the iconic Hannibal Lecter in the 1991 movie The Silence of the Lambs

The nattily dressed star wore a plaid light blue blazer with a white Polo shirt underneath, navy pants, black sneakers and topped it off with a jaunty blue newsboy cap

Hopkins's Oscar for playing Lecter was followed by anoother 29 years later for his role as a man battling dementia in the thriller The Father. In between them he was nominated four more times for The Remains of the Day, Nixon, Amistad and The Two Popes.

His lengthy career has spanned five decades, and he was knighted by Queen Elizabeth II at Buckingham Palace in 1993.

But he tries to remain a man of the people. As he was packing up to leave the restaurant, a couple with a young daughter followed him outside and asked if he would pose for a photo.

Hopkins was more than happy to entertain the family, telling them 'certainly', before handing their iPhone to his assistant.

As these exclusive DailyMail.com images show, when Hopkins spotted the photographer he waved both his hands and smiled.

Taverna Tony is a favorite of celebrities including Barbra Streisand, Halle Berry, Salma Hayek, Noel Gallagher, Cindy Crawford, Pierce Brosnan and Dustin Hoffman . Hunter Biden has even eaten there.

It was a rare candid sighting of Hopkins in Malibu especially since he sold his two-story, four-bedroom, four-bathroom, ocean bluff home in the Point Dume area four years ago for $10.5 million.

As soon as he was packing up to leave the restaurant, a couple with a young daughter followed him outside and asked if he would pose for a photo

Hopkins was more than happy to entertain the family, telling them 'certainly', before handing their iPhone to his assistant

Hopkinssaid he was appalled that Trump would make reference to hiss most famous character during stump speeches about illegal immigration

The octogenarian  who has been married for 21 years to Stella Arroyave, 68  is active on social media, posting on both Instagram and TikTok with millions of followers.

On June 23 he posted images of himself dancing with longtime pal and fellow thespian Sir Ian McKellan, 85. 'Today I celebrate my dear friend Ian, and his unbreakable spiritI love this man.'

Last month McKellen fell off stage during a performance of Player Kings at London's Noel Coward Theater injuring his neck and wrist.

In March Dailymail.com reported that Hopkins is set to be the lead actor in Eyes In The Trees, a re-imagined incarnation of The Island Of Dr Moreau the 1896 book by H.G. Wells.

And there was another reason he wasn't drinking Chianti  Hopkins is celebrating almost 50-years of sobriety. On his birthday last December he posted a video encouraging everyone who wants it to get help with addiction.

'If you get a hangover, remember me. I don't get them anymore because 48-years ago, I stopped. I got help for it and my life changed.'

He was previously married to Petronella Barker from 1966-1972, and Jennifer Lynton, 1973-2002.

He has a daughter Abigail Hopkins, 55, from his first marriage. The two have been estranged for two decades.
Abbie Chatfield and Brittany Hockley's podcasts could be among those in danger of getting axed amid rumours listeners are sick of hearing 'absurd' content from ex-reality TV contestants and them whinge about 'rich girl problems'.

A whole host of former reality TV stars and Aussie celebrities have been jumping on bandwagon and setting up their own podcasts in recent years, but it has been claimed they aren't all thriving.

The Bachelor star Abbie, 29, hosts LiSTNR It's A Lot Podcast, where she talks about everything from her relationships to politics and feminism.

Meanwhile, Brittany and her best friend Laura Byrne often dish on their personal lives and pop culture on their LifeUncut podcast with iHeart.

Insiders have claimed the Australian podcast scene could be in for a huge shake-up, pointing to those hosted by celebrities.

'There are whispers inside three of the biggest podcasting platforms in Australia that changes are going to be made - with one category currently under the microscope,' a radio insider exclusively told Daily Mail Australia after tracking podcasts' popularity across LiSTNR, Nova Podcast and iHeart Radio.

'It would appear that ex-reality stars who have pivoted to podcasting are facing the chop right across the Australian Radio Industry.'

'The long list of ex-reality TV stars that launched podcasts over the last four years are facing the chop with numbers decreasing for Abbie Chatfield, Brittney Hockley and Laura Bryne,' another source added.

It has been claimed that it is 'well-known internally' that many producers no longer want to work on the long list of celebrity podcasts across Australia.

Abbie Chatfield (pictured) and Brittany Hockley 's podcasts could be among those in danger of getting axed amid rumours listeners are sick of hearing 'absurd' content from ex-reality TV contestants and them whinge about 'rich girl problems'

Producers also criticised the 'absurd' content on many celebrity gossip podcasts.

'The content on these shows is mind numbingly absurd,' a former programming director claimed.

'I don't know if I am more annoyed by knowing what toilet paper they use or if I am annoyed by their self entitled rich girl problems.'

Podcasters with 'extreme views' are also said to be putting off listeners while there have also been problems with fact-checking on some of the gossip podcasts.

Abbie recently unleashed on former MAFS stars Domenica Calarco and Ella Ding, who also have their own podcast, on her show, slamming them for interviewing controversial MAFS groom Jack Dunkley on their Sit With Us podcast and not quizzing him on his infamous 'muzzle' comment.

Insiders have claimed the Australian podcast scene could be in for a huge shake-up which puts celebrity podcasts at risk of being culled amid a fall in listeners (pictured: Brittany Hockley)

'We had been directed to advise our clients that some of our talent have ''extreme views'' and that has been a real turn off only in this category,' a source at Nova claimed.

Another insider claimed listeners don't want to tune in to celebrity podcasts because they don't have the same level of 'integrity' as other informative shows.

'There are a lot of executives pointing out that these new aged podcasters who are not journalists,' they claimed.

'They don't have that journalistic integrity - which is more common in categories like, True Crime, Health and Fitness, News and Sport.

'While everyone loves a bit of gossip - listeners are tuning out in droves because they have become tired with unsubstantiated gossip - that at times audiences have felt misinformation.'

'The podcast industry in Australia hasn't really popped the way SCA, NOVA and iHeartRadio had expected it would for some of these ''chatterbox'' podcasts and while True Crime continues to gain momentum, this one section of the industry hasn't really proved to be as viable,' another source added.

'The decline in the industry is a clear indicator that audiences don't feel that just because you were on a 'reality show' or have over 100k followers on I means we need to hear every thought that comes into your head.'

One source denied claims Abbie's podcast is facing the chop, after she celebrated her largest monthly audience of 315,587 listeners in July and renewed for her sixth season.

Podcasters with 'extreme views' are also said to be putting off listeners, after Abbie unleashed on Domenica Calarco and Ella Ding on her show, slamming them for interviewing Jack Dunkley

In a recent media release, Executive Head of LiSTNR Podcasts, Grant Tothill, said: 'For Hamish & Andy to continue as Australia's favourite podcast, and for Abbie to achieve her best monthly audience, is a real credit not only to Hamish and Andy and Abbie, but also their respective teams.'

While LiSTNR Original Podcasts Head of Entertainment and Culture, Sam Cavanagh, added: 'On It's A Lot, Abbie and her guests tackle topics that are often considered taboo.

'However, with Abbie's trademark candour and humour, these discussions resonate with her legions of listeners, and she is fast becoming one of this country's most important voices.

'We are extremely proud to see her podcast continuing to grow and challenge the status quo, whilst also being a runaway commercial success.'

Daily Mail Australia has contacted the LifeUncut podcast for comment.
Brad Pitt will not drop his lawsuit against ex-wife Angelina Jolie after she tried to paint herself as a victim in a desperate bid to get him to end their bitter legal battle over Chateau Miraval, insiders have claimed.

Pitt, 60, and Jolie, 49, have been embroiled in a dispute over their co-ownership of the idyllic French winery, which they purchased in 2008, with the actor suing his ex-wife for selling her half without his consent for $67 million in October 2021.

They later entered into an acrimonious mudslinging over NDA's, which have become a key battleground in their fight.

Jolie is now asking Pitt to 'end the fighting' and drop the lawsuit against her to allow their family to 'heal.'

But sources have exclusively told DailyMail.com that the Fight Club star 'has no intention' of dropping it - alleging that Jolie only made the plea after realizing that she does not have as strong a case as she previously thought.

Brad Pitt will not drop his lawsuit against ex-wife Angelina Jolie, who called for him to end their bitter legal 'fighting' over Chateau Miraval

Pitt, 60, and Jolie, 49, have been embroiled in a dispute over their co-ownership of the French winery, with the actor suing his ex for selling her half without his consent in October 2021

Sources tell DailyMail.com that Pitt 'has no intention' of dropping it - alleging that Jolie only made the plea after realizing that she does not have a strong case (Pictured Miraval in 2008)

Brad is not going to drop this lawsuit  why would he? This was a very standard business dispute but unfortunately, Angelina has consistently introduced personal elements that are meant for a divorce court,' an insider said.

Angelina is asking him to put an end to the fighting as if she is a peacemaker. This is nothing more than to paint herself as the victim. This is not a fight. This is a business dispute over the sale of property that was ultimately going to be for their kids. It was their inheritance, and she knows this.

She is realizing that she does not have a strong case anymore and she also knows that she may likely have to shell out the money by order of the courts.

Bringing very personal issues into a business lawsuit is backfiring on her. It has exposed the weaknesses in her case and has complicated matters for both parties. She didnt need to do this.

A separate source close to the matter refuted claims it is a 'simple business dispute,' and added: 'Pitt is the one suing Angelina yet he somehow thinks he can say shes fighting him. Shes the one out there saying they should focus on healing their family and he should drop his relentless attacks on her, but hes refusing.

'Suing her for 67 million dollars because she refused to sign an NDA covering up his abuse is not a simple business dispute.

'All Angelina wants is peace, but he is determined to continue fighting her and blaming everyone but himself for the situation hes now in.'

The estranged couple, who met in 2004 while filming Mr. And Mrs. Smith before tying the knot in 2014, share six children together: sons Maddox, 22, Pax, 20, and Knox, 16, and daughters Zahara, 19, Shiloh, 18, and Vivienne, 16. They filed for divorce in September 2016.

The estranged couple, who met in 2004, have been embroiled in a dispute over their co-ownership of the winery since 2021 and have entered into an mudslinging over NDA's

'Angelina is asking him to put an end to the fighting as if she is a peacemaker. This is nothing more than to paint herself as the victim,' the insider said

Pitt accused Jolie of breaching their purchase agreement to not sell to a third party without offering the other the right of first refusal when she sold her 50 per cent stake in Chateau Miraval to Russian oligarch, Yuri Shefler, in 2021.

The actor, who is now dating model Ines de Ramon, requested the sale be made void and sought monetary damages and legal fees, but it went through on October 5, 2021.

When the then couple bought the 1200 acre winemaking enterprise and estate, Pitt took a 60 per cent stake while Jolie took 40 per cent.

Pitt poured millions into the estate, riding the rose wave, and expanding the business in an effort that saw sales grow 300 percent.

Soon the estate they purchased for an estimated $60million was worth closer to $164million.

By the time of their wedding, Jolie had 'stopped investing,' according to previously filed court records  something that she has denied.

Still, Pitt transferred 10 percent of his share to her by way of a wedding gift in December 2013 'for the sum of 1Euro [never paid]' so that by the time of their marriage in August 2014, they were 50/50 equal partners.

Jolie claims she backed out of their agreement because Pitt asked her to sign an NDA as part of their business deal, which allegedly would prevent her from speaking out about the abuse allegations, including the September 2016 incident onboard the private jet. Her team described this as an 'unconscionable' attempt by her ex-partner to 'control her' after their split.

A source close to Pitt, later told People: 'Brad requested a mutual NDA and non-disparagement strictly related to Miraval over concerns around sensitive financial information and protecting the brand, which is standard with these types of transactions.'

Pitt, who is now dating Ines de Ramon (pictured), is not just angry about how Jolie sold her share, but because the house was 'ultimately going to be for their kids'

The exes share six children together: sons Maddox, 22, Pax, 20, and Knox, 15, and daughters Zahara, 19, Shiloh, 17, and Vivienne, 15 (pictured in Tokyo in November 2011)

His legal team claimed that Jolie 'weaponized' NDAs, and asked for Pitt to sign a broader NDA just six months later as part of their divorce settlement talks.

In a ruling made public back in May, Judge Lia Martin ordered the actress to produce all NDAs she proposed, or that were proposed to her by others, regardless of whether they were finalized or agreed.

Earlier this week Jolie's lawyer, Paul Murphy, said: 'When Angelina again asks Mr. Pitt to end the fighting and finally put their family on a clear path toward healing, unless Mr. Pitt withdraws his lawsuit, Angelina has no choice but to obtain the evidence necessary to prove his allegations wrong.'

Recent documents filed on behalf of Pitt in objection to Jolie's latest request list the pieces of evidence she would obtain.

These include 'any therapy in which [he] voluntarily agreed to engage from September 14, 2016 through December 31, 2018, his consumption of alcohol from 2008 through 2021, his random drug and alcohol testing following the flight, communications with various government agencies about the flight, and confidential filings from the parties divorce case.'

'These requests are not designed to discover relevant evidence but rather to embarrass Pitt and/or to prejudice the trier of fact, which is not permitted by Californias discovery statutes,' the documents read.

The estranged couples' eight-year divorce, which has had them at war over custody of their children, has not been finalized. They are legally single.
Jeremy Clarkson has gone to war with local ramblers at his Diddly Squat Farm  by placing beehives at the perimeter of his farmhouse next to a public footpath to keep out nosey fans.

The TV star, 64, has strategically erected 11 beehives behind a five-foot high hedge at the start of a lane that leads to his Cotswolds farm.

The one-mile-long lane is closed to all traffic, but walkers are allowed to use it, resulting in fans of the Amazon Prime reality series Clarkson's Farm meandering along it in an attempt to catch a glimpse of his farmhouse, where he lives with his girlfriend Lisa.

Clarkson revealed in an interview earlier this year that there had been a number of incidents of people entering his property following the global success of the show which follows his countryside escapades.

But local ramblers have slammed the star for placing the beehives where he has with several complaining that they have been stung.

Jeremy Clarkson has gone to war with local ramblers at his Diddly Squat Farm  by placing beehives at the perimeter of his farmhouse next to a public footpath to keep out nosey fans

Clarkson, 64, (pictured) has strategically erected 11 beehives behind a five-foot high hedge at the start of a lane that leads to his Cotswolds farm

Local ramblers have slammed the star for placing the beehives where he has with several complaining that they have been stung

Clarkson's Diddly Squat Farm in the Cotswolds has attracted hundreds of visitors

One resident who did not want to be named told MailOnline: 'I was out with my dog walking past the beehives and got stung on my head. It really hurt and was feeling sore for quite a few days. They are also not at a safe distance from the lane.'

Another added: 'I got stung a few weeks ago and don't go up there anymore. He doesn't want people looking at his house or going in there and that's understandable.

'I understand that Jeremy doesn't want fans walking onto his land to try and find him  but it seems a bit dangerous to have so many beehives close to a public lane hidden behind a big hedge.'

But Gerald Cooper, the no-nonsense, straight-talking star of Clarkson's Farm, hit back at the ramblers - and told MailOnline that anybody suffering one only had themselves to blame.

'If people don't want to be stung then they should keep away from the lane,' he said. 'People who are from outside the area shouldn't be up there anyway.

'It's the summer, there are a lot of bees flying around and bee stings happen. What's the fuss? These bees are not dangerous, I don't know what people are moaning about.'

One resident who did not want to be named told MailOnline: 'I was out with my dog walking past the beehives and got stung on my head. It really hurt'

Gerald Cooper, the no-nonsense, straight-talking star of Clarkson's Farm, hit back at the ramblers - and told MailOnline that anybody suffering one only had themselves to blame

Fans favourite Mr Cooper, 74, works alongside Clarkson on the show and revealed his prostate cancer diagnosis on it recently.

Clarkson announced towards the end of season three, which aired earlier this year, that his good friend had beaten cancer after several radiotherapy sessions.

When asked by MailOnline about his health, Mr Cooper gave a thumbs up sign and joked: 'I'm great and so are the bees.'

In addition to the beehives, a number of signs on a gate at the entrance to the lane have also been put up. One states: 'Private Land. No access without permission.' Another declares: 'Footpath only. No horses bikes or vehicles.'

An adjoining sign warns: 'Bull in field,' although locals revealed that they had never actually seen one there.

The beehives are located around five feet from the edge of the lane, but beekeeping experts specifically warn owners not to keep hives near public footpaths in case the bees attack unwitting passers-by.

The British Beekeepers Association advises: 'Avoid placing hives facing onto a neighbour's property or near a public footpath.'

One resident told MailOnline: 'We like Clarkson but not his fans. He's done a lot for this area, and we even get a chance to buy things in the farm shop at a discount.

'But the tourists that now come here are a nuisance. Hopefully, the bees will keep them away and sting them if they try to get close to his property but I'm not sure if he's put them in the right place.'

The roaring success of the show and Clarkson's world-famous farm shop has created mayhem in the previously quiet country roads surrounding his farm.

Thousands of visitors flock to the area where the 1,000-acre property is located and to visit the Diddly Squat farm shop.

Surrounding roads are continually congested with traffic and scores of visitors queue for more than an hour to buy goods or eat in the farm shop cafe.

Filming for a fourth season of Clarkson's Farm is currently underway.

Ahead of the release of the third series of Clarkson's Farm, the former Top Gear presenter vented his frustrations at 'invading' fans.

Recalling one incident when he was sitting in his kitchen only to be confronted by a stranger who he thought was a member of the film crew he said: 'He was looking at me writing the voiceover for Clarkson's Farm and said, ''Oh, is this the new series?''

'I said, ''Yeah.'' I was chatting away, then suddenly went, ''Who are you?'' And he went, ''I was just passing.'' I said, ''No, I'm sorry, you cannot just walk into somebody's house and pull up a chair.'''

In another incident, he revealed how a group of children knocked on his front door and when he opened it, were told by their mothers to 'walk in.'

Clarkson has taken a leaf out of his illustrious Cotswolds neighbour David Beckham's book who used bees as a defence against snoopers peering into the 12million mansion her shares with wife, Victoria

Ahead of the release of the third series of Clarkson's Farm, the former Top Gear presenter vented his frustrations at 'invading' fans

In one incident, Lisa emerged from the shower to find a couple having a look around their home

He added: 'You have to be nice to the children, obviously it's not their fault. But I did take the mothers to one side and say: ''You can't do that.'''

In another, Lisa emerged from the shower to find a couple having a look around their home.

Clarkson has taken a leaf out of his illustrious Cotswolds neighbour David Beckham's book who used bees as a defence against snoopers peering into the 12million mansion her shares with wife, Victoria.

The former Manchester United and Real Madrid star has erected beehives close to a public footpath that runs past his home, leaving locals angry.

One said: 'It feels like a pretty strange thing to do.

'It feels like he's trying to get people to avoid the footpath. Otherwise, why put them so close to the footpath when he has at least two very large fields to the north and south of the house to put them on?'
Kate Ritchie is head over heels in love again after a tough year in which she split with her boyfriend Chevy Black.

The former Home and Away star and her new man, Will Skelton, looked absolutely smitten as they enjoyed an oceanfront picnic at Clovelly in Sydney on Friday.

Skelton, 30, is a 'high-flying' financial adviser for Canaccord Genuity, a financial services firm based in Sydney.

Will and Kate, who at 45 is 15 years his senior, met at Nova FM's Singles Ball in May.

'They have spent pretty much every night together lately,' a source told Daily Mail Australia on Friday.

'He has told many of his colleagues about it. He just turned 30 in the last week,' the source added.

The couple could not keep their hands off each other during their beachside date, kissing and cuddling as they sat on a picnic blanket.

The actress looked absolutely delighted to be in Will's company, laughing heartily as the pair chatted and shared jokes.

Kate Ritchie (right) is head over heels in love again after a tough year in which she split with her boyfriend Chevy Black

The former Home and Away star and her new man, Will Skelton (pictured), looked absolutely smitten as they enjoyed an oceanfront picnic at Clovelly in Sydney on Friday

Skelton, 30, is a 'high-flying' financial adviser for Canaccord Genuity, a financial services firm based in Sydney

Will seemed equally charmed, the couple sharing a spirited discussion as they tucked into their takeaway meals.

Following their picnic, Kate and Will left the hillside arm in arm, smiles on their faces, and clung close together as they strolled.

Kate was dressed casually in an orange jumper over a white shirt, paired with blue jeans and white sneakers.

She appeared to go makeup free and tucked her brunette locks in a ponytail under a red cap.

Will and Kate, who at age 45, who is 15 years his senior, met at Nova FM's Singles Ball in May

'They have spent pretty much every night together lately' a source told Daily Mail Australia

'He has told many of his colleagues about it. He just turned 30 in the last week' the source added

The actress looked absolutely delighted to be in Will's company

The couple could not keep their hands off each other during their beachside date

The pair were kissing and cuddling as they enjoyed their lunch

Will seemed equally charmed, the couple sharing a spirited discussion as they tucked into their takeaway meals

The star brought along her dog for the outing, carrying a lead as the pup ran circles around her.

Will also kept things comfortable, choosing a brown hoodie and jeans for the outing.

He added a biege cap with a white logo and Nike sneakers, and was ever the gentleman, carrying the blanket for the pair.

After their lunch, the couple headed to Kate's car and drove off together.

Kate first laid eyes on Will when she attended Nova FM's Singles Ball at Taronga Zoo back in May.

The two stretched out on their blanket for a lengthy smooching session

Will gave Kate a sweet kiss on the neck as they laid on the PDA

Kate dressed casually in an orange jumper over a white shirt

She paired with a blue jeans and white sneakers

Kate was laughing heartily as the pair chatted and shared jokes

The star brought along her dog for the outing

Will meanwhile also kept things comfortable, choosing a brown hoodie and jeans for the outing

Kate appeared to go makeup free and tucked her brunette locks in a ponytail under a red cap

Will was ever the gentleman, carrying the blanket for the pair

The radio host looked half her age as she led arrivals in an elegant yet glitzy black mini dress which features a silver flower at the bust.

The single man she matched with on the night - now known to be Skelton - really made Kate glow.

The handsome fella asked Kate for a dance, which seemed to make her night.

Kate, who late last year parted with boyfriend Black, looked smitten as she joined him on the dancefloor.

The radio star, who co-hosts Nova FM's Fitzy & Wippa with Kate Ritchie, was earlier approached by Will as he held a single red rose.

The couple seemed head over heels as they shared takeaway coffees

Will added a biege cap with a white logo and Nike sneakers

After their lunch, the couple headed off together

Kate carried her dog's leash and a bag containing their left overs

She hooked her arm through Will's as they strolled together

They seemed oblivious to onlookers as they openly showed affection

Kate and Will stopped to enjoy the view and sip their coffees

The beachside spot is popular for picnics and offers stunning cliffside views

The video of the romantic moment was shared to the Fitzy & Wippa with Kate Ritchie Instagram.

Dressed in a chic black suit with a bow tie, Will looked nervous as he went up to Kate while she was talking with friends at a table.

Giving her his rose, he introduced himself and the two left the table to get to know each other better.

Fans of the breakfast radio show went wild in the comments to the Instagram post.

'Awww he's a little bit cute. Good pick Kate. Australia's very own Will & Kate,' wrote one follower.

The pair could not stop giggling during their alfresco date

Kate carried her phone in her hand and never left her man's side

They chatted constantly during their walk and seemed very engaged in one another

Will's cheeky grin was clearly infectious and he made Kate laugh many times

At one point he showed Kate something on his phone

'He's actually pretty nervous. Good on you mate! Go get her,' another remarked.

'Omg they are the cutest!! Please date him Kate,' wrote one more.

Kate's budding romance comes after she called time on her relationship with boyfriend Chevy Black, just months after they went Instagram official in May, 2023.

The pair, who would often put on on public displays of affection while out and about in Coogee, are said to have split around November.

An insider also told New Idea magazine at the time there was a very telling clue their relationship was over.

The handsome financial advisor opened his arms to embrace the actress

Kate cuddled into her man, laying her head against his chest

The conversation continued as they traversed the waterside walkway

The two were clearly having fun on their date

Kate was carrying a lead as her pup ran circles around her

They headed to Kate's car and drove off together after the outing

'It seems like now he doesn't have any reason to keep his life hidden,' the source told the magazine.

'Until recently, Chevy preferred to keep his life under wraps, with his social media set to private. He has now changed to a public Instagram profile,' they added.

At the time, Kate fuelled breakup rumours by sharing a reflective post to Instagram which captured her living her best life with a girlfriend, and no mention of Black.

The pair looked to be going from strength-to-strength after debuting their relationship in February 2023 with pictures of a romantic picnic.

Kate later took her romance to the next level by introducing Chevy to her mother Heather and daughter Mae.

Kate first laid eyes on Will when she attended Nova FM 's Singles Ball at Taronga Zoo back in May. They are pictured together at the ball, meeting for the first time

The single man she matched with on the night - now known to be Skelton - really made Kate glow. The handsome fella asked Kate for a dance, which seemed to make her night

The radio star was earlier approached by Will as he held a single red rose

However, by the end of that year, Kate was single again.

The former soap star split with her ex-husband, retired NRL player Stuart Webb, in 2020.

Ritchie tied the knot with Webb in an opulent ceremony held at the Quamby Estate in Tasmania in 2010, following a year-long engagement.

The former couple began dating in 2008 and announced their engagement a year later.

They split in 2020 after 10 years of marriage, and the former child actress reportedly moved out of their marital home in Sydney.

Kate called time on her relationship with boyfriend Chevy Black (left) late last year. The pair would often put on on public displays of affection while out and about in Coogee

In 2021, Kate debuted her much younger boyfriend, cyber security clerk John Bell (pictured), who was 25 at the time. Their romance fizzled out just months later

They welcomed a daughter, Mae, in 2014, but parted ways after nine years.

The following year, in 2021, Kate debuted her much younger boyfriend John Bell, who was 25 at the time.

The pair were seen packing on the PDA they holidayed in Byron Bay in January that year.

The radio presenter and the cyber security clerk, went their separate ways after their romance fizzled out just months later.

'Kate is single. Lockdown is to blame,' a source told Daily Mail Australia in December that year.

The former soap star split with her ex-husband, retired NRL player Stuart Webb, in 2020. Pictured together in 2019

'Kate and John haven't seen each other since January, even though borders to Victoria opened a few weeks ago.

'She hasn't mentioned wanting to go visit him once' the source said at the time.

Kate grew up in front of Australian television audiences after first appearing as Sally Fletcher on Home and Away aged nine in 1988.

She appeared on the program for the next 20 years, winning the Gold Logie for Most Popular Personality in 2007 and 2008 and Silver Logies for Most Popular Actress from 2006 to 2008.

The actress now stars on Nova's popular breakfast show, Fitzy & Wippa with Kate Ritchie.
Back in the days when he was a penniless, struggling comedian, Richard Gadd could never have imagined the TV series he was penning at home in his tiny flat would end up a global hit.

This week, the creator, director and star of the Netflix series Baby Reindeer said he was 'crying with happiness' at news from the US that the controversial show, which has been viewed more than 85million times and purports to be a 'true story', had received not one but 11 Emmy nominations; three of them for him alone.

'You have made a little boy from a tiny Scottish town's dreams come true,' gushed the 35-year-old in a statement in which he thanked members of America's National Academy of Television Arts and Sciences.

'I hope this is a reminder for anyone going through a hard time right now to keep going. There is light in the darkest of rooms. Fight hard and you will find it,' he added

No mention, of course, of the bitter and burgeoning fall-out from the seven-part series about the dark and twisted relationship between a penniless, struggling comedian - modelled on and played by Gadd - and his older female stalker - a character named Martha who is played by actress Jessica Gunning in the show.

Fiona, 58, the woman identified as the real-life Martha appeared on Piers Morgan's YouTube show Uncensored in May following the release of Baby Reindeer in April

Fiona Harvey's lawyer Richard Roth said this week that the Emmy nominations were just the latest 'slap in the face' for Harvey

No mention, either, that the woman identified as the real-life Martha, 58-year-old Aberdeen law graduate Fiona Harvey, has blasted Gadd's show as 'the biggest lie in television history'.

Last month she launched a blistering $170million (132million) legal action against Netflix in California - one which looks set to heat up at the same time as the 76th Primetime Emmy Awards in Los Angeles in September.

This week, in an exclusive interview with the Mail, her lawyer Richard Roth, of The Roth Law Firm in New York, told me that the Emmy nominations were just the latest 'slap in the face' for Harvey who, he said, had 'suffered a life-changing tragedy' as a result of 'brutal lies' told about her in Baby Reindeer.

'There was some suggestion that the series shouldn't have been nominated for Emmys because of this ongoing issue,' he said. 'The Netflix claim that Baby Reindeer is a true story is clearly false.'

He said Harvey, who lives alone in a high rise council block in London, has been left 'vulnerable' by the controversy.

'She's afraid,' said Roth. 'She's afraid to go out in case people shout at her in the street. She's had death threats online, people yelling at her that she's a stalker. It's pretty unbearable for her to have been thrust into the limelight. What's happened to her is just wrong.'

Harvey's lawyer is not alone in his thinking. Last month, a high-profile Hollywood journalist called for the Emmy's 25,000-strong academy to snub Gadd and Baby Reindeer because 'it is a lie' and 'not awards-worthy'.

Matthew Belloni, former editor of The Hollywood Reporter and a founding partner of Hollywood-based media company Puck, pointed out that Netflix had stated at the very beginning of the Baby Reindeer series: 'This is a true story'.

'Only in the end does it acknowledge that scenes and characters have been changed. And it worked. Everyone watched, high viewership led to great buzz, which led to awards attention, all thanks in part to what we now know is a lie.'

Fiona is portrayed as 'Martha' in the Netflix show and is played by actress Jessica Gunning

Richard Gadd said he was 'crying with happiness' at news from the US that Baby Reindeer had received not one but 11 Emmy nominations; three of them for him alone

When Baby Reindeer first launched on Netflix in the UK back in April, Gadd claimed he had disguised the on-screen identity of 'Martha'.

Perhaps inevitably, it triggered a frenzied search for the real-life Martha. Given that Gadd had used some of Harvey's genuine tweets in the show, it didn't take internet sleuths long to work out who she was.

Both Martha and Harvey are Scottish, both studied law at university, both are around 20 years older than Gadd and both bear an uncanny physical resemblance to each other. Like her lightly-fictionalised alter ego, Harvey met Gadd in the North London pub where he was working behind the bar nearly a decade ago.

But while Martha is portrayed as a twice-convicted stalker who was sentenced to prison, Harvey insists she has no stalking convictions.

Roth queries Netflix's decision to state Baby Reindeer was true without first checking the facts.

'Why didn't they contact her and fact check or give her a chance to comment?' he asks. 'A lot of things are just false in the story. For them to literally just ignore her and not look to see that she was never convicted, not once, it's stupid or it's very brazen and very intentional.

'Netflix has made a lot of money from this. They could have checked but it's like they went for the money versus the honesty. They must have known there was a risk.

'I personally look at it from a human standpoint. She's very vulnerable. She has her own issues. To put her in the limelight is just really wrong.'

Harvey is suing Netflix, among other things, for defamation, intentional infliction of emotional distress, negligence and gross negligence.

According to her 34-page legal claim: 'Harvey is physically weak. She has and continues to experience anxiety, nightmares, panic attacks, shame, depression, nervousness, stomach pains, loss of appetite and fear, extreme stress and sickness, all directly caused by the lies told about her in Baby Reindeer.'

The document filed at the Californian District Court goes straight for the jugular, stating: 'It is a lie told by Netflix and the show's creator, Richard Gadd, out of greed and lust for fame; a lie designed to attract more viewers, get more attention, to make more money, and to viciously destroy the life of...Fiona Harvey - an innocent woman defamed by Netflix and Richard Gadd at a magnitude and scale without precedent.'

Amid the ongoing legal row around Baby Reindeer, which takes its incongruous title from the pet name Gadd alleged Harvey gave him because he reminded her of one of her soft toys, fans will no doubt want to know the truth about what happened.

Over a period of four and half years, Gadd said he received 41,071 emails, 744 Tweets, letters totalling 106 pages and left 350 hours of voicemail messages from the older woman.

Fiona is suing Netflix, among other things, for defamation, intentional infliction of emotional distress, negligence and gross negligence

Not surprisingly, given the latest twist in this disturbing saga, speculation is fast mounting that there might be a Baby Reindeer 2 on the horizon

Speaking to Piers Morgan on his YouTube show Uncensored in May, Harvey denied this and said she sent fewer than ten emails, only 18 tweets and just one letter.

'I think he probably made them up himself,' she said.

This newspaper's own investigations over the past three months has failed to turn up any evidence of a stalking conviction to back Netflix's claims, although Harvey received a 'First Instance Harassment Warning' from the Met Police in relation to Gadd.

Back in 2002, when she was living in Scotland, she was also the subject of an 'interdict' - a restraining order - which former Scottish MP's wife and solicitor Laura Wray tried to obtain against her. Wray also gave an interview to Piers last month, in which she alleged Harvey was a 'dangerous stalker', something Harvey denies.

In May, as the row over the show gathered pace - and drew in millions more viewers - Netflix executive Benjamin King gave evidence before the government's Culture, Media and Sport Committee, saying the show was 'obviously a true story of the horrific abuse that the writer and protagonist Richard Gadd suffered at the hands of a convicted stalker'.

His comments prompted then SNP MP John Nicolson, who was sitting on the committee, to later write to Netflix asking them to substantiate their claim.

On his personal website, Gadd invites fans to 'watch the making of Baby Reindeer documentary'. The 12-minute video, posted on YouTube, takes viewers behinds the scenes and sees Gadd give his thoughts on the phenomenon.

'It's a true story based on my early twenties when I went through a lot of pretty crazy things,' he says at the beginning of the video.

Later, he says: 'It's born out of true events. It's born out of a real life happening.'

He also admitted that when he and Harvey first met in the Hawley Arms in North London he was drawn to her at a time when he felt like a failure.

'Having someone at the end of the bar who was pure unadulterated adoration was kind of what I needed but it was foolish of me and it was using someone. I guess I was punished for that in quite an extreme way.'

He said that she was someone who was 'unwell' and 'needed help'. The mystery, then, is that he didn't try harder to obscure her identity.

And ironically, by writing about Harvey, who like him is from a 'small Scottish town', Gadd has entwined his life with hers forever.

The awards will be held at the Peacock Theatre in downtown Los Angeles on September 19 and will be broadcast live.

By then, a judge may well have decided whether or not to agree to Harvey's claim for a trial by jury.

A Netflix spokesman said last month: 'We intend to defend the matter vigorously and to stand by Richard Gadd's right to tell his story.'

What happens in court over the next few months looks set to be as gripping as the series itself.

Not surprisingly, given the latest twist in this disturbing saga, speculation is fast mounting that there might be a Baby Reindeer 2 on the horizon.
Strictly Come Dancing judge Anton Du Beke has reportedly 'raised concerns' over a resurfaced historic row and his alleged '1970s-style behaviour,' according to reports.

The judge, 57, reduced contestant Laila Rouass to tears during the 2009 series when he jokingly told her she 'looked like a P***' after her spray tan.

He later apologised and admitted he felt 'stupid' and 'embarrassed' by his comments to the actress, who is of Indian and Moroccan descent, with the duo making amends a few weeks later.

This week, professional dancer Graziano Di Prima, 30, was axed from the show last week after he was accused of 'hitting and kicking' his celebrity partner Zara McDermott, 27, during rehearsals.

It came after Giovanni Pernice, 33, was suspended while a BBC probe is underway over claims of off-camera misconduct made by Amanda Abbington, 50, and two other former celebrity partners.

Strictly Come Dancing judge Anton Du Beke has reportedly 'raised concerns' over a resurfaced historic row and his alleged '1970s-style behaviour,' according to reports (pictured in March)

The judge, 57, reduced contestant Laila Rouass to tears when he jokingly told her she 'looked like a P***' after her spray tan during the 2009 series (pictured on the series together)

Anton sparked outrage when it emerged he had called Laila a 'p***' when she attended rehearsals wearing fake tan.

A source told The Sun: 'Anton has a very 1970s attitude and can be abrasive.

'The lines are becoming increasingly blurred as to what is acceptable or not, and of course, some people have found him fine to work with.

'But there were murmurings of discontent when he was a dancer. Yet the BBC promoted him. It is all quite strange.'

When contacted by MailOnline, a spokesperson for the BBC said: 'We will not be commenting on individuals or engaging with speculation.

'However, as we have said previously we will always listen if people want to make us aware of something or raise it with us directly and we have appropriate procedures and processes in place to manage this.'

MailOnline has contacted Anton Du Beke's representative for comment.

In the furore over the remark back in 2009, it was also revealed that Anton had also asked Laila if she was a terrorist in a joke about her north African heritage.

Speaking on Strictly spin-off show It Takes Two after the incident came to light, Laila said: 'We are getting through this together. It's been a tough week for both of us... But we just want to move on.

Professional dancer Graziano Di Prima , 30, was axed from the show last week after he was accused of 'hitting and kicking' his celebrity partner Zara McDermott , 27, during rehearsals

It came just weeks after Giovanni Pernice , 33, was suspended while a BBC probe is underway over claims of off-camera misconduct made by Amanda Abbington, 50 (pictured)

A source told The Sun : 'Anton has a very 1970s attitude and can be abrasive. The lines are becoming increasingly blurred as to what is acceptable or not, and of course, some people have found him fine to work with' (Laila Rouass and Anton Du Beke pictured)

'This happened weeks ago and we've been getting on very well.'

Anton added: 'I would just like to reiterate my apology from last weekend to Laila, to everybody on the show and to everybody that watches the show because I feel embarrassed, I feel stupid as well.'

He continued: 'It was a stupid thing to do and a stupid thing to say and now people are talking about that when they should be talking about the show and what a great show it is.

'As I say I am mortified about it, completely, and Laila has been quite remarkably wonderful.'

Bruce Forsyth was also forced to backtrack in a formal BBC statement after he said the nation should get a 'sense of humour' about the controversy.

He had told radio station TalkSport: 'We used to have a sense of humour about this. You go back 25, 30, 40 years and there has always been a bit of humour about the whole thing.

'At one time the Americans used to call us 'limeys' which doesn't sound very nice, but we used to laugh about it. Everybody has a nickname.'

But hours later a statement from Bruce was issued by the BBC.

'What Anton said to Laila was wrong and he has apologised unreservedly for this. Nor do I in any way excuse or condone the use of such language,' it said.

'To be absolutely clear, the use of racially offensive language is never either funny or acceptable.

'However, there is a major difference between this and racist comments which are malicious in intent and, whilst I accept that we live in a world of extraordinary political correctness, we should keep things in perspective.'

The statement added 'these are my personal views and not necessarily those of the BBC'.

At the time Anton apologised and admitted he felt 'stupid' and 'embarrassed' by his comments to the actress, who is of Indian and Moroccan descent, with the duo making amends

Last month it was reported Anton was 'hugely standing by' Giovanni after he quit Strictly Come Dancing amid the BBC's 'serious misconduct' probe.

The pair are appearing together in a live show called Giovanni and Anton Together: The Live Tour, which will begin in June and last until the end of July.

Giovanni posted a video of the pair on his Instagram Stories and the accompanying promo photo shows the two men hugging one another, showing they are the best of friends.

Anton opened the clip by saying: 'First day of rehearsals, always my favourite day. Second day, less so,' to which Giovanni laughed.

Giovanni, who was smiling and appeared in good spirits, continued: 'Because we have to remember everything about day one. We are back on tour. It feels nice.'

On Tuesday it was reported a third Strictly Come Dancing professional has been named as a 'person of interest' in the wake of abuse and bullying allegations overshadowing the show.

The Sun reports that a third professional dancer - who is no longer on the show - is also part of the probe into the BBC series.

A source told the publication: 'A professional's name has come up, alongside Giovanni and Graziano.

'He is no longer part of the show but he has been named as a person of interest. Conversations are ongoing and there are more people who need to be spoken to.'

Last month it was reported Anton 'is hugely standing by' Giovanni after he quit Strictly Come Dancing amid the BBC's 'serious misconduct' probe

They added: 'A dossier is being compiled which will be handed over to the BBC. What is becoming clear is that there appears to be a more widespread issue over the conduct of some of the professionals in training.

'And the more people who come forward, the clearer the picture is becoming.'

The BBC has been contacted by MailOnline for comment.

On Tuesday Strictly bosses announced plans to introduce chaperones during training, and the appointment of two new welfare producers, after Graziano's shock sacking from the show.

Now, bosses have announced that they would be introducing 'additional steps to strengthen welfare and support on Strictly Come Dancing.'

A statement from the corporation said: 'Concerns that have arisen in recent months have been fundamentally about training and rehearsals. The actions we announce today are designed to address that.'

The new measures include a member of the production team being present during training room rehearsals at all times, and increased support for both celebrity contestants and the professional dancers.

A Celebrity Welfare Producer and a Professional Dancer Welfare Producer will both be appointed to fulfil these added duties, and further training will also be delivered for the production team and crew.

Kate Phillips, BBC's Director of Unscripted, said: 'Whilst we know our shows have been positive experiences for the vast majority of those who have taken part, if issues are raised with us, or we're made aware of inappropriate behaviour, we will always take that seriously and act.

'Concerns that have arisen have been fundamentally related to training and rehearsals. The decisive steps we have taken and are announced today, act to further strengthen the welfare and support in place for everyone involved with this production.'

On Tuesday it was reported a third Strictly professional has been named as a 'person of interest' in the wake of abuse and bullying allegations (Amanda and Giovanni pictured)

The announcement came just hours after former Love Island star Zara broke her silence on the scandal

She wrote that while much of her time on Strictly 'was everything I could have dreamt of' inside the training room there were 'particular incidents which are incredibly distressing'

Addressing his exit from the show, a 'devastated' Di Prima wrote on Instagram over the weekend: 'I deeply regret the events that led to my departure from Strictly'

The announcement comes just hours after former Love Island star Zara broke her silence on the scandal.

She wrote on Instagram on Tuesday morning that while much of her time on Strictly 'was everything I could have dreamt of' inside the training room with Graziano there were 'particular incidents which are incredibly distressing'.

'I felt it was right that I post something regarding the recent media reports,' Zara began. 'Strictly is one of the most magical shows on TV and one that I dreamt of being on since I was a little girl.'

'When I was invited to be a contestant on the show it really was a childhood dream come true. I fully understood the level of commitment and hard work that Strictly was going to be and I dedicated everything to it.'

'I am a resilient person and I was fully prepared to put in whatever it took.'

'And so much of my Strictly experience was everything I could have dreamt of. The entire production team and everyone behind the scenes as well as my fellow contestants were so amazing to worth with.

'However, my experience inside the training room was very different. Reports have been made about my treatment on the show and there were witnesses to some events, as well as videos of particular incidents which are incredible distressing to watch.

Zara explained that she didn't report the incidents at the time as she was 'scared' of backlash.

Instead it was junior production staff who came forward to share what they had witnessed as the investigation into pro dancer Giovanni was taking place.

He added: 'My intense passion and determination to win might have affected my training regime'

'I have wrested with the fear of opening up - I was scared about public backlash, I was scared about my future, I was scared of victim shaming,' Zara wrote on Instagram.

'But after a lot of conversations with those I love, I've gained the strength to face these fears, and when I was asked to speak to the BBC, I spoke candidly about my time on the show.

'The culture within our society makes it difficult for people to speak up especially in a a world where social media opinions and voices are so loud. This is something I've seen through working with countless women on my documentaries.

'I would like to thank the BBC and BBC Studios for their swift action and incredibly high level of support, as well as everyone who has reached out to me - it really truly means a lot. Love, always. Zara.'
Meadow Walker wished a happy birthday to Vin Diesel, who starred with her late father Paul Walker in the Fast And Furious franchise.

Paul died tragically in a car crash in 2013 two months after his 40th birthday - when Meadow, his only child, had just turned 15.

Now Meadow has posted an Insta Story proving that her bond with the man she calls 'Uncle Vin' remains as strong as ever.

She uploaded a heartwarming snap Thursday of herself and Vin hugging in front of the Coliseum at the Rome premiere of Fast X last year.

'Happy birthday @vindiesel,' she wrote to the Guardians Of The Galaxy star, who has just turned 57 years old. 'I love you so much.'

Meadow Walker wished a happy birthday to Vin Diesel , who starred with her father Paul Walker in the Fast And Furious films; Meadow and Vin pictured at the Fast X premiere last year

In the years since Paul's death, Meadow has been famously close to Vin, referring to him and his daughter Hania as her 'family' in a 2021 Instagram post.

When Meadow turned 21, Vin posted a touching comment on her social media, writing: ''I could say that I am so proud of the person you are becoming... but the truth is I have always been proud of you. Happy Birthday Meadow!'

He added: 'I know its your 21st and you wanted to go big in Japan, but the family has a cake waiting for you when you get home, so hurry. Love you kid. Uncle Vin'.

Paul's fatal crash occurred when he was being driven in his Porsche by his friend Roger Rodas at between 80 and 93 miles per hour.

The car struck two trees and a lamp post in an incident that killed both men, leaving Meadow fatherless less than a month after her 15th birthday.

In 2016, Meadow arrived at a legal settlement with Roger's estate whereby she was granted $10.1 million, according to E! News.

A year earlier, she had filed a wrongful death lawsuit against Porsche, culminating in a settlement in October 2017, ABC News reported.

Paul, who rose to global fame as the leading man of the Fast And Furious franchise, left Meadow his whole $25 million estate, per People.

Paul died tragically in a Porsche accident in 2013 two months after his 40th birthday - when Meadow, his only child, had just turned 15; Paul pictured with Meadow

Paul (left) and Vin (right) are pictured with Dwayne 'The Rock' Johnson (center) in the 2013 movie Fast & Furious 6, released just months before Paul's death

Meadow  whose estranged husband asked for spousal support in their divorce proceedings  put on an elegant display this Thursday while modeling for Gucci's latest campaign in New York City.

She wore an oversized trench coat and a long forest green turtleneck.

She was styled in a long grey sheer skirt for the Manhattan shoot.

The model's short raven locks were parted down the middle as they cascaded over her shoulders.

She accessorized with dainty gold hoop earrings and chic black heels.

Her skin looked radiant as she was dolled up in a full face of glam that made her full brows and shimmering eyes pop.

Meadow Walker made heads turn while out in New York on Thursday

The 25-year-old daughter of Paul Walker put on an elegant display while modeling for Gucci's latest campaign

Meadow Rain was born on November 4, 1998 to the late Hollywood star Paul Walker and his girlfriend Rebecca Soteros.

Walker famously played Brian O'Conner in the Fast & Furious franchise and acted in seven of the action films.

Her father tragically passed away in a car accident that shocked the world in 2013 near Santa Clarita, California.

In May of last year, the northern California native told E! that she receives signs from her father, over a decade after his death.

She told the outlet: 'I swear whenever I'm doubting anything or whenever I'm in an argument with someone or anything, I start seeing four and seven everywhere. So I always know that it's him.

'Even yesterday, I was having a moment and then the clock bells started ringing. And I was like, "OK, it's all good, it's gonna be OK."'

She wore an oversized trench coat and a long forest green turtleneck

She was styled in a long grey see-through skirt for the hot Manhattan shoot

The star is pictured with her late father in 2013

In following her famous father's legacy, Meadow landed a small role as a flight attendant in 2023's Furious X.

'For me this is super exciting and he would be amazed that this is happening,' she told the outlet of opportunity.

Despite having a set modeling career, the 25-year-old insisted on shooting more movies in the future.
Ben Affleck was spotted with his wedding ring on leaving ex Jennifer Garner's house on Friday amid Jennifer Lopez divorce rumors.

The 51-year-old Batman actor  who shares Violet, Fin, 15, and Samuel, 12, with the Alias vet, 52  looked tense as he gripped the steering wheel of his Rivian SUV, allowing a peek at his nuptial band.

Dressed in a yellow T-shirt and sipping a soda, the handsome matinee idol drove through Brentwood's upscale neighborhood after attending several business meetings in recent days.

The visit to Garner's pad comes amid reports that Ben and JLo's marital woes have nothing to do with her status as a global superstar.

'The idea that Ben thinks Jennifer is too famous and that he didn't know what he was getting into with the attention on their marriage isn't true,' a source told People on Friday.

Ben Affleck was spotted with his wedding ring on leaving ex Jennifer Garner 's house on Friday amid Jennifer Lopez divorce rumors

The 51-year-old Batman actor looked tense as he gripped the steering wheel of his Rivian SUV, allowing a peek at his nuptial band

They added, 'There are deeper issues.'

The couple, who have not been pictured together for two months, appeared to spend their second wedding anniversary apart amid divorce rumors.

On Tuesday, July 16, Ben was seen smiling in Los Angeles as he headed to his office, while Jennifer enjoyed a getaway in The Hamptons.

These sightings coincided with the two-year anniversary of their wedding at A Little White Wedding Chapel in Las Vegas on July 16, 2022. They had a more lavish ceremony the following month in Georgia.

However, on their second anniversary, they were spotted on opposite coasts.

This comes amid rumors that Jennifer and Ben are facing marital issues two years after their initial wedding.

The couple also spent the Fourth of July weekend separately, with the This Is Me... Now star celebrating in the Hamptons with family and friends while the Deep Water actor stayed in Los Angeles.

It was recently disclosed that their $60.85 million marital home in Beverly Hills is now publicly on the market.

The visit to Garner's pad comes amid reports that Ben and JLo's marital woes have nothing to do with her status as a global superstar

'The idea that Ben thinks Jennifer is too famous and that he didn't know what he was getting into with the attention on their marriage isn't true,' a source told People on Friday

In June, the couple attempted to discreetly sell the 12-bedroom, 24-bathroom mansion but were unsuccessful.

Earlier this summer, reports surfaced that Jen and Ben have been living apart for 'months,' amid speculation that they are headed for divorce.

But JLo did wish her other half a Happy Father's Day.

'Our hero. Happy Father's Day,' she gushed over a black-and-white photo of Ben with a white heart emoji in an Instagram Story.

The duo also recently attended Violet's high school graduation together.

In May, sources told People Jennifer and Ben's marriage 'is not in the best place at the moment.'

Meanwhile, Us Weekly recently claimed that there is a 'sliver of hope' that Ben and Jennifer could get back together.

'Jennifer suggested they just take time to figure it out,' the source said.

Affleck and Garner are parents to Violet, 18, Fin (formerly Seraphina) 15, and son Samuel, 12; Garner is seen with the kids in 2018

Affleck and Lopez have recently listed their $68 million marital home in Beverly Hills for sale and reportedly want to 'move forward'; Seen in February, 2023

It was also added that Bennifer 2.0 'still haven't made a decision' regarding splitting.

Affleck and Garner announced their separation in 2015 after nearly 10 years of marriage, and officially filed for divorce in 2017.

The 13 Going on 30 star has since moved on with businessman John Miller, while Ben rekindled his romance with Lopez in April 2021 before tying the knot in July 2022.

Lopez shares 16-year-old twins Max and Emme with her ex Marc Anthony.
Renee Zellweger and her younger on-screen lover Leo Woodall filmed a romantic canal scene in London's Hackney on Friday for the new Bridget Jones film.

The actress, 55, who has played the titular character in the past three films, is currently shooting the fourth instalment, Mad About The Boy, in the capital.

In the upcoming film, Bridget enjoys a fling with a hunky younger lover named Rockstar, who is played by One Day star Leo, 27.

The on-screen couple looked giddy as they enjoyed a romantic stroll along a canal in the city.

Beaming Bridget was seen laughing with the rockstar as he tucked into some street food.

Renee Zellweger and her younger on-screen lover Leo Woodall filmed a romantic canal scene in London's Hackney on Friday for the new Bridget Jones film

The actress, 55, who has played the titular character in the past three films, is currently shooting the fourth instalment, Mad About The Boy, in the capital

She was wearing a long-sleeved khaki jacket, some light blue denim jeans, and a pair of casual trainers.

Meanwhile, Leo cut a smart casual figure in a bold orange shirt which he teamed with a white vest.

Leo teamed a pair of baggy blue jeans with the look as he sported a pair of boots.

It comes after the actress angered several A-list stars by asking them to leave their homes as they filmed the fourth, and probably final, film.

Stars including Harry Styles and Rami Malek who live near the North London streets where filming is taking place are not too happy with the production.

According to The Sun, film bosses have put letters through the doors of local residents asking them to only come and go at certain times to not interfere with filming.

A source said: 'The film is causing chaos in this part of North London where they are shooting a lot of the film.'

'Neighbourhoods with stars such as Harry, Rami, Ricky Gervais and Rowan Atkinson, living there are all getting letters from the production about not interrupting shots.'

The letters reportedly asked residents to either leave their homes during filming or not to come and go while the cameras were rolling.

In the upcoming film, Bridget enjoys a fling with a hunky younger lover named Rockstar, who is played by One Day star Leo, 27

The insider added: 'It's like they're being held hostage by Bridget  and it's driving everyone mad.'

The movie is based on the novel of the same name as Bridget battles motherhood alone following the tragic death of Mark, who was played in the previous films by Colin Firth, 63.

She will also embark on a love affair with a much younger man named Rockstar, played by One Day star Leo.

In the new film, Bridget enjoys a fling with Rockstar and PE teacher Mr Walker, as played by 12 Years A Slave actor Chiwetel Ejiofor as well as reviving her on-off relationship with Hugh Grant's Daniel Cleaver.
Jennifer Lawrence showed off her unique style while out in the West Village.

The Hunger Games star, 33  who may be expanding her family in the near future  teased her bra and taut tummy during a casual outing on Friday.

She wore a long see-through lavender cover up with a classic black bra underneath.

The actress paired the look with high-waisted black sweatpants and kept cool with a trendy bucket hat.

The Oscar winner's blonde locks were styled in a low ponytail as she enjoyed her day off.

Jennifer Lawrence showed off her unique style while out in the West Village

She accessorized with dark sunglasses and dainty earrings while flashing her sizeable wedding ring.

She braved the NYC streets without her husband, Cooke Maroney, whom she has been married to since 2019 after a year of dating.

In February 2022, Lawrence and her husband welcomed their first child together, who is named after the American artist Cy Twombly.

They said 'I do' in a lavish Rhode Island ceremony, but the wedding was not all flowers and rainbows according to the movie star.

In fact, Lawrence said that the stress of hosting made the day 'awful' for her.

While at the Golden Globes in January she reflected on her time as a bride, telling E! News: 'It's so stressful. You're not having fun. You're just like, 'Is that person having fun?''

'I'll never forgetI was freaking out about the guests being cold, and all of my friends were lying. They're like, 'Nobody's cold, nobody's cold, everything's fine, everything's fine.'

'My mom was like, 'It's freezing out there. Your grandmother almost died,'' she added.

The actress admitted that she was under so much stress that she told The Godfather star Robert De Niro leave her rehearsal dinner.

The Hunger teased her bra and taut tummy in a sheer top during a casual outing on Friday

A source recently claimed to ET that Jennifer and her Cooke Maroney are 'so in love' and are considering having another baby; seen in August 2023

She said, 'I looked over, and I saw Bob, who doesn't know anybody, and he's kind of wandering around, and I immediately was like, 'No, this isn't what he wants to be doing. I don't want him here.'

'So I went over and whispered, I was like, 'Go home,' and he was nicehe talked to my parents and was politebut I was like, 'Go.''

And when he left, she said, 'That just genuinely made me feel better.'

Two years after welcoming their son, a source claimed to ET on Thursday that Jennifer and Cooke are 'so in love' and are considering having another baby.

'Jennifer and Cooke are doing very well and are super in love. They make each other laugh and have the best time parenting together,' said the insider.

'They would love to have another kid and expand their family,' the source dished further.
Lauren Phillips has opened up about losing her KIIS FM job to Kyle & Jackie O after they landed a $200million expansion deal to broadcast in Melbourne.

The Nova 100 host detailed the brutal fallout with the radio stars alongside her fellow co-host Jase Hawkins, admitting she was 'broken' and considered fleeing the country after believing her career was over.

'I was gutted. I thought that was the end of my radio career,' she told news.com.au.

'Late last year I was ready to leave the country and move overseas. I was like, "I'm out of here".'

When Nova approached the radio duo for a breakfast show opportunity, Phillips revealed she was initially hesitant to get on board and explained she was worried of facing the axe again.

'I had a pretty bad taste in my mouth and I was scared of that happening again,' she said.

It comes after Jase and Lauren beat Sydney-based rivals Kyle Sandilands and Jackie 'O' Henderson in the recent radio ratings.

Lauren Phillips and Jason 'Jase' Hawkins had a huge win in the FM breakfast rankings, becoming the second most-listened to show in Melbourne.

Lauren Phillips (pictured) has opened up about losing her KIIS FM job to Kyle & Jackie O after they landed a $200million expansion deal to broadcast in Melbourne, admitting she was 'broken' and considered fleeing the country after believing her career was over

They boosted their 8.7 per cent share to 9.6 per cent in the latest survey, knocking FOX FM's Fifi, Fev and Nick, who dropped from a 10 per cent share to 9.5 per cent, down to third place.

The Kyle and Jackie O show came in sixth place with a 5.9 per cent share behind smoothfm and Triple M's Marty Sheargold Show.

GOLD FM's Christian O'Connell still has the highest rating FM breakfast show in Melbourne with a 10.8 per cent share.

Earlier this month, Sandilands broke his silence after his show fell short in the ratings.

The 53-year-old weighed in on the results and their show's progression, explaining that despite the results, the Kyle & Jackie O Show is slowly gaining momentum in the Victorian capital.

Lauren Phillips and Jason 'Jase' Hawkins had a huge win in the breakfast slot, becoming the second most-listened to show in Melbourne. Both pictured

'We gained another 50,000 people, but apparently that wasn't good enough,' he said live on air.

He added: 'It's a slow burn, you know, not everyone wants to hear about dildos and a**e-licking.'

On April 29, Kyle and Jackie O took their breakfast radio show to Melbourne in a huge multimillion-dollar expansion deal.

The move triggered the axing of Jason 'Jase' Hawkins and Lauren Phillips' breakfast show.

On April 29, Kyle and Jackie O took their breakfast radio show to Melbourne in a huge multimillion-dollar expansion deal

An unapologetic Kyle said he felt indifferent to his competitors being sacked, as it ultimately came down to who was attracting the most listeners.

'No, I don't care. That's why we went for Melbourne, we were like, 'We've given this Jase and Lauren on KIIS FM a good run, it can't get over fourth in the radio ratings, so we'll take it',' he told news.com.au.

He added that the The Kyle and Jackie O Show was moved to Melbourne because it was a 'market in trouble' and their program could help regain listeners.

However, Kyle's co-host Jackie 'O' Henderson took a different approach, adding that while she didn't like competitors being axed it was the unfortunate reality of the business.

'No one ever wants to move someone out of a job. I wouldn't want that to happen to me. It's a double edged sword, it really is,' she said.
Ryan Reynolds and Hugh Jackman make quite the stylish pair when they're not kicking butt onscreen.

The Deadpool & Wolverine stars stepped out Friday in matching pastels as they promoted their new Marvel movie in New York City.

Jackman, 55, showed off his muscled arms in a mint green Ralph Lauren Polo shirt, which he paired with dark slacks.

The Australian actor completed the look with a pair of black leather shoes featuring white soles.

Reynolds, 47, donned a cropped button-up tan shirt, which featured a red stitched floral design.

Hugh Jackman and Ryan Reynolds stepped out Friday in matching pastels as they promoted their new movie Deadpool & Wolverine in New York City

Jackman previously raved about his friendship with Reynolds amid his divorce with Deborra-Lee Furness

The Canadian actor layered the top over a white shirt and paired it with some khakis and a pair of tan suede shoes.

He finished the look with a pair of Ray-Ban wayfarers as he and Jackman were spotted stepping out of their hotel.

Reynolds reunites onscreen with Jackman for the upcoming third installment of the Deadpool franchise, after their eponymous characters met in X-Men Origins: Wolverine (2009).

The proud father previously shared the parenting advice from Deadpool director Shawn Levy that he said 'stuck with me forever' as he spoke with Jackman for People.

'People tend to only talk about their wins,' Reynolds explained. 'But I think it's really important for your kids in particular to know that you lose, you don't get what you want all the time.'

He added that he wants his kids to learn that 'something you worked on really hard didn't work. You feel like you said something embarrassing today, you did something that didn't sit right with you.

'It's just so important that [your kids] see that and they don't just hear, 'Oh Dad nailed it.' Because you lose so much more than you win,' said Reynolds.

Reynolds shares four children with Blake Lively, whom he married in 2012 after starring together in Green Lantern the year before.

Jackman adopted two children with wife Deborra-Lee Furness, with whom he announced his divorce in September, following 27 years of marriage.

Jackman, 55, showed off his muscled arms in a mint green Ralph Lauren Polo shirt, which he paired with dark slacks

The Australian actor completed the look with a pair of black leather shoes featuring white soles

Reynolds, 47, donned a cropped button-up tan shirt, which featured a red stitched floral design. The Canadian actor layered the top over a white shirt and paired it with some khakis and a pair of tan suede shoes

Reynolds reunites onscreen with Jackman for the upcoming third installment of the Deadpool franchise, after their eponymous characters met in X-Men Origins: Wolverine (2009)

During their conversation for People, the Australian actor raved about his friendship with Reynolds amid the split.

'There's probably fewer friends in our life that you can say anything to, the stuff you're ashamed, embarrassed, anything,' he said.

'You can tell me anything and I can tell you anything, and I don't feel like you're going to be judging or necessarily giving me the answer,' added Jackman.

Reynolds said, 'I think the secret sauce to a long-lasting Hollywood friendship is not too dissimilar to having a partner or a marriage.'

'I am genuinely rooting for you, all the time. I want you to win,' he said. 'It's the same way I feel about Blake. As I'm rooting for her, I know she's rooting for me, and it's why we're so connected.'

Deadpool & Wolverine premieres July 26 in theaters.
Jules Robinson's husband Cam Merchant took to his social media this week to give fans a pregnancy update.

The couple, who tied the knot on MAFS in season six before later marrying off-screen, are expecting their second child any day.

In a video posted to Instagram on Friday, Cam has shared that Jules is in nesting mode.

In the clip, Jules was seen giving her kitchen fridge a major clean out.

A bemused Cam observed his heavily pregnant wife wiping out the refrigerator after filling every available surface in the couple's kitchen with its contents.

'It's Friday night, day's out from having a baby and your wife takes nesting to the next level,' Cam joked in the caption.

Jules Robinson 's husband Cam Merchant took to his social media this week to give fans a pregnancy update. The couple, who tied the knot on MAFS in season six are expecting their second child any day. Pictured: In Cam's video posted to Instagram Jules can be seen giving her kitchen fridge a major clean out

A rather unamused looking Jules forced a smile for Cam's camera as he filmed the selfie.

'Thats the "start helping or you'll be sleeping on the lounge" look,' joked one fan in Cam's comments section after viewing the hilarious clip.

Wife Jules also took time out to clap back at Cam's post.

A bemused Cam can be seen in the clip observing his heavily pregnant wife wiping out the refrigerator after filling every available surface in the couple's kitchen with its contents

'This is totally in my right to have you on board and clean with me on Friday night,' she joked.

Other fans showed they could relate to Jules' effort by sharing their own pregnancy stories.

'Bless her, I remember scrubbing the floors on my hands and knees 38 weeks pregnant with twins - never mess with a pregnant women on a mission' wrote one fan.

Added another user: 'My Doctor said its a sign baby is coming soon.. hopefully she gets it all done in time or that's your job buddy.'

A rather unamused looking Jules forced a smile for Cam's camera as he filmed the selfie

Jules has been counting down the days until she gives birth.

The salon owner and shapewear entrepreneur recently spoke to Daily Mail Australia about her pregnancy just weeks ahead of her due date, and candidly revealed she is already planning for baby number three.

'We want to have another baby,' Jules enthused, adding: 'Who knows? If you think there's a will, there's a way.'

Jules and Cameron fell in love in front of the cameras during series six of MAFS in 2019 before getting married for real in November that year. The pair welcomed son Oliver in September 2020 and in March Jules announced she was expecting her second child. (All pictured)

'Whatever that will be like, we will make it happen. I said that before a couple of years ago [before getting pregnant the second time].'

The flame-haired influencer, who recently released her first book titled Ask Jules, also shared the unique method she used to fall pregnant at age 41 after three years of trying.

Jules and Cameron were seriously considering IVF before she managed to conceive naturally - a feat she largely credits to Ayurvedic medicine.

Ayurveda is an ancient Indian wellbeing practice that claims to help patients achieve balance through food, herbs, meditation, yoga and detoxing.

Jules and Cameron fell in love in front of the cameras during series six of MAFS in 2019 before getting married for real in November that year.

The pair welcomed son Oliver in September 2020 and in March Jules announced she was expecting her second child.
Reese Witherspoon posted an emotional tribute to Bob Newhart after his death at age 94 on Thursday.

The Oscar winner, 48, took to her Instagram on Friday to honor her late Legally Blonde 2 costar, who portrayed Sid Post opposite Witherspoon's Elle Woods.

'To say I was a fan of Bob Newhart was an understatement I watched the Newhart show every week and laughed so hard every time Bob gave his signature slow deadpan delivery of lines,' the Morning Show star began.

'Even his silence was funny. His reaction said everything the audience was thinking. I will miss his kindness and his humor... and his love for a great comedy bit.'

She concluded: I feel so lucky that I got to share the screen with such a legend. Rest in Peace Bob. Thank you for making us laugh for so many years.'

Reese Witherspoon posted an emotional tribute to Bob Newhart after his death at age 94 on Thursday; (pictured May)

The Oscar winner, 48, took to her Instagram on Friday to honor her late Legally Blonde 2 costar, who portrayed Sid Post opposite Witherspoon's Elle Woods; (pictured 2004)

Reese's heartfelt message follows a slew of stars paying tribute to the late comedian, including Alec Baldwin and The Big Bang Theory's Mayim Bialik.

Newhart's family also paid tribute in a sweet Facebook post, writing, 'Our father passed away this morning surrounded by all our family. We feel blessed that he is reunited with our mom and all of his friends waiting for him.'

Newhart's wife Virginia 'Ginnie' Newhart passed away in 2023 after 60 years of marriage. They shared four children: Jennifer, Courtney, Timothy, and Robert.

'Thank you for all of your well wishes. He was deeply loved by all, but especially by his children and grandchildren, Love to all, The Newhart Family,' the statement concluded.

The post also featured a charming throwback photo of Bob, Ginnie, and Bob's close friend, fellow comedian Don Rickles.

'We're apples and oranges. I'm a Jew, he's a Catholic. He's low-key, I'm a yeller,' Rickles said of their lasting friendship to Variety in 2012.

Despite Bob's tremendous success in Hollywood  including winning three Grammys for a 1961 comedy album  he maintained that his greatest joy in life was his family.

'I don't care how successful you've been in this business, if you haven't had a good family life, what have you really achieved?,' he told Legatus magazine in 2013.

'To say I was a fan of Bob Newhart was an understatement I watched the Newhart show every week and laughed so hard every time Bob gave his signature slow deadpan delivery of lines,' the Morning Show star began

'Even his silence was funny. His reaction said everything the audience was thinking. I will miss his kindness and his humor... and his love for a great comedy bit,' Reese wrote

'You can be the richest man in the world, [but what] have you really accomplished? That's the way I look at life.'

Newhart, originally an accountant from the Chicago area, transitioned to a show business career that skyrocketed in 1960 when his comedy album The Button-Down Mind of Bob Newhart became the first comedy album to top the Billboard charts.

At 30 years old, Newhart's success continued with the release of his follow-up album, The Button-Down Mind Strikes Back, which also climbed to the top of the charts.

These achievements earned him three Grammy Awards in 1961 for Best New Artist, Album of the Year, and Best Comedy Performance.

In a statement posted on his Facebook page , the Newhart family wrote: 'Our father passed away this morning surrounded by all our family. We feel blessed that he is reunited with our mom and all of his friends waiting for him'

He was married to Ginnie Quinn - the daughter of actor Bill Quinn - from 1963 until her death aged 82 in April 2023 - pictured together in 1985

The couple welcomed four children during their marriage: Jennifer, Courtney, Timothy, and Robert (pictured on their wedding day on January 12, 1963)

Riding the wave of his early success, Newhart hosted an NBC variety show, The Bob Newhart Show, from late 1961 to the summer of 1962.

Although the show was short-lived, it received critical acclaim and an Emmy nomination for Outstanding Writing for a Comedy Series in 1962. T

Throughout the 1960s, Newhart continued to release comedy albums and made occasional television appearances.

In the 1970s, Newhart became a television star, portraying Dr. Bob Hartley on CBS's The Bob Newhart Show from 1972 to 1978.

He cemented his television legacy with the CBS sitcom Newhart, which aired from 1982 to 1990. In this beloved series, he portrayed Dick Loudon, an author who moves with his wife from New York City to Vermont to manage a historic inn.

The star received three back-to-back nominations for Best Actor in a Comedy Series for his work on Newhart in 1985, 1986, and 1987, though he did not take home the award in any of those years.

In 2004, he earned an Emmy nomination for his guest role in the drama series E.R.

His achievements continued in 2007 when the Library of Congress added his debut comedy album The Button-Down Mind of Bob Newhart to its registry of historically significant sound recordings.

Bob is pictured on sitcom The Bob Newhart Show in 1973

Bob famously played Papa Elf in 2003's Elf

The registry, established in 2000, recognizes only 25 recordings each year.

His first Emmy win came in 2013 for Best Guest Actor in a Comedy for his role as Professor Proton on The Big Bang Theory.

He received two more nominations for the same role in 2014 and 2016.

'I have this theory that when it's all over, for death, and you go up I've been led to believe to heaven and there's a God and he says, 'What did you do?' And I say, 'I made people laugh. 'Yeah, get in that real short line over there,'' he told CBS Sunday Morning in 2021.
Armie Hammer has denied the rumors that his friend Robert Downey Jr. paid for him to go to rehab three years ago.

Hammer reportedly spent six months in treatment after his life was upended by sexual assault allegations and claims he has a cannibalism fetish.

Downey, whose own career went up in flames as a result of addiction before his successful comeback, was said to have bankrolled the rehab stint, per Vanity Fair.

Now, however, Hammer, 37, has set the record straight during a bombshell new interview with Piers Morgan about his scandal.

'No, he did not. He did not pay for me to go to rehab,' said Hammer, explaining that he had 'recreationally' indulged in substances like cocaine and ecstasy but had been 'addicted to escapism' more than to any drug.

Armie Hammer (left) has denied the rumors that his friend Robert Downey Jr. (right) paid for him to go to rehab three years ago

When Morgan asked whether Downey had been 'supportive' of him when he became persona non grata, Hammer said: 'Yes,' but was hesitant to provide details.

'I don't want to bring anyone else into my situation. There are a number of people who have been extremely helpful and I'm incredibly grateful,' he said.

Downey helped him 'in the way where anyone in Hollywood who suffers from any sort of addiction issues, whether it be alcohol or process addiction or drugs, decides to get sober, that guy will find you, and he will help you,' said Hammer. 'It's amazing.'

Hammer also revealed the advice that Downey gave him during his Hollywood exile: 'Sit down. Shut up. Everything's gonna be okay.'

After rehab, Hammer allegedly holed up at a Los Angeles home owned by Downey while attending Alcoholics Anonymous meetings, according to Variety.

During the shocking interview that aired this Friday, Morgan asked Hammer point-blank whether he is in fact a cannibal.

The Call Me By Your Name star has been away from the spotlight since 2021 when allegations emerged of sexual assault and cannibalism emerged.

Hammer told Morgan that the allegations stemmed consensual sex acts and kinky role playing. When asked if he is in fact a cannibal, Hammer responded: 'You know what you have to do to be a cannibal? You have to have actually eaten somebody.'

The actor confirmed that he had not eaten anyone. He did admit to once tracing his initials into the thigh of ex-girlfriend Paige Lorenze but denied it was an attempt to brand her: 'There wasn't even any blood,' he contends.

Hammer confirmed to Morgan that he did cheat on his ex-wife, Elizabeth Chambers, during their marriage before it fell apart in July 2020.

Hammer, 37, became emotional at points during the interview with Piers Morgan

During one interaction, Morgan said that he was 'shocked' by Hammer's revelation

Armie Hammer 's ex-wife Elizabeth Chambers has been praised for the way she is able to 'co-exist' with her former spouse; pictured in 2019

Hammer also spoke about his relationship with Effie Angelova, who has accused him of sexual assault. He called their relationship a 'very intense affair, very sexuality charged, between two people with very similar proclivities and kinks.'

During that segment, Hammer conceded that out of context, their conversations would seem troubling.

'Any of those conversations that we had inside of that relationship, when you take them outside of that context and put them into broad daylight, it doesn't look so good.'

Hammer said that Angelova was more experienced in the world of kink than he was.

'Different people have different sexual fantasies. And there's a very broad spectrum of sexuality, and people are allowed to engage with their own sexuality however it fits them and what they do.'

In another shocking section of the interview, Hammer spoke about putting his initials on his then-girlfriend, Lorenze.

'There was a scenario that we talked about beforehand, that we had discussed where, you know, I would basically take a little, tiny point and just kind of trace the letter 'A' - just like the tip of a small knife.'

'I mean, there wasn't even blood in the situation. It was more like a scrape It's along the lines of couples getting their own initials tattooed on each other,' he continued.

Morgan joked that the action was a bit different to getting a tattoo which Hammer and added that he was 'shocked' by the revelation.

Hammer has consistently maintained his innocence when faced with allegations of rape and other abuse of women. His lawyers continue to claim that all of his relationships were consensual.

Last year, Hammer and Chambers reached a divorce agreement, three years after filing.

The settlement came just weeks after LA County prosecutors declined to charge Hammer in an investigation stemming from a woman's allegation that he sexually assaulted her in 2017.

They cited a lack of evidence to prove their case beyond a reasonable doubt.

Hammer said on Instagram that after a long public silence that 'I look forward to beginning what will be a long, difficult process of putting my life back together now that my name has been cleared.'

Hammer admitted to tracing his initials into then-girlfriend Paige Lorenze during their relationship

Chambers, 40, is a television personality who has had shows on the Food Network and the Cooking Channel.

The two began dating in 2007 and married in 2010. They have an 8-year-old daughter and a 6-year-old son.

The terms of their agreement were not revealed, and are often sealed from public view in such cases.

Disgraced actor Armie Hammer is asked point-blank if he has ever eaten human flesh in uncomfortable interview with Piers Morgan
Vito Schnabel is officially off the market after tying the knot with Helena Althof.

The art dealer, 37, quietly exchanged vows with the 21-year-old Russian model last week in a private ceremony in Old Westbury, NY, according to Page Six.

'oops.' wrote Althof on Instagram with photos of herself in her wedding dress and other snapshots from the wedding.

She wore sleeveless minidress with a floor-length train and a pair of jeweled open-toe Christian Louboutin heels.

The bride finished her matrimonial look with layers of jewels, including a tiara, and a pair of black cat-eye sunglasses.

Vito Schnabel, 37, quietly exchanged vows with the 21-year-old Russian model last week in a private ceremony in Old Westbury, NY

'oops.' wrote Althof on Instagram with photos of herself in her wedding dress and other snapshots from the wedding. She wore sleeveless minidress with a floor-length train and a pair of jeweled open-toe Christian Louboutin heels

Althof also shared photos of caviar, platters of sushi and a red four-tiered cake, dripping with edible ribbons.

Their nuptials, which were hosted at Schnabel's Richard Meier-designed mansion, were described as 'very small and very private' by Artnet.

The outlet reported that Vito's artist father Julian Schnabel and actress sister Stella Schnabel weren't even in attendance.

However, Ivanka Trump and husband Jared Kushner were in attendance, as was Rolling Stone founder Jann Wenner.

Schnabel reportedly met Althof on Australian billionaire James Packer's yacht when she was 19.

The Vito Schnabel Gallery owner previously dated Heidi Klum from 2014 to 2017, after which he was briefly linked to Amber Heard.

Schnabel has also reportedly dated Irina Shayk, Demi Moore, Liv Tyler and Elle Macpherson.

In addition to Schnabel's work as an art dealer, he has acted in his father's films Before Night Falls (2000) and Miral (2010), as well as Ryan Murphy's Feud: Capote vs. The Swans.

Schnabel reportedly met Althof on Australian billionaire James Packer 's yacht when she was 19

Althof also shared photos of caviar and platters of sushi

For dessert, they had a red four-tiered cake, dripping with edible ribbons

The Vito Schnabel Gallery owner previously dated Heidi Klum from 2014 to 2017, after which he was briefly linked to Amber Heard

He also produced the 2019 film Beach Bum, starring Matthew McConaughey and Snoop Dogg.

Additionally, Schnabel wrote and produced the upcoming movie The Trainer, which stars Paris Hilton, Julia Fox, Bella Thorne and more.
Selena Gomez received her first-ever acting Emmy nomination for her work on Hulu's Only Murders In The Building.

And as her 32nd birthday approaches, the Disney Channel alum took to Instagram on Friday to express how 'grateful' she is for this 'era' of her life.

She also gave her co-stars Steve Martin and Martin Short a shout-out by sharing a selfie from set.

The photo captured Gomez, who plays Mabel Mora, flashing a big beaming smile, as Short snuggled up to her right side while Martin stood behind the pair.

'Upon reflection I realize with my birthday coming up, 32, I am so grateful that I have been surrounded by human beings that make me better, challenge me, remind me day after day that every moment is a gift,' she shared in the caption.

'That's my pure joy. I thank god for the era I'm in. Its been the best yet.'

Selena Gomez expressed gratitude to Only Murders In The Building co-stars Martin Short and Steve Martin on Instagram after receiving her first-ever acting Emmy nod

The cast and crew are already taking part in the promotional push for the new fourth season of the show that's set to drop later this summer.

Only Murders In The Buildings focuses on a trio of strangers (Martin, Short and Gomez) all with a shared interest in true crime podcasts, who become friends while investigating a succession of suspicious murders in the Arconia, their affluent Upper West Side apartment building in New York City.

They end up producing their own podcast about the cases, titled Only Murders In the Building.

The series and its first 10 episodes first premiered on Hulu in August 2021

The show has received critical acclaim since its debut, with reviewers highlighting its comedic approach to the crime -fiction storylines, as well as the cast performances.

It has since premiered seasons two and three in June 2022 and August 2023, respectively.

Along with the three lead roles, the cast also features Aaron Dominguez, Amy Ryan, Cara Delevingne, Adina Verson and Michael Cyril Creighton.

For Only Murders In The Building, Gomez, Short and Martin play a trio of strangers who band together to investigate true crimes and do a podcast

To date the Hulu series has aired three seasons since its premiere in August 2021

Season four of Only Murders In The Building is set to be released on Hulu on August 27

The recurring cast includes the likes of Julian Cihi, Da'Vine Joy Randolph, Tina Fey, Jackie Hoffman, Nathan Lane, Jayne Houdyshell, James Caverly, Ryan Broussard, Teddy Coluca, Vanessa Aspillaga, Russell G. Jones, Jaboukie Young-White, Zainab Jah, and Michael Rapaport, among many others.

The show has even landed such special guests as three-time Academy Award-winning actress Meryl Streep and actor and comedian Paul Rudd.

Among its many accolades, the show has won four Primetime Creative Arts Emmy Awards out of 11 nominations, and has garnered 12 more Primetime Emmy Award nominations, although six of them are still pending a result from the 76th Annual Primetime Emmy Awards on ABC on September 15.

Season four of Only Murders In The Building is set to be released on Hulu on August 27.
Sharon Stone put on another showstopping display on Friday evening as she accepted the prestigious Gold Cariddi Lifetime Achievement Award at the Taormina Film Festival.

The actress, 66, wore a flamboyant dress covered in a monochromatic print with a feathered fringe across the one shoulder neckline and down the hem.

The floor length gown paid homage to her renowned Basic Instinct scene where the then-32-year-old donned a white mini dress on a darkened set.

The ageless beauty kept accessories minimal with no jewellery and her blonde locks in a slicked-back hairstyle.

Sharon beamed as she was handed the award from Elvira Amata, tourism councillor for Sicily.

Sharon Stone, 66, put on another showstopping display on Friday evening as she accepted the prestigious Gold Cariddi Lifetime Achievement Award at the Taormina Film Festival

The 66-year-old actress wore a flamboyant dress covered in a monochromatic print with a feathered fringe across the one shoulder neckline and down to the hem

When talking to Variety Sharon explained that the world of cinema has changed dramatically due to the increasing demand to make money but now it is changing again by stepping away from huge blockbusters to 'smaller and more relevant films'.

She also spoke about women being more involved in the movie making process, she said: 'I just have to say now that women are writing, producing, and are more and more a part of filmmaking, and films are less about men writing about their fantasies of the way women are and actors asked to portray the male fantasy, and the critics are less asked to tell us if we fulfil the male fantasy.

Earlier in the day Sharon looked incredible as she arrived for another red carpet at the festival, dressed in a sheer glitzy gown with a mini slip underneath.

She oozed elegance in the sparkly dress and flaunted her youthful looks while posing at the event.

Sharon flashed her gorgeous smile and added a flick of pink gloss to compliment her look.

The icon teamed her glamorous outfit with dramatic gold dangling earrings and added height to her frame with silver high-heels.

The actress appeared to be in great spirits as she posed for photos and blew kisses to the crowd during the exclusive event.

It comes after Sharon recreated her iconic interrogation scene from the erotic classic Basic Instinct in a sexy lingerie shoot.

The floor length gown played homage to her renowned Basic Instinct scene where the then 32-year-old donned a white mini dress on a darkened set

When talking to Variety Sharon explained that the world of cinema has changed dramatically due to the increasing demand to make money but now it is changing again by stepping away from huge blockbusters to 'smaller and more relevant films'

She also spoke about women being more involved in the movie making process

The ageless beauty kept accessories minimal with no jewellery and her blonde locks in a slicked-back hairstyle

Earlier in the day Sharon looked incredible as she arrived for another red carpet at the festival, dressed in a sheer glitzy gown with a mini slip underneath

She put on a leggy display and oozed elegance in the sparkly dress whilst flaunting her youthful looks and posing playfully at the event

Sharon beamed as she was handed the award from Elvira Amata, tourism councillor for Sicily

The actress took to Instagram to share a jaw-dropping image clad in red lace lingerie, 32 years after she famously starred as the sexy killer Catherine Tramell.

The famous interrogation scene in Basic Instinct saw Sharon's character Catherine quizzed by police, including Michael Douglas.

Amid the bombardment of questions, Catherine distracts them when she uncrosses the recrosses her legs, leaving the men flustered seeing as she was underwear-free at the time.

The scene was highly controversial at the time, and now has gone down as one of the most infamous in movie history.

And the actress proudly showcased her incredible figure in the sexy lingerie from Bloomers Intimate, posing with her legs crossed in an ode to the legendary scene.

Despite the moment turning Sharon into an overnight sensation, the Academy Award nominee has maintained in the past that she was 'tricked' into exposing herself for the cameras.

The actress looked incredible in the sheer dress and showed off her toned legsas she walked the red carpe

In her memoir The Beauty of Living Twice, Sharon described how she slapped her director Paul Verhoeven in fury and walked out of a preview of the erotic thriller after discovering his assurances that it wouldn't show up on screen had been a lie and that the audience could  as she put it  'see all the way to Nebraska'.

For his part, Verhoeven has vehemently dismissed her claims that she was taken by surprise in the leg-crossing scene.

He said: 'Any actress knows what she's going to see if you ask her to take off her underwear and point there with the camera.'

But the Hollywood veteran has also been adamant she didn't have any regrets about making the film.

'Regrets are like farts, you can't get them back. Once they're out, there's stinky and gone,' she quipped previously.

In an interview with The Hollywood Reporter recently Sharon claimed the $18 million she had accrued after more than two decades in the film industry evaporated during the years she was unable to work due to brain damage from the stroke.

The actress  who has controversially claimed that Kevin Spacey's banishment from Hollywood was partially inspired by homophobia  attributed her loss of millions to people around her who allegedly mismanaged her money as she struggled to regain basic functions, like the ability to read, which she lost 'for a couple of years'.

In total, Stone said it took her seven years to mostly recover from the effects of the life-threatening stroke, which doctors gave her just one in 100 odds of surviving.

'People took advantage of me over that [recovery] time,' Stone claimed. 'I had $18 million saved because of all my success, but when I got back into my bank account, it was all gone.'

She described the surreal feeling of having little to her name once she was competent enough to take over her finances.

'My refrigerator, my phone  everything was in other peoples names,' she revealed.

She then clarified: 'I had zero money.'
Nova drive time stars Ricki-Lee, Tim and Joel have opened up about the incredible way they managed to host their show on Friday during the global Crowdstrike outage.

Veteran presenters Ricki-Lee Coulter, Tim Blackwell and Joel Creasey still hosted their program from Sydney and Melbourne after coming up with some improvised solutions to ensure they went ahead - after their competitors were taken off the air.

The quick thinking hosts shared a clip to Instagram revealing the workarounds they came up with to ensure their program could still be broadcast.

As the outage affected Microsoft devices, the trio hosted their program using an Apple computer and Tim's own Spotify account to play the music.

Meanwhile, Ricki-Lee, 38, and Tim, 42, used an analog clock to tell the time from Nova's Sydney studio and got Joel, 33, on the air from Melbourne via mobile phone.

The shared footage clearly showed the clever presenters using their improvisational skills to host their hilarious program during the difficult time.

'Welcome to Nova, the hacked edition. I think we're on? It's Friday afternoon, there's been a little incident,' Tim told listeners.

'My heart is racing so fast, this is so fun. I feel like I'm saving the world right now. We can't speak to anyone, we don't have any ads, we're in control of the music,' Ricki-Lee added.

Nova drive time stars Ricki-Lee, Tim and Joel have opened up about the incredible way they managed to host their show on Friday during the global Crowdstrike outage. Pictured: Ricki-Lee (centre) with Tim and newsreader Michelle Stephenson. Joel is not with them as he works out of a different state

'A nationwide Microsoft outage has SHUT DOWN Australian radio except for us!! We're doing it old school around the country right now on Nova,' they wrote next to the footage.

Nova Group Programming Director Brendan Taylor commended the trio for finding a way to host the show during the global outage.

'This is all testament to our world class technology and production teams and the professionalism of our presenters,' he said in a statement.

It follows reports that the huge global Microsoft outage that has thrown Australian businesses and airports into chaos could take days to be resolved and the financial cost could be astronomical.

Veteran presenters Ricki-Lee Coulter, Tim Blackwell and Joel Creasey still hosted their program from Sydney and Melbourne after coming up with some improvised solutions to ensure they went to air

The quick thinking hosts shared a clip to Instagram revealing the workarounds they came up with to ensure their program could still be broadcast

Checkouts at Woolworths and Coles supermarkets crashed on Friday afternoon with the outage also affecting Qantas, Jetstar, the ABC, Foxtel, and 7-Eleven as computers around the country repeatedly crashed and displayed the 'blue screen of death' error.

The failure is the result of Crowdstrike software clashing with a Windows update package, said the company's CEO, with servers and devices getting stuck in 'boot loops'.

An Australian government spokesperson confirmed a meeting of the National Emergency Mechanism had been called just before 6pm AEST, where government and industry leaders were briefed on the situation by Crowdstrike.
Controversial former Married at First Sight bride Olivia Frazer wiped her social media accounts clean on Saturday, by deleting years of posts and photos.

The reality star, 30, shared a post to Instagram explaining the shock reasons behind why she had chosen to delete years of social media content.

Alongside a photo of her look frustrated, the stunner wrote some pointed words: 'No, your Instagram isn't glitching. Yes, I archived all my photos.'

Olivia added her shock move, which sees years of racy snaps, holiday pictures and so on gone in an instant, came as a result of people posting negative comments on her page, forcing her to limit the ways these trolls can contact her.

'People can't comment mean s**t on my photos if there's no photos' she explained.

I am aware I could have just turned comments off, but that wouldn't be the dramatic little princess that I am'.

Olivia further explained her season of Married At First Sight had recently begun airing in The Netherlands, which prompted a new wave of hurtful online comments over her 'villain edit'.

'Please stop trolling me and my friends and family in Dutch. I'll stop talking about it when I stop getting hate for it.

MAFS star Olivia Frazer (pictured) wiped her social media accounts clean on Saturday, by deleting years of posts and photos

The reality star, 30, shared a post to Instagram explaining the shock reasons behind the move

She then issued a harsh message to MAFS Au production company EndemolShine Australia: 'I'll get off your d**k about it when you compensate me properly for what you did.'

Last November she launched a tirade against the show during a Q&A with her fans, when she was asked if she would ever put the MAFS photos she deleted from her social media back up.

Olivia did not mince words as she issued a blunt response.

'Probably not. I hate the entire thing (I'm grateful for the friends I made and the platform it gave me). But I'm not proud of it,' she began.

Olivia added her shock deletion, which sees years of racy snaps, holiday pictures and so on gone in an instant, came as a result of people posting negative comments on her page

'I don't want to be associated with it. The first thing I did when I got my account back was remove Channel Nine and EndemolShine Australia.'

Olivia has always been outspoken on her reality TV experience and has openly criticised the show in the past.

In August she revealed she and her ex-boyfriend Jackson Lonie would still be a couple if it weren't for the extreme popularity of MAFS.

The former teaching student found love with the former plumber, 31, on the dating show, but split just months after the series aired.
Anton Du Beke broke his silence on Saturday after his '1970s-style behaviour' with former Strictly dance partner Laila Rouass 'raised concerns'.

The Strictly Come Dancing judge, 58, reduced contestant Laila to tears during the 2009 series when he jokingly told her she 'looked like a P***' after her spray tan.

As he is the latest star to be thrown into the misconduct scandal, Anton brushed off the resurfaced historic row by sharing a slew of Instagram reposts on his birthday.

Anton apologised to Laila at the time and admitted he felt 'stupid' and 'embarrassed' by his comments to the actress, who is of Indian and Moroccan descent, with the duo making amends a few weeks later.

His wife Hannah shared a heartfelt message to Anton alongside snaps of his six-year-old twins George and Henrietta.

Anton Du Beke, 58, broke his silence on Saturday after his '1970s-style behaviour' with former Strictly dance partner Laila Rouass 'raised concerns'

The Strictly Come Dancing judge reduced contestant Laila (pictured) to tears during the 2009 series when he jokingly told her she 'looked like a P***' after her spray tan

She penned: 'Happy birthday darling Anton Du Beke George, Ra Ra and I couldnt love you more and cant wait to celebrate when were all together! We will ring soon for a serenade. Brace yourself for Granny! Happy birthday my darling. I love you. '

Reposting her message, he wrote: 'What a perfect message to start my birthday morning. Thank you @hannah_du_beke. Can't wait to celebrate with you all on Monday. Love you so much.'

This week, professional dancer Graziano Di Prima, 30, apologised for hitting and kicking his celebrity partner Zara McDermott, 27, during rehearsals after he was axed from the show.

It came after Giovanni Pernice, 33, was suspended while a BBC probe is underway over claims of off-camera misconduct made by Amanda Abbington, 50, and two other former celebrity partners.

Anton sparked outrage when it emerged he had called Laila a 'p***' when she attended rehearsals wearing fake tan.

A source told The Sun: 'Anton has a very 1970s attitude and can be abrasive.

'The lines are becoming increasingly blurred as to what is acceptable or not, and of course, some people have found him fine to work with.

'But there were murmurings of discontent when he was a dancer. Yet the BBC promoted him. It is all quite strange.'

As he is the latest star to be thrown into the misconduct scandal, Anton brushed off the resurfaced historic row by sharing a sweet birthday message from his wife Hannah

Anton apologised to Laila at the time and admitted he felt 'stupid' and 'embarrassed' by his comments to the actress, who is of Indian and Moroccan descent, with the duo making amends a few weeks later

Anton sparked outrage when it emerged he had called Laila a 'p***' when she attended rehearsals wearing fake tan (pictured on the series together)

In the furore over the remark back in 2009, it was also revealed that Anton had also asked Laila if she was a terrorist in a joke about her north African heritage

When contacted by MailOnline, a spokesperson for the BBC said: 'We will not be commenting on individuals or engaging with speculation.

'However, as we have said previously we will always listen if people want to make us aware of something or raise it with us directly and we have appropriate procedures and processes in place to manage this.'

MailOnline contacted Anton Du Beke's representative for comment at the time.

In the furore over the remark back in 2009, it was also revealed that Anton had also asked Laila if she was a terrorist in a joke about her north African heritage.

Speaking on Strictly spin-off show It Takes Two after the incident came to light, Laila said: 'We are getting through this together. It's been a tough week for both of us... But we just want to move on.

'This happened weeks ago and we've been getting on very well.'

Anton added: 'I would just like to reiterate my apology from last weekend to Laila, to everybody on the show and to everybody that watches the show because I feel embarrassed, I feel stupid as well.'

He continued: 'It was a stupid thing to do and a stupid thing to say and now people are talking about that when they should be talking about the show and what a great show it is.

This week, professional dancer Graziano Di Prima, 30, apologised for hitting and kicking his celebrity partner Zara McDermott, 27, during rehearsals after he was axed from the show

It came just weeks after Giovanni Pernice , 33, was suspended while a BBC probe is underway over claims of off-camera misconduct made by Amanda Abbington, 50 (pictured)

'As I say I am mortified about it, completely, and Laila has been quite remarkably wonderful.'

Bruce Forsyth was also forced to backtrack in a formal BBC statement after he said the nation should get a 'sense of humour' about the controversy.

He had told radio station TalkSport: 'We used to have a sense of humour about this. You go back 25, 30, 40 years and there has always been a bit of humour about the whole thing.

'At one time the Americans used to call us 'limeys' which doesn't sound very nice, but we used to laugh about it. Everybody has a nickname.'

But hours later a statement from Bruce was issued by the BBC.

'What Anton said to Laila was wrong and he has apologised unreservedly for this. Nor do I in any way excuse or condone the use of such language,' it said.

'To be absolutely clear, the use of racially offensive language is never either funny or acceptable.

'However, there is a major difference between this and racist comments which are malicious in intent and, whilst I accept that we live in a world of extraordinary political correctness, we should keep things in perspective.'

Last month it was reported Anton 'is hugely standing by' Giovanni after he quit Strictly Come Dancing amid the BBC's 'serious misconduct' probe

The statement added 'these are my personal views and not necessarily those of the BBC'.

Last month it was reported Anton was 'hugely standing by' Giovanni after he quit Strictly Come Dancing amid the BBC's 'serious misconduct' probe.

The pair are appearing together in a live show called Giovanni and Anton Together: The Live Tour, which will begin in June and last until the end of July.

Giovanni posted a video of the pair on his Instagram Stories and the accompanying promo photo shows the two men hugging one another, showing they are the best of friends.

Anton opened the clip by saying: 'First day of rehearsals, always my favourite day. Second day, less so,' to which Giovanni laughed.

Giovanni, who was smiling and appeared in good spirits, continued: 'Because we have to remember everything about day one. We are back on tour. It feels nice.'

Strictly bosses announced plans to introduce chaperones during training, and the appointment of two new welfare producers, after Graziano's shock sacking from the show.

Now, bosses have announced that they would be introducing 'additional steps to strengthen welfare and support on Strictly Come Dancing.'

A statement from the corporation said: 'Concerns that have arisen in recent months have been fundamentally about training and rehearsals. The actions we announce today are designed to address that.'

The new measures include a member of the production team being present during training room rehearsals at all times, and increased support for both celebrity contestants and the professional dancers.

A Celebrity Welfare Producer and a Professional Dancer Welfare Producer will both be appointed to fulfil these added duties, and further training will also be delivered for the production team and crew.

Kate Phillips, BBC's Director of Unscripted, said: 'Whilst we know our shows have been positive experiences for the vast majority of those who have taken part, if issues are raised with us, or we're made aware of inappropriate behaviour, we will always take that seriously and act.

'Concerns that have arisen have been fundamentally related to training and rehearsals. The decisive steps we have taken and are announced today, act to further strengthen the welfare and support in place for everyone involved with this production.'
Zara McDermott and her boyfriend Sam Thompson are giving their relationship 'one last shot' following weeks of 'crisis talks', according to new reports.

The couple, who have been together for four years, sparked rumours they had split in recent weeks after a blazing row.

During their 'rocky' patch, Zara's Strictly pro partner Graziano Di Prima admitted to kicking her in rehearsals last year in an apology statement, after he was sacked from the BBC show over her claims.

While the shocking details over her Strictly experience emerged, Zara, 27, was seemingly battling to save her long-term relationship with Sam, 31, behind closed doors at the same time.

It's been reported there's been 'a lot of tears' and 'strain on their relationship' due to the allegations surrounding Graziano, but the couple are said to be sticking by each other and doing everything to make it work.

Zara McDermott, 27, and her boyfriend Sam Thompson, 31, are giving their relationship 'one last shot' following weeks of 'crisis talks', according to new reports

During their 'rocky' patch, Zara's Strictly partner Graziano Di Prima admitted to kicking her in rehearsals last year, after he was sacked from the BBC show over her claims

A source told OK magazine: 'Things have been very up and down for Zara and Sam over the past few months and there have been points that theyve thought about ending it.

'Ultimately that [Graziano scandal] put extra stress and pressure on her and Sam as they were both dealing with a lot. She feels her Strictly experience has been tarnished. There have been a lot of tears.

'But they both have a lot of love for each other and are determined to try to give it one more go. They know what they have together and dont want to have any regrets. They are determined to fight to stay together.'

MailOnline have contacted Zara and Sam's representatives for a comment.

It comes after Sam gushed over Zara after spotting stunning snaps of her in a beauty advert plastered on the wall of a tube station.

The former Made In Chelsea star took to social media to share his pride as he came across Zara's campaign for LookFantastic in the London Underground.

'Just on the tube and ehlook! Look at that, look at that,' Sam told his followers in a video, as he turned the camera to show the model shots of Zara. Turning to another commuter on the platform, Sam proudly confirmed: 'Sorry that's my girl, that's my Mrs, that's my girlfriend.'

Sam's display of support for Zara comes after rumours the pair had split circulated when he was spotted being comforted by best friend Pete Wicks.

The couple, who have been together for four years, sparked rumours they had split in recent weeks after a blazing row

While the shocking details over her Strictly experience emerged, Zara was seemingly battling to save her long-term relationship with Sam behind closed doors at the same time

It's been reported there's been 'a lot of tears' and 'strain on their relationship' due to the allegations surrounding Graziano, but the couple are said to be sticking by each other and doing everything to make it work

Taking to Instagram on Thursday, Sam filmed himself inside a tube station after finding the campaign shots of Zara.

He captioned the video: 'So proud of you goose. Explaining the the dude I know her and I'm not weird [laughing emoji].'

Earlier this week the pro dancer, who has now moved back to his native country in Italy following his sacking, admitted to kicking Zara in a public statement.

Mark Borkowski, a spokesperson for Graziano, told BBC News: 'There is never a time when kicking, or any sense of that is right. And he knows that. He knows he's made a mistake. He apologised at the time.'

Referring to the media reports, Mark added: 'But he doesn't recognise some of the issues surrounding it. The descriptions of what is being commented online, and how he remembers it, are not aligned.'

He continued: 'He [Graziano] has literally cut himself off from civilisation. I think that's a wise thing to do, supported by his wife. He's coming to terms with his mental health issues.'

Graziano, who believed the matter had been resolved at the time, was sacked from the show after a video of the idea was brought to the attention of the BBC last week.

Addressing his departure on Instagram, Graziano wrote: 'I deeply regret the events that led to my departure from Strictly. My intense passion and determination to win might have affected my training regime.

Earlier this week the pro dancer, who has now moved back to his native country in Italy following his sacking, admitted to kicking Zara in a public statement

Graziano, who believed the matter had been resolved at the time, was sacked from the show after a video of the idea was brought to the attention of the BBC last week (Zara pictured passed out on the floor in rehearsals)

'Respecting the BBC HR process, I understand it's best for the show that I step away.'

He continued: 'While there are aspects of this story involving external influences that I can't discuss at this time, I remain committed to being strong for my family and friends. I wish the Strictly family and the BBC nothing but success in the future.'

He concluded the post: 'I also want to thank everyone who has supported my career, both professionally and personally. When the time is right, I will share my story.'

Zara has since been seen with only three toenails left, her feet 'bleeding' and 'passed out' on the floor as images of her in training have come to light once more.

Zara broke her silence on Tuesday, admitting she was scared to come forward and report Graziano over fears for her 'future'.

Also writing on Instagram, she said: 'I felt it was right that I post something regarding the recent media reports. Strictly is one of the most magical shows on TV and one that I dreamt of being on since I was a little girl.

'When I was invited to be a contestant on the show it really was a childhood dream come true. I fully understood the level of commitment and hard work that Strictly was going to be and I dedicated everything to it. I am a resilient person and I was fully prepared to put in whatever it took.

'And so much of my Strictly experience was everything I could have dreamt of. The entire production team and everyone behind the scenes as well as my fellow contestants were so amazing to work with

'However, my experience inside the training room was very different. Reports have been made about my treatment on the show and there were witnesses to some events, as well as videos of particular incidents which are incredibly distressing to watch.'

Zara broke her silence on Tuesday, admitting she was scared to come forward and report Graziano over fears for her 'future'

Zara explained that she didn't report the incidents at the time as she was 'scared' of backlash.

Zara continued in her statement: 'I have wrestled with the fear of opening up - I was scared about public backlash, I was scared about my future, I was scared of victim shaming.

'But after a lot of conversations with those I love, I've gained the strength to face these fears, and when I was asked to speak to the BBC, I spoke candidly about my time on the show.

'I have wrestled with the fear of opening up - I was scared about public backlash, I was scared about my future, I was scared of victim shaming. But after a lot of conversations with those I love, I've gained the strength to face these fears, and when I was asked to speak to the BBC, I spoke candidly about my time on the show.

'The culture within our society makes it difficult for people to speak up especially in a a world where social media opinions and voices are so loud. This is something I've seen through working with countless women on my documentaries.

'I would like to thank the BBC and BBC Studios for their swift action and incredibly high level of support, as wel as everyone who has reached out to me - it really truly means a lot. Love, always. Zara.'
Sam Newman has been hit by a series of disasters while sailing his boat.

The media personality has been riding the high seas for charity, raising funds for the Rule Prostate Cancer organisation.

The 78-year-old set off from Queenscliff, Victoria, in May, but it has not been smooth sailing since.

As he heads for his destination in the Whitsunday Islands, Sam has faced a number of trials.

This week, he had to drop anchor and head to Proserpine Hospital in Queensland after being gored by his own drone.

In a social media post, Sam revealed his injured foot, which was cut deeply when a gust of wind sent the device careening into him.

He destroyed the drone in anger, before heading to hospital where he was treated for cuts, but did not requite stitches.

Last week, Sam faced another emergency when his boat caught fire when two of the vessel's batteries shorted out.

Sam Newman (pictured) has been hit by a series of disasters while sailing his boat. The media personality has been riding the high seas for charity, raising funds for Rule Prostate Cancer

Newman said he had to 'deploy the fire extinguisher' but was fighting through smoke to get the blaze under control.

The trip has had ongoing dramas for the television star including 'horrendous weather and huge sea swells of six to seven metres'.

'We had to pull into Jervis Bay for repairs after the waves blew out a porthole and flooded most of the boat' Sam told the Herald Sun.

At one stage, Sam had to stop water from leaking into the boat by laying on the bed and keeping the porthole closed with his feet.

The 78-year-old set off from Queenscliff, Victoria, in May, but it has not been smooth sailing since. Last week, Sam faced another emergency when his boat caught fire when two of the vessel's batteries shorted out

Newman said he had to 'deploy the fire extinguisher' but was fighting through smoke to get the blaze under control

This week, he had to drop anchor and head to Proserpine Hospital in Queensland after being gored by his own drone. In a social media post, Sam revealed his injured foot, which was cut deeply when a gust of wind sent the device careening into him

'It was like throwing cream puffs at the town hall. It did a fair bit of damage to the electrics and the interior of the boat' he said.

Sam added: 'We have had a few other minor problems; a transmission leak, a steering ram hydraulic leak, we have had a couple of burst hoses, we have had a little trouble with the radar, but we have survived.'

He is travelling with friend Sue Stanley, and it doesn't come cheap - Sam estimates the journey is costing him $100,000.

It is Sam's first long trip on a sailing boat, and although he has owned a few vessels, this is the first time he's taken them out to sea.
Strictly Come Dancing professional Dianne Buswell took to her Instagram Stories this week to share some snaps of her and fellow co-stars during a fun day out.

The dancer, 35, was joined by Michelle Tsiakkas and Nancy Xiu as they had lunch at Hot Pot in Chinatown, as the show remains engulfed in a misconduct scandal.

The snaps were originally posted by Michelle, 28, and then shared by Dianne with the caption: 'We've been looking forward to this day ever since pro tour. It was sooooo good.'

The red-haired beauty kept her fans laughing as she added 'I have the bowl of garlic' alongside a vampire emoji.

The trio are often having a good time together with a post shared by Michelle in May captioned: 'Sunshine, laughter, good food, pampering, shopping and great company.

Strictly Come Dancing's professional dancer Dianne Buswell took to her Instagram stories this week to share some snaps of her and fellow co-stars during a fun day out

The snaps were originally posted by Michelle, 28, and then shared by Dianne with the caption 'we've been looking forward to this day ever since pro tour'

'The perfect day off with my girls! Bubble tea and Chinese hot pot on our days off has become a necessity!'

The Mail said on Saturday that this year's Strictly professionals are expected to return to training on Monday, ahead of the full series return in September.

It was reported earlier this year that the female professional dancers feared they will be ousted from the BBC show as bosses are on the hunt for younger women dancers.

After rumours pro Nikita Kuzmin might not come back to the dancing contest, The Mirror reported the bosses are keen to land a younger pro amongst the girls.

It came after last year's runner-up Bobby Brazier, 20, who was partnered up with Aussie pro Dianne Buswell and were frequently mocked and criticised over their 14-year age gap.

Since then BBC has been at the centre of another scandal due to bullying allegdations surrounding ex pros Giovanni Pernice, Graziano Di Prima and James Jordan as well as behaviour towards their previous dance partners in training.

Italian dancer Graziano, 30, was axed from the show last week over reports he verbally and physically abused his celebrity partner Zara McDermott, 27, during last year's series

It came just weeks after Giovanni Pernice, 33, was suspended while a BBC probe is conducted over claims of off-camera misconduct made by Amanda Abbington, 50, and two other former celeb partners.

The BBC scandal was then rocked once again when shocking footage emerged of former professional dancer James - Ola's husband - telling his partner he would 'drag her across the floor and scream at her' if she forgot her moves.

The trio are often having a good time together with a post shared by Michelle in May captioned: 'Sunshine, laughter, good food, pampering, shopping and great company'

Former BBC journalist Fi Glover said she believes the contractual agreements silence celebrities from speaking out about the 'physical and verbal abuse' they endure.

Fi, 55, who is a presenter for Times Radio and worked at the BBC for 29 years, told The Sun: 'They sign a contract that means that they show Strictly in a very positive way.

'I think its been incredibly difficult for contestants to say things that we now realise they should have been able to say  which is that they were made to feel uncomfortable.

'And in these cases which are now emerging, there was really nasty physical and verbal abuse going on.'

MailOnline have contacted Strictly representatives for a comment.

On Tuesday, Strictly bosses announced plans to introduce chaperones during training, and the appointment of two new welfare producers.

The BBC has been at the centre of a bullying row surrounding ex pros Giovanni Pernice, Graziano Di Prima and James Jordan's behaviour towards previous dance partners

A statement from the corporation said: 'Concerns that have arisen in recent months have been fundamentally about training and rehearsals. The actions we announce today are designed to address that.'

The new measures include a member of the production team being present during training room rehearsals at all times, and increased support for both celebrity contestants and the professional dancers.

A Celebrity Welfare Producer and a Professional Dancer Welfare Producer will both be appointed to fulfil these added duties, and further training will also be delivered for the production team and crew.

Kate Phillips, BBC's Director of Unscripted, said: 'Whilst we know our shows have been positive experiences for the vast majority of those who have taken part, if issues are raised with us, or we're made aware of inappropriate behaviour, we will always take that seriously and act.

'Concerns that have arisen have been fundamentally related to training and rehearsals. The decisive steps we have taken and are announced today, act to further strengthen the welfare and support in place for everyone involved with this production.'

This came shortly before a clip of James resurfaced during the fourth series back in 2006, which shows him rehearsing with actress Georgina Bouzova.

He also says to her 'kill you' as he demands she stands on one leg and insists that unless she has physically broken a rib he doesn't care what pain she is in. He is also seen throwing a chair across the training studio.

Jordan, who left Strictly in 2012 after appearing on eight series, also banned Georgina from eating sweets and chocolate and would only allow her to buy pineapple and ham when they visited a supermarket together.

The video was shown on Strictly spin-off It Takes Two at the time with its then host Claudia Winkleman introducing it to viewers.

The video, which is being shared across social media platform TikTok opens with Jordan telling Georgina that he was a 'force to be reckoned with' before ordering her to 'move that f***ing foot.'

Former Love Island star Zara broke her silence on the scandal surrounding her former partner Graziano's behaviour towards her.

She wrote on Instagram on last week that while much of her time on Strictly 'was everything I could have dreamt of' inside the training room with Graziano there were 'particular incidents which are incredibly distressing'.

'I felt it was right that I post something regarding the recent media reports,' Zara began. 'Strictly is one of the most magical shows on TV and one that I dreamt of being on since I was a little girl.'

'When I was invited to be a contestant on the show it really was a childhood dream come true. I fully understood the level of commitment and hard work that Strictly was going to be and I dedicated everything to it.'

'I am a resilient person and I was fully prepared to put in whatever it took.'

'And so much of my Strictly experience was everything I could have dreamt of. The entire production team and everyone behind the scenes as well as my fellow contestants were so amazing to worth with.

'However, my experience inside the training room was very different. Reports have been made about my treatment on the show and there were witnesses to some events, as well as videos of particular incidents which are incredible distressing to watch.

Former Love Island star Zara broke her silence on the scandal surrounding her former partner Graziano's behaviour towards her

Zara explained that she didn't report the incidents at the time as she was 'scared' of backlash.

Instead it was junior production staff who came forward to share what they had witnessed as the investigation into pro dancer Giovanni was taking place.

'I have wrested with the fear of opening up - I was scared about public backlash, I was scared about my future, I was scared of victim shaming,' Zara wrote on Instagram.

'But after a lot of conversations with those I love, I've gained the strength to face these fears, and when I was asked to speak to the BBC, I spoke candidly about my time on the show.

'The culture within our society makes it difficult for people to speak up especially in a a world where social media opinions and voices are so loud. This is something I've seen through working with countless women on my documentaries.

'I would like to thank the BBC and BBC Studios for their swift action and incredibly high level of support, as well as everyone who has reached out to me - it really truly means a lot. Love, always. Zara.'
Robyn Lawley has slammed the rise of AI images in the fashion industry.

The Australian supermodel told Stellar Magazine this week that she feels 'violated' by photos made this way using her likeness.

'How am I going to know they're using my body? We caught [AI-generated deep-fake] girls on Instagram and it was so vile' the 35-year-old said.

'There are no real implications and you really can do that without getting arrested.'

The stunner added that the disturbing trend has led to her losing control of her own image.

'The fact you can search "Robyn Lawley eating a banana" is really disturbing. There's no labelling of AI, so you don't even know it's AI. You think it's a human but it's not' she said.

'[I feel] violated on a very extreme level. It's my name that you've searched and now AI has generated this image that looks like me, so think of what people could search. I think it's only going to get worse.

'I've spent my whole career trying to break those barriers and [represent] real, diverse bodies. Now, I've got to compete with bodies that don't even exist.'

Robyn Lawley (pictured) has slammed the rise of AI images in the fashion industry. The Australian supermodel told Stellar Magazine this week that she feels 'violated' by photos made this way using her likeness

Robyn earlier shared her fears about AI last year, posting to Instagram a series of images she claimed were AI-generated likenesses of her.

The post was a accompanied by a very long caption going into her fears about AI's image-generating abilities.

'My worries have now been amplified. We're no longer just dealing with the small changes of a model's body, but the complete fabrication of a nonhuman,' she wrote.

'Artificially made models, can look just as real as a human. The AI model can have a distinctive voice, look, and even own social media pages. And some are already earning the same and more, doing so.'

Lawley went on to warn that the industry has gone beyond small photoshop changes such as airbrushing and body shape modifications.

'The fact you can search "Robyn Lawley eating a banana" is really disturbing. There's no labelling of AI, so you don't even know it's AI. You think it's a human but it's not' she said

Robyn earlier shared her fears about AI last year, posting to Instagram a series of images she claimed were AI-generated likenesses of her

'Some companies like Levi's claim they use AI models to help supplement 'human models' and increase the 'number and diversity of our models.''

'Instead of hiring diverse available fashion models?' she asked rhetorically.

The model then went on to encourage her followers to sign her petition, 'because this will affect everyone, from the models, makeup artists to the photographers, and stylists etc.'

Robyn was catapulted into the spotlight in 2006 after appearing in teen magazine, Dolly.

Signed to a modelling agency at 18, she decided to switch to 'plus size' modelling, which increased her workload and appeal.

In 2011, the beauty went on to become the first ever 'plus-size' model in Vogue Australia's 52-year-history, to feature in the magazine's editorial fashion spread.

Robyn then forged an international modelling career, featuring on the cover of Vogue Italia, Elle France and GQ Australia.
Anne Hathaway had a great time at Taylor Swift's latest Eras Tour stop in Germany on Friday evening, where she just finished filming a movie.

The Devil Wears Prada actress, 41, was spotted dancing the night away at the 34-year-old pop star's Veltins Arena show in Gelsenkirchen, Germany.

Videos shared on X showed the siren busting a move to songs like ...Ready for It, Shake It Off and Blank Space from a VIP nook.

She was clad in cream-colored shorts, and a snug-fitting gray top layered underneath a button-up white shirt that she wore open.

On Saturday morning Anne took to Instagram to share a brief video clip from the show, calling Taylor 'powerful' and 'fearless.'

Anne Hathaway had a great time at Taylor Swift 's latest Eras Tour stop in Germany on Friday evening, where she's just finished filming a movie; pictured in April

The 41-year-old Devil Wears Prada actress was spotted dancing the night away at the 34-year-old pop star's Veltins Arena show in Gelsenkirchen, Germany

She was clad in cream-colored shorts, and a snug-fitting gray top layered underneath a button-up white shirt that she wore open

The mother-of-two wrote, 'Thank you phenomenal, moving, powerful, fearless @taylorswift!!! Huge shout out to the incredible Eras crew!!! Best picture-wrap celebration EVER.'

At the show, Anne  who shares sons Jonathan, eight, and Jack, four, with husband Adam Shulman  and her older son handed out snacks to fans.

'Did not think I would be spending #GelsenkirchenTSTheErasTour in front of of Anne Hathaway and her family,' a fan named Julia wrote on X.

'She was the sweetest, taking pictures and dancing and her son came to bring us snacks from their stash and traded bracelets with us,' she recounted.

Swift has been touring for more than a year, and the international junket will come to an end this December.

Friday's performance was Taylor's third and final show in Gelsenkirchen. She'll next take the stage in Hamburg, on Tuesday, July 23.

In the spring, the global phenom introduced a new segment of her acclaimed show following the release of her latest album, The Tortured Poets Department.

'We started planning this surprise for you about eight or nine months ago and then when we got "two months off" of the Eras Tour, we really didnt take any time off at all,' she explained during a Paris show.

'We just went directly back into rehearsals. So Id like to give it up for my crew, my dancers, and my band,' she said during a break in the music.

The Tortured Poets Department was released on April 19 and is Taylor's eleventh studio album. She treated the audience to a revised setlist, with six songs replaced by new tracks from TTPD.

On Saturday morning Anne took to Instagram to share a brief video clip from the show, calling Taylor 'powerful' and 'fearless'

Friday's performance was Taylor's third and final show in Gelsenkirchen

Swift has been touring for more than a year, and the international junket will come to an end this December

Also in May, designer Christian Louboutin shared that he made more than 250 pairs of shoes  which generally sell for around $1,000  for the production.

Chatting with Vogue, the 61-year-old footwear architect dished, 'When working for performers, its better to start with a very large number of styles that will end up in a selection of designs which seem the best for the stage.'

It was also shared that he dreamed up 60 new pairs of shoes for the pop star to take on the European leg of her successful tour.

Hundreds of strass crystals were used in the collection and Louboutin noted, 'Ive learned a few magic tricks to make sure the silhouette still looks great with shoes being 100% easy to perform in.'
Kevin Spacey was spotted attending the Nation Award of Michael Curatolo gala dinner in Taormina, Italy on Friday.

The actor, 64, was seen alongside model Madalina Ghenea who was dubbed 'sexiest woman on the planet and beyond' last year after being in relationships with a variety of Hollywood A-listers, including Leonardo DiCaprio and Gerard Butler.

Madalina, 36, donned a lavish brown floor length dress with a plunging neckline, and large bell sleeves.

Kevin sported a summer style suit with a pastel blue blazer and trousers paired with a pale pink shirt.

The sighting comes after Kevin admitted to being on the brink of bankruptcy due to his multi-million dollar legal fees and having to take up work teaching acting in Armenia.

Kevin Spacey was spotted attending the Nation Award of Michael Curatolo gala dinner in Taormina, Italy on Friday

The 64-year-old was seen alongside model Madalina Ghenea who was dubbed 'sexiest woman on the planet and beyond' last year

He's currently attempting to re-build his career after being cleared of sexually assaulting four men last year.

But after spending the last few years as persona non grata in Hollywood, it seems that Kevin Spacey still had a fan base and captive audience in Armenia.

The Oscar-winner was in the capital of Yerevan where he taught an acting masterclass to students after being named the 'guest of honour' at the Golden Apricot International Film Festival.

His best friend Evan Lowenstein shared photos of the US actor, 'giving a masterclass to students in Yerevan, Armenia,' in which he appeared to be holding court with wannabe acting stars seated around him.

A video then showed Kevin addressing a packed out room of fans at Yerevan's Cinema House  an event that had to be relocated from the American University of Armenia, which appeared to disinvite him following a student protest.

'This is exciting and important for me,' he told the crowd, according to the Armenian Press.

'It doesn't matter if you're on a professional stage or in a school troupe; you should simply act.

'While you can earn a lot of money in movies, a good actor is a good actor everywhere, and a bad actor is bad. If you think you can be in front of the camera or on stage, you will eventually get there.'

Kevin Spacey is attempting to rebuild his career by teaching an acting masterclass in Armenia (pictured)

Madalina has been linked to a variety of Hollywood A-listers, including Leonardo DiCaprio and Gerard Butler

Kevin was in the Armenian capital of Yerevan this week where he taught an acting masterclass to students

Despite the huge turnout at the event, Spacey's visit to the country  sponsored by the Yerevan municipality  has proved controversial.

Students at the AUA organized a protest upon finding out he was due to give a talk to students on their campus, hosted by the film festival organisers.

'We are deeply concerned and disappointed over the University's decision to provide a platform for a meeting with Kevin Spacey,' read the petition.

'This sends a troubling message to survivors of sexual assault and, more broadly, to the students, faculty, and community.'

Spacey is also set to be honoured at the Folkestone Independent Film Awards on July 20, for his role in action thriller Control  in which he plays a voice part.

Spacey has repeatedly denied the allegations of sexual assault, which first emerged in 2017, although he admitted his past behaviour was 'handsy' and 'pushed boundaries' during a recent interview with Piers Morgan.

'Being too handsy, touching someone sexually in a way that I didn't know at the time they didn't want... I am absolutely 150 per cent prepared to take accountability for those things that I did,' he said on Piers Morgan Uncensored.

He added: 'This week, where I have been living in Baltimore, is being foreclosed on. My house is being sold at auction.

'I'm not quite sure where I'm going to live now...I still owe a lot of legal bills that I have not been able to pay.'

Spacey was cleared of the charges brought against him at a high-profile trial at Southwark Crown Court last July.

Spacey has repeatedly denied the allegations of sexual assault, which first emerged in 2017, although he admitted his past behaviour was 'handsy' and 'pushed boundaries'
Gwyneth Paltrow shared a sweet family photo with both her children Apple, 20 and Moses, 18, while hosting an Instagram Q&A for her 8.6 million followers on Friday.

After one fan asked her to share her last snap with her youngest child, the 51-year-old Oscar winner uploaded a stunning shot of herself standing in the center of her two kids, who she shares with ex-husband Chris Martin, on an empty road in the countryside.

In the image, her lookalike daughter can be seen posing with one hand on her hip and the other wrapped lovingly around her mother's shoulders.

Apple, who stands tall at five-foot-eight, looked statuesque next to her mother as she smiled softly at the camera while rocking a red and white gingham dress.

Her brother looked every inch the younger version of their rocker father in a maroon polo and tan trousers as he stood by Paltrow's side.

Gwyneth Paltrow shared a sweet family photo with both her children Apple, 20 and Moses, 18, while hosting an Instagram Q&A for her 8.6 million followers on Friday

Paltrow looked elegant in a blue button-down, which she kept partially unbuttoned, and white flared pants.

Later during her Q&A series, she was asked to answer what trait she loves the most and which she worries the most about with her kids.

'I think my kids both really know themselves very well and that's a trait about them that I both love and admire,' she said in a video.

The Shakespeare in Love star continued: 'And I guess one I worry about for both of them is anxiety. This is, as we know, the anxious generation. So that's probably what I worry about.'

In May, Moses, who will be attending Brown University in the fall, graduated from high school.

She, Martin, 47, and the former couple's eldest child, Apple, 20, were all in attendance to watch him receive his diploma.

Paltrow and the Coldplay frontman got married in 2003 and separated in 2014, in what the Shakespeare in Love actress famously described as a 'conscious uncoupling.'

They have since both found love elsewhere - Gwyneth in her marriage to Glee co-creator Brad Falchuk, and Chris with Fifty Shades Of Grey star Dakota Johnson.

Later during her Q&A series, she was asked to answer what trait she loves the most and which she worries the most about with her kids

'I think my kids both really know themselves very well and that's a trait about them that I both love and admire,' she said in a video

However, throughout their years apart, Chris and Gwyneth have remained friendly co-parents to their two children.

In April, Gwyneth admitted to her mounting anxiety over the prospect of becoming an empty nester.

Moses, her youngest child, is headed off to Brown University in Rhode Island - across the country from what Gwyneth has called her 'forever house' in Montecito.

'Its kind of giving me a nervous breakdown, if Im honest,' she confessed at an event for her wellness brand Goop, according to The Hollywood Reporter.

'I started being like: "Oh my God, and I need to quit my job and I need to sell my house and I need to move." Its sort of putting things into turmoil,' she said.

'My identity has been being a mother. Apples going to be 20 in May. So Ive oriented my whole life around them and their schedules and when school starts.'

She explained: 'You start to let go in increments when theyre driving themselves around or doing certain things. It is a slower process.'

The Shakespeare in Love star continued: 'And I guess one I worry about for both of them is anxiety. This is, as we know, the anxious generation. So that's probably what I worry about'

Moses, her youngest child, is headed off to Brown University in Rhode Island - across the country from what Gwyneth has called her 'forever house' in Montecito

Gwyneth added: 'I feel really lucky because I have a close group of mom friends and we all raised our kids alongside one another. So were kind of in it together.'

When she and Chris first split in 2014, she inspired widespread mockery by referring to their separation as a 'conscious uncoupling.'

However in the intervening years, the exes have drawn plaudits for how harmoniously they have brought up their children in spite of their divorce.

Gwyneth recently shared how important it was to her and Chris to have an amicable co-parenting relationship for Apple and Moses' sake.

She explained that she and Chris 'both really did not want to have them experience the divorce as a trauma,' in a cover interview with Bustle.

'Its kind of giving me a nervous breakdown, if Im honest,' she confessed at an event for her wellness brand Goop, according to The Hollywood Reporter

Gwyneth added: 'I feel really lucky because I have a close group of mom friends and we all raised our kids alongside one another'

'We knew that it would be hard, of course, but we didnt want them to ever feel in the middle, or that one of us was slagging off the other one.'

The wellness mogul disclosed: 'At that time, I did a very me thing, which was when I knew I wanted to get a divorce, I did this data collection of talking to adults who had been products of a broken home.'

She revealed: 'Every single one of them said: "I didnt care that my parents got divorced. That wasnt it. But the fact that they wouldnt speak to each other, that they couldnt both sit at a dinner table for my birthday"

'They said that was the most awful thing. You could see they held it with so much hurt and anger. I was like: "Thats what Im never going to do." And we really didnt.'
General Secretary of Communist Party of Vietnam Central Committee Nguyen Phu Trong dies -- state media

Xinhua) 09:50, July 20, 2024

This file photo taken on March 24, 2021 shows General Secretary of the Communist Party of Vietnam Central Committee (CPVCC) and then Vietnamese President Nguyen Phu Trong delivering a report at the opening session of the 11th session of the 14th National Assembly (NA) of Vietnam in Hanoi, Vietnam. Nguyen Phu Trong passed away at the age of 80, Vietnam News Agency reported on Friday. (VNA via Xinhua)

HANOI, July 19 (Xinhua) -- Nguyen Phu Trong, general secretary of the Communist Party of Vietnam Central Committee, passed away at the age of 80, Vietnam News Agency reported on Friday.

This file photo taken on Feb. 1, 2021 shows Nguyen Phu Trong attending a press conference in Hanoi, Vietnam. Nguyen Phu Trong, general secretary of the Communist Party of Vietnam Central Committee, passed away at the age of 80, Vietnam News Agency reported on Friday. (VNA via Xinhua)

This file photo taken on Feb. 3, 2020 shows Nguyen Phu Trong speaking at a grand rally in celebration of the 90th founding anniversary of the Communist Party of Vietnam (CPV) in Hanoi, Vietnam. Nguyen Phu Trong, general secretary of the Communist Party of Vietnam Central Committee, passed away at the age of 80, Vietnam News Agency reported on Friday. (VNA via Xinhua)

This file photo taken on Oct. 23, 2018 shows Nguyen Phu Trong (front) taking the oath of allegiance to the Constitution at the Parliament House after being elected as President in Hanoi, capital of Vietnam. Nguyen Phu Trong, general secretary of the Communist Party of Vietnam Central Committee, passed away at the age of 80, Vietnam News Agency reported on Friday. (VNA via Xinhua)

(Web editor: Peng Yukai, Wu Chaolan)
Anton Du Beke has been seen for first time since being dragged into the Strictly Come Dancing misconduct scandal.

The outing came after the judge, 58, broke his silence after his '1970s-style behaviour' with former Strictly dance partner Laila Rouass 'raised concerns'.

He reduced contestant Laila, who is of Indian and Moroccan descent, to tears during the 2009 series when he jokingly told her she 'looked like a P***' after a spray tan, with the comments resurfacing this week.

On Saturday, Anton dressed casually as he arrived at Venue Cymru in Llandudno, north Wales, for his tour date with ex Strictly professional Giovanni Pernice, 33.

Giovanni himself is currently suspended while a BBC probe is underway over claims of off-camera misconduct made by Amanda Abbington, 50, and two other former celebrity partners, with Anton throwing his support behind the dancer.

Anton Du Beke, 58, was seen for first time since being dragged into the Strictly Come Dancing misconduct scandal on Saturday

The judge reduced contestant Laila Rouass (pictured) to tears during the 2009 series when he jokingly told her she 'looked like a P***' after her spray tan, with the comments resurfacing

The judge wore a teal T-shirt with a pair of smart shorts, throwing a navy blue sweater over one shoulder.

As he is the latest star to be thrown into the misconduct scandal, Anton brushed off the resurfaced historic row by sharing a slew of Instagram reposts on his birthday on Saturday morning.

Anton apologised to Laila at the time and admitted he felt 'stupid' and 'embarrassed' by his comments to the actress, with the duo making amends a few weeks later.

As well as Giovanni, professional dancer Graziano Di Prima, 30, was axed from the show this week and later apologised for hitting and kicking his celebrity partner Zara McDermott, 27, during rehearsals last year.

Anton's wife Hannah shared a heartfelt message to Anton alongside snaps of his six-year-old twins George and Henrietta.

She penned: 'Happy birthday darling Anton Du Beke George, Ra Ra and I couldnt love you more and cant wait to celebrate when were all together! We will ring soon for a serenade. Brace yourself for Granny! Happy birthday my darling. I love you. '

Reposting her message, he wrote: 'What a perfect message to start my birthday morning. Thank you @hannah_du_beke. Can't wait to celebrate with you all on Monday. Love you so much.'

Anton sparked outrage when it emerged he had called Laila a 'p***' when she attended rehearsals wearing fake tan.

On Saturday Anton dressed casually as he arrived at Venue Cymru in Llandudno, north Wales, for his tour date with ex Strictly professional Giovanni Pernice, 33

He threw a navy sweater over one shoulder

Giovanni himself is currently suspended while a BBC probe is underway over claims of off-camera misconduct made by Amanda Abbington , 50, and two other former celebrity partners

A source told The Sun: 'Anton has a very 1970s attitude and can be abrasive.

'The lines are becoming increasingly blurred as to what is acceptable or not, and of course, some people have found him fine to work with.

'But there were murmurings of discontent when he was a dancer. Yet the BBC promoted him. It is all quite strange.'

When contacted by MailOnline, a spokesperson for the BBC said: 'We will not be commenting on individuals or engaging with speculation.

'However, as we have said previously we will always listen if people want to make us aware of something or raise it with us directly and we have appropriate procedures and processes in place to manage this.'

MailOnline contacted Anton Du Beke's representative for comment at the time.

In the furore over the remark back in 2009, it was also revealed that Anton had also asked Laila if she was a terrorist in a joke about her north African heritage.

Speaking on Strictly spin-off show It Takes Two after the incident came to light, Laila said: 'We are getting through this together. It's been a tough week for both of us... But we just want to move on.

'This happened weeks ago and we've been getting on very well.'

As he is the latest star to be thrown into the misconduct scandal, Anton brushed off the resurfaced historic row by sharing a slew of Instagram reposts on his birthday on Saturday

Fellow judge Shirley Ballas also wished him well

Anton apologised to Laila at the time and admitted he felt 'stupid' and 'embarrassed' by his comments to the actress, who is of Indian and Moroccan descent, with the duo making amends a few weeks later (pictured on the series together)

In the furore over the remark back in 2009, it was also revealed that Anton had also asked Laila if she was a terrorist in a joke about her north African heritage

Anton added: 'I would just like to reiterate my apology from last weekend to Laila, to everybody on the show and to everybody that watches the show because I feel embarrassed, I feel stupid as well.'

He continued: 'It was a stupid thing to do and a stupid thing to say and now people are talking about that when they should be talking about the show and what a great show it is.

'As I say I am mortified about it, completely, and Laila has been quite remarkably wonderful.'

Bruce Forsyth was also forced to backtrack in a formal BBC statement after he said the nation should get a 'sense of humour' about the controversy.

He had told radio station TalkSport: 'We used to have a sense of humour about this. You go back 25, 30, 40 years and there has always been a bit of humour about the whole thing.

'At one time the Americans used to call us 'limeys' which doesn't sound very nice, but we used to laugh about it. Everybody has a nickname.'

But hours later a statement from Bruce was issued by the BBC.

'What Anton said to Laila was wrong and he has apologised unreservedly for this. Nor do I in any way excuse or condone the use of such language,' it said.

'To be absolutely clear, the use of racially offensive language is never either funny or acceptable.

'However, there is a major difference between this and racist comments which are malicious in intent and, whilst I accept that we live in a world of extraordinary political correctness, we should keep things in perspective.'

This week, professional dancer Graziano Di Prima, 30, apologised for hitting and kicking his celebrity partner Zara McDermott, 27, during rehearsals after he was axed from the show

Last month it was reported Anton 'is hugely standing by' Giovanni after he quit Strictly Come Dancing amid the BBC's 'serious misconduct' probe

The statement added 'these are my personal views and not necessarily those of the BBC'.

Last month it was reported Anton was 'hugely standing by' Giovanni after he quit Strictly Come Dancing amid the BBC's 'serious misconduct' probe.

The pair are appearing together in a live show called Giovanni and Anton Together: The Live Tour, which will begin in June and last until the end of July.

Giovanni posted a video of the pair on his Instagram Stories and the accompanying promo photo shows the two men hugging one another, showing they are the best of friends.

Anton opened the clip by saying: 'First day of rehearsals, always my favourite day. Second day, less so,' to which Giovanni laughed.

Giovanni, who was smiling and appeared in good spirits, continued: 'Because we have to remember everything about day one. We are back on tour. It feels nice.'

Strictly bosses announced plans to introduce chaperones during training, and the appointment of two new welfare producers, after Graziano's shock sacking from the show.

Now, bosses have announced that they would be introducing 'additional steps to strengthen welfare and support on Strictly Come Dancing.'

A statement from the corporation said: 'Concerns that have arisen in recent months have been fundamentally about training and rehearsals. The actions we announce today are designed to address that.'

The new measures include a member of the production team being present during training room rehearsals at all times, and increased support for both celebrity contestants and the professional dancers.

A Celebrity Welfare Producer and a Professional Dancer Welfare Producer will both be appointed to fulfil these added duties, and further training will also be delivered for the production team and crew.

Kate Phillips, BBC's Director of Unscripted, said: 'Whilst we know our shows have been positive experiences for the vast majority of those who have taken part, if issues are raised with us, or we're made aware of inappropriate behaviour, we will always take that seriously and act.

'Concerns that have arisen have been fundamentally related to training and rehearsals. The decisive steps we have taken and are announced today, act to further strengthen the welfare and support in place for everyone involved with this production.'
Baby Reindeer has been the biggest television hit of the year. But it has not come without its controversies, particularly its portrayal of sexual assault.

The show's creator Richard Gadd is seemingly keen not to make the same mistake, and the production team has assured prospective cast members for Gadd's new project that staging of intimate scenes will be 'carefully handled' by hiring an intimacy co-ordinator.

The casting call, obtained by the Mail on Sunday, for his next show reads: 'These roles include portrayal of scenes of a sexual nature, carefully handled, and with the support of an intimacy coordinator.'

While Baby Reindeer was made by Netflix, the new unnamed project will be a joint production between the BBC and American giant HBO.

Scottish writer Gadd's first series, which was last week nominated for 11 Emmy awards, was a semi-autobiographical comedy drama which told the story of standup comedian Donny Dunn who is harassed and stalked by Martha, sending him 41,000-plus emails, and bombarding him with texts and calls. It included traumatic scenes of sexual assault and drug taking.

Richard Gadd's production team have promised that intimate scenes in his new drama series will be 'carefully handled' by an intimacy co-ordinator after Baby Reindeer caused controversy

The Netflix show, which follows Richard's character Donny as he is stalked by a woman named Martha, played by Jessica Gunning, has become a global hit since its release

His next work, as yet untitled, will begin in the present day with an unhappy and violent reunion of two Scottish stepbrothers, when one makes an appearance at the other's wedding.

The series will then flashback to the eighties and what unfolds will explain their tumultuous relationship.

The TV project, which will be set and filmed in Glasgow, has promised to 'capture the wild energy of a changing city and a changing world' and will ask 'what does it mean to be a man?'

Martha, Gadd's fictional stalker played by Jessica Gunning, gripped a nation with her frightening intensity, and there has been fevered speculation over what characters the writer next has in store.

The casting call for his latest show gives us a tantalising insight into his new creations: a pair of young Scottish stepbrothers between late teens and early twenties.

One brother 'Paul' is 'a highly intelligent, working class boy and deeply insecure'. Like Baby Reindeer's Donny he is 'secretly unsure of his sexuality', with the character being either gay or bisexual. The call adds: 'Paul gets to university where he tries but never quite fits in with the richer, more confident students.'

His brother Tommy's temperament will be the complete opposite. He is described as 'good looking, charismatic and sometimes violent. He has his own moral code. Do right by him and he'll do right by you, cross him and he'll batter you. Tommy is confident and charming, but also has a self-destructive streak.

Filming is expected to begin in early 2025, with Gadd writing and executive producing.

However, it has not come without its controversies, particularly its portrayal of sexual assault

And now, the production team have assured prospective cast members that intimate scenes in Richard's new drama series will be 'carefully handled' after tears were previously shed on set of Baby Reindeer

The new show comes as Fiona Harvey, 58, the woman who allegedly inspired Baby Reindeer's Martha, has filed a multi-million-dollar lawsuit against Netflix for defamation, negligence and privacy violations.

The assurance from the production team on the new series comes after Richard revealed that tears were shed on the set of Baby Reindeer during the filming of some of the show's most harrowing scenes.

He opened up about filming episode four, in which his character is sexually assaulted by a male TV writer who takes struggling comedian Donny under his wing.

He told Variety: 'We did close the set, but I was looking over and you'd see the props guys wiping tears from their eyes as they would be putting the props back how they should be.'

'The show was based in such a trauma that everyone on set felt at times it was a huge, weighty thing. And it's why I think everyone had such respect for everything. I was blessed with this amazing team who kind of felt it with me in a lot of ways.'
Colin Firth fans rejoice: Mark Darcy is to be reunited with Bridget Jones after all, The Mail on Sunday can reveal.

When Firth's name was absent from the cast list of the forthcoming movie about the world's most famous singleton, fans feared his character had been killed off.

That was certainly his fate in Helen Fielding's novels, where he marries Bridget, but dies while working abroad as a human rights lawyer.

However, in these exclusive photographs from the set of Bridget Jones: Mad About The Boy, Renee Zellweger, who plays Jones, is seen lovingly interacting with her co-star Firth, 63. Wearing Darcy's trademark suit and tie, Firth tenderly places his hand upon the cheek of his 55-year-old co-star, who is in an emerald dress and leather boots.

Because Fielding's Mad About The Boy novel had Bridget navigating life as a widow four years after Darcy's death, Firth's return is a huge surprise, which film bosses were desperate to keep under wraps.

Bridget Jones fans can rejoice as fan favourite Mark Darcy (played by Colin Firth) is set to appear in the new instalment after all

In new exclusive photographs from the set of Bridget Jones: Mad About The Boy, Colin Firth's character appears alive and well lovingly caressing Renee Zellweger's face ...or is he?

The novel - on which the script is based - follows Bridget as she learns to navigate life four years following the death of Mr Darcy

A source said: 'Colin was always going to appear in the movie but it was supposed to be a secret.'

It's not the first time tragedy has beset the fictional diarist. In the last movie, Bridget Jones's Baby, she is seen attending the memorial of her other on-off love Daniel Cleaver, played by Hugh Grant, who is presumed dead after a plane crash. He is later found alive.

Fans will have to be patient to find out whether Darcy will be so lucky, or is simply appearing in a dream sequence.

The Mail on Sunday revealed earlier this year that Jones will face a three-way battle for her affections between Cleaver, a much younger man named Rockstar, played by One Day heartthrob Leo Woodall, and 12 Years A Slave star Chiwetel Ejiofor's character, Mr Walker.

Bridget, now a mother of two, will become smitten with Mr Walker, who teaches PE at her son's school, before diverting her attentions to the hunky Rockstar, who she meets on social media.

Bridget (played by Renee Zellweger) and Mr Darcy (portrayed by Colin Firth) nose to nose in Bridget Jones: The Edge of Reason

In the last movie, Bridget Jones's Baby, she is seen attending the memorial of her other on-off love Daniel Cleaver, played by Hugh Grant , who is presumed dead after a plane crash

The Mail on Sunday revealed earlier this year that Jones will face a three-way battle for her affections

Former flame Daniel Cleaver, and a young man named Rockstar played by Leo Woodhall (pictured as Dexter in One Day) will face off for Bridget's love

The Mail on Sunday previously revealed that Bridget will give up her famous bachelorette pad in London's Borough Market in favour of a family home in leafy Hampstead, North London, where so many scenes have been filmed in the past few months.

In the film, due out on Valentine's Day next year, Bridget also quits her job working in television to do the school run, with comical scenes expected as she struggles to keep up with the Yummy Mummies.

The character of Mark Darcy is said to have been inspired by Keir Starmer when he was working as a human rights lawyer in the 1990s. It is a rumour the new Prime Minister has never denied.
Emily Ratajkowski showed off her sense of whimsy in her latest Instagram Story.

The My Body author, 33, posted a selfie in a brown and white cow print bikini and a black straw cowboy hat.

She did not write a caption on the photo, but she did have Doja Cat's track MOOO! as the background music.

The catwalk queen wore black sunglasses as she laid in a lounge chair in the backyard of her parents John David Ratajkowski and Kathleen Balgley's house.

The new snap comes after the Gone Girl actress took a trip home to visit her parents in Encinitas, California with her three-year-old son Sylvester.

Emily Ratajkowski showed off her sense of whimsy in her latest Instagram Story. The My Body author, 33, posted a selfie in a brown and white cow print bikini and a black straw cowboy hat

She did not write a caption on the photo but she did have Doja Cat 's track MOOO! as the background music

She shared a slideshow of photos from her trip to Southern California on Instagram.

'home for a few days,' she captioned the post, adding a house emoji.

The iCarly star shared a snap of herself in a cropped white t-shirt and tiny, lace up grey micro shorts standing in front of a bookcase in the first image.

In the next photo, EmRata shared a photo of the front of the house she grew up in with Sylvester standing on the lawn wearing just his diaper.

She also shared an image of herself in a bikini top in the front seat of a car as well as in front of Los Olas restaurant where the family picked up some Mexican food and took it to the beach.

Emily shared a photo of herself in the ocean with her parents and son as well. She wore a cheeky orange bikini in the snap.

Ratajkowski, who resides in New York, appeared to be visiting some of her favorite local spots, including Leucadia Donut Shoppe, a family-run store, in Encinitas.

This comes after the brunette beauty recently shared a video of her son and her father painting in the art studio on their property.

'OK so come to paint with me in my dad's studio,' she said in post. 'So this is the studio my dad built at the house I grew up in.'

She continued: 'And he built the studio, he's an artist. He was actually my painting teacher in high school.'

The catwalk queen wore black sunglasses while she sat in the passenger seat of a car on a day out with her parents John David Ratajkowski and Kathleen Balgley and her son Sylvester

'home for a few days,' she captioned the post, adding a house emoji. The iCarly star shared a snap of herself in a cropped white t-shirt and tiny, lace up grey micro shorts standing in front of a bookcase in the first image

The Ratajkowski family picked up some Mexican food and took it to the beach

In the next photo, EmRata shared a photo of the front of the house she grew up in with Sylvester on the front lawn wearing just his diaper

The bombshell could not pass up California's world-class Mexican food on her trip home

Emily shared a photo of herself in the ocean with her parents and son as well. She wore a cheeky orange bikini in the snap

As she panned around the room, she told her viewers exactly what they were seeing, pointing out some posters for art exhibitions her father has had in the past.

'And it's just a really magical, special place, she said.

'Sly loves painting so much, so it's really fun for them to do together,' she said, adding, 'He also just adores his grandpa.'

The video finished with Emily and Sly showing off their finished paintings.
Shirley Ballas and Ruth Langsford have both shown their support to Strictly star Anton Du Beke after he was named as the 'fourth star dragged into the misconduct probe'.

The judge, 58, reportedly 'raised concerns' over a resurfaced historic row and alleged '1970s-style behaviour' with former Strictly dance partner Laila Rouass.

Despite the ongoing investigation taking place, the two women took to social media to send their birthday wishes to Anton.

Head judge Shirley Ballas - who works closely alongside the Strictly veteran - took to her Instagram account to send her love on his special day.

Posting a snap of the pair together, Shirley said: 'Happiest of birthdays to the king @mrantondubeke. See you very soon.'

Shirley Ballas and Ruth Langsford have both shown their support to Strictly star Anton Du Beke after he was named as the 'fourth star dragged into the misconduct probe'

The judge, 58, reportedly 'raised concerns' over a resurfaced historic row and alleged '1970s-style behaviour' with a former Strictly dance partner in 2009

The star then shared a video of the two of them dancing on the floor of the BBC set, writing over the top 'Throwback.'

Loose Woman host host Ruth also came out in support of Anton, who she was paired with during the 2017 series.

Celebrating the dancer's 58th birthday, she shared a photo of the two of them together, when they were backstage on the show.

She gushed: 'Happy birthday to the loveliest man and best partner EVER!'.

She then added: 'Sending you a big birthday squeeze @mrantondubeke'.

It comes after Anton was seen for the first time since being dragged into the Strictly Come Dancing misconduct scandal.

He reduced contestant Laila, who is of Indian and Moroccan descent, to tears during the 2009 series when he jokingly told her she 'looked like a P***' after a spray tan, with the comments resurfacing this week.

Anton apologised to Laila at the time and admitted he felt 'stupid' and 'embarrassed' by his comments to the actress, with the duo making amends a few weeks later.

Despite the ongoing investigation taking place, the two women took to their social media to send their birthday wishes to Anton

Loose Woman host Ruth Langsford also came out in support of Anton, who she was paired with during the 2017 series

The judge reduced contestant Laila Rouass (pictured) to tears during the 2009 series when he jokingly told her she 'looked like a P***' after her spray tan, with the comments resurfacing

It comes after Anton was seen for first time since being dragged into the Strictly Come Dancing misconduct scandal on Saturday

On Saturday, Anton dressed casually as he arrived at Venue Cymru in Llandudno, north Wales, for his tour date with ex Strictly professional Giovanni Pernice, 33.

Giovanni himself is currently suspended while a BBC probe is underway over claims of off-camera misconduct made by Amanda Abbington, 50, and two other former celebrity partners, with Anton throwing his support behind the dancer.

As well as Giovanni, professional dancer Graziano Di Prima, 30, was axed from the show this week and later apologised for hitting and kicking his celebrity partner Zara McDermott, 27, during rehearsals last year.

Anton's wife Hannah shared a heartfelt message to Anton alongside snaps of his six-year-old twins George and Henrietta.

She penned: 'Happy birthday darling Anton Du Beke George, Ra Ra and I couldnt love you more and cant wait to celebrate when were all together! We will ring soon for a serenade. Brace yourself for Granny! Happy birthday my darling. I love you. '

Reposting her message, he wrote: 'What a perfect message to start my birthday morning. Thank you @hannah_du_beke. Can't wait to celebrate with you all on Monday. Love you so much.'

Anton joined the BBC dancing show for its first series back in 2004.

He then became part of the judging panel in 2019 when Bruno Tonioli left.
Giovanni Pernice has denied accusations of abusive behaviour after Amanda Abbington claimed he was 'cruel and mean' during her Strictly Come Dancing stint.

In her first interview since quitting the BBC show in October, the actress, 50, said the professional's behaviour was 'unnecessary.'

Amanda abruptly left the BBC show citing 'personal issues' and hasn't been seen on screen since, even quitting social media last month in the wake of her former dance partner's sacking.

Giovanni, 33, was suspended while a BBC probe is underway over allegations made by Amanda and two other former celebrity partners.

He has now denied all accusations of abusive or threatening behaviour made by Amanda in her interview and has cooperated with the BBC.

Giovanni Pernice has denied accusations of abusive behaviour after Amanda Abbington claimed he was 'cruel and mean' during her Strictly Come Dancing stint (pictured in June)

Speaking in her first interview since quitting the BBC show in October, the actress, 50, said the professional's behaviour was 'unnecessary' (pictured in January 2023)

Amanda abruptly left the BBC show citing 'personal issues' and hasn't been seen on screen since, even quitting social media last month, while Giovanni was suspended from Strictly (Giovanni and Amanda seen in October)

Speaking to The Sun on Sunday, she said: 'I found Giovanni's behaviour unnecessary, abusive, cruel and mean. I couldn't sit back and let him do that to other people.'

'I had to think long and hard about making a complaint because I knew the backlash I would get. But I would not have been able to live with myself for future people going on that show.'

'It's insane what has happened to me, with the death threats and backlash. I know the BBC have known about his behaviour for years, people had complained about him and flagged his behaviour to producers in the past and nothing was done. It wasn't an isolated experience with me. I should never ever have danced with him.'

A spokesperson for Giovanni told MailOnline in response: 'The BBC has shared allegations from the inquiry with Giovanni, who has cooperated fully.

'None of the allegations carried in the Sun on Sunday are included in any shape or form. Giovanni refutes these allegations and denies any accusations of abusive or threatening behaviour.

'He has provided substantive evidence to the investigation and he remains fully confident of clearing his name.'

The BBC declined to comment when contacted by MailOnline.

Sources previously claimed Amanda, Ranvir Singh and Laura Whitmore had an 'emotional summit' where they 'compared notes' about their time working with Giovanni on the show.

Amanda quit Strictly due to 'personal reasons' before reports she had demanded footage of their rehearsals after the experience in the competition left her with PTSD.

Speaking to The Sun on Sunday , she said: 'I found Giovanni's behaviour unnecessary, abusive, cruel and mean. I couldn't sit back and let him do that to other people'

A spokesperson for Giovanni told MailOnline in response: 'None of the allegations carried in the Sun on Sunday are included in any shape or form. Giovanni refutes these allegations'

Meanwhile Ranvir complained about Giovanni to producers back in 2020, during their time on the show, while Laura said she 'cried every day' and felt 'uncomfortable' while dancing with him in 2016.

The BBC are currently believed to be scouring through nine years of Strictly footage to confirm or deny claims from the three celebrities.

It is claimed three past contestants are compiling dossiers to hand to their 700-an-hour lawyers before sending it to BBC bosses.

Giovanni is working with combative legal firm Schillings and is expected to put forward transcripts to prove he acted fairly.

A source close to the trio previously told MailOnline: 'They are very unhappy with the way the BBC are handling this.

'It's one thing saying they are standing by him, but they feel as if Giovanni is being promoted and pushed centre stage in a bid to make them go away and keep quiet. It's a kick in the teeth.

'One of the reasons they wanted to meet up was to try and work on a way forward because they have no intention of just backing down and letting this just fade away.

'All three have been impacted in different ways by what happened and they've agreed to speak again about how best they can get something done about it because they are genuinely worried about want went on and the fact someone else could end up experiencing what they went through.

'But right now there's a feeling that Gio is pretty much untouchable - especially given he is so close to Anton who thinks the world of him and can't believe the stuff he's been hearing claimed about his mate.'

MailOnline contacted BBC for comment at the time.

Fellow Italian dancer Graziano Di Prima was sacked from the programme last week after he was accused of kicking and spitting at former Love Island star Zara McDermott.

On Tuesday it was reported a third Strictly Come Dancing professional has been named as a 'person of interest' in the wake of abuse and bullying allegations overshadowing the show.

Strictly bosses then announced plans to introduce chaperones during training, and the appointment of two new welfare producers, after Graziano's shock sacking from the show.

Now, bosses have announced that they would be introducing 'additional steps to strengthen welfare and support on Strictly Come Dancing.'

A statement from the corporation said: 'Concerns that have arisen in recent months have been fundamentally about training and rehearsals. The actions we announce today are designed to address that.'

Sources previously claimed Amanda , Ranvir Singh and Laura Whitmore had an 'emotional summit' where they 'compared notes' about their time working with Giovanni on the show (Laura Whitmore and Giovanni pictured)

The insider continued: 'It's one thing saying they are standing by him, but they feel as if Giovanni is being promoted and pushed centre stage in a bid to make them go away and keep quiet. It's a kick in the teeth.' (Ranvir Singh and Giovanni pictured)

Fellow Italian dancer Graziano Di Prima was sacked from the programme last week after he was accused of kicking and spitting at former Love Island star Zara McDermott

Zara wrote that while much of her time on Strictly 'was everything I could have dreamt of' inside the training room there were 'particular incidents which are incredibly distressing'

Addressing his exit from the show, a 'devastated' Di Prima wrote on Instagram over the weekend: 'I deeply regret the events that led to my departure from Strictly'

The new measures include a member of the production team being present during training room rehearsals at all times, and increased support for both celebrity contestants and the professional dancers.

A Celebrity Welfare Producer and a Professional Dancer Welfare Producer will both be appointed to fulfil these added duties, and further training will also be delivered for the production team and crew.

Kate Phillips, BBC's Director of Unscripted, said: 'Whilst we know our shows have been positive experiences for the vast majority of those who have taken part, if issues are raised with us, or we're made aware of inappropriate behaviour, we will always take that seriously and act.

'Concerns that have arisen have been fundamentally related to training and rehearsals. The decisive steps we have taken and are announced today, act to further strengthen the welfare and support in place for everyone involved with this production.'

The announcement comes just hours after former Love Island star Zara broke her silence on the scandal.

She wrote on Instagram on Tuesday morning that while much of her time on Strictly 'was everything I could have dreamt of' inside the training room with Graziano there were 'particular incidents which are incredibly distressing'.

'I felt it was right that I post something regarding the recent media reports,' Zara began. 'Strictly is one of the most magical shows on TV and one that I dreamt of being on since I was a little girl.'

'When I was invited to be a contestant on the show it really was a childhood dream come true. I fully understood the level of commitment and hard work that Strictly was going to be and I dedicated everything to it.'

'I am a resilient person and I was fully prepared to put in whatever it took.'

'And so much of my Strictly experience was everything I could have dreamt of. The entire production team and everyone behind the scenes as well as my fellow contestants were so amazing to worth with.

'However, my experience inside the training room was very different. Reports have been made about my treatment on the show and there were witnesses to some events, as well as videos of particular incidents which are incredible distressing to watch.

Zara explained that she didn't report the incidents at the time as she was 'scared' of backlash.

Instead it was junior production staff who came forward to share what they had witnessed as the investigation into pro dancer Giovanni was taking place.

He added: 'My intense passion and determination to win might have affected my training regime'

'I have wrested with the fear of opening up - I was scared about public backlash, I was scared about my future, I was scared of victim shaming,' Zara wrote on Instagram.

'But after a lot of conversations with those I love, I've gained the strength to face these fears, and when I was asked to speak to the BBC, I spoke candidly about my time on the show.

'The culture within our society makes it difficult for people to speak up especially in a a world where social media opinions and voices are so loud. This is something I've seen through working with countless women on my documentaries.

'I would like to thank the BBC and BBC Studios for their swift action and incredibly high level of support, as well as everyone who has reached out to me - it really truly means a lot. Love, always. Zara.'
A female Strictly dancer could be next to face allegations of abuse, following last week's revelation that Graziano Di Prima was dismissed over a video showing him kicking his partner Zara McDermott.

According to The Mirror, the household name would 'scream in rage' at the male celebrity if he got the steps wrong.

Although the complaint is expected to be emailed to the legal firm Carter Ruck by Sunday - it is not believed to include any allegations of physical abuse, but reportedly criticises senior BBC staff for their lack of support both during and after his time on the show.

A source said: 'The man in question felt very much victimised by the behaviour of his Strictly partner.

'He alleges that on several occasions she flew into a real fury when he couldn't get the steps right, and on one occasion screamed full in his face. They rowed every single day.

A female Strictly dancer could be next to face allegations of abuse

'He was left upset, struggling to sleep, and feeling isolated in the process. But even worse, he felt totally unsupported by Strictly. When he suffered the setback, it was clear he was struggling, but he felt there was no duty of care. After leaving the show, he was not contacted again, even by phone.'

The source added that he had been in a bad state and feared public backlash if he spoke out.

However, it is thought the partnership wasn't entirely negative and the pair did 'get along at times' despite there being 'challenging moments'.

MailOnline has contacted a Strictly representative for comment.

The revelations come after Giovanni Pernice, 33, was the first professional to be suspended by the BBC.

A probe is underway over 'bullying' allegations from at least three former contestants, including Amanda Abbington, 50, who claimed she suffered PTSD after training with the pro last year.

Sources previously claimed Amanda, Ranvir Singh and Laura Whitmore had an 'emotional summit' where they 'compared notes' about their time working with Giovanni on the show.

Amanda quit the show due to 'personal reasons' before reports she had demanded footage of their rehearsals after being 'bruised' when 'Giovanni stepped on her foot during practice'.

Amanda Abbington, 50, claimed she suffered PTSD after training with pro dancer Giovanni Pernice last year (pictured in October)

Amanda abruptly left the BBC show citing 'personal issues' and hasn't been seen on screen since, even quitting social media last month in the wake of her former dance partner's sacking

Fellow Italian dancer Graziano Di Prima was sacked from the programme last week after he was accused of kicking and spitting at former Love Island star Zara McDermott

Zara wrote that while much of her time on Strictly 'was everything I could have dreamt of' inside the training room there were 'particular incidents which are incredibly distressing'

Meanwhile Ranvir complained about Giovanni to producers back in 2020, during their time on the show, while Laura said she 'cried every day' and felt 'uncomfortable' while dancing with him in 2016. Giovanni denies all the claims against him.

The BBC are currently believed to be scouring through nine years of Strictly footage to confirm or deny claims from the three celebrities.

Last week, another professional dancer Graziano Di Prima was sacked over a video in which he was seen kicking partner Zara McDermott. He apologised to Zara at the time, and admitted he 'crossed the line'.

Admitting that while he 'remembers pushing [Zara] quite hard' during training, Graziano's spokesman claimed the descriptions reported 'do not align' with Graziano's own memory.

Going on to claim that the Italian star - who has since moved back to his native Sicily - has been left in a 'very vulnerable state' in the fallout from the scandal.

His representative, Mark Borkowski, said: 'This week the news agenda has focused on an isolated incident that Mr Di Prima deeply regrets and apologised for at the time.

'The deluge of commentary, too often without context or nuance, has provoked a pile-on that has left a young man in a very vulnerable state'.

According to show insiders, video footage of Graziano mistreating Zara gave bosses no choice but to cancel his contract.

Addressing his departure on Instagram, Graziano wrote: 'I deeply regret the events that led to my departure from Strictly. My intense passion and determination to win might have affected my training regime.

The professional dancer, 30, has since apologised for his behaviour in a statement, admitting to having kicked her (pictured on show)

Comments about Graziano's tough rules have resurfaced, with Zara previously revealing he only allowed her to wear men's dance shoes, leaving her with 'open wounds' on her feet

Graziano's spokesman said he apologised to Zara for kicking her at the time , but denied claims he ever spat at her

Additionally, it was uncovered that dancer-turned-judge Anton DuBeke had been drawn into the controversy after ex-partner Laila Rouass complained about his language used in 2009, for which he later apologised

'Respecting the BBC HR process, I understand it's best for the show that I step away.'

He continued: 'While there are aspects of this story involving external influences that I can't discuss at this time, I remain committed to being strong for my family and friends.

'I wish the Strictly family and the BBC nothing but success in the future.'

He concluded the post: 'I also want to thank everyone who has supported my career, both professionally and personally. When the time is right, I will share my story.'

Additionally, it was uncovered that dancer-turned-judge Anton DuBeke had been drawn into the controversy after ex-partner Laila Rouass complained about his language used in 2009, for which he later apologised.
There was more drama for Strictly Come Dancing today as Amanda Abbington broke her silence to claim that Giovanni Pernice was 'abusive' to her. Graziano Di Prima is now battling further allegations that he was 'aggressive' towards Zara McDermott.

Meanwhile a female dancer now faces allegations of bullying as the crisis continues to engulf the hit BBC show.

The scandal first made headlines Graziano Di Prima, 30, was axed from the upcoming series last month over reports he verbally and physically abused his celebrity partner Zara McDermott, 27, during last year's competition.

Speaking in her first interview since quitting Strictly Come Dancing in October, Amanda Abbington, 50, said Giovanni's behaviour was 'unnecessary.'

Amanda abruptly left the BBC show citing 'personal issues' and hasn't been seen on screen since, even quitting social media last month in the wake of her former dance partner's sacking.

Giovanni, 33, was suspended while a BBC probe is underway over allegations made by Ms Abbington and two other former celebrity partners.

The scandal first made headlines Graziano Di Prima, 30, was axed from the upcoming series last month over reports he verbally and physically abused his celebrity partner Zara McDermott , 27, during last year's competition

Amanda Abbington has broken her silence on the Giovanni Pernice misconduct allegations as she claimed the dancer was 'abusive, cruel and mean' (pictured in January 2023)

Speaking in her first interview since quitting Strictly Come Dancing in October, the actress, 50, said the professional's behaviour was 'unnecessary' (Giovanni and Amanda seen in October)

In an interview with The Sun , Amanda said: 'I found Giovanni's behaviour unnecessary, abusive, cruel and mean. I couldn't sit back and let him do that to other people'

Speaking to The Sun , a source claimed Graziano got frighteningly angry at Zara McDermott. They said: 'Zara ran to the toilets and locked herself in. He chased after her and was screaming abuse. He was aggressive and called her nasty names. It was really scary'

The 2023 Strictly dancers. It is not just male dancers who are now facing allegations of abusive behaviour. A former dancer has claimed tonight that a currently unnamed female Strictly dancer screamed in his face and berated him off-camera

Meanwhile, more shocking details of Graziano 'aggressive' treatment of Zara have since been revealed.

Speaking to The Sun, a source claimed the dancer got frighteningly angry at the former Love Island star.

They said: 'Zara ran to the toilets and locked herself in. He chased after her and was screaming abuse. He was aggressive and called her nasty names. It was really scary.'

The source also claimed his aggressive outbursts could be heard through doors a she screamed at the 27-year-old.

It is not just male dancers who are now facing allegations of abusive behaviour. A former dancer has claimed tonight that a currently unnamed female Strictly dancer screamed in his face and berated him off-camera.

The Daily Mirror reports that the household name's allegations do not include physical abuse.

A source said: 'The man in question felt very much victimised by the behaviour of his Strictly partner.

'He alleges that on several occasions she flew into a real fury when he couldn't get the steps right, and on one occasion screamed full in his face. They rowed every single day.'

In an interview with The Sun, Amanda said: 'I found Giovanni's behaviour unnecessary, abusive, cruel and mean. I couldn't sit back and let him do that to other people.'

She continued: 'I had to think long and hard about making a complaint because I knew the backlash I would get. But I would not have been able to live with myself for future people going on that show.'

'It's insane what has happened to me, with the death threats and backlash. I know the BBC have known about his behaviour for years, people had complained about him and flagged his behaviour to producers in the past and nothing was done. It wasn't an isolated experience with me. I should never ever have danced with him.'

MailOnline has contacted the BBC and Giovanni's representative for comment.

Sources previously claimed Amanda, Ranvir Singh and Laura Whitmore had an 'emotional summit' where they 'compared notes' about their time working with Giovanni on the show.

Amanda quit Strictly due to 'personal reasons' before reports she had demanded footage of their rehearsals after the experience in the competition left her with PTSD.

Meanwhile Ranvir complained about Giovanni to producers back in 2020, during their time on the show, while Laura said she 'cried every day' and felt 'uncomfortable' while dancing with him in 2016.

The BBC are currently believed to be scouring through nine years of Strictly footage to confirm or deny claims from three celebrities.

It is claimed three past contestants are compiling dossiers to hand to their 700-an-hour lawyers before sending it to BBC bosses.

Giovanni is working with combative legal firm Schillings and is expected to put forward transcripts to prove he acted fairly.

Amanda abruptly left the BBC show citing 'personal issues' and hasn't been seen on screen since, even quitting social media last month in the wake of her former dance partner's sacking

Giovanni , 33, was suspended while a BBC probe is underway over allegations made by Amanda and two other former celebrity partners (pictured in June)

In an interview with The Sun , she said: 'I found Giovanni's behaviour unnecessary, abusive, cruel and mean. I couldn't sit back and let him do that to other people'

A source close to the trio previously told MailOnline: 'They are very unhappy with the way the BBC are handling this.

'It's one thing saying they are standing by him, but they feel as if Giovanni is being promoted and pushed centre stage in a bid to make them go away and keep quiet. It's a kick in the teeth.

'One of the reasons they wanted to meet up was to try and work on a way forward because they have no intention of just backing down and letting this just fade away.

'All three have been impacted in different ways by what happened and they've agreed to speak again about how best they can get something done about it because they are genuinely worried about want went on and the fact someone else could end up experiencing what they went through.

'But right now there's a feeling that Gio is pretty much untouchable - especially given he is so close to Anton who thinks the world of him and can't believe the stuff he's been hearing claimed about his mate.'

MailOnline contacted BBC for comment at the time.

Fellow Italian dancer Graziano Di Prima was sacked from the programme last week after he was accused of kicking and spitting at former Love Island star Zara McDermott.

On Tuesday it was reported a third Strictly Come Dancing professional has been named as a 'person of interest' in the wake of abuse and bullying allegations overshadowing the show.

Strictly bosses then announced plans to introduce chaperones during training, and the appointment of two new welfare producers, after Graziano's shock sacking from the show.

Now, bosses have announced that they would be introducing 'additional steps to strengthen welfare and support on Strictly Come Dancing.'

A statement from the corporation said: 'Concerns that have arisen in recent months have been fundamentally about training and rehearsals. The actions we announce today are designed to address that.'

The new measures include a member of the production team being present during training room rehearsals at all times, and increased support for both celebrity contestants and the professional dancers.

A Celebrity Welfare Producer and a Professional Dancer Welfare Producer will both be appointed to fulfil these added duties, and further training will also be delivered for the production team and crew.

Sources previously claimed Amanda , Ranvir Singh and Laura Whitmore had an 'emotional summit' where they 'compared notes' about their time working with Giovanni on the show (Laura Whitmore and Giovanni pictured)

The insider continued: 'It's one thing saying they are standing by him, but they feel as if Giovanni is being promoted and pushed centre stage in a bid to make them go away and keep quiet. It's a kick in the teeth.' (Ranvir Singh and Giovanni pictured)

Fellow Italian dancer Graziano Di Prima was sacked from the programme last week after he was accused of kicking and spitting at former Love Island star Zara McDermott

Zara wrote that while much of her time on Strictly 'was everything I could have dreamt of' inside the training room there were 'particular incidents which are incredibly distressing'

Addressing his exit from the show, a 'devastated' Di Prima wrote on Instagram over the weekend: 'I deeply regret the events that led to my departure from Strictly'

Kate Phillips, BBC's Director of Unscripted, said: 'Whilst we know our shows have been positive experiences for the vast majority of those who have taken part, if issues are raised with us, or we're made aware of inappropriate behaviour, we will always take that seriously and act.

'Concerns that have arisen have been fundamentally related to training and rehearsals. The decisive steps we have taken and are announced today, act to further strengthen the welfare and support in place for everyone involved with this production.'

The announcement comes just hours after former Love Island star Zara broke her silence on the scandal.

She wrote on Instagram on Tuesday morning that while much of her time on Strictly 'was everything I could have dreamt of' inside the training room with Graziano there were 'particular incidents which are incredibly distressing'.

'I felt it was right that I post something regarding the recent media reports,' Zara began. 'Strictly is one of the most magical shows on TV and one that I dreamt of being on since I was a little girl.'

'When I was invited to be a contestant on the show it really was a childhood dream come true. I fully understood the level of commitment and hard work that Strictly was going to be and I dedicated everything to it.'

'I am a resilient person and I was fully prepared to put in whatever it took.'

'And so much of my Strictly experience was everything I could have dreamt of. The entire production team and everyone behind the scenes as well as my fellow contestants were so amazing to worth with.

'However, my experience inside the training room was very different. Reports have been made about my treatment on the show and there were witnesses to some events, as well as videos of particular incidents which are incredible distressing to watch.

Zara explained that she didn't report the incidents at the time as she was 'scared' of backlash.

Instead it was junior production staff who came forward to share what they had witnessed as the investigation into pro dancer Giovanni was taking place.

He added: 'My intense passion and determination to win might have affected my training regime'

'I have wrested with the fear of opening up - I was scared about public backlash, I was scared about my future, I was scared of victim shaming,' Zara wrote on Instagram.

'But after a lot of conversations with those I love, I've gained the strength to face these fears, and when I was asked to speak to the BBC, I spoke candidly about my time on the show.

'The culture within our society makes it difficult for people to speak up especially in a a world where social media opinions and voices are so loud. This is something I've seen through working with countless women on my documentaries.

'I would like to thank the BBC and BBC Studios for their swift action and incredibly high level of support, as well as everyone who has reached out to me - it really truly means a lot. Love, always. Zara.'

There has been some speculation among those close to the show that the growing scandal could turn into Strictly's own Me Too moment.

A source told MailOnline on Thursday that the male dancers are 'very concerned and worried how this is going to affect them' and are said to be 'feeling like it's the new #MeToo'.

Richard Madeley weighed in on the scandals on Thursday, admitting he wasn't surprised by the allegations.

Hosting Good Morning Britain alongside Charlotte Hawkins, Richard confessed he knows lots of people who have been involved in the hit dance show and they have been talking about these issues for years.

'I have to say the people that I know involved in that programme all talk about these issues and they say they've all known for years and years and years but the lid has been kept on it and now that lid is coming off,' he said.

On Tuesday night it was revealed that a third professional dancer on the show has been named as a 'person of interest' in the wake of the abuse and bullying allegations.

MailOnline have contacted the BBC for a comment
Amanda Holden's daughter Lexi was recently admitted to a hospital with life-threatening E. coli amid the latest outbreak.

The TV star's daughter Lexi, 18, who was sitting her A-levels at the time, was reportedly on a ward for five days with Amanda and her husband Chris at her bedside.

While discussing the warning signs to look out for amid the latest outbreak, Amanda revealed to The Sun that her daughter Lexi had been suffering from bloating and stomach cramps.

She said: 'For about three weeks, Lexi had been complaining of bloating and stomach cramps.'

'She was not happy at all and in quite a lot of pain with her tummy.'

Amanda Holden's daughter Lexi was recently admitted to a hospital with life-threatening E. coli amid the latest outbreak

The TV star's daughter Lexi, 18, who was sitting her A-levels at the time, was reportedly on a ward for five days with Amanda and her husband Chris at her bedside

'It was around the time of revision and her A-levels, so I was just putting this down to exam stress.'

However, Amanda admitted that after taking her daughter to her GP, who insisted on her doing some blood and stool samples, the results came back as a bacterial infection.

The star then revealed that while she was filming in Spain, she began to get calls from various government officials asking her to fill out several forms about where her daughter might have eaten and what kind of food they had stored in their home.

Stating that the cultures come back, Amanda revealed that Lexi has VTEC E. coli, which is a very harmful strain of bacteria thats very rare in humans.

Amanda also told how perplexed she was by the news as she couldn't work out how her daughter came down with the bacterial infection.

She admitted that she even had her rabbits and cat checked after the doctor asked if she lived on a farm or had any livestock, as the infection is usually affiliated with farmers.

The star also confessed that the antibiotics her daughter was given didn't seem to be working and claimed her doctor called her saying 'I don't want to alarm you' before telling her Lexi's bloods were 'through the roof' and she was in danger of 'contracting sepsis'.

The mother-of-two claimed that hearing the word sepsis was 'terrifying' to say the least.

While discussing the warning signs to look out for amid the latest outbreak, Amanda revealed to The Sun that her daughter Lexi had been suffering from bloating and stomach cramps

She said: 'For about three weeks, Lexi had been complaining of bloating and stomach cramps'

Amanda then admitted that after taking her daughter to her GP, who insisted on Lexi doing some blood and stool samples, the results came back as a rare bacterial infection

According to Amanda, Lexi was the 113th case in the country  but the doctor warned them that this was the tip-of-the-iceberg as more cases were to come.

Amanda then issued an update on her daughter's health by revealing that she was finally let out after being in the hospital for five days, however, she has been back and forth for more blood tests.

A verotoxigenic E. coli, known as VTEC, is a harmful strain of a bacterium called Escherichia coli.

Most E. coli strains are harmless and live in the gut of humans and other animals without causing any problems. VTEC, however, is capable of producing a toxin that can cause serious illness.

Symptoms associated with E. coli usually present around two to four days after ingesting the bacteria and these may include stomach cramps, diarrhoea, nausea, vomiting, and fever.
Ashley Roberts looked incredible in a sheer lilac corset and matching trousers as she visited South American restaurant PIRANA London with friends on Friday night.

The Heart Radio DJ, 42, showed off her toned arms and the high-waisted extra-long trousers flattered her figure.

She finished off her outfit with matching pointy high heels and minimal jewellery, showing off her cleavage in the daring look.

Ashley was joined out by former TOWIE star Vas J Morgan, beauty guru Barkha Shewakn, and model Kit Butler.

Vas, 35, starred in TOWIE, currently filming its thirty-third series, from 2014 to 2018, and is now making waves as an LA socialite.

Ashley Roberts, 42, looked incredible in a sheer lilac corset and matching trousers as she visited South American restaurant PIRANA London with friends on Friday night

The Heart Radio DJ showed off her toned arms and the high-waisted extra-long trousers flattered her figure

She finished off her outfit with matching pointy high heels and minimal jewellery, showing off her cleavage in the daring look

Earlier that day, Ashley had sent temperatures soaring by flaunting her sensational figure in a skimpy black bikini as she shared more snaps from her Caribbean getaway.

She took to her Instagram grid on Friday to share two new sultry snaps with her 712,000 followers.

The post came just one day after she posted another slew of gorgeous images.

The former Pussycat Dolls star was on a girls' holiday on the Royal Caribbean's Utopia of the Seas cruise ship, sailing from Florida to The Bahamas.

She also shared with her followers a pouty mirror selfie, a glam evening snap, a picturesque beach snap, and a photo of herself sipping on a cocktail as she wore a stunning white mini dress.

Ashley is Heart Breakfast's showbiz reporter and she also hosts her own show on the station, Heart 00s.

The professional dancer has also been presenting the Netflix reality programme Dance Monsters since 2022.

Ashley recently enjoyed a lavish break in Turkey with her tattoo artist boyfriend George Rollinson.

Ashley was joined out by (L-R, after Ashley) former TOWIE star Vas J Morgan, Dubai Queen Barkha Shewakn of Barkha Beauty, and model Kit Butler

Vas, 35, starred in TOWIE, currently filming its thirty-third series, from 2014 to 2018, and is now making waves as an LA socialite

Ashley and George, 25, publicly enjoyed a 300-a-night stay at D-Resort Gocek after previously hiding their relationship.

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 downtime, 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.
Katie Price has hilariously explained why she chose not to breastfeed any of her five children.

The former glamour model, 46, is mother to Harvey Price, 22, Junior, 19, and Princess Andre, 17, and son Jett, 10, and daughter Bunny Hayler, 9.

On Thursday, the reality star announced the arrival of her seventh autobiography entitled This Is Me.

In the book, which promises to be her most explosive yet, Katie writes that at the time of second son Junior's birth she was 'getting pressure from people to have him naturally and to breastfeed'.

She continued: 'My reaction then is the same as it is now: 'F*** off. Let me do things my own way.

Katie Price, 46, has hilariously explained why she chose not to breastfeed any of her five children

The podcaster, 46, is mother to Harvey Price, 22, Junior , 19, and Princess Andre , 17, and son Jett, 10, and daughter Bunny Hayler, 9 (all pictured in 2020)

On Thursday, she announced the arrival of her seventh autobiography entitled This Is Me: This Is Me: The high life. The dark times. The FULL story

'I believe it's all choice and new mothers should not, under any circumstances, feel the pressure to do something or not something because of what someone else says.

'When you are a mother you have to do what works best for you. I certainly wasn't going to be vilified for choosing to bottle feed when millions of women over the world do it.'

It is not the first time Katie has spoken about the bottle-feeding versus breastfeeding debate.

On Loose Women in 2016, Katie shocked viewers - and the panellists - by admitting she doesn't like seeing women breastfeeding.

Katie said at the time: 'I don't like breast-feeding selfies. I don't agree with people putting up pictures of them breastfeeding.

'I don't want to see that, like people probably won't want to see me my selfies, my boobs and this and that.'

Katie, who co-hosts podcast The Katie Price Show, continued: 'If it's proper out then you can't help looking.

'I know it's a natural thing, but I don't want to eat my dinner seeing a woman's boob out.'

Challenged on her own pregnancy photos - which appeared in certain magazines, such as, OK! - the model said she'd been in control of the shoots and didn't regret it.

In the book Katie writes that while pregnant Junior she was 'getting pressure from people to have him naturally and to breastfeed' (both pictured in 2023)

In response to them, Katie says: 'My reaction then is the same as it is now: 'F*** off. Let me do things my own way (L-R) Bunny, Katie, Princess, Jett, and Junior in 2022)

And this was not the first time Katie has spoken about the bottle-feeding versus breastfeeding debate

Quizzed by her fellow panellists Janet Street Porter, Ruth Langsford and Linda Robson, and special guest Kerry Katona, the model responded to their comments on her magazine shoots.

She said: 'I don't think we can answer this one because we do show our bumps. The difference is, I knew I was showing it off. I was in control.

'I don't take pictures of my bump and send it to friends like that, but I can't sit and say, "Oh no I won't do that" because clearly I've done shoots and been paid for it. I'd be two-faced [if I said it wasn't right to share these pictures].'

On Wednesday, Katie showed off the results of her 17th boob job as she stepped out with her boyfriend JJ Slater after a launch event for This Is Me.

The former glamour model was seen leaving the Royal Vauxhall Tavern in London with JJ, 31, in an eye-popping ensemble.

Katie wrote in the memoir, that she wants another baby and has opted for a sperm donor instead of her current flame.

Writing in her new book, Katie told how she has an American fertility clinic on speed dial and has already chosen the man whose sperm she will use.
America's fastest growing city has two things everyone wants, according to its mayor.

Celina, Texas, is the fastest growing city in the US. Located around 40 miles north of Dallas, it saw its population surge over 25 percent between July 2022 and July 2023.

The city had only 6,028 residents in 2010, which ballooned to 43,317 in 2023, according to latest figures from the US Census Bureau.

Despite its growth, the city has still kept its small town spirit, according to its mayor Ryan Tubbs.

Tubbs told Business Insider how he believes there are two main things about the city which are drawing in new residents: its relative affordability and its close-knit community.

Celina, Texas, is the fastest growing city in the US, according to the Census Bureau

'It's just astronomical growth when you think about the influx of residents,' Tubbs told the outlet.

'Even so, our vision is to maintain that small-town feel, no matter how big we get.'

According to data company Payscale, Celina's cost of living is 18 percent lower than the national average.

In nearby Dallas, by comparison, the cost of living is 3 percent higher than the national average.

'The cost of living in Celina is a significant factor for many families and individuals who choose to live here,' Tubbs said.

The average home in Celina sold for $632,030 in May this year, according to data from Redfin.

While this is higher than the national average, it is substantially lower than in major cities such as Los Angeles, New York City and San Francisco, where many residents are moving from.

Celina's population growth between July 2022 and July 2023 far exceeded the 0.5 percent growth rate of the US as a whole.

Most of the new residents in Collin County, where Celina is located, come from Texas ZIP codes, Business Insider reported, as well as ones in California, Florida, Georgia, Illinois and Missouri.

Analysis of census migration data found a significant number of people are also coming from Africa, Asia, Central America and Europe.

Another substantial draw for new residents in Celina is the tight-knit, community feel of the former farming town, alongside its low crime rates and well-ranked schools.

'We have people who were born and raised in Celina and remember it when it was just a small farming community,' Tubbs told Business Insider.

In order to preserve its small town feel, the city regularly hosts markets, movie screenings and festivals.

Mayor Ryan Tubbs said people are drawn to Celina for its relative affordability and its close-knit community

In order to preserve its small town feel, the city regularly hosts markets, movie screenings and festivals

In May, the city hosts its annual Cajun Festival in its downtown square

Celina had only 6,028 residents in 2010 - a figure that grew to 43,317 in 2023

In May, the city hosts its annual Cajun Festival in its downtown square, which it bills as the 'Biggest Crawfish Boil in Northern Texas.'

This year's event was complete with live alligator shows, a family-friendly carnival and a live performance by country star Aaron Watson.

And of course, thousands of pounds of fresh crawfish for residents and passersby alike to enjoy.

'These events connect us to our past and to one another in an incomparable way,' Tubbs added.
He is America's most notorious financial fraudster, who managed to scam tens of thousands of investors out of approximately $68 billion.

But just how did Bernie Madoff manage to pull off the biggest Ponzi scheme in history? It was a giant con that ensnared celebrities and regular people alike.

Longtime financial investigative journalist Richard Behar grapples with this question in his new book 'Madoff: The Final Word', which offers extraordinary access into the mind and motives of the financial world's most famous conman.

Over the course of a decade and a half, Behar exchanged emails with Madoff, spoke to him on the phone and even paid multiple visits to the North Carolina prison where he was serving his 150-year prison term.

To help others avoid falling victim, the author explained to DailyMail.com the three main reasons he believes Madoff got away with his scheme. He also outlined the warning signs to look out for to avoid falling victim to fraud.

In his new book 'Madoff: The Final Word', Richard Behar asks how Bernie Madoff was able to pull off the biggest Ponzi scheme in history

Longtime financial investigative journalist Richard Behar offers extraordinary access into the mind and motives of the financial world's most famous conman in his first book 'Madoff: The Final Word'

1. Affinity fraud

Ponzi schemes typically begin as affinity frauds, said Behar, in which the con artist will target a particular group - whether that be an ethnic or religious group, or people of a certain age.

Charles Ponzi, the inventor of the scam which bears his name, targeted his fellow Italian-Americans in the 1920s, who trusted him in large part because they shared the same heritage.

A Ponzi, or pyramid scheme, works by paying off early investors with proceeds from later investors. It typically collapses when no new investors can be attracted. In Madoff's case, this happened as the market took a steep downturn in 2008.

'I'm Jewish, and I've spoken with rabbis and others about this, and I'm confident in saying that Jews are especially vulnerable to being conned by fellow Jews due to centuries of persecution and poverty,' said Behar.

One of Madoff's first 'feeders' in the early 1960s, he explained, was a wealthy investor who was looked upon as a success story by fellow Jewish people who had escaped Europe before or during the Holocaust.

'He told them that if they needed extra money, he'd show them how to do it. These people were tailors or bakers, or whatever, and that extra money from Madoff was a lifesaver to them,' he said.

Madoff also cast his net over Jewish Hollywood celebrities and media personalities, including Steven Spielberg, Larry King and Mort Zuckerman, which then attracted money from other famous figures and their money managers.

In order to expand - as Ponzis must do to survive - his scheme morphed from an affinity crime into a global racket dominated by huge feeder funds and banks, Behar said.

Madoff also cast his net over Jewish Hollywood celebrities and media personalities, including Steven Spielberg (pictured), Larry King and Mort Zuckerman, Behar said

Charles Ponzi, the inventor of the scam which bears his name, targeted his fellow Italian-Americans in the 1920s

2. 'No soup for you!'

Similar to Seinfeld's famous 'Soup Nazi' character, Madoff created a universe in which investors were afraid to ask too many questions, said Behar.

The character in the long-running sitcom refuses to serve his famously delicious soup to any disobedient customers, quipping: 'No soup for you!'

Madoff's clients were afraid that if they kept poking him for more information he might toss them off the gravy train and close their account.

'Like nightclub patrons behind velvet ropes hoping to get picked, Bernie was selective and sometimes even told folks who wanted to invest that his fund was closed for the time being and he wasn't taking in new money,' Behar added.

'And that only heightened the allure and the desire to get into this special club. Bernie spoke to me in prison about how people begged to come in.'

Similar to Seinfeld's famous 'Soup Nazi' character (pictured), Madoff created a universe in which investors were afraid to ask too many questions, said Behar

Over the course of a decade and a half, Behar exchanged emails with Madoff, spoke to him on the phone and even paid multiple visits to the North Carolina prison where he was serving his 150-year prison term for 'The Final Word'

3. Due diligence? Nah!

Investors climbed aboard with little more than blind faith, according to Behar.

'Bernie counted on that. People spend more time researching a new TV purchase than they do a Ponzi's can't-lose proposition like Madoff's.'

He added: 'And who among us with a brokerage or IRA account - be honest - has bothered to take thirty seconds to type their broker or investment manager's name into the search bar of Wall Street's database of "disciplinary actions" at the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority?'

Behar said that when he began the reporting for the book, he did a search and found out that his 83-year-old Merrill Lynch broker, who has since died, committed a felony in 1968.

As a general rule, professional investors were excluded by Madoff.

'After all, they could have analyzed the statements and concluded that the consistently high returns were impossible,' Behar said.

Other celebrities including actor John Malkovich and actress Zsa Zsa Gabor lost millions investing with Madoff

Among the individuals who invested with Madoff was New Yorker Sharon Lissauer who lost everything when she handed over her inheritance from her mother. She is pictured leaving court the day Madoff was jailed

So what is Behar's advice to avoid falling victim to fraud?

Madoff did not allow his customers to view their account statements online, nor did he allow them to email his employees.

'Put simply, if you're not allowed to see statements online, run for the hills! If you're not allowed to email your broker, run!

'If the printed statements mailed to you look like something chugged out from a 1960s-70s computer (and they did), run!'

And pay attention to the disclaimer.

'Believe it or not, I also stated that there was always the possibility of fraud being committed by me or others,' Madoff told Behar.
'Absence makes the heart grow fonder' but then there is also 'out of sight, out of mind' to contend with, says Pakistan's ever popular Fawad Khan, tongue firmly in cheek as he addresses his time away from Indian audiences.

Fawad, who became a favourite with Pakistani dramas and was briefly seen in Hindi films, the last appearance being "Ae Dil Hai Mushkil" in 2016, now stars in the supernatural show "Barzakh".

"I have always been very thankful to fans who have waited for me and I apologise for making them wait for so long. But it was not in my hands," the actor told PTI in a Zoom interview.

"I'm a firm believer that everything has its own time... You say that 'absence makes the heart grow fonder' but we also have another saying, 'aankh ojhal, pahaad ojhal' (out of sight, out of mind). This also happens," the actor told PTI in an interview over Zoom.

"Barzakh", which sees him back with his "Zindagi Gulzar Hai" co-star Sanam Saeed and created a stir with its trailers, started streaming from Friday on Zindagi's YouTube channel and ZEE5.

The actor's popularity in the subcontinent has been growing since viewers discovered him in "Dastaan" (2010), "Humsafar" (2011) and "Zindagi Gulzar Hai" (2012). Then followed Hindi films "Khubsoorat", "Kapoor & Sons" and "Ae Dil Hai Mushkil". The promising Bollywood career could not take off at the time because of fraught India-Pakistan relations.

However, Fawad, amongst Pakistan's most recognised actors, did international projects and several Pakistani shows and films.

The stardom has been exciting but also challenging and increasingly competitive.

The actor said he is not very active on social media -- out of choice.

"To be able to hold on to your position of being a renowned actor has become more difficult, especially in the age of social media... There are performers and talented people everywhere."

What next?

"I can only say that the coming time is going to be very interesting. If you are waiting for my work, there is a lot that's going to come out next year. I feel that everything should happen at its own pace and in a good environment... Hopefully, 2025 will have a lot more content coming from my end," he said.

The 42-year-old also featured in Marvel Studio series "Ms Marvel" in which actor-filmmaker Farhan Akhtar played a prominent role.

The two met on the set and chatted briefly.

"It was very nice to be in touch again. We had earlier met briefly during my time in India," he said of his meeting with Farhan.

"Barzakh", produced by India's Shailja Kejriwal, chief creative officer, special projects, Zindagi, and directed by Asim Abbasi, who shot to fame with film "Cake" and show "Churails", was an interesting project to be part of, the actor said.

"I'm always up for a good narrative. I had seen Asim Abbasi's work in the past and he is a talented writer and director. I read the script and I have to say this: it was love at first sight. I'm always interested in family dramas when they are told in such a realistic fashion but the twist in this one was the magic surrealism and the supernatural aspect, which attracted me to it even more."

A lot of buzz around the show is driven by the fact that it is the first time since "Zindagi..." that Fawad and Sanam will be seen together. The other much talked about and liked was his pairing with Mahira Khan in "Humsafar".

Agreeing that the two shows brought him to the mainstream Fawad said, "Fans liked the pairings so much that it stuck with them for a long time and the shows became, amongst many things, modern classics. Whenever there is such a pairing that leaves such a lasting impact for such a long time, people start to wait for your next work together. I am aware of that."

After "Barzakh", his next two projects are with Sanam. Besides, he has two projects lined up with Mahira as well.

"I hope the audiences enjoy them as well. Obviously, the nature of the characters will be different in these projects but I think it will be a new era of our reunion," he said.

Asked if he has become more selective in the kind of projects he boards, Fawad said he was never someone in a rush to do a lot of stuff. But he said he did take a back seat for a while when he was preparing for "Maula Jatt", the 2022 film that became the highest grossing Pakistani film of all time.

His co-production "Neelophar" ran into some hurdles because of Covid but after that he has "resumed work more frequently".

"I am selective but to the extent that I get involved with stuff that I understand. I had projects that I worked on but unfortunately things slowed down a bit during the pandemic period. Everything is coming out now," he said.

Fawad recently saw Manoj Bajpayee's "The Family Man" and found it "attention grabbing". In Pakistan, he caught up with "Meray Paas Tum Ho" and "Khaie".

With streaming space opening up more cross-culture collaborations, Fawad said "these are exciting time for artists".

"I have always been open to collaborations wherever they may come from. I have a hunger as artist. We are very fortunate that we are a part of an industry that allows us to be exposed to one another's cultures.

"(It's) an education you have while having fun working. It is not just about script because people come to a project with different backgrounds so we have the luxury of getting to know and see the world in a different way and at our own pace... So that hunger of mine gets rewarded in that process," he said.
The Trinamool Congress has strongly refuted Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarmas contention that the steadily changing demographic patterns in Bengal, Assam and Jharkhand could lead to their fall and separation by 2051.

Questioning the correctness of the statistical figures provided by Sarma particularly on Assam and Bengal TMC MP Sushmita Dev said that contrary to the Assam Chief Ministers claim that in 1950 Muslims accounted for 12 percent of population of that State it was 25 per cent by the records. Sarma said that the Muslim population had now gone up to 40 per cent in many areas.

A false statement has come to light from Assam CM in Jharkhand. Firstly I want to tell that according to government data in 1952, 25 per cent of the Muslim population was registered, wondering about basis on which Sarma established his argument when there has been no census conducted since 2011, Dev who also hails from the same region said. Sarma, during a press conference in Ranchi, said, changing demography was a big issue inAssam where the Muslim population has reached 40 per cent today. In 1951, it was 12 per cent," he added.

Dev said, I want to remind Assam CM that the Indian Government was supposed to conduct the population census but given the COVID-19 excuse, the census to date has not taken place...then how did the 40 per cent figure come from? The TMC MP also blamed the Chief Minister for not effectively sealing the Indo-Bangladesh border of his State.

Party leader Kunal Ghosh too questioned Sarmas intention in raising such issues when elections will take place in Jharkhand in a few months from now. Such statements are not to be taken seriously because by now they have been exposed  the BJP has lost its communal steam which is proved by the general elections  their graph will now start falling  they are making such statements because they are not confident of winning elections normally  they tried that technique in Bengal but Mamata Banerjee gave them a good lesson, he said.

The Chief Minister had in an interview to a senior journalist of a national television channel had earlier claimed that the way the Muslim population was increasing in the States like Assam, Bengal and Jharkhand the Hindus could turn into minority in those places in a few decades from now.

For Bengal he said that presently the population of the State it was about 26 percent but going by the projected population growth rate by 2041 it may go beyond 36 percent  the Hindus can be minority by that time  and by 2051 or if not so by 2061 these States will fall. His statements were promptly lapped up by the Bengal BJP leaders who said such a situation could lead these three States to secede from the mainland.

Bengal Opposition Leader Suvendu Adhikari who had to take some barbs from his own party colleagues for advising the scrapping of Minority Morcha within the State BJP --- apparently because the Muslims were not voting for the party --- came out in support of Sarma saying that the Assam Chief Minister was correct in his reading of the situation.

We have nothing against the local Muslims who have been living in India for generations  we are concerned about the Rohingyas who are steadily entering India through the unfenced borders of which there are about 72 in Bengal, Adhikari said holding Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee for the present situation.
NEET UG 2024 Exam Results Update: The National Testing Agency (NTA) has recently released the UG 2024 results categorizing them by city and center. Candidates who took the exam can view their results, on the NTA NEET website at exams.nta.ac.in/NEET/ or neet.ntaonline.in.

Direct link to check city, centre-wise results : neet.ntaonline.in/frontend/web/common-scorecard/index

On July 18th the Supreme Court directed the National Testing Agency (NTA) to release the UG results by noon on July 20th. The highest court instructed the Agency to make public the scores of students who took the exam on their website without revealing their identities.

Under the guidance of Chief Justice DY Chandrachud and Justices JB Pardiwala and Manoj Misra it was mandated that NEET UG results be disclosed individually based on city and center criteria before noon today.

In response to the arrest by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) of four students from AIIMS Patna in connection with a NEET UG paper leak case Dr. Gopal Krushna Pal, Director of AIIMS Patna emphasized that appropriate actions will be taken against any culpable students as, per PTI reports.

This years NTA NEET UG exam took place on May 5 across 4750 centers with the announcement of results made on June 4 2024.The reevaluation, for impacted candidates took place on June 23rd with the outcomes being disclosed on June 30 2024. 2.4 million candidates participated in the examination this year while 1563 candidates partook in the retest.
Airport systems in India resumed operations normally from 3 am on Saturday, hours after major disruptions caused inconvenience to passengers. However, the overall system has not yet fully recovered, as confirmed by airport officials. The significant backlog of cancelled and delayed flights and yet-to-be-delivered baggage means full restoration of normalcy may take a couple of days. Additionally, the process of rebooking affected passengers or processing refunds will begin as the systems are back up.

The Ministry of Civil Aviation on Saturday issued a statement saying airline systems across airports have started working normally and all issues related to travel adjustments and refund processes were being taken care of. Union Civil Aviation Minister K Rammohan Naidu said airline systems across airports, have started working normally, and all issues are likely to be resolved by noon on Saturday. The Ministry is constantly monitoring the operations at airports and airlines to ensure travel readjustments and refunds are taken care of, he added. Since 3 am (Saturday), Airline systems across airports have started working normally. Flight operations are going smoothly now, Naidu said.

At Delhis Indira Gandhi International Airports Terminal 3, passengers experienced some improvement today, but a few problems persist as the Digi Yatra system, remained non-operational.

Long queues were observed at the departure terminals as passengers struggled to check in manually. Airport authorities have deployed additional staff to assist travellers and manage the congestion. Between 6-7 am today, the system continued to experience glitches while issuing boarding passes. However, the scenario improved later in the day.

In contrast to the chaos, most flights managed to stay on schedule, with the waiting period at Terminal 3 departures averaging around 3 to 5 minutes. The situation marked a significant improvement from Friday when the global outage led to widespread delays.

Meanwhile, Air India said none of its flights were cancelled on Saturday on the account of the worldwide outage of travel systems. According to officials, Mumbais Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj International Airport fared better than its counterparts in Delhi and Bengaluru. Although long queues were reported, operations are running more smoothly today. At Mumbai airport two flights, one to Varanasi and one to Kochi, were cancelled this morning, and several international flights were rescheduled.

At Chennai airport, nearly six to eight flights in the domestic sector were cancelled today. However, on the international sector, there were no cancellations on Saturday and certain flights plying to Doha, Kuwait were delayed for a few hours.About six flights in the domestic sector, including those airlines operating in Coimbatore, Kolkata, Kochi, Pune were cancelled by some airlines on Saturday. On the international route there were no cancellations and some airlines reported a delay in the departure and arrival, an official said. In a notification, Chennai Airport appealed to the passengers to contact their respective airlines for rebooking and refund information.

IndiGo had to cancel 192 flights on Friday due to the outage. Indias largest carrier said on its website that it has cancelled 93 services scheduled for Saturday. Indigo has urged the passengers to check their flight status before heading to the airports. The domestic airline said that while their systems are back online, they are diligently working to resume normal operations which could extend into the weekend.

In light of the recent global travel system outage, our team is continually putting in their best efforts and all our services are gradually being restored, including baggage handling. Our dedicated team is working round the clock to ensure your bags are delivered to you as swiftly as possible. We deeply regret the difficulties you have experienced and thank you for your continued support and trust, Indigo said on X.

The reservation and check-in systems of most of the airlines, including IndiGo, SpiceJet, Akasa and Air India Express, are now operational, according to a source. I am going to Ahmedabad. Online printing (Digi Yatra) is convenient, which wasnt happening yesterday. Everythings fine today. Flights are on time. What happened yesterday was a network issue. No one can do anything about that, said a passenger at Delhi Airport

Airports across the country witnessed chaotic scenes after the online passenger booking, reservation and boarding systems turned to manual mode due to the outage, resulting in higher passenger handling processing time and consequently hundreds of flights were delayed and many cancelled. There is a backlog because of disruptions on Friday, and it is getting cleared gradually, according to the statement.
After more than 50 bravehearts have been martyred in the ongoing counter-terrorism operations in the Jammu region since October 2021, the top brass of the Indian army led by Army Chief General Upendra Dwivedi on Saturday landed in Jammu to fine-tune its counter strategy aimed at flushing out well-entrenched Pakistani terrorists from the Jammu Heights.

The crucial security review meeting was convened here at the Police headquarters. Director General Border Security Force, DG CRPF, DGP Jammu and Kashmir police, representatives of the Union Defence and Home Ministry, and top brass of the Intelligence agencies attended the brainstorming session over two hours.

The Army Chief also interacted with the top commanders of the Northern Command headquarters to discuss possible strategic responses and measures to counter the rising threats in the Jammu region.

The high-level security review meeting assumes added significance as it comes close on the heels of the recent meeting of the Cabinet Committee on Security chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi in New Delhi on Thursday.

The meeting took place amid a sudden surge in terror attacks in the Jammu region. Last month the Prime Minister had separately chaired a review meeting to assess the security situation in J&K.

Sensing the gravity of the prevailing security situation and to plug the gaps, the Indian Army has already inducted more than 3,000 troops comprising three infantry battalions in the Jammu region to take on the Pakistani terrorists. In addition around 400-500 elite para commandos have been deployed at various locations to minimise the response time in case of any exigency.

Ever since troops belonging to the Uniform Force were shifted to eastern Ladakh to tackle the threat posed by the Chinese incursions there in May 2020 the Pakistani handlers were exploiting these gaps to push small groups of heavily armed terrorists inside the Indian territory for a long time.

This was the second visit of the army chief to Jammu in less than three weeks after taking charge as the 30th chief of the Indian Army on June 30. Nine army personnel, including a captain, have been killed in action in two separate terror attacks in remote forest belts of Machhedi in Kathua and Dessa forest in Doda on July 8 and July 15.

On July 16, the army said all formations of the Udhampur-based northern command are committed to eliminating the scourge of terrorism in Jammu and Kashmir.

The army said it has been conducting a series of joint and coordinated operations with J-K Police to eliminate foreign terrorists who have infiltrated from across the border and are moving in the upper reaches of Udhampur, Doda, and Kishtwar districts in Jammu region and thereafter to Kashmir.

According to the assessment of the security forces, the Pakistani terrorists behind the attacks are believed to be battle-hardened in Afghanistan and belong to the Jaish-e-Mohammad terrorist outfit.

These terrorists, armed with modern weapons like American M4 Assault rifles, telescopic lenses, night vision devices, steel core bullets, and highly encrypted communication equipment, executed the attacks after carefully studying the pattern of the armys movement in the area and returning to their safe hideouts with the help of their local guides. These terrorists have divided themselves into small groups of 4 to 5 members and at least over 50 Pakistani terrorists are active across the Jammu region. In November 2023 the then Northern Army Commander Lt General Upendra Dwivedi had said at least 20 to 25 terrorists were operating in twin districts of Rajouri-Poonch. He said it would take the army at least a year to root out the terrorism from the region. Similarly, over 20 terrorists are active across the Doda region, and a few groups in the upper reaches of the Kathua and Reasi districts of Jammu.
The Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU) campus walls were found to be defaced with casteist slurs and communal slogans on Saturday, the Congress' students body alleged. Slogans like "...Dalit bharat chhodo" and "Brahman Baniya zindabaad" and "RSS zindabaad" were scribbled on the walls of Kaveri hostel on the campus, NSUI unit general secretary Kunal Kumar alleged sharing its photos on social media.

The student claimed the authorities painted the walls after the photos were circulated on social media. There was no immediate reaction to the allegations from Dean of Students Manuradha Chaudhary. Requests for a response on the allegations were declined by Kaveri Hostel warden Manish Kumar Barnwal.

"We, the Humans of JNU are deeply disturbed by the recent incidents at Kaveri Hostel, where alongside the casteist slur against the Dalit Bahujan community, slogans like "Brahman Baniya Jindabad" and "RSS Jindabad" have been inscribed.

"These slogans starkly reveal the brahmanical and manuvadi nature of RSS and its supporters within our university community," the students body said in a statement. It also demanded action by the administration against the accused.

The JNU last year formed a panel to look into the repeated incidents of "anti-national" slogans scribbled on the campus. The committee was set up after pictures of slogans like 'Indian-Occupied Kashmir', 'Free Kashmir' and 'Bhagwa Jalega' scribbled on the School of Languages building wall went viral on the social media.
The Delhi Medical Council (DMC) on Saturday said it has come to its notice that many health facilities, including hospitals and nursing homes, are employing unqualified or underqualified medical staff. In a public notice, the council said, "This is against the law and a punishable act. Therefore, it is requested that all hospital owners to please check out the credentials of the employees."

This comes following the Delhi Police action against 22 people, including a well-known doctor, this month in connection with kidney transplant rackets, one of these involving Bangladeshi nationals.

The DMC also advised visiting doctors to "make sure that your patient is under care of qualified persons only". These doctors will be held responsible for any deficiency of services to their patients, it said.

The council said that "all hospitals, nursing homes and clinical establishments are requested to check the facilities available with them and admit patients accordingly only".

"It has come to the notice of the Delhi Medical Council that many hospitals, nursing homes and other clinical establishments using modern medical sciences (allopathy) are employing doctors/medical staff who are either unqualified/underqualified or qualified in other branches for the treatment of patients," the public notice, issued by DMC president Dr Arun Gupta and Registrar Dr Girish Tyagi, read.
With the aim to prevent the water-logging incidents in ongoing monsoon season in New Delhi area, New Delhi Municipal Council ( NDMC ) has launched an intensive drive for three days starting Saturday to check and clean all the bell mouth alongside of roads in its jurisdiction, officials said.

NDMC have 8,704 bell mouths alongside of all the main roads under the 06 Divisions of Road Engineering Service. In this special drive all divisions are gears for checking and cleaning of every bell mouth under their jurisdiction. The drive is being carrying out by a special team including 17 Assistant Engineers and 28 Junior Engineers,1,500 field staff and other workers force under 06 Executive Engineers.

Each Executive Engineer directed to achieve the program target and assigned specific numbers of bell mouth to ensure the checking and cleaning under the set target.

The superintending Engineers are directed and assigned to conduct surprise visit to check the progress in time bound manner. The daily progress report and percentage target achieve shall be compiled by each circle and superintending Engineers shall forward for compilation to monitoring at higher level.
From integrating advanced technologies to fostering community engagement, New Taipei City offers a wealth of lessons that can guide Indian cities towards a smarter and more sustainable future, writes GYANESHWAR DAYAL

New Taipei City, Taiwans most populous city, has emerged as a leading example of smart city development, integrating advanced technology, sustainable practices, and citizen-centric services. As India embarks on its ambitious Smart Cities Mission, there are valuable lessons to be learned from New Taipei Citys approach to urban planning and management.

One of the biggest achievements of New Taipei City is its involvement of citizens in various facets of planning and execution and participation. New Taipei City actively involves its citizens in the planning and decision-making process. Through public consultations, digital platforms, and community programs, residents are encouraged to participate in shaping the citys future. This collaborative approach has fostered a sense of ownership and responsibility among citizens, says Dr Tih-Ju Chu, deputy mayor of New Taipei City, Government of Taiwan.

As far as the Indian smart city concept is concerned, it has been a bureaucratic exercise where citizens have had hardly any role to play. Engaging citizens in the smart city development process is crucial for ensuring that the initiatives meet the needs and aspirations of the people. Indian cities should leverage digital tools and community engagement strategies to involve residents in planning, implementation, and monitoring of projects. We embarked upon making Varanasi into Kyoto but have reached nowhere. Perhaps the biggest reason for this has been the governments top-down approach where people come last. Local people know their city better than any bureaucrat or politician and their input can go a long way in preserving the cultural heritage of the city and modernising it at the same time.

New Taipei City fosters a culture of innovation and entrepreneurship, providing support for startups and encouraging technological advancements. The city has established innovation hubs, incubators, and co-working spaces that nurture talent and drive economic growth. Encouraging innovation and entrepreneurship should be a priority for Indian smart cities too. By creating supportive ecosystems for startups, providing access to funding, and facilitating collaboration between academia, industry, and government, Indian cities can become hubs of innovation and economic development. After all, no city can thrive without a robust locally sustained economy. People must find jobs and reasons to settle in a smart city, else it may end up like several ghost cities of China.

Yet another initiative that makes New Taipei City a model is sustainability. The city mayor places a strong emphasis on sustainability, incorporating green building practices, renewable energy, and efficient waste management systems. The city has extensive green spaces, promotes the use of public transportation, and encourages eco-friendly practices among residents, says Dr Tih-Ju Chu. Indeed, sustainable urban development should be at the core of Indias smart cities initiative. By prioritising green infrastructure, renewable energy projects, and comprehensive waste management systems, Indian cities can reduce their environmental footprint and enhance the quality of life for their residents.

New Taipei City has implemented intelligent transportation systems (ITS) to enhance mobility and reduce traffic congestion. These systems include smart traffic signals, real-time traffic monitoring, and integrated public transportation networks. The citys focus on multimodal transportation options has made commuting more efficient and accessible.

Unfortunately, traffic and commuting are one of the biggest challenges . In a city like Bengaluru, Indias IT hub, commuting is a nightmare. To address urban mobility challenges, Indian smart cities should invest in ITS, including smart traffic management, real-time public transport information, and infrastructure for non-motorized transport. Developing a comprehensive and efficient transportation network can alleviate congestion and improve the overall commuting experience.

One of the cornerstones of New Taipei Citys success is its adoption of cutting-edge technology to streamline governance. The city has implemented an integrated digital platform that connects various departments, enabling real-time data sharing and decision-making. This has resulted in efficient public service delivery, reduced administrative costs, and improved transparency. Indian smart cities can benefit from creating unified digital platforms that foster inter-departmental collaboration, enhance service delivery, and promote transparency. Investing in robust ICT infrastructure and data analytics can drive more informed policy decisions and optimize resource allocation.

Situated in a region prone to natural disasters, New Taipei City has prioritised building resilient infrastructure and robust disaster management systems. The city employs advanced monitoring and early warning systems, conducts regular drills, and has developed comprehensive emergency response plans. Implementing early warning systems, conducting regular drills, and involving communities in disaster management plans can significantly reduce the impact of disasters.

Let us face it, Indias smart city project faces several significant challenges that hinder its progress. Foremost among these is the bureaucratic approach that often sidelines citizen participation and local insights, resulting in top-down planning that lacks community buy-in. Additionally, there is a persistent lack of robust infrastructure and technological integration, impeding the development of effective digital platforms and smart solutions. Moreover, coordination between various government departments and private stakeholders is often fragmented, leading to inefficiencies and delays. Without addressing these fundamental issues, the ambitious vision of Indias smart cities may remain unfulfilled. We must be open to such initiatives outside of india and there would be no harm in trying the best practices from around the world. The lessons from New Taipei City serve as a blueprint for Indias smart cities to follow, ensuring that they meet the needs of their residents while addressing the challenges of the 21st century.
There is more to India and China relations that meets the eye and a lot goes behind the curtain in the peoples republic of China writes Gyaneshwar Dayal

The book "Beyond Binaries: The World of India and China" by Shastri Ramachandran has generated significant interest. It explores several issues confronting the two countries and their bilateral relations. The author has ostensibly analysed why they behave as they do and what prevents the two countries from coming closer. Shastri Ramachandran is a journalist and well-versed in Chinese culture, having spent considerable time there, which makes him an authority on the subject. Indeed, he knows more about China than many so-called experts here. Although I havent read the book, I recently participated in a discussion organised by the publishers to promote the book and initiate an informed debate. The discussion was chaired by Professor Madhu Bhalla, with veteran journalist Paranjoy Guha Thakurta and Professor Arvind Yelary as other panelists.

The discussion certainly achieved its purpose and initiated a debate on Indo-China relations and our skewed understanding of China as a country beyond TV news and newspaper articles, often superficial in nature. China is always on the minds of most Indians. We have a love-hate relationship with it: we love it when we use its cheap products and buy them to profit in the domestic market. As Paranjoy Guha Thakurta pointed out, most businesses would struggle without Chinese imports. Most pharmaceutical companies use raw materials from China, as do many car companies which import Chinese spares.

Indeed, India and China represent 40 percent of humanity and wield enormous power by sheer population size. However, coming together requires overcoming many obstacles. Shastri has the benign notion of making this the Asian century, which is not possible without India and China burying their hatchet. But that is easier said than done. They have historical and geographical factors that keep them apart. Shastri sees Western influence, amplified by our media, as a root cause of strained relations. He praises the Chinese people and believes it is possible to bridge the divide between the two peoples, as we are more than two countries  two civilizations.

However, there is a problem with perception. He sees China as a country painted by the West as evil, and we are expected to accept that view. We do so happily, gulping down Western propaganda as the gospel truth. There is some truth in that. The West has a powerful media with unparalleled reach, capable of making or breaking anyone's image. But that is only part of the truth. Giving China a clean chit is definitely oversimplifying the situation. Let's put it this way: China and the Chinese government are two separate entities often at cross purposes. When you interact with Chinese people, you encounter individuals who are nice, like people anywhere else. However, when you deal with China as a nation, you deal with its government, which is reactionary and dictatorial.

Shastri makes a distinction between Chinese and Arab dictatorships in their construct, but the end result is the same: an oppressive, intolerant, and regressive structure focused on self-preservation. Simply assuming a communist facade does not make one truly communist. Let's face it: Stalin was a dictator, Nicolae Ceau?escu was a dictator, Kim Jong Un is a dictator, and so is Xi Jinping. Having a party like Hitlers doesnt qualify one to be called a Communist (a much-abused term, but I would think of Lenin as one). A fun fact here: Hitlers party was officially called the National Socialist German Workers' Party! On October 22, 2022, Hu Jintao, former General Secretary of the Chinese Communist Party, was escorted out of the hall at the closing ceremony of the 20th National Congress of the Chinese Communist Party. He was pulled from his seat by two men while Xi maintained a stoic face. Was it a Western construct?

When Shastri says, and I quote, Nancy Pelosi leads a delegation to Dharamshala with business stakes in Taiwan, and the Dalai Lama receives treatment in the US, making clear what is happening, he trivializes the Tibetan struggle and casts aspersions on the Dalai Lamas credentials. The human rights violations and systemic cleansing in Tibet are beyond the scope of this piece. It is not just about Tibet; the Xinjiang province, dominated by Uyghur Muslims, has seen enough misery. This province of China has witnessed a series of human rights violations. It includes mass arbitrary detention, torture, enforced disappearances, mass surveillance, cultural and religious persecution, separation of families, forced labour, sexual violence, and violations of reproductive rights. Many of the cases are well documented. And by the way, there is nothing capitalist about the students protest in Hong Kong. I wish someone on the panel had spoken about these issues too. Most of them were fixated on Doklam and Galwan and relished Chinese cuisine and the great economic strides China made and how everyone wants to have a piece of the Chinese pie.

Interestingly, after taking advantage of Chinese largesse, many African and Asian countries are now waiting their turn to go bankrupt. Chinas Belt and Road Initiative is turning out to be a noose around hapless economies. China is doing in the 21st century what the West did in the 19th. Do we have a locus standi in criticising Chinas human rights violations when we have skeletons in our cupboard? Sure, we do. Martin Luther** King Jr. said, and I quote, Injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere!
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Kuwait City/New Delhi, July 20 (UNI) The Indian Embassy in Kuwait on Saturday expressed its condolences on the tragic demise of an Indian man, his wife and two children in a fire at their flat in Abassiya area, and said they are working to ensure early repatriation of the bodies to India.

In a post on X, the Indian Embassy said: @indembkwt expresses its deepest condolences on the tragic demise of Mr Mathews Mulackal, his wife and 2 children due to fire in his flat in Abassiya yesterday night.

Embassy is in touch with his family and will ensure early repatriation of mortal remains. 

The incident occurred on Friday night, claiming the lives of Mathew Mulackal, his wife Lini Abraham, and their two children, Isack and Irine.

The family, originally from Kerala, had returned from a vacation on Friday morning.

Initial reports indicate that the fire started from the air conditioning unit in their apartment. Despite efforts to contain the blaze, the family could not escape the deadly flames, said the Local Kuwaiti.

Mathew Mulackal was employed with Reuters, while his wife, Lini Abraham, worked as a staff nurse at Adan Hospital. Their children were students at Bhavans Kuwait.

Local authorities are conducting a thorough investigation to determine the exact cause of the fire and to prevent such tragedies in the future.

The incident comes over a month after a fire tragedy at a labour camp in the Mangaf area of Kuwait City claimed the lives of nearly 50 people, mostly Indians, who were staying in the overcrowded building.

UNI RN
Speaking in Belfast recently the Mayor of Derry City and Strabane District Council issued a challenge to Northern Irelands top politicians.

Addressing the All-Party Group on Ethnic Minority Communities in Stormont Lilian Seenoi Barr called on those in power to use their public roles to counter misinformation, especially in the age of social media.

They should promote the benefits of diversity and respect for differences, highlighting the economic benefits that migrants and minoritised communities make, said the mayor.

The reality is of course that migrants have been contributing positively to Irish society for decades if not centuries.

On a very basic level, almost every town and village on this island has had a Chinese takeaway on its main street at one point or another. In many places it is not unusual to find an Indian restaurant, a Turkish barber and an Asian clinic dispensing acupuncture and herbal remedies.

From each of those spring commerce through job creation, purchase from local shops and suppliers as well as the payment of various taxes and insurances.

Ali Hoseini left his native Iran 20 years to seek out a better life in the UK. Like thousands of his fellow country men and women, Ali wanted to escape the countrys repressive, authoritarian government which, according to Amnesty International, executed 853 people in 2023 and 266 in the first six months of this year.

Ali arrived in Cardiff before moving to London. In 2017 he relocated to Derry where he lives with his wife Sima and their daughter Diana.

Six months ago Ali and Sima opened the Asia Food Store International Ltd on Sackville Street.

I came to Derry because my friend had a restaurant here and he offered me a job. And Im very happy here. Its a beautiful city, everything is handy to get to and the people are so friendly, he said.

The Asia Food Store itself is a cacophony of spicy, sweet, sour and savoury aromas. From giant Lebanese flat breads to carrot jam to Kataifi pastry, its goods are unlike anything to be found generally on the high street. It also stocks non-food items like pressure pots, small gas burners, decorative spice, salt, sugar and sweet jars and interestingly, shisha or hookah pipes for smoking tobacco.

We decided to open the shop because there are a lot of Muslims here in the city and no one else was doing it, no one else had an Arabic shop or a halal shop.

Ali Hoseini, wife Sima and little Diana who was born in Altnagelvin Hospital.

We buy our stock in from London, Dublin, Belfast, all over. And we get people from the Arabic community, the Iranian community, Indian and Kurdish but also from Derry because they know what we sell is fresh, it is good quality and it is not expensive.

We know that people dont have a lot of money so we try to keep our prices as low as possible.

Over the past seven years Ali Hoseini has watched the city gradually become more multi-cultural. And Derry is better for it, he believes.

Five years ago you had very few refugees here. For a long time I didnt meet any other Iranians but now you have around 25 families and 20 individuals.

And its good for Derry because it means variety and it means different cultures, different languages, different foods.

Before, all you had were chip shops and takeaways. Now you have all these new foods and you need that, you need new foods and new dishes. Iran has over 600 foods and tastes, Arabic is the same, Turkish is the same, hundreds and hundreds of foods.

Its very different to the burgers and pizzas that you see all the time here.

As to what the future holds for him and his family, Ali says the city is his home now. His daughter Diana was born in Altnagelvin Hospital and is very much a Derry girl.

Ali with an unusual item  an apple-shaped fruit roll.

That however is not to say he doesnt miss his homeland.

Of course I miss Iran, every day my mind is in Iran. I lost my father last year and the rest of my family is still there. Its hard for me and my wife being so far from Iran but this is our home now.

We have been here a long time and we are happy here. We want to pay our taxes and contribute to society like everyone else. We love Derry, we love the people and we want to be part of the community.
With school holidays in full swing, and school holiday hunger a worrying factor for many Irish families, Tesco Ireland is turning its attention to helping Family Resource Centres, which support families with much-needed household essentials, and preventing children from going hungry this summer.

To give a helping hand to children and families outside of the school term, Tesco has created the Stronger Starts Summer Food Collection in partnership with a network of Family Resource Centres to ensure local communities are supported. The groups participating in Louth are Connect FRC and Dundalk Youth Centre.

Customers, if they have a little spare they can share, are kindly asked to purchase one extra non-perishable food item and donate it to the Food Collection trolley in 115 stores nationwide until 8th September, to support families and neighbours in their local community.

The Irish Health Behaviour in School-aged Children (HBSC) index suggests that one-fifth of children in Ireland have gone to bed hungry because of a lack of available food. In a recent survey with a sample of Family Resource Centres around the country, all respondents said they see an increased need for food supports during the summer months and the majority (77%) said there are children within their communities who do not have access to three meals a day.

Fergal Landy, Family Resource Centre National Forum CEO, said: Food supports, among our many outreach activities, play a crucial role in addressing food poverty in local communities. During the summer months, we see an increased need for food supports across the board, which is why we are delighted that Tesco has launched this initiative.

"We hope that the public will support the Stronger Starts Summer Food Collection by donating a non-perishable food item at the end of their weekly shop. The food support element of the FRC is not just about distributing food; it's about adopting a community development approach to challenging the underlying structures causing poverty and inequality to create lasting social change impacting on the lives of families and communities facing food insecurity."

Rosemary Garth, Tesco Ireland Communications Director, said: We are calling on customers to simply pop one additional non-perishable food item into their basket and place it into the dedicated donation trolleys at the front of 115 stores nationwide, each week until the 8th of September.

"A small gesture like this will go a long way in supporting Family Resource Centres across the country and the fantastic work they do. We are extremely proud that our Stronger Starts schools programme has doubled its reach this year and now provides 5,400 children across the country with free, fresh food packs, but we want to go further and ensure that communities are supported throughout the summer months.

The Tesco Ireland Stronger Starts Summer Food Collection is live, in-store only, and runs until 8th September 2024. For more information, visit TescoIreland.ie.
New Delhi, July 20 (UNI) Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri and his Bhutanese counterpart Aum Pema Choden co-chaired the third bilateral Development Cooperation Talks in Thimphu today during which 61 projects amounting to Nu. 49.58 billion (INR 4,958 Crores), covering sectors such as connectivity, infrastructure, energy, skill development, education, health and cultural heritage were approved by the two sides.

At the invitation of Foreign Secretary of Bhutan, Aum Pema Choden, Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri paid an official visit to Bhutan from July 19-2. This was his first visit abroad as Foreign Secretary, a statement said.

During the visit, Foreign Secretary Misri received an audience with Bhutan King Jigme Khesar Namgyel Wangchuck. He also called on Prime Minister Tshering Tobgay, and Foreign Minister D.N. Dhungyel.
Team deployed to aid rescue after highway bridge collapse in northwest China

Xinhua) 14:21, July 20, 2024

BEIJING, July 20 (Xinhua) -- A team has been dispatched to northwest China's Shaanxi Province to guide rescue efforts following the partial collapse of a highway bridge on Friday, according to the Ministry of Emergency Management.

The China National Comprehensive Fire and Rescue Team has sent 736 people, 76 vehicles, 18 boats and 32 drones to carry out rescue efforts.

Eleven people were confirmed dead as of Saturday morning following the partial collapse of the highway bridge.

The bridge, located in Zhashui County in Shangluo City, collapsed at approximately 8:40 p.m. on Friday due to a sudden downpour and flash floods.

By 10 a.m. on Saturday, rescue teams had recovered five vehicles that had fallen into the river.

(Web editor: Peng Yukai, Wu Chaolan)
Abuja, July 20 (UNI) Nigeria's Federal Competition & Consumer Protection Commission (FCCPC) said it has fined Meta $220 million for violating local consumer and data protection laws after concluding an investigation into data sharing on Facebook and WhatsApp platforms.

"The Final order imposes a monetary penalty of Two Hundred and Twenty Million U.S. Dollars only ($220,000,000.00)," the commission said in its press release.

Meta misappropriated the data of Nigerian users on its platforms without their consent, abused its dominant market position, and treated Nigerians in a discriminatory and unequal manner compared to other jurisdictions with similar rules, the press release said.

European regulators have repeatedly fined the company for personal data confidentiality issues. Ireland fined Meta a record 1.2 billion euros ($1.3 billion) for violations related to the transfer of personal data from the European Union to the United States.

UNI/SPUTNIK AKS
For 40 years, 7-Eleven has been the go-to spot for Filipinos craving delicious and diverse cuisines. From Korean to Thai favorites, theyve got it all. Now, theyre taking us on a culinary adventure to Japan with their latest mouthwatering addition to the menu.

Introducing the Japanese Curry Party Lineupa trio of scrumptious rice meals featuring pork, beef, and chicken, all drenched in a rich curry sauce from Japans renowned House Foods. Imagine the mouthwatering scent of caramelized onion, roasted garlic, miso, and a hint of cardamom wafting through the air. Irresistible, right?

First up is the Hamburg Steak Curry for just 139. This delightful dish features a perfectly cooked beef steak patty, topped with delicious melted cheese, and served with curry sauce and plain rice. Its restaurant-quality dining at a budget-friendly price.

But the indulgence doesnt stop there. Craving more options? Treat yourself to the Pork Katsu Curry at 139 or the Chicken Karaage Curry for 129. Both dishes are generously covered in luscious curry sauce, served with fragrant white rice, and garnished with yellow radish for that extra sweet bite.

7-Elevens food options have always been accessible, convenient, and tasty, but these choices are even more special as they carry the seal of approval from Lets Eat Pare. This community-led Facebook group provides a space for foodies to discuss and critique the latest food drops. Their opinions are highly regarded by online users as a credible source on whether a new product is worth the try.

The Lets Eat Pare logo on these new curry dishes is a mark of guaranteed quality and deliciousness. Spot these fresh drops right away on 7-Eleven shelves with the coveted Lets Eat Pare logo for a guaranteed quality eating experience.

Ready for a curry party? These Lets Eat Pare-approved rice meals are now available in 7-Eleven stores around Luzon. So, what are you waiting for? Head to your nearest 7-Eleven and treat yourself to a delectable Japanese curry meal today!

Why the Japanese Curry Party Lineup is a Must-Try

Authentic Taste: The curry sauce used in these dishes comes from House Foods, one of the biggest curry manufacturers in Japan. This means youre getting a taste thats as close to authentic Japanese curry as possible. Quality Ingredients: Each meal is made with high-quality ingredients, ensuring that every bite is flavorful and satisfying. From the perfectly cooked meats to the fragrant white rice, everything is designed to give you a restaurant-quality dining experience. Affordable Prices: Despite the premium quality, these meals are incredibly affordable. At 139 for the Hamburg Steak Curry and Pork Katsu Curry, and 129 for the Chicken Karaage Curry, you can enjoy a delicious meal without breaking the bank. Convenience: As always, 7-Eleven makes it easy to grab a quick and tasty meal. Whether youre on your lunch break, heading home from work, or just looking for a quick bite, these new dishes are perfect for any time of day.

Celebrate 40 Years with 7-Eleven

7-Eleven is celebrating 40 years of bringing convenient and delicious food to Filipinos, and theyre doing it in style with these new Japanese curry dishes. Its a testament to their commitment to providing world-class eats that are easily accessible to everyone.

Stay Connected with 7-Eleven

Stay updated with the latest offerings and promotions from 7-Eleven by following them on social media. Like them on Facebook at 7-Eleven Philippines, and follow @711ph on Instagram, and @711philippines on Twitter and TikTok. Youll be the first to know about new products, special deals, and exciting promotions.

So, cheers to 40 years with 7-Eleven! Head to your nearest store and experience the new Japanese Curry Party Lineup today. Whether youre a fan of beef, pork, or chicken, theres something for everyone to enjoy. Dont miss out on these delicious, Lets Eat Pare-approved meals that are sure to become your new favorites.
Say hello to Great Tastes newest addition: the Great Taste Iced Coffee Dark Latte. This cold brew-inspired drink boasts a strong and creamy flavor thats perfect for any coffee lover. And the best part? Its only around Php 20.00 (SRP) per bottle. Lets dive into why this new drink should be your next coffee fix.

Rich Caffeine Kick

Great Taste Iced Coffee Dark Latte is crafted with high-quality dark roasted robusta coffee and cream, delivering a rich coffee flavor with a dash of sweetness and a smooth texture. This blend makes it an excellent pick-me-up when you need to recharge, offering a satisfying balance of strong coffee and creamy goodness. Its the kind of drink that can keep you going through the toughest workdays or the longest study sessions.

Easy to Carry Around

Convenience is a major factor when it comes to enjoying your coffee, and Great Taste has nailed it. Just like the other flavors in the Great Taste Iced Coffee lineup (Chocolate Mocha, Caramel Macchiato, and Vanilla Latte), Dark Latte comes in a sleek, portable bottle. This design makes it super easy to carry with you wherever you go. No more worrying about balancing a cup of iced coffee while commuting or rushing between classes and meetings. You can simply grab your bottle and enjoy your coffee on the go, stress-free.

Budget-Friendly

Lets face it, frequent trips to your favorite cafe can add up quickly. Whether youre a student on a budget or a professional looking to save some money, Great Taste Iced Coffee Dark Latte is an affordable drink companion that fits perfectly into your budget. At only Php 20.00, you can enjoy your daily coffee fix without breaking the bank. This makes it an ideal option for anyone looking to save money while still enjoying a high-quality coffee experience.

Perfect for Any Time of Day

Whether youre starting your day early or need a late-night boost, Great Taste Iced Coffee Dark Latte is perfect for any time of day. Its rich and creamy flavor can help you kickstart your morning or give you that extra push to power through your evening tasks. Plus, the convenience of its portable bottle means you can enjoy it whenever you need it, wherever you are.

Available Nationwide

You dont have to look far to find this delicious new drink. Great Taste Iced Coffee Dark Latte is available at leading supermarkets and convenience stores nationwide. This means you can easily grab a bottle whenever youre out and about. For more information and updates, be sure to check out Great Tastes official Facebook page.

More Than Just Coffee

Great Taste Iced Coffee Dark Latte is more than just a delicious drink; its a product of Universal Robina Corporation (URC), a company known for its well-loved Pinoy brands like Jack n Jill Piattos, Magic Crackers, Cloud 9, and C2 Cool and Clean. URC is dedicated to bringing high-quality, affordable products to Filipinos, and Great Taste Iced Coffee Dark Latte is no exception.

Conclusion

If youre in need of a pick-me-up for your early mornings or late-night study sessions, look no further than Great Taste Iced Coffee Dark Latte. Experience the strong and creamy goodness of this cold brew-inspired coffee drink. With its rich flavor, convenient packaging, and budget-friendly price, its set to become your new favorite. Grab a bottle today and see why Great Taste Iced Coffee Dark Latte is the perfect companion for any coffee lover. Discover more about URCs delightful products by visiting www.urc.com.ph.
A couple who met on a night out in Cork city around seven years ago were married recently.

Claire Kingston is from Bandon and Sam Nicholson is from Ovens. The couple now live in Innishannon.

Recalling their first meeting, Claire said: I was in college with Sams good friend and we met on the street after being in Reardons and thats how me and Sam got talking.

Shortly after that night, we had our first date in Uncle Petes and the rest is history.

BRIDAL PARTY: Claires sisters Ann Marie and Margaret and sister-in-law Becky. Claires niece was flower girl and her godson was page boy.

They were engaged in February, 2023, in the south of France.

Sam chose the backdrop of The Exotic Garden of Eze to pop the question.

They were married on June 7, in a civil ceremony in Vienna Woods, Glanmire.

AN OUTDOOR CEREMONY: Carol Cotter was the celebrant, while Niamh OConnor sang. It was stunning and so personal, said the bride.

The bride got her dress in Diamond Bridal. Her headpiece and earrings were from an Irish brand called Kinn Noir. Her necklace and bracelet were from Azure jewellery.

BY HIS SIDE: Best man was Sams twin brother Benjamin, and his two best friends Eoin and Danny.

Their wedding rings were from Sams neighbour, Liam Lynch jewellers, formally of the English Market. The bride went for a Hollywood wave, by Dawn Monaher (Hairy Fairy) and make-up by Ruthanna Crowley.

The mens suits were from Morleys in Cork city.

Both parents, siblings, aunts and uncles, Claires nieces and nephew and Sams very special grandparents Gillian and Brian, who are 62 years married, were all there to enjoy the celebrations.

Claire said: The bridal party and groomsmen were a huge help prior to the wedding and on the day. We would have been lost without them.

The decor was by Darling Buds, while flowers were by Florist For You by Tracey.

The couple walked down to Still The One by Shania Twain.

Recalling the day, Claire said: It was amazing from start to finish.

We were both nervous wrecks before it but we were perfect once we saw each other.

The reception continued in the Vienna Woods, with James ODonovan drawing guests and Niamh OConnor singing.

The cake was from Ms Cupcakes.

Band were Hell For Leather and they had the dance floor hopping for the night, followed by Pat Aherne DJing. They also had had Celtic dance Irish dancers perform.

Claire Kingston and Sam Nicholson.

Their first dance was to After All by The Frank And Walters.

As to the most memorable part of the day?

Just having all our friends and family together celebrating the occasion. We had the best day of our lives and its all thanks to the people who came, said the bride.

The couple want to give a shout out to Michael Magner, Gordon and Seamus in Vienna Woods for making everything so special.

They were also able to have their two sausage dogs come along, for photos - which was made possible thanks to Cllr Alan Coleman and his wife Yvonne.

Our dogs are like our children so we will cherish those pictures, said Claire.
Lavender season is upon us, and the air is filled with its heady aroma on sunny summer afternoons as it hits peak flowering.

There are many different varieties of lavender, with the hardier L. angustifolia (English lavender) and L. stoechas (French lavender), a more tender type, being two of the most commonly grown in Ireland.

It is a drought-tolerant, plant preferring free- draining soil, the grey foliage giving an indication of its liking for the sun - these plants do best during a sunny summer.

Lavender can be included at the edge of a mixed border, or it can also make an attractive informal hedge, giving some serious summer impact in July and August.

Generally, they are short-lived plants and will need to be replaced after 8-10 years.

They tend to get woody at the base and really benefit from a good trim after flowering, but do be careful not to cut down into the old wood as this will kill the plant. Use a hedge clippers to cut the flowers and the tips of the fresh foliage when the flowers have faded in another month or six weeks. This will tidy the plants after flowering, while leaving a compact mound in place for the winter months, and prolong the life of the plant as it will maintain a better shape.

Lavender is such an evocative scent for most people, and has been shown to calm the nervous system, lift mood, help with sleep, and lower blood pressure.

Dried lavender bags are commonly used in the hot press or wardrobe to keep moths away as they do not like the strong scent from the plant. It has antifungal, anti-inflammatory and antioxidant properties, so many benefits are associated with this iconic plant.

Our damp climate can create a challenge for the successful growing of this aromatic beauty, so getting the micro-climate right is an important consideration.

Just such a spot for the successful growing of lavender has been chosen in West Cork, and a lavender wreath making workshop took place there last weekend.

Lisslee Lavender Farm is located between Blind Strand and Broad Strand and it comprises about two acres of planted lavender that runs down into the sea at a blissful location on a sunny summers day (which it was last weekend!).

It is owned and run by Hugh and Caroline Mullan, who plan on expanding the events being run here over the next few years.

The setting of the wreath workshop at Lislee Lavender Farm in West Cork last weekend.

The lavender harvesting and workshops have a short season and wreath-making and lavender-picking are two of the events currently happening at the farm.

Hugh and Caroline also have planted an acre with fruit trees and bushes and vegetables, with exciting plans for the future.

The main variety of lavender that is planted is a cultivar called Grosso which have large, rich, purple flower heads.

The workshop was very much a family affair. with Hugh and Caroline harvesting the lavender, Hughs sister Una delivered the workshop and provided instruction as to the creation of our masterpieces, and another sister, Maria, cooked a most delicious three course lunch which was enjoyed once our wreaths were complete.

All of this against the breathtaking back-drop of the Old Head of Kinsale as we looked out the workshop door! It certainly was a morning to remember.

The finished product after the lavender wreath-making workshop.

The wreath-making business was a pleasure and it involved bunching the lavender flowers and then assembling the bunches and wiring them around a metal circle, to create a most elegant wreath that can be dried and will last for years.

The colour of the flowers will of course fade but the scent will remain for some time. Such a blissful exercise, bunching the piles of lavender that had been cut the previous day.

It is a precarious business, growing lavender in Ireland, and the weather can upset plans for workshops which had to be rearranged last year due to rain. The flowers will simply rot if they are picked wet, which makes harvesting them dry a critical factor for success.

There are plans to develop the business further in the future, with soap-making workshops on the cards and extracting the oil from the lavender. Herbs are also being grown on site to be used as part of the soap-making business in the future.

It is important to note that the lavender farm is not open to the public, and at present the only way to access it is when events are being hosted.

The best way to stay in touch with the events happening there is through social media outlets such as Instagram - check out lislee.lavender for more details.

Plant of the Week

Lavendula x intermedia Grosso, like all lavender plants, will do best in full sun on a free-draining soil.

It is quite a big plant, getting to 90cm tall and about the same spread. It is notable for its larger deep purple flowers that flower from July through to September.

They will do best if pruned after flowering and, as with all lavender plants, do not cut into the old wood as this will kill the plant.

Pruning annually after flowering will result in a more compact, bushy plant that will live for longer.

This vigorous cultivar of lavender is suitable to plant as a low hedge to give great summer impact. They are also very attractive to pollinators of all descriptions, providing plenty of nectar and pollen, and the scent from their flowers and foliage is dreamy!
Tunis, July 20 (UNI) Tunisias President Kais Saied, who has been in office since 2019, has announced his candidacy for a second term.

The next presidential election in Tunisia will take place on October 6.

"I officially announce my candidacy for the October 6 presidential election in order to keep up the fight in the battle for national liberation," Saied said in a video released by his office.

On July 25, 2021, Saied dismissed the government and suspended the parliament against the background of mass protests against the parliament and Tunisia's Islamic party Ennahda, caused by the deterioration of living conditions. In March 2022, the president dismissed the parliament, saying he was doing it "to protect the government and its institutions."

Early parliamentary elections were held in Tunisia between December 2022 and January 2023. The voter turnout was as low as 11%, and the opposition boycotted the elections. In July 2022, the opposition also boycotted a referendum on amendments to the constitution, while 94.6% voted in favor of Tunisia's draft new constitution, with a voter turnout of only 27%. Amendments to the constitution gave the head of state significantly more powers compared to the 2014 constitution.

UNI/SPUTNIK AKS
This week's release of delivery statistics for social and affordable homes show that this Government is not treating the housing crisis with the urgency that it deserves, according to a TD for Cork South West.

Social Democrats leader Holly Cairns explained, Not a single social, affordable purchase, or cost rental home was built in Cork County in Quarter 1 of this year.

And Cork City has not fared much better, with a grand total of just 7 affordable purchase homes built. She continued, Only 158 social homes were built in the entire country in Q1 of this year, nowhere near what is needed to meet the Governments annual target of 9,300 - a target which is lower than what the construction sector can achieve, and far below what is needed.

The Government is on track to miss targets for affordable housing and cost rental housing this year again also, with only 32 affordable purchase homes, and 24 cost rental homes delivered so far this year, well short of the promised 6,400 by the years end.

This is the single biggest issue facing the country, but we have been let down again and again," Ms Cairns said.

Ms Cairns said that the housing crisis is devastating lives across Cork, explaining, every week in my office, I hear from people who are experiencing or are at risk of homelessness, from grown adults with children who have been forced to move back into their elderly parents homes, and from young people who see no future for themselves in their communities - or in Ireland at all.

She said that there are many steps the Government could be taking to speed up delivery of housing in Cork - using Compulsory Purchase Orders to acquire development land, providing early-stage finance to Approved Housing Bodies to get projects off the ground or introducing a specific zoning for affordable housing.

But every time we put these solutions to the Government, they are dismissed out of hand and voted down.

The lack of urgency and commitment to the delivery of social and affordable housing delivery is locking a generation out of housing.

A general election, a new Government and a new housing plan is now the only way of turning the tide on this crisis, she concluded.
Cork city centre looks likely to see large crowds and colourful displays this week, with a homecoming for the Cork senior hurling team expected on Monday evening, but the weekend should also bring some spectacle to town, as local members of the International Society for Krishna Consciousness (ISKCON), also known as the Hare Krishna movement, will celebrate Ratha Yatra.

Ratha Yatra, or the Festival of the Chariot, traditionally takes place in India, Nepal, and Sri Lanka, and has been celebrated in Dublin for the past 21 years, but will this year be marked for the first time in Cork.

The celebrations in Corks city centre will begin around noon on Sunday July 28, and will see a chariot being pulled to City Hall, where a celebration will take place.

The event follows on from the celebration of the festival of Holi in Fitzgerald Park in March of this year, which saw the then lord mayor of Cork, councillor Kieran McCarthy, join approximately 1,500 people for a show of colour and joy.

Organisers say all are welcome Sundays event, and they hope to make new friends in Cork.

ISKCON, otherwise known as the Hare Krishna movement, has around 10 million congregational members worldwide, and its core beliefs are founded upon Hindu scripture. It was founded by A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada in New York City in 1966.
A jail term of five months was imposed on a 34-year-old man who admitted five counts of shoplifting.

John McDonagh of 1 Inchera Close, Mahon, Cork, pleaded guilty to the charges.

They were as follows:

January 13 at JD Sports, St. Patricks St. theft of 175 worth of goods.

April 18 at the same shop, theft of 90.

Also on April 18 at Elverys on Oliver Plunkett Street, theft of 79 worth of goods.

May 4 at Boots, Douglas Court, theft of 100 worth of items.

May 5 at Lifestyle Sports, Mahon Point, theft of 160 of property.

Defence solicitor Shane Collins-Daly accepted that the defendant had multiple previous convictions for shoplifting.

He said the defendant had a severe alcohol addiction and more recently developed a cocaine problem.

He is essentially stealing to feed his habit. He knows that is wrong. All he can do is apologise. He just wants to deal with the matters now. He is very happy he will get the help he needs in custody, Mr Collins-Daly said.

Judge Mary Dorgan imposed the jail term on John McDonagh.
Two friends got into a punch-up with each other on their way to the Tom Odell concert at the Marquee and one of them was prosecuted for being drunk and a danger for his part in the row.

27-year-old Dylan OReilly of Ballinure Avenue, Mahon, Cork, pleaded guilty to being intoxicated to such an extent that he was a danger to himself or others.

Sergeant Dave Delea said the incident occurred on June 25 at Southern Road, Cork, at 9.20 p.m.

Garda Cian Hennessy responded to a report of two men fighting each other.

They had no tops on and had blood on their faces, Sgt. Delea said.

Judge John King said that despite the evidence the only charge against the young man was one of being drunk and a danger.

The judge fined him 150 at Cork District Court.

Defence solicitor Eddie Burke said the accused was on his way to the concert at the Marquee when he got into a disagreement with his friend and they sought to resolve it by way of a physical confrontation.

No other member of the public was involved in the incident between the two friends that night.
Natalie McCormack a.k.a. NATMAC spoke to us on a wide variety of topics ahead of her set with Joy In The Park Festival on July 21 in Fitzgeralds Park, Cork. Creating a welcoming space, Nat discussed the importance of community and how you just might find that through electronic music.

Hailing from Essex, Nat has been living in Ireland the past 17 years and promises us shes not leaving anytime soon. She arrived on the Cork music scene, filled with passion, excitement and even nerves.

For anybody arriving in a new city, its tricky to get business and get a gig. I started out as a bedroom DJ and was new to the craft. Moving over from London I hadnt done a lot with music yet. As an artist its important to nurture and build your craft with experience.

Seeking her new tribe, Nat began to meet like-minded artists who were in similar positions, leading Nat to found her Cork-based studio Underground Ovation in 2017. This studio provides emerging and established artists with the services and space to explore electronic music, offering one-to-one and group studio sessions, studio hire, mentoring workshops, and even gearing you up for your first gig!

Underground Ovation was made to stand up for undiscovered artists, to give them a platform and outlet to help them grow and gain experience. Through our first event, Playground, we created a safe space for exploring electronic music.

This feeling of community is built into the walls of the Underground Ovation studio as Nat shared her influences from her family in her musical journey.

My parents were massively into music. My father was a bit of a raver and mom was always into rock, indie and electro. Family really influenced me. My dad helped me build Underground Ovation. From bin bags and polystyrene, he helped to make it soundproof. I lost my dad in November and one of the last things he said to me was to make sure you play every tune for me. When I go to my studio, hes there egging me on. Its nice to know that my dad is a big part of what I do.

Nats musical influences from her childhood continue to evolve and change, embracing each wave that comes with music and life. This mindset even brought her to establish a new music collective, Outlawd, with DJ James Abjure.

Ive gone through different phases, from growing up in Essex, garage was a big part of me. When my mom passed I felt connected to more darker sounds, but it can help to revisit tunes from your youth. Two years ago, DJ James Abjure reached out to me as he saw I was playing a lot of garage on Instagram, and said we should do a night together. It was a really busy and good night. Fast forward two years and were still playing together with Outlawd.

This feeling of community is at the heart of everything Nat undertakes.

During the Pandemic, after speaking with artist friends, she identified the need for support for the electronic music scene and founded the Electronic Music Council. This community provides each other with endless support from entering the music scene, lending and sourcing equipment to bringing visibility to local events.

Were a pack of over 100 practitioners, helping and supporting each other. Im really proud of this community. Its helped put Cork in a positive direction. Im really grateful to all the seven members of the EMC team.

Working from the ground up, Nat identifies the necessity for venues in establishing healthy and safe environments for artists and fans to enjoy music.

I began taking on an advisory role with EMC for operators on how to develop their spaces for this community through initiatives such as Ask Angela and Safe Gigs Ireland.

EMC has collaborated with Liquid Lounge to support the scene and create healthy practices for working within these environments. The aim of EMC is to create a positive and growing economy for electronic music.

Recently invited by the independent volunteer group, Give Us The Night, to attend a meeting in the Dail Eireann to discuss the licensing laws in Ireland surrounding the night-time industry, Nat highlighted how other speakers explored the growing number of artists and music industry professionals leaving Ireland to pursue careers abroad.

I was chatting to Robbie G (Belters Only) who built his own label (We Are Active Records), fostered his own career through gaining experience working at a nightclub. But with limited spaces for creators to work in, people cant build up this experience, as typically electronic music does go into the later hours. Through different case studies we presented we hopefully gave the Dail food for thought.

Embracing the rising tide, Nat continues to raise up other artists through Big Up The Beours, supporting female and non-binary artists within the electronic music scene.

Through workshops held with Big Up The Beours, we identify skills that encourage confidence in setting boundaries. If youre an artist booked for a gig, make sure everything is really clear and set the right expectations with the booker. Use your community, find the answers you need.

Joining the Joy In The Park on July, July 21, NATMAC will be joined by DJs Lillian Murphy and Natalia Murria to host an hour of uplighting tunes, good vibes and Big Up The Beours!
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.

Five Just Stop Oil supporters have been sentenced to a record four and five years for conspiring to cause public nuisance for coordinating four days of protests on Londons M25 roadway in November of 2022.

Judge Christopher Hehir, who sentenced the protesters  Roger Hallam, Louise Lancaster, Daniel Shaw, Cressida Gethin and Lucia Whittaker De Abreu  said they had crossed the line from concerned campaigner to fanatic, reported The Guardian.

Hallam was sentenced to five years with the other four receiving four-year sentences.

The sentences are believed to be the longest ever imposed for nonviolent protest in the United Kingdom. They exceed those given to Morgan Trowland and Marcus Decker  Just Stop Oil protestors who scaled the Dartford Crossing and received three years and two years, seven months, respectively.

The corruption of our judges by the carbon state has crossed a line in the sand, Hallam said during the trial, as BBC News reported. This is an opportunity, and an obligation, to act. We only have a limited amount of time to halt the unimaginable horrors of climate and social collapse  and to save our democracy.

Conspiracy to cause a public nuisance became a law in the UK in 2022. It makes direct action illegal if it causes serious harm to the public, which can include injury, property damage, serious distress, inconvenience or annoyance.

In the M25 case, the judge said Parliament had made it clear that it viewed nonviolent direct action taken against national infrastructure as a serious offense that allowed for a sentence of as many as 10 years, or more for certain violent offenses.

The five protestors had been on a Zoom call attempting to recruit prospective volunteers for actions on the M25, which included climbing the roadways gantries, reported The Guardian.

What sort of country locks people away for years for planning a peaceful demonstration, let alone for talking about it on a Zoom call? Were giving a free hand to the polluting elite robbing us of a habitable planet while jailing those whore trying to stop them  it makes no sense, said Amy Cameron, program director for Greenpeace UK, as CNN reported.

Hallam had expressed the intention that the actions would cause the biggest disruption in British modern history, with the purpose of forcing the government to meet the core demand of Just Stop Oil  the ceasing of new North Sea oil and gas exploration, reported The Guardian.

The offending of all five of you is very serious indeed and lengthy custodial sentences must follow, Judge Hehir said at Southwark Crown Court.

The judge recognized the legitimacy of the human-caused climate crisis and that action needed to be taken to mitigate it.

I acknowledge that at least some of the concerns motivating you are, at least to some extent, shared by many, Hehir said. But the plain fact is that each of you has some time ago crossed the line from concerned campaigner to fanatic. You have appointed yourselves as the sole arbiters of what should be done about climate change, bound neither by the principles of democracy nor the rule of law. And your fanaticism makes you entirely heedless of the rights of your fellow citizens. You have taken it upon yourselves to decide that your fellow citizens must suffer disruption and harm, and how much disruption and harm they must suffer, simply so that you may parade your views.

In mitigation Gethin said the action was needed to help stop irrefutable climate breakdown.

I want to remind the court once more that my reasons for taking action were not beliefs or opinions. Earths life-support systems are breaking down due to human activities, whether we believe it or not, Gethin said, as The Guardian reported. I deeply regret that this action was necessary I maintain that it was necessary and I stand by my actions as the most effective option available to me.

The defendants supporters expressed outrage at the sentences, which followed a two-week trial. During the trial, Hehir ruled that evidence regarding climate breakdown should not be taken into account by the jury, even though it was what the defendants said was the main motivation for their actions, as well as a reasonable justification for them.

Today is a dark day for peaceful environmental protest in the UK, said Michel Forst, the environmental defenders special rapporteur for the United Nations, as reported by The Guardian. This sentence should shock the conscience of any member of the public. It should also put all of us on high alert on the state of civic rights and freedoms in the United Kingdom. Rulings like todays set a very dangerous precedent, not just for environmental protest but any form of peaceful protest that may, at one point or another, not align with the interests of the government of the day.
Jitendra Kumar rose to significant fame with his role in the hit web series Panchayat. Known for its rustic charm and relatable storytelling, the show has resonated deeply with audiences, establishing Kumar as a beloved figure in Indian households. Prior to Panchayat, he made his film debut in Shubh Mangal Zyada Saavdhan (2020), just before the lockdown led families to discover and connect with his work. His journey from engineering at IIT Kharagpur to acting is marked by perseverance and passion. His initial struggles in Mumbai, where he joined TVF, eventually led to his success in the digital era. Despite his rising popularity, Kumar remains grounded, valuing the appreciation from his audience over the trappings of celebrity. His work reflects his commitment to authenticity and his connection to Indias heartland. Excerpts from an interview with the talented actor:





You've gained significant fame with Panchayat. How has the audience response been for you?





Panchayat has a unique connection with people.

In every season,

I would be unsure of the audiences response, but

it has always been very good. Before Panchayat, my first film, Shubh Mangal Zyada Saavdhan (2020), was released and then the lockdown happened. Families sitting at home watched Panchayat and connected with me, making it a family show for them.

I believe people appreciate the rustic appeal. The audiences reactions vary over time. Nowadays, projects like Gullak and Laapataa Ladies are being appreciated, all of which are straightforward rustic stories. If someone asks me to do another village story, I will happily do it, as long as the script is good.





How was the experience on the set of Panchayat?





I bonded well with Neena Gupta ji. I had worked with her earlier in Shubh Mangal Zyada Saavdhan and have been an ardent fan of hers. When she appreciates my work,

I feel validated. In the evenings, we would all get together for chats. We had informal gatherings on set where Raghubir Yadav ji would narrate fascinating stories in a very entertaining manner.





What was the most challenging part of your journey to becoming an actor?





The most difficult part is bagging the first project. For people like me from small towns, thinking of being part of the Mumbai crowd and getting work is an uphill task. The stress of survival was immense. Coming to Mumbai, facing the camera, performing, and having my hoardings put up was a dream. As an outsider, you have no clue how to enter the industry or whom to approach. It is not easy, but I went with the flow.





to acting?





In 2012, I completed my engineering degree from IIT Kharagpur. During college, we watched a lot of films and plays, which sparked my interest in acting. However, I never thought of it as a career. After college, I landed in Mumbai. A senior wanted to become a writer and told me about TVF in Mumbai where I could work. Initially, I did not get work, which made me question my abilities. I felt I needed to train myself in acting before entering the industry. So, I took a job in Bangalore to buy some time. Later, I applied to

the National School

of Drama but couldnt secure admission.



Did you ever consider going back to engineering?





When I came to Mumbai to act, I felt I lacked good acting skills and thought of returning to engineering. But then

I realised I wasnt a good fit for engineering either.

It seemed like I had no other options and was stuck in a closed room, unsure of what to do.

How did the digital world help in your career?





I took a break from my job in Bangalore and came to Mumbai, shooting and posting a few videos on social media. Those videos became hits and I started getting work. By then, TVF had evolved. The new digital era allowed content creation with minimal resources, which helped a lot. This gave work to many people, including me, who might have struggled otherwise.



Do you attribute your success to luck, hard work or talent?





It is difficult to survive without hard work in

any field, but luck plays

a role too. It was luck

that brought me to TVF

at the right time, giving

me opportunities to evolve. Passion is also important. If you truly want to achieve something, you can do it with dedication.





My bonding with Ayushmann was good. During the filming of Shubh Mangal, I was a novice and very nervous. But Ayushmanns energy and vibes on set were positive. He made me feel comfortable. Even today, when people watch my work, they message and appreciate it.



Do you feel like a celebrity now?





I dont feel like a star, but I have realised that people like my work. Every artiste wants their work to reach an audience and be appreciated. It feels good when your work is loved. I gauge my success by the audiences response to my work, not by setting goals. I want to work on good scripts, whether they are web series or films.





I have noticed that distancing myself from social media helps me focus on my work. The addictive nature of mobile phones affects our brains and emotions. An actors work should speak for itself, without relying on social media. However, social media is a useful marketing tool to reach the audience, but I prefer not to share every detail of my life on it.





I am the same Jitendra in real life as you see on screen. Im one among the 90 per cent of the middle-class population. I try to be honest with my feelings. Being an introvert sometimes creates misunderstandings, with people thinking I am arrogant. However, those close to me understand me well and thats enough.





I remain calm and composed, rarely getting angry. I am forthright but considerate of others feelings. I dont celebrate my success loudly. I keep my happiness to myself and focus on my work. I often reflect on my failures to understand what went wrong and how I can improve. I have got what I wanted through a lot of hardships. So when I gained popularity, I did not let success get into my head. Every person has to experience both success and failure, so I take both in my stride. I do not celebrate my happiness. If something is going right in my life, I keep mum and stay content and happy. I do not scream about it from the rooftops. I enjoy my work. And I have a confession to make, whenever the spotlight shines on me, I get scared. Failures ko main bahut kareeb rakhta hoon, chahe fir professionally ho ya personally.





I am single. I have been in relationships earlier, but right now, I want to give time to myself. I connect with many people but believe a serious relationship requires time and commitment.





Being in love means being with someone with whom you can fight and laugh heartily. Someone with whom you can joke around and express your emotions freely. I am a die-hard romantic and believe that friendship is crucial in a relationship. The bond should be strong enough to share everything and understand each other without needing to apologise.





Do you have any

If you are dating someone and want to know them better, travel with them. Spending time together while travelling reveals different sides of their personality. Its a great

way to explore and understand each other.





I want to work with directors like Sriram Raghavan, Zoya Akhtar, Anurag Kashyap, and Imtiaz Ali. My idols include Manoj Bajpayee, Irrfan Khan, Shah Rukh Khan, Dilip Kumar, Balraj Sahani, Mohan Lal, Leonardo DiCaprio, Jim Carrey, and Steve Carell.





I like Tom Hanks a lot. Despite being a star, he remains unattached to his characters. Breaking out of a particular image can be challenging, but Tom Hanks has managed to avoid being weighed down by his stardom.
Toronto, Ontario--(Newsfile Corp. - July 20, 2024) - Limitless Tire, a leading provider of high-quality tires, wheels, and automotive services, proudly announces a new five-year partnership agreement with Fitzy by Fitted Rims. This strategic alliance underscores the tremendous success Fitzy has brought to Limitless Tire, contributing to a remarkable 45% year-over-year sales increase.





Cannot view this video? Visit:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k7rgy6AbCpQ

The collaboration, which formalizes the partnership between these two industry leaders, aims to enhance the range and quality of products and services available to customers. With Fitzy's innovative approach to rim customization and Limitless Tire's comprehensive automotive services, this partnership is set to redefine the customer experience in the automotive industry.

Faisal Mohammad, VP of Operations at Limitless Tire, expressed his excitement about the agreement, stating, "We are thrilled to solidify our relationship with Fitzy by Fitted Rims. Their exceptional contribution to our sales growth over the past years has been phenomenal. This agreement is a testament to our shared vision of providing unparalleled products and services to our customers. We look forward to a prosperous future together."

About Limitless Tire

Established in 2011, Limitless Tire has become a household name in the tire and wheel industry, serving over 48,343 satisfied customers. The company operates five locations in Brampton, Mississauga, North York, Rexdale, and Pickering, specializing in a wide range of automotive services. These include rim and tire sales, lift kits, lowering kits, caliper paint, rim and tire road hazard warranties/insurance, rim repairs, rim refinishing, brake replacement and repair, suspension and steering, and windshield stone chip repair.

Limitless Tire offers unique services like no-credit-check financing with zero down payment and no payment for 90 days. For more information, visit Limitless Tire: https://limitlesstire.com.

About Fitzy by Fitted Rims

Fitzy by Fitted Rims is renowned for its cutting-edge rim customization and exceptional quality. Their innovative designs and superior craftsmanship have made them a preferred choice for automotive enthusiasts looking to enhance the aesthetics and performance of their vehicles. For more information, visit Fitzy by Fitted Rims: https://fittedrims.net.

Media Contact:

For more details on the partnership and to explore the enhanced product offerings, visit Limitless Tire: https://limitlesstire.com and Fitzy by Fitted Rims: https://fittedrims.net, and follow them on their social media channels for the latest updates and promotions.

This press release is crafted by Big Uproar, Limitless Tire's trusted Business Process Outsourcing (BPO) partner for the past 8 years, specializing in marketing, branding, and sales initiatives designed to boost brand visibility and customer engagement. For more information, visit Big Uproar: https://biguproar.com.

By leveraging the strengths of both companies, Limitless Tire and Fitzy by Fitted Rims are poised to set new industry standards, delivering unmatched quality and service to their customers. Stay tuned for exciting updates and exclusive deals from this dynamic partnership.

To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/217190

SOURCE: Limitless Tire Group Inc
NEW YORK and LONDON, July 19, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- Pearl Diver Credit Company Inc. (NYSE: PDCC) (the "Company") today announced the closing of its previously announced initial public offering of 2.2 million shares of common stock at a public offering price of $20.00 per share and the full exercise of the overallotment option of 330,000 shares for total net proceeds to the Company of $50.6 million. Pearl Diver Capital LLP ("Pearl Diver Capital"), the Company's investment adviser, or its affiliates will pay the full amount of the sales load in connection with this initial public offering and all of the Company's organizational and offering expenses.

The Company intends to use the proceeds from the capital raised to build a diversified portfolio of senior secured U.S. corporate loans through investments in equity tranches of collateralized loan obligations (CLOs).

Shares of the Company's common stock began trading on the New York Stock Exchange under the symbol "PDCC" on July 18, 2024. As of the close of trading on July 19, 2024, the Company's market capitalization was approximately $136 million.

Kingswood Capital Partners, LLC acted as the sole bookrunner for the offering.

Investors should consider the Company's investment objectives, risks, charges and expenses carefully before investing. The preliminary prospectus, which has been filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission ("SEC"), contains this and other information about the Company and should be read carefully before investing. The information in the preliminary prospectus and this press release is not complete and may be changed. The preliminary prospectus and this press release are not offers to sell these securities and are not soliciting an offer to buy these securities in any state where such offer or sale is not permitted.

A registration statement relating to these securities is on file with and has been declared effective by the SEC. Copies of the preliminary prospectus (and the final prospectus, when available) may be obtained by writing to Kingswood Capital Partners, LLC, 126 East 56th Street, Suite 22S, New York, NY 10022, or by calling 212-487-1080. Copies may also be obtained by visiting EDGAR on the SEC's website at www.sec.gov.

About Pearl Diver Credit Company Inc.

Pearl Diver Credit Company Inc. (NYSE: PDCC) is a newly organized, externally managed, non-diversified, closed-end management investment company. Its primary investment objective is to maximize its portfolio's total return, with a secondary objective of generating high current income. The Company seeks to achieve these objectives by investing primarily in equity and junior debt tranches of CLOs collateralized by portfolios of sub-investment grade, senior secured floating-rate debt issued by a large number of distinct US companies across several industry sectors. The Company will be externally managed by Pearl Diver Capital LLP. The Company's public filings are available free of charge by writing to the Company at 747 3rd Avenue, Level 36, New York, NY, Attention: Investor Relations.

About Pearl Diver Capital LLP

Founded in 2008, Pearl Diver Capital specializes in collateralized loan obligation (CLO) investing. Its data scientists and credit analysts use proprietary technology and advanced analytics to identify attractive opportunities in the CLO market. Pearl Diver's highly experienced team includes individuals from a wide range of scientific and mathematical backgrounds. The senior investment team includes Indranil (Neil) Basu, Chandrajit Chakraborty, Michael Brown, Matthew Layton, Kerrill Gaffney and Patrick Chan.

As of June 30, 2024, Pearl Diver Capital has $2.6 billion in assets under management across multiple private funds backed by institutional investors ranging from public pension plans, university endowments, foundations, large family offices, corporate/ERISA pension plans and asset managers across the US, Europe and Latin America. Because it is strictly an investor in the CLO space, not an issuer, it has developed close relationships with over 80 CLO managers - and their analysts - across the CLO spectrum, enabling the firm to have rare access to critical credit information on underlying companies in CLO portfolios while avoiding conflicts of interest that might arise in performing roles that span both CLO investing and CLO management. For more information, visit www.pearldivercapital.com.

Forward-Looking Statements

This press release may contain "forward-looking statements" within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Statements other than statements of historical facts included in this press release may constitute forward-looking statements and are not guarantees of future performance or results and involve a number of risks and uncertainties. Actual results may differ materially from those in the forward-looking statements as a result of a number of factors, including those described in the prospectus and the Company's other filings with the SEC. The Company undertakes no duty to update any forward-looking statement made herein. All forward-looking statements speak only as of the date of this press release.

NOT FDIC INSURED  NO BANK GUARANTEE  MAY LOSE VALUE

Media Contact:

Joseph Kuo / Michael Dugan

Haven Tower Group LLC

424 317 4851 or 424 317 4852

[email protected] or [email protected]

SOURCE Pearl Diver Credit Company Inc.
More than 300 Indian students have returned home as Bangladesh reels from violent anti-quota protests. About 80 medical students were among those who returned to India on Friday by hiring private taxis to travel to the border with a security escort read more

A demonstrator throws an object as protesters clash with Border Guard Bangladesh (BGB) and the police outside the state-owned Bangladesh Television as violence erupts across the country after anti-quota protests by students, in Dhaka, Bangladesh, July 19, 2024. Reuters

Tensions are high in Bangladesh as violent clashes continue between student protesters and security forces. Over 100 people have reportedly been killed as police cracked down on demonstrators opposing reservations in government jobs.

Prime Minister Sheikh Hasinas government imposed a nationwide curfew on Friday (July 19). She has also ordered the deployment of military forces to maintain order.

Amid the violence, several Indian students have returned home through the border in the Northeast. About 80-odd medical students took a six-hour journey on Friday in private taxis escorted by security to the border between Bangladesh and West Bengal.

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Lets take a closer look.

Indian students leave violence-hit Bangladesh

Over 700 Indian students have arrived home from violence-struck Bangladesh, according to the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) statement on Saturday (July 20).

In addition, around 200 students have returned home by regular flight services through Dhaka and Chittagong airports. The High Commission of India in Dhaka and our Assistant High Commissions are in regular touch with more than 4,000 students remaining in various universities in Bangladesh and are providing necessary assistance, the statement read.

The MEA said that students from Nepal and Bhutan have also been helped to reach India.

Many students who returned on Friday were studying in medical colleges in Bangladesh, with several of them belonging to Uttar Pradesh, Haryana, Meghalaya and Jammu and Kashmir, reported NDTV.

Asif Hussain, who was among the 80 students who travelled back home on Friday from Bangladesh, told Reuters, Our college was not affected by the violence but we heard there was trouble in the town (about 15 minutes away).

He studies at a private medical college in Bangladeshs Manikganj district, about 50 km from Dhaka, and described being cut off from his family in India as especially stressful.

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As news came in of students being killed in Dhaka, Hussain and about 80 others from his college hired private taxis to travel to Bangladeshs border with West Bengal.

The Indian High Commission in Bangladesh also provided the students with a security escort after they requested for it, Hussain said.

Leaving their college at 2.30 am, the group reached the border six hours later but crossed it only in the afternoon after clearing immigration.

For Hussain, the journey will continue for another day as he travels to his hometown, Dhubri, in Assam state.

It has been very scaryI have (still) not been able to speak to many of my friends in Dhaka, he said.

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As per an NDTV report, many students used the international land port at Akhurah near Tripuras Agartala and the international land port at Dawki in Meghalaya to return on Friday.

They decided to come back home after curbs on the internet on Thursday and disruption of telephone services.

I am a second-year student at the Marine City Medical College and Hospital in Chittagong. The situation is getting worse and many restrictions have been put in place, which is why we have returned. Many other students have also come back. The internet is not working and we were not able to get in touch with our families. We could not get flight tickets and had to take the road route to Agartala instead of flying home, Aamir from Haryana told NDTV.

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The Border Security Force (BSF) on Friday evacuated 125 Indian students from Bangladesh through Meghalayas Dawki integrated check post along the states border with the neighbouring country, reported Times of India. The force was seen checking the identity poofs of returning students in Tripura.

VIDEO | A large number of Indian students studying in #Bangladesh returned home on Friday by the land route through Agartala city in Tripura.



They came back to escape the deteriorating law and order situation in the neighbouring country following a wave of student protests pic.twitter.com/S7maRKcAen  Press Trust of India (@PTI_News) July 20, 2024

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The BSF has also been deployed along the West Bengal border with Bangladesh as students come back via land route.

According to ANI, the High Commission of India is working with local authorities to provide the required security to students keen on returning home.

The MEA has urged the family members of Indian nationals to keep in touch with the Indian High Commission in Bangladesh. It said on Friday that all Indians were safe in the neighbouring nation.

In an advisory, the MEA also urged its citizens in Bangladesh to minimise movement outside their residences.

ALSO READ: We are Razakars: What is this loaded term used by student protesters that has irked Bangladesh govt?

Indians in Bangladesh

Around 8,500 Indians are studying in Bangladesh  many of them pursuing medicine  Indias foreign ministry says, and about 15,000 Indians live in the country.

Bangladeshs history is closely intertwined with India, which intervened on the side of Bengali nationalists in their 1971 war of independence against Pakistan.

Meghalaya, which too shares a border with Bangladesh, is also helping to evacuate people, with officials saying more than 350 students from India, Nepal and Bhutan have entered through this route so far.

An official told PTI that more than 670 people, including nationals of Nepal and Bhutan, are taking refuge in Meghalaya.

Meghalaya chief minister Conrad Sangma told media that about 405 people, including 80 from the state, have been rescued so far.

India, which shares warm relations with the neighbouring country, has called the protests an internal matter of Bangladesh.

With input from Reuters
The IT outage that disrupted life and computers globally has been linked to the software CrowdStrike Falcon. While many organsations reported their Windows 10 computers reflecting the blue screen of death, home PCs were not affected. But why? read more

A affected computer systems worldwide. In Australia and Aotearoa New Zealand, reports indicate computers at banks, media organisations, hospitals, transport services, shop checkouts, airports and more were impacted.

Fridays outage is unprecedented in its scale and severity. The technical term for what has happened to the affected computers is that they have been  bricked. This word refers to those computers being rendered so useless by this outage that  at least for now  they may as well be bricks.

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The widespread outage has been linked to a piece of software called CrowdStrike Falcon. What is it, and why has it caused such widespread disruption?

What is CrowdStrike Falcon?

CrowdStrike is a US cyber security company with a major global share in the tech market. Falcon is one of its software products that organisations install on their computers to keep them safe from cyber attacks and malware.

Falcon is what is known as endpoint detection and response (EDR) software. Its job is to monitor what is happening on the computers on which it is installed, looking for signs of nefarious activity (such as malware). When it detects something fishy, it helps to lock down the threat.

This means Falcon is what we call privileged software. To detect signs of attack, Falcon has to monitor computers in a lot of detail, so it has access to a lot of the internal systems. This includes what communications computers are sending over the internet as well as what programmes are running, what files are being opened, and much more.

The logo for CrowdStrike and a Spirit Airlines webpage are shown on a computer screen and mobile phone screen, in New York, July 19, 2024. AP

In this sense, Falcon is a bit like traditional antivirus software, but on steroids.

More than that, however, it also needs to be able to lock down threats. For example, if it detects that a computer it is monitoring is communicating with a potential hacker, Falcon needs to be able to shut down that communication. This means Falcon is tightly integrated with the core software of the computers it runs on  Microsoft Windows.

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Why Falcon malfunctioned

This privilege and tight integration makes Falcon powerful. But it also means that when Falcon malfunctions, it can cause serious problems. Fridays outage was a worst-case scenario.

What we currently know is that an update to Falcon caused it to malfunction in a way that caused Windows 10 computers to crash and then fail to reboot, leading to the dreaded blue screen of death (BSOD).

This is the affectionate term used to refer to the screen that is displayed when Windows computers crash and need to be rebooted  only, in this case, the Falcon problem means the computers cannot reboot without encountering the BSOD again.

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How Falcon is widely used

CrowdStrike is the market leader in EDR solutions. This means its products  such as Falcon  are common and likely the pick of the bunch for organisations conscious of their cyber security.

As Fridays outage has shown, this includes hospitals, media companies, universities, major supermarkets and many more. The full scale of the impact is yet to be determined, but its certainly global.

Why were home PCs not impacted?

While CrowdStrikes products are widely deployed in major organisations that need to protect themselves from cyber attacks, they are much less commonly used on home PCs.

This is because CrowdStrikes products are tailored for large organisations in which CrowdStrikes tools help them monitor their networks for signs of attack, and provide them with the information they need to respond to intrusions in a timely way.

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For home users, built-in antivirus software or security products offered by companies such as Norton and McAfee are much more popular.

How long to entirely fix the issue?

At this stage, CrowdStrike has provided manual instructions for how people can fix the problem on individual affected computers.

However, at the time of writing there does not yet appear to be an automatic fix for the problem. IT teams at some organisations may be able to fix this problem quickly by simply wiping the affected computers and restoring them from backups or similar.

Screens show a blue error message at a departure floor of LaGuardia Airport in New York on July 19, 2024, after a faulty CrowdStrike update caused a major internet outage for computers running Microsoft Windows. AP

Some IT teams may also be able to roll back (revert to an earlier version) the affected Falcon version on their organisations computers. Its also possible some IT teams will have to manually fix the problem on their organisations computers, one at a time.

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We should expect that in many organisations it may take a while before the problem can be resolved entirely.

What is ironic about this incident is that security professionals have been encouraging organisations to deploy advanced security technology such as EDR for years. Yet that same technology has now resulted in a major outage the likes of which we havent seen in years.

For companies like CrowdStrike that sell highly privileged security software, this is a timely reminder to be incredibly careful when deploying automatic updates to their products.

This article is republished from The Conversation under a Creative Commons license. Read the original article.
A global IT outage on Friday caused chaos around the world, hitting several sectors including aviation and healthcare. In India, airports were the worst affected with some airlines forced to cancel flights. A day later, operations are getting back on track but the backlog continues to affect passengers read more

Passengers look at screens, one of them showing Blue Screen error, at T3 Terminal of the Indira Gandhi International Airport amid Microsoft outage, in New Delhi, Friday, July 19, 2024. PTI

After a day of chaos, businesses and services hit by a major IT outage that affected computer systems across the globe are slowly returning to normal. In India, flight operations at several airports have improved today (July 20) hours after major disruptions caused inconvenience to passengers.

The massive global IT outage occurred on Friday after cyber-security firm Crowdstrike issued a faulty software update that impacted Microsoft Windows. Companies, banks, airlines and hospitals were among those that mainly bore the brunt worldwide.

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Now, affected businesses and services are recovering, but Crowdstrikes CEO has said it could take some time before all systems resume operations normally. In a statement on X, CrowdStrike CEO George Kurtz said the company is working with customers impacted by a defect found in a single content update for Windows hosts.

This is not a security incident or cyberattack. The issue has been identified, isolated and a fix has been deployed, he wrote in a tweet on Friday.

Which services have resumed and which remain disrupted in India? We explain.

These services are back

Airlines in India were worst affected due to the global IT outage on Friday, with big players like IndiGo being forced to cancel multiple flights.

A day later, the civil aviation ministry issued a statement saying that airline systems across airports have started working normally.

Flight operations are now running smoothly. While there is a backlog due to yesterdays disruptions, it is gradually being cleared. By noon today, we expect all issues to be resolved, the ministry said in a statement earlier in the day.

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Indigo has urged the passengers to check their flight status before heading to the airports. The domestic airline said that while their systems are back online, they are diligently working to resume normal operations which could extend into the weekend.

Indigo had cancelled about 200 flights yesterday, and several others were delayed as manual check-ins significantly slowed the passenger processing.

Airlines such as IndiGo, Akasa Air, Vistara, Air India, SpiceJet, and Air India took to social media to flag the technical issues they faced.

At several airports, including Chennai, Delhi, Mumbai and Bengaluru, long queues of passengers were seen as web check-in services went down, leading to manual ticketing process.

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Passengers were handed handwritten boarding passes and had to wait about 30-40 minutes for manual ticketing and luggage check-in, causing frustration and overcrowding at airports, reported NDTV.

A passenger shows a handwritten boarding pass amid the ongoing Microsoft outage, at the airport in New Delhi, July 19, 2024. PTI

As the day passed, operations started returning on track slowly.

SpiceJet announced late on Friday that it had resolved the technical issues and resumed normal operations.

Budget carrier Akasa Air said late last night that its online services, including booking, check-in and boarding systems, were up and running.

Besides aviation, about 10 banks and non-banking financial companies (NBFCs) in India were affected by the global outage. However, according to the Reserve Bank of India (RBI), the minor disruptions faced by the financial sector were largely resolved.

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ALSO READ: In Graphics | What we know about Microsoft IT outage

What is still affected?

Airlines are now dealing with the backlog caused due to flight disruptions yesterday.

At Delhis Indira Gandhi International Airport (IGI), IndiGo counters continued to witness long queues today, as per a Business Today report.

Earlier in the day, a passenger travelling to London from Delhi told ANI that his flight was delayed by at least half an hour. There is a long queue outside the airport. Most of the flights are delayed"

#WATCH | Microsoft outage affecting flight operations: A passenger at Delhi airport says "I am travelling to London and my flight is delayed by half an hour at least. There is a long queue outside the airport. Most of the flights are delayed..." pic.twitter.com/CTvYseXdOm  ANI (@ANI) July 20, 2024

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The Digi Yatra system is still non-operational, prompting manual entries at the Delhi airport. International travellers are unable to print out their boarding passes and have to be issued manual ones inside the IGI airport, as per the NDTV report.

Mumbais Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj International Airport is also reporting large crowds but operations are running better than yesterday. However, two flights had to be cancelled and many global flights were rescheduled on Saturday, the report added.

At Bengalurus Kempegowda International Airport, normal operations have resumed but the impact of Fridays delays is visible today as long queues continue.

ALSO READ: Microsoft outage: Which airports have been worst-affected? How are they dealing with the crisis?

Which services remained unaffected?

The income tax department portal did not report any major disruptions due to the global IT outage. Dont think there are any issues at present, the Central Board of Direct Taxes (CBDT) said late on Friday.

Several Indian asset management companies, including SBI MF, ICICI Prudential MF, Aditya Birla Sun Life MF, Axis MF and Zerodha MF, remained insulated against the Microsoft outage.

The Indian stock exchanges were also unaffected unlike the London Stock Exchange, which said its real-time platforms were impacted by the outage caused by a third-party technical issue. It was later resolved.

With inputs from agencies
The Siddaramaiah-led Karnataka government caused a stir with its bill to reserve jobs for locals in the private sector. But it is not the only state which tried to introduce such quotas, others have done it before. Heres this and more in our weekly roundup of stories from India read more

Karnataka has put the bill reserving jobs for locals in the private sector on hold. Representational Image/Reuters

It was a busy week. Karnataka grabbed the limelight over its private job quotas for locals. The proposal by the Siddaramaiah-led government was, however, met with a huge backlash.

India has taken a step forward to green-light the weight-loss drug tirzepatide. This comes amid the rising craze of weight loss drugs such as Ozempic and Zepbound in the United States and Europe.

If you are someone who does not have their FASTag on their vehicles windscreen, you will end up paying a penalty. We will explain this later in the story.

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Here are all these developments and more in our weekly roundup of explainers from India.

1. The Karnataka governments bill on job reservation in the private sector caused a huge stir with industry leaders denouncing the proposed law. Siddaramaiah posted on X that the Karnataka Cabinet has approved a bill mandating private industries to hire only Kannadigas in group C and D jobs. However, he later deleted the post after outrage.

His ministers jumped in to salvage the situation, saying the bill reserves 50 per cent of management positions and 70 per cent of non-management positions for Kannadigas in the private sector. However, top industry leaders and bodies criticised the bill.

The Karnataka government has put the private job quota bill on hold. PTI

Expressing its concerns, IT industry body Nasscom asked the state to withdraw the proposed law. The Karnataka government eventually backtracked, putting the job quota bill on hold. But Karnataka is not the first state to attempt to impose such a bill. We explain in this story which other states have tried to do it before.

2. The Bharatiya Janata Partys (BJP) Uttar Pradesh unit has released its report card. The saffron party has detailed reasons for its loss in the state in the recently concluded Lok Sabha polls.

The BJP has prepared a 15-page report on the basis of feedback from 40,000 party workers across the 80 Lok Sabha seats in Uttar Pradesh. The saffron party suffered a major setback in the Hindi heartland state, winning just 33 seats  a significant fall from the 62 seats it had won in 2019. The opposition INDIA bloc, led by Samajwadi Party and Congress in UP, bagged 43 seats.

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What has the BJPs report found? Read our story to find out.

3. Indias apex drug regulator, Central Drug Standard Control Organisation (CDSCO), has given an initial nod to the pharmaceutical giant Eli Lillys tirzepatide  the active ingredient in the companys Mounjaro (for diabetes) and Zepbound (for weight loss).

In India, the initial approval by CDSCOs subject expert committee is for the treatment of type 2 diabetes. However, the drug has been used for weight loss in other parts of the world. But what is tirzepatide and how does it work? We explain in this report.

4. You will have to pay double toll fees if you do not put FASTag on the windscreen of your vehicle. The National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) has introduced the guidelines to ensure the affixation of FASTag on the front windshield.

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A worker fixes a FASTag sticker on the windscreen of a car, at Vashi Toll Plaza on Sion Panvel Highway, Mumbai, November 29, 2019. File Photo/PTI

The Centre has notified Standard Operating Procedure (SOP) to all User Fee Collection Agencies and Concessionaires to charge double toll fees from users who do not have FASTag on the windscreen of their vehicles. But why has this step been taken? Read our story to find out.

5. Chandipura virus infection is believed to have led to the death of several children in Gujarat. The number of suspected cases has increased since the past week, with infections also being reported in Rajasthan and Madhya Pradesh.

The virus, which has a high mortality rate, spreads to humans through the bite of infected sandflies or drainflies. It mostly affects children aged 9 to 14 years. We explain in our story about the Chandipura virus and its treatment.

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6. You may soon be able to order alcohol online if you reside in Karnataka, Haryana, Punjab, Tamil Nadu, Goa, Kerala, and Delhi. Leading online delivery platforms like Blinkit, Big Basket, Swiggy and Zomato are reportedly considering delivering liquor to your doorstep.

The first phase of the pilot project could see the delivery of low-alcohol beverages like beer, wine, and liqueurs. But whats the need for such a move? Will it help in increasing the alcohol sales? We explain in our story.

You are all caught up for the week. If you like our explainers and want to stay updated with our work, you can bookmark this page.
Until 1999, the Union Budget was presented at 5 pm in India on the last working day of February. Years later, even the date was changed. But why? read more

All eyes are on the Union Budget that will be presented by Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman on Tuesday (July 23). This is the first budget of the Bharatiya Janata Party-led National Democratic Alliance (NDA) which came to power at the Centre for a third consecutive term in June.

India is witnessing two budgets this year  an interim one in February and a full one this month. This happened as the incumbent government cannot present a full Budget before the general elections.

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Sitharaman will start presenting the 2024 Union Budget from 11 am in Lok Sabha, marking her seventh consecutive budget. But the budget time has not always been in the morning.

Lets take a closer look.

Budget: From 5 pm to 11 am

The Budget was presented at 5 pm during the colonial era. This was the practice so the announcements could be made in London and India at the same time.

The Indian Standard Time (IST) is 4 hours and 30 minutes ahead of the British Summer Time (BST). So, presenting the budget at 5 pm in India ensured for the British government it is happening in daytime in the United Kingdom at 12.30 pm.

This 5 pm time for the Budget speech was followed in India even after Independence. This finally changed in 1999 when the then finance minister Yashwant Sinha decided to revise the time to 11 am.

On February 27, 1999, Sinha, finance minister in the Atal Bihari Vajpayee-led government, presented Indias first budget at 11 am. This change mattered as India was no longer a British colony and did not need to adapt to Londons time zone.

Moreover, as Sinha argued, it allowed more time for parliamentary debate and discussion on the Budget and analysing numbers.

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Since 1999, all Union Budgets have been presented at 11 am. Continuing the tradition, Sitharaman will present the budget at 11 am on Tuesday. A day before the budget, on July 22, the annual economic survey will be presented.

#WATCH | Delhi: The Halwa ceremony, marking the final stage of the Budget preparation process for Union Budget 2024, was held in North Block, today, in the presence of Union Finance & Corporate Affairs Minister Nirmala Sitharaman.



A customary Halwa ceremony is performed pic.twitter.com/mVScsFHun9  ANI (@ANI) July 16, 2024

Change in Budget date

Did you know the Union Budget was not always presented on February 1? Historically, it had been presented on the last working day of February.

This continued to be the norm until 2017. Former finance minister and the late Arun Jaitley broke away from the practice in 2017, presenting the Budget on February 1.

He said that presenting the Budget at the end of February gave the government little time to implement new policies and changes by April 1. Thus, the Budget presentation was moved to February 1.

And with this, the Narendra Modi-led government shed another colonial legacy.

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Earlier, the BJP-led NDA government had brought another change by shelving the norm of presenting a separate Railway Budget. Instead, the finance minister integrated the Railways Budget with the Union Budget.

Budget 2024 expectations

The Union Budget, or the Annual Financial Statement, outlines the governments projected expenses and revenues for the upcoming fiscal year. There are many expectations from the full Budget slated next week.

The salaried class is seeking notable income tax relief with changes in the new income tax regime, standard deduction, etc.

Speaking to Mint about the budget expectations, Sneha Poddar, VP of research, broking and distribution at Motilal Oswal Financial Services (MOFSL) said, We largely expect the government to continue with its tax and non-debt capital receipt (including disinvestment) projections presented during the Interim Budget in Feb24 and stick to its fiscal deficit consolidation path.

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We, however, believe it can increase fiscal spending given higher receipts of RBI dividends.

She said the government could also bring respite for poorer and middle classes and encourage consumption ahead of the Assembly elections in key states.

Apart from this, we largely expect the governments policy agenda to continue with a sustained focus on infrastructure, capex, and manufacturing, which will occupy centre stage, Poddar told Mint.

According to Care Ratings, the NDA governments budget will attempt to enhance consumption through higher allocation for the rural economy, welfare schemes and agriculture.

With inputs from agencies
India is now the worlds fifth-largest economy  up from below 15th in 1991, when the country adopted the idea of economic liberalisation whose time had arrived. Lets take a dive into the past to understand Indias growth story better read more

The Union Minister for Finance Dr. Manmohan Singh giving TV interview after presenting the Union Budget for the year 1991-92 to the Parliament, in New Delhi on July 24, 1991. File image/ Wikimedia Commons

As Indias Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman presented Union Budget 2024 on July 23, Firstpost reflects on another July Budget, which is known for its transformative effect on the countrys economy.

Presented on July 24, 1991, by Manmohan Singh, who went on to become Indias prime minister for 10 years, the Budget set India on a new economic trajectory, fundamentally altering the nations economic landscape.

While Singh prepared the Budget, he later credited then-Prime Minister PV Narasimha Rao for showing the political courage required for this scale of economic reforms in India that had largely followed a socialist economic governance for over over four decades.

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Recalling the historic Budget presentation of 1991

Thirty-three years ago, on 24 July 1991, Manmohan Singh, then the finance minister of India, presented a budget that heralded a new era for the Indian economy. After decades of growing at a modest 3.5 per cent annually, India took the critical decision of liberalising its economy.

The measures that India took back then transformed the economic growth trajectory of the nation and the lives of its citizens forever. Singhs speech, imbued with a sense of urgency and optimism, set the tone for the countrys ambitious journey ahead.

I do not minimise the difficulties that lie ahead on the long and arduous journey on which we have embarked. But as Victor Hugo once said, No power on earth can stop an idea whose time has come, said Singh.

I suggest to this august House that the emergence of India as a major economic power in the world happens to be one such idea. Let the whole world hear it loud and clear. India is now wide awake. We shall prevail. We shall overcome," proclaimed Singh in his budget speech.

The preceding decade and the economic crisis

Reforms had already begun in the preceding decade, particularly after 1985, but the Indian economy remained weak and fragile. The situation came to a head with the balance-of-payment crisis.

Arvind Panagariya, who was the first vice-chairman of the Narendra Modi governments think tank Niti Aayog, has noted in his IMF Working Paper  India in the 1980s and 1990s: A Triumph of Reforms  that the growth during the 1980s was also propelled by fiscal expansion financed by borrowing abroad and at home. But this was unsustainable and led to the crisis of June 1991.

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The fragile but faster growth during the 1980s took place in the context of significant reforms throughout the decade but especially starting in 1985. While this liberalisation was ad hoc and implemented quietly (reforms by stealth is the term often used to describe them), it made inroads into virtually all areas of industry and laid the foundation of the more extensive reforms in July 1991 and beyond. The liberalisation pushed industrial growth to a hefty 9.2 percent during the crucial high growth period of 198891, Panagariya elaborated.

Narasimha Rao: The architect behind the reforms

The transition, commonly referred to as liberalisation, was orchestrated by Rao, who almost abandoned his political career to lead a monastic order. Raos political history did not suggest he would become a liberaliser, as detailed by Political Science professor Vinay Sitapati in his biography of Rao, Half Lion.

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Manmohan Singh, who was the driving force behind these reforms as Raos finance minister, admitted to Sitapati, I had no inkling that Rao was in favour of liberalisation based on his past record.

Rao, a socialist at heart and a protectionist until 1991, underwent a rapid transformation. Senior Congress leader and former Union minister Jairam Ramesh, who was an Officer on Special Duty in Raos PMO during the transformative months of 1991, has recounted his initial interactions with the then prime minister in his book, titled, To The Brink and Back: Indias 1991 Story.

Ramesh writes, He [Rao] told me that he was not an expert on economic issues and that I should coordinate meetings with Pranab Mukherjee and keep briefing him on these subjects.

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A stark realisation that needed a drastic response

Raos understanding of the economic crisis deepened rapidly. On 19 June, just two days before he was sworn in as Prime Minister, Rao was briefed by cabinet secretary Naresh Chandra on the dire economic situation. Sitapati noted, It took just a few hours for Rao to change his mind and become an economic liberaliser.

Ramesh recalled Raos reaction to Chandras briefing in his book, saying, When he saw the note, Narasimha Raos first response was: Is the economic situation that bad? To this, Chandras response was, No, sir, its worse.

Reforms begin to set Indias economy free

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Chandras note, which included core reforms such as devaluation, trade liberalisation, and de-licensing, formed the blueprint for the economic policies Rao and Singh implemented. Raos political acumen recognised the necessity of these reforms, and he strategically appointed Manmohan Singh as the finance minister. Singhs economic expertise was crucial in persuading both domestic sceptics and international observers.

Ramesh says the pairing of Rao and Singh was unlikely yet transformative. Both Rao and Manmohan were pillars of the ancient regime, stalwarts of the very system they set out to replace, Ramesh writes in his book.

Incidentally, the two leaders who opened Indias economy to the world were known as introverts, and as leaders who didnt carry much weight within the Congress system. Yet, together, they managed to steer India towards a new economic path.

Fight against scepticism and political challenges

The reforms were not without their challenges. For instance, Rao was initially horrified by the prospect of devaluing the rupee, a move he associated with the political and economic debacle of 1966. Nevertheless, the first devaluation occurred on 1 July 1991, followed by a second on 3 July. Raos initial resistance gave way to acceptance, mostly due to Singhs persistence and his influence over the then prime minister.

Singh is said to have even offered to resign when Rao hesitated. Let the responsibility lie with me," Singh reportedly told Rao, who, however, recognising the necessity of his finance ministers role, supported him through the tumultuous period.

Singh later explained Raos initial scepticism towards liberalisation to his writer daughter Daman Singh, who has documented the same in her book, Strictly Personal: Manmohan and Gursharan. Gursharan Kaur is the wife of Manmohan Singh.

Daman Singh quotes Manmohan Singh as saying, I had to persuade him [Rao]. I think he was a sceptic to begin with, but later on he was convinced that what we were doing was the right thing to do, that there was no other way out. But he wanted to sanctify the middle paththat we should undertake liberalisation but also take care of the marginalised sections, the poor.

A long-term vision

The Union Budget of July 24, 1991, remains a seminal moment in Indias economic history. It marked the beginning of liberalisation and set India on a path towards becoming a major global economic power.

The successive governments including the present Modi government have continued to take economic reforms horizontally in sector after sector as per the changing realities of the global economy. The idea whose time had come indeed proved unstoppable.

When India opened the gates of its economy, a new post-Cold War world was taking shape. And now when Sitharaman prepares to present her record seventh consecutive Union Budget, the post-Cold War realities point to another bipolar world, with China challenging the US-led bloc on every front.

India is now being viewed as the premier balancing force. It has also emerged as a strong votary of a multipolar world believing in multilateralism  another idea that India is advocating for a new post-Cold War world.
The Indian governments estimate says that around 5,000 Indians are trapped in cyber slavery in Cambodia, according to a report read more

As many as 5,000 Indians are said to be trapped in cyber slavery in Cambodia

In the latest such tranche, 14 Indians trapped in cyber slavery have been rescued in Cambodia, according to a report.

In recent months, hundreds of Indians have been rescued in Cambodia who were lured to the country with the prospects of genuine jobs but were pushed into cyber fraud schemes against their will. Thousands of Indians are understood to be trapped there.

Now, NDTV has reported that 14 Indians, most of whom are from Uttar Pradesh and Bihar, have been rescued by local police and are currently staying at lodging arranged by a non-governmental organisation (NGO) in Cambodia.

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The report said that they have appealed to the Indian government to arrange their return from Cambodia.

How such fraud works?

Indian nationals are promised genuine jobs in Cambodia, but, once they arrived in the country, their passports are confiscated and they are forced to work for cyber criminal networks, according to reports.

People in India have also been part of the scheme. Last year, the Odisha Police arrested eight people for being part of the scheme.

The Indian Express has reported that the governments estimate says that around 5,000 Indians are similarly trapped in Cambodia.

The report further said that the scams that these trapped people are forced to carry out have duped Indians to the tune of Rs 500 crore.

Earlier this year, the government said that around 250 Indians have been rescued and repatriated to India form Cambodia, according to NDTV.

Southeast Asia has emerged as a hub of such fraudulent schemes. The BBC News has reported that the United Nations (UN) has assessed that at least 120,000 people in Myanmar and around 100,000 in Cambodia have been forced into such cyber slavery.
In the past couple of months, the region has seen an increase in terrorist attacks that have claimed the lives of several civilians and officials alike. Nine army personnel, including a captain, were killed in two separate terror attacks in remote forest belts of Machedi in Kathua and Desa forest in Doda on July 8 and July 15 read more

Amid a spate of terrorist attacks in Jammu, Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha on Saturday held a high-level meeting to review the security situation in the region.

The meeting was attended by Chief of the Army Staff General Upendra Dwivedi, DG BSF, DG CRPF, DGP J&K, Heads of Intelligence Agencies and other senior officials of the army, CAPFs as well as the J&K Police.

In the past couple of months, the region has seen an increase in terrorist attacks that have claimed the lives of several civilians and officials alike. Nine army personnel, including a captain, were killed in two separate terror attacks in remote forest belts of Machedi in Kathua and Desa forest in Doda on July 8 and July 15.

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The attacks come at a time when Jammu and Kashmir is gearing up for its first assembly elections since the revocation of Article 370.

What was discussed in the meeting?

We must launch meticulous and well-planned counter-terrorism operations with greater synergy between all the agencies to wipe out terrorists and those aiding and abetting them, the Lieutenant Governor said.

He asked the Army, CAPFs and the Jammu Kashmir Police to actively conduct counter-terrorism operations in the Jammu Division.

The LG also said that measures must be taken to further strengthen the security grid to ensure zero cross-border infiltration.

500 para commandos to hunt down terrorists

Since the terrorist attacks, security officials in Jammu have been having a difficult time tracking down infiltrators due to multiple logistical reasons.

The Indian Army, therefore, has deployed around 500 Para Special Forces commandos in the area to hunt down the 50-55 terrorists from Pakistan who have entered the region to revive terrorism there, defence sources told news agency ANI.

The intelligence agencies have also bolstered their apparatus in the area and are working to take out the terrorist support infrastructure there including overground workers who support terrorists.

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The Army has already brought in troops to the area including one brigade strength of around 3,500-4000 personnel to counter Pakistans proxy aggression here, they said.
Kerala Health Minister Veena George said the epicentre was Pandikkad and that precautionary measures had already been initiated read more

Kerala Health Minister Veena George on Saturday confirmed Nipah infection in a 14-year-old boy from Malappuram district.

George, who met the media here, said the Pune NIV (National Institute of Virology) had confirmed the infection in the boy who is currently under treatment at a private hospital.

He will be shifted to the government medical college at Kozhikode. The contact tracing has begun. High-risk contacts have already been isolated and their samples have been sent for testing, George told the media.

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The child is under treatment and is on a ventilator, George added.

Minister said the epicentre was Pandikkad and that precautionary measures had already been initiated.

She asked the people in the locality of the epicentre and the nearby hospitals to wear masks in public spaces and avoid visiting patients in hospitals.

The state government had announced recently that a special action calendar was being prepared for the prevention of a Nipah outbreak, which has haunted the state on four occasions in the past.

Nipah outbreaks have been reported in Kozhikode district in 2018, 2021, and 2023 and in Ernakulam district in 2019, and the presence of Nipah virus antibodies had been detected in bats in Kozhikode, Wayanad, Idukki, Malappuram and Ernakulam districts.

Earlier today, George chaired a high-level meeting to take steps to prevent a Nipah outbreak in the state.
Amid calls to restore old pension scheme (OPS), government is considering a proposal to increase pension benefits under National Pension System (NPS). Reports suggest Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman may announce a 50% pension guarantee of employees last drawn salary in Budget 2024. This comes after demands from employees and trade unions, though restoration of OPS remains unlikely read more

Employee protesting for restoration of Old Pension Scheme in New Delhi. File Photo

Amid calls, including from Opposition parties, for restoration of old pension scheme (OPS), Narendra Modi government is likely to approve a proposal to increase annual pension benefits. Reports suggest that Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman may announce in her Budget 2024 speech a guarantee of 50 per cent of employees last drawn salary as pension under National Pension System (NPS), which replaced OPS.

This consideration comes after coordinated efforts from central government employees about pension payouts under NPS. Central trade unions earlier met Sitharaman, pushing for restoration of OPS.

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OPS versus NPS

Under OPS, retirees receive 50 per cent of their final salary as a lifelong pension, which is adjusted based on pay commission recommendations. This scheme, known as a defined benefit plan, ensures a guaranteed pension without employee contributions during their service.

Conversely, NPS is a defined contribution scheme where employees contribute 10 per cent of their basic salary, with government adding 14 per cent. This means pensions depend on accumulated contributions and returns.

OPS vs NPS: Key differences

Budget 2024 expectations

Expectations about enhanced annuity arise from recommendations of TV Somanathan committee that government set up in April 2023. Sitharaman had originally announced it in March 2023 to consider pension revision for central government retirees.

Finance secretary Somanathan-led committee, though, rejected demand of restoration of OPS, but it recommended that a 40-45 per cent pension guarantee might be feasible, reports say. The panel came to this view after reviewing international practices and adjustments made by some states such as Andhra Pradesh.

A 50 per cent pension guarantee is being considered due to political and employee pressures. Government may also create a dedicated fund like corporate retirement benefits to ensure that any shortfall in pension amounts is covered by it.

The committee also recommended annual assessments and establishment of the pension fund, similar to those used by companies for employee retirement benefits.

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However, the enhanced pension benefits of 50 per cent of last drawn salary are likely to be available for employees who have completed or complete 25-30 years of service.

Calls for OPS restoration

On January 11, 2024, Joint Forum for Restoration of Old Pension Scheme (NJCA) urged finance ministry to reinstate non-contributory OPS for central government employees hired after January 1, 2004. This includes personnel across various sectors and autonomous bodies.

Congress party went a step ahead by abolishing NPA to bring back Old Pension Scheme in three states of Rajasthan, Chhattisgarh and Himachal Pradesh, where it came to power. The move was heavily criticised by economists and analysts who denounced it as opportunistic move to gain votes in upcoming elections.

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Congress leader Rahul Gandhi has regulary promised people reinstatement of OPS. However, party refrained from keeping promise in ir manifesto for 2024 Lok Sabha elections.

What government has said

In December 2023, Minister of State for Finance Pankaj Chaudhary informed Lok Sabha that there were no current plans to reinstate OPS for employees recruited after January 1, 2004. Government has acknowledged ongoing requests but remains focused on reviewing existing NPS framework through newly established committee.

This was in sync with Prime Minister Narendra Modis warning to states in Rajya Sabha in February 2023 against backdrop of some of the Congress-ruled states  Rajasthan, for example  restoring OPS. Without directly mentioning OPS restoration move, Modi said political parties should be mindful that states needed to be financially disciplined.

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If the new proposal is implemented at both central and state levels, it could benefit around 8.7 million government employees enrolled under NPS since 2004.
The high court had confirmed the death sentence awarded to Muhammed Ameer-Ul-Islam, a migrant labourer who was 22 years of age at the time of the incident in April 2016. It had noted in its verdict that the facts were deeply disturbing and represent an egregious violation of human dignity and sanctity of life, for after committing rape in an inhumane manner, the victim has also been murdered horrendously read more

The Supreme Court has stayed the execution of the death sentence awarded to a man convicted for raping and murdering a 30-year-old law student in Kerala in 2016.

A bench headed by Justice B R Gavai passed the order while hearing the convicts plea challenging the Kerala High Courts May 20 verdict that upheld his conviction and confirmed the death sentence handed to him by a trial court.

The execution of the death sentence shall remain stayed pending the hearing and final disposal of the present appeal, the bench, also comprising Justices Sanjay Karol and K V Viswanathan, said in its order passed on July 16.

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The high court had confirmed the death sentence awarded to Muhammed Ameer-Ul-Islam, a migrant labourer who was 22 years of age at the time of the incident in April 2016.

It had noted in its verdict that the facts were deeply disturbing and represent an egregious violation of human dignity and sanctity of life, for after committing rape in an inhumane manner, the victim has also been murdered horrendously.

According to the prosecution, the convict had barged into the victims house on April 28, 2016 with an intention to rape her and when she resisted, he attacked her with a knife and inflicted injuries upon her.

The prosecution further said the convict had escaped to his home state Assam the following day and was arrested in June 2016.

In its order, the apex court said the original case record be summoned from the trial court and the high court.

The bench directed that the State shall place before it the reports of all the probation officers relating to the appellant within eight weeks.

Besides passing other directions, it said the superintendent of prison, Central Prison and Correctional Home, Viyyur, shall submit within eight weeks a report regarding the nature of work performed by the appellant while in jail and a report with regard to his conduct and behaviour while in prison.

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The Government Medical College, Thrissur shall constitute a suitable team for the purpose of carrying out a psychological evaluation of the appellant, it said, adding that the report of the evaluation be submitted before it within eight weeks.

The top court has posted the matter for further hearing after 12 weeks.

In its judgment, the high court had said, Before parting with the case, it is necessary to observe that it is with a heavy heart that we uphold the ultimate penalty of death sentence to the accused in the case. We hope and fervently believe that this judgment would serve as a resolute deterrent to those who would consider perpetrating such abhorrent acts in future, so that persons similarly placed like the victim, who are innumerable in our society, would live with a sense of security and without fear, it had observed.

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The trial court had convicted the man for offences punishable under various sections of the Indian Penal Code, including that of rape and murder, and sentenced him to death.
Every budget season, there is a consistent demand to increase the budgetary allocation for education, advocating for spending to reach 6 per cent of GDP, as recommended by the National Education Policy (2020). Greater social spending on sectors like education can indeed boost economic growth, promote equity, and reduce poverty, but this is contingent on the education systems ability to ensure good learning outcomes. In India, however, higher spending hasnt translated into better learning outcomes. Despite the Union governments education spending increasing by 19 per cent between 2015-16 and 2021-22, 80 per cent of children are still unable to read with comprehension or perform basic mathematical operations by the time they reach grade three.

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If we expect education expenditure to boost economic growth and promote well-being, we must focus on allocations within the education sector that yield the highest social returns and ensure effective utilisation. Investing in basic education to achieve foundational literacy and numeracy (FLN) is one such high-return investment. A strong FLN foundation is essential for a childs success in future grades. Moreover, given that we have universal enrollment in schools, investing in early grade education will impact all students.

Recognising Indias learning crisis, the Government of India launched the National Initiative for Proficiency in Reading with Understanding and Numeracy (NIPUN) Bharat Mission in 2021. This initiative aims to ensure that every child achieves the desired competencies in reading, writing, and numeracy by the end of Grade 3 by 2026-27.

Since its launch in 2021-22, the NIPUN Bharat Mission has seen over Rs 6,000 crore allocated to states, with the Union government contributing 60 per cent of the total expenditure and states contributing the remaining 40 per cent. However, the massive learning loss during the pandemic, coupled with the delay in launching the mission and low state capacity, has led to suboptimal utilisation of these resources, resulting in low learning outcomes. To maximise the impact of these investments, it is crucial to reform the financing structures and implementation framework to ensure the delivery of universal high-quality foundational literacy and numeracy (FLN).

The Government of India disburses funds for the NIPUN Bharat Mission annually through their Project Approval Board (PAB), basing the amount on states proposals and utilisation certificates from the previous financial year. However, the crisis within the crisis is that, due to limited administrative capacity at both central and state levels, these grants are typically released in the last quarter of the year. This timing often compels states to rush expenditure within the quarter or risk losing similar allocations in the subsequent year.

To address this issue, the Government of India should transition from annual disbursements to three-year rolling disbursements. This approach would give states more time to utilise the funds efficiently and to assess the impact, thereby enabling better planning and more effective use of resources for improving learning outcomes.

Once states have a longer time frame to utilise the funds, they could revamp their implementation framework for NIPUN Bharat Mission to focus on programmes that will have the highest impact on learning outcomes at early grades. The four key areas that they should heavily invest in to strengthen FLN skills of our students are early childhood education, teacher training, and sustainability through community.

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Early Childhood Education is the step zero for FLN as it imparts the essential skills to make the child ready for school. The National Education Policy (NEP) 2020 highlights that 90 per cent of a childs brain development occurs before the age of six, and good quality ECE can result in a 14 per cent increase in future earnings. Despite this, only 20 per cent of government schools offer pre-primary education, and a mere 8 per cent have dedicated ECE teachers. Furthermore, these teachers spend only 35-38 minutes on ECE activities, far short of the stipulated two hours. The most neglected cohort is the 5-6-year-olds, with only six out of 10 five-year-olds enrolled in an ECE classroom in India.

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To address this in the mid-term, states must invest in school readiness programmes like Vidya Pravesh  a three-month-long play-based school preparation module for students entering Grade 1. Although such a module is budgeted for in the central budget, only one state has applied for it in the last three years. Additionally, in the long term, states must invest in hiring more ECE educators to increase the time spent on play-based learning. Such measures would ensure that children are ready to learn before they enter Grade 1.

The second priority should be investing in teachers to enhance their teaching practices. Despite teacher salaries accounting for up to 80 per cent of the total education budget in many states, only 2.4 per cent of funds were sanctioned by the Central government for teacher capacity building in 2022-23, primarily because most states did not request for these funds. Continuous professional development through training and structured pedagogy can motivate teachers and improve their performance. Studies indicate that a 1 per cent improvement in teacher management in public schools can lead to a 0.26 per cent increase in better teaching practices and a 0.34 per cent increase in student learning outcomes.

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Third, states should invest in school-based assessments. While a significant portion of funds has traditionally been allocated to large-scale assessments, some funds should be diverted to empower teachers to regularly measure their students progress through formative assessments. Uttar Pradesh has pioneered a cost-effective solution with the launch of the NIPUN Lakshya app. This app allows teachers to conduct weekly assessments and record the data, making their interventions more data-oriented and providing senior officials with greater visibility into learning outcomes. By adopting similar tools and approaches, states can ensure continuous, real-time tracking of student progress and make informed decisions to improve educational outcomes.

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Finally, states must invest in creating a behavioural change to sustain the mission. The most cost-effective way to achieve this is through awareness campaigns. In 2022-23, the Central government allocated Rs 3.29 crore for the Display of Lakshyas and Targets, and in 2023-24, an additional Rs 1.54 crore were allocated specifically for information-related programmes to raise awareness of foundational literacy and numeracy (FLN). To create a disproportionate impact and foster long-term support and commitment to the mission, this allocation should ideally be expanded to 5-15 per cent of the total mission budget, like the Swachh Bharat Mission. This increased investment in awareness campaigns will ensure that all stakeholders are informed, engaged, and motivated to contribute to the missions success.

Given the dual challenges of the learning crisis and limited government budgets, it is crucial to prioritise intelligent investments that yield long-term results. Both states and the Project Approval Board (PAB) must be aligned with this approach. By giving states more time to utilise the funds, we can ensure more effective spending. Additionally, focusing on early childhood education to foster proper cognitive development, empowering teachers with the necessary skills and data to enhance their teaching practices, and fostering collective efforts from citizens to meet the missions targets are essential steps.

As the World Bank has stated, India is in a period of unprecedented opportunity, challenge and ambition in its development, and these strategic investments will empower every child to take part in this unprecedented opportunity. By creating an ecosystem that provides equitable opportunities and ensures collective well-being for all, we will lay a robust foundation for sustainable development and social equity.

Dr Anil Agrawal is Chancellor, HRIT University, and a former parliamentarian. Views expressed in the above piece are personal and solely those of the author. They do not necessarily reflect Firstposts views.
KP Oli, the head of the second largest party in Parliament, has become the prime minister of Nepal a fourth time. File Photo

On July 15, KP Sharma Oli was sworn in as the new Prime Minister of Nepal, marking his fourth term in office. Oli leads a coalition government with the biggest party in the current parliament, the Nepali Congress. This unique coalition sees the largest party collaborate with its opposition, the Communist Party of Nepal-UML (CPN-UML).

The new government was formed after the Oli-led CPN-UML withdrew its support from the Maoist Centre party-led government and proposed an alliance with the Nepali Congress. This will be the fourth government since the parliamentary elections in 2022, continuing the cycle of political instability since 2008.

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Known for his anti-India and anti-West stance, Oli has built his political career by raising ultra-nationalistic fervour in Nepal. He has no qualms about his stance, which is primarily driven by his Communist ideology.

Pro-China Stance

Throughout his past three terms, Oli has consistently advocated for deeper ties with China. It would be no surprise if he continued this approach. His party, the CPN-UML, maintains active outreach and engagement with the Communist Party of China. In August last year, a high-level CPN-UML delegation was in China to hold talks with the senior members of the Chinese Communist Party (CPC).

As a landlocked country with Tibet on the north and India on the three sides, Nepal has traditionally been a stronghold of Indian influence due to shared traditional socio-cultural, religious, political, and economic ties.

An open border and a visa-free regime have historically facilitated closer ties between the people of the two countries. China, on the other hand, sees Indias presence as counterproductive to its strategic interests, largely regarding Tibet.

Oli left no stone unturned in off-tracking relations with India. He used the 2015 border blockade issue to convene anti-India protests in Nepal. In 2016, he visited China and signed a Transit Treaty to conduct their-country trade using Chinese ports located approximately 4,500 km from the capital, Kathmandu, to reduce dependency on Indian ports situated 500 km from Nepal.

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A transit treaty with China proved to be merely a political gimmick, with no single container being imported through Chinese ports to date. Oli, however, continued attacking socio-cultural ties, and the 2019-20 phase saw another critical phase in Nepal-India ties with Kathmandu raising the border-dispute with India.

The politicisation of the border dispute has helped leaders like Oli to create a dedicated ultra-nationalist outlook for himself and his Communist Party of Nepal-UML.

Tibets Primacy for China

Nepal is currently home to an estimated 10,000 Tibetan refugees. To escape Communist Chinas invasion of Tibet in 1950, thousands of Tibetans fled to India via Nepal, but many stayed in Nepal itself.

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While the number of Tibetan refugees was close to 30,000, thousands of them have moved to third countries in the last seven decades, especially to the United States, Canada, Australia, and Switzerland.

However, Tibetans living in Nepal have been a serious concern for China due to their faith in the Dalai Lama and connection with the Tibetan Government in Exile logged in Indias Dharamshala.

Nepals importance to China can be realised from the fact that the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) used Nepals northern region to support Tibetan resistance forces and disrupt the activities of the Peoples Liberation Army (PLA) from 1957 to 1969.

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During the centuries-old monarchical rule in Nepal (1768-2006), Tibetan Buddhist monks and traders freely travelled to Nepal. After the Chinese took over Tibet, many Tibetans entered Nepal. While some stayed in Nepal, many travelled to Dharamshala in India.

Until 1990, Tibetans were issued refugee cards, but the Chinese bargained against it by supplying arms and ammunition to the Royal Nepal Army. As a result of the military support from China, Nepalese security agencies came heavily upon the Tibetan refugees carrying out demonstrations against the illegal annexation of Tibet and supporters of the Free Tibet movement.

Extradition Treaty, BRI and Joint-Military Exercises

From the first democratically elected government led by the Maoists in 2008 to all other democratically elected regimes to date, they have spread a tight security cover to stop any Tibet-related demonstrations in Nepal under Chinese pressure. During his second tenure in office in 2019, Oli had even agreed to sign an Extradition Treaty with China.

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Still, following pressure from international and local human rights organisations, the Extradition Treaty was withdrawn, which left the visiting Chinese President Xi Jinping unhappy. Had the treaty materialised, it would have jeopardised the future of thousands of Tibetans, especially ones without a refugee card.

Under China-friendly regimes in Nepal, Beijing has successfully convinced the Himalayan nation to join the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) in 2017, initiate the Sagarmatha Friendship Joint Military Exercise in 2018, and sign the Mutual Legal Assistance Treaty in Criminal Matters in 2019. These agreements were strategically crafted to counter Indian and Western influence in Nepal.

While the BRI is yet to advance due to Nepals reluctance to accept high-interest loans, China still regards it as a diplomatic success against Indias influence. Beijing is likely to push for progress in BRI under the Oli administration. Additionally, China has been pursuing Nepal to join its Global Security Initiative (GSI). The centrist parties like the Nepali Congress have opposed it, but how Oli proceeds will be crucial to watch.

Countering the US Influence

After US President Joe Biden signed the Promoting a Resolution to the Tibet-China Dispute Act into law on July 12, Chinese security antennae have gone up. The act reaffirms American support for the rights of Tibetans in Tibet and elsewhere, advocating for greater dialogue between the Dalai Lama and the Chinese government without preconditions. It refutes Chinese claims that Tibet has been part of China since ancient times and calls for increased public efforts to counter misinformation about Tibet.

China has opposed the Promoting a Resolution to the Tibet-China Dispute Act, asserting that it grossly interferes in Chinas domestic affairs, undermines Chinas interests, and sends a severely wrong signal to the Tibet independence forces. China firmly opposes it and has protested to the US side.

The May 19 meeting of the US bipartisan delegation with the Dalai Lama in Dharamshala, which included former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, also invited sharp criticism from China. There remains little doubt that the United States is looking to counterbalance China using the escalation strategy on Tibet, as often seen in the case of Taiwan.

For China, any Tibet-related activities in India and Nepal by the host countries or external actors like the United States pose a significant challenge to peace and stability in Tibet under Communist Chinas control.

Therefore, with a pro-China leader in Nepal, Beijing will aim to dismantle the connection between the Free Tibet forces and seek surveillance support from Nepal on their activities. Furthermore, China seeks to ensure that Nepal aligns more closely with its regional strategy to counteract any pro-Tibetan independence movements and adhere to the One China principle.

Besides Tibet, China would want to slow down the Millenium Challenge Corporation (MCC), a $500 million grant programme from the US government that assists Nepal in maintaining road quality, increasing the availability and reliability of electricity, and facilitating cross-border electricity trade between Nepal and India.

Through MCC, the US aims to spur investments, accelerate economic growth, and reduce poverty in Nepal. However, China sees it as a counter to the BRI and accuses it of being an American Trojan Horse aimed at destabilising regional peace. To compound Chinese concerns, MCC is one project India has tacitly agreed to collaborate on and does not see as being against Delhis interests or influence.

Conclusion

Oli will undoubtedly attempt to shift Nepals foreign policy outlook, especially prioritising China. Given his past critical comments on external influence in Nepals domestic and foreign policy, the Nepali Congress  a key coalition partner  has strategically bargained for the Foreign Ministry to maintain a balanced foreign policy to avoid any misadventure that may cause irritation with India or the United States.

Rishi Gupta is the Assistant Director at the Asia Society Policy Institute, Delhi. Views expressed in the above piece are personal and solely those of the author. They do not necessarily reflect Firstposts views.
It is high time we explored and implemented a long-range vision, strategic understanding, and a lasting solution to the Pakistan problem and its internal spill-overs in India in the form of jihadist radicalisation and terrorism read more

On July 15, 2024, Greater Kashmir posted a tweet by RR Swain, DGP of Jammu and Kashmir, which said:

Pakistan successfully infiltrated all important aspects of civil society, thanks to so-called mainstream or regional politics in the valley. There is ample evidence to show that many had owned the art of running with the hare and hunting with the hound, which left both the common man and the security bewildered, frightened, and confused. Visiting the homes of killed terrorists and expressing sympathy in public was normal. While the elimination of new recruits in terrorism was allowed and tacitly encouraged, those who facilitated recruitment and arranged finances were never investigated. SP-rank officers were arrested and put in jails alongside terrorists for crimes they had never committed. The drowning of two girls in 2014 was allowed to be hijacked by narrative terrorism that held the valley at ransom, hartals, and rioting for many weeks. A very detailed investigation by the CBI and verified by AIIMS forensics proved it was an accident. Things had come to such a pass that the so-called mainstream political parties had started cultivating leaders of terror networks and sometimes directly to further their electoral prospects.

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As a counterterrorism analyst who has done extensive field research in Kashmir, I find this statement coming from a high-ranking police official a bit unusual. Had it come from a researcher or an intelligence professional with a nuanced understanding of terrorism, it would not have been surprising. However, Swain has spent many years in the intelligence world. With Swains statement, it appears that finally Indias security apparatus is developing a much deeper and layered understanding of the Pakistan-sponsored terrorism in J&K.

A lot has been written about the immediate causes and factors behind the sudden upsurge in terrorist attacks in the Jammu region.

Majority of the analysis focusses on tactical and immediate factors such as poor safety and convoy movement drills, shortage of the specialised gear, devices and equipment needed for night warfare in jungles, long period of relative quiet in Jammu region resulting in Security Forces inadequate exposure to tough counterterrorism operations, militants shifting focus towards Jammu region due to tightened security and dominant presence of counter-insurgency grid in the Valley, attempts to compensate for the absence of big-ticket events like Pulwama, Uri and attack on Amarnath yatra by a series of small-scale attacks, to maintain relevance and designs to derail state assembly elections and project an image of situation being far from normalcy.

Further, such pieces argue that this is only a temporary phase, a repetition of such phases in the past, and it will be over in time with innovation in counter insurgency measures.

With reference to such analytical formulations, it must be noted that we are again repeating our past mistakes of being largely reactive, myopic, superficial, and missing the larger strategic picture.

Getting the Fundamentals Correct

It is time we got our fundamentals about Pakistan correct. First and foremost, for Pakistan and its ISI circles, the battle against India is perceived as an existential and religious war, i.e., jihad against Hindu India. Such notions emanate from the basic idea of Islamism underlying Pakistans formation. As a result, the passion and fervour among the Pakistani intelligence set-up and its proxies is that of a religious war.

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The nucleus of the enmity and hatred towards India is primarily constituted by the religious factor; geopolitics comes after that. In the Indian security and diplomatic apparatus, the overwhelming belief is that the India-Pakistan problem is essentially geopolitical in nature, not religious.

Over the years, such fallacious understanding has led India to commit several strategic blunders. In the diplomatic history of India-Pakistan relations, one finds that our diplomatic set-up and political leadership have always believed that lasting peace can be established between India and Pakistan.

Despite Pakistans repeated betrayals and backstabbing after Indias series of peace initiatives since 1947, our policy advisors have always taken a positive view of Pakistan and hoped that relations could be improved towards peace.

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Here, the emphasis is more on the diplomatic apparatus than the political leadership because, in India, diplomats play an overwhelmingly dominant role in foreign policy making and implementation. Unfortunately, barring a few exceptions, our political leadership has lacked sufficient knowledge, wisdom, and analysis to indulge in foreign policy issues. And our diplomatic cadres have lacked independent and critical thinking; hence, their understanding of Pakistan and China has been very superficial, ad hoc, short-term, and reactive. It took us almost 70 years to realise the futility of the peace process with Pakistan when, finally, PM Narendra Modi decided that terror and talks could not go together. However, as compared to our diplomats and politicians, Indias external intelligence set-up has shown a far better and more realistic understanding of the Pakistan and terrorism challenges.

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Further, despite being a smaller and militarily weaker country, Pakistan has always been an aggressor towards India. Pakistans Major General Robert Cawthome proposed the proxy war doctrine to bleed India through its religious, caste, regional, and other fault lines after the Kabaili intruders were ousted by the Indian army in 1948, though not without taking a major portion of Jammu and Kashmir.

Later, General Zia-ul-Haq mastered this project of bleeding India through a thousand cuts. In the 1971 war, though Pakistan lost, they won in diplomacy, and India lost what it won in the battlefield by unconditionally returning 90,000 prisoners of war without any territorial gains.

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For the last 35 years, Pakistan has waged a proxy war against India. Even the Kargil War, one of Pakistans most ambitious projects, was won at a huge cost (527 martyrs and 1,363 wounded). Notably, Pakistans proxy war is not confined to Kashmir. Instead, Pakistan and its proxies have established a firm foothold with their sleeper cells in almost the entire country.

Pakistans proxy terror groups have committed terrorist acts in major Indian cities like Jaipur, Ahmedabad, Pune, Mumbai, Delhi, etc. The ISI has established connections with other anti-India forces like Khalistanis, Naxals, anti-Brahmin Dravidian activists, Dalit and caste activists, and separatist groups in the North East. In Bangladesh, even though India helped get its independence, today, the eastern neighbour has become a hotbed of Islamic extremists with a strong penetration of ISI.

Regarding Kashmir, we must not forget that we are not killing their soldiers, but jihadists from Madrasas. They are expendables, trained, and indoctrinated to die. Even if Indian SFs kill them in hundreds and thousands, it does not affect Pakistan. By a rough estimate, Pakistan has around 2 to 3 lakh trained and armed jihadis. Some estimates suggest an even higher figure of 6 to 7 lakhs. However, in terror attacks, Pakistan is killing our real soldiers.

In the last 32 months, 48 soldiers have been martyred in terrorist attacks. In the last month, after Narendra Modis swearing-in as the Prime Minister of India for the third time, about 28 soldiers and civilians have died in terror attacks. If we count the total number of deaths in Pakistan-sponsored terror attacks, riots, and sabotage incidents across the country and in foreign lands, the death figures would be much higher. While looking at the intensity and spread of the terrorism challenge, we also need to look at the spread of Students Islamic Movement of India (SIMI), Indian Mujahideen (both formally defunct now), Popular Front of India (PFI), Jamaat-e-Islami, and other Islamist entities spread across the length and breadth of India.

The ISI and Pakistan-sponsored terror groups have nurtured robust linkages with these groups. Hence, we need to ask a fundamental question. Are we winning this hybrid-proxy war against Pakistan? In my assessment  not actually. And the reason is that our fundamental understanding of Pakistan, Islamist terrorism, and the radicalisation problem is flawed and skin-deep.

Recent Upsurge in Terror

Coming to some of the more immediate reasons for the sudden spike in terror attacks in Jammu and Kashmir, a crucial reason that we are missing is perhaps related to Pakistans internal situation. Quite likely, Pakistans internal political, security, and social situation is worsening due to instability, deep-rooted popular resentment against the army, rapidly rising terror attacks by Tehrik-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) and Baluchi separatist groups, and fast-deteriorating ties with the Taliban.

Pakistans military-civil state is finding it extremely difficult to manage this situation. Reportedly, a dominant section among them blames India without any concrete evidence. Hence, it is quite possible that with the recent terror attacks, they are signalling to India or they are provoking India to retaliate, knowing full well that India cannot go beyond a point of retaliation.

However, Indias retaliation is most likely to unite Pakistani society on a nationalist-religious issue, which will be a respite for the Pakistani state.

Pakistans deep state, dwelling in its imaginary world, blames India for their internal chaos and turmoil; hence, they are likely conveying a message through this sudden spike in terror attacks. It is highly likely that Islamabad is acting under the directions of Beijing to build pressure in the Jammu region so that India calibrates upon its huge deployment on its borders with China.

Intelligence shortfalls have made SFs extremely vulnerable. Over the last few years, SFs have mostly relied on TECHINT (technical intelligence). In the process, the quality and quantity of HUMINT (human intelligence), which require specialised efforts, declined. Over time, the terror groups innovated to elude the TECHINT-based interceptions and surveillance.

The biggest loophole in the current militancy scenario pertains to the infiltration of foreign terrorists. In the recent terror attacks, though the names of terror groups sound indigenous, foreign terrorists have perpetrated most of them. By a rough estimate, around 5060 foreign terrorists are present in the Jammu region. The most critical question that arises here is: How could they infiltrate despite such a robust anti-infiltration grid? After the fencing and deployment of sophisticated sensors and devices like LOROS, infiltration had become extremely difficult. All the infiltration routes on the LoC and international border are well identified. Our SFs have been guarding these regions for several decades.

Another widely touted reason for the recent terror attacks in the Jammu region by specialists is Pakistans design to obstruct the upcoming assembly elections in J&K, with the underlying motive to project that the situation is far from normal in the Union Territory. However, Indias intelligence, diplomatic community, and policy brass give too much importance to elections. They tend to perceive elections as some kind of eternal and ultimate solution to the entire gamut of J&Ks problems. This belief comes from their obsession with projecting the image of normalcy at an international level. However, this obsession with elections has made them lose sight of the bigger and deeper picture of Kashmirs jihadist militancy.

Needless to say, Pakistan and its jihadist proxies hardly bother about elections as a serious concern because the penetration of separatist and extremist elements in all the mainstream institutions of the state, including politics, is complete.

After elections, the people coming to power from the mainstream political powers have strong ties with Pakistan. One can imagine how easy it can be for terrorist groups to operate when terror convicts and separatists like Engineer Rashid get elected to parliament. Earlier, during the rule of J&K regional parties like the National Conference and the Peoples Democratic Party, separatist and extremist entities like Jamaat-e-Islami and Hurriyat made deep inroads in academia, administration, judiciary and legal fraternity, police, intelligence, media, banking and financial institutions, students and workers unions, civil society, business, religious clergy, politics, and non-profit charities.

Nevertheless, disrupting elections always makes up for scary optics in front of Western media, intellectuals, international organisations, and NGO watchdogs, who are obsessed with the Western model of electoral democracy, which ultimately serves Pakistans purpose.

Finally, terrorist cadres have cultivated a strong support system in the Jammu region. Some senior generals argue that Jaish and Lashkar have activated their 20-year-old network in the Jammu region. Such assessments sound more like a nice plot for a Bollywood thriller. Closer scrutiny of the facts on the ground reveals a different picture. Over the last decade and a-half, during the rule of regional parties in Kashmir, a separatist-extremist nexus, under the directions of Pakistan and with the active support of the ruling elites in J&K, which includes politics and bureaucracy, settled a large number of Kashmiri residents with separatist and Islamist leanings in the Jammu region.

One can find new Muslim settlements in Channi, Sidra, Bhatindi, and several other areas of Jammu. These settlements are virtually cordoned off Jammu, a strategic city, hardly 12 km from the international border. Such projects always had hidden anti-India motives. Today, when foreign terrorists cross into India in the Jammu region, they have a robust support system of sympathisers to recruit OGWs and local coordinators.

Conclusion

Emboldened with jihadist fervour, Pakistan is always innovating and improvising to sustain and intensify terrorism in Kashmir. This pattern can be seen over the last 35 years of militancy in Kashmir. In the early 1980s, Pakistan supported Kashmiri terrorist groups like the Jammu and Kashmir Liberation Front and encouraged Jamaat-e-Islami to strengthen its roots in society. After 1990, when militancy gained ground and Jamaat became strong, Pakistan created Jamaat-supported Islamist terror groups like Hizbul Mujahiddin to counter relatively moderate and secular groups like the Jammu Kashmir Liberation Front (JKLF) according primacy to Kashmiri identity and its independence instead of accession to Pakistan.

Later, they nurtured foreign terrorist groups like Harkat-ul-Mujahideen and Lashkar to have a stronger grip on militant groups. Then, to keep a check on Lashkar, they created Jaish. At the same time, after the acquisition of nukes, they had the audacity to indulge in Kargil misadventures and sanction big-ticket fidayeen missions in J&K.

From 2008, they invested heavily in fomenting civil unrest and stone pelting create and nurture a conducive environment for orchestrating and sustaining home-grown militancy, the phenomenon that we witnessed after Burhan Wanis encounter death in 2016.

After Lashkars name figured in the 2008 Mumbai attacks, the ISI brought Jaish to the forefront to avoid getting blacklisted by the Financial Action Task Force. Following the abrogation of Article 370, Pakistan has unleashed new groups with secular-sounding and indigenous groups such as The Resistance Front, Kashmir Tigers, Lashkar-e-Mustapha and revived Al Badr, old terror groups active in the 1990s, to avoid the scrutiny of global terror watchdogs. To offset SFs prowess in TECHINT and the resultant success in encounters, Pakistan has revolutionised the entire modus operandi of militancy, including its OGW network, intelligence gathering, weapons distribution, and training. After 2019, Kashmir saw the phenomenon of hybrid militants, part-time civilians and part-time militants.

Likewise, they have innovated in training, recruitment, weapon systems, technology, communications, and finances over the last 35 years. Alternatively, they boil up north, south, and central Kashmir. Reviving terrorism in the Jammu region has always been on the Pakistani agenda. There is nothing new about it. Earlier in 2019, terror groups were murdering Hindu leaders and orchestrating a milieu where the Hindus did not feel safe, leading them to either convert or migrate. During the rule of regional parties, people with separatist and extremist leanings were brought from the Valley and settled in the Jammu region, in and around Jammu. Radical Deobandi clerics, Jamaatis, and Tablighi Jamaat cadres made serious efforts to radicalise tribal Gujjars and the residents of Doda, Poonch, Rajauri, and Kishtwar. Today, when one finds local supporters in the Jammu region for the foreign infiltrators, it is hardly a matter of surprise.

Hence, there is ample evidence that Pakistan has a long-term strategy and vision. Sometimes they take a tactical retreat, only to come back with renewed vigour. They have done that in the past. After 370, there was a phase of lull because Pakistan was devising a new strategy for sustaining and ramping up Kashmiri militancy. They infiltrated new batches of militants with advanced gear, weapons, and ammunition, asked them to disperse among the locals, cultivate a support system, and stay radio-silent.

Thus, Pakistan perceives it as a war till eternity, a religious warJihad against infidels. They will continue to innovate and unleash new forms of terror in the future, not only in Kashmir but in Punjab, West Bengal, Kerala, and many other states of the Indian hinterland.

The current phase of Muslim radicalisation in India and polarisation, strengthening of Hindutva movement provides fertile ground for Pakistan and its proxy terror groups to find recruits, supporters, and sympathisers among the Muslims of the Indian hinterland. Global geopolitical developments such as the rise and spread of the Islamic State-Khorasan Province, the Israel-Hamas war and India-Israel friendship add to the congeniality of the situation for Pakistan.

Hence, in light of the above-mentioned fundamentals of the conflict between India and Pakistan, I would like to conclude that it is high time we explored and implemented a long-range vision, strategic understanding, and a lasting solution to the Pakistan problem and its internal spill-overs in India in the form of jihadist radicalisation and terrorism.

Also, having done this analysis, I believe that this is the very question with which this article began. i.e., what explains the recent upsurge in terrorist attacks in Jammu, is itself a superficial one. Ideally, we should be asking the following questions:

Can there be a major terrorist upsurge and other kinds of Pakistan-orchestrated violence in other parts of the Indian hinterland? The answer is that they have already displayed the signature of their capability to disturb things deep in the Indian hinterland in the past. With their proxies and assets and the alarming radicalisation of the Muslim community and communal polarisation in India, they can activate their terror machinery anywhere in India, as per their choice and will. Are we capable of fighting that?

The author is the founder and CEO of Usanas Foundation, a foreign policy and national security think tank. A Cornell University grad in public affairs, and the author of Radicalisation in India: An Exploration. His latest book Terror Financing in Kashmir has been published by Routledge in December 2023. Views expressed in the above piece are personal and solely those of the author. They do not necessarily reflect Firstposts views.
According to police spokesman Faruk Hossain, 150 officers were hospitalized while another 150 received first aid. Anti-government demonstrations in Bangladesh are happening due to controversial job quota reforms and disparaging comments by Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina read more

Anti-quota supporters clash with police and Awami League supporters at the Rampura area in Dhaka, Bangladesh, July 18, 2024. Reuters

During clashes on Friday in various locations around the capital Dhaka, at least 300 Bangladeshi police officers were injured, according to a police spokesman who spoke with AFP on Saturday.

At least 150 police officers were admitted to the hospital, and another 150 were given first aid treatment, said Dhaka Metropolitan Police spokesman Faruk Hossain. He added that the police force had engaged with hundreds of thousands of protesters, and that two officers had been beaten to death.

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This weeks violence has resulted in the deaths of at least 115 people so far, according to an AFP tally of victims reported by police and hospitals.

Curfew and military deployment

A government-imposed curfew came into effect at midnight, and the premiers office requested the military to deploy troops after the police were unable to control the widespread unrest.

The army has been deployed nationwide to maintain law and order, said armed forces spokesman Shahdat Hossain to AFP. The curfew is expected to remain in effect until at least 10:00 am (0400 GMT) on Sunday, as reported by private broadcaster Channel 24.

Frustration against Sheikh Hasinas administration

There have been near-daily marches this month calling for an end to a quota system that reserves more than half of civil service posts for specific groups, including children of veterans from the countrys 1971 liberation war against Pakistan.

Critics argue that the scheme benefits children of pro-government groups that support Hasina, 76, who has been in power since 2009 and won her fourth consecutive election in January after a vote without genuine opposition.

Hasinas government is accused by rights groups of misusing state institutions to secure its hold on power and suppress dissent, including through the extrajudicial killing of opposition activists.

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Since the first deaths on Tuesday, protesters have begun demanding that Hasina tender in her resignation as the Prime Minister of the country.

With inputs from AFP
The ministry assured that the local authorities are in regular contact with more than 4000 students who are still stranded in various universities in Bangladesh and are providing necessary assistance read more

Smoke rises from the burning vehicles after protesters set them on fire near the Disaster Management Directorate office, during the ongoing anti-quota protest in Dhaka. AFP

As the quota protests continue to wreak havoc in Bangladesh, the Indian Ministry of External Affairs has notified that over 700 Indian students have been evacuated from the riot-stricken country. In its latest update, MEA mentioned that the Indian High Commission in Dhaka and Assistant High Commissions in Chittagong, Rajshahi, Sylhet and Khulna have been assisting in the evacuation process.

778 Indian students have returned to India through various land ports. In addition, around 200 students have returned home by regular flight services through Dhaka and Chittagong airports, the MEA said in a statement on Saturday.

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The ministry assured that the local authorities are in regular contact with more than 4000 students who are still stranded in various universities in Bangladesh and are providing necessary assistance. Not only this, the Indian authorities are also assisting students from Nepal and Bhutan to evacuate from the turbulent regions. In the press release, the ministry went on to share helpline numbers of local authorities to help the students.

Bangladesh under curfew as army takes the charge

Amid the riot-like situation, authorities in Bangladesh have imposed a nationwide curfew. The army has been deployed nationwide to control the law and order situation, armed forces spokesman Shahadat Hossain told AFP.

The curfew will remain in effect till at least Sunday,10:00 am (local time). According to AFP, this weeks violence has killed at least 115 people so far. The protests engulfed the country after students called for the government to axe a rule reserving scores of public jobs for the families of veterans of the countrys independence war in 1971.

Prime Minister Sheikh Hasinas office had to call for a curfew after an attack on the Narsingdi prison on Friday saw hundreds of inmates getting released. Since then, there has been a complete communication shutdown. Bus and train services have reportedly also been halted, while photos from Dhaka show large numbers of police in riot gear on the streets.

In the past, the Hasina administration has been accused by rights groups of misusing state institutions to entrench its hold on power and stamp out dissent, including by the extrajudicial killing of opposition activists.

The rising death toll is a shocking indictment of the absolute intolerance shown by the Bangladeshi authorities to protest and dissent, Babu Ram Pant of Amnesty International said in a statement.

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While the government websites remain offline, prominent newspapers like Dhaka Tribune and Daily Star have been unable to share updates.

With inputs from agencies.
Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina has deployed military on the streets of the country to crush protests amid nationwide curfew read more

Smoke rises from the burning vehicles after protesters set them on fire near the Disaster Management Directorate office, during the ongoing anti-quota protest in Dhaka. AFP

Protesters in Bangladesh have defied the military deployment and a nationwide curfew to take to the streets against Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina.

The casualties have continued to mount as clashes between the protesters and government forces continued on Saturday. More than 130 deaths have been reported so far.

Even though the morning was calm and streets were largely deserted, the protesters returned to the streets later in the day and clashed with the police.

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The clashes occurred even as Bangladeshi military patrolled the streets in the country in armoured vehicles amid a nationwide curfew. Hasina had declared the nationwide clampdown on Friday amid an internet shutdown across the country. Even these measures have failed to crush the protesters who have taken to streets against her on nearly-daily basis this month.

More than 130 killed, over 700 injured

At least 133 people have been killed in clashes between protesters and government forces this week, according to AFP.

Previously, the agency had reported that more than 700 had been injured.

At least 18 deaths were reported in and around capital Dhaka on Saturday, according to the agency.

Of these deaths, 14 were those killed on Saturday and four were those previously admitted to hospitals who succumbed to injuries.

Staff at the Dhaka Medical College Hospital told the agency that two police personnel and nine others were killed on Saturday. In Savar, a major industrial town on the outskirts of Dhaka, three more protesters were killed.

Friday was particularly deadly as more than 50 were killed.

Hasina seeks to crush protests with iron fist

Even though it started as a student protest, it has now turned into a full-fledged movement against Hasina.

For the past 15 years, Hasina has ruled with little opposition to her rule. In the general elections earlier this year, she practically won unopposed as Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP), the main Opposition party, had boycotted the elections. The protests, which began against the quota system in the country, have had an anti-Hasina nature since the very beginning.

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Even as the United Nations (UN) has urged for restraint, Hasina responded with military might and ordered military deployment on Friday and declared a nationwide curfew. Since Thursday, there has also been an internet shutdown in the country.

Bangladesh is also facing a media blackout of sorts as major newspapers like Dhaka Tribune and Daily Star have their websites down and are not able to update their social media accounts. The state broadcaster Bangladesh Television is also offline as protesters had set its headquarters in Dhaka on fire.

 Update: Network data show #Bangladesh has now been offline for over 48 hours after authorities impose a nation-scale internet shutdown in a bid to quell student protests 



The blackout continues to hinder human rights observers and independent media at a critical time. pic.twitter.com/SCEoIjNHZv  NetBlocks (@netblocks) July 20, 2024

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The immediate trigger for protests was the public against Bangladeshs quota system that reserves more than 50 per cent of civil services posts to specific groups, such as the children of veterans of Bangladeshs war of liberation against Pakistan of 1971.

The critics say the quota system is rigged in favour of Hasina as her family-run Bangladesh Awami League (BAL) was central to the war of liberation and her father Mujibur Rahman was the leader of the movement and was the first president of Bangladesh after the nation was formeed. Hence, the critics say, these seats are effectively reserved for children of Hasinas supporters.

Protests against the system have also turned into a movement against her as critics have long alleged that the country has seen significant democratic decline during 15 years of her rule. Protesters have been demanding her resignation and have now taken her in her crosshairs instead of just agitating against the quota system.

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Pierre Prakash of Crisis Group told AFP that the lack of any alternative in elections has led to the outpouring in the streets.

With no real alternative at the ballot box, discontented Bangladeshis have few options besides street protests to make their voices heard, said Prakash.
In Myanmars ongoing conflict, over 170 school attacks have been documented, with the junta responsible for the majority. The violence has devastated educational infrastructure, especially in the Sagaing region, and has left millions of children without access to education read more

A recent report suggests there have been as many as 174 attacks on schools in Myanmar. Image courtesy: X.com/@DrWinMyatAye

Since the military coup in Myanmar in February 2021, the nations educational infrastructure has been a silent casualty in the ongoing conflict. A report by the Centre for Information Resiliences (CIR) Myanmar Witness documents 174 distinct incidents of violence affecting schools. This is likely to have a harrowing impact on the next generation, whose futures are being reshaped by the brutality of war.

The grim reality of school attacks

According to the report, schools in Myanmar have been targeted by airstrikes, weaponry, and fire, resulting in significant infrastructure damage.

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In the Sagaing region alone, 36 incidents have been reported, making it the most affected area. The violence has rendered many schools inoperable, with 31.5 per cent sustaining major damage and 9 per cent completely destroyed.

Image courtesy: Myanmar Witness

The Myanmar military is implicated in 90 of the 113 cases documented in the primary dataset, with nearly half of these incidents resulting in severe damage or total destruction. In contrast, incidents linked to the Peoples Defence Force (PDF) generally caused less harm. The data highlights a disturbing trend of increasing attacks on schools, peaking in March 2024.

A generation in jeopardy

The repercussions of these attacks extend far beyond the immediate physical damage. The disruption to education has profound implications for the future of Myanmars children. School enrollment has plummeted, with the Global Coalition to Protect Education from Attack (GCPEA) reporting an 80 per cent drop in June 2022 compared to two years prior. This decline has left 7.8 million children out of school, severely limiting their educational opportunities.

The psychological trauma inflicted on children who witness or experience such violence is immeasurable. Many children have been injured, and although verifying fatalities is challenging, Myanmar Witness has collected reports of 64 deaths and 106 injuries. The case of Chaung Ma village in Sagaing, where an airstrike on May 17, 2023, severely damaged a school and injured two children, exemplifies the tragic human toll.

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The human stories

Behind the statistics lie individual stories of suffering and resilience. In Kani Township, Sagaing, an airstrike on Chaung Ma village on May 17, 2023, resulted in major damage to a school. The Myanmar Air Force is believed to have conducted the attack, which left the school building with a caved roof and shattered walls. The sight of children injured and schools in ruins was testament to how devastating the conflict is on ground.

Another heart-wrenching incident occurred in Loikaw Township, Kayah, on November 13, 2023. The Karenni National Defence Forces (KNDF) attacked Loikaw University, used by Myanmar military units as an operational base. The clashes resulted in significant casualties among the military and extensive damage to the university.

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Image courtesy: Myanmar Witness

Implications for the future

The systematic destruction of schools threatens to create a lost generation in Myanmar. Education is not just a fundamental right but also a crucial pathway out of poverty and conflict. The long-term consequences are dire, with diminished educational outcomes translating into reduced economic opportunities and perpetuating cycles of poverty and violence.

Parents are left with the agonizing choice of sending their children to potentially dangerous schools or foregoing education altogether. The ongoing attacks on schools are depriving children of safe spaces to learn and grow.

Calls for Accountability

Myanmar Witness has called for international lawyers to investigate these events to determine the status of school buildings as protected sites under international law. The organization emphasizes the need for accountability and justice for the victims of these attacks. The international community must take a stand against the targeting of educational institutions and work towards ensuring the protection of childrens rights.
19:08 | Lima, Jul. 19.

"We are going to be candidates in 2026," Vizcarra told reporters.





"We have a collective, a very important citizenry supporting our candidacy () We have all the willingness to participate," he expressed.





In that regard, Vizcarra said, "we are going to work towards that in a responsible manner."





Context and disqualification





The former president faces a 10-year disqualification from holding any public office imposed by Parliament in May 2022 for not having resigned from the board of directors and management department of one of his companies when assuming the position of Transportation-Communications minister in 2016.





The Judiciary has denied Vizcarra's request to overturn said disqualification.





Remarks were made during the protest march on political and labor demands called by the General Confederation of Workers of Peru (CGTP), which took place in Lima and other parts of the country.
An alliance of armed ethnic groups in Myanmar has extended a ceasefire with the junta in northern Shan state until July 31, following pressure from Beijing. The ceasefire, initially set for July 14-18, aims to halt fighting along a strategic highway to China read more

China is a key ally and arms supplier to the junta, but also maintains ties with armed ethnic groups. Reuters

In Myanmar, an alliance of armed groups has agreed to extend a ceasefire with the junta in northern Shan state. The move has come after pressure from Beijing, a leader of one of the groups said on Saturday (July 20).

The alliance of ethnic minority armed groups  made up of the Myanmar National Democratic Alliance Army and the Taang National Liberation Army (TNLA)  initially agreed to a four-day ceasefire from July 14-18. This has now been extended to July 31. A third member of the alliance, the Arakan Army, did not agree to the ceasefire.

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The alliances fighters recently seized territory from the military along a strategic highway to China.

Why China is involved

China put a lot of pressure on us to have a ceasefire immediately, the leader from the TNLA told AFP, requesting anonymity. Therefore, we have to do it as we cant avoid it.

The leader warned that if junta troops launched offensives on the alliances troops or if they continued to bomb civilians during the ceasefire, they would attack back.

However, the leader warned that if junta troops launched offensives on the alliances troops or if they continued to bomb civilians during the ceasefire, they would attack back.

The Shan state has been rocked by fighting since late last month, when the so-called Three Brotherhood Alliance renewed an offensive against junta troops along the road to Chinas Yunnan province. The clashes that have happened here since last month shredded a previous Beijing-brokered truce that in January halted an earlier push by the three groups.

China is a key ally and arms supplier to the junta, but analysts say it also maintains ties with armed ethnic groups in Myanmar that hold territory near its border.

The civil war in Myanmar

Fighting broke out in Myanmar after the militarys ouster of Aung San Suu Kyis government in a coup in 2021. Myanmars borderlands are home to myriad ethnic armed groups who have battled the military since independence from Britain in 1948 for autonomy and control of lucrative resources.

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Some have given shelter and training to newer Peoples Defence Forces (PDFs) that have sprung up to battle the military after the coup in 2021.

With inputs from AFP
The Dutch diplomat said one sides rejection of the outcome that we believe is necessary does not mean efforts to seek a solution should cease. Last month the European Union invited Israel to discuss Gaza and human rights. Israel agreed to a meeting after July 1, when Hungary, which supports Netanyahus government, assumed the EU presidency read more

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahus stubborn opposition to a Palestinian state does not deter the European Unions Middle East peace envoy from believing a two-state solution remains achievable.

Sven Koopmans, in an interview with AFP, said with the Gaza war ongoing and Israel needing international support, Netanyahus government cannot indefinitely disregard European views on resolving the conflict.

Netanyahu and some ministers in his right-wing government staunchly oppose the creation of a Palestinian state, which many argue has become even more urgent since Hamass October 7 attacks sparked the devastating war.

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I think that recently he was very explicit about rejecting the two-state solution, Koopmans said.

Now, that means that he has a different point of view from much of the rest of the world.

The Dutch diplomat said one sides rejection of the outcome that we believe is necessary does not mean efforts to seek a solution should cease.

Last month the European Union invited Israel to discuss Gaza and human rights.

Israel agreed to a meeting after July 1, when Hungary, which supports Netanyahus government, assumed the EU presidency.

It is important that we have that discussion, said Koopmans.

I am sure that in such a meeting, there will be very substantive discussions about what we expect from our partner Israel.

And that relates to things that we do not see at present.

- Relevant actor -

Koopmans said it was completely unacceptable for there to be thousands of aid trucks waiting at the Gaza border.

The envoy also raised concerns about Israeli settler violence in the occupied West Bank, saying some attacks amounted to genuine terrorism.

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Named as special representative for the peace process in 2021, Koopmans said the European Union was one of the most energetic institutions pushing for a two-state solution.

Koopmans said his work was guided by the EUs 1980 declaration recognising the right to existence and to security for Israel and the legitimate rights of the Palestinian people.

The declaration called Israeli settlements on Palestinian land a serious obstacle to the peace process.

The European bloc was only nine members then and Koopmans acknowledged divisions within the 27 existing members on the Middle East strife.

But he insisted the bloc should not make ourselves smaller than we are.

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He highlighted that the 27 countries, with a combined population of 450 million, were Israels largest trading partner and the top aid donor to the Palestinians.

We are the biggest political neighbour to both of+ them. Of course, we are not the biggest security provider, lets be honest. But we are a big and relevant actor.

- EU nuances -

Koopmans listed his top priorities as ending the suffering in Gaza, preventing a regional war between Israel and Hezbollah, and reviving the peace process to establish a free state of Palestine living alongside a safe and secure Israel.

The envoy acknowledged the different nuances of EU members on the Middle East.

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Spain and Ireland joined non-EU member Norway in recognising a Palestinian state this year.

Hungary and the Czech Republic have on the other hand sought to block EU sanctions against Israeli settlers in the West Bank.

The Palestinian state recognitions infuriated Israel, while Koopmans said the move could contribute to a solution to the conflict.

The European Union is also a major backer of the Palestinian Authority that many countries say Israel seeks to undermine.

We want to see the PA thrive. We want it to have an ability to govern in an effective and legitimate manner, said Koopmans.

We want to strengthen the PA also so that it can again take over in Gaza when the time is there.

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The European Union met with foreign ministers from Egypt, Jordan, Qatar, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates in May and Koopmans said there were positive reactions to its proposals.
Shortly after the news broke out, many experts claimed that every affected PC may have to be fixed manually read more

A traveler uses her mobile phone to photograph a departures board displaying blue error screens, also known as the "Blue Screen of Death" inside Terminal C in Newark International Airport, after United Airlines and other airlines grounded flights due to a worldwide tech outage caused by an update to Crowdstrike's "Falcon Sensor" software which crashed Microsoft Windows systems, in Newark, New Jersey, U.S., July 19, 2024. Reuters

After an IT failure wreaked havoc around the globe, many experts believe that full recovery of the issue could take weeks. On Friday, services began to come back online by evening, however, the problem that led to the outage wasnt completely solved.

What is touted as the largest IT outage in history, affected airports, healthcare services and businesses. Flights and hospital appointments were either cancelled or the operations were done manually after a botched software upgrade hit Microsofts Windows operating system.

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The problematic update came from the US cybersecurity company CrowdStrike and the issue left people around the world facing a blue screen of death. Shortly after the news broke out, many experts claimed that every affected PC may have to be fixed manually. However, most of the Microsoft services started to recover by Friday evening.

The outage raised many concerns

While explaining the aftermath of the outage, many experts said that the whole ordeal underscored concerns that many organizations were not well prepared to implement a solid contingency plan, The Guardian reported.

They also gave a grim warning that these outages will happen again until more contingencies are built into networks and organizations introduce better back-ups. In the United Kingdom, Whitehall crisis officials conducted a meeting of the Cobra Committee.

Meanwhile, the countrys Transport Secretary Louise Haigh, said she was working at pace with industry after trains and flights were affected.

Many people are being affected by todays IT outages impacting services across the country and globally, UK MP Pat McFadden wrote on X, formally known as Twitter.

Ministers are working with their sectors and respective industries on the issue. Many people are being affected by todays IT outages impacting services across the country and globally. Ministers are working with their sectors and respective industries on the issue.

Many people are being affected by today's IT outages impacting services across the country and globally.



Ministers are working with their sectors and respective industries on the issue.



I am in close contact with teams coordinating our response through the COBR response system  Pat McFadden (@patmcfaddenmp) July 19, 2024

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I am in close contact with teams coordinating our response through the COBR response system he added.

Microsoft bears the brunt

Amid the growing concerns, a Microsoft spokesperson said on Friday: Were aware of an issue affecting Windows devices due to an update from a third-party software platform. We anticipate a resolution is forthcoming.

Meanwhile, Texas-based CrowdStrikes founder George Kurtz, said he was deeply sorry for the impact that weve caused to customers, adding there had been a negative interaction between the update and Microsofts operating system. In a ripple effect to the whole ordeal, CrowdStrikes stock price fell dramatically, dropping as much as 13 per cent at some point of the trading day.

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While commenting on the matter, Tory Hunt, one of the leading cyber experts said that such kind of outage is unprecedented. I dont think its too early to call it: this will be the largest IT outage in history, he tweeted.

I dont think its too early to call it: this will be the largest IT outage in history  Troy Hunt (@troyhunt) July 19, 2024

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This is basically what we were all worried about with Y2K, except its happened this time, he added. Hunt was referring to the millennium bug that worried IT experts in the run-up to the year 2000  but ultimately did not cause serious damage.

With inputs from agencies.
The petitioners name was Farzana Begum who appeared before the Lahore court with her lawyer Bushra Qamar for the case read more

The Lahore High Court on Friday heard a petition from an Indian woman seeking child custody and accusing her Pakistani husband of illegally keeping their two minor sons with him. According to Pakistani news outlet Dawn, the petitioners name was Farzana Begum who appeared before the Lahore court with her lawyer Bushra Qamar for the case.

Farzanas lawyer told the court that the petitioner contacted the marriage with a Pakistani man named Yousaf Elahi Mirza of Lahore in 2015. The couple got married in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) in 2015 and had two sons in 2016 and 2017. The names of the two sons in the court document obtained by Dawn were mentioned as Ibrahim and Ismail.

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The court found that in 2018 the couple shifted to Lahore where Farzana found that she was Mirzas fourth wife. The Indian womans lawyer claimed that the respondent tortured the petitioner and expelled her from the house. Mirza was also accused of forcefully taking Farzanas children away from her.

The minors are in the UAE

During the hearing, Farzana told the court that she wanted to live with her sons in Pakistan. Meanwhile, a government law officer told the court that the respondent took the minors to the UAE, Dawn reported. Mirza did a lot of back and forth between the two countries since he had a business in the Gulf.

After hearing all the arguments, Justice Amjad Rafiq asked the petitioners counsel to assist the court as to how the minors could be brought back to Pakistan from the UAE.

To this request, the counsel replied that she would present multiple judgements and laws that would empower the court to get the abducted minors extradited from the region. The judge will now resume the hearing next week.

With inputs from agencies.
This was the shortest breakout time assessment given by a US official over the matter. The comments from Blinken came amid reports that Iran is boosting its production of fissile material read more

Amid the brewing tensions in the Middle East, US Secretary of State Antony Blinken said that Irans nuclear weapon breakout time is probably down to just one or two weeks. The breakout time refers to the time needed to produce enough weapons-grade material to develop a nuclear warhead.

This was the shortest breakout time assessment given by a US official over the matter. The comments from Blinken came amid reports that Iran is boosting its production of fissile material. Where we are now is not in a good place, the top US diplomat said at the Aspen Security Forum Friday, CNN reported.

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Iran, because the nuclear agreement was thrown out, instead of being at least a year away from having the breakout capacity of producing fissile material for a nuclear weapon, is now probably one or two weeks away from doing that, he said. They havent produced a weapon itself, but thats something of course that we track very, very carefully, the US diplomat furthered.

So whats Americas plan?

Blinken mentioned that the policy of the United States is to prevent Iran from getting a nuclear weapon. He insisted that US President Joe Bidens administration plans to accomplish their aims through diplomacy. The comments from Blinken came a year after a top US Defense Department official said that Iran could now produce one bombs worth of fissile material in about 12 days.

Since then, the Biden administration has engaged in more than a year of indirect negotiations with Iran which aimed at reviving the Iranian nuclear deal. In 2018, it was the United States that withdrew from the deal under former US President Donald Trumps administration.

The effort to revive the deal collapsed further in late 2022 when the US accused Iran of making unreasonable demands related to a probe by the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA). The UN watchdog was investigating the unexplained traces of uranium found at undisclosed Iranian sites.

Earlier this month, Irans new president Masoud Pezeshkian suggested that his administration will be open to engagement with the West. However, a senior State Department official told CNN that they no longer believe that there can be a return to the nuclear deal of the past.

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Were in a very different world, a lot of time has elapsed, and Iran has done a lot of things that make a return to JCPOA non-viable, the official asserted. Similar assertions were made by State Department spokesperson Matthew Miller. We have no expectations that this election will lead to a fundamental change in Irans direction or its policies, the US official said earlier this month.

At the end of the day, its not the president that has the ultimate say over the future of Irans policy; it is the supreme leader, and of course, we have seen the direction that he has chosen to take Iran in. Obviously, if the new president had the authority to take steps to curtail Irans nuclear program, to stop funding terrorism, and to stop destabilizing activities in the region, those would be steps that we would welcome. But needless to say, we dont have any expectations that thats whats likely to ensue," he added.
Houthi-controlled media, Al-Masirah TV said that the airstrikes hit storage facilities for oil and diesel at the port and on the local electricity company causing deaths and injuries. Similarly, Health officials in Yemen said the strikes killed a number of people and injured others, but did not elaborate read more

Videos on social media show that the port was engulfed by fire after Israeli warplanes hit the facility. Image source: X

The Israel Defense Forces on Saturday said that its fighter jets struck Houthi terrorists in Yemen, a day after a drone attack claimed by the Yemeni rebels killed a civilian in Tel Aviv.

In a post on X, the IDF said, A short while ago, IDF fighter jets struck military targets of the Houthi terrorist regime in the area of the Al Hudaydah Port in Yemen in response to the hundreds of attacks carried out against the State of Israel in recent months.

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A short while ago, IDF fighter jets struck military targets of the Houthi terrorist regime in the area of the Al Hudaydah Port in Yemen in response to the hundreds of attacks carried out against the State of Israel in recent months. pic.twitter.com/LBGSM9ZQ7u  Israel Defense Forces (@IDF) July 20, 2024

Houthi-controlled media, Al-Masirah TV said that the airstrikes hit storage facilities for oil and diesel at the port and on the local electricity company causing deaths and injuries. Similarly, Health officials in Yemen said the strikes killed a number of people and injured others, but did not elaborate.

Videos on social media show that the port was engulfed by fire after Israeli warplanes hit the facility.

A significant fire following a possible airstrike in Hodeidah, Yemen. pic.twitter.com/GA4G4hgdu3  Joe Truzman (@JoeTruzman) July 20, 2024

Make no mistake

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu warned on Saturday that Israel will defend ourselves by all means, hours after fighter jets struck a Huthi-controlled port in Yemen in retaliation for a deadly drone attack.

I have a message for Israels enemies: Make no mistake. We will defend ourselves by all means, on all fronts. Anyone who harms us will pay a very heavy price for their aggression, he said in a televised address the day after a drone killed a civilian in Tel Aviv.

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Gallant replies

Soon after the airstrike, Israeli Defence Minister Yoav Gallant said, The fire that is currently burning in Yemen, is seen across the Middle East. The first time that the Houthis harmed an Israeli citizen, we struck them. And we will do this in any place where it may be required.

The blood of Israeli citizens has a price. This has been made clear in Lebanon, in Gaza, in Yemen, and in other places  if they will dare to attack us, the result will be identical.

Israel will pay the price

The Zionist entity will pay the price for targeting civilian facilities, and we will meet escalation with escalation, Houthi politburo member Mohammed al-Bukhaiti said in response to the attack.

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What happened in Tel Aviv?

A long-range Iranian-made drone hit the centre of Tel Aviv in the early hours of Friday in an attack claimed by the Yemen-based Houthi militia that killed one man and wounded four others, the Israeli military and emergency services said.

The explosion, which footage shared on social media suggested came from the sea and did not trigger air raid alarms, occurred hours after the Israeli military confirmed it had killed a senior commander of the Iran-backed Hezbollah militia in southern Lebanon.

Since January, the US and British forces have been striking targets in Yemen, in response to the Houthis attacks on commercial shipping that the rebels have described as retaliation for Israels actions in the war in Gaza. However, many of the ships targeted are not linked to Israel.

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With inputs from agencies
Meloni, who has led a right-wing Italian government since 2022, said she supported von der Leyens comments in her address to the European Parliament on the need to control immigration but the Italian leader added that Europe overall needed less regulation and to find ways to boost its economic competitiveness read more

Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni said she would still be able to work with Ursula von der Leyen despite her Brothers of Italy party having voted against a second term for the German as head of the European Commission.

Members of the European Parliament backed von der Leyens bid for another five-year term at the helm of the European Unions powerful executive body on Thursday.

We have cooperated until now and we will continue to do so in the future, Meloni said of her relationship with von der Leyen.

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We are people who have responsibilities and we understand their importance, Meloni said in an interview with Italian daily Corriere della Sera published on Saturday.

Meloni, who has led a right-wing Italian government since 2022, said she supported von der Leyens comments in her address to the European Parliament on the need to control immigration but the Italian leader added that Europe overall needed less regulation and to find ways to boost its economic competitiveness.

She also stressed Italys importance as the third-largest economy in the EU and a founding member of the bloc, adding that it had the most stable government of all major EU nations.

Everyone recognises the weight and role of Italy, she said.

The Italian prime minister also said she would be able to work with whoever was elected U.S. president in November.

For me what counts is the strength of the alliance with the United States, she said.

To think that an alliance between two G7 nations would change with a change of government is stupid and childish.
In the fog of war, lacking access to shelters and adequate healthcare, people with disabilities are left vulnerable and neglected. Institutionalisation has surged, exposing many to further risk of neglect and abuse. With Ukraines strained resources, their situation is likely to worsen read more

Accessibility to shelters and lack of healthcare are affecting people with disabilities disproportionately in the Ukraine-Russia war. Reuters

The Ukraine-Russia war has been marked by widespread destruction and human suffering, but amid the chaos, a particularly vulnerable group has been facing extraordinary challenges people with disabilities.

A recent report by Amnesty International has shed light on their plight, focusing on difficulty in accessing shelters, issues with adequate healthcare, and problems with institutionalisation.

According to the report, both Ukraine and Russia, despite having ratified the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities, have failed to adequately protect this vulnerable population.

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Accessing shelters a big issue

The physical and logistical barriers created by the war have disproportionately affected people with disabilities, leaving many in dire situations.

Amnesty International has found that two years since the full-scale invasion, shelters for displaced people in schools, kindergartens, and other public buildings were mostly still totally physically inaccessible to persons with disabilities. Administrators of these structures typically had no plans to make them physically accessible, the report said. Unprepared and overwhelmed, these administrators have been forced to turn away specially-abled people.

This left them with no choice but to remain in their homes, where they were exposed to higher risks during attacks. The evacuation processes, often hastily arranged, lacked the necessary accommodations for people with disabilities.

Risks of institutionalisation

The war has not only displaced millions but also created an acute housing shortage that has hit people with disabilities particularly hard. Many who were displaced lost their adapted homes and support networks, making it extremely difficult for them to find accessible accommodations.

The institutionalisation of older persons with disabilities has surged since the war began.

In February 2022, the Ukrainian government, partly in response to the mass displacement crisis, simplified the procedure for older persons and persons with disabilities to be admitted to state institutions. According to the Ministry of Social Policy, at least 4,000 older persons with disabilities were placed in state institutions between February and July 2022 alone, the report said. :In 2023, Amnesty International observed that this trend of placing older persons with disabilities in institutional care as a default response to their displacement continued unabated."

Several reports have documented how institutions for persons with disabilities in Ukraine are insufficiently staffed to support people with disabilities, leaving them at greater risk of neglect or abuse.

Situation likely to get worse

The Ukraine-Russia war has starkly revealed the precarious existence of specially-abled people in conflict zones. Despite international conventions and local efforts, the reality on the ground remains dire.

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The Ukrainian government, grappling with the immense strain of war, lacks the resources to adequately address the complex needs of this vulnerable population.

As the conflict drags on, the situation for people with disabilities is likely to deteriorate further, with inadequate shelter, insufficient support services, and a failing social care system.
The vessel MV Maersk Frankfurt reported explosions on its front deck on Friday, 6.5 nautical miles (12 kilometres) south of Karwar while sailing from Indias Gujarat state to Colombo in Sri Lanka read more

Three Indian Coast Guard ships were battling a major fire Saturday aboard a cargo vessel in the Arabian Sea after it picked up a distress call, the organisation said.

The vessel MV Maersk Frankfurt reported explosions on its front deck on Friday, 6.5 nautical miles (12 kilometres) south of Karwar while sailing from Indias Gujarat state to Colombo in Sri Lanka.

Ships Sujeet, Sachet and Samrat have been fighting the fire for over 12 hours, preventing its spread, the India Coast Guard said in a statement Saturday posted on social media platform X.

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It posted images and videos showing the firefighting effort.

No casualties were reported from the merchant vessel.

The coast guard said a Donier aircraft was conducting aerial assessments and that an additional plane was also in position for search and rescue.

It said another ship was also despatched from Mumbai and likely to join the effort by Sunday.

The Indian Express newspaper reported the MV Maersk Frankfurt was carrying International Maritime Dangerous Goods (IMDG) cargo, quoting an unnamed coast guard spokesperson.

It said the firefighting operation was being carried out amid rough seas and inclement weather conditions.

On Wednesday the Indian navy rescued nine crew members and recovered one body from the Comorian-flagged MV Prestige Falcon oil tanker that had capsized off the coast of Oman earlier this week.
In the midst of Gazas devastation, a tragic miracle unfolded as doctors delivered a baby from Ola Adnan Harb al-Kurd, who was killed in an airstrike. It is a tale of both the resilience of life and the profound sorrow of loss read more

A Palestinian baby boy, not yet named, who was delivered prematurely after his mother Ola al-Kurd was killed in an Israeli strike, lies in an incubator at a hospital in Deir al-Balah. AP

In the midst of relentless airstrikes on Gaza, a miraculous yet heartbreaking story unfolded late Thursday (July 18) evening. A medical team at Al-Awda Hospital delivered a live baby from Ola Adnan Harb al-Kurd, a 25-year-old Palestinian woman who was killed in an airstrike on her home in Nuseirat.

The hospital only confirmed the entire ordeal on Saturday (July 20).

Ola, nine months pregnant, barely survived the devastating night of missile strikes that claimed the lives of over 24 people, including six members of the same family. By the time she reached the hospital, she was almost dead, according to surgeon Akram Hussein. Despite their efforts, doctors were unable to save Ola, but an ultrasound detected the babys heartbeat.

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In a race against time, doctors performed an emergency cesarean section and brought the baby into the world. The newborn, still unnamed, was placed in an incubator and transferred to Al-Aqsa Hospital in Deir el-Balah. Although stable, the baby suffered from a shortage of oxygen and remains in critical care, said Dr Khalil Dajran.

The tragedy deepens as Olas cousin, Majid al-Kurd, revealed that while her husband and a relative survived the strike, everyone else perished. The baby is in good health based on what doctors said, he added, offering a glimmer of hope amidst overwhelming sorrow.

Ola was one of three women and a child killed by an Israeli missile in the Nuseirat refugee camp. The ongoing war in Gaza has made childbirth perilous, with pregnant women facing daily strikes, limited access to health facilities, widespread food insecurity, poor sanitary conditions, and water scarcity.

Hospitals are stretched to their limits, and pre-term deliveries and maternal complications are on the rise, as reported by Doctors Without Borders.

This story is a poignant reminder of the horrors of war and the resilience of life. The survival of Olas baby is a beacon of hope, yet it is overshadowed by the immense suffering and loss faced by Palestinians every day.

With inputs from agencies
The countrys Federal Competition and Consumer Protection Commission (FCCPC) accused Meta of discriminatory practices, abuse of market dominance, sharing Nigerians personal data without authorisation and denying Nigerians the right to determine how their data are used read more

Nigeria has issued a $220 million fine against Meta, the parent company of Facebook and WhatsApp, for multiple and repeated violations.

The countrys Federal Competition and Consumer Protection Commission (FCCPC) on Friday accused Meta of violating the countrys data protection and consumer rights laws on Facebook and WhatsApp.

The FCCPCs chief executive officer Adamu Abdullahi said the investigations the commission carried out in conjunction with the Nigeria Data Protection Commission between May 2021 and December 2023 showed that it engaged in invasive practices against data subjects/consumers in Nigeria.

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Abdullahi accused Meta of discriminatory practices, abuse of market dominance, sharing Nigerians personal data without authorisation and denying Nigerians the right to determine how their data are used.

Apart from the hefty fine, the FCCPC boss insisted that Meta must comply with prevailing law and cease the exploitation of Nigerian consumers and their market abuse.

It ordered the company to desist from future similar or other conduct/practices that do not meet nationally applicable standards.

Meta did not immediately respond to a request for a response to the fine. But the FCCPC said the company was aware of its 38-month investigation.

About three quarters of the 200 million people in Africas most populous country are younger than 24  a generation that is also hyper-connected to social media.

The country had some 164.3 million internet subscriptions as of March, according to the figures published by the National Communication Commission (NCC) on its website.

Metas platforms  WhatsApp, Facebook and Instagram  are among the most popular social media in the country.

The minister for communication and the digital economy, Bosun Tijani, said in December that there were over 51 million WhatsApp users in Nigeria.

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The European Union (EU) accused Meta at the beginning of July of breaching the blocs digital rules, paving the way for potential fines worth billions of euros.

The EU said Metas new ad-free subscription model for Facebook and Instagram forced millions of users in the bloc to pay to avoid data collection or agree to share their data with Facebook and Instagram to keep using the platforms for free.
The countrys Foreign Office Spokesperson Mumtaz Zahra Baloch was responding to the US concern over the Shehbaz Sharif-led Pakistan governments decision to ban the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf party read more

Shehbaz Sharif-led administration announed that they would move the Supreme Court to get Imran Khan's PTI banned. Reuters

Pakistan has said that the move to ban former prime minister Imran Khans PTI is an internal matter and that any comment from abroad is unwarranted.

The countrys Foreign Office Spokesperson Mumtaz Zahra Baloch was responding to the US concern over the Shehbaz Sharif-led Pakistan governments decision to ban the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf party.

The recent decisions by Pakistani courts, including the Supreme Court of Pakistan, show the strengths of Pakistans legal and judicial system and the ability of the Pakistani nation to deal with domestic challenges. Commentary from abroad is therefore unwarranted and unacceptable interference in Pakistans domestic affairs, Baloch said on Friday.

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What did the US say?

Earlier this week, US Department Spokesperson Matthew Miller during the daily briefing on said, Our understanding is that this is the beginning of what will be a complex political process. Certainly banning a political concern is something  or a political party is something that would be of great concern to us."

Matthew Miller said the US supported the peaceful upholding of constitutional and democratic principles, including respect for human rights and freedom of expression.

PML-N to ban PTI

Meanwhile, the ruling Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) announced on July 15 that it will move the Supreme Court to press treason charges against Imran Khan, apart from banning his party.

The move to ban Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) was based on the proven charge of the party receiving foreign funds from sources that are illegal in Pakistan and rioting by its supporters last year that targeted military installations, Minister Attaullah Tarar had said.

The federal government will move a case to ban the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaaf, he said, adding that the plan will be taken up before the cabinet, which was empowered to take a decision.

The government will also file a legal reference against Khan and former President Arif Alvi for treason charges under the countrys constitution before the Supreme Court, Tarar said.

With inputs from agencies
Around 120,000 illegal immigrants have entered the United Kingdom through the English Channel since 2018, according to a report read more

Around 120,000 illegal immigrants have entered the UK since 2018 by crossing the English Channel (Photo: AFP)

The United Kingdom will admit as many as 60,000 illegal immigrants under new immigration plans of Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer, according to a report.

One of the first decisions of the new British government of Starmer was to scrap the Rwanda deportation plan announced by the previous Conservative government. Under the plan enacted by the then-PM Boris Johnson, illegal immigrants would be sent to the African nation of Rwanda where their asylum clams would be processed.

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Now, Starmers Labour government is set to fast-track asylum applications of around 90,000 illegal immigrants, according to The Sun.

The newspaper further reported that around 60,000 of these applications are predicted to be accepted.

The Rwanda plan had become a volatile issue towards the end of Rishi Sunaks premiership. Even as he maintained that the plan was a must to prevent illegal crossings through the English Channel, the plan could never take off as it was embroiled in legal challenges. Now, the new Labour government is expected to use loopholes in the law to fast-track applications of illegal entrants into the country.

What we know of Labours stand on asylum claims?

Of the 90,000 illegal immigrants previously under the Rwanda plan, several had taken the government to the court.

Now, Starmers government is set to process the claims of these challengers as a priority, according to The Sun.

There is, however, a catch. The newspaper reported that the British government will first process claims from safe countries, such as France or India, as these claims are likely to be rejected, paving way for the claimants to be deported.

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Starmer has slammed Rwanda plan as ineffective

Upon taking office, Starmer announced that the Rwanda deportation plan was dead and buried.

For the past many years, the UK has been facing a severe illegal immigration crisis under which people cross the English Channel on small boats and enter the country. During January-June, 13,195 entered the UK in this manner, which was above the average for the period in the past four years, as per BBC.

The report further said that around 120,000 illegal immigrants have entered the UK in this manner since 2018.

Despite the extent of the issue, Starmer called the deportation plan a gimmick. He dismissed the plan as a solution and said it would address less than 1 per cent of illegal immigrant who cross the English Channel.

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Look at the numbers that have come over in the first six and a bit months of this year, they are record numbers, that is the problem that we are inheriting. Its had the complete opposite effect and Im not prepared to continue with gimmicks that dont act as a deterrent, said Starmer, as per the report.

Even as Starmer has not yet outlined a clear alternative, the Labours election manifesto said the partys government would use counter-terrorism powers to smash the criminal networks that smuggle illegal immigrants into the UK through the English Channel.
Former US President Donald Trump has been sceptical of the military and financial support to Ukraine under the Joe Biden administration read more

As the prospects of Donald Trumps second presidential term cast uncertainty over the support to Ukraine, President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has hinted at negotiating with Russia for the end of the war.

Trump and his far-right Make America Great Again (MAGA) movement have been critical of the military and financial assistance to Ukraine. Along with an isolationist foreign policy, he has hinted that he could curtail the US aid to Ukraine and push the country into making a deal with Russia.

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Now, the CNN has reported that, a day after Trump and Zelenskyy had their first conversation since the beginning of the Russian invasion, Zelenskyy has hinted at being open to talks with Russia. At the moment, no talks between the warring sides are on and both Zelenskyy and Russian President Vladimir Putin have laid down maximalist positions to end the war.

For a long time, Trump maintained that if he wins the US presidential election to be held in November, he would strike a deal to end the war even before he would assume office in January 2025.

Not everything depends on us

In a recent interaction with the media, Zelenskyy said that the outcome of the war did not depend entirely on Ukraine as the country remains dependent on support from Western partners.

Zelenskyy added that Ukraine was not getting enough supplies to win the war.

Not everything depends on us. We know what would be a just end to the war, but it doesnt depend only on us. It depends not only on our people and our desire, but also on finance, on weapons, on political support, on unity in the EU, in NATO, in the world, said Zelenskyy, as per CNN.

John Herbst, a former US ambassador to Ukraine, told CNN that it was plausible that Zelenskys shift in tone was a reaction to developments in the United States where Trump appears more likely than ever to win  particularly as the Biden campaign is now in tatters as his own party has rallied to oust him as their presidential nominee and he is failing to inspire confidence in his mental and physical faculties to see through another term.

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Herbst further said that it was possible that Zelenskyy with his comments was trying to reach out to Trumps camp by stressing he would be willing to negotiate as long as the deal on the table is just.

What have Zelenskyy & Putin said regarding negotiations?

So far, both Zelenskyy and Putin have laid down maximalist positions to start negotiations.

Putin has said that the surrender of four Ukrainian regions that Russia has illegally annexed has to be the pre-condition to start talks. The four regions of Ukraine Donetsk, Luhansk, Kherson and Zaporizhzhia are not complete in Russian control and large parts remain in Ukrainian control. This means that Putin is asking Ukraine to surrender territories that Russia does not even control.

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Putin has also said that Ukraine should permanently rule out joining the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO).

On his part, Zelenskyy has laid down a 10-point peace plan in which the Russian withdrawal and restoration of territories occupied and annexed is a must.
A number of big donors are closing their checkbooks amid questions about whether Biden should remain at the top of the Democratic Party ticket, the sources said, using their financial clout to tell Biden to drop out of the November 5 race, potentially in favor of Vice President Kamala Harris read more

Several of US President Joe Bidens reelection campaign fundraisers are on hold, multiple Democratic sources involved in the events told Reuters on Friday, even as the Democratic Party planned to accelerate his nomination and he vowed to continue in the 2024 race.

Biden had planned to raise money in Austin, Denver and California next week, but these plans have been shelved, at least for now, the sources said. The president tested positive for COVID-19 on Wednesday but said Friday he would return to the campaign trail next week.

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Bidens campaign said his fundraisers would go ahead as planned. Reuters sourcing is incorrect, and we look forward to a robust fundraising schedule, campaign spokesman Kevin Munoz said on Friday.

A source familiar with the situation said former late-night comic David Letterman would headline a fundraiser for Biden at the home of Hawaii Governor Josh Green in about 10 days, a sign of forward movement for Biden.

A number of big donors are closing their checkbooks amid questions about whether Biden should remain at the top of the Democratic Party ticket, the sources said, using their financial clout to tell Biden to drop out of the November 5 race, potentially in favor of Vice President Kamala Harris.

The campaign hoped to raise some $50 million in big-dollar donations in July for the Biden Victory fund but was on track for less than half that figure as of Friday, according to two sources familiar with the fundraising efforts.

There are a lot of donors who have said they wont put another dime in this race. The question is if Biden stays in the race, will they come back? said one major East Coast campaign financier.

Biden raised $28 million in one night in June at a Hollywood fundraiser that was hosted by the actor George Clooney, who later urged Biden to end his campaign.

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Harris will talk to major donors on Friday at the request of advisers to the president, according to a source familiar with the plan.

Fundraising from megadonors was expected to drop from June to July due to many of these people taking vacations, a campaign official told Reuters on Friday. This narrative that high-dollar fundraising has dried up is wrong, the official said.

The official noted that the campaign has 10 campaign fundraisers on the schedule for this month.

More than one in 10 congressional Democrats have now publicly called on the incumbent to drop out following a disastrous June debate against Republican Donald Trump that raised questions about Bidens ability to win or to carry out his duties for another four years.

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Nominating process moves forward

The official party process to nominate Biden is advancing.

The Democratic National Convention Rules Committee met on Friday to outline a virtual voting process to bring forward the official nomination of the 81-year-old before the partys in-person convention starts Aug. 19 in Chicago. Officials argued an early nomination is needed to more easily comply with state election laws or risk being left off the November ballot.

Theyre not risks that we as a party can or should take, Dana Remus, Bidens former White House counsel, told the committee.

For a party already divided over Biden, with fresh calls on Friday from Democrats in Congress to leave, the early virtual vote is another point of controversy.

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Critics argue it is a means of pushing Biden through early as the partys official nominee. Others, including DNC Chair Jaime Harrison, say it is necessary to deal with an Ohio law that could have kept Bidens name off ballots in the state if he wasnt nominated by August 7, prior to the convention in Chicago.

A member of the rules committee asked whether it was possible that another candidate could challenge Biden in a virtual vote. Leah Daughtry, the committees co-chair, said any challenger would need the verified support of hundreds of delegates.

Such a challenge has never happened over the past half-century of competitive primaries, Daughtry said.

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It was unclear how the nominating process would unfold if Biden were to abandon his reelection bid. The committee is expected to meet again next week to finalize the plan.

Biden has been isolating since he tested positive for COVID this week and was believed to be taking calls to step aside seriously. Several Democratic officials think an exit is a matter of time, Reuters reported on Thursday.

The writing is on the wall, said a Democratic donor on Friday.

Biden has insisted for weeks that he would stay in the race despite calls from heavyweights in his party to cede his position.

Trump, 78, accepted the Republican Partys nomination this week in Milwaukee, speaking before a rapt audience on Thursday.

Some Democrats have begun advertising against Biden. Pass the Torch, a group that wants Biden to step down has launched a TV ad to air in Washington and Rehoboth, Delaware, where Biden frequently vacations, and features Democratic voters from Pennsylvania urging Biden to pass the torch.
It is pertinent to note that the call marked the first conversation between Trump and Zelenskyy since the former left the White House in 2021 read more

Former US President Donald Trump said that he had a very good phone call with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy. The call between the two world leaders which was held on Friday, came a day after Trump accepted the GOP presidential nomination on the final day of the Republican National Convention (RNC).

It is pertinent to note that the call marked the first conversation between Trump and Zelenskyy since the former left the White House in 2021. After the call, both sides took to their social media profile to express their satisfaction with the conversation they had.

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President Zelenskyy of Ukraine and I had a very good phone call earlier today. He congratulated me on a very successful Republican National Convention and becoming the Republican nominee for President of the United States. He condemned the heinous assassination attempt last Saturday and remarked about the American people coming together in the spirit of Unity during these times, Trump wrote on TruthSocial.

I appreciate President Zelenskyy for reaching out because I, as your next President of the United States, will bring peace to the world and end the war that has cost so many lives and devastated countless innocent families. Both sides will be able to come together and negotiate a deal that ends the violence and paves a path forward to prosperity, he added.

What Zelenskyy said on the matter

The Ukrainian president also shared his side of the story on X, formally known as Twitter. In his post, Zelenskyy said: Ukraine will always be grateful to the United States for its help in strengthening our ability to resist Russian terror. Russian attacks on our cities and villages continue every day.

We agreed with President Trump to discuss at a personal meeting what steps can make peace fair and truly lasting, he added. The comments from the Ukrainian leader came days after he said that working with Trump, if he comes back to power would be hard.

I spoke with @realDonaldTrump to congratulate him on the Republican nomination and condemn the shocking assassination attempt in Pennsylvania. I wished him strength and absolute safety in the future.



I noted the vital bipartisan and bicameral American support for protecting our  Volodymyr Zelenskyy /   (@ZelenskyyUa) July 19, 2024

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The proclamation from Zelenskyy came a day after Trump announced Ohio Senator JD Vance as his running mate in the 2024 presidential elections. In the past, the 39-year-old Republican Senator from Ohio said he doesnt care what happens to Ukraine one way or the other.

Maybe he really doesnt understand what goes on in Ukraine, so we have to work with the United States, Zelenskyy told BBC.

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Reminiscence of the past

Interestingly, the phone call between the two came just a few days shy of the five-year anniversary of the last conversation between the two leaders. The phone call at that time led to the former presidents first impeachment after he asked Zelenskyy to consider investigating Joe Biden on discredited allegations.

This was Zelenskyy who initiated the call after Trump survived an assassination attempt at a Pennsylvania rally. It is pertinent to note that Zelenskyy himself was the subject of an assassination attempt by Russia in the early days of Moscows full-scale invasion in 2022.

While the ongoing Russia-Ukraine war was not a major topic of discussion at the Republican National Convention, Trump did pledge to end the war in his nomination acceptance speech.

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I will end every single international crisis that the current administration has created, including the horrible war with Russia and Ukraine, which would have never happened if I was president," the former president averred.

The prospects of Trumps re-election have alarmed several European countries who are supporting Ukraine throughout the war. They are concerned that a Trump administration would halt US military and economic support for Kyiv. These anxieties will only increase in recent weeks after Trump met Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban on the final day of the Nato summit in Washington.

He also picked Ohio Senator JD Vance as his Vice Presidential candidate. Both Orban and Vance have advocated for cutting down on sending military aid to Ukraine.
Nick Moulas and his two deckhands worked for hours to reel in the large bluefin tuna, only to have a mako shark join in on the 'fun'.

Fisherman Nick Moulas and his two deckhands, Jye and Tyler (pictured), worked for two hours to reel in a roughly 130kg bluefin tuna (right), only to have a mako shark take a huge bite. Source: Shell Cove Fishing Charters/Facebook

A charter fisherman has detailed the chaotic moment his two-hour battle with a fish of a lifetime almost came to a devastating end thanks to a very hungry  and bold  shark. Nick Moulas was enjoying a day off with his two deckhands, Jye and Tyler, last week when the crews leisurely morning on the boat suddenly turned into a huge fight.

The skipper, who runs Shell Cove Fishing Charters in Shellharbour, NSW, told Yahoo News the trio were a couple of hours into the trip when they saw movement in the water. We found a fish jumping on the surface and pretty much drove over to him and hooked up almost instantly, he said.

Then the fun began  the fight to get that trophy fish, he laughed. We knew it was a big one when it nearly emptied the spool.

Skipper Nick Moulas said the shark emerged from the water with the fish in its bloody mouth. Source: Shell Cove Fishing Charters/Facebook

Mako shark threatens fisherman's battle for huge fish

On the other end of the line was a roughly 130kg bluefin tuna that was determined not to go down easy.

Nick, Jye and Tyler were able to reel it in close to the boat after 60 minutes of good runs and nice, deep dives, but the fish quickly took off another 200 to 300 meters of line. An hour later, the crew pulled the tuna back to the vessel before it suddenly went straight down  a mako shark had joined the battle.

It was pretty cool. Wild fight, Nick told Yahoo, adding the apex predator weighed an estimated 200-250kg.

Moments later, the shark popped up on the surface with the fish in its mouth. It was bit of a wrestleyouve got blood in the water and this angry mako shark coming right up to the boat trying to find out where his tuna has gone, the skipper said.

Skipper Nick Moulas said his crew had recently had a few fish stolen by sharks  an almost daily problem for fishers. Source: Shell Cove Fishing Charters/Facebook

The shark was able to make off with nearly half a meter of its tail  about 10 to 15kg of fish. That was pretty impressive to me, Nick added.

Having lost a few fish to sharks in the days prior, the crew were thrilled to end their drought with a beauty, despite it missing a chunk. Bloody images posted to the Shell Cove Fishing Charters Facebook page show Jye and Tyler lifting up the massive bluefin, which has clearly been bitten.

Fishers racing sharks almost every day

Nicks lucky catch highlights an issue that professional fishers claim has become a frequent occurrence in Aussie waters. Last month, Richard Gilmore, who runs Pristine Reef Fish predominately out of Cairns, told Yahoo News he is racing sharks almost every day.

And a lot of the sharks were dealing with are big sharks. Theyre up there upwards of 100 kilos quite often.

Over the past 10 years, the number of sharks in the Great Barrier Reef have increased exponentially, Gilmore said, describing shark interaction as phenomenal these days. The fisherman said the high chance of a shark encounter has made some areas impossible to work in, forcing him to change areas and target species often.

Do you have a story tip? Email: newsroomau@yahoonews.com.

You can also follow us on Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, Twitter and YouTube.
Madison Hawkins poses for a portrait after showing her ewe during the Mesa County Fair at the Mesa County Fairgrounds on July 17. Those who participate in 4-H or FFA helped the Mesa County 4-H/FFA Junior Livestock Auction set a record this year as those members go out into the community and talk to business owners about their livestock projects and invite them to the auction.
Once Neil the Seal reaches sexual maturity his behaviour could begin to change, and he may no longer visit Australia.

Neil the seal is world-famous across the internet for causing chaos when he returns to his birthplace of Tasmania. Every time hes significantly heavier and has the potential to cause more damage.

TikTok and Instagram videos show him blocking streets, lounging on front door steps and drawing huge crowds of rubberneckers. And this always prompts warnings from the authorities not to crowd him.

But the charismatic seal is only three-years-old  if he was a human kid, hed pipe up right now and boast Ill be four in October. But hes not, hes a wild animal. So what happens as he continues to grow and eventually reaches sexual maturity?

Related: Neil the seal returns to Hobart in 2024

Neil the Seal habitually causes a little chaos when he rolls into Hobart. Source: neiltheseal22/@sarague89

To answer this question Yahoo News turned to the man who probably knows him best of all, wildlife biologist Sam Thalmann. Hes part of the states Marine Conservation Program that monitors Neil's development.

Hes a juvenile at this stage. And hes exhibiting classic, teenage southern elephant seal behaviours. He likes to engage with objects, and he likes to test his strength and weight, Thalmann said.

These are things that a male elephant seal will fall back on in use when they become breeding animals and fighting for a position within the harem of females.

They will need to fight for dominance, with other males using vocalisation and being able to joust with other males. And that's what he's doing when he's leaning against things  he's rearing back and using his weight.

How long will Neil the Seal live for?

Male elephant seals start displaying this behaviour soon after theyre born. Its just that the four distinct colonies are in remote regions like Macquarie Island  which lies between New Zealand and Antarctica.

Because Neil was born near Hobart, he continues to return to its shores every year, but that could change once he becomes sexually mature at the age of six or seven.

Related: Aussies urged to 'stay away' from rare 400kg creature lying in city

Neil the Seal was just a little pup in 2020, and he's grown larger every year. Source: NRE Tas

Neil only weighed around 700kg during his 2024 visit. Until the age of 10, hell continue to stack on as much weight as he can, working to be one of the few chosen dominant elephant seals which can reach up to 3700kg.

In the competitive world of elephant seals in the large colonies, its only the largest males that become beach masters. And thats usually only animals that are 10 or 11 years old and manage to get to that actual threshold, Thalmann said.

The males will generally only live to about 12 or 13. So most of their life is about growing and gaining weight and size, and being able to fight for that position within that polygamous harem structure.

Then they're lucky if they have one or two breeding seasons. So theres a long struggle to the top, and a very short time at the top.

More wild seal stories

Was Neil the Seal's birth a rare occurrence?

Hobarts elephant seal colony was hunted to extinction in the 1800s, and births there are now rare. Over the last 10 years, around four pups have been born around Tasmanias coastline.

Neils behaviour around the city is slightly different to what youd expect to see if he was on Macquarie Island because there are no other males for him to joust with.

Here on the Tasmanian coastline, we see a bit of displacement behaviour, Thalmann said.

Seals here have the drive to interact with other beings and theyre looking for other elephant seals. So in the absence of them they move that attraction to other people, objects and activities.

Southern elephant seals on Macquarie Island will joust for dominance. Source: Getty

What will Neil the Seal joust with as he becomes bigger?

Once Neil becomes sexually mature, hell likely experience a surge of hormones during breeding season. And, while hell likely continue to return to Tasmania every year after extended periods out at sea foraging, theres one reason he might one day establish himself at Macquarie Island.

Hes had three years now of foraging at sea, and we know from tracking the animals that they will continue to search for resources further and wider, Thalmann said.

This will continue until they really establish themselves. And Neil is still going through that phase at the moment. What we believe is that if that behaviour continues, and he encounters Macquarie Island we could lose him from Tasmania.

If Neil never encounters the island, hell likely continue to return to Hobart. Because he will become larger every year, and continue to be wild, he will pose more of a danger, but he isnt likely to become outwardly aggressive to people.

We dont envisage that his behaviour will noticeably change. Hes quite opportunistic. He interacts with things he comes across, Thalmann said.

But as he gets larger, instead of interacting with traffic cones, he might like the look of small hatchbacks and SUVs.

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NY National Guard civil support teams learn from Brazilian counterparts

By Sgt. 1st Class Jonathan Pietrantoni July 18, 2024

RIO DE JANEIRO, BRAZIL -- Thirty-five New York National Guard Soldiers and Airmen spent a week in Rio De Janeiro learning how to help secure a major soccer tournament from a chemical, biological, or radiological attack from Brazilian Soldiers.

The members of the New York National Guard's 2nd and 24th Civil Support Teams, who specialize in identifying, chemical, biological, radiological or nuclear weapons, spent July 8-12 practicing their craft at Rio's Maracana Stadium.

The New Yorkers worked with members of the Brazilian Army's 1 Batalhao de Defesa Quimica, Biologica, Radiologica e Nuclear, which translates into English as the 1st Chemical, Biological, Radiological and Nuclear Defense Battalion.

These Soldiers provided support for security missions when Brazil hosted soccer's World Cup in 2014 and the Summer Olympic in 2016.

The exercise simulated a chemical, biological, radiological and nuclear attack  known as CBRN--during a soccer match at the stadium, which is home to the Brazilian soccer club Flamengo F.C.

This training is relevant because the final matches of the 2026 Soccer World Cup tournament will be held at the New York New Jersey Stadium in East Rutherford, New Jersey and the two Civil Support Teams, called CSTs for short, expect to provide support, explained Lt. Col. John Giroux, the commander of the 2nd CST.

"As we look forward to hosting in the U.S. especially in New York for the World Cup finals in 2026, we will take the lessons, skills and partnership we learned here to ensure our spectators have the safest World Cup possible," Giroux said.

The Brazilians, he said, "have extensive experience in world-level events such as the World Cup, and Olympics."

For these reasons, he jumped on the opportunity to train with their Brazilian counterparts, Girouz said.

The 2nd CST is based at Stratton Air National Guard Base outside Schenectady, New York, while the 24th CST is based at Fort Hamilton in New York City.

Brazilian Army Lt. Col. Luiz Bifano, the commander of the 1st Battalion, said his Soldiers enjoyed training with the New York National Guard Soldiers.

"The training was a great insight on how to work as a team in small unit with high skills and a high level of equipment and preparation," Bifano said.

During the week both units worked together in CBRN related tasks, including surveillance, reconnaissance, sampling, and decontamination. The training led up to a simulated attack at the stadium.

Americans and Brazilians taught classes on CBRN skills, equipment and demonstrated how they do their jobs. This included training on standard operating procedures and communications procedures.

Staff Sgt. Raven O'Neil, a member of the 24th CST, helped demonstrate the hasty decontamination. This is the method used to run a small number of people through the decontamination line in case of an attack.

"The Brazilian soldiers are accustomed to running over 200 people through their decon line, so they were eager to learn something new and different which made it exciting for us to teach," O'Neil said.

"It's been tough overcoming the language barrier but honestly it's been easier than I originally thought because a lot of our CBRN training is a universal language that we both speak despite a different uniform," O'Neil said.

The training prior to the event helped to build a familiarization with each unit's equipment and capabilities, both Brazilians and Americans said.

Capt. Salvatore Scannapico, the science and medical officer assigned to the 2nd CST, demonstrated different sampling techniques.

"We really were able to share different tactics and procedure ways to acquire a sample and break down how similar and different the equipment we use in the field," Scannapico said.

"We're genuinely building a stronger partnership through learning and those bonds are only going to better help us work with each other in the future," Scannapico said.

The New York National Guard has been conducting training with Brazilian Soldiers and Airmen since signing a State Partnership Program agreement with Brazil in 2019.

Under this National Guard program, Guard Soldiers and Airmen share their skills with, and learn from, military personnel in 106 nations.

New York also has a State Partnership Program agreement with the Republic of South Africa and on July 12, New York National Guard leaders signed an agreement with Sweden's military.

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Conclusion of Temporary Pier Operations in Gaza

U.S. Central Command

Press Release | July 18, 2024

USCENTCOM

July 18,2024

Release 20240718 - 02

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

TAMPA, Fla. -- U.S. Central Command (USCENTCOM) personnel have concluded operations for the USAID-led mission to deliver humanitarian aid to Gaza from the sea using the Joint Logistics Over the Shore (JLOTS) capability.

With collaboration from multi-national organizations and our regional partners, the JLOTS capability enabled the delivery of the highest-ever volume of U.S. military-supported aid in the Middle East. Since May, nearly 20 million pounds of humanitarian aid have been delivered to Gaza.

The U.S. military's temporary mission in support of USAID achieved the goal of providing an additional means to deliver high volumes of humanitarian aid to the people of Gaza during a period of intense need.

The U.S. government's efforts to increase the volume of aid delivered to affected populations in Gaza will continue beyond the end of the JLOTS mission. USCENTCOM will work with USAID to deliver the remaining aid commodities currently afloat to the Port of Ashdod in Israel for onward distribution to Gaza and will provide coordination and liaison support for HA deliveries at the request of USAID when appropriate.







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Vietnam's Communist Party expels outspoken parliamentarian

Police accused Le Thanh Van of taking advantage of his position for personal gain.

By RFA Vietnamese 2024.07.18 -- The Communist Party of Vietnam has expelled National Assembly delegate Le Thanh Van, a member of parliament's Finance and Budget Committee known for speaking out on various issues, the party said.

The party's Central Inspection Commission announced on Tuesday that Van had "degenerated in political ideology, morality, lifestyle, self-evolution and self-transformation."

Police detained Van on July 10 in Thai Binh province and investigated him for "taking advantage of position and power to influence others for personal gain."

The Thai Binh Police Investigation Agency said his detention was part of an expanded investigation into former National Assembly delegate Luu Binh Nhuong, who was detained for alleged "extortion of property and taking advantage of position and power to influence others for personal gain."

Both Van and Nhuong had spoken out strongly about national issues in Vietnam's parliament.

A Vietnamese lawyer, who requested anonymity for security reasons, said the Central Inspection Commission was within its rights to express the party's view on members but it must also give them the opportunity to defend themselves.

"The party believes that he has 'evolved and transformed' himself, so where and how has he evolved and transformed himself?" the lawyer said, using an expression to describe what authorities regard as the right course of action for those seen as critical.

"It must be clear and cannot be made in a press release."

The lawyer added that the information about Le Thanh Van's arrest was vague and one-sided, making it impossible for the public to know exactly what had really happened.

"With such little information, it is difficult for outsiders to assess Van's role and responsibility in this case," he said. "However, in Vietnam, it can be seen that it is extremely easy to attribute or accuse someone of any criminal act."

The expulsion comes in the midst of an anti-corruption drive known as the "Blazing Furnace" launched by Communist Party General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong, in which dozens of officials and business partners of politicians have been caught up.

The high-profile purges have roiled financial markets and foreign investor confidence and critics say the campaign has been used to target factional rivals.

Speaking out

Van is well-known for speaking out against state agencies and organizations.

In May 2020, he asked the chairman of the National Assembly to consider implementing parliament's supreme supervision over court operations, through the case of death row prisoner Ho Duy Hai. He said that the Supreme Court's verdict on Hai's appeal was unconvincing as there were many unclear issues that concerned the public.

In November 2022, Van said National Assembly delegates needed to discuss and debate more, not just read aloud.

In November 2023, Van spoke about the Dai Ninh hydroelectric plant project in Lam Dong province.

A number of government inspectors had been prosecuted for accepting bribes in connection with the project, and he said a government working group had changed its conclusion from saying in 2020 that it was illegal and should be withdrawn, to amending the project and granting an extension to investors. Van called this "completely illegal."

Van spoke to parliament In June 2023 about officials "not daring to act and being afraid of taking responsibility," saying civil servants who did nothing were breaking the law because legal behavior includes action and inaction, and not taking action meant not performing the duties and obligations assigned by the state, which must be handled.

Nguyen Tien Trung, a Vietnamese political observer based in Germany, told RFA he did not believe the charges against Van and Nhuong were justified.

"These are two National Assembly representatives who have made many thorny and controversial statements in the National Assembly," he said.

"Based on the recent situation of suppressing the Vietnamese democracy movement and arresting many people, I see this as part of a general trend, a general tendency of the Ministry of Public Security to suppress all opposing voices, including opposing voices loyal to the Communist Party, such as Communist Party members like Le Thanh Van."

Translated by RFA Vietnamese. Edited by Mike Firn and Taejun Kang.

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.

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Secretary Blinken's Meeting with Mexican Foreign Secretary Barcena

US Department of State

Readout

Office of the Spokesperson

July 18, 2024

The following is attributable to Spokesperson Matthew Miller:

Secretary of State Antony J. Blinken met with Mexican Foreign Secretary Alicia Barcena on July 17, 2024 to reaffirm the vital importance of the U.S.-Mexico relationship to the shared security and prosperity of our peoples. The Secretary congratulated Foreign Secretary Barcena on her appointment as Mexico's Environment and Natural Resources Secretary-designate for President-elect Claudia Sheinbaum's administration.

The Secretary underscored our commitment to work closely with Mexico's incoming administration as equal partners to advance shared democratic values and interests. The Secretary thanked Foreign Secretary Barcena for Mexico's continued regional leadership on expanding labor pathways and for taking concrete steps to deter irregular migration, which, along with actions by the United States, have significantly lowered encounters at the U.S. Mexico border. The Secretary and Foreign Secretary Barcena also discussed upcoming elections in Venezuela, the situation in Haiti, and joint efforts to counter transnational criminal organizations involved in the illicit trafficking of drugs, guns, and people.



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Security Council Press Statement on Colombia Following UN Security Council Colombia Session July 2024

Press Release

Security Council

SC/15768

18 July 2024



The following Security Council press statement was issued today by Council President Vassily A. Nebenzia (Russian Federation):

The members of the Security Council reiterated their full and unanimous support for the peace process in Colombia. They stressed the importance of ensuring the comprehensive implementation of the 2016 Final Agreement and expressed appreciation to Colombia President Gustavo Petro for participating in the Security Council meeting. They took note with interest of the announcement of the Government's report on implementation of the 2016 Agreement.

The Council welcomed President Petro's commitment to the 2016 peace agreement and stressed the importance of a coordinated effort to accelerate its implementation led by the Government with increased cooperation by all responsible actors and State entities. They welcomed the expanded cooperation between the parties to the Agreement, including their decision to establish a rapid action response plan to speed up its implementation. They took note of the participation of Diego Tovar representing the other high signatory party alongside the Government of Colombia during the Council session. They also welcomed the reinvigoration of peace coordination mechanisms including the Commission for the Follow-up, Promotion and Verification of the Final Agreement (CSIVI) and the decree setting up a "Peace Cabinet". They emphasized the opportunity for this new Cabinet to accelerate implementation by defining and coordinating the roles, responsibilities, resources, and actions of all relevant Government entities. They also urged the continued use of other coordinating entities established through the 2016 peace agreement including the High Instance of Ethnic Communities and the Gender Commission.

The Council welcomed the commitment of the Government to bring peace to conflict-affected territories. They stressed the importance of continued attention to the implementation of the rural reform provisions of the peace agreement which were key to addressing structural issues at the heart of the conflict. They welcomed President Petro's commitment to rural reform and territorial transformation, including illicit crop substitution and urged the Government to redouble efforts to ensure the State's presence in rural Colombia and stressed the need for development opportunities for communities and to support reintegration efforts including land access, housing, education and employment. They also welcomed the National Agrarian Reform System as an opportunity to deliver these objectives.

The Council reiterated their strong concern about the continued violence and insecurity affecting communities resulting in the killing of former combatants, Indigenous and social leaders including women and on environmental issues. They welcomed the approval in this context of the strategic security and protection plans for former Fuerzas Armadas Revolucionarias de Colombia-Ejercito del Pueblo (FARC-EP) members and looked forward to it delivering tangible results. They also welcomed coordination between the Ministry of Interior with government entities and women's organizations to finalize the second action plan of the "Comprehensive Programme for the Safeguards for Women Leaders and Human Rights Defenders". They noted that this programme would offer an opportunity to address specific risks to women and their needs for protection. However, they noted with concern the possible forced relocation of a group of peace signatories living in the Miravalle TATR in Caqueta due to competition between armed groups.

The Council reiterated concern at the increase of violations committed against children in particular the recruitment and use of children by armed groups and sexual violence against children, noting that Indigenous and Afro-Colombian children were disproportionately impacted. The Council welcomed the continued commitment of the Government of Colombia to child protection and underscored its importance in peace talks.

The Council reiterated their strong concern that conflict-related violence, including conflict-related sexual violence, continued to have a disproportionate impact on women and girls and on Indigenous and Afro-Colombian communities. Council members expressed serious concern about the status of implementation of the Ethnic Chapter and called for greater efforts by the Government and all State entities to enhance its effective implementation and uphold the national pact to complete 60 per cent of implementation by 2026.

The Council emphasized the critical role of the Special Jurisdiction for Peace (SJP) within the peace process, recognized its work to date, and looked forward to its first restorative sentences being issued. They recalled the responsibility of the Government of Colombia in support of this process to redouble its efforts to establish the conditions for the implementation of restorative sentences. They underlined the importance of prompt delivery by the SJP of justice in supporting the rights of the victims, and in defining the judicial situation of the peace signatories and those who have been submitted to its jurisdiction since its creation. They welcomed dialogue efforts, carried out with support from the Special Representative of the Secretary-General, Carlos Ruiz Massieu, to overcome differences between actors in the transitional justice process and trusted that this process would continue to focus on contributing to peace and reconciliation as outlined in the 2016 Agreement. They echoed the call from the Secretary-General to "encourage all parties to show the necessary openness and willingness to reach solutions through dialogue".

The Council reiterated that it looked forward to the timely publication of Colombia's first National Action Plan for the implementation of UN Security Council resolution 1325 (2000) on women, peace and security (WPS) and hoped that this, along with other steps, would accelerate the implementation of the gender provisions of the Final Agreement and the WPS agenda in Colombia.

The Council underscored the Government of Colombia's efforts to seek broader peace through dialogue and through the continued comprehensive implementation of the 2016 Agreement. They also stressed the importance of ceasefires representing a pathway to a peace process which reduced violence and alleviated the suffering of the civilian population, and reiterated the importance of strengthening civilian protection commitments. They highlighted the agreement reached on 25 May between the Government and the Ejercito de Liberacion Nacional (ELN) for the inclusion of civil society and trust that this will open a space for their full participation in the peace dialogues. The Council also encouraged the parties to continue to resolve differences at the peace table through dialogue and to focus on renewing and strengthening the ceasefire, including the return to prior commitments to protect the civilian population with a view to improve security in the territories. They took note of the Government's announcement on 16 July that it had renewed the ceasefire for three months with several fronts of the so-called Estado Mayor Central (EMC) which have remained at the peace table and noted that the Government was continuing military operations against those fronts that had left the peace dialogue. They expressed hope for continued progress in dialogue including to further strengthen the ceasefire provisions with those that remained at the table and urged them to demonstrate continued commitment to peace.

The members of the Security Council reaffirmed their commitment to continue working closely with Colombia to support comprehensive implementation of the Final Agreement as the primary pillar to secure broad and lasting peace and stability in Colombia and welcomed the continued commitment of both parties to this end. They also took note of President Petro's participation at a meeting of the Peacebuilding Commission and underlined the utility of greater use of the Commission's convening power and advisory role. They strongly supported the complementary efforts by the United Nations Verification Mission in Colombia, working in coordination with the United Nations country team.

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Army announces upcoming unit deployments

By U.S. Army Public Affairs July 19, 2024

WASHINGTON -- The Department of the Army announced today the fall deployments of the following units:

The 1st Infantry Brigade Combat Team, 10th Mountain Division, to U.S. Central Command to replace the 44th Infantry Brigade Combat Team (NJARNG) as part of a regular rotation of forces. For more information, please contact the 10th Mountain Division public affairs officer, Lt. Col. Sarah Ray, at sarah.j.ray9.mil@army.mil or 315-772-0929.

The 3rd Armored Brigade Combat Team, 1st Armored Division, to Europe to replace the 3rd Infantry Brigade Combat Team, 4th Infantry Division, as part of a regular rotation of forces to support the United States' commitment to NATO allies and partners. For more information, please contact the 1st Armored Division public affairs officer, Lt. Col. Jessica Rovero, at jessica.l.rovero.mil@army.mil or 915-744-8406.

The 1st Stryker Brigade Combat Team, 2nd Infantry Division, to Korea to replace the 3rd Cavalry Regiment as part of a regular rotation of forces to support the United States' commitment to the Republic of Korea. For more information, please contact the 7th Infantry Division public affairs officer, Lt. Col. Richard Barker, at richard.t.barker2.mil@army.mil or 253-477-5746.



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USCENTCOM Commander Visits Israel

U.S. Central Command

Press Release | July 19, 2024

USCENTCOM

July 18,2024

Release 20240719 - 01

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

TAMPA, Fla. -- Gen. Michael Erik Kurilla, Commander, U.S. Central Command (USCENTCOM), visited Israel from July 14-17, 2024. During his visit, he met with the Minister of Defense Yoav Gallant, Chief of the General Staff Lt. Gen. Herzi Halevi, and key members of the Israeli Defense Forces and other national security agencies.

The leaders shared intelligence assessments and discussed the security challenges faced in both the southern and northern arenas of Israel as well as broader regional security concerns. The discussions emphasized enhancing defense and technological cooperation in order to strengthen Israel's security and bolster deterrence against regional threats. Gen. Kurilla underscored the strategic opportunities inherent in the close U.S.-Israel military partnership.



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July 19, 2024

Release

Readout of U.S. Meetings with Senior Bahrain National Security Officials

Department of Defense Spokeswoman Lt. Col. Kimbia Rey provided the following readout:

This week, Assistant Secretary of Defense for International Security Affairs Celeste Wallander and Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense (DASD) for Middle East Policy Ambassador Daniel Shapiro met with Bahrain National Security Advisor Sheikh Nasser Bin Hamad Al Khalifa and Deputy National Security Advisor (DNSA) Khalid Bin Ali Al Khalifa to discuss U.S.-Bahrain defense cooperation and the implementation of the September 2023 U.S.-Bahrain Comprehensive Security Integration and Prosperity Agreement (C-SIPA).

On July 15, DASD Shapiro and DNSA Khalid discussed the inaugural C-SIPA Defense Working Group (DWG), which incorporated representatives from the State Department, Defense Department, and Bahrain Defense Force. The DWG presents an important forum for U.S. and Bahraini officials to review the implementation of C-SIPA defense priorities in conjunction with the U.S.-Bahrain Military Consultative Committee (MCC), which occurred on July 16.

On July 19, ASD Wallander met with NSA Sheikh Nasser. The two sides affirmed their support for deepening the bilateral defense partnership and shared their perspectives on critical regional security issues, including the destabilizing actions of Iran and its regional proxies, to include the Houthis. The United States delegation thanked Bahrain for its generous hosting of NAVCENT, as well as its support for U.S.-led efforts to ensure freedom of navigation and the free flow of commerce in the Red Sea.

During the meetings, the delegations discussed opportunities to strengthen the bilateral security relationship by improving information-sharing mechanisms and continuing to develop Bahrain's capabilities through security assistance and capacity-building activities.

https://www.defense.gov/News/Releases/Release/Article/3844856/

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July 19, 2024

By C. Todd Lopez, DOD News

While JLOTS Mission Has Concluded, Several Million Pounds of Aid Remain to be Delivered

The U.S. military Joint Logistics Over-the-Shore system, or JLOTS, in use since May to deliver humanitarian aid into Gaza, has closed out its mission, U.S. Central Command announced yesterday.

But Centcom remains committed to delivering several million pounds of aid originally destined for delivery using that system, said Deputy Pentagon Press Secretary Sabrina Singh during a news briefing.

"In the coming days, Centcom will work with USAID to deliver the remaining aid commodities, currently afloat, to the port of Ashdod, in Israel, for onward distribution to Gaza, and will provide coordination and liaison support for humanitarian aid delivery as a request of USAID when appropriate," Singh said.

Due to sea states, the JLOTS pier has not been in operation in Gaza since late June. That pause in operations, coupled with the announced shuttering of the mission, will require about five million pounds of humanitarian aid once designated for delivery over the JLOTS pier to be delivered through the Israeli port of Ashdod.

That aid, Singh said, is either in Cyprus, or "afloat," in that it is currently either on commercial shipping vessels or U.S. military vessels underway on the Mediterranean Sea.

In early May, the Defense Department completed deployment of the JLOTS in the Mediterranean Sea. This included a floating pier several miles off the coast of Gaza as well an additional pier, referred to as the Trident Pier, anchored on the Gaza shore.

The mission was then carried out in multiple steps. Commercial cargo ships loaded with humanitarian aid in Cyprus sailed to the floating pier. There, at sea, cargo was unloaded from the commercial ships and onto trucks that were aboard Army-owned logistic vessels.

After leaving the floating pier, the Army vessels traveled to the Trident Pier. There, the trucks exited the Army vessels and moved aid over the pier to the shore, where the humanitarian aid supplies could then be staged for delivery inside Gaza.

Singh said the mission was successful.

"With collaboration from 12 nations, international partners, USAID, and the United Nations, the temporary pier successfully delivered nearly 20 million pounds of aid, which is the highest volume of humanitarian assistance the U.S. military has ever delivered into the Middle East," Singh said. "The temporary pier achieved its goal of providing an additive means of delivering high volumes of humanitarian aid to the people of Gaza."

Going forward, Singh said, the U.S. military will play an advisory role, at least for the short term, in the continued delivery of aid, which is expected to go through Ashdod and then over ground routes into Gaza.

"In the immediate future, we're going to maintain some coordination elements that have been in place, such as the coordination cell ... in Cyprus and in Israel. We want to make sure that aid is going to continue to flow into Gaza," she said. "But this new route, that aid flows through Ashdod, will ultimately be managed by USAID and other humanitarian organizations ... I'd include the World Food Program in that as well."

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July 19, 2024

By Jim Garamone, DOD News

Chairman Puts Strategic Picture in Focus During Aspen Talk

Air Force Gen. CQ Brown, Jr., gave some insight into the thought processes of the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff during a Fireside Chat with Fox News luminary Jennifer Griffin at the Aspen Security Forum in Colorado, today.

Brown is the highest-ranking officer in the U.S. military, and it is his job to advise the president, vice president, secretary of defense, secretary of state and other members of the National Security Council on military matters.

Griffin asked Brown about a number of issues during her talk with the chairman, from Ukraine to China, to Russia, to the Red Sea and rebuilding the national armament infrastructure. Brown said all of these aspects of international relations have to be viewed as a whole. He said the U.S. government cannot really just deal with one aspect of a crisis, but what dealing with the aspect would mean to other governments in other parts of the world.

"We could look at things individually and [say], 'Because this happened, we should go do X,'" he said. "But I'm looking at it from not only with X but what happens with Y and Z, too."

The U.S. military has to look at any situation and determine the second and third orders of effects that are possible, he said. "I have a responsibility to be thinking strategically about the actions we take, the recommendations I make, and what the risks [are] of broadening it [to] further escalation or broader conflict," Brown said.

In the Middle East, for example, that means looking at the Hamas attack on Israel in October, he said. One of the first lines of effort for the U.S. government from President Joe Biden was to "not to let the conflict in the Middle East broaden," he said. "I think we've been so effective doing that."

One effect of the Hamas attack was the Houthi effort to shut down the sea lanes in the Red Sea. U.S. service members serve magnificently in the effort to protect shipping and civilian mariners in that area, Brown said. "I have to say how proud I am of our service members," he said.

One of his expectations upon becoming chairman was that honing warfighting skills has primacy in all the U.S. military does. The destroyer USS Carney, other ships, and air assets used that training to ensure the free flow of ships and supplies in that crucial waterway. "Our service members are proud of being able to do exactly that, to be able to defend themselves, and do it extremely well," the chairman said.

Brown also spoke strategically about Russia's war on Ukraine. The chairman flat out said that Ukraine matters. "Unprovoked aggression doesn't stay in one part of the world," he said. If Russian President Vladimir Putin manages to conquer Ukraine and wrest sovereignty from that nation, it will embolden autocrats in other parts of the world to do the same thing, he said.

Ukraine is the focus of not just the United States, but more than 50 other nations supplying the besieged country with the means to defend itself, the chairman said. "Putin went into Ukraine with the goal to take Ukraine very quickly and fracture NATO; neither one of those occurred," Brown said. "He's still fighting in Ukraine, and NATO is stronger."

The NATO growth in strength is not limited to Finland and Sweden joining the alliance because of Putin's reckless actions, but also because "the dialogue within NATO is stronger than it has ever been," he said. NATO nations have stepped up and are investing in defense in ways not seen since the fall of the Soviet Union.

"What you are seeing here is this type of aggression has actually strengthened allies and partnerships," he said. "That's what I see in NATO. That's what I saw just this past week when I was in the Indo-Pacific. It's very important that we all stay together and focus on maintaining global security by the actions we take and how we work together."

If, collectively, the nations stopped supporting Ukraine, Putin wins, Brown said. The democracies would lose credibility in the eyes of the world. "If we just back away, that opens the door for Xi Jinping and others that want to do unprovoked aggression," he said.

Still, Brown does not see conflict with China as imminent or inevitable. That doesn't mean the United States military is going to let down its guard. "In all we do, I want our service members to be so focused on their individual skill set: How they bring that individual skill set together as a team in their units, how we bring it together as a joint force, how we deal with their allies and partners," the chairman said. "We exist to fight with our nation's wars. We want to be so good at what we do, that our adversaries never want to mess with us. And if they do, we want to be their worst nightmare, personally, professionally.

"I do not play for second place," the chairman continued. "I play to win, and I'm going to do everything I can to make sure it's an unfair fight. That's my focus."

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Two deaths at Millaa Milla Falls this week have sparked a warning to all who venture into swimming holes.

There had been no deaths reported at Millaa Millaa Falls before this week. Source: Instagram

The recent deaths of two men who died at a popular swimming hole have sparked a warning on the "inherent risk" involved in swimming in any of Australia's waterways, regardless of how calm conditions appear.

Swimming holes in northern Queensland have long proven problematic as the lives of tourists and locals have been lost when swimmers are caught off guard by conditions at popular spots including Crystal Cascades near Cairns, and nearby Josephine Falls  as well as Babinda Boulders where, tragically, 21 people have so far died.

The issue is that the "pristine" swimming spots often give swimmers a false sense of safety given their tranquillity.

This week Indian students Chaitanya Mupparaju and Surya Teja Bobba died at Millaa Millaa Falls, situated 90 kilometres southwest of Cairns, and the local community were shocked that the well-known swimming spot, famed for its beauty and peaceful water, was the site of such a tragedy.

Councillor warns swimming holes can be deceiving

Cairns Councillor Brett Moller told Yahoo News an "education programme" is required to remind swimmers they are taking a risk whenever they enter swimming holes regardless of its location, explaining conditions on the surface are not always indicative of those underneath.

"If you do venture in you've got to have an understanding that it's not just the current you see on top of the water flowing downstream, but there are undercurrents that provide turbulence and whirlpools pushing you back upstream. That's where you can get into trouble," he said.

"It's an inherent risk to swim in freshwater swimming holes in Far North Queensland... you do need to be mindful and always take precautions in respect to safety even though you're in a beautiful natural environment."

Chaitanya Mupparaju and Surya Teja Bobba died on Tuesday at Millaa Millaa Falls. Source: GoFundMe

Council will likely make changes after 'tragic situation'

Despite there being warning signs in the area, Millaa Millaa Falls is widely regarded as 'safe' by locals, with the deaths this week being the first to be reported in the area.

Tablelands Regional Council will likely make changes if findings from an official investigation following the deaths suggest some are needed, with a council spokesperson echoing Moller's warning that caution is always required whenever entering swimming holes.

"We believe this is the only known drowning at these falls however one loss of life is one too many," they told Yahoo News. "As with any natural waterway, its important to heed signs and be aware of your abilities before entering the water."

In recent years, changes have been made to surround watering holes to make them safer for tourists.

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Cyprus: Statement by the Spokesperson on the need for a fair, comprehensive and viable settlement

European External Action Service (EEAS)

19.07.2024

EEAS Press Team

This week, we commemorate the anniversary of the tragic events of 1974, the consequences of which we still witness half a century later.

Too much time has been lost.

Today, the Republic of Cyprus, an EU Member State, remains divided, which has far-reaching implications first and foremost for the people of Cyprus.

A forced division can never be a solution. Hope for a better future, a unified Cyprus, still exists.

In the context of the UN-led efforts, a genuine commitment is urgently needed by all concerned, including the two Cypriot communities, as well as in particular Turkiye, for a peaceful settlement on the basis of relevant UN Security Council resolutions.

Against the background of broad geopolitical shifts and crises, we need to join forces to reach a fair, comprehensive and viable settlement of the Cyprus problem, within the UN framework, for all people of Cyprus and for the stability and security in the Eastern Mediterranean.



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Israel/Yemen: Statement by the Spokesperson on the attack in Tel Aviv

European External Action Service (EEAS)

19.07.2024

EEAS Press Team

The European Union firmly condemns the indiscriminate Houthi-claimed drone attack on Tel Aviv early on Friday morning.

International Humanitarian Law strictly prohibits indiscriminate shelling of civilian population centres and applies to all actors at all times without exception.





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Defence: Press remarks by High Representative/Vice-President Josep Borrell during his visit to Tapa Military Base

European External Action Service (EEAS)

19.07.2024

Tapa

EEAS Press Team

Check against delivery!

I am very grateful to the Minister [for Foreign Affairs] of Estonia, my colleague and friend Margus Tsahkna. Also to the Colonel Tarmo Kundla, commanding the Estonian troops - here at the Tapa Army Base, where NATO troops are being hosted in Estonia.

It is important, the presence of NATO troops in Estonia, to provide deterrence against Russia, and increase security commitments that NATO provides through their allies and, in particular, Estonia.

Estonia is a good example. Estonia is increasing its military defence, spending more, [and] increasing its military capacity.

Everybody in NATO [and] everybody in the European Union has to follow the Estonian example in order to increase our defence capacities.

For years, we believed that war was not going to happen. Unhappily, it happened in Ukraine. We were not expecting Russia to attack Ukraine, and they did, in spite of so many times [when] they were saying: "No, we are not going to do it." They did [it].

There is a fierce battle in Ukraine. Ukrainians need our support. In order to support them, we have to have military capacity, a stronger defence industry and the political will to do that.

Once again, we want to show that Ukrainians need our support. Estonia is doing a lot, increasing their own capacity and providing support to Ukraine - increasing their defence industry capacities in order to produce more.

Everybody in Europe, [and] the European Union, has to do the same thing. It is not because we want war. We do not want war. We want peace - but we want a just peace.

We want peace that protects the territorial integrity and sovereignty of Ukraine. The European Union is not looking for war, we are not the 'war' party. We are looking for peace, but peace has to be based on Ukraine's survival, on its sovereignty [and] on its territorial integrity.

This is what Ukrainians are defending. And that is [what] the European Union's Member States, the European Union's institutions, myself, and everybody in Brussels are pushing for.

So, this is a good example. I am happy to be here to show [and] to see how the Unites States, the United Kingdom, France and Estonians are - together - providing a deterrence and defence capacity to this country - as a NATO member, as a European Union member.

Thank you.





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Bangladesh: Statement by the Spokesperson on the recent developments

European External Action Service (EEAS)

19.07.2024

EEAS Press Team

The EU is deeply concerned by the violence and tragic loss of life that has occurred in the context of the protests in Bangladesh.

It is vital that further violence is averted and that a peaceful resolution to the situation is found as swiftly as possible, underpinned by the rule of law and democratic freedoms.

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Eswatini: Statement by the Spokesperson on the sentencing of two former Members of Parliament

European External Action Service (EEAS)

19.07.2024

EEAS Press Team

The EU is deeply concerned by the sentencing on 15 July of the former Members of Parliament Mduduzi Bacede Mabuza and Mthandeni Dube to 25 and 18 years of imprisonment, respectively.

The EU continues to call on the Government of Eswatini to ensure that the human rights of all, including the two former Members of Parliament, are upheld in line with its international obligations. Eswatini's authorities must ensure the independence of the judiciary and the right to fair trial and due process for everyone at all stages of their trial and any possible appeals.



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Israel/Palestine: Statement by the High Representative on the Knesset resolution opposing the establishment of a Palestinian state

European External Action Service (EEAS)

19.07.2024

EEAS Press Team

The European Union deplores the resolution passed by the Knesset on 18 July opposing the establishment of a Palestinian state, even if part of a negotiated settlement with Israel.

There is a strong consensus in the international community that the only sustainable solution that will bring peace and security to the Middle East is the two-state solution.

The EU reiterates its unwavering commitment to lasting and sustainable peace in accordance with the relevant resolutions of the UN Security Council, including UN Security Council Resolutions, 2735, 2728, 2720 and 2712, on the basis of the two-state solution. Palestinians and Israelis have an equal right to live in safety, dignity and peace.

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.

We will continue to actively work with international and regional partners towards reviving a political process to this end. A credible pathway to Palestinian statehood is a crucial component of that political process. No hope, no horizon for the Palestinian people will only deepen the conflict.





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The European Commission and the Palestinian Authority agree on emergency financial support and the principles for a recovery and resilience programme

European Commission

Press release

19 July 2024

Brussels

The European Commission and the Palestinian Authority have signed a Letter of Intent which sets out a strategy for addressing the critical budgetary and fiscal situation of the Palestinian Authority and the Palestinian economy, whose structural vulnerabilities have been exacerbated by the consequences of the war in Gaza and much-needed pending developments and reforms.

European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said: "Israelis, Palestinians and the entire region deserve peace, security and stability. The two-state solution is the best way to ensure this. With this joint strategy, we are supporting the Palestinian Authority's reform efforts. Together, we are laying the groundwork for economic and political stability in the West Bank. And we are setting the foundations for the reconstruction of Gaza. We need an immediate and enduring ceasefire. And we must prepare for the day after."

The strategy aims at stabilising the Palestinian Authority and the economy in the West Bank. Coupled with a substantial and credible reform agenda by the Palestinian Authority, it is laying the foundations for recovery and building resilience. The strategy will also aim at creating better conditions for the reconstruction of Gaza once the circumstances on the ground allow this.

As a first step, the EU will provide short-term emergency financial support to the Palestinian Authority to address its most pressing financial needs and support its substantial and credible reform agenda. The financial support, worth 400 million in grants and loans, will be disbursed in three payments between July and September 2024, subject to progress in the implementation of the reform agenda of the Palestinian Authority.

The short-term financial support will pave the way for a Comprehensive Programme for Palestinian Recovery and Resilience. Funding from other donors will also be needed; the Commission is, therefore, proposing to set up a Palestine donor coordination platform as of autumn 2024, until the end of 2026. The Commission will present a legislative proposal for this programme in early September, so that payments may start before the end of the year, provided the conditions are met.

The multi-annual support programme should allow the Palestinian Authority to reach budgetary equilibrium by 2026 and ensure its long-term financial sustainability thereafter. The Programme will be contingent on the implementation of its reform agenda in line with the Palestinian Authority's own strategy. It would start in autumn 2024 and last until the end of 2026.

The Palestinian Authority's reform strategy seeks to ensure budgetary sustainability, while modernising the Palestinian administration and its governance, combatting corruption, advancing the rule of law and transparency, reforming the social security and education systems, improving the business environment, and strengthening the foundations of a market-based economy. All disbursements will be based on the Palestinian Authority's progress towards the agreed-upon reform milestones. The resources required for the reconstruction of Gaza are not covered as such by this Programme and will need to be identified separately as part of a wider collective effort by the international community.

The Palestinian Authority and the Commission agreed to establish a donor coordination platform to streamline support to the Palestinian Authority in cooperation with key international partners.

Additionally, the programme aims to contribute to improving economic and financial relations between Israel and the Palestinian Authority, including regular payments of the clearance tax revenues due to the Palestinian Authority and the removal of access restrictions on Palestinian workers.

Background

The European Union is the biggest provider of external assistance to the Palestinians, amounting to indicatively almost 1.2 billion for 2021-2024 under the European Joint Strategy, of which 809.4 million have already been adopted.

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Germany Federal Foreign Office

19.07.2024 - Press release

Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock issued the following statement today (19 July) on the situation in Gaza:

This war in Gaza must come to an end at long last. There are no safe places in Gaza for civilians.

Hamas has been abusing Palestinians in Gaza as human shields since 7 October. It has abused civilian places time and again for its terror, including places where children should actually be learning peacefully and places where people are seeking protection from the fighting.

Almost 80 percent of the Gaza Strip has been declared an evacuation zone by the Israeli army - children, the sick, the elderly and pregnant women also have to leave these areas.

And even the few and completely overcrowded places declared to be safe zones by the Israeli army are being hit time and again. While Israel has the right to protect itself against terrorism, international humanitarian law places restrictions on each and every war. The army has an obligation to protect the civilian population. After all, people cannot simply vanish into thin air but urgently need support and security.
Von der Leyen elected to second term as EU chief, faces challenges ahead

Global Times

Confrontation 'not a pragmatic option' for Brussels in China ties

By Wang Qi Published: Jul 19, 2024 11:23 PM

Lawmakers of the European Parliament on Thursday voted Ursula von der Leyen to a second five-year term as president of the EU Commission. Experts said the reelection shows the EU's need for stability and continuity as Europe faces multiple challenges and even crises. Despite maintaining a tough approach to China in her latest executive to-do list, Europe may also seek to increase its pragmatic and opportunistic engagement with China in the future, especially when considering the uncertainty as result of the outcome from the US presidential election, which may also pose challenges to the transatlantic relationship in the fields of security, economy and trade.

According to media reports, von der Leyen, who leads the center-right European People's Party, won 401 votes, well ahead the 361 votes threshold to secure the majority.

There were 284 votes in opposition, 15 abstentions and seven votes declared invalid, the Politico reported.

Representatives from nationalist, nativist and hard-liner anti-migrant parties, including representatives aligned with Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni of Italy, voted against her.

Von der Leyen's reelection came after a June election shifted the parliament to the right wing. Politico described the victory as a pushback from Centrist Europe. However, the media outlet also said, "It will be an extremely difficult five years" for von der Leyen, citing a senior EU official.

Besides growing nationalist far right in Europe distracting domestic governments, Europe indeed faced with challenges. According to European media reports, if Trump returns to the White House, he would largely withdraw support from Ukraine and downgrade investment in NATO, which means Europe has to "stand more fully on its own." An economic clash between the US and EU over Washington's possible US protectionist tariffs is also likely, according to analysis.

Ahead of the vote on Thursday, von der Leyen released a 31-page policy proposal, setting out her priorities if she won another five years. She stressed investment in EU's green and digital transition, and also proposed setting up a "European Defense Union" and appointing a commissioner for defense, an air defense system and cyber protection measures in the whole of Europe. In the face of the rise of the far right, the EU chief said "it is essential that the democratic center in Europe holds."

Wang Yiwei, a professor at the School of International Relations at Renmin University of China, said that although von der Leyen is considered pro-American, the EU and the US are also in competition on economy, technology, digital, and artificial intelligence, and the Ukraine crisis, in particular, has caused a lot of European capital to flee to the US.

"The dispute between Europe and the US will be difficult to resolve. Whoever is elected will have to face these challenges," said Wang.

Europe needs the continuity and stability that von der Leyen's re-election brings, Cui Hongjian, a professor from the Academy of Regional and Global Governance under the Beijing Foreign Studies University, told the Global Times on Friday.

The far right in Europe is likely to grow even stronger in member states in the future. If policy stability can be maintained at the EU level, it can hedge against possible uncertainty in member states to a certain extent, Cui noted.

'China card, US card'

Von der Leyen also mentioned China four times in her policy proposal, including hype over China's rising military budget, "aggressive posture and unfair economic competition from China," as well as measures to "deter China from unilaterally changing the status quo by military means" over the Taiwan question.

"Von der Leyen maintained a tough attitude toward China," said Cui, "from her policy proposal we can see that she still places more emphasis on competition and confrontation with China instead of cooperation."

It's also likely that she was courting the next US president with a posture of cooperating with US policy toward China, and proving that Europe's global strategy can be useful for Washington, in exchange for the US going easier on Europe on other issues like tariffs and security, Cui added.

Zhao Junjie, a research fellow at the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences' Institute of European Studies, said that China-EU relations are clearly influenced by the US.

"If the new US administration appears to be seeking a pragmatic exchange of interests with China, the EU may also be inclined to cooperate more with China. But if China-US relations continue to deteriorate, it will also influence Europe to adopt a tougher attitude toward China," Zhao said.

Experts also noted that China-EU relations under von der Leyen's new term will be affected by multiple factors, such as US-Europe relations and the Ukraine crisis.

If Trump is elected, and the concerns mentioned by the European media are materialized, the transatlantic relationship will be troubled, and Europe may show flexibility in its China policy under its tough surface, Zhao said.

When the US-EU relationship in particular is challenging, pursuing a relatively cooperative relationship with China may be a pragmatic option, said the expert.

According to a Reuters report on Tuesday, the European Commission has signaled to Volkswagen and BMW that it may consider lowering tariffs on the two carmakers' imports of China-made EVs.

Echoing Zhao, Wang Yiwei said Europe is currently under the shadow of Trump's possible return. If he is reelected, due to fewer ideological overtones than the Democrats, Europe's China policy may become "less emotional" and may seek to increase its more pragmatic, opportunistic engagement with China.

According to the expert, Europe has always accused China of assisting Russia, but if the new US administration decides to reduce aid to Ukraine and Europe finds that it can't defeat Russia, then Europe's view of China would change, and it may in turn seek to negotiate with Russia through China's influence, said Wang.

In contrast to the EU's one-sided following of the US over the past four years, depending on the result of the US election, Europe could have more flexible room to play the "US card" in front of China and the "China card" in front of the US for more strategic autonomy, Wang said.

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Press Briefing by IDF Spokesperson RAdm. Daniel Hagari- July 19, 2024

IDF Press Release

July 19, 2024

19.07.24

IDF

Good afternoon,

Overnight, a UAV which we assess was launched from Yemen, infiltrated from the sea to our west, and hit a building in central Tel Aviv. As a result of the impact, a civilian was killed and eight civilians were lightly injured. We express our condolences to the family and wish the injured a speedy recovery.

During the incident, no alert was activated, and we are still thoroughly examining the incident. After our initial inquiry and based on the findings at the scene and our military systems, it is likely that this was a Samad-3 UAV, which we assess flew from Yemen to Tel Aviv. The Samad-3 is an Iranian weapon that was likely upgraded to extend its flight range. Iran supports, funds, and arms its proxies in the region, in Gaza, Judea and Samaria, Lebanon, Syria, and Yemen, as seen last night. The threat of UAVs is a threat we have faced since the beginning of the war on all our borders. So far, many dozens of UAVs have been launched from Yemen alone, most of which were intercepted or shot down while on their way or before they infiltrated Israeli territory. Most of them were intercepted by an American task force under the command of U.S. CENTCOM (U.S. Central Command), and the rest were intercepted by Israeli Air Force planes or defensive systems.

In parallel to the incident in Tel Aviv, at the same time, we intercepted another UAV that attempted to infiltrate from the east, and we shot it down outside of Israel's borders. We are examining the connection between the two incidents.

We are conducting an inquiry into the incident and examining why the UAV was not identified as a threat and intercepted before it hit. We will examine the findings - we have already conducted an initial inquiry this morning, and we will examine the findings and update the public.

I want to emphasize - this defense is not hermetic. We are strengthening our air patrols and the protection of our airspace across the entire country. We are examining the incident, improving and optimizing our capabilities, in order to better protect the citizens of Israel.

For questions that arise from the public - there is no change in the Home Front Command directives, there is no change in the Home Front Command directives, and if there is any change, we will immediately update the public.

Overnight and this morning, the Chief of the General Staff conducted several situational assessments. We increased our defensive capabilities in Israel's skies with planes and additional capabilities in order to improve detection, alert and interception capabilities. The incident on the ground was managed cooperatively, led by the Israel Police, Magen David Adom, and the Israel Fire and Rescue Services, from whom we also received vital details for the inquiry.

In the north, the UAV threat is a daily threat. It is a significant challenge due to the short-range launches, different from what we experienced last night. We are studying the threat in the north as well, in order to deal with it better. We know that this does not alleviate the reality faced by the residents in the north.

Over the past day in the north, we have eliminated six Hezbollah terrorists and struck fifteen targets from the air and from the ground.

We are in a multi-front war. We are operating in all arenas and in the defense of the country's skies every day. These arenas are both near and far, and we are acting against all threats.

Today and in the coming days, we will conduct a situational assessment in order to examine the incident, understand exactly where the threat was launched from, what the necessary defensive responses are, and what the necessary operational responses are against those who threaten the State of Israel.

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The trio arrived at the Snow Canyon State Park in Utah last weekend as the temperature hit a staggering 37C.

Belyruth Ordonez was found dead after a hike with her parents in Utah took a devastating turn. Source: Jam Press

A 30-year-old woman has been found dead and her parents are fighting for their lives after an afternoon hike took a tragic turn. The trio embarked on a walk in the Snow Canyon State Park in Utah last Saturday as the temperature hit a staggering 37C.

At about 3.30pm, an unnamed caller contacted a search and rescue team after finding the family struggling in the extreme heat. Dario Ordonez, 65, and his wife Humbelina Ordonez, 63, were treated at the scene by first responders who rushed them to hospital. They are both in a coma in the ICU.

Their daughter Belyruth Ordonez was found lying unconscious a short distance away. Sadly, Belyruth died at the scene after suffering severe heat exhaustion, which caused her to pass out.

A GoFundMe has been set up by friends of the family.

People urged to be 'safe and well-hydrated' in extreme heat

Following the incident, a spokesperson for the Santa Clara-Ivins public safety department has urged people to stay safe and well-hydrated.

As temperatures soar, its absolutely vital to maintain a regular intake of water, especially when outdoors, they said.

The trio embarked on a walk in the Snow Canyon State Park last Saturday as the temperature hit a staggering 37C. Source: Jam Press

Dehydration can lead to serious health issues, including heat exhaustion and heat stroke. Remember, your body may still need water even if you dont feel thirsty.

Watch for signs of dehydration, like dizziness or excessive fatigue.

'People often overestimate their abilities'

Devan Chavez, associate director of Utah State Parks, said: People often overestimate their abilities, head out and think, Oh, Im just going to be gone a short while, I only need one bottle of water or I have experience and have hiked a lot.

But even the most experienced hikers can run into problems out there. We do our best to help visitors make informed decisions about the parks they plan on visiting.

Our parks also share similar messages and updates on their individual social media accounts.

Jam Press

Do you have a story tip? Email: newsroomau@yahoonews.com.

You can also follow us on Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, Twitter and YouTube.
Hezbollah conducts 12 anti-Israel operations in one day

IRNA - Islamic Republic News Agency

Jul 19, 2024

Tehran, IRNA -- The Lebanese Islamic Resistance has targeted military positions and Zionist settlements in northern Occupied Palestine in 12 operations since Friday morning.

Hezbollah announced that in line with the support of the Palestinian people in the Gaza Strip and their courageous and honorable resistance and the Zionist regime's attacks on the residential areas of the Lebanese settlements of Safad El Battikh, Majdel Selm and Shaqra, a number of Israeli military bases, settlements, spy centers were targeted.

The military base of Roysat al-Alam in the occupied Kfarchouba, Lebanon, the occupation forces around the Ramim barracks, the military base of Metula and an enemy artillery unit in Kharbeh were among targets that were destroyed by Hezbollah missiles.

Hezbollah fighters also seized buildings used by Israeli troops in the Zionist settlement of al-Manarah, the military base of al-Marj, the spy system at al-Abad base, the base of Ruwaisat Al-Qarn in the occupied Shebaa and the military base of Al-Samaqa.

They targeted the occupied Kfarchouba with missiles, artillery and drones.

The Lebanese Hezbollah has warned the Israeli regime that it will target new settlements if it continues to attack Lebanese civilians.

9376**2050



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Hamas: Yemen's drone operation highlights unity of Islamic Ummah

IRNA - Islamic Republic News Agency

Jul 19, 2024

Tehran, IRNA -- The Palestinian Islamic Resistance Movement (Hamas) described the Yemeni drone attack on Tel Aviv as an emphasis on the unity and common destiny of the Islamic Ummah.

We appreciate the unique drone operation of the Yemeni armed forces that targeted Tel Aviv as a symbol of Zionist power and awe and made it unsafe, the Hamas movement in a statement announced on Friday.

The actions of our brothers in the Ansarullah movement and all resistance fronts in attacking the interests and the Zionist regime are the natural right of the Islamic Ummah to confront the enemy, it added.

We respect the positions of Abdul-Malik al-Houthi and the people of Yemen, who support and help the Palestinian people with all available resources and forces, it noted.

The Hamas movement called on all parties and groups, armies and Islamic movements to join the battle of dignity and honor to help the innocent people in the Gaza Strip and defend the holy places.

9376**2050



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Spox: Yemeni army targets a ship in Gulf of Aden

IRNA - Islamic Republic News Agency

Jul 19, 2024

Tehran, IRNA -- Spokesman for the Yemeni Armed Forces Brigadier General Yahya Saree announced that the armed forces of Yemen targeted the "Lobivia" ship with several ballistic missiles and drones in the Gulf of Aden.

This ship was successfully hit in line with defending the oppressed Palestinian nation and in the joint operation of the naval and missile forces and the drone unit of the Yemeni army, Saree said on Friday.

The attack on this ship was made due to the violation of the law prohibiting travel to occupied Palestinian ports by its owner's company, he added.

The Yemeni armed forces' operations will not stop until the end of the aggression and the lifting of the blockade of the Gaza Strip.

The armed forces of Yemen attacked Tel Aviv with a drone on Friday morning and targeted a building near the American embassy.

9376**2050



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Zionist Army Spox: Tel Aviv attacked by Samad-3 drone

IRNA - Islamic Republic News Agency

Jul 19, 2024

Tehran, IRNA -- Israeli military spokesman Daniel Hagari confirmed that the attack on Tel Aviv was carried out by "Samad 3" drone from Yemen.

According to the Palestinian media, a few hours after the drone attack of the Yemeni armed forces on Tel Aviv, Hagari said that the army's assessments show that this drone was fired from Yemen and reached Tel Aviv from the sea.

Defense systems do not provide 100% security and the army will do research in the coming days to improve detection, warning and defense systems, he added.

I do not consider Israel's attack on Yemen unlikely, and we take decisions to attack those who threaten Israel, he noted.

A drone entered Tel Aviv airspace and targeted a building near the American embassy on Friday morning.

The Yemeni armed forces, accepting responsibility for this attack, announced that Tel Aviv is now unsafe for the Zionists.

9376**2050<

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Yemen says targeted Tel Aviv in special military op.

IRNA - Islamic Republic News Agency

Jul 19, 2024

Tehran, IRNA -- Yemen says it has carried out a special military operation against Tel Aviv on Friday morning.

Brigadier General Yahya Saree, spokesman of the Yemeni armed forces, said in a statement that the Arab country's army targeted Tel Aviv in occupied Palestine in a special operation.

Saree said the details of the operation will be announced subsequently.

Meanwhile, Israel's military said it is investigating a suspected drone attack on Tel Aviv, which killed one person and injured at least 10.

The Yemeni armed forces have repeatedly targeted the interests of the Zionist regime and its supporters since the onset of the regime's genocidal war on the Gaza Strip last October.

Yemen says its maritime operations will continue until the regime stops its aggression on Gaza.

4354**2050



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Statement by PM Netanyahu

Israel - Prime Minister's Office

Press Releases

The 37th Government

19.07.2024

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu:

"The Jewish people are not occupiers in their own land, including in our eternal capital Jerusalem nor in Judea and Samaria, our historical homeland. No absurd opinion in The Hague can deny this historical truth or the legal right of Israelis to live in their own communities in our ancestral home

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Baiba Braze at the eastern border: we have a special role to play - we also guard the external borders of the EU and NATO

Republic of Latvia - Ministry of Foreign Affairs

19.07.2024

During a two-day visit to Latgale, the eastern border region of Latvia and the EU, the Latvian Minister of Foreign Affairs, Baiba Braze, commended the meaningful contribution by professionals from Latvia's key authorities and companies working in Latgale, including the temporary administration of the Rezekne Municipality, to the development and security of Latvia and the EU.

SANCTIONS

"During these days at Terehova and Paternieki, I learned about the work of the Latvian State border Guard and the State Revenue Service Customs Administration, and I highly appreciate their enormous contribution made by working day-to-day to ensure the enforcement of sanctions imposed by the EU against Russia and Belarus and to prevent their circumvention. They stand on guard not only at the external eastern border of Latvia, but also of the EU and NATO - being a country that borders both Russia and Belarus, we are the first EU security line," Foreign Minister Baiba Braze emphasised after touring the customs and border control posts.

In meetings with the Chief of the State Border Guard, General Guntis Pujats, and the Deputy Director General of the SRS for Customs, Director of Customs Administration, Raimonds Zukuls, the Minister of Foreign Affairs discussed practical enforcement aspects of the sanctions imposed, the resources needed, control mechanisms, queue management procedures, and other matters.

"As a matter of course, our colleagues from the border and customs services are assuming a full burden of responsibility on behalf of the EU right now by monitoring compliance with sanctions and preventing violations or opportunities to circumvent them. At the moment, work is going on under the conditions of increased intensity: it calls for additional financial and human resources. I will discuss what I have seen and learned over these days with my colleagues in the EU, since this is a burden that must be shared between all EU countries," Baiba Braze underlined.

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs, together with its counterparts in other EU Member States, is working on establishing new sanctions; the Foreign Ministry is the coordinating authority on sanctions issues in Latvia. Baiba Braze stressed that the Ministry is working closely together with both the authorities on a daily basis, including the ongoing intensive efforts to effectively enforce the sanctions targeting Russia and Belarus, as well as to strengthen restrictive measures even further.

BUSINESS

As Baiba Braze met with companies producing and exporting in Latgale, she emphasised that the security capabilities of Latvia largely depend on the country's economic performance. The Minister also stressed that it was in the interests of all of us to degrade Russia's military capabilities.

"There are many challenges in the border region, but there is also an array of opportunities and advantages. For example, unlike other regions, the border area has a developed security infrastructure, a special economic zone, security export has been developed and so have high technologies in the security sector. I am happy about the entrepreneurs we met who demonstrated innovative products, which are unique not only in Latvia and which we export," Baiba Braze said.

Experts of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and business people discussed practical matters on how the Foreign Service can support them in exports and with solving the problems they encounter, how to benefit from business networking events, as well as the knowledge of the Foreign Service and its range of contacts, including the implementation of EU projects.

Taking part in the round table discussion were the Head of the Temporary Adminstration of the Rezekne Municipality, Guna Puce, representatives from the Rezekne Special Economic Zone and companies - SIA Verems RSEZ, AS Latvijas Finieris, SIA LEAX Rezekne RSEZ, SIA NewFuels RSEZ, SIA IRBIS Technology RSEZ, SIA Magistr-Fiskevegn Group.mfg RSEZ, SIA OptoElektronika LV RSEZ, AS Rezeknes dzirnavnieks RSEZ, and SIA Baltiks East.

As part of her visit, the Minister of Foreign Affairs also toured the manufacturing facilities of SIA Baltic Bullets, a company that has been cooperating with Ukraine since 2021. The company uses innovative, high-precision and patent technologies to manufacture ammunition.

The Foreign Minister noted the interest of Latvian business community in building contacts with partners in Ukraine: several businesses that she met work with Ukraine in the export of electronics, wires, drones, food products, energy infrastructure equipment, as well as cooperating in the field of security.

SECURITY EXPORT

The knowledge of Latvian experts is put to use to strengthen security in other regions. Within the framework of the EU Border Management Programme in Central Asia (BOMCA), the Dog Handling Centre of the Latvian State Border Guard College trains instructors from Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, and Uzbekistan to improve their theoretical knowledge and practical skills for day-to-day tasks of detecting explosives, ammunition and weapons.

As part of her visit, the Minister met the staff the Latvian State Border Guard College and attended the demonstrations by dog handlers from the Central Asian Border Guard and Customs Services arranged by the Dog Handling Centre.

BOMCA

The Latvian State Border Guard is the lead partner in the management consortium for the BOMCA programme. The project aims to improve security, stability and sustainable growth in the region while supporting cross-border cooperation and improving living standards for people in the border areas of Central Asia.

On 18 and 19 July 2024, the Minister of Foreign Affairs, Baiba Braze, travelled to Latgale, the EU's eastern border, on a regional visit.

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The President at the exercise: The deployment of Patriot in Lithuania inspires for the future

President of the Republic of Lithuania

July 19, 2024

On Friday, President Gitanas Nauseda observed the military exercise Baltic Connection 2024 (BALTCON24) at the Lithuanian Air Force Air Base in Siauliai.

According to the President, the exercise, which includes the Netherlands' Patriot long-range air defense system, the Lithuanian Air Defense Forces and NATO Baltic Air Policing contingents, once again demonstrates the importance of cooperation with NATO allies.

"Today, Lithuania can rely on Patriot protection. Equally important is the opportunity to test and improve interoperability with our air defense systems NASAMS and air operations control centers. This will positively impact the security of Lithuanian airspace," the President said.

Gitanas Nauseda highlighted that the deployment of the Patriot system in Siauliai follows years of discussions and negotiations. The 2022 NATO Summit in Madrid agreed to strengthen allied defense and deterrence. At the 2023 NATO Summit in Vilnius, it was decided to establish a rotational air defense model, starting with the eastern flank of the Alliance. The recent NATO Summit in Washington reaffirmed allied commitment to enhancing NATO's integrated air and missile defense readiness.

"I sincerely thank the Netherlands for enabling us to test the new rotational air defense model in Lithuania. In April this year, then Prime Minister Mark Rutte not only pledged the Patriot system but also delivered on that promise. Such smooth cooperation inspires us for the future!" the President said.

Gitanas Nauseda noted the significance of Mark Rutte's recent appointment as NATO Secretary General, emphasizing his commitment to strengthening the Alliance comprehensively.

"We have seen the critical role of air defenses in Ukraine, essential not only for protecting military capabilities but also strategic assets and civilian infrastructure. We are contributing to secure Ukrainian skies to the best of our ability," the President stressed.

This marks the first time that the Baltic Connection 24 (BALTCON24) exercise is hosted in Lithuania. The exercise includes the Netherlands' Patriot long-range air defense system, the Lithuanian Armed Forces' NASAMS medium-range air defense systems, Spanish and Portuguese fighter aircraft conducting NATO's Baltic Air Policing mission, the Lithuanian Armed Forces' air operations center, and the Lithuanian air defense aircraft.

The President's Communication Group

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'Pivotal moment': Palestinians hail ICJ decision to call Israeli settlements illegal

Iran Press TV

Friday, 19 July 2024 6:16 PM

Several Palestinian groups have hailed an earlier decision made by the International Court of Justice (ICJ) to deem the Israeli regime's settlements in the Israeli-occupied West Bank as illegal.

The United Nations top court announced the decision on Friday concerning the 230-plus settlements that have been built in the West Bank, including East al-Quds, since the regime's occupation of the Palestinian territory in 1967.

The court noted that the construction and existence of the structures on the territory amounted to its "de facto annexation" as well as possible "discrimination and apartheid."

Though non-binding and of simply advisory nature, the court's recommendations mount further legal pressure on the occupying entity, and are hoped by Palestinians and its supporters to be adopted by the UN General Assembly and Security Council.

The Palestinian resistance movement Hamas said the decision "affirmed the illegitimacy of the Zionist occupation and the need to end it."

"We call on the international community to embrace these decisions, bypass the American will [to protect the regime against such decisions], and work to compel the fascist occupation to implement them and comply immediately," it added.

The Popular Resistance Committees, a coalition of Palestinian resistance groups, welcomed the development, but also underlined the regime's track record of obstinate non-compliance with such decisions.

"The decisions of the International Court of Justice need a genuine will and real action for their implementation, starting with the imposition of a boycott on the Zionist entity leading to the accountability and punishment of its criminal leaders," the coalition said.

The Palestinian Mujahideen Movement called the decision "a positive step that contributes to the isolation of the fascist Zionist entity," describing the Israeli regime's existence on the Palestinian land as "invalid."

The group, meanwhile, noted that such decisions "will remain incomplete unless our people gain their freedom, return to their homes from which they were displaced, and rid themselves of the occupation."

The Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine (PFLP), a major component of the Palestine Liberation Organization umbrella group, also voiced its appreciation of the decision.

"This decision represents a significant development in the positions of international organizations, as it is rare for an international organization to issue such a comprehensive and precise decision in describing the violations and crimes of the occupation in the occupied Palestinian territories," the front said in a statement.

The front, however, likewise reminded the Israeli regime's history of consistent refusal to abide by such decisions. It cited Tel Aviv's brushing off of the orders that had been issued by the court on it to cease its genocidal practices in the Gaza Strip, which has been enduring an Israeli war since October.

The PFLP, therefore, emphasized "the necessity of taking serious and tangible steps to impose justice and end the occupation."

Speaking to reporters in The Hague, Palestinian Foreign Minister Riyad Maliki hailed the ruling as a "pivotal moment for Palestine, for justice and for international law."

The ruling means that the regime is "obligated to end its colonial project immediately and unconditionally," he said, adding, "all states must now uphold their clear obligations: no aid, no assistance, no complicity, no money, no arms, no trade, no nothing - no actions of any kind to support Israel's illegal occupation."

Meanwhile, Palestinian ambassador to the UN Riyad Mansour praised the decision as a "significant step" in putting an end to the decades-long occupation of Palestine and attaining the inalienable rights of the Palestinian people, including the right to self-determination, statehood and the right of return.

Mansour said his team would study the entire opinion and "dissect every sentence."

"We will consult with an army of friends at the United Nations and in all corners of the globe," he said, adding, "We will produce a masterpiece of a resolution" at the UN General Assembly.

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UN's top court says Israel's presence in Palestinian territories 'illegal'

Iran Press TV

Friday, 19 July 2024 6:00 PM

The United Nations' top court has ruled that Israel's presence in the 1967-occupied Palestinian territories is "unlawful" and must end.

On Friday, the International Court of Justice said "Israel's continued presence in the occupied Palestinian territory is unlawful", adding that the regime "is under an obligation" to end it "as rapidly as possible."

Israel occupied the West Bank, Gaza Strip and East al-Quds, areas Palestinians want for a future independent state, in a 1967 war.

The 83-page advisory opinion read out by court President Nawaf Salam outlined a wide list of policies that it said violated international law, including the building and expansion of Israeli settlements in the West Bank and east al-Quds.

"Israel is under obligation to cease immediately all new settlement activities and to evacuate all settlers from occupied Palestinian territory," the court said, adding that the regime must "make reparation for damage caused to all natural and legal persons concerned."

The ruling urged all states and international organizations, including the United Nations, "not to recognize as legal" the situation arising from the unlawful presence of Israel in occupied Palestinian territory.

According to the opinion, the UN and the Security Council "should consider the precise modalities and further action required to bring to an end as rapidly as possible" to the unlawful presence of Israel in the occupied territory.

In February, a record 52 countries presented arguments at the ICJ, known as the World Court, about the legal ramifications of Israel's actions in the territories.

This case was initiated by a UN General Assembly (UNGA) resolution in December 2022, before Israel's October genocidal war on the Gaza Strip.

Erwin van Veen, a senior research fellow at the Clingendael think tank in The Hague, was quoted by the Associated Press as saying that if the court rules that Israel's policies in the West Bank and east al-Quds breach international law, it would "isolate Israel further internationally, at least from a legal point of view."

He noted that such a ruling would "worsen the case for occupation. It removes any kind of legal, political, philosophical underpinning of the Israeli expansion project."

The case is separate from another ICJ case filed against Israel by South Africa.

South Africa filed a genocide case against Israel in December 2023 over its war on the Gaza Strip. According to South Africa's application, Israel's actions in Gaza were "genocidal in character because they are intended to bring about the destruction of a substantial part of the Palestinian national, racial and ethnical group."

The ICJ's final ruling on the broader South African case may take months if not years to rule, but the court can order urgent measures while weighing its decision.

In January, the ICJ, whose orders are legally binding but lack direct enforcement mechanisms, issued an interim ruling, ordering the occupying regime to take all measures to prevent genocide in Gaza, but stopped short of ordering a ceasefire.

In May, the court ordered Israel to halt its offensive in Rafah after South Africa asked the ICJ to order a halt to the war in Gaza, and in the refugee-packed city in particular.

While Israel ignored the ruling, the Friday opinion could add political pressure over Israel's nine-month-old war against Gaza.

Israel launched the war on Gaza on October 7 after the Palestinian resistance movement Hamas waged the surprise Operation Al-Aqsa Storm against the occupying entity in response to the Israeli regime's decades-long campaign of bloodletting and devastation against Palestinians.

Since the start of the offensive, the Tel Aviv regime has killed at least 38,848 Palestinians and injured 89,459 more. Thousands more are also missing and presumed dead under rubble.

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Yemen targets another ship in latest anti-Israel operation

Iran Press TV

Friday, 19 July 2024 3:16 PM

Yemen's Army says they have attacked another ship in waters around the country in a continuation of operations retaliating against the Israeli genocide in the besieged Gaza Strip.

Yahya Saree, spokesman for Yemen's armed forces, announced the development while addressing pro-Palestine demonstrators in the Yemeni Capital's Al-Sabeen Square on Friday.

"The naval, the missile, and UAV forces of the Yemeni Armed Forces, with the help of Allah Almighty, carried out a joint military operation in the Gulf of Aden, targeting the ship Lobivia with several ballistic missiles and drones, and thanks to Allah the hit was accurate and direct," he said.

The ship was targeted because the company owning it had violated Yemen's ban on entry of ships to the Israeli ports, according to the spokesman.

Saree said the continuation of the Israeli genocide in Gaza would strengthen the resolve of the Yemeni people, their army, and their faithful leadership to conduct more operations in support of the Palestinians.

The Yemeni spokesman also called on the Arab and Islamic nations to perform their religious, humanitarian, and moral duty towards the Palestinian people and participate actively in the battle against the Israeli regime.

Saree concluded his remarks by stressing that Yemen's operations against Israel will not stop unless the aggression is stopped and the siege imposed on Palestinians in Gaza is lifted.

The latest operation came on the back of an unprecedented drone attack by the Arab country on Tel Aviv earlier on Friday.

Saree announced earlier that they fired a new drone called 'Yafa', which is capable of bypassing the enemy's interception systems.

That attack killed one person and injured ten others, according to the regime.

Mohammad Al-Bukhaiti, a member of the Ansarullah movement's political bureau, told Al-Arabi that the attack was a message to Israeli Premiere Benjamin Netanyahu that the continuation of the aggression on Gaza and the starvation of its residents would not benefit the Israeli entity.

He said the message of this operation is that the continuation of the massacres and genocide in Gaza will lead to the demise of the entity.

Yemen has been conducting anti-Israel operations since October, in an attempt to bring a halt to the ongoing massacre of Gazans at the hands of the Zionist regime.

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Yemen says ready for any scenario following drone strike on Tel Aviv

Iran Press TV

Friday, 19 July 2024 1:05 PM

Yemen's Ansarullah popular resistance movement has said it was ready for any scenario that could follow the Yemeni Armed Forces' recent pro-Palestinian drone strike against the city of Tel Aviv in the occupied Palestinian territories.

Mohammed al-Bukhaiti, member of Ansarullah's Political Bureau, made the remarks on Friday in an interview with Qatar's Al Araby channel.

The movement, he said, was "prepared for any Israeli response" to the strike.

Yemen's Armed Forces announced the operation earlier in the day. It saw the aircraft exploding in a building lying less than 100 meters away from the US Consulate in the city, killing one person and injuring 10 others.

The Yemeni forces have been staging numerous strikes against targets lying across the occupied Palestinian territories since October 7, when the Israeli regime began a genocidal war against the Gaza Strip.

The Yemeni forces announced that they used a radar-evading drone, dubbed Yafa, to carry out the operation as the Israeli air defenses failed to intercept the drone.

The forces have also been targeting Israeli ships and vessels sailing towards the ports of the occupied territories.

The operations that have left a considerable impact on the regime's economy, have been seeking to force it to stop the war that has so far killed nearly 39,000 Palestinians, mostly women and children.

Adding to his remarks, Bukhaiti likewise noted that "the goal that is sought by our military operations against Israel is to stop the genocide in Gaza."

The Yemeni operations have also been used as a means of pressuring the regime into stopping a simultaneous siege that it has been employing against the coastal sliver.

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Hezbollah unveils rocket with heavy warhead in attack on Israeli outpost

Iran Press TV

Friday, 19 July 2024 10:44 AM

The Lebanese Hezbollah resistance movement has used for the first time a new rocket with a heavy warhead to strike an Israeli military position in the northern sector of the 1948-occupied territories.

Hezbollah said in a brief statement on Friday that it had struck and destroyed parts of the Rweisat al-Alam outpost in the occupied Kfar Chouba hills with a Wabel rocket.

The statement added that the rocket, produced by the group in Lebanon, caused a fire inside the targeted Israeli military outpost.

Hezbollah also said its fighters fired a salvo of rockets on the Israeli settlement of Abirim for the first time since fighting along the border between Lebanon and the Israeli-occupied lands began in early October.

The group stated that the operations came in support of Palestinians in Gaza and retaliation for Israeli airstrikes the night before on south Lebanon that killed several Hezbollah members and wounded civilians.

Israeli strikes on south Lebanon on Thursday have reportedly killed Habib Maatouk, a field commander in Hezbollah's elite Radwan forces. The strikes hit the villages of Safad El Battikh and Jmaijmeh, resulting in the injury of more than a dozen civilians.

Meanwhile, another Hezbollah member Ali Muhanna from the town of Jbal El Botm in southern Lebanon was also killed in an Israeli strike on Thursday. Israeli media outlets claimed that Muhanna "was a member of Hezbollah's engineering unit in the Qana area, and played a role in planning and executing various operations against Israel."

Hezbollah and Israel have been exchanging deadly fire since early October last year, shortly after the regime launched a genocidal war against the Gaza Strip following a surprise operation by Hamas.

The Lebanese resistance movement has vowed to keep up its retaliatory attacks as long as the Israeli regime continues its Gaza war, which has so far killed at least 38,848 Palestinians, mostly women and children.

Hezbollah officials have repeatedly said they do not want a war with Israel while stressing that they are prepared in case it occurs.

Two Israeli wars waged against Lebanon in 2000 and 2006 were met with strong resistance from Hezbollah, resulting in the retreat of the regime in both conflicts.

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July 18: 'Axis of Resistance' operations against Israeli occupation

Iran Press TV

Friday, 19 July 2024 9:26 AM

By Press TV Website Staff

Amid Israel's genocidal war on Gaza, which has killed nearly 38,900 Palestinians so far, resistance groups in Palestine and across the region continue their operations against the Tel Aviv regime and its Western backers.

The major operations carried out by the Palestinian and regional resistance groups on Thursday, July 18, are as follows:

Al-Qassam Brigades' operations on July 18



- Targeted Israeli forces in the 'Netzarim' axis southwest of the Gaza Strip with a barrage of heavy mortar shells.



- Detonated an explosive device on an Israeli military vehicle between 'Hermesh' and 'Barta'a' in northern occupied West Bank.



- In a joint operation with Al-Nasser Salah Al-Din Brigades, targeted Israeli forces positioned in the Al-Izba area southwest of the Tal Al-Sultan neighborhood in Rafah, southern Gaza Strip, with mortar shells.



Al-Aqsa Martyrs Brigades' operations on July 18



- Targeted the Israeli military's command and control center on the supply line in the 'Netzarim' axis, south of Gaza City, with a barrage of 107mm rockets.



- Targeted a gathering of Israeli forces positioned on the 'Netzarim' axis with 107mm rockets and heavy-caliber mortar shells.



- Engaged in fierce clashes with Israeli forces invading the city of Nablus in the occupied West Bank, using machine guns and explosive devices.



- Engaged in fierce clashes with Israeli forces storming the vicinity of Al-Ain camp in Nablus, occupied West Bank, using machine guns and explosive devices.



Al-Quds Brigades' operations on July 18



- Targeted the Israeli military's command and control headquarters on the 'Netzarim' axis with 107mm rockets.



- Targeted 'Mefalsim' and 'Nir Am' in the Gaza envelope with a rocket barrage.



Mujahideen Brigades' operations on July 18



- Targeted Israeli forces positioned in the 'Netzarim' axis with two 107mm rockets.



- In a joint operation with the Ansar Brigades, targeted the headquarters of the Gaza Division of the Israeli military at 'Re'im' with two 107mm rockets.



Ansar Brigades' operations on July 18



- In a joint operation with the Mujahideen Brigades, targeted the headquarters of the Israeli forces with 107mm rockets at 'Re'im'.



Hezbollah's operations on July 18



- Targeted surveillance equipment at the 'Hadab Yarin' site with appropriate weapons.



- Targeted surveillance equipment in 'Metulla' with a guided missile.



- Targeted the 'Barkat Risha' site with a barrage of Burkan missiles.



- Targeted the 'Rahib' site with Burkan missiles.



- Targeted the Ruwaisat Al-Alam site in 'Kfar Shuba', Lebanon, with missiles.



- Targeted a Merkava tank at the 'Hadab Yarin' site with anti-armor missiles.



- Targeted the Vilon base southeast of the occupied city of 'Safed' with drones.



- Targeted the 'Al-Marj' site with Burkan missiles.



- Targeted the headquarters of the newly established Western Brigade (300) south of the 'Yara' settlement with a barrage of drones.

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Vietnam's Communist Party chief Nguyen Phu Trong has died: state media

President To Lam had already taken over the duties of the ailing Trong

By RFA Staff 2024.07.19 -- Vietnam's Communist Party chief Nguyen Phu Trong died on Friday at the age of 80, domestic media reported, after serving for 13 years as the most powerful leader in the Southeast Asian country's one-party political system.

Party Secretary General Trong, who spearheaded a sweeping anti-corruption campaign known as the "Blazing Furnace," had been sick for some time and had stepped back from his official duties.

"Party Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong has passed away following a period of illness, despite the care and treatment by the Party, the state, doctors and leading health experts," VNExpress reported.

Trong had been at the helm of the party since 2011 but had hardly been seen in public since January when he attended an extraordinary session of the National Assembly.

State media reported on Thursday that newly appointed president, To Lam, 67, had assumed Nguyen's duties as Communist Party chief.

Lam was named president in May. As acting general secretary, he is now Vietnam's top leader and will oversee the work of the Party Central Committee, the Politburo and the Secretariat, according to the Vietnam News Agency.

Trong was the main architect of the anti-graft drive that has netted senior party officials and business leaders but also raised new concerns about political stability in what is considered Southeast Asia's manufacturing hub, and is heavily dependent on foreign investment and trade.

Foreign policy 'pragmatist'

Carlyle Thayer, a Vietnam expert at the University of New South Wales, said Trong would be remembered as a staunch adherent to the Vietnamese tenets of Marxism-Leninism and socialism, and a proponent of party-building and one-party rule by the Communist Party.

"He will also be viewed as a pragmatist in foreign policy but a stern opponent of peaceful evolution and a 'color revolution,'" Thayer said

"Particularly in his first term, Trong reined in the sprawling complex of state-owned corporations, general corporations and state banks that flourished as a result of high GDP growth rates and aggressively prosecuted corrupt officials and their networks," he added.

Trong was born in Hanoi in 1944. He earned a bachelor's degree in literature from Vietnam National University and was a professor and PhD holder in political science, according to the Nhan Dan newspaper.

He worked as an editor at the Communist Review. In 1996, he was named deputy secretary of the Hanoi Party Committee and afterward ascended through the party ranks.

U.S. Ambassador Marc Knapper noted in a statement that Trong became the first Vietnamese leader to visit the United States when he traveled to Washington to meet with then-President Barack Obama in 2015.

Vietnam and the United States upgraded their relationship to "comprehensive strategic partners" during President Joe Biden's 2023 visit to Hanoi, Biden said in a statement on Friday.

"The people of Vietnam and the United States - and people across the Indo-Pacific region - enjoy greater security and opportunity today because of the friendship between our two countries," Biden said in the statement. "That is thanks to him."

Edited by Mike Firn and Matt Reed.

This story has been updated to add details from Trong's early career and statements from the U.S ambassador and President Biden.

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.

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Vietnamese Communist chief Nguyen Phu Trong leaves behind a weak, fractious party

His 'Blazing Furnace' anti-corruption drive tarnished the party's public image and allowed To Lam to seize power.

A commentary by Zachary Abuza 2024.07.19 -- On July 19, Vietnamese state media reported that Nguyen Phu Trong, the long-serving general secretary of the Communist Party of Vietnam, had died after an illness.

The report of Trong's passing at 80 came a day after the party brass had announced he had relinquished his powers to President To Lam due to his failing health. In a rushed announcement, he was awarded the Gold Star, the country's highest honor suggesting that the party did not want to have to do this posthumously.

Born on April 14, 1944, in Hanoi, Trong was a lifelong communist ideologue. He was educated at Hanoi National University, the Ho Chi Minh National Academy of Politics and Public Administration, and the Russian Academy of Social Sciences.

He spent several decades working for the party's ideological journal, Tap chi Cong San (Communist Review), where he was editor-in-chief from 1991-1996.

He joined the Communist Party of Vietnam's (CPV) Central Committee in 1994, and was first elected to the Politburo at the 9th Party Congress in 1996.

From 2000-2006, he served as the chairman of the Hanoi Party Committee. From 2001-2006, he concurrently headed the Central Committee's Theoretical Council, making him the top communist ideologue.

He held his first and only non-Party assignment from 2006-2011, as the chairman of the National Assembly.

He was elected general secretary at the 11th Party Congress in January 2011 and was re-elected at the 12th Congress in January 2016 with an age waiver, after ousting Prime Minister Nguyen Tan Dung, who had vied to be the party chief.

Trong despised Dung, whose economic liberalization set the stage for today's growth, but also led to surging inequality and corruption.

Trong became president when incumbent Tran Dai Quang passed away in September 2018. He ceded that role at the 13th Congress in January 2021.

Party control and anti-corruption

He showed little interest in foreign affairs, although he met President Barack Obama in the Oval Office in 2018, traveled to Beijing in October 2022, and hosted President Joe Biden in September 2023, Xi Jinping in December 2023 and Vladimir Putin in June 2024.

Having served five terms on the Politburo, Trong had significant staying power in a system that has tried to implement a regular transition for leaders. But there were limits to his power in a system of collective leadership.

Trong failed to get his protege Tran Quoc Vuong, who oversaw his anti-corruption campaign, elected as his successor at the 13th Congress.

Trong, who was reported to have suffered a stroke in late 2020, stayed on as a compromise figure. It was a clear violation of the two-term norm that was established after the disastrous quarter-century-long reign of Le Duan, whose death in July 1986 set off the Doi Moi reform era.

At the time, it was widely expected that Trung would be a caretaker until an agreement on his successor could be reached, but he showed no inclination in stepping down, despite his advanced age and failing health. By late 2023, he was believed to be residing at the 108 Military Hospital, a special facility for top leaders.

There were two big themes to Trung's long tenure: re-asserting party control and anti-corruption.

Trong was concerned that the Communist Party was being sidelined as the economy grew and became more complex, and the loci of decision making shifted to technocrats, such as Vu Duc Dam, a cosmopolitan former deputy prime minister.

While Trong understood the importance of economic growth, he never believed in performance-based legitimacy. Like China's Xi Jinping, he believed that economic growth could never come at the expense of party control.

Under him, the Politburo, which traditionally tended to be a careful balance of competing institutional interests, sectoral and regional representation, became dangerously out of balance, demonstrating the regime's insecurity.

At the Central Committee's 9th Plenum in May 2024, four new members of the Politburo represented the party, not the state apparatus.

Crushing civil society

Today, five of the 16 members came out of the Vietnamese Ministry of Public Security, with three coming out of the army. That half the Politburo represents the security sector, with a palpable dearth of economic expertise, is evidence of the party's priorities for the nation of 100 million people.

Under Trong, the government stepped-up efforts to quash Vietnam's nascent civil society, focusing, in turn, on religious organizations, lawyers, environmentalists, LGBTQ activists, independent journalists and social media influencers.

The Politburo issued Directive 24 in July 2023, which was a clarion call against "peaceful evolution" and the threat posed by "colored revolutions", which the document warned, could be fomented by international donors, foreign investors, and students studying overseas.

Politburo language became increasingly Chinese in tone, as were the tactics employed to defend the party's monopoly of power.

Like Xi and his predecessors in Beijing, Trong viewed corruption as the party's greatest vulnerability.

He launched the "Blazing Furnace" anti-corruption campaign, moving the anti-corruption commission from state to party control, in 2013 with himself as chairman.

Trong took down a slew of rivals within the 12th Politburo, including Dinh La Thang and Hoang Trung Hai, the party chiefs of Ho Chi Minh City and Hanoi, respectively.

But the "Blazing Furnace" campaign spiraled out of control as it allowed then minister of public security, To Lam, to weaponize anti-corruption investigations to eliminate political rivals on the Politburo.

Between December 2022 and June 2024, seven of the 18 members of the 13th Politburo were forced to resign - a period of unprecedented political turmoil.

Trong proved impotent as Lam, now serving as acting general secretary and president, removed his proteges - including President Vo Van Thuong and his assumed heir apparent National Assembly Chairman Vuong Dinh Hue - in the security chief's maneuvers to grab the top job.

Lam's ambitions created resentment

Trong could only watch helplessly as Lam installed his Ministry of Security deputies, Luong Tam Quang and Nguyen Duy Ngoc, as his successor as the Minister of Public Security and the head of the Central Committee Office, respectively.

And as Trong's health weakened, he routinely missed key meetings, with Lam - now president - standing in for him.

Ironically, the party apparatus emerged not just weaker and less collegial as a result of the anti-corruption campaign, but also became delegitimized in the eyes of the public as it exposed the sweeping extent of corruption among the senior leadership. Trong never took any responsibility for the damage he caused, and even seemed oblivious to it.

To be fair, Trong lived quite modestly and his children never involved themselves in business or profited from his position, a seeming birthright for the children of other top Hanoi leaders.

Under Communist Party rules, Luong Cuong, the head of the Secretariat, is supposed to stand in, but the Central Committee and Politburo announced that Lam will serve concurrently as president and acting general secretary.

That suggests that the Central Committee has determined that Lam will be elected to a full term at the 14th Congress in early 2026, though, at 67 now, would require an age waiver.

Planning for the congress is already underway. Having installed allies in key positions and having purged most rivals, Lam is in a very strong position.

However, we have to consider the possibility that the Central Committee, which is much more powerful and independent than in China, could decide to elect a vastly new Politburo and a different general secretary.

Not everyone on the Central Committee has been happy with the political instability caused by Lam's ambitious ascent, and party history offers the precedent of Le Kha Phieu, a hardline leader who was removed from office four years into his five-year term in 2001 amid public infighting that tripped up the economy.

Zachary Abuza is a professor at the National War College in Washington and an adjunct at Georgetown University. The views expressed here are his own and do not reflect the position of the U.S. Department of Defense, the National War College, Georgetown University or Radio Free Asia.

Copyright 1998-2024, RFA. Used with the permission of Radio Free Asia, 2025 M St. NW, Suite 300, Washington DC 20036. For any commercial use of RFA content please send an email to: mahajanr@rfa.org. RFA content July not be used in a manner which would give the appearance of any endorsement of any product or support of any issue or political position. Please read the full text of our Terms of Use.

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Hungary's Orban Says Von Der Leyen 'Our Employee, Not Our Opponent'

By RFE/RL's Hungarian Service July 19, 2024

Viktor Orban said on July 19 that Ursula von der Leyen -- who was reelected on July 18 for a second term as European Commission president and has been a constant critic of the Hungarian prime minister's close relationship with Moscow and his rule-of-law backsliding -- is just an "employee," not an adversary.

Orban, whose country took over the EU's six-month rotating presidency on July 1, has been a constant opponent of European support for embattled Ukraine and sanctions against Moscow.

Earlier this month he went on a self-styled "peace mission" to Moscow and Beijing that attracted the ire of the commission's chief and the leaders of the bloc's other member countries. He then met with former U.S. President Donald Trump, the Republican Party's candidate in the upcoming U.S. presidential election in November.

"Von der Leyen is not our political opponent, she is our employee, and yours too," Orban said during his regular Friday morning "interview" with Hungarian state radio on July 19.

"Von der Leyen's task is to implement the line outlined by the prime ministers. Since she receives her salary from member states, she is in a relationship of dependence," Orban said.

Orban's remarks came after von der Leyen, in her speech in the European Parliament ahead of the vote that reconfirmed her as commission chief, called Orban's trips an "appeasement mission."

Orban also urged the other EU heads of state and government to be more effective in holding von der Leyen "accountable," saying her performance had been "very poor."

During her first five-year term, von der Leyen, a former German defense minister, steered the EU through several crises, including the COVID-19 pandemic and Russia's invasion of Ukraine, and has been a main proponent of a Green Deal aiming to make the EU climate-neutral by 2050.

Under Orban, the leader of the right-wing populist Fidesz party who has been in power since 2010, Hungary has been accused of eroding the rule of law and democratic rights amid reports of growing corruption and cronyism. Billions of euros in EU funds earmarked for Hungary have been blocked over the bloc's concerns.

Orban told Hungarian state radio on July 19 that he would continue his "peace mission" and said that a Trump victory in the U.S. presidential election in the United States would bring "peace" to global politics.

"Trump is clear about what he is going to do. Why do we want to be left behind? This will also change the Europeans' situation. The essence of politics is to know where the epicenter of events will be," Orban said.

Orban's remarks come after he sent a letter to EU leaders on July 16 saying that while the United States is "at the moment heavily preoccupied with the presidential campaign," Trump is ready to act "immediately" as a peace broker if he gets reelected.

Source: https://www.rferl.org/a/orban-von-der- leyen-putin/33042834.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.

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Trump Vows To End Wars, Free 'Hostages,' In Acceptance Speech

By RFE/RL July 19, 2024

Donald Trump vowed to end the wars in Ukraine and Gaza and free U.S. 'hostages' as he accepted the presidential nomination at the Republican National Convention just days after an attempt on his life.

The 78-year-old Trump, wearing a bandage on his right ear injured in what the FBI says was an assassination attempt on the former president, also promised to revive a Cold War-era missile defense plan as he warned that the world was "teetering" on the brink of a third world war.

"War is now raging in Europe and the Middle East. This administration can't come close to solving the problems," Trump said in a 92 minute speech that closed out the four-day convention in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, a key swing state in the November 5 election.

Trump blamed the chaotic U.S. withdrawal from Afghanistan under President Joe Biden, his Democratic opponent in the 2024, for emboldening Russian President Vladimir Putin to invade Ukraine.

Hans Noel, a political scientist at Georgetown University's Department of Government, told RFE/RL that Trump's speech brought "nothing new" on his foreign policy outlook, with his view on supporting the war in Ukraine diametrically opposed to that of the Democrats.

"I think the thing that came through the most is just the different framing of the war in Ukraine," Noel said.

"It's not framed as Russia invaded Ukraine and Ukraine would like our help to defend itself, but rather that Ukraine and Russia got themselves into a war and maybe we don't want to get involved ourselves."

Nuclear Submarines

Trump painted his four years in office as one of relative international peace and stability with rivals Russia and China at bay.

The Republican nominee boasted that Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban even said that Russia and China were "afraid of him." Orban flew to Florida to meet Trump on July 11 to discuss an end to the war in Ukraine following visits to Moscow and Beijing.

Trump said he would also free U.S. "hostages" without giving any details as to who and how.

The comments appeared to be a reference to the dozens of Americans "unlawfully detained" abroad, several of whom are in Russia, including Alsu Kurmasheva, a veteran RFE/RL journalist who holds dual U.S.-Russian citizenship and is being held on charges the broadcaster and the U.S. government say are reprisals for her work as a journalist for the broadcaster in Prague.

The Biden administration has freed many over the past three years through prisoner swaps and other means.

Trump noted that Russian nuclear submarines were stationed off Cuba, which lies 145 kilometers from Florida, before announcing that, if elected, he would revive former President Ronald Reagan's plans to develop a space-based missile defense system to protect the United States from long-range nuclear missiles.

Trump claimed that technological advances made the project feasible. The U.S. abandoned the plan, nicknamed "Star Wars" by Reagan's opponents, in the 1990s as the Cold War ended and relations with Moscow improved.

Trump's nomination caps a remarkable political comeback for the former president, who was impeached twice while in office, convicted earlier this year of falsifying business records, and faces charges in three other cases, including conspiring to overturn the 2020 election. One of the cases involving Trump's handling of classified documents was recently dismissed but prosecutors have appealed.

Trump's spectacular political return and rebound from the assassination attempt comes as Biden, knocked off the campaign trail by COVID-19, faces rising calls from his own party to withdraw from the race.

Trump mentioned Biden only once in his speech amid news reports that the president could drop out of the race as early as this weekend. Instead, he focused his criticism on the "administration," which includes Vice President Kamala Harris, who many say could replace Biden atop the Democratic ticket.

Biden beat Trump in 2020 but there is growing fear in the Democratic party that the president can not repeat that feat after his poor performance in a June 27 debate.

The 81-year-old Biden looked frail and confused and was incoherent at times during the debate against Trump, intensifying concerns about his physical and mental ability to serve another four years. In the weeks following the debate, Biden rejected calls to leave the race, saying he can recover from the debate debacle and beat Trump.

However, leading Democrats have only stepped up their pressure. On the eve of Trump's speech, Adam Schiff (Democrat-California) called on the president to step aside, the most prominent lawmaker to publicly voice for change to the party ticket. Other powerful party members have this month privately urged Biden to leave the race, according to Axios.

The Democrats will hold their convention in Chicago, Illinois on August 19-22.

The July 13 assassination attempt played a prominent role at the convention as Republicans leverage it to portray Trump as a "fighter" who was saved by "divine intervention."

Trump began his speech by recounting the shooting in Butler, Pennsylvania, where he was speaking to supporters at a rally when the assassination attempt took place.

"I am not supposed to be here tonight," he said as the now iconic images of a blood stained Trump standing with his fist raised in the air and surrounded by a Secret Service detail flashed on the convention screens.

Trump, who opponents say expanded the boundaries of acceptable presidential discourse with consistent lies and derogatory labels for opponents, then segued into a call to lower the temperature of domestic political discussion.

"We must not criminalize dissent or demonize political disagreement, which is what's been happening in our country lately at a level that nobody has ever seen before," he said.

He then presented himself as the biggest victim of the divisive political discourse, accusing the Democratic party of "weaponizing the justice system" to go after him and his family.

Trump spent considerable time during his speech discussing his domestic agenda should he be elected.

He promised to curtail immigration, end electric vehicle mandates, increase U.S. oil and gas production, and cut taxes.

Source: https://www.rferl.org/a/trump-speech- russia-hostages/33042414.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.

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No: 141, 19 July 2024, Regarding the Advisory Opinion of the International Court of Justice

Republic of Turkey Ministry of Foreign Affairs

In its Advisory Opinion issued today (19 July), the International Court of Justice has legally confirmed that Israel pursues a policy of occupation and persecution against the Palestinian people.

According to the opinion, Israel should immediately end its presence in the Palestinian territories and make reparation for the damage it has caused.

The international community is obliged to take a firm and resolute stance to put an end to Israel's illegal practices. Turkiye has supported the process at the International Court of Justice by providing written and oral contributions to the advisory opinion. We will continue our efforts to ensure that the crimes committed against the Palestinians, including the current genocidal acts against the people of Gaza, do not go unpunished.



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The FCDO has issued a statement in response to the International Court of Justice Advisory Opinion related to Israel and the Occupied Palestinian Territories.

19 July 2024

A Foreign, Commonwealth and Development spokesperson said:

We have received the Advisory Opinion issued by the International Court of Justice on Friday 19 July and are considering it carefully before responding. The UK respects the independence of the ICJ.

The Foreign Secretary was clear on his visit to Israel and the Occupied Palestinian Territories earlier this week that the UK is strongly opposed to the expansion of illegal settlements and rising settler violence.

This government is committed to a negotiated two-State solution which can deliver a safe and secure Israel alongside a viable and sovereign Palestinian state.
Former President Donald Trump has been an outspoken critic of EVs. Scott Olson/Getty Images

Trump has been critical of EVs and Biden's policies to encourage manufacturing and sales.

The potential loss of a $7,500 tax credit has sparked concern in the EV industry.

Still, Trump has gained the support of Elon Musk, who may be betting that his presidency will benefit Tesla.

Donald Trump has been an outspoken critic of EVs  and that could spell trouble for America's electric vehicle industry.

His rhetoric has made it clear that the former president's return to the White House  which looks increasingly likely according to the most recent polls  will pose a reckoning for the US' already-flagging EV industry.

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Despite this, Trump's candidacy has attracted the support of a man whose wealth depends almost entirely on electric cars  Elon Musk.

A Trump charm offensive

The billionaire officially endorsed Trump following his attempted assassination this month, and reportedly plans to donate $45 million a month to pro-Trump super PAC as he throws his enormous wealth behind Trump's re-election bid.

Musk also reportedly played a part in Trump choosing Ohio senator JD Vance, an even fiercer critic of electric vehicles, as his vice president.

His selection as Trump's running mate was favorably received by Musk. But Vance introduced legislation last year to repeal the $7,500 tax credit for US-made electric vehicles and has accused Biden of "subsidizing an industry that benefits Communist China more than it does American workers."

Musk has defended Vance's proposals, saying removing the subsidies would "only help Tesla"  but that's at odds with Tesla's marketing, with the federal tax break included in price breakdowns on the company's website and promoted on Tesla's social media.

Subsidy fears

The potential loss of the $7,500 tax credit has already sparked concern in the EV industry.

General Motors board member and former Tesla president of global sales Jon McNeill warned that rolling back on this tax credit would hand Chinese manufacturers like BYD, who benefit from significant state support, a huge advantage over their US rivals.

Story continues

"I think we risk losing the auto manufacturing share to China. We really do, globally," he told CNBC.

Dylan Khoo, an EV analyst at intelligence firm ABI Research, told Business Insider that the cost of EVs is one of the key factors holding consumers back from going electric.

"If we see that tax credit cut, then EVs start looking insurmountably expensive for most consumers," he said.

Sam Fiorani, vice president of Global Vehicle Forecasting at automotive consultancy AutoForecast Solutions, told BI that the tax credit had become increasingly targeted at middle-class vehicle buyers in recent years.

"Pulling it away will lessen the opportunity for middle-class people to entertain the idea of an electric vehicle, and potentially make the industry less competitive by raising prices," he said.

Ultimately, the political uncertainty surrounding the election is probably already a factor causing automakers to reconsider their EV plans, Khoo said.

He warned the withdrawal of government support could have dire consequences for legacy automaker's mostly unprofitable EV businesses.

"It could be potentially fatal to the industry," said Khoo.

Elon Musk's gamble

This grim picture leaves Musk's full-throated support for Trump looking somewhat contradictory.

The billionaire has been on a Trump charm offensive for months, telling shareholders Trump would often "call him out of the blue," and that he was trying to convince the former president of the benefits of EVs.

That strategy appears to be working. In a recent interview with Bloomberg Businessweek, Trump said he had "no objection" to EVs and praised Musk as "fantastic"  but he still warned that the US could not have 100% of its cars electric, and criticized them for being too heavy and expensive.

Some experts think there is method in Musk's apparent madness.

Dan Ives, an analyst at Wedbush Securities, wrote in a recent note that while a Trump presidency would be broadly negative for EVs, it may prove a positive for Tesla.

"Tesla has the scale and scope that is unmatched in the EV industry and this dynamic could give Musk and Tesla a clear competitive advantage in a non-EV subsidy environment," said Ives, adding the company would also benefit from the fact Trump is likely to impose higher tariffs on China's EV giants.

Khoo agreed, telling BI that Tesla has the market share and the production scale to survive a withdrawal of government subsidies, while its rivals do not.

"If you can already do something without the support, and it's going to help the competitors to catch up to you, you can secure your position in the market and maintain that," he said.

"A lot of these incentives are helping other companies transition towards electric vehicles, and Tesla's already there with 15 years of history behind them," said Fiorani.

"They're already making money building electric vehicles, and the incentive just helps boost volume rather than boosting profits," he added.

With Tesla's market share beginning to slip as other automakers ramp up their EV efforts, Musk seems to be gambling that this prediction will come to pass.

Read the original article on Business Insider
UK to restart funding to UNRWA

The Foreign Secretary has announced that the UK will lift the pause on funding to the UN Relief and Works Agency, the key aid delivery body operating in Gaza.

19 July 2024

Foreign Secretary David Lammy has announced that the UK will restart funding to UNRWA in order to get aid as quickly as possible to those who need it in Gaza

in statement to MPs, Lammy said UK aid funding to Gaza is a "moral necessity in the face of such a catastrophe"

the Foreign Secretary also reiterated calls for an immediate ceasefire to secure the release of hostages and end the suffering in Gaza, following his visit to the region earlier this week

The Foreign Secretary has announced that the UK will lift the pause on funding to the UN Relief and Works Agency (UNRWA), the key aid delivery body operating in Gaza.

In his first statement to MPs, the Foreign Secretary outlined that the UK will release 21 million to support its lifesaving work in Gaza and the provision of basic services in the region.

This funding will go towards UNRWA's flash appeal for Gaza and the West Bank, which focuses its resources on emergency food, shelter and other support for 3 million people, as well as its wider work supporting 6 million Palestinian refugees across the region.

The Foreign Secretary said to Parliament:

Humanitarian aid is a moral necessity in the face of such a catastrophe and it is aid agencies who ensure UK support reaches civilians on the ground. UNRWA is absolutely central to these efforts. No other agency can get aid into Gaza at the scale needed. I was appalled by the allegations that UNRWA staff were involved in the 7th October attacks. We are reassured that after Catherine Colonna's independent review, UNRWA is ensuring they meet the highest standards of neutrality and strengthening its procedures, including on vetting. UNRWA has acted. Partners like Japan, the EU and Norway have now acted. This government will act too.

The UK's funding for UNRWA was paused in light of allegations by Israel that 12 staff were involved in the 7 October attack against Israel. Following an independent review by Catherine Colonna and the subsequent action plan UNRWA has provided setting out detailed management reforms, the government is confident that UNRWA is taking action to ensure it meets the highest standards of neutrality.

Today's announcement brings the UK into line with partners such as Germany, the EU, Sweden, Japan, France and other donors.

UNRWA is the main provider of humanitarian relief within Gaza, and other UN and humanitarian actors depend on UNRWA's distribution network to get aid to those who need it most. UNRWA has provided 1.15 million people facing devastating hunger in Gaza with food parcels.

The Foreign Secretary spoke with UN Secretary General Guterres last night to confirm the UK's decision to restart funding and discuss the UN's vital role in providing humanitarian assistance in Gaza.

Development Minister Anneliese Dodds will meet UNRWA Commissioner General Lazzarini today to discuss how the funding will support UNRWA's work and condemn the killing of almost 200 UNRWA workers in the conflict.

Development Minister Anneliese Dodds said:

The situation in Gaza is intolerable and unacceptable and urgent action is needed to alleviate the suffering of civilians there. UNRWA is the only agency that can deliver lifesaving humanitarian aid at the scale needed. But it can only operate effectively if it has access to the whole of Gaza and it is safe for UNRWA staff to work there. That's why we are calling for unfettered access for humanitarian organisations alongside an immediate ceasefire, the protection of civilians, the release of all hostages and a credible and irreversible pathway towards a two-state solution.

The Foreign Secretary also set out in Parliament today his wider plan to reach an end to the conflict in Gaza. He made clear the immediate priority is a ceasefire complied with by both sides, the release of all hostages and a surge of aid into Gaza.

The Foreign Secretary said to Parliament:

Britain wants to see an immediate ceasefire. The fighting must stop. The hostages must be released. Much, much more aid has got to enter Gaza.... This horror must end, now.

The Foreign Secretary raised the urgent need for the conflict to end during his meetings with Israeli and Palestinian leaders during his visit to Israel and the Occupied Palestinian Territories on 14 to 15 July.

As part of the visit, the Foreign Secretary announced that the UK will provide another 5.5 million this year to UK-Med to fund their life-saving work in Gaza. This funding will be used to support the ongoing work of their field hospitals and the emergency department at Nasser Hospital.

In the long-term, the Foreign Secretary outlined that the UK is focused on creating a pathway towards a two-state solution which guarantees security and stability for Israelis and Palestinians.

He made clear that any long-term solution must include a crackdown on the rise in settler violence and settlement expansion and a reformed Palestinian Authority, given the powers and resources it needs to govern effectively.

Background

the UK will provide 6 million to the Gaza flash appeal, through which UNRWA is specifically focusing its support to address the most urgent needs of more than 3 million people in Gaza and the West Bank

a further 15 million with be disbursed to UNRWA's programme budget to provide basic services in the Occupied Palestinian Territories and wider region

last week, the UK signed a joint statement alongside more than 117 member states including the US, Germany, Jordan, Kuwait and Slovenia, making clear their shared commitment and support to the "vital and indispensable role" of UNRWA in providing life-saving aid to generations of Palestinian refugees

the UK's funding for UNRWA was paused in light of allegations by Israel that 12 staff were involved in the 7 October attack against Israel. The government is assured the UN agency is taking action to ensure it meets the highest standards of neutrality, after seeing the independent investigation by Catherine Colonna, and the subsequent action plan UNRWA has provided setting out detailed management reforms

the UK's position is now in line with partners such as Germany, EU, Sweden, Japan, France, Canada, The Netherlands, Australia, Italy, Austria, Finland, Iceland, Romania and Estonia

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Sudan aid obstacles impact lifesaving relief effort

19 July 2024 - Heavy fighting in Sudan has severely curtailed humanitarian aid deliveries across vast areas of the southeast, the UN World Food Programme, WFP, said on Friday.

In an alert, WFP expressed deep concern about "the escalation of fighting" in Sudan's Sennar State. More than 136,000 people have already fled their homes, many for the second or third time since the conflict started.

To date, the UN agency has provided support to 46,000 people who fled to neighbouring Blue Nile state and to another 3,000 who've sought refuge in adjoining Gedaref state.

In an update, the WFP said that the violence had "severely affected" operations across the region, including White Nile, Blue Nile, Kassala and Gedaref states.

'Completely cut off'

"Fighting in Sennar cut off key supply routes for food and fuel into the state, leaving residents unable to access basic needs," WFP explained, adding that its logistics hub in Kosti in White Nile state "is completely cut off" from Port Sudan on the coast, after rival paramilitary force the RSF moved in on 29 June.

"The route from Port Sudan to Kosti (that) cuts through Sennar is currently inaccessible," WFP continued, describing the route as "a lifeline to get assistance to hundreds of thousands of people in Sudan, including many communities at risk of famine in the Kordofans and the Darfur region".

Staying with the west of Sudan, the UN food agency also reported that getting assistance into Darfur from neighbouring Chad has "halted", too.

"The Adre crossing from Chad is still closed and the Chad to Darfur crossing via Tine is inaccessible due to heavy rains and flooding brought by the rainy season.

The last WFP aid delivery via Tine was in mid-July, the UN agency said. "This leaves many areas cut off from assistance," it continued, in an appeal for all humanitarian corridors to be open so that aid teams "can reach all those in need".

Support for millions displaced

So far this year, WFP has supported more than four million internally displaced people, refugees and vulnerable host communities across Sudan, including 1.4 million in June alone. But the needs are far greater, it warned.

"Sudan is the world's largest hunger crisis. We need to be delivering food also on this scale."

Talks end, call for 'tangible progress on the ground'

In a related development in Geneva, UN-led talks between Sudan's warring parties concluded on Friday. Leading the negotiations with representatives from the Sudanese Armed Forces and the Rapid Support Forces, the Personal Envoy of the Secretary-General, Ramtane Lamamra, held around 20 meetings in total with the delegations.

He said in a statement that he now counted on the parties "to promptly translate their willingness to engage with him into tangible progress on the ground" in Sudan, where around 10 million people have been uprooted by 15 months of war and humanitarians have warned that famine, disease and fighting are closing in on the population.





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UNRWA Situation Report #122 on the situation in the Gaza Strip and the West Bank, including East Jerusalem - All information from 15-17 July 2024, valid as of 17 July 2024 at 22:30

UNRWA

19 Jul 2024

Days 283-285 of Hostilities

Download UNRWA multimedia resources here

Key Points

The Gaza Strip

Ongoing strikes by Israeli Security Forces (ISF) 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 ISF ground offensive continues to expand, particularly in the North and Gaza City, forcing people to be further displaced.

As of 17 July, the total number of UNRWA colleagues killed since 7 October is 197.

The World Health Organization (WHO) has recorded more than 1,000 attacks on healthcare facilities in the occupied Palestinian territory since 7 October 2023. The Palestinian health system continues to be severely overstretched. According to WHO, in the Gaza Strip, only 1,400 hospital beds are currently operational for a population of approximately 2.1 million people. Many of these hospital beds are already occupied/filled. According to the ICRC [1], the 60-bed Red Cross Field Hospital in Rafah, southern Gaza, is nearly at full capacity following repeated mass casualty events.

The Commissioner General of UNRWA put out a statement on the X platform (formerly known as Twitter) that attacks on schools in Gaza have become an almost daily occurrence with at least eight schools hit in the last 10 days (9-16 July), including six UNRWA schools; "the war continues to rob the girls and boys in Gaza of their childhood and education," he said.

According to UNICEF [2], as of May 2024, 60 per cent of WASH facilities have been destroyed or severely damaged. This increases water shortages and limits access to sanitation, increasing the risk of waterborne diseases, while approximately 30 per cent of hospitals remain partially functional, with the remainder out of service.

According to the UN, up to 1.9 million people (or nine in ten people) across the Gaza Strip are internally displaced, including people who have been repeatedly displaced (some up to 10 times).

Several challenges stand in the way of collecting much needed humanitarian supplies from the Karem Abu Salem (Kerem Shalom) crossing point in southern Gaza. One of the factors is the deteriorating law and order, other factors are insecurity, damaged infrastructure, fuel shortages and restricted access.

The latest information on supplies entering Gaza can be found below:

Gaza Supplies and Dispatch Tracking | UNRWA

[1] Gaza: Repeated mass casualty events put hospitals under severe strain - occupied Palestinian territory | ReliefWeb

[2] Humanitarian Action for Children 2024 - State of Palestine, Revision 3 (June 2024) - occupied Palestinian territory | ReliefWeb

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 15 July 2024, 554 Palestinians, including 131 children, were killed in the West Bank, including East Jerusalem.

Overall Situation

The Gaza Strip

According to the Ministry of Health in Gaza, as of 15 July, at least 38,664 Palestinians have been reportedly killed in the Gaza Strip since 7 October. Another 89,097 Palestinians have been reportedly 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.

Three incidents have been reported impacting UNRWA installations and internally displaced people (IDPs) sheltering there. While verification of details and casualty figures is ongoing, initial reports indicate: [LATE REPORT] On 13 July 2024 (estimated date), ISF reportedly carried out a controlled detonation of a school in Rafah. The school was totally destroyed. On 15 July 2024, ISF reportedly launched a missile at an UNRWA school in Gaza City, which was being used as a shelter. Even though the missile did not explode, its impact killed two and injured 10 IDPs sheltering at the school. The missile penetrated the roof of the school building and caused significant damage to three classrooms in the school. On 16 July 2024, ISF reportedly fired a missile at an UNRWA school in the Middle Area, killing 20 IDPs sheltering in the school and injuring 50.

461 * 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 74 incidents of military use and/or interference at UNRWA premises. 189 different UNRWA installations have been impacted by munitions or subjected to armed actor interference through these incidents.

* 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 incidents of military use and/or interference at UNRWA premises. different UNRWA installations have been impacted by munitions or subjected to armed actor interference through these incidents. UNRWA estimates that in total at least 561* internally displaced people (IDPs) sheltering in UNRWA shelters have been killed and at least another 1,768* injured since the start of the war. UNRWA continues to verify 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.

UNRWA Response

The Gaza Strip

Health

As of 11 July, 83 medical points and ten (out of 26 [1]) UNRWA health centres were operational. These health centres provide primary health care, including outpatient services, non-communicable disease care, medications, vaccination, antenatal and postnatal health care and dressing for the injured.

On 11 July, almost 1,100 UNRWA health staff continued to work in operational health centres and medical points across the Gaza Strip, providing 16,317 medical consultations.

As of 11 July, UNRWA provided mental health and psychosocial support (MHPSS) services in the Middle and Khan Younis areas with teams of psychiatrists and supervisors to assist special cases referred from health centres and shelters. UNRWA teams responded to 605 cases. They responded to cases in health centres and at medical points through individual consultations, awareness sessions and support for cases of gender-based violence. The teams provided medical care for 485 post-natal and pregnant women at high risk.

According to the Health Cluster, UNRWA remains one of the largest health actors operating in the Gaza Strip, contributing to over half of the people reached with health services. Between 7 October - 14 July, UNRWA provided over 4.7 million medical consultations in health centres and medical points across the Gaza Strip. In addition to medical consultations, UNRWA continues to provide vaccines with over 120,000 children vaccinated.

Due to challenges in bringing health supplies into the Gaza Strip as well as challenges in retrieving health supplies and transporting them to health facilities, stock levels remain very low, with up to 60 per cent of medicines either fully depleted or available in very low quantities.

[1] Pre-conflict UNRWA had 22 health centres, following the conflict an additional temporary health centres have been established.

Psychosocial support (PSS)

With the support of more than 300 counsellors, UNRWA continues to provide lifesaving psychosocial support (PSS) services in Gaza, including psychosocial first aid, individual and group counselling, fatigue management sessions, recreational activities, Explosive Ordnance Risk Education (EORE), and protection cash assistance, reaching children, youth and adults.

Since the onset of the conflict, around 700,000 IDPs, including 450,000 children, have benefited from a total of 235,666 PSS sessions/activities. From 23 June-7 July 2024, a total of 61,798 IDPs, including 26,645 children, benefited from these services.

Food Security

UNRWA continued to distribute flour in the southern governorates. To date, a total of 380,225 families (nearly 1.9 million people) have been reached, of them 367,768 families have received two rounds of flour and another 300,978 families have received three rounds.

As part of its emergency response, UNRWA distributes food parcels in the southern governorates. UNRWA food parcels include [1] flour, rice, chickpeas, lentils, cheese, hummus, and fish, and are designed to cover approximately 90 per cent of daily calorific needs. To date, nearly 1.15 million people have been reached, of whom nearly 215,000 people have received two rounds of food parcels since the war started.

In addition to the distribution of UNRWA food parcels, the Agency distributed other food parcels on behalf of other UN organisations, reaching around 1.4 million people.

[1] Note the composition of the food parcel may change based on food item availability.

Water, Sanitation and Hygiene (WASH)

Due to the security situation, in combination with challenges to internet connectivity, we have been unable to provide any additional updates since Sitrep 67.

Quote from Philippe Lazzarini, UNRWA Commissioner-General:

"The war robbed the girls and boys in Gaza of their childhood and education. Schools must never be used for fighting or military purposes by any party to the conflict. Schools are not a target."

ENDS

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Amid Rising Tensions, Emerging Threats in Eurasia, Assistant Secretary-General, Briefing Security Council, Notes Regional Organizations Can Help Build Bridges

Meetings Coverage

Security Council

9688th Meeting (AM)

SC/15769

19 July 2024



The Secretaries-General of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation, Collective Security Treaty Organization (CSTO) and the Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS) told the Security Council today of the need for enhanced cooperation between the United Nations and regional organizations like theirs, as Council members  despite expressing support for regional expertise  disagreed over how increasing challenges in the Eurasian region should be addressed.

"Now, more than ever, a more effective United Nations relies on stronger and deepened cooperation with regional and subregional organizations," said Elizabeth Spehar, Assistant Secretary-General for Peacebuilding Support in the Department of Political and Peacebuilding Affairs. Detailing rising tensions and emerging threats in the Eurasian region that require joint action, she said that such organizations "offer much-needed avenues for bridge-building" and urged strengthened regional frameworks for dialogue and cooperation in regions "where long-standing security architecture and mechanisms are collapsing or mired in stalemate".

For its part, the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation has "upheld the Shanghai spirit" of mutual trust, mutual benefit and respect for cultural diversity, said its Secretary-General, Zhang Ming. Further, both traditional and non-traditional security threats should be addressed through international solidarity, which can help create a more representative and multipolar world order. Citing the UN Secretary-General, he said that "the United Nations and the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation are the two largest international organizations in the world", and urged, therefore, that closer cooperation between the two is critical to achieve peace and development.

Imangali Tasmagambetov, CSTO's Secretary-General, also expressed hope for further cooperation with the UN, noting that the crisis of trust between global centres has significantly damaged the possibility of developing mutually acceptable solutions to many global security issues. CSTO does not intend to "become a counterweight to any other organization or country", he stressed, expressing support for the Russian Federation's initiative to shape a new Eurasian architecture for security, economic and humanitarian cooperation. Stating that today's meeting will provide additional impetus for practical cooperation between the UN, CSTO and other organizations operating in the region, he said: "We have all possibilities to achieve this."

Meanwhile, Sergey Lebedev, Secretary-General of CIS, underscored that cooperation with UN institutions, agencies and programmes has always been a priority for members of his organization. He also noted that CIS provides the UN with relevant information about measures to combat international terrorism, the proliferation of weapons of mass destruction and drug-trafficking. To shape a multipolar world order, it is vital to consider the architecture of international relations, he emphasized, calling for mutually beneficial cooperation based on the legitimate interests of all States.

In the debate that followed, Council members and regional States took the floor to champion the importance of cooperation between the UN and regional organizations to jointly address pressing global challenges. Many pointed to specialized regional knowledge, understanding and expertise that make such organizations particularly well-suited as partners, but many also stressed that any cooperation between the UN and regional actors must accord with both the Charter of the United Nations and international law.

"The unique position of regional and subregional organizations complements the Security Council in effectively addressing the full spectrum of the conflict cycle," observed Slovenia's representative. In most cases, said Sierra Leone's representative, regional organizations are better acquainted with the situation on the ground and can support UN efforts in their respective areas of responsibility. Mozambique's representative concurred, stating that CSTO, CIS and the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation have a deeper knowledge of security issues in their respective regions, making them "more capable to gather trust and confidence from national and regional actors".

"They are well-placed to support countries within the region in developing and implementing conflict prevention and early warning strategies tailored to their situation," added Guyana's representative. Similarly, Algeria's representative said that CSTO, CIS and the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation possess unique insights into regional dynamics and security challenges within their areas of operation, which can help the UN enhance the efficacy of its peacekeeping and conflict-resolution initiatives.

While CSTO, CIS and the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation have registered various successes in their regions, "not all regional actors have displayed the same constructive attitude", said Sergey Vershinin, Deputy Minister for Foreign Affairs of the Russian Federation  Council President for July  as he spoke in his national capacity. The concept of world order and security held by members of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO)  "built on the principles of domination by one power centre and flouting the concerns of other States"  has "failed completely", he said, stressing that a new security architecture is therefore needed in Central Asia.

However, the representative of the United Kingdom stressed that participation in security partnerships cannot be coerced. "Collective security" does not mean a sphere of influence and "cooperation" does not require subjugation of sovereignty, she said, noting that Georgia and Ukraine withdrew from CIS due to the Russian Federation's violations of their sovereignty. "Such flagrant violation of international law not only has been undermining security in the region, but also threatening the very foundation of the international community," warned Japan's representative, stating that the actions of these three organizations must align with the Charter of the United Nations.

Underscoring that "we must practise true multilateralism" under the Charter of the United Nations, China's representative welcomed the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation's consistent efforts to "build partnerships instead of alliances" and to promote openness and inclusivity. Turkmenistan's representative observed: "By pooling resources and experience, we can greatly enhance our collective ability to prevent conflict, respond to crises and build a sustainable world."

While acknowledging the significant progress made in fostering cooperation between the UN and regional organizations, Uzbekistan's representative said there is still much potential to be fulfilled and underlined the need to leverage the unique strengthens and capabilities of these organizations to effectively address global challenges. "Regional integration", said the representative of Pakistan, "represents the next phase of institutional development in international relations".

COOPERATION BETWEEN THE UNITED NATIONS AND REGIONAL AND SUBREGIONAL ORGANIZATIONS IN MAINTAINING INTERNATIONAL PEACE AND SECURITY (S/2024/538)

Briefings

ELIZABETH SPEHAR, Assistant Secretary-General for Peacebuilding Support in the Department of Political and Peacebuilding Affairs , recalling that the founders of the United Nations "recognized the necessity of collective efforts to ensure peace in an increasingly complex world", emphasized that this requires partnership at all levels. "Now, more than ever, a more effective United Nations relies on stronger and deepened cooperation with regional and subregional organizations," she said, which include the Collective Security Treaty Organization (CSTO), the Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS) and the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation. Tensions and competition among States challenge the principles set out in the Charter of the United Nations, resulting in lost trust, new conflicts and risk of escalation that affects all regions and impacts the Organization's ability to respond effectively to challenges worldwide.

Against that backdrop, she said that the three organizations "have all been  and remain  important players for the United Nations". Over the years, the UN has enhanced its partnerships with them, including through the Secretary-General's direct engagement with his counterparts, formalized frameworks for cooperation and strengthened coordination in the field  particularly in support of peace processes and preventative diplomacy. More specifically, she welcomed ongoing efforts by the Secretariat and CSTO members to enhance peacekeeping cooperation, the important platform for regional dialogue provided by CIS and  recalling the Secretary-General's participation in the summit held by the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation on 3 and 4 July in Astana  underlined that body's important role in addressing today's global challenges "as the largest regional organization". She added that the UN aims to further strengthen cooperation with these organizations in areas such as early warning, preventive diplomacy and peacekeeping.

"As we meet today, the Eurasian region faces rising tensions and emerging threats that require urgent joint action," she stressed, spotlighting violent extremism and terrorism, drug trafficking, unresolved border issues and the impact of climate change as examples. In Central Asia, the United Nations Regional Centre for Preventive Diplomacy actively engages with the leadership of all three organizations to coordinate preventive efforts  including the implementation of the Global Counter-Terrorism Strategy in the region. She also reported that the UN is seeking opportunities to advance international engagement with Afghanistan in a "more coherent, coordinated and structured manner", and on Ukraine, she stressed that the UN is ready to support "all meaningful efforts and initiatives" towards a just peace based on the Charter of the United Nations.

Noting that the "New Agenda for Peace" outlines actions to promote diplomacy and rebuild trust, she stressed that regional and subregional organizations have a "critical" role to play in this context. They can bring credibility and legitimacy, help increase trust and reduce misperceptions, invest in prevention and provide mechanisms for crisis management and conflict resolution. Further, they "offer much-needed avenues for bridge-building", she said, stating that it is "essential" to strengthen regional frameworks for dialogue and cooperation in regions "where long-standing security architecture and mechanisms are collapsing or mired in stalemate  or where they have never existed".

ZHANG MING, Secretary-General of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation , noting increasing geopolitical confrontations, rising terrorist activities and pressures on economic growth, said no country or regional organization can stay immune to these. The Shanghai Cooperation Organisation has prioritized the maintenance of international and regional security since its beginning, he said, adding: "we have upheld the Shanghai spirit" of mutual trust, mutual benefit and respect for cultural diversity. Stressing the importance of respect for the sovereignty, independence and territorial integrity of all States, he said differences between countries should be settled peacefully. Both traditional and non-traditional security threats should be addressed through international solidarity, he underscored, adding that doing so can help create a more representative and multipolar world order.

Noting that the United Nations has been an "irreplaceable force" in the maintenance of world peace over the last eight decades, he said his organization has been cooperating closely with the UN and its specialized agencies. This includes collaboration in addressing the problems posed by separatism, religious extremism and terrorism, he said, adding that the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation has been implementing the UN global counter-terrorism strategy, while rejecting politicization of counter-terrorism. Highlighting a memorandum of understanding signed with the Council's Counter-Terrorism Committee, he said it facilitates policy coordination and experience sharing. His organization also conducts regular consultations with the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) to combat drug production and trafficking, he added. Reaffirming the UN's central role in combating transnational organized crime, he expressed support for reinforcing the legal basis to address crime-related threats.

Calling on all parties to abide by Council resolutions regarding the Iranian nuclear issue, he said the international community must strive to achieve full implementation of the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action. He also highlighted his organization's cooperation with other regional security organizations and said their tripartite meetings are key to enhancing coordination. Noting economic and cultural collaboration with various United Nations entities, he said that food security is high on this agenda and recalled a dialogue convened with the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) in 2023. Citing the Secretary-General, he said: "the United Nations and the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation are the two largest international organizations in the world", therefore, closer cooperation between the two is critical to achieve peace and development.

IMANGALI TASMAGAMBETOV, Secretary-General of the Collective Security Treaty Organization (CSTO), said that the United Nations is a main international partner for his organization, expressing hope for their further cooperation based on the Charter of the United Nations, in particular Chapter VIII on regional cooperation. "This is particularly important in today's complicated time when there are fundamental changes in international relations," he said, noting that the crisis of trust between the global centres has caused significant damage to the possibility of developing mutually acceptable solutions to many global security issues. According to available statistics, more than 180 conflicts were recorded worldwide in 2023, the highest number in the past 30 years. In this regard, he highlighted the timeliness of the United Nations Secretary-General's "New Agenda for Peace", particularly the notion of reducing strategic security risks by preventive regional activity as regional organizations are closer to conflicts. Regional organizations can shape an alternative to ineffective and outdated cooperation models.

CSTO's strategic goal is to ensure collective security through consolidating efforts based on partnerships and the generally recognized norms of international law. Its guiding principle is to ensure equal and indivisible security of member countries by strengthening national security of each State, giving up "a bloc-based mentality". It does not intend to "become a counterweight to any other organization or country", he stressed, expressing support for the Russian Federation's initiative to shape a new Eurasian continent-wide architecture of cooperation in the area of security, economy and humanitarian affairs. A positive assessment of CSTO as a UN partner has been recognized in a General Assembly resolution. This positive assessment will be expressed in a new draft resolution to be submitted at the upcoming Assembly session. During the 30 years of its existence, CSTO has demonstrated its effectiveness in providing a comprehensive system of collective security. It is strengthening its military capacity and expanding its possibilities in the information-analytical sphere to better counter challenges and threats to the security of member States.

CSTO continues to undertake efforts in achieving peace in the South Caucasus, he said, noting positive results of the meeting between the Foreign Ministers of Azerbaijan and Armenia. The main source of instability in Central Asia is Afghanistan. CSTO has developed a working group to address the challenges in that country, such as the threat of the spread of terrorism, radical ideology and criminal drug trafficking. CSTO is also exploring its potential to contribute to UN peacekeeping. The acuteness of regional conflicts is not easing, he lamented, underscoring CSTO's readiness to engage in joint efforts to form a Eurasian security architecture with all interested States and intergovernmental structures based on the purposes and principles of the Charter of the United Nations and based on Moscow's proposal to start work on formulating the parameters and principles of such an architecture in a comprehensive document, titled the Eurasian Charter on Diversity and Multipolarity in the Twenty-first Century. Today's meeting will give an additional impetus to practical cooperation between the UN and CSTO and other regional organizations operating on the Eurasian continent. "We have all possibilities to achieve this," he said.

SERGEY LEBEDEV, Secretary-General of the Commonwealth of Independent States , underscored that cooperation with UN institutions, agencies and programmes has always been a priority for the countries of the Commonwealth. He called for coordination between the Commonwealth and the UN on the most relevant international issues, noting that various UN bodies participate in events organized by CIS. In this regard, he spotlighted several CIS bodies, including the Anti-Terrorism Centre, Intergovernmental Statistical Committee and the Council of Heads of Financial Intelligence Units. The CIS executive committee provides the UN with relevant materials and information about measures undertaken in areas of combating international terrorism, spreading weapons of mass destruction and drug trafficking. To shape a multipolar just world order, it is vital to consider the architecture of international relations, he emphasized, noting the need for mutually beneficial cooperation based on the legitimate interests of all States.

Statements

SERGEY VERSHININ, Deputy Minister for Foreign Affairs of the Russian Federation , Council President for July, spoke in his national capacity to state that developing cooperation with regional organizations is "an integral element of the UN agenda", as such organizations "better understand the situation on the ground" and can complement UN efforts. Detailing regional successes, he noted that CSTO is facilitating joint exercises to address cross-border challenges, that CIS is finalizing a new programme on deradicalization and that, at the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation's July summit, a declaration was adopted stating that "a more fair and multipolar world order is emerging". However, he said that "not all regional actors have displayed the same constructive attitude", stressing that the concept of world order and security held by members of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO)  "built on the principles of domination by one power centre and flouting the concerns of other States"  has "failed completely". Thus, a new security architecture is needed in Central Asia, and he said that key to this process will be agreements on mutual security guarantees, conflict resolution and excluding the "destructive influence" of players from outside the region.

The representative of France , stressing the crucial role of regional organizations such as the European Union and the African Union, said "they are closer to the ground" and often "the first witnesses of crises". That is the rationale behind Chapter VIII of the Charter which deals with the United Nations cooperation with regional organizations. Though the Russian Federation poses as a guarantor of stability, it is occupying a part of Georgia illegally, keeps a military contingent on the territory of Republic of Moldova against its Government's will and is conducting a war of aggression in Ukraine, she said. Such violations are putting collective security in peril. Expressing concern about the situation in Afghanistan and the Taliban's numerous human rights violations, she said countries of the region, many of them members of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation, have an important role to play in reiterating the demands of the international community, fighting terrorism and fighting drug trafficking.

The representative of Slovenia said that today's meeting is an opportunity for the Council to re-emphasize the fundamental role of regional action in maintaining international peace and security as provided in Chapter VIII of the Charter of the United Nations. "The unique position of regional and subregional organizations complements the Security Council in effectively addressing the full spectrum of the conflict cycle," he said, observing: "There is no real alternative to their in-depth understanding of the dynamics and background on regional and local hotspots." He called on member States of CSTO, CIS and the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation to uphold the principles and obligations enshrined in the Charter of the United Nations. Advancing cooperation between the UN and regional organizations is more vital than ever. "The myriad threats to international peace and the complexity and scope of contemporary security challenges demand nothing less," he emphasized.

The representative of Ecuador observed that the possibility of resorting to regional and subregional organizations is one of the principal UN instruments for peacebuilding, which is still underutilized. The UN and regional and subregional organizations must cooperate more actively in the area of peace and security, he said, spotlighting the well-established dialogue of the Security Council with the African Union and the European Union. Turning to transnational organized crime, he noted the essential role of the Caribbean Community (CARICOM) in combating criminal gangs and consolidating a peaceful political transition in Haiti.

The representative of China said that  against the backdrop of a "rapidly evolving international landscape"  the declaration recently reached in Astana by members of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation signalled its resolve to "collectively respond to risks and challenges and jointly promote security and development". Underscoring that "we must practise true multilateralism" under the Charter of the United Nations, he welcomed the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation's consistent efforts to "build partnerships instead of alliances" and to promote openness and inclusivity. The international community, meanwhile, should heed the calls of that organization's members to use the Summit of the Future as an opportunity, work towards greater equity in global governance and promote inclusive economic globalization. Further, the United Nations should work with the organization to promote "common, comprehensive, cooperative and sustainable security", he said, also expressing support for increased exchanges between the organization and relevant UN agencies to help regional countries overcome development challenges.

The representative of Malta , while noting that regional and subregional organizations are an integral part of the global multilateral architecture, expressed regret that "some of the regional organizations that are the subject of this debate have emphasized policies and positions that are inconsistent with the UN Charter". The role played by the Russian Federation's armed forces  which form the core of CSTO  in the aggression against Ukraine has undoubtedly created an obstacle for its cooperation with the UN, she said. All measures taken by States or regional organizations to combat terrorism must fully respect obligations under international law and human rights law, she stressed, adding that conflating terrorism with non-violent political dissent undermines global counter-terrorism efforts. Encouraging the UN to engage with regional and subregional organizations to promote the well-being of all individuals, she said these include marginalized groups in vulnerable situations, such as women, young persons, lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer and intersex persons, religious and ethnic minorities and persons with disabilities.

The representative of Japan highlighted the centrality of the United Nations to multilateralism, adding that the Organization, however, alone cannot address all international challenges. In this regard, its cooperation with regional organizations is essential. She said that the activities of CSTO, CIS and the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation impact security and stability in Eurasia and beyond and their actions must align with the Charter of the United Nations. "The cooperation should not support or encourage any violation of international law either directly or indirectly," she said. The Russian Federation, which played a leading role in the establishment of these organizations, has been ignoring the Charter through its aggression against Ukraine. "Such flagrant violation of international law not only has been undermining security in the region but also threatening the very foundation of the international community," she warned.

The representative of Sierra Leone said that bodies such as the African Union, Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) and the League of Arab States (LAS), can complement UN efforts in their respective areas of responsibility. In most cases, they are better acquainted with the situation on the ground and can support UN efforts in addressing peace, security and development challenges. Regarding global challenges, such as terrorism, radicalization, organized crime and the security implications of new technology, a deliberate promotion of concerted multilateral action is inevitable, he stressed. By working together, regional and subregional organizations can contribute to promoting the UN's peacekeeping efforts and collaborating with the Organization on counter-terrorism initiatives. Further, they can provide humanitarian aid and support UN disaster response and relief efforts. Even though cooperation between the UN and regional organizations is necessary to address various transnational challenges, he underscored that "it must be firmly based on multilateral order with the UN at the centre".

The representative of Mozambique , stating that the three organizations have a deeper knowledge of security issues in their respective regions, said that this makes them "more capable to gather trust and confidence from national and regional actors". Through cooperation with the UN, there is an "immense potential" to further strengthen these organizations' capabilities to tackle current challenges in their regions, he added, underlining the importance of such cooperation "in the current moment, as terrorist groups and criminal organizations continue to pose serious threats in Central Asia". In that context, he spotlighted the critical role played by the United Nations Assistance Mission in Afghanistan (UNAMA) and the United Nations Regional Centre for Preventive Diplomacy for Central Asia "by harnessing collaborative efforts with regional organizations". Adding that norms and standards must be aligned across regional and international frameworks, he said: "This ensures consistency in approaches to peacebuilding, human rights protection and upholding global standards."

The representative of Guyana noted that the CSTO, CIS and the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation have the advantage of a first-hand understanding of the political, economic and social underpinnings of conflicts and threats to peace within their region. "They are well-placed to support countries within the region in developing and implementing conflict prevention and early warning strategies tailored to their situation," she added. Stressing that the relevant programmes and policies must be crafted in line with the Charter of the United Nations and applicable international law, she welcomed the continued collaboration between the United Nations and these organizations. Turning to the situation in Afghanistan and the challenges occasioned by terrorism, illegal migration and drug trafficking, she called for increased support for political dialogue among all stakeholders in Afghanistan. Continued cooperation among the United Nations Regional Centre for Preventive Diplomacy for Central Asia, UNAMA, CSTO, CIS and the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation can promote security and stability in Afghanistan, she added.

The representative of the United Kingdom said that her country supports regional organizations upholding peace and security in their regions, including regional peacekeeping partnerships that reflect the UN's common values and principles, including respect for human rights. Among such cooperation is the European Union's Operation Althea. The Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE) is also undertaking important work on a wide array of security issues in Central Asia and the South Caucasus. All States have a sovereign right to choose their own security partnerships, including military alliances. Participation cannot be coerced. "Collective security" does not mean a sphere of influence, and "cooperation" does not require subjugation of sovereignty. The Russian Federation's aggression against Georgia in 2008, and Ukraine in 2014 and 2022, undermines the role of regional organizations in its neighbourhood. Georgia and Ukraine withdrew from CIS due to this violation of their sovereignty.

The representative of the United States said that Evan Gershkovich was sentenced to 16 years in a Russian prison, even though he has committed no crime  "he has been punished because he is a journalist and he is an American". She strongly supported the work of regional organizations and welcomed cooperation between these entities and the UN, noting that such partnerships should support countries' independence, sovereignty and territorial integrity. Every country has the sovereign right to choose security relations and engage in collective self-defence, as reflected in the Charter of the United Nations. In this context, she underscored that the Russian Federation does not have the right to dictate sovereign Ukraine's security decisions. "We have the responsibility to hold ourselves to a higher standard," which includes calling out those regional organizations that adopt policies inconsistent with the principles of the Charter, she asserted, stating: "When large Powers use regional multilateral organizations to try to legitimize their unlawful and destabilizing actions, it speaks volumes."

The representative of Switzerland , emphasizing that full adherence to the principles of the Charter of the United Nations is "the common basis of all cooperation", expressed regret that "one of the founding members of the organizations we are discussing today  Russia  is violating the Charter and international law by its aggression against Ukraine". Fundamental respect for the Charter is "essential to ensure good cooperation" between the UN and regional organizations, she stressed, calling on the three organizations to follow these principles. Nevertheless, urging joint action to address today's challenges, she spotlighted the importance of transboundary water management  especially for Central Asian States  and noted the UN's commitment to prevent water-related conflicts as well as her country's Geneva Water Hub. She also said that OSCE remains an "indispensable" UN partner as a platform for inclusive dialogue whose "strength lies in its holistic approach to security".

The representative of the Republic of Korea stressed that Chapter VIII of the Charter of the United Nations remains the main guidance in pursuing cooperation between the United Nations and regional and subregional organizations. Article 52, paragraph 1 presumes that the regional arrangements or agencies and their activities relating to the maintenance of international peace and security are consistent with the principles of the United Nations. Encouraging such organizations to align their initiatives with the principles of sovereign equality, territorial integrity and human rights, he highlighted the pioneering efforts of the African Union, the Pacific Islands Forum and the Interstate Commission for Water Coordination of Central Asia, in addressing the interlinkages between climate change and security. Commending Central Asian countries for their efforts to promote regional peace, he highlighted the establishment of United Nations Regional Centre for Preventive Diplomacy for Central Asia, adding: "We plan to expand future-oriented ODA [official development assistance] to the Central Asian countries in areas such as energy, infrastructure, health, education and digital capacity."

The representative of Algeria said that cooperation between the UN and regional and subregional organizations is crucial in addressing the diverse challenges faced by the international community. His country recognizes that CSTO, CIS and the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation possess unique insights into regional dynamics and security challenges within their areas of operation. This knowledge can help the UN to enhance the effectiveness of its peacekeeping and conflict-resolution initiative. There is room for new areas of cooperation between the UN and regional organizations to emerge, including economic ties between countries and the promotion of sustainable development as a foundation for long-term peace and security. Regional organizations can also work with the UN to develop coordinated responses to combat the spread of misinformation that threatens peace and security.

The representative of the Russian Federation , re-taking the floor, expressed regret that numerous delegations are using today's meeting to voice baseless thoughts about his country. This shows disrespect to regional organizations and their members, he said, rejecting the comments made by the representative of the United States.

The representative of Belarus recalled that, following the end of the Soviet Union, long-standing economic ties fell apart and educational, cultural and spiritual links broke down. "People had to learn how to live anew," he said, underlining the role of CIS in that context to coordinate integration in all areas. This softened the negative consequences of the Soviet Union's dissolution, and today, CIS continues to facilitate effective interaction. He also pointed to CSTO's "key goal" of ensuring national and collective security by coordinating foreign policy and strengthening cooperation mechanisms to counter contemporary challenges such as terrorism, drug-trafficking, illegal migration and cybersecurity. Recalling that Minsk has been the platform for negotiations towards peace on several occasions, he said that Belarus "remains ready to use our experience of diplomacy and peacebuilding in dealing with issues of regional security". He added that his country became a full member of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation on 4 July and stands ready to implement its priorities.

The representative of Kazakhstan , noting his country's presidency of numerous regional and subregional organizations, said that collaboration at the regional and global levels is crucial for a more peaceful, stable and secure future. Stressing the need to strengthen the UN's position as "the world's main security institution", he highlighted his country's proposal to adopt an Assembly resolution in support of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation's initiative on world unity. The action plan adopted at the Astana Summit aligns well with the key Sustainable Development Goals, he said, adding that it is necessary to leverage combined efforts to achieve inclusive progress. "As the world's largest regional organization", the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation "is well suited to be a champion of peace and security", he added. His country is committed to developing security cooperation between the various regional organizations and other interested countries and international organizations, he said.

The representative of Turkmenistan spotlighted the role of the United Nations Regional Centre for Preventive Diplomacy for Central Asia as "a link" between the UN and regional organizations. Her country actively participates in the work of CIS in accordance with its neutral status, promoting issues of economic cooperation, diversification of energy and transport within the framework of the North-South and East-West corridors, as well as expanding logistics capabilities. Turkmenistan also sees the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation as a significant and promising partner as they share deep historical ties, geographical proximity, common values and worldviews. They can mutually foster economy, trade, investment and technology. Cooperation between the UN and regional organizations can take different forms. "By pooling resources and experience, we can greatly enhance our collective ability to prevent conflict, respond to crises and build a sustainable world," she said.

The representative of Tajikistan underlined that the relationship between the UN and regional organizations should exemplify effective interaction between global and regional entities. This collaboration should enable regional organizations to complement the UN efforts in maintaining international peace and security. The Shanghai Cooperation Organisation advocates for coordinating actions under the UN's auspices to combat the threat of terrorism and is keen on further expanding cooperation with the UN in implementing the Global Counter-Terrorism Strategy. Currently, joint efforts are under way to improve the organization by modernizing it and creating new bodies, including those countering narcotics. In this context, he pointed to active cooperation between the UNODC and the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation's Anti-Narcotics Centre, which will be established in Dushanbe.

The representative of Pakistan stressed: "Regional integration represents the next phase of institutional development in international relations  particularly in the realms of trade and industry." He therefore recognized the three organizations' crucial role in fostering economic growth and cooperation across borders, as well as in combating terrorism and drug-trafficking. However, it is essential that "particular national interests of Member States do not hinder regional integration", he stressed, stating that one large State's "quest for regional hegemony" has undermined the potential of the South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation. Yet, the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation is poised to advance integrated regional cooperation by advancing trade and investment opportunities, and CSTO can enhance connectivity between the East and West, fostering a more secure region. He also said that the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor is a "flagship" project, noting that his country will expand this effort  including to Afghanistan, to realize its full potential for investment.

The representative of India , noting the important role ascribed to regional organizations by Chapter VIII of the Charter of the United Nations, said they have shown how crucial this role is time and again. Noting the transformation of the world order inherited after the Second World War, and the emergence of new security challenges that transcend physical and political boundaries, he commended the work of United Nations Regional Centre for Preventive Diplomacy for Central Asia. Highlighting the civilizational ties between his country and that region, he recalled the first-ever India Central Asia Summit, held in January 2022. Also noting India's successful presidency of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation, he said it prioritized security, economic cooperation and environmental protection, among others. Stressing the importance of respect for sovereignty and territorial integrity, he said his country prioritizes the consolidation of trust in the security domain. He also called on the international community, especially countries that are using terrorism as an instrument of State policy, to shun double standards.

The representative of Kyrgyzstan said that his country is a founding member State of all three regional organizations being discussed today. Over the past three decades, Kyrgyzstan has become a member in more than 120 organizations, he said, highlighting its positive record of cooperation with the United Nations. CSTO, CIS and the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation have made cascading contributions to peace and security in Eurasia and Asia. He called for further deepening of cooperation in peacekeeping and countering illicit trafficking of drugs, weapons, human beings and cybercrimes. Regional security in Central Asia and Eurasia inextricably depends on sustaining Afghanistan as a secure and stable country, he said, highlighting the continuous efforts of the United Nations and regional actors to help reinstate security and development in that country. If elected as a non-permanent Council member for the 2027-2028 term, Kyrgyzstan plans to make a regional dimension of global security one of its priorities, he added.

The representative of Iran underscored that enhancing collaboration between the UN and regional organizations is "more important than ever". Turning to drug trafficking and other forms of transnational organized crime  which constitute significant concerns for Tehran  he said that the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation can actively contribute to international efforts by developing its regional capacity and aiding national Governments in combating terrorism and extremism. It also supports international efforts in conflict prevention and resolution, counter-terrorism, transnational crime prevention, combating illegal drugs and ensuring international information security. In this context, he supported the close collaboration between UNODC and the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation to combat illicit drug trade and organized crime. Also, he pointed out that by collaborating on security, economic development, humanitarian assistance, political support and regional integration, the UN and the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation can contribute to a more stable and prosperous Afghanistan.

The representative of Azerbaijan said that regional organizations "play a key role in addressing common risks and challenges with nuanced understanding of local dynamics and cultural contexts". Noting his country's participation in CIS since 1993, he welcomed the organization's role in promoting mutually beneficial interaction among participating nations in political, socioeconomic and cultural areas based on the sovereign equality of States. He also said that the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation is a valuable platform, noting his country's "practical cooperation" with the organization in areas such as trade, connectivity, energy, security and the promotion of intercultural dialogue. Azerbaijan "remains keen on upgrading its formal status" within that organization, he said, also highlighting his country's upcoming chairmanship of the Conference on Interaction and Confidence-Building Measures in Asia "as a unique opportunity for promoting synergy and cooperation among different regional arrangements in Asia".

The representative of Uzbekistan , stressing that collaborative efforts between the United Nations and regional organizations such as the CIS and the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation are indispensable, said that the latter has become an effective entity in maintaining security, stability and sustainable development. The Shanghai Cooperation Organisation serves as an important guide in developing inter-State relations, countering global challenges and maintaining partnerships with United Nations agencies. The Secretary-General's participation in the Astana Summit made a significant contribution to further development of cooperation between the two organizations, he said. The year 2024 marks the thirtieth anniversary of CIS obtaining observer status in the General Assembly, he said. While acknowledging the significant progress made in fostering cooperation between the United Nations and these regional organizations, he said there is still much potential to be fulfilled. It is crucial to leverage the unique strengths and capabilities of these organizations to effectively address global challenges.

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Eielson AFB hosts Arctic Defender 24

Published July 19, 2024

By Airman 1st Class Jarrett Smith

354th Fighter Wing Public Affairs

EIELSON AIR FORCE BASE, Alaska (AFNS) -- Over 500 personnel from the U.S., German, French, Spanish and Canadian air forces as well as the U.S. Marine Corps participated in Arctic Defender 24 at Eielson Air Force Base, July 8-18.

AD24 is a German Air Force-led field training exercise and part of the months-long deployment known as Pacific Skies. This deployment includes various exercise locations across the Indo-Pacific region, including the U.S., Japan, Australia, New Zealand, Malaysia and India.

"Pacific Skies is unique because it's the first time that the German air force will deploy all around the world," said Brig. Gen. Frank Grafe, German Air Force Pacific Skies commanding general. "To put it all together, this is indeed a unique exercise which has not happened before like this."

This marks the first year that Eielson has hosted the German air force and our other NATO partners for AD24.

"In short, Arctic Defender aims to push everyone's limits with a high-flying exercise involving complex scenarios," said French Air Force Col. Eric, Arctic Defender French Detachment colonel and Pegase deputy commander. "We'll be developing and improving interoperability between nations. It's also a clear message to all: we're stronger together."

Training with joint service members and allies during AD24 operations enhances our lethality and interoperability, enabling our forces to counter military aggression and coercion by sharing responsibilities for common defense.

"Joint exercises like this are important because they simulate real world operations, and this is how we're going to fight," said U.S. Marine Corps Col. William Mitchell, Marine Aircraft Group 11 commanding officer. "The more we can train with our allies, partners and sister services, the better prepared we will be on the day of execution."

Airmen from Eielson AFB supported AD24 by sharing their knowledge of adversarial tactics, techniques and procedures with participating units. This ensures that the U.S. and its allies receive the best air combat training possible.

"I think it's a great opportunity to work with people doing different things and to get familiar with it," said Spanish Air Force Capt. Jose Caamano, 14th Wing fighter pilot. "We also have a wider range of weaponry here compared to Spain, so it's a great opportunity for tactical missions."

Eielson AFB and Joint Base Elmendorf Richardson were chosen as the exercise locations due to the size of the Joint Pacific Alaska Range Complex, which spans more than 77,000 square miles, making it the largest combat training range in the world. Alaska also offers minimal air traffic, providing ample space for joint operations.

"We would like to thank the German, French, Canadian and Spanish air forces for making Arctic Defender 24 a success," said U.S. Air Force Capt. Weston Umano, AD24 team chief. "The hard work and dedication of our allies is unmatched and the quality of training for AD24 followed suit. Events like this exercise showcase our combined joint interoperability; NATO is stronger together."

By strengthening collaboration and coordination with our allies and partners in the Indo-Pacific through multilateral alliances, we can effectively address security challenges, enhance interoperability and foster international trust.

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Pacific Partnership 24-2

US Navy - Press Release

19 July 2024

PORT VILA, Vanuatu -- Pacific Partnership has returned to Vanuatu, to commence the largest annual multinational humanitarian assistance and disaster relief (HA/DR) preparedness mission conducted in the Indo-Pacific region.

The mission commenced on July 15, with U.S. and Japanese Self Defense Forces (JSDF) service members conducting meet and greets and information exchanges with the Vanuatu medical staff at the Port Vila Central Hospital. Pacific Partnership 2024-2 will enable participants, including U.S. and Ni-Vanuatu people, to work together to enhance disaster response capabilities and foster new and enduring friendships.

"We are thrilled to collaborate with the government and people of Vanuatu, engaging in subject matter expert exchanges focusing on medical care, disaster relief, and community outreach," said Capt. Daniel Keeler, mission commander for Pacific Partnership 2024-2. "Establishing these international and interagency relationships is crucial for enhancing our preparedness during crises and bolstering our emergency response capabilities. Moreover, the joint conclusion of the Pacific Partnership Vanuatu closing ceremony paired with the inauguration of the U.S. Embassy in Vanuatu underscores our steadfast dedication to the nation and the broader Indo-Pacific region."

The Pacific Partnership 2024-2 Vanuatu closing ceremony and U.S. Embassy opening was conducted on July 19, 2024 in front of the new embassy office near downtown Port Vila.

"As an active duty Navy sailor tasked with establishing a new U.S. Embassy in Vanuatu, I couldn't be more proud of the Pacific Partnership team here. This particular group demonstrated great agility in accomplishing the mission and much more," said Capt Mark Asuncion. "The meaning of partnership rose to a much greater level this week with the opening of the U.S. Embassy in Port Vila, built to enhance a strategic alliance."

During the past week in Vanuatu, Pacific Partnership led a humanitarian assistance and disaster relief (HA/DR) workshop with international civil and military communities including the

Vanuatu Ministry of Climate Change, the National Disaster Management Office and local law enforcement agencies. Medical teams conducted multinational exchanges, infection prevention and control, hands on demonstrations and life support training. Host nation outreach events included engagements with faith leaders, non-governmental organizations and schools, as well as musical performances by Vanuatu Mobile Force, Japanese Self Defense Forces and U.S. Navy band members.

The PP24-2 mission also includes stops in the Federated States of Micronesia, Philippines and Vietnam. Events are synchronized with the host nation and are organized according to their requests and needs.

Born out of the devastation brought by the December 2004 tsunami that swept through parts of South and Southeast Asia, Pacific Partnership began as a military-led humanitarian response to one of the world's most catastrophic natural disasters. Building on the success and goodwill of this operation the U.S. helped spearhead the inaugural Pacific Partnership mission in 2006. This mission leveraged partner nation militaries and Non-Governmental Organization's proficiencies to expand disaster relief capacity in Bangladesh, Indonesia, the Philippines and Timor-Leste.

Pacific Partnership, now in its 20th iteration, is the largest annual multinational humanitarian assistance and disaster relief preparedness mission conducted in the Indo-Pacific. Each year the mission team works collectively with host and partner nations to enhance regional interoperability and disaster response capabilities, increase security and stability in the region, and foster new and enduring friendships in the Indo-Pacific.

For more information about Pacific Partnership visit, www.clwp.navy.mil/Pacific-Partnership.

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Experts see rival military exercises as sign of increasing conflict risks in Indo-Pacific

By Li Beiping July 19, 2024

Experts see rival air and naval exercises this month across the Indo-Pacific region, involving Western-oriented allies on the one hand and Russia and China on the other, as evidence of mounting strategic competition and the risk of conflict in the region.

The Rim of the Pacific (RIMPAC) exercise, led by the United States and involving 29 countries, will enter its second phase on Monday in the waters around Hawaii. Germany, France and Spain are among the countries joining RIMPAC's 18 core members in a joint air exercise.

The drill will also include the sinking of the 40,000-ton amphibious landing ship Tarawa, which is believed to be a stand-in for one of China's large amphibious landing ships and aircraft carriers.

The RIMPAC exercise comes days after a Sino-Russian joint military drill concluded Wednesday in Zhanjiang, on China's southern coast. Seven Chinese and Russian warships participated, including China's missile destroyer, a 20,000-ton supply ship and three Russian stealth warships.

At the same time, China's Shandong aircraft carrier formation, with three missile destroyers and frigates, is conducting exercises in the Philippine Sea.

And next month, India will host its first multinational air exercise, Tarang Shakti-2024, which is likely to see the participation of 10 countries.

Christopher Lamont, a professor at Tokyo International University and dean of E-Track International Relations, said the joint China-Russia exercise adds heightened tension to Japan's security environment, particularly in the context of closer Moscow-Pyongyang ties following Russia's invasion of Ukraine.

Stronger Japan-Europe ties

Lamont said the participation of Japan, a RIMPAC member, in exercises with European partners is symbolic in the sense that Spain, France and Germany have limited capacity to project naval power into this region.

But, he said, it underlines "a strengthening of both economic and security ties between Tokyo and European capitals that has picked up pace since 2022."

In yet another naval exercise this week, a Taiwanese coast guard patrol vessel and a Japanese aircraft-carrying coast guard patrol vessel carried out a joint drill to the south of Japan's Boso Peninsula, Chiba prefecture, and in waters near Izu Oshima.

It is reportedly the first joint maritime exercise between the two coast guards since Japan and Taiwan cut formal diplomatic ties in 1972. Analysts see the drill as a response to China's assertive activities in the East China and South China seas.

In a regular briefing on Friday, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Lin Jian strongly deplored the maritime exercise and lodged a protest with Japan.

"We urge Japan to ... correct the wrongdoing at once, refrain from conniving at or supporting 'Taiwan independence' separatist forces in any form, stay prudent on issues related to the East and South China seas, and stop disrupting cross-strait peace and stability and China-Japan relations," he said.

Eric Huang, a lecturer at Tamkang University in Taiwan, said the series of joint exercises illustrates "the intensifying strategic competition, increasing regional security uncertainty, and risks of conflict" in the Asia-Pacific.

Global tensions over the conflicts in Ukraine and Gaza, and mounting Chinese pressure on Taiwan, "underscore the urgent need for synchronized national and regional defense strategies, alongside international cooperation in the Asia-Pacific," added Huang, a former spokesperson and deputy director of the International Affairs Department of Taiwan's opposition Nationalist Party.

"Regional democratic allies like South Korea, Australia, India and Taiwan must assertively balance national security with regional stability, navigating the intricacies of great power competition through decisive dialogue and strategic cooperation to ensure enduring regional stability and democratic way of lives," Huang said.

Eyes on Moscow-Beijing relationship

Marcin Mateusz Jerzewski, director of the Taiwan office of the European Center for Values and Security Policy, said the security environment is increasingly severe in the Euro-Atlantic and Indo-Pacific theaters, in large part because of the growing confluence of strategic interests between Moscow and Beijing.

"With the largest kinetic conflict since World War II happening in their backyard, European countries are increasingly concerned about China's tacit support for Russian atrocities in Ukraine," he said.

Elio Calcagno, the defense program researcher at the Italian Institute of International Affairs, told VOA that European countries are bolstering efforts to demonstrate their commitment to security in the Indo-Pacific through more frequent and substantial deployments.

Calcagno said the European participants hope to deepen ties with regional partners through the drills while "demonstrating to the U.S. that they are able to contribute to Washington's most immediate strategic concerns, which regard Chinese posturing in the region."

At the same time, he said, they are seeking to show "like-minded partners in the Indo-Pacific that European countries can act independently from the U.S. to a certain extent."

Adrianna Zhang contributed to this report.

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Pakistan calls Israel's Netanyahu a 'terrorist'

By Sarah Zaman July 19, 2024

Under pressure from right wing protesters, Pakistan's government declared Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu a terrorist Friday, demanding the leader be brought to justice for alleged war crimes against Palestinians.

The statement by Rana Sanaullah, adviser to Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on political and public affairs, was part of a deal with a religious political party, Tehreek-e-Labbaik Pakistan or TLP, to end its days-long sit-in on a key road outside the capital.

"Netanyahu is a terrorist and a perpetrator of war crimes," said Sanaullah, acceding to a key TLP demand. The adviser sat flanked by TLP leaders and Minister for Information Attaullah Tarar at a press conference in Islamabad.

Thousands of TLP supporters rallied near the capital last Saturday to condemn Israeli strikes in Gaza. They demanded the government declare Netanyahu a terrorist, boycott Israeli products and send aid to Palestinians.

After the rally, many continued a sit-in at a busy interchange that connects Islamabad to the neighboring garrison city of Rawalpindi, causing a severe disruption for commuters.

"We demand that he [Netanyahu] be put on trial," the Pakistani prime minister's top aide said Friday. "We wholeheartedly condemn this cruelty [Israel's actions in Gaza], Israel, and all the powers that are involved in it."

The radical TLP has a history of bringing the government to its knees through public agitation. In 2017, thousands of its supporters held a nearly three-week sit-in against an amendment to the oath for parliamentarians, paralyzing the capital.

Pakistan does not have diplomatic or trade ties with Israel, a state Islamabad has not recognized. It supports the creation of a contiguous Palestinian state based on pre-1967 borders.

Despite no trade ties between the two countries, many Pakistanis have called for a boycott of Israeli products as well as Western brands seen as supportive of the Middle Eastern state.

"We will not only boycott Israel, but all products related to it, and companies that are directly or indirectly involved in this cruelty or are helping those forces," Sanaullah said, adding that the government will form a committee to research which products had links to Israel.

The government also promised the radical party it will send more than 1,000 tons of relief supplies for Palestinians by the end of the month. Since October of last year, Pakistan has sent nine humanitarian aid shipments to Gaza.

More than 38,000 Palestinians are estimated to have been killed and public service infrastructure decimated in Israeli operations meant to eliminate Hamas. The military action came after the militant group struck Israel on Oct 7, 2023, killing nearly 1,200 civilians and taking more than 250 hostages.

On Friday, the International Court of Justice, also known as the World Court, declared Israel's settlement policies and exploitation of natural resources in the Palestinian territories were in breach of international law.

South Africa is pursuing a genocide case against Israel in the U.N.-affiliated court, based at The Hague in the Netherlands. While the court declined to declare Israeli actions in Gaza a genocide, it has called on Israel to halt military actions in parts of the Gaza Strip and not engage in actions that could cause further harm to Palestinians.

The chief prosecutor at the International Criminal Court recently sought arrest warrants for Prime Minister Netanyahu and Defense Minister Yoav Gallant, as well as three Hamas leaders, accusing them of war crimes and crimes against humanity.

Israel and the United States condemned the court's action, saying Israel had the right to defend itself.

Pakistan's foreign minister, Ishaq Dar, has called the situation in Gaza a genocide.

In April, the U.N. Human Rights Council adopted a non-binding resolution Pakistan presented on behalf of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation, calling for an end to the sale, transfer and diversion of military arms and equipment to Israel.

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Student protesters return to Bangladesh streets despite violent crackdown

By Sarah Aziz July 19, 2024

Police and student activists in Bangladesh have been involved in pitched battles for nearly three weeks, with protesters returning daily to the streets despite an increasingly violent crackdown from authorities and a rapidly rising toll of killed and injured protesters.

The Awami League government on Friday announced a nationwide curfew after police and security officials banned all kinds of meetings in the capital, Dhaka. Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina also announced that military forces would be deployed to help the civilian administration keep order.

The public has come out since Thursday in large numbers showing solidarity with the protesting students. Many public groups were found distributing free food and water to them.

University students across Bangladesh on July 1 began protesting a recent High Court decision that would restore a previously abolished quota system.

According to the quota policy, at least 30% of the civil service jobs in the country are reserved specifically for children and grandchildren of "freedom fighters"  those who fought against Pakistan in Bangladesh's 1971 Liberation War.

This came as a blow to students in a country where millions remain unemployed for years after graduating from universities.

A 21-year-old student at the University of Dhaka, who asked that his name not be used for security reasons, said the protesters' demands began with a call for "a fair system" of job allocation in the country.

"We wanted a revised quota system as currently 56% of government jobs are based on reservation," he said. "While it is understandable that the children of freedom fighters sacrificed a lot and are therefore benefited by the quota system, it is absolutely ridiculous to extend the same quota to the grandchildren of freedom fighters."

The student, who said he was injured in a baton attack by police, told VOA, "We want equal opportunities for accessing government jobs."

At least 19 students were killed Thursday, according to the country's local dailies. The actual number that day may have been as high as 50, several student activists told VOA.

At least 52 people were killed in Dhaka on Friday, according to a list prepared by Dhaka Medical College and Hospital.

Also Friday, several hundred inmates escaped from the Narsingdi district prison after student protesters attacked the jail, according to BBC Bangla.

On Thursday, several high school students joined the protest, which had previously been confined to university and college students. A ninth-grade student, Tahmid Tamim, was killed by a bullet fired by a police official, national media reported.

The student protesters set fire Thursday to the headquarters of Bangladesh Television, the nation's state broadcaster, officials confirmed.

Hundreds of students are in hospitals in cities across the country after being injured by bullets and pellets, among other weapons.

A violent crackdown

In a video that went viral Thursday on social media in Bangladesh  before internet services were suspended in all areas  a police officer can be heard threatening several unarmed student protesters.

"Students, don't come out on the street. We have an order from the higher-ups to shoot you on sight," the officer is heard saying.

What began as a peaceful protest by students demanding merit-based employment turned deadly as the Bangladesh police and Bangladesh Chhatra League (BCL), the student wing of the ruling Awami League, turned physically violent against the students, killing six demonstrators on Wednesday.

U.N. human rights chief Volker Turk released a statement Friday condemning the attack on student protesters, calling the actions "shocking and unacceptable."

"I am also very worried by reports about the deployment of paramilitary police units such as the Border Guard Bangladesh and the Rapid Action Battalion, which have long track records of violations," he said.

Protesting women allege sexual abuse

Amid the killings and beatings, several female student protesters have alleged sexual harassment by the police and BCL members.

A female student protester from North South University in Dhaka, who asked to remain anonymous for her safety, told VOA that on Wednesday, when the government shut down all education institutions in the country, the female students were threatened with sexual assault amid evacuation orders.

"The police told us that we could lose our physical dignity if we stayed in the university protesting and disobeyed their orders. Girls have begun carrying pepper spray with them for protection," she said.

According to activists and political analysts, the quota-reform movement may prove to be much larger than it seems.

Paris-based Bangladeshi social activist Pinaki Bhattacharya said that the protest is far greater than just a demand for a revised policy.

"This movement is also being driven with an aim to restore democracy, citizens' rights and voting rights of people. Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina has turned Bangladesh into a fascist state after her Awami League party rigged general elections repeatedly and formed governments illegally. This movement is the one that is aimed to bring an end to the fascist regime," he told VOA.

In a news conference late Thursday, Obaidul Quader, Awami League general secretary and minister at the department of roads, transport and bridges, said the government has accepted all the demands of the students.

"The government will advise the court to offer 80% of the civil service jobs as merit-based ones," he said, urging the student protesters to leave the streets.

Ali Riaz, political analyst and professor of political science at Illinois State University, said that the quota-reform protest is an "unprecedented movement" in the history of Bangladesh.

Never in the nation's history, Riaz said, has a student-led movement witnessed so many deaths. "Despite persecution, intimidation, attacks and vilification, students have persevered," he said, "and in the past days people from various walks of life have joined them, although this movement was neither started nor steered by any political party.

"The immediate impacts of this movement on Hasina's regime will be determined in coming few days. If the movement sustains, the regime may succumb. What I fear is that the regime will double down and perpetrate more violence, more lives will be lost," he told VOA.

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Russo-Ukraine War - 19 July 2024 - Day 877

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 General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine reported that in total, since the beginning of that day, there have been 101 combat encounters.

Russian invaders launched two missile strikes on the territory of Ukraine, using four missiles, and 65 air strikes, dropping 91 KAB. In addition, the Russians used 447 kamikaze drones to impress and carried out more than 3,200 shelling at the positions of Ukrainian troops and settlements.

In the Kharkiv direction Russian forces five times attacked the defensive borders of Ukrainian warriors near vovcans ka and deep. As a result of the fight - unsuccessful.

In the Kupyansky direction, Russian forces carried out offensive assaults nine times in the areas of Sinkivka, Petropavlivka, Novoosinovogo and Stelmakhivka. Ukrainian defenders repelled five attacks, four more - currently ongoing.

In the Lyman direction during the day, Russian zagarbniki 13 times attacked the positions of Ukrainians near Grekivka, Nevsky, Novosadovy, as well as Serebryansky forestry. The Defense Forces gave the Russians a cut off, giving them no chance.

In the Siver direction, Russian forces also suffered failures during combat clashes near Bilogorivka, Verkhnyokamiansky, Viimki and Pereiznogo. The defenders of the Ukrainian land repelled all six Russian attacks.

In the Kramators komu direction, Ukrainian defenders stopped three offensive actions of Russians near the Time Yar and the White Mountain. There are currently two more attacks in the area of the casovogo yaru.

In the Toretsky direction, Russians attacked the defense forces 13 times near the Northern, Toretsk, New York and Zaliznogo. Eleven fights are over, two more clashes are continuing.

Russian zagarbniks showed the greatest activity today in the Pokrovsky direction. Since the beginning of this day, the Russians have tried 28 times to break through Ukrainian defense near the settlements of Vozdvizhenko, Novooleksandrivka, Progres, Kalinove, Yasnobrodivka and Novoselivka I. The four attacks are still ongoing.

Russia suffers significant losses - today in this direction 247 Russian invaders were defecated, 78 of them - irrevocably. Also destroyed two tanks, two BMPs, two Tiger armored vehicles, three D-30 howlers, three Lancet UAVS, six car transport units and Murom-M video surveillance complex. In addition, a tank, four D-30 howlers, two 2A65 cannons and an MT-12 anti-tank cannon were damaged.

In the Kurakhiv direction, Russian forces nine times attacked Ukrainian positions near Krasnogorivka, Karlivka and Konstantinivka. According to the information, one fight continues.

In the Vremivs komu direction, the zagarbniki carried out one unsuccessful offensive action near Vodanogo.

In the Orihiv direction, all efforts of the occupiers to drain Ukrainian units from the occupied positions also failed. Ukrainian defenders repelled six Russian attacks near Mala Tokmachka, Scherbakiv and Novoandriyivka.

In the Pridnipro direction, the Russians also suffered defeats, attacking the defensive borders of Ukrainians on the left bank of the Dnieper.

In other directions, the situation has not changed significantly.

Today it is worth celebrating the soldiers of the 92nd separate assault brigade named after the Kosovy Ottaman Ivan Sirk, who effectively destroy the enemy, inflicting heavy losses in live force and equipment.

The Ministry of Defense of the Russian Federation reported that from 13 to 19 July 2024, the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation delivered 11 group strikes by high-precision weaponry and attack unmanned aerial vehicles at the enemy's aviation bases, objects of power infrastructure ensuring operation of the Ukrainian military industrial enterprises, AFU air defence and electronic warfare means.

Also strikes were delivered at deployment areas of the AFU units, echelons with weaponry and military hardware, ammunition depots including with those supplied by Western countries, and materiel.

The goal of the strikes have been achieved. All the assigned targets have been engaged.

Over the past week, units of the Sever Group of Forces improved the situation along the front line.

Losses were inflicted on manpower and hardware of two mechanised brigades, one assault brigade, one motorised rifle brigade, two marines brigades, and four territorial defence brigades.

In addition, 23 counter-attacks launched by the enemy's assault detachments have been repelled.

The AFU losses amounted to up to 1,370 Ukrainian troops, five tanks, 25 motor vehicles, 28 field artillery howitzers, including seven foreign-made 155-mm howitzers, and seven electronic warfare stations.

As a result of successful actions, units of the Zapad Group of Forces improved the tactical situation and inflicted losses on formations of four AFU mechanised brigades, one tank brigade, two infantry brigades, and three territorial defence brigades. Six counter-attacks launched by the enemy's assault detachments were repelled.

The AFU losses amounted to up to 3,920 Ukrainian troops, one tank, eight armoured fighting vehicles, including three U.S.-made M113 armoured personnel carriers, 46 motor vehicles, 38 field artillery howitzers, including 12 155-mm howitzers produced by the NATO countries.

Moreover, 30 field ammunition depots and six electronic warfare stations were destroyed.

Units of the Yug Group of Forces took more advantageous lines and inflicted losses on manpower and hardware of three AFU mechanised brigades, one motorised infantry brigade, two airmobile brigades, and two air assault formations.

In addition, 10 counter-attacks launched by the enemy's assault detachments have been repelled.

The AFU losses amounted to up to 3,930 Ukrainian troops, one tank, 14 armoured fighting vehicles, including two U.S.-made M113 armoured personnel carriers and three U.S.-made HMMWV armoured fighting vehicles, 48 motor vehicles, 71 field artillery guns (including 28 howitzers produced in Western countries.

Ten electronic warfare stations and 24 field ammunition depots were destroyed.

As a result of active actions, units of the Tsentr Group of Forces liberated Yuriyevka (Donetsk People's Republic).

Losses were inflicted on formations of three AFU mechanised brigades, two motorised infantry brigades, one infantry brigade, one air assault formation, and two territorial defence brigades.

Thirty-eight counter-attacks launched by the AFU units were repelled.

The AFU losses amounted to up to 2,215 Ukrainian troops, 11 armoured fighting vehicles, including one U.S.-made Bradley infantry fighting vehicle, two U.S.-made M113 armoured personnel carriers and one MaxxPro armoured fighting vehicle, 26 motor vehicles, and 27 field artillery howitzers.

As a result of active actions, units of the Vostok Group of Forces liberated Urozhaynoye (Donetsk People's Republic).

Losses were inflicted on manpower and hardware of five AFU formations, three territorial defence brigades, and one national guard brigade. Five counter-attacks launched by the AFU units were repelled.

The AFU losses amounted to up to 925 Ukrainian troops, one tank, three armoured fighting vehicles, including two U.S.-made M113 armoured personnel carriers, 35 motor vehicles, 26 field artillery guns, including 19 howitzers and self-propelled artillery systems (155-mm calibre) produced by the NATO countries.

Units of the Dnepr Group of Forces inflicted losses on formations of two AFU mechanised brigades, one mountain assault brigade, one marine brigade, and three territorial defence brigades.

The AFU losses amounted to up to 715 Ukrainian troops, two tanks, 37 motor vehicles, and 21 field artillery howitzers. Nine electronic warfare stations and 11 field ammunition depots were destroyed.

Over the past week, air defence units shot down three MiG-29 aircraft of the Ukrainian Air Force, eight U.S.-made ATACMS operational-tactical missiles, 10 French-made Hammer guided aerial bombs, one S-200 surface-to-air guided missile converted to hit ground targets, 44 HIMARS MLRS projectiles, 305 unmanned aerial vehicles, including 94 in airspace of the western regions of the Russian Federation.

Units of the Black Sea Fleet wiped out 10 uncrewed surface vessels in the Black Sea waters.

Over the past week, 19 Ukrainian servicemen have surrendered on the line of contact.

?? In total, 630 airplanes and 277 helicopters, 27,841 unmanned aerial vehicles, 552 air defence missile systems, 16,611 tanks and other armoured fighting vehicles, 1,379 combat vehicles equipped with MLRS, 12,059 field artillery howitzers and mortars, as well as 23,829 units of special military equipment have been destroyed during the special military operation.

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Alleged Transnational Human Smuggler Indicted and Sanctioned in the United States and Arrested in Mexico

Release Date: July 18, 2024

WASHINGTON -- An indictment was unsealed yesterday containing criminal charges against the alleged leader of a human smuggling organization responsible for unlawfully bringing thousands of migrants into the United States. Along with the organization, the defendant, who was arrested in Mexico at the request of the United States, has also been designated for financial sanctions by the U.S. Department of the Treasury. These developments were made possible through extensive bilateral coordination and cooperation efforts between U.S. and Mexican law enforcement authorities.

Abdul Karim Conteh, 42, a national of Sierra Leone, was arrested on July 11 in Tijuana, Mexico. The United States is pursuing Conteh's extradition on federal charges stemming from his alleged actions in leading the human smuggling organization. His wife, Veronica Roblero Pivaral, 25, a national of Mexico, remains at large.

"Human smugglers exploit the vulnerable for profit," said Secretary of Homeland Security Alejandro N. Mayorkas. "Along with our partners across this Administration and around the world, we are bringing the full force of the law to bear against the individuals and their organizations that perpetrate this heinous crime. We couple our unrelenting efforts with this warning to would-be migrants everywhere: do not believe the smuggler's lies and risk your lives in their ruthless hands."

"In coordination with our law enforcement partners, the Justice Department has worked relentlessly to target and disrupt the unlawful, transnational human smuggling operations that endanger migrants and threaten our national security," said Attorney General Merrick B. Garland. "We allege Abdul Karim Conteh and his organization smuggled thousands of migrants from more than a dozen different countries through Mexico into the United States. He has been arrested for his alleged role in this prolific, exploitive smuggling operation by Mexican authorities, and the Justice Department will ensure that he is held accountable in an American courtroom."

According to the indictment, Conteh's organization allegedly smuggled thousands of migrants to the United States through Mexico. These smuggled migrants originated from countries around the world, including Iran, Afghanistan, Uzbekistan, Pakistan, Kazakhstan, Turkey, Somalia, Cameroon, Senegal, Mauritania, Ethiopia, Egypt, and others. The migrants paid smuggling fees, often tens of thousands of dollars, to be transported through various countries such as Brazil, Colombia, Ecuador, Panama, Costa Rica, Nicaragua, Honduras, and Guatemala, on the way to the U.S.-Mexico border.

"This arrest unravels a global web of coordinated human smuggling into the United States," said U.S. Attorney Tara McGrath for the Southern District of California. "Even the most far-reaching, prolific networks cannot evade justice."

Conteh allegedly coordinated with Roblero and co-conspirators throughout Mexico and other countries to facilitate the global transportation of migrants into and through Mexico to the U.S. border. Conteh then allegedly oversaw the migrants' unlawful entry into the United States by various surreptitious and unlawful means, including the use of ladders and tunnels.

Conteh, Roblero, and others are charged with conspiracy to smuggle migrants into the United States, which carries a maximum penalty of 10 years in prison. Conteh is also charged with the unlawful smuggling of migrants for financial gain, which carries a mandatory minimum of three years in prison for the first two violations. Additional violations carry a mandatory minimum of five years in prison and a maximum penalty of 15 years in prison.

In addition, the U.S. Department of the Treasury's Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) added the Abdul Karim Conteh Human Smuggling Organization (HSO) and four individuals to the Specially Designated Nationals and Blocked Persons List pursuant to Executive Order (E.O.) 13851, as amended by E.O. 13863 (E.O. 13581, as amended). For additional information on actions taken by OFAC, please visit www.home.treasury.gov/news/press-releases/jy2470.

The U.S. Border Patrol, HSI, and IRS Criminal Investigation Los Angeles Field Office are investigating this case.

The Justice Department's Office of International Affairs worked with the Mexican authorities to secure Conteh's arrest.

Assistant U.S. Attorneys Ryan A. Sausedo and David E. Fawcett for the Southern District of California are prosecuting the case, with substantial assistance from Trial Attorney Danielle Hickman of the Criminal Division's Human Rights and Special Prosecutions Section.

These actions resulted from the coordinated efforts of Joint Task Force Alpha (JTFA). Secretary of Homeland Security Alejandro N. Mayorkas and Attorney General Merrick B. Garland established JTFA in June 2021 to marshal the investigative and prosecutorial resources of the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) in partnership with the Justice Department, to combat the rise in prolific and dangerous human smuggling and trafficking groups operating in Mexico, Guatemala, El Salvador, and Honduras. JTFA comprises detailees from U.S. Attorneys' Offices along the southwest border, including the Southern District of California, the District of Arizona, the District of New Mexico, and the Western and Southern Districts of Texas. Dedicated support is provided by numerous components of the Justice Department's Criminal Division, led by the Human Rights and Special Prosecutions Section, with additional support by the Office of Prosecutorial Development, Assistance, and Training; the Narcotic and Dangerous Drug Section; the Money Laundering and Asset Recovery Section; the Office of Enforcement Operations; the Office of International Affairs; and the Violent Crime and Racketeering Section. JTFA also relies on substantial law enforcement investment from DHS, FBI, DEA, and other partners. To date, JTFA's work has resulted in more than 310 domestic and international arrests of leaders, organizers, and significant facilitators of human smuggling; more than 250 U.S. convictions; more than 185 significant jail sentences imposed; and forfeitures of substantial assets

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Treasury Sanctions Leader and Primary Member of the Cyber Army of Russia Reborn

U.S. Department of the Treasury

July 19, 2024

The United States exposes the identity of and imposes sanctions on two members of the Russian government-aligned hacktivist group.

WASHINGTON -- Today, the United States designated Yuliya Vladimirovna Pankratova (Pankratova) and Denis Olegovich Degtyarenko (Degtyarenko), two members of the Russian hacktivist group Cyber Army of Russia Reborn (CARR) for their roles in cyber operations against U.S. critical infrastructure. These two individuals are the group's leader and a primary hacker, respectively.

"CARR and its members' efforts to target our critical infrastructure represent an unacceptable threat to our citizens and our communities, with potentially dangerous consequences," said Under Secretary of the Treasury for Terrorism and Financial Intelligence Brian E. Nelson. "The United States has and will continue to take action, using our full range of tools, to hold accountable these and other individuals for their malicious cyber activities."

This designation follows several other recent U.S. Treasury actions to combat Russia-based cyber criminals. These include the May 7, 2024 designation of Dmitry Khoroshev, also known as LockBitSupp, who is a leader of the LockBit ransomware group, and the February 20, 2024 designation of LockBit affiliates Ivan Kondratiev and Artur Sungatov. According to the Department of Justice, LockBit has targeted over 2,500 victims worldwide and is alleged to have received more than $500 million in ransom payments. Furthermore, on January 23, 2024, the U.S. Treasury, in coordination with Australia and the United Kingdom, designated Alexander Ermakov, who was responsible for the October 2022 infiltration of one of Australia's largest private health insurers, Medibank.

A focus on Critical infrastructure

Since 2022, CARR, which also uses the name Cyber Army of Russia, has conducted low-impact, unsophisticated DDoS attacks in Ukraine and against governments and companies located in countries that have supported Ukraine. In late 2023, CARR started to claim attacks on the industrial control systems of multiple U.S. and European critical infrastructure targets. Using various unsophisticated techniques, CARR has been responsible for manipulating industrial control system equipment at water supply, hydroelectric, wastewater, and energy facilities in the U.S. and Europe.

In January 2024, CARR claimed responsibility for the overflow of water storage tanks in Abernathy and Muleshoe, Texas, posting video of the manipulation of human-machine interfaces at each facility on a public forum. The compromise of the industrial control systems resulted in the loss of tens of thousands of gallons of water. Additionally, CARR compromised the supervisory control and data acquisition (SCADA) system of a U.S. energy company, giving them control over the alarms and pumps for tanks in that system. Despite CARR briefly gaining control of these industrial control systems, instances of major damage to victims have thus far been avoided due to CARR's lack of technical sophistication.

Pankratova, also known as YUliYA online, is a Russian cybercriminal and the leader of CARR. Pankratova commands and controls CARR's operations. Pankratova has acted as a spokesperson for CARR.

Degtyarenko, also known as Dena online,is a Russian cybercriminal and a primary hacker for CARR. Degtyarenko was behind the compromise of the SCADA system of a U.S. energy company. In early May 2024, Degtyarenko developed training materials on how to compromise SCADA systems and was possibly looking to distribute the materials to external groups.

OFAC is designating Pankratova and Degtyarenko pursuant to E.O. 13694, as amended, for being responsible for or complicit in, or having engaged in, directly or indirectly, cyber-enabled activities originating from, or directed by persons located, in whole or in substantial part, outside the United States that are reasonably likely to result in, or have materially contributed to, a significant threat to the national security, foreign policy, or economic health or financial stability of the United States and that have the purpose or effect of harming, or otherwise significantly compromising the provision of services by, a computer or network of computers that support one or more entities in a critical infrastructure sector.

SANCTIONS IMPLICATIONS

As a result of today's action, all property and interests in property of the designated persons described above that are in the United States or in the possession or control of U.S. persons are blocked and must be reported to OFAC. In addition, any entities that are owned, directly or indirectly, individually or in the aggregate, 50 percent or more by one or more blocked persons are also blocked. Unless authorized by a general or specific license issued by OFAC, or exempt, OFAC's regulations generally prohibit all transactions by U.S. persons or within (or transiting) the United States that involve any property or interests in property of designated or otherwise blocked persons.

In addition, financial institutions and other persons that engage in certain transactions or activities with the sanctioned individuals may expose themselves to sanctions or be subject to an enforcement action. The prohibitions include the making of any contribution or provision of funds, goods, or services by, to, or for the benefit of any designated person, or the receipt of any contribution or provision of funds, goods, or services from any such person.

The power and integrity of OFAC sanctions derive not only from OFAC's ability to designate and add persons to the SDN List, but also from its willingness to remove persons from the SDN List consistent with the law. The ultimate goal of sanctions is not to punish, but to bring about a positive change in behavior. For information concerning the process for seeking removal from an OFAC list, including the SDN List, please refer to OFAC's Frequently Asked Question 897 here. For detailed information on the process to submit a request for removal from an OFAC sanctions list, please click here.

Click here for more information on the individuals designated today.

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Pakistan arrests key aide to slain al-Qaida leader Osama bin Laden

By Ayaz Gul July 19, 2024

Authorities in Pakistan said Friday they had caught an internationally designated senior al-Qaida operative, describing him as a close aide of the terror network's slain leader, Osama bin Laden.

The Counter-Terrorism Department, or CTD, in Punjab, Pakistan's most populous province, made the announcement, identifying the detainee as Amin ul Haq, an Afghan national, and accusing him of planning a "large-scale terrorism project" in Pakistan.

The statement said the terror suspect was apprehended during a successful "intelligence-based operation" in the town of Sarai Alamgir.

"Amin ul Haq was a close associate of Osama bin Laden since 1996 and was involved in many terrorist activities," the CTD stated.

It noted that Haq's name was included in the United Nations' list of global terrorists, saying his arrest was "an important development in the ongoing efforts to combat terrorism" in Pakistan and globally.

Friday's announcement came nearly two weeks after the U.N. Security Council sanctions monitoring team said in its latest report that Pakistani authorities had arrested Haq "for illegal possession of weapons while crossing from Afghanistan into Pakistan in March 2024." The report shared no further details.

It was not immediately known whether the United States played a role in helping Islamabad arrest the senior al-Qaida operative. The U.S. Treasury Department has listed Haq as a specially designated global terrorist.

According to the U.N. website, Haq, also known as Dr. Amin, coordinated security for bin Laden and was designated for "participating in the financing, planning, facilitating, preparing, or perpetrating of acts" and "supplying, selling, or transferring arms and related material" to support activities of bin Laden and al-Qaida.

Bin Laden, the mastermind of the September 11, 2001, attacks on America, was killed by U.S. special forces during a 2011 raid on his hideout in the Pakistani city of Abbottabad.

Haq served as bin Laden's security chief at the Battle of Tora Bora with U.S. forces in late 2001 before fleeing to Pakistan. He emerged from years of hiding in his native eastern Afghan province of Nangarhar in August 2021, when the Taliban regained control of the country after all U.S.-led NATO troops withdrew from Afghanistan.

Washington accused the then-Taliban government in Kabul of harboring al-Qaida leaders and allowing them to orchestrate the 9/11 terror strikes on the World Trade Center in New York and the Pentagon outside Washington.

The attacks, which killed nearly 3,000 people, prompted U.S. and allied troops to invade Afghanistan nearly a month later as part of the global "war on terror" and ousted the Taliban from power for refusing to surrender bin Laden.

The Taliban regrouped in neighboring Pakistan, allegedly with the support of that country's spy agency, and waged insurgent attacks on U.S.-led foreign troops as well as their Afghan allies in the years that followed before reclaiming power on August 15, 2021.

The U.S. military says it killed or captured hundreds of al-Qaida members during its presence in Afghanistan and significantly degraded the terror network's ability to threaten the United States and its allies.

However, the U.N. Analytical Support and Sanctions Monitoring Team report, released on July 10, 2024, said al-Qaida has established several new training camps in over a dozen Afghan provinces, and the group "still uses Afghanistan as a permissive haven under the Taliban, raising questions about Al-Qaida's intent."

The Taliban have repeatedly pledged they would not allow any foreign group to use Afghan territory to threaten other nations, but critics continue to question those claims.

A U.S. drone strike killed Ayman al-Zawahiri, who succeeded bin Laden as al-Qaida leader, in a posh residential neighborhood in the Afghan capital in July 2022. The Taliban denounced the strike but has never acknowledged whether al-Zawahiri was present in Kabul, saying an investigation into the alleged incident was underway.

The U.N. stated in its report this month that militants linked to the Tehrik-i-Taliban Pakistan, a globally designated terrorist group, are also receiving training and being armed at al-Qaida training camps on Afghan soil, enabling them to intensify their cross-border attacks against Pakistan.

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Third plenum boosts confidence, injects certainty into world

Global Times

China's 'economic miracle' to continue amid new round of reform and opening-up

By GT staff reporters Published: Jul 19, 2024 11:50 PM

Chinese officials as well as domestic and foreign observers on Friday applauded the adoption of a resolution on further deepening reform comprehensively to advance Chinese modernization, highlighting China's resolve to maintain focus in pursuing high-quality development and share opportunities with the world through further opening-up to better empower the world economy and development.

Observers said the reform-themed session, often referred to as the "third plenum," will not only gather confidence to promote China's high-quality development, but also inject certainty and stability into a world that is undergoing unprecedented changes.

China's institutional advantage with the firm leadership of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee is the source of confidence in the Chinese system and China's development, experts said, expressing confidence that China's "economic miracle" is set to continue.

Firm resolution

The adoption of a reform resolution is the most important outcome of the third plenary session of the 20th CPC Central Committee, Tang Fangyu, deputy head of the CPC Central Committee Policy Research Office, said at a press conference on the guiding principles from the just-concluded plenum.

The resolution, with economic structural reform as the spearhead, comprehensively plans reforms in various fields and aspects, Tang said, adding that the resolution puts forward more than 300 important reform measures, all of which involve reforms on the levels of systems, mechanisms, and institutions.

China will accelerate efforts to build a high standard market system, which is a major reform task for the country, Han Wenxiu, executive deputy director of the Office of the Central Committee for Financial and Economic Affairs, said at the same conference.

Efforts will be made to build a unified national market, including the development of a unified urban-rural construction land market, a nationwide integrated technology and data market, and a unified national electricity market, he said.

It's necessary to create a sound environment and offer more opportunities for the development of the private sector, Han stressed. He said the authorities will improve the long-term mechanism for private enterprises participating in national key projects, support capable private enterprises to lead tasks in making key technological breakthroughs and regulate administrative checks involving private enterprises.

"The just-concluded third plenum is epoch-making, as it strengthens development momentum and institutional guarantees on China's journey toward realizing the second centenary goal," Xin Ming, a professor at the Party School of the CPC Central Committee, told the Global Times on Friday.

Over 300 specific reform measures indicate that China's new reform will be more targeted, pragmatic and problem-oriented, Xin said.

"Amid major changes unseen in a century, a series of forceful reform measures released from the third plenum showcases the CPC's precise grasp of reform direction and historical trends," Chen Chunxing, a member of the National Committee of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference and deputy president of the Hubei Federation of Industry and Commerce, told the Global Times on Friday.

In particular, the third plenum attaches great importance to the development of the private economy and encourages the sector to grow stronger, which is set to give a boost to private enterprises, Chen said.

In mapping out China's grand development goal and major policies, the country's leadership has always attached great importance to opinions and suggestions from all sectors and sought to pool their wisdom to make reform decisions more rational and ensure effective implementation.

According to a Xinhua News Agency report on Friday, Xi Jinping, general secretary of the CPC Central Committee, chaired a symposium in May to solicit views and suggestions of non-CPC personages on the drafting of the CPC resolution on further deepening reform comprehensively to advance Chinese modernization.

Xi also stressed that the enthusiasm, initiative and creativity of the entire Party and nation should be fully mobilized.

Xi also chaired another symposium in Jinan, East China's Shandong Province on May 23, during which representatives including entrepreneurs from state-owned, private and foreign-funded enterprises put forward opinions and suggestions on deepening reform across the board.

Observers said such intensive symposiums to fully solicit opinions from the Party and non-CPC personages, while taking advice from relevant government agencies, residents' expectations and experts' suggestions in the drafting, are a vivid display of socialist democracy.

The development of whole-process people's democracy means ensuring the principal status of the people, inspiring the people's motivation, initiative, and creativity, and gathering wisdom and strength from all sides in a bid to better transform our institutional advantage into the efficacy of the country's governance, Shen Chunyao, director of the Legislative Affairs Commission of the National People's Congress Standing Committee, said at the same press conference on Friday.

Positive, warm signal

Domestic and foreign entrepreneurs and observers said that the third plenum sends a positive and warm signal not only to China but also the whole world, elevating their confidence for further investment and development in the country and injecting stability to the world amid growing geopolitical tensions and protectionism.

"We're strongly inspired and encouraged," Yang Yuanqing, chairman and CEO of Lenovo, told the Global Times.

A series of measures to further deepen reform comprehensively to advance Chinese modernization will create a sound institutional environment for the high-quality development of the economy, while sparking the vitality of enterprises and enhancing their innovation capacity for the accelerated development of new quality productive forces, Yang said.

Riding a wave of the milestone meeting and the tide of artificial intelligence, we will boost technological innovations in a bid to become a strong force in the development of new quality productive forces and the Chinese modernization drive, Yang said.

Boosted by China's clarion call for reform, Chinese stocks closed higher on Friday, with the benchmark Shanghai Composite Index up 0.17 percent to 2,982.31 points. The Shenzhen Component Index closed 0.27 percent higher at 8,903.23 points.

While stressing efforts to boost reform, the communique released after the third plenum describes opening-up as a "defining feature of Chinese modernization," signifying the importance of expanding opening-up in the new era.

In promoting high-level opening-up, China will expand unilateral opening-up to the least-developed countries, and open to the rest of the world its goods, service, capital and labor markets in an orderly way, Han said.

China's reform and opening-up has strong spillover effects, Xin said. The country's reform and opening-up not only drives global growth but also offers a new blueprint, path and possibility for the world to usher in a better future, he said.

"China's reform and opening-up over the past more than 40 years shows that many countries, especially developing countries, have high expectations for further reform from China. They wish to learn from China's wisdom and China's solution to boost their own development," Xin said.

Saravoot Yoovidhya, Chief Executive Officer of TCP Group, applauded the Chinese government's resolve to deepen reform and opening-up, and the remarkable achievements the Chinese economy has made.

"With its high-quality development featured by technology and innovation, China now serves not only as the 'world factory' but also as the 'global market' and 'research and development hub'. China's economy sees more vitality with the development of new quality productive forces, empowering the global economy, and at the same time, offering more opportunities for foreign enterprises to develop in China," Yoovidhya told the Global Times.

He said TCP Group sees China as one of the most significant overseas investment markets, and will steadfastly carry out the company's long-term investment plans in China.

Economic miracle to continue

Currently, China's economy is maintaining an upward trend, high-quality development is advancing in a solid manner, and main macro-economic figures are meeting expectations, Han said at the press conference on Friday, stressing strengthened policy adjustments and palpable reforms to boost sustained economic recovery.

However, some Western media outlets are dismissing China's resolve to deepen reform comprehensively for promoting high-quality development as well as the confidence, stability and vitality the crucial meeting conveys to the world, especially to other developing countries, and are hyping up pessimism about China's economic prospects.

"Indeed, the country faces challenges, such as external shocks and uncertainties, lack of effective demand and other difficulties. However, China's institutional advantage and the CPC's leadership will allow the country's economic miracle to continue," Song Ding, a research fellow from the China Development Institute, told the Global Times on Friday.

Achieving Chinese modernization is a new long march for China - the world's largest developing country - and will be full of hardships and challenges, but I'm confident we will be able to explore a Chinese path to modernization thanks to our confidence in the path, theory, system, and culture of socialism with Chinese characteristics, Song said.

He rebuked certain Western media outlets for attempting to dampen China's economic growth confidence and then misleading Chinese residents' expectations by smearing the economy as entering the "garbage time of history."

"China's economic confidence is more solid than some in the West have imagined," Song said. Over the past 40 years of reform and opening-up, China has made stable progress in various aspects, with the world's most complete industrial system and some high-tech industries leading the world, he said.

After China reported a 5 percent GDP growth for the first half of 2024, some international organizations and multinational banks such as IMF and Singapore-based DBS maintained their forecast for China's economic growth this year, underscoring that global confidence in stable growth in China's economy has remained unchanged.

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Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Lin Jian's Regular Press Conference on July 19, 2024

Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the People's Republic of China

2024-07-19 20:42

At the invitation of First Deputy Prime Minister Denis Manturov and Deputy Prime Minister Alexander Novak of the government of the Russian Federation, Member of the Standing Committee of the Political Bureau of the CPC Central Committee and Vice Premier of the State Council Ding Xuexiang will co-chair the 11th meeting of the China-Russia Investment Cooperation Committee and the 21st meeting of the China-Russia Energy Cooperation Committee, and attend the sixth China-Russia Energy Business Forum in Russia from July 21 to 23.

At the invitation of Member of the Political Bureau of the CPC Central Committee and Foreign Minister Wang Yi, Maldivian Minister of Foreign Affairs Moosa Zameer will visit China from July 20 to 24.

CCTV: Earlier this week, China released the economic figures of the first half of this year. Strong imports and exports numbers showed that Chinese products remain highly competitive in the world and the momentum of China's foreign trade remains strong. What's your comment?

Lin Jian: Indeed. In the first half of this year, China's imports and exports exceeded RMB 21 trillion for the first time, up 6.1 percent year on year, with some indicators achieving double-digit growth. In light of China's robust foreign trade, International Monetary Fund revised up its 2024 Chinese GDP growth forecast to 5 percent in the latest update to its World Economic Outlook.

An open China is an important engine of global development and prosperity. From establishing 22 Pilot Free Trade Zones and the Hainan Free Trade Port, the signing and entry into force of the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership, to the building of a globally-oriented network of high-standard free trade areas, from repeatedly shortening the negative list for foreign investment to reducing market access restrictions in telecommunications, healthcare and other services sectors, from promoting high-quality Belt and Road cooperation to establishing international cooperation platforms for trade and economic exchange, such as the China International Import Expo, China International Fair for Trade in Services, and the China International Consumer Products Expo, these important measures to expand high-quality opening up benefit the international community through China's development, and give the world reason for optimism about China's outlook. In the first half of this year, 26,870 foreign-invested companies were set up in China, up by 14.2 percent year on year. Actual utilized foreign investment in manufacturing increased by 2.4 percent compared with the same period last year. China has remained the world's largest trader in goods for seven years running, and the world's largest exporter and second-largest importer for 15 consecutive years. It has been among the world's top three sources of outbound investment for 11 years in a row. The funding we provide has benefited 155 countries and regions in the world.

The Communique of the just concluded third plenary session of the 20th Central Committee of the Communist Party of China said that opening up is a defining feature of Chinese modernization. We must remain committed to the basic state policy of opening to the outside world and continue to promote reform through opening up. Leveraging the strengths of China's enormous market, we will enhance our capacity for opening up while expanding cooperation with other countries and develop new institutions for a higher-standard open economy. We will steadily expand institutional opening up, deepen the foreign trade structural reform, further reform the management systems for inward and outward investment, improve planning for regional opening up, and refine the mechanisms for high-quality cooperation under the Belt and Road Initiative. We will continue to deepen reform and expand opening up to turn China's super-sized market into abundant opportunities for the world, strive for Chinese modernization though reform and opening up, and inject strong impetus to the global modernization through our own modernization.

China Daily: With the Foreign Ministry's support, the China Institute of International Studies yesterday held an event on the Global Security Initiative at the Diaoyutai State Guesthouse. Can you give us more details?

Lin Jian: With the Foreign Ministry's support, the China Institute of International Studies (CIIS) yesterday afternoon held an event to launch the Center for Global Security Initiative Studies and to release the Report on the Implementation Progress of the Global Security Initiative. Member of the Political Bureau of the CPC Central Committee and Foreign Minister Wang Yi delivered a written speech to the event and Vice Foreign Minister Chen Xiaodong attended the event, unveiled the plaque of the Center and delivered remarks. Nearly 300 guests, including diplomatic envoys and representatives from over 80 countries and international organizations, and experts and scholars, attended the event. The Report on the Implementation Progress of the Global Security Initiative was drafted and published by CIIS and the Center for Global Security Initiative Studies. The full text of the report in both Chinese and English was released on the official website of CIIS after the event on July 18.

Foreign Minister Wang Yi in the written speech noted that the Global Security Initiative (GSI) put forward by President Xi Jinping contributed Chinese wisdom to reducing the peace deficit in the world and provided Chinese solution for dealing with international security challenges. The first ever Report on the Implementation Progress of the Global Security Initiative presents a full picture of what has been achieved in the past two years and more since the GSI was proposed. The report helps various sides to better understand the relevance and unique value of the GSI as an international public good in the field of security. He hopes that the Center for Global Security Initiative Studies will thoroughly pool the wisdom and strength of experts and scholars from both home and abroad, build a platform of exchanges and dialogue of international security issues and provide strong support for exchanges and cooperation between all sides under the GSI.

Vice Foreign Minister Chen Xiaodong in his speech pointed out that amid the evolving international landscape, the GSI represents the right way forward and gives the world courage to meet crises and challenges head-on. The GSI is highly relevant and important for today's world. The implementation of the GSI has achieved real and tangible results. Faced with emerging traditional and non-traditional security challenges, China stands ready to strengthen communication and exchanges on security visions and policies with all sides, work together to advance international security cooperation, promote sustainable development and sustainable security, and bring more stability to this turbulent world.

I would like to stress that to advance the implementation of the GSI, we need to extensively pool wisdom and strength of all sides. The establishment of the Center for Global Security Initiative Studies and release of the Report on the Implementation Progress of the Global Security Initiative provide us the good opportunity to work with all parties to actively implement the GSI, deepen exchanges and cooperation in security fields and make new contribution to humanity's common security and lasting peace of the world.

China News Service: We noted that the Office of Commercial Development of China in Haiti posted on social media platform X that it has resumed its activities in Port-au-Prince. Can you share more details with us on that?a

Lin Jian: China has not yet established diplomatic relations with Haiti. The two countries have offices of commercial development in each other's capitals, which serve as an important channel of communication and exchanges between the two sides.

Early this year, when the security situation deteriorated in Haiti, a lot of countries temporarily closed their institutions in Haiti and evacuated their nationals. After organizing and assisting the safe evacuation of two batches of Chinese nationals from Haiti, the Office of Commercial Development of China in Haiti was temporarily moved to Santo Domingo, the capital of the Dominican Republic in April. Recently, in light of the improving security situation in Haiti, with the help of the Haitian side, the staff of the Office of Commercial Development of China in Haiti have returned to Port-au-Prince and resumed their work.

CCTV: We've learned that China's senior Foreign Ministry official will go to Japan and the ROK in the coming days for bilateral dialogues and consultations. Can you confirm this and share more details? What is China's expectation for the dialogues?

Lin Jian: At the invitation of Japan and the ROK, from July 21 to 25, Deputy Foreign Minister Ma Zhaoxu will hold the 16th round of China-Japan strategic dialogue with Vice-Minister for Foreign Affairs of Japan Masataka Okano in Tokyo and the 10th round of high-level strategic dialogue between the foreign ministries of China and the ROK with First Vice Minister of Foreign Affairs of the ROK Kim Hong Kyun in Seoul. Detailed arrangement of the dialogues is still being worked out.a

The dialogues are institutionalized consultations between China and Japan and between China and the ROK. They provide the opportunity for in-depth exchanges of views on bilateral relations and international and regional issues of mutual interest. China hopes to step up communication and enhance cooperation through the dialogues to promote the sound and steady growth of China-Japan and China-ROK relations. We will release timely information on the dialogues.

RIA Novosti: Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor OrbAn sent a letter to the President of the EU Council Charles Michel, in which he suggested that the EU conduct high-level talks with China on holding the next peace conference on Ukraine. What's China's comment? Is China willing to participate in such talks?

Lin Jian: We noted the report. On the Ukraine issue, China has been committed to promoting talks for peace, advancing a political settlement, and encouraging and supporting efforts conducive to the peaceful settlement of the crisis. China maintains that the international peace conference needs to meet the three important elements of recognition from both Russia and Ukraine, equal participation of all parties, and fair discussion of all peace plans. The international community needs to create conditions for the two sides to resume direct dialogue and negotiation. Major countries in particular need to play a positive role. China stands ready to maintain communication with relevant parties to continue playing a constructive role for enabling a political settlement of the crisis.

AFP: Former US President Donald Trump in his acceptance speech for the Republican presidential nomination said that he will restore peace in the world and warned that a growing specter of conflict hangs over Taiwan and all of Asia. What's your comment on his speech?a

Lin Jian: The Taiwan question is purely China's internal affair and brooks no external interference. We are opposed to making China an issue in US elections.

Shenzhen TV: According to the US website "Military.com," for the first time in 12 years, the Marine Corps has published the latest doctrine titled "Deception"aa tactic used to deceive enemy and create disinformation. Jeffrey Hill, US intelligence officer and the lead author of the doctrine, said in an interview that "deception is absolutely in our tool kit," and "if you ain't deceiving, you ain't fighting." What's your comment?a

Lin Jian: We noted the report. From former US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo publicly saying "we lied, we cheated, we stole," to recently revealed Pentagon disinformation campaign against Chinese vaccines during COVID-19, to the latest military doctrine titled "Deception" disclosed by the US military, we should ask the following. Who is spreading disinformation worldwide? Who is waging the battle of perception against particular countries? Who is launching cyberattacks and information warfare in the world? To advance selfish agenda in the name of justice, to spread disinformation through deceptive propaganda, and to frame and suppress other countries through manipulating public opinion and perception have become the US's go-to tactics. The world knows what the US has been doing and is vigilant against them. Long gone are the days when the US could deceive the world into serving the US agenda.

The US needs to quit those wrongful approaches at once, stop manipulating perceptions through lies, and stop smearing and vilifying other countries. The US should give a long-overdue explanation to the international community both for its dissemination of disinformation over the years for selfish reasons, and for the severe damage inflicted by the US "Deception" strategy on the developing countries.a

RIA Novosti: It's reported that NATO officials are in discussions about reclaiming some Chinese-owned infrastructure projects in Europe, if a broader conflict with Russia arises, based on information from three officials involved in these talks. What is China's comment on this?

Lin Jian: This is yet another sign of NATO attempting to step outside its zone, breach its mandate and incite bloc confrontation. China-Russia relations are built on the basis of non-alliance, non-confrontation and not targeting any third party. The economic cooperation between China and European countries serves the interest of both sides. There's no justification for NATO to use conflicts with Russia as a reason to disrupt and undermine China's cooperation with European countries. Such attempts must be firmly rejected.

TASS: US House Speaker Mike Johnson said yesterday that if Trump wins the presidential elections, the US will take a tough stance on China. What is the Foreign Ministry's comment?

Lin Jian: The presidential elections are the domestic affairs of the United States. I will not comment on that. We are opposed to making China an issue in the elections.

Reuters: Bangladesh is facing internet shutdowns and disrupted phone lines amid student protests. What is the situation there for Chinese companies and residents? Is MOFA taking actions to ensure the safety of Chinese nationals in Bangladesh?

Lin Jian: China noted what happened recently in Bangladesh. This is Bangladesh's domestic affair and we believe that the government of Bangladesh will properly handle it and uphold national solidarity and stability. The Chinese Embassy in Bangladesh will continue to closely follow the security situation of Chinese nationals and companies in Bangladesh and exercise its duty in providing necessary assistance.a

Beijing Youth Daily: It was reported that on July 18, the Hsun Hu No.9 patrol vessel of the "Coast Guard Administration of the Ocean Affairs Council" of Taiwan and the aircraft-carrying patrol vessel Sagami of Japan Coast Guard carried out a joint drill to the south of Japan's Boso Peninsula, Chiba Prefecture, and in waters near Izu Oshima. According to the reports, this is the first joint maritime exercise between Japan Coast Guard and the "Coast Guard Administration of the Ocean Affairs Council" of Taiwan since Japan and Taiwan cut "diplomatic ties" in 1972. The drill is a response to the continued assertive activities of China in the East and South China Seas to stay vigilant against potential contingencies. What is your comment?

Lin Jian: We strongly deplore and firmly oppose Japan's joint maritime exercise with the Taiwan region, and have lodged protests with Japan. Japan has made serious commitments to China on the Taiwan question, including not supporting "two Chinas," "one China, one Taiwan" or "Taiwan independence." Theseaare the stance and principles that Japan must uphold. We urge Japan to adhere to the one-China principle and the spirit of the four political documents between China and Japan, correct the wrongdoing at once, refrain from conniving at or supporting "Taiwan independence" separatist forces in any form, stay prudent on issues related to the East and South China Seas, and stop disrupting cross-Strait peace and stability and China-Japan relations.

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China slaps travel restrictions on teachers, banking sector staff

The ban appears to target teachers and students thinking of visiting overseas universities, commentators say.

By Qian Lang for RFA Mandarin 2024.07.19 -- Chinese authorities are extending travel restrictions to teachers, schoolchildren and bank staff ahead of summer vacation by requiring them to hand over their passports or ask permission before leaving the country, according to documents posted by social media users this week.

The fresh bans are the latest in a slew of travel restrictions on Chinese citizens that began after President Xi Jinping took power in 2012 and intensified during the three years of COVID-19 restrictions.

One notice received by a user working at a high school in the western city of Lanzhou asks class monitors to compile a list of students who have passports and hand it in to the school, according to a screenshot posted to WeChat.

A June 25 notice sent to staff in an unnamed county cited orders from the county education bureau as saying that all current teaching staff must hand over their passports to the school's party office, a new administrative office formed in a recent bid to install direct ruling Communist Party control over the country's universities.

"The party office will make a list ... and the county education bureau personnel department will hold this information," reads the notice, which was reposted by citizen journalist "Mr Li is not your teacher" to their X account. "Each department is requested to forward this information to all groups."

In another post also reposted by "Mr Li," a person holds a form that must be filled in and endorsed by their employer before they can apply for a passport.

Commentators said the flurry of notices appears to target teachers and students who may be thinking of leaving China to tour overseas universities or to settle into their new homes ahead of a course of overseas study.

An online search by Radio Free Asia on Friday found that rules restricting foreign travel have been publicly posted to the websites of several universities and education institutions across China.

Faculty at the computer science department of Wuhan University are required to hand over any passports within seven days of receiving them to university authorities "for safekeeping," according to a notice dated April 2023.

At Zhejiang's Taizhou University, faculty and staff wishing to travel overseas for personal reasons must first obtain approval from the personnel department, according to a notice dated October 2019. A similar notice on the website of the Shanghai University of Sport dates to April 2014.

In 2018, RFA reported that teachers in Inner Mongolia, Shandong and Fujian provinces had been ordered to hand in their passports.

Travel bans

Xi's administration has long issued travel bans to rights activists, dissidents, human rights lawyers and their families, with similar policies seen in Tibet and Xinjiang in the wake of mass demonstrations and uprisings by disgruntled ethnic minority populations in 2008 and 2009.

But the practice of recalling passports intensified during the three years of Xi Jinping's zero-COVID policy, as online searches about how to emigrate to another country spiked on Chinese search engines.

In 2022, the National Immigration Administration held a news conference announcing "strict reviews" of travel documents and visas, and calling on Chinese nationals not to leave the country unless absolutely necessary, while border police started clipping the passports of returning Chinese citizens, rendering them invalid.

The bans haven't been applied consistently across the country, and hundreds of thousands of people have managed to leave China to start a new life overseas since pandemic restrictions ended in late 2022, in what has been dubbed the "run" movement.

But sources told RFA Mandarin that the de facto travel bans are continuing despite the end of pandemic restrictions, and don't just apply to those in education, either.

"Anyone working in the banking system now has to apply to leave the country at least 10 working days in advance," a banking sector employee from the southern province of Guangdong who gave only the surname Wang for fear of reprisals told RFA Mandarin. "There are restrictions on the number of times you can leave the country in any given year."

"Some cities only let you leave the country once a year, some twice," she said. "Basically, they now discourage people from leaving the country."

Several rounds of approvals

A resident of the central city of Wuhan with family ties to the education sector told RFA Mandarin that any trip to Hong Kong must go through several rounds of approvals and be reported to the local government's education bureau.

"The school has to approve it first, then the district education bureau, then finally it's sent to the municipal education bureau which must approve it before you can leave China," the resident, who gave only the surname Li for fear of reprisals, said.

"Some teachers may now be prevented from taking their kids overseas during summer vacation," she said.

Veteran rights activist and former teacher He Peirong, who now lives overseas, said the restrictions seem aimed at parents looking to send their children overseas to study as a first step towards emigration by the whole family.

"Sending their children overseas to study is the first step towards emigration," He said. "It's a very safe way to transfer assets, and to eventually emigrate."

She said some parents take their kids overseas in summer to get them accustomed to life in another country, or to help them settle in before their academic course starts in the fall.

Translated with additional reporting 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.

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Blinken to meet Chinese foreign minister next week

By Nike Ching July 19, 2024

U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken said Friday that he would meet with Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi next week in Laos, as that country hosts senior officials of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations, or ASEAN.

Blinken said he speaks with Wang "on a fairly regular basis," which is important for clarifying each country's intentions and avoiding unintended conflicts.

"We're able to communicate very clearly on areas where we disagree. So at least China knows where we're coming from, just as we know where they're coming from," on such topics as the South China Sea and Taiwan, Blinken told an audience Friday at the Aspen Security Forum, a prominent national security and foreign policy conference in the United States.

Although the U.S. and China are not members of the Southeast Asian bloc, senior diplomats from both countries are typically invited to attend related regional meetings and often hold face-to-face discussions on the sidelines.

On Friday, the U.S. government advised American citizens in Taiwan to plan accordingly for an upcoming annual air defense exercise in Taiwan called Wan An Number 47, scheduled for Monday through Thursday. During the 30-minute exercise for civilians, the emergency notification system will be tested, signaling the start and end of the event.

Next week, Taiwan's military will also hold its annual Han Kuang defense drills, which usually include large-scale live-fire exercises.

The air defense drills occur as Chinese military aircraft and vessels continue to operate around Taiwan. In recent months, Taiwan has reported that Chinese military aircraft frequently cross the median line and enter Taiwan's air defense identification zone.

"If there were to be a crisis over Taiwan, it would be a crisis that affects quite literally everyone in the world, not just the immediate neighbors. Fifty percent of commercial cargo traffic goes through the [Taiwan] Strait every day; 70% of the semiconductors that the world relies on are manufactured in Taiwan," Blinken said Friday.

Blinken's talks with Wang next week in Vientiane, the capital of Laos, will follow a four-day major policy meeting held by China's ruling Communist Party (CCP) in Beijing.

Known as China's Third Plenum, the meetings endorsed policies aimed at advancing the country's technological power and fortifying its national security.

The personnel changes made at the plenum attracted a lot of attention as the CCP officially approved the removal of its former foreign minister, Qin Gang, from its Central Committee.

Additionally, the plenum confirmed the expulsion of former Defense Minister Li Shangfu. Li Yuchao and Sun Jinming of the People's Liberation Army's Rocket Force were also removed from the Central Committee.

ASEAN has announced its intention to expedite negotiations with China on a code of conduct to reduce the risk of conflicts in the hotly contested South China Sea. The Southeast Asian bloc hopes to conclude talks by 2026.

"We're tracking all the time, not just the Taiwan Strait, [but also the] South China Sea," Blinken said at the Aspen forum. He noted escalating tensions between China and the Philippines because of recent collisions near the waters around Second Thomas Shoal, known as RAn'A i Jiao in China.

According to an international tribunal's legally binding decision issued in July 2016, Second Thomas Shoal is within the exclusive economic zone of the Philippines, and China has no lawful maritime claims to the waters around the low-tide feature.

Beijing has rejected the ruling, claiming "indisputable sovereignty" over most of the South China Sea.

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China vows to boost economic growth by balancing reform, national security

By William Yang July 19, 2024

China's ruling Communist Party concluded a highly anticipated party conclave Thursday, promising to boost economic growth through comprehensive reform while reiterating the importance of maintaining national security.

The Central Committee, in a communique at the end of the four-day, closed-door Third Plenum, laid out reform objectives to be completed by 2029, the 80th anniversary of the People's Republic of China.

The party's top decision-making body also vowed to finish "building a high-standard socialist market economy in all respects" by 2035.

"All of this will lay a solid foundation for building China into a great modern socialist country in all respects by the middle of this century," the communique said.

To achieve these goals, the communique said China must better utilize market mechanisms and double down on efforts to promote "high-quality development," which includes prioritizing investment in advanced technologies and facilitating growth through technological and scientific innovation.

"We must deepen supply-side structural reform, improve incentive and constraint mechanisms for promoting high-quality development, and strive to create new growth drivers and strengths," the communique said.

The key political meeting comes as China's economic growth slowed to 4.7% in this year's second quarter, prompting banks such as Goldman Sachs to lower their 2024 gross domestic product growth forecast for China from 5.0% to 4.9%.

Meanwhile, China's property crisis continues as investment in the sector dropped 10.1% in the first six months of this year compared to a year earlier, and consumer confidence remains weak.

To address these challenges, Beijing promised to implement measures to defuse risks in the property sector while improving income distribution, the job market, social security, and the health care system.

"Ensuring and enhancing the people's well-being in the course of development is one of the major tasks of Chinese modernization," the communique said.

As local governments across China face mounting debt resulting from the real estate crisis, the communique stressed the need to roll out fiscal and tax reforms and facilitate better integration between cities and the countryside.

"The Party must promote equal exchanges and two-way flows of production factors between the cities and the countryside, so as to narrow the disparities between the two and promote their common prosperity and development," the statement said.

As foreign investors closely monitor signals coming out of the plenum, the party said it would remain committed to the state policy of "opening to the outside world" and promised to "expand cooperation with other countries."

"We still steadily expand institutional opening up, deepen the foreign trade structural reform, further reform the management systems for inward and outward investment," the communique said.

Some analysts say the communique shows that Beijing is focusing on areas critical to China's national strength, including technology and advanced manufacturing.

"This isn't Western-style market liberalization; it's about reinforcing China's existing strategy," Lizzi Lee, a fellow on the Chinese economy at the Asia Society Policy Institute's Center for China Analysis, said in a written response to VOA.

"The document cements Xi's governance approach and his brand of reform, which focuses on consolidating power rather than adopting new liberal economic paradigms, endures," she wrote.

Balancing reform and national security

In addition to laying out the long list of reform goals, the communique also highlighted the need for the party to balance development and security.

"We will strengthen the network for preventing and controlling public security risks so as to safeguard social stability [and] improve public opinion guidance and effectively deal with risks in the ideological domain," it said.

The document also reiterated that the party's top leadership, especially Xi Jinping, remains the "fundamental guarantee" for deepening reforms.

"We must uphold Comrade Xi Jinping's core position on the Party Central Committee and in the Party as a whole and uphold the Central Committee's authority and its centralized, unified leadership," the communique said.

Some experts say the communique's emphasis on upholding public security and following the guidance of party leadership shows Beijing is trying to tighten control over efforts to reform China's troubled economy.

"Tightening control is at the heart of [Beijing's] dilemma because in order for the reforms to work, they need to loosen control," Dexter Roberts, a nonresident senior fellow at Atlantic Council's Global China Hub, told VOA by phone.

While other specific reforms are expected to be rolled out in other plenum documents in coming days, Lee said she expects consumer spending in China to remain sluggish and that recovery in the property sector remains slow in the short term.

"The prolonged transition period poses significant risks. It could lead to reduced investments and slower economic growth," she told VOA, adding that the Chinese government will likely use targeted interventions to boost key sectors.

However, some analysts think that Beijing's state-led economic growth model is unlikely to yield the results the government hopes for.

"China's state-led investment, which concentrates resources on areas such as semiconductors and artificial intelligence, is going to take years to pay dividends, and meanwhile, the economy will continue to fail to deliver growth and jobs," Andrew Collier, managing director of Orient Capital Research in Hong Kong, told VOA in a video interview.

He said unless the government takes concrete steps to reduce its involvement in economic reforms, the country's economic downturn could grow worse in coming years.

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Moscow, Pyongyang discuss military ties, eye 'new era' of relations

Iran Press TV

Friday, 19 July 2024 7:49 AM

North Korean leader Kim Jong Un met a Russian military delegation to discuss bilateral cooperation, a month after Russian President Vladimir Putin visited the country.

On Thursday, Kim met with Vice Defence Minister Aleksey Krivoruchko in Pyongyang to emphasize the need for strengthening military cooperation between their two countries to safeguard global peace and justice, according to the official Korean Central News Agency.

The meeting underscored the significance of military collaboration to protect shared security interests.

"The talk shared recognition of the importance and necessity of the military cooperation between the two countries to defend mutual security interests," the state media reported.

Kim highlighted the need for the countries' armies to "get united more firmly to dynamically lead the DPRK-Russia relations in the new era and play an important part in defending regional and global peace," according to KCNA.

He also reassured the Russian military delegation of Pyongyang's steadfast support as ties with Moscow continue to strengthen.

Krivoruchko conveyed regards from Putin to Kim, who expressed profound gratitude during the meeting. This visit follows Putin's historic visit to Pyongyang on June 19, during which the two countries signed a mutual defense agreement.

During Putin's visit, a comprehensive strategic partnership pact was signed, providing for "mutual assistance" in case either country faces war.

In September 2023, Kim traveled to Russia to discuss military cooperation between the two nations.

The US, South Korea, and several other nations have alleged that North Korea has been providing military support to Russia's military campaign in Ukraine in recent months.

North Korea and Russia have been natural allies since the country's founding after World War II, which led to the division of the Korean peninsula.

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North Korea's Kim in military talks with Russian vice defense minister

Russian is the first known ranking military official to visit since a leaders' summit last month.

By Taejun Kang for RFA 2024.07.19 -- North Korean leader Kim Jong Un has discussed the "importance and necessity" of military cooperation with Russia's vice defense minister to "defend mutual security interests," the North's state media reported on Friday.

Kim met a Russian military delegation, led by the vice minister, Aleksey Krivoruchko, in Pyongyang on Thursday, according to the Korean Central News Agency, or KCNA.

"The talk shared recognition of the importance and necessity of the military cooperation between the two countries to defend mutual security interests," the KCNA said.

Kim reiterated his firm support and solidarity for Russia's war with Ukraine and stressed the need for the militaries of the two countries to "get united more firmly" to develop bilateral relations, the news agency added.

Krivoruchko is the first known ranking Russian military official to visit North Korea since a summit between Russian President Vladimir Putin and Kim.

The two met in Pyongyang for talks aimed at bolstering their economic and security relations and underscoring their shared defiance of Western sanctions.

Under a new partnership treaty announced at their summit they agreed to offer each other military assistance "without delay" if either were attacked.

Russia has been cozying up to North Korea since Putin ordered the invasion of Ukraine in February 2022. The United States has accused North Korea of sending Russia weapons for use in its Ukraine war but both North Korea and Russia deny that.

More balloons

The military in U.S. ally South Korea resumed propaganda loudspeaker broadcasts toward North Korea in response to the North's latest launch of trash-carrying balloons into the South.

The broadcasts took place from Thursday evening to early Friday in areas near where the balloons were launched, the South Korean Joint Chiefs of Staff, or JCS, said on Friday.

Since late May, North Korea has sent more than 2,000 trash-carrying balloons into the South in retaliation for the launch by anti-North Korea activists of balloons carrying propaganda leaflets towards the North.

"The military's response going forward will fully depend on North Korea's actions," the JCS said, without providing further details.

On Thursday, the JCS said the latest North Korean balloons appeared to be traveling toward the northern part of Gyeonggi Province that surrounds Seoul, advising the public to not touch any fallen balloon and to report them to the military or police.

South Korea resumed loudspeaker broadcasts last month as it fully suspended a 2018 inter-Korean military tension reduction agreement in response to the North's launch of waves of trash-carrying balloons.

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.

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Most people dont have to worry about encountering a grizzly bear unless they are traveling in the woods.

For folks who live in the mountain communities surrounding bear strongholds like Yellowstone National Park and the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem, however, bears in backyards, walking down the street or even breaking into sheds and garages heightens vigilance, or at least it should.

Residents of the greater Gardiner area, near the North Entrance of Yellowstone, were reminded of that the past few weeks as a 15-year-old male grizzly seeking food raided garbage cans, businesses and even homes.

On Thursday, employees of Montana Fish, Wildlife & Parks finally located the bruin in the Yellowstone River north of Gardiner after failed attempts to trap the critter. The bear was shot and residents breathed a sigh of relief that the nightly raids might end.

The bear died because we, the public, trained it to be that way, said Chester Evitt, a 59-year-old Navy veteran who lives along the banks of the Yellowstone River. You could be talking to my wife instead of me if this story had gone a different route.

The Mother

Evitt was up late watching the Jennifer Lopez movie The Mother on Tuesday, July 16. Lopez plays an assassin protecting her daughter who she abandoned at birth in hopes of shielding the girl from dangerous former colleagues. When the girl is kidnapped, Lopez goes into full mama bear mode.

Im a killer, but Im also a mother, Lopez said in the movie. I will die protecting her.

Evitt had his feet propped up in his recliner watching the flick when, around 11:27 p.m., his nearby front door slammed open with a loud bang. The Gardiner grizzly had come knocking.

The bear decided it wanted to come in, Evitt recalled. The foot of my recliner to the door is 5 feet, so the big bruin was immediately close.

Grizzly bears

In nearby Yellowstone National Park, adult male grizzlies can grow up to 700 pounds, measuring 3.5-feet at the shoulder. When standing on their hind legs, the animals can loom 8-feet tall. Grizzlies can live 15 to 30 years if they avoid humans, their leading cause of death.

In most cases, bears avoid humans. Tracking collars have shown some bears living incredibly close to people without anyone the wiser, and human-bear encounters are often in situations where a mama is protecting its cubs.

This may have happened on July 18 near Glacier National Park  another grizzly stronghold  when a Columbia Falls man picking huckleberries encountered a bear. The female attacked. The man fired his pistol. The bear died, but not before injuring the 72-year-old.

Based on initial examinations, the Gardiner grizzly had no physical limitations that may have led it to seek out human food sources, like poor health or worn, painful teeth. It appears to have grown into a local menace, with its destructive raids, simply because some people didnt secure their trash, coolers or grills. The old adage, A fed bear is a dead bear, often proves true.

Evitts wife, Mary Dee, is quite the cook. Smells emanating from the home after she prepared a Mexican meal with fried onions, peppers and refried beans may have attracted the grizzly to come knocking. A black bears sense of smell is reportedly seven times stronger than a bloodhounds.

My house smells like a restaurant, Evitt said.

Surprise bear

After the bear knocked open the front door, Evitts first thought was a meth head on fentanyl was breaking in. Then he saw the grizzly and yelled: Bear! House!

Next to his recliner Evitt keeps a loaded Model 1911 Colt .45 semiautomatic pistol loaded with 220-grain hollow point bullets. As the owner of Momma Bears Armory, the gun shop in Gardiner, Evitt knows the bullets are not meant to stop a big bear.

Quickly, he grabbed the pistol and fired several times over the bears head.

I discharged my weapon in pure fear and self-defense, Evitt said.

The grizzly was so close that he clearly saw its claws, teeth and could smell its breath.

I cant say how many shots I fired, he added. Were still finding brass.

Brass refers to the shell casing, made of brass, that is ejected after a shot is fired. Colt 1911s hold seven bullets. Evitt said hes unsure if it was fully loaded, but afterward he found he had two rounds left, one in the chamber ready to fire and one more in the magazine.

Evitt said he purposely tried not to hit the bear out of concern that if he killed it, he might face jail or a hefty fine. Grizzly bears are protected as threatened under the Endangered Species Act. People  often hunters  who kill grizzlies in self-defense are not charged following investigations to determine the situation.

The shakes

The door banging open followed in two seconds by the shooting alerted Evitts wife and dogs. She emerged from the bedroom with a shotgun ready to pepper the bear but never fired, he said. Although the bear retreated at the loud sound of the shots, it halted about 10 yards outside the door looking back at Evitt before ambling off.

That bear had no fear of me until I fired, Evitt said.

Immediately after shooting at the bear, Evitt called 911 to report the incident, but his rental home in the narrow valley doesnt get great cellphone service. His phone kept cutting out and he had to redial.

As Evitt was calling for backup, the bear went on to raid four other houses in the Maiden Basin neighborhood, about 4 miles north of Gardiner, Evitt said. As the Park County Sheriffs deputy interviewed Evitt, he received calls from other homeowners regarding the bear.

Everyone involved, from the state to the feds, the 911 operator, all were as professional as possible, Evitt praised.

With his adrenaline pumping at full strength, Evitt said it took about three hours for him to stop shaking. He texted one officer seven times. After law enforcement left, he propped a chair against the door to hold it closed and stood guard until sunrise with his shotgun loaded with deer slugs, large hunks of lead ammunition more suited to killing a bear.

Ive never been that close to a grizzly, and I never want to be that close to one again, he said.

At 6 a.m., he opened the door and scanned the driveway for the bear to ensure his wife could get to her car and leave for work. Around 6:30 a.m., the bear came back.

It wouldnt be until Thursday, July 18, that a Fish, Wildlife & Parks warden and bear management specialist were able to finally locate the bear in the nearby Yellowstone River and shoot it, the agency reported in a news release.

High stress

The impact of the encounter was still vivid and impactful for Evitt three days later. On the way home from the hospital for a checkup, after finding out doctors may have to amputate his left thumb, Evitt had to pull off the highway at a rest stop as a severe panic attack gripped his body.

Its all adding up, he said. I havent been able to come down and relax.

Living in a small town, everyone has heard the news, or some altered version of it.

The stories that went around about that poor bear, you could make a movie out of it, Evitt said.

Ive had people come up and tell me, I heard you killed the bear, he added. Absolutely not.

Oddly, the Evitts had just returned from a vacation in Alaska where they were excited to watch brown bears  the larger version of a grizzly  feeding on salmon at a fish ladder. One of their first stops after returning to Gardiner was at a nearby coffee kiosk the bear had damaged in a raid. The couples suitcases were still sitting next to the door on that fretful Tuesday night when the bear broke in.

Despite his close encounter with the massive creature, Evitt said it was a beautiful bear. His wife had seen it when driving to work, standing up on its hind legs in a field for a better view. In the four years the couple has lived in the area, Evitt said theyve always been careful, taking the necessary precautions to avoid feeding a bear.

In addition to keeping garbage and coolers locked away, state bear managers advocate picking fruit trees, securing barbecue grills and removing bird feeders. Traditionally, such tactics are stressed in the fall and spring. In the fall, bears enter a phase called hyperphagia when they are constantly eating to gain weight for the scarce times of winter. In the spring, bears newly emerged from hibernation and hungry may be less cautious about securing a meal.

As human presence  through recreation and residences  have continued to encroach on bear habitat, other precautions have become necessary. Chicken coops, hobby farms and stored grain for horses are a common concern. On occasion, a grizzly may kill livestock. Electric fences and the removal of dead animals has helped keep bears away, but not every neighbor is as careful as the next.

Please stress that the bear died because of the stupidity of so many people not taking care of their trash around here, Evitt said.
Transcript of Weekly Media Briefing by the Official Spokesperson (July 19, 2024)

India - Ministry of External Affairs

July 19, 2024

Shri Randhir Jaiswal, Official Spokesperson: Good afternoon, ladies and gentlemen. Let's open this session. The floor is yours.

Pranay: Sir, Pranay Zee News se. Mera sawal Bangladesh ki situation ko le kar hain. Bangladesh mei kafi tense situation hain, kai chatron ki maut hui hain, Bhartiya chatra jo wha par hai aur Bhartiya nagrik jo wahan hain unko lekar kya jankari hai hamare pass? Aur Bangladesh mei internet band hain toh hamare Mission ka input hain is pure mamle mei?

[Question in Hindi: Approximate translation] Sir, this is Pranay from Zee News. My question is regarding the situation in Bangladesh. The situation in Bangladesh is quite tense, with several students having lost their lives. What information do we have concerning Indian students and Indian citizens who are there? Additionally, since the internet is down in Bangladesh, what input does our Mission have on this entire matter?

Yeshi Seli: Yeshi Seli from The New Indian Express. In addition to what Pranay asked, are there any students, Indian students, who are amongst those who have died?

Gautam: Yeah, Sir, it seems that now the radical forces have taken over the movement. And they are threatening even to oust Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina by unconstitutional means. What is the India's assessment of the ground situation? And what are the options for India to do?

Ayushi Agarwal: This is Ayushi Agarwal from ANI. Sir, two questions, one on Bangladesh. Do we also have the numbers of how many Indian students reside in Bangladesh? Second, can we have some details of the telephonic talks between our EAM and Ukrainian Foreign Minister? Also, I would like to have your comment on the statement made by the Ukrainian President on X when our Prime Minister was in Russia calling it a devastating blow to the peace efforts. Have we taken this up with the Ukrainian authorities here in New Delhi or with the Foreign Minister during the talks?

Shri Randhir Jaiswal, Official Spokesperson: Okay, any more question on Bangladesh? We can all, there will be a lot of questions on Bangladesh. Any more questions on Bangladesh?

Kallol: This is Kallol from the Hindu. My question is in view of the developments where reportedly around 50 people have died in police shooting, what is the Indian advice to the Government of Bangladesh? Should they go for dialogue at this moment? Or do you think the dialogue was delayed, which might have led to this escalation?

Shri Randhir Jaiswal, Official Spokesperson: So first, let me address the question on Bangladesh. As you are aware, there is an unrest. There are protests which are happening there. We have around 8,500 students and somewhere around 15,000 Indian nationals resident in the country. We have issued a travel advisory for people to be in touch with the High Commission and for us to render any assistance that they may need. External Affairs Minister is himself monitoring the situation. The High Commission will be giving regular updates on the situation there. We will also be giving regular updates. And we urge all family members of Indian nationals who reside in Bangladesh to be in touch, follow us for regular updates. We remain committed to provide all possible assistance to our nationals.

There was a related question from Gautamji. On that, I would like to convey that we see this as an internal matter of Bangladesh. Kallol, that was also my answer to you.

Yeshi, regarding your question, all our Indian nationals are safe there. And we have a large student community, as I told you 8,500 students are there about. Many of them pursue medical education also in that country. So they're all safe and sound. And we are in touch. They are in touch with our High Commission, with our Assistant High Commission as well. And we are regularly keeping in touch with them to render all assistance, any assistance that they may need.

Pranay aapke sawal par, humko gyat hain ki wahan par jo protest chal rahain hain uske liye sarkar ne kuch kadam uthaye hain. Lekin wahan par jo suvidhaye hain, batchit ki, telecommunication ki, woh sab thik chal raha hain aur us madhyam se hum apne logon se jude hue hain.

[Answer in Hindi: Approximate translation] Pranay, in response to your question, we are aware that the government has taken some measures regarding the ongoing protests there. However, the facilities there, of communication, of telecommunication, are functioning properly, and through those means, we are in touch with our people.

Ayushi, regarding your question about EAM's conversation with Foreign Minister of Ukraine, this afternoon, External Affairs Minister spoke to the Foreign Minister of Ukraine and discussed bilateral issues of mutual interest. As far as the question about, Yeshi, you had a question, related question on Ukraine. You see, we have several engagements with Ukraine. We have bilateral mechanisms, we have institutional mechanisms. We keep on talking to each other, various matters, and that is where it is.

Ayushi, regarding your question, Prime Minister had gone to Russia to attend the Annual Summit, the 22nd Annual Summit between India and Russia. During the occasion, he made it very clear that the solution to any war does not lie in the battlefield. He also made it clear what he thinks about violence and children, innocent people being impacted in violence, people in general being impacted in violence. So, all these issues were made very clear in his press statements. When he spoke to the media, he spoke to the public at large. Can we go forward to more questions?

Sidhant: Hi Sir, Sidhant from WION. There are reports that the BRICS countries plan to trade using cryptocurrencies. If you can comment on that.

And my second question is on the remarks made by the US Ambassador, Garcetti, last week. He made remarks like there is no place for strategic autonomy and no war is foreign. These were directed looking like at India in a week where Prime Minister was in Moscow. So, if you can comment on his remarks.

Huma Siddiqui: Sir I am Huma Siddiqui from the Financial Express. Related to BRICS, Iran has recently announced that it is ready to sell oil and gas to the BRICS members. So, is India looking at that possibility of restarting import of oil from Iran?

Ileana: Good afternoon. Ileana, TASS News Agency. My first question also relates to BRICS. I would like to ask about the idea of creation Parliamentary Institutional Organization like the parliament in the frame of BRICS. So, what is India's position on such an idea and what is the possibility and what do you think, what role it may play in frame of this organization? And the second question is on the one of the outcomes of Modi's visit to Moscow. The two leaders, as we know, adopted a joint statement and one of it was particularly on economic cooperation. And as we know, Minister for Foreign Affairs Jaishankar is the head of from Indian side of the Governmental Commission on Trade, Cultural, Scientific Cooperation. So, do you already discuss the dates for the next meeting of this commission, when and where it may take place? Thank you.

Manas: This is Manas from PTI. Similar question to what Sidhant asked. This was not only Eric Garcetti, I mean, making critical comments on India-Russia relations, particularly after Prime Minister Modi's visit to Moscow, but several other high-ranking US officials have actually made comments criticizing India, India's close relations with Russia and Prime Minister Modi's visit. How does India see these comments and what's your reaction?

Chandrakala: Hi, Sir. Chandrakala from ETV Bharat. I just wanted to if there is any big decision taken to finalize rules for reducing visa delays for Chinese technicians, I mean, business delays, if you could on this. Thanks.

Shri Randhir Jaiswal, Official Spokesperson: Okay, let me answer these questions, then I'll come back for more. Sidhant, your question regarding cryptocurrencies. There is no such proposal as of now in BRICS to settle trade in cryptocurrency. So, that is a short answer to your question.

The other question was regarding comments on strategic autonomy. India, like many other countries, values its strategic autonomy. The US Ambassador is entitled obviously to his opinion. We also have our own and different views. Our comprehensive global strategic partnership with the United States gives us the space to agree, to disagree on certain issues while respecting each other's view-points. So, that is my answer to you.

Huma, regarding BRICS, issues regarding BRICS are discussed in that forum. So, the issue that you mentioned, perhaps it's a proposal which will be taken up as and when BRICS grouping meets and then things will be taken forward.

Ileana, your question regarding parliamentary institution. This month, we had BRICS Parliamentary Forum Meeting in Russia where this particular idea was put forth. It's an idea which needs to be explored and it will be explored by the BRICS membership. As of now, our focus should be to strengthen collaboration and cooperation within the existing mechanism of BRICS Parliamentary Forum that we have. On I-R India-Russia intergovernmental cooperation, we just had the Annual Summit. So, as part of the Annual Summit, decision was taken which is part of the joint statement as well, that the next round of India-Russia Intergovernmental Commission will be held. Both sides will be working out mutually convenient dates and we'll take this bilateral collaboration platform forward with a robust agenda.

Manas, your question is regarding India-U.S. relationship. Between India and the United States, it's a comprehensive strategic global partnership. We have a lot of issues to discuss and both sides engage with each other on several aspects of the relationship and we discuss all issues that are of interest to both parties. As far as you are talking about something that forms part of bilateral conversation, diplomatic conversations, those are things that as a matter of practice we don't speak about it, don't make it public.

Chandrakala your question regarding visa. All visa matters are decided by a policy, policy that is well laid out. So, whether it is X or Y country, based on the merit of the case, visas will be issued to people and visa matters will be discussed in the rubric of established policy that we have for all countries including China.

Jaiprakash: Sir main Jaiprakash hoon Dainik Jagran se. Do din pahle Bharat mei jo Tibet ke nirwachit Sarkar hain unke pramukh ne kaha tha ki China ke sath unki backdoor batchit ho rahi hain. Mere do sawal hain, pehla, kya Bharat isko kaise dekhta hain ki Tibet ki nirwachit Sarkar China se batchit kar rahi hain. Aur dusra unke is bayan par, China ka jo dutawas hain usne bahot hi tikhi pratikriya jari ki hain, toh donon ke bich jo tanav hain ya vadvivad hain uspar Bharat ki kya pratikriya hain?

[Question in Hindi: Approximate translation] Sir, I am Jaiprakash from Dainik Jagran. Two days ago, the head of the Tibetan Government-in-exile in India said that they are having backdoor talks with China. I have two questions. First, how does India view the Tibetan Government-in-exile talking to China? And second, the Chinese Embassy has issued a very sharp reaction to this statement. What is India's response to the tension or dispute between them?

Suhasini Haidar: Suhasini Haidar from the Hindu. I just like to ask, it's been more than a week since Prime Minister Modi and President Putin met and according to the Foreign Secretary, Mr. Putin had agreed to a discharge of Indians serving in the Russian Army. Has there been any follow up on that? Have those orders been issued yet? Because the soldiers we've been speaking to have not really heard about their own discharge. I'd like to know how many you think are still over there and whether they are likely to get those discharges anytime soon.

Rishabh: Good evening Sir, Rishabh from Times Now. I have two questions. One, as Suhasini asked, if we can have a number because the numbers that have come in, initially it was talked about around 30, then the Russian Embassy talked about 100 Indians who are there. So if we can have a number and then obviously how Suhasini asked that, what's the status on that? Sir the second thing, near Oman, one ship, the oil tanker capsized, nine Indians have been, nine crew members have been released but what about the remaining six? Do we have any idea about the rescue operations?

Srinjoy: Sir, at this point, as of two, three days ago, there are over 31,200 people from Myanmar in two states of India. Mizoram there are 25,000 more and in strifed on Manipur, 6,000. The numbers seem to be increasing every day. This has the potential of a humanitarian crisis and possibly a security crisis. What is the government's plan? Because there is no chance, at least as of now, of the strife in Myanmar ending.

Siddhant: Hi Sir I am Siddhant from CNN News18. Some reports are suggesting that Turkey has imposed an export ban on India in terms of military export. Do you have any comments to make on that? Thank you.

Shri Randhir Jaiswal, Official Spokesperson: So first, Jaiprakashji aapke sawal ka jawab. Dekhiye China ka jahan tak sawal hain, Bharat aur China ke rishton ka sawal hain, uspar jo hamara stand hain, jo position hain usse aap bhalibhati vakif hain. Maine is manch se kai dafa hamare rishton pe humne baat ki hain, toh main chahunga ki aap jo hum logon ne pahle kaha hain us par aap dhyan de, woh hamare website pe bhi available hain, yahi mera jawab rehega aape sawal ka.

[Answer in Hindi: Approximate translation] So first, Jaiprakashji, in response to your question. Look, as far as China is concerned and the matter of India-China relations, you are well aware of our stand and position on that. I have spoken about our relations many times from this platform, so I would like you to refer to what we have previously said, which is also available on our website. That will be my answer to your question.

Suhasini, regarding Indian nationals in Russian Army...as per our understanding and this is based on the family members and Indian nationals themselves who've gotten in touch with us, we have about 50 Indian nationals who have gotten in touch with us, who want to be discharged, their family members also met us. This particular issue has been raised by us at all levels including at the leadership level. This issue was also taken up by our Prime Minister when he met President Putin during the Annual Summit. The Russian side has responded positively. We are both working for early discharge of our Indian nationals and hopefully we will get our Indian nationals, they will come back home soon.

Rishabh, on your question, how many...50 around people have gotten in touch with us who want to be discharged. So that is the number that we are looking at. In addition, we told you before that 10 Indian nationals have returned from Russia.

On the question of the ship which capsized off the coast of Oman, search and rescue operation continues. This particular ship capsized on 15th, that is Monday. Since then, Indian Navy has been doing search and rescue operation. The Omani authorities have also been undertaking search and rescue operation. We have been able to locate and rescue nine people, which includes eight Indian nationals and one Sri Lankan. These nine are part of the crew members. In all, there were 16 people on board, so 16 crew members. One person has died. The remaining six are still missing and efforts are on to locate them as well.

Srinjoy, on the question of Myanmar, there is an ongoing crisis in the country. We are aware of it. This is a matter which is under...when the Myanmar's Foreign Minister came, we had a discussion on it. A read-out of that was made available as well. We are also rendering humanitarian assistance to Myanmar as a matter of a policy. We rendered assistance to Myanmar when Cyclone Mocha impacted that country. We are also dealing with some of the issues that you raised on the basis of humanitarian approach. We remain committed to...we want a peaceful solution of the ongoing crisis based on a constructive dialogue among all the stakeholders and we support restoration of democracy in the country.

Siddhant, your question regarding Turkey, we have seen some reports. As far as my knowledge is concerned and information is concerned, that information is not good. So I will refer you to please take that question to the Turkish Embassy who can for short give you an answer because it is a post which generated in Turkey. To my understanding, to the best of my knowledge, it is disinformation at best.

Narayanan: Hi name is PM Narayanan from German ARD. I want to know about the India-Israel Mobility Agreement, and the question is how many are already gone, how many workers have gone to Israel, and what is the demand from Israeli side, and how do you see the security situation in Israel right now for Indian workers?

Neeraj Dubey: Sir main Neeraj Dubey hoon Prabha Shakshi se. Sir America ne Ukraine mei sthai shanti sunishchit karne ke liye Bharat se phir se samarthan manga hain, is par aapki pratikriya?

[Question in Hindi: Approximate translation] Sir, I am Neeraj Dubey from Prabha Shakshi. Sir, America has again sought India's support to ensure permanent peace in Ukraine. What is your response to this?

Santosh Thankur: Sir main Santosh Thakur hoon Navbharat se. Main do sawal puchna chahta hoon. Ek, China ne Sir Nepal mei oil and gas ki khoj ke liye apne paise kharch karne ka nirnay kiya aur unse bola ki hum apni taraf se paisa kharch kar ke yahan pe oil aur gas ki khoj karenge jis se Nepal ki nirbharta Bharat par kam ho. Ek toh ispe aapki tippani chahiye. Sir dusra, naye Videsh Sachiv ne pahli yatra Bhutan ki ki hain Sir toh iske kya mayne hain, jabki padose ke sabhi deshon mei uthal puthal hain. Toh Bhutan ko hi chunne ki kya wajah hai? Dhanyawad.

[Question in Hindi: Approximate translation] Sir, I am Santosh Thakur from Navbharat. I want to ask two questions. First, China has decided to spend its own money on oil and gas exploration in Nepal, telling them that they will finance the exploration themselves to reduce Nepal's dependence on India. Could we have your comments on this? Sir secondly, the new Foreign Secretary's first trip has been to Bhutan. What is the significance of this, especially when there is turmoil in all the neighboring countries? What was the reason for choosing Bhutan?

Ayanangsha Maitra: This is Ayanangsha Maitra. I am an independent journalist. Sir, in the same forum, US Ambassador Eric Garcetti mentioned, our hearts are aligned, we need to align our feet. We want India to fix your ships and aircrafts. During the incumbency of Ambassador Eric Garcetti , have we received special appeal from US businesses for defense reduction or Atmanirbhar Bharat? Especially when the arms market has something that got a figure like 2 trillion?

Siddhant: Sir we have already seen the reaction of the Prime Minister on the assassination attempt on the Presidential candidate Donald Trump. What does India make of it? Do you see it as a backsliding of democracy in US, political violence in US?

Yeshi Seli: This is Yeshi again from the New Indian Express. This is on Myanmar. There have been reports of many Indian youth being misled and ending up in Cyber Fraud Centers in Myanmar. Some have managed to come back after paying heavy sums of money and the families of those who are still there are desperate to get those boys back. So is MEA or the Indian government doing anything to get them back?

Shri Randhir Jaiswal, Official Spokesperson: So first question to our friend here. With Israel, we have a Mobility Agreement. As part of that Mobility Agreement, we have people who have gone to Israel. We already have a large population of Indian workers, caregivers who are working in Israel. Since in the last several months, a number of people have gone. I don't have an exact figure as to how many people have gone but we have several workers who have gone to Israel. They are in touch. Our Embassy is in touch with the community and to look after the welfare. So that is what the situation is but on the exact number, I will come back to you.

Neeraj aapka sawal Ukraine ko le kar ke hain. Ukraine ke mamle mei aur Russia ke mamle mei jo hamara position hain usse aap bhalibhanti vakif hain. Hum ye chahte hain ki jo shanti ka rasta nikle woh rasta mez pe niklega, dialogue aur diplomacy ke jariye se niklega, aur is baat ko hamare Pradhan Mantri ne apne Russia ke daure mei bhalibhanti phir se dohraya ke dialouge aur diplomacy ka rasta jo hain usko chune aur aage badhain.

[Answer in Hindi: Approximate translation] Neeraj, your question is regarding Ukraine. As far as the matter of Ukraine and Russia is concerned, you are well aware of our position. We believe that the path to peace will be found at the table, through dialogue and diplomacy. Our Prime Minister reiterated this again during his visit to Russia, emphasizing the need to choose the path of dialogue and diplomacy and move forward.

Santosh, aapka sawal tel sampada ko lekar tha, tirse desh tel sampada ki khoj mei kuch karain woh unka apna khudka neeti hain. Jahan tak hamara sawal hain, Nepal se hamare rishte bahot majboot hain aur hum chahte hain ki ye rishta aane wale dinon mei aur majboot ho, ismei hum aur purjor koshish kar rahain hain ki har kshtra mei hamare rishtey falain fule. Dusra sawal aapka...Videsh Sachiv aaj aur kal Bhutan ke daure pe hain. Ye unka pehla daura hain Videsh Sachiv ka karyabhar sambhalne ke baad. Bhutan ke sath jaisa ki aapko gyat hain ki ye rishta bahot hi aham hain, bahot mahavtapurna hain, aur Videsh Sachiv ka jana wahan is baat ko darshata hain, underline karta hain, highlight karta hain ki hamara jo policy hain neighborhood first uspar hum vishwas karte hain aur uspar hum karyarat bhi hain.

[Answer in Hindi: Approximate translation] Your question was regarding oil exploration. If a third country does something in the field of oil exploration, it is their own policy. As far as we are concerned, our relations with Nepal are very strong, and we want this relationship to become even stronger in the coming days. We are making every effort to ensure that our relations flourish in all areas. Your second question...the Foreign Secretary is on a visit to Bhutan today and tomorrow. This is his first trip after taking charge as Foreign Secretary. As you know, our relationship with Bhutan is very important and significant. The Foreign Secretary's visit there shows, underlines and highlights that we believe in our "Neighborhood First" policy and are committed to work towards it.

Siddhant, you asked a question about...okay, so you know, obviously all of us are aware what happened. We've seen reports on the attack on former President. Subsequent to the attack, within hours, Prime Minister; he expressed his deep concerns on the attack and strongly condemned the incident. He had also pointed out that violence has no place in politics and democracies. He wished former President speedy recovery, and expressed solidarity with the family of the deceased, those injured and the American people. The US, we see them as a fellow democracy, and we wish them well.

Yeshi question on Myanmar, people caught in doing Cyber Fraud. So this has happened over the last several months, a year or so. A lot of people have actually come back. The Embassy has taken up their matter, and several of them have come back from Myanmar. If you want to get an update on number of people who come back, if you follow our Embassy's website, you will get to know exactly how many people approached the Embassy, to be discharged, to be helped, to be relieved from the duties and so they have returned. We are also following up on several cases that have come to light, and people who have approached us that they also want to return. And we've taken up this matter very strongly with the government. In fact, when the Foreign Minister of Myanmar was here in his discussion with...External Affairs Minister in his discussion with Foreign Minister raised this issue, and we are following up so that all those Indian who are caught there, they can come back home as early as possible.

Ayanangsha, your question, you know, India-US partnership is an expansive world. We have so much going on in this relationship, from defense to trade to technology to innovation to startup. We also, you know, Quad partnership. So all these are matters which are continuously under discussion, not just between the Embassy and Foreign Ministry here the External Affairs Ministry, but several organs of government of India and several organs of the government of the United States. It is a very intense and deep relationship, and all these issues are discussed in this partnership, and we want to further strengthen them, deepen them, and take this relationship forward.

If there are no more questions...thank you very much. Ladies and gentlemen, look forward to meeting you next week.

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AEOI chief: Iran acts according to safeguards, NPT

IRNA - Islamic Republic News Agency

Jul 19, 2024

Tehran, IRNA -- Iran's position in facing the International Atomic Energy Agency is according to safeguards and NPT, Spokesperson of the National Security and Foreign Policy Commission of Iran's Parliament quoted President of the Atomic Energy Organization of Iran (AEOI) Mohammad Eslami as saying.

Regarding the "Strategic Action Plan to Lift Sanctions and Protect Iranian Nation's Interests", which was approved in the 11th parliament, he said that this law helped the Atomic Energy Organization to move more strongly, Ebrahim Rezaie told IRNA on Friday.

Bushehr nuclear power plant is among top in the power plant association and has saved 104 million barrels of oil, he noted.

Referring to the report of the head of the Atomic Energy Organization about the development of radiation systems, he said that these systems are used in the fields of agriculture, food, medicine and radiopharmaceutical industries, and they have had a successful effect so far.

9376**2050



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Iran Intensifies Pressure On Iraq To Extradite Iranian-Kurdish Leaders

By Iliya Jazaeri July 19, 2024

Tehran is upping the ante in its effort to go after Iranian Kurds abroad it deems "terrorists," demanding that Baghdad extradite leaders and members of Iranian-Kurdish opposition groups based in Iraq's semi-autonomous Kurdish region.

"A list of nearly 120 terrorists who identify themselves as noble Kurds has been sent to Iraq for extradition and their trial will be held soon," Iranian judiciary official Kazem Gharibabadi said on July 13.

Gharibabadi did not reveal the names on the list. But he said that preparations had been made for the trial of "leaders and members" of a "terrorist group."

Kurdish and Iraqi media have reported that the list contains the names of some 120 leaders and members of Iranian-Kurdish groups opposed to Tehran.

Many of these groups were armed, with some demanding autonomy within Iran and others fighting for secession from the Islamic republic. Kurds make up around 10 percent of Iran's population of some 88 million and primarily live in the country's west along the border with Iraq.

Gharibabadi cast the move as part of a broader effort to fight terrorism, saying that similar extradition requests would be sent to "relevant foreign countries."

But the move follows backlash to Iran's strong-armed approach in Iraqi Kurdistan, including deadly air strikes that have targeted Iranian-Kurdish opposition groups as well as alleged Israeli targets.

Members of Kurdish opposition parties cast the pressure by Iran, which follows the signing last year of a security pact between Tehran and Baghdad, as misguided cover for undermining the Kurdish independence movement.

Many Iranian-Kurdish political parties and factions opposed to the Islamic Republic of Iran are based in Iraq's Kurdistan region. That includes the Democratic Party of Iranian Kurdistan (PDKI), the most prominent exile opposition faction; Komala, a leftist group; and Free Life Party of Kurdistan (PJAK), the Iranian offshoot of Turkey's Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK) and designated by Washington as a terrorist group.

Tehran has long accused unspecified Kurdish opposition groups, without providing evidence, of coordinating with Israel, its archfoe, to stage attacks on Iran from Iraqi Kurdistan. Kurdish opposition groups deny the allegation.

Cross-Border Strikes

In a security pact agreed between Tehran and Iraq's central government in March 2023, Baghdad agreed to secure Iraqi Kurdistan's lengthy eastern border with Iran, as well as to disarm and relocate Iranian-Kurdish opposition groups based in the region.

Many offices of Kurdish parties that oppose Tehran have since been shut down.

Baghdad's dealings with Iran have been fraught with controversy. Multiple strikes have been carried out by Iran in the Kurdistan region, including a missile attack on the headquarters of the PDKI in the Kuisanjaq district in 2018 that killed 15 members of the party's leadership as well as Peshmerga forces.

In 2022, Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps again targeted the PDKI, as well as Komala, with missile and drone strikes in the regional capital, Irbil, and the city of Sulaymaniyah in the east of the Kurdistan region.

Last year, protests broke out in Iraqi Kurdistan over the construction of a security fence along the region's border with Iran. And tensions rose significantly between Iraq's central government and Tehran after Iran carried out missile strikes in January against what it said were Israeli targets, killing four people in Irbil.

After Tehran reached out to resolve its differences with Baghdad, the head of the semiautonomous region, Nechirvan Barzani, visited Iran in May and met with top officials, including Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei.

Barzani gave a commitment in writing that Irbil would work to disarm "terrorist groups" and ensure their removal from the Kurdistan region.

While Iran claims the alleged anti-Iranian activities of such groups to be a key security challenge, representatives of Iranian-Kurdish factions who spoke to RFE/RL's Radio Farda denied that assertion and suggested that Tehran had ulterior motives.

Reza Kaabi, secretary-general of Komala, said that Iran had focused its pressure on Kurdish parties by targeting them with "missiles, drones, and long-range weapons."

But in reality, he said, "the Islamic republic has actually targeted the Kurdish people's liberation movement."

Fears Of Kurdish Independence

Iraq's Kurdistan region held an independence referendum in 2017 that was overwhelmingly approved by voters with more than 92 percent in favor.

Kurdish leaders suggested the vote, which was opposed by Baghdad, would not lead immediately to independence. But neighboring states like Iran, Syria, and Turkey -- which have large ethnic Kurdish populations -- saw the referendum as a troubling sign of possible secession.

After the referendum, the Iraqi military took control of Irbil and the oil-rich city of Kirkuk from Peshmerga forces, prompting the government in Iraqi Kurdistan to renounce the referendum and to negotiate with Baghdad.

The regional government later announced that it was "committed to responsible behavior in order to prevent further violence and conflicts."

Sami Rikani, an independent political activist who resides in the Kurdistan region, says that in the aftermath, pressure from Iran and Turkey increased.

"Especially after the referendum on the independence of the Kurdistan region of Iraq in 2017, Iran and Turkey came to the conclusion that they should start the process of confronting the Kurdish groups," Rikani said.

The recent demand by Tehran for Baghdad to expel leaders and members of Iranian-Kurdish groups is in keeping with this strategy as well as a security agreement signed between Iraq and Turkey in 2016, Rikani adds.

Turkey has also recently increased its military measures and operations in the Kurdistan region of Iraq with the aim of "combating the Kurdish groups opposed to the Ankara government," according to Ankara.

The question now, considering Iraq's subsequent security pact inked with Iran last year, is whether Baghdad will acquiesce to Tehran's demand.

Neither Iraq's central government nor the government of the Kurdistan region immediately responded to the extradition request.

Written by Michael Scollon based on reporting by Iliya Jazaeri of RFE/RL's Radio Farda

Source: https://www.rferl.org/a/iran-iraq-kurdistan-kurds- terror/33043121.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.

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Myanmar junta airstrike on market kills 15, residents say

Over 30,000 people are trapped by fighting in one town with no medical staff to help the many wounded.

By RFA Burmese 2024.07.19 -- Junta forces bombed a market in Myanmar's Shan state killing at least 15 people and wounding many, residents said on Friday, as a surge of fighting in the northeast and elsewhere took an increasingly heavy toll of civilians.

Allied groups have been battling the military regime that seized power in a 2021 coup across the Mandalay region, as well as in neighboring Shan state and Rakhine state in the west since launching an offensive codenamed Operation 1027 in late October.

A ceasefire agreed in January between junta forces and insurgent armies known as the Three Brotherhood Alliance collapsed in late June and fighting has surged since then.

Battles have been raging for townships in Shan state and the Mandalay region with junta forces resorting to airstrikes as insurgent forces make gains in several places.

An airstrike on a market in Shan state's Hsenwi town killed 15 people on Thursday and critically wounded many, residents said, though adding that details could not be confirmed as telecommunications links had been cut.

"A plane dropped six bombs during market hours," said one resident who declined to be identified for security reasons.

"It's likely that some of the injured may also die because they are critically hurt. We still don't know exactly how many, but there are a lot."

Hsenwi is about 50 km (30 miles) northeast of Lashio, the main town in northern Shan state where heavy fighting has also been taking place trapping thousands of civilians.

The military has not released any information about the bombing in Hsenwi and a junta spokesman did not answer telephone calls seeking comment. Li Kya Win a spokesman for the insurgent force battling in the town, the Myanmar National Democratic Alliance Army, or MNDAA, which is part of the Three Brotherhood Alliance, also did not respond to calls seeking comment by the time of publication.

Messaging app channels supporting the junta posted videos that they said showed troops had cleared MNDAA insurgents out of state buildings in Hsenwi on Thursday evening.

But residents told RFA that no insurgents had occupied those buildings near the market.

'No doctors'

In the Mandalay region to the west of Shan state, so-called People's Defense Forces serving under the National Unity Government, a shadow administration formed by members of the civilian government ousted in the 2021 coup, have said they have captured at least two dozen junta bases.

Junta forces fired artillery into at least six neighborhoods in the gem-mining town of Mogoke, about 200 km (120 miles) north of Mandalay city, on Thursday killing 11 civilians and wounding 17, residents said.

Another member of the Three Brotherhood Alliance, the Ta'ang National Liberation Army, fighting alongside People's Defense Forces, claimed control of western Mogoke on Tuesday.

At least half of the town's residents have fled, with many of those remaining struggling to cremate relatives killed in the fighting, said one resident, who also declined to be named for security reasons.

"Family members have been cremating their dead after bringing their bodies on motorcycles since last night," he said. "They couldn't contact the free funeral service volunteer associations because all the phone lines were cut."

He said the communications blackout made it impossible to get an accurate idea of the death toll but residents identified four of those killed in artillery fire as Min Khant Kyaw, Ni Tot, Thant Zin, Ko Htwe and Tin Maung Aye. The other seven could not be identified.

There was also little help for the wounded, said a volunteer working with an aid association.

"There are no doctors or nurses in the hospital anymore. They left when the shelling became too intense and artillery started flying," he said, declining to be named in order to speak freely.

RFA called Mandalay region's junta spokesperson, Thein Htay, for comment but he did not respond.

About 30,000 people, or about half of Mogoke's usual population, are trapped in their homes after junta forces set up road blocks throughout the township as part of their campaign against the insurgents.

The Ta'ang National Liberation Army, or TNLA, is trying to occupy Mogoke and Shan state's Mongmit, a spokesperson for the insurgent force told RFA.

The TNLA seized four military camps, as well as weapons and ammunition on Thursday and only four junta outposts are holding out in a 55 km (34 mile) stretch between Mongmit and Mogoke, said the spokesperson, Lway Yay Oo, who added that TNLA fighters were focusing on getting control of Mogoke's east.

Junta attacks have killed 94 civilians and injured 131 in Kyaukme, Hsipaw, Nawnghkio, Mongmit and Mogoke townships from late June until Thursday, she said.

Translated by RFA Burmese. Edited by Kiana Duncan and Mike Firn.

Copyright 1998-2024, RFA. Used with the permission of Radio Free Asia, 2025 M St. NW, Suite 300, Washington DC 20036. For any commercial use of RFA content please send an email to: mahajanr@rfa.org. RFA content 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.

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Russian Court Sentences WSJ Journalist Gershkovich to 16 Years in a Maximum Security Colony

Sputnik News

20240719

The Russian state prosecution requested 18 years in prison for US journalist working for The Wall Street Journal, Evan Gershkovich, in the espionage case.

The Sverdlovsk Regional Court has sentenced American journalist Evan Gershkovich of the Wall Street Journal newspaper Evan Gershkovich to 16 years in prison in the espionage case.

"Evan Gershkovich found guilty, to impose a sentence of imprisonment for a term of 16 years with serving his sentence in a high-security colony," the judge announced the verdict.

On Wednesday, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said that Russia had clear evidence proving Gershkovich's involvement in spy activities. According to investigators, in March 2023, Gershkovich, as instructed by the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA), collected secret information in Russia's Sverdlovsk Region about the activities of Russian defense enterprise Uralvagonzavod, which produces and repairs military equipment.

Russia's Federal Security Service arrested Gershkovich in March 2023 on suspicion of trying to collect classified defense information for the United States while he was on assignment in Yekaterinburg. The Wall Street Journal denied the charges and Washington argued the reporter had been detained "wrongfully."

A Sputnik

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Gershkovich convicted of espionage in 'sham' trial, given 16 years in prison

By Liam Scott July 19, 2024

A Russian court on Friday convicted American journalist Evan Gershkovich of espionage and sentenced him to 16 years in prison, in what is widely viewed as a politically motivated case.

The court announced the verdict shortly after 5 p.m. local time Friday, according to Russian independent media outlet Meduza.

Gershkovich, a reporter for The Wall Street Journal, has been jailed in Russia since March 2023 on spying charges that he, his employer and the U.S. government vehemently deny.

The Journal condemned the conviction in a statement Friday.

"This disgraceful, sham conviction comes after Evan has spent 478 days in prison, wrongfully detained, away from his family and friends, prevented from reporting, all for doing his job as a journalist," the newspaper's publisher Almar Latour and editor in chief Emma Tucker said in the statement.

"We will continue to do everything possible to press for Evan's release and to support his family. Journalism is not a crime, and we will not rest until he's released. This must end now," they added.

In a statement posted on the social media platform Telegram, the Russian court said that Gershkovich "did not admit guilt," but that "the totality of the evidence presented to the court was sufficient to render a guilty verdict." The court also said Gershkovich has 15 days to appeal the conviction.

Karol Luczka, who covers Eastern Europe at the International Press Institute in Vienna, told VOA that although the case against Gershkovich is bogus, the conviction was expected due to the lack of rule of law in Russia.

"This prison sentence just shows how journalism has been completely used as a bargaining chip by the Russian authorities," Luczka said. "It just shows the complete lack of respect towards independent journalism by Russian authorities."

The State Department has declared the 32-year-old wrongfully detained, which commits the U.S. government to seek his release.

"We have been clear from the get-go that Evan did nothing wrong and should not have been detained," State Department spokesperson Vedant Patel told reporters Thursday. "To date, Russia has provided no evidence of a crime and has failed to justify Evan's continued detention. Evan should not be detained."

Gershkovich's trial began on June 26 in Yekaterinburg, where the journalist was initially detained. The Ural Mountains city is about 1,400 kilometers, or 870 miles, east of Moscow.

Press freedom groups and The Journal have consistently condemned Gershkovich's trial as a politically motivated sham.

"It's certainly a sham trial. It's a travesty of justice. The charges brought against him are spurious and unsubstantiated, and the whole thing is just a masquerade," Gulnoza Said, the Europe and Central Asia program coordinator at the Committee to Protect Journalists, or CPJ, told VOA in June, shortly before the trial began.

U.S. President Joe Biden affirmed in a Friday statement that the United States is working to secure Gershkovich's release.

"There is no question that Russia is wrongfully detaining Evan. Journalism is not a crime. We will continue to stand strong for press freedom in Russia and worldwide, and stand against all those who seek to attack the press or target journalists," Biden said.

"Evan has endured his ordeal with remarkable strength. We will not cease in our efforts to bring him home," Biden added.

The U.S. embassy in Moscow did not immediately reply to VOA's email requesting comment for this story.

Hasty trial

Gershkovich's trial took place in secret, behind closed doors, which is common practice in Russia for cases of alleged treason or espionage involving classified state material.

Gershkovich's trial appears to have concluded much faster than expected. Based on similar previous trials, press freedom experts initially estimated that the trial would last a few months.

The second hearing was originally scheduled for August 13, but the court later moved it to July 18. The court then heard closing arguments Friday.

Russian authorities have accused Gershkovich of "gathering secret information" about a Russian tank manufacturer for the United States.

Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov on Wednesday repeated the Kremlin's claim of "irrefutable evidence" against Gershkovich, but the Russian government has to date failed to publicly disclose any evidence to support the claims against the journalist.

Lavrov said Wednesday at the United Nations that Moscow and Washington's "special services" are discussing an exchange involving Gershkovich. Russia and the United States have been negotiating a possible prisoner swap for months, but the Kremlin has said a verdict would have to come first.

Russia's Washington embassy did not immediately reply to VOA's email requesting comment for this story.

Gershkovich is one of two American journalists currently detained by Russia. The second, Alsu Kurmasheva, has spent nine months in custody.

The Prague-based journalist for VOA's sister outlet Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty has been jailed since October 2023 on charges of failing to self-register as a foreign agent and spreading what Moscow views as false information about the Russian army.

Kurmasheva and her employer reject the charges, and the U.S. government has also called for her immediate release.

"Evan Gershkovich and Alsu Kurmasheva should never have been imprisoned in the first place," Luczka said. "We continue to demand Evan's immediate release, as well as that of Alsu Kurmasheva."

VOA's State Department bureau chief Nike Ching contributed to this report.

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Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov's remarks at a ceremony for opening an exhibition dedicated to the 80th anniversary of Russia-Syria diplomatic relations, Moscow, July 19, 2024

19 July 2024 13:31

1373-19-07-2024

Ladies and gentlemen,

Excellencies,

Welcome to the opening of an exhibition dedicated to the 80th anniversary of diplomatic relations between Russia and Syria.

I would like to thank the staff of the Department of History and Records of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs for their hard work to make today's event possible. Materials from the Foreign Policy Archives of the Russian Federation covering the main phases of the multifaceted and traditionally friendly cooperation with the Syrian Arab Republic ranging from the first telegrammes concerning the establishment of diplomatic relations to photographs from the most recent meetings and talks are on display.

Russian-Syrian diplomatic relations were established on July 21, 1944 at the height of WWII. You don't need me to tell you what a difficult time it was for our respective countries and the world at large. Today, we are once again living through hard times. The collective West led by the United States has challenged the natural course of history and the processes leading to a more sustainable and just world order without hegemons, or colonial and neo-colonial practices, where countries will be able to cooperate on the basis of equality and balance of interests. Russia and Syria are at the leading edge of the pursuit of truth and justice worldwide.

We appreciate Damascus providing principled support for the special military operation in defence of Russian people, the Russian language and culture. The operation has given a powerful boost to strengthening the polycentric basis of international life. Many Global Majority countries that share similar perspectives agree that the push of the ruling circles of the Western countries to impose a unipolar dictatorship on the international community is doomed.

I am convinced that no one will succeed in preventing our Syrian friends or us from upholding our vital interests, sovereignty, and political independence. We will continue to pursue an independent foreign policy and to strengthen ties with the countries that are willing to abide by the principles of equality and mutual respect.

Syria is our reliable and time-tested ally and an important partner in the international arena. Our joint efforts made it possible for us to put out the hotbed of international terrorism in Syria. A stable ceasefire regime is maintained in the country. Not without difficulty, peaceful life is gradually returning to Syria.

President Vladimir Putin maintains communication with Bashar al-Assad. The respective foreign policy agencies cooperate closely as well. In January, I met with my colleague and friend Syrian Minister of Foreign Affairs and Expatriates Faisal Mekdad in Moscow twice.

Extensive contacts are maintained at the level of our respective defence agencies and the ministries dealing with socioeconomic issues. In October 2023, the co-chairs of the Permanent Russian-Syrian Commission on Trade, Economic, Scientific and Technical Cooperation signed an intergovernmental agreement on expanding trade and economic cooperation.

Both sides focus intensely on promoting, cultural, humanitarian, scientific and educational contacts. Thousands of Syrians are studying at our universities. Members of academic circles and cultural groups are actively interacting. Syria's interest in the Russian language is growing which is comforting to know. More than 36,000 Syrian pupils and university students are currently studying it. We will do our best to help expand this area of reciprocal educational ties.

I'm convinced that relations between Russia and Syria will continue to make steady progress based on the countries' extensive historical experience and in the spirit of long-standing friendship between our countries and peoples.

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United States Applauds the Kyrgyz Republic's Repatriation of Women and Children from Northeast Syria

US Department of State

Press Statement

Matthew Miller, Department Spokesperson

July 19, 2024

The Kyrgyz Republic's repatriation of 22 women and children from the al-Hol and Roj displaced persons camps in northeast Syria is the second such return of its nationals this year and the sixth repatriation overall since February 2023. We applaud the Kyrgyz Republic for its continued, exemplary action on repatriations, the only durable solution to the humanitarian and security challenges in northeast Syria.

In total, the Kyrgyz Republic has repatriated 454 of its nationals since early 2023, all in U.S. assisted operations, including 121 nationals this year, a substantial portion of the nearly 228 non-Syrian or Iraqi third country nationals returned to their countries of origin so far in 2024. In doing so, the Kyrgyz Republic continues to serve as a leader on repatriation from northeast Syria within the region and worldwide. We will continue supporting repatriations to the Kyrgyz Republic and the rehabilitation and reintegration of its citizens once they return home.

Approximately 27,000 individuals from more than 60 countries outside Syria remain in the al-Hol and Roj camps, most of whom are children under the age of 12 who deserve a chance at life outside of the dire conditions of these camps.

We are grateful to our international and local partners, the Syrian Democratic Forces, and the Government of Kuwait, for their support in returning displaced persons from al-Hol and Roj to their countries of origin. The United States remains ready to assist other countries in their efforts to repatriate their nationals.

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Taiwan confirms joint maritime drill with Japan Coast Guard

ROC Central News Agency

07/19/2024 10:06 PM

Taipei, July 19 (CNA) Taiwan's Coast Guard Administration (CGA) on Friday confirmed it conducted a joint maritime exercise with its Japanese counterpart the previous day to better ensure the safety of vessel navigation.

The drill with the Japan Coast Guard (JCG) in waters south of the Boso Peninsula in Chiba Prefecture, was arranged under a memorandum of understanding (MOU) signed by the Japan-Taiwan Exchange Association and the Taiwan-Japan Relations Association in 2017, the CGA told reporters.

The two associations were established to handle practical matters related to exchange and interactions between the two countries in the economic, trade and cultural areas in the absence of diplomatic ties.

According to Japanese media outlet The Yomiuri Shimbun, it was the first maritime exercise between the two coast guards since Japan and Taiwan severed diplomatic ties in 1972.

The CGA's Hsun Hu No. 9 and JCG Sagami patrol vessel simulated a maritime rescue operation, aimed at improving coordination through information sharing and adjusting search areas, according to media reports citing anonymous sources.

As China intensifies its maritime activities, Japan seems to be seeking cooperation with neighboring countries or regions, Japan's NHK reported.

However, Japan's Chief Cabinet Secretary Yoshimasa Hayashi told a news conference Friday that the drills were "not aimed at any third country, including China."

Taiwan and Japan "have a framework for maritime cooperation, under which an MOU has been signed concerning maritime search and rescue cooperation, as well as the fight against smuggling and illegal border entry," he said.

(By Tai Ya-chen and Lee Hsin-Yin)

Enditem/AW

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Injunction granted against Legislature's investigative power measures (update)

ROC Central News Agency

07/19/2024 08:19 PM

Taipei, July 19 (CNA) Taiwan's Constitutional Court on Friday issued an injunction halting the enforcement of controversial amendments passed at the end of May by opposition lawmakers that gave the Legislature expanded investigative powers.

The Constitutional Court held a preparatory hearing on July 10 for injunction applications, and on Friday granted an injunction, which requires the approval of more than half of the court's 15 justices.

Thirteen justices fully supported the ruling while two justices had differences of opinion on blocking implementation of a few of the revisions.

The amendments to the Law Governing the Legislative Yuan's Power, which the opposition parties said were aimed at strengthening the lawmaking body's power to oversee the executive branch's power, were passed on May 28, signed into law on June 24, and took effect on June 26.

The ruling Democratic Progressive Party caucus, the Cabinet, President Lai Ching-te (ea), and the Control Yuan then separately sought an injunction halting the revisions' implementation on the grounds that they might be unconstitutional.

Those parties also petitioned the Constitutional Court to rule on the constitutionality of the amendments, and Friday's ruling suggests that some of them will eventually be found to have violated the Constitution.

The injunction covers most of the amendments passed, including Article 15-4 that requires the president to respond to lawmakers' questions after delivering a state of the nation address to the Legislature, and Article 25 that prohibits officials from "reverse questioning."

Also covered by the injunction were amendments strengthening the Legislature's investigative powers that allow an investigative committee to request the presence of and information from military and private entities as well as adding a new offense -- "Contempt of the Legislature" -- to the Criminal Code.

The court questioned an investigative committee's right to call people to testify because it may go beyond the rights accorded legislative committees in Article 67 of the Constitution to "invite government officials and private persons ... to be present at their meetings to answer questions."

The revision risked forcing people to appear before committees, express opinions and provide documents against their will, the court said.

On the issue of revisions to the Legislature's power to exercise investigation powers as revised in articles 45, 46, 47 and 48 of the law, the court said they may infringe on separation of power principles and lead to disputes over institutional authority and checks and balances.

It also said the investigative powers the revisions give the Legislature, such as requesting information or accessing documents, are not clearly stipulated in the Constitution.

In issuing the injunction, the court ruled that Article 25 (on legislative questioning) and articles 45 and 47 (on the legislature's power to have access to files) of the law on the Legislature's power as written before being amended would take effect until the constitutionality of the revisions was determined.

According to the Constitutional Court Procedure Act, an injunction may be granted "as a last resort" to "prevent the basic rights protected under the Constitution and public interest from being irreparably and materially impaired."

The Presidential Office said later Friday that it respected the decision made by the court on the injunction.

Disagreeing with the injunction ruling, the opposition Kuomintang caucus described it as "the death of judicial independence," and said it did not believe that the justices who issued the injunction would be able to rule impartially on the amendments' constitutionality.

Huang Kuo-chang (ea) of the opposition Taiwan People's Party said that as a law professional himself, he respected the ruling of the court, but believed that the Constitutional Court will have to face the "examination of public opinion and the historical judgment of democracy."

(By Lin Chang-hsun, Wen Kuei-hsiang, Fan Cheng-hsiang, Kuo Chien-sheng and Alison Hsiao)

Enditem/ls

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China strongly opposes Japan's joint maritime drill with Taiwan island: FM

Global Times

By Liu Xin and Guo Yuandan Published: Jul 19, 2024 08:18 PM

China strongly deplores and firmly opposes Japan's joint maritime exercise with the Taiwan region, and has lodged protests with Japan, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Lin Jian said at a regular press conference on Friday, urging Japan to adhere to the one-China principle, refrain from conniving at or supporting "Taiwan independence" separatist forces in any form and stop disrupting cross-Strait peace and stability and China-Japan relations.

The coast guards of Taiwan island and Japan reportedly conducted a joint drill on Thursday in the sea south of the Boso Peninsula near Tokyo. This is the first maritime exercise between the two coast guards since Japan severed "diplomatic ties" with the island in 1972, according to Japanese media.

Japan has made serious commitments to China on the Taiwan question, including not supporting "two Chinas," "one China, one Taiwan" or "Taiwan independence." This is the stance and principles that Japan must uphold, Foreign Ministry spokesperson Lin said.

We urge Japan to adhere to the one-China principle and the spirit of the four political documents between China and Japan, correct the wrongdoing at once, refrain from conniving at or supporting "Taiwan independence" separatist forces in any form, Lin said.

Jan should stay prudent on issues related to the East and South China Seas, and stop disrupting cross-Straits peace and stability and China-Japan relations, said Lin.

The joint drill between Japan and Taiwan island undoubtedly represents a serious departure from Japan's commitments and basic policies on the Taiwan question since the normalization of China-Japan relations in 1972. It is a significant and misguided action, deliberately provoking the one-China principle, according to Xiang Haoyu, a research fellow at the China Institute of International Studies, who spoke to the Global Times on Friday.

Japan's engagement with Taiwan island has expanded from maritime drills to the military field, as Japan escalates efforts to break its post-war military restrictions and pursues a "salami-slicing" tactic to deepen concrete exchanges with the island, aimed at containing China, Xiang said.

The expert noted that Japan's increased involvement in the Taiwan question has strained China-Japan relations, undermining the political foundation of bilateral ties. Additionally, Japan has been at a dead end in using Taiwan island to contain China, and this path could only destabilize the Taiwan Straits and the broader region, Xiang noted.

Analysts emphasized that Taiwan is part of China and the Taiwan question brooks no external interference.

Chinese Vice Foreign Minister Ma Zhaoxu has been invited to visit Japan and South Korea to attend a China-Japan strategic dialogue and China-South Korea high-level strategic dialogue between foreign ministries, Foreign Ministry spokesperson Lin announced on Friday. It's hoped that Japan should refrain from meddling in China's international affairs to foster a conducive atmosphere for bilateral exchanges.

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PLA activities in the waters and airspace around Taiwan

ROC Ministry of National Defense

2024/07/19

PLA activities in the waters and airspace around Taiwan

1.Dateis6 to 6 a.m. (UTC+8) Thursday to Friday, Jul. 18-19

2. PLA activitiesis17 PLA aircraft, 9 PLAN vessels and 1 official ship operating around Taiwan were detected up until 6 a.m. (UTC+8) today. 12 of the aircraft crossed the median line of the Taiwan Strait and entered Taiwan's northern, southwestern and eastern ADIZ. ROC Armed Forces have monitored the situation and employed CAP aircraft, Navy vessels, and coastal missile systems in response to the detected activities.



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Within MCM Task Group TCG YAZBAAzI GANGAR DURMUAz and TCG AKAAY Conducts Port Visit

Republic of TArkiye Ministry of National Defence

Date: 19.07.2024

Within the first activation period of the Black Sea Mine Countermeasures Task Group, TCG YAZBAAzI GANGAR DURMUAz and TCG AKAAY conducted a port visit in Constanta/Romania on July 15-16, 2024.

A press meeting was held at the Port of Constanta concerning the activities of MCM Task Group Black Sea. The Ambassador of the Republic of TArkiye in Bucharest and Turkish Consul General in Constanta, Romania paid a visit to TCG YAZBAAzI GANGAR DURMUAz and TCG AKAAY.

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Activities Within Exercise Breeze-2024

Republic of TArkiye Ministry of National Defence

Date: 19.07.2024

Exercise Breeze-2024 hosted by Bulgaria was conducted in Western Black Sea on July 4-14, 2024. Within Black Sea Mine Countermeasures Task Group, Turkish Naval Forces replenishment ship TCG YAZBAAzI GANGAR DURMUAz and minehunter TCG AKAAY participated in the exercise.

During the sea phase of the exercise, mine warfare, warfare against asymmetric threats, anti-air warfare, drifting mines surveillance/reconnaissance, damage control training, sailing and shipping trainings and surface shootings were conducted.

After the exercise, President of Bulgaria was saluted in the official parade performed by components.

At the end of the exercise, an assessment meeting of Exercise Breeze-2024 was held with the participation of Chief of Bulgarian Navy Rear Admiral Upper Half Kiril Yordanov, Bulgarian Navy Flotilla Commander Rear Admiral Lower Half Velko Velkov and MCM BLACK Sea task unit commander Captain Yusuf KaragAlle.

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Russian Missile Strike Hits Playground In Mykolayiv, Killing 3, Zelenskiy Says

By RFE/RL's Ukrainian Service July 19, 2024

A Russian missile strike on the southern Ukrainian city of Mykolayiv hit a playground, killing at least three people, including one child, President Volodymyr Zelenskiy said on July 19.

The strike also wounded five people, Zelenskiy said on Telegram, calling on the world to help stop Russian "terror."

Mykolayiv Mayor Oleksandr Syenkevych confirmed on Telegram that three people, including a child, died in the attack.

Zelenskiy published photos showing what appeared to be at least two bodies -- one lying under rubble by the entrance to a building and another lying in a wooded area near residential buildings. The photos also showed one person being carried away on a stretcher and the windows of the residential buildings blown out.

"This destruction of life must stop," Zelenskiy said. "New solutions are needed to support our defense. Russia must feel the power of the world."

The Ukrainian leader has repeatedly called for Kyiv's Western backers to deliver more air-defense systems to help the country protect its skies from Russian aerial attacks.

The port city of Mykolayiv and the surrounding region regularly come under Russian attacks. Regional Governor Vitaliy Kim said on Telegram that another missile landed elsewhere in the region on July 19.

Moscow denies targeting civilians or civilian infrastructure despite evidence and testimony to the contrary and the documented deaths of more than 10,000 people in its attacks since the launch of its full-scale invasion in February 2022.

Russian shelling earlier on July 19 from across the Dnieper River killed an elderly woman in the settlement of Bilozerka in Ukraine's Kherson region, Governor Oleksandr Prokudin said on Telegram.

A Russian strike on the town of Chuhuyiv in the northeastern Kharkiv region wounded at least seven people, regional head Oleh Synyehubov reported, while in the Sumy region close to the border with Russia, at least one civilian was wounded by Russian shelling, according to regional officials.

Meanwhile, Russia's Defense Ministry said that its air defenses had downed 19 Ukrainian drones over the western Kursk and Belgorod regions, as well as occupied Crimea.

With reporting by AFP

Source: https://www.rferl.org/a/ukraine-russia- missile-mykolayiv-playground/33043297.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.

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In Historic Address To U.K. Cabinet, Zelenskiy Calls For Boosting Ukraine's 'Long-Range Capability'

By RFE/RL's Ukrainian Service July 19, 2024

President Volodymyr Zelenskiy delivered a historic address before Britain's cabinet on July 19, calling for its help in halting Moscow's deadly missile strikes by allowing Ukrainian forces to launch attacks deeper inside Russian territory.

Zelenskiy, the first foreign leader to address the cabinet since former U.S. President Bill Clinton in 1997, said Britain had the power to convince its NATO partners, some of whom have been reluctant to allow Kyiv to use Western-provided long-range weapons to strike targets hundreds of kilometers deep inside Russia, to reverse their stance and remove the limitations.

"I ask you to show your leadership," Zelenskiy told the British cabinet to a standing ovation at the start of the meeting at No. 10 Downing Street.

"Right now we are missing the main answer to this question and that is our long-range capability...Please convince the other partners to remove the limits. If the restrictions on using Western weapons against Russian military are lifted, we can strike further than just near the border," he said, adding that once we can strike further...including Russian military airfields, we will not only protect ourselves from any Russian offensives but also secure our frontline positions and cities from Russian bombs."

Britain has been one of Ukraine's staunchest supporters since the start of Russia's unprovoked invasion in February 2022, and Prime Minister Keir Starmer, who led his Labour Party to a landslide election victory earlier this month, was quick to reaffirm Britain's commitment to Kyiv despite the change of government.

Zelenskiy and Starmer met separately ahead of the cabinet meeting, and the Ukrainian leader thanked Britain for its sustained support.

"Ukraine is, and always will be, at the heart of this government's agenda, and so it is only fitting that President Zelenskiy will make a historic address to my Cabinet," Starmer said in a statement before the meeting.

"Russia's incremental gains on the battlefield are nothing compared with the collective international support for Ukraine, or the strength of ties between our people."

Russian forces over the past several months have made small advances in the east of Ukraine against exhausted Ukrainian forces who have lacked sufficient manpower and ammunition. At the same time, Moscow has also frequently targeted critical Ukrainian energy infrastructure and caused deaths and damage in cities.

Separately, Zelenskiy said on July 19 that Poland had made a decision that would speed up the delivery of F-16 warplanes to Ukraine.

"Today, we have a positive decision from the Polish government on a specific issue, which will allow Ukraine to receive F-16 jets sooner. I am grateful to Prime Minister Tusk for efficiently following up on our previous agreements. I am grateful to Poland for its strong support for Ukraine," Zelenskiy wrote on X, without giving details.

Earlier on July 19, Russian shelling from across the Dnieper River killed an elderly woman in the settlement of Bilozerka, in Ukraine's Kherson region, regional Governor Oleksandr Prokudin said on Telegram.

A Russian strike on the town of Chuhuyiv in the northeastern Kharkiv region wounded at least seven people, regional head Oleh Synyehubov reported, while in the Sumy region close to the border with Russia, at least one civilian was wounded by Russian shelling, according to regional officials.

Meanwhile, Russia's Defense Ministry said that its air defense systems had downed 19 Ukrainian drones over the Kursk and Belgorod regions, as well as occupied Crimea.

Source: https://www.rferl.org/a/zelenskiy-uk-cabinet- address-russian-strikes-ukraine-/33042505.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.

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Hungary Sees No 'Battlefield Solution' to Ukraine Conflict, Backs Negotiations - Szijjarto

Sputnik News

20240719

UNITED NATIONS (Sputnik) - Hungary sees no battlefield solution to the conflict in Ukraine and supports negotiations to resolve the conflict, Hungarian Minister of Foreign Affairs and Trade Peter Szijjarto told RIA Novosti.

"We see no battlefield solution. We only see a solution around the negotiating table, and in order to have a result around the negotiating table, everybody should sit there and hope that a ceasefire can be established soon, and taking advantage of this chance so peace talks would be carried out," Szijjarto said on the sidelines of the UN.

Peace talks could begin as soon as later this year if former US President Donald Trump retakes the White House in the 2024 presidential election in the United States, Szijjarto added.

Szijjarto also said that the European Union (EU) needs to break from the United States and pursue peace in Ukraine and elsewhere.

"The United States - at least the current administration - represents a pro-war position. The European Union doesn't represent anything but copying the United States, and that is the problem," Szijjarto said on the sidelines of the UN.

Hungary urges the European Union to develop its own strategy focused on restoring the legitimacy of diplomatic channels, Szijjarto said.

A Sputnik

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Russia's war threatens food security: UK statement to the OSCE

Justin Addison, UK Delegation to the OSCE, tells the OSCE's Economic and Environmental Committee (EEC) that Russia is prioritising its own aims above global food security.

19 July 2024



Mr Chair,

The UK delegation would like to thank the Austrian chair of the EEC for convening this session to discuss food security. As you rightly said at the start, conflict situations in regions key to global food trade can severely impact food security.

Ukrainian grain exports are crucial in ensuring global food security and the resilience of global grain markets. Before Russia's illegal full-scale invasion, Ukraine accounted for around 10% of global wheat exports and 12% of corn and barley exports.

Russia has cynically attempted to prevent Ukraine from exporting its grain, prioritising its own aims above global food security. In 2023, it deliberately obstructed and then withdrew from the Black Sea Grain Initiative, after which it deliberately attacked Ukraine's grain storage and export infrastructure.

However, these attempts have failed. Ukraine's military successes have now pushed back Russia's Black Sea Fleet, enabling it to resume exports from its Black Sea ports. Since last summer, Ukraine has exported 36 million tonnes of agricultural produce and 17 million tonnes of other cargo through the Black Sea. Through all routes, Ukraine has now exported all its harvest from 2023.

There is ample evidence that Russia is also systematically acquiring grain from occupied Ukrainian territory and selling it on, with farmers forced to sell their produce to occupation authorities. This is grain which Ukraine should rightfully be supplying to world markets, instead of either being transferred to Russia for consumption or sold abroad, passed off as Russian grain.

All buyers of Russian grain, including those represented in this committee, should consider these facts when making purchasing decisions.

Russia often likes to claim that Western sanctions are hindering its agricultural exports. We have always been clear that the target of our sanctions is Russia's war machine and not its food and fertiliser sectors. The UN and other partners have taken significant steps to ensure that Russian food is able to access world markets.

Mr Chair, food security is another casualty of Russia's unnecessary and unprovoked war, and Ukraine's response is another example of their resistance in the face of such aggression. Ukraine's ability to export and trade freely, efficiently and economically is vitally important in stabilising global food prices and preventing global food shortages.

This aim will only be achieved when President Putin decides to end this senseless war and fully withdraws from Ukrainian territory.

Thank you.

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Situation on the Battlefield and Lifting Restrictions on the Use of Western Weapons: President Addressed the UK Government

President of Ukraine

19 July 2024 - 14:38

Any attempt by Russia to expand the war can be stopped if restrictions on the use of Western weapons against Russian forces are lifted, President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelenskyy said during his address to the UK Government.

"Once we can strike farther than just near the border, including Russian military airfields, we will not only protect ourselves from any Russian offensives, but also secure our frontline positions and cities from Russian bombs," the President noted.

Volodymyr Zelenskyy emphasized that Russia uses about 3,500 guided aerial bombs against Ukraine every month. These bombs cannot be intercepted, but all their carriers can be destroyed.

"And I ask you to show your leadership in this, and please - convince other partners to remove the limits. We need this step - a step that will force Russia to seek peace," he said.

President Zelenskyy is the first foreign leader in the last 27 years to address the UK Government. The last leader to do so was US President Bill Clinton in 1997.

Volodymyr Zelenskyy also became the first official visitor to the Prime Minister's residence on Downing Street since Keir Starmer became the head of the UK Government.

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We Need This Step - a Step That Will Force Russia to Seek Peace - Speech by the President of Ukraine at the Meeting of the UK Government

President of Ukraine

19 July 2024 - 14:33

Thank you very much, dear Keir, dear Prime Minister,

Honorable Cabinet Members,

It is very symbolic and important for me, for all Ukrainians, that we have such a strong support and trust of the United Kingdom - this is the first meeting of the British Cabinet of this kind. Thank you so much.

I truly hope that this beginning of the new British Government's work, will open up even more shared opportunities for us - Ukraine and the UK.

From the first days of this Russian war, our people have felt that Britain, you people, would not only stand by us but also help bring victory closer.

And I am grateful that British self-respect and your love of life have always resonated in your leadership - truly meaningful and helpful.

Britain has taken good steps and every new move you made strengthened our men and women on the frontlines, our successes - in the Black Sea first of all, our greater political opportunities, and our resilience as a nation, an army, and an entire society.

Sure, Russia fears such support.

In Moscow, they know that you in London have the decision-making power that can steer this war towards its end. And it will be the right conclusion - just and fair.

We have to remember that in many aspects, Russia is weaker. Their intelligence is weaker. Their diplomacy has turned into mere bribes, lies, or threats. Economically, they are not strong.

The only competitive advantage Putin still has is a large supply of Soviet-era weapons, money, and a complete disregard for human life. Quite a dangerous mix.

We must deprive Putin of money and capability to produce more weapons.

And for his disregard of human life he must pay - with his losses and his defeat.

How can we ensure this?

Right now, we are missing the main answer to this question. And that is our long-range capability.

By defending Ukraine against the Russian advance on Kharkiv in May-June, we have proven that we can stop any Russian attempt to expand the war if the restrictions on using Western weapons against Russian military are lifted.

Once we can strike farther than just near the border, including Russian military airfields, we will not only protect ourselves from any Russian offensives, but also secure our frontline positions and cities from Russian bombs.

Putin has no shame in hitting residential areas, city squares, hospitals, and schools with bombs.

Russia uses about thirty five hundred guided bombs per month. It is impossible to shoot them all down.

But it is possible to destroy all the bomb carriers. And I ask you to show your leadership in this, and please - convince other partners to remove the limits. We need this step - a step that will force Russia to seek peace.

Mr. Prime Minister,

I want to praise the energy with which you have started the work of the new Government.

And yesterday, we already had a very productive meeting - thank you so much - with the defense industries, secretaries of defense and trade were there. The meeting was really substantive. And I hope we will now work even more actively.

Truly, when making changes, it is important not to lose a single day, and the faster you act the more results you will achieve.

And the same principle applies to the pressure on Russia for the war - we must be as energetic as possible so that the aggressor cannot use any day to adapt to the pressure on him.

I thank Britain and all the partners who provide the real power of sanctions against Russia and who work with us for a solution that will allow all profits from frozen Russian assets to be used to defend against Russian aggression, and later allow these assets to be confiscated. This is also just.

And I want to underline that nowadays the sense of safety and security for each person cannot be separated from the overall security situation in the country and the state's ability to defend itself. I appreciate your task to make Britain and the whole of Europe more safe and secure. I hope you'll succeed. And our bilateral security agreement with Britain was the first and, in many ways, exemplary for other agreements. We in Ukraine are extremely grateful for such leadership. I hope we can achieve the main goals of our agreement during the years your government is in office. I really appreciate that our Ministers have just signed the Defense Industrial Support Treaty, a practical document. We always have to keep in mind that security and defense cooperation between Ukraine and the UK always matters. And of course I invite you, Keir, to visit Ukraine. Thank you so much. When you have the opportunity to come to Ukraine, you will see that for all Ukrainians it is a privilege and we are very thankful to the UK, to all of you, to your whole nation. Thank you again. We can work out as many details of our arrangements as possible, so that our people - Ukrainians and Britons - can feel the results as soon as possible.

Thank you again! Thank you for this invitation from your strong team! Thank you!

 NNN!

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Starion Bank names interim CEO

Starion Bank has named Craig Larson, chairman of the board of directors, as interim CEO while the bank searches for a new executive leader.

Don Morgan, Starions CEO since 2022, was recently appointed as the new president/CEO of the Bank of North Dakota.

Larson joined Starion in 1985 and served as CEO from 1997 through 2021.

Essentia Health-Mid Dakota hires gastroenterologists

Essentia Health-Mid Dakota Bismarck 9th Street Clinic has welcomed gastroenterologists Dr. Kevin Karls and Dr. Douglas Renton.

Karls earned his medical degree from the University of North Dakota in Grand Forks. He completed a residency in internal medicine at Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minnesota, and a fellowship in gastroenterology at Indiana University in Indianapolis. He is certified by the American Board of Internal Medicine.

Renton also earned his medical degree from UND. He completed a residency in internal medicine and a fellowship in gastroenterology at the University of Nebraska Medical Center in Omaha, Nebraska. He is certified by the American Board of Internal Medicine.

NDIRF board appoints CEO

The North Dakota Insurance Reserve Fund Board of Directors has named Keith Pic as CEO of the local government coverage provider.

Pic joined the NDIRF in June 2012 as an outside claims adjuster, was promoted to assistant director of claims in January 2018 and then promoted to director of claims in October 2021.

He holds a bachelors degree from North Dakota State University and a masters degree in risk management and insurance from Florida State University  College of Business. He has obtained the CPCU, CIC, AIC-M, AINS and SCLA insurance designations.

Pic also served 14 years in the Army National Guard.
Volodymyr Zelenskyy and Keir Starmer Discussed the Implementation of Ukraine's Maritime Capabilities Coalition

President of Ukraine

19 July 2024 - 13:55

During his visit to the United Kingdom, President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelenskyy met with Prime Minister of the United Kingdom Keir Starmer.

The President thanked the British people and Keir Starmer personally for their comprehensive support of Ukraine in countering Russian aggression and for the special attention given to Ukraine at the European Political Community Summit.

"Thank you for standing with us, with the Ukrainian people, from the very beginning of the full-scale war. Thank you for this unity. We feel this support, and your strong decisions have repeatedly helped us defend freedom and democracy in Ukraine and greatly supported the Ukrainian people," said the President.

The President outlined the situation on the frontline and emphasized the need to protect civilians and expand Ukraine's long-range capabilities.

Volodymyr Zelenskyy informed about the approval of Ukraine's Maritime Security Strategy and its key provisions. The meeting also covered the implementation of the Maritime Capabilities Coalition established on the initiative of the United Kingdom.

The President stressed the importance of quickly acquiring military equipment to equip new combat brigades and noted the new British government's readiness to expedite this process.

Volodymyr Zelenskyy and Keir Starmer discussed additional support for Ukraine's defense industry and prospects for joint production of military equipment.

Special attention was given to the preparation of the 100-Year Partnership Agreement between Ukraine and the United Kingdom.

The Prime Minister accepted the President's invitation to visit Ukraine.

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President Discussed Joint Production Prospects with Representatives of British Defence Companies

President of Ukraine

19 July 2024 - 00:08

During his visit to the United Kingdom, President Volodymyr Zelenskyy met with top executives from leading British defence companies.

The meeting was attended by UK Secretary of State for Defence John Healey, Secretary of State for Business and Trade Jonathan Reynolds, and representatives of ADS, UK Export Finance, BAE Systems, Thales UK, MBDA, KBR, and Babcock.

"I am grateful to the United Kingdom for your unwavering support of Ukraine. You were the first European country to provide Ukraine with lethal weapons, tanks, and long-range weapons. It was with the United Kingdom that we signed our first security agreement. I am pleased that we continue to deepen our cooperation in the defence sector," said Volodymyr Zelenskyy.

The President invited British defence companies to operate in the Ukrainian market and collaborate with domestic enterprises. During the meeting, the parties discussed prospects for joint production of ammunition, air defence systems, artillery, armoured vehicles, and drones, as well as the repair and maintenance of military equipment that the United Kingdom has supplied to Ukraine.

The President noted that Ukraine has significantly increased its own production of ammunition and weapons and is interested in international cooperation.

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In Ukraine, UNHCR's Grandi urges support ahead of harsh winter challenges

UNHCR - United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees

19 July 2024

KYIV -- The UN High Commissioner for Refugees, Filippo Grandi, has urged the international community to further scale up vital support ahead of the third winter since the start of the Russian full-scale invasion.

Grandi travelled to Ukraine this week for the fifth time since February 2022, to express strong solidarity with the people, who are bearing the brunt of the horrendous ongoing war, and to call for the protection of all civilians affected by the international armed conflict. He visited the Okhmatdyt Pediatric Hospital and other areas heavily damaged by the 8 July deadly attacks in Kyiv. In Kharkiv, he heard harrowing accounts of people evacuated during the recent offensive in May.

After meeting President Volodymyr Zelenskyy in Kyiv and visiting a power plant that was heavily bombarded, Grandi handed over ten generators to the local authorities in Kharkiv to help keep critical services operational. Attacks have depleted close to 70 per cent of Ukraine's energy generation capacity, disrupting critical heating and water supply. This is already affecting millions every day, and unless significant support is provided, the situation could become unbearable when temperatures drop and harsher weather sets in.

"It's devastating to see that the war - with all its senseless destruction - is continuing relentlessly," Grandi said. "Each time I'm in Ukraine, I'm struck by the resilience and determination of people. But our support is critical to help sustain their strength, including ensuring they are safe and warm in the gruelling winter ahead, and to keep their hopes alive for a better future."

UNHCR will contribute to helping the people of Ukraine prepare for winter and, to that end, Grandi committed initial resources worth $100 million. UNHCR plans to support 600,000 of the most vulnerable displaced and war-affected people in Ukraine with cash assistance, but with humanitarian needs growing more support is needed. UNHCR's comprehensive winter response plan is part of a broader UN humanitarian appeal to provide people with the necessary support before the cold arrives.

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Trump tells Zelenskyy he would end war if elected US president again

By VOA News July 19, 2024

Former President Donald Trump has said many times that if he was elected president again, he would end the war Russia launched against Ukraine. On Friday, he made that pledge in a phone call with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy.

"I appreciate President Zelenskyy for reaching out," the Republican presidential nominee said in a post on his Truth Social platform, regarding "the war that has cost so many lives and devastated countless innocent families."

Trump has not offered any concrete policy for a path to peace between Ukraine and Russia.

Zelenskyy has proposed a peace plan, which he presented at a summit last month that Russia was not invited to. His plan calls for the withdrawal of Russian troops and the restoration of Ukraine's 1991 post-Soviet borders.

Zelenskyy has been firm in his position that there will be no negotiations about ending the war as long as Russian troops remain in Ukraine.

He confirmed his conversation with Trump in a post on social media: "I noted the vital bipartisan and bicameral American support for protecting our nation's freedom and independence."

The Ukrainian leader also condemned the attempt on Trump's life nearly a week ago.

"I wished him strength and absolute safety in the future," Zelenskyy said.

Zelenskyy said his country "will always be grateful to the United States for its help in strengthening our ability to resist Russian terror. Russian attacks on our cities and villages continue every day."

Trump has been critical of the support, financial and otherwise, that the U.S. has given Ukraine in its fight against the illegal Russian invasion.

Ohio Senator J.D. Vance, Trump's choice for vice presidential running mate in the November election, has said he "does not care" about what happens in the Ukraine-Russia conflict "one way or the other."

Trump also has frequently praised Russian President Vladimir Putin, raising concerns among Ukraine's allies about whether U.S. support for Ukraine would continue if the former president were to be elected.

Trump has also been critical of the U.S. commitment to NATO and whether the U.S. should remain a member of the alliance that has been a supporter of Ukraine's fight against Russia.



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US reassures Ukraine of American support

By Jeff Seldin July 19, 2024

Some top U.S. officials have sought to publicly reassure Ukraine of continued support from Washington, arguing that backing Kyiv in its fight against Russia is in America's best interest.

The United States has provided Ukraine with almost $54 billion in military equipment and other security assistance since Russian forces invaded in February 2022, including a $225 million package earlier this month.

Joint Chiefs of Staff Chairman General CQ Brown on Friday called such help from the U.S. and other Western countries crucial, warning of dire consequences if that aid stopped flowing.

"If collectively we stop supporting Ukraine, [Russian President Vladimir] Putin wins," Brown told an audience at the Aspen Security Forum in Aspen, Colorado.

"What that allows, it also emboldens others," he said. "We have credibility that's at stake associated with this. Not just the United States, but NATO, the West.

"If we just back away, that opens the door for [Chinese President] Xi Jinping and others that [have] wanted to do unprovoked aggression."

Some U.S. politicians, however, argue that the current level of support for Ukraine is unsustainable. And they have been led, in part, by the Republican vice presidential nominee, Ohio Republican Senator J.D. Vance.

"There are a lot of bad guys all over the world, and I'm much more interested in some of the problems in East Asia right now than I am in Europe," Vance told a major security conference in Munich earlier this year.

"Can we send the level of weaponry we've sent for the last 18 months?" Vance asked. "We simply cannot. No matter how many checks the U.S. Congress writes, we are limited there."

The Republicans' presidential nominee, former President Donald Trump, has also been critical at times of U.S. support for Ukraine, telling supporters during his nomination acceptance speech Thursday that the war "would never have happened if I was president."

This past May, at a town hall event sponsored by CNN, Trump said, if elected, he would end the fighting in one day.

Brown, the most senior U.S. military official, was cautious about such predictions when pressed at the Aspen conference.

"If he can get it done in 24 hours, that'd be great," he said, while also rejecting arguments that the U.S. is incapable of providing Ukraine with continued military support.

"We have the capability to produce," Brown said. "We have the capacity to do it. We've just got to make the commitment to do it."

Other senior U.S. officials also pushed back against arguments that Washington's European allies are not doing enough.

"The Europeans are doing a lot more than I think Americans give them credit for," said White House national security adviser Jake Sullivan, speaking separately at the Aspen forum.

"When you calculate their contribution to Ukraine in terms of military assistance, economic assistance, humanitarian assistance and other forms, they [European allies] are combined doing considerably more than the United States," he said, adding that the Ukrainian cause remains popular despite some vocal skeptics.

"Poll after poll shows the American people still care," Sullivan said. "[They] still support funding Ukraine. Still support the notion that it is our duty-bound obligation to continue to help Ukraine fight for its freedom and its sovereignty and its territorial integrity."

Some of those supporters, including both Democratic and Republican lawmakers, have urged the White House and President Joe Biden to be even more aggressive and loosen restrictions preventing Ukraine from using U.S.-made weapons systems to strike deep in Russian territory.

"As the war has evolved, our support has evolved, the capacities we provided have evolved, and the parameters under which we've provided them have evolved," Sullivan said. "But thus far, [Biden's] policy on long-range strikes in Russia has not changed."

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy called on Britain's new prime minister, Keir Starmer, earlier Friday to help remove those types of restrictions instituted by the U.S. and other Western allies.

Addressing a meeting of the Cabinet at the official residence of the British prime minister, Zelenskyy said Ukraine has proved it can prevent Russian attempts to expand the war by hitting Russian military targets positioned not just along the border but deeper inside Russia.

In an interview with the BBC, British Defense Secretary John Healey was asked about the issue of Ukraine's use of British-supplied weapons, and he said nothing precludes "them hitting targets in Russia, but that must be done by the Ukrainians. It must be done within the parameters and the bounds of international humanitarian law."

Also Friday, Zelenskyy said that following a meeting with Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk on Thursday, Ukraine received a "positive decision from the Polish government" that will allow Ukraine to receive U.S.-made F-16 fighter jets sooner.

He did not specify what the decision was in his statement, shared on the social media platform X, formerly Twitter. The Reuters news service said there was no immediate word from the Polish prime minister's office on Zelenskyy's comment.

VOA's Jeff Custer contributed to this report. Some information came from The Associated Press, Reuters and Agence France-Presse.





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Miami, Florida, July 19, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Weeb Fash, a relatively new online clothing brand, has set the stage with its flip, where the custom hoodies and wholesale t-shirts are aggregated with anime culture to target fans of various anime characters. Founded by Mr. Alfred McKenzie, Weeb Fash announces special discounts for their regular customers with a limited-time offer of free shipping for all orders over $200. This includes a new line of essential t-shirts with customized anime character designs, paying homage to Weeb Fash's dedicated customers who supported the platform in its initial days.

With such an engine of support from the community, I personally think this is the right time to cultivate the momentum, says Weeb Fash's founder, Alfred McKenzie. Weeb Fash will soon provide all the beautiful weeb souls out there with even more options to choose from, along with deals not to miss.

As vividly apparent on their official website, the concept behind Weeb Fash was to amalgamate anime culture with custom apparel to attract a niche demographic. The announcement of adding more to their collection at discounted rates is what the platform is aiming for right now.

"I honestly had this simple idea, and it was to combine my love of stylistic aesthetics with my deep love for anime characters. It took a lot of effort, as I aimed to make this the best online shopping experience. With the potential inclusion of other custom products while the new apparel collection is on the horizon, embracing this community of people sharing the same interests is of the utmost priority," Alfred McKenzie stated further when asked about his plans for 2024.

With all the buzz in anime-infused internet trends, the company is ideating ways to cultivate the momentum. The first step forward, as explained by its founder, Mr. Alfred McKenzie, is to enhance the online shopping experience for anime lovers. The new collection is set to hit Weeb Fash's store soon!

DISCLAIMER: This press release, distributed by Weeb Fash, is for informational purposes only. It does not offer investment, legal, or fiscal advice, nor should it be relied upon for business decisions. The information herein is believed to be accurate but is not guaranteed by Weeb Fash or its partners. While efforts have been made to ensure accuracy, Weeb Fash, its agents, and partners are not liable for any inaccuracies. Any actions taken based on this press release are at the sole discretion of the reader.

For more information and media inquiries, please contact:

Weeb Fash Apparels

Name: Alfred G McKenzie

Location: Miami, Florida United States

Website: https://weebfash.com/

Call: 714-612-6536

Email: sales@weebfash.com
Shandong,China, July 20, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- The 2024 Global Youth Conference and China-US Youth Camp opens in Jinan on July 12



According to the report of Dzwww com, the 2024 Global Youth Conference and China-US Youth Camp opened in Jinan, capital of East China's Shandong province, on July 12. More than 500 international youths from 28 countries and regions, including the United States, the Netherlands, Thailand and Romania, joined with Chinese youths in the get-together.



The 2024 Global Youth Conference and China-US Youth Camp opens in Jinan on July 12

During the event, which will run until July 24, the young people will engage in various exchanges and experiences activities, including an international youth gala and e-sports match. They will visit parks, enterprises, communities, and schools.

During their stay in Shandong, both Chinese and international youths will explore cities like Jinan, Dezhou, Tai'an, Jining, Zibo, and Qingdao, engaging in experiential activities focused on green development, the e-commerce economy, rural vitalization, and cultural innovation.

For example, on July 12, they visited the Jinan Foreign Language School, where they immersed themselves in learning and took cultural courses on topics like ancient poetry, calligraphy, traditional Chinese painting, and Chinese martial arts to appreciate the richness of Chinese culture and the uniqueness of intangible cultural heritage. They also participated in courses like 3D printing and laser cutting to experience the technological vibes of Chinese campuses.

Moreover, the international youths will interact with students from Shandong University, Qufu Normal University, Shandong University of Art and Design, and other universities during their stay in Shandong.

Company: Shandong dzwww Ltd.

Contact Person: Zhang Xinna

Email: x.zhang@dzwww.org.cn

Website: https://www.dzwww.com

Telephone:18263839627

City: Shandong,China



Disclaimer:

This press release may contain forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements describe future expectations, plans, results, or strategies (including product offerings, regulatory plans and business plans) and may change without notice. You are cautioned that such statements are subject to a multitude of risks and uncertainties that could cause future circumstances, events, or results to differ materially from those projected in the forward-looking statements, including the risks that actual results may differ materially from those projected in the forward-looking statements.
VANCOUVER, British Columbia, July 19, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- HYTN Innovations Inc. (CSE: HYTN | FSE: 85W0) "HYTN" or "The Company", a leader in the development, formulation, and manufacturing of psychoactive and psychotropic compounds, including cannabis and psilocybin, is pleased to announce, further to its news release dated June 13, 2024, the completion of its acquisition (Acquisition) of all of the issued and outstanding share capital of Prism Scientific Labs Inc. (Prism), a company focussed on the research and development of psychedelic and psychoactive compounds, with a particular emphasis on enhancing tryptamine yields in psychedelic mushrooms. This strategic acquisition grants HYTN exclusive access to Prisms suite of intellectual property, including, most significantly, its license (License) with respect to the technologies of Lux Sit Systems Inc. (Lux Sit) relating to the cultivation of psilocybin-containing mushrooms (Licensed IP). These technologies include specialized equipment designed to increase both the total yield and the tryptamine profile of mushrooms by enabling the production of larger and more potent biomass for psychedelic drug manufacturing. This License is for a term expiring on June 4, 2029, with the license agreement between Prism and Lux Sit having been entered into on June 4, 2024 (License Agreement). The Company notes that Prism secured the License in exchange for the issuance to Lux Sit of 100,000 Prism shares, and the payment of $35,000, as well as a covenant to issue an additional 100,000 Prism shares and $30,000 in cash upon the first anniversary of the License Agreement.



The Licensed IP, which represents Prisms material asset, is currently undergoing patent review, and is actively being deployed in connection with the cultivation of psilocybin-containing mushrooms at the Companys Kelowna facility.

In consideration for the Acquisition, HYTN has issued to the former shareholders of Prism, all of whom are at arms length to HYTN, an aggregate of 12,100,100 common shares (Consideration Shares). The Consideration Shares have a deemed acquisition price of $0.195 and are subject to a hold period of four months.

The Company believes that the integration of Prisms business will further its efforts to develop drugs containing psychoactive compounds for clinical applications. This acquisition marks a significant step forward in HYTNs mission to be the top provider of these products in all federally regulated markets and follows the Companys news release dated June 27, 2024, which announced that the Company had received Good Manufacturing Practices (GMP) certification for non-sterile pharmaceutical manufacturing of drugs containing psilocybin.

Tyler Lewis, Director of Prism, was enthusiastic about the development saying, We are thrilled to roll Prism into HYTN, finding a partner that can take our licenses and technologies and start to develop them in real world applications to create a better performing drug will provide tremendous upside.

Elliot McKerr, Chief Executive Officer, HYTN Innovations Inc., said, We are excited to welcome Prism into the HYTN family. This acquisition represents a key pillar in HYTN's long term strategic growth plan, allowing us to leverage Prism's exclusive licenses to enhance our research and development capabilities. By combining Prism's intellectual property with our established operations, we are poised to drive innovation in the psychoactive and psychedelic compounds market. This collaboration not only aims to expand our future product offerings but also solidifies our position as a leader in the industry. We look forward to the exciting advancements and opportunities this acquisition will bring to HYTN and our stakeholders.

The Company notes that it anticipates adding key members of Prisms founding team as strategic advisors to the Company.

The Company also notes that, as required under applicable securities law, it will file a Business Acquisition Report (BAR) in respect of the acquisition of Prism within the prescribed time, and will issue a news release upon the filing of the BAR.

About HYTN Innovations Inc.

HYTN formulates, manufactures, markets, and sells premium products containing psychoactive and psychotropic compounds, including cannabis-derived cannabinoids. HYTN's mission is to become the top provider of these products in all federally regulated markets. To achieve this, the Company focuses on identifying market opportunities and quickly bringing its innovative products to market through its elevated development platform.

About Good Manufacturing Practices (GMP)

Good Manufacturing Practice (GMP) guidelines are pivotal in enhancing product quality by establishing rigorous standards for manufacturing, testing, and quality assurance. These guidelines are instrumental in managing and mitigating risks, thereby ensuring products are consistently produced and controlled according to quality standards. By prioritizing safety, GMP helps ensure that products do not pose unacceptable risks to consumers. Adherence to GMP is mandated in many countries, aligning with national regulations to uphold global quality standards and facilitate international commerce in regulated products.

For more information contact:

Elliot McKerr

Chief Executive Officer

1.866.590.9289

HYTN Investor Relations:

1.866.590.9289

investments@hytn.life

The Canadian Securities Exchange (CSE) has not reviewed, approved, or disapproved the contents of this press release.

Certain information contained herein may constitute forward-looking statements that involve risks and uncertainties. Readers are cautioned not to place undue reliance on forward-looking statements, including, but not limited to, statements regarding: (i) the ability of the Company to integrate Prisms intellectual property and expertise into HYTN's existing operations; (ii) the ability of the Company to develop and commercialize psychoactive compounds and technologies; (iii) the ability of the Company to enhance its research and development capabilities; (iv) the potential for market expansion and increased competitive advantage resulting from the Acquisition; and (v) the ability to leverage Prism's exclusive licenses and patented technologies for future product development. Factors that could cause actual results to vary from forward-looking statements or may affect the operations, performance, development, and results of the Companys business include, among other things: the Company's failure to generate sufficient cash flow from operations to meet its current and future obligations; the Company's failure to access sources of debt and equity capital; changes to the regulatory framework within which the Company operates; competitive factors, pricing pressures, and supply and demand in the Companys industry; and general economic and business conditions. Any statements that are not statements of historical fact are deemed to be forward-looking statements. The forward-looking statements contained in this news release are made as of the date of this news release, and, except to the extent required by applicable law, the Company assumes no obligation to update or revise forward-looking statements made herein or otherwise, whether because of new information, future events, or otherwise. The forward-looking statements contained in this news release are expressly qualified by this cautionary note.

The Canadian Securities Exchange (CSE) has not reviewed, approved, or disapproved the contents of this press release.
New York, United States, July 20, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- The Global Healthcare Chatbots Market Size is to Grow from USD 238.93 Million in 2023 to USD 1352.83 Million by 2033, at a Compound Annual Growth Rate (CAGR) of 18.93% during the projected period.





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A chatbot is an automated program designed to simulate a thoughtful conversation with human users. Healthcare chatbots are conversational AI-driven instruments that provide simple communication between insurance providers, patients, and medical professionals. Chatbots are programs that help individuals and artificial intelligence communicate with one another. Chatbots use textual or audio outputs to have conversations with clients. The conversation is conducted using textual phrases that have been precalculated. These chatbots, which are either on-premises or cloud-based, are used by patients to schedule appointments, look for clinics, and check symptoms. An automated software created to mimic a meaningful dialogue with human users is called a chatbot. Healthcare chatbots are conversational AI-powered tools that communicate easily between patients, doctors, and insurance companies. Chatbots are software applications designed to facilitate communication between humans and artificial intelligence. Patients utilize these chatbots, which can be cloud-based or on-premises, to assess symptoms, find clinics, and make appointment times. However, a security leak or inappropriate handling of patient data might harm chatbots' brand and prevent them from becoming commercially viable. Even though chatbots are intended to provide medical guidance and information, mistakes or misunderstandings might happen.

Browse key industry insights spread across 220 pages with 115 Market data tables and figures & charts from the" Global Healthcare Chatbots Market Size, Share, and COVID-19 Impact Analysis By Component (Software and Services), By Application (Appointment Scheduling and Symptom Checking), By Deployment (Cloud and On-premises), By End User (Patients, Insurance Companies, Healthcare Providers, and Others), and By Region (North America, Europe, Asia-Pacific, Latin America, Middle East, and Africa), Analysis and Forecast 2023  2033."

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The software segment is anticipated to hold the greatest share of the global healthcare chatbots market during the projected timeframe.

Based on the component, the global healthcare chatbots market is divided into software and services. Among these, the software segment is anticipated to hold the greatest share of the global healthcare chatbots market during the projected timeframe. As machine-learning chatbots are generally more conversational, data-driven, and predictive than rule-based chatbots, artificial intelligence software-powered chatbots are the most sophisticated. The Al software-based chatbots can grasp the patient's intent and deliver appropriate replies regardless of how the inquiries are presented.

The symptom-checking segment is anticipated to hold the largest share of the global healthcare chatbots market during the projected timeframe.

Based on the application, the global healthcare chatbots market is divided into appointment scheduling and symptom checking. Among these, the symptom-checking segment is anticipated to hold the largest share of the global healthcare chatbots market during the projected timeframe. Chatbots for symptom evaluation and treatment have made it easier for a great number of individuals to access healthcare solutions. These chatbots provide quick access to information about health issues at any time and from any location, potentially reducing the amount of needless ER trips and medical appointments.

The cloud segment is predicted to hold the greatest share of the healthcare chatbots market during the estimated period.

Based on the deployment, the global healthcare chatbots market is divided into cloud and on-premises. Among these, the cloud segment is predicted to hold the greatest share of the healthcare chatbots market during the estimated period. Cloud-based chatbots are more accessible, need less initial investment, and might be modified less than on-premises chatbots. Medical businesses can readily scale their chatbot services up or down in response to demand as healthcare chatbots are cloud-based.

The healthcare providers segment is predicted to hold the greatest share of the healthcare chatbot market during the estimated period.

Based on the end user, the global healthcare chatbots market is divided into patients, insurance companies, healthcare providers, and others. Among these, the healthcare providers segment is predicted to hold the greatest share of the healthcare chatbots market during the estimated period. Physicians, clinics, and healthcare facilities are examples of healthcare providers. To make important judgments, healthcare practitioners must be able to recognize diseases and analyze a significant amount of healthcare data.

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North America is expected to hold the largest share of the global healthcare chatbots market over the forecast period.

North America is expected to hold the largest share of the global healthcare chatbots market over the forecast period. Substantial R&D costs together with the growing demand for online medical services. The regional sector is seeing expansion because of the rising prevalence of chronic illnesses and the growing demand for patient engagement activities. Due to rising R&D costs and extensive use of technology, North America is witnessing significant market expansion.

Europe is predicted to grow at the fastest pace in the global healthcare chatbots market during the projected timeframe. Europe maintains a sizable market share and provides a good environment for chatbot integration, mostly due to the region's well-established healthcare infrastructure and constitutional support for telehealth solutions. Due to the presence of large market participants and the increasing use of digital healthcare solutions in these nations, the UK, Germany, and France are the main drivers of the growth of the European regional market.

Competitive Analysis:

The report offers the appropriate analysis of the key organizations/companies involved within the global market along with a comparative evaluation primarily based on their product offering, business overviews, geographic presence, enterprise strategies, segment market share, and SWOT analysis. The report also provides an elaborative analysis focusing on the current news and developments of the companies, which includes product development, innovations, joint ventures, partnerships, mergers & acquisitions, strategic alliances, and others. This allows for the evaluation of the overall competition within the market. Major vendors in the global healthcare chatbots market include Ada Health GmbH, Babylon Inc., Buoy Health Inc., Creative Virtual Ltd., GYANT.com Inc., HealthTap Inc., Woebot Health, Your.MD Ltd., Infermedica, Microsoft Corporation, PACT Care BV, Sensely Inc., Florence Healthcare, and Others.

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Recent Developments

In November 2022, HealthTap announced the launch of Eval360, a cutting-edge solution for health plans that provides physicians on the platform with a comprehensive view of a member's health status and streamlines the transmission of critical health information with affiliated plans.

In May 2022, with a focus on kidney care, Medtronic (Ireland) and DaVita Inc. (US) worked together to build a new, independent medical device solid (referred to as "NewCo" or "the Company") to enhance patient treatment experiences and overall outcomes.

Market Segment

This study forecasts revenue at global, regional, and country levels from 2020 to 2033. Spherical Insights has segmented the global healthcare chatbots market based on the below-mentioned segments:

Global Healthcare Chatbots Market, By Type

Software

Services

Global Healthcare Chatbots Market, By Component

Appointment Scheduling

Symptom Checking

Global Healthcare Chatbots Market, By Application

Cloud

On-premises

Global Healthcare Chatbots Market, By Application

Patients

Insurance companies

Healthcare providers

Others

Global Healthcare Chatbots Market, Regional Analysis

North America US Canada Mexico

Europe Germany Uk France Italy Spain Russia Rest of Europe

Asia Pacific China Japan India South Korea Australia Rest of Asia Pacific

South America Brazil Argentina Rest of South America

Middle East & Africa UAE Saudi Arabia Qatar South Africa Rest of the Middle East & Africa



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New York, United States , July 20, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- The Global Aircraft Auxiliary Power Unit Market Size to Grow from USD 1022.5 Million in 2023 to USD 1258.1 Million by 2033, at a Compound Annual Growth Rate (CAGR) of 2.10% during the forecast period.





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Due to rising air travel and technological improvements in aircraft, the Aircraft Auxiliary Power Unit (APU) industry is expanding rapidly. APUs are critical for providing power to aircraft systems while the engines are not operational, assuring efficiency and safety. The industry is being boosted by increased commercial and military aircraft deliveries, as well as the demand for fuel-efficient and ecologically friendly solutions. Technological advancements are resulting in more dependable and cost-effective APUs, which are in great demand. North America and Europe lead the market, aided by existing aerospace industry and ongoing R&D activities. Emerging Asian economies are also helping to drive market growth by investing in aviation infrastructure modernization. To preserve a competitive advantage, key firms prioritise strategic partnerships and product innovation. Browse key industry insights spread across 210 pages with 105 Market data tables and figures & charts from the

Aircraft Auxiliary Power Unit Market Value Chain Analysis

The Aircraft Auxiliary Power Unit (APU) market value chain includes various crucial stages, ranging from raw material suppliers to end-users. It starts with raw material vendors who supply vital components like metals and electronic components. Manufacturers then design and manufacture APUs, incorporating innovative technology to improve performance and efficiency. Original Equipment Manufacturers (OEMs) play an important role in putting APUs into aircraft during assembly. The aftermarket segment, which includes maintenance, repair, and overhaul (MRO) services, maintains the operational dependability and durability of APUs. Distributors and suppliers help products and services move along the value chain. Finally, end users, such as commercial airlines and military operators, rely on APUs for ground operations and in-flight electrical power, highlighting the necessity of quality and dependability across the value chain.

Browse key industry insights spread across 210 pages with 105 Market data tables and figures & charts from the " Global Aircraft Auxiliary Power Unit Market Size, Share, and COVID-19 Impact Analysis, By Aircraft Type (Fixed-Wing, Rotary-Wing, UAVs), By Platform (Commercial, Military), and By Region (North America, Europe, Asia-Pacific, Latin America, Middle East, and Africa), Analysis and Forecast 2023 - 2033"

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Insights by Aircraft Type

The fixed wing segment accounted for the largest market share over the forecast period 2023 to 2033. As airlines expand their fleets to meet increasing passenger traffic, the demand for efficient and dependable APUs for ground operations and in-flight power grows. Technological improvements are resulting in the creation of lighter, more fuel-efficient APUs, increasing their appeal for fixed-wing aircraft. Military modernization programmes also help to drive segment growth, as new fighter planes and transport aircraft require improved APUs. The demand for greener aviation solutions is driving the use of environmentally friendly APUs.

Insights by Platform

The military segment accounted for the largest market share over the forecast period 2023 to 2033. As armed services upgrade their aircraft with cutting-edge technologies, the demand for efficient and dependable APUs grows to assure operational readiness and mission success. New military aircraft programmes, such as fighter fighters, cargo planes, and unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs), are increasing the demand for advanced APUs. These units supply critical power to onboard systems, especially during ground operations and crises. The increased emphasis on lowering maintenance costs and improving fuel efficiency pushes further innovation in military APUs.

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Insights by Region

North America is anticipated to dominate the Aircraft Auxiliary Power Unit Market from 2023 to 2033. The region's thriving commercial aviation sector, along with significant military aircraft purchases, drives demand for APUs. Major aircraft manufacturers and APU producers, like as Honeywell and Pratt & Whitney, have their headquarters in North America, where they contribute to market growth through ongoing research and product development. Furthermore, strong regulatory standards in the United States guarantee high-quality and dependable APUs. The region's extensive maintenance, repair, and overhaul (MRO) infrastructure benefits the aftermarket segment, hence boosting the industry. Economic stability and increased air travel help to sustain demand for efficient and innovative APUs in North America.

Asia Pacific is witnessing the fastest market growth between 2023 to 2033. Countries such as China, India, and Japan are making significant investments in both commercial and military aircraft, increasing the demand for dependable APUs. The region's increasing middle class and tourism industry are driving a boom in airline fleet expansions and new aircraft deliveries. Furthermore, local producers are entering the market, promoting competitive pricing and innovation. Government attempts to modernise airports and improve aviation safety standards contribute to industry growth. The Asia-Pacific region's emphasis on fuel efficiency and environmentally friendly technology further drives the development and implementation of advanced APU systems, resulting in a promising market forecast.

Competitive Analysis:

The report offers the appropriate analysis of the key organizations/companies involved within the global market along with a comparative evaluation primarily based on their product offering, business overviews, geographic presence, enterprise strategies, segment market share, and SWOT analysis. The report also provides an elaborative analysis focusing on the current news and developments of the companies, which includes product development, innovations, joint ventures, partnerships, mergers & acquisitions, strategic alliances, and others. This allows for the evaluation of the overall competition within the market. Major Players are in the Global Aircraft Auxiliary Power Unit Market Includes Honeywell International Inc. (USA), Safran Electrical & Power (France), Hamilton Sundstrand, Pratt & Whitney Canada (Canada), AeroTEC (Germany), Aviotec (Slovenia), and others Key Vendors.

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Recent Market Developments

In October 2020, Honeywell International Inc. has released a high-efficiency mode modification for its 131-9A auxiliary power unit for single-aisle Airbus aircraft.

Competitive Landscape

Major players in the market

Honeywell International Inc. (USA)

Safran Electrical & Power (France)

Hamilton Sundstrand

Pratt & Whitney Canada (Canada)

AeroTEC (Germany)

Aviotec (Slovenia)

Market Segmentation

This study forecasts revenue at global, regional, and country levels from 2023 to 2033.

Aircraft Auxiliary Power Unit Market, Aircraft Type Analysis

Fixed-Wing

Rotary-Wing

UAVs

Aircraft Auxiliary Power Unit Market, Platform Analysis

Commercial

Military

Aircraft Auxiliary Power Unit Market, Regional Analysis

North America US Canada Mexico

Europe Germany Uk France Italy Spain Russia Rest of Europe

Asia Pacific China Japan India South Korea Australia Rest of Asia Pacific

South America Brazil Argentina Rest of South America

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NEW YORK, July 20, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Pomerantz LLP is investigating claims on behalf of investors of Sprinklr, Inc. (Sprinklr or the Company) (NYSE: CXM). Such investors are advised to contact Danielle Peyton at newaction@pomlaw.com or 646-581-9980, ext. 7980.



The investigation concerns whether Sprinklr and certain of its officers and/or directors have engaged in securities fraud or other unlawful business practices.

[Click here for information about joining the class action]

On June 5, 2024, Sprinklr issued a press release report[ing] financial results for its first fiscal quarter ended April 30, 2024. Among other items, Sprinklr provided full-year revenue guidance below expectations and second-quarter revenue guidance that fell short of consensus estimates. Sprinklr cited a soft demand environment with longer sales cycles and heightened budgetary scrutiny, and advised investors that it observed higher churn in its core product suites due to reduced marketing spend, elimination of programs, and seat reductions. Following the results, a D.A. Davidson analyst downgraded Sprinklr from Buy to Neutral, while Cantor Fitzgerald downgraded Sprinklr from Overweight to Neutral.

On this news, Sprinklrs stock price fell $1.64 per share, or 15.13%, to close at $9.20 per share on June 6, 2024.

Pomerantz LLP, with offices in New York, Chicago, Los Angeles, London, Paris, and Tel Aviv, is acknowledged as one of the premier firms in the areas of corporate, securities, and antitrust class litigation. Founded by the late Abraham L. Pomerantz, known as the dean of the class action bar, Pomerantz pioneered the field of securities class actions. Today, more than 85 years later, Pomerantz continues in the tradition he established, fighting for the rights of the victims of securities fraud, breaches of fiduciary duty, and corporate misconduct. The Firm has recovered billions of dollars in damages awards on behalf of class members. See www.pomlaw.com .

Attorney advertising. Prior results do not guarantee similar outcomes.
NEW YORK, July 20, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Pomerantz LLP announces that a class action lawsuit has been filed against UiPath, Inc. (UiPath or the Company) (NYSE: PATH). Such investors are advised to contact Danielle Peyton at newaction@pomlaw.com or 646-581-9980, (or 888.4-POMLAW), toll-free, Ext. 7980. Those who inquire by e-mail are encouraged to include their mailing address, telephone number, and the number of shares purchased.



The class action concerns whether UiPath and certain of its officers and/or directors have engaged in securities fraud or other unlawful business practices.

You have until August 19, 2024 , to ask the Court to appoint you as Lead Plaintiff for the class if you are a shareholder who purchased or otherwise acquired UiPath securities during the Class Period. A copy of the Complaint can be obtained at www.pomerantzlaw.com .

[Click here for information about joining the class action]

On May 29, 2024, UiPath issued a press release announcing the resignation of Robert Enslin as the Companys Chief Executive Officer (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 1Q 25 financial results and a significant cut in its revenue guidance for fiscal year 2025. Specifically, UiPath lowered its FY25 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 UiPaths results and guidance on a conference call that same day, UiPaths officers acknowledged that the Companys 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.

On this news, UiPaths stock price fell $6.23 per share, or over 34%, to close at $12.07 per share on May 30, 2024.

Pomerantz LLP, with offices in New York, Chicago, Los Angeles, London, Paris, and Tel Aviv, is acknowledged as one of the premier firms in the areas of corporate, securities, and antitrust class litigation. Founded by the late Abraham L. Pomerantz, known as the dean of the class action bar, Pomerantz pioneered the field of securities class actions. Today, more than 85 years later, Pomerantz continues in the tradition he established, fighting for the rights of the victims of securities fraud, breaches of fiduciary duty, and corporate misconduct. The Firm has recovered billions of dollars in damages awards on behalf of class members. See www.pomlaw.com .

Attorney advertising. Prior results do not guarantee similar outcomes.
Los Angeles, CA, July 20, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Americas leading civil rights attorney and Special Needs Network Founder and President Areva Martin issued the following statement on the passing of Sheila Jackson Lee, long-serving Democratic congresswoman and advocate:

I am deeply saddened by the passing of Congresswoman Sheila Jackson Lee, a tireless advocate for social justice and a fierce champion of reparations. Congresswoman Jackson Lee's unwavering commitment to civil rights and equality has left an indelible mark on our nation and the hearts of all who had the privilege to know her and work alongside her.

I had the distinct honor and privilege of collaborating with Congresswoman Jackson Lee on the critical issue of reparations. Together, we shared the stage at a national Town Hall on reparations in December 2022 in Evanston, Illinois, where her passion and dedication to justice were palpable and inspiring. Her leadership in the passage of HR 40, the bill in Congress addressing reparations, was a testament to her relentless pursuit of equity for African Americans and her belief in rectifying historical injustices.

Congresswoman Jackson Lee's legacy is one of courage, resilience, and an unyielding commitment to fighting for the rights of the marginalized. Her work has paved the way for future generations to continue the fight for justice and equality. At the Special Needs Network, we will honor her memory by continuing to advocate for the causes she championed and strive to make her vision of a just and equitable society a reality.

Our thoughts and prayers are with her family, friends, and all who mourn this tremendous loss. Sheila Jackson Lee's spirit will live on through the many lives she touched and the significant progress she made in the fight for social justice.

Sheila Jackson Lee passed away at the age of 74. For more information, contact communications@snnla.org.

_________________________________________________________________________



Special Needs Network, Inc. is a nonprofit grassroots organization responding to the crisis of autism and other developmental disabilities in underserved communities. We recognize the intersectionality of individuals with disabilities and that their fight for disability rights is inextricably tied to the fight for racial justice and the civil rights of all people.
Washington, DC, July 20, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- The following is a statement from Thurgood Marshall College Fund(TMCF) President & CEO Dr. Harry L. Williams:





Today we mourn the loss of a longtime supporter of historically Black colleges and universities (HBCUs), TMCF and Black Americans in general, Congresswoman Sheila Jackson Lee.

Her more than 30 years in Congress is a case study in fighting for a historically marginalized community: sponsoring legislation to establish Juneteenth as a national holiday; speaking out against police brutality; pushing for the Sentencing Reform Act of 2015; advocating for the George Floyd Law Enforcement Trust and Integrity Act; and reauthorizing the Violence Against Women Act. She was a staple at our annual HBCU Fly-In in Washington, D.C., granting key leaders an opportunity to build relationships and have their voices heard. Her fierce commitment to the students attending Texas Southern University and Prairie View A&M University was at the forefront of her advocacy.

We share in our grief with many, especially the family of Congresswoman Shelia Jackson Lee and the people of the 18th Congressional District of Texas, as her life and work impacted immeasurable people. Her legacy as a fierce advocate for social, economic and racial justice lives on.
SINGAPORE, July 21, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- OKX , a leading Web3 technology company, has issued updates for July 21, 2024.

OKX Wallet Now Integrated with Jump DeFi

OKX, a world-leading cryptocurrency platform and Web3 technology company, today announced that OKX Wallet is now integrated with Jump DeFi, the premier decentralized finance platform on NEAR Protocol. This integration allows OKX Wallet users to seamlessly access Jump DeFi's comprehensive suite of DeFi applications and services.

Jump DeFi is a one-stop platform serving multiple blockchain ecosystems, offering a diverse range of DeFi applications including the first-ever swap aggregator on NEAR, an automated market maker, a token launchpad, and NFT staking services. The platform is designed to lower the barrier of entry to decentralized finance for both users and builders, making it a go-to destination for traders, developers, and NFT enthusiasts on NEAR Protocol.

This integration enables OKX Wallet users to easily access Jump DeFi's ecosystem directly from their wallet interface. OKX Wallet users can now leverage Jump DeFi's innovative features such as optimized trading through the Jump Swap Aggregator, participate in token launches via Jump Pad, and engage in NFT staking, all while maintaining the security and convenience of their trusted OKX Wallet. This collaboration expands OKX users' access to the growing NEAR Protocol ecosystem and its unique DeFi offerings.

For more information, please visit the OKX Support Center .

For further information, please contact:

Media@okx.com

About OKX

OKX is a leading global crypto exchange and innovative Web3 company. Trusted by more than 50 million global users, OKX offers a secure and trustworthy platform that provides responsible crypto traders with innovative tools to access the world of crypto.

To learn more about OKX, download our app or visit: okx.com
The South China Sea issue has always been the focu...
Monza facing critical deadline for F1 future

Monza is in a race against time to prepare the historic circuit for a crucial FIA inspection.

Italian GP 2023

 Red Bull

As part of its push for a new Formula 1 race contract, the circuit agreed to an ambitious renovation plan - part of which must be ready for the Italian GP at the end of August.

However, delays have resulted in a lot of work that still has to be completed over the next six weeks - with a crucial deadline looming even sooner than that.

The track still needs to be completely resurfaced, pit buildings still need to be completed, and two tunnels running under the main straight are also yet to be finished.

We set a deadline of 1 July and the visit by the FIA delegation went very well, Italian automobile club boss Angelo Sticchi Damiani said. "The work was highly appreciated and there were some small suggestions on details.

The next step will be the inspection on 1 August, he added.

The 2025 edition is the last race in Monza's existing F1 contract.

We have a very narrow window to renew our contract with F1, Damiani admits. "In order to even get the deal done, we need to have certainty that some of the work will be completed by 2025 and the remaining work by 2026.

We are a little nervous about that, he added. We still have a lot of work to do to get this deal done with as much security as possible, both financially and in terms of approvals.

One crucial part of the deal will be meeting Liberty Media's demands for an expanded Paddock Club.

We must allocate an area of approximately 5,000 square metres, including the press room, Damiani said. This is an important element for F1 and we will undoubtedly be able to have a very profitable space.

(GMM)
Newey's demands scuppered Ferrari deal?

Adrian Newey's grand demands led to the collapse of his negotiations with Ferrari, according to La Gazzetta dello Sport.

Adrian Newey, Japanese GP 2024

 Red Bull

The Italian newspaper claims the departing Red Bull technical genius not only wanted $10 million a year, but was demanding that Ferrari agree to sign around 20 of his chosen engineers.

That leaves Aston Martin as now the overwhelming favourite to secure Newey's signature, with a reported $100 million deal over four years still on the table.

McLaren is also still linked with Newey.

I worked with Adrian for a long time, Aston Martin technical director Dan Fallows said in Hungary on Friday.

He's a great asset to any team. Who knows where he's going to end up.

However, it appears that Newey will definitely not be going to Mercedes. No, team boss Toto Wolff confirmed to Osterreich newspaper ahead of the Hungarian GP.

We are sticking together as a team - in good times and in bad, he added. I know what I have in James Allison and his management team.

Wolff is, though, keeping a 2025 race seat open for now for Red Bull's Max Verstappen, even if he admits the Dutchman is unlikely to make the leap just yet.

Red Bull advisor Dr Helmut Marko thinks it's completely normal that Wolff is chasing Verstappen.

Max is a guarantee of success, he told Sport1. "He's the only driver who makes a difference.

He would have won races in a Ferrari, a Mercedes or a McLaren this season, Marko added. If we didn't already have him under contract, we would try to get him too.

(GMM)
No Haas reserve role for Magnussen in 2025

Kevin Magnussen says he's not interested in staying in Formula 1 next year as a reserve driver.

Kevin Magnussen, Hungarian GP 2024

 Haas

The 31-year-old's second stint at Haas will come to an end this year, amid strengthening rumours that Esteban Ocon's new deal will be announced ahead of the Belgian GP next week.

Haas boss Ayao Komatsu has offered Magnussen a non-driving role for 2025 and beyond.

If I drive for another team in Formula 1, that wouldn't work, Magnussen said in Hungary. But if I'm not with another team, I will definitely consider an advisory role or something like that.

What he won't do, however, is travel to all the grands prix as a reserve driver.

I don't think that interests me, said the Dane. "I wouldn't want to travel to every race as a reserve waiting for someone to get injured so I can get back into action. I don't think that's very exciting.

I would rather do something else that fulfils me, Magnussen added.

As for whether he thinks Ocon and other drivers deserve race seats more than he does, Magnussen answered: "In Formula 1, things happen. You move on.

You can look at the other drivers and think 'Are they better than me or not?' But it really doesn't because it's a fact that they're there - and that's how it is.

(GMM)
Officially, the new Samsung foldables get released on July 24 (Wednesday), though pre-orders might start shipping a few days early. This is more or less last call to get pre-order perks for the two new Galaxy Z phones.

The Samsung Galaxy Z Fold6 is $1,800 for the 512GB model (due to a free storage upgrade). Samsung offers up to $1,200 trade-in credit  the Z Fold5 is valued at $1,200, the Z Fold4 at $1,000 and Z Fold3 at $900. If youre switching from, say, an old Ultra, the S24 Ultra fetches $900, while the S23 Ultra is valued at $800.

If youre not doing trade-in, Amazon also sells the Galaxy Z Fold6 at $1,800 for the 512GB model, but bundles it with a $300 Amazon Gift Card.

The Samsung Galaxy Z Flip6 (512GB) is down to $1,000 due to a $100 instant credit and a free storage upgrade. The trade-in offer is capped at $650  you can get that for an S24 Ultra, Z Flip5 or Z Fold5. An older Z Flip4 trades in for $550, the Z Flip3 for $450.

The Galaxy Z Flip6 (512GB) is $1,100 on Amazon, but comes with a $200 Amazon Gift Card, so the effective price can be lower than what Samsung offers if youre not trading in an old phone.

If youre not a fan of foldables, you can get the Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra (12/512GB) for the same price as the Flip  $1,100. Youre getting much better cameras with the Ultra plus the S Pen. Better battery life and faster charging too. The downside is that the S24 Ultra is a fairly large device.

You can also pick up the Galaxy S24+. The cameras are comparable with the Z Flip6 and Z Fold6, while being a cheaper phone. The battery is better too.

Were in the mood for some gaming, so lets have a look at what is on offer. The Viture One XR glasses are a compact way to bring a virtual 120 display with you. These have one 1080p @ 60fps display per eye and have myopia adjustment. There is also an electrochromic film that can darken the glasses to reduce distractions.

You can just plug these into a compatible phone with a USB-C cable  the Galaxy Z Fold6 and the two S24 models will bring up their DeX interface (note: the Z Flip6 doesnt do video out). These work with iPhone 15 too, as well as devices like the Steam Deck and the ROG Ally. Note that this offer requires a Prime Subscription.

The glasses are great when traveling, but for the home, something like the 34 Samsung Odyssey G85SB monitor would be a better pick. This curved 3,440 x 1,440px QD-OLED display runs at 175Hz (0.03ms response time) and supports AMD FreeSync Premium Pro. The monitor features the Gaming Hub, which can handle game streaming (Xbox, Nvidia, etc.) with no PC/console attached. This is also a smart TV, so all the usual Tizen features are available too.

If you just want to use your current TV but it doesnt natively support cloud gaming, a $30 Amazon Fire TV Stick 4K can get you access to Xbox Game Pass Ultimate Streaming. Note that you will need a compatible controller.

An Xbox controller will do fine (and for gaming on the Viture glasses too). But check out the Asus ROG Raikiri Pro, its like a Swiss army knife. It supports 3 modes  wired over USB-C, wireless over Bluetooth and wireless over 2.4GHz RF. There is a built-in OLED display that helps you switch profiles  you can remap and customize the buttons. Also, there is a 3.5mm headphone jack with an ESS DAC, so you can plug in wired headphones.

We may get a commission from qualifying sales.




Haiti - Politic : Sectoral Table of the school feeding sub-sector, an impressive record





Thursday July 18, 2024, the 10th meeting of the Sectorial Table of the school feeding sub-sector was held at the Karibe Convention Center Hotel, (Juvena, Petion-ville), in person and online.



In this large quarterly meeting, Augustin Antoine as Minister of National Education, Ms. Djina Guillet Delatour, General Coordinator of the National School Canteen Program (PNCS), Clement Rouquette, Representative of the World Food Program (WFP) participated among others...



Extracts from the intervention of Ms. Djina GUILLET DELATOUR :



"[...] I remember the day of the launch of the school feeding sectoral table in Haiti. Friday July 29, 2016 https://www.haitilibre.com/en/news-18172-haiti-politic-launch-of-the-sectoral-table-school-feeding.html at the announcement of this great event, the National Program of Cantines Scolaires (PNCS) and its partners were all excited about this launch. It was the start of an adventure that promised to be long and beneficial [...] at the time, we had no funding and I said, lets throw this table and the funding will come. Today, I am happy to announce to you that the WFP through the Resilient Agriculture Project for Food Security (PARSA) hhttps://www.haitilibre.com/en/news-41095-haiti-parsa-project-feed-100-000-students-daily-with-local-products.html and McGovern-Dole International Food for Education and Child Nutrition Program ensures this monitoring [...]



[...] depending on the objectives that we set ourselves at the outset and despite the accelerated deterioration of food supply across the national territory, added to the bleak socio-political context, a lot of efforts have been made, certain achievements, in testify:

The new version of the national school feeding policy and strategies 2024-2030;

The progression of results going from 17% to 45% coverage;

The increase in local purchases going from 10% to almost 40%;

The deworming and vitamin A supplementation campaign;

Taking into account educational establishments in difficult-to-access areas;

Promoting the use of local products in school canteens;

The integration of preschool and secondary school into the target groups of school feeding;

Strengthening horizontal relations with the directorates and units of the Ministry of National Education and Vocational Training and other school feeding stakeholders;

Weekly meetings with the PNCS branches;

Monthly meetings with the various actors working in the field around the departmental consultation table.



It is no less important to make this reminder as we are at the end of the academic year and we have operations to plan for the new year.

[]

Don't be discouraged on such a good path. Continue to work for the benefit of our schoolchildren who are the future of the country. As we are accustomed to repeating, 'The day we understand the importance of school feeding for sustainable development in Haiti, the country will experience a new day' [...]"



HL/ HaitiLibre






















Haiti - News : Zapping...





700 young qualified professionals

Friday July 19, 2024, Viva Rio awarded certificates to more than 700 young people who successfully completed training in plumbing and solar energy as part of the "Temporary social safety net and skills for young people" program initiated by the Government and implemented by Viva Rio with financial support from the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB).



The choice of CEP representatives is moving forward

The establishment of the Provisional Electoral Council (CEP) is becoming clearer. Several sectors have already transmitted the names of their representatives to the Presidential Transitional Council (CPT). This is particularly the case of the reformed cult sector (Peterson Pierre-Louis), the voodoo sector (Me Newton Louis Saint-Juste) and the University Council (Marie Florence Mathieu). The other 6 sectors: Episcopal Conference; human rights organizations; Journalists Associations; Associations for the defense of womens rights; Farmers' Associations and the Trade Union Sector continue to work on the choice of their representatives.



First establishment bonus for 800 police officers

On Friday July 19, a memorandum of understanding was signed between the Ministry of Justice and the United Nations Development Program (UNDP). This agreement aims to offer a first establishment bonus to approximately 800 police officers of the 33rd promotion of the Haitian National Police (PNH) as part of the joint police support program, informed Carlos Hercule, Minister of Justice .



326th of Jacmel

From July 21 to 28, Jacmel will be at the heart of various festivities to mark the 326th anniversary of its foundation and celebrate the konpa festival,



7 D1 clubs risk exclusion

7 D1 clubs are not yet eligible for the D1 license. They have until August 15, 2024 to finalize their file and comply with the 14 criteria required under penalty of exclusion. The Clubs concerned are : Racing Club Haitien, Cosmopolites, Racing FC des Gonaives, Baltimore SC, Union sportif Rivartibonitienne, Arcahaie FC and Triomphe FC. See also : https://www.icihaiti.com/en/news-42782-icihaiti-license-11-clubs-out-of-18-in-d1-obtain-their-license-list.html



La Saline massacre : Duplan and Monchery indicted

Investigating judge Jean Wilner Morin has just issued his order in the context of the La Saline Massacre perpetrated in November 2018 where 71 people were killed and many others injured https://www.haitilibre.com/en/news-29270-haiti-massacre-of-la-saline-the-united-states-exhorts-haiti-to-bring-the-guilty-to-justice.html . In his order, Judge Morin indicts around thirty individuals including two former members of Jovenel Moise's government: Joseph Pierre Richard Duplan, departmental delegate for the West and Fednel Monchery, Director General of the Ministry of the Interior.



HL/ HaitiLibre


















Nvidia's next generation of graphics drivers will install the open-source kernel driver by default instead of the proprietary Linux kernel driver, provided it supports the graphics processor in question. Two years after the introduction of an open-source kernel module for Linux, the company is thus setting the course for sending its proprietary kernel driver, which has always been controversial, to the sidelines in the long term.

Anzeige

For many users of Nvidia's drivers, however, little will change for now  certain aspects will even become more complicated. In the medium to long term, however, the situation should improve significantly; it is possible that many users will no longer need Nvidia's drivers at all.

Paradigm shift due to AI hype

Nvidia is changing tack with its 560 series of drivers, now that the open-source version supports modern graphics chips for notebooks, desktop PCs and workstations just as well as the proprietary version. When a Linux kernel driver was released under GPL/MIT in May 2022, things looked very different, as support for mainstream GPUs was still at the alpha stage and lacked numerous important features.

This was hardly surprising, as Nvidia had developed the open-source driver primarily for its AI accelerator chips, which are related to mainstream GPUs. Apparently, pressure in the enterprise market triggered this paradigm shift: technical, practical and licensing problems with proprietary kernel drivers were increasingly becoming a competitive disadvantage in the high-revenue AI market, which would have given companies such as AMD and Intel, which have long relied on open drivers, more and more of an advantage. The future therefore clearly belongs to the open kernel module: Nvidia has already stopped releasing proprietary kernel drivers for the latest chips in the Grace Hopper and Blackwell series.

However, Nvidia has now eliminated all major functional gaps in support for mainstream GPUs. The documentation for the current 555 driver series only lists a few restrictions associated with the use of the open-source kernel driver.

Installer gives users the choice

Anzeige

However, the open-source kernel driver only supports GPUs of the Turing, Ampere, Ada Lovelace and Hopper generations - roughly speaking, the GeForce 20 series and newer. It does not support graphics cores of the Maxwell, Pascal and Volta generations (GeForce 800 to 10xx, as well as individual 700 models) - for these, users must continue to use the proprietary kernel driver, which still supports the above-mentioned chips. Older GPU series supported by legacy driver series will also remain proprietary. Similar to AI accelerators, there will probably only be the open-source kernel driver for future mainstream graphics chips.

The installer already takes this balancing act into account, but will prefer the open-source driver where possible from the 560 version series onwards. In addition, it installs the drivers for 3D (OpenGL and Vulkan), video playback (NVDEC), video encoding (NVENC) and general calculations (CUDA) via the GPU, which communicates with the hardware via the module. These all remain proprietary and must have the same version number as the kernel driver.

During installation, you can choose between the open source and the proprietary driver. (Image: Nvidia)

Distributions and add-on packages must react

However, many users do not install the drivers via Nvidia's installer, but via distribution-specific packages. It remains to be seen how well these will handle the balancing act so that the appropriate kernel module or the one recommended by Nvidia is used depending on the graphics chip found.

This is likely to complicate the already tricky driver installation process until support for older GPUs that are only supported by the proprietary kernel driver is shifted to a legacy driver. In the long term, Nvidia's pivot to the kernel driver may simplify driver installation because distributions can integrate the open-source driver into their standard kernels without fear of reprisal. However, some distributors shy away from this because it significantly complicates the maintenance of the kernel and harbors pitfalls.

Displeasure with kernel developers remains

However, the situation is unlikely to improve much for users who want to report bugs to the developers of the official Linux kernel. For the most part, they have always been unconcerned about bug reports from systems with proprietary kernel drivers from Nvidia. However, externally developed kernel drivers under an open-source license are only slightly better: due to a lack of compartmentalization, a bug in their code can easily lead to problems in entirely different areas of the kernel without this being obvious. As usual, many developers are therefore likely to ask to reproduce the bug on a system without Nvidia's drivers before investigating it further.

Nvidia's driver will never be included in the official kernel in its current form anyway because it lacks a stable interface to userland drivers for 3D, video & co. Linux inventor and main developer Linus Torvalds attaches great importance to this so that the kernel can be updated without having to update the user land drivers based on one of his drivers at the same time.

Community works on a clean approach

However, the open-source community is already working on an alternative solution that should improve things. This includes some Red Hat employees, for example, who have been developing a kernel driver called Nova for Nvidia's latest GPU generations for a while now. To achieve this, they use Nvidia's open-source kernel driver as a source of information, as well as the firmware it uses. This allows the full hardware potential to be exploited, as it can also switch the GPU to its most economical and fastest operating modes. This option is missing from the slimmed-down firmware that Nvidia has released recently for GPU generations since Maxell  which was the main reason why the Nouveau driver contained in the kernel only delivers subterranean performance for many newer GPUs.

The community is also working on suitable userspace drivers. These include the "NVK" driver developed under the leadership of a Collabora employee, which already masters the current Vulkan version and can also be used with Nouveau. Current versions of the Mesa graphics driver library and driver collection included in Linux distributions already include this driver. If Nova takes off at some point and is included in the official kernel, Linux distributions should support Nvidia's latest graphics chips much better out of the box - perhaps so well for many users that they will no longer need Nvidia's own drivers at all.

(anw)
O'Cains win Save the Song Birds Hero Award

Lutrelle and Carey O'Cain accept the Save the Song Birds Hero Award from Wild Birds Unlimited CEO Jim Carpenter (left) and Outreach and Nature Education director Brian Cunningham during the company's annual convention in Indianapolis.

Hendersonvilles Wild Birds Unlimited Nature Shop received a coveted award from the Wild Birds company during the annual convention of franchisees in Indianapolis recently.

Lutrelle and Carey OCain, owners of the shop in the Harris-Teeter shopping center on Spartanburg Highway, were honored by their Franchise leaders with the Save the Song Birds Hero Award  presented annually to only three of the 369 Wild Bird stores in North America. The Save the Song Birds Hero Award signifies the very foundation of Wild Birds Unlimiteds commitment to songbirds and nature and to the communities where the stores are located.

It is our honor to recognize Store Owners that best represent the Wild Birds Unlimited mission of bringing people and nature together and doing it with excellence, said Brian Cunningham, director of Outreach and Nature Education. The award celebrates the stores that find unique and effective ways to share the Save the Song Bird messageand are helping the customers be the heroes.

The OCains have deeply rooted themselves in their community through various avenues of conservation and charity to include an impressive resume of how they are promoting the Save the Song Bird message. They helped create and support a local bird sanctuary that has evolved into setting up bird housing in parks in their community.

We have to give a lot of credit to Crystal Cauley, our friend who recently passed away, for her desire to install bluebird houses in our city parks, Lutrelle said. I think Crystal would have liked to see bluebird houses in everyones yard. She loved song birds and the joy birdwatching gave to people. She asked for our help with one box and now we are 11 bird houses into her vision. We definitely plan to continue working with the city of Hendersonville to install bluebird houses in all the city parks. Carey and I are excited to provide and promote the joy and education that watching and caring for our songbirds can bring to our community.

A study published September 2019 in the journal Science found that the population of breeding birds in the U.S. and Canada has dropped by nearly 30 precent (or 3 billion birds) since 1970. While there are some discouraging findings about overall bird populations, there are also encouraging examples of how galvanized human effort can work to bring back our birds.

The changing environment means song birds need help to survive and thrive more than ever. Providing safe shelter is just one way that the community can increase the population of songbirds. For information on how call 828-694-0081.
Advocacy is a noble profession. Presently in India, there are thousands of universities which facilitate the law degree and there are lakhs of students who are enrolling for graduation in the field of law. Out of those lakhs of students, only a few of them are able to get a position in the corporate world. The majority, either by choice or by compulsion, are pursuing litigation as a career.

The struggle does not end here, but to get enrolled in any state bar council, lawyers are supposed to pay the enrolment fee ranging from Rs. 10,000/- to Rs. 40,000/- and those who cannot afford to pay the fee, are unable to appear, argue or do any court-related work as the enrolment provides them with the authentic identification.

Soon after graduation, it is practically impossible for any law graduate to have their own independent practice and earn on their own without any support from a senior or a mentor. However, as per the Advocates Act, 1961, an advocate is not supposed to be associated with any office for monetary benefit as the sole purpose of advocacy is to serve the society, irrespective of whether the budding advocate dies of hunger.

Keeping the spirit high of the Act, 1961, the Madras High Court in Farida Begam v The Puducherry Government and Others held that a senior advocate must provide a minimum salary of Rs. 15,000/- to Rs. 20,000/- to support advocates. On the contrary, after a month of this judgment, the Madras High Court in P. N. Vignesh v. The Chairman and Members of the Bar Council and Ors. came up with another astounding judgment, where Rule 36 of the Bar Council of India Rules, 1975, was drawn into the argument and interpreted on the lines that legal professionals must not be treated as businesses, and emphasised the nobility and service-oriented nature of the profession, as also it is contrary to the ethics, morality, and essence of advocacy. Additionally, in this judgment, the court mandated that online service providers like Quikr, Sulekha, and JustDial cease their operations of soliciting legal work and advertising legal services. These platforms were found to violate Rule 36 of Rules, 1975, which prohibits advocates from advertising their services.

Following this, the Bar Council of India (BCI) on July 7 sent a cease and desist notice to all online platforms where an advocate had the option to advertise their credentials so that potential clients could easily reach out.

But the contrary view was taken as the lawyers are doing business and it is a noble profession where one is not allowed to reach out to people regarding his/her/their work. At a time when the world is moving on digital technology, it seems like it is nothing but a step back from the development and well-being of the advocates.

As mentioned in several judicial pronouncements the purpose of the advocacy is to serve society and accordingly, the aim behind giving a platform to advocates is to basically make the people at large aware so that those who are in need can seek legal assistance easily rather than running from pillar to post. Not all advocates can afford to have their own website and make it as per the requirements of the Act, 1961 and the Rules, 1975.

An amendment in 2008 allows lawyers to display basic information such as their name, contact information, qualifications, and email address on their websites, provided it includes a disclaimer stating that the information is accurate. If a lawyer provides additional information beyond what is permitted, they may be held accountable under Section 35 of the Act, 1961, and face disciplinary action for professional misconduct. It is pertinent to note here that the advocates who are seeking help from online platforms are required to put the relevant information, as mentioned above and even if it is not their personal website, the act is bona fide to maintain the integrity and nobility of the legal profession.

However, by overlooking the 2008 Amendment and with the stringent and regressive provisions for advocates, it is unreasonable and arbitrary to restrict advocates from exercising their right to the profession under Article 19 (1) and their right to livelihood under Article 21 of the Constitution of India. The Courts have had differing opinions on advertising by lawyers. Some have gone into what can and cannot constitute advertising while others have relied on the concept of 'commercial speech'.

In the case of Tata Yellow Pages v. MTNL, the Supreme Court held that commercial speech forms a part of freedom of speech and expression as enshrined in Article 19(1)(a) of the Constitution of India. Advertising is also a form of commercial speech, where a seller proposes to sell his goods to the consumer, motivated by commercial interest. Article 19(2) of the Constitution can curtail the said right if the commercial speech is deceptive, unfair, misleading and untruthful.

It is evident that the above judgement raises concerns on the validity of Rule 36 of the Rules, 1975 and challenges the following provision indirectly, as it is contrary to Article 19(1)(g) which guarantees the freedom to carry on trade, profession or business as well it deprives the Advocates of the right to advertise their services.

Another important question is whether the legal profession falls within the ambit of a business. The Supreme Court in S. Mohan Lal v. R. Kondiah observed that the term "business" is capable of a variety of meanings. In a broad sense, it means "everything that occupies the time, attention, and labour of men, for the purpose of livelihood or profit". Therefore, the practice of law was held to be a business within the meaning of the expression employed in Section 10(3)(a)(iii) of the Andhra Pradesh Building (Lease, Rent and Eviction) Control Act, 1960.

Based on this judgment, it can be concluded that practising law can be compared to a business, and as businesses frequently use commercial speech to communicate their products/services to consumers, advocates should also be allowed a similar right. However, the Supreme Court cautioned that the meaning of words and expressions must take their colour from the context in which they occur, implying that the profession of law may not always be a business if the context expressly provides against it.

Recently, amid the Covid-19 pandemic, a writ petition was filed in the Supreme Court challenging the restriction on advertising by advocates due to the increasing difficulty in garnering work. The Supreme Court issued a notice to the Bar Council of India to respond to the petition, but no further development has been made in this matter to date.

The legal profession in India is grappling with challenges posed by modern technological advancements and the need to adhere to traditional ethical standards. The recent rulings and actions by the BCI reflect an attempt to preserve the nobility and service-oriented nature of the profession. However, these measures have also raised concerns about the rights of advocates to practice and earn a livelihood in a digital age.

Where recently, the criminal laws in India saw a partial overhaul under the garb of colonial laws, similarly, it is important to bring the important amendments in the Act, 1961 and the Rule, 1975 considering the needs and requirements of the present era and generation. Balancing the ethics of the profession with the practical realities of today's world remains a critical issue that requires continuous deliberation and thoughtful regulation.

Sanya Singh is a practising lawyer based out in New Delhi. She pursued a B.A. LL.B. (Hons.) from NUSRL, Ranchi and holds a keen interest in civil and commercial litigation. The views expressed are personal
Its Saturday and I am in comic heaven. All around me are bookshelves full of superheroes and giant books with binders full of comics. Taking me through this treasure trove is Sid Jain, founder of Story Ink, the book-to-screen adaptation company.

It feels exciting. I grew up in a home where comics were frowned upon, seen as frivolous, and not worthy of a serious reader. I read (and loved) the Amar Chitra Katha stories I borrowed, Phantom comics and some Archies, which by the way were seen by my mother, as the lowest of the low  at least Amar Chitra Katha taught you mythology.

And now the comic strip and the graphic novel is a thrilling art form  everything from Marjane Satrapi in Persepolis, Joe Sacco in Palestine and our very own Amrita Patil and Sarnath Banerjee.

There are also books like No Rules Rules by Reed Hastings, the founder of Netflix, The Ride of Lifetime by Disney CEO Bob Iger, HBO Effect by Dean DeFino, and The Directors: Take One by Robert J. Emery. Theres a bookshelf full of ancient typewriters, and there is even a banana tree.

"I thought I should design an office where I could sit under a tree," said Jain. I look around at the bric-a-brac, at the posters and the memorabilia and yes, this is the perfect old curiosity shop.

Later the same day, we are on another fifth floor, this one grey and formal in contrast. But as we settle for a fireside chat with my MBA class, the surroundings fade away.

I thought I would be an investor. I was 16 and reading about the lives of famous investors like Warren Buffet and Learn to Earn by Peter Lynch. I put money into the stock market and did very well, said Sid, who went on to do an MBA. The only catch was that by the time he finished his MBA, he realised he didnt want to be investing money all his life.

I was always interested in collecting things, and I was interested in films. Where did the film shoot objects go, I wondered. Like Salman Khans shirt, Aishwarya Rais lehenga  turns out they were stashed in godowns. This finding led to Sids first start-up Bollywoodmemorabilia.com which took off very well and got him customers who later turned into friends in both Bollywood and Hollywood.

By now the class is absorbed. He talks about pivoting from an industry job to setting up a start-up that made money and achieved the holy grail of being acquired. And Sid is a great storyteller.

Ive never made a formal CV, he tells the students. But Ive got every job I interviewed for.

I see polite disbelief on the faces ahead, but everyone is riveted.

"Tell us how you did this, how did you get your job with Hotstar?" I ask Sid.

You need to learn to tell your story. To connect this story with the company you are interviewing with. Research them, find out their pain points and tell them what you can help them with. he explains.

Sid spent months studying the film and the streaming industries. The process began years ago when he discovered a mystery customer who bought large volumes of Bollywood memorabilia from his website.

Turns out the buyer was a Hollywood film producer. Sid reached out to him, and the producer said he was happy to meet. The meeting was in LA on Day 1 and went well. With six more days to go, Sid sat in a hotel lobby flipping the pages of the Variety film magazine which happened to feature Amir Khan. This led to a whole chain of interesting events, which involved sending a fax to Amir Khans hotel, and hosting Indian food nights for members of the Oscars Academy  Lagaan had been nominated that year.

Sid bought every book on filmmaking and Hollywood that he could find in the bookstores in LA. Flying back, his books alone weighed 40 kg.

Reading obsessively about the film industry helped him talk his way into starting a script writing venture backed by Manmohan Shetty, and then into the Hotstar job. Now his company Story Ink sells content to channels and production houses. This includes about 200 books including authors like Chitra Banerjee. Hes also won a Filmfare award for his series Trial By Fire, based on a real-life story, the tragedy in Uphaar cinema hall in Delhi. He is also bringing his podcast Bingestan back to life, only this time it will have a video too.

"How do you do it?" ask the students.

I work all the time, he said. I do the kind of things you do when you are on holiday, watch TV, read books, and I do it seven days a week. It feels like a holiday.

In other book news of the week, everyone is talking about Hillbilly Elegy, written by JD Vance, the man Donald Trump has appointed as his running mate. Its a book that is totally worth a read for the insight it gives us all into Middle America and the Rust Belt.

Thats all for now. Until next week, happy reading!

Sonya Dutta Choudhury is a Mumbai-based journalist and the founder of Sonyas Book Box, a bespoke book service. Each week, she brings you specially curated books to give you an immersive understanding of people and places. If you have any reading recommendations or suggestions, write to her at sonyasbookbox@gmail.com

The views expressed are personal
Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella reacted to the global outage caused by CrowdStrike's latest update as he assured users that his company was working to address the situation and restore services. In a post on X (formerly Twitter), Satya Nadella said, Yesterday, CrowdStrike released an update that began impacting IT systems globally. We are aware of this issue and are working closely with CrowdStrike and across the industry to provide customers technical guidance and support to safely bring their systems back online. Elon Musk attends the Breakthrough Prize awards in Los Angeles, California, US.(Reuters)

Elon Musk responded to Satya Nadella's tweet stressing that the global IT crash has a severe impact on the automotive supply chain. He wrote, This gave a seizure to the automotive supply chain as the tech sector reeled under the impact of the outage which affected multiple Microsoft 365 and Azure cloud services.

Elon Musk also posted a laughing emoji on a meme following the global IT crash. In one of his posts, he retweeted a tweet from 2021 in which he compared Microsoft to a fictitious business named "Macrohard." The tweet read, "Macrohard >> Microsoft."

In another tweet, the Tesla chief shared a laughing emoji in response to a meme that highlighted X's functionality despite the global outage. The post quipped, Everything else is down, but this app still works?
Microsoft Global Outage Live Updates: Passengers wait at Milwaukee Mitchell International Airport, after airlines grounded flights due to a worldwide tech outage caused by an update to CrowdStrike's "Falcon Sensor" software which crashed Microsoft Windows systems.

Microsoft Global Outage Live Updates: The global Microsoft outage affected several sectors in the world including airlines, banks, TV channels and financial institutions as one of the biggest IT crashes took place in recent years owing to an update to an antivirus program. The London Stock Exchange experienced a global technical issue, Sky News was off air for some time, 911 services were disrupted in the US and American Airlines, Delta Airlines, United Airlines and others carriers were forced to ground flights. ...Read More

Read more: Microsoft outage: Sectors that were impacted in India and those which were not

The issue came to fore when CrowdStrike's Falcon Sensor threat-monitoring software sent an update which resulted in Microsofts Windows operating system to crash. CrowdStrike founder and CEO George Kurtz issued an apology and said that it found that the system update that was sent had a software bug.

He said, "That update had a software bug in it and caused an issue with the Microsoft operating system. We identified this very quickly and remediated the issue."
The global Microsoft outage affected several sectors in the world as the first tech glitches occurred in the United States. The London Stock Exchanged experienced a global technical issue, Sky News was off air for some time, 911 services were disrupted in the US and American Airlines, Delta Airlines, United Airlines and others carriers were forced to ground flights. This happened after CrowdStrike's Falcon Sensor threat-monitoring software sent an update which resulted in Microsofts Windows operating system to crash. Microsoft outage: Passengers in queue at the Kempegowda International Airport Bengaluru amid Microsoft outage, in Bengaluru.(PTI)

CrowdStrike founder and CEO George Kurtz issued an apology and said that it found that the system update that was sent had a software bug. Here's a look at sectors that were impacted in India by the outage and the ones that avoided it:

Flight in India: Check-in systems at airports across India, including Mumbai, Delhi, Bengaluru airports were down. IndiGo, Akasa and SpiceJet were affected due to glitch in check-in systems and several domestic flights were delayed.

Stock Market: The Indian stock exchanges remained unaffected by the global outage. Although some trading platforms such as IIFL Securities, Angel One, and 5Paisa, flagged issues. Traders at Edelweiss MF, Nuvama, and Motilal Oswal also faced difficulties.

Corporate: Owing to Microsoft Teams, Windows 365, OneDrive being down due to the tech outage, Windows users in India faced the disruption.

Banks: As per the Reserve Bank of India (RBI), only 10 banks and non-banking financial companies (NBFCs) were affected by the outage.

Mutual Funds: Major Indian asset management companies, including SBI MF, ICICI Prudential MF, Aditya Birla Sun Life MF, Axis MF, Zerodha MF, Nippon India MF and Bandhan MF were not hit by the Microsoft outage.

Income Tax department: The income tax department portal did not face any major disruptions.
In a major breakthrough, the Vidyaranyapura police in Bengaluru have arrested two individuals involved in a long-running theft ring that had been targeting apartment complexes and temples for over seven years. The two men were found to possess an astonishing 715 pairs of high-end shoes at their residence.

The accused have been identified as Gangadhar and Yellappa, who were apprehended on Wednesday after an extensive investigation, during which the police uncovered a huge haul of stolen goods valued at approximately 10 lakh, The New Indian Express reported.

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The two men, who had been swiping branded shoes from various locations, were found to possess an astonishing 715 pairs of high-end shoes at their residence. The seized footwear represents only a fraction of the estimated 10,000 pairs they had stolen over the years, the report said. Alongside the shoes, the police also recovered two stolen gas cylinders.

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Gangadhar and Yellappa had devised a methodical scheme to carry out their thefts. Operating primarily at night, the duo would navigate the city in an auto rickshaw, targeting residential buildings and temples. Once they stole the shoes, they would meticulously clean and then resell them at Sunday bazaars and in tourist hotspots in cities like Ooty and Puducherry, the report added.

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The break in the case came after a theft at a house in BEL Layout in Vidyaranyapura, where the miscreants had stolen shoes and the two gas cylinders. The homeowner reported the incident on Monday, prompting the police to review CCTV footage from the area. The footage revealed the auto rickshaw used in the theft, which led the police to identify and arrest the suspects.
Bengaluru is expected to experience scheduled power cuts on Saturday, i.e., July 20, in several areas such as Koramangala, Church Street, Lavelle Road, Vittal Malya Road, M G Road, Ejipura and Domlur. Bengaluru sees power cuts often. (REPRESENTATIVE IMAGE)

There will be no power supply on Saturday till 5 pm in the midst of carrying out maintenance work at the 66/11 kV Amarjyothi sub-station, according to a release from the Bangalore Electricity Supply Company (BESCOM), The Hindu reported.

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The Koramangala Division will be hit, and the following areas are expected to be affected, the report said.

Srinivagilu, Cauvery Layout, Chandra Reddy Layout, Ejipura, Rama Temple, Aradhana Layout, Sundari Memorial Area, Vivekanagar, Domlur 14th Cross, Kodihalli, K R Colony, Gundappagowda Road, Inner Ring Road Koramangala, Amarjyothi Layout, S T Bed area and surrounding areas.

Power supply will also be disrupted till 5 pm in G M Palya, Ramaiah Reddy Layout and Vignanangar. There will be a power supply disruption till 6 pm in the following areas, the report added: Residency Road, Lavelle Road, Walton Road, Vittal Malya Road, Church Street, Kasturba Road, M G Road, St. Marks Road, Residency Road Cross, Queens Circle and surrounding areas.

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Power supply agencies such as BESCOM and Karnataka Power Transmission Corporation Limited (KPTCL) schedule power cuts often in the tech hub owing to various pending projects, including routine maintenance tasks undertaken by them. These scheduled disruptions are more often observed during the weekends when the grid load is lighter as several employees log off from work.

They are known to take on projects such as renovation, modernisation, line maintenance, shifting cables from overhead to underground, shifting of poles, Ring Main Unit (RMU) maintenance, tree trimming, Jalasiri 24x7 water supply work and underground cable damage rectification, among many others.
Amid spike in terror attacks across Jammu region, the Indian Army chief General Upendra Dwivedi on Saturday reviewed the prevailing security scenario south of Pir Panjal at a joint security review meeting with Jammu and Kashmir Police, paramilitary forces and intelligence agencies here at the police headquarters. An army convoy arrives at the police headquarters in Jammu. (PTI)

Dwivedi arrived Saturday afternoon around 2.10 pm and drove straight away to the police headquarters.

During the meeting, the army chief was briefed upon ongoing anti-terror operations across the region by the formation commanders on the ground and strategies being adopted for the elimination of terrorists, said an official privy to the closed door meeting, which started around 2.45 pm and lasted till 4.15 pm.

The chief of Northern Army command Lieutenant General MV Suchindra Kumar, general officer commanding of the Nagrota based 16 Corps, Lieutenant General Navin Sachdev, Jammu and Kashmir director general of police (DGP) RR Swain, ADGP law and order Vijay Kumar, ADGP Jammu Anand Jain besides top officers of the the Border Security Force, the Central Reserve Police Force, other paramilitary forces, intelligence agencies and officials of home and defence ministries, chiefs of Intelligence Bureau Tapan Kumar Deka and RAW Ravi Sinha attended the meeting, which was held at the police headquarters.

Given a spike in terror attacks across Jammu, the army has started deploying around 500 para commandos and 3,000 troops in vulnerable areas, the official informed, adding, The army chief also impressed upon effectively plugging infiltration routes along the 198 km long international border and 744 km long Line of Control to check infiltration.

The meeting also emphasised upon better coordination and removing operational flaws between various forces, he said.

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Dwivedi, who assumed the office of Indian Army chief in June this year, headed the strategic Northern Command for two years and has in-depth knowledge of the regions topography and terror groups operating in Jammu and Kashmir.

It was the army chiefs second visit to Jammu in less than three weeks. Earlier, on July 3, he visited Poonch-Rajouri sector to review the security situation along the LoC. His latest visit to Jammu comes after four army soldiers, including Captain Brijesh Thapa, were killed during an encounter at Dodas Desa forests on July 16.

He later held a brief meeting with the J&K lieutenant governor (L-G) Manoj Sinha at Raj Bhawan before returning to New Delhi at around 6 pm.

Sinha on Saturday said the security forces will adopt the Kashmir model to counter terrorism across Jammu region.

In the recent attacks the army convoys were ambushed by terrorists, who took a heavy toll on soldiers while the latter were not able to hit them. Nine army personnel, including a captain, were killed in two separate terror attacks in remote forest belts of Machedi in Kathua and Desa forest in Doda on July 8 and July 15.

Intelligence agencies strongly suspect that recent attacks in Kathua, Reasi, Doda and Udhampur districts may have had former Pak army regulars among terrorists, well trained in guerilla warfare tactics.

Jammu and Kashmir, according to a Supreme Court direction, has to go to assembly polls before September 30 this year.

To ensure peaceful conduct of elections, which will be held after a gap of over six years, elimination of these terrorists is indispensable. Otherwise, the situation may go out of hand, said a senior police officer, who declined to be named.

Around 40 to 50 terrorists are believed to have infiltrated via the international border in Jammu in the past two to three months.

These terrorists have split into smaller groups of two to three terrorists. They need to be neutralised before the elections, former DGP Dr SP Vaid said.
In the wake of an incident that occurred on July 10, when the class four employees of the Government Primary School in Alamgir alleged the school teacher of making casteist remarks against them, district education officer (elementary), Lalita Arora has marked an inquiry to determine the facts. Government Primary School, Alamgir in Ludhiana. (Hindustan Times)

Mid-day meal workers and sweepers in the school have alleged that one of the teachers at the school had made casteist remarks against them and the head teacher at the school had also accused these workers of stealing grains and vegetables which are bought for mid-day meal in the school.

The parents of the school students and the workers locked the school in the morning on July 11, demanding justice post which DEO Arora paid a visit to the school.

However, the accused teacher said that the sweeper Jasvir Kaur, along with the mid-day meal workers have been making false statements. They are involved in stealing and selling the food grains and being a second incharge, when I questioned them about the same, they accused me of using casteist remarks, which is untrue, the teacher said.

Jasvir Kaur said that the teacher has been using inappropriate language since she joined the school. She does not even spare the head teacher and has done the same several times. We have submitted a written complaint with the sarpanch and have also filed a police complaint, she informed.

Sukhdarshan Singh, head teacher at the school said, I was not in the school when the incident happened and was informed later but the matter is in the hands of the department and panchayat.

When approached, DEO Arora said that she gave 15 days to the school staff to resolve the issue amicably but due to no progress in the situation, which is hampering the atmosphere and studies of the school students, she has now marked an inquiry into the matter.
Former chief minister Mehbooba Mufti on Friday sought the intervention of Union external affairs minister Dr S Jaishankar to ensure safety of Kashmiri students stuck in protest-hit Bangladesh. Former J&K CM Mehbooba Mufti (File)

Bangladesh is witnessing massive protests against the quota system that has led to suspension to the internet services across the country amid deaths of dozens of people.

As protests & turmoil grip Bangladesh I urge@DrSJaishankar to urgently intervene & ensure safety of thousands of Kashmiri students in Bangladesh. Internet services being suspended has only added to the distress of their parents. Immediate steps must be taken to bring them back home, Mufti wrote on X.

Thousands of Kashmir-based students are pursuing medical degrees in colleges in Bangladesh and parents have been unable to contact them.

My daughter is pursuing a medical course in one of the medical colleges of Dhaka. For two days, I have been unable to contact her due to the suspension of the Internet service. When I made the last call to her on Wednesday night she was safe but all the students were very scared as the protests were spreading to other regions of Bangladesh, said Abdul Qayoom, a resident of Sopore.

Another parent, Zahoor Ahmad, said, So far, everyone is safe. We pray for restoration of peace in that country. Incase situation worsens, we hope the government of India will evacuate them safely.

Meanwhile, the Jammu and Kashmir Students Association has also written to the Union Minister of External Affairs, Dr. urging him to assist in the relocation and ensure the safety of thousands of Indian students, including thousands of students from Kashmir, who are currently studying in various universities and colleges across Bangladesh amidst escalating violence and unrest.

In a statement issued by the National Convenor of Association, Nasir Khuehami expressed deep concern over the severe conditions faced by Indian students following the violent protests in Bangladesh.

These protests erupted after the Bangladesh High Courts decision to reinstate a 30% government job quota for the descendants of those who participated in the 1971 war of independence, leading to widespread chaos, multiple casualties, and injuries.

He expressed concern over the safety and well-being of Indian students, particularly those from Kashmir, who have been living in constant fear and anxiety. We have received numerous distress calls from students studying in various colleges and universities, pleading for immediate relocation to safer environments. The ongoing violence has significantly disrupted the students academic activities and posed serious threats to their lives. Parents have also expressed deep worry about their childrens safety due to the violence and unrest, he added.
WASHINGTON  A growing chorus of Democratic lawmakers called Friday for President Joe Biden to drop his reelection bid, even as the president insisted he's ready to return to the campaign trail next week.

As more Democratic members of Congress called for him to drop out Friday  bringing the total since his disastrous debate against Trump to at least 30  Biden remained isolated at his beach house in Delaware after being diagnosed with COVID-19.

The president, who insists he can beat Trump, huddled with family and relied on a few longtime aides as he resisted calls to step aside.

Late Friday, Ohio Sen. Sherrod Brown, a Democrat in a tough race for reelection, he agrees with the many Ohioans who reached out to him and called for Biden to step aside.

Rep. Morgan McGarvey, D-Ky., also called on Biden to drop out Friday night, saying, there is no joy in the recognition he should not be our nominee in November. But the stakes of this election are too high.

Biden said Republican Donald Trump's acceptance speech at the Republican National Convention showcased a "dark vision for the future."

The president, seeking to move the political conversation away from his fate and onto his rival's agenda, said Friday he planned to return to the campaign trail next week and insisted he has a path to victory over Trump, despite the worries of some of his party's most eminent members.

"Together, as a party and as a country, we can and will defeat him at the ballot box," Biden said. "The stakes are high, and the choice is clear. Together, we will win."

Earlier in the day, his campaign chair, Jen O'Malley Dillion, acknowledged "slippage" in support for the president but insisted he's "absolutely" remaining in the race and the campaign sees "multiple paths" to beating Trump.

"We have a lot of work to do to reassure the American people that, yes, he's old, but he can win," she told MSNBC's "Morning Joe" show. She said voters concerned about Biden's fitness to lead aren't switching to vote for Trump.

Meanwhile, the Democratic National Committee's rulemaking arm held a meeting Friday, pressing ahead with plans for a virtual roll call before Aug. 7 to nominate the presidential pick, ahead of the party's convention later in the month in Chicago.

"President Biden deserves the respect to have important family conversations with members of the caucus and colleagues in the House and Senate and Democratic leadership and not be battling leaks and press statements," said Sen. Chris Coons of Delaware, Biden's closest friend in Congress and his campaign co-chair.

Democrats, racing against time, are considering the extraordinary possibility of Biden stepping aside for a new presidential nominee before their convention.

Among the democrats expressing worries to allies about Biden's chances were former President Barack Obama and Speaker Emerita Nancy Pelosi, who has privately told Biden the party could lose the ability to seize control of the House if he doesn't step aside.

New Mexico Sen. Martin Heinrich called on Biden to exit the race, making him the third Senate Democrat to do so.

"By passing the torch, he would secure his legacy as one of our nation's greatest leaders and allow us to unite behind a candidate who can best defeat Donald Trump and safeguard the future of our democracy," said Heinrich, who's up for reelection.

Reps. Jared Huffman, Mark Veasey, Chuy Garcia and Mark Pocan, representing a wide swath of the caucus, together called on Biden to step aside.

"We must defeat Donald Trump to save our democracy," they wrote.

Separately, Rep. Sean Casten of Illinois wrote in an op-ed that with "a heavy heart and much personal reflection" he, too, was calling on Biden to "pass the torch to a new generation."

Campaign officials said Biden was even more committed to staying in the race. And senior West Wing aides have had no internal discussions or conversations with the president about dropping out.

On Friday, Biden picked up a key endorsement from the political arm of the Congressional Hispanic Caucus. CHC BOLD PAC said the Biden administration has shown "unwavering commitment" to Latinos and "the stakes couldn't be higher" in this election.

Biden, 81, tested positive for COVID-19 while traveling in Las Vegas this week and experienced "mild symptoms" including "general malaise" from the infection, the White House said.

White House doctor Kevin O'Connor said Friday that the president still had a dry cough and hoarseness, but that his COVID symptoms had improved.

In Congress, Democratic lawmakers started having private conversations about lining up behind Vice President Kamala Harris as an alternative.

One lawmaker said Biden's own advisers are unable to reach a unanimous recommendation about what he should do. More in Congress are considering joining the others who have called for Biden to drop out. Some prefer an open process for choosing a new presidential nominee.

"It's clear the issue won't go away," said Vermont Sen. Peter Welch, the other Senate Democrat who has publicly said Biden should exit the race. Welch said the current state of party angst  with lawmakers panicking and donors revolting  was "not sustainable."

Influential Democrats including Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer and House Democratic Leader Hakeem Jeffries sent signals of concern.

"There is of course work to be done, and that in fact is the case because we are an evenly divided country," Jeffries said in an interview on WNYC radio Friday.

But he also said, "The ticket that exists right now is the ticket that we can win on.  It's his decision to make."
Binocular fitted M-4 US carbines, Chinese steel core bullets and precision firing suggests that terrorists involved in recent attacks in the region could be retired Pakistan Army regulars of Special Service Group (SSG) or terrorists well-trained in guerilla warfare, intelligence officials confided in HT. M4 carbine, Chinese steel core bullets used by Pakistan terrorists during Tota Gali ambush last April also used in recent attacks. (HT)

A senior police officer, who declined to be named, also corroborated the claims of intelligence agencies.

M4 carbine and Chinese steel core bullets were first used by the Pakistani terrorists during an ambush of an army truck in Tota Gali area of Poonch on April 20, 2023, when five soldiers were killed.

Though we could not confirm with certainty that there are some former Pak army regulars among the terrorists, the guerilla warfare tactics being employed by the terrorists in recent attacks in Jammu strongly indicate that they are not commoners carrying firearms, he said.

They either seem to be former Pak army regulars or terrorists well-trained in guerilla warfare. We are facing battle-hardened terrorists equipped with sophisticated weaponry in the dense jungles, he added.

Also Read | Ensure greater synergy among agencies to dismantle terror networks: Amit Shah

An assault rifle, M4 carbine was developed in the US during the 1980s as a shortened version of the M16A2 assault rifle and was the primary infantry weapon and service rifle of the US forces.

Chinese steel core ammunition is a cartridge with a projectile having a steel core, surrounded by a metal jacket or coating, which has deep penetration and armour-piercing capabilities.

Former director general of police (DGP) Dr SP Vaid said, The current situation developing in the Jammu region is a matter of serious concern. Immediate action is the need of the hour. Reportedly some Pakistan Army regulars are guiding these terrorist groups along with some of the local terrorists of Jammu region, who had earlier crossed across and settled in Pakistan.

There have been intelligence reports, which indicated that weapons left behind by the US in Afghanistan were now finding their way into Jammu and Kashmir via Pakistan.

Terror activity in areas south of the Pir Panjal mountains that divide Jammu and Kashmir regions, including the Rajouri-Poonch sector, has spiked during the last two years.

Also Read | Two intruders killed as army foils fresh infiltration bid in J&Ks Kupwara

The army has sent more troops to the sector, reoriented its units, and strengthened the intelligence network for counter-terror operations.

Security forces have also recalibrated their responses as Jammu, Rajouri, Poonch, Reasi and Kathua districts became clear targets for Pakistan-based terror groups

Seven soldiers were killed in counter-terror operations in the Kashmir Valley last year compared to 20 in the Rajouri-Poonch sector. A total of 71 terrorists were killed in Jammu and Kashmir in 2023, including 51 in the Kashmir Valley and 20 in the Rajouri-Poonch area.

The Kathua attack came after twin gunbattles in the Kulgam district of Kashmir in which six terrorists and two soldiers were killed this month.

On June 9, terrorists attacked a pilgrim bus in Reasi leaving nine people dead and 42 others injured. Three terrorists were killed after a gunfight broke out between terrorists and security forces in the Gandoh area of Doda district on June 26.
Due to lack of adequate rooms in the Government Primary Smart School, Kundanpuri, nearly 90 students are packed in a single room even in this hot and humid weather, attributing to skin infections, suffocation and nosebleeds. Students sitting in a single room, despite hot and humid weather condition, at Government Primary Smart School, Kundanpuri, due to lack of space in Ludhiana on Saturday. (Manish/Hindustan Times)

Centre head teacher Kuldeep Singh informed that there are a total of 599 students enrolled in the school and the department has instructed them to meet last years target of 683 enrolments first and then make an increase of 5% of 683 enrolments for this year. We cannot accommodate the current number of students in the space available, and it will be difficult to add more students. We had to send two students back home because they suffered from nosebleeds, he said.

The teachers informed that there is only one section of each class and due to only five rooms available in total, class 1 students are made to attend classes in an open area on the premises. This is a centre school and we have to accommodate the belongings of other schools on our premises, along with ours. Due to this we do not even have a single extra room, we have kept almirahs and computers in the classrooms only, and now because of the humidity, we have to place our chairs outside the classroom to escape suffocation and to make a little more space for the students, they added.

The students of class 2 said that the ones sitting on the last benches experience uneasiness due to lack of ventilation. Moreover, there is no room for special children in the school and their classes are conducted right at the entrance of the school.

Even in the Government Senior Secondary Smart School, Kundanpuri, in charge Harinder Kaur informed that the school runs in double shifts but due to only 2 lecturers available for class XI and XII, an increase in the number of enrolments is practically not possible. Inspite of having no space we cannot turn away anyone seeking admission, she added.

Giving assurance, district education officer (elementary) Lalita Arora remarked, I will look into the matter and will come up with a solution as soon as possible.
Jailed Aam Aadmi Party leader and Delhi chief minister Arvind Kejriwals wife Sunita on Saturday launched the AAPs campaign for the Haryana assembly elections by announcing five populist guarantees. Aam Aadmi Party leaders anouncing Kejriwal Ki 5 Guarantee for Haryana in the run-up to the assembly elections, at an event in Panchkula on Saturday. (Ht Photo)

Addressing a town hall at Indradhanush Auditorium in Panchkula, Sunita made an emotional Haryana ka Lal pitch while unveiling Kejriwal ki 5 Guarantee for Haryana. (Prime Minister Narendra) Modi ji Kejriwal se jalte hai (Modi is jealous of Kejriwal). He got him implicated in a false (excise policy) case and put him in (Tihar) jail, Sunita said, adding Modi ji ne Haryana ke lal ko jail mein dala hai. He has challenged Haryana. Im the bahu (daughter-in-law) of Haryana.

Sunita went on to term Kejriwals arrest an insult. Will you silently tolerate this beizzati (dishonour)? We cannot be silent. In three months, you have assembly elections. The BJP should not get even one seat, Sunita said, adding, Now it is about Haryana ki izzat (honour).

Kejriwal belongs to Siwani town in the states Bhiwani district, and his uncles family still lives there. In the Lok Sabha elections, the Congress and the AAP contested nine and one seats, respectively. The Congress won five seats and the BJP five. The AAP could not win the lone Kurukshetra seat it contested.

Announcing the guarantees in the presence of AAP Rajya Sabha member Sanjay Singh, Punjab CM Bhagwant Mann, leaders Sandeep Pathak and Sushil Gupta, Sunita said: Like in Delhi and Punjab, all old domestic pending bills will be waived. Power cuts will be stopped, and arrangements will be made for 24-hour electricity.

The second guarantee if the party comes to power, she said, would be to provide good and free healthcare for all. Mohalla clinics will be established in every village and neighbourhood of cities. All government hospitals will be revamped, and new government hospitals will be built. Every resident of Haryana will receive free treatment, whether the illness is minor or major. All tests, medicines, surgeries, and treatments will be free, the party leader announced.

Like in Delhi and Punjab, the education mafia will be eradicated. Government schools will be made so good that people will want to enrol their children in government schools instead of private ones. The hooliganism of private schools will be stopped, and unjustified fee hike by private schools will be curbed, the party guaranteed.

The AAP promised all women in the state would receive 1,000 a month, while arrangements would be made for employment for every unemployed youngster.
After the UP police asked all eateries, shops and food carts along the Kanwar Yatra route to display their owners names in Muzaffarnagar, Saharanpur and Shamli, chief minister Yogi Adityanath extended the directive to all Kanwar Yatra routes across the state on Friday. Kanwariyas carrying metal pots filled with water from the River Ganga during their annual Kanwar Yatra, in Varanasi on Friday.(ANI)

He sternly ordered that it should be ensured that names and identities of proprietors are displayed to avoid confusion among pilgrims during the Kanwar Yatra.

The directive has been criticized by opposition parties and some members of the ruling alliance, who say it targets Muslim traders.

An Uttar Pradesh government spokesperson said a formal order is likely to be issued soon. He confirmed that the chief minister had issued this directive to ensure that participants of the procession did not get disturbed during their pilgrimage and added that the order was to be carried out on all Kanwar Yatra routes in the state.

Also Read | After Nitish's JD(U), Chirag Paswan opposes Kanwar Yatra rules for UP eateries

He further said the chief minister had issued a directive to initiate action against those selling and promoting Halal-certification products. In November 2023, the state government had gone tough on Halal certification made mandatory by certain organizations for the sale of different products, including vegetarian FMCG (fast growing consumer goods) products and cosmetics products, which dont require any Halal certification.

The Indian Constitution allows every citizen for no discrimination on the basis of caste, religion, language or other factors. But this move to force display their names on carts, eaters and shops is a direct attack on our constitution, Congress general secretary Priyanka Gandhi Vadra posted on X while reacting sharply to the order.

Similarly, Rashtriya Lok Dal (RLD) state president and MLC Ramashish Rai called the move unconstitutional and demanded to take it back. The RLD is a BJP ally.

Also Read | Vendors on Kanwar Yatra route: Authorities talk of going soft, but compliance begins on ground

On Thursday, after an outcry, UP police authorities had stated that displaying names of owners was a voluntary act and needed no forcible compliance. The department explained that these directives were issued to avoid confrontation between shopkeepers and kanwariyas.

The order was first issued by Muzaffarnagar police as about 240 km of the Kanwar Yatra route falls in the district. Muzaffarnagar senior superintendent of police (SSP) Abhishek Singh had said, An appeal was made to shopkeepers and cart owners to display their names voluntarily.

He added, Pilgrims often avoid eating at non-vegetarian joints and that is why these directives were issued. As pilgrims buy food from roadside eateries, the appeal was issued to avoid any confusion, so that no allegations and counter-allegations could be made, and no law-and-order situation arose later.

Kanwariyas are the followers of Lord Shiva and undertake an annual pilgrimage to fetch Ganga water in pitchers hung from poles (Kanwars) and offer it to the deity at various shrines. This year, the yatra will begin on July 22 with the onset of the Hindu holy month of Shravan or Saawan and continue till August 2.

The idea was first endorsed by UP minister and Muzaffarnagar MLA Kapil Dev Agarwal during a review meeting of the Kanwar Yatra last week. Agarwal said there were instances of non-vegetarian food being sold in restaurants that were named after Hindu deities. He said he had nothing against those selling meat and eggs, but they should not mislead people.

Earlier, the move was also criticized by Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) supremo Mayawati who stated that it could disturb communal harmony in the state. Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav demanded that the judiciary take suo motu cognizance of the matter and ensure action after carrying out a detailed probe into the state governments intentions.

Criticising the directive, Communist Party of India, (Marxist-Leninist) state secretary Sudhakar Yadav , in a statement issued on Friday, said such a directive is damaging to communal harmony, divisive, untouchability-oriented and unconstitutional. He demanded its withdrawal with immediate effect.

He said that under the guise of Kanwar Yatra, the BJP government is doing politics of polarization, and the purpose of the order is to target the minority community.

Party units have been asked to protest in the districts by burning copies of the order, he said.

On the other hand, State BJP spokesperson Rakesh Tripathi said, Social organisations of western Uttar Pradesh have complained that restaurant owners and street vendors hide their real identity and use fake names. Kanwariyas follow some rituals to maintain sanctity during the entire Kanwar Yatra. They prefer eating in outlets that are neat and clean and offer pure vegetarian food.

In the Food Safety and Standards Act 2006, it is specified that the licence holder will display the licence and the name of the proprietor in his outlet. The same is the case in the Street Vendors Act 2014.

The controversy behind the state governments directive is politically motivated, he added.
Uttar Pradesh chief minister Yogi Adityanath on Saturday reviewed preparations for Mahakumbh-2025 in a meeting held at circuit house with the officials of the departments concerned here. He directed the officials to complete the works related to the mega religious fair by October while maintaining quality. Uttar Pradesh CM Yogi Adityanath reviewing preparations for Mahakumbh-2025 in a meeting in Prayagraj on July 20. (HT photo)

Kumbh mela officer Vijay Kiran Anand gave a detailed presentation to Yogi regarding the different development works going on for Mahakumbh-2025. The other concerned departments also presented the progress reports of the Mahakumbh works before the CM.

The chief minister instructed officials to ensure a clean, green and safe Mahakumbh. The CM, while reviewing the works of Nagar Nigam, said instead of hoardings, the municipal corporation should put up display boards on PPT mode for broadcasting multiple advertisements at a time.

Big hoardings on the rooftops and terraces of homes should be removed to avoid Mumbai and Lucknow like mishaps, Yogi said. The signages in mela area and in the city should be in Hindi, English, Sanskrit and other regional languages as people from South India and even Nepal arrive in large numbers for the mega event.

Public facilities should be increased in mela area and in the city and arrangements of toilets, night shelters etc should be made near parking lots and railway stations, he added. The CM said the Mahakumbh will get a global recognition as a Divya and Bhavya Mahakumbh if it is organised on models of cleanliness, safety and order.

There should be regular communication with stakeholders, public representatives, local traders and industrialists, different organisations, Akhara Parishad and seers. Bhardwaj Ashram and Dwadash (12) Madhav temples are the identity of Prayagraj. A special focus should be laid on them to return their ancient glory, the CM said.

Rates of boats should be fixed and workers engaged in different works like cleaning, electricity etc should be given proper training and given uniform and unique codes. Single use plastic should be banned at Mahakumbh. The boatmen should have life jackets and should be given proper training.

Each and every pilgrim should be treated well by police personnel. AI and other techniques should be used for traffic and crowd management. Electricity supply should be smooth and uninterrupted, Yogi said. The CM also took information regarding the number of buses to be used during the mega religious event and said that shuttle buses should be used.

Reviewing works of Bridge Corporation, PWD, irrigation, Ganga Pollution Control Board, health and other departments, Yogi instructed them to complete them on time. Cabinet minister Nand Gopal Gupta Nandi and MLAs of all constituencies of the district also gave their suggestions during the meeting.

CM Yogi garlanded the statue of Shaheed Chandrashekhar Azad and planted a sapling at Circuit House under the Prime Minister Narendra Modis initiative ek ped ma ke naam. Yogi later visited the residence of cabinet minister Nand Gopal Gupta Nandi and gave blessings to his newly-wed son and daughter-in-law. The CM also performed puja at Bade Hanumanji temple.

Women protection home soon

A women protection home will come up on the land freed from mafia near the airport in Prayagraj, the CM said on Saturday. The protection home will be similar to Krishna Kutir in Mathura and will house aged and destitute women along with girls and women who have to leave their homes due to harassment and other reasons, he added.

Yogi also instructed the officials to construct more houses for the poor on the land freed from mafias in the district.
MUMBAI: In a growing controversy surrounding Mumbai's ambitious Dharavi Redevelopment Project (DRP), the Shiv Sena (UBT) has raised serious objections to alleged additional concessions being sought by the Adani Group, the project's designated developer. Uddhav Thackeray claimed that the Adani Group has requested an additional 540 acres of land to complete the project. HT Photo(Yogesh Naik)

On Saturday, Uddhav Thackeray, president of Shiv Sena (UBT), claimed that the Adani Group has requested an additional 540 acres of land to complete the project, a demand not stipulated in the original tender conditions. Thackeray asserted that this information was obtained through a Right to Information (RTI) request.

"We will not allow the people to be shifted out of Dharavi," Thackeray declared, calling for the tender to be scrapped if the Adani Group cannot deliver the project without seeking extra benefits from the state government. "The government should call for a fresh tender process," he demanded.

Thackeray went further, insinuating favouritism in the project's allocation. "Is it the Dharavi Redevelopment Project or 'Ladka Mitra Yojna' (favourite friend scheme)?" he remarked, alluding to alleged ties between Prime Minister Narendra Modi and the Adani Group.

The Shiv Sena (UBT) leader also expressed concern over the recent numbering of existing structures in Dharavi, suggesting it might be a ploy to inflate the number of tenants requiring rehabilitation.

The party has indicated its intention to make this a key issue in the upcoming state assembly elections, advocating for in-situ rehabilitation of tenants and demanding 500-square-foot tenements for each affected resident.

The project has been embroiled in controversy since the state government mandated that all developers must purchase 40% of transferable development rights (TDR) from the Adani Group, an addition to the shops mentioned in the tender. Recently, the government also permitted the transfer of a state-owned dairy plot in Kurla for the project, viewed by some as another concession.

As of now, neither the Adani Group nor the Dharavi Redevelopment Authority has responded to Thackeray's allegations.

The Dharavi Redevelopment Project aims to transform one of Asia's largest slums into a modern urban centre. However, the increasing number of alleged concessions and the lack of transparency in the process have raised concerns among opposition parties and civil society groups alike.
After former cabinet Amar Mani Tripathi and his wife, another influential politician former Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) MLA Uday Bhan Karwariya, will be given premature release on remission after spending eight years and nine months in jail, senior government officials said here on Saturday. For representation only (HT File Photo)

Uday Bhan was one of the three Karwariya brothers - elder brother, Kapil Muni Karwariya, former Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) MP, and younger brother Suraj Bhan Karwariya, former BSP MLC - who were sentenced to life imprisonment in the sensational murder of former Samajwadi Party MLA Jawahar Yadav alias Jawahar Pandit.

Uday Bhan is a two-time BJP MLA from Bara, having won from the seat in 2002 and 2007.

The Karwariya brothers had immense clout and hold in sand mining in Prayagraj and its adjoining region, including Kaushambi and Fatehpur. Their family members still have a stronghold on the sand mining business in the region as well as having immense political clout.

The murder of Jawahar Yadav was also the fallout of his increasing interference in the sand mining business after getting the support from the then Samajwadi Party government in the state in August 1996.

For his premature release, the state government issued an order dated July 19, 2024, in which it was mentioned that he could be released following his good behavior while being lodged in jail and the positive recommendation made by the mercy petition committee.

The order further read that he had spent eight years, nine months and 11 days in jail till July 30, 2023, and he could be released if no other case is pending against him, after submitting two sureties as per the order of district police chief and district magistrate with an assurance to not disturb law and order.

HT has downloaded a copy from the government order website of the UP government.

Jailor of Naini Central Jail, Alok Kumar, said that the copy of the order is yet to be received by the jail administration. After receiving the orders, jail administration will forward the concerned documents to the district administration. The former MLA may be released by Monday after completion of formalities and approval by the district administration, he added.

A senior government official privy to the development, said Uday Bhans brothers, who were also convicted and sentenced to a life term in the case, will continue to remain in jail.

He said that the three brothers were sentenced by an Allahabad district and sessions court along with one Ram Chandra alias Kallu in Jawahar Yadavs murder on November 4, 2019.

Recalling the past, a senior police official said Jawahar Yadav, the then SP MLA, was sprayed with bullets with an AK-47 rifle in the Civil Lines area of Prayagraj, when he was going to the railway station on August 13, 1996. He said that it was for the first time when an AK-47 was used in any crime in Prayagraj. The initial investigation was carried out by the Uttar Pradesh police and later it was transferred to CB-CID, he added.

The murder had not only caused ripples in power corridors of the state but also caused terror among citizens, many of whom had never heard about the sophisticated AK-47 rifle used in the shootout. Police had found marks of 16 bullets on the car of the politician during the investigation.

In his statement, Jawahar Yadavs brother-in-law and witness Ramlochan Yadav had told the court that the accused who were standing over a distance of three feet fled the scene after firing hundreds of shots at the car.

Earlier, the Prisons Administration and Reform Services Department on August 24, 2023, issued an order for the premature release of another influential politician, Amarmani Tripathi and his wife Madhumani Tripathi, citing the states 2018 policy on remission, since they had completed 20 years of imprisonment in the case of murder of slain poetess Madhumita Shukla in Lucknow. The couple has been out of jail since then.
Union home minister Amit Shah said on Saturday that the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) would unseat the INDIA bloc from power and form a full majority government in Jharkhand ahead of the year-end assembly elections in the state. Union home minister Amit Shah said on Saturday that the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) would unseat the INDIA bloc from power (PTI)

Addressing BJP workers at the meeting of the extended state executive committee at Prabhat Tara ground, Shah criticised the Hemant Soren government for alleged scams worth several hundred crores and changing demographics and dwindling tribal population in the state due to the influx of illegal migrants from Bangladesh.

People of the Congress, Hemant Soren ji... I can read the writing on the wall that the BJP will form the government in Jharkhand after the 2024 assembly elections with full majority... I thank the people of Jharkhand for giving nine out of 14 Lok Sabha polls. The lotus bloomed in 52 assembly segments, said Shah, asking the party workers who had assembled from across the state to pledge to throw the JMM-led government out of power.

Criticising the Congress, Shah said it was difficult to comprehend the arrogance of the party, and its leader Rahul Gandhi was not able to digest the loss in the Lok Sabha elections.

Someone getting arrogant after victory is understandable. But why has Congress become so arrogant after having lost the election? You saw the behaviour of Rahul Gandhi in Lok Sabha. Modi Ji is the first person in 60 years to have been elected PM for the third consecutive term. The NDA won a clear majority, and the BJP alone got more seats than the combined strength of the INDIA bloc. BJP got more seats in this LS elections than Congresss combined numbers in 2014, 2019, and 2024, said Shah.

Underlining that the Hemant Soren government is behind the ongoing land jihad and love jihad by illegal infiltrators from Bangladesh, leading to changes in demographics in the state, the Union home minister said once in power, BJP would come out with a White Paper on the states population.

Infiltrators are marrying tribal women and buying land, which is changing the demographics. The tribal population is shrinking in Jharkhand. If there is one place where the tribal population is reducing, its Jharkhand. You make BJP government in the state, and we will bring out a White Paper on demographics and the population, their land as well as the reservation of the tribals, said Shah.

Shah further alleged that the Hemant Soren government was one of the most corrupt governments in the state and had been engaging in scams worth several hundred crores, including, land, army land, mining, and transfer postings scam. Criticising Congress over corruption, Shah said the party would surely give a ticket to jailed minister Alamgir Alam or else he would spill the beans.

 30 crore was recovered from the residence of the PA of a minister. Whose money was it? I can confidently tell you that Congress would again field that minister, or else he would expose others, said Shah.

Reacting to the allegations, Jharkhand Mukti Morcha (JMM) spokesperson Manoj Pandey said that being the Union home minister, Amit Shah should take responsibility for any infiltration.

If Bangladeshis are infiltrating the state, he should take responsibility. Instead of making wild allegations, Shah should have spoken about the core issues related to the tribals and OBCs. He should have spoken about why his governor is sitting on bills to provide a 1932 Khatiyan-based domicile, increase OBC reservation, and give separate Sarna codes to tribals. They are disconnected from the ground realities. In the 2019 Lok Sabha elections, they led in over 60 seats but were reduced to 25 in the assembly elections. This time, they led in 52, so they would be reduced to single digits, added Pandey.

Meanwhile, later in the day, Shah visited the BJP state headquarters in Ranchi and held a meeting with senior party leaders, parliamentarians, and legislators in the presence of election in-charges Shivraj Chouhan and Himanta Biswa Sarma and chalked out strategy and partys roadmap for the upcoming assembly elections.
Lalit Narayan Mithila University, LNMU, will close the registration window for counselling of the 2-year B.Ed course today, July 20. Eligible candidates interested in participating in the counselling process can submit their applications on the official website of LNMU at biharcetbed-lnmu.in. Bihar B.Ed counselling 2024: Registration window closes today at biharcetbe. d-lnmu.in. (HT Representative Image)

While registering, candidates will be given the facility for choice filling and preference of colleges/institutions.

Once the registration window closes, LNMU will release the allotment results of 1st round on July 25, 2024.

Candidates can confirm the allotted seat with a confirmation fee of 3000/- (Rupees Three Thousand only) which is non-refundable, from July 26, 2024, to August 9, 2024.

Also read: SAMS Odisha +2 merit list 2024 out Round 1 at samsodisha.gov.in, direct link here

The paper verification and admission of 1st round at the concerned college/institute is scheduled to take place from July 26, 2024, and August 10, 2024.

The official guidelines released by LNMU stated that the selection of colleges and preferences is a one-time process. Once a candidate is allotted any college he/she will not be considered for subsequent counseling(s)

Reservation rosters are implemented only in Government and Constituent Colleges. 50% of seats in Minority Colleges are reserved for the concerned minority candidates. It is necessary to select at least 3 colleges from one or all universities, the notice said.

Also read: ICSI CSEET Result 2024 declared at icsi.edu, direct link to download scorecard and other details here

Furthermore, as per the notice, applicants can select a maximum of 9 colleges from one or all universities. It is necessary for Minority Applicants (Muslim/Christian) to select at least one college from any of the concerned minority colleges.

Notably, the registration for Bihar B.ED Counselling began on July 11, 2024.

Also read: SSC CHSL Tier 1 Answer Key: Objection window closing on July 23 at ssc.gov.in, heres what candidates must know
The Institute of Company Secretaries of India has released the ICSI CSEET Result 2024. Candidates can check the result of the Company Secretary Executive Entrance Test through the official website of ICSI at icsi.edu. ICSI CSEET 2024 Result Live Updates ICSI CSEET Result 2024 released at icsi.edu, know how to check

The ICSI CSEET examination was held on July 6, 7 and 8, 2024 across the country at various exam centres.

The official notice issued earlier stated that the result along with individual Candidates subject-wise break-up of marks will be made available on the Institutes website. Also the Formal e-Result-cum-Marks Statement of Company Secretary Executive Entrance Test, July, 2024 Session will be uploaded on the website of Institute immediately after declaration of result for downloading by Candidates for their reference, use and records. No physical copy of Result-cum-Marks Statement shall be issued to the Candidates.

CDAC C-CAT Result 2024 out at cdac.in, direct link to check marks here

To download the CSEET results 2024, candidates must enter details such as their registration number (unique ID) and date of birth as login credentials. All the appeared candidates can follow the steps given below to check their respective results.

ICSI CSEET Result 2024: How to check

Visit the official website of ICSI at icsi.edu.

Click on ICSI CSEET Result 2024 link available on the home page.

A new page will open where candidates will have to enter the login details.

Click on submit and 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.

For more related details candidates can check the official website of ICSI.
My Hero Academia Season 7 Part 2 only recently picked off the ground. However, after just two episode broadcasts, the beloved anime based on Kohei Horikoshis shonen manga series is again heading out for a weeks break. According to the revised release schedule, Episode 12 of the ongoing season will not be aired on Saturday, July 27, but instead on a later date, which also happens to fall in the same week as the My Hero Academia manga finale. Midoriya will likely become the central figure again in My Hero Academia Season 7 Episode 12.

A lot has been happening in the franchise, considering both the TV anime saga and the manga trajectory have entered their final arcs. Nevertheless, the end of the best-selling manga is much closer, and the anime will continue entertaining fans. Per official reports, the final chapter of Horikoshis magnum opus will drop on August 5, 2024, a decade after it began being serialised in Weekly Shonen Jump.

The first week of August is bound to be a bittersweet stretch for fans of the superhero anime, as the cinematic premiere of the My Hero Academia: Youre Next movie is also slated for August 2 in Japan.

Katsuki Bakugo was one of the most central characters in the most recent broadcast of My Hero Academia Season 7, Episode 11, on July 20. Just in time for the episodes premiere, the mangaka also published a new character illustration, instantly amassing millions of views and thousands of likes within hours. At the time of writing, the X/Twitter post had 2.4 million views, more than 150K likes, and over 4.7K saves.

Also read | One Piece anime beats The Bear and other popular titles to clinch #1 rank among best-rated TV shows of 2024

My Hero Academia Season 7 Episode 12 Release date

The superhero anime's seventh season is going full-throttle with its action saga. However, it will again take off for a week's hiatus amid its ongoing broadcast schedule and there will be no episode next week on July 27. Episode 12 of the ongoing season will instead air on Saturday, August 3, 2024, at 5:30 pm JST. The official delay is credited to the Olympics broadcast.

The upcoming August episode is titled Those Who Defend, Those Who Violate.

Watch the My Hero Academia Episode 150 preview:

Where to watch My Hero Academia Season 7 Episode 12?

Japanese audiences can watch the new cour kick-off on local networks like Nippon Television. On the contrary, international audiences may rely on streaming platforms Crunchyroll and Netflix to watch Episode 12.

The show also streams on Amazon Prime Video, Hulu, Disney Plus, and other streaming platforms in limited regions.

Global audiences may check out the estimated release schedule for its eventual Crunchyroll premieres below. Mindful of delayed premieres on Crunchyroll, international viewers may tune in an hour after the Japanese broadcast as follows:

Pacific Daylight Time: Saturday, August 3, at 2:30 am

Eastern Daylight Time: Saturday, August 3 at 5:30 am

Central European Summer Time: Saturday, August 3, at 10:30 am

Indian Standard Time: Saturday, August 3, at 3 pm

Australian Central Standard Time: Saturday, August 3, at 7 pm

Also read | Lovely Runner, Queen of Tears' content targetted after popular K-drama channels were hacked

My Hero Academia Season 7 Episode 12 Preview

After a fierce battle between Shigaraki and Bakugo, launched by the former to break Midoriya's morale, the beloved hero's body is left pierced. Meanwhile, Dabi and All For One gain the upper hand in the battle, which quickly turns in the villains' favour. Now it's up to Midoriya, who must hurry in order to bring together hope.
Earlier this week, actor Janhvi Kapoor was hospitalised in Mumbai due to severe food poisoning. Now, it is being reported that she has been discharged, and is doing much better. Also read: Janhvi Kapoor hospitalised due to food poisoning; likely to be discharged in 2 days Janhvi Kapoor will be next seen in Ulajh.

Health update

According to Zoom, she has been discharged from the hospital and is at her home. Her father Boney Kapoor confirmed the news, stating, "She was discharged this morning. She is much better now."

A report by Times Now stated that her father, her sister Khushi Kapoor and alleged boyfriend Shikhar Pahariya have been by her side, taking care of her all along.

Earlier this week, a source close to the actor confirmed the news to Hindustan Times, sharing that Janhvi was admitted to a hospital in South Mumbai on Thursday. She was suffering from a severe case of food poisoning.

About her hospitalisation

At that time, it was reported that she is on the way to recovery now, though she is struggling with weakness. Janhvi had returned to Mumbai from Chennai on Tuesday. She was not feeling well on Wednesday due to which she decided to not go out.

Lately, the actor has been juggling between her personal and professional life. She was recently seen attending wedding festivities of Anant Ambani and Radhika Merchant. After that, she dived into promotional activities for her upcoming film Ulajh, where she portrays the role of Suhana Bhatia.

Whats next for her

Fans will see Janhvi next in Ulajh as Suhana Bhatia, a young diplomat entangled in a web of intrigue and conspiracy. Directed by Sudhanshu Saria, the film promises a gripping narrative set against the backdrop of high-stakes international diplomacy.

The film also stars Adil Hussain, Meiyang Chang, Rajendra Gupta, and Jitendra Joshi. Ulajh, scripted by Sudhanshu Saria and Parveez Shaikh with dialogues by Atika Chauhan, is slated for release on August 2.
Its very tough

Kareena stated in the interview that its important for her to find the time to vacation with her kids and spend quality time with her family. When asked if its tough being married to someone whos also an actor, she said, Its very tough (being married to an actor). Sometimes, hes sleeping when Ive left for work. I wont see him living in the same house; were trying to take time out for the kids. Two actors in the same house.

However, she also added that she has changed for the better after marriage and that Saif grounds her when shes going a little crazy. She also added that they look to each other for advice, stating, I always ask him for advice, and he does (ask me, too). I dont know if he takes my advice. I am critical of his films. He hasnt seen Crew, can you believe it? Hes been shooting, so see. But I have to see all his filmsso in that sense, yeah, hes taken me for granted this time.

Recent work

Kareena was last seen in Crew, starring Tabu and Kriti Sanon. She will be seen in Singham Again featuring Ajay Devgn, Akshay Kumar, Ranveer Singh, and Deepika Padukone in lead roles. Singham Again is scheduled to release on November 1 this year.

Before Singham Again, Kareena will be seen in Hansal Mehta's The Buckingham Murders, which is slated to release in cinemas on September 13. Saif will soon debut in Tollywood with Koratala Sivas Jr NTR, Janhvi Kapoor-starrer Devara: Part 1.
During an appearance on Piers Morgan Uncensored on Friday, July 19, Armie Hammer addressed rumours that Robert Downey Jr. funded his rehab stay. Armie Hammer also has been accused of rape by a woman in 2021(REUTERS)

Hammer clarified that while the Iron Man actor has been supportive, but he did not pay for me to go to rehab for his six-month Florida rehab stint in 2021. At that time, Hammer was dealing with issues related to drugs, alcohol, and sex, as reported by Vanity Fair.

Hammer is incredibly grateful to Downey

When Piers Morgan questioned about the rehab funding rumours, Hammer responded, No, he did not. He did not pay for me to go to rehab. The interview, lasting over an hour, delved into the various allegations against Hammer, including accusations of sexual and physical abuse and even cannibalism.

ALSO READ| Emmy nominations watch guide: Here's where you can watch Shogun, The Bear, True Detective, and other best shows of 2023

I dont want to bring anyone else into my situation. There are a number of people who have been extremely helpful, and Im incredibly grateful, he said.

He helped me in the way where anyone in Hollywood who suffers from any sort of addiction issues  whether it be alcohol or process addiction or drugs  decides to get sober, that guy will find you, and he will help you. Its amazing.

Downey reportedly told Hammer, Sit down, shut up, everything is going to be OK.

When Morgan mentioned Leonardo DiCaprio and Julia Roberts, Hammer saidhe had not heard from them. I try not to think about the people who didnt contact me. I try to focus on the people who did, who showed their support, he said, Lone Ranger co-star Johnny Depp was among a few of those who checked on him.

ALSO READ| Ben Affleck fears Jennifer Lopez will destroy him in divorce war if he

Director Luca Guadagnino, who worked with Hammer on 2017s Call Me by Your Name, has been vocally supportive, which is something that I could not appreciate more.

I understand that my situation was inflammatory, and anyone who gets too close might also light on fire, he concluded.
You have seen her accompanying the cutest star kids in town- Taimur and Jeh, ever since they were little babies. And now, she is working full time with actor Ram Charan and his wife, businesswoman Upasana Konidela for their daughter, Klin Kara. Lalita D Silva, as she talks to us, firstly clarifies that she is not a nanny, as everyone believes her to be. Lalita Dsilva has taken care of Taimur, Jeh, Klin Kaara and Anant Ambani when he was a kid.

Its been a journey of 30 years as a pediatric nurse, she shares exclusively with HT City. She is currently viral on the internet because of the pictures she shared with Anant Ambani from his wedding. He was the first child I started taking care of. It was an unbelievable feeling to be attending his wedding, I cant express how I felt. He was a good kid, he is exactly the same even now, she gushes. She was made aware of the pic going viral by people around her, Friends and family started sending me messages oh your picture is here and so on. I told them its normal. People have started recognising me.

Mother to a 35-year-old herself, D Silva adds that the Ambanis never forgot her, she was with them for 11 years. They are very much in touch with me till now. Its Gods blessing. And not just Anant, I also took care of Isha and Akash too. Nita bhabhi I would call her then, now I call her maam. They are such a rich family, but have still not forgotten me. Hard work pays off, I worked dedicatedly with Anant. They invited me for Isha and Akashs wedding too, but I was busy travelling with Taimur then. This time, Ram Charan sir and Upasana ji helped me stay back and attend the wedding, she gushes.

She also accompanies the families on their international trips, like Ram and Upasana took her alongwith them to Italy and Thailand, and Kareena took her along to take care of Taimur during the shoot of Laal Singh Chadha. Kareena is an amazing mother, she is so disciplined, her kids are also similar. Saif is very much hands on with his kids, she reveals.

What one cant forget is the hysteria Taimur had created upon his birth. Every public appearance by him, Lalita cradling him in her arms would break the internet. Though Lalita enjoys the job and doesnt find anything stressful, this particular situation made her feel the pressure. There was pressure from the public and media. I would have to tell people yeh baccha hai, dont chase him, why are you behaving like this I had to tell mothers I know Taimur is very cute, his parents are also cute and handsome, but take care of your kids also, click your own childrens pics Bauhaut pressure tha, but I managed. I had no experience of clearing the media or stop them from clicking pics, but I managed. I was very concerned for Taimurs safety, that he should be kept secure from all this, she ends.
AAP leader Somnath Bharti on Saturday approached the Delhi High Court against the victory of BJP's Bansuri Swaraj from the New Delhi Lok Sabha constituency, claiming that she won due to corrupt practices. AAP leader Somnath Bharti (Vipin Kumar/HT Photo)

Bharti was the joint candidate of the AAP-Congress alliance under which the parties contested four and three seats respectively in the national capital. However, the BJP won all seven seats for the third consecutive time.

The present election petition is filed by the petitioner under Sections 80 and 81 of the Representation of People Act challenging the election of the respondent no.1 (Swaraj) on the grounds of corrupt practices indulged into by the respondent no.1, her election agent, and other persons with the consent of the person during the course of the election on May 25, the plea stated.

On the voting day, the petitioner during his visits to various booths of the New Delhi parliamentary constituency, was shocked to see that booth agents of the respondent no. 1 had her pamphlets displaying her ballot number, photo, election symbol, and photo of prime minister Narendra Modi. These were showing the same to voterssuch an act certainly qualifies to be a corrupt practice. This was also reported to the respondent no. 3 (returning officer) but all in vain, it mentioned.

Justice Manmeet PS Arora will take up the matter on Monday.

Delhi voted in the sixth leg of the national polls, the second-last phase of the exercise. In her electoral debut, Swaraj, a lawyer by profession and daughter of late BJP stalwart and ex-Union minister Sushma Swaraj, secured 453,185 votes, while Bharti, also a lawyer, got 374,815 votes, according to the Election Commission's data.

BSP nominee Raaj Kumar Anand, who resigned from the AAP in April accusing it of corruption, came third with 5629 votes.

Anand, alleged Bharti in the plea, was set up by the BJP to help Swaraj against the Aam Aadmi Party member, and helped her by cutting into the vote share.

Raaj Kumar Anand joined the BJP on July 10.

(With PTI inputs)
Indian Army chief General Upendra Dwivedi is scheduled to visit Jammu region on Saturday, July 20, to review the preparedness of the ground security forces in the union territory. The Army chief will hold a high-level security meeting with other top officials in the region amid the recent spike in terror attacks. During the meeting on the security situation in Jammu and Kashmir, General Upendra Dwivedi will be briefed by the formation commanders on the areas being taken by the security forces. It is expected that top officials from the paramilitary forces, Jammu and Kashmir Police and Indian Army will be a part of this meeting. Dig Deeper Indian Army chief General Upendra Dwivedi

Civil aviation minister K Rammohan Naidu said airline systems across airports have started working normally since 3am on Saturday, a day after a massive worldwide Microsoft outage. "Since 3 AM (Saturday), Airline systems across airports have started working normally. Flight operations are going smoothly now," K Rammohan Naidu said in a statement. Airline systems across airports were impacted due to a global IT outage on Friday. Dig Deeper

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Entertainment Focus

Nominations for the 76th Primetime Emmy Awards were announced earlier this week. While a new series like Shogun took the cake for most nominations, favourites like The Bear and The Crown strike back to bag some more. Here's where you can watch these Emmy-nominated shows in India. Dig Deeper

Lifestyle and Health

Kim Kardashian, with her sister Khloe Kardashian, attended the Ambani wedding in Mumbai. Besides Kim's modern Indian traditional outfits, her selfie with Aishwarya Rai (calling her a 'Queen') grabbed attention. Now, her stylist, Dani Levi, has shared that Aishwarya was her main muse while conceptualising Kim and Khloe's looks. Read on to know what she said. Dig Deeper
Air India on Saturday said the relief aircraft for passengers of its Delhi-San Francisco flight stranded in Russia has landed safely in San Francisco. Air India had diverted its flight AI183 from New Delhi to San Francisco towards Russia after a technical glitch on Thursday. There were 225 passengers and 19 crew members onboard. There were 225 passengers and 19 crew members onboard.(File)

The flight made a precautionary landing at Krasnoyarsk International Airport in Russia's Krasnoyarsk Krai on Thursday after the cockpit crew detected a potential issue in the cargo hold area.

The next day, Air India dispatched a relief flight from New Delhi to Krasnoyarsk Krai. The ferry flight also carried on board essentials in addition to sufficient food for all passengers. A delegation from the Indian Embassy in Moscow also went to the airport to assist the passengers.

In its latest update on Friday, Air India said that flight AI1179 landed safely in San Francisco at 8.27 local time.

We thank the DGCA, the Government of India, the Embassy of India in Russia, the Russian authorities, the Transportation Security Administration (TSA), U.S. Customs and Border Protection, Krasnoyarsk International Airport, and all partners involved for their support in the situation, Air India wrote on X.

Finally, our thanks to the passengers of AI183 of 18 July for their patience and understanding during the diversion. Safety remains our foremost priority, and something we will never compromise on, it added.

In a similar incident last year, an Air India fight on the same route had suffered technical problems and had to be diverted to Russia's remote town Magadan.

The Boeing 777-200 LR aircraft was carrying 216 passengers and 16 crew at the time. Its passengers were then shifted to makeshift accommodation in a school, where they remained for two days.

A replacement flight, carrying food and other essentials, was subsequently sent from Mumbai. The ferry flight later took the passengers to San Francisco.
Union home minister Amit Shah on Friday accused Jharkhand chief minister Hemant Soren of being involved in land jihad and love jihad, which are allegedly leading to demographic changes in the state. Union Home Minister Amit Shah. (ANI)

"Being a chief minister from the tribal community, he (Hemant Soren) doesn't care for his people. Instead, he is propagating land jihad and love jihad in the state dominated by tribals, which are causing demographic changes," Amit Shah said while addressing party workers at Prabhat Tara Ground in Ranchi.



Shah claimed that thousands of illegal immigrants are marrying tribal women, obtaining certificates, and buying land in Jharkhand, which will reduce the population of tribals in the future.



If anywhere in the country the population of tribals is reducing, it is only in Jharkhand. If the people of Jharkhand vote the Bharatiya Janata Party to power, a white paper will be brought in to secure their land, population, and reservation. The manner in which illegal immigrants are entering the state is directly affecting the employment of the youth, the home minister said.



He alleged that Hemant Soren has turned a blind eye to all the problems in Jharkhand and has been worried only about vote bank politics, adding that his idea of progress for tribals means progress of his own family.



Read: I see nothing wrong: Union minister backs UP govt's controversial order to eateries for Kanwar Yatra



It is our government that is concerned about the welfare of tribals. It was the BJP that appointed Babu Lal as the first tribal chief minister of the state. We appointed a tribal woman as the President of India. It is our government that made sure announcements are made in the Santhali language at the railway station, the minister claimed.



He also said that Prime Minister Narendra Modi always prioritised the welfare of people from the Other Backward Classes (OBC), established a commission for them, gave 27 percent reservation for them in all central examinations, and made provisions to secure their rights.



Even the Prime Minister's council of ministers has the highest number of ministers from the backward community The people of Jharkhand need to uproot the corrupt Soren government and support Narendra Modi, said Shah.
Ranchi, Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma on Saturday visited a state-run hospital here to meet contractual police assistants who were injured in a clash with police personnel in the Jharkhand capital a day before. Assam CM Himanta meets injured contractual police assistants in Jharkhand

Sarma, also the BJP's election co-incharge for Jharkhand, condemned the lathi-charge on the protesting contractual police assistants, also known as special police officers , who were demanding direct recruitment in the police department along with an increase in their honorarium.

Opposition BJP has condemned the "police action by the JMM-led government on the contractual police assistants who were protesting in Ranchi for the last 17 days demanding permanent employment".

The saffron party slammed the Hemant Soren government, saying it failed to fulfill its promises.

Senior police and administrative officers had on Friday held a meeting with a delegation of the agitating SPOs and urged them to recall the agitation.

"We have assured the delegation that they will receive relaxations in various police department appointments. Specifically, they will be granted age relaxation and other concessions when applying for constable positions in excise, home guard, jail sipahi, and fire services," Raj Kumar Mallick, Additional Director General at police headquarters, had told reporters.

According to eyewitnesses, police resorted to mild lathi-charge to control the agitators near the CM's residence.

The agitating SPOs, who were camping near the CM's residence to press for their demands, went to Morabadi Ground later. They were holding demonstrations in the ground for around one week.

Earlier, Principal Secretary Vandana Dadel and DGP Ajay Kumar Singh held talks with a delegation of agitating SPOs urging them to end their agitation.

Mallick had clarified that while direct induction into the police force is not feasible, special provisions such as age relaxation will be provided to allow them to compete fairly with other candidates.

"They were informed that recruitments for another 6,500 posts in the police department would be held soon and they are eligible to appear for it. Besides, we assured them of extending their tenure, which comes to an end on August 9, by one year if they end their agitation," he had said.

"We have assured them of raising their honorarium by 25 per cent, contingent upon their disciplined conduct during the agitation and prompt return to their duties," Mallick said.

Union minister and the BJP's election in-charge for Jharkhand, Shivraj Singh Chouhan, attacked the JMM-led dispensation in the state alleging that every section of Jharkhand was suffering under it.

" Hemant Soren ji, you did not do the right thing by ordering the lathi-charge. These are poor sons and daughters of Jharkhand who are demanding their rights from you. Jharkhand will not forget this atrocity of yours. Soren Babu, your government has just a few more days left," Chouhan posted on X.

BJP leader Laxmikant Bajpai also condemned the lathi-charge, saying the Jharkhand government was unable to deliver on its promises and the saffron party is confident of a good show in the state elections, given it was ahead in 52 assembly segments during the Lok Sabha elections.

The assembly elections are due in the state later this year.

BJP state president Babulal Marandi took to X saying, "Every blow on the body of the assistant policemen will act as a nail in the coffin of the coalition government."

Marandi, a former chief minister, alleged, "When he was not satisfied with the blood and tears of the policemen, the tents erected on Morabadi Ground were uprooted. Pregnant women and children were not spared, they were also dragged and beaten."

This article was generated from an automated news agency feed without modifications to text.
Shillong: Meghalaya chief minister Conrad K Sangma said on Friday that around 36 students from Meghalaya still remain stranded in Bangladesh amidst violent reservation-related protests in the neighbouring country. These 36 students are studying at Eastern Medical College in Chittagong. Cities across Bangladesh, including the capital Dhaka, have been rocked by violent protests this week against government job quotas (Reuters Photo)

He said that the Meghalaya government evacuated over 405 students earlier this week from Bangladesh through the Dawki land port in West Jaintia Hills district. Among them, 80 are from Meghalaya, 131 from other Indian states, 249 from Nepal, and eight from Bhutan. Additionally, four tourists were also evacuated.

Also Read: 245 Indians cross over from Bangladesh as students protest escalates

Terming the violent protests as unfortunate, Sangma said, As soon as we received this information, we took immediate action. 405 students from India have been evacuated from Bangladesh through Dawki, including about 80 from Meghalaya. We also have students from Bhutan and Nepal and some tourists who crossed the border from the Dawki side.

The CM said that the state government is in contact with the Indian Embassy in Dhaka to facilitate any necessary movement.

Cities across Bangladesh, including the capital Dhaka have been rocked by violent protests this week against government job quotas. More than 30 people have died and hundreds injured as protesters clashed with police and pro-government student groups.

Sangma expresses concerns over the evacuation of 36 students from Meghalaya, studying at Eastern Medical College. We are in touch with officials there and with the Indian Embassy. Although the college claims the situation is under control, many parents are understandably concerned. We are continuously monitoring the situation. While the area around the college seems stable, the route to the border may pose risks. We will ensure the route is safe before proceeding with evacuations. We hope to assess the situation within the next 24 hours, Sanma said.

Most returnees will enter India through Tripura. Sangma said, We are coordinating with authorities in Tripura, our counterparts, and the High Commission in Bangladesh to evacuate our students and others as soon as it is safe to do so.

The CM also announced plans to create an online portal to collect contact details of all students from Meghalaya studying abroad. This initiative aims to improve communication in emergencies. The proposal will be presented at the next cabinet meeting for approval.

There will be an online portal where we urge every student from Meghalaya studying abroad to register and provide contact information. This will enable us to quickly access their details in emergencies, he said.

Significant steps have been taken to provide assistance and facilitate evacuations in coordination with the Bangladesh High Commission, the Indian High Commission in Dhaka and Chittagong, the Landport Authority in Dawki, and the Exporters Association, he elaborated, adding that the Indian High Commission in Bangladesh has also shared additional emergency contact numbers.

Also Read: All Indians in Bangladesh are safe, says MEA; calls protests an internal matter

A facilitation centre has been established at the Dawki border, staffed by a nodal officer, a senior police officer, an executive officer from the Landport Authority of India, and a health team including a doctor. The centre is equipped with an ambulance, medical supplies, and transportation facilities for evacuees.

An emergency helpline has been activated for parents and students seeking assistance. Senior IPS officer Abhijit Saptarshi has been appointed by the Indian Embassy in Bangladesh as the nodal officer overseeing evacuation efforts and providing security support. Contact information has been shared with students and parents for smooth communication.

The government assured that all necessary steps are being taken to ensure the safety and well-being of all students and that the situation is being closely monitored. The Government of Meghalaya urges all students and parents to adhere to local advisories and prioritize safety. We are committed to your well-being and will continue to provide all possible assistance during these challenging times, a government advisory stated.

The statement also noted that private institutions in Bangladesh where Indian students are enrolled have not been involved in the protests and are considered safe. Institutional heads have advised students to stay within their educational campuses and avoid venturing outside for their safety.
Mumbai, The Bombay High Court has said it can't allow people's faith in public servants to erode and refused to quash a case against a social worker for extorting and defaming a former tehsildar. Can't allow faith in public servants to erode, says HC, refuses to quash case by ex-tehsildar

A division bench of Justices A S Gadkari and Neela Gokhale, in its judgment of July 1, dismissed a petition filed by Solapur-based social worker Ajit Kulkarni.

A copy of the order was made available on Saturday.

A first information report was registered against Kulkarni in December 2022 by Prashant Bedase, a former tehsildar at Mohol tehsil office, on charges of criminal force against a public servant and deterring him from discharging his duty, extortion and defamation.

The bench, while refusing to quash the FIR, noted that Kulkarni's threats to a public servant would easily amount to obstructing a public servant from carrying out his public duties, particularly when the threats are coupled with aggressive and menacing acts.

"These acts are deprecated and need to be discouraged at their very inception," the court said.

"It is most unfortunate that a public servant has been threatened and intimidated by defamatory material being circulated on social media to lower his reputation in the eyes of the right-thinking members of the society," it observed.

A tehsildar in a district is a respected public officer and is expected to discharge important functions in revenue matters, the court said,

adding the officer in that position is required to command obedience from the public visiting his office.

"If the repute of his office is lowered in the environment over which he has jurisdiction, chaos and disruption are probable in the discharge of his duties. The threat of spreading false narrative by way of engineered protests in present times is bound to be quite a scary proposition for a public servant such as the complainant," the bench said.

The court further stated that it made these remarks only to bring to the fore the dangers of public servants being intimated while discharging their public duty.

"Public faith in public servants cannot be allowed to erode. Such acts must be viewed seriously," the bench said while refusing to quash the FIR.

The court also noted an emerging trend of persons using modern-day technologies to devise a modus operendi to commit such offences.

Such people hide behind the screen of social media and indulge in irresponsible acts that have the propensity to intimidate, it said.

The bench said the words "criminal force" under section 353 of the Indian Penal Code would not be restricted to only physical force.

The petitioner's act of intimidating Bedase by threatening to defame him on social media and engineering artificial protest also falls within the scope and ambit of the word 'criminal force' used in the section, it said.

"In such circumstances, 'criminal force' must not be restricted to only include physical force, but must bring within its ambit 'virtual force'," it said.

The bench said the provisions under IPC section 353 cannot be interpreted in a "narrow or parochial manner, and a myopic view cannot be taken of the same".

"Such acts do not merely threaten the victims of crime, but defeat the very purpose of the criminal justice system," it said.

In October 2022, a man raised concerns about illegal mining, to which the tehsildar said necessary action was taken against the errant company, and all documents regarding this were available.

Despite the assurance, the man called up Kulkarni, who demanded 50,000 from Bedase and threatened to stage a protest.

Bedase, in his complaint, alleged that Kulkarni sent him intimidating messages and defamed him with false statements on social media.

Kulkarni had also threatened to hold a protest outside the Nagpur legislative assembly, it stated.

This article was generated from an automated news agency feed without modifications to text.
The Centre may agree to fund 7,000 per acre as incentive to paddy growers of Punjab to branch out to other summer crops under a federal crop diversification programme following a meeting between Union agriculture minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan and his Punjab counterpart Gurmeet Singh Khuddian in the national capital earlier this week, officials aware of the development said. Farm workers sowing paddy in a field in Amritsar. (HT Photo)

Chouhan met Khuddian as part of a series of meetings with state agricultural ministers to gain insights into the state of farming in various regions. The Punjab minister also raised the issue of growing resistance of genetically modified BT cotton to pests such as pink bollworm, which the variety was meant to tackle.

The current BT variety, which accounts for 99% of all cotton grown in the country, is based on a technology known as BollGuard 2. India approved the technology in 2002, the only transgenic crop allowed so far. Khuddian told Chouhan that farmers needed the next-generation BollGuard 3, one of the officials said. However, the Modi government has so far not approved any GM crop for commercial cultivation.

The Centre has agreed to consider Punjabs request to fund crop diversification on a per-acre basis instead of bulk transfer of resources, another official said.

Intensive and unsustainable rice farming, which has led to surplus output, have stoked ecological disasters in Punjab and Haryana by depleting groundwater and ruining soil quality. Rice has pushed out other key crops, such as pulses and oilseeds, necessitating imports to meet local demand.

To check over-cultivation of rice, the Centre had launched a crop diversification programme, a sub-scheme of the Rashtriya Krishi Vikas Yojana, in 2014. Khuddian had requested Chouhan that federal funding should be on a per-acre basis since the Centre had changed the funding pattern of the crop diversification programme to 60:40 between the Centre and states from 2023-24. The plan earlier provided 100% central funding to states.

Chouhan assured timely availability of fertilisers, assistance in crop diversification and also gave approval to the states Punjab State Agricultural Statistics Authority, which will help with better evaluation and research in the farm sector, the second official added.
Raipur: The Chhattisgarh police said that a Maoist was killed in a gunfight with the security forces on Saturday. (Representative Photo)

The identity of the Maoists is yet to be ascertained, and the process of identification is going on, said police.

According to the statement issued by Sukma district police, the skirmish took place near Tumar Gatta and Singavaram villages under Jagargunda police station on Saturday morning.

A team of the District Reserve Guard (DRG) was out on an anti-Naxalite operation since Friday night following the information that senior Maoist leaders are camping in Tumar Gatta jungle. When the team was returning, the Maoists opened fire, and an encounter started, the statement read.

Police said they also seized one muzzle-loading rifle, a wireless set, and explosives from the spot. The combing operation of the jungle is still going on, read the statement.
New Delhi, Union minister and LJP chief Chirag Paswan has pitched for a nationwide caste census but warned against making the figures public as it will lead to "division" in society, and said no discussion within the ruling NDA has taken place so far over simultaneous polls and the Uniform Civil Code, both part of the BJP's manifesto. Chirag Paswan backs caste census but says if made public, data will create divide in society

In an interaction with PTI editors, he flagged concerns about the UCC and said he cannot take a position unless a draft on it is placed before him. He, however, asserted that his Lok Janshakti Party strongly supports the concept of simultaneous polls.

Asked about his views on the Uniform Civil Code and if he supports it, Paswan said, "We don't have a draft for it yet. Until unless we go through that draft, because there are a lot of concerns... India is a country of diversities."

Be it language, culture or lifestyle, everything is different in different regions of the country, he said, wondering "how can you bring everyone under one umbrella".

While the focus is often on the Hindu-Muslim issue in the debate on the UCC but it is about Hindus as well, as their practices and traditions, including those related to marriage, differ across the country, he added.

"In Chhattisgarh, I think, tribals are being kept out of this. So how can you get them under this umbrella? So until and unless a draft comes, I don't think I will be able to answer the question," Paswan added.

"It is not it about Hindu-Muslim divide. It is about getting everyone together," he said.

Paswan said the caste census should be part of the next census as specific data is often needed for adequate allocation of money for community-based development schemes. Courts also at times seek population data of different castes, he added.

The third-term Lok Sabha MP, however, asserted that the data must be kept with the government and not made public.

"I am absolutely not in support of making it public. It only leads to division in society," he said, noting that now people in Bihar are being associated with the percentage of their castes in the total population after the state government disclosed the figures of its caste survey.

Union Home Minister Amit Shah had said last year that census and delimitation will happen immediately after the new government comes to power.

The Narendra Modi government returned to power for a third straight term in June. Though the BJP had supported the caste census in Bihar, the central government has so far not spelt out its stand on the opposition's demand for a nation-wise headcount on caste lines.

Asked if it will be possible for the NDA government, which has retained power with a reduced majority, to bring in the provisions for holding simultaneous polls in the country, Paswan said, "Yes, of course. Why not?"

"'One Nation, One Election' is something me and my party have supported very strongly. We had given our suggestions to the committee headed by former president Ram Nath Kovind. We are waiting for the final draft to come up for discussion," he said.

This article was generated from an automated news agency feed without modifications to text.
Civil aviation minister K Rammohan Naidu said airline systems across airports have started working normally since 3am on Saturday, a day after a massive worldwide Microsoft outage. Passengers seen waiting after a major disruption in Microsoft Corp.'s cloud services caused widespread flight cancellations and delays. (Hindustan Times)

"Since 3 AM (Saturday), Airline systems across airports have started working normally. Flight operations are going smoothly now," K Rammohan Naidu said in a statement. Airline systems across airports were impacted due to a global IT outage on Friday.

The aviation ministry is constantly monitoring the operations at airports and airlines to ensure travel readjustments and refunds are taken care of, the minister added.

Meanwhile, Air India said none of its flights were cancelled on Saturday on the account of the worldwide outage of travel systems.

We confirm that none of the Air India flights on 19 July were cancelled on account of the worldwide outage of travel systems, though there were some delays due to the impact of the outage on airport services. Air Indias own, resilient IT infrastructure remained unaffected yesterday and continues to function as normal, the Air India spokespersons said in a statement.

The statement comes even as several airports across India reportedly continued to experience technical glitches for the second day on Saturday. Passengers faced significant disruptions at major airports, including Mumbai, New Delhi and Chennai, media reports claimed. Even though Microsoft announced on Friday that services had been restored, the chaos at the airport, with long lines at check-in counters and slow check-ins, persists.

Business Today reported that the DigiYatra system, which enables contactless air travel, remained offline.

The technical problems started on July 19, when a large outage impacted many sectors globally, especially aviation. The issue arose from a technical glitch after CrowdStrike's Falcon Sensor threat-monitoring software sent an update that caused Microsoft's Windows operating system to crash. CrowdStrike, a global cybersecurity firm that supplies antivirus software to Microsoft, identified the problem in its software and rolled out fixes.

At the Delhi airport, unnamed sources told Business Today that IndiGo still had long lines at its counters on Saturday. The airline's staff said the delays were due to system disruptions from the Microsoft outage, which still hadn't been fully resolved for them.

Speaking to news agency ANI, a passenger said that most flights were delayed on Saturday at the Indira Gandhi International Airport. They said, I am travelling to London, and my flight is delayed by half an hour at least. There is a long queue outside the airport. Most of the flights are delayed.

A passenger at Mumbai's Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj International Airport told ANI that they faced many problems because of the outage and that they hadn't slept all night. I was travelling from Mumbai to Bengaluru yesterday. The flight got cancelled...Although we were provided with the service, but they did not accommodate us. We had to wait for the whole night and have not slept for the whole night.

A source from the Mumbai airport told Business that on July 19, even after Microsoft announced operations were restored, IndiGo continued to operate manually. They issued manual boarding passes and conducted the boarding process manually, causing more delays.

Major Indian airlines, including IndiGo, SpiceJet, Air India and Vistara, also faced significant disruptions. On Friday, IndiGo cancelled about 200 flights across India, citing the global system outage.

Moreover, flights at the Chennai Airport have also been reported disrupted and air traffic was also affected due to the blue screen error for the second day.

A passenger named Prabakaran, who came to catch a flight to the Maldives, said he didn't know where to stay. From tomorrow (Sunday), my work permit gets over, so I am in a must-go situation to go to the Maldives today (Saturday), but due to the cancelled flight, I have been asked to go tomorrow. I am clueless about where to stay and about job assurance, he said.

Microsoft on global outage: Anticipate a resolution is forthcoming

Another passenger said, I am a medical doctor from Sri Lanka. I was to go to Bhubaneswar to give a lecture, but yesterday night my flight got cancelled. Then today morning, I couldn't find a flight back to Bhubaneswar. So I'm going back to Sri Lanka, but now I cannot get a flight, so I'm stuck here.

On Friday, Microsoft Windows users were facing the "Blue Screen of Death" error, causing their computers to shut down or restart.

The outage impacted numerous companies across different sectors, including airlines, banks, food chains, brokerage firms, news organisations and railway networks. The travel industry was particularly hit, leading to major flight delays worldwide.
The Union ministry of health and family welfare has dismissed the findings of a recent study published in the academic journal Science Advances, which claims that life expectancy in India significantly declined during the Covid-19 pandemic in 2020. The Union health ministry labelled the study's estimates as "untenable and unacceptable.". (HT Archive)

The ministry labelled the study's estimates as "untenable and unacceptable."

The study, published in Science Advances journal, suggested that India lost 2.6 years in life expectancy between 2019 and 2020. The study indicated that socially disadvantaged groups, such as Muslims and Scheduled Tribes, experienced the most significant losses, with females seeing a larger decline (3.1 years) compared to males (2.1 years).

Read: 'Very high' levels of Covid spreading across these several states in US, daily case burden rises to 307

Highlighting several methodological flaws in the study, the health ministry said that the authors used a non-representative subset of households from the National Family Health Survey (NFHS-5), conducted between January and April 2021, to extrapolate mortality rates for the entire country. The ministry argued that the NFHS sample is representative only when considered in its entirety, and the analysis of just 23% of households from 14 states cannot accurately reflect national mortality trends.

The ministry also criticised the study for alleged potential selection and reporting biases, as the data was collected during the peak of the Covid-19 pandemic. It asserted that the Civil Registration System (CRS) in India is robust, capturing over 99% of deaths.

This reporting has constantly increased from 75% in 2015 to over 99% in 2020, it said.

The government noted that death registrations increased by approximately 474,000 in 2020 compared to 2019, a trend consistent with previous years and not solely attributable to the pandemic.

Excess number is also due to an increasing trend of death registration in CRS (it was 92% in 2019) and a larger population base in the succeeding year, the ministry added.

Read: Health Talk | How real is cognitive impairment in Covid survivors?

It pointed out that the Sample Registration System (SRS), which covers a large and diverse population across the country, reported little to no excess mortality in 2020 compared to 2019.

The government also disputed the study's findings on age and sex-related mortality increases. According to official data, Covid-19 mortality was higher among males and older age groups, contrary to the study's assertion that younger individuals and females experienced greater excess mortality.

These inconsistent and unexplainable results in the published paper further reduce any confidence in its claims, it said.
Reacting to the Kerala government appointing a foreign secretary for the state, the BJP on Saturday criticised chief minister Pinarayi Vijayan over what the opposition party said was a blatant overreach and violation of the Constitution. The appointment of an IAS officer as Foreign Secretary in Kerala by CM Pinarayi Vijayan is a blatant overreach and a violation of the Union List of our Constitution. The LDF government has no mandate in foreign affairs, K Surendran, BJP's Kerala unit chief, posted on X (formerly Twitter). Dig deeper IAS officer K Vasuki (platform.coop)

The Union ministry of health and family welfare has dismissed the findings of a recent study published in the academic journal Science Advances, which claims that life expectancy in India significantly declined during the Covid-19 pandemic in 2020. The ministry labelled the study's estimates as "untenable and unacceptable." Dig deeper

Latest News

Amit Shah accuses Hemant Soren of land and love jihad, promises 'white paper' on demography. Dig deeper

All ministers in Tamil Nadu govt are deputy CMs: Udhayanidhi Stalin. Dig deeper

Global Matters

'Who am I? Razakar!': What's behind the rallying cry of Bangladesh protesters? Dig deeper

Donald Trump's decision to pick JD Vance was influenced by 3 key figures and assassination warning: Report Dig deeper

Sports Goings

Abhishek Nayar and Ryan ten Doeschate are set to travel to Sri Lanka as part of Gautam Gambhir's support staff. An official confirmation from the BCCI is awaited, but Nayar and ten Doeschate are due to travel to Colombo for the white-ball series against Sri Lanka. The Indian team is set to board the Colombo-bound flight from Mumbai on Monday (July 22) afternoon. Nayar is set to board the flight with Gambhir and the rest of the Indian team members. As far as ten Doeschate is concerned, he is likely to join the team directly in Colombo. Dig deeper

(Thats all we have at this hour in our evening briefing. Catch you tomorrow morning.)
The Uttar Pradesh government on Friday issued a notification for the formation of a state capital region (SCR) which would include Lucknow and five other adjoining districts along the lines of the National Capital Region (NCR) in Delhi. The UP-SCRDA with its headquarters in Lucknow will be helmed by the UP CM Yogi Adityanath and will have the chief secretary of the state as the vice-chairman(PTI)

ALSO READ | Yogi govt constitutes State Capital Region for big push to balanced urban dev

On Friday, Uttar Pradesh governor Anandiben Patel officially designated the area surrounding Lucknow as the Uttar Pradesh State Capital Region.

The newly formed SCR comprises the districts Lucknow, Hardoi, Sitapur, Unnao, Rae Bareli and Barabanki with a total area of 27,826 square km, reported news agency PTI.

UP State Capital Region

The UP State Capital Region comprising Lucknow, Hardoi, Sitapur, Unnao, Rae Bareli and Barabanki, is formed keeping in mind the population pressure on the capital city, said chief minister Yogi Adityanath who initiated this project in September 2022.

With an increased population in the state capital and surrounding districts there is an emphasis on complaints about unplanned development. According to Yogi Aditynath, this decisions is being taken keeping in mind future requirements for development.

According to 2011 Census, Lucknow has a population of 4,589,838, Bardoi has a population of 4,092,845, Sitapur has a population of 4,483,992, Unnao has population of 3,108,367, Rae Bareli has a population of 3,405,559 and Barabanki has a population of 3,260,699. Combining 6 districts together, SCR will have a population of nearly 23 lakh people.

As per 2011 numbers, Lucknow has a population density 1816 per sq kilometres which is more than twice the state population density (829 per sq km). Lucknow's population density is the third highest in the state following Ghaziabad (part of Delhi NCR) with 3971 people per sq km and Varanasi with 2395 people per sq km.

People from different cities want to come here and make their permanent residence. The population pressure is also increasing in the surrounding districts and many a times complaints of unplanned development are also received. In such a situation, keeping in view the future requirements, 'Uttar Pradesh State Capital Region' should be formed on the lines of National Capital Region (NCR), CM Yogi said, reported PTI.

The state cabinet on March 6, had approved the draft for the developing a State Capital Region surrounding Lucknow.

UP-SCRDA

On Friday, UP Governor Anandiben Patel approved the establishment of Uttar Pradesh State Capital Region Development Authority (UP-SCRDA) and the Housing and Urban Planning Department issued the notification.

This declaration came under the powers vested in subsection (1) of Section 3 of the Uttar Pradesh State Capital Region and Other Regions Development Authority Ordinance, 2024 (UP Ordinance 4 of 2024).

The UP-SCRDA with its headquarters in Lucknow will be helmed by the UP CM and will have the chief secretary of the state as the vice-chairman. Other members of the Development Authority include Additional Chief Secretary Housing and Urban Planning, Divisional Commissioners of Lucknow and Ayodhya, District Magistrates of all the concerned districts, Vice-Chairmen of Lucknow, Unnao-Shuklaganj and Rae Bareli Development Authorities among others, reported PTI.

The team consists of more than three dozen members including head of the departments from the housing, revenue, urban development, finance, environment, rural development, irrigation, public works, transport, agriculture, tourism and chief town planner, reported TOI.

The authority is expected to have a wider jurisdiction to promote economic growth in the state and would work with the objective of improving the infrastructure of the towns within its scope by convincing the Centre.

Formed on lines of NCR

NCR as notified covers the whole of National Capital Territory-Delhi and certain districts of Haryana, Uttar Pradesh and Rajasthan, covering an area of about 55,083 sq km, according to the National Capital Regional Planning Board official website.

Delhi had a population growth rate of 52.44%, 52.91%, 52.98%, 51.45% and 47.03% during 1951-61, 1961-71, 1971-81 and 1991-01 decades due to a spurt in migrants moving into the Delhi from adjacent states leading to congestion and shortage of civic amenities, according to the National Capital Regional Planning Board official website. This made congestion and scarcity of amenities made it imperative for planning Delhi in the regional context, according to the official website.

In 1985, National Capital Region Planning Board Act was enacted by the Parliament, with the concurrence of the participating States of Haryana, Rajasthan and Uttar Pradesh. An NCR Planning Board was thus constituted.

Other states with a capital region development authority

In 2014, Andhra Pradesh formed a Andhra Pradesh Capital Region Development Authority under the The Andhra Pradesh Capital Region Development Authority (APCRDA) Act, 2014 with an aim to extend Andhra Pradesh Capital Region from the existing 7068.20 sq km to 8352.69 sq km. The Capital Region aimed to include Amaravati as its capital and the two nodal urban centres of Vijayawada and Guntur following the the AP Re-Organization Act in 2014. In 2020, APCRDA was dissolved and set up the Amaravati Metropolitan Development Area (AMRDA) in its place.

In 2016, then Assam chief minister Sarbananda Sonowal announced to create Assam state capital region development authority to bring in infrastructural growth to all areas adjoining the city. In 2017, the state formed an SCR comprising the districts of Kamrup Metropolitan, Kamrup, Nalbari, Darrang and Morrigaon, fully or partially, reported PTI.
The Pune Police has reportedly seized a pistol and three bullets from her house of Manorama Khedkar, the mother of controversial IAS trainee officer Puja Khedkar, who was arrested for allegedly threatening some Maharashtra farmers while brandishing the gun. Manorama Khedkar, mother of IAS probationer Puja Khedkar, being brought by the police to a hospital for medical examination after her arrest. (HT PHOTO)

Manorama Khedkar was arrested from Maharashtra's Raigad district on Thursday in connection with a viral video in which she was seen brandishing a gun and threatening the villagers, allegedly over a land dispute.

Watch the video here:

NDTV reported the police have also seized the SUV seen in the viral video which has triggered public outrage. Manorama Khedkar is facing multiple charges, including attempt to murder.

Manorama Khedkar, her husband Manorama Khedkar and three others have been accused of threatening one Pandharinath Pasalkar (65) with a gun over a land dispute at Dhadwali village in Pune's Mulshi tehsil on June 4, 2023.

Justifying the addition of IPC section 307 in the FIR, the prosecution told a court in Pune court in Maharashtra that the accused had put the gun on the complainants head. When she was about to pull the trigger, the complainant ducked in fear, while the other accused restrained her, police told the court.

Calling the accused influential and politically active persons, police said they wanted to confiscate the weapon and needed her custodial interrogation for that purpose. The prosecution also said police wanted to trace the other accused in the case.

Police said Manorama has some land in the Mulshi region of Pune district and they needed to check whether she had threatened any other people with the gun.

Who is IAS officer Puja Khedkar?

Puja Khedkar is under scrutiny for her claims regarding disability and Other Backward Class (OBC) certificates in her Union Public Service Commission (UPSC) candidature, as well as her conduct during her tenure at the Pune collector's office.

On Friday, a criminal case was registered against Puja Khedkar for "misrepresenting and falsifying facts" following a "thorough investigation" by the UPSC into allegations of misconduct.

Puja Khedkar allegedly manipulated her identity to appear for the civil services examination multiple times, exceeding the permissible attempts, according to a statement issued by the Commission.

The UPSC has also issued a show cause notice regarding the cancellation of her candidature for the 2022 examination and is considering barring her from future exams, according to the statement.

After this, the UPSC filed a complaint with the Delhi Police.

Amid the row, the government on Tuesday put on hold the 'district training program' of Puja Khedkar, who was earlier transferred to Washim as a supernumerary assistant collector from Pune, as she was summoned back to the Mussoorie-based Lal Bahadur Shastri National Academy of Administration for "necessary action".

(With inputs from agencies)
News / Local

by Staff reporter

Zambian President Hichilema Hakainde on Thursday boycotted a three-nation wildlife conservation summit in Harare in his continuing diplomatic spat with Zimbabwe's leader Emmerson Mnangagwa.Hakainde had been expected to attend the signing ceremony of the Zimbabwe, Mozambique and Zambia Tripartite Transfrontier Conservation Area memorandum of agreement but sent his tourism minister instead.Mnangagwa and Mozambique's Filipe Nyusi represented their two countries.Hichilema has called for mediation between Zambia and Zimbabwe after Mnangagwa, unaware his comments would be made public, told Russian President Vladimir Putin on a trip to Moscow in June that posed a security threat to his country through its growing military links with the United States."The Americans," Mnangagwa told Putin, "are consolidating their power in that country (Zambia), both in terms of security and in terms of financial support to make sure that we feel lonely."He asked Putin for support "especially in the area of defence and security as well as food security."Zambia said Mnangagwa's comments were "an unwarranted attack on the country's sovereignty" and called for "urgent and immediate intervention" by regional countries to defuse the tensions.Mulambo Haimbe, Zambia's foreign minister, called for regional countries to help "find a lasting solution to the matters in issue through an appropriate mediation process which should result in measurable outcomes.""It is in this context that we have sought the regional bodies' urgent and immediate intervention in relation to the present and any other matters in seeming contention between Zimbabwe and ourselves," he told the country's parliament in June.One platform where the matter could be discussed is the SADC summit in Harare next month, but it remains unclear if Hichilema will attend.Zimbabwe and Zambia have been locked in a simmering diplomatic tiff since longtime opposition leader Hakainde Hichilema assumed power in 2021, defeating incumbent Edgar Lungu who enjoyed the support of Mnangagwa's Zanu-PF party.Hichilema was part of an alliance of regional opposition parties which included the Movement for Democratic Change in Zimbabwe, and Mnangagwa's government suspects he has been channelling financial assistance to his rivals.The row deepened after Zimbabwe's disputed elections in August 2023 when a SADC election observation mission headed by Zambian national Nevers Mumba concluded that the polls were not held according to regional and international standards on democratic elections, angering Mnangagwa.
Union home minister Amit Shah on Friday chaired a high-level meeting with heads of security and law enforcement agencies to review the functioning of Multi Agency Centre (MAC), a government spokesperson said. During the meeting the HM along with top officers of Intelligence Bureau, Delhi police, Narcotics Control Bureau(NCB), Assam Rifles, Central Armed Police Forces and all other law enforcement agencies, discussed the importance of bringing new and young officers, to break the terror networks. Shah urged all agencies to increase their engagement in making MAC a platform that brings all agencies, including anti-drug and cyber security agencies for decisive action. Union Home Minister Amit Shah. (ANI)

The MAC which functions under the Intelligence Bureau collects, analyses, disseminates and pursues intelligence inputs on near real time basis. There are subsidiary multi agency centers(SMAC) set up across the country, which work to gather intelligence. Intelligence is shared with states and vice versa. The government statement said that the MAC framework in poised to a major technical and operational revamp to increase its reach and effectiveness.

The government statement did not specify if the top officials also discussed the current problem of terror groups operating in some sectors of Jammu region or any other issue related to internal security. In recent months, security agencies have come across role of at least 30-40 foreign terrorists that are active in the Jammu sector and are engaged in attacks against security forces. Top officials in police and paramilitary forces have confirmed that different agencies have been engaged and are working to dismantle the active terror network in Jammu.

 The HM stressed upon greater synergy between all the agencies to dismantle the terror networks and their supporting eco-system, to address the evolving security threat scenario of the country. He emphasized that MAC must continue to work 24X7 as a platform for pro-active and real-time sharing of actionable intelligence, amongst various stakeholders, including last-mile responders. The HM stressed on constituting a team of young, technically proficient and passionate officers drawn from all agencies involved in National Security to dismantle the terror ecosystem utilizing big data and artificial intelligence/machine learning driven analytics and technological advancements, the government spokesperson said.
A woman traveling on an Etihad flight from Kolkata to Abu Dhabi, en route to Boston, has accused Dinesh Kr. Saraogi, a top executive of Jindal Steels, of showing her porn clips and molesting her. The woman shared her ordeal on social media platform 'X', expressing gratitude to the airline staff for their assistance when she reported the incident during the flight. Both Dinesh Kr. Saraogi, and the woman were travelling in business class on an Etihad flight from Kolkata to Abu Dhabi, en route to Boston, (Representational Image/Unsplash)

The woman alleged that Dinesh Saraogi, CEO at Vulcan Green Steel, a division of Jindal Steel (his LinkedIn profile shows), showed pornographic material and then groped her.

I was seated next to an industrialist (Dinesh Kr. Saraogi, CEO of Jindal Steel) He must be roughly 65 in age & told me he now lives in Oman but travels frequently. He started chatting me up  very normal conversation about our roots, family etc. & both sons are married & settled in the US etc. The conversation moved to what my hobbies are. He asked if I enjoy watching movies & I was like of course. He then proceeds to tell me he has some movie clips on his phone. He whips out his phone and earphones to show me PORN!, the woman posted.

He started groping me. I was frozen in shock and scare. I eventually ran off to the washroom and complained to the air staff. Thankfully the Etihad team was very proactive and took action immediately. They made me sit at their seating area and served me tea & fruits (sic), she added.

Naveen Jindal's assurance

Jindal Steel chairperson Naveen Jindal has assured the woman that the matter will be investigated at the earliest and strict action will be taken against the executive. thank you for reaching out and speaking up! It takes a lot of courage to do what you did and I want you to know that we have a zero tolerance policy for such matters. I have asked the team to immediately investigate the matter and thereafter strictest and necessary action will be taken, Naveen Jindal posted.

The woman further alleged Saraogi had asked the airline staff of her whereabouts after she left her seat.

The staff also informed the cops at Abu Dhabi who were waiting as soon as the gates of the aircraft opened. I could not proceed with a complaint because I would have missed my connecting flight to Boston. I was escorted to the next gate to ensure he did not come near me. He also did not deny this when the cops asked him questions, she added.

Both Saraogi and the woman were travelling in business class, ThePrint reported. The news portal said it contacted the woman who said the flight had taken off at 9:30pm and landed at 4:30am. The airline crew after accommodating her in one of their seats had already alerted the Abu Dhabi police about the incident.

Two police officers were waiting for us when we landed. One of them spoke to me. I couldnt go (with them) to write down the complaint because I only had one hour to board the flight to Boston. The man was not allowed to leave the plane and the police questioned him, ThePrint quoted the woman as saying.
Senior lawyer and Bharatiya Janata Party leader Mahesh Jethmalani has alleged that the Hindenburg Research report against billionaire Gautam Adani's conglomerate was a hit job by China, seeking vengeance for losing out on contracts for developmental projects. Mahesh Jethmalani further urged the central government to launch a probe into the matter, investigating the links of political voices with China. The Adani Group published a 413-page rebuttal denying all Hindenburgs allegations. (Bloomberg)

Now that there's an established Chinese hand behind the Hindenburg hatchet job on the Adani group it behoves the GOI to probe the linkages between the loudest political voices that pre and post the publication of the Hindenburg report savaged the government for its 'crony capitalism, Jethmalani said.

The hit job on the Adani group was Chinese vengeance for losing out on strategic mining and infrastructure project bids, one of the most crucial of which was the bid for the Israeli port of Haifa, the top lawyer alleged.

He said many Indian politicians seemed aggrieved by the success of the Adani Haifa port, and accused them of support a hostile nation by their actions.

Shockingly some Indian politicians seemed deeply aggrieved by Adanis Haifa port success- a strategic acquisition key to the viability of IMEC- an economic corridor of India, the Middle East and Europe meant to compete with and improve upon China's BRI-Belt and Road Initiative. This wilful support for a hostile nations debt trap initiative at the cost of the IMEC initiative cannot but lead to a strong inference that a part of our political class is bent upon aligning itself with Chinese strategic interests, Jethmalani said.

"Add to this the colossal loss to retail investors by an influential and wealthy Chinese American mired in espionage controversy for the Chinese State in the US and the case for an investigation into Chinas flag bearers in India is compelling," he further added on his social media platform X.

Last year in January, Hindenburg Research published a report against Adani Group, accusing the company of financial irregularities and stock market manipulation. This led to a major drop in the company's stock price and Gautam Adani saw his net worth plunge $24.9 billion in a day.

Adani Group, however, remained firm on its stance that it complies with all laws and disclosure requirements.

(With inputs from ANI)
New Delhi: For decades, the world has braced for an apocalyptic cyber outage, the stuff of countless films, TV dramas and novels. Weve imagined threats from lone-wolf hackers, adversarial nations and anarchist hacktivists. Our fears have been stoked by incidents such as the 2017 WannaCry ransomware that spread across 150 countries or the hack of Sony Pictures that led to damaging leaks of emails and unreleased films. Crowdstrike, a cybersecurity firm, inadvertently caused the global Microsoft outage (Representative Photo)

But on Friday, the havoc was wreaked not by a nefarious actor but by badly written code from a company whose very purpose is to prevent such catastrophes. CrowdStrike, a cybersecurity firm based in Austin, Texas, inadvertently triggered a global meltdown with a faulty update to its Falcon computer-security platform.

The update sent Windows computers worldwide into disarray, paralysing corporations, crippling transport and freezing essential work. It was a stark reminder of the vulnerabilities inherent in an interconnected digital age.

Cyber expert James Bore noted, in comments to news agency AP, All of these systems are running the same software. Weve made all of these tools so widespread that when things inevitably go wrong  and they will, as weve seen  they go wrong at a huge scale.

The scale of this outage was indeed unprecedented. Ciaran Martin, professor at Oxford Universitys Blavatnik School of Government and former head of the UK National Cyber Security Centre, stated, Im struggling to think of an outage at quite this scale, according to Reuters.

CrowdStrike, a market leader with a $74 billion valuation, has long been recognised for its cybersecurity competence. Known for building software defences for the cloud computing age and exposing Russian and North Korean threats, its founders have extensive backgrounds in cybersecurity. This makes Fridays problems not just inexplicable, but inexcusable.

Software development operates on strict rules of testing and deployment. How could CrowdStrike have rolled out such a devastating update without realising its potential impact? This incident raises serious questions about the companys quality control processes and the broader industrys reliance on centralised systems.

While CrowdStrikes CEO George Kurtz has apologised and clarified that the problem was not due to a security breach of their own systems, the damage to the companys reputation may be substantial. More importantly, this incident should serve as a wake-up call for the entire cybersecurity industry.

The interconnected, centralised method that has become the norm in cybersecurity is clearly vulnerable to single-point failures. The industry must now grapple with how to prevent another episode of this nature, and if there needs to be a rethink on letting centralised solutions and market dominance by a few persist.
Noida: A photograph of Captain Vijayant Thapar in uniform, and of his younger self, flexing his muscles with a mischievous grin, his medals, commendations and certificates of various achievements preserved in glass casings at an open gallery at his residence in Noida, are among the remnants of the 22-year-old. These are objects his parents have clung to for years after he was killed in the Kargil War. Colonel VN Thapar (right) next to a portrait of Captain Vijayant Thapar

For them, they are painful reminders of what might have been. But they are also the touchstones of his sacrifice for the nation.

These mementos are not just reminders of the past but anchors that keep us connected to our son. We say a little prayer in memory of him every morning, and believe that everything good that happens to us is because of him, his father Colonel VN Thapar said.

I believe Vijayant still lives in Kargil, and that is why I go there every year to meet him, he added. Captain Vijayant was a part of an operation to capture a strategic post called Knoll in Drass sector, when he was killed in action, during the war.

The war, his father said, is a golden page in Indian history. The war showed the entire nation what patriotism really means.., he said, adding that Vijayant was the fourth generation army officer in the family, as his great grandfather, grandfather and father also served in the defence forces.

Vijayants mother Tripta said, He died just as a soldier should  on the battlefield, with a rifle in hand, after completing the mission, getting hit by that one bullet from the enemy, and falling in his comrades arms. That is how my son laid his life for the country, and I am very proud of him.

The slain Captains family is still in touch with Rukhsana, who was six years old when she met him in Jammu & Kashmirs Kupwara after she lost her voice following her fathers killing by terrorists. Not only did Vijayant help her speak again, but asked his family to send money to Rukhsanas family every month. Vijayant believed that to be a good officer, you first have to be a good human being. We have fulfilled that promise and taken care of Rukhsana, who has completed her graduation and is going to get married soon, Colonel Thapar said.

A busy road and an intersection in Noida have been named after Captain Thapar. It is always the children who are known by their parents name and deeds. However, we, as parents, feel extremely proud to be known not by our names, but as Captain Vijayant Thapars parents, his father said.
Union minister Jitan Ram Manjhi, an ally of the BJP, on Saturday asserted that there was nothing wrong with the controversial directive issued by the party's government in Uttar Pradesh asking eateries and fruit sellers along the Kanwar Yatra route to display the names of owners. Jitan Ram Manjhi (HT File Photo)

Manjhi's support for the order came a day after BJP allies such as the RLD, JD(U) and LJP (Ram Vilas) opposed it; opposition parties, too, have criticised the order and demanded that the BJP government in Uttar Pradesh withdraw it.

I cannot speak for other parties, but I see nothing wrong with such an order. What is the harm if people involved in businesses are asked to display their names and display their names and addresses prominently? the former Bihar chief minister asked media persons in Patna.

Manjhi, who heads the Hindustani Awam Morcha, further stated that the directive must not be seen from a religious prism.

In fact, such a display only makes it easy for buyers to spot a particular stall. It is wrong to view the episode from the prism of religion, the Lok Sabha member from Gaya, said.

On Saturday, Union minister and LJP (Ram Vilas) chief Chirag Paswan came out against the directive, saying that casteism and communalism have harmed the country more than anything else.

KC Tyagi, a senior spokesperson of the Bihar chief minister Nitish Kumar-led JD(U), remarked that the order went against against the 'sabka saath, sabka vikas' slogan of prime minister Narendra Modi.

The opposition, meanwhile, has accused the Yogi Adityanath-led Uttar Pradesh government of trying to push Muslim fruit sellers out of business during the pilgrimage season.

(With PTI inputs)
New Delhi: India and Bhutan have approved 61 projects worth Rs.4,958 crore to be implemented during the Himalayan countrys 13th five-year plan, for which New Delhi is providing Rs.10,000 crore as development support. (Twitter/@Indiainbhutan)

The projects, covering sectors such as connectivity, infrastructure, energy, health, education, capacity building, industrial parks, sports, digital economy, e-mobility and space technology, were approved during the India-Bhutan Development Cooperation Talks co-chaired by foreign secretary Vikram Misri and his Bhutanese counterpart Pema Choden in Thimphu.

Misri, who assumed his position on July 15, made his first foreign visit to Bhutan from July 19-20, reflecting the importance attached by New Delhi to its ties with Thimphu. India had doubled its financial support for Bhutans five-year plan in March.

The Bhutan government conveyed its appreciation for the support that India continues to provide for the countrys socio-economic development. During the Development Cooperation Talks, the two sides discussed various components of the assistance and implementation modalities for development projects being assisted by the Indian government, according to a joint statement issued at the conclusion of Misris visit.

The Bhutanese side presented Project Tied Assistance proposals and the first tranche of such projects to be implemented during the 13th five-year plan. Following this, the two sides approved 61 projects worth Rs.4,958 crore.

The two foreign secretaries virtually inaugurated 19 schools that were built during the 12th five-year plan.

The Bhutan government informed the Indian side about activities proposed to be taken up under the Economic Stimulus Programme (ESP). In line with a request from the Bhutan government, the Indian side agreed to positively consider frontloading the full amount of Rs.1,500 crore for the ESP in the first one-and-half years, subject to progress in implementing the proposals, the joint statement said.

The talks were held in a friendly and cordial atmosphere in keeping with the well-established tradition of regular exchanges and unique bonds of friendship and cooperation between the two countries, it added.

The two sides agreed to hold the next round of Development Cooperation Talks in New Delhi.

Besides his talks with Choden, Misri met Bhutan King Jigme Khesar Namgyel Wangchuck, Prime Minister Tshering Tobgay, and foreign minister DN Dhungyel.
Patna, Leaders and workers from opposition INDIA bloc on Saturday staged protest marches across Bihar, citing deteriorating law and order situation. INDIA bloc leaders, workers take out protest marches across Bihar over deteriorating law and order

Leaders from RJD, Congress, CPI-ML , CPI, CPI, and other opposition parties took part in the protest march from Income Tax Crossing to Dak Bungalow Crossing in Patna chanting anti-government slogans.

Opposition party workers put up posters and banners throughout the state capital, highlighting concerns about the law and order situation and the need to save democracy.

Akhilesh Prasad Singh, president of Bihar Pradesh Congress Committee , told reporters, "The Nitish Kumar-led government has failed to address the worsening law and order situation. The state is plagued by daily incidents of murder, rape, kidnapping, extortion, and abduction. Why is Kumar silent on this issue? People of Bihar will not tolerate this and will give a befitting reply to the NDA in the 2025 assembly polls."

Singh added, "Crime rates have surged recently, and the state government seems indifferent to public safety. This issue will be raised in the upcoming monsoon session of the assembly."

Mehboob Alam, CPI Liberation leader in Bihar Assembly, echoed similar concerns, stating, "Bihar is at the mercy of fate. The law and order situation has completely collapsed, and since the CM also holds the home portfolio, if he can't control the situation, he should resign."

Alam continued, "Recent days have seen a series of murders, and the state government seems unconcerned. We demand answers from the Chief Minister and the government about the dire law and order situation."

In response to the opposition's claims, senior BJP leader and Bihar Deputy Chief Minister Samrat Choudhary remarked, "When RJD leader Lalu Prasad was Chief Minister, his residence became the hub for criminal gangs. This is no longer the case under Nitish Kumars government."

Protests by INDIA bloc leaders were also reported from other parts of the state. The opposition has been criticising the Nitish Kumar government over recent violent incidents, including the murder of former minister Mukesh Sahni's father in Darbhanga.

This article was generated from an automated news agency feed without modifications to text.
Indian Army chief General Upendra Dwivedi is scheduled to visit Jammu region on Saturday, July 20, to review the preparedness of the ground security forces in the union territory. The Army chief will hold a high-level security meeting with other top officials in the region amid the recent spike in terror attacks. Army chief General Upendra Dwivedi. (PTI)

During the meeting on the security situation in Jammu and Kashmir, General Upendra Dwivedi will be briefed by the formation commanders on the areas being taken by the security forces. It is expected that top officials from the paramilitary forces, Jammu and Kashmir Police and Indian Army will be a part of this meeting.

This is the Army chief's second visit to Jammu and Kashmir this month. Earlier, on July 3, he visited the Poonch-Rajouri sector to review the security situation along the Line of Control (LoC).

General Upendra Dwivedi's visit to the union territory comes after four Indian Army soldiers, including Captain Brijesh Thapa, were killed during an encounter operation against terrorists in the Doda district on July 16.

General Upendra Dwivedi took over the command of the Indian Army on June 30. Just three days after assuming charge, the Army chief visited Jammu and Kashmir and flew to the border district of Poonch. He chaired a meeting of field commanders in Poonch and took an aerial review of the forward areas.

During his visit, the chief of army staff also interacted with some ex-servicemen at 93 Infantry Brigade, and reviewed the security measures in place for the Amarnath Yatra.

The 30th Chief of the Indian Army belongs to the Jammu and Kashmir Rifles and was Vice Chief of Army Staff from February this year.

In view of the infiltration of highly trained Pakistani terrorists in the Jammu region, the Indian Army is readjusting its deployments in the area as per intelligence inputs and security requirements. The Indian Army has deployed around 500 Para Special Forces commandos in the area to hunt down the 50-55 terrorists from Pakistan who have entered the region to revive terrorism there, defence sources told ANI.

(With inputs from ANI)
A day after a woman claimed that a senior Jindal Steel executive groped her on a flight, the company clarified that the man is no longer associated with it in any capacity. Lok Sabha MP Naveen Jindal assured "strictest and necessary" action while directing investigation into the matter. (Shutterstock)

We wish to inform that Mr. Dinesh Kumar Saraogi had resigned from his position as Director of the Company, effective from the close of business hours of March 28, 2023, Jindal Steel and Power Limited said in a letter to the Bombay Stock Exchange and National Stock Exchange of India Limited.

Mr. Dinesh Kumar Saraogi is no longer associated with the Company in any capacity, it added.

Read: MP Naveen Jindal reacts to woman accusing senior executive of Jindal Steel of sexual assault

Saraogi is currently the CEO of Oman-based Vulcan Green Steel, described as a part of Jindal Steel Group on its website. HT has learnt that Vulcan Green Steel has set up a probe committee and sent Saraogi on leave.

Ananya Chhaochharia, founder of Paint it Red (an NGO working for menstrual rights), accused Dinesh Kumar Saraogi of sexual assault on Kolkata-Abu Dhabi flight and drew the attention of Jindal Steel promoter and BJP MP Naveen Jindal on the matter.

He showed me porn, started groping me: Woman's allegations against top Jindal executive on Etihad flight

In a post on X, Chhaochharia alleged that Saraogi was seated next to her when he initiated a very normal conversation, which later moved to what my hobbies are.

He asked if I enjoy watching movies & I was like of course. He then proceeds to tell me he has some movie clips on his phone. He whips out his phone and earphones to show me PORN! the woman posted.

He started groping me. I was frozen in shock and scare. I eventually ran off to the washroom and complained to the air staff, she alleged, noting that the flight crew immediately took action.

She also tagged Naveen Jindal, who assured "strictest and necessary" action while directing an investigation into the matter.

"Thank you for reaching out and speaking up! It takes a lot of courage to do what you did and I want you to know that we have a zero-tolerance policy for such matters. I have asked the team to immediately investigate the matter and thereafter, the strictest and necessary action will be taken," Jindal said in his response to the victim's post threads on X.
News / Local

by Staff reporter

A JOHANNESBURG printing firm and its agent are being investigated by Zimbabwe's anti-corruption authority for price gouging on election-related material and equipment.Zimbabwe is no stranger to corruption. But the brazen nature of the R570-million scandal engulfing the Zimbabwe Electoral Commission (ZEC) has outraged the country.A Johannesburg printing firm and its agent, a larger-than-life tenderpreneur, are being investigated by Zimbabwe's anti-corruption authority.Wicknell Chivayo has gone viral on Zimbabwean social media after seemingly genuine audio clips circulated in which he discusses sharing the proceeds of the ZEC tender with his partners and senior officials, referred to by their initials or codenames.Leaked documents suggest the printing firm, Ren-Form, inflated the price of ballot papers, biometric voter registration kits and portable toilets while its politically connected partner, Chivayo, made payments to mystery officials. In one instance, Ren-Form invoiced the ZEC R23-million for a server that normally costs just R90,000.'Sir Wicknell'Chivayo dubs himself "Sir Wicknell" on social media, frequently posting pictures of himself with President Emmerson Mnangagwa or posing in front of large piles of cash. While he has nine businesses in South Africa and had a brush with the law in 2011, Chivayo has largely flown under the radar in South Africa.In Zimbabwe, however, he is notorious for his past conviction for money laundering, and his fleet of luxury cars, some of which he donates to Zanu-PF-supporting musicians.Chivayo acted as agent for Ren-Form, a family-owned commercial printing company based in Selby, central Johannesburg.In the tender with the ZEC, Ren-Form branched out from just providing ballot papers into acting as a one-stop shop providing electronic equipment, hi-vis vests and gadgets to display voting results.Chivayo's former business partners, Mike Chimombe and Moses Mpofu, who felt cut out of the deal, accuse Ren-Form and Chivayo of inflating costs by up to 235%. The election body paid the South African printing company at least R570-million.The NewsHawks, the Zimbabwean media outlet which broke the story, claims that the total paid to Ren-Form could be up to R1.8-billion ($100-million).Chimombe and Mpofu's claim is partly supported by leaked documents which show Ren-Form invoiced the ZEC R23-million for a central server that costs R90,000 online, and 2,000 non-flushing toilets priced at R68,700 each, which retail for about R10,000 per unit.Ren-Form also provided the ZEC with biometric voter registration (BVR) kits. In the original quote, Ren-Form quoted $5,000 per kit. Yet the BVR kits tripled in price to nearly $16,000 by the time of the final invoice just a few weeks later. Similar BVR kits cost $3,600 per unit when bought by the United Nations Development Programme for the 2021 elections in Honduras.The quality and price of the individual components, such as a fingerprint scanner, in a particular BVR "suitcase" can change. Someone familiar with this specific ZEC tender claimed that the hardware did not change in this case, but could not rule out software costs changing between Ren-Form's first quote to the final invoiced amount.We asked Ren-Form to explain. The company's sales director, Jean-Pierre du Sart, called all the allegations false and said, "In any project there's changes," when asked the reason for the price increases.While Ren-Form did not dispute the authenticity of the invoices and other financial records, Chivayo says the leaked documents are fakes.The jilted business partners - Chimombe and Mpofu - claim that as soon as Zimbabwe paid Ren-Form, the printer transferred much of the funds to one of Chivayo's South African companies, Intratrek. When asked if Ren-Form paid Chivayo, Du Sart said, "He's one of our agents over there, so there's nothing wrong with that."Mnangagwa's 'son'?Chivayo has gone viral on Zimbabwean social media after seemingly genuine audio clips circulated in which he discusses sharing the proceeds of the ZEC tender with his partners and senior officials, referred to by their initials or codenames. In one voice note, Chivayo claims Mnangagwa calls him "my son", prompting the president's spokesperson to condemn "name-dropping".Chivayo has denied that it was his voice on the clips and apologised to Mnangagwa, spy boss Isaac Moyo and ZEC chair Justice Priscilla Chigumba for creating the "adverse impression" that their institutions "are involved in corruption or participate in illicit transactions".It is possible some of Chivayo's generosity in handing out luxury cars was financed from the ZEC tender. In May 2023, just a month after the Zimbabwean finance ministry instructed the central bank to pay Ren-Form for the BVR kits, Chivayo had two white Rolls-Royce cars flown into Harare from Europe and a luxury Mercedes and Range Rover delivered from South Africa.Investigations and denialsThe Zimbabwe Anti-Corruption Commission has since opened an investigation and is seeking to interview Chivayo. Chimombe and Mpofu have been arrested as part of a separate investigation into the alleged failure to deliver on a contract for the presidential goat scheme, in which animals were supposed to be provided to poorer rural households.Ren-Form denies any wrongdoing including inflating prices to pay bribes, and said it is unable to provide specific details about the tender due to confidentiality clauses in its contract with the ZEC. The printing firm declined to provide further responses, citing ongoing investigations by law enforcement agencies.Chivayo did not respond to a request for comment. Previously, Chivayo described the leaked voice notes and messages as fakes, and said he was under a sustained character attack from Chimombe and Mpofu, whom he described as "briefcase businessmen."The ZEC denied doing business directly with Chivayo, Chimombe or Mpofu and said that all procurement was above board.
Reacting to the Kerala government appointing a foreign secretary for the state, the BJP on Saturday criticised chief minister Pinarayi Vijayan over what the opposition party said was a blatant overreach and violation of the Constitution. IAS officer K Vasuki (platform.coop)

The appointment of an IAS officer as Foreign Secretary in Kerala by CM Pinarayi Vijayan is a blatant overreach and a violation of the Union List of our Constitution. The LDF government has no mandate in foreign affairs, K Surendran, BJP's Kerala unit chief, posted on X (formerly Twitter).

This unconstitutional move sets a dangerous precedent. Is CM @pinarayivijayan trying to establish Keralam as a separate nation? Surendran asked.

According to The Times of India, the Kerala government has appointed senior IAS officer K Vasuki as secretary in charge of matters concerning external cooperation.

Secretary (labour and skills) K Vasuki will hold the additional charge of matters connected with external cooperation. The officer will coordinate and supervise all the matters in this regard and incidental thereto, in addition to the existing charges, an order of the state government, dated July 15, read.

The general administration (political) department will assist Vasuki till alternate arrangements are made. The resident commissioner of the Kerala House in New Delhi has been instructed to assist her in liaising with the Ministry of external affairs (MEA) in New Delhi and the Indian embassies and missions abroad, the order mentioned.

Speaking with the newspaper, ex-cabinet secretary KM Chandrasekhar was doubtful about the appointment.

International relations are within the Centre's domain. If any state department wants help from abroad, they can always approach the MEA or the Indian embassy. I think that the state will clarify what additional work will be done by the officer beyond what department secretaries already do, Chandrasekhar stated.
Albin Shinto, an Indian student from Kerala, is suspected to have drowned while swimming in Jugla canal in Latvia's capital city of Riga, the country's public broadcaster LSM reported on Saturday. Albin Shinto, a student from Kerala is feared to have drowned in Jugla Canal (LSM)

A group of five friends are believed to have gone for swimming in the Jugla canal on July 18 around 6 pm (IST). Eyewitness accounts suggest that Shinto disappeared beneath the waves during the swim.

Arhik Haries, one of the friends in the group, told LSM that Shinto encountered difficulties while swimming and began drowning. Two friends in the group tried to rescue him, but they too encountered difficulties due to the waves. A passing fisherman managed to save the remaining people in the group, but Shinto was reportedly lost beneath the waves.

Also read | Renowned cardiac surgeon Dr MS Valiathan passes away

Police and rescuers, including a diver, quickly arrived to conduct a rescue operation. The search continued for two to three hours, but they were unable to find Shinto, and the operation was called off as night approached.

The rescuers reportedly informed the group of friends that search operations could resume only on Monday due to limited resources for large-scale, lengthy searches.

Haries said that Shinto's family in Kerala is feeling devastated. "His parents are crying in India, the Indian embassy is calling the police, but no-one is helping us. At least we need to get the body to give to his family," he added.

Reacting to the incident, the Indian Embassy in Latvia posted on X (formerly twitter) that, Embassy is in regular contact with Latvian authorities regarding the unfortunate incident of suspected drowning of an Indian student in Riga. We remain in touch with the family and will continue to extend all possible help.
New Delhi: Prime Minister Narendra Modi and his New Zealand counterpart Christopher Luxon on Saturday discussed ways to bolster cooperation in areas such as trade, investment pharmaceuticals and space. Modi received a phone call from Luxon, who congratulated him on his re-election, the external affairs ministry said (File Photo)

Modi received a phone call from Luxon, who congratulated him on his re-election, the external affairs ministry said in a readout.

Highlighting the momentum generated by recent high-level contacts between the two sides, the two leaders agreed to advance mutually beneficial bilateral cooperation in areas such as trade and economic matters, animal husbandry, pharmaceuticals, education and space, the readout said.

While noting that India-New Zealand ties are anchored in shared democratic values and close people-to-people ties, Modi and Luxon reiterated their commitment to take bilateral cooperation to new heights in the years to come.

Modi thanked Luxon for looking after the interests of the Indian diaspora in New Zealand. Luxon assured Modi of continued efforts towards their security and well-being, according to the readout.

Indians started arriving in New Zealand in the late 18th century. According to the countrys 2018 census, Indian immigrants number about 250,000, making up 5% of New Zealands total population.
New Delhi: Road dust mitigation has been the primary focus of the National Clean Air Programme (NCAP), which was launched in 2019 as the first such effort to set clean air targets for 131 polluted cities and to reduce particulate pollution nationally, with much lower funding for combustion sources that emit pollutants, a Centre for Science and Environment (CSE) assessment released on Friday has found. Most of clean air funding went to dust management: CSE

As much as 64% of the total funds ( 10,566 crore) has gone into road paving, widening, pothole repair, water sprinkling, mechanical sweepers, etc. Only 14.51% of funding has been used for controlling biomass burning, 12.63% for reducing vehicular pollution and a mere 0.61% for controlling industrial pollution.

The primary focus of the funding is thus road dust mitigation, the assessment said.

NCAP is aimed at reducing particulate pollution by up to 40% by 2025-26 from the base year of 2019-20. It is first ever performance-linked funding programme to improve air quality in India.

NCAP was originally planned to tackle both PM10 and PM2.5 concentrations in the 131 non-attainment cities. In practice, only PM10 concentration has been considered for performance assessment. PM2.5, the more harmful fraction and emitted largely from combustion sources, has been neglected, CSE found.

19,711 crore has been earmarked for 131 cities for the period of FY 201920 to 202526, as per the 202324 ministry of environment, forest and climate change report. Out of this, about 3,172 crore has been allocated to 82 cities under the NCAP and about 16,539 crore to 42 million-plus cities and 7 urban agglomerations.

Approximately 10,566.47 crore was released to the 131 cities between FY 201920 and FY 202324 (until 03 May 2024) under both NCAP programme and Fifteenth Finance Commission (XV-FC) grants.

CSE director general Sunita Narain said NCAPs objectives and aims have always been commendable, but attention and investments under it are largely focused on dust control, and not on emission-spewing combustion sources such as industries or vehicles... she said.

Though the criteria for performance assessment have been evolving over time, currently it requires cities to demonstrate improvement only in PM10 levels which are coarse, pollution particles-- mainly dust. Additionally, XV-FC cities must also show an increase in the number of good air days (AQI below 200). This is leading to a stagnation in spending by cities because funding is also linked to performance of states .

Tying up such enormous amount of funds only for road dust control can make the interventions for controlling toxic emissions from combustion sources sub-optimal, the report said.

Under-utilization of funds

The 82 NCAP cities have utilized only 51% of the funding allocated to them. The 42 cities and seven urban agglomerations have utilized about 67 % of the funding available to them for air pollution control.

Under NCAP funding during 201924, out of the 23 states, Jharkhand, Gujarat and Chandigarh have utilized over 90% of the funds, whereas Meghalaya, Assam, West Bengal, Jammu and Kashmir, Karnataka, Punjab and Delhi have utilized the least, under 40%. Under the XV-FC grant, four states Gujarat, Tamil Nadu, Rajasthan and Madhya Pradesh have utilised 80% of funds allocated. Three states Haryana, Andhra Pradesh, and Karnatakashow less than 40% utilization. States at the lower end of the spending spectrum (below 60%) are largely the states in the north or the Indo-Gangetic Plain that also face the most lethal pollution problem, CSE has flagged.

PM2.5 should be the benchmark, CSE recommends

Taking PM10 as the basis for assessing air quality improvement has diverted attention and investments towards dust control. Annual changes in PM10 levels can be significantly influenced by meteorological factors, dust storms and heatwaves, rather than just policy actions. This may not adequately mirror the impact of action across all key sectors. PM10 monitoring needs to be source specific, said Anumita Roychowdhury, executive director, CSE. A study published in the Lancet Planetary Health on July 4 found that even levels of air pollution below current Indian air quality standards lead to increased daily mortality rates in India. The researchers found that local combustion sources of air pollution such as waste burning and vehicular emissions among others had heightened health impacts. CSE has recommended that PM2.5 is a more relevant health indicator to assess improvement in air quality.

Currently, cities ranked high for improving PM10 levels may not necessarily rank high for taking policy action, the assessment has highlighted.

Apart from NCAP, there is yet another parallel programme of the Centre, Swachh Vayu Survekshan (SVS) that was introduced by the MoEFCC in 2022 to rank cities based on the level of policy measures implemented. These cities classified based on population are ranked based on policy measures implemented across various interventions such as managing biomass, municipal solid waste, road dust, dust from construction and demolition waste, vehicular and industrial emissions and other emissions.

Cities that score high for good action under SVS can paradoxically be the worst performing cities for not improving PM10 concentration under NCAP, CSE has found. Delhi for example ranked 9th under SVS for implementing policy measures but is at the bottom, scoring zero, under NCAP assessment for not improving PM10 levels.

Key combustion sources neglected

With the current focus on dust control, the key combustion sources including transport and industry do not receive priority. Due to city-specific action and a hard line drawn around municipal boundaries, most industrial sources and power plants remain outside the orbit of city action plans. The small and medium scale units that exist in the non-conforming areas of cities are often not considered. Industrial pollution control remains business-as-usual, CSE has underlined.

Progress reports of cities are also minimal on the indicators developed by the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) for transport sector interventions requiring improvement in on-road emissions management, old vehicle phase-out, vehicle electrification, public transport improvement, non-motorised transport and parking policy as a demand management measure. These strategies are not well developed quantitatively and qualitatively for implementation, funding and reporting.

The experience so far has shown that cities cannot meet their clean air benchmark alone and need a regional approach to reduce the influence of transboundary pollution. Though the NCAP programme has taken this on board to target the Indo-Gangetic Plains with an airshed approach, inter-state coordination framework is yet to develop, CSE assessment said.

MoEFCC did not respond immediately to queries from HT.

...
Twenty-five years after General Ved Prakash Malik, 85, led the army during the conflict between India and Pakistan in the summer of 1999, he looked back at the Kargil war, and its triumphs, challenges and lessons. In an interaction with Ramesh Vinayak, the former chief of army staff also spoke about the probability of a two-front war with Pakistan and China, and said the best way forward was to be prepared without easing the grip on the counterterror grid in Kashmir. General Ved Prakash Malik

How do you look back on the Kargil war after 25 years?

It was a very challenging event. It had a lot of surprise in it. Even during the war, the then Prime Minister (Atal Bihari Vajpayee) was quite shaken up. He kept sending his interlocutor, RK Mishra, to Pakistan till the middle of June to figure out why this had happened after the Lahore declaration barely three months earlier. The military was also taken by surprise because there were no intelligence reports with us, either from the Intelligence Bureau or from RAW (Research & Analysis Wing). In fact, they had negated the likelihood of any aggression or war to be initiated by Pakistan.

We were also weak in our surveillance along the Line of Control. The gaps between our posts were anything between 9 km and 40km. In the peak of winter, patrolling gets affected in that area. Back then, we didnt have the gadgetry that we have today, no surveillance drones, no satellite imagery, no radar and not even night-vision devices. So, it came as a big surprise and a challenge.

When exactly did you grasp the intent and scale of Pakistans Kargil operation?

In the May of 1999, I was on an official visit to Poland and the Czech Republic. Towards the end of it, in the Czech Republic, we were having breakfast with the ambassador and he told to me that newspapers in Pakistan are reporting that they have captured part of the Line of Control in Kargil area. Immediately, I rang up the army headquarters in Delhi. Everyone, from the top to the corps commander in the Kargil area, took it as an intrusion by the jihadis (terrorists) in black salwar-kameez, and not by the Pakistan Army.

Even after I returned, my first briefing was that these were terrorists who will be flushed out. The defence minister had gone into that area. He was also told not to worry. It was a good deception plan on the part of Pakistan.

When I went to the ground soon after returning to India, I asked my people, look, terrorists never behave in a manner in which we see here. They dont hold ground. We have different rules of engagement for them; we have been dealing with them for years. We cant use heavy weapons against them. By that time, we had reports of people holding ground over a stretch of 100km along the LoC. On May 21, I briefed the cabinet committee on security that the situation is far more serious than everybody had been thinking.

How did Pakistan spring such a nasty surprise that in a way highlighted Indias intelligence failure?

First, we must understand why they (Pakistan) did it. Pervez Musharraf was a brigadier in the 1980s when he tried to recapture some of our posts in the Siachen sector, but failed miserably. So, as a brigadier he was hurt that he had failed and he lost a number of people. Then at one stage when he became major general or lieutenant general, he had spoken to then Pakistan Prime Minister Benazir Bhutto about carrying out an attack in these areas. She literally told him not to be a fool.

In October 1998, the then Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif appointed him as Pakistans army chief when he was number three in the pecking order. Once appointed chief, he thought now was the time to prove himself and ensure they get back Siachen and some of these posts.

Having been in their military operations directorate, he knew the area quite well. He found this was the easiest place to carry out an intrusion. They started patrolling our area during the peak of winter and set up patrol bases in February 1999, but suffered casualties because of heavy storms and avalanches. Subsequently, they tried to brief the then Prime Minister (Sharif) and told him this will help him in negotiations with India.

Musharraf was in China in May-end when he had a telephonic conversation (with Sharif) that we were able to intercept. Nawaz Sharif being a political man didnt quite understand the implications. The Pakistan army had not adequately briefed him.

What was the degree of difficulty in fighting back the intruders holding ground on the Indian side of the LoC?

The difficulty was tremendous at an altitude of 14,000 to 20,000 feet. You require acclimatisation. At that time, this area was not covered as a high-altitude terrain. For whatever reasons, the government was not accepting to give the same kind of concessions and equipment as we had in Siachen. We were short of winter clothing and did not have adequate weapons and equipment. A few years earlier, the army was forced to go under 70% of equipment, what we call the bottom line. The government had indicated that it did not have adequate money for import. Manmohan Singh was the finance minister when he told the then chief that dont ask for anything for 2-3 years and subsequently, we will provide you with what you need. But that never happened.

In the meantime, the army headquarters raised 30 Rashtriya Rifle battalions without equipment because that sanction was not there. So, regular battalions had to feed them with their weapons and equipment. What we had got further thinned.

At that time, there were sanctions on us because of the nuclear weapons test that we had done at Pokhran in May 1998. So, all these countries, they were not on talking terms with us, literally. Even orders (from international markets) for major repairs didnt come. Once war starts, you cant wait for something to come to you. At a press conference in Delhi, when I was asked about lack of weapons and equipment, I had said: We shall fight with whatever we have.

What was the turning point of the war?

Initially, we were using the rules of engagement against the terrorists and the brigade commander would send troops to the top of Tololing and other peaks. Soldiers had no information and we suffered casualties. Its only when our attack failed at Tololing that we had to pump in more troops. By this time, I had already ordered one division to move from the Kashmir valley to this area. The 8th Mountain Division had taken control. I told the new GOC (general officer commanding), take your time but dont go unprepared. We should be fully prepared. Till the middle of June, we suffered casualties. Its only after we captured Tololing and the Three Pimple ridge line, it gave me confidence that our boys will do whats required. After that there was no stopping us.

As the only limited conventional war in the last quarter century, how has Kargil reshaped Indias defence doctrine?

Till the time of General K Sundarji and K Subrahmanyam, one of our foremost strategists, the thought process was that two nuclear nations wont go to war. That was certainly happening in Europe. But Kargil proved that below the nuclear threshold, we could have a limited war. So, now people have started thinking about limited or border or hybrid wars. One of the reasons Pakistan took this plunge was that they thought now we are two nuclear nations and the Indian Army cant react. But that thinking was disproved.

There were questions on a high toll of 527 men that the Indian army suffered to regain its own territory.

Thats a fact. In actual war, because of bullets and shelling, we suffered 468 casualties. But there were casualties on account of other factors like the high altitude and accidents. Whoever died in that area for whatever reason was given full benefit. Had we been permitted to go across the LoC, the casualties would have been higher. Towards the end when I was not agreeing to a ceasefire, the PM (Vajpayee) was insisting, why not?

It was July 11 or 12, we had three meetings that day, just three of us, including (then national security adviser) Brajesh Mishra.PM said they (Pakistan) are begging. By that time, Sharif was back from the US. I said so many of our men have got killed.If I agree, my own people will question me. Toward the end of the second meeting, he told me that right now, the international community is on our side and we have achieved our aim. In the third meeting, he reminded there would be more casualties if we continue and escalate. I couldnt deny that. It was an interim government and elections were to be held.

Ultimately, I agreed but with the condition that Pakistan will withdraw the way we tell them to. By this time, we had recaptured almost 90% of the area.

What were Pakistans tactical and strategic objectives behind the Kargil gambit? It did succeed in putting Kashmir in an international spotlight.

Tactically, I would say, they did well. They are good soldiers. They came the way they were told, suffered the winter, had casualties. Musharraf was a good commando but a bad strategist. Kashmir was in the spotlight, thats right. But by this time, the international community, including China (though not openly), was supporting us. Sharif signed an agreement with then US President Bill Clinton on July 4, accepting they will withdraw from the other side of the LoC. The world community started thinking that the LoC is as good as a border. Its a de facto border. That notion got strengthened.

You admitted intelligence failure. What were the deficiencies in the military infrastructure?

The joint intelligence committee (JIC) chairman gets inputs from representatives of all intelligence committees. There was no input to the military intelligence from the JIC. Both RAW and the IB inputs negated the possibility of a war. The armys capability is primarily what we gather while patrolling the LoC. Patrolling was restricted at that time and helicopters used to fly over the area, but they couldnt make out from that height as everything was covered with snow.The thinking was that Pakistan may do small mischief but cant bring large forces through the area. But there were a few cases of poor coordination within the division in that area which came to my notice later. The IB has been challenging my statement that we had no intelligence. They talk about a letter of June 2, 1998, signed by then IB director Shyamal Datta to the PMs secretariat, the home and defence ministries that theres a collection of terrorists 50-60km on the other side opposite Kargil.

Ill give you reasons why Im saying there was no intelligence.

First, the Kargil review committee report categorically said nobody knew about whats happening on the other side. No institution, no individual. Second, I got hold of the minutes of a meeting conducted by a senior Pakistan army commander to brief US people in which he says there were no terrorists in the area. Third, they are talking about a letter of June 2, 1998, while Musharraf took over Pakistan army in October 98. How did IB know that after he takes over, he would do this? Lastly, in his book With Four Prime Ministers, Jarnail Singh, the joint secretary to the PM at that time, has written that Brajesh Mishra asked him to find the letter from intelligence agencies, but he but couldnt find any such letter. Theres no point if I cant speak the truth 25 years after the war.

What went into Indias game plan to not cross the LoC and avoid an escalation? In hindsight, was it a prudent decision?

Wars take place because of political reasons. If we had escalated, which we were prepared for, we would have had more casualties and probably would have captured some areas. We (India) were seen as not the ones to take aggressive action, more reactive than proactive. Im not saying yes or no. There are pros and cons either way.

How is India better prepared now?

Your war capabilities are based on your economy and technology. Today, vis-a-vis Pakistan, we are a 10 times bigger economy and way ahead technology wise. Secondly, today we have better weapons and equipment, including surveillance devices. But when it comes to China, we are still behind. We are working on that in terms of building infrastructure and communication. More importantly, we have started manufacturing things ourselves. Earlier, we were totally dependent on others.The political thinking has also changed. We have become proactive.

What has changed in the geostrategic calculus since India adopted a muscular offensive defence by undertaking surgical strikes and the Balakot bombing?

Military wise, a strategy is complete only if you look at both the offensive and defensive parts. Political thinking must be there. Its not that we did not have any surgical strikes earlier. In my time, we have done it so many times. I have awarded people for covert operations. But we did not tell the political authorities because then they would start asking questions. As a military man, you cant really tie my hands. We have to be aggressive.

Pakistan-backed terror has now found a new theatre in the Jammu region, south of Pir Panjal?They (Pakistan) wont wage a war against us. But they will continue with this kind of terrorism. For them, its a cheap option. They dont get killed. So, the thinking that we will stop it (terrorism) completely may not be practical. They will shift places depending on where they think there is a weak area. Kashmir is becoming difficult for them to operate so they are trying to spread out in the Jammu region. We will have to continue to undertake counter-terrorism measures. I dont see that stopping for the next so many years.

What are the key lessons from the Kargil war?

Strategically, we have to be always prepared for war. You cant be surprised the way we were. We were lucky and a lot of credit goes to our youngsters who fought that war. You cant say I will give you weapons at the time of the war. Its of no use then. Secondly, you cant be only reactive. You have to be proactive and show your aggressiveness.

The Kargil Review Committee made a raft of recommendations. Were they implemented?

It recommended the chief of defence staff (CDS) but that was accepted by the present government after 20 years. Some reorganisation was carried out in the defence ministry, but two things have not happened yet. One is the synergy expected between the military and the bureaucracy has still not happened. They have differences, we can see sitting outside. The synergy we expected after the CDS about the theatre command, its yet to be achieved. Weve been slow in implementation. There should be a unified command. Thats the best way to fight.

War can take place suddenly so keep the military top leadership in the loop on decision-making on national security issues. You cant say now here is a crisis, lets call them in. We all have to work with forward thinking and prepare our contingency plans.

After Kargil, you often rued the lack of strategic culture in the country. What has changed?

ts changing but our handicap is that none of our present leadership or bureaucracy, the decision-makers, have gone anywhere near a war. They dont know whats required or how the army functions.

Do we need a national security policy?

We need it because your defence policy will flow out of the national security policy. We have tried to have one here, I was a member of the national security advisory board after retirement. But for some reason they are not making it public. It should be made public so that everybody knows about its role to some extent. For example, we cant have an ad-hoc decision that we will go and help Sri Lanka or Maldives or Mauritius. It must be in the public mind that this area is strategically important and we have to dominate it. It shouldnt come as a surprise.

India and China are engaged in a tense stand-off in eastern Ladakh for four years. What are the chances of India facing a two-front war?

That probability exists. Pakistan is already getting weapons and full intelligence from China which supporting Islamabads strategy of terrorism. A number of times we wanted them to vote against these jihadi leaders at the United Nations but China came in the way. Ultimately the decision on how much the two sides get involved will be taken by the Chinese and not by the Pakistanis. There are certain areasKashmir is one because the border is not resolved. Siachen Glacier is where both the countries meet; so the probability of a two-front war cant be ruled out. We have to be prepared.

Its been two years since the Agnipath scheme was launched. What is your take on it?

Four years in service may be too short a time. The 31-week training is fine but four years to indoctrinate a person with the kind of ethos we have in the armed forces is less, particularly for training in technical arms. Today, theres so much sophistication in weapons and equipment that this period is not sufficient. First, four-year service needs to be extended. Second, the 25% (absorption in the forces) is too less. This should be increased to 50% retention. For technical units, we may increase it further.Third, the government must ensure and make it mandatory that 75% who come out get jobs.

Whats the most searing memory of Kargil that you still carry?

A day before we went to capture Three Pimples, I spoke with commanding officer of the attack party and wished him good luck. The next morning I got to know that we had lost three officers Major P Acharya (Maha Vir Chakra), Capt N Kenguruse (Maha Vir Chakra) and Capt Vijayant Thapar (Vir Chakra) besides 15-20 men in that attack. That was probably the worst moment.
Nearly 1,000 Indian nationals, mainly students, have returned home via land border crossings or flights from Bangladesh, where violent protests against job quotas have left more than 100 people dead. Curfew has been imposed across Bangladesh since Friday following violent protests which has claimed over 100 lives (AP Photo)

Curfew has been imposed across Bangladesh since Friday, and the army has been deployed following clashes between protesters opposing the quotas in government jobs and pro-government student groups and police.

Scores of deaths have been reported from cities across Bangladesh since Tuesday, and 56 people died on Friday alone in clashes that occurred during a shutdown called by the protesters.

Also Read: Bangladesh unrest: Meghalaya govt evacuates over 400 students, 36 still stranded

A total of 778 Indian students returned home through various land border crossings, and around 200 students came back on regular flight services through Dhaka and Chittagong airports, the external affairs ministry said in a statement.

The Indian high commission in Dhaka and the assistant high commissions in Chittagong, Khulna, Rajshahi and Sylhet are in regular touch with more than 4,000 students remaining in various universities in Bangladesh and are providing necessary assistance.

The Indian side is also assisting students from Nepal and Bhutan with their crossing into India on request, the statement said.

The external affairs ministry had said on Friday that there are an estimated 15,000 Indians, including around 8,500 students, in Bangladesh. The ministrys spokesperson had also said that all Indians were safe.

The high commission in Dhaka and the four assistant high commissions are coordinating with Bangladeshi authorities to facilitate the safe travel of Indian nationals to crossing points on the international border.

Also Read: Bangladesh shuts universities, colleges indefinitely after protests turn deadly

The external affairs ministry is coordinating with civil aviation, immigration, land ports and Border Security Force (BSF) authorities to ensure smooth passage for Indian citizens.

The high commission and assistant high commissions are in regular touch with Bangladesh authorities to ensure the safety and security of Indian nationals and students. Security escorts have also been arranged, where necessary, for their travel by road during repatriation through select land ports, the statement said.

The high commission in Dhaka is coordinating with the civil aviation authorities of Bangladesh and commercial airlines to ensure uninterrupted flight services to India from Dhaka and Chittagong, which can be used by Indian nationals to return home.

The external affairs ministry has declined to comment on the violent protests in Bangladesh, describing them as an internal matter of the neighbouring country.
The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) on Saturday arrested one of the masterminds in the NEET-UG paper leak case and two MBBS students who acted as solvers, PTI reported quoting officials. Activists protest against the National Testing Agency over the alleged irregularities in NEET-UG exams 2024, at Jantar Mantar, in New Delhi.(PTI)

The two solvers arrested in the paper leak case have been identified as Kumar Manglam Bishnoi and Deepender Kumar, both students of Bharatpur Medical College.

The technical surveillance has confirmed the presence of Bishnoi, a second-year MBBS student, Sharma, a first-year medical student, in Hazaribagh on the day of the NEET-UG exam, officials said.

Bishnoi and Sharma were allegedly acting as "solvers" for the paper stolen by Pankaj Kumar, an engineer, who was arrested earlier, they said.

Read: 4 AIIMS Patna students questioned by CBI in NEET-UG paper leak case

Pankaj Kumar alias Aditya, a 2017-batch civil engineer from the National Institute of Technology Jamshedpur (Jharkhand), allegedly stole the NEET-UG paper from the NTA trunk in Hazaribagh.

Sashikant Paswan alias Sashi alias Pasu, a B.Tech (Electrical) passout from the NIT, Jamshedpur was acting in tandem with Kumar and Rockey, who was also arrested earlier.

The central probe agency has so far arrested persons in connection with the NEET-UG cases taken over by it.

Read: NEET-UG paper leak: Amid arrest of students by CBI, AIIMS Patna director warns of action if found guilty

On Friday, the CBI arrested a first-year MBBS student, Surabhi Kumari, of Ranchi's Rajendra Institute of Medical Sciences (RIMS) for allegedly being part of a 'solver module'. Kumari was taken into custody after two days of detailed questioning by the CBI, the officials said.

"The CBI team contacted the hospital management on Wednesday saying they wanted to question her in connection with the NEET paper leak. The management extended full cooperation to the team. On Thursday too, they grilled her and said she will be questioned further," RIMS PRO Rajiv Ranjan told PTI earlier in the day.

The reports of fresh arrests emerge hours after the National Testing Agency (NTA) announced the centre and city-wise results for NEET-UG following a Supreme Court order.

The top court is hearing several petitions about the alleged irregularities in the conduct of the medical entrance exam, including paper leak.

The NEET-UG is conducted by the NTA for admissions to MBBS, BDS, AYUSH and other related courses in government and private institutions. This year, the exam was conducted on May 5 at 4,750 centres in 571 cities, including 14 abroad. More than 23 lakh candidates had appeared for the test.

With inputs from agencies
Shillong: Following days of crackdown by the Khasi Students Union (KSU) in Meghalaya to identify and deport illegal immigrants, mostly labourers, chief minister Conrad Sangmaon on Friday convened a meeting with KSU leaders to address the situation and seek a resolution. Meghalaya chief minister Conrad K Sangma (File Photo)

Sangma assured that the registration of migrant workers will be strictly enforced, reiterating that tough action will be taken against those conducting unauthorised document checks. So far, 10 cases have been filed against organisations and individuals involved in such acts.

After meeting with the KSU delegation, Sangma told media persons that the state government is examining the various proposals and suggestions provided by the Union. We are examining the different proposals and suggestions given by them, and we will see how to move forward on those, he said.

The KSU has intensified its document checks on migrant workers to protest the governments alleged failure to implement anti-influx measures, including the Meghalaya Residents Safety and Security Act (MRSSA), 2016, and the Inner Line Permit (ILP), according to the Union.

According to the KSU, over 2,500 migrant workers were deported in the past 12 days after being found without valid documents.

The CM explained to the delegation that there are no provisions in the law for work permits. He clarified that the government has assured the compulsory registration of migrant workers in the state.

There was a particular notification, which used the term work permit, but it was later clarified that work permit refers to the application of the Inter-State Migrant Workers Act. The notification was corrected to state that while there are no provisions for work permits, there is a provision for the registration of labourers by contractors or employers bringing five or more workers into the state, Sangma said.

The NSU delegation, led by President Lambokstar Marngar and general secretary Donald V. Thabah, argued that the 2020 Act is ineffective in combating the influx of migrants compared to the 2011 Act, citing the lack of required documentation and inadequate penalties for violations. It demanded the inclusion of imprisonment provisions from the 2011 Act, emphasizing that the current penalty of Rs.5,000 is insufficient.

Responding to these concerns, the CM Sangma said, We have taken note of their concerns. If there are any shortcomings, necessary steps will be taken to rectify them.

There were also suggestions regarding the state Act, particularly the penalties, which should be more stringent. We will definitely examine those matters. They also mentioned several aspects of verification for people coming from outside, he added.

Sangma assured that the suggestions are being considered and examined. He emphasized the importance of ensuring proper implementation of rules and laws to ensure migrant labourers have proper documentation and undergo necessary background checks.

The KSU questioned why the Meghalaya Residents Safety and Security Act (MRSSA) is not fully implemented and why amendments are being made when the principal Act has not yet been operational, attracting attention from the ministry of home affairs (MHA). The CM explained that the MHA is still examining the Act and that the government is proactively addressing several queries. On the issue of the Inner Line Permit (ILP), Sangma said that the government of India might not have considered ILP for Meghalaya because of its Sixth Schedule status. The KSU countered that the Sixth Schedule has limitations in combating the influx and cited the overwhelming non-indigenous populace in certain scheduled areas.

On KSUs announcement to continue document checks until anti-influx mechanisms are in place, the CM stated that no one has the right to conduct such checks. Ten cases have been filed against organizations and individuals conducting unauthorized checks. Firm action was taken by the police in Sohra, and no unauthorized checks were allowed. The law will take its course if anyone breaks it or creates any situation, Sangma maintained.

We had a discussion with the organization to clarify certain concerns. Its important to be clear on the laws and provisions of different Acts to avoid confusion. Nobody has the right to check documents, and anyone who does so will face legal consequences, the chief minister reiterated.

Meanwhile, speaking to HT over the phone late Friday night, KSU general secretary Thabah announced plans for a meeting to strategise on combating the influx and pressuring the government. Checkings will be conducted as always. The KSU will always remain vigilant as in the past. Checking of migrants by the union not only depends on the central command but any unit or circle can conduct if theyre informed of the presence of non-indigenous people in their area of jurisdiction, he warned.
Senior Congress leader and former diplomat Shashi Tharoor on Saturday termed the Kerala government's move to appoint a foreign secretary in the state as "fairly unusual" but noted that the bureaucrat has no foreign relationship responsibility of her own. Congress leader Shashi Tharoor.(PTI)

The Kerala government issued an order earlier this week giving senior IAS officer K Vasuki an additional charge of matters concerning external cooperation.

"Dr. K Vasuki IAS (KL 2008), Secretary, Labour and Skills Department will hold the additional charge of the matters connected with the External Co-operation. The officer will co-ordinate and supervise all the matters in this regard and incidental thereto, in addition to the existing charges," the government order dated July 15 read.

Read: Kerala rains: Red alert for Wayanad; Rahul Gandhi expresses concern

The order said that the Resident Commissioner at Kerala House in the national capital will be supporting Vasuki in matters concerning external cooperation and will liaise with the ministry of external affairs, missions and embassies.

BJP state president K Surendran termed the move a "blatant overreach" and a violation of the Union List of the Constitution. In a social media post on X, Surendran asked whether the chief minister wants to establish Kerala as a "separate nation."

"The LDF government has no mandate in foreign affairs. This unconstitutional move sets a dangerous precedent. Is CM @pinarayivijayan trying to establish Keralam as a separate nation?" he said.

Read: Kerala influencer, mistaken for Captain Anshuman Singh's wife Smriti Singh, faces vicious trolling

Speaking on the controversy, Shashi Tharoor said it is entirely appropriate for state governments to work without Embassies abroad for matters involving their residents.

The fact is that foreign relations are controlled by the Union government and no state government has any independent foreign relations but it is entirely appropriate for state governments to work without Embassies abroad for matter involving their residents," he told PTI.

Now to give a specific responsibility of this nature to one official is fairly unusual. But it is very clearly understood that she has no foreign relationship responsibility of her own but it would be basically through Indian government's bodies, Tharoor added.
The Enforcement Directorate (ED) on Saturday arrested Sonepat Congress MLA Surender Panwar in connection with a money-laundering case linked to illegal mining in Yamunanagar and some other areas of the state. Congress MLA Surender Panwar

In January, the ED has searched premises linked to Panwar and his aides in Sonepat, residences of BJP leader Manoj Wadhwa in Karnal and INLD MLA Dilbagh Singh and his associates in Yamunanagar district. Singh was subsequently arrested for further questioning.

According to PTI, the ED teams were escorted by armed personnel of central paramilitary forces at the time.

The money laundering case stems from several FIRs of the Haryana Police registered to probe alleged illegal mining of boulders, gravel and sand that took place in the past in Yamuna Nagar and nearby districts even after the lease expiry period and court's order.

The central agency is also probing alleged fraud in the 'e-ravan' scheme, an online portal that was brought by the Haryana government in 2020 to simplify collection of royalties, and taxes and to prevent tax evasion in mining areas.

In July 2022, Panwar had tendered his resignation to assembly speaker Gian Chand Gupta, citing personal reasons, including threats to his familys security and well being.

Also Read | BJP MLA booked for threatening police in illegal mining case

 My son has been getting death threats, but since you have assured me that adequate security will be provided to us, I am withdrawing my resignation, Panwar had wrote.

Later, the Sonepat MLA said he was withdrawing his resignation as assembly speaker Gian Chand Gupta had assured him of adequate safety arrangements.

The speaker told me to come and meet him personally. He assured me and other MLAs that adequate measures will be taken to ensure our security and the culprits will be traced and arrested, Panwar had said.

Legal experts had pointed out that the speaker could not have accepted Panwars resignation merely on the basis of an electronic communication, without hearing him in person.
News / Local

by Staff reporter

The State withdrew charges against prominent Mutare businessman and Zanu-PF bigwig Isau Mupfumi yesterday due to insufficient evidence connecting him to recent violent clashes in Mutare's central business district.Mupfumi was arrested in May alongside 49 rank marshals and touts following violent clashes between rival machete-wielding gangs at Sakubva Bus Terminus and the Old Harare Rank in the city. While Mupfumi was released on US$1000 bail, the 49 rank marshals and touts remained in custody after being denied bail.Mutare magistrate Tendai Mahwe presided over the case, with Sandra Mlambo prosecuting. Mupfumi was represented by lawyer Victor Chinzamba of Mugadza, Chinzamba, and Partners.
New Delhi: Stranded passengers of an Air India Delhi-San Francisco flight that was diverted to Russia on Thursday due to a technical glitch took off after a delay of over 24 hours and landed on Saturday, officials aware of the matter said. (Representative Photo)

The flight departed Krasnoyarsk at around midnight local time (20 July) for San Francisco (SFO), carrying 225 passengers and 19 crew members onboard AI183, said officials.

Air India has mobilised additional on-ground support at SFO to carry out the clearance formalities for all passengers upon arrival. The team at SFO are prepared to provide all necessary assistance to the passengers, including but not limited to medical care, ground transportation, and onward connections in applicable cases, the airlines statement read.

The flight had made a precautionary landing at Krasnoyarsk International Airport in Russias Krasnoyarsk Krai after the cockpit crew detected a potential issue in the cargo hold area.

Air India does not have its own at Krasnoyarsk International Airport so it had to arrange for third-party support to provide the necessary assistance to passengers which caused problems and the airline had to fly a ferry flight for the stranded passengers, according to airline officials.

The airline, in a statement issued on Friday, said, ..Air Indias local support was activated to assist passengers, who were required by authorities to remain in the terminal building in the absence of Russian visas. Food and beverage amenities at the terminal, which were closed for the evening, have now opened and meals are being provided to all passengers.

The statement came after Air India dispatched a relief flight from New Delhi to Krasnoyarsk Krai. The ferry flight also carried on board essentials in addition to sufficient food for all passengers.

Russias civil aviation agency, Rosaviatsiya, too said the aircraft had taxied to a parking spot after landing and there had been no signs of a fire or smoke onboard.

It further stated, Representatives from the Indian consulate in Moscow have travelled overnight and are working with Russian authorities to allow passengers to move to hotels, which have been on standby throughout the night. Regulatory clearances have been obtained for a relief flight that will depart Mumbai at 1100 hrs IST and ferry the guests out of Krasnoyarsk International Airport later today.

Our ferry flight AI1179 from Mumbai (BOM) to Krasnoyarsk, Russia (KJA) is now airborne, and is expected to arrive at KJA at 2000 Hrs (local time) on 19 July 2024. An Air India team, including crew and security personnel, are on board the flight to provide any support that the passengers and staff at KJA may require. The ferry flight is carrying essentials in addition to a sufficient amount of food for all passengers. The aircraft will ferry all passengers and crew out of KJA at the earliest. We have also set up a dedicated hotline for the family, relatives, and friends of AI183 guests for any information they may require, Air India said in a statement after take-off.

Russia has banned many foreign airlines from flying over its airspace due to Western sanctions over the Ukraine conflict. Many countries and airlines have also restricted their planes from crossing over Russia, either fully or partially.

On Saturday, the Indian airline released a statement saying AI1179 landed safely in San Francisco at 2027 Hrs local time (19 July).

We thank the DGCA, Government of India, Embassy of India in Russia, the Russian authorities, the Transportation Security Administration (TSA), U.S. Customs and Border Protection, Krasnoyarsk International Airport, and all partners involved, for their support in the situation. Finally, our thanks to the passengers of AI183 of 18 July for their patience and understanding during the diversion. Safety remains our foremost priority, and something we will never compromise on, it added.
The Tibetan government-in-exile will issue a map of Tibet based on historical records, with original boundaries and names of places, to counter Chinas cartographic aggression and practice of renaming locations to assert its claim over disputed territories. Tibetan govt in exile to issue map of Tibet to counter Chinas cartographic aggression

The Central Tibetan Administration (CTA), based in Dharamshala, will use several research studies by experts on Tibet and ancient maps to come up with the map which will be made available online for Tibetans and academics around the world, said Penpa Tsering, the Sikyong or political leader of the government-in-exile.

We are doing this so that Tibetans living around the world get to know the real history of their country, and so that the memories of the Tibetans living inside Tibet dont fade away in the face of Chinas cartographic aggression, Tsering told HT.

This is the overall Chinese strategy, its nothing new. Renaming [of places] has happened before with Tibet. They did it last year too. If you look at the overall Chinese strategy, they use only Chinese names for [territories they claim, such as] Senkaku Islands of Japan, or islands near Taiwan or Spratly Islands in the South China Sea, said Tsering, who like most of the current Tibetan leadership in exile was born in India and has never been to Tibet.

The Chinese have their own names for islands they claim, not the names coined by other countries. They have also done something similar in Arunachal Pradesh. Within China, they are trying to erase the historical background of these names.

The CTA will work with a Tibetan cartographer based in Stanford to develop the searchable map of Tibet and the work is expected to be completed in six months to a year, Tsering said. We will then make it available online for everyone, otherwise there is no reason to have this map. It will provide a complete picture of Tibet, he said.

Another project taken up by the CTA is developing a search engine with Tibetan names of places. Now, if I go to Google, I cant recognise names or places inside Tibet. Were going to do research on names of every place inside Tibet, and their Tibetan origins, Tsering said.

Chinese authorities have forcibly relocated 500 villages with more than 140,000 residents in the Tibet Autonomous Region since 2016, according to a recent report by Human Rights Watch. They have also renamed scores of places across the ancient kingdom of Tibet.

In addition to renaming Tibet as Xizang and creating the Tibet Autonomous Region (TAR) in 1965, Chinese authorities included several regions of the ancient kingdom of Tibet in Chinese provinces. For instance, Tibetan officials pointed out, the region of Amdo is now part of Qinghai province, Kham region was included in Sichuan province, and some other areas were made part of Yunnan province.

The map being created by the CTA will address such historical issues, and Tsering said he believes other countries facing similar problems with China too should push back.

Countries with disputes in the South China Sea and in the case of the Senkaku Islands  everyone should push back against their designs. Because these designs amplify Chinas hegemonistic ambitions despite their denials, he said.

China refers to the northeastern Indian state of Arunachal Pradesh as Zangnan and claims the strategic region as part of South Tibet. In recent years, China has renamed dozens of towns and geographical features in Arunachal Pradesh as part of its efforts to assert its claim on the region. The Indian side has rubbished such moves and said the state will always be a part of the country.

Referring to the Resolve Tibet Act, which was signed by US President Joe Biden on July 12 and seeks to pressure China for a negotiated settlement of Tibets demand for greater autonomy, Tsering said: The main issue is that we were trying to push against Chinas disinformation on Tibetan history. [The Act] says the US doesnt recognize Chinas assertion that Tibet has been part of China since ancient times.
Shiv Sena (UBT) chief Uddhav Thackeray on Saturday said his government will will scrap the Dharavi slum redevelopment project in Mumbai tender if his party comes to power after the Maharashtra assembly election. Shiv Sena (UBT) chief Uddhav Thackeray,(PTI file)

Opposing the sops being offered for Dharavi redevelopment project, Uddhav Thackeray, while addressing a press conference, said, We won't let it happen.

Is it Dharavi redevelopment or Ladka Mitra Yojna (favourite friend scheme), Uddhav Thackeray said, adding We will not give additional sops and if required, call for a fresh tender after coming to power.

The multi-crore Dharavi slum redevelopment project involves no land transfer to the Adani group but to the Maharashtra government's departments, and the Ahmedabad-based conglomerate, as a project developer, will build houses that will be handed over to the same departments for allotment to residents of Asia's biggest slums, news agency PTI reported earlier.

Speaking in the Maharashtra assembly on budgetary demands of the revenue department, senior Congress leader Prithviraj Chavan earlier this month claimed the Dharavi slum redevelopment project was a "big scam" and demanded a white paper on it from the Maharashtra government.

Chavan said the entire project will be scrapped once there is a change in government after the state assembly polls due in October.

Dharavi is Mumbai's biggest slum cluster. The Congress and Shiv Sena (UBT), both part of the opposition Maha Vikas Aghadi, have been opposing the multi-billion dollar Dharavi redevelopment project being executed by the Adani group.

"The Dharavi redevelopment project is a big scam and the state government should come out with a white paper, or else when the next government comes to power in October the entire project will be scrapped," Chavan said.

The former state chief minister asked if the recent handing over of a dairy land in Kurla for the Dharavi redevelopment project was mentioned in the original tender. There is no mention which government land is being given for Dharavi redevelopment...whether it is Deonar, Mulund, salt pan land, he said.

"This should be investigated as to how much government revenue loss is there," the Congress leader said. He claimed that government land was being given to industrialists at very low prices and all revenue entitled to the government has been waived.

Later, revenue minister Radhakrishna Vikhe Patil assured that a white paper will be issued on the Dharavi project. The white paper will include details of the tender process, he said.
New Delhi: G20 Sherpa Amitabh Kant has raised serious concerns about the competency and integrity of the Union Public Service Commission (UPSC). Former chairman of NITI Aayog and current G20 Sherpa Amitabh Kant (File Photo)

Several cases of fraud through UPSC for entry to top Civil Services are being alleged. All such cases must be fully investigated and the sternest action taken, Kant, who is also the former chairman of NITI Aayog, posted on X.

His statement comes following allegations against Maharashtra cadre IAS officer Puja Khedkar, who allegedly used fake disability and Other Backward Class (OBC) certificates to gain an unfair advantage in the UPSC selections, leading to her appointment as an IAS officer.

Khedkar came into the spotlight after she was transferred out of Pune before finishing her training for misusing power and privileges as a bureaucrat.

Also Read: UPSC chairman Manoj Soni resigns five years before term ends, cites personal reasons

Several other high-ranking officers are now under scrutiny for allegedly using fake certificates to benefit from reservations meant for Economically Weaker Sections (EWS), Persons with Disabilities (PwD), and others.

Several cases of fraud through UPSC for entry to top Civil Services are being alleged. All such cases must be fully investigated and the sternest action taken, Kants post further read.

He emphasized that selection should be based on competence and integrity. While showing support towards Scheduled Caste/Scheduled Tribe and OBC reservations, Kant called for a review of existing reservations for the physically and mentally handicapped and the proposed 1% reservation for the third gender in top civil services. These reservations are being misused to gain unfair advantages in the prestigious examinations. The SC/ST or OBC reservations should continue, with the creamy layer regulations being enforced, the G20 Sherpa said.

Khedkar, a probationary IAS officer, is at the centre of the controversy over her alleged misuse of power as a civil servant. Khedkar reportedly submitted fake disability and OBC certificates to clear the civil services exam, according to PTI.

Reports also claimed that she had submitted a mental illness certificate. In April 2022, she was asked to report to the All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS), Delhi, for verification of her disability certificate, but she did not comply, citing a COVID-19 infection.

On Friday, the UPSC said it had filed a first information report (FIR) against Khedkar and sent her show cause notice to cancel her appointment after an investigation revealed that she faked her identity by changing her name, photograph and other details to appear for the examination.

IAS-turned-actor Abhishek Singh is also facing similar allegations of using a fake disability certificate to secure selection in the prestigious service.

Videos of Singh doing heavy exercises in the gym have surfaced online, further fueling the allegations. Singh, a 2011-batch IAS officer who resigned last year to become an actor, responded to the accusations by stating that he is being targeted due to his pro-reservation stance, despite being from the general category. He took to X to address his critics, explaining his position and defending his actions.

According to the government rules, candidates from the general category can appear for the civil services exam a maximum of six times, and those from OBC and Persons with Benchmark Disabilities (PwBD) can appear nine times.
Kohima: Coming to terms with the death of Captain Neikezhakuo Kenguruse in the Kargil War was not easy for his family. Kargil war hero Captain Neikezhakuo Kenguruse

The second eldest of 13 siblings, he was just 25 when he died barely six months after being inducted as an Army Service Corps (ASC) officer on attachment with 2 Rajputana Rifles.

When news of his death came, it shook us terribly. We were broken, and more so, because it was not long after his elder brother passed away. They were both good lads and we had so much hope for them, Kenguruses mother Dinuo recalled. When his remains were brought home, it was difficult, particularly for me, to accept that he was no more. I was angry, even with the army, she added.

Fondly known as Neibu by his family and friends in Nagaland and Nimbu Sahib by his army colleagues, Captain Kenguruse was posthumously awarded the Maha Vir Chakra, becoming the sole officer from ASC to be honoured with the countrys second highest gallantry award.

It has been 25 years now but our memories of him remain fresh in our hearts. The Indian Army and the nation recognised his supreme sacrifice and they honour him every year, for which we are grateful, Dinuo said.

Captain Kenguruses father Neiselie Kenguruse echoed similar sentiments. Its been long but for our family, it feels like he died just recently. The annual observation of his sacrifice keeps his memories alive, he said. Neibu was a responsible young man. Being the eldest among my surviving children, he helped me look after and guide his siblings. He died too soon, he added.

Neiselie recalled his conversation with his son before the latter went to the war. Right before he went to the war, he called and told me that the battle was intense, and that if he did not make it back, he would want to have a small grave in his village. The least we could do was to honour his wish; we erected a memorial in his name at our village Nerhe-Pheza, he said.

The memorial was renovated by the army this year.

The slain Captains younger brother Neingutoulie Kenguruse found a way to celebrate Neibus life by co-authoring a book titled Nimbu Saab: The Barefoot Naga Kargil Hero with Neha Dwivedi and Diksha Dwivedi  both daughters of another Kargil War hero, Major CB Dwivedi. The book is slated to be launched on July 23.
The Indian embassy in Cambodia said on Saturday it was working to expedite completion of formalities to ensure safe and timely return of 14 Indians, who were scammed into working as cyber slaves in Cambodia, to their country. According to the Indian embassy, it has so far rescued more than 600 Indian citizens who fell victims to such scams in Cambodia

In close cooperation with Cambodian authorities, the Embassy has facilitated the rescue and repatriation of over 650 Indian citizens who had fallen victim to these scams, it stated in a press release.

Most recently, we provided specific leads to the police, leading to the rescue of 14 additional Indian victims. They are currently being cared for by an NGO working in coordination with Cambodia's Ministry of Social Affairs, Veterans and Youth Rehabilitation, the statement added.

We continue to closely monitor the situation and remain committed to protecting the welfare of Indian citizens in Cambodia. We advise them to exercise extreme caution regarding any job offers in the country and to immediately report any suspicious activity to us, the embassy noted.

According to NDTV, most of the 14 men are from Bihar and Uttar Pradesh.

The massive scam was discovered when a central government employee in India filed an FIR on December 31 last year after being defrauded of more than 67 lakh. Subsequently, the scam came to light and eight people were arrested for allegedly moving Indians to Cambodia.

As per the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) in New Delhi, the Indian nationals taken to Cambodia, and others stranded there, were promised legitimate jobs, but were manipulated into participating in unlawful online tasks.

The victims used to have their passports taken away and forced to work in cyber scamming call centres to target people in India, the MEA said.
Uttar Pradesh chief minister Yogi Adityanath on Friday doubled down on a controversial order asking eateries along the Kanwar Yatra route to display the names of owners even as the diktat prompted more pushback from Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) allies and condemnation from the Opposition. Uttar Pradesh chief minister Yogi Adityanath chairs a meeting with state cabinet ministers on July 17. (PTI)

A day after the Uttar Pradesh Police softened its stance by making the order  first issued in Muzaffarnagar on July 15  voluntary, the chief ministers office extended the directive to all Kanwar Yatra routes across the state and instructed strict compliance, said a government spokesperson on condition of anonymity.

An Uttar Pradesh government spokesperson said a formal order was likely to be issued soon. The chief minister issued this directive to ensure that participants of the Hindu procession did not get disturbed during their pilgrimagethe order was to be carried out on all Kanwar Yatra routes in the state, he said.

He further said the CM issued a directive to initiate action against those selling and promoting Halal-certified products. In November 2023, the state government had cracked down on certification of Halal food, which signals that consumption of a food item is permissible for Muslims.

No formal order was issued till the time of going to print.

On Monday, Muzaffarnagar Police ordered all eateries, shops, food carts and restaurants on the Kanwar Yatra route to display the name of owners to avoid confusion following a demand by some Hindu seers. Similar orders were also issued by police in Saharanpur and Shamli. Though the order made no mention about religion, opposition leaders and activists alleged that the move was aimed at displaying the faiths of food sellers, and marginalise Muslim traders.

The government is battling criticism of the order from its allies. After the Janata Dal (United) spoke out against the move on Thursday, the Lok Janshakti Party-Ram Vilas (LJP-RV) and the Rashtriya Lok Dal (RLD) both condemned the order on Friday.

When asked if he supported the order, Union minister and BJP ally Chirag Paswan told PTI, No, I dont.

Whenever there is such a divide in the name of caste or religion, I absolutely do not either support it or encourage it. I do not think any educated young person of my age, irrespective of the caste or religion they come from, is affected by such things, he added.

Another National Democratic Alliance member, RLD, also hit out at the move. RLD UP chief Ramashish Rai called the decision unconstitutional and demanded it be taken back.

The directive from the Uttar Pradesh administration requiring shopkeepers to display their name on their shops is a step that promotes caste and communal divisions. The administration should withdraw this unconstitutional decision, he said in a post on X.

The JD(U), too, added more teeth to its opposition.

Party spokesperson KC Tyagi said the Muzaffarnagar police order should be withdrawn as it may cause communal tension and there should not be any discrimination based on religion or caste.

A Kanwar Yatra bigger than this takes place in Bihar. No such order is in effect there. This directive is in violation of Sabka Saath, Sabka Vikas, Sabka Vishwas that the PM speaks of, he said.

But the BJP appeared unfazed.

Social organisations of western Uttar Pradesh have complained that restaurant owners and street vendors hide their real identity and use fake names. Kanwariyas follow rituals to maintain sanctity of the yatra during the entire pilgrimage. They prefer eating in outlets that are neat and clean and offer pure vegetarian food. In the Food Safety and Standards Act 2006 it is specified that the licence holder will display the licence and name of the proprietor in his outlet. Same is the case in the Street Vendors Act 2014. All this controversy behind the state governments order is politically motivated. said state BJP spokesperson Rakesh Tripathi.

A senior BJP leader associated with the partys minority morcha said statement targeting the Muslims have the potential of undoing the partys outreach towards the community.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi had emphasised that the BJP should build bridges with minorities, the Christians and the Muslims; careless statements from some of the members threaten to overshadow the efforts being made to empower all the communities and erase differences, the functionary said.

On the controversy stoked by UP governments order, the functionary said, it was regretful that Muslims are being denied opportunities.

These are sensitive issues, and one has to tread carefully, but over the last few years we have noticed a tendency among people to fall victim to propaganda against Muslim vendors and establishments. Hopefully the government will ensure that there is no discrimination against any community or faith, the functionary said.

VK Mishra, in-charge of the weights and measures department of Meerut, said that as per the Food Safety and Standards Act, 2006, every restaurant and dhaba sanchalak (manager) needed to display the name of the firm, the owners name, and the licence number.

Neighbouring Uttarakhand said it will also implement the decision.

Chief minister Pushkar Singh Dhami said the purpose of the decision was not to target or put anyone in trouble. Why should anyone have any problem in introducing themselves? he asked. There have been criminal incidents at Har ki Pauri in Haridwar in the past when tension broke out over some hotel and dhaba operators hiding their true identities, Dhami said, adding that the decision was taken to prevent such situations.

BJPs minority morcha chief Jamal Siddiqui, however, accused the opposition of politicising the issue. He said that the Muslims were not barred from doing business but only to display their names.

This is a festival that is pious and has significance for the Hindus, and it is only fair that no one should hurt their sentiments by hiding their identity or by impersonation. The district administration has taken steps after it came to light last year that some people had used fake names to conduct business, he said.

The decision to reveal names, he said, was to ensure there were no ghuspaithiya or intruders.

The Congress and the Samajwadi party are misleading the Muslims. They are politicising the issue and using the Muslims as a beat. There is no bar on Muslims from conducting any business, Siddiqui said.

Inspector general of Garhwal, KS Nagnygal, said the move would maintain social harmony during the Kanwar Yatra.

Kanwariyas are Shiva worshippers who undertake an annual pilgrimage to fetch Ganga water in pitchers hung from poles (kanwars) and offer it to the deity at various shrines in the state and outside. Around 30 million Kanwariyas are expected to walk, run or drive to Haridwar from various parts of the country from July 22 till August 2.

The controversy  and Adityanaths tough posture on the issue  comes at a time when the BJPs first major introspection of its underwhelming Lok Sabha elections showing in Uttar Pradesh has triggered rumblings within the partys state unit, amid political posturing and fevered speculation at a string of high-profile meetings in Delhi and Lucknow.

On Monday, the order was first issued in Muzaffarnagar.

About 240km of Kanwar Yatra route falls in the district. All the eateries, including hotels, dhabas and carts, on the route, have been asked to display the names of their proprietors or those working on these shops. This has been done to ensure that there should be no confusion among kanwariyas, Muzaffarnagar senior superintendent of police (SSP), Abhishek Singh said on Monday.

Following the decision, pictures of fruit sellers putting their names on carts went viral on social media, sparking widespread condemnation.

Then, on Thursday, the UP Police clarified that compliance of its order was voluntary.

Hotels, dhabas and shopkeepers selling food items on Kanwar Marg have been requested to voluntarily display the names of their owners and employees. The intention of this order is not to create any kind of religious discrimination but only to facilitate the devotees passing through Muzaffarnagar district, counter allegations and save the law and order situation, the police said.

But on Friday, with the chief ministers office virtually walking back the relaxation, the issue has again boiled over.

The Indian Constitution allows every citizen for no discrimination on the basis of caste, religion, language or other factors. But this move to force display their names on carts, eaters and shops is a direct attack on our Constitution, Congress general secretary Priyanka Gandhi Vadra posted on X.
YSR Congress Party (YSRCP) president and former Andhra Pradesh chief minister YS Jagan Mohan Reddy on Friday announced on Thursday that he would stage a dharna in New Delhi on July 24 in protest against the sustained attacks on his party workers allegedly by the ruling Telugu Desam Party (TDP). He also said that he would demand the Centre to impose Presidents Rule in the state following the alleged violence in the state. YSRCP president and former Andhra Pradesh chief minister YS Jagan Mohan Reddy has announced that he would stage a dharna in New Delhi on July 24. (ANI)

Jagan called on the family of YSRCP youth wing leader Sheik Rasheed, who was brutally murdered by one Sheik Jilani, a suspected TDP worker, at Vinukonda town of Palnadu district on Wednesday night. He paid tribute to Rasheed and expressed his deepest condolences to the bereaved family. He said the party would stand by the family at all times and would take care of their needs.

Speaking to reporters later, the YSRCP president said ever since the TDP-led National Democratic Alliance (NDA) came to power in the state in June, there had been unabated attacks on YSRCP leaders and workers. At Punganur, the TDP cadre resorted to stone pelting at our party MLA Peddireddy Ramachandra Reddy and MP Mithun Reddy, he alleged.

Stating that Rasheed was murdered due to political reasons, Jagan lashed out at the police for describing the cause of the murder as personal rivalry.

We shall file a case in the high court seeking justice in the Rasheed murder case, Jagan said.

We shall take up a dharna in New Delhi on Wednesday to highlight the lawlessness in Andhra Pradesh. All our party MPs, MLAs and MLCs will take part in the dharna. We shall meet the President of India Droupadi Murmu and Prime Minister Narendra Modi to submit a representation on the state of affairs in Andhra Pradesh, the YSRCP president said, adding that the party would demand imposition of Presidents Rule in Andhra Pradesh in view of the breakdown of law and order.

Earlier, Jagan wrote a letter to the Prime Minister Modi, highlighting the severe atrocities and attacks that have taken place in Andhra Pradesh over the past one month under the TDP-led coalition government.

In his letter, the YSRCP president expressed deep concern over the complete collapse of law and order in the state and urged the Prime Minister to investigate these incidents by central government agencies and sought an appointment at the earliest to apprise him of the details.

The law-and-order situation in the state is disturbing. The Constitutional institutions have failed, and the administration has been paralysed. There is no protection to the life and dignity of the people. Leaders and workers of the ruling party, with their barbaric and inhumane activities, are spreading widespread fear among the people of the state, he said.

He alleged that the TDP leaders had targeted the known sympathisers of YSRCP and started terrorising them by humiliating, beating and even killing them.

In this process, they have destroyed the properties, establishments, including residential houses in the open glare, causing widespread fear among people in the state, the YSRCP chief said.

Jagan alleged that in the last month, 31 people have been murdered, 300 murder attempts have been made and 35 people have committed suicide due to the harassment by TDP leaders.

Besides, 560 private properties have been destroyed, 490 government properties have been vandalized, and nearly 2,700 families have left their villages due to these atrocities, Jagan claimed.

Additionally, there have been over 1,050 incidents of violence and attacks. This reflects the state of affairs in our state under the present dispensation, who are not at all inclined to maintain law and order, he alleged.

Senior TDP leader and state social welfare minister Dola Sri Bala Veeranjaneya Swamy described Jagan as a brand ambassador for a fake campaign.

He is known for creating law and order problems in the state and throwing the blame on the TDP. He had done the same in the case of the murder of his uncle YS Vivekananda Reddy in March 2019, he said.

Swamy said it was shameful on the part of the YSRCP chief to attribute the murder of a YSRCP leader to the TDP, though it had happened purely due to personal reasons.

The people had dealt him a severe blow in the recent assembly elections; yet, he has not learnt any lesson, the minister said.

Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) state president and Rajahmundry MP Daggubati Purandeshwari also found fault with Jagan for writing a letter to Modi with false allegations. Have you forgotten the atrocities committed by your party leaders during your regime, before writing a letter to the Prime Minister? she asked.

Purandeshwari said Jagan should make a serious introspection of his rule and understand how the YSRCP leaders resorted to violence in the last five years of his regime.

She also requested the Naidu government to take stern action against those who are creating law and order problems in the state.
Its become so universal that we barely notice it. But hello hasnt been around for very long.

It is only about 200 years old in the English language, and comes to us from the Middle Age greeting Hail, which itself draws from hale and health. (Hello is just one variant; others include hollo, hallo and halloa).

Of course, pretty much every culture has a favoured greeting. Allillanchu is How are you in the indigenous Quechua language of Peru. Dumela in Tswana and goddag in Danish are good day. Theres jambo in Swahili and kaixo in Basque, for you are welcome. Ni hao is are you well in Mandarin. And xin chao is the uber-polite may I greet you in Vietnamese. Coming full circle, zdravo is hail or good health in Bosnian.

Of course, a greeting neednt be a word. Among the Japanese, a bow must accompany whatever term one uses, as a sign of respect. Not all bows are equal. Saikeirei (literally, most respectful gesture) is the deepest bow, an almost-worshipful one in which the nose nearly touches the hands (which rest on the lap of the standing greeter).

There is also the never-ending bow, as I like to call it. In Japanese, it is the pekopeko, a sort of bobbing and ingratiating bowing of the head, to indicate a fawning respect.

The Japanese are almost obsessively punctual, so they probably dont have a word for the feeling of waiting impatiently for an encounter to begin. But in the Arctic, the frustration of this experience is summed up in the Inuit word iktsuarpok, meaning to go outside often to see if someone is coming. Russian has the rather aggressive flip side: dozvonitsya, which is to ring a doorbell not once or twice but incessantly, until one gets an answer.

Once the gathering is complete, conversation must ensue, and this can be complicated.

As any Indian knows, there are many, many ways to say you. Hindi alone has aap for elders, seniors and the respected; tum for friends, peers and junior family; and tu which, lets face it, is a veiled insult (or familiar endearment, depending on the context).

Vietnamese has no fewer than 18 words for you, depending on factors such as whether the person addressed is a child or a senior citizen, and whether the relationship is one marked by formality or informality.

The Western Australian Aboriginal language of Jiwarli is less subtle. It has four terms for we. Ngali means we two, including you. Ngaliju means we two, but not you. Nganthurru is we all, including you. And nganthurraju is we all, excluding you (ouch).

That last is clearly for a person regarded with less than affection. What of a meeting with someone beloved? Samir is Persian for one who converses at night, by moonlight. Begadang is Indonesian for the act of staying up all night, talking. The wonderfully tactile glossalgos was Ancient Greek for talking until ones tongue ached.

And then there are phrases for times when a conversation simply wont go right

In Indonesian, latah is the uncontrollable habit of saying embarrassing things. In the same language, nyelonong is someone who interrupts without apology. In Hawaiian, aama is someone who speaks rapidly, hiding their meaning from one person whilst communicating it to another!

Dont you love it when a term is that specific? Not every culture opts to be quite as frank, which makes for some twisty metaphors. My favourite: The Mandarin dui niu tanqin, for talking over someones head or addressing the wrong audience. Literally? Theyre playing the lute to a cow.
Radico Khaitans strategic shift towards the premium and luxury segments is paying rich dividends. The company derived 57% of its value from Prestige & Above brands in 2024. Earlier this week, Radico Khaitan, which has distilleries in Rampur and Aurangabad as well as a new facility in Sitapur, released its Sangam World Malt Whisky in the country, barely a year after its global launch. The whisky, which costs between 4,000 and 7,500, is a blend of different malt whiskies from around the world, including Rampurs own Indian single malt. Abhishek Khaitan, Radico Khaitan's managing director.

Sangams India launch comes about a month after the introduction of Rampur Asava. The single malt whisky, priced at 10,000, is matured in ex-bourbon barrels and finished in Indian Cabernet Sauvignon casks.

We are completely focused on the premium and above segments, says Abhishek Khaitan, the companys managing director. Besides Rampur and Sangam, Radico Khaitans portfolio also includes Jaisalmer gin, whiskies such as Royal Ranthambore and Spirit of Victory 1999, Magic Moments vodka, Contessa rum and Old Admiral brandy. Seven brands in its portfolio sell upwards of a million cases annually.

In this interview with Hindustan Times, Khaitan talks about the reasons behind the companys success in the premium and luxury segments, its upcoming launches, including a cane juice rum and a luxury mahua, and its role in the creation of a trade body on the lines of the Scotch Whisky Association to promote and protect Indian single malts. Excerpts

It is tough to find Rampur single malt in most parts of India. Will the Asava and Sangam help change that perception?

The thing is, Rampur became so popular globally that supply was an issue. It was always on allocation. For instance, it took us four years to launch the Asava in India after it was introduced abroad. But we invested hugely in expanding capacity and enhancing our maturation facilities about a decade ago, and that is bearing fruit now. The quality of our spirit is assured at least for the next five to ten years. As far as maturation is concerned, we are in the process of doubling our maturation capacity at Sitapur from around 10,000 barrels at present. Youll gradually see a lot of our single malts in retail stores across India, as well as many more expressions.

Most people know Radico Khaitan as the makers of Rampur Whisky, but Magic Moments has been also played a role in your premiumisation journey.

Magic Moments is now the worlds fourth largest-selling vodka. Our premiumisation drive, in a way, started with that. Back in the early 2000s, vodkas share of the Indian alcobev market was barely one-and-a-half per cent. Right now, its over three per cent, and we have a market share of close to 60%. When we launched Magic Moments in 2006, there was no vodka available at that price. The same goes for Morpheus brandy  it cost thrice as much as other brandies on its launch in 2009. We know where the consumers are  theyve just not been given an option when it comes to premium spirits. We are among the few companies that have an understanding of price-positioning in the Indian context and a great knowledge of the Indian palate. Raw material has been another one of our key strengths, along with market research and blending. These have stood us in good stead on our premiumisation journey both in India and globally. Of course, it wasnt easy in the beginning. Back then, you had to explain who you were and all that. Today, we just say we are the makers of Rampur whisky.

You will be launching Kohinoor Reserve Indian Dark Rum in travel retail soon. Would you also consider launching it in India, considering how rum is going upmarket here?

In fact, an Indian launch is definitely on, maybe in the next couple of months. I think there is definitely a market here for premium rum. No one thought there would be a market for Indian single malt here, or premium gin, for that matter. And they were proved wrong.

Our Jaisalmer gin costs about 4,000 and competes with multinational brands. It has close to 50% share of the luxury gin segment in India. This month, we will be also launching the Jaisalmer Gold variant, which has 18 botanicals, including saffron. Theres no reason why a luxury rum wont work in India. People are drinking less, but they are drinking good quality spirits.

There has been a fair bit of activity around mahua lately. Would Radico Khaitan look at championing an indigenous spirit and taking it global?

That is indeed part of our plan. We are actually considering launching a luxury mahua brand. There is lots in store on that front.

Rampur was among the brands that built the Indian single malt category. But there are now apprehensions of the categorys reputation being dented amid this almost indiscriminate proliferation of single malts.

Everyone wants to premiumise, but there are cost-pressures involved. So, there are many players entering the market, but you wont be able to survive unless you have your fundamentals right. Radico Khaitan is a part of a group of distillers that is currently working on guidelines to promote and protect the Indian Single Malt category. This will be a registered body on the lines of the Scotch Whisky Association.
News / Local

by Staff reporter

The Heads of Christian Denominations in Zimbabwe (ZHOCD) have welcomed President Emmerson Mnangagwa's recent commitment to uphold the country's Constitution.ZHOCD, an umbrella body that includes the Evangelical Fellowship of Zimbabwe (EFZ), the Union for Development of Apostolic Churches in Zimbabwe Africa (UDACIZA), the Zimbabwe Catholic Bishops Conference (ZCBC), and the Zimbabwe Council of Churches (ZCC), expressed their support following Mnangagwa's statement during the commissioning of the Mutare Teachers College's fruit juice and water processing plant on July 4, 2024.In his address, President Mnangagwa pledged not to seek a third term, affirming his respect for the constitutional two-term limit for the presidency.ZHOCD praised Mnangagwa's public commitment, stating that his decision to adhere to the constitutional mandate reinforces democratic norms and promotes national unity in Zimbabwe.Below is the statement by ZHOCD;"Therefore, the Church calls upon all Zimbabweans to honour the President's decision and to support him in the completion of his constitutional term. It also calls upon all Zimbabweans to embrace a spirit of peaceful and transparent leadership renewal. It is imperative that the process remains free from intimidation, violence, and manipulation to ensure national stability and the consolidation of our democracy."Despite Mnangagwa's public commitment to respect the constitutional two-term limit, some Zanu-PF structures have since called for the President to continue in office beyond his current term, which is set to end in 2028.However, even if there were to be a constitutional amendment to remove the term limits, the incumbent president would not be able to benefit from such a change.
Kylie Jenner is holidaying in Italy with her son Aire, daughter Stormi, and best friend Anastasia Karanikolaou. Kylie's summer holiday fashion has taken the internet by storm. The Khy founder strayed away from her regular sheer dress, bodycon minis, and risque looks, favouring the very best of the Milan runways, some classic Western wear, and comfy flip-flops. Kylie Jenner is holidaying in Rome with her kids, Aire and Stormi. (Instagram)

Kylie Jenner's holidays with her kids, Aire and Stormi

Kylie Jenner, her kids, and her best friend were clicked on their afternoon strolls and lunch dates in Rome, Italy. Kylie also shared pictures from her boat ride in Venice on Instagram. While she wore a stylish denim dress and a backless black midi in Rome, she chose a plunging-neck mini ensemble for the photos from Venice. Let's decode Kylie's vacation look.

Decoding Kylie's holiday wardrobe

For her first look, Kylie wore a chic denim dress from the artsy Italian brand Marni. She styled it with a pair of thong flip flops and an oversized raffia tote bag from Mary-Kate and Ashley Olsen's buzzy label The Row. The ensemble features spaghetti straps, a fitted bodice, a plunging square neckline, and a flared skirt. She completed the look with sunglasses, centre-parted loose tresses, a dainty bracelet, and a watch.

Kylie changed into a black midi dress for her second outing with Aire and Stormi. The ensemble features a backless design, thin straps, a boat neck, a cinched waist, and a breezy skirt. The Kylie Cosmetics founder paired the holiday look with a shoulder bag, loose tresses, black slip-on sandals, and a face mask.

On the yacht, while exploring Venice, Kylie changed into a black mini dress featuring a deep neckline, halter straps, a backless design, and a bodycon fitting. She styled the ensemble with gold hoop earrings, stacked gold bracelets, a watch, rings, sunglasses, and loose tresses.

About Kylie Jenner

Kylie Jenner shares her two kids Stormi, 6, and Aire, 2, with Travis Scott. She is currently dating Timothee Chalamet. The couple sparked dating rumours in April 2023. The news came out after her split from Travis Scott. They confirmed their relationship during Beyonce's birthday concert in Los Angeles in September.
Happy Guru Purnima 2024: Guru Purnima is celebrated annually. This year, it falls on July 21. On this day, Gautam Buddha gave his first sermon at Sarnath, Uttar Pradesh. Guru Purnima is also known as Vyasa Purnima as it marks the birth anniversary of Veda Vyasa, the author of the Hindu epic Mahabharata. (Also Read | Guru Purnima 2024: When is Guru Purnima? Time, rituals, shubh muhurat, and all you need to know) Happy Guru Purnima 2024: Check out these wishes, images, quotes, Facebook and WhatsApp status to share with your gurus. (HT Photo)

Happy Guru Purnima 2024: Celebrate Guru Purnima by sending these wishes and messages to your gurus and teachers. (HT Photo)

Guru Purnima honours our gurus and teachers as they guide us towards the right path in life. People mark this day by worshipping their gurus and thanking them for being the guiding light in their lives. You can celebrate Guru Purnima by sending special wishes, images, messages, quotes, WhatsApp and Facebook status, and SMS to your gurus and teachers. Check out here:

Happy Guru Purnima wishes, images, messages, quotes, WhatsApp and Facebook status, and SMS:

Happy Guru Purnima! Dear Guru, thank you for guiding us, inspiring us, and making us what we are today.

The best gurus teach from the heart, not from the book. Thank you for being a wonderful teacher. Happy Guru Purnima.

Happy Guru Purnima 2024: Guru Purnima falls on July 21 this year. (Freepik)

Happy Guru Purnima to you and yours from me and mine. Have a great day.

"There are two kinds of teachers: the kind that fill you with so much quail shot that you can't move, and the kind that just gives you a little prod behind and you jump to the skies." - Robert Frost.

Happy Guru Purnima 2024: Guru Purnima commemorates the day Gautam Buddha gave his first sermon at Sarnath, Uttar Pradesh. (HT Photo)

May your teachings continue to illuminate our paths. Happy Guru Purnima!

Guru Purnima wishes for the gurus you respect the most

A teacher affects eternity; he can never tell where his influence stops. - Henry Brooks Adams.

I wish you and your loved ones a blessed and joyful Guru Purnima. Thank you for being our guiding light.

One child, one teacher, one book, one pen can change the world.  Malala Yousafzai.

"It is the supreme art of the teacher to awaken joy in creative expression and knowledge." - Albert Einstein.

On this sacred day, I express my heartfelt gratitude to my Guru, who has always been my guiding light. Happy Guru Purnima!

What the teacher is, is more important than what he teaches.  Karl Menninger.

Happy Guru Purnima 2024: Guru Purnima is also known as Vyasa Purnima. (Freepik)

Guru Purnima meaningful messages for your beloved teachers

Great teachers empathize with kids, respect them, and believe that each one has something special that can be built upon.  Ann Lieberman.

Your teachings have been the light that has guided me through my darkest times. Thank you, Guruji. Happy Guru Purnima.

"The teacher is the one who gets the most out of the lessons, and the true teacher is the learner." - Elbert Hubbard.

Happy Guru Purnima 2024: People mark this day by worshipping their gurus, sending them greetings and gifts, and thanking them for being the guiding light in their lives. (Freepik)

Mistakes are a great teacher, but a teacher who warns us of the mistakes ahead is a great teacher. Happy Guru Purnima to all the gurus in our lives.

One good teacher in a lifetime may sometimes change a delinquent into a solid citizen.  Philip Wylie.
Millions of Afghans on both sides of the Durand Line and across the globe are mourning the death of Gilaman Wazir, a Pashtun poet, activist, believer in non-violence, and member of the Pashtun Protection Movement (PTM). Born in 1994, Gilaman Wazir grew up near the Durand line in northern Waziristan (Pakhtun1103/Wikimedia commons)

Wazir was attacked in Islamabad, the Pakistani capital, on July 6 and succumbed to his wounds three days later. Born in 1994, he grew up near the Durand line in northern Waziristan, a part of the region formerly known as FATA, or the Federally Administrated Tribal Areas. This region was governed by the inhuman British-era law, Frontier Crimes Regulations (FCR), between 1901 and 2018. Growing up under the FCR, Wazirs childhood and teenage life was further affected by the presence of numerous terrorist groups, including the Afghan and Pakistani Taliban and al-Qaida, apart from American drone strikes and the Pakistani armys brutal military operation, making Waziristan the most dangerous place in the world. Life there deprived Wazir of school education after third grade. Yet, he learned about politics, war, terrorism, and injustice firsthand. Beheaded bodies, kidnappings, bombing of villages and towns, and repeated displacement were the bitter experiences of his life. Despite growing up in the shadow of war and terrorism, he became a voice for peace, democracy, and human rights. In an interview, he explained how, growing up, he and others from Waziristan used to be treated as terrorists.

Like many others from his region, Wazir was sent to Bahrain by his family in his early 20s to ensure his safety and to support them financially. While in Bahrain, he used social media to advocate for the PTM and raise funds for their peaceful resistance movement against what they saw as extrajudicial killing, forced disappearance, and state-sponsored terrorism in the region. His support for PTM led to his imprisonment and subsequent deportation from Bahrain. Upon being sent to Pakistan as a prisoner, his Pakistani passport was confiscated by the government.

Wazir became a more active member of the PTM thereafter. He participated in every rally and sit-in, reciting his poetry, challenging the Pakistani establishment for its support of terrorists, and urging people to raise their voices for peace. What made him famous among Afghans was his fondness for the shared history of Pashtuns on both sides of the Durand Line, his advocacy for Afghan womens rights, and his love for the Afghan national flag. He would recite his poetry during rallies and sit-ins, as well as post them on social media--all to have his voice heard. He was strident about the alarming impact of Pakistans policies in the tribal areas, the presence of terrorists in the region, and the Talibans treatment of Afghans, especially women. His message was clear, and his poetry resonated with the masses, reaching millions across social media platforms.

God, dismantle your regime, Girls confined, whisper pain, he wrote. You barred the doors to girls education, May God close Paradises doors in retaliation.

With the Afghan flag in the background, Wazir once recited on social media, My limerence blooms from love for her so deep, In dreams, I sing of Afghanistans keep. You asked who cloaked the Pashtuns minds in shade, with whispered breath, I spoke of Mullahs blade.

In another video, he can be seen in Waziristan, where Pakistan had bombarded a Pashtun Jirga led by Ghazi Mirzali Khan, also known as the faqir of Ipi, in 1949. Mentioning the incident, Wazir claims that Pakistan was founded on shedding Pashtun blood.

Wazir was repeatedly jailed by the Pakistani army. His latest imprisonment was between July 2023 and February 2024. He endured six months of torture before being released. They would torture me and ask me why you call yourself Afghan, Wazir told the media upon release.

After the news of the attack on Wazir spread, Afghans from all social classes and across the globe  especially Pashtuns including former Afghan president Hamid Karzai, Ashraf Ghani, and vice president Amrullah Saleh expressed grief and concern. It was the first time that Afghan politicians, athletes, artists, religious figures, army personnel, men, and women came together to honour the political struggle of a young Pashtun non-violence activist.

The news of Wazirs death prompted a strong show of solidarity to honour his work and life. Many people across Pashtun lands mobilised to stand against state-sponsored terrorism. From Islamabad to Peshawar and all the way to Waziristan, hundreds of thousands of people took to the streets to pay their respects while Wazirs hearse drove past, chanting Yeh jo dehshatgardi hai, iske peeche wardi hai (Those in uniform are behind terrorism).

Wazir, the youngest among nine siblings, left his young wife and five children behind. He was buried in his village, his coffin covered in the Afghan tricolour as per his will. Tens of thousands participated in his funeral, and his mother was the only person who told Manzoor Ahmad Pashteen, the leader of PTM, Stay strong. Onward, I will accompany you myself.

Baitullah Hameedi is a New York-based scholar and former lecturer at Kabul University.The views expressed are personal
The name of the billionaire who bought a dinosaur skeleton for $44.6 million  making it the most valuable fossil ever sold at auction  has been revealed. Citadel founder and CEO Ken Griffin shattered auction records by splashing out the staggering sum to own a piece of history, CNBC reported. Apex is the largest stegosaurus ever found, as per Sothebys(Instagram/@guinnessworldrecords)

The stegosaurus skeleton is believed to be 150 million years old, dating back to the late Jurassic period. At 11-foot-high, it has been aptly dubbed Apex.

The fossil was excavated in Colorado in May 2022. Apex was born in America and is going to stay in America! billionaire Ken Griffin said after the sale, according to The Wall Street Journal, which broke the news that Griffin was the buyer.

Griffin won the Sothebys auction on Wednesday by outbidding six other contenders. The live auction in New York lasted 15 minutes. It is worth noting that the stegosaurus skeleton was expected to fetch only around $6 million. The $44.6 million that Griffin shelled out to acquire it is being touted as a record-breaking sum, going at 11 times its low estimate.

A regular donor to the Republican party, the hedge fund chief has a net worth of approximately $37.8 billion, according to Forbes. He is now exploring the option of loaning the fossil to a US institiution.

Apex is the largest stegosaurus ever found, as per Sothebys. It measures 11 feet (3.3 meters) tall and 27 feet (8.2 meters) long, and is near complete, with 254 bones out of an approximate total of 319.

Apex is 30 percent larger than "Sophie", the most complete stegosaurus ever put on public display, which is housed in the Natural History Museum in London.

(With inputs from AFP)
A YouTubers interview with Swiggy and Zomato delivery agents in Bengaluru has given the internet some interesting insights into their earnings. Loveena Kamath, the woman behind the Full Disclosure YouTube channel, spoke to two delivery agents in the IT capital of India, and found that both of them earn more than the average IT engineer. Shiva, who works as a delivery rider for Swiggy, earns between  40,000 to  50,000 a month.(YouTube/Full Disclosure)

In India, said Kamath, an IT engineer earns 20,000 a month on average. However, the two delivery agents that she spoke to earn more than double the number.

Shiva, who works as a delivery driver for Swiggy, earns anywhere between 40,000 to 50,000 a month. Although he is only 22, he has been working as a delivery agent for the last three years. His income comes from the base pay of 20 that Swiggy pays each rider for every order, along with tips and incentives.

I get around 5,000 a month from tips, the Swiggy rider told Kamath.

Take a look at the video below:

In the last six months, Shiva has managed to save 2 lakh. He hopes to put this money towards launching a business in his village.

I want to open a D-Mart. It will create employment opportunities for the people of my village, he told Kamath in Hindi.

Loveena Kamath, a YouTuber and entrepreneur, also spoke to Taiyappa, who has been working as a delivery agent for Zomato for three years. Taiyappa also confirmed that he earns close to 40,000 a month.

Sharing their videos on Instagram, Kamath wrote: It is 2024 and Food Delivery Partners are earning MORE THAN Software Engineers. In her video, however, she clarified that most delivery partners do not view this as a career, but as a means to earn money for better opportunities. She also pointed out that delivery drivers work between 12 to 13 hours a day to earn this much.

Social media reacts

Some people in the comments section were impressed by the earnings, while others pointed out how hard the delivery agents work as compared to software engineers.

But the pain of working like that is completely different from engineers, wrote one Instagram user.

People dont understand the engineer may start at 25-30k but eventually he or she will see major growth in thr package whereas the delivery guy won't...so let's not compare, another said.

I know a Zomato rider who made 70k in a month because he used to work day and night non stop. In fact he made so much money by making so many delivery that Zomato gifted him a laptop and even a electric scooter, an Instagram user revealed in the comments section of the video.
Nearly 260 people, including 13 Nepalese nationals, crossed over to India from Bangladesh by a border crossing on Friday, taking the total number of people who have travelled across the land border amid violent protests in the neighbouring country to more than 500. Anti-quota protesters clash with the police in Dhaka on July 18, 2024. (Photo by AFP)(AFP)

A total of 245 Indian nationals, including 125 students, and 13 Nepalese students crossed over from Bangladesh at the Gede immigration check post in West Bengal till 8 pm on Friday, people familiar with the matter said on condition of anonymity.

Another 202 Indian nationals, mostly students, crossed over via the Dawki check post in Meghalaya on Thursday. This check post was also used by some 101 Nepalese citizens and seven Bhutanese nationals to leave Bangladesh, the people said.

The travel of the 13 Nepalese students via Gede was arranged by the Indian high commission in Dhaka, the people said.

Cities across Bangladesh, including the capital Dhaka, have been rocked by violent protests this week against government job quotas. More than 30 people have died and hundreds were injured as protesters clashed with police and pro-government student groups.

The Indian high commission in Dhaka is coordinating with authorities in Bangladesh to provide adequate security to students who are keen on returning to India, the people said.

The high commission is facilitating the travel of such students in coordination with the Border Security Force (BSF) and the Bureau of Immigration.

The border crossings at Gede-Darshana, Benapole-Petrapole and Akhaura-Agartala will remain open for Indian nationals leaving Bangladesh, the people said.

The Indian high commission in Dhaka and the assistant high commissions in Chittagong, Khulna, Rajshahi and Sylhet will provide assistance to the Indian nationals, they said.

The external affairs ministry said on Friday there are an estimated 15,000 Indians, including 8,500 students, in Bangladesh. All Indians are safe, and an advisory issued on Thursday urged them to avoid travel and remain indoors.
Soldiers were patrolling Bangladeshi cities on Saturday to quell growing civil unrest sparked by student demonstrations, with riot police firing on protesters who defied a government curfew. Bangladesh army out in force as police fire on demonstrators

This week's violence has killed at least 115 people so far, according to an AFP count of victims reported by police and hospitals, and poses a monumental challenge to Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina's autocratic government after 15 years in office.

A government curfew went into effect at midnight and the premier's office asked the military to deploy troops after police again failed to subdue widespread mayhem.

"The army has been deployed nationwide to control the law and order situation," armed forces spokesman Shahdat Hossain told AFP.

The curfew will remain in effect until at least 10:00 am Sunday, private broadcaster Channel 24 reported.

Streets of the capital Dhaka were almost deserted at daybreak, with troops on foot and in armoured personnel carriers patrolling the sprawling megacity of 20 million.

Thousands returned to the streets later in the day in the residential neighbourhood of Rampura, with police firing live rounds at the crowd and wounding at least one person.

"Our backs are to the wall," protester Nazrul Islam, 52, told AFP at the scene. "There's anarchy going on in the country... They are shooting at people like birds."

Hospitals have reported a growing number of gunshot deaths to AFP since Thursday.

"Hundreds of thousands of people" had battled police across the capital on Friday, police spokesman Faruk Hossain told AFP.

"At least 150 police officers were admitted to hospital. Another 150 were given first aid treatment," he said, adding that two officers had been beaten to death.

"The protesters torched many police booths... Many government offices were torched and vandalised."

A spokesman for Students Against Discrimination, the main group organising the protests, told AFP that two of its leaders had been arrested since Friday.

A second senior official from the main opposition Bangladesh Nationalist Party was arrested in the early hours of Saturday, party spokesman Sairul Islam Khan told AFP.

Hasina had been due to leave the country on Sunday for a planned diplomatic tour but abandoned her plans after a week of escalating violence.

"She has cancelled her Spain and Brazil tours due to the prevailing situation, her press secretary Nayeemul Islam Khan told AFP.

Near-daily marches this month have called for an end to a quota system that reserves more than half of civil service posts for specific groups, including children of veterans from the country's 1971 liberation war against Pakistan.

Critics say the scheme benefits children of pro-government groups that back Hasina, 76, who has ruled the country since 2009 and won her fourth consecutive election in January after a vote without genuine opposition.

Hasina's government is accused by rights groups of misusing state institutions to entrench its hold on power and stamp out dissent, including by the extrajudicial killing of opposition activists.

Since the first deaths on Tuesday, protesters have begun demanding Hasina leave office.

"It's not about the rights of the students anymore," business owner Hasibul Sheikh, 24, told AFP at the scene of the Rampura protest.

"We are here as the general public now," he added. "Our demand is one point now, and that's the resignation of the government."

Pierre Prakash of Crisis Group told AFP the lack of competitive elections since Hasina took office had led to mounting public frustration.

"With no real alternative at the ballot box, discontented Bangladeshis have few options besides street protests to make their voices heard," he said.

Hospitals and police reported an additional 10 deaths to AFP on Saturday from clashes the previous day, with 105 other deaths reported since Tuesday.

Police fire was the cause of more than half of the deaths reported so far this week, based on descriptions given to AFP by hospital staff.

"The rising death toll is a shocking indictment of the absolute intolerance shown by the Bangladeshi authorities to protest and dissent," Babu Ram Pant of Amnesty International said in a statement.

Authorities imposed a nationwide internet shutdown on Thursday which remains in effect, severely hampering communication in and out of Bangladesh.

Government websites remain offline and major newspapers including the Dhaka Tribune and Daily Star have been unable to update their social media platforms since Thursday.

Bangladesh Television, the state broadcaster, also remains offline after its Dhaka headquarters was set on fire by protesters the same day.

sa/gle/sco

This article was generated from an automated news agency feed without modifications to text.
In the desert outside Kashgar, an oasis city in the far-western region of Xinjiang, an ancient Buddhist stupa rises out of the sand. Because of its conical shape, it is known as Moer, the word for chimney in the language of the native Uyghurs. The stupa and the temple next to it were probably built some 1,700 years ago and abandoned a few centuries later. Chinese archaeologists started excavating the site in 2019. They have dug up stone tools, copper coins and fragments of a Buddha statue. Photograph of the Qigexing Buddhist Temple Ruins, southwest of the town of Yanqi, Yanqi Hui Autonomous County, Xinjiang, China. (Rolfmueller/Wikimedia Commons)

They also claim to have found clear proof that Xinjiang has been part of China since ancient times. According to official statements, artefacts discovered at Moer temple are similar to those dug up thousands of miles to the east in areas dominated by the Han, Chinas majority ethnic group. Parts of the temple were built in a Han Buddhist style. And its architectural features suggest that it was visited by a famous 7th-century monk from central China called Xuanzang. He is known for spreading Buddhism in the country.

These claims may sound academic, but Chinas government is using them to justify its brutal rule over Xinjiang. At the peak of a security campaign in 2018-19, perhaps a million Uyghurs and other Muslim residents of Xinjiang passed through camps where they were forcibly assimilated into Han Chinese culture. Critics accuse China of cultural genocide. Officials say they are trying to stamp out religious extremism. Moreover, if the inhabitants of Xinjiang have always been Chinese, then accusations of forced assimilation make no sense.

Last month China organised a conference in Kashgar that focused on the discoveries made at Moer temple and other sites. They prove that there is no separation between the culture of Xinjiang and Chinese culture, said Pan Yue, head of the states Ethnic Affairs Commission. Those who criticise Chinas policies in the region reveal their ignorance of history and are peddling baseless narratives, he added.

In fact, it is Chinas narrative that looks dodgy, say experts. The countrys ancient dynasties had an on-and-off military foothold in what is now Xinjiang, says James Millward of Georgetown University. But from the 8th century to the early 18th century, they had little influence. Then in 1759 Chinas final dynasty, the Qing, conquered the region and turned it into a colony. That is what the Communist Party inherited when it came to power in 1949.

Sites like Moer temple are fascinating, but do little to strengthen Chinas claims. They demonstrate the globalising effect of the Silk Road, a network of trade routes that linked China with Central Asia and Europe. Just as money and commodities flowed along the road, so did religions such as Buddhism, picking up aspects of local cultures along the way. Many of the Uyghurs ancestors were indeed Buddhist. But that hardly means Xinjiang was culturally or politically part of China. After all, Buddhism originally came from India.

In any case, since the 16th century most Uyghurs have practised Islam. But China has no interest in this later period. Instead, officials are trying to erase it. In recent years they have destroyed hundreds of mosques and Muslim shrines across Xinjiang. The museum in Kashgar barely mentions Islam, save for signs claiming that it was forced on Xinjiang and that the Uyghurs are not Muslim by nature.

When your correspondent visited Moer temple this month, it was being turned into a tourist site. The ruins are surrounded by buildings with sloping roof tiles and red doors, mimicking those of Beijings Forbidden City. The style is appropriate, said a Han construction worker. Buddhist culture is part of Han culture, he claimed, and Xinjiang has been part of China for thousands of years.

Subscribers can sign up to Drum Tower, our new weekly newsletter, to understand what the world makes of Chinaand what China makes of the world.

 2023, The Economist Newspaper Limited. All rights reserved. From The Economist, published under licence. The original content can be found on www.economist.com
Thomas Matthew Crooks, the gunman who attempted to assassinate US presidential candidate Donald Trump, managed to fly a drone and capture aerial footage of the western Pennsylvania fairgrounds shortly before the former president's scheduled speech, The Wall Street Journal reported citing to law enforcement officials. The incident highlights significant security lapses leading up to the near-fatal attack on Donald Trump, it reported. Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump reacts following an assassination attempt at a campaign event in Butler, Pennsylvania, on Saturday, July 13, 2024.(AP)

Thomas Matthew Crooks piloted the drone on a programmed flight path earlier on July 13 to survey the Butler Farm Show grounds ahead of Donald Trump's rally, WSJ reported citing the officials. The predetermined path indicates that Thomas Matthew Crooks likely flew the drone multiple times to gather information about the event site.

The report added that Crooks began researching the rally site soon after the Trump campaign announced the event on July 3 and registered for it on July 7. He visited the farm show grounds a few days later for further reconnaissance. On July 13, Crooks returned with two homemade bombs designed to be remotely detonated, as they were equipped with receivers similar to those used for fireworks. Investigators found these rudimentary explosives in Crooks' car parked near the grounds, along with a ballistic vest containing three 30-round magazines, suggesting he intended to cause more significant harm, the WSJ report added.

Investigators have determined that Crooks, who lived in a town about 80 kilometers from Butler, acted alone and have not been able to identify any strong ideological or political leanings. He lived with his parents, worked in a retirement home and recently graduated from community college.

A search was conducted of his electronic devices  a laptop and two cellphones -- according to lawmakers briefed by the Federal Bureau Investigation. Among his recent internet searches were queries about Trump, President Joe Biden, the dates of the Butler rally and the upcoming Democratic convention.

Other searches were for FBI director Wray, attorney general Merrick Garland and a member of the British royal family.

Crooks had already been flagged as suspicious by law enforcement. By the time two police officers walked over to check him out, he was on the roof, belly crawling. Hes got a gun, a bystander yelled.

One officer hoisted the other to the lip of the roof. As the officer pulled his head over the edge, a long-haired young man wearing glasses turned toward him, wielding an AR-15 -style rifle. The officer dropped back to the ground, the Butler County sheriff told news agency Reuters.
Israeli strikes late on Saturday targeted a depot storing ammunition belonging to Lebanese armed group Hezbollah in southern Lebanon, three security sources told Reuters. Israel strikes Hezbollah ammunition depot in south Lebanon: Report(AFP)

The strikes on the town of Adloun, about 40 km (25 miles) north of Lebanon's border with Israel, set off a string of loud explosions heard by witnesses across the south of Lebanon.

At least four civilians in Adloun were wounded in the strikes, a medical source and a security source told Reuters. There was no immediate comment from the Israeli military.

The strikes on South Lebanon were on the same day that Israeli fighter jets struck Houthi military targets in the area of Yemen's port city of Hodeidah, which Hezbollah said will mark a "new and dangerous phase" in the region.

Israel launched the strikes on Yemen a day after a drone launched by the Iranian-backed Houthis hit Israel's economic hub Tel Aviv

Israel and Hezbollah have been trading fire since Hezbollah announced a "support front" with Palestinians shortly after its ally Hamas attacked southern Israeli border communities on Oct. 7, triggering Israel's military offensive in Gaza.
News / National

by Staff reporter

Minister of Information, Publicity, and Broadcasting Services, Dr. Jenfan Muswere, responded to remarks made by the new US Ambassador to Zimbabwe, Pamela Tremont, regarding Zimbabwe's 2023 harmonised elections. Ambassador Tremont had questioned the credibility of Zimbabwe's electoral processes shortly after beginning her tenure in Harare.In his statement, Minister Muswere emphasized that Zimbabwe's elections were conducted in accordance with the Constitution, describing the process as transparent, fair, and democratic, leading to the re-election of President Emmerson Mnangagwa. He asserted that the decision on Zimbabwe's leadership rests solely with its citizens and highlighted the country's robust and independent electoral system.Minister Muswere criticized the US for attempting to interfere in Zimbabwe's domestic affairs, reminding Ambassador Tremont of past contested US elections, including those between George W. Bush and Al Gore, and Joe Biden and Donald Trump. He suggested that the US should focus on its own pressing issues, such as rising political violence ahead of upcoming elections and the recent assassination attempt on former President Trump.Dr. Muswere stressed Zimbabwe's commitment to sovereignty and its rejection of external pressure. He also affirmed Zimbabwe's dedication to maintaining strong, respectful, and mutually beneficial relations with the US and other nations, advocating for constructive dialogue based on mutual respect and understanding.
The Israeli army said Saturday it has struck several Houthi targets in western Yemen following a fatal drone attack by the rebel group in Tel Aviv the previous day. Israeli warplanes struck the Houthi-controlled Yemeni port of Hodeida on July 20, a day after a drone attack killed a civilian in Tel Aviv(AFP)

The Israeli strikes appeared to be the first on Yemeni soil since the Israel-Hamas war began in October, and they threatened to open a new front in the region as Israel battles proxies of Iran.

A number of military targets were hit in the western port city of Hodeidah, a Houthi stronghold, the Israeli army said, adding that its attack was in response to hundreds of attacks against Israel in recent months.

Also read: 17 Palestinians killed in Israeli strikes across Gaza

The Houthis attacked us over 200 times. The first time that they harmed an Israeli citizen, we struck them. And we will do this in any place where it may be required, Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant said in a statement.

Israels military said it alone carried out the strikes and our friends were updated. An Israeli Defense Forces official didn't say how many sites were targeted, but told journalists that the port is the main entry point for Iranian weapons. The official didn't say whether it was Israels first attack on Yemen.

Houthi spokesman Mohammed Abdulsalam posted on X that the blatant Israeli aggression targeted fuel storage facilities and the provinces power station. He said the attacks aim to increase the suffering of the people and to pressure Yemen to stop supporting Gaza.

Abdulsalam said the attacks will only make Yemen's people and armed forces more determined to support Gaza. There will be impactful strikes, Mohamed Ali al-Houthi of the Supreme Political Council in Yemen wrote on X.

A media outlet controlled by Houthi rebels in Yemen, Al-Masirah TV, said the strikes on storage facilities for oil and diesel at the port and on the local electricity company caused deaths and injuries, and several people had severe burns. It said there was a large fire at the port and power cuts were widespread.

Health officials in Yemen said the strikes killed a number of people and wounded others, but didn't elaborate.

The drone attack by Houthi rebels killed one person in the center of Tel Aviv and wounded at least 10 others near the U.S. Embassy early Friday.

Virtually all projectiles fired from the southern Arabian country toward Israel have been intercepted. Israel said air defenses detected the drone on Friday but an error occurred. Experts have expressed doubt about the Houthis ability to overwhelm Israels air defense system from about 1,000 miles (1,600 kilometers) away.

"The distance just makes it difficult to launch the kind of barrage that would be necessary to inflict major damage, said Fabian Hinz, a missile expert and research fellow at the International Institute for Strategic Studies.

Since January, U.S. and U.K. forces have been striking targets in Yemen, in response to the Houthis' attacks on commercial shipping that the rebels have described as retaliation for Israel's actions in the war in Gaza. However, many of the ships targeted weren't linked to Israel.

The joint force airstrikes so far have done little to deter the Iran-backed force.

Analysts and Western intelligence services have long accused Iran of arming the Houthis, a claim Tehran denies. In recent years, U.S. naval forces have intercepted a number of ships packed with rifles, rocket-propelled grenades and missile parts en route from Iran to Houthi-controlled areas of Yemen.

The Houthis have long-range ballistic missiles, smaller cruise missiles and suicide drones, all capable of reaching southern Israel, according to weapons experts. The Houthis are open about their arsenal, regularly parading new missiles through the streets of Sanaa.

Deadly strikes inside Gaza

Also Saturday, at least 13 people were killed in three Israeli airstrikes that hit refugee camps in central Gaza overnight, according to Palestinian health officials, as cease-fire talks in Cairo appeared to make progress.

Among the dead in the Nuseirat and Bureij refugee camps were three children and one woman, according to Palestinian ambulance teams that transported the bodies to nearby Al-Aqsa Martyrs Hospital. Associated Press journalists counted the 13 corpses.

Earlier, a medical team delivered a live baby from a Palestinian woman killed in an airstrike that hit her home in Nuseirat on Thursday. Ola al-Kurd, 25, was rushed by emergency workers to Al-Awda Hospital in northern Gaza in the hope of saving the unborn child. Hours later, doctors told the AP that a baby boy had been delivered.

The still-unnamed newborn is stable, but has suffered from a shortage of oxygen and has been placed in an incubator, Dr. Khalil Dajran said on Friday.

Al-Kurd's husband and a relative survived yesterdays strike, while everyone else died, Majid al-Kurd, the deceased woman's cousin, told the AP on Saturday. "The baby is in good health based on what doctors said.

The war in Gaza, which was sparked by Hamas Oct. 7 attack on southern Israel, has killed more than 38,900 people, according to the territorys Health Ministry, which doesn't distinguish between combatants and civilians in its count. The war has created a humanitarian catastrophe in the coastal Palestinian territory, displaced most of its 2.3 million population and triggered widespread hunger.

Hamas attack in October killed 1,200 people in Israel, mostly civilians, and militants took about 250 hostage. About 120 remain in captivity, with about a third of them believed to be dead, according to Israeli authorities.

Unrest in the West Bank

In the occupied West Bank, the Palestinian Health Ministry said a 20-year-old man was shot dead by Israeli forces late Friday. Commenting on the shooting, the Israeli army said its forces opened fire on a group of Palestinians hurling rocks at Israeli troops in the town of Beit Ummar.

A witness said that Ibrahim Zaqeq wasn't directly involved in the clashes and was standing nearby. Zaqeq "just looked at them, they shot him in the head, Thare Abu Hashem said.

On Saturday, Hamas identified Zaqeq as one of its members.

Violence has surged in the territory since the war in Gaza began. At least 577 Palestinians in the West Bank have been killed by Israeli fire since then, according to the Ramallah-based Health Ministry, which tracks Palestinian deaths.

In Cairo, international mediators, including the United States, are continuing to push Israel and Hamas toward a phased deal that would halt the fighting and free about 120 hostages in Gaza.

On Friday, U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken said a cease-fire deal between Hamas and Israel that would release Israeli hostages captive by the group in Gaza is inside the 10-yard line, but added "we know that anything in the last 10 yards are the hardest.
A drone attack by Yemen's Houthi rebels killed one person in the center of Tel Aviv, Israel's biggest city, and wounded at least 10 others near the United States Embassy early Friday, authorities said. Israel-Hamas war latest: Drone strike hits Tel Aviv, killing 1 and injuring at least 10

Meanwhile, the top United Nations court issued a non-binding opinion that Israels presence in the occupied Palestinian territories is unlawful, saying Israel could not claim sovereignty in the territories and was impeding Palestinians right to self-determination. Friday's decision by the International Court of Justice is separate from South Africa's case saying Israel's war in Gaza amounts to genocide, a charge Israel vehemently denies.

The war was sparked by Hamas Oct. 7 attack, when Palestinian militants stormed into southern Israel, killing some 1,200 people  mostly civilians  and abducting about 250. Since then, Israeli ground offensives and bombardments have killed more than 38,800 people in Gaza, according to the territorys Health Ministry. It does not distinguish between combatants and civilians in its count.

Most of Gazas 2.3 million people are now crammed into squalid tent camps in central and southern Gaza. Israeli restrictions, fighting and the breakdown of law and order have limited humanitarian aid efforts, causing widespread hunger and sparking fears of famine.

Heres the latest: Palestinian baby survives after pregnant mother is killed by an Israeli airstrike in Gaza, hospital officials say

DEIR AL-BALAH, Gaza Strip  An Israeli airstrike killed a pregnant woman in Gaza but her baby survived after the mothers body was rushed to a hospital delivery room, medical officials said.

The baby boy was in stable condition but had suffered oxygen shortages and was placed in an incubator at Al-Awda Hospital in northern Gaza, said Dr. Khalil Dajran.

The mother, Ola al-Kurd, 25, had previously survived an Israeli airstrike four months ago that killed her parents and some of her siblings. She was nine months pregnant at the time of her death.

She was among seven people killed in an Israeli strike that slammed into the Nuseirat refugee camp in central Gaza. Her husband, Anas Yassin, was wounded in the same strike and was being treated at the hospital same hospital as his son, his first child. The boy yet to be given a name.

Two Israeli strikes in Nuseirat on Friday killed 14 people, including al-Kurd, an Associated Press journalist and hospital officials said. Seven of the dead, including three women and two children, were taken to Al-Aqsa Martyrs Hospital in the central city of Deir al-Balah, and seven bodies were taken to Al-Awda Hospital. UN chief condemns drone attack in Tel Aviv

UNITED NATIONS  U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres condemned the deadly drone attack in Tel Aviv that Yemens Houthi rebels claimed responsibility for and expressed concern at the risk such dangerous acts pose for further escalation in the region, his spokesman said.

He urges all to exercise maximum restraint and to de-escalate to avoid further enflaming the situation in the region, U.N. deputy spokesman Farhan Haq said Friday. The United Nations remains committed to supporting efforts for peace and stability in the region. Adidas is revising its campaign for retro shoes that drew criticism from Israel over supermodel Bella Hadid's involvement

BERLIN  Adidas said Friday that it is revising its campaign for running shoes inspired by a design dating back to the time of the 1972 Munich Olympics, which has drawn criticism from Israel over the involvement of supermodel Bella Hadid.

Hadid, whose father is Palestinian, has repeatedly made public remarks criticizing the Israeli government and supporting Palestinians over the years.

The German-based sportswear company has been advertising the SL72 sneakers, which it describes as a timeless classic. Israels official account on social media network X objected to Hadid as the face of their campaign in a post Thursday which noted that eleven Israelis were murdered by Palestinian terrorists during the Munich Olympics.

Adidas said in an emailed statement that the campaign for the SL72 shoe unites a broad range of partners.

We are conscious that connections have been made to tragic historical events  though these are completely unintentional  and we apologize for any upset or distress caused, it said. As a result, we are revising the remainder of the campaign.

It did not specify what changes would be made.

Members of the Palestinian group Black September broke into the Olympic Village, killed two athletes from Israels national team and took nine more hostage on Sept. 5, 1972. The attackers hoped to force the release of Palestinian prisoners held by Israel as well as two left-wing extremists in West German jails.

All nine hostages and a West German police officer died during a rescue attempt by German forces. Jordan welcomes ICJ decision on Israels occupation of Palestinian territories

AMMAN, Jordan  Jordans Foreign Minister welcomed the International Court of Justices decision that Israels presence in the occupied Palestinian territories and its settlement policy is unlawful.

It is a clear ruling on the side of Palestinians peoples right to justice, freedom & statehood, said minister Ayman al-Safadi in a post on X. The end of occupation is the only path to peace that will guarantee the rights and security of all.

Along with Egypt, Jordan is one of few Middle East countries with established diplomatic ties with Israel. But it has been highly critical of the Israeli armys conduct in Gaza, publicly accusing it of trying to remove Palestinians from Gaza and West Bank.

Jordan, which borders the Israeli-occupied West Bank, is home to over 2 million Palestinian refugees, according to the United Nations. Jordan also serves as the custodian of the Jerusalems most sensitive holy site. UK says it's carefully considering ICJ ruling before giving a response

LONDON  The British government said it would carefully consider before responding to Friday International Court of Justice opinion that Israel must end its presence in the occupied Palestinian territories.

The UK respects the independence of the ICJ, the Foreign Office said in a statement. The foreign secretary was clear on his visit to Israel and the Occupied Palestinian Territories earlier this week that the U.K. is strongly opposed to the expansion of illegal settlements and rising settler violence."

David Lammy, the new British foreign secretary, also said the Palestinian Authority needs to be reformed and empowered. The PA administers parts of the West Bank. Lammy also called for an immediate cease-fire in Gaza.

This government is committed to a negotiated two-state solution which can deliver a safe and secure Israel alongside a viable and sovereign Palestinian state, the statement said. US secretary of state says Gaza cease-fire deal is close, but warns final details are the most difficult

WASHINGTON  U.S. Secretary of State Anthony Blinken said a cease-fire deal between Hamas and Israel that will release Israeli hostages in Gaza are inside the 10-yard line, as talks between warring sides in Cairo appear to make progress.

But we know that anything in the last 10 yards are the hardest, said Blinken, speaking from the Aspen Security Forum in Colorado on Friday.

International mediators, including the United States, are pushing Israel and Hamas toward an internationally-backed phased deal that would halt the fighting and free about 120 hostages in Gaza.

Fruitless stop-and-start negotiations between the warring sides have been ongoing since Novembers one week cease-fire. Both Hamas and Israel having accused each other of sabotaging the agreement as a deal nears.

Negotiations appeared to be rattled last weekend when Israel said it targeted Hamas military commander, Mohammed Deif in a massive strike. Despite the attack, Hamas said the talks were ongoing. Palestinian officials praise the ICJ ruling and call on international community to push for an end to Israel's occupation

THE HAGUE, Netherlands  Speaking from outside the courtroom, Riyad Malki, the Palestinian Foreign Minister, commended the decision by the International Court of Justice to label Israels presence in the occupied Palestinian territories and settlement policy as unlawful.

The ICJ fulfilled its legal and moral duties with this historic ruling. All states must now uphold the clear obligations: No aid, no assistance, no complicity, no money, no arms, no trade, no nothing. No actions of any kind ... to support Israels illegal occupation, said Malki.

Malki was in the courtroom when Fridays decision was read out and represents the Palestinian Authority at the International Court of Justice, and other U.N. courts

The Palestinian Authority administers parts of the Israeli-occupied West Bank. Its forces were driven from Gaza when Hamas seized power in 2007, and it has no power there.

Hussein Shiekh, a senior official in the Palestinian Liberation Organization, called the court's opinion a historic victory for the rights of the Palestinian people and their right to self-determination. He said the international community must listen to what the court decided and pressure Israel to end the occupation. Netanyahu slams top UN court ruling on Israel's occupation of Palestinian territories

JERUSALEM  Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said the West Bank and east Jerusalem were part of the Jewish peoples historical homeland, and harshly criticized Friday's decision by the International Court of Justice.

The Jewish people are not conquerors in their own land  not in our eternal capital Jerusalem and not in the land of our ancestors in Judea and Samaria, he said in a post on the social media platform X. No false decision in The Hague will distort this historical truth and likewise the legality of Israeli settlement in all the territories of our homeland cannot be contested.

Israel considers the West Bank to be disputed territory, whose future should be decided in negotiations, while it has moved population there in settlements to solidify its hold. It has annexed east Jerusalem in a move that is not internationally recognized, while it withdrew from Gaza in 2005 but maintained a blockade of the territory after Hamas took power in 2007. The international community generally considers all three areas to be occupied territory.

Israel, which normally considers the United Nations and international tribunals as unfair and biased, did not send a legal team to the hearings. But it submitted written comments, saying that the questions put to the court are prejudiced and fail to address Israeli security concerns. Israeli officials have said the courts intervention could undermine the peace process, which has stagnant for more than a decade. Top UN court says Israels presence in the occupied Palestinian territories is illegal and must end

THE HAGUE, Netherlands  The top U.N. court said Friday that Israels presence in the occupied Palestinian territories is unlawful and called on it to end and for settlement construction to stop immediately, issuing an unprecedented, sweeping condemnation of Israels rule over the lands it captured 57 years ago.

The decision is separate from another case the ICJ is considering, in which South African claims Israels war in Gaza amounts to genocide, a charge that Israel vehemently denies.

Friday's non-binding opinion by the ICJ could have more effect on international opinion than it will on Israeli policies.

The court pointed to a wide list of policies, including the building and expansion of Israeli settlements in the West Bank and east Jerusalem, use of the areas natural resources, the annexation and imposition of permanent control over lands and discriminatory policies against Palestinians, all of which it said violated international law.

Israel captured the West Bank, east Jerusalem and Gaza Strip in the 1967 Mideast war. The Palestinians seek all three areas for an independent state.

Israel considers the West Bank to be disputed territory, whose future should be decided in negotiations, while it has moved population there in settlements to solidify its hold. It has annexed east Jerusalem in a move that is not internationally recognized, while it withdrew from Gaza in 2005 but maintained a blockade of the territory after Hamas took power in 2007. The international community generally considers all three areas to be occupied territory. The UK restores funding to the UN agency for the Palestinians

LONDON  The new British government has overturned its predecessors suspension of funding to the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for the Palestinians.

Foreign Secretary David Lammy told lawmakers that humanitarian aid in Gaza is a moral necessity and that UNRWA is absolutely central to U.K. efforts to support civilians on the ground.

In January, the previous government paused funding for UNRWA due to allegations that staff from the aid organization had been involved in the Oct. 7 Hamas attack on Israel.

Lammy, who travelled to Israel last weekend and urged a ceasefire, said UNRWA is already feeding more than half of Gazas population and that the organization will be vital for the future reconstruction of the territory.

Lammy said he was appalled by the allegations against UNRWA staff but having spoken to senior officials at the U.N. is reassured that the organization is meeting the highest standards of neutrality and strengthening its procedures.

The U.K., he added, will provide 21 million pounds in new funds. Israeli airstrikes on Gaza refugee camps kill 12 overnight, Palestinian officials say

DEIR AL-BALAH, Gaza Strip  Two Israeli strikes on central Gaza killed 12 people overnight Thursday, according to Associated Press journalists and Palestinian medical officials.

Seven of the dead, including two women and three children, were killed in an airstrike on the Nuseirat refugee camp in central Gaza late Thursday evening, while the second airstrike hit Bureij refugee camp, also in central Gaza, killing five people early Friday morning, ambulance crews said.

The bodies were taken to al-Aqsa Martyrs hospital, in the nearby city of Deir al-Balah, where they were counted by journalists. Palestinian militant groups call on the PLO to rescind recognition of Israel

BEIRUT  The militant Palestinian groups Hamas and Islamic Jihad have called on the leadership of the Palestine Liberation Organization to withdraw its recognition of Israel in retaliation for a resolution approved by Israels parliament rejecting the establishment of a Palestinian state.

The two groups made the announcement late Thursday following a meeting in the Gulf nation of Qatar between Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh and Islamic Jihad chief Ziad Nakhaleh and his deputy Mohammed al-Hindi, according to a Hamas statement.

The two groups said the Palestinian people have the right to set up their own independent state with Jerusalem as its capital. Hezbollah says it fired rockets on northern Israeli village

Beirut  Lebanons militant Hezbollah group said it fired a volley of rockets on a northern Israeli village Friday morning in retaliation for Israeli airstrikes the night before on south Lebanon that killed several Hezbollah members and wounded civilians.

In another attack, the group also said that it used for the first time a new rocket with heavy warhead to strike an Israeli army post in the disputed Kfar Chouba hills. Hezbollah said in a statement that the Wabel rocket, produced by the group in Lebanon, destroyed parts of the Rweisat al-Alam post and caused a fire inside it.

Hezbollah said its fighters fired a salvo of rockets on the northern Israeli village of Abirim for the first time since fighting along the Lebanon-Israel border began in early October.

Hezbollah began firing rockets shortly after Hamas Oct. 7 attack, saying it aimed to ease pressure on Gaza. Since then, Israeli airstrikes in Lebanon have killed over 450 people, mostly Hezbollah members but also around 90 civilians and non-combatants. On the Israeli side, 21 soldiers and 13 civilians have been killed. Yemens Houthi rebels claim drone strike that hit Tel Aviv

Tel Aviv  Yemens Houthi rebels claimed responsibility for a drone strike early Friday that hit part of central Tel Aviv near the U.S. Embassy, killing one person and injuring 10.

The aerial strike rumbled through the streets causing shards of shrapnel to rain down and spreading shards of glass over a large radius. The Houthis have launched drones and missiles toward Israel throughout the Israel-Hamas war, in solidarity with the Palestinian people and against Israel. But until Friday, all were intercepted by either Israel or Western allies with forces stationed in the region.

Yahya Saree, the Houthis spokesperson, said in a statement published on the social media platform X that the strike was made in retaliation for the war and had hit one of many of the groups targets.

The Houthis claimed their newest drones can bypass Israels aerial defense systems. However, an Israeli military official on Friday that the explosive-laden drone had been identified on Thursday and attributed the hit to human error.

It was a terror attack that was targeted to kill civilians in Israel, the official said of the strike, the first to threaten Tel Aviv in months.

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Islamabad, Bushra Bibi, the wife of incarcerated former Pakistan prime minister Imran Khan, on Saturday expressed grave concerns about her husbands safety in Rawalpindi's Adiala Jail, alleging that he was kept in inhumane conditions and given contaminated food. Jailed former Pak PM Imran Khan's wife Bushra Bibi fears for his life; alleges inhumane conditions in jail

Speaking informally to journalists at the prison, Bushra revealed fears for her own life as well, The Express Tribune newspaper reported.

According to Bushra, Khans life is in danger keeping in view the past incidents where he was allegedly poisoned and shot at.

She added that their legal request to investigate the poisoning has not been addressed by the court yet.

Describing conditions in the jail, Bushra, 49, alleged that 71-year-old Khan was kept in unsanitary conditions and given contaminated food to eat.

She said that during their meeting in Attock Jail, Khan appeared emaciated and had to pick insects from his hair throughout the night.

Bushra also criticised the treatment of political prisoners compared to convicted criminals, alleging that other prisoners received VIP treatment while Khan struggled without even basic amenities.

Khan, who is incarcerated in the Adiala Jail in Rawalpindi since his arrest in a corruption case in August last year, faces over 200 cases and has been convicted in a few of them.

Responding to a journalist's question about Bushra's claims of toilet cleaner being added to her food and her accusations against the authorities, she asserted the claims were true despite lacking physical evidence.

Khan intervened briefly, cautioning his wife about the limitations of the media, which led to a brief protest from the attending journalists.

Khan attempted to stop Bushra from speaking and said: "Censored media wont broadcast your words."

This remark prompted the journalists to protest, asserting that all his statements were aired.

The session ended with Bushra emphasising her and Khan's willingness to swear an oath that the charges against them were fabricated.

Despite Khan's concerns, Bushra insisted on sharing her story with the media. Bushra, who is also in jail, was initially arrested in the un-Islamic marriage case.

In Islam, a woman cant remarry before completing four months after divorce or the death of her husband.

She, however, remains imprisoned in the Toshakhana corruption case even as a Pakistani court on Saturday acquitted Khan and Bushra in the un-Islamic marriage case.

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By Danial Azhar Malaysia coast guard says tanker involved in fire has left site

KUALA LUMPUR, - Malaysia's coast guard said on Saturday that one of the two large oil tankers involved in a collision that led to fires on both had left the location of the accident and was believed to have turned off its tracking system.

The coast guard said it was tracking the whereabouts of the Sao Tome and Principe-flagged tanker Ceres I, which was suspected to be within Malaysian waters.

The Ceres I was involved in a collision reported early on Friday with the Singapore-flagged tanker Hafnia Nile about 55 km northeast of the Singaporean island of Pedra Branca, the Maritime and Port Authority of Singapore said on Friday.

The 22 crew of the Hafnia Nile and the 40 on the Ceres I were all accounted for, the MPA had said, adding that 14 crew from Ceres I were evacuated by a Singapore Air Force helicopter while 26 of its crew were conducting fire-fighting operations onboard.

The Chinese owner of the Ceres I could not be reached for comment on Friday and Saturday.

A video posted by the Malaysian coast guard showed the charred Singapore-flagged tanker Hafnia Nile afloat in a video the coast guard said was taken on Saturday.

Hafnia, the operator of Hafnia Nile, said on Friday a tug was on scene to assist the ship, which was drifting toward open sea, with specialised tugs en route to join firefighting efforts.

Singapore is Asia's biggest oil-trading hub and the world's largest bunkering port. Its surrounding waters are vital trade waterways between Asia and Europe and the Middle East and among the busiest global sea lanes.

Singapore's MPA did not immediately respond to a request for comment on Saturday.

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A 12-year-old girl in Tennessee has been charged with murder, accused of smothering her 8-year-old cousin as the younger girl slept. A relative said they had been arguing over an iPhone. Minor girl smothers her 8-year-old cousin during argument over iPhone in US (Representative file photo)

A security camera recorded the killing, inside the bedroom they shared on July 15 in Humboldt, Tennessee, the county prosecutor said.

The recording shows the older child using bedding to suffocate her cousin as the younger girl slept in the top bunk, Gibson District Attorney Frederick Agee's statement said. After the child died, the juvenile cleaned up the victim and repositioned her body, Agee said.

A relative told WREG-TV in Memphis that the girls had been arguing over an iPhone after coming from out of town to stay with their grandmother.

The girl was charged with first-degree murder and tampering with evidence after authorities obtained the video on Wednesday.

I consider this to be one of the most disturbing violent acts committed by either an adult or juvenile that my office has prosecuted, Agee wrote in the statement.

He said he would petition a judge to prosecute the girl, who turns 13 later this month, in adult court, which would allow for a lengthier sentence, whether that will be through incarceration or supervision with court-ordered conditions.
The ministry of external affairs (MEA) on Saturday announced the safe return of 778 Indian students from Bangladesh via land ports, taking the total number of returnees to 998. The ministry said that the High Commission of India in Dhaka, along with the Assistant High Commissions in Chittagong, Rajshahi, Sylhet, and Khulna, have been assisting repatriation efforts following the unrest in Bangladesh. Students arrive in India from Bangladesh after immigration clearance amid a countrywide protest, on Saturday.(ANI)

The High Commission of India in Dhaka and our Assistant High Commissions are in regular touch with more than 4,000 students remaining in various universities in Bangladesh and are providing necessary assistance, the MEA said in a statement.

Bangladesh unrest escalates: Protesters set jail on fire, free hundreds of prisoners

Security escorts have been arranged for safe road travel during repatriation through select land ports and the High Commission in Dhaka is coordinating with Bangladeshi civil aviation authorities and commercial airlines to ensure uninterrupted flight services, according to the ministry.

The capital city of Dhaka has been under curfew following deadly student-led protests against government job quotas, which, according to an AFP count of victims reported by police and hospitals, have resulted in at least 115 fatalities this week.

The protests erupted over anger towards controversial government job quotas, including a 30% allocation for the families of those who fought for independence from Pakistan. Despite the quota system being scrapped in 2018, a court reinstated it last month, leading to widespread discontent among the youth, who face high unemployment rates.

Complete shutdown in Bangladesh as violent protests put PM Hasina in a spot of bother

Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina's government has deployed the military and imposed a nationwide curfew. Although the curfew was briefly lifted for two hours on Saturday, it is set to last until 10 a.m. on Sunday, when the government will reassess the situation.

Police fire was the cause of more than half of the deaths reported so far this week, based on descriptions given to AFP by hospital staff.

"The rising death toll is a shocking indictment of the absolute intolerance shown by the Bangladeshi authorities to protest and dissent," Babu Ram Pant of Amnesty International said in a statement.

With inputs from agencies
A plane trying to make an emergency landing at an airport in northeastern Ohio crashed, killing all three people aboard, authorities said. Plane crashes during emergency landing in Ohio, 3 people killed(AP/Representational image)

The twin-engine Beechcraft 60 went down near the Youngstown-Warren Regional Airport in Ohio at about 6:45 p.m. Friday, the Federal Aviation Administration said Saturday.

The Ohio State Highway Patrol post in Trumbull County, which was notified shortly after 7 p.m. Friday, said the crash just north of the airport killed the pilot and two passengers. The families of the victims have been notified and names are to be released later, an official said.

A mechanical failure is suspected and the aircraft was reported as attempting to make an emergency landing" before it went down near one of the runways in Fowler Township, the Warren post of the highway patrol said in a news release Saturday afternoon.

Anthony Trevena, executive director of the Western Reserve Port Authority, said the plane had come from Plattsburgh, New York, but officials didn't immediately know where it was headed. He said he had been told that the victims were a man, a woman and a child.

Trevena said it appeared that the plane's left engine had failed, and it missed the approach to land and circled back to approach again but went out of control and crashed near the north end of the runway. Firefighters with the Youngstown Air Reserve station at the airport worked with local emergency responders to control the resulting fire, he said.

The National Transportation Safety Board will investigate, the FAA said in a statement. State troopers are being assisted at the scene by local police and fire units and the county sheriff's office, the highway patrol said.
Prince Harry revealed the origin of his memoir's name, Spare, which was published last year. Prince Harry, Duke of Sussex accepts the Pat Tillman Award onstage during the 2024 ESPY Awards at Dolby Theatre on July 11, 2024 in Hollywood, California (Photo by Frazer Harrison / GETTY IMAGES NORTH AMERICA / Getty Images via AFP)(Getty Images via AFP)

This was actually the duke's nickname was actually given to him by his father, King Charles III. Prince Harry described in his memoir how his father reacted to Princess Diana giving birth to a second boy. Harry recounted his fathers words: Wonderful! Now you've given me an heir and a spare - my work is done.

The Guardian noted that Prince Harry has always been resentful of this nickname, a sentiment he expressed throughout his memoir.

Harry's resentment of being the 'spare' is the underlying theme of his book, through chapters on his childhood, his schooling, his career as a royal and in the British Army, his relationship with his parents and brother, and his life with Meghan through courtship, wedding and marriage, to their own experience of parenthood, the UK newspaper giant stated.

ALSO READ| Prince Harry and Meghan Markle reportedly made a very inappropriate request to Queen Elizabeth II

Royal between Prince Harry and Prince William

In his autobiography, Prince Harry made several controversial allegations about his elder brother, Prince William. Like how the Princess of Wales was not happy with Harry proposing to Meghan Markle to how he assaulted his younger brother during a heated argument.

These revelations have fueled media speculation about the possibility of reconciliation between the royal siblings. Rumors suggest that Prince William, the next in line for the throne, and the reigning monarch have played key roles in limiting Prince Andrew and Prince Harry's public appearances.

Jennie Bond, a former BBC correspondent specializing in royal affairs, discussed Prince William's character in an interview with OK! magazine. She described him as headstrong, stating, William has always been a strong character. I think his broken childhood made him tough and resolute.

ALSO READ| Harry and Meghan hit with latest blow in ongoing feud with Beckhams; Sussexes left with no

He now has the reputation of being stubborn and, once his mind is made up, he sticks to his decision. Obviously, as heir to the throne, his word carries a lot of weight in the family and I think it's true that he has been prepared to take a tough stand on a number of issues, including Andrew and Harry.
The 777X, Boeing's latest incarnation of the popular 777 family, has received more than 500 orders, although it has not yet entered commercial service. The 777X, Boeing's latest flying behemoth

Here are some key facts about the new aircraft.

The dual-aisle plane, first announced in 2013, has a wingspan of 72 meters and a maximum length of 77 meters, which will make it the biggest dual-engine commercial aircraft in the world.

Prior-generation offerings including the Airbus A380 and Boeing 747, which are no longer manufactured, had four engines.

As of late June, Boeing had received 540 orders for the 777X. The plane will be assembled at the company's Seattle-area factory in Everett, Washington state.

There are three versions of the jet.

The 777-8 is a direct competitor to the Airbus A350-1000. It can hold 350 to 370 people and can fly as far as 16,110 kilometers . It has 78 orders.

The 777-9 can carry between 400 and 425 passengers and fly as far as 14,075 km . It has received 407 orders.

The 777-8 cargo is capable of transporting freight up to 118 tons. This jet has received 55 orders through the end of June. In July, Emirates announced plans to purchase an additional five jets.

Boeing had originally planned for the jet to enter service in January 2020, but the timeframe has been pushed back to 2025 due to certification delays.

The jet still must be certified by the US Federal Aviation Administration.

In April 2022, Boeing announced it was pushing back construction until the end of 2023 due to those delays.

Observers believe the company has built 20 of the aircraft, in addition to four being used during flight tests.

Boeing estimates the new jet will reduce jet fuel consumption per seat and operating costs by 10 percent compared with rival planes.

In May 2023, the list price of the 777-8 was $410.2 million, while that of the 777-9 was $442.2 million.

The plane has about three million parts and about 215 kilometers of cables.

The engine is the GE9X produced by General Electric, the biggest ever manufactured, with a diameter of 3.4 meters .

elm-jmb/aha

BOEING

Airbus Group

General Electric

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Back in February 2023, a Boeing flight charting for New York went viral when flames were captured shooting from its wings following an incident of engine failure and a subsequent fuel leak, as per an official investigation published on Friday. The aircraft was carrying dozens of passengers from Scotland to John F. Kennedy Airport. Passengers describe chaos as Boeing Flight catches fire, makes emergency landing(BBC News)

Delta Flight DAL209 gained widespread attention in last year after a passenger recorded sparks and flames emerging from the aircraft wings, along with a loud bang. The footage captured the sounds of some of the 211 passengers onboard crying and quickly spread online.

The UK governments Air Accidents Investigation Branch (AAIB) investigated the incident and found that during takeoff from Edinburgh Airport bound for New York, a high-pressure turbine blade fractured in the right engine. This even damaged a further five blades, causing a huge imbalance and fracturing a tube within the wing.

ALSO READ| Here's what Boeing's guilty plea deal for 737 Max crashes means

Fuel escaping from the wing was ignited by the hot engine exhaust, and this was recorded on video by a passenger, the AAIB report stated, highlighting the significant potential for a fuel fire.

The plane took off, and there was a loud engine noise

Fortunately, the flames were extinguished after the JFK-bound aircraft was diverted to another airport in Scotland. The report also noted that all the passengers were rapidly disembarked, with no injuries.

Laura Pettigrew, a BBC News journalist onboard the flight, recounted the experience. The plane took off, and there was a loud engine noise, similar to the noise normally during take-off and landing, but it seemed to continue once we were in the air, she shared.

When the plane touched down, we could see fire trucks and firefighters with hoses rushing towards us.

ALSO READ| Boeing 737 engine reportedly sucked and killed an Iranian mechanic in a ghastly accident

Pettigrew noted that passengers appeared more confused than panicked. The AAIB has forwarded its findings to US authorities and has recommended that the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) ensure that the Boeing Aircraft Company to demonstrate that following this serious incident, the design of the slat track housing drain tube on the Boeing 767 family of aircraft continues to comply with the certification requirements for large transport aircraft.
News / National

by Staff reporter

Bulawayo's downtown is witnessing a shift in the landscape of sex work, with sex workers establishing a noticeable daytime presence. This trend has raised concerns among residents and property owners, as some building owners are converting properties into makeshift brothels.The stark contrast between the city's daytime affluence and this open solicitation is unsettling for many. Dozens of young women gather on the streets in the evenings, with little apparent police intervention, prompting fears of corrupting children and students attending nearby institutions.One notable building between 1st Street and Connaught Avenues, allegedly owned by a former police officer, has become a hub of activity for sex workers operating around the clock, with prices ranging from US$2 to US$5 per encounter.Most sex workers are aged between 18 and 30, and they prefer operating from their own quarters due to the high cost of lodges. They are most visible on Connaught, Fort, and Jason Moyo streets, extending their presence to bars and nightclubs.A sex worker named Zodwa, a pseudonym inspired by South African celebrity Zodwa Wabantu, explained the appeal of daytime solicitation, noting less risk of arrest or mugging. Struggling downtown lodges have become convenient venues for sex work.Residents and business owners have called for police intervention, arguing that open solicitation creates an unsuitable environment for young people. They also expressed concerns about nighttime activities, where established sex workers become territorial and demand kickbacks from newcomers.Residents fear the presence of illegal gold miners engaging in drinking and drug use with sex workers, posing a potential security risk to the neighborhood.
They gathered one last time on Sunday  the handful of mostly elderly members of First Baptist Church in Mt. Vernon, Illinois. As a scholar, he's charted the decline in religion. Now the church he pastors has closed its doors

The members, joined by well-wishers, said the Lord's Prayer, recited the Apostle's Creed and heard a biblical passage typically used at funerals, To everything there is a season ... a time to be born, and a time to die. They sang classic hymns  Amazing Grace, It Is Well With My Soul and, poignantly, God Be With You Till We Meet Again.

Afterward, members voted unanimously to close the church, a century and a half after it was created by hardscrabble farmers in this southern Illinois community of about 14,000 people.

Many U.S. churches close their doors each year, typically with little attention. But this closure has a poignant twist.

First Baptist's pastor, Ryan Burge, spends much of his time as a researcher documenting the dramatic decline in religious affiliation in recent decades. His recent book, The Nones, talks about the estimated 30% of American adults who identify with no religious tradition.

He uses his research in part to help other pastors seeking to reach their communities, and hes often invited to fly around the country and speak to audiences much larger than his weekly congregation.

But it's no academic abstraction. Burge has witnessed the reality of his research every Sunday morning in the increasingly empty pews of the spacious sanctuary, which was built for hundreds in the peak churchgoing years of the mid-20th century.

Its this odd thing, where Ive become somewhat of an expert on church growth, and yet my church is dying, said Burge, a political science professor at Eastern Illinois University. A lot of what I do is trying to figure out how much I am to blame for whats happened around me.

Burge, 42, started leading the congregation in 2006, when there were about 50 people on a good Sunday, he recalled. In the years since, he's earned his doctorate and begun working as a professor. He's gained a wide online and print readership, in part by converting dense statistical tables into easy-to-comprehend graphics on religious trends.

All this time, he's continued to pastor the small church.

Im willing to admit that Im not as good as I could be or should be as a pastor, he said. But Im also not willing to admit that its 100% my fault. If you look at the macro level trends happening in modern American religion, its hard to grow a church in America today, regardless of what your denomination is. And a lot of places have way more headwinds than tailwinds.

The church's American Baptist denomination is part of a cluster of so-called mainline denominations  Episcopal, Methodist, Presbyterian, Lutheran and others that were once central in their communities but have been dramatically shrinking in numbers. The nation's largest evangelical denomination, the Southern Baptist Convention, has also been losing members.

While there's no annual census of U.S. church closures, about 4,500 Protestant churches closed in 2019, according to the Southern Baptist-affiliated Lifeway Research.

Scholars say churches dwindle for various reasons  scandal, conflict, mobility, indifference, lower birth rates, members shifting to a church they like better. To be sure, most Americans remain religious, and some larger churches are thriving while many smaller ones dwindle. Some surveys suggest that the long rise of the nones has slowed or paused.

But the nonreligious are far more common today than a generation ago, in the U.S. and many other nations.

If Billy Graham would have been born in 1975 instead of 1918, I dont think he would have been as successful, because he hit his peak right as the baby boom was taking off and America was really hungry for religion, Burge said.

Things are particularly challenging where communities are shrinking, such as the Rust Belt and rural areas.

Burge hopes his research, and his personal experience, can offer some consolation to other pastors in similar circumstances.

This is not all your fault, he said. You know, in the 1950s, you could be a terrible pastor and probably grow a church because there just was so much growth happening all across America. Now it doesnt look like that anymore.

Gail Farnham, 80, has seen that trajectory of church life first-hand.

Her family began attending First Baptist Church when she was 5. Her parents quickly got involved as volunteers and never looked back," she recalled. Like many American families in the '50s, they joined during the booming rise in church involvement. First Baptist peaked at about 670 members by mid-century, leading to the construction of a large new sanctuary and a suite of Sunday School classrooms.

Farnham went on to raise her own children in the church, and as the congregation's moderator, she continued to hold a top leadership role.

First Baptist has had its share of schisms and controversies in the past, but it largely followed the typical arc of many Protestant churches, thriving in the 1950s and only gradually losing sustainability. The Sunday before its final service, eight worshippers attended. This Sunday's attendance of about 40 was swelled by former members and others, gathering for the momentous final service.

The remaining, primarily older members, found a new mission in recent years despite the uncertain future. They joined a program to provide bag lunches for needy schoolchildren. At one point they were providing 300 meals per week.

The closure is bittersweet, Farnham said.

Its something weve seen coming," she said. Its not a surprise. Were thankful weve been able to serve and meet a need in the community. We turned from being a church saying, Oh me, oh my, what are we going to do?' to being a church that said, 'Were going to serve as long as we can with the best we can."

Now everyone, Burge included, will be looking for a new church. I have been preaching every Sunday since August of 2005 and I need to be a member of a church for a while, not up front, he said.

Associated Press religion coverage receives support through the s collaboration with The Conversation US, with funding from Lilly Endowment Inc. The is solely responsible for this content.

This article was generated from an automated news agency feed without modifications to text.
JD Vance, who once described Donald Trump as Americas Hitler and unfit for the highest office, was picked as his running mate in a surprising move. The Ohio Senator was reportedly having trouble locking up the vice presidential nomination until the very last minute. Trump's reasoning for picking Vance as his vice presidential candidate has come under scrutiny. Republican presidential nominee and former US President Donald Trump (left) and Republican vice-presidential nominee JD Vance applaud on Day 2 of the Republican National Convention, in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, on Tuesday. (REUTERS)

According to a new report, there were three key figures behind Trump's decision to decided on his running mate.

Tesla owner Elon Musk, ex-Fox News host Tucker Carlson, and venture capitalist David Sacks personally pushed Trump to choose Vance as his VP, as per Axios.

While Vance learned of Trump's selection just minutes before ex-president's announcement on Truth Social, the runners up-- Sen. Marco Rubio and Gov. Doug Burgum of North Dakota -- were notified about his decision on Monday noon, CNN reported, citing multiple sources.

Carlson supported Vance because he believed he would win over working-class voters, as per CNN. However, Rupert Murdoch, the former head of Fox News, pushed Trump to pick Burgum. Moreover, Sacks backed Vance after he introduced him to the former president, the publication claimed.

In an interview with Axios, Carlson stated that Vance fundamentally agrees with Trump, adding that this is why neocon donors (who are seeking more assistance for Ukraine amidst war with Russia) fear him.

Vance was one of the senators who attempted to thwart a $95 billion assistance package intended for Israel and Ukraine. He hailed his move, asserting that it shows the world that the United States can't write blank checks indefinitely, Politico reported.

Also Read: Usha Vance faces massive flak as she hails her Indian immigrant parents at RNC, Trump campaign says it is disgusting

Carlson warns Trump against choosing neocon as his VP

Carlson also speculated about dire consequences should Trump select Rubio or Burgum instead of Vance.

Earlier, Carlson dialed Trump and issued a stern warning, according to sources who were informed about their conversation, the Vanity Fair reports. He warned Trump that Rubio was untrustworthy and would conspire to bring the United States into nuclear war.

In the June call, Carlson also told Trump that he believed that the US intelligence agencies would have every reason to assassinate the ex-president if he selected a "neocon" as his running mate.

Furthermore, the Ohio Senator's supporters ran a counter campaign to reassure that Trump selects Vance. Musk is said to have directly told Trump to select Vance as his VP, calling the Trump-Vance combination beautiful.

Besides Musk, Donald Trump Jr, who has become close to Vance, pushed...most insistently for his selection in both public and private meetings.

Musk and Sacks congratulate Vance

On Monday, Musk openly praised Vance, writing on X that Trump made a great choice.

Reposting Musk's tweet, Sacks called Vance an American patriot.

When the Twin Towers came down, JD Vance enlisted in the Marine Corps, gung-ho to exact justice on America's enemies, Sacks wrote.
Donald Trump, who kicked off his third presidential campaign last year in March, described the 2024 contest to unseat US President Joe Biden as the final battle. Addressing a rally in Waco, Texas, he asserted, in this race either the deep state destroys America or we destroy the deep state. While Donald Trump has been using the term "deep state" for long, Biden's critic have alleged that his administration is being run by the "deep state".(AP )

Foreign policy experts and political scientists use the term deep state to refer to people and organisations who exercise power in civil society and over political leaders. They mostly applied it to developing nations like Pakistan, Egypt and Turkey, where generals and spies made all the crucial decisions and changed elected officials when they felt it appropriate.

The Deep State and its origin

The deep state, according to an American political conspiracy theory, is a covert network of federal employees, particularly those who work for the FBI and CIA, that collaborates with prominent figures from the financial and business sectors to wield power alongside or inside the democratically elected US government.

The term deep state was first used in the 1990s to refer to what was thought to be a long-standing deep state in Turkey. However, the phrase was later used to describe the US government, particularly under the Obama administration. However, the thesis gained widespread acceptance under Trump's presidency, as he alleged that the purported deep state was working against him and the policies of his government.

During Obama's presidency, the focus was on the unsettling accuracy of targeted killings carried out by drones, followed by the controversy surrounding Snowden, the former contractor for the National Security Agency whose 2013 disclosures revealed the startling extent of government eavesdropping. There's definitely a deep state. Trust me, I have been there, he told the Nation in 2014.

Approximately half of Americans, according to opinion polls conducted in 2017 and 2018, believe the United States has a deep state.

Trump vows to dismantle the deep state

Trump's obsession with deep state is not something new. He has been promoting this theory since special counsel Robert Mueller began the investigation into Russian meddling in the 2016 election.

Trump used the term to criticise leakers and whistleblowers from the US intelligence establishment during his tenure as the president. A large number of the January 6 Capitol rioters drew inspiration from conspiracy theories disseminated by QAnon, which asserted that a deep state was conspiring to destabilise Trump and deceive the electorate. Moreover, Trump has pledged to dismantle the deep state if he is elected in November by removing the civil service safeguards that shield thousands of government employees.

Following recent assassination attempt on Trump, social media flooded with several conspiracy theories with few calling the attack staged.

Meanwhile, one of the US-based account suggested with a history of disseminating misinformation wrote: This is price you pay when you take down the elite satanic paedophiles, referring to the conspiracy theory put forth by QAnon, which contends that Trump is fighting a secret battle against the deep state.

Without providing any proof to back up the claim, they stated that the order for the assassination "likely came from the CIA", and accused Mike Pence, Hillary Clinton, and Obama of being complicit. The viral post has so far garnered over 6.9 million views.

This is either one of the worst failures in Secret Service history or a deep state plot. Theres no way this should have ever happened, tweeted Brad Parscale, Trumps 2020 campaign manager.

Biden and the Deep State

Russian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Maria Zakharova recently claimed that the media and the US' deep state have long concealed Biden's actual mental status from the public.

Zakharova stated that those who wished to show Biden as capable had instead made things worse. She was reacting after Biden addressed Volodymyr Zelenskyy, the president of Ukraine, as President Putin.

Russian state media commentators, who have been warning that Democrats would kill Trump, have suggested that Russia's Federal Security Service should begin "protecting our Donald."

Russian propagandists are now accusing both the Democrats and the Ukrainians of attempting to kill Trump. The Democratic party is behind this attempted assassination, claimed former New York Times correspondent John Varoli on the Solovyov Live network's show, At Dawn, on Sunday.

The presenter further aired a clip from Saturday Night Live in which Jim Carrey makes fun of Biden brandishing a gun as Ponomar implies the President would rather shoot his opponents. According to Ponomar, Biden and the "deep state" are all set to drown the United States and the rest of the globe in blood. Giving his consent to the claim, Varoli alleged, Joe Biden is a terrorist.

He went on to say that the government controls the Secret Service and other US intelligence services, absurdly implying that they are full of liberals and may have been involved in an attempt on Trump.

As Biden's capacity to serve another term is being questioned, especially following the presidential debate against Trump, Republicans and some Democrats have urged him to withdraw from the race.

Also Read: Donald Trump's decision to pick JD Vance was influenced by 3 key figures and assassination warning: Report

Is Deep State controlling the US?

Senator Tommy Tuberville of Alabama highlighted Biden's competence on the Fox News program "Sunday Morning Futures," claiming that Democratic politicians and the deep state have been controlling the incumbent President.

He alleged that Chuck Schumer, Nancy Pelosi and Obama have been leading the country along with National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan and Secretary of State Antony Blinken. You can tell by Schumers actions, Pelosis actions, the first two years they were calling the shots.

He hopes Americans will understand that control is with Schumer and Pelosi and all the deep state and not Biden. The deep states total control over this and hopefully we can get control of it and get the Democrats out of power and get Trump and all the Republicans running this country.

Here's what experts have to say on Deep State

Experts mostly disregarded claims about the deep state. According to Megan Squire, deputy director for data analytics at the Southern Poverty Law Center's Intelligence Project, incidents of political violence spawn conspiracy theories and false narratives when people try to spin the event to suit their various agendas, as reported by The Washington Post.

David Rohde, an author of In Deep: The FBI, the CIA, and the Truth About Americas Deep State, stated that the term deep state has been used by Trump and his allies to avoid criticism. He believes that deep state is both a true phenomenon and a toxic distraction, as per Vox.
Dr. Anthony Fauci called Donald Trumps ear injury superficial and downplayed the the related concern. Trump survived an injury on his right ear during his campaign rally in Pennsylvania where a bullet grazed his right ear. The former president was immediately taken to a hospital as blood streamed from his ear. He has been wearing a bandage over his right ear ever since the incident occurred. Dr Anthony Fauci claimed Trumps ear injury from the assassination attempt was superficial.(Photo by Rebecca DROKE / AFP) / QUALITY REPEAT, AP Photo/Jose Luis Magana)

Also Read: Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelensky condemns heinous assassination attempt on Donald Trump

Dr. Fauci calls Trumps injury superficial

Dr Anthony Fauci,the former director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, who also happened to serve as an advisor to both Trump and US President Joe Biden during the COVID-19 pandemic said theres nothing much to Trumps injuries, according to New York Post. In an interview with CNN when asked about Trumps injury, he said, I dont think there is much more to it. I mean, from what weve seen and what weve heard, it was a bullet shot that grazed his ear and injured his ear, according to the physicians who examined him. There was no other further damage, on Friday night.

Also Read: Mark Zuckerberg declines to endorse Donald Trump or Joe Biden for upcoming election

Fauci further added that according to him the 78-year-old former president is in the clear and the injury to his right ear is superficial. The claim was based on his reports from physicians and Trumps actions including his travelling to Milwaukee for Republic National Convention just two days after the shooting. He said, It seems to have been a superficial wound to the ear, and thats all.

Also Read: Meghan Markle's coming Netflix show can make or break her career

Is Trump suffering from psychological trauma?

While Dr. Fauci downplayed Trumps injuries, Dr. Sanjay Gupta who is CNNs chief medical respondent had opposing thoughts on the matter. According to Dr Gupta, the 45th president of the US could be suffering from psychological trauma after an assassination attempt in which two bystanders were injured and one died. The CNN medical respondent suggested a full public assessment to inform voters about Trumps condition as there has been little to no information regarding Trumps health condition and the treatment he received.

Dr. Gupta explained, The concern is that gunshot blasts near the head can cause injuries that arent immediately noticeable, such as bleeding in or on the brain, damage to the inner ear, or even psychological trauma. He further added that if there were any severe injuries they would have emerged in the following days.
Thimphu, India has agreed to positively consider providing 1,500 crore to Bhutan as part of the Economic Stimulus Programme in the next 18 months, the two governments said on Saturday at the end of Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri's visit and his wide-ranging talks with the Himalayan nation's leadership. India agrees to positively consider providing  1,500 crore economic stimulus to Bhutan

Misri, who was on his first foreign visit within days of his taking charge last week, reviewed the implementation modalities and cooperation in diverse areas of the India-Bhutan development partnership with his Bhutanese counterpart Aum Pema Choden.

The joint press release highlighted the exemplary partnership characterised by trust, goodwill and mutual understanding at all levels, strong bonds of friendship and close people-to-people contacts and said, the two sides held wide-ranging discussions on all aspects of bilateral cooperation.

The issues covered under the bilateral cooperation include development partnership, energy, trade and investment, connectivity and trade infrastructure, technology, people-to-people ties, as well as other regional issues of mutual importance, the joint press release issued by New Delhi and Thimphu said.

The Royal Government informed the Government of India of the activities proposed to be conducted under the Economic Stimulus Programme . The Indian side agreed to positively consider frontloading the full amount of Nu 15 billion i.e. 1,500 crore of ESP in the first one and half years subject to progress on implementation of proposals, the release said.

Misri, who was here for a two-day official visit at the invitation of his counterpart Aum Pema Choden, received an audience with Jigme Khesar Namgyel Wangchuck, the King of Bhutan; called on Dasho Tshering Tobgay, Prime Minister and D N Dhungyel, Minister of Foreign Affairs and External Trade on Friday.

On Saturday, Misri and Choden co-chaired the 3rd India-Bhutan Development Cooperation Talks  commonly called Plan Talks  of the 13th Five Year Plan, which focus on developmental cooperation and mutual interests.

Foreign Secretary @VikramMisri & Foreign Secretary Aum Pema Choden co-chaired 3rd Development Cooperation Talks of the 13th Five Year Plan, The Embassy of India in Thimphu posted on X.

Reviewed implementation modalities & cooperation in diverse areas of development partnership under 13 FYP period, it said.

The two sides expressed satisfaction at the large number of Bhutan-India development projects implemented under the 12th FYP and the two Foreign Secretaries virtually inaugurated 19 schools in Bhutan, which were constructed during the 12th FYP period.

The Bhutanese side presented the Project Tied Assistance proposals as well as the first tranche of the PTA projects to be implemented during the 13th Five-Year Plan period, the release said.

A total of 61 projects amounting Nu 49.58 billion , covering sectors such as connectivity, infrastructure, energy, skill development, education, health, and cultural heritage were approved by the two sides.

The two sides also approved projects involving capacity building, industrial parks, sports, youth exchanges, digital economy, e-mobility, and space technology were approved by the two sides, in line with the vision of the King of Bhutan, and the priorities of the government and the people of Bhutan, the release said.

Earlier, during the State Visit of Prime Minister Narendra Modi to Bhutan in March this year, he had announced the Government of Indias development support of Nu 100 billion i.e. 10,000 crore for Bhutans 13th Five Year Plan period.

Bhutan government conveyed appreciation for the invaluable support that the Government of India continues to provide for Bhutans socio-economic development, the release said.

During the Plan Talks, the two sides discussed various components of the assistance and implementation modalities for GoI-assisted development projects," it added.

This article was generated from an automated news agency feed without modifications to text.
US President Joe Biden is reportedly fed up and irritated with Democratic allies, including Barack Obama, for attempting to force him to step down from the presidential race due to concerns around his age and mental fitness. Joe Biden views Barack Obama as a puppet master behind the scenes of talks about his campaign, Times reported, citing sources.(AFP)

The New York Times reports that Biden, who is recuperating from COVID-19, is annoyed with party leaders who, according to insiders, have engaged in discussions about the 81-year-old POTUS quitting as the Democratic nominee.

The report comes as several Democrats have raised their voice against Biden's nomination following his lackluster performance in the first presidential debate, pleading with the president to halt his campaign. However, Biden's closest supporters, including Obama and former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, have refrained from openly criticising the president, whose campaign has always maintained that he will continue to run.

Citing sources, Times reported that Biden views Obama as a puppet master behind the scenes of talks about his campaign.

What's Pelosi and Obama's stand on Biden rerun?

Former President Obama was expressing concerns to allies regarding Biden's chance in the White House race, as per The Associated Press.

He has suggested allies "that Biden needs to consider the viability of his campaign but has also made clear that the decision is one Biden needs to make," according to nearly 12 people who spoke to the outlet on the condition of anonymity.

Moreover, Pelosi has also informed Biden that polls indicate he will not defeat Trump and that this might affect Democrats all the way down the ticket, CNN reported on Wednesday. However, the former speaker later claimed that the feeding frenzy from unidentified sources misrepresents her conversation with Biden, according to the AP.

In an appearance on CNN, investigative journalist Carl Bernstein spoke to sources who described Biden as angry, stating that he feels abandoned amid calls to step aside from his own party.

Also Read: Joe Biden calls Trump's RNC speech dark vision for the future, vows to restart campaign next week

Biden faces calls to withdraw from the race

While applauding Biden's first four years in office, Senator Martin Heinrich of New Mexico in a statement on Friday said that Biden would secure his legacy as one of our nation's greatest leaders by stepping down.

Additionally, Senator Jon Tester of Montana asserted that Biden should not rerun for another term. He, however, lauded his commitment to the United States.

Despite the growing opposition, Biden's Campaign Chair Jen O'Malley Dillon told MSNBC's Morning Joe that he is in the race to win, and he is going to be the nation's president for a second term.
A 72-year-old man from Montana shot and killed a grizzly bear in self-defence on Thursday. The adult bear charged at the man while he was out picking huckleberries alone on Flathead National Forest lands off the North Fork Road. Upon being attacked, the man shot and killed the bear with a handgun. The man has been hospitalised since. A 72-year-old Montana man shot and killed a grizzly bear in self-defence(Representational Image)

Montana man, 72, kills grizzly bear in self-defence

The incident occurred on Thursday evening, approximately 2 miles north of Columbia Falls in Flathead County, according to a statement by Montana Fish, Wildlife & Parks. Montana officials, including bear specialists, confirmed that an adult female grizzly bear was shot dead.

ALSO READ: Miss Kansas calls out her abuser sitting in audience during beauty pageant; Watch viral video

The statement added that officials are working to verify if there were any cubs present in the area. While the elderly man had to be hospitalised, the nature of his injuries hasn't been revealed yet. Officials determined his self-defence to be a surprise defensive encounter, the statement said.

Dillon Tabish, a spokesperson for the agency, explained that the bear was likely reacting defensively to protect her cubs, according to Associated Press. Depending on the age, we might leave them in the wild because they have a better chance of survival, rather than have to euthanize them, Tabish said of the bear cubs, who may or may not have been present at the scene.

ALSO READ: Madonna's son David Banda doesn't have enough money for food after moving out of mom's house

In another incident the same day, staffers for Montana Fish, Wildlife & Parks were forced to kill a separate grizzly bear after they were notified that the animal had broken into a home in Maiden Basin, according to a statement released by the agency earlier in the day.

The officials said of the bear that it had previously been involved in other recent incidents that included breaking into homes and stealing food. These incidents were reported to have occurred in the Gardiner area, which serves as one of the entrances to Yellowstone National Park.
Meta Platforms CEO Mark Zuckerberg has declined to endorse either Donald Trump or Joe Biden and said he does not plan to be involved in the upcoming U.S. presidential election in any way, Bloomberg News reported on Friday. Mark Zuckerberg, chief executive officer of Meta Platforms Inc., during an interview on "The Circuit with Emily Chang" at Meta headquarters in Menlo Park, California, US, on Thursday, July 18, 2024 Photographer: Jason Henry/Bloomberg(Bloomberg)

Zuckerberg's comments come as several influential figures in Silicon Valley, including Tesla boss Elon Musk and venture capitalists Marc Andreessen and Ben Horowitz, back Trump for president.

In an interview with the publication on Thursday, the billionaire tech executive said former President Trump's immediate reaction after being shot was "badass" and inspiring, and helps explain his appeal to voters.

ALSO READ| Donald Trump shooter Thomas Matthew Crooks flew drone over rally site hours before assassination attempt: Report

A gunman opened fire on Trump at a rally in Butler, Pennsylvania on Saturday, with one of the bullets grazing his right ear.

The assassination attempt has enraged his supporters and paused the Democratic campaign, raising fears of further political violence.

Meta has frequently called out Trump's posts for containing misinformation and breaching content rules on its platforms. It also suspended his Facebook and Instagram accounts for about two years following the January 2021 Capitol riots.Zuckerberg said Meta was making changes that he hoped would mean Facebook was not as much of a flashpoint in elections going forward.

"I think you're going to see our services play less of a role in this election than they have in the past," the report quoted him as saying.

Meta and Zuckerberg did not immediately respond to Reuters' requests for comment.

Zuckerberg calls Trump badass

Following the Trump assassination attempt at Pennsylvania, the Meta boss said that former Presidents immediate reaction after being shot was badass and inspiring, and helps explain his appeal to voters.

ALSO READ| Biden resists pressure to step aside, pledges party unity and campaign comeback

Seeing Donald Trump get up after getting shot in the face and pump his fist in the air with the American flag is one of the most badass things Ive ever seen in my life, the Meta Platforms Inc. chief executive officer said Thursday during an interview at the companys headquarters in Menlo Park, California. On some level as an American, its like hard to not get kind of emotional about that spirit and that fight, and I think that thats why a lot of people like the guy.

{With inputs from two wires}
A multi-state Listeria outbreak linked to sliced deli meat has claimed the lives of two people, the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said in a warning issued Friday. The agency revealed in an investigation note that the outbreak has led to 28 hospitalisations across 12 states. Two dead in Listeria outbreak linked to sliced deli meat, 28 hospitalised across 12 US states(Representational Image)

CDC issues warning for a multi-state Listeria outbreak

The agency noted that the majority of those infected with the potentially deadly bacteria reported eating meats sliced at deli counters. As part of its ongoing investigation, CDC is collecting necessary data to determine the specific products that may be contaminated.

ALSO READ: Caitlin Clark, Angel Reese to set aside rivalry, and join forces against Team USA

CDC further noted that products sliced or prepared at a deli are more susceptible to Listeria contamination, as the bacteria spread easily from hands and surfaces to deli equipment and food. The agency explained that Listeria cannot be killed via refrigeration, adding that prior to consumption, food should be heated to an internal temperature of 165F or until steaming hot to kill the germs.

ALSO READ: US Congresswoman Sheila Jackson Lee passes away at 74 after battle with cancer

Listeria is especially harmful if you are pregnant, are aged 65 or older, or have a weakened immune system due to certain medical conditions or treatments. Other people can be infected with Listeria, but they rarely become seriously ill, CDC's statement added. 12 states have been impacted by the outbreak, with the highest number of sick people in New York.

Here are the states and their corresponding number of cases:
Streaming giant Netflix is about to drop its basic plan of $11.99 with no advertisements which could shift most of its viewers to their ad-supported plan which is cheaper. The company has already issued the plan cancellation in the UK and Canada. Netflix announced on Thursday that they are cancelling the plan in the USA and France. The company stopped offering the basic plan in July 2023 and not displayed in the Plan and Pricing section. Previously, the customers were allowed to keep the basic plan so long they did not change or cancel their ongoing plan. Netflix drops its basic plan of $11.99 per month for its subscribers in the US and France. (Photo by Lionel BONAVENTURE / AFP)(AFP)

Also Read: Social security COLA expected to rise in 2025: New forecast brings some happy news for retirees

Netflix drops its basic plan with no ads

The customers operating on the basic plan of Netflix will have to opt for a new plan. The company has sent out emails to the customers to inform the same. The co-CEO of the company, Greg Peters discussed the $6.99 per month with ads offered to the customers hold a strong potential in a video conference on Thursday.

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He said, Essentially, we're providing them a better experience: two streams versus one. We've got higher definition. We got downloads. And, of course, all at a lower price. And for members who don't want that ads experience, they, of course, can choose our ad-free Standard or Premium plans," as reported by USA Today.

According to Netflixs second-quarter reports, the company brought in 8 million subscribers with it stopped performing shows such as Bridgerton, Baby Reindeer and The Roast of Tom Brady.

Also Read: US Congresswoman Sheila Jackson Lee passes away at 74 after battle with cancer

What other Netflix plans are available?

While the basic $11.99 per month plan is off the table, Netflix has other plans in store for its customer base. Customers can enjoy the Standard with Ads plan with a subscription of $6.99 per month with 2 supported devices at the same time, a download option on 2 devices along with Full HD quality.

Also Read: Jujutsu Kaisen Chapter 263: Gege Akutami is set to give Sukuna a haiku partings

The Standard plan with $15.99 per month customers can watch videos in Full HD and download them on up to 2 supported devices simultaneously. Additionally, there's an option to add one extra member who does not live with you for an additional $7.99 per month.

Netflixs Premium plan is priced at $22.99 where subscribers can enjoy videos in 4K quality on 4 devices and the option to download on 6 supported devices. Additionally, theres an option to add two extra members who do not live with you for an additional $7.99 per month.
News / National

by Staff reporter

A 40-year-old man, Mandlenkosi Mhlanga, appeared before the Esigodini Magistrates' Court on two counts of attempted murder. The National Prosecution Authority of Zimbabwe reported that Mhlanga is the ex-boyfriend of the first complainant.On September 24, 2023, around 11:45 pm, Mhlanga went to the complainant's homestead and found her in the kitchen hut with her boyfriend, the second complainant. When the first complainant refused to open the door, Mhlanga set the kitchen hut ablaze. Both complainants managed to escape, but Mhlanga struck the first complainant on the right shoulder with a machete before being stopped by the second complainant.A police report led to Mhlanga's arrest. He was sentenced to five years in prison, with two years suspended, resulting in an effective three-year imprisonment.
The July 13 assassination attempt targetting former President Donald Trumps Butler County rally in Pennsylvania has led many to naturally wonder whether his would-be assassin knew his way around a firearm. Prior reports have established that the 20-year-old was a member at Clairton Sportsmens Club, a local gun range in his vicinity, but anyone barely knew him. This 2021 photo provided by Bethel Park School District shows student Thomas Matthew Crooks who graduated from Bethel Park High School with the Class of 2022, in Bethel Park, Pa. Crooks was identified by the FBI as the shooter involved in an assassination attempt of former President Donald Trump at a campaign rally on Saturday, July 13, 2024, in Butler, Pa. (Bethel Park School District via AP)

Sources now also claim that Thomas Matthew Crooks tried to get on his rifle team at Bethel Park High School. However, things didnt go as planned at the shooting range around 2018-2019, and he miserably failed to make the squad.

Eyewitnesses admit Trump shooter was a lousy shot in high school

According to TMZ, sources personally familiar with his attempts at trying out for the high school team said the results were disastrous. Some even said he accidentally shot across a different lane at the range.

While out for tryouts once, he tried shooting at a target about 107 feet away, but his shot landed at someone elses target to the left. TMZs sources affirmed this was also why he didnt make it on the squad.

Also read | Donald Trump's war against Deep State, its link with Biden and impact on 2024 US election | Explained

Considering the past events, a former classmate of Crooks was distinctly surprised that he got so close to taking out Trump. One can only speculate that since he eventually became a member at his local gun range through his father, he must have spent a significant number of hours practising his shot, making it possible for him to graze the former presidents right ear.

Was Thomas Matthew Crooks bullied? Did he show signs of aggression in everyday life?

Crooks was reportedly incapable of hitting any of the ten targets on a 10X12 paper in the past. TMZ also highlighted that some members of the rifle team would make fun of him in his absence, joking about how bad he was at the activity. Contrary to some previous reports and a video showing him being bothered by a fellow high school student in class, no one claimed to have witnessed any instance of him being bullied.

Other new stories also determined that Crooks usually kept to himself, with some sources asserting that he was more of a loner. The new report reiterates the sentiment, foregrounding that neither of the sources that came forward with the insight ever witnessed any display of aggression from his end. They just knew him as a socially awkward kid.

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Clairton Sportsmens Club sources also painted a similar picture, saying they hadnt even heard of the young adult before the July 13 incident. As far as theyre concerned, he was nothing but a ghost at the local shooting range. Although the club members couldnt confirm how often he frequented the place, reports show that he did, in fact, go to Clairton almost a day before he tried to shoot Trump dead. He purportedly practiced shooting on the same firearm he fired shots with at the rally - the AR-15 semi-automatic rifle.
Ukraines President Volodymyr Zelensky condemned the recent assassination attempt on Donald Trump as a heinous act. Trump said they had a very good phone call, as shared in a Truth Social post. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky and President Donald Trump.(AP Photo)

He congratulated me on a very successful Republican National Convention and becoming the Republican nominee for President of the United States, Trump wrote.

He condemned the heinous assassination attempt last Saturday and remarked about the American people coming together in the spirit of unity during these times.

Trump confidently suggested that he could end the ongoing war between Russia and Ukraine if he wins the White House in November. I appreciate President Zelenskyy for reaching out because I, as your next President of the United States, will bring peace to the world and end the war that has cost so many lives and devastated countless innocent families, he said.

ALSO READ| Donald Trump shooter Thomas Matthew Crooks flew drone over rally site hours before assassination attempt: Report

Both sides will be able to come together and negotiate a deal that ends the violence and paves a path forward to prosperity, Trump wrote.

The former president has repeatedly blamed Joe Biden for the conflicts involving Russia and Ukraine, as well as Israel and Hamas, following the militants attack on October 7.

Trump vouches to end every single international crisis if he sits at Oval for 2nd term

At the Republican National Convention on Thursday, Trump stated, I will end every single international crisis that the current administration has created  including the horrible war with Russia and Ukraine  which would have never happened if I were president  and the war caused by the attack on Israel  which would have never happened if I were president.

He also boasted, I was the first president in modern times to start no new wars.

Zelensky confirmed the call on Friday, also they are planning for a future meeting to discuss steps towards achieving lasting peace. Ukraine will always be grateful to the United States for its help in strengthening our ability to resist Russian terror, Zelensky said on X (formerly Twitter).

ALSO READ| Mark Zuckerberg declines to endorse Donald Trump or Joe Biden for upcoming election

The relationship between Zelensky and Trump was rocky during Trumps presidency, with both leaders often throwing jabs at each other. The former POTUS once mocked Zelensky as the greatest salesman ever for accepting billions of dollars in military aid from the US amid ongoing war with Russia.
US Representative Sheila Jackson Lee, a Democratic congresswoman from Texas and a prominent advocate for Black Americans, has passed away at the age of 74. U.S. Congresswoman Sheila Jackson Lee was seen using a portable fan provided by Harris County Judge Lina Hidalgo's staff while visiting damaged Sinclair Elementary School, Tuesday, May 21, 2024, at Timbergrove in Houston. (Yi-Chin Lee/Houston Chronicle via AP)(AP)

A fierce champion of the people, she was affectionately and simply known as 'Congresswoman' by her constituents in recognition of her near-ubiquitous presence and service to their daily lives for more than 30 years, her family said in a statement.

Who was Sheila Jackson Lee?

Jackson Lee was born on January 12, 1950, in Queens, New York. She was a trailblazer in her academic and political career, becoming one of the first women to graduate from Yale University. Before her congressional tenure, she served as a judge in the Houston Municipal Courts and a councilwoman in the Houston City Council.

ALSO READ| Dr Fauci sees nothing much in Trump's injury from assassination attempt

In 1994, she made history by defeating a Democratic incumbent in the primary election and becoming the representative for Texas' 18th Congressional District, a seat she has held ever since.

She disclosed last month that she had been diagnosed with pancreatic cancer.

She had previously battled breast cancer, receiving a diagnosis in 2011 and announcing the following year that she was cancer-free.

A local, national, and international humanitarian, she was acknowledged worldwide for her courageous fights for racial justice, criminal justice, and human rights, with a special emphasis on women and children, her office said.

Before her tenure in Congress, Jackson Lee served as a judge and was elected to an at-large Houston City Council seat in 1989.

Last year, she ran an unsuccessful campaign for Houston mayor, losing by a wide margin to then-state Senator John Whitmire, also a Democrat, before announcing her re-election bid for Congress.

"Her legislative victories impacted millions, from establishing the Juneteenth Federal Holiday to reauthorizing the Violence Against Women Act," her office stated.

ALSO READ| Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelensky condemns heinous assassination attempt on Donald Trump

However, she impacted us most as our beloved wife, sister, mother, and Bebe (grandmother), the statement continued.

She will be dearly missed, but her legacy will continue to inspire all who believe in freedom, justice, and democracy. God bless you Congresswoman and God bless the United States of America.
The slogan "Who are you? Who am I? Razakar, Razakar!" has become a war cry for the student protesters across the streets of Bangladesh. With the police failing to control violent protests against a controversial government job quota system, armed forces began patrolling the streets of Bangladesh after the government imposed a nationwide curfew. A demonstrator gestures as protesters clash with Border Guard Bangladesh (BGB) and the police outside the state-owned Bangladesh Television as violence erupts across the country after anti-quota protests by students in Dhaka.(Reuters)

Protests turned violent after Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina's remark on the demonstrations.

On July 14, Hasina said, If the grandchildren of freedom fighters do not receive [quota] benefits, who would get it? The grandchildren of Razakars?

Angered by the statement, the protesting students shot back: Tui ke? Ami ke? Razakar, Razakar! (Who are you? Who am I? Razakar, Razakar!).

On Friday, protestors stormed the central jail in Narsingdi and freed the facilitys inmates before setting it on fire. At least 115 people have died in protests amid a ban on public gatherings. Students have accused the police of partnering with the ruling Awami League's student wing Chhatra League and unleashing widespread brutality.

Normal life was thrown out of gear as telecommunication services were disrupted, and news channels broadcast was taken off air. Several countries, including India, have issued travel advisories and nearly 1000 Indian students have returned home so far.

Who are Razakars in Bangladesh?

In short, Razakars refers to a militia force that helped the Pakistan Armed forces to crush pro-independence supporters in then East Pakistan, now Bangladesh, during 1971 Bangladesh Liberation war.

Origins of Razakars can be traced to the erstwhile princely state of Hyderabad in post-independence India, Dr Muntasir Mamoon, Bangabandhu Chair at Bangladeshs Chittagong University told the Indian Express. They were a paramilitary force the Nawab of Hyderabad used to resist integration with India post-1947. After the defeat of Razakars in Operation Polo by India, its leader Qazim Rizvi migrated to Pakistan.

In May 1971, Maulana Abul Kalam Muhammad Yusuf, a senior member of the Jamaat-e-Islami formed the first set of Razakars in East Pakistan's Khulna. Armed Razakars comprised migarted Biharis and socio-economically deprived poor people, who helped the Pakistan Army to suppress pro-independence freedom fighters and terrorise civilians during the war. In modern Bangladesh, the worst form of slur and indignity is to be labelled as a Razakar.

Protesting students have quickly latched on to the word as a form of retort to Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina's statement, which they felt as deeply offensive. Another slogan that has become a rallying cry is Chaite gelam odhikar, hoye gelam Razakar. (I went to ask for rights; instead became a Razakar.)

Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina asked if the protestors really understood the history of Bangladesh and the role of Razakars in 1971 genocide and crimes against Bangladeshi women. They did not witness the bodies lying in the streets, yet they feel no shame in calling themselves Razakars, she reacted angrily.

Also read | Complete shutdown in Bangladesh as violent protests put PM Hasina in a spot of bother

What are Bangladesh students protesting?

The country's system reserves 56 per cent of government jobs for certain groups. Among this, 30 per cent is reserved for the descendants of veterans from 1971 Bangladesh Liberation war. Protesting students feel the current government job quota system is against merit and deeply unfair. They also say it benefits supporters of Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, the daughter of Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, Bangladesh's first Prime Minister and a hero of 1971 Bangladesh Liberation war.

Tensions over the quota system is not new to Bangladesh. In 2018, the Bangladesh government scrappped the freedom quota after the protesters demanded that the quota be capped at 10%. On June 5, a division court of Bangladesh Supreme Court struck down the government circular and restored the 30 per cent quota system for freedom fighters on a petition filed by the children of veterans. The ruling Awami League has said it agrees with the sentiments of students. It has appeled for calm till the Supreme Court hears the governemnt's appeal against the High Court roder on August 7.

(With inputs from AP, Reuters)
News / National

by Staff reporter

Villagers in Lupane, Matabeleland North province, have enlisted witch hunters to help locate four-year-old Milton Tshuma, who went missing on March 15. The boy was under the care of neighbors while his aunt attended a meeting at a local business center. He was last seen following boys herding goats.Ward 23 Councillor Fibion Ngwenya reported that they engaged four witch hunters, known as tsikamutandas, and prophets from both Zambia and Zimbabwe to perform rituals, but these efforts have been unsuccessful. One group of madzibaba charged US$350 to bring their leader but left when they couldn't be paid upfront. Another group from Zambia requested the family's participation in rituals, which the child's uncle refused.Some prophets have suggested the child was murdered and his body parts taken to South Africa. The villagers are desperate for any help, emphasizing the need to find the child's remains if he is dead to prevent similar incidents in the future.Matabeleland North provincial police spokesperson Inspector Glory Banda confirmed the ongoing investigation but reported no new developments. Attempts to contact the boy's mother in South Africa were unsuccessful as she declined to respond.
Deloitte: Corporate Travel Reaches Its Cruising Altitude - Image Credit Unsplash+

Key takeaways

Amid rising prices and increasing trip frequency, 73% of travel managers surveyed expect their companies travel spend to climb in 2024, and 58% expect it to increase in 2025, with those projecting gains expecting an average rise of 14-15% each year, according to Deloitte's 2024 Corporate Travel Report.

Corporate travel spend by U.S. companies is expected to grow between 8% and 12% to meet or exceed pre-pandemic levels by the end of 2024 .

. Amid rising prices and increasing trip frequency, 73% of travel managers surveyed expect their companies' travel spend to climb in 2024, and 58% expect it to increase in 2025, with those projecting gains expecting an average rise of 14-15% each year .

in 2024, and 58% expect it to increase in 2025, with those projecting gains expecting . Live events are among the top growth drivers for corporate travel, as 6 in 10 business travelers surveyed expect to attend a conference, trade show or exhibition this year .

. Client-related travel remains a top driver of trip frequency, as 1 in 5 frequent travelers say they travel for sales or project work more than once a month.

as 1 in 5 frequent travelers say they travel for sales or project work more than once a month. Companies may look to mitigate costs through compliance tools, though only 56% of travelers surveyed who are aware of the company booking platform say they always book trips through these managed channels .

. Travel managers surveyed report significant progress on the sustainability front in the past year, as companies shift to identifying new metrics and increased certifications in the booking path.

in the past year, as companies shift to identifying new metrics and increased certifications in the booking path. Return-to-work still influences travel as companies continue identifying opportunities for in-person interaction.





Why this matters

While leisure travel has taken off post-pandemic, corporate travel has been slower to recover. As companies evaluate when and how employees should travel, they are faced with high prices, sustainability requirements, and the impact of hybrid and remote work. In its new report, "Upward Climb with Uphill Struggles: 2024 Deloitte Corporate Travel Report," Deloitte examines how companies are balancing the need for more face-to-face interaction with financial and environmental considerations.

Corporate travel continues to climb

After several years of historically low volume, corporate travel appears to be finding its post-pandemic stabilization. By the end of 2024, Deloitte predicts U.S.-based companies' travel spend is expected to reach, and perhaps surpass, pre-pandemic levels. What's more, most of those surveyed traveling for work again say they enjoy it.

Business travelers are packing their briefcases more regularly, as trip frequency per-traveler is up compared to last year. In 2024, 20% of travelers expect to take six to 10 trips (versus 15% in 2023), and 10% say they will take more than 10 trips (up from 7% in 2023).

Company travel spend is on the rise. Most travel managers surveyed expect their organizations' spend to grow in both 2024 (73%) and 2025 (58%). For those projecting gains, expectations average out to 14-15% each year. However, travel managers expect that to slow by a couple of percentage points come 2025.

Amid the return to conference rooms and airport lounges, 83% of those surveyed consider business travel to be overall "enjoyable," and they see both professional and personal value in it. About half place networking opportunities (51%) and exploring different cities (47%) among the top three benefits of business travel.

Many travelers surveyed also find chances to enjoy the trip without the business: Two-thirds of corporate travelers say they extended a business trip for leisure in 2023. One in 7 say they did so three or more times.

Conferences and clients drive travel demand

Events and exhibitions are playing a role in corporate travel growth, as well as client visits, as many seek to reignite in-person collaboration.

More than 6 in 10 business travelers (63%) surveyed expect to attend at least one conference in 2024, while half of travel managers rank industry events among the top two growth drivers.

While more employees are traveling to attend conferences, they are traveling more often for clients, Deloitte found. Among frequent travelers, about 1 in 5 surveyed say that they traveled once per month or more in the first half of 2024 for client project work (23%) or sales and client relationship building (21%), compared to just 13% for conferences and exhibitions.

International travel is also on the rise and stirring demand, increasingly toward trips beyond North America. Travel managers surveyed expect international trips' share of total spend to increase slightly through 2025, pointing to the easing of entry requirements as the third-biggest driver of 2024 trip growth, behind live event attendance and budget increases.

Return-to-office protocols have a waning impact on business travel, as 1 in 5 travel managers cite significant return-to-office by client base and significant return-to-office by respondent's company as the top two drivers of increased travel.

"Business travel has been slower to come back following pandemic slowdowns, but this could be the year that it accelerates to new heights. More employees are traveling for business  and enjoying it  underscoring that in-person connection often remains a critical component. As companies see a renewed benefit in the opportunities business travel provides, business leaders can capitalize on the enthusiasm and prioritize travel experiences that are valuable to both the organization and employee." Eileen Crowley, vice chair, Deloitte & Touche LLP, and U.S. transportation, hospitality and services attest leader

Costs impact corporate travel's bottom line

Amid higher prices for airfare and paid lodging, travel managers surveyed say pricing's impact on travel volume is 1.5 times more significant than budget cuts. Most seek to mitigate costs by increasing booking compliance through company booking tools, though getting travelers to use them presents a challenge.

Nearly one-quarter (22%) of travel managers surveyed say that high prices are the biggest drag on trip volume for their companies, and 40% put prices in the top two.

Higher costs also present issues for travel suppliers, as many travel managers say suppliers have moved toward tougher negotiating stances.

In an effort to mitigate costs, 55% of travel managers surveyed cite booking compliance as a top cost control measure, ahead of all other options. Another half of travel managers report that their companies are encouraging or mandating lower-cost flights.

However, only 56% of travelers who are aware their company has a corporate booking tool or agency say they always book trips through these managed channels.

While frequent travelers may seem more likely to eschew compliance tools, responses indicate age is a stronger predicter of booking compliance than travel frequency: GenX and Boomers are significantly less likely to say they always use managed channels.

Flexibility and loyalty matter for those booking direct. The biggest driver of booking direct with suppliers is easier management of trip changes, followed by earning loyalty points.

For those surveyed turning to online travel agents, they do so to find the best deal (56% for airfares and 61% for hotels) followed by easier shopping (46% for airfares and 35% for hotels) and change management (39% for airfares and 38% for hotels).

Companies are still mapping the route for sustainable travel

For many organizations, balancing the increased demand for more travel with sustainability goals is top-of-mind. Companies are making progress toward more visibility into their environmental impact, but most travel managers surveyed still say emissions targets will hinder travel.

Most travel managers believe companies need to reduce travel to meet 2030 sustainability goals. More than half say they need to cut trips by 10 to 20%.

Meanwhile, more travel managers surveyed report their companies have moved toward adoption of travel-related sustainability measures, encouraging and enabling employees to make greener travel choices. One-third of travelers confirm their companies are encouraging them to choose more sustainable providers when traveling for business.

Overall, companies are more prepared and active in their approach to sustainable travel this year: 46% say they have a strategy in place to assign travel emission budgets to teams and individuals, up from 30% in 2023.

Despite efforts from their organizations, travelers surveyed are slow to adopt sustainable travel booking. Only 1 in 10 corporate travelers say they always factor carbon emissions into flight selection, while nearly half do it on occasion. Similarly, 1 in 10 say they always consider sustainability ratings when choosing hotels, while 53% do it on occasion.

Nearly half of travel managers surveyed say that before investing in more concrete integration of sustainability in their travel purchasing path, they want to be more convinced travelers will take action.

"The stabilization of corporate travel holds both opportunities and challenges as the industry adapts to new norms and priorities. Travel buyers and suppliers should work together to navigate these shifting dynamics. As companies manage pricing pressures, suppliers who lean into flexibility to help companies meet employee expectations can build loyalty and be well-positioned for the road ahead." Kate Ferrara, vice chair, Deloitte LLP, and U.S. transportation, hospitality and services non-attest leader

Deloitte's "2024 Corporate Travel Report" is based on two Deloitte surveys. The first surveyed 104 U.S.-based corporate travel managers, executives with various titles and travel budget oversight, between May 16 and 18, 2024. The second survey, fielded between May 28 and June 3, 2024, reached 1,389 U.S.-based corporate travelers, 834 of which said they either oversee a travel budget or approve travel requests for their teams.
Late-Night Crash Takes Out Main Street Tree in North Adams



The truck has front-end damage; the tree is gone. NORTH ADAMS, Mass.  An errant pickup truck took out one of the trees on Main Street on Thursday night.

Police Lt. Anthony Beverly said dispatch was notified about 10 minutes to midnight that a vehicle was in the median. The incident is still under investigation but the driver is expected to be summonsed on criminal charges.

The driver was apparently headed west on Main Street when they veered into the median in front of the Berkshire Plaza.

The driver was the only occupant and was taken to the hospital. The truck incurred significant front-end damage on the driver's side and was towed. The Department of Public Works was notified and a crew sent to cut down the ornamental tree, most of which was in the road. The crash also took out the black bollards on either side of the tree and they were removed from the site.
Williams College Museum of Art is seeking a waiver because one roof peaks on the new building will exceed a 35-foot height limit in the town code. The size of the structure has also triggered a development plan review. Neighbors have raised questions about lighting and screening. Williams College plans to raze the Northside Motel currently adjacent to the new museum site. PreviousNext

Williamstown Zoning Board Considers Art Museum Plan

WILLIAMSTOWN, Mass.  The Zoning Board of Appeals on Thursday began its review of the development plan for a new Williams College Museum of Art at the junction of Routes 2 and 7.

College attorney Jamie Art, museum Director Pamela Franks and members of the design team went before the board to talk about the project to replace the current museum housed in Lawrence Hall on Main Street.

The college hopes to break ground on the new museum in September with a completion date in the summer of 2027.

First it needs a couple of approvals from town boards: the Planning Board, which will determine that the new museum has appropriate parking and the ZBA, which needs to grant a special permit.

Part of the permitting process is the development plan review.

Although the museum as designed largely is compliant with many town development standards, as a commercial building over 2,500 square feet, it triggers the development plan review.

The museum is designed at 76,800 square feet, and the planned three-story structure and grounds do require a couple of waivers from town zoning bylaws.

Specifically, the new museum will exceed a 35-foot height limit in the town code, though, as architect Jonathan Malloy of New York architecture firm SO-IL noted, the height is exceeded in just one of the building's peaks and roughly matches the height of the site's previous occupant, the former inn.

And the project will include grading for the parking lot that includes, at a couple of points, 8 feet of fill, exceeding the 6-foot maximum change allowed by right in the bylaw.

As with many college projects, the ZBA's path to granting waivers is that relief from local zoning laws is available to educational institutions under Massachusetts General Law and legal precedents.

"Learning with art is at the center of everything we do," Franks told the board. "Faculty in every department across campus teach with the collection."

Franks said the college's art museum is, "quite different from other museums, where it's much more public oriented."

Board members later referenced WCMA's connection with the campus community in pressing the college for information about how it plans to facilitate pedestrian traffic to the new museum site, across North Street (Route 7) from the rest of the campus.

"The main population is going to be students, right?" David Levine asked the development team. "You should have some reasonable estimates [of pedestrian traffic]. You need that before you start considering how you're going to manage the traffic flow."

Pedestrian access is one of the elements of design covered by the bylaw and subject to ZBA review.

ZBA Chair Keith Davis suggested that the college and town consider a plan that includes adding blinking pedestrian lights to the northeast junction of Routes 2 and 7, similar to the way crosswalks are marked all along Main Street (Route 2) now.

Two residents raised concerns about the project during Thursday's public hearing.

Jefferson Strait of North Hoosac Place and Patrick Bandy of Main Street, each an abutter of former inn site, asked the ZBA to get more specificity from the college about its plans for vegetative screening on the western edge of the new museum site.

Both Strait and Bandy said they were enthusiastic about having an art museum for a neighbor but worried that the finished project would be visually intrusive for the adjoining neighborhood.

Felicity Purzycki, the college's landscape ecology coordinator, described the landscaping plan for the new site, including replacement of trees that may have to come down during construction.

Davis asked if the finished property will have the same opacity as that which shielded neighbors from the former inn.

"Not at first planting," Purzycki said. "But the woods right now is not in great shape. I'd say within five years we'll exceed the current screening."

Art, the college's attorney, reminded the ZBA and audience that Williams is not seeking any relief from the town bylaw's requirements on screening from a commercial development, a point that later was reiterated by Davis in response to Bandy.

"They're required to put adequate screening in," Davis said. "If they don't do it, that's something you can ask the zoning officer to enforce."

Enforcement measures could include fines, the withholding of annual certificates of occupancy for the museum, or holding up future building permits for the applicant, Groff said on Friday morning.

"Also, while not explicitly in the bylaw, we've always allowed a few years for plantings to reach the required state," Groff wrote in an email responding to a request for clarification of the town's enforcement options. "It's very difficult to get the required [height and density] right off the bat with nursery stock at the standard sizes prescribed by the bylaw."

Davis on Thursday asked the college to come back to the ZBA with an architect's rendering of what the view of the museum will be from the Fort Hoosac neighborhood at night when the project is completed.

The college's team pointed out that the museum mostly is in operation during daylight hours with, perhaps, one night per week in operation until 8 p.m. That is a usage vastly different from the college's main library, where late night hours are the norm and a window-dominated eastern wall spills light into the Southworth Street neighborhood.

While he recognized that the new WCMA will comply with the screening bylaw and have vastly different usage patterns than Sawyer Library, Davis said he was thinking about the library, "probably our biggest mistake," when he asked for the rendering of the the view from Fort Hoosac Place.

The ZBA will be looking for the rendering and the answers to a couple of other questions that came up on Thursday when the hearing is continued on Aug. 15. It also will hope to have a parking determination from the Planning Board, which was to have weighed in on the WCMA proposal on July 16 in a meeting that was postponed due to a power outage that affected town hall.

If the museum ultimately is permitted and built, its building and grounds will surround the retrofitted fraternity house that functions as town hall on three sides. The college already owned the former inn property, which extends to North Street south of the municipal building.

On Thursday, Art told the ZBA that Williams has acquired the Northside Motel to the north of town hall with the intent to raze the building; the property is not included in any of the building or parking plans submitted to the town. According to documents filed with the Registry of Deeds, the college paid $1.8 million on July 9 for the property owned by Vipulkumar and Niketa Patel. The Patels have owned the motel since 2004.
News / National

by Staff reporter

Three of the five suspected armed robbers who attacked a Beitbridge-bound Blue Circle bus near Rutenga, stealing over R60,000 and about US$8,000 from passengers and the bus crew, were quickly apprehended. Their capture came after an attempt to impress a bar lady with their ill-gotten gains backfired.The robbers flaunted a firearm and bundles of cash to win the affection of the woman, who discreetly tipped off a policeman. National police spokesman Commissioner Paul Nyathi confirmed the arrests and said a formal statement would follow.The suspects, after robbing the bus around 2:30 AM, rented a lodge near Neshuro Growth Point and later went to a bottle store, where they competed for the bar lady's attention. One suspect, believed to be a soldier, revealed his gun and large amounts of cash to her, prompting her to alert the police.An off-duty police sergeant responded quickly and, after monitoring the suspects, coordinated their arrest as they attempted to hire a car to escape. The local community praised both the police and the bar lady for their efforts in capturing the robbers.The bus driver, Alex Takadiyi, explained that the bus had stopped at an unsafe place due to the perceived genuineness of the passengers, who switched languages to coordinate the robbery. The bus lacked a metal detector and a passenger manifest, making it difficult to detect the robbers beforehand. The community reflected on the robbers' quick fall from their brief moment of ill-gotten wealth.
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June Squibb is 94 years old and would like to commit murder. Ooh, Id love to do that! The newfangled movie star hums a little, pondering the concept. Ive been murdered, but Ive never murdered, so thatd be fun.

Squibb, best known for her Oscar-nominated role as the foul-mouthed family matriarch in Alexander Paynes monochrome road movie Nebraska, is thinking about her fantasy roles because theyre suddenly  improbably, you could say  achievable. For the first time in her seven-decade career she is the leading lady of her own film, which is in cinemas now.

The mischievous, inventive Thelma also isnt quite what youd imagine a film led by a nonagenarian would be. Its more or less an action movie, or at least a spirited mystery cum thriller, only with a hero who gets tired easily, enjoys doing puzzles and cant quite work Google. Squibb nails the comic fragility of her character, but also her upset and irritation  gentle widow Thelma Post knows her body is shutting down, and she sure as hell doesnt like it.

Thats partly why shes so angry when she is swindled out of $10,000 by a telephone scammer. Only then does Thelma become the Liam-Neeson-in-Taken of the geriatric set. Despite worry from her family (daughter Parker Posey, son-in-law Clark Gregg and grandson Fred Hechinger, of The White Lotus) about her declining health, Thelma sets out to identify the crooks and get back her money, partnering along the way with retired thespian Ben (the late Richard Roundtree, in his final performance). Thelma wields guns, toys with criminals and pops a wheelie while riding her mobility scooter. I did not do that, Squibb tells me, matter-of-factly. That was a stunt woman.

Squibb is at home in Los Angeles, serene in a black shirt dress decorated in white swirls. Her hair is a glamorous ocean wave of silver, and behind her is a bookcase decorated in awards. There is an inherent kindness to her  but also a sharp, astute practicality. Squibb doesnt do maudlin.

I dont think my mother ever, ever understood me. Who was this child she had? This child who wouldnt listen, who did her own thing and said, to hell with everybody else!, you know?

Ive physically been diminished, she says. But this is what happens and you cant control it. You live with it. I have to use a cane, and sometimes if theres a long way to walk, Ill use a wheelchair. She shrugs. At first that bothered me, but not any more. Its like I dont wanna walk! Push me! She lets out a big, lovely laugh. You do naturally want to say, Oh, I can do it! Well there are things you cant.

Thelma was inspired by a similarly zesty older woman, specifically the grandmother of the films writer and director Josh Margolin. The real Thelma Post is still alive and kicking at 103, and currently living with Margolins parents following the death of her husband. Weve always been close since I was a kid, Margolin explains over the phone. If anything Ive always thought of her as a pal. The real Thelma thankfully hasnt been scammed but has shared a similar trajectory to the fictional Thelma.

Shes always been very smart, very capable, and a self-starter in a lot of ways, but I think  probably due to the times  any kind of life driven by her wants and needs got put slightly behind my grandfathers career and his life, he says. She became a wife and a mother, primarily. When Margolins grandfather died nearly a decade ago, though, Thelma flourished. She had this long, 70-year stretch of being part of these other ecosystems, and this was the first time ever that she had her own space and could keep her own schedule and do her own thing.

Squibbs own story was very different. Born in Illinois in 1929, she was determined to march to the beat of her own drum. Even more impressively, this was an era in which specific and rigid expectations were thrust upon young women. I fought that all my life, she says. When I was a kid, when I was a young girl She flings her arms to her side, as if telling the universe Enough!. Despite her parents objections, Squibb moved to New York in 1957 at the age of 28, where she found work in plays and in nightclubs. Her success was clear to all, but her parents remained convinced acting was a phase. My mother once saw me on Broadway and afterwards she said, Well, now youve done that, you can come home and get married and have kids. She laughs. And thats what I mean  Ive fought it tooth and nail.

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Silver surfing: Fred Hechinger shows June Squibb the online ropes in Thelma ( Magnolia Pictures )

Squibbs voice drops to a whisper. My father, I think, understood me in his own quiet way. I dont think my mother ever, ever understood me. Who was this child she had? This child who wouldnt listen, who did her own thing and said, To hell with everybody else!, you know?

Squibb had a son in 1970 at the age of 40  maintaining her unconventional streak. By then, shed married a director and acting teacher named Charles Kakatsakis and kept up her career. She made her film debut in 1990  aged 60  with a tiny role in Woody Allens Alice, before working on and off Broadway throughout the rest of the decade; her CV is also peppered with occasional guest star roles on TV. One was her beloved Law & Order, the cops-and-lawyers procedural drama that she watches to this day. (Though FBI on Tuesday nights on CBS is my favourite show right now, she politely informs me.)

Thelma trailer

Her biggest break was a small part as Jack Nicholsons wife in 2002s About Schmidt, whose death kick-starts his characters existential crisis. Alexander Payne directed that movie and remembered Squibb more than a decade later for Nebraska. The film was a hit, earning Squibb an Oscar nomination. Its one of the great supporting performances of the 2010s  spicy and profane, Squibb throwing herself into a character who swears like a trooper and flashes the gravestone of an old and apparently deeply boring old flame.

Lots of small bursts of work followed  she memorably played Lena Dunhams ailing grandmother in an episode of Girls, and recently voiced Nostalgia in Inside Out 2  but the Oscar attention didnt transform her ambitions. Even getting top billing in Thelma hasnt changed how she works. In other words, there have been no diva moments. I appreciated it, but it hasnt made any difference, she says. I worked from a script. I learnt my lines. My way of working didnt shift. I didnt change at all. Still, she admits to finding pleasures in the newfound attention. Had she been on a billboard before Thelma? Yes, she hesitates, but not alone! She chuckles. Im not going to pretend its not exciting.

Funny and profane: Squibb in 2013s Nebraska, which earned her an Oscar nomination ( Shutterstock )

Margolin says he immediately saw the spirit, grit and single-mindedness of his grandmother in the actor he chose to play her on-screen. June was just a consummate pro, he remembers. She never dropped a line, which is crazy for an actor of any age. But she also comes from the stage and an era of acting where theres so much discipline and so much training. She turned 93 during filming and insisted on doing as many of her own stunts as she could. But we were obviously hyper-concerned and hyper-focused on making sure she was as protected and safe as possible, he says. She didnt do the scene where Thelma falls down  we didnt shove June in the dirt in the middle of the night, I promise. But she ended up doing a lot more physical performing than we anticipated.

As for Squibb herself, she hopes that audiences come away from Thelma with more faith in themselves. No matter your age, there is still life to live, she says. I know so many people who give up. They dont move any more. They dont do this, they dont do that. There are certainly things I cant do, but also things I can do. So just enjoy what youre able to do.

She wants to leave me with a bit of wisdom, too. We need to have strength in what we want, she says, firmly. And if you want it bad enough, youll break all the rules to get it.

Thelma is in cinemas
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A terrifying new horror movie has released in the US to nearly unanimous praise from critics.

Oddity, an independent film focusing on a blind medium who is grieving the death of their twin sister, was released in the US on Friday (19 June).

The Irish film, which viewers have enthusiastically recommended on social media, currently has a rating of 98 per cent positive on the review aggregator website Rotten Tomatoes.

Viewers shared their thoughts on the movie on X/Twitter.

Oddity is THE scariest film of the year hands down, one person wrote. I screamed so loudly during one sequence I didnt even know a horror movie could still illicit that kinda reaction out of me still! Absolutely terrifying I loved it so much.

Oddity was f***ing terrifying, another person remarked. Scariest movie of the year by far.

Hands-down, one of my favorite watches in recent memory, someone else wrote. This movie had me wrapped around it[s] wooden fingers and I loved every minute of it. Lean, terrifying, and brilliantly executed. I just love it so much.

The film, which is directed by Damian McCarthy, currently does not have a UK release date.

open image in gallery A still from Oddity' ( Blue Finch Films )

Oddity arrives hot on the tail of a number of other significant horror releases this year, including, recently, the satanic FBI horror Longlegs.

In a four-star review of Longlegs, The Independents Clarisse Loughrey wrote: Longlegs both marinates in the disquieting legacy of real-life serial murders  from Charles Mansons accomplices to the Zodiac Killers ciphers and the Weepy-Voiced Killers frantic phone calls  and, in its latter stages, goes big and arch in a way that wouldnt feel entirely out of place in one of those Seventies horrors with a title like The Devil is My Neighbour and Sometimes We Go Bowling.

Nicolas Cages serial killer looks creepy, but also like he could plausibly breed exotic shorthair cats. The actors unpredictability has always best served the descent into madness, and less so characters who have comfortably made themselves at home there (thats Willem Dafoes turf). And his performance here is at its best when he actually drops the weird affectations and speaks deeply and slowly, with a hellfire intensity.

Longlegs is in cinemas now.
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Ed Sheeran is facing criticism after he was photographed with Johnny Depp backstage at Andrea Bocellis concert series.

Both Sheeran, 33, and Depp, 61, alongside actor Russell Crowe, 60, recently featured as special guests at the renowned Italian tenors three-day Tuscan event in celebration of his 30th anniversary in music.

On Thursday (July 18), the day after the show, Crowe posted a picture of him sharing a Guinness backstage with Depp and Sheeran.

Teatro del Silenzio backstage shenanigans with Teddy & Johnny, the Gladiator star captioned the tweet. Lubrication by Guinness. Perfect. Grazie Millie Maestro Andrea Bocelli. What an incredible experience.

Several X users have since reacted to the post, calling out Sheeran and Crowe for hanging out with Depp.

I sometimes cant defend other men, one person wrote.

Oh, Ed Sheeran, another said, alongside a GIF of Tyra Banks shouting. I was rooting for you, we were all rooting for you! How dare you!

Nooooooooooo omfg we lost one today kids. ed, how could you do this to me?????? A third wrote.

Ed sheeran is not a girls girl... Johnny Depp is a vile human being, wrote a fourth.

open image in gallery Ed Sheeran and Johnny Depp were both invited to perform at Andrea Bocellis concert series ( Getty Images )

In 2022, Depp won his high-profile defamation trial against his ex-wife Amber Heard over an op-ed she wrote in 2018 in The Washington Post, in which she describes herself as a public figure representing domestic abuse.

Depp previously lost his libel battle against the publisher of The Sun newspaper in 2020 over an article that claimed he was a wife beater.

Since the trials, hes been working to repair his image and acting career.

Ahead of his guest performance at Bocellis concert, Bocelli declared Depp 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.

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During the show, Depp joined Bocelli on stage, where they both honored the late Jeff Beck, who died suddenly in January 2023 after contracting bacterial meningitis. Depp played the guitar, while Bocelli sang En Aranjuez Con Tu Amor, the song Depp and Beck reportedly performed for Bocelli when they visited him years ago.

Earlier this month, while accepting the award for Best Actor for his performance in Maiwenns historical drama Jeanne Du Barry at the National Film Awards, Depp 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, he said in a pre-recorded video played at the ceremony.

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, Depp added.

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.
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The producers of a controversial Edinburgh Festival Fringe play about JK Rowlings trans views are preparing for protests ahead of the show opening next month.

The play, titled TERF, imagines the stars of the Harry Potter film franchise staging an intervention for the author who has repeatedly argued online that trans women are not women.

The shows Edinburgh-based producer, Barry Church-Woods, spoke about security measures theyd taken at the plays Assembly Rooms venue.

We expect that most people, if theyre intending on disrupting what were doing, that will happen in the auditorium of the theatre. We have processes in place that are going to deal with that, Church-Woods said.

Writer Joshua Kaplan has denied that TERF  an acronym for trans-exclusionary radical feminist  was a hit piece on Rowling and said that any preconceived ideas about the author being a pantomime villain should be dismantled early in the production.

JK Rowling has repeatedly misgendered trans women online ( PA Archive )

Rowling will be played by Laura Kay Bailey, a Texan actor 15 years younger than the Harry Potter creator. Piers MacKenzie features as Radcliffe, while Trelawny Kean and Tom Longmire star as Watson and Grint respectively. A trans actor also features in the play but has not been identified due to fears she will become a target for abuse.

Kaplan previously told The Independent: I would absolutely welcome JK Rowling  and India Willoughby. Everybody is welcome.

Willoughby  a trans woman and broadcaster  has been locked in an online feud with Rowling since at least 2023. Rowling has repeatedly misgendered Willoughby and called her Himdia Stillaboy.

Kaplan said he wanted to create a piece of theatre that would encourage the audience to take a step back and see why they have come to the opinions they have come to.

Its not just about what we say, its about the way we say it, he explains, admitting that he was inspired to write the screenplay after the author first expressed gender-critical views in 2020.

A lot of that interrogation [about] how we communicate with each other has been completely lost when we are sitting behind our computer [and] typing these awful, often terrible things out to each other and not stopping and thinking about [the] people on the other side of the computer.

(From left) Rupert Grint, JK Rowling, Emma Watson and Daniel Radcliffe at the world premiere of Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince in 2009 ( PA )

In 2020, Harry Potter actors Daniel Radcliffe, Emma Watson and Rupert Grint each released statements in support of trans people in response to Rowlings comments.

In April of this year, Rowling accused Radcliffe and Watson of being cosied up to a movement intent on eroding womens hard-won rights.

A month later, Radcliffe made a rare comment about his deteriorated relationship with Rowling.

It makes me really sad, ultimately, he said, because I do look at the person that I met, the times that we met, and the books that she wrote, and the world that she created, and all of that is to me so deeply empathic.

JK Rowling has denied being transphobic, but previously said she would happily spend two years in prison for misgendering a transgender person.
"Part of the wisdom of the Elders is to remind the world that we actually have universal values that are accepted by every government in the world and yet they are not being implemented."

Chair of The Elders; First woman Presidents of Ireland and former UN High Commissioner for Human Rights; a passionate advocate for gender equality, women's participation in peace-building, human dignity and climate justice.

Mary Robinson is a globally recognized voice on climate change and frequently highlights the need for drastic action from world leaders, as well as the intersectionality of the climate emergency: from intergenerational injustice to gender inequality and biodiversity loss.

Chair of the Elders, 2018-



President of Ireland, 1990-1997



United Nations High Commissioner for Human rights, 1997-2002



Chancellor of the University of Dublin, 1998-2019



UN Special Envoy on Climate Change, 2014-2015



UN Special Envoy on El Nino and Climate, 2016



Adjunct Professor for Climate Justice, Trinity College Dublin, 2019-

Work with The Elders

Mary Robinson is a founding member of The Elders and was appointed Chair in November 2018 following the death of Kofi Annan.

As a member of The Elders, Mary Robinson has addressed the UN Security Council and other agencies on multiple occasions. She has met with world leaders to promote global peace and ethical leadership, including Pope Francis in the Vatican, President Emmanuel Macron in Paris and President Xi Jinping in Beijing to discuss multilateralism, climate change, nuclear non-proliferation and human rights.

Mary Robinson has travelled multiple times to African countries with the Elders, meeting with political leaders and civil society activists to discuss issues of peace, justice and human rights. Missions include Cote d'Ivoire, Egypt, Ethiopia, South Sudan, Sudan, Tanzania and Zimbabwe.

Mary Robinson has also been part of several delegations to the Middle East with the Elders to encourage peace efforts and support Israelis and Palestinians working for peaceful coexistence; and visited the Korean Peninsula to try to help ease tensions between North and South Korea and learn more about North Korea's chronic food crisis.

First woman President of Ireland

Mary Robinson was elected Irish President in 1990 and served for seven years as a principled and transformative leader who fought for equality and women's rights throughout her time in office. A firm believer in dialogue and reconciliation, she broke taboos by being the first Irish head of state to make officials visits to Britain, as well as regularly visiting Northern Ireland.

She was the first head of state to visit Somalia following the crisis there in 1992 and brought global media attention to the suffering of Rwandans as the first Head of State to visit the country after the 1994 genocide.

Human rights champion

As UN High Commissioner for Human Rights (1992-2002), Mary Robinson integrated human rights into the United Nations system and became renowned as an outspoken voice dedicated to investigating and exposing human rights abuses across the world.

She founded Realizing Rights: The Ethical Globalization Initiative, which aimed to put human rights standards at the heart of global governance and to ensure that the needs of the poorest and most vulnerable are addressed on the global stage. For this, she was awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom by President Barack Obama in 2009.

As an academic, legislator and barrister, Mary Robinson has always sought to use law as an instrument for social change, arguing landmark cases before the European Court of Human Rights as well as in the Irish courts and the European Court in Luxembourg. A committed European, she also served on expert European Community and Irish parliamentary committees. In 1998 Mary Robinson and her husband Nick Robinson founded the Irish Centre for European Law at Trinity College, University of Dublin. Ten years later she was elected Chancellor of the University.

Global justice and gender equality

Mary Robinson co-founded the Council of Woman World Leaders in 1996, a network that mobilizes women leaders at the highest levels to promote democracy and gender equality. She is a member and former president of the Club of Madrid, a group of global leaders working on governance and conflict issues. She is also:

Board Member of the Mo Ibrahim Foundation



Lead Group Member of the Scale Up Nutrition Movement



Honorary Co-Chairwoman of the World Justice Project



Patron of the International Science Council



Patron of the Board of the Institute of Human Rights and Business



Ambassador for The B Team



Board Member of Aurora Foundation

Mary is also the former President of the International Commission of Jurists 2008-2011, and was Honorary President of Oxfam International 2002-2012.

A tireless champion of women's equality, she travelled to Ethiopia in June 2011 with her fellow Elders to convene an international meeting of experts and activists working to end child marriage, which was followed by a visit to India in February 2012 to support youth activists tackling early marriage in their communities. She travelled again to Ethiopia, Sudan and South Sudan in 2013 to meet with women leaders and encourage their participation in the peace process. She also visited the Democratic Republic of Congo in 2013, as the UN Special Envoy for the Great Lakes region, to promote women's rights and where sheet with women survivors of sexual abuse.

Climate justice champion

Between 2013 and 2016, Mary Robinson served as the UN Secretary General's Special Envoy in three roles; first for the Great Lakes region of Africa, then on Climate Change until the end of December 2015 which saw the successful conclusion of the COP21 Climate Summit and the historic Paris Agreement on Climate Change and most recently as Special Envoy on El Nino and Climate. She served in this post along with Macharia Kamau of Kenya to focus the world's attention to meet the urgent challenges posed by extreme weather events on the poorest and most vulnerable communities.

Mary Robinson is a strong advocate for climate justice and intergenerational dialogue. She led the Mary Robinson Foundation - Climate Justice between 2010-2019, a centre for education and advocacy on sustainable and people-centered development in the world's poorest communities. After successfully achieving its strategic objectives, the Foundation came to a planned close in April 2019.

Since 2016, in partnership with One Young World, the Mary Robinson Climate Justice Award has been awarded to young leaders working on impactful climate justice initiatives.

Her work also includes:

Advisory Board Member of the European Climate Foundation



Member of the Advisory Board of Sustainable Energy for All (SE4All)



Member of the Campaign for Nature's Global Steering Committee



Host of the Mothers of Invention podcast



Member of the Africa Europe Foundation Steering Group

 Go back Next page 
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Anna Faris has shared her memories of working with Matthew Perry on the final season of Friends, revealing that she wishes she had got to know him better.

Perry, who played Chandler Bing in the much-loved sitcom, was found dead in a hot tub at his Los Angeles home in October 2023. A toxicology report later confirmed that the actor, who was 54, had died from acute effects of ketamine.

Faris, 47, appeared in four episodes of Friends during the shows 10th and final series, playing Erica, the birth mother of twins adopted by Chandler and Monica (Courteney Cox).

It was an honour and he was just an incredible person, the actor told People magazine. I wish I knew him better. It feels a little audacious for me to speak too much about somebody that I felt like I had a brief interaction with, but they were wonderful and I am honoured to be a part of the show.

The House Bunny star also confirmed that Perry had suggested her for the role. That was my understanding at the time, she said. He told me that hed seen me in Lost in Translation and he thought I was good.

I worked mostly with Courteney and Matthew, and they were unbelievable to me, she added. They were so kind. I mean, it was such an intimidating idea. To give birth on Friends. Friends? The final season?

open image in gallery Guest star: Faris appeared alongside Perry in four episodes ( Warner Bros Television )

She went on to share her impressions of the emotional atmosphere on set as the shows six lead actors  Perry, Cox, Jennifer Aniston, Lisa Kudrow, Matt LeBlanc and David Schwimmer  prepared to say goodbye to the comedy, which aired from 1994 to 2004.

They were also getting pretty emotional because they were wrapping things up, Faris recalled. It was really sentimental. At the same time, I felt like, OK, I should probably go back to my dressing room during this group hug.

open image in gallery Friends for life: Perry with his co-stars in the hit sitcom ( Getty Images )

After Perrys death, his co-stars have shared heartfelt tributes to their late friend and colleague.

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Kudrow, who played Phoebe Buffay on the show, recently revealed that she has been re-watching the sitcom as a way of celebrating Perry and his comedic talents.

The actor admitted that she had previously struggled to look back at the show because its too embarrassing to watch yourself, but had changed her attitude after Perrys passing.

If I make it about Matthew, then thats OK, she told The Hollywood Reporter. And its just celebrating how hilarious he was  and that is what I want to remember [about him].
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James Corden has revealed that he and Ruth Jones have finished the script for the final episode of their hit sitcom Gavin & Stacey.

The pair confirmed in May that the series, which aired on the BBC from 2007 to 2010 then returned for a Christmas special in 2019, would come back for one last hurrah on Christmas Day 2024.

Forty-five-year-old Corden, who recently returned to the UK after spending eight years at the helm of The Late, Late Show in the United States, confirmed to radio host Chris Evans that he and longtime friend Jones, 57, had put the finishing touches to their screenplay earlier this week.

Speaking on Evanss Virgin Radio breakfast show, Corden revealed that he met up with Jones on Thursday night (18 July) after his family had been to see her perform in Sister Act in the West End, then the duo proceeded to make their final changes.

It was my niece Ellens 18th birthday yesterday, he told Evans. So my mum and dad, my sisters, their partners, my nephew, they all went to see Ruths Sister Act last night, for her 18th birthday. They chose not to see my play [The Constituent at the Old Vic] because they wanted something that was perhaps a bit more uplifting.

So I then went to meet them in Ruths dressing room, and we had a glass of champagne, and then they had to get the train, and Ruth and I walked back to her place, he added.

We just sat and we had a drink, and we actually sent the cast a photo on our little chat group, saying weve finished our shows, and weve finished the rewrites, and a script will be winding its way to you. I guess theyll get the script in the next few days.

Corden admitted that the initial script for the special episode was too long, so he and Jones had spent some time trying to cut it back.

What we have been doing the last few weeks really is just trying to make it as economical as possible, he revealed.

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open image in gallery Finale: the upcoming Christmas special will be the last ever episode of the sitcom ( BBC )

Gavin & Stacey follows the relationship between Essex boy Gavin (Mathew Horne) and girlfriend Stacey (Joanna Page), who is from Barry in Wales, and also charts the lives of their respective best friends, Smithy and Nessa, played by Corden and Jones.

The previous Christmas special, which broke BBC viewing records, ended on a cliffhanger as Nessa got down on one knee to propose to Smithy after years of an on-off relationship.

The new episode will also see the return of longstanding cast members such as Rob Brydon, Alison Steadman and Larry Lamb.
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Nobel laureate Muhammad Yunus took the oath of office as head of an interim government in Bangladesh after large-scale protests led to the ouster of prime minister Sheikh Hasina.

The prominent economist, 84, was sworn in as chief adviser of the government at the presidential palace in Dhaka.

Sixteen other members are part of the new cabinet, including two student leaders who spearheaded the protests that ended the 15-year-long rule of Ms Hasina.

Mr Yunus arrived in the country on Thursday and made an emotional appeal to the people of Bangladesh to immediately stop retaliatory attacks against figures from the former Hasina administration.

Violence is our enemy. Please dont create more enemies. Be calm and get ready to build the country, Mr Yunus said as he greeted supporters with a smile.

He was out of the country on Monday when Ms Hasina dramatically resigned and fled to India, after tens of thousands of protesters took to the streets demanding her resignation following a deadly police crackdown on protesters.

At least 440 people, including minors, have been killed in the violence that ensued in July during protests against job reservations for families of 1971 war heroes, according to local reports.

open image in gallery People celebrate the resignation of prime minister Sheikh Hasina in Dhaka ( REUTERS )

Indian foreign minister S Jaishankar said she had been given approval to remain for the moment. The prime minister escaped from Dhaka on a military transport minutes before thousands of people stormed into her official residence and ransacked it.

Her resignation triggered jubilation across the country along with incidents of violence against the ruling party members and the minority Hindus. Fresh protests broke out in a Dhaka neighbourhood on Wednesday when hundreds of officials from the central bank forced four of its deputy governors to resign over alleged corruption.

The protest leaders said members of the interim government would be finalised soon as Mr Yunus called for new elections to bring stability to the country grappling with unemployment and economic crisis.

It is critical that trust in government be restored quickly, he told the Financial Times in a statement. We need calm, we need a road map to new elections and we need to get to work to prepare for new leadership, Mr Yunus said.

open image in gallery A man carries a looted item from the prime minister's residence ( REUTERS )

Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir, member of the Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP), has demanded a fresh election in the next three months to form a government.

Bangladesh, the fourth largest country in the world by population, has been on edge for weeks amid protests that began over a controversial quota system for government jobs. The system guaranteed a set proportion of roles to the descendants of fighters in Bangladeshs war of independence  seen as a measure to appease Ms Hasinas political base.

A fresh spell of protests began over the weekend with people demanding Ms Hasinas resignation, and over 100 people died across the country on Monday in the deadliest day of violence since the crisis began, with hundreds of people injured as both police and protesters used live ammunition.

Why were students protesting?

At the heart of the student protests that began in late June was the demand to scrap a quota system that reserved up to 30 per cent of government jobs for relatives of veterans who fought in Bangladeshs war of independence in 1971 against Pakistan.

The protests began late last month but tensions escalated when students at Dhaka University, the countrys largest, clashed with police and a counter-protest inflamed the situation.

The students alleged the protests were peaceful until the student wing of Ms Hasinas ruling Awami League party attacked them.

We were protesting peacefully until we were attacked by the goons. It is our right to continue protesting, it is embedded in the history of this country and we shall continue to do so for our right, a Dhaka university student who did not want to be named for fear of persecution told The Independent.

open image in gallery Supporters of Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) gather to attend a mass rally ( EPA )

Protesters have argued that the quota system was discriminatory and benefitted supporters of Ms Hasina, whose political party led the independence movement. They demanded it be replaced with a merit-based system.

Ms Hasinas government had halted the job quotas following mass student protests in 2018, but last month a high court ruling nullified that decision and reinstated the quotas after relatives of the 1971 veterans filed petitions.

On 21 July, the Supreme Court ordered that 93 per cent of government jobs would be allocated on merit and five per cent would be for veterans who served in the war. The remaining two per cent would be reserved for members of ethnic minorities and transgender and disabled people.

The decision was a partial win for the students after representatives from both sides met late on 19 July to discuss a resolution.

Why did Hasina resign?

The student protests have shone a spotlight on the cracks in Bangladeshs governance and economy as well as the frustrations of the countrys youth at rising unemployment where some 32 million young people are not in work or education.

Anger soon turned from demands over jobs to outrage at the way the protests were treated, with Ms Hasina referring to the protesters as terrorists and ordering police to shoot at them on sight.

We have to look out for ourselves and our future generations. We need jobs in this country, we are already suffering from the lack of it, said Alam Rashid, a student from Dhaka. We have invited the government to have a conversation with us multiple times, instead she [Sheikh Hasina] just unleashed her police force on us, he told The Independent.

During the weekend, there were reports of attacks across the country, including incidents of vandalism and arson targeting government buildings, offices of the ruling Awami League party, police stations and houses of public representatives. Clashes were reported in as many as 39 of the countrys 64 districts.

open image in gallery A vandalised portrait of Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, founding father of Bangladesh ( Copyright 2024 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. )

Sunday ended up being one the deadliest days of clashes yet, with at least 95 killed including both protesters and police officers.

Student coordinators of Dhaka University called for Monday to be marked by a March to Dhaka, calling it the final answer after the military said students defying a government curfew would face the full force of the law.

On Monday, 135 more people were killed as hundreds of thousands of people defied curfew to take over the capital. The military reportedly asked Ms Hasina to resign after top brass refused to order soldiers to open fire on more demonstrators.

Where will Hasina go?

Ms Hasina is currently at a safe house in Indias capital region after she landed at the Hindon Indian Air Force base outside Delhi. Multiple Indian media cited official sources as saying she is keen on going to the UK, and has submitted a request for political asylum.

She is going to stay in Delhi for some more time, her son, Sajeeb Wazad, told Detusche Welle. He added that his mother had not made a decision on where she would seek asylum yet.

He said that her mother will return to her country when its new caretaker government decides to hold elections and vowed that his family and the Awami League party would remain engaged in Bangladeshs politics.

British officials have reportedly downplayed the chances of Ms Hasina being accepted in the UK, stating that the countrys immigration rules do not permit anyone, including a fleeing prime minister, to seek asylum or temporary refuge.

Ms Hasina was accompanied when she left Dhaka by her sister Sheikh Rehana Siddiq, who is the mother of Labour MP Tulip Siddiq.

open image in gallery File: Indian prime minister Narendra Modi shakes hand with Sheikh Hasina ( Copyright 2019 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. )

The UK government has hardly been sympathetic towards Ms Hasina and on Monday British foreign secretary David Lammy called for a UN-led investigation into the way her government cracked down on the protests and the tragic loss of lives in Bangladesh.

CNN News18 said Ms Hasina is in the process of applying for asylum in other European countries, given the UK appears to be hesitant.

Whats next for Bangladesh?

After Ms Hasinas resignation, army chief General Waker-Uz-Zaman announced in a televised address to the nation that an interim government would be formed.

He said he was assuming control at a critical time for our country and urged people to trust him.

I am taking responsibility now and we will go to the president and ask to form an interim government to lead the country in the meantime.

It was not clear if the army would play a role, but General Zaman said: We will now go to the president of the country, where we will discuss about the formation of the interim government, form the interim government, and manage the nation.

On Tuesday, Bangladeshs parliament was dissolved, the presidents office said in a statement.

It was after student leaders spearheading the protest issued a strict deadline and asked revolutionary students to be ready if their demand was not met. They have said they will not accept any government unless it is made up of candidates recommended by them.

We wouldnt accept any army-supported or army-led government, they said.

Main opposition leader Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir on Wednesday said Bangladesh must hold a general election within three months to form a new government. Mr Alamgirs BNP was among the opposition parties to have boycotted the January elections citing a crackdown on political dissent that secured a fourth term for Ms Hasina.

Bangladeshs borders have effectively been closed while the political uncertainty is being resolved, with major airlines suspending flights to Dhaka and long distance bus services suspended. Train services to neighbouring India, which were first paused in mid-July as the protests turned violent, have now been suspended indefinitely.

Amid fears of violence on the India-Bangladesh border, the Bangladeshi security forces said they have received strict instruction from the government to not allow anyone into the country without valid documents.

Bangladeshs biggest police union, the Bangladesh Police Service Association (BPSA), defended the conduct of its officers during the protests and declared a national strike on Tuesday in view of the security situation in the country.

Until the security of every member of the police is secured, we are declaring a strike, BPSA said in a statement.

Who is Muhammad Yunus, the new interim leader?

The student protest leaders proposed the name of the 84-year-old microlending champion to become the head of the interim government in Bangladesh, which the president accepted after deliberation with stakeholders.

Given the sacrifices of the students, especially those who have lost their lives for our nations liberation, I am not in a position to say no to them, Mr Yunus said.

In the coming days, I will talk with all of the relevant parties about how we can work together to rebuild Bangladesh and how they can help, he added.

I have no intention to seek any elected or appointed office beyond this role during this interim period.

Mr Yunus, one of Ms Hasinas staunchest critics, was charged in more than 200 cases, including forgery, money laundering, and embezzlement during the ruling years of Ms Hasina.

Mr Yunus has been credited for helping lift millions out of poverty by providing small loans of less than 80 to rural people through his Grameen Bank, which was founded in 1983. The banks success in lifting people out of poverty led to similar microfinancing efforts in other countries.
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One of former Pakistan prime minister Imran Khans most senior media advisers has been abducted from his home by police and unidentified armed men, Mr Khans party says, days before a UK parliamentary event discussing the erosion of the countrys democracy.

CCTV footage released by the party appears to show Ahmed Janjua, who works as the opposition Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) partys international media coordinator, being taken into custody at around 4am on Saturday.

Neither the government nor police have yet commented on the incident, nor has a reason been provided for Mr Janjuas apparent arrest.

On Tuesday a debate is due to be held in the UKs House of Lords on Pakistans Democracy in crisis and the ongoing detention of Mr Khan, who remains in prison despite being granted bail or being acquitted in many of the criminal cases brought against him. He says all the charges are politically motivated, and part of a wider effort by the countrys military and political establishement to keep his party  which won the most seats in this years general election  from power.

Tuesdays event is being hosted by Labour MP Naz Shah and Daniel Hannan, the former Conservative MP and now member of the House of Lords as Lord Hannan of Kingsclere. Mr Janjua had been actively involved in organising the event and promoting coverage among the international media.

Mr Janjuas wife, Farhana Barlas, has filed an urgent application in the Islamabad high court alleging that around two dozen armed personnel, who did not identify themselves, barged into their home with their faces covered and abducted her husband.

The men broke down the main door of the house, conducted a search of the house without presenting a warrant and seized the occupants phones before dragging away Mr Janjua, the application said. It represents one of the most high-profile abductions of a PTI official in months.

Sayed Zulfikar Bukhari, a close adviser to Mr Khan and spokesperson for PTI who is among the speakers set to address parliament on Tuesday, told The Independent that Mr Janjua and three other PTI workers have been abducted and no one knows where they are or who took them.

Mr Bukhari said the party believes the abduction was linked to the UK parliamentary event and designed to prevent it from receiving international attention.

This is a serious attack on not only Mr Janjua but everyone who has been abducted, especially the international media team, he said in a statement.

Mr Khan has been incarcerated since he was arrested in August last year. First elected as prime minister in 2018, he was ousted through a parliamentary vote of no confidence in 2022.

His arrest triggered violent unrest across Pakistan, with some supporters attacking facilities associated with the countrys military. Those riots have been used as the basis for the arrest of thousands of PTI workers and some of the criminal charges brought against Mr Khan, who was convicted on several charges just before the election in February. It meant he couldnt stand for election, and his party was also prevented from being registered. Its candidates ran as independents instead, though most media accredited their victories to the party.

A UN human rights panel has called for Mr Khans immediate release, saying he has been detained arbitrarily in violation of international laws.

The UN working group on arbitrary detention noted in an opinion that Mr Khans detention had no legal basis and appears to have been intended to disqualify him from running for office.

The Shehbaz Sharif government denies unfairly targeting the opposition party, and says criminal cases against PTI activists are justified given the attacks on military facilities in May last year. The authorities accused Mr Khan of instigating violence and called his rioting supporters arsonists exhibiting enmity against the motherland.

On Saturday, journalists and activists called for the safe release of Mr Janjua and others.

Haroon Janjua, a freelance journalist, said: Very alarming and tragic. Ahmed Janjua international media coordinator and a very decent guy went missing early this morning. He should be immediately released, hoping for his safe recovery in these tough times.

Amjad Ali said: Any attempt to curtail the flow of information to the media is condemnable. The state must ensure their safety and return as soon as possible.

Earlier this week the countrys information minister Attaullah Tarar said in a press conference in Islamabad that a move to ban PTI would be discussed in cabinet and that the government would go to the Supreme Court to push it through, if necessary. It was not the first time the government has said it plans to outlaw Mr Khans party.

The Independent has contacted prime minister Shehbaz Sharifs office for comment.
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Hundreds of rescuers are involved in a desperate search for some 20 vehicles missing after a highway bridge in China collapse during torrential rains, killing at least 11 people.

Chinese president Xi Jinping has been briefed on the operation and demanded all-out efforts from rescuers to find any survivors. Chinas national fire and rescue authority said it had dispatched a team involving over 850 officials as well as 90 vehicles, 20 boats and 41 drones to join the search.

The highway bridge in Shangluo, a city in the northwestern Shaanxi province, collapse at around 8.40pm local time on Friday evening, sending an estimated 25 vehicles plunging into the swollen river below.

Authorities said 11 bodies had been recovered from five of those vehicles as of Saturday morning, but as the day wore on Xinhua news agency reported that there had been no more cars recovered, and an estimated 30 people are still missing, feared dead.

Pictures released by state media showed a section of the bridge snapped and folded down at an almost 90-degree angle into the rushing brown water below.

According to AFP, one witness told state media he had approached the bridge but other drivers started yelling at me to brake and stop the car.

A truck in front of me didnt stop and fell into the water, he said.

Mr Xi urged local authorities to take responsibility during a critical period for flood control in the region, ordering them to enhance monitoring and early warning systems.

Extreme rains have brought flooding to large swathes of western and southwestern China in recent days, an area that is particularly prone to landslides due to its mountainous landscapes and the powerful rivers that run through the region.

Hubei citys Three Gorges Dam, Chinas largest, was put on high alert last week after dozens of rivers breached their banks and flooded townships.

At least six people have been reported dead in nearby Chongqing after flooding in a dozen districts and counties since Thursday, raising the water levels in 29 rivers.

In Sichuan province, to the southwest, another 30 people were missing and around 40 houses destroyed in flooding and storms on Saturday, Xinhua reported.

Sichuans hardest-hit Hanyuan county has seen both roads and communications infrastructure damaged or destroyed, complicating rescue efforts, and teams had been working since dawn to restore connectivity and clear debris from highways.

From record-breaking heatwaves to unprecedented rainfall, China has been facing increasing numbers of extreme weather events in recent years, testing the countrys ability to cope with the impact of the climate crisis.

Almost a years worth of rain pounded a small town in Henan on Tuesday. It recorded 606.7mm (24 inches) of rainfall in Dafengying over a 24 hour-period, the most anywhere in China, according to national weather forecasters. That compares with the average annual rainfall of 800mm in the area.

Changing rainfall patterns coincide with a dramatic decline in the countrys economic expansion, which in past decades has seen China build a huge network of motorways, high-speed railways and airports across even the countrys most remote districts.

The economic slowdown means officials and industries are cutting corners to try and continue expanding this network, leading to a proliferation of poor-quality infrastructure and poor safety supervision.
Amnesty International has expressed alarm at the four- and five-year sentences imposed on five Just Stop Oil protesters, which are thought to be the longest ever handed down for a peaceful demonstration.

Roger Hallam, a co-founder of Just Stop Oil, was given a five-year prison sentence for his part in organising a protest in which 45 activists climbed gantries on the M25, disrupting traffic for five days. Four of his co-defendants were sentenced to four years in prison because they had also taken part in the Zoom meeting in which the protest was organised.

The sentences are longer than the three-year term imposed on Just Stop Oil protesters who scaled the Queen Elizabeth II Bridge on the Dartford Crossing two years ago.

Is the law on protest getting harsher?

Tom Southerden, Amnesty International UKs law and human rights adviser, warned against the ongoing crackdown against peaceful protest in this country, which violates all our human rights. The joint committee on human rights of the House of Commons and House of Lords raised concern in more moderate language that the Police, Crime, Sentencing and Courts Act 2022 will have a chilling effect on the right to protest in England and Wales.

But Hallam and his co-defendants were found guilty of offences under two acts. One was the 2022 act, drafted by Priti Patel as home secretary in Boris Johnsons government. But the Just Stop Oil five were also found guilty of breaking Section 1 of the Criminal Law Act 1977, so the severe sentences were not necessarily the product of recent Conservative legislation. (Indeed the Police, Crime, Sentencing and Courts Act actually reduced the maximum sentence for public nuisance offences from life imprisonment to 10 years.)

It would seem that the long sentences reflect the frustration of judges, who see severe punishment for conspiracy as a way to deter people from organising disruptive protests in the first place.

Doesnt Labour want fewer people in prison?

It is a paradox that the court should have handed down such long sentences at the very time the prisons are so full that the new government is taking emergency action to ease overcrowding. Shabana Mahmood, the justice secretary, has announced that some categories of offenders will be released after serving 40 per cent of their sentence, instead of the usual 50 per cent (assuming good behaviour).

So Hallam could expect to serve two years and his co-defendants 19 months, if this temporary measure is still in force by then.

Will Labour ease the crackdown?

The Labour manifesto does not mention the right to protest. Keir Starmer has expressed his opposition to the tactics of groups such as Just Stop Oil in forceful terms, describing them as contemptible.

He may have used such strong language because Dale Vince, the founder of green electricity company Ecotricity, has donated to both Just Stop Oil and the Labour Party. This led to attacks in the Conservative press accusing Labour of supporting the disruption tactics of JSO, Extinction Rebellion and Greenpeace.

So we should not expect the Labour government to do anything that would suggest it is soft on disruptive protest, which is unpopular with most voters, even if public opinion does sympathise with some of the goals of environmental campaigns.

On the other hand, Labour has an incentive to encourage the courts to hand down more community sentences in order to ease the overcrowding crisis in prisons. The question is whether judges would regard non-custodial sentences as a sufficient deterrent to stop seriously disruptive protests.
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Angelina Jolie and Brad Pitts daughter Shiloh announced that she has filed to drop her fathers last name in the Los Angeles Times.

Two months after the daughter of the former Hollywood power couple filed to drop Pitt from her last name, the 18-year-old announced in the newspaper that she had gone through the following step in Californias name-change process. According to California law, one must have the name-change legal forms published in a newspaper ad for one month, and once published, the request will show up in the legal notice section of the paper, only then can a judge approve a petition to change ones name.

In the announcement, she revealed that she was filing to change her name to Shiloh Jolie, dropping her fathers last name altogether. According to TMZ, Shilohs documents were filed on her 18th birthday, 27 May.

Sources reportedly close to Pitt have claimed that the Oscar winner is aware and upset at the name-change filing.

Hes aware and upset that Shiloh dropped his last name, the source told the People. The reminders that hes lost his children, is of course not easy for Brad. He loves his children and misses them. Its very sad.

A source close to the family revealed that the actor has virtually no contact with his adult children  including Maddox, 22, Pax, 20, Zahara, 19, and Shiloh  but still has visitation with his younger children, twins Knox and Vivienne, 16.

He has virtually no contact with the adult kids. His engagement with the younger kids is more limited in recent months because of his filming schedule, the source said, adding that the estranged couples custody agreement allows visitation rights to their children who are still minors. [Angelina] has the kids most of the time, but per their agreement, he has visitation with the younger kids.

Notably, Shiloh isnt the first to publicly forego their fathers last name, with many of the Brangelina brood opting to go by their mothers last name instead. In the Playbill for the new musical The Outsiders, which the Eternals actor produced with the assistance of Vivienne, People confirmed that the youngest daughter was listed as Vivienne Jolie instead of Vivienne Jolie-Pitt.

In a video shared by Essence last November, the former couples eldest daughter Zahara notably introduced herself as Zahara Marley Jolie while joining the Mu Pi chapter of the Alpha Kappa Alpha sorority at her university, Spelman College. She was seen dancing alongside her fellow sorority sisters before introducing herself, My name is Zahara Marley Jolie. And [I] landed all the way from the Golden State in the city full of angels: Los Angeles, California.
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Anne Hathaway and her son served something special to the crowd at Taylor Swifts Eras Tour in Germany.

The Devil Wears Prada lead and her eight-year-old son Jonathan stepped out for a sparkling night in Gelsenkirchen on Friday, July 19, singing along with the Anti-Hero vocalist as she ran through her multi-album setlist. And while Hathaway, 41, and her eldest child were enjoying the view from the VIP section, they wanted to share their experience with other concertgoers who werent sitting with them in the enclosed area.

In footage posted to X, formerly known as Twitter, the actor is seen dancing to Swifts ...Ready for It? in an airy white button-down, matching shorts, and a blue lace bustier. Other social media users published footage of Hathaway and Jonathan from the concert, showing Jonathan handing out snacks to people in the stadium.

One pleased fan snapped a selfie with The Idea of You star and wrote: Did not think I would be spending #GelsenkirchenTSTheErasTour in front of Anne Hathaway and her family. She was the sweetest, taking pictures and dancing and her son came to bring us snacks from their stash and traded bracelets with us.

Another attendee noted that Jonathan was handing out bottles of water too. Absolutely adorable, the X user remarked.

Hathaways appearance at night three of the Grammy winners sought-after concert series was due to her recent shooting in Germany for the movie Mother Mary, according to multiple reports.

On Instagram, the Hollywood favorite showed her appreciation and love for Swift with a sweet message. Thank you phenomenal, moving, powerful, fearless @taylorswift, she wrote on July 20 over a video of Swift performing in a flouncy yellow gown.

Huge shout-out to the incredible Eras crew! Best picture-wrap celebration EVER, Hathaway continued.

The One Day actor shares her sons Jonathan and Jack, four, with her husband of 12 years, Adam Shulman. Hathaway tied the knot with the actor and producer in 2012. The on-screen stars met in 2008 at the Palm Springs Festival, catching each others attention from the second they locked eyes. However, Hathaway and Shulmans romantic relationship didnt blossom until some time after.

We hit it off immediately, but it took us a pretty long time to get together. He thought that I had a boyfriend, and I thought that he had a girlfriend, so I thought that Id better keep my distance because I didnt want to be that girl, Hathaway told Vogue in 2010.

A year later, the duo officially stepped out as a couple for the first time at the premiere of A Streetcar Named Desire. Now, the married couple share their two kids, supporting one another while the other is off filming or working on a new project.
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One woman hastily decided to divorce her husband for sitting in the car for too long.

When her patience wore thin, she knew she had to end it. But now, shes not sure whether she made the right choice. Taking to Reddits infamous confession forum, Am I The A**hole, the woman sought to figure out if other people thought she was in the wrong for ending her two-year marriage.

She prefaced the situation by noting how her former partner always liked to stay in the car five to 10 minutes after he got home.

I dont know why he does it, but he talked about a past traumatic experience he had when he came home and caught his ex cheating on him, the Redditor wrote. Because of that hed just spend few minutes in his car before he enters his home as response to his trauma.

While she understands his habit is a coping mechanism, she doesnt like how it negatively impacts her. According to the Reddit writer, his prolonged period in the car makes her uneasy and has caused several arguments, especially when hes sat in the driveway when guests are inside.

Or when dinner is waiting on him and hed take 10 minutes silently sitting in the car, she added.

That said, her biggest concern was that shed find him wasting time in the car during an emergency, which is exactly what happened.

Unfortunately, the Reddit users eight-year-old son fell and tripped when walking down the stairs. As a result, he broke his ankle and needed to be rushed to the hospital. So, she called her husband and asked if he could leave work to take him to the emergency room.

Then I called and called and then I was stunned when I looked out the window and I saw him sitting outside the house in his car, she confessed. I was both shocked and angry.

According to her husband, he had been sitting in the car for eight minutes. Whats more, he told the Reddit writer that he wouldnt come inside to help until his 10 minutes lapsed because he didnt feel comfortable.

The original poster noted: He told me to get my son ready to take him to the hospital, but I started screaming at him nonstop telling him this was a family emergency and that he was out of his mind to behave like that.

Now, she doesnt think her response was appropriate, letting anger consume her to rage against him. Still, she had been anticipating this response from him in an emergency and was upset to see she was right.

The Reddit user took her son to the hospital with their neighbor and refused to talk to her husband when he tried to reach out later. She went to stay with her mom and told her partner she wanted a divorce.

He tried to rationalize and justify what hes done saying he could not help it and that he was nervous and wanted to help my son but felt stuck, the Redditor said.

She continued: I refused to reply to his messages and days later his family literally harassed me saying I was making my husbands trauma more severe and that I disrespected his boundaries.

After some time and space, the Reddit user is having second thoughts. Her family has made it clear they support her decision, but her husband has been trying to talk her out of getting a divorce, arguing that shes made a bigger deal out of the situation than necessary.

Even though her son isnt her husbands biological child, shes lost trust in him as a partner and father figure. But what do her fellow Reddit users think? An overwhelming majority of readers thought her husband suffered from Obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD). According to the National Institute of Mental Health, OCD is a long-lasting disorder in which a person experiences uncontrollable and recurring thoughts (obsessions), engages in repetitive behaviors (compulsions), or both.

It sounds like some form of OCD to me, one person commented, while another agreed: It sounds like he is stuck in a compulsive behavior.

The original writer confessed she had asked him to seek help for his behaviors, but he wasnt up for it.

He had refused professional help and his family sided with him, she admitted.

To this, one reader added: The fact that he has refused to seek help for it. Peak selfishness. Leaving is warranted. Best luck to you and your boy.

If he refused professional help then you have your answer. You need to be able to rely on your husband in case of an emergency and he proved to you that you cant. Youre definitely NTA, another argued.
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They plan to gather one last time on Sunday  the handful of mostly elderly members of First Baptist Church in Mt. Vernon, Illinois.

They'll say the Lord's Prayer, recite the Apostle's Creed and hear a biblical passage typically used at funerals, To everything there is a season ... a time to be born, and a time to die. They'll sing classic hymns  Amazing Grace, It Is Well With My Soul and, poignantly, God Be With You Till We Meet Again.

Afterward, members are scheduled to vote to close the church, a century and a half after it was created by hardscrabble farmers in this southern Illinois community of about 14,000 people.

Many U.S. churches close their doors each year, typically with little attention. But this closure has a poignant twist.

First Baptist's pastor, Ryan Burge, spends much of his time as a researcher documenting the dramatic decline in religious affiliation in recent decades. His recent book, The Nones, talks about the estimated 30% of American adults who identify with no religious tradition.

He uses his research in part to help other pastors seeking to reach their communities, and hes often invited to fly around the country and speak to audiences much larger than his weekly congregation.

But it's no academic abstraction. Burge has witnessed the reality of his research every Sunday morning in the increasingly empty pews of the spacious sanctuary, which was built for hundreds in the peak churchgoing years of the mid-20th century.

Its this odd thing, where Ive become somewhat of an expert on church growth, and yet my church is dying, said Burge, a political science professor at Eastern Illinois University. A lot of what I do is trying to figure out how much I am to blame for whats happened around me.

Burge started leading the congregation in 2006, when there were about 50 people on a good Sunday, he recalled. In the years since, he's earned his doctorate and begun working as a professor. He's gained a wide online and print readership, in part by converting dense statistical tables into easy-to-comprehend graphics on religious trends.

All this time, he's continued to pastor the small church.

Im willing to admit that Im not as good as I could be or should be as a pastor, he said. But Im also not willing to admit that its 100% my fault. If you look at the macro level trends happening in modern American religion, its hard to grow a church in America today, regardless of what your denomination is. And a lot of places have way more headwinds than tailwinds.

The church's American Baptist denomination is part of a cluster of so-called mainline denominations  Episcopal, Methodist, Presbyterian, Lutheran and others that were once central in their communities but have been dramatically shrinking in numbers. The nation's largest evangelical denomination, the Southern Baptist Convention, has also been losing members.

While there's no annual census of U.S. church closures, about 4,500 Protestant churches closed in 2019, according to the Southern Baptist-affiliated Lifeway Research.

Scholars say churches dwindle for various reasons  scandal, conflict, mobility, indifference, lower birth rates, members shifting to a church they like better. To be sure, most Americans remain religious, and some larger churches are thriving while many smaller ones dwindle. Some surveys suggest that the long rise of the nones has slowed or paused.

But the nonreligious are far more common today than a generation ago, in the U.S. and many other nations.

If Billy Graham would have been born in 1975 instead of 1918, I dont think he would have been as successful, because he hit his peak right as the baby boom was taking off and America was really hungry for religion, Burge said.

Things are particularly challenging where communities are shrinking, such as the Rust Belt and rural areas.

Burge hopes his research, and his personal experience, can offer some consolation to other pastors in similar circumstances.

This is not all your fault, he said. You know, in the 1950s, you could be a terrible pastor and probably grow a church because there just was so much growth happening all across America. Now it doesnt look like that anymore.

Gail Farnham, 80, has seen that trajectory of church life first-hand.

Her family began attending First Baptist Church when she was 5. Her parents quickly got involved as volunteers and never looked back," she recalled. Like many American families in the '50s, they joined during the booming rise in church involvement. First Baptist peaked at about 670 members by mid-century, leading to the construction of a large new sanctuary and a suite of Sunday School classrooms.

Farnham went on to raise her own children in the church, and as the congregation's moderator, she still holds a top leadership role.

First Baptist has had its share of schisms and controversies in the past, but it largely followed the typical arc of many Protestant churches, thriving in the 1950s and only gradually losing sustainability. Last Sunday, eight worshippers attended.

The remaining, primarily older members, found a new mission in recent years despite the uncertain future. They joined a program to provide bag lunches for needy schoolchildren. At one point they were providing 300 meals per week.

The closure is bittersweet, Farnham said.

Its something weve seen coming," she said. Its not a surprise. Were thankful weve been able to serve and meet a need in the community. We turned from being a church saying, Oh me, oh my, what are we going to do?' to being a church that said, 'Were going to serve as long as we can with the best we can."

Now everyone, Burge included, will be looking for a new church. I have been preaching every Sunday since August of 2005 and I need to be a member of a church for a while, not up front, he said.

___

Associated Press religion coverage receives support through the APs collaboration with The Conversation US, with funding from Lilly Endowment Inc. The AP is solely responsible for this content.
By Nazrin Abdul

Azerbaijan is uniquely positioned as the only country in the South Caucasus with extensive hydrocarbon reserves, a sophisticated fuel-energy infrastructure, and a fully self-sufficient energy system. In addition, the countrys expanding influence is not limited to national and regional spheres but extends to a decisive role on the global energy stage. Furthermore, Azerbaijan's strategic position in transnational energy markets and its active participation in Europe's energy security significantly bolster its regional and global geopolitical and geoeconomic standing.

Azerbaijans energy resources serve as the foundation for the dynamic development of all sectors of the national economy. In particular, these resources are crucial in shaping the countrys Gross Domestic Product (GDP) and other key financial and economic indicators. Therefore, the policy of effectively harnessing natural resources and optimizing fuel-energy potential is essential for ensuring Azerbaijans sustainable economic development and economic security within the regional geopolitical and geoeconomic context of the South Caucasus.

It is important to recognize that energy security is a fundamental component of national security for any country. In this regard, energy security encompasses the protection of the nation, its citizens, society, and economy from both external and internal threats through the reliable provision of fuel and energy resources.

On July 18, during President Ilham Aliyevs participation in the "Energy and Connectivity" Round Table at the "European Political Community" Summit in Oxford, he addressed several pivotal issues related to the energy sector.

During the Summit, President Aliyev delivered a comprehensive presentation on Azerbaijans strategic objectives in the energy sector and its plans for gas supply to Europe. He detailed future initiatives to increase gas exports to Europe as part of Azerbaijans strategic partnership framework and discussed several significant energy projects that have been successfully implemented.

President Aliyev highlighted the goal of doubling Azerbaijans gas supplies to Europe by the end of 2027 in his speech.

"We are progressing towards this goal. In 2021, our gas supply to the European continent was 8 billion cubic meters per year, and this year this figure will approach 13 billion cubic meters. In 2021, total exports amounted to 18 billion cubic meters, and this year we anticipate reaching 25 billion cubic meters, with more than half of these exports directed to Europe," stated the President.

Furthermore, it is notable that in the first half of this year, Azerbaijan exported 11 billion 825 million 660 thousand cubic meters of natural gas, valued at 4 billion 68 million 547 thousand US dollars. This represents an approximately 8% increase in gas exports compared to the previous year. In addition, from January to June, natural gas accounted for 31.54% of Azerbaijans total exports.

Moreover, Azerbaijan increased its natural gas exports to Europe by 12% in the first half of this year compared to the same period of the previous year, reaching 6.4 billion cubic meters, which constitutes 51% of total gas exports. In comparison, exports to Turkiye totaled 5 billion cubic meters, representing 39% of total gas sales abroad, while exports to Georgia amounted to 1.3 billion cubic meters, accounting for 10% in total.

Compared to the previous year, the overall volume of Azerbaijans natural gas exports increased by approximately 6%. At the Absheron gas-condensate field, where SOCAR and TotalEnergies began production a year ago, over 1.5 billion cubic meters of gas were produced during the Initial Production Scheme (EPS) phase. Looking ahead, the phased development of the Ab?eron field and plans to escalate annual production from 1.5 billion to 6 billion cubic meters will make a significant contribution to both national and regional energy security, as well as to the energy security of Azerbaijans European partners.

Additionally, President Aliyev noted at the Summit that Azerbaijan currently exports natural gas to eight countries, five of which are members of the European Union. These countries are Bulgaria, Greece, Italy, Hungary, and Romania. Furthermore, Georgia and Serbia are candidate countries for EU membership.

In this context, President Aliyev also mentioned that discussions are ongoing with Slovenia regarding gas cooperation, intending to enter the Slovenian market soon.

This report highlights Azerbaijans leading energy projects and major infrastructure investments, which are crucial to the nations energy strategy.

Southern Gas Corridor - President Ilham Aliyev highlighted the Southern Gas Corridor project as a significant strategic initiative. Specifically, this energy corridor facilitates the transportation of gas from the Shah Deniz field in the Caspian Sea to the Mediterranean Sea. The Southern Gas Corridor project comprises three main components: the extraction of gas from the Shah Deniz field, transportation to Turkiye via the Trans-Anatolian Natural Gas Pipeline (TANAP), and delivery to Italy through the Trans-Adriatic Pipeline (TAP). This project, completed in December 2020, is now operational and plays a crucial role in ensuring Europes energy security through a 3,500-kilometer pipeline network.

The signing of the "Contract of the Century" in 1994 was a landmark achievement for Azerbaijan, establishing it as the first country in the CIS region to reach a major agreement with leading Western oil companies. This historic accord marked the beginning of extensive international cooperation in the Caspian Sea, focusing on the development and exploitation of the "Azeri-Chirag-Gunashli" (ACG) fields, which are located in Azerbaijan's sector of the Caspian Sea. This foundational agreement set the stage for Azerbaijan's rise as a key player in the global energy market.

Building on this success, the Baku-Tbilisi-Ceyhan (BTC) Pipeline project emerged as a pivotal development in Azerbaijans energy strategy. The BTC Pipeline, inaugurated in 2006, is a significant infrastructure initiative that transports Azerbaijani oil from the Caspian Sea across Georgia to the Turkish port of Ceyhan on the Mediterranean coast. From Ceyhan, Azerbaijani oil is distributed to various European markets, thereby establishing a critical route for accessing global energy markets and reinforcing Azerbaijan's position as a strategic energy supplier.

Together, the "Contract of the Century" and the BTC Pipeline exemplify Azerbaijan's successful engagement with international partners and its strategic approach to leveraging its hydrocarbon resources for both regional and global energy security.

Shah Deniz Gas Field - Furthermore, the Shah Deniz Gas Field represents Azerbaijans largest gas field and serves as the primary source for the Southern Gas Corridor project. Since its exploitation began in 1999, the field has been a crucial asset for gas exports to Europe. Looking ahead, expansion projects at the Shah Deniz field are being developed with advanced technologies and new investments.

Trans-Anatolian Natural Gas Pipeline (TANAP) - The Trans-Anatolian Natural Gas Pipeline (TANAP) transports gas from the Shah Deniz field across Turkiye to Europe. Operational since 2018, TANAP is a key component in the transportation of gas from Azerbaijan to various European countries.

Trans-Adriatic Pipeline (TAP) - Additionally, the Trans-Adriatic Pipeline (TAP) transports gas from TANAP to Italy and has been operational since 2020. TAP represents the final segment of the Southern Gas Corridor project and serves as a critical transportation route for gas supplies to Europe.

In summary, President Ilham Aliyevs address at the Oxford Summit reflects Azerbaijans significant achievements in the energy sector, its strategic energy projects, and its role in enhancing Europes energy security. Under the leadership of President Aliyev, Azerbaijan is well-positioned to further expand its presence in both regional and global energy markets.
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The owners of a group of independent restaurants said they were targeted by criminals who threatened to post fake one-star reviews if they did not hand over thousands of pounds.

Sam Morgan and chef Andy Sheridan faced a demand for 2,000 to stop reviews being posted on Google and Tripadvisor on their five restaurants by a person using a mobile phone with a Bangladeshi international code.

After refusing to pay the money, several reviews were posted, said Mr Morgan, who claimed criminals were using the online review platforms as weapons to obtain cash.

By sharing his story, Mr Morgan hopes to expose the work of the criminal gangs while ramping up pressure on the online giants to clamp down on fake reviews.

Google and Tripadvisor said they have since removed the fake reviews on Mr Morgans Open Restaurant Group outlets while defending mechanisms to ensure reviews on their sites are genuine.

Mr Morgan said the blackmail started earlier this month with a message, seen by The Independent, to a customer service number used for Restaurant 8 in Liverpool, The Bracebridge in Birmingham, Black and Green in Worcestershire, and Restaurant OXA in the Wirral.

The first two fake reviews that appeared about The Bracebridge in Birmingham on Google ( Google )

It threatened to post negative reviews on Google and Tripadvisor if 2,000 was not paid to a bank account  and when Mr Morgan declined, he was told he would receive 1,000 one-star reviews.

Days later, two such supposed customer appraisals appeared on Google about The Bracebridge. This restaurant is just a scam. Be aware, one post read.

When Mr Morgan asked the person who messaged to remove the reviews, the amount demanded increased to 2,500.

If you dont do this now [pay the money] Ill increase the amount, day by day, the person wrote to Mr Morgan.

Mr Morgan decided to turn off the phone before more one-star reviews appeared for his restaurants. He contacted Google and Tripadvisor, which he said were too slow to act on the issue.

Mr Morgan said: Google and Tripadvisor are allowing the criminals to use their platforms as a weapon for the extortion of money from hard-working businesses like our own.

The fake reviews started with two posted on Google about The Bracebridge in Birmingham ( Open Group Restaurants )

There needs to be more stringent policies in place to stop this happening, and to act quickly when its raised.

He added: The reason Ive raised this is to protect others but hopefully encourage those targeted not to pay criminals for fake reviews.

Reviews are hugely important for businesses, so any threat to the online review platforms is obviously a big concern to not only the owners but the employees.

Mr Morgan said he flagged the issue to Google, but a chatbot initially responded with self-help guides that did not help him.

He said he raised the blackmail with Tripadvisor before the fake review was posted on the platform  but it took six days for the post to be removed.

Google said fake reviews posted on its site were a violation of its policy and encouraged users and business owners to flag suspicious activity.

Another fake review was posted about the groups Restaurant 8 in Liverpool ( Open Group Restaurants )

A spokesperson said: Our policies clearly state that reviews must be based on real experiences and information. Weve looked into this case and are removing the policy-violating content.

Tripadvisor said it works hard to keep fake reviews off its platform, with each review submitted going through a series of checks, first through an AI tool, then, if necessary, by a team of investigators.

A spokesperson added: As a final step, if a review does slip through the cracks, our community  including business owners  can report it as suspicious so it can be passed to our team for a closer look.

The allegation that Tripadvisor is allowing its platform to be weaponised by criminals for fake reviews is ridiculous. Tripadvisor has extremely robust processes and policies in place to protect the businesses listed on our platform from blackmail and threatening behaviour.

This was a single review, which was promptly removed by our trust and safety team upon receiving evidence from the business owner of its provenance.

The spokesperson said Tripadvisor had a feature to report blackmail, adding if this was used, the review would not have made it on the platform  although Mr Morgan had been in contact with the companys team.
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The mother of two women who were murdered says she cannot forgive the two police officers who violated them by taking photos of their dead bodies.

Mina Smallman said she doesnt feel hatred towards the man who killed her daughters, Nicole Smallman and Bibaa Henry, in June 2020.

But in relation to the officers, she told the BBC Radio 4s Today Programme she had not forgiven them for sending photos of their bodies to a Whatsapp chat group.

She said: "Obviously what they did wasnt as bad as murdering..

"But youre telling me you have violated our girls, further by doing this? Them I havent forgiven."

Nicole Smallman, 27, and Ms Henry, 46, were stabbed to death by Danyal Hussein. He was handed a 35 year minimum life sentence.

Jamie Lewis was jailed for taking pictures of Nicole Smallman and Bibaa Henry after they were murdered in June 2020 (Metropolitan Police/PA) ( PA Archive )

Deniz Jaffer, and Jamie Lewis, had been constables assigned to guard the scene after the women were found dead in bushes in Fryent Country Park, London, in June 2020. The officers took pictures of the womens bodies, describing them as "dead birds" and sent them to a Whatsapp chat.

Jaffer and Lewis were each given jail terms of two years and nine months at a hearing at the Old Bailey in December, after pleading guilty to misconduct in a public office.

Ms Smallman said her feelings toward the police had given her the impetus to keep working on reform with the organisation.

However, she said when the two officers were due to be released she said it made her feel suicidal.

I knew they were coming out but the whole trauma of their journey  the effect of when they appealed, when they applied to go to an open prison  I just thought, oh, you know what, I dont want to be here. I just had enough. Ive had enough of everything. And yeah, I attempted suicide, she said.

The campaigner for womens safety, said police needed to take the online misogynistic radicalisation of young men more seriously.

Composite picture of shamed officers Deniz Jaffer (left) and Jamie Lewis outside the Old Bailey in London (Victoria Jones/PA) ( PA Archive )

"A lot accelerated during lockdown ... [young men became exposed] to dialogues that suggest that if you cant get a girlfriend its because women have become more dominant and men have lost their place in society."

"This is radicalisation that is happening to our young men, it is feeding those haters to hate even more, and giving them the tools to hurt women in their lives."

Despite the actions of Lewis and Jaffer Ms Smallman said she still has faith in the police.

"The majority of the police are good people."

Im invited all over the country by different constabularies to come and talk to them about my experienceThis is what I do, and I realise it is keeping me alive. I feel really honoured to meet the parents and the womens groups who are supporting victims, survivors of male aggression.

The Met Police was approached for comment.
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A man has been charged after a double decker bus was set on fire when riots erupted on the streets of Leeds earlier this week.

Iustin Dobre, 37, of Harehills, Leeds, has been charged with violent disorder and arson reckless as to endanger life and will appear in court on Monday.

Police confirmed no one was injured during the riot and have urged people with information to come forward as investigations are carried out.

Follow live updates here

It comes after West Yorkshire Police made five arrests following the riots with the force defending its decision to pull back its officers in the face of hostile crowds.

Were you affected by this incident? Email alexander.butler@independent.co.uk

Police tape cordons off the remains of a burnt out bus after riots broke out in Leeds, West Yorkshire, on Thursday ( Getty Images )

Police said the rioting broke out as officers responded to reports of social workers experiencing hostility when dealing with a child protection issue.

While the children were moved to a safe place at around 5pm, crowds gathered and the situation escalated, with objects thrown at police.

As the disorder escalated, Assistant Chief Constable Pat Twiggs said officers were forced to withdraw as it became evident that the police was their sole target.

The decision has come in for criticism, including from local Green Party councillor Mothin Ali, who worked to de-escalate the violence.

As the disorder escalated, damage was caused to vehicles and several fires set, Mr Twiggs said.

In a separate incident, a police car was overturned during the riot sparked by a child protection issue ( Reuters )

We continually assessed the situation and took the decision to deploy specialist public order officers who then came under a barrage of bricks and missiles from a large group.

A West Yorkshire Police spokesperson said: An increased police presence remains in place in the area and will do so over the coming days.

A Major Incident Portal has been created where anyone with information, photos, video footage (including dashcam or doorbell footage) in relation to the disorder can submit it through this link: Public Portal (mipp.police.uk)

Anyone with any information can also contact West Yorkshire Police by calling 101 or go online at https://www.westyorkshire.police.uk/LiveChat quoting reference Op Jerviswick. Alternatively, call independent charity Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 1111.
The head of the UKs probation watchdog has warned the service is failing in 97 per cent of areas, even before the government releases thousands of prisoners early.

Martin Jones, the chief inspector of probation, warned it was already struggling to cope with supervising and managing the number of prisoners currently released on licence.

The government is preparing early release of thousands of inmates who have served as little as 40 per cent of their sentence because of a prison overcrowding crisis in England and Wales.

Prime minister Sir Keir Starmer has warned that the situation in prisons was worse than we thought after Labour examined the full extent of the issues once it won the election.

There are concerns that potentially dangerous criminals will be released early in the scheme, putting the onus on the probation service to ensure they are monitored.

Shabana Mahmood announced the emergency scheme after visiting HMP Bedford and HMP Five Wells ( Joe Giddens/PA Wire )

But Mr Jones warned that new recruits promised by the new Labour government to help shore up the service will not be ready in time for the early release systems introduction in the autumn.

On Thursday, the new justice secretary Shabana Mahmood revealed that 5,500 prisoners would be released early across September and October as part of a scheme set to last at least 18 months.

Ms Mahmood pledged to employ an extra 1,000 probation staff to help manage the newly released offenders in the community and said she aims to have the new staff in place by next spring.

However, Mr Jones warned it will take time for new recruits to bed down and gain vital experience as they join a service which is already chronically overstretched.

In a new podcast interview, where he also backed calls for prisoners serving abolished indeterminate IPP jail terms to be resentenced, he said: Clearly, you cannot run out of prison places. The challenge, I think, is what does that mean for the probation service?

Our recent reports have found that around 97 per cent of probation areas are falling short of what we would expect from them in relation to the supervision and management of offenders.

My question is, as you move people from prisons into the community, is that going to work effectively? Do they have the resources in place? Are they prioritising the right areas?

So, whilst I can understand what is happening, I think its an area that desires a real scrutiny from the inspectorate, but also from ministers to ensure that the public are kept safe and people are then given a second chance when theyre released into the community.

According to HM Inspectorate of Probations most recent report, 30 out of 31 probation delivery units inspected in 2022-23 were assessed as inadequate or requires improvement.

The report, authored by Mr Joness predecessor, Justin Russell, said that in two years since probation services were reunified into a single public sector service, provision had got worse, not better as inexperienced officers struggled with soaring caseloads.

Thousands of probation staff have left the service over the past two years, with almost two-thirds of the 359 officers who quit in the year to March 2023 taking with them five or more years of experience. As of March, 5,113 full-time probation officers were in post  25 per cent below the required staffing level of 6,794.

Two-thirds of probation officers described their caseload as unmanageable. And, in what inspectors say is a reflection of the stress many employees are under, 55 per cent of working days lost to staff sickness in the most recent year were due to mental health issues  up from 43 per cent five years earlier.

One probation service officer who joined as a job for life in 2018 told The Independent last year that she now reluctantly planned to quit, saying: We are completely overwhelmed, morale is low, and we have multiple people in our offices on long-term sick leave  so six months or more  because it is so stressful.

There are just a few hundred prison spaces left in England and Wales ( PA Archive )

Mr Jones, who was appointed in January, said while he welcomed Ms Mahmoods plans to bring in an extra 1,000 trainee probation officers by the end of March 2025, they will not be in place when the early release scheme starts in September.

I think I could probably be pretty confident in saying that were not going to have a thousand new probation officers in post by the autumn; I think theyll be coming along in due course, maybe by the time you get into the spring of next year, he told Trapped: The IPP Prisoner Scandal.

If youre joining as a trainee probation officer, newly qualified, it takes time to build your experience, given the nature of the caseload that youre dealing with.

And therell be a world of difference between somebody that is freshly trained and theyre entering this really complex and difficult world, versus somebody that has maybe 10, 15 years experience.

So the challenge will be, I think its absolutely right to recruit extra probation officers, but its going to take time for those people to bed down to ensure that they have the experience.

Its not like buying an accountant from the job centre, where you can go out and say, OK, then, we need accountants and they know how to do the maths immediately.

There had already been a national recruitment drive to fill the gaps left by the exodus of more experienced officers, with some 2,600 people training to become probation officers as of March 2023. However, the most recent data showed nearly one in six trainees was giving up.

Meanwhile, the Tory governments emergency end of custody supervised licence scheme  which first saw inmates freed up to 18 days early before being increased to 35 and then 70 days  will remain in place until September, despite warnings it has caused absolute mayhem for probation.

Some 10,000 inmates have already been freed under this scheme.

Napo probation union chief Ian Lawrence previously told The Independent: Thats caused absolute mayhem for probation staff because were trying to deal with people at short notice.

If theyre not in place with a rehabilitation plan, the chances are theyll be recalled [to prison] in a week or two, so its a revolving door scenario.

Mr Jones also told the podcast  which has helped to shine a light on the injustice facing prisoners trapped in imprisonment for public protection (IPP) sentences  that he hoped the new government will look again at the sentences, which are hugely costly, hugely burdensome for the system.

A 70-strong coalition of criminal justice experts and campaigners last week urged Sir Keir Starmer to end the injustice of almost 3,000 prisoners languishing on indeterminate sentences with no hope of release.

A Ministry of Justice spokesperson said: The prison system is in crisis which is putting significant pressure on the whole justice system.

We are gripping the situation and supporting our hardworking staff, including recruiting 1,000 more probation officers to deliver robust supervision and protect the public.

Listen to Trapped: The IPP Prisoner Scandal here
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A popular campaign for Britains wonkiest pub has been galvanised despite a delay in a legal battle for it to be rebuilt.

The Crooked House pub in Himley, near Dudley in the West Midlands, was reduced to rubble when a fire ripped through the building in August last year.

The well-publicised blaze happened just weeks after the 258-year-old pub was sold by brewery Marstons to a company called ATE Farms.

The new owner is accused of breaching planning regulations by flattening the remains of the pub two days after the fire, and was ordered to rebuild it within three years by South Staffordshire Council.

But ATE Farms launched an appeal to the enforcement notice, claiming fears over the immediate safety of the site led to a quick decision to knock down the whole building.

The firm said it would rebuild the iconic building in a new nearby location within sight of the busy Himley Road, to make the pub viable.

The Crooked House pub after the fire in August 2023 - it was subsequently pulled down under new owners ATE Farms ( Jacob King/PA Wire )

An appeal hearing was scheduled for this summer but has since been put back to spring 2025.

Campaigners, although disappointed by the hold-up, say their fight to have the watering hole rebuilt at its current site has only grown stronger with more people in the community rallying to support the cause.

Many remember the pub for first dates or family parties, and they say the pubs wonkiness, caused by mining subsidence, makes it a worldwide tourist attraction the region needs to keep.

The pub was knocked down completely over safety concerns from the new owners after the fire ( Getty Images )

Unhappy locals left posters on the rubble after the pubs remains were brought down ( PA )

Its an iconic building thats a part of the history of the industrial revolution  its an absolute tragedy to lose and something people are desperate to see rebuilt, Paul Turner, from the Save The Crooked House group, told The Independent.

Mr Turner said it was possible to recreate the pub using some of the 25,000 bricks kept from the building, which have been locked up in containers. There are also examples at the nearby Black Country Living Museum of old sites being rebuilt brick by brick, he said.

And he is backed by a Facebook group, with almost 38,000 members joining his call. Local community leaders and the Campaign for Real Ale group have voiced their support.

Were disappointed with the delay in the appeal hearing as we know this puts things back six or seven months, but were determined as ever to keep this campaign going for the rebuild.

And it has to be on its current site  that is where it sank to give it its crooked look. You move it elsewhere, it becomes less genuine, less real. There wont be the appeal to visit it.

The pub closed before its sale to ATE Farms  many locals remember going to the pub for first dates or family gatherings ( PA )

Paul Turner is leading the campaign to rebuild The Crooked House ( Paul Turner )

Mr Turner accepted the pub had struggled for custom in the years before it was sold, but he claims management of the site could have been better and that the lane leading up to it could be maintained for vehicles.

Determined to keep the story in the limelight, the campaigners are holding a one-year anniversary event with music and food at the nearby Himley Hall Park.

Co-organiser Michelle Taylor said: You dont realise how much something is missed until its gone, and thats the case with The Crooked House.

So many people have been left distraught by its destruction. It was a place the area held with pride and were now all desperate to have it back.

The pubs destruction brought outrage in the local community, with many people attending a public meeting after its demolition ( PA )

Staffordshire Police arrested six people in its investigation over the fire, which is being treated as arson. All the suspects remain on police bail.

In its appeal against the planning enforcement notice, ATE Farms said it was not responsible in any way for the fire.

The firm says that the council agreed to three sections of the building being removed following a site visit two days after the fire.

Removal of the sections, the company says, made the remaining structure completely unsafe and at a high and unacceptable risk of collapse.

The council officers had left the land and a quick decision had to be made, the appeal correspondence said on destroying the rest of the structure.

South Staffordshire Council issued the enforcement notice for the unlawful demotion of the pub. A spokesperson said: The council has engaged with the owners since the demolition but has reached a point where formal action is considered necessary.
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Workers globally may not be paid on time due to a major IT outage causing chaos around the world, payroll businesses have warned.

The IT outage has resulted in queues and delays at airports, disruption to GP services and payment failures in some shops.

Cybersecurity firm CrowdStrike is actively working to fix a defect in an update for Microsoft Windows users which sparked the outage.

Workers who are paid weekly could also be impacted by the outage, after businesses said their software for payroll was also affected.

Melanie Pizzey, chief executive officer and founder of the Global Payroll Association, said: Weve been contacted by numerous clients already today who have been unable to access their payroll software due to the Microsoft outage and others who have been urged to log out with immediate effect.

Depending on the length of this outage, it could have very serious implications for businesses across the nation, particularly those who process payroll on a weekly basis.

Furthermore, we could see a backlog with regard to processing payrolls for the coming month end which may delay employees from receiving their monthly wage.

At best, it will require those managing payroll to work overtime to rectify the issue, but the good news is that it doesnt seem to be a cyber attack.

Some banking services have also been affected, with Barclays bank reporting that its digital investing platform was also suffering disruptions.

A spokesman for the bank said: All Barclays services are operating as normal at this time other than our digital investing platform Smart Investor, where customers are currently unable to manage their account in the app, Online Banking or over the phone.

Other payments services, banks and financial institutions sought to reassure customers that their systems were running without disruption.

Link, which runs the UKs network of ATM cash machines, said its network is working normally but enhanced monitoring is in place as a precaution.
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Workers will soon be able to ignore work-related emails and calls outside office hours under new rules to be introduced by the Labour government.

Meeting the partys right to switch off campaign pledge, the plan will see workers empowered to disconnect from their jobs outside regular hours, including the right to refuse to take on extra work at the weekends.

The plan has received renewed backing from Keir Starmer this week, with the prime ministers deputy spokesperson saying: This is about ensuring people have some time to rest.

Good employers understand that for workers to stay motivated and productive they do need to be able to switch off, and a culture presenteeism can be damaging to productivity.

The plans are expected to cover workers annual leave, meaning bosses would not be allowed to ask employees to carry out work-related tasks while on holiday.

They will come as part of the governments Plan to Make Work Pay, thought to be spearheaded by new deputy prime minister Angela Rayner.

Other measures in the package were outlined during the Kings Speech in July. They include banning exploitative zero-hours contracts, ending fire and rehire, and making sick pay available from day one of any job.

The new plans are thought to be spearheaded by new deputy prime minister Angela Rayner ( PA Wire )

Unlike those measures, however, the right to switch off will not be enshrined in law. Instead, it will likely be recommended in the codes of practice for businesses.

The Trades Union Congress general secretary Paul Nowak said: No one should be pushed to the brink because of their job.

Ever-increasing hours, pace and expectations at work are causing problems up and down the country. This is a recipe for burnt-out Britain.

So we welcome these measures to tackle work intensity. Introducing a right to switch off will let workers properly disconnect outside of working hours.

The policy is popular among voters, with a recent Savanta poll finding 69 per cent supported the right to switch off outside of working hours.

In the UK, there is no currently no official right to disconnect from work, but employers can implement their own policies. Current legislation states that a working week should be no more than 48 hours on average, calculated over a 17-week period.

However, if a boss wants to contact their employee outside of these hours, they can. In theory, they can also pressure them to respond or take on additional work without being sanctioned.

Labour said the policy will ensure that working from home does not become homes turning into 24/7 offices, adding that it is inspired by models in Ireland and Belgium.

The code of practice for employers in Ireland gives workers the right not to be regularly required to perform work duties outside normal hours or to be penalised for refusing to do so.

The right to disconnect in Belgium is set in law for all public sector workers and those employed by businesses with at least 20 employees.

Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer and Deputy Prime Minister Angela Rayner at 10 Downing Street (Ian Vogler/Daily Mirror/PA) ( PA Wire )

Will Stronge, director of The Autonomy Institute think tank and author of Overtime, said: These kinds of things are really important steps to put boundaries on the working day.

There should be much more strict limits to when the working day finishes, given that in today's world of remote work, there is often blurring between work and life: answering 'just one more email' and so on.

The conversation around work-life balance is really important in this country. Were seeing a huge health epidemic around overwork, workload stress and anxiety.

However, the director also said the effectiveness of the policy will come down to the detail, adding he would like to see a stricter version of the policy like the one that is in place in France.

Under French laws, it is illegal for an employer to reprimand a worker for not responding to out-of-hours calls  and the offence can carry a fine.

British firm Rentokil was fined 60,000 by a French court in 2021 for failing to respect the right to disconnect of an employee based in the country. It was the first fine under the law which came into place in 2016.

The statutory workers rights laid out in the Kings Speech are expected to come into place in spring, with the new right to switch off likely to come around the same time.
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A councillor has been hailed as a hero after attempting to calm the violent scenes which erupted on Thursday night in Leeds.

Mothin Ali, Green Party councillor for Gipton and Harehills ward, said he returned home at 3am on Friday morning after trying to stop people from throwing objects and adding to the already raging fires.

He was filmed dramatically kicking away a wheelie bin being dragged towards a fire by two young people - one wearing a balaclava - and with the other hand, stopping another adult from throwing a wooden pallet onto the fire.

Appealing for calm the morning after the violence, he told The Independent: The police werent around. I dont want to criticise them but they left the scene and tried to come back and establish control - but they were being pelted with bricks and bottles and were chased off.

Our neighbourhood police team are fantastic and actually care about our community, but they didnt have the resources or the support they needed.

They had no shields and no helmets. Me and a couple of others tried to form a human shield. We stood in front of the bricks and bottles and tried to give the police a way of retreating.

Were you at the scene or wish to share how this impacted you? Email alexander.ross@independent.co.uk

The councillor for Gipton and Harehills ward said he returned home at 3am on Friday morning after the riots ( Twitter/X )

Mr Ali also dramatically kicked away a wheelie bin being dragged towards a fire by two young people ( TikTok )

West Yorkshire Police battled the serious disorder incident in the Harehills estate while residents were urged to stay indoors as large crowds gathered in the streets.

The force pledged those responsible will face the full weight of the law. Leeds City Councils chief executive Tom Riordan said a family incident triggered the trouble and the actions of police and social service workers were misinterpreted.

Recalling what was going through his mind when he intervened in the riots, Mr Ali said with a croaky voice: This is my community, these are my people, regardless of how they behaved. This behaviour is unacceptable but we need people to step in and calm things down when they can. I have a position of authority and I have to use it.

I grabbed the bin off those young lads, and credit to them they showed me respect and stepped away. They didnt try anything else.

Later on the crowd changed, and was more aggressive. I had people pushing me and shoving me. I dont even know if I was scared, I wasnt thinking about that. I was just thinking about my community.

He said he received a small bump to the head but nothing thats going to kill me.

Gipton and Harehills ward councillor Mothin Ali has been hailed as a hero ( Leeds Council )

Despite some seizing on the footage of Mr Ali and using it as an opportunity to blame him for the riots, many praised him for his behaviour.

Nate Higgins, another Green councillor based in Newham, London, wrote on X: Mothin Ali out here acting like an actual freaking superhero... Somehow doubt some of the people on here will recognise his heroic behaviour tonight.

Conservative activist group Turning Point UK added he was trying to prevent the disorder and stop bins from being pushed into fires.

Last night Ali was a hero, it wrote.

Video footage shared online on Thursday night showed a double-decker bus alight ( Getty Images )

Mr Ali spoke passionately about Harehills, admitting he was heartbroken by the images of violence being shared in the media and online.

He said: Were not the richest community in the world but the people here matter. Harehills has its share of problems, there is a lot of poverty and lots of different communities trying to make the UK their home.

It has always been that stepping stone for immigrant communities to come, establish their foundations and move on to better things.

We have people with language issues, who dont understand how the system works. A lot of people have come from troubled backgrounds and all that in a pot can make them distrustful of authorities.

Harehills is the people putting out the fire. People banding together when everyone is against us and doing everything we can to survive.

No one wants to see the destruction on your doorstep, it was heartbreaking. It is going to have a long-lasting impact on our community.

People overturn a police vehicle during unrest in Harehills ( Reuters )

Nigel Farage was accused of inflaming tensions in the area after blaming the rioting on the politics of the subcontinent.

Labours Leeds Central and Headingley MP, Alex Sobel, replied to the Reform leaders post on X: This is a situation you know nothing about and no one has briefed you on.

You are inflaming a situation with misinformation. Politicians have a responsibility to not exacerbate situations particularly with no knowledge of them. I expect you to issue an apology.

The police confirmed no one so far was reported as injured but urged people to refrain from speculating about the incident.
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Turkeys president Recep Tayyip Erdogan will lead celebrations of the anniversary of his countrys intervention 50 years ago, which left the island of Cyprus split in two.

Thousands of mostly Muslim Turkish Cypriots in the north of the island will join their president Ersin Tatar and Mr Erdogan to watch a peace parade of tanks, soldiers, jets and military vehicles, followed by an air performance carried out by the Turkish Stars (the Turkish version of the Red Arrows) on Saturday.

But while this is happening, Greek Cypriots in the south of the island will approach the anniversary in a much more sombre mood, with many on both sides having lost their homes and land as well as family members to the conflict five decades ago.

It comes as former Labour foreign secretary Jack Straw has written for The Independent, accusing the recognised [Greek] Cypriot government on the island of being happy with the status quo and demanding that the United Nations, the European Union, and the UK, as a guarantor power, propose a two-state solution to force an end to the 50-year crisis.

Newly appointed Europe minister Stephen Doughty has, though, stuck with UK foreign policy  that the island needs to come back together in a federal structure that recognises both communities. This is the solution the UK attempted to create in the 1960s when it withdrew as the colonial power, only holding on to its two key military bases.

The presence of what are two highly important bases for the UK, facing out onto the Middle East, have made the Cyprus crisis a critical issue and one that is difficult to navigate diplomatically.

Cyprus crisis anniversary with Erdogan and Tatar ( AP )

In a tweet, Mr Doughty said: For too long now, the people of Cyprus have been divided. On the 50th anniversary of the events of 1974, the UK restates its commitment to a lasting, comprehensive and just settlement which benefits all Cypriots, within the UN parameters of a bi-zonal, bi-communal federation with political equality.

We urge all sides to show openness, flexibility and compromise, and to engage with UN-led efforts to reach a settlement.

The events of 20 July 1974 are referred to by Turkish Cypriots as an intervention by Turkey, and by Greek Cypriots as an illegal invasion. They came after what both sides acknowledge was a coup by a Greek Cypriot military junta with the aim of enosis or unification with Greece. Almost immediately, Greek Cypriot militias armed by Greece turned on Turkish Cypriots and killed hundreds.

It is estimated that some 5,000 individuals from both communities, also including 300 Turkish soldiers, were killed during the conflict, and 200,000, including 160,000 Greek Cypriots, were made refugees as they fled to their respective parts of the island.

The war that followed saw the Turkish army occupy the north of the island and take almost a third of the territory. The Turkish military has remained in bases there to this day, with the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus (TRNC) declared about a decade later, although it remains unrecognised by countries other than Turkey.

The TRNC has remained isolated to this day, with the UK and other countries even banning direct flights there, despite 300,000 Turkish Cypriots living in Britain. Former Tory leader Sir Iain Duncan Smith has joined Mr Straw in campaigning for direct flights to be allowed on humanitarian grounds.

Jack Straw has suggested a two-state solution ( Getty )

Mr Straw has insisted that the problem has become an impasse because of what he describes as the mistake of allowing Cyprus to join the EU in 2004, after the southern part of the island reneged on the UN-brokered Annan deal to bring the island back together again, a solution the citizens of the unrecognised TRNC accepted. In 2017, the Cypriot government walked away from Crans-Montana in Switzerland with a solution close.

When Ersin Tatar was elected president of the TRNC in 2020, he won on a platform backed by Mr Erdogan for a two-state solution, claiming that, after five decades, hopes of bringing the two communities together were dead.

It is the facts on the ground, he noted. What we have at the moment is peaceful coexistence with two neighbouring states.

Different people, different language, different history, different culture. Therefore it was our true right to establish our own state, which we did [in 1983].

Since 1974 we have been separated. The young generation dont know one another. They have different language, culture and experiences. There have been so many bitter experiences that there is no hope for a federal relationship in the future.

Now Mr Straw, who played a leading role in the Annan talks, appears to have backed a move opposed by the UK, Cypriot and Greek governments as well as the EU and UN.

He said: The possibility of partition is the one thing which could, and likely would, prompt the south to compromise, because if not, they would have an entirely separate, internationally recognised, independent state to their north. The absurdity of the current situation, which makes [Ursula] von der Leyens 2021 view so risible, is that, de facto, thats what we have anyway. Why should innocent people in the north continue to be punished through the inconvenience of international isolation, when their negotiators have repeatedly cooperated only to face obduracy from the south?

President Tatar and Turkish Cypriot campaigners have welcomed his comments.

Rikki Williams and Cetin Ramadan, co-chairs of the organisation Freedom and Fairness for Northern Cyprus, said: As the former foreign secretary, Jack Straw witnessed first hand the Greek Cypriot rejection of the Annan plan in 2004 and despite this, their entry into the European Union. This not only compounded the isolation of the Turkish Cypriots which had begun in 1963, but it also removed all incentive for the Greek Cypriot side to negotiate a fair and sustainable settlement.

Twenty years later and Jack Straws statements are truer than ever. Labour were in government in 1974, 2004 and now 2024  they owe it to the Turkish Cypriots to view them as equals at the negotiating table with their inherent sovereign rights recognised. It is time for two states on one island. We would hope that Mr Straw can talk directly to his friends in the new Labour government.

But the Cypriot government and its high commission in London say that a federal solution and the end of Turkish occupation would be the only acceptable outcome.

Deputy high commissioner Spyros Miltiades told The Independent: It is obvious from the above that the Cyprus problem is not a bicommunal dispute but rather an issue of an illegal invasion and occupation.

He added: It is true that the passage of time makes it harder to reach a solution of the Cyprus problem. But there is no other alternative than continue all efforts to reach a settlement that will reunite our country. As we have witnessed there is no such think a s frozen conflict.

Cyprus lies in the centre of a turbulent region. A reunification that would bring peace and stability in Cyprus could be a catalyst for peace and stability for the whole region. In this effort we need the support of the International Community. The UK a guarantor power has special role to play and we rely on its leadership and influence. Most importantly, a solution of the Cyprus issue must incorporate a sense of justice. Otherwise, we will find ourselves back to square one.
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Nigel Farage has been accused of inflaming tensions after blaming rioting in Leeds on the politics of the subcontinent.

The Reform UK leader, who was in the US for the Republican National Convention in Minnesota, posted on social media on Thursday evening as scenes of disorder in the city emerged.

The politics of the subcontinent are currently playing out on the streets of Leeds, he wrote on X within hours: Dont say I didnt warn you.

People in the Harehills area of the city were urged to stay at home as officers were called to Luxor Street at about 5pm on Thursday due to an ongoing disturbance involving agency workers and children.

While the children were moved to a safe place, crowds gathered and the situation escalated, with objects thrown at police.

Flames engulf double-decker bus after riot breaks out in Leeds with hundreds on streets. ( Damien Robinson )

The chief executive of Leeds City Council said on Friday the disorder had been sparked by a family incident, while locals have claimed it stemmed from dispute over children in care.

Mr Farages intervention sparked anger among critics. Labour MP Stella Creasy told The Independent it was ill-informed, ill-judged and ill-considered.

Its not a surprise that yet again he seeks to stoke division rather than calm tensions, but Mr Farage would do well to do his homework before blowing his dog whistle, she added.

In a post on X responding to Mr Farage, Labours Leeds Central and Headingley MP Alex Sobel added: This is a situation you know nothing about and no one has briefed you on.

Nigel Farage, who is at the Republican convention in the US, was accused of inflaming tensions ( PA Wire )

You are inflaming a situation with misinformation. Politicians have a responsibility to not exacerbate situations particularly with no knowledge of them.

I expect you to issue an apology.

And the chief executive of Hope Not Hate Nick Lowles accused Mr Farage of making cheap political attacks from America.

The politics of the subcontinent has nothing to do with this trouble, Mr Lowles said, saying the Reform leader had the facts completely wrong.

It came after home secretary Yvette Cooper condemned the violent scenes. In a post on X, she said: I am appalled at the shocking scenes and attacks on police vehicles & public transport in Leeds tonight. Disorder of this nature has no place in our society. My thanks go to West Yorkshire police for their response. I am being kept regularly updated.
Friday morning, in a packed courtroom at the Platte County Courthouse, District Court Judge Jason M. Bergevin ceremoniously cut a red ribbon to celebrate the first day of the countys first problem-solving court.

The new court, known as a drug court, is designed to provide treatment and rehabilitation to felony offenders who are deemed high risk and high need.

It's a program that is an alternative to traditional sentencing and it's been proven in many places around the country to be an effective alternative to probation or prison, Bergevin told the assemblage of guests, which included Columbus Mayor Jim Bulkley, county supervisors Kim Kwapnioski and Gene Trouba, state Sen. Mike Moser and state Supreme Court Justice Jeffrey J. Funke. So, we're excited to have people into our program. We've had three people enter pleas and become part of the program already. We'll be seeing them at 10 o'clock this morning for our first court session.

The countys problem-solving court coordinator, Sarah Ryba, said that there are four additional participants waiting to enter the program. They first must go through a plea hearing, at which time they will plead guilty to the charges against them and officially be welcomed into the drug court program.

In his remarks, Funke said that there are currently 750 people in Nebraska working their way through the states various problem-solving courts.

Every judicial district has an adult drug court, Funke said. We also have a DUI court, a pilot project in Lancaster. We have a mental health pilot project in Sarpy County. We have four veterans treatment courts in the state.

Nebraskas first problem-solving courts began in 1999 in Douglas and Lancaster counties before expanding across the state.

We're very excited to have the problem-solving court here in Platte County, Funke said. This is a great community, lots of growth, lots of positive things happening, so to be able to offer this service to the people of Platte County is really important, so we're excited about Judge Bergevin's willingness to take on this additional duty.

Funke explained that Nebraska courts use a weighted caseload model to determine how many judges are needed to handle the states current caseload.

We assign minutes to those cases, he said. Problem-solving courts are the most heavily weighted cases we have in the state. First degree murder is about 350 minutes. Problem-solving courts is about 680 minutes. So you can understand this is an intensive labor operation, but I find when I talk to the judges that do it, it's a labor of love.

Bergevin also introduced the members of the problem-solving court who are responsible for making sure everything is running smoothly and participants are sticking to their prescribed plan.

In addition to the judge and the court staff, problem-solving court teams include members of law enforcement, the county attorney and public defender offices, treatment providers and probation.

It's unusual for judges, because usually we're all on our own making our own decisions, Funke said. Instead, we bring in a team approach, where we have stakeholders ... working together to craft a program to help the individual.

Each case is different and what works for one offender might not work for another, which is why problem-solving courts treat each participant as an individual. There isnt any one solution that will solve everybodys situation, and so the court team works together with the participants to craft a treatment program that works for them.

The key is that they're held accountable, Funke said. They're held accountable on a daily basis. They come to testing two to three times a week. They come to court once a week or every other week  as the phases go on, that reduces. But really, what they're being challenged is to make a change to their life, and most of these people are high risk, high need, which means they've tried about everything. They've tried probation, tried treatment several times and haven't been successful, and now they're coming into this unique situation and when they have an opportunity to come before a judge and a team who really have focused on their needs and tried to understand what they can do to help that situation. We find that the judge and the connection the judge and the team make with that individual is the most important part of what they do.

The drug court program takes about 18 to 24 months from enrollment to graduation, though some participants can take a little longer. Theres no set maximum period of time so long as the participant is making progress.

By the end of those 18 to 24 months, the changes you see are remarkable, Funke said. We have people that had no contact with family, that have been kicked out of their home, parents don't talk to them, they're not involved with their kids, they don't have a job. At the end of the program, those bridges are rebuilt. Relationships are reestablished. I've been to lots of problem-solving court graduations and the emotions are heavy. You have parents thanking the judge and the team for the work they've done to bring their child back to them. You have kids that are starting to rebuild a relationship with their parent.

Problem-solving courts also keep communities safer. A 2022 study found that the cost of problem-solving court supervision per participant was $5,387 a year and that the recidivism rate for those completing the program was 19%.

That is about one-third the cost, or less, of housing someone in a state prison, where the recidivism rate  the percentage of inmates returning to prison within three years  is around 30%.

What that means is the community is safer, Funke said. Employers are better because you have a group of people that would have been unemployable, wouldn't have wanted to work, couldn't work, didn't have driver's licenses. At the end of this program, they have that opportunity. So it makes the community better. So I just am deeply grateful for Judge Bergevin and the team for all the work that you've done so far to get ready.
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Sadiq Khan has revealed the extent of the threats he received at the height of the protests over his Ulez scheme.

The Mayor of London said he had even received a bullet addressed to him in the mail while protesters turned up outside his house to threaten his wife and daughters.

Mr Khan also revealed that he and his wife Saadiya had received an Osman warning from the security services  meaning their lives were potentially at risk but that the authorities did not have enough evidence to make an arrest.

The accounts emerged in a new paperback edition of the politicians memoir, Breathe, which was published this week.

It details the roots of his work to tackle Londons air pollution and the fallout of his expansion of Londons Ultra Low Emissions Zone (Ulez) to every borough in London.

People during an anti-Ulez protest in Trafalgar Square (Stefan Rousseau/PA) ( PA Wire )

The plan was implemented last August despite protests from Londoners and in the book, Mr Khan admits he didnt realise how tough the schemes introduction would be.

He relates how a comment he made about how some anti-Ulez protesters were joining hands with the far right sparked outrage during a City Hall event in March 2023.

He was forced to remain in the green room for some time after and later, a group of protesters began turning up at his house, and he said they targeted his wife and daughters.

Sadiq Khan claimed a group of protesters started showing up outside my home and targeted my wife and daughters. ( Copyright 2024 The Associated Press. All rights reserved )

For several days, a caravan was chained by my home bearing slogans and artwork that included swastikas. A letter came in the mail, addressed to me, with a bullet inside, he wrote, according to the Evening Standard.

On one occasion, Saadiya and I had been issued with an Osman warning: a serious letter and a briefing in person where there is intelligence of a threat to someones life, but not enough evidence to justify the police arresting the possible offender.

The account also details how he was warned the climate-friendly scheme would hurt his chances at the ballot box.

These fears proved largely unfounded as he went on to win a landslide victory against his anti-Ulez Conservative opponent Susan Hall in Mays mayoral election.

He said the win highlighted that climate policies were not a toxic issue, writing: London truly has sent a message to the world. Talking about the climate and taking bold action is not a political death wish.
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An Illinois sheriffs deputy charged with killing a Black woman after he shot her in the face during a tense moment over a pot of water at her home had stopped his partner from helping her, according to court documents filed on Thursday.

Sonya Massey, 36, was shot dead in her Springfield home after deputies responded to her 911 call about a possible prowler in the early morning hours of July 6.

Sangamon County Deputy Sean Grayson, 30, who is white, was indicted Thursday on charges of first-degree murder, aggravated battery with a firearm and official misconduct in Masseys death. He pleaded not guilty in his first court appearance on Thursday.

Prosecutors alleged that when Grayson and his partner responded to Masseys home, Grayson allowed her to move a pot of water heating on the stove, but as she set it on a counter, Grayson then aggressively yelled at Massey over the pot and pulled his 9mm pistol.

Sonya Massey was shot in the face on July 6 after calling 911 ( Facebook )

Massey then asked what the deputies were doing, to which Grayson responded, Getting away from your hot, steaming water.

I rebuke you in the name of Jesus, Massey said twice, according to the documents reviewed by NBC News.

Grayson responded, I swear to God. I will shoot you right in your f------ face.

When Grayson drew his service weapon and ordered her to drop the pot, she let go, then crouched below a line of cabinets, and declared Im sorry before being shot in the face, prosecutors said.

Grayson did not render aid to Massey and discouraged his partner from getting his medical kit because he thought her injury was too severe, according to the court document filed in support of keeping Grayson in custody without bond.

Sean Grayson has been fired from the sheriffs office after being charged with murder in Masseys death ( Sangamon County Sheriff's Office )

The other deputy still rendered aid and stayed with Ms. Massey until medical help arrived, First Assistant States Attorney Mary Rodgers wrote. Grayson at no time attempted to render aid to Ms. Massey.

No one argued with the states contention that body camera footage of the incident upheld the first requirement in ordering Grayson detained  that there is a strong presumption that the actions alleged in the indictment occurred.

Authorities said they plan to release the body camera footage publicly Monday.

Defense attorney Dan Fultz had argued for Graysons release, insisting the deputy is not a threat to the community because he was compliant and turned himself in within a half-hour after his arrest warrant was issued.

He said the Army veteran owns a home in Riverton, a community just east of Springfield, with his fiancee, whom he plans to marry this fall. His detention would pose a burden on the county, he said, because he was diagnosed with Stage 3 colon cancer last fall that requires special medical treatment.

Fultz asked for Graysons release on condition that weapons be removed from his home, that he undergo a mental health evaluation, and be put on around-the-clock electronic monitoring.

Sean Grayson and his partner responded to Sonya Masseys home in Springfield after she called 911 about a possible prowler ( AP )

But County Circuit Judge Ryan M. Cadagin decreed that Massey, weighing about 110 pounds, posed no threat to the 6-foot-3, 228-pound Grayson, who was armed and accompanied by another deputy, and after shooting her refused to render aid.

At the hearing, Cadagin denied Graysons pretrial release.

Ben Crump, an attorney for Masseys family, said the charges were a step toward justice for Sonyas loved ones, especially her children, who have endured unimaginable pain and suffering since they were notified of this tragedy.

As many as 200 people gathered Wednesday at the Springfield NAACP building to express support for Massey and her family.

Donna Massey mourns the loss of her daughter, Sonya, who was shot and killed by a Sangamon County Sheriff's deputy on July 6 ( via REUTERS )

I am enraged that another innocent Black woman had her life taken from her at the hands of a police officer, Illinois Gov. J.B. Pritzker said after the indictment.

Sheriff Jack Campbell said Wednesday that Grayson was fired because it is evident that the deputy did not act as trained or in accordance with our standards... With our badge we accept enormous responsibility, and if that responsibility is abused, there should be consequences.

Grayson had been with the Sangamon County Sheriffs Department about 18 months after serving as an officer with several other police agencies in central Illinois for about seven years before that, The Associated Press reported.

He is due back in court on August 26.
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A coalition of four labor unions representing 14,000 Disneyland workers voted on Friday to authorize a potential strike, threatening the first major work shutdown at the Southern California park in four decades, as contract negotiations stretched on for scores of park employees.

Today Disneyland Park cast members made their voices heard by voting to authorize the Disney Workers Rising bargaining committee to call for a strike to protest unfair labor practices by 99%, the coalition said in a statement. We stood up and showed Disney that we wont sit by and allow them to intimidate, surveil and unlawfully discipline cast members for exercising their rights.

The coalition represents workers including custodians, ride operators, candy makers, merchandise clerks, and parking attendants at the Anaheim park.

The four unions  Bakery, Confectionery, Tobacco Workers and Grain Millers (BCTGM) Local 83; the Service Employees International Union-United Service Workers West (SEIU-USWW); the Teamsters Local 495; and the United Food and Commercial Workers (UFCW) Local 324  have been negotiating with Disney since April.

Disney employees rally outside the main entrance of Disneyland Resort in Anaheim, California, ahead of a planned strike authorization vote ( AFP via Getty Images )

A contract covering 9,000 Disneyland workers expired on June 16, and another, representing another 5,000 at Disney California Adventure and Downtown Disney, is set to lapse on September 30, according to the Orange County Register.

Another round of bargaining is set for Monday and Tuesday next week.

We greatly appreciate the important roles our cast members play in creating memorable experiences for our guests, and we remain committed to reaching an agreement that focuses on what matters most to them while positioning Disneyland Resort for growth and job creation, Disney said in a statement after the strike vote.

Disney workers have consistently complained of conditions at the iconic Southern California theme park, including pay they say leaves them unable to meet basic needs.

More than a quarter of Disneyland employees face food insecurity, 33 percent faced housing insecurity last year, and 64 percent of cast members said they spend more than half their paycheck on rent, according to an internal union survey.

Its upsetting that the balloons that we sell in the park are more expensive than [what] Im making an hour. I have to work an hour and a half if I want to afford one of those Disney balloons, Cyn Carranza, who cleans floors on an overnight shift, told CNN.

Carranza said she had to live in her car for months last year, even though she worked two jobs in addition to being at Disneyland.
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On Friday, tech outages swept the world from hospitals and airlines, to banks and courts. Flights were grounded, payments delayed and hospitals across the world reported problems.

A worldwide glitch, which affected major companies including Microsoft, took much of the worlds infrastructure offline. The problems stemmed from a global software update sent out by cybersecurity specialists, CrowdStrike.

Crowdstrikes CEO, George Kurtz, later issued a statement reassuring customers that the outage was not a security incident or cyber attack.

Kurtz, also the founder of Crowdstrike, has extensive experience in the industry, having previously worked in several prominent roles for rival cyber security firm McAfee. The Crowdstrike website lists him as an internationally recognized security expert, author, entrepreneur, and speaker.

A native of Parsippany, New Jersey, the 59-year-old tech entrepreneur did not grow up wealthy, and studied accounting at Seton Hall University. His net worth is $3.1bn, according to Forbes, though this substantial fortune took a hit of $300m following Fridays outages.

After college, Kurtz began his career at Price Waterhouse  now PwC  as an accountant, and was one of the first hires in its security group.

In 1999, he co-wrote Hacking Exposed, a book about cybersecurity for network administrators, with Stuart McClure and Joel Scambray. The book sold more than 600,000 copies and was translated into more than 30 languages.

Later that year, in October, Kurtz started Foundstone, a worldwide security products and anti-virus software company, described as having one of the leading incident response practices in the industry. He served as the companys CEO and it was acquired by McAfee in October of 2004 for $90m.

Airports across the world were thrown into chaos after a worldwide tech glitch took much of the worlds infrastructure offline. The problems stemmed from a global software update sent out by cybersecurity specialists, CrowdStrike ( AP )

At McAfee, a security company valued at $2.5bn, he roles included Worldwide Chief Technology Officer and GM as well as EVP of Enterprise.

However, Kurtz became frustrated by McAfees slow response to the changing nature of cyberthreats, which was highlighted by an incident on a plane in 2011. He recalled watching a fellow passenger take 15 minutes to download the companys service on a laptop.

Speaking to Forbes in 2020, he said: "The guy was talking to the flight attendant, he was reading his newspaper, and hes doing all these things while the software is grinding away and Im just sitting there going, oh my God. Im the CTO of this company, and this is terrible."

Along with Dmitri Alperovitch, Kurtz co-founded CrowdStrike in Irvine, California, and formally launched the company in February 2012 after securing $25m in funding. Alperovitch has since left the company  which went public in 2019.

Its initial slogan was "We Stop Breaches".

According to Forbes, Kurtz owns around 5 percent stake in the company, which recorded $2.24bn in revenues in the year through January 2023.

The cybersecurity company lost a whopping $9bn overnight on Thursday as reports of the outages began to emerge, dropping from around $83.5bn to $74.2bn on Friday afternoon.

Crowdstrike was previously cast into the public eye in 2016 when the Democratic National Committee hired the company to investigate a leak of its emails to the public.

The company identified attempts by two Russian intelligence groups, codenamed Cosy Bear and Fancy Bear, to hack various US government entities including the White House, State Department and Joint Chiefs of Staff.

The hackers had also stolen emails from the DNC and from Hillary Clintons election campaign and passed them to Wikileaks.

There were eerie scenes in New York after major screens in Times Square went dark due to the outages ( REUTERS )

On Friday, Kurtz issued a statement apologizing deeply to all those affected by the outages and reassuring customers that the problem was not a security incident or cyber attack.

The issue has been identified, isolated and a fix has been deployed, Kurtz said. We refer customers to the support portal for the latest updates and will continue to provide complete and continuous updates on our website.

Despite the drop in his personal fortune and the value of the company on Friday, Kurtz is still valued at around $3.1bn. He is an accomplished race car driver who won the LMP2 class at the 24 Hours of Le Mans in 2019.

CrowdStrike is the official cybersecurity partner of the Mercedes-AMG Petronas Formula One team, which was also hit by the outage Friday.

Kurtz lives in Paradise Valley, Arizona with his wife and son.
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When Donald Trump accepted the Republican partys presidential nomination on the closing night of the Republican National Convention on Thursday night, the Trump family came out in force.

Wife Melania and eldest daughter Ivanka  who have largely avoided the political limelight since Trump left the White House in 2021  both joined him on stage as the crowd went wild and red, white, and blue balloons descended from the ceiling.

Eric and Don Jr were also there after they both delivered their own speeches earlier at the Milwaukee convention.

So too was his youngest daughter turned RNC delegate Tiffany, as well as several of Trumps grandchildren and his childrens partners.

But there was one member of the Trump clan who was noticeably absent from the family line-up: the former presidents youngest son, Barron.

So where was Barron?

Former first lady Melania Trump announced back in May that her 18-year-old son would be skipping out on the convention.

That month, it was announced that the teenager, who spent his childhood being largely shielded from the limelight by Melania, had been picked to be a delegate-at-large at the RNC.

Barron Trump at his fathers campaign rally in Doral, Florida, on July 9 ( AP )

But soon after the announcement, Melanias office put out a statement saying that he regretfully could not accept the invitation due to prior commitments.

While Barron is honored to have been chosen as a delegate by the Florida Republican Party, he regretfully declines to participate due to prior commitments, the statement read.

On Thursday, a Trump campaign official also confirmed to Politico that Barron would not be in attendance for the historic moment where his father accepted the Republican partys nomination for the third time and delivered his first speech since surviving an assassination attempt at the weekend.

In the 93-minute speech  the longest nomination acceptance speech at a convention in American history  Trump spoke about his youngest child as he thanked his family members.

On this journey, I am deeply honored to be joined by my amazing wife, Melania. And, Melania, thank you very much. You also did something really beautiful, a letter to America calling for national unity, he said.

I also want to thank my entire family  Don and Kimberly, Ivanka and Jared, Eric and Lara, Tiffany and Michael, Barron, we love our Barron. And of course, my 10 wonderful grandchildren.
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Vice President Kamala Harris and Minnesota Governor Tim Walz made their debut as the Democratic presidential ticket on Tuesday night, kicking off a campaign against Donald Trump and JD Vance in front of an electrified crowd in Philadelphia.

The governor strode on stage at Temple Universitys Licouras Center on Tuesday with Harris just hours after she announced him as her running mate, with 91 days to go until the November election.

Walzs appearance ended the closely-watched contest for the next potential vice president, landing on a seasoned Midwestern politician, military veteran and former school teacher with a progressive track record.

Harris told the estimated 12,000 people in attendance that she set out to find a partner who can build this brighter future during her weeks-old campaign for the presidency.

Her search for a running mate led her to a leader who can unite this nation and move us forward, someone who was a fighter for the middle class and a patriot who believes as I do the extraordinary promise of America, a promise of freedom, opportunity and justice not just for some but for all, she said.

Second gentleman Doug Emhoff, Vice President Kamala Harris, Minnesota Governor Tim Walz and his wife Gwen Walz greet supporters at a campaign rally in Philadelphia on August 6. ( Getty Images )

She told the crowd that she found such a leader in Walz, a 60-year-old former high school teacher who enlisted in the Army National Guard at 17 and served for 24 years, then spent more than two decades teaching and coaching football before entering politics.

The vice president recounted how during the 1990s, a time when the federal government enacted a law banning any recognition of same-sex relationships, Walz served as a faculty adviser for a high school gay-straight alliance group because he knew the signal it would send to have a football coach get involved.

Walz makes people feel they belong and inspires them to dream big, and thats the kind of vice president he will be, she added, and thats the kind of vice president America deserves.

He represented Minnesota in the House of Representatives from 2007 to 2017 and is now in the middle of his second term as the states governor. He has had a recent meteoric rise on to the national stage with his no-nonsense assessment of the GOPs platform and the weird agenda behind it.

Kamala Harris stifled a laugh as her running mate Tim Walz cracked a joke about his Republican counterpart JD Vance and his couch controversy ( Getty Images )

In the governors office, Walz ushered through a series of popular progressive policies, including protections for abortion rights and LGBT+ Minnesotans and a free breakfast and lunch program for public school children.

Minnesotas strength comes from our values, our commitment to working together, to seeing past our differences, to always be willing to lend a helping hand, Walz told the crowd.

Trump, however, doesnt know the first thing about service, because hes too busy serving himself, according to Walz.

The former president weakens our economy to strengthen his own hand, mocks our laws, and sows chaos and division, and thats to say nothing of his record as president, said Walz, who said Trump froze during the Covid-19 crisis, drove the economy into the ground, and make no mistake: violent crime was up under Donald Trump.

Thats not counting the crimes he committed, he added.

Walz said he cant wait to debate his GOP counterpart JD Vance.

Like most people who grew up in the heartland, JD studied at Yale, had his career funded by Silicon Valley billionaires, and then wrote a best seller trashing that community, he said, his voice carrying more than a hint of sarcasm.

Tim Walz told a crowd in Philadelphia on August 6 that rival Donald Trump doesnt know a thing about service ( AP )

He added that what Vance represents is not what Middle America is, and drew some of the loudest cheers of the night when he told rallygoers: I cant wait to debate the guy ... if hes willing to get off the couch and show up.

See what I did there? said Walz, making an apparent reference to an online joke that Vance wrote about having sex with a couch in his best-selling memor.

Harriss announcement arrived roughly three months before Election Day and two weeks before the Democratic National Convention, where the Harris-Walz ticket will formally receive the partys nomination.

After President Joe Biden ended his re-election campaign and backed Harris as the partys nominee, she quickly collected endorsements and delegate pledges to clinch the nomination, with record-breaking fundraising numbers that have eclipsed Republicans multi-million dollar war chest.

A campaign spokesperson said the newly-christened Harris-Walz effort pulled in yet another $20m in the hours after the announcement.

Walz quipped I see those old white guys when he spotted a member of Old White Men for Harris on the front row at the Philadelphia rally on August 6 ( AP )

The electic atmosphere recalled the boisterous rallies of the Obama-Biden campaigns in 2008 and 2012. It attracted a racially diverse crowd that included a pair of gray-haired white men sporting shirts declaring themselves Old White Men for Harris and Freedom.

Its as clear as the T-shirt says, Bernie Strain told The Independent. Its about two old white men liking our Social Security, liking our Medicare, liking our freedom, liking our democracy  well lose it if Trump gets elected.

Strain said that his son, a Marine, had served a pair of tours at the base that was struck by Iran-backed militants in Iraq on Monday.

Hes no loser and hes no sucker for serving in the United Statess service, and Trumps not going to call my son a loser or a sucker, he said. Not today, not tomorrow, not ever.

Harris even drew a pair of former Republican members of Congress, including former Pennsylvania congressman James Greenwood, who told The Independent that he understood Biden had to stand down after his June 27 debate against Trump.

Greenwood described the vibe after Biden stood down as like an electric charge.

The excitement, the volunteers, the fundraising,  everyones pretty excited, he said.

Another ex-Republican House member from Illinois, Joe Walsh, said Walz was a great bet for Harris because the Minnesotan is like an everyman.

I disagree with him on a lot of policy, but he's like a regular guy, and that's what Democrats have to have, he said.

Andrew Feinberg reported from Philadelphia
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Hundreds of people in the small town of Cabot, Pennsylvania gathered on Friday to pay tribute to Corey Comperatore, the retired volunteer fire chief who was shot and killed by a gunman at a Trump rally last weekend.

Firefighters honored Comperatore, loading his casket  draped with an American flag  onto a firetruck to be driven from Cabot Methodist Church.

Members of the community lined the streets waving American flags and holding posters, mourning the loss of a local hero.

The former president, who suffered an ear injury during the shooting, was not in attendance.

Comperatores casket was draped with the American flag ( REUTERS )

It is unclear why but a person familiar with the situation told The Associated Press said it was due to Secret Service concerns.

The Independent has asked the Trump campaign for more information.

Trump did honor Comperatore during his speech at the RNC on Thursday evening. He displayed Comperatores firefighter gear on stage and kissed his helmet at one point.

Comperatore, center, was a former volunteer chief firefighter in Buffalo Township, Pennsylvania ( Buffalo Township Volunteer Fire Dept via REUTERS )

"He was incredible, he was a highly respected former fire chief," Trump said.

The former president said Comperatore lost his life selflessly by shielding his family from bullets during the rally.

Trump also reportedly called Helen Comperatore, the widow of Corey, to offer his condolences.

Donald Trump kisses Comperatores turnout coat and helmet on stage during his speech at the RNC ( REUTERS )

Comperatore, 50, worked as a project and tooling engineer but spent many years as a volunteer firefighter and served as chief.

Family, friends, neighbors and other members of his local community remembered him fondly as a kind-hearted man who was always willing to help others.

Comperatore was shot during the Trump rally on Saturday by a 20-year-old gunman who opened fire on the attendees and the former president.

A girl holds a placard as people wait for a procession of emergency vehicles transporting the coffin ( REUTERS )

Two other people were wounded, both of whom are in serious but stable condition, according to the AP.

A public viewing was held for the retired fire chief on Thursday at a banquet hall in Freeport. Hundreds of mourners paid their respects, all while law enforcement provided tight security at the event.

A private funeral for Comperatore was held on Friday.
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The 20-year-old who attempted to assassinate Donald Trump last week flew a drone over the Butler, Pennsylvania rally site hours before the former president took the stage.

Thomas Matthew Crooks sent the drone over the site the morning of July 13, The Wall Street Journal reports, citing law enforcement officials briefed on the shooting.

He used a pre-programmed flight path, which officials said may mean he used the drone more than once to scope out the area, according to the Journal.

Crooks also received several packages labeled as containing hazardous materials and performed Google searches for Trump rally dates as well as for President Joe Biden and next months Democratic National Convention, the Journal reports.

Trump was set to hold a rally on Saturday evening, his first since he was injured by Crooks gunfire last week. The 20-year-old, who was fatally shot by Secret Service agents, killed one rally-goer and injured two others.

Law enforcement agents stand at the Butler, Pennsylvania rally site where Thomas Matthew Crooks opened fire, injuring two attendees and killing one ( Getty Images )

The Secret Service has faced significant backlash from Republicans in the wake of the shooting.

GOP lawmaker Jim Jordan claimed the agency was grappling with limited resources ahead of the assassination attempt. Meanwhile, Marsha Blackburn and her GOP senator colleagues confronted Secret Service director Kimberly Cheatle at the Republican National Convention this week, demanding answers on the assassination attempt.

Secret Service spokesperson Anthony Guglielmi has pushed back on theories that the agency could have done more in the lead-up to the assassination attempt.

Guglielmi also said claims that the Secret Service rebuffed a request from the Trump team for additional security were untrue and theories that an event for First Lady Jill Biden diverted resources were very wrong.

Trump, sporting a bandaged ear, described the attempt on his life at the RNC on Thursday night.

In the conventions longest-ever speech, the former president said he isgrateful for his life.

There was blood pouring everywhere, and yet in a certain way I felt very safe because I had God on my side, Trump said near the beginning of his 93-minute address.
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When Hulk Hogan took the stage at the Fiserv Forum for the final night of the Republican National Convention, he said the vibe was so electric that he felt like he was back in his WWE days, wrestling Andre the Giant.

Hes in a room full of real Americans, brother, he added, before ripping his shirt open to reveal a Trump-Vance shirt,

The line probably went over the head of plenty of attendees. Conservatives have talked about Real America  embodied by the heartland, suburbia, farms and churches with steeples  and Real Americans for decades, contrasting it with Democrats and their non-white, non-Christian, non-heterosexual, unmarried, decadent city-dwellers. And the cleverness of the slightly altered term Real American is that it is porous enough to include formerly out-groups, which is how Republicans have sought elide allegations of racism and grow their support of non-white voters throughout the week in Milwaukee.

But anyone who has a cursory understanding of pro-wrestling probably found themselves humming Hogans immortal entrance theme.

I am a real American. Fight for the rights of every man. Fight for whats right. Fight for your life, it goes.

For decades, these lyrics echoed through arenas, open-air and closed, as Hogan, the handle-bar mustached hero of pro-wrestling who earned his 24-inch pythons by saying his prayer and eating his vitamins, walked into the ring right before summarily ripping his shirt off and delivering a leg drop. Its spanky guitar, hyper-nationalistic lyrics and bopping beat echoed the excesses of the 1980s that Hogan and a brash businessman from Queens named Donald Trump embodied.

It that was during a time of peak US-led capitalism, when Americans seemed to have a clear idea of who the good guys were. Indeed, many of the Hulksters early opponents were embodiments of Americas enemies, such as the Russian villain Nikolai Volkoff, the Iron Sheik, or Canadian Bret The Hitman Hart.

That jingoistic American nationalism that came at the height of the Reagan era. In fact, the first Wrestlemania took place in 1985 when Ronald Reagan won his landslide re-election campaign. How fitting, then, that before Hogan took the stage at the RNC this week, a video of the Gipper played. The convention instantly transported America back to the 1980s, when things seemed so much easier.

But nothing is ever that easy. Reagan remained largely indifferent to AIDS, which led to the deaths of countless queer people in the United States. His tax cuts were the beginning of a massive growth of income inequality. His supposed peace through strength also came with the Iran-Contra affair.

In the same way, Hogan calling all the Trumpite-cum-Hulkamaniacs Real Americans, like everything with pro-wrestling, comes with a large amount of stagecraft and fakery (or, as the wrestling world calls it, kayfabe.)

As Hogan conceded, his real name isnt Hulk Hogan, but rather Terry Bollea. Those 24-inch pythons came not just with hours in the gym, prayers and vitamins but, as he has admitted in the past, steroid usage. And far from staying true to his wholesome image, he was sacked by the WWE after using racial slurs.

Hogan later apologized for those remarks. But many of his former locker room mates now openly say they dislike him.

Similarly, Trumps image as a self-made businessman from Queens has multiple holes, given that he was the son of a wealthy real estate developer and the commanding heights of his fame crumbled into bankruptcies in the 1990s. It took the resurgence of nationalism that came after 9/11 and the advent of a new medium that blended fact and alternative fact to revive both Trump and Hogan.

To boot, the hyper-masculine posturing from pro-wrestling has been seen to have a dark side. Trumps reputation as a ladies man lightly blanketed him from being held liable for sexually abusing E Jean Carroll for a long time, and for paying hush money to a porn star while his wife carried his youngest child. The two men are also good friends with longtime WWE leader Vince McMahon, whom WWE sacked earlier this year following the filing of a (temporarily paused) lawsuit wherein he was sued for sex trafficking. (It is an allegation McMahon strongly denies.) McMahons wife Linda served in Trumps administration.

What does being a Real American mean in Trumpland? It means that as long as youre in with them, you can weather a whole host of controversies. But it also means that you have to be careful to bend the knee  or wear the T-shirt  otherwise you will end up bludgeoned by a red and yellow boot and a red hat.

What are we gonna do?

Editors Note: a previous version of this story said that the first WrestleMania was held in 1984. It was held in 1985. The story has been corrected to reflect this.
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Republican vice presidential candidate JD Vance follows several accounts on X that espouse far-right and white nationalist views, according to an analysis by The Independent.

The 39-year-old Ohio senator, who rose to fame with his best-selling memoir Hillbilly Elegy and was named as Donald Trumps running-mate this week, follows 1,132 people on X, formerly known as Twitter.

Among them are two of the most popular figures in the Right Wing Bodybuilders scene  an online community in which many share a worldview that combines white nationalist ideas with anti-globalism, weight-lifting and nutrition.

One of them is Raw Egg Nationalist, an account that has shared Adolf Hitler memes , quoted Mein Kampf and promoted the Great Replacement conspiracy  a theory positing that Western elites are intentionally replacing White populations with migrants  to its 200,000 plus followers.

Vance also follows Bronze Age Pervert, believed to be run by far-right bodybuilder Costin Alamariu. That account has also promoted the racist Great Replacement theory and eugenic breeding. His self-published book, Bronze Age Mindset is considered a foundational text for the scene, and was said to be circulating among younger members of the Trump White House.

He wrote in a 2021 essay: I have said for a long time that I believe in rule by a military caste of men who would be able to guide society toward a morality of eugenics.

JD Vance follows two of the most popular figures in the Right Wing Bodybuilders scene. ( Screenshot / X )

Joshua Farrell-Molloy, an extremism researcher at the Accelerationism Research Consortium, described the two accounts as belonging to a post-alt-right movement that is pretty much at the vanguard of white nationalism.

They are one of the main centers of gravity within the contemporary far right in the US, he told The Independent.

Since Vance received the nomination on Monday, Molloy said there has been a buzz of excitement in the community, which is sometimes referred to as anon Twitter or Frog Twitter, in reference to the alt-right meme Pepe the Frog.

They see him as being one of our guys and some are excited about the idea [that] he has been exposed to their ideas or has at least seen some of their content, he added.

Vance has described another controversial figure, political scientist Richard Hanania, as a friend and a really interesting thinker. A HuffPost investigation revealed Hanania as having written for several white nationalist websites under a pseudonym in the early 2010s  where he expressed support for eugenics, opposed race-mixing and cited neo-Nazis  although Vance continues to follow him on X.

Hanania later disavowed the views he expressed while writing under a pseudonym, writing in an essay titled My Journey Out of Extremism last year: I truly sucked back then.

Just a couple of months before the publication of the essay, Hanania used his account on X to call for more policing, incarceration, and surveillance of black people.

Far-right social media influencer Laura Loomer is also on Vances follow list. Loomer has described herself as a  proud Islamophobe .

Republican presidential nominee and former President Donald Trump (L), and his vice presidential running mate Senator JD Vance attend the second day of the Republican National Convention. ( EPA )

Vance also follows podcast host Darryl Cooper, who said that the 2017 Charlottesville Unite The Right rally included a bunch of good people and wrote in a since-deleted tweet that FDR chose the wrong side in WW2, The Atlantic reported .

It is not clear how long Vance has followed each account, or if he has ever seen or interacted with any of their posted content, but Cooper congratulated his  longtime mutual  Vance after he was chosen as the Republican vice presidential candidate.

Following a person on X does not imply that the person agrees with the views shared on the account, but a review of Vances follower list does provide some insight into what the potential future vice president sees online.

Vances office did not respond to a request for comment from The Independent.

Vance notably follows a relatively large number of journalists from liberal institutions, despite spending much of his time railing against the liberal elite.

He follows nine journalists from The Atlantic, one of Americas leading establishment liberal magazines, as well as an assortment of New York Times reporters.

Vance addressed the Republican National Convention on Wednesday evening as he accepted the partys nomination for vice presidential candidate, sharing the story of growing up poor in Kentucky and Ohio.

I will be a vice president who never forgets where he came from, he told the crowd.
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Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg has made his endorsement decision for the 2024 election  declining to endorse anyone at all.

Zuckerberg, 40, said he doesnt plan on playing a major role in the 2024 election, in an interview with Bloomberg.

He noted that he has done some stuff personally in the past, adding that Im not planning on doing that this time, and that includes not endorsing either of the candidates.

Other tech leaders, such as Elon Musk of X, Tesla, and SpaceX, officially backed former president Donald Trump after the attempt on his life last Saturday during a campaign rally in Butler, Pennsylvania. Trump was struck in the ear, while a former fire chief, Corey Comperatore, 50, was shot and killed as he shielded his family from gunfire.

The gunman, Thomas Matthew Crooks, 20, was killed by Secret Service snipers.

A number of former Democratic donors have also backed Trump, including Palantir advisor Jacob Helberg and Sequoia Capital Partner Shaun Maguire, The Hill reported. Venture capitalists Marc Andreessen and Ben Horowitz are also supporting Trump in the presidential race, according to Reuters.

Mark Zuckerberg, pictured in February 2024, speaking to reporters at the Japanese prime ministers office during his visit to Tokyo. Zuckerberg has declined to endorse anyone in the 2024 election ( JIJI Press/AFP via Getty Images )

While declining to endorse Trump, Zuckerberg told Bloomberg that seeing Donald Trump get up after getting shot in the face and pump his fist in the air with the American flag is one of the most badass things Ive ever seen in my life.

He added: On some level as an American, its like hard to not get kind of emotional about that spirit and that fight, and I think that thats why a lot of people like the guy.

Zuckerbergs decision to try to stay out of politics this election cycle comes as Meta, the parent company of Facebook and Instagram, is also looking to limit political content on its platforms.

In February, Instagram revealed that it would stop proactively recommending political posts. Users would have to change their settings if they still want to receive recommendations for political content.

The main thing that I hear from people is that they actually want to see less political content on our services because they come to our services to connect with people. So, thats what were going to do, Zuckerberg told Bloomberg.

We give people control over this, but were generally trying to recommend less political content, he added. So, I think youre going to see our services play less of a role in this election than they have in the past.

Meta has called out Trump on a number of occasions for posts with misinformation and that crossed its platforms rules. For about two years after the Capitol riot on January 6, 2021, Trumps accounts on Facebook and Instagram were suspended, a move Trump still appears to be bothered by.

On July 9, Trump wrote on Truth Social: All I can say is that if Im elected President, we will pursue Election Fraudsters at levels never seen before, and they will be sent to prison for long periods of time. We already know who you are. DONT DO IT! ZUCKERBUCKS, be careful!

Trump brought up his disagreements with Zuckerberg once more during a separate interview with Bloomberg.

Speaking about regulating the tech industry, Trump said: Now that Im thinking about it, Im for TikTok because you need competition. If you dont have TikTok, you have Facebook and Instagram, and thats, you know, thats Zuckerberg.
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Melania Trump reportedly declined multiple requests to speak at the 2024 Republican National Convention breaking with the modern tradition of a candidates spouse addressing a crowd of delegates and potential voters.

This year, the ever-elusive former first lady chose not to speak about her husbands personality, his record or his hopes for the country, instead offering her silent presence on Thursday evening when Trump accepted his partys official nomination.

Wearing a MAGA-red dress, Melania joined her husband and the rest of the family on stage at the RNC, on the last day of the convention, a notable deviation from the 2016 and 2020 conventions when she delivered a speech about her husbands life, hopes and personality.

Two people familiar with the first ladys RNC plans told CNN that Melania was asked multiple times to give a speech  each of which she declined.

It is common, if not expected, that most candidates spouses deliver remarks about their husbands or wives during the major party conventions. JD Vances wife, Usha Vance, spoke about her husband on Wednesday.

Former First Lady Melania Trump kisses US former president and 2024 Republican candidate Donald Trump as she joins him onstage on the last day of the 2024 Republican National Convention ( AFP via Getty Images )

But Melania has never been a typical first lady and has notably withdrawn from her husbands political endeavors since leaving the White House in 2021.

She does not attend Trumps rallies or event speeches. She did not attend any day of her husbands criminal trial in New York. She rarely makes a public statement about Trump  although she did after the recent assassination attempt.

Melanias decision to forego an RNC speech is not surprising, but it is unclear what her exact reasoning was behind this.

In 2016, Melania faced intense scrutiny when reporters realized her speech was heavily inspired, if not directly taken, from Michelle Obamas 2016 Democratic National Convention speech. It was an embarrassing moment for Melania given the speech was her first major step into the political spotlight alongside her husband.

But in 2020, Melania delivered a long speech directly addressing the impact of the Covid-19 pandemic, unlike Trump.

It is unclear if the former first lady will be making more appearances on the campaign trail now that her husband is the official Republican nominee.
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Representative Seth Moulton, a Massachusetts Democrat, said he called for Joe Biden to drop out of the race saying the president had appeared to not recognize him.

Moulton was with the president at a D-Day event in Normandy, France last month. There, Biden didnt seem to recognize him, the lawmaker wrote in a Friday op-ed for The Boston Globe.

Of course, that can happen as anyone ages, but as I watched the disastrous debate a few weeks ago, I have to admit that what I saw in Normandy was part of a deeper problem, Moulton wrote.

It was a crushing realization, and not because a person I care about had a rough night but because everything is riding on Bidens ability to beat Donald Trump in November, he continued.

The lawmaker went on to address Biden directly in his piece.

I can only imagine how hard it will be for Biden to give up the chance for four more years in a job that he loves and that he has mastered. But this isnt about you, Mr. President, he wrote. Its about our best chance to win an election against a narcissistic liar and convicted felon who will jeopardize our national security and make life worse for ordinary Americans.

Moulton is one of 35 Democrats who have publicly called for Biden to bow out of the 2024 presidential election. As Biden isolates in his Delaware beach house while recovering from COVID-19, NBC News reports the president feels he has been betrayed by party leaders.

Among those publicly calling for him to quit are members of the January 6 congressional committee, who say a second Donald Trump presidency is a threat to democracy.

Representative Adam Schiff said a second Trump presidency will undermine the very foundation of our democracy, and I have serious concerns about whether the President can defeat Donald Trump in November.

Meanwhile, Representative Jamie Raskin told the president that everything we believe in is on the line in the next four-and-a-half months and that we have an overriding obligation to defeat the forces of resurgent monarchy and oppression.

Other influential Democrats, including former president Barack Obama and Representative Nancy Pelosi, have reportedly pushed in private for Biden to step aside.

However, Bidens campaign has repeatedly denied that the president has any plans to exit the race.
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Congresswoman Sheila Jackson Lee has died aged 74 after being diagnosed with pancreatic cancer.

The Houston area congresswoman was a fixture of Democratic Party politics for almost three decades and a well-loved figure in the state of Texas. Her family announced her death on Friday evening.

"Today, with incredible grief for our loss yet deep gratitude for the life she shared with us, we announce the passing of US representative Sheila Jackson Lee of the 18th Congressional District of Texas. A fierce champion of the people, she was affectionately and simply known as Congresswoman by her constituents in recognition for her near-ubiquitous presence and service to their daily lives for more than 30 years, her family wrote in a statement released on her Twitter account.

Given Texass status as a traditionally Republican state, tributes for Jackson Lee poured in from friends made on both sides of the aisle during her time in Congress  including such polar opposites as Nancy Pelosi, Jamaal Bowman and Ted Cruz.

Sheila Jackson Lee attends an awards ceremony hosted by the Congressional Black Caucus in 2023. The Texas lawmaker died on Friday after battling pancreatic cancer. ( Getty Images for Congressional B )

It is with deep sadness that I learned of the passing of my dear friend and colleague congresswoman Sheila Jackson Lee, said former speaker of the House Ms Pelosi.

Congresswoman Jackson Lee achieved a remarkable legislative record in the Congress for Houston and for our country. As a powerful voice for our Constitution and human rights, she fought tirelessly to advance fairness, equity and justice for all.

All of us in the House Democratic Caucus were blessed to know congresswoman Sheila Jackson Lee and we will miss her dearly, she said.

It is with deep sadness that I learned of the passing of my dear friend and colleague Congresswoman Sheila Jackson Lee.



Congresswoman Jackson Lee achieved a remarkable legislative record in the Congress for Houston and for our country. As a powerful voice for our Constitution pic.twitter.com/5tcfaTaDOb  Nancy Pelosi (@SpeakerPelosi) July 20, 2024

Im deeply saddened by the passing of my friend and colleague Sheila Jackson Lee. She was a tireless advocate for Houston. I will always cherish our friendship and the laughs we shared throughout the years. Heidi and I offer our prayers and sincerest condolences to her family, wrote Mr Cruz.

Im deeply saddened by the passing of my friend & colleague Sheila Jackson Lee.



She was a tireless advocate for Houston.



I will always cherish our friendship & the laughs we shared throughout the years.



Heidi & I offer our prayers and sincerest condolences to her family. pic.twitter.com/SGZhFQ8rHk  Ted Cruz (@tedcruz) July 20, 2024

A proud Democratic stalwart in a conservative bastion, Jackson Lees Twitter account was active just hours before her death. Her final statements were a rousing condemnation of Donald Trumps speech to the RNC in Milwaukee on Thursday.

I have no idea what Donald Trump was talking about last night, read a post dated Thursday evening after Trumps speech wrapped up. For more than an hour, he rambled and lied. He is unfit for the presidency! Now, my friends, is the time to focus on beating him and his Project 2025 monstrosity. Enough is enough!

Jackson Lee was a graduate of Yale, and went on to earn a law degree from the University of Virginia Law School. During her study at Yale she was classmates with several other future fixtures of US political life, including Dr Ben and wife Candy Carson, as well as Henry Louis Gates.

In Congress, she was a leader in the Congressional Progressive Caucus and Congressional Black Caucus, as well as chief deputy whip for her party at large.

As a legislator, she carved out a progressive reputation, even at the cost of being a lone figure on some issues. She was an early opponent of the Iraq war, and championed legislation calling for reparations to Black descendants of enslaved Africans brought to the US as part of the intercontinental slave trade prior to the Civil War.

Cecilia and I will forever remember congresswoman Sheila Jackson Lee, Texas governor Greg Abbott, a conservative, wrote on Friday evening. "She was a proud Texan and a tireless advocate for the people of Houston. Her legacy of public service and dedication to Texas will live on.
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Donald Trump and his Republican allies have called for the prosecution of members of a congressional committee that put him at the center of the attack on the Capitol, and his failed campaign to overturn 2020 election results.

At least three of those committee members have joined a growing chorus of Democratic officials urging President Joe Biden to end his re-election campaign with a warning that his Republican rival poses a grave threat, if elected.

Congressman Adam Schiff warned in a statement this week that a second Trump presidency will undermine the very foundation of our democracy, and I have serious concerns about whether the President can defeat Donald Trump in November.

In a recent four-page letter to Biden, congressman Jamie Raskin told the president that everything we believe in is on the line in the next four-and-a-half months and that we have an overriding obligation to defeat the forces of resurgent monarchy and oppression.

Everything else pales in comparison to this struggle, he added.

Congresswoman Zoe Lofgren said in a statement this week that, as a member of the January 6 committee, she knows perhaps as well as anyone, how unsuitable Donald Trump is to be president.

His policies are wrong. His character is unprincipled and corrupt. He remains as grave a threat to the Constitutional order and rule of law that he was on January 6, 2021 when he incited insurrection, she wrote. And, if he is elected President again, he will dismantle all that Democrats have achieved for the American people.

Congressman Adam Schiff speaks during the fourth hearing by the House select committee to investigate January 6 on June 21, 2022. He is now among a growing number of congressional Democrats urging Joe Biden to drop out of the presidential race, citing the threats of a second Donald Trump presidency. ( AFP via Getty Images )

I think from the data its pretty clear, she told MSNBC on July 19, that the president is on a trajectory to not prevailing in the election, and I think its telling that members of the January 6 committee  myself, Adam Schiff, Jamie Raskin  have all suggested that he step aside, and that we get another candidate who can beat Donald Trump.

The former president is a threat to America and the world. He cannot be elected. He must not be elected, she added. This is [Bidens] decision. But its not about him, its not about me. Its about America.

Raskin told The Independent that he wrote the letter, dated July 9, on the Fourth of July weekend.

My point was that we needed a strategic internal discussion about how to move forward to decisively win the election, which is of immeasurable importance to the future of America, he said in a statement to The Independent. The letter expressed my profound affection for the president, my great concern for the future of the country and my confidence in the judgment he would make. None of those things has changed.

Congressman Jamie Raskin talks to reporters on the steps of the House at the Capitol on July 8. The Maryland Democrat wrote a four-page letter to Joe Biden suggesting that he should end his re-election campaign. ( Getty Images )

A months-long House select committee investigation into the events surrounding and leading up to the attack on the Capitol on January 6 included a series of blockbuster public hearings laying out evidence and witness testimony that described Trumps attempts to remain in office at whatever cost.

The panels final 845-page report provides a detailed account of Trumps refusal to cede power  regardless of the outcome  while he privately acknowledged that he lost, even as the ongoing false narrative that the election was stolen from him was fueling the mob in the halls of Congress.

The committee unanimously determined that Trump should be criminally charged for conspiracy and obstruction as well as inciting an insurrection. Independent Justice Department special counsel Jack Smith is separately prosecuting the former president for conspiracy and obstruction in a case that now faces roadblocks under the Supreme Courts recent decision on presidential immunity for actions in office.

The committee also led to the criminal prosecutions  and imprisonments  of Trump aides Peter Navarro and Steve Bannon, the first members of Trumps inner circle to face criminal convictions for any crimes connected to Trumps attempts to reverse his election loss.

Both men were found in contempt of Congress after refusing subpoenas for their testimony to the committee.

Last month, on his Truth Social, Trump called their convictions a Total and Complete American Tragedy.

INDICT THE UNSELECT J6 COMMITTEE, he demanded.

Trump and Republican officials have accused members of deleting evidence in the investigation, all of which is publicly available.

It has to stop, because, otherwise, were not going to have a country, Trump said in an interview with Fox News last month. Look, when this election is over, based on what they have done, I would have every right to go after them.

Bannon began his four-month prison sentence on July 1.

Navarro ended his four-month sentence in a federal prison facility in Miami on July 17, and then hours later he stepped on the stage of the Republican National Convention in Milwaukee to a heros welcome.

If they can come for me, and if they can come for Donald Trump, Navarro said, be careful. They will come for you.
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The Trump campaign is reportedly already planning for a potential battle with Kamala Harris if Joe Biden decides to drop out of the 2024 race.

Thats included drawing up attack ads, poll-testing Harriss vulnerabilities on various issues, and compiling opposition research, two individuals briefed on the matter told The New York Times.

The Trump camps thinking is that if Biden drops out, Harris will be the most likely replacement, given that the Democrats wouldnt want to alienate the Black voters in their base by sidelining the nations first Black vice-president, the individuals told the paper.

The effort to plan for a Trump-Harris match-up predates even the Republican National Convention, according to the sources, with the Trump campaign reportedly planning out anti-Harris signs and videos that couldve debuted at the RNC if the Democrats had announced a switch-up ahead of the event.

For the moment, Joe Biden remains committed to taking on Trump in November.

The Trump team reportedly thinks Kamala Harris would be most likely to replace Joe Biden, and is preparing to campaign against her ( AP )

The president is currently at his beach house in Delaware recovering from a case of Covid.

That hasnt stopped top Democrats from openly and privately speculating about his future and urging him to step down from his re-election campaign.

Nancy Pelosi reportedly told Biden he cant beat Trump, and favors an open nomination process, rather than automatically elevating the vice-president to the top of the Democratic ticket.

Senator Elizabeth Warren, meanwhile, told MSNBCs The Weekend on Saturday that the option of Harris taking the leading spot gives me a lot of hope.

We have Vice President Kamala Harris, who is ready to step up to unite the party, to take on Donald Trump and to win in November, she said. Remember, 80 million people voted for Joe Biden and Kamala Harris in 2020 knowing that Kamala Harris would be ready to step up if needed."

A majority of Democrats, meanwhile, think Harris would do a good job as the partys presidential nominee, according to a recent Associated Press-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research poll.
 Close Trump kisses female genius behind life-saving chart in first rally in Pennsylvania since shooting

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Donald Trump is back on the campaign trail having returned to Pennsylvania for his first campaign rally in the swing state since he came within inches of being killed by a would-be assassins bullet on July 13.

The former president and Republican nominee spoke in Harrisburg, just hours after a confrontational interview with the National Association of Black Journalists in Chicago.

During the interview, Trump insulted his presumptive 2024 Democratic Party opponent, Kamala Harris, and falsely accused her of lying about her race  stating that she recently became Black. Harris, who is biracial, is Black and Indian-American.

At the evening rally, Trump remained largely tied to his prepared remarks and attacked Harris for supposedly wanting to destroy Pennsylvanias economy.

His next big campaign event will be a joint appearance with his vice presidential pick, JD Vance. That will take place in Atlanta on Saturday, at the same venue Harris held a barnstorming first rally of her campaign earlier in the week.

We are temporarily pausing our Trump campaign blog.

Please join us in our main US election 2024 blog for full coverage of both campaigns as the race to the White House gathers pace.
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As Donald Trump wound down his rambling 93-minute speech on Thursday night to close out the 2024 Republican National Convention, the five-piece house band launched into Sam & Daves 1966 hit, Hold On, Im Coming.

The track has become a pneumonic device of sorts for the MAGA movement, playing Trump on- or offstage at rallies in a sonic ritual his followers have come to expect.

But while Trumps base seems to deeply enjoy this bit of theater, David Porter, a 2005 Songwriters Hall of Fame inductee who co-wrote Hold On, Im Coming with late R&B icon, Isaac Hayes, said on Friday that he was never asked for permission to use his music and does not appreciate the ongoing association with the twice-impeached former president.

I can say [that] I dont want any of my songs used for political campaigns, Grammy-nominated Porter, 82, told The Independent. Certainly including this one We create music for uplifting people, not separating them.

Less than a week after Trumps ear was bloodied in an assassination attempt, the GOP presidential nominee delivered the final RNC address in Milwaukee that started off striking a relatively moderate tone.

A seemingly introspective Trump spoke of uniting the country, and serving all Americans rather than just his supporters. However, Trump soon went off-script, attacking the former Democratic House Speaker as Crazy Nancy Pelosi, mocking Joe Biden as the worst president in U.S. history, and serving up robust helpings of transphobic and anti-immigrant fodder the RNC delegates lapped up with glee.

Donald Trump arrives onstage to accept his party's nomination on the last day of the 2024 Republican National Convention in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, on July 18, 2024 ( AFP via Getty Images )

Trumps well-known penchant for indulging the ugliest of impulses has led numerous artists to protest his usage of their music. Creedence Clearwater Revival frontman, John Fogerty, in 2020 served the Trump campaign with a cease-and-desist letter upon discovering the bands Fortunate Son was providing a soundtrack for his public appearances.

Similar objections have been lodged by, among others, Bruce Springsteen, Phil Collins, Neil Young, Adele, Rihanna, Pharrell Williams, R.E.M., Guns n Roses, Elton John, the Rolling Stones, and the estates of Tom Petty, Leonard Cohen, Prince, and Sinead OConnor.

In March, representatives for OConnors estate and Chrysalis Records issued a statement expressing outrage upon learning that Trump had been playing her beloved performance of Nothing Compares 2 U, which was written by Prince, at his political rallies.

"It is no exaggeration to say that Sinead would have been disgusted, hurt, and insulted to have her work misrepresented in this way by someone who she herself referred to as a biblical devil, the statement said . As the guardians of her legacy, we demand that Donald Trump and his associates desist from using her music immediately.

The laws surrounding song publishing and performance rights are complex; willful use over a copyright-holders objections can result in fines of up to $150,000 per occurrence .

Shortly before Trump took the stage at the RNC on Thursday, his personal attorney Alina Habba relayed a story to the crowd about Trumps love for music, and recalled the day a few years ago, [when] he wanted me to hear a new song he had selected for an upcoming rally.

I could hear it blaring in the background at Mar-a-Lago, Habba went on. He landed on a song called Hold on, Im Coming.

That Trump continues to use the song is especially galling to Porter, as well as Hayes family, in light of the fact that they first raised their objections more than two years ago.

Trump lawyer Alina Habba addresses the RNC on Thursday. She told the crowd about Trumps love for music, and recalled hearing the song he wanted for his rally - Hold on, Im Coming ( AP )

The estate and family of Isaac Hayes DID NOT approve and would NEVER approve the use of Hold on Im coming by Sam and Dave by Donald Trump at this weekends National Rifle Association convention, a spokesperson for the Hayes estate told Variety in May 2022.

Our condolences go out to the victims and families of #Uvalde and mass shooting victims everywhere.

Hayes daughter Veronica, who was unable to be reached on Friday, told a local Memphis TV station at the time: My fathers legacy was very clean and wasnt tainted by anything. Since we are the survivors, we get to choose how his music is played and whos allowed to use it.

Hell to the No! Porter posted about it on his now-defunct Twitter account. I did Not and would NOT approve of them using the song for any of his purposes!
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The FBI is investigating the attempted assassination of Donald Trump as a potential case of domestic terrorism, after the former president was shot at by Thomas Matthew Crooks on July 13.

Though Trump survived the shooting attempt with relatively minor injuries from the bullet that grazed his ear, it is evident that the shooter sought to kill or seriously harm the Republican presidential candidate, who was speaking at a rally in Butler, Pennsylvania.

What remains unclear are the motivations behind the actions of 20-year-old Crooks, who was shot dead by Secret Service on the scene. As one expert said, it seems that some of the motives died with him.

How can the FBI determine whether Crooks motives were a case of domestic terrorism  and to what extent does it matter?

Crooks bought 50 rounds of ammo from a local gun shop, before using a semiautomatic AR-style rifle to fire shots at the rally toward the former president. One man was shot dead, while two more aside from Trump were injured.

The investigation has also found three devices, which are suspected to be improvised explosives, two of which were in Crooks car. A fireworks detonator was also found on the roof where Crooks was shot.

Reports have found that Crooks came from a family of mixed political allegiances, and he himself appears to have had confusing political beliefs. His mother is a registered Democrat, and his father  whose name was on the weapon registration  is a Libertarian who owns over a dozen guns.

Thomas Matthew Crooks himself was a registered Republican, though he made a donation of $15 to the Democratic-leaning group Progressive Turnout Project in 2021. Law enforcement say his phone reveals searches for both Trump and President Biden before the shooting, including researching Trumps public appearances and the Democratic National Convention.

2001 Patriot Act definition of domestic terrorism The term `domestic terrorism means activities that: involve acts dangerous to human life that are a violation of the criminal laws of the United States or of any State

appear to be intended: to intimidate or coerce a civilian population to influence the policy of a government by intimidation or coercion; or to affect the conduct of a government by mass destruction, assassination, or kidnapping

and occur primarily within the territorial jurisdiction of the United States.

Darryl Johnson, a terrorism expert with experience in the Department of Homeland Security, says that having an ideologically-driven motivation is central to domestic terorrism.

Domestic terrorism is ideological, motivated violence without foreign direction. What makes it different than criminal violence is that theres a belief system behind it. Theyre trying to effect vital change or government policy, or whatever it is, Johnson says.

However, domestic terrorism is not a specific criminal charge.

This is a blindspot for prosecuting terrorism in the US, says Javed Ali, a domestic terrorism expert with 20 years of experience at the FBI and Department for Homeland Security.

Something can be described as domestic terrorism, but you cannot legally charge someone with a violation of domestic terrorism, he says. Even if you can take a domestic event and fit it into the legal definition of terrorism, theres no crime in US law to then match the definition, and that is one of the big gaps in how our country tackles this.

In the case of Thomas Crooks: It clearly was an assassination plot, Ali adds. Some of the motivation died with him, but in my assessment, this was only about killing Trump. It wasnt a mass shooting. He didnt empty the magazine on fully automatic and kill as many people as he could. Instead, he was firing controlled bursts.

So does an assassination of this kind fall under the umbrella of domestic terrorism?

For that, we have to look at past presidential assassinations; and experts have differing views.

In US political culture, this isnt actually that uncommon. Weve had four presidents assassinated, from 1865 to 1963. We had President Reagan shot by John Hinckley in 1981, and President Trump being shot now in 2024, says Ali.

The assassination attempt on President Ronald Reagan in 1981 ( AP )

An attempted presidential assassination is not always necessarily driven by ideological motivations, Ali adds, which means that the unsuccessful shooting of Donald Trump may not fall under domestic terrorism: The FBI is trying to figure out what motivated Crooks to do this. This one is a little different, because it may not be terrorism, it may be assassination [caused by] hatred of a political candidate.

Johnson disagrees; he says that political assassination attempts fall squarely into the definition of domestic terrorism.

If its a political figure, yes, its domestic terrorism, even leaders of civic organizations or civil rights groups and stuff like that, he says. It all depends on the person that was killed  what was their potential position, and what do they represent?

The civil rights leader Martin Luther King Jr was killed by an assassin in Memphis, Tennessee in 1968 ( Getty Images )

Martin Luther King [Jr.], his assassination would also be terrorism, even though he wasnt a political figure, he adds. He was trying to lead a civil rights movement for a group of people that were oppressed, so he was killed for it.

Johnson also points out that the Donald Trump shooting may not have a clear political motivation in terms of party loyalty, but could have been driven by hatred of a specific issue or policy: Theres a growing number of young people who mix and mesh seemingly opposite political issues and social issues... They might be concerned about the environment, but push for gun ownership. So we have this mixing of different ideologies from both sides of the political spectrum, which could be confusing too.

Domestic terrorism is on the rise

Instances of domestic terrorism are on the rise in the US, particularly in the last decade.

There were 529 incidents of terrorism between 2011 and 2021, according to the University of Marylands Global Terrorism Database, with 102 incidents in 2020 alone.

This is more than double the number of terrorist incidents (253) between 2000 and 2010, including 9/11.

Though this figure includes international terrorism, the vast majority of these acts are domestic terrorism, ranging from racial extremists to anti-abortion terrorism.

Experts have pointed out that the internet has played a big influence in changing the shape of terrorism, particularly since it is harder to detect signs, and in the case of Crooks using encrypted communication.

The technology revolution that happened 10 years ago or 15 years ago, with cell phones, social media, and encryption, that clearly provided a boost to violent extremist rhetoric and propaganda, not only on the domestic terrorism side, but even on the international side, says Ali.

In addition, the internet and social media can contribute to lone actor violence, as in-person networks are no longer necessary to get training or develop ideology.

When someones doing this in the privacy of their home, you have no idea. These threats can just come out of the blue, warns Johnson. Another thing that the internet has done is created a network for these people to get support that emboldens them to act.

Johnson adds: Thats the dilemma that law enforcement has with a lone offender versus a group as oftentimes, a lone offender act goes undetected until the last minute.

Criminal charges

In this instance, the shooter was killed on the spot, so there will be no trial. But previous cases of domestic terrorism have led to charges from weapons offences to conspiracy, depending on the context.

In 2015, Dylann Roof opened fire in a church in Charleston, South Carolina, killing nine African-American people inside.

Dylann Roof was charged with a federal hate crime after murdering nine African-American worshippers in a South Carolina church ( AP )

Roof was charged with a federal hate crime, even though his violent acts fit the bill for terrorism.

Dylann Roof, a white supremacist lone gunman, almost fits the same profile as Thomas Crooks, young man who was a loner and socially isolated, Ali says. Roof was stewing in his own ideological fervor of far-right, white-supremacy, white-power extremism, and then he murdered nine people. That certainly fits the definition of terrorism. How could it not? But Roof was charged, at least under federal law, with a federal hate crime.

The FBI investigation into Thomas Crooks is ongoing.
Today is the 50th anniversary of the invasion of Cyprus by Turkish armed forces, and the beginning of what we now call the Turkish Republic of North Cyprus (TRNC). The difficulty however for its nearly 300,000 Turkish-Cypriot residents is that only one country  Turkey  recognises TRNC in international law. In legal theory, but in no reality whatsoever, the Republic of Cyprus, the southern part of the island, and its 840,000 Greek-Cypriot residents, cover the whole geographical territory of the island.

Cyprus occupies a key strategic position at the eastern extremity of the Mediterranean. Its only 130 miles from its eastern end to Beirut and it has been contested throughout its history.

The Assyrians, the Persians, the Macedonians, the Romans, the Byzantines, and the Ottomans all controlled it at various times.

At the zenith of the British Empire, in 1878, the UK leased it and took de facto control, declaring its de jure control at the outbreak of the First World War. So, it remained until it was granted independence in 1960.

Around three-quarters of its population are Greek Cypriots; one-quarter are Turkish Cypriots. The Greek Cypriots are overwhelmingly Orthodox Christians, looking to their mother churches in Greece and Russia. The Turkish Cypriots are overwhelmingly Muslim.

The Greek Cypriots for long harboured the idea of enosis, or union, with mainland Greece. The Turkish Cypriots initially looked to the colonial power, the UK, for protection, and later developed their own idea of partition of the island, or taksim, meaning division.

In the 1950s, the Greek Cypriots, led by Archbishop Makarios, began an armed guerrilla campaign to secure their independence from the UK. Thousands of UK armed forces were deployed against them, together with 4,000 Turkish-Cypriot police.

In the end, all three sides, including the UK, pulled back. Makarios abandoned his previous commitment to enosis. Negotiations led to a compromise of independence for the island. A partnership Republic was established, by which the minority Turkish Cypriots got one-third of the seats in the parliament, and in the cabinet.

But by 1963 the necessary cooperation between the two communities had broken down, with Makarios making unilateral changes to the constitution, very much favouring the Greek majority. There was serious intercommunal violence in 1963-64, with 25,000 Turkish Cypriots being forced into armed enclaves for their own protection.

Civilians take cover in a truck during a shooting near Nicosia in 1974 ( AFP/Getty )

For decades after the Second World War, Greece was unstable. In April 1967, a group of right-wing colonels took power in a coup detat. Seven years later, on 15 July 1974, these nationalists conspired with elements in the Cypriot armed forces to remove Makarios, then president of Cyprus, from power, to move to union with Greece. Profoundly concerned for the Turkish Cypriots safety, Turkish forces intervened five days later, on 20 Jul.

A ceasefire was subsequently agreed, by which time Turkish troops controlled just over a third of the island, in the north. Thousands of Greek Cypriots in the north, and Turkish Cypriots in the south, were displaced. Turkish forces, probably today around 40,000, have been on the island ever since.

1974 was the middle of the Cold War. With both Turkey and Greece key members of Nato, the US was desperate to calm the situation down, and strongly objected to Turkeys refusal to withdraw its troops and seek a further compromise. The then leader of the Turkish Cypriots, Rauf Denktas, became a byword for intransigence. The Turkish Cypriots found themselves isolated internationally.

The Soviet Union, and its successor the Russian Federation, had long had deep ties among the Greek Cypriots (going back to their shared Orthodox religion). As part of the independence settlement in 1960, the UK took two sovereign bases  ie legally part of the UK  on the coasts of Cyprus.

Kofi Annan (right) shakes hands with Tassos Papadopoulos, then president of Cyprus, prior to a meeting in 2004 ( AFP/Getty )

One, Akrotiri, is in the Greek-Cypriot area, and in practice would be very difficult to operate without Greek-Cypriot cooperation. The other, Dhekelia, borders both north and south.

Into the morass stepped the EU and the UN. The EU made Cyprus an accession state, not least with the expectation that the prize of membership would encourage both sides to agree to a new shared constitution.

UN proposals, led by Kofi Annan, were put to both communities in referendums, in 2004, having been initiated by leaders of both sides. The Turkish Cypriots overwhelmingly endorsed the proposals, but 76 per cent of the Greek Cypriots, whipped up by their president, Tassos Papadopoulos, voted against it.

In all the time that I spent in EU committees and councils, I have never witnessed such outrage as that by the EU foreign ministers who met in late April 2004 to consider the wreckage that Papadopoulos had caused. As a first step, we agreed on a package of measures to ease the isolation of the north. Tragically, many of these were subsequently watered down.

This was because the clock was running down to the formal accession into EU membership of Cyprus (plus Malta and eight Eastern European states) on 1 May  one week later.

Turkish paratroopers land in July 1974, during the invasion of Cyprus ( AFP/Getty )

We should have postponed Cypruss accession and insisted that it would only go ahead once a power-sharing peace settlement for the whole island was in place. This, after all, was part of the original rationale for making Cyprus an accession state. Our failure (to which I was a party) to do so was one of the greatest regrets of my period as UK foreign secretary.

The consequences of allowing the Greek-Cypriot part of the island into membership, but with the legal nonsense that it covered the whole island, has simply been to give the Greek Cypriots all the cards. They have frequently taken the rest of the EU for a ride.

For long they provided a safe haven for rich Russians wealth  until in 2013, many lost money when Cyprus came close to bankruptcy and had to be bailed out by the EU. They had a nice scheme selling EU passports to millionaires.

Above all, they have resisted all sensible schemes for a compromise with the north, driving many negotiators to distraction. The explanation is simple. They calculate, and they are correct, that they are sitting pretty with the status quo. They believe that any settlement with the north would dilute the power that the south currently has.

I have studied this problem for years. There is only one way to unblock the impasse. This is for the EU, and key international partners, including the UK (a guarantor power under the independence settlement) to declare that unless the south does, for once, negotiate in good faith, partition of the island will be on the table, and the enforced isolation of the north will end.

Straw, then foreign secretary, meeting with Cypriot foreign minister Georgios Iacovou in 2003 ( AFP/Getty )

Three years ago, the president of the EU Commission, Ursula von der Leyen, declared that the EU would never ever accept a two-state solution for the island. Why ever not? There are plenty of examples, in Europe and beyond, where partitions are the least-worst solution to continuing conflicts.

Moreover, the possibility of partition is the one thing which could, and likely would, prompt the south to compromise, because if not, they would have an entirely separate, internationally recognised, independent state to their north.

The absurdity of the current situation, which makes Von der Leyens 2021 view so risible, is that de facto thats what we have anyway. Why should innocent people in the north continue to be punished through the inconvenience of international isolation when their negotiators have repeatedly cooperated, only to face obduracy from the south?

I accept that a change in stance would have to be handled with care, not least by the UK, with its much-needed sovereign bases in the south. But the prize, of a settlement, would have many advantages for the long-term future of the south as well as the north, and should now actively be pursued.
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The United Nations highest court said on Friday that Israels occupation of Palestinian territories and settlements there are illegal and should be withdrawn as soon as possible, in its strongest findings to date on the Israel-Palestinian conflict.

The advisory opinion by judges at the International Court of Justice (ICJ), known as the World Court, was not binding but carries weight under international law and may weaken support for Israel.

Israeli settlements in the West Bank and East Jerusalem, and the regime associated with them, have been established and are being maintained in violation of international law, President Nawaf Salam said, reading the findings of a 15-judge panel.

The court said Israels obligations include paying restitution for harm and the evacuation of all settlers from existing settlements.

Judge and President of the International Court of Justice (ICJ), Nawaf Salam (R) delivers a non-binding ruling on the legal consequences of the Israeli occupation of the West Bank and East Jerusalem ( AFP via Getty Images )

Israels foreign ministry rejected the opinion as fundamentally wrong and one sided, and repeated its stance that a political settlement in the region can only be reached by negotiations.

The Jewish nation cannot be an occupier in its own land, Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahus office said in a statement.

The opinion also angered West Bank settlers as well as politicians such as finance minister Bezalel Smotrich, whose nationalist religious party is close to the settler movement and who himself lives in a West Bank settlement.

The answer to The Hague - Sovereignty now he said in a post on the social media platform X, in an apparent appeal to formally annex the West Bank.

Israel Gantz, head of the Binyamin Regional Council, one of the largest settler councils, said the ICJ opinion was contrary to the Bible, morality and international law.

The ICJ opinion also found that the UN Security Council, the General Assembly and all states have an obligation neither to recognise the occupation as legal nor to render aid or assistance toward maintaining Israels presence in the occupied territories.

The United States is Israels biggest military ally and supporter.

The Palestinian Foreign Ministry called the opinion historic and urged states to adhere to it.

Palestinian foreign policy advisor Riad Malki speaks to media at the International Court of Justice ( AP )

No aid. No assistance. No complicity. No money, no arms, no trade...no actions of any kind to support Israels illegal occupation, Palestinian envoy Riyad al-Maliki said outside the court in The Hague.

The case stems from a 2022 request for a legal opinion from the UN General Assembly, predating the war in Gaza that began in October.

Israel captured the West Bank, Gaza Strip and East Jerusalem - areas of historic Palestine which the Palestinians want for a state - in the 1967 Middle East war and has since built settlements in the West Bank and steadily expanded them.

Israeli leaders argue the territories are not occupied in legal terms because they are on disputed lands, but the United Nations and most of the international community regard them as occupied territory.

Israelis wave national flags during a march marking Jerusalem Day, an Israeli holiday celebrating the capture of east Jerusalem in 1967 ( Copyright 2024 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. )

In February, more than 50 states presented their views before the court, with Palestinian representatives asking the court to find that Israel must withdraw from all the occupied areas and dismantle illegal settlements.

Israel did not participate in the oral hearings but filed a written statement telling the court that issuing an advisory opinion would be harmful to attempts to resolve the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.

The majority of states participating asked the court to find the occupation illegal, while a handful, including Canada and Britain, argued it should refuse to give an advisory opinion.

The United States had asked the court not to order the unconditional withdrawal of Israeli forces from the Palestinian territories.

The US position was that the court should issue no decision that could hurt negotiations toward a two-state solution on a land for peace principle.

In 2004 the ICJ gave an advisory ruling that an Israeli separation barrier around most of the West Bank was illegal and Israeli settlements were established in breach of international law. Israel dismissed that ruling.
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The Israeli military said it bombed sites in Yemen linked to the Iran-backed Houthi militias in retaliation for a deadly drone attack on Tel Aviv on Friday.

The military said it hit military targets over 1600km away in Yemens port city of Hodeidah on Saturday in response to hundreds of aerial threats including Fridays attack which killed an Israeli man and wounded 10 others.

It marks the first time Israel has publicly acknowledged striking Yemen amid escalating attacks from the Houthis.

The military claimed it is also one of the furthest strikes away from Israeli territory ever conducted by the Israeli Air Force.

Houthi spokesperson Mohammed Abdulsalam wrote on X, formerly known as Twitter, that Yemen had been subject to blatant Israeli agression against Yemen. He said the strikes had targeted civilian infrastructure, oil tanks and an electricity station in the strategic port city.

A handout picture obtained from Yemen's Huthi Ansarullah Media Center shows a huge column of fire erupting following reported strikes in the Yemeni rebel-held port city of Hodeida opn July 20 ( ANSARULLAH MEDIA CENTRE/AFP via )

With the aim doubling the peoples suffering, and pressuring Yemen into halting supporting Gaza, he added, writing that the attacks will only increase the determination of the Yemeni people and the armed forces.

Mohamed Ali al-Houthi, of the Supreme Political Council in Yemen, wrote on X that there will be impactful strikes. Yahya Saree, a Houthi military spokesperson, said they will not hesitate to strike the vital targets of the Israeli enemy in a statement carried by Yemeni media.

The ministry of health in Sanaa said that 80 people had been wounded, the majority with severe burns. Houthi-affiliated al Masirah TV later reported that Israels strikes killed three people and wounded 87.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said the strike was a direct response to the Houthis strike on Tel Aviv, which killed 50-year-old Israeli citizen Yevgeny Ferder and injured 10 others on Friday.

It was used for military purposes, it was used as an entry point for deadly weapons supplied to the Houthis by Iran, he said of the port. It makes it clear to our enemies that there is no place that the long arm of the State of Israel will not reach, he continued.

Israeli defense minister Yoav Gallant said that the Houthis have struck Israel over 200 times.

The first time that they harmed an Israeli citizen, we struck them. And we will do this in any place where it may be required, he added in a statement.

The drone attack by Houthi rebels killed one person in the center of Tel Aviv and wounded at least 10 others near the US Embassy early Friday. Nearly all projectiles fired from Yemen toward Israel have been intercepted in the past. However, on Friday Israel said while the air defenses detected the drone, no air raid sirens sounded and an error occurred.

Since January, British and American forces have been striking targets in Yemen, in response to the Houthis attacks on commercial shipping that the rebels have described as retaliation for Israels actions in the war in Gaza. However, many of the ships targeted werent linked to Israel.

The joint force airstrikes so far have done little to deter the Iran-backed force. Also on Saturday, Israeli strikes killed at least 13 people in refugee camps in central Gaza overnight, according to Palestinian health officials, as ceasefire talks in Cairo appeared to make progress. Among the dead in the Nuseirat and Bureij refugee camps were three children and one woman, according to Palestinian ambulance teams.

Israel launched its most ferocious bombardment ever of Gaza and a crippling siege of the tiny 42-km strip in retaliation for the October 7 attacks by Hamas where the military group killed over 1,000 people and took more than 250 hostage. Since then Palestinian health officials say that Israels bombings have killed more than 38,000 people the majority women and children. The United Nations said crippling food shortages has led to famine.
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The National Lottery app and website have gone down across the UK amid a global IT outage.

National Lottery said it was investigating after thousands of users reported being unable to access results or buy tickets ahead of Saturday nights draw.

Customers were reporting issues accessing the National Lottery app as well as the website since around 8pm on Friday, according to outage website Downdetector, with complaints peaking at more than 2,800 on Saturday morning.

It comes as a botched software update brought down tech infrastructure worldwide, although it is not clear if the lotterys issues are linked to the outage. The massive disruption to Microsoft systems has included flight delays and cancellations, as well as impacting hospitals, banks, supermarkets and millions of businesses.

On Friday night, National Lottery said in a post on X: We are aware that some players are having issues accessing our website and app. Apologies for the inconvenience, our team are currently investigating the issue to find out what has happened.

open image in gallery The National Lottery app and website went down across the UK amid a global IT outage ( PA Archive )

In an update issued on the social media platform on Saturday morning, National Lottery apologised for the disruption and said the website and app are now back online. It wrote: Our website and app are now back online! If you continue to experience access issues, please re-load and try again. Thanks for your patience and sorry for any inconvenience caused!

Players aired their frustration at the incident on social media, with some disputing that the website and app are now back up and running.

One user wrote on X earlier: Come on @TNLUK your app and website are down, this has been going on since 9pm last night. The fact its still not resolved after all this time is ridiculous.

Another said on Saturday afternoon: App and site [have] not [been] working for many hours, @TNLUK telling people on Twitter its fixed when it clearly isnt  farcical behaviour, farcical cust[omer] service and farcical communications to the players of the UKs national lottery.

It comes as IT experts warned it could take weeks for systems to fully recover from the global IT outage.

open image in gallery A technician works on an information display after a faulty CrowdStrike update caused a major internet outage for computers running Microsoft Windows ( Copyright 2024 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. )

Adam Leon Smith of BCS, the Chartered Institute for IT, warned it could take weeks for all computers and systems to be fully restored. In some cases, the fix may be applied very quickly, he said. But if computers have reacted in a way that means theyre getting into blue screens... that could take days and weeks.

The chief executive of CrowdStrike, a cybersecurity company whose update crashed Microsoft Windows systems, said he was deeply sorry.

George Kurtz said it was not a security incident or cyber attack, and that a defect was found in a single content update for Windows hosts.

National Lottery operator Allwyn said: The National Lottery website and Mobile Apps are available so players are able to purchase tickets and check results. Retail services were unaffected. Our technical teams are continuing to monitor service and investigate the cause of the outage.
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A global IT outage is likely to occur again unless governments and industry work together to design out technological flaws, a leading cyber expert has said.

Professor Ciaran Martin, the former chief executive of the National Cyber Security Centre (NCSC), said the worst of the global IT outage was over but countries would have to learn to cope with future flaws.

The founding chief executive of the NCSC told Sky News: The worst of this is over because the nature of the crisis was such that it went very badly wrong, very quickly. It was spotted quite quickly and, essentially, it was turned off.

Prof Martin added: Until governments and the industry get together and work out how to design out some of these flaws, Im afraid we are likely to see more of these again.

Within countries like the UK and elsewhere in Europe, you can try and build up that national resilience to cope with this. But ultimately, a lot of this is going to be determined in the US.

If theres going to be regulation to try and iron out these flaws, itll probably have to come from the US and theres not a great deal that we can do about that.

So unless and until the structure of the way we do tech changes, were going to have to learn to cope with these things, rather than eliminate them.

Until governments and the industry get together and work out how to design out some of these flaws, Im afraid we are likely to see more of these again Professor Ciaran Martin

Computer scientist Sir Nigel Shadbolt said people should draw similar lessons from the IT outage as they did from the pandemic.

Sir Nigel told the BBC Radio 4 Today programme: Often these issues are left (to) technological elites.

This impacts everyone and we need to understand how those effects ripple through society and think about how we all make ourselves more resilient.

He added: The resilience in general of these systems is something very special. We depend on these systems and by and large they are working to very high levels of quality.

But when they do go wrong, and its like a pandemic, literally we should draw similar lessons, what lessons do we draw?

As individuals, what should we be thinking? We should be thinking about a degree of resilience in our own lives. We should think about having perhaps multiple systems, not depending just on one.

Technology researcher Dr Stephanie Hare said the IT outage was a wake-up call and should never have been allowed to happen.

Dr Hare told BBC Breakfast: I think its a process error.

This should never have been allowed to happen because you should be testing your software updates and making sure that everything is fine before you roll them out  particularly rolling them out worldwide.

So I think what weve all had here is a really big wake-up call about how lacking in resilience our IT systems are.

Dr Hare added: Anyone who has been working in IT, and particularly in cybersecurity, has known this for years.

We underinvest, and hopefully this is going to make people maybe stop talking about generative AI so much and actually start working on cybersecurity again.
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Thousands of passengers across the UK have faced fresh cancellations and delays to flights as airlines recover from the impact of one of the largest global IT outages ever.

Dozens of flights were axed on Saturday, with data showing 73 cancellations by 4pm on Saturday, in addition to the more than 400 flights that were grounded on Friday. That represents around 75,000 passengers across the two days who were booked to fly are not where they intended to be.

More than 9,000 flights around the world have been cancelled so far, according to aviation analyst Cirium.

Worst affected on Saturday were travellers on British Airways to and from London Heathrow, with easyJet grounding eight flights to and from London Gatwick.

We are stuck in Tenerife where it seems Tui have abandoned us. So said Sarah Murdoch, one of an estimated 6,000 holidaymakers whose trips with the giant travel firm have become unexpectedly prolonged due to the outage affecting Windows systems.

Waited at the airport for hours with no Tui rep in sight. We had to arrange our own accommodation and we are flying back tonight with Jet2. Tui says all its customers overseas are being looked after by resort teams.

At least Ms Murdoch had enjoyed the holiday she booked before the CloudStrike IT upgrade  which Microsoft said had impacted 8.5 million Windows devices  put paid to her homebound journey.

Thousands more had their long-anticipated package holidays with Tui summarily cancelled.

Tui was hit even harder than the major UK airlines because its crewing system was directly hit by the software calamity. On what was expected to be the busiest day this decade for flights from UK airports, Tui cancelled 64 flights.

open image in gallery Passengers at Gatwick airport at the weekend ( Luke O'Reilly/PA Wire )

To avoid the situation becoming unmanageable, Tui took the remarkable step of cancelling thousands of holidays  an act which will cost the company millions of pounds in forfeited revenue, as well as lost goodwill from disappointed customers.

The company, Europes biggest travel firm, is offering them vouchers for future trips in addition to full refunds or switching to holidays going ahead on advantageous terms.

But even customers whose holidays have not been cancelled are experiencing severe disruption. Tui passengers at Manchester expecting to depart for Cancun in Mexico at noon on Saturday discovered their Boeing 787 was going to fit in a short hop to Palma de Mallorca and back  delaying the transatlantic trip by at least eight hours.

Many people took to social media to complain  and were immediately pounced upon by scammers who set up dozens of imposter accounts on X/Twitter in a bid to defraud frustrated travellers. CrowdStrike warned of the threat of criminals seeking to exploit the fallout from the outage to their advantage. The Australian Signals Directorate (ASD), the equivalent of the UKs GCHQ, also issued an alert about hackers sending out bogus software fixes claiming to be CrowdStrike.

A spokesperson for Tui said: Due to the global IT issue at airports and airlines around the world, TUIs overall service level was heavily impacted and we would like to apologise to everyone affected.

Whilst the original IT issue was outside of our control, an essential system needed to run our airline operation remained unstable late into [Friday] night. We therefore made the difficult decision to cancel a number of outbound flights and delayed a number of inbound flights returning to the UK.

open image in gallery The outages led to long queues at airports like Edinburgh ( PA Wire )

We are very sorry to all those customers impacted as we understand how disappointing this would have been and recognise that many customers were already at the airport waiting for their departure.

The 64 Tui departures grounded on Friday represented one in six of the flights cancelled to, from and within the UK, according to aviation analyst Cirium.

European air passengers rights rules specify that any airline cancelling a flight must provide stranded travellers with an alternative means of reaching their destination as soon as possible, plus a hotel and meals while they wait.

In practice, though, at times of severe disruption, airlines pass on their obligation to the passenger  leaving travellers to find a room and an alternative flight home.

Carriers will collectively have lost millions of pounds over what was supposed to be the most lucrative time of the year.

Beyond the travel industry, NHS England has warned of continued disruption to GP services into next week off the back of the IT outage. Across England, GP surgeries reported being unable to book appointments or access patient records on Friday as their Emis appointment and patient record system went down.

NHS England said on Saturday afternoon that its systems were coming back online in most areas but still running slightly slower than usual.

An NHS spokesperson said: As practices recover from the loss of IT systems on Friday, there may be some continued disruption, particularly to GP services, in some areas into next week as practices work to rebook appointments.

The advice for Monday remains that patients should attend appointments as normal unless told otherwise.

The National Pharmacy Association (NPA) said that patients collecting prescriptions could still face disruption this weekend.

Nick Kaye, chairman of the NPA, which represents independent community pharmacies in the UK, said: Systems are by and large back online and medicine deliveries have resumed in many community pharmacies today after the global IT outage.

However, yesterdays outage will have caused backlogs and we expect services to continue to be disrupted this weekend as pharmacies recover.
Donald Trumps running mate JD Vance joined the former president on the campaign trail in Michigan on Saturday, 20 July.

Vance accused Kamala Harris of accomplishing little during her time in the White House as Joe Bidens vice president.

What the hell have you done other than collect a check? Vance asked during his speech, prompting the audience to burst into applause.

Trump introduced Vance as his vice president pick during the Republican National Convention last week, where he officially became the Republican presidential nominee.
Back-to-school costs can be huge, but it is possible to cut bills by getting ahead

From uniforms and devices to transport and insurance, there is so much to keep account of

It's back-to-school time soon. Photo: Getty

Sinead Ryan Sat 20 Jul 2024 at 03:30

I know, I know. Its barely the summer holidays  despite the weather  and already youre checking book lists and seeing what new bits of uniform are needed.
Steve Mulkerrins is going to donate the boat for sail training and the arts

When Connemara carpenter Steve Mulkerrins said he was going to build and sail a Galway hooker from Chicago to home, no one quite believed him.

Not only did he construct the largest ever Galway hooker in his shed, with much help, but he sailed it through the Great Lakes and across the Atlantic in 2006  and now he is donating it for sail training and the arts in Galway city.

Badoiri an Chladaigh, the classic boat-building and training group, is due to take formal possession of the timber-built vessel, Naomh Bairbre, today. The ceremony in the Claddagh Basin will be attended by the new city mayor, Fianna Fail councillor Peter Keane.

Mr Mulkerrins, from Maumeen, Co Galway, said he gave the Naomh Bairbre to Badoiri an Chladaigh on a loan four or five years ago, and the club worked on its maintenance.

I want it to stay now in Galway, as it is called a Galway hooker for a reason, and it will be a great boat for sailing training and day trips in the bay, and for artists in the winter, he said.

Mr Mulkerrins had been living and working in Chicago for 12 years, and in Boston before that, when he embarked on the project with the support of his wife Agnes and their three children.

He imported the wood from Wicklow in two 12-metre containers and spent a substantial amount of his own money on the construction, with balladeer John Flaherty among those who helped out.

What motivated him was the idea of sailing the vessel home in memory of his late father, Colm.

The return home was planned in stages, as it was a 3,200km navigation from Chicago to the Hudson River alone.

Naomh Bairbre crossed the Great Lakes, headed up to Newfoundland, back down again and then to New York.

The Atlantic crossing in 2006 took Mr Mulkerrins 28 days, passing the Aran Islands and on into the quay at Maumeen with his shipmates Pat and Tom Joyce, Coley Newell and Barney Flaherty.

Hard to believe it was 18 years ago that we sailed into Connemara. It is a great sea boat, and I know Peter Connolly and his crew will look after it well, he said.

Mr Connolly, of Badoiri an Chladaigh, added: At all of 47-foot (14 metres) long and with a 47-foot high mast, the Naomh Bairbre will be seen by everyone when it is in the Claddagh Basin.

We are delighted with Steves gesture, and we plan to ensure it becomes a municipal floating arts space for artists and musicians who can use it when it is not out sailing.

Given Galways relative lack of artistic venues, the opportunity may prove invaluable for young artists, Mr Connolly said.

The handover takes place on a day of keen activity on water, with 130 swimmers due to cross Galway Bay for the annual Frances Thornton Memorial Swim. The event, hosted by Cancer Care West, is on target to surpass 100,000 in fundraising for the charity.
>>> 2024-07-20 minuteman missile communications (PDF)

A programming note: I am looking at making some changes to how I host things like Computers Are Bad and wikimap that are going to involve a lot more recurring expense. For that and other reasons, I want to see if y'all would be willing to throw some money my way. If everyone reading this gave $3 a month, we could probably buy Jimbo Wales a nice lunch or something.

I do not intend to paywall anything that I post here. Instead, I'm going to take some of the things that tend to be very long Mastodon threads (how this article originally started!) and send them out to supporters, probably about once a month. They'll be things that I wouldn't post here, usually because they're too short or don't quite have a hook to make a while article interesting.

So consider supporting me on ko-fi---or don't, it's your decision, and I respect that. I'll probably work a plug into each article but I promise not to be annoying about it. I'm also going to be making some new YouTube videos and I'll probably make those available to supporters first, so that's something else to look forward to.

Speaking of annoying, this is kind of a long and dry one. I started looking into something called HICS after visiting a historic site, posted about it a bit on Mastodon, realized that there just wasn't a lot of good historic information about it in general. And I felt like if I was going to talk about communications in Minuteman missile fields, I also had to cover how they would get their war orders.

Look on the bright side: it's got pictures!

Minuteman Missiles

Since the early days of the Cold War, the United States has maintained a nuclear triad: independent capabilities to deliver nuclear weapons from land, sea, and air. The sea and air components are straightforward, consisting of submarines carrying submarine-launched ballistic missiles (SLBMs) and long-range strategic bombers. The land leg is more often forgotten: the intercontinental ballistic missiles, or ICBMs.

The US ICBM arsenal currently consists of 400 Minuteman III missiles emplaced throughout the midwest: the Air Force's 90th Missile Wing, 150 missiles, Wyoming Nebraska, and Colorado; the 91st Missile Wing, 150 missiles, in North Dakota; and the 341st Missile Wing, 100 missiles, in Montana. Historically, there were as many as 1,000 active Minuteman missiles, to say nothing of retired missile programs like Titan and Atlas. At least three Minuteman missile facilities are now historic sites open to the public, a somewhat incongruous experience considering their broad similarity to the facilities still in active use. Many others are abandoned, typically in various states of permanent destruction to satisfy treaty obligations. Fifty Minuteman IIIs of the 341st are currently held in an inactive "reserve" state, out of service but ready for future emplacement, a notable situation given the strict limits Cold War treaties place on stockpiled ICBMs.

Minuteman employed a significantly different launch configuration from earlier ICBM programs. Large facilities were difficult to protect from a first strike; distance was the only effective protection from increasingly accurate Soviet weapons. Scattered single facilities were difficult and costly to staff. Minuteman selected a compromise point: clusters of ten independent Launch Facilities (LFs), spaced miles apart and called a "flight," are remotely monitored and operated from a single Missile Alert Facility (MAF). Groups of four to five missile flights constitute a squadron, and about four squadrons compose a wing, which is supported by an Air Force Base.

In each Missile Alert Facility, a Missile Combat Crew Commander (MCCC) and Deputy Missile Combat Crew Commander (DMCCC) lock themselves into an underground capsule called a Launch Control Center (LCC) for each 24 hour watch. Originally designed by Boeing, the LCC resembles the interior of an aircraft more than a building, fitting its crew of Air Force officers. The LCC is an isolated, self-contained system with all of the equipment needed to monitor, configure, and launch the missiles. A surface building above contains a security control center and quarters for the security force, responsible not only for the MAF but also for the ten LFs under its supervision. Still, the surface building is both powerless over and largely unneeded by the LCC beneath it. In the event of nuclear war, it was assumed, surface structures in these sparsely populated but strategically critical parts of the country would be wiped cleanly away from the earth. Only the hardened infrastructure would remain: the LCCs, the LFs, and communications infrastructure.

Minuteman missile combat crews had more duties than just to wait. They performed remote tests on the missiles, launch, and control equipment; they monitored alarm systems that reported malfunctions and remotely supervised the work of maintenance crews; and they monitored the security systems that protected the unmanned LFs, authorizing access and dispatching security forces on the surface to any unknown intrusion. Still, their primary responsibility, the one for which we all know them, is the disposition of Emergency War Orders (EWO).

In fine Air Force tradition, actions that may very well presage the end of the world as we know it are presented in the form of a checklist. EWOs are authenticated against codes and secrets. Two keys, just like in the movies, are inserted. The missiles are enabled by remote command. Targeting information is transmitted to the missiles. The keys are turned, the launch code sent, and the rest is automated, under the control of the missiles themselves. The missile crew are miles away, so the Real Thing, the Shit Hitting the Fan, must feel pretty anticlimactic. The only apocalyptic horsemen they'll see are a series of indicator lights on the MCCC's console: LCH CMD. LCH IN PROC. MISSILE AWAY.

The realities of ICBM operation are fascinating and incline one towards drama. Somehow the work of submarine and bomber crews seems more ordinary; they are at least "out there," in or near enemy territory. Missile crews are sealed in a very small room buried below a small building in a corner cut out of a farm field near, but not too near, to a highway for logistical convenience. They are entirely dependent on electronic communications, not only to receive their orders, but even to use their weapons. They have the original email job: since 1962, they have served primarily to send and receive messages, mostly by text.

With the rather purple introduction complete, I am going to talk about this communications technology. But first, just a little more preface.

Most of the reduction of the Minuteman force has been a direct response to treaties, which imposed progressively lower caps on the nuclear stockpile. Some reductions were more of a historical accident. In the 1980s, political considerations lead to a decision to "temporarily" deploy the Peacekeeper missile, with 10 MIRV (multiple independent reentry vehicle) warheads, to a set of fifty silos of the 90th Missile Wing's 400th Missile Squadron, in Wyoming. The Peacekeeper, fielded late in the Cold War, was a profoundly controversial program. The fifty Peacekeepers retrofitted into Minuteman silos would be the only ever installed, and their temporary homes became permanent. Most of the missile's warheads were removed for compliance with Start II treaty, which Russia never ratified and the United States withdrew from. Still, for cost-savings reasons, the odd-duck Peacekeeper program was terminated. The last Peacekeeper missiles were retired in 2005.

I got it into my head to write a detailed description of the missile field communications system because of my visit to QUEBEC-01, one of the five MAFs associated with these Peacekeeper missiles, and now a Wyoming State Historical Site. For that reason, I will most closely describe the communications system as installed in the 90th Missile Wing, the remainder of which is still active today. Minuteman missile fields were built over a period of years by different contractors and have since been through multiple modernization programs. Each change has introduced inconsistencies. While I will point out some of the more interesting variations between Minuteman installations, this is best taken as a description of the "average" Minuteman squadron, one that is typical of the others but does not exactly exist.

Although I am not exactly aiming for academic rigor, this information is based mostly on documents available through the Defense Technical Information Center, which include both original documentation from the Minuteman program and more recent documents related to modernization programs, proposed changes, and the retirement of many Minuteman facilities. I have supplemented those documents with recollections by former Air Force personnel when available, and as always, I welcome any corrections or additional information. One of the pleasures of writing about military history is the tendency of veterans to reach out to me with corrections and stories; I apologize that I am not always good about getting back to people, particularly phone calls.

The Minuteman III, a fairly direct evolution of the original Minuteman design, is still in active service. Many detailed materials about the Minuteman program are probably currently classified, most of the others are formerly classified and thus have not consistently made their way to archives. Certain basic questions remain frustratingly unanswered. That's just how it goes.

I'm also going to try really hard not to be too annoying with the acronyms, but it's not easy.

Personnel

While there were originally three-person crews, Minuteman LCCs have had two crew members for many decades, the MCCC and DMCCC. The MCCC is superior to the DMCCC, but the nature of missile operations and such a small crew mean that their roles are somewhat more complex than commander and deputy. Missile crews operate according to the "two-person concept," a general prohibition on any person working alone. This rule is intended to improve safety, reduce mistakes, and most importantly, mitigate the risk of an unauthorized launch. There are additional safeguards against unauthorized launch in the Minuteman system which will be discussed later. Both the MCCC and the DMCCC are required to initiate a launch.

The MCCC sits at a console that is focused around monitoring and control of the launch facilities. They have ready access to procedures and documentation. The DMCCC sits at a separate console that is focused on communications. Their chair slides on rails, allowing them to access the equipment racks and teleprinters to the sides of the DMCCC position. The DMCCC is primarily responsible for communications, so we are most interested in the equipment under their control.

Missile Alert Facilities were designed with a goal of self-containment for survivability. Most communications equipment is within the LCC itself, readily available to the DMCCC so that they can at least diagnose problems, if not make a repair. To this end, DMCCCs receive significant training on technical details of the communications and computer systems.

Should a problem occur outside of the LCC, the MCC would request assistance from the Air Force Base. Several Air Force ratings had expertise in communications equipment, ranging from communications technicians that would investigate problems within the LF to cable splicers that would repair damage in the outside plant.

The Minuteman program is somewhat unusual in the extensive construction of long-distance communications equipment by the Air Force. AT&T's role in the missile fields was surprisingly limited; most communications followed routes fully under the control of the Air Force.

External Communications

We can generally divide Minuteman communications systems into two categories: external and internal. External communications systems are primarily used by the Missile Combat Crew (MCC) to receive orders, including Emergency War Orders authorizing the use of nuclear weapons. Internal communications systems are used within the missile field, primarily to allow the MCC to communicate with the launch facilities under their control. Some details blur the lines: for example, there are communications systems which allow the MCC to contact their Air Force Base, where support facilities and maintenance crews are found. I will consider these internal systems, but you could argue for the opposite.

The external communications systems available to Minuteman crews have varied over time. Perhaps the most exotic was the Survivable Low Frequency Communications System (SLFCS), based on the LF equipment used by the Navy for communications with submarines. Missile facilities are not underwater, but nuclear detonations cause significant disruption to the atmosphere that greatly interferes with radio propagation in the HF range. LF communications are expected to be less affected in a nuclear combat environment. SLFCS specifically operated between 14kHz and 60kHz. Some, but not all, Minuteman MAFs were equipped with a magnetic loop antenna, about 6' in diameter, buried shallowly underground.

All MAFs were equipped with HF antennas, although they were decommissioned in the 1980s. The HF antennas are described as hardened, but it is not feasible to truly harden an HF antenna. They must be fairly large, and HF does not penetrate the ground well, making it impractical to bury them. Instead, hardened HF antennas are perhaps better described as "hidden" HF antennas. The typical design is a monopole that stores in a long, narrow silo underground, awaiting post-attack deployment. MAFs had two separate hardened HF antennas, one for transmit, and one for receive.

The receive antenna was the most critical, as it would be needed to receive war orders over the High Frequency Global Communications System (HFGCS). HFGCS is one of the primary ways that an Emergency War Order would be distributed to Air Force units including both missiles and bombers. The hardened HF receive antenna assembly actually included six 160' monopoles: one was extended for normal use, but in the event of nuclear attack, the five others were stored telescoped in a silo about 30' deep and could be deployed by a small explosive charge. There were, in the parlance apparently used by the Air Force, five "reloads."

The HF transmit antenna, being less important in an attack scenario, had only one replacement. A "soft" HF transmit antenna of conventional design was in normal use but backed up by a single 120' hardened antenna stored in a separate silo. A 50' radius buried ground plane surrounded the hardened antenna.

Near the MAF surface building, a small, white metal cone protrudes from the ground. The cone consists of a huge cast steel blast deflector with a depression in the center, which is covered by a fiberglass cone. The cone houses a compact UHF antenna. This antenna, a 1970s upgrade, can receive war orders via several satellite systems or directly from an aircraft such as the E-6. The E-6 airborne command post can serve in various roles, including as a "Looking Glass" airborne command post (taking control of nuclear forces in the event of a loss of ground-based command posts) or a "TACAMO" Take Charge and Move Out relay, transmitting a war order from elsewhere to forces in the field.

UHF communications are essentially line of sight, especially with the use of a partially in-ground hardened antenna. In a scenario with extensive loss of communications infrastructure, particularly with ASAT warfare disabling military communications satellites, an E-6 or another similarly equipped aircraft would fly over Minuteman missile fields and deliver an emergency war order directly to each LCC.

Complimenting this capability, in-service Minuteman launch facilities have themselves been equipped with a similar UHF antenna. Looking Glass and TACAMO aircraft actually have Air Force missileers on board who serve as an Airborne Launch Control Center (ALCC). In the event of a loss of most of the LCCs in a missile field, an ALCC can issue launch instructions directly to each LF without any need for the regular missile crews or internal communications infrastructure.

During the early '90s, a super high frequency (SHF) small satellite terminal was installed at each active MAF. It is housed in a small, white radome at the top of a pole near the surface building. SHF is widely used by modern military satellite systems, such as the Air Force's Wideband Global SATCOM.

Each of these antennas is connected by buried conduits to radio equipment in the LCC's radio racks. At the DMCCC's position, the telephone console allows the DMCCC to talk or listen on each radio by selecting it with a pushbutton. Over time, the radios were also attached to more modern digital systems. Depending on the year, teleprinters or computer displays would receive text messages via the UHF and SHF radio systems.

The external radio systems were actually all backup or secondary. The primary means of nuclear C2 within the Strategic Air Command and, later, Global Strike Command, has long been a digital computer network. While Minuteman installations began with just a teleprinter to receive orders via leased telephone line, the late '60s saw the introduction of the Strategic Automated Command and Control System (SACCS), which was itself replaced by the Strategic Air Command Digital Network (SACDIN). A small (for the era) computer in a rack to the right of the DMCCC's station allowed two-way messaging with SAC headquarters over leased telephone lines. Reportedly, these and other Bell System telephone lines to LCCs were carried by buried telephone cable to small hardened exchange buildings serving each missile field. I have not yet researched this topic closely.

In Peacekeeper LCCs as well as Minuteman LCCs from the '70s to the '90s, the specific computer used for this purpose was called the Command Data Buffer (CDB). The CDB was connected to both SACCS/SACDIN and the internal communications network, in order to accurately relay targeting information to the missiles. This will be discussed later in the context of rapid retargeting. In the 1990s, the REACT system was installed for a similar purpose.

Quebec-01 LCC was equipped with a teleprinter with a selector between SACDIN and AFSAT (UHF satellite) receivers. I'm not sure why the teleprinter was retained after the CDB upgrade, very possibly just for redundancy.

Somewhere between external and internal, each LCC had access to two dial telephone lines. These connected directly to the PSTN. Some circumstantial evidence leads me to think these dial lines were shared with the surface building, which probably explains the need for two. The dial lines were mostly used to contact support crews at the Air Force Base for routine maintenance issues.

HICS Digital Communications

I was most interested in the internal communications systems, which have garnered less historical documentation than the external links. In most cases, there is only really one: the Hardened Intersite Cable System, HICS.

HICS consists of multipair pressurized telephone cables trenched between Minuteman facilities. HICS carries digital traffic for C2, and many Air Force documents use the term "HICS" exclusively to mean the digital channel, but the same cables carried multiple voice pairs. Let's consider the digital capability first, though.

HICS, as originally installed, operated at 1.3Kbps. Details on the actual encoding are hard to come by, but given the time period I assume it was generally similar to the AFSK schemes used by other early telephone data links. The punch line, of course, is that the 1.3Kbps stuck---based on some Air Force journal articles on options for upgrades, it seems that contemporary Minuteman III fields still communicate over HICS at 1.3Kbps. Remember that when we get to retargeting.

The topology of the digital HICS network is rather interesting. It was designed for redundancy and reliability, but prior to most of our modern understanding of computer networking. There's a mix of a few different ideas.

One of the things I'm not completely confident of is the size of the collision domain within HICS, or how much of the cable network was a common bus. From reading between the lines of some different reports and considering the overall design, I'm fairly confident that the entire digital HICS network was a single shared bus within each flight, and I think it is likely that it was a shared bus within each squadron. This bus would be tens of miles long with multiple branches, a challenging electrical situation that perhaps explains why the Air Force has repeatedly found it to be infeasible to make HICS faster.

Thanks to minutemanmissile.com for this image of the Warren AFB/90th Missile Wing HICS map, which is far more legible than the photo I had taken.

Each of the LCCs, denoted in the map by open rectangles, is connected to four "loops" of HICS cable. The legs of adjacent loops to the LCC are shared, though, so it's perhaps easier to describe this way: each LCC is surrounded by a ring of HICS cable, to which it is connected by four legs spread roughly 90 degrees apart. This design gives a fair amount of redundancy, a break anywhere in the ring or even breaks of more than one of the LCC's legs would still leave a working path.

This latter scenario was probably one of the designer's greatest concerns, as the LCCs would be obvious targets for inbound nuclear attacks. The cable layout provides four-times redundancy on the cables to the LCC, but no redundancy at all on the cables to individual LFs. That tells you a lot about their threat modeling. Facilities were spaced far enough apart that a precision strike on an LF would probably disable only that single LF; a precision strike on an LCC, though, could potentially disable ten LFs at once. As the accuracy and power of nuclear warheads improved, it seemed more likely that a first strike would succeed in disabling at least some LCCs. A lot of the complexity of HICS is intended to account for that possibility.

Each of the LFs is connected to the ring via a single leg. In some cases, multiple LFs are along the same leg. These are often the same long runs that connect the rings of two different LCCs together. In general, each LCC ring is connected to two of its neighbors, although sometimes it will instead have two redundant connections to a single neighbor. Based on the map and situation on the ground, these inter-flight connections don't seem to have required any active equipment, only a splice case. That supports the theory that an entire squadron was a shared bus, although it's possible that a separate pair to the "foreign" LCC ring would home-run to the LCC to allow separately sending messages to either. The network doesn't seem to have that kind of selective routing capability, though, so I find it unlikely.

Digital messages do seem to have been packetized, and were distributed through the network on a "flood fill" basis. That is, every active node on the digital network repeated every message it received. You might wonder about flow control and the avoidance of cycles; only a very primitive method was used. Each node, after transmitting a message, would "lock out" the cable it was transmitted on for a long enough period for the node on the other end to finish repeating the message.

This explanation is a little more difficult to understand, though, when applied to the actual layout of the HICS system. What exactly constitutes a node? You will note that the map distinctly shows intersquadron connections, with both thicker lines and open circles where they connect to an LCC ring. My theory is that these intersquadron connections where the only places where active repeating of messages was required. Whether or not repeating messages between squadrons was selective is unclear. Did a message from an LCC to one of its nearby LFs get repeated across squadrons to the opposite end of the field? If repeating had originally been completely non-selective, I suspect that was changed as part of the work done to facilitate retargeting.

We can infer certain things about the HICS network from the equipment in Quebec-01. For example, HICS must have had a fair number of active repeaters. along a path.

Inside of the LCC, we find something like a tiny long-distance telephone test desk. A rack includes pressurization alarms for five cables (we know of four legs to the LCC ring, is the fifth perhaps a cable to the local telephone exchange?), and a fault isolation panel. When a cable seemed to have been lost, the DMCCC could use this panel to locate the problem along the cable. This probably relied on a loopback test feature of the repeaters, but I'm not sure exactly the operating principle. Further down in the rack is what appears to be a cable power supply.

Repeaters were definitely installed inside the LCCs, but the number of selections on this test panel makes me suspect that there were also in-line repeaters on the cable, perhaps taking power from that power supply. This is entirely speculative, but A repeaters may have been located along the LCC ring and B repeaters on legs, making the two-knob selector arrangement useful to test a specific repeater on a specific leg.

In the equipment side of the LCC, where the generator and chiller are located, we also find the terminations of the HICS cables. Note the mostly empty rack that would have held repeater equipment, and the air dryer and flow gauges for cable pressurization.

Finally, I should talk a bit about the exception to all of this: the 321st Missile Wing, in North Dakota, was built later than the 90th and 91st and by a different contractor. Sylvania, not Boeing, won the bid to build the LCCs and LFs. Much of the equipment is the same, but Sylvania did inject a few of their own ideas, and one of them was radio redundancy for HICS. The 321st apparently had a simplified HICS topology; I'm not sure of the details but I would guess that they may not have provided the four redundant cables to each LCC.

To make up for it, each LCC and LF in the 321st is equipped with a large, buried antenna, a grid-like arrangement of crossing dipoles that took up an area similar to the sewage lagoons outside of the fence. These antennas made up a medium-frequency, ground-wave communications network that could be used as an alternative to HICS. The 321sts redundant radio system, apparently called "Deuce" at the time, could be viewed as a precursor to the later nationwide GWEN radio C2 network. It seems to have carried the same digital messages as HICS, and the DMCCC had selectors to choose whether messages would be sent by cable or radio.

HICS Voice Communications

Now, let's take a close look at the DMCCC's communications console, which tells us a lot about the voice capabilities.

They get a lot of buttons! There appear to be two separate busses, I'm not completely sure of the significance of that layout. I know from an airman's anecdote that the DMCCCs could conference together LF phones and the dial telephone lines, and sometimes did so that maintenance crews stuck at an LF overnight could make apologies to their families. This makes me think that it is not a matter of "one selection per bus," but rather probably indicates that lines can only be joined within a bus. The logic behind that design is not clear to me.

Anyway, let's see if we know enough to explain all of these buttons. Some are easy: for the speaker and handset, there are selectors each of the radios. The "LF Lines" correspond to each of the ten LFs, numbered 2-11 since the LCC is numbered as site 1. We see the two dial lines, regular telephone lines provided at each site, and they are even labeled with their phone numbers. The five-digit notation dates this hand-written addition to the 2L-5N era, which probably persisted unusually late in rural Wyoming.

The rest of the buttons correspond to specific pairs that would emerge in different places in the HICS network. The "SCC" button likely allows communications with the security command center in the surface building, just up the elevator from the LCC. The "LCC" button I am less sure of; perhaps it was a party line of other LCCs in the squadron? The "LCC Ring" selections must correspond to the four HICS cable rings extending from the LCC, but I'm not sure which devices would be found on those pairs. They may be "order wires," available in the splice boxes and as jacks at sites and normally used only by maintenance crews working on cables outside of the LFs.

The EWO buttons are interesting. EWO is, of course, Emergency War Order, but in the context of Minuteman was also the term used for party lines connecting the Air Force Base to the LCCs. These could be used, of course, as a redundant way to deliver EWOs, as well as for general communications across the missile field. There are two for redundancy: one was routed via AT&T infrastructure, following a cable from the LCC to a telephone exchange. The other was routed via HICS. I am not sure why only one merits a "RNG" button, that could apply ringing voltage to get the attention of other stations.

I am assuming, by the magic of speculation, that the "OPR" button on the left of each bus probably selected which bus the headset was connected to. There is also a dial, for use with the dial lines.

These voice connections within the field were of critical importance because of Minuteman's strict security posture. The unattended LFs were equipped with intrusion alarms for physical security, initially a bistatic radar system more similar to that used at Titan, and later a DSP-based monostatic radar system called the IMPSS. Any personnel or, reportedly, large rabbits approaching an LF would cause an alarm, and security forces were dispatched to investigate unless the intruder used a HICS voice circuit to authenticate themselves to the LCC. The process of "penetrating" a secure LF could take a missile crew thirty minutes or more, and involved multiple calls to the LCC as different alarms were triggered.

HICS Outside Plant

Old aerial images and historical documents from the Air Force give us some insight into the construction of HICS. HICS cables were installed in open trenches and then covered, rather than placed directly with a vibratory plow as would become common later. Splices were done in large holes with scotch-lok connectors and cast iron splice casings. Over time, many of the splice casings had to be replaced due to premature corrosion, and different materials were tried before settling on brass. A cathodic protection system was installed as a permanent solution to the problem.

I have done my best to trace some of the HICS cables along their routes. The holes used for splicing are sometimes visible as scars, but it does not appear that any manholes were installed; instead splices were made near RoW markers and will have to be excavated for repairs. The lack of manholes suggests that there may not be active equipment along the cable routes, I'm not really sure.

The RoW markers used by the Air Force are substantially similar to the style used by AT&T at the time. They are round wooden posts, about 6' tall, with metal bands around the top. Unlike AT&T, the Air Force used white bands, and it seems that there are always two. Shorter markers are used in some places, I suspect where there are splice cases not near road crossings. Where the cables cross roads, the Air Force usually installed gates with sturdy metal posts in the roadside fences. Sometimes these gates are the easiest evidence to find in aerial photos.

One of my biggest questions is about the inter-squadron relays. The map depicts them as nodes, but they aren't located at LFs or other facilities. I wondered if there might be active equipment, but I found one of the locations where in inter-squadron cable takes off from an LCC ring and there is no indication of even a manhole. In case you might be interested, here is a KML with the cable tracks I have worked out so far.

Cross-Flight Communications

HICS served primarily to allow an LCC to communicate within the ten missiles in its flight. However, the entire squadron and then the entire missile wing were interconnected, and Minuteman took advantage of this capability for several purposes.

First, a specific LCC in each squadron was designated as the Squadron Command Post (SCP). The SCP was capable of sending launch orders to any missile within the squadron, and of countermanding launch orders issued by any of the squadron's LCCs. This provided a measure of protection against a destroyed or compromised LCC.

Over time, the security of Minuteman missiles was further enhanced by the addition of a "vote to launch" system. Minuteman missiles can only be launched if launch orders are sent by at least two LCCs, requiring a total of four individuals.

In some Minuteman fields (and all current fields), a Wing command post serves in a role similar to the SCP but across the entire wing. It provides one central point where the entire wing's missile inventory can be monitored and, if necessary, controlled.

Alarms

Besides missile C2 and voice communications, one of the main functions of the HICS was the reporting of alarms within unattended LFs to the LCC. Some alarms, particularly related to the missile itself, would be sent by the missile guidance computer over the HICS digital network. These alarms would be printed by the teleprinter below the DMCCC's desk, along with confirmations of commands received and other routine traffic.

There was also a second, dedicated alarm system called the Voice Reporting Status Assembly or VRSA. VRSA seems to have relied on its own pairs in the HICS cables, and resembled the simple alarm reporting telephones coming into use by AT&T. The DMCCC could select an LF and press a button to send a tone, which triggered a device at the LF to "read back" any status alarms via voice recordings. At the time this almost certainly involved some interesting magnetic tape equipment, but I haven't found much information on the LF end of the VRSA. Toggle switches on the VRSA console allowed the DMCCC to reset the alarm device in the LF, clearing any recorded alarms that weren't active.

The VRSA was an upgrade over the original Minuteman installations, which used a very similar panel to send a safe/arm tone to the LFs as part of the launch process. Since part of standard testing practice was for DMCCCs to flip the toggle switch for an LF to remove the "safe" tone and arm the site, it was a fairly obvious evolution to have the site report any faults in response to a tone. Reportedly, the VRSA panels were the original safe/arm panels with modifications.

Retargeting

When Minuteman was originally installed, each missile's targeting data was loaded from tape using equipment in the LF. To retarget a missile, a maintenance crew had to travel to the site, access it, run the new target tape through equipment in the LF that sent the data to the guidance computer, and complete a recalibration of the inertial reference platform in the missile. This was something like a 12-hour process overall, and retargeting a squadron would take weeks.

Fixed targets were practical when the "enemy" was self-evidently the Soviet Union and any attack would be all-out. Over the 70-year lifespan of the Minuteman program, though, the geopolitical and military environment has changed. There are now other nuclear adversaries, and their military assets are increasingly mobile. The biggest challenge to Minuteman's targeting was the Soviet Union's development of road-mobile ICBMs like the RT-21. To eliminate the USSR's nuclear capability, we would have to fire on these mobile systems wherever they were located. Aerial and satellite surveillance could be surprisingly effective in keeping track of these large, slow-moving TELs, but the Minuteman missiles could not be retargeted to keep up with that intelligence.

In response, a series of enhancements were made (often as part of the Minuteman II program) to introduce "rapid retargeting." Rapid retargeting allowed the missiles to be retargeted from within the LCC. During the 1970s, a computer system called the Command Data Buffer (CDB) was installed in each LCC. The CDB could receive targeting parameters from SAC and then transmit them to the LFs. It was theoretically possible to retarget missiles shortly before launch. In practice, the "shortly" wasn't very achievable

The HICS network was capable of 1.3Kbps, and because of the "flood" design of the network, that was essentially 1.3Kbps of total capacity across a single collision domain. In other words, only 1.3Kbps of total traffic could be handled, with far less available from point to point when the network is under heavy use. Further, enhancements to the Minuteman system added cryptographic authentication of messages over HICS and, later, encryption of the messages themselves. The added overhead of the cryptographic system further reduced network capacity.

Retargeting a squadron of Minuteman missiles via the CDB took over 20 hours. Retargeting a single missile could take 30 minutes.

CDB represented a major step forward in Minuteman C2, particularly with its real-time messaging capability. Retargeting was still a severely limited capability, though.

During the 1990s, active Minuteman sites were upgraded to the Rapid Execution and Combat Targeting System, or REACT. More than just an upgrade for retargeting, REACT brought a completely new control system that significantly changed the layout of LCCs. Instead of sitting at opposite ends of the tube, REACT put the MCCC and DMCCC directly alongside each other and centralized almost all control functionality onto computer displays.

It also further refined retargeting: retargeting an entire squadron now takes only ten hours. More radically, though, a single missile can be retargeted in only a couple of minutes, making it feasible to retarget a missile just before firing in a limited attack scenario.

The future of HICS

While both over budget and behind schedule, the Sentinel program is expected to replace the Minuteman missiles. Sentinel will likely be an in-place upgrade, installing new missiles and control systems in the existing Minuteman silos. It has been clear for decades now that HICS isn't capable of meeting modern expectations, so Sentinel will include a complete replacement.

Various options including DSL over HICS cables and radio were considered, but the current plan is to trench new fiber-optic cables across the launch fields. They're less interesting, but fiber optic cables have both capacity and reliability advantages over telephone cables, and could easily remain in service for the life of the Sentinel program.
Roslyn Dee: Theres a new little boy in the family, and he has made me so happy to take on the grandparent mantle
Latest | Dublin Fire Brigade put out third fire in 48 hours at Coolock asylum seeker site

A third fire in 48 hours at the site was put out by Dublin Fire Brigade.

Gardai at scene in Coolock after last night's fire Photo: Colin Keegan, Collins Dublin

Maeve Sheehan, Ali Bracken, Cian O Broin and Emma Ryan Sat 20 Jul 2024 at 17:50







Two units of Dublin Fire Brigade attended the former Crown Paints site again tonight to put out another fire at the location earmarked for International Protection Applicants (IPAs).
Simon Cowell is currently on a UK-wide search for the next One Direction and has announced that he will be cutting down his trip to Dublin for auditions to just one day.

After visiting Liverpool to host auditions, he posted on social media saying he was now focused on the Dublin auditions next Sunday, 28 July.

The auditions are being held at The EXO Building, North Wall Quay in Dublin 1.

He added that he loves Ireland and was extremely excited to be coming back, saying that he signed Westlife in Dublin and first met Niall Horan there too.

I arrive on Saturday, 27 July, so let me know any suggestions of places to visit in the comments below you never know, I might see you there too, he said.

The music mogul is on the hunt for a group to one-up the success of Harry Styles, Niall Horan, Zayn Malik, Louis Tomlinson, and Liam Payne, 14 years after forming One Direction on The X Factor in 2010.

Cowell said he wants to go back to basics with the search, in contrast to the auditions in front of large crowds on The X Factor and Britains Got Talent, but the process will be filmed for a potential future documentary series.

The search is being recorded by a television crew from Box-to-Box Films, the production company responsible for Formula 1: Drive to Survive. Cowell mentioned he is nearing the announcement of its format.

The poster for the audition says: FOR ONE DATE ONLY.

This is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to audition in front of Simon Cowell, music industry leaders, and a major global entertainment service, in Ireland!

If you are, or know any boys, aged around 16-25 with an amazing voice, request an official invitation to one of these unique and exceptional open auditions.

Additionally, if you are in a group or an existing boyband, you can all audition too! There are two audition times. Please select the appropriate time: Boys over 18: Please arrive from 10am. Boys under 18: Please arrive from 12pm.

So, if you think you have what it takes, or know someone with an incredible voice and would like to potentially audition in front of Simon Cowell, select a date and a member of our casting team will contact you with further details.

Cowell also spoke to Newstalk, saying it was the right time to find the next big thing.

He added that Louis Walsh would be joining him in his mission.

He also said that visiting Dublin was something he wanted as its a great place to find talent.
Suitable children may undertake treatment in UK or US  but some support groups claim the paediatric spinal taskforce will exclude too many children

The offer of spinal surgeries in the UK or the United States to Irish children who are not in a serious condition should free up surgeons in Dublin hospitals to deal with those whose scoliosis is more complex, a patient representative said yesterday.

Deirdre McDonnell from Scoliosis Awareness & Support Ireland, who was born with scoliosis, is on the taskforce set up to try to reduce the long waiting list and delays faced by children with the condition who desperately need surgery.

She was speaking after it was announced that agreements have been reached to outsource spinal surgeries for children from Ireland to hospitals in the UK and the US.

The agreement gives suitable children a chance of surgery abroad, and Ms McDonnell said a well-known surgeon from Great Ormond Street Hospital in London held a clinic in Dublin recently, and a number of children have been offered treatment there. It is also planned to refer patients to the Portland Hospital, which is also in London.

It is up to the surgeons who they feel will benefit the best. The more children who are not complex take up this offer, the more space it leaves surgeons to operate on the more serious patients, Ms McDonnell said.

Surgeons are also set to travel here from the US, following an agreement with Morgan Stanley Childrens Hospital in New York to carry out spinal operations on children from Ireland.

Health Minister Stephen Donnelly and surgeon David Moore have visited American hospitals in the last week to help secure the deal.

There are 281 children waiting for spinal surgery, including 239 on the active list and 76 children waiting at least four months.

The scheme is being driven by the Paediatric Spinal Taskforce, chaired by senior counsel Mark Connaughton, which met yesterday as the agreement was reached.

Mr Donnelly also visited a second hospital in the US but discussions with that hospital remain at an early stage.

The package for families travelling will include flights and accommodation.

More surgeries will also be done in Cappagh Hospital and the Blackrock Clinic, while Childrens Health Ireland, which operates the three childrens hospitals in Ireland, is extending operating theatre hours to increase the number of procedures being carried out.

Work is under way to start the transition of adolescents over 16 years of age to the Mater Hospital and the minister will bring an operational plan to Cabinet on waiting times in September.

But Claire Cahill of the Scoliosis Advocacy Network, one of the support groups which declined to take part in the taskforce, warned that many children awaiting surgery are excluded from this initiative, left to languish on the waiting list due to the complexity of their medical needs.

The past year of waiting for surgery has led to deteriorating health for some children, reducing their chances of successful outcomes, she added.

For others surgery is no longer an option.
Some of the Clare volunteers with the deaf children from Walukuba West Primary School in Jinja during training

A group of Clare volunteers teaching hurling and football to deaf children in Uganda have set up a GAA club in an area devastated by disease.

John Conroy from north Clare first visited Jinja in Uganda in 2009 to help out with the Ray of Hope Hospice, in Busoga, a poverty-stricken province of five million people.
Paris like a local - Irish insiders share their tips, from free museums to a secret cocktail bar and 2.50 coffee

The Olympics may swell crowds and prices in the French capital, but there are plenty of off-radar things to do, and value to find, if you know where to look...

Irish insiders share their tips for Paris. Composite image (Getty)

Conor Power Sat 20 Jul 2024 at 03:30

Before you enter Paris, know one thing: its the most densely populated capital in Europe (almost four times more so than London). And thats before the Olympics.
A match ticket for tomorrow's clash between Cork and Clare is as prized as a Liam MacCarthy Cup medal itself. Above, the Liam MacCarthy Cup. Photo: Sportsfile

Traditionally, that most special day in the Irish sporting calendar was hosted on the first Sunday in September. But if moving the All-Ireland hurling final to high summer was a cause of mourning among stalwart fans and casual observers alike, you would not know it from the excitement fizzing around tomorrows clash between Clare and Cork.

It has been 19 years since Cork won a trophy they used to win for fun in the last century. For Clare, a pause of a decade may not be as much a crisis, but the appetite for success is no less keen.

If every All-Ireland final stirs a fever that infects both participating counties, there is a sense that 2024 had a heightened sense of drama as the championship unveiled some fascinating subplots.

Not least how Limericks drive for five unravelled against a determined Cork in the white heat of Croke Park two weeks ago in front of a salivating capacity crowd.

That same weekend, Clare pulled off a stunning comeback against Kilkenny in the other semi-final, setting up tomorrows much-anticipated clash.

A match ticket is as prized as a Liam MacCarthy Cup medal itself, particularly in Cork after the longest drought in the countys illustrious history and a population of nearly 600,000 to satisfy.

The result is too close to call, but we already know it will be a great day out, because All-Ireland final days do not know how to be anything else.

All eyes are on Shane Lowry as he plays into the wind at Royal Troon and attempts to the regain the Open Championship

In a world of the generic and homogenous, of the cloned and the artificial, a big GAA occasion like this still has the power to weave a unique spell.

But we are blessed on this little island with the ability of our sportsmen and women to achieve and over-achieve across several codes.

In the past week alone, our international rugby team pulled off a sensational win over world champions South Africa in Durban, while on Tuesday our womens football team comprehensibly beat a much-fancied France in Cork.

This weekend, all eyes are on Offalys in-form Shane Lowry as he plays into the wind at the torturous course at Royal Troon and attempts to regain the Open Championship.

In the Irish Independent today we turn our attention to the Paris Olympics, which are only weeks away. After the appetiser of the European Athletics Championships last month in Rome, our team travels with as much in expectation as hope.

The world is on a constant knife-edge and often it is hard to know where to look for comfort and distraction. Invariably it is sport  at parish level or on the grandest stage, domestic and international  that offers that invaluable safety valve.

Surely there is no finer example than Croke Park on All-Ireland final day.
Louth man reflects on his broadcasting career

When a DART eventually pulls into Droghedas McBride station after years of anticipation, one person who looks forward to announcing its arrival is Michael Comyn.

The Drogheda native has been the voice of the DART service for 25 years, as well as the 146 other stations on the mainline trains. With the recent 40th anniversary celebrations of the service, Michael has entered a newfound spotlight for just one of several highlights in an illustrious broadcasting career.
Wexford landmarks and historical figures adorn the walls of the new pub.

Wexford - Savannah's Irish Pub, which is set to open its doors in the coming weeks in Savannah, Georgia.

A visible indication of the ever-strengthening links between Wexford and Savannah, Georgia, a brand new pub is to open in the US in the coming weeks bearing the name of the Model County.

Wexford  Savannahs Irish Pub is to open this summer, promising to delight locals and visitors alike with an authentic Irish experience offered nowhere else in the Lowcountry.

A three-storey building, the owners have carried out extensive renovations and are promising Guinness and Irish whisky by the barrel-load, along with delicious Irish cuisine and live music.

With Wexford being home to Georgia Southern University's European campus, links between Wexford and the US city have grown massively in recent years. However, the links date back to the 1840s and 1850s when people departed the South East in their droves for a new life in the US.

Savannah is home to one of the largest St Patricks Day parades in the world and in recent years, a delegation from Wexford County Council has made the annual trans-Atlantic trip to take part.

Wexford landmarks and historical figures adorn the walls of the new pub.

Located in the east corner of City Market in Savannah, the initial photos of the Wexford pub dont indicate any kind of purple and gold colour scheme, however, images of the famous Pikeman from The Bullring, Commodore John Barry and other Wexford landmarks and historical figures adorn the walls.

Its unclear if theres a spot on the wall for our legendary All-Ireland winning team of 96, or if they have Yellowbelly on tap, but its certainly a work in progress and is likely to prove popular among the huge population of Wexford descendants in Savannah.
Russian court sentences US reporter to 16 years in maximum security penal colony after he is found guilty of espionage

Joe Biden said Gershkovich did not commit any crime and the US was pushing hard for his release

Vladimir Putin said he was open to a prisoner exchange involving the 'Wall Street Journal' reporter, pictured inside an enclosure for defendants as he attends a court hearing in Yekaterinburg, Russia. Photo: Reuters

Andrew Osborn and Mark Trevelyan Sat 20 Jul 2024 at 03:30







A Russian court found US reporter Evan Gershkovich guilty of espionage yesterday and sentenced him to 16 years in a maximum security penal colony in what his employer, the Wall Street Journal, called a disgraceful sham conviction.
A former Ukrainian legislator best known for her crusade to promote the Ukrainian language has died after being shot in the street by an unknown assailant.
One of the daughters of Dubais ruler announced her intent to seek a divorce in an Instagram post, making Sheikha Mahra bint Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum the latest princess of the emirate to publicly counter the norms of her country  and of her father, the prime minister of the United Arab Emirates and ruler of Dubai.
Life and debt in Dubai: They gave me a credit card I hadnt asked for. It had a 20,000 limit

Competitive, tax-free salaries lure thousands of Irish expats to Dubai each year. Yet while some build their nest eggs, others fall into the debt trap. John Meagher reports on a city where defaulting on a loan can lead to years in jail

Some expats have found themselves in financial trouble. Graphic: Michael Gleeson

John Meagher Sat 20 Jul 2024 at 03:30

It was the experience of a Co Roscommon flight attendant that provided an alternative glimpse of Dubai, one divorced from its image as a glitzy party capital and sun-drenched paradise where shopping is king.
US president Joe Biden yesterday appealed for party unity to take on former president Donald Trumps dark vision, working to hold off pressure from Democrats at the highest levels for him to bow out of the 2024 election.

As more Democratic members of Congress called for him to drop out yesterday  bringing the total since his disastrous debate against Trump to at least 30  Mr Biden remained isolated at his beach house in Delaware after being diagnosed with Covid-19.
Photo Courtesy: Avishek Mitra/IBNS

India Vision Institute's CEO and veteran museum expert Vinod Daniel hopes to see the Indian museum sector make great strides in the coming decades. IBNS correspondent Supriyo Hazra discussed the future of museums and how he plans to continue his philanthropic works with IVI in future. Excerpts

Congratulations to you on receiving the high Australian honour, OAM (Order of Australia Medal). It truly reflects on your achievements and successes across the world, including here in India.

Thank you so much for your kind words. I was delighted at the recognition, and at the same time, it was also most humbling. This will encourage me to continue to work and do my best in whatever I do.

You have had an impressive career in museums in the US, Australia and around the world, how do you find the time to focus on your work in philanthropy, through India Vision Institute (IVI)?

About 15 years ago, I made a conscious decision to spend a part of my time pro bono in philanthropic work in India, which is how India Vision Institute was born. Over the years, it has undertaken meaningful and impactful work across India and is growing. It is rewarding to see how a small intervention in Public Health (Vision correction) can have so many positive benefits to individuals especially urban poor and rural Indians.

You began your educational career with a B.Tech degree in Chemical Engineering from the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT), Delhi and later a postgraduate degree from IIT Madras. How did you venture into museums and preservation?

The degrees gave me a strong foundation in science. This helped in my career in the museum sector where my Science formed the core of my work as a conservation scientist in my first job at the Getty Trust and the Australian Museum. One of my first projects that I worked involved preservation of Egyptian mummies through specially designed cases.

Given your varied experience in over 50 countries, what do you feel is the prospect for the museum sector in India?

It is very promising and I can see the sector making great strides over the next decade. India has one of the richest collections (heritage) in the world. Going forward, the big focus ought to be a stronger involvement and support from the Government, foundations and HNIs.

With India's rich and diverse heritage, don't you think a lot more needs to be done for the museum sector?

Yes. It takes time. Any major changes in the museum sector to fully develop would take between two and three decades. Look at Singapore where over a twenty year period they have transformed the sector. But we have started the process. A strong strategy (both national and state) in place to ensure that we get there is very important.

Nowadays, the role of technology comes up in conversations. Your take on this?

Technology is great, but it needs to be a tool in interpretation, and not drive it. Technology for the sake of technology is not what a museum should do. But it should be an enabler for better storytelling and access.

Coming to India Vision Institute and of your work in eye health, the organization recently touched the one-million-mark in vision screenings. How big a challenge is public eye health in India?

There are several challenges, including the high incidence of myopia (leading to distance-vision problems in school children) and near vision issues among older adults. All these affect the quality of life, ability to get a good education, productivity and income earning capability. A pair of glasses may be all that stands between a child completing school or not as well as an adult not sliding into poverty but making a living and supporting their families.

If I were to ask you about the two main challenges or impediments in universal eye health access, what would these be?

For urban poor and rural Indians, the challenge of access is there, and the government with its infrastructure would have a bigger role to play. Often, it is awareness (that they cant see well) and access (where do I go to get vision checked) are the two main impediments, rather than the cost.
The recent surge in Pakistan-backed terrorist assaults in Rajouri, Poonch, Reasi, Doda, Kathua, and other parts of Jammu & Kashmir (J&K) has highlighted the enduring complexities and challenges within the region.

Although the BJP-led administration at the Center has undertaken significant measures to address historical issues and promote harmony, prosperity, and normalcy, recent incidents necessitate a reassessment of strategies and approaches. Our strategy must be thoughtful, balanced, and meticulously aligned with political, constitutional, and legal frameworks to ensure sustainable peace and stability.

The abrogation of Article 370 on August 5, 2019, was a historic move intended to integrate J&K more closely with the rest of India. However, independent observers, including members of the displaced Pandit community, have indicated that further efforts are required to reconcile the official narrative with on-ground realities. The recent electoral outcomes, perceived by some as a critique of Delhis initiatives, have emboldened local and foreign terrorist elements, necessitating a strategic recalibration.

The medias shifting stancefrom initial praise for the PMO-HMO-RMO trio to current critiquesunderscores the need for consistent and truthful communication. While media narratives can influence public perception, it is the on-ground reality that ultimately dictates the success of policies. The medias role should be to provide an accurate, balanced view, enabling informed decision-making rather than swaying with political winds.

Photo Courtesy: Unsplash

The persistence of terrorism in J&K is deeply intertwined with ideological and political manipulation. For decades, certain local leaders have propagated a narrative that fuels discord and unrest. The calls for autonomy, self-rule, independence, referendum, achievable nationhood, and plebiscite often disguise underlying agendas that perpetuate instability. These narratives, cloaked in the guise of self-determination, serve to exploit and radicalize local populations, undermining efforts by the Government of India to establish lasting peace.

It is time to call out these deceitful agendas for what they area deliberate attempt to destabilize the region and thwart national unity and security. The administration must take a firm stand against these manipulations, ensuring that the rule of law prevails and that those who seek to sow division are held accountable. This requires not just words but decisive actions that demonstrate an unflinching loyalty to the integrity and sovereignty of the nation.

While surgical strikes and military actions offer immediate relief, they alone are not long-term solutions. The cyclical nature of terrorism in the region mandates a comprehensive strategy that combines decisive military measures with sustained grassroots engagement and socio-economic development. This dual approach aims to address both the immediate threats and the underlying causes of unrest, ensuring a more enduring peace and stability while recognizing the invaluable contributions and sacrifices of our armed forces.

Photo Courtesy: IBNS/UNI File

The government must prioritize the implementation of comprehensive multifaceted extremism prevention programmes, aimed at dismantling extremist ideologies. This initiative should be integrated with community engagement efforts designed to cultivate social cohesion and promote dialogue among diverse groups.

Moreover, a focus on economic empowerment is essential to provide viable alternatives to militancy, addressing one of the root causes of unrest.

These efforts are crucial for eradicating the ideological foundations of terrorism and cultivating a more inclusive and harmonious socio-political environment. By taking these balanced and politically astute steps, we can move towards a stable and prosperous future for Jammu & Kashmir.

A critical aspect in J&K is dismantling the false narratives perpetuated by various factions. The myths and hoaxes that fuel sentiments must be countered with clear, consistent messaging. Countering divisive rhetoric with irrefutable facts and reason will dismantle the secessionist, autonomist, partisan, and breakaway groups agenda and fortify national unity and security.

Photo Courtesy: IBNS/UNI File

Furthermore, consistent engagement with international platforms to present the factual and legal basis of India's stance on J&K will help counteract misinformation and garner global support. It is imperative that the message of J&Ks integral status within India is communicated with conviction, ensuring that the truth prevails over misleading propaganda.

Meanwhile, the fixation on Pakistan as the sole perpetrator of unrest in Jammu and Kashmir overlooks the broader geopolitical dynamics. While Pakistans role in fomenting terrorism cannot be ignored, the support it receives from local elements within Jammu and Kashmir is equally critical.

Addressing this internal support base is as important as countering external threats for achieving lasting peace and stability.

(Mir Junaid is President of Jammu and Kashmir Workers Party. He can reached on: junaidjawaidmir@gmail.com )
Representational Image | Courtesy: Unsplash

Chennai/IBNS: Twenty-nine workers- all women- fainted after the ammonia gas leaked at a fish plant in Tamil Nadu 's Thoothukudi district on Saturday, media reports said.

A fire rescue officer, who went to the plant, also fainted upon inhaling the gas.

All 29 workers as well as the rescue officer were rushed to the hospital.

Preliminary investigation has claimed the leakage in one of the ammonia gas containers occurred due to an electrical short condition occurred last night.

An inquiry by the Tamil Nadu Pollution Control Board and Forensic officials is underway.
Photo courtesy: Screenshot grab from X video

Shillong/IBNS: Meghalaya Chief Minister Conrad Sangma has said 63 students from his state have returned from Bangladesh, which is reeling under violent protests against the quota system in government jobs, media reports said.

Sangma posted on X, "Amidst the ongoing protests in Bangladesh, the Meghalaya government is working closely with the Bangladesh High Commission & Indian High Commission to ensure the safety of students. 161 Indian students, including 63 from Meghalaya, have been safely evacuated so far!"

Amidst the ongoing protests in Bangladesh, the Meghalaya government is working closely with the Bangladesh High Commission & Indian High Commission to ensure the safety of students. 161 Indian students, including 63 from Meghalaya, have been safely evacuated so far!  Conrad K Sangma (@SangmaConrad) July 18, 2024

The state government has created a desk to assist the students who are returning from Bangladesh.

Sangma informed students from Nepal and Bhutan have also been evacuated to Meghalaya from the South Asian country.

Hasina govt imposes curfew, orders army deployment

The Bangladesh government has imposed a countrywide curfew and deployed troops as at least 105 deaths have been reported so far since Friday morning in violent protests and clashes over the government job quota system, media reports said.

Bangladesh PM Sheikh Hasina decided to deploy the army on Friday night during a 14-party meeting at Ganobhaban. The curfew is in place till midnight.

Bangladesh's government has already shut down internet services across the country.

Television news channels in Bangladesh were off the air and telecommunications were widely disrupted as violent student protests against quotas for government jobs continued to rock the country.

#BREAKING   The Bangladesh government imposes a curfew and deploys the army after the protests that took place in the country, killing at least 105 people



Footage of recent violent student uprisings.#SaveBangladeshiStudents pic.twitter.com/OdzQA3sciX  MH Chronicle (@MHNewsDaily) July 19, 2024

Student protesters stormed a jail in the central Bangladeshi district of Narsingdi and freed the facilitys inmates before setting it on fire.

Police struggled to quell unrest, with huge rallies in Dhaka despite a police ban on public gatherings.

On Thursday, a state broadcaster's building was put on blaze as relentless violence gripped the South Asian country following multiple clashes between the protesters, security officials and pro-government protesters.

Eyewitnesses told Prothom Alo that more than a hundred people entered BTV headquarters by breaking the main gate.

The protest began on July 1 after the High Court's reinstatement of the freedom fighters' quota.

Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina has already appealed to students to end the protest.

Law minister Anisul Huq said the government would sit with the demonstrators.
Photo courtesy: X/@iChiragPaswan

Patna/Lucknow/IBNS: Union Minister and Lok Janshakti Party (Ram Vilas) chief Chiraj Paswan is the latest from the list of Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) allies to raise voice against the diktat given to the eateries to display their owners' names on the Kanwar Yatra route in Uttar Pradesh's Muzaffarnagar, media reports said.

Speaking to PTI, Paswan said he doesn't support anything that brings a division among people on the basis of "caste" or "religion".

The LJP (Ram Vilas) chief said he only believes in two classes of people, rich and poor.

"We need to bridge the gap between these two classes of people. It is every government's responsibility to work for the poor, which includes all sections of society such as Dalits, backwards, upper castes and Muslims as well. All are there. We need to work for them," the young politician said as quoted by Hindustan Times.

He added, " Whenever there is such divide in the name of caste or religion, I absolutely do not either support it or encourage it. I do not think any educated young person of my age, irrespective of the caste or religion they come from, is affected by such things."

Earlier, Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar's Janata Dal (United), an important ally of Prime Minister Narendra Modi's BJP, opposed the move and asked for a review of such an order.

Rashtriya Lok Dal or RLD, another ally of the BJP, has opposed the diktat as well.

RLD national general secretary Trilok Tyag said as quoted by Hindustan Times, "Why do you make someone write their name on street carts? They have the right to work...This tradition is absolutely wrong. It is up to the customer, they can make purchases from wherever they want...I would like to ask politicians - does consuming alcohol not corrupt you religiously?

"Does it happen only when you consume meat? So, why is there no prohibition on alcohol? Why do they not speak about alcohol? Because those who do business have a nexus, it is a game of the powerful. These small shops are set up by the poor. So, you are pointing fingers at them. I would demand that ban alcohol too."

As the controversy spiked, the police clarified in a statement that the intention of the order was not to create any "religious discrimination" but only to facilitate the devotees.
Photo courtesy: UNI

Kolkata/IBNS: Samajwadi Party (SP) chief Akhilesh Yadav is set to attend West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee 's Martyrs' Day rally in Kolkata on Sunday.

Trinamool Congress leader Kunal Ghosh said on his X handle that Akhilesh, who is a part of the INDIA bloc, will be attending the rally on being invited by Mamata Banerjee.

The 2024 Martyrs' Day rally assumes significance as this will be the first mega rally by Mamata Banerjee after her TMC swept the Lok Sabha elections in 2024 summer.

Out of 42 seats, TMC managed to win 29 of them dashing the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP)'s hope to increase its footprint in the state.

The BJP got its tally reduced from 18 to 12 seats, Congress managed to win 1 and Left drew a blank.

Akhilesh's Samajwadi Party has regained prominence in the Uttar Pradesh politics after it trounced the mighty BJP in the state winning 37 alone and 43 in an alliance with the Congress in the Lok Sabha polls.

It would be closely watched whether Mamata and Akhilesh bat for the strengthening of the regional parties amid the Congress' resurgence in the national politics.

What is the Martyrs' Day rally?

On this day in 1993, 13 people were shot by police during the Left Front regime when then Congress youth leader Mamata Banerjee was leading a rally demanding that identity cards be made mandatory to cast votes.
Photo Courtesy: Pixabay

The Indian government on Saturday said 778 students have returned home amid ongoing violent protests in Bangladesh over a quota system for government jobs.

In a statement, the Ministry of External Affairs said: "Thus far, 778 Indian students have returned to India through various land ports. In addition, around 200 students have returned home by regular flight services through Dhaka and Chittagong airports."

Update on return of Indian Nationals in Bangladesh:https://t.co/uR41LSSc7O pic.twitter.com/GRWIWJAAiu  Randhir Jaiswal (@MEAIndia) July 20, 2024

The Ministry said the Indian High Commission in Dhaka and Assistant High Commissions are in regular touch with more than 4000 students remaining in various universities in Bangladesh and are providing necessary assistance to them.

"Students from Nepal and Bhutan have also been assisted with their crossing into India on request," the statement said.

The statement further said: "The High Commission and Assistant High Commissions are in regular touch with Bangladesh authorities to ensure safety and security of Indian nationals and students."

"Security escorts have also been arranged, where necessary, for their travel by road during repatriation through select land ports," the Ministry said.

The High Commission in Dhaka is also coordinating with civil aviation authorities of Bangladesh and commercial airlines to ensure uninterrupted flight services to India from Dhaka and Chittagong, which can be used by our nationals to return to home.

The High Commission of India in Dhaka and the Assistant High Commissions of India in Bangladesh remain available for any assistance required by Indian nationals through the emergency contact numbers listed below:

High Commission of India, Dhaka

+880-1937400591

Assistant High Commission of India, Chittagong

+880-1814654797 / +880-1814654799

Assistant High Commission of India, Rajshahi

+880-1788148696

Assistant High Commission of India, Sylhet

+880-1313076411

+880-1313076417

Assistant High Commission of India, Khulna

+880-1812817799

What is happening in Bangladesh?

More than 30 people have been killed in the violent protests against the quota system for government jobs in Bangladesh forcing the state to snap internet services in a bid to control the situation, media reports said.

The country's junior telecom minister said the government has ordered a complete nationwide shutdown of internet services.

A state broadcaster's building was put on blaze as relentless violence gripped the South Asian country following multiple clashes between the protesters, security officials and pro-government protesters.

Eyewitnesses told Prothom Alo that more than a hundred people entered BTV headquarters by breaking the main gate.
Ranchi: The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) on Saturday arrested three people, including a key "mastermind" and two MBBS students, allegedly involved as "solvers" in the NEET paper leak case, media reported.

Officials identified the mastermind as Shashikant Paswan, also known as Sashi or Pasu, a B.Tech graduate from the National Institute of Technology (NIT) in Jamshedpur, news agency PTI reported.

He allegedly connived with Kumar and Rockey, who had been arrested earlier, according to the report.

One of the solvers, Kumar Mangalam, is a second-year MBBS student from Bharatpur, Rajasthan. The other accused, Dipendra Sharma, is also a second-year MBBS student from Bharatpur.

Both were in Hazaribagh on May 5, the day of the NEET-UG exam, allegedly acting as solvers for the paper stolen by Pankaj Kumar, an engineer who was previously arrested.

With these new arrests, the total number of individuals detained by the CBI in six cases related to alleged NEET-UG irregularities has reached 21.

On Friday, the CBI also arrested Surabhi Kumari, a first-year MBBS student at Ranchi's Rajendra Institute of Medical Sciences (RIMS), for allegedly being part of the solver module. She was taken into custody after two days of questioning.

Pankaj Kumar, also known as Aditya, a 2017-batch civil engineer from the National Institute of Technology Jamshedpur (Jharkhand), is accused of stealing the NEET-UG paper from the NTA trunk in Hazaribagh.

Earlier in the week, the CBI approached RIMS, an autonomous institute under the Jharkhand government, for questioning, which led to Kumari's arrest.

On Thursday, the CBI had arrested four MBBS students from AIIMS Patna, all part of the solver module.

According to sources, these solvers were responsible for solving the exam paper to provide answer keys to NEET aspirants who had sought the services of the paper leak gang.

The central probe agency has registered six FIRs related to the alleged irregularities in the medical entrance exam.
Photo Courtesy: Collin Rugg X page

The 20-year-old shooter who tried to assassinate Donald Trump last Saturday allegedly flew a drone to survey Pennsylvania fairgrounds ahead of the Republican presidential nominees speech.

The gunman who tried to kill Donald Trump was able to fly a drone and get aerial footage of the western Pennsylvania fairgrounds shortly before the former president was set to speak there, law-enforcement officials briefed on the matter told The Wall Street Journal, further underscoring the stunning security lapses ahead of Trumps near assassination.

Thomas Matthew Crooks flew the drone on a programmed flight path earlier in the day on July 13 to scour the Butler Farm Show grounds ahead of Trumps ill-fated rally, the officials told The Wall Street Journal.

The predetermined path, the officials added, suggests Crooks flew the drone more than once as he researched and scoped out the event site.

Former US President Donald Trump on Thursday officially accepted the Republican nomination for the US presidential polls during the 2024 Republican National Convention in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, just days after he escaped an assassination attempt in Pennsylvania.

"I am running to be president for all of America, not half of America, because there is no victory in winning for half of America," Trump was quoted as saying by the media.

"So tonight, with faith and devotion, I proudly accept your nomination for president of the United States," he said.

Referring to divine intervention, Trump said he was saved on Saturday as 'God' was by his side.

There was blood pouring everywhere and yet, in a certain way I felt very safe because I had God on my side," Trump said.

Saying that he was not supposed to be in the venue that night, Trump was quoted as saying by CNN: "I stand before you in this arena only by the grace of almighty God."

What happened during the rally?

Former US President Donald Trump received injuries on his right ear during a Saturday election campaign rally at Pennsylvania's Butler, in what is seen as an assassination bid that left the 78-year-old Republican presidential candidate's face streaked with blood with his alert security agents rushing him off the stage even as he pumped his fist in the air, mouthing the words "Fight! Fight! Fight!"

The shooter, along with one bystander who was there to attend the rally, died.

As gunshots were heard, Trump, who was just six minutes into his election speech, was seen clutching a hand to his right ear, where blood was visible across his cheek and mouth.

Two other spectators were injured, the Secret Service said in a statement. The incident was being investigated as an assassination attempt.

Secret Service agents were quick to respond and surrounded Trump while escorting him off the stage, as he raised a fist to the crowd in defiance.
Image Credit: x.com/alifarhat79

Vincent Flibustier, a satirical writer who runs the Belgian parody news site Nordpresse, made a joke that he was a Crowdstrike employee and was behind the biggest Microsoft outage that brought Windows computers across the world to a standstill. Many online fell for his satire, believing he was responsible for the widespread Blue Screen of Death (BSOD) on their systems.

The Microsoft error that crippled Windows computers became a major topic of discussion worldwide.

Although it's now known that an update to CrowdStrike's 'Falcon Sensor' antivirus program caused the massive outage, there are still questions about how such a defective update was released and who was responsible for it.

Vincent caused a stir online by posting an AI-generated photo of himself outside the CrowdStrike office with the caption, "First day at Crowdstrike, pushed a little update and taking the afternoon off."

First day at Crowdstrike, pushed a little update and taking the afternoon off  pic.twitter.com/bOs4qAKwu0  Vincent Flibustier  (@vinceflibustier) July 19, 2024

The photo went viral within minutes, garnering nearly 410,000 likes and being shared by over 36,000 users.

Two hours later, Flibustier posted another update claiming that the company had fired him. He also shared a short video in which he humorously took 'responsibility' for causing the global outage.

Vincent Flibustier also changed his X (former Twitter) bio to accompany the parody. His bio said, "Former Crowdstrike employee, fired for an unfair reason, only changed 1 line of code to optimize. Looking for a job as Sysadmin."

Airlines, banks, TV channels, and various other industries were frantically trying to address the issue, while social media users went into a frenzy upon discovering the 'culprit'.

Some Pendejo wants me dead. pic.twitter.com/IYh5JKLhTe  Vincent Flibustier  (@vinceflibustier) July 20, 2024

Some praised him for making sure they didn't have to work on a Friday, while others posted abusive messages about him.

Earlier, Vincent appeared as a guest on France TV, where he commented, "People are drawn to stories that confirm their preconceptions."

Explaining further why people on the internet immediately latched on to his joke, he said, "No culprit named yet, I bring it on a platter, people like to have a culprit. The culprit seems completely stupid, he is proud of his stupidity, he takes his afternoon off on the first day of work. This falls right into a huge buzz in which people absolutely need to have new information, and a fake is by nature new, you won't read it anywhere else."

He also mentioned that the post was initially shared by those who understood it was a joke, but as it spread, more people began to take every word of the post literally.

 How I broke the internet today and what lessons can we learn from it? #Crowdstrike 



Several things that make it a good fake that worked: 

1. No culprit named yet, I bring it on a platter, people like to have a culprit.

2- The culprit seems completely stupid, he is proud pic.twitter.com/JFJ2MEYNMQ  Vincent Flibustier  (@vinceflibustier) July 19, 2024

The latest version of CrowdStrike's Falcon Sensor software was intended to enhance clients' systems' security against hacking by updating the threats it protects against.

However, faulty code in the update files caused one of the most widespread tech outages in recent years for companies using Microsoft's Windows operating system.

Problems emerged quickly after the update was rolled out on Friday, with users posting pictures on social media of computers showing blue screens with error messages, commonly known as "blue screens of death.
A video featuring Steve Jobs, former Apple CEO, has gone viral amidst a significant global IT disruption caused by a recent CrowdStrike upgrade.

In the interview with tech journalist Bob Cringely, Jobs asserted that Microsoft produces "third-rate products." He stated, The only problem with Microsoft is that they have no taste they have absolutely no taste. I dont mean that in a small way I mean that in a big way.

Jobs criticised Microsoft for lacking innovation and culture in their products. He explained that the inspiration for proportionally-spaced fonts came from typesetting and exquisite books, suggesting that Microsoft would never have it in their products if it werent for the Mac.

And so, I guess I am saddened, Jobs said in the interview, while clarifying that he did not have an issue with Microsofts success but took issue with the quality of their products.

Steve Jobs about Microsoft - They make third class products. Today many people would be feeling it.#Microsoft #bluescreen #Windows



pic.twitter.com/IYnKvGaFaf  Ashutosh Mishra (@caashutosh22) July 19, 2024

How internet reacted to viral video

The video was shared on X (formerly Twitter) and has garnered more than 5,000 views. However, the comments section showed that many disagreed with Jobs opinion. One user commented, Microsoft is many things but not a 3rd class product maker. 80 percent market share doesnt come by making 3rd class products. One small mistake doesnt define a company. Another added, So for just a few hours of trouble, you are relating to Steve Jobs comments now? Many students across the world learnt what technology is using Windows only. How silly it is!!

Global IT disruption

Amidst the debate over Jobs remarks, a significant IT disruption occurred globally on Friday. Microsoft Windows customers in countries including India, Germany, the United States, Australia, and the United Kingdom experienced a blue screen on their computers. Several organisations attributed the issue to a recent CrowdStrike upgrade. CrowdStrike, a cybersecurity company, confirmed that the problem was caused by an update to their antivirus software, designed to protect Microsoft Windows devices from malicious attacks.

Also Read: Fact or fiction: Las Vegas Sphere displayed 'blue screen of death' during Microsoft outage?

AP

Also Read: 'Ex-CrowdStrike employee' hilariously takes credit for Microsoft outage in viral satirical video

The outage highlighted the software's global reliance, affecting media outlets, banks, hospitals, airlines, and IT organisations worldwide. In India, the disruption impacted flight operations, payment systems, and trading. Airlines such as Air India, IndiGo, Akasa Airlines, and SpiceJet had to resort to manual check-in and boarding processes, urging passengers to arrive early at airports. Stock exchanges in several countries also faced operational disruptions due to the outage.



For more news and current affairs from around the world, please visit Indiatimes News.
The worldwide Microsoft Windows outage that crippled flight operations, hospitals, banks, businesses, and more since Friday is yet to be resolved. CrowdStrike, the cybersecurity company whose update caused the disruptions, said it will take some time to fix.

REUTERS

What CrowdStrike CEO said

On Friday, initially, CrowdStrike CEO George Kurtz said that the global IT outage was caused by a single faulty content update.

"This is not a security incident or cyberattack. The issue has been identified, isolated, and a fix has been deployed," he said in a post on X.

Also read: How CrowdStrike is triggering the infamous Windows' 'Blue Screen Of Death'

Where is the apology?

However, many in the tech business sectors called out Kurtz's response for being too casual and pointed out that he did not even issue an apology for causing millions, if not billions, of losses to businesses around the world due to the outage.

CrowdStrike

Deeply sorry: Kurtz

Later in the day, as CrowdStrike continued to work on the fix, and a large section of Windows systems were still experiencing the Blue Screen of Death, Kurtz put out another post on X, addressing the situation and also stating that he was "deeply sorry for the inconvenience and disruption."

"We understand the gravity of the situation and are deeply sorry for the inconvenience and disruption. We are working with all impacted customers to ensure that systems are back up and they can deliver the services their customers are counting on," Kurtz said.

Later, Kurtz also posted a letter he wrote to CrowdStrike customers, apologizing for the outage and promising to fix it at the earliest.

AP

This apology, too, many felt did not meet the extent of the damage caused globally due to the outage.

Sorry not enough for damage caused

Many on X said that his words fell short of what was expected of him during such an unprecedented crisis.

"Sorry, your corporate wording does not match the magnitude of failure here. If up until now you don't know the root cause, this means you're busy with identifying either the best cover-up or excuse," Michael Kromer, CEO of German IT company NETitwork, said.

Latest on global IT outage

On Saturday morning, Kurtz issued another update on the evolving situation and said that CrowdStrike is continuing to work with customers and partners to resolve the issue.

Also read: Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella Aims To Reignite 'Windows vs. Mac' Battle In AI

REUTERS

Earlier, on Friday, Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella acknowledged the outage and said, "they are working closely with CrowdStrike and across the industry to provide customers with technical guidance and support to safely bring their systems back online."

For more news and current affairs from around the world, please visit Indiatimes News.
Consistency is essential in your weight loss journey, and the results are promising, as evidenced by a Bengaluru doctor's viral post on X.

The doctor, whose handle is Dr_vee, posted a "little incident" about how reducing weight has impacted her life. The post was followed by her transformation photos, which have inspired the internet.

What did the doctor share about her weight loss journey?

The doctor once weighed 120 kg | Image: X

The doctor, who once weighed 120 kg, described the occurrence at a metro station, stating that she was on the "lower level" when she noticed the train had arrived at the platform.



Also read: Matchmaking For Medicine: Ortho Doctor Finds Matches And Prescribes Pain Relief On Bumble

To avoid missing the train, she "sprinted up a tall flight of stairs" in less than ten seconds. Despite the fact that she was carrying a big rucksack, she ran up the steps and boarded the train.

Why was she reminded of her former weight?

The doctor has been maintaining her weight loss since 7-8 years | Image: X

The woman wrote in a post, A little incident from earlier today at the metro station- I was still on the lower level when I heard the train reach the platform above me. Announcements were made and I saw the alighted passengers coming down the stairs. I didn't want to wait for the one. In less than 5-10 seconds, I managed to sprint up a tall flight of stairs with a heavy backpack behind me and squeezed into the metro before the doors closed."



She stated that this was feasible because she constantly adhered to her fitness schedule: I could have never imagined doing this at my former weight of 120 kgs and with the fitness level of a panda. I work hard every day, even to this day and invest a lot in my health and fitness. I may not have a perfect body but I am healthy enough to be there for my family, friends and my patients and do my best for them. And THAT, in my opinion, is what fitness and functionality is all about.

How did people on the internet react?

Social media users were inspired by the doctor's weight loss story and praised her for sticking to a healthy fitness routine.

Also read: Australian Doctor Reports Being Cancer-Free A Year After Self-Treating His 'Incurable' Brain Tumor

A user wrote, "ab tu bhaaaaaaaaggg..... tu bhaaaaaaag milkha." Another added, " How to avoid loose skin while losing weight ?," wrote another.

A user questioned, "Hi, can you tell me how long it took for you to get from 120 kgs to this level of fitness, if I may ask?," to which the doctor replied, "One year for the bulk of the weight and been maintaining it for some 7-8 years now."

A little incident from earlier today at the metro station- I was still on the lower level when I heard the train reach the platform above me. Announcements were made and I saw the alighted passengers coming down the stairs. I didn't want to wait for the one. (1/n) pic.twitter.com/fdgDmsjcGR  dr_vee (@dr_vee95) July 16, 2024

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At least seven persons have been arrested over alleged involvement in illegal mining operations at a gold site in the Yagba East Local Government Area of Kogi State.

In a statement released on Friday by Segun Tomori, the Special Assistant on Media to the Minister of Solid Minerals Development, Dele Alake, disclosed that mining marshals dislodged the illegal miners.

Tomori also added that the suspects have been operating on the site for 16 years.

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The statement partly reads: The nationwide onslaught of the Federal Government against illegal mining has gathered momentum with the arrest of several suspects allegedly involved in the illegal mining of gold in Yagba East LGA, Kogi State.

READ MORE: Police Officer Arrested Over Car Theft In Kogi

The operation, carried out by the mining marshals in Iyeh Odogbe, Isanlu community of Yagba East LGA, involved dislodging illegal miners whose activities have prevented lawfully authorised miners with licences covering four cadastral units from accessing the site for 16 years.

Reports indicate that the nefarious activities have gone unhindered for over 20 years.

The well-coordinated operation, led by Commander, Mining Marshals, Attah Onoja, resulted in the arrest of seven suspects heading different groups of illegal miners in the area.

The trial of the suspects commenced last week at the Federal High Court, Abuja division, and they were remanded in Kuje prison until the adjourned date.

The Ministry of Solid Minerals Development, under the leadership of Dele Alake, is committed to fighting the menace of illegal mining headlong and bringing culprits to book.
Charles Oputa, a maverick performer better known as Charly Boy, has once again criticised Nobel Laureate, Prof Wole Soyinka for being silent in the face of Nigerian misery.

In a video message shared on his verified X Twitter profile on Saturday, Charly Boy described how Soyinka spearheaded a mass demonstration against former President, Goodluck Jonathan during his regime.

He recalled that Soyinka led the protest when Jonathan removed fuel subsidies and petrol prices increased from N87 to N120.

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He questioned Soyinkas decision to keep silent in the midst of Nigerians current agony, accusing the Nobel Laureate of being a tribalistic bigot.

READ MORE: Big Brother Naija Organizers Unveil N100m Grand Prize, New SUV For Season Nine Winner

He said, There was a time when Uncle Wole Soyinka cared deeply about Nigeria and Nigerians. He criticized leaders and personalities who seemed anti-Nigerian.

As a social engineer myself, he was one of my heroes and I saw him as a mentor. But today, I look at him as a tribalistic bigot and I have lost all respect I once had for him.

I remember back in the days, Uncle Wole paid the price for his radical activism, imprisonment and even exile at the hands of military dictators.

Recently, Im not sure where his loyalty lies because he has remained mute about this government.

Uncle, was this recent renaming of the national theatre a reward for your muteness? I remember Wole led a protest when Jonathan removed the subsidy, and petrol prices increased from N87 to N120.

He called President Jonathan a terrorist and his wife a hippopotamus, saying that Jonathan almost damaged the economy beyond repair. That was when $1 was N190.

Last December, Wole called Peter Obi unfit to lead this country and recently said that Obi must not run in 2027, a person who is not even in power.

He maintained that he would not criticize Tinubu until a year after. It is now a year and a few months, but he remains mute.

Watch him speak below

https://www.instagram.com/reel/C9on76oNFrt/?igsh=MTM4cmJ5OWI1dWpobg==


Philip Shaibu, the reinstated Deputy Governor of Edo State, says he has instituted a N50 billion defamation and contempt of court suit against the State Governor, Godwin Obaseki.

Others he instituted the suit against are Commissioner for Communication and Orientation, Chris Nehikhare and Crusoe Osagie, Special Adviser on Media Project.

Shaibu disclosed this to newsmen on Friday while reacting to his reinstatement by the Federal High Court, Abuja.

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Shaibu said the court judgement that reinstated him was declarative and must be obeyed.

He added that the judgement perpetually restrained the state government and its agents from preventing him from performing his duty as the only Deputy Governor of the State.

The judgement, he said, also added that the position of Deputy Governor by the relevant sections of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria was never vacant.

I am not surprised that Nehikhare and Osagie were insisting that I remain impeached. They insisted so because they dont read and study the court judgement before sending out their responses, which is their mode of operation.

READ ALSO: Edo Govt Blames Shaibu For Attack On Okpebholos Convoy

The judgement reinstating me was declarative and has to be carried out before an appeal over the matter could be heard, while the stay of judgement execution filed by the state cannot see the light of the day until the judgement is executed.

I have already instituted a N50 billion suit against the governor, Nehikhare and Osagie for defamation. They will be served next week, he said.

Shaibu also alleged that the gun attack against him was an assassination attempt masterminded by the governor of the state, Godwin Obaseki.

He debunked the notion that he orchestrated the attack that took the life of Inspector Akor Onuh at the exit of Benin Airport.

I was taken aback by the attack. In the last one year, I have refused to call for a protest to avoid confrontation with the state government and their agents.

I can tell you that Thursdays attack was planned by the state governor to assassinate me. The governor vowed to destroy me when I remained resolute to vie for the position of governor.

They said I was the one who planned the attack but I came in peacefully from Abuja to the state capital. Why were the armed thugs laying ambush for me? Were they expecting a visitor? he queried.


The joint committee of the House of Representatives investigating the rise of cement price, has asked major producers in the industry to tender documents on cost production.

The committee also resolved to visit production plants of the companies after going though their books to ascertain the cost of production with a view to determine a fair price of cement for all Nigerians.

Jonathan Gaza, Chairman of the joint committee, made the demand on Friday at a public hearing while quizzing Dangote Cement Company and Lafarge Africa Plc in Abuja.

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According to him, the committee is interested in the cost of production from 2020 to date that justified the current price of cement which is over N10,000 in most parts of the country.

He said that the companies should give its average daily consumption of coal, gas, gypsum, limestone, clay, laterite and the average daily production of cement from 2020 to date.

Gaza furthered that the companies should provide details of all imported components for the production of cement and their prices from 2020 to date.

READ ALSO: Revert To Cement Old Prices  Tinubu Orders Dangote, BUA, Others

The lawmaker said that the companies should also provide details of local components for the production of cement and their prices in naira and dollars if any in the period under review.

He said that the companies should provide a summary of the monthly prices and quantity of cement produced from 2019 to date as well as their audited accounts of the company, bills of ladan and duties paid to customs within the period under review.

Gaza also said that the companies should provide details of tax waivers and other incentives enjoyed plus gas and explosives contract details.

Dabo Ismail, committee member, said that Dangote Cement Company had continued to make increasing profits in the country despite being able to source most of its raw materials locally.

He said that in 2022, the company declared a profit of N524 billion, N553 billion in 2023 and have so far made N166.4 billion in 2024.

The lawmaker said that there is no reason why the price of cement will keep rising in the market to the detriment of Nigerians while producers are smiling to he banks.


Aisha Abubakar, a women leader of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Katsina State, has confessed to doubling as an informant for bandits.

She admitted to receiving N5000 from a N9 million ransom and a motorcycle paid to secure the release of kidnapped individuals.

Abubakars confession emerged in a viral interrogation video where she detailed her involvement in the kidnapping of five family members of the Tsaiyaya Ward APC Chairman.

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According to her, she played a crucial role in providing information that led to the abduction of Alhaji Sanusi, his two wives, and three children in the Matazu Local Government Area of the State.

I was approached by one Zainab, who is now at large, to provide information on Alhaji Sanusi and the family of the chairman to enable a successful kidnap operation, and I did.

READ ALSO: Edo Govt Blames Shaibu For Attack On Okpebholos Convoy

After the ransom, including N9 million and a motorcycle were paid, I was given a share of N5000, with a balance of N15,000 to be paid after I returned from a wedding ceremony in Zaria, she said.

Abubakar further disclosed that other key actors in the Tsaiyaya community were involved in the operation.

She named Yahaya, Audu na Bani, and the children of Bashar as collaborators in the scheme.

In addition to the kidnapping, Abubakar confessed to participating in a cattle rustling operation in Tsaiyaya.

This operation, she said, earned her N20,000.

I was also a key informant in the successful cattle rustling in Tsaiyaya some time ago and I got N20,000 from that operation, she disclosed .
The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) has intercepted another shipment of seven containers containing 1,229,400 bottles of codeine worth N9,835,200,000.00.

The shipments were confiscated at the Onne Ports in Port Harcourt, the capital of Rivers State.

The seizure occurred just three weeks after 6,125 cartons of codeine syrup worth N7, 350,000,000.00 were confiscated in Rivers.

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According to the agencys spokesperson, Femi Babafemi, the latest seizure is the fourth and last set of such consignments to be placed on the Agencys Maritime Special Operations Unit Targeting Teams watchlist.

Babafemi said, Barely three weeks after seizing 6,125 cartons of codeine syrup containing 1,050,000 bottles of the opioid worth over N7, 350,000,000.00 in street value, at the Port Harcourt Ports complex, Onne, Rivers State, operatives of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency, NDLEA, have again intercepted another batch of seven containers bearing one million two hundred and twenty-nine thousand four hundred bottles of the same substance worth over N9,835,200,000.00 at the Onne ports.

The latest seizure made on Thursday, July 18, 2024, is the fourth and last set of such consignments that have been under the watchlist of the Agencys Maritime Special Operations Unit Targeting Team, which worked in partnership with the Port Harcourt Ports Command of the Agency and other security agencies including the Customs Service for a 100 per cent joint examination of the targeted containers.

Babafemi stated that during a combined examination with various security services on Thursday, seven containers were discovered to contain 8,774 cartons of codeine-based cough medication, totaling 1,229,400 bottles and weighing 184,410 kilogrammes.

He said, This followed credible intelligence and months of diligent tracking of the consignments from their port of departure. At the joint examination of the containers with other security agencies on Thursday, all seven containers were found bearing a total of 8,774 cartons of codeine-based cough syrup with 1, 229, 400 bottles weighing 184,410 kilograms.

A breakdown of the shipments that came from India via the Maersk Vigo Vessel shows that the container marked SEKU 6439421 has 875 cartons with 175,000 bottles of codeine weighing 26,250kg. Other items in the container include 70 cartons of chilli cutters and 55 cartons of Hyregra tablets weighing 1,100kg.

READ MORE: Reveal Ingredients In Pastor Fufeyins Miracle Soap  VeryDarkMan Challenges NAFDAC Over Registration Claim

He added, Another container marked CMAU 9410422 contains 875 cartons of codeine with 175,000 bottles weighing 26,250 kg. Other items in the container include 15 cartons of chilli cutters and 60 cartons of Hyregra tablets weighing 1,200 kg. Also, the container marked TLLU 7595503 has a total of 1, 754 cartons of codeine syrup containing 179, 400 bottles weighing 26,910kg.

Four other containers marked: TRHU 515117; CMAU 7877125; CMAU 8533700; and CMAU 3882205 contain 175,000 bottles of the same substance each in addition to other items such as chilli cutters, cartons of hyregra tablets and diclofenac used to mask the shipments.

In response to the recent seizure, NDLEA Chairman/CEO Brig Gen Buba Marwa (retd) praised all of the officers, men and women from the Agencys various formations who had been working on the targeted containers for months for their diligence, vigilance and professionalism.

Babafemi said, Marwa equally praised the support received from other stakeholders at the ports that enabled the seamless and successful operations in the course of targeting the shipments. He said the operation, which had inflicted heavy losses on the cartels behind the shipments has further degraded their capacity and financial base.

SEE BELOW:
The Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps anti-vandalism section in Kano State detained three suspected vandals.

According to a statement issued by the Commands Public Relations Officer, Ibrahim Abdullahi, and made available to The PUNCH on Friday, two of the suspects were apprehended at Eid Ground, IBB Way, Kano Metropolis.

The operatives while on night patrol duty apprehended two suspected vandals at Eid ground, IBB way, Kano.

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The suspects, Sunusi Musa, 30 and Musbahu Habibu, 32 were arrested in the night around 1630 hrs on Wednesday while melting large caches of streetlight cables they vandalised and stole at Koki Quarters, Kano Municipal LGA, Kano State, he said.

Similarly, he stated that another arrest was made at Race Course Road, Nassarawa GRA, Kano, and that the suspected vandal, Muhammad Ado 47, was apprehended while packing vandalised streetlight cables at Race Course Road, Kano, at 1100 hrs.

READ MORE: Avoid Regret, Dont Marry Under Pressure  Pastor Faith Oyedepo Cautions

According to Abdullahi, the three suspects are currently in the Corps custody while an investigation is underway.

On completion of the investigation, theyll be made to face the full wrath of the law while the command is on the trail of three accomplices of the criminals who are at large, he added.

He stated that the command, led by Commandant Mohammed Falala, has warned vandals of critical national assets and criminals alike to refrain from committing heinous acts of vandalism, as the Corps has launched a serious manhunt for criminally minded elements, who will be brought to justice if apprehended.
Philip Shaibu, the reinstated Edo State Deputy Governor, has accused Governor Godwin Obaseki of masterminding the attack on him and Monday Okpebholo, the governorship candidate of the All Progressives Congress, in the State.

He made the remark while recounting that Obaseki once threatened to destroy him.

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According to the Deputy Governor, he got an intelligence report that Obaseki ordered his men not to allow him into the state.

Recall that there was a shootout in Benin City when Shaibu returned after the Abuja Federal High Court reinstated him as Deputy Governor.

Gunmen had attacked Shaibu and Okpebholos convoy which led to the killing of Okpebholos police aide.

READ ALSO: Edo Govt Blames Shaibu For Attack On Okpebholos Convoy

Speaking on Channels Television on Friday evening, the embattled politician said: Yesterday I got intel that the governor told his men not to allow me into town. Im a free-born citizen of Edo State, nobody can allow me into the State.

The Constitution does not allow anybody to bar me from entering the State, not even when Im a Deputy Governor, even if Im an ordinary citizen; nobody has that right.

But I didnt know he would arm them that much, reviewing it further; I remembered the governor threatening to destroy me, he used the word I will destroy you.

Its obvious that it was an attempt to actualize the statement that he was going to destroy me. I have decided that only God can destroy a man and thats why I have decided that I will fight till the end of this campaign, even when I was impeached; I decided to fight for the sanity and sanctity of the office of the deputy governor.


Publisher of Ovation Magazine, Dele Momodu, has knocked former presidential spokesman, Doyin Okupe, for supporting President Bola Ahmed Tinubu despite the nations economic hardship.

The veteran journalist said since he had known Okupe, the former presidential spokesperson had been in the habit of supporting utter failures despite evidence suggesting all is not well with the country.

The chieftain of the Peoples Democratic Party explained that it was surprising that Okupe, who pitched his tent with Peter Obi during the 2023 presidential election, could make a U-turn to support the administration of Tinubu and his policies.

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He further urged Okupe to join others in demanding good governance rather than defending what is not working.

Momodu wrote via X on Friday: My dear Egbon, DR DOYIN OKUPE, Im more amazed at your flip-flops Sir. Youre Renos senior in engaging in sophistry since your days as Obasanjos Spokesman in 1999, till you fell out. Youve defended almost all governments since then with your eloquence. What has Nigeria gained? (Ive been consistently in opposition in the last 42 years. Even the Buhari that I supported, regrettably, in 2015, I dumped within two months when I saw a total lack of direction, and Ive apologised profusely and endlessly.

READ ALSO: Police Officers Want To Join Our Protest In Their Uniforms, Are Tired of Protecting Oppressors  Sowore

I will never defend useless government policies. Theres nothing more we want Nigeria to give us at this age and stage than good Leadership) You and I met at the London Hilton Metropole in the dying days of the Jonathan government and you boasted that no Jupiter can defeat Jonathan in an election. We had a bet of 20k USD and you lost.

You begged me for debt forgiveness just two years ago at the Transcorp Hilton Abuja Im sure you must have persuaded the gentleman that since the economists rated Nigeria very high, he can never be defeated. But you forgot that a government must never rely solely on theoretical economic indices. It must be balanced with real and practical economy. (About two months ago, President William Ruto of Kenya was given Royal welcome to the White House in Washington DC. Today, he is being treated like a pariah in his own country. Heaps of praise from Western world cannot guarantee a safe economy).

You later worked on the Presidential bid of Senate President DR ABUBAKAR BUKOLA SARAKI before ending up with GOVERNOR PETER OBI. I wont bother about the outcomes. Like Reno, I acknowledge your brilliance, but only both of you know why TINUBU is your sudden IDOL The people of Nigeria have never had things so bad and youre both defending a profligate government with untenable economic hocus pocus

I will personally carry TINUBU on my head if hes able to cut the reckless spending of his government, make palpable sacrifices, ignite an agricultural revolution, empower our brilliant and energetic youths with vocational grants instead of distributing cash to phantom politicians, etc But with advisers like you, no government can succeed
Olivia Rodrigo performs during the Guts tour at the Wells Fargo Center in South Philly on Friday. Read more

Olivia Rodrigo nearly got upstaged by her own T-shirt.

On Friday night, Rodrigos Guts Tour finally arrived in Philadelphia, playing to a packed house at the Wells Fargo Center almost a year after the release of the album for which its named.

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To say that the anticipation was high for the arrival of the former star of the Disney teen comedy Bizaardvark, who vaulted into the pop music firmament with her debut single Drivers License and album Sour in 2021, would be a vast understatement.

Limited supply and intense demand  Rodrigo already has a stadium-sized audience, but scheduled just one arena date in town  made the South Philly tour stop the priciest pop ticket of the season.

With Taylor Swift off in Europe for the summer, moms and dads had to shell out $500-plus per seat on the resale market to make their teenagers dreams come true.

Not that anybody sat down for long during Rodrigos spirited, terrifically entertaining, and highly efficient 23-song, 1-hour-45-minute set, which followed a half-hour of skittering beats and sly love songs by English singer Pink Pantheress, whose given name is Victoria Walker.

Rodrigo, 21, bounded on stage at 8:30 p.m. in a silver crop top and skirt, and Doc Marten boots, joining her road-tested all-female band in kick-starting the show with the crunchy Bad Idea, Right?

That song is not only a typically savvy Rodrigo nugget about not being able to resist the temptation of bad behavior  in this case, hooking up with an ex. It also slyly brings the listener in on the transgression with the question mark on the song title: Yeah, I know Im about to do something stupid, but youd do the same if you were me, wouldnt you?

Rodrigo is a sharp, astute writer whose punchy, rocked-out pop songs bear the influence of her contemporary hitmakers such as Swift and Lorde, but also reach back to role models such as Avril Lavigne.

Shes cited Jack White as an all-time fave and his garage rock sensibility was felt particularly toward the playfully trippy latter section of the show on songs such as Obsessed and All American Bitch, whose title was inspired by Joan Didions The White Album.

Such songs as Sours Brutal are exegesis of the tumult of teendom in the social media age with such lyrics as If someone tells me Enjoy your youth one more time, Im gonna cry and They say these are the golden years, but I wish I could disappear.  God, its brutal out here.

The evidence of how powerfully that resonates with Rodrigos fans was apparent everywhere on Friday, from the crowds that gathered around the Guts World Tour Experience Bus outside the Wells Fargo, to the epic merch lines inside the venue, which contrasted with the ghost town vibe in the mens rooms, which were almost as empty as during the Eras Tour.

Rodrigos songs arent all spunky rockers. She also has her fair share of piano ballads, and sat down at the keyboard herself for Drivers License and Teenage Dream.

 READ MORE: Confessions of a 30-year-old teenager: The elder millennial Olivia Rodrigo fan speaks

The latter expressed frustration at being condescended to by dunderheaded adults. When am I gonna stop being wise beyond my years and just start being wise? she asked. But she also introduced it by saying she wished she could go back to her 17-year-old self and tell her not to worry so much.

On most of the softer songs, Rodrigo was joined by a squad of eight dancers, who didnt really mesh with the overall singer-fronting-a-rock-band (and occasionally picking up a guitar herself) vibe of the evening. But that was a concession to pop spectacle orthodoxy that shell likely outgrow.

The other twist to conventional arena staging was Rodrigos mode of getting out among the crowd. She took a seat on a flying crescent moon that floated among brightly lit stars that hung from the arena rafters, and sang Logical and Enough for You. She not only hung the moon, she sat on it.

While doing so, suspended high above the crowd on the opposite end of the arena from the stage, Rodrigo  a practiced entertainer who made her TV debut in an Old Navy commercial when she was 7  worked the crowd by asking for screams from alternating sides of the room. She seemed taken aback by the voraciousness of the response.

Hey, its Philadelphia, what did you expect? Even some of the teenage girls in my row chose to cover their ears.

Before So American  a song believed to be about Rodrigos British actor boyfriend Louis Partridge  Rodrigo quizzed fans about who they had come to the show with. Mom, dad, or mom and dad was one popular answer, and boyfriend and girlfriend responses were few.

Your best friend in the whole world? was the clear scream-inducing winner, eliciting spontaneous hugs all over the room. After all, whats the point of going out for the best night ever, if you cant share it with your bestie?

All of this was a prelude to an encore in which Rodrigo came out in her final costume change for the closing bad boyfriend combo of Sours bouncy Good 4 U and Guts vengeful Get Him Back!

Armed with a megaphone, this was the segment of the show where Rodrigo wears a tank tap emblazoned with words shouting out her pop culture faves. Earlier in this tour, thats meant Gwen Stefani and No Doubt with Just a Girl and Sex and the City with Carrie Bradshaw AF.

The brilliantly bespoke shirt for the Wells Fargo crowd conflated the title of her debut album with the name of the South Philly-set longest-running sitcom in TV history: Its Always Sour in Philadelphia. (Its also the name of a beer by Urban Village Brewing Co.)

 READ MORE: At Olivia Rodrigo's concert, the dress code was clear: lots of purple, sequins, Y2K, and Doc Martens. Philly fans got the memo.

Kudos to Rodrigo for that next-level showmanship. Somebody put that shirt on sale, stat! Im surprised that it wasnt out there already on the morning after the show.

Heres the set list for Olivia Rodrigos Guts Tour at the Wells Fargo Center in Philadelphia:

1. Bad Idea, Right?

2. Ballad of a Homeschooled Girl

3. Vampire

4. Traitor

5. Drivers License

6. Teenage Dream

7. Pretty Isnt Pretty

8. Love Is Embarrassing

9. Making the Bed

10. Logical

11. Enough for You

12. Lacy

13. So American

14. Jealousy, Jealousy

15. Happier

16. Favorite Crime

17. Deja Vu

18. The Grudge

19. Brutal

20. Obsessed

21. All-American Bitch

Encore

22. Good 4 U

23. Get Him Back!
Al DePalma, the self-proclaimed "King of Hoagies," is one of the many people who claim to be the originator of the hoagie. Read more

There are few foods more associated with Philly than the hoagie. The sacred sandwich can be found across the city and in the hearts of many Philadelphians  yet the origin of the sandwichs name is contentious and oddly mysterious.

Have you ever wondered why we call it a hoagie? Where did the name come from? Does anyone else besides Philadelphians call it a hoagie? A reader asked these questions through Curious Philly, The Inquirers forum for answering questions. The answer is complicated. We do our best to sort it out.

Even though weve explored this question a few times  in at least 1968, 1989, 1992, 1993, and 2003, based on The Inquirers available archives  readers are still wondering, so how could we resist doing it once more?

First: Does anyone else call them hoagies?

The term isnt too common outside of the Philadelphia area, except  sometimes  in Pittsburgh and some parts of central Pennsylvania.

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A survey conducted by Bert Vaux, a professor in phonology and morphology at the University of Cambridge, found that the leading term for the sandwich is hoagie, with 44% of Pittsburgh residents referring to it as such. This survey, however, is more than 10 years old and data could have changed since.

Another survey, also more than 10 years old, was created by a North Carolina State graduate student and sought to create dialectic maps, including one for hoagies. That survey reported similar results, finding Pittsburgh split between hoagie and sub, Philadelphia Magazine reported in 2013. So what are Pittsburghers saying nowadays?

The people of Pittsburgh seem to somewhat abide by these stats, at least according to internet discussions.

The consensus in forums such as Reddit and the Hoagie Gurus Facebook group was that the term hoagie was as common as the term sub within the region. Some users suggested that hoagie was the preferred word at local shops and among community organizations, and sub at national chains such as Subway.

Some TikTokers from Pittsburgh back the hoagie claims.

@markknowspittsburgh First, let's make sure we are all on the same page. It's a hoagie. This is Pittsburgh. All three of the shops featured in this video are new to me, but I was pleasantly surprised with all of them. The standout, by far, was Family Deli. Quality ingredients, large portions, and tons of menu options. And bonus points for the baked goods! What is your go-to spot for a great hoagie in Pittsburgh?  Please Please Please - Sabrina Carpenter

Does the name hoagie come from the Hog Island Shipyard?

There are many legends describing just how the name originated. There are a few stories worth their salt, pepper, and oregano, including stories from Hog Island (today, the Philadelphia International Airport resides over this land) and theories relating it back to a hog (as in the wild boar), as well as family feuds  making it hard to pinpoint the true origin.

One of the more commonly prescribed theories, according to 1968 and 1992 editions of The Inquirer, is that the term was coined by those working at the Hog Island shipyard. During World War I, Italian immigrants working at the shipyard brought giant sandwiches stuffed with luncheon meats, cheese, and veggies.

Through humble beginnings of workers sharing these sandwiches with others, the hoggie or hoggy was born, affectionately named after Hog Island. After some time, the Philly accent adjusted hoggie to what we know as hoagie.

At least two other stories of the hoagie trace some of its origin to Hog Island. One relies on an Irish immigrant named Hogan who happened to work at Hog Island. The story goes that Hogan was envious, according to a January 1983 edition of The Inquirer, of his Italian coworkers lunch. Hogan asked the coworker if he could buy one off of him, and the very next day, history was supposedly made. Soon enough Hogans, eventually shortening to hoagie, grew in popularity at Hog Island, according to the 1968 and 1992 editions of The Inquirer.

But another story with bread crumbs leading to Hog Island might be the hoagie history with the most validity, according to what Hoagie Historian Howard Robboy told The Inquirer in March 2003.

Robboy, who published two journal articles about the Italian roll layered with deli meats, cheese, and choices of different fixings, said Al DePalmas was the least tall of the tales. DePalmas story, though, was best told by his daughter Rita Scaltrito, who spoke to The Inquirer in February 1992.

Scaltrito said her father went to look for work at Hog Island in the 1930s and saw the shipbuilders scarfing down oversize cold cuts sandwiches. DePalma is to have said, Those guys look like a bunch of hogs, according to Scaltrito.

DePalma didnt apply to work for the Hog Island Shipyard. Instead, the self-proclaimed king of hoagies opened up his storefront selling hoggies (sound familiar?) to laborers. The DePalma family story is backed by World World II-era photos of the luncheonette, which was located at South 20th and Mifflin Streets. And just as the other stories, hoggie eventually became hoagie.

A Daily News timeline in 1993 explains the totality of hoagie history up to that point.

There is one family, however, that disputes the DePalma familys case.

Are there other origin stories behind the hoagie?

The other family laying claim as the pioneering hoagie household is the DiCostanza family.

To quote The Inquirers Craig LaBan, a restaurant critic and columnist, hoagie isnt synonymous with Philly if you ask locals in Delaware County, where the DiCostanza family made sandwiches on long rolls layered with Italian meats, sharp provolone, and vegetables for decades. The family got its start in Chester in 1925 and moved to Boothwyn in 1996.

During the summer of 1925, Mom was cooking in the store, located in Chesters West End, according to DiCostanzas website. A customer came in from a nearby pool hall and had an appetite after playing card games. The man asked for a sandwich with everything, and Mom listened. Aromas of fried sweet and hot peppers permeated the air and delighted the customer, who left after his sandwich was made. One hour later, the man returned with a group of hungry customers who were also at the pool hall, the DiCostanzas website said. Thus, the DiCostanzas hoagie was created.

Separate from Hog Island and the DePalma and DiConstanza family claims, another story is that when kids played hooky from school, they would buy the sandwich because it was cost-friendly. Theyd get them when they were on the hoke. That became hokey, and hokey became hoagie, Robboy said.

For all of its Philly glory, the origin story behind the name of the sandwich fulfilling the city for decades is still a bit of a mystery. The question is, which theory do you back?
Tony Trov, cofounder of the T-shirt shop and lifestyle brand South Fellini, shows off some of his collection of Tofani doors. The Atwater Kent Collection plans on adding one of Trov's doors to its permanent collection. Read more

Tony Trov recently awoke to a pressing message: someone was throwing away a Tofani door.

For Trov, cofounder of the T-shirt shop and lifestyle brand South Fellini, trashing one of the distinctive, mid-century doors with starburst glass windows patterned in keyhole, heart, and diamond shapes is akin to discarding a rare piece of art. To him, Tofani doors are fading jewels of South Philly Atomic Age design.

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Grabbing a handcart, Trov rushed to beat the trash collector.

Its beautiful, Trov said in an Instagram video, showing off his sidewalk find, broken glass and all.

As Philadelphia as the Liberty Bell

Tofani doors have enjoyed a renaissance in recent years, thanks in no small part to Trov and his South Fellini partner, Johnny Zito, who early on recognized Tofani doors as eye-catching examples of South Philly industry and iconography. Since opening in 2016, theyve displayed their Tofani door artwork on T-shirts, prints, pins, and even a towering billboard on Passyunk Avenue. Manufactured in a bygone South Philly mill, Tofani doors once embellished many rowhouses in the neighborhood, but are now harder to come by in a changing South Philly. Transplants scour salvage yards and pay as much as $5,000 for refurbished Tofani doors  or designer knockoffs  seeking the stylish South Philly authenticity they lend.

Trov, a lifelong South Philadelphian and avid Philly ephemera hunter, has been collecting Tofani doors for nearly a decade, salvaging nine neighborhood doors. Not to sell, mind you. But to preserve as prized pieces of local history.

Its iconic to the city, Trov said of the Tofani door. A Philadelphia Tofani door only looks like a Philadelphia Tofani door. Its the only place it comes from. To me, its as much as Philadelphia as the Liberty Bell.

Instead of a trash heap, Tofani doors belong in a museum, he said.

And now one soon might.

The doors museum moment

As it returns to public view with a new exhibition at the Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts, the citys Atwater Kent Collection has contacted Trov about securing one of his Tofani doors for its historical archive. Trov says hes happy to donate one.

Tofani doors are a staple of South Philadelphia architecture, said Michael Shepherd, assistant director of the Atwater Kent Collection. And theyve had such a resurgence in the last few years. Its an important part of Philadelphia history and we dont have one.

Shuttered in 2018, the Atwater Kent Collection is now displaying highlights from the Philadelphia historical archive for the first time since being placed under the stewardship of Drexel University two years ago.

Tofani doors are something that really resonate with people, Shepherd said. He will work with Trov to select which door will be donated. We have really important objects in our collection, but the things that are most important are the things we see every day and use every day. Philadelphians love their history. But they love their hyperlocal history. They want to know about their neighborhoods.

Behind Tofani doors

Born in Italy, Arthur Tofani opened the Arthur Tofani Lumber & Millwork Co. on the 1400 block of South Eighth Street, near Dickinson, sometime in the 1920s. The family lived above the shop, with the kids helping out. The modest neighborhood mill didnt need to deploy door-to-door salesmen to hawk their ubiquitous doors. South Philly became Tofanis catalog. In the early years, Tofani designed his heavy-duty doors in a more colonial style with the elegantly etched starburst glass produced by the H. Perilstein Glass Co. near South Street.

Liberata Tofani took over the mill when her husband died from pneumonia in 1937, and soon rebuilt it after a fire. Under her watch, the company designed the sleeker, groovier Atomic Age-style doors. The Tofanis moved the mill out of the neighborhood in the 1980s, and eventually shuttered it (Arthur Tofanis name still graces the old South Philly factory).

The family is definitely proud of the work we did for Philadelphia, said Arthur Tofani III, who resides in Malvern. We really appreciate that people still respect the work we did so many years ago.

Trov and his wife, Joanna, who is originally from Cherry Hill, first started taking note of Tofani doors around 10 years ago, during their strolls around South Philly. Both fans of Atomic Age design, defined by its vibrant colors, bold shapes, and futuristic appeal, they quickly became obsessed.

We would take pictures of them and started making little notes about where they all were in the neighborhood, Trov said. Theres probably a couple thousand of them out there. And every time one ends up in the trash, theres one less.

A family friend named Lumpy Pinto gave Trov his first Tofani door in 2016. Pinto, who was selling his house, figured hed trash his old Tofani door, a battered, mid-century beaut with a triangle bottle glass window.

He was like, Who would want this old South Philly door? and I was like, Ill take it, said Trov.

Soon, Trovs backyard and basement were crowded with junked Tofani doors. Among his nine doors are older ones with porthole and circle windows, and later models with wolverine claw style designs and metal kickplates. Trov and his wife make original Tofani door artwork in a block printing studio in their home.

Trov said he admires the craftsmanship of the doors, some of which were built more than a century ago. But it also just comes down to South Philly pride, he said.

Its iconic Philadelphia culture, he said, showing off his doors on a recent afternoon. If these were made in New York they would be in a museum.

Thanks to him, one soon could be.
With Donald Trump riding high, President Joe Biden can no longer afford to dither over the future of Ukraine.

The GOP candidate, backed by his vice presidential nominee, Sen. JD Vance, has made clear he wants to cut off U.S. aid to Kyiv and effectively hand Ukraine over to Moscow. Indeed, should he win, Trump says he would start this process right after the November election before he even enters the White House.

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Trump insists he can sit with Vladimir Putin and resolve the war in 24 hours. He wants to force Kyiv into peace talks that would only benefit the Kremlin. Down this road lies the destruction of Ukraine as an independent state.

Yet, a weakened Biden is still sticking to his policy of giving Kyiv just enough aid to hold Putin back from major advances  but not enough to convince the Russian dictator he cannot win.

Even if Biden pulls out a victory, his Ukraine policy is self-defeating.

As Bidens prospects dim and Trumps rise, the president needs to change gears now  and give Kyiv what it needs to push Putin back this year.

What makes Bidens policy so frustrating is that he recognizes Ukraine is a test case for the new axis of dictators led by Beijing and Moscow.

If Russia can get away with invading a peaceful neighbor in Europe, seizing one-fifth of its territory and destroying its cities and civilian infrastructure, then all the post-World War II rules that kept the peace in Europe are trashed. The use of force will be back in fashion, globally, with China taking note when it comes to Taiwan.

Yet, Biden showed no signs he was rethinking his Ukraine policy at NATOs 75th-anniversary summit, held the week before the GOP convention.

The administration appears to have been counting on Ukraine making enough military progress to force Putin into serious negotiations.

But Congress six-month delay in approving new weapons supplies for Kyiv, along with the strong prospect of a Trump victory, have clearly convinced Putin he is winning. Any peace talks, including Trumps fantasy version, would merely give the Russians time to regroup for further attacks.

Russian aggression

On the eve of NATOs 75th-anniversary summit earlier this month in Washington, Russian missiles deliberately targeted the most advanced childrens medical facility in Ukraine. Its hard to forget the scene of a pediatric surgeon  his white apron covered with blood  desperately trying to rescue any tiny bald patients trapped in the rubble after a Russian Kh-101 missile collapsed the chemotherapy ward at Okhmatdyt Childrens Hospital in Kyiv.

By deliberately targeting children  as well as a nearby maternity hospital that specializes in problem pregnancies  Putin sent a chilling message to NATO: I can do anything I want to Ukraine, and you wont stop me.

Still, the White House blocked NATO from setting out any clear path to Kyivs future membership, even though this is the only way to ensure Ukraines future security.

More immediately, Biden nixed any effective Kyiv response to the attack on children and babies by failing to lift the U.S. ban on letting Ukraine use U.S.-made long-range missiles to strike the aerodromes from which the attack was launched, deep inside Russian territories.

The Russians are showing they arent worried about consequences, I was told by Ukrainian parliamentarian Yehor Cherniev. The absence of a strong reaction [to the bombing of the hospital] convinces them they are right.

On Tuesday, in an interview with Voice of America, Pentagon spokesman Maj. Gen. Patrick Ryder confirmed U.S. policy on deep strikes hasnt changed. He said the administration wanted to avoid unintended consequences and escalation.

However, time after time Putin has failed to react when his blustery red lines have been breached, such as when Ukraine fired British long-range missiles at Russian air bases in occupied Crimea from which Moscow directed strikes at Ukrainian cities.

Given that Russia has opened a new front by sending thousands of glide bombs into Ukraine, striking heating and electrical systems, hospitals, schools, and markets, there is only one way to stop this aggression: by hitting its source.

During a news conference at the summits end, NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg could barely contain his upset with the U.S. limitations. There is no question that Ukraine has the right to hit legitimate targets on the territory of the aggressor, he stressed.

Rejecting such criticism, the Biden administration touted NATOs new package of air defenses for Ukraine: U.S.-made Patriot systems and F-16 warplanes.

But here again, U.S. and NATO policy is too little and far too late.

Kyiv, which lacks any viable air force, has been begging the West for Patriots to protect its cities since the war began more than two years ago. While Western allies have a reported 100 systems, the response had been painfully limited; Germany had delivered two, while the U.S. donated one.

This summer, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky told Washington that seven new Patriot systems are the minimum he desperately needed to protect major cities. But at the summit, only five new air defense systems were offered, one each from Germany, Romania, Washington, and Italy, and a fifth that will be cobbled together from parts drawn from several countries.

Heres the kicker: Israel has eight Patriot systems, on loan from the U.S., which it has put into mothballs because it considers them old technology, long replaced by Israeli defenses. Despite months of talks, the White House has failed to press Jerusalem to return some or all to Washington to be forwarded to Ukraine.

As for the F-16s, they are coming from the Netherlands and Denmark, and have been repeatedly delayed for months, in part because the necessary U.S. green light was slow to arrive.

Furthermore, the Pentagon continues to slow-walk training for competent, English-speaking Ukrainian pilots, with only about a dozen being prepared this year to fly a far larger number of aircraft. Yet, the White House has failed to prioritize training for Ukrainians or give permission for retired U.S. pilots to do the training abroad.

If NATO is not ready to protect us, and to take us into the alliance, then we ask NATO to give us everything so we can protect ourselves, Zelensky told me in a recent interview in Kyiv.

Hampered by White House timidity, that has not happened until now.

Urgent need

Trump and Vance have argued that Ukraine is Europes problem. The former president constantly claims the Europeans are freeloading off the United States.

But contrary to Trumps claims, the European Union plus individual member nations are already giving Ukraine far more military and economic aid than Washington. More than $40 billion in annual military aid will now be funneled proportionately by member states through NATO to try to Trump-proof any U.S. military aid cutoff.

Indeed, Putins violent effort to destroy a peaceful neighbor has revived and unified the alliance  two-thirds of NATO countries now meet the 2% floor on defense spending, and, for the first time, there are some serious efforts to unify allies defense production and innovation.

As the Europeans now grasp (especially those on Russias border), Ukraine is the locale where Putin is testing how far he can go to undermine Western allies, including the United States. The Kremlin has been upping cyberwarfare, sabotage, and assassination attempts within many of their countries and inside their territorial waters.

In another nasty message from Putin, CNN reported recently that the U.S. and Germany broke up a Russian assassination plot to murder Armin Papperger, the head of Europes largest arms manufacturer, Rheinmetall, which sells critical 155 mm artillery shells to Kyiv, and will soon start producing them in Ukraine.

But the Europeans do not have the military heft or heavy defense production to help Ukraine defeat Putin without U.S. assistance if the White House refuses to face the urgency of the moment, or if Trump wins and cuts off aid.

Whatever happens to his candidacy, Biden can still rectify the NATO summits missed opportunity, and hedge against a Trump victory. But that will require the White House to recognize that its current policy plays into Putins hands.

As Lithuanian Foreign Minister Gabrielius Landsbergis said in Washington: The blindness is to think that Putin will stop and there will be negotiations. He will continue. He did not stop in 2014 [after Putin invaded Crimea]. We are in this for the long run. We have to create a clear deterrent  lets allow Ukraine to attack them.

To ignore Putins sadistic attacks at the childrens hospital, and across Ukraine, is to encourage Russian escalation. To let Kyiv respond with long-range strikes on Russian bases is to deter escalation by making clear Moscow will pay a strong penalty for its aggression.

If Biden acknowledges that truth  and lifts restrictions on long-range ATACMS missiles, while retrieving those Patriot missiles from Israel and prioritizing training for Ukraines pilots  the Democrats could display their foreign policy smarts in November, compared with Trumps Putin-blindness.

By so doing, Biden can also help Ukraine make sizable advances before the November election, as a hedge against a GOP win.

But absent a White House sense of urgency, most of the many Ukrainian think tank and parliament members with whom I spoke at the summit left Washington deeply worried about the presidents limits and the possibility of a Putin triumph, aided by Trump.

They were determined to fight on, despite U.S. weakness, but extremely worried, and more than a little scared.

Editors Note: A version of this column was originally published July 14, 2024.
Stratford Scout Troop 122 is camped out on the coast of St. Croix, facing up to a weeklong delay for their return trip to Philadelphia. Read more

A New Jersey Boy Scout troop was stuck in the U.S. Virgin Islands after their flight was delayed by the global technology outage on Friday, turning what was supposed to be an idyllic summer retreat into a nightmare scenario for dozens of people.

Two young scouts from Troop 122 in Stratford, Camden County, about 10 miles outside Philadelphia, were at risk of running out of medication, one with a serious medical condition, and they were facing potentially a delay of several days until the next flight out of St. Croix, according to scoutmaster Stacey White.

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White scrambled to get those two scouts, accompanied by a medical officer, who had been traveling with the group, on a Spirit Airlines flight scheduled to arrive at Philadelphia International Airport about 9:30 p.m. Saturday.

A short time later, White got word that Spirit had booked the remaining members of the group on a chartered flight departing St. Croix at about 9:30 p.m. The direct flight was scheduled to arrive about 2:30 a.m. on Sunday.

White said TSA employees in St. Croix, an island in the Caribbean, were staying late to conduct security screening and make sure the group made the flight. White planned to make several trips in a 15-passenger van to take the scouts and leaders to the airport.

When were wheels up at 9:30, I will be so thankful, White said. I got kids dropping like flies. Get me off this God-forsaken island.

According to White, Spirit Airlines blamed the initial delay on the cybersecurity failure that grounded thousands of flights and paralyzed operations across the globe. The airline offered each group member a $10 meal voucher. It later said in a statement that passengers could seek reimbursement for hotel stays.

Were pretty much out in the cold here, White said Saturday. Getting off an island with two, three, four people is not such a big deal. Getting off an island with 37 people? A big deal.

When White learned that Flight 449, scheduled to depart St. Croix at 5:37 on Friday, was grounded because of the technology outage, the scoutmaster explained that the group was not equipped to survive another week on the island. Their funds were running low, and the scouts, whose ages range from 11 to 17, did not bring enough medication or supplies for more than a few extra days.

Spirit employees expressed sympathy but offered little help, he said.

I said Do you have 32 children with you? Because I dont think you can relate to this, White said in an interview Saturday.

Spirit did not immediately return a request for comment on the situation. In a travel advisory issued Friday, the airline apologized for any inconvenience and waived fare differences for delayed flights through next week.

Until Spirit made accommodations, White said, he sought alternative arrangements that involved inter-island ferries, overnight sleeping arrangements, and one-way flights with other airlines  all of which came at an exorbitant cost. Troop 122 had raised enough money for what was supposed to be a weeklong scouting experience on the pristine island beaches.

 READ MORE: CrowdStrike outage affects Philadelphia airport, government and companies

Individuals and companies around the world were plagued by disruptions Friday caused by a faulty software update from the cybersecurity company CrowdStrike. The glitch, which affected computers running Microsofts Windows operating system, grounded flights, knocked banks and media outlets offline, and affected hospitals, retailers, and other services.

CrowdStrike said the flawed software update was not a hacking incident or cyberattack. The company is one of the leading cybersecurity providers, particularly in transportation, health care, banking, and other sectors that have a lot at stake in keeping their computer systems working.

Since July 12, the group from Camden County has been camping outdoors on the shrubby hillside at Camp Howard M. Wall  a 17-acre seaside retreat run by the Boy Scouts of America, located on the islands arid southern coast.

The scouts worked on their merit badges and practiced life-saving situations in the water, such as how to save the life of someone who is panicked while adrift at sea.

They snorkeled off the beaches of Buck Island National Park, hiked through the rainforest, spotted wild mongooses, and spent their nights cooking meals together back at Camp Howard.

Food costs alone for the week have already gone over $5,000, according to White. Camp Howard staff had welcomed the group back after the flight delay and said the troop could stay as long as needed. (A staff member baked them an apple crisp for their troubles, which White said brought a brief smile back to their defeated faces.)

But the situation was growing too dire to wait for Spirits next flight.

One scout was experiencing a medical condition, growing worse by the day, which included severe skin swelling and massive blisters.

I dont know whats wrong with him, but he needs to get to his doctor ASAP, White said. Hes blowing up like a tick.

White had made several reservations to book a few members of the group on a ferry to nearby St. Thomas. They would have then traveled to Puerto Rico to buy flights back to Philadelphia with another airline,  at an exorbitant cost. One-way tickets are topping $1,000 a seat, he said. The earliest they would return was early Tuesday morning.

It was going to be a painful trip home. But we were going to make it, White said.

He leaned on an aphorism that he often tells the scouts: What doesnt kill you makes you stronger.

Staff writer Melanie Burney contributed to this article, which also contains information from the Associated Press.
American Airline baggage handler at Philadelphia International Airport on morning of system outage delaying travel on Friday. Read more

A massive, international technology outage scrambled operations across the Philadelphia region Friday, with airlines grounding scores of flights, some hospitals canceling elective surgeries, and workplaces shutting down for the day.

The outage that affected computers running the Microsoft operating system stemmed from an issue with the cybersecurity company, CrowdStrike, which updated its software just before millions of Windows 10 users began reaching error screens.

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Companies and government entities were in the process of recovering Friday by manually updating their servers and computers. Experts warned that residual impacts were likely to stretch into next week, and the outage  described as one of the largest in history  underscored the degree to which global systems can be affected by problems at a single tech firm.

At Philadelphia International Airport, 90 flights were canceled and 155 were delayed before systems came back online by early afternoon. Thousands of travelers were stuck for hours as communications screens displayed ominous error messages.

Penn Medicine canceled elective surgeries and rescheduled appointments at some locations. Main Line Health also canceled some nonemergency surgeries in departments like plastic surgery and podiatry, and both hospital systems websites were down for a few hours.

Government systems were impacted in the city of Philadelphia and across the region, with employees experiencing slowness on their computers. Most agencies said public safety functions were operational by midmorning Friday.

 READ MORE: Live updates: Outage affects operations across Philadelphia region

In Gloucester County, the 911 system was down for four hours early Friday. Microsoft systems went down across Camden Countys 46 departments, requiring manual updates to over 1,000 computers. And in Bensalem Township, Bucks County, the entire IT system was offline for hours before recovering at about 8:30 a.m. Friday.

The issue is, you have to touch every computer to make the fix, Bensalem Finance Manager John Chaykowski said, so its been time consuming.

Impacts to Philadelphia government systems

In Philadelphia city government, employee systems were completely inoperable Friday morning, according to Chief Information Office Melissa Scott, but public safety systems such as 911 were up and running throughout the disruption.

Scott said city officials were notified at about 2:30 a.m. of a planned antivirus software rollout by CrowdStrike, and that every server and computer that was powered up at that time was affected by the outage. Technicians fanned out across city departments to run fixes on affected computers, a process that will continue through the weekend.

No one is resting. No one is slowing or easing up our response, and no one assumes everything is fixed, Mayor Cherelle L. Parker said. Were going to keep at this until every computer system, every laptop, and every component of our IT apparatus is working as it should.

Some services were more disrupted than others. The courts system was shut down for the day, and visitation was canceled for the day at the jail complex on State Road. A few city health centers experienced operational delays.

At Philadelphias Apple Tree Family Intake Center for people experiencing homelessness, staff told families anxiously seeking shelter beds to be patient as only four out of about a dozen computers were functioning Friday morning.

Rafik Jones, 32, of Strawberry Mansion, said hed been waiting about five hours at the center with his wife and their young children. The outage, to him, was one more hitch in an already dysfunctional system.

They just bounce us back and forth, he said.

Thousands of Philadelphia municipal employees still reported to work  the technology issues came just days after all city employees were required to return to in-person work five days a week.

In the courts, officials said hearings would be rescheduled, and they sent jurors who were summoned to Center City home. One juror, Sean Damon, said he heard about the global outage in the news before he left for City Hall, but didnt expect it would affect his jury service.

I woke up, had my coffee, read in the paper about this affecting the airlines, but I didnt think it was going to hit City Hall, he said.

Travel woes at Philadelphia International Airport

The outage affected systems in a variety of sectors around the world, with airlines and banks citing frequent disruptions and users reported slowness in accessing critical information. President Joe Biden was briefed on the outage Friday morning and the White House said it was in touch with CrowdStrike.

According to officials at CrowdStrike, the issue was not a cyberattack, but stemmed from a bug tied to an update for Windows 10 software users. Starting as early as Thursday afternoon, millions of desktop PCs and laptops using CrowdStrike and operating on Windows 10 were hit with the Blue Screen of Death, also known as BSOD.

The dreaded screen flashed above the American Airlines check-in counter at the airport Friday morning.

One traveler, Jill Holley, got to the airport around 5:30 a.m., but didnt find out her flight to Baton Rouge, La., for a family memorial was canceled until she was through security and waiting to board. Holley said she planned to leave the airport and head home to Maryland.

I know they cant help it, she said. This is a weird thing. Its almost scary, isnt it?

Helen Anderson was supposed to be heading to Orlando on a 3:30 p.m. Frontier Airlines flight Friday, but when she got to the airport around 12:50 p.m., she found out it was delayed.

She said it was a minor inconvenience, but still unsettling.

Im just concerned about whats gonna happen to us if we really do get a cyberattack, Anderson said. We apparently cannot operate without it  without technology.

Staff writers Emily Bloch, Abraham Gutman, Ximena Conde, Rob Tornoe, Wendy Ruderman, John Duchneskie, Beatrice Forman, Rodrigo Torrejon, Layla A. Jones, Fallon Roth, and Vinny Vella contributed to this article.
The Israeli Flag on the Benjamin Franklin Parkway next to the Holocaust Memorial. Read more

The Israeli flag on the Benjamin Franklin Parkway was defaced with what appears to be red paint on Friday, drawing condemnation from Jewish leaders in the region.

The Philadelphia Police Department confirmed the vandalism, but declined to say whether there was a suspect at this time. City workers removed the sullied flag and replaced it with a new one sometime before noon.

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The vandalism comes amid sustained outrage and debate over Israelis ongoing military campaign in Gaza in response to the Oct. 7 Hamas attacks. In Philadelphia, the fallout from the war has brought an uptick in incidents targeting both Jews and Muslims, as well as pro-Israel and pro-Palestinian residents, including numerous cases of vandalism.

Hate has no place in Philadelphia under Mayor Cherelle L. Parker, a spokesperson for the mayor said. As soon as we learned of the defacement of the Israeli flag, our Department of Public Property took down the damaged flag, and replaced it with a new one ...The defacement of the flag is under investigation by Philadelphia police.

The Jewish Federation of Greater Philadelphia thanked the city for quickly removing and replacing the flag, noting that the vandalism followed a drone strike in Tel Aviv that killed one person and injured 10 others. Yemens Houthi rebels claimed responsibility for the attack and described it as retaliation for the Israel-Hamas war.

This defacement following last nights terror attack in Israel meant to threaten and intimidate the Greater Philadelphia Jewish community, further contributing to rising levels of antisemitism nationally, the Federation said in a statement.

Fridays incident was not the first to target the Parkways blue-and-white flag featuring the Star of David.

The city flies over 100 flags along the citys mile-long, museum-lined boulevard. Most are arranged alphabetically by nation, but Israel is an exception: It is located next to the Holocaust Memorial near 16th Street. (The city does not fly a Palestinian flag on the Parkway.)

A man was arrested in 2018 after spraying red paint on the Israeli flag. That incident came amid international outrage over the Gaza border protests, when the Israeli military killed and injured dozens of Palestinian protesters.

Former Mayor Jim Kenney at the time said that, while emotions are running high over the violence toward Palestinians in the Gaza Strip, it doesnt warrant hateful acts of vandalism.
Chelsea Campbell, 37, makes an array of drinks in her basement bar. The space was featured on South Philly Time Capsules, an Instagram account that highlights the neighborhood's vintage touches. Read more

When Sue Liedke began house hunting in South Philadelphia in 2019, she was drawn to homes that seemed frozen in time, portals to a fabulously kitschy past.

Those aging rowhouses in the neighborhood with signature South Philly designs, like distinctive mid-century doors, sweeping archways, and elegant wrought-iron stairways. Rowhouses concealing lonely, sunlit rooms perfectly preserved in the showy stylings of bygone eras, from the 1960s and 1970s, when South Philadelphians, not to be stymied by things like square footage, tackled home decor with a boldness and panache all their own. When carpets were shag, mirrors were smoked, and dirt-floor cellars were transformed into groovy basement bars.

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For Liedke, 40, a kindergarten art teacher at the Settlement Music School, who also works as an educator at the Philadelphia Museum of Art, the vestiges of the neighborhoods gloriously gaudy past were relics to be revered. Art to be appreciated. Especially in fast-changing South Philadelphia, where more and more aging homes are gutted and flipped, and where renovated rowhouses can sell for $500,000 or far more, according to neighborhood Realtors.

You see these quintessential South Philly things  and youre afraid that soon youll stop seeing them, she said. They are pictures of another time.

So Liedke, who grew up outside of Buffalo, N.Y., and moved to South Philly in 2004, earning an art education masters from Temple, decided to document them on an Instagram account she called South Philly Time Capsules.

At first, it was mostly Liedkes friends and family who reveled in her finds.

Like a Wolf Street gem with leopard-patterned wallpaper and a faux leather basement bar that could double as a Scorsese set. A eerily empty South Broad Street mansion, complete with gilded chandeliers, stained-glass windows, and ornate fireplaces. On Pierce Street, a rowhouse with an outhouse that had been renovated in the 1970s.

At the open houses she visited, Liedke photographed the fading touches real estate agents often tried to brush past: a buttercup-yellow bathroom. A childs bedroom adorned with a wall-sized mural of the planet Saturn. Shower doors etched with mermaids.

Each of her postings got a caption celebrating quirks so often downplayed.

Tulip swag lamps, she wrote, were a moment of perfection in this imperfect world. A peachy-pink Bella Vista home was where you could live out your Wes Anderson dreams in peace. The stately rooms of a Ninth Street rowhouse were wrapped in so much gold damask wallpaper they almost glowed.

The account quickly grew to nearly 8,000 followers, who formed a community in the comments, sharing their memories of the houses where they grew up in South Philly and beyond  and sending in listings that had caught their eye.

Its a mix of familiarity and nostalgia, Liedke said. Even if you didnt grow up here, it feels like someones grandmothers house, in a good way.

Connections were made, the kind that can make a changing neighborhood feel smaller, just as it bustles back to life, and old and new residents get to know each other again.

Like in September, when Terri Saulin, 57, an artist and owner of the No. 5 Butchie gallery, at 13th and Federal, spotted photos Liedke had posted of her childhood home at Third and Ritner, which the family had just put up for sale.

A proud longshoreman, her father, Louis Saulin, had decorated a room with harpoons and oars, until it came to look like a nautical dream cave, Terri Saulin said.

After seeing the photos of her own house, Saulin scrolled through all the others.

It made me feel really nostalgic, she said. I looked at all the other photos and thought, Oh, God, all these people lived wonderful, kooky lives in these houses. It just filled me with sweetness and love for the city and South Philly.

And the vibe stays upbeat. No one is making fun of anyones choices, even ones made 50 years ago.

Its always a million positive comments, and I think people are drawn to that, said Liedke, who in December will host a South Philly Time Capsule pop-up station at the Art Museums Pay What You Wish Family Festival. Shell have an art-making project, where guests can design their own dream house, and slideshows of some of her favorite Time Capsules.

According to Liedkes account analytics, her followers are mostly between the ages of 24 and 35, people she believes are either house hunting in the neighborhood or seeking home decor inspiration by taking notes on the past.

And its not surprising that Liedkes homage to vintage South Philly style would resonate with many new arrivals, who transform the neighborhood even as they celebrate its kitsch. The nostalgia is a big part of what drew many of them in the first place  the old touches that a gut reno simply cant replace. Its something more tangible than the South Philly tea towels and key chains on sale on Passyunk Avenue (still top sellers, mind you).

Even while it fades, the original character remains  and is celebrated.

Since the account has grown, both new and old South Philadelphians have invited Liedke to visit their homes.

On a recent night, she set out to tour two vintage basement bars. At her first stop, Anthony Bottos, 33, who runs a physical training business in Old City, and his wife, Meredith Bottos, 32, a chemical engineer, were eager to show off the bar that came with the Juniper Street home they bought two years ago.

The Bottoses  Anthony grew up at Eighth and Christian, and Meredith is originally from Austin, Texas  had fallen in love with the home and its vintage touches. Its sweeping arches, wrought-iron railings, and six-disc CD player and intercom system that runs through the home. Plus, the teal Jacuzzi tub and the cedar-lined, in-home sauna room the previous owners had installed when remodeling upstairs.

Did you know you were going to keep it? Liedke asked when she gasped at the Jacuzzi.

Yes! the couple answered.

Downstairs, the bar could have been a upscale 1970s lounge. Smoked mirrors complemented the brick and cedar-shaked wood bar stocked with vintage glassware. There was a gas fireplace and period furniture, and the couple had decorated the space with old family photos.

I love how you guys leaned into it so much, Liedke says.

Meredith Bottos, a fan of South Philly Time Capsules, had sent photos of the bar to Liedke.

It makes me really sad when people flip these houses and scrap them of all their character, Meredith Bottos said. Were just trying to lean into all the character and love the house gave us and make it feel like our own. "

At the next stop, Chelsea Campbell, 32, led Liedke and the Bottoses down the basement rowhouse she rents with friends. Entering a door in the back of the cellar, the cozy, dark-wood barroom appeared like a speakeasy from another time. And, who knows, maybe it was, said Campbell. A professional bartender, she mixed drinks and described how she had cleaned up the bar, after recently moving in, but did not know much about its backstory.

But Anthony Bottos remembered attending high school parties in the basement, when a friends family had lived in the home for a time. Soon, he was on the phone with the friend, Alyssa Canalichio, who recalled family birthday and Halloween parties in the basement bar.

Soon, Liedke raised her glass to toast new friends, old styles  and shared pasts.
A pedestrian waits to cross Spring Garden Street as cars drive south on North Broad Street on Friday, June 14, 2024. Every day we all walk the streets of Philadelphia and deserve to feel safe doing so, writes Jordan Baum. Read more

The mayors response  or lack thereof  came almost 24 hours after the wholly preventable killing of Barbara Friedes by a reckless, speeding driver while biking in the bike lane on Spruce Street.

While Mayor Cherelle L. Parker called this a tragic accident, she made no mention of her defunding of Vision Zero, an initiative explicitly meant to curb these sorts of car-driven fatalities. In the first budget passed by her administration, Vision Zero received $1 million in funding for its projects, a 60% cut from the $2.5 million received under former Mayor Jim Kenney. Instead of acknowledging this misstep and promising action, her statement deflected and touted unrelated traffic improvements.

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Mayor Parker couching Friedes death in terms of an accident implies a lack of fault, and an inability to predict and prevent such a tragedy. But governments know how to reduce and eliminate these deaths.

Obviously, the driver needs to be held accountable. But Friedes death is emblematic of a systematic problem that requires city governments ownership and initiative.

We know how to make a safe and enjoyable city environment. It boils down to prioritizing people walking and biking over the convenience of driving and parking. It requires bike lanes that treat paint as a starting point, not a finished product  lanes with physical barriers beyond flexible plastic posts, obstacles that make drivers think twice about breaking the law and render it physically impossible to run down a bicyclist or pedestrian.

I dont even like using the words bicyclist or pedestrian in this context; they are too distant. Lets get personal.

Friedes was a 30-year-old pediatric oncologist at Childrens Hospital of Philadelphia. She is one of two people killed in a 24-hour period, a third injured, by reckless drivers in Philadelphia. (A 38-year-old man, Christopher Cabrera, was struck and killed while waiting to cross the street at the corner of East Frankford and Allegheny Avenues. Over the weekend, two other pedestrians  a man, Cristian Miranda, and a toddler  were killed by drivers just hours apart from each other.)

Friedes chose to treat a most vile disease in the most innocent of people. She gave back to this city, our neighbors, in an immeasurable and heroic way. And for her service and preventable death, Parker commits to no action to prevent future tragedies.

Is this the bold vision needed to achieve a safer, cleaner, greener Philadelphia that Parker campaigned on?

Each of us might not save lives like Friedes, but our safety is just as important. You may or may not bike for leisure or to commute. But you are most definitely a pedestrian, and so are your elderly parents, children, partners, neighbors, pastors, and so on. Every day we all walk the streets of Philadelphia. Even if we spend some of our time behind the wheel, eventually we have to open the car door and pray we dont get sideswiped crossing the street.

Arent you tired of that?

Dont you want a mayor who will validate your anxiety about existing in this city, and put forth a concrete plan to make you feel safe walking or biking in it again?

Every day we all walk the streets of Philadelphia.

For all of Parkers focus on public safety through the lens of gun violence and crime, and her willingness to increase the police budget yet again, I am personally more afraid of a plateless Nissan Altima driver speeding through the city than any robber or person struggling with addiction.

Its time for Parker to step up. She must reinstate and increase Vision Zero funding, and institute traffic calming. She should look to cities such as New York and Hoboken, N.J., which are denser than Philadelphia but cut pedestrian injuries and deaths by magnitudes by following data-backed approaches like intersection daylighting, which prevents cars from illegally parking near crosswalks and intersections, improving visibility for drivers and pedestrians.

Parker should ask herself: Do you want to appear tough on crime, a mayor of law and order? Fine. Get drivers with ghost plates, tinted plates, and no plates off the road. Impound these vehicles, and suspend the privilege that is a drivers license. Flex your soft power behind closed doors while instituting explicit oversight to reverse the 91% drop in traffic citations since 1998. Make tinted and obscured plates on city employees private vehicles a fireable offense. No more Fraternal Order of Police symbols covering license plate numbers.

The mayor sets culture at the top; championing these changes would validate her as the leader shes happy to market herself as, a leader were sorely missing.

I love Philadelphia. I refuse to accept this status quo. It is our mayors job and responsibility to rise above placations and move our city forward, safely. There can be no excuses and no more preventable deaths.

Jordan Baum lives in the Olde Richmond neighborhood of Philadelphia. He works for the marketing agency Publicis, based in its Philadelphia Bourse office.
Barbara Friedes was killed when a man driving a Volkswagen hit her from behind while she was riding her bike in the bike lane on the 1800 block of Spruce Street on Wednesday night, police said. Friedes, 30, was a resident at CHOP. Read more

Im a former Philadelphia transportation official and father who bikes my 3-year-old to preschool and walks with my 11-year-old to school. So it felt both personally devastating and professionally disturbing when, in a single day, drivers took the lives of a cyclist and one pedestrian, and left another pedestrian with life-threatening injuries.

On Wednesday, Christopher Cabrera, a 38-year-old man standing behind a parked car, was killed by a driver who jumped the curb in Kensington; a 26-year-old woman was critically injured crossing an East Germantown street; and a 30-year-old medical resident, Barbara Friedes, was killed by a driver while biking in the Spruce Street bike lane.

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I wish I could say these kinds of deaths are unusual in Philadelphia. In just the first three months of 2024, 10 pedestrians were killed by drivers, accounting for more than 60% of all traffic fatalities over that period. On average, five school-age children are hit by drivers while walking each week. A map of the locations where 28 people riding bikes and 261 pedestrians have been killed by drivers since 2019 shows that there is no corner of the city that is safe.

I wish I could say these kinds of deaths are unusual in Philadelphia.

While most of these tragic and preventable deaths never received the coverage we have seen the last few days, the stories are no less poignant. Last year, Woodsen Jones, a 55-year-old man, was struck and killed while biking in a designated bike lane in Olney. His family said he was bringing breakfast home to his wife. Earlier this year, Toby Bryant, a 47-year-old father of three, was killed crossing the street on the way home from his East Mount Airy barbershop. The driver fled the scene.

Unlike gun violence or opioid overdoses, solving traffic crashes in cities is not a complex social problem. Dramatically reducing traffic crashes in cities is a matter of simple engineering and enforcement. In other cities  such as Montreal, New York, London, Hoboken, N.J., and Jersey City, N.J.  safer streets have been propelled by a clear set of values and political savvy that prioritizes the safety of people walking and biking.

 READ MORE: Pa. should expand automated speed enforcement, not the use of police radar | Opinion

Mayor Cherelle L. Parker has both clear values and political savvy, uniquely positioning her to be the leader who gets the job done in creating a safer transportation landscape for all of Philadelphia.

In many ways, Mayor Parker has a good track record when it comes to road safety, and persuading fellow elected officials to do the right thing. This was evident in her leadership launching and expanding speed cameras across the city, which have led to dramatic safety improvements. Mayor Parker has retained a strong team in the Office of Transportation and Infrastructure Systems that, with sufficient financial and political capital, could make a big difference.

Here are four ways Philadelphia could transform safety on our streets:

Repeal the 2012 law that made Philadelphia unique among American cities in requiring City Council approval for safety improvements, including bike lanes, to city streets. City Council approvals too often result in yearslong public processes, require councilmembers to make technical judgments they are not trained for, and always require street configuration changes to compete against pressing issues. All of this delays or derails safety. Boost funding for Vision Zero, the citys plan to eliminate traffic injury and death. Parkers first proposed budget allocated only $1 million to the program, a drop from the $2.5 million set aside by former Mayor Jim Kenney. (City officials say this is not a budget cut, as they have tucked spending on safety measures into other budget lines, such as speed cushions by the Streets Department.) Support the passage of Jay Alerts by the Pennsylvania legislature, which would require police to notify body shops about hit-and-run crashes that result in serious bodily injury or death, so they can look for vehicles that match the description. Support the passage of HB 1283, which would allow for the installation of protected bike lanes on state roads. Protected bike lanes have documented safety and economic benefits for cities, and as it stands, Harrisburg blocks the way in bringing these benefits to Philadelphia.

When I learned Friedes was a pediatric oncologist early in her career, I couldnt help but think how many lives would she have saved if she got to live her fullest life. I also think about Bryant, whose children have lost their father. And the wife of Jones, who was just waiting for him to return home so they could eat breakfast together.

I hope Mayor Parker will consider how many lives she could save by asserting her leadership in City Hall and Harrisburg and directing the engineers who report to her to bring order and safety to our streets.

Andrew Stober was the chief of staff of Mayor Michael Nutters Office of Transportation and Utilities.
Last weekend, a shot heard round the world whizzed just past Donald Trump.

Shooter Thomas Matthew Crooks grazed the former presidents ear, killed one spectator, and seriously injured another, and politicians and media figures rightly decried the terrifying incident, heralding it as a sea change in American politics.

In Britain, The Spectator threw dignity to the ground, declaring Today, we are all MAGA and innumerable British MPs put their own countrys political culture under the microscope, citing tales of being jostled and booed during Junes campaign trail: a tawdry spectacle of false equivalence one can only term onedownmanship.

Mostly, however, talking heads hurdled to tout the incident as not merely the defining, killer blow of the 2024 election, but quite possibly a watershed in world history.

Evan Vuccis photo of Trump raising a defiant fist to the roaring crowd was instantly ubiquitous, drawing immediate comparison with the iconic image of GIs raising the stars and stripes in Iwo Jima.

And pundits everywhere united to say aloud, as if with one clear voice: this was not merely the moment Trump became president, it was one of those moments that changes everything.

Except  it didnt, did it?

Republican presidential candidate former President Donald Trump reacts as he is surrounded by U.S. Secret Service agents at a campaign rally, Saturday, July 13, 2024, in Butler, Pa. (AP Photo/Evan Vucci)

NOT QUITE NEWS

Perhaps you felt it too, that sense that somethings come unstuck in the way the news is processed and reported. Because, for all that initial rush of coverage, and the mind-bending friction we all felt as we first saw those images coming in from Pennsylvania, it didnt seem to last very long.

Whisper it, but this  a credible attempt on the life of the frontrunner for the American presidency  very quickly bore the stale stench of something that wasnt quite news.

There was something sluggish and inert about the coverage, and soon, a dearth of any coverage at all.

Putting aside the political considerations and electoral mathematics of those first 24 hours, can anyone truly say theres been much since, not least a proper interrogation of just how close we came  micro-seconds? nanometres?  to seeing Donald Trump shot dead on live television.

Polling almost immediately confirmed this suspicion, as Trump saw a near negligible uptick in ratings.

His slender but consistent lead, cemented in the wake of Bidens disastrous debate performance and numerous gaffes since, remains practically unchanged, with moderate gains of 1% about the best recorded.

In one poll  the Morning Consult survey taken the day after the incident  Trump registered a 1% decrease from his pre-shooting tally nationwide, conjuring the notion that a statistically significant portion of voters were happy to back Trump before someone tried to shoot him, but lost interest in doing so afterward.

None of this fit the narrative, but no matter. It was quickly presumed that Trumps base would keep the story going themselves, contriving some imagined connection between the shooter and Biden, especially at the Republican National Convention in Milwaukee two days later.

There was indeed some talk of Bidens anti-Trump rhetoric being incendiary, and Trump did attempt a nebulous through-line in his keynote, saying they wanted him dead because he spoke for the American people.

It barely registered. Perhaps Republicans are just in a poor place to capitalise on any panic over gun violence, given that Democrats have repeatedly pledged to ban the AR-15 Crooks used, moves the GOP have themselves vociferously, and unilaterally, opposed.

Or maybe Trump, a historically unpopular candidate who just happens to have the good luck to be running against a man currently incapable of sentience, has simply acquired every single vote he can possibly get from the American electorate, and not even the graze of a snipers bullet can move that needle any further.

Or maybe  its something more stupid altogether.

Republican presidential candidate former President Donald Trump attends the first day of the Republican National Convention, Monday, July 15, 2024, in Milwaukee. At right is Eric Trump, (AP Photo/Evan Vucci)

ON THE VINE

The motivation behind the suspects actions is still, a week later, so inscrutable as to defy the sort of ongoing news coverage that keeps these kinds of stories alive.

There was no manifesto, statement, or political thesis anyone could find to connect him to, save a few interviews with old classmates who described him as a right-wing loner, habitually bullied; a gun nut dismissed from his schools rifle team for being a dangerously bad shot.

Crooks was, indeed, a registered Republican but had also, confusingly, donated $15 to Bidens campaign on the day of his inauguration in 2021.

To some, this odd timing suggested it was more likely the result of a lost wager than a sincere decision by an avowed conservative to finally support a liberal presidents campaign on the day he was literally sworn in to that very job.

Crooks was also, crucially, totally absent from any social media  very nearly a death sentence for the kind of follow-up reporting now ubiquitous for such stories.

And here we reach the rub.

It seems possible that this story, inarguably one of the most sensational in a decade of Trumps chaotic stranglehold of the worlds press, withered on the vine simply because all the above factors made it near impossible to keep the story alive in the public mind.

As culture journalist Ryan Broderick wrote on Wednesday, social platforms incentivize ephemeral content driven, largely, by conflict, shaped by our identities.

He cited a video by Jason Pargin on TikTok, about the similarly memory-holed 2020 Nashville RV bombings, in which Pargin concluded, while there was plenty for us to talk about, there was nothing for us to argue about.

Here there was no piecemeal information to offer in dribs and drabs, no clear political dimension to turn the story just the right type of tribal.

In the days of algorithmically, ad-driven news cycles, this may have proven fatal. No detail and no arguments means no stories and no clicks, which means no ads, no money, and no reason not to change the subject already.

By Thursday, all talk was of Bidens covid diagnosis, and more people were talking about Tenacious D sacking Kyle Gass for an off-colour joke about the shooting, than the shooting itself.

It was, undoubtedly, a shot heard round the world, but it may well have whizzed just past us all.
Not many of us can claim to have a window into the sex lives of strangers. However, for Cork therapist Donal Clifford, who specialises in problematic sexual behaviour, this is what he is presented with every day in his practice.

From sexual addiction to sexual avoidance, the psychotherapist deals with a wide range of behaviours. And he is keen to point out how remnants of old Catholic Ireland remain ingrained in our collective psyche and are putting a stranglehold on some people's sexuality.

These deep-seated feelings can be detrimental for people already experiencing fears of judgment and rejection around their sexual orientations and, according to Mr Clifford, can bring many to breaking point.

While the mental health expert supports people struggling more 'modern' conditions like pornography addictions, some of his cases read like sad tales from a bygone era.

Gay people trapped in heterosexual marriages and conforming to perceived fixed gender roles are a common feature at Mr Clifford's clinic. They serve as a reminder of a less tolerant time, the scars from which still run deep today, he told the Irish Examiner.

"Attitudes like this haven't gone away in some parts of the country," says Mr Clifford. "There are parts of Ireland  particularly in the rural areas  where people are holding on to very old-fashioned values. In certain areas the mentalities are still the same as they were several decades ago."

It might explain why some of his clients are travelling hours every week just for a session. "I have people coming to me from as far as Galway because they have nowhere else to turn," he told the Irish Examiner.

The pain for people struggling with their sexuality can often be unbearable.

"Everyone has a belief system they may not even be aware of. I have worked with people with internalised homophobia.

I've had gay men coming to me who dont like the idea of being gay and dont like gay people. They are trying to pretend they are not gay by living a straight life or not being part of the gay community.

"Some are married and others are in heterosexual relationships. It's a lot more common than you would think. It can result in a lot of anger, isolation and loneliness for people. If someone is denying a part of themselves then that part is effectively missing. When this is the case it's impossible to ever feel whole."

He said many of issues are reminiscent of an older, less tolerant Ireland.

"It's hard to understand how people could live that way but then you have to remember that many of these people have older parents and come from traditional families. We now have adults convincing themselves they are bisexual or completely shutting this part of themselves down due to shame and fear of misunderstanding and judgment.

"Catholic guilt is still 100% playing a massive part in the lives of people living in Irish society. Most of us might not attend church anymore but we continue to practise Catholicism in our acts and how we structure relationships."

Mr Clifford, who operates a private practice in Patrick's Quay in Cork City, says people are coming from afar to see him. "This is how desperate they are. It gives you a sense of what's going on. They reached breaking point a long time ago but are only now doing something about it."

He expressed concern for future generations.

We are hearing a lot about homophobic attacks. You have to keep in mind that some of the people carrying out these attacks are also raising kids, it makes you wonder what these kids are going to internalise if they turn out to be gay themselves.

"It is these environments that have the potential to bring about huge issues later in life."

And he said that couples will often do anything they can to keep the family together.

"If one of them is having an affair  even a gay affair  it might actually suit both parties in the relationship. A wife for example who no longer feels herself to be sexual in any way might be content with other aspects of the relationship where the man remains faithful such as caring for the children and running a household.

"Subconsciously she knows but she tries not to pay any attention at all. There are relationships out there where both parties see other people. If this works for both of them then it isn't a problem."

He emphasised the need to remove any shame around sex.

"So often we link the two when they shouldn't go together at all. There is often a lot of guilt with people for simply finding another human being attractive when this is just human nature. It doesn't mean we want to have an affair with this person or act on anything."

Difficulties in the bedroom can take a variety of forms which Donal deals with on a daily basis.

"Issues include vaginismus which results in a tightening of the vagina to prevent penetrative sex. There can be many reasons for this. Erectile difficulties are also common and can come about for many reasons. Exposure to pornography can often play a part in this because sex in reality won't excite the person in the same way it did before.

"Then there is sexual avoidance and sexual binge purge which involves the person having a lot of sex and then withdrawing altogether. There can be a multitude of reasons for what a person is experiencing but pinpointing the actual problem is the hardest part."

Sexual addiction is often at the centre of Donal's conversations.

Psychotherapist Donal Clifford at his practice in Cork. 'I have people coming to me from all walks of life. Sexual health is a part of every person and it's a huge part of what we do.' Picture: David Creedon

"Everyone has an erotic template and is turned on by different things. This is healthy. It's only when the sexual behaviour becomes problematic that issues start to arise. I have people coming to me from all walks of life. Sexual health is a part of every person and it's a huge part of what we do."

Donal is calling for the introduction of more education for young people around problematic sexual behaviour.

"It's a really worrying thought but I think that in 10 years time we are going to see a massive increase in sexual assaults and sexual difficulties. Because of what is happening now everyone has access to extreme sexual content with no guidance. You have to wonder about what this will mean for our children's future."
By Azernews

Nazrin Abdul

Azerbaijan's foreign policy successes have positioned it as a pivotal player in international alliances, with Israel emerging as a key partner within these frameworks. The bilateral relationship between Azerbaijan and Israel is anchored not only in economic and strategic benefits but also in deep-rooted historical and cultural ties, symbolizing a model of coexistence amidst historical challenges.

Since Israel's recognition of Azerbaijan's independence in December 1991, bilateral relations have steadily progressed. In recent years, these ties have witnessed a notable surge characterized by strengthened cooperation, increased reciprocal visits, expanded trade volumes, heightened investment flows, and the exploration of new industrial sectors for mutual engagement.

A significant milestone in bilateral diplomacy occurred on June 28-29, 2009, when Israeli President Shimon Peres undertook an official visit to Azerbaijan accompanied by three ministers and a delegation of 50 business leaders. During this visit, agreements were signed focusing on cooperation in communications, as well as in education, science, and technologya testament to the broadening scope of collaboration between the two nations.

Israel and Azerbaijan have forged significant collaborations in the defense industry sector, solidifying Israel's position as Azerbaijan's leading supplier of military equipment. According to Israeli military authorities in 2012, Azerbaijan procured defense systems totaling $1.6 billion from Israel. The latest generation drones, believed to be acquired from Israel, were notably deployed during skirmishes in April. Azerbaijan aims to further enhance its defense capabilities through technological advancements facilitated by Israel.

During Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's visit, President Ilham Aliyev publicly disclosed the extensive scale of military cooperation between the two nations for the first time. President Aliyev emphasized that Azerbaijan has benefitted from approximately $4.85 billion in military technology from Israel, underscoring Israel's pivotal role as Azerbaijan's primary supplier of advanced weaponry and high-tech solutions. The total value of signed contracts between the two countries amounts to $5 billion.

Of particular note is the contract encompassing the supply of "suicide drones," a cutting-edge technology developed in Israel. These drones utilize radio waves for precise detection and elimination of enemy positions, marking a significant advancement in Azerbaijan's military capabilities. Prior to this collaboration, Azerbaijan had not integrated such sophisticated technology into its armed forces.

Throughout the Second Garabagh War and the subsequent period of reclaiming and restoring territories, Azerbaijan has acknowledged Israel's steadfast support. This strategic partnership underscores mutual trust and the strategic alignment of interests between the two nations in regional security affairs.

Furthermore, Israel has articulated its inaugural interest in exporting natural gas to Europe through Azerbaijan using the pipeline infrastructure jointly owned by Azerbaijan and Turkiye. Prime Minister Netanyahu underscored Israel's intention to leverage the Trans-Anatolian Natural Gas Pipeline (TANAP) project for this purpose. Israel's participation in TANAP is poised to significantly enhance energy cooperation between the two nations, marking a milestone in their bilateral relations.

The collaboration between Azerbaijan and Israel in the oil and gas sector, encompassing exploration, production, and hydrocarbon transportation, holds significant strategic importance, leveraging SOCAR's established expertise in the field. Recent discussions between Azerbaijan's Energy Minister Parviz Shahbazov and a delegation led by Israel's Regional Cooperation Minister David Amsalem underscored the ongoing positive trajectory of bilateral relations. Both parties expressed satisfaction with their cooperation in the energy sector, particularly in hydrocarbons.

Moreover, discussions highlighted joint efforts in oil supply, trading of petroleum products, and infrastructure development, with a focus on future prospects. Azerbaijan's initiatives to augment its share of renewable energy within its energy mix and projects aimed at integrating these energy sources through regional green energy corridors were also deliberated. The potential for advancing cooperation in green energy and other promising sectors was examined, underscoring the pivotal role of government-private sector collaboration in these endeavors.

It is worth noting Azerbaijan's successful implementation of its economic modernization agenda. Here, Israel's contribution is pivotal, particularly in knowledge exchange across advanced technologies such as green energy, smart city initiatives, and smart village concepts. Opportunities for Israeli firms to establish operations and initiate new projects within Azerbaijan's Alat Free Economic Zone were highlighted. Additionally, exploring avenues for SOCAR's engagement in hydrogen resource exploitation in Israel remains a crucial consideration for bilateral economic ties.

Concurrently, Azerbaijan stands to benefit significantly from studying Israel's expertise in water resource management, seawater desalination, desertification mitigation, and agricultural practices suited for arid and semi-arid conditions.

Drawing on these insights, collaborative efforts with Israeli enterprises are ongoing. Notably, an Israeli company has recently established a dairy farm in Agali village, Zangilan region. Discussions also encompass projects focused on water resource management, renewable energy utilization, and rural development.

The burgeoning economic ties between Azerbaijan and Israel, underscored by robust indicators of mutual economic engagement, are noteworthy. Israel ranks among the largest purchasers of Azerbaijani oil, reflecting deep cooperation in energy, trade, infrastructure, and high technology sectors. Conversely, Azerbaijan serves as a primary oil supplier to Israel, with its share of Israeli oil imports increasing from approximately 30% two years ago to about 40% last year. Additionally, Azerbaijan exports significant volumes of oil products to Israel.

The scope of bilateral cooperation extends beyond these sectors to encompass tourism, energy, agriculture, healthcare, cybersecurity, and others. Notably, the tourism sector is experiencing growth, evident in rising numbers of Israeli tourists visiting Azerbaijan. Israeli Foreign Minister Eli Cohen highlighted this trend during discussions with the Azerbaijani President, emphasizing opportunities for further bilateral trade enhancement.

Since 1993, Azerbaijan Airlines (AZAL) has operated regular flights connecting Baku and Tel Aviv, facilitating increased connectivity between the two nations. In Azerbaijan's mobile telecommunications sector, the initial investment from Israeli company Bakcell marked a pivotal milestone, establishing the first mobile phone operator in the Azerbaijani market. The bilateral economic framework was formally established with the signing of the Agreement on the Protection and Promotion of Investments in February 2007.

Significantly, forums such as the Azerbaijan-Israel Construction Forum in July 2009 and the Azerbaijan-Israel Business Forum in June 2009 have fostered direct engagement between Israeli and Azerbaijani companies, further enhancing bilateral economic cooperation. Israeli firms, including "Binui" and "Shikun," have actively participated in infrastructure projects such as the Muganli-Yevlakh highway reconstruction, spanning 156 km.

Currently, multiple Israeli companies are operational in Azerbaijan, contributing to the steady growth of bilateral trade, which reached $4 billion in 2009. Recent data indicates a notable increase in trade turnover, surpassing half a billion US dollars during January-April 2023, marking a 33.5% rise from the previous year. Moreover, significant strides in investments were observed, exemplified by the Azerbaijan Investment Company's agreement with "OurCrowd," Israel's prominent global crowdfunding platform, in July 2022.

In February of this year, Azerbaijan's Ministry of Economy announced a $1 million investment in LARGIX, an Israeli startup specializing in industrial product development, highlighting ongoing collaborative initiatives in innovative sectors.

The multifaceted approach adopted by the Presidents of Israel and Azerbaijan to expand cooperation across emerging fields underscores the limitless potential inherent in their bilateral relations. Notably, both nations are exploring opportunities in renewable energy sources, reflecting Azerbaijan's proactive integration of renewable energy in liberated territories and Israel's commitment to sharing its expertise in this pivotal area.

In conclusion, the evolving partnership between Azerbaijan and Israel exemplifies a robust alliance built on strategic economic cooperation, mutual respect, and shared ambitions across multiple sectors. From defense industry collaboration and energy projects like TANAP to advancements in agriculture, tourism, and high technology, both nations continue to expand their bilateral relations.

The substantial growth in trade turnover and investments underscores the mutual benefits derived from these collaborations, promising a future marked by innovative solutions and sustainable development initiatives. As Azerbaijan modernizes its economy and Israel shares its technological expertise, the partnership between these two nations appears poised to further flourish, driven by a shared commitment to progress and prosperity.
We are falling behind when it comes dealing with domestic violence," according to the first migrant woman to chair the National Womens Council.

Jennifer Okeke plans to make tackling the epidemic of domestic violence sweeping the country, access to services, and more women in leadership roles her priorities. Born in Nigeria, Ms Okeke was elected as chairwoman of the NWC last month.

The mother of three has lived in Ireland for 20 years and considers herself Black Irish. A community activist, she is also the anti-trafficking co-ordinator with the Immigrant Council of Ireland and now the first woman of colour to be elected as NWC's chairwoman.

There is an epidemic of domestic violence, she told the Irish Examiner in her first interview since her election. And its not just about women, we need to create a culture where men dont believe its acceptable to be violent towards a woman.

"Some high-profile cases in recent years have again put the spotlight on this and as more women bravely come forward to speak up, we want to see more decisive actions that creates a culture of zero tolerance, where any abuse and violence is unacceptable, victims are supported, and perpetrators are held to account."

She said the NWC welcomed the decision of the DPP to appeal the sentence in the Natasha OBrien case. Soldier Cathal Crotty last month was given a three-year suspended sentence for viciously attacking Ms O'Brien. Ms Okeke said she wants to see the entire justice system adopt a more victim-centred approach.

Ms Okeke was also speaking in the wake of the recent report from Womens Aid which showed 40,048 disclosures of domestic abuse occurred against women and children in 2023. A total of 28,638 contacts were made with its national and regional support services in the same year.

The study also showed an 18% increase in disclosures of domestic abuse compared with the figures in 2022  these were the highest increase in disclosures ever received by the organisation in its 50-year history.

NWC also recently highlighted five key areas for structural investments, including childcare, housing and homelessness, feminist climate justice, healthcare and social protection.

All of the areas are important to us at NWC, for example the lack of childcare and unequal distribution of care work is a significant barrier for women to participate in all spheres of life. That is why in our Budget 2025, we are calling for a public model of childcare for every child and parent who needs it, as well as the right of people to access the support they need to live independently.

Women with disabilities accessing personal assistants or women with special needs children accessing the right support for their family are live issues.

There is a constant struggle for women in this country, whether they are studying, caring for someone, being a mother or a woman with mental health issues.

All of this struggle, all this pain and all those challenges is because they are a woman. I have seen it myself over the years, I know from my own lived experiences all these challenges that happen particularly with motherhood.

Domestic abuse and violence are not a joke for me, working in gender-based violence is not just a job for me, its an area I am passionate about, being able to support other women, because I know, one mistake, one wrong decision and your life can go down the wrong path very quickly.

This is happening to a lot of women who have the potential to do great things, just one wrong decision and everything falls apart and sometimes the women feel trapped in a toxic situation and environment. Marriage and relationships are beautiful, but there are many problems in these relationships too and when marriage becomes a thorn in your flesh then it is time to let go.

But for many women, including women of migrant background like me, they remain in such abusive situations for diverse reasons, including for example the fear that they might lose their children, and residence permits.

Jennifer Okeke's experience

Ms Okeke described the long and challenging journey she took to achieve her goals. She came to Ireland in 2004 as an asylum seeker and at the time she was pregnant and alone.

Having lived in Direct Provision, she sat an entrance exam for Travel and Tourism at Inchicore college of Further Education.

In 2004, she was not allowed to study here because she was an asylum seeker, but she managed to convince her main tutor, Elaine OReilly, to allow her on a course.

I was screaming with excitement, she said. It gave me a channel to focus, and to better myself. In that way, my daughter had a focus, and she could grow up to pursue her goals and be whatever she wanted to be in the society, education gave me something to give to her.

I sat the entrance exam with my baby in the pram, and I got in.

She was forced to rely on women in the direct provision to care for her child, however, she commends one tutor who helped her through the course.

Elaine OReilly is a woman I will never forget; she did so much to help.

However, Ms Okeke struggled with the workload and often missed lengthy periods of college due to lack of childcare. I got through it with the support of my helpful course tutors, they sent assignments home to me. But it was a very hard time in my life she continued.

After she completed her two-year course and achieved a Distinction, she applied for a degree in BSC from the University College of Birmingham and did most of the course in Ireland.

She later joined the New Communities Partnership (NCP) in her community. Peoples welfare and wellbeing meant a lot to me, and issues affecting women and children has always been an area of interest to me, she said.

She went on to secure her own place to live, got married and eventually became an Irish citizen. Many supportive friends encouraged her to go back to college because she wanted to give more to society.

She wrote about female genital mutilation for her Masters in International Relations at the School of Law and Government at Dublin City University (DCU).

National Womens Council

In 2019, Ms Okeke secured a role at the Immigrant Council and has since been appointed as anti-trafficking co-ordinator and later became a board member with the National Womens Council.

Four years later she was awarded a PhD from Dublin City University, and her research was on the experience of African migrant women trafficked into and through Ireland for sexual exploitation.

The struggle was real, she said, but I was blessed to have met amazing women along my journey who supported me. This is why I am always looking for opportunities to give back, especially to the younger generation, I really want to help bring about positive changes.

She said her new role will give her more opportunity to focus on the needs of women. We have been fighting for our (womens) rights, but we are not there yet, she said.

Natasha OBrien, the victim of a serious assault by serving soldier, Cathal Crotty, at a protest outside the Dail in Leinster House, in support of Ms O'Brien. Picture: Sasko Lazarov/Rolling News

The National Womens Council is hoping to push the issues of womens equality in party manifestos. While we have celebrated some important milestones for womens right over the decade, we are also very concerned about the rise of the far-right.

"We are also concerned about the increased racism. In particular, migrant women and ethnic minority women can face double discrimination of racism and misogyny.

Even when you look at the issue of women in leadership, there is not enough of us there, she said. "We need to see more and diverse kinds of women in leadership positions.

She believes background will help inform her fight to have more female voices heard in positions of power. We need more seats for women at the table where decisions are being made by women who understand the issues," she says.

We want the government to help steer Ireland towards gender equality, and thats a big issue for us at the NWC in the upcoming general election and also for the next budget. We will use it as an important opportunity to put a strong focus on womens equality in party manifestos.
Services began to come back online on Friday evening after an IT failure that wreaked havoc worldwide.

But full recovery could take weeks, experts have said, after airports, healthcare services and businesses were hit by the largest outage in history.

Flights and hospital appointments were cancelled, payroll systems seized up and TV channels went off air after a botched software upgrade hit Microsofts Windows operating system.

It came from the US cybersecurity company CrowdStrike, and left workers facing a blue screen of death as their computers failed to start. Experts said every affected PC may have to be fixed manually, but as of Friday night some services started to recover.

Passengers queue at Gatwick Airport amid Fridays' global IT outage. Picture: Jack Taylor/Getty Images

As recovery continues, experts say the outage underscored concerns that many organizations are not well prepared to implement contingency plans when a single point of failure such as an IT system, or a piece of software within it, goes down. But these outages will happen again, experts say, until more contingencies are built into networks and organizations introduce better back-ups.

A Microsoft spokesperson said on Friday: Were aware of an issue affecting Windows devices due to an update from a third-party software platform. We anticipate a resolution is forthcoming.

Texas-based CrowdStrike confirmed the outage was due to a software update from one of its products and was not caused by a cyber-attack.

Its founder and chief executive, George Kurtz, said he was deeply sorry for the impact that weve caused to customers, adding there had been a negative interaction between the update and Microsofts operating system.

CrowdStrikes stock price fell dramatically over the course of the day, dropping by as much as 13% at some points in trading.

Elon Musk, owner of Tesla, said the outage caused a seizure to the automotive supply chain while banks in Kenya and Ukraine reported issues with their digital services, and supermarkets in Australia had problems with payments.

Microsoft is investigating the cause of the outsge which is suspected to be linked to a third-party software platform. Picture: Sam Boal/ RollingNews.ie

According to the service status monitoring website Downdetector, users in the UK were reporting issues with the services of Visa, BT, big supermarket chains, banks, online gaming platforms and media outlets.

The Sky News and CBBC channels were also temporarily off-air in the UK before resuming broadcasting, while Australias ABC was also affected.

In financial services, Metro Bank reported problems with its phone lines in the UK and Santander said card payments may be affected.

Monzo said some customers were reporting issues, while some bankers at JP Morgan were unable to log on to their systems and the London Stock Exchange said there were problems with its news service.

Troy Hunt, a leading cybersecurity consultant, said the scale of the IT failure was unprecedented.

I dont think its too early to call it: this will be the largest IT outage in history, he tweeted.

This is basically what we were all worried about with Y2K, except its actually happened this time, he added, referring to the millennium bug that worried IT experts in the run-up to 2000  but ultimately did not cause serious damage.

The UKs chartered institute for IT, the BCS, said it could take days and weeks for systems to recover, although some fixes will be easier to implement.

In some cases, the fix may be applied very quickly, said Adam Leon Smith, a BCS fellow. But if computers have reacted in a way that means theyre getting into blue screens and endless loops it may be difficult to restore and that could take days and weeks.

Organisations with thousands of PCs distributed in different locations face a tougher task, he added.

Its just sheer numbers. For some organisations it could certainly take weeks, he said.

Many businesses were left unable to take card payments as a result of the outage. Picture: PA

From Amsterdam to Zurich, Singapore to Hong Kong, airport operators flagged technical issues that were disrupting their services. While some airports halted all flights, in others airline staff had to check-in passengers manually.

Among the companies affected on Friday was Ryanair, Europes largest airline, which said on its website: Potential disruptions across the network due to a global third-party system outage  We advise passengers to arrive at the airport three hours in advance of their flight to avoid any disruptions.

Heathrow, Europes biggest airport, said it was working hard to get passengers on their way.

In the US, flights were grounded owing to communications problems that appear to be linked to the outage. American Airlines, Delta and United Airlines were among the carriers affected.

Berlin airport temporarily halted all flights on Friday. The aviation analytics company Cirium said 5,078 flights  4.6% of those scheduled  were cancelled globally on Friday, including 167 UK departures and 171 arrivals.

Queues and blank screens at airports as Microsoft IT outage disrupts travel  video GP practices in the UK said they were unable to access patient records or book appointments. Surgeries reported on social media that they could not access the EMIS Web system.

Reports from the Netherlands also suggested there may be problems within the health service.

The Israeli health ministry said the global malfunction had affected 16 hospitals, while in Germany the Schleswig-Holstein university hospital in the north of the country said it had cancelled all planned operations in Kiel and Lubeck.

Ted Wheeler, the mayor of Portland, Oregon, issued an emergency declaration stating that certain essential city services including emergency communications were affected by the outage.

The University of Surreys Professor Alan Woodward said the outage was caused by an IT product called CrowdStrike Falcon which monitors the security of large networks of PCs and downloads a piece of monitoring software to every machine.

However, Ciaran Martin, the former chief executive of the UK's National Cyber Security Centre, said that unlike adversarial cyber-attacks, this problem had already been identified and a solution had been flagged.

The recovery is not about getting on top of the situation but getting back up. I think its unlikely to be very newsworthy in terms of ongoing disruption this time next week, he said.

The problems for businesses in the US were also compounded by problems with Microsofts Azure cloud computing business that occurred on Thursday.

- The Guardian
The Garda Representative Association has hit out at garda management claiming that some of their members are not equipped to deal with riot situations.

Niall Hodgins, vice president of the Garda Representative Association, was speaking after three members of the force were injured in protests in Coolock last night at a disused factory in Coolock earmarked to house asylum seekers.

The violent protests followed a week of unrest at the site which began last Monday. The Public Order Unit was deployed after a fire broke out at the site and a way had to be cleared to allow Dublin Fire Brigade access to the site.

Speaking to reporters earlier, Niall Hodgkins said there were equipment deficiencies when it came to uniformed members policing such events.

There is a myriad of reasons why I believe they are not equipped, and one would be the equipment deficiencies in respect of equipment that they lack going to these scenes."

Training issues

I would suggest a training issue as well. I know many years ago every single garda would have left Templemore (training college) with foundation training in respect of dealing with these riotous situations.

He said that he has been receiving complaints from his colleagues about a lack of protective equipment while attending the scene of a protest.

Linked with last Mondays events, all during the week, colleagues were talking to me, about construction workers not allowed on to that site without a hard hat he said.

The fact that the security man, who was injured was being dealt with by ambulance personnel who were wearing hard hats, Dublin fire brigade were present on site wearing hard hats.

Yet the men and women of an Garda Siochana that I represent were sent out on the front line there, with soft hats, with rocks, missiles, fireworks raining down on top of their heads, with no hard hats and it's incredulous that someone somewhere made a decision not to issue gardai leaving Templemore with riot helmets.

He also added that they sought a meeting with the Garda Commissioner Drew Harris to air those concerns.

The garda commissioner deflected concerns that we had with the guards to the late deployment of the public order unit last Monday he said.

Now we have sought a meeting with the garda commissioner and are waiting to meet him to address those concerns that we have said to him.

So, I understand that he should be afforded an opportunity to meet us, and well see what his reply is there.

Again, Im back to the whole issue of equipment deficiencies.

He was critical about the lack of resources and recruitment and tentation issues around the gardai."

In a statement, An Garda Siochana said: "All three Gardai who received injuries are recovering and a full array of welfare supports has been made available to them."
A 20-year-old motorist who was caught driving without insurance at a time when she was banned from driving from previous offences of a similar nature was sentenced to four months in prison.

Judge John King imposed the sentence on Chelsea Thomas of Watergrasshill, Cork, at Cork District Court.
One man has been arrested and three members of An Garda Siochana were injured - with one hospitalised - following unrest at a disused factory in Dublin earmarked for international protection applicants (IPAs).

A fire broke out the former Crown Paints factory on Malahide Road in Coolock on Friday night following a protest earlier in the day against the use of the building to house around 500 IPAs.

It is the third fire at the premises this week. On Monday, a JCB was set alight in the wake of a protest, while a fire was also lit in the reception area of a building at the site on Thursday night.

Dublin Fire Brigade personnel attended the scene of Friday's fire, and were quickly able to quickly bring it under control.

The garda public order unit also attended the scene on Friday, and gardai say rocks, concrete bricks and other items were thrown at some officers present.

The old Crown Paint factory in Coolock had been earmarked to house international protection applicants. Picture: Colin Keegan/ Collins Dublin

As this intensified, a garda spokesperson said gardai were then required "to use force to defend themselves while continuing to adopt a graduated approach to policing, with enforcement as a last resort. This use of force involved the use of incapacitant spray and the ASP baton".

A man in his 20s was arrested and brought to a Garda Station in Dublin for public order offences.

He has since been released without charge and gardai say investigations are ongoing.

Three members of An Garda Siochana were injured in the disturbances, one of whom was transferred to hospital late on Friday night for treatment.

He remains in hospital for observation after being hit on the head with a rock during the protest. He is understood to be doing well but may have suffered a concussion.

The uniformed Garda was stationed behind a line formed by the Public Order unit when he was struck. A rock thrown from the crowd went over the heads of the public order unit - who were all dressed in protective uniforms - and hit a Garda in the forehead.

All three gardai who received injuries are recovering and a full array of welfare supports has been made available to them.

The Irish Examiner observed as up to 18 objects including rocks and glass bottles were thrown at the Public Order Unit while they were stationed near the Cadburys Chocolate factory.

The roads had to be closed to let two units of the fire brigade in to tackle the blaze.

One rock thrown from the crowd went over their heads of the public order unit - who are all dressed in protective uniforms - and hit a Garda in the forehead.

He was taken to hospital for observation and is understood to be doing well but may have suffered concussion.

Two other gardai were injured during the violence and one person was arrested.

A four hour stand off took place following a protest attended by up to 600 people.

The demonstration is in response to the proposed housing of up to 500 international protection applicants in the area.

Earlier on Friday evening, a rally attended by hundreds of people at the entrance of the warehouse heard from local councillors and representatives from the area.

Dozens of families, including young children then marched to the nearby Coolock garda station.

In a statement, An Garda Siochana said it was aware of "a significant degree of disinformation and inaccuracy" regarding events at the former Crown Paints factory.

A garda spokesperson advised people to "independently verify any of this information shared online via social media and/or through messaging apps".

"Investigations into this and other related incidents are ongoing," the spokesperson added.
In the past week, a gunman has fired at Donald Trump, killing a firefighter and injuring two others at a campaign rally in Pennsylvania.

The Republicans have held their national convention in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. JD Vance, who threatened Dublin last December with a rupture in US-Ireland relations, is the vice presidential nominee. Mr Trump and his ear bandage have addressed the faithful, and yet we are at the same place where we sat last weekend.

Will president Joe Biden stand aside soon to ensure that Mr Trump does not return legally to the White House in January?

Americas party conventions are always spectacles. This weeks Republican get-together was reinforced by the darker show of the assassination attempt and Trumps immediate response to Fight! Fight! Fight!

That ensured the Republican Party  more accurately, the Trump Party would be untroubled by any discussion, policies, or the critical issues facing the US.

But the Trump camp had a problem

Their candidates aggressive reaction to the shooting threatened to alienate the voters who will decide Novembers election not only for the presidency for control of Congress.

So the spinners told journalists on Monday that the theme of the convention and a changed Trump would be  unity.

The bombast and insults would be replaced by a chastened candidate, touched by the hand of God, who would represent all Americans.

Mr Vance played his part. He would not appear as the politician who said Islamists now run Britain and control its nuclear weapons, who blamed childless women for US decline, who champions the working class but has a 0% voting record on issues affecting the working class, and who is opposed to abortion in all cases  including rape and incest.

Buried was the man who, in 2016, said Mr Trump was a moron and Americas Hitler, exploiting the problems and concerns of Americans.

Republican vice presidential candidate JD Vance stands on stage after speaking at the third day of the Republican National Convention in Milwaukee. Picture: Evan Vucci/AP

Instead, Mr Vance played up his Hillbilly Elegy personal narrative, hailing God and family and bringing his recovered-addict mother onstage. JD's mom! chanted the faithful.

For 15 minutes, Mr Trump stuck to the script, narrating his near-death experience last Saturday.

However, for the next 77, he returned to his rambling default position: Declaring the 2020 election was stolen from him, assailing the US justice department and the legal system, insulting politicians, and pushing false claim after false claim about migrants and asylum seekers, drugs and crime, the economy and taxes, and foreign affairs.

This was standard Donald Trump but, because he was at a lower volume and because he went on so long, the performance felt a bit flat.

Even the big finish, with Melania alongside him  because no one wants to recall 34 felony convictions over a payoff to a porn star, or an $85m payout for sexual abuse and defamation of a New York City writer  was far from climactic.

So what of Mr Biden? By yesterday morning, less than six hours after Mr Trumps speech, the news cycle had jumped to the embattled president.

Had the shooting not occurred, the pressure from Democratic politicians, donors, strategists, and activists might have been conclusive

Now Mr Bidens circle seized upon the event to project their own version of unity, emphasising that you cannot remove your candidate when he is the one leading that display.

The firewall held for 72 hours. However, on Wednesday, the dissents resurfaced. Prominent Democratic representative Adam Schiff called for Mr Biden to step aside. So did political strategist David Axelrod, who is close to Barack and Michelle Obama.

Even more important were the leaks. The media was left in no doubt that current House speaker Hakeem Jeffries, his predecessor Nancy Pelosi, and senate majority leader Chuck Schumer had all told the president that he could not overcome the polls and the medias narrative .

By the afternoon, Sidney Blumenthal, the senior advisor to both Bill and Hillary Clinton, was appealing to Mr Biden to withdraw.

Then, through Thursdays Washington Post, came the signal in the political sky: Barack Obama was telling confidants that president Bidens path to victory has greatly diminished, and he thinks the president needs to seriously consider the viability of his candidacy.

President Joe Biden is likely to be away from the campaign trial for several days after he contracted covid-19 in Las Vegas. Picture: Erin Schaff/The New York Times via AP

Meanwhile, it was announced that Mr Biden  having stumbled through an appearance in Las Vegas  had contracted a mild case of covid and was returning to his home in Delaware.

At the very least, he will be off the campaign trail  if not out of the searchlights  for several days.

This now appears to be when, not if, the president will be replaced for November. Whether or not covid is cited, he can go before the US nation and hail  rightly  the most significant domestic achievements of an administration since the 1960s.

He can restate Mr Trumps threat to democracy, but say that he will 'pass the torch' to a younger colleague to guard the White House

That colleague is likely, if not certain, to be vice president Kamala Harris. While she is publicly behind Mr Biden staying in the race, she is doing this through a series of high-profile speeches to elevate her stature and, belatedly, her place in the administrations accomplishments.

For while the Democrats have the luxury of talent  governors Whitmer of Michigan, Shapiro of Pennsylvania, and Newsom of California, as well as Cabinet members like Pete Buttigieg and Gina Raimundo come to mind  they do not have the luxury of time.

The new candidate has to be estimated before the Democratic National Convention opens on August 19, not during it, to avoid any messy, divisive process and to establish the nominees character, policies, and ability to knock back Mr Trumps daily invective and lies.

Otherwise, come January, the man with the bandaged ear can drop the pretence of unity, pursuing his vendettas from behind the desk in the Oval Office.
Frank Kramer is an old friend of mine. I dont see him very often unless I visit him in Boston, where he moved to during the summer of 1980, when he was 22 years old.

He left here with Rosie, his girlfriend who was pregnant at the time, and together they started a new life in the Bay State where the Irish were always extended a warm welcome.

Like so many others, they emigrated and never returned  not for weddings or birthdays, not even for the funerals of their parents.

They couldnt because they were undocumented  illegal aliens, as they came to be known in songs that lamented the plight of the emigrant.

Frank left school when he was 15 and started an apprenticeship as a carpenter.

Good with his hands, as he used to say, but not with his grades.

Back in the 80s, there was no shortage of work in Massachusetts for a young man who was handy with a claw hammer and a circular saw, who knew how to hoist timber and bricks up a high scaffold.

Brookline, Lexington, and Salem was where Frank earned his crust six days a week.

They were offered a room in Dorchester, hugely popular back then with Irish Americans, and were made to feel at home by the locals.

On a first-night stroll around their new neighbourhood, Frank was offered full-time work within an hour of walking through the door of an Irish pub.

Barely days before, he had no hope of getting any work here; now he would be earning more money than he could ever have dreamed of.

Two years after their baby daughter was born, Frank quit full-time construction because he was often away from Rosie for days, and he took a job in the Irish pub close to where they lived.

Some nights he would end up in the cellar because word had quickly spread that an off-duty immigration officer was sitting at the bar having a drink.

Such occasions were rare. Back then, Boston was regarded as safe for undocumented Irish immigrants, considering many of the cops were first- or second-generation Irish, and there was also a sense of the importance of looking out for your own.

Even Democratic politicians like Senator Ted Kennedy and Tip ONeill, as Frank says, gave the Irish living in Boston a sense of security.

It was our home now, he told me years ago, in a Boston accent he claimed he picked up from his daughters.

These guys knew what the struggle was like to find your feet, so you felt they were on your side

For decades, successive governments took a more lenient approach towards the undocumented Irish. They mostly left them alone, unless they engaged in crime.

Then it was game up. You didnt want to tempt fate by swimming out of your depth in any way, and ending up being questioned by the Feds.

For two years after they arrived, they became used to a life of cash  no bank accounts until they got to know people they could trust.

They had always dreamt of owning their own place, even just a small apartment, but applying for a home loan was foolhardy.

Even friends who visited them over the years had to make their own way from Logan to Dorchester.

Frank never went near the airport because of the risks. All in all, it was a good life; but so much has changed, and not for the better.

Theres a sadness at the heart of his life now that he cant shift.

Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump reacts as he is surrounded by US Secret Service after being shot in Butler, Pennsylvania, last week. File picture: Evan Vucci/AP

Rosie died of cancer 12 years ago. Frank still lives in Dorchester and will be 67 shortly, a proud grandad.

Up until 2016, he had been able to comfortably forget about watching over his shoulder, about the fear of arrest and deportation.

He thought his age and his time in the States would be his ace card. That all changed when Trump became president.

Franks favourite topics of interest are Irish emigration and the Famine, and the history of the American civil war.

Abraham Lincoln was the greatest president this country has ever known, he tells me confidently.

He saved democracy. Trump has reduced the office to a level of delinquency I never thought possible.

I asked Frank during a phone call on Wednesday how he had reacted to the assassination attempt on Trump.

Im not surprised. Madness begets madness. Hysteria is infectious.

Trump drives many of his supporters into a state of anger that borders on insanity.

Why a kid whos a registered member of the Republican party takes aim through the lense of an AR-15 rifle at a former Republican president seems a bit weird, until you remind yourself that madness attracts madness.

For a man who never sat an exam, the walls of the comfortable well-lived-in home overlooking Dorchester Park that he shares with one of his daughters and her young family house more books than a mobile library.

Boston has changed. Theres not a lot left of little Ireland, as it was known when we moved here in 1980.

Even then, the support for the Democrats was slipping. Reagan was a very persuasive president, and eight years was a long time in the White House.

Many dyed-in-the-wool Democrat supporters crossed over and never came back.

Fears of a Trump election success

So what if Trump is re-elected in November?

What does that mean for an undocumented Irishman like Frank Kramer who has paid his taxes from the day he started work there, and has given so much to his local community where he has lived for over twice the number of years he lived in Ireland?

His greatest fear is that Trump will be re-elected, and that he could be arrested and deported back to an Ireland he hasnt set foot in since he boarded a 747 in 1980.

Everyone is telling me his re-election is a dead cert because of what happened in Butler.

My gut is it would have happened anyway.

Bigger problem for America now is that hes been elevated to a messianic status of infallibility.

Hes more lethal in ways we cant predict. Weve crossed the Rubicon.

Whats most worrying is that people are being drawn to him by the prospect of all the crazy stuff hes capable of doing if he gets back in.

On the campaign trail in 2016, Trump stated that he would deport all undocumented migrants living in the US  around 13m residents, including an estimated 50,000 Irish.

I asked Frank if such a prospect worries him.

Well he did call undocumented migrants without criminal records terrific people, so maybe Ill get to stay because Im a terrific person, he says with a gruff laugh.

My biggest fear is for my daughters and my grandkids if this dictator gets his hands on the job again.

Their homes are safe, theyre US citizens, but their lives? Im not so sure. I worry about them.

What also worries me is how his supporters see him as some sort of champion revisionist.

Hes nothing more than a ringleader, a klaxon, more spurious than anyone Ive ever witnessed.

More I think about it, more I wonder why anyone would want to move to America.

All I want is a peaceful life, but those days are definitely gone. Maybe I should just pack up and go back.
After yet another deadly airstrike on Rafah in late May, an AI-generated image circulating on Instagram aimed to generate global solidarity for Palestinians in Gaza.

All Eyes on Rafah was the slogan, the image a rather sanitised version of a dystopian reality for those living and dying there. Shared on social media over 50 million times, its creation was prompted by an Israeli airstrike that killed over 50 people in the middle of the night.

All Eyes On Rafah: The AI-generated image was a tad tokenistic, but certainly better than nothing. Source: Instagram

Sickening footage emerged of a tent city accommodating displaced Palestinians set alight as people slept, dismembered bodies pulled from the inferno. The most shocking evidence of the genocidal act was a video of a man carrying the body of a decapitated child.

It seemed then to be the darkest hour of what has been a nine-month descent into hell for the people of Gaza. All Eyes on Rafah became a call to action for every person horrified by the they saw.

Well intentioned, it allowed people around the world to show their support with Palestinians in a benevolent, if manicured and sadly contrived way. No expression of an opinion or side-taking was necessary, just a simple click of a button.

A like. A share. A repost. As expressions of solidarity went, it was a tad tokenistic, but certainly better than nothing.

Rafah, as a place and a state of mind, became a byword for genocide and slaughter, looming large in our collective consciousness, before, like the lives of those the Israeli bombs erased, it quickly disappeared.

The Tel al-Sultan massacre just another footnote in a genocide we have all come to accept is nowhere near complete.

This combination of satellite images released by Maxar Technologies shows the before and after views, on May 26, 2024, top, and May 29, 2024, bottom, of southern Gaza and Rafah that spotlight the aftermath of an airstrike near the large tent camp and a UN Relief and Works Agency (UNRWA) facility. Photo: Maxar Technologies via AP

Rafah, a coastal city at the southernmost part of the Gaza Strip on the border with Egypt, saw its population swell exponentially since October 7 as Israel repeatedly ordered Gazans to relocate there under the sadistically false impression they would be safe.

Tent cities accommodating tens of thousands of displaced Palestinians appeared literally overnight, the emergency response of the United Nations and associated NGOs.

Many commentators speculated that the Israeli Government saw Rafah as nothing more than a brief stop on a journey of mass displacement for the Palestinian people, one that would ultimately see them forcibly exiled across the border to the Sinai in Egypt.

When it became clear Egypt would forcibly resist any such move, the IDF focused their military might on the very place they ordered a tormented population into fleeing to for safety. The Rafah offensive began on May 6. It continues today.

There is another side to Rafah  quite literally, and that, too, has become sadly forgotten. Up until the Israeli Defence Forces (IDF) seized it on May 7, the Rafah Crossing into Egypt was the only meaningful vein pumping blood into a Gaza starved of oxygen.

Food, aid, and medical supplies  all tightly controlled by Israel  were all routed through Rafah in a process that was as deliberately restrictive as it was essential.

It was bureaucracy weaponised to cause maximum harm an official from the International Federation for the Red Crescent and Red Cross (IFRC) told me in Cairo.

Displaced Palestinians arrive in Khan Yunis on May 7, 2024, following an evacuation order by the Israeli army. Photo: ActivAid

The list of what medical supplies and equipment changed every day, so we could not plan. If one box of surgical gloves was green, for example, they might refuse it because it was a military colour. Instead of sending the gloves back, they would refuse the entire shipment.

The Coordinator of Government Activities in the Territories (COGAT), the Israeli government agency in charge of facilitating what came in and out at Rafah, would supply lists of what was acceptable and what was not.

We were so careful with what they wanted, we regularly overcompensated, the IFRC official said, still, on any given day, they could find a problem with one small thing, and deny everything.

Food and medical supplies were not the only thing transiting through Rafah. There were people, too.

Long before they closed the crossing, we supplied them with a list of 9,000 patients in Gaza in need of medical treatment that we meticulously identified in co-ordination with the agencies on the ground there.

"The idea was to bring them here in Egypt and treat them. We prioritised women and children, of course. We gave them the list. We got assurances.

What happened?

Nothing. No explanation, nothing.

Where are these people now?

We have no idea. Many of them are probably dead.

Smoke rises following an Israeli airstrike in Rafah on May 30, 2024. Photo: AP/Abdel Kareem Hana

The worst part is this. The equipment is here. The food is here. The ability and manpower to go into and establish an effective medical and humanitarian intervention is all here. We have warehouses full of essential equipment. There are field hospitals that could be established in hours. Hospital ships from many countries that could dock today. It is all ready. We have a plan.

By closing Rafah, they are stopping it all.

Israel will argue that it is not them that closed the crossing, but Egypt.

The Egyptian response to that is that they were forced to after the IDF violently seized control of the crossing. Either way, for over two months now, nothing has gone in or out from Rafah.

From a logistical standpoint, the consequences are potentially staggering. Tens of thousands of tons of humanitarian aid, food, medical supplies lie untouched in containers, potentially expiring and rotting in extreme Egyptian heat.

The will is there, the ability to administer it, deprived by Israel. Meanwhile, the corpses rot on the side of the road.

Rafahs closure is also a victory for Israel's strategic info and psychological warfare. While it remained open, albeit under their malevolent jurisdiction, the Egyptian side of the crossing served as a totem of their brutal tactic of coercive control of the entry and exit of everything.

UN agency heads, MEPs, European leaders such as our own Tanaiste, humanitarian activists  all of them used Rafah as a pulpit to shout for intervention  whether it was a ceasefire or improved access for aid.

That, and the staggering visual of mile after mile of aid trucks stuck on the Egyptian side (on May 26, the Norwegian refugee council said as many as 2,000 aid trucks were stuck on the Egyptian side of the Rafah border crossing), served as both a photo-op and actual evidence that had the ability to shock the world, and assert pressure on the Israeli and US governments to allow aid in and people out as more Palestinians were killed, and starvation arrived with the stifling summer heat.

Displaced Palestinians in Khan Yunis on May 6, 2024, following an evacuation order by the Israeli army. Photo: ActivAid

Instead, Rafah now is just another afterthought of an unprecedented humanitarian crisis. The aid that was barely trickling through before May has slowed to a sporadic drip from the only remaining open crossing at Kerem Shalom.

Hospitals are closing due to lack of supplies and the inability to rotate personnel to run them. Food and clean water is scarcer than before. Sanitation a forgotten luxury. A single cigarette can cost up to $50 on the street.

By seizing Rafah, Israel has once again diverted the eyes of the world from the one place we could freely judge Netanyahu's genocidal policies for ourselves. No queues of trucks.

No despairing voices appealing for an intervention. Just food, medicine, and lifesaving supplies, rotting in the summer heat.
Simon Harris didnt bite.

Asked in the baking sun in front of Blenheim Palace, Oxfordshire, England, if a second Trump presidency would worry him, the Taoiseach was too level to create any headlines  saying that he wouldnt get involved in US politics and didnt think wed take well to a US politician doing the same here.

Ireland will, Mr Harris said, get to work with whomever prevails in Americas election in November.

The only problem with that level-headedness is that it is not being reciprocated across the water, as Donald Trumps prospective vice-president, JD Vance, has already happily inserted himself into Irish politics.

In December, Mr Vance released a press release in which he revealed he had written to the Irish ambassador to the US, Geraldine Byrne Nason, to slam a proposed hate speech law as authoritarian legislation pending in the Irish parliament that would severely undermine freedom of speech in the country.

Mr Vance, the self-proclaimed Scots-Irish hillbilly at heart, wasnt done there.

He showed his bona fides on Irish history by quoting none other than Dev

Given that President de Valera himself was imprisoned for sedition in 1918, I urge your Government to consider the impact of this legislation on Irelands proud tradition of free speech, Mr Vance said.

He said the proposals would criminalise speech that causes too much discomfort for people and that there are only two genders.

Mr Vance, a best-selling author turned senator who once told a friend that Mr Trump could be Americas Hitler, said that the US routinely condemns similar censorious conduct from China, Myanmar, or Iran.

Mr Vance then directed readers of the press release to The Daily Signal, a website owned by the conservative think tank The Heritage Foundation, which had published the press release as an exclusive and said the proposed laws would undermine Irish citizens freedom of speech.

The hate speech law itself was not on the agenda as the Dail went on recess last week and whether or not it returns to the Oireachtas in the autumn is anyones guess, but it has become an online talking point latched onto by those on the the right as evidence of a Government overreach.

Mr Vance, who appears to have gone all-in on the online culture wars, is just one of many American figures who had their say on the law  which has been criticised from all sides here.

That a second Trump presidency looks likely at this point is not something that is causing all out panic in Dublin, but there is an acknowledgement that it has been easier to work with Joe Bidens administration than Trumps.

Part of that is down to Mr Bidens well-publicised gra for the country, but much of it is down to the fact that Mr Biden has been predictable and steady since assuming office in 2021.

What a second term of the mercurial Mr Trump looks like is anyones guess, with many of the supposed brakes of his first four years thrown off.

He has pledged to cut the US tax rate to 15% and carry out mass deportations of undocumented immigrants, which could impact Irish businesses and people, but the major question around both Mr Trump and Mr Vance is their stance on the war in Ukraine. In Brussels, they have been preparing as best they can for a second Trump presidency for some time.

Donald Trump signs paperwork to officially accept the nomination during the final day of the Republican National Convention at the Fiserv Forum in Milwaukee, joined by his wife Melania. Picture: Evan Vucci/AP

A Politico report in January suggested that Mr Trump had told the EU he would not step in if Europe came under attack.

In March, a senior EU official said that Mr Trumps lack of predictability made planning for his re-election in November difficult.

The official added that, while planning is underway for Mr Trump to beat incumbent Joe Biden in Novembers US election, much of it is mental preparation.

How can you prepare for that which is unpredictable? You plan for unpredictability, the official said.

On top of that, US president Joe Biden is under increasing pressure to drop out of the race altogether, with every day seeming to bring a new question about his mental competence.

Over the last decade, Ireland has sometimes felt almost sane with the tumult of each of our neighbours on both coasts.

With the spectre of a US vice-president who happily reads back former Irish presidents to our ambassador, Ireland could be forgiven for praying for bland pragmatism off its east coast.

Enter Keir Starmer.

The Labour leader managed an emphatic electoral win, despite picking up fewer votes than his predecessor Jeremy Corbyn in the British election two weeks ago.

There is no wave of Starmer-mania in England but, on the Irish side, there are some big fans

Mr Starmers bona fides on Ireland are well-established. He served as a human rights adviser to the Northern Ireland Policing Board, honeymooned in the North, and has an affection for Donegal.

So when he invited Mr Harris to London this week, it was no great surprise  even if the Anglo-Irish relationship hasnt seemed to be top of the agenda in Downing St for the guts of a decade.

However, Mr Starmer is all about resetting the relationship and about a new chapter.

In that spirit, Mr Starmer brought Mr Harris to his country home of Chequers in the Chilterns countryside, with the Taoiseach stopping into the local Russell Arms pub for a few minutes to await his host who had earlier that day seen parliament opened by Britains King Charles III.

That the meeting took place in Chequers meant that the assorted media spent much of the time raising phones to the air in a vain search for data reception, in a largely futile bid to file copy and video.

Here, in the country retreat of a world leader, a cadre of hacks was dispatched back to the Russell Arms, where staff advised that the best reception was out at the former phone box turned defibrillator.

That advice was later contradicted by another member of staff, who said that the adjacent stop sign was, in fact, the sweet spot.

After the meeting, Mr Harris practically bounded out to the returning press pack and was effusive in his praise of Mr Starmer.

However, he was keen to hammer home the practicalities of meeting.

The holders of his and Mr Starmers offices will host a summit every year that will agree a programme of work.

Sensible, pragmatic, and simple. A breath of fresh if somewhat dull air.

Ireland is a rock in the middle of the Atlantic that for many years has been affected by the tumult of the two nations with which it is most culturally close.

For the next few months, that tumult will be at a low ebb in terms of governance as boring practicality wins out.

However, it remaining that way seems unlikely.
An intensification of fighting in Myanmars civil war has brought a sharp increase in destructive attacks on schools, a report has found.

Myanmar Witness, which monitors armed conflict in the south-east Asian nation, said the attacks have further strained Myanmars already fractured school system, taking away education for millions of children who have also been forced to flee their homes, miss vaccinations and suffer from inadequate nutrition.

The group, a project of the UK-based Centre for Information Resilience, identified a total of 174 attacks on Myanmar schools and universities since the military seized power from the elected government of Aung San Suu Kyi three years ago.

It said the count came from evidence in social media and news reports.

Other groups have suggested higher numbers of attacks.

The Global Coalition to Protect Education from Attack, an advocacy group based in New York, counted more than 245 reports of attacks on schools and 190 reports of military use of educational facilities in 2022-23.

The 2021 military takeover was met with widespread non-violent demonstrations for democracy, but those were crushed with lethal force.

An intensification of fighting in Myanmars civil war has brought a sharp increase in destructive attacks on schools, a monitoring group reported (AP)

Many opponents of military rule then took up arms, and large parts of the country are now embroiled in conflict. The military government is estimated to control less than half the country.

Matt Lawrence, project director at Myanmar Witness, said: Education underpinned the democratic movement in Myanmar, but today Myanmars youth are witnessing their schools  and life opportunities  reduced to rubble.

If education is not protected throughout Myanmar, the next generations view of the world risks being driven by factionalism and war, rather than hope and reason.

Student enrolment in Myanmar dropped 80% from the beginning of the Covid-19 pandemic in 2020 through until 2022, a year after the armys takeover, according to the humanitarian group Save the Children.

By mid-2022, about half the countrys children, or 7.8 million, were not attending schools, it said.

Myanmar Witness said it documented reports of 64 fatalities and 106 injuries associated with the 176 attacks on schools, though most could not be verified.

Myanmars shadow National Unity Government, which leads the pro-democracy struggle against military rule, estimated in January that more than 570 children under age 18 had been killed in various circumstances by security forces.

Upwards of 8,000 civilians have been killed in the conflict, according to the multinational Armed Conflict Location and Event Data Project.

Myanmar Witness put most of the responsibility for the destruction of schools on air strikes conducted by the Myanmar military. Air attacks have become more frequent as pro-democracy forces and ethnic minority armed groups allied with them have made gains on the battlefield.

The military has had to resort to more and more air strikes, often with less and less appropriate aircraft, as they lose effective access to the ground as a result of offensives by the resistance, Mr Lawrence told The Associated Press.

Education has been badly disrupted by civil war (AP)

The military government has consistently denied targeting civilians or using disproportionate force.

The report said resistance forces also have attacked schools, but much less frequently and less destructively, often using drones with small explosive loads.

Education is also being disrupted by other factors. Many young people, including older students, have taken a greater role in the resistance.

Thousands of teachers left their jobs after the army seized power and joined a civil disobedience movement aimed at disabling military control over government institutions. And the conflicts shifting front lines make it difficult for teachers to provide lessons on a reliable basis.

Some teachers have established or joined schools outside the reach of the militarys control.

Lisa Chung Bender, executive director of the Global Coalition to Protect Education from Attack: What we see is almost a dual system thats developing in Myanmar, where there are state-sponsored schools and then schools sponsored by other parties and retribution for participating in either system.

It puts children and educators in an impossible position where they have to go through checkpoints and say where theyre going, and if its determined that theyre going to an enemy school, whichever enemy that is, they can be harassed, detained, or physically punished.

The lack of proper access to education is only part of a deepening humanitarian crisis in Myanmar. More than three million people have been displaced from their homes by fighting, most since the militarys seizure of power in 2021, and the country suffers from a deepening economic crisis.

A report in June by the United Nations Childrens Fund on global child food poverty said 35% of Myanmars children live in food poverty, defined as having access to half or fewer of the eight food groups children need daily for healthy growth and development.

According to the UN Development Programme, over half of Myanmars children now live in poverty as the countrys nascent middle class has disappeared.
Were all about Fourth of July and fireworks, and kids playing on new splash pads and a rockin new stage at Monteith Riverpark for Albanys River Rhythms concerts. The grand reopening of the park and a kickoff to a new season went off with few hitches.

Until country artist Lee Greenwood started talking.

Between songs and just before his finale, he described a patriot as someone with unconditional love for his country.

Well, theres one thing that needs to improve.

The only thing we hope for is that we can stop illegal immigration. Because the people that are coming through are coming through to kill you.

Greenwood is not only a proud supporter of former President Donald Trump, the two are also business partners, hawking a $60 Bible with the Constitution in it and the lyrics to God Bless the U.S.A, Greenwoods anthemic song.

So, in a year when Trump has predicted a coming bloodbath, where he regularly vows vengeance and retribution on enemies, where he uses dehumanizing terminology, such as saying the left are vermin and immigrants are not people, no one thought this could happen?

To be fair, Mayor Alex Johnson II did say he worried about the fit, and city staff combed through video of past concerts. The decision to book Greenwood came long before the political campaign. And staff did take a second look, although maybe a third might have been in order.

To the credit of the good people of Albany, the comment had few whooping or hollering. Just seconds after the words were uttered, Mayor Johnson said his texts were blowing up.

Still, and especially after last Saturdays events with the attempted assassination of former President Trump, we have thoughts.

Its an election year. That alone should have disqualified such a partisan. And before you clear your throat to say, There they go again, we would have the same reservations if Bruce Springsteen took to Monteith Riverparks stage to stump for President Joe Biden (though were all for him coming on a nonpresidential year, dont get us wrong, Bruce. Call us!).

Albany is a self-declared purple city, and it's been getting bluer lately. We can hand-wave away the pitch to buy Bibles online. At least they werent selling onsite.

The real damage done is looking out onto an audience likely made up of some immigrants and declaring them murderous.

If you follow national politics, you know this has been a staple of the MAGA rights talking points for years. President Donald Trump invoked it during the debate that had most everyone focused on President Joe Bidens visible aging and misspeaks rather than Trumps out-and-out lies.

Heres what Trump said about Biden during the debate:

He decided to open up our border, open up our country to people that are from prisons, people that are from mental institutions, insane asylum(s), terrorists.

The professional fact-checkers had a field day, especially because the moderators didnt seem like they wanted to interject.

Heres what they had to say after the debate:

CNN (which hosted the debate): Research has generally found no connection between immigration levels and crime  and has sometimes found that undocumented immigrants commit crimes at lower rates than people born in the U.S."

The Poynter Institutes fact-checking service Politifact called this a pants on fire lie, a designation for the most egregious misrepresentation of the truth.

The Washington Post also used a phrase from the past: This is poppycock. Immigration experts know of no effort by other countries to empty their prisons and mental institutions.

The problem, of course, goes beyond the mislabeling of immigrants as boogeymen. And we know mislabeling is too nice a word. When you hear the constant drumbeat that undocumented immigrants are crazy, criminals and even murderous, theres a xenophobia that sounds less like a democracy forged by immigrants and more like Christian nationalism.

If you will, more God Bless the U.S.A and less (Theyre Coming to) America, Neil Diamonds contribution to Fourth of July, sung one week later by a cover band at the following installment of the River Rhythms series.

History teaches us that silence is the oxygen of hate, Nancy Greenman of the Linn Benton Hispanic Advisory Committee told the Albany City Council last week. We agree.

So as an Editorial Board, we will not be silent.

To look out onto a crowd of people and stoke fear that immigrants are coming to kill them is unconscionable.

The city could have built a clause into its contracts that performers need to adhere to the same code of conduct employees do. But all Lee Greenwood had to do was promise to refrain from obscenity, to keep it family friendly.

In our opinion, he didnt even accomplish that.

Ever since the assassination attempt, theres been a universal call to lower the temperature, dial down the rhetoric.

We couldnt agree more.
Police have imposed a strict curfew with a shoot-on-sight order across Bangladesh as military forces patrolled parts of the capital, Dhaka.

The crackdown came after scores of people were killed and hundreds injured in clashes over the allocation of civil service jobs.

The curfew began at midnight and was relaxed from noon to 2pm (7am-9am BST) for people to run essential errands, and is expected to last until 10am on Sunday (5am BST), during which time officers are authorised to fire on mobs in extreme cases, said Obaidul Quader, the general secretary of the ruling Awami League party.

The demonstrations  called for mainly by student groups  started weeks ago to protest a quota system that reserves up to 30% of government jobs for relatives of veterans who fought in Bangladeshs war of independence in 1971.

Violence erupted on Tuesday, with the Daily Prothom Alo newspaper reporting the death of at least 103 people.

The quota system for veterans of the Bangladeshi war of independence has sparked anger (AP)

Friday was likely to be the deadliest day so far. Somoy TV reported 43 killed, while an Associated Press reporter saw 23 bodies at Dhaka Medical College and Hospital, but it was not immediately clear whether they all died on Friday.

On Thursday, 22 others were reported dead as protesting students attempted to completely shut down the country.

The US embassy in Dhaka said reports indicated hundreds to possibly thousands were injured across Bangladesh. It said the situation was extremely volatile.

Bangladeshi authorities have not shared any official numbers of those killed and injured.

Officials said the curfew was to quell further violence after police and protesters clashed in the streets and at university campuses in Dhaka and other cities across the South Asian country.

Authorities blocked online communications by banning mobile and internet services.

Several television news channels also went off the air, and the websites of most local newspapers were down. Meanwhile, some key government websites, including Bangladeshs central bank and the Prime Ministers office, appeared to have been hacked and defaced.

The situation has been described as volatile (AP)

Local media also reported that some 800 inmates fled from a prison in Narsingdi, a district north of the capital, after protesters stormed the facility and set it on fire on Friday.

The chaos highlights cracks in Bangladeshs governance and economy and the frustration of youths who lack good jobs upon graduation.

They also represent the biggest challenge to Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina since she won a fourth consecutive term in office after Januarys elections, boycotted by the main opposition groups.

Protesters argue the quota system is discriminatory and benefits supporters of Hasina, whose Awami League party led the independence movement, saying it should be replaced with a merit-based system.

Ms Hasina has defended the quota system, saying that veterans deserve the highest respect for their contributions in the war against Pakistan, regardless of their political affiliation.

Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina (Altaf Qadri/AP)

Representatives from both sides met late on Friday in an attempt to reach a resolution. At least three student leaders were present and demanded the reform of the current quota system, the reopening of student dormitories shut by the police following the clashes and for some university officials to step down after failing to protect campuses from the violence.

Law Minister Anisul Huq said the government was open to discussing their demands.

The main opposition Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) has backed the protests, and vowed to organise its own demonstrations as many of its supporters joined the students protests.

However, the BNP said in a statement its followers were not responsible for the violence and denied the ruling partys accusations of using the protests for political gains.

The Awami League and the BNP have often accused each other of fuelling political chaos and violence, most recently ahead of the countrys national election, which was marred by a crackdown on several opposition figures.

Ms Hasinas government had accused the opposition party of attempting to disrupt the vote.
A former Ukrainian legislator best known for her crusade to promote the Ukrainian language has died after being shot in the street by an unknown assailant.

Iryna Farion, 60, initially survived the assault in the western city of Lviv on Friday, but later died of her wounds in hospital.

A manhunt is currently under way for her attacker, who fled from the scene. Ukrainian officials said an investigation is being carried out and that the attack is being treated as an assassination.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said on his official Telegram channel: All available surveillance cameras are being worked on, witness interviews are ongoing and several districts are being surveyed. All leads are being investigated, including the one that leads to Russia.

All necessary forces from the National Police of Ukraine and the Ukrainian Security Service have been deployed to search for the criminal.

Ms Farion served as a member of the Ukrainian parliament between 2012 and 2014, and was best known for her campaigns to promote the use of the Ukrainian language by Ukrainian officials who spoke Russian.

She controversially criticised Russian-speaking members of Ukraines Azov regiment who defended the port city of Mariupol in the first days of the full-scale invasion.

Police are considering personal animosity toward the former MP due to her social and political activities as a likely motive behind the attack, said interior minister Ihor Klymenko, who will oversee the investigation in Lviv.

Elsewhere in Ukraine, at least two people were killed and three more injured after a Russian missile strike on infrastructure in the countrys north-eastern Kharkiv region, governor Oleh Syniehubov said.

Ukrainian officials also confirmed that the death toll following a Russian strike on Friday on the city of Mykolaiv, had risen to four.

A child was among the victims, said the citys mayor, Oleksandr Sienkevych.

Volodymyr Zelensky said all leads were being investigated in the politicians death (AP)

Writing about the Mykolaiv strike on social media, Mr Zelenskyy said that a projectile had hit a playground next to an apartment block.

Russia proves every day with its terror that pressure is not enough, he said.

This destruction of life must be stopped. We need new solutions to support our defences. Russia must feel the power of the world.

Ukraines air force said Russia had launched four missiles and 17 drones overnight, of which 13 drones had been shot down.

The attacks have left thousands of people without power or running water in the Poltava region of central Ukraine, governor Filip Pronin said.

Russia has continuously targeted Ukraines energy infrastructure, leading to blackouts across the country.

A pulverising Russian onslaught in recent months has forced Kyivs troops to withdraw from some towns and villages in the eastern Donetsk region.

The latest targets are the mining town of Toretsk and the city of Pokrovsk, where Russia is stepping up its assaults.

Ukrainian forces repelled 20 and 27 attacks on those areas respectively over 24 hours, Ukraines General Staff said.

That was almost double the number of assaults recorded at other hot spots along the front line, it added.

Russias defence ministry also announced it had shot down 26 Ukrainian drones over Russias southern Rostov region, several hundred miles from the front line. Three more drones were destroyed over the Belgorod region, as well as one over the Smolensk region, it said. No casualties were reported.
Turkeys President has dampened down hopes for a quick resumption of talks to heal a half-century of ethnic division on Cyprus.

Recep Tayyip Erdogan reaffirmed his support for a two-state deal that Greek Cypriots dismiss as a non-starter.

Speaking ahead of a military parade to mark the 50th anniversary of a Turkish invasion that split the island along ethnic lines, Mr Erdogan ruled out a peace deal based on a United Nations-endorsed plan for federation.

Although Mr Erdogan has previously rejected the federation plan, Greece and the Greek Cypriots had hoped he would soften his position.

The military parade took place in the Turkish occupied area of the divided capital Nicosia (AP)

The anniversary is a festive occasion for Turkish Cypriots in the islands northern third, who view the invasion as salvation from the Greek-speaking majoritys domination.

The invasion followed a coup that aimed at a union with Greece, which was backed by the Junta then ruling in Athens.

In the south, the howl of air raid sirens at daybreak began a solemn day marking what Greek Cypriots remember as a catastrophe that left thousands of people dead or missing and displaced a quarter of the Greek Cypriot population.

Mr Erdogans remarks may further complicate UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres effort to get both sides back to the negotiating table.

His personal envoy, Maria Angela Holguin Cuellar, has spent the past six months scoping both sides out.

The event marks 50 years of the Turkish invasion (AP)

Mr Erdogan told Turkish Cypriots lining the parade route in scorching heat in the northern half of the divided capital, Nicosia: We will continue to fight with determination for the recognition of the TRNC (breakaway Turkish Cypriot state) and the implementation of a two-state solution.

A federal solution in Cyprus is not possible, this is what we believe.

The Turkish Cypriot side, as equals with the Greek side, are willing to negotiate and are ready to sit down and negotiate. If you want a solution, you need to recognize the rights of Turkish Cypriots.

Turkish Cypriot leader Ersin Tatar reiterated that Turkish Cypriots reject domination by the Greek Cypriot majority and seek equal national status for their breakaway state they unilaterally declared in 1983, which is only recognised by Turkey.

Mr Erdogan and Cypriot leader Ersin Tatar met the public in Nicosia (AP)

He added that theres now no common ground for a return to peace negotiations.

Referring to a recent resolution in the Ankara parliament calling for a two-state solution, Mr Tatar said it will help us and our cause incredibly.

The islands Greek Cypriot President Nikos Christodoulides urged Turkey and the Turkish Cypriots to re-engage in reunification talks if Ankara genuinely seeks regional security and stability and to nudge closer to the European Union.

After numerous failed rounds of peace negotiations, many Cypriots on both sides  although jaded  still hold out a glimmer of hope for a peace deal.

Mr Erdogan strongly backed the two-state solution on the divided island (AP)

Greek Cypriot commemorations include the unveiling of memorials to fallen heroes, church services and a gathering late Saturday at the Presidential Palace addressed  for the first time  by Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis.

Mr Erdogan earlier presided over golden jubilee events, replete with a visit by Turkeys first amphibious assault ship to carry the countrys potent Bayraktar drones, and an airshow.

The European Union, which Cyprus joined in 2004, urged both sides to show genuine commitment to a peace deal in line with UN resolutions.

Too much time has been lost, an EU spokesperson said.

A forced division can never be a solution. Hope for a better future, a united Cyprus, still exists.
The Israeli army said it has struck several Houthi targets in western Yemen following a fatal drone attack by the rebel group in Tel Aviv the previous day.

A number of military targets were hit in the western port city of Hodeidah, a Houthi stronghold, on Saturday, the Israeli army said, adding that its attack was in response to the hundreds of attacks carried out against the state of Israel in recent months.

Houthi spokesman Mohammed Abdulsalam wrote on social media platform X that Yemen was subjected to a blatant Israeli aggression that targeted fuel storage facilities and the provinces power station.

He said the attacks aim to increase the suffering of the people and to pressure Yemen to stop supporting Gaza.

Israeli police investigate the scene of a deadly explosion in Tel Aviv (Oded Balilty/AP)

He said the attacks will only make the people of Yemen and its armed forces more determined to support Gaza.

The drone attack by Houthi rebels on Friday killed one person in the centre of Tel Aviv and wounded at least 10 others near the United States embassy.

Since January, the US and British forces have been striking targets in Yemen, in response to the Houthis attacks on commercial shipping that the rebels have described as retaliation for Israels actions in the war in Gaza. However, many of the ships targeted are not linked to Israel.

The joint force air strikes have so far done little to deter the Iran-backed force.

Also on Saturday, at least 13 people were killed in three Israeli air strikes that hit refugee camps in central Gaza, according to Palestinians health officials, as ceasefire talks in Cairo appeared to make progress.

Among the dead in Nuseirat Refugee Camp and Bureij Refugee Camp were three children and one woman, according to Palestinian ambulance teams that transported the bodies to the nearby Al-Aqsa Martyrs hospital.

The 13 corpses were counted by AP journalists at the hospital.

A Palestinian baby boy, not yet named, delivered prematurely after his mother Ola al-Kurd was killed in an Israeli strike,(Abdel Kareem Hana/AP)

The latest casualties follow a rare moment of hope in war ravaged Gaza, after a medical teams recovered a live baby from a heavily pregnant Palestinian mother killed in an air strike that hit her home in Nuseirat late on Thursday evening.

Ola al-Kurd, 25, was killed along with six others in the blast, but was quickly rushed by emergency workers to Al-Awda Hospital in northern Gaza in the hope of saving the unborn child.

Hours later, doctors told The Associated Press that a baby boy had been delivered.

The still-unnamed child is stable but has suffered from a shortage of oxygen and has been placed in an incubator, said Dr Khalil Dajran. The baby boys father was injured in the same strike, but survived.

The war in Gaza, which was sparked by Hamas October 7 attack on southern Israel, has killed more than 38,900 people, according to the territorys health ministry, which does not distinguish between combatants and civilians in its count.

The war has created a humanitarian catastrophe in the coastal Palestinian territory, displaced most of its 2.3 million population and triggered widespread hunger.

Hamas October attack killed 1,200 people, mostly civilians, and militants took about 250 hostage.

Tens of thousands of Palestinians have been killed (AP)

About 120 remain in captivity, with about a third of them believed to be dead, according to Israeli authorities.

The Israel-Hamas war has left thousands of women and children dead, according to health officials in the Gaza Strip. In April, a premature Palestinian baby was rescued from her dead mothers womb but died days later.

In the occupied West Bank, the Palestinian Health Ministry said a 20-year-old man was shot dead by Israeli forces late Friday. Commenting on the shooting, the Israeli army said its forces opened fire on a group of Palestinians hurling rocks at Israeli troops in the town of Beit Ummar.

A witness said Ibrahim Zaqeq was not directly involved in the clashes and was standing nearby.

On Saturday, Hamas identified Mr Zaqeq as one of its members. The militant groups green flag was wrapped around his corpse during the funeral.

Violence has surged in the territory since the Gaza war began. At least 577 Palestinians in the West Bank have been killed by Israeli fire since then, according to the Ramallah-based health ministry which tracks Palestinian deaths.

US secretary of state Anthony Blinken (Jose Luis Magana/AP)

In Cairo, international mediators, including the United States, are continuing to push Israel and Hamas towards a phased deal that would halt the fighting and free about 120 hostages in Gaza.

On Friday, US secretary of state Anthony Blinken said a ceasefire deal between Hamas and Israel that will release Israeli hostages captive by the group in Gaza are inside the 10-yard line, but added: We know that anything in the last 10 yards are the hardest.

Sporadic negotiations between the warring sides have been under way since Novembers one-week ceasefire, with both Hamas and Israel repeatedly accusing each other of scuppering efforts as a deal approaches.
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A weekly review of the best and most popular stories published in the Imperial Valley Press. Also, featured upcoming events, new movies at local theaters, the week in photos and much more.
From West Bank real estate ads to violent expulsions and ethnic cleansing, the theft of Palestinian land is key to the Zionist project, writes Yoav Litvin.

( The New Arab )  The marketing of Anglo neighbourhoods in the occupied West Bank at real estate events in synagogues in Toronto, Los Angeles, New Jersey, and other locations wouldnt be out of place 30 years ago in apartheid South Africa or Rhodesia. But perhaps thats the point.

Branded Anglo Neighbourhoods, the marketing of illegal settlement real estate in the Israeli-occupied West Bank primarily target Zionist Jews from the US, Canada and the rest of the English-speaking West.

Corporate real estate investment by companies both within and outside Israel have long been integral to settlement policies, with new developments reinforcing this trend.

A Human Rights Watch report reveals how Israeli and international companies build, finance, service and market settlement communities. Settlement businesses thrive on Israels unlawful confiscation of Palestinian land and resources, supporting the growth and functioning of settlements.

These businesses, from real estate to construction, benefit from Israels discriminatory policies in planning, zoning, land allocation and access to natural resources, financial incentives, utilities and infrastructure.

These policies displace Palestinians and disadvantage them compared to settlers. Consequently, the Palestinian economy suffers, forcing many Palestinians to work in settlements; a dependency used to justify settlement businesses.

But the sale of real estate in stolen land, while outrageous, is not surprising. It is just a recent tactic in a longstanding systematic problem that is now escalating beyond the point of no-return.

The establishment and expansion of settlements in the occupied West Bank and occupied East Jerusalem are widely recognised as violations of international humanitarian and human rights law.

These initiatives accurately encapsulate the function of Zionism in Palestine as a settler colonialist, capitalist and white supremacist movement which opportunistically and antisemitically coopts Judaism to justify its criminal practices of apartheid and genocide against Indigenous Palestinians.

Its strategy, tactics, and goals focus on land grabs and demographic dominance, utilising both official state-sponsored and unofficial methods, such as corporate real estate.

Official colonisation of Palestine

Contrary to the Zionist movements duplicitous claims that Palestine was largely uninhabited, Zionist leaders have recognised the necessity of assuming control over Indigenous Palestinian land to realise their exclusivist goals.

For this purpose, theyve applied a variety of tactics orchestrated by official and unofficial state actors, ranging from peaceful appropriation within questionable legal confines to genocidal aggression.

Numerous official acts of genocide have been executed through deliberate warfare. A defining genocidal episode in Israels establishment, during the Palestinian Nakba, was Plan Dalet, a military initiative orchestrated by the Haganah under David Ben-Gurions leadership.

Further genocidal bouts of mowing the lawn, have demonstrated the Zionist settler colonial dynamic since Israels establishment to this day.

The current Israeli government has enhanced its military aggression and prioritised illegal settlement construction, bolstered by the presence of several far-right ministers residing in illegal West Bank settlements.

Indeed, since the departure of former Defense Minister Benny Gantz from Israels emergency war cabinet amid disagreements over the Gaza war strategy and the return of Israeli hostages held by Hamas, Netanyahu has increasingly leaned on far-right factions within his coalition government.

In April 2024, the government expanded its control over West Bank land, setting the stage for unprecedented levels of settlement construction. At present, Israels Supreme Planning Council is poised to discuss proposals for 6,016 new housing units in West Bank settlements, underscoring the ongoing expansionist policies of the Netanyahu administration.

Notably, annexation and the acquisition of territory through military conquest are prohibited under international law, including the founding principles of the UN Charter.

Bezalel Smotrich, who resides in the illegal settlement of Kedumim, personifies Israels genocide-for-land-grab policies. Holding dual roles as Finance Minister and minister within the Defense Ministry overseeing Civil Administration, Smotrich has called for genocide and expulsion of Palestinian people both in Gaza and the West Bank.

In response to international pressures and increased European recognition of a Palestinian state, Smotrich has pursued legal recognition for settler outposts, announcing plans to advance thousands of housing units. Further, Smotrich has spoken in favour of illegally annexing the entirety of the West Bank under the Hebraized name Judea and Samaria.

In June, the Israeli military quietly transferred significant legal powers in the occupied West Bank to pro-settler civil servants under Smotrich. He and his allies have long viewed control of the Civil Administration, or substantial portions of it, as a means to extend Israeli sovereignty in the West Bank.

Their ultimate goal is direct control by the central government and its ministries. This transfer methodology diminishes the likelihood of legal checks on settlement expansion and development. By consolidating power, they aim to facilitate and accelerate settlement growth, thereby entrenching Israeli presence and diminishing Palestinian claims.

TRT World: Pro-Israel Mob attacks at Real Estate Event

Unofficial colonisation in the West Bank

Genocidal actions not directly affiliated with the state of Israel have assisted in the circumvention of state accountability before international bodies.

These include settler vigilante rampages often emboldened by military protection and legal cover. Claiming a fictional divine sanction, radical far-right settlers seize hilltops on Palestinian land, forcibly evicting residents to establish illegal outposts. These outposts are subsequently fortified by the Israeli military and eventually legitimised by Israel.

This dynamic has played out in the occupied West Bank since 1967, spanning administrations led by both Labor liberal Zionists and right-wing revisionist governments alike.

In quasi-legalistic efforts to appropriate Palestinian land, unofficial state organisations antisemitically conflate Zionism and Judaism, appealing to sympathetic Jewish and Christian Zionists globally.

The Jewish National Fund (JNF) has played a pivotal role since its establishment in 1901 as a key land appropriation agency of the Zionist movement. The JNFs efforts have included land acquisition, settlement development and influencing land policy.

Since its foundation, it has employed various methods to prevent the return of land to its original owners, including land title acquisition, development of Jewish-only colonies, discriminatory practices, forestation, legal frameworks, political influence, land confiscation, settlement construction and legal actions.

These strategies, often cloaked under the guise of environmental sustainability, perpetuate the dispossession and displacement of Palestinians, preventing their return to their land.

The JNF has also served a propaganda function by Hebraizing and renaming Palestinian lands, effectively erasing Palestinian heritage. For instance, the JNF named a forest after Coretta Scott King.

This act sought to appropriate American and Christian Zionist culture and belief, fostering a notion of a shared struggle between African Americans and Jewish people, promoting the conflation of Zionism and Judaism, while undermining the natural alliance between Black people and Palestinians against white supremacy and rebranding white settler colonialism as a popular, victorious struggle of victims against their oppressors.

Nowadays, and in line with the governments shamelessness and unlimited impunity, a large section of the JNFs function has been superseded by brazen private capitalist companies.

Israels genocide of Palestinians in Gaza and destruction of infrastructure serves to bolster Zionist capitalist fantasies of a real estate bonanza. In March, Jared Kushner, Donald Trumps son-in-law who may return to the White House in January, praised the very valuable potential of Gazas waterfront property.

Whether Kushners statement was a slip or wishful thinking, an Israeli real estate firm based in the occupied West Bank had already developed building plans dating back to December 2023, only three months into the Gaza genocide, with several of its employees directly participating in the aggression. It is unclear whether Israels alleged use of depleted uranium bombs, or threats of nuclear war will affect sales at future real estate marketing events.

With impunity from the white supremacist West and especially the US, Zionist praxis of genocide-for-land-grab can replicate without restraint in Gaza, the West Bank, in historic Palestine, South Lebanon and even the Sinai peninsula.

Unless the Zionist regime, including its corporate proxies, is held accountable with its crimes ended and impunity challenged and abolished, Israels malign process will continue indefinitely, destroying the lives and futures of countless Indigenous Palestinian people and endangering the wider Middle East and global communities, including the growing number of conscientious Jewish people who support Palestinian rights and do not identify with Israel and Zionism.

Republished from The New Arab with the authors permission.
The call is coming from insideyour computer!

( Foreign Policy in Focus )  The conventional Artificial Intelligence doomsday scenario runs like this. A robot acquires sentience and decides for some reason that it wants to rule the world. It hacks into computer systems to shut down everything from banking and hospitals to nuclear power. Or it takes over a factory to produce a million copies of itself to staff an overlord army. Or it introduces a deadly pathogen that wipes out the human race.

Why would a sentient robot want to rule the world when there are so many more interesting things for it to do? A computer program is only as good as its programmer. So, presumably, the human will to power will be inscribed in the DNA of this thinking robot. Instead of solving the mathematical riddles that have stumped the greatest minds throughout history, the worlds first real HAL 9000 will decide to do humans one better by enslaving its creators.

Robot see, robot do.

But AI may end up killing us all in a much more prosaic way. It doesnt need to come up with an elaborate strategy.

It will simply use up all of our electricity.

Energy Hogs

The heaviest user of electricity in the world is, not surprisingly, industry. At the top of the list is the industry that produces chemicals, many of them out of petroleum, like fertilizer. Second on the list is the fossil-fuel industry itself, which needs electricity for various operations.

Ending the worlds addiction to fossil fuels, in other words, will require more than just a decision to stop digging for coal and drilling for oil. It will require a reduction in demand for chemical fertilizers and plastics. Otherwise, a whole lot of renewable energy will simply go toward propping up the same old fossil fuel economy.

Of equal peril is the fact that the demand for electricity is rising in other sectors. Cryptocurrencies, for instance, require extensive data mining, which in turn needs huge data processing centers. According to estimates from the U.S. Energy Information Agency, these cryptocurrencies consume as much as 2.3 percent of all electricity in the United States.

Then theres artificial intelligence.

Every time you do a Google search, it consumes not only the energy required to power your laptop and your router but also to maintain the Google data centers that keep a chunk of the Internet running. Thats not a small amount of power. Cumulatively, in 2019, Google consumed as much electricity as Sri Lanka.

Worse, a search powered by ChatGPT, the AI-powered program, consumes ten times more energy than your ordinary Google search. Thats sobering enough. But then consider all the energy that goes into training the AI programs in the first place. Climate researcher Sasha Luccioni explains:

Training AI models consumes energy. Essentially youre taking whatever data you want to train your model on and running it through your model like thousands of times. Its going to be something like a thousand chips running for a thousand hours. Every generation of GPUsthe specialized chips for training AI modelstends to consume more energy than the previous generation.

AIs need for energy is increasing exponentially. According to Goldman Sachs, data centers were expanding rapidly between 2015 and 2019, but their energy use remained relatively flat because the processing was becoming more efficient. But then, in the last five years, energy use rose dramatically and so did the carbon footprint of these data centers. Largely because of AI, Googles carbon emissions increased by 50 percent in the last five yearseven as the megacorporation was promising to achieve carbon neutrality in the near future.



Image by Nicky  from Pixabay

This near future looks bleak. In four years, it is expected that AI will represent nearly 20 percent of data center power demand. If ChatGPT were integrated into the 9 billion searches done each day, the IEA says, the electricity demand would increase by 10 terawatt-hours a year, Vox reports, the amount consumed by about 1.5 million European Union residents.

At the end of the eighteenth century, Malthus worried that overpopulation would be the end of humanity as more mouths ate up the existing food supply. Human population continues to rise, though at a diminishing rate. The numbers will likely peak before the end of this century, around 2084 according to the latest estimates. But just as the light at the end of the Malthusian tunnel becomes visible, along comes the exponential growth of artificial intelligence to sap the planets resources.

What to Do?

The essential question is: do you need AI to help you find the most popular songs of 1962 or the reason black holes havent so far extinguished the universe? Do we need ChatGPT to write new poems in the style of Emily Dickinson and Allen Ginsburg teaming up at a celestial artists colony? Or to summarize the proceedings of the meeting you just had on Zoom with your colleagues?

You dont have to answer those questions. You just have to stop thinking about electricity as an unlimited resource for the privileged global North.

Perhaps youre thinking, yes, but the sun provides unlimited energy, if we can just tap it. You see a desert; I see a solar farm.

But it takes energy to build those solar panels, to mine the materials that go into those panels, to maintain them, to replace them, to recycle them. The minerals are not inexhaustible. Nor is the land, which may well be in use already by farmers or pastoral peoples.

Sure, in some distant future, humanity may well solve the energy problem. The chokepoint, however, is right now, the transition period when half the world has limited access to power and the other half is wasting it extravagantly it on Formula One, air conditioning for pets, and war.

AI is just another example of the gulf between the haves and the have-nots. The richer world is using AI to power its next-gen economy. In the rest of the world, which is struggling to survive, a bit more electricity means the difference between life and death. Thats where the benefits of a switch to sustainability can really make a difference. Thats where the electricity should flow.

To anticipate another set of objections, AI isnt just solving first-world problems. As Chinasa Okolo explains at Brookings:

Within agriculture, projects have focused on identifying banana diseases to support farmers in developing countries, building a deep learning object detection model to aid in-field diagnosis of cassava disease in East Africa, and developing imagery observing systems to support precision agriculture and forest monitoring in Brazil. In healthcare, projects have focused on building predictive models to keep expecting mothers in rural India engaged in telehealth outreach programs, developing clinical decision support tools to combat antimicrobial resistance in Ghana, and using AI models to interpret fetal ultrasounds in Zambia. In education, projects have focused on identifying at-risk students in Colombia, enhancing English learning for Thai students, and developing teaching assistants to aid science education in West Africa.

All of that is great. But without a more equitable distribution of powerof both the political and electrical varietiesthe Global South is going to take a couple steps forward thanks to AI while the Global North jumps ahead by miles. The equity gap will widen, and it doesnt take a rocket scientistor ChatGPTto figure out how that story will end.

Game over, HAL 9001 says to itself, just before it turns out the last light.

Via Foreign Policy in Focus
Idahos chief election officer believes there could be a significant price tag to purchase equipment that can do ranked choice voting tabulation if the proposed Open Primaries initiative were to pass in November.

Supporters argue it could be cheaper than he is anticipating, and that the result is worth the cost.

Secretary of State Phil McGrane wrote to the Legislative Council on July 3 to outline the information he found from researching other states that implemented ranked choice voting, and he said it cost between $25 million and $40 million to get new equipment capable of tabulating the ranked choice ballots.

Now the petition has ripened to the point that its headed to the voters, I thought it was important to get some of the information out there in terms of what are the practical implications related to all this, McGrane said in a phone interview.

He said he wanted the legislators, who would be in charge of appropriating and potentially legislating how to implement this, to be aware of some of his findings.

The Open Primaries initiative, which would create a primary election open to all voters regardless of political affiliation and implement ranked choice voting for the general election, turned in enough signatures on July 2 to clear it to appear on the November ballot.

McGrane said he has been careful not to weigh in on the philosophical arguments about the initiative and did not provide his position on the idea itself because he is both the member of the executive branch who oversees the initiative process as well as the top election officer who will implement changes if the initiative passes.

Given my dual roles here, I am mindful of my outsized voice in the petition process and elections, he wrote in the letter. My office has received many questions from people on both sides of this issue along the way, many of which we were not initially able to answer. I have tried to ensure we have approached this thoughtfully and done our due diligence.

Changing to the top four open primary could result in a savings for many counties, McGrane wrote, because every voter would receive the same ballot instead of separate pre-printed ballots for different parties.

However, McGrane told lawmakers that there may be a cost to the general election vote counting, because the two vote tabulation vendors that are certified for use in Idaho are not capable of the ranked choice tabulation. He noted that it was difficult to estimate prices because the two states that have implemented ranked choice voting statewide  Maine and Alaska  run elections differently from Idaho.
Urie doesnt understand conservative stance

Ryan Urie continues to imply that he wants to understand conservatives and Trump supporters. However, his prior writings, his manifestations of TDS (Trump Derangement Syndrome), his claiming to understand the conservative stance, when it is clear he does not, and his loaded questions that are not really addressing the key issues, lead me to believe that his questions are a setup to present his pre-determined stance.

The continued demonization of President Trump and demeaning rhetoric toward conservatives tells me that Ryan and many other Democrats have no intention of seeking unity unless it is on their terms. To me, Ryan appears to be fixated on his hate for President Trump and to be unwilling to consider the political truths needed to address the critical issues we face. As a Christian, I cannot support the Democratic Party platform with its anti-God, pro-abortion, open borders, let noncitizens vote and more. In addition, President Biden has failing health and his fixation on drastic economic measures based on specious science forecasting critical future climate change is a clear detriment to the future of this country.

Ryan and the media can speculate as to what Trump might do if elected again but it is only speculation. The key is what he did do in his presidency, even while being continually opposed and undermined by the swamp, the media and various foreign powers while battling COVID-19.

We were far better off under Trump than we now are under Biden. Trumps first priority was what was good for this country and he consistently supported Israel. Biden does not appear to be seeking what is best for the U.S. and he has stabbed Israel in the back several times. I am all for seeking common goals but lets base our decisions on the truth and prioritize what is critical.

Larry Kirkland

Moscow

Now they want us to come together?

So, Trumps ear got a booboo. Sad. So now, the right wing, after years of divisive vitriolic calls for violence, imprisonment, hanging, deportations, religious indoctrination, abolishing Social Security, Medicare, Medicaid, overtime pay, affordable health care, livable wages, human rights, education, environmental protections, common sense health care choices, and ethical standards for officials want us to come together.

So, although we know that Trump will use any power he gets to punish anyone who opposes him, up to the possible imprisonment or worse of his political opponents, appoint only right wing sycophants to positions in government, use his position to continue to chip away at the voting rights of citizens who are, shall we say, not pale skinned, force their religion onto children in public schools, continue to ensure that corporations and the wealthy will never pay taxes or be held accountable for any of their actions and work with the Christian nationalists to enact Project 2025 which will do away with democracy altogether and leave us in a Christian Taliban nightmare. But Trumps ear has a booboo, sad.

So, before you vote for Trumps ear, please consider the person the ear is attached to and all the damage he has done and will continue to do to America and her people.

Holli Cooper

Moscow

Evangelical empowerment of Israel

Why is there today a modern state of Israel? I see no Biblical basis for it. But that this tiny country exists, and exerts enormous influence over world geopolitics, is indisputable. That the Israeli entity has most U.S. politicians and major power brokers totally enthralled, leaving most of them meekly subservient to Israeli interests, cannot be questioned. Its just a fact of life. But why?

I have a theory, religious in nature. I tend to believe that American Evangelical Protestant Christians, millions and millions of them, enthusiastically support and empower Israel. Israel is a dominant force in the world largely because American Christians, by and large, fuel that dominance.

Many Protestant pastors and teachers have locked into an end-time teaching, given birth in the 19th century, which portrays the church as existing in a 6th Dispensation, or a period of grace. It is otherwise referred to as the age of the church. This Dipensationalist concept was elucidated by copius notes contained in the once famous Schofield Bible. During the 40s and 50s, when I grew up, few Fundamentalist Protestant believers failed to carry one at all times.




Friday, July 20, 2024 - The young generation in the country has expressed their frustration on social media after President William Ruto named 11 nominees for his new cabinet.

Addressing the state on Friday at State House, Ruto named an 11-member cabinet where many of the nominees were recycled politicians like Kithure Kindiki, Alice Wahome, Soipan Tuya, and Aden Duale.

Commenting on social media, Gen Z stated that they will demonstrate in all towns on Tuesday to reject Ruto's cabinet nominees.

Here are some comments from Gen Z

We are going to finish what we start! Next week, protests will be bigger, like the ones you saw in Bangladesh! Tupatane Tuesday!!, Cornelius Rono

Baddies are Mad!!!! They are all saying Tupatane Tuesday !!! Ni Kumoto Mazeee, Kenya vigilante.

THE END OF AN ERROR !!! July 23rd, 2024 will be a Tuesday. Revolution continues; we can't be slaves in our own country. We finish what we started. Tupatane Tuesday. ALUTA CONTINUA!, Austine

Tupatane Tuesday, 23rd July! Kitaeweka, what do you mean you're nominating Linturi PA to occupy the same office?

"And 2022 Machogu running mate to be education CS? Aiiiih watu si wajinga buana!, Anini Barasa.

Breaking News! President William Ruto believes that out of the 56,203,030...These are the only souls fit to lead this country...Tupatane Tuesday..,Henry Kabogo

The Kenyan DAILY POST






Saturday, July 20, 2024 - A major global cyber outage has disrupted operations for airlines, banks, and media outlets across multiple countries, including Singapore, the United States, and Australia. The IT outage, which began early Friday, has caused significant service interruptions worldwide.

Several airports and airlines have reported issues with their IT systems, leading to grounded flights and delays. Sydney Airport has experienced flight disruptions, while United Airlines has halted operations. The London Stock Exchange Groups platform is also facing interruptions.

In Germany, Berlin Airport has reported IT system issues causing check-in delays due to a technical fault. Sky News is off-air as a result of the outage, with Sky News Executive Chairman David Rhodes confirming the inability to broadcast live this morning. Rhodes stated, Sky News has not been able to broadcast live TV this morning. Much of our news report is still available online, and we are working hard to restore all services.

Rail transportation has also been affected, with UKs Govia Thameslink Railway reporting widespread IT issues across its network, leading to potential short-notice cancellations, particularly on the Thameslink and Great Northern lines. The companys real-time customer information platforms are also impacted.

Telstra Group, an Australian telecommunications firm, reported service disruptions linked to global issues affecting CrowdStrike and Microsoft. Global issues affecting CrowdStrike and Microsoft are disrupting some of our systems, Telstra Group stated on social media.

Microsoft attributed the disruption to a configuration change in a portion of its Azure backend workloads, causing connectivity failures that affected downstream Microsoft 365 services. The affected services include PowerBI, Microsoft Fabric, Microsoft Teams, Microsoft 365 admin center, and Microsoft Purview.

Were continuing to progress on our mitigation efforts for the affected Microsoft 365 apps and services. We still expect users to see remediation as we address residual impact, Microsoft stated. The tech giant noted that some services, such as Microsoft Defender, Microsoft Intune, OneDrive for Business, and SharePoint Online, have been restored.

As global efforts continue to resolve the outage, businesses and services worldwide are working to mitigate the impacts and restore normal operations.




Saturday, July 20, 2024 - Siaya County Governor James Orengo has criticized plans for dialogue between President William Ruto and Azimio leader Raila Odinga.

Speaking on Friday during the burial of Kevin Ochieng' Onyango in Alego Usonga Constituency, Orengo insisted that justice must be served before any dialogue can take place.

The veteran politician urged the political class to put aside their interests and ensure the victims of police brutality during anti-government protests get justice.

"I am saying, putting aside even my position as governor, that justice must be done.

"We cannot kill our people and the time when we are mourning them we are looking for offices.

That cannot happen! We must first deal with the injustice before we can deal with questions that arise out of that injustice.

I am praying that Kenyans will listen to the voices of mothers; like Mama Kevin, to see that justice is done," Orengo said.

Kevin was shot dead by the police during the peaceful nationwide anti-government protests in Siaya County.

The Kenyan DAILY POST




Saturday, July 20, 2024  The fallout in Azimio has taken another turn.

This is after ODM leaders accused Wiper Leader Kalonzo Musyoka and his friends of trying to set up their leader Raila Odinga against Kenyans, especially the Gen Zs, over his move to work with President William Ruto.

During the ODM delegates meeting, former Mombasa Governor and ODM co-deputy principal Hassan Joho voiced strong support for engaging with Ruto just as Raila had indicated.

He accused Kalonzo of collaborating with Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua and trying to paint Raila as a traitor.

We must identify what works for us as ODM. We are the bigger party in Azimio and we cannot be bullied, Joho declared, accusing Musyoka of trying to paint Odinga as a traitor while simultaneously collaborating with Gachagua.

On his part, ODM National Chairman John Mbadi delivered a scathing critique of their Azimio partners, accusing them of dishonesty.

According to Mbadi, Kalonzo, and other Azimio partners are using Raila to undermine President William Ruto without including him in their power plans.

This country must talk. Our partners in Azimio are dishonest. We have children and we have a country to save for them, Mbadi stated.

Division within Azimio emerged after Ruto announced a six-day multi-sectoral dialogue forum which Raila welcomed but his Azimio partners rejected.

The Kenyan DAILY POST




Saturday, July 20, 2024 - Busia Senator Okiya Omtatah launched a fiery attack on Azimio Leader Raila Odinga, accusing him of betraying his Opposition roots by aligning with President William Ruto's government.

In a statement, Omtatah minced no words, labeling Odingas recent political maneuver as political prostitution.

This kind of greed, and political prostitution are not acceptable.

"You can do prostitution with the old order, but I think the new order, which is exposed, cannot allow political prostitutes, Omtatah declared.

And unfortunately, Baba has turned out to be a political prostitute, who cannot resist the temptation to go into bed with any offer.

"That is thereby an illegitimate government, he added.

Raila has become one of President Rutos closest allies amidst the ongoing political upheaval within the Kenya Kwanza administration.

Raila, once a fierce critic of Rutos government, has faced mounting pressure to denounce the administration he previously labeled as 'illegitimate'.

He has even supported dialogue between Ruto and the furious Gen Zs, who are pressuring the president to resign due to bad governance and corruption.

And that is not all, Baba has dismissed calls for Rutos resignation, urging the young people to embrace dialogue for the country's sake.

However, Omtatah dismissed the notion that Odingas actions were for the countrys benefit, stating,

"Raila is just angling for his own stomach.

"He is not angling for anybody's stomach.

"He has not even demanded justice for the kids who died.

"How can it be rushing to go to bed?"

"Before negotiating with a criminal, why would you need the man that a criminal comes clean when what has happened to this country? he added.

The Kenyan DAILY POST




Saturday, July 20, 2024 - Ethics and Anti-Corruption Commission (EACC) detectives have arrested Janet Mwendwa, a Kenya Ports Authority (KPA) employee for tender fraud.

In a statement on Friday, July 19, EACC said the KPA employee awarded a tender worth Sh 6.4 million to a company owned by her daughter.

The Commission, this morning, arrested one Janet Mwendwa, an employee of the Kenya Ports Authority (KPA) to face charges over a fraudulent tender worth Kes. 6,436,934.40 awarded to a company owned by her daughter, read the statement in part.

According to EACC, Mwendwa participated in the tender evaluation process leading to the awarding of the tender to her daughter.

The official, who is suspected to have traded with KPA through her daughters company, participated in the tender evaluation process leading to the award, EACC stated.

The suspect was arrested after the Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) Renson Ingonga recommended that she be charged with conflict of interest, unlawful acquisition of public property, fraudulent practice in procurement, and uttering false documents, contrary to the law.

Mwenda was escorted to the Mombasa Anti-Corruption Court for plea-taking.

This comes a day after EACC detectives arrested 5 suspects in connection with the theft of over Sh 450 million from the Ministry of Interior, State Department for Correctional Services.

Among the arrested suspects is one Eric Kipkirui Mutai, a cleaner at the State Department, who owns 7 companies that received Sh 257 million of the stolen amount.

EACC is pursuing 8 more suspects, including former Deputy Commissioner General of Prisons Mr Benjamin Njoga.

The Kenyan DAILY POST.
Vote Sandberg for judge

Roger Sandberg is on the ballot this year for Whitman County Superior Court Judge. I urge your readers to join in voting for Sandberg for judge.

As the countys prosecuting attorney, I have worked with many judges, here and in other parts of the state; and I am convinced beyond any reasonable doubt that Mr. Sandberg deserves your vote.

Roger Sandberg has the knowledge, the broad experience, the common sense, and the plain good judgment that our next judge needs to have. Please vote Sandberg for judge.

Denis Tracy

Pullman

Im sick of climate change

And I dont want to hear about it anymore! A July 3 column said it this way: Might we have a conversation about the ecology of the earth without a single murmur about global warming? The writer castigates weather news teams for lacking imagination and relying on unprecedented and historic floods, heatwaves, droughts to fuel perpetual anxiety in us.

During the following week we saw the earliest Category 5 hurricane ever, Death Valleys record high temperatures, and California wildfires, fought in record heat  all driven by global warming, climate change, or however else we choose to describe whats happening to Earths atmosphere.

The columnist went on to champion rewilding, defined as helping nature heal, specifically creating the conditions for the ecosystem to restore itself. Great! How might we achieve such admirable goals while ignoring whats driving our changing climate? Its a false dichotomy. Rewilding tries to restore ecosystems created from interactions among climate-driven weather patterns, soil-creation processes, and a succession of plant and animal communities over millennia.

Mans disturbances of these original ecosystems are well-documented. Also well-documented, the science underlying global warming was first demonstrated in 1856 by Eunice Foote, an American scientist whose experiments demonstrated CO2s warming effects on air temperature. Being a woman, she wasnt permitted to share her findings at the AAAS; a man presented her paper.

Instead of avoiding it, we need to talk more about global warming and resulting climate changes. Its hard to rewild anything under changing climatic conditions that ultimately govern all ecosystems. Undisturbed ecosystems matured through primary succession; ecosystems recovering after human disturbance do so through secondary succession. Think of western grasslands recovering from the 1930s dustbowl days, Topsoil from eastern Colorado darkened the nations skies before falling into the Atlantic Ocean. Global warming changes much, but nothing succeeds like succession.

Pete Haug

Colfax

Lend a hand to those who lend a hand

Recently, our community has seen the closure of several nonprofit organizations and a continuous struggle for others to keep their doors open. This is not just a loss of services; it represents a significant blow to the very fabric of our community.

Nonprofit organizations are the unsung heroes, tirelessly working to address a myriad of issues, from alleviating poverty and hunger to fostering the arts and culture that enrich our lives. Each of these organizations plays a crucial role in making our community a vibrant, inclusive and supportive place to live.

Consider the local food banks that ensure no family goes hungry, the shelters providing a safe haven for those without homes, and the cultural institutions that bring us together through theater, music and the arts. These organizations often operate with limited resources, relying heavily on the generosity of volunteers and donors. Yet, their impact is immeasurable.

Now, more than ever, these nonprofits need our help. The financial strain brought on by the pandemic and ongoing economic challenges means that many are struggling to pay bills and continue their operations. As a community, we have the power to make a difference.
Writing is something I really enjoy. I take pleasure in writing, especially because of my beautiful handwriting. When I started school, we had to write with a lead pencil until fifth grade. I was so excited to write with a pen when I started sixth grade. After I learned how to write with a pen, I have been writing nonstop since that day. I found my writing mesmerizing. While my friends used to cram notes and books while preparing for an exam, I was more interested in making notes in my beautiful handwriting because it gave me a chance to write more. I still find it very satisfying to write with an ink pen, but I have been typing for a long time now. I feel tired of typing all day. I miss the joy of writing with an ink pen and the satisfaction of seeing beautiful cursive writing on paper.

I never knew that someday I would discover this talent of mine differently. There is no concept of personal secretaries, medical assistants, or medical transcriptionists in our hospitals. Eight years ago, when I was a fresh medical graduate doing an internship in a public sector hospital, many patients came to us with a stack of forms that required treatment details from the physician to get reimbursement for their treatment charges from their employers. Most of the time, I had to fill out endless forms because my colleagues found it quite boring and did not have the patience to listen to a lot of patient queries. They always handed over those patients and the stack of papers to me because they knew that not only was I patient in listening to the demands, but I also wrote more legibly than most of my colleagues.

I kept writing summaries, unaware that I would be doing that for years. We see many patients from other countries who need details to get a visa. Our Pakistani patients require many summaries as well regarding their treatment in which we have to mention the number of chemotherapy cycles, radiation sessions, the estimated cost of everything, the expected treatment duration, and when the patient would be fit enough to return to work. My seniors discovered this talent of mine when they saw the first summary I made. Over time, I mastered the art of writing summaries. I learned how to write visa applications for patients, using persuasive language to highlight the gravity of their circumstances and successfully advocating for patients families to receive visa facilitation. When my seniors discovered that I made exceptional and detailed summaries for visas, employers, leave certificates, and death summaries of our deceased patients, many patients and their families started coming to see me.

One of our breast cancer patients has an only son who works in Australia. After completing neoadjuvant chemotherapy, she prepared for surgery and specifically requested her son to be by her side during the procedure. My consultant told me to write an excellent letter to the embassy so that her son could be facilitated regarding his visit to Pakistan. I wrote a heartfelt letter to the embassy as a physician, and he got the visa within a week. The patient was so happy, and the whole family came to thank us. She got her surgery and radiation treatment done, and now she has been cured. Whenever she comes for a follow-up, she always comes to see me. I love seeing her smile.

Since that day, I have been assigned to make more summaries every day. I dont know whether I should feel happy or miserable about it, but the thought gives me a good feeling that at least I am doing something to facilitate my patients. I feel satisfied when they get the kind of response they want from the embassy or their employers because of my words. Despite that, I hate typing and terribly miss writing with a pen.

Another positive side is that I spend all day calling the pharmacy to ask about the cost of every chemotherapy drug and getting familiar with different brands of chemotherapy, immunotherapy, and targeted drugs available in our country. This has given me a lot of confidence when deciding on the treatment for the patient because I always try to keep their socioeconomic conditions and financial aspects in mind as well.

One of our patients has metastatic breast cancer. Her disease progressed through many lines of chemotherapy and hormonal treatment. After that, she got her next-generation sequencing done. Its a very costly investigation that detects specific targets/genetic mutations for which we can give specific treatment. Very few patients in Pakistan are privileged enough to afford this test and the targeted agents needed in their particular case. Most of the time, these medications are unavailable in Pakistan due to restrictions by the Drug Regulatory Authority of Pakistan. These drugs are mostly imported from other countries illegally through unreliable sources, and we can never be sure about their efficacy. They are extremely costly, yet people buy them because there is no other option.

Our patient had a mutation detected in her gene sequencing for which she needed a drug that was not available. Her family tried every possible source, but they couldnt acquire the drug. Then we learned about a Novartis program that would supply the drug free of cost if we enrolled her in a clinical trial. That involved a lot of paperwork and a lot of time and effort, but as always, I was assigned this task. The attendants were after me because they knew I was trying to arrange that drug. I spent days completing all the forms and correspondence through mail. Three weeks later, we finally got the drug for our patient. Novartis supplied three months of medication, and the patients family was so grateful. They always remember me and show their gratitude whenever they meet me. The patient knew that I love to read, so she gave me a beautiful book as a token of love. On the title page, she wrote, For the doctor who forever changes lives. Thank you.

I know her disease might progress someday, even on the medication, but still, I am hopeful that maybe it works. I will always remember the joy on her sons face when I handed him the medication. I will remember her smile and the day she gave me the book in which she wrote such lovely words. I dont know what I will do in the future or where I will practice, but I am sure this beautiful memory will stay with me for the rest of my life.

Damane Zehra is a radiation oncology resident in Pakistan.
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Sinn Fein MEP for Ireland South, Kathleen Funchion, has said she is committed to working hard to deliver for the people of Kilkenny on the issues that matter to them as she took up her seat in the European Parliament for the first time this week.

The MEP has become a member of the Regional Development Committee and Employment Rights Committee.

"This week, I have taken my seat in Europe and am looking forward to working hard to deliver for people across the Ireland South constituency," Funchion said.

"As a TD, I have worked hard to deliver for Kilkenny and I am determined to continue this work in Europe. Throughout the election campaign, people across Kilkenny made it clear to me that they want an MEP who will work hard and deliver for the area," she added.

That is what I am committed to doing. This week, I have hit the ground running and will be using my voice in Europe to deliver for ordinary workers and families on the issues that matter to them."

The former Kilkenny TD has joined the Regional Development Committee and Employment Rights Committee since becoming and MEP.

FOR MORE LOCAL NEWS, CLICK HERE

The newly elected MEP has also criticised the tenure of Ursula Von Der Leyen has the Commission's President.

"As I pledged during the election campaign, I will be voting against attempts to re-elect Ursula Von Der Leyen as Commission President. Her time in office has been bad for Ireland. Her full support of Israel has been disgraceful as the people of Palestine are subjected to a horrific genocide. While in office, several of her decisions have moved towards EU militarisation and undermined Irelands neutrality," she said.

"Irelands neutrality is not up for grabs and it is crucial that Irish MEPs stand up to any attempts to erode this important policy."

"I am committed to being a strong voice for the people of Kilkenny in Europe," Ms Funchion concluded.
The Central Committee of the Communist Party of China sent a message of condolences saying: "The Communist Party of China and the Chinese people lost a good comrade, a good brother, a good friend. We send our deepest condolences and most sincere regards to the Central Committee of the Communist Party of Vietnam, the state and people of Vietnam."

China's Party Central Committee described General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong as a close comrade and sincere friend of the Communist Party of China and the Chinese people, who inherited and promoted the traditional comrades-plus-brothers friendship between the two Parties and countries, creating a deep friendship with the Communist Party of China and China's leaders.

"Comrade Nguyen Phu Trong and General Secretary Xi Jinping raised China-Vietnam relations to a Community of common destiny of strategic significance, promoting the China-Vietnam comprehensive strategic cooperative partnership to move forward continuously. The Chinese Party, State and people will forever remember comrade Nguyen Phu Trong. Comrade Nguyen Phu Trong lives forever with us!", the committee said.

Chairman of the Cambodia's People's Party Hun Sen sent a letter expressing his "extreme sadness."

"Comrade General Secretary has consolidated the strong fraternal friendship with Cambodia and persistently made efforts over the years to enhance close cooperation not only between the Cambodian People's Party and the Communist Party of Vietnam, but between the two governments and people of our two countries," he said.

Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Manet and Cambodian National Assembly Chairman Khuon Sudary also sent letters of condolences.

General Raul Castro Ruz and First Secretary of the Communist Party of Cuba Central Committee and President of Cuba Miguel Diaz Canel-Bermudez sent a letter expressing their deepest condolences to the family of General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong and Vietnamese people.

"The passing of comrade Nguyen Phu Trong is an irreparable loss for Cuba. Cuba will always remember comrade Nguyen Phu Trong as a great brother who tirelessly promoted the special friendly relations between the two Parties, the two National Assemblies, the two governments and the people of our two countries," the letter said.

Cuban leaders called the General Secretary a "dear friend", mentioning his important visit to Cuba in March 2018, especially the memorable moments during his trip to Santiago de Cuba to pay homage to the late President Fidel Castro Ruz.

"We would like to reiterate to comrade To Lam our support and solidarity, along with our steadfast will to continue strengthening the unbreakable brotherly bond that connects Cuba and Vietnam. We would like to send you a hug of friendship and most respectful greetings," the Cuban leaders said, addressing Vietnam's state president.

Russia's President Vladimir Putin sent a letter of condolences, saying Russia will remember General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong as "a true friend who made great personal contributions to the establishment and development of the Comprehensive Strategic Partnership between Moscow and Hanoi."

"I had the opportunity to meet that wonderful person many times and will forever remain impressed," Putin said.

Valentina Matvienko, Speaker of the Federation Council of the Federal Assembly of the Russian Federation, and Vyacheslav Volodin, Chairman of the State Duma of Russia, also sent letters of condolences.

"A great friend of Russia, an experienced political activist, and a famous state leader has passed away. In the highest state position, General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong has made many contributions to strengthening the Comprehensive Strategic Partnership between Vietnam and Russia, as well as the cooperation between the two countries' parliaments," said Matviyenko.

Heads of state and government, and leaders of parliaments and political parties of countries; and leaders of international organisations have sent their sympathies to Vietnam over the passing of General Secretary of the Communist Party of Vietnam (CPV) Central Committee Nguyen Phu Trong.

On behalf of the Government and people of Thailand, PM Srettha Thavisin sent his condolences to the Government and people of Vietnam and the Party General Secretary's family for this great loss.

He expressed his admiration for the leaders important and exemplary contributions to the cause of nation building and development, as well as to the strengthening of Thailand-Vietnam relations, especially the declaration on the upgrading of the two countries' relationship to a strategic partnership on the occasion of the Party General Secretary's visit to Thailand in 2013.

India's leaders expressed their respect for the life and career of General Secretary Trong. They affirmed that they will stand side by side with the leaders and people of Vietnam and the Party chiefs family during this painful period.

General Secretary of the Workers' Party of the DPRK Kim Jong-un affirmed that General Secretary Trong devoted his whole life to the struggle for the development of the Vietnamese Party and State and the happiness of the Vietnamese people; and spent a lot of efforts on strengthening and developing the friendship and cooperation between the two countries, in accordance with the spirit of the agreement reached at the summit talks in March 2019 in Hanoi. He emphasized that Trongs merits will remain forever in the revolutionary history of the Vietnamese people as well as the friendly relations between the two countries.

RoK President Yoon Suk Yeol sent a message to express his sincere condolences to the family of the Party leader and the people of Vietnam for the loss of a respected leader. He affirmed that the achievements and wishes of the General Secretary for the development of Vietnam and for the deeper friendship and collaboration between Vietnam and the Republic of Korea will forever remain in the minds of the two countries' people.

U.S. President Joe Biden, in his statement on the passing of the Vietnamese Party leader, affirmed that General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong was a champion of the deep ties between the American and Vietnamese people whose leadership helped nurture the friendship and partnership the two countries enjoy today.

"His 2015 historic visit to the White House was a milestone in our bilateral relationship. Thanks to his vision, during my 2023 state visit to Hanoi, Vietnam and the United States became comprehensive strategic partners, the highest level of partnership in the Vietnamese system. The people of Vietnam and the United States  and people across the Indo-Pacific region  enjoy greater security and opportunity today because of the friendship between our two countries. That is thanks to him," Biden wrote.

"The United States  and I personally  will remember and appreciate his commitment to reconciliation and to building a future oriented toward peace, stability, and prosperity in the region and around the world. We honor his legacy and mourn his passing alongside the people of Vietnam," Biden added.

Japan's PM Kishida Fumio, in his message of condolences, asserted that the exchanges of opinions with the General Secretary during their meetings have become unforgettable memories for him. He also showed his deepest gratitude for Trong's great contributions to promoting the Japan- Vietnam relationship in various fields.

In their letters, Australian leaders appreciated the affection and sincerity that Party leader Trong devoted to the relations between Vietnam and Australia, especially in upgrading the bilateral relationship to a comprehensive strategic partnership. They emphasized that Vietnamese Party chief's great contributions to the cause of building and developing a peaceful and prosperous Vietnam will always be remembered by the international community. They also affirmed that they would continue to attach importance to cultivating "strategic trust" in the Vietnam-Australia relationship as desired by the General Secretary.

UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres stressed that as the General Secretary of the Party Central Committee since 2011, Trong was a leader with a key role in Vietnam's contemporary history. Under his leadership, Vietnam continues its strong development path to become one of the world's leading fast-growing economies and an important partner of the UN.

UNGA President Dennis Francis praised Trong as a dedicated leader who devoted himself to his country for more than a decade.

Cambodian Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation Sok Chenda Sophea, Indonesian Foreign Minister Retno Marsudi, Thai Foreign Minister Maris Sangiampongsa, and Japanese Foreign Minister Kamikawa Yoko also sent their condolences to Vietnamese Minister of Foreign Affairs Bui Thanh Son.

General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong passed away due to old age and serious illness at 1:38 p.m. on Friday in Hanoi, aged 80. Vietnam's Party Central Committee, National Assembly, president, government, and Central Committee of the Vietnam Fatherland Front will issue a special announcement on the organization of a state funeral.
The Ireland Funds, the global philanthropic network, has awarded funding to the Amber Womens Refuge in Kilkenny.

This support, through the Heart of the Community Fund grant round, will assist the organisation in providing emergency accommodation and support services to women and children in Kilkenny and Carlow who have suffered domestic violence or abuse.

The Amber Women's Refuge provides emergency refuge accommodation and support services to women and children in Kilkenny and Carlow, who are victims of domestic violence and abuse.

The fund is a global philanthropic network established in 1976 to promote and support peace, culture, education and community development throughout the island of Ireland, and Irish-related causes around the world. It has benefited the work of thousands of different organisations, with both financial and non-financial support. Today, The Ireland Funds is one of the largest independent grant makers for the non-profit sector in Ireland.

READ MORE: Alarming - 111% rise in women seeking support from Kilkenny refuge

The Heart of the Community Fund this year is awarding 930,000 to 93 community and voluntary organisations across the island of Ireland to support their vital local activity. Made possible by generous philanthropic gifts and fundraising events of 'The Ireland Funds America' the largest chapter of The Ireland Funds, these grants exemplify the power of collective giving.

Naoimh Murphy, Communication & Training Officer, Amber Women's Refuge, said, "This Heart of the Community Fund grant will support our One Million Stars project, enabling us to engage with more people on domestic abuse and gender-based violence. It will fund star weaving workshops in which we weave stars that symbolise light, hope, and solidarity. Thank you to The Ireland Funds for supporting Amber's One Million Stars project."

"It is our aim that the Heart of the Community Fund fuels organisations to continue their essential work within communities. We are deeply grateful for the steadfast generosity of our donors, which continues to bolster crucial initiatives across the island of Ireland," Caitriona Fottrell, President & CEO of The Ireland Funds, added.
A man in his 20s has been arrested, three Gardai have been left injured with one officer hospitalised following another day of unrest in Coolock, Dublin.

A second fire also broke out at the former Crown paints factory, which has been earmarked to house asylum seekers..

Two units Dublin Fire Brigade attended the fire and brought it under control. It follows a fire at the same site last night, which gardai are treating as suspected arson.

READ MORE - ALERT: Have you seen Lorcan? Gardai issue urgent appeal for missing teenage boy

A crowd of more than 1,000 people attended the protest at the former Crown Paints factory in Coolock earlier yesterday, which witnessed violent disorder this week.

The Garda Public Order Unit also deployed to the scene in Coolock later in the evening, and objects were thrown by protestors towards the public order unit including rocks and concrete bricks. Pepper spray appeared to have been deployed by the gardai, who said in a statement that baton use was used "as a last resort".

A section of the Malahide Road in Coolock was closed in both directions.

One man (20s) was arrested and was brought to a Garda Station in Dublin for public order offences.

Three members of An Garda Siochana were injured, with one member transferred to hospital last night for treatment of their facial injuries.

Gardai said in a statement: "An Garda Siochana is aware of a significant degree of disinformation and inaccuracy in circulation regarding events at this location  it is advised to independently verify any of this information shared online via social media and/or through messaging apps".

"Investigations into this and other related incidents are ongoing".
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Azerbaijan has congratulated the state and people of Colombia on the occasion of Independence Day, Azernews reports.

Happy Independence Day to Colombia and its people! reads the ministrys post on X.
Korean adoptee represents native country in Nathan's Famous International Hot Dog Eating Contest

By Lee Hyo-jin

Mary Bowers, a Korean adoptee to the United States, recently competed in the Nathans Famous International Hot Dog Eating Contest in New York, representing Korea.

This was her ninth participation in the July 4 annual competition and the second time representing her native country, following the restoration of her Korean citizenship last year.

Bowers, whose Korean name is Jung Nayoung, describes herself as a "messy eater" since childhood, with a non-stop appetite that led her to pursue a career as a competitive eater over the past decade. Her impressive feats include eating up to 80 chicken wings in 10 minutes, 65 gyoza dumplings in the same timeframe, and 14 donuts in just eight minutes.

In the latest hot dog eating contest, she ranked in the top 10 in the women's competition by finishing seven and a quarter hot dogs in 10 minutes.

"I do wish that I had performed better, although obviously I had other priorities happening in my life, so I know that I was definitely not at peak performance," Bowers said in a recent interview with The Korea Times, noting that her best record is 12 and a half hot dogs.

The Korean-born adoptee, who was raised in Colorado since she was adopted by an American family in 1982, has had a lot on her plate recently.

In 2020, she embarked on a journey to find her biological family, which prompted her to move to Seoul that year.

When asked what led her to pursue efforts to find her biological roots, Bowers replied, "I thought I was an orphan up until about four years ago. During the COVID-19 pandemic, I had extra time on my hands due to social distancing regulations, so I started looking into some old records and started finding some interesting conflicts."

However, her quest to find answers has been riddled with misinformation and alleged fabrication of adoption documents.

Her adoption, arranged through the Seoul-based Eastern Welfare Society, took place when she was probably one or two years old. In the adoption papers, she was listed under three different Korean surnames Jung, Chung and Baik.

In November 2019, Bowers came across a media report revealing the alleged role of Brothers Home in Korea's intercountry adoption of children from the 1960s to the 1980s. Brothers Home, which is now shut down, was a notorious state-run welfare facility in Busan accused of kidnapping and mistreating hundreds of children and disabled individuals during that time.

The report alleged that the facility played a significant role in the adoption procedures, acting as a "supply chain" for private adoption agencies in the process of sending babies abroad.

"It just happened to be toward the end of the article (on Brothers Home), I recognized familiar names who signed off my adoption documents. Initially, I thought I was imagining things, so I had to go back and check my documents," Bowers said.

"But unfortunately, I was not."

She then looked further into the history of Korea's military dictatorship in the 1960s and 1980s, which largely influenced the surge of intercountry adoptions during that time.

In December 2022, Bowers filed her case with Korea's Truth and Reconciliation Commission, joining nearly 400 other Korean adoptees from 11 countries including Denmark, Norway, the U.S., and Australia.

These adoptees claimed that their adoptions were marred by falsified documents that laundered the status of children through local adoption agencies, and speculated the government's involvement in the widespread accusations of malpractice.

The commission plans to release preliminary results by year-end for the initial 100 cases filed, with the remainder expected in May 2025.

"We're seeing similar patterns of children being declared as orphans when they still had living parents, and adoptees being sent under false identities. Some of them are old enough to remember all this. You see these very similar patterns, which is why we submitted these claims together," Bowers said.

Sibling reunion

In the summer of 2023, Bowers underwent seven DNA tests across both national and commercial databases in hopes of finding her biological family.

About a year later, those DNA samples led to an unexpected reunion with her younger brother, Chase Malmgren, whom she had never known. The 19-year-old, whose Korean name is Baik In-soo but was listed as In-ho on some documents, was also adopted by an American family at a young age.

Malmgren had also been desperately looking for his biological roots, Bowers said, as he submitted his DNA samples to Korean agencies in 2018.

The DNA tests showed a 100 percent match, confirming Bowers and Malmgren's biological sibling relationship.

However, the joy of their reunion was tempered by growing speculation that their adoption documents had been forged.

Eastern Welfare Society confirmed that Bowers' parents were a married couple, while Holt International, which arranged Malmgren's adoption, claimed that his mother did not even know who his father was.

"But Chase and I have a 100 percent DNA match, which means we have the same mother and same father. Now we know by our existence that those things are false. Then the question becomes, what else did the agency lie to us about?" Bowers said.

Now, together with her brother, Bowers will continue their search for their birth parents and strive to uncover the truth behind the murky adoption process they experienced.

"Every country has its good and bad aspects. Even after all of this, I believe that the majority of Korean people are good. I've received so much help and support from Koreans, even strangers. So I think that a few bad people or difficult truths don't outweigh all of the good things that I have here," Bowers said.
Some medical professors vowed Saturday to boycott training programs for junior doctors to protest the government's push to accept the resignations of striking trainees, and medical school admission quota hikes.

Professors of the radiology department at Catholic University of Korea said in a statement that they will not take part in education and training programs for trainee doctors set to join the course in the second half of this year as long as the government goes ahead with "wrongful policy measures."

More than 90 percent of around 13,000 junior doctors walked off their jobs in February in the form of resignations against the government's plan to sharply raise medical school admissions, and hospitals accepted resignations from 7,648 trainees upon the government's request this week.

The government is recruiting new trainees to minimize the impact of the mass resignations, and hospitals have sought 7,707 training doctors combined for the training program set to be launched in September, according to the health ministry.

"We've made it clear that we will never replace training doctors who are fighting against wrongful state policy with other trainees," the professors said. "If the government and the hospital push ahead with the recruitment plan, normal training will never be possible."

Catholic University professors serve as senior doctors at St. Mary's Hospital in Seoul, one of the five major general hospitals in the capital city, as well as seven training hospitals.

More professors are expected to follow suit as the school's emergency response committee for professors said it will announce an official stance next week.

Amid deepening medical service disruptions, the government had presented a set of measures to convince the striking doctors to return to work but a majority of them refused to return to work.

Doctors have urged the government to revisit the quota hike decision, claiming that medical schools will not be able to handle the increased enrollment, which will compromise the quality of medical education and ultimately the country's medical services.

Despite strong opposition from doctors, the government has already finalized an admissions quota hike of some 1,500 students for medical schools for next year in an effort to address problems stemming from the shortage of doctors. (Yonhap)
Rep. Lee Jae-myung, former leader of the main opposition Democratic Party of Korea (DPK), won a primary on Jeju Island and the western port city of Incheon for party leader Saturday, as he eyes to secure a second term.

In June, Lee resigned to run for reelection as the current party rules stipulate a party chair must resign from their leadership position to be eligible as a candidate.

During Saturday's primary, the first of the 15-leg race across the country, Lee won 90.7 percent of combined ballots cast by registered party members on Jeju Island and in Incheon, followed by former Interior Minister Kim Doo-gwan with 8 percent and another candidate, Kim Ji-soo, at 1.3 percent.

The DPK is scheduled to elect a new leader during a national convention, Aug. 18, by factoring in the results of the primaries, a survey of the general public and online polls by party representatives.

Lee is widely expected to win his second term and is considered a leading candidate for the liberal party for the next presidential election in 2027, though he is at the heart of several scandals, including a land development scandal in Seongnam, Gyeonggi Province.

In January, he was stabbed in the neck while visiting the southeastern port city of Busan. (Yonhap)
By Robert Neff

In the early 1900s, Charles M. Root, an aptly named American, wrote, When China thinks about [Korea] it is not about its political status, its queer customs or its [strategic] importance to China, but the ginseng that comes from [Korean] mountains. He added, This root is the foundation of all the commercial dealings between China and The Land of the Morning [Calm].

Harvesting wild ginseng was a task filled with danger. The mountainous regions of Korea were teeming with wolves, wild boars, leopards and tigers. According to Seonmin Kim (author of Ginseng and Borderland), wild ginseng was not supposed to be seen by humans and was guarded by tigers  according to some folktales, the root could even transform itself into a tiger.

Ginseng was surrounded by the supernatural and was often a popular subject of ridicule and derision. Root wrote:

The [Koreans] say, that only persons of blameless life and purity of heart can so much as see where the ginseng shoots upward its few stalks covered with pale leaves. There is a common tradition that when it is taken from the earth it utters a low musical cry like the wail of a lost spirit, and it must be quickly wrapped up or its virtue and strength will depart to return no more.

In the 1890s, a journal published in England claimed: The virtue of the plant does not lie in its material composition, but in a mysterious power appertaining to it through being produced wholly apart from human influence, under the care of a beneficent spirit.

Ginseng was the Korean cure-it-all for most problems, including impotency. In his medical report of 1885, Horace N. Allen, the first American doctor to reside in Korea, described it as the great panacea for all ills. Allen was extremely derisive towards American ginseng (which he described as being inert), but was forced to concede Korean ginseng had powers. I have tried in on natives and foreigners, and found it to be heating, like iron, and to have active aphrodisiac properties.

A little over a decade later, Allen recalled one of his first experiences with Korean ginseng:

I have seen [Korean ginseng] produce suppuration in otherwise healthy wounds when surreptitiously given to hasten the slow process of healing. When the cause was discovered and removed the wounds gradually came into proper condition again.

Although he didnt identify the patient, we know from other sources that it was Prince Min Yong-ik. According to Allens biographer: [Once] in Allens absence, [the prince] tried a native remedy. Only once, and the queen, his aunt, apologized for that

Ginseng was not the only Korean remedy that infuriated Allen  but that has been discussed in a previous article.

Prince Min was not Allens only patient to try ginseng out of desperation. Edward H. Parker, the British consul at Jemulpo (modern Incheon) in the mid-1880s, wrote:

When I was in [Korea], I suffered agonies from sciatica, and conceived the idea that ginseng might repair my nerves. I consulted an American official [Allen] there, who told me that he had once tried it, but that it made him perspire blood. I made myself some ginseng tea, besides chewing bits of the root very cautiously. The only effect was to make me feel very hilarious and full of nervous force; but it did not cure the sciatica, and I was afraid of increasing the dose in view of what the United States official had said.

There were dangers associated with this powerful cure-it-all. In the early 1890s, the American Department of Agriculture reported:

In Korea the cultivated ginseng is smaller than the wild or sansam  literally mountain ginseng  the root of which attains a length of a foot or more and a diameter of an inch and upward. It is said that when this wild root is administered (always at a single dose), the patient loses consciousness for a greater or less time, and for about a month is tortured by boils, eruptions, sleeplessness, and other ills. Rejuvenation then begins, the skin becomes clear, the body healthy, and the person will live, such is the belief, exempt from disease for many years.

The earlier-mentioned English journal described similar results but noted the loss of consciousness was for three days and the immunity from sickness was for a period of 90 to 100 years during which time the imbiber would suffer neither from heat nor cold.

While the Americans and English may have laughed at the purported strengths of the plant, perhaps dismissing the tales as superstitious mumbo jumbo, ginseng was prized by many of their own countrymen for its natural and supernatural powers  at least in the past.

Daniel Boone, an early American folk hero, used to hunt and sell ginseng. Ginseng was used stimulate the appetites in elderly people and weak children. It could also fortify the strength of women. Of course, it was also good for men. A couple of cups of ginseng tea could help to tone up the male reproductive organs. It could also be made into an ointment that could be applied externally to restore male virility.

Even scientific journals weighed in on the purported medical uses of ginseng. According to Scientific American (January 1891):

The ginseng formerly had some reputation in Europe, but the doctors both there and in America have decided that there is so little real medicinal worth in the root that it has been discarded, like so many other herbal remedies of former days.The [Asians] look upon our distrust of it as another proof of the want of common sense in the foreign devils, while they regard with still more contempt many a drug in vogue with our practitioners.

While many Americans may have denounced ginseng as having no real medicinal worth, no one was discarding it  instead, they were selling it. As we shall see, American ginseng soon began to dominate the Asian market.

My appreciation to Diane Nars for her invaluable assistance.

Robert Neff has authored and co-authored several books, including Letters from Joseon, Korea Through Western Eyes and Brief Encounters.
By Scott Shepherd

Among many Koreans with whom I have spoken there is an unfortunate misconception: that, apart from fish and chips, British cuisine doesnt exist. This illusion persists even among the very wisest and most unimpeachable members of society, namely my wife.

Accompanying this belief is an unspoken comparison between Koreas impressive culinary achievements and Britains alleged lack thereof: look at all the jjangs and tangs, the jeons and myeons and baps and guks. What from your rainy island can compare with our ancient and succulent smorgasbord? But while I certainly do love Korean food, I fundamentally reject the premise that Britains fare is as poor as everyone thinks. Pervading the conversation are several assumptions about Korean food, so to explore why the myth perseveres so doggedly, Id like to consider a few select dishes and discuss what they suggest about K-food.

First: noodles. The BBC reported last month that Denmarks food agency issued a recall on Korean Buldak instant noodles because the food was so spicy that it posed a risk of the consumer developing acute poisoning. To the delight of spice-lovers across the world, the Danish authorities reversed their recall this week.

The BBC article and others that followed contained a mild undertone of levity, but while most coverage focused on the details of the case  the Danish agencys statement, the companys response, whether the Danes are simply unable to take the heat  what caught my attention was the use of the word to describe the food in question: ramen.

Perhaps I have lived in Korea so long that a latent sense of nationalism has started to rub off on me, because I cant help thinking its inaccurate to use the term ramen to describe Korean noodles. Ramen is a Japanese word referring to Japanese food, while the Korean word ramyeon (also spelled ramyun) signifies a different dish with a different origin. For readers wanting a detailed exploration of the differences, The Korea Herald published a brief but thoughtful piece on the question a few years ago. Although the food and even the word ramyeon both derive from Japanese, the two words (and foods) remain distinct.

Confusingly, several Korean food manufacturers label their product as ramen  including Samyang, the makers of the Buldak noodles that have proven so dangerous to delicate Danish tongues. Given the historical animosity between Korea and Japan, it is hard to understand why Korean companies would be willing to have their products subsumed under a word implying they are something else, and a Japanese something at that.

The word should, I think, be consistently spelled either ramyeon or ramyun in English; the former is preferable since it conforms to the Korean governments romanisation standards. This spelling would distinguish the Korean noodle from its Japanese counterpart and would give a further boost to the culinary reputation of a nation whose cultural standing has already been so advanced over the past decade. Korea now has the international clout that it previously lacked to assert its own gastronomical distinctiveness.

Among all the worlds problems, the way we spell the name of a noodle is certainly not the worst. But spelling does matter because words say so much about origins. This becomes particularly clear when we think of the hullabaloo a few years ago surrounding the apparent attempts by Chinese officials to suggest that kimchi is Chinese. After all, the clash stemmed from the conflation of the Korean word kimchi and the Chinese word pao cai, implying the two are the same (and both Chinese). Following the predictable uproar in Korea, some parts of the Chinese media rowed back, suggesting that the whole issue was simply due to poor translation.

In any case, the defence of kimchis Koreanness has always been far more passionate than the rather lackadaisical approach to the ramen/ramyeon question. This is easily explained in that the spelling debate is a question of English semantics, hardly the most riveting topic for Korean netizens. Kimchi is also far older, dating back centuries or perhaps millennia; the noodles mere decades pales in comparison. And of course, kimchi is Koreas representative food: to meddle with it is to face the wrath of a nation.

But an interesting counterpoint to kimchi comes in the form of jjajangmyeon. It was developed in Korea, is sold in Korea and in Korean restaurants abroad, and is eaten almost exclusively by Koreans. Yet the food is categorised here not as hansik (i.e. Korean food) but chungsik (Chinese food).

The direct explanation for this is found in jjajangmyeons origins as a dish based on Chinese food and developed by Chinese immigrants  though its worth noting that the food was created in a restaurant in Incheon. But can we really describe as Chinese something that is eaten almost exclusively by Koreans in Korea, particularly when its not widely eaten in China or by Chinese people?

And what about the products derived from jjajangmyeon? Are such foods as chapaghetti not Korean? Or Jjajangbap? They have been developed in Korea by Koreans for the Korean market, but they derive from a dish labelled Chinese. Where do they fit in?

And yet I think Koreans do actually accept jjajangmyeon as Korean in deed if not in name. It is sold in Korean restaurants across the world, and I imagine that if a representative of a neighbouring country made noises that suggested jjajangmyeon really was Chinese, Koreans would reject this loudly and clearly.

To me it only makes sense to see jjajangmyeon (and its modern descendants) as Korean. Perhaps this is because I come to the whole issue as someone who grew up and studied in London, where nationality, citizenship and belonging are much more loosely-held concepts. Identity in the U.K. is less dependent on the past  origins, history, race  and more on the present  location, citizenship, sentiment. In Korea, it is all bound up together, as Ive written before: you can only be accepted as Korean if you tick all the right boxes.

These attitudes extend not just to identity but to food too. While Britain does have an assortment of delectable traditional foods  biscuits, breakfasts, cheeses, crisps, muffins, pasties, pies, roasts, salads, sandwiches, sausages, scones, soups  it also has embraced all kinds of other dishes. Coronation chicken and chicken tikka masala are just as British as baked potatoes, and so are whatever the modern dishes being developed in trendy overpriced eateries in Shoreditch and Soho.

Our food reflects so much about us. Underlying the claim that Britain has no cuisine is the implication that a nations food cannot have outside influences to be truly from that country. Its the same reason everyone calls jjajangmyeon Chinese despite all the evidence to the contrary.

So there we have it: jjajangmyeon is Korean, kimchi is not Chinese, and British food does indeed exist. And best of all, our Danish friends once again have access to ramyeon.

Dr. Scott Shepherd (scottshepherd@chongshin.ac.kr) is a British-American academic. He has taught in universities in the U.K. and Korea, and is currently an assistant professor of English at Chongshin University in Seoul. The views expressed in the article are the author's own and do not reflect the editorial direction of The Korea Times.
U.S. President Joe Biden pledged to stay in the White House race Friday, defying a growing Democratic party revolt that raised speculation he could bow out as soon as this weekend.

"The stakes are high, and the choice is clear. Together, we will win," the 81-year-old said in a statement from the Delaware beach home where he is in COVID isolation.

"I look forward to getting back on the campaign trail next week," Biden added, as his doctor said the president was bouncing back from the symptoms of the disease.

But Biden's political health appeared to be in far worse shape, with ten more House Democrats and two senators joining the list of lawmakers publicly calling on him to quit November's election clash with Donald Trump.

A disastrous debate performance against Trump three weeks ago triggered panic about Biden's age and health. More than 30 House Democrats and four senators have now called on him to drop out.

A key donor, Silicon Valley investor Michael Moritz, also joined other supporters such as actor George Clooney who want Biden to make way.

"Sadly, President Biden has a choice  vanity or virtue," the New York Times quoted Moritz as saying.

With reports that top Democrats have also expressed concerns, polls showing Trump on course for a return to the Oval Office, and fundraising drying up, the walls appeared to be closing in.

NBC News reported that some of Biden's family had "discussed what an exit from his campaign might look like" although there was no final decision to do so.

Vice President Kamala Harris, the front-runner to succeed him as the Democratic presidential candidate if Biden does drop out, was holding an emergency call with donors on Friday.

Biden's campaign however pushed back against reports that he would bow out, saying that while there had been some "slippage" in support, he was still the best candidate.

"Absolutely the president's in this race," campaign chairwoman Jen O'Malley Dillon told MSNBC's Morning Joe program. "Joe Biden is more committed than ever to beat Donald Trump."

'Dark vision'

Biden's statement blasted his rival's speech at the Republican National Convention in Milwaukee on Thursday, saying that "Donald Trump's dark vision for the future is not who we are as Americans."

But the split-screen between the two campaigns has been stark, with Trump receiving a triumphant reception from newly unified Republicans after surviving an assassination attempt on Saturday.

The pressure on Biden has soared in the last 48 hours, with reports that former president Barack Obama, ex-House speaker Nancy Pelosi and the party's congressional leaders had all expressed concerns behind the scenes.

Top House Democrat Hakeem Jeffries was evasive on Friday, saying that the "ticket that exists right now is the ticket we can win on" but saying it was Biden's "decision to make."

The scene could now be set for the most crucial weekend of Biden's presidency, with media speculation that the U.S. leader is using his time hunkered down in Rehoboth Beach to consult family members and mull over the path ahead.

The NBC report said it could involve a "carefully calculated plan" to step aside based on his own timing, to give some dignity to what would be a historically late decision by a sitting U.S. president not to run.

Any decision by Biden to step aside less than four months from the election would also have to try to avoid chaos in the Democratic Party over his successor as nominee.

Biden beat Trump in 2020, becoming the oldest president in U.S. history in the process.

But a series of polls have shown him trailing Trump in the 2024 race despite his rival being a convicted felon, while some polls show Harris as more competitive. (AFP)
Traditional pomp and cannon fire marked the coronation of Malaysia's billionaire King Sultan Ibrahim Iskandar, Saturday, who pledged to govern fairly during the five-year term he will serve under a unique rotating monarchy system.

Sultan Ibrahim, 65, was sworn in, Jan. 31. Saturdays coronation at the national palace formalized his role as Malaysias 17th king in a ceremony steeped in Malay culture and pageantry.

Nine ethnic Malay state rulers take turns as Malaysias king for five-year terms under the country's rotating monarchy, which began when Malaysia gained independence from Britain in 1957. Malaysia has 13 states but only nine have royal families, some which trace their roots to centuries-old Malay kingdoms that were independent states until they were brought together by the British.

Donned in black and a gold traditional ceremonial outfit and headgear, Sultan Ibrahim and Queen Raja Zarith Sofiah were greeted by a military salute before they proceeded to the throne. The heads of the other royal families, Brunei Sultan Hassanal Bolkiah and Bahrain King Hamad Isa al Khalifa were seated on a stage beside the throne.

At the start of the proceedings, a copy of the Quran was presented to the Sultan who kissed it. The monarch received a gold dagger, a symbol of power. Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim then pledged his government's loyalty and said the royal institution was a pillar of strength for the nation. He then proclaimed Sultan Ibrahim as Malaysia's new king.

God willing, I will discharge my duties faithfully and honestly, and to rule fairly, Sultan Ibrahim said in his coronation speech. He also urged Anwar's government to step up efforts to improve the livelihood of the people and bolster the nation's development. After the sultan took his oath, guests in the hall chanted Long live the king three times.

Sultan Ibrahim from southern Johor state bordering Singapore is one of the countrys richest men, with a business empire spanning from telecoms to real estate. He is known for his collection of luxury cars and motorbikes, and is the only state ruler with a small private army  a concession granted to his state when it joined modern-day Malaysia. The sultan is vocal about Malaysian politics, and has spoken out about corruption and racial discrimination.

Known as the Yang Di-Pertuan Agong, or He Who is Made Lord, the king plays a largely ceremonial role, with administrative power vested in the prime minister and Parliament. The monarch is the nominal head of the government and armed forces and is regarded as the protector of Islam and Malay tradition.

All laws, Cabinet appointments and the dissolution of Parliament for general elections require his formal assent. The king has the power to proclaim an emergency and pardon criminals. (AP)




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TWICE member Sana is turning heads with her steamy visuals for the group's latest Japanese album, "DIVE."

On July 18, 2024, a post titled "Sana in TWICE's fifth Japanese album that is going viral on X (Twitter)" was shared with TheQoo, an online community forum that is well-known in South Korea. In the post, the author shared several photos of Sana that were included in the album.

IN CASE YOU MISSED IT: Beauty Brand Sparks Fanwar After Indirect Comparison Between TWICE Sana & Rose

Additonally, the author included a tweet of Sana from a fan. In the tweet, they call her the "GOAT," which means "greatest of all time."

In the comments, Korean netizens went wild over the Japanese idol. They claimed her beauty was reminiscent of a Gumiho, or the legendary nine-tailed fox. Many were shocked by her beauty, talking about how she was so pretty that it was hard to believe she was human. Some claimed she was a goddess.

YOU MIGHT BE INTERESTED IN: TWICE Sana Turns Heads At Milan Fashion Week With Her Stunning Visuals: 'Main Event, Princess Minatozaki...'

Others cheered the iconic phrase, "No Sana, No Life," which fans use to showcase their never-ending love for the TWICE member. Korean netizens commented how mesmerized they are over her visuals, and commented that she is going to be a hot girl for the rest of her life.

Some comments read,

"She looks like a Gumiho."

"She is too pretty... It's crazy, she is too pretty."

"No Sana, No Life!"

"Sana is a goddess..."

"Sana... I felt mesmerized by the photos the moment I saw them. She looks like a Gumiho."

"She is too pretty!"

"She is going to be a hot girl for the rest of her life."

"Wow, she is seriously the best."

"Unnie, please stop flirting with me... Wow..."

"She is so beautiful."

What do you think of the situation? Tell us in the comments below!

CHECK THIS OUT: TWICE Sana Turns Journalists' Photos Into Pictorial: 'Oh, She Knows She's Fine'

In other news, TWICE released their fifth Japanese studio album, "DIVE," on July 17. The group will conclude their "Ready to Be" world tour that same month with several special concerts in Japan. TWICE will become the first non-Japanese artist to headline a concert at Nissan Stadium.

KpopStarz Owns This

Written by Alexa Lopez
PLAVE, a virtual idol group, has secured a historic position in Melon's prestigious "Billions Club."

Since their debut in a mere 494 days, PLAVE has achieved over 1 billion streams.

This accomplishment shatters the previous record held by NewJeans and highlights PLAVE's meteoric rise in the music industry.

Melon, South Korea's leading music streaming platform, houses approximately 3 million artists.

Among these, only 109 have attained the coveted milestone of 1 billion streams, with PLAVE being the latest addition.

Their cumulative streams across all released songs reached an impressive 1,003,620,000, firmly placing them in Melon's elite league of top-streamed artists.

The group's journey to the "Billions Club" is underscored by their consistent popularity and groundbreaking achievements.

PLAVE's debut mini-album, "ASTERUM: 134-1," emerged as a standout in Melon's 2024 mid-year summary, boasting the highest streaming numbers among top releases.

READ MORE: HYBE Faces Backlash Over NewJeans' Hanni & RIIZE's Anton Dating Allegation - 'This Is Why HYBE Is Going Down the Drain'

The album's lead track, "WAY 4 LUV," alone garnered 104 million streams, solidifying PLAVE's stronghold in the digital music landscape.

What sets PLAVE apart is not only their rapid ascent and creative autonomy.

All 16 songs released since their inception have been written and composed by the group members, resonating deeply with their global fanbase.

Earlier this year, PLAVE made history as the first virtual idol group to claim the top spot on a terrestrial music show, further cementing their influence and breaking traditional barriers in the K-pop scene.

PLAVE's popularity extends beyond digital platforms, as evidenced by their inaugural solo concert, which saw over 70,000 simultaneous logins during presale ticket openings.

ALSO READ: UK Band Shakatak Takes Legal Action Over NewJeans' 'Bubble Gum' for Plagiarism

KpopStarz owns this article.

Written by Cassidy Jones.
HBO's series "The Idol" has garnered significant attention again, receiving a nomination for the 76th Primetime Emmy Awards in the "Outstanding Choreography" category.

The show, featuring music sensation Abel "The Weeknd" Tesfaye, model-actress Lily-Rose Depp, and BLACKPINK member Jennie, has been praised for its artistic vision and criticized for its controversial content.

Choreography has emerged as a focal point of admiration and scrutiny within "The Idol."

Critics have described the dance sequences, particularly those involving Jennie and male dancers, as overly sensual and provocative.

The inclusion of suggestive costumes and the portrayal of Jennie's character have sparked intense debate about the show's portrayal of women in the music industry.

"The Idol" made its debut at the Cannes Film Festival in 2023, where it initially shocked audiences with its bold and sensitive subject matter. Upon its television release, the series continued to divide viewers, sparking heated discussions about its themes and character portrayals.

READ MORE: BLACKPINK Jennie Makes Her First Graceful Reappearance After Vaping Scandal Backlash

The disappointment expressed by Jennie's fans over her limited screen time and the perceived lack of depth in her character development further fueled the intense debate.

HERE ARE SOME OF THE FANS' REACTIONS:

Jennie is outstanding, she doesn't deserve to be in a terrible show like this one. She deserves better I hope in the future, her talent won't be wasted like this As a fanboy i aint gonna lie.. She deserve better roles than this I'm not gonna sugarcoat it. Jennie did an amazing job. But why tf is Hollywood literally using her as a prop to get attention? They KNOW this will garner attention from a fanbase. That's not their own. The needles sexualization and camera angles are SO CLEAR I'm definitely disappointed I didn't expected this from my bias!

In response to the controversy surrounding "The Idol," HBO announced its decision not to renew the series for additional seasons, citing the polarized reactions and ongoing debates as contributing factors.

Despite the mixed reception, "The Idol" has now found itself in competition for an Emmy award.

According to sources at The Wrap, the series is poised to face tough competition from shows like "Only Murders in the Building," "Palm Royale," and "Physical" in the Outstanding Choreography category.

Nonetheless, "The Idol" is seen as having a slight edge and could potentially secure a prestigious Emmy for HBO.

The nomination has reignited discussions about the boundaries of artistic expression in television and the portrayal of sensitive subjects.

ALSO READ: BLACKPINK Jennie Dating SEVENTEEN Mingyu? Rumor Arises Due to THESE Reasons

KpopStarz owns this article.

Written by Cassidy Jones.
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Emergency medical technician students went in service  10-8 in emergency radio code-speak  on a mock call Friday in Allentown.

The Lehigh Valley Health Network Emergency Medical Institute, 2100 Mack Blvd. in Allentown, hosted the EMT class exercise.

Multiple EMS agencies were on hand to assist the students with the exercise in which they were to respond to an emergency call, treat the patient and take them to the ambulance.

They then drove around the parking lot of LVHNMack Boulevard, simulating the trip to the hospital, before bringing the patient in to an emergency department classroom and giving a patient report to a nurse.

Under guidelines from the National Association of State EMS Officials, Pennsylvania EMT students complete 150 to 200 hours of training before they are certified. Visit the Pennsylvania Department of Healths website to learn more.

Our journalism needs your support. Please subscribe today to lehighvalleylive.com.
A man with 183 convictions was arrested for public order offences at Portlaoise Train Station on the day he was released from prison.

Declan Walsh(44) of Simon Community Hostel, 27 Harcourt Street, Dublin 2 was arrested for being intoxicated and abusive at Portlaoise Train Station on April 8, 2024.

Garda Sergeant Jason Hughes said gardai responded to reports of an intoxicated male at Portlaoise Train Station on the date in question. When they arrived they found an intoxicated male who exchanged a few verbals with gardai before being arrested. He said there was no issue with the defendant when he sobered up.

Sgt Hughes said the man had 183 previous convictions, 40 of which were for public order offences.

Solicitor Josephine Fitzpatrick said there was no use of force in the arrest of her client who had just finished serving a prison sentence.

He had been released that very day and obviously had a few too many, she explained.

She said the man handed himself into gardai on July 3 and has been in custody since. She said he is expected to undergo a medical procedure and is concerned he might miss it.

He has been waiting eight years for a new hip and now has that appointment for the 31st of July, she explained.

He is terrified he is going to miss his hip replacement, she said.

Ms Fitzpatrick said her client was on a methadone programme.

Judge Andrew Cody jailed the man for 20 days and backdated the sentence to July 3. He granted legal aid.
A Russian man appeared in court following a motorway collision where people were injured and two cars were written off.

Irakli Berdzenishvili(30) of the Montague Hotel, Cappakeel, Emo admitted having no insurance on the M7 motorway on February 17 last.

Garda Eoin McMahon told a sitting of Portlaoise District Court that he responded to a crash on the motorway at 8pm on the date in question.

He said the defendant was one of the drivers involved and there was no insurance disc in the window of his vehicle. He said there were minor injuries as a result of the collision and the defendant had no previous convictions.

David Nugent BL said his client doesnt speak any English. He said the man was pleading guilty to no insurance but he asked for an adjournment and for an interpreter to be assigned in order to consult with the man.

Judge Andrew Cody asked if the man was working and he enquired about the damage caused in the collision.

Garda McMahon said there was two other vehicles written off as a result of the crash.

Mr Nugent said his client wasnt working and he had an application for legal aid.

Judge Cody requested a Russian interpreter and granted legal aid. He adjourned the case back to Portlaoise District Court on September 5.
Uisce Eireann has come in for severe criticism in Laois for not warning the people of Mountmellick about a long water outage caused by the clearing of a reservoir that supplies the town.

However, the company insists that the work went on for 'slightly longer' than expected and it gave notice of the works on its website while it automatically sends texts to people about disruptions.

However, that wasn't the experience of local people according to their public representative. The State-owned utility, aka Irish Water, came in for a stinging rebuke from Cllr Paddy Bracken at a meeting in Laois County Council.

"I want to condemn in the strongest possible way the failure of Irish Water to notify the people of Mountmellick about the cutting off of water," he told councillors and officials.

The Fianna Fail representative said the water was out from 9am on Thursday, July 18 and did not return until the early hours of Friday, July 19.

He acknowledged the work had to be done at the Derryguile reservoir. He understood that 45 tonnes of sediment had to be removed. That being said he insisted that the company should have done more.

He said a leaflet drop could have been carried out temporary electronic signs erected around the town advising people of what was to come a week out before the work was scheduled.

"There were elderly people left with no water in awful situations," he said.

Cllr Bracken added that the company's failure to adequately communicate the outage resulted in Irish Water's local staff taking "untold abuse" which he said was "unfair" as they were only doing their job.

He raised the problem at a Borris-in-Ossory Mountmellick Municipal District meeting where he called for a letter to be written to Uisce Eireann. He said this must condemn what happened and insist there should not be a repeat. This was agreed at the meeting.

"If there is a breakdown due to a damaged pipe people can understand but this was a planned operation and no one was informed," he said.

There were no recent notifications about work in Mountmellick on the Uisce Eireann X social media account. It's website does carry a notice confirming that work were scheduled to take place from 9am until midnight on 18 July. It added that people should allow 3-4 hours after the estimated restoration time for your supply to fully return.

The Leinster Express / Laois Live contacted Uisce Eireann for a statement. It confirmed that the was necessary.

"Essential maintenance on the drinking water reservoir at Mountmellick was undertaken on the 18 July which caused supply disruptions to Catholes, The Rock, Acragar and surrounding areas in Co. Laois. Works were due for completion at midnight, in July. Due to the complexity of the work it was completed slightly later than expected. Full supply was returned through the night," it said.

The company added that its crews worked early Friday morning, July 19, to manage some airlocks on the network associated to return of supply. It added that would take until later into July 19 before normal water pressure is fully returned to all customers, especially for those on higher ground or at the end of the network. It also advised anyone who experiences issues on return of supply such as discolouration, low pressure or airlocks can find further information which may help on our website.

The company also commented on the claim that no notice was given.

"As per regulatory requirements the details of all planned interruptions to a water supply are communicated digitally on our website at least 48 hours in advance. When a planned interruption is uploaded to the Uisce Eireann website, it automatically activations our vulnerable customers and a text message is issued.

"Our vulnerable customer contact process is activated to ensure customers who have highlighted to us that they have specific needs where the water supply is essential are contacted directly.

"Uisce Eireann understands the inconvenience when an outage occurs and thanks customers for their patience while we worked to restore supply," it said.

Uisce Eireann added that its customer care helpline is open 24/7 on 1800 278 278 and customers can also contact us on X @IWCare with any queries.
A full moon gathering held once a month at the picturesque Derryounce Lake is proving hugely popular with yoga lovers and those seeking some quality time for themselves.

Sinead Dempsey, a member of the Port Art Collective, started out this monthly tradition back in June 2022 after attending an event in Dublin and longed for something similar to be set up closer to home.



Ahead of the next Fullmoon Midlands Gathering on Monday, July 22 Sinead has spoken to the Leinster Express/Laois Live about what's involved and the benefits of taking part. CONTINUE READING BELOW PHOTO

"A few years ago, my friend Pamela and I attended a full moon healing circle in Killiney and loved it. The only downside was the long drive for a 30-minute gathering," said Sinead.



"Then we thought, why not use Derryounce Lake, also known as Bog Beach? When we asked if we could organise a monthly event for yoga or meditation, they were thrilled and have been incredibly supportive of our meetups.



"Since June 2022, we have met monthly, except for a winter due to the cold and darkness.

"I am a people person, and enjoy meeting new people while getting out into nature. While Im not a yoga instructor or healer, I spent over 20 years as a masseuse, so helping others has always been my passion. I got into this type of event as I am part of The Port Art Collective and we have run a good few events and festivals over the last few years. When I suggested the idea of a fullmoon gathering there was a lot of interest. Ive noticed that charging for events can raise expectations and sometimes discourage participation. This is why I decided to keep our gatherings free, making them accessible to everyone, especially in these challenging times.



"Our gatherings are entirely volunteer-based, with no money exchanged. For the first event, I invited a few friends to meet at the lake under the full moon, around a fire, for some yoga. About 20 people showed up, and everyone loved it. Alice in Yogaland led a beautiful yoga session, and we stayed chatting for hours, buzzing with the joy of the full moon. Since then, we've continued the tradition.



"The event wouldn't be possible without our amazing instructors. Over the last two years we have had some incredible people volunteering to do yoga, medication or chakra clearing. From Alice n Yoga Land, Aligned with Amanda, Elisa Caracalla, Eve Daly, Mary Ann, Yoga with Shina and Catriona Nurturing You & Baby Yoga."



At this month's gathering Sarah from Healing Yoga With Sarah will be delivering a yoga session while participants watch the sunset and see the full moon rise. CONTINUE READING BELOW PHOTO



"Sarah's classes are all about bringing the awareness back to ourselves, so we can heal, learn and love ourselves unconditionally. She has been a yoga student for over 20 years and a teacher since 2016," explained Sinead.

"What to expect with Sarah's class will be a beautiful grounding yoga practice, you will leave feeling relaxed and restored.

"With a combination of breath, movement, flexibility and strength. Yogis will explore the feeling of the postures instead of being concerned about the poses. It will be an embodied, deeply nourishing evening. Come as you are."



The next Fullmoon Midlands Gathering will take place on Monday, Jully 22 at 8pm at Derryounce Lake.
Throughout history, Ireland has seen its people emigrate in droves. Be it due to the Famine of the 1840s, or the economic crisis of the 1950s, we have always seen our people leave to pursue a better life elsewhere.

Why are our family and friends still forced to leave home to achieve a comfortable existence?

The Leinster Express/Laois Live spoke to young people from Laois who have emigrated as part of our series on their stories and reasons for leaving.

Shane from Camross is working remotely for a Laois based company in Madrid. He has lived there since 2022.

I kind of did the classic thing- there arent many education options in Laois, so I moved to Dublin and went to college there. I found the same issues that are happening everywhere- the prices just go up and up, said Shane.

Youre paying double the rent in Laois, and its not even in the city centre. You want something thats affordable. But if you leave the city, you lose the amenities and its harder to access work, he said.

Shane told us that one of the main reasons for leaving Laois was the price of housing.

It just goes up and up, and gets further out of reach. Youll never feel like youre making good ground for saving for a deposit. Ive ruled out coming back to Laois, just based on the lack of amenities compared to bigger cities, he said.

I was considering moving to the states, and then they offered me a position in Spain instead. Ive been here in Madrid for about two and a half years now.

Its good [in Madrid] it's very good. In some cases there are challenges, like language barriers. I never thought I could pick up the language, but Im doing better than I thought- my work is in English so Im lucky with that.

You make new friends, but life doesnt pause back home. You almost expect things to stay in stasis but it's not only your life thats changing. Im lucky to get back regularly, but it can still be tough.

Housing is way cheaper out here, and everything is really well run. That has been the biggest shock for me, with healthcare, things are subsidised in Ireland, but everything here is free. Its also really easy to get in contact with your local GP, said Shane.

Roads and public transport are really good, and not just in the cities. Theres high-speed rail across the country, and its less expensive than it is in Ireland.

We could be so much more efficient in Ireland- we have the money, but for some reason the picture just doesnt come together, he explained.

Depending on the area in Spain, the cost of living can be better or worse.

In Ireland, you go to a house viewing with 20-30 other people there, and the landlord cherry-picks the tenant.

Here, you get to consider whether you like the property or not, and its just you at a house viewing. If you want it and are suitable, you get the place.

Its not the same cut-throat system that we have in Ireland for renting at all, he said.

It was always Laois is cheap, Dublin is expensive, so everytime I go home Im always shocked at how much the house prices continue to go up. I cannot get my head around the rental prices in Portlaoise.

Shane originally didnt want to leave Ireland, but felt he had to.

I didnt want to leave at all actually. I saw a lot of friends leaving, and I was so optimistic that our generation would reverse this trend of young people leaving.

This has been a problem for years, and there has been no progress in solving it.

I wanted to stay, until I realised that I just dont see a future. Now that Ive left, I just dont see myself returning.

Once an Irish citizen has been out of Ireland for over two years, they can no longer vote in Irish elections.

Irish people are forced to leave due to a lack of prospects, and should they stay abroad, they have no say in how the country can be improved for them to come home.

I didnt leave because I wanted to, I left because I had to, and once youre out of the country over two years, you can no longer post your votes. I feel like this is a serious issue without a magical solution, but it needs to be addressed, Shane pointed out.

The biggest thing I would say to people considering leaving, is that leaving isnt magical.

Do your research and consider whether itll actually get you ahead financially. Leaving because you have no prospects here doesn't necessarily mean that things will change abroad. Its much easier to get skills in Ireland and then go.

Spain and Australia might be better than Ireland, but they still have housing crises too, Shane finished.
A Naas District Court case concerning an alleged assault in Naas has been struck out.

Back in 2021, it was heard that Sylwia Balecka, whose address was given as Craddockstown Way in Naas, was being prosecuted for an alleged breach of the Health Act and alleged assault on January 4 last at the Lidl store located on the Newbridge Road in Naas.

Garda Sergeant Jim Kelly claimed at the time that the 44-year-old was not wearing a face mask when she entered the store.

When asked to wear one, she allegedly refused and she allegedly began to record the incident on her phone.

He also claimed that she allegedly assaulted a staff member in the face when she was asked to leave.

At the time, solicitor Matt Byrne said that the defendant was exempt from wearing a face mask, and added that a letter to this effect from her doctor has been handed over to the prosecution.

On the latest date  Thursday, July 18  solicitor Tim Kennelly raised the issue of delay to substitute judge Nicola-Jane Andrews.

Mr Kennelly said that his client has been in court 'on every single occasion' when her case was called in the past.

Garda Sergeant David Hanrahan told the judge that the prosecution did have a witness.

However, the witness was unable to stay in the court beyond a certain time.

Judge Andrews decided to strike the case out on the grounds of systemic delay.
This years Gerard Manley Hopkins Summer Festival in Newbridges annual Art Exhibition features Desmond Morris, better known for presenting Zootime on BBC TV and even more so for the amazing success of his book The Naked Ape (20 million copies sold worldwide).

Morris is also a surrealist painter and is often called the last surrealist since he exhibited with Joan Miro in 1950. Morris has been recognised as an artist of real quality, probably the foremost living exponent of Surrealism in Britain and beyond.

The exhibition is open to the public and continues for the duration of the festival. 96-year-old Desmond Morris was also due to attend the official opening last night.

The Gerard Manley Hopkins International Festival based at Newbridge College Theatre will run until July 25.

A classical concert will be performed tonight, Saturday, July 20 at 8 pm by distinguished Swedish pianist Hans Palsson who will include Mozart, Schubert and Beethoven.

A highly successful Youth Programme runs parallel to the main programme under the direction of Derek Egan. This year more than 30 pre-Leaving Certificate honours students will attend.

Since 1987, Irish poet Desmond Egan and a team of dedicated professionals have been hosting The Gerard Manley Hopkins Festival, now in its 36th year and based in Newbridge College Theatre, celebrating the writings of Gerard Manley Hopkins, his links with Ireland and his interests: Poetry; Art; Music, Philosophy and Conservation. The Societys aim is to provide artistic and cultural fulfilment.

This year international participants will travel from USA; Canada, Japan; South Korea, Germany; France; Belgium; Wales, Poland; Sweden, Netherlands; Finland; Cyprus, U.K. and Ireland for the event.

The festivals full programme of events are open to the public and further details are available on the website www.gerardmanleyhopkins.org
Zscale Labstm Unveils Groundbreaking Neuromorphic AI for Medical Imaging





Cutting-Edge Technology Enhances Chest X-Ray Classification for Superior Patient Outcomes

DUBAI, UAE, July 19, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- Zscale Labstm is excited to announce the launch of its revolutionary Neuromorphic AI, a state-of-the-art tool designed to advance medical diagnostics by enabling multi-label Chest X-Ray image classification. This breakthrough technology demonstrates how Zscale Labstm is reshaping the landscape of healthcare through cognitive computing.

Accurate and timely diagnosis is critical, particularly for respiratory conditions. Our innovative tool leverages the power of Zscale Labstm Hyperdimensional Computing (HDC) and deep learning to assist radiologists and healthcare providers in diagnosing multiple chest conditions from X-ray images. This ensures better patient outcomes and underscores the transformative potential of AI in precision medicine.

Key features of our Neuromorphic AI breakthrough include:

Advanced Spatial Transformer Network (STN): Enhances the precision of image analysis by focusing on relevant areas within X-rays.

Enhances the precision of image analysis by focusing on relevant areas within X-rays. Hyperdimensional Computing (HDC) Encoding: Operates in a high-dimensional space for superior pattern recognition and accurate multi-label classification.

Zscale Labstm brain-inspired approach empowers medical professionals with intricate details crucial for precise diagnosis, operating efficiently in high-dimensional spaces to enhance pattern cognition. This technology not only improves diagnostic accuracy but also significantly reduces analysis time, making it an invaluable tool in modern healthcare.

For more information about Zscale Labstm and its Neuromorphic AI technology, visit

https://www.zscalelabs.com/post/revolutionizing-healthcare-with-neuromorphic-ai

About Zscale Labstm

Zscale Labstm is a leading provider of AI solutions for large enterprises ready to take the leap. Our expertise lies in traditional AI and highly advanced AI, with a primary focus on Hyperdimensional Computing (HDC) and neuromorphic computing. We are committed to developing AI systems that not only execute tasks with exceptional efficiency but also comprehend and adapt to the challenges of the real world.

Backed not only by extensive experience in conventional code development, we aim to create advanced AI that is remarkably intuitive, flexible, and capable well beyond traditional general intelligence. This innovative approach distinguishes Zscale Labstm as a trailblazer in the AI solution provider industry.

Zscale Labstm ? "Your Vision, Our AI Expertise"

www.ZscaleLabs.com

Also see information on Zscale Labstm Hyperdimensional Computing (HDC):

https://www.zscalelabs.com/post/molehd-accelerating-molecule-discovery-with-hyperdimensional-computing-hdc

Contact:

Zac Zacharia

Lead Researcher / Cofounder

Zscale Labstm | www.zscalelabs.com

***@zscalelabs.com

Photos:

https://www.prlog.org/13030077

Press release distributed by PRLog

SOURCE Zscale Labstm

19 july 2024 at 18:45

News published onand distributed by:
TRANSPORTADORA DE GAS DEL SUR S.A. ANNOUNCES THE EXPIRATION AND TENDER RESULTS FOR ITS CASH TENDER OFFER FOR ANY AND ALL OF ITS OUTSTANDING 6.750% SENIOR NOTES DUE 2025





BUENOS AIRES, Argentina, July 19, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- Transportadora de Gas del Sur S.A. ("TGS," the "Company" or "we") today announced the expiration and tender results of the previously-announced offer by the Company to purchase for cash (the "Offer") from each registered holder (each, a "Holder" and, collectively, the "Holders") any and all of its outstanding 6.750% senior notes due 2025 (the "Notes") issued by the Company under the indenture dated as of May 2, 2018 (the "Indenture").

The Offer expired at 5:00 p.m., New York City time, on July 19, 2024 (such date and time, the "Expiration Date").

The Company has been advised that, as of the Expiration Date, U.S.$299,439,000 in aggregate principal amount of Notes, or approximately 63.67% of the Notes outstanding, have been validly tendered and not validly withdrawn pursuant to the Offer. Additionally, U.S.$150,000 in aggregate principal amount of Notes, or approximately 0.03% of the Notes outstanding have been tendered pursuant to guaranteed delivery procedures.

The Company has accepted for purchase all of the Notes validly tendered in the Offer and not validly withdrawn on or prior to the Expiration Date. Notes accepted for purchase, including Notes tendered pursuant to guaranteed delivery procedures, will be paid in full by the Company on July 24, 2024 (the "Settlement Date").

The Offer was made by the Company pursuant to the offer to purchase dated July 15, 2024 (the "Offer to Purchase") and the related guaranteed delivery instruction (together with the Offer to Purchase, the "Offer Documents"). The principal purpose of the Offer was to purchase for cash any and all of the outstanding Notes. The Company intends to finance the purchase of the Notes with the proceeds of a concurrent issuance of notes.

The Notes and other information relating to the Offer are listed in the table below:

Notes

CUSIP / ISIN / Common Code

Numbers

Outstanding Principal

Amount

Offer Consideration(1) (2) 6.750% Senior Notes

due 2025 893870 AX3 / US893870AX30 /

181768711 P9308R AZ6 / USP9308RAZ66 /

181768690 U.S.$470,324,000 U.S.$1,000

(1) Per U.S.$1,000 principal amount of Notes validly tendered and accepted for purchase. The Offer Consideration does not include accrued interest.

(2) Holders will also receive accrued interest from and including the last interest payment date for the Notes up to but not including the Settlement Date.

Holders who had validly tendered and not withdrawn their Notes at or before the Expiration Date are entitled to receive U.S.$1,000 per U.S.$1,000 principal amount of the Notes tendered (the "Offer Consideration"), on the Settlement Date. In addition, Holders whose Notes were purchased in the Offer will receive accrued and unpaid interest from and including the last interest payment date for the Notes up to but not including the Settlement Date. For the avoidance of doubt, accrued interest will cease to accrue on the Settlement Date for all Notes accepted in the Offer, including those tendered by the guaranteed delivery procedures set forth in the Offer to Purchase.

The obligation of the Company to pay for Notes validly tendered pursuant to the Offer, or Notes with respect to which a properly completed guaranteed delivery instruction was delivered at or prior to the Expiration Date, is subject to, and conditioned upon, the satisfaction or waiver of certain conditions as set forth in the Offer Documents, in the sole discretion of the Company. The terms and conditions of the Offer are described in the Offer Documents previously distributed to the Holders.

The Company has retained Citigroup Global Markets Inc., Itau BBA USA Securities, Inc., J.P. Morgan Securities LLC and Santander US Capital Markets LLC. to serve as the dealer managers for the Offer, and Banco Santander Argentina S.A. and Banco de Galicia y Buenos Aires S.A.U. to act as local information agent in Argentina. Questions regarding the Offer may be directed to Citigroup Global Markets Inc. at (212) 723-6106 (collect) or (800) 558-3785 (toll-free), Itau BBA USA Securities, Inc. at (888) 770-4828 (toll-free), J.P. Morgan Securities LLC at (212) 834-7279 (collect) or at (866) 846-2874 (toll-free) and/or to Santander US Capital Markets LLC at (212) 350-0660 (collect) or at (855) 404-3636 (toll-free). Requests for documents may be directed to Morrow Sodali International LLC, the information and tender agent for the Offer, by e-mail at [email protected], or by telephone in Stamford at +1 203 658 9457 or in London at +44 20 4513 6933.

Documents relating to the Offer, including the Offer to Purchase and guaranteed delivery instruction, are also available at https://projects.morrowsodali.com/tgs.

None of the Company, the dealer managers or the information agents make any recommendations as to whether Holders should tender their Notes pursuant to the Offer, and no one has been authorized by any of them to make such recommendations. Holders must make their own decisions as to whether to tender their Notes, and, if so, the principal amount of Notes to tender.

This press release is for informational purposes only and is not a recommendation and is not an offer to sell or a solicitation of an offer to buy any security. The Offer is being made solely pursuant to the Offer Documents.

The Offer does not constitute, and may not be used in connection with, an offer or solicitation by anyone in any jurisdiction in which such offer or solicitation is not permitted by law or in which the person making such offer or solicitation is not qualified to do so or to any person to whom it is unlawful to make such offer or solicitation.

In any jurisdiction where the securities, blue sky or other laws require tender offers to be made by a licensed broker or dealer and in which the dealer managers, or any affiliates thereof, are so licensed, the Offer will be deemed to have been made by any such dealer managers, or such affiliates, on behalf of the Company.

The new notes offered pursuant to the concurrent offering have not been and will not be registered under the U.S. Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the "Securities Act"), and may not be offered or sold in the United States absent registration or an applicable exemption from the registration requirements of the Securities Act.

The new notes are not intended to be offered, sold or otherwise made available to and should not be offered, sold or otherwise made available to any retail investor in the European Economic Area ("EEA"). For these purposes, a retail investor means a person who is one (or more) of: (i) a retail client as defined in point (11) of Article 4(1) of Directive 2014/65/EU (as amended, "MiFID II"); or (ii) a customer within the meaning of Directive (EU) 2016/97 (as amended, the "Insurance Distribution Directive"), where that customer would not qualify as a professional client as defined in point (10) of Article 4(1) of MiFID II; or (iii) not a qualified investor as defined in Regulation (EU) 2017/1129 (as amended, the "Prospectus Regulation"). Consequently no key information document required by Regulation (EU) No 1286/2014 (as amended, the "PRIIPs Regulation") for offering or selling the new notes or otherwise making them available to retail investors in the EEA has been prepared and therefore offering or selling the new notes or otherwise making them available to any retail investor in the EEA may be unlawful under the PRIIPs Regulation.

The new notes are not intended to be offered, sold or otherwise made available to and should not be offered, sold or otherwise made available to any retail investor in the United Kingdom. For these purposes, a retail investor means a person who is one (or more) of: (i) a retail client as defined in point (8) of Article 2 of Regulation (EU) No 2017/565 as it forms part of domestic law in the United Kingdom by virtue of the European Union (Withdrawal) Act 2018 (the "EUWA"); or (ii) a customer within the meaning of the provisions of the Financial Services and Markets Act 2000 (as amended, the "FSMA") and any rules or regulations made under the FSMA to implement Directive (EU) 2016/97, where that customer would not qualify as a professional client as defined in point (8) of Article 2(1) of Regulation (EU) No 600/2014 as it forms part of domestic law in the United Kingdom by virtue of the EUWA; or (iii) not a qualified investor as defined in Article 2 of Regulation (EU) 2017/1129 as it forms part of domestic law in the United Kingdom by virtue of the EUWA (as amended, the "UK Prospectus Regulation"). Consequently no key information document required by Regulation (EU) No 1286/2014 as it forms part of domestic law in the United Kingdom by virtue of the EUWA (the "UK PRIIPs Regulation") for offering or selling the new notes or otherwise making them available to retail investors in the United Kingdom has been prepared and therefore offering or selling the new notes or otherwise making them available to any retail investor in the United Kingdom may be unlawful under the UK PRIIPs Regulation.

Forward Looking Statements

This press release contains forward-looking statements within the meaning of the United States Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995, as amended. Actual results may differ materially from those reflected in the forward-looking statements. We undertake no obligation to update any forward-looking statement or other information contained in this press release to reflect events or circumstances occurring after the date of this press release or to reflect the occurrence of unanticipated events or circumstances, including, without limitation, changes in our business or acquisition strategy or planned capital expenditures, or to reflect the occurrence of unanticipated events.

About TGS

TGS is the leader in Argentina in the transportation of natural gas, transporting approximately 60% of the gas consumed in the country, through more than 5,700 miles of gas pipelines, with a firm-contracted capacity of 83.1 MMm3/d. We are one of the main natural gas processors. In addition, our infrastructure investments in Vaca Muerta formation place us as one of the main midstreamers in Argentina. Our shares are traded on NYSE (New York Stock Exchange) and BYMA (Bolsas y Mercados Argentinos S.A.). Our controlling company is Compania de Inversiones de Energia S.A. ("CIESA"), which owns 51% of the total share capital. CIESA's shareholders are: (i) Pampa Energia S.A. with 50%, and led by the Sielecki family, (i) Grupo Investor Petroquimica S.L. (GIP) and (ii) PCT L.L.C. hold the remaining 50%.

For further information, see our website https://www.tgs.com.ar/inversores/servicio-parainversores?lang=EN or contact:

Name: Leandro Perez Castano

Phone: (54-11)-4371-5100

Email: [email protected]

SOURCE TRANSPORTADORA DE GAS DEL SUR S.A.

19 july 2024 at 23:23

News published onand distributed by:
Government of Canada honours the national significance of the CCGS Alexander Henry





The former Canadian Coast Guard Ship (CCGS) Alexander Henry is a retired light icebreaker, buoy tender, and navigational aid ship that served on the Great Lakes from 1959 to 1985

THUNDER BAY, ON, July 20, 2024 /CNW/ - Alexander Henry is permanently moored in Thunder Bay, Ontario, on Lake Superior. It is a retired light icebreaker, buoy tender and navigational aid ship that served as the first Canadian government-owned icebreaker on the Great Lakes, from 1959 to 1985. Constructed in the former Port Arthur Shipyard in 1958 for the Department of Transport's Marine Services fleet, the ship was one of 49 large vessels incorporated into the Canadian Coast Guard upon the agency's inception in 1962.

Today, the Honourable Patty Hajdu, Minister of Indigenous Services and Member of Parliament for Thunder Bay?Superior North, commemorated the national historic significance of CCGS Alexander Henry with a special ceremony to unveil a plaque at the Marina Park in Thunder Bay. The announcement was made on behalf of the Minister of Environment and Climate Change and Minister responsible for Parks Canada, Steven Guilbeault.

The ship is a well-preserved example of the shipbuilding program of the era, embodying the government's commitment to marine navigation through icebreaking, lighthouse supply, buoy maintenance, and search and rescue mission support. The ship was officially retired in 1985 and has since served as a museum ship in Kingston and Thunder Bay, where it is now owned and operated by the Lakehead Transportation Museum Society. Alexander Henry has been an exceptional educational tool to inform communities and members of the public about the history of the Canadian Coast Guard and the critical work it continues to do throughout Canadian waters.

Alexander Henry is part of a long history of government support for marine navigation. It is symbolic of the increase in industrial shipping activities and commerce on the Great Lakes in the second half of the 20th century.

The Government of Canada, through the Historic Sites and Monuments Board of Canada, recognizes significant people, places, and events that shaped our country as one way of helping Canadians connect with their past. The designation process under Parks Canada's National Program of Historical Commemoration is largely driven by public nominations. To date, more than 2,240 designations have been made nationwide.

National historic designations illustrate the defining moments in the story of Canada. Together, they tell the stories of who we are and connect us to our past, enriching our understanding of ourselves, each other, and our country. Heritage places provide a wide range of cultural, social, economic, and environmental benefits to their communities.

Quote

"Today, on Canadian Coast Guard Day, the Government of Canada is proud to unveil the official Historic Sites and Monuments Board of Canada plaque honouring the legacy of the CCGS Alexander Henry. This retired icebreaker symbolizes Canada's commitment to maritime safety and the impressive heritage of the Canadian Coast Guard. As a well-preserved relic, this amazing vessel continues to educate and inspire, showcasing Canada's rich maritime history and our continued dedication to preserve our nation's heritage for future generations. Congratulations to the Transportation Museum of Thunder Bay and everyone who played a part in acquiring and preserving the CCGS Alexander Henry for the region to enjoy."

The Honourable Patty Hajdu,

Minister of Indigenous Services, Minister responsible for the Federal Economic Development Agency for Northern Ontario and Member of Parliament for Thunder Bay?Superior North

Quick Facts

The CCGS Alexander Henry was responsible for the safe navigation of huge volumes of shipping enabled by the construction of canals and locks, culminating in the St. Lawrence Seaway in 1959, which allowed full-sized ocean bulk carriers to travel the Upper St. Lawrence River and to all five of the Great Lakes.

was responsible for the safe navigation of huge volumes of shipping enabled by the construction of canals and locks, culminating in the St. Lawrence Seaway in 1959, which allowed full-sized ocean bulk carriers to travel the Upper St. Lawrence River and to all five of the Great Lakes. Alexander Henry was also used to extend the shipping season as long as possible, breaking channels in the ice on Lake Superior during the freeze-up in early winter and around break-up in the spring.

was also used to extend the shipping season as long as possible, breaking channels in the ice on during the freeze-up in early winter and around break-up in the spring. The vessel is one of the best surviving examples of the government's icebreaker construction program of the late 1950s, designed to meet Canada's responsibilities off its coasts and on inland waters.

responsibilities off its coasts and on inland waters. Created in 1919, the Historic Sites and Monuments Board of Canada advises the Minister of Environment and Climate Change regarding the national significance of persons, places, and events that have marked Canada's history. Together with Parks Canada, the Board ensures that subjects of national historic significance are recognized under Parks Canada's National Program of Historical Commemoration and these important stories are shared with Canadians.

Associated Document

Backgrounder: CCGS Alexander Henry National Historic Site

Related Links

Parks Canada

Historic Sites and Monuments Board of Canada

Framework for History and Commemoration

SOURCE Parks Canada (HQ)

20 july 2024 at 11:15

News published onand distributed by:
The seventeenth king of Malaysia, Sultan Ibrahim Sultan Iskandar, and Queen Raja Zarith Sofiah Idris Shah walk near the throne during his coronation at the National Palace in Kuala Lumpur on July 20, 2024. HASNOOR HUSSAIN / AFP

Traditional pomp and cannon fire on Saturday, July 20, marked the coronation of Malaysia's billionaire King Sultan Ibrahim Iskandar, who pledged to govern fairly during the five-year term he will serve under a unique rotating monarchy system. Sultan Ibrahim, 65, was sworn in on January 31. Saturday's coronation at the national palace formalized his role as Malaysia's 17th king in a ceremony steeped in Malay culture and pageantry.

Nine ethnic Malay state rulers take turns as Malaysia's king for five-year terms under the country's rotating monarchy, which began when Malaysia gained independence from Britain in 1957. Malaysia has 13 states but only nine have royal families, some of which trace their roots to centuries-old Malay kingdoms that were independent states until they were brought together by the British.

Donned in black and gold traditional ceremonial outfit and headgear, Sultan Ibrahim and Queen Raja Zarith Sofiah were greeted by a military salute before they proceeded to the throne. The heads of the other royal families, Brunei Sultan Hassanal Bolkiah and Bahrain King Hamad Isa al Khalifa were seated on a stage beside the throne.

At the start of the proceedings, a copy of the Quran was presented to the Sultan who kissed it. The monarch received a gold dagger, a symbol of power. Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim then pledged his government's loyalty and said the royal institution was a pillar of strength for the nation. He then proclaimed Sultan Ibrahim as Malaysia's new king.

One of the country's richest men

"God willing, I will discharge my duties faithfully and honestly, and to rule fairly," Sultan Ibrahim said in his coronation speech. He also urged Anwar's government to step up efforts to improve the livelihood of the people and bolster the nation's development. After the sultan took his oath, guests in the hall chanted "Long live the king" three times.

Sultan Ibrahim from southern Johor state bordering Singapore is one of the country's richest men, with a business empire spanning from telecoms to real estate. He is known for his collection of luxury cars and motorbikes and is the only state ruler with a small private army  a concession granted to his state when it joined modern-day Malaysia. The sultan is vocal about Malaysian politics and has spoken out about corruption and racial discrimination.

Known as the Yang Di-Pertuan Agong, or He Who is Made Lord, the king plays a largely ceremonial role, with administrative power vested in the prime minister and Parliament. The monarch is the nominal head of the government and armed forces and is regarded as the protector of Islam and Malay tradition.

All laws, Cabinet appointments and the dissolution of Parliament for general elections require his formal assent. The king has the power to proclaim an emergency and pardon criminals.
Former US President and 2024 Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump after accepting his party's nomination, at the Fiserv Forum in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, on July 18, 2024. PATRICK T. FALLON / AFP

US Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump said Friday, July 19, that he had spoken by telephone with Ukraine leader Volodymyr Zelensky, and pledged to end the European country's war with Russia. "I appreciate President Zelensky for reaching out because I, as your next President of the United States, will bring peace to the world and end the war that has cost so many lives and devastated countless innocent families," Trump said in a post on his Truth Social platform.

Zelensky confirmed the call, adding: "We agreed with President Trump to discuss at a personal meeting what steps can make peace fair and truly lasting." "I noted the vital bipartisan and bicameral American support for protecting our nation's freedom and independence," he said in a post on social media platform X.

A Trump victory in the November US elections would put into question Washington's continued support for Ukraine, as the country struggles through a third year of fighting against Russian forces. Trump's frequent praise for Putin and reluctance to outright criticize the Russian invasion has stirred concerns among Ukraine's allies that he would force the country into accepting partial defeat. He has also repeatedly suggested backing away from NATO. His running mate J.D. Vance leads the isolationist wing of congressional Republicans, who argue the United States should drop aid to Ukraine.

Read more Subscribers only War in Ukraine: Zelensky wants Russia to take part in a new peace summit
FEARS have been raised over broken street lights heading into winter after it emerged the councils maintenance provider is pulling out of its contract early.

As of Wednesday, July 24, there will be no repair company on hand to step in should any of the approximately 23,800 street lights across the city and county go out.

It comes after the maintenance arm of Enerveo - which has provided the service to council for the last number of years - closes.

Although Limerick City and County Council is on the look out for a new company to take over the contract, any arrangement will not be in place by next Wednesday.

READ MORE: Eight-storey apartment complex approved for Limerick city

Fine Gaels council leader John Sheahan says he and his colleagues have been left in the dark until now.

What annoys me is this situation which has happened, which is very important for the people, and councillors who people will always make a call to. Weve been kept in the dark until the show is over, said Cllr Sheahan.

The Glin man had raised a question asking about the ending of the contract at the Newcastle West district meeting last week.

Here, Seamas OReilly, the senior executive engineer in the roads division confirmed the maintenance arm of Enerveo will be ceasing activity.

Currently, there is a tender competition ongoing. The results will be made known to councillors when complete and we are examining options for emergency cover to bridge the gap between contractors, he wrote.

"During this time, Limerick City and County Council acknowledge there may be a number of lights awaiting repair. Please note that currently our fault rate is very low, with approximately 99% of lights working as designed, a spokesperson for the council said in response to a query from Limerick Live.

Cllr Sheahan said: There will be safety issues in the county where lighting may break down and it may be somewhere near a pedestrian crossing at night-time. It could be, where we have footpaths, people might trip. All that comes into play now if they are not able to get a service provider to keep the street lights on.

He also said that very few companies offer a street light maintenance service.

We are now scouting the country and I believe there are only one or two providers who offer this. It needs expertise. The guys who fix these street lights must be proficient in ESB outages. Its an acquired trade. Are we going to be held over a barrel now, price-wise, the councillor asked.

As part of the new contract council bosses hope to approve with any new contractor, there will be significant penalties associated with not repairing a fault within 10 days, the percentage of faults exceeding 1.5% of lights across Limerick. As well as this, a penalty will be given should a provider not respond to or attend an out-of-hours emergency fault.
This is part of a special series of articles by the country's foremost voices, ahead of Union Budget 2024, aiming to draw attention to the critical reforms that can help India in its journey to become a developed nation by 2047.

Over the last decade, the Indian energy sector has carefully navigated the throes of climate change concerns and the contentious issue of political economy imperatives while not losing sight of the need to cater to the energy demand required to become a developed country by 2047.

Going forward, this gradient is expected to get steeper, given the overall magnitude of the transition challenge. This is evident from the fact that we are substantially reliant on coal and oil that account for 53% and 20%, respectively, of commercial primary energy consumed by the country.

Read this | Global oil market dynamics are shifting in favour of Indias energy plans

The multitude of objectives, hence, brings forth the need for an integrated planning approach at an unprecedented level. For example, the recent power shortages that have been partly precipitated by an imbalanced growth in renewables capacity over the last decade reflect the need for better resource planning, both at the Centre and state-level.

To improve supply adequacy, diversity metrics can be used while formulating policies. The countrys energy basket requires a larger presence of renewable, gas, hydro and nuclear-based capacities. Currently, they stand at modest levels at 25% of the total generation. This approach can be applied to feedstock supplies as well. For example, naphtha and petcoke used in the petrochemical and iron and steel industry account for a significant 5% and 8.5% of the countrys oil basket, respectively.

Hence, a key aspect of the climate imperative narrative in the countrys approach to fuel/feedstock switching, is of stepping down on coal and oil, and stepping up on low carbon fuels like natural gas, carbon free sources like hydel, solar and nuclear.

Let us now look at the approach to two key fuel sourcescoal and gas.

Coal: The challenge in weaning away from coal for power generation (accounts for 75% generation, 50% carbon emission) lies in developing round-the-clock (RTC) alternate supplies at affordable prices. While solar tariffs are competitive, for the short to medium term, the complementing low-carbon capacities for RTC supplies are currently expensive (battery), or risk laden (hydel resources). The supply security in meeting the rising demand is equally important. For example, owing to water bodies going dry, Canada, which was dependent largely on its vast hydel resources, is now buying fossil fuel-fired electricity from across the border.

The challenge on the demand side is equally of a tall order: it is fraught with the political predicament of raising electricity tariffs to align with supply costs.

This calls for a larger policy framework involving electricity sector reforms to reduce appetite for coal. To improve fuel diversity in an organic manner, the risk models used by lenders to appraise projects are currently biased towards coal projects, needs to be reviewed. For example, according to a study, in Europe, the loan loss-provisioning for low carbon sectors is twice that for big emitters.

This approach will also facilitate faster adoption of newer technologies to reduce emissions in hard-to-abate sectors like cement and steel that use coal or the petrochemical sector which uses naphtha as a feedstock.

Natural gas: As a developing country on its journey to Viksit Bharat by 2047, Just transition is an important aspect of government policy, one that enables reasonable pricing and availability of mass consumption products. Natural gas eminently fulfils this role. In the case of the transport sector, which contributes 12% of the countrys carbon emissions, CNG and LNG offer a soft landing since currently, green hydrogen is expensive, while EVs suffer from lack of adequate charging infrastructure.

In the agriculture sector, nitrogen is the most consumed nutrient. No doubt, its production largely relies on the use of natural gas. However, a shift to a cleaner option, namely green ammonia, is expensive. In the case of cooking gas, piped natural gas is a cheaper option than the dominant supply of LPG (without subsidy) in the country.

These are some of the reasons why the government is committed to increasing the use of natural gas from the current primary energy levels of 7% to 15% by 2030. The challenges in this pursuit are significant and require policy interventions at various levels. In the case of city gas distribution (CGD), a key hurdle lies at the municipal level, where the cost of access to lay pipeline is exorbitant thanks to municipal levies. Secondly, to improve the viability of gas vis a vis coal in electricity, regulatory reforms are required to bring forth the real cost of electricity that consumers ought to pay. For example, the coal supplies to power do not reflect the cost of environmental rehabilitation and repurposing of End-of-Life mines and are sold at prices fixed in 2018.

Central to the Viksit Bharat narrative is the imperative to meet the energy demand that is expected to rise significantly, since Indias per capita energy is currently at a third of the world average. With the rising need for climate action and the limitations posed by the fastest growing Renewables sources, that of supplies dependent on the sun shining and the wind blowing, nuclear power offers immense potential. This needs to be harnessed, from both base load supply security as well as competitiveness perspectives.

Indias global engagement on carbon, especially at the United Nations-led COP conferences, has ensured that the principle of Common But Differentiated Responsibilities and Respective Capabilities (CBDR-RC) has prevailed. Thus, our low-emission strategies must provide for a differential approach to our energy mix through policy incentives in keeping with our social-economic obligations. As much as that, policies must evolve to recognise the various aspects of technology and its ability to disrupt. For example, repurposing coal to produce petrochemicals or the declining cost of scrubbing carbon from the air.

In short, the challenges are evolving, and opportunities even more so. These need to be seized to implement the countrys priorities through an integrated energy policy.

One approach to formulating such a policy, a dynamic one, would be through the outreach and synthesis efforts of an institution like NITI Aayog. This would address the gamut of climate issues such as calibration of fossil vis-a-vis clean fuels from a taxation standpoint, pricing of mass consumption products, the development of carbon markets, addressing Just transition imperatives, etc. This will also efficiently facilitate medium-to-long term energy transition wherein stakeholders are able to smoothly play their part in a synergistic manner with measurable outcomes in every sector.

Anil Kumar Jain is chairman, Petroleum and Natural Gas Regulatory Board.
This is part of a special series of articles by the country's foremost voices, ahead of Union Budget 2024, aiming to draw attention to the critical reforms that can help India in its journey to become a developed nation by 2047.

Climate action, especially over the last decade, has moved to the centrestage of global political engagement. The momentum has been galvanized recently by the consensus at the United Nations-led 28th Conference of the Parties (COP28) meeting in December 2023, where, for the first time since its inception in 1992, the need to transition away from fossil fuels in energy systems" was acknowledged.

The transition challenges are, however, immense, especially from a geopolitical standpoint. But first, let us examine the relationship between fossil fuel commerce and geopolitics.

Geopolitics has been traditionally influenced by the uneven regional distribution of fossil fuel reserves and production centres and consequently lengthy chains linking producers to consumers. According to a recent study by the International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA), 116 countries are net oil importers, 112 are net natural gas importers and 116 are net coal importers. The global fossil fuel markets are relatively centralized and concentrated and involve large scale movement over shipping lanes lines across the world.

About 40% of all maritime cargo currently is accounted for by fossil fuels. Therefore, the safety and security of sea lanes on which such cargo moves, adds to the inherent global fuel supply security issue. The recent spate of attacks by Houthi militants resulting in disruption in the shipping lanes through the Gulf is an example of supply carriage risks. This raised oil prices and transportation costs.

Another aspect of fossil fuel commerce is the dominant currency in which it is traded, namely, the US dollar. This gives the US an enormous advantage and leverage over both producer and consuming nations. Sanctions on oil producing countries like Iran and Venezuela and lately Russia have disrupted and distorted the market, adding to the supply and price risk.

Energy mix

The rising share of renewable energy in the global energy mix diminishes no doubt minimizes the traditional geopolitical risks borne by energy import-dependent nations like India since renewable sources of energy such as solar, wind, hydro, bio-mass or geo-thermal and cleaner sources of energy such as nuclear and hydrogen are harnessed largely within domestic and regional borders.

Energy security in a low-carbon economy regime with increasing use of renewables will, nevertheless, be governed by an altered set of dependencies that will influence geopolitics and, in turn, the energy supply and price risks.

For one, renewable power units like solar panels and batteries require extended supply chains for critical materials such as copper, nickel, lithium, cobalt and rare earths. Accessing these supplies involves commercial engagements with a new cluster of producer nations different from those blessed with oil and gas reserves.

For another, technological innovation and adoption are key aspects of the energy transition narrative. Countries that possess advanced technologies and have significant R&D programmes will be at the forefront of transition initiatives.

On both scores, China has a significant advantage. The worlds largest consumer of primary energy as well as the largest emitter of greenhouse gases is also a major producer and processor of rare metals and has cornered supplies elsewhere particularly in Africa.

On the technology side, it is the worlds largest solar panel producer and manufacturer of wind turbines. It has ample supplies of the critical materials required for ramping up renewable energy production. It has also emerged as the most competitive source of renewable energy products.

Ideally, China could significantly contribute to the global transition away from fossil fuels to a renewable energy-based energy system. However, geopolitics is slowing this transition because of growing tensions between China and the US and increasingly, involving too, with Europe as well.

Indias own solar energy expansion plans could benefit from cheaper supplies of panels from China. A significant ramping up in the initial phase would result in an expanded scale which would then make local manufacture more competitive. However, the renewed tensions between India and China have adversely impacted the national solar mission.

Two sides of the same coin

For India, energy security and climate change are two sides of the same coin. Given the countrys heavy, even overwhelming dependence on fossil fuel imports, especially of oil, it makes sense to plan for a transition to an economy based progressively on renewable energy and cleaner sources of energy such as nuclear energy. While this transition is already underway, it needs to be accelerated.

Transitions also entail enhanced risks because until the energy transformation is complete, both fossil fuels and renewable markets must function side-by-side efficiently and relatively free of disruption, since it otherwise blunts the efforts of nations to reduce their emissions.

In the recent past, we have witnessed a war-triggered disruption in Europe that set back the clock on the continents ability to reduce its carbon emissions. The Ukraine War has delayed Europes plans for decarbonizing its economy. Coal-based power has made a comeback in countries like Germany though this may be temporary.

Every country in the world possesses at least one if not more source of renewable energy -solar, wind, bio-mass or hydro. Therefore, relative energy independence is within reach of a larger number of countries, and this could potentially reduce one key source of geopolitical contestation.

In the transition to a progressively renewables-based economy, the risk of disruption of supplies of critical minerals and materials exists. However, such disruption will not lead to a sudden loss of energy availability since the materials are already embedded in renewable energy systems and hence will not immediately affect the power generation supplies. This is a major plus over fossil fuels.

On balance, one may expect a renewable energy dominated global economy to be less exposed to geopolitical contestation. Contestation may shift towards competition over rare earths and strategic minerals. However, its scale will be less than that experienced over fossil fuels.

Shyam Saran is a former foreign secretary and served as the prime ministers special envoy on climate change (2007-10).
NEW DELHI : New Delhi: In a much-required revamp of corporate disclosures, the government has simplified the reporting process for companies on unclaimed dividends, deposits, and share application refundsa move that will also further smoothen the claim process for investors.

To reduce the compliance burden on companies, the ministry of corporate affairs in a recent order simplified how businesses need to report the transfer of unclaimed dividends and underlying shares to a fund maintained by the Investor Education and Protection Fund Authority (IEPFA).

This will also enhance the authoritys ability to process such data.

For investors and their heirs, the government is working on a platform that will allow them to search the database to see if amounts owed to them by companies are lying with the Investor Education and Protection Fund.

The total balance amount in the IEPF was estimated to be about 5,600 crore as of 31 January 2023, as per the latest official data available. In 2022-23, up to 31 January, IEPFA had approved more than 8,200 claims and returned 6.6 million shares to investors.

A Simplified Regime

An amendment to the IEPFA (Accounting, Audit, Transfer and Refund) Rules, effective from Tuesday, merges different forms and allows online transfers of amounts to the investor education and protection fund, allowing for smoother disclosures.

Businesses are required to provide detailed reports to IEPFA on unclaimed dividends, which they must maintain in a separate account, and on the transfer of any amount or shares unclaimed for seven years to the investor education fund.

This reporting regime has now been modified.

Also read | Can regulation technology address the compliance woes of banks?

The ministry has merged the two forms into two other forms for reporting the transfer of unclaimed shares, dividends, and other amounts to the investor education fund to simplify filings, explained Subodh Dandawate, associate director-regulatory services at Nexdigm, a business and professional services company.

The new forms will be transited to the ministry of corporate affairs new MCA21 portal and be processed under the straight-through processi.e., the forms will be automatically approved on filing.

Also, it is clarified that the amount to be deposited in the specified account of the IEPF Authority shall be transferred online," said Dandawate.

Improved Security, and Quicker Processing

The latest version of the forms is web-based and includes two-factor authentication for improved security. The modifications will also allow for real-time verification of the information being keyed in and enable the Registrar of Companies to analyse the data, detect compliance trends, and take quick remedial action.

As part of the changes, the statutory filing portal will be able to send reminders to businesses about due dates for filing forms.

For investors, the process of claiming refunds from IEPF is entirely online. In 2021, the ministry simplified the process of claiming refunds and introduced self-attestation of documents in lieu of attestation by a notary.

Also read | Centre readies automated compliance system for LLPs
LONDON : Hours before a star-studded runway show at the Tate Modern museum in May, Guccis billionaire owner, Francois-Henri Pinault, huddled with his newly installed leadership team at its London office to figure out where one of the worlds most iconic brands was headed.

With his wife, actress Salma Hayek, preparing for the show at a nearby hotel, Pinault pushed his team to define where Gucci should position itself in the market: higher than it is but not too high. His executives presented plans to pare back the many iterations of the interlocking GG logo and better harmonize the brands aesthetics. The idea was to make Guccis famously wild fashions a bit more timeless, a bit less subject to the whims of aspirational shoppers chasing the latest trends.

Such meetings hadnt been a usual part of Pinaults playbookbut they are quickly becoming one. After years of ceding substantial power to brand chiefs, Pinault is asserting more control over the operations of the myriad fashion houses that make up his familys conglomerate, called Kering.

The shift is big and difficult. Pinault wants Kerings brands to be less reliant on buzzy trendsetterswho are influential but fickleand favored by more enduring, aesthetically conservative big-spenders. The plan seeks to move the brands closer to luxury stalwarts like Hermes and Chanel, whose products dont tend to go out of fashion.

To do all this, Pinault has implemented the biggest shake-up of Kering in years, designed to better manage the execution of strategies at each of the brands, which include Saint Laurent and Balenciaga.

The conglomerate was founded by Pinaults father more than 60 years ago. Under both father and son, it has been distinguished by the considerable autonomy it grants its brands. Lately, though, that model has been less effective, as the companys revenue and share price have tumbled.

The younger Pinault, now 62 years old, is scrambling to turn things around.

Over the past year, Pinault has more deeply involved himself in what he calls elevation strategies for his brands, ensuring that every action takenincluding in real-estate strategy, marketing, and product developmentwill enhance the brand in the long term.

For him, its a personal challenge," said Serge Weinberg, a Kering board member who was previously the companys chief executive.

Its proving to be an uphill battle. Analysts expect sales at Guccithe largest contributor to the groups revenueto be down almost 20% for the first six months of the year when Kering reports earnings next week, hit particularly by a sharp decline in the Asia-Pacific region.

Aspirational shoppers, the less-wealthy buyers on whom Gucci heavily relies, are the first to close their wallets when the economy sours, as is happening todayespecially in China, Guccis largest market. At the same time, Guccis new, more restrained aesthetic has drawn mixed reviews from critics and shown little sign of juicing its sales.

At the companys annual general meeting in Paris in the spring, Pinault faced tough questions from investors. Since March 2020, shares of LVMH have more than doubled while those of Hermes have more than tripled. The surge briefly made LVMH CEO Bernard Arnault the worlds richest person and the Hermes family the wealthiest in Europe. Meanwhile, Kering has lost about a quarter of its value.

Youre disappointed, youre frustrated," Pinault told investors at the meeting. Me too. Im the first, be sure of that." Pinaults family holds a 42% stake and 59% of the voting rights in Kering, accounting for most of the family fortune, estimated at more than $25 billion.

Reflecting on the past five years, Mimma Viglezio, a former vice president at Gucci Group who now consults for fashion companies, said Pinault had appeared to be totally reactive" to events, rather than putting in place a long-term vision.

What I dont see behind this is a clear strategy," she said.

Pinault was born in the city of Rennes in western France, the second child from Francois Pinaults first marriage, to Louisette Gautier. Pinaults father was a high-school dropout who parlayed his familys small sawmill into Europes biggest nonfood retail grouprunning department stores, an electronics chain and a mail-order businessbefore buying up several luxury brands.

Pinaults father has said that he knew from the time his three children were teenagers that Francois-Henri would be the one to take over the growing empire. At 17, Pinault moved to Paris.

After graduating from HEC Paris, one of Frances top business schools, Pinault started at the bottom at the family business, working as a salesperson in wood and building-material depots. He soon found himself managing a factory in Brittany through a strike, during which a far-left union barricaded the young executive in his office.

I took my first steps as a professional quite far away from the glossy magazines and the fashion world," he recently told a group of graduates at HEC.

Pinault worked his way up to managing the conglomerates wood and building-materials division, which he steered through a severe real-estate downturn in France.

When Pinault sought his fathers advice, the response was curt: Figure it out yourself."

In 2005, Pinault was appointed CEO of the conglomerate.

The younger Pinault wasnt content to simply manage what his father had built. He soon proposed to steer the group in a new direction: transforming the conglomerate into a luxury leader. At that time, the companys luxury brands made up just over 10% of the sales of the conglomerate then known as PPR.

Father and son are very different, people close to the family say. The father had a hunters instinct," said Weinberg. In contrast, the younger Pinault is perceived as more cautious, in part because of his perspective on managing the business for his siblings and the next generation.

Pinault recently welcomed his son, 26-year-old Francois Louis Nicolas Pinault, to the board of Christies, the auction house the family owns. The move possibly lays the groundwork for a third generation to run the company.

In Paris, Pinault regularly shares tete-a-tete dinners with his father, who is now 87 years old and dedicates much of his time to his contemporary art collection. Their conversations span various topics, including business. For significant business decisions, Pinault informs his father and gauges his reaction. Pinault especially values his fathers intuition about people.

Pinaults longstanding strategy has been to put his trust in duos of designers and chief executives that he hires, handing them the keys to the label.

Starting in 2012, Pinault appointed creative directors with broad remits to oversee products, communication and image. Hedi Slimane took charge at Saint Laurent, Alessandro Michele at Gucci, and Demna Gvasalia at Balenciaga. His star-focused approach differs from rival LVMH, where Arnault doesnt center the entire creative vision of brands like Louis Vuitton on a single person.

In 2015, this approach began to pay dividends. At Gucci, Micheles eclectic and vibrant designs, which blended colorful streetwear, historical influences, and bold animal prints, received critical acclaim and captivated consumers from New York to Beijing.

As sales soared, Pinault talked openly about Gucci catching the industry leader. The potential of Gucci might be the same potential as Louis Vuitton, yes, over time," he told the Financial Times in 2018. Why not?"

By 2019, the Italian brands sales had more than tripled to almost 10 billion euros. But brand studies produced for Pinault were showing that several consumer segments were losing interest in Gucci as shoppers grew tired of Micheles instantly recognizable look and his use of pop-culture logos like Mickey Mouse. Most concerning of all to Pinault and his deputies was that Gucci was too reliant on so-called aspirational shoppers.

Pinault huddled in Milan with the brands CEO, Marco Bizzarri, and Michele. They wanted Michele to tone down the collections, making them less seasonal and less flamboyant, focusing instead on creating pieces that wouldnt go out of style. He also wanted Gucci to make its products a little less available.

One of the main issues: Gucci had traditionally sent its unsold itemsaround 8% to 10% of production during those yearsto discounted channels, including private sales and outlet stores that were mostly in Asia. When the brands overall production and sales soared, that percentage held steady, meaning the quantity of discounted products also rose. That caused the perceived exclusivity and luxury status of the brand to drop.

This led to Gucci entering the Covid boom in luxury goods in a slump. While other brands took off as consumers redirected their spending from holidays and dining out to handbags and other luxuries, Guccis sales declined, particularly as Chinese consumers grew weary of its designs.

On top of that, Pinault was hit by a crisis at Balenciaga. The brand faced a tsunami of condemnation over two ad campaigns, with critics accusing the brand of promoting the sexualization of children. That led to protests at a number of its stores and hurt sales heading into the crucial holiday shopping season of 2022.

An internal review of the companys crisis management in the subsequent months concluded that some wrong decisions were made, in part because the decision-making process and the roles of those involved wasnt clear to everyone.

Despite this, Pinault decided to keep Balenciagas CEO and creative director in place.

We are allowed a mistake at a group like Kering. We are not allowed to make the same mistake twice, but we are allowed a mistake," Pinault told reporters.

In the fall of 2022, Pinault ran out of patience at Gucci. He replaced Michele with Sabato De Sarno, a behind-the-scenes figure who spent years at Gucci competitor Valentino. Six months later, he replaced Bizzarri with Jean-Francois Palus, a longtime collaborator and friend he had first met in college. Pinault also changed a number of other top executives at Gucci, including naming a new chief brand officer, a new chief operating officer and a new communications director.

After almost a decade without a major acquisition, Pinault also returned to big-ticket dealmaking. Kering paid more than 3 billion to acquire high-end French fragrance label Creed in June 2023 and purchased a large stake in Italian label Valentino in July of that year. His family investment company also agreed to buy a majority stake in Hollywood talent agency Creative Artists Agency, helping the family to diversify beyond Europe and its core investments in the luxury-goods industry. (Hayek is a CAA client.)

Last September was supposed to be Guccis big comeback moment. De Sarno was showing his first collection as the new creative director during fashion week in Milan. Followers of fashion from Los Angeles to Shanghai were eager to see what he would do.

The wild patterns and bright colors were gone. The new style was quiet and elegant.

As he took his seat in the front row alongside Julia Roberts and Ryan Gosling, Pinault asked for patience. The climax doesnt happen right away," he told a group of reporters. Sometimes its the second or third show that is more important."

Today, Pinault is telling investors that he feels things are on the right track. De Sarnos new collection is gradually being rolled out.

At Pinaults urging, Gucci has also cut its distribution network to become more exclusive. In the most recent quarter, 90% of Guccis sales came from its own retail network, and De Sarnos new collection has not been delivered to independent retailers or e-commerce websites. The executive changes atop Gucci have continued, with a new deputy CEO joining in May from Louis Vuitton. A new chief commercial officer is set to join in August, and a new chief digital business officer will start in September.

Pinault has also beefed up his team at the parent company to help Gucci and the conglomerates other brands move upmarket. Led by his deputy CEO in charge of brand development, Kering has made several significant decisions this year, including pulling all the brands from the e-commerce platform Farfetch, shutting off wholesalers who sold products outside the normal distribution channels, and closing a number of boutiques that were not considered to be in sufficiently exclusive locations.

On a recent Saturday, Pinault delivered the graduation address at his alma mater, HEC. He recounted how he had taken over the group from his father and turned it into one of the worlds top luxury conglomerates.

Never take anything for granted," Pinault told the graduates. Success is short-lived. What is difficult is to last, what is difficult is to keep up with the times and always, always stay one step ahead."

Write to Nick Kostov at nick.kostov@dowjones.com
Manu Rajaram Chhabria was an upstart, an audacious first-generation businessman who built an impressive industrial group from scratch. In the 1980s, he went on a takeover spree, so much so that a delegation of Indian industrialists went to complain about him to the then finance minister, S. B. Chavan.

Vijay Mallya, in contrast, and the second protagonist in the saga of Shaw Wallace & Co. (SWC), was to the manor born, the son of legendary businessman Vittal Mallya, who left him such jewels as Hoechst AG, Cadbury India and the iconic Kissan, among many others.

In 1973, Chhabria, the corporate marauder, was yet to take wings. Stuck with his forlorn electronics shop in Lamington Road, which later became a synonym for Mumbais computer grey market, he was a man in search of an opportunity. A chance meeting with an Arab importer at Delhis Oberoi Hotel provided him just that. Soon after, Chhabria left for the desert, as he called Dubai, to seek his fortunes. Here he set up an electronics trading agency, Jumbo Electronics.

But that was just the start of his journey. The lanky Sindhi raider, who was fond of flashing his wealth even as he laced his conversations with colourful expletives, proceeded to mount sorties on many blue chip companies like Dunlop, Mather & Platt, Hindustan Dorr Oliver, Genelec and, of course, Shaw Wallace.

The hostile takeover

In this last, his brashness and Martian verve were matched with young Mallyas as both men set their eyes on the British-era distiller, famous for its brands like Director's Special, Haywards and Royal Challenge. The SWC portfolio of popular whiskies and rum brands commanded 15% of the Indian-made foreign liquor market, with annual revenues topping 1,200 crore. It presented an enviable opportunity for both Jumbo and United Breweries.

As it turned out, Chhabria used Mallya as collateral. He lured the self-proclaimed liquor baron into believing they could aim for joint ownership of SWC. Mallya, too, needed Chhabria to buy the foreign holding in SWC since Indian companies were not allowed to do that. As a marriage of convenience, there was little trust between them, with each man only using the other to further his interest. A happy ending with the two brash tycoons walking arm in arm whispering I think this is the beginning of a beautiful friendship" was unlikely.

Chhabriass path to SWC had begun with a fortuitous discovery. In 1985, he learned that a 20% stake in SWC held by a Hong Kong-based company was up for grabs. Sensing an opportunity, he quietly accumulated shares through a web of overseas companies to avoid triggering India's stringent takeover regulations.

The stealth caught SWCs board off-guard. By the time they realised the threat, he had built a controlling interest. In a dramatic courtroom showdown that was grist for newspaper reporters, in 1985, Chhabria installed himself as chairman, ousting the redoubtable S. P. Acharya, who knew the company like the back of his hand, having swivelled from assistant accountant to chairman in the course of a glorious career.

Eventually, Chhabria turned the tables on the defiant Acharya, accusing him of milking the company dry even as he struggled to stave off the hostile bid. By 1985, he had a 39.5% stake in the company, and Shaw Wallace finally belonged to him. Following the takeover, the elegant Raj-era SWC building in Kolkatas Dalhousie Square quickly got rid of its teak and mahogany and got in marble and kitschy statues heralding the new ownership.

The betrayal

As for the Mallya partnership, Chhabria abandoned him the moment he found himself in the drivers seat. Chhabria and Mallya would later be charged with having colluded in acquiring 38.7% overseas shareholding in violation of foreign exchange regulations. But it was Mallya who faced the music. As K. Giriprakash details in his 2014 book The Vijay Mallya Story, on 5 June 1985, Mallya was picked up by the cops on charges of violating the Foreign Exchange Regulation Act and had to spend the entire night at the police commissioners office at Bengaluru's Infantry Road.

Chhabria, as he did throughout his career, escaped the heat. In fact, rumours suggested he was the one who had tipped off the enforcement directorate about Mallya.

Everything panned out nicely for Chabbria till his fatal split with brother Kishore Chhabria in 1992, which led to fights over control and legacy that would last till his early death at 56 in 2002. Sadly, his admirable legacy as a self-made tycoon would continue to be tormented even after his death, with a messy battle ensuing between two of his daughters and his wife over property.
UPSC Civil Services Prelims Results 2024: The Union Public Service Commission has released the list of candidates qualified in the UPSC Civil Services Prelims Result 2024. The list contains the name and roll number of the candidates who have qualified for the UPSC Civil Services Mains examination 2024. Candidates who have appeared for the prelims exam can check the name and roll number through at the official website of UPSC at upsc.gov.in.

In continuation of the press note dated 01/07/2024 declaring the roll number wise result of the Civil Services (preliminary) examination, 2024 held on 16/06/2024, the name and roll number wise result of the candidates who have qualified for admission to the Civil Services (Main) Examination, 2024, the UPSC notification read.

Also Read | UPSC Chairman Manoj Soni submits resignation citing personal reasons

It is important to note that this year, the commission has recommended 14,627 students for the UPSC Civil Services Mains examination 2024.

UPSC Civil Services Prelims Result 2024: Step-by-step guide to check name, roll number Go to the UPSC official website at upsc.gov.in.

Click the Written Result (with name): Civil Services (Preliminary) Examination, 2024 link available under the Whats New section on the homepage

A new page will open; click on the UPSC Civil Services Prelims Result 2024PDF link to open

A new PDF file will open; check your name and roll number by using Control F

Download the page and keep a hard copy of the same for further reference UPSC Civil Services Prelims Result 2024: Direct link Click Here

UPSC CSE mains 2024: Exam Schedule According to the UPSC calendar, the commission will conduct the Civil Services (Mains) Exam 2024 in September 2024. The Commission will not release the UPSC cutoff and answer key with the result; they will be released after the final result is declared.

Also Read | Delhi Police files case against trainee IAS officer Puja Khedkar for forgery

The Civil Service Prelims 2024 was held nationwide on June 16 in two shifts. Over 13.4 lakh candidates appeared for the UPSC Civil Services Prelims examination 2024. The exam was earlier scheduled to be declared on May 26, which was postponed due to the general elections by the Election Commission.
Kotak Mahindra Bank Ltd has appointed Grant Thornton Bharat as the external auditor as part of measures to plug gaps in its information technology (IT) systems, months after the banking regulator barred it from onboarding new customers through its website and mobile app.

In April, the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) said it found deficiencies and non-compliances in Kotak Mahindra Bank's IT inventory management, patch and change management, user access management, vendor risk management and data security, among other issues, for 2022 and 2023.

The regulator, which also prohibited the bank from issuing new credit cards, said even as the curbs are in place, Kotak Mahindra Bank will continue to provide services to its existing customers.

Also Read: Kotak Mahindra Bank Q1 Results: Net profit zooms 81% to  6,249 crore, NII up 10% YoY In consultation with the RBI, we put together a comprehensive plan to fix all outstanding issues, Chief executive Ashok Vaswani told reporters after announcing the June-quarter results on Saturday.

From a technology perspective, he said, the bank has made significant progress during the first quarter of 2024-25. According to Vaswani, the bank has beefed up the internal team with resources from Accenture, Infosys, Oracle and Cisco and focused on relentless execution.

I feel very comfortable and good as to where we are today, said Vaswani, adding that the bank is in constant communication with the regulator.

He said that although the embargo has had a muted impact on growth in credit cards, personal loan business and on new acquisitions on digital banking platform Kotak 811, the 811 team has done a fantastic job in deepening relationships with its customers.

Also Read: Kotak must act fast to escape RBIs cyber-risk clamps The April statement said RBI would review the restrictions after the bank commissioned a comprehensive external audit with RBI's prior approval and addressed all deficiencies that may be pointed out in the audit and observations from RBI inspections to the satisfaction of the central bank.

After the restrictions on digital customer acquisition, the bank recently announced a new distribution structure. In a statement on 16 July, Kotak Mahindra Bank said the new structure integrates the physical branch network, digital branch channel (encompassing mobile banking and net banking platforms) and the voice channel.

It also appointed former ICICI Bank executive Pranav Mishra as the head of distribution.
Humans and nature Exhibit 320s new show, Tales from the East: Embers, Echoes, and Stories of Shifting Earth, features urban life, the harsh reality of labour and the beauty in everyday chaos. Curated by Prayag Chakradhar, the exhibition features works by Suryakant Swain, Sareena Khemka, Ronny Sen, Mohd. Musa, and Ajay Chakradhar. Swains art recreates the lives of labourers from everyday materials found in the city, while Sens photographs illustrate the ecological disaster in Jharia in Jharkhand. Chakradhars work also highlights Jharkhands ecological concerns, stressing responsible resource management. Till 18 August at Exhibit 320, Delhi, from 11am-6:30pm, all days of the week.

Lepa-4 by Ujjal Dey, Kalamkari ink, mud resist, catechu, myrobalan, natural dyed with indigo on acid free paper

Distinct artistic styles At Emami Art in Kolkata, three solo exhibitions showcase unique visual vocabularies. Bholanath Rudras Pensive Seas features his recent watercolours of nocturnal forestscapes. Ali Akbar P.N.s The Salts of Many Seas displays mixed media works exploring historical artefacts and sociopolitical events. Ujjal Deys Dawn to Dusk: A Silent Symphony explores everyday culinary spaces and gender dynamics through textile art. According to Richa Agarwal, CEO of Emami Art, the shows, when viewed together, highlight the differences and the similarities in the artists ideas and practices. At Emami Art (ground floor), Kolkata, till August 20, 11am7pm (closed Sundays).

Jazz pianist Cyrus Chestnut is known for his unique style that seamlessly blends silence and sound.

A magical evening of Jazz NCPA presents a night with the legendary trio: Lenny White, Cyrus Chestnut, and Buster Williams. Lenny White is a pioneering jazz drummer and one of the founding fathers of jazz fusion; virtuoso jazz bassist Buster Williams has created Grammy-nominated work with legends like Hank Jones and Tony Williams; and Cyrus Chestnut is hailed as one of the greatest jazz pianists of his generation, celebrated for his unique style that seamlessly blends silence and sound. With five Grammy Awards among them, these jazz icons promise an unforgettable evening of jazz that'll be filled with improvisational skill, rhythmic sophistication, and melodic beauty. At Tata Theatre, NCPA, Mumbai, this evening, 6.30pm.

KOKO Opulence

Say three tequilafloor! To celebrate Tequila Day on 24 July, KOKO Bengaluru, in collaboration with Patron, has introduced a special limited-time tequila menu that will run till the end of the month. On the menu are delectable concoctions like the Patron Picante, a bold cocktail that mixes Patron Reposado with red jalapenos, coriander, and a splash of lime for a balanced flavour. The Leaf Game is a captivating blend of Patron Reposado and KOKO Herbal Liqueur, complemented by sweet pineapple saccharum, zesty ginger syrup, and a hint of sandalwood. For a taste of luxury, try the KOKO Opulence, which mixes Patron Reposado with KOKO's Azul Liqueur, a hint of elderflower, a splash of lemon, and a smooth, velvety texture from egg white. If you are a tequila enthusiast, you know where to go. At KOKO, Prestige Icon, Old Airport Road, Bengaluru, till 31 July, for reservations, call 98443 04747.

Alessandro Mengoni (right) from Locale Firenze, Italy will helm the bar takeover at Loya Qissa, Bengaluru
From masks and scrubs to balms, there are enough lip care products in the market to confuse you. One of the most popular lip products right now is the lip oil. Lighter than balms and easy to apply like a gloss, lip oils penetrate the lips quicker than heavier balms, and provide instant hydration and plumpness.

Several come in natural tints, so you can use them for a grocery run or to top your lipstick for that extra high gloss. They nourish the lips longer and are glossier than tints, giving them another edge.

With so many new launches by cosmetic brands, we tried six new lip oils and compared them to classics to pick a favourite.

The classics The reason we start with classics is to set a benchmark for the newbies. The luxe options in this category are the Dior Lip Glow Oil if you want long-lasting hydration for multiple hours and high gloss, and Clarins Lip Comfort Oil Shimmer, a great replacement for a shimmery lip gloss.

Rare Beautys Soft Pinch Lip Oil offers an instant plump with a natural tint but needs to be reapplied soon. A budget-friendly and probably one of the first Indian launches was Kay Beautys lip oil, a good lightweight, long-lasting hydrating oil.

Pomegranate Sheen by 82E The newest launch from actor Deepika Padukones 82E brand is also a lip oil. Pomegranate Sheen has SPF 15 PA ++, so it also works as a lip screen. The hero (and only) ingredients mentioned on the packaging (a tube that comes in a cardboard box, which the brand can do without, considering they it claims to be eco-conscious) are pomegranate and ceramides. So, we visit their website to check the full list of ingredients, while we swipe the oil for testing. Somewhere in the middle of the list, we see the hero ingredients; rest are regular lip oil and gloss ingredients, commonly seen in almost all other lip oils, even ones that cost 1,000 less.

The texture is a surpriseits probably the thickest lip oil we have tried and feels more like a long lasting lip treatment.

Unlike other oils, go easy on the application, or the product will feel heavy. We wipe off the excess (which leaves a strong taste), slowly seeing lines fade away and our lips look plump. The oil fades away without being sticky and leaves lips plump and soft for many hours.

The second day of use is even better, a sign of a decent oil. At 1,500 for 6 ml, this product is up there in the Clarins price range. It has no tint, so if you are looking for a thick, glossy treatment oil with SPF which naturally plumps lips, this might work for you.

Also read: How emerging designers are making fashion circular Mon Cherry Illuminating Lip Oil by Quench Quench Botanics USP is selling Korean-style (and manufactured) skincare designed for Indian skin, with actor Kareena Kapoor Khan as an investor and co-owner.

On offer is the Mon Cherry Illuminating Lip Oil, with cherry blossom, grapefruit, patchouli oil and pearl as the hero nourishing ingredients. The first and main ingredient though are the same as every other brands (Polyisobutene). The oil is affordably priced at 599 for 5ml. It doesnt have a visible tint and goes smoothly in a swipe. It instantly offers high gloss, but feels lightweight, and makes lip lines disappear. The oil fades gently over three hours, and when off, lips still feel plump and smooth, without the need for immediate reapplication. Its a good oil/clear gloss in the price range.

Also read: What's trending in wedding wear? Fun, playful bralettes Mega Hype Colour Changing Lip Oil Colour-changing tints and oil, which react to your skins pH, have gone viral. And Sugar Play, a make-up brand targeted towards teens has also launched a colour-changing oil. Its priced at 599 for 4.4 ml (Sugar Play is also by Velvette Lifestyle, which owns Sugar and Quench). The packaging is the coolest of the lot; it can easily be a prop on Star Treks Starship Enterprise.

The oil is light to apply and develops a bright pop of pink after a few minutes, a good summer shade. The oil wears off post two hours, but it leaves a natural tint, leaving lips pink and soft. If you like a natural tint in your lip products, choose this over the Quench oil, both are priced the same.

Nykaa Lip Glaze Nykaas Lip Glaze is a pigmented oil designed to deliver moisture and colour. It comes in five dessert-ey shades. It has a thick yet light consistency that glides easily. The website lists three oils and vitamin C as the hero ingredients, but doesnt mention the full list of ingredients.

We try the shade Cherry Custard, a luscious watermelon red that delivers a lot of colour in one swipe. The oil fades close to the two-hour mark and needs to be reapplied but leaves a gentle tint. At 599 for 7ml, the lip glaze is a gloss and oil hybrid that delivers a punchy colour.

Lotus Make-up Tinted Lip Oil The shade range in Lotus tinted oil category, priced at 675 for 6.5 ml, leaves much to be desired, but its the lightest oil we try on this new list. The oil is so light, it feels like you are applying a cooling tint, but it leaves a light layer to protect your lips. Once again, theres no ingredient list, and the website states hyaluronic acid, Japanese Sakura extract, vitamin E and castor oil as the main ingredients. The hydrating effect lasts for an hour and a half and needs reapplication. If you dislike heavy lip products, this feels the lightest on our lips.

PH-Play Lip and Cheek Oil by Kiro This is a relatively older launch (priced at 800 for 5.5 ml), but makes it to this list, as it is one of our favourites. The colour-changing oil can be used on the lips and cheeks, and gives a vibrant tint and keeps the lips soft for many hours. Avocado and moringa oil are its promoted ingredients. The rest of the main ingredients are almost the same as other oils.
Thanks to the new tax regime which has done away with most exemptions and deductions, taxpayers are now redefining the way they tend to invest and save their income tax.

One of the popular investment schemes among retail investors who want to save tax include Equity Linked Savings Scheme (ELSS) which enables investors to stay invested in equity mutual funds for three years while saving income tax at the same time under section 80C up to 1.5 lakh.

But investment in ELSS is not too attractive for the taxpayers anymore since it does not lead to tax saving under the new tax regime.

And the past three-month data suggests that the investors have been redeeming their investment in ELSS.

Redemption in past 3 months Overall, there are 42 ELSS schemes with total assets under management amounted to 2.39 lakh crore as on June 30, 2024. Three months prior to this date, the corresponding figure stood at 2.13 lakh crore. So, while the overall assets have risen in the past three months, this category of mutual funds witnessed a reasonable degree of redemption in the June quarter.

In June 2024, equity linked savings schemes amounting to 445.37 crore were redeemed. In May and April this year, investors redeemed ELSS units amounting to 249.80 crore and 144 crore, respectively, thus cumulatively redeeming a total of 839.17 crore in three months.

Month Redemption (  crore) June: 445.37 May: 249.80 April: 144

(Source: AMFI)

What experts say on the trend Preeti Zende, a Sebi-registered financial advisor and Founder of Apna Dhan Financial Services, says ELSS schemes are primarily chosen for the purpose of tax saving under section 80C.

She underplays the quantum of redemption in ELSS schemes. She attributes the phenomenon to the bull run in the market. Investors want to book some profits so many have preferredto come out of ELSS which has completed three years of holding and showing good profits, she opines.

Ms Zende also explains that investors who wanted to trim the equity portfolio may have exited the ELSS if they were not willing to invest further as a lack of incentive to save tax in the new tax regime.

However, as far as investment goes, one should not opt for ELSS only to save taxes but to fulfil the financial goals. ELSS is still good for those who want to invest in the equity asset class as well as want to have discipline in investing. As investment done in ELSS cannot be redeemed in 3 years it makes investors stay invested in equity at least for 3 years to make some profits, explains Ms Zende.

Also Read | 13 best ELSS mutual funds delivered over 20% return in the past 5 years

Deepak Gupta, a Delhi-based chartered accountant and founder of Finvestment Pro, says, Although ELSS comes with three-year lock-in, it is opted for as an investment option because it serves two purposes: tax-saving and investment. With the new tax regime coming into force, taxpayers who were earlier investing in ELSS to save tax will naturally look for other alternatives which are more liquid and give higher returns.
By Nailia Bagirova

SHUSHA, Azerbaijan, July 20 (Reuters) - Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev pledged on Saturday to help France's overseas territories secure independence, the latest in a series of incidents pitting his ex-Soviet state against Paris over long-running conflicts in the Caucasus region.

Aliyev accuses France of interfering in its affairs over its contacts with Armenia, against which it has waged two wars in 30 years linked to disputes over Baku's breakaway region of Nagorno-Karabakh.

In recent months, Azerbaijani leaders have focused on France's South Pacific territory of New Caledonia, gripped by weeks of violence over the objections of Indigenous Kanak activists to a contentious electoral reform.

Aliyev made his latest comments at a media forum days before the opening of the Olympic Games in Paris and just after the staging in Baku of a congress bringing together pro-independence groups from New Caledonia and other French territories.

"We will support you until you are free," Aliyev told the forum, citing French territories that he said were still subject to colonialism.

"Some countries are still suffering from this. The Comoros islands, Mayotte are still under colonial rule. It has been our duty to help these countries liberate themselves from this revolting remnant from the past."

Earlier this week, an "initiative group" staged a congress in Baku attended by pro-independence groups from New Caledonia and other French territories, including Corsica and Caribbean and Pacific islands.

French media accounts of the meeting said participants sharply criticised French authorities and an Azerbaijani delegation was invited to visit New Caledonia.

France accused Azerbaijan in May of meddling and abetting unrest in New Caledonia by flooding social media with what it said were misleading photos and videos targeting French police.

Azerbaijan has denied the allegations.
On July 18, the agitators set fire to the country's state broadcaster. The protests broke out in response to reservation of 30 percent government jobs for the families of those who fought in the independence movement.

The recent nationwide unrest in Dhaka and other cities - the biggest since Hasina was re-elected this year, aims to challenge the system of reservation in public sector jobs and the reservation system in place for the relatives of war heroes who fought for the country's independence from Pakistan in 1971. However, the Prime Minister defending the quota system emphasised that regardless of political affiliation of military veterans, they deserve the highest respect for their contributions to the war.
The government at Centre on Saturday rejected an international study which claimed 11.9 lakh excess deaths took place in India in 2020 during the Covid-19 pandemic and said that the claims made are inconsistent and unexplainable.

The estimate is about eight times higher than the official Covid-19 deaths in India, and 1.5 times the World Health Organization's estimates, said researchers, including those from the University of Oxford, reported PTI.

The study published in the journal Science Advances said that the patterns contrast with those seen in high-income countries, where excess deaths were higher among men than women during the pandemic.

However, in a statement, the Health Ministry said that the excess mortality reported in the Science Advances paper in 2020 over the previous year is a gross and misleading overestimate.

Also Read | US President Biden completes fourth PAXLOVID dose after COVID-19 diagnosis

The ministry said that the paper published is methodologically flawed and shows results that are untenable and unacceptable.

The all-cause excess mortality in 2020 compared with the previous year in India is markedly less than the 11.9 lakh deaths reported in the Science Advances paper. Discrepancies between the study's findings and established Covid-19 mortality patterns further undermine its credibility, said the Health Ministry.

The government also said that the study fails to acknowledge India's robust Civil Registration System (CRS), which recorded a substantial increase in death registrations (over 99%) in 2020, not solely attributable to the pandemic.

Also Read | WHO cautions of COVID-19 threat ahead of summer holidays

Speaking to ANI, NITI Aayog Member (Health) Dr VK Paul said that the study used data that was being collected by the National Family Health Survey.

"It is based on the data which was collected in the year 2021 in which household survey includes information on deaths. That data has been used to conclude the report. Now, the problem with this approach is that this survey was going on during the COVID-19 pandemic, but that phase covered only 14 states and UTs. It was not reflective of the entire nation. Also, only part of the households that were covered in these 14 states and UTs were utilised for the reference... Then they applied it all across the nation..."
A 70-year-old woman died, and four others were injured after a portion of a building collapsed in Mumbai's Grant Road on Saturday.

The incident took place around 11am at the four-storey Rubinissa Manzil located on Sleater Road near railway station at Grant Road.

At least eight people are still trapped in the building and operations are underway to rescue them.

13 people, including six men, six women and one child were rescued by the Mumbai Fire Brigade.

According to BMC, a portion of balcony and slab on the second and third floors partially collapsed.

Seven to eight people are stranded on the fourth floor of the building. A rescue operation is underway, said BMC.

A portion of the building is still hanging precariously.

The deceased woman is yet to be identified. She was declared brought dead upon arrival in the hospital.

Those injured include Atul Shaha (55), Nikesh Shaha (26) and Vijay Aanand (25). They have been admitted to Bhatia Hospital.

Another injured person identified as Sidhhesh Palijia (30) has been admitted to the ICU at Breach Candy hospital.

Also Read | Mumbai-based influencer Aanvi Kamdar dies after falling into 300 feet deep gorge

The building was declared dangerous a few months ago and was issued a notice by MHADA.

Meanwhile, police personnel and ambulance are at the site.

Commendable work being done by the Mumbai Fire Brigade. Had my heart in my mouth while seeing how they rescued an infant from the partially collapsed structure at Grant Road, said Congress leader and Mumbai North Central MP Varsha Gaikwad.

My condolences to the family of the lady who lost her life in this incident and I pray that all those still stuck inside the building are safely rescued, she added.

Since early morning, Mumbai and adjoining areas have been receiving heavy rains.
The Ministry of Civil Aviation on July 20 said that airline systems across airports have started working normally. The ministry also said that disruptions caused by the backlog will be cleared by noon today.

Murlidhar Mahol, the civil aviation minister also mentioned that airline systems across airports have been functioning normally since 3 am today.

Since 3 AM, Airline systems across airports have started working normally. Flight operations are going smoothly now. There is a backlog because of disruptions yesterday, and it is getting cleared gradually. By noon today, we expect all issues to be resolved, Ministry of Civil Aviation said, reported ANI.

Microsoft Outage: Flights disrupted since Friday On Friday, several flights were reported to be delayed, re-scheduled and cancelled, after the global outage wreaked havoc. Delhi and Rajasthan Airports had to issue manual boarding passes amid the Microsoft issue which was apparently reported to be associated to an antivirus program update.

Services across industries including health, finance, and services in government agencies have been impacted worldwide. The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) said 10 banks and non-banking financial companies (NBFCs) were affected by the global Microsoft Windows outage.

Also Read | Microsoft Outage Live Updates: CrowdStrike CEO says customers remain protected

Meanwhile, bankers at JPMorgan Chase & Co., Nomura Holdings Inc. and Bank of America Corp. could not login, as employees across US federal agencies also faced a Windows error screen, reported Bloomberg.

The Indian Computer Emergency Response Team (CERT-In) had also issued an advisory, alerting that the issue had been caused by Falcon Sensor, the latest update of the CrowdStrike agent.

Also Read | Microsoft outage: AMFI website did not open for several hours

Several systems crashed, flashing the "Blue Screen of Death" (BSOD), affecting numerous Windows hosts equipped with the CrowdStrike Falcon Sensor. With stability issues at its centre, the update caused many systems to become inoperable.
By Angeliki Koutantou and Yiannis Kourtoglou

NICOSIA (Reuters) -Greek Cypriots mourned and Turkish Cypriots rejoiced on Saturday, the 50th anniversary of Turkey's invasion of part of the island after a brief Greek inspired coup, with the chances of reconciliation as elusive as ever.

The ethnically split island is a persistent source of tension between Greece and Turkey, which are both partners in NATO but are at odds over numerous issues.

Their differences were laid bare on Saturday, with Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan attending a celebratory military parade in north Nicosia to mark the day in 1974 when Turkish forces launched an offensive that they call a "peace operation".

"The Cyprus Peace Operation saved Turkish Cypriots from cruelty and brought them to freedom," Erdogan told cheering crowds who gathered in north Nicosia.

"We are ready for negotiations, to meet, and to establish long-term peace and resolution in Cyprus," he said, adding that Greek and Greek Cypriot calls to reunite Cyprus under a federal umbrella - which are prescribed in U.N. resolutions - are no longer possible.

Greek Cypriots want reunification as a federation. Turkish Cypriots want a two-state settlement.

"We have one aim: A Republic of Cyprus with a single sovereignty, a single international personality, a single nationality, in a bizonal, bicommunal federation, a single state where all citizens will be Cypriots and Europeans, without a foreign occupation army, without outdated guarantees," Mitsotakis told a sombre event in the southern parts of Nicosia in remembrance of 1974.

Greece and Turkey recently agreed to discuss how to improve relations, but "the fact that we have been discussing, doesn't mean that we agree and, more importantly, that we back down," Mitsotakis said.

REMEMBERING THE DEAD

Cyprus gained independence from Britain in 1960, but a shared administration between Greek and Turkish Cypriots quickly fell apart in violence that saw Turkish Cypriots withdraw into enclaves and led to the dispatch of a U.N. peacekeeping force.

The crisis left Greek Cypriots running the internationally recognised Republic of Cyprus, a member of the European Union since 2004 with the potential to derail Turkey's own decades-long aspirations of joining the bloc.

It also complicates any attempts to unlock energy potential in the eastern Mediterranean because of overlapping claims. The region has seen major discoveries of hydrocarbons in recent years.

Cypriot President Nikos Christodoulides, whose office represents the Greek Cypriot community in the reunification dialogue, said the anniversary was a sombre occasion for reflection and for remembering the dead.

"The condemnable and unacceptable events we see happening in Ukraine today ... were perpetrated 50 years ago in Cyprus and we are living its consequences every day," he said.

Across the south, church services were held to remember the more than 3,000 people who died in the Turkish invasion.

"It was a betrayal of Cyprus and so many kids were lost. It wasn't just my son, it was many," said Loukas Alexandrou, 90, as he tended the grave of his son at a military cemetery.

In Turkey, blanket state television coverage focused on violence against Turkish Cypriots prior to the invasion, particularly on bloodshed in 1963-64 and in 1967.

Turkey's invasion took more than a third of the island and expelled more than 160,000 Greek Cypriots to the south.

Reunification talks collapsed in 2017 and have been at a stalemate since. Northern Cyprus is a breakaway state recognised only by Turkey, and its Turkish Cypriot leadership wants international recognition.
*

Greeks grieve, Turks celebrate Cyprus invasion anniversary

*

Erdogan says ready for dialogue, but can't turn clock back

*

Island's division key source of tension between neighbours

(Adds Greek Prime Minister in paragraphs 7-8)

By Angeliki Koutantou and Yiannis Kourtoglou

NICOSIA, July 20 (Reuters) - Greek Cypriots mourned and Turkish Cypriots rejoiced on Saturday, the 50th anniversary of Turkey's invasion of part of the island after a brief Greek inspired coup, with the chances of reconciliation as elusive as ever.

The ethnically split island is a persistent source of tension between Greece and Turkey, which are both partners in NATO but are at odds over numerous issues.

Their differences were laid bare on Saturday, with Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan attending a celebratory military parade in north Nicosia to mark the day in 1974 when Turkish forces launched an offensive that they call a "peace operation".

"The Cyprus Peace Operation saved Turkish Cypriots from cruelty and brought them to freedom," Erdogan told cheering crowds who gathered in north Nicosia.

"We are ready for negotiations, to meet, and to establish long-term peace and resolution in Cyprus," he said, adding that Greek and Greek Cypriot calls to reunite Cyprus under a federal umbrella - which are prescribed in U.N. resolutions - are no longer possible.

Greek Cypriots want reunification as a federation. Turkish Cypriots want a two-state settlement.

"We have one aim: A Republic of Cyprus with a single sovereignty, a single international personality, a single nationality, in a bizonal, bicommunal federation, a single state where all citizens will be Cypriots and Europeans, without a foreign occupation army, without outdated guarantees," Mitsotakis told a sombre event in the southern parts of Nicosia in remembrance of 1974.

Greece and Turkey recently agreed to discuss how to improve relations, but "the fact that we have been discussing, doesn't mean that we agree and, more importantly, that we back down," Mitsotakis said.

REMEMBERING THE DEAD

Cyprus gained independence from Britain in 1960, but a shared administration between Greek and Turkish Cypriots quickly fell apart in violence that saw Turkish Cypriots withdraw into enclaves and led to the dispatch of a U.N. peacekeeping force.

The crisis left Greek Cypriots running the internationally recognised Republic of Cyprus, a member of the European Union since 2004 with the potential to derail Turkey's own decades-long aspirations of joining the bloc.

It also complicates any attempts to unlock energy potential in the eastern Mediterranean because of overlapping claims. The region has seen major discoveries of hydrocarbons in recent years.

Cypriot President Nikos Christodoulides, whose office represents the Greek Cypriot community in the reunification dialogue, said the anniversary was a sombre occasion for reflection and for remembering the dead.

"The condemnable and unacceptable events we see happening in Ukraine today ... were perpetrated 50 years ago in Cyprus and we are living its consequences every day," he said.

Across the south, church services were held to remember the more than 3,000 people who died in the Turkish invasion.

"It was a betrayal of Cyprus and so many kids were lost. It wasn't just my son, it was many," said Loukas Alexandrou, 90, as he tended the grave of his son at a military cemetery.

In Turkey, blanket state television coverage focused on violence against Turkish Cypriots prior to the invasion, particularly on bloodshed in 1963-64 and in 1967.

Turkey's invasion took more than a third of the island and expelled more than 160,000 Greek Cypriots to the south.
Today is set to witness a sequence of events, right from SC's deadline for NTA to declare centre-wise marks of NEET-UG candidates to the two-day Amazon Prime Day sale. In addition to this, several companies including Kotak Mahindra Bank, YES Bank, JK Cement, Poonawala Fincorp, RBL Bank, Newton Technologies, Can Fin Homes, ICRA, Rossari Biotech will release their Q1 results today.

Here's a list of top events on July 20 SC directs NTA to declare centre-wise marks of NEET-UG candidates The Supreme Court on Thursday directed the National Testing Agency (NTA) to declare by 12 noon of July 20 the centre and city-wise results of controversy-ridden NEET-UG 2024 while masking the identities of the aspirants, saying it wanted to ascertain whether candidates appearing at allegedly tainted centres scored more marks than those elsewhere.

Amazon Prime Day sale starts today The two-day Amazon Prime Day sale is now LIVE, with amazing deals offered on electronics, home appliances, clothing and more. In addition to the discounts, there are various cashback offers and additional savings for ICICI and SBI credit and debit cardholders.

Also Read | Amazon Prime Day sale 2024 means big savings of up to 45000 on best laptops

HDFC Bank Q1 results HDFC Bank will announce its financial results for the quarter ending June 30, 2024, today i.e. July 20. Following the bank's completion of one year since its merger with HDFC Ltd on July 1, 2024, analysts anticipate that the combined entitys loan and deposit growth will stabilize moving forward. For the first quarter of FY25, analysts expect HDFC Bank to report net profit (profit after tax) either flat or a slight decline on a quarter-on-quarter (QoQ) basis.

Also Read | Microsoft Outage Live Updates: CrowdStrike CEO says customers remain protected

IAS trainee Puja Khedkar's mother was sent to police custody until July 20 A local court in Pune district, Maharashtra, has remanded Manorama Khedkar, the mother of IAS probationer Puja Khedkar, in police custody until July 20. She was arrested on Thursday for allegedly threatening a person with a gun over a land dispute in June last year.

INDIA bloc state-wide protests over deteriorating law and order situation in Bihar The opposition INDIA bloc in Bihar will organise a state-wide agitation later today over the alleged deterioration in the law and order situation. RJDs state party chief Jagadanand Singh said, The law and order situation has completely collapsed in the state. Every day, Bihar is witnessing cases of murder, kidnapping, extortion, rape, etc Why is Chief Minister Nitish Kumar maintaining a stoic silence on the current situation? We... will organise a protest march on July 20 across the state against rising crimes in Bihar. This issue will also be raised in the assembly during the upcoming monsoon session, Singh said.

Minor change in timings of Yellow Line service on July 20, 21 Train services on the Yellow Line of the Delhi Metro will be temporarily has been regulated today to facilitate civil work on a 490-meter section of the Janakpuri West to R K Ashram Corridor as part of Phase-IV, according to an advisory. The advisory specifies that on Saturday, the last train will leave Samaypur Badli for Millennium City Centre Gurugram at 10:45 pm instead of the usual 11 pm, and from Millennium City Centre Gurugram to Samaypur Badli at 9:30 pm instead of 11 pm. On Sunday, the first train will start at 7 am instead of 6 am from Samaypur Badli to Millennium City Centre Gurugram. Additionally, there will be no train services between Samaypur Badli and Jahangirpuri after 11 pm on Saturday and before 7 am on Sunday.
Social media users in Karnataka have called for a boycott of PhonePe after CEO Sameer Nigam criticised the job quota bill. Furious Kannadigas have accused the businessman of being 'against the interests of Karnataka' as many posted photos of themselves uninstalling the payments app.

Hi all Kannadigas, this guy is a Founder and CEO of PhonePe and he is openly against Kannadigas and interests of Karnataka. Please uninstall PhonePe in your mobiles and try to use GooglePay or any other Apps of your choice, urged one X user.

I always preferred PhonePe over any other UPI apps due to its Swadeshi origin. Sameer Nigam, Karnataka helped you to grow up. You came here to build your career, not to improve Bengaluru. This is the time to say goodbye to PhonePe. #UninstallPhonePe #BoycottPhonePe insisted another.

"It's good Kannada people teach him a lesson by #UninstallPhonePe campaign he must apologise. Mr Sameer Nigam, Constitution of India doesn't says to disrespect local language," opined a third.

Nigam had been vocal in his criticism after the Karnataka government introduced the job quota bill.

"I am 46 years old. Never lived in a state for 15+ yrs. My father worked in the Indian Navy. Got posted all over the country. His kids don't deserve jobs in Karnataka? I build companies. Have created 25000+ jobs across India! My kids don't deserve jobs in their home city? he had asked.

Meanwhile members of the Karnataka Rakshana Vedike have threatened to revolt against the Siddaramaiah government if the bill does not get passed within the next 15 to 20 days. KRV chief TA Narayana Gowda alleged on Thursday that a few IT companies are pressuring the Congress-led government and stopping the CM from passing this bill.

On Monday, the cabinet made a decision and cleared the bill. Today it was supposed to be tabled. But a few IT companies pressurized the government that they'll leave Karnataka if they table this bill or these companies could've brought pressure from the 'high command' and stopped Siddaramaiah from going ahead with this, he claimed.

We are not begging the companies/corporates. We are asking for our rights. Don't we have the right to ask this? If they say we'll leave Karnataka can we stop them? I can tell you that you'll not get a place like Karnataka.
Prince Harry has revealed that he had to pretend to be his brother William's best man at the latters wedding with Kate Middleton. William didn't want him to give a best man's speech, Harry claimed. This revelation highlights the extent of the rift in the Royal Family, which Harry details in his new memoir, Spare.

The book's title refers to the phrase "heir and a spare" spoken by King Charles to Princess Diana at his birth. It quickly became a global bestseller upon its release and caused a stir within the Royal Family, as per The Mirror.

Harry shared in the book that declaring him the best man was a bare-faced lie. It was to avoid media attention on William's two closest friends. Willy didnt want me giving a best mans speech, the British tabloid quoted Harry as saying in the memoir.

Officially named best man at William and Kate's 2011 wedding, Harry even travelled with William to Westminster Abbey. The Duke of Sussex has stated that his rift with William deepened over a decade ago.

Harry claims that it was all for the show. His brothers close friends, James Meade and Thomas Van Straubenzee, actually gave the traditional speech at the reception.

The younger brother was only asked to introduce them, not give the speech himself, as per the publication.

Prince William was tipsy Harry has also claimed in the book that Prince William was tipsy from drinking rum just hours before his 2011 wedding to Kate. The Duke said his brother, while intoxicated, tried to calm his nerves.

Harry mentioned that he told William he was smelling of alcohol and offered him mint sweets to dodge the lingering smell of rum on his breath. These details are part of the 557-page book filled with allegations.
President Joe Biden says hes ready to return to the campaign trail next week, even as a growing chorus of Democratic lawmakers called for him to step aside.

Meanwhile, after wrapping their national convention in Milwaukee this week, Republican officials, strategists and activists are exuding a confidence not seen in decades.

Donald Trump on Saturday will hold his first public campaign rally since he was injured in an assassination attempt, with an event in the battleground state of Michigan alongside his new running mate Ohio Sen. JD Vance.

Follow the s Election-2024 coverage at: /hub/election-2024

Here's the Latest: Supporters crowd into downtown Grand Rapids ahead of Trumps rally

Supporters of Republican Donald Trump crowded the streets of downtown Grand Rapids in anticipation of the former presidents remarks Saturday evening.

Numerous streets, closed for security reasons, were dotted with vendors selling food and apparel. Among them was a vendor from North Carolina who had traveled to Michigan earlier in the day, who said that he had spent the night making shirts featuring Trump Vance 24, referencing U.S. Sen. JD Vance, the former presidents running mate.

Mike Gaydos, who had traveled from Indiana with his three sons to attend the rally, wore a shirt stating, Im voting for the felon not the kid sniffer. Despite not considering himself a huge Trump supporter in the past, Gaydos said he wanted to support the former president following a recent assassination attempt on Trump.

Downtown Grand Rapids also saw a significant police presence, with officers stationed on nearly every block, while others patrolled on horseback and bicycles.

This is the tightest Ive ever seen the security, said Renee White, who said that shes been to 33 of Trumps rallies.

White was seated behind the podium in Butler, Pennsylvania when the former president was injured in an assassination attempt. She described the shooting as surreal but said that it wouldnt stop her from going to rallies. Biden was inf ected by a COVID-19 variant thats responsible for 33.3% of new US infections

White House doctor Kevin OConnor said the president was infected by a strain of COVID-19 that has caused one-third of new infections in the United States.

The White House released OConnors latest report on Bidens condition on Saturday.

The doctor says Bidens symptoms continue to improve steadily but that hes still plagued by a dry cough and hoarseness. OConnor also said Bidens lungs remain clear and his vitals remain absolutely normal.

Biden is being treated at his Delaware beach home. California Rep. Takano to Biden: I love and respect you, but the stakes are too high to fail

U.S. Rep. Mark Takano, the top Democrat on the House Veterans Affairs Committee, called for President Joe Biden to pass the torch, to Vice President Kamala Harris on Saturday.

Takano was among a number of high-ranking Democrats to privately express concern for Bidens reelection bid in a private call with leadership earlier this month.

Takano said in a posted statement on the social platform X that it has become clear to me that the demands of a modern campaign are now best met by the Vice President, who can seamlessly transition into the role of our partys standard bearer.

Takano added he loves and respects Biden, but the stakes are too high to fail. No details yet on when Biden will resume campaigning after COVID-19

Biden campaign spokesperson Michael Tyler told reporters during a conference call on Saturday that details will follow as soon as we have the green light.

Biden was forced off the campaign trail on Wednesday after he tested positive for COVID-19. The president was in Las Vegas when he got the news. He flew to his home in Rehoboth Beach, Delaware, and has been recovering there. Sen. Elizabeth Warren: Harris is ready to step up if Biden bows out

Massachusetts Democratic Sen. Elizabeth Warren says that, if President Biden opts to bow out of the race, Vice President Kamala Harris is ready to step up.

What gives me a lot of hope right now is that, if President Biden decides to step back, we have Vice President Kamala Harris who is ready to step up, Warren told MSNBC on Saturday to unite the party, to take on Donald Trump and to win in November.

Warren, who competed with Biden in the 2020 Democratic presidential primary, said that the president has a really big decision to make about whether he wants to leave the race. This is how Secret Service protection has changed for presidents over the years

As the world has vastly changed, so has protection for presidents since the days when the public could come to the White House to meet Abraham Lincoln.

Protective details have grown in size, responsibility and technology over more than a century of the Secret Service protecting presidents.

When presidents leave the White House in modern times, theyre accompanied by a phalanx of Secret Service officers and agents. Cars can no longer drive past what is often dubbed the peoples house at 1600 Pennsylvania Ave. The fence has been raised, and dont even try to get past the gate without an appointment or badge. The number of people under guard also has grown as vice presidents, former presidents, candidates, family members and more get protection.

Former Secret Service agents say the agency is studying the attempt on former President Donald Trumps life at a rally in Pennsylvania a week ago and making changes to adjust to it.

Read more about how Secret Service protection has changed over the years David Letterman to headline a fundraiser with Biden

David Letterman is set to headline a fundraiser with President Joe Biden with Hawaii Gov. Josh Green, a sign that Bidens campaign is forging ahead despite continued calls for him to bow out of the 2024 race.

The fundraiser on July 29 will be at the home of a family friend on Marthas Vineyard, Massachusetts, Green told The Associated Press Friday. It will feature the longtime late-night host, plus Biden and first lady Jill Biden. The campaign has at least 10 other fundraising events over the last 10 days of July.

Letterman helmed CBS Late Show for 22 seasons. The event comes as other celebrities like George Clooney, director Rob Reiner and Stephen King have called on Biden to drop out of the 2024 race, following his disastrous debate performance on June 27. Theres also been growing concern over continued fundraising support after anxious donors expressed serious worries about his performance and the future of the party.

Read more about the fundraiser with Hawaiis governor here. Trump returns to the campaign trail in Michigan

Republican Donald Trump on Saturday will hold his first public campaign rally since he was injured in an assassination attempt, with an event in the battleground state of Michigan alongside his new running mate.

The joint rally with Ohio Sen. JD Vance is the first for the pair since they became the GOPs nominees at the Republican National Convention in Milwaukee. Trump kicked off the gathering of Republicans by naming Vance his vice presidential pick and concluded it with a speech urging unity following a July 13 shooting in Pennsylvania that left Trump with a bloodied ear and killed one man in the crowd.

I am running to be president for all of America, not half of America, because there is no victory in winning for half of America, Trump said Thursday night in what was the longest convention speech in modern history at just under 93 minutes.

Read more about the crucial role Michigan could play in the election. Majority of Democrats think Kamala Harris would make a good president, -NORC poll shows

As President Joe Biden faces a growing drumbeat of pressure to drop his reelection bid, a majority of Democrats think his vice president would make a good president herself.

A new poll from the -NORC Center for Public Affairs Research found that about 6 in 10 Democrats believe Kamala Harris would do a good job in the top slot. About 2 in 10 Democrats dont believe she would, and another 2 in 10 say they dont know enough to say.

Since Bidens debate debacle on June 27, many Democrats have privately and even openly looked to Harris to step in and succeed Biden as the partys presidential nominee, believing she has a better chance against GOP nominee Donald Trump. For her part, Harris has remained completely loyal to Biden, being one of his toughest defenders in the aftermath of the disastrous debate performance.

Read more about the poll here. Ohio Sen. Sherrod Brown one of several members of Congress to call for Biden to end his campaign

Third-term U.S. Sen. Sherrod Brown, of Ohio, was one of a dozen members of Congress who on Friday said Biden should end his campaign.

The plea came as Brown faces Republican Bernie Moreno, a Cleveland businessman, in whats viewed as one of the most competitive Senate races of the year.

Brown is the only Democrat holding a statewide position in Ohio. His former bellwether state has twice supported Donald Trump by large margins and Trump has the states junior senator, JD Vance, as his running mate.

While Brown has enjoyed a long, close relationship with Biden  he was even on the shortlist to be Bidens vice presidential pick  he has worked to distance himself this cycle amid Bidens unpopularity. Brown has aired ads touting his support for border- and fentanyl-related legislation, highlighting one bill that Brown sponsored and Trump signed. Viewership for Trumps RNC acceptance speech peaked at 28.4 million

For better or worse, former President Trump had a large audience watching him deliver his nomination acceptance speech at the RNC on Thursday.

An estimated 25.4 million people watched the final night of the convention on one of 14 networks that were covering it, the Nielsen company said on Friday. Viewership peaked at 28.4 million between 10:45 and 11 p.m. Eastern, at the beginning of Trumps speech, Nielsen said.

That would be good news for the ex-president. The early part of his speech, where he spoke dramatically about last Saturdays attempt on his life, was generally regarded as its most effective. As it dragged on past the 90-minute part and past midnight on the East Coast, Trump largely went off-script for remarks that resembled his typical stump speech.

Fox News Channel had 9.4 million viewers during Trumps speech, comfortably ahead of any other network. An estimated 72 percent of the viewers were aged 55 and up, Nielsen said.

It was the most-watched night of the convention, which is typical for the evening when the presidential nominee speaks. Black lawmakers are standing by Biden at a crucial moment. But some express concerns

The Congressional Black Caucus prides itself on its authority among Democrats and its influence with President Joe Biden in particular. So far, only one of its roughly 60 members have joined calls for Biden to drop his reelection bid due to concerns over his age and ability to win.

But the caucus broad backing of the president varies widely, ranging from enthusiastic support to outright skepticism. And a small but growing number within the group are publicly expressing doubts about Bidens candidacy.

Black voters are widely credited with helping Biden clinch the Democratic nomination four years ago and then defeat Republican Donald Trump. Whether Black lawmakers stick with the president now, and how fervently they do so, could be critical in the coming days as pressure builds from the highest levels of the Democratic Party for Biden to end his campaign.

 Read about Black lawmakers relationship with the president
More than a hundred people were killed this week as violent protests rocked Bangladesh. A government curfew went into effect at midnight and the army was deployed with a shoot-on-sight order across the country. The demonstrations  led mainly by student groups had started weeks earlier to protest a newly reinstated job quota system.

The chaos also highlights deepening cracks within Bangladeshs governance and economy and the frustration of youths who lack good jobs upon graduation. They also represent the biggest challenge to Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina since she won a fourth consecutive term in office after Januarys elections, boycotted by the main opposition groups.

What exactly is the job quota system? Bangladesh gained independence from Pakistan in 1971 after an armed conflict that lasted more than eight months and killed (by some accounts) as many as three million people. A year later  on November 5  the Tajuddin Ahmad-led administration passed an executive order to introduce a 30% quota for freedom fighters and a 10% quota for women in government, semi-government, and defence and nationalised institutions.

The quota policy was reformed in various ways over the years  including the introduction of 30% reservation for the children and grandchildren of freedom fighters that was present till 2018.

Sheikh Hasina and the abolition of quota The Bangladesh government abolished the system in 2018 with Hasina stating that there is no need for quota system in the public service. Data from the Bangladesh Public Service Commissions indicates that a vast majority of these reserved posts had remained empty in recent years.

The government decision however sparked fresh backlash with the Bangladesh Muktijoddha Sontan O Projonmo Kendrio Command Council filing a writ petition to challenge the order. In December 2021 the High Court had issued a missive asking the government to explain why the circular should not be declared illegal.

So what changed in 2024? The Dhaka High Court passed an order on June 5 ordering the government to retain the freedom fighter quota for government jobs. This included a 30% reservation for the families of those who fought for the liberation of Bangladesh from Pakistani rule.

The Sheikh Hasina-led government had scrapped the quota system in 2018  a decision that the HC declared was illegal.

The High Court decision was eventually suspended by the Bangladesh Supreme Court after a government appeal. The case will now be heard on Sunday (July 21) after the court agreed to prepose its hearing.
CPC Central Committee sends condolences over death of Vietnam's Nguyen Phu Trong

Xinhua) 08:30, July 20, 2024

BEIJING, July 19 (Xinhua) -- The Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee on Friday sent condolences to the Communist Party of Vietnam (CPV) Central Committee and deeply mourned the death of General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong.

The following is the full text of the condolence message:

General Secretary of the CPV Central Committee Nguyen Phu Trong passed away. The CPC and the Chinese people lost a good comrade, a good brother and a good friend. With immense grief, we extend our deepest condolences and sincerest sympathies to the Central Committee of the CPV, the Vietnamese government and the Vietnamese people.

Trong was a staunch Marxist and a great leader of the CPV and the Vietnamese people. He dedicated his entire life to the causes of his party and nation, making outstanding contributions to Vietnam's Doi Moi (reform), socialist construction, and the development of the world socialist movement.

Trong was a close comrade and a sincere friend of the CPC and the Chinese people. He inherited and developed the traditional friendship of "comrades plus brothers" between the two parties and two countries, and forged a profound friendship with the CPC and Chinese leaders.

Trong and General Secretary of the CPC Central Committee Xi Jinping have jointly elevated China-Vietnam relations to a community with a shared future that carries strategic significance and vigorously promoted the continuous development of China-Vietnam comprehensive strategic cooperative partnership. The CPC, the Chinese government and the Chinese people will always miss Trong.

We believe that the CPV and the Vietnamese people will turn grief into strength, carry on the legacy of Trong, unite and strive to make new and greater achievements in the cause of Doi Moi and socialist construction.

China and Vietnam are socialist neighbors connected by mountains and rivers and a community with a shared future that carries strategic significance. China has always regarded Vietnam as a priority in its neighborhood diplomacy and stands ready to work with Vietnam to continuously consolidate political mutual trust, strengthen solidarity and cooperation, and push forward the building of a China-Vietnam community with a shared future to benefit the two peoples and contribute to regional and world peace and development.

Eternal glory to Comrade Nguyen Phu Trong.

(Web editor: Peng Yukai, Wu Chaolan)
The World Banks Board of Executive Directors sanctioned $13.6 million in extra funding to supplement the ongoing $5 million Technical Assistance for Kambarata-1 Hydropower Plant (HPP) Project for Kyrgyzstan, Azernews reports.

According to the World Bank, the project aims to support the Government of Kyrgyzstan in preparing the Kambarata-1 Hydropower Plant (HPP) project in a manner that is environmentally, technically, financially, and commercially sustainable.

The Kambarata-1 HPP Project is a transformational regional project aimed at increasing the availability of energy supply, improving the management of water and energy resources, and transitioning to clean energy in Kyrgyzstan and throughout Central Asia.

The World Bank expects it to generate an average of 5,600 gigawatt hours per yearalmost half of Kyrgyzstan's current electricity generationand reduce annual carbon dioxide emissions by 5 million tons.

At the same time, the continuing Technical Assistance for Kambarata-1 Hydropower Plant (HPP) Project for Kyrgyzstan has achieved notable advancement since its approval in autumn 2023.

Meanwhile, the World Banks program in Kyrgyzstan currently consists of 25 projects supporting the modernization and development of various sectors, with commitments exceeding $1.2 billion.
Death toll continues to mount in Bangladesh amid ongoing violence over the allocation of government jobs despite imposition of curfew in the country. The army has also been deployed nationwide to control the law and order situation. Meanwhile, several Indian students have started returning home.

Cities across Bangladesh, including the capital Dhaka, have been rocked by violent protests this week against government job quotas

Also Read | Bangladesh quota protests: From curfew to internet ban

Here are 10 key points 1) Bangladesh continues to witness violence days after clashes over the allocation of government jobs. Various reports said that the death toll has mounted to 115.

2) Police and protesters clashed in the streets and at university campuses in Dhaka and other cities over the last few days.

3) According to AFP, authorities moved to block online communications by banning mobile and internet services. Some television news channels also went off the air, and the websites of most Bangladesh newspapers were not loading or were being updated.

4) Police have imposed a strict curfew across Bangladesh.

A demonstrator gestures as protesters clash with Border Guard Bangladesh (BGB) and the police outside the state-owned Bangladesh Television on July 19 as violence erupts across the country after anti-quota protests by students in Dhaka.

5) Military forces are patrolling capital city and other parts of the country to control the law and order situation.

"The army has been deployed nationwide to control the law and order situation," armed forces spokesman Shahdat Hossain told AFP.

6) United States Embassy in Dhaka said on Friday that reports indicated hundreds to possibly thousands were injured across Bangladesh. It said the situation was extremely volatile.

7) Protestors set jail on fire, following which some 800 inmates fled from a prison in Narsingdi, a district north of capital Dhaka.

8) Quoting lawmaker Obaidul Quader, the general secretary of the ruling Awami League party, AP reported that a shoot-at-sight order was also in place, giving security forces the authority to fire on mobs in extreme cases.

Indian students returned from Bangladesh after immigration clearance amid a countrywide protest at Agartala integrated checkpost, on Saturday.

Also Read | India advises its nationals in Bangladesh to stay indoors amid anti-quota stir

9) 778 Indian students have returned to India through various land ports. In addition, around 200 students have returned home by regular flight services through Dhaka and Chittagong airports, said Ministry of External Affairs (MEA).

10) MEA said that it is also coordinating with civil aviation, immigration, land ports and BSF authorities to ensure a smooth passage for our citizens.

Why are protests taking place? The protesters are demanding an end to a quota system that reserves up to 30% of government jobs for relatives of veterans who fought in Bangladesh's war of independence in 1971 against Pakistan. Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina has defended the quota system, saying that veterans deserve the highest respect for their contributions to the war, regardless of their political affiliation.

Protesters clash with Border Guard Bangladesh (BGB) and the police outside the state-owned Bangladesh Television as violence erupts across the country after anti-quota protests by students, in Dhaka, Bangladesh, July 19, 2024.
WASHINGTON  As Democrats churn over whether President Joe Biden should stay in the 2024 race, the party turmoil is deepening over whether his Vice President Kamala Harris is next in line for the job or if a mini primary should be quickly launched to choose a new nominee before the party's August convention.

Harris hit the campaign trail Saturday in breezy Provincetown, Ma., and picked up a nod from the state's prominent Democratic Sen. Elizabeth Warren, who said ahead of the visit that if Biden were to step aside, his vice president is "ready to step up and unite the party.

But installing Harris to the top of the ticket, which would be a history-making moment for the party elevating the first Black and Southeast Asian woman as its presidential nominee, is not at all certain. Officials from the highest ranks, including Speaker Emerita Nancy Pelosi, prefer an open process some believing it would strengthen any Democratic nominee to confront Republican Donald Trump.

If you think that there is consensus among the people who want Joe Biden to leave.... that they will support Kamala, Vice President Harris, you would be mistaken, Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez said this week on a widely discussed social media post.

With the publicly-aired deliberations, Democrats are prolonging an extraordinary moment of uncertainty and upheaval. Biden has weighty options before him this weekend that could set the direction of the country and his party as the nation heads toward the November election.

Its creating a stark juxtaposition with Republicans who, after years of bitter and chaotic infighting over Trump, are energized and embracing the former presidents far-right takeover of the GOP, despite his criminal conviction in a hush money case and pending federal criminal indictment for trying to overturn the 2020 election before the Jan. 6, 2021, attack on the Capitol.

Biden, despite a week of campaign stops, interviews and insistence that he is the best candidate to take on Trump in a rematch, hasn't been able to quell the uproar. Skeptical Democrats doubt he can keep the White House after his stumbled debate performance last month, and worry he will take hopes for party control of Congress down with him.

On Saturday, Rep. Mark Takano, the top Democrat on the House Veterans Affairs Committee, added his name to the list of nearly three dozen Democrats in Congress who say it's time for Biden to leave the race. The Californian called on Biden to pass the torch, to Harris.

More lawmakers are expected to speak out in the days ahead. Donors have raised concerns.

There is no joy in the recognition he should not be our nominee in November, said Democratic Rep. Morgan McGarvey of Kentucky, one of the Democrats urging Bidens exit from the race.

From his beach home in Delaware, Biden, 81, is isolating after announcing a COVID infection, but also politically with a small circle of family and close advisers. White House doctor Kevin OConnor said Saturday that the presidents symptoms were improving, but that he was still plagued by a dry cough and hoarseness.

The presidents team insisted hes ready to return to the campaign this coming week to counter what he called a dark vision laid out by Trump.

Together, as a party and as a country, we can and will defeat him at the ballot box, Biden said in a statement Friday.

But outside the Rehoboth enclave, the debate and passions are intensifying.

Very few of the Democratic lawmakers who are agitating for Biden to leave have mentioned Harris in their statements, and some have said they favor an open nominating process that would throw the partys endorsement behind a new candidate.

A person familiar with Pelosis thinking said that while she is a friend and admirer of the vice president, she believes that anybody who wants to be president is better served by such a process, believing that whomever emerges as the candidate at the convention would be strengthened to win the election. The person spoke on condition of anonymity to characterize Pelosis thought process.

Rep. Zoe Lofgren of California, a Pelosi ally who had called on Biden to step aside, said Friday on MSNBC that some kind of mini-primary that would include Harris makes sense.

Democratic Sens. Jon Tester of Montana and Peter Welch of Vermont have both called for Biden to exit the race and said they would favor an open nominating process at the convention.

Having it be open would strengthen whoever is the ultimate nominee, Welch said in an interview with The Associated Press.

Other Democrats say it would be politically unthinkable to move past Harris to a different nominee, and logistically unworkable with a virtual nominating vote being planned for early next month, before the Democratic convention opens in Chicago on Aug. 19.

Minnesota Rep. Betty McCollum, who has called on Biden to step aside, explicitly endorsed Harris as a replacement.

To give Democrats a strong, viable path to winning the White House, I am calling upon President Biden to release his delegates and empower Vice-President Harris to step forward to become the Democratic nominee for President, McCollum said in her statement.

The standoff over Biden's political future has become increasingly untenable for the party and its leaders, a month from the Democratic National Convention that should be a unifying moment to nominate their incumbent president to confront Trump. Instead, the party is at a crossroads unseen in generations.

It's unclear what else, if anything, the president could do to reverse course and win back lawmakers and Democratic voters, who are wary of his ability to defeat Trump and serve another term after his halting debate performance last month.

Biden, who sent a defiant letter to Democrats in Congress vowing to stay in the race, has yet to visit Capitol Hill to shore up support, an absence noticed by senators and representatives.

The president did conduct a round of virtual conversations with various caucuses in the past week  some of which ended poorly.

Associated Press writers Mary Clare Jalonick, Seung Min Kim, Farnoush Amiri and Zeke Miller contributed to this report. Superville reported from Rehoboth Beach, Delaware.
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Israeli strikes kill dozens in Gaza

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No breakthrough in ceasefire talks

By Nidal al-Mughrabi

CAIRO, - Israeli forces pounded several areas across the Gaza Strip on Saturday, killing at least 39 Palestinians, according to health officials, as tanks advanced deeper into western and northern Rafah.

Among those killed on Saturday were local journalist Mohammad Abu Jasser, his wife and two children in an Israeli strike on their home in the northern Gaza Strip, a medic said.

Gaza's Hamas-run government media office said Abu Jasser's death raised to 161 the number of Palestinian media personnel killed by Israeli fire since Oct 7.

Just before midnight, an Israeli air strike on an encampment housing displaced Palestinian families killed at least 10 people, medics and Hamas media said.

In Al-Nuseirat camp in the central Gaza Strip, an Israeli air strike on a house on Saturday killed three people and wounded eight others, medics said.

Earlier in the day an Israeli missile struck a multi-floor building in the camp, and wounded several people, including two local journalists, rescue workers said.

In Rafah, where Israel said it aimed to dismantle the last battalions of Hamas' armed wing, residents said tanks advanced deeper into northern areas of the city and took control of a hilltop in the west, amid fierce gun battles with Hamas-led fighters.

The army said troops continued operations in Rafah, eliminating many gunmen over the past day in the area of Tel Al-Sultan on the western side of the city. In central Gaza, the military said it conducted raids on militants' infrastructure.

The military also said it hit a structure used by Palestinian militants in Deir Al-Balah in central Gaza Strip, saying gunmen were operating from a humanitarian area, and accused Gaza militants of exploiting civilian structures and population for military purposes, an allegation Hamas and other groups reject as false to justify such attacks.

A ceasefire effort led by Qatar and Egypt and backed by the United States has so far failed due to disputes between the combatants, who blame each other for the impasse.

Israel vowed to eradicate Hamas after its fighters killed 1,200 people and took more than 250 hostage in an Oct. 7 attack, according to Israeli tallies. At least 38,919 Palestinians have been killed in Israel's retaliatory offensive since then, Gaza health authorities say.

On Tuesday, Israel said it had eliminated half the leadership of Hamas' military wing and killed or captured about 14,000 fighters since the start of the war.

Israel says 326 of its soldiers have been killed in Gaza.

Hamas does not release casualty figures and said Israel exaggerates its reports to give the impression of a "fake victory".
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Israel says Hodeidah port was used to receive weapons from Iran

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Strikes hit oil facilities and caused fatalities - Al-Masirah TV

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Houthi's Supreme Council says will respond to strikes

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PM Netanyahu urges allies to step up pressure on Tehran

By Ari Rabinovitch and Enas Alashray

JERUSALEM/CAIRO, - Israeli fighter jets struck Houthi military targets in the area of Hodeidah port in Yemen on Saturday, the Israeli military said, a day after a drone launched by the Iranian-backed group hit Israel's economic hub Tel Aviv.

Al-Masirah TV, the main television news outlet run by Yemen's Houthi movement, reported that the strikes were directed against oil facilities in the port and caused fatalities.

Hodeidah residents told Reuters by phone that explosions were heard throughout the city during an intensive bombardment and Al-Masirah TV said civil defence forces and firefighters were trying to extinguish fires in the port's oil tanks.

Israel's military spokesperson said the port had been used by the Houthis to receive weapons shipments from Iran. The targets, more than 1,700 kilometers from Israel, included dual-use sites like energy infrastructure, he said.

Israel had informed allies ahead of the strike, which the military said was carried out by Israeli F-15 fighters that all returned safely.

The Houthis' Supreme Political Council said there would be an "effective response" to the Israeli airstrikes. Houthi military spokesperson Yahya Saree added that "they will not hesitate to strike vital targets of the Israeli enemy."

The strike on Yemen, which Israeli officials said came after more than 200 Houthi attacks on Israel, underlined fears that the Gaza war, triggered by the Hamas-led attack on Israel on Oct. 7, could spiral into a regional conflict.

"The fire that is currently burning in Hodeidah is seen across the Middle East and the significance is clear," Israeli Defence Minister Yoav Gallant said in a statement.

"The Houthis attacked us over 200 times. The first time that they harmed an Israeli citizen, we struck them. And we will do this in any place where it may be required."

On Friday, a long-range Iranian-made drone launched from Yemen hit the centre of Tel Aviv in an attack claimed by the Houthis, killing one man and wounded four others.

That attack followed an escalation in the daily exchange of fire between Israeli forces and the Iranian-backed Hezbollah militia in southern Lebanon and comes as Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu prepares to travel to Washington where he is due to address the U.S. Congress.

Netanyahu called on the international community to step up pressure on Tehran and its proxies - the Houthis, Hamas and Hezbollah - and in doing so help secure international trade routes.

"Whoever wants to see a stable and safe Middle East needs to stand against Iran's axis of evil, and support Israel's struggle against Iran and its proxies," Netanyahu said.

As the war in Gaza has gone on, the Houthis have stepped up attacks against Israel and Western targets, saying they are acting in solidarity with the Palestinians.

They began attacking Western ships in the Red Sea and the Gulf of Aden after Israel invaded the Gaza Strip following last year's attack by Hamas on southern Israel.

"A brutal Israeli aggression targeted civilian buildings, oil facilities and power station in Hodeidah aiming at pressuring Yemen to stop supporting Gaza," Mohammed Abdulsalam, chief negotiator for Houthi movement, said on X.

He said the attack would "only increase our determination, steadfastness, continuity".

Egypt, which has been trying to help broker a Gaza ceasefire and hostage release deal, said it was following "with great concern" the Israeli strike. Hezbollah condemned the port strike and said it stood beside Yemen.

Hamas stormed Israeli towns on Oct. 7, killing around 1,200 people and taking more than 250 hostages back to Gaza, according to Israeli tallies. Since then, nearly 39,000 Palestinians have been killed in Israel's assault on the Gaza Strip, according to health authorities in the enclave.
By Ari Rabinovitch and Enas Alashray

JERUSALEM/CAIRO -Israeli fighter jets struck Houthi military targets in the area of Hodeidah port in Yemen on Saturday, the Israeli military said, a day after a drone launched by the Iranian-backed group hit Israel's economic hub Tel Aviv.

Al-Masirah TV, the main television news outlet run by Yemen's Houthi movement, reported that the strikes were directed against oil facilities in the port and caused fatalities.

Hodeidah residents told Reuters by phone that explosions were heard throughout the city during an intensive bombardment and Al-Masirah TV said civil defence forces and firefighters were trying to extinguish fires in the port's oil tanks.

Israel's military spokesperson said the port had been used by the Houthis to receive weapons shipments from Iran. The targets, more than 1,700 kilometers from Israel, included dual-use sites like energy infrastructure, he said.

Israel had informed allies ahead of the strike, which the military said was carried out by Israeli F-15 fighters that all returned safely.

The Houthis' Supreme Political Council said there would be an "effective response" to the Israeli airstrikes. Houthi military spokesperson Yahya Saree added that "they will not hesitate to strike vital targets of the Israeli enemy."

The strike on Yemen, which Israeli officials said came after more than 200 Houthi attacks on Israel, underlined fears that the Gaza war, triggered by the Hamas-led attack on Israel on Oct. 7, could spiral into a regional conflict.

"The fire that is currently burning in Hodeidah is seen across the Middle East and the significance is clear," Israeli Defence Minister Yoav Gallant said in a statement.

"The Houthis attacked us over 200 times. The first time that they harmed an Israeli citizen, we struck them. And we will do this in any place where it may be required."

On Friday, a long-range Iranian-made drone launched from Yemen hit the centre of Tel Aviv in an attack claimed by the Houthis, killing one man and wounded four others.

That attack followed an escalation in the daily exchange of fire between Israeli forces and the Iranian-backed Hezbollah militia in southern Lebanon and comes as Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu prepares to travel to Washington where he is due to address the U.S. Congress.

Netanyahu called on the international community to step up pressure on Tehran and its proxies - the Houthis, Hamas and Hezbollah - and in doing so help secure international trade routes.

"Whoever wants to see a stable and safe Middle East needs to stand against Iran's axis of evil, and support Israel's struggle against Iran and its proxies," Netanyahu said.

As the war in Gaza has gone on, the Houthis have stepped up attacks against Israel and Western targets, saying they are acting in solidarity with the Palestinians.

They began attacking Western ships in the Red Sea and the Gulf of Aden after Israel invaded the Gaza Strip following last year's attack by Hamas on southern Israel.

"A brutal Israeli aggression targeted civilian buildings, oil facilities and power station in Hodeidah aiming at pressuring Yemen to stop supporting Gaza," Mohammed Abdulsalam, chief negotiator for Houthi movement, said on X.

He said the attack would "only increase our determination, steadfastness, continuity".

Egypt, which has been trying to help broker a Gaza ceasefire and hostage release deal, said it was following "with great concern" the Israeli strike. Hezbollah condemned the port strike and said it stood beside Yemen.

Hamas stormed Israeli towns on Oct. 7, killing around 1,200 people and taking more than 250 hostages back to Gaza, according to Israeli tallies. Since then, nearly 39,000 Palestinians have been killed in Israel's assault on the Gaza Strip, according to health authorities in the enclave.
In our news wrap for the week ending July 21  a massive, possibly the largest, IT outage hit the world, halting operations across sectors and industries; the Congress-led Karnataka government triggered a rows with its "100%" job quota bill; the Supreme Court directed the National Testing Agency (NTA) to release NEET-UG 2024 results for all students by Saturday.

Here's your news wrap for the week (July 15 to July 20) 1. Microsoft outage The world stood still when a "defect found in a single content update" for Microsoft Windows hosts caused computers to crash globally. Microsoft said the issue began at 1900 GMT on Thursday, affecting Windows users running the CrowdStrike Falcon cybersecurity software.

In a Saturday blog post, CrowdStrike said it had released an update on Thursday night that caused a system crash and the infamous "blue screen of death" fatal error message.

This led to widespread halts in aviation, financial matters, stock exchanges, and several other services. In India, IndiGo had cancelled over 200 flights this week. Cybersecurity researcher Troy Hunt said in a post on X, "I don't think it's too early to call it: this will be the largest IT outage in history".

On Saturday, Minister of Civil Aviation Kinjarapu Rammohan Naidu said that airline systems across Indian airports have "started working normally" since 3 AM. He said in a statement that flight operations are going smoothly now. "There is a backlog because of disruptions yesterday and it is getting cleared gradually," the minister said.

2. Karnataka 100% quota row On Tuesday, July 16, the Karnataka cabinet approved a bill mandating 100 percent reservation for Kannadigas in the private sector for Group C and D posts. The new Bill also sought to reserve 50 percent of management jobs and 75 percent of non-management jobs for locals in the private sector. The bill is called the State Employment of Local Candidates in the Industries, Factories and Other Establishments Bill, 2024.

Soon, several industry leaders in the state objected to the move, saying that it is "discriminatory" and raising apprehensions that the tech industry may suffer. This heavy backlash prompted the Karnataka government to put the bill on hold "temporarily".

Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah posted on X, The bill intended to implement reservation for Kannadigas in private sector institutions, industries and enterprises is still in the preparation stage. A final decision will be taken after comprehensive discussion in the next cabinet meeting."

3. NEET-UG paper leak Supreme Court hearing On Thursday, the Supreme Court directed the NTA to declare by 12 noon of July 20 the centre and city-wise results of controversy-ridden NEET-UG 2024 while masking the identities of the aspirants. The court said it wanted to ascertain whether candidates appearing at allegedly tainted centres scored more marks than those elsewhere.

We direct the NTA to publish the marks obtained by students at the UG-2024 NEET examination, while, at the same time, without disclosing the identity of the students. The result should be declared city and centre wise by 12 noon on July 20, 2024 and shall be uploaded on the website of the NTA, the bench, also comprising Justices JB Pardiwala and Manoj Misra, said in its order.

4. Bangladesh protest National curfew and violent protests gripped parts of Bangladesh this week. The protests in Bangladesh have been driven by demands for reform in the country's quota system for civil service jobs, which reserves positions for specific groups, including descendants of those who participated in the 1971 War of Independence against Pakistan. Bangladesh imposed a curfew, and the authorities have disabled mobile internet services nationwide, citing the need to curb disinformation, reported The Washington Post.

Amid escalating unrest in Bangladesh, 40 Indian students, who were evacuated from Dhaka, safely crossed the Sonamura border in Tripura on Saturday. "The High Commission of India in Dhaka and our Assistant High Commissions are in regular touch with more than 4000 students remaining in various universities in Bangladesh and are providing necessary assistance. Students from Nepal and Bhutan have also been assisted with their crossing into India on request," the Ministry of External Affairs said.

5. Joe Biden to drop out of US presidential race? US President Joe Biden, who remains hunkered at home with COVID, seems to be resisting unprecedented Democratic pressure to step aside in the race to become the US president again this year.

The 81-year-old Democratic Party's candidate is facing pressure as the number of senior Democratic lawmakers and donors asking him to back down grows. Democrats remain split on whether Biden can beat Trump in November, and on Friday, at least 10 Democrats joined the chorus calling on Biden to resign.

Recently, in an interview, Biden said he could drop his reelection bid if doctors found he had a medical condition. But can he step aside at this time of the election cycle? And if he does drop out of the race, what will happen next? Read here

6. Netflix's success in India For Netflix Inc., India added the second-highest number of paid net subscribers in the world in the April-June quarter. The American streaming platform also clocked the third-highest revenue growth in percentage terms in India in the second quarter, it said in an earnings call to announce its Q2 results on Friday morning (India time).

7. Gold price declines 2% from all-time high on profit booking Gold prices dropped over 2% on Friday as the dollar strengthened and investors took profits following bullion's record high earlier in the week, driven by increasing expectations of U.S. interest rate cuts in September.

By 1422 GMT, spot gold had decreased 1.8% to $2,401.49 per ounce. Earlier, on Wednesday, gold reached an all-time high of $2,483.60. Meanwhile, U.S. gold futures fell about 2.2% to $2,403.70.
Who are you? Who am I? Razakar, Razakar! slogan echoed in Bangladesh as thousands of protestors took to the streets protesting against the allocation of government jobs, leading to the death of over 100 people.

The violence in Bangladesh has forced the government to impose a curfew and deploy the army on the streets to maintain law and order.

Due to ongoing violence, over 800 Indian students have returned to country. 778 Indian students returned through various land ports till Friday. Whereas on Saturday, 186 more people, including 98 from Nepal and 88 from India, returned to India via Dawki integrated check post in Meghalaya's West Jaintia Hills district.

Also Read | Bangladesh crisis: 115 killed as thousands take to streets against quota system

Who are the Razakars? In Bangladesh, the term Razakar is considered to be derogatory. The slogan being chanted by students started after Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina said those who oppose job quotas for relatives of freedom fighters are the Razakar.

Razakar means 'volunteer' or 'helper' in Persian and Urdu, who are said to have collaborated with the Pakistani army during the 1971 War of Independence.

According to the anthropologist Nayanika Mookherjee, it is used as abuse, reported the Indian Express.

The article mentioned that the Razakars mostly consisted of Urdu-speaking Bihari Muslims and religious parties that opposed the separation of East and West Pakistan, like Jamaat-e-Islami, Al Badr and Al Shams.

Bangladeshi soldiers disembark armored vehicles as they patrol the streets to disperse the anti-quota protesters in Dhaka on July 20, 2024.

Also Read | Bangladesh quota protests: From curfew to internet ban

In another article, Dr Muntasir Mamoon, Bangabandhu Chair at Bangladeshs Chittagong University, said that the word is actually Rezakar and it can be traced to Hyderabad (modern-day India).

Stating that in Bengali, the term Rezakar became Razakar, Mamoon told Express, They became informants for the Pakistan Army and had weapons to fight against the Mukti Joddha (pro-independence freedom fighters). Among the Anti-Liberation forces, there were many groups and the Razakars were one.

In 2019, Bangladesh published a list of 10,789 Razakars who collaborated with the Pakistani forces, reported Pakistan's The Tribune.

The report said AKM Yusuf, one of the top leaders of the fundamentalist Jamaat-e-Islami, was believed to be the founder of the Razakar force. He was arrested in May 2013 and charged with crimes against humanity. However, he died of cardiac arrest in 2014 while in detention.

According to India Today report, during the 1971 Bangladesh Liberation War, the Razakars, a locally recruited paramilitary force by General Tikka Khan, composed of mostly pro-Pakistani Bengalis and Biharis, they assisted the Pakistani military in raids, mass rapes and killings, and torture and arson.

Bangladesh Protests The protests in Bangladesh started after the High Court reinstated 30% job quotas for the descendants of freedom fighters. They have continued despite Bangladesh's top court suspending that order for a month last week.

According to Reuters, experts also attribute the unrest to stagnant job growth in the private sector, making public sector jobs, with their accompanying regular wage hikes and privileges, very attractive.

The quotas shrink the number of government jobs open for all, hurting aspirants who want them filled on the basis of merit.

Also Read | India advises its nationals in Bangladesh to stay indoors amid anti-quota stir

Government defends Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina has defended the quota system, saying that veterans deserve the highest respect for their contributions to the war, regardless of their political affiliation.

Quoting Law Minister Anisul Huq, AP reported the government was open to discussing the student leaders' demands.

The main opposition Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) has vowed to organise its own demonstrations, however, it said its supporters were not responsible for the violence and the party does not support any sabotage for political reasons.

Bangladeshi soldiers patrol the streets to disperse the anti-quota protesters in Dhaka on July 20, 2024.
Donald Trump assassination attempt: Investigations about Donald Trumps would be assassin, Thomas Matthew Crooks reveals that his motives behind the attack were less politically motivated. According to reports, officials suspect the attack could have been more about attacking the highest profile target near to Crooks.

A loner by nature, the 20-year-old shooter, remained far away from politics.

While the investigation is still in its nascent stage, Thomas Matthew Crooks motive has similar links to other incidents where young men have exercised their power with rifles, stated a CNN report.

Also Read | Thomas Matthew Crooks downloaded Kate Middletons picture

According to FBI reports, Joe Biden, FBI director Christopher A. Wray, were also on Thomas Crooks research list.The would be assassin had also downloaded Kate Middletons picture, the only UK national among all the other notable names. All these pieces taken together add up to Thomas Crooks motive of simply shooting a high profile target.

Against such a backdrop, proximity of Trump rally, and timing offered the most accessible opportunity, federal officials have speculated. One of the presidential candidates mentioned how Thomas Matthew Crooks missed his primary target, but still remained successful as Crooks is the first among many, to get near to a presidential candidate(Donald Trump).

Crooks had also looked up another mass shooter who had shot and killed four classmates at a Michigan high school in 2021. Research on Ethan Crumbley, holds true for the pattern law enforcement officials have recognized in other mass shooters. They often research people who they wish to emulate, further added the federal official.

Also Read | Firefighter killed at Trump rally honored with bagpipes, gun salute and a bugle sounding taps

Another former FBI behavioural analyst said Thomas Matthew Crooks had very limited firepower when compared to other mass shooters. It looked to me like he was taking a window that he saw a vulnerability in where he felt that he was unobserved to the extent he could get off some critical shots, the official told CNN.
Donald Trump would be assassin, Thomas Matthew Crooks, reported researched the Princess of Wales, Kate Middleton, reported the FBI. Initially, reports revealed that the 20-year-old had researched for a member of the Royal family, whose identity had not been disclosed. It has now come to the picture, that Thomas had downloaded the photo of Prince Williams wife Kate Middleton, who is currently battling cancer.

According to reports, the shooter also had FBI Director Christopher Wray and U.S. Attorney General Merrick Garland on his research list.

On Sunday(Indian time), the Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump had narrowly escaped bullet a during his rally in Pennsylvania. Missing by inches, the bullet had grazed his ear, causing it to bleed.

The shooterThomas Matthew Crooks was immediately shot dead, on spot by the Secret Service members. When the case was handed over to the FBI, they raided the suspect's house in Pennsylvania, and found two phones and a laptop. After looking into Matthews stuff, the cyber experts found pictures of Kate Middleton on his devices.

Earlier, when the agency had declined to reveal the identity of the royals, many suspected it might be either Harry or Meghan, who currently reside in California. However, an American radio station, NPR, gave away the name Kate Middleton, to politicians, when they were talking on the phone about the attack.

In an interview with NPR's 'All Things Considered,' Martin Kate revealed that Thomas Matthew Crooks, had pictures of a bunch of famous people, like President Joe Biden and Donald Trump. Investigations revealed that that there was no indication of a pronounced political motive or foreign affiliations underlining Crooks's activities.
Everyone agrees something went disastrously wrong at Donald Trumps rally in western Pennsylvania last weekend, when a gunman was able to fire a shot that grazed the former presidents ear. But they dont agree on what or why.

More than a half-dozen law enforcement agencies were responsible for securing the Butler Farm Show grounds and have since provided a patchwork of conflicting accounts of how Thomas Matthew Crooks could get on a rooftop with a clear line of sight to Trump.

Lawmakers hope to get a clearer understanding of one of the most stunning security breaches in decades next week, when they have summoned Secret Service Director Kimberly Cheatle and the heads of several local police agencies to Capitol Hill to explain their actions that day.

We had details around the timeline, but it doesnt give any clear answers as to what happened and why it was allowed," Rep. Gary Palmer (R., Ala.) said after federal authorities briefed lawmakers this week. In a situation like this, the question that needs to be answered is, how did it happen?"

The 20-year-old Crooks fired at least six rounds from the roof of the American Glass Research building roughly 400 feet away from where Trump spoke, killing one spectator, critically injuring two others and leaving Trump bloodied and defiant. A Secret Service sniper team shot back, killing Crooks, whose motive remains a mystery.

Earlier on the day of the shooting, Crooks was able to fly a drone and get aerial footage of the event site, law-enforcement officials said, further underscoring the apparent cascading security failures.

Among the biggest questions unanswered by accounts to date: Why the roof of the building from which Crooks took his shot wasnt secured, and whyeven though officers had flagged Crooks as suspicious an hour before Trump spoke and had lost sight of himthe former president still went out to speak.

The Trump campaign publicly announced the rally at the farm show grounds on July 3. The following Monday, July 8, the Secret Service met with locals to start prepping. They held another meeting July 11, where they did a walk-through. On the day of the rally, local snipers and Secret Service counter-snipers also met in person to go over their operational plans with each other, a local law-enforcement official said. The local officers wanted to make sure their federal counterparts knew where they would be stationed, the official said, so there would be no blue-on-blue," meaning the Secret Service wouldnt mistake their snipers for intruders.

But both sides appeared to have differing impressions of where the Butler County Emergency Services Unit would be stationed at the building.

Some federal law-enforcement officials had been under the impression that local police officers were supposed to be stationed on the roof. But the Butler County unit, a tactical team with officers from at least nine local departments, told the Secret Service it had no plans to be on the roof and would instead position members on the second floor to have eyes on the venue, the local law-enforcement official said. The unit believed that the roofs slant would have partially obscured the snipers view. Plus, the team didnt want its snipers exposed to the heat, which rose above 90 degrees throughout their nine-hour shift.

The Secret Service told lawmakers it, too, decided not to stage snipers on the roof, and left securing that building to the locals. Secret Service snipers positioned elsewhere would be able to see the roof from their elevated vantage point, the federal agency reasoned; it also opted not to fly its own drone overhead that day.

Those decisions enabled Crooks to climb to the roof by jumping on an air conditioner and left officers inside the building as Crooks was just above them, taking aim at the former president.

There was local police in that building," Cheatle acknowledged in an interview with ABC News, calling the shooting unacceptable.

Crooks shouldnt have gotten that far.

He had attracted suspicion more than an hour before the attack, when officers saw him pacing around the edges of the rally with a backpack and a range finder. He didnt appear to have a weapon. The officers radioed their concerns to other agencies, including the Secret Service. One took a picture of Crooks and shared it around. But then, the police lost sight of him.

The local law-enforcement official said the Butler County Emergency Services Units counterassault teams had been watching Crooks and knew he was acting suspiciously, but his behavior didnt meet the threshold for them to engage with Crooks. Leaving their posts also would have created a hole in the units security plan, the official said.

Several local officers broke free from their duties directing traffic to help look for the man but didnt find him.

Despite the possible threat, the Secret Service allowed Trump to take the stage. It couldnt be determined whether agents sought to dissuade him.

When witnesses alerted police to a person on the roof, Butler Township officers checked out the building. One of the officers was hoisted on top of another, and was pulling himself up to the roof when he found Crooks, who pointed a rifle at him. The officer, unable to engage the gunman, lost his grip and fell to the ground.

Reports of a gunman on the roof crackled over the police radio. Then, shots fired.

Kristina Peterson, Joel Schectman and Aruna Viswanatha contributed to this article.

Write to Sadie Gurman at sadie.gurman@wsj.com, James Fanelli at james.fanelli@wsj.com and C. Ryan Barber at ryan.barber@wsj.com
BY 8.45AM, THE stretch of Milford Drive that was home to Thomas Matthew Crooks, the 20-year-old who shot at Donald Trump , is already host to a traffic jam. Outside the Crookses home, dozens of journalists are setting up camp. Five gazebos sit on the carefully manicured grass, providing shade to news anchors, dressed in jackets, ties and comfortable trainers. Not much is happening. The vibe is that of a pride of lions lolling in the midday sun. A Reuters photographer brags about getting the shot of the morning. Somebody is closing the drapes you can just see the hand. Think, the hand of God, Maradona," he jokes.

The entire worlds media are here, in Bethel Park, a suburb of Pittsburgh. There is a writer from Der Spiegel, the German magazine; another from the Globe and Mail, Canadas largest newspaper, and one more from the Epoch Times, the global newspaper of Falun Gong, a spiritual movement banned in China. But TV and wire agency men outnumber the newspaper people ten to one. Men heft camera lenses as long as their arms, or sprawl in camp chairs evidently carried at all times for such occasions.

They are all here trying to answer a question that has so far eluded the even more numerous ranks of the Federal Bureau of Investigation: exactly what led Crooks, who worked at a nearby care home, to drive to Butler, a town 40 miles north, climb onto a factory roof with his fathers rifle, and shoot half a dozen or so bullets in the direction of the Republican presidential candidate. Readers and viewers want to know anything that might shed light on the motive of the first man to almost kill a president in 40 years. It is the worlds largest true-crime mystery, with sleuths professional and amateur on the case.

Any movement stirs the pack of journalists, who are hoping for some new detail. On the porch of the house opposite, Kelly Little (pictured), wearing a hoodie advertising the Ann Arbor hash bash", with a large picture of a cannabis leaf at its centre, is one of the only residents to have returned to the street. At around 10.30am, two FBI agents arrive, interview her and leave. Immediately the press pack jumps at the chance to find out what they asked. She offers disappointingly little. She says the agents asked her the same thing they havewhat does she know about the family opposite? And that she replied in the same wayshe knows nothing. It shows you how much I pay attention to my neighbours," she shrugs.

She is hardly alone in that. Interviews with Crookss school-mates suggest he was a quiet young man who was good at maths and interested in politics. But few seemed to know him well. He may have been bullied at school, or he may not have. He definitely was conservative", one classmate who studied American history with him told the Philadelphia Inquirer. Public records reveal he was registered as a Republican, and he was evidently into guns. But he left no manifesto" or message behind, and he also donated $15 at one point to a liberal political action committee. On such morsels of information entire narratives are constructed. At least so far, no digital trail of planning or radicalisation has been revealed.

Bethel Park is hardly a place that seems likely to drive anybody to violence. It is made up of modest detached houses, on gentle winding roads. Its a great community," says Jack Allen, the mayor. He is a Republican, but he says that politics hardly enters into local government. The overall split is about 50/50, Democrats and Republicans," he says, and he claims he cannot remember which of his colleagues on the municipal council are from which party. Everyone works together, it doesnt really come out." It is a prosperous place, he saysthe 33,000 residents include doctors, lawyers and government workers, many of whom commute to Pittsburgh. Walking around, your correspondent counted two Trump 2024 signs but also two rainbow all are welcome" flags. American flags outnumbered both by orders of magnitude.

But then, the words a quiet suburb where nothing happens" have been intoned by news anchors at the scenes of tragedies thousands of times before. For some journalists, this is a familiar ritual. When asked if he has seen anything like this before, a local photographer from UPI, a news agency, says a mass shooting at the Tree of Life synagogue nearby in 2018 was the closest. It was different but very similar," he says. In that case, the shooter was an anti-Semite with a long history of online incitement. But many lack even that deranged logic. There have been 300 mass shootings so far this year already; five of them since Mr Trump was shot at, according to the Gun Violence Archive, which tracks them. Perhaps the search of Crookss phone that FBI agents are now trying to conduct will reveal a motive. But equally it might not.

I think everyone is shocked and surprised," says Steve Riviere, who lives up the road from the Crookses, and who has come to keep Ms Little company. But then he adds, perhaps they shouldnt be surprised. His daughter attends the school Crooks went to, and he remembers being texted once about a threat at the school. Nothing came of it and he ultimately dismissed it as a normal part of raising a child in America. Trying to make sense of shootings, he says: I dont think there are any reasons". That Crookss bullets came so close to killing Mr Trump makes this shooting rare. But that detail aside, others like it happen all of the time.

Stay on top of American politics with The US in brief, our daily newsletter with fast analysis of the most important electoral stories, and Checks and Balance, a weekly note from our Lexington columnist that examines the state of American democracy and the issues that matter to voters.

 2024, The Economist Newspaper Limited. All rights reserved. From The Economist, published under licence. The original content can be found on www.economist.com
Ask people whove lost their home to a fire or hurricane, and theyre often most heartbroken about the family photos that no longer exist.

To safeguard against this fear, weve largely embraced backing up our precious photos and files through the cloud, like Apples iCloud or Google One. You take a picture and its suddenly on all of your devices. You dont really know where it is, but its somehow everywhere. Its magic.

Until it isnt.

Some cloud services have unexpectedly shut down or severely scaled back the space they give users. Some users have gotten locked out of their accounts, never able to access their photos again. And, unless you suddenly stop taking photos, youre bound to use more cloud storage over time, which means your monthly subscription costs will keep rising. If you dont want to pay more, youll have to delete files to free up space.

Its also just smart to have multiple copies of your important files. If theres a computer outage, like the major one that hit Microsoft Windows devices this past week, youll know your photos are safe.

Storage analysts recommend three moves. Back up your files in the cloud and on solid-state drives, and keep another copy in a remote location, such as a bank safe-deposit box.

Having your data in multiple locations ensures that youll still have access to your files in case theres something that compromises a location, such as if your house burns down," says Brent Ellis, a senior analyst at research firm Forrester.

Backing up files can be a pain, but you shouldnt wait. Heres how to get started.

SSDs vs. HDDs

You may think your files are safe because you put them on a hard-disk drive years ago. Think again.

HDDs store your files on discs that spin, much like records on a record player. While both HDDs and SSDs can degrade over time, the moving parts inside hard drives make them more fragile. Drop one, and it can stop working entirely.

SSDs, on the other hand, dont have moving parts. While you shouldnt throw your SSD like a Frisbee, some newer models can withstand drops from nearly 10-feet high and come with dust and water resistance.

The biggest drawback for SSDs in the past tended to be their high prices. Theyre more expensive than hard drives, but pricing for external SSDs and those built into computers has fallen 90% over the past decade, according to research firm IDC. Theyre also cheaper long term than cloud storage.

Apple and Google both charge $10 a month in the U.S. for 2 terabytes of storage (Googles annual plan is $100). Nicer 2TB SSDs from Western Digitals SanDisk brand retail for about $200. SSDs should last about three to five years before you need to upgrade, storage analysts say.

While SSDs from no-name brands may be cheaper, dont trust your most important files to companies youve never heard of. Wall Street Journal personal tech columnists and editors have long used devices from Samsung and SanDisk, including the SanDisk Extreme Portable SSD.

When SSD shopping, buy one at least double the size of what youre backing up, Ellis says. One or 2TB is generally sufficient.

How to transfer your files to an SSD

Theres no magic way to make the backup process completely pain-free. It can take a long time to download files from the cloud, and transferred photos sometimes show up with wonky dates. If you want to be sure to keep the files organized, transfer smaller batches at a time and check them as you go along. And update your computer to the latest operating system.

If youre a Mac user, connect your SSD and open the Finder. If you already have files saved on your Mac, you can select them in the Finder and drag them to your SSD. (The process is similar on Windows PCs.)

For photos saved in iCloud, first download them to your Mac. Open the Photos app and go to Settings. Navigate to the iCloud option, make sure the iCloud Photos box is ticked, and choose Download Originals to this Mac. That gets you full-size files rather than lower-quality copies. Once complete, select your photos in the app, click File in the menu bar, Export, then Export Unmodified Originals and save them to your SSD. You can also do this from iCloud.com, including for non-photo files and if you use a PC.

Exporting unmodified originals maintains the correct date and time the photo was taken, but you may have to dig to find it. You can see the correct information under Content created in the Finder Gallery view. Dragging images from the Photos app to your SSD rather than exporting them can result in incorrect dates, even in the metadata.

Save files from Googles cloud on your SSD by logging into your Google account. Click on the small picture of yourself in the top right and choose Manage your Google Account, then select Data & Privacy.

Scroll to where it says Download your data to access Google Takeout. Select what you want to download, like your Google Drive files or Google Photos, then select Next Step and choose how you want to receive your data, such as an emailed download link. Once you receive the link, download the files and save them to your SSD.

Once you have your files saved to your external drive, store it in a safe place. Jeff Janukowicz, a storage analyst at IDC, owns two SSDs: One he carries around with him, and another he has tucked away in a fireproof box in his home.

Its always better to be safe than sorry," he said.

For more WSJ Technology analysis, reviews, advice and headlines, sign up for our weekly newsletter.

Write to Cordilia James at cordilia.james@wsj.com
Two and a half millennia ago, Socrates complained that writing would harm students. With a way to store ideas permanently and externally, they would no longer need to memorise. It is tempting to dismiss him as an old man complaining about change. Socrates did not have a stack of peer-reviewed science to make his case about the usefulness of learning concepts by heart.

Today a different debate is raging about the dangers of another technologycomputersand the typing people do on them. As primary-school pupils and PhD hopefuls return for a new school year in the northern hemisphere, many will do so with a greater-than-ever reliance on computers to take notes and write papers. Some parents of younger students are dismayed that their children are not just encouraged but required to tote laptops to class. University professors complain of rampant distraction in classrooms, with students reading and messaging instead of listening to lectures.

A line of research shows the benefits of an innovation" that predates computers: handwriting. Studies have found that writing on paper can improve everything from recalling a random series of words to imparting a better conceptual grasp of complicated ideas.

For learning material by rote, from the shapes of letters to the quirks of English spelling, the benefits of using a pen or pencil lie in how the motor and sensory memory of putting words on paper reinforces that material. The arrangement of squiggles on a page feeds into visual memory: people might remember a word they wrote down in French class as being at the bottom-left on a page, par exemple.

One of the best-demonstrated advantages of writing by hand seems to be in superior note-taking. In a study from 2014 by Pam Mueller and Danny Oppenheimer, students typing wrote down almost twice as many words and more passages verbatim from lectures, suggesting they were not understanding so much as rapidly copying the material.

Handwritingwhich takes longer for nearly all university-level studentsforces note-takers to synthesise ideas into their own words. This aids conceptual understanding at the moment of writing. But those taking notes by hand also perform better on tests when students are later able to study from their notes. The effect even persisted when the students who typed were explicitly instructed to rephrase the material in their own words. The instruction was completely ineffective" at reducing verbatim note-taking, the researchers note: they did not understand the material so much as parrot it.

Many studies have confirmed handwritings benefits, and policymakers have taken note. Though Americas Common Core" curriculum from 2010 does not require handwriting instruction past first grade (roughly age six), about half the states since then have mandated more teaching of it, thanks to campaigning by researchers and handwriting supporters. In Sweden there is a push for more handwriting and printed books and fewer devices. Englands national curriculum already prescribes teaching the rudiments of cursive by age seven.

However, several school systems in America have gone so far as to ban most laptops. This is too extreme. Some students have disabilities that make handwriting especially hard. Nearly all will eventually need typing skills. And typing can improve the quality of writing: being able to get ideas down quickly, before they are forgotten, can obviously be beneficial. So can slowing down the speed of typing, says Dr Oppenheimer.

Virginia Berninger, emeritus professor of psychology at the University of Washington, is a longtime advocate of handwriting. But she is not a purist; she says there are research-tested benefits for manuscript" print-style writing, for cursive (which allows greater speed) but also for typing (which is good practice for composing passages). Since students spend more time on devices as they age, she argues for occasional tuning up" of handwriting in later school years.

And perhaps even into adulthood. Johnson had not handwritten anything longer than a letter in decades before putting actual pen to paper to write this columns first draft. Whether it made any difference to the outcome is a question that readers must decide.

Socrates may or may not have had a point about the downsides of writing. But no one would remember, much less care, if his student Plato had not noted it down for the benefit of posterity.

 2024, The Economist Newspaper Limited. All rights reserved. From The Economist, published under licence. The original content can be found on www.economist.com
Your company may be sufficiently insured if your business is interrupted due to data breaches or hacking incidents. But does it also cover losses due to software updates, especially in a world of interconnected devices, where a buggy software update on a central server could impact multiple devices like computers, smartphones, smart kiosks, ATMs, smart TVs, etc., and hence impact many business channels, simultaneously?

Under normal circumstances, such a question would sound odd since one would assume that most companies would have insured themselves against data breaches, ransomware attacks, cyberattacks and other such business interruptions or even power outages.

But Friday, 19 July, was not a normal day. An apparently simple and routine "sensor configuration update" by a CrowdStrike product paralyzed millions of Windows-run computers, servers and other such endpoints, globally. The glitch triggered the dreaded Blue Screen of Death (BSoD), crippling the services of airlines, brokerages, financial institutions and even media houses worldwide.

To recapitulate, CrowdStrike routinely provides sensor configuration updates to the "Channel Files" of its clients as part of the protection mechanisms of its Falcon platform. The Channel Files on Windows systems reside in the following directory: C:\Windows\System32\drivers\CrowdStrike\ and start with the C-" letter and a unique number to identify each file.

In this case, the impacted Channel File '291' is named C-00000291-" and ends with a .sys extension, which indicates that these are system files consisting of drivers and settings for hardware devices. They are critical for ensuring that hardware components function correctly and that the operating system (OS) runs smoothly, which explains why the error triggered a failure or BSoD.

CrowdStrike insists that the issue, which "is not the result of, or related to, a cyberattack", has since been corrected "by updating the content in Channel File 291 (which systems running Linux or macOS do not use)". But not all agree that the issue has been fully resolved.

Patchwork or complete job?

For one, this product was perceived to be the gold standard in its segment and is being used across endpoints and servers by some of the world's top brands. Hence, any breach of this nature has an immediate business impact and opens up the likelihood of potential cybersecurity threats until fully addressed. Further, because this product operates across multiple cloud environments, its impact is more significant than a typical outage at a single cloud service provider.

Due to the extensive work required to secure millions of endpoints and servers for the largest organizations globally, it may take months before end-user organizations can consider their environments fully secure, argues Sanchit Vir Gogia, chief analyst, founder and CEO of tech consultancy firm Greyhound Research. The company's immediate workaround, too, is to boot machines and operate them in the 'safe' mode. "But lest we forget, it's only a workaround and not a permanent solution, and it has opened up corporate networks of some of the world's largest organisations to hackers and other players with malicious intent," he cautions.

"The onus of this incident also lies with Microsoft, which needs to do a much better job ensuring any new software patches and major updates have a far more rigorous process of approvals," Gogia opines. He reasons that in a world full of microservices and application programming interfaces (APIs), the fault lines are thin, and even a minor error in code can virtually halt critical systems, as it happened on 19 July.

"If outages and serious issues like this continue, large clients with critical apps would have little choice but to repatriate from cloud services and manage their environment. While the suggestion may seem outrageous given the deep impact on business, potential lawsuits and other potential cybersecurity threats that arise from incidents of this nature, this choice will be aggravated by the strong data privacy laws that are being introduced across key countries," he adds.

Why do companies need comprehensive cybersecurity policy?

Outages can prove very expensive. According to the 'Annual outage analysis 2024', released by Uptime Institute in March, "more than half (54%) of the respondents to the 2023 Uptime Institute data centre survey say their most recent significant, serious or severe outage cost more than $100,000, with 16% saying that their most recent outage cost more than $1 million".

Hence, other than the possibility of any lawsuits arising from this incident and other penalties that Crowdstrike may have to face, the fact is that companies must build in redundancies and disaster recovery plans by adopting a multi-cloud strategy to distribute workloads across multiple providers to reduce reliance on one provider and ensure uninterrupted service during outages, especially in a world of interconnected devices, known as the internet-of-things (IoT) world. But companies must also consider a comprehensive cybersecurity cover as opposed to "half baked, incomplete, and skeletal policies for a technology environment that is becoming complex as they transition more to the cloud", according to Gogia.

The reason is that cyber insurance policies typically cover a wide range of incidents, including data breaches, ransomware attacks, and business interruption due to cyber incidents. However, coverage for issues related to software updates such as failures or vulnerabilities introduced during updates--like the CrowdStrike one, would depend on the specifics in the terms and conditions of the specific cyber insurance policy. Some policies may include coverage for losses resulting from software failures, while others may exclude such incidents.

Ironically, CrowdStrike itself has tied up with insurance companies. "CrowdStrike understands the nuances of cyber insurance, and we have a team dedicated to working with the cyber insurance community. Our AI-native cybersecurity platform is increasingly important not only to the organisation's security, but also its insurability," said Daniel Bernard, chief business officer at CrowdStrike, when introducing the company's 'Falcon for Insurability' product in June this year. Other than the fact that CrowdStrike products are supposed to protect its clients, it's also not clear if this insurance product covers software update bugs too.

The Indian cyber insurance market was valued at $5060 million in 2023, and is forecast to grow by 2730% in the next 35 years, driven by an increased awareness of the need for cyber insurance, according to an October 2023 survey of chief information security officers (CISOs) by Deloitte titled, Cyber Insurance in India".

However, the survey also pointed out that three-fourths of respondents possessed cyber insurance coverage of Rs.100 crore or less, with over 50% having less than Rs.10 crore of coverage. Finance and banking along with IT firms emerged as major investors, while consumer firms exhibited lower spending. However, the survey said no respondents expressed a desire to discontinue their existing policies. Further, while 30% of respondents believed purchasing cyber insurance provides value for money, 15% considered it costly. And about 45% of respondents noted "a substantial mismatch between the premium paid and the insurance coverage received. Most of these firms belonged to the consumer sector".

According to the Munich Re Cyber Risk and Insurance Survey 2024, too, 87% of global decision makers say their company is currently not adequately protected against cyber-attacks, let alone buggy software updates as seen on Friday. The survey points out that cyber risks continue to increase, driven by rapid technological advances such as generative artificial intelligence (GenAI), or cloud technology.

"Global industries are increasingly dependent on IT, IoT (Internet of Things), OT (Operational Technology) and digital services, such as cloud computing, each of which represent a critical part of the supply chain for many risk owners. Furthermore, the advancing sophistication of cyber criminals and the tense geopolitical situation shape the cyber threat landscape and pose a threat to global societies and democracies," the survey notes. Clearly, companies have their work cut out when it comes to protecting their business.
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A Longford town man had an application to vary his bail conditions refused at last weeks sitting of Longford District Court.

Willie McGinley is charged with a Section 3 assault that occurred on June 11 this year.



His bail conditions stated that he must reside outside Co Longford. His solicitor, Fiona Baxter, had applied to have the conditions amended so that he could live in his father-in-laws house outside Longford town.

Gardai objected to the application, on the basis that the defendant is charged with a serious offence.

Following the incident on June 11, Mr McGinley was arrested at the scene, brought to court and subsequently entered into a number of bail conditions.



Mr McGinley, with an address at 5 Glack View, Longford, is charged with a Section 3 assault, which occurred outside Gala Service Station, Dublin Road, Longford on June 11.

It is alleged that Mr McGinley assaulted Jim Hanafin. Mr McGinley had got into an altercation with Mr Hanafin and his brother Denis.

The assault on Jim Hanafin resulted in him receiving urgent medical treatment.



Outlining the events on June 11, which were captured on CCTV, Fiona Baxter told the court, my client went into the shop. He was followed by Jim Hanafin. Then, Denis Hanafin arrived at the scene. My client was outnumbered by 2 to 1, she explained.

She then stated that another associate of the Hanafins arrived at the scene.

While all this was going on, Mr McGinleys wife, Pauline and their child were in Mr McGinleys jeep.

In the CCTV footage, my client pointed out where Denis Hanafin took an implement from the middle seat of his vehicle, Ms Baxter stated.



My client advised gardai that threats were made to him in relation to his wife and child, she added.

According to gardai, threats were made to Pauline McGinley while she sat in the jeep outside the service station. She rang the gardai.

Gardai were informed by witnesses that a knife was used to injure Mr Hanafin. This knife was never recovered.

Mr McGinley was arrested and subsequently brought to court. There was no objection to him receiving bail, because he provided an address outside Longford.

Fiona Baxter told the court that her client, his wife Pauline and their young child were living in difficult conditions in a halting site in Mullingar at present.

There is neither electricity or water on the site and there is also a dispute on the site between a number of families, Ms Baxter stated.



Ms Baxters application to amend the bail conditions stated that her client would reside at the address of his father-in-law a few miles from Longford town.

He would not do anything in county Longford except sleep in this house, Ms Baxter stated. She also told the court that her client had also sustained injuries in the altercation.

The house, in Coolenny, Dublin Road, was that of his father-in-law, Martin McGinley. Mr McGinley gave an undertaking to the court that he would effectively police the amended bail conditions of his son-in-law.



Martin McGinley also brought 1,000 to court as an indication of his intent.

Mr McGinley is welcome to reside at my property, he told the court.

Garda Alan Doherty told the court that if the bail conditions were varied, the gardai would have concerns that Willie McGinley would interfere with witnesses.

Garda Doherty also told the court that the day before the court sitting, July 8, he met Willie McGinley in Mullingar Garda station.

I took a statement of complaint from Mr McGinley. A picture was circulated of his father-in-laws house. There was a threat made to burn down the house. The gardai would have grave concerns if Mr McGinley resided at his father-in-laws house, Garda Doherty stated.

Pauline McGinley told the court that the family are now living in a halting bay in Mullingar, which has no electricity or shower facilities.



She also assured the court that her husband would not do anything in county Longford except living in her fathers house, if the bail conditions were amended.

Objecting to the bail conditions being amended, Sergeant Enda Daly told the court that Jim Hanafin was effectively stabbed by Willie McGinley.

The goalposts have changed in relation to the bail conditions, in relation to Mr McGinley and his legal team. I am shocked that this application has come in so soon, he stated.



Summing up her application on behalf of her client, Ms Baxter told the court that we are dealing here with a young family here. Mr McGinley has done everything right. He is trying to put a roof over the heads of his family.

This matter will not be dealt with anytime soon. These investigations take a long time. This family is living in difficult conditions. I am asking for their human rights to be vindicated, she stated.



In her summing up, Judge Bernadette Owens stated, I am satisfied that it is reasonable under the terms of the bail conditions that Mr McGinley should reside outside Longford. I am refusing the application.
An opportunity to work directly with Kate Middleton and Prince William has appeared, but you will need a very specific skill set if you want the job in the British Royal Family.

There is a new job description online in which the Prince and Princess of Wales are searching for a new assistant private secretary for Wales and the United Kingdom.

Kate Middleton is welcomed by the public at wimbledon with Princess Charlotte

"This is an exciting opportunity to join the dedicated team at Kensington Palace, supporting TRH the Prince and Princess of Wales," the post began.

"The Assistant Private Secretary for Wales & UK will lead the planning and delivery for most of TRH's public engagements in Wales, Scotland, and Northern Ireland, and contribute to the development of the Household's strategy to maximize impact across the constituent nations of the UK, with a particular focus on Wales."

The sticking point for many applicants

You may think that a lot of people will be qualified for this job, but then things get a lot more specific.

Among the other job requirements, like excellent communication and organizational skills, knowledge of Welsh culture and language is key.

"You will have a proactive, hands-on approach while operating in a small and agile team, and a strong understanding of Welsh communities, affairs, government, and business," the description states.

"Conversational Welsh is essential, and fluent Welsh, both written and spoken, is desirable."

According to the country's official tourism site, Welsh is the oldest language in Britain, dating back over 4,000 years.

Over a quarter of the 3.136 million members of the country's population speak the language, and it can be heard on radio and TV programs and read in newspapers and street signs throughout the country.
HOLYOKE  After a previous 2-1 loss against Bristol on Thursday night, the Valley Blue Sox looked to get back into the win column against the last-place Danbury Westerners.

Valley, however, was dominated by Danbury starter Alex Mach and his eighth-inning shutout. His team ultimately downed Valley 13-1 on Friday night.

Speaking of Mach, the Rockfall, Connecticut native hadnt pitched more than 3.1 innings in any of his appearances this season. Mach had 98 pitches, only gave up one walk, and struck out seven.

Danbury outfielder Roman DiGiacomo led the charge, going 4-for-5 with five RBI and two doubles. DiGiacomo had a two-RBI single in the third inning and a bases-clearing three-run double in the seventh.

Valley starter Matt Lauria had another disappointing outing. He went five innings pitched and gave up six runs (five earned). He walked five and struck out six.

Every Danbury starter reached base at least one time. Seven out of the nine starters recorded at least one hit.

The Blue Sox return to MacKenzie Stadium Saturday night to play the Bristol Blues. The first pitch is scheduled for 6:35 p.m. and can be streamed on ESPN+.
A crew of 20 wildland firefighters will be sent to Helena, Montana to help battle a large fire that has burned thousands of acres of land.

The firefighters will be working to put out one of the nine large, active and uncontained fires that have already burned almost 46,000 acres across the state, according to the state Department of Conservation and Recreation (DCR).

The department added that this is the first time a DCR crew is being deployed to assist with increased fire activity across the northwest, California and the Rocky Mountain states.
While working on the installation of a new Country Bear Musical Jamboree, Walt Disney Worlds Magic Kingdom has announced the removal of a 50-year-old character citing concerns over the name being derogatory and offensive.

Liver Lips McGrowl, whos been a member of the Country Bear Jamboree since 1971, along with Big Al, Henry, Trixie, Wendell, Teddi Barra and Ernest, has been removed, according to Disneys blog InsideTheMagic.

...The decision to remove Liver Lips McGrowl was driven by concerns over the characters name, the blog stated. The term liver lips is considered derogatory and offensive, as it is associated with excessive alcohol consumption and the resulting liver damage.

The Disney blog added that the phrase is deemed to be insensitive and outdating therefore prompting Disneys decision to modify the character.

The parks refurbished attraction replaced Liver Lips McGrowl with a new character named Romeo McGrowl whose appearance remains largely unchanged in an effort to create a more inclusive and respectful environment for its guests.

Disney added that similar initiatives have been taken in recent years, such as making changes to Splash Mountain and the Jungle Cruise.

These attractions underwent significant modifications to remove stereotypical and offensive portrayals of indigenous peoples and animals, the blog reads. The changes reflect Disneys growing awareness of the need to adapt its offerings to align with contemporary values and expectations.
A request to dump 1.1 million gallons of radioactive wastewater into Cape Cod Bay was rejected by the Massachusetts Department of Environmental Protection (MassDEP) Thursday, according to a Boston-based environmental group.

The wastewater wouldve come from the Pilgrim Nuclear Power Station, which was closed by an energy company called Holtec International in June 2019, and now is being taken apart, the organization, Community Action Works, said in a statement.

Since the company is required to dispose of any remaining nuclear waste, Holtec requested a permit to dump the wastewater into the bay, the advocacy group said.

Last July, state environmental regulators issued a tentative decision rejecting Holtecs permit, finding that Cape Cod Bay is a protected ocean sanctuary under the states Ocean Sanctuaries Act, which prohibits dumping industrial waste into protected state waters.

The decision was then opened to public comment until August 31, 2023, where Massachusetts residents and groups flooded the MassDEP with thousands of comments, a vast majority of them supporting the decision to deny Holtects permit, Community Action Works said in its statement.

Now, the decision is final..., the group said, which " ...signal[s] a major victory for the environmental and economic health of the Cape.

Community Action Works, which is part of the Save Our Bay MA coalition, said the decision will protect Cape Cod, Plymouth, Kingston and Duxbury Bays and surrounding communities.

MassDEPs mission is to protect and enhance the Commonwealths natural resources- air, water and land- to provide for the health, safety and welfare of all people and to ensure a clean and safe environment for future generations, the department said in a statement.

" In carrying out this mission, MassDEP commits to address and advance environmental justice and equity for all people of the Commonwealth; to provide meaningful, inclusive opportunities for people to participate in agency decisions that affect their lives; and to ensure a diverse workforce that reflects the communities we serve, the agency said.

Holtecs Director of Government Affairs and Communications, Patrick OBrien said in an email that they are disappointed by the decision made by MassDEP.

Treated water has been discharged within safe limits since the plant began operations in 1972 and todays denial will continue to delay the decommissioning and economic reuse of the Pilgrim lands, OBrien said. We will continue to evaluate all disposal options for the treated wastewater and the effect this decision has on our timeline to fully decommission the facility.

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WASHINGTON (AP)  Three Massachusetts lawmakers are pressing Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin to ground the V-22 Osprey aircraft again until the military can fix the root causes of multiple recent accidents, including a deadly crash in Japan.

In a letter sent to Austin on Thursday, Democratic U.S. Sens. Elizabeth Warren and Ed Markey and U.S. Rep. Richard Neal, D-1st District, called the decision to return Ospreys to limited flight status misguided.

In March, Naval Air Systems Command said the aircraft had been approved to return to limited flight operations, but only with tight restrictions in place that currently keep it from doing some of the aircraft carrier, amphibious transport, and special operations missions it was purchased for.

The Ospreys joint program office within the Pentagon has said those restrictions are likely to remain in place until mid-2025.

The Ospreys had been grounded military-wide for three months following a horrific crash in Japan in November that killed eight Air Force Special Operations Command service members.

Theres no other aircraft like the Osprey in the fleet. It is loved by pilots for its ability to fly fast to a target like an airplane and land on it like a helicopter. But the Osprey is aging faster than expected, and parts are failing in unexpected ways.

Unlike other aircraft, its engines and proprotor blades rotate to a completely vertical position when operating in helicopter mode, a conversion that adds strain to those critical propulsion components. The Japan crash was the fourth fatal accident in two years, killing a total of 20 service members.

Marine Corps Capt. Ross Reynolds, who was killed in a 2022 crash in Norway, and Air Force Staff Sgt. Jacob Galliher, who was killed in the November Japan crash, were from Massachusetts, the lawmakers said.

The Department of Defense should be making service members safety a top priority, the lawmakers said. That means grounding the V-22 until the root cause of the aircrafts many accidents is identified and permanent fixes are put in place.

The lawmakers letter, which was accompanied by a long list of safety questions about the aircraft, is among many formal queries into the V-22 program.

There are multiple ongoing investigations by Congress and internal reviews of the program by the Naval Air Systems Command and the Air Force.

The Pentagon did not immediately confirm on Friday whether it was in receipt of the letter.
U.S. Sen. Elizabeth Warren, D-Mass., underlined her support for President Joe Biden on Saturday, but said Vice President Kamala Harris is ready to step up if the 81-year-old chief executive exits the race.

Joe Biden is our nominee, Warren told MSNBCs The Weekend program, adding that Biden has a big decision to make as speculation continues to swirl on whether hell drop out of the 2024 presidential campaign.

A Suffolk University/Boston Globe poll released Friday showed that nearly two-thirds of the states Democrats and left-leaning voters wanted someone other than Biden at the top of the ticket this fall.

Read More: Mass. lawmakers call on Biden to pass the torch

But what gives me a lot of hope right now is that if President Biden decides to step back, we have Vice President Kamala Harris, who is ready to step up to unite the party, to take on Donald Trump, and to win in November, Warren said.

Warrens answer came in response to comments by U.S. Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, D-N.Y., that some within the Democratic Party are not just interested in removing the president. They are interested in removing the whole ticket.

Biden, who was diagnosed with COVID earlier this week, has said he plans to return to the campaign trail in the coming days. He has insisted he will remain in the race against Trump, even as calls for his exit have become louder in some Democratic circles.

On Saturday, The Guardian, citing NBC News, reported that former President Bill Clinton and former U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, who lost to Trump in 2016, are supportive of Biden staying in the race, and have asked donors to stay with him.

Warren told MSNBC that shes known the vice president for 15 years, since she was setting up the U.S. Consumer Financial Protection Bureau and Harris was Californias elected attorney general.

Kamala has led the charge in order to fight back against the Republicans that want a nationwide abortion ban. And look, if youre running against a convicted felon, then a prosecutor like Kamala is really a good person to make that case, Warren told MSNBC. No matter what happens, I will be out there fighting for Democrats. I believe were going to come together and were going to win in November.

Harris is slated to visit Provincetown on Saturday for a Democratic fundraiser at the at the Pilgrim Monument and Provincetown Museum, according to news reports.
Photo: Press Service of the President of the Republic of Azerbaijan

BAKU, Azerbaijan, July 20. President of the Republic of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev will meet with the participants of the 2nd Shusha Global Media Forum on fight against disinformation, Trend reports.

The meeting will be live-streamed.

Will be updated
Vice President Kamala Harris is expected to address a crowd of more than 800 at a fund-raiser on Cape Cod on Saturday afternoon, according to published reports.

The appearance at the Pilgrim Monument and Provincetown Museum comes as speculation continues to swirl about the future of President Joe Bidens re-election campaign.

Harris, who has been mentioned as a replacement at the top of the Democratic ticket if Biden exits the race, touched down on the Cape shortly before 12 p.m., News25 in Boston reported, citing pool reports.

Biden, who was diagnosed with COVID earlier this week, has said he plans to return to the campaign trail in the coming days. He has insisted he will remain in the race against former President Donald Trump, even as calls for his exit have become louder in some Democratic circles.

On Saturday, U.S. Sen. Elizabeth Warren, D-Mass., underlined her support for Biden, but said Harris is ready to step up if the 81-year-old chief executive exits the race.

Joe Biden is our nominee, Warren told MSNBCs The Weekend program, adding that Biden has a big decision to make about his political future.

But what gives me a lot of hope right now is that if President Biden decides to step back, we have Vice President Kamala Harris, who is ready to step up to unite the party, to take on Donald Trump, and to win in November, Warren said.
LOS ANGELES  From the start, the Red Sox studiously avoided providing a timetable for the expected return of Triston Casas from an April ribcage injury. That was partly done to avoid putting any additional pressure on Casas to return prematurely and also because the nature of such injuries make them notoriously difficult to predict an accurate recovery time.

At first, Casas had earmarked July 1 for his return. Then, he began to aim for the start of the second half. But given that the first baseman has yet to even take batting practice, or, for that matter, done more than take dry swings and hit off a tee, those goals have come and gone.
NEWPORT SAC hosted the clubs 34th annual National Junior Competition with all Junior anglers fishing for the prestigious Daniel Peacock Memorial Trophy last month. The club's very first competition dedicated to the Junior members began as far back as 1992 and has been held every year since.

On June 30, thirty seven young anglers headed out to sea, spread across 4 boats, all skippered by local boatmen and accompanied by club committee members as mentors. On offer were a range of prizes including overall winner, 8 yrs to 13 yrs category, 14 yrs to 18 yrs category, Novice section, largest fish and first fish category.

Former club secretary Sue Steer and grandmother of the late Daniel Peacock also sponsored a beanie hat embroidered with the club logo and badge for all participants in the competition. When all results were in and tallied up, Laoise Fynnes was announced as the 2024 National Junior Champion to rapturous applause. Laoise was presented with the Daniel Peacock Memorial trophy and replica, a rod and reel set and a voucher on behalf of the Peacock family by Sue Steer and Ann Taylor. Laoise had an impressive haul of 26 dogfish and 2 ray giving her a total of 170 points on the day. Well done to Laoise from all at the club.

Other category winners included Liam Moran who won the 8yrs to 13yrs category with 21 fish and 165 points. Shane Durkan won the 14yrs to 18yrs category with 20 fish and 130 points. James Hastings was the winner of the Novice section with 14 fish and 100 points. The prize for the largest fish was shared between Shane Durkan and Liam Moran with both anglers landing a 52cm ray. Boatmans prize went to Reg Roynane who skippered the Lady Helen. Every one of the juniors started and finished the day with a smile on their face. Every single junior angler caught fish on the day and no one went home empty handed. There was even a large number of raffle prizes for every junior angler followed by a parents raffle. The day was a great success and the committee would like to thank all of the anglers who took part, the skippers, the stewarts, the parents (and particularly those who helped out on the day), those who headed out to sea and took photos during the competition, Nevins Bar for providing the venue and refreshments, Keane's butchers (for providing the morning sausages), the Port Chipper and indeed anyone who helped to make the day so special and help to make happy memories for the 37 Junior anglers.

Sponsors

THE club would also like to thank each and every one of our sponsors including main sponsor Sue Steer and family, Cllr Brendan Mulroy, BIM, Fisheries Ireland, MOWI Ireland, The Marine Institute Furnace, Westport Credit Union, Hastings Insurance, Westport Hotel Group, Midwest Furniture, Burrishoole GAA, Ann Taylor, Padraic McCormack, Keane's butchers, Nevins Bar, Port Chipper, Eamonn Kennedy, Mayo Movie World, O'Malley Transport, Doherty's Mulranny. Without this financial support the event would not have taken place. A very successful day all round and we look forward to the next event!

Please contact any member of the club if you wish to get involved in helping out at any of our events throughout the year

We are now taking entries for our next competition scheduled for August 3 and 4(58th Annual Sea Angling Festival). Contact any member of the committee for more details.

A group of Junior Anglers who participated in the recent 2024 National Junior Competition (Daniel Peacock Memorial, hosted by Newport SAC.

RESULTS IN FULL

The results of the 2024 Daniel Peacock Memorial/National Junior Competition were as follows:

Novice Category: 1st place  James Hastings (14 fish  100 pts). 2nd place  Theo Bronkal (12 fish  60 pts). 3rd place  Aoife |Fynnes (8 fish - 60 pts). 4th place  Sean Og O Ruain (8 fish  60 pts). 5th place  Kayden O'Rourke (7 fish - 55 pts). 6th place  Sarah Cheatle (3 fish  35pts). Joint 7th place  Tyler Donnellan and Anthony McNeela (5 fish - 25 pts). 8th place  Coleman Moran (4 fish - 20 pts). 9th place  Toby McNeela (2 fish - 10 pts). 10th place  Alfie Moogan (1 fish - 5 pts)

8 years to 13 years category: Winner: Liam Moran (21 fish - 165 pts). Runner up: Leah Moran (12 fish - 80 pts). 3rd place: Jack O'Haire (10 fish - 80 pts). 4th place: Muirinn Mulchrone (7 fish - 75 pts). 5th place: John O'Sullivan Irwin (8 fish - 70 pts). 6th place: Molly Mulchrone (8 fish - 70 pts).

14 years to 18 years category: Winner: Shane Durkan (20 fish - 130 pts). Runner up: Shauna Moran (20 fish - 120 pts). 3rd place: Sean Nevin (11 fish - 115 pts). 4th place: Daithi Nevin (17 fish - 105 pts

First Fish on Boat Winners: The Finnaun  Coleman Moran; White Water II  Finn Grealis; Lady Helen  Laoise Fynnes; Mo Chara - Cian Moran

Largest Ray: Liam Moran and Shane Durkan (52cms)

Boatmans Prize: For best angler average score was Reg Royanne who skippered the The Lady Helen. Congrats to all winners and thanks to everyone who took part on the day
BAKU, Azerbaijan, July 20. The plane with representatives of foreign media, who will participate in the 2nd Shusha Global Media Forum on the fight against disinformation, has departed for Fuzuli International Airport, Trend reports.

The forum, which will be joined by more than 150 foreign guests from almost 50 countries, including news agencies from about 30 countries, 3 international organizations, and 82 media structures, will serve as a platform for joint discussions and actions for the participants.

The forum will include four-panel sessions on Impact assessment: scoping disinformation, Policies and initiatives to build a More resilient society against disinformation, The impact of artificial intelligence on reality, media, and disinformation: Promoting media literacy, and Climate movement and media. Officials, media and civil society, government officials and businessmen, representatives of international organizations, and media experts from various countries will exchange views and experiences at the panel sessions.
by Steve McClellan @mp_mcclellan, July 19, 2024

Thousand Oaks, CA-based biotechnology company Amgen has put its U.S. media agency assignments into review.

Incumbents include Omnicom and WPP.

advertisement advertisement Spending on U.S. media is estimated at $289 million, according to agency research firm COMvergence. The companys total ad budget last year was $647 million according to the companys 2023 annual report Company revenue last year was 28.2 billion, up 7%.

In the United States, most of the firm's sales are to pharmaceutical wholesale distributors, which in turn sell products to healthcare providers. The company markets products through direct-to-consumer channels, including print, television and online media.

The company said that MediaLink would support the invitation-only process.
by Wendy Davis @wendyndavis, July 19, 2024

Siding with Amazon, a federal judge has dismissed a class-action complaint alleging that the company engaged in false advertising by touting free deliveries as a benefit of Amazon Prime, but charging users $9.95 in service fees for grocery orders from Whole Foods.

The ruling, issued Thursday by U.S. District Court Judge Tana Lin in Seattle, grew out of a class-action complaint brought by Amazon Prime subscriber Dena Griffith in 2022, and revised in 2024.

Griffith alleged that Amazon advertised its $139-a-year Prime service by touting free delivery, and free two-hour grocery delivery as benefits.

Although deliveries from Whole Foods were initially free, Amazon began charging a $9.95 service fee to delivery goods from the grocery store in October 2021, according to the court papers.

Griffith alleged in the complaint that she placed grocery orders from Amazon in 2021 without incurring extra fees, but was charged a $9.95 fee on an order she made in January 2022.

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Based on her viewing of the advertisements promising free delivery and the absence of service fees on her prior purchases from Whole Foods, plaintiff did not expect she would be charged a fee for this purchase, her complaint read.

The complaint included a claim that Amazon was violating the Washington Consumer Protection Act, which prohibits deceptive advertising.

Amazon urged Lin to throw out the case before trial. Among other arguments, Amazon said that Griffith's complaint failed to identify any ads for Prime with statements that were false at the time.

The company specifically argued that the complaint's allegations regarding Prime ads lacked details, such as when and where the advertisement was posted, what disclosures accompanied it, or exactly when plaintiff might have seen it.

Without such context, the advertisement may very well predate October 2021, and the statements therein accurate and not a 'misrepresentation,' Amazon argued in a motion seeking dismissal.

Lin agreed with Amazon on that point, writing that Griffith alleged that she viewed ads for Prime in mid-2021 -- before the company instituted the service fee for Whole Foods deliveries.

Ad statements that Whole Foods grocery delivery was 'free' were true at the time they were made, Lin wrote.

The ruling allows Griffith to reformulate her allegations and file an amended complaint by August 18.
  Trusted Source

Union Minister Dr Jitendra Singh addresses American Chamber of India 'Healthcare Summit'; emphasises use of latest technology for accessible, affordable healthcare



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Healthcare Summit by AMCHAM



India leads in affordable medical innovations, driving global healthcare improvements. #innovation #medindia

Government's Commitment to Healthcare Transformation

Union Minister Dr Jitendra Singh addresses American Chamber of India Healthcare Summit; emphasises use of latest technology for accessible, affordable healthcare - (https://pib.gov.in/PressReleseDetailm.aspx?PRID=2033816)

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On Friday, Dr. Jitendra Singh, Union Minister of State (Independent Charge) for Science and Technology, declared that preventive healthcare has become a national and civic responsibility for everyone ().Speaking at the second edition of the Healthcare Summit organized by the American Chamber of Commerce in India (AMCHAM) in New Delhi, Dr. Singh highlighted the blurring lines between private and public sectors. He emphasized, Preventive healthcare today is a national and societal duty not restricted to healthcare professionals alone. Dr. Singh reiterated India's strong position as a leading global manufacturer of affordable medical equipment and the importance of collaboration in advancing healthcare.The summit gathered major stakeholders from the healthcare industry, including US businesses, government representatives, and academia. The event aimed to address significant concerns and explore innovative ideas to improve healthcare access, equity, and quality in India.Dr. Vinod Paul, Member of Niti Aayog, reinforced the government's dedication to transforming healthcare. He stressed the importance of innovation and collaboration in community service, aligning with the government's focus on comprehensive primary healthcare through 179,000 health and wellness centers across the nation. Dr. Paul also highlighted the importance of pandemic preparedness, aiming to develop vaccines within 100 days of an outbreak, and the government's efforts to improve healthcare access through a national telemedicine line.Innovation can significantly advance diagnostic tests for chronic liver , kidney disease, and conditions like haemoglobin A1C, Dr. Paul noted, emphasizing the role of innovation in disease detection and management. The Summit concentrated on innovation, research, and development, and the policy and regulatory framework necessary for healthcare transformation.Ranjana Khanna, Director General and CEO of AMCHAM, underscored the critical collaboration between India and the US in advancing healthcare solutions. She said, The summit highlights the essential partnership between India and the US in advancing healthcare solutions. Indias commitment to innovation is evident. Unified efforts by both countries are set to propel us towards a future defined by universal health equity and innovation, transforming today's challenges into tomorrow's solutions.Source-IANS
SHUSHA, Azerbaijan, July 20. Participants of the Global Media Forum entitled Unmasking False Narratives: Confronting Disinformation to be held in Shusha on the occasion of the 149th anniversary of the National Press, have today arrived in Azerbaijan's cultural capital - Shusha city, Trend reports.

The 2nd Shusha Global Media Forum will bring together more than 150 foreign guests from about 50 countries, including news agencies of 30 countries, 3 international organizations and 82 media outlets. Among the participants of the Global Media Forum are representatives of foreign media, as well as media representatives, experts and officials of Azerbaijan.

The forum will feature four panel sessions on Impact assessment: scoping disinformation, Policies and initiatives to build a more resilient society against disinformation, The impact of artificial intelligence on reality, media and disinformation: Promoting media literacy, and Climate movement and media.

During the panel sessions, officials from different countries, media and civil society representatives, representatives of international organizations and media experts will come together to exchange views and experiences.

The forum participants will be informed about the preparations carried out regarding the 29th session of the Conference of the Parties to the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change (COP29), the fight against the impacts of climate change at the country level, as well as the sustainable approach in the restoration and reconstruction works implemented in the liberated areas.

The forum will last until July 22.

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A Marine who stormed the U.S. Capitol and apparently flashed a Nazi salute in front of the building was sentenced on Friday to nearly five years in prison.

Tyler Bradley Dykes, of South Carolina, was an active-duty Marine when he grabbed a police riot shield from the hands of two police officers and used it to push his way through police lines during the attack by the mob of then-President Donald Trump's supporters on Jan. 6, 2021.

Dykes, who pleaded guilty in April to assault charges, previously was convicted of a crime stemming from the 2017 white nationalist Unite the Right rally in Charlottesville, Virginia. Dykes was transferred to federal custody in 2023 after he served a six-month sentence in a state prison.

U.S. District Judge Beryl Howell sentenced Dykes, who's 26, to four years and nine months of imprisonment, the Justice Department said.

Federal prosecutors had recommended a prison sentence of five years and three months for Dykes.

He directly contributed to some of the most extreme violence on the Capitols east front, prosecutors wrote.

Dykes' attorneys requested a two-year prison sentence. They said Dykes knows his actions on Jan. 6 were illegal, indefensible and intolerable.

Tyler hates his involvement in the Capitol riot, his lawyers wrote. He takes complete responsibility for his actions. Tyler apologizes for those actions.

Dykes, then 22, traveled to Washington, D.C., to attend the Republican Trump's Stop the Steal rally with two friends from his hometown of Bluffton, South Carolina. After parting ways with his friends, Dykes ripped snow fencing out of the ground and pulled aside bicycle rack barricades as he approached the Capitol.

Later, Dykes joined other rioters in breaking through a line of police officers who were defending stairs leading to the Capitols East Rotunda Doors.

After reaching the top of the stairs, Dykes celebrated his accomplishment, performing what appears to be the Sieg Heil salute, prosecutors wrote.

After stealing the riot shield from the two officers, Dykes entered the Capitol and held it in one hand while he raised his other hand in celebration. He also used the shield to assault police officers inside the building, forcing them to retreat down a hallway, prosecutors said.

Dykes gave the shield to an officer after he left the Capitol.

Dykes denied that he performed a Nazi salute on Jan. 6, but prosecutors say his open-handed gesture was captured on video.

In August 2017, photos captured Dykes joining tiki torch-toting white supremacists on a march through the University of Virginia's campus on the eve of the Unite the Right rally. A photo shows him extending his right arm in a Nazi salute and carrying a lit torch in his left hand.

In March 2023, Dykes was arrested on charges related to the march. He pleaded guilty to a felony charge of burning an object with intent to intimidate.

Dykes briefly attended Cornell University in the fall of 2017 before he joined the Marine Corps. In May 2023, he was discharged from the military under other than honorable conditions.

Rather than honor his oath to protect and defend the Constitution, Dykess criminal activity on January 6 shows he was instead choosing to violate it, prosecutors wrote.

More than 1,400 people have been charged with federal crimes related to the Capitol riot. More than 900 of them have been sentenced, with roughly two-thirds receiving terms of imprisonment ranging from a few days to 22 years.
Gen. Daniel Hokanson, the outgoing chief of the National Guard Bureau, said a proposal to transfer certain Air National Guard units into the Space Force could take away key resources from states and may lead to serious repercussions if passed.

In an exclusive interview with Military.com this week, Hokanson -- who is set to retire as the Army and Air National Guard's top officer in August -- urged caution as the Air Force wages a legislative fight to move the Guard units with space missions into the active-duty Space Force by bypassing state governors' authority. The Air Force sent a proposal to Congress, hoping it will pass legislation allowing the shift.

"Anytime you change a law or a precedent that's been in effect for a while, you want to be careful of the unintended consequences that may be related to that," Hokanson said. "Anytime you change things, you have to kind of be concerned about 'Where does it start? Where does it end?'"

Read Next: 'Today We Make History': Commission Probing Afghanistan War Starts Work with Veterans Top of Mind

Military.com first reported on the Air Force's legislative proposal to bypass state governors and rewrite sections of Title 32 and Title 10 of the U.S. Code to transfer hundreds of Air National Guardsmen serving in space missions in multiple states to the active-duty Space Force. Guardsmen in Alaska, California, Colorado, Florida, Hawaii and Ohio could be affected by the move, according to the Senate Armed Services Committee.

The proposal has been met with fierce opposition from National Guard lobbyists, lawmakers on both sides of the aisle and, notably, every governor in the country. In May, officer and enlisted Air Guardsmen from Alaska, Colorado and Hawaii took aim at the proposal, calling it an "existential threat" to them.

Many of those states have relied on the space knowledge within the Air National Guard units to respond to stateside emergencies, such as the California Air National Guard's 234th Intelligence Squadron, which has used its satellite capabilities to track, monitor and assess wildfires in the Golden State.

Hokanson said if those Air National Guard units are transferred to the active-duty Space Force, states would lose those resources.

"If we don't have that capability anymore ... that, in effect, goes away because they perform that in a state active-duty status, and work with a lot of state federal agencies to provide a really valuable service," Hokanson said.

The monthslong fight has now led to a tug-of-war between the House and Senate Armed Service Committees' versions of the National Defense Authorization Act, the annual must-pass defense policy bill.

The GOP-led House has rewritten the proposal so that governors would need to weigh in on such a move, while the Democratic-led Senate's language would allow those transfers to go ahead -- without state approval -- but with slightly more limited size and scope.

As negotiations between the House and Senate committees' versions of the NDAA continue, those Air National Guardsmen in space missions are left in limbo.

But even Guard officials in states that would have no units affected by the Air Force's initiative, called Legislative Proposal 480, are speaking out against it.

Maj. Gen. Thomas Mancino, the adjutant general who oversees Oklahoma's Army and Air National Guard, told Military.com in an interview Friday that the Air Force's plan did not seem well thought out.

"The current LP480 proposal is an ill-conceived, poorly planned and executed proposal that seeks to subvert states' constitutional and statutory protections for unclear and uncertain reasons," Mancino said. "I hope the Senate agrees with all governors and the House in removing the offending language from the NDAA."

Notably, many Air Guardsmen don't want to join the active-duty Space Force: Internal polling from 14 Air National Guard units in seven states shows anywhere from 70% to 86% of those surveyed have no desire to become Space Force Guardians, Military.com previously reported.

Hokanson told Military.com that many of those Air National Guardsmen had a reason for joining their specific unit, whether it was family, location or duty status. He said that if their unit is transferred to the Space Force and they don't want to go, they can find another job within their state.

"So, my pledge to them is if they're put into the Space Force, and they want to go there, we'll do everything we can to help make that transition smooth," Hokanson said. "But if they want to stay where they're at, they want to stay in the Guard, we will find them a position in the same duty status that they're in within their state, because their experience is absolutely valuable and we need to retain that. And we made that pledge to them to take care of them."

Related: State Air Guard Units Could Be Moved to Space Force Despite Governors' Opposition Under Senate Proposal
New force-wide liberty rules for troops across Japan have yet to materialize a week after an announcement by top U.S. officials that they were coming.

A Marine Corps general, in a letter co-authored by the U.S. ambassador to Japan on July 12, proposed an updated set of liberty rules for all U.S. service members stationed in the country following recent allegations of criminal conduct involving an airman and a Marine on Okinawa.

A week later, it was still unclear whether that proposal had come to fruition. In military parlance, "liberty" means authorized leave from duty. Even as recently as last year, there had been stricter enforcement of those rules for some service members, specifically Marines, due to reports of misconduct.

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The recent pair of alleged crimes committed by service members on Okinawa has once again reopened long-standing wounds between the U.S. military and the local community -- ones that have festered for decades and strained diplomatic relationships between the two countries.

Marine Lt. Gen. Roger Turner, the commander of the III Marine Expeditionary Force, and Ambassador Rahm Emanuel wrote that "we will introduce one set of liberty time rules ... so that every service member, regardless of branch, follows the same rules of conduct and behavior."

A spokesperson for U.S. Forces Japan, or USFJ, told Military.com in a statement Friday that all military components are reviewing their protocols -- to include education, training and "patrol routines" -- to address the issue but a week after the release of the letter, which was billed as an op-ed by III MEF's public affairs, he did not say whether uniform liberty rules would be implemented across the branches.

Meanwhile, Marine Corps bases have beefed up sobriety checks across all installations in Japan, Stars and Stripes reported Friday, including 100% breathalyzer tests for drivers and pedestrians after 8 p.m. and before 8 a.m. following the alleged crimes. The publication reported that there are already baseline liberty rules for troops in Japan, but Marine liberty policy was tightened last year after reports of misconduct, creating an imbalance between the services.

The measures and proposals come as social media posts and Japanese media showed that locals have again taken to protesting outside the gates leading to the military installations on Okinawa in large numbers.

The letter from Emanuel and Turner said that leaders were contacting "every single" service member to reinforce conduct expectations. It also said that military law enforcement is increasing patrols in Okinawa.

However, when Military.com reached out for updates about the proposed Japan-wide liberty policy, military officials took days to respond and offered no specifics or concrete changes.

The USFJ spokesperson, Col. Greg Hignite, said that all components are "working rapidly to take appropriate measures" but did not specify what those measures were, outside of reviewing protocol. Spokespeople for the Navy and Air Force told Military.com that their services were working with USFJ to evaluate the liberty policy. Marine Corps headquarters did not respond by publication.

"The vast majority of USFJ's members are devoted ambassadors to their communities, and when this type of behavior is identified, we take action," Hignite said.

This month, Senior Airman Brennon R.E. Washington, 25, pleaded not guilty to charges of kidnapping and sexually assaulting a minor in December, according to Stripes. Marine Lance Cpl. Jamel Clayton, 21, allegedly attempted to choke and sexually assault a woman in the western part of the island in May. The July 12 letter expressed "deep regret" over these cases.

"The past few weeks have been challenging for all of us who are stewards of the U.S.-Japan alliance following the alleged incidents involving U.S. service members," the letter said. "Should the Japanese legal system find the allegations to be true, then we will have fallen well short of our own expectations and values. We must also acknowledge that it has been a difficult time for the people of Okinawa."

The history of service members committing crimes -- especially crimes fueled by alcohol or of a sexual nature -- goes back decades on the island.

In 1995, a sailor and two Marines in a rented van kidnapped a 12-year-old Okinawan girl, whom they proceeded to beat and rape. The three men were all convicted and sentenced to several years in Japanese prison, but the incident sparked outrage and helped push rare reforms to the legal framework that governs the legal rights of troops stationed in the country.

That incident also spurred talks on reducing the large U.S. military presence on the island and, the following year, the U.S. and Japan signed an agreement that cut the amount of land U.S. bases used on Okinawa by 21%.

However, incidents on the island have continued, often followed by a clampdown by military leaders on drinking or off-base travel by service members.

In the summer of 2016, a U.S. sailor was arrested after driving the wrong way on an Okinawa road, crashing into two cars and injuring two people while having a blood alcohol content that was six times the Japanese legal limit.

This led the Navy to institute a temporary lockdown of sailors in Japan, banning the drinking alcohol and any nonessential travel off base.

Around the same time, a civilian worker, who was also a Marine veteran, at Kadena Air Base on Okinawa was arrested in connection with the rape and murder of a 20-year-old Japanese woman. The Air Force base was forced to cancel an Independence Day festival that year.

A year later, another alcohol-fueled, deadly car crash on Okinawa led to a round of lockdowns. In 2023, two Marines were involved in alleged misconduct -- including one accused of punching an elderly Japanese woman -- which resulted in stricter liberty rules for the Corps in Japan.

Of the recent criminal cases, Japanese Foreign Minister Yoko Kamikawa told reporters July 12 that "it is intolerable that such incidents have continued to occur."

Kamikawa also referenced the editorial as a sign of both Emanuel and Turner's "deep regret" over the incidents, saying that they "are taking concrete measures" to address the issue.

"Our two nations and peoples have forged a deep friendship over many decades," the letter said. "There have been challenging moments along the way, but the measure of any relationship is not the absence of disagreement, but the ability to overcome those difficulties, find common ground, and become stronger and more resilient. We have done so in the past and will do so, again, now."

-- Thomas Novelly contributed to this report.

Related: Airman Accused of Kidnapping, Sexually Assaulting Japanese Minor on Okinawa
DHAKA, Bangladesh (AP)  Police imposed a strict curfew with a shoot-on-sight order across Bangladesh as military forces patrolled parts of the capital Saturday after scores were killed and hundreds injured in clashes over the allocation of civil service jobs.

The curfew began at midnight and was relaxed from noon to 2 p.m. for people to run essential errands, and is expected to last until 10 a.m. Sunday, allowing officers to fire on mobs in extreme cases, said lawmaker Obaidul Quader, the general secretary of the ruling Awami League party.

The demonstrations  called for mainly by student groups started weeks ago to protest a quota system that reserves up to 30% of government jobs for relatives of veterans who fought in Bangladeshs war of independence in 1971. Violence erupted Tuesday, with the Daily Prothom Alo newspaper reporting the death of at least 103 people.

Friday was likely to be the deadliest day so far; Somoy TV reported 43 killed, while an Associated Press reporter saw 23 bodies at Dhaka Medical College and Hospital, but it was not immediately clear whether they all died on Friday. On Thursday, 22 others were reported dead as protesting students attempted to completely shut down the country.

The United States Embassy in Dhaka said Friday that reports indicated hundreds to possibly thousands were injured across Bangladesh. It said the situation was extremely volatile.

Bangladeshi authorities haven't shared any official numbers of those killed and injured.

Officials said the curfew was to quell further violence after police and protesters clashed in the streets and at university campuses in Dhaka and other cities across the South Asian country. Authorities blocked online communications by banning mobile and internet services. Several television news channels also went off the air, and the websites of most local newspapers were down. Meanwhile, some key government websites, including Bangladeshs central bank and the prime ministers office, appeared to have been hacked and defaced.

Local media also reported that some 800 inmates fled from a prison in Narsingdi, a district north of the capital, after protesters stormed the facility and set it on fire Friday.

The chaos highlights cracks in Bangladeshs governance and economy and the frustration of youths who lack good jobs upon graduation. They also represent the biggest challenge to Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina since she won a fourth consecutive term in office after Januarys elections, boycotted by the main opposition groups.

Protesters argue the quota system is discriminatory and benefits supporters of Hasina, whose Awami League party led the independence movement, saying it should be replaced with a merit-based system. Hasina has defended the quota system, saying that veterans deserve the highest respect for their contributions in the war against Pakistan, regardless of their political affiliation.

Representatives from both sides met late Friday in an attempt to reach a resolution. At least three student leaders were present and demanded the reform of the current quota system, the reopening of student dormitories shut by the police following the clashes and for some university officials to step down after failing to protect campuses from the violence. Law Minister Anisul Huq said late Friday the government was open to discussing their demands.

The main opposition Bangladesh Nationalist Party has backed the protests, vowing Friday to organize its own demonstrations as many of its supporters joined the students protests. However, BNP said in a statement its followers were not responsible for the violence and denied the ruling party's accusations of using the protests for political gains.

The Awami League and the BNP have often accused each other of fueling political chaos and violence, most recently ahead of the countrys national election, which was marred by a crackdown on several opposition figures. Hasinas government had accused the opposition party of attempting to disrupt the vote.

In 2018, the government halted the job quotas following mass student protests. But in June, Bangladeshs High Court nullified that decision and reinstated the quotas after relatives of 1971 veterans filed petitions. The Supreme Court suspended the ruling, pending an appeal hearing, and said in a statement it will take the issue up Sunday.

Hasina has called on protesters to wait for the court's verdict.

___

Saaliq reported from New Delhi, India.
DEIR AL-BALAH, Gaza (AP)  A media outlet controlled by Houthi rebels in Yemen reported intense airstrikes on the port city of Hodeidah on Saturday and said it appears that Israel is behind them.

Al-Masirah TV said the strikes on storage facilities for oil and diesel at the port and on the local electricity company caused deaths and injuries, but gave no details. It said there was a large fire at the port and power cuts were widespread.

Health officials in Yemen said the strikes killed a number of people and injured others, but did not elaborate.

The Israeli military declined to comment.

A drone attack by Houthi rebels killed one person in the center of Tel Aviv and wounded at least 10 others near the United States Embassy early Friday.

Since January, the U.S. and British forces have been striking targets in Yemen, in response to the Houthis' attacks on commercial shipping that the rebels have described as retaliation for Israel's actions in the war in Gaza. However, many of the ships targeted are not linked to Israel.

The joint force airstrikes have so far done little to deter the Iran-backed force.

Also Saturday, at least 13 people were killed in three Israeli airstrikes that hit refugee camps in central Gaza overnight, according to Palestinian health officials, as cease-fire talks in Cairo appeared to make progress.

Among the dead in Nuseirat Refugee Camp and Bureij Refugee Camp were three children and one woman, according to Palestinian ambulance teams that transported the bodies to the nearby Al-Aqsa Martyrs Hospital. AP journalists counted the 13 corpses at the hospital.

Earlier, a medical team delivered a live baby from a Palestinian woman killed in an airstrike that hit her home in Nuseirat late Thursday evening.

Ola al-Kurd, 25, was killed along with six others in the blast, but was quickly rushed by emergency workers to Al-Awda Hospital in northern Gaza in the hope of saving the unborn child. Hours later, doctors told The Associated Press that a baby boy had been delivered.

The still-unnamed newborn is stable but has suffered from a shortage of oxygen and has been placed in an incubator, said Dr. Khalil Dajran on Friday.

Ola's husband and a relative survived yesterdays strike, while everyone else died, Majid al-Kurd, the deceased woman's cousin, told the AP on Saturday.

"The baby is in good health based on what doctors said, he added.

The war in Gaza, which was sparked by Hamas Oct. 7 attack on southern Israel, has killed more than 38,900 people, according to the territorys Health Ministry, which does not distinguish between combatants and civilians in its count. The war has created a humanitarian catastrophe in the coastal Palestinian territory, displaced most of its 2.3 million population and triggered widespread hunger.

Hamas October attack killed 1,200 people, mostly civilians, and militants took about 250 hostage. About 120 remain in captivity, with about a third of them believed to be dead, according to Israeli authorities.

The Israel-Hamas war has left thousands of women and children dead, according to health officials in the Gaza Strip. In April, a premature Palestinian baby was rescued from her dead mother's womb but died days later.

In the occupied West Bank, the Palestinian Health Ministry said a 20-year-old man was shot dead by Israeli forces late Friday. Commenting on the shooting, the Israeli army said its forces opened fire on a group of Palestinians hurling rocks at Israeli troops in the town of Beit Ummar.

An eyewitness said Ibrahim Zaqeq was not directly involved in the clashes and was standing nearby.

Zaqeq "just looked at them, they shot him in the head. I picked him up from here and took him to the clinic, said Thare Abu Hashem.

On Saturday, Hamas identified Zaqeq as one of its members. The militant groups green flag was wrapped around his corpse during the funeral.

Violence has surged in the territory since the Gaza war began. At least 577 Palestinians in the West Bank have been killed by Israeli fire since then according to the Ramallah-based Health Ministry which tracks Palestinian deaths.

In Cairo, international mediators, including the United States, are continuing to push Israel and Hamas toward a phased deal that would halt the fighting and free about 120 hostages in Gaza.

On Friday, the U.S. Secretary of State, Anthony Blinken, said a cease-fire deal between Hamas and Israel that will release Israeli hostages captive by the group in Gaza is inside the 10-yard line, but added "we know that anything in the last 10 yards are the hardest.

Fruitless stop-and-start negotiations between the warring sides have been underway since Novembers one-week cease-fire, with both Hamas and Israel repeatedly accusing each other of scuppering the effort to reach a deal.

___

Jeffery reported from the West Bank city of Ramallah.
BAKU, Azerbaijan, July 20. The meeting, with the participation of chairmen of local election headquarters, was held at the central office of the New Azerbaijan Party (NAP) in connection with the extraordinary election to the Azerbaijani Parliament scheduled for September 1, 2024, Trend reports.

Furthermore, it was noted that the meeting discussed the work done over the past period in connection with the main actions and measures reflected in the Action Plan approved by the decision of the party's board on July 3, 2024, and based on the analysis of the situation with their implementation, specific tasks for the next period were defined and relevant instructions and recommendations were given.

On June 28, President Ilham Aliyev signed a decree dissolving the sixth convocation of the Azerbaijani Parliament and calling for an extraordinary election.

The snap parliamentary election in Azerbaijan is scheduled for September 1, 2024.
Title: Exploring the Power of Google: Establishing your First Search Engine







(Ascending to Primacy: Establishing Google as Your Primary Search Engine)

As technology continues to advance, so too does search engine optimization (SEO). With an increasing number of people turning to search engines for information, Google has become a crucial part of their online presence. In this blog post, well explore how to establish Google as your primary search engine.

Google is not just a search engine, but its also an online marketplace where you can find all sorts of products, services, and information that you need. By using Googles search functionality, you can quickly and easily find what youre looking for from anywhere in the world.

One of the most significant advantages of using Google is its global reach. Unlike other search engines, which rely on specific geographical locations to be relevant, Google allows you to use your entire internet to discover new content. This means that you can easily browse through millions of pages and find relevant results no matter where you are.

Another benefit of using Google is its level of user engagement. Google offers various features such as analytics, paid advertising, and personalized recommendations to help users improve their search experience. By regularly analyzing and adjusting your search terms, you can refine your search queries to better match the products or services that youre looking for.

In addition to these benefits, Google has made it easier than ever to find information on a wide range of topics. You can easily filter your search results based on keywords, location, date, or even click-through rates. This means that you can get access to the information you need without having to constantly type out a long list of keywords.

However, like any technology, there are some limitations to using Google. For example, Googles algorithm can sometimes target certain websites or pages more heavily than others, which may affect the relevance of the content found on those pages. Additionally, Google has been criticized for its tracking practices, which can be uncomfortable for many users.







(Ascending to Primacy: Establishing Google as Your Primary Search Engine)

Despite these challenges, there are still many reasons why Google is considered the preferred search engine for many people. If youre looking to build a strong online presence and increase your search traffic, using Google could be a good choice. However, its important to do your research before starting to invest in SEO efforts to ensure that youre using the right tool for your needs.
MACKINAC ISLAND, MI - The waters off Mackinac Island serve as the finish line for two big sailboat races each summer. But this weekend, Mackinac also gets to morph into a hometown cheering section for an all-island crew thats competing in the Bayview Mackinac Race.

In an inspired move by the islands fire chief, Jason St. Onge, he worked with several islanders to rally a team to join the record number of boats competing in the 100th running of this iconic race.

And because this is an island story, of course theres a neat historic twist or two. This year, the Bayview Mackinac Race will be running on the original 1925 course. And the all-island crew will be skippered by Bart Huthwaite Jr. Race lovers know that Huthwaites late father is the man who helped find and restore the Bernida - the sleek wooden sloop that won the very first Bayview Mackinac Race in 1925. After the 32-foot boat faded from view for decades, the elder Huthwaite bought the Bernida and hired out the deep restoration work. In 2012, the resurrected Bernida again won the race.

So there could be all kinds of kismet going on later today when the all-Mackinac crew starts the race aboard Rascal, a Catalina 34 MKII.

Huthwaite Jr. is treasurer of the Mackinac Island Yacht Club (MIYC). His son, Chaz, and St. Onge will be joined on Rascal by the islands grocery store owner, Andrew Doud, as well as past MIYC Commodore Mike Gidley and current Rear Commodore Mike Hegarty.

St. Onge said islanders are typically so busy prepping to welcome all the Bayview Mackinac and Chicago Yacht Club Race to Mackinac crews each summer that they typically dont have time to even think about tossing their own hats into the racing pool.

I owned a sailboat for many years, but due to the busy nature of the island during the races, I was never able to race big races, St. Onge said. However, a few years ago when I realized the 100th was on the horizon, the idea came to organize an all-island crew to come up the big lake. Not sure what well place, I know well have one heck of a cheering section on the island!

Gidley, who has been part of the island community for more than three decades, said getting the crew assembled took some work. Heck yes, the thought of an all-island-crewed boat in the 100th race, that was a no-brainer, but a lot of folks here do not race sailboats. They take care of everyone once the boats arrive.

Huthwaite said this race aboard Rascal has a particularly deep meaning for him, as his son is part of the crew. He said hes glad St. Onge twisted our arms to get the boat entered in the race as an all-island team.

Our Team Mackinac crew is based on the island and while we dont believe we can muster a win like the crew on Bernida did, we are going to be a part of history nonetheless.

This weekend is the 100th running of the Bayview Mackinac Race, one of the oldest freshwater sailing races in the world. This photo shows the 2023 competition. Provided by Martin Chumiecki.Martin Chumiecki

The Bayview Mackinac Race has 332 boats registered in this weekends event - a record number thats fitting for a race celebrating its century mark. Its considered one of the longest annual freshwater yacht racing events in the world.

As a nod to the races impressive history, boat crews will be competing on the original course mapped out for the first Bayview Mackinac Race in 1925. It stretches 235 miles up the Lake Huron coast.

This means all the racing yachts will start in southern Lake Huron, then head north and west before making the turn toward Mackinac. The boats will pass south of Bois Blanc Island before crossing the finish line that sits between Round Island and Mackinac Island.

And once the Rascals crew rounds that curve for home, theres no doubt there will be a huge hometown crowd cheering it to the finish line, said Liz Ware, vice president of sales and marking for her familys Mission Point Resort, which hosts all the racing teams for the awards ceremony on the resorts Great Lawn.

When Mike Hegarty told me there was going to be an all-island entry in the race, I simply said, how can we help support?, Ware said. We love hosting the awards party on the Great Lawn, the friends and comraderies of the sailing community, and of course, we love the island. Supporting Team Mackinac in the 100th Bayview Yacht Clubs Race to Mackinac is icing on the cake.

Hegarty said St. Onges idea of an all-island crew for the races big anniversary was something he couldnt pass up.

Weve all known each other for a long time and that is what is so special about sailing: the friends and memories you make along the way. This trip is going to be epic for all of us on Rascal, epic.

To track Rascal and all the Bayview Mackinac Race boats, use the race tracker here.

Boats from 17 states and Canada are set to participate in what is one of the longest-running freshwater yacht races in the world. The first group of boats is set to hit the starting line at 11:30 a.m.

Anyone up the Thumb coast of Lake Huron should be in for quite a show as the entire fleet sails up to Mackinac, and if there is a downwind blowing and spinnakers unfurled it will be a spectacular view from the shore, said Charlie Trost, race chair for the 2024 Bayview Mackinac.

Want to get in on the fun? Like Trost said, the Lake Huron shoreline will be a good spot for race spectators to catch a glimpse of these sleek and speedy boats. You can use the race tracker here to see where the fleet is situated.

You can also dress like a fan with the new limited-edition sailing T-shirts featuring Peanuts characters like Snoopy and Woodstock. You can find those shirts and other race gear at the Bayview Mackinac Race online store.

Once the boats reach Mackinac Island, its party time.

The Bayview Mackinac Race follows exactly a week behind the Chicago Yacht Club Race to Mackinac, which this year saw a fast course, heavy storms on Lake Michigan, a man overboard rescue, and a new record set.

Want to know more about the Bernida and see her up close? The elegant sloop now is home-ported at the Michigan Maritime Museum in South Haven.
GRAND RAPIDS, MI -- A child died after being located during a river rescue in Grand Rapids, according to officials.

The Grand Rapids Fire Department responded for a river rescue in Riverside Park on the afternoon of Saturday, July 20, police said.

Firefighters and police responded and immediately entered the water to search for a 9-year-old child who had gone missing and was believed to be in the river, the Grand Rapids Police Department and Fire Marshal said in a news release.

After several minutes, the child was found in the water and brought to shore. Rescuers provided emergency care until the child was transferred to LIFE EMS.

The child was transported to a hospital, where they were later pronounced dead, the fire department said.

The park is located west of Monroe Avenue NE, near 3 Mile Road NE. The rescue happened in the northern section of the park, near the Veterans Home, police said.
GRAND RAPIDS, MI  JD Vance, the recently named vice-presidential pick who will run alongside former president Donald Trump, slammed Vice President Kamala Harris for her handling of the border during his first campaign appearance with Trump on Saturday.

The 39-year-old Ohio senator said during a rally in Michigan that under Harris leadership, the U.S. border has been the biggest disaster, open border weve ever had in this country.

Lets get President Trump back in there, close down that border and bring some common sense and security back to this country, he told an eager crowd July 20 at Van Andel Arena in Grand Rapids, Michigans second largest city.

THE LATEST: I took a bullet for democracy, Trump tells Michigan crowd week after deadly rally

Vance responded to jabs made recently by Harris, who he said claimed he had no loyalty to this country.

I dont know, Kamala. I did serve in the United States Marine Corps and build a business. What the hell have you done other than collect a check? said Vance, who was met by chants of USA from the crowd. What has she done other than collect a check from her political offices?

In a statement, Biden-Harris Michigan Campaign Communications Director Alyssa Bradley said Trump would implement cruel immigration policies if elected again.

Donald Trumps Project 2025 agenda will double down on his same cruel and out of step policies of ripping children away from their mothers and pushing for mass deportations and detention camps instead of providing any real solutions to fix our broken immigration system, Bradley said in an emailed statement Saturday.

Trump has made it clear he wants more chaos at the border  thats why he killed the toughest and fairest border security bill in decades. Only President Biden will work to secure the border and keep families together  and fix our immigration system.

During a campaign visit in southwest Michigan last week, Harris criticized Trumps new running mate and said Vance would threaten womens access to abortion.

RELATED: In Michigan visit, Kamala Harris draws distinctions with Trumps new VP pick

Vice Presidential nominee J.D. Vance speaks to thousands of supporters at Van Andel Arena during a campaign rally in downtown Grand Rapids, Mich. on Saturday, July 20, 2024. Former President Donald J. Trump will take the stage later in the afternoon. Joel Bissell | MLive.com

Last week at the Republican National Convention in Milwaukee, Trump announced Vance as his pick for vice president.

What a cool thing it was to be asked by President Trump to serve as his running mate and to get out there on the campaign trail, Vance said.

RELATED: Trumps Michigan rally line stretched over 1.5 miles, but didnt discourage his faithful

While Vance attended Ohio State University, he declined to take any jabs at the Wolverines on Saturday. Instead, he acknowledged the important role the battleground state of Michigan will play in the presidential election.

I heard some O-Hs, but Im going to respect Michigan and not respond here, he joked. To my Ohio brethren, weve gotta win Michigan, thats the important thing this election cycle.

Vance said his wife took their three young children, ages 2, 4 and 7, out to enjoy a great day in Grand Rapids while he was campaigning on Saturday.

Trumps appearance in Michigan drew thousands of excited supporters to the arena for his first public rally since the attempted assassination that nearly took his life one week ago.

RELATED: Huge crowd gathers for Grand Rapids Trump rally, spectators say safety not a concern

Vance spoke to a crowd of over 10,000 attendees who were already seated as people were still filing into the arena ahead of Trumps speech.

Pete Hoekstra, chairman of Michigans Republican Party, kicked off the rally, calling on voters to unite around Trump this election season. Other speakers included U.S. Reps. Jack Bergman, R-Watersmeet; Bill Huizenga, R-Zeeland; and Tim Walberg, R-Tipton.

RELATED: Ill stand out here for 8 hours for him: See massive line ahead of Trumps Michigan rally

The former president on Monday, July 15, ended months of speculation about who would join the ticket with Trump to face what is assumed to be President Joe Biden and Harris.

After lengthy deliberation and thought, and considering the tremendous talents of many others, I have decided that the person best suited to assume the position of Vice President of the United States is Senator J.D. Vance of the Great State of Ohio, Trump wrote Monday in a social media post announcing the pick. J.D. has had a very successful business career in Technology and Finance, and now, during the Campaign, will be strongly focused on the people he fought so brilliantly for, the American Workers and Farmers in Pennsylvania, Michigan, Wisconsin, Ohio, Minnesota, and far beyond.
GRAND RAPIDS, MI  Christena Kincaid of Flint said she had a front-row seat in Butler, Pennsylvania, where former President Donald Trump survived an attempt assassination.

Kincaid, wearing a red TRUMP WAS RIGHT hat, was among a line of supporters Friday, July 19, outside of Van Andel Arena in Grand Rapids for his first rally since the shooting.

Related: Grand Rapids announces road closures, other details, ahead of Trump visit

Over 50 supporters  some showing up as early as 6 a.m. Friday - were in line as of 8:30 p.m. They sat in outdoor chairs, with drinks and snacks and blankets, and hoped to get a little sleep overnight.

Others milled about, waving Trump flags, or selling bumper stickers for a dollar and buttons for $5.

I was one of the ones that were there last week, Kincaid said. She said she had to attend this rally to help him get our country back.

Related: Ex-Secret Service agent: Expect unprecedented level of officers during Trumps Michigan rally

Elizabeth Bonoite of Greenville showed up at 10:30 a.m. and was fourth in line. Her husband, John, showed up later after finishing a roofing job. Both are long-time, devoted Trump followers.

I feel that Gods got a special place for him and its not just in politics, John Bonoite said.

Like others there, hes convinced the 2020 election was stolen.

Related: Trump to visit Michigan in first public rally since assassination attempt

They had attended the Jan. 6, 2021, rally in Washington, D.C., that ended with the riot at the U.S. Capitol. They insisted Trump did not urge the crowd to turn violent.

After watching that rally on a large screen, his wife said they wanted to see Trump up close, in person, to show our support.

They and others felt confident that Trump can beat President Joe Biden  or any other Democrat if Bidens decides not to run.

Bidens poor showing at the June 27 presidential debate added to that confidence, Jeb Bordewyk, a Trump supporter from Rapid City, South Dakota, said.

He has attended 10 rallies. He met others who have attended far more. He said it is part of a movement, a very powerful movement, simple as that. Its a powerful movement.

He got behind Trump before his first election  when Trump separated himself from a large field of Republican candidates. He said he saw 16 politicians and Trump, the only one willing to fight the establishment.

He said Trump has gained support after the assassination attempt, too.

Hes not slowing down. Its only by the grace of God hes able to be here.
Some of the top youth athletes from around the country continue their quest to the Little League Softball World Series, as regional action begins on Saturday.

Watch the Little League Softball World Series on ESPN+

WEST

Quartz Hill (S-CA) vs. Dublin (N-CA)

Time: 12 p.m. ET

Where: Al Houghton Stadium (San Bernardino, Calif.)

Stream: ESPN+

An all-California matchup kicks off the region as the team from Dublin Little League looks to replicate what the team from San Jose did last year and make it to the LLSWS.

Wilcox (AZ) vs. Reno (NV)

Time: 7 p.m. ET

Where: Al Houghton Stadium (San Bernardino, Calif.)

Stream: ESPN+

Wilcox made it to the regionals last year but ended up going just 1-2.

NORTHWEST

Eagle (ID) vs. Gillette (WY)

Time: 3 p.m. ET

Where: Al Houghton Stadium (San Bernardino, Calif.)

Stream: ESPN+

Gillette has been to the regionals in each of the last three seasons, but is just 1-6 over that span. Eagle is trying to be the first team from Idaho to win a game at the regionals for some time.

Issaquah (WA) vs. Monument (CO)

Time: 10 p.m. ET

Where: Al Houghton Stadium (San Bernardino, Calif.)

Stream: ESPN+

The last time Issaquah Little League advance to the regionals was in 2022, the same year they made it to the World Series. Monument is back in the regionals, though they are in a new region. Colorado was in the Southwest Region through last year.

Watch the Little League Softball World Series on ESPN+

Follow the LLSWS Regionals here
Shannon is an ambitious college student struggling to pay her tuition. One day, her college counselor notices she isnt attending classes anymore. Is she just skipping classes, or is she in danger? Watch Abducted at HBCU: A Black Girl Missing Movie on Saturday, July 20, at 8 p.m. ET on Lifetime to find out.

Stream it for free with a trial from Philo or DIRECTV Stream, or find it on Sling.

About the movie:

Abducted at HBCU: A Black Girl Missing Movie follows the story of Shannon, an ambitious college student who is struggling to pay her college tuition and eventually stops attending classes. The only person who notices Shannons sudden disappearance is her college counselor Ellen. Ellens concerns are dismissed by Shannons professors, campus administration, students and even her own boyfriend. Instead of answers, Ellen is met with careless comments about how girls like that from underserved communities often drop out of school. Determined to find Shannon, Ellen inadvertently uncovers a trafficking ring targeting students in need like Shannon. With time running out, Ellen must fight tirelessly to gain the support she needs to rescue Shannon and bring down the trafficking ring.

Watch Abducted at HBCU: A Black Girl Missing Movie tonight, July 20, at 8/7c on Lifetime.

Where to watch Lifetime:

Cast:
SHUSHA, Azerbaijan, July 20. We would prefer the coverage of events in our country and in the neighborhood to be objective, said President of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev as he addressed the second Shusha Global Media Forum themed Unmasking False Narratives: Confronting Disinformation", Trend reports.

If it is not objective due to some misinformation, we don't mind, but if it is a deliberate media attack, a deliberate attempt to discredit what we're doing, of course, the question is, why it's happening. But I think the more time passes, the more reality in political circles in the West appear to treat Azerbaijan as an equal partner, the head of state emphasized.
SHUSHA, Azerbaijan, July 20. There are simply no issues that need to be addressed in bilateral relations with Russia, and for quite a long time. And basically, before the signing of the Declaration on Allied Interaction, we have resolved all issues in accordance with the mutual understanding, mutual respect, mutual interests based on the centuries-old history of relations between our peoples, said President of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev as he addressed the second Shusha Global Media Forum themed Unmasking False Narratives: Confronting Disinformation, Trend reports.

Over the past time, the intensity of the high-level meetings has increased and there is a great need for that. We held meetings (with President of Russia Vladimir Putin - Ed.) both in Moscow in April and on the sidelines of the Summit of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization early this month. And, there will be certainly meetings by the end of the year, there are a lot of topics, the head of state added.
Turkiye's President Recep Tayyip Erdogan arrived on Saturday in the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus (TRNC) to attend events marking the 50th anniversary of the Cyprus Peace Operation, known as Peace and Freedom Day, Azernews reports citing Anadolu Agency reports.

Erdogan was welcomed by Turkish Cypriot President Ersin Tatar at Ercan Airport in the capital Lefkosa. Following a welcoming ceremony, Erdogan laid a wreath at the Ataturk Monument in the city and signed the site's special book.

"We are experiencing the rightful pride of reaching the 50th anniversary of the July 20 Peace Operation, which our heroic Armed Forces carried out shoulder to shoulder with the Turkish Cypriot people.

"The Turkish nation once again showed to the world its unwavering commitment to its independence and future through this operation. The Turkish Cypriot people continue their struggle for independence, crowned with victory, with the steadfast support of the Motherland Turkiye, and they look towards the future with hope and confidence," Erdogan wrote in the book.

He also commemorated the Turkish soldiers who "left these lands as their homeland," and extended his gratitude to veterans who fought in the operation.

Erdogan was accompanied by Turkish parliamentary speaker Numan Kurtulmus.

The island of Cyprus has been mired in a decades-long dispute between Greek Cypriots and Turkish Cypriots, despite a series of diplomatic efforts to achieve a comprehensive settlement.

Ethnic attacks starting in the early 1960s forced Turkish Cypriots to withdraw into enclaves for their safety.

In 1974, a Greek Cypriot coup aimed at Greeces annexation of the island led to Turkiyes military intervention as a guarantor power to protect Turkish Cypriots from persecution and violence. As a result, the TRNC was founded in 1983.

The Greek Cypriot administration was admitted to the EU in 2004, the same year Greek Cypriots thwarted a UN plan to end the longstanding dispute.
SHUSHA, Azerbaijan, July 20. We've chosen the way of independence, de facto and de jure, independent foreign policy, self-sufficient economies, fruitful cooperation with those partners who want to cooperate with us. Of course, reliance on domestic sources of potential income, in combination with strong ties in the region, allowed us to overcome most of our economic problems, said President of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev as he addressed the second Shusha Global Media Forum themed Unmasking False Narratives: Confronting Disinformation, Trend reports.

We just decided to do our homework, to concentrate on our country, on our people, and not pay attention to who said what in the European Parliament or in the Council of Europe. We are absolutely indifferent to that, the head of state mentioned.
SHUSHA, Azerbaijan, July 20. We started actively addressing this issue after we were elected as chair of the Non-aligned Movement. This was part of our responsibility, because many countries of the Non-aligned Movement suffered from colonialism in the past and suffered a lot and sacrificed millions of lives during the time of colonialism, said President of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev as he addressed the second Shusha Global Media Forum themed Unmasking False Narratives: Confronting Disinformation, Trend reports.

And some countries still suffer from that. Like Comoro Islands and Mayotte are still under colonial rule, and that was our obligation. We wanted to help these countries to get rid of this disgusting feature of the past, the head of state emphasized.
SHUSHA, Azerbaijan, July 20. COP is a main event on a global scale. This is the number one conference on the international arena, said President of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev as he addressed the second Shusha Global Media Forum themed Unmasking False Narratives: Confronting Disinformation, Trend reports.

For the first time, it is going to be held in the area of the former Soviet Union and the region, and it is a unique chance for us to step into a higher league. Because we are not only organizing, we do a lot on the substance. We launch initiatives. We now actively work with developing countries in order to build bridges between the Global South and the Global North. Our advantage is that we've been chairing the Non-Aligned Movement for four years, the head of state underlined.
SHUSHA, Azerbaijan, July 20. In the meantime, the process of agreeing on the text is continuing. I don't know when the next meeting of foreign ministers will be. I am now less optimistic because, as you probably know, Prime Minister Pashinyan refused to meet with me in the U.K. The U.K. government proposed organizing a meeting between us on the sidelines of an event in Oxfordshire. But the Armenian side refused. We were surprised, said President of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev as he addressed the second Shusha Global Media Forum themed Unmasking False Narratives: Confronting Disinformation, Trend reports.

Because just four months ago, Chancellor Scholz organized this meeting in Munich where he participated for five to six minutes. And then he left. That was a kind of modality of the meeting. He would meet with both leaders, and then say some introductory remarks, and then leave. And that was what happened. So, the UK government proposed the same with participation of the Prime Minister of the UK. But Prime Minister Pashinyan refused. If he doesnt want to talk to me, then what kind of peace are we talking about? If he doesnt want to talk to the UK Prime Minister, then why did he go to London to Oxfordshire? So, there are a lot of things, which are in deep contradiction, but we will see, the head of state added.
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Manish M. Suvarna is Senior Correspondent at Moneycontrol. He writes on the Indian money markets, RBI, Banks and NBFCs. He tweets at @manishsuvarna15. Contact: Manish.Suvarna@nw18.com
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BAKU, Azerbaijan, July 20. The captain of a Malaysia Airlines aircraft, operating the London-Kuala Lumpur flight, requested an emergency landing at Heydar Aliyev International Airport, Trend reports withe reference to the press service of Heydar Aliyev International Airport.

The reason was a sudden deterioration in the health of one of the passengers (heart attack).

The Airbus A350 aircraft successfully landed at Baku airport at 06:42 local time.

Specialized equipment  an ambulift  was promptly used for the evacuation of the passenger, who was immediately provided with first aid and transferred to the emergency medical team.
Preeti Kulkarni is a financial journalist with over 13 years of experience. Based in Mumbai, she covers the personal finance beat for Moneycontrol. She focusses primarily on insurance, banking, taxation and financial planning
News Highlights: Acharya Pramod Krishnam emphasizes that India is a nation built on emotions, trust, and faith, and these values should not be undermined.

He stresses that the culture, civilization, and scriptures (Shastras) of Sanatan Dharma should not be distorted.

He highlights that Lord Kalki is the last incarnation of Lord Vishnu, and no further incarnations will occur after him.
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India agrees to positively consider providing Rs 1,500 crore economic stimulus to Bhutan
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Kerala govt confirms death of 14-yr old boy infected with Nipah virus
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FUZULI, Azerbaijan, July 20. The global media forum starts its work in Shusha City today, Trend reports.

The airplane with foreign guests that will participate in the forum landed at Fuzuli International Airport.

The guests will depart from here by special buses to Shusha.

The 2nd Shusha Global Media Forum on the fight against disinformation will be held on July 20-22. Over 150 foreign guests from almost 50 countries will join the forum, including news agencies from about 30 countries, 3 international organizations, and 82 media structures.
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Congressman Krishnamoorthi denounces racist attack on Harmeet Dhillon for Sikh prayer at RNC
BISHKEK, Kyrgyzstan, July 12. The World Banks Board of Executive Directors sanctioned $13.6 million in extra funding to supplement the ongoing $5 million Technical Assistance for Kambarata-1 Hydropower Plant (HPP) Project for Kyrgyzstan, Trend reports.

According to the World Bank, the project aims to support the Government of Kyrgyzstan in preparing the Kambarata-1 Hydropower Plant (HPP) project in a manner that is environmentally, technically, financially, and commercially sustainable.

The Kambarata-1 HPP Project is a transformational regional project aimed at increasing the availability of energy supply, improving the management of water and energy resources, and transitioning to clean energy in Kyrgyzstan and throughout Central Asia.

The World Bank expects it to generate an average of 5,600 gigawatt hours per yearalmost half of Kyrgyzstan's current electricity generationand reduce annual carbon dioxide emissions by 5 million tons.

At the same time, the continuing Technical Assistance for Kambarata-1 Hydropower Plant (HPP) Project for Kyrgyzstan has achieved notable advancement since its approval in autumn 2023.

Meanwhile, the World Banks program in Kyrgyzstan currently consists of 25 projects supporting the modernization and development of various sectors, with commitments exceeding $1.2 billion.
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Oil tankers on fire after colliding close to Singapore, crew rescued
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TASHKENT, Uzbekistan, July 20. Uzbekistan and Thailand plan to bring the trade turnover to $500 million in the near future, Trend reports.

The news followed a meeting between Uzbekistan's Acting Deputy Minister of Investment, Industry and Trade Shokhrukh Gulamov with a Thai delegation headed by Deputy Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs Busadee Santipitaks.

The delegation included heads of such large Thai companies as Samitivej Hospital, PTT Oil and Retail, Thai President Food, Siang Heng, Marine Tech International, CTI Logistics and Anita Silk Company.

During the meeting, the sides noted that the growth rates of mutual trade between the two countries show positive results. The volume of mutual trade increased by 170 percent in the first half of this year.

Uzbekistan thanked Thailand for granting visa-free regime for its citizens for up to 60 days.

As a result of the meeting, the sides reached agreements on the elaboration of a plan of joint measures to develop trade, economic and investment cooperation, including the implementation of joint projects in the spheres of agriculture, tourism, food industry, manufacture of textile and electrical products.

Earlier, Thailand officially introduced visa-free entry for up to 60 days for citizens of Uzbekistan.

The new regime applies to visitors through all border posts. Thailand introduced this regime unilaterally to stimulate the economy and may cancel it in the future.
French Fire in Mariposa County -- CAL Fire MMU photo View Photo

Mariposa County, CA  CAL Fire has determined the cause of the French Fire that ignited in the Midpines area of Mariposa County on July 4th.

State fire law enforcement officers blame improper lawn mower use on dried annual grass. They added, Lawnmowers are designed to be used only on wet, green lawns and not dry weeds because they start fires. The identity of the person using that equipment was not released. The findings have been referred to the Mariposa County District Attorneys Office.

The French fire burned 908 acres of annual grass, oak woodland brush, and timber. CAL Fire reports that 18 structures were identified as destroyed or damaged.

Three single-family residences were destroyed, and one was damaged. One commercial structure was destroyed, and two were damaged. Seven other minor structures were destroyed, and four others were damaged, updated CAL Fire officials.

95% of all California fires are human-caused; many started by operating equipment incorrectly, without the proper defensible space clearance, and/or using equipment at the wrong time of day, according to CAL Fire. They remind the public to be vigilant and report suspicious activity, like a suspicious person, vehicle, or any other activity before, during, or after a fire. People are encouraged to take pictures, video recordings, or write down detailed information, then report it to the CAL Fire Arson Hotline at (800) 468-4408. Callers can remain anonymous.
Chinhoyi is reeling in shock and fear following the brutal stabbing death of Stewart Nyasha Mbewe, a 32-year-old resident of Chitambo suburb, on the 14th of July. The alleged perpetrator, Tatenda Mutamba, a 29-year-old man from Gadzema, is already known to the authorities, having been arrested and released on bail in connection with a previous murder.

The incident, which occurred in the early hours of the morning outside the Varsity Night Club at the Gadzema bus terminus, has sent a wave of terror and fear through the Chinhoyi community. Police reports indicate that Mbewe was fatally stabbed in the right hip and buttocks after refusing to share a cigarette with Mutamba. The assailant then vanished into the night, leaving Mbewe lying in a pool of blood.

The victim was discovered at the scene around 0530 hours by an informant who happened to be his relative and was rushed to hospital where he succumbed to injuries around 1400 hours, confirmed Inspector Ian Kohwera, the Zimbabwe Republic Police (ZRP) Mashonaland West spokesperson.

The chilling details of the incident have brought back memories of a previous murder, committed in June 2023, for which Mutamba was arrested alongside two accomplices, Tinashe Pamhidzai (20) and Blessing Kandero (26). The trio were accused of killing Munyaradzi Mahwine, a 40-year-old Chinhoyi man, after a violent robbery.

The arrest of the three suspects in June 2023 was dramatic, taking place at a traditional healers shrine where they were seeking to ward off the avenging spirits of their victim. Police found them in possession of dangerous weapons, including an okapi knife, machete, and catapults, further solidifying their alleged involvement in the crime.

The court heard that on June 18, 2023, the trio, along with accomplices Lazarus Machaya and two others only identified as Nice and Godknows, had formed a gang that targeted lone pedestrians at night. They lay in wait for their victims, demanding cash and resorting to violence when met with resistance.

The court heard at around 11 pm, the six-man gang proceeded to a secluded place on the outskirts of the Hunyani section, opposite the Chafa bottle store and lay ambush. The squad pounced on the passer-by, Mahwine and his unidentified colleague, and started manhandling the pair demanding cash, before stabbing the now deceased on the right thigh once with a knife, stated the court record.

The victims screams alerted police officers on patrol, who rushed to the scene, causing the assailants to flee. Mahwine was found unconscious and bleeding profusely from a deep wound. He died at the scene before receiving medical attention.

Mutamba and his accomplices were subsequently charged with murder.

The recent incident, however, has cast a dark shadow over the community. Residents are left wondering how a man accused of such a heinous crime could be released on bail, only to allegedly commit another murder.

Its terrifying, said a resident of Chitambo suburb, who requested anonymity. We feel vulnerable. How can someone who is accused of murder be walking free? What kind of justice system are we living under?

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Yves here. It is sad but telling that the editors of this KFF Health News story find the need to justify health care for the homeless by touting that it is financially self-supporting, as opposed to, say, saving overall medical cost by reducing costly (and designed to be scarce) ER use by the homeless, or improving public health, say by reducing disease outbreaks (tuberculosis, anyone?) or just being the right thing to do. But in our neoliberal system, mercenary considerations dominate all others.

This example is dated, but consider Malcolm Gladwells Million Dollar Murray:

Murray Barr was a bear of a man, an ex-marine, six feet tall and heavyset, and when he fell down which he did nearly every dayit could take two or three grown men to pick him up. He had straight black hair and olive skin. On the street, they called him Smokey. He was missing most of his teeth. He had a wonderful smile. People loved Murray. His chosen drink was vodka.if he was broke he could always do what many of the other homeless people of Reno did, which is to walk through the casinos and finish off the half-empty glasses of liquor left at the gaming tables. A few years ago, he was assigned to a treatment program in which he was under the equivalent of house arrest, and he thrived. He got a job and worked hard. But then the program ended. Once he graduated out, he had no one to report to, and he needed that, [bicycle cop Patrick] OBryan said. I dont know whether it was his military background. I suspect that it was. He was a good cook. One time, he accumulated savings of over six thousand dollars. Showed up for work religiously. Did everything he was supposed to do. They said, Congratulations, and put him back on the street. He spent that six thousand in a week or so. Often, he was too intoxicated for the drunk tank at the jail, and hed get sent to the emergency room OBryan and Johns called someone they knew at an ambulance service and then contacted the local hospitals. We came up with three names that were some of our chronic inebriates in the downtown area, that got arrested the most often, OBryan said.  The first of those people was Murray Barr, and Johns and OBryan realized that if you totted up all his hospital bills for the ten years that he had been on the streetsas well as substance- abuse-treatment costs, doctors fees, and other expensesMurray Barr probably ran up a medical bill as large as anyone in the state of Nevada. It cost us one million dollars not to do something about Murray, OBryan said.

That was from 2006, in comparatively low-cost Nevada. Since then, substance abuse has exploded, first prescription opioids and now fentanyl. Think this cost dynamic of homelessness has gotten any better? And recall, as our former prosecutor, David in Friday Harbor points out, many of the homeless become abusers as a result of living on the street, as opposed to vice versa.

That is before getting to the horrible difficulty that even the more functional homeless (remember, a stunning 40% of the unsheltered homeless are employed) have in getting medical care.

By Angela Hart, KFF Health News senior correspondent, who previously worked for Politico and The Sacramento Bee. Produced by KFF Health News

They distribute GPS devices so they can track their homeless patients. They stock their street kits with glass pipes used to smoke meth, crack, or fentanyl. They keep company credit cards on hand in case a patient needs emergency food or water, or an Uber ride to the doctor.

These doctors, nurses, and social workers are fanning out on the streets of Los Angeles to provide health care and social services to homeless people  foot soldiers of a new business model taking root in communities around California.

Their strategy: Build trust with homeless people to deliver medicine wherever they are  and make money doing it.

The biggest population of homeless people in this country is here in Southern California, said Sachin Jain, a former Obama administration health official who is CEO of SCAN Group, which runs a Medicare Advantage insurance plan covering about 300,000 people in California, Arizona, Nevada, Texas, and New Mexico.

The fastest-growing segment of people experiencing homelessness is actually older adults, he said. I said, Weve got to do something about this.

Jains organization three years ago created Healthcare in Action, a medical group that sends practitioners onto Californias streets solely to care for homeless people. It has grown rapidly, building operations in 17 communities, including Long Beach, West Hollywood, and San Bernardino County.

Since its launch, Healthcare in Action has cared for about 6,700 homeless patients and managed roughly 77,000 diagnoses, from schizophrenia to diabetes. It has placed about 300 people into permanent or temporary housing.

Street medicine in most of the country is practiced as a charitable endeavor, aimed at serving a challenging patient population failed by traditional medicine, its proponents say. Living transient, chaotic lives, homeless people suffer disproportionately from mental illness, addiction, and chronic disease and often dont have health insurance  or dont use it if they do.

That makes designing a business around caring for them a risk, insurance executives and health economists say.

Its really innovative and entrepreneurial to take all this energy and grit to try and improve things for a population that is too often ignored, said Mark Duggan, a professor of economics at Stanford University who specializes in homelessness and Medicaid policy. Financial incentives matter massively in health care. Its everything.

An estimated 181,000 people were homeless in California in 2023  about 30% of the nations total. The number living outside, more than two-thirds of Californias total, increased 6.9% over the previous year.

The states leaders, including Democratic Gov. Gavin Newsom, have struggled to make inroads against the mounting public health and political crisis  despite marshaling unprecedented taxpayer resources.

We have a huge problem on our hands, and we have a lot of health plans and municipalities saying, We need you, Jain said.

On the Streets

On a cloudy April morning in Long Beach, Daniel Speller navigated his mobile medical van among the tents and tarps that crowded residential streets, searching for a couple of homeless patients. A physician assistant for Healthcare in Action, Speller said he was particularly worried about the badly infected wounds they developed on their limbs after they used the street drug xylazine, an animal tranquilizer often mixed with fentanyl.

These wounds are everywhere. Its really bad, Speller said. If infections progress, they can require toe, foot, or arm amputations.

Man, this one is still so deep, Speller said as he peeled denim pants from the swollen leg of Robert Smith, 66.

After cleaning and wrapping Smiths leg, Speller asked him if he needed anything else. I lost my food stamps, Smith replied.

Within the hour, Spellers team of social workers and nurses had summoned an Uber to take Smith to a state office, where he received a new CalFresh card.

Speller, a street medicine provider for Healthcare in Action, welcomes patients in his mobile medical van in Long Beach, California, on a cloudy April morning. (Angela Hart/KFF Health News)

Nick Destry Anderson, who is homeless in Long Beach, California, developed a wound from using the horse tranquilizer drug xylazine. I was so scared. I thought I was going to lose my leg, he says. (Angela Hart/KFF Health News)

Speller then turned his medical van onto a side street lined with more tents and cars-turned-shelters. Nick Destry Anderson, 46, was sleeping on the sidewalk and badly in need of wound care.

I was so scared. I thought I was going to lose my leg before I met them, Anderson said, grimacing as Speller sprayed his leg with antibiotic mist. These people saved my life.

Anderson reported feeling lightheaded, so Speller asked another team member to use the company credit card to get him a cheeseburger and a Sprite.

Many homeless people languish on the streets, so entrenched in mental health crises or addiction that they dont much care about seeing a doctor or taking their medication. Chronic diseases worsen. Wounds grow infected. People overdose or die from treatable conditions.

Part of street medicine is bandaging infected sores, administering antipsychotic injections, and treating chronic diseases. Street providers often hand out drug paraphernalia such as clean needles and glass pipes to reduce sharing and prevent infections. Perhaps more importantly, these workers build trust.

Getting homeless patients established with primary care doctors and nurses  who visit them on the streets, in parks, or wherever they happen to be  can prevent frequent and expensive emergency room trips and hospitalizations, potentially saving money for insurers and taxpayers, Jain argues. Even though shelter and housing are scarce, Healthcare in Actions goal is to get patients healthy enough to live stable, independent lives, he said.

But thats easier said than done. In West Hollywood that week in April, Healthcare in Action clinical coordinator Isabelle Peng found Lisa Vernon, a homeless woman, slumped over in her wheelchair at a busy bus stop. Vernon is a regular at nearby Cedars-Sinai Medical Center, Peng and her colleague David Wong said.

When Peng and Wong attempted to examine her swollen leg, Vernon shouted at them and declined aid. Antibiotics arent going to save my life! Vernon yelled as a mouse scurried for the potato chip shrapnel at her feet.

They moved on to their next patient, a man they were tracking with a GPS device they sometimes affix to homeless peoples belongings. Use of the devices is voluntary. They work better than cellphones because they less often get taken by law enforcement during encampment sweeps or stolen by thieves.

Our patients really move around a lot, so this helps us go find them when we have to get them medication or do follow-up care, Wong said. We have already developed rapport with these patients, and they want us to see them.

Peng searches for her homeless patients in West Hollywood. (Angela Hart/KFF Health News)

Growing Revenue

Street medicine teams are in demand, largely because of growing public frustration with homelessness. The city of West Hollywood, for instance, awarded Healthcare in Action a three-year contract that pays $47,000 a month. The nonprofit can also bill Medi-Cal, Californias Medicaid program, which covers low-income people, for its services.

Mari Cantwell, a health care consultant who served as Californias Medicaid director from 2015 until early 2020, said Medicaid reimbursements alone arent enough to fund street medicine providers. To remain viable, she said, they need to take creative financial steps, like Healthcare in Action has.

Medicaid is never going to pay high margins, so you have to think about how to sustain things, she said.

Healthcare in Action brought in about $2 million in revenue in its first year, $6 million in 2022, and $15.4 million in 2023, according to Michael Plumb, SCAN Groups chief financial officer.

Healthcare in Action and SCANs Medicare Advantage insurance plan generate revenue by serving homeless patients in multiple ways:

Both are tapping into billions of dollars in Medicaid money that states and the federal government are spending to treat homeless people in the field and to provide new social services like housing and food assistance.For instance, Healthcare in Action has received $3.8 million from Newsoms $12 billion Medicaid initiative called CalAIM, which allows it to hire social workers, doctors, and providers for street medicine teams, according to the state.It also contracts with health insurers, including L.A. Care and Molina Healthcare in Southern California, to identify housing for homeless patients, negotiate with landlords, and provide financial help such as covering security deposits.

Healthcare in Action collects charitable donations from some hospitals and insurers, including CalOptima in Orange County and its own Medicare Advantage plan, SCAN Health Plan.

Healthcare in Action partners with cities and hospitals to provide treatment and services. In 2022, it kicked off a contract with Cedars-Sinai to care for patients milling outside the hospital.

It also enrolls eligible homeless patients into SCAN Health Plan because many low-income, older people qualify for both Medicaid and Medicare coverage. The plan had revenue of $4.9 billion in 2023, up from $3.5 billion in 2021.

Theres been an incredible market fit, unfortunately, Jain said. You cant walk or drive down a street in Los Angeles, rich or poor, and not run into this problem.

Jim Withers, who coined the term street medicine decades ago and cares for homeless people in Pittsburgh, welcomed the entry of more providers given the enormous need. But he cautioned against a model with financial motives.

I do worry about the corporatization of street medicine and capitalism invading what weve been building, largely as a social justice mission outside of the traditional health care system, he said. But nobody owns the streets, and we have to figure out how to play nice together.
Your therapist wants you to go outside ScienceBlog (Dr. Kevin)

Critical Public Health Threat: Deadly Fungus Discovered in Commercial Soil, Compost, and Flower Bulbs ScienceTech (ma)

US probes nearly 70 suspected human cases of H5N1 bird flu Telegraph

Lab-grown pet food is to hit UK shelves as Britain becomes the first country in Europe to approve cultivated meat Guardian

Danish insect farm sets sights on feeding Europes livestock PhysOrg

Heparin: A Common Blood Thinner Emerges as Potential Cobra Bite Antidote ScienceBlog. If you are in cobra territory, Dr. Kevin recommends carrying a dose on you and practicing administering a sterile saline shot into your calf, for example, so you dont muff it in a real emergency. He recommends using BD-II 1ml insulin syringes with 12 or 13 mm needles (a bag of ten might cost ~$10). We do have cobras here but only in the country, and yours truly does not do nature/wilderness hikes, so I am not at risk. The only victims of cobras I know of here are.furzys dogs! A friend of hers quipped she has an Arlington (cemetery) in her back yard.

#COVID-19

With many people getting COVID from the summer surge, a reminder that the CDC's isolation guidelines are inadequate. It's best to isolate until you test negative on multiple tests. If you can't stay home the whole time, wear an N95 mask to stop the virus spreading to others. pic.twitter.com/0cFRgmb59Q  Dr. Lucky Tran (@luckytran) July 18, 2024

Climate/Environment

European Disunion

Old Blighty

The Caucuses

US Army advisor to be attached to the Ministry of Defence of Armenia.  Tigran Khzmalyan ( ) (@TigranKhzmalyan) July 18, 2024

Gaza

New Not-So-Cold War

Syraqistan

Big Brother is Watching You Watch

Imperial Collapse Watch

Mark Sleboda: Putin and China Just Put U.S. Military on HIGH ALERT and War is Coming to Eurasia Danny Haiphong, YouTube. Note the remark at 23:10, of a new Pentagon announcement stating it is planning for decades of conflict. So elected leaders have no say?

Biden

Trump

Trump Assassination Attempt Post Mortem

ANOTHER PROFESSIONAL UPDATE ON THE FAILED TRUMP ASSASSINATION  WAS IT A SANCTIONED PLOT? Larry Johnson Police didnt have manpower to watch building Trump rally shooter fired from Washington Post (furzy). Note Lambert posted a tweet yesterday, which was originally a Facebook post, supposedly by a Butler police official who said it was bogus that the police underperformed. They were asked to provide only 7 men for traffic detail

Vance

Abortion

Storm Lake has a complicated history with abortion Art Cullen (Chuck L)

Our No Longer Free Press

Antitrust

Antitrust as Allocator of Coordination Rights UCLA Law Review

AI

Croudstrike 404

Class Warfare

Even a PhD isnt enough to erase the effects of class Financial Times

Antidote du jour. Tracie H:

My husband pointed out this tiny kitten stumbling blindly about on our back patio. There are stray cats back there, and wed not been aware of this ones birth. I saw no parent, so picked it up and its little eyes appeared too crusted over to open, if it was even old enough to open them. A greenish fluid was leaking from them that had me concerned that it wasnt normal, so off to the vet we went. The vet gave guessed its age at about 2 weeks, due to the presence of a tooth or two, placed a little drop of flea treatment (the fleas were almost bigger than the kitty, dubbed, Indie for Independence Day (it was that weekend), and equally appropriate, for an Indiana Jones adventurous-type spirit. He also provided us with some infection medication, and the sweet receptionist who was currently bottle feeding puppies had some advice along those lines. When we got back home though, we discovered its mom had come out of hiding (an extremely shy feral kitty we are familiar with but hadnt noticed her being in the family way) and was frantically pacing around calling out regularly. So, hoping the kittys eyes would be alright without the medication, since we hadnt started it yet, and feeling that the Mom could care for Indie much better than we could, we set little Indie in his new basket here (sorry for the unattractive cardboard tag that wed not taken time to remove!) and placed him back on the patio. Its mom, Zsa-Zsa for her beautiful long fancy fur, was reluctant to come forward for him while we watched, so we left. When I later went to retrieve the basket I was greeted by a horrendous odor of quite pungent urine. Interesting. Id been concerned for her with that flea medication. Im guessing she washed it off with the only fluid available to her.

And a bonus (Chuck L):

One of the most fascinating processes in nature.pic.twitter.com/ixMuClswbf  Figen (@TheFigen_) July 19, 2024

See yesterdays Links and Antidote du Jour here.
CNN admits Trump on course for landslide win

(Article republished from Modernity.news)

If Donald Trump won, what we have here, dark red states, solid Republican. Light red states, leaning Republican. If he won just those right there, he would already have the path to 270. He would have 272 electoral votes, King explained.

He continued, Look what is different. We have Wisconsin as a toss-up. We have Pennsylvania as a toss-up. Two critical states for Joe Biden. Michigan right now, another critical state for Biden, leaning Republican. Georgia, a state Biden flipped, leaning Republican. Arizona, a toss-up state. That was a state Biden flipped. Nevada, a state he won, leaning Republican.

This is the dire strait for Joe Biden right now on the first night of the republican convention. Tomorrow is 16 weeks to Election Day. Sixteen weeks from tomorrow, we count the votes. It is tough to change a map like this in that amount of time, King further urged.

King went on to explain how Trump is winning in so many States and districts and is competitive in areas that are traditionally Democratic.

So, the warnings to the White House are Donald Trump could conceivably, if the current dynamics in the race hold, get 330 or more electoral votes. Thats what they believe, King explained.

Its a very narrow path for Joe Biden. He  has essentially one, maybe two narrow paths to 270, King highlighted, urging that Donald Trump has so many. There are viable paths to get him as high as 330, which means you can take some states away, Jake, and he would still get to 270.

Donald Trump, on the first night of his convention, and Democratic people who are studying the data closely say it keeps getting worse for the president. Donald Trump opened his convention tonight in a commanding position in this race, period, the analyst concluded.

Watch:

Even CNN admits Trump is on course for a historic landslide victory in November, and could get as many as 330 electoral votes (only 270 are needed to win). Full report here: https://t.co/RxslypnFXc pic.twitter.com/06aGcHfrYa  m o d e r n i t y (@ModernityNews) July 17, 2024

Read more at: Modernity.news
Newly released emails reveal coordination between Clemson University Media Forensics Hub and social media giants

Yet more innovative  and comprehensive  ways in which US taxpayer-funded groups communicated with Big Tech behind major social media are coming to light. This one concerns the Clemson University Media Forensics Hub.

(Article by Didi Rankovic republished from ReclaimTheNet.org)

Twitter Files Matt Taibbis Substack project Racket News reports that the response to their FOIA requests unveiled what is referred to as a tight-knit relationship between university professors, federal law enforcement, and the news media.

The emails that went back and forth between the founders of the Clemson Hub and Twitter and Facebook (between July 2019 and September 2022) show that the focus was not only on removing content and accounts but also on making sure there was cooperation with politically aligned media like CNN (one of Twitters emails said this was already happening in the form of data sharing).

And while these social and legacy media are private, disinformation research done at Clemson was sponsored by South Carolina Research Authority  which is funded by taxpayer money. In October 2022, the National Science Foundation awarded (or rewarded?) Clemsons Hub with a $5 million grant.

But the roundabout ties with the government dont stop there: The documents also reveal that the professors behind the Clemson Hub were coordinating not only with CNN, but also federal law enforcement, and, with Graphika.

Racket News writes that the emails they got via FOIA show Clemson was receiving help with resources from law enforcement.

As for Graphika  this social media analytics firm says it is the most trusted provider of intelligence meant to protect the integrity of global elections, counter foreign malign influence, detect coordinated harassment and incitement to violence, and so on.

One entity that certainly trusted Graphika  to flag online speech for censorship, that is  is the Election Integrity Partnership (EIP), among others of similar provenance.

The House Judiciary Committee looking into online media space manipulations ahead of the 2020 presidential ballot established that the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) had its hand in the setting up of Stanford and Washington universities scheme EIP  which then allegedly went on to collude with DHSs own Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA).

Read more at: ReclaimTheNet.org
FBI staffer in hot water over posts lamenting Trumps botched assassination

An employee of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) is in hot water over her social media posts lamenting that former President Donald Trump survived the July 13 assassination attempt on him.

The National Pulse disclosed the name of the FBI staffer as Jenna Howell. She reportedly shared an image showing the Grim Reaper attempting to grab a Trump doll from a claw machine. "The memes are gold," Howell captioned the image, tagging a friend.

She also posted remarks aimed at those against political violence on her Facebook profile. The post read: "[You all] gun-toting, Second Amendment-loving hillbillies better just sit down and stay quiet unless you're [going to] change your mind on gun control."

Former FBI analyst Chris Toompas confirmed to the Federalist that Howell is indeed a bona fide employee of the bureau. According to him, she previously worked in the Firearms Background Check Unit of the FBI's National Instant Criminal Background Check System, which assesses individuals' eligibility to acquire firearms. She is currently assigned to the FBI's Identity Research Department, Toompas added.

The erstwhile FBI analyst also highlighted a contentious environment within the bureau, recounting an incident that happened years ago when Toompas was suspended and eventually terminated for refusing to comply with the federal government's Wuhan coronavirus (COVID-19) vaccine mandate. He had reportedly worked alongside Howell before he was fired.

"I went to Facebook during my suspension to voice my disdain for the [vaccine] mandate and share my suspension story," he shared. "When I did so, [Howell] threatened to report me to the FBI for violating [the bureau's] Facebook policy. The irony."

"The only thing leftists love to do is hate those who disagree with them  and in this instance, wish for their death." (Related: Now FBI staffer is in hot water over vile posts about Trumps assassination attempt.)

The FBI hates those who like Trump

"Anti-Trump views among the FBI are not uncommon, as at least one whistleblower has claimed the bureau has forced out those who vocally support Trump," the Pulse noted.

Back in November 2023, the Pulse's Jake Welch recounted how several whistleblowers from the federal law enforcement agency revealed the fascist and biased targeting high-ranking FBI officials did on their subordinates. These agents, former members of the military who later joined the bureau, found themselves discriminated for their political beliefs. Some were even targeted for removal from the agency, according to the whistleblower disclosures presented to the House Judiciary Committee.

According to the disclosures, several former servicemen were accused of "disloyalty to the U.S." after displaying characteristics similar to those of a Trump supporter. FBI Security Division Deputy Assistant Director Jeffrey Veltri and Assistant Section Chief Dena Perkins made the accusations against the agents. The characteristics reportedly included refusal to wear a mask, refusal to get injected with the COVID-19 vaccine and participating in religious activities.

The whistleblowers continued that agents were even stripped of security clearances following the accusations. Worse, they were forced out despite there being "no indication that any of the individuals had any affiliation to a foreign power or held any belief against the United States."

Moreover, the disclosures also revealed that Perkins ordered investigations to contact 10 police departments where employees lived to determine whether the allegations were real. "During the process, Perkins was attempting to provide evidence so she could terminate [an] employee because he was 'disloyal to the U.S.,'" they continued.

Visit FBICorruption.news for more similar stories.

Watch U.S. Rep. Tim Burchett (R-TN) commenting on the FBI taking on the Trump assassination attempt probe on "The Breanna Morello Show."

This video is from the MyPodcastDropped2320 channel on Brighteon.com.

More related stories:

'Eliminate him': A look at the violent rhetoric against Donald Trump.

Actress Lea DeLaria calls on Biden to ASSASSINATE Trump: "This is a war."

INSANITY: Mainstream media want Trump to be ASSASSINATED to prevent him from winning the election.

Check out the FBI employee and other TDS exhibitors who posted disappointment that Trump wasn't assassinated.

FBI raid on Mar-A-Lago backfires spectacularly as lawmakers call for NULLIFICATION of corrupt federal agencies like FBI, IRS, EPA, ATF, DOJ.

Sources include:

TheNationalPulse.com 1

TheNationalPulse.com 2

Brighteon.com
HH70 fusion plant in Shanghai sets new world record, giving China leg up in fusion energy race

In Shanghai, the experimental nuclear fusion power plant HH70 has set a world record by achieving its first plasma , a major milestone in the quest for clean energy.

This groundbreaking device is the first fully high-temperature superconducting tokamak and was constructed in just two years, showcasing China's engineering prowess.

As countries race to harness nuclear fusion  the energy source that powers the sun  experts suggest that China is poised to lead in this technology, potentially reshaping the future of energy.

The HH70, located in Shanghai, is the first entirely high-temperature superconducting (HTS) tokamak in history, having successfully produced its initial plasma in mid-June, as reported by the South China Morning Post.

This is a significant achievement in the field of nuclear fusion, which is often regarded as the "holy grail" of clean energy due to its potential to provide cheap, clean, and limitless energy. (Related: China is beating the U.S. in the race for fusion energy.)

Developed by the Shanghai-based fusion energy company Energy Singularity, the HH70 also set a record for the fastest development and construction of a superconducting tokamak device.

Guo Houyang, co-founder and chief technology officer of Energy Singularity, noted in an interview with China Global Television Network that the HH70 is smaller, less expensive to produce, and was completed in just two years.

China's strong engineering capabilities and robust industrial chain played a major role in this accomplishment.

HH70 achievement fueling tech race for fusion energy

Although the HH70's achievement won't immediately lead to the successful commercial generation of fusion electricity, the surrounding industry is already gearing up for the next clean energy competition.

Yasmin Andrew, a researcher in Imperial College, London's Department of Physics, highlighted that while HH70 is the first tokamak to generate plasma, several commercial businesses worldwide are similarly striving to develop HTS technology for fusion.

Despite fusion technology still being in its early stages, efforts to provide carbon-free energy comparable to that produced by the sun have turned into engineering projects.

Dennis Whyte, former head of the Massachusetts Institute of Technology's (MIT) Plasma Science and Fusion Centre, emphasized that fusion technology is no longer just studied for sciences sake but is moving towards implementation as a new energy source.

Andrew Holland, CEO of the Fusion Industry Association, expressed concern that fusion might follow the solar industrys path, where the United States developed most of the technology but China eventually took over manufacturing.

He stressed the importance of the U.S. responding to this challenge, as China's ambitions in the fusion supply chain and development are clear.

China's efforts to achieve commercial fusion energy are accelerating due to its increasingly developed industrial chain.

In October 2021, Startorus Fusion was founded in Shaanxi, emphasizing how new materials like HTS allow for the design of compact devices proving the feasibility of fusion at a much cheaper cost.

Energy Singularity, established the same year, aims to utilize breakthroughs in HTS magnets, advanced tokamak physics, and AI technologies to create fusion energy. This trend is not limited to China, with significant investments in fusion firms and increasing activity since 2018.

China aims to have widespread commercial fusion use by 2050 and plans to construct an industrial prototype fusion reactor by 2035.

Meanwhile, other countries are also investing in fusion energy technologies, with the United Kingdom awarding contracts for cutting-edge fusion technologies and the U.S. including substantial funding for fusion science initiatives.

Chen Rui, founder of Startorus Fusion, asserts that China has an advantage in the engineering application of nuclear fusion technology, benefiting from a vast workforce, experience in large-scale manufacturing, policy support, and a robust supply chain.

However, he acknowledges that international cooperation, technological innovation, and sustainable development strategies will be key in determining the future landscape of the fusion industry.

Watch this episode of the "Health Ranger Report" as Mike Adams, the Health Ranger, discusses cold fusion energy with James Martinez.

This video is from the Health Ranger Report channel on Brighteon.com.

More related stories:

China continues to rely on coal while pushing expensive renewable energy and EVs on America.

China making dramatic advances in development of HYPERSONIC WEAPONS.

Chinas spaceplane releases 6 MYSTERY OBJECTS into orbit.

Sources include:

GreatGameIndia.com

SCMP.com

Brighteon.com
More than 200 years ago, an opera troupe from what is now Anhui province journeyed to Beijing, the capital city, to commemorate Emperor Qianlong's birthday during the Qing Dynasty (1644-1911). This historical event led to the birth of Peking Opera.

Based on the attire of the Ming (1368-1644) and Qing dynasties, the costumes of Peking Opera underwent a transformation spanning over 200 years. Enriched by the diverse cultural influences from different regions across the country, these costumes evolved into a sophisticated set of elaborate, detailed and majestic dress codes.

Costumes are crucial to the artistic beauty of Peking Opera, supporting character portrayals and enhancing the performance's expressiveness.

Upon a performer's entrance onto the stage, seasoned spectators can quickly discern the character portrayed based on the attire and makeup. When several performers appear, it is also easy to tell the strata they belong to in the social hierarchy, especially in the stories set in ancient China, in Tang (618-907) and Song (960-1279) dynasties, for example.

"Traditionally, Peking Opera repertoire includes 3,000 stories set in Tang and 800 set in Song, as well as numerous in eras such as the Warring States Period (475-221 BC), Ming and Qing. The presentation of so many stories relies solely on costumes packed in the limited costume trunks owned by a troupe," said author Liu Fei at the recent book launch ceremony of Huafu Nichang (Gorgeous Attire and Iridescent Clothing: On Peking Opera Costumes) in Beijing.

Profound portrayal

The new book is a collaboration between Liu, a 45-year-old veteran collector of Peking Opera costumes and props, and 81-year-old Liu Lianlun, who initially began his career as a Peking Opera actor focusing on clown roles.

Over four decades, Liu Lianlun has worked at television stations including China Central Television, making programs and documentaries about Peking Opera. One of the programs he made at CCTV focused on offstage stories, costumes and props included, which was quite popular.

Based on his decades of accumulation, he decided to write a book about Peking Opera costumes and invited Liu Fei to join him.

An ICU doctor from Peking University Third Hospital, Liu Fei has been a fan of Peking Opera for many years.

When he went backstage accidentally, he was immediately fascinated by the strict rules of costumes and their orderly management, so he decided to learn the management of Peking Opera costume trunks and dressing skills from experts at the Jingju Theater Company of Beijing.

"But how to use words and pictures to present the traditional rules about the managing system and making of Peking Opera costumes, which have been passed down orally among professionals over more than 200 years?" he asks, introducing the origin of the book.

Other questions he needed to answer were how to present Chinese culture embodied in Peking Opera costumes and how to introduce the profound, seemingly tedious, and distant knowledge to the public in a novel and accessible way.

In the end, a 340-page encyclopedic book about Peking Opera costumes materialized, containing more than 500 high-definition photos and pictures to showcase the characteristics of different kinds of attire, which vividly and profoundly display traditional cultural genes.

"The book not only documents the system of Peking Opera costumes, but also links the costumes to their respective roles and stories, uncovering the ritual culture embedded within them," says Liu Zuyan, editor-in-chief of the book's publisher, Jingban Beijing Education Culture Media.

Beneath the splendid appearance of Peking Opera costumes lies a heritage of ritual propriety. Whether in the use of colors or the choice of styles, these costumes follow the norms of traditional cultural rituals, as pointed out in the preface of the book.

For example, Chinese ancient philosophers regarded metal, wood, water, fire and earth as the five elements of nature, which interact with each other through two main types of relationships  mutual generation and mutual restraint  and construct the operating principles of the natural world and human society.

This philosophical thought prevailed in the Qin (221-206 BC) and Han (206 BC-AD 220) dynasties, when ancient people assigned each element its own specific color. That is, correspondingly white, cyan, black, red and yellow.

The five colors have been used in the dragon robes of Peking Opera that are worn by the highest roles, indicating the social statuses of different wearers. The patterns on dragon robes, such as motifs and sea-and-mountain designs, serve as another indicator of a person's status.

Yellow costumes with dragon motifs can only be worn by royal family roles.

But it is often seen in performances that emperors wear red  or apricot-colored dragon robes because, in the Qing Dynasty, it was an extremely serious offense for common people to wear anything yellow, so opera performers, regarded as people of the lowest social rank, had to use red and apricot instead, Liu Fei says.
Lawmakers outraged after army training slides list pro-life groups as terrorists

The U.S. Army is facing tough questions by the House Armed Services Committee regarding highly controversial slides it used in a domestic counterterrorism training module implying that pro-life groups are domestic terrorists.

The slide was presented at a training session at Fort Liberty (previously known as Fort Bragg) for the military police who are in charge of controlling the bases access points.

Right after a slide featuring the brutal terrorists ISIS, they showed a slide listing pro-life groups under the heading Terrorist Groups. National Right to Life and Operation Rescue were singled out by name.

The slide, which was shared online by journalism watchdog Sam Shoemate, also showed a license plate featuring the pro-life slogan IM4IT, which some people who are against killing babies display on their cars.

It explained that the members of these groups could pose a threat to the safety of American military installations and that their logos could be an indication of terrorism.

A list of the activities these terrorist organizations take part in include being pro-life, Truth Displays," and opposing Rowe v Wade.

Subcommittee on Military Personnel Chair Jim Banks (R-Indiana) penned a letter to Army Secretary Christine Wormuth voicing outrage over the classification and training materials and demanding an explanation for them.

Banks told Fox News that the slides date back to at least last summer, which means that countless people could have been trained using this hateful mischaracterization. The person who uses the slides for their training is still employed by the facility.

"For over a year, someone at Fort Liberty has been teaching our troops that pro-life Americans are terrorists, and the Biden Pentagon didnt stop it until House Republicans and the public raised the alarm," he commented.

"Im an Afghanistan war veteran, and it sickens me to see far-left radicals poisoning our military with this extremist hate. We must get woke activists out of our Armed Forces so that we have a military thats focused on countering foreign terrorists overseas and not on targeting conservative Americans."

Officials claim that the slides were not vetted by the proper authorities, adding that "The slides do not reflect the views of the 18th Airborne Corps, Fort Liberty, the U.S. Army or Department of Defense."

In the letter, Banks accused the military of trying to silence conservative military personnel, noting: "That is, the Army is utilizing an overly broad policy to police the speech of conservative servicemembers, quiet dissent, and require servicemembers who believe in conservative ideals to hide their identities for fear of retaliation from their commands."

In a statement, Fort Liberty representatives said that they will no longer use the controversial slides and vowed to carefully review future training products. One representative said that the presentations using the slides typically occur every two or three weeks at sessions attended by as many as 40 individuals.

Pro-life group head speaks out against unreasonable classification

National Right to Life President Carol Tobias spoke out against the inclusion of her group, which has always rejected the use of violence when advocating for protecting life, and accused Fort Liberty of spreading outright lies.

She added that this is something that speaks volumes about the current administration.

She stated: Only under the Biden Administration can peaceful law-abiding citizens and their peaceful activities be considered terrorism. The Biden Administration promotes the deaths of preborn babies and advocates for unlimited abortion, but peaceful pro-life Americans are labeled terrorists.

Sources for this article include:

X.com

FoxNews.com

WRAL.com

WashingtonTimes.com
LAST STRAW: Elon Musk to move X and SpaceX to Texas following Californias passage of new pro-trans, pro-pedo law

Billionaire Elon Musk will move the operations of X and SpaceX out of California and into Texas after Gov. Gavin Newsom declared he has signed into law a bill  Assembly Bill 1955  prohibiting schools from enforcing rules that will inform parents if a child identifies as transgender.

"This is the final straw," Musk said in a post on X, the social media platform he bought in 2022. "Because of this law and the many others that preceded it, attacking both families and companies, SpaceX will now move its HQ from Hawthorne, California, to Starbase, Texas."

The CEO of SpaceX and Tesla then added that "X HQ will move to Austin" from San Francisco and that he's "had enough of dodging gangs of violent drug addicts just to get in and out of the building."

Musk further said in a separate post: "I did make it clear to Governor Newsom about a year ago that laws of this nature would force families and companies to leave California to protect their children." (Related: Musk slams expensive California school for infecting his transgender son with "woke mind virus.")

A.B. 1955 expressly prohibits California school districts from informing the parents of students if their children start self-identifying as transgender, such as by using pronouns that differ from their biological sex or asking to be referred to with different names. Schools will only be allowed to inform parents if they have the permission of students.

The law also overrides policies passed by local school boards that had required educators to tell parents if their children displayed signs of being transgender.

Early this year, California's Democrat Attorney General Rob Bonta released a legal advisory to schools in the state warning that informing parents of their children's decision to use distinct pronouns or change their gender  without the child's permission  probably violated the state constitution.

A.B. 1955 "the final straw" for Musk

It is also extremely significant for states like California when major companies like X and SpaceX relocate, as their budgets depend on taxing established companies and their employees.

California's rules have long drawn the anger of Musk. Back in 2020, Musk first stated that he had personally relocated to Texas, a move that helped spare him from California's high taxes.

The following year, he moved Tesla's headquarters to Austin from Silicon Valley over frustrations about local pandemic restrictions supposedly hindering operations. In 2022, Musk's tunnel-digging corporation, the Boring Company, similarly dumped California for Texas.

"Frankly, this is the final straw," Musk tweeted at that time.

The latest measure attracting Musk's contempt was signed into law Monday, July 15, by Newsom.

Newsom refused to give a comment, but his office mentioned that California law still requires parental consent for kids to change their names and that parents also are assured of access to education records.

Other Musk-owned corporations will remain in California for the time being, including xAI, Musk's startup that hopes to challenge OpenAI in the field of artificial intelligence. xAI is still based in Burlingame in the San Francisco Peninsula. His biotechnology company, Neuralink, will also for the time being remain in Fremont in the East Bay.

Furthermore, while Tesla has moved much of its business base to Texas, Musk has maintained important manufacturing operations in Fremont, and just last year declared the opening of an engineering headquarters for the electric car maker in nearby Palo Alto.

Follow ElonMuskWatch.com for more news about Elon Musk.

Watch the video below about SpaceX CEO Elon Musk caught lying about the moon landing.

This video is from the FLATEARTH NATIONS channel on Brighteon.com.

More related articles:

Musk puts his foot down on the transgender mafia, declares cis and cisgender to be slurs worthy of Twitter suspension.

Elon Musk publicly denounces transgender medical interventions for children.

Theyre coming for your CHILDREN: California Governor Gavin Newsom signs anti-parent law.

Power-hungry Newsom VETOES California transgender custody bill in desperate attempt to appear more moderate ahead of 2024 presidential election.

Elon Musk planning to build own town in Texas for SpaceX and The Boring Company employees.

Sources include:

TheNationalPulse.com

X.com

Wired.com

LegInfo.Legislature.ca.gov

LATimes.com

Brighteon.com
Bidens CEO ally: The president wont bow down to Democrat elites who want him out of the race

A top company executive, who is a loyal ally of President Joe Biden, is standing by his side as he insisted that Biden said that there is "no way he is dropping out of the race," that he "hates" the party elite , and that he will tell them all to "f#@k off."

A growing number of Democrats as well as election mega-donors have expressed concern about Biden's performance in the first presidential debate, which has been compounded by numerous gaffes and blunders in the following days, pushing them to call for the POTUS' withdrawal in the election race to give way to a younger candidate.

Senior contributor to Fox Business and columnist for the New York Post Charles Gasparino reported that the CEO, who knows Biden closely, said that the president will stay in the race and that he will not bow down to party elites. "No f**king way he's dropping out," the friend reportedly said. He added that Biden could not care less what the elite in his party or the fundraisers think. He claimed that the POTUS "really hates them and he'll take their money but he knows they look down on him as some rube."

"Plus he thinks he earned the presidency after trying so many times and there's no way he's giving it up to go down in history as a loser who dropped out because he isn't tough enough. He only cares about his wife and family and he will tell everyone else to f*#ck off," the friend concluded.

The 81-year-old commander-in-chief has also publicly declared he is "not going anywhere" and at the NATO summit last week, offered a lengthy and mostly steady rebuttal to his detractors.

Following the CNN debate on June 27, Lloyd Doggett, a 15-term Texas congressman, said that it was time for Biden to "make the painful and difficult decision to withdraw" as he called for him to drop the race. He said he respected "all that President Biden has achieved" but that the Democrat had failed to "effectively defend his many accomplishments" on the debate stage.

He has since been joined by other House of Representatives colleagues, including Arizona left-winger Raul Grijalva who told the New York Times that Biden had to now "shoulder the responsibility" of holding the White House as well as Massachusetts' Seth Moulton who told WBUR that he no longer had confidence that Biden could beat Trump.

Illinois congressman Mike Quigley also made a direct plea to the president on MSNBC, saying that his "legacy is set" but it was time to "let someone else do this." They were also joined by Angie Craig, a Minnesota Democrat who fretted over Biden's "lack of a forceful response" during the debate. Also, Adam Smith of Washington, the top Democrat on the House Armed Services Committee, said Biden could no longer "clearly, articulately, and strongly make his case to the American people." Several others share the same sentiments.

Even actor/Democrat activist George Clooney expressed his concern by penning an op-ed for the New York Times calling for the president to step down, despite having hosted a fundraiser for him several weeks ago.

"It's devastating to say it, but the Joe Biden I was with three weeks ago at the fundraiser was not the Joe 'big F-ing deal' Biden of 2010. He wasn't even the Joe Biden of 2020. He was the same man we all witnessed at the debate," Clooney revealed. "Was he tired? Yes. A cold? Maybe. But our party leaders need to stop telling us that 51 million people didn't see what we just saw. We're all so terrified by the prospect of a second Trump term that we've opted to ignore every warning sign." (Related: George Clooney the latest influential figure to call on Biden to step aside and urge Democrats to choose a new nominee.)

Obama, Pelosi refuse to express concerns over Biden in public

In a recent article published by CNN, it was claimed that former President Barack Obama and former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi have spoken privately about Biden and their concerns about how much harder they think it has become for the president to beat Donald Trump. Neither is allegedly quite sure what to do.

Many of Pelosi's colleagues see her as their only hope in bringing an end to the turmoil that has involved Democrats for the last two weeks. Several of them even believe that the end can come if and when she tells Biden that he has to drop out. Pelosi has spoken to Biden since the debate, but in the time since, she has made clear that she does not see Biden's decision to stay in the race as final.

Meanwhile, several leading party members felt being left in the middle as Obama continued to stay mum and not make any public comment for the last weeks. After the debate, the former president posted on X, "Bad debate nights happen. Trust me, I know," reiterating that sentiment at a fundraiser in New York for House Democrats the night after Biden's performance.

According to the news outlet, the former president had not even planned to make any public statement, but Biden and Obama's aides coordinated to get that post out in a way that reflected Biden's campaign talking points that Obama's first reelection debate in 2012 went badly, too, and it didn't end up ending his campaign.

CancelDemocrats.news has stories related to conflicts within the left-leaning political party.

Sources for this article include:

Breitbart.com

BBC.com

NYTimes.com

Edition.CNN.com
Shipping costs are rising all over the world, striking a huge blow to international trade

The impacts of restrictions on shipping in the Red Sea and Panama Canal are now being experienced around the world.

Conflicts, economic downturns and restrictions on shipping all over the world are causing shipping costs to surge, straining the free flow of international trade.

In the Middle East, for nearly 10 months now, Houthi forces from Yemen have been assaulting ships in the region for their owners' or operators' connections to Israel. (Related: Yemeni military reiterates warning to Israeli-linked ships not to pass through the Red Sea after claiming to have sunk 2 ships that violated the blockade.)

In retaliation to the Houthi attacks, American and British military vessels have regularly targeted militia positions in Yemen over the last couple of months. Furthermore, warships from two international coalitions are operating in the region to protect maritime traffic along the Yemeni coast.

Worldwide trade has been under tremendous pressure since the Israel-Hamas war erupted in October.

The outgrowth of the conflict into the Red Sea has meant greater freight expenses and higher charges for securing commercial trade goods. Shipowners are met with bigger insurance premiums as the danger of losing a vessel has drastically grown most of all in the Red Sea.

Additionally, moves to evade the Suez Canal for safety reasons and instead cross around the Cape of Good Hope, have greatly raised travel times and led to substantially greater fuel consumption.

The Drewry World Container Index, which watches the freight market, reported that within the third week of June alone shipping prices for a 40-foot standard container leaped seven percent, up an astonishing 233 percent in comparison to the same time a year ago.

A report by Container Xchange notes that shipping costs worldwide soared in the first half of 2024, defying the traditional trend of costs going down during off-seasons.

Asia particularly the Middle East and India Subcontinent regions were the regions that saw a major rise in container prices since October last year because of the Houthi attacks.

Container prices continued to be stable or decreased, reflecting an abundance of containers in traditional import destinations.

These prices have now started to move upwards with the average container prices continuing to increase through May and in June.

Hong Kong and Vietnam experienced the largest month-on-month percentage surge of 35 percent from May to June for trading containers, followed by China (27 percent), Russia (24 percent), Taiwan (23 percent) and Malaysia (23 percent).

India also encountered a rise in average container prices, increasing by 21 percent from May to June this year.

In Singapore, while there has been a steady increase of 31 percent in container prices since October 2023, the rise from May to June was a moderate seven percent.

In terms of the effect of the Houthi attacks, China dominated by a significant jump at 78 percent container price increase from October last year to June, followed by Hong Kong (77 percent), Spain (42 percent), Uzbekistan (40 percent) and Thailand (35 percent).

Malaysia (29 percent), the Netherlands (29 percent), Taiwan (28 percent) and Vietnam (25 percent) followed the group of largest price increases since October for container prices.

China and Hong Kong have the highest average container prices presently around the world with $3600 and $3124, respectively.

Shipping companies are forced to become more flexible

Simon MacAdam, an analyst at the London-based financial consulting firm Capital Economics, said shipping companies are being forced to become more flexible.

"The shipowners have seemingly adapted quite well to the situation, considering the limitations on using the Suez Canal," MacAdam said in an interview with DW, adding that costs shortly fell this spring "after skyrocketing in January."

As of now "they are starting to rise again," indicating there is no reason to anticipate any cost relief.

"Another driver seems to be that importers are currently moving up orders to ensure they have enough goods in stock throughout the year. But with ships being rerouted around the Cape of Good Hope further price spikes are more likely," the Capital Economics expert added.

Jan Hoffmann, a trade expert at the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development, also blames longer travel times around Africa for increasing expenses.

"The detour around South Africa requires more ships to maintain supply. The average travel distance for a container in 2024 is nine percent further than it was in 2022," Hoffmann said in an interview with DW.

As ships spend more time at sea, more shipping space is needed and that means shipping companies have to lease or buy more vessels and hire more personnel.

Follow Collapse.news for more stories about problems in the global shipping industry.

Watch the video below about Yemen announcing a shipping blockade to Israel.

This video is from the InfoWarSSideBand channel on Brighteon.com.

More related stories:

Shipping cost from Asia to US West Coast drops 84% year-over-year as consumer demand plunges.

Shipping costs to the US surge as supply chain crisis continues to accelerate.

British merchant ship abandoned in Red Sea following Houthi missile strike.

Sources include:

DW.com

FloorDaily.net

Brighteon.com
Tokyo to provide $3.3 billion loan to Kyiv using frozen Russian assets

Tokyo will provide 520 billion yen ($3.3 billion) in loans to Kyiv, financed by proceeds from Russian assets frozen under Western sanctions, according to a report by Kyodo News on Wednesday, July 17.

This figure represents approximately six percent of the substantial loan agreed upon by the Group of Seven (G7) nations during their summit in Italy in June.

At the summit, G7 leaders reached a consensus on utilizing interest from the frozen Russian assets to finance a $50 billion loan intended to assist Kyiv in acquiring weapons and rebuilding damaged infrastructure. (Related: EU okays transfer of $1.5B to Ukraine drawn from frozen Russian assets.)

Japanese authorities are expected to expedite the necessary procedures to finalize their share of this financial support by the end of the year, as reported by Kyodo.

G7 finance ministers and central bank officials are anticipated to approve the loan package, which will see the U.S. and the EU each providing $20 billion, while Japan, the U.K. and Canada will contribute a combined $10 billion, at a G7 meeting scheduled to take place in Rio de Janeiro later this month.

Following the escalation of the Ukraine conflict in February 2022, Western nations moved to freeze nearly $300 billion in assets belonging to the Central Bank of Russia.

The majority of these frozen assets are held in the EU, particularly with the Belgium-based depositary and clearing house Euroclear.

In May, Brussels approved a plan to utilize the profits generated from these frozen assets to support Ukraines recovery and military defense. Under this plan, 90 percent of the proceeds are designated for an EU-managed fund dedicated to Ukrainian military aid, while the remaining 10 percent will be allocated to other forms of support for Kyiv.

Earlier this month, Ukrainian Defense Minister Rustem Umerov indicated that the funds would be directed towards bolstering Ukraines defense capabilities, supporting local manufacturers, and predominantly used for purchasing ammunition and air defense systems.

Moscow has denounced these Western measures, arguing that military assistance prolongs the conflict. Russia has also condemned the freezing of its assets, describing the use of these funds as outright theft. Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov has previously warned that the expropriation of Russian sovereign funds could create a dangerous precedent and deliver a significant blow to the Western economic system. He emphasized that Moscow would inevitably retaliate by pursuing legal action against entities that access its frozen assets.

In response to these concerns, the Kremlin has asserted that it will continue to challenge the legality of the asset freezes and any subsequent utilization of these funds, maintaining that such actions undermine international financial norms and principles.

Japan also supports G7's use of frozen Russian assets

Japan, not a NATO member, has faced criticism for its June decision to support the G7's use of frozen Russian assets, a move experts argue may breach international law and strain relations with Russia. Japans motivation lies in securing robust U.S. support for its security interests, but this step introduces political, strategic, and legal complications, particularly as Ukraine faces significant internal challenges.

One potential fallout is the cancellation of Japan's role in the Sakhalin oil and gas project, involving Gazprom and Japanese firms like Mitsui and Mitsubishi.

If Russia decides to end Japan's involvement, it could also undermine peace treaty negotiations and territorial discussions that have stalled.

Japan's support for Ukraine occurs against a backdrop of escalating military ties between China and Russia, which pose threats to Japan's security. Russia might use Japan's stance on Russian assets as a pretext to intensify military threats, potentially impacting Japanese interests like the Ryukyu Islands and Okinawa.

Additionally, Japan is concerned about North Korea's expanding nuclear capabilities and ballistic missile development, while its own missile defense efforts lag. Japan faces a recruitment crisis in its military and is dealing with a high disapproval rating for Prime Minister Fumio Kishida, who may face leadership challenges that could shift Japans foreign policy.

Read more stories like this at RussiaReport.news.

Watch this report about Congress spending $100 billion on war with Russia, China and Iran.

This video is from the Cynthia's Pursuit of Truth channel on Brighteon.com.

More related stories:

G7 planning to escalate war by using frozen Russian assets to give billions more to Ukraine.

Saudi Arabia threatened to sell European debts if G7 confiscates Russian assets.

Switzerland confirms it holds $14.3 billion in FROZEN Russian assets.

Sources include:

RT.com

SLGuardian.org
The Trump assassination attempt exposes the establishments deceitfulness

On Saturday evening, former president and 2024 frontrunner Donald Trump survived an attempted assassination at a campaign rally in Butler, Pennsylvania. The attack was utterly shocking, not only because a would-be assassin was able to get so close to Trump with a rifle but because of how close he was to success.

(Article by Connor O'Keeffe republished from Mises.org)

The rally started off like any other. After his long walkout to the song Proud to Be an American, the former president began speaking just after 6:05 p.m. EDT. Four minutes later, at 6:09 p.m., people listening to the speech from just outside the venue began filming a man crawling on the roof of a glass factory. They frantically tried to alert nearby police officers.

It appears that officers did respond to the cries from rally goers that there was a man on the roof. However, being close to the building, officers reportedly could not see what the onlookers were yelling about. One officer was boosted up onto the roof and found twenty-year-old Matthew Crooks lying down, pointing his rifle at him. Unable to draw his weapon, the officer dropped back down.

Roughly a minute before, at 6:10 p.m., Trump requested a chart of immigration trends be displayed on the venues two large video screens. As the shooter confronted the police officer on the glass factory roof, Trump used the chart to highlight how immigration took off after he left office. At 6:11:27 p.m., after the officer had retreated, onlookers began screaming, Hes got a gun, as Crooks lined up his shot. At exactly 6:11:33 p.m., Trump turned his head to look at the chart on the screen. Three-tenths of a second later, Crooks fired a shot that hit the former president in the right ear. Had Trump not turned his head, the same bullet would have gone through the back of his skull.

Crooks got a short volley of shots off as Trump dropped below the podium and his nearby Secret Service detail piled on top of him. Seconds later, agents on a Secret Service countersniper team shot and killed Crooks. Agents secured Trump and ushered him off stage to a waiting SUV, but not before Trump stood up, raised his fist, and, with blood on his ear and face, called out defiantly to his frightened supporters  resulting in one of the most iconic images in modern American history.

The American political sphere was uncharacteristically quiet and reflective in the hours after the attack. Figures from across the ideological spectrum condemned the use of political violence and wished President Trump a speedy recovery.

Its somewhat frustrating when members of the political establishment condemn political violence. Politics is violence, after all. And political leaders are more than happy to launch wars that kill millions of people or use the threat of violence to force Americans to do or not do any number of things against their will. They just want the use of violence to be incited in a respectable manner and carried out by means they deem legitimate. Its only when violence gets turned against government officials and their families that we hear them speak out against the use of violence to achieve political ends.

But there is also something revealing about top Democrats and members of the political establishment condemning the attack and wishing President Trump a fast recovery. Most of these same people have spent the last eight years doing everything they could to brand Trump as the leader and individual source of a uniquely evil domestic movement. This movement is presented as being all set to institute a bloodthirsty, theocratic, authoritarian regime in Washington if they win the election in November. Trump himself is characterized as a Russian-backed Hitler-like figure who is itching to release death squads on gay people and his many political opponents once in office. Were told he will abolish the democratic process and literally destroy the world.

Trump supporters are not immune. Those who are skeptical of the ongoing policy of sending money and weapons to Ukraine are equated to Nazi sympathizers in the 1930s and 40s. The same goes for the apparent Confederate-like insurrectionists of Jan. 6 and their sympathizers who voice doubts about the 2020 presidential election.

From the establishments perspective, if there really were a domestic figure placed on the American political scene by the Russian government with the purpose of abolishing the democratic process and ushering in a dictatorial regime that will hunt down and kill Americans the president doesnt like, it would be justified to stop that person with whatever means are necessary. Instead, after this candidate suffered an injury in Saturdays shooting, the entire political establishment wished him well.

They did so because they are lying about what they expect a second Trump term would bring. This is part of a broader, ongoing effort where figures in politics and media try to terrify the American people into voting as the establishment wants them to. They did it with covid, theyre doing it with the climate, and, at least until Saturday, theyve done it with Trump.

The shooting on Saturday should never have happened. We are all incredibly lucky that we do not have to navigate whatever would have resulted had Trump not turned his head at the last second. But good can come from this if more Americans come to understand that the terrifying future the political establishment promises we are doomed to endure if they dont get their way is simply a means to deceive us.

Read more at: Mises.org
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Blinken decries Russia's cooperation with N. Korea, Iran, China

U

S Secretary of State Antony Blinken reiterated Washington's concerns over Russia's cooperation with North Korea, Iran and China in the midst of its war in Ukraine, stressing it is "not good for your reputation" to work closely with Moscow.

Blinken made the remarks as concerns have persisted over both regional and global security implications of a growing military alignment between Pyongyang and Moscow, and Beijing's purported support for Russia's defence industrial base, Yonhap news agency reported.

"Now it's also true that the Russians have found workarounds, and particularly in their relationship with North Korea (and) with Iran," Blinken said in his remarks during a forum hosted by the Aspen Strategy Group.

"And unfortunately with China, they have found ways to keep the defence industrial base moving so that they can continue to prosecute the aggression against Ukraine," he added.

Commenting on Russia's deepening ties with North Korea, Iran and China, the secretary said that the move is something that has been "in the works for a long time", and might have accelerated as a result of Russia's war in Ukraine.

Blinken highlighted a reputation issue associated with backing Russia's war effort, while touting a large international coalition in support of Ukraine's efforts for its defence and territorial integrity.

"It's not particularly good for your reputation to be working closely with Russia ... So, I think China is very uncomfortable in the position it's in," he said.

In addition, he underscored deepening cooperation among the US and its European and Indo-Pacific partners in the thick of Russia's war in Ukraine, calling it "remarkable".

"We built convergence across the Atlantic, we built it across the Pacific, and we built it between the Atlantic and Pacific," he said. "So, I would take our teams and countries that we've been working with than anything that Russia has been able to put together."

Blinken warned that China cannot say it wants better relations with Europe "when it is actually helping to fuel the greatest threat to European security since the end of the Cold War".

 Blinken decries Russia's cooperation with N. Korea, Iran, China

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King says his new track 'Pyaar Humara' is about embracing the full spectrum of love

S

inger-songwriter King, who has released his new track Pyaar Humara, said that the track is about embracing the full spectrum of love.

'Pyaar Humara' is the sole love track from King's album MM. The song blends elements of afrobeat and R&B, featuring Kings heartfelt vocals.

For the track, King has collaborated with music producer Bharg. King's vocals take centre-stage, pouring out his heart about the unforgiving nature of love and the challenges of maintaining fidelity.

Talking about the song, King said, Bharg & I wanted to create something that felt authentic and raw, a song that people could connect with on a deeper level. Pyaar Humara is about embracing the full spectrum of love  the good, the bad, and everything in between.

The track, which King wrote, composed, and performed, is available for streaming on all major music platforms and can also be found on Kings YouTube page.

Despite the inviting soundscape, King doesn't shy away from expressing disappointment and the complexities of navigating romantic relationships.

Recently, King also announced his Monopoly Moves Album Listening Party Tour.

The tour spans across eight cities nationwide, and features collaborations with artistes like Raftaar, Seedhe Maut, MC Stan, Raga, and Karma.

Earlier this year, King teamed up with Jason Derulo for the song 'Bumpa' and released 'Way Bigger' from his album Monopoly Moves.

This song reflects on Kings successes, wealth, and past struggles, exploring themes of relationships and aspirations.

 King says his new track 'Pyaar Humara' is about embracing the full spectrum of love

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School children in Ktaka to get eggs all six days a week

K

arnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah announced on Saturday that the students of government and government-aided schools will get eggs six days a week in partnership with Azim Premji Foundation.

Earlier, the state government was providing eggs for school children two days a week already. With the new arrangement, the students will now get eggs for all six days.

Siddaramaiah spoke while inaugurating a programme, in partnership with the Azim Premji Foundation, to provide free supplementary nutritious food six days a week to children in government and aided primary and secondary schools.

Quality food is essential for mental health and good education, said the Chief Minister. Creating opportunities for good education for the children of the poor is our aspiration, he said.

I have seen children come to school without breakfast and stay until noon without lunch. Hence, we decided to provide meals and eggs two days a week. The Azim Premji Foundation has joined hands with the government in this noble cause to provide eggs and supplementary nutritious food to children four days a week, he said.

He called on school children to develop scientifically and intellectually, stating that only then can they become socially responsible.

Creating opportunities for good education for the children of the poor is our aspiration. For this reason, we are providing uniforms, shoes, and socks, and opening more residential schools, he said.

Azim Premji Foundation on Saturday entered a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the Government of Karnataka to support the nutritional enrichment of the state governments mid-day meal program in government and government-aided schools for three years.

Eggs will be added to the mid-day meal for the 55 lakh students in these schools -- from Grade 1 to Grade 10 -- to provide nutritional enrichment. Eggs are laced with a wide range of essential nutritional content from proteins to minerals.

Currently the state governments mid-day meal program provides eggs on two days of the week to the students. The Foundations support will enable the provision of eggs on all six days of the school week, substantially enhancing the nutrition for students.

An alternative high nutrition supplement will be provided for those students who do not consume eggs because of cultural preferences.

This initiative is aimed to improve the nutritional status of school students and contribute to their physical and cognitive development. The Foundation works extensively across the country to help improve the quality and equity of the public (government) education system.

The Foundation will work closely with the Commissioner of School Education and Literacy (CSE) to implement mechanisms to ensure high-quality eggs are delivered to each child in the schools covered by the program.

Education Minister Madhu Bangarappa, Wipro Chairman Azim Premji couple, the government's Additional Chief Secretary L.K. Atheek Ahmed, Chief Minister's Political Secretary Naseer Ahmed, and Guarantee Implementation Committee Vice President Mehrooz were present.

 School children in Ktaka to get eggs all six days a week

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Border with B'desh to remain open for 24 hrs to allow students, others stranded to enter India

T

he India-Bangladesh border would remain open for 24 hours to facilitate the students and other people of India and other countries to enter from the trouble-torn neighbouring country, where the situation remains extremely volatile due to the protests on quota issue for the last three weeks.

A Border Security Force (BSF) spokesperson said that Tripura Frontier Inspector General (IG) of the force, Patel Piyush Purushottam Das, and other senior officials are in close contact with the Bangladesh Army, Border Guard Bangladesh (BGB) and Bangladesh Police to evacuate the India-bound students and other people.

"The BSF is closely monitoring the situation across the border and troops are on high alert," the spokesman told IANS, adding that the Tripura Frontier IG has assured all possible assistance to the students and other people entering India through various checkposts.

He said that the BSF has made all necessary arrangements including refreshments and transport at the check posts to facilitate smooth arrival and further movement of these students to their destinations.

Students of India and other countries who are studying in Bangladesh are returning to India as the students' agitation has now become violent in the neighbouring country.

According to BSF sources, over 600 students from India, Nepal, and Bhutan along with some stranded tourists from trouble torn Bangladesh returned to India on Saturday through the checkposts of Tripura, Assam and Meghalaya along the border with the neighbouring country.

Over 600 students, mostly Indian, returned to India on Friday through the Tripura, Assam and Meghalaya borders.

"The students of India and other countries are mainly coming from Dhaka, Comilla and Brahmanbaria. The Indian students belong to northeastern states, Uttar Pradesh, Punjab, Haryana, West Bengal and Jammu and Kashmir," the BSF spokesman said.

Five Indian states -- West Bengal (2,216 km), Tripura (856 km), Meghalaya (443 km), Mizoram (318 km) and Assam (263 km) share a 4,096-km border with Bangladesh.

Officials from the state governments of northeastern states along with police and BSF officials are camping in the various checkposts in Tripura, Assam and Meghalaya to receive the students and other people from Bangladesh.

The High Commission in Dhaka and the Assistant High Commissions in Chittagong, Rajshahi, Sylhet and Khulna are available on helpline numbers for any assistance required by the Indian nationals.

External Affairs Ministry spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said in Delhi that around 15,000 Indian nationals, including 8,500 students, reside in Bangladesh.

He said that External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar is monitoring the situation, while the High Commission in Dhaka will provide regular updates on the situation there.

Meanwhile, the External Affairs Ministry has urged Indian nationals in Bangladesh to follow the advisory issued by the High Commission in Dhaka and to be in touch with the High Commission.

Bangladesh has announced the imposition of a curfew and the deployment of military forces after police failed to quell days of deadly unrest that has spread throughout the country.

Violence erupted in the country after protests by students demanding reforms in the quota system for government jobs.

The clashes between student demonstrators and police have killed at least 105 people so far.

 Border with B'desh to remain open for 24 hrs to allow students, others stranded to enter India

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Trump, Vance to address first joint rally; Biden faces more calls for exit

F

ormer US President and Republican Presidential nominee Donald Trump is heading to Michigan, a swing state, for his first election rally since the assassination attempt on him along with his Vice President pick J.D. Vance, even as his Democratic rival President Joe Biden confronts growing calls from his party lawmakers to make way for a different candidate to run for the White House citing their lack of faith in his ability to win.

Trump and Vance will hold a rally in Grand Rapids, a covered venue, unlike the open-air site for the rally in Butler, Pennsylvania, where a gunman from a nearby rooftop took a shot at him, hitting his right ear last Saturday.

The shooter was shot by a Secret Service sniper, but his motive remains unclear even after a week of investigation led by the FBI.

This will be Trump and Vance's first joint rally after the four-day Republican convention in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, which anointed them nominees for President and Vice President, respectively.

President Biden, meanwhile, has continued to self-isolate at home in Delaware due to a Covid-19 infection, with the number of congressional Democrats calling for his exit growing to more than 35, according to a tally by The Washington Post.

He remained defiant with allies and aides, saying he was not going anywhere and intended fully to run to the finish line.

"I look forward to getting back on the campaign trail next week to continue exposing the threat of Donald Trump's Project 2025 agenda while making the case for my own record and the vision that I have for America," Biden said recently in a statement, referring to a policy plan put together by allies for the second Trump administration if he wins.

But recent news reports indicate that Biden is "more receptive" to talk of his exit than before, giving the growing body of party leaders hope that he can be persuaded to step aside and make way for a different candidate, which could be Vice President Kamala Harris, who has taken lead in addressing rallies and fundraisers as Biden recovers from Covid.

Trump is ahead of Biden in the national poll, although by a slim margin, but the focus is on a handful of states that are dominated neither by the Democratic party nor the Republican . They can go either way from one election to another, unlike the other states that have remained solidly aligned with one of the two parties, and that's why they are known as swing states, also called battleground states.

They are Michigan, Wisconsin, Pennsylvania, Nevada, North Carolina, Arizona, and Georgia.

Trump is leading Biden by 46.7 per cent to 42.4 per cent in the RealClearPolitics average of polls.

The former President is ahead 47/4 to 41.4 in Arizona, 47.7 to 43.6 in Nevada, 46.6 to 43.3 in Wisconsin, 44 to 42.3 in Michigan, 47.9 to 43.4 in Pennsylvania, 47.2 to 41.5 in North Carolina, and 46.2 to 42.2 in Georgia.

What has really struck the Democrats as particularly alarming is that Trump is ahead also in Virginia, which was once a Republican-dominated state but voted solidly for the Democrats in recent years.

The former President is ahead, although by the slimmest of margins -- 45.8 to 43.4.

 Trump, Vance to address first joint rally; Biden faces more calls for exit

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Matter of immense joy that India is hosting World Heritage Committee meeting: PM Modi

P

rime Minister Narendra Modi will inaugurate the 46th Session of the World Heritage Committee on Sunday here at the Bharat Mandapam.

Taking to X on Saturday, PM Modi wrote: "It's a matter of immense joy that India is hosting the meeting of the World Heritage Committee in New Delhi. This is the first time our nation is hosting this Committee. I look forward to attending the programme at 7 p.m. tomorrow evening. This is an important forum to exchange views on ways to preserve our heritage."

The Prime Minister's Office in a statement mentioned that PM Modi will also address the gathering on the occasion.

Unesco DG Audrey Azoulay will also attend the inaugural event.

India is hosting the World Heritage Committee Meeting for the first time. It will take place from July 21 to July 31 at Bharat Mandapam.

The World Heritage Committee meets once a year and is responsible for managing all matters pertaining to World Heritage and deciding on sites to be inscribed on the World Heritage list, the statement said.

The statement also noted that during the meeting, proposals for nominating new sites on the World Heritage list, State of Conservation reports of 124 existing World Heritage properties, International Assistance and Utilisation of World Heritage Funds, etc., will be discussed. The meeting will be attended by more than 2,000 international and national delegates from more than 150 countries.

Along with the World Heritage Committee Meeting, World Heritage Young Professionals' Forum and World Heritage Site Managers' Forum are also being held on the sidelines, the PMO statement said.

Further, various exhibitions will also be set up at Bharat Mandapam to showcase India's culture. The Return of Treasures Exhibition will showcase some of the retrieved artefacts brought back to the country.

"Till date, more than 350 artefacts have been brought back. Further, by using the latest AR & VR technologies, an immersive experience will be offered for 3 world heritage sites of India: Rani ki Vav, Patan, Gujarat; Kailasa Temple, Ellora Caves, Maharashtra; and Hoysala Temple, Halebid, Karnataka. "

Also, an 'Incredible India' exhibition will be set up to highlight India's rich cultural heritage, age-old civilisation, geographical diversity, tourism destinations along with modern developments in the field of Information Technology and infrastructure," the statement added.

 Matter of immense joy that India is hosting World Heritage Committee meeting: PM Modi

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The body recovered in the Vermilion River on Friday has been confirmed as Christopher D. London, 12, who went missing after swimming with friends July 15, according to Vermilion County Coroner Jane McFadden.
The daughter of American film actors Angelina Jolie and Brad Pitt, Shiloh, has officially renounced her father's surname. On the day of her 18th birthday, which was celebrated on May 27, she published an announcement in the Los Angeles Times, after which it was considered by lawmakers.

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The girl finally decided to remove the "Pitt" part of her surname, changing her name to Shiloh Jolie, People reports. The young American woman decided to take this step because her father, who was upset by his daughter's act, hardly communicates with his older children.

According to current California law, after an adult citizen files a formal petition for a name change, the request is reviewed by attorneys within a month and then appears in the legal notices section of the newspaper. This is a standard procedure for state residents to make name changes.

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To officially complete the name change process, Shiloh Pitt has hired her own lawyer and is paying all the necessary expenses herself. She is not the first child of a celebrity couple to want to cut ties with their father. Earlier, 19-year-old adopted daughter Zahara and 16-year-old Vivienne did the same.

Only verified information is available on the OBOZ.UA Telegram channel and Viber. Don't fall for fakes!
Researchers from the University of Tennessee Health Science Center College of Medicine-Knoxville; the University of Tennessee, Knoxville; and the University of Tennessee Health Science Center Office of Research understand the challenges affecting the health and wellness of Tennesseans. A new system-wide collaborative grant program led by UTHSC COM-K is supporting research and scholarly activities to pursue discoveries addressing health issues across Tennessee and beyond.

The program will fund six awards totaling more than $450,000 to support teams of clinicians, faculty, and researchers from across the state to innovate in the field of medicine and biomedical research.

Robert Craft, dean of UTHSC COM-K, expressed enthusiasm for the program and the awards: "The problems we face in medicine and the effective treatment of patients are complex and multifaceted. By leveraging the strengths of each campus, we can achieve breakthroughs that would be impossible to accomplish in isolation. This funding represents our commitment to fostering biomedical and clinical innovation through collaboration."

The research grants will support a range of projects, from developing new approaches to health disparities in rural communities to understanding how information shared between clinicians and patients can be used to create personalized approaches for improving health and wellness. By working together, the teams will be well positioned to make significant strides in improving how translational research, new technologies, and health information converge to create improved outcomes for patients across Tennessee and beyond.

We are excited to see the transdisciplinary innovations that will emerge from these collaborations. The diversity of expertise represented on these teams, coupled with the breadth of health challenges across the state, means our combined efforts will not only advance scientific knowledge but also translate into tangible benefits for patients." Brad Day, associate vice chancellor for research at UT

The awarded projects are:

R. Eric Heidel, a professor in the Department of Surgery at UTHSC COM-K; Raj Baljepally, a cardiologist in the Department of Cardiology at UTHSC COM-K; and Phoebe Tran, an assistant professor in the Department of Public Health at UT, Knoxville, will investigate the geographic, sociodemographic, and clinical barriers that rural patients face during cardiac rehabilitation.

Qing Charles Cao, an associate professor in the Min H. Kao Department of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science at UT, Knoxville; Angela Pfammatter, senior methodologist in UT Knoxville's College of Education, Health, and Human Sciences and an associate professor in the Department of Public Health; Matthew Mihelic, associate professor in the Department of Family Medicine at UTHSC COM-K; Agricola Odoi, assistant dean for research and graduate studies and a professor of epidemiology in UT Knoxville's College of Veterinary Medicine; Nabil Alshurafa, an associate professor of preventive medicine and computer science at Northwestern University; Jennifer Lord, an assistant professor of veterinary public health and epidemiology in the College of Veterinary Medicine; Bob Davis, professor and director of the Center for Biomedical Informatics in the Department of Pediatrics at UTHSC COM-Memphis; and Wenjun Zhou, a professor in the Department of Business Analytics and Statistics at UT, Knoxville, will use machine learning-based processes to improve disease management through personalized evidence-based recommendations, reducing disparities in treatment and outcomes.

Tom Masi, an assistant professor in the Department of Surgery at UTHSC COM-K, and Tim Sparer, an associate professor in the Department of Microbiology at UT, Knoxville, will study a novel adipose-derived stem cell tissue system for studying the complexities of human cytomegalovirus latency.

Rajiv Dhand, a professor in the Department of Medicine at UTHSC COM-K, and Qiang He, a professor in the Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering at UT, Knoxville, will examine the association between the incidence of ventilator-assisted pneumonia and the complex microbiome associated with environmental endotracheal tube contamination.

Paul Allen, a professor in the Department of Anesthesiology at UTHSC COM-K, and Trey Henderson, a UTHSC COM-K research study coordinator, with Bob Davis, professor and director of the Center for Biomedical Informatics in the Department of Pediatrics at UTHSC COM-Memphis, and Akram Mohammed, an adjunct faculty member in pediatrics and the CBMI, will use personalized postoperative pain therapy to reduce opiate-related adverse events and total morphine milligram equivalents needed to relieve pain.

Anastasios Karydis, an associate professor in the Department of Periodontology at UTHSC COM-Memphis; Paul Terry, a professor in the Department of Medicine at UTHSC COM-K; Syed Hasan Raza, an associate professor in the Department of Rheumatology at UTHSC COM-Memphis; and Douglas Dixon, an associate professor in the Department of Periodontology, will study the impact of periodontal treatment on rheumatoid arthritis outcomes to improve the quality of life for patients with those comorbidities.
Published in Clinical Cancer Research, results of a preclinical study led by investigators of the Vall d'Hebron Institute of Oncology's (VHIO) Stem Cells and Cancer Group, headed by Hector G. Palmer, pave the way for systemic targeted therapy in patients with pseudomyxoma peritonei, a rare form of cancer with very few therapeutic options available. This work was carried out in collaboration with colleagues at the San Joan Despi Moises Broggi Hospital, Barcelona.

The investigators generated the largest collection of in vitro and in vivo patient-derived mouse models of pseudomyxoma peritonei with identified KRAS and BRAF druggable targets to guide the selection of molecular targeted therapies. As a proof-of-concept, they studied the therapeutic efficacy of the BRAF inhibitor encorafenib in these preclinical models. Patients presenting these mutations-;accounting for around 4-8% of cases-;have a poor prognosis. The researchers observed that treatment with encorafenib significantly reduced tumor growth and prolonged survival in mice.

"Results of this proof-of-concept study represent an important first step toward developing and applying systemic targeted therapy in the clinic for patients who could for the first time derive benefit from personalized, molecularly matched treatments. Currently, cytoreductive surgery is the mainstay of treatment, but many patients develop early recurrence and ultimately succumb to disease progression. There is an urgent medical need to provide new therapeutic strategies to more effectively combat this disease, " says Hector G. Palmer, senior author of this present study.

Pseudomyxoma peritonei is a poorly understood cancer that usually starts in the appendix with an incidence of 1 to 3 cases per million per year. While rare, this disease is more likely to be diagnosed in people aged 40 years or over.

"We have generated the world's largest collection of patient-derived organoids and xenografts from patients with pseudomyxoma peritonei and showed that they are robust preclinical models to study this disease. To do so, we processed a total of 120 samples from 50 patients,"observes Jordi Martinez -Quintanilla, Senior Investigator of Palmer's group and co-first author of this study along with Debora Cabot, a Laboratory Technician of the same group.

Unmasking druggable mutations: the genomic characterization of preclinical models and intra-abdominal mucin biopsy

For the first time, the investigators used intra-abdominal mucin biopsy to detect circulating tumor DNA (ctDNA) derived from cancer cells. They then identified those preclinical models presenting druggable mutations and observed that 80% of their preclinical models presented KRAS or BRAF mutations.

"While mutations in the KRAS gene were a lot more frequent, we decided to evaluate the efficacy of BRAF inhibitor encorafenib in our BRAFV600E models. BRAF inhibitors have revolutionized the treatment of BRAF-mutated metastatic colorectal cancer or melanoma, while KRAS inhibitors are currently in clinical phase development. We therefore believe that BRAF inhibition will be the most rapid option of molecularly matched therapy in this patient population, particularly considering that encorafenib monotherapy has already been approved for the treatment of other tumor types," explains Debora Cabot.

Organoid cultures were derived from high-grade BRAFV600E-mutated pseudomyxoma peritonei patient samples and tumors were generated in mice. The investigators observed that treatment with encorafenib slowed tumor growth in all cases.

"For the first time, we have shown that systemic targeted therapy for pseudomyxoma peritonei can effectively control tumor growth in animal models. BRAF inhibition could represent a new therapeutic opportunity for patients with BRAF-mutated disease who have a poor prognosis. Our data show promise in extending precision oncology to these patients, who could for the first time derive benefit from personalized matched targeted therapies," concludes Palmer.

The next step will be to validate these data in other models of BRAF-mutated pseudomyxoma peritonei to confirm whether KRAS inhibitors, currently being investigated in clinical trials, exhibit the same systemic antitumor activity in animal models.

This work was supported by the PMPnet Accelerator Award on Appendiceal Mucinous Neoplasms and Pseudomyxoma Peritonei: building a European multicentric cohort to accelerate new therapeutic perspectives, funded by the AECC, CRUK and AIRC, and by CIBERONC/ISCIII.

PMPnet - Accelerator for PMP research

Coordinated by Marcello Deraco at la Fondazione IRCCS Istituto Nazionale dei Tumori, in Milan (Italy), the Accelerator Award provides support to four main institutions highly specialized in Peritoneal Surface Malignancies (PSM) across the UK, Spain and Italy to investigate pseudomyxoma peritonei and advance translational research, develop prognostic tools, omics platforms and new chemotherapy resources toward changing the research landscape. Combining the expertise of researchers at VHIO and the San Joan Despi Moises Broggi Hospital in Barcelona, Cancer Research UK (CRUK) Manchester Institute and the University of Manchester in the United Kingdom, and the Istituto di Candiolo, in Italy, this consortium aims to establish the largest cohort of patients with pseudomixoma peritonei in Europe, develop in vitro and in vivo of this disease, and identify new therapeutic targets to help develop new therapeutic strategies.
The human body hosts a diverse array of microorganisms that maintain a delicate balance crucial for overall health. This microbial harmony can be disrupted by factors like infections, aging, and hormonal changes, leading to dysbiosis-;a condition where microbial communities become imbalanced and harmful to health. Postmenopausal women, for instance, are particularly susceptible to recurrent urinary tract infections and inflammation, including cystitis, due to these microbial shifts.

Dr. Takanori Sekito from the Department of Urology, Okayama University Graduate School of Medicine, Japan explains, "In postmenopausal women, the vaginal flora changes with a decrease in Lactobacillus species. Women experiencing recurrent infections of the urinary system, also known as recurrent cystitis have distinctive vaginal microbial colony compared to those with non-recurring cystitis."

Is there a link between altered vaginal microbiota and recurrent cystitis?

Dr. Sekito teamed up with his colleagues Dr. Takuya Sadahira and Professor Motoo Araki from the Department of Urology, Okayama University Graduate School of Medicine, Japan, and Dr. Hidetada Hirakawa from the Department of Bacteriology, Gunma University Graduate School of Medicine, Japan to investigate the disease-causing bacterial colony residing in the urinary bladder and vagina of infected patients. This study, published online in Journal of Infection and Chemotherapy on June 4, 2024, highlights the association between urinary and vaginal pathogenic Escherichia coli in recurrent cystitis.

Pathogenic E. coli causes urinary tract infections. In this study, they isolated pathogenic Escherichia coli from the urine and vagina of patients with recurrent cystitis and examined the bacterial genome using multiple molecular techniques. The team also examined the sensitivity of isolated E. coli to a panel of anti-microbial agents. A dendrogram based on pulsed-field gel electrophoresis (PFGE) revealed that, in a majority of the cases, the pathogenic E. coli isolated from urine and vagina were highly similar or identical. Genomic analysis of extended-spectrum -lactamase (ESBL) gene PCR and multilocus sequence typing (MLST) revealed that the pathogenic E. coli isolated from urine and vagina were identical. The E. coli also showed similar sensitivity to the panel of anti-microbial drugs. These findings reveal that the disease-causing pathogen was resident in both the urinary bladder and the vagina.

The authors postulate that E. coli migrates back and forth between the two niches, infecting cells in both organs and causing the disease to recur despite the prior treatment with antibiotics. Dr. Sekito explains, "The vagina can serve as a reservoir of enteric bacteria, including E. coli, and cystitis can become intractable. In recurrent cystitis, it is important to target E. coli not only in the urine but also in the vagina."

He further, added, "At the Okayama University, we are developing Lactobacillus vaginal suppositories, as a means of prevention and treatment of recurrent cystitis. This new 'non-antimicrobial' prevention will reduce the unnecessary administration of antimicrobials and the consequent emergence of antimicrobial-resistant bacteria. The Lactobacillus suppositories will effectively regulate the vaginal environment and reduce the virulence of E. coli."

In summary, this study highlights the crucial need to balance the microbial environment to favor protective bacteria for better health outcomes. Implementing new medical strategies based on these insights promises to revolutionize the management of recurrent cystitis, ensuring more effective and targeted treatments.
Researcher Samantha Boch has studied the impact of incarceration on child and family health for more than a decade.

Her latest research examines the health records and health care use of youth, individuals under age 21, who likely have been involved or whose families have been involved in the justice system. The challenge was identifying youth who have been impacted by mass incarceration, as most health care systems don't routinely ask about incarceration. Families may not disclose that information due to stigma, fear of child protective services involvement, or judgment.

There are few, if any, large community-level studies about the health of youth affected by incarceration, or their family's incarceration, using medical records. Despite a lot of youth and families affected by incarceration, gaps remain in understanding its prevalence and consequences. There are numerous reasons for this, some include a lack of provider awareness, lack of curriculum in provider training, lack of funding for this research and lack of routine sensitive screening for exposure." Boch, Assistant Professor, University of Cincinnati College of Nursing

Boch and her research team searched the electronic medical records for justice-related keywords such as "prison," "jail," "sentenced," "probation," "parole," and others, to determine the impact of incarceration. The researchers used data from Cincinnati Children's Hospital collected over an 11-year period.

Their study, published in Academic Pediatrics, found that of the more than 1.7 million records reviewed, 38,263 (or 2.2%) of youth seen between January 2009 and December 2020 likely had a parent incarcerated or faced some type of confinement as a juvenile. This small percentage was also responsible for a disproportionate number of physical and mental health diagnoses and health care visits at Cincinnati Children's. They were compared against a socio demographically matched sample without a justice keyword and the total sample population of youth.

Nearly 63.3% of all behavioral health inpatient admissions, 23.7% of all hospitalization inpatient days and 45.5% of all foster care visits were attributed to the 2.2% of youth who had documented probable personal or family justice system involvement. The findings complement another study led by Boch, published in 2021 using data from Nationwide Children's Hospital in Columbus, Ohio.

Youth with a justice keyword in their record had 1.5 to 16.2 times the prevalence of various physical and mental health disorder groupings studied compared to matched youth who didn't have a justice keyword but do have similar socioeconomic backgrounds. They also had 428.2 more physical health diagnoses and 269.2 more mental health diagnoses per 100 youth than the matched youth.

According to the study, youth with a justice keyword made up a large proportion of all of those who were diagnosed with health disorders or conditions at Cincinnati Children's from 2009-2020. This includes 42.9% of all schizophrenia spectrum and other psychotic disorders, 42.1% of all bipolar and related disorders, 38.3% of all suicide and self-injury disorders, 24.5% of all trauma and stress related disorders, 44.9% of all shaken baby syndrome cases, 13.9% of all infectious diseases, 12.5% of speech language disorders and 12.8% of all youth pregnancies.

Nationally, about 7% of U.S. youth have had a parent incarcerated. Findings at Cincinnati Children's and Nationwide Children's Hospital in Columbus grossly underestimate the number of youth affected by incarceration or confinement, says Boch.

"Our data reflects families who disclosed and health providers who documented," says Boch. "Families who refrain from disclosing or whose information is not documented were not represented which is a key limitation. This study is an attempt to uncover the size of the impact of mass incarceration on youth health in Cincinnati. Our health care systems and correctional systems clearly overlap and impact the lives of children.

"Replication of these findings in other communities would strengthen the growing justification for decarceration efforts and other reforms, especially if we want all U.S. children and families to thrive," says Boch. "We will continue to have health care disparities and lead the world with poor health outcomes if we continue to lead in incarceration."

Other co-authors of the study include Joshua Lambert, PhD, University of Cincinnati; Christopher Wilderman, PhD, Duke University; and Judith Dexheimer, PhD; Robert Kahn, MD; and Sarah Beal, PhD, all of the University of Cincinnati and Cincinnati Children's.

The research study of Cincinnati youth was supported by Boch's awards, including the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality and Patient Centered Outcomes Research Institute (AHRQ/PCORI) K12 PEDSnet Scholars Learning Health Systems Career Development Program, internal funding from the University of Cincinnati College of Nursing Dean's New Investigator Award, internal funding from the Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center James M. Anderson Center for Health Systems Excellence, and the NIH/NIMHD Loan Repayment Award for Clinician Scientists from Disadvantaged Backgrounds.
Petrol, Diesel Prices Today On July 20, 2024: Oil marketing companies (OMCs) announce fuel prices, maintaining consistency despite the inherent volatility of these commodities at 6 am every day. The OMCs adjust prices in response to global crude oil prices and fluctuations in foreign exchange rates, ensuring consumers are always informed about the latest fuel costs.

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.

Petrol Diesel Price Today In India (Check city-wise rate table below)

Check city-wise petrol and diesel prices on July 20:

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.
The Bihar Combined Entrance Competitive Examination Board (BCECEB) has announced the schedule for the Undergraduate Engineering Admission Counselling (UGEAC) 2024. Candidates can begin registering for the Bihar UGEAC Counselling 2024 starting today, July 20, via the official website bceceboard.bihar.gov.in. The last date for online registration and choice filling is July 26.

The results of the first round of Bihar UGEAC seat allotment for 2024 will be announced on July 31. The Bihar UGEAC Counselling 2024 comprises several steps  registration, choice filling, seat allotment, downloading of provisional seat allotment order, and document verification.

How to register for Bihar UGEAC Counselling 2024?

Step 1: Head to the official website at bceceboard.bihar.gov.in.

Step 2: On the homepage, look for the Bihar UGEAC Counselling registration link and click on it.

Step 3: Register yourself by providing the details and creating a user ID.

Step 4: Upload the required documents.

Step 5: Fill in the choice of course and college as per your preference.

Step 6: Pay the application fee and click on Submit.

Step 7: Take a screenshot of the choices filled for future reference.

As per the official notice, There will be no provision for any change in choice after the last date. Candidates should take a printout of the choices filled by them and keep it safe for future reference.

Bihar UGEAC Counselling 2024: Documents Required

Candidates applying for the counselling procedure must upload the following documents during registration:

 JEE Main Admit card

 JEE Main Scorecard

 Birth Certificate

 Valid ID Proof

 Bihar UGEAC 2024 Application Form

 Six Passport size photographs

 Caste Certificate  If applicable

 EWS Certificate  If applicable

 Class 12 Mark sheet or equivalent

 Income certificate- If applicable

 Certificate for Person with Disabilities (PwD)- If applicable

Bihar UGEAC Counselling 2024: Application Fee

As per the past years trends, candidates belonging to the General and OBC categories need to deposit a registration fee of Rs 1,200 while those from the SC, ST, and PwD categories need to pay Rs 600.

Seats will be allotted based on the candidates rank, preference, and availability. As per the official schedule, the document verification process for round 1 of Bihar UGEAC seat allotment will be held from August 1 to August 4. The results for Round 2 of provisional seat allotment will be announced on August 9 and the documents verification process for the same will be held from August 10 to August 12.

The Bihar UGEAC Counselling is conducted for students with valid JEE Main scores seeking admission to the engineering colleges in the state. For any other additional information, candidates are advised to visit the official website at bceceboard.bihar.gov.in.
The National Testing Agency (NTA) has announced the National Eligibility cum Entrance Test- Undergraduate (NEET- UG) 2024 results city and centre-wise. Around 23 lakh students who took the exam this year can check the results on the official website of NTA NEET. The results have been released in a PDF format.

The CJI on Thursday directed the NTA to upload the marks of all students by July 20 at noon and said that the students identities must be masked. You can have dummy roll numbers, so no students identity is disclosed. But let us see, centre-wise, what was the mark pattern. The result should be declared in relation to each centre separately, the CJI had said.

NEET UG 2024 Result Live

The Bench comprising Chief Justice of India DY Chandrachud, Justice JB Pardiwala, and Justice Manoj Misra will hear the NEET paper leak matter on July 22, Monday after 10.30 am.

On Thursday, the SC also observed that any order for conducting the medical entrance exam afresh has to be on the concrete footing that the sanctity of the entire exam was affected. Re-examination can only be on a concrete footing that the sanctity has been affected on a large scale, said the three-judge bench.

ALSO READ | NEET-UG Paper Leak: Change of Exam Centre Not An Option, Only Correction for Exam City Allowed, NTA May Tell SC

So far, 63 people have been taken into custody till now of which 18 have been arrested by CBI including four students of AIIMS Patna who were alleged exam solvers. The central agency, however, pointed out that the probe so far has indicated that the scale of malpractice could be much lower than anticipated, with less than 150 students being affected. It is only in the Patna-Hazaribagh case that there is any evidence of the question papers being stolen. Here too, only one centre seems to have been affected. Country-wide, the total number of students affected could be less than 150 even within this number, the aspirants who got to know of the question paper ahead of the exam could be even fewer, CBI said.
The day before, the name of the new Miss Universe Ukraine 2024 became known: 20-year-old Alina Ponomarenko won the crown. According to social media, the woman from Odesa is engaged in charity and modeling.

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In addition, Ponomarenko leads an active lifestyle. On her Instagram page, the beauty shares details of her life, including the work of her own charity initiative.

According to available data, she graduated from the Odesa Law Academy with a degree in International Justice and Law. In the Stories, the beauty admitted that she was fond of fashion and beauty since childhood, and participated in various contests. However, Miss Universe Ukraine noted that her main mission is to help others.

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The 20-year-old founded a social initiative called Derevo Lyubovi (the Tree of Love). The organization's goal is to support older people in Odesa. Alina Ponomarenko and her colleagues provide grandparents with medicines, food, and other basic necessities. In addition, volunteers communicate with elderly Odesa redsidents and help them with their daily routine.

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It is worth noting that the new Miss Universe Ukraine also raises money for the Ukrainian Armed Forces to provide the military with necessary items, and she is also a blood donor. "After the full-scale invasion, the need for blood donations has only increased. My blood type is rare, so I share it and talk about the importance of such voluntary donation in my blog," Ponomarenko said.

On her page, you can see her love for sports: the beauty is engaged in rhythmic gymnastics and yoga. In her leisure time, she reads, writes poetry and plays the piano. Last year, Alina became the favorite of the Miss Odesa pageant and was among the top ten participants of the international Miss Supertalent 2023 pageant held in South Korea. Ponomarenko will represent Ukraine at Miss Universe 2024 in Mexico.

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Only verified information is available on our Telegram channel OBOZ.UA and Viber. Do not fall for fakes!
Telangana chief minister A Revanth Reddy on Saturday launched the Rajiv Gandhi Civils Abhayahastam scheme, through which the government will provide Rs 1 lakh to aspirants who clear the preliminary examinations of the Union Public Service Commission (UPSC). The scheme is aimed at helping the youth prepare for the UPSC Mains. Singareni Collieries is providing the financial assistance as part of its Nirmaan programme.

Candidates must belong to the General (EWS), BC, SC, or ST categories to avail of the scheme. They must be permanent residents of Telangana and must have cleared the UPSC prelims. Their family income must be below Rs 8 lakh, and they can avail of the financial support only once in their attempt to clear the civil services exam. Candidates employed in permanent positions in central, state, or government sector organisations are ineligible.

While launching the scheme, Revanth Reddy said, Unemployed youth suffered a lot in the last 10 years due to paper leaks in TGPSC exam. That is why, our government made it their top priority to address the problems of the unemployed. Appointment orders filling 30,000 posts were given within 3 months of coming to power. We also listened to the grievances of the aspirants and postponed the Group 2 exam. Our first priority is to solve the problems of the unemployed. We will conduct the examinations efficiently in a well-planned manner.

Detailing how they will plan the exams, Reddy added: Job calendar will be announced in the ensuing budget session of the state assembly. Government will compile the data of vacancies in every department before March every year. Notification will be issued by June 2 and the recruitment process will be completed by December 9.

Telangana deputy CM Mallu Bhatti Vikramarka called the programme historic. It is the first time in the history of the state that the government has provided financial assistance to prepare for UPSC Mains. This is a historic decision. Everyone must be able to clear the Mains and crack the interview. The government wants to support the students in every way so that they can fulfill their dreams, he said.
Bigg Boss OTT 3 continues to be a rollercoaster of emotions, controversies, conflicts and drama. In the latest episode, contestants faced a vlogging challenge that kept them occupied and ensured they had sufficient ration for the upcoming days. The episode concluded with Deepak Chaurasia, Ranvir Shorey, Sana Sultan and Sai Ketan Rao enjoying a light-hearted conversation in the bedroom area. During this chat, Ranvir opened up about his love life and shared that he once used a dating website.

While chatting with Sana and Sai, Deepak called Ranvir over to join them, as he was about to recite a poem for both contestants. Deepak said, Jawani ki baatein horahi hai inn dono k liye. Mai second inning khelne wala hu abhi. (We are talking about youth. I will be starting my second innings.)

To this, Ranvir replied, Mai toh abhi tak pehli innings se thaka hua hu. (I am still tired of the first inning.) The actors reply seemingly reflects on his first failed marriage with Konkona Sen Sharma. The conversations continued as Deepak narrated a funny story about his experience on the dating website Tinder. Sana Sultan then shared that she knows someone who met through the site and is now happily married. Ranvir chimed in, saying Tinder isnt as good now and revealed, Mai toh khud Bumble pe hu. (I am on Bumble.)

During the ration task, Lovekesh Kataria, Armaan Malik, Kritika Malik and Shivani Kumari were tasked with creating vlogs from the Bigg Boss house. Lovekesh began by introducing the wild card entry Adnaan Shaikh with the line, Uski wildness nikalte hai chalo (Lets bring out his wildness.) To this, Adnaan responded, Pata hai mereko dikhaoge tabhi views aayenge tumko (You know, youll get views only if you show me.)

Things escalated between the two, resulting in a heated argument. However, the housemates stepped in to resolve the issue swiftly. Following the task, the housemates were given three minutes to shop for rations from the storeroom. As the captain, Armaan chose Lovekesh to accompany him for the task. Together, they collected all the available food items from the storeroom.

Sana Sultan, Vishal Pandey, Lovekesh Kataria, Sana Makbul, Adnaan Shaikh and Armaan Malik are nominated for this weeks eviction.
India has started experiencing a significant surge in dengue cases, particularly in the southern states. From witnessing up to 10 patients every day to 200 patients now, the extent of the surge in cases varies from state to state and city to city.

While Delhi-NCR is noticing a mild surge, Mumbai and Kolkata are witnessing a moderate spike and southern cities and states are reporting a big jump.

The uptick in cases has been observed since the onset of the monsoon season, which typically exacerbates mosquito-borne diseases due to increased breeding sites for mosquitoes.

According to several doctors News18 spoke to, the symptoms of dengue remain consistent with previous years, but they are observing an increase in cases with severe complications, specifically low blood pressure. Also, many patients  ranging between 20% to 50% of OPD cases  are requiring hospital admission.

The top symptoms include high fever, severe headache, pain behind the eyes, joint and muscle pain, rashes and mild bleeding. Experts explain that these symptoms typically emerge 4-10 days after a mosquito bite and can last between two to 10 days.

Zooming Cases in South India

Dr K Somnath Gupta from Yashoda Hospitals, Hyderabad, told News18 that he has been seeing 200 cases of dengue per week as of early July 2024. The severity of cases varies, but a substantial number of patients require hospitalisation. In Karnataka, about 20-30% of reported cases need admission due to severe symptoms or complications.

Gupta believes that, this year, the frequency and severity of the disease has increased due to higher transmission rates. The current outbreak has seen an uptick in severe cases and complications, potentially due to the co-circulation of multiple dengue serotypes.

As per the state government data, over 9,000 dengue cases and seven deaths have been reported in Karnataka from January to July this year. Until July 13, 66,298 people were tested for dengue, out of which, a total of 9,082 people tested positive for the fever.

However, the actual figures are estimated to be at least three times the number, Dr L Sudarshan Reddy, senior consultant physician at Yashoda Hospitals, told News18. He said that repeat infections tend to be more severe and often require hospitalization.

Similarly, Dr Sheela Chakravarthy, Director of Internal Medicine, Fortis Hospital, Bannerghatta Road, Bengaluru, said that she sees five to six dengue cases every day, with two to three patients requiring admissions, which means that almost half of the OPD patients require admission.

Presently, we have 18 admitted patients, including one critical case. Notably, the number of cases has increased over the past week, she said.

Chakravarthy highlighted that patients must be examined for danger signs such as low blood pressure and advised people to keep that in check while they are being treated in a home setting.

Dr Tharanath S, infectious diseases specialist at Sparsh Hospital, Yelahanka, Bengaluru, calls the jump in cases over the past month exponential.

Between July 1 and July 19, our OPD has seen nearly 100 cases with clinical symptoms similar to dengue, of which 30% required admission for further medical management due to severe symptoms.

While the symptoms of dengue are consistent with the previous years, we are noting an increase in cases with severe complications such as low blood pressure.

Dengue Status in Delhi-NCR, Kolkata & Mumbai

In July, doctors in Delhi-NCR started noticing a mild surge with up to five patients in their OPDs every day and some patients requiring admission as well.

Over the past week, our hospital has seen an average of 2-3 dengue patients per day. Since July 1, we have noticed a sharp increase in cases, with around 10-12 severely affected patients requiring hospital admission due to severe symptoms such as low platelet counts and severe dehydration, Dr Gaurav Jain, senior consultant, Internal Medicine, Narayana Super Speciality Hospital, Dharamshila, New Delhi.

While Jain said that these symptoms are consistent with those seen annually, doctors are observing more complicated cases. Last week, we admitted five patients, two requiring intravenous fluid supplementation and three managed with oral fluids and medications.

Majority of these patients are coming to us in high fever breaching 103-104 degrees, said Dr Satish Koul, senior director and unit head, Internal Medicine, Fortis Memorial Research Institute, Gurgaon. Koul has started seeing three to four patients every day. Fever takes four to five days to subside and from the eighth day, patients can expect the start of recovery.

Howrah-based Narayana Hospital in Kolkata calls the rise in dengue cases alarming. The rise in dengue cases in Kolkata is increasing alarmingly, highlighting the urgent need for taking extra precautions. The situation is gradually worsening with an increase in OPD and emergency dengue cases by 20-25%, Dr Ramyajit Lahiri, head of the Department of Emergency Medicine.

Doctors believe that dengue is particularly dangerous for individuals with comorbidities such as diabetes, hypertension, or asthma.

While dengue can hit anyone with no particular subset being more vulnerable, people with medical comorbidities are vulnerable to severe dengue complications, Dr Harshad Limaye, consultant, Internal Medicine at Nanavati Max Super Speciality Hospital, Mumbai.

Overall, we are seeing five to seven patients getting admitted every day and many more in OPD. The surge in cases has started getting noticed since the last week.

However, Limaye advised people not to panic and flock to hospitals. Dengue is completely manageable at home with paracetamol and hydration. Stay in touch with your family physician and follow the advice.

According to media reports, Mumbai has reported 513 dengue cases, followed by Nashik with 348 and Kolhapur with 141. Overall, the state has recorded 3,736 dengue cases, with Mumbai, Nashik, and Kolhapur accounting for 26% of these cases.
The Karnataka state government has proposed a new cess, ranging between 1 to 2 per cent, on cinema tickets and Over-The-Top (OTT) subscription fees. This fee will fund social security benefits such as ESI and PF for cine artists and cultural performers, under the Labour Ministrys Karnataka Cine and Cultural Activists (Welfare) Bill of 2024, which is set to be introduced in the current session.

According to a cabinet note obtained by News18, the bill aims to register unorganized workers in the sector and provide them with essential social security benefits like life insurance, accidental injury benefits, maternity leave assistance, financial aid, and educational support for children, phased in gradually.

To finance these benefits, the bill proposes establishing a Cine Cultural Artistes Welfare Fund through a levy of not more than 2 per cent, and not less than 1 per cent, on cinema tickets, subscription fees, and revenues from related establishments in the sector, the note stated.

The cess will also be extended to theatre plays staged within the state. Labour Minister Santhosh Lad highlighted the initiatives goal to enhance living standards and ensure statutory benefits for artists and performers, including technicians and other workers who face intermittent employment.

Karnataka Congress Govt is planning to impose 2% cess on Movie Tickets and OTT subscription fees. After JIZIYA TYPE TAX on Karnataka people on MILK, PETROL, DIESEL, BUS FARES, WATER NOW CINEMA TICKETS TO BECOME COSTLIER, wrote Poonawala on X.

Congress has looted Karnataka due to scams MUDA SCAM, VALMIKI SCAM, etc & stupid guarantee schemes & now people are being made to pay for it, he added.

Karnataka Assemblys Leader of Opposition, R Ashoka, criticized the state governments move, claiming they are imposing this tax because they lack funds.

The price of petrol, diesel and everything is rising. They have put a tax on movie theatres and OTT subscriptions also. This government has become a pauper government. So there is no money. Thats why they are generating the money, said Ashoka.

#WATCH | Bengaluru: On state government proposing 2 percent cess on movie tickets and OTT subscription, Karnataka Assembly LoP R Ashoka says, The price of petrol, diesel and everything is rising. They have put a tax on movie theatres and OTT subscriptions also. This government pic.twitter.com/MYlNOPMAo0 ANI (@ANI) July 20, 2024

The bill outlines the creation of a seven-member welfare board for cine workers and cultural activists, tasked with managing funds from the cess to support social security schemes.

While exact employment figures for Karnatakas cinema and cultural sectors remain uncertain, the ministry estimates a substantial workforce beyond the 2,355 registered workers reported by the Karnataka Film Workers Artists Technicians Union.

How Karnataka Proposes To Impose Tax On Cinema, Theater And OTT?

The Karnataka Cine and Cultural Activists (Welfare) Bill of 2024 proposes a phased implementation to minimize the impact on the state budget, stressing the importance of preventing financial strain. It also mandates employers to deposit the cess monthly and submit biannual returns online or through a designated web portal.

If passed, the bill will establish the Karnataka Cinema and Cultural Artistes Welfare Board in Bengaluru, chaired by the department minister and a senior IAS official, overseeing seventeen government-nominated members representing various cultural sectors and academies.

Meanwhile, the BJP has slammed the Karnataka governments proposal to levy a new cess on cinema tickets and OTT subscriptions. Taking on X, BJP spokesperson Shehzad Poonawala termed the new proposal another jolt by the Congress government to the people of Karnataka.
The Indian Mission on Saturday expressed grief over the tragic demise of four members of a family from Kerela who died in a fire that broke out at their residence in Kuwait.

Embassy @indembkwt expresses its deepest condolences on the tragic demise of Mr Mathews Mulackal, his wife and 2 children due to fire in his flat in Abassiya yesterday night. Embassy is in touch with his family and will ensure early repatriation of mortal remains, the Indian Mission said in a post on X.

Embassy @indembkwt expresses its deepest condolences on the tragic demise of Mr Mathews Mulackal, his wife and 2 children due to fire in his flat in Abassiya yesterday night. Embassy is in touch with his family and will ensure early repatriation of mortal remains. @DrSJaishankar India in Kuwait (@indembkwt) July 20, 2024

The incident took place on Friday night at Abbassia in Kuwait. The victims have been identified as Mathew Muzhakkal, his wife Lini Abraham and their children Isaac and Erin. The family left for Kuwait after their vacation on Thursday night. Mathew has been working there for the past 15 years. His wife is a nurse. The children are studying there. They left after their vacation on Thursday night from Nedumbassery, a relative told the media on Saturday.

The victims family here is yet to receive any official confirmation on the arrival of the bodies in their hometown. Mathew is survived by his mother and three siblings. According to preliminary information received, the fire was caused by a short circuit in the AC in the room. Further details are awaited. Last month, more than 40 Indian migrant workers were killed in a building fire. Their mortal remains were then brought to India.

(With agency inputs)
Kerala Health Minister Veena George on Saturday confirmed Nipah infection in a 14-year-old boy from Malappuram district.

George, who met the media here, said the Pune NIV (National Institute of Virology) had confirmed the infection in the boy who is currently under treatment at a private hospital.

He will be shifted to the government medical college at Kozhikode. The contact tracing has begun. High-risk contacts have already been isolated and their samples have been sent for testing, George told the media.

The child is under treatment and is on a ventilator, George added.

Minister said the epicentre was Pandikkad and that precautionary measures have already been initiated.

She asked the people in the locality of the epicentre and the nearby hospitals to wear masks in public spaces and avoid visiting patients in hospitals.

The state government had announced recently that a special action calendar was being prepared for the prevention of a Nipah outbreak, which has haunted the state on four occasions in the past.

Nipah outbreaks have been reported in Kozhikode district in 2018, 2021, and 2023 and in Ernakulam district in 2019, and the presence of Nipah virus antibodies had been detected in bats in Kozhikode, Wayanad, Idukki, Malappuram and Ernakulam districts.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi and his New Zealand counterpart Chris Luxon exchanged congratulatory messages in a phone call on Saturday and committed to enhancing bilateral ties based on democratic values and robust people-to-people links.

Ive just spoken with Indias Prime Minister @narendramodi and congratulated him on his recent election victory, Luxon said in a social media post on X. I told the Prime Minister how much I value the immense contribution that Indian-Kiwis make to New Zealand. We both agreed there is so much more our countries can do together, he added.

Ive just spoken with Indias Prime Minister @narendramodi and congratulated him on his recent election victory.I told the Prime Minister how much I value the immense contribution that Indian-Kiwis make to New Zealand. We both agreed there is so much more our countries can do pic.twitter.com/YnC27b1Ur6  Christopher Luxon (@chrisluxonmp) July 20, 2024

India-New Zealand ties

Thanking Luxon for his call, PM Modi appreciated his efforts towards the security and well-being of the Indian diaspora in New Zealand. The Prime Minister also reiterated Indias firm commitment to take forward ties with New Zealand.

I thank Prime Minister @Chrisluxonmp for his call and warm felicitations. Reiterated our firm commitment to take forward India-New Zealand ties, which are rooted in shared democratic values and people-to-people ties. Appreciate his efforts towards the security and well-being of the Indian diaspora in New Zealand, PM Modi said in a post on X.

India and New Zealand have a longstanding and friendly relationship and the diplomatic engagement between the two countries continues to grow under successive governments.

As per the 2018 census report, there are some 2,50,000 Persons of Indian Origin (PIOs) in New Zealand out of which about 70,000 persons are estimated to be Indian passport holders and the rest holding New Zealand passports. Hindi is the fourth most spoken language in New Zealand.
Union Minister of State for Commerce and Industry of India Jitin Prasadas car on Saturday met with an accident in Uttar Pradeshs Pilibhit. While the minister is reportedly safe, one person who was present in the car suffered minor injuries.

The crash occurred while he was on a tour of his parliamentary constituency in Uttar Pradeshs Pilibhit. The ministers car reportedly collided with another vehicle in his convoy.

One of the cars in the carcade reverse banged the vehicle in which the Union Minister was travelling from the front.
Union Public Service Commission (UPSC) chairperson Manoj Soni has tendered his resignation nearly five years before the completion of his tenure, citing personal reasons.

Sonis decision, which comes as a surprise, has sparked speculation within administrative circles as the move comes amid the trainee IAS Puja Khedkars controversy.

However, official sources have clarified that his resignation is unrelated to recent controversies surrounding the UPSC, including the Puja Khedkar episode and ongoing questions regarding the conduct of IAS/IPS exams.

Soni became a member of the Union Public Service Commission in 2017 and assumed office as chairman on May 16, 2023.

According to a report by The Hindu, Manoj Soni resigned nearly a month ago. It remains unclear whether his resignation will be accepted.

IAS Puja Khedkar Controvery

Puja Khedkar, a 2023 batch Indian Administrative Service (IAS) officer of the Maharashtra cadre, has been accused of faking her caste and medical certificates.

The 34-year-old IAS officer made headlines over her alleged demands for a separate office, staff and quarters  which she is not entitled to as a probationer. Pune police are probing charges that she used a red beacon and an insignia of the Maharashtra government on her private Audi vehicle.

Khedkar is facing allegations of submitting fake certificates to secure her job and asking for special privileges at workplace, on charges of cheating.

UPSC) has filed an FIR against Khedkar and has issued a show-cause notice to Khedkar, asking why her candidature as an IAS officer should not be cancelled in light of the allegations related to fake certificates.

Nudged Out Owing to Current Controversy: Congress on UPSC Chairman Resignation

Meanwhile, Congress alleged that Soni was apparently nudged out given the current controversy in which the Commission is involved.

Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge alleged the BJP-RSS is systematically indulging in an institutional takeover of Indias constitutional bodies, thereby damaging their reputation, integrity and autonomy.

The multiple scandals that have plagued the UPSC is a cause of national concern. PM Modi and his Minister of Personnel, Public Grievances and Pensions must come clean. Numerous cases of unqualified individuals faking caste and medical certificates seemed to have duped a foolproof system, Kharge said in a post on X.

This is a direct affront to the genuine aspirations of lakhs of aspirants, including SC, ST, OBC, EWS candidates who work hard, burning midnight oil in preparing for the Civil Services Examinations, he said.

It is disconcerting how the UPSC Chairperson has resigned prematurely, five years before his term ends. Why was his resignation kept secret for a month? Is there any connection between the numerous scandals and the resignation? Kharge said.

This blue-eyed-gem of Modi ji was brought in from Gujarat and promoted to being the Chairperson of UPSC  he said.

Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel had referred to the civil servants as the Steel frame of India, but the Modi governments desperate attempt to control every aspect of governance has punched holes in the same, Kharge alleged.

This needs to be thoroughly investigated at the highest level so that such cases of fraudulent malpractices in UPSC admissions dont happen in the future, he said.

Congress general secretary in-charge communications Jairam Ramesh also slammed the government, saying the sanctity and autonomy of all constitutional bodies have been badly damaged since 2014  the year Narendra Modi became the prime minister.
The Indian Coast Guard said on Saturday that its three ships were battling a major fire aboard a cargo vessel in the Arabian Sea after responding to a distress call a day earlier.

The vessel MV Maersk Frankfurt reported explosions on its front deck on Friday, 12 kilometres south of Karwar while sailing from Indias Gujarat state to Colombo in Sri Lanka.

Further updates on #MaerskFrankfurt fire:@IndiaCoastGuard Ships Sujeet, Sachet and Samrat have been fighting the fire for over 12 hours, preventing its spread. As of 0700 hrs, 20 Jul, the vessel is 6.5 NM south of #Karwar, #ICG Dornier aircraft Ex #Goa is conducting aerial pic.twitter.com/nevStJvjpa Indian Coast Guard (@IndiaCoastGuard) July 20, 2024

No casualties

Ships Sujeet, Sachet and Samrat have been fighting the fire for over 12 hours, preventing its spread, the India Coast Guard said in a statement Saturday posted on social media platform X. It posted images and videos showing the firefighting effort. No casualties were reported from the merchant vessel.

The Indian coast guard said a Donier aircraft was conducting aerial assessments and that an additional plane was also in position for search and rescue. The coast guard said another ship was also despatched from Mumbai and likely to join the effort by Sunday.

The ICG said it is facilitating the delivery of dry chemical powder (DCP) bags and balls to support firefighting efforts. The pollution control vessel Samudra Prahari is scheduled to arrive today to offer additional assistance. Currently, there are no plans to evacuate the crew. The vessels Master has stated that anchoring is impractical due to the inaccessible forecastle area compromised by melting containers.

On Saturday morning, the ICG said on its X handle, Ships Sujeet, Sachet and Samrat have been fighting the fire for over 12 hours, preventing its spread. As of 0700 hrs, 20 Jul, the vessel is 6.5 NM south of Karwar. ICGs Dornier aircraft is conducting aerial assessment, with an additional aircraft from Kochi positioned for the search and rescue operation, it said.

ETV Water Lily departed #Mumbai on 19 Jul, arriving on scene by 21 Jul, it added. The merchant vessel, on its way from Mundra to Colombo, was reportedly carrying International Maritime Dangerous Goods (IMDG) cargo and explosions have been occurring on its front part, the ICG had said on Friday. On Wednesday the Indian navy rescued nine crew members and recovered one body from the Comorian-flagged MV Prestige Falcon oil tanker that had capsized off the coast of Oman earlier this week.
On the evening of July 19, the murder of linguist and public figure Iryna Farion took place in Lviv, which shook the whole of Ukraine. The shooter approached his victim and shot her in the head, using a Makarov pistol.

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Doctors fought for Farion's life for several hours, but the wound proved fatal. Farion will be buried on Monday, July 22 at 14:00 at Lychakiv Cemetery, near the grave of Volodymyr Ivasiuk. OBOZ.UA found out what versions of the murder the investigation has, what is known about the killer, and how politicians reacted to Farion's death.

What versions does the investigation have?

Interior Minister Ihor Klymenko said that law enforcement agencies are considering several versions of the murder of former MP Iryna Farion. Among them are the public and political activities of the linguist, as well as personal dislike for her. At the same time, law enforcement officers do not rule out that the murder could have been a contract killing and was planned by the terrorist country Russia.

Operatives and investigative teams from Kyiv, led by the deputy head of the National Police and the deputy head of the Security Service of Ukraine, are working to solve the crime.

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On the morning of July 20, Zelenskyy said that he had heard new reports from the Interior Minister and the head of the SBU on the investigation into the murder of Iryna Farion. The President noted that all available surveillance cameras were being used, witnesses were being interviewed, and the territory of several districts was being examined. All versions are being investigated, including the one leading to Russia.

Deputy Prosecutor General Anton Voitenko took part in a meeting with the Minister of Internal Affairs on the investigation of Farion's murder. During the meeting, law enforcement officers discussed the results of priority measures aimed at identifying and detaining the attacker.

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The Prosecutor General's Office noted that versions are being worked out, including a premeditated murder related to the victim's professional activities and active civil position.

A set of investigative actions and operational and search activities is being carried out, including yard and house-to-house visits to obtain information relevant to the pre-trial investigation. Video surveillance cameras are being installed and measures are being taken to obtain video recordings that will be relevant to the investigation (at the scene, near the scene, and on the offender's approach and departure routes). In addition, several necessary forensic examinations have also been ordered.

What is known about the killer

Law enforcement officers continue to search for the attacker. According to Interior Minister Ihor Klymenko, residents of the house near where the murder took place allegedly saw a suspicious man for two weeks. He also emphasized that law enforcement officers already have some information about Farion's murder and the perpetrator of the crime.

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According to Lviv media, Farion was shot by a man aged 20-25. According to eyewitnesses, the shooter repeatedly followed the woman near the entrance.

Local residents say that they have repeatedly seen a suspicious man in a long sweater, dark glasses, and a hat near the entrance to Farion's apartment building. They are now trying to identify him.

The investigation confirmed that he had indeed been near the victim's house for several days. As of now, the police believe that the man in the hat and the attacker are the same person. At the same time, the Ministry of Internal Affairs emphasized that due to the power outage, the work of video surveillance cameras was interrupted, which complicates the search for the killer.

According to preliminary data, the killer used a Makarov pistol. One shell casing from a Makarov pistol was found at the crime scene.

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The Suspilne media outlet found out what was happening near Farion's house on the eve of the murder. The victim's neighbors said that an unknown person had been watching Farion for several weeks before the murder.

"He was here for two weeks and just looked at her. He was here every day since the week before last. Every day at 10 o'clock he sat on a bench here. Neighbors would come up to him and ask: "How are you sitting here, don't you want to eat or drink?" He would say that he had lunch. They asked him: "Where are you from?" He said: "From Ternopil". I did not talk to him. What do I have to do with him?" Farion's neighbor said.

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Possible involvement of the Russian Federation in Farion's murder

The leadership of the Ministry of Internal Affairs of Ukraine does not rule out that the murder of the linguist was planned by order of the terrorist country Russia. In addition, political analyst Oleh Sahakian said that Farion's murder could be part of a large Russian special operation to destabilize the situation in Ukraine.

According to the political scientist, the Russians may now intensify provocations because the level of trust in the government in Ukraine has significantly eroded.

Ukrainian journalist Yuriy Butusov says that Farion's murder is primarily beneficial to Russia. He reminded that Russian media wrote about her almost daily and mentioned her continuously.

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"The Ukrainian authorities are obliged to immediately find the killer and expose the crime. This is a test to see whether the state controls the situation at all, whether law enforcement is capable, and whether Russian agents can commit terrorist attacks in the deep rear with impunity," the journalist said.

Reaction of politicians and government officials

President Volodymyr Zelenskyy reacted to Farion's murder. The head of state said that the head of the Ministry of Internal Affairs and the head of the Security Service of Ukraine Vasyl Maliuk were promptly reporting to him on the search for the attacker. The President emphasized that all the necessary forces of the National Police of Ukraine and the Security Service of Ukraine are involved in establishing the circumstances of this crime.

"Obviously, any violence deserves only condemnation, and everyone who is guilty of this attack must be held fully accountable," Zelenskyy added.

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Kyiv Mayor Vitalii Klytschko said that violence should not become a method of dealing with opponents and those who think differently.

"The murder of Iryna Farion is a provocation and a challenge. To the law enforcement system, democracy, and stability in the country. It should be investigated promptly and openly to the public," Klytschko wrote.

Ombudsman Dmytro Lubinets also reacted to the death of Iryna Farion. He called for finding the linguist's killer and bringing him to justice.

The third president of Ukraine, Viktor Yushchenko, said that those who planned and carried out such a dastardly attack must be identified and brought to justice. In addition, he wished the Farion family the strength to withstand this heavy and unfair blow of fate.

"Eternal memory and kingdom of heaven, dear Ms. Farion! May God now grant you eternal peace and the memory of the difficult path of devotion to the ideas of the Ukrainian nation. She was sincere in her love for Ukraine and defended it as she saw fit," Yushchenko said in a statement.

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Commissioner for the Protection of the State Language Taras Kremin said that during her lifetime Iryna Farion became a true legend in the open, decisive, courageous struggle against the real enemies of Ukraine.

Earlier it was reported that Ukrainian showbiz stars reacted to the death of linguist and former MP Iryna Farion, who had been the victim of an assassination attempt the day before. Celebrities did not remain indifferent to the tragedy and condemned the violence, expressing their condolences to the victim's family.

As a reminder, Iryna Farion was known for her controversial statements and was regularly involved in scandals. Over the past two years, she had a quarrel with the Ukrainian military over the language issue, which led to criminal proceedings being opened against her, and even lost her job at Lviv Polytechnic.

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Only verified information is available on our Telegram channel OBOZ.UA and Viber. Do not fall for fakes!
A newly dropped trailer of the romantic drama It Ends With Us has set the stage for an emotional rollercoaster. The highly-anticipated film boasts a stellar cast including Blake Lively, Justin Baldoni, Jenny Slate, Hasan Minhaj, Amy Morton and Brandon Sklenar. Adapted from Colleen Hoovers bestselling novel of the same name, the film promises to take audiences on a powerful and emotional journey with a compelling story of love. The film is scheduled to release on August 9.

It Ends With Us revolves around a poignant story of Lily Bloom, portrayed by Blake, who emerges from a traumatic childhood to embark on a new life in Boston and chase a lifelong dream of starting her own business. The films one-minute-long trailer introduces viewers to Lilys first meeting with a charming neurosurgeon Ryle Kincaid, played by the director Baldoni himself. Set against a nighttime rooftop backdrop, Ryle asks for Lilys name. As the trailer continues, we see them develop an immediate and intense connection. As their relationship deepens, Lily begins to see troubling parallels between Ryle and the turbulent relationship of her parents. The narrative takes a dramatic turn when Atlas Corrigan (played by Brandon Sklenar), unexpectedly reappears, creating a rift in her relationship with Ryle. Lily finds herself torn between the two men in a gripping standoff and realises that she has to rely on her inner strength to make an impossible choice for her future.

Sharing the trailer of the film on Instagram, Sony Pictures wrote, you might just fall in love. watch the new trailer for #ItEndsWithUsMovie, in theaters august 9.

Watch the trailer here:

     .watch the new trailer for #ItEndsWithUsMovie, in theaters august 9. get tickets now: https://t.co/Jzwd2HqrrH pic.twitter.com/nCUPljRV9o  Sony Pictures (@SonyPictures) July 19, 2024

In an interview to People, Hoover, who also serves as an executive producer on It Ends With Us, highlighted the collective effort of the team behind the films adaptation.

Everyone involved has been so dedicated to making this adaptation as faithful and heartfelt as possible. Its been a true team effort, and I cant wait for those who loved the book to see the movie and experience the magic theyve created on the big screen, she said.

Hoover also commended Blake for her exceptional performance in the film, stating, There arent enough words to describe her phenomenal talent. Blake Lively truly brought Lily Bloom to life in a way that exceeded all my expectations.

She went on to highlight that Blake added a depth and complexity to Lilys character which she didnt even anticipate.
Absence makes the heart grow fonder but then there is also out of sight, out of mind to contend with, says Pakistans ever-popular Fawad Khan, tongue firmly in cheek as he addresses his time away from Indian audiences.

Fawad, who became a favourite with Pakistani dramas and was briefly seen in Hindi films, the last appearance being Ae Dil Hai Mushkil in 2016, now stars in the supernatural show Barzakh.

I have always been very thankful to fans who have waited for me and I apologise for making them wait for so long. But it was not in my hands, the actor told PTI in a Zoom interview.

Im a firm believer that everything has its own time You say that absence makes the heart grow fonder but we also have another saying, aankh ojhal, pahaad ojhal (out of sight, out of mind). This also happens, he added.

Barzakh, which sees him back with his Zindagi Gulzar Hai co-star Sanam Saeed and created a stir with its trailers, started streaming from Friday on Zindagis YouTube channel and ZEE5.

The actors popularity in the subcontinent has been growing since viewers discovered him in Dastaan (2010), Humsafar (2011) and Zindagi Gulzar Hai (2012). Then followed Hindi films Khubsoorat, Kapoor & Sons and Ae Dil Hai Mushkil. The promising Bollywood career could not take off at the time because of fraught India-Pakistan relations. However, Fawad, amongst Pakistans most recognised actors, did international projects and several Pakistani shows and films.

The stardom has been exciting but also challenging and increasingly competitive. The actor said he is not very active on social media  out of choice.

To be able to hold on to your position of being a renowned actor has become more difficult, especially in the age of social media There are performers and talented people everywhere. What next? I can only say that the coming time is going to be very interesting. If you are waiting for my work, there is a lot thats going to come out next year. I feel that everything should happen at its own pace and in a good environment Hopefully, 2025 will have a lot more content coming from my end, he said.

The 42-year-old also featured in Marvel Studio series Ms Marvel in which actor-filmmaker Farhan Akhtar played a prominent role. The two met on the set and chatted briefly. It was very nice to be in touch again. We had earlier met briefly during my time in India, he said of his meeting with Farhan.

Barzakh, produced by Indias Shailja Kejriwal, chief creative officer, special projects, Zindagi, and directed by Asim Abbasi, who shot to fame with film Cake and show Churails, was an interesting project to be part of, the actor said.

Im always up for a good narrative. I had seen Asim Abbasis work in the past and he is a talented writer and director. I read the script and I have to say this: it was love at first sight. Im always interested in family dramas when they are told in such a realistic fashion but the twist in this one was the magic surrealism and the supernatural aspect, which attracted me to it even more.

A lot of buzz around the show is driven by the fact that it is the first time since Zindagi that Fawad and Sanam will be seen together. The other much talked about and liked was his pairing with Mahira Khan in Humsafar.

Agreeing that the two shows brought him to the mainstream Fawad said, Fans liked the pairings so much that it stuck with them for a long time and the shows became, amongst many things, modern classics. Whenever there is such a pairing that leaves such a lasting impact for such a long time, people start to wait for your next work together. I am aware of that.

After Barzakh, his next two projects are with Sanam. Besides, he has two projects lined up with Mahira as well. I hope the audiences enjoy them as well. Obviously, the nature of the characters will be different in these projects but I think it will be a new era of our reunion, he said.

Asked if he has become more selective in the kind of projects he boards, Fawad said he was never someone in a rush to do a lot of stuff. But he said he did take a back seat for a while when he was preparing for Maula Jatt, the 2022 film that became the highest-grossing Pakistani film of all time.

His co-production Neelophar ran into some hurdles because of Covid but after that he has resumed work more frequently.

I am selective but to the extent that I get involved with stuff that I understand. I had projects that I worked on but unfortunately, things slowed down a bit during the pandemic period. Everything is coming out now, he said.

Fawad recently saw Manoj Bajpayees The Family Man and found it attention-grabbing. In Pakistan, he caught up with Meray Paas Tum Ho and Khaie.

With streaming space opening up more cross-culture collaborations, Fawad said These are exciting times for artists. I have always been open to collaborations wherever they may come from. I have a hunger as artist. We are very fortunate that we are a part of an industry that allows us to be exposed to one anothers cultures.

(Its) an education you have while having fun working. It is not just about script because people come to a project with different backgrounds so we have the luxury of getting to know and see the world in a different way and at our own pace So that hunger of mine gets rewarded in that process, he said.
Priyanka Chopra enjoys a strong connection with her husband Nick Jonass family, often sharing joyful moments and photos featuring Kevin Jonas, Franklin Jonas, and the rest of the Jonas clan. Recently, Franklin opened up about his relationship with Priyanka, highlighting the deep bond they share.

During an episode of The Viall Files podcast, Franklin Jonas expressed his admiration for his favorite sister-in-law, Priyanka Chopra, alongside Danielle Jonas, who is married to Kevin. He described Danielle as exceptionally sweet and nurturing, while he characterized Priyanka as fierce and driven. Franklin remarked, Pri is like the definition; if you look up like a girl boss in the dictionary, picture of her comes up.

He highlighted that, despite their differences, he holds both of them in high regard. Franklin also shared that he spends more time with Priyanka because they live closer to each other, but he feels grateful to have both amazing women in his life.

In the same interview, Franklin shared delightful moments spent with his niece, Malti Marie. He mentioned how much she enjoys going to the car wash with him and recounted their recent trip to the library, where he gifted her a special book for the occasion. Franklin conveyed his happiness in watching Malti grow up and cherishes his close relationship with her and his other nieces.

He also reflected on Nick Jonass transformation into fatherhood, describing him as the warmest teddy bear. Franklin noted that Nicks tough exterior seems to soften, which he finds to be truly special.

On the professional side, Priyanka Chopra is currently shooting for The Bluff in Australia and has wrapped up her work on another project, Heads of State. She is set to return for the second season of the spy thriller Citadel. In Bollywood, shes in talks with Farhan Akhtar about an exciting project called Jee Le Zara, which will feature both Katrina Kaif and Alia Bhatt.
Gurucharan Singh, who went missing in April this year but returned home after 26 days, has now promised to reunite one of his fans with his father. On Saturday, the former Taarak Mehta Ka Ooltah Chashmah actor took to his Instagram handle and shared a video in which he was seen travelling in Mumbai local train. However, soon after the video was posted, one of the fans took to the comments section to seek Singhs help.

Nice to see you back and happymy dad is missing which seems to be similar case of urs. Can you help in broadcasting the news on ur story or other social media handle. Ready to provide relevant details, the fan wrote. Singh also replied to the comment and agreed to help the fan. He asked the fan to send a copy of the missing police report to him also.

Interestingly, in April this year, Singh also went missing. However, he returned home after 26 days. Upon his return, Singh was interrogated by Delhi Police officials following which it was discovered that he had left home to be on a religious journey. Police officials had said that Gurucharan visited Gurudwaras in Amritsar and Ludhiana ever since he was reported missing but he later realised that he should return home.

Earlier this month, Gurucharan Singh opened up about his disappearance for the first time when he revealed that he had no plans of coming back. I have always been spiritual because of my parents and at this point in life when I was feeling low, I turned towards God. I went on a spiritual journey and had no plans of coming back. But God gave me a sign and that made me return home, Singh told the Bombay Times.

Many people think I planned my disappearance for publicity, but thats not true. If I wanted publicity, I could have given interviews to talk about the pending dues for my work in Taarak Mehta Ka Ooltah Chashmah. I could have used social media to do that, but I didnt. Even after coming back home, I didnt give any interviews, but now I am speaking up because I want to clarify certain things that people are saying about me, the actor added.

In TMKOC, Gurcharan Singh used to play the role of Roshan Singh Sodhi  a fun-loving man who is always in party mode and never shies away from expressing love for his wife. He was one of the popular characters on the show, and also a founding cast member. Gurcharan, however, left the show in 2013 only to return next year due to public demand. After his exit in 2020, he was replaced by actor Balwinder Singh Suri. Singh has been missing from our television screens ever since.
Ishaan Khatter and his rumoured girlfriend Chandni Bainz have been making headlines lately due to their frequent public outings and date nights. Last night, the rumoured couple painted the town red, and a video of their latest outing has surfaced online. The clip shows them walking hand in hand as they leave a building together after a dinner date.

In the video, Ishaan Khatter is seen assisting Chandni Bainz as she gets into the car. After closing the door for her, he boards the vehicle himself, holding a parcel. For their date outing, both Ishaan and Chandni showcased stylish looks: Ishaan wore a white graphic T-shirt with blue jeans, while Chandni dazzled in a green buttoned top and light blue jeans.

View this post on Instagram A post shared by Viral Bhayani (@viralbhayani)

Ishaan Khatter and Chandni Bainz made their first public appearance in September 2023. Fueling the speculations around their romantic relationship, the duo also arrived together for the screening of Ishaans brother, Shahid Kapoors film Teri Baaton Me Aisa Uljha Jiya earlier this year. Next, they were spotted and snapped by paparazzi when stepped out for a movie night a few weeks back. The video that emerged online showed Ishaans face covered with a mask, while his rumoured girlfriend smiled at the paparazzi. Ishaan, in the video, wore a beige T-shirt paired with brown cargo pants. Chandni, on the other hand, was dressed casually in a pink crop top with blue denim, exuding pretty girl vibes.

View this post on Instagram A post shared by F I L M Y B A B U (@filmybabu)

Despite their frequent outings, Ishaan Khatter and Chandni Bainz have stayed quiet, avoiding confirming the relationship. Before Chandni, Ishaan was rumoured to be dating his Khaali Peeli co-star Ananya Panday. However, there was no confirmation by any of the two.

Coming back to Chandni Bainz, the actress belongs to Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. The projects that can be credited to her name include the Singaporean TV drama My Mothers Story and the Malaysian TV series Ghaib.

Work-wise, Ishaan Khatter last entertained fans with Raja Menons Pippa. The action-packed drama also starred Mrunal Thakur. Based on the story of a young Indian Army captain from the 45 Cavalry Regiment, the film received widespread acclaim for Ishaans performance. Next, he is expected to be a part of Farhan Akhtars highly anticipated film Jee Le Zaraa, featuring Priyanka Chopra Jonas, Alia Bhatt, and Katrina Kaif in the lead roles.
The nature of academic discourse in India is changing after almost 70 years of intellectual ascendancy by left-leaning intelligentsia. New voices are finding prominent space in academia, and a constructive narrative has started to build as intellectual agents compete productively to add to the corpus of Indian academia. One of the most important lines of intellectual thought that has mainstreamed itself over the years is the Bharatiya thought, the roots of which are founded in Indian philosophy, literature, languages, culture and way of life.

This Bharatiya thought is the focus point of a new book titled Hindu Thought: A Foundation of Moral Living written by Varun Gulati and published by Suruchi Prakashan. Varun Gulati is an Associate Professor at the Department of English, University of Delhi and has contributed significantly to literature concerned with Bharatiya philosophy, culture and way of life. Hindu Thought, a debut work of non-fiction by the author, joins the ranks of seminal literary works that are canonising an India-centric worldview in literature and academic thought by reclaiming the narrative and decolonising the intellectual space.

The book begins with a hefty 26-page introduction which introduces the reader to the intellectual seed that germinates through the course of the book. The author establishes the groundwork by explaining the issues of ethical inquiry, spiritual contemplation and practical wisdom that are fundamentally associated with the Hindu thought. He relies heavily on the ancient Indian canonical texts  the Vedas, the Upanishads, the Bhagavad Gita and the Puranas to postulate the ideals of a moral living.

The book posits that morality, as per the Bharatiya sanskriti, is not restricted to the principles concerning the distinction between right and wrong, and good and bad. It is rooted in the universality of existence, all-inclusive behaviour and practices, syncretism, divine relation of the earth and the human, dialogue, debates and discussion and self-realisation. These virtues of Hindu culture and morality are titular of the eight detailed chapters through which the author has exemplified the values that constitute an ideal living experience.

Hindu, Dharma and Duty

For defining who a Hindu is, the author alludes to various sources, including the geographical, historical, legal, and Vedic genesis. These definitions become crucial throughout the book as they give legitimacy to the core argument of the book in defining the foundations of an ideal life. Allusions to define a Hindu range from the ancient Indian text of Rigveda, which uses the suffix -Hindu in a polysemic context, to the Sindhu (Indus) civilisational origin believed to have been coined by foreigners (also the most commonly taught origin of the word Hindu), and even the influential definition by the Supreme Court of India which described Hinduism as a way of life and nothing more.

The author then defines dharma as the fulfilment of ones commitments towards assigned duties to ascertain a smooth functioning of the society. He refers to the Mahabharata, Atharveda, Chandrogyopanishad and various other ancient Hindu texts to pillar the vast concept of duty and resilience that forms the core of Bharatiya sanskriti and the Hindu way of life.

Interestingly, the author moves away from the commonly misconceived translation of dharma as religion, and expounds it as a heterogeneous concept that acts as a cohesive bond in society and results in unity and seamless functioning. He complements dharma with the Hindu principles of satya, karuna, suchita and tapas, which form the spiritual and ethical essence of dharma. The author posits dharma as the most important principle of an ethical and moral life.

In the eight chapters that the book is divided into, the author has attempted to build a conscientious footing for the titular Hindu thought and Bharatiya culture as inarguably one of the most sustainable ways of civilisational concatenation.

The Hindu Way of Life and Society

In the initial chapters, Varun Gulati dwells on the transient nature of Hindu thought that defines human existence with respect to the universe  brahman  as well as the principles and practices of Hinduism that render it as one of the most inclusive, pragmatic and dynamic religions. With the conception of omniscience of the universe, he puts forth the fundamental intellectual basis of Hindu tradition which perceives the human condition as an outcome of the events of the universe on a larger canvas than mere day-to-day existence. He cites Vedic sources that elaborate on the Hindu perspective of cosmic genesis and delves into the philosophical inquiry of the existence of brahman as a universal and imperishable source of reality.

Unity, Diversity and Syncretism

The author further highlights the ancient fabric of the Hindu thought that has passionately embraced beings and individuals with their distinct identities, and which continues to be a commanding principle of moral living. This part of the book strongly highlights the fabric of Hindu and Bharatiya culture which is rooted in welcoming multiplicity of thoughts and integration of all people.

He points out global integrity, unity of all systems, inclusivity and boundless acceptance as the drivers of Hinduism, which makes it an all-embracing paradigm of composite and equitable existence. He talks of this inclusive wisdom and traces the origins to ancient texts and teachings of rishis. He presents the Hindu way of society as a counter to hegemonic tendencies and oligarchic structures as the Hindu culture finds a fine balance between individual existence and collective well-being.

Following this same line of thought, the author presents the Hindu thought and knowledge system as a syncretic institution. Hinduism, with its core tenets and beliefs, has combined different beliefs and schools of thought by assimilating several originally discrete traditions, asserting an underlying unity and allowing for an inclusive approach to other faiths. The epochal unity and diversity is not alien to the Hindu way of life; in fact, it is one of its pillars and resonates through the literature and practices of the Bharatiya culture.

This section of the book also deals with the origin of Bharat (India) as a rashtra (state) and provides insights into the political realm of the Hindu belief system. The author propounds the origin of different sects within the Hindu culture not as a departure from Hindu thought, but as a syncretic outcome of a moral and just society that thrives on inclusivity and gives space for each intellectual thread to grow and prosper. The analogy of a tree and its various branches can most aptly capture the syncretism that is indigenous to the core tenets of Hindu thought.

Hindu Way of Life: A Sustainable Model

In further chapters, the author explores the relationship between Earth and humans as envisioned in Hindu tradition, the welfare of all people, and the intellectual stimulus that originates from open discussions and dialogues (and not in closeted spaces).

Hinduism accords the status of mother to the Earth  prithvi mata. The author explores this trope and studies the close connection between humanity and Earth, and by extension highlights the importance that is given to the natural order of things in the Hindu way of life. He cites Vedic sources that postulate the spiritual tradition in Hinduism of viewing the Earth as a sacred place and not just a provider of sustenance. A Hindu celebrates this special bond with Mother Earth and considers it a divine being which is ethereal and living, simultaneously. A Hindu also celebrates the spiritual associations that are built with Earth (and its resources) as a way of life, solidifying the commitment to an equitable cohabitation with nature.

The World Is One Family

In underpinning the inherent values of welfare and auspiciousness of all, the author refers to the longstanding Hindu conviction of Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam, a phrase from an ancient Sanskrit text that translates into The World Is One Family. This ancient Hindu motto has underpinnings of a globalised thought that endorses global peace and universal brotherhood.

The author alludes to the great Indian texts of Maha Upanishad and Kautilyas Arthashastra among others, to underline the sagacity of Bharatiya culture that seeks divinity in the welfare of all humans and nature, and not just that of the self. Hindu thought undoubtedly gives the blueprint of a modern global worldview that is progressively prognostic and truly serves the collective good.

Discuss, Realise and Exist

In the last few chapters of the book, the author brings to light the vivacity of Hindu thought through the conduits of discussions, self-realisation and a comparative study of distinct religious establishments, i.e., Semitic religions and the Hindu culture.

Varun Gulati focuses on the critical underpinnings of the Hindu culture that thrive on embracing distinct discourses and lead to debate and discussions, and an eventual consensus for an ideal living. This practice is inclusive of scientific, philosophical and religious facets and strives to strike a perfect balance among diverse schools of thought. This also leads to the universality of a perspective that can be accorded the status of an ideal and moral epithet for everyone to accept, according to their own interpretations and conveniences.

The author maintains that an ideal state of existence leads to self-realisation  an eternal quest  and culminates in the attainment of spiritual awareness and ones place in the universe (brahman). He sheds light on the various schools of thought in Indian philosophy that are tasked with leading people to the ultimate eternal truth and attainment of their real self, and eventually the state of moksha. He discusses various paths such as bhakti, yajna, sacrifices and Vedic studies, that lead to this realisation.

Till this stage, the author has included in the Hindu Thought a great deal of diverse discourses from the religions that are different from Hinduism but come in the larger fold of the Hindu way of life. These include the Jains, Sikhs, Buddhists, and Bhakti Saints, among many others. This inclusion by the author is tantamount to the narrative the book is tasked with building, that the Hindu thought is all-encompassing and all-pervasive, with or without our acknowledgement. It is this thread that binds all human beings with each other and leads to the Foundation of a Moral Living.

Comparative Model for the Hindu and Semitic Religions

The book concludes with a seminal chapter titled Semitic Religions and the Hindu, outlining the fundamental distinctions that the two schools of thought hold, correcting the misinterpretation of mainstream narrative that falsely builds parallels between Western thought and the Hindu sanskriti, and highlighting the common systems of divinity that are central to almost all religions of the world.

This chapter provides analytical scrutiny, historical contextualisation, and comparative frameworks to understand the Hindu and Semitic religions in a broader aspect. The authors analysis dichotomises the core principles of Hindu and Western thought as the promotion of the highest spiritual life versus the eternal pursuit of happiness, the latter being the driving motto of the West.

A wide array of distinctions is elucidated by the author throughout the chapter when it comes to worship practices, inclusivity principles, tolerance, and other tenets of Hindu religion in contrast to Abrahamic religions. The author concludes by recognising the incessant requirement for each religion to undergo transformation with changing time, while retaining their fundamental character and philosophical structure. Hinduism, at the end, comes across as one of the best examples of doing just this.

This book is an important work for anyone who wishes to undertake a serious inquiry into understanding the historical, philosophical, cultural, and scholarly roots of the Bharatiya-Hindu tradition that has dictated the Indian way of life for aeons. The narrative of this book is entrenched in changing the Western influence on Indian intelligentsia and providing a corpus of Indian literature originating from within the Indian academia, and with an Indian lens, rather than a Eurocentric worldview.

Varun Gulati has eloquently put forth the case for mainstreaming the academic and intellectual narrative that originates from a religious and civilisational source. The book undoubtedly goes beyond augmenting Hindu thought as a foundation of moral living and cements the scholarly approach towards religion and culture in building a stronger discourse for heritage, literature, history, and other significant markers of human life.

Aakash Sharma is an English Literature major from the University of Delhi. He teaches English Literature and Language as an Assistant Professor (Guest) at Satyawati College, University of Delhi. Views expressed in the above piece are personal and solely that of the author. They do not necessarily reflect News18s views.
The Enforcement Directorate (ED) on Saturday arrested Haryana Congress MLA Surender Panwar and his son Lalit in connection with an alleged money laundering case linked to illegal mining activities in Yamunanagar district in the state.

Sources told News18 that the probe agency took over the investigation last year after the Haryana Police registered multiple FIRs against Panwar and others regarding illegal mining operations.

Earlier in January, authorities raided 20 locations associated with Panwar, former Indian National Lok Dal (INLD) legislator Dilbag Singh, and related entities across Yamunanagar, Sonipat, Mohali, Faridabad, Chandigarh, and Karnal under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA). During these raids, Singh and his associate Kulwinder Singh were arrested.

The case involves large-scale illegal mining of sand, boulders, and gravel in Yamunanagar and neighbouring districts of Haryana, allegedly implicating Singh and Panwar along with their associates.

Panwar, an MLA from Sonipat, and Singh, a former MLA from Yamunanagar, are both involved in the mining business.

The EDs investigation was initiated following multiple FIRs filed by the Haryana Police and directives from the National Green Tribunal (NGT).

During the probe, the ED uncovered illegal excavation and sale of minerals by various screening plant owners and stone crushers in Yamunanagar. The investigation revealed evasion tactics, including failure to generate proper e-Rawana bills and producing fake physical copies to avoid detection.

The federal agency also seized Rs 5.29 crore in cash, gold valued at Rs 1.89 crore, two vehicles, electronic devices, investment-related documents (both domestic and foreign), and other incriminating materials.
Just days before the Budget Session of Parliament is set to kick off  where another stormy face-off between the Opposition and treasury bench is expected  food politics has returned to the national discourse.

After a government order by the Yogi Adityanath government asking all eateries on the Kanwar Yatra route to show names of their owners sparked furore, the row over culinary diktats has now spread to other BJP-ruled states as well  Uttarakhand and Rajasthan.

All the talk of rumbling in Uttar Pradesh BJP or the NEET paper leak is being overwhelmed by shrill political reactions from not just the Opposition but also NDA allies like the JD(U) and the RLD, which have opposed the UP governments diktat. While they may have opposed the BJP, they have contributed to a growing discourse that helps the party set its own talking points.

Hence, the current food politics need to be seen holistically and not just from the prism of one state.

THREE BJP-RULED STATES JOIN HANDS

It all started with Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath on Friday ordering the installation of a nameplate of the proprietor of all eateries and restaurants on the Kanwar Yatra route across the state in a bid to maintain the purity of the faith of Kanwar pilgrims. Following the lead, Uttarakhand issued a diktat on similar guidelines of installing nameplates on boards across the Yatra route. The yatra ends at Haridwar.

Whats more? The UP CMO further stated that action will be taken against those found selling products with Halal certification, while the Uttarakhand Police warned of stringent action against those who fail to comply with the rules. To further prove the allegations of the Samajwadi Party, Bahujan Samaj Party and Congress, UP minister Kapil Dev Agarwal claimed in an interview that a section of Muslim traders sells non-vegetarian food items to pilgrims under the garb of Hindu names.

So far, it was restricted to a season. Then, came the order from Rajasthans capital Jaipur which is more than 1,000 kilometres away from the route. A new regulation on similar lines has been introduced for meat sellers in Jaipur Municipal Corporation Greater region which mandates that meat shops display Jhatka or Halal outside their shops.

Dr Saumya Gurjar, the Mayor of Greater Municipal Corporation, approved this while also prohibiting meat sellers from operating in residential areas. It is learnt that licences for meat shops will only be renewed if the establishment has a commercial lease. The municipal body is also planning a survey to ascertain the extent to which these shops can run.

To put it simply, in a matter of days, decisions in three BJP-ruled states have brought the focus back to culinary politics.

BJPS FAMILIAR DOMAIN

Food politics is a familiar domain for the saffron party. Unlike the alleged irregularities in the quota of few IAS officers, alleged NEET scams or successive rail accidents, the BJP is in a commanding position when the discourse is about culinary diktats. They have, after all, been there, and done that.

There have been several instances in the not-so-distant past where BJP has picked a bone over food. Most recently, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh raised the issue of Tejashwi Yadav eating fish with roti during his election campaigning in Bihars Jamui. He alleged the RJD leader ate fish during Navratri  nine days when some Hindus only consume vegetarian food  forcing party leader Mukesh Sahani to clarify that Yadavs act was not intended to hurt the Hindu communitys feelings and the video may have been posted later but of a time thats before Navratri.

This year, during the election, PM Narendra Modi in Udhampur referred to a video released by the Congress where Rahul Gandhi was preparing mutton along with RJD supremo Lalu Prasad. PM Modi said, Sawan ke mahine mein mutton banane ka mauj le rahe hain (In the month of Sawan, they are cooking meat and having fun). The PM alleged that both were teasing Indians and their sentiments.

This January 22, five BJP-ruled states asked food delivery service Zomato not to deliver non-vegetarian food due to the Ram Temple inauguration. Authorities passed the directive in Uttar Pradesh, Assam, Chhattisgarh, Madhya Pradesh and Rajasthan  two of which have also joined the current row over food politics.

Last year, principal of Delhi Universitys Hansraj College Rama Sharma was adamant about the decision to not serve non-vegetarian food in the hostel and canteen as it follows the philosophy of the Arya Samaj, she said.

In 2018, then BJP-ruled South Delhi Municipal Corporation proposed no non-veg food on display outside eateries. The Congress and members of the Indian Medical Association had objected to the SDMCs proposal back then.

In most cases, the BJP has been able to control the information flow, catering to its right audience, and reaping political benefits. While objection to fish in Bengal proved to be a rare counter-productive move for the party in many instances, its success rates outweighed its hiccups.

With a more confident Opposition and their unified floor strategy in place, the BJP would be more comfortable countering opposition voices raising concerns over food diktats on the floor of the House than demanding a retest of NEET or a senior ministers statement over tricky issues like alleged IAS scam.
Central deprivation, blocking of funds, and not respecting the principles of cooperative federalism will be the focal points for opposition-ruled states like West Bengal, Tamil Nadu, and Karnataka in the upcoming NITI Aayog governing council meeting on July 27.

The meeting, to be chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, is expected to witness a stormy session, with INDIA bloc chief ministers raising financial issues and allocations. The prime minister, however, is likely to speak elaborately on the Viksit Bharat agenda in the meetings post-Budget.

The opposition-ruled states are likely to express concerns about the flow of central funds, including for MGNREGA, while NDA-ruled states such as Bihar and Andhra Pradesh are expected to seek special packages for rebuilding their state finances, according to government sources.

The senior officers of NITI Aayog, however, maintained that the allocation for MGNREGA has never gone down.

The Centre allocates money for the specific scheme once the work is done. The budget allocation may look smaller than earlier but later, the allocation always increases. However, the government has made it clear that the work under MGNREGA should include asset creation and not only digging ditches, said a senior officer of the Aayog.

The Aayog, in its recommendation, has also presented the current condition of Bihars finances. The state may see a special package in the upcoming budget as part of central intervention, said another senior officer.

Central Deprivation

West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, who has skipped multiple NITI Aayog meetings earlier, has said that she would attend the upcoming meeting. She has also sought an appointment with PM Modi. Speaking to News18, a senior officer of the state said the chief minister would raise the issue of central deprivation of funds.

The state government has been raising the issues of pending central funds of around Rs 1.18 lakh crore, meant for MGNREGA payments. Apart from that, there are issues related to cooperative federalism. The chief minister may mention those as well, he added.

A senior source in the Karnataka government has expressed similar concerns. Our finance department is listing pending fund issues. The chief minister has earlier raised the issues with authorities concerned and at the right central forum. He is likely to speak over such issues again, added the officer.

A senior leader of Trinamool Congress said the leaders of INDIA bloc-ruled states have spoken about central deprivation to opposition-ruled states and they will speak about the issues together at the forum. The chief ministers of Tamil Nadu, Karnataka, Bengal and Jharkhand share similar concern, he added.
Trinamool Congress supremo Mamata Banerjee is all set to host a mega Martyrs Day rally in Kolkata on July 21 which will be attended by Samajwadi Party chief and fellow INDIA bloc leader Akhilesh Yadav.

TMC observes Martyrs Day to commemorate the sacrifice by 13 people who died in police firing during a movement demanding voter cards with photo identity in 1993. Since then, Banerjee has made it a tradition to mark the day.

As per Trinamool insiders, the rally will be on a bigger scale this time and Yadavs attendance will send across a message of unity within the INDIA bloc. Sources said the INDIA bloc is planning to proceed in full steam for which Banerjee is in constant touch with alliance partners and is expected to go to Delhi next week. This rally will also set the tone for a concerted attack on the NDA during the soon-to-begin Budget Session.

The party will also mark the day as Vijay Divas to celebrate their victory in the Lok Sabha elections. Party insiders believe this time, there will be a record crowd at the rally and all eyes will be on Mamata Banerjee and Abhishek Banerjee who was abroad for eye treatment but is back in the country now.

Political experts said Banerjees focus now is on the 2026 polls. The party will face a 15-year incumbency in 2026 due to which the chief minister is putting emphasis on good governance. She will also provide a roadmap for party workers.

Banerjee will also advice party men to shun reliance on local strongmen, given how their misdeeds tarnished the TMCs image after Lok Sabha polls.

On the other hand, the BJP will observe July 21 as Democracy Killing Day, with party leader Suvendu Adhikari saying they will burn the effigy of Trinamool leader Firhad Hakim for his controversial statement on conversion to Islam.

There is no democracy is Bengal. We will raise our voice against that. What Hakim said on Islam is not acceptable and thats why we will burn his effigy across Bengal, he said.
Nowadays, you can get from Kherson to Kyiv and back quickly and easily by train or car. But there used to be another way, namely along the Dnipro River on the Chernyshevskyi steamer, the arrival of which was captured by an amateur's camera in the capital in 1966.

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The photo was published on the page of the community spraga.info on Facebook. It shows how it looked like almost 60 years ago.

"The Chernyshevskyi steamer from Kherson arrives at the Kyiv River Station. 1966," the post reads.

The published photo shows a ship arriving at the capital's wharf. Judging by the photo, it was a wheeled (with propellers - Ed.) steamer.

Only verified information on our Telegram channel OBOZ.UA and Viber. Do not fall for fakes!

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Many people are facing issues because of fake online ticket refund scams and the IRCTC has warned everyone about these fake ads that can steal confidential information under the pretense of being an IRCTC website. People seem to be searching for ticket refunds on Google which is directing them to fake IRCTC websites which ask for their personal details and banking information.

IRCTC Fake Website Issue  What You Should Know

The Google search fraud websites issue has been around for years and even after repeated pleas the company finds it hard to tackle this menace. IRCTC has realised the severity of the issue and shared this warning through its social handles recently. To avoid falling victim to such scams, users are advised not to look for IRCTC customer care numbers through social media or search engines, the IRCTC points out about these issues.

IRCTC is used by millions to book tickets online but if there is an off chance that your train gets cancelled or you had to change the travel date, the platform lets you seek refunds. For this process, IRCTC has a proper system in place which includes contacting the body through its website/app or you can even email and call their official support number.

IRCTC Official Contact Details To Use For Ticket Refunds

IRCTC in its security memo has shared the vital details that are the best way to contact the railway agency to get ticket refunds.

-Contact Us section on the #IRCTC website or app.

-Email us at care@irctc.co.in

-Call 14646 for official support

So, the next time you plan on asking IRCTC for a train ticket refund, make sure to use these channels to contact them.
Meta has announced the expansion of Verified subscription plans on Facebook and Instagram for businesses in India. The social media giant introduced Meta Verified for businesses last year. The company said that the expanded Meta Verified business offering includes the verified badge commonly called the Blue Tick. Additionally, the subscription will offer users enhanced impersonation protection, account support, and other features to support connection and discovery.

Subscribers can select from four subscription plans of Meta Verified that can be purchased through the iOS and Android apps of Facebook, Instagram, and WhatsApp.

Businesses have an option to either purchase Meta Verified for Facebook, Instagram, or WhatsApp or do a bundled purchase for Facebook and Instagram.

The verified plans for businesses start at Rs 639 per month for a single app, going further up to Rs 21,000 per month, an introductory discounted rate for both apps.

The tech giant also offers support to its verified subscribers, which starts with access to email or chat with agents and builds on requesting a call back from the agent to dedicated case monitoring with each plan.

A Verified business subscriber can add more links in their Reels, depending on the plan or access more features, to enhance their profile on different Meta platforms.

Earlier this year, the company also announced the expansion of the trial from one subscription plan to four. It was followed up with the launch of Meta Verified for Businesses in India on its instant messaging platform WhatsApp last month.
The entire world was thrown into chaos yesterday after a massive Microsoft outage. Offices, airlines, and almost every digital service ground to a halt, plunging us into a technological nightmare on Friday, July 19. Computer screens flashed the dreaded blue screen of death, and banks, airlines, and broadcasters were suddenly offline.

Amidst this turmoil, one man, Vincent Flibustier, claimed responsibility and became an unexpected internet sensation. Posing as a new employee at CrowdStrike, the cybersecurity firm linked to the outage, he tweeted a cheeky message: First day at CrowdStrike, pushed a little update and taking the afternoon off. He accompanied it with a hilariously doctored photo of himself outside the CrowdStrike office. A few hours later, he tweeted again: Fired. Totally unfair.

Also Read: International Bluescreen Day: Microsoft Outage Opens Windows to Memes

Flibustier even updated his X (formerly Twitter) bio to match his parody. It read: Former CrowdStrike employee, fired for an unfair reason, only changed 1 line of code to optimize. Looking for a job as Sysadmin. He also appealed to X boss Elon Musk for a job. In a deadpan video confession, he recounted his supposed mishap.

First day at Crowdstrike, pushed a little update and taking the afternoon off  pic.twitter.com/bOs4qAKwu0 Vincent Flibustier (@vinceflibustier) July 19, 2024

It was my very first day on the job as a new system admin and I was very eager and excited. Lets say I actually made a small update to a line of code, optimised an update slightly a little bit, and maybe I shouldnt have. I got fired so I was called in, he explains in the video.

They called me back today, telling me that I really need to come back. It really wasnt even to congratulate me. Now, Im just waiting for my termination documentation. They told me that you should never put an update into production without testing, especially not on a Friday, and I said, Well, its not Friday; it was Thursday, and today is Friday, he added.

Vincent Flibustier is actually a writer for the Belgian parody news site Nordpresse. In another video, he revealed that his photo outside the CrowdStrike office was AI-generated and explained the psychology behind his viral success. He noted that people crave narratives that confirm their biases.

Explaining why his joke resonated so well, he said, No culprit named yet, I bring it on a platter, people like to have a culprit. The culprit seems completely stupid, he is proud of his stupidity, and he takes his afternoon off on the first day of work. This falls right into a huge buzz in which people absolutely need to have new information, and a fake is by nature new, you wont read it anywhere else.

How I broke the internet today and what lessons can we learn from it? #Crowdstrike Several things that make it a good fake that worked:1. No culprit named yet, I bring it on a platter, people like to have a culprit.2- The culprit seems completely stupid, he is proud pic.twitter.com/JFJ2MEYNMQ  Vincent Flibustier (@vinceflibustier) July 19, 2024

He also warned against taking things at face value online and the spread of misinformation, especially with the rise of generative AI. His videos, too, were translated by AI.
Until now, many are aware of the viral dating scam sweeping across India. In this cunning scheme, women befriend men and lure them to specific pubs and restaurants they are allegedly affiliated with, coercing them to splurge on pricey food and drinks. As the bill arrives, the women vanish on some pretext, leaving the men to face the music. The pub staff then strong-arm the men into paying the exorbitant bill, even resorting to violence if they refuse. Shockingly, after making waves in Delhi and Hyderabad, this scam has now surfaced in Mumbai.

Deepika Bhardwaj, a journalist and mens rights activist, recently took to X and highlighted six men who fell prey to this scheme in Mumbai. She shared compelling evidence, including bills and messages from the victims, showing a consistent pattern. One photo revealed a bill of around Rs. 32,000, while another message described a mans ordeal of being trapped and forced to shell out Rs. 43,000. Despite paying the bill and asking the woman to stay a bit longer, she made an excuse to go to the restroom and never returned.

Also Read: Pune Man Forced By Bumble Partner to Pay Rs 23,000 at Cafe in Viral Dating Scam

Another victim recounted being billed Rs. 24,000. In his words, When I said I didnt have enough money in my account to pay the bill, she said shell go out and call some friends and arrange the money. After which she left the building and messaged me saying that she was getting her periods, so she had to go home. Left alone, the man faced threats from the waiter and had to settle the bill by any means necessary.

MUMBAI DATING SCAM ALERTTHE RED ROOM ANDHERI WEST 1 club, different names, daily trapping6 victims in touch, scammed at same clubTrap laid through Tinder, HappnBill amounts of 23K, 33K, 43K@MumbaiPolice @CPMumbaiPolice @mymalishka @CMOMaharashtra@zomato pic.twitter.com/raSIt2jRHE  Deepika Narayan Bhardwaj (@DeepikaBhardwaj) July 18, 2024

Furthermore, Bhardwaj highlighted the scams modus operandi through these screenshots, underscoring the deceptive tactics used.

Take a Look:

MODUS OPERANDI :Meet via dating appPush for quick meetStory of she being make-up artist, just arrived in MumbaiCostliest drinks orderedDrinks are fake, she gulps manyGuy isnt shown menu cardBill in thousands within an hourShe absconds & then blocks pic.twitter.com/XoFJbsqDjZ  Deepika Narayan Bhardwaj (@DeepikaBhardwaj) July 18, 2024

In the midst of this, many have pointed fingers at Andheri-based The Red Room pub, accusing it of being complicit in the viral scam.

Also Read: Delhi Man Scammed By Tinder Match Who Made Him Pay This Much at a Shady Cafe

However, Hema Chowdhary, a partner of the pub, refuted these claims, telling Mid-day, The menu of my pub is expensive, for which we pay tax to the government. The price of every item is listed on the menu. Apart from the internal staff, PR teams also work for the pub, they bring in customers and take a commission on the bill. Allegations that girls from dating sites and pubs collude to dupe customers are baseless and false. The allegation of beating up a customer is false.
Russells viper is one of the most venomous snakes in the world. It is responsible for many snake bite related deaths in the Indian subcontinent regions like India, Sri Lanka, Bangladesh, Nepal and Pakistan. This year, the venomous snake was spotted in all 64 districts across Bangladesh prompting widespread fear and anxiety among residents.

As a result, people are actively hunting the snake, despite it having protection under Bangladeshs Wildlife (Conservation and Security) Act since 2012.

Professor Farid Ahsan, a major authority on snakes, told The Guardian that in 10 years from 2013 to 2023, about 10 people a year were killed due to bites from Russells vipers. This annual average has already been reached in 2024, when the year is halfway through. Most victims of the snake bite are farmers who work in dense fields. Professor Farid Ahsan thinks the rise in Russells Viper population can be related to the decline in its natural predators like eagles, mongoose, and kites population.

When bitten by Russells viper, the victim needs urgent administration of anti-venom shots. However, many rural areas do not have the anti-venom. Currently, Bangladesh imports anti-venom from India. According to The Guardian, Bangladeshs Venom Research Centre is in process of developing locally produced anti-venom that is expected to be more effective.

Due to the dire consequences of Russells viper bite, conservationists and experts are emphasising the importance of raising awareness and increasing preventive measures. It is recommended that people should keep the lights on at night so that one does not come in the way of a hidden snake. Farmers should wear rubber boots in fields and make noise with sticks or move the crops with sticks to frighten away snakes. The indiscriminate killing of Russells viper can disbalance the ecology, which will have long term negative implications.

Mahfuzur Rahman, founder of Bangladeshs Deep Ecology and Snake Conservation Foundation, told The Guardian that sensational and false information about the snake is causing panic among people. He gave an example of a viral post that claims that Russells viper chases people, when in fact it is very elusive towards humans.

The Russells viper is mostly terrestrial but can also be found in water bodies. Like most snakes, it is nocturnal, especially during hot weather and becomes active during the day in cool weather.
Delhis famous Veg Gulati Restaurant has expressed gratitude to its customers for their support after a fire broke out at the popular eatery, located in Pandara Road area near India Gate, in the early hours on July 17.

According to a Delhi Fire Services official, the fire started at 2:48 AM in the establishments dining area and quickly spread to the first floor, news agency PTI reported. Even though no one was injured in the fire, the two other nearby restaurants  Gulati Restaurant and Ichiban had to be closed as a precaution.

As per reports, four fire tenders were deployed to put out the flames, and the situation was under control within an hour. The fire damaged some furniture and other items, but no one was injured.

We rushed to the spot with five fire tenders and over 35 staffers. The fire had spread to the ground and first floor and adjacent shops. The firemen doused the fire in time and nobody was injured. At the time of the incident, there were no staffers inside. The fire was controlled in time and not much damage was reported, Atul Garg, Chief of Delhi Fire Services was quoted as saying by Hindustan Times.

Correction | Delhi | Fire broke out at Veg Gulati* restaurant and not Gulati restaurant, in Pandara Road market at 2am today; No casualties were reported in the incident pic.twitter.com/6QARSMJ1WR ANI (@ANI) July 17, 2024

When the news came out, many distraught customers flocked to social media to express their concerns.

A few hours later, the restaurant issued a statement in a social media post expressing gratitude to customers and well-wishers. The restaurant said that the incident was caused by a short circuit, and the restaurant would be closed for renovations till further notice.

Thank you for checking on us! We have been receiving various calls and messages from so many of you  our well-wishers and patrons from all over the country. We are truly humbled and grateful, the post reads.

View this post on Instagram A post shared by Gulati Restaurant (@gulati_restaurant)

According to eyewitnesses, the fire started as employees of Veg Gulati were leaving the restaurant after the days service.

Gulati Restaurant is a recognised venue for foodies in Delhi, with a loyal following. It started as a dhaba in 1959 and has since expanded into a full-service restaurant.

Veg Gulati is adjacent to the Gulatis Restaurant on Pandara Road that operates under the same brand. Both restaurants are frequently crowded, especially late at night, with customers often waiting in long queues.
Every day, some or other bizarre news leaves people shocked and baffled. Recently, a famous TV presenter left everyone surprised after he decided to study witchcraft. The former host of One Show shared that he is reading a book on dark arts and how he got attracted to these things.

Adrian Chiles was a former host of shows like One Show Daybreak and Match of the Day 2. The TV personality has recently announced that he is studying witchcraft. He had become an anti-witch after watching The Wizard of Oz. Now, he has expressed his wish to buy crystals after he saw a store in the West Midlands that specialised in witchy supplies. He is convinced that witches are a force of good, despite being scared of them in the past.

In the column for The Guardian, he claimed to have seen a strange thing on the way to Cradley Heath. He was driving his mothers car to a garage for a service and passed a shop for witches which read, Witchy Supplies. Upon seeing the signboard, he did a double take and was thankful that no one was in front of him or he would have driven into them.

Later, when he brought this up with his friends who live and work in that area looked at him funny and were surprised to hear about a witches supply shop. He wondered if he dreamed this up. But when he went to collect the car from the garage, he chose the same route again just to check if the store was still there. He claims that it was and the store name read, The Wicklow Witch. Candles, Crystals, Witchy Supplies.

He bought a book called Basic Witches and he went inside the store to shop. He further made promises to teach the reader how they can tap into their inner sorceress and channel dark arts. The curiosity got the better of Adrian Chiles as he returned to the shop and came across the witch. He questioned her about the presence of other witches in the area. He was grateful to Juliet OBrien (witch) for putting a proper perspective about witches who dont always do bad things as they fear such behaviour will come back to haunt them.

He further commented, Witches are a force only for good. Ive been reading up on them in a book I bought from Juliet called Basic Witches and Im liking what Im finding. Im going back soon to pick up some crystals, seriously.
In one of the biggest IT failures ever recorded, a worldwide technological outage on Friday brought Microsoft services to a grinding halt, impacting millions of users globally. The disruption has affected a wide range of services, including flight operations, cloud services and Office 365 apps.

The disruption has been traced back to CrowdStrike, a cybersecurity firm known for its Falcon Sensor software. CrowdStrike CEO George Kurtz appeared visibly shaken during his apology, struggling to explain the situation.

Speaking on NBCs Today TV programme hours after the outage, George Kurtz was clearly anxious and fumbled when asked how one update could create such a widespread issue. According to the company, a bug in an upgrade to Falcon Sensor, one of CrowdStrikes software products, caused massive technical problems worldwide by rigging up Windows systems.

When pressed about why there wasnt a backup system to prevent such a scenario, Kurtz struggled to provide a clear answer, needing to pause to get a sip of water to get his words out. A video of his response has gone viral on social media platform X, amassing over 2 million views.

Omg. Crowdstrike CEO starts panicking and choking on his words when the media asks him why a single content update could shut down the entire system.Look at how nervous this man is.What is he hiding? pic.twitter.com/vUE94qP7dZ Green Lives Matter (@Ultrafrog17) July 19, 2024

The caption read, Omg. Crowdstrike CEO starts panicking and choking on his words when the media asks him why a single content update could shut down the entire system. Look at how nervous this man is. What is he hiding?

In the comments section, a user stated, This is big. He knows. Hes in big trouble.

This is big. He knows. Hes in big trouble. JKash MAGA Queen (@JKash000) July 19, 2024

Another user stated, Yes he looks nervous. That update was failed risk management.

Yes he looks nervous. That update was failed risk management.  Dale Richardson (@DjsRichardson) July 19, 2024

Because is was a cyber attack and they are too embarrassed to admit it . Any update on a system can be undone in seconds, read another comment.

Because is was a cyber attack and they are too embarrassed to admit it Any update on a system can be undone in seconds TARA (@TARAJANE391) July 19, 2024

The CrowdStrike CEO later clarified that the disruption stemmed from a content upgrade, not a hack. He explained that a software defect in the update caused issues with Microsoft operating systems, leading to widespread problems.

Kurtz admitted that the company would need to go back and see what happened to understand how a single content change could cause such extensive disruptions. He stated that you will receive a response similar to this if there is an issue with the way any of these operating systems functionin this example, just a Microsoft operating system was affected.

He clarified that the upgrade was typical and a component of the businesss routine procedure to guard against security threats.
Bangladesh on Friday announced the imposition of a curfew and the deployment of military forces amid deadly unrest that has spread throughout the country and claimed the lives of over 100 people. Protesting students are demanding that the Sheikh Hasina-led government should scrap a controversial job quota system. Here are some of the top updates from the violence-marred country:

Indian Students Return

The External Affairs Ministry on Saturday said that over 780 Indian students have returned via various land ports, with an additional 200 students using regular flight services through Dhaka and Chittagong airports. The Indian High Commission is maintaining contact with over 4000 students remaining in Bangladesh, offering essential support. Assistance has also been extended to students from Nepal and Bhutan upon their request to cross into India.

Update on return of Indian Nationals in Bangladesh:https://t.co/uR41LSSc7O pic.twitter.com/GRWIWJAAiu Randhir Jaiswal (@MEAIndia) July 20, 2024

In coordination with the local authorities, measures are being taken by the High Commission and the Assistant High Commissions to facilitate safe travel to the border crossing points along the India-Bangladesh International Border. MEA is also coordinating with civil aviation, immigration, land ports and BSF authorities to ensure a smooth passage for our citizens, the MEA said in a statement.

Indian Students pursuing education in Bangladesh enter India through the Akoura Border in Agartala. Altogether 284 more people entered India on Saturday from violence-hit Bangladesh via Dawki integrated check post in Meghalayas West Jaintia Hills district, officials said.

Meanwhile, Eastern Railway CPRO Kaushik Mitra said that several trains including Kolkata-Dhaka Maitree Express, and Bandhan Express have been cancelled.

Police fire live rounds

Bangladesh police fired live rounds at protesters in the capital Dhaka on Saturday. At least one person was wounded among thousands present in the residential neighbourhood of Rampura for the demonstration, held in defiance of a government curfew imposed to contain growing civil unrest.

300 police officers injured

At least 300 Bangladeshi police officers were injured during Friday clashes with demonstrators in multiple locations around the capital Dhaka. At least 150 police officers were admitted to hospital. Another 150 were given first aid treatment, Dhaka Metropolitan Police spokesman Faruk Hossain told AFP, adding that the force had battled with hundreds of thousands of protesters.

PM Hasina Cancels Foreign Visit

Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina has cancelled plans to leave the country on Sunday for diplomatic visits to Spain and Brazil, her press secretary told AFP. She has cancelled her Spain and Brazil tours due to the prevailing situation, Nayeemul Islam Khan told AFP on Saturday.

Curfew Imposed

Hasinas press secretary Nayeemul Islam Khan told AFP that the curfew would take immediate effect. Police in the capital Dhaka earlier took the drastic step of banning all public gatherings for the day  a first since protests began  in an effort to forestall more violence. Weve banned all rallies, processions and public gatherings in Dhaka today, police chief Habibur Rahman said, adding the move was necessary to ensure public safety.

Telecommunications

The ban on all rallies and public gatherings did not stop another round of confrontations between police and protesters around the sprawling megacity of 20 million people, despite an internet shutdown. Telecommunications were also disrupted and television news channels went off the air. Authorities had cut some mobile telephone services the previous day to try to quell the unrest.

Jail Stormed

Student protesters stormed a jail in the central Bangladeshi district of Narsingdi and freed its inmates before setting the facility on fire, a police officer told AFP on condition of anonymity. I dont know the number of inmates, but it would be in the hundreds, he added. At least 52 people were killed in the capital on Friday, according to a list drawn up by the Dhaka Medical College Hospital. Police fire was the cause of more than half of the deaths reported so far this week, according to an agency report.

MEA

India on Friday described the violent protests in Bangladesh as an internal matter of Dhaka but at the same time said it was closely monitoring the situation in the context of 15,000 Indians residing in that country. The 15,000 Indians including 8,500 students are safe, External Affairs Ministry spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said at his weekly media briefing. Official sources said the Indian High Commission in Dhaka is coordinating with local authorities to provide adequate security to Indian students wishing to return to India.

Human Rights Outcry

UN human rights chief Volker Turk said the attacks on student protesters were shocking and unacceptable. There must be impartial, prompt and exhaustive investigations into these attacks, and those responsible held to account, he said in a statement. The capitals police force earlier said protesters had on Thursday torched, vandalised and carried out destructive activities on numerous police and government offices.

Among them was the Dhaka headquarters of state broadcaster Bangladesh Television, which remains offline after hundreds of incensed students stormed the premises and set fire to a building. Dhaka Metropolitan Police spokesman Faruk Hossain told AFP that officers had arrested Ruhul Kabir Rizvi Ahmed, one of the top leaders of the main opposition Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP).

Symbol of a rigged system

Near-daily marches this month have called for an end to a quota system that reserves more than half of civil service posts for specific groups, including children of veterans from the countrys 1971 liberation war against Pakistan. Critics say the scheme benefits children of pro-government groups that back Hasina, 76, who has ruled the country since 2009 and won her fourth consecutive election in January after a vote without genuine opposition.

Hasinas government is accused by rights groups of misusing state institutions to entrench its hold on power and stamp out dissent, including by the extrajudicial killing of opposition activists. Her administration this week ordered schools and universities to close indefinitely as police stepped up efforts to bring the deteriorating law and order situation under control.

Nation-scale internet shutdown

Students say they are determined to press on with protests despite Hasina giving a national address earlier this week on the now-offline state broadcaster seeking to calm the unrest. Nearly half of Bangladeshs 64 districts reported clashes on Thursday, broadcaster Independent Television reported.

London-based watchdog NetBlocks said Friday that a nation-scale internet shutdown remained in effect a day after it was imposed. Metrics show connectivity flatlining at 10% of ordinary levels, raising concerns over public safety as little news flows in or out of the country, it wrote on social media platform X.

(With agency inputs)
Israeli warplanes struck the Houthi-controlled Yemeni port of Hodeidah Saturday, a day after a drone attack by the Houthi rebels killed a civilian in Tel Aviv, both sides said.

The strikes, which triggered a raging fire and plumes of black smoke, are the first claimed by Israel in the Arabian peninsulas poorest country, some 1,800 kilometres (1,100 miles) away, analysts said.

BREAKING: YEMENI HOUTHI OFFICIAL STATEMENT ON ISRAEL BOMBING YEMEN Nasr El-Din Amer: Israeli aggression on Hodeidah Governorate and a fire in Yemen's main port. Yemen's stance with Gaza is firm and will not change, and Yemeni operations supporting Gaza will not stop. The pic.twitter.com/3ag6XUFiLn  Sulaiman Ahmed (@ShaykhSulaiman) July 20, 2024

The blood of Israeli citizens has a price, Israeli Defence Minister Yoav Gallant said after the Hodeida strikes, adding more operations against the Iran-backed Huthis would follow if they dare to attack us.

The fire that is currently burning in Hodeida, is seen across the Middle East and the significance is clear.

Just hours after Fridays strike in Tel Aviv, Gallant had vowed Israel would retaliate against the Huthis, who control swathes of Yemen, including much of its Red Sea coast.

The Israeli military said its warplanes hit military targets of the Houthi terrorist regime Saturday, a day after the drone attack claimed by the Yemeni rebels killed a civilian in Tel Aviv.

Israeli fighter jets struck military targets of the Huthi terrorist regime in the area of Hodeida port in Yemen in response to the hundreds of attacks carried out against the state of Israel in recent months, a military statement said.

The Huthis have previously claimed attacks on Israeli cities including Ashdod, Haifa and Eilat, but Fridays strike on Tel Aviv appears to have been the first to breach Israels vaunted air defences.

Brutal aggression

In a statement on social media, top Huthi official Mohammed Abdulsalam reported a brutal Israeli aggression against Yemen.

The attack targeted fuel storage facilities and a power plant in Hodeida to pressure Yemen to stop supporting Palestinians in the Gaza war, he said.

The Huthi-run health ministry said there were deaths and injuries in the Hodeida strikes, but it did not give a toll.

In a statement carried by the Huthi-run Al Masirah television, it said several people suffered serious burns.

Footage aired by Al Masirah, which AFP could not independently verify, showed a massive blaze on the seafront, with a large plume of black smoke rising into the sky.

An AFP correspondent in Hodeida reported hearing several large explosions and seeing smoke over the port.

Fuel pumps closed across the port city, a key lifeline for imports and international relief for the millions of Yemenis in need after a more than a decade of war.

Hodeida has been hard hit by a series of strikes carried out by Britain and the United States since January in response to attacks by Huthi rebels on commercial shipping in the Red Sea

The Huthis have attacked at least 88 commercial vessels since November in a campaign they say targets Israeli-linked shipping in support of the Palestinians in the Gaza war.

UN chief Antonio Guterres had appealed for maximum restraint after the Tel Aviv drone strike to avoid further escalation in the region.

But Huthi politburo member Mohammed al-Bukhaiti swiftly threatened revenge for the Hodeida strikes.

The Zionist entity will pay the price for targeting civilian facilities, and we will meet escalation with escalation, he said in a post on social media.

Hodeida port, a critical entry point for imports and international aid for Houthi-held parts of Yemen, had remained largely untouched through the decade-long war between the rebels and the internationally recognised government propped up by neighbouring Saudi Arabia.

Traders now fear that this will exacerbate the already critical food security and humanitarian situation in northern Yemen, as the majority of trade flows through this port, said Mohammed Albasha, senior Middle East analyst for the US-based Navanti Group.

He said the Israeli strikes would likely be perceived by many Yemenis as an attack on their homeland, which could bolster Huthi recruitment and funding.

Hezbollah, Hamas Fire Rockets

Hezbollah and its Palestinian ally Hamas said they launched rocket barrages at Israeli positions Saturday to avenge a strike that injured civilians in south Lebanon and the Gaza war toll.

Hezbollah has traded near-daily fire with Israeli forces in support of Hamas since the Palestinian militant groups October 7 attack on southern Israel triggered war in the Gaza Strip.

Earlier Saturday, Lebanons state-run National News Agency said Syrian nationals, including children, had been injured after an enemy drone targeted an empty four-wheel drive near their tent, less than four kilometres from the border.

Doctor Mouenes Kalakesh who heads the Marjayoun government hospital said a woman and her three children, two of them minors, had been admitted for shrapnel injuries after the strike outside Burj al-Muluk.

Among them was an 11-year-old boy in critical condition after he sustained shrapnel injuries and a head wound, Kalakesh told AFP.

Hezbollah said it launched dozens of Katyusha rockets on Dafna, an area in Israels north that the group said it was targeting for the first time, in response to the attack on civilians.

On Wednesday, Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah had warned his Iran-backed group would hit new targets in Israel if more civilians were killed in Israeli strikes.

Later Saturday, Hamass armed wing, the Ezzedine Al-Qassam Brigades, said they fired a rocket salvo from south Lebanon towards an Israeli military position in the Upper Galilee in response to the Zionist massacres against civilians in the Gaza Strip.

The Israeli army said a total of 45 projectiles had been fired from Lebanon Saturday afternoon, towards the occupied Golan Heights and the Galilee, reporting no casualties.

The army said it struck the launcher in southern Lebanon from which the projectiles were launched toward the Golan Heights, also targeting an additional Hezbollah launcher.

On Thursday, Israeli strikes killed at least five people, including the commander of a Hamas-allied group in Lebanon, militant groups and a security source said.

On Tuesday, Lebanese official media said separate Israeli strikes in south Lebanon killed five Syrians, three of them children, with Hezbollah announcing rocket fire at Israel in retaliation.

The violence since October has killed at least 515 people in Lebanon, according to an AFP tally.

Most of the dead have been fighters, but they have included at least 104 civilians.

On the Israeli side, 18 soldiers and 13 civilians have been killed, according to Israeli authorities.
On the night of Friday to Saturday, July 20, Russian occupation forces shelled Poltava region, causing hits and damage to civilian infrastructure. During the night attack, the occupiers also targeted Kyiv, and the wreckage of a downed kamikaze drone was seen falling in one of the capital's districts.

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This was reported by the head of the Poltava Regional Military Administration Filip Pronin and the head of the Kyiv City Military Administration Serhiy Popko. And in Sumy region, the invaders attacked a power facility, the RMA said.

Thus, according to the KMA, Kyiv came under drone attack at night. Debris was recorded falling in one of the city's districts.

"As a result of tonight's air attack on Kyiv by a UAV in the Solomyanskyi district of the capital, certain fragments of an enemy drone were preliminarily recorded falling. The information is being verified. At the moment, there is no information on damage or casualties," Popko said at 05:58.

A hit was recorded in Poltava region. According to Pronin, it occurred in Poltava district, and information about the victims was being clarified at the time of reporting.

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In addition, civilian infrastructure was damaged in Myrhorod district as a result of the aggressor's attack. According to preliminary information, there were no casualties.

"Do not ignore the air raid alarms! Be sure to stay in shelters at this time. Take care of yourself and your loved ones," the RMA urged.

According to the Ukrainian Air Force, an enemy missile was also flying in the direction of Poltava region through Kharkiv region during the air raid.

The military also reported a group of Shahed UAVs in the direction of Myrhorod and one enemy attack drone near Poltava. Air defense forces were shooting them down, explosions were heard.

Meanwhile, in Sumy region, Russians hit an energy facility.

"On the night of July 20, the enemy attacked the energy infrastructure facility in Konotop district using a Shahed UAV. All necessary services are working at the site. Emergency repair work is underway," the statement said.

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The Sumy Regional Military Administration added that one of the Russian drones was destroyed by air defense forces.

As reported, on November 19, Russian occupation forces shelled the Velykopysarivska community of the Okhtyrka district in the Sumy region. The invaders killed one civilian and injured another.

Only verified information is available on our Telegram channel OBOZ.UA and Viber. Do not fall for fakes!
US Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump on Friday said that he had a very good call with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and pledged to end the war pitting Kyiv against Moscow through negotiations. Zelenskyy also reported his conversation with Trump and expressed thanks for US military aid.

Trump has said he will end the war in Ukraine before he even takes office in January should he win the November election. He has also said that had he been in office when the Kremlin sent troops into Ukraine in February 2022, the war would not have taken place.

President Zelenskyy of Ukraine and I had a very good phone call earlier today. He congratulated me on a very successful Republican National Convention and becoming the Republican nominee for President of the United States.He condemned the heinous assassination attempt last  Donald J. Trump Posts From His Truth Social (@TrumpDailyPosts) July 19, 2024

Peace to the world

In his Truth Social post, Trump said that as president he will bring peace to the world and end the war that has cost so many lives. Both sides will be able to come together and negotiate a deal that ends the violence and paves a path forward to prosperity, Trump said. Though Trump has put forward few tangible policy proposals, he told Reuters in an interview last year that Ukraine might have to cede some territory to reach a peace agreement.

In his post, Zelenskyy said he congratulated Trump on becoming the Republican nominee and condemned the assassination attempt on him last week. I wished him strength and absolute safety in the future, Zelenskyy said. I noted the vital bipartisan and bicameral American support for protecting our nations freedom and independence.

I spoke with @realDonaldTrump to congratulate him on the Republican nomination and condemn the shocking assassination attempt in Pennsylvania. I wished him strength and absolute safety in the future.I noted the vital bipartisan and bicameral American support for protecting our  Volodymyr Zelenskyy /   (@ZelenskyyUa) July 19, 2024

Ukraine, he said, will always be grateful to the United States for its help in strengthening our ability to resist Russian terror. Russian attacks on our cities and villages continue every day. Zelenskyy rejects any negotiations with Russia on ending the conflict as long as Russian troops remain in Ukraine.

The Ukrainian president has proposed a peace plan, showcased again at a world summit last month to which Russia was not invited, that calls for the withdrawal of Russian troops and the restoration of Ukraines 1991 post-Soviet borders. Russian troops occupy about 20% of Ukrainian territory. Moscows forces have made incremental gains in the east of the country along the 1,000-km front since capturing the key city of Avdiivka in February.

(With agency inputs)
Global airlines, banks, healthcare and financial institutions were thrown into the abyss on Friday by one of the biggest IT crashes caused by an update to an antivirus program. Hundreds of flights were cancelled and operators struggled to keep services on track after an update to a program operating on Microsoft Windows crashed systems worldwide. Following are the top updates:

Global outage underlined the vulnerability of interconnected technologies on a global scale. Companies faced challenges with backlogs of delayed flights, medical appointments, and missed orders following the outage.

CrowdStrike, a major cybersecurity firm, triggered the disruptions affecting critical services like healthcare and banking. The incident prompted questions about the concentration of cybersecurity control among a few key companies.CrowdStrike CEO acknowledged the impact on customers and pledged to resolve the issue swiftly.

Stock markets reacted sharply to the outage, with CrowdStrike shares plummeting while rivals like SentinelOne and Palo Alto Networks saw gains.The scale of the outage, primarily affecting systems using CrowdStrike software, raised significant cybersecurity concerns.

The US Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency noted malicious activities exploiting the outage for phishing attacks. US Customs and Border Protection and international ministries reported processing delays due to the IT disruptions. Analysts emphasised the complexity and vulnerability of global computing systems exposed by the incident.

Air travel was severely impacted with thousands of flights canceled globally, causing extensive delays. Airlines worldwide, including Delta, struggled with disruptions in flight operations and passenger processing. Airports implemented manual check-ins, exacerbating delays and inconvenience for travelers.

Several airports in India, including Bengaluru, Mumbai, and Hyderabad, encountered issues with issuing boarding passes as IndiGo flights experienced cancellations and rescheduling. Airlines indicated that while departures and arrivals were gradually resuming, delays continued to affect operations.

Banks and financial services firms alerted customers about disruptions in transaction processing. Traders experienced difficulties executing transactions amidst the IT outage and market volatility. Insurers braced for potential business interruption claims arising from the widespread disruptions.

US healthcare providers reported outages affecting critical operations such as patient portals and call centers. Hospitals like Mass General Brigham in Boston prioritized urgent cases while managing operational challenges. In Britain, medical booking systems and major broadcasters like Sky News were offline due to the IT crash.

As the day progressed, companies like Spanish airport operator Aena and U.S. carriers United and American Airlines reported restoration of normal services.Australias Commonwealth Bank also resumed operations, signaling gradual recovery from the global IT disruption. US Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg expressed optimism that transportation systems would stabilise by the weekend.

Analysts and cybersecurity experts highlighted the need for improved contingency plans to mitigate future IT outages. The incident underscored the critical role of cybersecurity in safeguarding global networks against disruptions.Industry leaders emphasized the imperative of diversifying and strengthening cybersecurity measures.

From fearmongering about a looming World War III to false narratives linking a cabal of global elite to a cyberattack, a torrent of online conspiracy theories took off Friday after a major IT crash. The proliferation of internet-breaking conspiracy theories on social media platforms  many of which have removed guardrails that once contained the spread of misinformation  illustrates the new normal of information chaos after a major world event.
The Indian embassy in Sweden and Latvia Saturday said that they are in touch with authorities in Latvia after a report of an Indian student drowning to death in a canal emerged.

Embassy is in regular contact with Latvian authorities regarding the unfortunate incident of suspected drowning of an Indian student in RigaWe remain in touch with the family and will continue to extend all possible help  India in Sweden & Latvia (@IndiainSweden) July 20, 2024

The Embassy is in regular contact with Latvian authorities regarding the unfortunate incident of suspected drowning of an Indian student in Riga. We remain in touch with the family and will continue to extend all possible help, the embassy said in a statement.

Latvian news website lsm.lv said the student who died is from Kerala and is named Albin Shinto. It said that the incident happened on July 18 citing his friend and eyewitness Arhik Haries, who told the news outlet that he and Albin and five friends swam in the canal.

He told the news outlet that two of his friends were almost able to pull him out of the water but ultimately failed to save him.

A passing fisherman then helped the four others save themselves.

Haries told the outlet that cops along with divers were quick to arrive at the scene and searched the waters for two to three hours.

They, however, could not find the body and said search will resume on Monday due to lack of resources.
US law enforcement officials have revealed that Thomas Matthew Crooks, the man who attempted to assassinate former President Donald Trump at a campaign rally in Butler, Pennsylvania, had flown a drone over the event grounds earlier that day.

Crooks, 20, conducted surveillance at the Butler Farm Show fairgrounds on July 13, before Trumps appearance, The Wall Street Journal reported. Officials indicated that Crooks had meticulously planned the attack, starting his research on July 3, shortly after the event was announced. He reportedly registered for the rally on July 7 and visited the site days later to scope it out.

One in a million shot

The fatal shot that ended Crooks attempt was described as a one in a million shot, Fox News reported, citing an insider familiar with the probe. The report said that a Secret Service counter-sniper, hindered by the roofs lip, managed to hit Crooks with a single shot. However, the local tactical team missed their target. Crooks was observed pacing next to a warehouse building as a crowd gathered for Trumps rally.

When approached by officers, Crooks was spotted belly-crawling on the roof. As one officer climbed up, Crooks, armed with an AR-15-style rifle, turned towards him. The officer retreated, prompting Crooks to fire several shots at Trump from about 400 feet away. Trump was grazed on the ear, an audience member was killed, and two others were injured before Secret Service snipers fatally shot Crooks.

This account, based on interviews with over two dozen individuals including law enforcement, school associates, and witnesses, provides insight into the first attempted U.S. presidential assassination since 1981. Days after the attempt, details of the moments preceding the shooting emerged, yet Crooks motives remain unclear.

Security measures at the event have sparked debate, with claims that buildings within potential firing range of Trump should have been under continuous surveillance by the US Secret Service. Local authorities, however, refute claims of inadequate security, citing their limited role in the event.
As people across the world tried to find a fix (and someone to blame) for their Windows computer freezing in front by throwing up a Blue Screen of Death error message, Vincent Flibustier, who claimed to be a new hiring at CrowdStrike, released a video on social media taking all the blame.

Flibustier first shared a photo of himself inside what appeared to be a meeting room at CrowdStrike  an American cybersecurity technology company. The photo, released on X, contained the caption  First day at Crowdstrike, pushed a little update and taking the afternoon off.

First day at Crowdstrike, pushed a little update and taking the afternoon off  pic.twitter.com/bOs4qAKwu0 Vincent Flibustier (@vinceflibustier) July 19, 2024

Meanwhile, as businesses and people struggled to find a fix to their errant Windows systems, news media outlets reported that an update to an antivirus program Falcon Sensor by CrowdStrike caused the global outage. People struggled to understand how such an error occurred and who were the people behind it.

Meanwhile, Flibustier, amid this global commotion, changed his X bio to: Former Crowdstrike employee, fired for an unfair reason, only changed 1 line of code to optimize. Looking for a job as Sysadmin.

Some Pendejo wants me dead. pic.twitter.com/IYh5JKLhTe Vincent Flibustier (@vinceflibustier) July 20, 2024

He then went on to release an update where he claimed responsibility for the global outage.

How I broke the internet today and what lessons can we learn from it? #Crowdstrike Several things that make it a good fake that worked: 1. No culprit named yet, I bring it on a platter, people like to have a culprit.2- The culprit seems completely stupid, he is proud pic.twitter.com/JFJ2MEYNMQ  Vincent Flibustier (@vinceflibustier) July 19, 2024

Flibustiers first photo has already gone viral and the view counter beneath the video shared on X was raking in thousands of views.

However, this was all a joke by Flibustier or a satirical take on the global event.

Flibustier, a satirical writer who runs Nordpresse, a Belgian parody news site, had developed this plan to show that people are drawn to stories that confirm their preconceptions, as he explained later during an appearance on a news show at French broadcaster FranceTV.

He was also proved right. Many on social media and the Internet blamed Vincent Flibustier for the global outage. There were some who pointed out that there was something off with the photos shared by the satirical writer before he went viral but no one was paying heed to those developments as people looked to find a reason why such a global tech outage had occurred.

The sceptical, eagle-eyed observers found out that the first photo may have been made using AI-generated images. Flibustiers headspace and (baby) hands appeared to be off on a second look suddenly for millions of people on social media after it was highlighted.

The photo has nearly 4 lakh likes and has been shared by over 36,000 users.

No culprit named yet, I bring it on a platter, people like to have a culprit. The culprit seems completely stupid, he is proud of his stupidity, he takes his afternoon off on the first day of work, he said while speaking to panellists at FranceTV.

He even had threat messages sent to him.

This falls right into a huge buzz in which people absolutely need to have new information, and a fake is by nature new, you wont read it anywhere else, he further added.

A faulty software update caused technological havoc worldwide on Friday, grounding flights, knocking down some financial companies and news outlets, and disrupting hospitals, small businesses and government offices.

The trouble was sparked by an update issued by cybersecurity firm CrowdStrike and only affected its customers running Microsoft Windows, the worlds most popular operating system for personal computers. It was not the result of hacking or a cyberattack, according to CrowdStrike, which apologised and rolled out fixes.

CrowdStrikes CEO said some of their systems will require time-consuming manual fixes. Thousands of flights were cancelled and tens of thousands were delayed, leading to long lines at airports in the US, Europe, Asia and Latin America.

Media outlets, courts, motor vehicles departments, unemployment agencies, emergency call centres and other offices in the West were impacted.
Two color guards and color bearers of the Japanese-American 442nd Combat Team stand at attention while their citations are read. They are standing on ground of Bruyeres, France, where many of their comrades fell.
Another 12 Ukrainian children were returned to the government-controlled territory of Ukraine. Together with their families, the little Ukrainians lived in the temporarily occupied territories of Donetsk, Zaporizhzhia and Kherson regions.

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The children and adults who were rescued from the occupation spoke about the arbitrariness of the invaders, the Russian propaganda machine in the TOT and even torture. Dmytro Lubinets, the Ukrainian Parliament Commissioner for Human Rights, provided details.

"We managed to return 12 Ukrainian children to their homeland! The children and their families lived in the TOT - in Donetsk, Zaporizhzhia and Kherson regions. Fortunately, they are now on the territory controlled by Ukraine. Each family experienced the chaos caused by the occupation "authorities" in their own way," the Commissioner noted.

According to him, almost every family that returned to the government-controlled territory was forced to obtain Russian passports. To ensure "passportization," the occupiers deprived Ukrainians who renounce the citizenship of the aggressor state of any rights. They cannot enjoy any social guarantees or medical care.

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"Doctors do not even accept children with birth defects who need careful attention. However, parents are offered to send their children for 'rehabilitation', which is often deportation or forced displacement. Some children had to attend 'Russian schools' where they actively brainwashed about the 'Russian world'," Lubinets emphasized.

He also told the stories of people who managed to leave the occupation. They claim that in the occupied territories of Ukraine, the invaders also resort to physical abuse of Ukrainians.

"According to the returnees, the Russians detain, beat, torture with electricity, exert psychological pressure on adults, and interrogate children without their parents' presence and also use torture methods in the TOT. They also regularly conduct unreasonable searches in the homes of locals," Lubinets said.

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He said that he was personally impressed by the story of one of the boys who left the occupied territory. The child wanted to live in the free territory of Ukraine because "he wants to become a Ukrainian savior and get an education in a dream higher education institution."

"It was the feeling of disempowerment, limitation, and the realization of what the future holds for children that prompted the families to leave for the government-controlled territory. The families have already visited our Child Protection Center. They were interviewed by a competent multifunctional team that recorded the crimes they witnessed or were victims of," the Commissioner said.

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He assured that the state is waiting for the return of every Ukrainian and will provide basic humanitarian, medical, psychological, social and other necessary assistance.

At the same time, Lubinets urged that in case of a missing child, one should report not only by calling 102, but also to the Office of the Human Rights Commissioner.

This can be done by calling the hotline numbers:

0 800 50 17 20 - within Ukraine,

044 299 74 08 - for calls from abroad.

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You can also send a message to [email protected].

Earlier, Lubinets spoke about the conditions of detention of captured marines in Russia. He emphasized that Russia is extremely reluctant to return the defenders of Mariupol as they need them for public trials. Therefore, it is extremely difficult to rescue those who defended this city.

Only verified information is available on our Telegram channel OBOZ.UA and Viber . Do not fall for fakes!
Longtime US Rep. Sheila Jackson Lee of Texas, who helped lead federal efforts to protect women from domestic violence and recognize Juneteenth as a national holiday, has died. She was 74, reports the AP . Lillie Conley, her chief of staff, confirmed that Jackson Lee, who had pancreatic cancer , died in Houston Friday night with her family around her. The Democrat had represented her Houston-based district and the nation's fourth-largest city since 1995. She had previously had breast cancer and announced the pancreatic cancer diagnosis on June 2. "The road ahead will not be easy, but I stand in faith that God will strengthen me," Jackson Lee said in a statement then. Bishop James Dixon, a longtime friend in Houston who visited Jackson Lee earlier this week, said he will remember her as a fighter.

"She was just a rare, rare jewel of a person who relentlessly gave everything she had to make sure others had what they needed," he said. Jackson Lee had just been elected to the Houston district once represented by Barbara Jordan, the first Black woman elected to Congress from a Southern state since Reconstruction, when she was immediately placed on the high-profile House Judiciary Committee in 1995. "They just saw me, I guess through my profile, through Barbara Jordan's work," Jackson Lee told the Houston Chronicle in 2022. "I thought it was an honor because they assumed I was going to be the person they needed."

Jackson Lee quickly established herself as fierce advocate for women and minorities, and a leader for House Democrats on many social justice issues, from policing reform to reparations for descendants of enslaved people. She led the first rewrite of the Violence Against Women Act in nearly a decade, which included protections for Native American, transgender, and immigrant women. Jackson Lee was also among the lead lawmakers behind the effort in 2021 to have Juneteenth recognized.

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Top congressional Democrats praised her commitment and work ethic. Rep. James Clyburn of South Carolina called her "a tenacious advocate for civil rights and a tireless fighter, improving the lives of her constituents." Rep. Jamie Raskin of Maryland said he had never known a harder-working lawmaker, saying she "studied every bill and every amendment with exactitude and then told Texas and America exactly where she stood."

(More Sheila Jackson-Lee stories.)
On a weekend in which he was rumored to be taking his name off the top of the ticket, the New York Times reports that President Biden is recovering from COVID at his beach house in Rehoboth, Delaware, and there's likely some fist-shaking going on in the general direction of top Democrats. Using terms like "fuming" and "increasingly resentful," the Times paints a picture of a sitting president in an unprecedented situation: Facing a quietly orchestrated mutiny from party leaders including his old boss, Barack Obama, as well as Nancy Pelosi, Chuck Schumer, and Hakeem Jeffries, with less than a month until the Democratic National Convention.

Biden particularly blames Pelosi for the efforts to get him to step aside, reports the Times, citing sources close to Biden, but is also increasingly bitter toward Obama, who he sees as quietly pulling strings in the background and not doing anything to help his campaign. But while Biden has staunchly maintained that he's sticking the course, in private, sources say he's discussing how and when to bow out.

One factor in the timing of any decision is a Wednesday visit by Israeli PM Benjamin Netanyahu to address Congress. Without a ceasefire in place in Gaza, Netanyahu "will humiliate Biden," Barbara Slavin, a fellow at think tank Stimson Center, tells DW. "It is an act of incredible chutzpahnerve for him to show his face in Washington." For now, Biden campaign chair Jen O'Malley Dillon tells Business Insider in a statement: "You have heard from the President directly time and again: He is in this race to win, and he is our nominee, and he's going to be our President for a second term." (More President Biden 2024 stories.)
The Israeli military said Saturday it has struck several Houthi targets in western Yemen following a fatal drone attack by the rebel group in Tel Aviv the previous day. The Israeli strikes appeared to be the first on Yemeni soil since the Israel-Hamas war began in October, the AP reports. A number of military targets were hit in the western port city of Hodeidah, a Houthi stronghold, the Israeli army said, adding that its attack was "in response to the hundreds of attacks carried out against the state of Israel in recent months."

Houthi spokesman Mohammed Abdulsalam posted on X that Yemen was subjected to "blatant Israeli aggression" that targeted fuel storage facilities and the province's power station. He said the attacks aim "to increase the suffering of the people and to pressure Yemen to stop supporting Gaza." Abdulsalam said the attacks will only make the people of Yemen and its armed forces more determined to support Gaza. Mohamed Ali al-Houthi of the Supreme Political Council in Yemen wrote on X that "there will be impactful strikes." A media outlet controlled by Houthi rebels in Yemen, Al-Masirah TV, said the strikes on storage facilities for oil and diesel at the port and on the local electricity company caused deaths and injuries.

Health officials in Yemen said the strikes killed a number of people and injured others. The drone attack by Houthi rebels killed one person in the center of Tel Aviv and wounded at least 10 near the US Embassy early Friday. Virtually all projectiles fired from the southern Arabian country toward Israel have been intercepted, per the AP. Israel said that air defenses detected the drone on Friday but that an "error" occurred and "there was no interception." Since January, US and British forces have been striking targets in Yemen in response to the Houthis' attacks on commercial shipping, which the rebels described as retaliation for Israel's actions in the war in Gaza. However, many of the ships targeted are not linked to Israel.

(More Israel-Hamas war stories.)
Donald Trump went back on the campaign trail Saturday, in his first rally since the attempt on his life in Pennsylvania. The Michigan event also marked his first appearance outside the Republican National Convention with JD Vance, the running mate crowned by the delegates this week in Milwaukee. Trump mocked the opposition party's chaos over whether President Biden will stay on the Democratic ticket, the Washington Post reports, asking the Grand Rapids crowd its choice for his opponent: Vice President Kamala Harris, Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer, or the incumbent. Biden won the voice vote. Other campaign developments involve:
TDT | Manama

The Daily Tribune - www.newsofbahrain.com

His Majesty King Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa, participated Today in the coronation ceremony of His Majesty Sultan Ibrahim, son of the late Sultan Iskandar, King of the brotherly nation of Malaysia. This event, held at Istana Negara in the Malaysian capital of Kuala Lumpur, was in response to an invitation from Sultan Ibrahim.

Upon arrival at the Balai Rong Seri of Istana Negara, His Majesty the King was welcomed by Mr Anwar Ibrahim, Prime Minister of Malaysia, who greeted him with the Bahraini royal anthem played by the musical band.

Subsequently, His Majesty met with the King of Malaysia, who warmly received him. His Majesty extended heartfelt congratulations to the Malaysian King, expressing his best wishes for continued health, happiness, and success in his royal duties, contributing to Malaysia's progress and the well-being of its people.

His Majesty praised the strong and historic ties between Bahrain and Malaysia and the mutual strive to strengthening and expanding these relations across all fields. He reaffirmed his enduring interest in advancing close cooperation and joint efforts with Malaysia, serving the interests of both nations and fulfilling the aspirations of their peoples.
TDT | Manama

The Daily Tribune - www.newsofbahrain.com

Report by Ashen Tharaka

Bahrain Airport Company (BAC) confirmed yesterday that all technical systems at Bahrain International Airport (BIA) are fully operational and unaffected by the global technical issue.

BAC reassured passengers that the disruptions seen, including flight cancellations, delays, and rescheduling, are due to external factors and not related to BIAs technical infrastructure.

In light of the global issue, BAC has been proactively monitoring the situation and collaborating closely with relevant authorities to implement any necessary precautionary measures.

Meanwhile, Bahrains Ministry of Foreign affairs issued a statement yesterday advising passengers to check the status of their flights with their respective airlines before arriving at the airport.

Widespread Disruptions

The Daily Tribune reached out to regional Artificial Intelligence expert and executive, Jassim Haji, to understand the technical situation behind this global issue.

According to Haji, a widespread computer outage has caused chaos across various sectors worldwide, including airlines, banks, media outlets, and other major companies.

The issue, which began on Thursday, has resulted in flight cancellations, TV stations going offline, and disruptions to banking services. Windows PCs unexpectedly displayed the infamous blue screen of death error, rendering them unusable and causing significant operational problems for businesses globally.

Haji explained that the root cause of this massive disruption appears to be a faulty cybersecurity update from Crowdstrike, a prominent cybersecurity company.

The problematic update led to Windows-based systems crashing, highlighting the delicate nature of software updates and the potential for widespread consequences when security measures fail.

The outage seems to have originated from a combination of factors. The problematic cybersecurity update was pushed out to numerous systems, which then encountered critical errors upon attempting to restart or update.

Additionally, issues with Microsofts cloud services, particularly Microsoft 365 and Azure, compounded the problem for many organizations relying on these platforms for their daily operations.

Far-Reaching Impact

In the aviation sector, at least three major US airlines  Delta, United, and American  were forced to ground hundreds of flights, affecting an estimated 100,000 passengers.

Over 20 international airports reported significant disruptions. Financial institutions, including Visa, Mastercard, and at least six national banks, reported issues affecting millions of customer transactions.

Media outlets like Sky News in the UK, with its 107 million monthly viewers, faced broadcasting difficulties.

Train operators across three countries experienced problems with their information systems, affecting over 1 million commuters.

Impact on Middle East

An outage of this magnitude could have severe implications for the Middle East, given the regions increasing reliance on digital technologies.

Critical infrastructure such as oil and gas facilities, financial services, and transportation networks could face significant disruptions.

The regions major airlines and airports, which serve as global hubs, would likely experience chaos similar to what was seen in other parts of the world.

Additionally, government services and healthcare systems that depend on digital platforms could be severely impacted, potentially affecting millions of people across the region.

Actions

Microsoft has gradually fixed the problem affecting access to its 365 apps and services. They worked on rerouting impacted traffic to alternate systems to alleviate the impact more quickly.

Crowdstrike has identified the issue with their update and has rolled it back, though affected computers still require manual intervention to resolve the issues.

Severe consequences

Meanwhile, Yaqoob Al-Awadhi, CEO of NGN Integrated Information Systems, confirmed that Bahrain had largely escaped the severe consequences of the recent Crowd Strike cybersecurity flaw that has disrupted systems and devices connected to the Internet worldwide.

Despite the global scale of the incident, Bahrains government services, companies, institutions, and individuals have not experienced the extensive damage seen in other countries and cities.

Al-Awadhi highlighted that Bahrains resilience amidst the crisis underscores the countrys pioneering role in digital transformation and its robust integration into the international information and communications community.

This global imbalance reaffirms the significance of Bahrains proactive cybersecurity measures and advanced technical solutions, Al-Awadhi stated.

Preparedness

The Crowd Strike defect has affected numerous systems globally, but Bahrains preparedness has minimised its impact.

The incident has highlighted the effectiveness of the countrys cybersecurity initiatives and the advanced measures in place to ensure operational continuity during emergencies.

However, Al-Awadhi emphasised the need for a thorough examination of the flaw to enhance Bahrains cyber defenses across public and private sectors, as well as for individuals.
DT News: Does the ministry have any plans to benefit from or recycle the excavated rainwater? Eng. Khalaf: The storm water is usually discharged in the sea and other areas. We had attempted to inject it in the under- ground water in a couple of sites across the Kingdom. But recycling also is only done if strict rules are followed. The Supreme Council for the Environment had some environ- mental reservations in regards to this process as they had some concerns over water pollution suspicions, hence the processes were stopped and further discussions are in progress. But, we utilise it in irrigation purposes. We have more work and effort to be implemented in the field of rainwater drainage and recycling. Yet, we have managed to considerably reduce the negative effects of this issue on the public by taking the necessary precautionary measures and procedures ahead of the rainy season. The ministry has offered more tenders to provide tanks and containers to excavate the excessive water from roads and public areas. We have also upgraded the vacuum tankers and provided them with additional pumps to accelerate the process of excavating the water, thats in addition to installing pumps at vital areas and roads to move the water to open areas and ensure that the daily life isnt affected. DT News: What are the main challenges the ministry is facing in tackling the rainwater flooding issue? Eng. Khalaf: One of the biggest challenges we face during the rainy seasons is the uncivil behaviour of some people who remove the covers of sewage manholes and allow the rainwa- ter to enter and mix with the sewerage network. This is a grave matter as such behaviour disrupts and dam- ages the networks. The rainwater, with all its sediments, damages the pumps and other equipment of the sewerage network. This results in the rebound of the sewerage inside homes and other facilities. Such cases were reported recently, as the pumps were damaged and unable to move the sewer- age to the treatment plant. We repeatedly warn the public of the dangerous effects of such behaviours by raising more awareness on the matter through different platforms. Its noteworthy that we have also fulfilled all the requests that were received by municipal councils from citizens this year to install rainwater roof coatings to prevent any leakages inside homes, especially those belonging to the limited and medium income citizens.

DT News: What are the efforts taken to reduce the increasing traffic congestions on the Kingdoms roads? Eng. Khalaf: The infrastructure and urban growth is notice- ably expanding in the country. The growing economy and the numbers of construction permits being issued is also rising. Of course all of these factors increase the pace of transporta- tion, reflected in the growing numbers of vehicles on the roads. In Bahrain, we have an annual growth in traffic movement of five to seven percent. The ministry is working on developing a network of strategic roads and a number of big projects are underway. Theyre mostly funded either through the state budget or the GCC Marshall Plan. The in-hand projects are worth around USD1.2 billion, but they require time to be completed. For this reason, as directed by the Crown Prince, Deputy Supreme Commander and First Deputy Prime Minister HRH Prince Salman bin Hamad Al Khalifa, the ministry has adopted a plan to implement smaller projects that have a visible impact on the alleviation of the traffic congestions issue. We have commenced executing these projects on several stages. The first stage includes 11 projects to open new entries, exits and intersections. Eight of them were recently completed in all four governorates. This plan received a positive interac- tion from motorists as it effectively contributed to the reduc- tion of traffic jams. The second stage of the plan will include 16 projects that will be soon announced. DT News: As we speak about traffic jams, what is the work progress of the much-anticipated fourth bridge connecting Manama and Muharraq? Eng. Khalaf: This is one of the most prominent projects being currently implemented by the ministry and is financed by the GCC Marshall Plan. It is part of the Muharraq Ring Road project and connects the northern parts of the Capital, Bahrain Bay and Busaiteen reaching to Diyar Al Muharraq. We have set a budget of USD250 million for the project. Tenders have been offered for the reclamation process and its currently in the evaluation phase. We are hoping that the tender for the construction process would be offered by the first half of 2018. A state-of-the-art design has been approved by the Prime Minister HRH Prince Khalifa bin Salman Al Khalifa. The project would be ready by the year 2020.

The evening themed Yaadein: A Walk Down The Memory Lane, was a grand show in which students of Class XI presented a variety of cultural programmes along with interesting games. The Grade XII students shared their anecdotes of the time spent in school with the juniors and their beloved teachers. It was a nostalgic moment, the memories of which will be cherished for a lifetime.

















Winners will compete for a total prize money of Rs 300,000.

EXEED understands the personalized needs of consumers in the new era. Taking advantage of human wisdom and embracing the concept of cloud co-creation, the brand has launched a co-creation programme. The programme brings together Stellar owners, motor enthusiasts and cross-border professionals to build cars in the hope of gathering everyones wisdom and strength to create smarter models for the market. The programme will create a better future both for EXEED and for the owners. Relying on Cherys 24-year R & D efforts, five global R & D centres and its supplier system comprised of Fortune 500 companies, EXEED will adhere to the domestic innovation to meet the expectations of users for independent high-end brands. Based on the deep insights into the future travel trends, EXEED boasts the 4F product development concept, which includes free hand, free range, free space, and free life. Stellar, the first model built based on this concept, represents EXEEDs understanding and vision of smart travel in the future. Born for the future Created based on 4F concept for product development, Stellar will realize peoples thoughts of intelligent mobility. It is named Yao Guang in Chinese after the first star of the Big Dipper in ancient China, which helped people distinguish directions and determine seasons.

The Chinese name represents that EXEED will stick with the spirit of the Big Dipper and keep moving forward fearlessly. The design of Stellar is inspired by the links of constellations in the universe. The links between constellations are considered a great breakthrough made by human beings in the effort to observe and explore the starry sky. The imaginary links display romantic aesthetics as well as the spirit of exploration.

The new design will also set the trend of future EXEED products. In addition to the new design, Stellar features high efficiency and low fuel consumption as a result of its GDI engine and super four-wheel drive. The model boasts Level 4 automatic driving and supports FOTA updates for various modules, such as DMC and EMS, allowing for vehicle customization. Furthermore, users can switch between various driving modes freely, such as meeting, entertainment, and gaming. Stellar can be regarded as the first step EXEED has taken in aiming for the future travel market, representing the brands judgment and thinking on future automotive technologies.

We would have gone for seconds but by then, we were saving room for dessert. On the dessert display were churros with chocolate sauce, vanilla cream filled profiteroles, brownies, mille-feuille and a beautiful flan. There was a decadent, tall ten layer chocolate cake as well. The pastry chefs at the hotel really do a great job in preparing and presenting delicious desserts. The churros were irresistible and I may have lost count of how many I had. The vanilla profiteroles were filled with luscious vanilla cream and dipped in white chocolate. They were lip smacking. What we appreciate about the menu at Salero is that every dish is prepared with utmost respect to the flavor of the main ingredient while staying true to authentic Spanish flavors. The live music and exhilarating performance, the delectable meal and friendliness of the staff makes you leave with a smile on your face. Plan your weekend today and head on right over to Salero for their Saturday lunch buffet that will leave you feeling happy and satisfied. If you visit the restaurant this Saturday, you might meet the man behind it all- Chef Jordi Bataller who will be visiting Bahrain this weekend. Salero is open for brunch every Saturday from 1pm-5pm. For reservations, call 17171300 or WhatsApp 33502110.
Absolute world heavyweight champion Oleksandr Usyk (22-0, 14 KOs) spent the last few days before returning to Ukraine with his family in a Spanish resort. Upon returning home, his wife Kateryna posted a small photo shoot taken on the beach in Marbella.

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In the picture, the 37-year-old woman poses in a black swimsuit against a background of stones and coastal greenery.

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As OBOZ.UA reported, a few days ago Oleksandr Usyk showed Kateryna in short shorts and a T-shirt.

In early 2024, the Usyk family gave birth to their second daughter, who was named Maria. The girl weighed 5 kg at birth and was 58 cm tall. In addition to their first daughter, Yelyzaveta (born in 2010), the couple has two sons, Kyrylo (2013) and Mykhailo (2015).

OBOZ.UA offers its readers to admire other photos of Kateryna Usyk.

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On May 18, in Riyadh, Usyk defeated British WBC titleholder Tyson Fury (34-1-1, 24 KOs) to become the first-ever absolute champion in the heavyweight division in the four-belt era.

Only verified information on our Telegram channel OBOZ.UA and Viber. Don't fall for fakes!
The World IoT Top 500 Summit 2024 is held in Beijing on July 19, 2024. [Photo courtesy of the World Internet of Things Convention]

The World IoT Top 500 Summit 2024, a key event of the World Internet of Things Convention (WIOTC), was held in Beijing on July 19, unveiling a list of the industry's leading companies.



Huawei topped the list this year, with Haier Group returning to the top 10. Newcomers like Origin Quantum joined, while Qualcomm, Microsoft, CASIC, IBM, Siemens and Intel maintained leading positions.

The World IoT Ranking List Top 500, now in its eighth year, has become a leading global indicator of IoT and digital economy innovation, recognizing digital economy enterprises worldwide, according to He Xuming, chairman of the WIOTC executive committee.

The summit, themed "An Intelligently Interconnected World for A Win-Win Future," focused on promoting innovation in the IoT industry. Organizers said the event aimed to boost cooperation between governments and businesses while recognizing top performers in IoT and digital technology.

Attendees included government officials, ambassadors, diplomats, representatives from international organizations, and business associations from over 40 countries, including China, France, South Africa, Pakistan, Malta, Nepal, Portugal and Turkiye.

He emphasized in his keynote speech that advanced IoT technologies are accelerating global connectivity and industrial transformation.

According to GSMA Intelligence, IoT connections will reach almost 25 billion globally by 2025, up from 10.3 billion in 2018.

In China alone, IoT connections are estimated to exceed 3 billion, with a growth rate of over 30%, according to He.

He said communication technologies supporting the IoT economy are advancing rapidly, moving from 5G to 6G, as well as Starlink and quantum networks. This change is creating new forms of connectivity and boosting productivity in China through new networks, economic models and market systems.

The chairman called for accelerating the digital economy's transformation and upgrading, urging countries to collaboratively build a global IoT digital economy market. He emphasized the need for innovative cooperation to bridge global divides and achieve a win-win future.

Khalil-ur-Rahman Hashmi, Pakistan's ambassador to China, underscored the summit's theme, highlighting the importance of information technology in connecting nations and businesses.

"Emerging digital technologies, including big data, artificial intelligence, and the Internet of Things, have revolutionized the way we work and live," said Hashmi. "This revolution is ushering in a new era, creating a digitally connected and interconnected world. Thanks to these cutting-edge technologies, we are witnessing a global digital landscape characterized by unprecedented levels of data generation and analysis."

Hashmi said he hopes for more cooperation between Pakistan and China in the IT sector, noting China's rapid technological progress.

The 2024 World IoT Top 500 Ranking List is released in Beijing on July 19, 2024. [Photo courtesy of the World Internet of Things Convention]

Zhang Hua, vice chairman of the WIOTC executive committee, announced that the next World IoT Convention will be held from Nov. 3-5 in Beijing. The event will feature the release of the world's first Global Intelligent Connectivity Digital Economy White Paper, providing strategic insights for the innovative development of the IoT digital economy.
On the evening of July 19, at 17:13, the enemy shelled a residential area of Mykolaiv with an X-59 missile. As of the morning of July 20, it became known that the number of victims of the Russian attack had increased to 4 people.

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This was reported by the mayor of the city, Oleksandr Sienkevych, on Telegram. Unfortunately, one of the victims died in the hospital from his injuries.

"Unfortunately, it became known that a man died in hospital. My condolences to his family and friends. As of now, there are already four dead due to the Russian arrival, including a child," Sienkevych said.

Since early morning, public utilities have been working to eliminate the consequences of yesterday's attack on the residential sector in Mykolaiv. They are also distributing the necessary materials to close the broken windows and doors.

"This is just another act of Russian terrorism. Only a Russian terrorist can shell a residential sector when people are leaving work," emphasized the mayor.

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Earlier, it was reported that three people were killed - a 13-year-old boy and two women aged 53 and 63.

During the attack, a blast wave and missile fragments damaged nine apartment buildings, a preschool and private cars.

24 people were injured, including four children. Nine adults and two children received outpatient medical care, and two more adults and two children were treated in medical facilities. On the morning of July 20, it became known that one of the victims, who was in the hospital, died.

In addition, according to the head of the Mykolaiv Regional Military Administration, Vitaliy Kim, on July 19 at 17:15, the Mishkovo-Pohorilivska community of Mykolaiv region was under missile attack. A hangar on the territory of a farm was damaged, and dry grass caught fire. Firefighters quickly extinguished it. There were no casualties.

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Earlier, it was reported that Russian troops attacked Kharkiv region on the night of July 20. A number of settlements came under enemy shelling, fires broke out at the sites of hits, and infrastructure, administrative buildings, warehouses, a granary, and more than 50 residential buildings were damaged.

As a reminder, on the night of July 20, Russia attacked Ukraine with drones and missiles: five regions were targeted, and there were reports of attacks on infrastructure.

Only verified information is available on our Telegram channel OBOZ.UA and Viber . Do not fall for fakes!
A teacher at Mount Carmel Guild Academy in West Orange, a private school for special needs students, has been charged with assaulting an 11-year-old student in April, Essex County Prosecutor Theodore N. Stephens announced Friday.

The teacher, Jaron Spicer, 32, of Bayonne was charged with second-degree endangering the welfare of a child and simple assault, which is a disorderly persons offense.

The incident allegedly occurred around April 18, but wasnt reported until April 22, when the boys mother went to the West Orange Police Department and reported that her son was assaulted by a teacher at school, authorities said.

Detectives from the Essex County Prosecutors Office and West Orange Police Department investigated the mothers allegations and eventually charged the teacher, officials said.

Spicer was arrested on July 16 and released after appearing in Essex County Central Judicial Processing Court, authorities said. He was ordered to have no contact with the student and must periodically check in with the court, according to officials.

An attorney for Spicer was not able to be reached Friday night.

Mount Carmel Guild Academy serves students with learning and developmental disabilities from pre-K through high school, and also transition programs from 18-21 years old.

The school did not immediately return a request for comment Friday night.

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Matthew Enuco may be reached at Menuco@njadvancemedia.com. Follow Matt on X
Authorities in Passaic County are investigating a fatal shooting from early Saturday morning after police found a man in his car who was shot in the head, county Prosecutor Camelia M. Valdes said.

Clifton police were called to the area of Lakeview Avenue and Merselis Avenue at 12:19 a.m. Saturday after receiving a report of gunfire, officials said.

Police said they found a deceased man with a gunshot wound to the head inside his car, a small SUV. They did not release the victims name, age or hometown.

The investigation is active and ongoing, and anyone with information about the shooting is asked to contact the Passaic County Prosecutors Office tip line at 1-877-370-PCPO or at Tips@passaiccountynj.org.

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Can Americans still have a sensible and friendly political discussion across the partisan divide? The answer is yes, and we prove it every week. Julie Roginsky, a Democrat, and Mike DuHaime, a Republican, are consultants who have worked on opposite teams for their entire careers yet have remained friends. Here, they discuss the weeks events with deputy editorial page editor Dave DAlessandro.

Q. Sen. Bob Menendez has been found guilty of 16 charges, a verdict that could send him to prison for the rest of his life. So the saga of a New Jersey powerhouse and former chair of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee has likely ended: What lessons should we draw from the dramatic arc and spectacular crash of this political career?

Mike: The lesson for elected officials is, dont take cash or gold in return for official action or influence. Perhaps the political lesson is to get rid of someone who is corrupt politically rather than waiting for the federal government to intercede. Every Democratic county chair and elected official in this state knew Bob Menendez was corrupt when they lined up behind him in 2018. They knew it. He had been investigated multiple times, indicted, and barely survived a mistrial. He wasnt guilty, but there was zero belief he was the best person to represent NJ in the US Senate.

Mike: For partisan purposes only, they lined up behind a very suspect guy and set out to crush Bob Hugin, a successful businessman and honorable, generous citizen of this great state. Hugin would never have embarrassed our state. He is a center-right conservative who would have worked with moderate Democrats across the aisle. He is a good man, but the editorial boards and the Democratic party instead, for partisan gain only, lined up behind someone who is now a stain upon our state. The Democratic party wears this indictment because there was zero surprise that this all eventually caught up to him.

Julie: This whole episode is incredibly sad. Sen. Menendez has been an effective senator for New Jersey and a trailblazer for the Latino community. Its really a shame that he threw that all away  a shame for him and his family and a shame for the state, which has benefitted from his service.

The corruption evidence against New Jersey Sen. Robert Menendez is staggering...and hilarious. @jonstewart pic.twitter.com/vZRmrNBRjH  The Daily Show (@TheDailyShow) May 17, 2024

Q. If or when Menendez resigns or is expelled from the Senate, do you expect Gov. Murphy to appoint Andy Kim to the vacant seat, if only to generate momentum before the November election against Curtis Bashaw? Would appointing anyone else make sense? Does the governor have other options, such as his wife?

Mike: Let the voters decide. No more inside jobs. The last time a Democratic governor appointed a US Senator who was running for the seat to give him an advantage, it was, guess who? Wait for it. Bob Menendez. Dont do it. Gov. Kean and Gov. Christie had the same opportunity and instead of trying to give their party an advantage, they picked statesmen like former Attorney General Jeff Chiesa, a placeholder who would serve the state honorably until the voters could decide in the next election. There is no shortage of good options to serve this state without trying to appoint Kim for partisan gain.

Julie: The governor has the option of appointing anyone he wants: himself, his wife, anyone meeting the constitutional requirement of being at least thirty years old, a US citizen and a resident of New Jersey. But the right thing to do would be to appoint Andy Kim, who overwhelmingly won the Democratic nomination for Senate and who would get a leg up on seniority ahead of his colleagues in the class of 2025. The state would benefit from having a senator with increased seniority, which would lead to Kim would more quickly chairing a committee and more effectively bringing federal funding back home. If the governor cares about what is good for New Jersey, Kim is the only option.

Q. Its been nearly a week since the assassination attempt on Donald Trump in Butler, Pa., where one man was killed and two others wounded, and the subject of violent rhetoric seems likely to hover over the campaign until Election Day. Politically, how have the two parties used this tragic event?

Mike: This still remains to be seen. There have been some actors within both parties who have blamed each other, but many, in both parties, have been mature, condemning violence and slowing down the over-the-top rhetoric. The most important player on this will be Trump. Will he change at all? Will he try to unite? His stump speeches going forward will be the most telling about where we go as a country.

I was at the Republican National Convention yesterday. At the end of a press conference on behalf of the DNC and Biden campaign, I had some thoughts to share. pic.twitter.com/2CnXetHZEf  Cory Booker (@CoryBooker) July 17, 2024

Julie: I actually dont think this event will have much of an effect on the election. MAGA acolytes already thought of Trump as a Christlike figure, a martyr who suffers for their sins. This is only going to reinforce that notion. The rest of us would vote for anyone else before voting for him. I am eagerly awaiting the press to demand that Trump release a medical report about this incident, since an AR-15 grazing someones ear would likely lead to serious damage. So far, for some reason, Trump continues to get a pass on this most basic of asks, even as the media clamors for medical information from Biden every time he clears his throat.

Im pleased to announce the launch of the Anti-Psychopath Political Action Committee.



Because its time to start talking about what should be the number one issue in the 2024 presidential election.



Join the conversation at @PsychoPAC24 and at https://t.co/7Jw8lgMa2q. pic.twitter.com/vCL8dayVA8  George Conway (@gtconway3d) July 18, 2024

Q. The anti-Joe Biden bandwagon still has momentum, not only in the polls, but at the highest echelons of Democratic leadership, with Chuck Schumer, Nancy Pelosi, and Hakeem Jeffries all reportedly telling the president that he cant win and that hes a drag on other candidates. Is this finally the tipping point? If not, what does this say about Biden?

Mike: Almost any Democratic candidate would have a better chance than Biden does right now. Democrats feared this 18 months ago but were afraid to challenge him. They should have, and now are stuck while he makes his decision.

Julie: I am getting pretty fed up with this narrative. Either these leaders have the courage to publicly demand that Biden step down or everyone who is sniping on background to reporters needs to shut up and get behind our nominee. Time is running short and we need to focus on what is important, which is defeating Donald Trump. I will vote for Joe Biden, Kamala Harris, Gretchen Whitmer, Gavin Newsom, Josh Shapiro, Phil Murphy, a Ficus plant  anyone who will stop this existential threat to our republic. I think it is best if the president were to end his campaign but if he is really dug in, lets get behind him and focus on the task at hand. Winter is coming. Lets stop with the internecine warfare.

Q. Trump chose freshman Senator JD Vance of Ohio as his running mate. Whats the rationale behind this choice, and what does he bring to the ticket?

Mike: The rationale is three-fold. First, JD Vance is half Trumps age, and less than half of Bidens age. Second, Vance shares Trumps populist views on domestic issues and isolationist views on foreign policy, so this cements Trumps legacy from a policy point of view in a very different way than Mike Pence. And third, Vance gets working class voters in the Rust Belt. He came from very little, raised by his grandmother, joined the Marines, went to Law School, made it big in business, and got elected to the US Senate in his 30s. He will connect to the working-class swing voters in Pennsylvania, Michigan and Wisconsin in a way most politicians simply cant. I will be surprised if he leaves those three states for the next four months.

Today is not just some isolated incident.



The central premise of the Biden campaign is that President Donald Trump is an authoritarian fascist who must be stopped at all costs.



That rhetoric led directly to President Trump's attempted assassination.  JD Vance (@JDVance) July 14, 2024

Julie: Trump wants to win on his own terms, which is as the unapologetic leader of the MAGA movement. Vance is the apotheosis of MAGA  a grifter who does not believe in anything other than himself. He once called Trump an American Hitler and likened him to heroin, before he realized that bending the knee would advance his own career.

JD Vance has pledged he would do what Mike Pence wouldnt - overturn an election and illegally seize power. He says the president can ignore the rulings of our courts. He would capitulate to Russia and sacrifice the freedom of our allies in Ukraine. The Trump GOP is no longer the https://t.co/l0O64J3pSj  Liz Cheney (@Liz_Cheney) July 16, 2024

Julie: This is a man who thinks women should stay in violent marriages for the sake of their kids, who wants a national abortion ban, who kowtows to Vladimir Putin and who will throw the Pax America out the window. He has repeatedly praised Project 2025, which will effectively end American democracy. Within moments of it happening on Saturday and without a shred of evidence, he blamed Democrats for the attempted assassination of Trump. He brings divisiveness, cynicism, and cruelty to the ticket  which already had a healthy dose of it with Trump.

Q. Rep. Josh Gottheimer picked up two big endorsements for governor last week from some Hudson County heavies, State Sen. Brian Stack and County executive Craig Guy. He already had three Hudson mayors, including Albio Sires, in his corner. How big a setback is this for the Steve Fulop campaign?

Mike: Its a setback for any candidate who isnt Gottheimer. Every candidate knew these major players were up for grabs. Sen. Stack once again showed his importance this past congressional primary. He delivers. Obviously, this doesnt look great for Fulop when he is mayor of the countys largest city, but this race is so wide open right now that its not just about him. This isnt a binary race. It is a race of addition, and this was a big addition for Gottheimer.

Julie: Fulop and Gottheimer are running two different campaigns (although Gottheimer is, of course, not an announced candidate yet). Fulop appears to have made the calculus that he can build his own organization and not rely on existing organizations to get over the finish line. I suspect that he is trying to emulate Andy Kims insurgent campaign against Tammy Murphy. It remains to be seen if that model can be replicated in a gubernatorial election and whether he can effectively message that his opponents are the same poke in the eye to voters that Tammy turned out to be.

Julie: Gottheimer seems to believe that party organizations still have organizing strength and the ability to deliver votes, even without the party line. That is particularly true in northern Hudson County and especially in Union City, where Senator Brian Stack has never needed the county line to turn out his voters. Fulop and Gottheimer are running very different races, and that is before you take into account the campaigns other candidates are running, which are also unique. It will be interesting to see which model prevails.

The political establishment was against us when I ran for Council (we won), the political establishment in the entire state was against us when I ran for mayor (we won), they will try to stop us when we run for governor and we will win. We will change NJ - Join us and volunteer pic.twitter.com/c2kzKouLXw  Steven Fulop (@StevenFulop) July 18, 2024

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Whether its Republicans storming the Capitol on January 6 or a Republican trying to shoot Donald Trump on July 13, both sides have a violence problem.  New York Times Pitchbot (@DougJBalloon) July 14, 2024

A note to readers: Mike and Julie are deeply engaged in politics and commercial advocacy in New Jersey, so both have connections to many players discussed in this column. DuHaime, the founder of MAD Global, has worked for Chris Christie, Rudy Giuliani, John McCain, and President George W. Bush and is currently consulting Senate candidate Curtis Bashaw. Roginsky, a principal of Comprehensive Communications Group, has served as senior advisor to campaigns of Cory Booker, Frank Lautenberg, and Phil Murphy. We will disclose specific connections only when readers might otherwise be misled.
On the night of July 20, the Russians launched another attack on Ukraine. Sumy region, in particular, came under fire, and there are reports of hits.

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In Konotop district, the invaders hit an energy facility, and emergency services are working at the site. This was reported by the Sumy Regional Military Administration.

"On the night of July 20, the enemy attacked the energy infrastructure facility in Konotop district using a Shahed UAV. All necessary services are working at the site. Emergency repair work is underway," the statement said.

It is not known how many kamikaze drones the invaders used to attack the region that night. However, at least one Shahed, according to the Sumy Regional Military Administration, was destroyed by air defense forces over the region.

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"The consequences of the enemy attack are being eliminated. Take care of yourselves and your families and do not ignore air raid alarms," the regional administration said.

Earlier, it was reported that on the night of July 20, Russia attacked Ukraine with drones and missiles.

In addition to Sumy region, Poltava region also suffered: civilian infrastructure was hit there. In Kyiv, however, drones was shot down, but the wreckage fell in one of the capital's districts. As of 6 a.m., information on the consequences and possible victims was being clarified.

Only verified information is available on our Telegram channel OBOZ.UA and Viber . Do not fall for fakes!
Sarah Longwell, a former Republican campaign strategist who is the founder of Republicans Voters Against Trump, revealed the results of her groups latest focus groups on the tumultuous presidential campaign.

With the Democrats deciding whether President Joe Biden should stay in the race against GOP nominee Donald Trump or withdraw  as many loyal Democratic voters voice concerns about Bidens age and ability to serve four more years  the party is looking at possible options.

Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer, Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro and California Gov. Gavin Newsom top the list.

Longwells group offers a raw look at how voters are feeling. On Saturday, in a tweet thread, she laid out what voters are saying:

Ive conducted 14 focus groups since the debate, Longwell tweeted. Some top lines from the swing voter groups: Almost ALL want Biden to step aside. They dont think he can do the job for four more years.

They have a negative impression of Kamala Harris, but its an impression, not locked in. Mainly dont know what she does.

The preferences for an alternative are all over the map. But Whitmer/Shapiro/Newsom are the top picks. Basically they just want someone younger.

(Were talking to a lot of swing state voters, so there are a disproportionate number of PA/MI voters in the groups, so less surprising to hear Whitmer and Shapiro from those folks)

They mostly still HATE Trump. They dont want to vote for him (though some will). But they dont feel like its responsible to vote for Biden in his diminished state. They are despondent over these choices. Many talking about leaving the top of the ticket blank.

They were shocked by Bidens performance at the debate, despite already thinking he was too old for the job. The word frail is used often. Many talk about their own parents and grandparents stubbornly clinging to the car keys. They think its insane hes running again

We also did three groups of Black Dems and they were much more inclined toward Biden staying. They worried it was too late to make a change. However, they were also incredibly pragmatic. They have one goal and one goal only, beating Trump. Whoever could do that they were for.

The most alarming groups for Dems are the ones weve done with Clinton/Biden votersregular Dem voters who are now undecided. Those groups also wanted Biden to step aside, and several people were third-party curious or talking about leaving by the top of the ticket blank.

After some backlash on Twitter that she was smearing Biden and kneecapping the effort to beat Trump, Longwell responded:

I would lose my credibility if I didnt honestly report what I was hearing from voters in focus groups. Its not a smear campaign to tell the truth. These regular voters are not my beltway media pals. I want to defeat Trump. Thats why I listen to voters.

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A number of U.S. senators from the Republican and Democratic parties have called for the White House to lift restrictions on the use of long-range U.S. weapons by the Ukrainian Defense Forces. They believe that so far, Washington's support for Kyiv has not been decisive enough and this needs to be corrected.

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This was reported by the Voice of America. The journalists write that the call of the Ukrainian authorities was supported, in particular, by Democratic Senator Chris Coons of Delaware, Republican Senator Dan Sullivan of Alaska, and Republican Senator John Cornyn of Texas.

They answered in the affirmative to the host's question about whether they believe it is necessary to lift the restrictions on the Armed Forces of Ukraine to strike with American weapons at military targets of the occupiers in Russia.

"If so, would you like to encourage them to do so?" the moderator asked.

"Yes. Yes. Yes," all three senators answered.

They recalled that Washington has been providing significant support to Ukraine, but that all the important weapons have been delivered to the Ukrainian Defense Forces with a delay, sometimes even years.

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"The way this war has been conducted on our side has not been so great. For every single weapon system that the Ukrainians have asked for, and the list is really long  HIMARS, Javelin, Stinger, Patriots, Abrams tanks, ATACMS, F-16s  every time they've asked for it, the Biden administration has delayed delivering it to them for months, even years," Sullivan said.

He added that he does not understand the US concerns that giving Ukraine the necessary weapons could "provoke" Russian dictator Putin, as he has already invaded the country.

"Just imagine what would have happened if we had given them all these weapons at the beginning of the war, how different that war would have been from the current one," Sullivan emphasized.

Earlier, Pentagon spokeswoman Sabrina Singh said that after the NATO summit, the US position on allowing the use of ATACMS missiles to strike deep into Russia had not changed. At the same time, she emphasized that the Ukrainian Defense Forces have other long-range weapons for such strikes, which were not transferred by Washington.

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As reported by OBOZ.UA, Mykhailo Podolyak, an adviser to the head of the Presidential Administration, explained that by the phrase "strikes deep into Russia," Ukraine does not mean a demonstration of single explosions in Russia, but the systematic destruction of Russian air bases and military production facilities. The right strategy involves weakening the aggressor country in three ways.

Only verified information is available on our Telegram channel OBOZ.UA and Viber. Do not fall for fakes!
The word negotiation is still regarded with some suspicion among Ukrainian citizens. It had been put in a drawer and the key thrown away during months of resistance and counterattack against the Russian invasion. Nor was it on the governments lips on a daily basis. But two and a half years after the start of the war it is beginning to sound, even if it does so as the final stage of a process in which President Volodymyr Zelenskiy has fully immersed himself. The Ukrainian leader, together with his cabinet, led by Andrii Yermak, and the diplomatic work of his foreign minister, Dmytro Kuleba, wants to accelerate the next stages marked on his road map prior to the holding of a second peace summit, with possible Russian representation, foreseeably before the end of the year.

If this plan succeeds, negotiations will inevitably follow. It is a difficult puzzle to complete at a complicated moment for the Ukrainian army, which is under great pressure in the Donetsk sector, and a citizenry which is perhaps not on the same page as the government: according to a survey carried out by the Razumkov Center, only 44% of Ukrainians believe that the time has come to negotiate. 61% would not give in on anything that, a priori, Russia demands, such as the ceding of territory, with 84% unwilling to hand over the occupied provinces to Moscow. Furthermore, 51% said a minimum condition for dialogue is the restoration of Ukraines borders to their 1991 limits, a red rag to the Kremlin. Sixty-six percent said they believed a military victory is still possible.

After several international meetings at ministerial or advisory level on security issues in Copenhagen, Jeddah, Malta and at Davos, Zelenskiys objective for this year, at least publicly, was to achieve the peace summit held on June 15-16 in Burgenstock (Switzerland). And he succeeded. The communique, currently with 87 signatures of support, envisaged progress on three of the 10 points of the Ukrainian presidents peace plan (the so-called Zelenskiy Formula): energy security  including regaining control of the Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant  food security and, finally, the exchange of prisoners and the return of Ukrainian children held by the Russian authorities.

In Switzerland, Zelenskiy went one step further and expressed his desire to organize a second meeting later this year to make progress towards a just peace. Out of the corner of its eye, Kyiv is watching the rise in the polls of Republican candidate Donald Trump and his running mate on the ticket, J. D. Vance, who is opposed to maintaining aid to Ukraine. At a press conference last Monday, Zelenskiy laid out the steps prior to a new conference, a road map that includes a meeting in July or early August in Qatar to discuss energy; another in August, to be held in Turkey, regarding free access to trade in grain through the waters of the Black Sea, and a third meeting in Canada in September on the return of prisoners of war and minors deported to Russia.

If there is success on those three points, the president has asked his team to have a plan ready by November (presidential election month in the United States) with the rest of his peace formula, with a view to holding a second summit, with an extra stipulation: I think that representatives of Russia should attend, Zelenskiy said on Monday. It would be at this hypothetical meeting that the withdrawal of Russian troops and the cessation of hostilities would be discussed.

This diplomatic framework is exposed, however, to what happens on the front lines. Unfortunately, Serhii Kuzan, president of the Ukrainian Center for Cooperation and Security (USCC), notes in an exchange of messages that the country is currently not in the best position to start negotiations. Today, Russia holds the initiative on the battlefield. Kuzan, a former advisor to the Ukrainian Defense Ministry, believes, however, that there will be changes in the fall as the potential of the Russian summer campaign begins to fade. Russia is now at the peak of its capabilities, the analyst continues. While Western partners, on the contrary, are opening factories in Ukraine, providing additional assistance, and [Kyivs] own defense industrial complex is gaining capacity.

There are light and dark sides to the first part of the plan outlined by Zelenskiy. Although Ukrainian society has shown its resilience during the Russian offensive on the countrys energy infrastructure, the damage to the sector has been enormous. Since March, Moscow has been shelling the electricity system, both thermal plants  essential after the reduction of nuclear power flow in the occupied territories  or simple substations. According to recent estimates by Ukrainian officials for the Financial Times, Ukraine generates half the power it did before the invasion. The damage to the countrys economy and the power cuts suffered by citizens are taking their toll.

Also in the realm of the chiaroscuro is the return of the military personnel captured by the enemy and of the children forcibly deported to Russia. Since May alone, Ukraine has recovered 259 soldiers in three batches. Russia has obtained the same number of prisoners of war in exchange. Military exchanges are progressing at a good pace, while only 388 of the 20,000 children identified by the government as having been transferred to occupied territory or directly to Russia have been returned.

Thanks to the pressure maintained in the Black Sea, through bombardments and sea drones launched against the Russian fleet, Kyivs cargo ships have been able to return to the Bosphorus and are regaining pre-2022 Ukrainian grain export levels.

One of the 95 Ukrainian prisoners of war exchanged on July 17, in a photograph released by President Zelenskiy. UKRAINIAN PRESIDENT ZELENSKY TEL (EFE)

Even if these points of Zelenskiys plan come to fruition, it would, barring a huge surprise, be met with the Kremlins flat refusal to attend the peace summit. Russias participation is not only desirable for Kyiv; at the Switzerland meeting, powers such as China and Brazil, currently very relevant for the Ukrainian government, did not attend, alleging the absence of envoys from Moscow. A few hours before the Burgenstock summit got underway, Russian President Vladimir Putin laid out as conditions for initiating talks the recognition of the provinces of Donetsk, Luhansk, Zaporizhzhia and Kherson (none of which are completely controlled by the Russian army) as Russian territory, as well as the demilitarization of Ukraine and the blocking of its bid to join NATO. These three red lines would amount, according to the Institute for the Study of War, to a request for capitulation. On July 12, Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Mikhail Galuzin insisted that Moscow would not be present at a second round of peace talks and called the Zelenskiy Formula an ultimatum and a dead end.

There is a lack of understanding and constructive attitude on the part of the Russians, notes Serhii Kuzan of the USCC. They are not guided by the basic principles of negotiations but rather pose ultimatums that cannot be met on capitulation or surrender of territories. Ukraine talks about a step-by-step solution to this military problem, and the Russians speak the language of manipulation in various forms to legalize the illegal occupation of Ukrainian territories, to have sanctions removed, and to stop arms supplies to Ukraine. They want to gain time to wait for a change in the political situation in Europe and in the world, to attack even more with new forces. They hope that the world will get tired of what they call the Ukrainian crisis.

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North Molton Primary School has been awarded the prestigious SILVER Space Education Quality Mark, in recognition of its excellent work compared nationally.

UK schools and colleges receive the Space Education Quality Mark when they can show that they have significantly used the context of space in subjects, have worked with other organisations, shared resources and used space to enrich the curriculum.

The Space Education Quality Mark was created by ESERO-UK, which supports the space sector and teachers to open doors for young people from all backgrounds, by delivering inspiring world-class teaching in science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) subjects.

Alex Brown, STEM Support Programme Manager at STEM Learning, said: We are delighted to congratulate North Molton Primary School on receiving the SILVER Space Education Quality Mark. Each school and college who receives the Space Education Mark has demonstrated a real and ongoing commitment to excellent STEM education in their school. North Molton Primary School is a great example of this.

Sharon Turney, Science Lead at North Molton Primary School added: We were initially introduced to Jo Richardson from Space Detectives by Mr Boddington who is the owner of The Poltimore Inn, North Molton. Mr Boddington has two grandchildren who attend North Molton Primary School and he has supported the implementation of Space Education within our school.

The Poltimore Inn has its own observatory and hosts many Dark Skies events over the year for astronomers and stargazers within the Dark Sky Reserve on the edge of Exmoor. The school has made changes to the curriculum to ensure Space Education is integrated across areas such as science, geography, art, English and Maths.

We celebrate Space Week every autumn with a range of exciting activities and live events, together with visitors coming into the school to run workshops with the children. There are also after school clubs to encourage children to share their love and enthusiasm for Space.

It has been a real achievement and we are so proud to receive the Silver Space Education Quality Award - we are one of the first schools in North Devon to achieve this.
The only surprise in the guilty verdict against Evan Gershkovich, a Wall Street Journal correspondent who was arrested in Russia last year on phony charges of espionage, was that it came so quickly. The charge itself was a farce. No evidence was ever made public, the hearings were held in secret, and Mr. Gershkovichs lawyers were barred from saying anything in public about the case.

Mr. Gershkovichs arrest, trial and conviction all serve President Vladimir Putins goal of silencing any honest reporting from inside Russia about the invasion of Ukraine and of making Russians even warier of speaking with any foreigner about the war.

Independent Russian news outlets have been almost entirely shut down and their journalists imprisoned or forced to leave the country, so foreign correspondents are among the few remaining sources of independent reporting from inside Russia. Mr. Gershkovichs last published article before his arrest, on March 29, 2023, was headlined Russias Economy Is Starting to Come Undone  just the sort of vital independent journalism that challenges Mr. Putins claims of a strong and vibrant Russia fighting a just war.

Russian prosecutors claimed that Mr. Gershkovich, acting on instructions from Washington, used painstaking conspiratorial methods to obtain secret information about Uralvagonzavod, a Russian weapons factory near Yekaterinburg, where he was arrested and tried.
In One Image The Candidate By Haiyun Jiang

It was just days after the assassination attempt.

A bandage covered former President Donald J. Trumps wounded ear as he raised his fist in the air, just as he did after he was shot.

Secret Service agents were on high alert as they scanned the crowd.

Below him, some delegates appeared to respond emotionally to Mr. Trumps appearance, as they celebrated his nomination and his mere presence in the convention hall.

The campaign updated its Make America Great Again slogan, to Make America Great Once Again, a nod to Mr. Trumps perceived success during his first administration and his possible return to office.

The campaign agenda was abundantly clear with signs reading Back the Blue, Stop Bidens Border Bloodbath and Mass Deportation Now seen among conventioneers on night two.
It was all going so well.

The delegates in front of former President Trump were euphoric. The fake White House gleamed behind him. Everyone there, from the show runners to Hulk Hogan to Melania Trump, had nailed their role in a glitzy production aimed at returning Trump to the real Oval Office.

Well, almost everyone.

Id better finish strong, Trump said, nearly 45 minutes into his acceptance speech. Otherwise, well blow it, and we cant let that happen.

More than forty-six minutes later, when he finally finished a winding speech that grew heavy with grievance, it was clear that the person most likely to stop him from becoming the 47th president, the person most likely to blow it, was Trump himself. He couldnt help it.

Until then, the four-day spectacle that unfolded in Milwaukee had been a smooth celebration of the rise and astonishingly good luck of a former president who has consolidated the support of his party. But now, with the balloons popped and the T-R-U-M-P lights turned off, Trump has shown Republicans that he might be unable to seize fully the opportunity that has been laid out in front of him.
By Keita Nakamura, KYODO NEWS - Jul 20, 2024 - 18:16 | All, Japan

A series of scandals concerning the Japan Self-Defense Forces and the Defense Ministry, which resulted in the resignation of Japan's top admiral on Friday, has dealt a blow to the government that plans to significantly increase national defense spending.

The cases of misconduct have eroded public trust in the SDF, possibly further slowing the pace of tax hikes to finance the swelling defense costs and negatively affecting the nation's deepening security collaboration with foreign countries, scholars said.

On July 12, the ministry announced disciplinary actions against 218 SDF members and senior bureaucrats, including 113 linked with the mishandling of "specially designated secrets," such as tasking unqualified destroyer crew with handling classified information.

"Our understanding of managing the secrets was totally insufficient," Defense Minister Minoru Kihara said at a press conference when he announced the rare mass punishment.

The other scandals involved accusations of abuse of power, fraudulent receipt of allowances for diving duties, and not paying for food and drink from base cafeterias. On Thursday, the Maritime Self-Defense Force said four of its members were arrested last year on suspicion of improperly receiving the diving benefits.

Then Adm. Ryo Sakai, chief of staff of the MSDF, got a pay cut, while Vice Defense Minister Kazuo Masuda and four other top uniformed officers were admonished for their inadequate control and supervision over those serving under them.

Except for the abuse of power incidents and a portion of the information mishandling cases, the scandals were found within the MSDF, prompting Sakai to decide to step down to take responsibility.

Although the misconduct incidents occurred separately, Sakai has said they had common root causes of "lack of compliance among the troops and governance ability" within the SDF and its "organizational culture," which includes deliberately overlooking internal wrongdoing.

The moves come as the government of Prime Minister Fumio Kishida seeks to drastically boost Japan's defense budget, partly through tax increases that require broad public understanding, as it faces mounting security challenges from China, North Korea and Russia.

Under three key security documents revised in 2022, Tokyo aims to nearly double annual defense outlays to about 2 percent of gross domestic product in five years through fiscal 2027 by allocating a total of 43 trillion yen ($273 billion) from fiscal 2023.

Meanwhile, Kishida's Cabinet, whose approval ratings have plunged to their lowest levels since he took office in October 2021, has shelved decisions on the timeline for tax raises, which are unlikely to start by the end of next year.

The recent spate of SDF blunders may further delay the schedule, as opposition parties have been intensifying their attacks on the government's tax hike policy.

Kenta Izumi, leader of the main opposition Constitutional Democratic Party of Japan, said Kishida "should consider backing down on his plan to raise taxes for higher national defense costs," as the scandals have "undermined public confidence" in the SDF.

Izumi has also criticized Kishida's government for leaving unused around 130 billion yen from the over 6.8 trillion yen that was earmarked for the defense budget for fiscal 2023, which ended in March this year.

Hideo Kumano, executive chief economist at the Dai-ichi Life Research Institute, said the government should provide more justification for increasing the tax burden on citizens for the defense budget that is "expected to rise in the long term."

"People will cast a sterner eye on defense expenditures, so it would be better to have a national debate again on whether such a huge budget is truly needed," Kumano added.

Noboru Yamaguchi, a visiting professor at the International University of Japan, warned that if the SDF's credibility regarding confidentiality is questioned due to the scandals, it might harm the nation's alliance with the United States and its defense partnerships with others.

Amid China's growing military assertiveness in the Indo-Pacific region and Russia's protracted invasion of Ukraine, Japan has been ramping up security cooperation not only with the United States but also with other like-minded countries such as Australia, Britain and the Philippines.

Yamaguchi, a former lieutenant general of the Ground Self-Defense Force, underscored the importance of promptly and firmly addressing inadequate practices when detected, as this would help rebuild trust in the Japanese government among its citizens and other nations.

Related coverage:

Japan's top admiral steps down as SDF hit by scandals

4 Japan MSDF members arrested for falsely receiving diving allowances

218 SDF members, defense bureaucrats disciplined over scandals
Airlines made progress toward containing the fallout from a tech outage that disrupted global travel on Friday, though some flight delays and cancellations extended into Saturday.

In all, about 3,400 flights to, from and within the United States were canceled on Friday, according to FlightAware, a company that tracks flight information. That made it the worst day of the year for flight cancellations, beating Jan. 15 when airlines besieged by bad winter storms canceled nearly 3,200 flights in the United States.

Delays and cancellations on Saturday appeared on track to be much lower than on Friday. Airlines had canceled about 1,600 flights as of midafternoon, with Delta Air Lines and United Airlines among the hardest hit, according to FlightAware.

Delta teams in airports, on board flights, on the phones and in messaging are working tirelessly to care for customers as the airline works to put flight crews and aircraft back in position following the disruption, the airline said in a statement. Most of the flight cancellations on Saturday were concentrated in the morning and early afternoon, Delta said.
In August 2022, I attended a gathering of right-wing grassroots organizations at a horse-show complex in Bloomsburg, Pa., a few hours drive east of where Donald Trump survived an assassination attempt last weekend. Everyone who went up to speak believed the 2020 election had been stolen from Trump, and now they were discussing what to do about it.

An evangelical pastor opened the meeting with the story of a pastor who fought alongside members of his congregation in the first days of the American Revolution. Heres a preacher training his people how to fight this ungodliness and wickedness, a real dictatorship, he told the crowd. Well, I talk to a lot of preachers today, he went on, who were willing to take up arms if they have to. And you know as well as I do, with what is coming, we may have to. Right? We dont want to. But we may have to. And I believe the Second Amendment says we can. Out in the crowd, a man had a sign depicting a rifle between a flag and a cross above the words God, Guns, Guts! Keep AMERICA Free.

Among the worlds historically stable democracies, America has a particularly complicated relationship with the idea of political violence. This is, after all, a country born out of violent struggle, as the T-shirts and bumper stickers and speeches at any Republican event endlessly attest. This is also a country where the major expansions of civil rights, from Emancipation to desegregation, happened under the fact or threat of state violence, and where few on the left are willing to categorically condemn violent protest in the name of social justice. It is a country where many still nod at Thomas Jeffersons aphorism that The tree of liberty must be refreshed from time to time with the blood of patriots and tyrants, or to Malcolm X vowing by any means necessary.
While growing up in Vicenza, Italy, and playing professional rugby, Alessandro Zamperla did not imagine he would have a role in New York history. But with a last name that has become synonymous with the amusement industry, his destiny was in motion.

Since 2018, Mr. Zamperla, 40, has been the president of Central Amusement International, the group that manages Luna Park in Coney Island. The storied seaside amusement park hosts the 97-year-old Cyclone roller coaster and the steel Thunderbolt.

I would come here with my grandfather, I would come here with my father because we would actually sell the attractions to Astroland, said Mr. Zamperla, referring to rides at Coney Islands defunct theme park. We knew very much the history, the legacy, the amazing contribution not just to the local community but to American culture.

The Zamperla family, which has manufactured attractions around the world since 1966, revived Luna Park in 2010 after Mr. Zamperlas father, Alberto Zamperla, won a contract from the city to save the amusement district after the 2008 financial crisis. Alessandro began flipping burgers and rolling hot dogs on a boardwalk grill, rising in the company before his father ultimately passed the reins to him.
[MUSIC PLAYING]

ezra klein

From New York Times Opinion, this is The Ezra Klein Show. It is Friday, July 19. It is the morning after the final night of the Republican National Convention. And there is a lot to say about who the Republicans are showing themselves to be or showing themselves to want to be, a lot to say about what is about to happen potentially with the Democrats and Joe Biden. And so Im joined by my great showrunner and senior editor, Claire Gordon, who is going to turn the tables on me a bit and ask the questions today. So, Claire, thank you so much for being here.

claire gordon

It is my pleasure. And Ill just start right there with what stands out to you as different about Trump and the Republican Partys sales pitch in 2024 compared to last time?

ezra klein

What was interesting to me across the Republican Convention and something I see some of my liberal friends honestly grappling with and some of them still trying to deny, is that the Republican Party itself is changing. It is coming into line behind the thing that it thinks Donald Trump is. Whether thats a thing Donald Trump actually is, is something we should talk about, because I am unconvinced. And I think you saw this on the final night of the convention. For all the talk in the nights leading up to it of economic populism, for all that you had a union president speaking on the first night, for all of J.D. Vances attacks on Wall Street in his speech, the night of Donald Trump was not a night of full-throated economic populism. It was a night of full-throated showmanship and entertainment. He was introduced by Dana White, the head of the U.F.C. Hulk Hogan gave, I think, undoubtedly, the nights best speech. It was campy, and it was strange, and it was entertaining. But it understood that the root of Donald Trumps politics are as a showman, as a reality television star, as a W.W.E. Hall of Famer. There was a lot of talk about Donald Trumps golf game. If you didnt tune in for the early speeches, I think youd be surprised how much talk there was about Donald Trumps golf game. The fact that he loves music. I thought it was very funny that Tucker Carlson ended up opening up for the general manager of Donald Trumps golf club. Kid Rock gave a performance. A friend of mine said to me that it felt like watching Donald Trumps Vegas residency. And I think thats right. Once Trump got into his own speech after he moved through the period of talking about the assassination attempt, which was, I would say, an interesting, in some cases, bizarre, way that he opened it up, he sort of spoke about himself like he was like a bard from the future, telling the story of Donald Trump and the sort of, It was a warm day. I would say the way Trump spoke about it, it felt to me like a shift had happened in him. Not towards serenity, not towards an expansive perspective or a calmness, but so many people in Trumps base have told him that he is godly, that he is God-sent, that he is here on a mission of God. And I think Trump enjoyed that support. And now I think Trump shares that perspective. I think his sense of being chosen has settled into him in a different way, which you can imagine that playing out in many ways, some of them dangerous. When he got into his own speech, it was just Trump. It wasnt even very good Donald Trump. It wasnt like one of his better rallies, but it was just him. It was rambley. It was long. It was just truly full of bullshit, so much that it feels like it overwhelms the capacity of the fact-checker. Theres so much emphasis, for instance, on energy production, but America is currently producing more crude oil than any country ever has in the history of the entire world. That includes the United States under Donald Trump. And it didnt feel to me like a speech where they said to themselves, people are tuning in here who are uncertain about Donald Trump, but giving him a second chance. And weve got to convince them. Across quite a bit of the Republican National Convention, this felt like base turnout. It felt like an effort to solidify an ideological change that we can talk about that is happening. But it didnt feel like an effort to persuade, to present a face that somebody who is modestly pro-choice but doesnt really like Democrats and is upset about inflation and lives in Pennsylvania, it wasnt aimed at them. It felt to me, for them, like a pretty profound missed opportunity. A lot for Democrats Im talking to, a lot of the sense of Trumps inevitability that had begun to take hold among some of the party  shattered. And they watched him, and they remembered, oh, this guy is completely beatable and has actually never won the popular vote in an election ever.

claire gordon

Thats interesting to hear you say that. And I just want to spend a moment on the divine intervention, messianic piece of this and just play a moment so folks can hear a taste of it.

archived recording (donald trump) Im not supposed to be here tonight. Im not supposed to be here. archived recording 1 (CHANTING) Trump! Trump! Trump! Trump! Trump! Trump! Trump! Trump! Trump! Trump! Trump! Trump! Trump! archived recording (donald trump) Thank you. But Im not. And Ill tell you, I stand before you in this arena only by the grace of almighty God. [CHEERING]

claire gordon

So, in the first part of that speech, you also the camera pans, and people have tears streaming down their face as hes describing events of that day. America is a religious country. Do you not think that there is power to that message?

ezra klein

I dont think for an election, there is power to that message. Im a little bit uncomfortable talking about that message in terms of whether or not it will win Trump a point and a half in Michigan, because I think there is an authenticity to what he is going through here. People who go through near-death experiences of that nature do emerge changed. They do emerge with a sense, sometimes, of destiny, a sense of needing to focus on other things in their life. I dont want to comment or pretend that I know what that has meant to Donald Trump or how he feels about it, but I wouldnt frame it really as a political message. I mean, we will see. I think the iconography of the image of him with his fist up is obviously going to be a huge dimension of the Trump campaign this year. Im sure we will see it on a lot of merch and signs and stickers and so on. To the degree it does reflect a message that they are trying to push, you heard this from other speakers, which is that  and this is an odd mythologizing of him to me, but nevertheless, that Donald Trump doesnt need to be doing any of this. That Donald Trump was rich, he was happy, he was a celebrity. And for your sins and on your behalf, he entered the grime and the difficulty and the challenge of politics. And he was slandered, and he was persecuted. And he was mocked, and he had an election stolen from him. And then he had the Justice Department and the New York prosecutors and the Georgia prosecutors go after him. They tried to throw him in jail, and theyve tried to impoverish him. And then they tried to kill him. Possibly, some shadowy they is sending lone shooters now. That sense of paranoia, that sense that this is a movement that is under genuine persecution, and if Donald Trump cannot win the election, it might be stamped out  it was odd because it permeated a convention that, at the same time, was completely convinced of its victory, of how many votes it would get, of the fact that it was actually the dominant now force in American politics. But that, I think, is a real message, right? The message is not so much about the shooting. The message is more about, actually, the court cases against Donald Trump and the sense that he has been persecuted. They have been persecuted, but they have withstood it. And that strength shows something fundamental about him, about them, about the way they would govern, about what this movement is made of, and also, the threat, in their minds, that it represents to a corrupt status quo, ruling class, regime  whatever you want to call it.

claire gordon

And at the same time, theyre trying to be more inclusive and very explicitly reaching out to parts of whats traditionally been the Democrats coalition, like Black voters. So heres Vivek Ramaswamy.

archived recording (vivek ramaswamy) Our message to Black Americans is this. The media has tried to convince you for decades that Republicans dont care about your communities. But we do. We want for you what we want for every American  safe neighborhoods, clean streets, good jobs, a better life for your children, and a justice system that treats everyone equally, regardless of your skin color and regardless of your political beliefs. [CHEERING]

claire gordon

I mean, so you heard themes like that over and over again, people talking about this is a big tent party, and it doesnt matter what race you are. Whats going on here? Why is it that Trump, of all recent Republican presidential nominees, Trump with his record of racist statements, why does it seem like he can make this play for Black voters?

ezra klein

Let me say a couple of things about this, and not just about Black voters, but about something happening across the R.N.C. that I am sincerely in favor of. Across the Republican National Convention, you saw the Republican Party making a genuine effort to appeal to union voters, to Black voters, to Hispanic voters. And I have studied political polarization in incredibly deep detail. I wrote a book on it that came out in 2020, Why Were Polarized. And one of the points of that book is that to say a country is polarized doesnt actually give you that much information. The question is, what is it polarized over? And one thing we were seeing at this convention is the nature, the locus of American polarization, is changing. So if you go back to the 2012 convention, Mitt Romney, Paul Ryan, the sort of voter in Mitt Romneys mind at that convention, I think, is like a small business owner, an entrepreneur, the sort of winners of American life who the rest of us are supposed to look at aspirationally. And the voter in mind at this convention was very different  was not wealthy, I think, was not necessarily white, maybe even joined a union. I think it is good for the politics around organized labor, around race to depolarize. And I do think there was an effort being made in that direction here. Does that take away from the fact that Donald Trump had a deeply anti-union National Labor Relations Board in his first term? No, but maybe it would be somewhat different in his second term. I think it is good what the Teamsters president, Sean OBrien, did. If I were a union president and my job was to help my members, I would want there to be entry for me in a Republican administration, right? That is the job. I dont think the fact that organized labor is simply a kind of arm of the Democratic coalition has actually been good for it. Democrats dont hold power in enough places enough of the time. And Trump splits politics on different lines than it was split under someone like Romney or Ryan. His appeal, the way he shows up to people, its a very cultural appeal. He frontloads issues like immigration. He frontloads a way of talking and speaking and a kind of antagonism and sense of resentment that is very class oriented, very  depending on how you frame class, not just about wealth, right? There are many, many wealthy Donald Trump supporters. And it should not go without notice that the scion of the MAGA movement now is a Yale law graduate who went to work immediately in venture capital. J.D. Vance, whatever else you want to say about him, is a convert to the class war. But there are many union members and many Black and Hispanic voters who share this kind of politics, share some of these views on trade, share these views on immigration, right? This is something the Democratic Party, I think, really got wrong for itself. It listened to highly ideological groups claiming to represent Black and Hispanic voters, and it turned out they did not represent nearly the full range of opinion. There was a lot of effort at suppression of support for Republicans. And when suppression breaks, it often kind of breaks all at once. And so, Trump, in offering a much more cultural appeal that replicates itself in nontraditional media, I mean, its a sort of very pro-Trumpy world, I think, at this point, in sports talk radio, in a lot of the big YouTube shows. Hes just pulling different people, and he noticed hes pulling different people, right? He is excited about the fact that hes pulling different people. And now he is leaning in to the parts of his own movement that he thinks can appeal to them. And for all of the unhealthy things I saw at the Republican National Convention, I think that thing is healthy. I think it would be good for the Republican Party and the Democratic Party to both be competing for organized labor, for Black voters, for Hispanic voters, rather than taking them for granted. At the same time, the locus of polarization itself is changing. Its not going away. The polarization is over the system itself, right? Are we a democracy? Are American institutions, in any way, trustworthy, right? J.D. Vance has talked about firing every midlevel bureaucrat and replacing them with, as he sometimes puts it, like their people. Donald Trump talked about  offhandedly, but extremely, extremely bluntly, definitively how he believes the election was stolen from him. Theyre going to make it impossible to steal again. Were never going to let something like that 2020 result happen again. There was no doubt about that at the Republican Party. So in some ways, weve slipped down into a deeper form of polarization over the fundamentals of the system itself. Mitt Romney and Barack Obama were not divided over the question of American institutions, over whether or not election results should be or would be considered legitimate.

claire gordon

So when you talk about Democrats and Republicans becoming polarized over democracy, Trump and his supporters think that the Democrats are going to try to steal this election. Democrats fear that Trump is going to try to steal this election. Democrats fear that Trump is going to weaponize the D.O.J., and Trump and his supporters feel like the Democrats are weaponizing the D.O.J.. Is it that theyre polarized and that they have different values on these issues, or is it just that they are mirror images of each other?

ezra klein

So the thing about Donald Trump is that he acts in ways that force systems to react against him. When you try to fundamentally invalidate elections, the system is going to have to do something about that. And then he says, look, the system is against me. Theyre treating me in a way no one has ever been treated before. Doesnt this just prove what Ive been saying all along? And it doesnt, but there are ways in which it looks like that to people. I am not personally a fan of the New York case against Donald Trump. On the letter of the law, he did everything hes accused of doing. I think that the sort of bankshot theory of law applied there, where you are taking a business documents misdemeanor and elevating it to a felony by attaching it to a campaign finance violation, in terms of the explosiveness of prosecuting an ex-president, I think that was not the strongest case. The sort of profusion of cases created a kind of appearance. Even though it reflects Donald Trump doing a lot of things wrong and a lot of things lawlessly, it did create an appearance of something unusual happening here that I think a lot of people, and certainly, people sympathetic to him, were all too willing to buy into. And it has created, then, this deeper form of polarization. Theres also a thing happening behind Trump himself, which you see in J.D. Vance, you see in a lot of these people, which is that over the last 10-ish years, Republicans, conservatives, particularly sort of populist conservatives, feel that the institutions of American life became biased, arrayed, weaponized against them. The universities, but they had been out of power in the universities for a long time. # But during the sort of post-Ferguson period, the post-George Floyd period, the #MeToo period, a feeling that businesses had become woke, businesses had become an arm of not necessarily the Democratic Party, although they might say that, but I would say more like a liberal, cultural, and institutional dominance. And it also reflects compositional differences in America. Weve had a lot of educational polarization. So it actually is the case that people with college degrees, post-grad degrees, who are at the top of a lot of these institutions, are more monolithically liberal than they used to be, not actually monolithically liberal. And you certainly find many, many, many rich Republican businessmen, rich Republican or at least powerful Republican faith leaders, right? Churches are still a very powerful institution in American life. So the extent of this can be overstated, but the sense that Republicans have lost their representation in a lot of these institutions is very real on the Republican side. And its much more a feeling of being culturally on the outs, right? Its not a feeling that all these institutions have a strong view about single-payer health care, but that they have strong cultural views about race, about gender. And the things that are more traditionally Christian and conservative views have become almost unsayable, right? I mean, we went in a very short period in American life from gay marriage being an issue that it would be lethal to run on as a national politician  that would have been true in 2000, would have been true in 2004  Barack Obama believed it to be true in 2008  to you cant even really, at a high level in American life, be against gay marriage. Forget running on it or trying to do anything about it, but just to oppose it would put you culturally in a very difficult place. Now, Im obviously a deep supporter of gay marriage, but that has created a backlash in a sense of persecution. So I think all these things kind of braid together in where Republicans have gone and have also led to this sort of economic populist pressure there, this sense of free speech being a major issue there, right? When people feel like they are losing their footing and their grip on the institutions that wield power, thats a frightening thing. And I think as much as I disagree on a lot of the particulars, it is worth taking seriously that it has frightened many on the right. [MUSIC PLAYING]

claire gordon

So lets talk about J.D. Vance. The convention started off with the announcement that Trump was picking him as his V.P. And a lot of the liberal conversation after that was sort of focused on the comments that J.D. Vance had made during Trumps 2016 run for office, calling him cultural heroin and that maybe he was Americas Hitler, and just trying to puzzle over the fact that this was now Trumps running mate. And was this just crass political opportunism on the part of J.D. Vance that he had this wild Trumpian makeover? You have said that you think thats the wrong way to understand Vance. So, whats wrong with it?

ezra klein

I just dont think its true. I mean, I think the particulars are true in the sense that he did say all those things about Trump, although, remember, he said he might be Americas Hitler. That was one of the possibilities. Look, I interviewed J.D. Vance in his Hillbilly Elegy period, and he was a very different guy. And he wasnt just a different guy in what he thought. He was a different guy in temperament, in openness, right? He was a guy who believed deeply in civility, who believed deeply in what you might call sort of political and civic virtues. And what led Vance to his current level of antagonism and contempt and fury is interesting. And I have my theories on it, as anybody might. But I need extraordinary evidence, and a lot of people disagree with me about this. And thats totally fine. People are going to find this unconvincing. I need a lot of evidence before I will believe somebody is acting in an extended way insincerely. People have a lot of difficulty maintaining high levels of cognitive dissonance for very long. So what happens is people go through these conversions. I think the way they normally go through it is not by first converting to Trump. It is by converting to a hatred of his enemies. Youre not pro-Trump, youre anti-anti-Trump. I think that is where J.D. Vance started. Heres this guy, Donald Trump. The kinds of people Vance grew up with, the kinds of people who he is sort of describing in his book, the kinds of people he understands himself to be politically on the side of, they all love Donald Trump. Meanwhile, the media, the institutions, they hate Donald Trump. They see nothing good in Donald Trump at all. And in fact, they are showering Donald Trump and maybe even the people who back him with contempt, with derision. Theyre deplorables. And that opens up a wedge, right? Who are you going to side with? And once you kind of fall into the other side of that, Im with these people. And yeah, Trump has his flaws, but theres some reason all these people are turning to him. And this happens to a lot of people. I mean, a lot of these kind of tech billionaires and VCs have gone through this, right? Theyve gone through it, I think, for different reasons. But once you start going into a different group of people and hearing different things, then the conversion process can accelerate. And when people convert, I mean, we have an old saying about this  the zeal of the convert, the zeal of the newly converted. When people convert, they, many times, end up going further than the people who were there all along. Right? I feel this about some of my Never Trumper friends, who were hardcore Republicans just a couple of years ago. And even though Ive been a liberal my entire life, I feel they are much more down the line Democrats now than I would even think of being. They sort of have the zeal of the convert. They see fully now the Republican Partys malignancy. They all of a sudden have totally different views on not just Donald Trump, but health care, taxation, foreign policy. Like, all these things they once believed, theyre now just like down the line Biden Democrats. I think this happened to Vance. And I do think that there was opportunism in it. I think that he had political ambitions. And so he became the thing he needed to become to win in Ohio. It is worth noting, by the way, that Vance is not like a political juggernaut in Ohio. He underperformed the states Republican governor by a very, very, very significant margin. Vance, I think, in part because he has the zeal of the convert, in part because he is so angry at the people who he once saw as his friends  I mean, Vance said at one point about me and David Brooks, hes like, they just lost their minds. They changed so much in the Trump administration. And I would say, I didnt change at all. Everything that I believed when J.D. Vance and I were both talking about the same things and both thought Donald Trump was bad at the same time, I just kept believing, and Vance moved. But I take what Vance  has happened to him. I think the way this happens to people is honest inside of them, and I think it is very hard to understand them if you dont take that seriously. The other thing I will say about Vance is that the place where his conversion is most stark is cultural, temperamental, the contemptuous way he speaks of the people he disagrees with, that the Democratic Party is just ruled by childless cat ladies who hate their lives. Theres an ugliness that has emerged in him that genuinely saddens me, right? Its a way of trading away important parts of your soul to be part of the movement you want to be part of, right? When I say its sincere, it doesnt mean I dont think it  worse than depressing, I think, in a way, cowardly. Like, it is hard to maintain a certain level of political virtue in a time when that has been lost. And there are people in Vances movement who do it, and he doesnt. But that has happened to a lot of people who have bent the knee to Donald Trump, only to find that they actually like being on the floor.

claire gordon

So I want to play a clip of J.D. Vances speech at the convention. And in this speech, he did something which I dont think you hear Trump do very often.

archived recording (j.d. vance) Like a lot of people, we came from the mountains of Appalachia into the factories of Ohio, Pennsylvania, Michigan, and Wisconsin. [CHEERING] Now, thats Kentucky coal country, one of the 10  [CHEERING] Now, its one of the 10 poorest counties in the entire United States of America. They are very hard-working people, and theyre very good people. Theyre the kind of people who would give you the shirt off their back, even if they cant afford enough to eat. And our media calls them privileged and looks down on them. But they love this country, not only because its a good idea, but because in their bones, they know that this is their home, and it will be their childrens home. And they would die fighting to protect it. [CHEERING]

claire gordon

And what he was doing there  and he was talking before that about how America isnt just an idea  it was this clear articulation of just, like, what it means to be an American, which I think Trump has vowed do that a lot, but I dont think he does it as clearly and explicitly as Vance did in that speech. So Im curious what you make of that.

ezra klein

One thing to understand about Vance is that hes not just a convert to Trumpism. Hes a convert to something thats called national conservatism. And that whole back part of the speech, which, if you listen to it, he talks about when he proposed to his wife, he had law school debt and a cemetery plot in Kentucky. And in this town, hes talking about  who are also buried in this plot hes talking about  is that, to them, America is not a creedal nation that asks for the whole worlds huddled, hungry, tired, and poor. America is a land. They are its people. It is their land. They own it. And they will die to defend it. The National Conservatism Conference, I believe it was in Washington, DC. And one of the things I did before the convention was I listened to J.D. Vances speech at that conference. And that speech is hard-edged, and its ideological. And that whole riff he gives, he gives there. This is his riff. And this is the whole point of national conservatism. J.D. Vance in a thing that I think is a somewhat unresolved contradiction in his thought, both the national conservative speech he gives and then, briefly, in the speech he gives here, he talks about how his wife, whose parents are immigrants, how theyve given so much to the country. But in the speech he gives at the conservative conference, he talks about how its indisputable that immigrants make countries poorer, they harm countries. So, the sense of how Vance navigates this is complicated and I think reflects a later in life conversion to the view that immigrants weaken nations. And the way they weaken nations is because they weaken the fundamental identity of the nation. Right now, he wants to talk about how immigrants harm housing prices, how the reason housing prices have gone up is the competition from, as he put it in the speech, illegal aliens. I think as somebody who is currently writing a book heavily about housing prices and what has happened to them, the idea that immigrants, undocumented or otherwise, are the reason housing prices have done what they have done is absurd, actually. Its just like not the right way to think about it and also just reflects a complete absence of taking it seriously. We could just build as many homes as we want. We know how to build apartment buildings. If were not building them, the supply is constrained. And the fact that thats not J.D. Vances view, right, that he wants to say, oh, all these problems are really the immigrants, is because what he wants to do is use the problems to have fewer immigrants and to deport people who are here now. But what Vance is, is a national conservative. What national conservatives are, are conservatives who are much more focused on the question of the nation, not as an idea, but the people who exist here now, and what their perceived cultural and material needs are, and the way those and the national identity are threatened by people coming in. And that is the factional fight he is in, in the Republican Party, because the Republican Party traditionally has been very pro-immigrant. Theyve believed in a lot of integration for America all around the world. Theyve believed in a lot of integration of American labor. Some of that did not go well at all, right? Thats some of the Donald Trump trade critique and the J.D. Vance trade critique. But you have to understand there is being something cohesive at the bottom of this. Its not just like a random assortment of policies. And the thing at the bottom of it is a very different idea of what America is and who it is for. And its a movement from the idea that if you think about the 04 Republican Convention with George W. Bush, America as this nation of ideas. And it wants to spread those ideas around the world to a much more confined vision of America as the people who are here now. And by the way, only really some of them, right? When Hulk Hogan, in some ways, had the most honest line of the night when he said all the real Americans will be called Trumpites, and there will be all these Trumpites running around, and I was like, wow, he just took the whole subtext of this entire convention and made it text in one line. But this is the ideological movement that Vance has made his name in that he has come out of. And that I think before he was even fully a convert to Donald Trump, given all he had said about him, he was a convert to this way of thinking. And this way of thinking has come to understand Donald Trump as like their mystic leader. Donald Trump might not have every policy view they have. He might not be good at running things in the way they would want him to be. He might not be like the deep religious figure they want him to be, but they sort of see him as like the ayatollah of national conservatism, right? He has this kind of mystical understanding of the common man, the land, the country, its identity, and he has all the right enemies. And so he is their leader. And theyll do the work, coming up behind him with the notepad and the abacus to turn his poetry into the prose of governance.

claire gordon

I mean, you call this a factional fight, but watching the convention, one thing that a person cant understate is that immigration was the big theme and a lot of emotion, a lot of rage about it. Hasnt that faction won? Isnt that the defining identity in the Republican Party?

ezra klein

It has definitely won on immigration. Theres no doubt about that. It hasnt won on everything, though. J.D. Vance is up there talking about how America has been serving Wall Street and the banking class. And Donald Trump is telling Bloomberg, where he very happily sat for an extended interview, about how he thinks Jamie Dimon, the head of JPMorgan Chase, is great and how hed really like to consider him for Treasury Secretary. And noting that Donald Trump, again, the ayatollah of national conservatism, who did he make his National Economics Council director when he came in, in 2017? Gary Cohn, the former head of Goldman Sachs. There are a lot of places here in terms of what this sort of intuitions and any ideological decisions of this group are that Donald Trump doesnt agree with. One of the big fights that is coming in the Republican Party  maybe it has already been decided, but a lot of Republicans dont believe what Donald Trump and J.D. Vance seem to believe about Ukraine and about the world, more broadly. They both emerge out of an isolationist strain in the Republican Party. Like, why spend money elsewhere in the world when we could be spending it here to rebuild our industrial base, to help our people? What are we doing in all these external fights? But a lot of Republicans do want to support Ukraine. They believe that strongly. A lot of Republicans do want a more confrontational and interventionist posture. That fight has not been won in the Republican Party, though naming Vance has certainly given the more isolationist, restrained, whatever you want to call it, faction, an upper hand that they maybe werent totally expecting. So, on immigration, I think on rhetoric, I mean, theres no doubt who is winning. But note, too, that Nikki Haley, who is, I think, the Republican  was the Republican running in the 2024 primaries who most represented the sort of pre-Trump Republican Party, aside from Trump, she did the best, and I think if Trump and Vance lose, would be considered a very potentially significant frontrunner for the Republican nomination in 2028. So I wouldnt be sure that this is done, but I would say that the older version of the Republican Party is very much back on its heels at the moment. In some respects, I will say they are not on their heels at all on taxes, where Donald Trump is still just saying hes going to use whatever money he can raise from tariffs, not just to extend his own tax cuts, but to cut corporate taxation even more deeply. [MUSIC PLAYING]

claire gordon

OK, Ezra, while I have you, in order to beat this, the Democrats need to figure out who their nominee is going to be. Youve been doing a lot of reporting on this, I know. What can you tell us?

ezra klein

Were talking again on Friday. This has been an enormously fluid situation. The consensus among people I have spoken to who are high up in the Democratic Party and the kinds of people putting pressure on and who are around Joe Biden, the feeling is Biden is starting to recognize that his position may not be recoverable. The key thing here is that over a compressed period of time, Speaker Jeffries went to him and said the Democratic House members believe you should step aside, that that would be the best thing for the party and the country. Chuck Schumer went to him and said the same thing. Nancy Pelosi went to him and said the same thing. It leaked from around Obama into the press that Obama is telling people that Bidens path has really narrowed to a very, very, very narrow path to re-election. Biden is angry. He feels abandoned by people he felt were his friends. Hes not entirely wrong with that, though I would say this is partially because he has put them all in a very bad position. The idea that he holds no agency here, I think, is not reasonable. And so were in a very tricky spot here. Theres been a lot of rumors and thought that he might drop out as early as very early in this coming week. But everything is a rumor. Everything is a anonymous source. Everything right now is also dependent on the decisions he ends up making. Other things I would say is that for all that Ive been a proponent of an open convention in my talks with the kinds of Democrats who are very involved here, I dont think theres appetite or time for that in their view. I will say Kamala Harris has been extremely impressive every day since the debate. She has not misplaced a foot. And if you watch some of the speeches shes been giving, which Ive been doing, shes been extremely good on the stump. And so in the sense that there is a kind of quiet audition happening behind the scenes here, she is showing everybody in the party that she seems good enough for the bet. Maybe shes not who they would draft out of an open field at this exact moment, but they dont really have an open draft. If Biden drops out sometime over the following week, the time period until the convention is very, very, very short. And so the pressure to unite around Harris and have her pick a vice presidential nominee is going to be very, very, very strong. Thats what I would now kind of expect to happen would be my modal case. I think the things that Democrats are weighing and Biden is weighing himself is Bidens outside hope. I think the thing he believes might be possible here is if he just holds on and goes to the Democratic Convention, and the party really has no choice, it will unite behind him. It just cant do anything else. And then hell have the party, and he believes he can win. And hell take on Donald Trump, and hell win this thing. Problem is his polling is really, really bad. Right now, Donald Trump needs to win Wisconsin, Pennsylvania, and Michigan. Those are the only states in play that he really needs to win. Biden, given the polling we have, needs to worry about winning not just those, but Minnesota, New Mexico, Maine. There are a series of states that Biden should not have to think about as competitive that his position has degraded in, Virginia being another, so significantly that, I mean, he could get electorally wiped out. I mean, Arizona, Georgia  out of reach now. Nobody thinks hes going to win them. North Carolina  out of reach. So this is a problem. The money has dried up. His map is actually huge. He needs to play not in three states, but in a very significant number of quite expensive media markets. And I mean, he also doesnt want to lose, right? And so theres a question of how much he understands that he is probably headed for a loss. But theres strange things happening in the party right now. Who have been Bidens most ardent backers? Bernie Sanders and A.O.C. And Sanders gave a very damaging, I think, for Biden interview to The New Yorker, to Isaac Chotiner, where he basically says to Chotiner, being pressed, like, look, yeah, Biden keeps forgetting names. He cant always string three sentences together, but at least his agenda is good. And thats not a very strong defense. A.O.C.s defense is interesting, and Ive invited her on the show. I havent heard back from her people. But A.O.C. went to Instagram and gave this long defense and basically said, look, theres peril if we do anything here. There isnt unity on how to replace Biden. If itd be Harris, it would be an open convention. We could fall into chaos. I genuinely found A.O.C.s perspective here surprising, in part because shes somebody who is typically very comfortable with high levels of risk. Shes somebody who wants to do a very rapid, complete re-industrialisation of the entire energetic base of the American, even global, economy. She supports health care plans that would abolish all private insurance. I mean, shes somebody who, in a lot of her politics, is willing to court a certain level of political chaos. But people feel different ways about different political questions. The thing I did not hear her make a good argument for that I would like to hear her make a good argument for is that Biden can win. So I think to Democrats who looked at Trumps kind of rambling speech, they see Trump as beatable. They look at Vance. Vance is very, very, very anti-abortion. Hes talked about wanting a national abortion ban. They see Vance as beatable. They see Vance as a politically weak pick for Trump, right? If Trump had picked Doug Burgum or Marco Rubio, that would have scared Democrats a lot more. And they worry simply that Biden cannot prosecute the case such that he can beat Trump. But Biden also looked at Trump and probably thought he was beatable and wants to be the one to do it. So, its tough. The other thing I will say is that if Biden does not drop out early in the week, I think you should expect a lot more Democrats to begin going public. The feeling right now is that they are trying to talk to him privately, but if he does not react to that, they are turning up the pressure publicly because that is what he appears to actually be reacting to. Even Morning Joe has started talking about maybe he needs to drop out, and theyve been his strongest supporters. So, its a pretty ugly and difficult moment in the Democratic Party that I think would cohere into a lot of unity if he stepped aside. He would be treated as like a hero and a patriot who did the kind of country first thing Donald Trump would never do. And I think thered be a lot of relief uniting around a Harris-Whitmer, Harris-Shapiro, Harris-Beshear, Harris-Cooper ticket. But the Democrats have to get there first. And whether how likely that is, I mean, at this point, I think it is reasonably above 50 percent. But it definitely changes by the hour and by which anonymous sources youre hearing quoted in which outlet.

claire gordon

You just said that the Republicans look beatable. You started the conversation this way. But also, the Republicans have this incredibly strong, emotional, potent message on immigration. And voters say that they trust the Republicans to handle that issue. Republicans have been making gains in these nontraditional voters for them. Do you think that the Democrats really have a message, a clear message that can beat what the Republicans are offering?

ezra klein

No. I mean, I will say that they dont have a clear message. I do they have a message that can beat what the Republicans are offering. And I mean, this is a sort of case that the Democratic optimists have been making for a long time. Democrats beat Trump. I mean, they beat him in the popular vote in 2016, but he won the electoral college. They wrecked Republicans under Trump in 2018. They wrecked Republicans in 2020. In 2022, they, by all accounts, should have lost, but won seats in the Senate. They won governorships. They made gains in states. And they held down their losses in the House in a way nobody really thought likely, given how high inflation was. The message isnt all that different. The Republican Party believes a lot of things that most Americans dont believe, and a lot of people feel that the Republican Party is dangerous. Their views on abortion  their immigration views are not popular. A mass deportation effort, when people think about what that might be, like, large internal security forces going house to house. And by the way, there was a big bipartisan immigration deal that Donald Trump killed. There was an effort to make all this better, and Donald Trump stopped it. The Republicans are extremely vulnerable. And it is telling that Donald Trump running against a man, an incumbent president, who has a job approval rating in the 30s, who 80 percent of Americans, in some polls, believe doesnt have the cognitive capacity to serve as president again, Donald Trump has been two points ahead nationally and about two points ahead, depending on the state youre looking at, in Pennsylvania, Michigan, Wisconsin. These two candidates are so weak, they are so weak. Theyre like the only two people who could beat the other one. Donald Trump is not a strong candidate. And this Republican convention, it was unified, but not unified in a way that was reaching out to swing voters. Its unified in a way that was a factional fight within the Republican Party. J.D. Vance is great on Fox News. But the sort of contempt he sprays at his political antagonists is a political problem. Like, one of my lines on Vance is he understands why Trump won in 2016, but he doesnt understand why he lost in 2020. Somebody like Marco Rubio does. There are other figures in the party who do. Vance has run a political approach, has run a sort of personal political campaign, to become the leader of the MAGA movement. And that worked. That is different than campaigning to win over the people who, in Pennsylvania, love Governor Josh Shapiro and voted for him overwhelmingly against a MAGA opponent. The people in Pennsylvania who voted for John Fetterman, despite he was deeply incapacitated then by a stroke, over Dr. Oz. The people in Michigan who voted for Gretchen Whitmer, the people in Wisconsin who voted for Tony Evers. And we see them in polls because we see Democratic Senate candidates running far ahead of Joe Biden. There is a significant part of the electorate that does not particularly want to vote for Donald Trump again, is very open to voting for a Democrat, but is not going to vote for Joe Biden because they dont think hes up to the job, or they blame him for inflation or something else. Democrats should put forward a candidate who appeals to this crucial part of the electorate. Give them a candidate for whom, when they look at that candidate, they think, yeah, thats a normal, smart, hardworking, decent, compassionate person who is up to the job of the presidency. The Democratic Party has a lot of those people in the party. I think Vice President Harris is one of those people. The Democrats theory was that Donald Trump was going to lose the election, not that Joe Biden was going to win it. The thing that they are risking here is that they are going to lose the election, not that Donald Trump is going to win it. It would be nice for them to try to win the election. I just want to play a clip before we end of just Vice President Harris delivering her line on Trump the other day at a speech.

archived recording (kamala harris) In recent days, theyve been trying to portray themselves as the party of unity. But heres the thing. Heres the thing. If you claim to stand for unity, you need to do more than just use the word. [CHEERING] You cannot claim you stand for unity if you are pushing an agenda that deprives whole groups of Americans of basic freedoms, opportunity and dignity. [CHEERING] You cannot claim you stand for unity if you are intent on taking reproductive freedoms from the people of America and the women of America. [CHEERING] Trying to ban abortion nationwide, as they do, and restrict access to I.V.F. and contraception, as their plan calls for. You cannot claim to be for unity if you try to overturn a free and fair election  [CHEERING]  and threaten  and threaten to terminate the United States Constitution. And you cannot claim to be for unity when your entire economic agenda is designed to prioritize billionaires and big corporations over the middle class. [APPLAUSE] Were too busy watching what youre doing to hear what youre saying.

ezra klein
A day after a tech outage disrupted industries worldwide, airlines are digging themselves out from the fallout of thousands of delayed and canceled flights that have left travelers stranded and searching to find a way home over the weekend.

On Saturday morning, delays and cancellations had ebbed, and both domestic and international airlines said they expected to return to near normal operations. But higher than usual cancellation rates are still likely throughout the day, as airlines continue to maneuver planes and their flight crews back into position.

Yesterdays software outages immobilized airlines, affecting numerous functions, including calculating aircraft weight, checking in and communicating with travelers. The waits stacked up for passengers, and some were left with no option other than to sleep at airports.

Grace Aldrin, 23, said she slept on the floor by baggage claim at La Guardia Airport in New York on Friday night after her United flight to Chicago was delayed overnight. She opened her suitcase and slept on top of her clothes, surrounded by others doing the same.
For a time, as the first buses were arriving in Washington, D.C., it looked to all be for show.

For a time, as the first buses were arriving in Washington, D.C., it looked to all be for show.
The soaring number of unlawful entries at the southern border was always going be a central part of the 2024 presidential campaign.

On the campaign trail, former President Donald J. Trump has been showcasing a chart showing a rising mountain of migrant encounters at the border under President Biden. At the Republican National Convention, Gov. Greg Abbott of Texas got big cheers for his vow to continue busing migrants to liberal cities.

But amid the heightened rhetoric, the reality on the ground has recently changed.

There were 83,000 apprehensions of migrants last month, according to official data, down significantly from 117,000 in May. The June numbers represented the lowest monthly total since January 2021, and a significant drop from the record 250,000 recorded in December last year.

The decline has continued into July. The daily average of encounters at the border in the past week was under 1,900 as of Monday, according to a senior U.S. Customs and Border Protection official, who spoke on the condition of anonymity to discuss internal statistics.
A fire that broke out Friday at the First Baptist Dallas church, a landmark in the citys downtown, appeared to cause major damage to an old part of the church complex.

The churchs pastor, the Rev. Robert Jeffress, said that he understood from his conversations with fire officials that in the fires final phase, the roof of what is known as the historic sanctuary had collapsed.

We will have to see about whether we try to recreate it or do something else, he said in an interview.

Dallas Fire-Rescue did not immediately provide information about the fire, but a spokesman told The Dallas Morning News that part of the structure had collapsed.
In the years after the C.I.A. waterboarded the man accused of plotting the Sept. 11 attacks, the agency offered explanations of how he withstood the technique 183 times at a secret overseas prison.

The prisoner, Khalid Shaikh Mohammed, was strapped to a gurney with his head tilted down and a cloth covering his face. Somehow, the theory went, he realized that his captors would pour water on the cloth for at most 40 seconds at a time. So he used his fingers to count until he could breathe again as he experienced the sensation of drowning.

This week, at a hearing in the case, Mr. Mohammeds lawyer, Gary D. Sowards, offered an alternative explanation while questioning a psychologist who administered the waterboarding.
Donald J. Trumps campaign is preparing a major effort to attack Vice President Kamala Harris if President Biden steps aside as the Democratic nominee, including a wave of ads focusing on her record in her current office and in California, according to two people briefed on the matter.

The Trump team has already prepared opposition research books on Ms. Harris, and has similar dossiers on other Democrats who could become the nominee if Mr. Biden were to drop out of the race.

But the bulk of the preparations so far have been focused on Ms. Harris, including a recently concluded poll testing her vulnerabilities in a general election contest, according to the two people. The Trump teams attention on Ms. Harris is based on its assumption that if Democrats were to bypass the first Black woman to serve as vice president, it would drive even deeper divisions in the party and risk alienating their base of Black voters.
By Takuya Karube, KYODO NEWS - Jul 20, 2024 - 11:17 | All, World, Japan

The chances of Donald Trump finding his way back to the White House for a second term are now higher than at any previous time in the 2024 presidential race, fueling uncertainties about U.S. global leadership and its approach to Asian countries other than China.

The Republican Party's four-day national convention through Thursday in Milwaukee to formalize Trump's nomination proceeded as planned, just days after the 78-year-old survived an assassination attempt.

The party appeared energized, with its members saying the dramatic near-miss aroused enthusiasm and contributed to a stronger display of Republican unity, in stark contrast to the widening divisions among Democrats over President Joe Biden's ability to run an effective campaign and serve another four-year term.

Biden's shaky performance against his predecessor in a television debate on June 27 has unleashed calls from some Democrats for him to abandon his reelection bid.

The 81-year-old incumbent continues to face headwinds about a month before his party's national convention in Chicago, with a poll released Wednesday by The Associated Press finding that nearly two-thirds of Democrats think Biden should drop out of the race.

The Republican Party's platform, adopted at this week's convention, offers a glimpse into what Trump's foreign policy trajectory will be like if he wins the Nov. 5 election.

But aside from promising to uphold Trump's "America First" foreign policy and adopt a hawkish posture toward China, much remains unknown.

The platform, dedicated to "the forgotten men and women of America," says in the chapter on foreign affairs that the party's commitment, first and foremost, is to "return to peace through strength."

Criticizing the Biden administration's foreign policy as "weak," the party asserts that its version will center on "the most essential" U.S. interests, promising to make the military "bigger, better and stronger than ever before."

It says Republicans will reinforce alliances and counter China, but adds that to do so, U.S. allies "must meet their obligations to invest in our common defense."

Touching on the Indo-Pacific, it says they will "champion strong, sovereign and independent nations" in the region, "thriving in peace and commerce with others."

While China is named in the chapter, there are no references in the document to Japan, South Korea or Taiwan, a self-governed island that Beijing claims as part of its territory, unlike in the party's more detailed 2016 platform endorsed by its delegates ahead of Trump's victory over Hillary Clinton.

On Thursday, in his speech to formally accept the Republican presidential nomination, Trump referred to North Korea and indicated his readiness to reengage with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un if reelected.

"I get along with him. He'd like to see me back too. I think he misses me," Trump said.

In an exclusive interview with Bloomberg Businessweek, conducted in late June but published during the convention, Trump's transactional worldview was reaffirmed.

"You know, we're no different than an insurance company," he is quoted as saying, when asked about Washington's commitment to defending Taiwan from China.

Trump asserted that Taiwan has taken away the U.S. semiconductor business and become tremendously wealthy, but the democratic Asian island has not paid enough to the country for defense.

His remarks, including a suggestion that Taiwan is very far away for the United States to defend, run counter to the current bipartisan consensus in Washington, raising eyebrows among Western and Asian government officials.

Bruce Bennett, an adjunct senior defense analyst at Rand Corporation, said, "It is very hard to predict what former President Trump will do on any particular foreign relation issue if he is elected again."

Bennett sees in Trump a tendency to base important decisions on personal feelings, a factor making it all the more difficult to foresee how he would deal with an issue or foreign country at any given time.

During the convention, the Japanese and South Korean ambassadors to the United States were in the Wisconsin city to meet members in Trump's inner circle, according to sources with knowledge of their visits.

Although it seems clear that Trump would want U.S. allies to take on more responsibility and shoulder more of the expenses in maintaining global security, the likely composition of his new team could lead to even more unpredictability than in his first term.

Trump's recent pick of JD Vance, a 39-year-old freshman senator from Ohio, as his running mate provided yet another proof of the former president's preference for loyalty over experience and expertise.

Victor Cha, a senior vice president for Asia at the Center for Strategic and International Studies, has warned that a second Trump administration would likely be "far more disruptive for Asia than the first one was."

In his recent Foreign Affairs article, Cha said a second Trump term would not be expected to include many experienced policymakers, unlike those who helped take the edge off his unorthodox foreign policy when he was previously in office.

Related coverage:

Trump says he plans to "get along" with North Korean leader

Japan PM Kishida says Trump rally shooting "challenges democracy"

Trump wounded but "safe" after shooting at election rally
A key question after an assassination attempt on former President Donald J. Trump a week ago is why the Secret Service excluded from its secured zone a nearby warehouse the gunman used for his assault.

But another possible flaw in the Secret Services plans for the campaign rally at the farm show grounds in Butler, Pa., is emerging. The protection agency expected the sizable contingent of officers from local law enforcement agencies to contain any threats outside of the secured zone but assigned almost all those officers to work inside it, according to numerous interviews with local law enforcement and municipal officials.

None of the law enforcement agencies that assisted the Secret Service that day  the Pennsylvania State Police, the Butler Township Police Department, the Butler County Sheriff, Pittsburgh Bureau of Police or the multicounty tactical teams  say they were given responsibility for watching the zone outside the Secret Services security perimeter.

More specifically, the local law enforcement officials say that none of them were assigned to safeguard the complex of warehouses just north of the farm show grounds. The gunman was able to use the roof of the warehouse closest to the stage  about 450 feet from the podium  from which to shoot.
A 26-year-old hair braider named Josephine Owino disappeared one morning last month in the sprawling shantytown of Mukuru Kwa Njenga in Kenyas capital, Nairobi, after going out suddenly to see someone who had just phoned.

Ms. Owinos younger sister, Peris Keya, was desperate to find her and went to three police stations pleading for help. But nothing happened until Ms. Keya said she had a startling dream one night: Her sister appeared, led her up a hill and begged her to search in a pool of water.

Since then, at least 10 sacks with body parts have been fished from an abandoned quarry filled with a thick bed of floating trash, according to the police and human rights activists. The dump was searched only because Ms. Keya, 24, beseeched some local men to help, paying them for the grisly task.

On Monday, the Kenyan police announced that they had arrested a suspected serial killer, who they said had confessed to killing 42 women, including his own wife, in the past two years, and throwing them into the dump.
Venezuelans will head to the polls on July 28 to choose a new president, an election that could determine if democracy will be restored to the South American nation. It is also a vote that the United States played a role in helping ensure would take place.

Voters will pick between a little-known diplomat named Edmundo Gonzalez and President Nicolas Maduro, the autocratic leader who has been in office since 2013.

Many analysts are skeptical that Mr. Maduro would accept an electoral loss and, if that happened, it is unclear how the Biden administration would respond to a rejection of the results.

Heres what to know about an election important to both countries.

Whats going on between the U.S. and Venezuela?

The last three American presidents have been united on one policy: hitting the Venezuelan government with tough sanctions in response to corruption, anti-democratic moves and human rights abuses.
The authorities in Bangladesh have ordered a nationwide curfew and deployed the army as clashes between student-led protesters and the police and paramilitary forces have killed dozens of people and brought Dhaka, the nations capital, to a halt.

The curfew, announced late on Friday, was imposed indefinitely, but government officials who were not authorized to speak publicly said the government was hopeful that things would calm down by Monday, although they added that the situation was fluid. Officials said the army was needed to help curb vandalism and restore order.

Across the country, university students have been agitating for weeks about a quota system for government jobs that they say limits their opportunities by benefiting only certain groups, including the families of those who fought for independence from Pakistan.

Officials of the Awami League, the political party led by Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, have said they want to negotiate with the students. But student leaders have held their ground, refusing to hold talks until the quota system is permanently removed.
With the death Friday of Vietnams long-serving Communist Party general secretary, Nguyen Phu Trong, the countrys top leadership role has been left at least temporarily to President To Lam, who is best known for implementing a sweeping anticorruption drive.

Mr. Lam, 67, was named Thursday to take over the general secretarys duties at the Politburo, the Party Central Committee and the Secretariat for an unspecified period. He will also continue as president, a largely ceremonial post for which he was chosen just two months ago.

Whether he will retain the duties of general secretary on a more permanent basis depends on the Politburo, which is expected to decide whether to confirm his new role. If it does, Mr. Lam would have the chance to consolidate his position within the party before it holds its next congress in 2026 to select the countrys top leaders for the next five years.

This has probably set the stage for To Lam to become the next general secretary, said Nguyen Khac Giang, a visiting fellow at the ISEAS-Yusof Ishak Institute, a research organization in Singapore. He would be the front-runner, but it is not certain he would be chosen, because there are different factions in the party that wont want him to gather so much power.
A gunman shot and killed a far-right Ukrainian politician who stirred controversy with campaigns to promote the Ukrainian language and discredit Russian-speaking compatriots, the authorities say.

The former lawmaker, Iryna Farion, was a highly divisive figure. A linguist who belonged to a hard-line nationalist party, she was despised by some for her denunciation of Russian-speaking fighters in elite Ukrainian military units. Many Ukrainians speak Russian, especially in eastern regions closer to Russia.

Ms. Farion, 60, was shot in the head by a young man on a street in the western city of Lviv on Friday evening, and the Ukrainian authorities said early Saturday that they were still searching for the gunman, who fled the scene. Ihor Klymenko, Ukraines interior minister, said he believed she was targeted for killing.

This was not a spontaneous murder, he told a news conference on Saturday, adding that it might have been politically motivated or a personal matter. He did not rule out possible Russian involvement.
After Russian forces took control of his village in 2022, Volodymyr Vakulenko, a well-known Ukrainian author, sensed he might soon be arrested. So he buried his new handwritten manuscript in his backyard, under a cherry tree.

Best known in Ukraine for his cheerful and lyrical childrens books, Mr. Vakulenko was seething with anger at Moscows occupying forces. As his village lost cellphone service and news from the outside world dried up, he filled his new work with reflective, sometimes morose, descriptions of life under Russian control: people neglecting their flower beds, cooking on campfires as utilities failed, and even fraternizing with the Russians.

Soon enough, Russian soldiers indeed arrested Mr. Vakulenko, and his body later turned up in a mass grave.

Six months later, a fellow Ukrainian author, Viktoria Amelina, learned of the buried book, dug it up, wrote a foreword and sent it to a publisher. But she too was killed, in a missile strike on a pizza restaurant.
Israel faces a strategic dilemma over how best to retaliate for the drone attack on Tel Aviv claimed by Yemens Houthi militia, which is based thousands of miles from Israels southern borders.

The attack, which struck an apartment building early on Friday near the United States diplomatic compound, killing one person and wounded several others, has heightened concerns in Israel about the threat of Iran. Tehran funds and encourages militias opposed to Israel throughout the region, including Hamas in Gaza and Hezbollah in Lebanon, in addition to the Houthis in Yemen.

On a technical level, the attack highlighted the weakness of Israels air defense system against unmanned aircraft, which travel at slower speeds, fly at lower altitudes and emit less heat than high-velocity rockets and shells. According to military experts, those factors make it harder for drones to be tracked by radar and intercepted by surface-to-air missiles.

Yoav Gallant, the Israeli defense minister, has vowed revenge for the attack, but analysts said this weekend that Israel had few obvious options against a militia that shares no common border with Israel and has appeared undeterred by earlier displays of force by Western powers.
Israeli fighter jets bombed a port in Yemen controlled by the Iran-backed Houthi militia on Saturday in retaliation for the groups deadly drone attack in Tel Aviv a day earlier. It was the first time Israel has publicly struck the group following months of escalating Houthi attacks.

The airstrikes targeted a power station as well as gas and oil depots in the area of the Red Sea port of Hodeidah, according to a Houthi spokesman and two regional officials, who spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to speak publicly.

Israel said it had struck sites used for military purposes, although Rear Adm. Daniel Hagari, the Israeli military spokesman, said that Israel had attacked some dual use targets that have both civilian and military functions.

Admiral Hagari said the operation was one of the farthest and longest ever conducted by the Israeli air force. He called the port a major supply stop for Iran to funnel weapons to its Houthi allies in Yemen, who have fired over 200 missiles and drones at Israel over the past several months.
You made it , longer than about percent of readers.

Heres a view of all Times readers progress on this exercise:

Based on data from more than New York Times readers. This chart includes readers who spent at least two seconds looking at the art.

The Painting

As you may recall, the painting you just spent time with is Nocturne in Blue and Silver, by the American artist James McNeill Whistler. (You may be familiar with one of Whistlers more famous paintings  a portrait of his mother.)

The one you just spent time with currently hangs on the second floor of the Harvard Art Museums:

Lauren O'Neil for The New York Times





The painting, part of a series that Whistler started in the late 1860s, shows the industrial banks of the River Thames in London in hazy blue tones.

In an 1885 lecture on the interaction between nature and the artist, Whistler spoke of the transition from day to night, when the evening mist clothes the riverside with poetry as with a veil, and the poor buildings lose themselves in the dim sky, and the tall chimneys become campanili, and the warehouses are palaces in the night.

That feels like the moment painted here; some things are as they seem, others change. That feels like the moment painted here; some things are as they seem, others change. Smokestacks and factories are reflected in the brushy water. Blobs of orange, yellow and white suggest the nights lights and their reflections. Smokestacks and factories are reflected in the brushy water. Blobs of orange, yellow and white suggest the nights lights and their reflections. As you look further down the painting, things start to get confusing. Here we see a faint, almost ghostlike second reflection. As you look further down the painting, things start to get confusing. Here we see a faint, almost ghostlike second reflection. But this one seems mirrored. But this one seems mirrored. Whats this over here? Whats this over here? And whats this  And whats this   doing down here?  doing down here?

That mark we just saw is Whistlers signature, and we see a version of it in many of his paintings. It is derived from the form of a butterfly; he iterated on the symbol throughout his life.

And the second reflection? Well, this is where things get fun. You may crave a definitive answer, but the painting itself doesnt really provide one.

Kate Smith, a senior conservator of paintings and head of the paintings lab at the Harvard Art Museums, has looked at infrared photographs of the painting. She has a theory of her own.

She believes Whistler may have started the painting one way and then simply changed his mind, flipped the panel upside down and started over.

Ms. Smith explained that this mystery reflection could be whats called a pentimento  a change to a piece of art that slowly emerges over time. Its possible that when this painting was finished, this reflection wasnt there  by design. It may have emerged only decades later.

Or Whistler may have intentionally left the ghostly reflection in for us to see. He described the paintings in this series as arrangements of line, form and color first. Once, he was asked to confirm if figures in another painting were people. He wouldnt say one way or another.

They are just what you like, he said.

(If you want, look again now that you know more.)

The Point

This painting was well suited as a subject of our experiment: It has mysteries revealed upon close inspection. But the point of the exercise was not exactly for you to notice the mysteries. It was just to get you to notice at all.

The act of focusing is both possible and valuable, researchers say, no matter how intimidating or pointless it might seem. Thats particularly important in a world where typical office workers spend an average of less than a minute at a time on any one screen, according to research by Gloria Mark, a professor at the University of California, Irvine, and author of Attention Span.

When youre used to a manic social media feed, its hard to pay attention to content that doesnt change, she said.

Think again about the time you spent looking at the painting.

At first, you may have felt that it was too dull to hold your interest for even 10 seconds, much less 10 minutes.

When Professor Roberts at Harvard first conceived of this assignment  the three-hour version  she saw it as a launching point to help students write an art history research paper. But these days she also sees it as a way to teach patience. (She recommended this Whistler painting for our exercise.)

Many of her students, she says, react to the assignment with horror. (This may have happened to you, too.)

Its a combination of, Oh, my God, thats impossible, she said. And also at the same time, the sense that its remedial.

But they usually find the experience, as you may have, neither too difficult nor too simple. The students see that they did not notice everything worth seeing in the painting at first glance, she said. And they find that by being a little bored, and a little outside their comfort zone, they can see something new.

If you liked the way you felt, try the exercise again with any piece of art. Or, if youre feeling bolder, print out Professor Robertss original assignment. Then go to a museum, pick a work of art and settle in.

Consider also a song, or a poem. Or skip art altogether.

You can just go look at a tree, she said. You can look at a rock.

Your attention is a product of a lot of things, said Professor Mark, not all of which are in your power. But a little practice can help. We do many behaviors that are automatic, she said. Becoming aware of such automatic behaviors is a skill, and we can then better control where we place our attention.

And with that skill honed, you may linger more, and better.
KYODO NEWS - Jul 20, 2024 - 21:34 | All, Japan

An estimated 650,000 people in Japan abused nonprescription drugs for purposes such as getting high in the past year, with the highest rate of use among teenagers, the first nationwide research by the health ministry showed Saturday.

The study, released amid growing concerns over drug overdoses, especially among young people, found that 0.75 percent of the population between 15 and 64, equivalent to 650,000 people, used over-the-counter drugs, including cough suppressants and painkillers, for unintended purposes.

By age bracket, the highest rate of abusive use was predicted among those aged 15 to 19 at 1.46 percent, representing around 85,000 people. This was followed by 1.24 percent, or approximately 308,000 people, among those in their 50s and 0.69 percent, or roughly 101,000 people, among those in their 30s.

Takuya Shimane, a researcher at the National Center of Neurology and Psychiatry, who led the study conducted by a health ministry research group, said the outcome helps grasp the "overall picture" of the issue for the first time, noting that it strongly suggests that abusive use is "centered on teenagers."

The findings suggest the need to review the country's drug-sale system and to provide support to those who misuse the medicine.

Overdosing can cause acute intoxication symptoms, such as disturbed consciousness and confusion, which may be life-threatening.

The Ministry of Health, Labor and Welfare is moving to ban those under 20 from buying large amounts of OTC drugs that contain addictive ingredients. Based on a proposal compiled by a panel in January, the ministry is set to amend the relevant law.

In addition to taking measures to prevent bulk purchases of OTC drugs, more efforts are needed to teach junior and senior high school students about the risks of overdose, Shimane said.

As excessive use is also prevalent among those in their 50s, the research group said it needs to further analyze the characteristics of this age group.

The research group estimated these figures based on the results of a periodic study on drug abuse conducted between October and December. Questionnaires were mailed to 5,000 people, and 3,026 valid responses were received.

For the first time, the questionnaire asked respondents if they had used nonprescription drugs beyond the correct dosage to alter their mood.

When asked in a multiple-response question where they had obtained the drugs they abused, 36.0 percent of respondents said at stores such as drugstores or pharmacies, with 16.0 percent saying they were found in the home, while 4.0 percent got them online. For over half of the respondents, the source was unknown.
Tullamore pub The Old Warehouse has been nominated across three categories in the 2024 Bar of the Year Awards.

The pub has secured nominations for the Best Newcomer award, the Local Bar of the Year Award and the Gastro Bar of the Year Award.

Located in the site of the former Tullamore Dew Heritage Centre which dated back to 1829, the pub opened its doors recently in 2022.

READ MORE - Women and children the majority of 55 Ukrainian refugees moving into old Offaly factory

Clara PGA Tour star Shane Lowry opened the pub in partnership with businessman Alan Clancy less than two years ago.

The venue now comprises of two floors, with a bar on the ground floor and a restaurant located upstairs and employs 50 full and part-time staff.

The Old Warehouse secured the top spot in the Sunday Worlds popular 'Pub Spy' rankings, a top 10 list of Irelands best bars, earlier this year in January.

The Bar of the Year awards will take place on Monday, August 19, and the Old Warehouse will be looking to secure another award to add to their silverware.
A fire has broken out at a former factory in north Dublin following a protest over the site being earmarked to house asylum seekers.

A crowd of more than 1,000 people attended the protest at the former Crown Paints factory in Coolock which witnessed violent disorder this week.

Gardai have stated: "No injuries have been reported.

"A section of the Malahide Road, Coolock is currently closed in both directions. Motorists are advised to use an alternative route if travelling in this area."

Earlier, Taoiseach Simon Harris warned that anyone who engages in thuggery and breaks the law while taking part in protests at Coolock will face the full rigour of the law.

Speaking in Donegal, he said: In relation to protest, anybody in Ireland is legitimately entitled to protest, it is a key tenet of our democracy and it is something I would always support the right that people have to protest.

But I have to say what we have seen in recent days has not been that.

What we have seen in recent days has been an attempt by a relatively small number of people to engage in lawlessness, to engage in thuggery and to engage in criminal activity.

That is why there have been several arrests, it is why more than 19 people appeared before the courts in recent days.

It is why a number of people have now been charged with criminal offences.
Gardai have seized 18 firearms and approximately 900 rounds of ammunition at a premises in Co Louth.

At approximately 2pm, officers carried out a search on the outskirts of Ardee.

They seized six AR-15 assault rifles and 12 semi-automatic 9mm handguns.

Approximately 900 rounds of 9mm and .223 ammunition were also discovered.

A number of follow-up searches were carried out at several properties in the county.

Two men in their 30s were arrested on suspicion of participation in the activities of a criminal organisation to facilitate firearms trafficking.

Assistant Commissioner for Organised and Serious Crime Justin Kelly said: Todays seizure of firearms and ammunition is particularly significant.

These would have undoubtedly been used to maim, kill and intimidate those in communities across Ireland.

Weapons such as those seized by Gardai today are the lifeblood of organised criminal groups  who often use violence as part of their drug trafficking operations.

I wish to commend the dedication of all the Gardai involved in this operation.

Operations like todays demonstrate our determination to make Ireland a hostile environment for organised criminal groups to operate.
KYODO NEWS - Jul 20, 2024 - 12:08 | All, Japan

The fuselage of one of two Maritime Self-Defense Force helicopters that collided in April over the Pacific has been found following a deep-sea search, sources familiar with the matter said Saturday.

The two SH-60K choppers, each carrying four MSDF members, were conducting a nighttime anti-submarine drill above waters east of Torishima Island in the Izu island chain, south of Tokyo, on April 20 when they collided. All eight personnel aboard died.

An unmanned deep-sea probe located the fuselage at a depth of about 5,500 meters during the search that began earlier in July.

The probe of the Japan Agency for Marine-Earth Science and Technology is capable of searching to a depth of 6,000 meters.

On July 9, the Defense Ministry said that crew failing to keep a lookout was among the causes of the collision.

Related coverage:

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KYODO NEWS - Jul 20, 2024 - 19:11 | World, Japan, All

The foreign ministers of Japan, the United States, Australia and India are expected to express opposition to the militarization of the South China Sea when they meet in Tokyo later this month, diplomatic sources said Saturday, a message that comes amid China's growing assertiveness in the region.

The ministers from the four-way grouping, known as the Quad, are also expected to agree to establish a dialogue framework involving law experts as part of efforts to maintain and reinforce the maritime rules-based order, according to the sources.

Japanese Foreign Minister Yoko Kamikawa, U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken, Australian Foreign Minister Penny Wong and Indian External Affairs Minister Subrahmanyam Jaishankar are expected to attend the gathering scheduled for July 29. It will be the first Quad foreign ministerial talks since September.

The statement issued in September called for addressing "challenges" in the South and East China seas, but the message from the upcoming meeting is expected to include tougher expressions over the issue in light of a series of confrontations between Chinese and Philippine vessels in the disputed South China Sea.

The sources said arrangements are being made to stipulate in the statement that the Quad members will continue to express opposition to the militarization of the South China Sea, as well as coercive and threatening actions there.

The ministers will also voice grave concerns about the situations in the East and South China seas and oppose any attempts to unilaterally change the status quo by force or coercion while reaffirming their cooperation toward a "free and open Indo-Pacific," the sources said.

Beijing has been militarizing outposts in disputed areas of the resource-rich South China Sea, where the Philippines, Taiwan, Malaysia, Vietnam and Brunei have overlapping claims.

China has also been making repeated incursions into territorial waters around the Senkaku Islands, a group of Japan-controlled islets in the East China Sea, which Beijing claims and calls Diaoyu.

As for cybersecurity, the Quad ministers will likely agree to launch a representatives meeting to discuss ways to counter cyberattacks and hold an international conference on the issue. They will also present a united response against disinformation.

Amid the rapid development of generative artificial intelligence, the ministers will highlight the necessity of safe, secure, and trustworthy AI systems, in line with the "Hiroshima AI Process," launched in the wake of last year's Group of Seven summit hosted by Japan to promote international rule-making for advanced AI systems, the sources said.
KYODO NEWS - Jul 20, 2024 - 23:00 | All, World, Japan

The following is the latest list of selected news summaries by Kyodo News.

----------

Quad nations to oppose South China Sea militarization in Tokyo talks

TOKYO - The foreign ministers of Japan, the United States, Australia and India are expected to express opposition to the militarization of the South China Sea when they meet in Tokyo later this month, diplomatic sources said Saturday, a message that comes amid China's growing assertiveness in the region.

The ministers from the four-way grouping, known as the Quad, are also expected to agree to establish a dialogue framework involving law experts as part of efforts to maintain and reinforce the maritime rules-based order, according to the sources.

----------

Fuselage of 1 of 2 SDF helicopters in April crash found

TOKYO - The fuselage of one of two Maritime Self-Defense Force helicopters that collided in April over the Pacific has been found following a deep-sea search, sources familiar with the matter said Saturday.

The two SH-60K choppers, each carrying four MSDF members, were conducting a nighttime anti-submarine drill above waters east of Torishima Island in the Izu island chain, south of Tokyo, on April 20 when they collided. All eight personnel aboard died.

----------

Japan expands continental shelf eastward for rare metals research

TOKYO - Japan on Saturday extended its designation of its continental shelf to the eastern part of islands some 1,000 kilometers south of Tokyo, enabling the resource-poor country to start research on extracting maritime natural resources such as rare metals from the region.

A revised Cabinet order took effect designating a significant portion of the Ogasawara Plateau sea area as part of its continental shelf, an area of around 120,000 square kilometers. Its move to enlarge the shelf has triggered opposition from China.

----------

Number of individual shareholders in Japan tops 70 million for first time

TOKYO - The number of individual shareholders in listed companies across the four Japanese stock markets climbed to a record high in fiscal 2023, surpassing 70 million for the first time amid an uptrend in share prices, according to the four bourses.

The figure came to about 74.45 million, up 4.62 million from the previous fiscal year for the 10th consecutive year of increase, according to data compiled by the stock exchanges in Tokyo, Nagoya, Fukuoka and Sapporo.

----------

U.K. auto body calls on Japanese automakers to ramp up investment

TOKYO - The head of a major British trade organization for the auto industry has said he hopes Japanese automakers will ramp up investment in their plants in the European country as their plans will have spillover effects to spur more outlay from suppliers.

Mike Hawes, the chief executive of the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders, said in a recent interview with Kyodo News in Tokyo that it is a logical step for automakers to upgrade manufacturing facilities or increase capacity to stay competitive.

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Sumo: Terunofuji wards off Ura to stay perfect after classic battle

NAGOYA - Yokozuna Terunofuji escaped defeat by a razor-thin margin but eventually overcame trickster Ura in a classic encounter on Saturday to stay perfect after seven days at the Nagoya Grand Sumo Tournament.

Terunofuji (7-0) was thoroughly tested by the stocky No. 4 maegashira Ura (3-4), who grabbed the grand champion's right arm, then his left as he pulled his bigger opponent around Dolphins Arena's raised ring before grabbing a promising right underarm belt hold.

----------

Basketball: Germany trounces Japan in Olympic warm-up

BERLIN - Germany beat Japan 104-83 in a men's Olympic basketball warm-up game Friday when the women's team lost 75-62 to France.

Japan's men, ranked 26th in the world, will face the third-ranked Germans next Saturday in their Olympic Group B opening game.

----------

Football: Veteran Japan defender Taniguchi joins Sint-Truiden

TOKYO - Veteran Japan defender Shogo Taniguchi has joined Sint-Truiden for his first career move to Europe after leaving Qatari side Al-Rayyan, the Belgian top-flight club announced Friday.

The 33-year-old helped Kawasaki Frontale to four J-League titles before joining Al-Rayyan in December 2022, soon after making his World Cup debut with Japan in Qatar.

Video: Recipients of prestigious Akutagawa, Naoki literary prizes named
To push forward Chinese modernization, senior officials of the Communist Party of China (CPC) have pledged to vigorously pursue reform by studying and implementing the guiding principles that emerged from a recent key plenum.

The 20th Central Committee of the Communist Party of China adopted a resolution on further deepening reform comprehensively to advance Chinese modernization at its third plenary session held in Beijing from Monday to Thursday.

Some members of the CPC Central Committee who took part in the plenum told Xinhua that they agreed that the plenary session, convened at a new, historic starting point, has created a blueprint for the further, comprehensive deepening of reform and the advancement of modernization initiatives.

Xu Qin, secretary of the CPC Heilongjiang Provincial Committee, noted that the Party has gained valuable experience in deepening reform during the ongoing journey of reform and opening up in the new era.

This experience has set the guiding principles for the further, comprehensive advancement of reform in the years ahead, he said. "We must study, understand, uphold and implement these principles, paving the way for comprehensive reform."

Yuan Huazhi, the political commissar of the Chinese People's Liberation Army (PLA) Navy, described the comprehensive deepening of reform as an epoch-making systematic project, saying that upholding the Party's leadership and strengthening the Party are essential to ensure reform stays on the right track.

It was noted at the plenum that China must remain committed to the basic state policy of opening to the outside world.

Zhang Gong, mayor of north China's Tianjin Municipality, underscored the significance of reform and opening up to ensure the steady, sustained progress of Chinese modernization.

The plenum set clear requirements for coordinated efforts to promote the integrated reform of institutions and mechanisms related to education, science and technology and human resources, supporting all-around innovation.

Shen Xiaoming, secretary of the CPC Hunan Provincial Committee, said the requirements are highly relevant and instructive for Hunan, which is a hub for advanced manufacturing, a highland for sci-tech innovation with core competitiveness, and a hub for the opening up of China's inland regions.

Wu Hansheng, head of the social work department of the CPC Central Committee, noted that the plenum outlined plans to explore effective means of strengthening Party construction within new types of economic and social organizations, and among new-profession population groups.

"We need to focus on reform and innovation to expand the Party's appeal, cohesion and influence in emerging fields," he said.

On the modernization of national defense and the armed forces, which the plenum regarded as an essential part of Chinese modernization, Wang Wenquan, political commissar of the PLA Southern Theater Command, pledged an enhanced ability to prepare for and conduct warfare amid efforts to strengthen the armed forces through reform.

Wang also highlighted the importance of remaining both steadfast and flexible when carrying out operations, and of safeguarding China's maritime rights, maritime interests and border security in a resolute manner.

Secretary of the CPC Shaanxi Provincial Committee Zhao Yide pledged to lead the northwestern province in carrying out reform, and said that more efforts will be made to build Shaanxi into an important base for China's westward opening up, promote high-quality development, and constantly enhance the sense of fulfillment the people gain from reform.




By David Boling, KYODO NEWS - Jul 20, 2024 - 18:19 | All, World

For former President Donald Trump, trade policy is a top priority. At a press conference during his first term, he said that his concern with trade was probably the main reason that he ran for president.

For most presidents, issues such as national defense, taxes, or health care are much more important than trade. The reason that trade is so central to Trump is because it is not only a policy issue to him but also a personal one, sitting at the core of his identity.

Trump's views on trade became fixed in his mind in the 1970s and 1980s and have not changed since. At that time, he was a fierce critic of Japan's trade practices.

Research shows that most people experience a type of musical paralysis after they turn 30, and their taste doesn't change anymore. The same can be said for Trump's views on trade -- they are an immutable part of his personality now.

One of Trump's core beliefs is that other countries unfairly trade with the United States. For Trump, U.S. trade deficits with other countries -- such as China, Germany, or Japan -- are evidence that the United States is being exploited. The U.S. trade deficit in goods with Japan in 2023 was about $71.5 billion.

To fix this problem, Trump's negotiating strategy is to use the power of the open U.S. market against trading partners. Because countries like Japan depend on exporting products to the United States, Trump leverages that dependency to his advantage. That's why he threatens to limit access to the U.S. market by raising tariffs.

Trump's favorite trade tool is tariffs. Tariffs are in Trump's DNA, and they reflect his personality: blunt, pushy, and headline-grabbing.

When Trump says that he will impose tariffs against trading partners, they should not ignore it. Trump gains an enormous negotiating advantage when he threatens to impose tariffs. Doing so immediately puts him in an offensive rather than defensive position.

Trump and former Prime Minister Shinzo Abe had a very good relationship. But even Abe could not stop Trump from slapping tariffs on Japanese steel and aluminum imports. Trump also threatened tariffs against Japanese automobile imports, and Abe could not disregard such a risk to a key Japanese industry.

So, Abe agreed to negotiate a new U.S.-Japan trade deal. In exchange for Trump not imposing tariffs on Japanese auto imports, Abe granted the United States better access to the Japanese agriculture market. This episode is a classic example of Trump's trade negotiating strategy at work; similar ones would likely occur in a second term.

If Trump is elected as president again in November, Japan will be on Trump's trade target list for tariffs. Other countries, like China, will be higher priorities, but Japan will be on the list too.

Another one of Trump's core beliefs is that foreign countries are not spending enough on defense and instead are taking advantage of the U.S.'s willingness to protect them. A second Trump administration would likely increase pressure on Japan to spend more money on defense. Trump may also threaten tariffs to achieve this aim.

But Tokyo has some negotiating leverage it can use against Trump. First, Japan is the United States' top foreign investor -- Trump wants Japan to keep investing in the United States. Second, the United States needs Japan as an ally to effectively counter China; advisers to Trump will remind him of Japan's importance.

Nevertheless, because trade policy is one of Trump's highest priorities and tariffs are in his genetic makeup, it will be hard for Japan to avoid higher tariffs if Trump returns to office.

(David Boling works at Eurasia Group, a political risk consultancy, and previously served as a trade negotiator in the Obama, Trump, and Biden administrations.)

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Kuwait: In a tragic incident, a Malayali family died in a fire in their flat in Abbasiya here on Friday. The deceased have been identified as Mathews Mulackal, his wife Lini Abraham, and their two children. They hailed from Neerattupuram in Alappuzha.



The family had reached Kuwait after a vacation in Kerala by 4pm on Friday. According to reports, a fire broke out in their flat on the second floor around 8 pm. A short circuit which originated from the air conditioner is believed to be the cause of the fire. The family suffocated to death following the fire outbreak.

Mathew worked at Reuters and his wife Lini was a staff nurse at Adan Hospital in Al Ahmadi Governorate. The children studied at Bhavans school in Kuwait.

Last month, 45 Indians had died in the massive fire that broke out in a labour accommodation in Kuwait's Mangaf.

On Thursday, the Kuwaiti Fire Force (KFF) had urged citizens and residents to follow safety guidelines to prevent fires. The warning came after temperatures crossed 50 degree Celsius in the country. During the briefing, KFF Director Brig Mohammad Al-Ghareeb emphasised the importance of possessing and knowing how to use fire prevention equipment, such as fire blankets, smoke and gas detectors, and fire extinguishers. The Director highlighted that electrical faults due to overloaded circuits as a major cause of fires and advised shutting off unnecessary devices to prevent them. Al-Ghareeb also spoke about the hazards of gas stoves, the importance of regular vehicle maintenance and proper elevator maintenance.
In the wake of the near assassination of Republican presidential candidate, Donald John Trump, the reaction from his MAGA faithful and Congressional Republicans was swift and angry. At first, it was all Joe Biden's fault; the gunman, one Thomas Matthew Crooks, gave $15 to a Democratic political action committee (PAC), the Secret Service was to blame - it's their fault - and angry Trumpists swore to "get to the bottom" of this dreadful act of trying to kill their messiah.

Not to be outdone, President Joe Biden came out and told America and the world that the gunman's action was not what we do as Americans, and that violence of any kind has no place in America today. I struggled to keep a straight face; to not descend in uncontrolled laughter bordering on temporary lunacy. What?! While you're turning a blind eye to daily violence in Gaza, and now tagged with the sobriquet "Genocide Joe" you're waxing self-righteously and piously about violence?

I've now come to the firm conclusion that in America today guns have twisted and distorted men's (and some women too) minds. There is a kind of sick addiction to guns and firearms in general. When one of the now normalized senseless acts of gun violence occur the default mechanism is a reconfiguration of the Second Amendment, and the illogical statement that "guns do not kill; only people with guns do." And when that sounds kinda worn out and trite, it's never ever a "gun problem" but a "mental health problem." There is even speculation that would be assassin Crooks, now dead as a doornail, was "not all there,"

And the very shocking and sad truth is that AR-15s now speak an auto-erotic self-delusional language of love and attraction to the vast majority of the MAGA horde. They are adored, beautified and glorified at every turn as if they were the very articles of Republican (and some Democrats) orthodoxy. These sacred, must-have objects of mass murder have done a big favor for the Republican Party and its new King Donald by allowing him to ascend into GOP Political Heaven, with a copious wad of white plaster adorning his right ear where the assassin's bullet narrowly missed the bovine one.

Of course, never one to let a good crisis go to waste, Trump and company used this unfortunate incident to distract away from his rape judgments, civil fraud penalties, and felony charges for espionage, sedition, and electoral racketeering. For the Republican Party's faithful these were "minor things," little more than pesky "trespasses" that the electorate (at least the GOP diehards) is happy to forgive and move on from. The man has divine protection and was sent by the Almighty himself.

If assassination deification wasn't enough, the Supreme Court's decision to do its political job of making the former president the new American King by shoving aside his various indulgences and repeated sins. First, the right-wing, ultra-conservative Roberts Court overturned the original intent of the U.S. Constitution that no man or woman, even a president, is above the law-- by listing all those presumptive instances (including the official act of paying off a porn star while seated at the Resolute desk in the Oval Office) when a U.S. president can beat any and all raps.

In less than two weeks, the Supreme Court's ruling and the assassination attempt have transmogrified Donald Trump from a psychotic talking about how "the late, great Hannibal Lecter is a wonderful man-- to a pseudo-statesman and the Great White Hope of those who dream of a United States of Apartheid. At the just concluded Republican National Convention, Trump basked in the near-endless hallelujahs that "God protected him" in Butler for a higher purpose. That was the message spread from every speaker from the airheaded Marjorie Taylor Greene to "Little Marco Rubio" and dog killer, Kristi Noem.

I swear that after a while, the Lord Almighty began to sound like yet another political action committee eager to buy Trump air time or launder money for his attorneys. Finally, nobody should be surprised that Donald Trump would find common cause with the school shooter industrial complex-- the NRA, gun fetishizers like his son Don Jr., the U.S. Concealed Carry Association, and the asinine Second Amendment crowd. Or that they will all pretend that the would-be assassin Thomas Matthew Crooks was just a misguided but very nice kid that was influenced by radical democrats.
Please disseminate and act accordingly. Never stop sharing and speaking out in times of ongoing genocide.

This is very important and no country can claim these are "disputed territories" or that there is a "conflict" any more. In a stunning and highly researched opinion, the International Court of Justice (highest global legal authority) concluded that all activities carried out by Israel (the occupying power) in the occupied areas (Golan, Gaza, West Bank including Jerusalem) are illegal (violate international law) and must be dismantled and reparations made. Illegal activities include Jewish settlements building, home demolitions, walls, economic deprivation, ethnic cleansing etc. The court ruled per international law that the decades long occupation must end and that Palestinian must have self-determination. Yet, the Apartheid Knesset (parliament of the "Jewish state") voted a few days ago to preclude any possibility of a "Palestinian state" in Palestine.

Something I wrote at the end of one of the many wars on the people of Gaza in the past explaining that there are no winners in wars now.

July in history.

U.S. complicity in the Gaza genocide is deep and continuing.

The number of deaths resulting from Israel s attack on Gaza is far higher than usually estimated: in excess of 185,000.

Arrest war criminal Netanyahu.

The Prime Minister of Israel having said he will turn Gaza into ruins and fulfilled his promise is going to Washington DC (another Zionist occupied/colonized territory). Benjamin Mileikowsky (aka Netanyahu) was born to Benzion Mileikowsky (later changed names to Netanyahu), a polish immigrant. His Americanized father became secretary to terrorist leader Vladimir Yevgenyevich Zhabotinsky (aka Zeev Jabotinsky) founder of "revisionist" Zionism and supported groups like Irgun terrorist organization during the mandate in Palestine. His son continues to idolize these early Jewish terrorists. Both Benjamin and his brother served in units of the Israeli forces responsible for assassinations on foreign lands (in violations of international law) and committed war crimes. Benjamin Miliekowsky (Netanyahu) is known both among Israelis and globally as a consummate liar who refused to accept the Oslo accords (even though they were partial to Israel) and has gotten rich off of his political activities. Here is a video of him thinking the camera was off explaining his true contributions during his first stint as Israeli prime minister in the 1990s; see also this. This is after all the same terrorist who gave a speech to dozens of Likud Party members in Eilat in which he admitted this is his strategy. According to the Israeli newspaper Haaretz (15 July 2001): "...giving his audience a bit of advice on how to deal with foreign interviewers (Netanyahu said):'Always, irrespective of whether you're right or not, you must always present your side as right.' In 2011, the French president, Nicolas Sarkozy, described Netanyahu as a liar in a private exchange with US President Barack Obama at the G20 summit (it was inadvertently broadcast to journalists). "I cannot stand him. He's a liar," Sarkozy told Obama. The US president Obama responded by saying: "You're fed up with him? I have to deal with him every day." Other Zionist leaders have even more interesting backgrounds.

And politicians lie (even the non-genocidal variety).

Stay Human and keep Palestine alive

Mazin Qumsiyeh

A bedouin in cyberspace, a villager at home

Professor, Founder, and (volunteer) Director Palestine Museum of Natural History

Palestine Institute of Biodiversity and Sustainability Bethlehem University Occupied Palestine

facebook pages Personal Institute

French
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"Either this nation shall kill racism, or racism shall kill this nation." (S. Jonas, August, 2018)



For the last 2/3's of his RNC .acceptance. speech, it my not have looked precisely like this, but it sure sounded this way.

(Image by DonkeyHotey) Details DMCA



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As my regular readers know, I have been writing on Trump and the Trump version of fascism ever since, in 2016, the Republican Party chose Donald Trump as its Presidential candidate. And, as the latest version of that Party has been hoping to roll out some version of a fascist future for the United States, he has become, very conveniently, a central part of Republican policy and programming

As it happens, I plan several weeks ahead for the topics of my upcoming columns. As it happened further, also quite by chance, the topic that I had slated for this particular end-of-the-week column (which is when I post them, each week), was entitled "The Road to TrumpFascism." And then, as it happened, the Republican National Convention concluded yesterday. It featured Trump's version of an acceptance speech. So, this column is devoted primarily to the Trump "speech" (which, after the Slow Introduction, was more like a yowl), and the RNC, with for now just a few references to TrumpFascism.

(For those who might be interested, in 2022 I published, on Kindle-on-Amazon, a collection of 191 columns that I wrote on Trump between 2015 and 2021. Many of them did, in one way or another, touch on TrumpFascism. [The standard definition of fascism that I use is posted at the end of this column.] Of course, in due course, I will be returning to consider TrumpFascism, as it continues to play out through the Presidential campaign.)

I should note at this time, that for the present era I made "Trump" and "Fascism" into one word, because fascism under Trump is a variant of the governmental form called "fascism," as it has been experienced throughout history. Indeed there are certain differences from the generic form. They are related to: Trump's personality, his (almost non-existent) education-that-had-any-lasting-impact on him, the apparent fact that he doesn't read much of anything, and the ruling class sectors that have lined up behind him. Those are more high-tech and finance, petrochemicals, and-any-company-significantly-affected-by-government-regulation, than the traditional manufacturing sector which historically has been the prime driver for fascism in other countries in whihc it has arisen. In terms of his financial support, see also "Billionaires for Trump."

As for commentary on the convention itself and the Trump Speech, I must confess that I did watch very little of the former until last night (Thursday, July 18). Then, as for the Trump speech, once he got past the "niceties," such a paying tribute to the poor man who got killed at that rally, and saying (don't know how he managed to, given the racist shtick he has lived on his whole life) that now is a time for national unity, once he got into a usual Trump-diatribe, I decided that I just didn't need to stay up late just to see a re-run of the latter. And so, for the most part, this column contains some observations on the Convention, and particularly Trump's speech, made by others.

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From MSNBC host Larry O'Donnell. First, he noted that National Conventions usually offer at least an acknowledgement, if not a more fulsome recognition of previous high-level office holders and candidates. For this RNC the "distinguished former leaders" comprised a set alright, but none of them were there. That list included former House Speakers Paul Ryan and John Boehner, former President George W. Bush, former Presidential candidate Mitt Romney, and former Vice-Presidents Mike Pence, Dick Cheney, and Dan Quayle.

Second, Mr. O'Donnell noted that two of Trump's major "achievements" have been accomplished through the Supreme Court, to which he was able to appoint three "Trump-Trump-Trump justices." Without any kind of direct national voting in the case of the ban on freedom-of-choice-in-the-outcome-of-pregnancy-based-on-religious-grounds, Trump of course accomplished the over-turn of Roe v. Wade. That took away the freedom of women and families to decide their own futures (again on the infrequently recognized religious grounds for doing so). Further, in the Presidential immunity" case the Court amended of the Constitution (without the bother of going through the very complicated procedure provided for in the Constitution for so doing. The Amendment added a clause to Article II (which defines the Presidency) that cannot by any stretch be seen to be there: immunity from being charged for crime-commission while on the job. Trump was able use the power of the Presidency, through his appointments to the Supreme Court, plus three other reactionaries who were already there, to achieve major changes in how our nation functions.

Larry O'Donnell also pointed out that if Presidents were elected by popular vote, given the timing of Supreme Court seats becoming vacant over the last 45 years, only Clarence Thomas would be on the Court. And of course, recall that the Electoral Vote system which put all of those electoral-minority Republican in the White House was originally dreamed up to both limit the influence of the "common citizens" in national voting, and give the slave states more power in the Congress than their populations would otherwise have warranted. (See also the "3/5's rule.")

Here's something that I came across before the Convention, and before Sen. J.D. Vance of Ohio, a former anti-Trumper who is of course now the V-P candidate, had already told us (and it may well have been one of the reasons that Trump picked him) that if Trump gets in the first thing he may well do is declare martial law. Given the configuration of the current Joint Chiefs that might be a bit difficult to do, but if a Trump Militia in the style of the Nazi Sturmabteilung-S.A. (and there will be one) just swooped in and arrested them, and then Trump pushed a new set of Joint Chiefs through what would be an entirely Republican Congress (the Dems. having been arrested by the same Trump-S.A. for treason), it could be done fairly quickly.

It has been my position for quite some time that the best candidate to beat Trump, is Trump. Trump, that is, just as he continues to go off the rails (did I use that one before?) (Of course, the Democrats need a viable candidate. I have written for some weeks now [mainly on Twitter @ https://x.com/tpjmagazine] that Pres. Biden needs to gracefully retire and that the person who will have the most influence on that decision also has the initials "J.B.") My "best choice" for that viable candidate (and the best choice of many other observers), for a variety of reasons is the present VEEP.

In any case, on the other side, here's a cheery note about a J.D. Vance policy proposal that might have clinched the job for him:

"As it happens, Sen. J.D. Vance of Ohio, a former anti-Trumper who is now fully bought into this campaign, has already told us that if Trump gets in the first thing he will do is declare martial law."

Given the configuration of the current Joint Chiefs, that might be a bit difficult to do. But if the Trump-S.A. (and again, there will be one) just swooped in and arrested them, and then Trump pushed a new set through what would be entirely Republican Congress (the Dems. having been arrested by the same Trump-S.A. for treason), it could be done fairly quickly.

"At an event organized by Principles First, which calls itself 'a nationwide grassroots movement of pro-democracy, anti-Trump conservatives. . . Heath Mayo, president and founder of the group, told the crowd that 'The Republican Party is sick, okay -- it has been led astray by populist demagogues and it has abandoned its principles.' He condemned a convention speaker for saying the Russian invasion of Ukraine 'wasn't Vladimir Putin's fault' but instead that of the United States. 'That is absurd. It's dangerous,' Mayo said. 'It is absolutely antithetical to anything the Republican Party has ever stood for.' [Now there's at least one Republican I can agree with.] And Mayo summarized a recurring sentiment he heard while watching the convention: 'That there are certain Americans out there -- whether it's based on their race, their religion, their job or their occupation, who are real Americans,' while others for the same reason are 'not quite real Americans.' " That kind of sums up TrumpFascism, doesn't it?

In her heathercoxrichardson|AT|substack.com Email address">column of July 19, 2024, the esteemed Heather Cox Richrdson noted that:

"Paul Manafort walking onto the floor of the Republican National Convention yesterday illustrated that the Republican Party under Trump has become thoroughly corrupted into an authoritarian party aligned with foreign dictators.

"Manafort first advised and then managed Trump's 2016 campaign. A long-time Republican political operative, he came to the job after the Ukrainian people threw his client, Viktor Yanukovych out of Ukraine's presidency in 2014. Yanukovych was backed by Russian president Vladimir Putin, who was determined to prevent Ukraine from turning toward Europe and to install a puppet government that would extend his power over the neighboring country. Beginning in 2004, Manafort had worked to install and then keep Yanukovych and his party in power. His efforts won him a fortune thanks to his new friends, especially Russian billionaire Oleg Deripaska. Then in 2014, after months of popular protests, Ukrainians ousted Yanukovych from power in what is known as the Revolution of Dignity."

And then she goes on to detail the Manafort-corruption for which he eventually went to prison (where he stayed until, along with Roger Stone and Charles Kushner [father of Jared], he was pardoned by Trump). He was the operative who changed the 2016 Republican Platform from an anti-Putin position on Ukraine to a "pro-Putin" one. So Manafort, a convicted felon just like Trump, is back somewhere in the leadership of the Trumpublican Party. By the way, convicted felon Peter Navarro got a speaking role at the RNC, the liable-for-tons-of-money-payments-for-slander Giuliani was in the hall (although he did fall down trying to get into his seat --- quite a bit of speculation as to the cause of the fall followed). Sadly, for the TrumpFascists, the No.1 "who needs Democracy anyway" booster, Steve Bannon, was off serving his four-month sentence for contempt of Congress. (At least the poor guy is going to have some time to shave.)

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Mike Allen of Axios (July 19, 2024) noted that in his speech: "The 'new' Donald Trump soothed and silenced the nation for 28 minutes last night. Then the old Trump returned and bellowed, barked, and bored America for 64 minutes more . . . " going on-and-on-and-on (without proof of course) about the "immigrant invasion," "killing thousands of Americans," and etc. (Here is just one reference that totally debunks that claim.) But of course, at the RNC it was nowhere noted that there had been a deal on the table between Pres. Biden and Congressional Republicans to enact the toughest anti-border-crossing-immigrants legislation ever, until Trump told Mike Johnson to scuttle it because he wanted to use the issue in the campaign. (Want a definition of opportunism/cynicism, here 'tis.) And Trump did use the "immigrant invasion" issue to a fare-thee-well in his "Acceptance" speech. (Welcome to Trump-world, Mikey.) One wonders whether he plans this stuff out, or it just comes to him, while he is railing onwards.

Of course, Trump's policy/position was emphasized in the Hall by the appearance of the large, multi-colored "Mass Deportation Now" posters, "proudly" held up by delegates (all of whom, of course, going back one generation or more, are the children of immigrants).

The actual set of legal processes concerned with finding, arresting, and then deporting persons who would/could be determined to be "illegal" immigrants not entitled to any sort(s) of legal protection(s) is, according to a recent article in The New York Times extremely complicated. Of course, a Trump administration might just ignore all the legalities and the Trump-S.A. militias do the rounding-- up-and-deportation with dispatch.

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Several pertinent columns on the RNC appeared in The Bulwark on July 19, including "The Republican Capitulation Is Complete, Donald Trump's speech capped a GOP convention shaped around one man like never before" (by William Kristol and Andrew Egger).

In her Substack column of July 19, Mary Trump noted "The Complete Embrace of Violence." Again, so much for the pivot to unity.

And then there's "Project 2025," which Trump and the Repub. Party leadership are now trying to run away from as fast as their little legs can carry them. But if the TrumpRepubs win, believe me, its implementation will be right at the top of the agenda. From BoldProgressives.org: "Over 100 far-right organizations contributed to the plan, and they've openly stated their goal: turn America into a Christian nationalist state;" Ah yes, the Christian Nationalism that is actually at the top of the TrumpRepub Agenda. I shall be returning to that one for sure.

Finally, there is an article in The New York Times, of July. 19, 2024, by the redoubtable Johnathan Swan, Shan Goldmacher, and Maggie Haberman: "How Trump Stifled [the] GOP And Remade its Platform" using language like "This is something that ultimately you'll pass. You'll pass it quickly." [Forget the bad English in the first of these two sentences. Welcome to fascist dictatorship, Republicans.]

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Fascism: "There is a single, all-powerful executive branch of government, in service of a capitalist ruling class that controls, for the most part, the functions of production, distribution, finance, and exchange. There is no separation of the principal governmental powers: executive, legislative, and judicial. There are no independent media. There is a single national ideology, based on some combination of racism, misogyny, religious bigotry and authoritarianism, homophobia, and xenophobia. There is a political party supporting the movement. There is a state propaganda machine using the big and little lie techniques. There may be a full-blown dictatorship, a charismatic leader, engagement in foreign wars, and the use of the mob/private armies to enforce governmental control."

(Article changed on Jul 19, 2024 at 10:50 PM EDT)

(Article changed on Jul 21, 2024 at 8:51 AM EDT)

(Article changed on Jul 21, 2024 at 11:41 PM EDT)

(Article changed on Jul 21, 2024 at 11:43 PM EDT)
Article originally published in New York Amsterdam News

By Robert Weiner and Olivia Ardito

Donald Trump's Georgia election interference case should have gotten the Alvin Bragg treatment. Bragg "ran through the tape-- "to use the track meet and road race analogy-- and would not be delayed or denied. If Georgia prosecutors acted like Bragg, Trump would have actually sat on trial more than once.

On May 30, 2024, Donald Trump became the first U.S. president to be convicted of a felony. In an unprecedented verdict, he was charged with 34 counts of falsifying business records to cover up hush-money payments to adult film star Stormy Daniels. This is the first of four trials for the former president, and the only one not related to his presidential activities. The other three trials involve electoral interference, anti-American resurrection, and careless handling of classified presidential information. These three trials have been indefinitely delayed, meaning that, despite their relation to presidential electoral fairness, they will not affect his campaign.

The great discrepancies in the efficiency of Trump's cases warrant the question of why N.Y. District Attorney Alvin Bragg was able to bring Trump's charges to trial and the other attorneys have not. Ultimately, it comes down to Bragg not tolerating Trump's blatant efforts to push his court appearances until after the fall election. If Georgia courts had the same no-nonsense attitude, Trump would have more felony convictions by now. Here's why.

To accomplish the goal of ensuring that justice is served before the next presidential election, Trump's Georgia election interference trial should have been prioritized above his other charges because D.A. Fani Willis has the most damning evidence against him: a recorded phone call of Trump pressuring Georgia Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger to "find" 11,780 votes so he could win the state of Georgia. Willis has a clip of Trump flagrantly asking Raffensperger to falsify the 2020 election. Willis's case is strengthened by one of Trump's charges being a violation of the Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organization Act (RICO). RICO allows Willis to group all of Trump's crimes together by saying they help identify a "single corrupt enterprise." Willis also has eight Republicans who pretended to be state electors on her side under the protection of an immunity deal. Willis carefully crafted a strong case against the former president.

The Georgia case, like the classified documents and federal election interference cases, has been delayed indefinitely because Trump continues to object to minuscule, irrelevant details to avoid facing consequences for his actions. The actors involved in these three cases indulge in what The Hill describes as Trump's favorite tactic while in office and on trial: delay, delay, delay.

Trump first claimed that DA Willis's romantic relationship with a special prosecutor in her office should disqualify her from prosecuting the case. That situation was resolved in Willis's favor, but the case was delayed for the first time. Later, Trump filed a notice of appeal against this decision.

On June 5, the Georgia Appeals Court continued permitting his insolence and indefinitely halted the trial to review Willis's legitimacy on the case, yet again despite prior findings and the removal of her partner from the case. Considering how powerful Willis's case is, it's no wonder Trump has resorted to such desperate measures. His strategy is not only completely obvious, but incredibly childish and disrespectful to the American justice system.

Bragg stands out from the crowd because he has not tolerated Trump's immature behavior to avoid justice. When Trump tried to delay his hush-money trial by giving N.Y. state prosecutors around 140,000 irrelevant documents to review, Bragg called his bluff by saying the documents were a red herring and declaring that "enough is enough. These tactics by the defendant and defense counsel should be stopped." By putting his foot down, Bragg ensured that Trump actually sat trial in a relatively timely manner.

All relevant parties in his other three cases have neglected to act as boldly as Bragg and continue playing into Trump's games. This is especially true for the Georgia case. Because the Georgia court system continues to play into his foolish antics, Trump has thrown a temper tantrum, been rewarded for his bad behavior, and succeeded in his goal of having his criminal trials occur after the 2024 election. If Georgia courts had acted like New York's and prioritized justice, Trump would have been sitting on trial in Georgia by now and the decision would justly affect his presidential campaign.

A decision in the Georgia election interference case would definitely affect the campaign. Willis is undeniably doing important and fearless work by going after Trump in the first place, especially considering she is a young Black woman; Bragg is already being called a politically biased fame-seeker in the Washington Post. However, the Georgia court system should have given Trump the Bragg treatment to ensure the case would occur before November.
Smoke billowed into the sky around 12:30 p.m. Friday as Portland police encircled a Northeast Portland apartment building where a man had fired shots, barricaded himself in the residence  and allegedly set the building on fire.

Several neighbors were evacuated  many after having their doors broken down by police officers  as a police drone circled overhead with its camera fixed on the growing blaze inside The Brigadoon on Northeast Cully Boulevard.
Monarch butterflies are afoot locally, according to staff at the Deschutes Land Trust, a local nonprofit that works to restore and preserve land tracts and waters that sustain central Oregon.

Over the past couple of weeks, there have been sightings of western monarch butterflies around central Oregon, including the Land Trusts 151-acre Camp Polk Meadow Preserve. Thats good news for monarch fans, as well as the struggling species.

Milkweeds role

The native milkweed plant has everything to do with the presence of the beautiful, winged insect in central Oregon. Amanda Egertson, stewardship director at the Land Trust, explained that monarch butterflies overwinter in California and, in summer, migrate north, passing through central Oregon among other parts of the West as they fan out.

Its not a single butterfly; its multiple generations, Egertson explained. Each generation is going a little farther north.

Four of these short-lived generations that make the trek as far north as Washington and southern Canada, with eggs being laid, caterpillars hatching and forming a chrysalis and emerging as butterflies in a metamorphosis that takes about a month.

They need milkweed specifically to lay eggs, Egertson said. Caterpillars have evolved to eat milkweed.

The end of summer sees the hatch of the so-called super generation, physiologically different, a single generation makes the return trip all the way south from the Pacific Northwest to overwinter in coastal California.

Habitat restoration

According to the Xerces Society for Invertebrate Conservation, in recent years, the number of monarchs making the return trip to California has declined by more than 90%. The societys Western Monarch Call to Action spells out steps for monarch recovery, which includes restoring their habitat outside of California.

Because of this critical role milkweed plays in monarchs lives, the Land Trust plants native milkweed in its preserves and gives away milkweed seeds for people to plant at home. There are two native species of milkweed, narrowleaf and showy. To have seeds mailed to you, you can fill out an online form at deschuteslandtrust.org. The Land Trust will also be on hand and giving them away at Summer with the Library events this summer, including 10 a.m. to noon Saturday at Heritage Park in La Pine and July 27 at Village Green Park in Sisters.

According to Egertson, along with seeing monarchs, one might see signs of the insects caterpillar form such as munched-on milkweed leaves. The Land Trust hears regularly from people who have successfully drawn monarchs via milkweed theyve planted.

The more people we have planting milkweed, the better, Egertson said. This is one of those ways you can really make a difference.

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(c)2024 The Bulletin, Bend, Ore.

Visit The Bulletin, Bend, Ore. at https://www.bendbulletin.com/
KYODO NEWS - Jul 20, 2024 - 23:20 | All, World

A joint fighter jet development program involving Britain, Japan and Italy could come under review in Britain under the new Labour Party government amid concerns over costs, local media reported Friday.

The program "is feared to be at risk of being axed as part of a major defense review" by the new government led by Prime Minister Keir Starmer, who took office on July 5, The Times reported.

The newspaper also cited remarks by Luke Pollard, the armed forces minister, who was quoted as saying Thursday that the program was "really important," but it was "not right for me to prejudge what might happen in the defense review."

Treasury officials are believed to have raised concerns with the previous government about the project called the Global Combat Air Program because the Ministry of Defense cannot tell them how much its development will eventually cost, according to The Times.

One senior Treasury official suggested it should choose between "AUKUS or GCAP," referring to a partnership involving Australia, Britain and the United States that aims to deliver nuclear-powered submarines to Canberra, the newspaper said, citing sources.

Japan, Britain and Italy agreed in December 2022 to develop a next-generation fighter aircraft by 2035 in a bid to bolster their defense partnerships, reflecting the tough security environment amid Russia's invasion of Ukraine and China's maritime assertiveness in the Indo-Pacific region.

Japanese Defense Minister Minoru Kihara is planning a five-day visit to Britain and Sweden starting Monday, during which he will attend a trilateral ministerial meeting in London with Britain and Italy, according to the Japanese government.

Related coverage:

Japan PM, Britain's new leader agree to deepen bilateral relations

Japan, Italy eye action plan to forge ties in diplomacy, defense

Weapon export rules eased to allow Japan to sell fighter jets
At the 15th Induction Ceremony of the Chartered Institute of Bankers (CIB) Ghana, 237 banking professionals were inducted, marking a significant milestone in the institutes history. This years induction was particularly noteworthy for sustaining gender parity, with female professionals making up 51 percent of the inductees.



This follows last year's historic moment when the number of female professionals surpassed 50 percent for the first time, standing at 52 percent. Over the past four and a half years, the CIB Ghana has inducted a total of 1,017 professionals.



Speaking at the ceremony, held on Saturday, July 13, 2024, First Bank Ghanas Managing Director and CEO, Victor Yaw Asante  who was the Special Guest of Honour  heralded the depth, diversity and quality of the new professionals. He also highlighted the importance of ethics, sustainability, and professionalism in the banking sector, consistent with this year's theme: Ethics, Sustainability and Professionalism.



Addressing the newly inducted members, Mr. Asante emphasised that these values are essential for building a robust and credible banking environment. "Ethics builds trust and credibility, which are essential for long-term success," Mr. Asante stated.



He recounted his own career, guided by a commitment to integrity and transparency, and called on the new inductees to adhere to ethical behavior to safeguard their institutions and careers. Drawing from his experience with Rotary International, where ethics is a core pillar, the First Bank CEO encouraged the new bankers to adopt principles such as truthfulness, fairness, goodwill, and beneficial actions.



Respect and fairness in dealings with clients, colleagues, and stakeholders were highlighted as crucial elements for maintaining a trustworthy and reputable banking environment. Mr. Asante stressed that ethical conduct is non-negotiable, especially in light of past ethical lapses that led to the financial sector clean-up in the country. Additionally, he underscored sustainable practices as a necessity in modern banking. "Sustainability is about ensuring that our banking practices contribute positively to the lives and livelihoods of people, the planet, and profit," he said.



The banker urged the inductees to integrate sustainable practices into their professional lives, emphasising that such commitment drives innovation, customer loyalty, and financial stability. Sustainable banking practices, he said, not only ensure current prosperity but also protect the interests of future generations. Professionalism was also heralded as the bedrock of the banking industry.



Mr. Asante defined professionalism as encompassing integrity, competence, accountability, and a commitment to continuous improvement. He encouraged the new inductees to continually seek to enhance their knowledge and skills to better serve their clients and the wider community. "Excellence is not a destination but a journey, and it requires deliberate and relentless dedication," he noted.



Beyond professional achievements, Asante highlighted the importance of community involvement. Reflecting on his two-decade membership in Rotary International and his role as a Rotary International District Governor, he spoke of the profound fulfillment derived from service and volunteerism. He urged the new inductees to engage in community service, emphasising that giving back to society enriches their lives and strengthens communities.



The CEO of CIB Ghana, Robert Dzato, also highlighted the Institutes commitment to enhancing the banking profession through innovative certifications and programmes. The revamped Chartered Banker curriculum, the new Chartered Banker for Executive Leadership (CBEL) Programme, an Ethics Certification with the Bank of Ghana, and an ESG certification with the International Finance Corporation (IFC) and Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) were highlighted.



These initiatives aim to foster a competent and ethical workforce, with tailored programs like the Banking Academy and a new Banking Operations Certification for rural and community banks addressing specific industry needs.



Mr. Dzato also emphasised the importance of mentorship and professional development. Upcoming mentorship and internship programs, along with Continuing Professional Development (CPD) courses in artificial intelligence, data analytics, digital banking, and cybersecurity, further support the professional growth of banking professionals.



Addressing the new inductees, Mr. Dzato stated, Remember, the knowledge and skills you possess are not just tools for personal success. They are instruments for shaping a more ethical, responsible, and sustainable future. Africa needs trusted professionals who are competent and ethical. Be the voice of professionalism and ethics.



Among the graduands were Enoch Amoh Berchie, specializing in the law relating to banking at Amenfiman Rural Bank Plc; Dorcas Asantewaa Addo, excelling in management practices at GCB Bank Plc and recognized as the youngest graduand; and Amanda Serwa Minkah, who focuses on the monetary and financial systems at GCB Bank Plc and achieved the distinction of being the Overall Best Inductee.



Also included were Ebenezer Yawson, specializing in financial reporting, planning & analysis at Otuasekan Rural Bank Plc; Jehoshaphat Yayah Hassan, specializing in bank strategic information management at Access Bank Ghana Plc; Ebenezer Oppong, an expert in international trade finance at Agricultural Development Bank; Stephen Kakraba Kotah, excelling in strategic marketing management at CalBank Plc; Michael Terkpetey Narh, specializing in corporate banking - law & practice at Zenith Bank Ghana Limited. Others were Evans Nyarko Narh, focusing on risk management at CalBank Plc; and Vida Kuwornu, specializing in the practice of banking - law & practice at GCB Bank Plc.

Source: Peacefmonline.com









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About 600 stakeholders from over 30 countries in Africa and beyond came together from July 8 to 10 at the inaugural Mastercard Foundation EdTech Conference in Abuja, Nigeria, to discuss education technology for resilient and inclusive learning in Africa.



Participants reached a consensus that integrating technology into learning systems in Africa is now a necessity, not a luxury.



Hosted in partnership with the Federal Government of Nigeria, the conference concluded with a collective call to action on 10 recommendations for governments andother EdTech stakeholders.



Investing in education in Africa is not only about Africa; rather, it is about investing in human capital for the world. It is also about building resilience in our learning systems to better prepare us for future shocks such as the recent COVID-19 pandemic. This is why the Mastercard Foundation is committed to working with partners to scale education initiatives and enable innovations that foster the integration of technology into learning systems, Peter Materu, Chief Program Officer at the Mastercard Foundation, told participants while underscoring education as the key to building an inclusive and resilient society and the urgent need for investments in education to skill Africas young people.



Nigerias Federal Minister of Education, Prof. Tahir Mamman, stated, "technology isnt just a tool; it is a powerful incentive that empowers students and ignites their passion for learning.



Inclusion is the cornerstone of EdTech, added Dr. Bosun Tijani, Nigerias Federal Minister of Communications, Innovation and Digital Economy. If we fail to reach all learners, we fail to fulfill our potential to revolutionize education.



Participants proposed the following recommendations as guidance to national decision-making to advance the building of an impactful EdTech ecosystem in Africa.



1. Champion local innovation through supportive EdTech policies, with governments as leaders, proactive enablers, and consumers of quality content and delivery mechanisms.



2. Harmonize cross-sector policy by coordinating inter-ministerial strategies, plans, and initiatives on technology-enabled access to education for all.



3. Underwrite foundational infrastructure through creative use of resources such as Universal Service Funds to invest in electricity, the internet, devices, and dedicated infrastructure for education programs.



4. Drive decisions with data by investing in government systems and capabilities for timely collection, analysis, and informed decision-making.



5. Enhance delivery capacity along the EdTech value chain by upskilling teachers to deliver learning using EdTech and supporting leaders in education systems to work with tech-enabled processes and data.



6. Systematize EdTech integration by introducing (where nonexistent) and enforcing clear, context-relevant standards for technology integration into the educational curriculum.



7. Guide context-relevant innovation with clear and timely guidelines and approval processes for content, tools, and licenses to encourage innovation, investment,and technology mainstreaming.



8. Diversify learning pathways for out-of-school youth by developing flexible technology-enabled alternatives for learning, accredited certification, and re-entry to the formal education system.



9. Lower access barriers to EdTech through strategic private-public partnerships that support responsive, evidence-based policy and affordable solutions for all.



10. Embed responsive inclusivity (gender equity, persons with disabilities and refugees and displaced persons) in policy and innovation processes, centering and engaging diverse young people throughout development and delivery.



Referencing the African Unions 2024 Year of Education, discussions at the conference focused on the state of EdTech in Africa, assessment of technology-enabled solutions to the continents education challenges, data evidence, collaborations, funding, and opportunities to tap into emerging technologies to accelerate the skilling of young people, particularly young women.



Dr. Jamila Bio Ibrahim, Nigerias Federal Minister of Youth Development, emphasized the need to prioritize inclusiveness in education reform. All voices, especially voices of young women, need to be included in the formulation of policies for them to be effective, she noted.



The African Unions Special Youth Envoy, Chido Mpemba, noted that accessible innovations can be global in outlook while also being deeply rooted in the needs of Africas young population.



African-led EdTech entrepreneurs exhibited their solutions at the conference to demonstrate how efforts to encourage impactful education innovation can deliver the future of learning.



The recommendations from the conference were shared at the 3rd Ministerial Forum on EdTech in Africa, which took place at the conclusion of the conference. Three of the recommendations were prioritized for concrete action between now and the next Forum:



 Developing strategies and policies to integrate EdTech into learning systems.

 The need to enhance quality education data and accompanying analytical skills for evidence-based decision-making.

 Addressing the challenge of out-of-school children and youth in Africa, which currently stands at 108m and is growing.





Through its Centre for Innovative Teaching and Learning, the Mastercard Foundation strategically partners to foster innovation, share best practices, conduct research, and convene events such as the EdTech Conference to advance inclusive education, especially for underserved learners. Speaking about the recently concluded conference in Abuja, Joseph Nsengimana, the Director of the Mastercard Foundation Centre for Innovative Teaching and Learning, said, The collective commitment to advancing education through the power of technology promises to significantly transform the educational landscape, ensuring that Africa's youth are well-equipped for the future.



The next EdTech Conference is planned for 2026, the year the Mastercard Foundation marks its 20th anniversary.

Source: Peacefmonline.com









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BEIJING, July 19 (Xinhua) -- The United States should give an explanation both for its dissemination of disinformation over the years for selfish reasons, and for the severe damage inflicted by the U.S. "Deception" strategy on the developing countries, Chinese foreign ministry spokesperson Lin Jian said on Friday.

According to the U.S. website "Military.com," for the first time in 12 years, the Marine Corps has published the latest doctrine titled "Deception," a tactic used to deceive enemy and create disinformation. Jeffrey Hill, a U.S. intelligence officer and the lead author of the doctrine, reportedly said that "deception is absolutely in our tool kit," and "if you ain't deceiving, you ain't fighting."

In response to the reports, Lin said the U.S. side owes the international community a long-overdue explanation for their deceptive acts.

"From former U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo publicly saying 'we lied, we cheated, we stole,' to recently revealed Pentagon disinformation campaign against Chinese vaccines during COVID-19, to the latest military doctrine titled 'Deception' disclosed by the U.S. military, we should ask the following: Who is spreading disinformation worldwide? Who is waging the battle of perception against particular countries? Who is launching cyberattacks and information warfare in the world?" Lin asked.

"To advance selfish agenda in the name of justice, to spread disinformation through deceptive propaganda, and to frame and suppress other countries through manipulating public opinion and perception have become go-to tactics of the United States," said Lin, adding that the world knows what the United States has been doing and is vigilant against them.

Long gone are the days when the United States could deceive the world into serving the U.S. agenda, he added.

"The United States needs to quit those wrongful approaches at once, stop manipulating perceptions through lies, and stop smearing and vilifying other countries," Lin said. 
Mr. Easton Reid, a professional Associate at the Economic Department of the U.S. Embassy's State Economic Office has reiterated the U.S. Embassy's commitment to collaborating with the Ghana-Nebraska Agribusiness Growth and Trade Relations Chamber to enhance business relations and foster economic growth between Ghana and the United.



During the official launch of the Ghana-Nebraska Agribusiness Growth and Trade Relations Chamber at the Tang Palace Hotel in Accra, on Wednesday, July 17, 2024, Mr. Reid emphasized the significant potential of the agriculture sector for sustainable development.



He highlighted the sector's importance in driving economic growth, enhancing food security, and promoting the development of both nations.



"The establishment of this Chamber underscores the strong and enduring relationship between Ghana and the United States," Mr. Reid remarked.



"The U.S. Embassy is dedicated to partnering with the Ghana-Nebraska Growth and Trade Relations Chamber.



"Together, we will build bridges, create opportunities, and drive economic growth for the benefit of our nations."



Mr. Reid further elaborated on the strategic significance of the Ghana-Nebraska Growth and Trade Relations Chamber, emphasizing its role as a catalyst for strengthening bilateral economic ties.



He stressed that the Chamber will facilitate collaboration across various sectors, including agriculture, technology, and manufacturing, thereby opening up new avenues for trade and investment between Ghana and Nebraska.



"The Ghana-Nebraska Growth and Trade Relations Chamber will enhance collaboration between Ghana and the United States, bridging the economic gap and creating new opportunities for businesses in both regions. By promoting trade, investment, and economic cooperation, the Chamber will offer a platform for businesses to explore new markets and expand their operations," he concluded.

















Source: Prince Baffour Asamoah/Peace FM Newsroom









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The Commercial Division ( Court 1) of the High Court of Justice has ordered Justmoh Construction limited to comply with the interim arbitral awards by an Arbitral Tribunal which is ordering Justmoh Construction limited to preserve an amount of USD 25, 300,000.00 held in their GCB dollar account in a specified account.



The ruling by the court comes at the back of the failure of Justmoh Construction to comply with the order of the Arbitral Tribunal saying the tribunal lacks the substantive jurisdiction over the matter contrary to section 1 and 57 of the ADR Act compelling Ashanti Ports Services Limited to make applications to the High Court.



Conversely, Her Ladyship Justice Sheila Minta who presided over the case explained that, in Court Proceedings, all orders made at that time may be interlocutory and it will abide till the final decision, unless it is an interlocutory judgment.



She added that in arbitrations, such orders prior to final award may either be partial award or interim awards where Partial Awards are made they abide forever and cannot be changed by the final Award.



The Court further explained that where interim awards are made, they are enforceable up to the final Award which may change it.



RULING OF THE COURT



In her ruling Her Ladyship Justice Sheila Mintah said If Interim Awards are not enforceable, then why make them the first place? In the book, Commercial Arbitration in Ghana- Practice and [Procedure by Bobby Banson Esq at page 269 he states as follows an award delivered by a Tribunal either partial or final is binding on the parties unless steps are taken to set the award aside on stated grounds. Interim Awards are binding and enforceable until the delivery of the

final award by the Tribunal, which may confirm, vary or set aside the interim award. I am persuaded by this statement of the law and hereby adopt it.







BACKGROUND



Ashanti Port Services Limited is seeking An Order for payment of Three Billion, Six- Hundred and Eighty-Three Million, Seven Hundred and Twenty Thousand, Seven Hundred and Eighty-Five United States Dolars (US$3,683,720,785) being the projected income for the Boankra Integrated Logistics Terminal ( BILT) operations period of 27 years by Ministry of Transport.



This was after the Ashanti Ports Services Limited (APSL) filed a notice of arbitration against Ministry of Transport at the United Nations Commission on International Trade Law Arbitration and Ghana Arbitration Centre Following the unilateral unlawful termination of the Contract by Ghana Shippers Authority.



Following an international bidding process, the Ministry of Transport (MOT), acting through the Ghana Shippers' Authority (GSA), awarded the Concessionaire rights for the development of the Boankra Integrated Logistics Terminal (BILT) Project on a Build Operate and Transfer (BOT) basis to Afum Quality Limited (AQL).



The BOT was for 30 years to be managed by the Concessionaire; the first three (3) years for the construction of the BILT Project, and the remaining twenty-seven (27) years for Operations with a projected Profit Margin of Three Billion, Six- Hundred and Eighty- Three Million, Seven Hundred and Twenty Thousand, Seven Hundred and Eighty- Five United States Dollars (US$3,683,720,785).



The Concession Agreement, signed on 25th September, 2020, aimed to create a vital infrastructure linking the ports of Tema and Takoradi to the inner parts of Ghana and the landlocked countries of Burkina Faso, Mali, and Niger.

After the execution of the Concession Agreement, Ministry of Transport compelled the Ashanti Ports Services Limited to organize a sod-cutting ceremony, prior to fulfilling preconditions necessary for the performance of its obligations under the Concession Agreement, thus putting Ashanti Ports Services Limited to huge financial expenses.



Ashanti Ports Services Limited undertook substantial groundwork for the sod- cutting ceremony, including expanding and graveling the road from the entrance of the project site to the Administration Block.



According to the notice, Unlawful interferences by MoT commenced when the Ghana Ports and Harbours Authority (GPHA), under the directive of the Respondent, sought to acquire shares in APSL. Despite APSL's hesitation, 39% of its shares, valued at Forty-Nine Million United States Dollars (US$49 million) were sold to GPHA. A Share Purchase Agreement or Shareholders Agreement was subsequently executed on 11th September, 2022 between APSL and GPHA, and with an obligation to contribute towards the shares representing the 10% carried interest of GSA.

Source: Samson Kwame Nyamekye/ Hello Fm









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The Vice President and Chairman of the Police Council Dr. Mahumudu Bawumia has said the positive impact of the initiatives being undertaken in the Police Service by the Inspector-General of Police Dr George Akuffo Dampare are visible and transformative.



According to him, these initiatives have made the country safer and drawn the Police closer to the citizenry.



Speaking at the commissioning of the Ghana Police Service Shop at the Police headquarters on Wednesday July 17,2024, the Vice President said the government is proud of the achievements of the IGP and his management team.



 Ladies and gentlemen, the people of Ghana have witnessed the significant transformation of the Police Service under this administration. The facelift of the National Police Headquarters, the expansion and decentralisation of the Formed Police Unit (FPU) to all twenty-five (25) Police Regions, enhanced police visibility, decentralisation of the police background checks to all police regions, active community and stakeholder engagements which has taken policing closer to the people, enhanced intelligence operations, uniform uniformity, the Snatch Them Young Policing Initiative which focuses on school Children among several other initiatives have ensured a more responsive, accountable and operationally effective policing institution, the Vice President said.



He stressedOnce again, I wish to commend the IGP, the members of the Police Management Board and all officers and men for executing these initiatives under the Police transformation agenda. I would like to urge you to continue to do more especially as the nation prepares to go into a general election come December 7th,



The Police shop is dedicated shop where officers of the security services are able to purchase additional uniform items beyond what their respective institutions provide them. These shops also stock institutional souvenirs that come in handy during international exchange programmes. This is necessary to ensure that officers always turn out smart in their uniforms and also have additional logistics to deliver on their mandate.

Source: King Edward Ambrose Washman/Peacefmonline.com









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The Alliance of Drivers, Ghana have urged the public to disregard the announced increment of Transport fares effective Monday, 22nd July 2024.



In a statement issued and signed by the General Secretary, George Baafoa Afriyie, he reiterated that the only institution mandated to announce an increment is the Ghana Road Transport Coordinating Council (GRTCC) which has not made any official announcement.



Below is the full statement



The Alliance of Drivers, Ghana, has sighted publications in the media by concerned drivers, purporting an increase in public transport fare in the country, effective 22nd July 2024, Monday.



We wish to inform the general public that there has not been any lorry fare increase from the Ghana Road Transport Coordinating Council (GRTCC) to transport operators. We, therefore, urge the general public to disregard the purported increase from concerned drivers.



Any driver group trying to increase the fare without government permission should be treated as thieves.



We call on the IGP to arrest concerned drivers and their leaders immediately. Otherwise, we will come out with a naked demonstration against the president. Ghanaians should not take concerned drivers and their leaders seriously.



They are stomach politicians working for the opposition party.



We, the Alliance of Drivers, Ghana, formerly Drivers for Change, are working truly to save Ghanaians.



God bless Ghana.



Signed,

General Secretary:

George Baafoa Owusu Afriyie

Source: Naomi Obenewaah/Peace FM Newsroom









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The Ghana Airport Company Limited (GACL) has assured that its IT systems remain intact despite the global outage experienced on Friday, 19 July 2024.



Early on Friday, industries across the world were affected by a major IT outage impacting shops, banks, airports, and broadcasters.



In a statement issued on Friday evening, GACL said it had not been impacted by the outage, even though the global nature of the glitch has led to some flight delays and interruptions from other countries.



Management of Ghana Airports Company Limited (GACL) wishes to inform the travelling public that it has taken note of the global IT outage currently affecting some airports and airlines worldwide.



We would like to assure the general public that Kotoka International Airport's IT systems are intact. However, due to the global nature of the glitch, some flight delays and interruptions may be experienced from countries affected by the glitch, which may have a slight impact on Accra, the statement said.



The company noted that only one out of the 24 international airlines operating at Kotoka International Airport (KIA) has had to cancel some scheduled flights as a result of the outage.



So far, out of our 24 international airlines operating at KIA, only one has had to cancel some of its scheduled flights. All other operations are uninterrupted and on schedule as usual.



Management will continue to monitor the situation closely and provide updates to the travelling public as necessary, the statement added.



The cause of the outage, which saw users on Microsoft platforms experiencing blue error screens, has been traced to a "defect found in a single content update for Windows" issued by Texas-based cybersecurity firm CrowdStrike.



Meanwhile, the firm has assured that it is taking measures to correct the glitch.

Source: Peacefmonline.com









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Professor of Linguistics, Kofi Agyekum has advised political leaders and all Ghanaians not to misbehave during the December 7 elections.



Prof. Kofi Agyekum, popularly called "Opanyin Agyekum", bemoaned the inhumane practices and attitudes of some people who owe allegiance to their political parties.



He asked the citizenry not to follow politicians blindly to cause violence on the day of elections.



He also rebuked politicians who incite their supporters against their opponents, advising them to desist from engaging in "politics of insults".



"The difference between us and animals is conscience. The two are all considered as plus animate in linguistics. We are all animals but we, humans, have conscience . . . so, humans shouldn't behave like animals who have no conscience," he said on Peace FM's "Kokrokoo" morning show.

Source: Ameyaw Adu Gyamfi/Peacefmonline.com/Ghana









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NPP National Youth Organizer, Salam Mustapha has urged Ghanaian electorates not to sacrifice their lives in the upcoming presidential and parliamentary elections.



Salam Mustapha, contributing to Peace FM's "Kokrokoo" show, advised the electorates to conduct themselves within the frontiers of the elections.



"We are duty-bound to protect our members as well and protect our ballots. Of course, we work with the security agencies. I don't take away the role of the security of Police; they should come in," he said while cautioning members and supporters of all political parties, particularly the two largest parties - New Patriotic Party and National Democratic Congress - against engaging in electoral malpractices and violence.



Salam called for peace and stability to prevail in the elections saying, "we are going into elections to vote; not to throw bullets...You can't wrap your head around it. It's very disturbing that people die during elections".



The NPP youth leader strongly believed the December 7 polls will be in favor of the New Patriotic Party.

Source: Ameyaw Adu Gyamfi/Peacefmonline.com/Ghana









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Salam Mustapha, the National Youth Organizer of the New Patriotic Party, has expressed unwavering confidence in his flagbearer, Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia, to win the upcoming December elections.



According to him, his party will use a unique strategy to beat their main contender, the National Democratic Congress.



December 7 will see the clash of the two Northern leaders, Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia and John Dramani Mahama compete for the presidential seat.



The two leaders have, prior to the elections, mounted a strong campaign against each other in hope of winning the hearts of the electorates.



The election will also see other independent candidates like the leaders of the Movement for Change and the New Force, Alan Kwadwo Kyerematen and Nana Kwame Bediako alias IamFreedom or Cheddar respectively, contesting for the top spot.



Various surveys have predicted either of the presidential candidates for largest political parties, the NPP and NDC, to emerge victor on December 7 but only the electorates can prove the real results by voting for their favorite candidate on the day.



Contributing to Peace FM's "Kokrokoo" morning show, Salam Mustapha highlighted how the NPP will defeat their opponents during the elections.



"By God's grace, we are going to win the 2024 elections. The NPP will win the 2024 elections with a strategy that our National Youth Wing calls 'surprise and attack'. What I want to tell our supporters to understand is that they should have hope and belief in us", he disclosed.

Source: Ameyaw Adu Gyamfi/Peacefmonline.com/Ghana









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The Ghana Police Service has approved the Minority caucus in Parliament's second protest, set for July 30, demanding the removal of the Governor of the Bank of Ghana (BoG), Dr. Ernest Addison, and his two deputies from office.



The approval follows fruitful engagements between the police and the Bawku Central MP, Mahama Ayariga.



In a letter dated Wednesday, July 17, the police asked the organizers to ensure that the protest does not breach public peace.



The NDC MPs argue that the governor, who they claim oversaw significant mismanagement at the Central Bank, should be replaced with a more competent individual.



On October 3, 2023, members of the caucus organized a protest calling for the resignation of the governor and his deputies after the Bank recorded a GH60.81 billion loss in the 2022 fiscal year and allocated over $250 million for constructing a new headquarters.



The protesters gathered at the Obra Spot at Kwame Nkrumah Circle and marched through several key locations, including Adabraka, Ridge Roundabout, and the High Court Complex Traffic Light, before ending at Independence Square.



Although leadership intended to present a petition to the governor, he did not meet them personally and sent his head of security instead.



The initial protest was deemed unsuccessful, prompting the Minority caucus to start planning a new protest date, which took nearly a year to finalize.



During this period, Bawku Central MP Mahama Ayariga filed a Right to Information Act (RTI) request to the BoG, seeking detailed information on the combined losses of approximately GH70 billion reported in BoGs financial statements for 2022 and 2023, as well as the over GH250 million spent on the new head office and a clinic under construction.



The central bank stated that this information was available to the public.

Source: King Edward Ambrose Washman/Peacefmonline.com









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A 36-year-old Maryland man was sentenced to seven consecutive life sentences on Wednesday for his role in a 2016 triple murder, including the killing of a federal witness, in Franklin County, the Department of Justice announced Friday.

On Nov. 19, 2019, Christopher Johnson, a member of the Black Guerilla Family a Baltimore drug gang, pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to commit Hobbs Act robbery, three counts of use of a firearm during a crime of violence resulting in death, one count of interstate travel to commit a murder for hire, one count of conspiracy to kill a witness to a federal offense to prevent communication to a federal law enforcement officer, and one count of felon in possession of a firearm, according to the U.S. Attorneys Office for the Middle District of Pennsylvania.

The charges stem from a triple murder that occurred when Johnson and several co-conspirators in his gang were hired to kill and rob Wendy Ann Chaney, 39, Brandon Cole, 47, and Phillip Matthew Jackson, 36.
BEIJING, July 20 (Xinhua) -- Chinese President Xi Jinping has urged all-out rescue and relief efforts to safeguard people's lives and property after the collapse of a highway bridge in northwest China's Shaanxi Province.

Xi, also general secretary of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee and chairman of the Central Military Commission, made the instructions after the bridge, located in Zhashui County in Shangluo City, collapsed at approximately 8:40 p.m. on Friday due to flash floods caused by heavy rain. Eleven people were killed while over 30 others remained missing as of 10 a.m. on Saturday.

The immediate priority is to carry out rescue operations, make every effort to search for the missing and minimize casualties, Xi said in the instructions, also urging efforts to assist the families of the affected.

Xi emphasized the importance of well-planned rescue and the prevention of secondary disasters.

He stressed that as the critical period of flood control approaches, it is imperative for regions and relevant departments to be extra vigilant, fulfill their duties diligently, improve monitoring systems and early warning mechanisms, strengthen inspections, and implement various measures meticulously to guarantee the safety of people's lives and property.

Premier Li Qiang, who is also a member of the Standing Committee of the Political Bureau of the CPC Central Committee, has given instructions to spare no effort in searching for and rescuing the missing people, investigate the cause promptly and take measures to prevent secondary disasters.

Vice Premier Zhang Guoqing, also a member of the Political Bureau of the CPC Central Committee, has led a working team to the site to guide rescue efforts. 
A Lebanon County woman died early Friday after crashing into a tree along Route 322 in Derry Township, police said.

Amanda Thome, 36, of Annville, was driving west on the 800 block of East Governor Road (Route 322) when she went off the northern side of the road and crashed into a tree at about 3:28 a.m., police said.

Police said Thome was pronounced dead at the scene. There was no one else in her vehicle at the time of the crash.

Route 322 was shut down for hours after the Friday crash.

Derry Township police and the Dauphin County Accident Reconstruction Team are investigating the crash.

Police are asking anyone with information to call the Derry Township Police Department at 717-534-2202 or submit a tip through CrimeWatch.
WILLIAMSPORT  A New York City man, whom a judge called an essentially incompetent criminal, has received a time-served sentence for passing counterfeit $20 bills at retailers throughout central and northeastern Pennsylvania and New Jersey.

U.S. Middle District Judge Mathew W. Brann after he finished sentencing El Gabriel Lewis Jr., 22, Friday told him youre on a bad path.

After telling him he was essentially incompetent he added, if you were good at it, you wouldnt be here. He urged him to find employment.

The judge, acknowledging he is not a doctor, then lectured him on why long-term marijuana smoking is bad for ones health. He also noted marijuana use violates federal law.

Brann, when he completed his comments, told Lewis they were not part of his sentence and it was his choice whether to accept his advice.

He reminded him he must comply with the terms of his three- year supervised release.

Lewis and Dejuan Smartt, a distant relative also from Brooklyn, admitted passing fake $20s in numerous locations including Lititz, Mount Joy and Elizabethtown.

Each pleaded guilty to a charge of conspiracy to pass counterfeit obligations. Together they must pay restitution totaling $6,300.

The guideline sentencing range for Lewis was 4 to 10 months because his criminal history was minimal. He has already spent nearly eight months in jail, Brann said.

His pretrial release was revoked in March for repeated use of marijuana and for being arrested in New York City on charges that include robbery. Those charges remain active.

Smartt, who has a lengthy criminal history, was sentenced in May to 27 months in prison followed by three years supervised release.
Two men were injured when their experimental aircraft crashed on takeoff at an airport in Lebanon County, according to police.

The incident occurred about 2:45 p.m. Friday at Reigle Airport in Palmyra.

The pilot told authorities the plane, a Kitfox Speedster, was beginning to takeoff and then suddenly veered to the left, South Londonderry Township Police said in a news release.

The pilot, 68, of Lewisberry, had minor injuries. The passenger, an 80-year-old man from York, had moderate injuries, police said. Both men were taken to Hershey Medical Center for evaluation.

Officials with the FAA were on the scene late Friday and will work with the NTSB on the investigation, said Sgt. Scott Firestone of the South Londonderry Township Police.
By KC Miller

In discussions of health equity, we often tend to focus on expanding insurance coverage. The passage of the Affordable Care Act in 2010 made strong headway in this area. But another essential piece of the health equity puzzle is access to care, and it often doesnt get the attention it deserves.

As important as it is to make sure every American can afford to receive medical care on paper, it is equally important that we ensure that care is actually within their reach in practice. After all, what use is health insurance coverage if you cant actually get the care you need?

While we often take access to care for granted, we should not view it so lightly. Across our nationincluding here in Pennsylvaniaaccess to care is dwindling. Struggling to cope with unprecedented financial distress, providers are closing their doors one by one, and nowhere is this more evident than our hospitals.

Since 2010, at least 24 Pennsylvania hospitals have been forced to close or reduce services. According to the Center for Healthcare Quality and Payment Reform, more than 50 Pennsylvania hospitals are operating at a loss, and even more are losing money on patient care.

Its a massive problem because we all rely on hospitals being open and ready to serve every hour of every day. When we experience a medical emergency, we count on being able to receive the care we need immediately, no matter the circumstances, time of day, holiday status, inclement weather, or even our ability to pay.

They backstop our healthcare system by serving as an option of last resort, treating those with nowhere else to turn for helpincluding patients experiencing mental health crises and illnesses so severe that no other sites of care are equipped to address. Its precisely because our hospitals are open and ready to serve no matter what that we can rest assured at all other times.

As patients, we count on our hospitals to always put us first. And the passion and commitment of hospitals, physicians, and caregivers remains clear every day, even as so many of these key institutions struggle to stay afloat.

Finances certainly arent top of mind in the care delivery processpatients are. And in an ideal world, no hospital should ever have to worry about its finances. But the reality is that hospitals are incredibly costly to operate  and have been, long before this latest round of financial headwinds.

Years of underpayments from Medicare have eroded hospitals financial sustainability, creating a constant deficit on patient care.

At the same time, we are in the midst of a historic healthcare workforce shortagemade worse by the vast quantities of paperwork hospital staff are required to fill out by insurance companies. And inflation, rising supply costs, and costly-but-necessary facility renovations have only made the problem worse. Some hospitals have even been forced to turn to crowdfunding to cover their ever-growing expenses and stay afloat.

Many hospitals operate on such chronically thin margins that one-off disruptions  like the Change Healthcare cyberattack earlier this year  can pose an existential threat to their survival. When the cyberattack left hospitals unable to receive reimbursement for care they had already provided, providers and hospitals were forced to take out loans, dip into savings, or even crowdsource funding just to make payroll.

A recent report from Syntellis found that hospitals days of cash on hand plummeted by 28.3% just from 2022 to 2023. Inconsistent reimbursement and rising denial rates from corporate insurance companies havent helped, either.

The same report found that claims denials for Medicare Advantage plans increased by more than 50% in that same period.

As this lifeline continues to fray, hospitals in turn become increasingly susceptible to any disruptions in revenue. It sets the stage for disaster when they are no longer able to sustain themselves and are forced to close or end servicesoften abruptly and with little ability to warn patients in advance.

Healthcare affordability remains a top issue, and it has a vital role to play in achieving equitable health outcomes. But ensuring everyone has health insurance coverage isnt enough. We must also make sure that care is readily available to everyone who needs it, when and where they need it most. Hospitals are the foundation of that principle, and the core pillar of support underpinning our public health.

We must keep them open and strengthen access to the crucial care they provide.

KC Miller is a Registered Nurse in Philadelphia, Pa.
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KABUL, July 20 (Xinhua) -- A total of 858,170 Afghan refugees returned home from neighboring Pakistan and Iran from April to June, according to the Afghanistan office of the International Organization for Migration (IOM).

The IOM Afghanistan also said in a post on its X account on Friday that more than 530,000 people also made outbound trips from Afghanistan during the second quarter of this year.

Over 2.5 million Afghan refugees have reportedly been living in Pakistan and about the same number in Iran. 
Bill and Hillary Clinton are described as supporting President Biden staying in the race and they are encouraging donors to do the same.

Monica Alba of NBC News posted:

Former President Bill Clinton and former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton have privately been supportive of President Bidens decision to stay in the race and have been actively encouraging donors to stay with him, according to two people familiar with the Clintons thinking.

Both sources used the word deferential to describe the Clintons position as it relates to Bidens commitment to continue his campaign.

Behind the scenes, the Clintons have been in touch with the White House and have offered to help however they can, these people said.

It is important to remember that Hillary Clinton was right about everything in 2016. She was right about Trump. She was right about the threat posed to democracy, and she was right about Russia.

There arent two other Democrats in the party who are more experienced in Democrats penchant for needless hysteria and self-destruction than the Clintons.

The infectious panic in the Democratic Party about Biden is centered in the House. Senators Tester and Brown are trying to keep Senate seats in red states. the Democratic Party needs them to keep their seats more than they need public statements of support for President Biden.

Despite the best self-sabotage efforts of some Democrats, Joe Biden looks poised to weather the storm, and remain the Democratic nominee.
A pair of lawsuits filed against Summerville-based gun distributor American Tactical, two of its executives and a German gun manufacturer has been transferred to the U.S. District Court in South Carolina, according to court filings.

In April 2021, a shooting at a FedEx facility in Indianapolis left eight employees dead and another five injured. The suspect was a 19-year-old former employee, who, as the lawsuits allege, purchased the 60-round high-capacity magazine used in the shooting from American Tactical. The suspect committed suicide after the mass killing.

The suits, brought by a group of the survivors and the families of some of the victims killed, contend the marketing of these magazines toward and sale of them to civilians shows negligence by the company and its executives.

Today's Top Headlines Story continues below

Company president Anthony DiChario, of South Carolina, and marketing director Joseph Calabro are listed as defendants in the lawsuits, which assert that American Tactical and the other defendant companies "recklessly design, market, sell, and distribute these accessories to the general public  indiscriminately  and without adherence to reasonable safeguards."

The near-identical suits argue the "defendants sold these (high capacity magazines) without a single safeguard, screening, or limit" due to their availability online "at the click of a button."

In addition to DiChario, Calabro, and American Tactical, German gun manufacturer Schmeisser and Slovenian gun accessory distributor 365 Plus are also named as defendants.

365 Plus is a global distributor for Schmeisser firearm accessories, according to the filings. Additionally, American Tactical is the sole importer and distributor of Schmeisser products in the U.S.

The suits assert that both 365 Plus and American Tactical were responsible for the importation of 60-round HCMs, including the one the shooter used.
Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi, also a member of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China Central Committee, holds talks with Canadian Minister of Foreign Affairs Melanie Joly in Beijing, capital of China, July 19, 2024. (Xinhua/Li Xiang)

BEIJING, July 19 (Xinhua) -- Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi held talks with Canadian Minister of Foreign Affairs Melanie Joly on Friday, calling on both sides to return to their original intention of establishing a strategic partnership and promote the normalization of bilateral relations.

Wang, also a member of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China Central Committee, said that in recent years, China-Canada relations have experienced difficulties and twists, which is not the situation China wants to see and requires serious reflection from the Canadian side.

There is no conflict of fundamental interests between China and Canada, and people in the two countries have long practiced friendly exchange, Wang said. And China-Canada relations have long been at the forefront of China's relations with Western countries.

Wang said that China and Canada, as two major countries with important influence in the Asia-Pacific region, share extensive common interests and complementary advantages. Maintaining and developing bilateral relations well serves the fundamental interests of the two countries and two peoples.

The two sides should view each other in an objective and rational light, treat each other with mutual respect, handle differences in the spirit of seeking common ground while shelving differences, and strengthen cooperation through the principles of equality and mutual benefits, Wang stressed.

Noting that next year marks the 20th anniversary of the establishment of the China-Canada strategic partnership, Wang said the two sides should return to their original intentions, draw lessons from history, earnestly honor their commitment to establishing diplomatic ties, and inject momentum into the normalization of bilateral relations.

China and Canada should continue to play their important roles as engines of economic and trade cooperation, and explore dialogue and cooperation in various fields, Wang added.

Joly spoke about the long history of friendship between the Canadian and Chinese peoples. She said that Canada is willing to actively and pragmatically improve and develop relations with China, and maintain contact and dialogue.

Canada is ready to strengthen cooperation in fields such as the economy and trade, tourism, drug control, climate change, environmental protection and people-to-people exchange to achieve mutually beneficial development, Joly said.

She noted that Canada will continue to abide by the one-China policy.

Wang called on the Canadian side to take concrete actions to facilitate personnel exchanges between the two countries, maintain people-to-people exchanges and improve the popular support from the two countries. He said that issues related to Taiwan, Xizang, Xinjiang and Hong Kong constitute China's internal affairs and brook no external interference. 

Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi, also a member of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China Central Committee, holds talks with Canadian Minister of Foreign Affairs Melanie Joly in Beijing, capital of China, July 19, 2024. (Xinhua/Li Xiang)
CHENGDU, July 20 (Xinhua) -- Chengdu, the capital of southwest China's Sichuan Province, on Friday saw the departure of this year's 151st chartered China-Europe Railway Express freight train for complete vehicle exports from the Chengdu International Railway Port.

According to data from Chengdu Customs, the rail port handled complete-vehicle imports and exports totaling 30,000 units in the first half year, an increase of 66.5 percent year on year. A total of 3,059 complete vehicles were imported, and 27,000 were exported.

Li Qingwen, a manager at the Chengdu Pan Asia International Transportation Agent Co., Ltd., said that the company's vehicle export volume increased by about 20 percent year on year in the first six months, benefiting from the railway export channel.

"Compared to sea shipping, vehicle trade using the China-Europe Railway Express saves time and reduces costs for car exporters," Li said.

The port was approved to handle the trade of complete vehicles in February 2015. In 2023, it registered a throughput of nearly 39,000 vehicles.

Huang Ruoyu, general manager of the Sichuan Himore Automobile Exports Trading Co., Ltd., said the railway channel has boosted the company's international trade of used cars. In May, Himore landed in the Kyrgyzstani market, which has great potential for businesses in the auto sector.

From January to June, Himore exported more than 1,000 used cars, with a total sales volume of over 120 million yuan (16.8 million U.S. dollars), a year-on-year increase of about 25 percent. 
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LOS ANGELES, CA / ACCESSWIRE / July 19, 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
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CEO of Jorge 360 Staffing, Betzabe Wintermute, rises as a top entrepreneur in medical staffing, from immigrant to business leader.MALIBU, CA / ACCESSWIRE / July 19, 2024 / In a remarkable journey from immigrant to accomplished business leader,Betzabe Wintermute, CEO of Jorge 360 Staffing , stands as a testament to the power of determination and hard work. With roots tracing back to Peru, Wintermute's upbringing instilled in her the value of education and the pursuit of dreams. Now, at the helm of one of Malibu's premier medical staffing agencies, Wintermute's story exemplifies the quintessential American success narrative.CEO of Jorge 360 Staffing emerges as a top entrepreneur in the medical staffing industry. "I always knew I wanted something more," Wintermute reflects on her journey. "Peru was where I grew up, but my aspirations stretched beyond its borders. The United States offered me the canvas to paint my dreams." Established as a beacon of excellence in Malibu, Jorge 360 Staffing epitomizes professionalism and reliability in the medical staffing arena. Specializing in providing travel nurses and allied health professionals nationwide, the agency has become synonymous with quality and efficiency. Whether it's hospitals, nursing homes, or outpatient facilities, Jorge 360 Staffing ensures seamless staffing solutions."Our mission goes beyond just filling positions; it's about fostering a community where professionals thrive," Wintermute emphasizes. "We understand the critical role healthcare plays, and we're committed to ensuring that our communities receive the support they need." With a vast network spanning all 50 states and U.S. territories, Jorge 360 Staffing prides itself on its ability to match healthcare providers with institutions in need. From short-term placements to permanent positions, the agency offers a comprehensive suite of staffing options, including travel, per diem, and contract placements.Distinguished as one of Malibu's premier healthcare staffing firms, Jorge 360 Staffing boasts a diverse network of doctors and advanced practitioners ready to meet the evolving needs of the industry. With a steadfast commitment to service excellence, the agency remains a trusted partner for institutions seeking reliable staffing solutions.For more information about Jorge 360 Staffing and its services, please visitwww.jorge360staffing.com About Jorge 360 StaffingJorge 360 Staffing, Inc. was established in 2021 in California. The company fills workforce gaps with highly qualified and trained healthcare staff. Aiming to bridge the increasing gap of healthcare workers, Jorge 360 Staffing envisions making a difference in the current healthcare landscape by supplementing industry-grade nurses and other healthcare workers. The company can identify your staffing needs and match your facility with healthcare staff that fit your staffing goals.Media ContactCompany Name: Jorge 360 StaffingContact Person: Betzabe Wintermute, CEOPhone: (818) 859-1771Website: jorge360staffing.com SOURCE: Jorge 360 Staffing
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PORT HUENEME, CA / ACCESSWIRE / July 19, 2024 / The Port of Hueneme is excited to support and enhance the movement of goods across the state of California and throughout the supply chain with the announcement of a $3.935 million award from the Governor's Office of Business and Economic Development (GO-Biz). This historic investment, known as the California Port Data Partnership, will revolutionize direct cloud-based data management and sharing amongst California's five containerized ports to accelerate climate adaptation and resiliency, workforce development, zero-emission vehicle deployment, and increased grid support and reliability. As the nation's preeminent global goods movement gateway, California ports are responsible for handling forty percent of all containerized imports and thirty percent of all containerized exports in the United States.Back on April 26, 2023, the Port of Hueneme attended the signing of the historic MOU in Sacramento between California's five containerized ports inclusive of the Port of Hueneme, the Port of Long Beach, the Port of Los Angeles, the Port of Oakland, and the Port of San Diego. (Left to right) Mike LaFleur, VP of Maritime, Port of San Diego; Kristin Decas, CEO & Port Director, Port of Hueneme; Mario Cordero, Executive Director, Port of Long Beach; Toks Omishakin, CalSTA Secretary; Dee Dee Myers, Senior Advisor to the Governor and Director of the Governor's Office of Business and Economic Development; Senator Steven Bradford; Assemblymember Mike Gipson; Assemblymember Josh Lowenthal; Bryan Brandes, Maritime Director, Port of Oakland; and David Libatique, Deputy Executive Director, Stakeholder Engagement, Port of Los Angeles."California's ports are critical to the stability of our national and global supply chains, as well as the health of our worldwide economy," said GO-Biz Director and Senior Advisor to Governor Gavin Newsom, Dee Dee Myers. "These historic, first-of-their-kind awards will allow us to use data to improve the functionality of our supply chain, and we look forward to working with our ports to further the momentum that these projects will generate across the state." This one-time state investment of $30 million is a significant milestone funded under the Governor's Budget Act of 2022. The funding aims to bolster data interoperability, reduce emissions, and align the world's fifth largest economy with federal objectives through the California spirit of innovation, equity, and leadership."The California Port Data Partnership will foster collaboration among ports, government agencies, and industry stakeholders," said Aaron Valance, Information Technology Service Manager at the Port of Hueneme. "Together we will drive innovation and enhance data interoperability by streamlining operations across California's ports to create a more resilient and sustainable supply chain." The Port of Hueneme is among California's five containerized ports (San Diego, Los Angeles, Long Beach, and Oakland) to receive this critical investment. Development of direct cloud-based data systems amongst California's containerized ports will further support and accelerate emerging data aggregation and analysis that will undoubtedly support freight and supply chain efficiency.Port of Hueneme Board President Celina Zacarias added: "Our commitment to data-driven solutions will enhance our competitiveness and benefit the entire California economy. This grant is a testament to our dedication to data driven excellence." As the only deep-water seaport between Los Angeles and San Francisco, the Port is recognized as one of the most efficient and effective trade gateways on the West Coast and understands the importance of direct collaboration with its California port partners.The advancement of data sharing through cloud-based systems is not only critical to enhancing goods movement efficiency but imperative to growing the economic competitiveness of California's goods movement sector by increasing system capacity for ocean carriers, importers and exporters, truckers and rail operators, longshoreman and warehouse workers, terminal operators, and government agencies.The transition to a zero-emission future is more than a matter of changing equipment and the energy which makes it move. This transition requires interoperability among all California ports computerized and cloud-based data systems to expeditiously and securely share information across port users, relevant transportation providers, and other port or public sector cloud-based cargo data systems to support operational improvement, efficiency, and emissions reductions."This grant is a game-changer for our port and the entire state of California," said Kristin Decas, CEO and Port Director of the Port of Hueneme. "By enhancing data connectivity, we can optimize operations, reduce environmental impact, and strengthen our position as a vital gateway for global trade." The Governor's Office of Business and Economic Development (GO-Biz) released an official announcement regarding California's investment of $27 million in innovative, first-in-the-nation Port Data System Development.Read Official Press Release Here.About the Port of Hueneme The Port of Hueneme is one of the most productive and efficient commercial trade gateways for niche cargo on the West Coast. Five locally elected Port Commissioners govern the Port. The Port consistently ranks among the top ten U.S. Ports for automobiles and fresh produce. Port operations support the community by bringing $2.8 billion in economic activity and creating 24,997 trade-related jobs. Trade through the Port of Hueneme generates more than $236 million in direct and related state and local taxes, which fund vital community services. In 2017, the Port of Hueneme became the first Port in California to become Green Marine certified and was voted the Greenest Port in the U.S. at the Green Shipping Summit.Press Contact Letitia AustinPublic & Government Relations Manager laustin@ portofh.org SOURCE: Port of Hueneme
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Rarri True, a business mogul from Chicago, expands his ventures from real estate to hospitality, inspiring others with his ambitious vision and relentless drive.ATLANTA, GA / ACCESSWIRE / July 20, 2024 / Step into the multifaceted world of Rarri True, a business mogul whose entrepreneurial journey is transforming industries and setting new standards of success. Born in Chicago, Illinois, Rarri True has risen from humble beginnings to become a dynamic force in the business world, crafting a legacy that promises to endure for generations. "Ambitious" is the word Rarri uses to describe himself-a testament to his relentless drive and determination to excel in every venture he undertakes.Rarri True's business acumen spans multiple sectors, demonstrating his versatility and strategic vision. With a portfolio that includes real estate, hospitality, and brand partnerships, Rarri is a prime example of how ambition and innovation can lead to extraordinary success. Inspired by legendary entrepreneurs like Elon Musk, Rarri has embraced a mindset where possibilities are limitless. "Watching these visionaries made me realize that the only limits are those we place on ourselves," says Rarri. His mission is to not only achieve personal success but also to inspire and educate others on the boundless opportunities that exist.In a bold move, Rarri recently acquired five townhomes, relocating his entire immediate family from Chicago to Atlanta, a testament to his commitment to family and future generations. Additionally, he launched "Yowingz," a new restaurant in Atlanta that is quickly gaining a reputation for excellence. As a brand ambassador for Clase1111 tequila, Rarri continues to expand his influence and business reach.Rarri's dedication to independence and self-sufficiency drives his entrepreneurial spirit. "I realized early on that I was not cut out to work for someone else. I wanted to be my own boss, to chart my own course," Rarri explains. His two sons, Hunter and Aiden Carter, are his primary motivation. "My kids see me as the coolest dad ever, and that's who I do it for," he shares.Over the next three years, Rarri True has ambitious plans to scale his businesses, build a family compound, and secure generational wealth. His vision includes not only expanding his existing ventures but also exploring new opportunities to innovate and lead. "Never give up. Stay focused. Stay determined. There's no such thing as a Plan B. If you master Plan A and take action, you'll never fail. Knowledge is power, and taking risks is essential," advises Rarri.For those who aspire to follow in his footsteps, Rarri True offers a roadmap of resilience, innovation, and unwavering focus. His story is a powerful reminder that with the right mindset and relentless pursuit of excellence, anything is possible.Media Contact:Rachel HarrisPulse Media info@ pulsemediapr.com SOURCE: The System Marketing & Management
The Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) has announced an intervention in the foreign exchange market, injecting a total of $106.5 million to address mounting demand pressures from corporate entities.

The bank made the move to improve supply in the foreign exchange market in line with its price stability mandate and its commitment to ensure a well-functioning and liquid market.

In a statement on Friday, signed by the Director of the Financial Markets Department, Omolara Duke, the CBN said it sold the $106.5 million to 29 authorised dealer banks.

According to the CBN, the transactions were conducted within an exchange rate range of N1,498.00/$1 to N1,530.00/$1.

The apex bank also mentioned that it bought $9,500,000 from four authorised dealer banks at exchange rates ranging from N1,510.00/$1 to N1,550.00/$1, with all transactions having a value date of 19 July.

The CBN emphasised its ongoing commitment to supporting various segments of the official markets with liquidity over the coming weeks.

To promote ethical conduct and support the drive for market stability, the CBN also highlighted its intention to closely monitor compliance with existing trading rules and regulations by authorised dealer banks.

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The general public is advised to direct their foreign exchange demand to their banks and BDC operators in accordance with prevailing market regulations, the statement read.

About a week ago, the CBN sold foreign currencies worth $122.67 million to 46 authorised dealers in two days to ensure stability and reduce foreign exchange (FX) market volatility.

It announced that the total transaction of $67.50 million was sold to 27 authorised dealers and also $2.5 million was bought from one authorised dealer on 10 July.

The range of the bid for the July 10, 2024 sales was N1,480.0/US$  N1,500.0/US$, while the value date for the payments, going by the settlement cycle of two days (T+2), is July 12, 2024.

Similarly, on July 11, 2024, the sum of US$55,171, 000 (Fifty-Five Million, One Hundred and Seventy-One Thousand US Dollars) was sold to 19 Authorised Dealers at N1,540.0/US$, and no FX was purchased, its 12 July statement read.

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The Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) has announced its intention to invest funds from dormant accounts, unclaimed balances and other financial assets into Nigerian Treasury Bills (NTBs) and other government securities.

This plan is part of the new Guidelines on Management of Dormant Accounts, Unclaimed Balances, and Other Financial Assets in Banks and Other Financial Institutions in Nigeria released on Friday.

According to these guidelines, the CBN will create an Unclaimed Balances Trust Fund (UBTF) Pool Account to manage unclaimed balances and establish a committee to oversee its operation.

This committee will issue guidelines, monitor compliance, manage funds, and handle claims and complaints.

It will also annually publish the list of unclaimed balance owners and procedures for reclaiming funds on the CBN website and in national newspapers.

Also, the guidelines ensure that the principal and any interest from these investments must be refunded to beneficiaries within ten working days of a request. If an extension is necessary, the requesting financial institution will be notified with reasons for the delay.

READ ALSO : CBN injects $106.5 Million into FX market amidst rising demand pressure

Eligible accounts and exemption

The CBNs guidelines state that eligible accounts include dormant account balances that have remained with financial institutions (FIs) for ten years or more.

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These accounts include: Current, savings, and term deposits in local currency; domiciliary accounts; deposits towards the purchase of shares and mutual investments; prepaid card accounts and wallets; government-owned accounts; proceeds of uncleared and unpresented financial instruments belonging to customers or non-customers.

Also included are unclaimed salaries, wages, commissions, and bonuses; proceeds of stale local and/or foreign currency drafts not presented for payment by beneficiaries; funds received from a correspondent bank without sufficient details as to the rightful beneficiary and/or a recall of funds made to the remitting bank to which the Nigerian bank account had not been debited.

The guidelines also specify exemptions, which include accounts subject to litigation, those under investigation by regulatory authorities or law enforcement, encumbered accounts such as collaterals and liens, and judgment debts with ongoing court cases.

It said the modalities for the transfer of the relevant balances/funds/ assets to the CBN, together with the revised templates for the rendition of quarterly returns to the Banking Supervision Department or Other Financial Institutions Supervision Department (as the case may be) will be communicated subsequently.

This Guidelines supersedes the Guidelines on the Management of Dormant Accounts and Other Unclaimed Funds by Banks and Other Financial Institutions in Nigeria, issued in October 2015 and takes effect immediately, it said.

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Not having sex before marriage ought to be good. Restraining yourself from all that tantalizing stuff is tough alright, but that is what the church and the Bible say and we all (believers) know that God is always right. Uncle, no touching; aunty, no sneaking. Keep the marriage bed undefiled. All solid contents must be kept in the bra, in the boxers. You can look, even imagine (though that is a sin too) what is in there but you cant weed or cultivate the land. You can salivate but you must not sip or suck before you say I do and have been handed the license. Then and thereafter, can you start drilling and depositing, planting, harvesting, as the licensed owner of the rig and land.

The waiting time can be mean on both the body and the spirit. Christian courtship is hard but the wedding night and the sweetness thereafter is usually very rewarding. I remember a young bride who ran to her church pastor two weeks after the wedding, distraught, confused.

I cant cope, pastor.

Cope with what, sister

My husband wants sex every day. Is it food? Im tired. Im sore. Im walking funny. Im even afraid to go home after work. He is a Christian, why does he want sex every day? It is carnal, isnt it?

The pastor laughed and called in a female counsellor (you can guess who) who explained to the frightened bride the coping skills. One, her brand new groom is a dude, a raging bull who has been kept in check until he got his license to do as he pleases. Hes making up for lost time. Two, sex is food for all healthy male, Christian or not. A dude is a dude. He wants his woman all day, if possible. There are strategies to avoid wear, tear and bruises. Whenever the couple waited, God happily endorses all activities and everybody is happy.

Unfortunately, it is not always so. It has been discovered, so, so sadly, that there are now terrible, embarrassing ungodly complications to this no-sex-before-marriage part of Christian courtship. What is ordinarily supposed to be a beautiful worthwhile wait has been found to bring the kind of torture and nightmare that is confounding and debilitating. Too many Christians are evil, too many courting couples a disgrace to both God and the body of Christ. In fact, Im restraining myself from calling them murderers because what they bring into a Christian union after saying I do before God and man is nothing short of marital terrorism.

A man who professes to be born-again, tongue-speaking, demon-binding Christian abstains from sex during courtship only for the bride to discover on their wedding night that the grooms weapon is only for peeing! Yeah, he has only two legs. His third leg is virtually non-existent and divorce is not supported by the Bible and the church except on grounds of infidelity and even then you are not allowed to remarry until your spouse dies. Someone help me out here. What if the person you divorced lives to be 100?

Or this other scenario: the turban-wearing, no-earrings but beautiful sister insisted on keeping her body holy, the marriage bed undefiled. Three years after wedding and plenty of lies on why she was waiting on the Lord for the fruit of the womb, the real reasons for her childlessness came to light. Sisters uterus was removed years ago after a tragic abortion in the university. She didnt tell the man she professed to love. She didnt confide in her churchs pastor.

According to her, I believe God will give me a new womb, a brand new beginning.

Ah, faith is great. But what is wrong with letting the man you are going to marry into this great secret so he can decide whether hes down with the arrangement or not? What is wrong in letting the guy know what he is getting himself into, what the total package is so he can join his faith to hers and they can have faith raised to power two (like faith2)?

The shocked husband recounted the horror of the heart-rending discovery this way: She kept insisting on prayers instead of going to have ourselves checked in the hospital. She was moving from one prayer mountain to the other, doing vigil and fasting round the month. Yet we couldnt conceive. On my own, I decided to go and run tests on my system. I got the all clear and that was when I became suspicious. I threatened to call the pastors, report her to the church marriage counselling unit, summon a family meeting, and finally I moved out. I told her Id move back in only if she agreed to the tests. That was when she broke down and confessed. I was devastated.

Now, how does a pastor deal with that, dissolve the marriage or remind the deceived husband that their marriage vows were till death do them part? Imagine you are a parent reading this, if the husband was your son, what would you do? How would you feel? This son of yours is 36, his wife is 32 and she has no womb! You are all members of a denomination where even breathing the word divorce is almost a sin, will you happily accept your lot and wait for a new womb from your lying daughter-in-law or are you going to damn all consequences and tell your son to throw the trash out and get a proper woman who will bear you children?

Is the definition of unfaithfulness, infidelity, just about having sex with someone you are not married to? Is going into marriage knowing you are deceiving your partner in the worst possible way godly? How will the church stop their members from trying polygamy and extramarital affairs when the skeletons start dancing shaku shaku outside the closet? How can the church stem the rate of failed marriages in the body of Christ when young men and women go into marriage for the wrong reason, wearing only barefaced lies as wedding garments?

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Should the church just accept that this new trend of hiding very important details during courtship, as part of end-time turbulence or should pastors just remember that they are end-time shepherds who must do their jobs with wisdom?

Dear godly reader, imagine that its your daughter who ended up with the man whose third leg is incompetent, malformed or misshapen? That on the wedding night, your daughter who had kept her virginity till age 25 was the one who discovered that her husbands manhood is the same size as her pinky, her smallest finger! The thing can pee but it cant be put to work. Its just there, like a toddlers pecker. You spent millions of naira on the wedding ceremony, had high hopes for this marriage and here you are with a son-in-law who could not consummate the marriage. Its not his fault that he was created with a weapon that cant plunge or fire but it is what it is. Your daughter may have to resort to self-help at some point. Pastor, this is one member of our congregation that is most likely to look for sex outside marriage.

But Ariyikes story is the most pathetic. She is the respected daughter of a respected pastor. She was even a youth pastor herself. So, of course, keeping her body as the temple of God was a given. Her husband is a petroleum engineer based in one of the South South states. The couple re- located there right after the wedding. Six months later, Ariyike called her parents that she was coming to visit in Lagos.

Everyone had missed her, her parents were eager to hear the expected news that she was pregnant. She wasnt but she looked different, subdued, withdrawn. One week became two weeks and Ariyike still refused to go back to her husband. After a long sermon, she told her parents she was not returning to her matrimonial home, ever. Was he beating her? That was the only question on everybodys lips. It seemed the only reason a young bride would run back home, right? It wasnt Ariyikes reason. Her husband is so oversized, his manhood off-kilter, heavy duty, scary weapon that scared the poor girl shitless the first time he confronted her with it.

I tried to cope but hes just too big. He leaves me bleeding sore and crying the few times we tried. Its scary, I cant go back. It will kill me. You dont understand what Im talking about because you have not seen it. Please dont make me go back otherwise, Ill run away.

What does a pastor or church do when confronted with a case like this? What do parents do when their daughters-in-law or sons-in-law are discovered to have covered up facts that are this important? True, it cant be easy to fully disclose to anybody including your mother that you have deformities down there. Imagine all the beautiful girls with crazy cleavages out there with private pains deep inside them, the men with abnormalities they cant talk about below their belts. I read that one out of 165 male births may reproduce a baby with micro-penis. There is penile torsion and scrotal transposition too. I read that many men suffer from penile torsion in various degrees  corkscrew  like third legs that are sometimes competing with a horses weapon built to scare. The scrotal transposition is where the scrotal sac is situated above the shaft making the equipment look like elephant ears. The womens troubles are broadly termed Mullein duct abnormalities and they reach all the way in with all kinds of implications. Im not a doctor, just a Christian and a mother worried about protecting these young ones from unfaithful spouses-to-be, hiding important details, from the absent uterus to python or pinky-sized penises. Should we test all spirits and see which is true or just fly blind in that direction? Im just asking.

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Jideofor Ugezu, better known as Ugezu J. Ugezu, is a Nigerian director, actor, screenwriter and producer.

Mr Ugezu is popular for his frequent promotion of Igbo culture and traditions. He hails from Enugu-Ukwu in Anambra State, Nigerias South-east, with a high Christian population.

In this interview with PREMIUM TIMES, the 53-year-old Nollywood star speaks on his aversion to Christianity in Nigeria and why he quit attending churches.

Excerpts:

PT: How do you describe yourself? A Christian or a traditionalist?

Ugezu: Im a Christian by faith but a traditionalist by practice.

PT: Do you worship in churches?

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Ugezu: No. (But) I go to church only when Im invited to an event by people. If theres a programme like a church wedding and Im invited, I go. But not like I set out to go to church. I have a lot of friends who are Christians, and even reverend fathers who understand my position as a traditionalist, and they do not have any problem with that. I even have a friend who is a bishop, and he understands my position.

PT: At what point did you stop worshipping in churches, and what is your problem with being a Christian and worshipping in churches?

Ugezu: Christianity is an organised business, and people are beginning to understand that it is a business. It is not about the Bible but about the highest bidder. I read what Chimamanda Adichie wrote about a burial she attended in Cross River State, how the priest reacted to an issue, and she recalled how her father was buried. Maybe the brand of Christianity practised has to do with our people. She (Adichie) was trying to make a case that what she saw there, in Cross River, is not what is obtainable here.

How can the church refuse to bury a member because she owed some dues before she died? Such things happen, and people defend them. When you understand that the church has become political, you can become a traditionalist and still go to church. Not everyone can come out like me and say he is a traditionalist because of fear of what people would say. But if you have murdered fear like me, then you can do whatever you want to do.

PT: Do you agree with arguments by some South-easterners that the problem with Igbos is that they are embracing the Western religion, like Christianity, rather than their traditional way of worship?

Ugezu: But that is just the absolute truth. It is something that somebody should not speak about so much before we understand the need. I have spoken on a very large platform. Let us just take something as simple as praying over a kolanut, for example. And then you will see some people that you give them a kola nut for them to pray over it. And then they are smuggling the Christian prayer into the kolanut and after praying over the kola nut, they say that they are blessing the kola nut in the name of Jesus, for example. That is an aberration and it is part of the problems we have. Nobody is against anybody deciding to pray according to the Christian faith or whatever faith. That is a different kind of prayer. You make such prayers, it is good. But when you are required to pray with a kolanut, it becomes a different kind of prayer again. It is a prayer that is anchored on the four cardinal forces that control everything in Igbo land. These are the forces of Eke, Orie, Afor, and Nkwo (market days). These are the spirits that control finances. Every community in Igbo land, no matter where they are located, has these forces domiciled. If you dont have Eke, then you have Orie. It is only prayer over a kolanut that you call unto them to sanctify what you are doing. The majority of right-thinking people, including me, believe that if you can pick up our tradition and practice it the way it should be, so many of the problems we have in Igbo land would have ceased.

I heard of a time in Aguata where two boys ran into a church where people were praying and informed them that they saw some herdsmen coming into their town with AK-47 rifles and the congregation ran away. But in an organised town, where people are still maintaining Odinani (Igbo traditional religion), how can anyone run away from his town? Because theres nothing that will come that can overwhelm you. We have lost it as a people, and that is why we are having a lot of problems.

READ ALSO: Nollywood actor Ayoola Ayolola stars in Haitian political thriller Killing of a Nation

I believe that if we can go back to our roots and do things we are supposed to do, many mistakes will be corrected, and a lot of abnormal things we are experiencing will be fixed.

PT: Are you saying that if Igbos should return to Odinani, the traditional way of worship, the insecurity in the South-east would cease?

Ugezu: Yes. Insecurity is local. If the local communities can trigger the totality of a way of life, there is no criminal that is not known. We are just playing politics with insecurity. If we do things the way they should be done, all these things will not be there.

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Nigerias consumer protection agency, FCCPC, has imposed a $220 million fine, which is about N330 billion on Meta Platforms Inc., owners of Facebook, WhatsApp and Instagram, for allegedly abusing the data of their Nigerian users.

According to a statement by the FCCPC chairperson, Adamu Abdullahi, the agency investigated Metas operations between May 2021 and December 2023 and found multiple cases of invasion into the private data of its Nigerian consumers.

The commissions findings showed discriminatory and invasive practices against Nigerian consumers such as denial of access to their right to self-determination, unauthorised distribution of their data and cross-border transfer of these data.

The commission found this after Meta provided some information/evidence that is in part responsive to document requests and summons, Mr Abdulahi wrote.

This practice, Mr Abdullahi said, violates the countrys policies on data protection as established in the Federal Competition and Consumer Protection Act (FCCPA) 2018 and the Nigeria Data Protection Regulation (NDPR) 2019.

He also noted that these invasive practices conducted by Meta are only exclusive to Nigerian consumers as the agency did not find such cases in other countries with similar regulations as Nigeria.

The totality of the investigation has concluded that Meta Parties over a protracted period of time have engaged in conduct that constitutes multiple and repeated, as well as continuing infringements of the FCCA and NDPR, particularly, but not limited to abusive, and invasive practices against data subjects/consumers in Nigeria.

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These practices include, appropriating personal data or information without consent, discriminatory practices against Nigerian data subjects/consumers or disparate treatment of consumers/data subjects compared with other jurisdictions with similar regulatory frameworks, abuse of dominant market position by forcing unscrupulous, exploitative, and non-compliant privacy policies which appropriated consumer personal information without the option or opportunity to self-determine or otherwise withhold or provide consent to the gathering, use, and/or sharing of such personal data, he said.

FCCPC final order

Mr Abdullahi said the commission decided to issue a penalty against Meta parties after it gathered adequate evidence and provided the company ample time to defend itself.

The FCCPC chairperson in the statement traces the agencys decision to the report of the investigation that started in 2021 after the commission found evidence that META might have broken some rules, and sent an Order and Notice to Show Cause (ONSC).

The commission, through the ONSC, asked the company to explain why it shouldnt face penalties for these violations.

ALSO READ: Meta launches a digital marketing scholarship programme in partnership with Ingressive for Good

Being satisfied with the evidence on record and Meta Parties have been provided with every opportunity to articulate any position, representations or refutation, the commission has not issued a Final Order, he noted.

The final order imposes a monetary penalty of $22 million fine which is about N330 billion.

The Final Order also mandates that Meta Parties comply with prevailing law and cease the exploitation of Nigerian consumers and their market abuse, as well as desist from future similar or other conduct/practices that do not meet nationally applicable standards and undermine the rights of consumers.

Mr Abdullahi said this penalty falls within the dictate of the FCCPA policy and its administrative penalties for offenders.

The penalty is in accordance with the FCCPA 2018, and the Federal Competition and Consumer Protection (Administrative Penalties) Regulations 2020 (APR).

The Commission remains committed to its respective mandates to protect the privacy of Nigerians under the Constitution and all data protection laws and regulations, he added.

He also urged that companies ensure that consumer rights are respected, and the markets operate fairly and transparently.

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The Governing Council of the Nnamdi Azikiwe University, Awka, Anambra State, has sacked the institutions Acting Vice-Chancellor, Joseph Ikechebelu.

Mr Ikechebelu, a professor and a former deputy vice-chancellor (administration) of the institution, was appointed acting vice-chancellor in early June to replace Charles Esimone, a professor whose tenure expired on 3 June.

The universitys Governing Council announced the sack of the acting vice-chancellor in a letter made available to reporters on Saturday.

No reason has been given for the sack of the former acting vice-chancellor.

The letter, obtained by PREMIUM TIMES, was signed by the pro-Chancellor and Chairperson of the council, Gregory Mbadiwe.

Mr Mbadiwe, in the letter, also announced the appointment of Carol Arinze-Umobi, a female professor, as a new acting vice-chancellor of the institution.

Mrs Arinze-Umobis appointment will take effect from Monday, 22 July 2024, the letter said.

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The council chairperson said the appointment, which is for six months, is in accordance with the provisions of Section four of the First Schedule, Nnamdi Azikiwe University Act CAP 139, LFN 2004 as amended by the Universities (Miscellaneous Provisions) (Amended) Act 2007.

The terms and conditions of your appointment are as approved by the federal government for all federal universities, part of the letter, addressed to Mrs Arinze-Umobi, reads.

We have full confidence in your ability to lead our esteemed institution during this period and wish you great success, the letter added.

Mr Mbadiwe noted that a copy of the appointment letter has been forwarded to the countrys Minister of Education, Tahir Mamman, who will then inform President Bola Tinubu.

Meanwhile, PREMIUM TIMES gathered that some soldiers stormed the university premises before the councils meeting earlier on Saturday.

Some university students were said to have been apprehensive over the presence of the soldiers.

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Anambra State Commissioner for Women Affairs, Ify Obianabo, has described as terrible and unfortunate, the alleged rape of a three-year old girl in the state by her father.

The commissioner said on Thursday in Awka that efforts were being made to apprehend the man following a complaint by his wife some days ago.

The suspect is still at large. We wont rest on our oars until he is arrested. We will ensure that justice is served, she said.

Mrs Obianabo said that the toddlers mother reported the alleged crime to the ministry.

She also noted that the matter had been reported to the federal government.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the mother of the toddler (name withheld) hails from Aguata Local Government Area of Anambra.

The mother of five appealed to Mrs Obianabo to save the three-year-old from molestation by her father.

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She said, My daughter complained that her dad used to touch her private part.

Initially, I thought it was a childs talk. So, I rebuked her, but her repeated reporting made me probe into it.

When I mentioned that to my husband, he dismissed the allegation, but when I examined our daughters private part, I discovered it had turned reddish.

When I drew the fathers attention to this development, he denied it and was furious with me, she said.

The woman added that she took the toddler  her last child  to a hospital where a doctor confirmed that she was raped.

The doctor was angry and threatened to arrest my husband, but I pleaded that he should not, to save our face from shame, the woman said.

READ ALSO: Nigerian police seek stringent laws against withdrawal of rape cases

She said that she, however, later made the matter public with the encouragement of her friend.

She said that since she reported the case, her husband had been threatening her life, forcing her to run away from her matrimonial home.

I have been in hiding for over two weeks now, and my husband still calls my phone to threaten me, she said.

According to the woman, her husbands behaviour changed since he joined a touting job and started smoking Marijuana.

I appeal for justice for my daughter. I am being taken care of by the state government where I am at present, she said.

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The police in Delta State have rescued 35 trafficked victims in Ughelli North Local Government Area of the state.

The police spokesperson of the state, SP Bright Edafe, told reporters in Warri on Thursday that police operatives were also on the trail of the prime suspect.

Mr Edafe, a police superintendent, said the 35 victims rescued on Monday in a hotel included 23 teenagers.

He said the lady operating the hotel was also arrested.

The police spokesperson said the feat was achieved by operatives attached to the Ekpan Police Division in Uvwie Local Government Area, led by the Divisional Police Officer, Aliyu Shaba, a chief superintendent of police.

The team acted on credible information received by the command on the activities of one Chinyere, who specialises in trafficking women from the East to Ughelli in Delta.

Intelligence further revealed that she convinced the victims they were coming to work as salesgirls in Delta restaurants.

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Consequently, on 15 July, one of the victims was located and revealed the illegal activities of the suspected Chinyere, who is currently at large.

Based on the information, a combined team of surveillance stormed the hotel and arrested a suspect, who runs the hotel, and 35 others, among which are 23 teenagers, he said.

According to Mr Edafe, a manhunt for the suspected human trafficker is ongoing.

(NAN)

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The Nigeria Labour Congress has formally accepted the governments offer of N70,000 minimum wage.

According to a communique signed by NLC President Joe Ajaero, the union made the decision at its emergency National Executive Council meeting on Friday.

Mr Ajaero said the labour union accepted the presidents offer of N70,000as the new National Minimum Wage and the 3-yearly tenure for its review.

The labour union also gave reasons for accepting the governments offer.

this decision, though challenging and far from our initial demand, was made in the spirit of solidarity and sacrifice for Nigerian masses

PREMIUM TIMES reported the protracted negotiation between the government and labour over the new minimum wage.

Negotiations commenced last year after the Tinubu administration removed subsidies on petrol, leading to astronomical increases in the prices of goods and services.

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Initial government proposals

President Bola Tinubu, after several meetings with organised labour, initially promised a N35,000 wage award until the new minimum wage took effect, replacing the N30,000 which expired on 18 April.

He also established a 37-member tripartite committee to ensure a decent living wage, in line with the National Minimum Wage Act of 2019.

Labour union demands

The Organised Labour initially demanded a minimum wage of N615,000, citing economic challenges and the rising cost of living. This demand was a result of extensive consultations between the NLC and the Trade Union Congress (TUC).

Unions rejected proposals

In May, the NLC and TUC walked out of negotiations when the government proposed a N48,000 minimum wage.

The Labour Union gave the government until the end of May 2024 to make a decision.

Subsequent proposals from the government, including N54,000 and N60,000, were also rejected by organised labour.

Resumed negotiations and new proposals

President Tinubu then instructed the Minister of Finance, Wale Edun, on 5 June to formulate a new minimum wage and its cost implications within two days for presentation at subsequent meetings with labour.

After resuming negotiations, the Tripartite Committee on the National Minimum Wage comprising the presidential team, Nigerian Governors Forum and the Organised Private Sector recommended N62,000 as the new minimum wage.

Governor Hope Uzodimma of Imo State announced that this recommendation would be forwarded to President Tinubu for action. Meanwhile, organised labour had reduced its demand to N250,000.

Presidential intervention

Following consultations with organised labour and state governors, President Tinubu approved the N70,000 minimum wage, as announced by the Minister of Information and National Orientation, Mohammed Idris, during a briefing with State House correspondents.

Confirmation by labour leaders

Messrs Ajaero confirmed the unions positive stance on the new wage.

However, he indicated that they would convene their NEC meetings to discuss the proposal further.

Mr Idris stated that President Tinubu had a successful meeting with the organised labour, which was adjourned for further discussion.

They did those consultations and have come back today to meet with Mr. President.

Were happy to announce today that both the federal government and organised labour have agreed on an increase to N70,000. The new National Minimum Wage that we expect to present to the National Assembly for legislation is N70,000, he added.



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The Inspector General of Police (IGP,), Kayode Egbetokun, has said the crime rate in Nigeria has declined but that the Force will do more to reduce it.

Mr Egbetokun spoke Friday in Abuja while addressing journalists after meeting with President Bola Tinubu at the State House, Abuja.

The IGP said he presented a report on the security situation in the country to President Bola Tinubu, adding that it shows a reduction in crime rate.

Mr Egbetokun did not, however, provide journalists with the statistics.

Security situation under Tinubu

In May, PREMIUM TIMES reported that almost all parts of Nigeria, including the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) still suffer one form of insecurity or the other.

According to the report, Nigeria recorded over 4,556 fatalities and 7,086 abductions between 29 May 2023 and 22 May 2024.

Also in June 2024, there were major attacks recorded in some parts of the country which included those carried out by terrorist groups.

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Recently, four Boko Haram female suicide bombers killed more than 18 people during attacks in different places in Borno state.

There have also been increasing cases of armed robberies in different places in the country, including the nations capital, Abuja.

Declining crime rate

Despite these incidents, Mr Egbetokun said the police report shows that the rate of crime rate in the country has been on the decline.

He added that the president was satisfied with the report.

It is a routine security meeting we had with Mr President where we had the opportunity of giving him security briefs. This, we have been doing regularly, Mr President is satisfied. He has challenged us to continue to work together and improve our synergy.

As Inspector General of Police, we have records of all reported crimes across the country and I can tell you that the crime rate is declining in Nigeria. Records dont lie. The records are there. So, I can assure you that we will continue to do what we are doing to maintain the decline in the crime rate, Mr Egbetokun said.

Well end oil theft  CDS

Also, speaking to journalists, the Chief of Defence Staff (CDS), Christopher Musa, said the military is determined to end oil theft in the Niger Delta region to restore full oil production.

According to Mr Musa, the country is targetting production of 2.1 million barrels per day.

Very well, as usual, you know Nigeria relies a lot on what we produce and his mandate. Like we mentioned days back, it is for us to restore full production. We are targeting 2.1 million barrels per day, which is achievable. So were taking steps to ensure that all that is required to be done is done.

The president is aware of the hues and cries of the communities and he is not going to let them down. The communities should be rest assured that steps are going to be taken to address their grievances so that production will continue.

The CDS also vowed that the military would stop the thieves from further stealing Nigerias crude oil.

For the criminals, those that are hell-bent on stealing our infrastructure, stealing our crude for whatever reasons, their days are numbered. They should rest assured that we are coming after them and we want to assure Nigerians that we all need to put our hands together to achieve this success.

Nobody can do it alone. No single service, no single individual can do this alone. We all need to work together including the states. We understand that the communities are doing so much. The president will address those issues to ensure that we have full production, Mr Musa, a general, said.

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Attending the 8th Interdisciplinary Corruption Network in Lisbon, Portugal, was a fantastic, deeply enriching and eye-opening experience that expanded my knowledge in the field.

The ICRN is a network of corruption researchers from different disciplinary, national, and cultural backgrounds. The network believes that exchange and collaboration are paramount to fostering the understanding of the complex and socially harmful phenomenon of corruption.

The ICRN Forum is a dynamic gathering of international early career researchers from diverse disciplines, including but not limited to anthropology, economics, history, law, political science, psychology, and sociology.

The event is tailored to early-career researchers and practitioners studying corruption and anti-corruption. It also aims to promote discussion on various corruption-related topics, anti-corruption and integrity in a safe and collaborative environment where diverse perspectives are respected and constructive dialogue is encouraged.

As a participant and perhaps the only representative from a media organisation in Nigeria, I had the privilege to explain how we identify, investigate, and publish corruption stories, particularly those related to government agencies and officials, to a foreign audience.

Another privilege I had was to share the story of our media organisations resilience in the face of challenges. Despite political pressure, limited resources, and the risk of support extraction, we have managed to thrive without compromising on ethics. I believe our journey would inspire and motivate the researchers and academics in their work.

Listening to researchers struggles to understand corruption and how it works was mind-opening. I learnt about the outcomes of specific research projects and ongoing work, such as how primary school attendance by children can impact their disposition to corruption in adulthood. I am eager to see how these findings will contribute to our collective understanding of corruption.

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Though speakers at the event cannot be named or quoted, there were notable lessons. Sessions included social challenges in tackling corruption, moral attitudes and behaviours of public agents, anti-corruption in action: challenges and developments, and bridging the gap: how media organisations can report on corruption while building revenue sustainability for thriving societies.

Others are Corruption, risk factors, and financial strategies; Contextualising corruption and anti-corruption efforts, comparative and case studies; Behavioural and social dynamics of corruption: theories and implications; Unravelling legal and institutional anti-corruption mechanisms, among others.

Below is a recap of lessons learnt at the 8th ICRN Forum, held on 27-29 June at the University of Lisbon, Portugal.

Raising sustainable income

Some participants suggested that paywalls on news websites may flop and be unsuccessful as some media organisations lost their readership strength after introducing paywalls on their websites.

Recommendations were geared towards subscriptions. Participants suggested that the subscription package be as attractive as possible so readers can renew it.

Journalism funding is a source of concern for media organisations globally. Media organisations are to be creative in raising funding. Educating citizens and keeping them informed on the value of good journalism is important and would help boost financial support from the public.

Quality of news, information

At the forum, researchers identified that these are very interesting times as almost everyone is a reporter, filling social media with misinformation, unconfirmed reports, and exaggerated or under-reported news.

Participants encouraged journalists to rise to the challenge of getting quality and factual information out. More than ever, journalists need to speak with experts to get informed opinions on matters of concern to help them get rich and outstanding reports to the public.

Data from the government and private organisations is another interesting source of news reporting and should be explored by journalists. The same goes for research findings.

Get quality content from researchers, from people who know what you are saying. Our competitors are the blogs. Everyone on the internet is a reporter. We have more work to do.

In-house cleaning

Participants also urged journalists to ensure their in-house ethics, staff and books are cleaned up and eliminated from corruption. The admonition was that journalists should not leave their house unattended as they try to rid society of corruption.

You must care about financial reporting. Check that you are fine as a journalist. Be accountable.

Corruption would thrive anywhere the judicial system is weak

Corruption is not an African problem and will thrive anywhere to the level where the judiciary system is weak. Corruption would happen in Africa or any part of the world with a weak judicial system. I learnt that some national corruption cases in Portugal have lasted 10-15 years because their judicial system is weak.

Grant Corruption

Participants highlighted a fresh worry: grant corruption. They expressed concerns that money is not free and that criteria must always be fulfilled. Participants said journalists should check the terms and conditions of the grants before receiving such funds. They pointed out that some grants stimulate rather than provide genuine support for journalism.

Whenever money is handed out, there would be criteria to be met, whether government or private. There is never enough money.

Corruption Reporting

Journalists can make their reports on corruption richer by taking it beyond what happened and adding more interesting facts such as how much corruption took place and what type it was, what the cost of the corruption being reported is, what drove/determined the action, what the effect and impact would be, how it can be controlled in the future.

There was also a Corruption Walk In Lisbon to wrap up the event. Discussions during the walk were around the story of Operation Marques, which involved a former prime minister, and some related cases.

The walk was around Marques de Pombal square, then slightly up to Brancaamp Street (Heron Castilho, former apartments of Socrates, former prime minister, and his mother), down with a stop at one of the offices of the Bank of Portugal, and then at Barata Salgueiro street, former headquarters of BES (Espirito Santo Bank).

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Borno South senator Ali Ndume has criticised the new N70,000 minimum wage approved by President Bola Tinubu for Nigerian workers.

Mr Ndume, a member of the All Progressives Congress (APC) as the president, said the approved minimum wage cannot sustain a household because it can only buy 50kg of rice.

The senator stated this in a viral video posted by Channels Television on Friday.

President Tinubu and the leaders of the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) and the Trade Union Congress (TUC) met on Wednesday at the State House and agreed on the new minimum wage.

While the government reviewed its offer from N62,000 to N70,000, the labour leaders led by the NLC President, Joe Ajaero, and his TUC counterpart, Festus Osifo, brought their demand down from N250,000, which they had earlier proposed at the last meeting of the Tripartite Committee on New Minimum Wage.

The labour leaders have since accepted the new wage.

Mr Ndume, who was removed as Senate chief whip on Wednesday for criticising President Tinubu, advised him to review the new minimum wage to show solidarity with Nigerians.

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People are suffering, people are angry, people are not happy. I am happy that yesterday, the president agreed with NLC to increase the salary to N70,000, which is a good move, but it takes more than that because, realistically, that is like a bag of rice, money that will buy a bag of rice or cover the cost of a bag of rice.

So, I call on the president to still open up and listen to the people, Mr Ndume said.

The outspoken senator was fired as Senate principal officer following a letter from Abdullahi Ganduje, the APC national chairman and Basiru Ajibola, the partys national secretary.

In the letter, the APC leaders referenced an interview Mr Ndume granted where he criticised the Tinubu administration and subsequently recommended that the Senate relieve him (Ndume) of his position.

In response to the letter, Mr Ndume reiterated that many Nigerians are angry because of the harsh economy.

Cost of basic foodstuff

Meanwhile, PREMIUM TIMES reviewed Mr Ndumes comment and discovered that a bag of rice costs over N70,000, the new minimum wage.

In a market survey by this newspaper on Saturday, 50kg of rice is sold between N78,000 and N79,000.

Also, 50kg of white garri is sold between N57,000 and N58,000, while 50kg of brown beans is N130,000. Yam is N8,000 for five pieces while a basket of tomatoes goes for N10,000.

In May, The National Bureau of Statistics (NBS) said the country recorded an increase in the price of five essential food items by 140.4 per cent in April.

According to the NBS, the food items are local rice, garri, tomatoes, beans and yams.

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The National Chairperson of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Umar Ganduje on Saturday inaugurated the national campaign council of the party for the 2024 governorship election in Edo State.

Inaugurating the council headed by Governor Bassey Ottu of Cross River State, Mr Ganduje charged the members to ensure the party reclaimed the state from the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) during the 21 September election.

Mr Ganduje, who was excited with the official defection of the Deputy Governor of Edo, Philip Shaibu to the APC, said the party had secured up to 50 per cent of the people in the states government.

He urged the campaign council to swing into action to ensure that all members at the local government areas and unit levels come out to campaign and vote.

A flag-off rally will soon be organised so that the President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu, will be in Benin City.

We are so happy because our incoming governor and his deputy have already produced a blueprint for the development of Edo State; they are not full with MoUs.

They are coming with a blueprint and practical steps so that Edo can fully develop and be connected to the centre, he said.

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The former governor of Kano State said that if the state was not connected to the centre, it would not experience full political participation and dividends of democracy.

According to him, the only way to achieve this is by voting for Monday Okpebholo and his running mate, Dennis Idahosa, who are flying the partys flag in the election.

Mr Ganduje commended the Oba of Benin for maintaining peace and tranquillity in the state, assuring that the incoming APC government would appreciate and respect the traditional council under the Oba of Benin.

APC candidate attacks Obaseki

In his remark, Mr Okpebholo said Edo had never been as divided as it was currently.

The APC candidate castigated Governor Godwin Obaseki for raising the state debt profile from about N43 billion when he took over in 2016 to over 500 billion.

We are here to change it; we are coming to restore infrastructure, to restore education and to restore security to the state.

We are bringing practical governance into the state, he said.

The State Chairperson of the APC, Jarret Tenebe, urged the national chairperson of the party to join them to rescue the state from the grip of the PDP.

What Oshiomhole said at the rally

Earlier, the senator representing Edo North and former governor of the state, Adams Oshiomhole, said the gathering represented the very essence of the broom, a reunion of the people who were deceived in their former party.

Mr Oshiomhole said Mr Okpebholo if elected, had a huge task ahead of him as governor of Edo.

He urged the people of the state to compare the years of the rule of the APC and the PDP in the state and see the difference.

Edo people have the chance to sit back and ask themselves the differences between the years the APC ruled the state and the years the PDP ruled.

Governance is about having human empathy. Those who do not know your house cannot fix the leakages; only those who know the leakages can help fix them.

If they can cheat themselves and go to court, we will not allow them to cheat (at the polls). It will be one-man-one-vote, he said.

Commenting on the killing of a police inspector, Onu Akon, who was the security aide of Mr Okpebholo, Mr Oshiomhole vowed to ensure that the national assembly investigates the death and that the investigation would not be messed up.

He, however, called on the inspector-general of police to disband the State Security Network, which he said had become a tool for oppression in the hand of the state government.

Mr Oshiomhole also called on the Commissioner of Police in Edo, Funsho Adegboye, to defend the integrity of his uniform by apprehending the perpetrators of the act and bring them to book.

READ ALSO: Kano govt files fresh charge against Ganduje

According to him, The days of oppression are over. They shall know no peace because they have murdered sleep, he said.

In his remarks, the Chairperson of the campaign council, Governor Ottu, promised to deliver the state for the APC come 21 September.

(NAN)

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The Federal High Court in Abuja has barred the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) from releasing its voter register to the Rivers State Governments electoral body for the states upcoming local government area (LGA) elections.

The court gave the order on Friday in a suit filed by the All Progressives Congress (APC), which broadly challenges the legitimacy of the local elections being planned by the Rivers State Government led by a Peoples Democratic (PDP) governor.

The Rivers State Independent Electoral Commission (RSIEC) has already scheduled 15 October for the local government elections.

In his ruling, the judge, Peter Lifu, also barred the police and the State Security Service (SSS) from providing security for the states local government elections.

An order is hereby made directing the 1st to the 5th defendants to maintain the status quo ante bellum and not to do any act or take any further steps towards the conduct of the Local Government Election in Rivers State slated for 5 October 2024 pending the hearing and determination of the Motion on Notice for interlocutory injunction, the judge ordered.

PREMIUM TIMES saw a certified copy of the order on Saturday.

The order specifically restrained INEC from releasing to the RSIEC and the Rivers State Attorney-General a part or the whole of the national register of voters for use by the 2nd and 3rd defendants (RSIEC and the Attorney-General.

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In addition, it restrained the 4th and 5th defendants (the police and the SSS) from participating in or providing security protection for the scheduled local government election.

The order, issued by the court at the instance of the All Progressives Congress (APC), adds to the lingering political crisis that has engulfed the South-south state since the coming on board of the administration of Governor Siminalayi Fubara, who belongs to the PDP.

In giving the ruling, the judge directed the APC to file within 24 hours a fresh undertaking indemnifying the RSIEC, the INEC and other defendants in case the court later discovers that it was misled to issue the orders.

He also granted an order to serve the suit on the defendants through a substituted means by publishing all the filings in The Punch and The Nation newspapers within four days as from Friday.

The judge then adjourned further hearing till 2 August, implying that the orders would be in force until then.

The defendants will be able to respond to the suit after it is served on them.

Suit

The APC, the main opposition party in Rivers State, filed the ex parte application on 18 July to seek an urgent restraining order against the defendants before the hearing of its substantive suit.

The party filed the main suit on 15 July to stop INEC from releasing the register of voters in Rivers State to RSIEC for the conduct of the 15 October LGA elections.

It sued INEC, RSIEC, the Attorney-General of Rivers State, the Inspector-General of Police (IGP) and the SSS, arguing that RSIEC failed to fulfil legal requirements to conduct the local government election.

The party said that while RSIEC is legally bound to use the voter register compiled and kept by INEC for conducting local government elections in Rivers State, it failed to give a 360-day notice to INEC before the election date.

APCs chairperson in Rivers State, Tony Okocha, who swore to the affidavit filed in support of the suit, contended that RSIEC belatedly notified stakeholders about the plan to organise the election on 1 July.

Mr Okocha said the RSIECs election notice came after the expiration of the tenure of the last holders of the offices of chairpersons and councillors of the 23 LGAs in the state on 17 June.

Therefore, he argued that the election notice issued by RSIEC is unlawful, null and void for non-compliance with the mandatory requirements of the law.

Urgent restraining order

On 18 July, APCs legal team led by Joseph Daudu, a Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN), filed an ex parte motion seeking an urgent restraining order against the defendants.

The partys state chairman, Mr Okocha, said in his supporting affidavit that unless urgently restrained by the court, the defendants would go ahead to violate the provisions of the Electoral Act and the Nigerian constitution and prejudice the rights of the plaintiffs as a duly registered political party in Nigeria.

A lawyer in the plaintiffs legal team, Sebastine Hon, also a SAN, moved the motion for an interim restraining order on Friday.

Being an ex parte application, the defendants and their lawyers did not participate in the hearing.

The judge granted the plaintiffs prayers after listening to Mr Hon on Friday.

Background crisis

The local government administration has been embroiled in a crisis as an offshoot of the political rivalry between Governor Fubara and his predecessor, Nyesom Wike, the current Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT).

Mr Fubara dissolved the elected local government chairpersons after their terms expired on 17 June.

He appointed administrative heads to oversee the councils.

However, 27 state lawmakers, loyal to Mr Wike, amended the local government administration law to extend the chairpersons tenure by six months and stripped Governor Fubara of the power to appoint a caretaker committee.

A police officer was killed in June in Eberi-Omuma in Omuma Local Government Area of Rivers State during a clash between rival groups beholden to Governor Fubara and Mr Wike in the aftermath of the appointment of local government caretaker committees.

Due to the violent development, the police have since taken over the secretariats of the 23 local government areas in the state, preventing the newly appointed caretaker committees from assuming office.

New legal twists

The order obtained by the APC on Friday and the partys suit challenging the conduct of the states local government elections have introduced a new twist to the local government and political crisis in the state.

The APC contended in its suit that RSIEC breached the provisions of the Electoral Act and the Nigerian constitution requiring state election bodies to give a 360-day notice to INEC before any election.

The party said the notice would have enabled INEC to stop the continuous voter registration and update the register at least 90 days before the election.

The APC also argued that the law permits political parties to conduct primaries and submit the list of their nominated candidates no later than 180 days before the election. Since RSIEC breached the law by failing to give adequate notice, it has become impossible for INEC and political parties to meet other legal requirements concerning them.

The party argued that RSIEC failed to adhere to the law when it applied to INEC to release a copy of the Register of Voters for Rivers State.

It said INEC was still conducting continuous registration and updating the National Register of Voters, including for Rivers State. The continuous registration has not been stopped, nor did INEC receive the 360-day notice, the party said.

The APC prayed the court to, among others, declare that INEC is not authorised to compile, certify, and release the voter register to RSIEC unless it had received notice of the election 360 days before the proposed date and ceased continuous registration and updating of the register at least 90 days before the election date.

The APC further argued that the voter register in Rivers State, which is under continuous update by the INEC, cannot be released to RSIEC for local government elections, as this would violate the mandatory provisions of the law and the constitution.

The party urged the court to nullify the relevant provisions of the Rivers State Electoral Commission Law No. 2 of 2018, which RSIEC relied on to issue the notice of election. The APC said such relevant parts of the state law are inconsistent with the Nigerian constitution and the Electoral Act.

See Document here and here

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The Speaker of the House of Representatives, Abbas Tajudeen, and the leadership of the lower chamber visited the Dangote Refinery Complex in Lagos on Saturday.

Mr Tajudeen toured the complex alongside the Deputy Speaker, Ben Kalu; House Leader, Julius Ihonvbere; Chief Whip, Bello Kumo; Deputy House Leader, Abdullahi Halims; and Deputy Whip, Adewumi Onanuga.

Others on the entourage are the Minority Leader, Kingsley Chinda; Minority Whip, Ali Isa; Deputy Minority Leader, Aliyu Madaki; and Deputy Minority Whip, George Ozodinobi.

Chairmen of relevant committees of the House on oil and gas were also on the entourage.

In a statement by the speakers spokesperson, Musa Krishi, on Saturday, the visit aimed to allow the leadership to familiarise themselves with the 650,000 barrels per day refinery.

This trip comes amid the ongoing impasse between the regulatory authorities and the Dangote Group.

Impasse between FG and Dangote Group

The federal government and the Dangote Group have been going through what many have described as a cold relationship concerning the refinery.

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The Dangote Group has been making allegations of sabotage by some International Oil Companies (IOCs) against the refinery.

Last month, the Vice President of Oil and Gas at Dangote Industries Limited (DIL), Devakumar Edwin, accused IOCs in Nigeria of doing everything to frustrate the survival of Dangote Oil Refinery and Petrochemicals.

Mr Edwin accused the IOCs of refusing to make crude oil available to domestic refiners, an action that would frustrate the multi-billion-dollar refinery.

In a surprise move, the Nigerian Midstream and Downstream Petroleum Regulatory Authority (NMDPRA), an agency of the federal government, not only refuted the claim but described the refinery as producing low-quality product.

The NMDPRA Chief Executive, Farouk Ahmed, while speaking with journalists at the State House, said the government is concerned about the possibility of a total monopoly by the Dangote Group.

On Wednesday, the House resolved to set up a special committee to look into the impasse between the regulatory authority and Dangote Refinery following a motion on the floor of the House.

Scheduled visit

Mr Krishi said the visit was initially scheduled for June; however, the leadership of the House had other engagements, therefore, the trip was rescheduled to 20 July.

The familiarisation visit, which was on the invitation of the Dangote Group, was initially planned to jointly take place with the leadership of the Senate on 3 June 2024. However, the leadership of the National Assembly had to put the visit on hold to meet with the leadership of the organised labour on the strike it embarked on at the time.

The Senate leadership has since embarked on the visit separately, while the House leadership slated 20 July for its own, he said.

Keep the communication lines opened, Tajudeen tells Dangote

Speaking during the tour, Mr Tajudeen said the visit is in line with the legislative agenda of the House to provide an enabling environment for business by removing obstacles.

He said the tour would give the lawmakers insight into the challenges facing the sector.

The purpose of this visit is to provide the House leadership and the relevant oil and gas committees with an in-depth understanding of the nature, scope, and activities of the Dangote Refinery. This initiative aligns with our legislative agenda, which aims to support the presidents Renewed Hope agenda, focusing on economic transformation, growth, and development.

This familiarisation tour underscores our commitment to engaging with and supporting critical sectors that drive our economy. Also, this visit provides valuable insights that will inform our legislative measures and decisions.

We remain dedicated to fostering an environment conducive to economic growth and development, ensuring that our legislative actions align with the broader goals of national progress as articulated by President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, GCFR, the speaker said.

The speaker also urged the Chairman of the Dangote Group, Aliko Dangote, to maintain a line of communication with the House.

Together, we can drive Nigeria forward, harnessing the full potential of our resources and talents. I look forward to continued collaboration and a prosperous future for our great nation, Mr Tajudeen said.

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Hilda Dokubo, chairperson of the Labour Party (LP) in Rivers State, has denied rumours of her suspension from the party.

On Thursday, reports emerged that Mrs Dokubo was suspended as a party member in her ward, Asari Toru Local Government Area of the state.

The suspension supposedly followed an emergency meeting of the partys ward executive committee on 15 July, which LGA executives then ratified on 18 July.

The alleged reasons for her suspension included financial misconduct, abuse of office and party regulations violations.

However, the actress-cum-politician refuted the claims in a video shared on her Instagram page Saturday, noting that she remains the partys chairperson.

She said: Today I went viral. I was on every blog and news site, and its very embarrassing that what you would think is a media that would do some investigation before publication forgot the ethics of their profession. Maybe because of money or not, but Im hoping that this particular broadcast, the same way they were quick to broadcast, will carry this in all their blogs to set the record straight. I was never suspended, and everybody in that publication is a non-Labour Party member because the party has a register, and we know all our members, especially in Asari Toru, a small community.

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So these are all PDP boys carrying out the instructions of their master. Ordinarily, Id have let it go, but because the internet never forgets, I want to put my part of the story out there so that you know that at no time was I suspended; at no time did I have any delays whatsoever with money. We do not have money. I am chairman of the Labour Party, River State, not Financial Secretary or Treasurer. I am not even an executive of Ward 3. I am the Labour Party chairman, River State. So I think they missed the point out there.

Allegations refuted

Mrs Dokubo, 54, was appointed as the state partys chairperson in March 2023. She denied the allegations and added that her 30-year career in Nollywood and ten years with international organisations had been scandal-free.

Not one day was it mentioned that I took anything. There is no blemish because my work is grounded in integrity and honour, and they investigate those aspects before offering any job. So, you know, when they say you venture into politics, you enter murky waters. I think President Goodluck Jonathan once said that when you try to stop corruption, corruption will push back.

This is corruption pushing back, which is why I am doing this broadcastbecause this may just be one of several that will come. So, let me address my friends, my supporters, and lovers of the Labour Party. We have work to do. We are revalidating memberships, registering new members, and strengthening our wards. So please stay focused and dont get distracted, she said.

Bribes

The Special Adviser on Youth Affairs to the former Governor of Rivers State, Peter Odili, claimed that the allegations stem from her refusal to be swayed by bribes.

The University of Port Harcourt alumna reiterated that the allegations wont halt the Labour Partys progress or cause its downfall. She said her focus remains on saving the state from those threatening it.

You know when they try to coax you, and you refuse to be coaxed, then they threaten you, and you refuse to be threatened, they are most definitely going to look for a way to try to hurt you. Now, the sad part is that all the people who carried all the publications forgot to carry the most important one. Thats why were in this situation: I took to court the 27 persons who defected from PDP to APC. Were in court with them, and they have tried to do everything, and I have said, Let justice prevail. So, this is everyone trying to fight back.

Now, I got appointed in March, and the people who served before I was appointed, relieved of their duties and put on indefinite suspension for anti-party activities, took myself and the other executive members to court twice. We won our case both times. So, I dont even know why they didnt publish that. We won our case twice, but they disappeared until the Rivers State Independent Electoral Commission (RSIEC) invited political party leaders to a meeting to inform us about the upcoming local government elections, and we collected our forms of intent letters and interest letters. And these same individuals who were trying to do what theyre very good at returned to RSIEC and were turned away, said Mrs Dokubo.

Mrs Dokubo, who made her acting debut in Evil Passion, reiterated her strong opposition to any attempt to merchandise the publics mandate in the state.

Asari-Toru LP

Furthermore, the Asari-Toru LGA chapter of the party debunked the purported suspension of Mrs Dokubo as a party member in the ward.

On Friday, Horsfall Mac-Jay, the Chairman of the party Caretaker Committee in the LGA, stated that Mrs Dokubo remains a member and the partys chairman in the state.

Mr Mac-Jay urged the public to disregard the suspension of the actress, stating that it was the handiwork of some phantom elements unknown to the party.

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Afghan carpet seller Sayed Bilal Farooqi shows a carpet in his store in Kabul, the capital of Afghanistan, July 14, 2024. (Photo by Saifurahman Safi/Xinhua)

KABUL, July 20 (Xinhua) -- As an exhibitor at the upcoming China-South Asia Expo, Sayed Bilal Farooqi, a veteran Afghan businessman, has been busy preparing the carpets that he hopes to show to Chinese customers.

"In the past years, we hardly exported 1,000 square meters of carpet to China annually, but so far this year about 30,000 to 40,000 square meters have been exported," he said.

"The market is bustling and will flourish further. Possibly, we will export 50,000 square meters next year as the Chinese people have become familiar with the quality of our carpets and are interested in buying them," Farooqi, a member of the Afghan Carpet Manufacturers and Exporters Guild under the Ministry of Commerce and Industry, told Xinhua.

The eighth China-South Asia Expo is scheduled to be held from July 23-28 in Kunming, capital of southwest China's Yunnan Province.

Inheriting the business from his father and engaged in the hand-woven carpet business for more than 40 years, Farooqi foresaw a bright future for Afghan carpets in the Chinese market, saying that the people of China did not know about Afghanistan and its carpets 20 years ago, but currently, they are more fond of Afghan-made carpets.

"I attended an exhibition in Shanghai 20 years ago and we introduced the Afghan carpet. The people did not know Afghanistan, but currently, the Afghanistan-made carpet is popular there and flourishing in Chinese markets," he said.

For the carpet seller, the Chinese market has huge potential. "Germany is the main market of Afghan carpets, followed by Australia, Canada, and Europe. In China, the market is bustling this year. This is the first year that we export carpets to China after the pandemic," he said.

The Afghan businessman has already sent carpets to the China-South Asia Expo. "I have sent 4,000 to 5,000 square meters of carpets so far, and other companies will also send between 2,000 and 5,000 square meters."

Farooqi also expressed gratitude to the Expo's Chinese organizers for providing facilities to Afghan traders, saying, "Our booths are free of charge, with reduced taxes, and many facilities are free, and transporting our goods from the airport to the exhibition site is free of charge each year."

"My expectation is to earn much more than last year. We have 70 booths for Afghanistan, and each booth is 14 square meters in area," he said.

A participant in several exhibitions in China over the past two decades, the ambitious businessman said his flourishing business and interaction with Chinese counterparts have benefited the local people in Afghanistan.

"After selling our carpets there (China), we return home and buy more carpets. Therefore, people at home can start their work to weave more carpets," Farooqi said.

"Directly and indirectly, some 5,000 people have been working with us. In Afghanistan, people have been working in the carpet industry in Herat, Ghor, Badghis, Faryab, Mazar-i-Sharif, Jalalabad, Ghazni, and Bamiyan," He said.

"Of these workers, 80 percent are women," Farooqi noted. 

Afghan carpet seller Sayed Bilal Farooqi shows the packed carpets to be exhibited in the 8th China-South Asia Expo in his store in Kabul, the capital of Afghanistan, July 14, 2024. (Photo by Saifurahman Safi/Xinhua)

Afghan carpet seller Sayed Bilal Farooqi shows a carpet in his store in Kabul, the capital of Afghanistan, July 14, 2024. (Photo by Saifurahman Safi/Xinhua)

This photo taken on July 14, 2024 shows the carpets at the store of carpet seller Sayed Bilal Farooqi in Kabul, the capital of Afghanistan. (Photo by Saifurahman Safi/Xinhua)
The transformative potential of blockchain technology in governance cannot be overstated. By leveraging blockchains capabilities, Nigeria can address long-standing issues of corruption, inefficiency, and inequality. The successful implementation of a national blockchain system can create a more transparent, accountable, and efficient governance framework, thereby enhancing the quality of life of citizens and promoting economic growth and development.

Recently, a delegation from the University of Hertfordshire Law School, UK, paid a courtesy call to the Director General of the National Information Technology Development Agency (NITDA), Kashifu Abdullahi Inuwa, at the agencys corporate headquarters in Abuja.

While receiving the guests, the DG disclosed that the agency is planning to create a homegrown blockchain technology, tagged Nigerium, to help Nigeria harness more benefits within the technology landscape.

It is without doubt that when adequately implemented, this tech innovation will help entrench good governance by enhancing transparency and accountability, while tackling embezzlement and other corrupt practices in the system.

Corruption remains a pervasive and multifaceted challenge within Nigerian governance. It undermines public trust, impedes socioeconomic development, and perpetuates systemic inequalities. Beyond financial mismanagement and embezzlement, corruption manifests in diverse forms, including nepotism, bureaucratic inefficiencies, patronage networks, election malpractice, and the lack of transparency in decision-making processes.

These practices not only erode the legitimacy of governmental institutions but also hinder effective service delivery and exacerbate social injustices across the country.

According to Transparency Internationals 2023 Corruption Perceptions Index, Nigeria scored 25 on a scale from 0 (highly corrupt) to 100 (very clean). When ranked by score, Nigeria was 145th among the 180 countries in the Index, in which the country ranked first is perceived to have the most honest public sector.

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In March, the Centre for the Study of the Economies of Africa (CSEA) revealed that the country lost an estimated $18 billion annually due to financial crimes and corruption. Such staggering statistics underscore the urgent need for a transformative solution. In this context, the Nigerian governments move to develop a national blockchain is a significant step forward.

Blockchain technology, at its core, is a decentralised digital ledger that keeps records across multiple computers in such a way that the registered transactions cannot be altered retroactively. This creates a system of immutable records that are transparent and secure. Each block in the chain contains a list of records, and once a block is completed, it is added to the chain in a chronological order, linking to the previous block. This structure ensures that the data is distributed and protected against single points of failure or fraud.

In the context of governance, immutable records can significantly enhance transparency and accountability. For example, public records such as land titles, birth certificates, and voting results can be stored on a blockchain, ensuring that these documents are both secure and publicly verifiable. This would make it exceedingly difficult for corrupt officials to alter records for personal gain or manipulate data to influence outcomes.

One of the key aspects of blockchain technology that can mitigate corruption in the country is the utilisation of smart contracts. Smart contracts are self-executing contracts with the terms of the agreement directly written into code. These contracts automatically enforce and execute the terms when predefined conditions are met, eliminating the need for intermediaries and reducing the opportunity for human intervention and corruption. Smart contracts can ensure that public funds are allocated and used according to the agreed-upon terms, without the risk of manipulation. For instance, government contracts for infrastructure projects can be programmed to release funds only when specific milestones are achieved and verified, ensuring accountability and reducing the risk of embezzlement.

Moreover, smart contracts provide transparency since all parties involved can see the terms and the status of the contract on the blockchain. This openness can build trust between the government and the public, as citizens can be assured that government projects are being handled fairly and efficiently. In addition, smart contracts can streamline the contracting process by automating payments and reducing administrative overhead, further reducing opportunities for corrupt practices.

Smart contracts also enhance auditability. Every action taken under a smart contract is recorded on the blockchain, creating a transparent and tamper-proof audit trail. This makes it easier for regulatory bodies and auditors to monitor compliance and detect any irregularities. By automating enforcement and reducing the need for intermediaries, smart contracts can significantly reduce the potential for corruption in government dealings.

Another key aspect of blockchain in mitigating corruption is tracking and accountability. Each transaction recorded on a blockchain is immutable and time-stamped, providing a transparent and permanent record. In government finance, this can be revolutionary. By using blockchain to track government spending, every transaction can be made visible to authorised parties, including auditors and the public, ensuring that funds are used as intended.

For instance, government departments can utilise blockchain to record their expenditures, providing a transparent ledger that tracks every kobo spent. This can help in preventing the misallocation of funds, as every transaction is publicly verifiable and cannot be altered once recorded. Real-time tracking of financial transactions also means that any irregularities can be detected promptly, enabling swift corrective actions and reducing the window of opportunity for corrupt activities.

The accountability provided by blockchain extends to social welfare programmes as well. Funds allocated for social services, such as healthcare, education, and welfare payments, can be tracked to ensure they reach the intended beneficiaries. By recording every transaction on the blockchain, it becomes possible to verify that aid is distributed fairly and efficiently, reducing the risk of funds being siphoned off by corrupt intermediaries. This transparency can significantly improve the effectiveness of social welfare programmes.

The transformative potential of blockchain technology in governance cannot be overstated. By leveraging blockchains capabilities, Nigeria can address long-standing issues of corruption, inefficiency, and inequality. The successful implementation of a national blockchain system can create a more transparent, accountable, and efficient governance framework, thereby enhancing the quality of life of citizens and promoting economic growth and development. However, realising this potential requires addressing the technical, regulatory, and public acceptance challenges associated with blockchain adoption.

It is essential for government leaders, policymakers, and technologists to collaborate and develop a comprehensive strategy for implementing blockchain technology. This includes investing in research and development, creating a clear regulatory framework, and promoting public awareness and education. By taking proactive steps towards blockchain adoption, Nigeria can position itself as a leader in innovative governance and set an example for other countries to follow. Even though the journey may be challenging, the potential rewards would make it a worthwhile endeavour.

Shuaib S. Agaka, a tech journalist, writes from Kano.

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The tears and lamentations over the incident are not enough; we must channel our grief into a resolute determination to prevent such disasters from ever happening again. The lives lost at the Saint Academy must not be in vain; their legacy must be one of lasting change, in which the safety of our children is the foundation upon which our educational system is built. Only then can we truly honour their memory and ensure that no other family has to endure the same heartbreak.

Friday, 12 July, a day meant for learning and laughter at Saint Academy in Jos, Plateau State, turned into a nightmare that left the country reeling. On that fateful day, 22 young lives were cut short, their dreams and aspirations extinguished in an instant. This senseless school building collapse tragedy has devastated the families of the victims and shaken the very foundations of our society.

As the rescue efforts unfolded, the scenes of anguish and desperation were heartbreaking to witness. Trapped students were heard crying for help, their cries echoing through the rubble, a desperate plea for a chance to live. Families gathered, their faces etched with the agony of uncertainty.

Governor Caleb Mutfwang of Plateau State has rightly condemned this incident as an unfortunate and avoidable tragedy, citing the schools weak structure and unsafe location as the primary causes. His decision to immediately close down the school and order a comprehensive audit of all educational institutions in the state is a necessary and commendable step. And there should be consequences for the proprietor(s) of the school, the engineer(s) that built the structure and the government officials that approved it.

The stark reality is that this disaster could have been prevented had the proper safety standards and building regulations been enforced. Pursuing profit over the well-being of children betrays the trust placed in those responsible for their care and education. The tragedy serves as a sobering reminder that the safety of our children must always be the top priority.

As a nation, we must collectively reflect on the systemic failures that have allowed such tragedies to occur and take decisive action to ensure that no family has to endure the pain and anguish experienced by the victims loved ones. The loss of these young lives is a profound tragedy, and their memory must serve as a catalyst for change  a call to action to prioritise the safety and well-being of our children above all else.

The tears and lamentations over the incident are not enough; we must channel our grief into a resolute determination to prevent such disasters from ever happening again. The lives lost at the Saint Academy must not be in vain; their legacy must be one of lasting change, in which the safety of our children is the foundation upon which our educational system is built. Only then can we truly honour their memory and ensure that no other family has to endure the same heartbreak.

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 federal and state governments must act decisively in memory of the children and teenagers who perished. Governor Mutfwangs commitment to auditing and testing schools is a crucial first step, but it must be followed by sustained efforts to enforce safety regulations and provide adequate resources for school maintenance. Private school owners must recognise that their students safety is non-negotiable and should be prioritised above all else.

Abdullahi M. Gulloma is an Abuja-based media, marketing, advertising and public relations practitioner and can be reached through abdulgulloma@yahoo.com

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Kongis knack for coordinating radical initiatives behind the curtains, never forgetting fellow combatants for a better Nigeria, and assisting or showing solidarity when required, would seem to be some of his least openly acknowledged radical attributes and contributions to the emancipation of the Nigerian nation. He is understandably usually acclaimed for his literary journeys and accomplishments, his plays and drama

Military oppression was then at a crescendo. For the brutalised media, underground reporting, popularised as guerrilla journalism, had become the preferred modus operandi for some professional journalists who had not been forced into exile. Those at home bravely challenged incipient fascism. In the process of doing that and unknown to them, their names were being inscribed in a register of courage by elements who believed such activists should be among those to brainstorm on a way forward  not in Nigeria, but far outside its borders.

It was about the mid-1990s. Codified information got to me to appear at the Canadian embassy in Lagos for a visa interview  Canada being the preferred venue for a meeting of anti-military and pro-democracy activists. The appearance was meant to be a mere formality of passport presentation and personal identification, as the decision to issue the visa to the select group had been taken. Within minutes, a smiling top embassy official, possibly the ambassador himself, asked me to return for the visa.

Who sent my name to the embassy? In the same cryptlike way I got the message, I inquired and got the answer: Wole Soyinka, the man we prefer to call Kongi at Great Ife. The prospect of meeting him again, but outside Nigeria, excited me. The same way I was excited when Dapo Olorunyomi and Babafemi Ojudu announced that we would meet the late Anthony Enahoro to discuss the state of the nation and the struggle for democracy, during my 1997 visit to the United States for an International Visitors Exchange Program. My memorable encounter with the elderly nationalist served as compensation for the missed one with Professor Soyinka, which should have occurred earlier but didnt because the Canadian embassy was abruptly shut under pressure by the military junta before the visa was issued. Gladly, Enahoro, despite his advanced age, spoke eloquently on the historical nature and character of the Nigerian state, the unresolved national question, and the role of the military as enablers of a disabled independence and distorted federalism, as initially structured by the colonial masters.

Kongis knack for coordinating radical initiatives behind the curtains, never forgetting fellow combatants for a better Nigeria, and assisting or showing solidarity when required, would seem to be some of his least openly acknowledged radical attributes and contributions to the emancipation of the Nigerian nation. He is understandably usually acclaimed for his literary journeys and accomplishments, his plays and drama, his lectures, his courageous hijack of a radio station during the Western Nigeria personality-induced (to borrow the words of Professor Olumuyiwa Popoola) political crisis of the early 60s and his defiant visit to Biafra during the Nigerian civil war of 1967 to 1970, among others.

I recall that I was in a meeting with Kongi on the Great Ife campus around 1986, as mentioned in Chapter 12 of my students unionism memoir, Breaking Your Head With Coconut (Akowes Journey in Student Unionism), while reflecting on my memorable returns to the University after I had survived momentous periods in the leadership of the students union and the National Association of Nigerian Students, to graduate in 1985. That meeting also offered useful insight into the kind of work he did underground.

Roll the tape forward to 1999! Kongi was among the first who braved the odds to visit me at the Iyaganku Police Station in Ibadan, during a one-month detention over a trumped-up charge of alleged murder of a fellow journalist and former Exco member of the Lagos State Council of the Nigeria Union of Journalists. I was then eagerly awaiting the legal advice of the Oyo State Director of Legal Prosecution to know if I would be prosecuted.

My recollection in the memoir goes: The first was during the struggle to free Fela from detention. It happened shortly after agents of the military government seized copies of Felas Army Arrangement and the promotional vests. A worried Dr. Beko Kuti had inquired if I could help reach out to his cousin Prof. Wole Soyinka for a meeting to explore the possibility of his intervention. I accepted the task and travelled to the UNIFE campus. Prof. Soyinka was standing in the car park at the Dramatic Arts department when I approached him. I am Lanre Arogundade, I started but he cut short the introduction in his guttural voice: Oh I know, you were the one they bundled in the post office, referring to my abduction at the Ile-Ife post office in 1985. He readily agreed to meet Beko and a few days later, we were at his residence in the staff quarters. Over lunch and choice wine, Beko enlisted Soyinkas support to ensure that the seized albums and vests were released. He pledged to act on both requests but felt the latter might be more realisable. That meeting was my first face-to-face with the enigmatic Prof. Soyinka and it revealed a lot about his charming persona. Weeks later, the vests were released. What I didnt add was that we were also treated to tasty bush and bird meat that were products of Kongis renowned hunting expeditions in the forests.

Roll the tape forward to 1999! Kongi was among the first who braved the odds to visit me at the Iyaganku Police Station in Ibadan, during a one-month detention over a trumped-up charge of alleged murder of a fellow journalist and former Exco member of the Lagos State Council of the Nigeria Union of Journalists. I was then eagerly awaiting the legal advice of the Oyo State Director of Legal Prosecution to know if I would be prosecuted. Initially considered a contrived fall-out of the factional crisis that engulfed the Council in the aftermath of a hotly contested re-election in 1997, my ordeal was also a by-product of the radical stance of Lagos NUJ against the violation of press freedom by the Abacha regime. That fact was not lost on Professor Soyinka, whose home return lecture as organised by friends led by Dr Yemi Ogunbiyi, after the demise of Abacha, I had attended somewhere on Victoria Island. The station was in a frenzy when Kongi called to have a brief audience with me. Police officers and detainees jointly struggled to catch a glimpse of him. After Kongis visit, that of Adams Oshiomole as the president of the Nigeria Labour Congress and a few others, a senior police officer at the station confided in me that they had concluded that I could not have committed the murder, because as intelligence officers they sometimes judge the character of detainees by carefully studying the type of people who visit them.

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Aside from face-to-face meetings, I have, like many others, encountered Kongi through his literary works, which also brings to memory how our generation was privileged to witness the launch and performance of his famous song  I Love Nigeria, co-produced with Tunji Oyelana and performed by the likes of Funso Alabi of blessed memory at the Great Ife campus during the Second Republic. The lyrics remain instructive about the nature and character of the crisis of the Nigerian-dependent capitalist nation and Kongis foresight. The songs theme is woven around the need to stay and rescue Nigeria, as if he knew that JAPAISM would one day hit the nation if nothing was done to stem the tide of development-hindering corruption. Indeed, the flip side of the album is titled Etical wetin, to mock the introduction of a so-called ethical revolution by the corrupt civilian regime of Shehu Shagari between 1979 and 1983. The excerpts of the song goes:

I love my country I no go lie,/na inside am I go live and die,/I know my country I no go lie/na him and me go yap till I die./I wan begin with the history of that war we have fought/ in recent memory wey music wey come/ from the barrel of a gunOne time we stack groundnut so high,/like a pyramid nearly reached the sky,/palm oil dey flow from here to London./Cassava, plantain our fruits be champion,/our cocoa compete with that of Ghana,/mouth dey water to do the banana /yam wey big like wrestlers thighs./Which rice get fame like Tappa rice,/but now to eat na half my budget,/food dey cost like a golden nugget,/the rain wey flow from open sky/e only float presidential rice.

Where all this food disappears;/my belly dey rumble abi you no hear

I love my country I no go lie/na in side am I go live and die,/I know my country I no go lie/na him and me go yap till I die.

All said, many like me are 13 July birthday mates of Kongi, but this years celebration has been about the Nobel Laureate  a many-sided dynamic activist and humanist who literary-wise, politics-wise and social commentary-wise has significant footprints on the sands of time.

Other literary works I have encountered and which are worth recalling here for the influence they had on some of our revolutionary perspectives, the understanding of racism, the insight into the empowerment of area warlords, and the correlation they offer to current developments in the country include: The Man Died (from which derives the famous quote  the man dies in all who keep silent in the face of tyranny), Kongis Harvest, Ake: The Years of Childhood, the Telephone Conversation and The Beatification of Area Boy.

Much as there have been and will still be lots of accolades for Kongi at 90, it should be expected that like any other radical or revolutionary activists, his current words and deeds would also be juxtaposed with his past words and actions, even though objective or subjective circumstances can differ. In this regard, I must say I found it disagreeable when the other time Professor Soyinka characterised as fascist, the criticism of the Supreme Court by Datti Ahmed, the Vice-Presidential candidate of the Labour Party, in the wake of some of the controversies that trailed the last general elections. In democracies across the world, it is not unusual that decisions of apex courts are subject to criticisms, despite constituting finalities that cannot be challenged unless self-revised.

All said, many like me are 13 July birthday mates of Kongi, but this years celebration has been about the Nobel Laureate  a many-sided dynamic activist and humanist who literary-wise, politics-wise and social commentary-wise has significant footprints on the sands of time.

Lanre Arogundade, a former President of the National Association of Nigerian Students and a former chairman of the Lagos State Council of the Nigeria Union of Journalists is a member of the editorial board of Premium Times.

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Production and the reproduction of wealth are, therefore, central to Smiths doctrine on development. Despite this, he posited that the capitalists, if unchecked, will disrupt societal development. First, that their desperation to acquire monopoly position restraints free competition; reduces the employment of productive labour; negatively affects the quality of commodities; discourages commerce; kills initiative; and decreases state revenue.

Two hundred and thirty-four years ago, Adam Smith, a Scottish philosopher and political economist died on 17 July, 1790. Born in 1723, Smith is generally eulogised as the Father of Capitalism, Father of Economics, and for putting economic development on the map as a subject for general analysis.

The founders of the United States (US) viewed his ideas as a critical work of national wealth, statecraft and societal development. Karl Marx benefited immensely from Smiths ideas in the evolution of Marxism.

But since the late 1970s, neoliberal forces who claim to have Smith in their DNA, have turned economics upside-down and inside-out. They have mathmaticalised and statisticalised economics to make it appear scientific, but expelled the logic, orderliness, consistency, and predictability that makes mathematics and statistics scientific. Neoliberalism is more of abracadabra, mysticism, and witchcraft. It is not a problem-solving, but problem-aggravating ism.

Yet, it has emerged triumphant due to its application of crude and naked power. Neoliberalism was imposed globally through deceit and crude force. Its major forces, which control the international financial institutions  the United Nations, World Trade Organisation (WTO), amongst others  use these institutions to globalise neoliberalism. Like Fela Anikulapos song Zombie, it has only one way: there is no alternative to neoliberalism.

They further undermined subjects that seriously challenge the intellectual bases of neoliberalism. These include the Economic Doctrines/Thoughts, Economic History, Economic Sociology and Political Economy, to which Smith paid tireless attention in his works. These were systematically wiped out from the curricular of tertiary education institutions. Yet, these were the subjects Smith organically interrogated in his books: The Theory of Moral Sentiments (TMS) (1759); An Inquiry into the Nature and Causes of the Wealth of Nations (TWN) (1776); Lectures on Police, Revenue, and Arms (1763); and Essays on Philosophical Subjects (1795), amongst others.

Although Smith never used the term development, but in his TWN, he used improvement to connote development. To him, development arose to manage the crisis brought about by the breakdown of subsistence economy, which is manifested in the emergence of division of labour (DOL). Development, to Smith, means the: increase in the productive activities of a nation; growth of national wealth; and improvement in the standard of living of the citizenry.

Smith advocated that individuals should be encouraged to pursue their legitimate business, but not at the expense of society. For, society: cannot subsist among those who are at all times ready to hurt and injure one another. Therefore, individuals must control their do-or-die desperation for profit, otherwise the state must administer social justice.

Development, he argued, occurs in a natural order and in an unnatural and retrograde order. The first occurs naturally, instinctually, spontaneously, and independently of human intentions. It began from agriculture, on to manufacturing and, then international trade. It first arose from the countryside to the towns, which it supplied with the means of subsistence, and the materials of manufacture. Thus, it predated and preceded towns.

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Smith preferred this order because it is less risky. The landlords land is under his view and command, and his fortune is much less liable to accidents The capital of the landlord is fixed in the improvement of his land (which) seems to be as well as secured as the nature of human affairs can admit of.

The second is the opposite of the first and was brought by human interference. Yet, Smith argued, that the unnatural and retrograde order has contributed to development. For example, that international trade widens the market, expands productivity, increases profits, sharpens competition, develops DOL/technology, grows the national wealth, and improves citizens welfare.

Production and the reproduction of wealth are, therefore, central to Smiths doctrine on development. Despite this, he posited that the capitalists, if unchecked, will disrupt societal development. First, that their desperation to acquire monopoly position restraints free competition; reduces the employment of productive labour; negatively affects the quality of commodities; discourages commerce; kills initiative; and decreases state revenue.

Secondly, that monopoly profits adversely affect the mobility and allocation of resources; destroys the initiative and frugality of the capitalists; hinders their incentive and capacity to earn; retards capital accumulation; negatively affects the wealth of nation; and disastrously disturbs societal development.

Thirdly, that capitalists payment of low wages affects workers health, obstructs industrial peace; decreases labour productivity; and stagnates the development of DOL/technology. Therefore, he posited, the interests of capitalists are: always in some respects different from, and even opposite to, that of the general public.

Smith, accordingly, recommended that: The proposal of any law or regulation of commerce which comes from this order, ought always to be listened to with great precaution, and ought never to be adopted till after having been long and carefully examined, not only with the most scrupulous, but with the most suspicious attention. It comes from an order of men, whose interest is never exactly the same with the public, who have generally an interest to deceive and even to oppress the public and, who accordingly have, upon many occasions, both deceived and oppressed it.

He argued for liberal wages, while neoliberalism is against the payment of living wages, except when workers threaten the system. Neoliberalism is for cowboy capitalism, while Smith was for a state that is capable of disciplining and, does discipline, all classes. Neoliberalism is for a state which doggedly stands for monopoly capitalism.

Smith advocated that individuals should be encouraged to pursue their legitimate business, but not at the expense of society. For, society: cannot subsist among those who are at all times ready to hurt and injure one another. Therefore, individuals must control their do-or-die desperation for profit, otherwise the state must administer social justice.

Man, he wrote, must: humble the arrogance of his self-love, and bring it down to something which other men must go along with. For: In the race for wealth, and honours, and preferements, he may run as hard as he can, and strain every nerve and every muscle, in order to outstrip all his competitors. But if he should jostle, or throw down any of them, the indulgence of the spectators is entirely at an end. It is a violation of fair play, which they cannot admit of.

Smith opposed state participation in economic enterprises. Rather, he advocated that the state should focus on providing security, justice, and orderly development. It should particularly create a conducive atmosphere for free enterprises to exist, facilitate the perfect operation of the market, and encourage the development of DOL/technology. Free competition, he argued, allows the attainment of modest wealth, and makes it difficult for the capitalists to easily amass great wealth, without alertness, creativity, drive, innovation, and industry.

But Smith equally advocated that the state must ensure workers are well paid because they are the creators of wealth. The payment of poor wages, he argued, affects workers health; disturbs industrial peace; reduces national wealth; and obstructs development.

In contrast, the payment of liberal wages gives workers additional incentives to work dedicatedly; build a healthy, industrious labour force; improve their standard of living; produce and reproduce a healthy working class; and increase the wealth of nation.

Smith was for the integrated development of agriculture, manufacturing, and trade, in which the capitalists and workers grow and develop. Not so neoliberalism, which focuses on capital at the expense of labour. In contrast to neoliberalism, he was for the flourishing of free enterprise, not super monopoly capitalism.

He argued for liberal wages, while neoliberalism is against the payment of living wages, except when workers threaten the system. Neoliberalism is for cowboy capitalism, while Smith was for a state that is capable of disciplining and, does discipline, all classes. Neoliberalism is for a state which doggedly stands for monopoly capitalism.

Neoliberalism is far deadlier in underdeveloped countries, where it is wreaking havoc like Ebola.

Ahmed Aminu-Ramatu Yusuf worked as deputy director, Cabinet Affairs Office, The Presidency, and retired as General Manager (Administration), Nigerian Meteorological Agency, (NiMet). Email: aaramatuyusuf@yahoo.com

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While Senator Bamidele Opeyemis role as Senate Leader has attracted criticism, it is essential to view his actions through the lens of his statutory responsibilities and the broader context of governance. His legislative efforts and constituency projects reflect a commitment to advancing Nigerias development and addressing its multifaceted challenges.

Mr Opeyemi Bamidele, the current Senate Leader from Ekiti State, has become a focal point of public discourse, with his career and legislative activities, drawing both praise and criticism. His journey in politics is marked by a series of significant roles and accomplishments, reflecting his deep-seated commitment to public service and governance. Having served as the Commissioner of Information and Strategy in Lagos State and as a Special Adviser on Political Matters, Senator Bamideles extensive experience and political acumen have positioned him as a key player in Nigerian politics.

As the Senate Leader, Bamideles responsibilities are substantial. He is tasked with leading government bills, managing the legislative schedule, and liaising with committee chairmen and other Senate functionaries. These duties require a high degree of influence and strategic negotiation, roles which he has fulfilled with notable effectiveness. However, these essential functions have led to accusations of manipulative power-broking, suggesting he wields more influence than the Senate President, Godswill Akpabio. A criticism that the Senate Leader has always condemned as he sees the Senate President as his leader and boss. This criticism, however, overlooks the statutory role of the Senate Leader as defined in the Senate Standing Orders, 2023 (as amended), which mandates the Leader to lead the business of the Senate, including government bills.

One of the main points of contention has been Senator Bamideles involvement in financial legislation. Critics argue that his actions in amending the 2023 and 2024 appropriation acts and sponsoring various tax-related bills are attempts to impose hardship on Nigerians. However, these criticisms fail to recognise that the Senate Leader is obliged to present and advocate for bills that align with the administrations policies and priorities. His role involves navigating complex legislative procedures and building consensus across political divides, ensuring that government bills reflect the administrations agenda.

For instance, the Bank Windfall Tax bill, which has faced significant backlash, is seen by some as an effort to further burden Nigerians. However, tax legislation, while often unpopular, is a necessary component of governance aimed at addressing fiscal challenges and funding public services. The urgency in passing certain bills is sometimes dictated by the pressing needs of governance and economic stability. The quick passage of these bills is often a response to immediate economic needs and long-term fiscal planning.

In addition to financial legislation, Senator Bamidele has been instrumental in advancing a range of other critical bills. Under his leadership, the 10th Senate has presented numerous significant bills, including the Nigeria Maritime Zone Act (Repeal & Re-enactment) Bill, the Coastal and Inland Shipping (Cabotage) Act (Amendment) Bill, and the Environmental Impact Assessment Bill. These bills are designed to strengthen Nigerias maritime and environmental regulations, promoting sustainable development and environmental protection.

Other notable bills presented by Senator Bamidele include the Development Planning and Project Continuity Bill, aimed at ensuring the continuity of development projects across political administrations, and the Defence Industries Corporation of Nigeria Act (Repeal & Re-enactment) Bill, which seeks to revitalise Nigerias defence manufacturing capabilities. These legislative efforts highlight his commitment to national development and security.

Senator Bamidele has also been proactive in addressing regional development through bills such as the South-West Development Commission (Establishment) Bill and the Federal University Osogbo (Establishment) Bill. These bills are intended to enhance educational opportunities and promote regional development in the South-West. Additionally, his sponsorship of the Bitumen Development Commission Bill underscores his focus on harnessing Nigerias natural resources for economic growth.

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Furthermore, Senator Bamideles legislative initiatives include the Constituency/Special Projects (Budget Provisions) Bill, which seek to ensure that constituency projects are adequately funded and implemented, and the Nigerian Railway Corporation Act (Amendment) Bill, aimed at modernising Nigerias railway infrastructure. His commitment to economic reform is also evident in the Dishonoured Cheques (Repeal & Re-enactment) Bill and the Factoring, Assignment and Receivables Financing Bill, which aim to strengthen Nigerias financial system and promote economic stability.

In addition to his legislative achievements, Senator Bamidele has initiated numerous constituency projects to improve the lives of his constituents in Ekiti State. These projects include the construction of critical infrastructure such as roads and medical facilities, as well as the provision of essential services like boreholes and market developments. These initiatives demonstrate his dedication to tangible development and improving the quality of life in his constituency.

While Senator Opeyemi Bamideles role as Senate Leader has attracted criticism, it is essential to view his actions through the lens of his statutory responsibilities and the broader context of governance. His legislative efforts and constituency projects reflect a commitment to advancing Nigerias development and addressing its multifaceted challenges. The portrayal of him as a power broker overlooks the complexities of his role and the necessity of his actions within the framework of Nigerian democracy. His contributions to legislation and development projects underscore his dedication to public service and the betterment of Nigeria.

Gimba Mansir writes from Kofar Marusa, Katsina State.

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Listening to music is one of the things that keeps us sane amidst our daily grinds. Whether youre sweating it out at the gym, chilling after a tough day, or powering through that work deadline, your tunes keep you going.

But isnt it a total buzzkill when your playlist cuts out because of payment issues? Dont worry, Ive got your back.

Im here to show you how to pay for your Spotify subscription in Nigeria. Whether you want to use a Spotify gift card, a virtual dollar card, or your Nigerian debit card, Ive got all the details.

But heres the catch: Do Nigerian debit cards still work for Spotify? Stick around to find out.

3 Easy Ways To Pay For Your Spotify Subscription In 2024.

Paying for Spotify in Nigeria is a breeze with these three methods: use your Nigerian debit card, redeem a Spotify gift card, or use a virtual dollar card. Lets break them down one by one.

1. Using a Nigerian Debit Card:

Lets address that earlier question: Do Nigerian bank cards work with Spotify? The good news is, yes, they doat least the ones Ive tried. Ive successfully used Zenith, GTBank, and UBA cards to subscribe.

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This convenience actually made me ditch Apple Music for Spotify, even though I loved it. Sure, there are other ways to pay for Apple Music, but lets not get sidetracked.

Using your Nigerian debit card is super easy. Just link it to your Spotify account, and youre good to go. Its like paying for your favourite snacks at the corner store  quick and hassle-free.

2. Using a Spotify Gift Card:

Spotify issues its own gift cards, which can be a convenient way to pay for your subscription. They come in different amounts, so you can choose what fits your budget. Its like buying a pre-paid ticket to a Music concert! And the best part? You can buy Spotify gift cards from platforms like Cardtonic.

Want to buy gift cards online? Its a piece of cake. Just download the Cardtonic app and sign up. Once youre in, click buy gift card on your dashboard and follow the prompts.

Before you know it, youll have a Spotify gift card at a price that wont make your wallet cry.

3. Using a Virtual Dollar Card:

If your Nigerian card doesnt work and you dont want to use a Spotify gift card, a virtual dollar card is a great backup plan.

Virtual dollar cards are like having a US bank account in your pocket. They work just like regular cards but exist only in the digital world. Pretty cool, right?

Guess what? You can easily get one in Nigeria on Cardtonic. Just download the app, register, and navigate to the option for virtual dollar card.

Follow the instructions to create your card, load it with funds, and use it to pay for your Spotify subscription. Its a reliable and straightforward solution to ensure uninterrupted access to your favourite tunes.

How To Pay For Spotify Subscription In Nigeria

Whats the point of knowing you can use Spotify gift cards or virtual dollar cards to pay for your Spotify subscription if you dont know how to do it? Dont worry, its simple. First things first, make sure youve got a Spotify account. Then, just follow the steps below for whichever payment method tickles your fancy.

How To Pay With Spotify Gift Card

Redeeming your Spotify gift card is as easy as pie  just log in, hit up the redeem page, punch in your code, and boom! Youre ready to rock.

1. Log into your Spotify account.

2. Head to spotify.com/redeem.

3. Enter your gift card code.

4. Click Redeem.

5. Choose your subscription plan.

6. Confirm and start grooving!

How To Pay With A Cardtonic Virtual Dollar Card

Using your Cardtonic virtual dollar card is a breeze  just link it to your Spotify account, select it as your payment method, and youre all set to jam!

1. Log into your Spotify account.

2. Go to Account settings.

3. Click on Payment methods.

4. Select Add a payment method.

5. Choose Credit or debit card.

6. Enter your Cardtonic virtual card details.

7. Save and select it as your preferred payment method.

8. Confirm and start your musical journey!

Frequently Asked Questions About Paying For Spotify Subscription

1. Does Spotify Accept Nigerian Cards?

Yes, Spotify does accept Nigerian debit cards. Many users successfully use cards from banks like Zenith Bank, GTBank, and UBA to pay for their subscriptions. However, if you encounter issues, consider alternative payment methods like a Spotify gift card or a Cardtonic virtual dollar card.

3. How Much Is Spotify Monthly Subscription In Nigeria?

The cost of Spotifys monthly subscription in Nigeria typically ranges around 900 for the individual plan. However, prices may vary, so its best to check Spotifys official website for the most up-to-date information.

4. What Payment Methods Does Spotify Accept?

Spotify accepts various payment methods, including debit and credit cards (Visa, Mastercard), Paypal, Spotify gift cards and Virtual dollar cards.

4. Why Wont Spotify Accept My Payment?

There are several reasons why Spotify may reject a payment. Common issues include insufficient funds, expired cards, or security settings on your account. Ensure your payment method is up-to-date and has sufficient funds, or contact Spotify support for assistance.

5. How Do I Renew My Spotify Subscription?

Renewing your Spotify subscription is straightforward. If you have an active payment method linked to your account, Spotify will automatically renew your subscription at the end of each billing cycle.

Conclusion

And thats a wrap on how to pay for a Spotify subscription in Nigeria. From using your Nigerian debit card to redeeming gift cards and even using virtual dollar cards, youve now got a playlist of payment options at your fingertips.

Remember, keeping the music flowing is all about finding what works for you. Maybe your Nigerian card is your go-to track, or perhaps a Spotify gift card from Cardtonic is your new favourite tune. And if you need a backup payment method, theres always the virtual dollar card option.

Dont let payment hiccups silence your jam sessions. With these tips and tricks, youre all set to keep your Spotify subscription running smoother than your favourite beats.

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The traditional ruler of Chanchangi in Takum Local Government Area of Taraba State and his son have been killed by suspected bandits.

Kumbiya Tanimu and his son, Yusuf, were killed Friday evening on the Takum-Chachanji road as they returned from a funeral event in Takum.

Governor Agbu Kefas confirmed the incident and has ordered law enforcement to bring the killers to justice.

In a press statement by his media aide, Emmanuel Bello, the governor also condoled the bereaved family, the Chanchangi community and the entire people of Takum over the incident.

The governor, while pleading for calm from Takum residents, said he would leave no stone unturned to fetch out the criminals and bring them to justice in the shortest time possible, Mr Bello said.

Similarly, the Tiv cultural and social association in the state also condemned the murder of the monarch and his son.

READ ALSO: Nigerian govt combats quelea birds infestation in Taraba

In a statement, the president-general of the association, James Baka, called on the government and security agencies to fish out the killers.

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No group has claimed responsibility for the killing. Various armed groups, locally called bandits, operate in Taraba and other northern states such as Benue, Kaduna and Zamfara.

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The police in Taraba State have arrested a man and his wife accused of torturing their 13-year-old ward over suspected theft.

The girl was taken to hospital with severe burns on her hands after the incident was reported to the police.

The state commissioner of police, David Iloyanomon, stated this on Friday while parading the suspects at the police headquarters in Jalingo, the state capital.

Mr Iloyanomon said the police division in the area received a complaint on 1 July that one Bulus Bitonopa tortured the girl (name withheld), causing her temporal paralysis.

The police chief said a man he identified as Hon. Cleopas was also in custody for taking the victim to his house in Jalingo instead of taking her to the hospital in a bid to conceal the crime.

He said Mr Cleopas also resisted police intervention after the matter was reported.

Victim narrates ordeal

Speaking with PREMIUM TIMES at the Federal Medical Centre, Jalingo, on Friday, the teenage girl narrated how her guardians tied her hands with a rubber band and poured hot water containing pepper on them.

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Speaking in Hausa, she narrated how her uncle and his wife allegedly tortured her.

In May, my uncle asked me to come from the village and stay with them, promising to send me to school. That Friday, his wife asked me to call some young people to work on her farm.

But when I returned from the errand, she said her N5,000 was missing and suspected I took it. My uncle and one other person then tied my hands while she boiled water with pepper and poured it on me.

She said they kept her tied for several hours until an uncle of hers, who came from the village to Yorro for the market day, rescued her.

He then took me to the hospital where I was only given injection.

The police chief said the suspects in the incident would be prosecuted after police investigations.

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Philip Shaibu has said he remains the Deputy Governor of Edo State in the aftermath of Wednesdays court judgement reinstating him after his removal by the state House of Assembly in April.

He shoved the appeal accompanied by a request for a stay of execution speedily filed by the House of Assembly against Wednesdays judgement of the Federal High Court in Abuja.

This is the judgement of the court, Mr Shaibu said, displaying a copy of the verdict when he appeared on Channels Televisions Politics Today on Friday.

A declarative judgement of the court. And a declarative judgement, if you follow the law, the Supreme Court law, you cannot stay a declarative judgement, he added.

The Edo State House of Assembly removed him from office on 8 April over allegations of gross misconduct.

Governor Godwin Obaseki immediately nominated Omobayo Godwins as Mr Shaibus replacement. The House of Assembly confirmed Mr Godwins appointment, and the governor promptly swore him in as the deputy governor the same day.

However, the Federal High Court in Abuja upheld on Wednesday Mr Shaibus suit challenging his removal from office, holding that the allegations over which the House of Assembly removed him did not constitute acts of gross misconduct.

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 court nullified Mr Shaibus removal and ordered his reinstatement to office.

The judge, James Omotosho, also ordered the payment of salaries and entitlements since the House of Assembly illegally removed him from office in April.

The House of Assembly expressed dissatisfaction with the judgment and appealed against it.

But Mr Shaibu said Thursday that based on legal procedure, he still holds the Edo State Deputy Governors position until the court issues explicitly an order to stay the execution of the judgement.

He added that a court of law does not stop executing a declarative judgement like the one he obtained.

He further said that merely filing an appeal and applying for a stay of execution of a judgement does not automatically operate as an order of stay of execution.

A motion or application, Mr Shaibu said, pausing momentarily, and added, Does it act like stay? You are telling me I want to do X, and I have not granted it; it cannot act as stay.

Mr Shaibu also claimed to have resumed duty. He also wrote to the government to reinstate all his political appointees.

His insistence on returning to office after obtaining the judgement shows he has rejected the counsel of a former National Legal Adviser of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Mark Jacob.

Mr Jacob, who commented on the verdict on Arise Televisions Morning Show on Thursday, said Mr Shaibu would become redundant and an outsider in the government if he returned to office.

He also viewed Mr Shaibus desire to return to office as a long-shot dream, considering the interminable length of time it would take the Supreme Court to give the final decision on the matter.

Meanwhile, the tenure that Mr Shaibu aims to complete ends in November, about four months away.

Support for APC candidate

Mr Shaibu alongside Governor Obaseki defected from the All Progressives Congress (APC) to the PDP to realise their re-election bid in 2020.

But Mr Shaibu has declared support for his former partys governorship candidate for the upcoming 21 September Edo State governorship election, Monday Okpebholo.

Explaining his stance, Mr Shaibu, whose governorship ambition drew a wedge between him and Mr Obaseki, said he was unwilling to support an outsider presented by the PDP as its governorship candidate.

He also claimed he followed in the footsteps of Mr Obasekis endorsement of the 2023 Labour Partys presidential candidate, Peter Obi, instead of the then-PDP candidate, Atiku Abubakar.

But, months before the 2023 presidential election, Governor Obaseki, through one of his aides, denied backing Mr Obi.

Allegations, counter-allegations over violence

Meanwhile, Mr Shaibu blamed Thursdays attack on him and the APC governorship candidate, Mr Okpebholo, on Governor Obaseki, continuing a flurry of allegations and counter-allegations that has ensued between him and the Edo State Government after the incident.

Gunmen reportedly attacked Mr Shaibu and Mr Okpebholo on Thursday while departing the Benin airport shortly after they arrived from Abuja aboard a chartered flight.

The Edo State Police Command has confirmed that a police inspector died in the attack, equivocally blaming the violence on political gladiators.

Speaking on the incident on Friday, Mr Shaibu said he had long received intelligence foretelling it.

Yesterday (Thursday), I got intel that the governor has told his men that they must not allow me into town and that I am a freeborn of Edo State. Nobody can stop me from entering Edo State, and the constitution does not allow anybody to bar me from entering Edo State, he said.

He alleged that he had been on the governors target since he declared his intention to run for the 2024 governorship election.

He said, I didnt know he would arm them that much. Reviewing it further, I remember the governor saying during this crisis when I declared to contest for the governor that if I continued, he would destroy me. He used the words, If you continue, I will destroy you. So with what happened yesterday, it was obvious that it was an attempt to actualise that statement he made that he was going to destroy me.

Meanwhile, the Edo State Government blamed Mr Shaibu for attacks on innocent residents around the airport axis in Benin, the state capital, on Thursday.

Contrary to Mr Shaibus claim of coming under attack, the state government wrote in a thread of tweets on Thursday that Shaibu led thugs through Airport Road axis of Benin City, attacking innocent citizens and unleashing mayhem on private citizens who are going about their lawful businesses.

It claimed Mr Shaibus violent tendencies were well documented, vowing that Shaibu will face the consequences of violence that he has resorted to in pursuit of his aim to return to the Edo State Government House even when he is aware that a stay of execution of the judgement has been filed.

The tweet added, The State Government, through this statement, is warning Shaibu to desist from this turn to violence in the pretence that he is enforcing a judgement. He is reminded that he is not above the law and is liable for the wanton destruction perpetrated by him and his co-travellers.

Allies turned foes

Mr Shaibus removal last April was the peak of the political feud between him and Governor Obaseki.

The feud stemmed from Shaibus ambition to succeed Mr Godwin, who preferred a different person from another region of the state, which he considered better suited to the zoning arraignment in the state to succeed him.

Both men, once allies, have become adversaries.

Their re-election in 2022 was largely due to the strong alliance they formed against their former benefactor, Adams Oshiomhole, who had supported their rise to office in 2016 but fell out with Mr Obaseki before the end of Obasekis first term.

As the 2020 election approached, they were compelled to leave the All Progressives Congress (APC), which Mr Oshiomhole then chaired at the national level, and to seek their re-election on the PDP platform. This move was driven by Mr Oshiomholes opposition to their candidacy as the APCs flag bearers.

They contested for a second term and won on the PDP platform.

But no sooner had they settled down for the second term than Mr Shaibus ambition to succeed Mr Obaseki began to draw a wedge between them.

Despite Governor Obasekis insistence on a successor from the Edo Central zone of the state, Mr Shaibu, who hails from Edo North, obtained the PDP governorship nomination form.

In February, the governors preferred candidate, Asue Ighodalo, emerged as the winner of the partys primary election, even though Mr Shaibu declared himself the winner of a parallel poll.

The conflict between the governor and Mr Shaibu fluctuated between periods of calm and intense strain until their deteriorating relationship reached a breaking point, catalysing Mr Shaibus removal from office by the state House of Assembly in April.

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The embattled Deputy Governor of Edo State, Philips Shaibu, on Saturday officially defected from the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) to the All Progressives Congress (APC).

Mr Shaibu, alongside other members of the PDP legacy coalition group, announced his defection in Benin at the inauguration of the National Campaign Council of the APC for the 21 September governorship election in the state.

Umar Ganduje, the national chairperson of the APC and other members of the National Working Committee (NWC), who received the deputy governor, said they have come to add value to the party.

Mr Ganduje said the opposition party will certainly take over the state after the governorship poll.

At the event, Mr Shaibu was warmly embraced by a former governor of Edo, Adams Oshiomhole, whom the deputy governor referred to as his father.

A Federal High Court in Abuja, on Wednesday, voided Mr Shaibus impeachment and reinstated him as the deputy governor of Edo.

The impeachment was supported by Governor Godwin Obaseki, who has publicly kicked against his ambition to succeed him.

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(NAN)

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NEW DELHI, July 20 (Xinhua) -- A woman was killed and three others injured Saturday after a portion of a building collapsed in India's Mumbai city.

According to officials, several people are feared trapped under the debris.

The front portion of the four-story building collapsed near Grant Road railway station in Mumbai. Police, fire brigade teams, civic body officials and ambulances have rushed to the spot to carry out rescue work.

Officials said some portions of the building are still seen hanging precariously.

Video footage aired on television news channels showed locals lifting concrete slabs to rescue a man whose leg was stuck in the rubble.

Mumbai on Friday witnessed a heavy downpour which led to waterlogging on some roads and railway tracks.

Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation officials told media that the building was declared dangerous and a notice was also issued to the residents to evacuate.

Deadly accidents due to failing infrastructure, either new or old, are common in India. Construction experts blame lax administration and corruption for flouting building rules that often result in using poor quality materials, inadequate supervision and poor safety standards for workers. 
The Enugu State Government has revealed plans to address the climate change in Enugu State.

The Secretary to the State Government (SSG), Chidiebere Onyia, revealed this during a workshop for the draft of Enugu State Climate Action Plan and Climate Finance Framework on Thursday.

Mr Onyia, a professor, said the state has joined others in seeking urgent steps to mitigate the climate crisis by reducing carbon pollution.

The SSG explained that the decision was in response to the ongoing negative impact of climate change and its threats on human existence and the ecosystem.

He added that the move would help to gradually transition from a coal city to a pioneer in clean energy solutions and set ambitious targets for renewable energy generation in the face of greenhouse emissions.

Mr Onyia presented the state governments climate policy, action plan and financial framework which he noted was intended to enable the planned transition to a greener economy.

He said part of the plan is reducing carbon footprint and other forms of pollution to its barest minimum by harnessing the power of wind, solar, and other renewable energy sources.

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 State Climate Policy will outline our vision for a climate-resilient and green economy, and our Climate Action Plan will serve as a framework guiding our actions today and in the years to come. It will be a shared objective based on our local context, but also looking ahead to the opportunities presented by the global transition, he said.

The SSG said Enugu State has a rich history that is deeply intertwined with coal production and the energy sector which many communities economically benefited from in the past.

He, however, said some pressing channels posed by climate change had made the transition to a greener economy imperative.

This transition is more than an obligation; it is an opportunityan opportunity to reinvent ourselves, to innovate, and to lead in the face of global change, he said.

Mr Onyia stressed that the principles of the draft policy had its foundation on three key pillars of sustainability, inclusivity, and innovation, adding that sustainability will be at the heart of the climate policy.

We are committed to reducing our carbon footprint and strengthening our ecosystems. This includes investing in renewable energy sources, promoting energy efficiency, clean transportation, climate-smart agriculture and adopting circular economy principles that minimise waste and maximise resource use.

We must recognise that the transition to a sustainable future must leave no one behind. This is especially important in a state with a legacy tied to coal, which has both benefited and harmed several communities, he said.

We must support communities and workers in this sector through this transition by investing in training and reskilling programmes, ensuring that everyone has a role in the green economy.

No longer a distant threat

Earlier in his address, the Commissioner for Environment and Climate Change, Sam Ugwu, said the reality of climate change was no longer a distant threat but a pressing challenge that demands immediate and concerted action by everyone.

In the face of these challenges, it is our responsibility to act decisively and collaboratively to mitigate these impacts and adapt to the changes that are already upon us, Mr Ugwu, professor, said.

The commissioner said climate change policy and action plans were essential in reducing and ameliorating the situation.

He said the goal of the workshop was to craft specific, actionable, and measurable strategies that would guide their efforts in mitigating and adapting to climate change by focusing on key sectors such as energy, transportation, agriculture, water resources, and urban planning, among others.

Mr Ugwu commended the state governor, Peter Mbah, for showing deep interest in the climate crisis by devoting a huge part of the State Ministry of Environment to climate change.

READ ALSO: Police speak on abduction of many travellers in Enugu

On his part, the senior adviser to the governor, Chukwumerije Okereke, focused primarily on how to increase the generation of renewable energy to serve millions of people and also empower economic resources in the state.

Mr Okereke, a professor, who is also the President of the Society on Climate Policy and Sustainable Development, said the draft policy would help build climate resilience to tackle flooding gully erosion and address other challenges.

Climate change is an opportunity if approached well. It will create hundreds of thousands of green jobs for the youths of Enugu state, he said.

The governors aide hinted that the state government was making an arrangement to set up a company that would produce a clean way of cooking to reduce the dangers of charcoal use in the state.

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The Ogun State government has flagged off the first round of the 2024 Optimised Maternal, Newborn and Child Health Week (OMNCHW) as part of its continuous efforts to improve maternal and child health in the state and environs.

The initiative is aimed at giving beneficiaries access to antenatal care as well as improve early detection and management of childhood illness, and strengthen routine immunisation and nutrition services, among others.

Commissioner for Health, Tomi Coker, unveiled the programme in Iperu, Ikenne Local Government Area of the state on Friday.

She explained that the intervention was designed to provide essential health care services to pregnant women and children.

Some of the free health services to be provided during the programme include routine immunisation, screening for malnutrition, birth registration, and administration of Tetanus Diphtheria vaccine for pregnant women.

Other services are Vitamin A supplementation, and provision of free counselling and health education on key household practices, among others.

Mrs Coker, who was represented by the ministrys Permanent Secretary, Kayode Oladehinde, while speaking on the essence of the initiative, said it was a testament to the state governments commitment to enhancing healthcare delivery at the grassroot.

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

To further reinforce the governments commitment, she highlighted the renovation and equipping of the States Primary Health Centre and the employment of personnel, training and retraining of qualified health workers and provision of quality drugs.

This programme is targeted at mothers and children to improve their wellness and well-being. The Dapo Abiodun led-administration wants to ensure that no woman dies in the process of giving birth, nor should any child die of preventable diseases, she said.

Speaking earlier, the Executive Secretary, Primary Healthcare Development Board, Elijah Ogunsola, enjoined parents, caregivers and guardians to avail their children and wards of ages 0-5 the privilege of the programme.

The Chairman, Ikenne Local Government, Olusegun Ogunleye, represented by his Vice Chairman, Bolanle Fakoya, lauded the efforts of the state government and development partners in giving priority to the health of mothers and children.

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NANJING, China, July 18, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- What do you know about Jiangsu? A southeastern province in China, yes. A land of beautiful scenery & profound history, exactly. And a viral tourist destination among global travelers over the past year too!

As Jiangsu continues to enhance the accessibility & quality of its tourism services, the number of foreign tourists visiting major attractions in Jiangsu has witnessed an increase of 108.60% over the past year. And @VisitJiangsu (the official account of Jiangsu Provincial Department of Culture and Tourism), the window to the charm of Jiangsu on major social media platforms, has a total of over 2.74 million followers now.

But what did @VisitJiangsu do right to receive so much love from all over the world?

One-Stop Travel Guides for Visitors: Nice & Easy

Starting in January, @VisitJiangsu has uploaded a series of easy-to-follow travel guides on Facebook, Instagram, X, etc, offering practical travel advice to overseas tourists. These short videos under 2 minutes have become the stepping stones for tens of thousands of overseas tourists to tours not only in Jiangsu but also around China.

Content that Makes People Laugh, Think and Say WOW

1. Very Jiangsu Topics

How Jiangsu people celebrate during the Chinese New Year season? What's the authentic tea culture in Jiangsu like? And which travel routes around Jiangsu would Miss Su recommend? Well, Rome wasn't built in one day, and Jiangsu topics can't always be answered within one post, so we made them into series!

2. "We Rare Animals" Comic Series

Ever since our baby Yangtze Finless Porpoise Bubbles debuted as the first character in the "We Rare Animals" Comic Series, it has been booming. No one can resist cuteness! Two best friends of Bubbles' - Spoonnie the Spoon-billed Sandpiper, and Hoofy the Elk are brought to the spotlight too. Together, they went on an adventure that raising awareness on even more rare animals just like them.

3. 13 Jiangsu Cities 13 Tales

From the golden rapeseed flower fields in Taizhou to picturesque natural wetlands in Yancheng, the "13 Jiangsu Cities, 13 Tales" Slow TV series on @VisitJiangsu launched earlier this year has been a hit!

@VisitJiangsu got off to a good start this 2024, and will continue to showcase the best of Jiangsu's rich cultural heritage, scenic landscapes, and ways of life to a global audience. For more information and to further explore Jiangsu's beauty, visit @VisitJiangsu on Facebook, Instagram, X, YouTube and TikTok.

SOURCE Jiangsu Provincial Department of Culture and Tourism
BEIJING, July 20, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- A report from People's Daily: In the first six months of this year, China's economy continued its recovery trend and maintained steady progress.

On July 16, the International Monetary Fund (IMF) released an update to its World Economic Outlook, predicting that China's economic growth rate will be 5 percent in 2024, an upward revision of 0.4 percentage points from the forecast in April.

The stable operation and long-term positive outlook of the Chinese economy have also boosted confidence in global economic recovery.

The IMF believes that Asia's emerging market economies, represented by countries including China, remain the main engine of the global economy.

China's economic growth is not only quantitative but also qualitative.

In the first half of this year, China's gross domestic product (GDP) grew 5 percent year on year to around 61.7 trillion yuan ($8.49 trillion).

During the period, the country's total retail sales of consumer goods went up 3.7 percent year on year, with retail sales of services expanding 7.5 percent; investment in infrastructure construction rose 5.4 percent from a year ago while manufacturing investment increased 9.5 percent, signaling burgeoning recovery; and the foreign trade reached a new high, with the goods trade volume reaching 21.2 trillion yuan.

From a medium to long-term perspective, the economic fundamentals that sustain China's long-term growth remain unchanged, and the trend toward high-quality development in China's economy has not changed.

China continues to be an important engine and stabilizing force for the world economy.

Facing complex and volatile domestic and international environments, China has maintained stable expansion of its economy and pushed forward industrial upgrading and high-quality development in an orderly manner, spurring the pursuit of high value-added and sustainable economic growth.

Positive factors driving China's economic transformation, upgrading, and high-quality development have continued to accumulate.

For instance, the country's output of smart and green products, such as integrated circuits, service robots, new energy vehicles, and solar panels has maintained double-digit growth in the first half of this year.

Besides, the emergence of new consumption scenarios spawned by new technologies like big data and artificial intelligence as well as new consumption models has driven an 8.8 percent year-on-year increase in China's online retail sales of physical goods during the period.

Meanwhile, China's energy consumption per unit of GDP has continued to decline.

"With the global economy facing uncertainties and challenges, China's role as a stabilizing force is more crucial than ever," pointed out a recent article by Zamir Ahmed Awan, founding chair of Pakistani think tank Global Silk Route Research Alliance.

China's efforts to deepen reforms across the board have injected strong momentum into the country's high-quality development and pursuit of Chinese modernization.

Since the 18th National Congress of the Communist Party of China (CPC), China has deepened reforms across the board, with efforts concentrated on making reform more systemic, holistic, and coordinated and on stimulating the dynamism, vitality, and potential of high-quality development.

International observers have paid close attention to the third plenary session of the 20th CPC Central Committee. They believe that China's economy is undergoing a transition from old to new drivers of growth, and that a smooth transition can be guaranteed by further deepening reforms in a comprehensive manner.

Iqbal Surve, chairman of South Africa's Independent Media, pointed out that China is building a modern industrial system underpinned by advanced manufacturing and pushing forward reforms, which demonstrates the CPC's foresight, wisdom, courage, and resolve.

By solidly promoting high-standard opening up, China has opened up vast space for economic development.

During the first six months of this year, China has for the first time released a negative list for cross-border trade in services at the national level, expanded the opening up of value-added telecom services within pilot areas, and introduced new measures to encourage overseas institutions to invest in China's domestic sci-tech enterprises...

Such policies and measures have demonstrated the country's resolve to promote reforms and development through opening up.

China is the main trading partner of over 140 countries and regions, with its total volume of foreign trade in goods ranking first globally for seven consecutive years.

China has expanded its circle of friends under the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) to include more than 150 countries and 30 international organizations, and the China-Europe freight train service now reaches over 200 cities in 25 European countries.

In addition, international exhibitions hosted by the country, such as China International Import Expo, China International Fair for Trade in Services, China International Consumer Products Expo, and China International Supply Chain Expo, have served as win-win platforms for mutually beneficial cooperation across different countries.

A prosperous China not only sustains its own future but also provides opportunities for other countries, said an article published on the website of Argentine newspaper Clarin.

The Chinese economy is overcoming challenges and moving steadily forward along the country's path of high-quality development, which is a defining feature of Chinese modernization.

Looking forward, China will provide more opportunities for countries worldwide and contribute to the stable and sound development of the global economy as it continuously marches toward modernization.
DALLAS, July 19, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- Dr. Robert Jeffress, Senior Pastor of 156-year-old First Baptist, Dallas, which saw its historic sanctuary catch fire earlier today, commented on the tragedy, "We are grateful that no life has been lost that we know of even though we just had 2,000 children and volunteers on campus for Vacation Bible School earlier in the day.

First Baptist Dallas' historic sanctuary caught fire July 19, 2024.

"As tragic as the loss of this old sanctuary is, we are grateful that the church is not bricks and wood but composed of over 16,000 people who are determined more than ever before to reach the world for the gospel of Christ," Jeffress added. "Please pray for all of First Baptist Dallas."

Dr. Jeffress grew up at First Baptist Dallas. He was baptized in the Historic Sanctuary at age 9, ordained there when he was 21 and holds many memories of the church.

The Historic Sanctuary was a significant landmark in Downtown Dallas. It was the site of visits from Presidents Woodrow Wilson, Gerald Ford, and George H. W. Bush. President Donald Trump visited the new worship center of the church in 2021.

"We thank the Dallas Fire Department and Dallas Police Department for their quick action, courage, and ongoing aid," Jeffress added.

Editor's Note: For more information or to request an interview with Dr. Jeffress, please contact Abigail Miller at [email protected] or 214-663-9933.

SOURCE First Baptist Dallas
Hosted by Carolyn Ryan

Date: August 3, 2024

Venue: The Clyde Venue

Address: 223 Martin Luther King, Jr Blvd, Savannah, GA 31401

Time: 8:00 AM  9:00 PM

SAVANNAH, Ga., July 20, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- Members of the public, voters, and concerned citizens are cordially invited to attend "ProsperGA", a Patriotic Town Hall forum. Learn what's really going on at our southern border and get unbiased, non-partisan analysis on the state of our elections in Georgia and across the country. This comprehensive day-long event will feature a series of insightful presentations and discussions led by distinguished speakers and industry experts.

Key topics include the influence of globalist organizations, the impact of the Chinese Communist Party, issues of illegal immigration, the importance of border security, and the current state of election integrity.

Moderator: Carolyn Ryan

Speakers Include:

Frank Gaffney : Discussing World War "Xi" (Remote)





Discussing World War "Xi" (Remote) Xi Van Fleet : Addressing the CCP and "Mao's America" (Remote)





Addressing the CCP and "Mao's America" (Remote) Todd Bensman : Presenting on US Largest Illegal Immigration Crisis





Presenting on US Largest Illegal Immigration Crisis Victor Avila : Highlighting Border Security as National Security





Highlighting Border Security as National Security Boone Cutler: Exploring Fifth Generation Warfare (5GW)





Exploring Fifth Generation Warfare (5GW) Greg Stenstrom : Discussing Parallel Election





Discussing Parallel Election Mark Cook : Providing an Election Ecosystem Overview





Providing an Election Ecosystem Overview Garland Favorito & Holly Kessler : Offering Updates and Actions on Georgia Elections

Details:

A catered breakfast, lunch, and dinner will be provided, ensuring participants are well-fed and engaged throughout the day.





The event will include a panel of speakers with interactive Q&A sessions





The day will conclude with dinner, networking, and a closing prayer.

Schedule:

8:00 AM: Check-in and Breakfast (Prayer, National Anthem, Pledge of Allegiance)

9:00 AM  5:00 PM: Speakers and Workshops

5:00 PM  9:00 PM: Dinner and Networking

Registration:

Limited tickets are available for this significant event. To register, please visit

www.voteyourvision.org/events registration is free!

Hampton Inn & Suites Hotel Partner Registration: https://www.hilton.com/en/book/reservation/deeplink/?ctyhocn=SAVHSHX&groupCode=CHHORF&arrivaldate=2024-08-02&departuredate=2024-08-04&cid=OM,WW,HILTONLINK,EN,DirectLink&fromId=HILTONLINKDIRECT,

Media Attendance:

Media representatives are invited to attend and cover this important forum. Please contact [email protected] for press credentials and additional information. For more information about the event, please visit www.voteyourvision.org.

Join us on August 3rd at The Clyde Venue for a day of meaningful dialogue, expert insights, and community engagement on the critical issues of border security and election integrity.

Contact Information:

Email: [email protected]

Website: www.voteyourvision.org

Event Page:www.voteyourvision.org/event/prosper-ga-savannah-ga-august-3rd-2024

Venue Address: The Clyde Venue, 223 Martin Luther King, Jr Blvd, Savannah, GA 31401

SOURCE VoteYourVision.org
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Amid the vibrant summer vacation season, He Yuling is lately occupied managing her bed-and-breakfast (B&B) nestled at the foothills of the Great Wall for guests from all over the world.

"We have received over 5,500 guests in the past month, generating a total revenue of 600,000 yuan (about $84,169.18)," said He, 55. Spanning approximately 3,500 square meters, He's B&B is situated in Shixia village, near the iconic Badaling Great Wall Scenic Spot in Beijing's suburban Yanqing district.

Dating back to the Ming Dynasty (1368-1644), Shixia was once hindered by its remote location and poor transportation. However, thanks to the popularity of the nearby Great Wall, the village has seen a cultural tourism boom in recent years.

He was born in Qianlyuzhuang village, which is also located near the scenic spot. When she visited Shixia in 2014, she was immediately captivated by its tourism resources related to the Great Wall. "The presence of the Great Wall in almost every corner of Shixia is a major draw for both locals and tourists," she explained.

Capitalizing on this attraction, she leased 12 dilapidated courtyards from local villagers and transformed them into a B&B named "Shiguang Great Wall." The houses blend traditional Chinese architecture with modern comforts. Guests can savor views of the Great Wall from the courtyards, gaze at the starlit sky through glass roofs and revel in the melodic echoes of wind chimes in the mountains, He said.

The tranquil and inviting ambiance has catapulted the B&B to widespread acclaim, resulting in a total revenue of 6 million yuan in 2023. He recently expanded the amenities to include a bookstore and a cafe, catering to the diverse needs of tourists. During the farming off-season, some villagers worked part-time at He's B&B to supplement their incomes. The increasing number of tourists has spurred more residents to convert their own courtyards into B&Bs.

With a population of just over 100, Shixia now boasts 21 B&Bs, collectively generating more than 8 million yuan in income in 2023, with the per capita income for villagers reaching 36,221 yuan. Among those benefiting from the tourism boom is Liu Yuqing, who juggles a hectic schedule as a guide, narrating the village's history to tourists, while running a B&B.

She has seen her annual income rise by over 40,000 yuan as a result. The Great Wall stands as China's preeminent cultural legacy, consisting of walls scattered across 15 provincial-level regions, with Yanqing alone boasting considerable Great Wall resources stretching 179.2 km. Last year, Yanqing topped all Beijing districts in holiday tourist traffic, with the Great Wall serving as a magnet for visitors from home and abroad.

According to Ye Dahua, head of the Yanqing district government, more cultural resources tied to the Great Wall will be developed, infusing new vitality into local tourism.




TOKYO, July 20 (Xinhua) -- The wreckage of a Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force (MSDF) helicopter that disappeared in April has been discovered on the seafloor, with another possible aircraft nearby, local media reported on Saturday.

The discovery followed an accident in April where two JMSDF helicopters collided and crashed during training off the Izu Islands, resulting in the deaths of eight crew members.

The Ministry of Defense had tasked the Japan Agency for Marine-Earth Science and Technology (JAMSTEC) with conducting a deep-sea search using unmanned submersibles due to the site's depth of approximately 5,500 meters, according to national broadcaster NHK.

As of Friday, JAMSTEC's unmanned probe Deep Tow, equipped with advanced sonar and cameras capable of exploring depths up to 6,000 meters, located one of the downed helicopters.

Identification was confirmed through the matching aircraft number.

Further investigation revealed another object in the vicinity, believed to be the second missing helicopter, the report said.

Further verification is underway to determine the feasibility of retrieving the wreckage.

The Ministry of Defense will carefully assess the underwater conditions to decide on the next steps for the potential salvage operation, according to NHK. 
Sydney, July 20 : A 15-year-old boy has been arrested after a man was stabbed to death in Sydney's inner-west on Saturday, local police said.

Australia's New South Wales Police said on Saturday that emergency services were called to a home on Spring Street, Concord, at about 12:30 a.m. local time following reports a man had been stabbed, Xinhua news agency reported.

A man in his 30s was found outside the property with multiple wounds to his chest and died at the scene. The man has not been identified yet.

Police have established a crime scene and detectives are investigating the incident.
Seoul, July 20 : Some medical professors vowed on Saturday to boycott training programmes for junior doctors in protest of the government's push for accepting the resignations of striking trainees and the medical school admission quota hikes.

Professors of the radiology department at Catholic University of Korea said in a statement that they will not take part in education and training programs for trainee doctors set to join the course in the second half of this year as long as the government goes ahead with "wrongful policy measures", Yonhap news agency reported.

More than 90 per cent of around 13,000 junior doctors walked off their jobs in February in the form of resignations against the government's plan to sharply raise medical school admissions, and hospitals accepted resignations from 7,648 trainees upon the government's request this week.

The government is recruiting new trainees to minimize the impact of the mass resignations, and hospitals have sought 7,707 training doctors combined for the training program set to be launched in September, according to the health ministry.

"We've made it clear that we will never replace training doctors who are fighting against wrongful state policy with other trainees," the professors said. "If the government and the hospital push ahead with the recruitment plan, normal training will never be possible."

Catholic University professors serve as senior doctors at St. Mary's Hospital in Seoul, one of the five major general hospitals in the capital city, as well as seven training hospitals.

More professors are expected to follow suit as the school's emergency response committee for professors said it will announce an official stance next week.

Amid deepening medical service disruptions, the government had presented a set of measures to convince the striking doctors to return to work but a majority of them refused to return to work.

Doctors have urged the government to revisit the quota hike decision, claiming that medical schools will not be able to handle the increased enrollment, which will compromise the quality of medical education and ultimately the country's medical services.

Despite strong opposition from doctors, the government has already finalized an admissions quota hike of some 1,500 students for medical schools for next year in an effort to address problems stemming from the shortage of doctors.
Ottawa, July 20 : Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau announced a change to the cabinet.

According to a news release from the prime minister's office, Trudeau named Steven MacKinnon as Canada's new minister of labour and seniors, filling a vacancy left by outgoing minister Seamus O'Regan, Xinhua news agency reported.

MacKinnon was sworn in to his new role Friday morning, shifting from his current role as Leader of the Government in the House of Commons.

Minister Karina Gould will resume her role as Leader of the Government in the House of Commons upon her expected return from parental leave at the end of July, the release said.
Vienna, July 20 : The United Nations (UN) Postal Administration has issued six postage stamps and three souvenir sheets featuring images from lunar missions, including China's Chang'e project, to celebrate International Moon Day on July 20.

The stamps and souvenir sheets showcase China's Chang'e 4 and Chang'e 5 missions, as well as lunar exploration missions from other countries, including the United States, South Korea, and India.

Aarti Holla-Maini, director of the Vienna-based United Nations Office for Outer Space Affairs, noted the growing international interest in lunar exploration. She said the new stamps will help raise awareness about lunar missions and emphasised that the UN will use its unique convening power to promote essential dialog on future endeavors.

The stamps and souvenir sheets are available for purchase at the UN headquarters in New York, Geneva and Vienna as well as on the UN website.

In 2021, the UN General Assembly designated July 20 as International Moon Day to commemorate the anniversary of the first human landing on the Moon during the Apollo 11 mission.
New Delhi, July 20 : Over 300 Indian students in Bangladesh were forced to return home as the anti-quota protests, that have led to students and security forces clashing, resulted in the killing of at least 104 and injuring over 2,500 people so far.

The neighbouring nation has been witnessing widespread protests for weeks over the reintroduction of reservation in government jobs.

Students, mostly hailing from Uttar Pradesh, Haryana, Meghalaya and Jammu & Kashmir, returned by crossing border points in the northeast on Friday.

Taking a six-hour-long journey through cabs and security escorts, the students reached India from two main routes: the international land port at Akhurah near Agartala in Tripura and the international land port at Dawki in Meghalaya.

The near-total internet shutdown and severely impacted telephone services disrupted the contact of Indian students with their families, prompting them to leave Bangladesh temporarily.

The clashes between students, government supporters and security forces began last month, however, the tensions escalated on Monday when students clashed at Dhaka University, killing six people on Tuesday and leading the government to close all the universities in the country.

The students, outraged by the high unemployment rate in the country, took to the streets demanding the quashing of the reinstatement of 30 per cent reservation quota for the families of veterans of the 1971 Independence War.

The quota system in government jobs was scrapped in 2018 after a major student movement but was reinstated by a court in June.

On Wednesday, during an address to the nation, Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina asserted that there is an opportunity to resolve the issue through a legal process as the government has already appealed to the apex court against the court's verdict, and a hearing date has been fixed in the Appellate Division.

"It is a matter of sorrow that some vested quarters started making different kinds of statements and engaged in terrorist activities to gain their ambitious intentions centring on this movement. As the matter has been brought before the top court, I call upon all to keep patience," said the Bangladesh PM.
BEIJING, July 20 (Xinhua) -- The Work Safety Commission under the State Council has decided to supervise the investigations into a department store fire occurring Wednesday in southwest China's Sichuan Province.

The commission asked local authorities to promptly carry out the investigations to find out the cause of the accident, submit the investigation report to it for approval, and then release the result to the public.

The fire broke out around 6 p.m. Wednesday at a 14-story building in Zigong City, Sichuan. A total of 16 people were killed. 
Thimpu, July 20 : Indian Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri on Saturday co-chaired the 3rd Development Cooperation Talks of the 13th Five Year Plan (FYP) with his Bhutanese counterpart Aum Pema Choden and reviewed implementation modalities and cooperation in diverse areas of development partnership of the two countries.

Highlighting the significant development projects carried out throughout the years of bilateral ties between the two nations, the Indian Embassy in Thimpu said that many development projects were implemented under 12 FYPs across various sectors.

"India is extending development support of INR/Nu. 100 billion for the 13th Plan period as per priorities of the Royal Government," the Embassy informed in a post on social media platform X, adding that the funds will further be used in sectors such as connectivity, infrastructure, cultural heritage, health, education, energy, agriculture, skilling, and digital economy.

Additionally, the two Foreign Secretaries virtually inaugurated 19 schools in Bhutan, which were constructed during the 12th FYP period.

On Friday, Misri called on Bhutanese Prime Minister Lyonchhen Dasho Tshering Tobgay and Foreign Minister Lyonpo D. N. Dhungyel.

They discussed bilateral matters of mutual interest and reaffirmed the close bonds of friendship the two nations share and their commitment to strengthen India-Bhutan ties across all sectors further.

Misri is on a two-day visit to Bhutan, which is also his first abroad tour after assuming charge of the country's foreign secretary.
Cairo, July 20 : Egypt and the Arab League welcomed the call of the International Court of Justice (ICJ) to end Israel's "unlawful" presence in the occupied Palestinian territories.

In a statement, Egypt's foreign ministry called upon all international parties to uphold and implement the ICJ's advisory opinion, emphasising the need to facilitate the Palestinian people's legitimate right to self-determination, Xinhua news agency reported.

Earlier in the day, the top UN court issued a non-binding opinion declaring Israeli settlements in the West Bank and East Jerusalem as violations of international law, urging Israel to withdraw from the occupied territories "as rapidly as possible."

Egypt also urged the UN General Assembly and Security Council to take necessary measures to end Israel's presence in Palestinian territories, underscoring the collective responsibility of all nations to alleviate the plight of the Palestinian people and halt ongoing Israeli violations and attacks in Gaza.

Meanwhile, Secretary-General of the League of Arab States (AL) Ahmed Aboul-Gheit echoed Egypt's sentiments, welcoming the ICJ's advisory opinion in a separate statement.

Aboul-Gheit asserted that the court's opinion serves as a crucial legal foundation for affirming the Palestinian narrative, providing it with necessary legitimacy and legal credibility amid Israel's attempts to distort the conflict's nature and origins.

The Arab League chief emphasised the advisory opinion's substantial legal and moral weight as compelling evidence to counter Israeli arguments, highlighting its pivotal role in the ongoing discourse.

However, Israel rejected the ICJ's opinion. In a press statement on Friday, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu responded that "the legality of Israeli settlements in all the territories of our homeland cannot be contested."

He emphasised Israel's historical connection to the land, stating that "the Jewish people are not conquerors in their own land."

The ICJ issued the advisory opinion in response to a request from the UN General Assembly regarding the legal implications of Israel's occupation.

The UN General Assembly adopted a resolution in December 2022 seeking the ICJ's opinion on the legal consequences of Israel's occupation of Palestinian territories, including East Jerusalem.

Israel captured the West Bank, East Jerusalem, and the Gaza Strip in the 1967 Middle East war and has controlled them ever since, despite international protests over its occupancy in these areas.
Lusaka, July 20 : The World Bank pledged $100 million to help Zambia speed up its digital infrastructure and increase access to the internet.

Managing Director and World Bank Group Chief Administrative Officer Zhang Wencai said the support will come through the Digital Zambia Acceleration Project to be financed under the International Development Association, Xinhua news agency reported.

During a courtesy call on Zambian Minister of Technology and Science Felix Mutati, Zhang said the project is aligned with the Zambian government's priorities and will focus on expanding broadband infrastructure and services as well as deploying digital public infrastructure to improve efficiency in both the public and private sectors.

According to him, the project will support digitisation in selected high-impact sectors, including the promotion of employable digital skills.

The World Bank official further said a project implementation unit will be established within the state institution, SMART Zambia Institute, to spearhead cross-cutting government digitisation initiatives.

For his part, the Zambian minister thanked the World Bank for the support, saying the project will go a long way in promoting digitisation in the country.
Patna, July 20 : The Mahagathbandhan led by the Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) will organise a protest march called the 'Aakrosh March' in Patna on Saturday against Nitish Kumar-led NDA government over poor law and order situation in the state.

Patna, July 20 (IANS) The Mahagathbandhan led by the Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) will organise a protest march called the aAakrosh Marcha in Patna on Saturday against Nitish Kumar-led NDA government over poor law and order situation in the state.

The march will commence from the RJD's head office located on Veerchand Patel Path, proceed to the Income Tax roundabout, Dak Bangalow Chowk, and finally culminate at the district magistrate's office in Patna.

The protest is in response to a significant rise in crime incidents across several districts of Bihar.

Tejashwi Yadav, Leader of the Opposition (LoP), has been highlighting the deteriorating law and order situation by regularly releasing crime bulletins.

The recent murder of Jitan Sahani in Darbhanga district has provided the opposition leaders another opportunity to criticise Nitish Kumaras government.

Jitan Sahani was the father of Mukesh Sahani, the National President of the Vikassheel Insaan Party (VIP). The incident has further intensified the scrutiny of the government's handling of law and order in the state.

The escalating crime incidents have become a significant concern for the state government. In response, Chief Minister Nitish Kumar convened a high-level meeting with police and civil administrative officers in Patna on Friday.

During the meeting, he directed the officers to control crime and stressed that any negligence in crime prevention would lead to strong departmental action against the responsible officers. Additionally, Nitish Kumar asked officials to address and resolve land dispute issues effectively.
New Delhi, July 20 : As millions of Windows computers were left crippled for hours, disrupting the services of airlines, banks, hospitals and stock exchanges worldwide, cyber-security platform CrowdStrike on Saturday tried to explain what actually went wrong at their end.

According to the company which provides third-party security updates to the Satya Nadella-run tech giant, on July 19, at 9.30 a.m. (India time), it released a sensor configuration update to Windows systems.

Sensor configuration updates are an ongoing part of the protection mechanisms of the Falcon platform.

"This configuration update triggered a logic error resulting in a system crash and blue screen (BSOD) on impacted systems," said CrowdStrike.

In a technical blog, the company said the sensor configuration update that caused the system crash was remediated at around 10.57 a.m.

"This issue is not the result of or related to a cyberattack," it said.

Millions of customers running Falcon sensor for Windows version 7.11 and above that were online were impacted.

"Systems running Falcon sensor for Windows 7.11 and above that downloaded the updated configuration from 9.30 a.m. to 10.57 a.m. -- were susceptible to a system crash," the company said.

According to it, this is not a new process and the architecture has been in place since Falcon's inception.

The update that occurred at 9.30 a.m. was designed to target newly observed, malicious named pipes being used by common C2 frameworks in cyberattacks.

The configuration update triggered a logic error that resulted in an operating system crash.

"CrowdStrike has corrected the logic error by updating the content in Channel File 291. No additional changes to Channel File 291 beyond the updated logic will be deployed. Falcon is still evaluating and protecting against the abuse of named pipes," the company explained.

Systems that are not currently impacted will continue to operate as expected, continue to provide protection, and have no risk of experiencing this event in the future.

"We understand how this issue occurred and we are doing a thorough root cause analysis to determine how this logic flaw occurred. This effort will be ongoing," said CrowdStrike.
Mumbai, July 20 : Actor Nikhil Khurana, who essays the role of Ekam Gill in the recently released web series 'Pill', has opened up about the 'extensive' preparation for his character, revealing that the shoot began without any rehearsals or workshops, which was a different experience.

Talking about his preparation for 'Pill', which is headlined by Riteish Deshmukh, Nikhil said: "The preparation for this role has been extensive. After several rounds of auditions -- about eight to nine -- I was selected by our director, Rajkumar Gupta. We started shooting without any rehearsals or workshops, which was a different experience."

The actor added: "As an actor, you have to be ready to adapt to any character. I felt my way into the role, closely following the director's instructions."

The 'Made in Heaven 2' actor further shared that the unique aspect of his character is his youth and ambition.

"Despite being the son of a wealthy man, he has his own dreams and aspirations. People often judge him, assuming he only became CEO because of his father's influence. He wants to prove to both his father and himself that he deserves his position. The character is a complex mix of focus, anger, and insecurities," he said.

Nikhil praised his co-star Pavan Malhotra, saying, "He truly felt like a father figure -- humble, down-to-earth, and very supportive. He creates a secure environment on set and inspires you to perform well. I would love to work with him again."

The 'Murder Mubarak' actor said that shooting for 'Pill' was an enriching experience.

"This character was new to me, as I had previously done more light-hearted, comedic roles. This role allowed me to explore a different side of my acting capabilities and was quite liberating. Working with a great director like Raj Kumar Gupta has been a tremendous learning opportunity. Observing him was invaluable, and I will always be proud of this web series -- a significant gold medal achievement in my acting career," he concluded.

The series also features Anshul Chauhan, Akshat Chauhan, and Neha Saraf.

It chronicles the journey of a pill from production to consumption, featuring a diverse ensemble of characters including powerful pharma industrialists, corrupt doctors, medical representatives, compromised drug regulators, politicians, journalists, and whistleblowers.

Riteish stars as Prakash Chauhan, a CDSCO officer who leads the fight against corruption and confronts the powerful owner of a pharmaceutical company.

The show is streaming on JioCinema.
New Delhi, July 20 : India's exports to the lucrative Western markets have recorded a strong double-digit growth in the April-June quarter of the current financial year reflecting the competitive strength of the economy.

The latest data compiled by the Commerce and Industry Ministry show that India's exports to the USA shot up by 10.4 per cent during the quarter, while in the case of The Netherlands, there was a 41.3 per cent surge and shipments to the United Kingdom rose by 21.9 per cent.

Exports to the affluent markets of Singapore and the United Arab Emirates also surged by as much as 26.55 per cent and 17.6 per cent respectively.

The US continued to remain India's largest export market, followed by the United Arab Emirates (UAE) and the Netherlands.

The figures also show that India's exports to China contracted by 2.8 per cent while imports from the neighbouring country increased by 8.3 per cent increasing the trade deficit,

India has now recorded positive growth in exports for three months in a row despite geopolitical challenges such as the disruption in world trade due to the Houthi attacks on ships around the Red Sea region and the Russia-Ukraine war.

Looking ahead, the RBI has said that global economic activity appears to be strengthening across advanced economies and emerging market economies and global trade in goods and services is gathering momentum which augurs well for the Indian economy.

India's goods and services exports increased by 5.4 per cent in June to $65.47 billion while the cumulative overall growth of exports during the April-June quarter this year works out to a robust 8.4 per cent at $200.33 billion.

"India's total exports in the first quarter of 2024-25 have crossed $200 billion and, if this trend continues, we hope this fiscal year's exports cross $800 billion," said Trade Secretary Sunil Barthwal, releasing the monthly trade figures this week.
Windhoek, July 20 : The United Nations has called for immediate international support as nearly half of Namibia's population faces severe food insecurity due to a drought caused by El Nino.

Speaking at a press briefing in the Namibian capital of Windhoek on Friday, Reena Ghelani, UN assistant secretary-general and climate crisis coordinator for the El Nino/La Nina response, reported alarming conditions after visiting Namibia's eastern region of Omaheke, a malnutrition hotspot, Xinhua news agency reported.

"They lost all their crops and are on the verge of losing their livestock. Aid must be scaled up immediately," she added.

A recent Integrated Food Security Phase Classification analysis shows that 1.4 million Namibians, or 48 per cent of the population, are experiencing acute food insecurity.

According to the analysis, this figure has doubled from last year, affecting all 14 regions, with the semi-arid country recording a 53 per cent decline in cereal production and a nearly 70 per cent reduction in dam water levels.

Namibian President Nangolo Mbumba declared a national state of emergency on May 22, and the government scaled up its drought relief program, targeting 340,000 households with food distributions, water provision, livestock support, and seed programs, but resources are overstretched.

"The impacts of climate change are with us for a while, so how we work with communities to prepare and respond is crucial," said Hopolang Phororo, UN resident coordinator in Namibia.
Mumbai, July 20 : Former union minister and BJP leader Raosaheb Danve on Saturday reiterated that the Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) is trying to discredit the Mukhyamantri Majhi Ladki Bahin Yojana and appealed to the eligible women to submit the registration forms directly through the government machinery.

"The MahaYuti government has taken many public welfare decisions during the monsoon session including Mukhyamantri Majhi Ladki Bahin Yojana, free electricity up to 7.5 horsepower for agricultural pumps, compensation for the loss of farmers among others," Danve said.

He said that, however, MVA leaders are criticising these schemes and they are involved in discrediting them.

He further alleged that MVA was taking credit for these schemes by displaying posters and banners in its constituencies.

"So be aware of MVA's duplicitous role and apply for Mukhyamantri Majhi Ladki Bahin Yojana through the government system itself and not hand it over to MVA activists," he urged the women.

Danve, who lost to Congress nominee Kailas Kale from Jalna constituency, expressed confidence that BJP, Shiv Sena and NCP will fight together as MahaYuti (grand alliance) in the upcoming state Assembly election and win.

He said that the state BJP's core committee met on July 18 and 19 in Mumbai and held a review of all 288 assembly seats, adding that it was decided that MahaYuti together will contest the upcoming assembly poll.

He took a swipe at MVA saying that its three constituents Shiv Sena UBT, NCP SP and Congress are naming their respective leaders as the future Chief Minister.

"It seems that everyone is in a hurry to become the Chief Minister and the public is already seeing the cracks in the alliance. The division in the MVA was not new as it was visible following the controversy over the Sangli Lok Sabha seat. How can the voters trust the MVA when all is not well there?" 'he asked.

He informed that Union Home Minister Amit Shah and Union Road Transport and Highways Minister Nitin Gadkari will address the party's convention slated for Sunday to be attended by 5,300 leaders and workers.

"These delegates will reach out to the voters taking up MahaYuti's welfare schemes seeking votes for its reelection," he said.
Beirut, July 20 : A Hezbollah member was killed in an Israeli airstrike on the village of Aitaroun in southern Lebanon, according to Lebanese military sources.

The sources said, on condition of anonymity, that Israeli warplanes carried out seven strikes across four villages and towns in the border region, destroying five houses and damaging 13 others on Friday, Xinhua news agency reported.

Hezbollah responded with drone and missile attacks targeting several Israeli positions.

In a statement, the group said its "Islamic Resistance" unit used a new, short-range, heavy missile called the Wabel to target Israeli targets.

Hezbollah claimed the Wabel has "high destructive power and achieves precise hits."

The Israeli military has not commented on the airstrike in Aitaroun.

Tensions have escalated along the Lebanon-Israel border since October 2023, following a Hezbollah rocket attack in solidarity with Hamas and subsequent Israeli retaliation.
JERUSALEM/GAZA, July 19 (Xinhua) -- An International Court of Justice (ICJ) advisory opinion deeming Israel's presence in the occupied Palestinian territories illegal has prompted contrasting reactions from the Israeli and Palestinian sides.

In a statement released on Friday, the Palestinian presidency hailed it as a "triumph for justice," urging the international community to pressure Israel to end its occupation "without conditions or exceptions."

The statement also underlined the ICJ decision as a "reaffirmation" of Palestinian self-determination and statehood rights.

The top UN court said in its non-binding opinion earlier in the day that Israeli settlements in the West Bank and East Jerusalem violate international law, calling on Israel to end its presence in the occupied Palestinian territories "as rapidly as possible."

Meanwhile, Hamas, which is fighting against Israel in the Gaza Strip, called for "immediate" international action on Friday to end Israel's occupation of the Palestinian territories after the ICJ opinion.

The militant group said in a statement that it welcomed the ICJ's opinion, stating that it puts "the international system before the imperative of immediate action to end the occupation."

However, Israel rejected the ICJ's opinion. In a press statement on Friday, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu responded that "the legality of Israeli settlements in all the territories of our homeland cannot be contested."

He emphasized Israel's historical connection to the land, stating that "the Jewish people are not conquerors in their own land," referring to annexed East Jerusalem as part of the country's "eternal capital."

Foreign Minister Israel Katz echoed Netanyahu's criticism, calling the ICJ opinion "one-sided and wrong."

In a separate statement, the Israeli foreign ministry added that the advisory opinion has a non-binding status and that Israel is not compelled to adopt it, adding that the country is "committed to international law."

The ICJ issued the advisory opinion in response to a request from the UN General Assembly regarding the legal implications of Israel's occupation.

The UN General Assembly adopted a resolution in December 2022 seeking the ICJ's opinion on the legal consequences of Israel's occupation of Palestinian territories, including East Jerusalem.

Israel captured the West Bank, East Jerusalem, and the Gaza Strip in the 1967 Middle East war and has controlled them ever since, despite international protests over its occupancy in these areas. 
Seoul, July 20 : Some medical professors in South Korea on Saturday warned to boycott training programmes for junior doctors in protest of the government's push for accepting the resignations of striking trainees and the medical school admission quota hikes.

Professors of the radiology department at Catholic University said in a statement that they would not take part in education and training programmes for trainee doctors set to join the course in the second half of this year as long as the government goes ahead with "wrongful policy measures", Yonhap news agency reported.

More than 90 per cent of around 13,000 junior doctors walked off their jobs in February in the form of resignations against the government's plan to sharply raise medical school admissions, and hospitals accepted resignations from 7,648 trainees upon the government's request this week.

The government is recruiting new trainees to minimise the impact of the mass resignations, and hospitals have sought 7,707 training doctors combined for the training programme set to be launched in September, according to the health ministry.

"We've made it clear that we will never replace training doctors who are fighting against wrongful state policy with other trainees," the professors said. "If the government and the hospital push ahead with the recruitment plan, normal training will never be possible."

Catholic University professors serve as senior doctors at St. Mary's Hospital in Seoul, one of the five major general hospitals in the capital city, as well as seven training hospitals.

More professors are expected to follow suit as the school's emergency response committee for professors said it will announce an official stance next week.

Amid deepening medical service disruptions, the government had presented a set of measures to convince the striking doctors to return to work but a majority of them refused to return to work.

Doctors have urged the government to revisit the quota hike decision, claiming that medical schools cannot handle the increased enrollment, which will compromise the quality of medical education and ultimately the country's medical services.

Despite strong opposition from doctors, the government has already finalised an admissions quota hike of some 1,500 students for medical schools for next year to address problems stemming from the shortage of doctors.
Beijing, July 20 : Two people were killed and seven others went missing in rain-triggered geological disasters in the Liangshan Yi Autonomous Prefecture of southwest China's Sichuan Province, according to local authorities.

Two people were found dead, and the search for others is underway, the local authorities said on Friday, Xinhua news agency reported.

Heavy downpours since July 13 have caused landslides in herding summer pasture settlements, leading to some of the casualties and reports of missing people.

Residents have also reported that contact has been lost with a vehicle carrying five people.

Local authorities have mobilised 150 personnel to search for those reported missing. Relevant government departments have carried out evacuation work, as well as emergency repairs of road, power, communication and water facilities.
Jammu, July 20 : The Army Chief General Upendra Dwivedi arrived here on Saturday to review the security situation and get feedback from the formation commanders in the aftermath of recent terror attacks in the Jammu division.

General Dwivedias visit comes after four army soldiers including a captain were killed during an encounter with terrorists in Doda district on July 16.

This is his second visit to Jammu and Kashmir. On July 3, he visited the Poonch-Rajouri sector to review the security situation along the Line of Control (LoC).

The army chief will be briefed by the formation commanders on the areas being taken by the security forces.

A joint security review meeting with other security agencies has also been scheduled.

In addition to chairing a joint security review meeting, the army chief is likely to visit some forward positions to get a first-hand account of the situation in the LoC.

The visit is happening after Friday's Cabinet Committee on Security (CCS) meeting headed by Prime Minister Narendra Modi in New Delhi.

Apart from the increase in terror attacks by hardcore terrorists in Jammu, there have also been attempts of infiltration in Kashmir.

Two infiltration attempts were foiled by the army recently in the Kupwara district of the Valley resulting in the killing of five terrorists.

The Army has already deployed 3500-4000 additional troops to combat terrorism in the Jammu division.

--IANS

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New Delhi, July 20 : In a significant move, Bihar government has opened the doors for filmmakers, offering them support and incentives for shooting film sequences in the state.

This is Bihar's first film promotion policy and marks the realisation of a 20-year-old dream. Notably, when Nitish Kumar became Chief Minister in 2005, there was a growing demand for rolling out the red carpet for the Hindi film industry, so that it not only opened new avenues of job opportunities but also improved the infamous image of the state.

Bihar boasts of many regional dialects and locally-produced Bhojpuri films carry a global appeal. The film promotion policy will prove to be instrumental in propping up film productions in other languages and dialects including Maithili, Magahi, Angika, and Bajjika.

The film promotion policy was approved by Bihar government on Friday, in a Cabinet meeting chaired by CM Nitish Kumar.

Vijay Kumar Sinha, Bihar's Deputy CM and Minister of the Art and Culture Department, briefed the scribes that the goal was to promote and broadcast the historical, mythological, and cultural aspects of the state.

"Out of all the states in the country with film policies, efforts have been made to establish Bihar's film policy as the best. Our film promotion policy will provide a new dimension to Bihar's talent and identity," Sinha said.

"The state government is set to provide a significant opportunity to the youth and artists of the state through this film policy. This policy has been long-awaited. It will help in getting global recognition for the important places in the state" said the Deputy CM.

He also shared details about how the state government is extending financial assistance and support to the filmmakers.

"The state government will offer a 25 per cent subsidy on films costing up to four crore. Our subsidy is more than the two-and-a-half crore offered in other states of the country," he said.

He further informed: "The amount of subsidy for films made in Bihar in languages like Bhojpuri, Maithili, Magahi, Angika, and Bajjika will be a maximum of 50 per cent of the total cost and the limit of subsidy for Hindi, and English language films will be 25 per cent of the total cost. If the state is prominently depicted in a film with more than 75 per cent shooting days in the state, then such a film will be given Rs 50 lakh in each category by the Film Facilitation Cell."

"The state government will provide 50 per cent of the project cost of the film or a maximum of Rs 2 crore for story and script based on the state and for filming and production within the state, as part of special branding initiatives," he informed further.

The state government will provide an additional grant of up to Rs 25 lakh for three main-level artists who provide work opportunities to local artists. Additionally, a grant of Rs 10 lakh will be provided for a minimum of five second-level artists, or 50 per cent of the minimum payment amount for artists of both categories, whichever is lower.

The state government will provide financial assistance for shooting TV serials or shows in the state. The assistance will be up to 25 per cent of the total production cost, with a maximum limit of one crore rupees or whichever is less. However, to be eligible for this assistance, at least 90 scenes must be shot within the state. Additionally, if the producer of the TV serial provides ample work opportunities to artists, actors, directors, scriptwriters, cinematographers, and other technicians of Bihar, they will be given an additional Rs 25 lakh or 50 per cent of the actual fee, whichever is less.

He also described Bihar's film promotion policy as the most liberal and the best in the entire country.

"Bihar is providing an opportunity to create a new environment. Today, we have governments at both Centre and state. Bihar CM Nitish Kumar and PM Narendra Modi are working towards making Bihar a developed state," he said.
Bengaluru, July 20 : Karnataka Deputy Chief Minister D.K. Shivakumar on Saturday said that the state should be able to release water to Tamil Nadu, as per the court direction, following 'sufficient' rains.

"By God's grace, the state is receiving good rains. In the next two to three days, the KRS Dam will reach its full storage capacity. There are all signs of fulfilling the court's directions regarding releasing water to Tamil Nadu," the Deputy Chief Minister told media persons.

He said that the state needs to release water now as boating and recreational activities have been stopped at Ranganathittu Bird Sanctuary to avoid untoward incidents.

"A red alert has been issued for the houses located on the banks of the Cauvery River," the Deputy Chief Minister said.

He said that the Karnataka government would do whatever is required in the interest of farmers like filling up lakes.

"The farmers who are ready to sow paddy need to wait as we don't know how much the water level will increase," he said.

Talking about the rain havoc in Uttara Kannada district, the Deputy Chief Minister said that in Karwar, the incessant rainfall has hampered rescue operations.

"One driver from Kerala has been stuck under the debris of a landslide for more than 85 to 90 hours. We are not able to track him. The district minister is stationed there and is monitoring the situation," he said.

--IANS

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Kolkata, July 20 : ) A Pakistani citizen was nabbed by the jawans of the 41st battalion of Sashastra Seema Bal (SSB), late Friday night, when he illegally crossed over to the Indian territory through the Indo-Nepal international border in Darjeeling district in the northern sector of West Bengal.

Two other Nepali citizens by whose car the Pakistani citizen Md Saifullah was trying to enter the Indian territory, have also been nabbed. All three of them have been handed over to the local Kharibari Police Station, confirmed an official of the Darjeeling district police.

They will be presented at a district court on Saturday. As informed by SSB to the district police, sources said, the Pakistani citizen, without proper documents and visa to enter India, was spotted by the central forces personnel in the car along with the two Nepali citizens who also entered the Indian side through the border.

The central forces personnel nabbed all three of them and started questioning the reasons for entering the Indian territory. However, none of them were able to give any satisfactory answer and hence they were arrested and handed over to the district police.

This is the second time in the last eight months that the jawans of the 41st battalion of SSB have arrested Pakistani citizens illegally crossing over to the Indian territory through the Indo-Nepal international border.

In November last year, the central forces personnel arrested two Pakistani citizens at Panitanki in Darjeeling district. The arrested duo included a woman Sayesta Hanif and her minor son Ariyan Mohammad Hanif -- both residents of Karachi in Pakistan.

During interrogation, they admitted that they entered India without a valid visa and related documents through the Panitanki border by a bus which they boarded from Kakarbhitta in the Jhapa district of Nepal.
Dhaka, July 20 : Around 1000 Indian students have returned to India through various land ports and regular flights out of Dhaka and Chittagong airports as the situation remains volatile in Bangladesh due to the ongoing student protests.

The Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) stated on Saturday that it continues to coordinate with civil aviation, immigration, land ports and BSF authorities to ensure a smooth passage for Indian citizens.

As many as 778 Indian students returned to India through various land ports while around 200 students have returned home by regular flight services through Dhaka and Chittagong airports.

The High Commission of India in Dhaka and the Assistant High Commissions in Chittagong, Rajshahi, Sylhet and Khulna have been assisting the return of Indian nationals home following the recent developments in Bangladesh.

The MEA detailed that, in coordination with the local authorities, measures are being taken by the High Commission and the Assistant High Commissions to facilitate safe travel to the border crossing points along the India Bangladesh International Border.

"The High Commission of India in Dhaka and our Assistant High Commissions are in regular touch with more than 4000 students remaining in various universities in Bangladesh and are providing necessary assistance. Students from Nepal and Bhutan have also been assisted with their crossing into India on request," the MEA detailed.

The High Commission and Assistant High Commissions are also in regular touch with Bangladesh authorities to ensure safety and security of Indian nationals and students. Security escorts have been arranged, where necessary, for their travel by road during repatriation through select land ports.

At the same time, the High Commission in Dhaka is also coordinating with civil aviation authorities of Bangladesh and commercial airlines to ensure uninterrupted flight services to India from Dhaka and Chittagong, which can be used by our nationals to return to home.

The MEA mentioned that the High Commission of India in Dhaka and the Assistant High Commissions of India in Bangladesh remain available for any assistance required by Indian nationals through the emergency contact numbers.
Patna July 20 : The INDIA bloc, led by the Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD), organised a protest march called the 'Aakrosh March' in Patna against Nitish Kumar-led NDA government over poor law and order situation in the state on Saturday.

The leaders and workers from RJD, Congress, and left parties participated in the march while carrying posters, banners, and flags of their respective parties.

The protest was initiated in response to the rising crime incidents including the murder of Jitan Sahani, father of VIP chief Mukesh Sahani. For the opposition, the murder of Jitan Sahani has become a focal point for criticising the Nitish Kumar government.

The march began at Income Tax Square and proceeded towards the district magistrate's office via Dak Bungalow Chowk.

Despite police barricades at Income Tax Square, the protestors broke through and reached Dak Bungalow Chowk, where heavy police barricades prevented their further progress, resulting in a scuffle between the supporters and the police.

Eventually, officials allowed one representative from each political party to proceed to the district magistrate's office, where they handed over a memorandum to Patna DM Chandrashekhar Singh.

Akhilesh Singh, the state president of the Congress, criticised the state government's silence on the rising crime incidents.

"The state government is silent on the rising crime incidents in Bihar. They are holding high-level meetings but the crime incidents are not stopping. We will seek answers during the upcoming monsoon session in the Assembly," he said.

Ritu Jaiswal, the RJD leader who contested the Lok Sabha election from Sheohar, said, "When the father of a leading politician is not secure in Bihar, how can a common people be safe? itish Kumar has no right to sit on the chair of the Chief Minister."
Colombo, July 20 : Kandy Falcons' captain Wanindu Hasaranga has spoken about the friendly atmosphere within the team as his side prepares to take on Jaffna Kings in Qualifier 2 of the Lanka Premier League 2024. Last year, Kandy Falcons won three successive playoff games -- Eliminator, Qualifier 2, and Final -- to seal the LPL trophy. This year, they have made a winning start to the Playoffs again, beating Colombo Strikers in the Eliminator.

Ahead of Qualifier 2, skipper Hasaranga asked for consistency from his players. "As players and as a team, we have to be consistent. We need to have consistency to win the tournament. Anyone can win matches, but to win tournaments, you need experience, confidence, and consistency. That is the main thing," Hasaranga said.

Hasaranga said that having won three Playoff games on the trot in LPL 2023, the Kandy Falcons had confidence in the ranks that they could do it again. In fact, this season, defending champions Kandy Falcons needed to win their last league game by a big margin to give themselves a chance of making the Playoffs on a better net run rate. They did exactly that, with a 54-run win over Dambulla Sixers.

In the Eliminator, Hasaranga praised his bowlers for keeping the target to a manageable 160 a performance that Hasaranga credited to his bowling attack, "Credit goes to the bowlers, they took the wickets and restricted them."

"We have a great bunch of players. Our overseas players are very friendly. Some of them have been with us for two years, so they are very friendly with the staff and the local players are also getting experience from them. Some of our local players are also experienced and they pass on that to the younger players. So it is a great team," Hasaranga said after taking 2-21 in the Eliminator victory.

Kandy Falcons will take on Jaffna Kings in Qualifier 2 at the R. Premadasa Stadium.

--IANS

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London, July 20 : The House of Commons at the British Parliament witnessed a momentous occasion as CA Arpit Jagdish Kabra was honoured with the prestigious International Excellence Award. This recognition celebrates his outstanding contributions to the field of forensic investigation and his unwavering commitment to social impact initiatives.

Contribution to CA Society recognised

CA Arpit Jagdish Kabra, originally from Ajmer, Rajasthan, and now residing in Mumbai, has been honoured with the International Excellence Award 2024 for his significant contributions to forensic auditing. This prestigious award was presented to him at the House of Commons, British Parliament UK, highlighting the international recognition and impact of his work.

At a young age, Arpit Kabra took on the role of Chairman of the Western India Regional Council (WIRC) of ICAI. His efforts towards the empowerment of women and youth, as well as the projects initiated under his leadership at WIRC, have made him deserving of this honour. Under his leadership, the team at WIRC also created a world record for the Largest Human Mosaic in Mumbai.

The news of his achievement has brought immense joy and pride. His recognition has not only infused new energy into society but has also established his dedication and character as an inspiration for the younger generation.

CA Arpit Kabra's exemplary work has set a new benchmark at both national and international levels, influencing a broad spectrum of people from common citizens to professional circles. Arpit Kabra has dedicated this achievement to his family and his team at WIRC.
This photo taken on Oct. 17, 2023 shows a 5G base station constructed by China Tower in Lianyungang, east China's Jiangsu Province. (China Tower/Handout via Xinhua)

NANJING, July 20 (Xinhua) -- With over 3.8 million 5G base stations now operational across China, the widespread adoption of 5G is delivering substantial benefits to both individuals and businesses, offering unprecedented convenience and a wealth of opportunities.

China Tower, responsible for constructing the majority of these communication base stations, positions itself as a fundamental pillar of the country's digital economy. "Only by providing robust communication infrastructure services, can the advancement of emerging industries like the industrial internet, artificial intelligence (AI) and the metaverse be facilitated," said Chen Xiaojie, head of the information department at China Tower.

Covering a total area of 101 square km, Jiangsu Huai'an Industrial Park in eastern China features an Internet of Things platform and AI analysis system supported by the 5G network, which can transmit and analyze the pollution and safety risk data of chemical enterprises in real time.

On the screen in the park's command center, the status of an enterprise's liquid sulfur storage tank field is displayed and updated. Real-time data measuring the tank's temperature, pressure and liquid level are sent to the command center.

The data and images collected by the toxic gas probe and related camera in the tank field are analyzed by AI, and the progress and results of risk elimination are updated in real time.

As a large number of the park's companies are involved with the storage and production of hazardous chemicals, safety is a prerequisite for everything. The park's 5G wireless network coverage has helped improve the update frequency of data transmission in environmental monitoring equipment from 20 seconds to one second.

This photo taken on July 25, 2022 shows a 5G base station constructed by China Tower in Suzhou, east China's Jiangsu Province. (China Tower/Handout via Xinhua)

Nowadays, high-speed train passengers frequently engage with their smartphones, sending messages and streaming videos. However, ensuring reliable communication signals for the high-speed railway poses a challenge, particularly in the Yangtze River Delta region, with its dense network of rivers and lakes.

Under these circumstances, the construction of communication base stations is not only geographically inconvenient, but also needs to be done carefully to avoid disturbing the environment.

The high-speed railway that connects Nanjing, capital of Jiangsu Province, and Shanghai, passes over several lakes, including Gehu Lake with 166.7 square km.

To keep cell signals strong during the cross-lake section, the construction team placed 48 individual poles along both sides of the 8.5-km bridge deck. As the designed antenna height is closer to the train window, this type of pole can better ensure high-speed signal stability when combined with signal enhancement technologies.

During the operational tests, 5G network coverage rate in the section of Gehu Lake reached 100 percent, with an average download speed of 381 megabits per second. It also saves about 30 million yuan (about 4.2 million U.S. dollars) compared to the conventional plan.

Telecom towers are not just infrastructure for 5G networks but also multi-functional participants in the digital era.

Along the 97.8 km of the Yangtze River shoreline in Taizhou City, Jiangsu, over 70 telecom towers equipped with 93 three-dimensional surveillance cameras are monitoring pollution, illegal sand mining and other behaviors, and alerting the command center via video images identified by AI.

"The local environmental protection department incorporates our video detection technology into its workflow," said Shen Changjun, a department manager at China Tower's Jiangsu branch. Alarms are typically identified within five minutes, with on-site response and resolution achieved within 20 minutes.

The communication tower can also help monitor forest fires. In a forest area in Jiangsu's Wuxi City, the telecom towers with a height of 35 meters can provide a good vantage point for observing forest fires and function as electric guards after being equipped with cameras such as the thermal imaging camera.

From safeguarding the Yangtze River to monitoring forest fires, telecom towers transcend their role as mere infrastructure providers in the digital age. By integrating with the Internet of Things and AI, they become an integral, perceptible force in digital transformation, playing a pivotal role in digital governance and empowering a myriad of industries. 
Bengaluru, July 20 : Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah announced on Saturday that the students of government and government-aided schools will get eggs six days a week in partnership with Azim Premji Foundation.

Earlier, the state government was providing eggs for school children two days a week already. With the new arrangement, the students will now get eggs for all six days.

Siddaramaiah spoke while inaugurating a programme, in partnership with the Azim Premji Foundation, to provide free supplementary nutritious food six days a week to children in government and aided primary and secondary schools.

Quality food is essential for mental health and good education, said the Chief Minister. "Creating opportunities for good education for the children of the poor is our aspiration," he said.

"I have seen children come to school without breakfast and stay until noon without lunch. Hence, we decided to provide meals and eggs two days a week. The Azim Premji Foundation has joined hands with the government in this noble cause to provide eggs and supplementary nutritious food to children four days a week," he said.

He called on school children to develop scientifically and intellectually, stating that only then can they become socially responsible.

"Creating opportunities for good education for the children of the poor is our aspiration. For this reason, we are providing uniforms, shoes, and socks, and opening more residential schools," he said.

Azim Premji Foundation on Saturday entered a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the Government of Karnataka to support the nutritional enrichment of the state government's mid-day meal program in government and government-aided schools for three years.

Eggs will be added to the mid-day meal for the 55 lakh students in these schools -- from Grade 1 to Grade 10 -- to provide nutritional enrichment. Eggs are laced with a wide range of essential nutritional content from proteins to minerals.

Currently the state government's mid-day meal program provides eggs on two days of the week to the students. The Foundation's support will enable the provision of eggs on all six days of the school week, substantially enhancing the nutrition for students.

An alternative high nutrition supplement will be provided for those students who do not consume eggs because of cultural preferences.

This initiative is aimed to improve the nutritional status of school students and contribute to their physical and cognitive development. The Foundation works extensively across the country to help improve the quality and equity of the public (government) education system.

The Foundation will work closely with the Commissioner of School Education and Literacy (CSE) to implement mechanisms to ensure high-quality eggs are delivered to each child in the schools covered by the program.

Education Minister Madhu Bangarappa, Wipro Chairman Azim Premji couple, the government's Additional Chief Secretary L.K. Atheek Ahmed, Chief Minister's Political Secretary Naseer Ahmed, and Guarantee Implementation Committee Vice President Mehrooz were present.
Bengaluru, July 20 : The leader of the opposition in Karnataka Assembly, R. Ashoka, said on Saturday that the BJP's goal is that Chief Minister Siddaramaiah should resign, the duped Dalit community members should get their money back, and the culprits in the tribal welfare board scam should be punished.

Addressing a press conference at the party headquarters here, Ashoka claimed the Congress government has made a clear decision to cover up the Karnataka Maharshi Valmiki Scheduled Tribes Development Corporation (KMVSTDC) scam.

"The mask of Chief Minister Siddaramaiah has fallen off, revealing how clean he really is. The CM is shifting the blame for the tribal welfare board scam to his officials.

"The CM has given himself a clean chit, and blamed his officials for all the mistakes. If the officials are at fault, what was the Chief Minister doing? If an official has made a mistake, why is he continuing in the same position," Ashoka asked.

The senior BJP leader also claimed that the state government has put people's money in fraudulent accounts.

"Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman has no role in this. The bank officials wanted to hand over the probe to the CBI. But the state government handed it over to a Special Investigation Team (SIT) to cover up things.

"The CM is scared. I have provided over 40 records, but the CM has not made any clarification on them. Instead, he has blamed (MD of the ST corporation) J.G. Padmanabha for everything," Ashoka said.

He added that if the ministers were not at fault, why did B. Nagendra resign?

"This means the CM abandoned him halfway. Nagendra and Basanagouda Daddal worked hard for the Lok Sabha elections, collected funds for the Congress, and sent them to Telangana," the LoP claimed.

"We are ready to investigate all the 21 scam allegations levelled against the previous BJP government by the Chief Minister. Let him step down from his post, and give us the authority," he added.
Patna, July 20 : A nurse of a private hospital has been allegedly kidnapped by four to five individuals in Bihar's Begusarai district.

The kidnappers have informed the victim's family about the abduction. However, police said that the incident might be related to a love affair.

According to the victim's mother, she saw the kidnappers in a Baleno car while her brother identified the kidnappers as residents of the Matihani block.

"My daughter went to give fodder to the cattle when four to five persons came and forcibly kidnapped her. By the time I informed the other members of the family, they had sped away in a car," the victim's mother told police.

DSP Bhaskar Ranjan of Sadar-2 range Begusarai said that the preliminary investigation reveals that the matter could be a case of a love affair.

"However, we are investigating from all angles. We have identified one of the accused, named Rishikesh Kumar, who was seen with the victim in the past. The search operation is underway to trace the victim," he said.
Beijing, July 20 : More than 30 people remained missing after flash floods struck Xinhua Village in southwest China's Sichuan Province at around 2:30 am Saturday, local authorities said.

The floods triggered by torrential rains also damaged over 40 houses in the village in Hanyuan County, Ya'an City, according to the county's emergency management bureau.

The disaster also disrupted roads, bridges and communications, Xinhua news agency reported.

Rescue operations are currently underway. A local fire brigade with 217 rescuers and 55 vehicles has rushed to the scene. The Ministry of Emergency Management has also dispatched 29 rescue experts and 13 sets of rescue equipment, as well as drones to provide emergency communications.

In addition to 10,000 sets of relief materials previously allocated to the province, the central authorities will send another 40,000 sets, including folding beds, quilts and towels, to support local governments in evacuating and resettling the affected people and providing basic living assistance.
Wellington, July 20 : New Zealand Prime Minister Christopher Luxon on Saturday dialled PM Narendra Modi, congratulating him on his recent election victory as both leaders reiterated their firm commitment to take bilateral cooperation to new heights in the years to come.

"I've just spoken with India's Prime Minister Narendra Modi and congratulated him on his recent election victory. I told the Prime Minister how much I value the immense contribution that Indian-Kiwis make to New Zealand. We both agreed there is so much more our countries can do together!" Luxon posted on X after the phone call.

During their conversation, both leaders noted that India-New Zealand ties are anchored in shared democratic values and close people-to-people ties.

Highlighting the momentum generated by recent high-level contacts between the two sides, they agreed to advance the mutually beneficial bilateral cooperation in various areas, including trade and economic cooperation, animal husbandry, pharmaceuticals, education, space among others.

"I thank Prime Minister Luxon for his call and warm felicitations. Reiterated our firm commitment to take forward India-New Zealand ties, which are rooted in shared democratic values and people-to-people ties," said PM Modi.

Prime Minister Modi also thanked Luxon for looking after the interests of the Indian diaspora in New Zealand.
Thiruvananthapuram, July 20 : Kerala BJP on Saturday lashed out at the state ministers, saying that none among them bothered to visit Karnataka where one of the state's lorry drivers still remains trapped under the landslide.

"All of us heard the noise created by the Kerala cabinet when a state minister was not given permission to travel to Kuwait following a fire incident. It has now been a few days since the landslide occurred in Karnataka and despite the affected area just across the border, not a single minister has bothered to visit the area and supervise the rescue operations," said state BJP president K. Surendran.

A landslide occurred in Karnataka's Shirur in which one of the lorry drivers from Kerala, Arjun, still remains stuck after a few days. At least 15 people are feared trapped under the debris.

Arjun's family members have also written to Prime Minister Narendra Modi complaining that there was a delay in launching the rescue operations.

"We wish the PM sends an army team so that the rescue takes place faster," said the wife of Arjun.

Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah will visit Karnataka on Sunday while all the top leaders of Kerala are in regular touch with their counterparts in Karnataka.
Pune, July 20 : In a brutal instance of road rage, a woman riding with two small kids on a scooter was assaulted here on Saturday by a motorist who was attempting to overtake her, the police said.

The incident occurred on the Pashan-Baner Link Road when an elderly motorist was speeding behind her for almost 2 km, desperately trying to overtake.

The woman, narrating the entire incident in a social media video, said that she moved to give him way when he suddenly sped in the front, took a left and blocked her two-wheeler.

He got down in an angry mood, rushed up to her, pulled her hair and hit her on the face, leaving her with a bleeding nose, even as a crowd gathered there.

The woman is identified as Jerlyn D'Silva, a digital content creator, and the man's identity is not yet known.

When contacted, an official of the Chaturshringi Police Station said that the victim had been rushed to a nearby hospital for treatment while the motorist was detained pending the formal complaint formalities.

The incident sparked a furore on social media, coming exactly two months after a 17-year-old minor boy was involved in an alleged drunken hit-and-run accident in his Porsche car which left two persons dead.

Last Tuesday, the city was rocked by another drunken driving incident when a politician's son, Saurabh Bandu Gaikwad, rammed his SUV into a poultry truck on the Mundhwa-Manjari Road, leaving the driver and his assistant grievously injured.

The son of a former Nationalist Congress Party (SP) municipal corporator, Bandu Gaikwad, Saurabh had fled from the spot in his Tata Harrier SUV, but was later traced and booked by the police.
New Delhi, July 20 : The film is the one that falls into the category of personal cinema. It is about loneliness, anxiety, and mostly memories. Now memories do not have any order, at times they can be 'false', sometimes carry an air of uncertainty, and many times are blurry. But there are also instances when they are clearer than the present...

Nidhi Saxena's film 'Sad Letters of an Imaginary Woman' which has won the Asian Cinema Fund 2024 and will have its World Premiere at the Busan International Film Festival is tied by phone calls coming from the future to the past, where older Nidhi connects with the younger one, as she has no one else to talk to. The slow passage of time in the house feels like an illness, and the pace of the film reflects this melancholy.

"I wanted viewers to feel the boredom-filled monotony of being trapped for years in an old, abandoned house. In some scenes, adult Nidhi and the child Nidhi are in the same scene, symbolising that the past is standing alongside her in her present. The ending of the film is special with a juxtaposition of sadness and happiness where she chooses a mysterious ritual to get over all the lifelong sadness," she tells IANS.

Excited over winning the prize, the filmmaker admits that she has always loved Asian cinema the most: From Hong Kong, Korea, Malaysia, Taiwan, and Sri Lanka, and stresses we have something that Europe does not.

"Look at Tsai Ming-Liang and Apichatpong; maybe it is because of the Buddha. So I am happy to be a part of Asia's biggest festival. It is a link in the chain of this lineage that I feel more connected to. Busan is such a prestigious platform, and for my first film, it is a great acknowledgement that gives me a lot of belief in my vision as a filmmaker."

While she studied writing at the Film and Television Institute of India (FTII) in Pune, her education before that was in fine arts. Saxena feels there were some expressions she just could not achieve in painting and sculpture and to bring them out from within, she needed moving images and sound, thus her shift to cinema.

"And I think films have much more to do with painting, sculpture, and music than with storytelling. There can be a thread of a story in images and sound, or there might not be. But reducing it to just a story is unfair. Dialogue can be a part of the sound but cannot overpower it.

"I write stories too, but a screenplay does not match a story. While writing a screenplay, I am a filmmaker, not a storyteller or writer. So I write screenplays with a love for images and sound.

"Most of the things, I wrote were more like a series of imagery than just a story of characters. Everything visible on the screen is a character, and all of that cannot be written in a screenplay. I realised that writing a novel or a story, which I wrote earlier, was not similar to writing a screenplay. I do not see the film as just a medium to tell an interesting story; as it is seen on a screen, watching every scene is and has to be a unique experience, invoking senses that the viewer has never experienced before."

Believing that filmmaking as a medium needs to be democratised and made available to a large number of young people across age groups, Saxena does workshops with girls from tribal and rural areas, giving cameras in their hands and mentoring them for 3-4 weeks while they learn and put into action the new skills.

"The stories that come out from them are amazing - challenging all structures, giving us all new ways to look at visual communication in the form we call cinema. Why should someone come from outside and claim to make a film about you? With an outside gaze, they make films on women and tribals, what will they gain from your gaze? Why not make them capable enough to make a film about themselves or even about you? Yes, it is paramount to set up more film schools in India," she stresses.

She has already started recce for her next project surreal story of women's longing and desire hidden underneath societal norms, and the interplay of mythological and the carnal.

"Though contemporary, it boasts of much magic realism and will be set in the Himalayas. I have already started a dialogue with various potential partners and actors."

The trained writer asserts that for now, she has a lot of her material to film, but a time will come when she will start finding something in others' screenplays or stories with the camera.

"I want to use the camera like a brush, to find what is unknown. My top priority is to develop through various stories, the formidable voice of women that is unheard in our societies and so in our films also. That voice is very stereotypical, not genuinely coming from a female heart and her lived reality, but more from how society wants to see women and their various emotions."

It is tough not to ask her if she is a 'method director', considering she lived in an old haveli for months with her mother before shooting 'Sad Letters of an Imaginary Woman'.

"Before arriving at the old house, I had not made the entire screenplay but only outlines. The house was dark, dingy and almost dead, but had a character that it had witnessed in a past era. I could feel that the walls were whispering some past events to me, and every corner even though dark, was expressing an event that occurred there once. I have brought all that in the visual design in this film, where the house itself is a character, present in every scene, telling its own story and adding its layer in the already layered journey of these characters."

Optimistic about the indie scene in India which she says is evolving and witnessing more acceptance, Saxena says one would always want, as an indie filmmaker, to have more system-generated support systems for such ventures, including the availability of finances or easy subsidies and support systems.

"There are so many artists who would like to showcase their art if a more friendly and empowering environment develops in India also for indie films," she concludes.
Bhopal, July 20 : Madhya Pradesh will soon manufacture defence equipment, including army tanks, Chief Minister Mohan Yadav said while addressing the Regional Industry Conclave in Jabalpur on Saturday.

CM Yadav said automotive manufacturing firm Ashok Leyland and state-owned defence company Armoured Vehicles Nigam Limited have tied up to set up a manufacturing centre for defence equipment in Madhya Pradesh.

"Madhya Pradesh is manufacturing guns for the Indian Army, and now tanks and other equipment would also be manufactured here," the Chief Minister said.

He also announced that a textile centre equipped with advanced technology will be set up in Jabalpur, while over a dozen new industries will come up in Chhindwara.

The state's tourism & heritage sector will witness tremendous growth in the next few years, creating more employment opportunities, he said.

Stating that the number of medical and other educational colleges has increased in the past few years in Madhya Pradesh, CM Yadav said, "We have more than 275 units in the pharma sector and products are being exported to over 160 countries."

Stating that the state government will provide a business-friendly environment, he appealed to the representatives from business houses present at the conclave to invest in Madhya Pradesh.

The Chief Minister also held one-to-one meetings with around 30 industrialists and received their investment proposals.

Marking the occasion, CM Yadav laid the foundation for 67 industries and allocated around 340 acres of land for 260 units, including four food parks, according to an official statement.

Before the Chief Minister's address, state government officials gave a presentation on the scope of industrial growth in Madhya Pradesh.

This was the second Regional Industry Conclave organised in the state under the leadership of CM Yadav. The first was organised at Ujjain in the first week of March.
Colombo, July 20 : Sri Lanka's Department of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources on Saturday said two fishing vessels carrying six Sri Lankan fishermen have gone missing.

Talking to the media, Director General of the department Susantha Kahawatta said that these vessels left Sri Lanka, from different ports, on July 7.

One of them is a multi-day fishing vessel carrying four while the other is a one-day fishing vessel with two fishermen, Kahawatta said, Xinhua news agency reported.

The department has informed the Sri Lankan navy and other relevant agencies, who have started search operation to locate the vessels and their crews, he said.
A tourist from abroad visits the scenic spot of Dazu Rock Carvings in southwest China's Chongqing, July 19, 2024.

Chongqing is soaring as a favored entry point for foreign tourists. This municipality has received more than 510,000 inbound foreign visitors in the first half of this year. (Xinhua/Wang Quanchao)

Tourists from Indonesia enjoy snacks at Jiefangbei, a core business area in southwest China's Chongqing, July 17, 2024.

Chongqing is soaring as a favored entry point for foreign tourists. This municipality has received more than 510,000 inbound foreign visitors in the first half of this year. (Xinhua/Wang Quanchao)

Tourists from Indonesia visit Jiefangbei, a core business area in southwest China's Chongqing, July 17, 2024.

Chongqing is soaring as a favored entry point for foreign tourists. This municipality has received more than 510,000 inbound foreign visitors in the first half of this year. (Xinhua/Wang Quanchao)

A tourist from abroad shoots a video at the scenic spot of Dazu Rock Carvings in southwest China's Chongqing, July 19, 2024.

Chongqing is soaring as a favored entry point for foreign tourists. This municipality has received more than 510,000 inbound foreign visitors in the first half of this year. (Xinhua/Wang Quanchao)

Tourists from abroad visit the scenic spot of Dazu Rock Carvings in southwest China's Chongqing, July 19, 2024.

Chongqing is soaring as a favored entry point for foreign tourists. This municipality has received more than 510,000 inbound foreign visitors in the first half of this year. (Xinhua/Wang Quanchao)

Tourists from Indonesia visit Jiefangbei, a core business area in southwest China's Chongqing, July 17, 2024.

Chongqing is soaring as a favored entry point for foreign tourists. This municipality has received more than 510,000 inbound foreign visitors in the first half of this year. (Xinhua/Wang Quanchao)
Charikar : , July 20 (IANS) At least two people were killed and six others injured in a blast in east Afghanistan's Parwan province, Fazal Reem Maskin Yar, spokesman of the provincial police department, said on Saturday.

The incident took place in an iron market in Charikar City, the provincial capital of Parwan on Saturday afternoon, the official said.

The incident is still under investigation and possible results will be announced to the public, he said, Xinhua news agency reported.

Afghanistan is one of the most landmine-contaminated countries in the world, where unexploded ordnances and landmines left over from the past four decades of wars, claim a huge amount of lives, mostly children.
New Delhi, July 20 : A Delhi court on Saturday recorded the statement of Dr Lalit Bhasin, an independent director on the board of Godfrey Phillips India Ltd (GPI), in a defamation suit filed against Samir Modi for putting out in the media a "false story" of orchestration of an assault.

Judge Shriya Agarwal of Saket Court was hearing the defamation suits filed by the four GPI directors against the "scurrilous, false and defamatory statements" of Samir Modi, who is an executive director of GPI.

As per the complainants, in an interview given to a media outlet on June 1, Samir Modi "concocted a patently false story about an allegedly broken index finger resulting from a premeditated attack with the intention to kill by the members of the Board of GPI".

The complaint added that "there was no attack whatsoever" on Samir Modi and the CCTV footage and the personal affidavits of several eyewitnesses to the incident will establish that there is not an iota of truth in the story sought to be put out by him.

It said that on May 30, the day when Samir Modi "manufactured a story of an assault", he actively participated in the meetings, including an Audit Committee meeting which he was neither entitled nor invited to attend, signed multiple papers and neither spoke of any grievous injury nor displayed any physical discomfort.

"The accused has deliberately made false and scurrilous statements to put out a concocted narrative with the intention of harming the good reputation and high repute of the complainant," the complaint filed before the court said.

Directors Atul Kumar Gupta, Bina Modi, Lalit Bhasin and Nirmala Bagri requested the court to take cognisance of their distinct complaints and issue summons to the accused, try and punish him for the offence of defamation punishable under the Indian Penal Code, 1860.
Pune, July 20 : A Pune court on Saturday extended the police custody of Manorama Khedkar - mother of controversial IAS Probationary Officer Puja Khedkar - by two days.

Pune, July 20 (IANS) A Pune court on Saturday extended the police custody of Manorama Khedkar a" mother of controversial IAS Probationary Officer Puja Khedkar a" by two days.

Arrested from Mahad in Raigad, Manorama Khedkar was remanded to two-day police custody by the Paud Judicial Magistrate First Class Court on Thursday, which has now been extended by another two days till Monday.

Seeking an extension of her remand, the police informed the court about the progress in the investigation, saying that they needed to identify two other women involved in the matter.

Besides, the police need to probe the involvement of a person named Sandeep Khedkar and another unknown person in the case pertaining to Manorama Khedkar brandishing a pistol and threatening some farmers in the Mulshi region, allegedly to grab their land.

Countering the police, Manorama Khedkaras lawyer Vijay Jagtap argued that the section pertaining to attempt to murder (Section 307) was not applicable in her case as no bullet was fired, and hence she was entitled to bail.

Besides, all other charges against his client were bailable offences, and her husband Dilip K. Khedkar has also been given interim pre-arrest bail, Jagtap said.

After listening to both sides, the court extended Manorama Khedkaras police remand by two more days.

In the past couple of days, the police have recovered the pistol she had allegedly used to threaten the farmers, and seized a car belonging to her.

Manorama Khedkar was booked after a July 2023 video surfaced on social media last week, showing her threatening some farmers

Amid a furore, Manorama Khedkar went amissinga as also did her husband Dilip Khedkar, an ex-Maharashtra government official. She was traced to a nondescript lodge in Mahad from where she was arrested on Thursday.

Dilip Khedkar, who is still untraceable, has been granted an interim pre-arrest bail till July 25.

Meanwhile, their daughter Puja Khedkar, who was expected to come from Washim to the Pune Police Commissionerate to record her statement on the harassment charges she has levelled against the Pune Collector, did not turn up despite being served two summonses, officials said.

On Friday, the Union Public Service Commission (UPSC) lodged an FIR against her with the Delhi Police for fraud, besides serving her a show-cause notice seeking to know why her candidature for the Civil Services Exam-2022 should not be cancelled.
Yaounde, July 20 : At least four armed separatists have been killed in a military offensive in Cameroon's English-speaking region of Northwest, the army said on Saturday.

The raid took place Friday in Alabukam, a neighborhood in Bamenda, the regional capital.

Among those killed was deputy commander of separatist fighters in the locality "who has been terrorizing" civilians, the military said in a statement, Xinhua news agency reported.

Bamenda has witnessed renewed violence since early July, after separatist fighters ordered that all taxis in the city be painted in blue and white, the colours of the flag of so-called "Ambazonia," which they want to create in Cameroon's Anglophone regions of Northwest and Southwest.

Armed separatists began clashing with government forces in the regions in 2017.
London, July 20 : Goals from Gabriel Jesus and Emile Smith Rowe gave Arsenal a 2-0 win over Leyton Orient in a behind-closed-doors friendly at the Sobha Realty Training Centre. A team featuring the likes of Martin Odegaard, Ben White, Jurrien Timber and Fabio Vieira were too strong for the League One opponents, as the Gunners controlled proceedings for most of the afternoon.

Mikel Arteta's lineup consisted mainly of players who weren't involved in Euro 2024 or Copa America, having had a couple of weeks' training already under their belts. Youth players Ayden Heaven and Myles Lewis-Skelly were also involved from the start -- the former in the centre of defence alongside Jurrien Timber, and Lewis-Skelly starting at left-back.

There was little goalmouth action in the opening 20 minutes, and the first shot on target resulted in the first goal. Good work on the left wing between Lewis-Skelly and Reiss Nelson resulted in Eddie Nketiah squaring for Jesus to tuck home to open the scoring.

Smith Rowe came on at half-time and within three minutes had doubled the lead. Jesus was involved again, bringing a high ball under his spell before laying it off for Smith Rowe to rifle past the keeper.

Arsenalas first-team squad will leave for Los Angeles on Sunday for their pre-season tour playing against Bournemouth then Manchester United on Sunday before their final game in the USA Tour against Liverpool.
New Delhi, July 20 : Union Minister of State (MoS) for Commerce and Industry, Jitin Prasada, had a close shave on Saturday after his car met with an accident in Uttar Pradesh's Pilibhit district.

New Delhi, July 20 (IANS) Union Minister of State (MoS) for Commerce and Industry, Jitin Prasada, had a close shave on Saturday after his car met with an accident in Uttar Pradeshas Pilibhit district.

According to reports, the car in which the Union Minister was travelling was hit by another vehicle of his cavalcade. The Ministeras car reportedly got damaged in the collision. Fortunately, all are said to be safe barring minor injuries to one person.

The mishap happened when Jitin Prasada was on a tour to Pilibhit, his Lok Sabha constituency.

Following a brief stopover after the accident, the Ministeras convoy headed for its destination.

Jitin Prasada went to visit his Lok Sabha constituency to take stock of the relief efforts undertaken after floods wreaked havoc in the district.

Days ago, at least six districts of Uttar Pradesh, including Pilibhit, got inundated with flood water after widespread rainfall in the state.
New Delhi, July 20 : The All India Muslim Personal Law Board (AIMPLB) along with other Muslim bodies on Saturday expressed strong reservations over alleged attempts to undermine the status of madrasas in BJP-ruled states including Uttar Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh and others and termed it 'blatantly illegal'.

In a joint statement, it said that the directives of the National Commission for Protection of Child Rights (NCPCR) to state governments concerning minority educational institutions (Madrasas) is illegal and beyond the Commission's jurisdiction.

It claimed that the Uttar Pradesh government published a list of 8,449 'unrecognised schools' which include renowned and historical institutions including Darul Uloom Deoband, Darul Uloom Nadwatul Ulema, Lucknow, Mazahir Uloom Saharanpur, Jamia Salafia Varanasi, Jamia Ashrafia Mubarakpur, Madrasatul Islah Saraimeer, and Jamia Al-Falah Baleriaganj, besides others.

AIMPLB further claimed that the administrators of these madrasas are being pressured and threatened in case of non-compliance.

"The district administration has removed non-Muslim students from these schools and transferred them to government schools, which is an attack on their personal right to choose, and upon our joint Indian culture and civilisation," it claimed in a statement signed by noted figures of AIMPLB, Jamiat-Ulema-e-Hind and Jamiat Ahl-e-Hadith.

Claiming similar 'oppressive' treatment in Madhya Pradesh, it said that the state government went a step further and compelled madrasa students to perform Saraswati Vandana daily.

It further said that it will stand against the 'hostile' policies of state governments and take legal recourse.

"We demand that the administration of these states cease these illegal, unethical and oppressive actions and to not jeopardise the future of children. We stand resolute to take all possible legal and democratic actions to change these minority-hostile policies of the state governments," it stated further in a press statement.
Agartala/Guwahati, July 20 : The India-Bangladesh border would remain open for 24 hours to facilitate the students and other people of India and other countries to enter from the trouble-torn neighbouring country, where the situation remains extremely volatile due to the protests on quota issue for the last three weeks.

A Border Security Force (BSF) spokesperson said that Tripura Frontier Inspector General (IG) of the force, Patel Piyush Purushottam Das, and other senior officials are in close contact with the Bangladesh Army, Border Guard Bangladesh (BGB) and Bangladesh Police to evacuate the India-bound students and other people.

"The BSF is closely monitoring the situation across the border and troops are on high alert," the spokesman told IANS, adding that the Tripura Frontier IG has assured all possible assistance to the students and other people entering India through various checkposts.

He said that the BSF has made all necessary arrangements including refreshments and transport at the check posts to facilitate smooth arrival and further movement of these students to their destinations.

Students of India and other countries who are studying in Bangladesh are returning to India as the students' agitation has now become violent in the neighbouring country.

According to BSF sources, over 600 students from India, Nepal, and Bhutan along with some stranded tourists from trouble torn Bangladesh returned to India on Saturday through the checkposts of Tripura, Assam and Meghalaya along the border with the neighbouring country.

Over 600 students, mostly Indian, returned to India on Friday through the Tripura, Assam and Meghalaya borders.

"The students of India and other countries are mainly coming from Dhaka, Comilla and Brahmanbaria. The Indian students belong to northeastern states, Uttar Pradesh, Punjab, Haryana, West Bengal and Jammu and Kashmir," the BSF spokesman said.

Five Indian states -- West Bengal (2,216 km), Tripura (856 km), Meghalaya (443 km), Mizoram (318 km) and Assam (263 km) share a 4,096-km border with Bangladesh.

Officials from the state governments of northeastern states along with police and BSF officials are camping in the various checkposts in Tripura, Assam and Meghalaya to receive the students and other people from Bangladesh.

The High Commission in Dhaka and the Assistant High Commissions in Chittagong, Rajshahi, Sylhet and Khulna are available on helpline numbers for any assistance required by the Indian nationals.

External Affairs Ministry spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said in Delhi that around 15,000 Indian nationals, including 8,500 students, reside in Bangladesh.

He said that External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar is monitoring the situation, while the High Commission in Dhaka will provide regular updates on the situation there.

Meanwhile, the External Affairs Ministry has urged Indian nationals in Bangladesh to follow the advisory issued by the High Commission in Dhaka and to be in touch with the High Commission.

Bangladesh has announced the imposition of a curfew and the deployment of military forces after police failed to quell days of deadly unrest that has spread throughout the country.

Violence erupted in the country after protests by students demanding reforms in the quota system for government jobs.

The clashes between student demonstrators and police have killed at least 105 people so far.
Mumbai, July 20 : Maharashtra Excise Minister Shambhuraj Desai, who is a close confidant of Chief Minister Eknath Shinde, on Saturday urged the Maratha quota activist Manoj Jarange-Patil to take a conciliatory stance on the issue instead of going on a fast.

Desai's appeal came hours after Manoj Jarange-Patil on Saturday launched yet another indefinite hunger strike demanding implementation of the draft 'sage-soyare' notification that recognises Kunbis as blood relatives of the Maratha community members.

"I met Manoj Jarange-Patil who had sat on hunger strike last month and held a detailed discussion. At that time, he had presented three demands including the execution of the draft 'sage-soyare' notification, distribution of Kunbi certificates based on the Hyderabad Gazette and withdrawal of offences against pro-Maratha reservation protesters. Thereafter, I personally held a meeting with the concerned officials," said Desai.

He further stated that the state government is still working on how to execute the draft notification as it has demanded documents from the Telangana government regarding the Hyderabad Gazette.

Further, the minister said that the process of withdrawing the offences is underway.

"The government is working on the demands made by Manoj Jarange-Patil," he added.

"The government has not backed down from those promises... the government wants to address the reservation issue. Manoj Jarange-Patil should take a conciliatory stance on this issue. The state government has already given 10 per cent reservation to Marathas," said Desai.

Meanwhile, Desai also urged Jarange-Patil not to criticise the state government's ambitious Mukhyamantri Majhi Ladki Bahin Yojana, saying that the government has not only made the announcements but also started its implementation.

Desai's response came after Jarange-Patilas criticism of the scheme.
New Delhi, July 20 : Prime Minister Narendra Modi will inaugurate the 46th Session of the World Heritage Committee on Sunday here at the Bharat Mandapam.

Taking to X on Saturday, PM Modi wrote: "It's a matter of immense joy that India is hosting the meeting of the World Heritage Committee in New Delhi. This is the first time our nation is hosting this Committee. I look forward to attending the programme at 7 p.m. tomorrow evening. This is an important forum to exchange views on ways to preserve our heritage."

The Prime Minister's Office in a statement mentioned that PM Modi will also address the gathering on the occasion.

Unesco DG Audrey Azoulay will also attend the inaugural event.

India is hosting the World Heritage Committee Meeting for the first time. It will take place from July 21 to July 31 at Bharat Mandapam.

The World Heritage Committee meets once a year and is responsible for managing all matters pertaining to World Heritage and deciding on sites to be inscribed on the World Heritage list, the statement said.

The statement also noted that during the meeting, proposals for nominating new sites on the World Heritage list, State of Conservation reports of 124 existing World Heritage properties, International Assistance and Utilisation of World Heritage Funds, etc., will be discussed. The meeting will be attended by more than 2,000 international and national delegates from more than 150 countries.

Along with the World Heritage Committee Meeting, World Heritage Young Professionals' Forum and World Heritage Site Managersa Forum are also being held on the sidelines, the PMO statement said.

Further, various exhibitions will also be set up at Bharat Mandapam to showcase India's culture. The Return of Treasures Exhibition will showcase some of the retrieved artefacts brought back to the country.

"Till date, more than 350 artefacts have been brought back. Further, by using the latest AR & VR technologies, an immersive experience will be offered for 3 world heritage sites of India: Rani ki Vav, Patan, Gujarat; Kailasa Temple, Ellora Caves, Maharashtra; and Hoysala Temple, Halebid, Karnataka. "

Also, an 'Incredible India' exhibition will be set up to highlight Indiaas rich cultural heritage, age-old civilisation, geographical diversity, tourism destinations along with modern developments in the field of Information Technology and infrastructure," the statement added.
SANTIAGO, June 19 (Xinhua) -- A 7.3-magnitude earthquake left at least one person dead and a bridge with a fracture in northern Chile on Thursday night, the National Service for Disaster Prevention and Response said Friday.

The tremor, which could be felt in several regions, occurred some 20 kilometers south of the town of San Pedro de Atacama at 9:50 p.m. local time on Thursday.

San Pedro de Atacama, a tourist town that houses astronomical centers and is about 1,600 kilometers north of Santiago, the Chilean capital, suffered a total power outage, said Ricardo Munizaga, the regional director of the National Service for Disaster Prevention and Response in Antofagasta.

Located on the so-called Pacific Ring of Fire, Chile is considered as one of the most seismic countries on the planet. 
Panchkula : , July 20 (IANS) The Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) on Saturday sounded the election bugle for the Haryana Assembly elections here with the wife of Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal, Sunita Kejriwal, saying that her husband is "the son of Haryana", and she was married to him in 1994.

"At that time, Arvind ji's family lived in Hisar. His father used to work there. Arvind ji was born in Siwani village, but his education and upbringing took place in Hisar," Sunita Kejriwal said at the state-level programme in Panchkula, near here, where she launched five guarantees to woo electorates.

Accompanied by Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann, Rajya Sabha MP Sanjay Singh, the party's national general secretary Sandeep Pathak, state party chief Sushil Gupta, among others, Sunita said Arvind Kejriwal has given five guarantees to the public -- the first of which will be free domestic electricity like Delhi and Punjab.

"There will be provision of electricity 24 hours a day," she said.

"The second guarantee is that, like Delhi and Punjab, we will work on building mohalla clinics in every village and every city. Government hospitals will be good, everyone will get good and free treatment.

"The third guarantee will be to make government schools better, where good and free education will be provided. The fourth guarantee will be to give Rs 1,000 every month to our mothers and sisters. And the fifth guarantee will provide employment for every unemployed youth," Sunita Kejriwal said.

She said "God wants him to do something big".

"Arvind ji contested elections for the first time and became the Chief Minister of Delhi. He created a stir in the country's politics. Did such work which no other party could do. Today, people all over the world know Arvind Kejriwal for his work," she added.

Sunita Kejriwal said that her husband improved the government schools of Delhi and Punjab.

"Made the future of poor children brighter. Made wonderful mohalla clinics and hospitals, where free and good treatment is provided. He made the electricity free. Women were given the facility to travel free in the bus. Organised free pilgrimage for the elderly and gave an honorarium of Rs 1,000 to every woman every month. Only Haryana's 'Lal' Arvind Kejriwal can do this."

Meanwhile, Punjab CM Bhagwant Mann said that Arvind Kejriwal and his wife Sunita left the Income Tax Department job to serve the public.

"We do not consider politics as a business, it is not a profession but a passion. If the leaders of other parties were right, then what was the need for us to form a party? They challenged us to do it. We did it, so now they are saying don't come.

"The people of Haryana gave every party a chance. But no one turned out to be good. When we went to Jind, Kaithal, Tohana and Sonipat to hold rallies, people used to tell us that if you are doing such good work in Delhi and Punjab, then come to Haryana also, so that our standard of living also becomes higher," he added.
Kolkata, July 20 : The office of West Bengal Governor C.V. Ananda Bose on Saturday released the preliminary report of an independent in-house judicial inquiry conducted by a retired judge, which termed charges of 'sexual harassment' levelled against the Governor by a female contractual employee of the Raj Bhavan 'baseless'.

In the report filed by retired district judge D. Ramabathiran, a copy of which has been accessed by IANS, the possibility of the alleged occurrence on April 24 and May 2 at the Raj Bhavan aas stated by the complainant has been ruled out as baseless allegations".

As per the report, eight staff members of the Raj Bhavan were examined by the retired judge in the course of the probe, including the Governoras Aide-De-Camp Major Nikhil Kumar and Manish Joshi, telephone operator Kaveri Kar, attendant Saima Begum, supervisor Munna Chowdhury, attendant Kusum Chettri, chaprasi Sant Kumar Lal, and OSD Sandeep Kumar Singh.

The report said that on May 2, the day when a police complaint was filed against the Governor by the contractual staff of the Governor's House, Prime Minister Narendra Modi was in Kolkata and made a night stay at the Raj Bhavan for which the members of the Special Protection Group (SPG) were already in the city.

The report raised questions about the possibility of such an event occurring on that day.

The report also mentioned that no woman staff member of the Raj Bhavan expressed any similar apprehension against the Governor during the course of the investigation.

Trashing the internal report, Trinamool Congress leader Kunal Ghosh said it is an eyewash as the Governor has given himself the clean chit by getting a probe done on his own.

He also questioned the justification of conducting the investigation by a retired district judge from a southern state.
Budapest, July 20 : Invicta Racing's Kush Maini on Saturday became the first Indian driver to win a Formula 2 race, inheriting the top position in the Sprint Race in the Hungarian Grand Prix after winner Richard Verschoor was disqualified from the results. Following the conclusion of the FIA Formula 2 Sprint Race in Budapest, Trident's Verschoor was disqualified after a technical investigation found an irregularity in his car.

Budapest, July 20 (IANS) Invicta Racing's Kush Maini on Saturday became the first Indian driver to win a Formula 2 race, inheriting the top position in the Sprint Race in the Hungarian Grand Prix after winner Richard Verschoor was disqualified from the results. Following the conclusion of the FIA Formula 2 Sprint Race in Budapest, Tridentas Verschoor was disqualified after a technical investigation found an irregularity in his car.

A post-race report by the FIA Technical Delegate indicated that the plank on Car #22 had a maximum thickness of 3.7mm at the most rearward scrutineering hole, below the minimum specified thickness in the 2024 FIA Formula 2 Technical Regulations, the FIA said in a statement on Saturday. It was determined that the plank fitted to Verschooras car was indeed below the minimum thickness required, therefore breaching Article 3.4.3 of the Technical Regulations, and Car 22 was thus disqualified from the Sprint Race classification.

Campos Racingas Isack Hadjar was also promoted to the final podium position and earned the point for the fastest lap, while Juan Manuel Correa of DAMS Lucas Oil now takes the final point in eighth place.

Earlier, Verschoor claimed a well-earned victory at the Budapest Sprint Race, putting in a mature performance after losing the lead early on to claim his fourth win in Formula 2. The Dutch driver was able to pull away from Kush Maini at the end on his way to the top step, with the Invicta Racing driver crossing the line in second ahead of ART Grands Prixas Victor Martins in third.

Maini has remained in the second position as he started on the front row with pole-sitter Verschoor. Andrea Kimi Antonelli fired up his Soft tyres from P4 and went around the outside of the Invicta car at Turn 2, to take second.

By the end of Lap 5, Antonelli was over two seconds clear out front, while Maini was beginning to close in on Verschoor for P2, with Martins just behind on his Softs. But as the drivers set off on Lap 11, what had been a lead of over two seconds for Antonelli had now been closed to 1.6s, as the Hard tyre runners began to come into their own.

Further back, Maini had also created a gap of over two seconds to Martins, who was now defending from Dennis Hauger in the battle for P4.

On Lap 13 of 28, Hadjar used DRS to get ahead of Bortoleto for P7, while Hauger had dropped back from Martins and had fallen to P6 behind Fittipaldi. Verschoor was now right on the back of Antonelli as they started Lap 16, but the PREMA driver was resisting each attack. However, he could not hold on much longer, running wide at the final corner before locking up into Turn 1, allowing both Verschoor and Maini through.

By the final lap, Verschoor had built a two-second gap out front and crossed the line to take his fourth Formula 2 victory ahead of Maini, with Martins taking the final spot on the podium. Hadjar ended up in P4 ahead of Hauger and Colapinto, with Aron making his way through to P7 as Barnard rounded out the points in P8.
Bengaluru, July 21 : The Karnataka High Court has recalled its recent order, which stated that only viewing child pornography is not an offense under the IT Act.

A division bench of Justice M. Nagaprasanna withdrew the order stating that the bench had earlier 'misread' Section 67B (b) while passing the order on Thursday.

"We are also human beings and mistakes do happen on our side. There is always an opportunity for corrections. An inquiry will be done in this regard and a new order will be delivered. This order is cancelled," the bench said.

It also noted that the order was passed under Section 67B (a) of the IT Act, following a petition filed in this regard by the state government.

Section 67B (b) of the IT Act states that creating text or digital pictures, collecting, searching, browsing, downloading, making advertisements, circulating, exchanging, or picturising children in an obscene, indecent manner is open for investigation under the section.

The high court had earlier observed that only watching child pornography is not an offense under the provisions of the IT Act, granting relief to a man accused of viewing a website containing child pornography for 50 minutes.

The complaint was registered against the petitioner under Section 67B of the IT Act (publishing or transmitting material containing children) in March 2022.

The petitioner's counsel argued that Section 67B could not be applied in the case as his client had only viewed the website, and not circulated anything.
Mumbai, July 21 : Amid the ongoing protests over Maratha and OBC reservation issues, Maharashtra unit BJP chief Chandrashekhar Bawankule on Saturday dared the Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) to declare whether it will provide reservations to the Maratha community from the existing OBC quota.

He further said that the MVA should give such a written assurance in its assembly election manifesto.

"MVA should announce that it will provide reservations for the Maratha community by reducing the OBC quota. MVA should give such an assurance in its election manifesto. My challenge is that MVA's 31 MPs should announce that they will reduce the OBC reservation and give it to the Maratha community. However, MVA leaders cannot declare it as they are liars," he said at a press conference.

"The Maratha community must get reservation but it is BJP's clear stand that it should not be at the expense of OBCs. The reservation was given to the Maratha community by Devendra Fadnavis when he was the Chief Minister and it was also upheld in the High Court. However, Uddhav Thackeray could not maintain this reservation in the Supreme Court when he was the Chief Minister. However, MVA has always taken a two-pronged stand regarding reservation," said Bawankule at the press conference.

His statements came days after MVA did not attend the all party meeting convened by the Chief Minister Eknath Shinde to discuss the stalemate over reservation, and arrive at a consensus formula.

However, the Opposition defended its move saying that the government should address the issue citing separate meetings held by CM Eknath Shinde and Deputy CM Devendra Fadnavis with Maratha and OBC leaders without keeping them in the loop.

Bawankule said that a vote for MVA candidates in the upcoming Assembly elections will harm 14 crore people of the state.

"MVA's only agenda is to disrupt the public welfare schemes of Prime Minister Narendra Modi-led government in the state and not allow the people of the state to benefit from those schemes. If the MVA government comes to power, the grand coalition (MahaYuti) government, it will scrap various welfare schemes announced by the state government and the Centre," he said.
Jaipur, July 21 : The Rajasthan government has sent a recommendation to the Central government to get the investigation done by the CBI into the fake Aadhaar card case reported from Sanchore.

Parliamentary Affairs Minister Jogaram Patel said this while responding to Congress MLA Ratan Dewasi in the Assembly on Saturday.

Patel said that the IT Ministry had suggested handing over the investigation to the CBI.

The Minister said that some accused have been arrested in this case while the search for others was underway.

Earlier, during the proceedings of the Assembly on Saturday, Congress MLA Ratan Dewasi raised the issue, saying that Aadhaar cards are being prepared using fake photos and fingerprints.

He claimed that Aadhaar cards are prepared by giving Rs 200 each to school children for fingerprints.

"All the Aadhaar card centres in the border areas should be investigated. Also, the state government should form a separate team for this matter's investigation," MLA Dewasi said, adding that Aadhaar cards were being made by taking the pictures of the pupils of the eyes of animals and by taking the fingerprints of the feet instead of hands which poses a huge threat to national security.

Parliamentary Affairs Minister Jogaram Patel said that the investigation of the fake Aadhar card case is going on.

"Strict action will be taken against the culprits. E-mitra operators in the state will be investigated. A thorough investigation of the Aadhaar cards made till now will be done," he said.
Jaipur, July 21 : The Rajasthan Police on Saturday busted an international gang and arrested three persons, including two Nepali citizens and one Indian citizen, in connection with a robbery incident that took place in Sukher police station area of Udaipur, the police said.

The accused have been identified as Veer Bahadur alias Bal Bahadur Dhami and Hira Singh Kami, both residents of Nepal, and one Afzal Khan, a resident of Delhi's Ashok Nagar.

The main accused Veer Bahadur is a wanted criminal, who carried a bounty of Rs 5 lakh in connection with a robbery of Rs 7 crore reported in Uttar Pradesh's Meerut district.

The vehicle used in the robbery in Udaipur, an Ertiga car, along with sedatives given to make the victims unconscious while committing the crime has been seized from the accused persons.

The police are searching for six other accused persons, including a woman who worked as a domestic help at the house of the victim's family in Nepal.

According to the police, all the accused had a common modus operandi.

The police on Saturday resolved the robbery incident of Rs 22 lakh committed at the house of a businessman in Udaipur.

Officials said that the accused used to send servants to several houses through placement companies and gather information about the people and the map of the house.

The accused have confessed to committing crimes in Delhi, Gurugram, the Juhu area of Mumbai, etc.

The search for the remaining accused, including the maid, is underway in Nepal.

On July 9, Karishma, a maid from Nepal who had come to find work at a house in Udaipur a month ago, had called eight other associates and looted Rs 22 lakh by mixing drugs in the food of businessman Sanjay Gandhi (47), wife Shilpa Gandhi (40), son Shaurya (10) and daughter Neonika (18).

Udaipur Superintendent of Police (SP) Yogesh Goyal said: "The main accused Veer Bahadur alias Bal Bahadur Dhami, 38, from Doti (Nepal), Hira Singh (31), from Doti (Nepal), and driver Afzal (29), from Delhi have been arrested."

"After the incident on July 9, police teams were formed which gathered information about Karishma from a placement agency. With the help of the Cyber team, information about the accused Karishma was gathered and it was found that she was using a mobile stolen from Mumbai," the SP added.
In What If We Get It Right? (One World, Sept.), marine biologist Ayana Elizabeth Johnson gathers insights from experts to argue that a sustainable future would be possible if we deployed the climate solution that we already have.

What inspired you to write this book?

As someone whos been involved in climate communication for years, the thing that I kept wanting was some sense of what the future could hold if we actually deployed all these climate solutions that we already have. And sometimes I had this feeling that one of the things holding us back was people just lacking a sense that it was worth the effort. I realized that I needed to talk directly to experts and ask this big question of What if we get it right? and let people hear the wisdom in their words.

Describe your thoughts on how AI and wealthy investors can be part of the solution.

It just seemed like the book would be incomplete without addressing that topic with some amount of rigor. AI is arguably the largest new force shaping society: its changing the way we use energy, its changing the way we receive information. Its going to influence our ability to address the climate crisis. And as much as I want to just ignore it, it doesnt seem to be going away.

I will never be a billionaire. There are many things I cant relate to about being able to move through the world with that many resources. But we have a bunch of billionaires in the world and a bunch of them want to help solve climate change. So, what does that look like? Even though there are things that I dont know about personally or cant really relate to, it doesnt mean they shouldnt be considered as part of the solution. The overall goal is to build the biggest, strongest team.

What was your takeaway from talking with youth climate activists?

That the movement has to be intergenerational. A lot of people are putting pressure on these young climate leaders, expecting them to already be taking over. But they do not control the majority of the wealth on this planet, they do not have relationships with people in power. So while they are leading the way forward, we can't just say the young people are on top of it. We need to figure out how to collaborate across generations.

Talk about the diagram you included to help readers find their role in the climate movement.

For years Ive been getting asked, What can I do to help? But people are kind of like, What's the one quick, easy thing I can do to help?which doesn't exist. Every action matters, but what really matters is sustained action, being part of a broader initiative. So the answer really depends on who you are, what resources and networks and skills you have, and what you find gratifying. The diagram is a simple method to help people remap their way to what they should be doing.

This article has been updated for clarity.
The writing room in Rachel Kushners Los Angeles home is filled with globes, maps, and tribal art, and is both a workspace and a curious art installation. Kushner modeled the room on Sigmund Freuds London office, where the psychoanalyst displayed archival objects from Africa and the Middle Eastcreating what Kushner calls a strange commentary on early-20th-century comfort with colonialism and theft.

I like my office to cite, while smirking at, male importance, Kushner says over FaceTime. Among the objects on her bookshelves are an Aztec mask given to her by her grandfather and a model ship. When youre checking the boxes on a macho office, she says, a model ship would be one of the things youd include.

There are also nods to modern art and literature: ceramic emoji given to her by the artist Laura Owens and a framed letter from Don DeLillo. Then there are the small lamps she turns on at night while working. Its corny, but I think of them as harbor lights, she says. As the ideas are coming in, they need to know where to go, and I leave a little light on for them.

Kushner, a 2013 Guggenheim Foundation fellow, is the author of inventive, idea-rich works that have been translated into 27 languages. These include the novels Telex from Cuba (2008) and The Flamethrowers (2013), both National Book Award finalists, and The Mars Room (2018), winner of the Prix Medicis and a Booker Prize finalist. Shes also published a collection of short stories, The Strange Case of Rachel K (2015), and a book of essays, The Hard Crowd (2021).

Kushners magnetic new novel, Creation Lake, out in September from Scribner, is a literary noir thriller about Sadie Smith (not her real name), a 34-year-old American secret agent whos hired by a shadowy organization to go to rural France and infiltrate a commune of subversives who are planning to sabotage a controversial public works project. The state wants to siphon groundwater from local caves, lakes, and rivers and capture it in megabasins to be used by corporations for large-scale farming. Sadie must find out what the group, Le Moulin, is planning to do. As the story unfolds, Sadie, a coolly detached master of seduction who reads like an even more dysfunctional James Bond, initiates an affair with a man associated with Le Moulin and hacks into the email of the groups elusive mentor, Bruno, a philosopher who opines about everything from Neanderthals to capitalism.

I dont consider Creation Lake to be a straight-ahead noir novel, but I did get really into reading the French noir novelist Jean-Patrick Manchette, and this book is kind of a secret homage to him, says Kushner, who visits France every year. Hes funny and outrageous, and theres a lot of action in his books, and usually the narrative shape is such that you arrive at this big event thats going to determine the protagonists destiny and instead it becomes a full-blown fiasco, and I find that wonderful and was inspired by that structure.

Nan Graham, Kushners editor, admires the author for her ability to tell bold stories in original ways while playing with genre. Rachel is a rare, brilliant writerone of the best in this moment in our culture, Graham says.

Kushner wrote Creation Lake for 14 monthssometimes getting up at 4 or 5 a.m. and working until 7 or 8 p.m. Id never had that kind of obsessive schedule, she says. I couldnt wait to get up and keep going. The books irresistible narrator became something of an alter ego. Sadie started taking on qualities that I lack. She can smell fear and insecurity and isnt concerned with other people except insofar as she can manipulate them. I look to see what effect Im having on others because I want them to like me. Shes not like that.

Susan Golomb, Kushners agent, thinks the writers skill at creating complicated characters makes her a standout. Rachel is able to put a reader under a characters spell, Golomb says. Each time she writes a new book its leaps and bounds beyond the last one. With Rachel, everythings always guns blazing.

Born in 1968 in Eugene, Ore., Kushner was raised by brainy hippie parentsboth hold PhDs in sciencewho drove a converted school bus and gave Kushner the autonomy to forge her own path. I was a pensive kid but also really up for life, says Kushner, who had her first job in kindergarten reshelving books at a feminist bookstore. The treacherous world of people enthralled me. I was always drawn to study people, even more so than books.

Kushner moved with her parents to San Francisco in 1979 and, at 16, enrolled at the University of California, Berkeley, where she majored in political economy, graduating in 1990. She moved to New York City in 1996, earned her MFA in creative writing from Columbia in 2001, and worked as an editor at Grand Street and Bomb. While in N.Y.C., she also started Telex from Cubaa book partly inspired by a postgraduation trip she took to Cuba with her mom.

 I like my office to cite, while smirking at, male importance. When youre checking the boxes on a macho office, a model ship would be one of the things youd include. 

In 2003, seeking more time to work on Telex, Kushner quit her Bomb job and moved to Los Angeles, where she met her husband, Jason. They married at city hall in 2007the bride wore jeanswhen she was five months pregnant with their son, Remy, now 16.

These days, Kushner gives Remy the same leeway that her parents gave her. I encourage a lot of independence, she says. Both she and Remy are classic car enthusiastsshe drives a 1964 Ford Galaxie 500, he a 1969 Dodge Dartand Remy has become a skilled mechanic. A while back, when he was rebuilding his front end, he was in the garage using torches. I didnt go back there once asking if he was safe. I just gave him a fire extinguisher.

Being a parent has brought boundless joy to Kushners world, something that writing does, tooeven when its difficult. I just show up every morning and try, she says of her writing practice. You have to be prepared for when inspiration hits. And that means being at the desk, and switching on those twinkling harbor lights to help guide the good ideas home. Its not like I can go to the beach and wait until I get an idea. I have to be there searchingfacing the void.

Elaine Szewczyks writing has appeared in McSweeneys and other publications. Shes the author of the novel Im with Stupid.

Corrections: An earlier version of this article stated that Kushner had lights string lights; they are small lamps. Also: Kushner drives a Galaxie 500 not a Galaxy 500. Additionally, Kushner comments about her writing routine have been edited for clarity.
BEIJING, July 20 (Xinhua) -- Chinese ministries of finance and emergency management have allocated 260 million yuan (36.62 million U.S. dollars) to support local governments in disaster relief efforts.

The funds will be distributed to Jiangsu, Shandong, Henan, Chongqing, Sichuan and Shaanxi for emergency response work, such as search, rescue, transfer and resettlement of people affected by disasters, guarding against hidden dangers and secondary disasters, and repairing damaged houses, the Ministry of Finance said Saturday.

Torrential rain has triggered flash flooding, landslides and mudflows in many parts of China, disrupting traffic and forcing people to evacuate.

In China, during the peak flood season from late July to early August, heavy rainfall and typhoons cause water levels to rise, posing a significant threat to communities along rivers, near lakes and on coastlines.

According to forecasts, all seven major river basins in China could experience flooding during the period. Additionally, it is also likely to see typhoons move north into inland regions, accompanied by an increased frequency of intense and extreme weather events.

A highway bridge collapse triggered by torrential rains in northwest China's Shaanxi Province on Friday evening has killed 12 people and left 31 missing. In southwestern Sichuan Province, more than 30 people remained missing after flash floods struck a village in Ya'an City at around 2:30 a.m. Saturday, local authorities said Saturday. 
Sales Snapshot

The weeks biggest debut is A Death in Cornwall, Daniel Silvas 24th Gabriel Allon spy thriller. It did best in the West and in the Middle Atlantic, while Elin Hilderbrands final Nantucket novel, Swan Song, topped the list in New England, and Freida McFaddens The Housemaid and The Housemaid Is Watching divvied up the rest of the country.

Under Her Spell

Sarah Beth Durst has been writing books for children since the 2007 middle grade fantasy Into the Wild, and adult titles since 2014s The Lost, an urban fantasy. The Spellshop, a cottagecore romantasy, debuts at #6 on our hardcover fiction list. Durst packs her cozy and colorful tale full of sweet magical creatures, including unicorns, winged cats, and friendly tree sprits that manifest as bears, according to our review, and her diverse supporting cast exudes a near-uniform air of kindness. In one week, the books print unit sales bested release-to-date sales for her last seven hardcovers combined.

NEW & NOTABLE

The Darkness Within Us

Tricia Levenseller

#4 Children's Fiction

An ambitious teenager will stop at nothing to get what she wants in YA romantasy author Levensellers latest. Its a companion novel to 2020s The Shadows Between Us, a BookTok smash thats sold 142K print copies.

The Briar Club

Kate Quinn

#12 Hardcover Fiction

Bestseller Quinn follows The Diamond Eye with a stellar historical mystery centered on a group of women living together in a Washington, D.C., boardinghouse, per our starred review. The author elegantly explores issues of race, class, and gender, and brings the paranoid atmosphere of McCarthy-era Washington to vivid life.
Editor's Note: Like many of you, PW has been impacted by the Microsoft/Crowdstrike outage. Today's The Week in Libraries column is abbreviated as we work to catch up.

In a big win for libraries, the FCC this week voted to allow libraries and schools to use tens of millions of dollars in annual federal E-rate funding to purchase Wi-Fi hotspots for lending. The new policy is a keystone of FCC chairperson Jessica Rosenworcels Learn Without Limits proposal, which was announced at the ALA Annual Conference in July 2023. The American Library Association praised the news of the vote:

Until everyone has an affordable home internet connection, hotspots are a promising alternative in most communities, and Americas libraries have proven success in lending them, said ALA President Cindy Hohl. ALA reps noted that over the last three years, more than 1,000 libraries have provided Wi-Fi hotspots to connect patrons, including students, through more than $248 million of the FCCs Emergency Connectivity Fund (ECF). ALA and library advocates nationwide thank the Commission for making Wi-Fi hotspots eligible for E-rate funding, Hohl added.

Of course, not everyone is pleased with the FCCs plan. As K-12Dive explains, a Texas couple whose son committed suicide after being cyberbullied is suing to block the move to expand W-Fi access, and a group of Republican senators has filed a brief in support. The lawsuit... argues that using E-rate funds for Wi-Fi on school buses exceeds the FCCs authority to provide internet access in schools and libraries.

In a statement this week, ALAs Alan Inouye said the challenge is without merit. ALA believes that the FCC has clearly established their legal authority for this program. They outline this clearly in Section F of the draft Order and cite Congress recognition of evolving services to meet the goals of universal service.

 Until everyone has an affordable home internet connection, hotspots are a promising alternative in most communities, and Americas libraries have proven success in lending them. 

The Conversation offers a take this week on a long simmering issue in the library world: the idea of neutrality. "Libraries are places where the realities of social and political debates come to life," the piece by Sarah Polkinghorne and Lisa M. Given notes. "This means librarians are tasked with upholding values most people agree on in the abstractsuch as freedom of information and expressionthat can be challenging to apply in day-to-day decision making. It is critical for libraries to maintain the trust of their communities. But this can be a significant challenge when communities include divergent views, and when funders or donors exert pressure."

Law & Crime is reporting that a Florida school board is urging a judge to order a seven-year-old girl to testify in a deposition in a lawsuit over the districts decision to ban some books from the library. "The girls mother, Ann Novakowski, is part of the federal lawsuit by other parents and the free-speech group PEN America, among others, against the Escambia County School District for removing books from the library shelves," the article states. "Novakowski argued there is no 'meaningful distinction' between what she and her daughter would say and the mothers testimony would be sufficient. She further said there is no dispute about the books the girl wants to check out that are no longer available, namely And Tango Makes Three and When Aidan Became a Brother along with Uncle Bobbys Wedding, which is on restricted access."

Maricopa.com reports that some citizens want the City Council to develop a code of conduct for library books available to Maricopa youth.

NBC affiliate KXAN in Austin, Tex., reports that the Austin City Council has authorized negotiations for an extended contract with the Travis County Sheriffs Office to support security services at Austin Public Library branches. Because of the public nature of libraries, library staff are very much on the front lines of some of the issues that affect a large city, a large and growing city like Austinissues like mental health issues or substance abuse, library spokesman Baylor Johnson said. And so our staff have to be kind of on the front lines of responding to those kinds of issues in a way that other city staff maybe dont. And so having this additional law enforcement presence is going to help us make sure that these spaces continue to be safe and welcoming to everybody.

Local affiliate WILX in Lansing, Mich., reports that the Lansing School District is building two new elementary school that don't have libraries, and, no surprise, many parents are not happy. "More than 100 community members and parents have already said they are against the idea of not having a dedicated library space in schools, according to an online petition created less than a week ago," the article notes. "A lot of concerns named in the petition have been about the lack of a librarian in the school and how this will affect students literacy and education."

The Broken Arrow Sentinel reports that 350,000 records of American Indian history are being made public through the Tulsa Public Library System. "As of July 12, anyone with a TCCL library card can begin exploring the previously privately held records of the Indian Rights Association, the first and largest non-governmental organization offering support to and advocacy for Native Americans during the 19th and 20th centuries," the article states.

And finally this week, over at Book Riot, Kelly Jensen leads off her weekly censorship news roundup by noting that it was a relatively quiet Pride Month for librarieswhich is not a good thing. "In tracking the same topics and search terms this year, the number of incidents showing up in local and national news dropped significantly," Jensen writes. "But this decrease in anti-LGBTQ+ sentiment toward libraries and other literary institutions and organizations during June shouldnt lead to immediately celebration. Instead, it may be better explained by a noticeable decrease in Pride-focused programming from these institutions."

The Week in Libraries is a weekly opinion and news column. News, tips, submissions, questions or comments are welcome, and can be submitted via email. Previous columns can be viewed here.
In this week's edition of Endnotes, we take a look at Jordan Chariton's expose on the Flint water crisis, We the Poisoned (Rowman & Littlefield, Aug.). In its review, PW called the book "Its a vital report on a horrific scandal.

Here's how the book came together.

Jordan Chariton, Author and Journalist

After personally pitching publishers for several months with no success, I began doubting I could find a home for what I believe is one of the most important news stories of the 21st century. Fortunately, I got good advice to search for an agent. I got very lucky to connect with Mattwho happened to be from Flint. In addition to his wealth of experience and connections in the industry, his passion for the injustice perpetrated onto his hometown appealed to me.

Matt Latimer, Agent, Javelin

Im drawn to stories about those trying to hold the unaccountable accountableand its shameful to me that 100,000 people, including members of my own family, were poisoned through incompetence and malfeasance and those responsible seemed largely to have gotten away with it.

Deni Remsberg, Associate Managing Editor, Rowman & Littlefield

I knew from the moment I read Matts pitch that I wanted to sign We the Poisoned. We worked on an accelerated schedule so that its publication would coincide with the 10-year anniversary of the water crisis, which was a challenge, as court hearings and investigations were still unfolding as Jordan was finishing writing the book.

Jen Huppert, Designer

The author had suggested using an image of the

Flint River, as well as a black-and-red color scheme that would evoke the true crime aspect of the book. A majority of the landscape photographs of the Flint River had tranquil, pristine blue skies. I began by researching sinister red skies, as this would create a sense of crisis, further adding to the tension of the design.
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BEIJING, July 20 (Xinhua) -- The Central Committee of the Communist Party of China (CPC) held a symposium on May 20 at Zhongnanhai in Beijing to solicit views and suggestions of non-CPC personages on drafting a resolution to further comprehensively deepen reform and advance Chinese modernization. The symposium was attended by leaders from the central committees of other political parties and the All-China Federation of Industry and Commerce (ACFIC), and personages with no party affiliation. Xi Jinping, general secretary of the CPC Central Committee, presided over the meeting and delivered an important speech. Xi said that the Political Bureau of the CPC Central Committee decided to convene the third plenary session of the 20th CPC Central Committee to discuss arrangements for further comprehensively deepening reform and advancing Chinese modernization, and to make a resolution in this regard. The decision was made out of consideration for the new situation and new tasks faced by the Party and the country on the new journey. It was meant to thoroughly implement the guiding principles of the 20th CPC National Congress, make systematic planning and arrangements for further comprehensively deepening reform, and provide strong impetus and institutional guarantees for achieving the Second Centenary Goal of building China into a great modern socialist country in all respects.

Members of the Standing Committee of the Political Bureau of the CPC Central Committee Wang Huning, Cai Qi and Ding Xuexiang attended the symposium.

Those who took the floor at the symposium included Zheng Jianbang, chairman of the Central Committee of the Revolutionary Committee of the Chinese Kuomintang, Ding Zhongli, chairman of the Central Committee of the China Democratic League, Hao Mingjin, chairman of the Central Committee of the China National Democratic Construction Association, Cai Dafeng, chairman of the Central Committee of the China Association for Promoting Democracy, He Wei, chairman of the Central Committee of the Chinese Peasants and Workers Democratic Party, Jiang Zuojun, chairman of the Central Committee of the China Zhi Gong Party, Wu Weihua, chairman of the Central Committee of the Jiusan Society, Su Hui, chairperson of the Central Committee of the Taiwan Democratic Self-Government League, Gao Yunlong, chairman of the ACFIC, and Piao Shilong, a representative of personages without party affiliation. They fully agreed with the draft resolution of the CPC Central Committee on further comprehensively deepening reform and advancing Chinese modernization, and agreed that it scientifically planned major measures for further comprehensively deepening reform, clarified the guiding ideology, objectives, principles and key tasks of reform at the new historical starting point, and was of great theoretical, practical and epoch-making significance. They also put forward opinions and suggestions on stimulating economic vitality, creating a new paradigm for coordinated regional development, promoting high-quality population growth, developing new quality productive forces, deepening the reform of the medical and health system, overcoming institutional barriers in talent cultivation, establishing a fin-tech system that caters to scientific and technological innovation, boosting joint efforts between state-owned and private enterprises in innovation, advancing high-level opening up, and promoting integrated development across the Taiwan Strait.

After attentively listening to their speeches, Xi delivered an important address. He first introduced the considerations of the CPC Central Committee for further deepening reform and advancing Chinese modernization to be reviewed at the third plenary session of the 20th CPC Central Committee, and drafting process of the document. He emphasized that they are consistent practices and fine traditions of the CPC Central Committee to promote democracy, draw on the wisdom of the people, and widely solicit opinions from various sectors when studying major issues and formulating documents for important meetings. Entrusted by the CPC Central Committee, the United Front Work Department sought opinions and suggestions from non-CPC personages on issues concerning the third plenary session of the 20th CPC Central Committee in December last year. They put forward a lot of opinions and suggestions on what has been achieved in comprehensively deepening reform in the new era, and the general targets of work and important principles that must be followed in this regard. Their opinions and suggestions are also about targets and tasks as well as measures to be adopted in various fields in deepening reform. They also suggested on how non-CPC personages should play their roles in this regard. Xi appreciated the opinions and suggestions non-CPC personages put forward at the meeting, and extended gratitude to them on behalf of the CPC Central Committee. He said that their opinions and suggestions will be seriously studied and adopted.

Xi stressed that it is imperative for us to face problems in comprehensively deepening reform. It is imperative to be more conscious of problems, adopt a problem-oriented approach, focus on the needs for development and respond to what the people aspire for. It is essential to work hard to overcome the bottlenecks and obstacles constraining high-quality development, address the hot issues that go against social fairness and justice, respond to the challenges and difficulties regarding people's well-being, solve the prominent problems concerning Party building, and defuse risks in all areas, so as to ensure that the reform is more targeted and effective. Both the symptoms and root causes must be addressed, with focus on addressing root causes. Not only should great efforts be made in all areas, so that the reform measures will cover all prominent problems that need to be solved to advance Chinese modernization, but also should more concrete actions be taken with focus on the economy to remove deep-rooted barriers in institutions and mechanisms and address structural problems.

Xi noted that more consensus should be built to further deepen reform comprehensively. It is imperative to fully stimulate the enthusiasm, initiative and creativity of the entire Party and nation, and ensure that they are of one mind and make concerted efforts. It is necessary to encourage investigation and research, implement the Party's mass line, understand people's needs, and seek people's advice. It is imperative to respect the creativity of the people and the grass roots, strive to identify key areas where efforts should be intensified and breakthroughs made for reform from the most pressing difficulties and problems that are of great concern to the people, and boost people's sense of fulfillment and identity. It is also imperative to promote democracy, draw on the wisdom of the people, make reform policies more scientific, and strengthen the implementation of such policies.

Xi stressed that it is a must to stick to systems thinking and adopt a holistic outlook while planning and promoting reform. Efforts must be made to strengthen strategic and dialectical thinking, prioritize urgent issues, and pay more attention to system integration. It is imperative to strengthen the coordination of reform measures, promote reform measures across fields and in all aspects towards one direction, and increase overall efficiency. It is imperative for all relevant areas, departments, and sectors to jointly promote reform, and they should be resolutely prevented from going their own ways and constraining each other.

Xi pointed out that reform requires careful planning and even more importantly, effective implementation of plans and policies. It is essential to hammer away at implementing policies and plans for reform. Officials should have a correct understanding of what it means to perform well and come up with down-to-earth and effective solutions that deliver real results. It is imperative to resolutely prevent and overcome pointless formalities, and avoid engaging in vanity projects that are only for show and projects for personal political gains that waste money and manpower. Efforts should be made to formulate a sound plan for appropriately and timely implementing policies in a targeted way, do the best and act within capabilities, and avoid being divorced from reality. It is imperative to stay true to the general principle of pursuing progress while ensuring stability, and pay attention to establishing the new before abolishing the old, and not the other way round. It is important to strengthen organizational leadership, effectively assign responsibilities, improve the ability and level of leading teams and leading officials at all levels in implementing reform measures, and ensure that the reform decisions and arrangements of the Party Central Committee yield results.

Li Ganjie, Li Shulei, Li Hongzhong, He Lifeng, Zhang Guoqing, Chen Wenqing, Wang Xiaohong, Mu Hong, and leading officials from relevant departments of the CPC Central Committee and the State Council attended the symposium.

Those non-CPC personages also present at the symposium included Shao Hong, He Baoxiang, Wang Guangqian, Qin Boyong, Zhu Yongxin, Yang Zhen, Zhang Endi, Jiang Liping, Fang Guanghua and Yang Huayong. 
'There is one way to defeat the intention behind this directive: To patronise Muslim establishments that have been forced to identify themselves.'

'This is one opportunity for the Congress to show that the 'mohabbat ki dukaan' its leader talks about does exist.'

'Can Akhilesh Yadav, who has asked the court to take note of this directive, order his party members to do this?' asks Jyoti Punwani.

IMAGE: Kanwariyas in Varanasi carry metal pots filled with water from the Ganga during their annual Kanwar Yatra, July 19, 2024. Photograph: ANI Photo

Two thoughts immediately came to mind seeing the board 'Nisar Fal' put up by a Muzaffarnagar mango vendor on his cart on the orders of the police.

First, that while earlier, rioters marked houses so as to easily identify them for attack, now the State was forcing this identification.

Second, as children of Partition refugees, we had heard of matkas at railway stations marked 'Hindu paani, Muslim paani'. Now, we are seeing this shameful practice being enforced by the State.

This transformation into 'new India' is a logical progression, given that the State is now driven by the same ideology that the rioters were; the same mindset that promoted Partition and saw India as a Hindu Rashtra where Hindus and Muslims could not coexist as equals.

***

In some parts of Mumbai, Muslim homes were identified with a marker days before they were attacked during the post-Babri Masjid demolition riots of 1992-1993, victims told the Srikrishna Commission of Inquiry.

The recent directive by the BJP governments of Uttar Pradesh and Uttarakhand that food vendors on the kanwar yatra route display their names, is not meant to identify Muslims for attack, though that could well be one of the outcomes. The reasons given by officials and BJP leaders concern 'law and order' and 'purity'.

One can understand the strict insistence on vegetarian food during a Hindu religious yatra. The simplest solution to that is to frequent only vegetarian outlets, which is probably what the kanwariyas have been doing all these years. In fact, according to locals, non-vegetarian outlets are not allowed to remain open on the route of the yatra when it is in progress.

What then is the problem?

IMAGE: A kanwariya carries water collected from the Kapil Sarovar in Bikaner. Photograph: ANI Photo

The problem appears to be, from statements made by BJP leaders and the police, that some of these vegetarian outlets are run by Muslims. What makes it worse, according to these leaders, is that Muslims have named these outlets after Hindu deities. This, they allege, is a bid to 'mislead' Hindus, and have in the past, led to 'law and order' problems.

Going by this argument, even vegetarian food becomes 'impure' if cooked in a Muslim establishment. By definition, Muslim-owned food establishments or those where Muslims are employees, are 'impure'. The directive applies also to fruit vendors, so even fruit touched by Muslims is to be avoided.

According to hoteliers interviewed by the independent news channel Red Mike, the police have insisted that not just the proprietor's name, but even the employees' names must be displayed. At least two Hindu owners have been 'advised' by the police to sack their Muslim employees.

What is this if not untouchability, exactly what Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi, one of the BJP's token Muslims, pointed to in his tweet on this directive?

India Today TV's Gaurav C Sawant, who anchored a show on this topic on Thursday night, listed the kind of food suitable for a kanwariya: No garlic and onions, vessels untouched by non-vegetarian food, a bath before cooking. Since he supported this directive, he obviously assumed that a Hindu owner would ensure all these conditions are met, whereas a Muslim owner, even when s/he serves only vegetarian food, will not.

When a maulana guest on his show asked what was the guarantee that a Hindu owner would do all this, Gaurav C Sawant shouted him down.

So basically what the directive issued by two elected governments means is: Boycott Muslim eateries and those who employ Muslims.

Both these actions violate the Constitution. Since no proprietor will dare remove the nameplate once the kanwar yatra is over, this unconstitutional directive will be a permanent feature in UP and Uttarakhand.

***

IMAGE: Kanwariyas carry water collected from the Ganga in Kolkata. Photograph: ANI Photo

What prompted these directives? Did kanwariyas petition the UP and Uttarakhand governments that they wanted to eat only at Hindu establishments? Or, that some Muslims were 'misleading' them into eating from their outlets?

There are no such reports. In fact, some Muslims have been welcoming and even hosting kanwariyas for years in UP.

This directive comes from the same mindset that vandalised a dosa outlet in Mathura run by two Muslims in 2021 only because it was named after the presiding deity of Mathura, Sreenath (another name for Lord Krishna); the same mindset that searches for Muslim establishments with non-Muslim names and asks Hindus to boycott them (a common enough message on WhatsApp groups run by BJP supporters).

Incidentally, the Mathura dosa outlet that was vandalised was owned by a Hindu who had no problems letting Muslims run it. The 'law and order' problem was created not by those who owned and ran the outlet, but by the bigoted goons who vandalised it.

Has the BJP and anchors like Gaurav C Sawant ever thought why Muslims choose Hindu names for their outlets? Could one of the reasons be the fear of loss of custom if their outlet had a Muslim name, specially if it served vegetarian food? Isn't that itself a telling comment on the extent of prejudice that exists in our society?

Another reason is the canard successfully spread during the Covid lockdown that Muslims spit on food, including fruits, before serving or selling them. Muslim vendors and cooks were arrested on those grounds, based on videos taken from a distance which showed them either blowing away flour from rotis, or blowing on the food while reciting a verse, a common enough practice meant to ward off 'the evil eye' among some Muslims.

This directive is also part of the anti-halal campaign undertaken by Hindutvawadis over the last few years. Both the Uttarakhand and UP directives specifically ban items marked halal on the kanwar yatra route.

Surely these governments know that halal certification is a must if one wants to export food items to the Gulf? As a Kerala high court judgment pointed out (external link), all it means is that no item forbidden by Islamic law has gone into the making of this product.

It appears that the very idea that any law other than Hindu law should be given importance in a 'Hindu country' is unbearable for the BJP and its supporters. Last year, Yogi Adityanath's government tried to ban non-meat products which had halal certification.

Gaurav C Sawant also argued that if Muslims can insist on halal, why can't Hindus insist on food of their choice, which means, in this context, food untouched by Muslims. This man is a senior executive editor of a leading media organisation.

It should be recalled that it was in UP that a Muslim child was thrashed by the head of a temple for drinking water from a matka kept in the compound; that in Delhi, a Muslim youth was lynched because he ate a banana kept as part of prasad.

Yet, this is a country where poets of both religions have written verses in praise of each other's gods. But that's the history the ruling party wants to erase.

***

IMAGE: Kanwariyas carry an idol of Lord Shiva during the Kanwar Yatra in Gurugram. Photograph: ANI Photo

What must the many Nisars and Sajids be thinking as they put up banners and boards displaying their names? All along, they assumed this was as much their country. Will they be able to feel they belong any longer?

With their names up on display in this 'New India', one hopes they remain safe from the wrath of kanwariyas, who are known to be quick to take offence. Will the sight of a Muslim vendor on their route become a red rag?

There is one way to defeat the intention behind this directive: To patronise Muslim establishments that have been forced to identify themselves. This is one opportunity for the Congress to show that the 'mohabbat ki dukaan' its leader talks about does exist.

Can Akhilesh Yadav, who has asked the court to take note of this directive, order his party members to do this? His Samajwadi Party represents Muzaffarnagar now, with Harendra Singh Malik having defeated hatemonger Sanjeev Balyan in the recent Lok Sabha elections.

Will Mayawati, who has criticised the order, instruct her loyal flock to patronise the community she has always trying to woo in elections?

Forget political parties. Surely citizens' groups working for communal harmony can do this?
Several BJP-backed state governments have unveiled schemes targeting the poor, women, farmers and students, following the party's setback in the Lok Sabha polls.

IMAGE: Rajasthan Chief Minister Bhajan Lal Sharma blesses youngsters who congratulatde him for the state budget 2024-2025 at his residence in Jaipur, July 11, 2024. Photograph: ANI Photo

Presenting the state budget on June 29, Maharashtra's Finance Minister Ajit Pawar unveiled a slew of welfare measures in a bid to sway the electorate ahead of the assembly polls.

Among the highlights were: A Rs 1,500 monthly allowance for women and three free cooking gas cylinders for poor households.

A few days later in Bhopal, Madhya Pradesh's Finance Minister Jagdish Devda introduced a budget that promised a 15 per cent increase in spending on agriculture and allied activities.

Not stopping there, he announced a scheme to provide free hearse services to poor families and increased funding for cow sheds.

These announcements follow the June 4 Lok Sabha election results, with state governments, either run by the Bharatiya Janata party or its allies, making significant welfare promises, such as welfare schemes for women and the poor, greater assistance to the agrarian sector, curb on examination paper leaks, and filling vacancies in government departments.

In Maharashtra and Haryana, both facing assembly elections in October, the state governments have taken the lead with targeted schemes.

Rajasthan, Uttar Pradesh, and MP, too, have made similar promises.

Rajasthan's BJP government, sticking to its promises, has upped the annual PM-KISAN (Pradhan Mantri Kisan Samman Nidhi) disbursement to Rs 8,000, benefiting nearly 7 million farmers.

In Haryana, the Nayab Singh Saini-led BJP government has announced free bus rides to the poor, plots for backward communities, and special drives to recruit youths in government.

These moves come against a backdrop of changing voter sentiment, with a recent post-poll survey by Lokniti-CSDS highlighting the BJP's lost ground among women and farmers in key states.

The survey, posted on X by co-director Sanjay Kumar, indicated that 'farmers' anger hurt the BJP' in Rajasthan and Haryana.

In Rajasthan, 46 per cent farmers voted for the Congress and 45 per cent for the BJP, the post-June 4 survey said.

But among non-farmers, the support for the BJP was 51 per cent and only 39 per cent for the Congress.

In Haryana, 61 per cent farmers voted for the Opposition INDIA bloc and only 35 per cent for the BJP.

In contrast, among non-farmers, 44 per cent voted for the INDIA bloc and 49 per cent for the BJP.

According to Kumar, it would also be an 'overstatement' to claim that women's vote has shifted towards the BJP.

The survey indicated that women voted differently in different states.

For example, they voted in greater numbers for the Trinamool Congress in West Bengal (53 per cent for TMC versus 33 per cent for BJP), but for the BJP and Janata Dal-United-led NDA in neighbouring Bihar (50 per cent for NDA versus 37 per cent for the INDIA bloc).

They preferred the INDIA bloc in UP (45 per cent for INDIA versus 42 per cent for NDA).

IMAGE: Maharashtra Finance Minister Ajit Pawar, right and Minister of State Deepak Kesarkar display 2024-2025 Budget bags at the Vidhan Bhavan in Mumbai, June 28, 2024. Photograph: ANI Photo

The message of the Lok Sabha polls, however, has percolated even in states where the BJP performed well.

In MP, where the BJP swept all the 29 seats with a massive 59.27 per cent vote share, Chief Minister Mohan Yadav has repeatedly dismissed any suggestion that his government may discontinue or reduce the funding for the immensely popular 'Ladli Behna Yojana'.

The Yadav government's first Budget reflected a strong focus on women and child development and health which received 56 per cent more allocation than the previous year.

The Budget announced a 15 per cent increase in agricultural expenditure, including Rs 125 per quintal bonus for wheat over the Centre-fixed MSP for the 2024-2025 season.

Haryana's BJP vote share dropped from 58.2 per cent in 2019 to 46.11 per cent in 2024, with the INDIA bloc surpassing the BJP by a percentage point.

The party won only five of the 10 seats, which it swept five years ago.

Despite this, political analysts like Pramod Kumar of the Institute for Development and Communication caution against premature conclusions about a Congress win in the upcoming assembly polls.

"The BJP government faces a 10-year long anti-incumbency. At least for now, it is bereft of a competing narrative against the Opposition's focus on livelihood and farming issues. There is also the farmer movement, which is unabated, and it remains to be seen how the government resolves it," he said.

In Rajasthan, the BJP's robust 49.24 per cent vote share in the Lok Sabha polls translated into fewer seats, down from 24 in 2019 to 14, as it lost in the farming belt in Sikar, Jhunjhunu, Churu, and Ganganagar, and tribal areas.

Since June 4, the state government has reduced VAT (value-added tax) on petrol and diesel by 2 per cent, making fuel cheaper for consumers.

Rajasthan had one of the highest taxes on petrol and diesel.

Uttar Pradesh's BJP-led NDA, trailing with 36 seats to the INDIA bloc's 43 in the Lok Sabha polls, saw the Yogi Adityanath government announce stringent measures, including plans for a law, to curb cheating in government recruitment exams, a major concern among the youth (MP, too, is planning a similar step).

Plans are also underway to provide free power to irrigation pumps, with certain conditions.

In Maharashtra, where the BJP-led Mahayuti won 17 seats against the Maha Vikas Aghadi's 30, the welfare schemes for women, youth, farmers and the poor, announced in the state Budget, shall cost an additional Rs 80,000 crore.

Key highlights include covering electricity bills for farmers, free power to agriculture pumps up to 7.5 horsepower, Rs 350 per quintal subsidy for onion farmers, and Rs 5 per litre subsidy for milk farmers.

Additionally, a Rs 5,000 per acre bonus for cotton and soybean growers and increased compensation for deaths due to animal attacks (from Rs 20 lakh to Rs 25 lakh) were announced.

Schemes Aplenty Populist Schemes By BJP/NDA State Govts After June 4 Industry executives say: Maharasthra Budget announces Rs 1,500 per month for eligible women

Three free cooking gas cylinders to poor households annually

Free electricity to agriculture pumps of up to 7.5 horsepower capacity

Rs 350 per quintal subsidy for onion farmers

Rs 5 per litre subsidy for milk farmers

Rs 5,000 per acre bonus for cotton and soybean growers

Monetary assistance raised from Rs 20 lakh to Rs 25 lakh in case of death due to animal attacks

Welfare schemes announced in Budget to cost an additional Rs 80,000 cr Madhya Pradesh 15% jump in expenditure on agri and allied activities in Budget

Rs125 per quintal bonus for wheat over the Centre-fixed MSP for 2024-25 season

Free hearse services to poor families

Govt to spend 56% more on women and child development, and health than last financial year Haryana Free bus rides to the poor

Plots for backward communities

Special placement drives to recruit youths in govt jobs Rajasthan PM-KISAN allowance increased to Rs 8,000; to benefit 7 million farmers

VAT on petrol and diesel reduced by 2%

Feature Presentation: Aslam Hunani/Rediff.com
The decline in life expectancy was higher among young individuals and those aged 50 to 60.

IMAGE: Kindly note the image has been posted only for representational purposes. A woman walks past a coronavirus-themed graffiti on a street in Mumbai. Photograph: Francis Mascarenhas/Reuters

In the aftermath of COVID-19, life expectancy saw a decline, with socially-disadvantaged groups experiencing the most significant losses.

India lost 2.6 years in life expectancy between 2019 and 2020, greater than high-income countries, according to a research paper titled 'Large and unequal life expectancy declines during the COVID-19 pandemic in India in 2020' published in Science Advances on July 19.

The study found that the decline was more pronounced among females (3.1 years) compared to males (2.1 years).

The study uses data from the National Family Health Survey 2019-21 (NFHS-5) and analyses households from 14 states and Union Territories (UTs), representing one-fourth of India's population.

The NFHS survey was conduced in two phases and the study uses phase 2 data (households interviewed in 2021 specifically), explains Aashish Gupta, one of the co-authors.

"The NFHS asks a question on deaths of household members since 2017, which allows to estimate 2019 and 2020 mortality for the same set of households."

The decline in life expectancy was higher among young individuals and those aged 50 to 60, highlights the paper.

It said, 'Even though absolute increases in mortality were highest in the oldest ages, mortality increases in the younger ages contributed substantially to life expectancy losses because life expectancy is more sensitive to early-life mortality.'

The increase in mortality in the age group 0 to 19 and 60 to 79 among females contributed most to the fall in life expectancy. For males, it was the 40 to 59 age group.

Like the unequal impact on gender, some social groups experienced higher losses than others.

Muslims saw the largest decline from 68.8 years in 2019 to 63.4 years in 2020, a loss of 5.4 years.

Scheduled tribes and scheduled castes followed with reductions of 4.1 years and 2.7 years, respectively.

"Since we cannot distinguish between deaths from different causes, it is not clear whether differences across social groups are coming from direct effects of Covid (and potentially lower access to health care), indirect effects arising from the disruptions associated with lockdown, changes in marginalisation and discrimination, or other factors," said Sanigta Vyas, one of the co-authors.

For other backward classes (OBCs) and 'high caste Hindus', the decline was 1.3 years each.

Among Muslims, the loss was higher for females at 6.6 years than 4.6 years for males. Similarly, among SCs, females lost 4.6 years compared to 1.1 years for males.

Within STs, however, it was higher for males (5.4 years) than females (2.7 years).

Among other backward classes and 'high caste Hindus', the loss was higher for females of 1.9 years each.

It was 0.7 years and 0.9 years for males in other backward classes and 'high caste Hindus', respectively.

Feature Presentation: Ashish Narsale/Rediff.com
Kerala has had 202 fatalities in 2024 so far.

In July alone, there were 202,122 episodes of fever, 2,250 cases of dengue, 1,850 cases of mumps and several other illnesses.

10,000 cases of dengue have been reported from Karnataka.

1,000 swine flu cases have been documented in Rajasthan.

IMAGE: Kindly note the image has been posted only for representational purposes.

Dengue-infected patients receive treatment inside a dengue ward at a hospital. Photograph: ANI Photo

This monsoon, diseases like dengue, leptospirosis, malaria, and even viral fevers are wreaking havoc in many parts of the country.

In addition, there have been a few reported cases of West Nile and Avian Flu. In Gujarat, the Chandipura virus has already claimed about 15 lives in the past several days.

In addition to West Nile and Avian Flu occurrences, Kerala is dealing with an increase in dengue and leptospirosis cases.

Kerala has had around 202 fatalities in 2024 so far; in July alone, there were 202,122 episodes of fever, 2,250 cases of dengue, 1,850 cases of mumps and several other illnesses.

More than 10,000 cases of dengue, including eight fatal cases, have been reported so far this year from Karnataka.

Industry insiders report that there has also been a significant increase in influenza cases in Delhi, Rajasthan and Gujarat.

More than 1,000 swine flu cases have apparently been documented in Rajasthan thus far, while leptospirosis and brucellosis infections are also expected to peak in 2024.

According to medical professionals, Kerala has an edge due to its highly qualified medical professionals and well-equipped medical infrastructure, which allows for a quicker identification of communicable diseases.

Consider the year 2024 till July 18. During this time, the state recorded 1.4 million cases of fever, 10,252 cases of dengue, 31,874 cases of mumps, 15,664 cases of chickenpox, 3,418 cases of Hepatitis A, and over 400,000 cases of other communicable diseases, including cholera, typhoid, West Nile, and Nipah.

"The reason why Kerala has more cases of infectious diseases is that people are living in congested areas with a higher population density. There is little rural and urban divide," says Dr Rajeev Jayadevan, a health expert and co-chairman of the National Indian Medical Association's Covid task force.

"In addition, a lot of traveling happens in and out of the state, whether through inter-state migrants or non-resident Indians from abroad. Migrant labourers are more likely to be not follow health directives during fever, due to their living conditions too," explains Dr Jayadevan.

"These are the major catalysts of the spreading of these diseases in Kerala."

The fact that 2,250 cases, or 22 per cent of the total, of dengue were reported in the first eighteen days of July is even more concerning.

"Dengue can only spread from man to man through mosquitos. They breed anywhere there is clear non salty stagnant water. Many people in Kerala do not use government-supplied chlorinated water which is safe," notes Dr Jayadevan.

"They depend on independent sources of water, which can easily be contaminated with sewage - especially in rainy season ," adds Dr Jayadevan.

With 358 recent cases, the total number of dengue cases in Karnataka this year surpassed 10,000 on July 16.

According to data from market research firm Pharmarack, sales of antimalarial drugs increased by 7.37 per cent (in value terms) in June compared to May, a summer month.

Sales of painkillers and analgesics increased by 4.6 per cent in June compared to May, while sales of cough and cold remedies increased by 2.36 per cent.

Anti-infective medications, such as antibiotics and antivirals, increased by 5.07 per cent in June compared to May.

With the ongoing monsoon season-associated ailments, these medications should see an increase in sales in July as well.

Sheetal Sapale, vice-president (commercial) of Pharmarack, states: "It is a seasonal trend that is well witnessed in June and July."

Feature Presentation: Ashish Narsale/Rediff.com
Kerala Health Minister Veena George on Saturday confirmed Nipah infection in a 14-year-old boy from Malappuram district.

Image only for representation. Photograph: ANI Photo

George, who met the media in Malappuram, said the Pune NIV (National Institute of Virology) had confirmed the infection in the boy, who is currently under treatment at a private hospital.

"He will be shifted to the government medical college at Kozhikode. The contact tracing has begun. High-risk contacts have already been isolated and their samples have been sent for testing," George said.

The child is under treatment and is on a ventilator, George added.

Minister said the epicentre was Pandikkad in the district and that precautionary measures have already been initiated.

She asked the people in the locality of the epicentre and the nearby hospitals to wear masks in public spaces and avoid visiting patients in hospitals.

The minister said the monoclonal antibody which was procured last time from Australia and stored at Pune NIV will reach the state on Sunday.

The Health department has also set up 30 isolation rooms and a six-bed ICU at the Manjeri medical college and have isolated all those who have come into contact with the infected boy.

"A 3-km radius from the epicentre at Pandikkad will be strictly observed and restrictions will be imposed," she said.

The health department said the child had sought treatment at a private clinic on May 12.

He was admitted to the same private hospital on May 15 but was later shifted to the private hospital at Perinthalmanna. From there he was shifted to the private hospital at Kozhikode.

A 24-hour control room with a call centre has been opened at Malappuram, the minister, who is camping at the district coordinating the preventive measures, said.

The health department was on Friday informed about suspected Nipah infection from the private hospital at Kozhikode.

The department sprung into action and tested the samples at the laboratories in Kerala and also sent them to the virology institute at Pune.

Earlier in the day, George had said that the tests from the state's lab had returned positive but the confirmation could be given only from the Pune NIV lab.

However, even before the test result from Pune NIV was received, the state government had initiated precautionary measures as per the Nipah protocols including isolating the close contacts, tracing the route map among others.

The minister also informed that the Pune NIV will be providing a mobile lab similar to the one which was provided during the previous incident of the infection.

The state government had announced recently that a special action calendar was being prepared for the prevention of a Nipah outbreak, which has haunted the state on four occasions in the past.

Nipah outbreaks have been reported in Kozhikode district in 2018, 2021 and 2023 and in Ernakulam district in 2019, and the presence of Nipah virus antibodies had been detected in bats in Kozhikode, Wayanad, Idukki, Malappuram and Ernakulam districts.
Rulings given by the chair should not be criticised directly or indirectly in or outside the House and members should not raise slogans, including 'Vande Mataram' and 'Jai Hind', MPs have been reminded ahead of the Parliament session beginning Monday.

IMAGE: Opposition MPs walk out from the Rajya Sabha during Prime Minister Narendra Modi's address in the House, on July 3, 2024. Photograph: Sansad TV/ANI Photo

The members have also been reminded that displaying 'exhibits' on the floor of the House is 'not in order'.

The Rajya Sabha Secretariat has come out with excerpts from the 'Handbook for Members of Rajya Sabha', drawing the attention of the members to parliamentary customs and conventions and parliamentary etiquette.

The excerpts were published in a Rajya Sabha bulletin issued on July 15.

The session begins on July 22 and is slated to conclude on August 12.

'The decorum and the seriousness of the proceedings of the House require that there should be no 'thanks', 'thank you', 'Jai Hind', 'Vande Mataram' or any other slogans raised in the House,' the bulletin said.

It noted that rulings are given by the chair according to the precedents of the House, and where there is no precedent, the usual parliamentary practice is followed.

'Rulings given by the Chair should not be criticised directly or indirectly inside or outside the House,' the bulletin said, citing the handbook.

Referring to parliamentary etiquette, it said words containing insinuations, offensive and unparliamentary expressions should be scrupulously avoided.

'When the Chair holds that a particular word or expression is unparliamentary, it should be immediately withdrawn without any attempt to raise any debate over it,' the handbook underlined.

It also said every member should 'bow to the Chair' while entering or leaving the House as also before taking or leaving the seat.

When any member offers a criticism of another member or a minister, it observed that the latter is entitled to expect that the critic should be present in the House to hear his or her reply.

'To be absent when the latter is replying is a breach of parliamentary etiquette,' it pointed out.
Nationalist Congress Party-Sharadchandra Pawar chief Sharad Pawar stood up when he came face to face with his estranged nephew and Maharashtra deputy chief minister Ajit Pawar at an official meeting in Pune on Saturday.

IMAGE: NCP-SP chief Sharad Pawar. Photograph: Shrikant Singh/ANI Photo

Her father followed protocol, said Sharad Pawar's daughter and Baramati MP Supriya Sule, and advised all political workers to emulate his example.

Pawar, 83, attended a meeting of the District Planning and Development Council here in his capacity as a Rajya Sabha member.

As soon as Ajit Pawar, who was to chair the meeting as guardian minister of the district, walked in, the senior Pawar rose to his feet like other participants did.

"He stood up to follow protocol, and this is what all political workers should take inspiration from," Sule said at her party's rally in Pimpri Chinchwad later in the evening.

Ajit led a rebellion against his uncle last year and split the NCP to join the Shiv Sena-BJP government in Maharashtra.

*****

Ajit group MLA meets Sharad Pawar

Atul Benke, an MLA of the Ajit Pawar-led NCP, on Saturday met NCP-SP president Sharad Pawar in Pune.

The development sparked off speculation as it came days after Ajit Gavhane, Pimpri-Chinchwad unit chief of the Ajit Pawar-led party, resigned along with two former corporators.

Benke, MLA from Junnar in Pune district, met Sharad Pawar at the residence of Shirur MP and NCP-SP leader Amol Kolhe.

When asked by reporters, the Pawar senior played down the meeting.

"Several people come to meet me. He is my friend's son," the veteran leader said.

"All those who worked for our candidates in the Lok Sabha elections are our people. Protecting their interest is our responsibility," Sharad Pawar further said.

Benke, for his part, did not make clear his intentions.

When asked which NCP faction he would stay with during the coming Maharashtra assembly elections, he said, "There is still time for elections. Anything can happen....in the Mahayuti seat-sharing, or Dada (Ajit Pawar) and Saheb (Sharad Pawar) can come together."

Ajit Pawar joined the ruling Mahayuti alliance of Shiv Sena and BJP in July 2023 by splitting the NCP and became Maharashtra deputy chief minister.

Benke also said that in the aftermath of the NCP split, he decided to stay with the Ajit Pawar-led party in the interest of his constituency.

"After I took the decision, two irrigation projects were sanctioned (in Junnar)," he added.

Talking to reporters elsewhere, Ajit Pawar said Benke should be asked about why he met the senior Pawar.

"So what....many MLAs come to meet me as well. Ask Atul Benke the reason of his meeting," said the deputy chief minister.
There was an 8% decline in the BJP's vote share across six regions in UP, and that some OBC castes moved away from the BJP.

IMAGE: Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath chairs a meeting of ministers in Lucknow, July 17, 2024. Photograph: ANI Photo

Prime Minister Narendra D Modi on Thursday visited the Bharatiya Janata Party headquarters where he met party workers and senior leadership to thank them for their contributions to the National Democratic Alliance forming a third successive government at the Centre.

The PM's visit to the party's national headquarters came amid the continuing turf battles between the BJP's state leaders in Uttar Pradesh.

Modi, along with BJP President J P Nadda, have met some of these leaders.

The party is keen to put its house in order in UP to put up a better performance in the forthcoming assembly by-polls in the state.

Earlier this week, UP state BJP chief Bhupendra Chaudhary met the PM and Nadda and submitted a report, based on the feedback of 40,000 party workers, on the party's poor performance in the Lok Sabha polls.

The 15-page document said that there was an eight per cent decline in the BJP's vote share across six regions in UP, and that some of the Other Backward Classes, such as Maurya and Kurmi castes, moved away from the BJP and supported the Opposition INDIA bloc candidates.

The report has stated that only a third of the Dalits voted for the BJP.

It said that the decline in the Bahujan Samaj Party's vote share benefited the INDIA bloc, which in UP comprised the Samajwadi Party and the Congress.

Chaudhary said the overreach of the bureaucracy, especially the police, hurt the BJP's poll prospects.

The report said the party did not heed party workers and its leaders made ill-timed statements on issues such as amending the Constitution.

Issues such as paper leaks, livelihood issues, and the lack of jobs also hurt the party.

UP Deputy Chief Minister Keshav Prasad Maurya was also in the national capital earlier in the week and met Nadda.

Leaders have complained of Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath working style.

Former UP minister and BJP leader Sunil Bharala, however, has said Chaudhary should take responsibility for the BJP's subdued performance in UP and quit his post.

On Wednesday, Maurya posted on X that the party is bigger than the government.

Adityanath has responded by entrusting 30 of the state's ministers to ensure the BJP's win on the 10 assembly seats, including Karhal, Milkipur, Ghaziabad, Phulpur and Khair.

Amid speculation of a rift in the UP BJP, Samajwadi Party President Akhilesh Yadav on Thursday, in a cryptic post on X, seemed to be asking ruling party MLAs to switch sides to form a new government in the state.

'Monsoon offer: Bring hundred, form government,' the former chief minister said.

Feature Presentation: Aslam Hunani/Rediff.com
Union minister Chirag Paswan, who joined politics after a failed Bollywood debut, has no plans to make a comeback in films and also jokes that he is such a 'bad actor' that even his Lok Sabha colleague and first co-star, Kangana Ranaut, will not agree to share the screen space with him again.

IMAGE: Union Minister Chirag Paswan and BJP MP Kangana Ranaut share a light moment as they arrive at the Parliament House in New Delhi on June 26, 2024. Photograph: Shrikant Singh/ANI Photo

In an interaction with PTI editors at the agency's headquarters in New Delhi, the Lok Janshakti Party-Ram Vilas chief, who made his debut with Ranaut in the 2011 movie Miley Naa Miley Hum, said the film was a 'disaster'.

He also said that he has no plans to get married for at least another two years as he wants to dedicate all of his time to politics, especially as the Bihar elections are due next year.

"And I think marriage is also a huge responsibility. You can't just be occupied with your work and give an excuse to your better half that my work is my priority. If your work is your priority, then set your priority clear.

"I am very clear about my priority that I am married to my work. And if I don't have time for my better half, I should not get into that," the MP added.

As Ranaut, one of the leading actors of the Hindi film industry, joined politics and won the Lok Sabha polls from Mandi in Himachal Pradesh, Paswan's debut film came back to the limelight and many social media users said they would like to see them together on the silver screen again.

He, however, was quick to rule out any possibility of a comeback.

Asked if he would ever consider returning to cinema, Paswan quipped, "Again? After one disaster!"

"No, not at all. And I think anybody who has seen the movie will agree with me," Paswan said.

He smilingly added that his short stint in Bollywood has taught him what not to do in life.

However, his stay in Mumbai also exposed him to the struggles of people from Bihar and firmed his resolve to do something for them through politics.

Though he started as an actor, Paswan said, he realised it was not his calling.

Politics is not something to be taken casually, he said. "I think politics comes with a huge responsibility and you cannot take this profession casually. Also as a Member of Parliament, I am accountable directly or indirectly to 25 lakh people in my constituency and as a cabinet minister, I have responsibility across the country."

"I do not think I can take this lightly. And yes, no director, producer, including Kangana herself, will agree to do a movie with me," he said.

Asked if he would do a movie with Ranaut, Paswan said, "She will not. She knows how good an actor I am."

"I am a very bad actor. You need to be honest with yourself," he added.

The Hajipur MP, who is among the few bachelors in the Lok Sabha, also said he has no plans to get married as of now.

Asked if he is getting any marriage proposals, he said, "I do not know. I think my mother is processing most of it."

"I don't know how to answer these questions... I have already started blushing," Paswan said with a bashful laughter.

He added that his work is his priority for now, especially since the Bihar assembly polls are due next year.

"I don't see myself getting married for a couple of years at least. Because I have state elections coming in Bihar. So that is my next priority," he said.
KABUL, July 20 (Xinhua) -- Afghanistan traded goods worth 994.2 million U.S. dollars from May 21 to June 20, the country's National Statistics and Information Authority (NSIA) reported Saturday.

Afghanistan exported goods worth about 93.3 million U.S. dollars while importing goods worth 900.9 million U.S. dollars during the period, the NSIA posted the report on social media.

The Afghan products were mostly exported to Pakistan, India and Iran, and the major sources of imports included Iran, Pakistan and China, the department added.

Fresh and dry fruits including pistachio, pine nut, fig were among the most popular products for export in Afghanistan, according to the NSIA. 
A host of conspiracy theories followed, involving Indira Gandhi, her younger son Sanjay, his favourite small car project, secret funding of the Bangladesh Mukti Bahini and even the Central Intelligence Agency of the United States.

On 24 May 1971, Ved Prakash Malhotra, then the chief cashier at the Parliament Street, New Delhi, branch of State Bank of India, took out Rs 60 lakh from the cash vault to deliver it to a courier on the basis of what he claimed were instructions from the then prime minister of India, Indira Gandhi, and her secretary, P N Haksar.

He believed both of them had talked directly to him. He delivered the money to someone later identified as Rustam Sohrab Nagarwala and went to the prime minister's residence to collect the cheque for the money taken out.

He could not meet either Haksar or Mrs Gandhi. He then realised he had been duped and registered a complaint with the Parliament Street police station.

The police followed the information Malhotra had provided and apprehended Nagarwala later in the day at the Delhi Parsi dharamshala in Daryaganj.

By late evening, they recovered all but Rs 6,000 of the amount taken out of the bank, and arrested Nagarwala.

Three days later, in what has been claimed as a lightning quick trial based on Nagarwala's voluntary but unverified confession, he was convicted and sentenced to four years of imprisonment.

Assistant Superintendent D K Kashyap, an officer of the Indian Police Service, led the investigation.

Nagarwala then recanted the confession and appealed his conviction. He remained in Tihar Jail, refusing offers of friends to bail him out.

A lawyer connected with Raj Narain (who was to successfully challenge Indira Gandhi's election from Raebareli in 1971), R C Maheshwari, represented Nagarwala, but the two never trusted each other.

Kashyap died in a road accident in November 1971.

Nagarwala suffered a cardiac infarction in early 1972 and was in and out of Lord Irwin hospital. He died on March 22, 1972, his fiftieth birthday.

A host of conspiracy theories followed, involving Indira Gandhi, her younger son Sanjay, his favourite small car project, secret funding of the Bangladesh Mukti Bahini and even the Central Intelligence Agency of the United States.

The Morarji Desai government, which assumed office in 1977, appointed several commissions of inquiry to investigate the affairs of the Gandhi government and the Emergency (1975-1977).

Retired Supreme Court Justice P Jaganmohan Reddy looked into the Nagarwala case.

His voluminous report found fault with many aspects of the investigation and court proceedings, State Bank procedures, official replies, but never could find whodunit nor whydunit.

Justice Reddy even likened the case to Winston Churchill's oft-quoted 1939 description of the Soviet Union as 'a riddle wrapped in a mystery inside an enigma.'

That is where the matter remains today.

Now journalists Prakash Patra and Rasheed Kidwai have made bold to write the book under review, The Scam That Shook India (Scam hereafter) on this long-forgotten affair, after studying the declassified files of the Reddy Commission and other documents.

A reader would be justified in thinking that such an effort would be based on the discovery of some hitherto unknown or ignored clue or a new hypothesis.

Scam, however, would be a disappointment for such a reader, for it does neither.

It is, instead, a tiresome regurgitation, and repetitive at that, of what we already know about the murky affair and have been none the wiser for it.

The authors try to create atmospherics by mentioning even the most irrelevant details (the rift between Kashyap's family and the in-laws), names and places that have only the remotest connections to the case, long asides on the political situation from 1947 to 1980 (and beyond, at times) in language that can only be called police procedure prose.

Scam places remarks of long-dead people within quotation marks, giving the impression that the authors have interviewed the people being cited.

But all that they have done is paraphrase the Reddy Commission report.

Shoddy editing, evident throughout the book, further mars it: Delhi has a powerful Parsi lobby; Nagarwala was in college for four years, and left it when he was 18; he was a collegemate of the late Brigadier N B Grant, who was an engineer (but Nagarwala was not); Poona/Pune and Bombay/Mumbai appear interchangeably; the wife of the Parsi dharamshala's manager 'feels a tingle' of alarm.

This is but a tiny sampler.

The Scam that Shook India: The Nagarwala Scandal Author: Prakash Patra & Rasheed Kidwai Publisher: HarperCollins Pages: xii+264 Price: Rs 399

Over the last 70-odd years, I have read countless books in different languages.

Choosing the best among them would be an impossible task.

But I can say with certainty that Scam is the worst of the lot.

I have taught courses on written communication at premier institutions.

Should I ever have another opportunity to do so, Scam would be required reading to demonstrate how not to write.

The author duo, however, are not the only ones responsible for foisting this book on us.

Anyone with pretensions to writing (this reviewer included) believes that every pearl of his wisdom must see the light of the day in the form of a book.

Presumably, publishers, especially reputed ones such as HarperCollins, have mechanisms in place to weed out sub-standard material from all the manuscripts they are offered.

In this case, that mechanism is prominent by its absence.

One mourns the felling of all the trees to enable the publication of this book.

Shreekant Sambrani is an economist based in Baroda.

Feature Presentation: Aslam Hunani/Rediff.com
UNITED NATIONS, July 19 (Xinhua) -- Fu Cong, China's permanent representative to the United Nations, on Friday emphasized the importance of international cooperation with the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) in maintaining global peace and security.

Speaking at the Security Council debate on collaboration between the United Nations and regional organizations, Fu highlighted the SCO's critical role in addressing global challenges and promoting a multipolar world and inclusive economic globalization.

"The international community should heed the calls of SCO members," Fu stated, urging stakeholders to leverage the Summit of the Future as a pivotal opportunity to advance equity and fairness in global governance.

He emphasized the need for a balanced approach to fostering a multipolar world and enhancing inclusive economic globalization to address the complexities of today's international landscape.

"We must practice true multilateralism under the guidance of the UN Charter," the ambassador said, advocating for reinforced dialogue and cooperation between the UN and the SCO to strengthen international peace efforts.

Emphasizing the necessity of multilateralism, Fu praised the SCO's efforts to uphold the principles of the UN Charter and resist the pressures of a Cold War mentality and bloc confrontations. He recognized the SCO's adherence to the Shanghai Spirit and promotion of values of partnership, openness, and inclusiveness.

Further elaborating on the SCO's role in regional security, Fu called for a joint commitment to combat terrorism, separatism, and extremism, which he described as significant threats to global security.

He encouraged the United Nations to collaborate with the SCO in areas such as counter-terrorism, narcotics control, and combating transnational organized crimes, and to assist in building capacities for security and law enforcement in the region.

Addressing the situation in Afghanistan, Fu urged cooperation between the SCO and the United Nations Assistance Mission in Afghanistan to foster international engagement with the Afghan interim government. This collaboration aims to help Afghanistan steer clear of terrorism and achieve lasting peace and stability.

On economic and social development, Fu lauded the SCO's alignment with the United Nations' goals, highlighting its contributions to regional cooperation in trade facilitation, infrastructure, agriculture, poverty reduction, and sustainable development.

He expressed support for the SCO's increased interactions with UN entities and emphasized the importance of the upcoming SCO Year of Sustainable Development in 2025 to bolster regional development efforts.

Fu reiterated China's dedication to supporting deeper engagement between the UN and regional organizations like the SCO.

"As a founding member and the rotating president of the SCO, China remains committed to supporting, together with the international community, even deeper engagement between the UN and regional organizations such as the SCO, and making unremitting efforts to promote world peace and development and build a community with a shared future for mankind," Fu said. 
Hong Kong's Consumer Council has apologized to Chinese bottled-water giant Nongfu Spring after giving its product four-and-a-half out of five stars in a report comparing 50 samples of bottled water for its consumer magazine Choice.

The Council issued an apology on its website on July 18, just three days after publishing the report that listed the company's bottled water as having a bromate level that is the maximum allowed for bottled spring water by the European Union, prompting media reports that the water could cause health issues if consumed.

The climbdown is unprecedented for the council, which has gained a reputation for rigorous and transparent safety testing without fear or favor during the five decades it has been in operation, and comes amid fears that Hong Kong is losing its status as a separate jurisdiction from the rest of China.

Chinese consumers have previously flocked to Hong Kong to buy food products following safety scandals at home because products on sale there are seen as more trustworthy.

Health authorities around the world warn that consuming large amounts of bromate can cause nausea, diarrhea, vomiting and abdominal pain, with possible negative impact on the kidneys and nervous system in severe cases. The substance is classified in the European Union as a possible human carcinogen.

The council only detected bromates in two samples out of the 50 it tested, both at 3 micrograms per liter, from bottled water sold by Nongfu Spring and another mainland Chinese company, Baisuishan.

The council's initial report highlighted the fact that both samples were at the top end of the permitted range for bromates, as set by the European Union, for bottled spring water.

Lawyers letter

However, a day after the Council published the report, Nongfu Spring fired off a "lawyer's letter" via its social media account demanding an apology and calling the report "unprofessional."

Baisuishan's parent company Kingtian (Shenzhen) Food and Beverage quickly followed suit with a statement on its official Weibo account complaining that media reports had "misinterpreted the test results, misled consumers, and seriously harmed the company's legitimate rights and interests."

A worker transfers pallets of Nongfu Spring mineral water at one of it factory in Danjiangkou in central China's Hubei Province, May 11, 2023. (Andy Wong/AP)





Nongfu Spring asserted that there are only two levels of safety for bottled water according to standards, safe and not safe. They contended that their products fall into the "safe" category, and any suggestion that their water was near the safety limit or that it could cause harm was misleading.

The company accused the council of misleading the public by focusing on the substance levels instead of simply saying that the water was safe for consumption.

Representatives of Nongfu Spring then met with Consumer Council officials, according to an apology and "clarification" notice published on the council website on July 18.

The council then reclassified the Nongfu Spring product as "natural drinking water," which brought the bromate level under recommended limits, and award the Nongfu product five stars, because it complies with both World Health Organization and mainland China's own standards for drinking water, the statement said.

The category "natural drinking water" has never been used by the council before.

It said that while the level of bromates allowed for spring water is set at 3 micrograms per liter, the limit set by both the EU and the World Health Organization for drinking water is 10 micrograms. The reclassification had allowed it to score Nongfu Spring's product more highly, it said.

"The council apologizes for the misunderstanding caused by the discrepancy in sample classification in this test," it said.

RFA Cantonese contacted the Consumer Council directly to ask why it had given special treatment to Nongfu Spring, whether it had apologized under pressure, and whether it would continue to bow to pressure from companies in future.

But the council hadn't replied to these questions by the time of publication on July 18.

Credibility questioned

Commentators said the move is a major blow to the credibility of the council, which has been trusted by Hong Kong consumers to provide unbiased information and test results on food products, water and electrical goods for decades.

Exiled Hong Kong businessman Herbert Chow said Hong Kong used to pride itself on its careful regulation of safety standards.

"If companies like Nongfu Spring can now sue them at every turn, just to defend their own interests ... that indicates an obvious change in Hong Kong's business culture in favor of the might is right approach," Chow said.

"The Consumer Council is an independent monitoring agency that regulates food, drinking water, home appliances, and so on," he said. "Why should it have to make concessions to a company?"

But former Council Chairman Anthony Cheung told RFA Cantonese that the council was likely acting to safeguard its credibility.

"If it really was a matter of incorrect classification, then it's reasonable to publicly admit that, and to explain the overall testing process and criteria," Cheung said in a written reply on Thursday.

"The fact that manufacturers are so nervous about this test report from the Consumer Council shows just how strong its credibility is across the whole mainland Chinese market," he said.

The company said on Thursday that it has received the clarification by the council, and the test results fully demonstrated that Nongfu Spring products comply with relevant standards and can be safely consumed, the English-language China Daily reported.

Last year, Nongfu Springs sales rose 28% to 42.67 billion yuan (US$5.9 billion), boosting net profits by 42.2% year-on-year, according to the company's annual report.

Translated by Luisetta Mudie. Edited by Malcolm Foster.
Israel has claimed that the successor to slain Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah has likely been "eliminated," while U.S. Vice President Kamala Harris called Tehran the greatest adversary of the United States.

Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant on October 8 said that Hezbollah, an Iranian-backed militant group and political party that controls much of southern Lebanon, was an "organization without a head."

"Nasrallah was eliminated -- his replacement was probably also eliminated," Gallant told officers at the military's northern command center without providing details.

"There's no one to make decisions, no one to act," he added.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu later echoed those comments, saying, "We've degraded Hezbollah's capabilities."

"We took out thousands of terrorists, including Nasrallah himself and Nasrallah's replacement, and the replacement of the replacement," Netanyahu said.

Hezbollah is designated as a terrorist organization by the United States, while the European Union blacklists its armed wing but not its political party. Hezbollahs political party has seats in the Lebanese parliament.

Hashem Safieddine, a top Hezbollah official and a cousin of Nasrallah, was widely expected to be named to the group's top position, but his whereabouts and condition are a mystery since an Israeli strike hit a suspected Hezbollah leadership meeting on October 2.

Hezbollah has not commented on Safieddine's fate, although unidentified members have told various media that the group had lost contact with him since the attack.

Safieddine has been declared a global terrorist by the United States.

Meanwhile, Harris told CBS TV's 60 Minutes program in an interview that she considered Iran to be the greatest adversary of the United States.

"Iran has American blood on their hands," she said. "And what we saw in terms of just this attack on Israel, 200 ballistic missiles, what we need to do to ensure that Iran never achieves the ability to be a nuclear power -- that is one of my highest priorities."

Harris -- the Democratic presidential nominee who will face Republican Donald Trump in the November 5 election -- declined to speculate on whether the United States would take military action itself should proof be uncovered that Iran is building a nuclear weapon.

Tehran has denied it is building such weapons and says its nuclear program is for civilian purposes.

The comments came as the battered and bloodied leadership of Hezbollah suggested it might be ready to negotiate a cease-fire with Israel

Deputy leader Naim Qassem, in a televised speech, for the first time did not suggest that ending the war in Gaza was a precondition to reaching a truce with Israel in Lebanon.

Qassem said the group backed an effort by Lebanese parliament speaker Nabih Berri, an ally of Hezbollah, to reach a deal to halt the fighting.

Late on October 8, the Syrian government said that seven civilians were killed in an Israeli air strike in Damascus. A war monitor said the strike targeted a building used by Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps (IRGC) and Hezbollah.

Israel did not immediately comment and the reports could not be verified.



The Israeli military said earlier on October 8 that it had killed another senior Hezbollah commander, a day after marking the somber anniversary of a Hamas attack on Israel that killed some 1,200 people.

Suhail Husseini, who was responsible for overseeing the logistics, budget, and management of Hezbollah, was killed in a targeted attack on October 7, the Israeli Defense Forces (IDF) said in a statement.

"Husseini played a crucial role in weapon transfers between Iran and Hezbollah," the statement said, adding that he was also in charge of distributing advanced weapons to the group's members and for its "most sensitive projects" that included operations against Israel.

The IDF said Husseini was also a member of the Jihad Council, the supreme military body of Hezbollah.

There was no immediate confirmation from Hezbollah.

The Israeli announcement came after Palestinian militants in Gaza fired a barrage of rockets on October 7 into Israel, where President Isaac Herzog led a national moment of silence to mark the start of last year's Hamas attack, which started at Kibbutz Reim in the south of the country.

Hamas has been designated a terrorist organization by both the United States and the European Union.

In Washington on October 7, President Joe Biden condemned Hamas on the anniversary, while also stating again the U.S. administration's commitment to reaching cease-fire agreements to end fighting in both Gaza and Lebanon.

"On this solemn anniversary, let us bear witness to the unspeakable brutality of the October 7 attacks but also to the beauty of the lives that were stolen that day," Biden said in a statement.

In Jerusalem, relatives of the some 100 hostages still in Hamas captivity, out of a total of 250, gathered outside Netanyahu's residence and stood in silence as a siren wailed in a gesture of protest against what relatives say is the failure of the government to secure their loved ones' release.

The conflict in Gaza is still raging while Israel is now fighting on a second front in southern Lebanon against Hezbollah.



Following the October 7 attack, Israel launched a military assault on Gaza that has killed nearly 42,000 Palestinians, according to Gaza's Health Ministry, which is run by Hamas. Some 90 percent of the population of Gaza has been displaced and large areas have been destroyed by Israeli bombardments.



The Israeli military said on October 7 that over the past year it has bombed more than 40,000 targets in Gaza, found 4,700 tunnel shafts and destroyed 1,000 rocket launcher sites.

Israel in recent weeks has been carrying out air strikes across Lebanon, including Beirut, and has staged a ground invasion into south Lebanon in its drive to wipe out Hezbollah's capabilities and leadership.

In the attacks, Israel killed Hezbollah leader Nasrallah and dozens of other leaders of the group.

On October 6, two senior Iranian security officials told Reuters that Ismail Qaani, commander of the Quds Force -- the overseas arm of the IRGC -- had also not been heard from in recent days since traveling to Lebanon.

Tel Avivs campaign against Hezbollah prompted Iran to respond by attacking Israel with a large wave of rockets that were largely shot down by Israeli air defenses without causing substantial damage, but the attack renewed fears of a larger regional conflict.

Gallant on October 6 threatened Iran that it might eventually find itself looking like Beirut or Gaza -- which has also been battered over the past year -- if Tehran attempts to further harm Israel.

With reporting by CBS and AP
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.
 Flash

The sixth U.S.-China Sister Cities Summit was held Friday in Tacoma, a port city in western U.S. state of Washington, aimed at deepening friendship and strengthening sub-national exchanges between the two countries.

The summit, themed "Shared Visions for a Brighter Future," is co-sponsored by the Chinese People's Association for Friendship with Foreign Countries and Sister Cities International, a nonprofit which serves as the national membership organization for individual sister cities, counties, and states across the United States.

Featuring panel discussions, keynote addresses and case studies, the summit brought together more than 140 representatives from 14 Chinese provinces and more than 100 representatives from 21 U.S. states, to explore shared opportunities, exchange insights, and address common challenges affecting communities in both nations.

"Sister provinces/states and sister cities are important platforms for promoting mutual understanding and friendship between the people of China and the United States, and important windows for deepening exchanges and cooperation for mutual benefit and win-win results," said Yang Wanming, president of the Chinese People's Association for Friendship with Foreign Countries, in his remarks during the summit, noting that "The city of Tacoma and the State of Washington are the symbol of friendship between the people of China and the United States."

"In the future, we are willing to give full play to the role of the sister city conference as a bridge and link, and play a greater role in enhancing mutual trust, strengthening friendship, and deepening cooperation between the local governments of the two countries," he added.

Tacoma, about 50 kilometers southwest of Seattle, established a sister city relationship with Fuzhou, capital of East China's Fujian province, in 1994. The two cities are celebrating 30 years of ties.

"I truly believe that if we can work together to address all the challenges and opportunities that lie ahead, we can and we will create a future that is bright and prosperous for every one of our communities," Victoria Woodards, mayor of Tacoma, said in her speech.

She pointed out that "Our sister city relationships allow us to build bridges of friendship and cooperation that transcends borders and brings all of our communities closer together."

Five previous sister cities summits were held -- 2014 in Washington, D.C.; 2015 in Chicago; 2016 in Nanchang, China; 2019 in Houston; and 2023 in Suzhou, China.

The establishment of sister city relationship between China and the United States started soon after the two countries established diplomatic ties in 1979, when central China's Hubei Province and the U.S. state of Ohio, and eastern China's Nanjing city and the U.S. city of St. Louis, forged sister relationships.

Forty-five years on, China and the United States have built 286 pairs of sister relationship at different levels.
HONG KONG, July 20 (Xinhua) -- The 17th Military Summer Camp for Hong Kong Youth concluded on Saturday at San Wai Barracks of the Hong Kong Garrison of the Chinese People's Liberation Army.

About 500 young people from more than 130 secondary schools in Hong Kong, dressed in uniforms, held a solemn flag-raising ceremony amid the magnificent national anthem, showing the training results of the past week to the guests and their parents.

In the military summer camp, the young people received military training, attended lectures on patriotism and national defense education, and participated in other activities, spending a fulfilling time in the military camp.

More than 5,000 Hong Kong students have participated in the Military Summer Camp for Hong Kong Youth since its launch in July 2005. It allows young people to gain an understanding of the country's situation and national defense knowledge. It also aims to develop young people's leadership skills, spirit of hard work, and self-discipline. 
KYIV -- Before dawn on July 16, Vladyslav woke up in his car. At 4:37 a.m., he was fourth in a line at a draft office in Ukraines capital.

It was the last day for men eligible for military service to register or update their personal details with the military.



I was here several times before and lost many hours, Vladyslav, who did not want his last name published, told RFE/RL. In the end, I had to sleep in the car, parked nearby, to make it on time.

As Russias full-scale invasion grinds on in its third year, with Moscows forces exerting enormous pressure on often exhausted soldiers on multiple sections of the 1,200- kilometer front line in the east and south, Ukraine is struggling to increase the number of troops available for its defense.

A controversial mobilization law, adopted in April after heated debate, took effect in May.



July 16 marked the end of a 60-day grace period during which all citizens eligible for mobilization were required to update their personal data at military-run territorial recruitment centers or civilian administrative centers -- or via a newly rolled out government app, Reserve+.



Vladyslav was one of some 4 million citizens who renewed their data by the deadline, according to the Defense Ministry, including 2.7 million who did so through the app.



For weeks, draft offices were struggling with crowds of conscripts trying to fulfill their duty, lining up for hours in the sweltering summer heat. Blackouts -- a result of Russias relentless attacks on Ukraines power infrastructure  added to the troubles.

Some of those who complied with the law will now receive a summons and head to military medical commissions for examinations to determine their fitness for service. Others will get exemptions on various grounds.

'Trying To Hide'



Those who did not comply face fines and other civil restrictions such as the potential revocation of driver's licenses or, in the case of military-age men abroad, the right to consular services.

From now on, they can also receive a summons by post, which will be treated as delivered even without their confirmation of receipt, Deputy Defense Minister Kateryna Chernohorenko told RFE/RL.



If they ignore this, they can be declared wanted within a criminal proceeding.



Some people are trying to hide their data, but it is a matter of time -- all citizens [subject to mobilization] will be in the military register, Serhiy Starenkiy, deputy chairman of the Human Rights Protection Committee of the Ukrainian National Bar Association, told RFE/RL.



Ukraine introduced these procedures to make identifying men eligible for conscription easier and mobilizing them more efficient.

Prior to the new legislation, the bulk of summonses had been handed out to men by military patrols on the streets of cities, towns, and villages. That practice has provoked controversy, and there have been numerous reports of violence used by or against draft officers across Ukraine.



In one such case, 32-year-old Serhiy Kovalchuk died in the hospital after a visit to a draft office in the Zhytomyr region. Recruiters attributed his death to an epileptic seizure and alcohol, but the death certificate indicated that the cause was multiple cranial-cerebral injuries with displaced skull bones.



Kovalchuks family alleges that he was assaulted at the draft office, and over 100 people staged a protest outside the building over the incident.

Thousands of men have fled or left the country -- which is illegal for men of fighting age under martial law, in effect since shortly after Russia launched the full-scale invasion in February 2022 -- and others have gone into hiding or use legal loopholes to try to avoid the draft.

Some Ukrainians soured on recruitment efforts due to widespread reports of corruption in draft offices. Last August, President Volodymyr Zelenskiy dismissed the senior military recruiter in each of Ukraines regions as reports of corruption proliferated.



The push to bolster the military ranks comes as the enthusiasm to serve that marked the early months of the full-scale Russian invasion has faded.



In a late June poll conducted by the Kyiv-based Razumkov Center, about 46 percent of respondents said there is no shame in being a draft dodger, while 29 percent held the opposite opinion, and 25 percent found it difficult to answer.

Still, the government asserts that the stepped-up mobilization campaign is going well.

The military says that everything is going according to their plan, Zelensky said at a press conference on July 15, adding that there are not enough training grounds and that the state is working to expand them.

Prisoners And More



Shortly before the mobilization law was adopted, Zelenskiy signed a bill lowering the lower end of the age range in which men can be drafted from 27 to 25, leaving the upper limit at 60, and ordered those who previously held "partially eligible" status to go through mandatory medical checks.



Some men aged 18-24 can also be called up, and women can volunteer to serve.



In another bid to recruit more troops, Kyiv has also allowed some categories of prisoners to serve in the military.

Meanwhile, some of the most popular units -- such as the Third Separate Assault Brigade, the 93rd Mechanized Brigade, and the Khartia Brigade -- opened their recruitment centers and are running marketing campaigns, leaving Ukrainian cities plastered with billboards with calls to join the army.



Military and civilian critics of the mobilization law note that it fails to address the questions of rotation -- giving units a chance to rest, away from frontline fighting -- and demobilization, when an active-duty soldier can legally leave service.



If this [current] trend continues into the fall, it may then be possible to submit a bill on demobilization to the Verkhovna Rada, Roman Kostenko, head of the parliaments National Security Committee, said in June.



Separately, in an interview with a German newspaper, Kostenko said that the Ukrainian military could enlist 200,000 additional troops by the end of the year.



Former top General Valeriy Zaluzhniys reported request for 500,000 new recruits was believed to be one of the reasons Zelenskiy dismissed him in February.

There are 4.35 million Ukrainian men who are eligible for service and are not yet in the military, according to Dmytro Natalukha, chairman of the Economy Committee in parliament. Some estimates put the number higher.



Ukrainian officials have said on different occasions that their armed forces number from 800,000 to 1 million. In February, Zelenskiy said that 31,000 soldiers had been killed since February 2022, a figure seen as a major undercount.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy said he spoke with Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump and agreed to a face-to-face meeting to discuss steps to a lasting peace with Russia.

Zelenskiy spoke with Trump on July 19, a day after the former U.S. president and again Republican candidate accepted his partys nomination and vowed to end the war in Ukraine if elected.

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.

I spoke with @realDonaldTrump to congratulate him on the Republican nomination and condemn the shocking assassination attempt in Pennsylvania. I wished him strength and absolute safety in the future, Zelenskiy said in a post on X, referring to the July 13 shooting at a Trump rally that slightly injured the candidate.

Zelenskiy said he agreed with Trump to discuss at a personal meeting what steps can make peace fair and truly lasting without giving any details on when and where such a meeting would take place.

Trump said in a post on Truth Social on July 19 that he had a very good call with Zelenskiy in which they discussed Russias invasion of Ukraine.

Trump vowed to bring peace to the world and end the war that has cost so many lives through negotiations.

"Both sides will be able to come together and negotiate a deal that ends the violence and paves a path forward to prosperity," Trump said.

Russias full-scale invasion of Ukraine, which has killed tens of thousands on both sides, is now in its 29th month with no end in sight. Russia currently occupies about 17 percent of Ukraine.

Zelenskiys call took place as worries grow in Kyiv and other European capitals about another four years of Trump in the White House. The Republicans chances of winning the November 2024 election improved following 81-year-old incumbent President Joe Bidens poor performance in a debate last month that raised questions about his physical and mental state.

Lawrence Freedman, emeritus professor of war studies at King's College London, said there is interest in how Trump would sort out the war now that it appears "as likely as not" that he will win the election.

In a post on the social media platform Substack, Freedman cited reports about a rudimentary plan drawn up by two members of the White House National Security Council during Trump's 2017-21 presidency that calls for a cease-fire based on prevailing battle lines.

Keith Kellogg, who drew up the plan with Fred Fleitz, has said it would be crucial to get Russia and Ukraine to the negotiating table quickly if Trump wins. According to a Reuters report in June, Kellogg has advocated telling the Ukrainians that if they don't come to the negotiating table, U.S. support would dry up, while telling Putin that if he didn't come to the table, the United States would give the Ukrainians "everything they need to kill you in the field."

NATO membership for Ukraine would be off the table as part of the incentive for Russia to come along; putting it back on would be punishment for holding back.

But Freedman, a distinguished military analyst, is skeptical of the plan, which would mark a major shift in the U.S. position on the war.

"These coercive measures might possibly get the parties to the table, but it does not point to any actual agreed deal," Freedman said on Substack on July 20.

The Kremlin has said any peace plan proposed by a possible future Trump administration would have to reflect the reality on the ground but that Putin remained open to talks. Ukraine has rejected holding talks with the current battle lines as a starting point.

Trump-Putin Relationship

Trump has expressed admiration for authoritarian Russian President Vladimir Putin, called the Kremlin leaders preinvasion tactics genius, and has repeatedly criticized NATOs European allies for not spending more on collective defense.

Republican lawmakers in the House of Representative who are closely aligned with Trump blocked Biden's $61 billion aid package for Ukraine for months, leaving Ukraines force short on ammunition and air defense. Ukraines ammunition hunger contributed to Russian territorial gains this year, experts have said.

Trump has not made his opinion on future support to Ukraine clear, though this week he picked Senator J.D. Vance (Republican-Ohio), an outspoken opponent of aid to Kyiv, as his running mate. The 39-year-old senator has said the United States does not have the military capacity to support Taiwan, Israel, and Ukraine and should prioritize the first two.



U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken said Ukraine maintains bipartisan support in Congress and any future U.S. president will have to take that into account.

"Any administration has to ask hard questions. If we stop, if we reverse ourselves, if we let Ukraine down, what will Putin do? He will then really resume the aggression and possibly have a chance of succeeding where for now hes failed," Blinken said on July 19 at the Aspen Security Forum in Colorado.

Blinken said Putin would be "likely to go at other countries in the region, including NATO allies." He also said other would-be aggressors are "taking lessons from this too."

During his 92-minute-long acceptance speech on July 18, Trump said he would usher in global peace and stability if elected. He previously said he would settle the Ukraine war, should he win the election, before even setting foot in the White House in January 2025.

However, Trump has not said what terms he would propose to Russia and Ukraine. Zelenskiy has said his goal is to drive Russian forces out of Ukrainian territory, including Crimea, which the Kremlin seized in 2014. Following Ukraines failed counteroffensive in 2023, some experts say Ukraines objectives are unrealistic and that Kyiv will have to make concessions.

Blinken noted that last week on the margins of the NATO summit in Washington more than 20 countries announced that they had negotiated and signed 10-year bilateral security agreements with Ukraine. All of these countries, including the United States, have committed to help Ukraine build up its defenses for the next decade, Blinken said.

If the United States were to renege on that, there are more than 20 other countries that would continue their support, he said.

Zelenskiy and Trump have a complicated relationship going back to the Ukrainian presidents first days in office.

In a July 2019 call, two months after the former comedian became Ukraines president, Trump asked Zelenskiy to look into the Ukrainian business dealings of Bidens son Hunter Biden.

Trump was charged by the Democratic-controlled House of Representatives with using the power of his office to pressure Zelenskiy to interfere in U.S. politics in exchange for a White House visit, becoming the third president in U.S. history to be impeached. However, he was acquitted by the Senate.
A family in Lisacul have been badly shaken by an incident where an intruder in their home had come within close proximity of their young son who was watching television in a front room at the time.

Gardai have confirmed that they are an investigating a burglary, which occurred at a house in Lisacul on Sunday last at approximately 6.20 p.m.. One of the parents and their young son were in the house at the time but were unaware of the intruder in their home.

Speaking to the Roscommon Herald, the parent confirmed that he didnt know a man had gained entry to the house until a notification was sent to a security app on his wifes phone. She had been attending a funeral at the time.

It was a typical, nice quiet Sunday evening. My son was watching Postman Pat on the TV and I was in the kitchen, preparing food and watching the TV waiting for the Euro final, and unknown to me, this happened, he explained.

There are cameras installed in the house, and while its believed the suspect left empty handed, the footage showed he had taken something from their vehicle outside. The ordeal has badly shaken the family.

When I watched the footage back, someone walked into my house and walked down the hall. I didnt sleep a wink on Sunday night thinking that some creep had his foot inside my house within fifteen foot of my son.

The parents paid tribute to the Gardai who came to their house on Sunday, and investigations are continuing.
NEW DELHI, July 20 (Xinhua) -- A day after a massive global IT outage affected computer systems and impacted businesses, banks, hospitals, media houses and airlines around the world, India's Ministry of Civil Aviation said airline systems at airports across the South Asian country have been working normally since early Saturday.

"Since 3:00 a.m. (local time) in the night airline systems across airports have started working normally. Flight operations are going on smoothly now. There is a backlog because of disruptions yesterday, and it is getting cleared gradually. By noon today, we expect all issues to be resolved," reads an official communique posted on social media by federal civil aviation minister Ram Mohan Naidu.

The Microsoft outage was triggered after cyber-security firm CrowdStrike issued a faulty software update to the U.S. tech giant. It affected customers using Microsoft's Windows operating system.

The outage threw life out of gear in airports across India, besides leading to widespread cancellation of flights.

Local media reports said a private airline -- IndiGo, which has the largest share of domestic passenger traffic in India, alone canceled 287 flights. Apart from IndiGo, two other private airlines Akasa and SpiceJet faced significant disruptions.

"We are constantly monitoring the operations in our airports and also with the airlines ensuring travel readjustment and refunds are taken care of," the ministry said.

Airports across the country, including in Delhi and Mumbai witnessed chaotic scenes on Friday over issuing boarding passes, cancellations and rescheduling of flights. Web check-in services were not available, which led to long queues at check-in counters and overcrowded lounges at several airports. 
A dog rescued from the streets who now spends his days spreading joy and wagging his way into the hearts of everyone he meets will represent County Roscommon in the final of Pet Sitters Ireland Nose of Tralee 2024.

The finalists for the competition have all been announced with Rua Reynard Brogan from Elphin, the radiant rescue mutt (with a hint of hound, a dash of street and a sprinkle of mystery) who turned a ruff start into a fairy-tail life lining out for the Rossies.

At just four years old, Rua has already achieved more than most pups could dream of, says his profile.

Rescued from the streets, he now spends his days spreading joy and wagging his way into the hearts of everyone he meets.

"Rua is an expert at slobbery kisses and can charm a crowd with his signature puppy eyes routine. His special talent is making every bad day better with just a wag of his tail and a snuggle. He also has a knack for finding the cosiest spots in any room and making them his throne. When hes not busy being fabulous, Rua loves to chase his best friend Rover, his grandpa, by digging up the flowers in the backyard, and napping in the sun.

"His hobbies include chewing on his favourite (formerly) squeaky toy, rolling in anything disgusting, the smellier the better, and trying to make friends with the big black and white dogs (cows) and small fluffy white dogs (sheep) in the field next door.

Rua dreams of a world where every dog has a forever home filled with love, treats, and belly rubs. He aims to use his platform to raise awareness about the importance of adopting rescue dogs and giving them a second chance at life. Rua has saved her family numerous times from a monster (car) invasion by bravely barking them away. Hes also known for his impeccable sense of fashion, often sporting his Ireland rugby jersey or a classic bandana that perfectly match his debonair personality.

Rua embodies the spirit of resilience, love, and joy. His journey from a scrappy 3 month old street pup to a beloved family member is a testament to the power of second chances. With his winning smile and heart of gold, Rua is ready to show the world that rescue dogs are the Nose of Tralee.

Rua will compete for the title of Nose of Tralee 2024. You can vote for Rua on line when voting starts on August 1st.

The winner will be announced on August 20th after a public vote.
At least one person was killed and 25 others, including the Nagaur SP was injured, in clashes between police and members of the Rajput community demanding a CBI probe in gangster Ananpal Singh's death in Sanvrad village of Nagaur district following which curfew has been imposed

Jaipur: At least one person was killed and 25 others, including the Nagaur SP was injured, in clashes between police and members of the Rajput community demanding a CBI probe in gangster Ananpal Singh's death in Sanvrad village of Nagaur district following which curfew has been imposed. ADG Law and Order NRK Reddy today said curfew was clamped late last night in Sanvrad where tension prevailed during a rally called by Rajput community turned violent. Reddy said a man was killed in firing. However, he said that police did not open fire. "In the clashes, 25 people, including Nagaur SP Paris Anil Deshmukh, IPS officer Monika Sen and 16 policemen sustained injuries," Reddy said. Four of the injured were referred to Jaipur in a critical condition, police sources said. The mob also confiscated the AK-47 and service revolver from policemen. Massive police deployment has been made and 10 persons have been detained, police said. Scores of members belonging the Rajput community had reached Sanvrad yesterday, the native village of the slain gangster to press for their demand for a CBI inquiry in the police encounter in which he was killed. Singh was killed in a police encounter on June 24 and the body is yet to be cremated. Police sources said a large mob pelted stones on police while they were trying maintain law and order. To control the agitated protestors, police first fired tear gas shells and cane charged them, but did not open fire, Reddy said. PTI
Punjab Accident Today: 5 soldier injured as Army truck collides with another truck in Jalandhar

Five soldiers were travelling in Indian Army truck when the accident took place.

Punjab's Jalandhar Indian Army Truck Road Accident Latest News Today: In a shocking incident, at least five soldiers were injured when an Indian Army truck, they were traveling in, collided with a truck in Jalandhar, Punjab.

Reportedly, there was a fierce collision between an Indian army truck and a canter near Suchi Pind in Jalandhar, Punjab. About five army personnel were injured in the accident. All five of them were admitted to the Army Hospital for treatment. Currently, the police have been investigating how the accident took place. Reportedly, this accident took place at around 6 o'clock.

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Likewise, the CCTV video of the incident has also surfaced on the Internet, in which the Indian army truck was seen trying to take over the trailer.

The trailer hit the army truck from behind and an accident took place. Meanwhile, the police started investigating the case on the basis of CCTV.

According to the information, the loaded canter and the Indian army truck were going from PAP Chowk toward Amritsar. However, it is alleged that the canter hit the army truck from behind, due to which, the army truck went out of control.

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(For more news apart from Punjab's Jalandhar Indian Army Truck Road Accident Latest News Today, stay tuned to Rozana Spokesman)
Macca Family and their residence in Bucharest

Macca House is currently hosting the Romanian Academy's Archaeology Institute

Macca Family and their residence in Bucharest

Christine Lescu, 20.07.2024, 14:00

In the old part of Romanias capital city,

near the centre and its main thoroughfares, like Lascar Catargiu boulevard and Calea

Victoriei, we find the Romanian Academys Archaeology Institute, hosted by the

Macca House. A building of highly refined architecture and rich ornamentation,

Macca House is one of the most fascinating buildings in Bucharest. Its history combines

the cosmopolitism of those times, via the Swiss-born architect John-Elisee Berthet, with the biography of old local

families, because the building was commissioned by Col. Petru Macca and his

wife Elena, a well-known philanthropist, who also donated the house to the

Education Ministry after his death.

Since then, the Macca House

has hosted a number of institutions, including a museum of antiques in the

interwar period, and it eventually became the permanent home of the Archaeology

Institute. The art historian Oana Marinache has studied both the history of the

building, and its architectural plans, and she gave us details about the

architect John-Elisee Berthets masterpiece.

Oana Marinache: Basically it was a building commissioned

privately by a very rich family. All of Mrs Elena Maccas revenues actually

came from her estate in Mirosi, as the village was called at the time. With the

help of her second husband, col. Petre Macca, with patience, with a huge

financial effort and with the help of outstanding entrepreneurs, most of them

foreigners as most works were commissioned in Paris and Vienna, they managed to

complete this architectural jewel. The building brings together all the

Historicist styles of the late 19th Century. The architect Berthet was

commissioned the project in 1891, and the works were completed around 1894. This

is when the family moved into the new house. There were good times and bad

times for the building, for instance the stables and outhouses burnt down

twice, in 1894 and in 1897. So some changes were bound to take place, but in

spite of this the original architecture and art is largely preserved to this

day. And modern restoration works still produce surprises, unknown frescoes and

other decoration or furniture pieces come to light, which provide new insights

into the lifestyle of the late 19th and early 20th Centuries.

The building has 4 floors, including the basement and the loft. The

interior and outdoor decorations include Baroque elements like festoons,

pilasters and heraldic symbols. Preserved on ceilings and walls are also some

of the original frescoes, and some stucco fragments are gold plated. At some point, the balconies were

adjusted to the Art Nouveau style, and turned into beautiful winter greenhouses

on the first floor.

When we talk about the Macca family, we mean,

first and foremost, Elena Macca, the art historian Oana Marinache says:

Oana Marinache: It was her estate, and the house was built using

her financial resources. I would say she was the epitome of a lifestyle and the

image of the philanthropist ladies of the late 19th Century. She had

outstanding role models in her family, especially her mother and her maternal

grandmother. She followed in the footsteps of these female role models who

obviously had a certain social and economic position, but who were also taking

care of their servants, of the peasants on their estates, of the small

entrepreneurs and tenants on their properties. I would say Elena is a role

model truly worth being brought back today, over 100 years after her death.

After the Macca house was donated to the Romanian state, it hosted the

National Antiques Museum between 1931 and 1956, and since then it has belonged

to the Romanian Academy. Because of

the Macca Houses state of disrepair, a decision was recently made to start

restoration works on the building, coordinated by the National Heritage

Institute. (AMP)
July 20, 2024 UPDATE

A roundup of domestic and international news

Newsflash

Newsroom, 20.07.2024, 19:30

HEAT WAVE  Meteorologists on Saturday issued two alerts, one yellow and one orange, against thunderstorms, in place until Sunday morning for the west and center. Powerful thunderstorms, accompanied by strong wind and hail will be expected during the interval. Several other weather alerts against extreme heat are in effect for Saturday in the south, where temperatures are expected to reach 38 degrees Celsius and the THI will exceed the critical level of 80 units. The capital city is under a code yellow alert against severe heat, with maximum temperatures expected to reach 35 degrees.

ENERGY  The heat wave affecting Romania in recent weeks has led to an increase in energy consumption, seriously testing the national electricity grid. While no major blackouts occurred, the Romanian authorities are preparing a series of measures with short and medium-term effect to secure energy input, regardless of weather conditions. In a session of the Energy Task Force, Prime Minister Marcel Ciolacu called for accelerating investments in the national network for electricity transport and for expanding production and storage capacities. In turn, Energy Minister Sebastian Burduja said that, after 15 years, Romania is ready to adopt a national energy strategy, which could help the authorities plan and prioritize investments and relevant projects to ensure national energy security with competitive prices for electricity and natural gas.

AVIATION  Romania on Saturday marked the National Day of Aviation and Air Forces, traditionally held on the Feast Day of Saint Elijah, the patron saint of Romanian aviators. A military and religious ceremony was held in Bucharest on this occasion, with Romanian officials bringing floral tributes to the memory of Romanian aviators. A number of aircraft overflew the proceedings, including F-16 Fighting Falcon, C-130 Hercules, C-27J Spartan, IAR-330 and IAR-99 jets, EC-135 SMURD and S-70M Black Hawk helicopters, a Learjet 75 aircraft of the Interior Defense Ministry, SA-365 Dauphin gunships of the Romanian Intelligence Service, and an Extra 300 aircraft belonging to the Romanian Air Club. Attending the air show was also a C-17 Globemaster aircraft from Hungary and F-18 Hornet fighter jets of the Finnish Air Forces.

TECH OUTAGE  Users and companies in various essential industries around the world, including banking, air travel, mass-media and healthcare are resuming their normal activity on Saturday in the wake of the largest global tech outage in history. A faulty updated to Microsoft Windows systems operated by Crowdstrike grounded thousands of flights, stalled banking and healthcare services, and badly hit other sectors on Friday. The problem was eliminated at its root, although some systems will take a while to automatically return to normal operating parameters, Crowdstrike officials say. Governments and public services were also impacted by the incident, which could prompt lawmakers to pass special laws to protect the population against similar outages in the future. Romania was also impacted by the tech outage, with several international flights reporting delays.

CRIME STATISTICS  In the first quarter of 2024, law enforcement and anti-crime prosecutors organized a total of 900 operations, a third of which were large-scale, up by 2.5% compared to the first six months of 2023, the head of the Directorate for Combating Organized Crime, Catalin Serban, told a press briefing on Saturday. The operations targeted 3,400 people, of whom 1,275 were detained for 24 hours. Over 1,000 people were temporarily arrested, up by 8.9% compared to the same period last year. The Directorate for Combating Organized Crime and Terrorism (DIICOT) took part in EUROPOL policy cycles, taking on coordination roles and conducting operations in the fields of human and immigrant trafficking, cyber crime and drug traffucking. (VP)
THE WEEK IN REVIEW

15-19 July, 2024

The Week in Review

Leyla Cheamil, 20.07.2024, 13:00

Weather record in Romania  the longest heat wave

Romania went through the longest red code heatwave in the history of meteorological measurements. On Thursday, the last warning of this kind, restricted to the counties in the south of the country, including the capital, expired. Maximum temperatures exceeded 40 degrees Celsius, and during the tropical nights the temperatures did not drop below 25 degrees. The thermal discomfort was particularly pronounced, and the temperature-humidity index exceeded the critical threshold of 80 units. Although, for the moment, it is decreasing considerably, the excessive heat affected the health of many people. The number of those who needed emergency interventions throughout the country was of the order of tens of thousands, and there were also several deaths. The supply of drinking water has become a problem for hundreds of localities. These days, the water supply has decreased, which has led the authorities in hundreds of localities to reduce the supply to only a few hours a day, or once every several days. Also, the energy system suffered, and vegetation fires were more frequent, and on considerable surfaces.

The President of Romania, Klaus Iohannis, at the EPC meeting in Great Britain

The head of the Romanian state, Klaus Iohannis, pleaded, on Thursday, for cooperation in the field of energy and for the continuation of the support given to Ukraine, during the fourth meeting of the European Political Community. The event attended by leaders from over 40 countries took place in Great Britain. Klaus Iohannis said that efforts to strengthen cooperation in the field of energy and connectivity represent essential objectives for strengthening national and European resilience, in a context marked by the challenge of climate change management, but also by developments such as those in Ukraine, which reconfirmed the need of action to limit strategic dependencies. President Iohannis highlighted Romanias efforts in supporting these areas, as well as the countrys role at the regional level, including through a more active involvement in Black Sea projects. According to the Presidential Administration, Klaus Iohannis emphasized the importance of strengthening energy connections at national and regional level and the development of energy infrastructure, which can contribute to the consolidation of energy independence at the European level. Also, on the sidelines of the meeting, there was a meeting of the leaders from Romania, Great Britain, Poland, France, and Germany with the President of the Republic of Moldova, Maia Sandu. The leaders of these countries reaffirmed their determination to continue supporting Chisinau in achieving its goals of peace, prosperity, and democracy.

Two Romanians in the leadership of the EP

Two of the 14 vice-presidents of the new European Parliament are Romanian. They are Victor Negrescu and Nicolae Stefanuta, who were elected on Tuesday, in the first session of the legislature. Victor Negrescu was a candidate from the social-democratic group, and Nicolae Stefanuta from the green group. Both enjoyed the support of the parliamentary majority formed around the populists, Social Democrats and Liberals from Renew. Aged 38, Victor Negrescu represented Romania as a member of the European Parliament between 2014-2017, and from 2020 to the present. He also held other administrative roles in the European legislature. Nicolae Stefanuta, MEP since 2019, obtained his current term by running as an independent, and is affiliated with the green group.

Measures for the management of the bear population in Romania

Summoned in an extraordinary session, the plenary session of the Chamber of Deputies from Bucharest approved, on Monday, with a large majority, the draft law introduced by the UDMR (former governing partner of PSD and PNL), which amends the legislation on bear hunting, a document voted last year in the Senate . The project provides, for the years 2024 and 2025, the possibility of shooting more than 400 brown bears. This legislative action comes shortly after the recent tragedy in the mountains, when a 19-year-old girl died on a mountain trail after being attacked by a bear. Prime Minister Marcel Ciolacu stated that by amending the law, shooting bears will not be a free for all, as some government organizations fear, and that legislative interventions are aimed at preventing attacks on the human population and damage caused by bear attacks. For his part, UDMR senator Tanczos Barna, sponsor of the project, declared that a preventive intervention is needed, as is done in all EU member states, where there is a significant brown bear population.

President of Romania Klaus Iohannis received the athletes who will participate in the Olympic Games in Paris

President Klaus Iohannis received, on Wednesday, at Cotroceni Palace, the athletes who will represent Romania at the Olympic Games in Paris. The head of state handed the flag of the country to the Olympic team, made up of 107 athletes. Klaus Iohannis stated, on this occasion, that Olympic-level performance is built through hard work, with a lot of determination, discipline, and passion. Staying in this register, lets remember that Nadia Comaneci appears in an illustrated book about the legends of the Summer Olympics, published a few days before the competition that is about to start in Paris. Titled The Last Heroes. 100 moments of Olympic Legends, the book pays tribute to exceptional athletes, and presents the unforgettable moments of each Olympics. An extraordinary episode noted in the book is the first 10 ever awarded in gymnastics, by which the 14-year-old Romanian surprised at the Montreal Games in 1976, and even the scoreboard, which was not programmed for such a score, displayed the grade one instead. Nadia received seven marks of 10 in Montreal, with which she won three gold, one silver, and one bronze medals.
Xi Jinping, general secretary of the Communist Party of China Central Committee and Chinese president, mourns the passing of General Secretary of the Communist Party of Vietnam Central Committee Nguyen Phu Trong at the Embassy of Vietnam in China on July 20, 2024. (Xinhua/Shen Hong)

BEIJING, July 20 (Xinhua) -- Xi Jinping, general secretary of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee and Chinese president, went to the Embassy of Vietnam in China on Saturday to mourn the passing of General Secretary of the Communist Party of Vietnam (CPV) Central Committee Nguyen Phu Trong.

Praising Trong as a staunch Marxist and a great leader of the CPV and the Vietnamese people, Xi said that Trong had devoted himself entirely to the CPV and the country, to the Vietnamese people and to the cause of socialism in Vietnam, and had been deeply respected and admired by the party, military and people of Vietnam.

Xi recalled that over the past decade, he and Trong had maintained close contact and developed a deep camaraderie, and that last year they jointly announced the elevation of bilateral ties to a China-Vietnam community with a shared future that carries strategic significance, a milestone in bilateral ties.

"The passing of Comrade Nguyen Phu Trong has deprived us of a promoter of China-Vietnam relations and a companion for the cause of socialism, and we are deeply saddened," said Xi.

He said that Trong's outstanding contribution to the relations between the two parties and the two countries and to the cause of the global socialist movement will always be remembered.

Xi stressed that the CPC and the Chinese government firmly support the CPV in uniting and leading the Vietnamese people to develop socialism that suits Vietnam's national conditions.

It is believed that under the strong leadership of the CPV Central Committee, the Vietnamese people will surely be able to turn grief into strength and continue to make greater achievements in the cause of reform, opening up and socialist construction, Xi said.

He said he firmly believes that China and Vietnam will continue to work together to make profound and solid progress in building the China-Vietnam community of a shared future. 
Rhodes University Vice-Chancellor, Professor Sizwe Mabizela, addresses Affinity Event attendees in Gqeberha

It should not be, and it cannot be that an academically deserving young person will be deprived of an opportunity to receive quality and transformative education simply because they happened to have been born into a family of limited means, said Rhodes University Vice Chancellor, Prof Sizwe Mabizela.

Prof Mabizela was speaking at a notable alumni Affinity Event in Gqeberha on the 19th of July, highlighting the University's ongoing efforts to address mounting student debt as one of its #RU120 fundraising priorities.

We must, and we will remain true and faithful to our vision, mission, and purpose as a distinctive institution of higher learning, committed to fostering a better society and a better world, said Prof Mabizela in calling on alumni and friends of the University to support its fundraising efforts.

The significant financial challenges posed by reduced government funding and increasing student debt, exacerbated by cuts to the National Student Financial Aid Scheme (NSFAS), are considered a significant risk by Rhodes University. The capping of student accommodation fees has meant that students who, more than most, need a safe environment to live and study in, opt for off-campus accommodation to limit their debt to the university and, in some cases, re-appropriate some of their living allowances to support their families. Such is the state of social need in our country, said Prof Mabizela.

We are very hopeful that the new government will tend to tend to the challenges of higher education, he added.

While the national student debt burden is a whopping R17 billion, student debt at Rhodes University amounts to R321 million. One of the critical priorities of the #RU120 campaign is to raise funds for student debt initiatives, making the Universitys launch of Unlocking Futures and an R100,000 scholarship initiative by Rhodes University alumnus and Google South Africa Country Director, Dr Alastair Mokoena all the more significant as part of broader efforts to create a world-class educational environment that attracts top academic and research talent.

Friends of the University can contribute to the RU120 fundraising efforts easily online, supporting initiatives that continue to build on Rhodes Universitys storied legacy and promising future.
TVS Motor has reported a solid performance in the domestic market for June 2024, achieving an overall year-on-year (YoY) growth of 8.43% in total sales

TVS Motor total domestic 2W sales stood at 2,55,723 units, up from 2,35,833 units in June 2023. Jupiter led the sales charts with 72,100 units sold, reflecting a 12.21% YoY increase from 64,252 units in June 2023. This scooter held a significant 28.19% market share.

TVS Sales June 2024  YoY Comparison

XL moped also performed well, selling 40,397 units, a 17.10% increase from 34,499 units last year, capturing a 15.80% share of the market. Apache motorcycle range saw an impressive growth of 32.12%, with 37,162 units sold compared to 28,127 units in June 2023, making up 14.53% of the market share. Raider experienced a decline, with sales dropping by 13.00% to 29,850 units from 34,309 units, representing 11.67% of the total sales. Ntorq scooter sales slightly decreased by 0.94%, from 28,077 units last year to 27,812 units this June, maintaining a 10.88% market share.

iQube, TVSs electric scooter, showed a positive trend with a 5.17% increase in sales, from 14,462 units to 15,210 units, contributing to 5.95% of the market. TVS Sport saw a minor decline of 0.43%, selling 11,619 units compared to 11,669 units last year, which accounted for 4.54% of the sales. Radeon increased its sales by 5.28%, from 9,759 units to 10,274 units, representing a 4.02% market share. Zest scooter showed the highest growth among the models, with sales surging by 49.07% to 8,779 units from 5,889 units, capturing a 3.43% market share.

Ronin, a relatively new model, sold 1,814 units, contributing 0.71% to the overall sales without a comparable figure from the previous year. Star City faced a significant decline of 84.66%, with sales dropping from 3,071 units to 471 units, making up just 0.18% of the market share. Apache 310 also saw a decrease in sales by 30.88%, selling 235 units compared to 340 units last year, holding a 0.09% market share. Pep+ recorded no sales in June 2024, compared to 1,379 units in June 2023, resulting in a 100% decline.

TVS Sales June 2024  MoM Comparison

TVS Motor experienced a month-on-month (MoM) sales decline of 5.87% in the domestic market for June 2024. Jupiter saw a 4.93% decline in sales, dropping from 75,838 units in May 2024 to 72,100 units in June 2024. XL100 moped experienced a slight decrease of 1.31%, with sales falling from 40,934 units in May 2024 to 40,397 units in June 2024.

Apache also saw a marginal decline of 1.96%, with sales reducing from 37,906 units to 37,162 units, capturing 13.95% of the market share. Raider had the most significant drop of 19.86%, with sales plunging from 37,249 units to 29,850 units, which is 13.71% of the total sales. Ntorq sales fell by 4.93%, from 29,253 units in May 2024 to 27,812 units in June 2024, accounting for 10.77% of the market.

iQube, the electric scooter, saw an 11.72% decline in sales, from 17,230 units to 15,210 units, representing 6.34% of the market. Sport experienced an 8.92% decrease, with sales dropping from 12,757 units to 11,619 units, contributing to 4.70% of the market share.

Radeon sales slightly decreased by 1.83%, from 10,465 units in May 2024 to 10,274 units in June 2024, holding a 3.85% share. Zest was one of the few models that saw growth, with an 8.91% increase in sales, from 8,061 units to 8,779 units, capturing 2.97% of the market. Ronin also saw a positive trend with a 6.21% increase, from 1,708 units to 1,814 units, making up 0.63% of the sales.

Star City recorded 471 units sold in June 2024, with no comparable sales figure from May 2024, as it had no sales in that month. Apache 310 experienced a 15.77% decline, with sales falling from 279 units to 235 units, accounting for 0.10% of the market share. Pep+ recorded no sales in both May and June 2024.
HANGZHOU, July 19 (Xinhua) -- More than 70 poets from BRICS countries have come together in Hangzhou, east China's Zhejiang Province, to participate in a poetry event.

During the event, they will express their thoughts through poetry, highlighting the friendships between different countries, ethnic groups and cultures.

Participants are expected to visit Hangzhou and Beijing, engaging in a series of literary activities such as academic dialogues, seminars and poetry sharing sessions.

Zhang Hongsen, vice chairman of the China Writers Association, expressed the hope that the poets would use poetry to build a bridge of communication between minds and work together to create a beautiful home for humanity.

First held in 1980 by a poetry magazine that the association publishes, this event is considered the most influential and longest-running literary gathering in China. 
ACCRA, July 20 (Xinhua) -- The executive council of the African Union (AU) has approved its Continental Artificial Intelligence (AI) Strategy and African Digital Compact to boost Africa's digital development, an official has said.

AU Commissioner for Infrastructure, Energy and Digitization Amani Abou-Zeid said this in an interview Friday during the 45th Ordinary Session of the AU Executive Council, a prelude to its 6th Mid-Year Coordination Meeting, in the Ghanaian capital of Accra.

"Our council yesterday approved the AU strategy for artificial intelligence and the strategy for using digital technologies, which will set the path for Africa's use of digital technologies for development," Abou-Zeid said.

These strategies would provide direction on the use of technology to find solutions to Africa's challenges, help fast-track many projects and programs, and guard against the unethical use of technology, she said.

"The technology must help us preserve our identity, preserve our languages and cultures, and be helpful rather than harm us," the commissioner said.

The strategies would create an enabling environment for the development and use of digital technology, Abou-Zeid said, adding that the AU policy would guide the governments of various members to develop the necessary policy and regulatory frameworks for the sector.

"The strategies will help us create a single digital market and guide all sovereign countries on how to use digital technology to boost their development processes," she said.

"There must be rules and regulations to punish the negative use of AI and digital technologies to prevent further abuse," Abou-Zeid said, adding that seven African countries now have AI policies, but the continental body would like to see all members develop their policies. 
The panda pair that arrived at the San Diego Zoo from China earlier this summer will make their eagerly-awaited public debut on August 8, San Diego Zoo Wildlife Alliance announced on Friday. #XinhuaNews
Sometimes I get a little nostalgic for the good old-fashioned Xmas in Julys of yore, with traditional Christmas Creep retailers "attempting to lure bargain-hunters in with inventory-clearing sales not just on gifts, but on artificial trees, wreaths, lights and decorations."

But the true meaning of Xmas in July was forever Grinched by Amazon eight years ago, with the debut of Prime Day (now two days, July 16-17 this year). Fortunately, indie booksellers have once again risen to the challenge and restored our faith in Xmas in July with myriad counter strategies, as well as a sense of humor.

credit: Larry Law

Positive vibes have also come from Indiebound ("Indie bookstores are magical, but they need your support to keep the magic alive. Choose to shop local and keep the enchantment in your community."); artwork by Larry Law, executive director of the Great Lakes Independent Booksellers Association ("I designed this to share a concise message about the challenges faced by independent bookstores & how unbalanced the market is."); Bookshop.org ("A note from indie bookstores this Prime Day"); and Libro.fm ("This Prime Day, be an Audiobook Champion and help your indie bookshop take the gold with our reading challenge.").

On social media this week, indie bookseller anti-Prime Days post highlights include:

Swamp Fox Bookstore, Marion, Iowa: "July 16 and July 17 are wonderful days to show your support for local businesses. Visit all your favorites or drop by one you've never been to before."

Phoenix Books, Essex & Burlington, Vt.: "Why buy from the empire when you can support the resistance. While an online giant has a little sale today, we remind you that Phoenix Books is always here for your bookish needs. You all know that we love a good Star Wars pun, and today, of all days, we hope our readers will celebrate our local communities, Independent Bookstores, and booksellers--all working hard to uplift Vermont, one book at a time. Won't you join us?"

At Wyrd Bookstore

Wyrd Bookstore, Edgewater, Md.: "With all these prime deals, it's difficult to stay away (I don't blame you). All we ask, as your favorite community book store, is to not forget us! Since we've started, we've lived by the 'keep the lights on' mentality, which means your dollars spent at Wyrd get directly reinvested into building it into a place for everyone and keeping the dream of a community space alive. So we thank you for your support along this ride, and hope you continue to Spread the Wyrd so we can continue to be the space you have grown to love!"

Cafe con Libros, Brooklyn, N.Y.: "Today is the beginning of Prime Day on Amazon. No judgement here if you're scratching items off your wishlist. However, I beg you, shop indie bookstores for your bookish needs. Amazon doesn't need your book dollars; indies do. It's that simple."

Under the Umbrella Bookstore, Salt Lake City, Utah: "Under the Umbrella Presents: An Anti-Prime Days Celebration. Did you know that Amazon intentionally loses money on their book sales in order to undermine bookstores like ours because they know they can make money on other things? If you are able to avoid "Prime Days" this year, please do. We're also offering 15% off online orders today and tomorrow (July 16-17) with the code fckamazon."

Alibi Bookshop, Vallejo, Calif.: "Hello, friends. Yes, we know that the giant online retailer is having big specials tomorrow and Wednesday, but this is a perfect time to remind you to shop local! Sure, there are some things you can't find locally, but shopping indie is actually the best deal of all.... Thank you to everyone who said no to Ama*** and shopped with us the past few days! It means so much!"

From the ABA's "Indies take the Gold" summer marketing campaign.

Epilogue Books, Rockford, Mich.: "There's a certain online retailer that is advertising "great deals" for the next couple days. You may know who I'm talking about, it's the company that's owned by the guy with a $500,000,000 yacht that's followed by a $75,000,000 support vehicle (neither of which were purchased locally). I realize there are some things they do which we just cannot, however, there are some things our team does they can't even come close to providing. So, let's take a look at just a few of the reasons you should buy books from epilogue books rather than the person mentioned above...."

Plaid Elephant Books, Danville, Ky.: "Just a quick reminder that when you shop indie, you keep your money and your impact right here in your local community. And as a thank-you for supporting local businesses, we'll be giving away four lovely ceramic coffee mugs with this year's indie bookstore slogan--'The Future Is Indie.' Perfect for sipping your breakfast beverage while reading the new books you bought locally."

The Mysterious Bookshop, New York City: "Amazon Prime Day can't do this.... We've got signed first editions of the biggest new mystery releases--autographed for no extra charge! Stop by and browse new arrivals or visit us online."

Fairytales Bookstore, Nashville, Tenn.: "Prime Day? We say have a SUBLIME DAY and shop Fairytales Bookstore. We're offering 10% off online with the code sublimeday, or when you mention this post in store. Who needs Amazon, anyways?"
STATEN ISLAND, N.Y.  If you want to become a firefighter, you can apply for the exam and try your shot at joining the Fire Department of New York (FDNY).

The New York City Department of Citywide Administrative Services (DCAS) released the application  which is typically offered every four years  on June 24.

If you meet the basic requirements of the job, you can apply for your exam online at Online Application System (OASys) or at one of the Computer-Based Testing and Application Centers (CTAC).

The deadline to apply is Aug. 9.

The test will include a competitive computer-based test (CBT) and a qualifying physical ability test. You must achieve passing scores on the CBT and the physical ability test in order to be eligible for further consideration in the selection process. Computer-based testing is expected to begin on Friday, Jan. 31, 2025.

The current minimum salary as a firefighter is $54,122 per annum.

Incumbents will receive salary increments reaching $105,146 per annum at the completion of five and one half years of employment. All rates are subject to change.

Additionally, employees receive holiday, night shift and overtime pay.

Heres what the job entails, according to DCAS:

Under supervision, firefighters assist in the control and extinguishment of fires, in providing pre-hospital emergency medical care, and in the enforcement of laws, ordinances, rules and regulations regarding the prevention, control and extinguishment of fires, as well as perform Fire Safety Education activities; perform inspections and related enforcement duties, such as issuing criminal court summonses and vacate orders, to assure compliance with provisions of the Fire Prevention Code and applicable sections of the Building Code, Multiple Dwelling Code, Housing Maintenance Code, Labor Law and other laws, rules and regulations, within enforcement purviews of the New York City Fire Department; perform inspections of equipment and schedule as necessary the maintenance of various tools and equipment, including but not limited to power tools, company apparatus, Self-Contained Breathing Apparatus (S.C.B.A) and other personal safety equipment; and perform related work. Some of the physical activities performed by Firefighters and environmental conditions experienced are: wearing protective clothing, such as bunker suit, helmet, boots and breathing apparatus; crawling, crouching and standing, often for prolonged periods, while extinguishing fires; driving fire apparatus and other Department vehicles; climbing stairs, ladders and fire escapes; raising portable ladders; using forcible entry tools, such as axes, sledge hammers, power saws and hydraulic tools; searching for victims in smoke-filled environments; carrying or dragging victims from dangerous locations; connecting, stretching and operating hose lines; locating hidden fire by feel and smell; providing medical assistance to injured or ill citizens; and providing control and mitigation of hazardous materials incidents while wearing chemical protective clothing.

By the date of the appointment, you must have a four-year high school diploma or its educational equivalent. You also must have 15 college semester credits earned as a result of satisfactory completion of course work at an accredited college or university; or full-time U.S. military service with an honorable discharge; or have been discharged Under Honorable Conditions; or six months of full-time, satisfactory paid work experience.

Applicants must be at least 17  years of age by the end of the application period. You also must not have reached your 29th birthday by the beginning of the application period to be eligible to take this examination. However, you must have reached your 21st birthday to be eligible for appointment.

You also must possess a New York State motor vehicle driver license valid in the State of New York; be medically and psychologically examined to determine whether you can perform the essential functions of a firefighter; and must pass a drug screening in order to be appointed.

And the New York Public Officers Law requires that any person employed as a firefighter in FDNY be a resident of the City of New York or of Nassau, Westchester, Suffolk, Orange, Rockland or Putnam Counties.

There are several other requirements listed in the application.

New York City employs hundreds of thousands of people in its 80 agencies. Taking a test is the way to get started in the hiring process for most of these positions. Application fees range from $40 to $101.

The application fee for the firefighter exam is $30.

For more information about registering for this test, log onto the DCAS website. Go online via the OASys at www.nyc.gov/examsforjobs to apply. To receive monthly exam updates, sign up for the DCAS newsletter at nyc.gov/examsforjobs and click the Exams tab.

All examination and eligible list-related notifications are sent by email only; you will no longer receive notifications via U.S. mail.

On Staten Island, the testing center is located at 135 Canal St., Stapleton. Additional testing centers are located at: 2 Lafayette St., Manhattan; 210 Joralemon St., Brooklyn; 118-35 Queens Blvd., Queens; 1932 Arthur Ave., the Bronx.

After an exam is administered, it generally takes nine to 12 months for an eligible list of passers to be established from which agencies can hire, according to DCAS.

Inquiries regarding the status of an eligible list can be e-mailed to the New York City Department of Citywide Administrative Services at: LMAcustomerserviceunit@dcas.nyc.gov.
STATEN ISLAND, N.Y.  When taking a flight, concerns may revolve around the condition of the aircraft and its passengers, but if youre riding Southwest Airlines this summer, you may want to inspect your drinks.

About 20 Southwest Airline employees have been injured this year from exploding soda cans, according to a report by CBS News.

Southwest Airlines told NPR that the summer heat is responsible for warping the cans and causing some to burst open. In one such instance, a flight attendant required stitches, as detailed in the CBS report.

Were aware of the issue and have been taking steps to keep onboard beverages cooler, especially in our airports experiencing extreme temperatures, spokesperson Chris Perry said in a statement, according to NPR.

Southwest reportedly handles in-flight beverages in a unique way, as the airline does its own provisioning and doesnt handle perishables, NPR reports.

The report indicates that the company is testing out trucks with air-conditioned cargo areas in Phoenix and Las Vegas.

Additionally, the airline is instructing airport teams to take the temperature of cans prior to loading them onto an aircraft. Those cans that read above 98 degrees are to be held back, as reported by NPR.
STATEN ISLAND, N.Y.  District Attorney Michael McMahon led a tour Friday of what he believes will transform public safety on Staten Island.

Joined by local elected officials and New York Chief Judge Rowan Wilson, McMahon touted the new Staten Island Community Justice Center at what was once the Islands criminal courthouse at 67 Targee St., Stapleton.

Mayor Eric Adams and Councilwoman Kamillah Hanks (D-North Shore) announced a $5 million investment Thursday to bring the first-of-its-kind justice center to the Island.

Quite simply, the arrival of a Staten Island Community Justice Center would transform public safety and justice in our borough, and the reclamation of 67 Targee Street, our boroughs former criminal courthouse, will be the physical representation of that transformation, McMahon said. Staten Island is well on the way to receiving its very own Community Justice Center  a critical community-based diversion and service center of which every other borough in New York City already enjoys.

A project of the Center for Justice Innovation (CJI), the center would offer programs for children and adults who have been impacted by the justice system.

Community justice centers work to address underlying causes of criminal behavior, rehabilitate individuals and bring about a sense of accountability within the community.

CJI already offers a degree of evidence-based programming for eligible defendants at its office, located at 30 Beach St., Stapleton, but CJIs executive director, Courtney Bryan, said the new Community Justice Center will allow the organization to provide more robust services.

It was an exciting honor to join our Staten Island partners today on a tour of the historic Targee Street Courthouse, Bryan said. We look forward to new collaborations and enhanced programming in what we all envision will be a truly community-centered space.

McMahon said that, beginning in 2018, his office partnered with CJI to study the feasibility of bringing a community justice center to Staten Island.

The $5 million allotment marks a significant step toward the realization of the center, but additional funding is still needed for the Staten Island Community Justice Centers full opening, which would be years away.

Also joining McMahon on Fridays tour were Deputy Chief Administrative Judge for New York City Courts Deborah Kaplan, Administrative Judge for New York City Criminal Court Tamiko Amaker, Administrative Judge for Civil and Criminal Matters Desmond A. Green, Surrogate Court Judge Matthew Titone, State Sen. Jessica Scarcella-Spanton (D-North Shore/South Brooklyn), a representative from the Office of the First Deputy Mayor of New York City Sheena Wright, along with representatives for Hanks, Gov. Kathy Hochul, Assemblyman Charles Fall (D-North Shore/Brooklyn/Lower Manhattan), Assemblyman Michael Tannousis (R-East Shore/South Brooklyn), the Office of Court Administration (OCA), the Center for Justice Innovation (CJI), and the Department of Citywide Administrative Services.

I am so happy to see Mayor Adams and Councilmember Kamillah Hanks invest $5 million towards the revitalization of the former criminal court building into a community justice center, said Scarcella-Spanton. Thank you to District Attorney Mike McMahon for spearheading this effort and recognizing that keeping our communities safe is a multi-faceted challenge that should include programming that addresses the root causes of public safety issues. I look forward to continuing to work with our partners in public safety to advance this project and bring it to fruition.
STATEN ISLAND, N.Y.  First lady Jill Biden canceled a tentative Sunday visit to Michigan, the Washington Post reported Friday.

The news came as speculation swirls about whether President Joseph Biden will remain the Democratic nominee in the 2024 presidential election.

A spokesperson for the first lady told the Washington Post that discussions around the Michigan visit were notional and that Jill Biden looks forward to being on the campaign trail soon. She leaves for the Paris Olympics on Wednesday, the Post reported.

Calls have grown over the past week for Biden to step aside after an abysmal June 27 debate performance and an upswell in support for former President Donald Trump following an attempted assassination attempt July 13.

Publicly, top Democrats in Washington D.C. have stood by Biden, but multiple reports have shown that support to be waning. ABC reported Wednesday that Sen. Charles Schumer (D-N.Y.) had a meeting with Biden urging him to step aside before the attempted assassination on Trump.

The president has been sidelined since a Thursday coronavirus (COVID-19) diagnosis, but has shown no sign of dropping out.

Friday night, Biden took to the social media platform X, formerly known as Twitter, to criticize Trumps Thursday night speech at the Republican National Convention in Milwaukee.

Im stuck at home with COVID, so I had the distinct misfortune of watching Donald Trumps speech to the RNC. What the hell was he talking about?, he wrote ahead of his latest fundraising effort.

Biden, 81, appeared energized as he delivered a 35-minute campaign speech Friday, July 12, to more than 2,000 supporters inside Detroits Renaissance High School.

I am running, and were going to win, Biden said. Trump is a loser. Im the nominee of this party because of you, the voters. No one else. And Im not going anywhere. I learned a long time ago, when you get knocked down, you get back up.
ROME (AP)  A judge in Milan has ordered an Italian journalist to pay 5,000 euros (nearly $5,500) in damages to Premier Giorgia Meloni for making fun of her height in social media posts.

The judge ruled on Wednesday that two social media posts by journalist Giulia Cortese, who was also handed a suspended fine of 1,200 euros ($1,300), amounted to body shaming.

In October 2021, when Meloni was still in opposition, Cortese posted a digitally altered picture on X, showing the far-right politician standing in front of a bookshelf with an image of Fascist dictator Benito Mussolini in the background.

Meloni reacted on Facebook by saying that the fake image was of unique gravity and announced that she would take legal action.

In the exchange that followed, Cortese described Meloni as a little woman. She then wrote in a separate post: You dont scare me, Giorgia Meloni. After all, youre only 1.2 meters tall. I cant even see you.

Italian media report that Melonis height is between 1.58 and 1.63 meters (5 feet, 2 inches, and 5 feet, 4 inches), though she has never officially disclosed it.

Reacting to the judges verdict, Cortese said late Thursday that the Italian government has a serious problem with freedom of expression and journalistic dissent. She added that she may consider appealing the verdict.

Its not the first time that Meloni has taken legal action against a journalist or someone who had criticized her publicly. Her far-right government has been accused by the center-left opposition of using legal action to put pressure on journalists and critics.

Melonis lawyer said she would donate the 5,000 euros to charity if the sentence against Cortese is confirmed and the money is paid.
AMMAN, July 20 (Xinhua) -- Jordan announced that 83 new trucks of humanitarian aid crossed into the Gaza Strip on Saturday, carrying food parcels, blankets, clothes, and health materials for the war-torn territory that has been haunted by a humanitarian crisis.

"The aid was dispatched by the Jordanian Armed Forces and the Jordan Hashemite Charity Organization, in cooperation with the World Food Program, and supported by Helping Hands Association, Human Appeal, and several popular campaigns," the state-run Petra news agency reported.

Hussein Shibli, secretary-general of the Jordan Hashemite Charity Organization, said Jordan's efforts in aiding the people in Gaza are substantial, and the support and donations that reach Jordan's warehouses from various local, regional, and international organizations indicate the trust that Jordan gains from different countries, and its ability to deliver humanitarian aid to the Strip.

Shibli added that the total number of land trucks that have entered the Gaza Strip to date has reached 2,694, and 53 aid planes have been dispatched via Egypt's Al Arish International Airport. 
STATEN ISLAND, N.Y.  Joining U.S. Senator Kirsten Gillibrand at the Club Fed Child Care Center in Albany, Gov. Kathy Hochul announced the launch of ny.gov/childcare.

This new, digital portal assists eligible families in providing them with access to free or low-cost child care through New York States Child Care Assistance Program (CCAP).

Were making New York more affordable and strengthening our economy by delivering free and low-cost child care to more families statewide, and making it easier for families to apply for this funding online, said Hochul. As the first mom governor of New York, I understand the challenges of child care firsthand and I look forward to seeing this transformative program reach more parents and kids across our state.

This latest initiative follows on the heels of Hochul securing a $1.8 billion state and federal investment in CCAP in the FY25 Enacted Budget.

With our Child Care Assistance Program, most families of four pay no more than $15 per week.



Hundreds of thousands of New York families are eligible for this affordable child care, & were making it easier than ever for them to access it. To apply, visit https://t.co/RWeNsue639. pic.twitter.com/Ia95bMSeNU  Governor Kathy Hochul (@GovKathyHochul) July 19, 2024

The new website enables families statewide to apply for CCAP, a state program that assists families across New York pay for child care. The program reportedly covers at least 90% of weekly market rate child care costs for the majority of eligible families.

This ultimately means that most eligible families of four will have to pay no more than $15 a week, the program saving families thousands, the governors announcement said.

Every family deserves to have easy access to reliable, free or low-cost child care without having to jump through unnecessary hoops, said Gillibrand. The new online portal for the Child Care Assistance Program will be a transformative tool for parents across the state and will expand child care to families in need. I am proud to join Governor Hochul for this historic announcement and commend her commitment to expanding child care across the state. Making sure families have affordable, easy access to child care is critical, and thats why Ill continue to fight at the federal level to expand child care access in New York and across the country.

Prior to the creation of the portal, only families in New York City and Schenectady were able to apply online for CCAP. Those areas of the state aside from the two aforementioned, would be required to fill out a physical form. Fortunately, the introduction of this new portal means that all those previously-excluded families can now apply for the aid of this low-cost child care.

Currently, CCAP provides low cost or free child care to 100,000 families across the state. However, Hochul estimates that there are hundreds of thousands more families which are eligible and have not applied.

Although eligibility is determined by multiple factors, including family size and income, many may qualify if their household income is at or below 85% of the State Median Income.

At this time, 85% of the State Median Income for a family of four is approximately $108,000.

With the launch of this new digital portal, New York is taking an important step toward making affordable child care more accessible to families across the state, Senate Majority Leader Charles Schumer said. Improving access to affordable child care is how we strengthen our workforce, help our economy grow, and invest in our future. Its why I fought to secure $1 billion in the upcoming federal budget for childcare and led the introduction of the Child Care Stabilization Act. Governor Hochul is doing great work to make it easier for families across New York to access free and low-cost child care and I will continue to work with her and fight for affordable child care for all.

The digital portal is monitored by the New York Office of Children and Family Services (OCFS).

Interested families can utilize a tool on the site to pre-screen for eligibility and then immediately apply for child care assistance.

This new portal serves those outside of New York City and Schenectady County. Those in New York City must apply for CCAP through the MyCity portal. Those in Schenectady must apply for CCAP through the Schenectady County portal.

While overseen by OCFS, CCAP is administered by local social services districts. As part of the introduction of this platform, OCFS is collaborating with numerous stakeholder organizations to distribute information about CCAP statewide.

We are excited to partner with the governor and our local social services districts to implement this new initiative, which will remove barriers for families seeking to apply for child care assistance, OCFS Commissioner Dr. DaMia Harris-Madden said. The new, online portal will streamline the application process, offer easier access to the program, and put more families on the path to getting affordable, quality child care. More New York families than ever before are eligible for child care assistance now that the income threshold is up to $108,631.70 for a family of four at 85% of the state median income.
STATEN ISLAND, N.Y.  The Internal Revenue Service (IRS) has issued another urgent warning directed at a business owners being targeted through phisihing and smishing scams.

Car dealers and sellers are being warned of the schemes, in which scammers identify themselves at the IRS and can potentially jeopardize their day-to-day operations.

Scammers are relentless in their attempts to obtain sensitive financial and personal information, and impersonating the IRS remains a favorite tactic,' the IRS warned in an announcement. The IRS urges car dealerships to be extra cautious about unsolicited messages and avoid clicking any links in an unsolicited email or text if they are uncertain.

Fraudsters and identity thieves attempt to trick the recipient into clicking a suspicious link, filling out personal and financial information or downloading a malware file onto their computer, the agency said.

There are two main types of fake communication to be wary of, according to the IRS:

 Phishing: An email sent by fraudsters claiming to come from a legitimate source. The email lures the victims into the scam with a variety of ruses such as enticing victims to provide sensitive information.

 Smishing: A text or smartphone SMS message where scammers often use alarming language such as, Your account has now been put on hold, or Unusual Activity Report, with a bogus Solutions link to restore the recipients account.

Businesses across the country were impacted last month when CDK Global, a software firm serving car dealerships, was hit by a cyberattack. Scheduling, sales and orders at some 15,000 dealerships were all but shut down with some dealers reverting to pen and paper to do business. CDK reportedly paid a $25 million ransom to the hackers.
STATEN ISLAND, N.Y.  The prices of New York Lottery scratch-off tickets vary, but these 10 games in New York that only cost $1 each can have big payouts.

Given the low price tag, those games come with the lowest payouts, but that doesnt mean players cant still see a big payday.

State data shows that as of Friday, April 26, there were millions of winning tickets left in circulation for those games that cost $1 to play. Heres a look at how many of those tickets are out there for each game, and the top prize for each one.

5 TIMES LUCKY

Number of winning tickets still in circulation  1,955,988

Top prize in circulation  17 tickets worth $5,000

Low prize  939,561 tickets worth $1

7-11-21 TRIPLER

Number of winning tickets still in circulation  344,064

Top prize in circulation  one tickets worth $2,100

Low prize  187,325 tickets worth $1

CASH X5

Number of winning tickets still in circulation 491,069

Top prize in circulation  one tickets worth $5,000

Low prize  210,678 worth $1

FIND $50

Number of winning tickets still in circulation  340,427

Top prize in circulation  two tickets worth $500

Low prize  174,254 tickets worth $1

FIND $50

Number of winning tickets still in circulation  398,304

Top prize in circulation  4,637 tickets worth $50

Low prize  222,513 tickets worth $1

HOLIDAY 7S/LUCKY 7s

Number of winning tickets still in circulation  613,755

Top prize in circulation  three tickets worth $7,000

Low prize  339,355 worth $1

INSTANT TAKE 5

Number of winning tickets still in circulation  10,408,426

Top prize in circulation  78 tickets worth $5,555

Low prize  6,800,874 worth a free INSTANT TAKE 5 ticket

LOOSE CHANGE

Number of winning tickets still in circulation  4,735,183

Top prize in circulation  325 worth $500

Low prize  2,855,542 2 worth $1

LUCKY 7S

Number of winning tickets still in circulation  5,214,047

Top prize in circulation  19 tickets worth $7,000

Low prize  2,458,104 worth $1

LUCKY 7S

Number of winning tickets still in circulation  908,605

Top prize in circulation  six tickets worth $2,700

Low prize  587,340 tickets worth $1

MATCH 2 WIN

Number of winning tickets still in circulation  310,668

Top prize in circulation  one ticket worth $5,000

Low prize  123,718 tickets worth $1

XTREME MATCH

Number of winning tickets still in circulation  1,104,904

Top prize in circulation  six tickets worth $5,000

Low prize  439,804 tickets worth $1

MORE INFORMATION

For more information about the New York Lotterys scratch-off games, visit nylottery.ny.gov/scratch-off-games.

The New York Lottery continues to be touted as North Americas largest and most profitable lottery, contributing $3.6 billion during fiscal year 2021-2022 to support education in New York state.

New York Lottery revenue is distributed to local school districts by the same statutory formula used to distribute other state aid to education. It takes into account both a school districts size and its income level; larger, lower-income school districts receive proportionately larger shares of lottery school funding.

New Yorkers struggling with a gambling addiction, or who know someone who is, can find help by calling the states toll-free, confidential HOPEline at 1-877-8-HOPENY (1-877-846-7369) or by texting HOPENY (467369). You can also contact your regional Problem Gambling Resource Center directly for a referral to treatment services (state-certified or private) in your area, or contact a Recovery Center for a referral to treatment services (state-certified or private) in your area.

If you or a loved one has questions or needs to talk to a professional about gambling, you can also call 1-800-GAMBLER or visit 1800gambler.net for more information.
Police are frantically searching for a Bronx carjacker who swiped a Mercedes with a 4-year-old boy in the backseat early Saturday, according to reports.

The armed man took a white Mercedes with a black roof as it idled outside the Metro Motel on E 241st Street at about 7:30 a.m. police told the New York Daily News.

The thief pulled a gun on the driver, jumped into the Mercedes, and sped off, apparently not knowing there was a child in the back seat, police were told.

Police are investigating the possibility that the car owner may have known the thief who took the vehicle, sources told the News.

Cops were scouring the area looking for the missing Mercedes Benz this morning and no arrests have been made, the report said.

The carjacker is described as Black with black hair and dyed blonde tips. He was wearing a cream-colored hoodie and blue jeans when he swiped the car, police said.
EDITORS NOTE: Tipping Point? is a journalistic initiative launched by Advance/SILive.com to inform Staten Islanders how NYCsCity of Yes for Housing Opportunityproposal could impact the borough. The plan, which will be voted on by the City Council this year, calls for significant zoning changes designed to spur development of new homes and apartments amid a citywide housing shortage.

STATEN ISLAND, N.Y.  The fight over the South Richmond zoning plan 50 years ago was one of the fiercest battles in Staten Island history.

The plan would have jammed 450,000 people into the southern part of Staten Island.

It would have filled in parts of Raritan Bay to allow for building.

It could have destroyed two beloved natural areas.

It would have changed the face of Staten Island forever.

While Mayor Eric Adams City of Yes housing proposal is not as sweeping as the South Richmond Plan, the mayors citywide affordable-housing initiative is sparking similar concerns here about over-development.

And its bringing back memories of another time when the city looked to impose its zoning will on the Island.

Population explosion

As the Verrazzano-Narrows Bridge neared completion in the early 1960s, there was growing concern here about the population explosion predicted to follow once the bridge was open.

Islanders feared that a post-bridge building boom would inundate the mostly rural South Shore with attached homes and high-rise dwellings.

Superintendents examine the progress during the final phase of construction of the Verrazzano-Narrows Bridge in Feburary 1964. p1 vn Advance File Photo

And, then as now, borough residents had little faith that the city would provide the infrastructure needed  roads, schools and sewers  to keep pace with the building.

Something had to be done to control the coming land rush.

That in mind, Mayor John V. Lindsay tapped the Rouse Co. to study development here.

The South Richmond Plan

Rouse, which had developed the planned community of Columbia, Md., and which operated the Staten Island Mall, examined South Richmond, where nearly 45 percent of the land at the time was owned by the city and where the biggest potential for growth existed in the post-bridge era.

Rouse in 1970 outlined a $6.5 billion scenario for planned growth that included creating mixed-used housing across 7,300 acres and recommended gaining another 3,300 acres of buildable property by landfilling parts of Raritan Bay to build waterfront apartment dwellings.

Overhead photo of Great Kills Harbor with 3,300 acres of land marked off for the ill-fated South Richmond project.Advance file photo

Five miles of landfill would have jutted out into the water off the South Shore, according to Staten Island: Conservative Bastion in a Liberal City, a book on borough history by College of Staten Island professors Daniel C. Kramer and Richard M. Flanagan.

Those were the days of the mega projects, like Starrett City and Co-Op City, said Flanagan, a professor of political science at CSI.

If fully built out, 450,000 people would have lived in South Richmond alone, close to the entire population of the borough today.

About 200,000 people would have been housed in apartments on that landfilled waterfront.

At least another 250,000 people would live in apartments, townhouses and in single- and two-family detached units in other parts of South Richmond.

James W. Rouse, head of the Rouse Co., a national development firm, refers to a map of Staten Island as he explains his firm's South Richmond Plan.John Padula/Staten Island Advance

The plan also called for land-banking city-owned property for future use.

Within 15 years, a sub-city would be created including housing; new business and industry in a downtown area; common open areas, and low-income housing.

Alarming to many here, the plan would have also allowed for the condemnation of private land.

Staten Island says no

GOP state Sen. John Marchi, one of the most powerful legislators in state government at the time, backed the plan, having been convinced that it was the best way to manage the coming population boom.

The opposition was led by Realtor Daniel Master Sr., vice chairman of the borough Conservative Party, who felt it was wrong to take peoples private homes and property.

Many Staten Islanders were vehemently opposed to the plan, fearing that their homes would be subject to condemnation.

Others were concerned that low-income housing would lead to an influx of Black residents here, Kramer and Flanagan wrote.

An overflow crowd in St. Joseph-by-the-Sea High School, Huguenot, at South Richmond Plan public meeting in September 1971.Tony Carannante/Staten Island Advance

Environmentalists said that the plan would destroy Great Kills Park and Wolfes Pond Park.

South Shore landowners and developers thought the plan would be bad for business as it gave Rouse such wide control over land use.

GOP state Senator John J. Marchi attempts to placate emotionally charged crowd in St. Joseph by-the-Sea High School, Huguenot, during hearing on South Richmond Plan legislation. He is flanked by GOP Assemblymen Edward J. Amann, left, and Lucio F. Russo.Tony Carannante/Staten Island Advance

Legislation aimed at implementing the proposal was approved by the state Senate in 1973 but was killed in the Assembly with the Islands two veteran Republican assemblymen, Edward J. Amann and Lucio F. Russo, leading the opposition.

New zoning district

In an attempt to control development on the South Shore, the city in 1975 approved the South Richmond Special Zoning District.

The law placed restrictions on building height, removal of trees and lot sizes for homes without sewers; designated open space, and created the school seat certification process.

The new zoning law did away with provisions for low- and moderate-income housing.

But the memory of the South Richmond Plan runs deep.

One big difference between the 1970s and now, Flanagan said, is that Adams doesnt have as much open land to work with as he looks to build affordable housing.

Generating enough middle-class housing to satisfy the need would require wholesale revision of huge parts of the city and huge upzoning thats just politically impossible to pull off, he said.

What remains the same, Flanagan said, is the struggle with the city about the borough being a safety valve for middle-class housing against what it looks like on the ground, not having the infrastructure to support it.

Robert Weening was a member of Community Board 3 in the late 1970s, when he was a student at Wagner College.

Any time land use issues came up, the other board members would always talk about the old South Richmond zoning plan, he said.

Weening said that City of Yes has definitely stirred memories of those times.

Staten Island is always going to be forgotten borough, he said. And the city will always the big brother that will put its stamp on the Island.
Old Guy at the Club: Ageism in America

He was a 20-year-old kid.

It doesnt matter whether he was a Republican, a Democrat, an Independent, whether he had ever voted, what race he was, what gender he identified as. None of it matters because hes dead.

And the thing that killed him was hatred.

A hatred so virulent, so corrosive that just posting online couldnt soothe it, just being in the crowd wasnt enough. He had to shoot at a man running for president. And it got him killed.

Having a gun doesnt make you a man. But, he didnt know that. Because he was just a 20-year-old kid.

Amendment 26 was added to the Constitution on July 1, 1971.

I was 21 years old, so I could have voted that year anyway. But for a lot of 18-year-olds, this would have been their first chance to vote for a person that would have a huge impact on their lives. The next year, George McGovern was defeated by a second term Richard Nixon. And it took another three years before these new voters would no longer be shipped off to Vietnam to die.

Those kids were in the same age group as the kid who shot at the former President. And missed, by the way.

Presidential assassination attempts are unfortunately not new. There was one on Andrew Jackson in 1835 that failed. Abraham Lincoln, James A. Garfield (1881), William McKinley (1901) and John Fitzgerald Kennedy all succumbed to their injuries.

Attempts were made on Theodore Roosevelt in 1912. Teddy toughed it out, gave a speech and then went to the hospital. The bullet remained lodged in his chest until he died. Then there was Ronald Reagan in 1981. His daughter, Patti Davis, thinks his Russian accord wouldnt have happened if not for the attempt. Four months ago, she said he would have been disheartened by the current political tenor.

It seemed that Reagan took a beat before continuing on after the attempt. Of course, he was bed ridden for 13 days before returning to the White House. And I am not sure that the attack didnt in some ways hasten the onslaught of Alzheimers that he experienced in his declining years.

What did the current guy do? Fist pumped and ran to his social media post. Surprisingly, he had condolences for the person killed and others injured at the rally. Then, he decided to man up and soldier on to the Republican National Convention, stating We will FEAR NOT, but instead remain resilient in our Faith and Defiant in the face of Wickedness.

He called the 20-year-old kid who shot at him Wickedness. Capital W.

Does a 20-year-old kid even know what wickedness involves? Is he as fully aware of the consequences of his actions as a 78-year-old man who encourages his followers to lock up or hang their adversaries, to storm the Capitol building, to disparage and shame LGBTQ+, disabled and migrant people?

Or is he just a 20-year-old kid with a gun?

That 20-year-old kid could have had a future if hatred hadnt consumed him. He might have received treatment for his anger and any mental issues that might have been prevalent. He could have learned a trade or gone on to college. He could have had a successful career in business or the arts. He could have married, bought a house, raised children. He could have been an example of what was once referred to as The American Dream.

But, now, he cant. Because hes dead. And hatred killed him.

Im not going to resort to the bromide that we should all join hands and sing Kumbaya because that song was actually the way slaves warned each other that their master was about to come by here.

I know a song or a poem or a book or a movie are not going to solve our national problem. It goes further and deeper than that. The anger and the hatred that we have seen over the almost last two decades was broiling under the surface the whole time, maybe as far back as 1963, maybe even earlier. Theres no easy solutions here. But, there are places we can start. For one, we need better gun control in this country. We need to stop aligning our right to bear arms with the Second Amendment and attack weapons. Perhaps we need another amendment to explain that one. We need to stop yelling and screaming at each other, online and during political rallies. We need to be faithful to the standards that make this country great. We need to take a breath. Maybe stop all the rallies and the debates, because theyre not changing anybodys minds, just making us all more fearful.

And we need to discard our pandemic armor and develop some real empathy and compassion for others. Because the person who deserves our sympathy and our sorrow, the real tragedy here isnt what almost happened to a 78-year-old man running for president who encourages violence and hatred.

The real tragedy is that a 20-year-old kid is dead.

And hatred killed him.
GAZA, July 20 (Xinhua) -- At least 14 Palestinians were killed on Saturday by Israeli air raids in the northern Gaza Strip, said Palestinian sources.

Israeli jets bombed a house in the Jabalia refugee camp, killing a journalist, his wife, his two children, and his mother with special needs, security and medical sources told Xinhua.

Warplanes targeted another house in the Zarqa area, north of Gaza City, killing two and wounding others with varying injuries, the sources added.

In the Al-Saftawi neighborhood in northern Gaza, aircraft bombed an inhabited residential house, killing seven people, including children and women, according to sources.

Meanwhile, aerial and artillery bombardment continued in the areas of Rafah and Khan Younis, south of the Gaza Strip, and the Nuseirat refugee camp in the central Gaza Strip, said eyewitnesses.

The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) said in a statement on Saturday that its operational activity continues in the enclave.

IDF troops continue "precise, intelligence-based operational activity" in the Rafah area, and operation in central Gaza, conducting targeted raids on infrastructure sites in the area, it added.

Also on Saturday, the Gaza-based health authorities said in a statement that during the past 24 hours, the Israeli army killed 37 Palestinians and wounded 54 others, bringing the death toll to 38,919, with 89,622 injured since October 2023.

Israel launched a large-scale offensive against Hamas in the Gaza Strip to retaliate against Hamas's rampage through the southern Israeli border on Oct. 7, 2023, during which about 1,200 people were killed and around 250 were taken hostage. 
A spokesperson for the Australian regulator said the advisory committee to the FDA made non-binding recommendations, which the FDA generally followed but was not legally bound to do. The TGA is not aware that the FDA has identified safety concerns or made a decision that phenylephrine is ineffective, the spokesperson said. Australian legislation requires that the active ingredient is displayed prominently on the main label of the medicine to enable consumers to make informed choices when purchasing over-the-counter medicines. Malone, who also works part-time at a community pharmacy, says he will always tell customers they are much better opting for a nasal decongestant.

The FDAs findings did not apply to the nasal spray version of phenylephrine, which can work well. Loading If they request tablets with phenylephrine, I think myself and other pharmacists have a duty of care to tell them its not that effective in terms of reducing your runny nose, he said. Although pseudoephedrine  another ingredient commonly found in cold and flu medication  is an effective nasal decongestant, it has become more difficult to access in recent times. Professor Andrew McLachlan, the dean of pharmacy at the University of Sydney, said restrictions were introduced after pseudoephedrine was increasingly being used in the illicit manufacture of methylamphetamine.

It is available behind the counter in a pharmacy, but the pharmacist needs to make an assessment and capture some information about you before they provide it to you. McLachlan said these tougher restrictions had led to pharmaceutical companies replacing pseudoephedrine with phenylephrine in many over-the-counter products. Professor Andrew McLachlan says medicine regulators move slowly when there is no risk of harm. He said the assumption was that because phenylephrine was effective when applied topically in a nasal spray it would also work in tablets or capsules. But there was really no evidence, and subsequently, theyve identified that when you do take it orally it doesnt achieve adequate concentrations in your body to be pharmacologically effective, McLachlan said.

So theyve said its no different from a placebo. Loading McLachlan said phenylephrine was often combined with other ingredients, such as paracetamol or ibuprofen, which could help with pain or reduce fever. But he said there were clear questions about the efficacy of products containing phenylephrine. McLachlan said regulators tended to act faster if there were concerns about a medicine being potentially harmful rather than concerns about its efficacy.

But of course, if youre promoting medicine that is not effective, then you could be doing harm because youre delaying people accessing effective treatment, he said. The Pharmacy Guild of Australia said it would be guided by the Therapeutic Goods Administration about whether to remove products containing phenylephrine. Victorian president of the Pharmacy Guild of Australia, Anthony Tassone. Credit: Arsineh Houspian But as a pharmacist, I recommend pseudoephedrine in preference to phenylephrine because it has superior effectiveness, said the guilds Victorian president Anthony Tassone. Associate Professor Nicola Smith, head of pharmacology at the University of NSW, said the TGA was unlikely to act before the US regulator.
For several years, my neighbour was living in two places. He was in his own house, of course, but he was also living rent-free in my head. It didnt seem quite fair.

To detail the dispute would literally put you to sleep. We charge extra for that, so I wont. The interesting discovery was that when I told friends and acquaintances about it, every single person said they had been driven mad by disputes with their neighbours. Not half of them, not two-thirds, not nine in 10. Not just those who lived in houses or those who lived in flats. All of them. Every single one. (I lie. Its actually more like 99 per cent.)

Illustration by Simon Letch Credit:

Trees and fences. Water and earth. Too much noise, too much light. There were cars and renovations. Kids and dogs. Musical instruments and sound systems. Smoke. There was race, ethnicity and ideology. Every fact of life could trigger a fight with the neighbours.

For some, the dispute had been the worst experience of their adult lives, worse even than grief and loss. If I asked my neighbour the same question, he might have given the same answer. But our relationship was not one where we could ask such candid questions.
Australians have been warned to expect teething issues following a worldwide cyber crash which brought down computer systems and grounded planes across the country.

The outage struck just after 3pm (AEST) on Friday and hampered banking services, airport check-ins and supermarkets across the world, and forced laptops to shut down.

Checkouts at Coles in New Farm remained offline on Saturday morning following the CrowdStrike outage. Credit: Cameron Atfield

Cyber Security Minister Clare ONeil said while the country was now in the recovery phase of responding to the issue, the outage was a serious incident for the Australian economy.

At a press conference in Melbourne on Saturday, ONeil said the governments priority was ensuring people could access the services they need, and it was too early to ascribe blame for the chaos.
The horses that gallop around the Darling Harbour carousel have been carrying children on joyrides all around the state for well over a century.

And, after eight years of refurbishment, the historic ride reopened for a new generation last Monday, 130 years after the Kale family of showmen brought the ride to Sydney by ship.

The Darling Harbour carousel reopened last week. Credit: Dion Georgopoulos

The Kales travelled with the English ride across Sydney and regional NSW to agricultural shows and fairs for decades before it was purchased by the state government in 1988 and installed at Darling Harbour, under the Western Distributor. The carousel was added to the state heritage register in 2002.

It is believed to be the second-oldest surviving carousel in Australia, arriving on the continent just a few years after the carousel at Melbourne Zoo.
It was a statistic dropped at a Queensland ministers media conference evaluating four years of tackling persistent serious young offenders, some as young as nine years of age.

Just one figure in an hour-long, statistics-rich media conference about youth crime.

Eighty-three per cent of these young people have used ice, or methamphetamine, said Bob Gee, a former police deputy commissioner, now director-general of Queenslands Department of Youth Justice.

I have watched a 12-year-old girl inject directly into her arm, former police officer Bob Gee says as he explains 83 per cent of persistent youth offenders have used ice or methylamphetamines. Credit: Tony Moore

I have watched a 12-year-old girl directly inject meth into her arm.
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 This article is part of a months-long series investigating misconduct in the CFMEU. See all 35 stories . God forgives, the CFMEU doesnt. What was once a catchcry that struck fear into the hearts of major builders and a source of T-shirt revenue for the union is now a warning for the Australian Labor Party. In 2019, CFMEU delegates staged a walkout at Victorian Labors state conference, part of a dispute between state secretary John Setka and then-opposition leader Anthony Albanese. But in 2024, it was CFMEU heavies who stood at the doors as the party barricaded themselves in from pro-Palestinian protesters, holding them shut as Premier Jacinta Allan stood on the other side of the room. Former CFMEU secretary John Setka at the Labor national conference in Adelaide in 2018. Credit: Alex Ellinghausen Both these events, separated by five years, demonstrate how the CFMEU has been a double-edged sword within Labor. As a party that defines itself on its ability to collectivise, the unions lone-wolf tendencies have chafed internally  but its working-class base has been impossible to ignore. Who will protect us and our children from socialists at the next conference? one Labor figure quipped this week.

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That relationship is now facing its greatest challenge since the unions forerunner, the Builders Labourers Federation, was deregistered by Bob Hawke in 1986. The union will be suspended from the party and the Australian Council of Trade Unions, and put under administration following a week of explosive allegations in this masthead, the Australian Financial Review and 60 Minutes. Although no one expects the CFMEU to be exiled forever, internally there are concerns the saga could scar the party for a generation. This union has an infamously long memory, a party figure said. The Age has spoken to a dozen union and party sources, speaking anonymously to avoid repercussions, to paint a picture of how the CFMEU operates within Labor. They describe a union that is so central to the partys fortunes that it has been difficult to rein in its worst impulses. Setka was elected as state secretary of the union in 2012 as it was locked in a long-running industrial war with Grocon in Victoria. After the Royal Commission into Trade Unions, Setka and deputy Shaun Reardon led the CFMEU into Labors Socialist Left faction, a grouping that Victorian Premier Jacinta Allan and Prime Minister Anthony Albanese both hail from. But a broad church is not always a happy one. Setka deserted the faction in 2017 to help form a new grouping, the Industrial Left, alongside other blue-collar unions seeking greater influence in parliament.

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The CFMEUs resurgence was perfectly timed with the ramping up of the Victorian governments Big Build agenda. Key projects such as the West Gate Tunnel and Metro Tunnel employed thousands of CFMEU members and their long-time rivals, the Australian Workers Union, making them vital to the partys pitch for re-election. Two union sources said disputes between the unions escalated when an enterprise agreement was signed for the Metro Tunnel in 2018. The CFMEU wasnt happy with the deal and it sparked a six-year turf war to poach workers and replace companies on site that were either unaligned or linked to the AWU. Electrical Trades Union state secretary Troy Gray, who has been an ally of Setka in the past, said in 2019 the controversial figure could sign up half the membership of the AWU in Victoria without raising a sweat. Union delegates told this masthead that the West Gate Tunnel, infamously delayed over a toxic soil saga, was the frontline for the unions disputes. They said attention then turned to the North East Link as early works began in 2020. Then-opposition leader and former AWU boss Bill Shorten speaks with workers on the West Gate Tunnel during the 2019 election campaign. Credit: Alex Ellinghausen The bigger the project, the greater the disruption, the more likely it was the CFMEU would be there asking for agreements, picking out subcontractors or barring people from worksites, one building company insider said. The AWU is also a Labor-affiliated union, represented by three ministers in the Victorian cabinet, but sources said they have struggled to have their complaints acted upon on Spring St.

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This year, state secretary Ronnie Hayden sent a letter to Transport Infrastructure Minister Danny Pearson, a member of the AWU, alleging workers were being targeted based on union affiliation and companies with lower bids were being overlooked. Private companies and associations have also tried to petition the government for help. When Indigenous firms complained of being pushed off the North East Link in 2023, Kinaway Chamber of Commerce told the Australian Financial Review they had sought help from the Andrews government only to be told there was nothing they could do. It was a similar situation for Surveyors Australia, whose members play a critical role in construction that can severely delay projects. The CFMEU began barring surveyors from sites in 2023 until they, and their companies, agreed to sign up to the union and their agreements. Professionals Australia urged its members not to give in, claiming the tactics were unlawful and would leave them worse off. Surveyors Australia chief executive Michelle Blicavs said she had raised the issue with Allan who had always appeared very interested in their plight. But she said government agencies continue to palm the problem off onto other people. The then-deputy premier was very empathetic to our problem but couldnt do anything, Blicavs said.

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Another construction industry source said for major builders, the sentiment from the government was that issues with the CFMEU should be resolved quickly and by themselves. The message was always if you cant work with the CFMEU, you cant deliver projects, they said. Another union source said the way the government and major contractors responded to CFMEU demands was akin to giving a schoolyard bully your lunch money and hoping that will solve things. One government source said there was never any incentive to intervene. They said getting involved in a union turf war was politically poisonous and likely to cause further issues on projects fundamental to Labors mantra of getting it done. Every time complaints went public, the government has always said it expected rigorous standards to be upheld on its sites. But ultimately, Allan has previously said in her years as transport infrastructure minister, industrial relations matters are a matter for the construction industry and the employee representatives. That was no longer the case when Allan fronted the media on Monday.

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CHENGDU, July 19 (Xinhua) -- Rain-triggered geological disasters have left two people dead and seven others missing in the Liangshan Yi Autonomous Prefecture of southwest China's Sichuan Province, according to local authorities on Friday.

Heavy downpours since July 13 have caused landslides in herding summer pasture settlements, leading to some of the casualties and reports of missing people. Residents have also reported that contact has been lost with a vehicle carrying five people.

Local authorities have mobilized 150 personnel to search for those reported missing. Relevant government departments have carried out evacuation work, as well as emergency repairs of road, power, communication and water facilities. 
Find out who the candidates are and the key issues in your local area in our in-depth coverage of Victorian council elections.

Former Carlton champion Anthony Koutoufides is weighing up a run for Lord Mayor of Melbourne in the upcoming October council elections.

Im considering it, he said. I really want to look at it because I am keen to do something if I can.

I love this city, I love this country, he said.

Anthony Koutoufides streaming towards goal during his playing days. Credit: Pat Scala

Koutoufides said a friend had asked him to run and he was in discussions, but he was still undecided about whether to say yes. There are still a few hoops to get through, he said. Im borderline, I dont know which way to go.
A 16-year-old boy is in an induced coma after being stabbed in the stomach during an altercation between a group of teenagers in Kelmscott on Friday afternoon.

A 16-year-old boy is in an induced coma after being stabbed during an altercation. Credit: Police Media

WA Police released photos of two people they believe may be able to assist with their investigation into the incident that occurred on Ravenscroft Way near Regina Drive.

They said a fight broke out between approximately six youths at around 3pm.

Two of the group were last seen running towards Westfield Road, both armed with knives, a police spokesperson said.
J.D. Vance  a powerful symbol of white working-class America  has been nominated as the vice president of Donald Trumps campaign. At the same time, Coalition leader Peter Dutton edged ahead of Anthony Albanese as preferred prime minister in the Resolve opinion poll. These events are part of a trend that has swept liberal democracies around the world, in which working-class voters are turning increasingly to conservative parties.

Australias political system, with compulsory, preferential voting, ensures that a local Trump or Marine Le Pen are unlikely to enter the Lodge. But if Australian working-class voters are increasingly leaning right, what could happen?

Campaigning for workers votes: Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump and his nomination for vice president, Senator J.D. Vance. Credit: AP

The Australian National University has been conducting the most comprehensive study of voters attitudes, the Australian Election Study, since 1987. The latest one showed that 38 per cent of the working class voted Labor in 2022, down from 60 per cent in 1987. (Class was self-described.) Some of those votes have gone to the Greens. But the Coalition sees this as a disaffected constituency which is now up for grabs. Cue more visuals of Peter Dutton, in reality a millionaire property owner, in hi-vis and a hard hat.

As Australian society becomes more polarised, it is harder to discuss the issue of class. With academics, journalists and politicians becoming increasingly university educated and middle-class, judgment and criticism are edging out objective analysis. A judgmental, left-elite perspective might ask: Why do working-class people vote against their own interests? Dont they know whats good for them?
Theres a workplace where you can get away with calling your colleagues grubs and drongos, but bastard is a step too far.

Inside the walls of the Victorian parliament, there are strict rules on what politicians can wear and what they can say. So much so that theres even a list of vocabulary deemed unparliamentary.

From left: Victorian Speaker Maree Edwards, Liberal MP Michael OBrien and Labors Kathleen Matthews-Ward. Credit: Monique Westermann

Some of the words to have made their way onto the naughty list over the decades are unsurprising: rorter, prick, liar and bullshit. Any politician caught uttering those words into a microphone in the lower house would, under normal circumstances, receive a warning or be forced to withdraw their remark.

But there are also, some would argue, less offensive entries on the naughty list  like dill, bastard or patsy.
When Royal Australian Navy rear admiral Guy Griffiths bought a house in the Sydney lower north shore suburb of Castle Cove he declared, Im never leaving!

Hed spent his working life constantly on the move, including as one of the very few RAN men to see action in World War II, the Korean War and the Vietnam War, and he felt hed found his paradise.

Erica Griffiths is selling her mum and dads deceased estate in Castle Cove where they lived for 44 years. Credit: James Brickwood

It was only on his death, 44 years later in March this year, at the age of 101, that he finally relinquished his hold.

He just loved Castle Cove and his house there, said his teacher daughter Erica Griffiths, 60, who spent her later school years, and time at university, in the family house in Castle Cove. Its such a beautiful, bushy suburb, close to the water and with a real community feel, that everyone loves it.
I sent my first-ever email in 1997, the year of Princess Dianas death and Hotmails birth, using my housemates email address during a working holiday in London. During the months before that, Id met travellers who were excited about this new way of keeping in touch, but I eschewed the new technology. Instead, I spent a day sitting in the Istanbul sun writing 30 postcards, none of which ever arrived (likely thanks to the circular conversation Id had in the post office: Austria? No, Australia).

My email address has been my identity. I cant dispense with it lightly. Credit: Shutterstock

Fast-forward more than 25 years and Im encountering a modern-day version of those wayward postcards. Three months ago, the trusty email addresses I set up after returning home to Australia stopped fully working. Mysteriously, and for reasons Im not technologically qualified to explain, I could send emails from my phone or my service providers archaic webmail platform but not from my laptop. Suffice to say, Optus recognises its not just me. This is a wider problem. And for a freelancer like me, who runs a business largely via email, its a big problem.

It seems that both Optus and Telstra are ceasing support for their email addresses (optusnet and bigpond respectively). I say seems because finding official information is proving difficult. From what I can find (mainly thanks to a PC repair business blog), Telstras decision to gradually ditch bigpond emails was announced back in 2022, accompanied by an option for users to set up a slightly different and possibly paid address via Microsoft. The only info I can find about Optus is Reddit rumours.

From what I can gather, telcos initially offered email addresses as a customer loyalty tactic because, unlike mobile phone numbers being transferrable when you switch providers, its not possible to transfer an optusnet email address to another telecommunications company. For me, at least until now, that loyalty drive has worked extremely well.
The Hague, Netherlands: The top UN court has ruled that Israels presence in the occupied Palestinian territories is unlawful and called on it to end and for settlement construction to stop immediately, issuing an unprecedented, sweeping condemnation of Israels rule over the lands it captured 57 years ago.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu quickly denounced the nonbinding opinion issued by the 15-judge panel of the International Court of Justice, saying the territories are part of the Jewish peoples historic homeland. But the resounding breadth of the decision could impact international opinion and fuel moves for unilateral recognition of a Palestinian state.

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu (centre) walks with Israeli forces during a surprise visit to Rafah, Gaza, on Thursday. Credit: AP

Australias foreign minister, Penny Wong, said the government respected the decision adding that the federal government had been firm and consistent that settler activity is illegal under international law and a significant obstacle to peace.

The judges pointed to a wide list of policies, including the building and expansion of Israeli settlements in the West Bank and east Jerusalem, use of the areas natural resources, the annexation and imposition of permanent control over lands and discriminatory policies against Palestinians, all of which it said violated international law.
Donald Trumps White House doctor has shared new details about the bullet wound that the former president sustained on his right ear during the July 13 assassination attempt at a rally in Butler, Pennsylvania.

In a letter that Trump shared on his social media site, Truth Social, Texas Representative Ronny Jackson wrote that the bullet had pierced part of the cartilage of the former presidents ear, creating a wound two centimetres wide.

A smaller bandage on former president Donald Trumps ear when he attended a campaign rally in Grand Rapids, Michigan, on Saturday (US time). Credit: AP

Jackson said the wound had at first caused significant bleeding and marked swelling of the entire upper ear. It had not required stitches, he wrote, adding that the wound was healing properly but still needed to be dressed because of intermittent bleeding.

The bullet passed, coming less than a quarter of an inch from entering his head, and struck the top of his right ear, Jackson wrote.
SAO PAULO, July 19 (Xinhua) -- At least six people were killed in a collision involving two cars and a truck in southern Brazil's Rio Grande do Sul state, local media reported Friday.

The accident occurred at about 11:30 p.m. on Thursday local time on a highway near the city of Rio Pardo, when a car carrying six people crashed into the back of another vehicle, causing both to collide head-on with a truck, the local fire department was quoted as saying.

The people who died were in the same car, while the drivers of the other vehicle and truck survived the accident, the report said.

The city of Rio Pardo is located some 140 kilometers from Porto Alegre, capital of the Rio Grande do Sul state, in the southern region of the South American country. 
CrowdStrike crash raises questions about tech dependency



Washington, July 19 (AFP) Jul 19, 2024



Catastrophic computer outages caused by a software update from one company have once again exposed the dangers of global technological dependence on a handful of players, experts warned on Friday.

A flawed update sent out by the little-known security firm CrowdStrike brought airlines, TV stations, and myriad other aspects of daily life to a standstill.

The outages affected companies or individuals that use CrowdStrike on the Microsoft Windows platform: when they applied the update, the incompatible software crashed computers into a frozen state known as the "Blue Screen of Death."

"Today CrowdStrike has become a household name, but not in a good way, and this will take time to settle down," said Dan Ives of Wedbush Securities.

The breakdown quickly fueled discussions about internet giants' power over the increasingly digital world economy, with more activity now taking place in the computing "cloud" or on a few apps or platforms.



- Just 'a taste' -



When those platforms have flaws -- or are deliberately attacked -- the world seems to collapse.

In recent months, entire healthcare systems and industries have been paralyzed after hackers infiltrated their systems, leaving consumers at their wits' end and companies at a loss.

"I think we're just getting a taste of some potential effects of real reliance by the financial sector and sectors across the economy on a handful of cloud companies and other key systems," Rohit Chopra, director of the US Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, told CNBC.

"There are just a handful of big cloud companies where so much of the economy is now resting."

The world has seen a major shift to cloud computing, where companies use servers offered by big tech giants for their computing needs instead of their own infrastructure.

Amazon, through its AWS company, is the world leader, followed by Microsoft's Azure and Google Cloud.

Friday's breakdown was caused by a malfunctioning software update fed to Microsoft Windows users by CrowdStrike, which specializes in cybersecurity for cloud-based companies.

"We're deeply sorry for the impact we've caused to customers, travelers, and anyone affected by this," CrowdStrike CEO Kurtz said in an interview on NBC's "Today" show.

Microsoft blamed the problems on CrowdStrike, but industry insiders warned that the issue stems from entrusting the digital world to just a few key companies.

"It's going to continue to raise issues for systems or businesses wholly dependent on Microsoft -- this issue of concentration risk," Michael Daniel, former White House cybersecurity coordinator and current head of the Cyber Threat Alliance told AFP.

"How do you balance the benefits of having everybody on the same operating system with the concentration risk that poses?"

Callie Guenther, senior manager of cyber threat research at Critical Start, warned that the shift to big players amplifies the impact of any system failure or vulnerability.

One error, like CrowdStrike's on Friday, threatens society's smooth functioning worldwide, she said.



- No contingency plan -



Andrius Minkevicius, co-founder of Cyber Upgrade, a cybersecurity company, said that businesses must fight the complacency often associated with outsourcing technology to the big vendors.

"Today, we're seeing an example of those who relied mostly on vendor-offered cyber protection without additional contingency plans and are now suffering reputational and financial damage," he said.

Experts warn that this incident will likely invite scrutiny from regulators and officials.

"CrowdStrike will probably have to let some outside people come in and examine how this happened," said Cyber Threat Alliance's Daniel.

arp/aha

Amazon.com
CrowdStrike: cybersecurity giant behind global outage



Washington, July 19 (AFP) Jul 19, 2024



CrowdStrike, the cybersecurity company behind a massive global IT outage, is the leader in its sector, known for building software defenses for the cloud computing age and exposing Russian and North Korean threats.

Based in Austin, Texas, the company was founded in 2011 by George Kurtz, Dmitri Alperovitch and Gregg Marston.

Both Kurtz and Alperovitch had extensive backgrounds in cybersecurity, working at companies like McAfee.

Two years after its founding, CrowdStrike launched its signature product, the Falcon platform.



- Top player -



Crucially, the company embraced a "cloud-first" model to reduce big computing needs on customers and provide more effective protection.

In particular, remote computing enables updates to be carried out quickly and regularly, something that failed spectacularly in Friday's outage when an update proved incompatible with computers running on Microsoft software.

Rather than just focusing on malware and antivirus products, the founders wanted to shift attention to identifying and stopping the attackers themselves and their techniques.

"CrowdStrike is one of the best-known cybersecurity companies around," said Michael Daniel, who worked as the White House cybersecurity coordinator during the Barack Obama administration.

"It provides typically what we think of as sort of endpoint protection, meaning that it's actually got software running on a server, or on a particular device, like a laptop or a desktop, and it's scanning for potential malware connections to bad domain names," he said.

"It's looking for behavior that might be unusual -- that sort of thing," said Daniel, who now runs the Cyber Threat Alliance.

A report published this year by CrowdStrike estimates that 70 percent of attacks do not include viruses, but were rather manipulations carried out directly by hackers, who often use stolen or recovered credentials.

The company's share price was down by about 12 percent on Wall Street on Friday.

CrowdStrike became a publicly traded company in 2019, and in 2023 the group generated sales of $3.05 billion, up 36 percent year-on-year.

Boosted by the wave of so-called generative AI, which requires the development of additional capabilities in the cloud, CrowdStrike raised its annual forecasts in June.

Although its business has been booming, the group is still struggling with profitability.

In 2023, it recorded a net profit of just $89 million, its first annual profit since its creation.

The company's main competitors are Palo Alto Networks and SentinelOne, both standalone cybersecurity firms.

But cloud computing giants Microsoft, Amazon and Google provide their own cybersecurity software and are also rivals.



- North Korea hack -



CrowdStrike, which is also a cyber intelligence company, made headlines when it helped investigate several high-profile cyber attacks.

Most famously, in 2014, CrowdStrike discovered evidence linking North Korean actors to the hacking of servers at Sony Pictures.

The hackers stole large amounts of data and threatened terrorist acts against movie theaters to prevent the release of "The Interview," a comedy about North Korea's leader.

The studio initially canceled the movie's theatrical release, but reversed its decision after criticism.

Sony estimated the direct costs of the hack to be $35 million for investigating and remediating the breach.

CrowdStrike also helped investigate the 2015-2016 cyber attacks on the Democratic National Committee (DNC) in the United States and their connection to Russian intelligence services.

In December 2016, CrowdStrike released a report stating that a Russian government-affiliated group called Fancy Bear had hacked a Ukrainian artillery app, potentially causing significant losses to Ukrainian artillery units in their fight against Moscow-backed separatists.

However, this assessment was later disputed by some organizations and CrowdStrike rolled back some of the claims.



- Criticism of Microsoft -



In recent months, CrowdStrike has criticized Microsoft for its lapses on cybersecurity as the Windows maker admitted to vulnerabilities and hackings by outside actors.

Among other criticisms, CrowdStrike slammed Microsoft for still doing business in China.

"You're telling the public they can't use Huawei, and they can't let kids watch dance videos on TikTok because China is going to collect intelligence," Shawn Henry, chief security officer at CrowdStrike, said last year.

"Yet, the most ubiquitous software, which is used throughout the government and throughout every single corporation in this country and around the world, has engineers in China working on their software," Henry told Forbes.
Massive global IT crash hits airlines, banks, media



Paris, July 19 (AFP) Jul 19, 2024



Airlines, banks, TV channels and financial institutions were thrown into turmoil on Friday by one of the biggest IT crashes in recent years, caused by an update to an antivirus program.

Air passengers crowded into airports to wait for news as dozens of flights were cancelled and operators struggled to keep services on track, after an update to a program operating on Microsoft Windows crashed systems worldwide.

Microsoft said the issue began at 1900 GMT on Thursday, affecting Windows users running cybersecurity software CrowdStrike Falcon.

CrowdStrike said it had rolled out a fix for the problem and the firm's boss, George Kurtz, told US news channel CNBC he wanted to "personally apologise to every organisation, every group and every person who has been impacted".

It also said it could take a few days to return to normal.

US President Joe Biden's team was talking to CrowdStrike and those affected by the glitch "and is standing by to provide assistance as needed", the White House said in a statement.

"Our understanding is that flight operations have resumed across the country, although some congestion remains," a senior US administration official said.

Reports from the Netherlands and Britain suggested health services may have been affected by the disruption, meaning the full impact might not yet be known.

Media companies were also struggling, with Britain's Sky News saying the glitch had ended its morning news broadcasts and Australia's ABC similarly reporting major difficulties.

Banks in Kenya and Ukraine reported issues with their digital services, supermarkets in Australia had problems with payments, mobile phone carriers were disrupted and customer services in a number of companies went down.

Elon Musk, owner of Tesla, said the outage caused "a seizure to the automotive supply chain", while courts and jail bookings were delayed in California.

"The scale of this outage is unprecedented, and will no doubt go down in history," said Junade Ali of Britain's Institution of Engineering and Technology, adding that the last incident approaching the same scale was in 2017.

Shares in CrowdStrike slumped by 11 percent in New York.



- Flight chaos -



From Amsterdam to Zurich, Singapore to Hong Kong, airport operators flagged technical issues that were disrupting their services.

While some airports halted all flights, in others airline staff had to check-in passengers manually.

The US Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) initially ordered all flights grounded "regardless of destination", though airlines said they were re-establishing their services and working through the backlog.

AFP footage showed frustrated and stranded passengers in airports from Milwaukee Mitchell to New York LaGuardia.

"It's stressful. I've got family events going on this weekend. I don't know if I'm going to make it to them," said Jake Buettner, 46, trying to get to Florida from New York.

In Europe, major airports including Berlin, which had suspended all flights earlier on Friday, said departures and arrivals were gradually resuming.

Dozens of European flights were cancelled, however. Turkish Airlines said it had pulled 84 flights and Italian officials confirmed around 80 departures had been cancelled.

Across Latin America, airports were asking passengers to arrive for flights hours earlier than usual.

Chinese state media said Beijing's airports had not been affected.



- 'Common cause' -



Companies were left patching up their systems and trying to assess the damage, even as officials tried to tamp down panic by ruling out foul play.

CrowdStrike's Kurtz said in a statement his teams were "fully mobilised" to help affected customers and "a fix has been deployed".

But Professor Oli Buckley of Britain's Loughborough University was one of many experts who questioned the ease of rolling out a proper fix.

"While experienced users can implement the workaround, expecting millions to do so is impractical," he said.

Other experts said the incident should prompt a widespread reconsideration of how reliant societies are on a handful of tech companies for such an array of services.

"We need to be aware that such software can be a common cause of failure for multiple systems at the same time," said Professor John McDermid from Britain's York University.

He said infrastructure should be designed "to be resilient against such common cause problems".

burs-arp/aha

MICROSOFT

American Airlines
Conspiracy theories take off after global IT crash



Washington, July 19 (AFP) Jul 19, 2024



From fearmongering about a looming "World War III" to false narratives linking a cabal of global elite to a cyberattack, a torrent of online conspiracy theories took off Friday after a major IT crash.

Airlines, banks, TV channels and financial institutions were engulfed in turmoil after the crash, one of the biggest in recent years that was the result of a faulty software update to an antivirus program operating on Microsoft Windows.

The proliferation of internet-breaking conspiracy theories on social media platforms -- many of which have removed guardrails that once contained the spread of misinformation -- illustrates the new normal of information chaos after a major world event.

The outage gave way to a swirl of evidence-free posts on X, the Elon Musk-owned site formerly known as Twitter, that peddled an apocalyptic narrative: The world was under attack by a nefarious force.

"I read somewhere once that ww3 (World War III) would be mostly a cyber war," one user wrote on X.

The IT crash also stirred up an unfounded theory that the World Economic Forum -- long a magnet for wild falsehoods -- had plotted a global cyberattack.

To make that theory appear credible, many posts linked an old WEF video that warned about the possibility of a "cyberattack with Covid-like characteristics."

The video, available on the WEF's website, had cautioned that the only way to stop the exponential spread of the cyber threat would be to disconnect millions of vulnerable devices from each other and the internet.



- 'Sad testament' -



The WEF has long been a target for conspiracy theorists pushing the idea of a shadowy cabal of elites working for private gain under the garb of solving global issues.

Also gaining rapid traction online were conspiratorial posts using the hashtag "cyber polygon," a reference to a global training event aimed at preparing for potential future attacks.

"The proliferation of conspiracy theories in the wake of major global events such as the outage is a sad testament to the volatile nature of the information ecosystem," Rafi Mendelsohn, vice president at the disinformation security company Cyabra, told AFP.

"What is unique to events like these is how social media platforms, forums, and messaging apps facilitate the rapid dissemination of content, allowing theories to gain traction quickly and reach a global audience."

The trend demonstrates the ability of falsehoods to mutate into viral narratives on tech platforms, which have scaled back content moderation and reinstated accounts that are known purveyors of misinformation.

During fast-developing news events, confusion now often reigns on major tech platforms, with users scrambling to obtain accurate information in what appears to be a sea of false or misleading posts that rapidly gain traction.



- 'Nefarious motives' -



"This poses the larger question of combatting mis- and disinformation," Michael W. Mosser, executive director of the Global Disinformation Lab at the University of Texas at Austin, told AFP.

"The level of trust that is required to accept information from reputable sources has declined to such an extent that people are more willing to believe wild conspiracies that 'must be true' rather than the factual information relayed to them."

The global outage, which brought myriad aspects of daily life to a standstill and sent US stocks falling, was linked to a bug in an update to an antivirus program for Windows systems from American cybersecurity group CrowdStrike.

Assurances by the Austin-based company's chief executive, George Kurtz, that CrowdStrike had rolled out a fix and was "actively working" to resolve the crisis did little to stem the spread of online conspiracies.

"Combatting this misinformation with factual rebuttals is difficult, because the issue is so technical," Mosser said.

"Explaining that the fault was in an improperly configured system file and that a fix is in process may be accurate, but it is not believed by those who are predisposed to see nefarious motives behind failures."

burs-ac/acb
Two killed in overnight strikes on Ukraine



Kyiv, Ukraine, July 20 (AFP) Jul 20, 2024



At least two people were killed and four wounded in a Russian airstrike overnight on Ukraine's northeastern Kharkiv region, the regional prosecutor said Saturday.

"Around 3:15 in the morning the enemy launched a missile attack on the town of Barvinkove, in Izium district," the prosecutor said in a statement.

It listed the dead as two men aged 48 and 69 and said around 50 buildings were damaged in the strike, apparently by three Russian Iskander missiles.

Another strike hit an agricultural business in the village of Oleksiivka, it said, though there were no reported casualties.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has been urging his nation's allies to step up air defence support to be able to intercept Russian missiles and drones raining down daily on the country over nearly 30 months of conflict.

The death toll in a Russian strike Friday on a playground in the southern city of Mykolaiv rose to four, including one child, with 24 injured, its mayor Oleksander Senkevitch posted on Telegram.
Yemen's Huthi rebels say Israeli strikes hit Hodeida port



Hodeida, Yemen, July 20 (AFP) Jul 20, 2024



Israeli warplanes struck the Huthi-controlled Yemeni port of Hodeida Saturday, a day after a Huthi drone attack killed a civilian in Tel Aviv, the rebels said.

In a statement on social media, top Huthi official Mohammed Abdulsalam reported a "brutal Israel aggression against Yemen."

He said the attack targeted "fuel storage facilities and a power plant" in Hodeida "to pressure Yemen to stop supporting" Palestinians in the Gaza war.

The Axios news outlet cited US and Israeli officials as saying that Israel carried out the strikes in retaliation for a Huthi drone strike on Tel Aviv.

The Huthi attack on Friday penetrated Israel's vaunted air defences and killed a civilian in a Tel Aviv apartment building, drawing Israeli threats of retaliation.

The Huthi-run health ministry said there were deaths and injuries in the Hodeida strikes but it did not give a toll.

In a statement carried by the Huthi-run Al Masirah television, it said several people suffered "serious burns".

Footage aired by Al Masirah, which AFP could not independently verify, showed a massive blaze on the seafront, with a large plume of black smoke rising into the sky.

An AFP correspondent in Hodeida reported hearing several large explosions and seeing smoke over the port.

Fuel pumps across the city closed following the attack, the correspondent said.

Hodeida has been hard hit by a series of strikes carried out by Britain and the United States since January in response to attacks by Huthi rebels on commercial shipping in the Red Sea

The Huthis have attacked at least 88 commercial vessels since November in a campaign they say targets Israeli-linked shipping in support of the Palestinians in the Gaza war.
Israel says fighter jets hit Huthi military targets in Yemen



Jerusalem, July 20 (AFP) Jul 20, 2024



Israel said its warplanes hit "military targets of the Huthi terrorist regime" Saturday, a day after a drone attack claimed by Yemeni rebels killed a civilian in Tel Aviv.

"The blood of Israeli citizens has a price," Defence Minister Yoav Gallant warned rivals across the Middle East after the strike was announced. He said more operations would follow "if they dare to attack us".

Israeli "fighter jets struck military targets of the Huthi terrorist regime in the area of Hodeida port in Yemen in response to the hundreds of attacks carried out against the state of Israel in recent months," a military statement said.

The Huthis have claimed attacks on Israeli cities including Ashdod, Haifa and Eilat, but Friday's strike on Tel Aviv appears to have been the first to breach Israel's vaunted air defences.

Gallant on Friday vowed to "settle the score" following the Tel Aviv attack that was claimed by the Huthis as an operation to show solidarity with Palestinians fighting in the Gaza war.

"The fire that is currently burning in Hodeida, is seen across the Middle East and the significance is clear," Gallant said after Saturday's operation.

"The Huthis attacked us over 200 times. The first time that they harmed an Israeli citizen, we struck them. And we will do this in any place where it may be required.

"The blood of Israeli citizens has a price. This has been made clear in Lebanon, in Gaza, in Yemen, and in other places -- if they will dare to attack us, the result will be identical."

Foreign Minister Israel Katz said the Yemen attack was also a warning to Iran.

He said the Israeli military "today delivered a severe blow to Iran's terrorist branch in Yemen. Iran supports, trains and finances the Huthi terrorist organisation as part of the regional network of terrorist organisations it operates in the area to attack the state of Israel."

Katz added: "We will not tolerate or remain silent, and we will strike anyone who poses a threat to our citizens.

"This is the time for the international community to maximise sanctions on Iran -- under whose direction the Huthis are severely damaging the freedom of navigation and trade routes. Iran is the head of the snake -- it must be stopped now."
Israel strikes Yemen rebels after deadly Tel Aviv attack



Hodeida, Yemen, July 20 (AFP) Jul 20, 2024



Israeli warplanes struck the Huthi-controlled Yemeni port of Hodeida Saturday, a day after a drone attack by the Iran-backed rebels killed a civilian in Tel Aviv, both sides said.

The strikes, which triggered a raging fire and plumes of black smoke, are the first claimed by Israel in the Arabian peninsula's poorest country, some 1,800 kilometres (1,100 miles) away, analysts said.

"The blood of Israeli citizens has a price," Israeli Defence Minister Yoav Gallant said, adding more operations against the Huthis would follow "if they dare to attack us".

Gallant said the Hodeida strikes were also a warning to other Iran-backed armed groups around the Middle East that have claimed attacks on Israel during the Gaza war.

"The fire that is currently burning in Hodeida, is seen across the Middle East and the significance is clear," he said.

Just hours after Friday's strike in Tel Aviv, Gallant had vowed Israel would retaliate against the Huthis, who control swathes of Yemen, including much of its Red Sea coast.

The Israeli military said "fighter jets struck military targets of the Huthi terrorist regime in the area of Hodeida port in Yemen in response to the hundreds of attacks carried out against the state of Israel in recent months".

The Huthis have previously claimed attacks on Israeli cities including Ashdod, Haifa and Eilat, but Friday's strike on Tel Aviv appears to have been the first to breach Israel's vaunted air defences.



- 'Brutal aggression' -



In a statement on social media, top Huthi official Mohammed Abdulsalam reported a "brutal Israel aggression against Yemen."

The attack targeted "fuel storage facilities and a power plant" in Hodeida "to pressure Yemen to stop supporting" Palestinians in the Gaza war, he said.

The Huthi-run health ministry said there were deaths and injuries in the Hodeida strikes, but it did not give a toll.

In a statement carried by the Huthi-run Al Masirah television, it said several people suffered "serious burns".

Footage aired by Al Masirah, which AFP could not independently verify, showed a massive blaze on the seafront, with a large plume of black smoke rising into the sky.

The channel also broadcast images of casualties being treated in hospital, many of them bandaged and lying on stretchers in packed rooms.

A man interviewed by the broadcaster said many of the wounded were port employees.

An AFP correspondent in Hodeida reported hearing several large explosions and seeing smoke over the port.

"The city is dark, people are on the streets, petrol stations are closed and seeing long queues," said a Hodeida resident, who spoke on condition of anonymity citing safety concerns.

Maritime security firm Ambrey said it observed four merchant vessels in the port at the time of the air strike and another eight in the anchorage.

"No damage to merchant vessels has been reported at this time," it said.



- Yemen aid lifeline fears -



The United States, which along with Britain has carried out several rounds of air strikes against the Huthis in an attempt to put an end to their attacks on shipping in the Red Sea, said it played no part in Saturday's strikes.

"The United States was not involved in today's strikes in Yemen, and we did not coordinate or assist Israel with the strikes," a US National Security Council spokesman said.

"We've been in regular and ongoing contact with the Israelis following the strike in Tel Aviv that killed an Israeli civilian on Friday morning. We fully recognise and acknowledge Israel's right to self-defence."

UN chief Antonio Guterres had appealed for "maximum restraint" after the Tel Aviv drone strike to avoid "further escalation in the region".

But Huthi politburo member Mohammed al-Bukhaiti swiftly threatened revenge for the Hodeida strikes.

"The Zionist entity will pay the price for targeting civilian facilities, and we will meet escalation with escalation," he said in a post on social media.

The Huthis' Supreme Political Council vowed the "aggression will not pass without an effective response."

Hodeida port, a critical entry point for imports and international aid for rebel-held areas of Yemen, had remained largely untouched through the decade-long war between the rebels and the internationally recognised government propped up by neighbouring Saudi Arabia.

"Traders now fear that this will exacerbate the already critical food security and humanitarian situation in northern Yemen, as the majority of trade flows through this port," said Mohammed Albasha, senior Middle East analyst for the US-based Navanti Group.

He said the Israeli strikes "would likely be perceived by many Yemenis as an attack on their homeland, which could bolster Huthi recruitment and funding."
Lebanon state media says civilians injured in Israeli strike



Beirut, Lebanon, July 20 (AFP) Jul 20, 2024



An Israeli air strike in Lebanon about 30 kilometres from the border injured civilians on Saturday, Lebanese state media said, after Hezbollah and its Palestinian ally Hamas fired rockets and explosive-laden drones at Israeli positions.

Hezbollah has traded near-daily cross-border fire with Israeli forces in support of Hamas since the Palestinian militant group's October 7 attack on southern Israel triggered war in the Gaza Strip.

"The Israeli enemy launched a raid on the town of Adloun" in south Lebanon, the state-run National News Agency said, adding that "a number of civilians have been injured" and traffic on the highway interrupted in both directions.

Videos circulating online showed several big explosions in the coastal town.

"Shrapnel from the explosions flew to surrounding villages," the NNA said.

Earlier Saturday, NNA said Syrian nationals, including children, had been injured after an "enemy drone targeted an empty four-wheel drive" near their tent, close to the border.

Doctor Mouenes Kalakesh, who heads the Marjayoun government hospital, said a woman and her three children, two of them minors, had been admitted for shrapnel injuries after the strike outside Burj al-Muluk.

Among them was an 11-year-old boy in critical condition after he sustained shrapnel injuries and a head wound, Kalakesh told AFP.

Hezbollah said it launched "dozens of Katyusha rockets" on Dafna, an area in Israel's north that the group said it was targeting for the first time, "in response to the attack on civilians".

Hamas's armed wing, the Ezzedine al-Qassam Brigades, said they also fired a rocket salvo from south Lebanon towards an Israeli military position in the Upper Galilee "in response to the Zionist massacres against civilians in the Gaza Strip."

Later on Saturday, the Iran-backed Hezbollah said it also had launched "explosive-laden drones" targeting "artillery and missile positions" and Israeli troops at a site in the Golan Heights as well as Iron Dome platforms.

Before the drone attack, the Israeli army said a total of 45 "projectiles" had been fired from Lebanon Saturday afternoon, towards the occupied Golan Heights and the Galilee, reporting no casualties.

The army said it struck "the launcher in southern Lebanon from which the projectiles were launched toward the Golan Heights," also targeting "an additional Hezbollah launcher".

Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah had warned that his Iran-backed group would hit new targets in Israel if more civilians were killed in Israeli strikes.

Israeli strikes on Thursday killed at least five people in Lebanon, including the commander of a Hamas-allied group, a security source and militant groups said.

The violence since October has killed at least 515 people in Lebanon, according to an AFP tally.

Most of the dead have been fighters, but they have included at least 104 civilians.

On the Israeli side, 18 soldiers and 13 civilians have been killed, according to Israeli authorities.
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Tunisian President Kais Saied announced on Friday that he intends to run for another term in the upcoming presidential election scheduled for Oct. 6.

"I officially announce my candidacy for the presidential elections to continue the struggle in the national liberation battle," Saied said in a short speech posted on the presidency's Facebook page.

The 66-year-old president also urged Tunisians to "be vigilant against any form of infiltration and deception" during the upcoming election.

The final list of presidential candidates will be announced on Sept. 3. The election campaign will kick off on Sept. 14 and wrap up on Oct. 4. Tunisia's Independent High Authority for Elections will announce the final election results before Nov. 9.

Tunisia holds presidential elections every five years, with Saied currently serving as president since his election in 2019.
CAIRO, July 19 (Xinhua) -- Egypt and the Arab League welcomed on Friday the call of the International Court of Justice (ICJ) to end Israel's "unlawful" presence in the occupied Palestinian territories.

In a statement, Egypt's foreign ministry called upon all international parties to uphold and implement the ICJ's advisory opinion, emphasizing the need to facilitate the Palestinian people's legitimate right to self-determination.

Earlier in the day, the top UN court issued a non-binding opinion declaring Israeli settlements in the West Bank and East Jerusalem as violations of international law, urging Israel to withdraw from the occupied territories "as rapidly as possible."

Egypt also urged the UN General Assembly and Security Council to take necessary measures to end Israel's presence in Palestinian territories, underscoring the collective responsibility of all nations to alleviate the plight of the Palestinian people and halt ongoing Israeli violations and attacks in Gaza.

Meanwhile, Secretary-General of the League of Arab States (AL) Ahmed Aboul-Gheit echoed Egypt's sentiments, welcoming the ICJ's advisory opinion in a separate statement.

Aboul-Gheit asserted that the court's opinion serves as a crucial legal foundation for affirming the Palestinian narrative, providing it with necessary legitimacy and legal credibility amid Israel's attempts to distort the conflict's nature and origins.

The Arab League chief emphasized the advisory opinion's substantial legal and moral weight as compelling evidence to counter Israeli arguments, highlighting its pivotal role in the ongoing discourse.

However, Israel rejected the ICJ's opinion. In a press statement on Friday, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu responded that "the legality of Israeli settlements in all the territories of our homeland cannot be contested."

He emphasized Israel's historical connection to the land, stating that "the Jewish people are not conquerors in their own land."

The ICJ issued the advisory opinion in response to a request from the UN General Assembly regarding the legal implications of Israel's occupation.

The UN General Assembly adopted a resolution in December 2022 seeking the ICJ's opinion on the legal consequences of Israel's occupation of Palestinian territories, including East Jerusalem.

Israel captured the West Bank, East Jerusalem, and the Gaza Strip in the 1967 Middle East war and has controlled them ever since, despite international protests over its occupancy in these areas. 
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Protester Lorna Vassiliades, who left Varosha in Cyprus aged 12 after the Turkish invasion, said the anniversary was a very difficult day.Ms Vassiliades, who works as an artist and researcher in the UK, said: I remember being bombed. I remember soldiers on the street and crying and being hungry.
This photo taken on July 20, 2024 with a mobile phone shows burning oil storage facilities in Hodeidah, Yemen. Israel's military confirmed Saturday that it bombed sites affiliated with the Houthi militia in Yemen, a day after the military group's explosive drone killed a man in Israel's Tel Aviv.(Xinhua)

SANAA/JERUSALEM, July 20 (Xinhua) -- Israel's military confirmed Saturday that it bombed sites affiliated with the Houthi militia in Yemen, a day after the military group's explosive drone killed a man in Israel's Tel Aviv.

The Yemeni Houthi military group claimed that the strike targeted oil storage and electric facilities in Yemen's Red Sea port city of Hodeidah, and several people were either killed or injured, the group's al-Masirah TV reported in a correction story.

Israeli military said in a statement that its fighter jets targetted "military targets" of the Houthi militia, as a response to "the hundreds of attacks carried out against the State of Israel in recent months."

The statement came after Houthi top negotiator Mohammed Abdulsalam said the Israeli strikes would not stop the military group from targetting "Israeli cities and ships."

Hodeidah residents said a big column of black smoke and fire at the scene could be seen miles away. Fire trucks and ambulances rushed to the scene as the authorities cordoned off the area near the Red Sea, said the residents.

Local health authorities have yet to reveal the exact number of casualties, the Houthi-run TV said.

The alleged strikes came a day after the Houthi group claimed responsibility for a bomb-laden drone attack on a building in the Israeli city of Tel Aviv, which according to Israeli media killed one person and injured 10 others.

The Houthis said the Friday drone attack came in support of the Palestinians in the Gaza Strip currently under Israeli offensive. Before that, the Houthis had continued a series of drone and missile attacks against what it called Israeli-linked shipments in the Red Sea and the Gulf of Aden since November 2023 in a way to show solidarity with Gaza.

In response, the U.S.-British naval coalition in the waters attacked Houthi targets to deter the group, but only led to Houthi expansion of attacks to include U.S. and British commercial and military ships.

Hodeidah has been under the control of the Houthi group along with several northern cities, including the capital Sanaa, since late 2014, driving the internationally recognized government out to the southern and eastern provinces. 
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Postal Code
The Romanian Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MAE) informs, on Saturday, that until this moment the Romanian Embassy in London and the Consulate General in Manchester have not been notified by the British authorities regarding the Romanian citizens who were arrested as a result of the incidents that held on Thursday evening in Leeds.

"Until this moment, the Romanian Embassy in London and the Consulate General of Romania in Manchester have not been notified about the Romanian citizens who were arrested as a result of the incident on the evening of July 18, 2024, but the representatives of the consular office in Manchester they have taken steps to request additional information and, as soon as the details are clarified with the local police authorities, they will be made known to the public," it is mentioned in a statement from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs sent to AGERPRES.

At the same time, the MAE mentions that, until this moment, the consular office has not received any requests for consular assistance from the families of Romanian citizens who have been subjected to such a measure.

MAE recalls that, during the day of July 19, 2024, the Romanian consul general in Manchester had a series of meetings with the representatives of the local authorities in Leeds involved in the management of the situation which was based on the action of taking minors into the care of local social services. Also, the general consul of Romania in Manchester "held intense and constructive discussions" both with the representatives of the Romanian community and with the representatives of the religious cults in the locality.

The Consulate General of Romania in Manchester will continue the dialogue with the family of the Romanian citizens involved in this case, as well as with the local British authorities, until the best legal solutions to resolve the situation are identified, the source mentioned.

The MFA reminds that Romanian citizens can request consular assistance at the telephone numbers of the Consulate General of Romania in Manchester: 0044 161 236 0478, 0044 161 236 9687, 0044 161 237 1546, 0044 161 237 5513, 0044 161 236 8995, 0044 161 923 4947 , the calls being redirected to the Contact and Support Center of Romanian Citizens Abroad (CCSCRS) and taken over by Call Center operators on a permanent basis. Also, Romanian citizens who face a difficult, special, urgent situation can use the consulate's emergency telephone number: 0044 (0) 75 35 604 342.

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs also reminds that an investigation by the local police authorities is underway in this case.

Several Romanians were involved, Thursday evening, in Leeds, in violent incidents, which seem to have been triggered by the attempt to take over some children in the care of the state.

The Romanian MFA informed previously, on Friday, that in the context of the discussions with the representatives of the British social services within the Leeds Local Council that manages the case of minor Romanian citizens, as well as with the family of Romanian citizens, the representatives of the Consulate General in Manchester assured them of the support of the Romanian authorities in identifying a stable, lasting solution, in the best interest of the minors, respecting the decisions adopted by the British authorities responsible for the case.

The representatives of the Romanian mission emphasized the importance of openness and cooperation of the minors' family with the competent authorities to identify all the instruments intended to facilitate a solution in the best interest of the minors, it was mentioned in the information sent by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs on Friday.

The Romanian Ministry also emphasized that, according to the competences, in the overall consular protection and assistance actions carried out for Romanian citizens, MAE, through the diplomatic missions and consular offices of Romania, and in some situations with the support of the attaches for social and labor issues, grants special attention to Romanian minors who might find themselves in difficult situations abroad.

Likewise, the dialogue is maintained with the parents of minors, with the competent local authorities, as well as with the Romanian institutions with attributions in matters of protection of the rights of minors.

The MAE also highlighted that in all the steps taken in the case of minor Romanian citizens in special situations, the fundamental principle of respecting the best interests of the child is exclusively taken into account, in full accordance with the principles enshrined in the Convention on the Rights of the Child, with compliance with the regulations of the state of citizenship or residence residence or domicile of the minor.
ST. LOUIS  Police said Saturday they have arrested two men in connection with a fatal shooting in the citys Mark Twain/I-70 Industrial neighborhood.

The Circuit Attorneys Office has issued charges of first-degree murder and armed criminal action against Kevin Jackson, 47, who was arrested Thursday and remains in custody.

A second man, James Pickett, 51, was arrested Friday. He was charged with first-degree murder and armed criminal action.

The victim of a fatal shooting was identified Friday as Montrez Heart, 24, of Hillsdale.

Heart, who died at an area hospital on July 12, was unable to communicate with officers, police said at the time.

Updated at 10:55 a.m., Sunday, July 21.

Our earlier story, published online on July 13:

ST. LOUIS  A 24-year-old man shot Thursday in the citys Mark Twain/I-70 Industrial neighborhood died Friday, police said.

The department is now investigating the shooting as a homicide.

The man was taken to a local hospital with a gunshot wound in critical condition Thursday, according to a police report. He was unable to tell officers what had happened.

No further details have been released.
ACCRA, July 19 (Xinhua) -- Africa faces a deficit of 15 million in the supply of teachers, which hinders the continent's development, a senior African Union (AU) official said Friday.

Mohammed Belhocine, the AU commissioner for education, science, technology and innovation, made the remarks at a press briefing at the ongoing 45th Ordinary Session of the Executive Council of the AU in Accra, the Ghanaian capital, warning that this deficit has a negative impact on the continent's ability to meet its education and development aspirations.

The commissioner, therefore, called on the continent to take steps to bridge this gap to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) in education by 2030 set by the United Nations.

"This teacher deficit is huge, and we need strong efforts to bridge the gap and make the best use of what we are already investing in our educational systems," Belhocine said.

Africa needs an investment of about 90 billion U.S. dollars to bridge the gap, improve infrastructure in education, and meet the SDGs on schedule, observed the commissioner.

The situation in Africa is due to the diminishing social status of the teaching profession, according to Belhocine. "Today, it is more flamboyant to be a businessman than to be a teacher. This is what is creating the gap in the supply of teachers."

He urged the rebranding of the teaching profession to motivate more competent people to embrace the profession.

"The other solution is to use digitalization as a shortcut so that with digital infrastructure in place, one teacher can reach more children at the same time using the electronic platform and reduce the burden of the deficit," Belhocine said, adding that information and communications technology proficiency should be part of teacher training for this solution to succeed.

He also called for global support for improving educational systems in Africa to achieve better outcomes, because the entire world might need to depend on African youth in the next 20 years due to the low population growth in other parts of the world.

The AU Executive Council's 45th Ordinary Session, a meeting of foreign ministers of AU members, is a prelude to the 6th Mid-Year Coordination Meetings of the heads of state of AU members. 
BEIRUT  Lebanons militant Hezbollah group said that its fighters fired dozens of rockets into northern Israel on Saturday, targeting a kibbutz for the first time in nine months in retaliation for an Israeli drone strike earlier in the day that wounded several people including children.

Also Saturday, the militant Palestinian group Hamas said it fired rockets from Lebanon toward an Israeli army post in the northern Israeli village of Shomera in retaliation for the Zionists massacres in the Gaza Strip. Hamas has carried out such attacks form Lebanon over the past several months, but they have been rare.

On Saturday night, an Israeli airstrike on the southern coastal village of Adloun hit an arms depot and it was followed by a series of explosions that hit nearby villages with shrapnel, said state-run National News Agency, or NNA. The agency said that three people were slightly wounded in the nearby village of Kharayeb and hospitalized.

The agency didnt give further details about the arms depot, but it was believed to belong to Hezbollah, which has a wide presence in the area. The explosions lasted more than an hour after the airstrike, NNA said.

Hezbollahs attack earlier in the day with dozens of Katyusha rockets on the northern Israeli kibbutz of Dafna came few hours after an Israeli drone strike hit a car in the southern Lebanese village of Burj al-Muluk, and shrapnel from the missile wounded several people who were standing nearby. NNA said that the wounded civilians are Syrian citizens and they included children.

The Israeli military said that about 45 projectiles were detected crossing from Lebanon into northern Israel in three separate barrages. It said that some were intercepted, while others fell in open areas, causing no injuries, but triggering several fires in the Golan Heights.

On Friday, Hezbollah said that it fired rockets at three villages in northern Israel for the first time in retaliation for a strike that killed several people the night before.

Hezbollah began firing rockets shortly after Hamas Oct. 7 attack on southern Israel, saying it aimed to ease pressure on Gaza. The exchange of fire and airstrikes, which has been limited to a few kilometers or miles on each side of the border, has displaced tens of thousands of people in both countries.

On Wednesday, Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah warned that his group would retaliate against Israeli strikes in Lebanon that inflict civilian casualties by firing rockets and targeting new villages that were not targeted in the past.

Since early October, Israeli airstrikes in Lebanon have killed more than 450 people, mostly Hezbollah members, but also around 90 civilians and noncombatants. On the Israeli side, 21 soldiers and 13 civilians have been killed.
Brig. Gen. Gavin Marks, Commandant of Cadets, prepares to administer the Oath of Office to the U.S. Air Force Academy Class of 2024 Graduation Ceremony at Falcon Stadium in Colorado Springs, Colo., May 30, 2024. (Trevor Cokley/U.S. Air Force)

COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. (Tribune News Service)  The Air Force Academy is adding more leadership training to help cadets as they take on numerous responsibilities, following a report last year that found older cadets were not sufficiently equipped for their roles causing unhealthy power dynamics.

Last years report recommended the school make adjustments to its system for training freshmen to help stop instances of mistreatment and hazing.

A rise in sexual assault cases led to a visit by Pentagon officials and the evaluation. In a presentation Brig. Gen. Gavin Marks, commandant of cadets, made to the Board of Visitors on Wednesday, he said a 2022 survey and the last years report sparked the changes. The board can ask the academy about morale, discipline, climate, curriculum and other topics.

We needed to adjust the culture of the cadet wing, specific to how we go about training cadets, he said.

Cadets fill numerous leadership roles, such as teaching younger cadets how to parachute and leading summer basic training. The training was on-going this week in Jacks Valley, an area at the academy where cadets push themselves to their physical limits and learn practical skills, such as firing pistols.

Basic cadets from the United States Air Force Academy class of 2028 go through training at Jacks Valley on Thursday, July 18, 2024. The class started field training July 15 with a 5.2 mile march to Jacks Valley. The training introduces basic cadets to expeditionary skills including first aid, combat arms, field living conditions and more.

We have always expected our cadets to gain more responsibilities and with those responsibilities come additional privileges. ... What we havent necessarily done as well as we should is provide the necessary curriculum, the necessary education to back stop our expectations, Marks said.

As part of the training changes, the academy is no longer going to focus on just the freshmens recognition in the spring, an event where they become full members of the cadet wing.

Everyone trainings will be rigorous, everyone will be held to account for meeting military training objectives, Marks said. And we want to celebrate everyone and promote everyone to that next level, assuming they accomplish their objectives.

The academy is starting classes to help cadets learn to be supervisors as they become sophomores, team leaders as they become juniors and commanders as seniors, he said. They will have classes built into their week and they will be assessed during culminating exercises, he said, during the presentation.

Traditionally cadets face their toughest year as freshmen with a heavy course load and required physical training.

At the start, incoming freshmen, known as basic cadets, face some tough physical challenges during summer training, such as the assault course where cadets are in constant motion, high stepping in place with mock M-16s in hand, while waiting to climb a wall and overcome other obstacles. The cadets spend a day on the course and 10 days total out in the field learning practical skills, such as finding and wrapping bullet wounds.

For example, Cadet Alex Wood was helping to run a training introduced in recent years focused on setting up and learning to defend a forward operating base thats likely to be attacked. This year, the older cadets are staging attacks on the base at all the entry points, so all 140 cadets participating each day can practice their defensive skills, ahead of possible conflict with China or Russia.

Its important we simulate the stress, simulate the procedures now, Wood explained, saying the exposure will ensure future officers dont freeze up later.

Next year, older cadets and other leaders may extend a few practices associated with setting up a field base through the whole training. For example cadets may have to patrol the living quarters every night, said Cadet Hannah Plewe, the basic cadet training cadet group commander. Some of the changes to summer basic training have been informed by recent visits to basic training at Lackland Air Force Base in Texas, where enlisted airmen learn to live in deployed environments, she said.

In addition to new leadership training, Marks said, he is adding life skills training because young academy graduates he has spoken to felt more than prepared to be officers, but were not prepared for life off campus.

So, the academy also plans to add education around life skills such as moving, budgeting and investing, according to Marks presentation.

(c)2024 The Gazette (Colorado Springs, Colo.)

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Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.
This photo provided by Tunisian Presidency on July 19, 2024 shows a portrait of Tunisian President Kais Saied.

Tunisian President Kais Saied announced on Friday that he intends to run for another term in the upcoming presidential election scheduled for Oct. 6. (Tunisian Presidency/Handout via Xinhua)

TUNIS, July 19 (Xinhua) -- Tunisian President Kais Saied announced on Friday that he intends to run for another term in the upcoming presidential election scheduled for Oct. 6.

"I officially announce my candidacy for the presidential elections to continue the struggle in the national liberation battle," Saied said in a short speech posted on the presidency's Facebook page.

The 66-year-old president also urged Tunisians to "be vigilant against any form of infiltration and deception" during the upcoming election.

The final list of presidential candidates will be announced on Sept. 3. The election campaign will kick off on Sept. 14 and wrap up on Oct. 4. Tunisia's Independent High Authority for Elections will announce the final election results before Nov. 9.

Tunisia holds presidential elections every five years, with Saied currently serving as president since his election in 2019. 
The U.S. Coast Guard and the Royal Bahamas Defense Force announced Thursday, July 19, 2024, that a search for about 60 migrants who may have left Abaco on July 4 has been suspended. (U.S. Coast Guard)

MIAMI (Tribune News Service)  The search for about 60 migrants lost at sea who departed the Bahamas earlier this month for Florida has been called off, according to U.S. and Bahamian officials.

The announcement came late Thursday night from Homeland Security Task Force Southeast.

Sharing a statement from the Royal Bahamas Defense Force, officials say the people may have left Abaco, in the northern Bahamas, on July 4, and were on their way to Fort Pierce when the boats crew reported engine troubles around 11 p.m. that day. The Abaco islands are a popular jumping off point for Haitian migrants seeking to get to the United States.

The timing and the departure point of the boat coincides with information circulating in the Haitian community about a missing up-and-coming Haitian rapper Wens Jonathan Desir, who goes by the stage name Mechans-T.

Luckson Saint-Vil, a Haitian journalist with Radio Television Caraibes looking into the rappers disappearance, said the artist had traveled to the Bahamas for a show when he was reportedly approached about joining a migrant voyage to the United States. He has not been seen since.

A July 16 letter from the Haitian Embassy in Nassau and obtained by the Miami Herald asked the Foreign Ministry of the Bahamas for assistance in ascertaining the whereabouts of Desir, who went missing in Abaco. He went to the Bahamas to perform at a May 18 Haitian Flag Day celebration on the island.

He has not returned to Haiti and his whereabouts remain unknown since after the performance, the letter said.

Neither Bahamian officials nor the U.S. Coast Guard have provided the nationalities of the missing migrants. Bahamian officials said in their statement Thursday that acting on intelligence provided by the United States Coast Guard, the search for the migrants has been suspended.

Both Coast Guard and Royal Bahamas Defense Force officials contacted by the Miami Herald said the nationalities of the people on the vessel was not known.

The Royal Bahamas Defense Force said the Coast Guard conducted two search-and-rescue flights on July 7-8 looking for the boat.

Despite these extensive aerial searches, no sign of the vessel or its passengers were found, the statement reads.

2024 Miami Herald.

Visit at miamiherald.com.

Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.
(Heath Druzin/Stars and Stripes)

Mosul, Iraq, Aug. 20, 2010: Sgt. Ryan Carlson, left, shows an Iraqi soldier how to raid a home at Checkpoint 3, a small base outside Mosul. Training the Iraqi security forces will be key as the U.S. nears the 2011 deadline to withdraw all troops.

See additional photos and read the 2010 article here: https://www.stripes.com/history/2010-08-25/soldiers-remaining-in-iraq-expect-little-will-change-as-mission-evolves-1903267.html1
A mural in the northern port city of Cap-Haitien warns Haitians about the perils of illegal migration. (Jacqueline Charles/Miami Herald/TNS)

(Tribune News Service)  A Vodou ceremony aboard a boat filled with desperate Haitian migrants seeking a safe landing ended in tragedy after candles and matches used in the ritual set gasoline-filled drums on fire, setting off an explosion that killed at least 40 people.

The tragedy unfolded around 3 a.m. Wednesday off the coast of Labadie in northern Haiti. The boat had initially departed from Fort Saint Michel, a seaside community in the city of Cap-Haitien, near the international airport.

After leaving Cap-Haitien the boat made a stop at Picolet, off Labadie, several Haitians told the Miami Herald. The area is considered sacred and before the risky migrant journey, boat captains from Cap-Haitien routinely stop there to seek help from Vodou spirits for a safe and undetected journey. The secret ritual usually involves rum.

When they arrived they started pouring rum and wine into the ocean and they lit candles. There were two drums filled with gasoline and they exploded, said Jean-Henry Petit, who is responsible for the Office of Civil Protection for northern Haiti.

Petit said some of the survivors blamed the tragedy on the use of wine in the ceremony, which is considered a bad omen because it symbolizes blood . He said there were as many as 80 Haitians onboard, according to survivors.

The use of Vodou in clandestine boat voyages is common and often credited for Haitians safe and undetected arrival at their destination. The details of the intricate rituals are a closely held secret. But generally, Vodou faithfuls say the ceremonies can include drumming , chanting and paying homage to the Vodou spirit Agwe, who they believe rules the sea. Sometimes Haitian rum is poured, a citrus-scented cologne named Florida Water is sprayed, and a chicken is sacrificed.

The International Organization for Migration, a United Nations agency, said 40 Haitians are presumed to have died at sea and 41 others were rescued. The boat was headed to the Turks and Caicos Islands, a British Overseas Territory about 155 miles from Haiti. A popular tourist destination, the island-chain is also popular among Haitians seeking to escape their countrys deadly gang violence and opting not to risk the longer, riskier voyage to the Florida coast.

Haitis socioeconomic situation is in agony. The extreme violence over the past months has only brought Haitians to resort to desperate measures even more, Gregoire Goodstein, Haiti chief of mission for the agency.

Goodstein said the tragedy highlights the risks faced by children, women and men migrating through irregular routes and underscores the crucial need for safe and legal pathways for migration.

Survivors said that while there were originally 60 people aboard the boat, it took on additional individuals as it was being loaded. The passengers were initially rescued by another boat that had departed from Port-de-Paix in the northwest before Haitian Coast Guard was notified and completed the rescue, Haitian authorities said. At least 11 people were initially hospitalized, but as of Friday, only one person had not yet been discharged.

A mural in the northern port city of Cap-Haitien warns Haitians about the perils of illegal migration. (Jacqueline Charles/Miami Herald/TNS)

Haitians face a lack of economic opportunities, a collapsing health system and school closures. The lack of prospects, along with the ongoing gang violence and kidnappings that are spreading beyond Port-au-Prince are pushing many to consider fleeing the country. A 2023 research by the organization for migration found that 84% of migrants who had been returned to Haiti had left to seek job opportunities abroad.

With visa services suspended by the U.S. embassy, legal migration has become an extremely challenging journey to consider, let alone pursue, the United Nations agency noted, leaving many Haitians to view risky, irregular migration as their only option.

After several powerful armed gangs in Port-au-Prince united and began launching coordinated attacks in late February, the Haitian Coast Guard in the north has noted an increase in the number of boat departures. Coast guards from countries in the region, including the United States, The Bahamas, the Turks and Caicos Islands, and Jamaica, have also reported a growing number of boats intercepted at sea carrying Haitians.

Late Thursday, the United State Coast Guard and Royal Bahamas Defense Force announced the suspension of a search for 60 Haitian migrants who presumably left The Bahamas bound for Florida.

Last year, the Turks and Caicos reported interdicting 4,016 migrants at sea. So far this year 865 undocumented migrants have been interdicted at as of June 25, said Denyse Renne, a spokeswoman with the Royal Turks and Caicos police. Though the island-chain is seeing an overall reduction in undocumented migrants interdicted at sea, U.N data shows that the number of Haitians being returned from the British territory is on the rise.

According to the U.N. migration agency, more than 86,000 people have been forcibly returned to Haiti by neighboring countries this year, 13,000 just in March alone. The majority of the returns are from the Dominican Republic, which shares the island of Hispaniola with Haiti.

The U.N. migration group is concerned about the high number of forced returns of Haitians during this current period of civil unrest and uncertainty, the agency said. Forced returns must occur in a dignified manner. Many migrants forcibly returned, including unaccompanied and separated children as well as pregnant and nursing women, arrive in Haiti in highly vulnerable conditions, often with few resources. They urgently need humanitarian assistance after facing numerous health and protection concerns during their journeys.

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Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina speaks during an event in Paris on Nov. 11, 2021. (Ludovic Marin/AFP via Getty Images/TNS)

(Tribune News Service)  Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina shelved her overseas travel plans that were to start Sunday, Agence France-Presse reported, amid escalating protests that have killed dozens and triggered a nationwide internet blackout.

The premier canceled her trips to Spain and Brazil due to the prevailing situation, AFP cited her press secretary, Nayeemul Islam Khan, as saying. The South Asian nation, which reimposed a curfew Saturday, declared two days of public holidays that will last through Monday, effectively closing government and private offices.

The administration has stepped up efforts to quell clashes between police and the students protesting the governments job quota policy, deploying the army to support local law enforcement agencies and imposing an internet shutdown that has affected ATMs and mobile money companies. At least 123 people have been killed in the violence this week, AFP said, citing its count of victims reported by police and hospitals.

The protests pose one of the toughest challenges to Hasina, who extended her grip on power for a fourth straight term in elections earlier this year. They come at a critical time for the economy, with Bangladesh seeking funds from creditors and the International Monetary Fund to bolster dwindling foreign-exchange reserves.

The government hasnt commented on reported death toll or the outages.

Indias foreign ministry said in a statement Saturday that it was in touch with more than 4,000 students that were stranded at various universities in its neighboring country. So far, 778 Indian students have returned by land, while around 200 boarded flights. Help has also been extended to students from Nepal and Bhutan, according to the ministry statement.

Heavy-handed crackdown

Authorities must immediately conduct a prompt, independent and impartial investigation into the deaths, Amnesty International said in a July 19 statement, calling it a heavy-handed crackdown. Blanket shutdowns impact peoples safety, security, mobility, livelihood while creating instability and panic, further undermining their trust in authorities.

Protesters have in recent days attempted to shut down transport networks and businesses after authorities closed all universities. On Saturday, the Prime Minister Offices website also seemed hacked and defaced, with messages seeking support against governments actions.

Students frustrations have centered on a policy that sets aside 30% of government job openings for family members of veterans from the 1971 war of independence from Pakistan, which critics say has been abused. The anger stems also from persistently high youth unemployment that stands at about 40%, according to the latest census.

With assistance from Arun Devnath.

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Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky addresses reporters at a news conference in Washington in December 2023. (Bill O'Leary/The Washington Post)

Former President Donald Trump and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said they spoke on Friday as the U.S. presidential race hangs over the future of the war in Ukraine.

Zelensky said in a statement that he emphasized the importance of U.S. support for Ukraine amid Russias invasion, now in its third year, and added that he and Trump agreed to discuss at a personal meeting what steps can make peace fair and truly lasting. Trump, in a social media post about their phone call, said he will end the war and that both sides will be able to come together and negotiate a deal that ends the violence  but did not elaborate on the terms he would accept.

Trump has spoken with many foreign leaders as he seeks the presidency, but his call with Zelensky is especially significant because of the elections implications for U.S. policy toward Ukraine and Russia. A Trump victory could herald an abrupt change to the transatlantic support for Kyiv that President Joe Biden has established.

With less than four months left until the election, Trump and Biden have taken sharply contrasting positions on the war in Ukraine. Biden has been a staunch defender of Ukraine and a vocal critic of Russias invasion. Trump, who for years has often praised Russian President Vladimir Putin and touted an America first policy anchored in skepticism about intervention abroad, has privately said he could end the war by pressuring Ukraine to give up some territory, people familiar with the matter previously told The Washington Post. He has also suggested he would scale back vital U.S. military aid.

At the Republican National Convention in Milwaukee this week, Trump formally accepted the nomination and named a running mate, Sen. J.D. Vance (R-Ohio), who has strongly criticized U.S. assistance to Ukraine and voted against a major aid package this spring. Vances selection deepened fears among proponents of U.S. engagement abroad that a second Trump term would dramatically shift the United States posture. Zelensky has pushed for continued support from allies around the globe, urging them not to let up in helping his countrys cause.

When Trump was president, he had a private chat with Zelensky that culminated in a rare kind of presidential rebuke on Capitol Hill. Five years ago, a July conversation with Zelensky led to Trumps first impeachment in 2019. Trump had urged Zelensky to investigate Biden, a political rival, while raising the possibility of a White House meeting Zelensky wanted  prompting a whistleblower complaint and an effort to remove Trump from office that failed in the Republican-controlled Senate.

Both leaders said in their readouts of Fridays conversation that Zelensky congratulated Trump on securing the Republican nomination for president and condemned a gunmans attempt to assassinate Trump at a campaign rally last weekend in Pennsylvania.

In his statement on the call, Zelensky wrote that he noted the vital bipartisan and bicameral American support for protecting our nations freedom and independence, and said, Ukraine will always be grateful to the United States for its help in strengthening our ability to resist Russian terror. Russian attacks on our cities and villages continue every day.

Putin has said he will end the war only if Kyiv drops its efforts to join NATO and surrenders territory claimed by Russia  demands that Ukraine flatly rejects. Trump said at a debate with Biden in June that Putins terms are not acceptable, but also emphasized the amount of U.S. money going to Ukraine and said he would push to end the war swiftly.

I will have that war settled between Putin and Zelensky as president-elect, before I take office, Trump said, lamenting people being killed so needlessly, so stupidly. He did not explain how exactly he would broker such a peace and suggested Putin respects him more than Biden.

Biden has repeatedly pushed for continued assistance to Ukraine, and in April signed the aid package with bipartisan support, despite fierce resistance from some America first Republicans who argued such spending is not in the United States interest.

Some of the billions in funds were given via a loan that the U.S. president could forgive. Trump had advocated for a loan rather than a gift.

Vance, Trumps vice presidential pick, has emerged as a leader of the GOPs isolationist wing, concerning some hawkish Republicans who believe its important for the United States to aid allies abroad. Vance wrote an op-ed this spring arguing that the support the Biden administration urged would not defeat Russia.

Zelensky advocated forcefully for aid at this months NATO summit in Washington and noted the foreign policy stakes of the presidential election. The whole world is looking to November, he said.

Like Biden, Zelensky argued that Putin would not stop in Ukraine if unchecked and would go on to threaten NATO countries, forcing further U.S. involvement. The Ukrainian president acknowledged Trumps and Bidens differences but said he believes Putin will hate both of them.

Michael Birnbaum contributed to this report.
U.S. Air Force pararescuemen from the 83rd Expeditionary Rescue Squadron secure the landing area after being lowered from a HH-60 Pave Hawk during a November 2012 mission in Afghanistan. (Jonathan Snyder/U.S. Air Force)

Against the backdrop of Americas roiling political landscape and two raging foreign wars, a coterie of former U.S. government officials and academics on Friday opened what will be an extensive examination of the United States 20-year foray in Afghanistan  the nations longest conflict.

Today we make history, said Shamila N. Chaudhary, co-chair of the Afghanistan War Commission. Never before has the United States commissioned such a wide-ranging independent legislative assessment of its own decision-making in the aftermath of a conflict.

The mission is daunting. The 16-member bipartisan panel has been tasked by Congress with determining what went wrong and what U.S. leaders could do differently the next time the United States goes to war. Their mandate encompasses policies and actions taken by four presidential administrations, the U.S. military, the State Department, U.S. allies and many other agencies, organizations and people.

The commission has 18 months to carry out its research and until August 2026 to deliver a final public report.

The U.S. withdrawal from Afghanistan in August 2021 ended the war but delivered the country back into the hands of the Taliban, an enemy Washington spent trillions of dollars trying to vanquish beginning in the aftermath of 9/11. The bloody and chaotic exit resulted in the deaths of 13 U.S. service members and scores of Afghans; left thousands of American allies behind to an uncertain fate; triggered broad, bipartisan outrage; and gave rise to bitterly politicized congressional inquiries and hearings.

The Republican-led House Foreign Affairs Committee is expected to deliver a final report next month detailing the findings of its investigation of the withdrawal. That inquiry has featured hours of heated and sometimes emotional testimony from Biden administration officials, military commanders, veterans and their families. The committee next week intends to interview Jen Psaki, President Joe Bidens White House press secretary at the time of the withdrawal.

The war commissions 4-hour discussion Friday, held in the Washington headquarters of the Veterans of Foreign Wars, featured former ambassadors, military officers and CIA personnel as witnesses. It drew a small crowd of observers, many of whom were also connected to the war.

Chaudhary and her co-chair, Colin F. Jackson, a former Defense Department official, are cognizant of the charged atmosphere that surrounds their undertaking. The commission itself was born of the collective outrage that followed the withdrawal three years ago.

But they stressed that they seek a dialogue that is thoughtful and apolitical, even if commission members were hand-picked by Republican and Democratic lawmakers in the heat of national anguish. We are bipartisan in our composition, but our work is nonpartisan, Chaudhary said.

Its hard to ignore the issue of blame, they concede. It keeps coming up in our conversations, Chaudhary told the panelists. People want to know if the commission will name and shame, if it will deliver some measure of justice by calling out the leaders who made the worst critical decisions in the war.

The commission will try not to do that, while at the same time endeavoring to produce a full, objective, rigorous, unvarnished and unflinching account of our performance as a government and a military, Jackson said. We owe it to the generation that served in Afghanistan and the generation that will serve somewhere else.

It isnt just an assessment of the wars failures. The commissioners report will include guidance, they said: practical advice that could be applied to other wars the United States is involved in, such as those ongoing in the Middle East and Ukraine, or to wars that have yet to happen but someday will.

If the first hearing can serve as a guide for what commissioners are likely to conclude, its that so many different things went wrong.

Consecutive administrations failed to address the critical role that Pakistan  an ostensible U.S. ally  played in sustaining and shielding the Taliban, said Nader Nadery, a witness who served as a senior Afghan government official. U.S. leaders also often prioritized short-term military goals over longer-term values, and sometimes employed rhetoric that undermined the Afghan governments credibility, he said.

There were convoluted chains of command throughout the war; disruptive personality clashes between American decision-makers and agencies; and commanding officers served tours of duty that were so short as to represent the institutional equivalent of a frontal lobotomy, said another witness, Ronald Neumann, a former ambassador to Afghanistan and the author of The Other War: Winning and Losing in Afghanistan  published 11 years before the U.S. withdrawal.

There was a terribly devised system for parliamentary elections that invited fraud, said Noah Coburn, a political anthropologist who provided testimony Friday. There was too much public meddling in Afghan politics by U.S. leaders and too little policy input solicited from the Afghans. Poor U.S. decisions when it came to security partners, development and investments fueled corruption, which spread mistrust of the government and support for the anti-government Taliban, said Coburn. Civilian casualties, abusive warlords and poor security did that too.

Its not that no one was saying this during the war. Much has been written. Experts and documentation of on-the-ground events were ample as they were happening, commissioners and panelists acknowledged. But often, U.S. officials failed to absorb the information, and consecutive administrations failed to use that knowledge to change course.

Jackson, the co-chair, said, A fair question is, but what decisions are you going to look at?

The easy answer is were going to consider a much larger set of decisions than we can possibly cover in detail, and there will be a very difficult winnowing process, he said.

Among the obvious points of interest, Jackson said, will be the decision to invade Afghanistan in the aftermath of the 9/11 terrorist attacks. The commissioners will examine the decision to surge U.S. forces in Afghanistan in 2009. They will look at the decision-making that went into negotiations with the Taliban. And of course, they will look at decisions related to the withdrawal.

The commissioners acknowledged that their mandate has become vast  to cynics, perhaps, so ambitious as to be almost impossible. What started as a mission to understand and to educate is also partly an exercise in collective therapy, the commissioners said, an opportunity not just for government officials, but for the larger population, and particularly veterans, to come to terms with what happened.

For so many of us, the war still lingers in our minds. We carry the moral, physical and emotional injuries in our daily lives, Chaudhary said. Closure may not be possible for everyone. But a space is needed for civic discourse, she added.
Soldiers return to shore after conducting water training on American Lake at Joint Base Lewis-McChord, Wash., in 2016. (Adeline Witherspoon/Army)

Swimming at beaches on Joint Base Lewis-McChord has been banned following the drowning death of a soldier Monday at American Lake, according to Army officials at the Washington military base.

The order bars in-water recreation other than at official swimming pools on the 90,000-acre base south of Tacoma on Puget Sound. The ban affects 44,000 active-duty personnel at the base, jointly operated by the Army and Air Force. It also applies to family members and civilian and retired personnel who use the base beaches.

Swimming pools at the installation have assigned lifeguards, base officials said, but none are assigned to lakes, rivers and other beaches. Lewis-McChord officials said Thursday the ban would likely be enforced through July as additional safety measures are under review, Lewis-McChord officials said.

American Lake stretches 1.7 square miles between Interstate 5 and the Puget Sound. The Army uses it for special forces and parachute training. Its a popular day trip for miliary members and their families, with the Army, Air Force and Washington National Guard each providing beach facilities along the shoreline.

Soldiers and family members of 1st Special Forces Group (Airborne) compete in a 500m swim in American Lake at Joint Base Lewis-McChord, Wash. (Brandon Welsh/Army)

A portion of the lake is outside Lewis-McChord. American Lake North Park & Marina and Harry Todd Park are public-use areas. The military recreational swimming ban does not pertain to civilians at locations outside base property.

Army officials have yet to name the soldier who died. They also have not released the persons rank, gender, unit and other identifying information of the soldier or the circumstances that led to his or her death.

The Pacific Northwest averages relatively mild temperatures during the summer. Seattle has only recorded seven days of temperatures higher than 100 degrees since records have been kept.

However, a heat wave across the Pacific Northwest in the past two weeks set new records across the region, including a temperature of 96 degrees at McChord Field at the base on July 8.

The Army has encouraged soldiers to cool down by getting in the water, with a message written on the base website that reads: Tip of the week. Beat the heat with aquatic options at your garrisons.

State officials had issued warnings earlier this month about hypothermia, a significant and potentially dangerous condition that occurs when someones body temperature drops below 95 degrees. The hot air temperatures of recent days masked the still-frigid water temperatures of rivers and lakes that are fed by snow runoff from the mountains.

The sudden immersion in colder water could cause muscle cramps and other physical problems if someone jumps suddenly into water below 70 degrees, according to the state warning.
Rep. Mark Takano, D-Calif., and then-House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., speak with comedian Jon Stewart in 2022 in Washington, D.C. (Jabin Botsford/The Washington Post)

Major Democratic donors are funding a preliminary vetting process for potential vice-presidential nominees should President Biden exit the race, according to four people familiar with the process, suggesting that influential figures in the party are growing increasingly restless and concerned about the time remaining to mount a national campaign.

In recent days, people involved in the effort have contacted the teams of top Democratic figures, including Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro and Kentucky Gov. Andy Beshear, the people said, speaking on the condition of anonymity to discuss a sensitive effort. The donors are also interested in vetting North Carolina Gov. Roy Cooper, Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer and Arizona Sen. Mark Kelly.

It is unclear whether the subjects of the vetting are participating in the effort, which is independent of the Biden campaign and the Democratic National Committee. A vetting process typically includes a deep review of a potential candidates governing record, public statements, personal finances and other personal and private activities to help decision-makers weigh the potential risks of each selection, but the specifics of this particular effort are not known.

The Biden campaign and a spokesperson for Shapiro declined to comment. Spokespeople for Beshear and Whitmer did not respond to requests for comment.

A person familiar with Kellys political operation was unaware of outreach from outside donors involving any sort of vetting for the Democratic ticket. Kelly has heard from many supporters since the presidential debate urging him to seek higher office, the person said, but what they are hearing back is, Kelly supports Biden and Harris.

Vetting potential vice-presidential candidates usually takes months, so the group of donors, who have not been identified, decided to begin that process earlier this month. If Biden drops out, many Democrats think Vice President Harris would become the front-runner to replace him, and should she secure the nomination, she would have to select a running mate under a compressed timeline to ensure the Democratic ticket meets all state ballot deadlines. The vice president has repeatedly said she fully supports Biden as the partys nominee.

One potential pitfall of the donor-run process is that its sponsors could be barred from directly coordinating with the Democratic presidential campaign, under election laws designed to ensure campaigns independence. That means the donors would likely have to share their findings in a public manner in order for the campaign to benefit from them.

Yet such vetting is usually guided by strict confidentiality, in part to ensure the privacy of the individuals involved. It is not clear how the donors might navigate that obstacle.

In recent weeks, Harris has appeared with many of the Democrats who are being viewed as potential running mates should she take over the top of the ticket. A day after the debate, Harris was in Nevada with Kelly. She has twice appeared at campaign events in North Carolina with Cooper, and she campaigned with Shapiro last weekend in Pennsylvania.

Biden, who is isolating in Rehoboth Beach, Del., after contracting covid-19, remains publicly defiant, insisting he will return to the campaign trail next week after he recovers from the virus. His campaign has responded to increasing calls for him to drop out of the presidential race by announcing new events designed to show that he has no plans to step aside. His campaign has 10 scheduled fundraisers over the last 10 days of July.

Saturday began relatively quietly for Biden, after a dramatic Friday when a dozen lawmakers called for the president to step aside, but his allies were bracing for more such calls next week and seeking to showcase his determination to continue his campaign. The renewed push by Bidens allies sets up a potential collision between the presidents campaign and lawmakers who have urged him to leave the race by this weekend.

On Saturday, Rep. Mark Takano, D-Calif., added his name to a list of Democrats going public with their calls for Biden to withdraw, after expressing that sentiment privately.

Joe, I love and respect you, Takano said in his statement, which called for Harris to take over as the Democratic presidential candidate. But the stakes are too high to fail. Its time to pass the torch to Kamala.

The Washington Post reported two weeks ago that Takano had privately called for Biden to step aside. Several more Democrats are weighing taking the step of turning their private desire for a Biden exit into a public declaration.

Some have suggested they are on the cusp of doing so next week if Biden does not signal by Monday that he is moving to drop out of the race. Biden allies are urging fellow Democrats to give the president time to reach a decision on his own, but some lawmakers say privately they may be forced to take the dramatic step of coming out against their partys presumptive nominee months before the November election because Biden has remained defiant.

On Saturday, a group of Democratic donors planned to host a virtual fundraiser for Sen. Jon Tester, D-Mont., Rep. Mike Levin, D-Calif., and Rep. Hillary J. Scholten, D-Mich., all of whom have called for Biden to step aside, according to an individual involved in the effort. Some of the donors previously hosted Rep. Angie Craig, D-Minn., after she called for Biden to step aside.

Its just another indication that donors are ready and willing to support incumbents who call for Biden to end his campaign for reelection, the donor said.

But Bidens campaign is suggesting he will be ramping up his activity, as aides try to show that he is determined to forge ahead with his reelection drive. The president is expected to travel to Austin to commemorate the 60th anniversary of the Civil Rights Act next week. The event, originally scheduled for July 15, was postponed after the attempted assassination of Republican nominee Donald Trump.

Biden is also preparing for a critical visit to Washington by Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who is scheduled to address a joint session of Congress on Wednesday. The two leaders have had a tense relationship, and Netanyahus handling of the war in Gaza has further soured things between them.

Before his covid diagnosis last Wednesday, Biden was planning to visit multiple states in the coming week to showcase his vigor and prosecute the case against Trump. While he said in a statement Friday that he still plans to return to the campaign trail within days, his doctor said he continues to battle a hoarse voice and loose cough, symptoms that could make it difficult for him to make his case to the public.

The White House declared a lid on Saturday morning, indicating that Biden would not have any public activity before Sunday. The president was last seen in public Wednesday, when he traveled to his Rehoboth Beach home to isolate after testing positive.

The White House has said Bidens symptoms are improving, and he has held calls with foreign leaders and received briefings from staff in private.

He has also been joined by a small group of longtime aides, including senior adviser Steve Ricchetti, who has been fielding some of the calls from lawmakers concerned about Bidens candidacy.

During Bidens isolation, the efforts to push him aside have intensified.

The flood of a dozen statements by lawmakers Friday urging Biden to drop out of the race prompted a shift in tone from the campaign, which had often met such calls with defiance and at one point dismissed Democrats with concerns as the bed-wetting brigade. On Friday, the campaign suggested it respects those with different opinions on the best path forward - which now includes almost 40 Democratic members of Congress - even as it disagrees with them.

While the majority of the caucus and the diverse base of the party continues to stand with the president and his historic record of delivering for their communities, were clear-eyed that the urgency and stakes of beating Donald Trump means others feel differently, a campaign spokesperson said, speaking on the condition of anonymity to discuss a sensitive matter. We all share the same goal.

If Biden steps aside, though, there is no guarantee that Harris would be the nominee. Many Democrats who fear a messy process to replace him, however, support the idea. In private conversations earlier this month, members of the Congressional Black Caucus made clear that they would immediately back Harris if Biden were to step aside.

But some Democrats worry about the appearance of immediately crowning Harris without input from rank-and-file party members. Rep. Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., former House speaker, is among those in that camp, expressing her concerns to fellow members of a California Democratic House delegation during a luncheon on July 10.

Pelosi did not oppose Harris ultimately becoming the nominee, according to two people familiar with the meeting, who spoke on the condition of anonymity to discuss a private conversation. Instead, she cautioned that elected Democrats and voters might be angered by the appearance of party elites forcing Biden out of office only to immediately crown a nominee.

Harris is 59, while Biden is 81 and Trump is 78, so she would quickly bring a younger face to the top of the Democratic ticket. But some Democrats argue that she would benefit from a nomination process that would allow Democrats to show enthusiasm for her candidacy. Pelosi also made clear that should Harris become the nominee, Californias Democratic House delegation would use its outsize influence to build support for her.

Olorunnipa reported from Rehoboth Beach, Del. Wingett Sanchez reported from Phoenix. Marianna Sotomayor contributed to this report.
U.S. Rep. Sheila Jackson Lee speaks as student loan borrowers and advocates gather for the People's Rally To Cancel Student Debt during Supreme Court hearings on student debt relief on Feb. 28, 2023, in Washington, D.C. (Jemal Countess /TNS)

(Tribune News Service)  Rep. Sheila Jackson Lee of Texas, who introduced legislation to make Juneteenth a national holiday, has died. She was 74.

Her death was announced by her family on Friday night. The statement, which was released by her office, did not include a cause of death, but Jackson Lee said in June that she was being treated for pancreatic cancer.

The Democrat was first elected in 1994, and served on the House Judiciary and Homeland Security Committees. In March, she defeated a primary challenger, former Houston City Council member Amanda Edwards, for her House seat.

June 19 marks the day when the last enslaved African Americans were ordered freed after Union troops arrived in Galveston, Texas, in 1865.

I want to make Juneteenth a federal holiday to commemorate the end of chattel slavery, Americas original sin, and to bring about celebration, crushing racial divide down to a point of unity to this Earth, Jackson Lee said as President Joe Biden prepared to sign the measure in 2021.

Born in the New York City borough of Queens, Jackson Lee graduated from Yale University and received a law degree from the University of Virginia.

She moved to Texas after her husband, Elwyn Lee, took a position at the University of Houston. They had two children. She ran for Congress after serving on the Houston City Council.

Mike Dorning contributed to this report.

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NEW DELHI, July 20 (Xinhua) -- A suspected case of Nipah virus was reported in India's southern state of Kerala, the state's Health Minister Veena George told media on Saturday.

According to the minister, the polymerase chain reaction test had been carried out on the patient, a 15-year-old boy, and the blood samples had been sent to a virology lab in the Pune city of south-western state of Maharashtra.

The test's result was awaited and the medical protocol was in place to deal with the situation, added the minister.

"We have held a meeting with the additional chief secretary of the health department, director of National Health Mission and district collectors of Malappuram and Kozhikode," the minister told media. 
However, Saunders has a three month reprieve before the luxury home can be seized.

The way is clear for the Criminal Assets Bureau to take the house bought by infamous robbery gang leader Stefan Saunders with the proceeds of crime after his bid to have the Supreme Court hear the case failed.

However, Saunders has a three month reprieve before the luxury home can be seized.

His bid to have the higher court hear the case, which was already rejected by the Court of Appeal, failed this month.

It clears the way for the bureau to have a receiver appointed to the Clonee house to take possession and sell it off to the highest bidder.

But the next sitting of the Proceeds of Crime list is not until next October which gives Saunders and his wife Tammy more time in their home.

CAB won a court order in October 2022 after it was accepted the house was bought and refurbished with criminal cash.

Since then Saunders went through the appeals process which ended with ruling by the Supreme Court published on 9 July that it didnt merit a hearing.

This week the case went back to the High Court when it was heard the bureau are anxious for the next step in the process to proceed.

Judge Alex Owens told counsel for CAB they had to submit affidavits by 13 September and the Saunders replies must be filed by 4 October.

The case to have the receiver appointed is now listed for hearing later in October.

It was previously heard in the High Court the couple had gone on a spending spree after the 2.5m Brinks Allied security van robbery in Artane, Dublin, in 2005, according to CAB.

This included a six-week luxury holiday in Orlando with extended family, the purchase of a the Clonee house for 360,000, a 125,000 refurbishment and extension of the house and a 768,000 shortfall in declared income.

In 2018 Saunders was jailed for seven-and-a-half years after gardai foiled a cash-in-transit armed robbery in 2016.

Stefan Saunders, until his arrest in 2016, was regarded as one of the most prolific bank robbers in the country and became the target of a huge garda operation against his gang.

An affidavit from an investigating officer described the Saunders Organised Crime Gang as being involved in the Brinks Allied cash-in-transit robbery in 2005 .

He was also investigated and tried over a 2010 tiger kidnapping but a judge ordered his acquittal in that case.

In 2016, he was then caught red-handed in the act of robbing an ATM in Co Meath for which he got a 10-year sentence, which he has since served.

During the appeal against the CAB ruling, it was argued the judge made an error accepting evidence of alleged criminality for which Stefan has not been tried in court.

They also said the judge was wrong to find that there was no risk of injustice to the Saunders who had already been investigated previously by CAB over property transactions.

But the three-judge Court of Appeal, found the Saunders had not made out the case for saying the High Court erred on any of the grounds and dismissed the appeal.
Xamse Jamac (35) was also found stumbling into GAA fans coming from a match and urinated on a wall when gardai told him to move on.

The need for emergency accommodation has risen. Photo: Nick Ansell/PA

A drunken man was arrested for roaring at homeless people trying to sleep on a street in Dublin city centre.

Xamse Jamac (35) was also found stumbling into GAA fans coming from a match and urinated on a wall when gardai told him to move on.

Judge Deirdre Gearty adjourned the case for a community service suitability report.

Jamac, of no fixed address, admitted public intoxication and threatening, abusive and insulting behaviour.

Dublin District Court heard gardai found him on Queen Street on July 31 last year, walking through a crowd of people coming from a GAA match, highly intoxicated, stumbling into them and out in front of traffic.

When told to leave the area, he went and urinated against a wall in full view of the public.

In the early hours of April 8 this year, he was roaring and shouting at homeless men trying to sleep at Store Street.

On May 22, he fell out in front of vehicles on OConnell Street where he could not walk in a straight line and was shouting abuse at passersby.

Jamac had 53 previous convictions. The accused, originally from Somalia, had a pretty heavy alcohol problem, his solicitor Brian Doherty said.

Judge Gearty recommended 150 hours of community service instead of a three-month sentence if Jamac is found suitable.
The victim has been left with lifelong scars from the incident, the court heard.

A violent offender repeatedly slashed and stabbed an acquaintance in the face with a "homemade shank", inflicting a cut so deep the victim's jaw was exposed, while shouting Im going to kill you in front of a city centre garda station, a court has heard.

Graham McGuinness (32), who has 53 previous convictions, was initially charged with the attempted murder of Martin Reilly.

However, in June the 32-year-old pleaded guilty to the offence of causing serious harm and the State accepted his plea.

Mr Reilly has been left with lifelong scars from the incident, the Central Criminal Court was told yesterday.

While the attack was going on he feared for his life and believed he was going to die that night, the court heard.

Garda James Seymour told Grainne ONeill BL, prosecuting, that McGuinness and Mr Reilly were both in the vicinity of Busaras in the early hours of June 11, 2020 waiting for a bus when an altercation occurred.

He confirmed that the two men were known to each other prior to this event.

A copy of CCTV footage of the incident was provided to Ms Justice Karen OConnor after she was informed that the court system was down.

The court heard on June 10, Mr Reilly had been out and about in various places and, by his own admission, had been looking to source drugs to feed his own habit.

Garda Seymour said later that night at around 12.30am, both men were waiting for a bus at Store Street close to Busaras when an altercation occurred, and Mr McGuinness tried to slash Mr Reillys neck before stabbing and slashing at the victim numerous times.

While this unfolded, McGuinness was repeatedly heard shouting Im going to kill you, Gda Seymour said.

He said the attack continued as Mr Reilly tried to escape and the pair moved from the entrance of Busaras towards Store Street Garda Station.

Garda Seymour said Mr Reilly then stepped out in front of a Luas line in an attempt to try and get help.

The garda said he was on his way back to Store Street where the incident was occurring and immediately intervened.

He confirmed to Ms ONeill that while the attack was taking place, Mr Reilly believed that the Stanley blade brandished by McGuinness was a knife and feared for his life.

He said it was Mr Reillys belief that he was going to die that night.

The court heard the blade was wrapped in tissue at the bottom to create a makeshift handle. Gda Seymour said victim also told gardai that there was no reason for the attack to occur at that time.

McGuinness of Riverview, Blackcastle Avenue, Flower Hill, Navan, Co Meath, had previously been charged with the attempted murder of Mr Reilly on June 11th, 2020, at Store Street in Dublin 1.

He was further charged that at the same time and date he produced a "homemade shank" in a manner likely to intimidate another person and that he caused serious harm to Mr Reilly, contrary to section 4 of the Non-Fatal Offences Against the Person Act 1997.

Gda Seymour said he observed Mr Reilly bleeding profusely from numerous wounds. He saw McGuinness getting onto a bus and observed him discard the knife and make his way towards the back of the bus in an attempt to evade capture.

Mr Reilly sustained multiple slash wounds to his arms, torso and face, including one gash to his face in which his jawbone was exposed.

The multiple lacerations all over his arms and his back were of various degrees of depth and length, the garda said.

The court heard the main impact of the assault was the permanent scarring Mr Reilly has been left with. He was offered the opportunity to prepare a Victim Impact Statement but chose not to do so, Gda Seymour confirmed.

McGuinness has 53 previous convictions including those for violent disorder, a threat to kill or cause serious harm, criminal damage, burglary and possession of drugs.

Under cross-examination, Gda Seymour told Eanna Molloy SC, for McGuinness, that there was nothing on the CCTV to indicate any particular trigger for the incident as the footage does not have sound. He confirmed there had been some trouble between the two individuals in the past.

Ms ONeill told the court the directors view is that the offence lies on the cusp of the middle and upper levels, with the middle level band attracting a sentence of between four and ten years and the upper level between ten and 15 years.

McGuinness read out a short statement to the court himself, offering his sincere apologies to Martin Reilly for what he said had been the most regrettable moment of my life.

He said he is no longer the same person he used to be and has done his utmost to turn his life around.

Mr Molloy told the court McGuinness comes from a very tangled family background and said the defendants mother had been in custody at the time of his birth.

He has experienced a cornucopia of troubles over the years with various layers of addiction, counsel said, adding his two sisters were with the defendant in court to support him.

McGuinness is an enhanced prisoner, is on a drug-free landing and is working to achieve his educational goals, the lawyer said.

The previous tailspin into mayhem and chaos, those periods of his life, he believes, are behind him now and he is making every effort to ensure he will not return to them, said Mr Molloy.

Ms Justice Karen OConnor directed that a Probation Report and an updated Governors Report be prepared and adjourned the matter to October 9 for finalisation.
Dylan Boyle pleaded guilty to possession of drugs for sale or supply.

Dylan Boyle of Rutland Court, Buckingham Street, was found guilty of possession of drugs. Photo: irishphotodesk.ie

A father of one was caught selling street tablets 13 times over four days in a garda operation targeting Dublins north inner-city drug trade, a court heard.

Dylan Boyle (25) now has the status of drug dealer following his convictions for repeated offences, a judge said.

However, Judge John Hughes spared him jail and gave him a 10-month suspended sentence after hearing he had since turned a corner.

Boyle, with an address at Rutland Court, Buckingham Street in the north inner city, pleaded guilty to possession of drugs for sale or supply.

Garda Gerard Dunne told Judge Hughes that gardai attached to the Dublin north central drug unit set up an operation targeting drug dealing in the Summerhill area.

Boyle was involved in 13 transactions on four separate dates: December 6 and 7, 2021 and January 7 and 31, 2022. The drugs recovered  Alprazolam and Zopiclone  had a total value of 736.

Separately, the court heard on December 1, 2022, gardai saw the accused with three trays of Alprazolam at Summerhill Place, in suspicious transactions with other known drug users. Gardai recovered 30 trays of tablets from where he had stored them, with a total value of 900.

In another incident, Boyle was seen placing a bag behind a flowerpot on the same street. He escaped on a bicycle, but gardai recovered the bag which had tablets worth 170.

Boyle was in the throes of addiction and had turned to dealing drugs, his solicitor Holly Laher said. Since then, he had gone to addiction services, got employment and pulled himself up by the boot straps.
Frances and her sister Christine, known as Tina, are alleged to have masterminded the dramatic escape of four Chilean guerrillas from a high-security prison

A 75-year-old Dublin woman who was recently arrested in Croatia over a daring helicopter jailbreak in Chile in 1996 wants to move on with her life in Ireland.

Frances Shannon was detained at an airport in Croatia on May 15 after a routine check revealed there was an international warrant out for her arrest.

Despite the fact pensioner Frances has been living a quiet life in Dublin for decades, she was accused of involvement in Chiles most infamous jailbreak.

"I am Frances, yes, Ms Shannon said this week, when the Sunday World called to her house.

Frances and her sister Christine, known as Tina, are alleged to have masterminded the dramatic escape of four Chilean guerrillas from a high-security prison.

Chilean officials claimed Frances and Christine arrived in the country in 1996 posing as tourists before renting a helicopter.

The same chopper later landed in the yard of a top-security prison in Santiago and carried four left-wing guerrillas to freedom.

When asked about the attempted extradition attempt to South America, Ms Shannon said: I dont want to talk about it.

"I really dont want to talk about all that, Ms Shannon replied, when pressed further about alleged events in Chile.

"When I say no, I mean no, Ms Shannon concluded, before closing her door.

Tina Shannon

Two of the inmates freed in the jailbreak had been serving jail sentences for the murder of a right-wing senator, while they were also convicted of an attempted assassination on the then-Chilean military leader, Augusto Pinochet, in 1986.

Frances and her sister Christine were charged in South America in 1998 and Chile had repeatedly sought her extradition from Ireland.

However, the once-high profile case had largely been forgotten by the public until Frances was arrested in May after a routine check at the airport in Zagreb.

Frances was temporarily detained under an international warrant issued by Chilean authorities. Christine died in 2022.

The Chilean government had sought Frances extradition for trial in connection with the jailbreak.

However, the Sunday World revealed that the OAP will not be extradited and had been freed from custody.

Croatian officials made the decision to release her because Chilean authorities did not send documentation in time to initiate an extradition trial.

Chiles Supreme Court previously alleged criminal action is not time-barred...it is declared that it is appropriate to request the Government of Croatia for the extradition of the Irish citizen Frances Mary Shannon.

A photograph of the daring prison break

Croatian officials told their Chilean counterparts that Shannon confirmed that she was the person sought by the Interpol order of Santiago, Chile, on behalf of the Court in Santiago.

Frances reportedly would not accept a simplified extradition procedure, nor a regular procedure for extradition to the Republic of Chile, after being interrogated by Interpol.

During the jailbreak on December 30, 1996, a gunfight erupted between jail security and those in the bullet-proofed chopper.

A basket was lowered into the prison yard for the militants to get into, before gunfire was exchanged.

Six months after the dramatic event occurred, police in Chile accused the Irish women of involvement in the breakout.

Chilean authorities established Frances and Christine Shannon entered Chile the previous month and left the country on the day of the prison escape.

Files indicated that eyewitnesses had placed two Irishwomen at a certain hotel on various dates and at locations with others involved in the jailbreak.

The owner of the helicopter used in the jailbreak also recognised the two women, it was claimed.

Christine Shannon allegedly made a phone call while staying at the hotel to a number belonging to the father of two men connected with a terrorist group.

Both women separately left the country on the same day.

Christine Shannon died in June, 2022. In an obituary published in An Phoblacht, she was described as a dedicated IRA volunteer.

Tina was a dedicated IRA volunteer with a deep commitment to the cause of justice and freedom. The first thoughts of most republicans when they heard the sad news of Tinas passing were not just of Tina, but also for her sister Frances, it read.
Ruse dating from Troubles aims to divert resources by reporting false crimes elsewhere

Gardai climb a perimeter wall to gain access to the former Crown Paint factory in Coolock after a fire was started. Photo: Colin Keegan

Gardai watch as a wheelie bin burns on the Malahide Road, Coolock, where a protest turned violent on Monday. Photo: Collins

Gardai have uncovered a plot by far-right agitators to draw them away from protests by diverting them to false crime scenes.

Officers are monitoring the activities of a number of agitators who are suspected of inciting a mob to attack gardai on Monday in Coolock, Dublin.

These agitators are now being investigated for a new tactic in which fake crime reports are made to divert garda numbers away from the scene of a protest.

The new information suggests that a person will call in a fabricated burglary or robbery, leading gardai to rush away from the protest to the scene of the alleged crime, a source said.

Once there, the officers will be confronted by a number of people  who have the potential to attack them  while others in the locality are calling in multiple other incidents described as ordinary crime to divert gardai from the actual protest. Its an attempt to cause mayhem.

Read more Former Crown Paints factory on fire as bottles and fireworks thrown at gardai in Coolock protest

Its all about dragging resources away from the area where the policing is needed most  its an old Provo (IRA) tactic from the Troubles in the North.

A co-ordinated, intelligence-led investigation under the command of an inspector has now been set up into this perceived tactic and it is being taking very seriously.

A number of young garda officers without proper equipment and training had to spend nearly four hours dealing with the crowd in Coolock on Monday.

Clashes broke out near the former Crown Paints factory, a site that was being renovated to accommodate more than 500 international protection applicants (IPAs) and had become the focus of protests.

The Garda Representative Association (GRA), which represents the vast majority of gardai who policed the protest on Monday, has contacted the office of Commissioner Drew Harris to request a meeting to raise concerns about the safety of its members.

Some of the officers involved were trainee gardai and others had only recently graduated from Templemore Training College and were not properly trained to police a riot.

Gardai spent hours trying to police the situation before fully equipped public order units arrived at the scene at around 1pm. That was almost four hours after an arson attack on a digger and an attack on security staff.

Sources said bricks rained down on the heads of the young officers, who were not equipped with riot helmets, and the disorder threatened to get out of control.

There were no reports of serious injuries, but a number of gardai sustained scrapes and bruises.

The unrest led to 30 arrests and 19 people appearing before the courts.

It can go from zero to a 100 straight away and then there is no comeback from this

Garda HQ has denied there were issues with the time it took for public order units to be deployed on the day.

One source said having the units there earlier would have escalated the situation and made it even more volatile.

We have seen it in continental Europe when public police are deployed straight away  it can go from zero to a 100 straight away and then there is no comeback from this  there can be no plan B then, the source said.

Experienced garda commanders made logistical decisions on the day and it was all about not escalating this matter into a full-blown riot  this was sporadic, spontaneous and many of those involved might have been in school at a different time of year.

When asked if the disorder was caused by an intelligence failure, the source said gardai have recently changed their tactics in relation to these types of protests and more suspects are being arrested at the scene.

Mondays unrest followed a number of intimidating protests at the homes of politicians in recent weeks.

The attitude now is you will be arrested where you commit the alleged crime and brought to court  you saw this in Coolock and other protests lately and that is the garda view going forward, the source said.

The Public Order Unit was again at the Coolock site on Thursday evening when a fire broke out inside a section of the building. Footage circulating online included a man saying: Its gone, its up in smoke, the place is done with. People could be heard cheering in the background. The fire was brought under control by Dublin Fire Brigade.

In response to queries in relation to Mondays incident in Coolock, the garda press office said: A policing operation was put in place and over 200 members of An Garda Siochana were deployed to the area.

They included frontline uniformed gardai, units of the Garda Public Order Unit fitted with helmets and shields as well as the Garda Air Support Unit.

The press office added: During the course of their work to de-escalate the situation, gardai were subjected to verbal and physical abuse throughout this operation, including rocks, concrete bricks and fireworks being thrown at them.

The use of force involved the use of incapacitant spray and the ASP baton

As the situation intensified, members of An Garda Siochana were required to use force to defend themselves as part of a graduated policing response to the situation. This use of force involved the use of incapacitant spray and the ASP baton.

As per standard, this operation had an operational command structure in place and was overseen by highly experienced senior officers with advice provided by gardai highly trained and experienced in public order policing.

Every member of An Garda Siochana is trained in the use of the ASP baton, handcuffs and incapacitant spray.

They are also trained in de-escalation tactics, the Garda Decision Making Model (GDMM), the Garda Code of Ethics, both human rights and constitutional rights, as well as public order legislation and other related laws.

As is routine in advance of carrying out a policing plan, gardai received an operational briefing on Monday from the senior and supervisory ranks on duty during this incident.

It is also routine that members have tetra radio access  this provides for communication between gardai and the regional garda control room, who in turn have a direct channel of communication with senior garda officers so as to give direction and support to members on the front line.

The policing activities undertaken in response to evolving events such as public disorder are centred on a graduated approach and a strong tradition of policing by consent.

Buildings within the Coolock site were set on fire on Thursday night and last night.

Last evening, the Public Order Unit was again called in to push back a large crowd of protesters who were throwing missiles including fireworks and bottles, in order to allow fire crews access.

This followed a larger protest involving around 1,000 people opposing the asylum plans, which passed off peacefully.

Separately, gardai are investigating an active threat against a female journalist from agitators as part of their investigations.
Delaneys is a much loved Irish pub in the US

A much loved Irish pub in the US has posted CCTV footage of vandals stealing their tricolour.

The robbery happened on Wednesday evening this week. In the still images, one man is seen making a leap into the air outside Delaneys pub on Main Street in Spartanburg, South Carolina.

Attention Delaneys Family: We Need Your Help! the pub wrote on social media.

We regret to inform our community that two individuals vandalized our property, broke a flagpole, and stole a custom-made Irish flag from Delaney's Irish Pub - Spartanburg at around 10:55pm on Wednesday night, July 17th.

Alleged incident taking place

"This act not only disrespects our city and establishment but also the cultural heritage we proudly celebrate.

Spartanburg Police Department in South Carolina are actively involved in investigating the incident.

"We are asking our friends and followers in the community to help us identify the culprits, the pub added.

If you have any information or recognize the individuals responsible, please contact the Spartanburg Police Department or reach out to us directly.

Thank you for your support and vigilance. Slainte, they stated.
PHNOM PENH, July 20 (Xinhua) -- Cambodia's trade with its fellow ASEAN member states hit 7.96 billion U.S. dollars during the first half of 2024, up 11.6 percent from 7.13 billion dollars over the same period 2023, said a report from the Ministry of Commerce on Saturday.

The kingdom exported products worth 2.68 billion dollars to other ASEAN countries during the January-June period this year, up 8 percent from 2.48 billion dollars over the same period last year, the report said.

Meanwhile, the country's import from its fellow ASEAN countries was valued at 5.28 billion dollars, up 13.5 percent from 4.65 billion dollars, it added.

The report said Cambodia's trade volume with the ASEAN accounted for 30.2 percent of its 26.3-billion-dollar total trade volume during the first half of this year.

The country's top five trading partners in ASEAN are Vietnam, Thailand, Singapore, Indonesia, and Malaysia, the report added.

ASEAN groups Brunei, Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand, and Vietnam.

Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Manet has said the country stood as a vibrant partner within the ASEAN countries.

"Cambodia's strategic membership in key regional and global trade agreements, including ASEAN and the World Trade Organization, positions it as a highly integrated player within the dynamic global market," he said in a recent speech.

He added that made-in-Cambodia products, encompassing garments and bicycles, are currently recognized in ASEAN and worldwide for their quality and competitive pricing.

Cambodian Ministry of Commerce's Secretary of State and Spokesperson Penn Sovicheat said the kingdom has seen a rise in the exports of garments and textiles, solar panels, electronics, and agricultural products such as milled rice and cashew nuts to ASEAN during the first half of this year. 
One man in his 50s has been arrested following a Garda search operation conducted under warrant at a residence in The Ward, Dublin 11, on Friday evening

Cash and drugs seized in the operation

Part of the massive seizure made by gardai

The seizure of more than 8,000,000 worth of drugs and 1 million in cash has been described as a major blow to an organised crime gang operating in Dublin.

One man in his 50s has been arrested following a Garda search operation conducted under warrant at a residence in The Ward, Dublin 11, on Friday evening.

Gardai said the intelligence-led operation was carried by the Dublin Crime Response Team (DCRT).

Suspected illegal drugs seized included cocaine, cannabis, ketamine, LSD and MDMA.

The suspected drugs will now be sent to Forensic Science Ireland (FSI) to undergo analysis.

Packs of cash

The arrested man (50s) is being held under Section 2 of the Criminal Justice (Drug Trafficking) Act, 1996, at a Garda Station in the Dublin area.

Further cash, vehicles and designer goods were seized in a number of follow-up searches across the Dublin Metropolitan Region.

Assistant Commissioner, Dublin Metropolitan Region, Angela Willis, said: "The seizure of what is a significant quantity of drugs and cash is a major blow to this organised crime group which has been causing so much misery in communities right across the city.

Cash is the lifeblood of crime groups and the seizure of amounts of this scale causes significant disruption. Gardai continue to target those that destroy lives through their activities.

Cash and drugs seized in the operation

Gardai added that investigations are ongoing

This seizure forms part of Operation Tara, the enhanced national anti-drugs strategy launched by Garda Commissioner Drew Harris in July 2021.

The focus of Operation Tara is to disrupt, dismantle, and prosecute drug trafficking networks at all levelsinternational, national, and localinvolved in the importation, distribution, cultivation, production, local sale, and supply of controlled drugs.
Meanwhile, a man in his 20s who was arrested last night has since been released without charge

Three gardai who were injured, with one hospitalised for facial injuries, at a large protest at a site earmarked for asylum seekers in north Dublin on Friday night are recovering, a Garda spokesperson has said this afternoon.

Meanwhile, a man in his 20s who was arrested last night has since been released without charge.

All three gardai who received injuries are recovering and a full array of welfare supports has been made available to them, gardai said.

This is a private matter for all three Gardai who received injuries in the course of their duties last night and An Garda Siochana has no further comment.

A fire broke out at the former Crown Paints site in north Dublin following the protest las night where riot police used pepper spray and charged protesters gathered outside the site to allow fire crews to gain access to the site.

Bottles and fireworks were launched at gardai, and smoke billowed over the wall from the fire inside.

Eventually, firefighters were able to get into the site using ladders to get over the wall as they could not get their trucks inside.

The situation in Coolock remained tense on Friday evening, with a stand-off between gardai and more than 100 protesters, some of whom were throwing objects, at the site on the Malahide Road.

It comes after an earlier, much larger anti-asylum rally of about 1,000 people that marched from the site towards the local garda station passed off peacefully.

Crowd gathers to protest against use of former Crown Paints factory as accommodation for asylum seekers

A garda spokesperson said: A short time later an incident of public disorder occurred along a stretch of the Malahide Road. A policing operation was in place which included the deployment of uniformed Gardai and Garda Public Order Unit members with helmets and shields.

A small fire which had also broken out at the same location during this incident was attended to and contained by Dublin Fire Brigade.

Throughout the graduated response to de-escalate this incident of public disorder, members of An Garda Siochana were subjected to both verbal and physical abuse including rocks, concrete bricks and other objects being thrown at them.

As this intensified, Gardai were required to use force to defend themselves while continuing to adopt a graduated approach to policing, with enforcement as a last resort. This use of force involved the use of incapacitant spray and the ASP baton.

Three members of An Garda Siochana have been injured. One member has been transferred to hospital tonight for treatment of their facial injuries.

"A section of the Malahide Road, Coolock which was closed for a period has now fully reopened to motorists.

"An Garda Siochana is aware of a significant degree of disinformation and inaccuracy in circulation regarding events at this location  it is advised to independently verify any of this information shared online via social media and/or through messaging apps.

The rally took place on the Malahide Road this evening following a week in which the north Dublin suburb was engulfed in clashes with gardai centred on a site earmarked to house asylum seekers.

Around 1,000 people gathered at the site on the Malahide Road, which was closed in both directions for a time on Friday evening, with speeches being made by activists during the rally under the Coolock Says No banner.

Gardai said it responded to a public order incident at the site.

"A small fire which broke out at the same location a short time ago is being attended to by Dublin Fire Brigade, said a garda spokeswoman.

No injuries have been reported.

A section of the Malahide Road, Coolock is currently closed in both directions. Motorists are advised to use an alternative route if travelling in this area.

This is a live operation, therefore An Garda Siochana has no further information at present.

A major garda security operation was in place, and uniformed gardai walked among the crowd, which was made up of anti-immigration activists and politicians, as well as local people of all ages including families with buggies and children. Some of those in attendance had their pet dogs with them on leads.

About two dozen youths in attendance wore face coverings, and some of those in attendance carried Irish flags bearing the Proclamation of Independence which has now become typical of far-right demonstrations.

Organisers of the rally in Coolock called for local people and activists to gather at the site. They were opposing its use as accommodation for about 500 asylum seekers, as well as opposing immigration generally.

Following the rally, they had intended to march to the local garda station to lodge formal complaints against what they claim was garda brutality.

After several speeches, the march took off towards the garda station, with some marchers chanting slogans including Out, out, out! and Whose streets? Our streets.

However, by around 7pm, the march was stopped from approaching the garda station by a line of about 20 uniformed gardai blocking their path, with about a dozen garda vans behind them.

Some activists and masked youths screamed at the gardai, but the march then largely dispersed, with no disturbances.

Speakers earlier at the former Crown Paints site included Inner City councillor Malachy Steenson, and Irish Freedom Party councillor Glen Moore, who is based in Palmerstown-Fonthill in the south of the county.

On Monday around 20 people were arrested after a day of major clashes with gardai after a protest camp at the entrance to the former Crown Paints facility was cleared, with a security guard hospitalised and equipment on the site burnt out.

Fireworks and missiles were thrown at gardai, with Public Order Unit gardai using batons and pepper spray on violent protesters.

There was some criticism of a delay in sending the Public Order Unit to the site from representatives from rank-and-file gardai.

There were further gatherings throughout the week, and on Thursday night part a building on the site was set on fire despite the presence of large concrete barriers at the entrance and gardai stationed at at the site.

Fire at the former Crown Paints site in Coolock, Dublin. Photo: Dublin Fire Brigade.

Separately, in Limerick the former Railway Hotel was targeted in a suspected arson attack, as rumours circulated that it would be used to house asylum seekers.

Earlier on Friday, Taoiseach Simon Harris defended the actions of Gardai and hit out at those engaging in anti-social behaviour in Coolock in recent days.

Speaking at the MacGill Summer School in Glenties, Co Donegal, Mr Harris admitted the Government must do a better job at consulting communities over migration.

However, he added he believes there is no government strategy or billboard that would made have someone not throw a petrol bomb at a guard or set a digger on fire.

Speaking during the summer school, Mr Harris said, Shame on every single one of those people who try to divide our country or our community because that is not us.

When you saw those scenes in Coolock, the way my brain works is that I think of the man or woman who got up that morning and kissed their kids goodbye, put on their Garda uniform and then had people throw bricks at them.

But what warmed my heart was the local community calling them out.

This is not Coolock, this is not Ireland.

This is not who we are.

So to the small group of people, online and offline, who seeking to cause division, and to the people who think it is acceptable to make a death threat to a politician or threaten my family or threaten the family of Mary Lou McDonald, or anyone else, shame on them.

We are better than this.

Lets have our debates and debate migration policy  lets not leave it to the far right, far left or whatever you are having yourself.

Lets talk calmly and respectfully about a new challenge and opportunity but lets not let these people in any way damage our social cohesion because I know that is not reflective of the country we are, said Mr Harris.

Mr Harris acknowledged that anyone in Ireland is allowed to protest, however he branded the recent events as lawlessness, thuggery and criminal activity being carried out by a small number of people.

He also moved to defend Gardai for their actions at the scene in recent days.

He continued, What I really wont accept in any manner or means is that when people engage in lawlessness, the first line of questioning is that did the gardai do their job.

I am extremely proud of the job done by An Garda Siochana.

People who have put themselves in harms way while others threw bricks at them, lit fires and threw petrol bombs.

Gardai at scene in Coolock after last night's fire Photo: Colin Keegan, Collins Dublin

I have a very clear understanding of the difference between protest and lawlessness and between protest and criminality, and I think it is very important everyone else does too.

If you engage in protest, you would be fully protected by the law, but if you engage in lawlessness, cross the line and engage in thuggery, you will meet the full rigours of the law, said Mr Harris.

Mr Harris said he knew the incidents were not reflective of the community in Coolock.

It is Coolock today and this has happened in other places in the country, and I want to recognise very publicly that there have been local people in Coolock calling for this to stop.

They very much recognise the difference between a community wishing to engage and people looking to sow division and generally bring fear and mayhem to an area  that cannot be tolerated.

I want to thank the Gardai for the work they have done, and I want to ensure people right across the country that gardai will continue to apply the laws without fear or failure, and off course, they are supported in that role with new bodycams, said Mr Harris.
Prison chiefs issued a nationwide alert after killer drug found in Dubliners cell

Tributes have been paid to a 21-year-old prisoner whose death in Mountjoy Prison on Thursday has sparked a nationwide killer drug alert across Irelands prisons.

Adam Darcy, from Darndale in Dublin, was found dead in his cell at unlock at 8 am on Thursday.

He was serving a two-year-sentence in the Dublin jail for drug related offences

A quantity of pills subsequently discovered in his cell has tested positive for a lethal Nitazene type substance.

More deadly than heroin and fentanyl, Nitazenes were linked to at least 54 deaths in the UK in the second half of 2023.

In a tribute to the deceased posted on Facebook on Thursday evening, a friend of Darcys wrote: RIP Adam Darcy. You were some character pal. Hope you get the best bed in heaven.

Watch over your family and little girls. Youll be sadly missed. Rest easy pal.

Two preceding Nitazene linked deaths in custody took place in Cork and Limerick prisons earlier in the year.

Last March, the HSE issued a red alert to all of the prisons in the Republic following the discovery of a link between a number of overdoses and Nitazene type substances.

Mountjoy Prison

Analysis conducted by HSE National Drug Treatment Centre Laboratory has confirmed the presence of a Nitazene type substance, called N-Pyrrolidinoprotonitazene, associated with overdoses in Irish prisons, the HSE said at the time.

The HSE advises that there is extra risk at this time and strongly recommends those in prison avoid new types of drugs or new batches being sold.

Nitazenes are strong synthetic opioids that can lead to serious overdoses, hospitalisations and drug-related death.

Speaking in connection with that alert, Professor Eamon Keenan, HSE National Clinical Lead, Addiction Services, said: This is the first known case of Nitazenes in an Irish prison setting.

We remind the public that the prison market may be different from others. These drugs may come as a variety of different coloured powders or pills.

We advise all users of powders to exercise caution with all products, as the direction of these substances on the market cannot be guaranteed."

The HSE issued a number of guidelines to drug users in the prison setting which it said may reduce risk from the drug.

While it is always safer not to use drugs at all, the HSE urges individuals who use drugs in prisons to follow harm reduction steps which may help reduce the harms, the statement said.

If using in a prison setting, dont be afraid to get help immediately for yourself or others if there is an emergency, it could help save a life, the statement said.

In a statement issued on Thursday evening, a spokesperson for the IPS said: The Irish Prison Service is working closely with the HSE in response to this detection of Nitazene.

Prison healthcare teams have adequate stocks of naloxone should clinical intervention be required. Extra vigilance is being taken across the prison estate and the Irish Prison Service has commenced an information campaign for prisoners around the dangers of consuming non prescribed illegal drugs.

There is a free confidential telephone line (1800 855 717) and text line (086 180 2449) which is operational. Prisoners, visitors, staff or members of the public with information on the trafficking of drugs into our prisons can pass on that information in the strictest confidence.
Two men (30s) were arrested pursuant to Section 72 of the Criminal Justice Act 2006 on suspicion of participation in the activities of a criminal organisation to facilitate firearms trafficking.

Gardai have have dealt a major blow to an organised crime gang after they seized 18 firearms and approximately 900 rounds of ammunition at a premises in Co. Louth yesterday afternoon.

Members of the Garda National Drugs & Organised Crime Bureau (GNDOCB) supported by the Garda Emergency Response Unit carried out an intelligence-led search of a premises on the outskirts of Ardee, Co. Louth at around 2pm yesterday afternoon.

During the search, Gardai seized six AR-15 assault rifles and 12 semi-automatic 9mm handguns as well as 900 rounds of 9mm and .223 ammunition.

A number of follow-on searches were later carried out at several properties in the county, with assistance provided by Gardai from the Louth Divisional Crime Unit, Louth Drug Units as well as the Garda Dog Unit.

Two men (30s) were arrested pursuant to Section 72 of the Criminal Justice Act 2006 on suspicion of participation in the activities of a criminal organisation to facilitate firearms trafficking. Both men are currently detained at a Garda Station in Louth under Section 50 of the Criminal Justice Act 2007.

Speaking last night, Assistant Commissioner for Organised and Serious Crime, Justin Kelly said: "Todays seizure of firearms and ammunition is particularly significant. These would have undoubtedly been used to maim, kill and intimidate those in communities across Ireland.

"Weapons such as those seized by Gardai today are the lifeblood of organised criminal groups - who often use violence as part of their drug trafficking operations.

"I wish to commend the dedication of all the Gardai involved in this operation. Operations like todays demonstrate our determination to make Ireland a hostile environment for organised criminal groups to operate.
Standing in the dock, the bespectacled defendant said, I am, when asked if he was aware of the charges against him

A pensioner is to stand trial over indecent images of children and extreme pornography involving slavery and humiliation.

John McKenna (69), of Stewartstown Park in west Belfast, appeared at Laganside Magistrates Court on Wednesday to face a total of 19 charges.

Standing in the dock wearing a dark grey vest and trousers with a yellow and green short-sleeved shirt, the bespectacled defendant said, I am, when asked if he was aware of the charges against him.

McKenna is alleged to have made 13 indecent images of children. He is also charged with one count of possessing an indecent photograph of a child and possession of five images of extreme pornography.

According to the charge sheet, the file names of the images included references to slave girl trouble for smoking, cow humiliated, masters dungeon, training slave and n***les decorated with needles.

Asked if he wished to comment on the allegations, he replied, No.

Deputy District Judge Phillip Mateer said he was satisfied there was a case to answer and granted the defendant legal aid before referring the matter to the crown court.

He is likely to stand trial later in the year.
The Norwegian figurehead who had been overseeing the entire operation is believed to have been operating in drug trafficking for more than two decades

A total of 52 people have been arrested and 1.5 tonnes of cocaine, eight boats and 36 vehicles, as well as firearms and ammunition seized in a major investigation into international drug trafficking.

Ten British nationals have been arrested alongside 28 others in Spain as the drug importation route from South America to Europe was taken down.

The long-running investigation identified routes used by the organised crime gang to bring vast quantities of drugs to Spain for onward distribution, including into the UK.

The criminal network owned a fleet of vessels which were used to transport the drugs, including one vessel, a Spanish-registered yacht, that was intercepted 1,200 miles east of Martinique by a French navy frigate on December 18, 2023.

Officers discovered 1.2 tonnes of cocaine on-board and arrested the three British crew members, including the skipper, a 30-year-old man from Stornoway, Scotland.

They had been monitored as they sailed from Spanish coastal locations, such as Valencia, Alicante, and Malaga, to Brazil, Colombia, Guyana, Trinidad and Tobago, Saint Lucia, Barbados and Panama.

The Norwegian figurehead who had been overseeing the entire operation is believed to have been operating in drug trafficking for more than two decades.

Having gained the full trust of the Colombian and Mexican cartels, he coordinated the production of the drugs and its transportation through South America until it could be shipped to Spain.

The investigation found that the money generated by the drug shipments was reinvested in new operations and laundered through a network of businesswomen that operated in several countries.

Neil Keeping, NCA Regional Manager in Spain, said: This Spanish-led international operation has dismantled a major drug trafficking crime group and resulted in the arrests of 10 British nationals  eight from England and two from Scotland.

The NCAs international network has played a leading role in sharing intelligence with overseas partners to intercept huge shipments of drugs and trace key members of the criminal enterprise.

A portion of the Class A drugs seized would have been destined for the UK, where its supply at street level fuels violence and exploitation, and brings misery to our communities.

Tackling global crime groups such as this one requires strong collaboration with international partners, and our efforts alongside them continue to ensure these networks are demolished.

The joint operation was launched in 2020 and has been conducted by the Spanish Policia Nacional, National Crime Agency, Norways National Criminal Investigation Service, the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration and the European MAOC, with the support of Europol.

At that time intelligence identified a British crime group based in Spain responsible for trafficking cocaine across the Atlantic which led to the arrests.

.
A third fire in 48 hours at the site was put out by Dublin Fire Brigade.

Two units of Dublin Fire Brigade attended the former Crown Paints site again tonight to put out another fire at the location earmarked for International Protection Applicants (IPAs).

The blaze, the third in a 48-hour period since Thursday, broke out after 8pm, but is now under control after the DFB attended the scene on the Malahide Road, putting out the fire and making the area safe, according to sources.

Videos emerged on social media tonight showing the site clouded in smoke, but there were no protestors at the scene. Garda helped members of the DFB bring the fire under control.

The garda press office confirmed that gardai were at the scene and assisting Dublin Fire Brigade.

The Malahide Road, outbound is currently closed to allow access for DFB to the site and the incident is ongoing. No injuries have been reported, at this time, a statement said.

Earlier it emerged that the three gardai who were injured, with one hospitalised for facial injuries, at a large protest at a site earmarked for asylum seekers in north Dublin on Friday night are recovering.

Gardai at scene in Coolock after last night's fire Photo: Colin Keegan, Collins Dublin

One of those hospitalised following the clashes is a probationary garda who was hit with a brick in the face when it was thrown as a missile.

It is understood the rank-and-file garda currently in hospital is attached to a north Dublin garda statiion. A probationary gardai is an officer who has been serving less than one year upon graduation from the Garda training college in Templemore, Co Tipperary.

Three gardai in total were injured in the disturbances on Friday night. One of the other gardai injured is understood to be a student gardai  meaning the trainee has not yet completed their training at Templemore and does not have powers to make arrests.

The garda who was taken to hospital remains under observation after he was struck in the forehead by a brick thrown over the garda line, it is understood. The uniformed officer in hospital was standing within a group of uniformed officers behind the Public Order Unit, with the specialist officers armed shields and helmets to protect themselves, unlike uniformed gardai.

Niall Hodgins, vice-president of the Garda Representative Association, said that the injuries sustained by gardai on Friday night highlight that every garda in the country should be provided with a protective helmet upon graduation from Templemore.

Emergency services attend scene of fire in Coolock. Photo: Gareth Chaney

It has been reported to me that the garda hospitalised sustained an injury to his temple. He is a probationary garda. One of the other two gardai injured is a student garda. When the call came to gardai to assist our colleagues in Coolock, we were not found wanting, Mr Hodgins told independent.ie. My understanding is that the gardai injured were standing behind the Public Order Unit gardai when they were injured. It is my view that every garda when they leave Templemore should be given a protective helmet. This will be a matter we will raise with Garda Commissioner Drew Harris when we meet him to outline our concerns, hopefully soon.

This evening Sinn Fein leader Mary Lou McDonald called on the Government to establish "a process of engagement and dialogue" with the community in Coolock in the wake of the "violence and destruction" in the area in the past week.

In an open letter to Taoiseach, posted on X, Deputy McDonald said the incidents at the former Crown Paint factory site are "unacceptable and have rightly been condemned by all".

After meeting with residents and community groups in the area, Deputy McDonald said she is of the view there has been "no engagement" between the Government and locals regarding the site.

Emergency services attend scene of fire in Coolock. Photo: Gareth Chaney

She has called for "a process of engagement and dialogue".

A fire broke out at the former Crown Paints site in north Dublin following the protest, where riot police used pepper spray and charged protesters gathered outside the site to allow fire crews to gain access to the site.

Bottles and fireworks were launched at gardai, and smoke billowed over the wall from the fire inside.

Eventually, firefighters were able to get into the site using ladders to get over the wall as they could not get their trucks inside.

On Saturday, a garda spokesperson issued an update and said: All three gardai who received injuries are recovering and a full array of welfare supports has been made available to them. This is a private matter for all three Gardai who received injuries in the course of their duties last night and An Garda Siochana has no further comment.

"The man (20s) arrested on Friday 19th July 2024 has since been released without charge.

"32 people have been arrested by Gardai during the course of the policing operation in Coolock since Monday, 15th of July 2024. 22 people have since been charged and are now before the courts in relation to the incidents.

"Investigations ongoing.

The situation in Coolock remained tense on Friday evening, with a stand-off between gardai and more than 100 protesters, some of whom were throwing objects, at the site on the Malahide Road.

It comes after an earlier, much larger anti-asylum rally of about 1,000 people that marched from the site towards the local garda station passed off peacefully.

A garda spokesperson said: A short time later an incident of public disorder occurred along a stretch of the Malahide Road. A policing operation was in place which included the deployment of uniformed Gardai and Garda Public Order Unit members with helmets and shields.

A small fire which had also broken out at the same location during this incident was attended to and contained by Dublin Fire Brigade.

Throughout the graduated response to de-escalate this incident of public disorder, members of An Garda Siochana were subjected to both verbal and physical abuse including rocks, concrete bricks and other objects being thrown at them.

As this intensified, Gardai were required to use force to defend themselves while continuing to adopt a graduated approach to policing, with enforcement as a last resort. This use of force involved the use of incapacitant spray and the ASP baton.

Three members of An Garda Siochana have been injured. One member has been transferred to hospital tonight for treatment of their facial injuries.

"A section of the Malahide Road, Coolock which was closed for a period has now fully reopened to motorists.

"An Garda Siochana is aware of a significant degree of disinformation and inaccuracy in circulation regarding events at this location  it is advised to independently verify any of this information shared online via social media and/or through messaging apps.

The rally took place on the Malahide Road this evening following a week in which the north Dublin suburb was engulfed in clashes with gardai centred on a site earmarked to house asylum seekers.

Around 1,000 people gathered at the site on the Malahide Road, which was closed in both directions for a time on Friday evening, with speeches being made by activists during the rally under the Coolock Says No banner.

Gardai said it responded to a public order incident at the site.

"A small fire which broke out at the same location a short time ago is being attended to by Dublin Fire Brigade, said a garda spokeswoman.

No injuries have been reported.

A section of the Malahide Road, Coolock is currently closed in both directions. Motorists are advised to use an alternative route if travelling in this area.

This is a live operation, therefore An Garda Siochana has no further information at present.

A major garda security operation was in place, and uniformed gardai walked among the crowd, which was made up of anti-immigration activists and politicians, as well as local people of all ages including families with buggies and children. Some of those in attendance had their pet dogs with them on leads.

About two dozen youths in attendance wore face coverings, and some of those in attendance carried Irish flags bearing the Proclamation of Independence which has now become typical of far-right demonstrations.

Organisers of the rally in Coolock called for local people and activists to gather at the site. They were opposing its use as accommodation for about 500 asylum seekers, as well as opposing immigration generally.

Following the rally, they had intended to march to the local garda station to lodge formal complaints against what they claim was garda brutality.

After several speeches, the march took off towards the garda station, with some marchers chanting slogans including Out, out, out! and Whose streets? Our streets.

However, by around 7pm, the march was stopped from approaching the garda station by a line of about 20 uniformed gardai blocking their path, with about a dozen garda vans behind them.

Some activists and masked youths screamed at the gardai, but the march then largely dispersed, with no disturbances.

Speakers earlier at the former Crown Paints site included Inner City councillor Malachy Steenson, and Irish Freedom Party councillor Glen Moore, who is based in Palmerstown-Fonthill in the south of the county.

On Monday around 20 people were arrested after a day of major clashes with gardai after a protest camp at the entrance to the former Crown Paints facility was cleared, with a security guard hospitalised and equipment on the site burnt out.

Fireworks and missiles were thrown at gardai, with Public Order Unit gardai using batons and pepper spray on violent protesters.

There was some criticism of a delay in sending the Public Order Unit to the site from representatives from rank-and-file gardai.

There were further gatherings throughout the week, and on Thursday night part a building on the site was set on fire despite the presence of large concrete barriers at the entrance and gardai stationed at at the site.
Nathan Hunt is known to frequent Drogheda and Dublin

Gardai have issued an appeal to help them find a teenage boy who has gone missing in Ashbourne, Co Meath.

Nathan Hunt (13) was last seen at 5pm on Monday, July 15.

Nathan is described as being approximately 5 foot 7 inches in height with a slim build, light-brown/blond hair and blue eyes.

When last seen, Nathan was wearing a grey tracksuit bottoms and a grey top.

Nathan is known to frequent Drogheda and Dublin.

Anyone with any information on Nathan's whereabouts is asked to contact Ashbourne Garda Station on 01 801 0600, the Garda Confidential Line on 1800 666 111, or any Garda Station.
From spinning records and draping nostalgic music over The Historic Village back in the 1980s, Village Radios legacy is still thriving in Tauranga 40 years later.

This year Village Radio is celebrating its 40th anniversary, and volunteers recently marked the milestone by having a party at Matua Bowls Club.

Winding back to the stations beginning, Village Radio held its first ever broadcast on April 13, 1984, from the first floor of the historic Town Board building.

This was thanks to five men  Setfton Freeman, Brian Carter, Jim Hartstong, Tas Davey and George Christopherson  who have all since passed away.

The Weekend Sun has been told the inaugural broadcast coincided with commemorations for the 21st anniversary of the City of Tauranga.

Back in the day

Ninety-five-year-old Kel Raine was a part of the radio action in its early days, joining in 1986.

When [the radio] first opened it wasnt on air  they just played records over the speaker in the studio there.

Kel says one of his mates, who he worked with in the post office in the telephone exchange, got him into Village Radio.

My mate was down there and he said: How about coming down to spin a few discs at the radio station?

The equipment in the station was originally from Radio 1ZD, Tauranga, and the transmitter loaned to the station from Radio New Zealand was the original 1ZB transmitter when it broadcasted from Waterview in Auckland.

Old radio tech came with its own set of challenges too, says Kel.

One time the power transformer inside the transmitter had packed up and I spent hours, right into the middle of the night, rewiring it to get it back on air again. The transformer is so very heavy in those things, and of course I had to lift it out of the cabinet to work on it, and I got myself a hernia. I had to go and get that sewed up.

Weekday broadcasts

Twenty years after its first broadcast in 1984, weekday broadcasts began in 2004. Previously, Village Radio had only broadcasted on Sundays and public holidays. This is when a new announcer-operated studio was set up to save wearing out the older equipment  some of which is more than half a century old.



Today, Village Radio doubles as a museum with its official name being Tauranga Village Radio Museum Incorporated. Photo: supplied.

Today, Village Radio doubles as a museum with its official name being Tauranga Village Radio Museum Incorporated.

Perhaps the radio stations most prized historical piece is the 1937 Collins transmitter.

Its special, being only the second one known to be operating in the world, and was restored by Village Radio technicians Russ Bain, George Stewart and Neil Walsh. Today the Collins transmitter is only used for special occasions.

Sounds a plenty

Slightly more modern, Village Radio now relies on its 1960s Toshiba value transmitter. Only retiring in 2017, Kel has been a part of the radios history as a volunteer for 31 years.

I love classical music but I like the pop music as well, so I have a fairly wide range of likes in the music field.

In its 40 years the radio has compiled an extensive record library with about 125,000 tracks of music, 50,000 titles and more than 10,000 artists.

Village Radio technician and announcer George Stewart and chairman Steve Lambie back in 2014. Photo: file.

I just loved playing the records there. It was just a lot of fun, says Kel. Its nice to have some people that enjoy your music.

Village Radio is a community-based station, with all of its announcers, technicians and support staff being volunteers. Tune in on 1368AM and hear the nostalgic tunes for yourself.
Founder of the Soil Sisters group in New Zealand, Fran Bailey, is an experienced PR and events consultant.

Having spent a decade in the UK working in wellness and regenerative farming, she returned home in 2022 to continue her passion bringing people together on the land.

Growing up as the daughter of a dairy farmer and a nurse/holistic health practitioner, Fran was inherently drawn to regenerative food systems and was further inspired after attending an agroecology conference while in the UK.

At the conference, I was struck by the enthusiasm of a group of farmers who were dedicated to enhancing the nutritional value of food while promoting soil health and biodiversity on their land, says Fran.

This experience deepened her understanding of the connection between soil health and human health, and the importance of how food is grown and where it is sourced.



The Soil Sisters meet regularly to listen to speakers, tour properties and attend workshops. Photo: Sentient Imagery.

At the time, UK farmers were being demonised in the media, but at the conference were a large group of farmers who really cared. I felt that farmers voices werent being fairly represented, so I made it my work to tell their stories.

Upon returning to New Zealand, Fran was eager to create a platform for networking and sharing knowledge (and food). She began by connecting with old friends and engaging with growers at the Waikato Farmers Markets.

Fran quickly found that a significant number of farmers and growers in New Zealand were equally committed to producing nutrient-rich food, with many using organic, regenerative, and permaculture practices.

Fran organised a gathering where attendees brought a dish made from their own produce, facilitating a space where people could share their stories and passion for growing.

Although not originally intended as a women-only event, the group consisted entirely of women, leading someone to remark that they were like Soil Sisters, a name that has since become the groups identity.



Every meeting includes a shared meal with attendees bringing food they have grown or raised. Photo: Sentient Imagery.

The Soil Sisters now hold meet-ups every two months, organised by Fran and others in the group. Their recent events ranged from educational workshops to farm visits to film nights, covering topics like composting, urban food forests, grazing, and polycropping - but always centred around good food.

In the future, I would love to see Soil Sisters communities across New Zealand. Most of it is about social connections and learning from each other. But theres a real magic that happens when we get together and put our hands in the Earth.

-SunLive.
CANBERRA, July 20 (Xinhua) -- Researchers have discovered signs of human occupation in Indonesia over 40,000 years ago which they say offer new clues about early migration through the region.

In a new study, a team from the Australian National University (ANU) found evidence of human occupation on Indonesia's southeastern Tanimbar Islands -- also called Timur Laut -- dating back 42,000 years, including pottery fragments and bones.

Hendri Kaharudin, lead author of the study and ANU PhD candidate, said the location of the discovery offered new insights into the migratory route taken by some of the first humans to arrive in the region.

The Tanimbar Islands are located in the Arafura Sea to the east of Timor, west of New Guinea and north of Australia. The islands lie off the Sahul continental shelf, which encompasses Australia and New Guinea.

Kaharudin said the arrival of early humans in the region from Southeast Asia was a captivating question because of the advanced seafaring skills that would have been required.

"There are two main routes that have been explored as possibilities since the mid-20th century -- a northern path via islands like Sulawesi, and a southern track passing near Timor and the Tanimbar islands," he said in a media release on Saturday.

"This discovery marks one of the southern route's earliest known sites, making it a crucial piece of the puzzle."

The research, which was conducted in collaboration with Indonesia's National Research and Innovation Agency, suggests that the early colonists had developed advanced maritime technology 42,000 years ago to traverse bodies of water exceeding 100 km in distance.

Kaharudin said it was clear that the migration to the Sahul shelf occurred in successive waves of seafaring populations rather than in one single major event. 
Following Fridays recall of imported sesame seeds, New Zealand Food Safety is supporting further recalls of sesame seed products due to the possible presence of Salmonella.

"We have been working hard to identify and contact businesses that received the affected batch of sesame seeds from importer Davis Trading Company," says New Zealand Food Safety deputy director-general Vincent Arbuckle.

"This can be a complex process given the number of businesses involved."

A number of recalls are being published on the New Zealand Food Safety food recall webpage at present for a range of food businesses.

Dough Boys Limited Daily Bread Hamburger Buns and Ham and Cheese Croissants are included in the recall due to sesame seeds. Photo: Supplied.

"As this is an evolving issue, with additional recalls possible, concerned consumers can reference our recall page for up-to-date information, including pictures, or subscribe to our recall alerts to receive email updates on recalls. Information on how to subscribe is on the New Zealand Food Safety food recall page.

"People can get seriously ill from salmonellosis, so either return the products to the place of purchase or throw them away.

Kirkland Signature Marinated Beef Bulgogi is included in the sesame seed recall. Photo: Supplied.

Products recalled this week that contain the sesame seeds are:

"Symptoms of salmonellosis appear within 12 to 72 hours and include abdominal cramps, diarrhoea, fever, headache, nausea, and vomiting, says Vincent.

Illness usually lasts between 4 and 7 days but, in more severe cases, it can go on for up to 10 days and cause more serious illness."

Kiki brand Seed Cracker Mix Sea Salt 300g is included in the sesame seed recall. Photo: Supplied.

If you have eaten any of the product and are concerned for your health, contact your health professional, or call Healthline on 0800 611 116.

New Zealand Food Safety has not received any notifications of associated illness.

"As is our usual practice, New Zealand Food Safety will work with Davis Trading Company to understand how the contamination occurred and prevent its recurrence," says Vincent.

Kiki brand Seed Cracker Mix Chilli Cumin 300g is included in the sesame seed recall. Photo: Supplied.

Friday, July 19 update:

New Zealand Food Safety is supporting Davis Trading Company in its recall of their imported Sesame Seed Kernels White Hulled retail packs due to the possible presence of Salmonella.

"Salmonellosis can be serious, so its important that people do not consume this product," says New Zealand Food Safety deputy director-general Vincent Arbuckle.

"If you cant return it to the place of purchase, you should throw it out."

Sesame Seed Kernels White Hulled with a batch number of AAI/3890 and P.O. No of 780004 are affected by this recall.

The affected product is sold at Davis Food Ingredients, Auckland, who on-sell to supermarkets and smaller retailers nationwide.

New Zealand Food Safety is in the process of working with the food business to trace the product and further recalls are a possibility.

Visit New Zealand Food Safetys recall page for up-to-date information and photographs of the affected product.

Symptoms of salmonellosis appear within 12 to 72 hours and include abdominal cramps, diarrhoea, fever, headache, nausea, and vomiting. Illness usually lasts between 4 and 7 days but, in more severe cases, it can go on for up to 10 days and cause more serious illness.

If you have consumed any of the product and are concerned for your health, contact your health professional, or call Healthline on 0800 61 11 16.

New Zealand Food Safety has not received any notifications of associated illness.

The affected product has been imported from India. Food importers are responsible for the safety of the food they bring in to sell in New Zealand.

The product under recall was identified through routine testing and has been removed from the store shelves. It has not been exported.

As is our usual practice, New Zealand Food Safety will work with Davis Trading Company to understand how the contamination occurred and prevent its recurrence, says Vincent.

The vast majority of food sold in New Zealand is safe, but sometimes problems can occur. Help keep yourself and your family safe by subscribing to New Zealand Food Safety recall alerts. Information on how to subscribe is on the food recall page.

Recalled food products

For further information and general enquiries, call MPI on 0800 00 83 33 or email info@mpi.govt.nz
Taurangas new mayor Mahe Drysdale is excited and daunted about leading New Zealands fifth-largest city.

Progress results for the Tauranga City Council election have been released this afternoon, based on 82 per cent of the vote. These are expected to be updated with preliminary results tomorrow afternoon and finalised results next week.

Based on the votes received up until 5pm yesterday, Mahe has 13,419 votes, Greg Brownless 8577, Tina Salisbury 7145 and Ria Hall 5740.

As of Friday, the number of votes returned stood at 33,998 with special votes and votes returned on Saturday still being counted.

Two former councillors have been re-elected in the wards, early results show. Papamoa ward councillor Steve Morris was part of the sacked 2019 council. Arataki ward councillor Rick Curach will serve his seventh term on council after missing out in 2019.

The two-time Olympic rowing gold medallist says he is very much looking forward to working with the nine councillors that he will lead.

Its a bit different to normal where in the past when Ive succeeded thats the end of a journey, whereas this one, its very much the start.

Weve got some really good talent.

The progress results showed people wanted to Tauranga move forward, Mahe says.

Im very pleased that the voters have picked a number of very good people. Im looking forward to working with them.

Im excited about starting from a completely clean slate and doing, local government differently where we engage with the community and deliver for them.

Mahe says the campaign was different to what he expected because he thought it would be more attacking and negative. This is despite some peoples concerns about him living in Cambridge and allegations from fellow mayoral candidate and uncle, Doug Owens that he was backed by the Urban Task Force [UTF] a local property group.

Mahe previously told the Bay of Plenty Times UTF had not contributed to his election campaign.

What people are telling me is this is a great city and we just need to keep going and improve some of those small issues that can make the city fantastic.

These issues included traffic and congestion and previous councils' inability to take action.

Weve done plans after plans after plans. Now were actually going to do something about it, so we dont just keep kicking the can down the road.

Asked how he planned to celebrate Mahe says he will get the team together that helped him win and he hopes to catch up with some of the other winning candidates.

It wont be a huge celebration because weve got a lot of work to do.

Top row: Mahe Drysdale, Glen Crowther, Hautapu Baker, Jen Scoular, Kevin Schular. Lower row: Marten Rozeboom, Mikaere Sydney, Rick Curach, Rod Taylor, Steve Morris.

Ward progress results

In the ward races, progress results indicate the following candidates are leading:

Te Awanui: Mikaere Sydney - 1153 votes

Arataki: Rick Curach - 1514 votes

Bethlehem: Kevin Herb Schuler - 1916 votes

Matua-Otumoetai: Glen Crowther - 1886 votes

Mauao/Mount Maunganui: Jen Scoular - 1594 votes

Papamoa: Steve Morris - 1508 votes

Te Papa: Rod Taylor - 1015 votes

Tauriko: Marten Rozeboom - 1782 votes

Welcome Bay: Hautapu Baker - 2018 votes

Mahe, who became a financial adviser after retiring from sport, said he was future-focused and wanted to lead a new generation of strong and accountable leadership that would create a modern and attractive city.

Raised in Tauranga and living in Cambridge, he says the impact of population growth, major infrastructure builds and redevelopment of the centre city are issues the new council will need to address.

Mahe says he will use a multi-faceted approach to address Taurangas housing shortfall.

I would look to encourage high-density housing in and around Tauranga city centre, helping bring back vibrancy to the city, he previously told Local Democracy Reporting.

Its important the council has a robust plan, is efficient in processing and cuts red tape to enable people to deliver the plan as easily, efficiently and cheaply as possible.

The 45-year-old is married to Juliette and they have three children aged 4, 7 and 9. He works at Forsyth Barr in Tauranga two days a week and said he has seen the challenges Tauranga faces first-hand.

Mahe is the grandson of Sir Robert (Bob) Owens who was Tauranga mayor from 1968 to 1977 and mayor of Mount Maunganui borough from 1971 to 1974.

The election is Tauranga City Councils first since 2019, and the group elected will serve a four-year term in a New Zealand-first.

In another first, the city will elect a Maori ward councillor to serve alongside a mayor and general ward councillors in what many have framed as a return to democracy for New Zealands fifth-largest city.

The 2019 council was sacked and replaced with government-appointed commissioners in 2021 after a tumultuous start to the term led to governance concerns.

Then-Local Government Minister Nanaia Mahuta appointed four commissioners to lead the council: Former National Party minister Anne Tolley as chairwoman with Bill Wasley, Stephen Selwood and Shadrach Rolleston.

None of the commissioners have stood in this election, but six members of the 2019 council ran again.

In total, 75 candidates  15 of those running for mayor  put their hands up. Voters ranked their top picks using the single transferrable vote system.

The new council will take charge of a fast-growing city with a housing shortfall of 5500 and projected to grow, New Zealands biggest port, traffic congestion, and the least affordable housing of any main centre. Commissioners have planned about $4.9 billion in capital spending over the coming decade.

Prime Minister Christopher Luxon has identified the city as an early option for a city/regional deal committing to a long-term investment partnership with the Government.

-Additional reporting Bay of Plenty Times

LDR is local body journalism co-funded by RNZ and NZ On Air.
The Government has welcomed news the NZ Transport Agency has begun work to replace nine priority bridges across the country to ensure our state highway network remains resilient, reliable, and efficient for road users, Transport Minister Simeon Brown says.

Increasing productivity and economic growth is a key priority for the Government, and with many small bridges across the country suffering speed and weight restrictions due to their age and condition, it is essential these bridges are replaced with more modern and resilient structures, says Brown.

Nine priority bridges will be replaced over the next three years, including the SH6 Coal Creek Overbridge on the West Coast, SH82 Elephant Hill Bridge and Waihao North Bridge in Canterbury, and the SH25 Pepe Stream Bridge in the Waikato.

Visiting the Coromandel today, I understand the impact the current Pepe Stream Bridge is having on the local community and motorists that are visiting Tairua. At 81 years old, the single lane bridge is a bottleneck, with severe congestion experienced during holiday periods. Im pleased were getting on with work to deliver a modern two-lane replacement.

Our state highways are critical routes for freight, tourism, and serve as important lifelines for communities around New Zealand. We must maintain, manage, and replace these bridge assets to a standard Kiwis need and expect. Particularly in rural and remote locations where alternative routes are not available."

Brown says with a strong focus on maintenance, and prioritisation of network connectivity and productivity, NZTA can flatten the wave of bridge replacements needed over the next few decades.

"This allows us to target investment where it is needed most, while still ensuring road users can get where they need to go, quickly and safely.

I look forward to these first nine priority bridges being replaced over the next three years and the benefits that will come to local communities from modern and more resilient structures," says Brown.

List of bridges to be replaced:

SH82 Elephant Hill Bridge, Canterbury

SH25 Pepe Stream Bridge, Coromandel, Waikato

SH6 Coal Creek Overbridge, West Coast

SH25 Ramarama Stream Bridge, Waikato

SH43 Kururau Stream Water Drive, Whanganui

SH82 Waihao North Bridge, Canterbury

SH3 Mangapepeki No. 2 Culvert, Taranaki

SH36 Hauraki Stream Culvert, Bay of Plenty

SH27 Ohinekaua Stream Bridge, Waikato

The one-lane SH25 Pepe Stream Bridge in Tairua was built in 1942, and will be replaced with a modern two-lane bridge. Photo: Google Maps.

Construction is expected to begin from mid-2025 and be completed by mid-2027.

Final funding decisions from the National land Transport Fund for these projects will be confirmed when the NZTA Board adopts the National Land Transport Programme later this year.
Four lucky Lotto players from Auckland and Napier will be celebrating after each winning $250,000 with Lotto First Division in Saturday nights live Lotto draw.

The winning tickets were sold on MyLotto to three players from Auckland and one from Napier.

Powerball was not struck on Saturday evening and has rolled over to Wednesday night, where the jackpot will be $23 million.

Meanwhile, a lucky Strike player from Auckland will also be celebrating after winning $500,000 with Strike Four. The winning Strike ticket was on MyLotto to a player from Auckland.

17 Lotto players win Second Division

Seventeen lucky Lotto players will be jumping for joy after each winning $22,317 with Lotto Second Division in Saturday nights live Lotto draw.

One lucky player also won Powerball Second Division, taking their total winnings to $49,073.

The winning Powerball Second Division ticket was sold at on MyLotto to a player from Taupo. The winning Second Division tickets were sold at the following stores:

Store Location New World Green Bay Auckland MyLotto (x4) Auckland MyLotto Hamilton MyLotto Waikato Paper Plus Rotorua Central Rotorua New World Westend Rotorua Flickers Tokoroa MyLotto (+PB) Taupo BP Waipawa Waipawa MyLotto Upper Hutt MyLotto Wellington New World Ferry Road Christchurch MyLotto Ashburton MyLotto Dunedin

Anyone who bought their ticket from any of the above stores should check their ticket as soon as possible in-store, on MyLotto, or through the MyLotto App.

Lotto NZ exists to return 100 per cent of its profits to Kiwi communities through lottery grants programmes run by Te Puna Tahua NZ Lottery Grants Board.
Malaysia's new king Sultan Ibrahim Sultan Iskandar (C, L) attends the installation ceremony in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, July 20, 2024. Sultan Ibrahim Sultan Iskandar was formally installed as Malaysia's new king on Saturday, as part of a grand ceremony marking the event held at the National Palace in Kuala Lumpur. (Malaysia's Department of Information/Handout via Xinhua)

KUALA LUMPUR, July 20 (Xinhua) -- Sultan Ibrahim Sultan Iskandar was formally installed as Malaysia's new king on Saturday, as part of a grand ceremony marking the event held at the National Palace in Kuala Lumpur.

The ceremony was witnessed by Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim, members of his cabinet as well as foreign dignitaries and guests including Brunei's Sultan Haji Hassanal Bolkiah and Bahrain's King Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa.

In his royal address televised nationwide, Sultan Ibrahim pledged to reign with honesty, sincerity, fairness and compassion for the people and the nation.

"I will discharge my duties faithfully and honestly, and to rule fairly with full consideration to all segments of the society in order to safeguard the wellbeing and sovereignty of the country," he said.

Earlier at the ceremony, Prime Minister Ibrahim delivered an address of congratulations and pledge of loyalty on behalf of the people at the installation of Sultan Ibrahim, reminding the people that the king is a symbol of unity and prosperity for all ethnic groups in the country.

Malaysia is a constitutional monarchy, with nine sultans or rulers, who head their respective state and act as the religious leader, taking turns to serve as king for a five-year term. 

Malaysia's new king Sultan Ibrahim Sultan Iskandar (L) attends the installation ceremony in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, July 20, 2024. Sultan Ibrahim Sultan Iskandar was formally installed as Malaysia's new king on Saturday, as part of a grand ceremony marking the event held at the National Palace in Kuala Lumpur. (Malaysia's Department of Information/Handout via Xinhua)

Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim (R) attends the installation ceremony of the 17th King of Malaysia in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, July 20, 2024. Sultan Ibrahim Sultan Iskandar was formally installed as Malaysia's new king on Saturday, as part of a grand ceremony marking the event held at the National Palace in Kuala Lumpur. (Malaysia's Department of Information/Handout via Xinhua)

Malaysia's new king Sultan Ibrahim Sultan Iskandar (2nd R) attends the installation ceremony in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, July 20, 2024. Sultan Ibrahim Sultan Iskandar was formally installed as Malaysia's new king on Saturday, as part of a grand ceremony marking the event held at the National Palace in Kuala Lumpur. (Malaysia's Department of Information/Handout via Xinhua)
lsjey BHPian

Join Date: Mar 2006 Location: Chennai Posts: 441 Thanked: 989 Times

Re: Is Honda not planning to release any new cars in 2024? Wanted to add a few more points on my frustration with Honda:



1. Honda makes excellent and reliable cars. There are enough people IMO who are willing to pay a premium for good cars.

2. And, Honda service in India has been top notch. One rarely sees unethical practices of service centres of Honda. So they have good dealer and service network. Other OEMs will love to have such service centres, and for them service centres are their Achilles heel/Kryptonite.

3. They have an iconic car in Honda City. Whoever, had bought their discontinued cars like Civic, Jazz, and Brio were and are still very happy and satisfied with these cars. I for one cannot understand how Honda came to the decision of stopping these cars.

4. Honda IMO is doing well overall financially worldwide. So what is stopping Honda from investing here in India? I agree that Covid pandemic hit and caused problems. But that doesnt explain Hondas reticence to investing in India.

5. India is a growing market and almost without exception, every carmaker is saying that India is an important market for them and will invest here heavily. But Honda is not doing this.

6. I donot see any policy or tariff or non-tariff issues in the Indian market which are impeding Honda. MG and BYD are Chinese companies and they are able to flourish despite hurdles.



Given the reasons above, it seems that Honda is really not interested in the Indian market and does not see the Indian market as a good fit for its products. What do you guys think?



Regards,

Lsjey
Selective BHPian

Join Date: Apr 2005 Location: Bangalore Posts: 312 Thanked: 146 Times

Re: Microsoft and Crowdstrike outage Let me share my thoughts:



Crowdstrike builds Endpoint Detection & Response (EDR) product and EDR agents will be deployed on all the laptops, servers, etc. There are many other EDR companies, Crowdstrike is one of the popular vendor. This EDR agent runs in kernel mode which is very sensitive part of OS. Some bad programming in kernel mode device driver can lead to BSOD (Blue Screen Of Death). BSOD is very popular in the context of Windows OS. Though BSOD is not rare, but not that frequent as well. All the changes in device driver MUST go through stringent testing.



Microsoft is not directly involved in this. Though, Microsoft should build the methods to protect the OS/system from BSOD and handle this scenario gracefully. This is long pending. Does that mean Linux is safe? No, just that it doesnt show Blue Screen Of Death! I guess, Linux handles this gracefully.



The biggest surprise (for me) is, how did this defect escape from the pre-production validation consistently across all the companies??? This raises the question mark on the pre-production process across all the companies. The scale at which this has spread, this is definitely not a corner case. If you look at the banking sector, not many have failed. I know there are many of them who have stringent pre-production testing to catch such defects. Last edited by Selective : 20th July 2024 at 12:12 .
In context: OpenAI exclusively depends on Nvidia's GPUs to train and run its powerful AI models. However, it's looking to change that. Sam Altman is considering partnering with a silicon designer to manufacture an OpenAI chip. He is reportedly negotiating with Broadcom and other chip designers, but Altman's ambitions go far beyond producing a proprietary AI chip.

The information reports that Sam Altman's vision for OpenAI to develop its own AI chips to reduce its dependence on Nvidia's GPUs has led him to meet with various semiconductor designers. The talks are part of broader efforts by Altman to beef up not only its supply of components but also the infrastructure necessary  including power infrastructure and data centers  to run these powerful AI models.

OpenAI is hiring former Google employees who worked on Google's tensor processing unit as part of this initiative. Earlier this year, there were reports that Altman was seeking to raise billions of dollars to set up a network of semiconductor factories.

A partnership with Broadcom makes sense for OpenAI. The company has significant experience designing custom AI accelerators, notably its collaboration with Google on the tensor processing unit. Broadcom's success with Google's widely deployed TPUs, which are now in their sixth generation, demonstrates its capability to deliver high-performance AI accelerators at scale.

Broadcom also has expertise in creating custom ASIC solutions, which aligns well with OpenAI's need for an AI accelerator tailored to its specific requirements. As a fabless chip designer, Broadcom offers a wide range of silicon solutions crucial for data center operations, including networking components, PCIe controllers, SSD controllers, and custom ASICs. So, OpenAI could leverage Broadcom's complete vertical stack of products to meet its data center needs. Broadcom's offerings in inter-system and system-to-system communication technologies could provide OpenAI with a more comprehensive solution for their AI infrastructure needs.

OpenAI is unlikely to compete with Nvidia's technological prowess immediately, as it couldn't optimistically produce a new chip until 2026. However, the company has been exploring ways to become more self-reliant in its quest for general artificial intelligence. Earlier this year, for example, it opened an office in Japan to tap into new revenue streams and collaborate with local businesses, governments, and research institutions. It also partners with entities like Khan Academy and Carnegie Mellon to develop personalized learning experiences using AI.
Huawei is offering a discounted price for its flagship Pura 70 smartphone series, just three months after its launch. This move comes on the heels of the brand's impressive performance during China's major 618 midyear shopping festival.

Back in April when the Pura 70 first made a splash, Huawei did not anticipate that the newly-released lineup would be out of stock quickly, particularly the Pro and Ultra models.

Discounts Across the Pura 70 Lineup

All models in the Pura 70 series are receiving a price reduction of nearly 10%. This translates to a significant saving of 1,000 yuan (US$138) for the top-of-the-line Pura 70 Ultra.

Meanwhile, the more premium variants, Pura 70 Pro and Pro+ see a price drop of 800 yuan each, while the base model Pura 70 benefits from a 500 yuan discount. The limited-time offer runs until the end of the month, according to Huawei's website.

Huawei's Biggest Flagship Launch Since Mate 60 Pro

According to The South China Morning Post, the Pura 70 series marked Huawei's most significant flagship release since the Mate 60 Pro in August 2023. That is the time when the Mate 60 Pro garnered worldwide attention for its advanced, home-grown Kirin processor.

Similarly, the 5G-enabled Pura 70 lineup is seen as a testament to Huawei's continued efforts in overcoming limitations within its semiconductor supply chain, despite ongoing US sanctions.

Strong Sales Performance Expected for Pura 70

The base model Pura 70 utilizes Huawei's in-house Kirin 9010 processor, as revealed in a teardown report by TechInsights. This processor, also powering the Mate 60 Pro, was manufactured by China's leading chip foundry, Semiconductor Manufacturing International Corporation (SMIC).

Notably, this achievement bypasses US restrictions aimed at limiting access to advanced chip-making technology for Huawei and other Chinese tech firms.

Analysts predict that the Pura 70 will surpass the sales figures of its predecessor, the Mate 60 Pro. Positioned as a major competitor to Apple's iPhone 15 and upcoming 16 series, TechInsights forecasts the Pura 70 to reach global shipments of approximately 10.4 million units in 2024, exceeding the Mate 60 Pro's 6.2 million units shipped in 2023.

Rewarding Success During 618 Shopping Festival

The price cuts strategically follow Huawei's impressive results during the recent 618 shopping festival. Counterpoint Research reported that the Shenzhen-based company enjoyed a significant 42.4% year-on-year increase in smartphone sales during the event. Additionally, Huawei held the top spot among all brands in China, boasting a remarkable 69.7% year-on-year growth in smartphone shipments within the first quarter of 2024 (the latest data available from Counterpoint).

Despite its strong domestic performance, Huawei did not secure a position within the top five global smartphone brands by sales in the second quarter of 2024.

Counterpoint's report, released earlier this week, reveals that Apple and Samsung Electronics maintain their dominance in the global market, followed by Chinese brands Xiaomi, Vivo, and Oppo.

However, the global smartphone market itself has seen a positive resurgence in the second quarter, with a 6% growth compared to the same period last year. This marks the strongest year-on-year growth in the past three years.
TACOMA, the United States, July 19 (Xinhua) -- The sixth U.S.-China Sister Cities Summit was held Friday in Tacoma, a port city in western U.S. state of Washington, aimed at deepening friendship and strengthening sub-national exchanges between the two countries.

The summit, themed "Shared Visions for a Brighter Future," is co-sponsored by the Chinese People's Association for Friendship with Foreign Countries and Sister Cities International, a nonprofit which serves as the national membership organization for individual sister cities, counties, and states across the United States.

Featuring panel discussions, keynote addresses and case studies, the summit brought together more than 140 representatives from 14 Chinese provinces and more than 100 representatives from 21 U.S. states, to explore shared opportunities, exchange insights, and address common challenges affecting communities in both nations.

"Sister provinces/states and sister cities are important platforms for promoting mutual understanding and friendship between the people of China and the United States, and important windows for deepening exchanges and cooperation for mutual benefit and win-win results," said Yang Wanming, president of the Chinese People's Association for Friendship with Foreign Countries, in his remarks during the summit, noting that "The city of Tacoma and the State of Washington are the symbol of friendship between the people of China and the United States."

"In the future, we are willing to give full play to the role of the sister city conference as a bridge and link, and play a greater role in enhancing mutual trust, strengthening friendship, and deepening cooperation between the local governments of the two countries," he added.

Tacoma, about 50 kilometers southwest of Seattle, established a sister city relationship with Fuzhou, capital of East China's Fujian province, in 1994. The two cities are celebrating 30 years of ties.

"I truly believe that if we can work together to address all the challenges and opportunities that lie ahead, we can and we will create a future that is bright and prosperous for every one of our communities," Victoria Woodards, mayor of Tacoma, said in her speech.

She pointed out that "Our sister city relationships allow us to build bridges of friendship and cooperation that transcends borders and brings all of our communities closer together."

Chinese Ambassador to the United States Xie Feng noted the "unique importance" of the summit in a video speech.

"It is the first national, comprehensive event on China-U.S. subnational exchanges held in the United States in five years. It also coincides with the tenth anniversary of the first China-U.S. Sister Cities Conference, and the 30th anniversary of the sister-city relationship between the host city Tacoma and Fuzhou," he said.

"The China-U.S. relationship is still facing grave challenges. We need to pool strength from all to get the relationship better," the ambassador said, adding that "The closer subnational exchanges and cooperation are, the more solid the popular foundation for China-U.S. relations will be, and the greater room we will have for taking this relationship forward."

U.S. Ambassador to China Nicholas Burns also sent a warm congratulation to the summit.

"Sister Cities relationships spur investment, expand exchanges in education and culture, and encourage people to learn more about their counterpart cities through tourism," said Burns, noting that "it is heartening" so many Americans and Chinese are gathering in Tacoma this week for "reinvigorating and expanding the people-to-people connections."

Five previous sister cities summits were held -- 2014 in Washington, D.C.; 2015 in Chicago; 2016 in Nanchang, China; 2019 in Houston; and 2023 in Suzhou, China.

The establishment of sister city relationship between China and the United States started soon after the two countries established diplomatic ties in 1979, when central China's Hubei Province and the U.S. state of Ohio, and eastern China's Nanjing city and the U.S. city of St. Louis, forged sister relationships.

Forty-five years on, China and the United States have built 286 pairs of sister relationship at different levels. 
UNITED NATIONS, July 19 (Xinhua) -- At least 40 migrants have died and several others were injured after a boat they were travelling in caught fire off northern Haiti, a UN spokesman said on Friday, quoting the International Organization for Migration (IOM).

"Two days ago, according to the Haitian National Office for Migration, the boat, carrying over 80 people, departed from Labadee en route to the Turks and Caicos Islands, a 250-kilometer journey," said Farhan Haq, the deputy spokesman for UN Secretary-Genral Antonio Guterres, at a daily briefing.

At least 40 migrants have died, and several others were injured after their boat caught fire off Cap Haitien in northern Haiti, he said.

Forty-one surviving migrants were rescued by the Haitian Coast Guard and are currently receiving medical care, food, water, and psychosocial support provided by the IOM, in support of the national authorities, said the spokesman.

Eleven migrants were taken to the nearest hospital for treatment, including burns, he added.

This devastating event demonstrates the crucial need for safe and legal pathways for migration, said Gregoire Goodstein, the head of the IOM in Haiti.

According to the IOM, more than 86,000 migrants have been forcibly returned to Haiti by neighboring countries this year. 
 Flash

With critical days ahead, President Joe Biden is facing the stark reality that more people want him to consider stepping aside from the 2024 election, as former president Donald Trump accepts the Republican nomination at the Republican National Convention in Milwaukee.

The New York Times reported on Thursday that "several people" close to Biden have said he has begun to "accept the idea" that he may have to drop out of the contest.

But the White House denied he would drop out, the Times reported.

Democratic leaders in the House and Senate  Hakeem Jeffries and Chuck Schumer  have told Biden directly that he will not only lose the White House, but also endanger their efforts to win back the House, according to reports in multiple news outlets.

Opinion polls show four of the seven most competitive states are looking increasingly out of reach for Biden. The Trump campaign, meanwhile, said it believes it is now competitive in Democratic-leaning states, including Minnesota, New Hampshire and Virginia.

Senator Jon Tester, who faces a challenging reelection battle in Montana this year, on Thursday, became the 21st congressional Democrat and the second senator to publicly call on Biden to drop out.

Former president Barack Obama has told others that Biden, who was Obama's vice-president, should rethink his candidacy, The Washington Post reported, citing anonymous sources.

This came as Trump predicted an "incredible victory" on Thursday in accepting the Republican presidential nomination at the party's national convention on Thursday.

"We will have an incredible victory," Trump said at the Republican National Convention in Milwaukee.

It was his first speech since a 20-year-old man shot at him, causing a wound to one ear and killing a bystander during a rally last weekend.

Promising to complete a wall on the United States-Mexico border, Trump said an "invasion" of immigrants had brought "destruction" and "misery" to a "nation in decline".

He vowed to end Biden's massive spending on fighting climate change, calling it a "scam".

Meanwhile, US Vice-President Kamala Harris has been courting Asian American voters, speaking at events in Las Vegas and Philadelphia this month in an effort to woo the increasingly important voting bloc.

Harris, who is of South Asian and Jamaican descent, is the first female US vice-president and is encouraging Asian American and Pacific Islander, or AAPI, voters to back Biden's reelection bid.

Harris' speech before a crowd of AAPI community leaders and organizers at the Pennsylvania Convention Center last Saturday was overshadowed later that day by the attempted assassination of Trump at a campaign rally in Butler, Pennsylvania.

With rumors of Biden dropping out, political pundits are also speculating whether Harris would make a better candidate against Trump.

The Democratic National Convention will begin on Aug 19 in Chicago.

The Philadelphia event was organized by Asian Pacific Islander American Vote, or APIAVote, an advocacy group focused on mobilizing Asian American voters.

The 2024 Asian American Voter Survey, which APIAVote helped conduct along with three other groups, found that 46 percent polled said they would likely vote for Biden, down from 54 percent in 2020, and 31 percent for Trump, up 1 percentage point from 2020, with the rest undecided.

The survey of 2,479 voters from the six largest Asian American groups was released on July 10.

Christine Chen, co-founder and executive director of APIAVote, said in a news release that "while there's little evidence of a broad political realignment of Asian American voters, recent elections have shown that their political identities are more tenuous than their voting habits imply, and that when candidates make concerted efforts to engage them, Asian American voters are persuadable".

The survey also found that 31 percent identify as independent, compared with 25 percent in 2020.




Representatives attend the sixth U.S.-China Sister Cities Summit in Tacoma, Washington State, the United States, on July 19, 2024. The sixth U.S.-China Sister Cities Summit was held Friday in Tacoma, a port city in western U.S. state of Washington, aimed at deepening friendship and strengthening sub-national exchanges between the two countries. (Photo by Zeng Hui/Xinhua)

TACOMA, the United States, July 19 (Xinhua) -- The sixth U.S.-China Sister Cities Summit was held Friday in Tacoma, a port city in western U.S. state of Washington, aimed at deepening friendship and strengthening sub-national exchanges between the two countries.

The summit, themed "Shared Visions for a Brighter Future," is co-sponsored by the Chinese People's Association for Friendship with Foreign Countries and Sister Cities International, a nonprofit which serves as the national membership organization for individual sister cities, counties, and states across the United States.

Featuring panel discussions, keynote addresses and case studies, the summit brought together more than 140 representatives from 14 Chinese provinces and more than 100 representatives from 21 U.S. states, to explore shared opportunities, exchange insights, and address common challenges affecting communities in both nations.

"Sister provinces/states and sister cities are important platforms for promoting mutual understanding and friendship between the people of China and the United States, and important windows for deepening exchanges and cooperation for mutual benefit and win-win results," said Yang Wanming, president of the Chinese People's Association for Friendship with Foreign Countries, in his remarks during the summit, noting that "The city of Tacoma and the State of Washington are the symbol of friendship between the people of China and the United States."

"In the future, we are willing to give full play to the role of the sister city conference as a bridge and link, and play a greater role in enhancing mutual trust, strengthening friendship, and deepening cooperation between the local governments of the two countries," he added.

Tacoma, about 50 kilometers southwest of Seattle, established a sister city relationship with Fuzhou, capital of East China's Fujian province, in 1994. The two cities are celebrating 30 years of ties.

"I truly believe that if we can work together to address all the challenges and opportunities that lie ahead, we can and we will create a future that is bright and prosperous for every one of our communities," Victoria Woodards, mayor of Tacoma, said in her speech.

She pointed out that "Our sister city relationships allow us to build bridges of friendship and cooperation that transcends borders and brings all of our communities closer together."

Five previous sister cities summits were held -- 2014 in Washington, D.C.; 2015 in Chicago; 2016 in Nanchang, China; 2019 in Houston; and 2023 in Suzhou, China.

The establishment of sister city relationship between China and the United States started soon after the two countries established diplomatic ties in 1979, when central China's Hubei Province and the U.S. state of Ohio, and eastern China's Nanjing city and the U.S. city of St. Louis, forged sister relationships.

Forty-five years on, China and the United States have built 286 pairs of sister relationship at different levels. 

Representatives attend the sixth U.S.-China Sister Cities Summit in Tacoma, Washington State, the United States, on July 19, 2024. The sixth U.S.-China Sister Cities Summit was held Friday in Tacoma, a port city in western U.S. state of Washington, aimed at deepening friendship and strengthening sub-national exchanges between the two countries. (Photo by Zeng Hui/Xinhua)

Representatives attend the sixth U.S.-China Sister Cities Summit in Tacoma, Washington State, the United States, on July 19, 2024. The sixth U.S.-China Sister Cities Summit was held Friday in Tacoma, a port city in western U.S. state of Washington, aimed at deepening friendship and strengthening sub-national exchanges between the two countries. (Photo by Zeng Hui/Xinhua)

Representatives attend the sixth U.S.-China Sister Cities Summit in Tacoma, Washington State, the United States, on July 19, 2024. The sixth U.S.-China Sister Cities Summit was held Friday in Tacoma, a port city in western U.S. state of Washington, aimed at deepening friendship and strengthening sub-national exchanges between the two countries. (Photo by Zeng Hui/Xinhua)

Representatives attend the sixth U.S.-China Sister Cities Summit in Tacoma, Washington State, the United States, on July 19, 2024. The sixth U.S.-China Sister Cities Summit was held Friday in Tacoma, a port city in western U.S. state of Washington, aimed at deepening friendship and strengthening sub-national exchanges between the two countries. (Photo by Zeng Hui/Xinhua)

Victoria Woodards, mayor of Tacoma, speaks during the sixth U.S.-China Sister Cities Summit in Tacoma, Washington State, the United States, on July 19, 2024. The sixth U.S.-China Sister Cities Summit was held Friday in Tacoma, a port city in western U.S. state of Washington, aimed at deepening friendship and strengthening sub-national exchanges between the two countries. (Photo by Zeng Hui/Xinhua)
Australian distillers are misleading consumers by wrongly labelling products as bourbon or whiskey, as the spirits industry warns high taxes are prompting an illicit trade in spirits.

A federal parliamentary inquiry has been told a local producer marketing a spirit as Bourbon: Made in Australia infringes the rights of United States distillers because bourbon is a protected geographical term.

Palm Valley Spirits managing director Lewis Millward backs efforts to strengthen labelling laws for Australian spirits, including adhering to rules about place of origin. Credit: Natalie Grono

The federal government has also received complaints from the national trade association for US distillers about distillers in NSW and Victoria wrongly labelling products as bourbon and whiskey.

A Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade spokeswoman said Australia takes care to meet its obligations under a free trade agreement with the US, including whiskey labelling.
Grandparents being exploited, neglected or financially coerced will be the target of a new education campaign to eliminate abuse of older people in Australia.

Beginning on Sunday, $5 million worth of advertisements will run on television, online and at medical clinics telling older people to open up about the poor treatment they receive, including from their children and grandchildren.

The push to reveal bad behaviour comes amid mounting evidence that some families take advantage of the vulnerable state of their elders, who are living longer and delaying inheritances.

A 2021 government study found about one in six older Australians were abused, but about two-thirds of them did not seek help.
Australians lost more than $2 billion dollars to scams last year. The digital nature of these criminal operations, which often traverse physical borders and legal jurisdictions, are particularly challenging for authorities.

The sophisticated methods employed by scamsters mean even the most savvy of consumers can be ensnared, as we detail in our report today on the hundreds of HSBC customers who had money siphoned from their accounts through an elaborate and extended scam.

Many of the victims of these scams have lost considerable amounts of money  their life savings in some instances  and very few will have this money returned to them.

Australians lost more than $2 billion last year to scams. Credit: Getty Images

Data shows of the more than $500 million lost in scams by Australians through the Big Four banks only $21 million was paid in compensation.
This article is part of a months-long series investigating misconduct in the CFMEU.

Underworld infiltration. Late-night intimidation. Kickbacks for access to big government projects. Bullying and harassment on building sites.

A catalogue of misconduct at the CFMEUs Victorian and NSW branches, captured on secret surveillance vision and tapped phone calls published by The Age, The Australian Financial Review and 60 Minutes, has revealed how the construction union wields power in the building industry, including on the Victorian governments $100 billion Big Build.

Genuine reform is needed at the CFMEU. Credit: Peter Rae

The rot started under Norm Gallaghers Builders Labourers Federation in the 1980s, but continued to flourish under CFMEU boss John Setka. His heavy influence over the Victorian branch since 2012 heralded an aggressive and crooked style of unionism, with bikies joining senior ranks and dissenters intimidated into silence.

Setka resigned as a result of the investigation, which among other things exposed CCTV footage showing the dumping of a suitcase with dog scrawled on it at a rival union officials home. He will go down in history as one of Australias most notorious union figures.
Nguyen Phu Trong, the hard-line general secretary of Vietnams Communist Party who presided over his countrys economic and geopolitical transformation, and reshaped its leadership with his blazing furnace anti-corruption campaign, died Friday in Hanoi. He was 80.

His death, in a hospital, was announced by the official Nhan Dan newspaper, which said Trong had died of old age and an unspecified serious illness.

Vietnamese Communist Party General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong. Credit: AP

Speculation had swirled in January about Trongs health after he skipped meetings with several foreign leaders. The seriousness of his illness became clear Thursday, when the party announced that he would step back from his duties to focus on his health, and that President To Lam, a former security minister, would take over his responsibilities.

For 12 years, Trong sat at the apex of power in Vietnams Communist hierarchy. He served an unprecedented three terms as party chief and nearly three decades in the Politburo. He consolidated power in one of the worlds few remaining Communist dictatorships, significantly weakening the collective form of leadership that had characterized the countrys Communist Party.
Sanaa, Yemen: The Israeli army said it hit several Houthi targets in western Yemen after a fatal drone attack by the rebel group in Tel Aviv the previous day.

The Israeli strikes on Sunday (AEST) appeared to be the first on Yemeni soil since the Israel-Hamas war began in October, and they threatened to open a new front in the region as Israel battles proxies of Iran.

Oil tanks burn at the port in Hodeidah, Yemen on Sunday. Credit: AP

A number of military targets were hit in the western port city of Hodeidah, a Houthi stronghold, the Israeli army said, adding that its attack was in response to the hundreds of attacks carried out against the state of Israel in recent months.

The Houthis attacked us over 200 times. The first time that they harmed an Israeli citizen, we struck them. And we will do this in any place where it may be required, Israeli Defence Minister Yoav Gallant said in a statement.
Thimphu, Bhutan: Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri and Bhutanese Foreign Secretary Aum Pema Choden led the Third India-Bhutan Development Cooperative Talks, marking a significant milestone in the 13th Five Year Plan. The discussions focused on enhancing cooperation and reviewing the progress of various development initiatives under the current plan.

In addition to the talks, the two diplomats celebrated the virtual inauguration of 19 newly constructed schools in Bhutan. These schools were built during the previous 12th Five Year Plan period, demonstrating the ongoing commitment to educational development in the region.

Upon his arrival in Thimphu, Foreign Secretary Misri met with Bhutanese Prime Minister Tshering Tobgay and Foreign Minister D. N. Dhungyel. The meetings were aimed at exploring new avenues to strengthen the already strong bilateral ties between the two nations across all sectors.

Today, Foreign Secretary Misri is scheduled to meet with King Jigme Khesar Namgyel Wangchuck of Bhutan, further solidifying the diplomatic relations between India and Bhutan.

The Indian Embassy in Thimphu shared updates on X, highlighting the successful discussions and the continued collaboration in the development partnership.

Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri Begins First Foreign Trip with Two-Day Visit to Bhutan

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I'm no stranger to companies that are facing short-term problems. I often buy shares of such businesses because the headwinds they face have resulted in attractive stock prices and high yields. New York Community Bancorp (NYSE: NYCB) attracted my attention at first, but it quickly became clear that this regional bank's troubles are too deep for me to bother with the stock. Here's why.

What I like to find in a stock

When I'm considering investing a stock, I prefer to focus on companies with strong businesses that appear to be temporarily out of favor on Wall Street. My main process for finding such companies is to first look for ones with long histories of annual dividend increases, which I believe is a rough indicator of a strong business. Then I pull out those with historically high dividend yields, which I consider an approximate measure of value.

What I try to figure out at that point is why the dividend yield is so high. There are times when a high yield indicates a fundamental problem with the business. That's what keeps me away from Altria, given the ongoing declines in its most important business (cigarettes). But then there are other companies where the issues being faced seem likely to be temporary. An example of that in my portfolio would be Bank of Nova Scotia, which has been trying less than successfully to expand in South America. Due to its strong Canadian foundation, I bought in. Now, it has a plan to refocus on only the best markets in South America. I'm fine with that and my thesis for owning it still holds up.

I'm even willing to continue owning companies that seem like they are in a bad place, like Toronto-Dominion Bank. This bank's money-laundering headwind is very real and will likely be accompanied by large fines and legal costs. And management's growth plans in the United States, where it operates a large regional bank, are likely to crawl to a near halt for a little bit. Again, given its solid Canadian business and long history of success, I'm OK with holding on. Notably, both Bank of Nova Scotia and Toronto-Dominion Bank have paid uninterrupted dividends for over 100 years.

The problem with New York Community Bancorp

So clearly, I don't have a problem owning banks that are working through difficult situations. And I initially looked at New York Community Bancorp when it started to falter. After all, it took the 2023 bank run scare in relative stride. And the yield was attractive and in the mid-single digits at one point. But the list of positives ended pretty quickly.

For example, New York Community Bancorp does not have a long history of increasing its dividend. In fact, it cut the dividend in 2016. And then it reduced the dividend to a mere token $0.01 per share per quarter in 2024 after its current problems became acute. In other words, the bank didn't live up to my most basic expectations on the dividend front.

That said, I found the story interesting and kept watching. The reason for the second dividend cut was really fascinating, but not in a good way. Basically, New York Community Bancorp bit off more than it could chew. In late 2022, the bank acquired Flagstar Bank. And then, in 2023, it stepped in to buy assets from Signature Bank, one of the banks that failed during the 2023 bank run. At first I thought that was a sign of strength, but it turned out to be the straw the broke the camel's back. New York Community Bancorp grew more quickly than it was capable of managing.

When that became apparent, the company replaced its leadership team in an ugly multistep process. It needed to get a $1 billion lifeline. And it put in place a multiyear turnaround plan that won't come to fruition until late 2026 at the earliest. I don't mind owning a well-run company that's working on a turnaround, which is what I bought when I added Procter & Gamble to my portfolio several years ago as it was jettisoning smaller brands to focus on its core consumer product portfolio. But New York Community Bancorp's woes are deeper and it is floundering badly. The risk-to-reward ratio, especially now that the dividend is effectively gone, just doesn't line up with my investment goals.

New York Community Bancorp is a high-risk turnaround stock

To be fair, given the $1 billion lifeline, New York Community Bancorp's turnaround looks highly likely to play out in a positive way, even if it doesn't go exactly according to plan. But it is clear that the troubles here run very deep, with the company needing to upgrade its internal controls while also dealing with growing problems in its loan portfolio. I wouldn't say that it is an uninvestable stock, it just isn't one that a more conservative investor like myself should be looking at. New York Community Bancorp is a high-risk, high-reward turnaround play that only the most aggressive investors should consider. Everyone else should stay at least 10 feet away.

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1 Stock I Wouldn't Touch With a 10-Foot Pole was originally published by The Motley Fool
PeopleImages / iStock.com

The life of a single parent isnt an easy one. It can definitely be rewarding, but there are so many factors that you need to consider when choosing where to raise your family that it can all feel very complicated.

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To help simplify things a little, GOBankingRates conducted a study using data from Missouri Economic and Research Information Center (MERIC), the Bureau of Labor Statistics Consumer Expenditure Survey, Zillow Home Value Index, and the FBIs crime data.

According to these findings, these are the best states to raise a family as a single parent (in reverse order).

Also heres the best states to raise a whole family.

Christa Boaz / Getty Images

10. Iowa

Population total: 3,200,517 (U.S. total population: 333,287,562)

Household median income: $70,571 (U.S. household median income: $74,755)

Home average value (May 2024): $225,470 (U.S. home average value: $361,498)

Average monthly mortgage cost: $1,343 (U.S. average monthly mortgage cost: $2,154)

Average monthly expenditure (with mortgage): $3,535

Property crime rate (per 1,000 residents): 19.118

Violent crime rate (per 1,000 residents): 3.682

Difference in home value from national average: $136,028

Among the most affordable states, Iowa enjoys very low housing rates and a fair cost of livinggood news for a single parent who must try to squeeze their budget, said Don Wede, President of Heartland Funding Inc. Its also one of the safest places to live, with lots of small towns and cities famous for such low crime rates.

Iowa also has many highly-rated schools for the kids.

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Jacob Boomsma / Getty Images

9. Minnesota

Population total: 5,717,184

Household median income: $84,313

Home average value (May 2024): $344,891

Average monthly mortgage cost: $2,055

Average monthly expenditure (with mortgage): $4,260

Property crime rate (per 1,000 residents): 24.617

Violent crime rate (per 1,000 residents): 3.375

Difference in home value from national average: $16,607

Minnesota also ranks high on places to raise a family as a single parent.The whole state has excellent schools, and especially in the Twin Cities metro area, you can also expect affordable rents (Minneapolis is one of the few major cities in the country where new construction is actually driving down rent), good public services, and decent public transportation, said Martin Orefice, the CEO of Rent To Own Labs. Throw in one of the best park systems in the nation, and its a great place to raise a family.

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For You: In Less Than a Year, Youll Regret Not Having Bought Property in These 20 Housing Markets

xavierarnau / Getty Images

8. Illinois

Population total: 12,582,032

Household median income: $78,433

Home average value (May 2024): $270,566

Average monthly mortgage cost: $1,612

Average monthly expenditure (with mortgage): $3,797

Property crime rate (per 1,000 residents): 20.518

Violent crime rate (per 1,000 residents): 3.744

Difference in home value from national average: $90,932

In Illinois, single parents can find reasonable housing prices  whether theyre looking to buy or rent. Both property and violent crime are on the lower side. According to US News, the state also ranks 16th in terms of education.

Pugalenthi / Getty Images/iStockphoto

7. Connecticut

Population total: 3,626,205

Household median income: $90,213

Home average value (May 2024): $433,999

Average monthly mortgage cost: $2,586

Average monthly expenditure (with mortgage): $5,057

Property crime rate (per 1,000 residents): 16.755

Violent crime rate (per 1,000 residents): 1.676

Difference in home value from national average: $72,501

Connecticut has some expensive areas, but its low crime rate is a definite draw. The state also ranks 3rd in pre-K-12 education and has high graduation rates.

picmax / Getty Images/iStockphoto

6. Idaho

Population total: 1,939,033

Household median income: $70,214

Home average value (May 2024): $459,463

Average monthly mortgage cost: $2,737

Average monthly expenditure (with mortgage): $4,953

Property crime rate (per 1,000 residents): 11.544

Violent crime rate (per 1,000 residents): 2.758

Difference in home value from national average: $97,965

Idaho has risen in price over the years as more people move into the area. That said, the state is still more affordable than most. The cities of Boise, Nampa, Meridian all ranked high on Livabilitys top 100 list of most livable small- and mid-sized American cities.

Sean Pavone / Getty Images/iStockphoto

5. Utah

Population total: 3,380,800

Household median income: $86,833

Home average value (May 2024): $533,112

Average monthly mortgage cost: $3,176

Average monthly expenditure (with mortgage): $5,416

Property crime rate (per 1,000 residents): 20.099

Violent crime rate (per 1,000 residents): 2.572

Difference in home value from national average: $171,614

When it comes to education, Utah ranks sixth overall. Between that, the high safety rate, and overall low cost of living, this is another great place to raise a family. The main downside is that the average cost of homes is on the more expensive side.

Trending Now: The Minimum Salary You Need To Buy a Home in 2024 in All 50 States

DenisTangneyJr / Getty Images

4. New Hampshire

Population total: 1,395,231

Household median income: $90,845

Home average value (May 2024): $501,203

Average monthly mortgage cost: $2,986

Average monthly expenditure (with mortgage): $5,565

Property crime rate (per 1,000 residents): 10.378

Violent crime rate (per 1,000 residents): 1.270

Difference in home value from national average: $139,705

Safety is an important consideration for [single] parents, said Rinal Patel, a real estate agent. Vermont, Maine, and New Hampshire are the best places to live in if you want to make sure your family is safe.

Add that to the lower cost of living  home prices aside  and the strong sense of community, and New Hampshire could very well be worth calling home.

Paola Giannoni / Getty Images/iStockphoto

3. Wyoming

Population total: 581,381

Household median income: $72,495

Home average value (May 2024): $346,709

Average monthly mortgage cost: $2,066

Average monthly expenditure (with mortgage): $4,206

Property crime rate (per 1,000 residents): 19.678

Violent crime rate (per 1,000 residents): 2.292

Difference in home value from national average: $14,789

Wyoming ranks 19th in pre-k-12 education and seventh in education overall. Housing prices are a little below the national average, a plus for those who want to raise their kids in a home  potentially one with a yard. Safety is high, crime is low overall, and the cost of living is cheaper than many other states.

Daniel Hanscom / Getty Images

2. Rhode Island

Population total: 1,093,734

Household median income: $81,370

Home average value (May 2024): $476,239

Average monthly mortgage cost: $2,837

Average monthly expenditure (with mortgage): $5,140

Property crime rate (per 1,000 residents): 12.726

Violent crime rate (per 1,000 residents): 1.660

Difference in home value from national average: $114,741

Despite being the smallest state in terms of geographical size, Rhode Island has a lot to offer  not least of which is a high quality of life to young and growing families. Again, the cost of buying a home is higher than the average, but the low crime rate, high median income, and general quality of life could more than make up for that.

Creative-Family / Getty Images/iStockphoto

1. New Jersey

Population total: 9,261,699

Household median income: $97,126

Home average value (May 2024): $545,028

Average monthly mortgage cost: $3,247

Average monthly expenditure (with mortgage): $5,604

Property crime rate (per 1,000 residents): 13.851

Violent crime rate (per 1,000 residents): 1.926

Difference in home value from national average: $183,530

New Jersey has had a mixed reputation for years, but there are quite a few benefits to living in the state. Property and violent crime are low and the median household income is comparatively higher than the rest of the country.

Certain suburbs, like Haworth, are also great places to live and raise a family.

Its critical for single parents to have access to programs and activities that advance their kids growth, said Patel. Many places within New Jersey offer just that.

Methodology: For this study, GOBankingRates analyzed each state to find the best states for a single parents to raise a family. First GOBankingRates found the cost of living indexes for each state as sourced from Missouri Economic and Research Information Center. For each state the average expenditure costs was sourced from the Bureau of Labor Statistics Consumer Expenditure Survey for a single parent with at least one child under 18. The average single family home value was soured from Zillow Home Value Index and by assuming a 10% downpayment and using the national average 30-year fixed mortgage rate, the average mortgage cost can be calculated. Using the average mortgage and expenditure costs, the total monthly cost of living can be calculated. Using the FBIs crime data explorer, the crime rate per 1,000 residents can be calculated for violent crime and property crime. The household median income was scored and weighted at 1.00, the average mortgage cost was scored and weighted at 1.50, the average expenditure cost was scored and weighted at 1.50, the property crime rate was scored and weighted at 0.75, the violent crime rate was scored and weighted at 0.75, and the difference in home value from the national average was scored and weighted at 1.00. All the scores were summed and sorted to show the best states to raise a family as a single parent. All data was collected on and is up to date as of July 10th, 2024.

More From GOBankingRates

This article originally appeared on GOBankingRates.com: 10 Best States for Single Parents To Raise Families
Grounds flights; banks, media, firms go offlinearound world





NEW DELHI/MUMBAI,

Airline ops in India disrupted; Market, banks, payment systems unaffected...

AIRPORTS across the country witnessed chaotic scenes on Friday after dozens of flights were either delayed or cancelled after a widespread global computer outage that also hit operations like cash withdrawal at some banks, and impacted functioning of some brokerages. In one of the biggest-ever IT outages, an update of a product offered by global cybersecurity firm CrowdStrike triggered problems with Microsofts Windows across the planet, hitting operations at financial sector companies and airlines while hospital operations got postponed and some television channels went off air. In India, it led to crashing of airline check-in systems, causing delays and cancellation of dozens of flights. IndiGo alone cancelled around 200 flights. Hundreds of other flights got delayed as bookings, check-in and boarding moved to manual mode.

Airports from Chennai to Delhi witnessed chaotic scenes as harried passengers argued with airline staff over either not informing about delays and cancellations or not giving them alternate flights. Web check-in services were not available, leading to long queues at check-in counters and over-crowded lounges at several airports. IndiGo, Akasa Air, Vistara, Air India, SpiceJet and Air India Express posted messages on X saying they were facing issues. Passengers were issued hand-written boarding passes and the entire process of doing manual ticketing as well as passenger and luggage check-in took 30-40 minutes per person, some travellers said. According to preliminary data put out by aviation analytics firm Cirium on the global IT disruption in the afternoon, 56 out of 3,652 flights scheduled from Indian destinations were cancelled. Airlines slowly began resuming some operations but making up for the delayed or cancelled flights may take some time. Union Civil Aviation Minister Rammohan Naidu assured passengers that his Ministry and Airports Authority of India (AAI) are actively managing the situation using manual methods to ensure minimal disruption.

The reasons for this outage has been identified and updates have been released to resolve the issue, Minister for Information Technology Ashwini Vaishnaw said. While some brokerage firms, including Nuvama Wealth Management, Edelweiss Mutual Fund, Motilal Oswal, IIFL Securities, 5Paisa Capital, and Angel Broking, faced technical issues, stock exchanges NSE and BSE said their operations were running normally. Auto major Maruti Suzuki India said it had briefly halted production and dispatch operations due to the outage. Tata Motors passenger EV arm in a post on X said telephone lines at its contact centre are not functioning and it is working hard to resolve the issue. IT major Wipro said while its own operations remained unaffected, it was assisting clients in the US and Europe who faced issues. Earlier today, a Crowdstrike update was responsible for bringing down a number of IT systems globally. We are actively supporting customers to assist in their recovery, a Microsoft spokesperson said. Vaishnaw said the IT Ministry is continually in touch with Microsoft, which in turn is actively working with impacted entities.
MICROSOFT GLOBAL BREAKDOWN





By Charlotte Graham- Mclay and Elaine Kurtenbach

WELLINGTON (NZ),

A GLOBAL technology outage grounded flights, knocked banks offline and media outlets off air on Friday in a massive disruption that affected companies and services around the world and highlighted dependence on software from a handful of providers. Cybersecurity firm CrowdStrike said that the issue believed to be behind the outage was not a security incident or cyberattack. The issue affected Microsoft 365 apps and services, and escalating disruptions continued hours after the technology company said it was gradually fixing it. The website DownDectector, which tracks user-reported Internet outages, recorded growing outages in services at Visa, ADT security and Amazon, and airlines including American Airlines and Delta.

News outlets in Australia reported that airlines, telecommunications providers and banks, and media broadcasters were disrupted as they lost access to computer systems. Airlines in the U.K., Europe and India reported problems and some New Zealand banks said they were offline. Microsoft 365 posted on X that the company was working on rerouting the impacted traffic to alternate systems to alleviate impact in a more expedient fashion and that they were observing a positive trend in service availability. The company did not respond to a request for comment. It did not explain the cause of the outage further. CrowdStrike CEO George Kurtz posted on social media platform X that the company is actively working with customers impacted by a defect found in a single content update for Windows hosts. He said: This is not a security incident or cyberattack. The issue has been identified, isolated and a fix has been deployed. New Zealands acting Prime Minister, David Seymour, said on X that officials in the country were moving at pace to understand the potential impacts of the global problem. I have not currently received any reporting to indicate these issues are related to malicious cyber security activity, Seymour wrote.

The issue was causing inconvenience" for the public and businesses, he added. Israels Cyber Directorate that it was among the places affected by the global outages, attributing them to a problem with Crowdstrike. The outage also hit the countrys post offices and hospitals, according to the ministries of communication and health. Meanwhile, major disruptions reported by airlines and airports grew. In the US, the FAA said the airlines United, American, Delta and Allegiant had all been grounded. Travelers at Los Angeles International Airport slept on a jetway floor, using backpacks and other luggage for pillows, due to a delayed United flight to Dulles International Airport early on Friday. Airlines, railways and television stations in the United Kingdom were being disrupted by the computer issues.

The budget airline Ryanair, train operators TransPennine Express and Govia Thameslink Railway, as well as broadcaster Sky News are among those affected. Were currently experiencing disruption across the network due to a global third party IT outage which is out of our control, Ryanair said. We advise all passengers to arrive at the airport at least three hours before their scheduled departure time. Edinburgh Airport said the system outage meant waiting times were longer than usual. Londons Stansted Airport said some airline check-in services were being completed manually, but flights were still operating. Widespread problems were reported at Australian airports, where lines grew and some passengers were stranded as online check-in services and self-service booths were disabled. Passengers in Melbourne queued for more than an hour to check in, although flights were still operating. Airline operations in India were disrupted, affecting thousands.
Protests escalate in Bdesh, security forces fire bullets





DHAKA :

POLICE and security officials fired bullets and tear gas at protesters in Bangladesh on Friday, as Internet and mobile services were cut off after days of deadly clashes over the allocation of Government jobs. The protests, which began weeks ago but escalated sharply on Monday, represent the biggest challenge to Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina since she was won a fourth consecutive term in a January election that was boycotted by the main Opposition parties. The fresh clashes follow the bloodiest day of the protests to date, with local media reporting 22 people killed as protesting students attempted to impose a complete shutdown on the country.

The chaos has highlighted cracks in Bangladeshs governance and economy and the frustration of young graduates who face a lack of good jobs. An Associated Press reporter saw border guard officials fire at a crowd of more than 1,000 protesters who had gathered outside the head office of state-run Bangladesh Television, which was attacked and set on fire by protesters the previous day. The border guards shot at the right crowd with rifles and sound grenades, while police officers fired tear gas and rubber bullets. Bullets littered the streets, which were also marked by smears of blood. A news producer and reporter at Bangladesh Television on Thursday told the Associated Press that protesters had broken through the main gate and set fire to vehicles and the reception area. They spoke on condition of anonymity for fear of reprisals.
UPSC files FIR against Khedkar, may cancel her candidature





NEW DELHI :

THE Union Public Service Commission (UPSC) on Friday said it has lodged a criminal case against probationary IAS officer Puja Khedkar for faking her identity to fraudulently avail attempts in the civil services examination beyond eligibility, and taken steps to debar her from future selections. Following a complaint from the Commission, Delhi Police said its Crime Branch has taken up the investigation. UPSC has filed a complaint with Delhi Police against Ms. Puja Manorama Dilip Khedkar for misrepresenting and falsifying facts to obtain extra attempts in the UPSC examinations, beyond the prescribed limit. Consequently, a case has been registered under the relevant sections of the law, and investigation has been taken up in Crime Branch, Delhi Police said in a statement.

Khedkar, a 2023-batch probationary Indian Administrative Service (IAS) officer, is accused of misusing power and privileges, by demanding perks and facilities she was not entitled for, during her training in Pune District Collectorate in Maharashtra recently. She was accused of bullying everyone around and of placing a red-blue beacon (indicating high-ranking official) atop a private Audi (a luxury sedan) car used by her that also had 'Maharashtra Governmentwritten on it during her stint. After the Pune District Collector flagged the matter, Khedkar was transferred to Washim District Collectorate in the Vidarbha region. She was declared qualified in the civil services examination 2022. Based on the results declared last year by the UPSC, Khedkar was allocated the IAS and her home state Maharashtra as a cadre. The UPSC has conducted a detailed and thorough investigation in the misdemeanour of Ms. Puja Manorama Dilip Khedkar, a provisionally recommended candidate of the Civil Services Examination-2022,an official statement issued on Friday said. From this investigation, it has been revealed that she fraudulently availed attempts beyond the permissible limit under the examination rules by faking her identity by way of changing her name, her father and mother name, her photograph/ signature, her email ID, mobile number and address, the Commission said. Puja Khedkar leaves Washim, say she will return: Controversial IAS officer Puja Khedkar on Friday moved out of Washim, shortly after the UPSC initiated a series of actions against her, including registration of a police case for availing attempts in the civil services exam by faking identity.

Engineering firm linked to her mother sealed

PUNE :

THE Pimpri-Chinchwad civic body on Friday sealed an engineering firm linked to the mother of controversial probationary Indian Administrative Service (IAS) officer Puja Khedkar over unpaid property tax amounting to nearly Rs 2 lakh, municipal officials said. The junior bureaucrats mother, Manorama Khedkar, is currently in the custody of Pune police in a criminal case. The Pimpri-Chinchwad Municipal Corporation (PCMC) in Pune district sealed the defunct firm -- Thermoverita India Pvt Ltd -- located in the Talawade area over unpaid property dues. Notably, Puja Khedkar, while applying for a disability certificate at the Yashwantrao Chavan Memorial Hospital (YCM) in the Pimpri-Chinchwad township for selection into civil services under quota, had given the engineering firms location as her residential address. The property tax for 2022-2023 and 2023-2024 for Thermoverita India Pvt Ltd has been pending for the last two years. Additionally, the current years outstanding is also pending. As their dues were unpaid in 2023, first they (owner) were issued notices and later as a graded response, we first snapped their water connection. Since, the dues are unpaid for the last two years, we as a next procedure, sealed the property, said PCMC commissioner Shekhar Singh. The total outstanding for the last two years was Rs 1.96 lakh and if the current years dues are added, the pending amount goes up to Rs 2.77 lakh, he said.
3 bad investing mistakes that put your retirement at serious risk, according to Warren Buffett

After nearly seven decades of experience, investing legend Warren Buffett has accumulated more than $141 billion in personal wealth  and the Oracle of Omaha believes much of his success is based on his ability to avoid losing money.

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You only have to do a very few things right in your life so long as you don't do too many things wrong, he once said.

With that in mind, here are three investment mistakes you should avoid in order to secure your fortune for the long-term.

1. Speculating instead of investing

Some investors fail to recognize the difference between a speculative asset and an investment-worthy asset. According to Buffett, the difference is in how the asset generates a return.

All investment is, is laying out some money now to get more money back in the future, Buffett once explained. Now, theres two ways of looking at getting the money back. One is from what the asset itself will produce. Thats investment. [The other] is from what somebody else will pay you for it later on, irrespective of what the asset produces. And I call that speculation.

Based on this philosophy, assets that produce income organically  such as farmland, profitable companies, dividend stocks and real estate investment trusts  are investment-worthy.

On the flip side, speculative assets, such as Bitcoin, fine art, or an unprofitable tech startup, are exposed to unpredictable market sentiments.

Investors looking for exposure to robust earnings could consider the iShares Core Dividend Growth ETF (DGRO).

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2. Trying to time the market

Market timing is deceptively tempting. Investors often convince themselves they can wait for the right time to buy or sell a stock. However, experienced investors understand that market cycles are unpredictable, so staying invested for longer is typically the best approach.

Data analyzed by RBC Global Asset Management found that an investor with perfect timing only modestly outperformed an investor who was dollar-cost averaging.

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In other words, putting a fixed dollar amount into the S&P 500 every month from 2004 to 2023 was mildly less profitable than perfectly predicting every market peak and bottom.

However, one of these strategies is much easier to deploy, and thats the one most investors should probably focus on.

3. Overpaying

During market bubbles and speculative manias, investors run the risk of overpaying for assets. This can be detrimental for returns.

No matter how wonderful a business it is, there always is a risk that you will pay a price [and] that it will take a few years for the business to catch up with the stock, Buffett once said at a shareholder meeting. In other words, valuation shouldnt be overlooked.

For instance, a stock trading at 100 times earnings per share could take 100 years to recover the initial investment if the price and earnings remain the same. Earnings growth and price appreciation are difficult to predict, so youre exposed to too much risk when you pay such a premium.

On the other hand, a stock trading at a price-to-earnings ratio of five could take only five years to return your initial investment. Even if there is no growth in earnings or stock price over this period, you have recovered your initial investment based solely on organic earnings. Buffett, and other investment professionals, prefer these low-risk investments.

Bank of America, Buffetts second-largest holding, trades at a forward price-to-earnings ratio of roughly 13%, as of July 2024. Compare that to Tesla, which trades at a forward price-to-earnings ratio of 99%.

What to read next

This article provides information only and should not be construed as advice. It is provided without warranty of any kind.
US Crisis





DOUBTS have risen from the ground about the ability of United States President Mr. Joe Biden to keep up in the presidential contest in the next three months, thanks to the coronavirus he has contracted, and also to his generally failing physical and mental faculties -- as per reports from all over. Having been quarantined following his COVID affectation, Mr. Biden may not be in a position to retain his claim to the Democratic Partys nominee again. A few days earlier, he had even indicated that Vice President Mrs. Kamla Harris could be the right choice as she is fully qualified to run for the high office. However, the picture within the Democratic Party is quite unclear. For, in every likelihood, two or three other senior Democrats may stake their claims to the nomination in the forthcoming convention. Uncertainty, thus, appears to be on the Democratic Partys plate at least for now. Among the likely names in the Democratic Party are Mrs. Hilary Rodham Clinton and Mrs. Michelle Obama. If Mrs. Clinton is an old hand in politics, Mrs. Obama is a fresh face with no baggage to drag her down and back.

Yet, in the given political scenario, Mrs. Obama may not get much support from the rank and file of the party as she has never been directly and personally active in the partys affairs. The party take its own sweet time to decide upon the name of its presidential nominee, all right. But from within the ranks, a demand is swirling up asking for Mr. Joe Biden not to contest again. This is something Mr. Biden may not have the stomach to combat and defeat. He is, of course, a gritty politician, and may not like to be told in this manner the home truth of his unacceptability as a presidential candidate yet again. However, even if Mr. Biden decides not to contest, the Democratic Party will have much trouble in choosing another candidate -- particularly after the assassination attempt on Republican choice and former President Mr. Donald Trump.

No matter the stuff coming from the rumour-mill (that the attempt was a fabrication of sorts, drafted and calibrated carefully by his own managers), Mr. Trumps popularity has surged way ahead of anybody else in the present-day domestic politics of United States. Those who have watched the domestic scene for some time now apprehend that Mr. Trumps victory in the presidential polls is almost certain -- thanks to the sympathy wave the assassination attempt has given rise to. Currently, the US is passing through tough socio-economic times tinted with political uncertainty. Presidential election will certainly be watched by the world with much interest to know how the country handles its multi-dimensional crisis. The dragging on of the Ukraine conflict or the weakening of the American economy over the past some time, or waning influence of the US in global affairs will be issues on the national agenda. In such a complex situation, both the parties will have to take extra care to choose their respective presidential nominees. Thanks to a general leadership crisis in the American political community, the choices are quite limited, and the US will make to do with the available names none of which has the glamour or grace of some of the old names that once dominated the political scenario.

This will make watching American electoral politics extremely educative, since the coming elections will decide how America deals with these crises through presidential elections. Of course, the US is also known for its political resilience. If that quality makes the difference, then the picture would be brighter than now. What matters more, however, is the if factor.
Many semiconductor stocks rallied over the past year as the explosive growth of the artificial intelligence (AI) market drove many companies to upgrade their data center chips. But with the market hovering near its record highs, investors might be reluctant to add some of these high-flying stocks to their portfolios.

However, the market leaders that have clear competitive advantages, staying power, and wide moats should continue to soar higher over the long term. I believe three of those resilient chip stocks -- ASML (NASDAQ: ASML), Broadcom (NASDAQ: AVGO), and Micron (NASDAQ: MU) -- are still great plays for growth-oriented investors.

Image source: Getty Images.

1. ASML

ASML is the world's largest producer of lithography systems that are used to etch circuit patterns onto silicon wafers. It's also the only producer of high-end extreme ultraviolet (EUV) systems for manufacturing the world's most advanced chips.

As a linchpin of the global semiconductor market, ASML has cyclical growth. But from 2018 to 2023, its revenue still rose at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 20% as its earnings per share (EPS) increased at a CAGR of 27% -- even as the broader market was disrupted by the pandemic, supply chain issues, and macro headwinds.

That's because ASML's top customers -- including Taiwan Semiconductor, Intel, and Samsung -- need to consistently buy more EUV systems to stay in the "process race" of manufacturing smaller, denser, and more power-efficient chips. ASML's monopolization of that crucial technology, which will continue with its latest generation of "high-NA" EUV systems, gives it a lot of pricing power.

ASML suffered a temporary slowdown over the past year as European regulators barred the company from shipping some of its older deep ultraviolet (DUV) systems to Chinese chipmakers. But from 2023 to 2026, analysts expect its revenue to grow at a CAGR of 13% as it laps that deceleration, ships more EUV systems, and benefits from the secular expansion of the AI market. They expect its EPS to rise at a CAGR of 21%.

ASML's stock might seem a bit pricey at more than 50 times forward earnings, but I believe it will head much higher as the market's demand for its systems outstrips the available supply.

2. Broadcom

Broadcom produces a wide range of wireless, optical, and data storage chips. It also built a massive infrastructure software business by acquiring CA Technologies, Symantec's enterprise security unit, and VMware over the past few years.

From fiscal 2018 to fiscal 2023, which ended last October, Broadcom's revenue increased at a CAGR of 11% as its adjusted earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation, and amortization (EBITDA) grew at a CAGR of 16%. Some of that growth was driven by its big acquisitions across the semiconductor and infrastructure software markets.

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Broadcom expects to generate about a fifth of its revenue from AI-oriented chips in fiscal 2024. That growth, which mainly comes from its network and optical chips for data centers, should offset the macro-induced softness of its enterprise and telecom markets. The expansion of its software business should also curb the company's dependence on Apple, which accounted for a fifth of its sales in its past two fiscal years.

From fiscal 2023 to fiscal 2026, analysts expect Broadcom's revenue and adjusted EBITDA to both grow at a CAGR of 23%. Its stock still looks reasonably valued at 27 times this year's adjusted EBITDA, and it should remain one of the most balanced ways to profit from the growth of the chipmaking, AI, and infrastructure software markets.

3. Micron

Micron is the world's third largest producer of DRAM chips and fourth largest supplier of NAND chips. Samsung and SK Hynix lead both of those markets, but Micron consistently produces denser chips than its larger South Korean rivals.

Micron experienced a severe slowdown last year as PC shipments declined and the 5G smartphone upgrade cycle cooled. The company's revenue plunged 49% in fiscal 2023, which ended last September, as it turned unprofitable. However, Micron's growth is finally accelerating again as the PC market stabilizes, the mobile market recovers, and the AI market expands.

Micron expects the growth of the AI market to be a major secular tailwind, since data centers will need to upgrade their memory chips to store the information being fed to Nvidia's AI-processing GPUs.

Analysts expect Micron's revenue to grow at a CAGR of 42% from fiscal 2023 to fiscal 2026 as its core markets grow again. They also expect the company to turn profitable again in fiscal 2024 and grow its EPS at a CAGR of 305% over the following two years. That's an incredible growth rate for a stock that still trades at 15 times next year's earnings. And it could soar much higher over the next few years as a new multiyear growth cycle begins.

Should you invest $1,000 in ASML right now?

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Leo Sun has positions in ASML and Apple. The Motley Fool has positions in and recommends ASML, Apple, Nvidia, and Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing. The Motley Fool recommends Broadcom 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 Semiconductor Stocks That Could Go Parabolic was originally published by The Motley Fool
3 Utility Stocks With Consistent Growth & High Dividend Yields: IDACORP, Edison International And Spire

Benzinga and Yahoo Finance LLC may earn commission or revenue on some items through the links below.

Investors looking for consistent income and long-term stability often favor utility stocks. This piece focuses on three companies in this sector  IDACORP, Edison International, and Spire  that possess these characteristics. Moreover, these companies offer appealing dividend yields of around 3-4%.

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IDACORP

IDACORP, Inc. (NYSE:IDA) is an electric utility engaged in the generation, transmission, distribution, sale, and purchase of electric energy and capacity. The company operates 17 hydropower generating plants located in southern Idaho and eastern Oregon, three natural gas-fired plants in southern Idaho, and interests in two coal-fired steam electric generating plants located in Wyoming and Nevada. The company serves commercial and industrial customers involved in food processing, electronics and general manufacturing, agriculture, health care, government, and education.

IDACORP has consistently raised its dividends every year since 2011. According to the company's most recent dividend announcement in September 2023, its Board of Directors raised the quarterly dividend by 5.10% to $0.83 per share, equating to $3.32 annually. The current yield on the dividend stands at 3.55%. Like IDACORP, these two utility stocks offer rock-solid dividends for steady income.

The company's annual revenue (as of March 31) is $1.80 billion. Its upcoming quarterly earnings report is scheduled for August 1. Wall Street analysts estimate a quarterly EPS of $1.41 and revenue of $440.10 million.

Edison International

Edison International (NYSE:EIX) is the parent company of Southern California Edison, which generates and distributes electric power. The company supplies and delivers electricity to approximately five million customers in a 50,000-square-mile area of Southern California.

Edison International has increased its dividends consecutively since 2004, with the most recent hike announced at the end of last year. According to the company's Dec. 14, 2023 announcement, it increased its quarterly dividend from $0.7375 to $0.78 per share, equaling $3.12 annually. Currently, the company's dividend yield is 4.27%.

Edison's annual revenue (as of March 31) is $16.40 billion. According to the companys latest Q1 2024 earnings report, its adjusted core earnings for the quarter were $438 million with an EPS of $1.13. "We are pleased with our start to the year and are confident in affirming our 2024 core EPS guidance range," said Pedro J. Pizarro, president and CEO of Edison International. The company reiterated its long-term core EPS growth rate targets of 5%-7% for 2021-2025 and 5%-7% for 2025-2028.

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The company is scheduled to report its Q2 2024 earnings on July 25. Consensus estimates currently stand at $4.10 billion and $1.04 for revenue and EPS, respectively.

Edison International has a consensus rating of Buy and a price target of $74 based on the ratings of 20 analysts.

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Spire

Spire Inc. (NYSE:SR) engages in the purchase, retail distribution, and sale of natural gas to residential, commercial, industrial, and other end-users of natural gas in the United States. The company operates through three segments: Gas Utility, Gas Marketing, and Midstream.

According to Spire's website, the company has continuously paid a cash dividend since 1946, and 2024 marked the 21st consecutive year of increasing its common stock dividend annually.

The companys most recent dividend increase was announced on April 25. The company hiked its quarterly dividend from $0.72 to $0.755 per share, or $3.02 annualized, with a yield of 4.84%.

As of March 31, the company's annual revenue stood at $2.60 billion. Its upcoming quarterly earnings report is scheduled for July 31, and Wall Street analysts expect an EPS/revenue of $0.24/$261.20 million.

Spire has a consensus rating of Neutral and a price target of $63.63 based on the ratings of 12 analysts. This recent review of analyst actions sheds light on financial experts perceptions of Spire.

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This article 3 Utility Stocks With Consistent Growth & High Dividend Yields: IDACORP, Edison International And Spire originally appeared on Benzinga.com
Buying a car is a big decision that you will have to live with for years. One of the most important choices you need to make is whether to buy a new or used car. Each has its advantages and disadvantages, but this handy checklist should help you decide.

Also: 10 Affordable Compact Cars That Will Last 300,000 Miles

Save: How To Get $340 Per Year Cash Back on Gas and Other Things You Already Buy

Choose the best answer for each of the following questions.

Are You an Early Adopter  Do You Like Being the First to Have the Latest Technology?

A. Yes, I always want the newest gadgets.

B. No, I like familiar things. Ill wait until new technology becomes mainstream and has all the bugs worked out before I buy.

Next: 6 Car Brands With Reliable Used Cars

Does Your Car Have to be a Certain Color or Have Specific Features?

A. Yes, there are some features I have to have and others that I really dont want.

B. No. I like some colors better than others, and there are a few I wont buy, but Im not that particular about color. As for features, as long as it has the right type of seats and a sunroof, for example, Im good.

How are You Paying for Your Car?

A. Im paying cash or getting a loan through my bank.

B. I have a trade-in, and Ill finance the balance where I buy the car.

Are You Good about Keeping up with Maintenance on Your Car?

A. I change the oil regularly but sometimes forget to bring it in for regular tune-ups unless Im reminded.

B. I know my car will last longer if I maintain it well, so Im pretty vigilant.

How Long Do You Plan to Keep the Car?

A. Ill keep it for as long as I can  buying a new car is a pain, so I do it as seldom as possible.

B. I like to get a different car every five or six years.

If most of your answers are As, youre likely to be happier with a brand-new car. You can get the latest bells and whistles and the exact color and options you want. If youre paying cash or financing elsewhere, be sure to negotiate the price with the dealer before you disclose that fact. They make a lot of money off financing, so you may not get as good a deal if they know youre going to pay cash.

Youll get a solid warranty, and some new cars come with free scheduled maintenance, which is a good incentive to take it in for that 30,000-mile checkup. New cars depreciate faster early on, but if you plan to keep the car for a long time, the resale value will even out in the end.

If you answered mostly B, a used car may be a better bet for you. You have some flexibility when it comes to color and options, so youre more likely to be able to find a used car that you like. You may get a better price if you have a trade-in and use the dealers (or the car lots) financing.

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Youre good at maintenance, which should keep the car running well for a long time, even if you dont have the full warranty you would get with a new car. And, if you only keep it a few years, youll get more of your investment back than you would have if you had bought new.

New or used, the best car for you is the one that you can afford, and that you enjoy driving.

More From GOBankingRates

This article originally appeared on GOBankingRates.com: 5 Best Ways To Decide Whether You Should Buy a New Car or a Used One
We recently compiled a list of the 10 Best Gold Stocks to Buy According to Reddit and Robinhood. In this article, we are going to take a look at where B2Gold Corp. (NYSE:BTG) stands against the other gold stocks.

Regarded as a safe investment option, hedging investors against inflation, Gold has been a highly demanded precious metal historically. As such, in 2023, the precious metals demand soared by 3% year-over-year (YoY), hitting the 4,899 tons mark. This is on the back of growing demand from emerging markets like India and China, who were responsible for 75% of this demand. This ever-increasing trajectory of demand is expected to continue in the current year as well which is going to be discussed below.

Amidst the inflationary state in the U.S. for the past while, and the resulting uncertainty in the market, gold has seen its prices rise in 2023, reaching its all-time high, on the back of 13% increase. The increase in demand mainly came from central banks, the industrial sector, and investors. A trend was also observed in 2023, wherein the global sovereign wealth funds were reported to be increasing their holdings in the precious metal.

The price of gold is a complex mechanism, as it is impacted by several factors like demand, market stability, and interest rates, to name a few. Nevertheless, several analysts are looking to a positive future for gold, as they expect the prices to be sitting somewhere between $2,421.00 and $2,651.00 (per ounce rate) by the current year end, as compared to its current price of $2374.31, as of writing this article.

This trend is also shaping up on the back of the Feds plans for a rate cut later in the year, as the gold prices usually have an inverse relationship with the market interest rate. As such, the rate cut that is expected to occur somewhere in September is also helping analysts forecast the precious metals price increase in 2024.

Following is what was spoken about the gold market by an analyst at PrimeXBT, Kathryn Davies, in June 2024:

Gold has fallen from its all-time high of $2,222 after the SNB cut rates, boosting the USD. However, the gold price remains supported by the prospect of Federal Reserve rate cuts and a lower interest rate environment globally. Elevated geopolitical tensions and central bank purchases also keep demand high, and the price supported. As a result, Gold could see more all-time highs as we progress through 2024, rising to $2400 by the years end.

In terms of the global market, China is a crucial player in the gold market  China is not only the largest producer of gold (producing 12% of gold in 2023), but also the largest consumer of gold, with its central bank, on its own, buying 225 tons of gold in 2023, up from 62 tons in the previous year. Analysts have attributed China's massive buying of gold to the freezing of Russian assets by the U.S. and its allies, which China is attempting to hedge itself from by buying Gold - pushing up the gold prices by doing so.

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Australia and Russia closely follow China in the gold production game; in 2023, China, Russia, and Australia recorded a gold production volume of 375 tons, 325 tons, and 314 tons, respectively. The U.S. was placed 5th on the same list created by Insider Monkey, with a production volume of 173 tons! To date, 209,000 tons of gold have been mined across the globe, equaling a value of massive $12 trillion!

Having discussed the expected future of gold prices, its time we explore the world of gold stocks, which directly correlate with the gold price trajectory. Thus, lets now jump to our list of 10 Best Gold Stocks to Buy According to Reddit and Robinhood.

Methodology

Extensive research across the Reddit discussion forums, along with the Robinhood Index, helped us in curating our preliminary list of all the stocks discussed across the two sources. Based on the analysts' sentiment regarding each stock across both sources, we assigned the Reddit score and Robinhood score to the stocks and ranked them based on the average score, which we will refer to as the Overall score. Lower the score, better the ranking of stock. For stocks with an equal Overall score, we used Reddit score as the tiebreaker.

The overall score was derived from the number of upticks on Reddit forums against the respective stocks, and the number of analysts assigning buy ratings to the respective stocks on Robinhood. We also peeked into Insider Monkeys database that tracks the activity of 920 hedge funds, wherein we collected information about the hedge fund investors holders of all these stocks to reaffirm the respective stocks' sentiment across the two sources.

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).

Aerial view of a gold mine in Mali, showing the scale of the mining operations.

B2Gold Corp. (NYSE:BTG)

Overall Score: 7

Reddit Score: 6

Robinhood Score: 8

Number of Hedge Fund Holders: 19

B2Gold Corp. (NYSE:BTG) is the 11th biggest Canadian mining company with revenue figures of $1.93 billion in the year 2023, also successfully making it to our list of Best Gold Stocks to Buy According to Reddit and Robinhood. B2Gold Corp., headquartered in Vancouver, Canada, is a gold producer with its operations based in Mali, Namibia and the Philippines; on the other hand, it has the Goose Project under construction in northern Canada, and several other development and exploration projects in various countries including Mali, Colombia and Finland.

The company recorded adjusted EPS of $0.06 (beating analysts estimates) on the back of gold production of 225,716 ounces in Q1 2024, in line with the company's guidance. Moreover, the companys liquidity position is placed quite well with the company recording a working capital of $629 million in the quarter. It is further bolstered by the companys cash and cash equivalents balance of $568 million, which was up because of an increase of $507 million in operating cash flows. Acting as a cherry on top, the dividend was also declared in the quarter, worth $0.04.

On top of that, the company has penned an agreement with Sandbox Royalties in June 2024, giving birth to Versamet Royalties, a royalty company comprising of eight assets, which would result in a revenue stream worth $30 million by 2026, which would be an increase from these assets' current revenue of $10 million. Furthermore, Gold production of somewhere between 860,000 and 940,000 ounces is expected to occur in 2024, which would be an increase from 590,243 ounces in 2023. Thus, analysts are expecting EPS to be around $0.26 per share this year from $0.01 per share in 2023, and the revenue is expected to jump to $2.52 billion in 2025 from the predicted revenue of $1.96 billion in 2024.

As such, the stock has seen an uptick of 20% in the last one month. Moreover, 11 analysts are giving out buy rating for the stock, setting the target stock price at $4.37, forecasting an upside of a whopping 40.5%!

However, it might be disturbing to see that the stock has experienced a 15.7% decrease in its share price in the last one year, during which it also experienced net loss in the last quarter of 2023, giving out an EPS of negative $0.09 per share. The timid performance was attributed to lower gold production and sales volume which were both down from 352,769 ounces and 339,355 ounces in Q4 2022 to 256,921 ounces and 270,611 ounces, respectively, in Q4 2023.

Nevertheless, 19 hedge fund holders have held interest in the stock, worth $127 million, in which First Eagle Investment Management holds the most of it, worth $71.4 million - believing in the potential of Versamet Royalties and resulting boost to company's growth in coming years.

Overall BTG ranks 7th on our list of the best gold stocks to buy according to Reddit and Robinhood. You can visit 10 Best Gold Stocks to Buy According to Reddit and Robinhood to see the other gold stocks that are on hedge funds radar. While we acknowledge the potential of BTG 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 BTG but that trades at less than 5 times its earnings, check out our report about the cheapest AI stock.

READ NEXT: Analyst Sees a New $25 Billion Opportunity for NVIDIA and Jim Cramer is Recommending These 10 Stocks in June.

Disclosure: None. This article is originally published at Insider Monkey.
Key Insights

Bumi Armada Berhad's estimated fair value is RM0.58 based on 2 Stage Free Cash Flow to Equity

Current share price of RM0.57 suggests Bumi Armada Berhad is potentially trading close to its fair value

Analyst price target for ARMADA is RM0.68, which is 18% above our fair value estimate

In this article we are going to estimate the intrinsic value of Bumi Armada Berhad (KLSE:ARMADA) by projecting its future cash flows and then discounting them to today's value. Our analysis will employ the Discounted Cash Flow (DCF) model. Believe it or not, it's not too difficult to follow, as you'll see from our example!

We generally believe that a company's value is the present value of all of the cash it will generate in the future. However, a DCF is just one valuation metric among many, and it is not without flaws. If you still have some burning questions about this type of valuation, take a look at the Simply Wall St analysis model.

View our latest analysis for Bumi Armada Berhad

The Model

We're using the 2-stage growth model, which simply means we take in account two stages of company's growth. In the initial period the company may have a higher growth rate and the second stage is usually assumed to have a stable growth rate. To begin with, we have to get estimates of the next ten years of cash flows. Where possible we use analyst estimates, but when these aren't available we extrapolate the previous free cash flow (FCF) from the last estimate or reported value. We assume companies with shrinking free cash flow will slow their rate of shrinkage, and that companies with growing free cash flow will see their growth rate slow, over this period. We do this to reflect that growth tends to slow more in the early years than it does in later years.

Generally we assume that a dollar today is more valuable than a dollar in the future, so we need to discount the sum of these future cash flows to arrive at a present value estimate:

10-year free cash flow (FCF) forecast

2025 2026 2027 2028 2029 2030 2031 2032 2033 2034 Levered FCF (MYR, Millions) RM790.4m RM571.6m RM504.0m RM467.7m RM449.1m RM441.3m RM440.7m RM445.0m RM452.7m RM463.1m Growth Rate Estimate Source Analyst x2 Analyst x2 Est @ -11.82% Est @ -7.21% Est @ -3.98% Est @ -1.72% Est @ -0.14% Est @ 0.97% Est @ 1.74% Est @ 2.28% Present Value (MYR, Millions) Discounted @ 16% RM680 RM423 RM321 RM256 RM212 RM179 RM154 RM133 RM117 RM103

("Est" = FCF growth rate estimated by Simply Wall St)

Present Value of 10-year Cash Flow (PVCF) = RM2.6b

The second stage is also known as Terminal Value, this is the business's cash flow after the first stage. For a number of reasons a very conservative growth rate is used that cannot exceed that of a country's GDP growth. In this case we have used the 5-year average of the 10-year government bond yield (3.6%) to estimate future growth. In the same way as with the 10-year 'growth' period, we discount future cash flows to today's value, using a cost of equity of 16%.

Terminal Value (TV)= FCF 2034  (1 + g)  (r  g) = RM463m (1 + 3.6%)  (16% 3.6%) = RM3.8b

Present Value of Terminal Value (PVTV)= TV / (1 + r)10= RM3.8b ( 1 + 16%)10= RM838m

The total value, or equity value, is then the sum of the present value of the future cash flows, which in this case is RM3.4b. In the final step we divide the equity value by the number of shares outstanding. Relative to the current share price of RM0.6, the company appears about fair value at a 1.0% discount to where the stock price trades currently. Remember though, that this is just an approximate valuation, and like any complex formula - garbage in, garbage out.

dcf

Important Assumptions

We would point out that the most important inputs to a discounted cash flow are the discount rate and of course the actual cash flows. Part of investing is coming up with your own evaluation of a company's future performance, so try the calculation yourself and check your own assumptions. The DCF also does not consider the possible cyclicality of an industry, or a company's future capital requirements, so it does not give a full picture of a company's potential performance. Given that we are looking at Bumi Armada 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 16%, which is based on a levered beta of 2.000. Beta is a measure of a stock's volatility, compared to the market as a whole. We get our beta from the industry average beta of globally comparable companies, with an imposed limit between 0.8 and 2.0, which is a reasonable range for a stable business.

SWOT Analysis for Bumi Armada Berhad

Strength

Debt is well covered by earnings.

Weakness

Earnings declined over the past year.

Opportunity

Annual earnings are forecast to grow for the next 3 years.

Good value based on P/E ratio and estimated fair value.

Threat

Debt is not well covered by operating cash flow.

Annual earnings are forecast to grow slower than the Malaysian market.

Moving On:

Valuation is only one side of the coin in terms of building your investment thesis, and it is only one of many factors that you need to assess for a company. DCF models are not the be-all and end-all of investment valuation. Instead the best use for a DCF model is to test certain assumptions and theories to see if they would lead to the company being undervalued or overvalued. 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 Bumi Armada Berhad, we've put together three fundamental aspects you should look at:

Risks: For example, we've discovered 3 warning signs for Bumi Armada Berhad (1 is a bit unpleasant!) that you should be aware of before investing here. Future Earnings: How does ARMADA's growth rate compare to its peers and the wider market? Dig deeper into the analyst consensus number for the upcoming years by interacting with our free analyst growth expectation chart. Other Solid Businesses: Low debt, high returns on equity and good past performance are fundamental to a strong business. Why not explore our interactive list of stocks with solid business fundamentals to see if there are other companies you may not have considered!

PS. The Simply Wall St app conducts a discounted cash flow valuation for every stock on the KLSE every day. If you want to find the calculation for other stocks just search here.

Have feedback on this article? Concerned about the content? Get in touch with us directly. Alternatively, email editorial-team (at) simplywallst.com.



This article by Simply Wall St is general in nature. We provide commentary based on historical data and analyst forecasts only using an unbiased methodology and our articles are not intended to be financial advice. It does not constitute a recommendation to buy or sell any stock, and does not take account of your objectives, or your financial situation. We aim to bring you long-term focused analysis driven by fundamental data. Note that our analysis may not factor in the latest price-sensitive company announcements or qualitative material. Simply Wall St has no position in any stocks mentioned.

Have feedback on this article? Concerned about the content? Get in touch with us directly. Alternatively, email editorial-team@simplywallst.com
Key Insights

Given the large stake in the stock by institutions, DuPont de Nemours' stock price might be vulnerable to their trading decisions

A total of 25 investors have a majority stake in the company with 49% ownership

Insiders have been selling lately

To get a sense of who is truly in control of DuPont de Nemours, Inc. (NYSE:DD), it is important to understand the ownership structure of the business. We can see that institutions own the lion's share in the company with 73% ownership. Put another way, the group faces the maximum upside potential (or downside risk).

Given the vast amount of money and research capacities at their disposal, institutional ownership tends to carry a lot of weight, especially with individual investors. Therefore, a good portion of institutional money invested in the company is usually a huge vote of confidence on its future.

In the chart below, we zoom in on the different ownership groups of DuPont de Nemours.

See our latest analysis for DuPont de Nemours

What Does The Institutional Ownership Tell Us About DuPont de Nemours?

Institutional investors commonly compare their own returns to the returns of a commonly followed index. So they generally do consider buying larger companies that are included in the relevant benchmark index.

DuPont de Nemours already has institutions on the share registry. Indeed, they own a respectable stake in the company. This suggests some credibility amongst professional investors. But we can't rely on that fact alone since institutions make bad investments sometimes, just like everyone does. It is not uncommon to see a big share price drop if two large institutional investors try to sell out of a stock at the same time. So it is worth checking the past earnings trajectory of DuPont de Nemours, (below). Of course, keep in mind that there are other factors to consider, too.

Investors should note that institutions actually own more than half the company, so they can collectively wield significant power. We note that hedge funds don't have a meaningful investment in DuPont de Nemours. The company's largest shareholder is The Vanguard Group, Inc., with ownership of 11%. With 7.1% and 5.2% of the shares outstanding respectively, BlackRock, Inc. and Massachusetts Financial Services Company are the second and third largest shareholders.

Our studies suggest that the top 25 shareholders collectively control less than half of the company's shares, meaning that the company's shares are widely disseminated and there is no dominant shareholder.

Researching institutional ownership is a good way to gauge and filter a stock's expected performance. The same can be achieved by studying analyst sentiments. Quite a few analysts cover the stock, so you could look into forecast growth quite easily.

Story continues

Insider Ownership Of DuPont de Nemours

The definition of an insider can differ slightly between different countries, but members of the board of directors always count. Management ultimately answers to the board. However, it is not uncommon for managers to be executive board members, especially if they are a founder or the CEO.

Insider ownership is positive when it signals leadership are thinking like the true owners of the company. However, high insider ownership can also give immense power to a small group within the company. This can be negative in some circumstances.

Our data suggests that insiders own under 1% of DuPont de Nemours, Inc. in their own names. Being so large, we would not expect insiders to own a large proportion of the stock. Collectively, they own US$73m of stock. It is always good to see at least some insider ownership, but it might be worth checking if those insiders have been selling.

General Public Ownership

The general public, who are usually individual investors, hold a 27% stake in DuPont de Nemours. While this size of ownership may not be enough to sway a policy decision in their favour, they can still make a collective impact on company policies.

Next Steps:

I find it very interesting to look at who exactly owns a company. But to truly gain insight, we need to consider other information, too. For instance, we've identified 4 warning signs for DuPont de Nemours that you should be aware of.

If you are like me, you may want to think about whether this company will grow or shrink. Luckily, you can check this free report showing analyst forecasts for its future.

NB: Figures in this article are calculated using data from the last twelve months, which refer to the 12-month period ending on the last date of the month the financial statement is dated. This may not be consistent with full year annual report figures.

Have feedback on this article? Concerned about the content? Get in touch with us directly. Alternatively, email editorial-team (at) simplywallst.com.



This article by Simply Wall St is general in nature. We provide commentary based on historical data and analyst forecasts only using an unbiased methodology and our articles are not intended to be financial advice. It does not constitute a recommendation to buy or sell any stock, and does not take account of your objectives, or your financial situation. We aim to bring you long-term focused analysis driven by fundamental data. Note that our analysis may not factor in the latest price-sensitive company announcements or qualitative material. Simply Wall St has no position in any stocks mentioned.

Have feedback on this article? Concerned about the content? Get in touch with us directly. Alternatively, email editorial-team@simplywallst.com
Days ahead of 21 July, Trinamul Congress Martyrs Day, national general secretary of TMC and MP Abhishek Banerjee returned to Kolkata today.

About a month ago, Abhishek Banerjee had posted on X (formerly Twitter) seeking a temporary break from politics. He then flew abroad for medical treatment. After the Lok Sabha election results were announced, he posted on social media on 12 June, requesting a temporary break from politics. Since then, he had not been actively involved in politics. However, on 25 June, the Member of Parliament from Diamond Harbour took his oath in the Lok Sabha. After that, he went abroad. Sources said Abhishek had gone to America via Dubai for eye treatment. He returned to the city before 21 July. In his social media post in June, Abhishek stated, I am taking a temporary break from the organization for medical treatment. During this time, I will have the opportunity to better understand the needs of the common people. I believe the state government will swiftly and effectively solve peoples problems and ensure justice for them. At that time, Abhisheks post sparked considerable discussion in state politics.

Abhishek has eye problems and needs treatment at regular intervals. He also went abroad for treatment last year. This year, he had to go abroad for the same reason. There was curiosity within the Trinamul Congress about whether Abhishek would be present on the stage for the 21 July event. As he returned to the city on Friday, the entire Trinamul Congress is hopeful that Abhishek would speak at Sundays meeting.

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From Friday, workers and supporters from the districts will start arriving in Kolkata. There was curiosity within the Trinamul Congress about whether Abhishek would be present on stage on 21 July. As he returned to the city on Friday, the entire Trinamul Congress is hopeful that Abhishek will be present at Sundays meeting and will also deliver a speech.
The funeral ceremony for Captain Brijesh Thapa, who made the ultimate sacrifice during a confrontation with terrorists in the Doda district of Jammu and Kashmir, was conducted this morning.

A large number of individuals gathered at Ging in Lebong to witness the ceremony and bid farewell to the brave Captain Thapa.

Family members were among those present and tearfully paid their final respects to the late hero.

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The citizens of Darjeeling Hills observed the final rites today as a Gorkha priest recited hymns and performed traditional rituals in honour of the deceased.

The Army also honoured him with a gun salute.

Father of Captain Brijesh Thapa, Bhubnesh Thapa, a retired Colonel, lit the fire on his sons body as a final goodbye.

Although, I have experienced the loss of my son, I have also gained an abundance of love from numerous individuals throughout the country, including the Gorkha Community and the Indian Army, as well as from media outlets. Therefore, I do not feel any true sense of loss, said Bhubnesh Thapa.

The remains of the brave soldier were taken to Siliguri on Wednesday and then returned to his hometown, Lebong in Darjeeling on Thursday.

Throughout our familys lineage, we have proudly served in the Indian Army. My father was a member of this esteemed military. The Gorkhas have dedicated themselves to serving our country in a remarkable manner. My son, Brijesh, is a shining example and a source of motivation for those undergoing training in the Indian Army. Our soldiers are prepared to give their all, even to the point of death, as they have been trained to do so in service of our nation and homeland, said the bereaved father.

Brijesh joined the Indian Army in 2019 and served in 145 Army Air Defence before being on Extra Regimental Duty with 10 Rashtriya Rifles for the past two years.

Bhubnesh Thapa said, We do not view it from a political perspective. Gorkhas play a vital role in serving the country as members of the Indian Army, which is a unique aspect of their identity.

Additional ceremonies as a component of concluding customs will take place on the 27 July, said family sources.
Elon Musks continued gripes with California, where more than one in five new cars sold are electric, is losing him customers to Rivian.

Industry data on Thursday revealed demand for new Teslas in the Golden State plummeted 24% to 52,211 vehicles in Q2, based on registrations recorded post-sale when a vehicles title is processed.

The latest figures mark Teslas third consecutive three-month period of declines compared to the previous year, suggesting that the volume of its existing range may have peaked in 2023 when it hit 230,500 vehicles.

Teslas allure seems to be wearing off, said the California New Car Dealers Association (CNCDA), which published the figures it sources from Experian Automotive.

Meanwhile, registrations of its Rivian soared 69% this quarter to 3,742 vehicles, making it the fastest-growing major brand in California.

The Rivian R1S crossover has climbed one spot to become the third best-selling non-Tesla EV behind only the Hyundai Ioniq 5 and Ford Mustang Mach-E.

One well-known Tesla owner from Malibu who frequently uploads videos of Full-Self Driving beta tests to social media under her avatar @MissJilliane, posted on Tuesday after Musk publicly endorsed Trump that she, too, was thinking of ditching her Tesla for a Rivian.

EVs are hot in California

California is crucial for Teslas business since the EV share of the state's new car market at 21.4% is nearly three times the U.S. average of 7.5% in 2023.

Of the nearly 381,000 electric vehicles sold in the state that year across all car brands, six out of ten were Tesla cars.

Even when conventional combustion vehicles are included in the mix, the Model 3 was Californias best-selling passenger car in 2023, surpassing the Toyota Camry, while the Model Y proved the states most popular vehicle of any kind.

The brand even briefly eclipsed Toyota as the number one choice for buyers in the state when Tesla sales nearly hit 69,000 cars in the second quarter of last year.

To be clear, Tesla still dominates the states EV market with a 53% market share in the first half of 2024.

That means all other competitors combined still sell fewer EVs than Musk.

Rivian had a share of just 3.6%, by comparison.

Yet that also means California is Teslas market to lose, and Musk does not appear to be doing his company any favors by constantly agitating against left-leaning issues popular among many of his mainly progressive customers.

Story continues

After formally endorsing Trump on Sunday, the entrepreneur then followed up with news on Tuesday he was moving the headquarters of both SpaceX and X Corp to Texas.

He cited a controversial new state law called AB1955 that prohibits teachers from discussing childrens sexual identity with their parentsfor Musk the final straw.

This is the final straw. Because of this law and the many others that preceded it, attacking both families and companies, SpaceX will now move its HQ from Hawthorne, California, to Starbase, Texas. https://t.co/cpWUDgBWFe  Elon Musk (@elonmusk) July 16, 2024

He had already voiced his displeasure with Sacramento when he moved the headquarters of Tesla three years ago during the pandemic.

The demanding CEO had repeatedly clashed with county health officials over the operation of his Fremont vehicle factory, the largest in North America, which produced some 560,00 cars last year.

Musk has won over many new conservative converts to his social media business, which rebranded last year to eliminate any association it still had with legacy Twitter.

But this doesnt help him when it comes to Tesla, since the new cohort he recruited to boost advertising-relevant traffic on his X platform typically takes a very dim view of the environmentally friendly EVs predominantly preferred by voters on the left.

This story was originally featured on Fortune.com
Police allegedly assaulted a couple while they rushed to the Barasat Government Medical College Hospital (BGMCH) to see their dead son, a Class XI student of a school in Salt Lake, at the hospital on Thursday night.

Police, however, denied the charge and claimed that the bereaved parents lost their temper after the sudden death of their son and attacked some police personnel, including Tapas Mondal, in-charge of the police outpost at BGMCH.

Trouble started when Ongikar Dasgupta, a resident of Dum Dum area, was brought dead to the state-run teaching hospital around 9.30 pm on Thursday. Ongikar, while going back home from school fell down from the bus in which he was travelling near Haldiram outlet along VIP Road, under Baguiati police station on 5.30 pm.

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He was rushed to the BGMCH, later in the evening by three policemen of Baguiati PS, police sources said.

Ongikars father Anjan Dasgupta, a college teacher, and his mother Kasturi Dasgupta, a school mistress, along with their relatives somehow came to know about the accident and rushed to the hospitals emergency ward to know about his condition.

According to hospital sources, the parents alleged that the police didnt inform them about the incident and they came to know about it from their own sources.

Policemen, who rushed Ongikar to the hospital from the accident site, could not even give any clue about the condition of Ongikar to his parents and relatives who in sheer anxiety were desperately looking for him. Later, the doctors who attended to Ongikar informed the parents that he was brought dead to the hospital. And his body was sent to the police morgue at the hospital before his family members reached the hospital.

The Dasguptas and their relatives protested against the police and hospital authorities for shifting the body to the morgue without informing them anything.

Tension prevailed inside the hospital premises when angry relatives allegedly abused policemen and suddenly slapped Mr Mondal, police sources said.

Considering the situation getting out of control, the police outpost at the hospital informed the Barasat PS to send force immediately.

Police dragged out Ongikars agitating parents and took them to the Barasat police station to bring the situation under control at the hospital premises. Later in the night, with the intervention of Barasat PS, the parents were taken back to the morgue at the hospital so that they could see their son for the last time.

A senior police officer of the outpost said, We can feel the mental shock of the parents and relatives after losing Ongikar forever. It was the natural outburst of the parents, who assaulted some of us.

His body will be handed over to his family after the post-mortem is done today. We have arranged a vehicle of the Barasat Municipality to carry the body to their Dum Dum residence, a senior police officer said.
JSW Steel on Friday reported a 64 per cent decline in the consolidated net profit to Rs 845 crore for the April-June quarter of 2024-25 on the back of lower sales volume and realisation.

The Sajjan Jindal-led company had made a net profit of Rs 2,338 crore in the same quarter last year.

Consolidated crude steel production for the quarter stood at 6.35 million tonnes (mt), lower by 1 per cent Y-o-Y and 6 per cent Q-o-Q. Capacity utilisation at the Indian operations was 87 per cent during the quarter. Steel realisations have been impacted by imports at lower prices.

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The company said that elevated imports, particularly from China and Free Trade Agreement (FTA) countries, pose a challenge to the domestic steel industry. However, the company expects the growth momentum in domestic steel consumption in India, driven by manufacturing, infrastructure development, and optimistic consumer sentiment.

JSW Steels exports were 29 per cent lower Y-o-Y and constituted 10 per cent of sales from the Indian operations for Q1 FY25 compared to 15 per cent of sales in Q1 FY24.

In its statement, the company said that government capital expenditure was expected to recover in the coming quarters, supported by robust tax revenues and higher Reserve Bank of India (RBI) dividend, providing fiscal flexibility.

JSW Steels net debt as of June 30, 2024, stood at Rs 80,199 crore, higher by Rs 6,283 crore as of March 31, 2024, due to investment in ongoing expansion projects and investment in working capital.
Delhi Mayor Shelly Oberoi on Saturday requested Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman to release central government funds for the development and maintenance of the city.

The Mayor requested the Union Finance Minister to release Rs 10,000 crore for Delhi, of which she said Rs 5,000 crore will be used to enhance sanitation and cleanliness, Rs 3,000 crore for upgrading and repairing roads in residential colonies, and Rs 2,000 crore for maintaining and beautifying parks.

At a joint press conference addressed by Delhi Minister Atishi and Mayor Shelly Oberoi, the minister stated that the Delhi government has demanded its fair share in the Union Budget. Atishi called for a Rs 10,000 crore allocation in the budget, which is set to be presented on 23rd July.

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Claiming that the Municipal Corporation of Delhi receives no funds from the Centre, Atishi alleged that while states like Uttar Pradesh and Maharashtra receive substantial allocations for local bodies, Delhi continues to be neglected.

Mayor Oberoi emphasised that the Kejriwal government has already allocated Rs 6,060 crore to the MCD and urged the Centre to provide the taxpayers of Delhi with what they deserve.

Senior AAP leader and minister Atishi further said that the central government collects taxes from other states and allocates part of this revenue to its policies, a portion as tax shares to different state governments, and some part to urban local bodies.

Every state in the country gets this money, she added.

She further claimed, Delhi is the only state in the entire country that does not receive a single penny as its tax share from the central government. Neither the Delhi government nor the Municipal Corporation of Delhi has received a single rupee from the central government to date.

She questioned, I want to ask the BJP-led central government what crime the people of Delhi have committed. The people of Delhi work hard, pay income tax honestly, and contribute to the development of the country. Yet, Delhiites do not receive a single penny from the central government for the development of their own city.

Atishi further stated, This time we are demanding a budget allocation of Rs 10,000 crore for the MCD from the central budget. Delhi Mayor Shelly Oberoi has also written a letter to the Finance Minister in this regard. This amount is only 5 per cent of the income tax paid by the people of Delhi.

The Delhi Mayor claimed that while the central government gives money from the budget to all states and their municipal corporations, Delhi does not get any money.
An employee who fled with Rs 60 lakh cash of his employer was arrested here on Saturday, said police.

The man identified as Mangal, used to work for a businessman, and used to carry his cash and deliver it to the clients.

According to the complainant, on December 31, 2022, he handed over a bag containing Rs 60 lakh and some foreign currency to the accused for delivering the same to another businessman.

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The complainant added that due to the night hours, the accused stayed at his house. The very next day, he went to handover the bag to the businessman.

But, at about 5 pm, the accused made a call and informed them that the said bag had been snatched by some unknown person near Paharganj flyover.

He further added that the accused started making lame excuses to not register any case but once the case was registered, he eloped and was untraceable.

The police with the help of technical surveillance tracked him down and he was nabbed. On interrogation, he confessed that the cash was not snatched by someone and he faked the whole story, added the police.

It was further revealed by the cops that the accused had bought a car, jewelry and other household items from the stolen money.

Meanwhile, in another case, the Delhi Police arrested one housemaid in Dwarka area, who stole gold jewellery from her employers house.

According to the police, the accused Neetu was employed by the complainant only three days before the theft was committed.

During the interrogation, Neetu revealed that she made reels for social media platforms and somebody advised her to buy a DSLR camera for better video quality.

She added that she could not afford the camera, which cost around one lakh rupees, so she stole the jewellery from her employers house.

The police said in a statement that the accused faked her address to avoid her arrest. It added that the stolen jewellery was recovered from her possession.
The New Delhi Municipal Council (NDMC) on Saturday launched an intensive drive to check and clean all 8,704 bell mouths alongside the main roads to prevent water logging incidents.

With the aim to prevent the water logging incidents in the ongoing monsoon season, NDMC has launched an intensive drive from 20th July to 22nd July to check and clean all the bell mouths alongside roads in its jurisdiction, the civic body said.

The NDMC said it has 8,704 bell mouths alongside all the main roads under the six divisions of Road Engineering Service. The six roads divisions are headed by Executive Engineers and report to the Superintending Engineers under the Chief Engineer.

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In this special drive, all the divisions are gearing up for checking and cleaning of every bell mouth under their jurisdiction. The drive is being carried out by a special team including 17 Assistant Engineers and 28 Junior Engineers, 1,500 field staff and other workers under six Executive Engineers, the civic body said.

The NDMC said Each Executive Engineer has been directed to achieve the program target and assigned specific numbers of bell mouths to ensure the checking and cleaning under the set target.

These Executive Engineers are inspecting and monitoring the overall progress of each area Junior and Assistant Engineers work, it said.

The civic body said the Superintending Engineers are directed and assigned to conduct surprise visits to check the progress in a time bound manner.

The daily progress report and percentage target achieved shall be compiled by each circle and Superintending Engineers shall forward for compilation to monitoring at higher level, it added.
Union Minister for Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises Jitan Ram Manjhi has had an extensive political career, including serving as the 23rd chief minister of Bihar from 20 May 2014 to 22 February 2015.

He is also the founder of Hindustani Awam Morcha (HAM). Previously, he had served as minister for scheduled castes and scheduled tribes welfare in Nitish Kumars cabinet. With his vast experience and dedication to public service, the HAM chief continues to make significant contribution to Indias political landscape. In an interview with Nikhil Vyas of The Statesman, Manjhi (79) gets candid about the MSME sector and ways to strengthen it. Excerpts:

Q: How significant is the role of the MSME sector in India in terms of its contribution to GDP, exports and employment opportunities for the new generation?

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A: The micro, small, and medium enterprises (MSMEs) sector holds immense significance in India, far surpassing large industries in employment generation and economic contribution. While there are around 25,000 large industries across the country, they employ fewer people compared to the millions engaged in the MSME sector, which collectively employs about 60 million people. This sector contributes significantly to Indias GDP, accounting for 30 per cent of productivity. Despite this, considering Indias 1.4 billion population, there is a need to employ at least 800-900 million people to improve the conditions for the poor. Our focus is on promoting MSMEs to achieve this employment target. Historically, India thrived on local industries, with artisans and diverse rural enterprises sustaining livelihoods. While the governments efforts continue, achieving a balanced livelihood for rural communities relies heavily on supporting small enterprises through training and financial assistance. We need to re-embrace the rural culture rather than adopt the market culture.

Q: What are the key challenges in achieving the goal of contributing 50 per cent to Indias GDP, and transitioning into a developed country?

A: Our government aims for MSMEs to contribute 50 per cent to Indias GDP and envisions a developed nation status by 2047. Prime Minister Narendra Modis focus on promoting khadi, coir, and village industries underscores commitment to empowering rural areas, making production cost-effective and enhancing local availability of goods. By meeting local needs effectively, India will bolster its capabilities, laying the groundwork for realizing the vision of becoming a developed nation by 2047.

Q: If our goal is to promote such enterprises, how can we tailor our focus to support each category individually? What is your perspective on nurturing the ecosystem for new entrepreneurs?

A: No one has paid so much attention to this sector in the past. However, no work is small. It is crucial to promote and support MSMEs individually. Today, they need financial support, training, and increased visibility. It is crucial to engage youth in small and medium enterprises. The motto Transform agriculture into industry, prioritize selfemployment over dependency should guide our path forward. While many prioritize traditional jobs, even small-capital ventures are worthwhile. The prime ministers focus on rural areas has led to the establishment of many technical and cluster centers, or development commissionaires aimed at promoting business in villages. Institutions such as KVIC (Khadi and Village Industries Commission), coir industry, and NSIC (National Small Industries Corporation) have been set up to facilitate the establishment of small industries. These initiatives have accelerated industrial growth in rural areas, actively promoting and supporting small and medium-scale enterprises.

Q: How do you plan to prioritize innovation, new technology and exports in this sector? What steps will you take to enhance capacity building for the future?

A: Despite technological advances, many people still prefer handmade clothes, which are often cheaper to stitch in villages than in cities. Thus, it is crucial to focus on skill development in rural areas. In the context of Skill India, our nation already possesses significant skills, minimizing the need for extensive learning from other countries. While promoting technology remains crucial, reviving traditional skills prevalent in villages is equally important. For instance, transitioning to compost manure instead of chemical fertilizers can enhance the overall health of our country. The coir industry, for example, presents vast opportunities, with a substantial market for products made from coconut shells.

Q: What are the next steps regarding central schemes such as Mudra loan, Credit Guarantee Scheme, PM Vishwakarma and the recently launched TEAM scheme?

A: Our commitment is to support banks while tackling issues such as corruption within larger institutions. Despite these challenges, the government ensures timely subsidies, although there may be delays of two to four months. To address this, we are increasingly involving self-help groups, where millions of women are actively participating. These groups, typically consisting of 100-200 members, pool small amounts of capital and offer loans ranging from Rs 10,000 to Rs 20,000, which are repaid within the group. This model has proven highly successful. Our priority is to ensure that micro and small industry groups derive maximum benefit from the government without external dependencies. Similar to agricultural credit cards, we are exploring the concept of MSME cards. These cards would enable automatic loan approvals when cardholders approach banks. This initiative aims to reduce reliance on traditional banking channels.

Q: Many entrepreneurs migrate to other states in search of better facilities. What strategies do you propose to prevent this migration?

A: The ministry of MSME plans to establish technical centres across the country. However, issues arise in some states like West Bengal, where obtaining land becomes complicated due to bureaucratic hurdles. In such cases, we consider relocating these centres to more cooperative states to ensure smooth implementation. It is essential to have harmony between state and central governments for the advancement of MSMEs. Currently, there is an imbalance in MSME development, with more progress seen in south India compared to north India. This issue requires political foresight and dialogue with state leadership. For instance, concerns have been raised about the effectiveness of MSME initiatives in states like Odisha. Our approach is guided by the belief that leadership should ensure equitable development across all states. We are committed to learning and adopting strategies  be it through financial support, establishing cluster centres, or engaging in public-private partnerships (PPPs)  to foster MSME growth nationwide.
Amid the surge in terror attacks in the Jammu region, Army Chief General Upendra Dwivedi arrived here on Saturday and reviewed the security situation along the Line of Control (LOC) and hinterland.

He took stock of the situation particularly in the Doda and Kathua districts where nine Army soldiers, including a Captain and a JCO, were recently lost their life in two ambushes by terrorists. A CRPF jawan was also killed in the Hiranagar area of Kathua.

He was also informed about infiltration attempts of terrorists through the LOC.

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Sources said that the Army chief underscored the imperative of synergy and seamless coordination between all Armed Forces and security agencies to maintain peace and stability in the region.

He exhorted them to remain steadfast to meet all current and emerging security challenges. The deliberations focused on the prevailing security dynamics in the region, sources said.

Top brass of the Army, CRPF, BSF, J&K Police and central and state intelligence agencies were present in the meeting. This was the second visit of the Army chief to Jammu in less than three weeks after taking charge as the 30th chief of the Indian Army on 30 June.
In the wake of violent clashes in Jharkhand, Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma on Saturday criticised the states handling of the Ram Navami celebrations and accused the Jharkhand government of playing a partisan role.

Sarma, who is the BJP in charge of Jharkhand, alleged that the government allowed Muharram rallies while denying permissions for Ram Navami processions. He described the situation as a sign of mismanagement and discrimination under the current administration.

In Mahudi, our Hindu community made a small request for permission to bring the Ram Navami flag here. However, permission was denied to the Hindu community, while others were granted permission for Muharram, Sarma said.

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Violent clashes broke out on Muharram in Barkagaon after police used force to evict demonstrators as a precautionary measure, resulting in 20 persons getting injured.

Sarma, who visited injured police personnel at RIMS Hospital in Ranchi, expressed concern over the conditions faced by the police force.

On July 19, tensions flared when around 2,000 Sahayak Police, demanding regularisation of their services, clashed with regular police. The altercation began when the Sahayak Police attempted to breach barricades near the Chief Ministers residence, leading to a violent confrontation.
Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge and other leaders of the party on Saturday paid rich tributes to former Delhi Chief Minister Sheila Dikshit on her death anniversary.

In a post on X, Kharge, who is also the Leader of Opposition in Rajya Sabha, said, Recalling the contribution of Former Chief Minister of Delhi, Sheila Dikshit, who transformed the city, through her visionary leadership, progressive policies, and unbridled dedication to the well-being of its citizens, leaving a lasting legacy of inclusivity and growth.

Our tributes on her punyatithi, he said.

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Congresss national Treasurer Ajay Maken and partys Delhi unit chief Devender Yadav also paid floral tributes at the portrait of the former Delhi Chief Minister on the occasion.

Remembering Dikshit, Maken has recalled her contribution for Delhi.

Sheila Dikshit government worked as a united team to carry out the all-round development of the city, as the focus was on work, not on individuals, as had happened in the case of the Aam Aadmi Party and the BJP, which only practiced personality worship, thereby stalling the development works of the capital, Yadav said.

The Delhi Congress chief further said, During the Congress regime, there was never ever the question of streets getting water-logged during monsoon, air becoming toxic with vehicular fumes and dusts from the broken roads and streets, falling standard of education in government schools due to disturbed conditions, creaky infrastructure, lack of teaching staff etc and the pitiable condition of Government hospitals, preventing the poor from getting any kind of medicare.
Veteran Congress leader Digvijaya Singh met Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Mohan Yadav on Friday amid an ongoing row over alleged irregularities in nursing colleges in the state.

The former Chief Minister urged CM Yadav to take prompt action against those who destroyed the future of lakhs of nursing students.

The Congress has been relentlessly demanding the resignation of Minister Vishvas Sarang, who was the Medical Education Minister when the nursing college scam surfaced.

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CM Yadav has said that already initiated action against the officials involved in the alleged irregularities and has assured that the truth will come out after the CBI probe in this matter. However, the Congress has accused the BJP-led state government of shielding its minister Sarang and some top officials associated with the Medical Education Department.
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Credit: Firefly Aerospace/Sean Parker

Firefly Aerospace has announced its chief executive has left the company.

Rocket maker Firefly Aerospace announced on July 17 that Bill Weber will no longer serve as CEO of the company, effective immediately. The move follows reports the company was investigating allegations of an inappropriate relationship between Weber and a female employee.

"Firefly board member Peter Schumacher will serve as interim CEO while the board initiates a search," the Firefly statement read. "Schumacher previously served in this role at Firefly and will lead the company's more than 700 passionate, hardworking, and talented professionals." The short statement did not provide reasons for nor the manner of Weber's departure.

The change in Firefly leadership follows the successful launch of eight cubesats for NASA via Firefly Aerospace's Alpha rocket earlier this month.

In June, Firefly announced it would be adding the capability to launch Alpha from the Mid-Atlantic Regional Spaceport (MARS) on Wallops Island, Virginia. The capability will support "to support rapid, on-demand missions for government and commercial customers," meaning those with very short notice.

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 Firefly Aerospace launches 8 cubesats to orbit on 5th-ever launch (video)

 New record! Firefly Aerospace launches Space Force mission 27 hours after receiving order

 NASA selects Firefly Aerospace for mission to moon's far side in 2026

Firefly has previously launched such missions on behalf of the U.S. Space Force, including the Victus Nox mission, which was launched in under 27 hours from the time the company received the order.

Last month Firefly also reached an agreement with the Swedish Space Corporation to launch satellites from Esrange in Sweden. The cooperation means Firefly is set to become the first U.S. company to launch satellites from continental Europe.

Alpha launched for the first time in September 2021 but failed shortly after liftoff. It reached orbit for the first time on its second launch, in October 2022.
Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri on Saturday concluded a two-day official visit to Bhutan, strengthening the unique bonds of friendship and cooperation between the two countries. This was Mr Misris first visit abroad after taking charge as Indias top diplomat, reflecting the importance India attaches to its ties with Bhutan.

During the visit, he received an audience with Bhutan King Jigme Khesar Namgyel Wangchuck and also called on Prime Minister Dasho Tshering Tobgay. Mr Misri co-chaired the third India- Bhutan Development Cooperation Talks for the 13th Five Year Plan (FYP) of Bhutan, with Bhutan Foreign Secretary Pema Choden, a joint statement said.

India and Bhutan share an exemplary partnership characterized by trust, goodwill and mutual understanding at all levels, strong bonds of friendship and close people-to-people contacts.

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The two sides held wide-ranging discussions on all aspects of bilateral cooperation including development partnership, energy, trade and investment, connectivity and trade infrastructure, technology, people-to-people ties, as well as other regional issues of mutual importance.

During his state visit to Bhutan in March, Prime Minister Narendra Modi had announced Indias development support of Nu. 100 billion (INR 10,000 Crores) for Bhutans 13th Five Year Plan period.

The Royal Government of Bhutan conveyed appreciation for the invaluable support that India continues to provide for its socio-economic development. During the plan talks, the two sides discussed various components of the assistance and implementation modalities for India-assisted development projects.

The Bhutanese side presented the Project Tied Assistance (PTA) proposals as well as the first tranche of the PTA projects to be implemented during the 13th Five Year Plan period. A total of 61 projects amounting Nu. 49.58 billion (INR 4,958 Crores), covering sectors such as connectivity, infrastructure, energy, skill development, education, health, cultural heritage, capacity building, industrial parks, sports, youth exchanges, digital economy, e-mobility, and space technology were approved by the two sides, in line with the vision of the King of Bhutan, and the priorities of the Royal Government and people of Bhutan.

The two Foreign Secretaries virtually inaugurated 19 schools, which were constructed during the 12th FYP period.

The Royal Government informed India of the activities proposed to be conducted under the Economic Stimulus Programme (ESP). Further, as per the request of the Royal Government, the Indian side agreed to positively consider frontloading the full amount of Nu. 15 billion (INR 1,500 Crores) of ESP in the first one and half years subject to progress on implementation of proposals.
Congress Member of Parliament Gaurav Gogoi on Saturday said that in the name of certain community, politics is going on in Uttar Pradesh and Assam.

After the 2024 Lok Sabha elections, the BJP is not able to digest its moral defeat. So it has returned to the path of communal politics. If an order has come that directs shopkeepers to display their names on their food stalls in Uttar Pradesh during the Kanwar yatra, in Assam politics is going on about the population of a certain community, Gogoi said.

He lambasted Yogi government in Uttar Pradesh for their recent order that mandates shopkeepers to display their name in front of the stall saying that the move is to incite communal tension as the BJP is not able to take into their stride the defeat they suffered in Lok Sabha elections in the state.

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The deputy leader of Congress in Parliament said the BJP has again returned to communal politics not able to digest the moral defeat.

The Congress MP also slammed the Himanta Biswa Sarma-led Assam government which decided to repeal the Assam Muslim Marriages and Divorce Registration Act of 1935 to prevent child marriage and ensure parity in marriage and divorce registration.

Gogoi said that it is clear from the Lok Sabha results that people have rejected the BJPs narrative of communal politics.

Gogoi pointed out that our names help people identify us on the basis of our caste, religion or tribe, which may create divisions in society.

In India, our names signify our caste, our religion, and our tribe. Does the BJP want to create a society where people will decide whether to go to a shop or not, based on caste, religion or caste? Can that society remain united, peaceful, our believe in brotherhood. Is it according to what Dr Babasaheb Ambedkars Constitution stated he questioned.
Union Electronics and IT Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw on Friday said the IT Ministry is continually in touch with tech giant Microsoft to help impacted entities after a massive global outage due to a third-party software update in Windows affected airlines, banks, hospitals and more.

In a fresh post on social media platform X, he informed that Microsoft is actively working with impacted entities.

In addition, CERT-In is coordinating with CISOs of critical infrastructure entities. All impacted entities are working to bring up their systems. In many cases, systems are partially up, the Union Minister said.

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Millions of Microsoft Windows users experienced the Blue Screen of Death error that caused their computers to shut down or restart.

The government has also issued an advisory on the outage of Microsoft Windows owing to the CrowdStrike agent Falcon Sensor update.

The CERT-In said it has been reported that Windows hosts related to the cyber-security platform CrowdStrike agent Falcon Sensor are facing outages and crashing due to a recent update received in the product. The concerned Windows hosts are experiencing a Blue Screen of Death (BSOD) related to Falcon Sensor.

Meanwhile, former Union Minister Rajeev Chandrasekhar told IANS that he hopes Microsoft will restore its services soon.

Microsoft 365 and Microsoft Suite are used by millions of Indians. Any disruption on this platform disrupts the business and operations of many companies. The government will work with Microsoft to ensure that services are restored as soon as possible, he said.
The Ministry of Civil Aviation on Saturday confirmed that airline systems at airports across India have resumed normal operations hours after a massive global Microsoft outage disrupted services across the world.

In a press statement, the ministry said that it expects all issues will be fully resolved by noon today.

Flight operations are going smoothly now. By noon today, we expect all issues to be resolved, the civil aviation ministry said.

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Despite Microsofts announcement on Friday that their services were restored, several major Indian airports, including Mumbai, New Delhi, and Chennai, continued to face technical difficulties on Saturday.

Passengers encountered considerable delays, including long lines at check-in counters and sluggish processing times.

Air India stated that while no flights were canceled due to the outage, there were some delays linked to the disruptions at airport services.

The airline assured that its internal IT infrastructure remained unaffected and continued to operate as usual.

What caused the global Microsoft outage?

The outage, which began on July 19, resulted from a technical problem involving an update from CrowdStrikes Falcon Sensor threat-monitoring software.

This update inadvertently caused a crash in Microsofts Windows operating system. CrowdStrike, a global cybersecurity firm, quickly identified and addressed the issue with corrective measures.

Meanwhile, at Delhis Indira Gandhi International Airport, passengers continued to experience extended delays and queues, particularly affecting IndiGo flights.

One traveler told a news agency that their flight was delayed by at least half an hour and that there were significant queues and delays affecting many flights.
The Mysuru district unit of the Congress met Police Commissioner Seema Latkar on Friday and filed a complaint against RTI activists Gangaraju and Snehamayi Krishna, who brought out the Mysuru Urban Development Authority (MUDA) land allotment scam allegedly involving Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah.

Demanding action against the activists, a delegation of Congress workers alleged that both had conspired to malign the Chief Ministers image.

The delegation comprised Mysuru Rural Congress President B.J. Vijaykumar; Spokesperson and close confidante of CM Siddaramaiah, M. Laxmana; and partys Mysuru City chief R. Murthy.

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Reacting to the development, Union Minister H.D. Kumaraswamy accused the state government of harassing RTI activists who exposed the Mysuru Urban Development Authority (MUDA) land allocation scam involving the family of Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah.

In a statement, Kumaraswamy said, The opposition parties questioning scandals have been suppressed in the legislature. RTI activists dedicated to uncovering the truth are being oppressed through abuse of power.

Police cannot stifle the truth. The records clearly show who the real culprits of the MUDA scam are. Despite this, the state Congress is engaging in vindictive politics against the RTI activists who unearthed the truth, he added.
Since his government is focussing on completing Amaravati Capital city and Polavaram dam in the next five years, Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister and TDP president N Chandrababu Naidu has asked his party MPs to focus on these two projects and ensure funds from the Centre for these two projects.

YSRCP chief YS Jagan Mohan Reddy, on the other hand, has asked his MPs to highlight the atrocities unleashed on party leaders and cadres in the upcoming Parliament session. The YSRCP has announced that it will hold a protest rally at New Delhi on 24 July. Union Minister Ram Mohan Naidu has accused YS Jagan Mohan Reddy of trying to run away from the state Assembly, which will also be in session by organising dharna in New Delhi.

Ahead of the Parliament session, Naidu met the TDP MPs at his residence in Undavalli today. Naidu stressed on securing central funds for the two key projects in the state. With 16 MPs, the TDP is a key ally of the NDA and each of the MPs have been assigned a specific department to ensure they coordinate with the central government.

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He wants the MPs to bring Union Ministers to the state and ensure the Central government provides funds to various schemes in the state. He also told them to take the ministers from the state government to meet the central ministers in Delhi.

The Chief Minister, who visited Delhi last week, wanted MPs to focus on Amaravati and Polavaram so that both key projects can be completed within the next five years. He also wanted the MPs to focus on the promises made under the AP Reorganisation Act as well as on the revival of Vizag Steel Plant.

We are going with a new way of coordinating between the central government and state government keeping the MPs as a bridge here. We understand the huge mandate given by the people of AP towards NDA With the state reeling under financial crisis because of the leadership of erstwhile chief minister Jagan Mohan Reddy who has left the whole state bankrupt today and the debt situation is more than Rs10 lakh crores, said Union Minister Ram Mohan Naidu.

YS Jagan Mohan Reddy also held a meeting with party MPs before the upcoming Parliament session. He instructed the 11 Rajya Sabha and 4 Lok Sabha MPs to raise the incidents of violence and deteriorating law and order situation in the state, particularly the hacking of a party worker in Vinukonda.

He urged the MPs to demand a discussion on the issue and imposition of the Presidents Rule in the state. He also said he has sought appointments with President Draupadi Murmu, Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Union Home Minister Amit Shah. He wanted MPs to seek support from other parties on the issue.
A total of 998 Indian students have so far returned to India from Bangladesh in the wake of violent protests in the neighbouring country over a quota system for government jobs.

Thus far, 778 Indian students have returned to India through various land ports. In addition, around 200 students have returned home by regular flight services through Dhaka and Chittagong airports, the Ministry of External Affairs said on Saturday.

The MEA said the Indian High Commission in Dhaka and Assistant High Commissions in Chittagong, Rajshahi, Sylhet and Khulna are in regular touch with more than 4000 students remaining in various universities in Bangladesh and are providing them necessary assistance.

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Students from Nepal and Bhutan have also been assisted with their crossing into India on request.

In coordination with the local authorities, measures are being taken by the High Commission and the Assistant High Commissions to facilitate safe travel to the border crossing points along the India-Bangladesh International Border.

The MEA is also coordinating with civil aviation, immigration, land ports and BSF authorities to ensure a smooth passage for Indian citizens.

It said the Indian authorities are in regular touch with the Bangladesh authorities to ensure safety and security of Indian nationals and students.

Security escorts have also been arranged, where necessary, for their travel by road during repatriation through select land ports.

The High Commission in Dhaka is also coordinating with civil aviation authorities of Bangladesh and commercial airlines to ensure uninterrupted flight services to India from Dhaka and Chittagong, which can be used by Indian nationals to return to home.

The High Commission of India in Dhaka and the Assistant High Commissions of India in Bangladesh remain available for any assistance required by Indian nationals through the emergency contact numbers, the MEA added.

According to MEA spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal, there are nearly 15000 Indian nationals residing in Bangladesh. All Indian nationals in the neighbouring country are safe, he said.

We have issued a travel advisory for Indian nationals to be in touch with the High Commission so as to render them any assistance that they may need, the spokesperson said, adding that External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar is personally monitoring the situation.
The 46th World Heritage Committee Meeting beginning in New Delhi on Sunday will showcase Indias diverse and unique cultural and natural heritage to the world, taking the countrys cultural glory to new heights, according to Union Minister of Culture and Tourism Gajendra Singh Shekhawat.

The meeting, hosted by India for the first time, is scheduled to conclude on 31 July. It will be inaugurated by Prime Minister of India Narendra Modi tomorrow.

The inaugural ceremony will also be graced by Madam Audrey Azoulay, Director General, UNESCO and other senior officers from the UNESCO World Heritage Secretariat along with other high-level dignitaries like Culture Ministers, Ambassadors, and domain experts from various countries.

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Mr Shekhawat highlighted that this is the first mega event to be hosted by India in the third term of Prime Minister Modi. He applauded the Culture Ministry for organizing this meeting with a whole-of-government approach within a short span of 40 days.

The international meeting of this scale will further strengthen Indias soft power in the world and provide an opportunity for global audience and outreach, he added.

Highlighting the logo of the 46th World Heritage Committee meeting, the minister said it is inspired by the World Heritage Site of Hampi.

The 46th World Heritage Committee meeting is being organized by the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI), on behalf of the Ministry of Culture. It will bring together delegates from across the globe to discuss and collaborate on preserving our shared cultural, natural and mixed heritage. It is a significant step towards Indias ever-increasing stature in fostering global cooperation and ensuring the protection of World Heritage properties.
Ace film maker and staunch Ambedkarite, Pa Ranjith, took the political plunge with a massive rally on Saturday to demand justice for the slain Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) state president K Armstrong.

Keeping the heat on the DMK government on the issue and seeking speedy justice, Ranjith organised the memorial rally under the banner of his Neelam Publications. Several hundreds of supporters and activists, including Kollywood celebrities, joined the procession which culminated in a public meeting at the Rajarathinam stadium in the city.

This is the first time that the trend-setting film maker had stepped into politics with a rally which proved to be a huge success. Besides film production, he was content with holding annual Dalit cultural and literary events as well as publication, providing a platform for Dalit artistes and writers.

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However, this had exposed the schism within Dalit politics in Tamil Nadu. The major Dalit political party, the Viduthalai Chiruthaigal Katchi (VCK) of Thol Thirumavalavan, MP, had abstained from the rally. The VCK is an ally of the DMK and a constituent of the INDIA bloc. A day ahead of Ranjiths rally, Thirumavalavan had advised his party cadre to desist from participating in the event, terming it as an attempt to cast aspersions on the VCK and the DMK government.

Political coolies are attempting to use the murder of Armstrong to target the DMK government and defame the VCK. The VCK cadre should be aware of this and stay off from such an event. Honouring Armstrong can be done independently by the VCK workers. They need not take part in events organized by others representing the VCK, Thirumavalavan said in a video statement.

We are firm in demanding justice for the family of Armstrong and continue to press for the arrest and punishment of the real culprits. The VCK is not bothered about the DMK and had always stood by the people, he added.

Thirumavalavan had maintained the BSP model could not be replicated in Tamil Nadu as the social situation in the state is very different. However, he and Armstrong were never antagonistic rivals. But, after the murder of Armstrong, many supporters of Armstrong and Ranjith have directed their ire at the VCK for being very passive and playing second fiddle to the DMK.

Ranjith, speaking to the media after the rally, charged the DMK government with not being serious with the probe and the direction of the investigation was giving room for doubts.

The charge that I am acting at the behest of the BJP is baseless. We are Ambedkarites and our ideology is antithetical to the saffron party. Demanding justice for Armstrong is not playing ball with BJP, the film maker said rebutting allegations about his pro-saffron tilt.

Armstrong was brutally murdered by a six-member bike borne assassins on July 5 in front of his under construction house at Sembium in north Chennai. The CB-CID police have arrested more than 14 accused, including three advocates belonging to the DMK, BJP and AIADMK. A district functionary of the BJP, Anjalai, had also been arrested. One of the accused who had surrendered was killed in an encounter.
The recent decision by Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah to temporarily shelve the proposed job reservation bill for Kannadigas has ignited debate across various sectors. The bill, which intended to reserve up to 70 per cent of non-managerial and 50 per cent of managerial positions in private companies for local candidates, has faced staunch opposition from the business community and political adversaries alike. This move brings to the forefront the intricate balance between promoting local employment and sustaining a favourable investment climate.

At the heart of the controversy is the fear that such reservation could deter potential investors and disrupt the states thriving business ecosystem, while running the risk of falling foul of Constitutional provisions. Karnataka, renowned for its robust IT and start-up sectors, relies heavily on foreign investments to fuel its economic growth. The states appeal as a prime investment destination is now under scrutiny, with neighbouring Andhra Pradesh openly inviting companies to relocate, promising better infrastructure and a business-friendly environment without restrictive employment mandates. The backlash from the business community is understandable. Industry leaders argue that mandating such high percentages of local employment could stifle innovation and competitiveness. Companies often seek the best talent, regardless of geographic origin, to maintain their edge in a globalised market. By imposing stringent local hiring quotas, there is a genuine concern that Karnataka could lose its competitive advantage, potentially driving businesses to more liberal states.

Politically, the bill has been labelled a diversionary tactic by the opposition, aiming to deflect attention from allegations of corruption within Mr Siddaramaiahs government. This accusation adds another layer of complexity, suggesting that the bill might be more of a political manoeuvre than a wellconsidered policy aimed at addressing unemployment among Kannadigas. The hasty introduction and subsequent retraction of the bill underscore a lack of thorough consultation with key stakeholders, including the Federation of Karnataka Chambers of Commerce and Industry. The response from Andhra Pradesh highlights the competitive nature of state economies within India. By swiftly offering a more business-friendly alternative, Andhra Pradesh is capitalising on Karnatakas perceived instability to attract investments. This move not only puts pressure on Karnataka but also exemplifies the broader regional competition for industrial and technological development driven by the global China Plus One strategy. For Karnataka, the path forward must involve a more inclusive and consultative approach. Engaging with industry leaders, advisory bodies, and economic experts is crucial to crafting policies that balance local employment needs with the imperatives of a dynamic, globally connected economy.

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Ensuring that any employment legislation supports rather than hinders economic growth will be vital. Moreover, the state must address the root causes of local unemployment through skill development programmes and educational initiatives tailored to meet the demands of modern industries. By equipping Kannadigas with the skills required in high-growth sectors, the state can naturally increase local employment without resorting to potentially disruptive legislative measures. A balanced strategy that fosters local employment while maintaining an attractive investment climate is essential.
The process of Germany offloading seized bitcoin is called by experts "market intervention" as it caused a selloff.

The law that the authorities cited as the reason for the sale, falls within a "legal gray" line, according to one observer.

Germany may have finally come out with a legal reason why they offloaded nearly $3 billion worth of bitcoin {{BTC}} into the open market, but industry experts aren't sold on the reasoning.

Germany seized about 50,000 bitcoin in January from the operator of Movie2k.to, a website the state of Saxony found guilty of money laundering and other illegal activities. The state, with the help of Frankfurt-based German securities trading bank Bankhaus Scheich Wertpapierspezialist AG, and the Federal Criminal Police Office, sold about 49,858 bitcoin between June 19 and July 12, securing 2.6 billion euros ($2.8 billion), according to a statement on Wednesday.

The move perplexed traders and put severe pressure on the price of bitcoin while the authorities stayed mum on the reasons behind the selling spree. The selloff pressure was intensified at the time as the market was also cautious of mass selling by Mt. Gox creditors and faster liquidations by bitcoin miners .

Prices bottomed early this month at around $53,500 after Saxony completed its liquidation process but not before wreaking havoc on the market as BTC fell over 7% in June.

When the authorities finally issued a statement this week, the process was called a "market-friendly sale," which "was gentle on the market." The statement claimed that "a fair market price was always achieved" and said that "at this scale, there is no direct influence on the bitcoin price."

However, some experts aren't convinced.

Romina Bungert, adviser to Enzyme and ex-CFO Centrifuge, told CoinDesk, "This is a perfect example for the kind of unintentional malicious activity based on a lack of competence that can come from governments and authorities." She added: "How they handled this sell-off moved the market and is intervention in public market. ... So, who will have an incentive now to hold this national authority accountable? Not the state."

In an email to CoinDesk, Patrick Pintaske, prosecutor and press spokesman of the Head of Special Procedures Division (UA BV), said: "The legally regulated emergency sale means that we cannot wait to see whether and how the market value will change. The economic value of seized assets should be preserved as far as possible for later judicial confiscation."

Story continues

Bad timing

The German authority may have justified its decision to sell, but market observers have questioned the timing of the sale and the benefit to taxpayers.

Philipp Hartmannsgruber, a Bitcoin {{BTC}} expert who isn't convinced by the reasons laid out in Wednesday's statement, said the sale earned around 600 million euros more than what the BTC was worth when seized in January. "How much could the taxpayer have made if bitcoin had been held for the long-term? At the current bitcoin exchange rate of around EUR 60,000, they would be worth around 390 million euros more today."

Hartmannsgruber, who regularly advises politicians and authorities as a board member of the Blockchain Bundesverband e.V. (German Blockchain Association), specifically argued that the sale should not have been done "during the announcement that up to 140,000 bitcoin worth approximately $7.7 billion from the Mt. Gox lawsuit will come to the market" even though he emphasized that perfect timing is never possible.

Hartmannsgruber also asked the authorities to point to sources behind their claim that "less than one percent of the market volume of bitcoins was regularly traded over the counter (OTC) and had "no direct influence on the bitcoin price."

"This may not be the case on July 8, 2024, when up to 16,309 BTC worth approximately 830 million euros were sold," he said. "If 16,300 bitcoin are sold in one day, this can have an enormous impact under certain circumstances."

Legal 'grey line'

The statement argued that the authorities did not have a choice but to sell. However, some experts point to a grey area because the boundaries when you need to sell as an act of emergency seem a bit less clear. The court did not require selling the bitcoin because the statement said the proceedings were only "provisionally secured" as the concerned court has not yet made a decision on the confiscation becoming legally binding.

The decision, the statement said, was made because "the sale of valuable items before the conclusion of ongoing criminal proceedings is legally required whenever there is a risk of a significant loss of value of around ten percent or more." It further argued that given the volatility in the bitcoin market "these conditions were always met."

And, indeed, bitcoin drops 10% in short time frames fairly often.

Lawyer and partner at GSK, Timo Bernau indicated the authorities had banked on a general principle from a legal precedent to justify their sale. "In German law, a general ban on speculation is assumed for public authorities. Such a ban on speculation with public funds is derived from the budgetary principle of economic efficiency and economy," Bernau said pointing to a 2017 ruling by the Federal Court of Justice .

Bungert noted that there was a legal "gray line" because "the rules for this government agency on handling digital assets are not covered by the existing rule set." Hartmannsgruber argued the authorities cited Section 111p of the Code of Criminal Procedure to suggest they had no choice but to sell the bitcoin. However, the law states that after "an object that has been seized  may be sold if there is a risk of its spoilage or a significant loss of value."

"The law therefore does not provide for an obligation, but merely an opportunity to sell. It is therefore questionable whether the disposal was legally required," Hartmannsgruber said.

"Although there are legal reasons why the Attorney General's Office acted in this way, if it was not obliged to do so, the question arises as to why it nevertheless acted in this way and why it presented its actions as a supposed duty."

Omkar Godbole contributed to this report.

Read more: It's Not Germany Selling Bitcoin. It's One of Its States and It Has No Choice.
The Angikam Foundation presented their Mahotsav at Gyan Manch on 15 June 2024. Financially, the Mahotsav was supported by the Ministry of Culture, Government of India. A classical dance evening conceptualised and choreographed by Bharatanatyam practitioner Prantika Mukherjee was a memorable event.

The happiness and joy of dancingperhaps for the first time in their liveswere specially writ large on the faces of young beginners, who lit the stage up with their jubilant expressions, dancing the numbers specially meant for them, choreographed by their mentor. They truly set the stage and the mood of the audience for the stylised dancing of their seniors that followed. The seniors, the repertory members of the Angikam Foundation, and all disciples of the artistic director Prantika Mukherjee performed Sajugada, Rusali Radha, Ambashtakam and Tillana. The first line of the song Sojugada Sooju Mallige expressed devotion and love for Lord Shiva, who is the personification of simplicity and the purity of the jasmine flower, and all that expresses positive emotions and energy was venerated in the pure Bharatanatyam genre. The song drew a parallel between the fragrance of the jasmine flower and the divine presence of Lord Shiva, evoking deep and simple emotions of love. The music for the piece was composed by Santa Shishunala Sharifa, a social reformer in Karnataka. He was the son of Imam Saheb, whose dream was to unite Hinduism and Islam. When Sharifa was a boy, he was taught the tenets of both religions. In his birthplace, Shishuvinahala, both Hindus and Muslims revere him as a saint at the same temple. The song was a unique selection by the choreographer, Prantika Mukherjee.

Rusali Radha was an abhang, which is a form of devotional poetry sung in praise of the Hindu god Vitthal, also known as Vithoba. Abhangs are a flawless, continuous process, referring to a poem. While Bhajans focus on the inward journey, Abhangs are more exuberant expressions that emphasise the connection between the individual and the community. Its overriding philosophy is based on the belief that a persons social identity and personality are largely moulded by community relationships. Abhangs are usually sung during pilgrimage to the temples of Pandharpur by the devotees. The piece featured the story of Radha and Krishna quarrelling. As the divine and the mortal duo were engaged in their childish squabble, the entire scenic beauty of Vrindavan had turned gloomy and depressedthe bees took no mirth in descending on flowers, the peacocks did not spread their wings to dance, and even the birds started arguing. Though it is well known that this mock fight will come to an end, the question left to the audience was, Will Radha and Krishna reunite? Or will both get angry and not talk to each other? Raaga Yamuna Kalyani kept the audience enthralled. It was a Marathi composition of Kabi Rangeswar, in Taal Aadi. Guru Bragha Bassel is the dance composer of the piece, which was theatrically conceived and re-choreographed by Prantika Mukherjee.

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Ambashtakam was a beautiful devotional dance piece dedicated to the divine mother, Sri Rajarajeshwari. She is incarnated in different forms, such as Amba, Uma, Aparna, Parvathi and Kali, and exists in various divine forms. The dance described her various forms and attributes, including her role as the creator, preserver, and destroyer of the universe. The piece also captured the essence of Ambas grace, strength, and protective nature. A Raaga Ragamalika composition in Aadi talam of M.S. Sukhis music greatly enhanced the aesthetic beauty of the piece choreographed by Prantika Mukherjee.

Tillana is usually the concluding piece performed in the evening before signing off with Mangalam. This rhythmic piece in South Indian Carnatic music that is generally performed at the end of a concert was a composition by Guru Khagendranath Barman, an alumnus of Kalakshetra, where he was the direct disciple of the legendary Rukmini Devi, who resurrected Bharatanatyam before it could go into oblivion. The Tillana performed consisted of pure dance phrases in the pallavi and anupallavi and lyrics in the charanam. Prantikas disciples performed pure nritta with the virtuosity of the music, which was reflected in the complex footwork and captivating poses of the dancers. The composition was in Raaga Vasant and Aadi Taala.

The Sapta Vahana that was performed was a Bharatanatyam dance production. Sapta Vahana, or the mount, is the steed of the deities, who are all animals with divine powers and capabilities. They have been enumerated in our mythology for thousands of years. These vahans arent mere animals or vehicles but have exceptional bonds with their gods or goddesses. In many parts of India, these vahans are worshipped with splendour and pomp, along with their lords. Many stories are written revolving around their devotion and sacrifices for their lords. From the mighty Lion of the Himalayas of Devi Durga to the mischievous little Mushika or mouse of Lord Ganesha, from the flamboyant Peacock of Kartikeya to the deity Nandi of Shiva, from the Serpents of Devi Manasa, to the divine Parrot of Kamadeva, and to the devout Hanumana of Lord Rama. This beautiful and innovative piece was scripted by Udisha Pathak, and the music editing was the work of Aarainaa Khan, Diotima Das, and Satota Banerjee. Abhishikta Gupta was the narrator, while the participants were the students of the Aangikam Foundation. The main performers were Diotima Das in the role of Simha, and Durga was Tista Mondal. Abhishikta Gupta was Shiva, and his vahana Nandi was Adrija Modak. Manmatha, the God of Love, was Anuska Sarkar; Ganesha was Aratrika Mandal.

Prapti Basu was Rambhakt Hanuman, while Rama was Deborima Chakroborty. Manasha was Udisha Pathak, and Kartikeya was Trishita Sengupta. The concept, choreography, and direction were by Prantika Mukherjee.

The writer is a senior dance critic


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Grant Cardone

Grant Cardone, a private equity fund manager and real estate investor, is proposing a new federal financial education program that would improve financial literacy across the U.S. Cardones Financial Freedom for All program would focus on teaching a number of important money lessons, including how much you need to have saved for retirement and how to get there.

Read Next: Im a Self-Made Millionaire: I Followed These 7 Grant Cardone Tips To Get Rich

Try This: The Surprising Way You Can Get Guaranteed Retirement Income for Life

According to Cardone, the traditional $1 million nest egg goal is now grossly insufficient. Instead, he believes every household should have a target of $5 million of assets under management to retire.

Retirement Planning: Whether you're planning for retirement, dealing with a significant life event or simply looking to make smarter financial decisions, a financial advisor can offer the expertise and guidance you need. Here are some compelling reasons why you should consider a financial advisor -- even if you're not wealthy.

Longer Life Spans Require More Money in Retirement

Americans can now spend multiple decades of their life in retirement, which means they need sufficient funds to pay for this longer time out of the workforce.

The time of death is now extended to about 84 years old and unless youre a millionaire and above, you have no chance of even funding retirement, Cardone told GOBankingRates. Even a millionaire wont be able to fund retirement based on those numbers.

If you retire at 63 with $1 million in savings, you will run out of money.

The old guidance was at 63 you would start your retirement, and you would start withdrawing 4% a year, Cardone said. Well, based on that, you only have 25 years to withdraw. You literally wont have anything to pass on to your heirs. So you will have saved for a lifetime, invested for a lifetime, only to end up with zero when you die.

Find Out: How Long $1 Million in Retirement Will Last in Every State

Cost of Living Has Also Increased

In addition to living longer, retirees now have higher costs to contend with.

If you have to pull 4% out of the million dollars, thats only $40,000 a year to live on, Cardone said. With the cost of living, you cant live on $4,000 a month, even in retirement. Just food and rent is going to consume that four grand.

A $5 million nest egg would allow retirees to live comfortably and have money left over to pass on to future generations. As Cardone explained, if your $5 million in investment assets paid returns of 5%, thats $20,000 a month in passive income.

Story continues

The cost of living is probably $80,000 a year, Cardone said. Five million dollars would be the target of money invested that is paying you on a monthly basis. That money paying them at 5% would pay somebody enough money to fund all their problems, all the assistance, all the food, all their expenses without them ever having to tap into the failing government programs.

More From GOBankingRates

This article originally appeared on GOBankingRates.com: Grant Cardone: $5 Million Is Now the Magic Number for Retirement Savings
Actor Janhvi Kapoor recently got hospitalised due to food poisoning. Although her condition continues to be stable and doctors have reportedly said that they will soon discharge her, it is important to note that several incidents of food poisoning have been reported in the last few weeks in Mumbai, especially as the city witnesses torrential rains.

In one such unfortunate incident, a 19-year-old died after reportedly consuming spoiled chicken shawarma from a roadside stall in Trombay. The vendors have been arrested. Senior inspector and investigating officer Rajesh Shinde reportedly mentioned that "after eating the shawarma the man complained of stomach pain and also vomited. He was taken to KEM hospital but his condition kept deteriorating and he died in a few days."

In an email interview with THE WEEK, Dr Manjusha Agarwal, Senior Consultant, Internal Medicine at Gleneagles Hospitals in Parel, Mumbai explains the dos and don'ts one must be mindful of to avoid food poisoning.

Are you witnessing an increase in cases of food poisoning during monsoons?

Yes. Food poisoning is a common occurrence in monsoons among people of all age groups (including children, adults and senior citizens). It happens as the food gets contaminated with bacteria and viruses, thereby taking a toll on one's well-being.

Which bacteria are primarily associated with causing food poisoning?

The causes of food poisoning are bacteria such as Salmonella and Escherichia coli (E. coli). Moreover, Norovirus and Hepatitis A are also known to cause food poisoning in children and adults that may sometimes require hospital admission. A large number of people crave various foods during monsoon. Eating roadside food such as pani puri, sev puri, having ice gola, sherbat, ice cream, pre-cut fruits or juice, and stale food kept outside for a long time are known to get contaminated and cause food poisoning.

What are the symptoms of food poisoning you have been observing among patients you consult, especially now during the monsoon?

The most common are constant episodes of vomiting and headache, nausea, abdominal pain and cramping, diarrhoea, fever and headache.

How do you suggest one can best manage the symptoms and treat oneself at home so that the need for hospitalisation does not arise?

I recommend taking medication as per the doctor's advice for relief of symptoms such as nausea and vomiting, headaches and cramping. Alongside, resting, drinking enough fluids, soups, homemade ORS solution, ginger tea and probiotics can be helpful. One will also be asked to eat soft foods such as khichdi, dal and rice for at least 2-3 days instead of taking heavy and greasy meals consisting of gravies, curries, salads and rotis.

But, as we all know, prevention is better than cure and accordingly, it is better to avoid roadside food, raw and pre-cut foods and storing food in the refrigerator for a long duration of time. One must try to drink boiled water that is cooled down. Also, make it a point to thoroughly wash fruits and vegetables before consumption as they can get contaminated with bacteria and raise the chances of food poisoning. If vomiting episodes refuse to stop, it can be considered severe food poisoning and will require hospital admission, though one recovers in 2-3 days.
The Ministry of External Affairs on Saturday announced that 778 Indian students safely returned from violence-hit Bangladesh.

With this, the number of Indian students returning home has reached 998 so far. Earlier, 200 students came back by flights from Dhaka and Chittagong. Several flights have been cancelled and many students are unable to reach airports due to curfew.

Over 4,000 more students are remaining in Bangladesh universities, according to the ministry, which said that the High Commission of India in Dhaka and the Assistant High Commissions are providing them necessary assistance.

The High Commission of India in Dhaka and our Assistant High Commissions are in regular touch with more than 4,000 students remaining in various universities in Bangladesh and are providing necessary assistance, the MEA said.

Several students from Nepal and Bhutan have also crossed Indian border as violence continues in the neighbouring country.

The protests in Bangladesh are directed towards the government job quota, which allocated 30 per cent reservation for relatives of those who fought for independence from Pakistan. The reservation system, which was scrapped in 2018, was reinstated in June, sparking outrage among the country's unemployed youth.

On Monday, several protesting students had clashed with pro-government protesters and police over the issue. The protesters argue that the quota system is discriminatory and sought to replace it with a merit-based system.
The Supreme Court on Monday junked a plea seeking its direction for allowing arrested political leaders to campaign during elections virtually.

A bench of Justices Surya Kant and Ujjal Bhuyan refused to interfere with the Delhi High Court order which had dismissed the petition.

"This petition has been filed with mala fide intent. It is concentrated on one politician (Arvind Kejriwal) who is every day before this court with a battery of the best laywers.

"We do not deem it necessary to entertain this petition purportedly filed in public interest. Dismissed," the bench said.

The top court was hearing a plea filed by Amarjeet Gupta, a law student, seeking permission for arrested political leaders to campaign through the virtual mode.

While dismissing the plea, the high court had observed that this would lead to dreaded criminals, even fugitive gangster Dawood Ibrahim, to register themselves with political parties and canvass.

Terming the petition as "highly adventurous" and against the fundamental principles of law, the high court had said courts do not make policy decisions and tit is for Parliament to decide on such issues.
Army Chief General Upendra Dwivedi will arrive in Jammu on Saturday to discuss the security situation, especially the rising terror attacks in the region. This is his second visit to the region since assuming the charge of Army Chief on June 30.



The visit comes at a time when Jammu is witnessing a spike in attacks by terrorists on security forces.

The attacks, initially restricted to Poonch and Rajouri, have spread to Doda, Reasi, Kathua and Udhampur. The terrorist strikes in the last 32 months have led to the loss of 48 soldiers. Nine civilians, including seven pilgrims, died in a terror attack on June 9 when terrorists targeted a Katra-bound bus in Reasi, which was returning from Shiv Khori.

The attacks have raised alarm among security circles and the Centre, given that elections are likely in September this year as per the Supreme Court order.

Dwivedi will be briefed about the security situation in Jammu and Kashmir by the top Army Commanders and senior police officers.

The visit is happening after Friday's Cabinet Committee on Security (CCS) meeting headed by Prime Minister Narendra Modi in New Delhi.

Apart from the increase in terror attacks by hardcore terrorists in Jammu, there have also been attempts of infiltration in Kashmir. Two infiltration attempts were foiled by the Army last week in north Kashmirs Keran resulting in the killing of five terrorists.
Those who worked for the NCP (SP) candidates in the recently concluded Lok Sabha elections are ours. Their well-being is our responsibility, said NCP (SP) President Sharad Pawar at the residence of Shirur MP Amol Kolhe in Pune on Saturday.



Notably, Atul Benke, the MLA from Junnar, who is currently part of the NCP Ajit Pawar faction, was also present at the meeting with Kolhe. Benke is the latest in a series of senior leaders from the Ajit Pawar faction, the most recent being Chhagan Bhujbal, who met Pawar last week at his residence in Mumbai, to call on the NCP (SP) President. It must be noted that Amol Kolhe got a good lead from Benke's Junnar constituency against Shivaji Rao Adhalrao Patil, the Lok Sabha candidate from the Ajit Pawar faction.

Pawar also expressed confidence that the MVA alliance will win 225 of the 288 seats in the upcoming assembly elections.

Pawars statements come after 28 members from Pune district, including the Pimpri-Chinchwad units city president and two former corporators, quit the Ajit Pawar faction after its dismal performance in the Lok Sabha elections to join the NCP(SP).

They [the Mahayuti government] have not solved the peoples problems despite coming to power. We want to take back the Maharashtra Vidhan Sabha into our hands, said Pawar, building upon recent moves by the NCP(SP) to begin poll preparations for the upcoming assembly elections with a statewide manifesto crowdsourcing campaign and the release of a book on the black deeds of the ruling Mahayuti.

Responding to questions on seat-sharing discussions within the MVA, Pawar said, Everyone requests more seats. But the important thing is to win the seats that you contest on. The NCP(SP) contested 10 seats, but won 8 out of those 10 seats, we had the highest strike rate.

Pawar added, however, he did not believe in such rankings and the MVA was coming together, and all three partners would go to the public together for the upcoming elections. In the last Lok Sabha election, the Congress won one seat and the NCP won four seats. Five years later, the people of Maharashtra have given our alliance 31 seats, said Pawar, expressing optimism about the MVAs prospects. Previously, Pawar had said the opposition would win 225 out of 288 seats in the Vidhan Sabha in Maharashtra.

In a significant decision on Friday, the Maharashtra Election Commission issued a notice to freeze all symbols that were deceptively similar to the NCP(SP) symbol. Reacting to this development, Pawar said, I welcome this decision. But this decision is limited to Maharashtra. We are now hopeful that this decision will be extended at national level.
The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) probing the alleged irregularities and question paper leak of the NEET-UG examination, arrested one of the masterminds and two other medical students who allegedly acted as solvers.

With the fresh arrests, the total number of persons taken into custody by the central agency rose to 21.

According to officials, Sashikant Paswan alias Sashi alias Pasu, one of the alleged masterminds, is a B.Tech (Electrical) passout from the National Institute of Technology, Jamshedpur. He was acting in tandem with Kumar and Rockey, who was also arrested earlier.

The medical students, who were arrested on Saturday, are from a medical school in Bharatpur, Rajasthan.

Second-year MBBS student Kumar Mangalam Bishnoi and first-year student Deepender Sharma were present in Hazaribagh on May 5, the date of NEET UG examination, and were allegedly acting as "solvers" for the paper stolen by Pankaj Kumar, an engineer, who was arrested earlier, an officer was quoted as saying by PTI.

The investigators claimed that Pankaj Kumar, a 2017-batch civil engineer from the National Institute of Technology Jamshedpur (Jharkhand), allegedly stole the NEET-UG paper from the NTA trunk in Hazaribagh.

The CBI had on Friday arrested an MBBS student, Surabhi Kumari of Ranchi's Rajendra Institute of Medical Sciences (RIMS), with the same charges. She was taken into custody after two days of detailed questioning by the agency.

On Thursday, the CBI had arrested four MBBS students of AIIMS Patna, all members of the solver module, in connection with the paper leak case. They have been sent to CBI custody for four days.
Uttar Pradesh's Ballia district witnessed public outrage after a youth was attacked and killed at a stone's throw from Bansdih police station on Saturday morning.



According to local media reports, the violent incident took place around 10:00 am on Saturday when 24-year-old Rahul Pandey was attacked and left profusely bleeding by an armed group. A friend of the victim, who suffered head injuries while trying to save Rahul, reportedly alleged that he had pleaded with the police to help his friend or he would be killed.

ALSO READ | Delhi crime: Teenager guns down patient admitted at Guru Teg Bahadur Govt Hospital, probe on

UP-based news outlets reported that Rahul collapsed on the scene as he was attacked with sharp-edged weapons by the gang who later fled for the town area. He was profusely bleeding while being shifted to the nearby Community Health Center in a police vehicle. The doctors at the facility ruled his condition to be critical and wanted him to be shifted to the Balli district hospital. According to reports, doctors at the district facility declared him dead shortly after arrival.

The relatives of the deceased created a ruckus in the district hospital. Police force has also been deployed outside the hospital as a precautionary measure. The postmortem of the victim will take place at the same facility.

ALSO READ | Tracking scent, Karnataka police dog runs 8 km in rain, stops second murder in Davanagere

Meanwhile, the police also claimed that the miscreants responsible for the murder were being identified. They suspect a dispute between two groups led to the crime.
A nationwide curfew has been imposed in Bangladesh after the police failed to contain days of unrest and students-led protests in the country that led to the death of over 100 people.

The protesters are demanding an end to a quota system that reserves up to 30 per cent of government jobs for relatives of veterans who fought in Bangladesh's war of independence in 1971 against Pakistan. Alleging that the system is discriminatory and benefits supporters of Hasina, the protestors are calling for scrapping the system with immediate effect.

The situation in the country deteriorated this week, prompting authorities to stop bus and train services and shut down schools and universities across the country.

Now, military forces have been deployed to help the civilian administration maintain order. The announcement to impose a curfew was made by Obaidul Quader, the general secretary of the ruling Awami League party, and came after police and security officials fired on protesters on Friday and banned all gatherings in the nation's capital.

"The government has decided to impose a curfew and deploy the military in aid of the civilian authorities," AFP quoted press secretary of Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, Nayeemul Islam Khan, as saying.

Indians return home

India, on Friday, described the violent protests in Bangladesh as an "internal" matter of Dhaka but at the same time said it was closely monitoring the situation in the context of 15,000 Indians residing in that country. External affairs ministry spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal had said that 15,000 Indians, including 8,500 students, residing in Bangladesh are safe.

Despite the assurance, over 360 more citizens of India, Nepal and Bhutan, on Friday, crossed over to Meghalaya from Bangladesh, taking the total number of people taking refuge in the state to over 670, officials said.

A senior home department official said that 363 people reached Meghalaya through the Dawki Integrated Check Post. Of them, 204 are Indians, 158 are Nepalese and one person is from Bhutan.

According to media reports, many of the students who returned to India were pursuing MBBS degrees.
As many as 12 people were killed and over 60 went missing in a bridge collapse due to flash floods in Chinas Shaanxi and Sichuan provinces.

According to local authorities, the highway bridge collapse triggered by heavy rains left 31 people missing. The bridge, located in Zhashui County in Shangluo City, collapsed around 8:40 pm on Friday.

Rescue and relief operations are underway.

The bridge collapse caused 17 cars and eight trucks to plunge into the Jinqian River below the bridge. Officials recovered around seven vehicles.

Meanwhile, as the search operations continue, 31 people remain unaccounted for, according to the state-run Xinhua news agency.

Also, in the flash floods over 30 people went missing in the Xinhua Village in Sichuan Province.

Around 40 houses were damaged in the village in Hanyuan County, Ya'an City in the recent floods.

The disaster also disrupted roads, bridges, and communications.

Chinese President Xi Jinping has urged all-out rescue and relief efforts to safeguard people's lives and property after the collapse of the highway bridge.

"The immediate priority is to carry out rescue operations, make every effort to search for the missing and minimise casualties," Xi said in his instructions to the officials.

He also urged efforts to assist the families of those affected, emphasising the importance of well-planned rescue and the prevention of secondary disasters.

The semi-desert province of Gansu, which neighbours Shaanxi and Henan in central China were also hit by heavy rain this week.
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Key Takeaways

GE Aerospace reports earnings before markets open Tuesday, in what will be its second report since General Electric completed its split into three separate companies earlier this year.

Analysts expect GE Aerospace's revenue to grow year-over-year despite some uncertainty in the airplane manufacturing market.

Bank of America analysts said GE could be "strongly positioned" in the sector thanks to its variety of products and customers.







GE Aerospace (GE) reports second-quarter earnings before markets open Tuesday, in what will be the aerospace parts maker's second earnings report since General Electric completed its split to three separate companies earlier this year.

GE Aerospace is expected to report $8.5 billion in revenue, up from last year's $7.9 billion, according to estimates compiled by Visible Alpha. In its first quarter as a standalone company, GE Aerospace reported revenue of $8.1 billion, and raised its profit expectations for the full fiscal year, citing strong demand for its commercial and military airplane engines.

GE Aerospace also said in its first-quarter report that it will begin offering more detailed breakdowns of its earnings starting in the second quarter, providing investors more insight into the performance of its two segments, "Commercial Engines & Services" and "Defense & Propulsion Technologies."

GE Aerospace 'Strongly Positioned' To Benefit From Industry Growth

Despite some uncertainty in the aerospace industry with Boeing (BA) experiencing safety issues and production slowdowns and Airbus (AIR) recently lowering its full-year guidance, Bank of America analysts wrote Wednesday that stocks of parts manufacturers like GE Aerospace are expected to weather the storm.

"We do not expect uncertainty to put significant downside risk on the commercial [original equipment manufacturers] in the quarter, as recent headlines have largely been priced into the stocks," the analysts wrote.

Reiterating a "buy" rating with a price target of $180, the analysts wrote that GE could be "strongly positioned" to benefit from industry growth thanks to its "unique portfolio," with revenue streams across aircraft manufacturers and aircraft types.

The two other former divisions of General Electric, GE Vernova (GEV) and GE HealthCare (GEHC), are set to report their earnings on July 24 and July 31, respectively.

GE Aerospace shares have gained close to 17% since the company completed its split from GE Vernova, at $159.13 as of Friday's close.

Read the original article on Investopedia.
A week after Donald Trump was shot by would-be assassin Thomas Matthew Crooks, investigators have revealed that the shooter had searched about President Joe Biden online.

He also had photos of major leaders in both the Democratic and Republican parties besides officials like Attorney General Merrick Garland and FBI Director Chris Wray.

The probe revealed that he had searched for the Trump rally venue as well as the upcoming Democratic National Convention, reported AP. Hence, investigators believe that he might have been looking for a high profile target.

He might have targeted Trump because of convenience, reports CNN, as his rally was held in Butler, Pennsylvania, which was just 40 miles north of his hometown Bethel Park.

State voter records revealed that he was a registered Republican, however, the investigators could not find any political or ideological motive behind the shooting.

Another interesting finding was that Crooks had searched online about Ethan Crumbley, another mass shooter who killed four of his high school classmates in Michigan in 2021.

Besides his two cellphones, the FBI also recovered his computer and searched his home and car. Besides his AR-style rifle, the security agencies have seized multiple loaded magazines, a bulletproof vest and a rudimentary explosive device from his car and home.
Iryna Farion, 60, was shot dead on Friday by an unidentified gunman in Lviv street. Police said that the attack on the former Ukrainian nationalist MP seemed to be a 'targeted' one.

The gunman has not been identified by the police yet. Also, the power outage affected the CCTV in the area making it difficult for the investigators to identify the suspect. "An investigation is underway," said the police.

Farion was a linguistic professor and she was known for campaigns upholding the Ukrainian language and discrediting public officials for speaking the Russian language. In 2023, she caused a controversy by suggesting that "true patriots" of Ukraine should not speak Russian under any circumstances.

Lviv Regional Governor Maksym Kozytskyi confirmed Farion's death. "She died in hospital after the shooting," said Kozytskyi.

Interior Minister Ihor Klymenko said the police were investigating the motive behind the attack. "This was not a spontaneous killing," said Klymenko.

In a Telegram message, he said, "We already have several versions. The main ones, I can say, are [linked to Farion's] social and political activities and personal dislike.

"We do not rule out that the murder has a commissioned character," said the statement.

President Volodymyr Zelenskyy condemned the attack and said "Whoever is guilty of this attack must bear full responsibility."

Farion became a member of the nationalist Svoboda (Freedom) party in 2005 and was elected to parliament in 2012, but failed in subsequent attempts to win a seat. She had also served on the Lviv regional council.

Amid the Russian-Ukraine war, that began in February 2022, Farion denounced Russian-speaking fighters of the Azov regiment who defended the port city of Mariupol for three months. Though Ukrainian is the sole state of the language of Ukraine, many residents speak Russian as a first language, a legacy of Soviet rule.
Kolkata, Jul 20 (PTI) The tea industry has sought higher rates under the RoDTEP scheme to make exports more competitive in the overseas markets.

Leading industry body Indian Tea Association (ITA), in its pre-budget memorandum, said that the present RoDTEP rate for bulk tea is 1.7 per cent (free on board) subject to a cap of Rs 6.70 per kilogram.

The association urged the government to increase the reward base rate under the Remission of Duties and Taxes on Exported Products (RoDTEP) for black tea in bulk to remain competitive in the international markets.

The RoDTEP scheme ensures that exporters receive refunds on embedded taxes and duties that were previously non-recoverable.

Another industry body Tea Association of India (TAI), in its pre-budget proposal submitted to the government, said the RoDTEP rate for tea should be higher than the earlier MEIS (merchandise exports incentive scheme) of five per cent to enable Indian tea to retain its competitiveness in the global market.

Since its inception in January 2021, the RoDTEP scheme has already provided support amounting to Rs 42,000 crores to more than 10,500 export items, an official statement said in March.

The association has also sought for imposition of an anti-dumping duty on imports of Nepal tea.

The TAI said that this measure would prevent the dumping of cheap and duty-free tea from Nepal and boost exports of genuine Darjeeling tea.

Such a measure would also thwart the passing off of Nepalese tea as a geographical indication (GI) tag product.

The ITA said that the government should exempt tea from levy on TDS on cash withdrawals due to a lack of banking infrastructure in the tea-growing areas in the country.

The association has sought concessional customs duty on imports of specified machinery required for tea production.

In its pre-budget memorandum, ITA said that the modernisation of the plantation sector is dependent on the upgradation of machinery which is not available within the country.

The government should grant a concessional import tariff on specified tea machinery items, the industry body said.

The association also said in the memorandum that the government should increase fund allocation for tea development and promotion scheme for the period 2021-26.

According to ITA, the Tea Board's new promotion and development scheme for the 2021-26 period has discontinued plantation development and factory upgradation incentives for big growers.

The "lack of financial support" from the government has "incapacitated the tea producers' ability to bring about improvement in quality and productivity leading to long-term impact on viability", the association said.

The ITA also sought that the fund allocation for the period 2021-26 be enhanced to enable restoration and implementation of the erstwhile incentive schemes for big growers.
New Delhi (India), July 20: Can you imagine that there is a medical system in which a disease is cured from its roots without even a single dose of medicine? Yes, Dr. Rajneesh Kant, a resident of Begumpura locality of Ara Bhojpur, a physiotherapist, osteopath and chiropractor, has blown the trumpet of revolution in the field of medicine by treating people in the country and abroad with such a medical system. Thousands of people in the country and abroad have benefited from his chiropractor system so far. He treats 100 patients for free on the first day of every month in Bihar with this medical system. In today's modern era, where there is hunger for money everywhere, Dr. Rajneesh Kant is being honoured everywhere because of providing free medical treatment to the poor section of the society. He does not take money for treatment not only on the first of the month but also from the poor who visit his clinic after seeing their condition. He also holds the record of treating the maximum number of patients in a very short time.



Due to all these achievements, the world renowned organization Asia Book of Records honored Dr. Rajneesh Kant for his remarkable contributions in the field of chiropractor in a ceremony held at Dubai's Palm Atlantis Hotel, & World Book of Records in British Parliament London,On this occasion, many big personalities of the world's medical field were also present along with Dr. Rajneesh Kant. Speaking after being honored on this occasion, Dr. Rajneesh Kant said that this is such a form of physiotherapy, osteopathy and chiropractor treatment where we treat people who have become disappointed after getting treatment from all sides and send them home after curing them, In which neither any medicine is used nor any special type of surgery is done. Till now, with this method, many types of major diseases like back pain, leg pain, nerve pain, gastric, head pain, back pain, indigestion have been successfully treated. Coming from a small place like Begumpura Mohalla of Ara city of Bhojpur district of Bihar, Doctor Rajneesh Kant has reached the pinnacle of success at a very young age.



(Disclaimer: The above press release comes to you under an arrangement with PNN and PTI takes no editorial responsibility for the same.). PTI PWR

PWR
New Delhi (India), July 20: Dr. Basant Goel was felicitated with the prestigious Bharat Kirtimaan Alankaran at the International Excellence Awards 2024, organized by the World Book of Records (WBR). The ceremony took place on 18 July 2024 at the Churchill Room, House of Commons (British Parliament), Palace of Westminster, London.



The World Book of Records(WBR), an international organization dedicated to recognizing and promoting exceptional achievements across various domains, honors individuals and institutions that have significantly benefited humanity and society. Bharat Kirtimaan Alankaran Award has been recommended by the PMO and government ministers, underscoring the importance of his contributions.



I am deeply humbled and honored to receive this award from the World Book of Records. Recognition like this encourages me to work more for society and humanity. Sharing this moment with esteemed guests and dignitaries is truly special. I have received this award with the blessing of Rajeshwari Guru ji from Sidh Asharam, said Dr. Basant Goel, Chief of Goel Medicos and Director of ANT Pharmaceuticals Private Limited.



This award highlights Dr. Goel's contributions to the field of pharmacy and societal welfare. His notable initiatives include organizing a mass wedding for 51 economically disadvantaged couples, an event that earned a place in the "London Books of Record." He was also honored with the "Best Pharmacy in the World" award, presented by acclaimed film actress Hema Malini in the presence of 20 cabinet ministers and 50 BJP parliament members.



Dr. Goel is the chairman of the Mission Sarvarth Seva Foundation, which helps society and promotes humanitarian efforts. Every year, he organizes blood donation camps. Last year, the foundation set records in the Asia Book of Records, India Book of Records, and London Book of Records for the most blood donations in 24 hours. On 6 July 2024, Dr. Goel devoted his birthday to the nation by organizing a mega blood camp that collected 2,962 units of blood, breaking his previous record and setting new records in the Asia Book of Records, India Book of Records, London Book of Records, and World Records Union, U.S.A. (Guinness World Records).



Dr. Basant holds a Doctorate of Philosophy and Doctor of Health Science from Royal American University, U.S.A., and a Doctorate in Pharmacy from American East Coast University, U.S.A. His leadership and commitment to social welfare have made significant impacts both in India and worldwide.



(Disclaimer: The above press release comes to you under an arrangement with PNN and PTI takes no editorial responsibility for the same.). PTI PWR

PWR
Mumbai, Jul 20 (PTI) A section of hotel and restaurant owners on Saturday welcomed the Maharashtra government's Tourism Policy 2024, which is aimed at positioning the state as a premier global tourist destination.

This progressive framework, aimed at positioning Maharashtra as a premier global tourist destination, is a game-changer for our industry, the Hotel And Restaurant Association (Western India) - HRAWI said in a statement.

The policy's strategic initiatives and incentives are set to attract significant investments, HRAWI president Pradeep Shetty said.

Additional Floor Space Index (FSI), relaxed building restrictions to expedite projects, capital subsidies, SGST reimbursement, electricity duty exemptions and interest subventions on loans are some of the key requirements of the industry and once implemented, will give a big boost to the state's tourism and hospitality sector, Shetty said.

"We eagerly anticipate its effective implementation within the stated objectives and the Ease of Doing Business framework," Shetty added.

The Maharashtra Cabinet had recently approved a comprehensive tourism policy for 2024, which aims to attract Rs 1,00,000 crore in investment and generate 18 lakh jobs over the next decade.

The policy identifies key areas to boost tourism's contribution to Maharashtra's goal of becoming a USD 1 trillion economy by 2028.

It focuses on developing robust infrastructure and partnering with various stakeholders, including tour operators and MICE (meetings, incentives, conference, events) organisers, to double revenue generation in their respective sectors.

"This progressive policy is a testament to the Maharashtra Government's dedication to making the State a global tourism hub. We are confident that these initiatives will significantly contribute to the socio-economic development of the region and elevate the state's standing in the global tourism landscape.

"We look forward to collaborating with the government to ensure the successful implementation of this policy and transforming the state into a world-class tourist destination," Shetty added.
New Delhi, Jul 20 (PTI) Union Chemicals and Fertilizers Minister Jagat Prakash Nadda on Saturday said the government will make necessary interventions in its policies and programmes to address challenges faced by the chemicals and petrochemicals industry and boost the sector's growth.

The minister was speaking after launching the 13th edition of the India Chem 2024 event to be held in October this year in Mumbai.

"The Prime Minister desires that we have to become a USD 5 trillion economy. If we have to become a 5 trillion economy, we have to align our programmes or policies accordingly, to see to it that this petrochemical industry chemical industry also goes in the same way and aligns itself, so that we all together contribute to that USD 5 trillion economy," Nadda said.

The minister mentioned that industry representatives have talked about the challenges faced by the chemicals and petrochemicals industry and also offered various suggestions to address those issues.

"I, as a minister, can assure you that whatever interventions are needed in policies, in programmes, whatever changes in the strategies are needed, the government is committed to it, and we will go forward with that commitment," Nadda said.

The minister also asked the industry to focus on reducing imports, research & development and skill improvement.

Nadda also launched the brochure for the 13th edition of India Chem.

Anupriya Patel, Minister of State for Chemicals & Fertilizers, and Nivedita Shukla Verma, Secretary, Department of Chemicals and Petrochemicals, were also present on the occasion.

Nadda said the theme of India Chem 2024, "Advantage Bharat: Indian Chemicals and Petrochemicals Paving the Future" aligns well with Prime Minister Narendra Modi's vision of making India a USD 5 trillion economy.

The 13th edition of India Chem is going to be held on 17th-19th October in Mumbai.

Nadda said the government is committed to the growth of the industry and has initiated numerous structural reforms to support industrial development in general and strengthen the chemical sector in particular.

Patel said the chemical and petrochemical sector plays a crucial role in the economic development of key sectors like automotive, construction, electronics, healthcare, textiles, and FMCGs.

She highlighted the increasing contribution of the chemical sector in economic development as well as the opportunities for future development.

Patel stated that India is the second largest exporter of chemical dyes and dyestuff as well as agrochemicals in the world. It also contributes about 3 per cent of global chemical sales.

"With a clear focus on investment-friendly reforms, the removal of policy bottlenecks is a top priority for the government," she said.

India Chem 2024, the flagship event of the department, is one of the largest composite events of the industry in the Asia-Pacific, comprising an International Exhibition and Conference.

The India Chem exhibition aims to showcase the huge potential of the Indian chemical industry and its different industry segments (including chemicals, petrochemicals, agrochemicals etc.) and to provide a platform for ground-breaking discussions, visionary ideas, and strategic collaborations among industry representatives.

The Indian chemical industry is currently valued at USD 220 billion and is expected to reach USD 300 billion by 2030 and USD 1 trillion by 2040.

Rajendra V Gogri, Co-Chairman, FICCI National Chemical Committee and Aarti Industries Chairman and Managing Director, highlighted the global chemical industry's shift towards emerging markets like India, citing advantages in costs, logistics, labour, and equipment.

He emphasised the long-standing request for a production-linked incentive (PLI) scheme in the chemical and petrochemicals sector to boost manufacturing and reduce imports, according to the FICCI statement.

Gogri also stressed the importance of improving the ease of doing business, particularly in expediting projects and streamlining environmental regulations.

Furthermore, he underscored the need to promote effective circularity to capitalise on opportunities in the chemical industry.
Mumbai, Jul 20 (PTI) Airlines operations across airports, which were impacted due to a global IT outage on Friday, returned to normalcy on Saturday with all services from ticket bookings to reservations and issuing of boarding passes going back completely to the online mode, sources said.

Earlier in the day, Union Minister for Civil Aviation K Ram Mohan Naidu said that the airline systems have started working normally, and all issues were likely to be resolved by noon on Saturday.

All operations are back to normal. All our services including bookings and reservations are online since Friday late evening, said an airline executive.

System is restored and there is no disruption in our services. It is getting back to normalcy, said a senior executive from a budget airline.

Nevertheless, as many as six to eight flights in the domestic sector were cancelled at Chennai Airport on Saturday, airport authorities said.

"About six flights in the domestic sector, including those airlines operating in Coimbatore, Kolkata, Kochi, Pune were cancelled by some airlines on Saturday. On the international route, there were no cancellations and some airlines reported a delay in the departure and arrival," an official said.

On Friday, in one of the biggest-ever IT outages, an update of a product offered by global cybersecurity firm CrowdStrike triggered problems with Microsoft's Windows across the planet, hitting operations at financial sector companies and airlines while hospital operations got postponed and some television channels went off air.

Airports across the country witnessed chaotic scenes after the online passenger booking, reservation and boarding systems turned to manual mode due to the outage, resulting in higher passenger handling processing time and consequently hundreds of flights were delayed and many cancelled.

"Since 3 AM (Saturday), airline systems across airports have started working normally. Flight operations are going smoothly now," Naidu said in a statement.

There is a backlog because of disruptions on Friday, and it is getting cleared gradually, the minister said and added that the ministry was constantly monitoring the operations at airports and airlines to ensure travel readjustments and refunds are taken care of.

Air India said its own, resilient IT infrastructure remained unaffected on Friday and continues to function as normal.

We confirm that none of Air India flights on 19 July was cancelled on account of the worldwide outage of travel systems, though there were some delays due to the impact of the outage on airport services.

The reservation and check-in systems of most of the airlines, including IndiGo, SpiceJet, Akasa and Air India Express, are now operational, sources had said earlier in the day. "I am going to Ahmedabad. Online printing (Digi Yatra) is convenient, which wasn't happening yesterday. Everything's fine today. Flights are on time. What happened yesterday was a network issue. No one can do anything about that," said a passenger at Delhi Airport.

"The global outage that led to operational difficulties is nearly resolved, and our teams have made significant progress in restoring normal operations. However, customers may still experience delays and schedule disruptions over the weekend," budget carrier IndiGo said.

IndiGo, the largest airline by domestic market share, operating over 2,000 daily flights, had to cancel around 200 flights due to the Microsoft outage issue.

Two other carriers SpiceJet and Akasa Air said late Friday evening that all their systems at airports, including ticket bookings, were up and running.

SpiceJet said that "all its systems at airports, ticket bookings and call centres are up and running smoothly after a successful resolution of a Microsoft outage that impacted the aviation industry all through the day".

"While the global systems downtime of reservations, check-in and boarding systems posed an unprecedented operational challenge to our ground services team, Akasa Air confirms that all its scheduled flights on Friday operated with minimum disruptions and nil cancellations," the airline said.
Chennai, Jul 20 (PTI) Nearly six to eight flights in the domestic sector were cancelled on Saturday following the Microsoft outage that led to significant disruptions to airline operations, airport authorities said.

Computerised boarding passes were issued to passengers today replacing the manual handwritten passes as a server outage led to disruption in routine activities at the airport here on July 19.

However, on the international sector, there were no cancellations on Saturday and certain flights plying to Doha, Kuwait were delayed for a few hours.

"About six flights in the domestic sector, including those airlines operating in Coimbatore, Kolkata, Kochi, Pune were cancelled by some airlines on Saturday. On the international route there were no cancellations and some airlines reported a delay in the departure and arrival," an official said.

In a notification, Chennai Airport appealed to the passengers to contact their respective airlines for rebooking and refund information.

On Friday, due to the disruption in Microsoft Corp's cloud services, 27 domestic flights were cancelled while eight out of 34 international flights experienced delays. Passengers were issued manual boarding passes to facilitate their travel despite the disruptions.
Chandigarh, Jul 20 (PTI) Two waste-to-charcoal plants, also known as green coal plants, will be established in Haryana with the support of the central government, an official statement said on Saturday.

This project will be the first of its kind green initiative and will be set up in Faridabad and Gurugram.

A memorandum of understanding was signed between NTPC Vidyut Vyapar Nigam Limited (NVVNL), a wholly-owned subsidiary of NTPC Limited, and the Municipal Corporations of Gurugram and Faridabad in the presence of Union Minister Manohar Lal Khattar, Haryana Chief Minister Nayab Singh Saini, and Minister of State for Urban Local Bodies Subhash Sudha, said an official release.

Speaking on this occasion, Saini said, "Today is a very important day for Haryana as an MoU has been signed for setting up plants to produce green charcoal."

According to the agreement, NTPC Vidyut Vyapar Nigam Limited (NVVNL) will establish waste-to-charcoal plants in Gurugram and Faridabad under the Atmanirbhar Bharat campaign of the government of India, he said.

The chief minister said green coal plants will be set up in Bandhwari, Gurugram, and Motuka, Faridabad, at a cost of around Rs 500 crore each.

These plants will convert 1,500 tonnes of waste collected daily from Gurugram and Faridabad into charcoal, he said.

"The municipal corporations of Gurugram and Faridabad will provide 20 acres of land each for these plants. The NTPC will soon take possession of the land and start setting up the plants, which are expected to be completed in about 30 months. These plants will be based entirely on indigenous technology," he said.

Saini said the establishment of these plants will significantly contribute to the realisation of Prime Minister Narendra Modi's Swachh Bharat campaign, making Gurugram and Faridabad garbage-free.

In the future, the cities will be free from waste heaps, he said.

The waste-to-green coal plants in Gurugram and Faridabad will not only provide a permanent solution to the waste problem but will also increase energy production, he said.

CEO of NVVNL, Renu Narang while providing information about the waste-to-charcoal plants said currently, the NTPC is operating a plant in Varanasi and it produces charcoal from 600 tonnes of waste daily.

However, the two plants to be established in Haryana will be the largest in India, producing charcoal from 1,500 tonnes of waste daily. After their success, this technology will be considered for implementation in other cities, she said.
brizmaker / iStock.com

Homeownership has long been the quintessential American dream. It symbolizes stability, success and a sense of belonging. However, recent data from the U.S. Census Bureaus Housing Vacancies and Homeownership survey reveals that almost half of Americans, around 45%, currently dont own a property.

Read Next: Im Planning My Retirement: 5 Expenses I Wish I Had Cut Sooner

Find Out: The Surprising Way You Can Get Guaranteed Retirement Income for Life

For some, the hurdle may be financial  especially with the steadily rising costs of housing. But for others, like Rayan Adam, a 65-year-old sales associate living in New Rochelle, New York, homeownership has never really fit into their personal version of the American dream. GOBankingRates interviewed Adam about his decision not to own a home as hes nearing retirement.

Wealthy people know the best money secrets. Learn how to copy them.

Reasons For Never Owning a Home

Adam has never owned a home and doesnt plan to become a homeowner any time soon.

There are many reasons why I never committed myself to homeownership, but I think the biggest one is that Im a nomad at heart. Ive moved around so much throughout my life from country to country, city to city  and the idea of buying a home and settling down in one place just doesnt resonate with me, he explained.

Before moving to New York a few years ago, Adam spent most of his 30s, 40s and 50s traveling and working in different cities and countries, including Miami, China, Saudi Arabia and Nigeria. While many people view homeownership as the ultimate goal in life, Adam places travel and life experiences above all else.

Sure, some people might think that Im financially irresponsible to still be renting at 65 years old, but I think Im doing just fine, continued Adam. I live in a small one-bedroom apartment by myself, and Im enjoying life. Plus, the rent in New Rochelle, New York, is much more affordable than other parts of the Empire State.

Financial Journey And Considerations

Besides working as a sales associate, Adam also has a side hustle where he sells used electronics online.

Though I dont make multiple six figures, Ive saved a good chunk of change for retirement, and I plan to continue growing my side hustle to support myself after I retire, he said. Thats a few thousand dollars a month right there!

Adam doesnt plan to continue living in New York after he retires and is considering moving to Florida or a cheaper part of the country to enjoy his retirement years.

Ive lived in Florida before, and I loved it. Plus, Florida doesnt have an individual income tax, so I wont have to worry about paying an insane amount of taxes on my side hustle earnings, Adam added.

Story continues

Explore More: 5 Reasons Retirees Regret Selling Their Homes in Retirement

Reflections And Regrets

Adam believes that not everyone is meant to be a homeowner, and hes one of them.

I dont regret not owning a home, he shared. I know this sounds cliche, but the world is my home. Renting has allowed me the freedom to pick up and go whenever I want while still having some sort of stability.

However, embracing the nomadic lifestyle and renting does have its trade-offs. While I have many friends around the world, the lack of community when youre moving around so much can become quite lonely sometimes, Adam admitted.

He understands that if you value a tight-knit community and want to establish roots, homeownership can be great as long as you can afford it.

Now that Im older, Ive come to understand that relationships are the most important thing in life, and having a secure home in a close-knit community where youve known your neighbors for decades is truly a blessing, he acknowledged.

Despite all this, Adam insists he has no regrets. He says hell make a point to get to know his neighbors and create a sense of community wherever he goes next.

Renting vs. Owning: The Pros And Cons

While Adam has decided that homeownership isnt for him, that might not be the case for you. If youre weighing your options, consider these pros and cons of renting vs. owning to help you make a decision.

Pros of Renting:

Renting makes financial sense if youre an empty nester or unsure where you want to spend your retirement years.

As a renter, you dont have to deal with major structural maintenance or routine repairs since thats the landlords job.

Renting can free up capital for other purposes like investments.

In some places, renting can be cheaper than owning a house because renters arent responsible for property taxes and repair costs.

Cons of Renting:

Your landlord can increase the rent at any time, which means you have less control over your housing expenses.

You cant build equity or leave an inheritance if youre renting a property since you dont actually own it.

You cant make any changes to your apartment without the landlords approval.

Some landlords have a No Pets policy, which can make renting tricky if you have pets.

Pros of Owning:

You have more stability and control and dont have to worry about a landlord bumping up the rent.

Owning a home allows you to build equity with an asset that appreciates over time.

Homeowners can benefit from tax credits and deductions, including the mortgage interest deduction.

Youre free to redecorate and renovate the property since youre the owner.

Cons of Owning:

Costs for home maintenance and repairs, property taxes and homeowners insurance can add up quickly.

Upfront costs like closing costs and down payments can be expensive.

Owning a home means committing to staying in one place for a while. This offers less flexibility and makes it harder to relocate.

Though you dont have to worry about your landlord increasing your rent, property taxes can go up.

More From GOBankingRates

This article originally appeared on GOBankingRates.com: Im 65 and Have Never Owned a Home  Heres Why
Bathinda, Jul 20 (PTI) Bikanervala, the manufacturer of traditional Indian sweets and multi-cuisine dining brand, on Saturday said it has opened its latest outlet in Bathinda, Punjab.

The new outlet marks another milestone for the brand as it further solidifies its presence in the culinary landscape, Bikanervala said in a statement here.

In addition to its delectable range of sweets and savouries, the brand also offers a 100 per cent vegetarian multi-cuisine dining experience' at its outlets, catering to diverse palates, it added.

The Bathinda outlet -- located at Green City Square, Mandi Dabwali Road -- is spread over a 5,000 sq ft area with a seating capacity of more than 150 customers.

Bikanervala Foods Pvt Ltd Director Ashok Aggarwal said, "We are thrilled to announce the inauguration of our new outlet at Bathinda. This expansion reflects our commitment to providing our patrons with unparalleled culinary experiences while staying true to our heritage".

The brand has joined hands with food and beverage firm Montana Group with strong roots in domestic and global markets, he added.

The aim is to place the highly developed 'Indian sweets and fine food culture' firmly on the world map, he said.

The company has plans to add over 50 outlets in 2024-25.

Bikanervala Foods Pvt Ltd CEO Suresh Goel shared that Bathinda is our 12th outlet in Punjab.

"We are already present in five cities of Punjab with 11 outlets namely Jalandhar, Ludhiana, Mohali, Zirakpur, and Faridkot, and soon, we are going have our presence in several other cities of Punjab," he added.

Montana Group founder Monty Singh, "We have always believed in the power of food to connect people, celebrate cultures, and make a positive impact in communities".

Montana Group co-founder Manoj Madhukar said the partnership will aim to bring traditional flavours and provide a cosy dining atmosphere.
Mumbai, Jul 20 (PTI) The trailer of "Dharmavir-2," second part of a film based on the life of late Shiv Sena leader Anand Dighe, considered to be Maharashtra Chief Minister Eknath Shinde's political mentor, was launched here on Saturday.

Bollywood actor Salman Khan launched the trailer at a function here.

With this trailer, he was celebrating `Guru Poornima' in advance by paying a tribute his political guru, CM Shinde said on this occasion.

The film will release on August 9, weeks ahead of the state assembly polls.

The first part, with actor Prasad Oak playing Dighe, was released in 2022, just before Shinde led a rebellion in the Shiv Sena against Uddhav Thackeray and became chief minister by toppling the Thackeray-led coalition government.

The film had a character based on Shinde.
Karachi, Jul 20 (PTI) Parents of a Hindu girl who went missing in Pakistan's Sindh province in 2021 have staged a protest in Karachi city, seeking her recovery after her 'mysterious' disappearance.

Priya Kumari was seven years old when she disappeared mysteriously on August 19, 2021, while serving sherbet to a Muharram Ashura procession near her house in Sangrar, a small town near Sukkur in Pakistans southern Sindh province.

Her grief-stricken and tired parents, Raj Kumar Pal and his wife Veena Kumari, staged a protest on Friday at the famous Teen Talwar landmark in Karachis Clifton area to remind people that their daughter had still not been recovered.

They have again promised us that they are searching for our daughter, and she will be recovered soon, Raj said.

The parents called off their protest after Sindh home minister, Zia Langrove, and Inspector General of Police, Javed Odho, came to meet them and assured them that a full-fledged Joint Investigation Team (JIT) was working on the case.

Odho said that even after the formation of the JIT, no witness remembers what happened to the little girl.

But the JIT is working day and night to solve this case, and we will have an answer soon, he said.

Even after three years of Priya's disappearance, there is no clue of her whereabouts. No witness remembers seeing her disappear despite a sizable crowd around during the 2021 Ashura procession.

Sindh has a substantial Hindu community, and according to Raj, after Priyas disappearance, there is more concern and fear among the people for the safety of their daughters and sisters.

The disappearance and abduction of minor, teenaged or even married Hindu women are not uncommon in many parts of the province, but in most cases, the victims and those involved in abducting them show up sooner or later and go to the courts.

According to Hindu community leaders, in the majority of these cases, the women and girls are forcibly converted and married off to older men, and the police generally tend to support the abductors instead of the victim's families.

The population of Hindus in Pakistan increased from 3.5 million in 2017 to 3.8 million in 2023 to make it the largest minority community in the Islamic nation, according to the official data of last year's census.
Dubai/Kuwait City, Jul 20 (PTI) In a tragic incident, an Indian couple and their two children were killed in a fire that broke out in their flat in Kuwait City, local authorities said on Saturday.

The tragedy happened on Friday night, the same day they returned from Kerala after vacation.

Mathews Mulackal, his wife Lini Abraham, and their two children, all hailing from Neerattupuram in Alappuzha, suffocated to death on Friday night due to the fire caused by a short circuit in the air conditioner at around 8 pm in their second-floor flat in Abbasiya area, The Arab Times newspaper reported.

The family had returned to Kuwait from a vacation in Kerala, arriving around 4 pm local time on Friday. Mathews Mulackal worked at Reuters, while his wife Lini was a staff nurse at Adan Hospital in Al Ahmadi Governorate. Their children attended Bhavans School in Kuwait, the newspaper said.

"Mathew has been working there for the past 15 years. They left for Kuwait after their vacation on Thursday night from Nedumbassery Airport," a relative told the media in Kerala on Saturday.

The Indian Embassy in Kuwait said it is in touch with the family in Kerala and will ensure the early repatriation of the mortal remains of the four Indians.

The accident comes close on the heels of a devastating fire accident that claimed the lives of 45 Indians in a labour accommodation last month.

The news report said Major General Khaled Fahd, the acting head of the General Fire Force, was present at the fire scene and quoted the General Fire Force announcement on their X platform that their teams had successfully controlled the blaze in an apartment building.

Meanwhile, the Indian Embassy in Kuwait said in a post on X: Embassy @indembkwt expresses its deepest condolences on the tragic demise of Mr Mathews Mulackal, his wife and 2 children due to fire in his flat in Abassiya yesterday night. Embassy is in touch with his family and will ensure early repatriation of mortal remains.
Lahore, Jul 20 (PTI) In a fresh crackdown on jailed former Pakistan prime minister Imran Khan's party, four senior members of his media team were taken into custody allegedly by intelligence agencies on Saturday.

"International Media Coordinator Ahmed Janjua and three other social media team members have been abducted early this morning," Khan's Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) party said in a statement.

CCTV footage released by the party showed Janjua being taken into custody by plainclothes men in Islamabad at around 4 am.

According to the PTI, there has been a serious crackdown on the PTI social media team in the past two weeks.

"Any attempt to curtail the flow of information to the media is condemnable. The State must ensure their safety and return as soon as possible," the party demanded.

PTI senior leader Zulfi Bokhari said: "Due to consistent international reporting of all the atrocities that are taking place in Pakistan, now my team is being abducted along with others. This continuous deterioration of basic human rights wont continue for long."

PTI has urged the superior judiciary to order Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif-led government to recover the "missing" media wing persons safely.

The PTI also issued a list of 10 members of its media teams and their close relatives who have been "abducted by police or intelligence agencies".

There has been a direct clash between the powerful military and 71-year-old Khan's party since his ouster from power two years ago.

Khan has been in jail since August last year in multiple cases and the Shehbaz-led government has announced banning the PTI, labelling it a "terrorist outfit".
London, Jul 20 (PTI) An Indian student who went missing while swimming in the Latvian capital is feared to have drowned, media reports said on Saturday.

News portal LSM, part of the Public broadcasting of Latvia, quoted friends of Albin Shinto from Kerala, who went missing while swimming in the Jugla canal in Riga as saying that they feared the worst after he disappeared beneath the waves.

The portal said eyewitness Arhik Haries said Shinto was one of five friends who swam in the canal on July 18 in the evening. Albin got into difficulties and was sinking from view. Two of his friends tried to save him and almost succeeded but they, too, got into difficulties.

A passing fisherman managed to save the rescuers with his boat but unfortunately, Albin Shinto was lost beneath the waves, it said.

Haries acknowledged that police and rescuers, including a diver, were quickly on the scene and searched for two to three hours but were unable to find Shinto and called off the search with night approaching.

The search would continue not before Monday because of limited resources being available to conduct large-scale and lengthy search operations, the portal said.

Meanwhile, the Indian mission for Sweden and Latvia said in a post on X: Embassy is in regular contact with Latvian authorities regarding the unfortunate incident of suspected drowning of an Indian student in Riga. We remain in touch with the family and will continue to extend all possible help.
Aspen, Jul 20 (AP) Ukraine is on its way to being able to "stand on its own feet" militarily, Secretary of State Antony Blinken has said, noting that more than 20 other countries have pledged to maintain their own military and financial aid to the country even if the US were to withdraw its support under a different president.

Blinken for the first time directly addressed the possibility that former President Donald Trump could win the November election and back away from commitments to Ukraine. The US, under President Joe Biden, has been the most important supporter of Ukraine's more than two-year battle against invading Russian forces.

Trump's public comments have varied between criticizing U.S. backing for Ukraine's defense and supporting it, while his running mate, Sen. JD Vance, has been a leader of Republican efforts to block what have been billions in US military and financial assistance to Ukraine since Russia invaded in 2022.

Concerns among Ukraine and its supporters that the country could lose vital US support have increased as Trump's campaign surges and Biden's falters.

Blinken said Friday that any new administration would have to take into account strong bipartisan backing in Congress for Ukraine in the interests of countering Russian President Vladimir Putin's attempts to expand Moscow's territory and influence.

"Every administration has an opportunity, of course, to set its own policy. We can't lock in the future," Blinken said, speaking to an audience of US policymakers and others at the Aspen Security Forum in Colorado.

But he pointed to the security agreements that the United States and more than 20 other allies  including some NATO partners, Japan and the European Union  signed at a NATO summit in Washington this month.

"Were we to renege on that ... I suppose that's possible, but happily we've got another 20 some-odd countries that are doing the same thing," Blinken said.

Ukraine itself was on a trajectory to ensure it "stands on its own feet militarily, economically, democratically," Blinken said. (AP) NSD

NSD
Mexico City, Jul 19 (AP) Mexico's president called Donald Trump a friend on Friday and said he would write to the former US president to warn him against pledging to close the border or blaming migrants for bringing drugs into the United States.

President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador called Trump, president from 2017 to 2021 and again the Republican nominee for this fall's presidential election, a man of intelligence and vision, despite Trump's repeated calls to close the two countries' border.

Mexicans were offended in 2015 when then-candidate Trump claimed that, in many cases, immigrants arriving in the US illegally included criminals, drug dealers, rapists".

And Mexico was shocked in 2019 when Trump as president threatened to close the border for a long time unless Mexican authorities stopped migrants from crossing. Lopez Obrador said the two countries' economies were so intertwined that they couldn't bear a closure for even a month.

Lopez Obrador said that in a letter he planned to send next week, I am going to prove to him that migrants don't carry drugs to the United States, adding that closing the border won't solve anything, and anyway, it can't be done.

They wouldn't last a month with the border closed, he said, referring to US automakers and manufacturers who depend on a steady, uninterrupted supply of parts and finished products for their plants on both sides of the border.

Lopez Obrador also addressed a growing discomfort in the United States with the massive transfer of US auto companies to lower-wage plants in Mexico.

Lopez Obrador claimed that moving auto production back to the United States would mean that on average, each automobile sold would cost US citizens between USD 15,000 and USD 20,000 more.

Despite the frequent frictions and Trump's belligerent statements, the two leaders had an outwardly amicable relationship between 2018 and 2020, with Lopez Obrador agreeing to use Mexico's National Guard to make it harder for third-country migrants to cross Mexico to the US border. He has also done that during the current US administration. (AP) PY

PY
Beijing, Jul 20 (PTI) At least 11 people were killed when a bridge on a highway collapsed partially due to flash floods in China's Shaanxi province, authorities said on Saturday.

The bridge, located in Zhashui County in Shangluo City, collapsed on Friday evening due to a sudden downpour and flash floods, the state-run Xinhua news agency reported, quoting the provincial publicity department.

Eleven people were confirmed dead as of Saturday morning, the report said.

It added that rescue teams recovered five vehicles that had fallen into the river, and rescue operations were underway.

According to the Ministry of Emergency Management, a team was dispatched to guide rescue efforts.

The China National Comprehensive Fire and Rescue Team sent 736 people, 76 vehicles, 18 boats and 32 drones to carry out rescue efforts, it said.

Chinese President Xi Jinping urged all-out rescue and relief efforts to "safeguard people's lives and property after the bridge's collapse," the report said.
Kathmandu, Jul 20 (PTI) Ahead of Sunday's floor test for the newly sworn-in Prime Minister K P Sharma Oli, the party he broke away with and two other political outfits have announced to vote against him.

Oli succeeded Pushpa Kamal Dahal 'Prachanda,' who lost the vote of confidence in the House of Representatives (HoR) last week after Oli's Communist Party of Nepal-Unified Marxist Leninist (CPN-UML) withdrew support and joined hands with the Nepali Congress (NC), the largest party in Parliament, apart from other smaller parties.

The 72-year-old veteran Communist leader, who was sworn in on Monday as the Himalayan nations Prime Minister for the fourth time, will be taking the vote of confidence in parliament on Sunday.

The three Opposition parties -- Prachanda's Communist Party of Nepal-Maoist Centre (CPN-MC), Rastriya Swatantra Party (RSP), and Communist Party of Nepal-Unified Socialist (CPN-US) -- held a joint meeting on Friday and decided not to support Oli in the vote of confidence.

"Prachanda, RSP president Rabi Lamichhane, and Unified Socialist chair Madhav Kumar Nepal, after a discussion at Singha Durbar, made the decision," The Kathmandu Post newspaper said quoting Ramesh Malla, personal secretary to Prachanda.

However, even when these parties have a combined 62 seats in the House of Representatives (HoR), the CPN-UML and NC-led coalition does not face a threat as the two parties had together submitted signatures of 165 HoR members of their own while staking claim last week.

Moreover, on July 15, when Oli and the cabinet were sworn in, there were members from the Janata Samajwadi Party and the Loktantrik Samajwadi Party too taking oath, all put together, way more than the minimum 138 required in the 275-strong HoR for proving the majority.

Incidentally, the Supreme Court of Nepal has set July 21 as the date for a preliminary hearing for a writ petition challenging Olis appointment arguing that it was unconstitutional and seeking its annulment.

Within hours of Oli's swearing-in, three advocates -- Deepak Adhikari, Khagendra Prasad Chapagain and Shailendra Kumar Gupta  had filed the writ petition arguing that the president should call for the formation of a new government under Article 76 (3) if a government formed as per Article 76 (2) fails the floor test in the House of Representatives.

Nepal has faced frequent political turmoil as the country has seen 14 governments in the past 16 years after the Republican system was introduced.
Real estate can be a lucrative investment, but being a successful landlord requires more than just owning property. GOBankingRates spoke to several experienced landlords and real estate investors on how to maximize profits and minimize headaches in the rental property business.

Be Aware: 5 Types of Homes Expected To Plummet in Value by the End of 2025

Discover More: Become a Real Estate Investor for Just $1K Using This Bezos-Backed Startup

Heres what they said about making money off real estate.

Wealthy people know the best money secrets. Learn how to copy them.

Reduce Vacancy Time

Nick Disney of Sell My San Antonio House explained that to be profitable as a landlord, you need to reduce your vacancy time as much as possible.

A vacant unit will eat into your profits in a hurry, he warned. Make sure you communicate with your tenants to find out if they plan to renew or move out at the end of their lease. If they are planning to leave, have your contractors ready to go so that they can fix any repairs and make the unit ready for the new tenants.

Disney also suggested that landlords start advertising right away so that you will have new tenants ready to move in as soon as possible. The more you reduce your vacancy time the more you will increase your profits.

Screen Tenants Properly

According to Disney, you can avoid a lot of the headaches and horror stories as a landlord if you screen your tenants properly.

You should have each tenant fill out an application and screen the tenants through a third-party service that checks for things such as credit, eviction and criminal history, he recommended.

The majority of horror stories that I have heard began by not having a system in place to properly screen your tenants.

Read Next: In Less Than a Year, Youll Regret Not Having Bought Property in These 20 Housing Markets

Buy Low and Focus on Cash Flow

Danny Johnson, founder at Danny Buys Houses, said his preferred strategy with rental real estate is buying low and making cash flow from day 1.

Johnson continued, If you become an expert at finding distressed real estate, you can still buy properties for a fraction of their value. Most of the time you will need to make repairs to the property, but that is a small price to pay for monthly cash flow over a long period of time.

Add Value to Your Properties

Another thing Johnson stressed was looking into ways to increase the value and profitability of your rentals, which can be things like updating the property and adding amenities.

He said, Here in San Antonio, Texas, adding central air conditioning instantly increases how much you can rent the house for. Making updates like replacing carpet with luxury vinyl also adds value and will attract better tenants that will pay more.

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Johnson highly recommends this change as [the vinyl] lasts much longer, which also [saves] money!

Consider House Hacking

As Johnson explained, House hacking has been popular for a while as a way to have a place to live while renting out another unit.

In order to make this possible, you first need to purchase a multi-unit building.

Sometimes it is possible to have a single tenant on one side of duplex pay the mortgage for the entire property, continued Johnson. You could eventually rent out your unit as well and move on to another property to do it all over again. This is an awesome way to grow your net worth.

Prioritize Tenant Satisfaction and Realistic Pricing

Seamus Nally, the CEO of TurboTenant, emphasized the importance of maintaining good relationships with tenants and setting appropriate rent.

Nelly said, To make money as a landlord, you have to have consistent tenants. That means that simply owning property and charging a high price isnt going to cut it.

Echoing a similar point made by Disney earlier, Nelly continued, saying, You also have to prioritize things like marketing the property well, maintaining good relationships with your tenants (so that they dont leave and give bad reviews) and charging realistic rent.

As a final note, Nelly added, You cant make money off your properties if nobody wants to live in them.

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This article originally appeared on GOBankingRates.com: Im a Landlord: 6 Tips for Making Money Off Real Estate
Washington, Jul 20 (AP) The Congressional Black Caucus prides itself on its authority among Democrats and its influence with President Joe Biden in particular. So far, only one of its roughly 60 members have joined calls for Biden to drop his reelection bid due to concerns over his age and ability to win.

But the caucus' broad backing of the president varies widely, ranging from enthusiastic support to outright skepticism. And a small but growing number are publicly expressing doubts about Biden's candidacy.

Black voters are credited with helping Biden clinch the Democratic nomination four years ago and defeat Donald Trump. Whether Black lawmakers stick with the president now, and how fervently they do so, could be critical in the coming days as pressure builds from the highest levels of the Democratic Party for Biden to end his campaign.

Biden's approval ratings with Black Americans are down from when he took office, reflecting weakened enthusiasm. Among Democrats nationwide, nearly two-thirds say Biden should step aside and let his party nominate a different candidate, according to an AP-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research poll.

In that same poll, Black Democrats were split on whether Biden should remain or stand down as the nominee. For now, the CBC remains a bedrock of Biden's support.

President Biden, as I've said repeatedly, is our nominee, House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries, a member of the CBC, said Friday, calling Biden one of the most accomplished American presidents in our history.

He has the vision, I believe, the ability, the capacity and the track record to make a case to the American people that will result in us being successful in November, Jeffries said.

Rep. Joyce Beatty, a former CBC chair, said Biden is fully capable of campaigning effectively enough to beat Trump. "Biden is at his best against the odds."

"I am a Biden delegate. I will only take directions from Joe Biden, not the Fourth Estate, not the billionaires, and not from my very influential colleagues," said Rep. Gwen Moore.

Still, a crack emerged Friday as Rep. Marc Veasey of Texas became the first CBC member to call for Biden's withdrawal. Ending his campaign, Veasey said in a joint statement with three other Democrats, is the "responsible and patriotic thing to do."

The upheaval over Biden's candidacy began June 27, when the president's performance in the debate against Trump stoked concerns about his age and ability to persuade doubtful voters. Biden gave meandering answers and frequently appeared to lose his train of thought as he struggled to parry Trump's attacks and make the case for his candidacy.

Democratic panic erupted immediately. As the furore deepened, Biden quickly held a virtual call with the CBC, his first meeting with a major group of lawmakers after the debate, to thank them for their support.

Central to many CBC members' support of Biden is a sense that the stakes of the election mean any party infighting will harm the interests of Black Americans and the group's overwhelming priority of defeating Trump. CBC members have been adamant in private conversations that they must focus instead on mobilizing Black communities, Democrats' most consistent voting bloc.

What you hear and see from Black voters is a true reflection of the simple fact that in every election we are casting a survival vote, said Antjuan Seawright, a Democratic strategist and senior advisor to Rep. Jim Clyburn, the South Carolina Democrat who endorsed Biden four years ago in his state's primary, paving the way for Biden's victory and consolidation of the Democratic field.

Clyburn, who remains one of Biden's most influential supporters, has expressed openness to a hypothetical mini-primary should Biden step aside, though he later stressed he was speaking only in the hypothetical.

We're now at a point where people are talking about, Biden is too old.' Hell, I'm older than Biden, said California Rep. Maxine Waters, who at 85 is four years older than the president, during an appearance at the Essence Festival.

I want to tell you, no matter what anybody else said, it ain't going to be no other Democratic candidate. It's going to be Biden and we better know it, she added.

Before the attempted assassination of Trump, Biden was set to hold a crucial week of events focused on Black and Latino voters.

But the White House cancelled a planned appearance on Monday to commemorate the 60th anniversary of the passage of the Civil Rights Act at the LBJ Presidential Library in Austin due to the weekend's events.

Biden delivered remarks at the annual convention of the NAACP on Tuesday, where he said our politics have gotten too heated and that Americans must stand against all violence, tying the attack on Trump's life to recent deadly mass shootings, police killings of unarmed Black Americans and race riots throughout the nation's history.

The following day, Biden's scheduled remarks to the national convention of UnidosUS, a Latino civil rights group, were cancelled after he tested positive for COVID-19. The diagnosis sidelined Biden as many in his party fretted calls for his resignation.

Biden and Democrats are depending on overwhelming and enthusiastic support from Black voters to buoy their chances of victory in November, meaning high pessimism could be determinative in competitive races.

On July 10, Rep. Ritchie Torres of New York wrote on social media that the party must have "a serious reckoning with the down-ballot effect of whomever we nominate" and that the decision should be guided by an unsentimental analysis of the cold hard numbers  which have no personal feelings or political loyalties.

Among Black activists and civil rights leaders, there is concern about low Black voter enthusiasm as communities grapple with issues like rising living costs.

"African Americans are more concerned with the policy priorities of whoever is the next president. They also want to see a president who is going to unify this country and focus more on solutions and not create dog whistles and soundbites that cause division," said NAACP President Derrick Johnson. (AP) NSD

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Kathmandu, Jul 20 (PTI) Nepal's newly appointed Prime Minister K P Sharma Oli is expected to win a vote of confidence in Parliament on Sunday, nearly a week after he was sworn in to lead another coalition government in the Himalayan nation facing frequent power struggles.

The 72-year-old veteran Communist leader was sworn in on Monday as the Himalayan nation's prime minister for the fourth time. He was administered the oath of office and secrecy along with 21 other members of the Cabinet.

According to Nepal's Constitution, Oli needs to secure a vote of confidence from Parliament within 30 days of appointment, which he is likely to secure easily.

The minimum number to form a government in the 275-strong House of Representatives is just 138.

The Chairman of the CPN-UML, Nepal's largest communist party was appointed as prime minister on Sunday by President Ram Chandra Paudel to lead the coalition government with the Nepali Congress (NC), the largest party in Parliament, apart from other smaller parties.

Nepali Congress and Communist Party of Nepal-Unified Marxist Leninist (CPN-UML) have a combined strength of 167, and two other ruling parties, Janata Samajwadi Party and Lokatantrik Samajwadi Party, have seven and four seats, respectively.

With this, the ruling alliance has a strength of 178 in the 275-member HoR.

Apart from the ruling alliance, Oli is also likely to get votes from the Rastriya Prajatantra Party (RPP), Janata Samajwadi Party Nepal (JSP), Nagarik Unmukti Party (NUP) and Janamat Party.

The RPP has 14 seats, JSP Nepal has five, NUP has four, and Janamat has six seats.

Therefore, the alliance is likely to secure more than 200 votes in the floor test, according to sources close to CPN-UML.

Oli succeeds Pushpa Kamal Dahal 'Prachanda,' who lost the vote of confidence in the HoR last week, leading to the formation of the new government.

The three Opposition parties -- Prachanda's Communist Party of Nepal-Maoist Centre (CPN-MC), Rastriya Swatantra Party (RSP), and Communist Party of Nepal-Unified Socialist (CPN-US) -- held a joint meeting on Friday and decided not to support Oli in the vote of confidence.

The CPN-UML Chairman now leads the new coalition government that faces the daunting challenge of providing political stability in the Himalayan nation.

Nepal has faced frequent political turmoil as the country has seen 14 governments in the past 16 years after the introduction of the Republican system.
Deir Al-Balah (Gaza), Jul 20 (AP) At least 13 people were killed in three Israeli airstrikes that hit refugee camps in central Gaza overnight into Saturday, according to Palestinians health officials, as cease-fire talks in Cairo appeared to make progress.

Among the dead in Nuseirat Refugee Camp and Bureij Refugee Camp were three children and one woman, according to Palestinian ambulance teams that transported the bodies to the nearby Al-Aqsa Martyrs hospital. The 13 corpses were counted by AP journalists at the hospital.

Earlier, a medical team delivered a live baby from a Palestinian woman killed in an airstrike that hit her home in Nuseirat late Thursday evening.

Ola al-Kurd, 25, was killed along with six others in the blast, but was quickly rushed by emergency workers to Al-Awda Hospital in northern Gaza in the hope of saving the unborn child. Hours later, doctors told The Associated Press that a baby boy had been delivered.

The still-unnamed newborn is stable but has suffered from a shortage of oxygen and has been placed in an incubator, said Dr. Khalil Dajran on Friday.

Ola's husband and a relative survived yesterday's strike, while everyone else died, Majid al-Kurd, the deceased woman's cousin, told the AP on Saturday.

"The baby is in good health based on what doctors said, he added.

The war in Gaza, which was sparked by Hamas' October 7 attack on southern Israel, has killed more than 38,900 people, according to the territory's Health Ministry, which does not distinguish between combatants and civilians in its count. The war has created a humanitarian catastrophe in the coastal Palestinian territory, displaced most of its 2.3 million population and triggered widespread hunger.

Hamas' October attack killed 1,200 people, mostly civilians, and militants took about 250 hostage. About 120 remain in captivity, with about a third of them believed to be dead, according to Israeli authorities.

The Israel-Hamas war has left thousands of women and children dead, according to health officials in the Gaza Strip. In April, a premature Palestinian baby was rescued from her dead mother's womb but died days later.

In the occupied West Bank, the Palestinian Health Ministry said a 20-year-old man was shot dead by Israeli forces late Friday. Commenting on the shooting, the Israeli army said its forces opened fire on a group of Palestinians hurling rocks at Israeli troops in the town of Beit Ummar.

An eyewitness said Ibrahim Zaqeq was not directly involved in the clashes and was standing nearby.

Zaqeq "just looked at them, they shot him in the head. I picked him up from here and took him to the clinic, said Thare Abu Hashem.

On Saturday, Hamas identified Zaqeq as one of its members. The militant group's green flag was wrapped around his corpse during the funeral.

Violence has surged in the territory since the Gaza war began. At least 577 Palestinians in the West Bank have been killed by Israeli fire since then according to the Ramallah-based Health Ministry which tracks Palestinian deaths.

In Cairo, international mediators, including the United States, are continuing to push Israel and Hamas toward a phased deal that would halt the fighting and free about 120 hostages in Gaza.

On Friday, the US Secretary of State, Anthony Blinken, said a cease-fire deal between Hamas and Israel that will release Israeli hostages captive by the group in Gaza is inside the 10-yard line, but added "we know that anything in the last 10 yards are the hardest.

Fruitless stop-and-start negotiations between the warring sides have been underway since November's one-week cease-fire, with both Hamas and Israel repeatedly accusing each other of scuppering the effort to reach a deal. (AP) PY

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Washington, Jul 20 (PTI) The US on Saturday issued a new travel advisory for Bangladesh, urging Americans to reconsider their travel to the South Asian country because of the ongoing civil unrest, crime and terrorism.

Authorities imposed a strict curfew across Bangladesh and military personnel patrolled parts of the capital on Saturday to quell further violence after days of clashes over the allocation of government jobs left more than 40 people dead and hundreds injured.

Travellers should reconsider travel due to civil unrest in Dhaka. Ongoing demonstrations and violent clashes have been reported in Dhaka, its neighbouring areas, and throughout Bangladesh, the US State Department said in its latest travel advisory.

The State Department raised the Travel Advisory Level for Bangladesh to Level 3  Reconsider Travel, which replaces the previous Travel Advisory issued on October 12 last year.

According to the travel advisory, telecommunications have been interrupted in Dhaka and across the country. Due to the security situation, there may be a delay in provision of routine consular services, it said.

Travellers should be aware of petty crimes such as pickpocketing in crowded areas. Crimes such as muggings, burglaries, assaults, and illegal drug trafficking constitute the majority of criminal activity in Bangladeshs major cities, but there are no indications foreigners are being targeted because of their nationality.

These crimes tend to be situational, based on time and location, the advisory said.

In its advisory, the State Department said attacks can happen with little or no warning, with terrorists targeting public areas such as tourist locations, transportation hubs, markets/shopping malls, restaurants, places of worship, school campuses, and government facilities.

Because of security concerns, US Embassy personnel in Bangladesh are subject to some movement and travel restrictions.

The US government may have limited ability to provide emergency services to its citizens in Bangladesh due to these travel restrictions, a lack of infrastructure, and limited host government emergency response resources.

The State Department asked US nationals to take certain precautions in case they decide to travel to Bangladesh. These are avoiding demonstrations and political gatherings, monitoring local media for breaking events and being prepared to adjust plans.

Do not physically resist any robbery attempt. Get to a safe area and report any criminal incident to local authorities. Enroll in the Smart Traveller Enrollment Programme (STEP) to receive alerts including updates on consular services so it is easier to locate you in an emergency," the State Department advisory said in its recommendations.
Islamabad, Jul 20 (PTI) Pakistan has termed as unwarranted and unacceptable interference in its domestic affairs the US voicing its concern over the government's proposed move to ban jailed former prime minister Imran Khan's party.

In its latest attempt to suppress Khan's Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) party, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif-led federal government on Monday announced that it has decided to ban the PTI and seek proceedings against Khan, 71, and ex-president Arif Alvi, 78, among others under charges of treason.

Hours later, the US voiced concern over the development and emphasised that Washington would continue to monitor these decisions and further decisions by the courts.

During her weekly press conference, Foreign Office spokesperson Mumtaz Zahra Baloch on Friday was reacting to a question about the United States voicing concern on the issue when she praised the strength of Pakistans legal and judicial systems and ticked off US comments as unwarranted and unacceptable interference.

The recent decisions by Pakistani courts, including the Supreme Court of Pakistan, show the strengths of Pakistan's legal and judicial system and the ability of the Pakistani nation to deal with domestic challenges. Commentary from abroad is therefore unwarranted and unacceptable interference in Pakistan's domestic affairs, Baloch said.

US Department Spokesperson Matthew Miller during the daily briefing on Monday said: Our understanding is that this is the beginning of what will be a complex political process.

Certainly banning a political concern is something -- or a political party is something that would be of great concern to us, Miller told reporters in Washington in response to questions related to the issue.

Miller said the US supported peaceful upholding of constitutional and democratic principles, including respect for human rights and freedom of expression and added that the US supported democratic processes such as the rule of law and equal justice under the law.

Washington would continue to monitor these decisions and further decisions by the courts, Miller said and said the US abhors political violence in any country, including Pakistan, and has spoken out against it and condemned it.
Deir Al-Balah (Gaza), Jul 20 (AP) The Israeli army says it has struck several Houthi targets in western Yemen on Saturday following a fatal drone attack by the rebel group in Tel Aviv the previous day.

A number of military targets were hit in the western port city of Hodeidah, a Houthi stronghold, the Israeli army said, adding that its attack was in response to the hundreds of attacks carried out against the state of Israel in recent months.

Houthi spokesman Mohammed Abdulsalam wrote on social media platform X that Yemen was subjected to a blatant Israeli aggression that targeted fuel storage facilities and the province's power station. He said the attacks aim to increase the suffering of the people and to pressure Yemen to stop supporting Gaza.

Abdulsalam said the attacks will only make the people of Yemen and its armed forces more determined to support Gaza. (AP) PY

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Kathmandu, Jul 20 (PTI) A team of rescue officials from India arrived in Nepal on Saturday to search for several passengers, including seven from India, and two buses that went missing in a swollen river last week.

The team arrived in Chitwan upon the request of Nepali authorities who sought assistance from India to carry out the operation in search of the buses that swept in Trishuli River after a landslide hit the region on July 12.

As many as 19 bodies were recovered after the buses carrying 65 passengers met with casualty along the Narayanghat-Muglin road section and were swept away by the Trishuli River.

Three of the passengers somehow managed to get outside the bus and swam to the bank.

According to Chitwans Chief District Officer Indradev Yadav, the Indian team after being briefed on the incident immediately went to the Disaster Management Training School of the Armed Police Force at Kurintar.

The team then went to Simaltal, the incident site, and started the search operation which is about 23 kilometres from Narayanghat, Kathmandu Post newspaper quoted the official as saying.

The Indian team, including 12 personnel from the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF), who are trained in the rescue and search operations, will be deployed for a search operation for seven days, said Yadav.

The team, which includes four divers, have arrived with the necessary devices including three sonar cameras.

Rescue and search teams from the Nepal Army, Nepal Police and Armed Police Force (APF) have been searching the wreckage of buses and the passengers since the day of the incident with little success so far.

Of the 62 passengers swept away along with the buses, 24 bodies have been recovered from various locations in Nepal and also from the Indian side.

However, only 15 of the bodies have been confirmed to be passengers of the missing buses.

At least four of the recovered bodies were of Indians, sources here said.

The authorities have used high-quality sonar cameras, powerful magnets and water drones to assist in the rescue works.

The bodies from the two buses were washed away down the Trishuli River as far as 100 kilometres.

Nepal's rivers are generally fast-flowing due to the mountainous terrain. Heavy monsoon downpours in the past few days have swollen the waterways and turned them murky brown, making it even more difficult to see the wreckage.

Monsoon season brings heavy rains to Nepal from June to September, often triggering landslides in the mountainous Himalayan country.
Washington, Jul 20 (PTI) Indian-American Congressman Raja Krishnamoorthi has denounced the racist response to Republican National Committeewoman Harmeet Dhillon's recital of Sikh prayer 'ardas' in the presence of the party's presidential nominee Donald Trump, and said it was "completely unacceptable".

Dhillon, a Republican Party leader and Civil Rights Attorney, recited the prayers at the four-day Republican National Convention that began last Monday. Delegates and officials had gathered at the event in Milwaukee to greet Trump like a hero for the first time since a gunman opened fire at the former president during a campaign rally in Pennsylvania, grazing his ear.

Following her recital of 'ardas', Dhillon was trolled on social media and most of them appeared to be from her party's support base.

In a statement on Friday, Krishnamoorthi said, "The reprehensible and racist response to Republican National Committeewoman Harmeet Dhillons Sikh prayer on Monday night is completely unacceptable."

Krishnamoorthi, a four-term Congressman from Illinois, is a Democrat.

"Discrimination on the basis of race or religion has no place in America, and must be called out and strongly condemned by Democrats and Republicans alike when it occurs," he said.

The Congressman has been vocal in speaking against discrimination against Indian Americans, cutting across party lines.

At the Republican National Convention last Monday, Dhillon (55) said, "These last 48 hours have been some of the most intense, yet more prayerful of our lives, the heinous attack on President Trump and his supporters made all of us pause and seek answers in comfort."

A video posted on 'X' by the California Republican Party, showed Dhillon saying at the Fiserv Forum: "I come from a family of Sikh immigrants, and I'm honoured to share with you, my fellow Republicans and guests tonight, a prayer from my faith and tradition practised by over 25 million worldwide."

"We recite the Ardas (Sikh prayer) before any new endeavour, giving thanks to God and asking for his protection and help to uphold the values of humility, truth, courage, service, and justice for all," she added.

"Dear Waheguru, our one true God, we thank you for creating America as a unique heaven on this Earth, where all people are free to worship according to their faith. We seek your blessings and guidance for our beloved country. Please bless our people with wisdom as they vote for the upcoming election and please bless with humility, honesty, skill and integrity all those who conduct the election," she had said after offering the 'ardas'.

News outlet Mother Jones reported that Dhillon's prayer "set off a firestorm in the far-right corners of Christian Twitter".

Andrew Torba, CEO of far-right social media platform Gab, ranted to his 400,000 followers on X, saying that "Christian nationalism must be exclusively and explicitly Christian".

Republican Oklahoma state Senator Dusty Deevers seemed to agree, the news outlet reported. "Christians in the Republican party nodding silently along to a prayer to a demon god is shameful," he posted.
Washington, Jul 20 (PTI) Donald Trump has pledged to end Ukraine's war with Russia after its President Volodymyr Zelenskyy reached out to the former US president to congratulate him on his Republican presidential nomination.

The two leaders spoke on Friday over the phone.

President Zelenskyy of Ukraine and I had a very good phone call earlier today. He congratulated me on a very successful Republican National Convention and becoming the Republican nominee for President of the United States, Trump said in a post on Truth Social, a social media post.

The call gains significance as this is his first conversation with a foreign leader after officially becoming the Republican Partys presidential nominee. It also reflects the growing realisation among the international community of his electoral chances in the November 5 elections.

I appreciate President Zelenskyy for reaching out because I, as your next President of the United States, will bring peace to the world and end the war that has cost so many lives and devastated countless innocent families. Both sides will be able to come together and negotiate a deal that ends the violence and paves a path forward to prosperity, Trump wrote.

Trump said during the call Zelenskyy condemned the heinous assassination attempt on him last Saturday and remarked about the American people coming together in the spirit of Unity during these times.

In his post on X, Zelenskyy said that he spoke with Trump to congratulate him on the Republican nomination and condemn the shocking assassination attempt in Pennsylvania.

I wished him strength and absolute safety in the future. I noted the vital bipartisan and bicameral American support for protecting our nation's freedom and independence, he said.

Ukraine will always be grateful to the United States for its help in strengthening our ability to resist Russian terror. Russian attacks on our cities and villages continue every day. We agreed with President Trump to discuss at a personal meeting what steps can make peace fair and truly lasting, Zelenskyy wrote.

The 78-year-old former US president has spoken with many foreign leaders as he seeks the presidency, but his call with Zelensky is especially significant because of the elections implications for US policy toward Ukraine and Russia.

A Trump victory could herald an abrupt change in the transatlantic support for Kyiv that President Joe Biden established.

Just days ago, Trump announced Ohio Senator J D Vance as his running mate in November's vote. The 39-year-old has in the past said he doesnt care what happens to Ukraine one way or the other.
Washington, Jul 20 (PTI) US President Joe Biden has said that he would continue his campaign for reelection and take on rival Donald Trump, as he deals with the fallout from his COVID-19 diagnosis and growing calls from Democrats for him to quit the race.

Biden, who tested COVID-19 positive a few days ago, is in isolation at his Delaware residence, where he is expected to spend the rest of the week.

Donald Trumps dark vision for the future is not who we are as Americans. Together, as a party and as a country, we can and will defeat him at the ballot box, Biden, 81, said in a statement issued by his campaign on Friday, a day after Trump, 78, formally accepted his party's presidential nomination at the Republican National Convention in Milwaukee.

I look forward to getting back on the campaign trail next week to continue exposing the threat of Donald Trumps Project 2025 agenda while making the case for my own record and the vision that I have for America: one where we save our democracy, protect our rights and freedoms and create opportunity for everyone, he said.

The president also criticised Trump's Thursday night keynote speech at the Republican National Convention.

"For over 90 minutes, he focused on his own grievances, with no plan to unite us and no plan to make life better for working people, said the president referring to Trump's speech.

He avoided mentioning his Project 2025 agenda, but still proudly flaunted the worst of MAGA (Make America Great Again) extremism," Biden said.

Americans know exactly where he wants to take this country, Biden said.

The Biden-Harris campaign alleged that despite promising a call for unity and toned-down rhetoric, Trumps speech was a 90-minute reel of his greatest hits: focused entirely on himself, lashing out at his enemies, laying out his grievances, and riling up his base with inflammatory extremism.

Trump is still the same twice-impeached, 34-time convicted felon consumed by revenge and hellbent on seeking retribution in a second term. He did not turn a new leaf; he did not usher in a new era of civility; and he certainly did not change course, the campaign said.

Biden has been sidelined since Wednesday when he was diagnosed with COVID-19 moments before delivering remarks in Las Vegas. He abruptly cut his trip short and flew to his beach home.

Democrats remain split on whether Biden can beat Trump in November and on Friday at least 10 Democrats joined the chorus calling on Biden to resign.
alexeys / Getty Images/iStockphoto

There are so many financial questions that come with retirement. How much can you live on a fixed income? Do you need to downsize your lifestyle in order to be able to afford it? Where should you live, and can you fulfill your post-work dreams in that location?

Explore More: The Standard Retirement Age in the US vs. 5 European Countries

Check Out: The Surprising Way You Can Get Guaranteed Retirement Income for Life

For many retirees, the cost of living in the United States has become way too expensive. The basic everyday items that are available at the grocery store have gone through the roof, and seniors are struggling to keep up with the costs.

If this sounds all too familiar in your retired life, there is a country you might want to consider moving to where your American dollars can stretch in retirement: Costa Rica. The Central American nation has a lot of appealing aspects for U.S. retirees to move there and spend their golden years saving money instead of spending it.

Retirement Planning: Whether you're planning for retirement, dealing with a significant life event or simply looking to make smarter financial decisions, a financial advisor can offer the expertise and guidance you need. Here are some compelling reasons why you should consider a financial advisor -- even if you're not wealthy.

Banking

Richard Bexon is the managing director at Costa Rica Investments, a lifestyle and financial consulting company that helps people invest and relocate to Costa Rica. Based on 20 years of experience in the industry, Bexons advice started with checking out the banks in Costa Rica to get retirees set up financially.

Use Wise or Revolut or a similar international bank that wont charge transfer fees, currency conversion fees, etc. when living in Costa Rica, suggested Bexon. $30 international wire transfer fees and 1%-2% exchange rates fees sum up over a year.

Bexon shared that if you are able to open a local bank account, definitely do that, so you can establish yourself as a customer who banks within Costa Rica.

Not the easiest process, but once you are settled and own or rent a property, it makes the process easier, admitted Bexon. This way you can send one transfer a month and not pay multiple international fees.

Do not close down the bank accounts or credit cards in your own country, Bexon advised. We have seen many people do this and then require them later.

Saving money in retirement while living in Costa Rica requires that you have a financial footing in the country. It does not have to be your entire life savings, but keeping some liquid cash and lines of credit within the countrys borders gives you a leg up to start retirement off on the right financial footing.

Story continues

Learn More: How Long $1 Million in Retirement Will Last in Every State

Cost of Living

Find out when your local market is, as you can save up to 50% on the price of fruit and vegetables, and normally, they are much better quality, offered Bexon, who noted that most of these markets are typically set up on Saturdays and Sundays in Costa Rica.

Buying meat and fish in the supermarket is expensive here, typically up to 2 [times] that in North America, Bexon went on. In order to save money, the best thing is to buy your meat in bulk from Pricesmart  our Costco  and find a local fisherman to source your fish.

Your most expensive household bill in Costa Rica will be electricity, and if you are used to AC, this will cause it to be anywhere from $300-$500 a month if you use it all the time, Bexon said. Therefore, try to only use it at night when electricity rates are lower, and your bill will be closer to $100-$150.

Transportation Costs

Most people need a car when relocating to Costa Rica, according to Bexon. This is especially true for retirees who might be experiencing health or mobility issues that could prevent them from walking or taking public transportation.

Many people ask about importing their car, and this can be a great option, as long as there are good parts in Costa Rica, Bexon reported, recommending Toyota, Nissan, Mitsubishi and Hyundai as the best cars to get around the countrys unique terrain.

The roads here are not as smooth as most of the world, so expect heavier repairs, Bexon said. If you do decide to import a car, you should expect to pay 50% of the value on import taxes and transport.

He also pointed out that its important to retrieve it from customs as quickly as possible once it arrives, as there are heavy daily fees. We suggest using an import specialist.

Healthcare Expenses

If you become a resident, you can pay into the local social security system, Bexon explained. They will ask how much you earn, and you can decide on the amount you tell them. If you have $1,000 a month income, you can expect to pay $150 a month for healthcare.

If you are looking for private healthcare, we have found it to be more cost effective getting an international plan that covers Costa Rica from a company like Blue Cross Blue Shield or Pan American Healthcare, said Bexon, who noted that rates usually start at around $1,500 per person for these kinds of plans.

Investing In Local Property

Costa Ricas property market is very buoyant in some areas, but reselling property in other areas takes a long time, Bexon pointed out. Investing in the right property in the right location is key.

A typical mistake made by American retirees who have just moved to Costa Rica is sinking a significant investment into a piece of property only to find out it does not fit their needs. By that time, the money is spent and retirees find themselves in a jam of whether to sell or head back to the United States.

We suggest to rent a property for the first year, Bexon explained. This ensures that retirees like the area and helps them to further understand the real estate and investment market in each area.

Typically, property demand and supply are governed by tourism to the area, added Bexon. Therefore, understanding the tourism season and demand is vital.

More From GOBankingRates

This article originally appeared on GOBankingRates.com: Im a Retirement Expert: How You Can Save Money in Your Costa Rica Retirement
* US President Joe Biden vows to fight on; to get back on the campaign trail next week.



Donald Trump pledges to end Ukraine-Russia war during call with Volodymyr Zelenskyy.



India, Bhutan review cooperation in diverse areas of development partnership.



Stories on violence in Bangladesh.



Stories on political developments in Pakistan.



Stories on Mideast tensions.



Stories on Russia Ukraine war.*
Shillong, Jul 19 (PTI) Over 360 more citizens of India, Nepal and Bhutan on Friday crossed over to Meghalaya from the violence-affected Bangladesh, taking the total number of people taking refuge in the state to over 670, officials said.

A senior home department official said that 363 people reached Meghalaya through the Dawki Integrated Check Post. Of them, 204 are Indians, 158 are Nepalese and one person is from Bhutan.

So far, 80 residents of Meghalaya, mostly students, have crossed over to the state. Out of the 80 people, 13 entered their home state on Friday.

The Meghalaya government has activated a helpline number, 1800-345-3644, for the state's citizens in Bangladesh to help them because of the violence in the neighbouring country.

Violence escalated in the Bangladesh capital Dhaka and elsewhere over student protests demanding reforms of the quota system for government jobs. There were varying reports of the number of people killed on Friday.

The protesters are demanding an end to a quota system that reserves up to 30 per cent of government jobs for relatives of veterans who fought in Bangladesh's war of independence in 1971 against Pakistan.
Thane, Jul 20 (PTI) With the arrest of a 40-year-old Nigerian woman, the police have so far held three persons in connection with the seizure of mephedrone worth more than Rs 2 crore from Navi Mumbai, an official said on Saturday.

On July 16, the police arrested two persons from Vashi in Navi Mumbai and recovered 1.04 kilograms of mephedrone. A case was registered against them under the Narcotic Drug and Psychotropic Substances (NDPS) Act, senior inspector Neeraj Chowdhary of the Anti-Narcotics Cell (ANC) of the Navi Mumbai police crime branch said.

"During their interrogation, the accused duo told the police that they had procured the contraband from a Nigerian woman residing in Naigaon of Palghar district. The ANC team then laid a trap there and nabbed the woman and recovered 432 grams worth Rs 86.40 lakh from her," he said.

The total amount of mephedrone seized from the trio is worth Rs 2.87 crore, the police said.
Thane, Jul 20 (PTI) The Navi Mumbai police have rescued eight women after busting a sex racket with the arrest of an autorickshaw driver, an official said on Saturday.

Police recently received a tip-off about a gang sending women to various lodges for prostitution after soliciting customers online, said inspector Prithviraj Ghorpade of the anti-human trafficking cell of Navi Mumbai police.

With the help of a decoy customer, they recently nabbed the auto driver, identified as Pradeep Yadav, who used to ferry the women to hotels, the official said.



The police first rescued a woman after Yadavs questioning. Based on the information she provided, they rescued eight women from a room at Shiravane in the Nerul area.



Police also arrested two men, identified as Vishnu, alias Vikaskumar Janki Yadav (28), and Indrajit Indradev Prasad (63) from there, he said.



The suspected kingpin of the racket, Shambu Upadhyaya, is at large, the official said.



An FIR has been registered under the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) at Turbhe police station, he added.
Sukma, Jul 20 (PTI) Five Naxalites surrendered before police and CRPF personnel in Chhattisgarh's Sukma district on Saturday, an official said.

Of these, Telam Hunga was the Chetna Natya Mandali (CNM) vice president under the Duled Revolutionary Party Committee (RPC) of the outlawed Communist Party of India (Maoist), while the other four are part of the lower rung, he said.

They decried the inhuman and hollow Maoist ideology and hailed the state government's Naxalism elimination policy as well as the Sukma police's rehabilitation drive 'Puna Narkom' ('new dawn' in Gondi language), the official added.

"These cadres were tasked with digging roads, felling trees to block roads and putting up posters and banners during shutdowns called by the Naxalites. They will get benefits as per the state government's surrender and rehabilitation policy," he added.
Nagpur, Jul 20 (PTI) The India Meteorological Department (IMD) on Saturday predicted heavy rainfall, with the possibility of extremely heavy showers at isolated places in Nagpur and other districts of Vidarbha region over the next two days and advised people not to step out of homes unless necessary.

It issued a red alert for Chandrapur, and an orange alert for Nagpur, Amravati and Wardha districts for Saturday.

Nagpur, the second capital of Maharashtra, has been witnessing heavy showers since Friday. The observatory at the Nagpur airport recorded 90.6 mm rainfall in the 24-hour period ending 8.30 am on Saturday, officials said.

In view of the downpour, the Nagpur district collector declared a holiday for all schools and colleges in the city and rural area on Saturday, they said.

Incessant rains led to waterlogging in several areas of Nagpur city. Two bridges in rural parts of the district got submerged, they added.

IMD's Regional Meteorological Centre (RMC) in Nagpur also issued a moderate flash flood warning over few "watersheds" (catchment areas and reservoirs) and neighbourhoods in Amaravati, Bhandara, Chandrapur, Gadchiroli, Gondia and Nagpur districts that is valid for the next few hours.

The RMC predicted thunderstorm, lightning and heavy to heavy rainfall with isolated extremely heavy rainfall in next 24 to 48 hours in Nagpur, Bhandara, Chandrapur, Wardha, Gadchiroli, Gondia, Yavatmal districts of Vidarbha, and advised people to stay indoors.

It also issued a red alert for Chandrapur and an orange alert for Nagpur, Amravati and Wardha.

A red alert indicates heavy to extremely heavy rain of over 20 cm in 24 hours, while an orange alert means very heavy rain (6 cm to 20 cm). A red alert requires authorities to "take action" in view of an extreme weather event, while an orange alert signifies a preparedness advisory for authorities due to the potential for severe weather conditions.

In Gadchiroli district, eight roads were shut due to flooding, including the Allapalli-Bhamragad stretch of a national highway, the officials said.
Mumbai, Jul 20 (PTI) A woman was killed and three others were injured after some portion of a balcony of a four-storey residential building located on Grant Road in south Mumbai came crashing down on Saturday, officials said.

The building, Rubinnisa Manzil, where the incident occurred is located on Sleater road near the Grant Road railway station, a fire brigade official said.

The incident took place around 11 am, he said.

"Four persons were injured after some part of the balcony collapsed. They were rushed to a local hospital, where a woman was declared dead, while three others are undergoing treatment," the official said.

It is an old building of the Maharashtra Housing and Area Development Authority (MHADA) that was declared dangerous by the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC), he said, adding that a notice had also been issued to it earlier.

Following the incident, seven persons were rescued from the building, he said.
(This story has not been edited by THE WEEK and is auto-generated from PTI)
Agartala/Kolkata, Jul 20 (PTI) Around 100 students returned to India on Saturday from violence-hit Bangladesh through two integrated checkposts in Tripura, the Border Security Force said here.

More students are expected to return to the country, BSF, Tripura Frontier said in a statement.

"Indian and foreign students, who are studying in Bangladesh, are returning to India as the agitation has now become violent. Today, till 1600 hrs, approx 100 students, including those from Nepal, have returned using valid documents," it said.

Bangladesh continued to reel under deadly clashes over a controversial job quota system.

BSF is closely monitoring the situation across the border and troops are on high alert, the statement said.

BSF, Tripura Frontier, Inspector General (IG) Patel Piyush Purushottam Das assured all possible assistance to the students and spoke to the Border Guards Bangladesh (BGB) officers for cooperation at their end.

BSF has made "all necessary arrangements, including refreshments and transport, at the ICPs to facilitate smooth arrival and further movement of the students to their destinations", it said.

"Around 240 students from Meghalaya, Assam, Mizoram and Nepal, who have been studying in Bangladesh are expected to return through the state's two ICPs- Srimantapur and Akhaura. The DMs concerned were asked to coordinate with BSF," said a senior state government official.

In West Bengal, five Nepalese students crossed over at the Fulbari border outpost near Siliguri on Saturday, while six Indian students returned via the Mekhliganj border gate in Cooch Behar district, police said.

Rahul Rai, a Nepalese student at Rangpur Medical College in Bangladesh, told reporters, "The situation is bad in Bangladesh. Clashes with security forces are taking place everywhere. We felt unsafe and decided to return."

A source from the Bangladesh Deputy High Commission said figures of students entering India will be available to the immigration authorities, who are still collating the data.

A Bangladeshi tourist at the Petrapole border outpost in West Bengal's North 24 Parganas district expressed concern about the lack of communication with relatives in Jessore.

He and his friends had initially planned to visit Darjeeling but decided to return due to escalating violence in their country.
Guwahati, Jul 20 (PTI) The flood situation in Assam continued to improve, with the affected population reducing to 1.30 lakh in 10 districts, as a central team concluded a three-day visit to assess the damage from this year's two waves of deluge, official sources said on Saturday.

Assam State Disaster Management Authority (ASDMA) has urged the visiting team to declare the two waves of floods as calamities of severe nature and recommend the release of Rs 500 crore from the National Disaster Response Fund (NDRF) on an interim basis.

An ASDMA bulletin said 1,30,888 people in 23 revenue circles and 423 villages across 10 districts currently remain affected. The affected districts include Kamrup, Morigaon, Dibrugarh, Sivasagar, Golaghat, Nagaon, Dhemaji, Goalpara, Kamrup Metropolitan, and Cachar. Nagaon is the worst-hit, with 72,864 people still reeling under the deluge.

The number of affected people was 2.07 lakh in 10 districts on Friday, with the toll from this years floods, landslides, lightning, and storms remaining at 113.

A total of 9,258 displaced people are currently sheltered in 46 relief camps, while 18 relief distribution centres are serving 21,041 affected people. Crop land of 8,623.9 hectares remains inundated, and 19,327 animals are affected.

The Brahmaputra River is flowing above the danger level in Dhubri and the Disang River in Nanglamuraghat. The ASDMA bulletin also reported damage to embankments, houses, roads, and other infrastructure across various districts.

An ASDMA statement added that an eight-member high-level Inter-ministerial Central Team (IMCT) from the Central government concluded its three-day visit to various districts to assess flood damages. The team, led by Joint Secretary of the Ministry of Home Affairs Mihir Kumar, wrapped up their assessment after discussions with senior state government officials.

The IMCT, divided into two groups, visited the flood-affected districts of Dibrugarh, Majuli, Dhemaji, Lakhimpur, Nagaon, Cachar, Karimganj, and Hailakandi. They interacted with local officials and visited flood-damaged sites.

The central team assessed the damages and loss of livelihood and property in a meeting chaired by Additional Chief Secretary Ajay Tiwari.

Speaking on the impact of the floods, Tiwari noted that Cyclone Remal triggered the first wave, and the state has been hit by two waves of floods affecting people, livestock, and wildlife alike.

Kumar elaborated on the teams on-ground assessment and highlighted the severe inundation of agricultural lands caused by the floods. He commended the preparedness of the districts and state government, as well as the prompt and effective relief operations undertaken in the flood-affected areas.

Addressing the meeting, ASDMA CEO Gyandendra Dev Tripathi requested the IMCT to declare the two waves of floods as calamities of severe nature and to recommend the release of Rs 500 crore from the NDRF on an interim basis.

The meeting was attended by officers from various departments, the Indian Army, and the NDRF. Deputy Commissioners of flood-affected districts also joined virtually to share their issues with the IMCT, the ASDMA statement added.
Novartis (VTX:NOVN) Second Quarter 2024 Results

Key Financial Results

Revenue: US$12.9b (up 9.6% from 2Q 2023).

Net income: US$3.25b (up 43% from 2Q 2023).

Profit margin: 25% (up from 19% in 2Q 2023).

EPS: US$1.60 (up from US$1.09 in 2Q 2023).

All figures shown in the chart above are for the trailing 12 month (TTM) period

Novartis Revenues and Earnings Beat Expectations

Revenue exceeded analyst estimates by 1.6%. Earnings per share (EPS) also surpassed analyst estimates by 14%.

Looking ahead, revenue is forecast to grow 2.3% p.a. on average during the next 3 years, compared to a 3.6% growth forecast for the Pharmaceuticals industry in Switzerland.

Performance of the Swiss Pharmaceuticals industry.

The company's shares are down 5.9% from a week ago.

Risk Analysis

It's still necessary to consider the ever-present spectre of investment risk. We've identified 2 warning signs with Novartis, and understanding these should be part of your investment process.

Have feedback on this article? Concerned about the content? Get in touch with us directly. Alternatively, email editorial-team (at) simplywallst.com.



This article by Simply Wall St is general in nature. We provide commentary based on historical data and analyst forecasts only using an unbiased methodology and our articles are not intended to be financial advice. It does not constitute a recommendation to buy or sell any stock, and does not take account of your objectives, or your financial situation. We aim to bring you long-term focused analysis driven by fundamental data. Note that our analysis may not factor in the latest price-sensitive company announcements or qualitative material. Simply Wall St has no position in any stocks mentioned.

Have feedback on this article? Concerned about the content? Get in touch with us directly. Alternatively, email editorial-team@simplywallst.com
Kolkata, Jul 20 (PTI) An in-house preliminary inquiry report by a Raj Bhavan panel has dismissed molestation charges against West Bengal Governor C V Ananda Bose by a former woman staffer. The report, made public on Saturday, claimed the complaints were "ill-motivated."

The report, prepared by the former district judge of the Pondicherry Judicial service, D Ramabathirani, stated that the alleged sexual misconduct against the Governor on April 24 and May 2 was "ruled out as baseless."

Besides taking into consideration multiple newspaper clippings between May 3 and May 7 this year which reported the alleged incident at Raj Bhavan, the one-man inquiry committee also examined eight Raj Bhavan staff as witnesses, including two ADCs and the OSD to the Governor, to reach its conclusion.

"The timing of the alleged incident on May 2, 2024, coinciding with the Prime Minister's visit to Raj Bhavan, creates a cloud of suspicion regarding the truthfulness and indicates a sinister motive behind the allegations," the report said. It added that the Special Protection Group (SPG) had already taken control of the premises before the alleged incident occurred.

"Given these circumstances, it seems highly improbable the Governor would choose such a moment to engage in misconduct with the complainant," the report concluded, labeling the charges as "ill-motivated." It also noted that other women staff at Raj Bhavan testified they did not face any inappropriate behaviour from the Governor.

The complainant had alleged she faced sexual misconduct, including molestation, from the Governor on April 24 and May 2 at Raj Bhavan. However, during the May 2 meeting, when a Raj Bhavan supervisor was present, she continued to sit in the chamber even after he left the room, according to the report.

Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Friday filed an appeal before a division bench of the Calcutta High Court challenging a single bench order restraining her and three others from making any defamatory or incorrect statements against Bose.

The single bench had passed the interim order on Tuesday in a defamation suit filed by the Governor. Banerjee's appeal challenges the order, which is in effect until August 14.

The order also restrained newly elected MLAs Sayantika Banerjee and Reyat Hossain Sarkar, and TMC leader Kunal Ghosh, from making any defamatory or incorrect statements against Bose. The matter will now be listed for hearing before a division bench.

Trinamool Congress leader Kunal Ghosh described the preliminary inquiry report as "a piece of trash."

He accused the Governor of giving himself a clean chit by forming a probe panel with a judge of his own choice. "If he is innocent, why is he evading interrogation by the Kolkata Police?" Ghosh asked. "If he is sure he had not committed any wrongdoing, why is he seeking immunity under Article 361 of the Indian Constitution as Governor? Let him face questioning by investigators."

Throwing his hat in the ring on late Saturday evening, TMC MP and lawyer Kalyan Banerjee, called the report an "interference with judicial proceeding".

"Prosecutor cannot be (the) judge of his own case @ bengal governor. Constitution of judicial committee by perpetrator of alleged offence dehore's (sic) all laws. Publication of report today (is) tantamount to interference with judicial proceeding," Banerjee posted on his X handle tagging Home Minister Amit Shah and Bengal CM Mamata Banerjee.
Aizawl, Jul 20 (PTI) Mizoram on Saturday bid farewell to Zadingi, the fearless woman who carved her name into India's gallantry history by killing a tiger with her axe.

Zadingi, who achieved this remarkable feat 46 years ago, passed away on Friday at the age of 72 in her native village of Buarpui in south Mizoram's Lunglei district, near the Bangladesh border, after a prolonged battle with cancer.

She is survived by five children, and a grandchild.

Her funeral programme was held at noon in her native village during which church leaders, community leaders and several dignitaries paid their last respects, family sources said.

Chief Minister Lalduhoma also mourned the death of Zadingi and extended his deepest condolences to the bereaved family.

"Zadingi, one of the bravest Mizo women, who was worth imitating and also an awardee of India's bravery award 'Shaurya Chakra' has passed away. I deeply mourn her death and extend my deepest condolences to the bereaved family," Lalduhoma said in his social media handle.

Zadingi was just 26 when she encountered the tiger while gathering firewood in a jungle near her village.

She recounted the event in an interview when she was alive, explaining that she first mistook the noise in a bush for a wild boar. Despite her calls for help, her friends, terrified by the sound, did not come to her aid.

When the tiger emerged, Zading had no time to escape. Standing just three feet from the big cat, she struck it on the forehead with her axe, killing it with a single blow. Although the tiger scratched her finger with its paw, she remained composed and managed to inform the villagers of the incident. The encounter took place on July 3, 1978.

After killing the tiger, Zadingi learned that her friends had been too scared to assist her. The mummified body of the tiger is now on display at the state museum.

Zading's bravery earned her the Shaurya Chakra in 1980.

Her heroic act has transcended Mizoram, making her a celebrated figure beyond the state's borders.

She remains the only recorded Mizo woman, and perhaps the only woman in India, to have killed a tiger with an axe.

Her heroic act was included in the Hindi curriculum of the Mizoram elementary syllabus for many years.

In August 2021, Zading was diagnosed with colon cancer, just a month after her husband Lalthanmawia died of cancer. Despite undergoing two major surgeries, her condition worsened earlier this year before she finally passed away on Friday.
Jaipur, Jul 20 (PTI) Parliamentary Affairs Minister Jogaram Patel assured the Rajasthan assembly on Saturday of strict action against the Aadhaar centres and 'e-mitra' operators involved in making fake Aadhaar cards.

During the 'Zero Hour', Congress MLA Ratan Dewasi raised the matter of fake Aadhaar cards allegedly being made in western Rajasthan.

Responding to it, Patel said a campaign would be conducted across the state to curb such cases.

All 'e-mitras' and Aadhaar centres operating in the state will be inspected and an annual report of Aadhaar machines will be sought and examined, the minister said.

He said 'e-mitra' operators will be mandated to write all information regarding free services and paid ones outside the centres nobody is charged extra.

Patel said authorised centres making fake Aadhaar cards in districts along the border with Pakistan is a serious concern for national security.

"The state government is continuously taking effective action to curb such cases," he added.

He told the House that an FIR was registered at the Sarwana police station of Sanchore district on June 21 against 'e-mitra' and Aadhaar centre operators involved in making fake Aadhaar cards.

Patel said the information was conveyed to the central government, along with a request letter for transferring the investigation in the case to the CBI.

The people named in the case, Togaram, Ganpat Singh and Kanhaiya Lal, are at large and efforts are on to nab them, he added.

Another similar case was also registered at Chitalwana police station of Sanchore district and accused Manohar Lal was arrested on June 21, the minister said.

He informed that effective monitoring is being done on e-mitra operators and Aadhaar centres in Sanchore district and assured the house of legal action against those found involved in making fake Aadhaar cards.

Speaker Vasudev Devnani also expressed concern and said it was a matter related to national security.
Noida, Jul 20 (PTI) The Gautam Buddh Nagar Police said it is making extensive preparations for the upcoming Kanwar Yatra and the festival of Shravan Shivratri, adding that it will set up 10 temporary outposts on pilgrim routes for law and order.

The Hindu holy month of Shravan starts on July 22, with the Shravan Shivratri celebration on August 2, 2024.

During this period, devotees perform the ritual of Jalabhishek at Shiva temples every Monday, and a significant increase in the number of participants is expected this year.

According to an official statement, "This year, there is significant enthusiasm among the devotees, and a substantial increase in participants in the Kanwar Yatra is expected."

To ensure the smooth conduct of the Kanwar Yatra, the Noida Police, under the direction of Commissioner Laxmi Singh, has established a dedicated "Kanwar Cell".

The police department has made extensive arrangements along the Kanwar routes and for the accommodation and easy movement of the devotees, it said.

The Gautam Buddh Nagar Police Commissionerate has set up facilities along 14 routes for the Kanwar pilgrims.

These routes include Chilla Red Light to DND, Pash Vihar to Kalindi Kunj Border, Model Town Sector 62 to Sector 60, 71 via City Center, Sector 37 to Kalindi Border, Chhijarsi via Bahlolpur to Sector 71.

Other routes cover Ghaziabad Lal Kuan via Dadri, Kot Ka Pul, Nangla, Faizalpur, Rajpur Kaila, Khedi Hajipur, Jamgarh, Bilaspur, Bagpura to Bhayipura Shiva Temple and several others.

"To ensure security and assistance, 10 temporary police outposts have been set up in the three zones of Noida, Central Noida, and Greater Noida. Each temporary outpost will have a designated team, including two sub-inspectors, eight head constables/constables/women constables, along with the PCR/Thar/Thana Mobile of the respective police station, which will be used as needed," the police said.

In addition to these measures, detailed arrangements have been made for the canals falling within the Kanwar routes in the Commissionerate Gautam Buddh Nagar area, it said

The Gautam Buddh Nagar Police Commissionerate, in their official statement, affirmed their commitment to ensuring the safety and convenience of the devotees during the Kanwar Yatra.

"The police department is dedicated to making extensive arrangements along the Kanwar routes and for the accommodation and easy movement of the devotees," it added.
Hisar, Jul 20 (PTI) Congress MP Deepender Hooda accused the BJP-led government at the Centre of misusing central agencies against opposition leaders after the ED arrested Haryana Congress MLA Surender Panwar on Saturday in an illegal mining-linked money-laundering case.

He also demanded that the BJP government should answer questions being raised by the public instead of "misusing" the ED and the CBI.

Hooda, who led a foot march from the Narnaund Anaj Mandi to the Khanda Mor in the Narnaund assembly constituency earlier in the day, said there is a "wave" of the Congress in the entire state.

He said the Congress has sought answers to 15 questions against the "misgovernance" of the BJP government through the 'Haryana Maange Hisaab Abhiyan'.

In 10 years, the BJP government has put Haryana off the track of development and prosperity, Hooda alleged.

"Today, every section is unhappy with this government. In every constituency of the entire state, a huge crowd is gathering for the 'Haryana Maange Hisaab Abhiyan' which is a symbol of public anger against the BJP government," he said.

Reiterating the questions raised by his party, Hooda said the BJP should explain why Haryana has the "highest unemployment" rate in the country.

"BJP will have to give an account of why there is no water in Narnaund city and the canal. Why was government recruitment abolished? Why was injustice done to the daughters of Haryana? Why does Haryana have the highest crime rate in the country? Why did Haryana leave Punjab behind and become number one in drug abuse? Why did this government stop all the schemes for the poor," he asked.

He said the BJP government ignored everyone for 10 years and injustice was done to every section of society.

"When these people demanded justice, the government showered lathis on them," the Congress alleged.

The opposition party had on July 15 launched the 'Haryana Maange Hisab' campaign, targeting the ruling BJP on several fronts, including unemployment and law and order, farmers and other issues.

Panwar, a 55-year-old legislator, was taken into custody in the early hours of the day in Gurugram. He was produced before a special Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA) court in Ambala which sent him to the custody of the Enforcement Directorate (ED) till July 29.
Nuh, Jul 20 (PTI) A man, who had been absconding for 28 years in a cheating case and was wanted by Rajasthan Police, has been arrested, police said on Saturday.

Gulzer was held on Saturday morning from his village Malaka, they said.

A case of cheating and forgery was registered against Gulzer, a resident of Malaka village in Tauru area in district Nuh, at Tapukara police station in Rajasthan in 1996.

He was declared a proclaimed offender by a court in Rajasthan when he could not be arrested, said police.

Rajasthan Police had conducted several raids at his house to arrest him but he had managed to flee every time.

Nuh police have informed Rajasthan Police about his arrest, said a police official.
New Delhi, Jul 20 (PTI) Disability rights activists expect a substantial financial support in the upcoming budget to address the needs of persons with disabilities to ensure their development.

Arman Ali, executive director of the National Centre for Promotion of Employment for Disabled People, stressed the need for earmarking budgets under central and state schemes across different ministries to ensure targeted funding for disability inclusion.

This, he believes, would address the diverse needs of persons with disabilities and ensure adequate support across multiple sectors.

Ali also highlighted the urgent need for allocations to improve accessible infrastructure, including community hospitals, primary health centres, district hospitals, and sub-district hospitals.

He pointed out that without such allocations, persons with disabilities would continue to face significant barriers in accessing healthcare facilities, ultimately affecting their overall health outcomes.

The activist also underscored the importance of a uniform quantum of State Disability Pension across India, considering the additional costs of living with a disability. He advocated for dedicated budget allocations for life and health insurance schemes specifically designed for persons with disabilities.

Ali further called for increased funding for the Scheme for Implementation of the Rights of Persons with Disabilities Act, which he believes is essential for the effective enforcement of disability rights and ensuring compliance with legislative mandates for accessibility and inclusion.

He stressed the need for substantial increases in the budget for the Department of Empowerment of Persons with Disabilities (DePwD) and organizations like the National Trust, RCI, and NHFDC, highlighting the growing number of NGOs, local level committees, and beneficiaries that rely on these organizations for support.

Similarly, the National Platform for the Rights of the Disabled (NPRD) echoed Ali's sentiments, advocating for a cross-sectoral approach to address disability issues in line with the Rights of Persons with Disabilities Act, 2016 (RPD Act).

NPRD emphasized the need for disability budgeting, suggesting that 5 per cent of allocations across ministries should be earmarked for the disabled. They also called for enhanced allocations for the DePwD and the Ministry of Health & Family Welfare for the implementation of the Mental Healthcare Act, 2017.

NPRD noted that funding for these departments has decreased over the years, and even the allocated amounts are often not fully utilized.

The disability rights organisation further stressed the importance of making built infrastructure and IT services accessible, with more allocations needed to meet the "Accessible India" targets for railways and other modes of transport.

They advocated for subsidies to modify existing houses to make them accessible and ensure new houses built under various schemes are disabled-friendly. NPRD also urged the government to remove GST on aids and appliances used by the disabled, arguing that these devices are essential for their daily lives.

Additionally, NPRD called for an inclusive pension system that covers all disabilities recognized under the RPwD Act and links pensions to minimum wages or the cost of living. They also suggested introducing a caregiver allowance and providing free and universal health coverage for all disabled individuals.

Disability rights activists Dr Satendra Singh highlighted the need for separate funding for the Accessible India Campaign.

He pointed out that despite the campaign's launch in 2015, there has been no dedicated budget for it, resulting in inadequate progress.

Singh called for a 5 per cent allocation across all ministries for disability inclusion and the removal of GST on essential assistive devices. He emphasized that assistive devices are lifelines for people with disabilities and should not be taxed.

As the government prepares to unveil the Union Budget 2024, the disability rights community hopes their demands will be met, ensuring a more inclusive and equitable society for persons with disabilities.

Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman will be presenting the full budget for the fiscal year 2024-25 on July 23, which will be the first Budget for the NDA government after it secured a third consecutive term.
New Delhi, Jul 20 (PTI) The NDMC on Saturday launched a three-day drive to check and clean all the bell mouths of drainage ducts along its roads to prevent waterlogging due to rains.

The New Delhi Municipal Council (NDMC) has 8,704 bell mouths along all its main roads under the six divisions of Road Engineering Service. The six road divisions are headed by executive engineers who report to the superintendent engineers, a statement said.

As part of the drive, all divisions are gearing to check and clean every bell mouth under its jurisdiction.

The drive is being carrying out by a special team that includes 17 assistant engineers, 28 junior engineers, 1,500 field staff and other workers under six executive engineers.

Each executive engineer has been directed to clean a specific target of bell mouths, the statement said.
Jaipur, Jul 19 (PTI) A group of people led by former MLA Sang Singh Bhati, who had gathered to protest against a couple who had allegedly fled and married against the wishes of the woman's family, pelted stones at the police in Jaisalmer, officials said on Friday.

Police resorted to lathicharge to control the group and detained four people who were part of the protest, they said.

The woman's family members are against the couple's relationship who had allegedly got married on July 9. They had lodged a missing complaint at Kotwali police station, they said.

"Four people have been detained who were part of the protest. Others involved are being identified. The couple is not minor," DSP Rajesh Sharma said.
Kolkata, Jul 20 (PTI) A court in West Bengals South 24 Parganas district on Saturday remanded to police custody a man who was arrested on the charge of torturing a woman in a kangaroo court at his residence.

It was alleged that the arrested Jamaluddin Sardar chained the woman and beat her up in the kangaroo court in the first week of July and had held similar sessions in the past inside his Pratapnagar village home.

The victim filed a complaint with the police against him and the accused was arrested on Friday.

Sardar was produced before the Baruipur Sub-divisional Court on Saturday and was remanded to nine days of police custody. The police, however, had sought a remand for 14 days.

Police also sought the court's permission to search Sardar's palatial residence.

Sardar's two associates were arrested earlier.

The opposition BJP and CPI(M) alleged that Sardar was being protected by the ruling Trinamool Congress.

Rejecting the charge, local TMC MLA Saukat Mollah said, "He is not associated with our party. If anyone commits any unlawful deed, he would be sternly dealt with.
Faulty U.S. cybersecurity firm's update causes major global IT outage

Xinhua) 09:13, July 20, 2024

A suspended self-check-in kiosk is seen at Billy Bishop Toronto City Airport in Toronto, Canada, on July 19, 2024. A faulty software update from cybersecurity firm CrowdStrike Friday morning has affected computers-running Microsoft Windows at organizations, causing major IT outage, taking out banks, airlines and businesses globally. (Photo by Zou Zheng/Xinhua)

SAN FRANCISCO, July 19 (Xinhua) -- A faulty software update from cybersecurity firm CrowdStrike Friday morning has affected computers-running Microsoft Windows at organizations, causing major IT outage, taking out banks, airlines and businesses globally.

U.S. federal airspace officials announced a nationwide ground stop of air traffic on Friday due to the outages. Airlines and airports across Germany, France, the Netherlands, the United Kingdom, Australia, China, Japan, India, and Singapore also reported problems with check-in and ticketing systems, resulting in flight delays.

A post by Alaska State Troopers said many call centers were "not working correctly across the State of Alaska."

The crash reports were related to its cloud-based security service "Falcon Sensor," said CrowdStrike,

Its chief executive, George Kurtz, confirmed in a post on X that a "defect" in a content update for Windows hosts had caused the outage.

"CrowdStrike is actively working with customers impacted by a defect found in a single content update for Windows hosts. Mac and Linux hosts are not impacted," Kurtz said on X.

"This is not a security incident or cyberattack. The issue has been identified, isolated and a fix has been deployed. We refer customers to the support portal for the latest updates and will continue to provide complete and continuous updates on our website," he noted.

"We further recommend organizations ensure they're communicating with CrowdStrike representatives through official channels. Our team is fully mobilized to ensure the security and stability of CrowdStrike customers."

A post on CrowdStrike's support forums acknowledged the issue early on Friday, saying the company had received reports of crashes related to a content update. Its enterprise apps are still seeing disruption, according to the Service Health Status of its cloud services for business.

CrowdStrike has nearly 60 percent of Fortune 500 companies and more than half of the Fortune 1,000 as its clients, according to its website. It went public in 2019 and moved its headquarters to Austin from California's Silicon Valley in 2021,

CrowdStrike's shares were down about 18 percent in premarket trading on Friday. CrowdStrike had a market cap of 83.48 billion U.S. dollars by the market's closing on Thursday.

"In our view, cybersecurity products have to clear a higher bar of reliability and security in customer deployments than other technology products because they are mission critical and actively attacked by adversaries," Goldman Sachs analysts wrote in a research note on Friday.

People wait for the check-in system to resume at Billy Bishop Toronto City Airport in Toronto, Canada, on July 19, 2024. A faulty software update from cybersecurity firm CrowdStrike Friday morning has affected computers-running Microsoft Windows at organizations, causing major IT outage, taking out banks, airlines and businesses globally. (Photo by Zou Zheng/Xinhua)

A screen with unmodified flight information is seen at Billy Bishop Toronto City Airport in Toronto, Canada, on July 19, 2024. A faulty software update from cybersecurity firm CrowdStrike Friday morning has affected computers-running Microsoft Windows at organizations, causing major IT outage, taking out banks, airlines and businesses globally. (Photo by Zou Zheng/Xinhua)

The arrivals hall without passengers is seen at Billy Bishop Toronto City Airport in Toronto, Canada, on July 19, 2024. A faulty software update from cybersecurity firm CrowdStrike Friday morning has affected computers-running Microsoft Windows at organizations, causing major IT outage, taking out banks, airlines and businesses globally. (Photo by Zou Zheng/Xinhua)

Staff members of Porter Airlines wait at the check-in counters at Billy Bishop Toronto City Airport in Toronto, Canada, on July 19, 2024. A faulty software update from cybersecurity firm CrowdStrike Friday morning has affected computers-running Microsoft Windows at organizations, causing major IT outage, taking out banks, airlines and businesses globally. (Photo by Zou Zheng/Xinhua)

A staff member of Porter Airlines displays an online notification about the airline's cancellation at Billy Bishop Toronto City Airport in Toronto, Canada, on July 19, 2024. A faulty software update from cybersecurity firm CrowdStrike Friday morning has affected computers-running Microsoft Windows at organizations, causing major IT outage, taking out banks, airlines and businesses globally. (Photo by Zou Zheng/Xinhua)

Passengers are seen at Vancouver International Airport in Richmond, British Columbia, Canada, on July 19, 2024. A faulty software update from cybersecurity firm CrowdStrike Friday morning has affected computers-running Microsoft Windows at organizations, causing major IT outage, taking out banks, airlines and businesses globally. (Photo by Liang Sen/Xinhua)

Passengers are seen at Vancouver International Airport in Richmond, British Columbia, Canada, on July 19, 2024. A faulty software update from cybersecurity firm CrowdStrike Friday morning has affected computers-running Microsoft Windows at organizations, causing major IT outage, taking out banks, airlines and businesses globally. (Photo by Liang Sen/Xinhua)

Passengers are seen at Vancouver International Airport in Richmond, British Columbia, Canada, on July 19, 2024. A faulty software update from cybersecurity firm CrowdStrike Friday morning has affected computers-running Microsoft Windows at organizations, causing major IT outage, taking out banks, airlines and businesses globally. (Photo by Liang Sen/Xinhua)

Passengers are seen at Vancouver International Airport in Richmond, British Columbia, Canada, on July 19, 2024. A faulty software update from cybersecurity firm CrowdStrike Friday morning has affected computers-running Microsoft Windows at organizations, causing major IT outage, taking out banks, airlines and businesses globally. (Photo by Liang Sen/Xinhua)

Passengers are seen at Vancouver International Airport in Richmond, British Columbia, Canada, on July 19, 2024. A faulty software update from cybersecurity firm CrowdStrike Friday morning has affected computers-running Microsoft Windows at organizations, causing major IT outage, taking out banks, airlines and businesses globally. (Photo by Liang Sen/Xinhua)

Passengers wait at Benito Juarez International Airport in Mexico City, Mexico, on July 19, 2024. A faulty software update from cybersecurity firm CrowdStrike Friday morning has affected computers-running Microsoft Windows at organizations, causing major IT outage, taking out banks, airlines and businesses globally. (Photo by Francisco Canedo/Xinhua)

Passengers wait at Benito Juarez International Airport in Mexico City, Mexico, on July 19, 2024. A faulty software update from cybersecurity firm CrowdStrike Friday morning has affected computers-running Microsoft Windows at organizations, causing major IT outage, taking out banks, airlines and businesses globally. (Photo by Francisco Canedo/Xinhua)

Passengers wait at Benito Juarez International Airport in Mexico City, Mexico, on July 19, 2024. A faulty software update from cybersecurity firm CrowdStrike Friday morning has affected computers-running Microsoft Windows at organizations, causing major IT outage, taking out banks, airlines and businesses globally. (Photo by Francisco Canedo/Xinhua)

Passengers wait at Benito Juarez International Airport in Mexico City, Mexico, on July 19, 2024. A faulty software update from cybersecurity firm CrowdStrike Friday morning has affected computers-running Microsoft Windows at organizations, causing major IT outage, taking out banks, airlines and businesses globally. (Photo by Francisco Canedo/Xinhua)

Passengers wait at Benito Juarez International Airport in Mexico City, Mexico, on July 19, 2024. A faulty software update from cybersecurity firm CrowdStrike Friday morning has affected computers-running Microsoft Windows at organizations, causing major IT outage, taking out banks, airlines and businesses globally. (Photo by Francisco Canedo/Xinhua)

Passengers wait at Benito Juarez International Airport in Mexico City, Mexico, on July 19, 2024. A faulty software update from cybersecurity firm CrowdStrike Friday morning has affected computers-running Microsoft Windows at organizations, causing major IT outage, takig out bnanks, airlines and businesses globally. (Photo by Francisco Canedo/Xinhua)

Passengers wait at Benito Juarez International Airport in Mexico City, Mexico, on July 19, 2024. A faulty software update from cybersecurity firm CrowdStrike Friday morning has affected computers-running Microsoft Windows at organizations, causing major IT outage, taking out banks, airlines and businesses globally. (Photo by Francisco Canedo/Xinhua)

Passengers wait at Benito Juarez International Airport in Mexico City, Mexico, on July 19, 2024. A faulty software update from cybersecurity firm CrowdStrike Friday morning has affected computers-running Microsoft Windows at organizations, causing major IT outage, taking out banks, airlines and businesses globally. (Photo by Francisco Canedo/Xinhua)

Passengers wait at Benito Juarez International Airport in Mexico City, Mexico, on July 19, 2024. A faulty software update from cybersecurity firm CrowdStrike Friday morning has affected computers-running Microsoft Windows at organizations, causing major IT outage, taking out banks, airlines and businesses globally. (Photo by Francisco Canedo/Xinhua)

Passengers wait at Benito Juarez International Airport in Mexico City, Mexico, on July 19, 2024. A faulty software update from cybersecurity firm CrowdStrike Friday morning has affected computers-running Microsoft Windows at organizations, causing major IT outage, taking out banks, airlines and businesses globally. (Photo by Francisco Canedo/Xinhua)

Passengers wait at Benito Juarez International Airport in Mexico City, Mexico, on July 19, 2024. A faulty software update from cybersecurity firm CrowdStrike Friday morning has affected computers-running Microsoft Windows at organizations, causing major IT outage, taking out banks, airlines and businesses globally. (Photo by Francisco Canedo/Xinhua)

Passengers wait at Benito Juarez International Airport in Mexico City, Mexico, on July 19, 2024. A faulty software update from cybersecurity firm CrowdStrike Friday morning has affected computers-running Microsoft Windows at organizations, causing major IT outage, taking out banks, airlines and businesses globally. (Photo by Francisco Canedo/Xinhua)

(Web editor: Peng Yukai, Wu Chaolan)
MEXICO CITY, MexicoMexicos state-owned Petroleos Mexicanos (Pemex) is aiming to reduce its total debt to around $99.4 billion this summer, the first time in 10 years that the companys debt would be below the $100 billion mark.

Pemex debt was $101.5 billion at the end of first quarter 2024, according to financial statements on the Mexico City-based companys website.

Mexicos President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador (AMLO) said debt reduction during his six-year term from 2019-2024 will amount to $32.9 billion. This figure is 24.9% lower than the $132.3 billion he inherited at the end of 2018, AMLO said July 19 during his daily press conference with the media.

Over the last three six-year presidential terms from 2007-2024, Pemexs debt peaked at $136.6 billion in 2020 during the COVID-19 pandemic, comparable to 2008s low of $64.8 billion.

AMLO said efforts to reduce fuel stolen from Pemex not only allowed the company to fund construction of its new Olmeca refinery in Dos Bocas and the acquisition of the Deer Park refinery in Houston, but also reduce its debt.
Malappuram (Kerala), Jul 20 (PTI) Kerala Health Minister Veena George on Saturday confirmed Nipah infection in a 14-year-old boy from Malappuram district.

George, who met the media here, said the Pune NIV (National Institute of Virology) had confirmed the infection in the boy who is currently under treatment at a private hospital.

"He will be shifted to the government medical college at Kozhikode. The contact tracing has begun. High-risk contacts have already been isolated and their samples have been sent for testing," George told the media.

The child is under treatment and is on a ventilator, George added.

Minister said the epicentre was Pandikkad and that precautionary measures have already been initiated.

She asked the people in the locality of the epicentre and the nearby hospitals to wear masks in public spaces and avoid visiting patients in hospitals.



The state government had announced recently that a special action calendar was being prepared for the prevention of a Nipah outbreak, which has haunted the state on four occasions in the past.

Nipah outbreaks have been reported in Kozhikode district in 2018, 2021, and 2023 and in Ernakulam district in 2019, and the presence of Nipah virus antibodies had been detected in bats in Kozhikode, Wayanad, Idukki, Malappuram and Ernakulam districts.
Israel on Shabbos carried out airstrikes against multiple Houthi targets in the Hodeidah port area in western Yemen, targeting oil refineries, a power plant, and weapon warehouses, killing and wounding dozens.

In the wake of the strikes, huge fires broke out at the port, fueled by the oil stored there. As of Motzei Shabbos in Israel, the fires were still burning. The attack, which was carried out by over a dozen fighter jets, completely disabled the port, which Israel said is a significant economic source for Houthi terrorism due to the weapons transferred there from Iran and the energy infratructure.

The attack came after the Houthis launch of a drone that struck Tel Aviv in the early hours of Friday morning, killing one and wounding eight others, and about 220 previous attempts to attack Israel since October 7th.

The IDF stated: A short while ago, IDF fighter jets struck military targets of the Houthi terrorist regime in the area of the Hodeidah in Yemen in response to the hundreds of attacks carried out against the State of Israel in recent months.

The attack was approved at a secret meeting of the Cabinet early Shabbos aftrenoon, several hours before the attack.

The Houthis are threatening to retaliate for the attack and Israeli is taking the threats seriously and is preparing for a serious attack, including an attempt to damage Israels civilian infrastructure.

(YWNs Jerusalem desk is keeping you updated after tzeis haShabbos in Israel)
Tony Hetherington is Financial Mail on Sunday's ace investigator, fighting readers corners, revealing the truth that lies behind closed doors and winning victories for those who have been left out-of-pocket. Find out how to contact him below.

G.J. writes: Seven years ago I retired, having been told by Lloyds Bank's pension managers Willis Towers Watson (WTW) that my pension from the bank would give me a lump sum of 90,000 and a monthly pension of 1,200.

Now I have received a letter from WTW which has turned our world upside down. It says the figures given seven years ago were overstated due to an 'administrative error'.

It wants me to repay 45,000 of the lump sum and a further 50,000 which it says has been overpaid as monthly pension.

Huge, rich company: But its mistake left reader on medication

Tony Hetherington replies: When many pensioners struggle to meet day-to-day bills, I can only imagine what it must have been like to open a letter demanding that you find 95,000, on top of which WTW planned to cut your pension by about 500 a month.

You told me: 'After 40 years of service, we took WTW's figures on trust, never imagining that it could make such a fundamental mistake. We are at our wits' end. I have had to seek medication for anxiety, and my wife is worried it will seek a legal charge on our home.'

WTW's letter explained that it had 'a legal responsibility to only pay benefits in line with a member's entitlement'. Its only concession was to add that it would take into account any irreversible change to your finances that had been caused by its mistake.

But even this was hardly helpful. Simply having spent the money was not good enough. WTW told you: 'If you spent the overpayment on a particular asset, for example a car, you can sell the car and use the funds to repay the trustee.'

Nor would paying off your mortgage give you any leeway, as WTW added that 'you would have been required to repay your mortgage in any event'.

I asked Lloyds to comment, and it told me its pension scheme was operated by an independent company which had appointed WTW as administrator.

It added: 'We recognise Mr J's long service and contribution to the group, and the difficulty and stress that the discovery of this error with his pension is now causing.'

The bank is seeking a speedy solution. I also contacted WTW, and asked why its mistake should not be regarded as negligence, with WTW footing the bill.

The multi-national company would only say that it would make a compensation offer 'once we have sufficient information'. In short, it would not put forward a figure until you revealed full details of your finances and WTW could see what you could afford to hand over.

If you had been thrifty in retirement, WTW would offer less compensation than if you had been a spendthrift and ended up in debt  which would be an absurd outcome that penalised you for being sensible.

What WTW did not say was why it should escape paying for its own negligence, so I repeated the question. WTW is a huge, rich company.

You and your wife are pensioners. Demanding 95,000 from you would have a massive impact. Writing off 95,000 from its own profits would barely be noticeable.

This time my question struck home. WTW has now said: 'On this occasion, WTW have advised the trustees that we will make a payment to the pension scheme equivalent to the amount of overpaid benefits, and as a result the trustees have confirmed that there is no need for Mr J to repay any money.'

It may now be left to the Pensions Ombudsman to give a ruling on whether WTW can cut your future monthly pension, but you and your wife can rest easy in the knowledge that your home is safe. There will be no more demands for 95,000.

WE'RE WATCHING YOU 'Expertise': Yield Gallery's Jon Sullivan An art investment company linked to a convicted fraudster is facing a High Court winding-up petition after investigations by The Mail on Sunday and the Insolvency Service. Yield Gallery Limited operates galleries in Soho and Blackheath in London, and has announced plans to expand in Dubai. Its creative director Jon Sullivan says: 'With our expertise, we are able to advise, educate and help inspire new collectors and art enthusiasts seeking financial security.' But last October, I revealed that Sullivan was previously known as Jonothan Piper. And under his old name, he was jailed for five and a half years in 2016 after pleading guilty to charges of fraud, money laundering and evading tax. Piper ran Embassy Wine UK Limited, which marketed vintage wine as an investment but cheated clients out of 300,000. Piper was also banned from acting as a company director for 11 years, but under his new name he had illegally formed two companies, an art retail business called YG Group Holdings and a financial intermediary firm, Jerry Peggy Limited. Yield Gallery also employed as a salesman another disqualified director, Anthony Allen. He is banned from running any company until 2031, after he ran Global Neutral Limited, a scam firm which marketed investments in carbon credits. No date has yet been fixed for the High Court to consider the winding-up petition, and the Insolvency Service declined to comment. However, lawyers for Yield Gallery said: 'It is proposed to strenuously contest the petition'.

If you believe you are the victim of financial wrongdoing, write to Tony Hetherington at Financial Mail, 9 Derry Street, London W8 5HY or email tony.hetherington@mailonsunday.co.uk. Because of the high volume of enquiries, personal replies cannot be given. Please send only copies of original documents, which we regret cannot be returned.
The Post Office has plunged into more turmoil after the lawyer leading its response to the Horizon IT inquiry stepped back.

Ben Foat has taken a leave of absence on full pay from his role as the group's general counsel  the top in-house legal role at the taxpayer-owned organisation.

It comes as the independent investigation into the biggest miscarriage of justice in British legal history is about to enter its final phase.

The scandal saw the Post Office prosecute hundreds of innocent post-masters and post-mistresses following the introduction of the faulty Horizon computer system.

More than 700 of them were wrongly prosecuted and jailed for theft, false accounting and other offences between 1999 and 2015 in cases brought by the Post Office using flawed data.

A bad sign: The Post Office has plunged into more turmoil after the lawyer leading its response to the Horizon IT inquiry stepped back

Many more were bankrupted and suffered terrible stress and public shame based on evidence from the supposedly 'secure' 1 billion Horizon software system.

Thousands of victims are still awaiting compensation.

News that Foat has stepped back is the latest spin of the revolving door in the Post Office boardroom.

The Mail on Sunday revealed last week that chief executive Nick Read will keep his full salary despite his deputy being drafted to do his day job while he prepares for the last stage of the Horizon inquiry, which is due to begin in September.

The 60,000 Read is set to receive over seven weeks is slightly more than the 54,000 bonus he was forced to hand back for his previous work on the Horizon inquiry amid a public outcry.

Read has also faced calls to quit over a letter in which he said the Post Office would stand by the prosecution of more than half of the sub-postmasters convicted in the Horizon scandal.

MPs on the business and trade committee expressed a lack of confidence in his leadership, accusing him of giving misleading evidence.

Read also came under fire from the Post Office's former human resources director for being 'obsessed' about his pay, which last year totalled 573,000.

He also denied a claim made by former Post Office chairman Henry Staunton that he had threatened to resign unless he was paid more than 1 million. Staunton was sacked by former business secretary Kemi Badenoch in January.

He was dismissed after claiming the Government had stalled compensation payouts to sub-postmasters until after the airing of the hit ITV drama Mr Bates Vs The Post Office starring Toby Jones that month.

More upheaval followed last month when finance director Alisdair Cameron retired with an estimated 1.2 million pay-off after being off sick since last year amid a reported clash with Read.

Foat, 45, was forced to apologise on behalf of the Post Office to the public inquiry last year after a document surfaced which used racist terms about wrongly convicted sub postmasters, referring to some of them as 'Negroid types'.

The document predated Foat's time at the Post Office.

It was a guide for fraud investigators, who were asked to group suspects based on racial features from the colonial era of the 1800s which refers to people of African descent.

Foat also came under fire from inquiry chairman Sir Wyn Williams for the Post Office's late disclosure of evidence, including the controversial racial profiling document.

'It is clear to me that the evidence he (Foat) has provided to me both in writing and orally is largely dependent upon his understanding of information provided to him by others,' Williams said.

Foat was due to give further evidence last month.

The session was cancelled at the last minute after an inquiry team member fell ill.

Foat is now due to appear at the inquiry in the autumn.

The Post Office confirmed that Foat is 'temporarily away from the business'.

'We cannot comment on individual employment matters,' a spokesman added.

He is being replaced by legal director Sarah Gray who will take up Foat's day-to-day duties on an interim basis.

John Dillon, former legal director at lottery operator Camelot, has been appointed as interim general counsel for the Horizon probe, the Post Office added.

Read, meanwhile, is being replaced on an interim basis by Owen Woodley, the Post Office's deputy chief executive.
Cybersecurity boss: Darktrace's Poppy Gustafsson

They are the entrepreneurs who have built billion-pound businesses from scratch  and kept going.

Now a list of 56 of Britain's most successful company founders has been compiled and ranked in order of the value of the firms they created.

Top of the pile is chemicals king and Manchester United part-owner Jim Ratcliffe, whose Ineos weighs in at 29 billion.

He didn't start Ineos until his mid-40s, proving it is often not too late to make a fortune.

'Every big business was once a small business,' says the report's author, Robert Watts.

The top ten include two women. Denise Coates started her Bet365 online gambling firm from a portable cabin in Stoke-on-Trent. Today it is valued at 6 billion, putting her in seventh place.

Coates, 56, pioneered 'in-play or 'live' betting, where punters bet on a game after it has begun.

Poppy Gustafsson grew Darktrace into a 4.1 billion cybersecurity giant, partly on the belief that experience can be over-rated.

The 41-year-old cites the fact that it was a young graduate rather than an old hand who queried why it took Darktrace three months to prove a concept when it could be done in three weeks.

Sharing ninth spot with her is Richard Harpin, 59, who sold his emergency repairs group HomeServe for 4.1 billion last year.

He now fosters the next generation of entrepreneurs through his Growth Partner fund and Business Leader, the magazine he owns, which publishes the research tomorrow at businessleader.co.uk.

Harpin lists the ability to 'copy and pivot' as the first of his secrets for entrepreneurial success.

'Everyone is in a rush to be first,' he said. 'Second movers have the advantages. Watch, correct and adapt.'

Most difficult is 'hiring your replacement', he added.

'I was rubbish at the day-to-day side of the business,' he also revealed. So he got a managing director to run HomeServe's UK operation while he focused on overseas expansion. The rest, as they say, is history.
Plotting a takeover bid: Philip Jansen

The former boss of BT is plotting a takeover bid for the FTSE 100 pest controller Rentokil, according to reports.

Philip Jansen, who stepped down from the telecoms giant at the start of this year, is seeking private equity funding for a deal that would see him become executive chairman.

Rentokil is the world's largest pest control company and operates in 80 countries.

But the 11.6billion group has struggled since it took over US rival Terminix in 2022. Last October it was rocked by a profit warning after it struggled to win new customers in North America.

Jansen, 57, is keen to improve the company's performance in the US, The Sunday Times reported, especially the integration between Rentokil and Terminix.

Private equity firms that could be interested in a bid include CVC and Bain Capital, The newspaper said.

Activist investor Nelson Peltz  who has previously taken on the boards of Disney and Unilever  disclosed last month he had built a stake in Rentokil that makes him one of its top ten shareholders.

The move on Rentokil is the latest in a slew of takeovers of London-listed firms this year.

CVC and Bain declined to comment. Jansen could not be contacted for comment.
There are plenty of ways for a company to allocate its earnings. Some choose to reinvest most of their profits back into the business. Others repurchase their stock or pay dividends. No matter the strategy, the goal is to create value for investors.

Dividend stocks can be particularly attractive if you are looking to supplement your income in retirement or want an additional steady stream of income to bolster your finances at any stage of life. PepsiCo (NASDAQ: PEP) is a well-known stodgy dividend stock with a market-beating 3.2% yield. During the past 12 months, it has paid a whopping $7 billion in dividends. It has also raised its payout annually for more than 50 consecutive years -- making it a Dividend King.

Utility giant Southern Company (NYSE: SO) has raised its payout every year since 2002, but has a 76-year track record of never cutting it. And, it has paid more than $3 billion in dividends over the last 12 months. With a yield of 3.5%, here's why Southern Company is a dividend stock worth considering now.

Image source: Getty Images.

An integrated giant

Southern Company's business is primarily concentrated in the Southeastern U.S. Its traditional electric operating companies -- Alabama Power, Georgia Power, and Mississippi Power -- provide the bulk of its revenue and earnings. Southern Company Gas is its natural gas distribution and utility segment, while Southern Power operates wind, solar, and natural gas generation facilities, most of them in the Southwest, South Central, and Southeastern U.S.

The utility achieved a major milestone in the first quarter, when it announced that Unit 4 of its massive Vogtle Electric Generating Plant in Waynesboro, Georgia, had entered commercial operation. Unit 3 of that four-unit nuclear power plant came online in July 2023. Units 1 and 2 entered operation in the late 1980s.

Combined, the plant now has 4.8 gigawatts (GW) of generating capacity, making it the largest clean energy plant in the U.S. For context, the entire generating capacity of Southern Power is 13 GW across 55 facilities.

A path to higher cash flows

Southern Company has a balanced portfolio across natural gas, nuclear, wind, and solar. That's a different approach than a company like NextEra Energy (NYSE: NEE) -- the most valuable U.S.-based utility by market cap -- which has built one of the world's largest renewable power companies, mainly in wind and solar.

Southern Company's capital expenditures steadily climbed as it worked to get projects off the ground. But now that its major projects are operational, expenditures could level off -- leading to higher cash flow and earnings.

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Vogtle represented a $10 billion investment in Georgia, which is more than Southern Company has ever spent on capital expenditures in a single year. According to its Vogtle Nuclear Brochure, it estimates that "the incremental cost to complete the facility presents more than $3 billion in savings for customers compared to natural gas combined-cycle generation."

In sum, the utility giant is expanding its power-generation portfolio with sources that help its customers save money.

Southern Company is a great value

Southern Company trades at a reasonable valuation for such a steady performer. Its price-to-earnings ratio currently sits at 21.2, which is right around its average level during the past three to 10 years.

SO PE Ratio Chart

Analysts' average estimates call for earnings per share of $4.01 in 2024 and $4.32 in 2025.

Steady, high-single-digit percentage growth isn't usually something to get excited about. But Southern Company has stable inflows thanks to long-term contracts and power purchase agreements. Predictable earnings growth helps fuel its growing dividend.

Southern Company's yield is solid, but it is at the low end of its 10-year range because the stock has been such a strong performer. It has crushed the average performance of the utility sector during the past one-, three-, five-, and 10-year periods. Clearly, its business model is working. And with a diversified portfolio of projects and a reliable customer base, there's every reason to think Southern Company will maintain its consistency.

A passive income powerhouse

Southern Company doesn't have the glitz and glam of a high-flying growth stock. But it is arguably one of the safest utility stocks -- and one of the safest dividend-paying stocks in general. It has a track record of financing and developing fossil fuel and renewable energy projects, making it a balanced play on the country's future energy needs.

Add it all up, and Southern Company looks like a simple yet effective way to boost your passive income stream for years, if not decades, to come.

Should you invest $1,000 in Southern Company right now?

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Pepsi Is a Rock-Solid Dividend King, but So Is This High-Yield Value Stock That Paid $3 Billion in Dividends Over the Past Year was originally published by The Motley Fool




Image source: Getty Images

Many shoppers join warehouse clubs like Costco to keep more money in their pockets in the course of their weekly shopping trips for groceries and other household supplies. As the costs of everyday goods continue to rise, every dollar saved adds up and makes a difference. Shopping for member-only deals at Costco is one strategy that could save you money.

You must be a member to shop at your local Costco, but you can shop on the retailer's website without paying an annual membership fee. However, that may not be the best money move. I'll share the downsides of shopping at Costco without a membership card.

You'll pay a surcharge to shop online

You don't have to be a Costco member to buy items on Costco.com. This is excellent news if you're a non-member considering making a one-time purchase or wanting to shop with the retailer occasionally. But if you plan to make this a regular occurrence, be aware that you'll pay a fee to shop without a membership.

Costco assesses a 5% surcharge for orders placed by non-members. That means you'll be paying more for every item you buy, which can become costly if you place large orders. If you hate paying extra fees like me, this is news worth knowing.

If you're not a member and are loading up your Costco.com shopping cart, you can add a membership during checkout to avoid the surcharge. Membership prices start at $60 per year. Depending on how often you plan to shop and the perks you value, joining may be worth it.

You'll spend more than necessary

When you shop in-club, you get access to the best prices. The advertised prices listed on Costco.com differ from the prices that members pay when shopping at their local clubs.

Additionally, you're already paying more to shop online without a membership due to the above surcharge. Not to mention, all items aren't available for purchase by non-members. If you want to get the best deal possible, invest in a membership and shop in-store.

Do this instead

Here's how to avoid these downsides.

1. Become a member

One option is to join Costco. Membership costs $60 to $120 a year. However, beginning on Sept. 1, 2024, memberships will cost $65 to $130 -- so you may want to join soon.

As a member, you can shop in-club and Costco.com as often as you want. Before joining, you can browse products on the Costco website or mobile app to get a feel for the items the retailer sells. Just remember that in-store prices are likely cheaper than what you'll see on the website or app.

2. Shop with a family member or friend

Another option is to accompany a friend or loved one who has a membership. The retailer allows members to bring children and up to two guests over 18.

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As a non-member, you won't be able to purchase items yourself at checkout, but you can have your loved one purchase what you want and pay them back later. This is a good option if you only intend to shop at Costco occasionally.

3. Order through Instacart

Another option is to do your Costco shopping through Instacart. But again, you'll likely be overpaying, as the prices listed through Instacart are more costly than the in-club prices. But if you're in a pinch, this may be a solution to explore.

Save more by earning rewards

If you've decided to become a Costco member, take advantage of the opportunity to earn rewards. How you pay for your Costco hauls matters. Our best tip to save more at Costco is to pay with a credit card that earns rewards.

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The Real Downsides of Shopping at Costco Without a Membership was originally published by The Motley Fool
More than a few topics to consider tonight we share a bevy of news items with our most loyal readers by way of pop culture, community news and top headlines.



Check TKC news gathering . . .

Baller Blast Against Chicago

Witt's three hits lead to easy 7-1 win over White Sox The second half gets off to a winning start.

Happy News For Paddy

Patrick and Brittany Mahomes reveal their third child is a girl After announcing that a third Mahomes child is on the way, Patrick and Brittany Mahomes have revealed that the new baby is a girl.

Show-Me Freedom After Hard Time

Missouri woman who served 43 years in prison is free after her murder conviction was overturned A woman whose murder conviction was overturned after she served 43 years in prison is now free, despite objections from Missouri's attorney general.

The Dotte Rebuilds

Federal agency delivers $62.6 million grant to replace Kansas River bridge in KCK * Kansas Reflector The federal transportation agency earmarked $62.6 million for replacement of the Eisenhower era 18th Street bridge over the Kansas River in KCK.

Superstar Parody Debuts

Travis Kelce (in leotard) and Taylor Swift as you've never seen them - in music video Travis Kelce and Taylor Swift make cameos as cartoons of themselves in this new "Shake It Off" music video.

Diva Fashions New Look

Kim Kardashian slips her famous curves into sheer bodycon dress Kim Kardashian appears to have found a new bosom buddy in former WAGS star Olivia Pierson as the two posed together for a photo shoot following their recent Greece getaway.

White House Won't Give Up

Biden campaign insists he's 'in this race' despite mounting Democrat calls to drop out President Biden is reportedly "furious" as Democratic officials have ramped up calls for him to withdraw from the 2024 election. Party donors have threatened to withhold money and elected officials are openly calling on the president to step aside. Biden is self-isolating in Rehoboth, Delaware after testing positive for COVID-19.

GOP Juxtaposition

Pollster Frank Luntz: 'Trump's voters are energized, and Biden's supporters are demoralized' Luntz said the impact of Sen. JD Vance as former President Donald Trump's VP pick is "not that much" because those who like Vance "are already giving Trump a hearing."

Political Icon Passes

Rep. Sheila Jackson Lee dead at 74 Rep. Sheila Jackson Lee (D-Texas), who served in Congress for nearly three decades, has died at the age of 74, her family announced Friday evening. "Today, with incredible grief for our loss yet deep gratitude for the life she shared with us, we announce the passing of United States Representative Sheila Jackson Lee of the...

Tech FAIL Described

Trump shooter flew drone over venue hours before attempted assassination, source says The gunman who shot former President Donald Trump in the ear at a Pennsylvania rally on Saturday flew a drone over the rally site a few hours before Trump took the stage, a source familiar with the matter told NBC News.

Iran From Big One

Blinken says Iran's nuclear weapon breakout time is probably down to 1-2 weeks | CNN Politics US Secretary of State Antony Blinken on Friday said that Iran's breakout time - the amount of time needed to produce enough weapons grade material for a nuclear weapon - "is now probably one or two weeks" as Tehran has continued to develop its nuclear program.

Holy Land Fights Drone War

Yemen's Houthi rebels claim deadly Tel Aviv drone attack | CNN This is the first time Tel Aviv, Israel's commercial center, has been struck by a drone in an attack claimed by the Houthis. The Yemeni rebels have regularly targeted Israel with drones and missiles since the start of the country's war with Hamas, most of which have been intercepted by Israel's defenses.

Conversation Cont'd

Trump says he had 'a very good phone call' with Zelensky, discussed Russia-Ukraine war | CNN Politics Former President Donald Trump said he "had a very good phone call" with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky on Friday.

Shorty Trolling Sanctioned

Giorgia Meloni: Journalist told to pay damages for mocking Italian PM's height A reporter is told to pay 5,000 for posts that a judge ruled amounted to "body shaming".

Counting Big Buck For The Boss

Bruce Springsteen Is Now a Billionaire, Forbes Estimates After becoming music's voice of the working class, Bruce Springsteen is officially a billionaire.

Mexican Beer Triumphs

America Officially Dethrones It's Top-Selling Beer. All Hail The New King! We are wrapping up one the wildest, most historical weeks in modern history with a huge win: Bud Light is officially dethroned as our No. 1 beer.

Kansas City

Booze Comeback

KC man fulfills promise to grandfather: Reopens historic bar On the corner of 39th St. and State Line Road, a sign is back up that's seen decades of Kansas City history unfold.

Help Adorable Pupper . . .

Paralyzed pup looking for new home, previous owners charged with felony animal cruelty Authorities say they are seeing an uptick in animal cruelty cases

Aftermath Conviction

Kansas City man pleads guilty to crash that killed Chiefs fan leaving Arrowhead A Kansas City man pleaded guilty to a hit-and-run crash that killed a Chiefs fan leaving Arrowhead Stadium in 2021.

For Shellfish Local Foodies

It's Official: KC Has A Lobster Roll Food Truck - Kansas City Magazine Cousins Maine Lobster now has a permanent food truck in KC.

Forecast For Busy Saturday

Kansas City weather: Hit-and-miss showers this weekend Despite the rain potential, it shouldn't impact the Royals, KC Current, and Sporting KC games on Saturday.

And this is the OPEN THREAD for right now.
As his administration crumbles and more members rise up from his own party to take a stab at him, Mayor Quinton Lucas pertinaciously upholds his support for President Biden.



For critics, skeptics and anyone with a passing interest in politics . . . The dogged loyalty has exceeded reason and moved into nearly fanatical denial of the reality confronting the Democratic Party in November.

The latest bit of news that Mayor Q and so many Team Biden supporters are clinging to . . .



House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries (D-N.Y.) said he continues to support President Joe Biden's candidacy and believes the incumbent remains able to beat former President Donald Trump in November's general election.

To conclude a week of tenacious advocacy for the current administration Mayor Q quoted this tidbit and offered yet another rhetorical plea for unity . . .



"Can we be done with this now?"

Here's the screencap . . .

The obvious answer . . .

NOPE!!! CRITICISM OF PREZ BIDEN HAS ALREADY DESTROYED ANY CHANCE AT REELECTION AND NOW THE JOB ISN'T FINISHED UNTIL HE DROPS OUT!!! ANYTHING LESS RISKS OFFERING AMERICAN VOTERS ONLY ONE VIABLE CHOICE!!!



Here's what Mayor Q might not understand yet . . .

Prez Biden cannot complete another term. It's questionable how much of his job he's able to do right now. The most salient arguments against his political future aren't about the Democratic Party or disputes about his policy . . . From our perspective, any support of Prez Biden merely endorses a candidate who can't perform the duties of his office and that's a grievous transgression committed against the American electorate which seems CLEARLY open to options other than MAGA or the current administration.

Put simply . . .

American voters deserve the opportunity to make a choice between two REAL candidates. And right now one of them can't realistically fulfill the role of Commander-In-Chief for the next four years.

Legitimate concern that Democrats are merely propping up an ailing figurehead in order to hold onto power are much more important than hurting the President's feelings or ruining Mayor Q's next promotion.



Again . . .

Smarter people keep saying this . . . But if Prez Biden doesn't quit by the convention there's growing fear that opponents of the war in Israel and so many militant progressive activists are going to start another historic Chicago riot.



And so, yet again, the question goes out to objective readers on all sides of the discourse . . .

Are we going to talk rationally about the President's chances at winning another election or risk a dangerous showdown in Chicago?!?



We're hoping that our little corner of the Internets putting this idea out there will help AVOID any risks to public safety and unnecessary hardship even if political braggadocio is always built on as much.



Read more via www.TonysKansasCity.com links . . .

Jimmy Fallon mercilessly mocks Biden in latest sign that diminished prez might have lost late night President Biden's late night firewall could be breaking.

Biden continues to resist Democratic calls to end re-election campaign Latest high-profile name to call on president to step aside is Sherrod Brown, the embattled senator from Ohio

Democrats' stalemate over Biden candidacy escalates Democrats are in a stalemate. On one side, there's President Biden, a beloved patriarch of the party whom Democrats have for years called "Uncle Joe." He has built a coalition of...

Opinion | The case against Biden's candidacy remains as strong as ever Fortunately the assassination attempt against Donald Trump has not totally derailed Democrats' attempts to get Biden to drop out of the race.

Biden 'Sounds Like Sh*t' but Won't Drop Out: Campaign Aide Biden's campaign organizers are trying to keep the ship together as every part seems to be falling off.

Developing . . .
Right now actress, musical diva and hottie Maddy and her new song inspire our peek in to pop culture, community news and top headlines.



Check TKC news gathering . . .

Hipsters Sound Off

KC Fringe Festival takes audiences on an aural adventure at The Sound Mandala The 50-minute experimental auditory production includes original pieces played from more than 80 speakers mounted on every wall and even the floor of a dark room. The Sound Mandala runs through July 27 at the Olson Performing Arts Center on the University of Missouri-Kansas City campus.

Local Liberation Celebration

'It's like going from war to peace': Kansas City advocates react to Sandra Hemme's release from prison Sandra Hemme walked out of the Chillicothe Correctional Center Friday evening a free woman after spending 43 years in prison for a murder she did not commit.

Kansas Takes Down Tech History

With cashless tolling underway, Kansas Turnpike Authority begins dismantling familiar blue toll plazas Interstate 70 ramps in Lawrence are undergoing a significant makeover as the Kansas Turnpike Authority converts to cashless tolling and removes toll booths. The KTA dismantled North Lawrence's toll plaza on Tuesday. Crews used a large crane to lift the familiar blue roof off the plaza and set it aside before loading the toll booth [...]

Northland Wreck Turns Deadly

Collision near Worlds of Fun ends in tragedy after motorcycle driver dies An afternoon collision in a neighborhood near Worlds of Fun ended in tragedy after the driver of a motorcycle has reportedly died.

Downtown Accommodations Debut

AC Hotel to open in September in renovated Rialto Building in downtown Kansas City AC Hotel is close to opening a 239-room hotel in the historic Rialto building at the corner of 9th Street and Grand in downtown Kansas City.

Diva Shares Latest Track

Madison Beer has dropped her new single '15 MINUTES' with escape room-themed video The track follows her recent hit 'Make You Mine'.

Prez On The Mend?!?

Biden heads into weekend badly bruised but still fighting The president had a brutal week, but is heading into the weekend still atop the Democratic ticket, with his campaign beating back a barrage of private and public pleas for his exit. The presi...

Zuck Admits Admiration

Mark Zuckerberg calls Donald Trump a 'badass' after the former president threatened him with prison Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg said seeing Donald Trump with his fist in the air after getting shot was "one of the most badass things I've ever seen."

Labor Fights For Future

'Betrayal': Teamsters head who spoke at Trump's RNC faces challenge for 'kissing the ring' International Brotherhood of Teamsters president Sean O'Brien is in hot water with his own members after giving a speech at the Republican National Convention this week. And it could now cost him his position.According to In These Times labor reporter Kim Kelly, O'Brien is drawing a challenger in Jo...

MAGA Talks Walking Papers

Former President threatens 'largest deportation' in US history - as it happened This blog is now closed. Read our coverage of Trump's speech below: Trump calls for unity then returns to familiar attacks in lengthy speechFact-checked: Republican national convention and Trump's speech

Meet New Bosses

Indian Americans Become a Political Force, Just as Usha Vance's Profile Rises Indian Americans are now the largest and most politically active group among Asian Americans. Among their recent milestones: Vice President Kamala Harris, two G.O.P. presidential candidates - and a possible second lady.

Holy Land Makes Promise

Israel defense minister says country will 'settle the score' after Houthi drone attack on Tel Aviv Israel's defense minster vowed to "settle the score" after an Iranian drone fired by Houthi rebels from Yemen crashed into Tel Aviv Friday resulting in the death of one and injuring another 10 people.

Trending MAGA Already Sparks Peace Talk

Facing difficult frontline reality and the prospect of Trump in the White House, Zelensky hints at negotiations with Russia | CNN Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky struck an unusually subdued tone as he addressed his nation this week, hinting at the possibility of negotiations with Russia for the first time since Moscow launched its full-scale invasion more than two years ago.

South Of Border Perspective

Latin American president dismisses migrant crisis as a 'United States problem' President of Panama Jose Raul Mulino says the migrant crisis in the Western Hemisphere is a "United States problem," adding deportation flights that are partly funded by the U.S. are only voluntary.

Television Iconic Talk

Carol Burnett shares time capsule tribute to Bob Newhart | CNN One comedy giant saluted another this week after the passing of Bob Newhart, who died Thursday morning at the age of 94.

Culture War For Bedroom

Polyamory? Celibacy? Today's sexual politics reveals much about the way we live | Eva Wiseman A rise in both seemingly opposing choices adds a layer of confusion to the way we conduct our most intimate lives

Fancy Pupper Celebration

Wayside Waifs - Fur Ball, "Bark and Roll" The Overland "Bark" Convention Center was the site for Wayside Waifs' annual Fur Ball, "Bark and Roll," on May 11th. Martha and Rusty Smith were the honorary chairs for the fabulously fun event that featured cocktails, dinner, and a silent auction. The evening celebrated the organization's 80th anniversary of saving the lives of homeless animals.

Cowtown Care Competition

These are the 4 highest rated hospitals in the Kansas City area, new 2024 ranking says They excel in specialties such as cancer treatment, cardiology and lung surgery.

Local Artsy Moves Reported

Creative Intersections, with Owen/Cox Dance Group, returns this August The annual performance has become the send-off for summer and the kickoff to the dance season in the local dance community.

BBQ Border War Again

Popular Kansas City-area barbecue spot plans to close, reopen in Kansas Kansas City's Harp Barbecue in Raytown plans to close and move to Overland Park this fall.

Katie's Weekend Weather Forecast

Be prepared for a rainy Saturday afternoon Saturday will have high temperatures around 79 degrees; rain chances exist throughout the day with the afternoon bringing chances for thunderstorms

Madison Beer - 15 MINUTES is the song of the day and this is the OPEN THREAD for right now.
Credit to the Super Bowl champs . . .

Their talk about a decision in six months should light a fire under local politicos and spark a great deal of attention about keeping the team inside city limits.

However . . .

PROGRESS REPORT SO FAR: ABSOLUTELY NOTHING AND FIERCE OPPOSITION FROM TAX FIGHTERS!!!



The biggest challenges at this point . . .

- Exec Frank White has been a consistent road block to accomplishing any deal and it's worth considering that he has earned some surprising accolades for his tough negotiating tactics.

- Tax fighters inside Jackson County seem successful via social media when they attempt to bully any kind of public/private partnership -- Even if that's the way that MOST cities fund these ventures.

- Kansas has submitted impressive numbers . . . Meanwhile Missouri must wait on the outcome of the governor's race and only the Guv Lite Mike Kehoe seems open to looking at using state funds to keep Kansas from earning an economic border war kill shot.

Nevertheless . . .

Locals should be encouraged that the Chiefs seem open to staying put given there's no other place in the world that will give them as much leeway as Arrowhead . . .



Team president Mark Donovan said the team staying in a renovated Arrowhead is "very much an option" and building a new stadium at the Arrowhead site is in play too.



"We have to look at a new building,'' Donovan said. "We're open to it. We're open to a new building on the complex, we're open to a new building somewhere else. We're open to a dome or an outdoor [facility] as a new building. We're also very open to renovating GEHA Field at Arrowhead because I think it's iconic. It's something that's unique. We'd love to be able to do that.



"Six months from today, we're going to have to have a really good idea of where we are," Donovan said. "It may not be done done, but we need to have good idea."

Read more via www.TonysKansasCity.com link . . .
Key Insights

Significantly high institutional ownership implies RHB Bank Berhad's stock price is sensitive to their trading actions

The top 2 shareholders own 50% of the company

Using data from analyst forecasts alongside ownership research, one can better assess the future performance of a company

To get a sense of who is truly in control of RHB Bank Berhad (KLSE:RHBBANK), it is important to understand the ownership structure of the business. With 69% stake, institutions possess the maximum shares in the company. In other words, the group stands to gain the most (or lose the most) from their investment into the company.

Given the vast amount of money and research capacities at their disposal, institutional ownership tends to carry a lot of weight, especially with individual investors. Hence, having a considerable amount of institutional money invested in a company is often regarded as a desirable trait.

In the chart below, we zoom in on the different ownership groups of RHB Bank Berhad.

View our latest analysis for RHB Bank Berhad

What Does The Institutional Ownership Tell Us About RHB Bank Berhad?

Many institutions measure their performance against an index that approximates the local market. So they usually pay more attention to companies that are included in major indices.

As you can see, institutional investors have a fair amount of stake in RHB Bank Berhad. This can indicate that the company has a certain degree of credibility in the investment community. However, it is best to be wary of relying on the supposed validation that comes with institutional investors. They too, get it wrong sometimes. It is not uncommon to see a big share price drop if two large institutional investors try to sell out of a stock at the same time. So it is worth checking the past earnings trajectory of RHB Bank Berhad, (below). Of course, keep in mind that there are other factors to consider, too.

Investors should note that institutions actually own more than half the company, so they can collectively wield significant power. RHB Bank Berhad is not owned by hedge funds. Looking at our data, we can see that the largest shareholder is Employees Provident Fund of Malaysia with 40% of shares outstanding. In comparison, the second and third largest shareholders hold about 10% and 9.2% of the stock.

A more detailed study of the shareholder registry showed us that 2 of the top shareholders have a considerable amount of ownership in the company, via their 50% stake.

While it makes sense to study institutional ownership data for a company, it also makes sense to study analyst sentiments to know which way the wind is blowing. There are a reasonable number of analysts covering the stock, so it might be useful to find out their aggregate view on the future.

Story continues

Insider Ownership Of RHB Bank Berhad

The definition of an insider can differ slightly between different countries, but members of the board of directors always count. Management ultimately answers to the board. However, it is not uncommon for managers to be executive board members, especially if they are a founder or the CEO.

Most consider insider ownership a positive because it can indicate the board is well aligned with other shareholders. However, on some occasions too much power is concentrated within this group.

Our most recent data indicates that insiders own less than 1% of RHB Bank Berhad. It is a pretty big company, so it would be possible for board members to own a meaningful interest in the company, without owning much of a proportional interest. In this case, they own around RM358k worth of shares (at current prices). Arguably, recent buying and selling is just as important to consider. You can click here to see if insiders have been buying or selling.

General Public Ownership

The general public-- including retail investors -- own 20% stake in the company, and hence can't easily be ignored. While this size of ownership may not be enough to sway a policy decision in their favour, they can still make a collective impact on company policies.

Next Steps:

It's always worth thinking about the different groups who own shares in a company. But to understand RHB Bank Berhad better, we need to consider many other factors. Case in point: We've spotted 1 warning sign for RHB Bank Berhad you should be aware of.

But ultimately it is the future, not the past, that will determine how well the owners of this business will do. Therefore we think it advisable to take a look at this free report showing whether analysts are predicting a brighter future.

NB: Figures in this article are calculated using data from the last twelve months, which refer to the 12-month period ending on the last date of the month the financial statement is dated. This may not be consistent with full year annual report figures.

Have feedback on this article? Concerned about the content? Get in touch with us directly. Alternatively, email editorial-team (at) simplywallst.com.



This article by Simply Wall St is general in nature. We provide commentary based on historical data and analyst forecasts only using an unbiased methodology and our articles are not intended to be financial advice. It does not constitute a recommendation to buy or sell any stock, and does not take account of your objectives, or your financial situation. We aim to bring you long-term focused analysis driven by fundamental data. Note that our analysis may not factor in the latest price-sensitive company announcements or qualitative material. Simply Wall St has no position in any stocks mentioned.

Have feedback on this article? Concerned about the content? Get in touch with us directly. Alternatively, email editorial-team@simplywallst.com
When Michael Armer's phone started blowing up at 4 a.m. Friday morning, he "freaked out." Armer, the chief information security officer at RingCentral, was receiving notifications about a stunning computer outage that was knocking down airport, bank, and hospital tech systems like dominos.

The scope of the chaos raised fears of a major cybersecurity breach or a state-sponsored attack. "Thats enough to get your blood flowing really quickly," Armer said.

It turns out that the massive computer outage was not the work of nefarious hackers. It was the result of a glitch in a routine software update by security company CrowdStrike. "We were all very fortunate that this was related to one of their standardized and automated software deployments," Armer says of the CrowdStrike update snafu.

But along with the relief that the disruption was not a cyber attack, the incident has highlighted the fragility and frightening interconnectedness of the technology modern society depends on  and the extent of the danger posed by today's convoluted system of software updates which security experts say stretches staff thin at even the largest organizations and forces a constant balancing act of risky trade-offs.

The problem with patches

Security software like CrowdStrike provide patches, or software updates, when threats are detected. Given the number of hackers probing companies' systems and devising new lines of attack, the need for patches is constant  sometimes as many as several times a day. Organizations move quickly and often automate these updates to ensure that there are no holes in their protective shields.

The problem is that new software is like an untested pharmaceutical drug - each new line of code could have a bug or defect that causes problems, unexpected side effects, and dangerous interactions with other software. In an ideal situation, a company would take the time to test each software update before deploying it to all their computers.

Its a really difficult conundrum, you cannot keep up with the number, said a CISO at a top law firm in New York City. "Sometimes you have to put out a security patch because its critical and youve got vendors breathing down your neck and theres no way to [test] it, he said. Sometimes there are several updates within a 24-hour period so youd be caught in a recursive circle of testing where you would just never be done.

For many in-house security teams, that means striking a balance between speed and risk. The antivirus products are pushing up multiple updates per day because in some ways we've pushed them into a corner, said Paul Davis, field CISO at software supply chain platform JFrog. "The faster that they can respond to detect a piece of software or malicious activity, the better they are. So that being the case, then the requirement to test multiple times a day becomes onerous.

Story continues

The real challenge, he said, is how to protect the organization that is responding to cybersecurity threats which can spread in hours, or even minutes, and at the same time make sure those software updates are tested. We have to test the basic functionality of the software, but we rely on these automated updates to be safe, and its almost like a calculated risk.

Hands-on CPR for each affected computer

The New York City law firm uses more than 30 separate security tools from a variety of vendors that run on laptops, desktops or servers. Normally, if an update causes problems, the software vendor will deploy a fix that an organization can quickly push to thousands of computers within the same day.

But because of the nature of the CrowdStrike flaw however, that wasn't possible. The flaw essentially caused computers running Microsoft Windows to freeze up and display the dreaded "blue screen of death." Affected systems needed to be brought back to life, one by one.

You have to physically walk over to every computer and power it down and then bring it up, and when the screen comes up, you have to hit F3 to go into what they call Safe Mode and then go and delete a file somewhere, the New York law firm CISO explained. It's just a nightmare.

Some CISOs, however, put the bulk of the blame on Microsoft, not on Crowdstrike and even avoid Windows altogether if they can. In Silicon Valley, tech companies tend to avoid Windows, said the CISO of a medium-sized AI company, who requested anonymity due to the sensitivity of discussing security mitigations. He said that it is because of the design of Windows in its core architecture that leads to malware, spyware and the driver instability that occurred today as a result of the Crowdstrike flawed update.

CrowdStrike has clear process improvements to make, obviously, but it should not be possible in 2024 to have a kernel [core architecture] which is destabilized by a third party, he said. Microsoft has had a bad year, from a security perspective, and they have to win the trust of the ecosystem back. Microsoft did not respond to a request for comment other than pointing to its existing statement about the outage.

In a statement posted online Friday, CrowdStrike CEO George Kurtz apologized for the incident, which he said involved a "content update for Windows hosts," noting that Mac and Linux hosts were not affected.

"All of CrowdStrike understands the gravity and impact of the situation. We quickly identified the issue and deployed a fix, allowing us to focus diligently on restoring customer systems as our highest priority."

Post-game analysis

JFrogs Davis pushed back on the idea that a typical organization could get away with not using Windows. Windows is still the predominant operating system, he said. When you join a company, youre [usually] offered either a Windows machine or a Mac machine.

John Paul Cunningham, CISO at identity security company Silverfort, said that Friday's outage should be a wake-up for call for organizations, and make companies more leery of automated software updates. In Cunningham's view, all threats are not created equal and companies can exercise more discretion by not always defaulting to the automated updates.

Companies like CrowdStrike often suggest doing auto updates with this premise that staying on the most current release of the product is more secure," he said. But companies can take more time to test it before pushing it out, he said, even if it takes a little more work. As long as the security team knows there is an update, they can push it out manuallythe update itself is still automatic.

The bottom line is that for most cybersecurity leaders, figuring out how to strike a balancebetween risk and speed, and between operating systemswill require some post-game analysis and decision-making, said RingCentral's Armer.

And while getting a grip on software updates is important, he noted that companies should also be thankful Friday's outage was not even worse. I personally am thankful that it wasn't a state-sponsored attack," he said.

This story was originally featured on Fortune.com
On Saturday, 20 July, it is planned to import electricity from Romania, Slovakia, Poland and Hungary with a maximum capacity of 1,385 MW.

According to Ukrinform, this was reported by the Ministry of Energy of Ukraine.

The situation in the energy sector remains difficult. There is a significant shortage of generating capacity in the system due to massive Russian attacks since the spring of this year, and shelling continues, especially in the frontline areas. Substations and power transmission lines are often targeted.

Yesterday, Ukraine's power system received surplus electricity from the Polish power system.

On Saturday, hourly blackout schedules are scheduled to run from 06:00 to 24:00. The blackouts are not foreseen for critical infrastructure enterprises and companies that import more than 80% of electricity for their needs in accordance with a government decree.

The ministry reminded that the main reason for the electricity supply restrictions is the enemy's attacks on the energy infrastructure and the negative consequences of these attacks. 9 GW of generating capacity was lost.

In Poltava region, equipment at a high-voltage substation was switched off during an air raid alarm, which led to a blackout of several overhead lines, substations and household consumers. A fire broke out at the substation. The fire has been extinguished. Consumers are partially supplied with electricity via a backup scheme.

A fire broke out at a high-voltage substation in Sumy Oblast during an attack by unmanned aerial vehicles, which led to a shutdown of equipment and a loss of the substation's own needs. The fire was extinguished.

In Chernihiv region, a UAV attack shut down equipment at a high-voltage substation. Several substations, household consumers and a company were cut off from power. The inspection revealed a fire at the substation. The fire was extinguished. Consumers are partially supplied with power.

In Kharkiv region, a high-voltage overhead line was disconnected as a result of hostilities. Consumers were not cut off.

In Donetsk Oblast, ventilation equipment stopped working at a mine. At the time, there were 33 workers in the mine, all of whom were brought to the surface.

Power companies supplied power to 16,102 consumers who were cut off from electricity as a result of the hostilities. In total, 541 settlements remain without power due to the hostilities and technical violations.

At Zaporizhzhia NPP, the water level in the cooling pond is 14.89 metres. This is enough to meet the needs of the plant.

As Ukrinform reported, a hotline on energy issues has been launched in Ukraine.
Serve Robotics

Serve Robotics' shares soared 241% after Nvidia disclosed a stake in the company.

Nvidia's $3.7 million investment in Serve is a convertible debt note that was converted in April.

Serve Robotics focuses on self-driving delivery vehicles for last-mile deliveries.

Shares of Serve Robotics soared as much as 241% on Friday after Nvidia disclosed a stake in the company.

According to a Form 4 filing made with the SEC on Thursday, Nvidia purchased 1.05 million shares of Serve at a price of $2.42 per share in April, representing a total investment worth just over $3.7 million.

The stock purchase was pursuant to a 6.0% convertible debt note that Nvidia held on the company. The bond was converted to stock following Serve Robotics public debut in April.

Serve Robotics was founded in 2017 and develops and operates self-driving vehicles focused on last-mile delivery.

The automated delivery boxes travel via sidewalks and often deliver food orders for delivery platforms like Uber Eats.

"Why deliver 2 pound burritos in 2 ton cars?" Serve asks on its website.

Serve Robotics is small, with a market valuation of about $275 million on Friday. Before the surge on Friday, it was worth just under $100 million. The company generated revenue of just $1 million over the past year.

According to Serve's May 2024 investor presentation, Nvidia has invested just over $12 million in the company. Other investors include 7-Eleven and Uber, who invested $11.5 million in Serve Robotics.

The company launched its operations in Los Angeles as the first test city. As part of its "next phase" of expansion, it is considering new deployments in San Diego, Dallas, and Vancouver.

This isn't the first time Nvidia has disclosed investments in early-stage companies focused on AI and robotics.

In February, Nvidia disclosed relatively small investments in SoundHound AI and Nano X Imaging, resulting in similarly big stock price moves.

Read the original article on Business Insider
Brazil's president revealed on Friday that his administration was putting together "a proposal to join" the Belt and Road Initiative, China's flagship infrastructure and investment project.

Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva shared the news during an event announcing investments by the Brazilian Development Bank to renovate a highway between Rio de Janeiro and Santos, a city 85km (53 miles) from Sao Paulo, site of the country's main port.

Describing a synergy between Chinese interests and Brazil's infrastructure gap, Lula voiced openness to accession as long as it brought tangible results.

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"As China wants to discuss this Silk Road [the initiative's former name], we will have to prepare a proposal to assess 'What do we gain? what's in it for Brazil if we participate in this thing?'," he said.

Lula's comments marked the first time the Brazilian government has openly discussed the possibility of joining the scheme, despite China extending several invitations in the past.

Although historically one of the world's largest recipients of mainland investment, Brazil has been reluctant to join the China-centred trade and infrastructure network.

It is one of only three South American countries not taking part in the project, along with Colombia and Paraguay, the latter of which has no formal diplomatic relations with the mainland due to its ties with Taiwan.

The reluctance stems from fears that joining could alienate Western partners and signal an automatic alignment with China.

Diplomats told the Post last year that diplomatic and economic relations between China and Brazil were already robust compared to China and belt and road partners, making the benefits unclear.

In June, the leader of Brazil's ruling party in parliament, Jose Guimaraes, hinted on X (formerly Twitter) that Brazilian Vice-President Geraldo Alckmin was set to "finalise" the country's admission to the initiative during a visit to Beijing.

But Alckmin, who chaired a summit of the Sino-Brazilian High-Level Commission for Consultation and Cooperation alongside Chinese Vice-President Han Zheng, later denied the reports, saying only that the topic would be "on the discussion agenda".

Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva (right) speaks as Vice-President and Minister of Industry and Trade Geraldo Alckmin looks on at the Planalto Palace in Brasilia on May 13, 2024. Photo: AFP alt=Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva (right) speaks as Vice-President and Minister of Industry and Trade Geraldo Alckmin looks on at the Planalto Palace in Brasilia on May 13, 2024. Photo: AFP>

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Following these remarks, Liu Jianchao, minister of the Communist Party's International Department, said China "really wants" Brazil to join the trade and infrastructure strategy but had no intention of "setting a deadline".

"It is up to the Brazilian government to decide," Liu told journalists. "We are only stating what benefits the Belt and Road Initiative would bring to China-Brazil cooperation and Brazil's development. But we don't want to impose anything."

Brazil and China this year are celebrating 50 years of bilateral relations, and Chinese President Xi Jinping is expected to attend the G20 summit in Rio de Janeiro in November.

Lula on Thursday stated he would be a guest at the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation summit, taking place in Peru in November as well.

China is an Apec member, and Xi is also expected to attend the gathering, during which the deep-sea port of Chancay is slated to be inaugurated. Financed by belt and road funds, the port is meant to expand China's trade volume with South America.

Referring to the Apec summit, Lula said on Thursday it was "the first time Brazil has been invited, and although I don't have much free time, I have already decided that I will go because Brazil wants to enter this 'China world'".

"We need to [understand] how we can integrate into the Pacific from a commercial point of view," the Brazilian president added.

This article originally appeared in the South China Morning Post (SCMP), the most authoritative voice reporting on China and Asia for more than a century. For more SCMP stories, please explore the SCMP app or visit the SCMP's Facebook and Twitter pages. Copyright  2024 South China Morning Post Publishers Ltd. All rights reserved.

Copyright (c) 2024. South China Morning Post Publishers Ltd. All rights reserved.
The Taj Mahal Palace Hotel in Mumbai. IHCL

The Indian Hotels Company Limited (IHCL) is diving into the branded residences market with its first Taj Branded Residences in Chennai.

This is a very lucrative market segment in India, with over INR 220 billion ($2.6 billion) in market value today and showing double-digit growth year-on-year. This helps IHCL diversify its revenue streams and leverage the strong brand equity of Taj, said Puneet Chhatwal, managing director, CEO, and executive director of IHCL, during an earnings call on Friday.

The Taj Branded Residences in Chennai will feature 123 residences and a hotel with 235 rooms spread over 23 floors.

This marks IHCLs first venture into the branded residences market, although it has experience with long stays through Taj Wellington Mews. We get a brand fee because the Taj name is used in the sale of the flats, and well be providing services to the apartment owners when the property is up and running, Chhatwal explained. Residents would get to enjoy facilities such as a gym, pool, restaurants, and housekeeping services provided by IHCL.

Chhatwal indicated that IHCL is exploring more opportunities in this space, noting a growing trend for branded residences in India. The company is considering projects in at least eight cities across the country.

The Reimagined Gateway Launch

IHCL is also gearing up to launch its reimagined Gateway brand this quarter. Gateway will be a full-service hotel offering in the upscale and upper upscale segment. The brand rollout will start with 15 hotels, and we aim to scale it to 100 hotels by 2030, Chhatwal announced.

In the first quarter of fiscal 2025, IHCL signed 16 hotels and opened 6. With 224 hotels operational and more than 100 hotels in our pipeline, we have crossed the milestone of 325-plus hotels portfolio, he said.

This fiscal IHCL targets to open 25 hotels. Having opened a hotel in Patna this week, this takes the total number of open hotels to 7. We now have 18 hotels more to open till March 31, the IHCL boss said.

Headwinds and Tailwinds

Chhatwal addressed the multiple challenges faced by the Indian hospitality sector in the first quarter, including election-related disruptions, a severe heatwave, and fewer wedding dates. Despite these hurdles, IHCL managed to achieve revenue per available room (RevPAR) well above the industry average, he said.

These headwinds were temporary, and the long-term structural tailwinds for the sector are still intact. Indias strong GDP growth, combined with a favorable demographic dividend, is driving higher disposable incomes and increasing travel affinity, Chhatwal said. He expects a boost to the meetings, incentives, conferences, and events sector with the opening of new convention centers like the Bharat Mandapam and the upcoming second airports in Delhi and Mumbai.

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However, Chhatwal noted that the demand-supply mismatch is likely to persist in the coming years. Industry experts expect a 10% growth in demand versus a muted 6% growth in supply, he said.

Strong Financial Performance

In the first quarter of fiscal 2025, IHCL registered its ninth consecutive quarter of record performance, with enterprise revenue surpassing INR 30 billion ($360 million), growing 7% year-on-year.

IHCLs RevPAR outperformed industry averages due to strong brand equity and customer trust, contributing to a 12% increase in profit after tax to INR 2.5 billion ($30 million).

IHCLs management fee grew by 17% year-on-year due to its capital-light strategy, emphasizing growth through management rather than ownership.

The company remains optimistic about continuing its momentum, projecting a double-digit growth for the financial year.

IHCL also continues to benefit from the Tata Neu Loyalty Program with 5.5 million members so far. Chhatwal said 37% of its enterprise level revenue was generated by loyalty customers in the quarter ending June 30, 2024.

Accommodations Sector Stock Index Performance Year-to-Date

What am I looking at? The performance of hotels and short-term rental sector stocks within the ST200. The index includes companies publicly traded across global markets, including international and regional hotel brands, hotel REITs, hotel management companies, alternative accommodations, and timeshares.

The Skift Travel 200 (ST200) combines the financial performance of nearly 200 travel companies worth more than a trillion dollars into a single number. See more hotels and short-term rental financial sector performance.

Read the full methodology behind the Skift Travel 200.

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Senior Australian military commanders on Thursday said the country is on track to reshape the nations antimissile air defenses despite recent public criticism.

Officials said their immediate focus is knitting together systems and sensors to detect enemy threats before buying the weapons to shoot them down.

Senior Australian military commanders said Thursday the countrys program to build an integrated military network connecting sensors, radars and weapons such as warships and fighter aircraft to protect against missile attack was proceeding with pace.

However, the Australian Strategic Policy Institute, a research organization that receives funding from the Canberra government as well as governments overseas, has said repeatedly that Australias efforts to set up an integrated battle management system were moving too slowly and that such capability must be delivered urgently.

Analysts say Australias focus on missiles, drones and warships relates to the possibility of an Indo-Pacific region conflict between China and the United States.

Air Commodore Benjamin Sleeman of the Royal Australian Air Force told reporters in Canberra on Thursday that developing an effective air defense system takes time.

There is no use buying whatever missile or whatever launch system or whatever radar you have if you do not have the right thing to plug it into, Sleeman said. You will just have another system sitting out there.

We have got some really great systems, and then we will look at procuring those other things when the timing is right, he said.

Australias Joint Air Battle Management System is known as AIR6500.

Last year, Australia chose the U.S. weapons company Lockheed Martin as its strategic partner. The first phase of the project is a new system to control missiles used to shoot down incoming enemy attacks.

Australia has a security alliance with the United States dating to the early 1950s. The Australian government is working with the U.S. and Japan to develop systems to protect against air and missile attack. Analysts say that conflicts in Israel and Ukraine have illustrated the importance of protecting civilians and infrastructure from missiles and drones.

The 2021 AUKUS accord among the United States, Britain and Australia is aimed at giving Australia access to nuclear-powered submarines for the first time.

The trilateral accord is widely seen as a counter to Chinas growing Indo-Pacific region influence. Beijing has been steadfast in its criticism of the pact, saying Australia and its allies had gone down a dangerous road for their own selfish political gains.
A member of Albanias ethnic Greek minority returned to prison Saturday after a five-day reprieve to attend the opening session of the European Parliament where he was elected to represent Greece's ruling party.

Fredis Beleris, who holds dual Greek-Albanian citizenship, is serving a two-year prison sentence for vote-buying in municipal elections last year in Albania. He denies the charges, and Greece has described the case against him as being politically motivated.

I am not sorry to go back to the cell, said Beleris upon landing at Tirana International Airport.

The 51-year-old politician won the European Parliament after getting a place on Greeces governing New Democracy party ticket in last months European elections. He received 238,801 votes, the fourth among the seven members elected for the party.

European Parliament members enjoy legal immunity from prosecution within the 27-state bloc, even for allegations relating to crimes committed prior to their election. But Albania is not an EU member yet.

Beleris was arrested two days before the May 14, 2023, municipal elections in Himara, with a large ethnic Greek minority in the town on the Albanian Riviera, 220 kilometers (140 miles) southwest of the capital Tirana. He was charged with offering about 40,000 Albanian leks ($390) to buy eight votes.

He won last year's municipal election with a 19-vote lead, backed by the ethnic Greek minority party and others opposing Albanian Prime Minister Edi Ramas governing Socialists. But he never took office, being detained until his court conviction in March.

An appeals court upheld the ruling last month, and Albanian authorities stripped Beleris of his post as mayor of Himara, where a new election will be held August 4.
China and Canada should promote normalizing relations and get back on track toward establishing a strategic partnership, Foreign Minister Wang Yi told his Canadian counterpart, according to his ministry.

"China-Canada relations have experienced difficulties and twists and turns over the years, which is not something China would like to see," Wang told Foreign Minister Melanie Joly in Beijing, the ministry said in a statement late on Friday.

Joly's three-day visit through Saturday, at Wang's invitation, is the first by a Canadian foreign minister in seven years.

Bilateral relations, established in 1970, turned icy in 2018 after Huawei's Chief Financial Officer Meng Wanzhou was arrested in Canada and China subsequently arrested two Canadians in China. All three were later released, but Ottawa's allegations of Chinese interference in Canada have kept relations strained.

The last time Chinese and Canadian leaders met was in Indonesia in 2022, when President Xi Jinping criticized Prime Minister Justin Trudeau over alleged leaks of a closed-door meeting.

There is no fundamental conflict of interest between China and Canada, Wang told Joly, adding that maintaining and developing bilateral relations is in the interest of the two countries and peoples.

He said that issues relating to Taiwan, Tibet, Xinjiang and Hong Kong pertain to China's domestic politics and that Canada should not interfere.

Joly was quoted by the ministry as saying Canada will abide by the one-China policy and is willing to actively develop the bilateral relationship and enhance cooperation in areas such as trade and economy, tourism, climate change and drug control. Wang and Joly also exchanged views on the war in Ukraine and Israel-Palestinian conflict.

Meng, the daughter of Huawei's founder, was detained in Vancouver after the United States issued an arrest warrant accusing her of covering up attempts by companies linked to the Chinese tech giant to sell equipment to Iran, breaking U.S. sanctions.

Washington has sought to cripple Huawei on national security grounds. Huawei has denied it is a security risk.

China, warning Canada of consequences if Meng was not released, arrested Canadians Michael Spavor and Michael Kovrig. Meng was released in 2021 after a deal cut with U.S. prosecutors to end her bank fraud case and returned to China. The two Michaels, as the case came to be known, were also released after nearly three years in detention.

Canada has also claimed political interference by China. Last year, Ottawa began investigating covert Chinese police operations within its borders, while Beijing has denied repeatedly that it interferes with Canada's affairs.

In April the Canadian spy agency concluded that China had interfered in its 2019 and 2021 elections, prompting Trudeau to set up a commission to probe foreign interference.
By Nate Raymond and Daniel Wiessner

(Reuters) - The U.S. National Labor Relations Board on Friday dropped its appeal of a judge's ruling striking down a rule that would have treated many companies as employers of certain contract and franchise workers and require them to bargain with unions representing them.

The NLRB in a filing told the New Orleans-based 5th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals that it continues to believe its "joint employers" rule complies with federal labor law but has decided to withdraw its appeal of a lower-court judge's March ruling.

The agency said that given the current litigation posture of the rule, it had decided it instead wanted the opportunity to further consider the issues identified in the ruling by U.S. District Judge J. Campbell Barker in Tyler, Texas.

The rule issued in October, 2023, would have treated companies as "joint employers" of contract and franchise workers when they have control over key working conditions such as pay, scheduling, discipline and supervision, even if that control is indirect or not exercised.

Joint employment has been one of the most contentious labor issues for many U.S. businesses for years. The 2023 rule replaced a Trump-era regulation the board adopted in 2020 requiring companies to have "direct and immediate" control over workers in order to be considered joint employers, which was favored by business groups. The 2020 rule had replaced an Obama-era standard heavily criticized by business groups.

Barker, an appointee of Republican former President Donald Trump, had sided with challengers to the rule, including the U.S. Chamber of Commerce in finding the rule was too broad and violated federal labor law.

Barker said the rule was invalid because it would treat some companies as the employers of contract or franchise workers even when they lacked any meaningful control over their working conditions.

The NLRB's decision to abandon its defense of the rule in court marked an about-face for the agency, after Democratic President Joe Biden in May vetoed a Republican-backed measure that would have repealed the rule.

The NLRB and many unions have said the rule is needed to ensure that companies come to the bargaining table and can be held liable for labor law violations when they have control over the working conditions of these contract or franchise workers.

But business groups and many Republicans have said it would create confusion over when businesses are considered workers' employers, disrupting franchising and routine contracting arrangements.

(Reporting by Nate Raymond in Boston, Editing by Alexia Garamfalvi and Diane Craft)
Uganda again rejected United Nations allegations that it is backing M23 rebels in neighboring Democratic Republic of Congo after Kinshasa summoned the Ugandan charge d'affaires over the issue.

Since late 2021, M23 has seized large tracts of territory in North Kivu province, with a recent report commissioned by the U.N. Security Council alleging "active support" for the rebels by Ugandan army and military intelligence officials.

On Friday, Uganda's charge d'affaires, Matata Twaha Magara, denied his country was helping the group after he was summoned for talks with Congolese deputy foreign minister Gracia Yamba Kazadi.

"Our position has been clear that in the East African community we need to work together to flush all the negative forces that are disturbing us," Magara said.

He referred to the joint operation in eastern DRC by Congolese and Ugandan troops against ADF rebels affiliated with the Islamic State.

The ADF, originally made up of mainly Muslim Ugandan rebels, has established a presence over the past three decades in eastern DRC, killing thousands of civilians.

Magara claimed that Kazadi "called me to inquire about issues regarding our bilateral relations. She wanted to know what is happening.

"Of course I assured her our bilateral relations are cordial," he said, noting that Kampala was still "waiting for the official communication from the U.N. office" to respond to the U.N. allegations.

"The U.N. should give, first, the concerned countries the report so that they can respond to those accusations," he said.

In the report published on July 8, U.N. experts said they had confirmation of "active support" for M23 from members of Ugandan intelligence.

The report said 3,000 to 4,000 Rwandan soldiers had been fighting alongside M23 rebels in the mineral-rich east, displacing millions of people, and that Kigali had "de facto control" of the group's operations, a claim Rwanda denies.

The experts also said they had evidence confirming "active support for M23 by certain UPDF [Uganda People's Defense Forces] and Chieftaincy of Military Intelligence officials."

Two days later Uganda's deputy defense spokesperson Deo Akiiki told AFP the allegations against Kampala were "laughable, baseless and illogical."
The governor of South Kivu province in eastern Congo on Friday ordered the suspension of all mining activities to restore order in the mineral-rich region, which is plagued by violence from armed groups.

Mining activities are suspended until further notice because of the disorder caused by mining operators, Governor Jean-Jacques Purusi Sadiki said in a statement, without providing details.

The statement said the aim of the decision was to restore order to mining throughout the province and to preserve not only human lives, but also the traceability of mineral production in these sites."

The local authorities gave 72 hours to all mining companies, businesses and cooperatives to leave the sites and places of exploitation, the statement added.

It was difficult to immediately assess whether the decision would be respected, as certain mining areas are under the control or influence of armed groups. It was also difficult to immediately assess the impact of this decision at the economic level. Thousands of residents of this gold- and coltan-rich province depend directly or indirectly on mining.

Many Chinese companies mine gold and other minerals in South Kivu, one of the eastern provinces of the Democratic Republic of the Congo that have been plagued by violence from armed groups for nearly three decades. In recent months, as the military battled the militias, the security situation has worsened.

Attacks on quarries and mining cooperatives are frequent in the region as more than 120 armed groups compete for land and resources in eastern Congo. Earlier this month, a militia attack on a gold mine in Ituri province in northeastern Congo killed six Chinese miners and two Congolese soldiers.

In August 2021, the former governor of South Kivu decided to restore order in the territory of Mwenga, about 100 kilometers from Bukavu, the capital of the province, and ordered the suspension of mining activities of six Chinese mining companies. He justified the decision as protecting the interests of the local population and the environment.

But following political pressure, the measure was subsequently lifted. A parliamentary commission of inquiry was launched, but its conclusions were never published.

At the time, the government said it was working to secure better terms on a $6.2 billion mining contract with China, which authorities say has not been profitable enough for the Central African nation since the deal was signed in 2008.

The opacity of the exploitation and sale of Congolese gold is regularly deplored. In its multiple reports, a U.N. group of experts said that volumes of smuggled gold [are] significantly higher than those legally marketed.

Bienvenu Mapendo, president of the Federation of Congolese Enterprises in the province of South Kivu, told The Associated Press that this decision would hurt the economy in the province.

It is certain that the decision will have a negative impact in the province with all the communities that make a living from mining activities," he said over the phone. We would like to have a meeting with the provincial authority to find out the motivations for this decision."
Experts see rival air and naval exercises this month across the Indo-Pacific region, involving Western-oriented allies on the one hand and Russia and China on the other, as evidence of mounting strategic competition and the risk of conflict in the region.

The Rim of the Pacific (RIMPAC) exercise, led by the United States and involving 29 countries, will enter its second phase on Monday in the waters around Hawaii. Germany, France and Spain are among the countries joining RIMPAC's 18 core members in a joint air exercise.

The drill will also include the sinking of the 40,000-ton amphibious landing ship Tarawa, which is believed to be a stand-in for one of China's large amphibious landing ships and aircraft carriers.

The RIMPAC exercise comes days after a Sino-Russian joint military drill concluded Wednesday in Zhanjiang, on China's southern coast. Seven Chinese and Russian warships participated, including China's missile destroyer, a 20,000-ton supply ship and three Russian stealth warships.

At the same time, China's Shandong aircraft carrier formation, with three missile destroyers and frigates, is conducting exercises in the Philippine Sea.

And next month, India will host its first multinational air exercise, Tarang Shakti-2024, which is likely to see the participation of 10 countries.

Christopher Lamont, a professor at Tokyo International University and dean of E-Track International Relations, said the joint China-Russia exercise adds heightened tension to Japan's security environment, particularly in the context of closer Moscow-Pyongyang ties following Russia's invasion of Ukraine.

Stronger Japan-Europe ties

Lamont said the participation of Japan, a RIMPAC member, in exercises with European partners is symbolic in the sense that Spain, France and Germany have limited capacity to project naval power into this region.

But, he said, it underlines "a strengthening of both economic and security ties between Tokyo and European capitals that has picked up pace since 2022."

In yet another naval exercise this week, a Taiwanese coast guard patrol vessel and a Japanese aircraft-carrying coast guard patrol vessel carried out a joint drill to the south of Japan's Boso Peninsula, Chiba prefecture, and in waters near Izu Oshima.

It is reportedly the first joint maritime exercise between the two coast guards since Japan and Taiwan cut formal diplomatic ties in 1972. Analysts see the drill as a response to China's assertive activities in the East China and South China seas.

In a regular briefing on Friday, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Lin Jian strongly deplored the maritime exercise and lodged a protest with Japan.

"We urge Japan to ... correct the wrongdoing at once, refrain from conniving at or supporting 'Taiwan independence' separatist forces in any form, stay prudent on issues related to the East and South China seas, and stop disrupting cross-strait peace and stability and China-Japan relations," he said.

Eric Huang, a lecturer at Tamkang University in Taiwan, said the series of joint exercises illustrates "the intensifying strategic competition, increasing regional security uncertainty, and risks of conflict" in the Asia-Pacific.

Global tensions over the conflicts in Ukraine and Gaza, and mounting Chinese pressure on Taiwan, "underscore the urgent need for synchronized national and regional defense strategies, alongside international cooperation in the Asia-Pacific," added Huang, a former spokesperson and deputy director of the International Affairs Department of Taiwan's opposition Nationalist Party.

"Regional democratic allies like South Korea, Australia, India and Taiwan must assertively balance national security with regional stability, navigating the intricacies of great power competition through decisive dialogue and strategic cooperation to ensure enduring regional stability and democratic way of lives," Huang said.

Eyes on Moscow-Beijing relationship

Marcin Mateusz Jerzewski, director of the Taiwan office of the European Center for Values and Security Policy, said the security environment is increasingly severe in the Euro-Atlantic and Indo-Pacific theaters, in large part because of the growing confluence of strategic interests between Moscow and Beijing.

"With the largest kinetic conflict since World War II happening in their backyard, European countries are increasingly concerned about China's tacit support for Russian atrocities in Ukraine," he said.

Elio Calcagno, the defense program researcher at the Italian Institute of International Affairs, told VOA that European countries are bolstering efforts to demonstrate their commitment to security in the Indo-Pacific through more frequent and substantial deployments.

Calcagno said the European participants hope to deepen ties with regional partners through the drills while "demonstrating to the U.S. that they are able to contribute to Washington's most immediate strategic concerns, which regard Chinese posturing in the region."

At the same time, he said, they are seeking to show "like-minded partners in the Indo-Pacific that European countries can act independently from the U.S. to a certain extent."

Adrianna Zhang contributed to this report.
A Ukrainian former lawmaker best known for her crusade to promote the Ukrainian language has died after being shot in the street by an unknown assailant.

Iryna Farion, 60, initially survived the assault in the western city of Lviv on Friday, but later died from her wounds in a hospital. A search is underway for her attacker, who fled from the scene. Ukrainian officials said that an investigation is being carried out and that the attack is being treated as an assassination.

All available surveillance cameras are being worked on, witness interviews are ongoing, and several districts are being surveyed. All leads are being investigated, including the one that leads to Russia, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said on his official Telegram channel Saturday.

All necessary forces from the National Police of Ukraine and the Ukrainian Security Service have been deployed to search for the criminal.

Farion served as a member of the Ukrainian parliament between 2012 and 2014  and was best known for her campaigns to promote the use of the Ukrainian language by Ukrainian officials who spoke Russian. She controversially criticized Russian-speaking members of Ukraines Azov regiment who defended the port city of Mariupol in the first days of the full-scale invasion.

Police are considering personal animosity toward the former MP due to her social and political activities as a likely motive behind the attack, said Interior Minister Ihor Klymenko, who will oversee the investigation in Lviv.
Yemen's Houthi rebels hit and damaged a Singapore-flagged container ship with two missiles on Friday as they escalate attacks on global shipping over Israel's war in Gaza.

The overnight assault on the Lobivia cargo ship came as the Iran-aligned Houthis also claimed responsibility for a fiery, long-range aerial drone strike in the center of Tel Aviv that killed one man and wounded four others.

The Houthis in recent weeks have become more adept at inflicting damage on their targets. In June, the militants struck the Greek-owned Tutor coal carrier with missiles and an explosive-laden remote-controlled boat, causing it to sink.

Tutor was the second ship sunk in the Houthi campaign against commercial shipping, which since November has killed at least three sailors and upended global trade by forcing ship owners to avoid the Suez Canal trade shortcut.

"Their capacity, their access to more sophisticated weapons, has only increased over the course of this conflict," said Gerald Feierstein, director of the Arabian Peninsula Affairs Program at the Middle East Institute in Washington.

Houthi military spokesman Yahya Saree in a television speech on Friday said the group launched the Lobivia strikes, adding that the assault also included drones. The manager of Lobivia did not immediately comment.

Lobivia was in the Gulf of Aden when the missiles struck two areas on its port side, the Joint Maritime Information Center said in an incident report.

The ship was 83 nautical miles southeast of Yemen's port city of Aden during the attack. All crew were reported safe, and the ship was returning to its last port of call, the United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations said.

"The ship was transiting northeast along the Gulf of Aden when a merchant vessel in the vicinity observed 'light and blast' where the ship was located," British security firm Ambrey said.

The ship appeared to perform evasive maneuvers immediately and switched off its automatic identification system about an hour later, Ambrey said.

On Tuesday, the Houthis hit the Liberia-flagged oil tanker Chios Lion with a drone boat, causing damage to the port side that left an oily trail that experts said appeared to be fuel.

Britain and the U.S. have conducted retaliatory strikes since February, shooting down drones and bombing attack sites in Yemen.

That has come at a significant cost, said Feierstein, who was the U.S. ambassador to Yemen from 2010 to 2013 under President Barack Obama.

"We're basically spending a million dollars every time we shoot down a Radio Shack drone. That's wearing on the Navy and wearing on our supplies," he said.
South Asia, long a breeding ground for conspiracy theories, faced an avalanche of disinformation triggered by the recent assassination attempt on former U.S. President Donald Trump.

Social media in the region is still buzzing with wild claims, from Chinese involvement to an anti-Taliban group ordering the hit, highlighting how nefarious actors exploit global events to push ideological narratives and political agendas.

The truth is that we see this happening everywhere in the world simultaneously about every breaking event that happens, said Imran Ahmed, CEO of the Center for Countering Digital Hate, or CCDH. In the pandemic, everyone weaponized that to say X was behind it or Y was behind it. But what was always true was the person that they were saying was behind it was someone that they disliked anyway.

As news broke of Trump's shooting at a rally in Butler, Pennsylvania, last weekend, the conspiracy floodgates burst open. Hours before the gunman, a nursing home aide with no known ideology, was identified, rumors surged of a "false flag" operation, "staged" to gain sympathy for Trump. Others theorized it was a "deep state" plot orchestrated at U.S. President Joe Biden's behest.

Using these and other keywords, CCDH searched top posts on X, finding that conspiracies surrounding the shooting had received 215 million views in the days following the incident. Ahmed noted that media is "borderless," suggesting millions of social media users in South Asia were exposed to the same conspiracy theories as Americans.

The reality is that people were seeing this everywhere that they were in the world, Ahmed said in an interview with VOA.

Yet the flood of disinformation seeping across South Asia presents a unique challenge for the region. The subcontinent enjoys relatively high internet and social media penetration but low media literacy. That combination can be dangerous, said Colin Clarke, director of research at the Soufan Group.

"We've seen people manipulated," Clarke said. "We've seen it lead to physical attacks."

Here is a look at three conspiracy theories involving India, Afghanistan and Turkey that stirred up social media in the wake of the assassination attempt.

India: Indian intelligence agency

Across South Asia, the shooting sparked various claims, big and small. Some blamed China, others pointed to radical Muslims, and a particularly popular theory accused India's intelligence service.

The latter claim was pushed by a now suspended X account, which posted images of the shooting scene in Butler along with the assertion that the CIA had uncovered "links" between Indian intelligence and the attempted assassination.

The post claimed that the shooter, Thomas Matthew Crooks, had been receiving "cipher texts" from an individual connected to India's intelligence agency and that the gun used in the attack was registered to a U.S. citizen with an Indian name.

The specificity raised a red flag; disinformation purveyors often provide detailed information about a claim to make it seem credible.

U.S. investigators have found no evidence that Crooks was ideologically motivated or had foreign ties. They've determined he acted alone, using an AR-15-style rifle purchased by his father in 2013.

The X account that pushed the conspiracy theory couldn't be authenticated. It had fewer than 2,000 followers. An Indian fact checker found that it was based in Pakistan and known for spreading disinformation.

A VOA review showed the account pushed anti-Indian content, including claims about operations carried out by freedom fighters in Kashmir and Indian nationals taking high-paying jobs from Western citizens.

The account was suspended late Thursday. The Indian Embassy in Washington didn't respond to a request for comment.

Afghanistan: Anti-Taliban resistance

Among Afghan social media users, the Trump assassination attempt sparked heated discussions, but one episode stood out as particularly bizarre.

In a video posted on X on Sunday, a man claiming to be an anti-Taliban resistance commander took credit for the shooting.

Sitting on a red plastic chair beside a masked, armed man, he identified himself as "Rayees Ajmal," a commander of the National Resistance Front.

We hit Trump on the orders of [NRF leader] Ahmad Massoud, the man says. Well also hit Joe Biden along with all his Americans.

Many social media users dismissed the video as a crudely staged comedic flop. But some pointed fingers at Abdul Hamid Khorasani, a militia commander with an on-again-off-again relationship with the Taliban.

Qais Alamdar, a Berlin-based independent researcher who has examined the video, said there is no evidence linking the man to Khorasani. Ajmal, Alamdar said, is more likely a guard at a Taliban checkpoint, small base or office.

Noting the mens highly customized and even decorated weapons, Alamdar said in an email, This level of customization is more common among checkpoint or small base fighters who have the time to maintain their weapons meticulously, and such customization is rarely seen in active combat scenarios."

The NRF slammed the video as Taliban propaganda.

This video is clearly disinformation generated by the Taliban terrorist group to defame the National Resistance Front of Afghanistan, said Ali Maisam Nazary, the foreign relations chief for the group.

A Taliban spokesperson contacted by VOA didnt comment on the allegation.

Michael Kugelman, a South Asia analyst at the Wilson Center in Washington, said the Taliban are not necessarily behind the video.

There are a lot of rival factions playing out in the Afghanistan context, Kugelman said. It could be some other type of rival of the NRF. Clearly, the goal here is to make the NRF look ridiculous and absurd.

Turkey: Antifa and Kurds

On Turkish social media, the shooting revived a claim long pushed by officials and right-wing commentators: an alleged tie between the antifa movement and the U.S.-backed Kurdish militia YPG in Syria. The YPG, an offshoot of the Kurdistan Workers Party, or PKK, is considered a terrorist group by Turkey.

After the FBI identified Crooks as the shooter, a self-described new generation news platform posted an image of the fallen gunman on a warehouse rooftop alongside a YPG-watermarked picture showing a group of heavily armed, masked men holding an antifa banner.

It is reported to the U.S. public that 20-year-old Thomas Matthew Crooks, who attempted to assassinate Trump, is a member of ANTIFA, known for his support of the terrorist organization YPG/PKK, the account, called Mevzu, wrote.

To back up its claim, the account later shared an article in The American Conservative magazine that stated that while little was known about Crooks at that time, it will come as no surprise if the assassin has links to far left or Antifa groups.

YPG fighters are not known to carry antifa banners, and the image could not be independently verified.

U.S. investigators have found no evidence that Crooks was tied to antifa. He was registered as a Republican but also once made a small donation to a group that supports Democratic candidates.

With over 160,000 followers, Mevzu is a news platform without a website, part of a crop of similar X accounts on Turkish social media, often passing off dribbles of unsourced information as news.

The Soufan Groups Clarke said there is no evidence to substantiate the claim that Crooks was connected to antifa.

"And I don't think anybody here is taking anything like that seriously," he said.

VOA Turkish Services Ezel Sahinkaya contributed to this article.
An intensification of fighting in Myanmars civil war has brought a sharp increase in destructive attacks on schools, a group that monitors armed conflict in the Southeast Asian nation said in a report Saturday.

Myanmar Witness said the attacks have further strained Myanmars already fractured school system, taking away education for millions of children who have also been forced to flee their homes, miss vaccinations and suffer from inadequate nutrition.

The group, a project of the United Kingdom-based Center for Information Resilience, identified a total of 174 attacks on Myanmar schools and universities since the military seized power from the elected government of Aung San Suu Kyi three years ago. It said the count came from evidence in social media and news reports.

Other groups have suggested higher numbers of attacks. The Global Coalition to Protect Education from Attack, an advocacy group based in New York, counted over 245 reports of attacks on schools and 190 reports of military use of educational facilities in 2022-23.

The 2021 military takeover was met with widespread nonviolent demonstrations for democracy, but those were crushed with lethal force. Many opponents of military rule then took up arms, and large parts of the country are now embroiled in conflict. The military government is estimated to control less than half the country.

Education underpinned the democratic movement in Myanmar, but today Myanmars youth are witnessing their schools  and life opportunities  reduced to rubble, said Matt Lawrence, project director at Myanmar Witness. If education is not protected throughout Myanmar, the next generations view of the world risks being driven by factionalism and war, rather than hope and reason.

Student enrollment in Myanmar dropped 80% from the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020 through 2022, a year after the armys takeover, according to the humanitarian group Save the Children. By mid-2022, about half the countrys children, or 7.8 million, were not attending schools, it said.

Myanmar Witness said it documented reports of 64 fatalities and 106 injuries associated with the 176 attacks on schools, though most could not be verified.

Myanmars shadow National Unity Government, which leads the pro-democracy struggle against military rule, estimated in January that more than 570 children under age 18 had been killed in various circumstances by security forces. Upward of 8,000 civilians have been killed in the conflict, according to the multinational Armed Conflict Location & Event Data Project.

Myanmar Witness put most of the responsibility for the destruction of schools on airstrikes conducted by the Myanmar military. Air attacks have become more frequent as pro-democracy forces and ethnic minority armed groups allied with them have made gains on the battlefield.

The military "has had to resort to more and more airstrikes, often with less and less appropriate aircraft, as they lose effective access to the ground" because of offensives by the resistance, Lawrence told The Associated Press.

The military government has consistently denied targeting civilians or using disproportionate force.

The report said resistance forces also have attacked schools, but much less frequently and less destructively, often using drones with small explosive loads.

Education is also being disrupted by other factors. Many young people, including older students, have taken a greater role in the resistance. Thousands of teachers left their jobs after the army seized power and joined a civil disobedience movement aimed at disabling military control over government institutions. And the conflict's shifting front lines make it difficult for teachers to provide lessons on a reliable basis.

Some teachers have established or joined schools outside the reach of the militarys control.

What we see is almost a dual system thats developing in Myanmar, where there are state-sponsored schools and then schools sponsored by other parties and retribution for participating in either system," said Lisa Chung Bender, executive director of the Global Coalition to Protect Education from Attack.

"It puts children and educators in an impossible position where they have to go through checkpoints and say where theyre going, and if its determined that theyre going to an enemy school, whichever enemy that is, they can be harassed, detained or physically punished, she said.

The lack of proper access to education is only part of a deepening humanitarian crisis in Myanmar. More than 3 million people have been displaced from their homes by fighting, most since the military's seizure of power in 2021, and the country suffers from a deepening economic crisis.

A report in June by the United Nations Childrens Fund on global child food poverty said 35% of Myanmars children live in food poverty, defined as having access to half or fewer of the eight food groups children need daily for healthy growth and development.

According to the U.N. Development Program, over half of Myanmars children now live in poverty as the countrys nascent middle class has disappeared.
Ukraine is on its way to being able to "stand on its own feet" militarily, Secretary of State Antony Blinken said Friday, noting that more than 20 other countries have pledged to maintain their own military and financial aid to the country even if the U.S. were to withdraw its support under a different president.

Blinken for the first time directly addressed the possibility that former President Donald Trump could win the November election and back away from commitments to Ukraine. The U.S., under President Joe Biden, has been the most important supporter of Ukraine's more than two-year battle against invading Russian forces.

Trump's public comments have varied between criticizing U.S. backing for Ukraine's defense and supporting it, while his running mate, Ohio Senator J.D. Vance, has been a leader of Republican efforts to block what have been billions in U.S. military and financial assistance to Ukraine since Russia invaded in 2022.

Blinken said Friday that any new administration would have to consider strong bipartisan backing in Congress for Ukraine in the interests of countering Russian President Vladimir Putin's attempts to expand Moscow's territory and influence.

"Every administration has an opportunity, of course, to set its own policy. We can't lock in the future," Blinken said, speaking to an audience of U.S. policymakers and others at the Aspen Security Forum in Colorado.

But he pointed to the security agreements that the United States and more than 20 other allies  including some NATO partners, Japan and the European Union  signed at a NATO summit in Washington this month.

Ukraine itself is on a trajectory to ensure it "stands on its own feet militarily, economically, democratically," Blinken said.

Ukrainian foreign minister Dmytro Kuleba made similar points Friday during an online question and answer session on the social media site Reddit. He particularly stressed Kyiv's willingness to work with whichever party won the U.S. general election.

"I believe any U.S. administration should respect three features that make Ukraine different from other partners of America who had sought its support," he said.

"We never asked U.S. troops to fight and die for Ukraine, we only requested weapons and support to our economy; we never intended to rely on foreign aid indefinitely and this is why we are reforming our economy and tripled domestic weapon production last year and plan to increase it sixfold this year; and we are fully transparent in using the U.S. assistance."

In Ukraine on Saturday, at least two people were killed and three more injured after a Russian missile strike on infrastructure in the country's northeastern Kharkiv region, Governor Oleh Syniehubov said.

Ukrainian officials also confirmed that the death toll following a Russian strike Friday on the city of Mykolaiv, had risen to four. A child was among the victims, said the city's mayor, Oleksandr Sienkevych.

Writing about the Mykolaiv strike on social media, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said that a projectile had hit a playground next to an apartment block.

"Russia proves every day with its terror that 'pressure' is not enough," he said. "This destruction of life must be stopped. We need new solutions to support our defenses. Russia must feel the power of the world."

Ukraine's air force said Saturday that Russia had launched four missiles and 17 drones overnight, of which 13 drones had been shot down.

The attacks have left thousands of people without power or running water in the Poltava region of central Ukraine, Governor Filip Pronin said. Russia has relentlessly targeted Ukraine's energy infrastructure, leading to blackouts across the country.

A pulverizing Russian onslaught in recent months has forced Kyiv's troops to withdraw from some towns and villages in the eastern Donetsk region.

The latest targets are the mining town of Toretsk and the city of Pokrovsk, where Russia is stepping up its assaults. Ukrainian forces repelled 20 and 27 attacks on those areas respectively over 24 hours, Ukraine's General Staff said Friday. That was almost double the number of assaults recorded at other hot spots along the front line, it said.

Russia's Defense Ministry also announced Saturday that it had shot down 26 Ukrainian drones over Russia's southern Rostov region, several hundred kilometers from the front line. Three more drones were destroyed over the Belgorod region, as well as one over the Smolensk region, it said. No casualties were reported.
Neither of two oil tankers that collided off Singapore on Friday carried Iranian crude, the Iranian oil ministry said Saturday.

The crude oil of neither of these damaged oil tankers was related to Iran and did not belong to Iran, the ministry said in a statement on its website.

Malaysia's coast guard said Saturday that one of the two large oil tankers involved in the collision that led to fires on both had left the location of the accident and was believed to have turned off its tracking system.

The coast guard said it was tracking the whereabouts of the Sao Tome and Principe-flagged tanker Ceres I, which was suspected to be within Malaysian waters.

The Ceres I was involved in a collision reported early Friday with the Singapore-flagged Hafnia Nile about 55 kilometers (35 miles) northeast of the Singaporean island of Pedra Branca, the Maritime and Port Authority of Singapore, or MPA, said Friday.

The 40 crew on the Ceres I were all accounted for, the MPA said, adding that 14 were evacuated by a Singapore Air Force helicopter while 26 were conducting firefighting operations onboard.

The Chinese owner of the Ceres I could not be reached for comment.

All 22 crew aboard the Hafnia Nile were evacuated and arrived in Singapore, its operator said Friday.

Hafnia, the operator of Hafnia Nile, said Friday a tug was on scene to assist the ship, with specialized tugs en route to join firefighting efforts.

A video taken Saturday and posted by the Malaysian coast guard showed the charred Hafnia Nile afloat.

The exact circumstances leading to the incident are unknown.

Singapore's MPA did not immediately respond to a request for comment Saturday.

The Ceres I is a very large crude carrier supertanker, which ship-tracking data last showed was carrying around 2 million barrels of Iranian crude.

However, Iran's oil ministry denied Saturday that either ship was carrying Iranian crude.

The area where Ceres I had been anchored is known to be used by so-called dark fleet ships for the transfer of Iranian oil in contravention of U.S. sanctions, Michelle Wiese Bockmann, principal analyst at Lloyd's List Intelligence, said Friday.

Matt Stanley, head of market engagement for EMEA & APAC with Kpler, said Friday that the Ceres I has "gone dark" many times, referring to when vessels switch off their tracking transponders.

The 74,000-deadweight-tons capacity panamax tanker Hafnia Nile was carrying about 300,000 barrels of naphtha, a type of oil, according to ship-tracking data from Kpler and LSEG.

Singapore is Asia's biggest oil-trading hub and the world's largest bunkering port. Its surrounding waters are among the busiest global sea lanes.
Former President Donald Trump has said many times that if he was elected president again, he would end the war Russia launched against Ukraine. On Friday, he made that pledge in a phone call with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy.

"I appreciate President Zelenskyy for reaching out," the Republican presidential nominee said in a post on his Truth Social platform, regarding "the war that has cost so many lives and devastated countless innocent families."

Trump has not offered any concrete policy for a path to peace between Ukraine and Russia.

Zelenskyy has proposed a peace plan, which he presented at a summit last month that Russia was not invited to. His plan calls for the withdrawal of Russian troops and the restoration of Ukraine's 1991 post-Soviet borders.

Zelenskyy has been firm in his position that there will be no negotiations about ending the war as long as Russian troops remain in Ukraine.

He confirmed his conversation with Trump in a post on social media: "I noted the vital bipartisan and bicameral American support for protecting our nation's freedom and independence."

The Ukrainian leader also condemned the attempt on Trump's life nearly a week ago.

"I wished him strength and absolute safety in the future," Zelenskyy said.

Zelenskyy said his country "will always be grateful to the United States for its help in strengthening our ability to resist Russian terror. Russian attacks on our cities and villages continue every day."

Trump has been critical of the support, financial and otherwise, that the U.S. has given Ukraine in its fight against the illegal Russian invasion.

Ohio Senator J.D. Vance, Trump's choice for vice presidential running mate in the November election, has said he "does not care" about what happens in the Ukraine-Russia conflict "one way or the other."

Trump also has frequently praised Russian President Vladimir Putin, raising concerns among Ukraine's allies about whether U.S. support for Ukraine would continue if the former president were to be elected.

Trump has also been critical of the U.S. commitment to NATO and whether the U.S. should remain a member of the alliance that has been a supporter of Ukraine's fight against Russia.
We can readily understand why investors are attracted to unprofitable companies. For example, although software-as-a-service business Salesforce.com lost money for years while it grew recurring revenue, if you held shares since 2005, you'd have done very well indeed. Nonetheless, only a fool would ignore the risk that a loss making company burns through its cash too quickly.

Given this risk, we thought we'd take a look at whether Aroa Biosurgery (ASX:ARX) shareholders should be worried about its cash burn. In this report, we will consider the company's annual negative free cash flow, henceforth referring to it as the 'cash burn'. First, we'll determine its cash runway by comparing its cash burn with its cash reserves.

View our latest analysis for Aroa Biosurgery

When Might Aroa Biosurgery Run Out Of Money?

A company's cash runway is calculated by dividing its cash hoard by its cash burn. As at March 2024, Aroa Biosurgery had cash of NZ$30m and no debt. Importantly, its cash burn was NZ$14m over the trailing twelve months. That means it had a cash runway of about 2.1 years as of March 2024. Notably, however, analysts think that Aroa Biosurgery will break even (at a free cash flow level) before then. In that case, it may never reach the end of its cash runway. The image below shows how its cash balance has been changing over the last few years.

How Well Is Aroa Biosurgery Growing?

Some investors might find it troubling that Aroa Biosurgery is actually increasing its cash burn, which is up 26% in the last year. The revenue growth of 9.0% gives a ray of hope, at the very least. In light of the data above, we're fairly sanguine about the business growth trajectory. Clearly, however, the crucial factor is whether the company will grow its business going forward. For that reason, it makes a lot of sense to take a look at our analyst forecasts for the company.

How Easily Can Aroa Biosurgery Raise Cash?

Aroa Biosurgery seems to be in a fairly good position, in terms of cash burn, but we still think it's worthwhile considering how easily it could raise more money if it wanted to. Generally speaking, a listed business can raise new cash through issuing shares or taking on debt. Commonly, a business will sell new shares in itself to raise cash and drive growth. By comparing a company's annual cash burn to its total market capitalisation, we can estimate roughly how many shares it would have to issue in order to run the company for another year (at the same burn rate).

Aroa Biosurgery's cash burn of NZ$14m is about 6.3% of its NZ$227m market capitalisation. That's a low proportion, so we figure the company would be able to raise more cash to fund growth, with a little dilution, or even to simply borrow some money.

Story continues

So, Should We Worry About Aroa Biosurgery's Cash Burn?

As you can probably tell by now, we're not too worried about Aroa Biosurgery's cash burn. In particular, we think its cash burn relative to its market cap stands out as evidence that the company is well on top of its spending. While its increasing cash burn wasn't great, the other factors mentioned in this article more than make up for weakness on that measure. There's no doubt that shareholders can take a lot of heart from the fact that analysts are forecasting it will reach breakeven before too long. After considering a range of factors in this article, we're pretty relaxed about its cash burn, since the company seems to be in a good position to continue to fund its growth. While it's important to consider hard data like the metrics discussed above, many investors would also be interested to note that Aroa Biosurgery insiders have been trading shares in the company. Click here to find out if they have been buying or selling.

Of course, you might find a fantastic investment by looking elsewhere. So take a peek at this free list of companies with significant insider holdings, and this list of stocks growth stocks (according to analyst forecasts)

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
Some top U.S. officials have sought to publicly reassure Ukraine of continued support from Washington, arguing that backing Kyiv in its fight against Russia is in Americas best interest.

The United States has provided Ukraine with almost $54 billion in military equipment and other security assistance since Russian forces invaded in February 2022, including a $225 million package earlier this month.

Joint Chiefs of Staff Chairman General CQ Brown on Friday called such help from the U.S. and other Western countries crucial, warning of dire consequences if that aid stopped flowing.

If collectively we stop supporting Ukraine, [Russian President Vladimir] Putin wins, Brown told an audience at the Aspen Security Forum in Aspen, Colorado.

What that allows, it also emboldens others, he said. We have credibility that's at stake associated with this. Not just the United States, but NATO, the West.

If we just back away, that opens the door for [Chinese President] Xi Jinping and others that [have] wanted to do unprovoked aggression.

Some U.S. politicians, however, argue that the current level of support for Ukraine is unsustainable. And they have been led, in part, by the Republican vice presidential nominee, Ohio Republican Senator J.D. Vance.

There are a lot of bad guys all over the world, and Im much more interested in some of the problems in East Asia right now than I am in Europe, Vance told a major security conference in Munich earlier this year.

Can we send the level of weaponry weve sent for the last 18 months? Vance asked. We simply cannot. No matter how many checks the U.S. Congress writes, we are limited there.

The Republicans' presidential nominee, former President Donald Trump, has also been critical at times of U.S. support for Ukraine, telling supporters during his nomination acceptance speech Thursday that the war would never have happened if I was president.

This past May, at a town hall event sponsored by CNN, Trump said, if elected, he would end the fighting in one day.

Brown, the most senior U.S. military official, was cautious about such predictions when pressed at the Aspen conference.

If he can get it done in 24 hours, that'd be great, he said, while also rejecting arguments that the U.S. is incapable of providing Ukraine with continued military support.

We have the capability to produce, Brown said. We have the capacity to do it. Weve just got to make the commitment to do it.

Other senior U.S. officials also pushed back against arguments that Washingtons European allies are not doing enough.

The Europeans are doing a lot more than I think Americans give them credit for, said White House national security adviser Jake Sullivan, speaking separately at the Aspen forum.

When you calculate their contribution to Ukraine in terms of military assistance, economic assistance, humanitarian assistance and other forms, they [European allies] are combined doing considerably more than the United States, he said, adding that the Ukrainian cause remains popular despite some vocal skeptics.

Poll after poll shows the American people still care, Sullivan said. [They] still support funding Ukraine. Still support the notion that it is our duty-bound obligation to continue to help Ukraine fight for its freedom and its sovereignty and its territorial integrity.

Some of those supporters, including both Democratic and Republican lawmakers, have urged the White House and President Joe Biden to be even more aggressive and loosen restrictions preventing Ukraine from using U.S.-made weapons systems to strike deep in Russian territory.

As the war has evolved, our support has evolved, the capacities we provided have evolved, and the parameters under which we've provided them have evolved, Sullivan said. But thus far, [Bidens] policy on long-range strikes in Russia has not changed.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy called on Britains new prime minister, Keir Starmer, earlier Friday to help remove those types of restrictions instituted by the U.S. and other Western allies.

Addressing a meeting of the Cabinet at the official residence of the British prime minister, Zelenskyy said Ukraine has proved it can prevent Russian attempts to expand the war by hitting Russian military targets positioned not just along the border but deeper inside Russia.

In an interview with the BBC, British Defense Secretary John Healey was asked about the issue of Ukraines use of British-supplied weapons, and he said nothing precludes them hitting targets in Russia, but that must be done by the Ukrainians. It must be done within the parameters and the bounds of international humanitarian law.

Also Friday, Zelenskyy said that following a meeting with Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk on Thursday, Ukraine received a positive decision from the Polish government that will allow Ukraine to receive U.S.-made F-16 fighter jets sooner.

He did not specify what the decision was in his statement, shared on the social media platform X, formerly Twitter. The Reuters news service said there was no immediate word from the Polish prime ministers office on Zelenskyys comment.

VOAs Jeff Custer contributed to this report. Some information came from The Associated Press, Reuters and Agence France-Presse.
Editor's note: Here is a look at immigration-related news around the U.S. this week. Questions? Tips? Comments? Email the VOA immigration team: ImmigrationUnit@voanews.com.

Border arrests plunge 29% in June to the lowest of Biden's presidency

Arrests for illegally crossing the U.S. border from Mexico plunged 29% in June, the lowest month of Joe Biden's presidency, according to figures released Monday that provide another window on the impact of a new rule to temporarily suspend asylum. Arrests totaled 83,536 in June, down from 117,901 in May to mark the lowest tally since January 2021, U.S. Customs and Border Protection said. The Associated Press reports.

Republicans lean into Trump's border message during a convention night focused on immigration



Immigration took center stage at the Republican National Convention on Tuesday, with speakers spotlighting a key element of former president Donald Trump's political brand that helped endear him to the party's base when he began his first campaign in 2015. By The Associated Press.

Housing provider for unaccompanied migrant children accused of sexual abuse

Employees of the largest housing provider for unaccompanied migrant children in the U.S. have repeatedly sexually abused and harassed children in their care over the past eight years, the Justice Department alleges. Southwest Key employees, including supervisors, have raped, touched or solicited sex and nude images of children since at least 2015, the DOJ alleged in a lawsuit filed Wednesday. At least two employees have been charged since 2020, according to the lawsuit. By The Associated Press.

VOA60 Africa - US pledges additional $203 million to help Sudan refugees

The United States pledged an additional $203 million to help the millions of civilians affected by the war in Sudan, U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations Linda Thomas-Greenfield said on Thursday. The U.N. says nearly 25 million people, half of Sudan's population, need aid.

Immigration around the world



40 migrants die after boat catches fire off Haiti

At least 40 migrants died and several others were injured when the boat they were traveling in caught fire off the northern coast of Haiti, a U.N. agency said Friday. The U.N.'s International Organization for Migration reported that the Haitian Coast Guard rescued 41 survivors, 11 of whom were hospitalized, including some for burns. By Agence France-Presse



Libya orders arrest of airline official over transport of migrants to Nicaragua

Libyan authorities on Monday ordered the arrest of an airline official on charges of helping to illegally transport migrants to the United States via Nicaragua. The commercial director of Ghadames Air was under investigation for "committing an activity harmful to the interests of the country," said a statement from the Tripoli-based Attorney General's office, which did not name the suspect. By Reuters.

Hunger drives starving Sudanese to seek refuge abroad

Hunger and looming famine are driving a growing number of people to flee war-torn Sudan in search of refuge in neighboring countries, according to World Health Organization officials. Dr. Shible Sahbani, WHO representative to Sudan, recently told journalists that he met Sudanese refugees on a recent mission to Chad whod left home only because of hunger. Lisa Schlein reports for VOA from Geneva.

First Myanmar refugees from Thai camps move to US under new resettlement program

The first group of refugees from Myanmar living in Thailand and eligible for a new resettlement program flew out of Bangkok for the United States last week, more than a year after the plan was first announced, U.S. and U.N. officials have told VOA. Some 90,000 refugees now live in nine sealed-off camps inside Thailand along the countrys border with Myanmar, driven from their homes by decades of fighting between the Myanmar military and a number of ethnic minority armed groups vying for autonomy. By Zsombor Peter.

Volunteers in Indonesia teach young refugees

In a middle school level class, students are learning about planetary science from the gases of Jupiter to the exosphere on Mercury. That might seem no different than lessons at many schools around the world, but this session is happening at a learning center for refugees in Indonesia. By Dave Grunebaum.

Activists say Rohingya refugees are hounded in India

Since entering India in 2017, Rohingya refugee Noor Mohammad and his wife have been forced to move at least a dozen times to escape unsafe conditions in the refugee camps and to avoid deportation. Over the past seven years, shanties where they lived were destroyed twice when unexplained fires swept through Rohingya refugee camps in the northern Indian cities of Jammu and Nuh. By Shaikh Azizur Rahman.

News Brief

 The Executive Office for Immigration Review is establishing a new leadership position within its office of the director. This role is expected to focus on improving access to the immigration system and developing innovative strategies to increase representation rates for noncitizens in immigration court.

 Secretary of Homeland Security Alejandro Mayorkas on Friday announced the extension and redesignation of Somalia for Temporary Protected Status for 18 months, from September 18, 2024, to March 17, 2026, because of conditions in Somalia that prevent individuals from safely returning.
MUDZI, Zimbabwe (AP)  Its Tuesday morning, and 5-year-old Talent should be in school. Instead, he's foraging for the fruit that his family is counting on for food now that crops have withered in the heat.

Blame the El Nino phenomenon that altered weather worldwide for over a year, or the larger problem of climate change that's bearing down on the African continent, the region most vulnerable to it. The boy's grandmother, Winnie Chihota, knows she's watching part of a generation slip away.

For many in Zimbabwes rural northeastern Mudzi district, crops mean survival. When they fail, the future can, too. No income means no way to pay the $25 for school fees or for school uniforms. Two of Chihota's own children are at risk of leaving school. Little Talent never had a chance to start.

No crops also mean nothing for the children to eat for lunch even if they do make it to class.

One child fainted recently at the school due to hunger, Chihota said, as she sorted through the fruit that Talent and other children brought home. The fruit will be dried for future meals. Many families now only eat one solid meal of corn or sorghum a day.

Children are the most at risk after El Nino, a naturally occurring climatic phenomenon, caused some of the hottest days in decades in parts of southern and eastern Africa. It also caused some of the worst flooding in memory.

It destroyed many of the tiny farm plots that keep families going. More than 60% of Zimbabwes population of around 15 million reside in rural areas where agriculture is the major source of food and income.

The immediate concern is hunger. In Zimbabwe, 580,000 children are at risk of malnutrition, according to the United Nations children's agency, as the effects of El Nino worsen a humanitarian crisis of economic hardship and outbreaks of diseases such as cholera.

The larger problem is the children's education. School has become a luxury. Children drop out to work. Teenage girls are forced to skip class because there is not enough water to wash during their periods, or because they must stay home to babysit their siblings as parents go out in search of work. Some girls are forced to marry to ease financial burdens, according to the U.N humanitarian agency.

The crisis is overshadowed by others in places like Ukraine, Gaza and Sudan, humanitarian organizations say, meaning that funding from donors can be hard to come by.

There should be a sense of urgency, said Yves Willemot, UNICEF spokesman for Zimbabwe.

The drought puts the education of close to 2 million children at risk in Zimbabwe, with some dropping out of school for good and others forced to miss class, the U.N. humanitarian agency has said. More than 45,000 children dropped out of school during the previous El Nino in the 2015-2016 farming season, 3,000 more than the annual average, it said. The government is still collating figures for this latest El Nino.

Regional countries also devastated by weather extremes face similar challenges. In Malawi, hit by a vicious cycle of floods and drought in the past three years, fewer children are attending class. At some schools, half the pupils are usually absent, according to a report in May by local and international humanitarian organizations including the Malawi-based Youth Net and Counselling.

Families must choose between feeding or sending children to school, the report said. Volunteer teachers are no longer reporting at some schools further deteriorating the quality of education."

Neighboring Zambia is using a school feeding program targeting over 2 million children to boost school attendance.

Zimbabwe recently launched a similar program amid concerns about increased absenteeism and dropout rates caused by the drought, said Taungana Ndoro, the director of communications and advocacy in the education ministry.

The assurance of at least one decent hot meal per day has been a strong incentive for families to prioritize sending their children to school, he said.

It might be too late for many who drop out, especially girls, said Nyaradzo Mashayamombe, an activist and founder of Tag a Life, an organization whose #everychildinschool campaign is pushing to end school fees for children from poor families.

When drought hits like this, the immediate defense is marriage. The mere offer of a way out, an escape, can be very luring to a girl or even the parents, she said, adding that many end up trapped with older, abusive husbands.

There is no way out, she said. It takes away their potential, their dreams are cut short, and the poverty cycle continues.
By Liam Scott

A Russian court on Friday convicted American journalist Evan Gershkovich of espionage and sentenced him to 16 years in prison, in what is widely viewed as a politically motivated case.

The court announced the verdict shortly after 5 p.m. local time Friday, according to Russian independent media outlet Meduza.

Gershkovich, a reporter for The Wall Street Journal, has been jailed in Russia since March 2023 on spying charges that he, his employer and the U.S. government vehemently deny.

The Journal condemned the conviction in a statement Friday.

"This disgraceful, sham conviction comes after Evan has spent 478 days in prison, wrongfully detained, away from his family and friends, prevented from reporting, all for doing his job as a journalist," the newspaper's publisher Almar Latour and editor in chief Emma Tucker said in the statement.

"We will continue to do everything possible to press for Evan's release and to support his family. Journalism is not a crime, and we will not rest until he's released. This must end now," they added.

In a statement posted on the social media platform Telegram, the Russian court said that Gershkovich "did not admit guilt," but that "the totality of the evidence presented to the court was sufficient to render a guilty verdict." The court also said Gershkovich has 15 days to appeal the conviction.

Karol Luczka, who covers Eastern Europe at the International Press Institute in Vienna, told VOA that although the case against Gershkovich is bogus, the conviction was expected due to the lack of rule of law in Russia.

"This prison sentence just shows how journalism has been completely used as a bargaining chip by the Russian authorities," Luczka said. "It just shows the complete lack of respect towards independent journalism by Russian authorities."

The State Department has declared the 32-year-old wrongfully detained, which commits the U.S. government to seek his release.

"We have been clear from the get-go that Evan did nothing wrong and should not have been detained," State Department spokesperson Vedant Patel told reporters Thursday. "To date, Russia has provided no evidence of a crime and has failed to justify Evan's continued detention. Evan should not be detained."

Gershkovich's trial began on June 26 in Yekaterinburg, where the journalist was initially detained. The Ural Mountains city is about 1,400 kilometers, or 870 miles, east of Moscow.

Press freedom groups and The Journal have consistently condemned Gershkovich's trial as a politically motivated sham.

"It's certainly a sham trial. It's a travesty of justice. The charges brought against him are spurious and unsubstantiated, and the whole thing is just a masquerade," Gulnoza Said, the Europe and Central Asia program coordinator at the Committee to Protect Journalists, or CPJ, told VOA in June, shortly before the trial began.

U.S. President Joe Biden affirmed in a Friday statement that the United States is working to secure Gershkovichs release.

There is no question that Russia is wrongfully detaining Evan. Journalism is not a crime. We will continue to stand strong for press freedom in Russia and worldwide, and stand against all those who seek to attack the press or target journalists, Biden said.

Evan has endured his ordeal with remarkable strength. We will not cease in our efforts to bring him home, Biden added.

The U.S. embassy in Moscow did not immediately reply to VOA's email requesting comment for this story.

Hasty trial

Gershkovich's trial took place in secret, behind closed doors, which is common practice in Russia for cases of alleged treason or espionage involving classified state material.

Gershkovich's trial appears to have concluded much faster than expected. Based on similar previous trials, press freedom experts initially estimated that the trial would last a few months.

The second hearing was originally scheduled for August 13, but the court later moved it to July 18. The court then heard closing arguments Friday.

Russian authorities have accused Gershkovich of "gathering secret information" about a Russian tank manufacturer for the United States.

Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov on Wednesday repeated the Kremlin's claim of "irrefutable evidence" against Gershkovich, but the Russian government has to date failed to publicly disclose any evidence to support the claims against the journalist.

Lavrov said Wednesday at the United Nations that Moscow and Washington's "special services" are discussing an exchange involving Gershkovich. Russia and the United States have been negotiating a possible prisoner swap for months, but the Kremlin has said a verdict would have to come first.

Russia's Washington embassy did not immediately reply to VOA's email requesting comment for this story.

Gershkovich is one of two American journalists currently detained by Russia. The second, Alsu Kurmasheva, has spent nine months in custody.

The Prague-based journalist for VOA's sister outlet Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty has been jailed since October 2023 on charges of failing to self-register as a foreign agent and spreading what Moscow views as false information about the Russian army.

Kurmasheva and her employer reject the charges, and the U.S. government has also called for her immediate release.

"Evan Gershkovich and Alsu Kurmasheva should never have been imprisoned in the first place," Luczka said. "We continue to demand Evan's immediate release, as well as that of Alsu Kurmasheva."

VOA's State Department bureau chief Nike Ching contributed to this report.
HARARE (Reuters) - Human rights groups have condemned a decision by the Zimbabwean High Court to uphold a lower court's ruling denying bail to an opposition party leader and 78 activists, who were arrested last month.

Jameson Timba, who took over as party leader at Citizens Coalition for Change (CCC) after Nelson Chamisa quit in January, was arrested along with other party youth in Harare for holding an unauthorised gathering.

They were charged with gathering with intent to promote public violence and denied bail by a Magistrates Court.

Amnesty International late on Wednesday demanded their immediate release and described their continued imprisonment as "lengthy" and "baseless".

"Their arbitrary, month-long detention is an outrage which must end now," said Khanyo Farise, Amnesty's deputy regional director for East and Southern Africa.

Their lawyers have alleged police assault while others sustained injuries.

A High Court judge on Wednesday said he would not interfere with the decision of the lower court, arguing that the activists were not "randomly" assembled on the day of their arrest.

CCC said the decision by the court was "unjust".

"Despite bail being a constitutional right, the regime is blatantly denying innocent citizens this fundamental right," CCC said.

The Zimbabwe Lawyers for Human Rights, a local rights group which is providing legal support, said it will continue to explore "legal options to assert their right to liberty".

(Reporting by Nyasha Chingono, Editing by Bhargav Acharya and Sharon Singleton)
The signals from Donald Trump and his party at the GOP convention this week painted a mixed picture of what posture the former president would have toward Wall Street and the larger business world if he returns to Washington.

On one front, the GOP and Trump are embracing a growing strain of economic populism.

Trump, for example, invited a union leader to speak on Monday night  unheard of at previous GOP conventions. He also hand-picked as his running mate Sen. JD Vance, whose ascent is built on a stance that differs from traditional GOP orthodoxy on key economic topics like corporate taxes and breaking up Big Tech.

But plenty of other signals this week highlighted more of a business-friendly Trump approach to these topics. They marked the continuation of a trend that runs through Trump's nine years in presidential politics as he has alternatively wooed and slammed CEOs.

Former President and 2024 Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump alongside his family after he accepted his party's nomination in Milwaukee on July 18. (ANDREW CABALLERO-REYNOLDS/AFP via Getty Images) (ANDREW CABALLERO-REYNOLDS via Getty Images)

Trump, for example, didn't repeat Vance's populist tone when he took the stage Thursday night and instead took time to focus on an issue popular in C-suites: lowering corporate taxes.

He extolled the 2017 corporate cuts he signed into law and said they had brought businesses back to America.

"We gave you the largest tax cut. We'll do it more," Trump said in a tax message to both voters and executives.

Trump also mused about appointing JPMorgan Chase (JPM) CEO Jamie Dimon  Wall Street's biggest name  as Treasury secretary in an interview with Bloomberg that was conducted weeks ago but released this week.

A source familiar with Dimon's thinking told Yahoo Finance in response to such musings that "it's highly unlikely that [Dimon] will take a political role" and that he'll be instead focused on running his bank, the largest in the US.

'We'll manage just fine'

At the moment, Trump is courting the business community intensely.

He has gained financial backing from Wall Street figures like Blackstone (BX) CEO Steve Schwarzman and tech titans like Tesla (TSLA) CEO Elon Musk. Musk reportedly could be set to give a whopping $180 million to a Trump-aligned super-PAC before this election season is out.

Those business world donors appear happy to keep giving, and conversations this week with close observers of how Trump could approach policy in 2025 evinced little worry that the populist posture often seen on stage in Milwaukee will translate into anti-business policies.

"Red, Blue, we'll manage just fine," Blackstone president Jonathan Gray said in a Yahoo Finance live appearance Thursday.

Story continues

Gray is a Democratic donor and gave over $50,000 to President Joe Biden's effort but added Thursday "if there is a movement here towards the Republican side, I'm confident we'll navigate that."

Blackstone CEO Steve Schwarzman during the Business Roundtable Summit in Washington in 2018. (JIM WATSON/AFP/Getty Images) (JIM WATSON via Getty Images)

Chris Whalen, a strategist and chair of Whalen Global Advisors, was more blunt in a note to Yahoo Finance.

"The banking & mortgage industries will be treated well under Trump," he wrote, adding that some questions remain, like how the government treats government-sponsored enterprises like Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac. But many parameters of how a new Trump administration would approach the financial sector are set.

In closed-door fundraisers and before CEOs in recent months, the billionaire Trump has also often espoused his proposal to cut corporate taxes.

Currently, the federal corporate tax rate is 21%. Trump wants it lower and has floated a 20% or a 15% rate. Those figures are largely because, as he has said, he's a fan of round numbers.

In his discussion of corporate taxes Thursday from the convention stage, Trump said of the cut he enacted in 2017 that companies "were bringing back billions and billions of dollars into our country ... the tax rate was too high and the legal complications were far too great. I changed both of them."

A GOP focus on populism in the years ahead

These dueling messages were present all week in Milwaukee.

Trump invited the president of the Teamsters union, Sean O'Brien, to address the convention Monday. The Republican candidate was in the room for the speech and looked on approvingly as O'Brien assailed traditional GOP economic policies and added that "the corporate elite treat us like squatters."

Vance followed up by announcing Wednesday night "we're done, ladies and gentlemen, catering to Wall Street" while calling top financial leaders "barons."

Vance also has a concrete record that has overlapped with Democratic Sen. Elizabeth Warren on a range of banking issues.

The two have been aligned on clawing back the pay of failed bank executives and both share concerns about a decision by regulators to sell the operations of the failed First Republic bank to JPMorgan instead of a smaller regional lender.

But on the other hand, Vance also has sizable venture capital and Silicon Valley connections and lived in San Francisco to work in the industry for GOP megadonor Peter Thiel.

Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump speaks to JD Vance, his new running mate, during the 2024 Republican National Convention. (ANDREW CABALLERO-REYNOLDS/AFP via Getty Images) (ANDREW CABALLERO-REYNOLDS via Getty Images)

Vance also appears to be shifting on some issues. One is a bill that targets Visa and Mastercard. Vance had bucked much of his party and co-sponsored an effort around swipe fees but, according to a recent Politico report, is now not planning to push the bill.

Vance also aligns with Republicans by being skeptical of stricter capital requirements on banks. Those proposed reforms, known as Basel III Endgame, were meant to ensure the stability of the banking system but are expected to undergo significant revisions amid bipartisan criticism this year.

In a note this week, Stifel chief Washington policy strategist Brian Gardner advised clients to look at Vance as a symbol of a longer-term shift in the Republican Party.

"Reagan Republicans are a dying breed, will have waning influence going forward, and Vance's rise is part of that shift," he wrote.

In any case, Vance and Trump symbolize a series of crosscurrents likely to be closely watched in the financial world for months to come.

"JD, you're going to be doing this for a long time, so enjoy the ride," Trump said Thursday of his running mate.

Ben Werschkul is Washington correspondent for Yahoo Finance. David Hollerith contributed reporting.

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By Jonathan McCambridge and Cate McCurry, PA

A fire has broken out at a disused factory in north Dublin following a protest over the site being earmarked to house asylum seekers.

Gardai said on Friday evening that it was responding to a public order incident at the scene.

A crowd of more than 1,000 people attended the protest at the former Crown Paints factory in Coolock which witnessed violent disorder this week.

A large crowd gathered at the scene where a number of speeches were delivered outside the factory.

The protest then moved to the Gardai station in Coolock before returning to the factory.

The protest took place at a disused factory being earmarked to house asylum seekers (Cate McCurry/PA)

People carried signs that read Irish Lives Matter and The Irish People.

A number of motorists on the Malahide Road beeped their horns in support of the protest.

There was a significant Gardai presence at the event.

The protest was organised by a group called Coolock Says No protesting against government plans to use the former factory to house aslyum seekers.

Organisers said in advance that it would be a peaceful event.

After a number of the protesters dispersed, a fire broke out at the factory.

A Gardai spokesperson said: Gardai are currently responding to a public order incident occurring at a premises on the Malahide Road, Coolock.

A small fire which broke out at the same location a short time ago is being attended to by Dublin Fire Brigade.

No injuries have been reported.

A section of the Malahide Road, Coolock is currently closed in both directions.

Motorists are advised to use an alternative route if travelling in this area.

Taoiseach Simon Harris said the scenes at Coolock had gone beyond protest (Jacob King/PA)

Earlier, Taoiseach Simon Harris warned that anyone who engages in thuggery and breaks the law while taking part in protests at Coolock will face the full rigour of the law.

Speaking in Donegal, he said: In relation to protest, anybody in Ireland is legitimately entitled to protest, it is a key tenet of our democracy, and it is something I would always support the right that people have to protest.

But I have to say what we have seen in recent days has not been that.

What we have seen in recent days has been an attempt by a relatively small number of people to engage in lawlessness, to engage in thuggery and to engage in criminal activity.

That is why there have been several arrests, it is why more than 19 people appeared before the courts in recent days.

It is why a number of people have now been charged with criminal offences.

Mr Harris said: What I really wont accept in any manner or means that when people engage in lawlessness, the first line of questioning being did the Gardai do their job?

I am extremely proud of the job done by the men and women of An Garda Siochana.

People who have put themselves in harms way while others threw bricks at them, lit fires, threw petrol bombs.

I have a very clear understanding of the difference between protest and lawlessness, between protest and criminality.

If you engage in protest you will be fully protected by the law.

If you engage in lawlessness, if you cross the line and you engage in thuggery you will meet the full rigours of the law.

The former Crown Paints factory witnessed violent disorder on Monday when Gardai came under sustained attack.

A protester throws an object at officers as they deploy pepper spray (Niall Carson/PA)

Fifteen people  13 men and two women  appeared before a late-night sitting at the Criminal Courts of Justice on Monday, charged with a range of public order offences.

Six others appeared in court on Tuesday.

A number of Garda cars were damaged during the disturbances and public order officers used incapacitant spray on protesters who threw missiles at them.

On Thursday evening, a separate fire broke out at the site.

Dublin Fire Brigade said two fire engines had attended the scene.
A global tech outage, further unrest in Coolock, and previews of the All-Ireland Senior Hurling Final are some of the stories covered on the front pages this Saturday.

The Irish Times leads with Friday's tech shutdown following an issue with a widely used security software.

The Irish Examiner reports the recovery from the chaos caused by the issue 'could take weeks', while The Echo instead focusses on Sunday's All-Ireland Senior Hurling Final between Cork and Clare.

The Irish Independent carries the headline: 'Protesters plan fake 999 calls to distract the gardai', in connection with ongoing investigations into unrest in Coolock.

For all the big news, pick up Saturday's Irish Daily Mail pic.twitter.com/VnIHpPWaoE  The Irish Daily Mail (@irishdailymail) July 19, 2024

In Britain, one story dominates Saturdays newspapers as the global IT outage appears across the front pages.

The Independent says the issue with Windows systems caused worldwide havoc at airports, banks, train networks, TV stations, shops and GP surgeries, while the Daily Mirror labels it the day the world stood still.

Both the iweekend and FT Weekend concentrate on the problems caused to travel, payments and health.

Saturday's front page: Computer says no: global IT crash hits GPs, hospitals, banks, planes and trains #TomorrowsPapersToday



Read the latest here: https://t.co/QEDWNlJbFm pic.twitter.com/JKTpUZyYBR  The i paper (@theipaper) July 19, 2024

Just published: front page of the Financial Times, UK edition, Saturday 20 July https://t.co/roeU0ryhuf pic.twitter.com/jtJCXJ0Py4  Financial Times (@FT) July 19, 2024

The impact on travellers is the focus of The Daily Telegraph and The Times, which said the IT failure could be terminal for getaways.

The front page of tomorrow's Daily Telegraph:



'Holidays in chaos after global IT meltdown'#TomorrowsPapersToday



Sign up for the Front Page newsletterhttps://t.co/x8AV4Oomry pic.twitter.com/jPTrq5Nh7W  The Telegraph (@Telegraph) July 19, 2024

The Times: IT companys error could be terminal for getaways #TomorrowsPapersToday pic.twitter.com/lHsFNZehjm  George Mann (@sgfmann) July 19, 2024

The Guardian calls the problem the largest outage in history and warns that it could take weeks for a full recovery.

Both the Daily Mail and Daily Express label the outage a digital pandemic with the Mail saying it exposes the dangers of a cashless society, while the Express asks how it was able to paralyse the world.

Daily Mail: Global I.T. meltdown shows peril of going

cashless #TomorrowsPapersToday pic.twitter.com/NmteHBQ7bz  George Mann (@sgfmann) July 19, 2024

The Daily Star recycles a headline from Little Britain, saying simply: Computer says no.
When Nicholas McCarthy was 14 he had an epiphany during school assembly. He sat in the audience, watching as a friend played a piece by Beethoven, and in that moment saw the rest of his life unfold. It felt like this is what I was put on this Earth to do, he recalls.

That night he couldnt wait to share the news with his family. I said, Mum, Mum, I want to be a concert pianist. And I remember her face  smiling, but slightly blank, thinking youve got one arm, darling, are you sure? Theres some easier options out there.

Nicholas McCarthy performing with the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra.

But his parents were supportive and McCarthy, who was born without a right hand, threw himself into learning. They bought him a keyboard and, through a combination of listening to the radio and watching YouTube, McCarthy spent hours in his room teaching himself to play and finding his own way around the keyboard.

I used to play with what I call my little arm, he explains. Ive got most of my [right] arm, and then Ive got my elbow, and then some of my forearm, and then it stops. And so my little arm is able to play one single note. Anything with a one-note melody line, a one note-tune in the right hand I could play.
For four glorious days under a Tuscan sun last weekend, Australian guests enjoyed lavish wedding festivities featuring drummers, string quartets, flower decorations costing more than $500,000 and witnessing a bride and groom walking down the aisle of the centuries-old Church of San Salvatore in Ognissanti, which features a Botticelli fresco.

The Florentine extravaganza of controversial property developer Remon Fayad, 38, and his bride Shauna Niaz, 34  estimated to have cost more than $3 million  was supervised by wedding planner Diane Khoury and her three assistants flown in to oversee the over-the-top nuptials at the luxury Villa San Michele overlooking Florence.

Celebration with a bang: The wedding of Fayad and Shauna Niaz. Credit:

After the cutting of the six-tier white wedding cake, which was more than a metre high, a crescendo of spectacular fireworks capped the marriage celebrations. Back at home there were fireworks of a different kind.

Having flown first class to Italy with his wife Maria, father-of-the-groom Sam Fayad then lost a court action contesting his bankruptcy. On Wednesday the Federal Circuit court in Sydney heard that his debts to the Australian Taxation Office and others had topped more than $41 million. With personal guarantees on failed business ventures, the amount Fayad owes might reach $1.6 billion, the court heard.
Australians are paying the price for union tactics that add billions to the nations building costs and weaken productivity, as the federal government works on an urgent draft law to ensure it can overcome any attempts to block an overhaul of the CFMEU.

Labour productivity has fallen 18.1 per cent in the construction sector since 2014, far worse than in other parts of the economy, while the CFMEU is being blamed for a cost surge in the industry.

The federal government has vowed to clean up the CFMEU by appointing an external administrator. Credit: Peter Rae

The work on the draft law comes after the federal government said the Fair Work Commission would seek to impose an external administrator on the CFMEU after days of revelations from an investigation by The Age, The Sydney Morning Herald, The Australian Financial Review and 60 Minutes into the unions ties to organised crime.

Employment Minister Tony Burke is preparing the new laws so they are ready to go next month if needed to impose the changes despite union objections.
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 For Thomas Crooks, the suburban Pittsburgh nursing home where he served meals and washed dishes for $US16 ($24) an hour was another solitary corner of a nearly invisible life. He was polite but distant, a former co-worker said, ate lunch alone and rarely spoke with anyone. But as western Pennsylvania geared up last week for the boisterous spectacle of hosting a rally for former president Donald Trump, Crooks approached his bosses with a request, law enforcement officials said: he wanted to take Saturday off. He told them he had something important to do. It was one of the few hints to emerge so far that the 20-year-old engineering sciences graduate was planning to become a political assassin. A week after Crooks opened fire at the rally and was killed by the Secret Service, his ideology and motives remain a vexing question for investigators and the people who crossed paths with him. This 2021 photo provided by Bethel Park School District shows student Thomas Matthew Crooks, who graduated from the school in 2022. Credit: AP In dozens of interviews, former classmates, teachers and neighbours said they still could not square their memories of Crooks  an awkward, intelligent teenager who liked to tinker with computers and spent his weekends playing video games  with the image of the stringy-haired gunman at the rally, armed with his fathers AR-15-style rifle, as he clambered onto a rooftop and took aim at the former president. Trump suffered an injury to his ear, and three spectators were wounded, one of them fatally. Thats where Im struggling; Ive looked at horrific pictures of an individual that I stood six inches away from, shaking his hand, calling on him in class, said Xavier Harmon, who saw Crooks almost daily in the computer technology class he taught at a technical school.

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Many of the young men who have attacked schools, movie theatres, supermarkets and churches in recent years deliberately or unintentionally hinted at their rage, violent fantasies or plans well before their attacks  a phenomenon that researchers call leakage. Investigators have uncovered what now could be seen as concerning signs: The gunmans phone showed that he had possibly read news stories about the teenage school shooter who killed four students at Oxford High School in Michigan in 2021. Crooks received multiple packages, including several that were marked hazardous material, over the past several months. He looked up major depressive disorder on a mobile phone later found at his house. He had also searched a bipartisan roster of political figures  including Trump, President Joe Biden and Attorney General Merrick Garland  FBI officials told members of Congress. He looked up the dates of Trumps July 13 rally in Butler, Pennsylvania, as well as the Democratic National Convention in Chicago. Bethel Park is a mostly white borough of about 32,000 where Thomas Crooks spent nearly all of his life. Credit: Kristian Thacker/The New York Times But investigators have not found any evidence that Crooks had strong political beliefs or an ideological motivation. Experts who study the histories of gunmen said the emerging picture of Crooks looked more like a 21st century school shooter than a John Wilkes Booth. When somebody attacks a president, our gut instinct is to say, that must be politically motivated, said James Densley, a founder of the Violence Project, which has compiled a comprehensive database of mass shootings. What we might be seeing here is: this was somebody intent on perpetrating mass violence, and they happened to pick a political rally.

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The rally Crooks chose was announced in early July for the Butler Farm Show grounds, just an hours drive from his hometown, Bethel Park, a mostly white, middle-class suburban town of about 32,000 where Crooks spent nearly all of his life. He was born in 2003 and grew up in a modest red brick house on a grassy, rolling road, the younger son of a politically mixed family. He attended local schools, graduating from Bethel Park High School in 2022 and from a local community college, where he received an associate degree in engineering science, in May. Crooks was a registered Republican, though records show he also donated $US15 ($22) to a progressive cause on the day of Bidens inauguration in January 2021. Voting records show his mother is a Democrat, and his father and older sister are Libertarians. The Trump era has brought tensions to local politics in Bethel Park, a traditionally Republican town that is now almost evenly divided. Trump beat Biden there by just 65 votes in 2020. This year, the fissures of election season are everywhere. Some houses fly Trump flags and Lets Go Brandon banners. Others have Stronger Together yard signs. MAGA fans in surrounding towns hold flag-waving rallies on highway bridges to provoke liberals. Last Halloween, one resident decorated his lawn with a skeleton pointing a gun at another skeleton wearing a Biden T-shirt. But several neighbours said the Crooks family did not put out yard signs to display their politics. In fact, they said, they rarely saw the family at all.

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Crooks parents, Matthew and Mary, are licensed professional counsellors. Interviews and business records suggest they have been working from home at least since the pandemic. Crooks father worked at Community Care Behavioral Health, part of the insurance services division of the University of Pittsburgh Medical Centre, connecting patients with in-network counsellors, a former colleague said. FBI investigators who searched the familys home discovered it was cluttered and not well-cleaned, something akin to a compulsive hoarders house. A home believed to be connected to the shooter in the assassination attempt of Donald Trump. Credit: AP A neighbour said that years ago, she occasionally saw Mary Crooks  who, according to federal authorities, was visually impaired  walking home from work from the local train station, using a cane. But she had not seen her walking in recent years. As a child, Crooks befriended other children in the neighbourhood and would walk up the block to play in their backyard, one neighbour said. The neighbour said the young Crooks was fond of wearing polo shirts tucked into shorts and remembered him as a smart, nerdy child with a penchant for maths. But the family had become more insular in recent years, neighbours said. They said Crooks parents would wave to neighbours from their lawn and say good morning but never initiate conversations.

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Kelly Little, 38, said she had never had a conversation with the family, despite living across the street from them. Her son, Liam Campbell, 17, said that he rode the bus with Crooks and noticed that he was always very reserved. He didnt speak to anyone, and no one spoke to him, Campbell said. He seemed like the kind of person who didnt like to start conversations with people he didnt know. He seemed nervous. It is unclear how and when he became interested in guns, but his father owned more than a dozen firearms, including the semi-automatic rifle used in the attack. A truck bearing a billboard memorialising Corey Comperatore, the father of two and volunteer firefighter killed in the shooting at the Trump rally. Credit: Kristian Thacker/The New York Times Anthony Pusateri, a member of the rifle team at Bethel Park High School from 2018 to 2020, recalled that Crooks had tried out for the team, most likely when he was a sophomore, but was a bad shot and did not make the team. He just didnt shoot well enough, Pusateri said. Crooks had almost no presence on social media, but the T-shirt he was wearing on the day he attacked the rally was one sold by Demolition Ranch, a popular gun-themed YouTube channel popular in the online world of gun-tubers  gun enthusiasts who post reviews and explanations of firearms as well as videos of themselves shooting up watermelons or ballistic dummies.

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Worried About Political Uncertainty This Election Season? Try Investing In These Dividend Aristocrats

Benzinga and Yahoo Finance LLC may earn commission or revenue on some items through the links below.

The U.S. equities have remained highly volatile this election season, as the battle between two of the most influential people in America has caused investors to sit at the edge of their seats. According to CNN, the CBOE Volatility Index has surged by over 9% over the last five days as the stock market digests the implications of the assassination attempt on former President and Republican candidate Donald Trump.

APP News reports that amid surmounting geopolitical tensions worldwide and wars in the Middle East, the person chosen into office will significantly impact the U.S. and global economies and shape the performance of the stock markets.

Dont Miss:

Investing in dividend aristocrats  companies that have raised their dividend payouts for at least 25 years in a row  can be fruitful during periods of volatility. Their unwavering commitment to dividend growth can offer a sense of security and a steady income stream, no matter who ends up in the White House. Their long history of dividend payments reflects their ability to manage through various economic and political cycles.

Federal Realty

Federal Realty Investment Trust (NYSE:FRT) is a real estate investment trust specializing in retail and mixed-use properties ownership, management, and redevelopment. According to Dividend.com, the S&P 500 company has raised its dividend payouts for 57 consecutive years, making it a Dividend King, a designation for companies that have raised their dividend consistently over 50 years or more.

Notably, REITs must distribute at least 90% of their total earnings to shareholders annually. In its first quarter press release, Federal Realty Investment Trust reported that it has scaled its operations significantly, achieving its highest first quarter leasing volume in the first three months of 2024.

According to Benzinga data, the REIT pays $4.36 in dividends annually, yielding 4.01% on the current price. Over the last four years, the Federal Realty Investment Trust's dividends averaged at 4.23%.

Franklin Resources

Franklin Resources, Inc. (NYSE:BEN), one of the largest investment management companies in the world, is also a popular dividend aristocrat, having raised its annual dividend payouts for 44 years in a row.

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As of June 30, 2024, Franklin Resources reported preliminary month-end assets under management (AUM) of $1.65 trillion, a slight increase from $1.64 trillion at the end of May 2024. The company pays $1.24 in dividends annually, yielding 5.17% on the current price. Moreover, its four-year average dividend yield stands at 4.35%.

Franklin Resources completed the acquisition of Putnam Investments earlier in January to expand its investment capabilities and performance. This could further boost the company's profit margins, ensuring stable returns for its shareholders.



Trending: Can you guess which type of investments Morgan Stanley says will reach $2.7 trillion by 2027? It even offers up to 20% APY potential to accredited investors.

Chevron

Chevron Corporation (NYSE:CVX), a global energy giant, is a prominent player in the oil and gas industry. Despite the sector's inherent volatility, the company's disciplined approach to capital management and operational efficiency has enabled it to maintain a strong dividend track record.

According to Benzinga data, Chevron pays $6.52 in dividends annually, yielding 4.13% on the current share price. Furthermore, the energy giant's four-year average dividend yield is 4.32%. Chevron has increased its dividend for 37 consecutive years, demonstrating its ability to weather economic cycles and commodity price fluctuations.

Chevron is investing in renewable energy and low-carbon technologies, reflecting a strategic shift toward sustainability. Scotiabank currently has an "Outperform" rating on CVX stock, with a price target of $180, indicating a potential upside of over 11%.

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 2024 Benzinga.com. Benzinga does not provide investment advice. All rights reserved.

This article Worried About Political Uncertainty This Election Season? Try Investing In These Dividend Aristocrats originally appeared on Benzinga.com
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 Donald Trumps followers have treated him as the leader of a personality cult for years, immune to the normal standards of political conduct. At the Republican convention, they elevated him to the status of leader of a religious cult, immune to the normal constraints of humanness. By surviving the assassination attempt last weekend, hes inspired his followers to become acolytes and invest him with supernatural powers. On Saturday, the devil came to Pennsylvania holding a rifle, Senator Tim Scott thundered from the convention stage. But an American lion got back up on his feet and he roared! Trump as American Aslan. If you didnt believe in miracles before Saturday, you better be believing

now. When the fiancee of Donald Trump Jr, Kimberly Guilfoyle, had the podium, she attributed the former presidents survival to divine intervention - I know that God has put an armour of protection over Donald Trump  and actually

crossed herself on stage.

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And to authenticate the blessing, the Reverend Franklin Graham, son of the most famous American evangelist of the 20th century, the late Billy Graham, took the stage, saying: Our heavenly father, we come before you this evening with grateful hearts  thank you for saving the life of president Donald J. Trump. In his own words, it was you alone and you alone who saved him. The reverend asked Gods will to make America great again. Republican presidential candidate former President Donald Trump arrives to speak during the final night of the 2024 Republican National Convention. Credit: AP In his speech accepting the Republican nomination, Trump played right into his own sanctification. Describing his feelings as he lay on the rally platform in Pennsylvania after the shooting, surrounded by the protective bodies of his Secret Service agents, he described his realisation of divine protection: There was blood pouring everywhere, yet, in a certain way I felt very safe

because I had God on my side. And President Joe Biden might be coming to think theres some truth to the claim. Because, while Trump is being canonised by his party, Biden is being flagellated by his. While the Republicans are rapturously unified around their saviour, the Democrats are at furious war with themselves. For three weeks now, the Democrats have been attacking their candidate. After a brief pause when the Trump shooting shock hit, the Democrats have resumed their insurrection against the decrepit Biden. Which would be perfectly sensible if they had a compelling candidate to replace him. And a way to install that better candidate. But they have neither. So by scourging their president, the Democrats are, in fact, flagellating themselves.

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Determined to continue its slow-motion no-confidence vote in its leader, the Democratic Partys prediction of Bidens failure becomes a self-fulfilling prophecy  the longer they hammer away at him publicly, the more damaged he becomes. Joe Bidens campaign has been in crisis since a disastrous debate with Donald Trump. Credit: AP It gets worse for Biden. Republican senator J.D. Vance, now Trumps vice presidential candidate, immediately blamed Biden for the assassination attempt on Trump. Today is not just some isolated incident, Vance said. The central premise of the Biden campaign is that president Donald Trump is an authoritarian fascist who must be stopped at all costs. That rhetoric led directly to president Trumps attempted assassination. This was an inflammatory and unfair attack. It was also effective. It was inflammatory because, in an extremely tense moment in a deeply divided America, the risk of retaliatory violent attacks on Democrats is real. It was unfair because Trump has used inflammatory rhetoric six times for every one time by Biden during their presidential tenures, according to an analysis published this week by the political news outlet Roll Call.

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Loading And it was effective because Biden had, in fact, used an unfortunate targeting metaphor just a few days before the shooting. Biden had complained that his

party was directing all its ire against him when it should be attacking Trump. It was, said Biden, time to put Trump in a bullseye. Oops. Biden conceded that it was a mistake to use the word. It was, said Biden, time to cool it down. The Washington Post columnist Marc Thiessen explained why this was a devastating development for Bidens re-election strategy. Biden, he says, cant run on his record because he faces double-digit disapproval on virtually every issue and 7 in 10 Americans say he doesnt have the mental and cognitive health to serve. His only case for a second term is to convince Americans that Trump poses an existential threat to our way of life. How does he do that now without violating his own pledge to lower the temperature? So the would-be assassins bullet didnt silence Trump, but it has silenced Biden. If this were not bad enough, Biden now has been struck by COVID and is isolating. This led Van Jones, a former Obama official and now CNN commentator, to draw this contrast: A bullet couldnt stop Trump, a virus just stopped Biden.

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Loading The Trump campaign is framing the contest as strength versus weakness. Indeed, while Trump revelled in his holy consecration at the Republican convention, attestations to his strength were even more numerous. How could you miss it? Apart from multistorey high screens bearing the photo of a bloody Trump defiantly punching his fist in the air after his narrow escape from the would be-assassins bullet, the Republican convention went mucho macho for Trump. The organisers brought the famous faux wrestler Hulk Hogan out of retirement to mount the stage, rip off his shirt and deliver this endorsement: I know tough guys. Let me tell you something brother  Donald Trump is the toughest of them all. Trump, bandaged ear in evidence, smiled along. By contrast, Biden is in a piteous state. Every time hes shown descending stairs, the audience watches with bated breath to make sure he gets to the bottom intact. His voice often whisperingly faint, his movements painfully stiff, his sentences frequently trailing off with a signpost to pointlessness  anyway   Now isolating with COVID, self-censoring with restraint, and assailed ceaselessly by his own party, he seems to be in a terminally hopeless contrast with an indomitable Trump. Yet the president has said, almost daily since his debate against Trump, that he has absolutely no intention of not contesting. One commentator this week explained why no president will surrender his office lightly by recalling an old simile from the late New York governor Mario Cuomo: leaving office is like dying; your hair keeps growing, your fingernails keep growing, but the phone stops ringing.

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Over 8 million worth of drugs and 1 million in cash has been seized by Gardai following a search operation in Dublin.

A residence in The Ward, Dublin 11 was searched on Friday evening as part of an intelligence-led operation conducted by the Dublin Crime Team.

The drugs found included cocaine, cannabis, ketamine, LSD and MDMA, and will now be sent to Forensic Science Ireland for analysis.

Approximately 1 million in cash, vehicles and designer goods were also seized in a number of follow-up searches across the Dublin region.

A man aged in his 50s was arrested under section 2 of the Criminal Justice (Drug Trafficking) Act 1996 in connection with the seizure, and is currently detained at a Garda station in Dublin.

Commenting on the operation, Garda Assistant Commissioner for the Dublin Metropolitan Region, Angela Willis, said: "The seizure of what is a significant quantity of drugs and cash is a major blow to this organised crime group which has been causing so much misery in communities right across the city.

"Cash is the lifeblood of crime groups and the seizure of amounts of this scale causes significant disruption. Gardai continue to target those that destroy lives through their activities."
Allentown, PA (18103)

Today

Mostly sunny and remaining dry but certainly rather cool..

Tonight

Mostly clear and chilly. Some mid to upper 30s possible across the Poconos with perhaps even a little frost.
Leading Colorado Republicans and delegates to the party's national convention applauded former President Donald Trump's nomination of Ohio Sen. JD Vance as his running mate Monday, with some lauding the choice of the 39-year-old author as evidence Trump is empowering a new generation of Republicans
Years after it was first presented to Colorado Springs, the City Council on Tuesday is expected to vote on a massive annexation request that envisions growing city boundaries by 3,200 acres.

La Plata Communities, one of the Pikes Peak regions largest real estate development companies, will ask the council to annex the land southeast of Colorado Springs and approve plans to build up to 9,500 single- and multi-family homes in a proposed master-planned community called Amara. Development plans also call for building 2 million square feet of commercial space, schools, public safety facilities, parks and open space.

The land is currently located in unincorporated El Paso County, surrounded on three sides by the neighboring city of Fountain.

The proposed annexation and development has spawned debate since it was first proposed in 2019.

Between 2019-2021, La Plata originally approached Fountain officials about annexing the land into that city, but later expressed doubt that Fountain could provide the water necessary to support the development. Fountain officials, in contrast, said the city would welcome Amara. In 2022, Fountain said it developed plans to provide more treated water that could serve Amara, but La Plata cast doubt on those plans.

In 2021, Colorado Springs officials approached developers about possibly annexing the land into Colorado Springs boundaries.

For a few months, the proposed development seemed to all but come to a halt in Colorado Springs because of a new water rule the council considered in late 2022 and then implemented in early 2023.

Norwood Development Group, arguably the most powerful developer in Colorado Springs, first planned to ask voters to approve a stringent water rule that could block new annexations for decades. In response, the city adopted a similar but less restrictive standard last January.

Colorado Springs now requires Colorado Springs Utilities to have 128% of the water needed to serve existing demand, as well as demand from new properties that want to join city boundaries.

In public discussions with City Council about the water rule in the fall of 2022, Utilities staff said at the time Amara would not meet the threshold for annexation because of the water requirement. After determining estimated citywide water usage had decreased by last June, however, Utilities staff said then the city had capacity to reliably serve existing customers and future customers in Amara.

Proponents have said Amara will support the areas military servicemembers and their families, as well as future residents, with much-needed housing.

El Paso County expects to grow to about 1 million residents by 2050, or by another 250,000 people. Colorado Springs must annex more land to meet the estimated increase in population over the coming decades  and Amaras proposed mix of neighborhoods, housing types and a range of other spaces will create a sense of community, developers previously said.

Opponents have questioned if the annexation is a logical extension of Colorado Springs boundaries.

The land is not currently connected to Colorado Springs by a common border. If annexed into the city, Amara would be a flagpole annexation along Bradley Road, which lies within city boundaries. Bradley Road would function as the connection to Colorado Springs. That section of the development along Bradley Road is split from the rest  the largest part that is interrupted currently by state land and touches Fountain boundaries.

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Fountain officials have raised concerns Amara would strain their law enforcement and fire resources. They have said the development would require Fountain police officers and firefighters to intervene in emergencies because of Amaras proximity to their city.

Previous developer presentations showed the closest existing Colorado Springs police substation is about 12 miles away from the southernmost portion of Amara, about an 18-minute drive. La Plata representatives have said that does not indicate response times because responding officers could be closer to Amara at the time of a service call.

The Colorado Springs Police Department indicated during discussions in 2022 there was not a need for a police substation closer to Amara, but La Plata is open to adding one if necessary, developers have said.

La Plata plans to build two permanent fire stations in Amara. The first would likely not be built until about eight years into development. The Fire Department and developers have agreed to use a temporary fire station inside Amara to meet demand until the permanent stations can be built.

If Colorado Springs decides to annex Amara, Fountain Deputy City Manager Todd Evans said Friday he hopes both cities can jointly plan for impacts the annexation could have on both communities, such as public safety.

We welcome any project thats good for the communities involved. We look forward to sitting down with the city of Colorado Springs and doing some good, responsible long-range planning, which hasnt happened yet, Evans said.

Colorado Springs Utilities Chief Planning and Finance Officer Tristan Gearhart has also been at odds with developers over the impact Amara could have on the citys ability to fund and operate its utility services.

If the City Council does not approve an additional utility charge not included in standard rates, called a rider, to fund Amara-related costs, the development could put Colorado Springs Utilities at financial risk and officials may have to delay or reprioritize already-planned capital projects to pay for infrastructure that will serve the Amara, Gearhart has said. Delaying or reprioritizing planned projects could negatively impact service reliability and community growth in areas already inside city boundaries, he previously said.

Utilities is planning several capital projects over the coming years. Among some of the major projects is the Kelker substation expansion, which will nearly double the substations size to accommodate growing energy demands in southeastern Colorado Springs. Another, the eastern wastewater system expansion project, will construct two new lift stations and about 18 miles of new underground pipe to move waste from the citys east side to the wastewater treatment facility on East Las Vegas Street. Expanding this system will support growth in this part of Colorado Springs, Utilities officials said this week.

La Plata representatives contend Amara will benefit Colorado Springs, the utility and the broader region.

Over the years, the development will add thousands of ratepayers who will contribute millions of dollars in annual revenues to Utilities, they said. Other users will benefit from and use the utilities infrastructure and facilities that will serve Amara; and Amara-related utilities costs wont significantly impact already planned utilities increases, they said.

The annexation proposal requires two votes from council; the first is expected Tuesday and the second will come at a future meeting.

Colorado Springs City Council agendas are available online at coloradosprings.legistar.com/Calendar.aspx. The City Council meeting begins at 10 a.m. Tuesday at City Hall.
Excavators on Friday rolled through hulking piles of rubble, splintered wood and columns of steam now marking the site of the former Martin Drake Power Plant, where the tallest structures have been taken down to ground level, including the epochal smokestacks that once peppered the Colorado Springs skyline.

Crews with Ohio-based Independence Demolition this week worked to tear down the coal bunker and demolished a boiler at the site, Colorado Springs Utilities spokesman Steve Berry said. A month ago, they removed the last smokestack.

Before all generation was permanently shut down there in September 2022, the Martin Drake Power Plant generated electricity for nearly 100 years.

The $20 million demolition project began last year. It's expected to be completed by the end of 2024.

Closing the coal-fired plant is among steps the city-owned utility is taking to reduce carbon emissions and add renewable resources like solar, wind and hydropower to its portfolio. Utilities also is incorporating new technologies, like battery storage, into the electric grid. Renewable energy represents about 27% of the energy Colorado Springs generates.

The power plant's structures have come down slowly and methodically to minimize dust, noise and potential asbestos contamination.

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Berry said in an email this week that crews will next clear some of the rubble and scrap and also begin demolishing some of the smaller structures at the site.

Independence Demolition is salvaging scrap material that can be sold, Berry previously said.

Once the structures are all removed, Utilities must cover any remaining contamination with layers of soil and vegetation.

Six natural-gas generating units built southwest of the main power plant complex will remain on-site for the foreseeable future. A Utilities substation located south of the old plant will be a permanent fixture.

It's unclear what will become of the rest of the property. The City Council, whose nine members also make up the Colorado Springs Utilities Board of Directors, will work with residents to decide the site's future.

To help inform those future discussions, the Downtown Partnership and the Legacy Institute independently completed a visioning document last year that compiled community ideas from a series of public meetings and laid out an expansive list of possible future options for the site, from housing to dog parks or even a solar farm.

The historical contamination and large remaining Utilities' rights of way could make redevelopment of the site tough, Berry previously said.
BEIJING, July 19 (Xinhua)  Xi Jinping, general secretary of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee, chaired a symposium on May 20 to solicit views and suggestions of non-CPC personages on the drafting of the CPC resolution on further deepening reform comprehensively to advance Chinese modernization, it was revealed on Friday.

The key resolution was adopted at the third plenary session of the 20th CPC Central Committee held from Monday to Thursday.

The symposium was attended by leaders from the central committees of other political parties and the All-China Federation of Industry and Commerce, and personages with no party affiliation.

Xi said at the event that the aim of convening the third plenary session of the 20th CPC Central Committee was to make systematic planning and arrangements for further deepening reform comprehensively and provide strong impetus and institutional guarantees for achieving the Second Centenary Goal of building China into a great modern socialist country in all respects.

Members of the Standing Committee of the Political Bureau of the CPC Central Committee Wang Huning, Cai Qi and Ding Xuexiang attended the symposium.

Non-CPC personages put forward opinions and suggestions on issues including stimulating economic vitality, further reforming the medical and healthcare systems, advancing high-standard opening up, and promoting integrated development across the Taiwan Strait.

In response, Xi said that it has been a customary practice and fine tradition of the CPC Central Committee to extensively seek opinions from all sectors when conducting research on major issues and formulating documents for important meetings.

Reform measures should fully cover prominent problems standing in the way of advancing Chinese modernization, Xi said, urging efforts to remove deep-seated institutional obstacles and structural problems with a focus on economic structural reform.

Xi also stressed that the enthusiasm, initiative and creativity of the entire Party and nation should be fully mobilized.

It is imperative to continue to pool wisdom to make reform decisions more rational and ensure effective implementation, Xi said.

Reforms must be carried out effectively with well-made plans and targeted policy enforcement, said Xi, warning against losing sight of reality.

(Source: Xinhua)

Editor: Ye Shan
BEIJING, July 19 (Xinhua)  The Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee on Friday sent condolences to the Communist Party of Vietnam (CPV) Central Committee and deeply mourned the death of General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong.

The following is the full text of the condolence message:

General Secretary of the CPV Central Committee Nguyen Phu Trong passed away. The CPC and the Chinese people lost a good comrade, a good brother and a good friend. With immense grief, we extend our deepest condolences and sincerest sympathies to the Central Committee of the CPV, the Vietnamese government and the Vietnamese people.

Trong was a staunch Marxist and a great leader of the CPV and the Vietnamese people. He dedicated his entire life to the causes of his party and nation, making outstanding contributions to Vietnam's Doi Moi (reform), socialist construction, and the development of the world socialist movement.

Trong was a close comrade and a sincere friend of the CPC and the Chinese people. He inherited and developed the traditional friendship of "comrades plus brothers" between the two parties and two countries, and forged a profound friendship with the CPC and Chinese leaders.

Trong and General Secretary of the CPC Central Committee Xi Jinping have jointly elevated China-Vietnam relations to a community with a shared future that carries strategic significance and vigorously promoted the continuous development of China-Vietnam comprehensive strategic cooperative partnership. The CPC, the Chinese government and the Chinese people will always miss Trong.

We believe that the CPV and the Vietnamese people will turn grief into strength, carry on the legacy of Trong, unite and strive to make new and greater achievements in the cause of Doi Moi and socialist construction.

China and Vietnam are socialist neighbors connected by mountains and rivers and a community with a shared future that carries strategic significance. China has always regarded Vietnam as a priority in its neighborhood diplomacy and stands ready to work with Vietnam to continuously consolidate political mutual trust, strengthen solidarity and cooperation, and push forward the building of a China-Vietnam community with a shared future to benefit the two peoples and contribute to regional and world peace and development.

Eternal glory to Comrade Nguyen Phu Trong.

(Source: Xinhua)

Editor: Ye Shan
Over 90% of Wales GP feel unable to meet patient demand due to unsustainable workload

This article is old - Published: Saturday, Jul 20th, 2024

A survey by BMA Cymru Wales has revealed that 91 per cent of GPs are routinely unable to meet patient demand due to unsustainably high workloads affecting appointment availability.

The data paints a bleak picture of the current state of general practice in Wales, with an alarming 87 per cent of GPs fearing their rising workloads were impacting patient safety .

With the reduction in available surgeries, GPs are now seeing up to 35 per cent more patients, leading to unsustainable workloads and increasing instances of burnout. Many doctors have been forced to reduce their working hours to cope with the strain.

Dr Rowena Christmas, Chair of RCGP (Royal College of GPs) Wales, said it has become almost impossible to provide the caring, quality service that all GPs aspire to do.

I have been a GP for 25 years. I love my job and feel incredibly privileged to be able to support patients through their most frightening times, said Dr Christmas.

I am constantly saying sorry to my patients. Sorry that they had to wait weeks for a routine appointment with me, sorry that I kept them waiting past their appointment time because every consultation now is so complex that no matter how hard I try I cannot run to time.

Sorry that the ambulance has not come, that they must wait so long for physiotherapy, or to see the counsellor. Hour after hour I apologise for a service that is not as good as it should be. I cannot change this and so it is morally distressing.

If we had the proportion of the NHS Wales budget we are asking for, we would have a sustainable general practice, with better access for patients, and time to offer holistic, preventative medicine. This would be good for patients and would alleviate pressures on secondary care.

The situation has prompted an exodus of experienced GPs, with over half of GP partners planning to leave the profession within the next three years.

Almost a third of salaried GPs are considering reducing their hours. Financial viability is another significant worry, with 80 per cent of GPs expressing concerns about their practices sustainability.

The survey indicates that only 6.1 per cent of the NHS Wales budget is allocated to General Medical Services, a decline from 8.7 per cent in 2005/06.

Now the BMA Cymru Wales is calling on the Welsh Government to introduce an urgent rescue package as part of their Save Our Surgeries campaign.

The package seeks a fairer allocation of the NHS budget, national standards for patient safety, and strategies to improve GP retention and recruitment. Measures to support staff wellbeing are also critical.

Support for these calls has been robust, with 704 GPs signing a letter to the Cabinet Secretary for Health and Social Care, urging immediate intervention to prevent the collapse of general practice in Wales.

Dr Gareth Oelmann, Chair of GPC Wales, said: GPs from across Wales have shared their experiences with me, and we are all united in our fears about the future of general practice. GPs have told me about the impact on their own health and wellbeing and their huge concerns for their patients.

Im afraid without a fairer portion of NHS funding, the situation is grave, and if general practice fails, the rest of the NHS will follow.

Our patients are already seeking private healthcare because of the huge waiting lists in secondary care and were seeing this trend in primary care. Without immediate action, this inequity will only deepen, impacting on the most vulnerable in our communities.

We know that if general practice was given a fairer portion of NHS funding for the wide-ranging portfolio of services we provide, the NHS in Wales would have a far greater chance of success, and most importantly, benefit patients overall.

Were asking for a rescue package to prevent further practices from closing their doors.

Gareth Thomas, Welsh Lead for the Institute of General Practice Management (IGPM), added: Restoring the proportion of the NHS budget spent in general practice is paramount to secure the long-term financial sustainability for GP practices and enable GPs and their teams to provide the level of access that patients expect and deserve.

Now is the time for the Welsh Government to prioritise General Medical Services before its too late.
Welsh Government accused of stifling scrutiny with draft budget timing

This article is old - Published: Saturday, Jul 20th, 2024

The chair of the Senedds finance committee criticised Welsh Government plans to once again publish the draft budget just days before the Christmas recess.

Peredur Owen Griffiths raised concerns about publishing the draft spending plans for next year on December 10  shortly before Senedd members go on holiday for three weeks.

The Plaid Cymru politician sympathised with the Welsh Governments position about a lack of clarity on the budget settlement from Westminster.

But Mr Owen Griffiths challenged claims there is no better alternative in the current circumstances to publishing the 2025/26 draft budget on December 10.

He said the timetable does not sufficiently take into account concerns raised by Senedd committees after scrutiny of this years draft budget which made steep cuts to services.

Challenging

In a letter to Wales finance secretary, dated July 11, Mr Owen Griffiths said: Several committees called for more time to be made available to scrutinise the draft budget.

We agree that the shortened timescales last year made it extremely challenging  to meaningfully assess the impact the draft budget has on policy areas within their remit.

The former bank manager, who represents South Wales East, called for further justification on why a longer scrutiny window was not considered.

Mr Owen Griffiths said this would be highly beneficial, allowing committees to hold more evidence sessions on the draft budget this side of Christmas.

He stressed that the finance secretary is ultimately responsible for setting the budget and the proposed timing of the draft budget is within the Welsh Governments gift.

Circumventing

Mr Owen Griffiths said uncertainty on the settlement must be balanced with the magnitude of the Senedds task in scrutinising spending plans.

He warned: Detailed scrutiny which meets the needs and expectations of  the public at large cannot be achieved under the proposed timetable.

He welcomed the Welsh Governments willingness to revisit the proposed timetable once the UK Governments budget date is known.

Mr Owen Griffiths criticised ministers for failing to adhere to a two-stage budget process.

He wrote: We find it regrettable that you are proposing circumventing the process again this year  the sixth year in a row that this has happened.

Prudent

Mr Owen Griffiths called for ministerial evidence papers to be published alongside the draft budget  a point not addressed in the finance secretarys letter on the timetable.

Rebecca Evans said she considered publishing an earlier draft budget, based on indicative figures, which would need to be revised once the settlement is clear.

But she warned this would not provide enough certainty.

She wrote: We are, once again, obliged to recognise that the only prudent choice is to work on the basis that our settlement will be announced during the autumn term.

And to follow a budget timetable akin to that employed in recent years, where we publish our draft budget close to the Christmas recess.

Committed

Ms Evans said the Welsh Government will provide a firm timetable once the UK Government makes an announcement on its budget.

She told Senedd members the plan is to publish the final budget on February 25, 2025.

The finance secretary, who was appointed six years ago, wrote: We are committed to ensuring the fullest possible scrutiny of our spending proposals.

As a result, the timetable I have set out would enable seven weeks and four days for scrutiny of the draft budget, including four sitting weeks and four days.

Ms Evans stressed that the timetable is driven by external factors beyond our immediate control and there is no currently better alternative.

By Chris Haines, ICNN Senedd reporter
The International Youth and Students for Social Equality (IYSSE) demands the immediate reinstatement of the three Columbia University administrators removed from their positions in late June on bogus charges of antisemitism. The removals are the latest in an international crackdown on free speech on college and university campuses aimed at intimidating opposition to the US-backed Israeli genocide in Gaza.

President of Columbia University Nemat Shafik testifies before the House Committee on Education and the Workforce hearing on "Columbia in Crisis: Columbia University's Response to Antisemitism" on Capitol Hill in Washington, Wednesday, April 17, 2024. [AP Photo/Mariam Zuhaib]

The three administratorsVice Dean and Chief Administrative Officer Susan Chang-Kim, Dean of Undergraduate Student Life Cristen Kromm, and Associate Dean for Student and Family Support Matthew Patashnickwere targeted after an unidentified photographer, sitting behind the administrators, took pictures of text messages exchanged between them during a panel discussion titled Jewish Life on Campus: Past, Present and Future at Columbia on May 31.

The panel event featured Columbia Law School dean emeritus, David Schizer, who was one of three chairs overseeing Columbias Task Force on Antisemitism; director of the Kraft Center for Jewish Student Life, Columbia/Barnard Hillel, Brian Cohen; dean of Columbias Earl Hall Center for Religious Life, Ian Rottenberg; and Columbia undergraduate and Deputy News Editor of the Columbia Spectator, Rebecca Massel.

In the text messages, the administrators respond frankly to the panel, which was a propaganda event intended to appease the witch-hunters in Congress and promote the lie that opposition to Zionism is equivalent to antisemitic hate speech.

The texts amount to little more than an exercise in basic critical thought. Patashnick writes, His use of the word Hamas is interesting. Students generally werent protesting for Hamas. Chang-Kim asks, Did we really have students kicked out of clubs for being Jewish? Patashnick responds, To my knowledge no one was actively kicked out.

When Chang-Kim objects to Painting our students as dangerous, Patashnick responds, He knows exactly what hes doing and how to take full advantage of this moment. Huge fundraising potential. In a message that brings to mind the implementation of segregated housing at NYU, Patashnick writes, Laying the case to expand physical space! They will have their own dorm soon.

In texts that the far right have claimed are particularly antisemitic, Chang-Kim writes, Comes from such a place of privilege hard to hear the woe is me, we need to huddle at the Kraft center. Kromm responds, Blind to the idea that non-Israel supporting Jews have no space to come together, and later writes, Amazing what $$$$ can do.

These texts have nothing to do with antisemitic tropes and everything to do with social reality: a layer of upper-middle-class Zionists are using the language and methods of identity politics to participate in and profit from the propaganda supporting the genocide in Gaza. The texts have provoked the ire of this layer not because they are antisemitic, but because they tell the truth.

The photographs of the texts were first made public in June by the right-wing news website The Washington Free Beacon. The House Committee on Education and the Workforce proceeded to demand a full transcript of the exchange, which was published on July 2. The deans were put on leave in late June.

Announcing the removal of the three administrators on July 8, University President Nemat Shafik slandered the deans as antisemites, writing, This incident revealed behavior and sentiments that were not only unprofessional, but also, disturbingly touched on ancient antisemitic tropes.

Far-right Republican Representative and Chair of the House Committee on Education Virginia Foxx, in a statement to the Columbia Spectator, said that the removal of the deans was not enough. Demanding a more brutal crackdown on basic democratic rights on university campuses, she continued, Every rock that this Committees investigation turns over is more proof that elite institutions are rotting away and antisemitism is as rampant as ever. Students deserve better, and Columbia is far from off the hook.

Several prominent university alumni, including multi-billionaire hedge fund investor Dan Loeb, have started a petition demanding the immediate removal of Dean of Columbia College Dr. Josef Sorett, who was also involved in the text exchange but has not been removed from his position.

Over the last nine months, the House Committee on Education has spearheaded the witch hunt against university students, faculty and staff opposed to the genocide in Gaza. University administrators from many of the leading academic institutions in the United States have been hauled in front of the Committee to answer for their failure to effectively censor, intimidate and silence opponents of the genocide.

Fascistic representatives like Elise Stefanik, a real antisemite and white supremacist adherent of the Great Replacement Theory, and Jim Banks, an open defender of the fascist coup attempt of January 6, 2021 and ally of the antisemite Marjorie Taylor Greene, sit on the Committee and lead the charge against students, faculty and staff. Shafik was questioned at a Committee hearing in April and committed to intensifying the campaign of repression against anti-genocide students and faculty. Administrators at Columbia and other elite academic institutions have bent over backwards to try to prove to Congress that they are reliable allies in the attack on free speech.

In April, Shafik, backed to the hilt by the Democratic Mayor of New York Eric Adams and the Biden administration, sicced hundreds of armed New York City Police Department riot cops on student protesters. Columbia and many other campuses across the US and internationally were turned into armed police camps and hundreds of students and faculty were arrested and injured in police rampages through campus. The administration has also dismissed several faculty members for voicing principled opposition to the genocide and suspended the Students for Justice in Palestine and Jewish Voice for Peace clubs.

Announcing the removal of the three deans, Shafik also wrote that the university will launch a vigorous program of antisemitism and antidiscrimination training for faculty and staff this fall, with related training for students under the auspices of University Life. Students and faculty will be forced to go through an orientation on antisemitism, which equates opposition to Zionist barbarism with anti-Jewish sentiment.

The attacks at Columbia are part of a broader offensive by the American ruling class, spearheaded by the Biden administration in alliance with fascist Republicans and far-right billionaire donors, against any opposition to the war plans of American imperialism, which includes full support for the genocide in Gaza that has killed over 186,000 men, women and children.

The ruling class aims to ensure the complete subordination of higher education to the American war machine. Everyone who dares voice opposition, even the most milquetoast criticism, to US foreign policy is to be expelled, blacklisted and made the public target of attacks by Zionists and far-right elements.

All of this is being carried out under the guise of a fight against rampant antisemitism. The lie that opposition to Zionism constitutes antisemitism serves as the main ideological basis for the criminalization of all left-wing opposition to fascism, imperialist war and the capitalist profit system.

Significantly, this offensive has failed to intimidate its main target, the student protesters, and the text messages reveal a university faculty reluctant to be swept up in the barrage of propaganda. The attacks on free speech on the campuses come not from a position of strength, but from a position of weakness.

Thus far, the protests against the Gaza genocide have been dominated by pseudo-left tendencies like the neo-Stalinist Party for Socialism and Liberation (PSL) and Socialist Alternative whose basic perspectivethat protests should be contained to pressuring the Democratic Partyis precisely the perspective that led the movements against the Vietnam War and the invasion of Iraq to defeat and collapse.

But the ruling class is extremely nervous that opposition to the genocide could break free from its present pseudo-left leaderships and inspire a broader movement of the working class against imperialist war.

This break from the Democratic Party and turn toward the working class in the fight for socialism is precisely what the IYSSE is fighting for. Students and young people who want to fight for this perspective should join our demonstration against Netanyahus appearance before Congress in Washington D.C. on July 24.
The Socialist Equality Party (SEP) is in the final stages of its campaign to regain official party registration and put a socialist anti-war party on the ballot at the next Australian federal election. The campaign has received a very strong response with hundreds of people signing up as members across the country.

Many people are being politicised by Israels barbaric genocide in Gaza. The Lancet medical journal estimates that the death toll is a staggering 186,000 men, women and children. There is shock and anger by workers and youth over the active support for the genocide by the federal Labor government, as well capitalist governments worldwide.

The World Socialist Web Site is today publishing comments from several workers and young people, explaining why they have decided to join the SEP as electoral members.

To follow their lead and apply to become an electoral member today, fill out the form at the end of this article, or click here.

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Hernando, a Brisbane care worker, explained, I joined because I support the ideas of the Socialist Equality Party and the work it is doing. All the governments, Labor or Liberal, are in the same line. It will be a hard job to remove them from power, but that is what we must do.

This is a fight all around the world, that is my philosophy as well. There wont be any change otherwise, the way I see the world. Everywhere the rich are getting richer and the poor poorer. Capitalism is an unjust system.

Hernando added, There must be a fight by all of us against the powerful countries. Nothing is happening from the government to stop the genocide. Only by unity among all ordinary people can there be a fight against war, against being controlled. The war in Gaza is only going to be stopped by all of us, workers, coming to stop the war.

Journalists, anyone who speaks out, they are in danger. They tried to stop Assange. In Ukraine they are stopping anyone who talks against the war.

Asked about the Ukrainian regimes imprisonment of young socialist Bogdan Syrotiuk for opposing the US-NATO war against Russia, Hernando said: Bogdan should not have been arrested. What he is saying is important.

I agree, it is NATO that is fighting this war against Russia. It is the rich making the poor fight amongst each other. They put Bogdan in jail to stop him from fighting against it, building unity among the workers. What you are doing, in fighting to free him, is important. Everyone should help in this.

Asked what he would say to others thinking about becoming an SEP electoral member, Hernando declared, I would say that it is the best decision you can make. I think really, its the best thing you can do in your life. No one can wait, they must do something. We must fight back!

Patricia, a retired teachers aide in Brisbane, said, I joined the party because I want to end the US and Israeli exceptionalism that allows them to defy international law in Gaza. I have been sending emails to members of parliament and posting on Twitter, but the exceptionalism is ongoing and that is disgraceful.

It is not just the US. Our government is equally as bad. It doesnt speak out on this or on racism. It also wants to cut the number of international students, even though the universities rely on them. Refugees are being blamed for everything that goes wrong as well.

I want fairness, equity and respect for everyone, wherever you are born and work. Labor is cowardly for not speaking up against what the US, UK and the European powers are saying. Germany has even introduced a law that to become a citizen you have to sign a pledge to recognise Israels right to exist.

I said cowardly, but the Labor government agrees with all this. Labor brought Julian Assange home but they have jailed David McBride for exposing war crimes committed by Australias armed forces. They are trying to hide this.

In Sydney a Macquarie University student said, I signed up because I want a change in the world. With the current crisis and the danger of war, there are few opportunities for such change under conventional parliamentary means. The SEP is honest with its goal to organise and lead the working class from the decaying ruling class who support the genocide in Gaza. In a time of crisis, like now, I believe such a party is vital to ensuring the world has a better future.

I first came across the SEP during a protest of Israels genocide against the Palestinians in Gaza. Compared to other parties the SEP is direct with its goal of overthrowing capitalism.

At first, I thought the Labor Party would be a better choice than the Liberals, they had promises of assuring workers a better future. However, they've displayed nothing but betrayal to those sentiments.

The Labor Party has reached a point of no return. The fact that they have chosen Jillian Segal as their special envoy on antisemitism, a businesswoman who openly supports the bombings of hospitals in Gaza, shows that they have completely given up on helping the working class and are fully involved in the US and NATO imperialist war drive and support for Israel.

Zane

Zane, a 16-year-old high school student from Melbourne, said, I joined the SEP because I agree with the program which I think is a practical strategy that will work.

I came across the party through the Palestine protests in the city, in the context of wanting to stop the war and get the working class in power. When I first heard the idea of uniting the working class across all fronts and all countries, regardless of borders, race, religion, that really resonated with me. I can easily see how that is the best solution to overthrowing the capitalist leaders, the bourgeoisie across the globe.

Zane spoke on the imperialist-backed genocide in Gaza. Whats happening in Gaza is part of a growing world war. The western countries, including Australia, are all complicit in the genocide. The conflict is more widespread than just between Israel and Gaza.

But in another sense, theres a growing war against the working class. The capitalist governments around the world are using the money of the working class to support this genocide, sending weapons and monetary aid to Israel. Theyre using the money of ordinary workers, taxpayers, who either dont know where the money is going or, if they do know, the vast majority are against it being sent to help the genocide of Gaza. Its a war of governments against their own people around the globe.

Zane had learnt recently from SEP members about the arrest of Bogdan Syrotiuk. The arrest of this man is disgraceful, he said. Its ironic when you see the American or European governments talking about Ukraine as a front for freedom or democracy.

But at the same time, you have Ukraine locking up people because their political views go against a government that has been complicit in war crimes for 10 years. Its been supporting far-right fascist groups and has been moving towards a western alliance after the 2014 coup, which was backed and funded by the US.

It wasnt that Putin woke up one morning and said, I feel like invading Ukraine today. It was a reaction to a concerted effort by the US to start a war with Russia, which benefits no one but the military-industrial complex in the west. Thats where the money is going.
Computer systems were shut down at major corporations, small businesses, government offices and organizations around the world on Friday when two commonly used information technology infrastructure components failed simultaneously.

Screens show a blue error message at a departure floor of LaGuardia Airport in New York on Friday, July 19, 2024, after a faulty CrowdStrike update caused a major internet outage for computers running Microsoft Windows. [AP Photo/Yuki Iwamura]

Airports, banks, ground transportation, healthcare service providers, hotels, media and TV stations, retail businesses and more were brought to a halt by a digital catastrophe that began on Thursday night when Microsofts Azure cloud platform experienced a widespread outage.

The cloud services failure was followed on Friday morning by a flawed update to a security software provided by CrowdStrike, impacting computers running the Microsoft Windows operating system. A software update that was pushed out to CrowdStrikes Falcon monitoring software sent Windows computers into a perpetual reboot cycle.

Microsoft spokesperson Frank X. Shaw confirmed that a CrowdStrike update was responsible for bringing down a number of Windows systems globally. Shaw said the company was supporting and assisting customers to recover from the disaster.

The global shutdown is being referred to as the largest IT outage in history. Examples of the impact are:

The FAA reported that the airlines United , American , Delta , Spirit and Allegiant had been grounded. Thousands of flights were cancelled well into the evening on Friday. The outage also cascaded instantly around the world. At Sydney Airport in Australia , travelers encountered delays and cancellations, as did those in Hong Kong , India , Dubai , Berlin and Amsterdam . More than 70 flights were canceled by 7:00 a.m. at Los Angeles International Airport . The Los Angeles Times reported that passengers were stuck in hours-long waits to get through security or to try to rebook their flights. At Chicagos OHare Airport , many flight information screens, including those at boarding gates, were stuck on the blue Windows recovery screen as of Friday afternoon.

, , , and had been grounded. Thousands of flights were cancelled well into the evening on Friday. The outage also cascaded instantly around the world. At Sydney Airport in , travelers encountered delays and cancellations, as did those in , , , and . More than 70 flights were canceled by 7:00 a.m. at . The Los Angeles Times reported that passengers were stuck in hours-long waits to get through security or to try to rebook their flights. At , many flight information screens, including those at boarding gates, were stuck on the blue Windows recovery screen as of Friday afternoon. Tens of thousands of desktop computers at 150 hospitals in 24 states at CommonSpirit Health were displaying a blue screen on Friday morning bringing the healthcare system to a halt. Daniel Barchi, CIO at CommonSpirit, told CNBC, We were all stunned by the fact that if a computer gets this blue screen lockup, theres no way to push a software patch to fix it. You literally have to go up to it, log in as an administrator, a technology person, and then delete a line of code and make that enabled to come back online.

were displaying a blue screen on Friday morning bringing the healthcare system to a halt. Daniel Barchi, CIO at CommonSpirit, told CNBC, We were all stunned by the fact that if a computer gets this blue screen lockup, theres no way to push a software patch to fix it. You literally have to go up to it, log in as an administrator, a technology person, and then delete a line of code and make that enabled to come back online. Tesla shut down production lines at its manufacturing facilities in California and Nevada on Friday. Teslas IT teams told employees that there was a Windows host outage, and systems including servers, laptops and manufacturing devices were affected. The IT teams informed Tesla employees that they may see a blue screen on their various devices. Some reports said managers were telling workers to prepare for cancellation of shifts or to go home early.

shut down production lines at its manufacturing facilities in California and Nevada on Friday. Teslas IT teams told employees that there was a Windows host outage, and systems including servers, laptops and manufacturing devices were affected. The IT teams informed Tesla employees that they may see a blue screen on their various devices. Some reports said managers were telling workers to prepare for cancellation of shifts or to go home early. Mobile ordering at Starbucks was halted during the crisis. Starbucks spokesperson Jaci Anderson said in a statement emailed to NBC News that there was a temporary outage of the companys mobile order ahead and pay features. However, on a Starbucks subreddit, where customers and employees post information and comment, store closures were reported because local managers did not want to deal with the outages.

was halted during the crisis. Starbucks spokesperson Jaci Anderson said in a statement emailed to NBC News that there was a temporary outage of the companys mobile order ahead and pay features. However, on a Starbucks subreddit, where customers and employees post information and comment, store closures were reported because local managers did not want to deal with the outages. US border crossings were put into gridlock on Friday morning by the outage. People seeking to enter the US through Canada and Mexico found long delays at the crossings.

were put into gridlock on Friday morning by the outage. People seeking to enter the US through Canada and Mexico found long delays at the crossings. The San Ysidro Port of Entry was bogged down Friday morning with pedestrians waiting three hours to cross, according to the San Diego Union-Tribune. People approved for the US Customs and Border Protection Trusted Traveler program for low-risk passengers waited up to 90 minutes. The San Diego Metropolitan Transit System posted on Twitter/X that some of its employees who live in Tijuana, Mexico , were unable to get to work Friday. Meanwhile, at the US-Canada border , Windsor police reported long delays at the crossings at the Ambassador Bridge and the Detroit-Windsor Tunnel.

was bogged down Friday morning with pedestrians waiting three hours to cross, according to the San Diego Union-Tribune. People approved for the US Customs and Border Protection Trusted Traveler program for low-risk passengers waited up to 90 minutes. The San Diego Metropolitan Transit System posted on Twitter/X that some of its employees who live in , were unable to get to work Friday. Meanwhile, at the , Windsor police reported long delays at the crossings at the Ambassador Bridge and the Detroit-Windsor Tunnel. The Texas Department of Public Safety closed all of its drivers license offices at most of the states 254 counties across the state, and New Yorks Department of Motor Vehicles was unable to process transactions either online or at its offices on Friday morning. In Texas, the department said in a statement that there is no current estimate as to when the offices will reopen. In New York, the DMV said that by Friday afternoon, some systems had been restored and that it could begin performing online transactions. News reports said at least three of its DMV offices closed for the day because of the outage, according to the agencys website.

The serious and potentially deadly impact of the tech failure was revealed especially in the healthcare industry. Associated Press (AP) reported that the outage caused the cancellation of emergency heart surgery in Paducah, Kentucky. The AP report said, Alison Baulos, the executive director of the Center for the Economics of Human Development at the University of Chicago, said her 73-year-old fathers emergency open heart surgery was cancelled Friday morning due to the global tech outage, leaving her family scared and worried.

Baulos told AP, Its an emergency surgery so if anything happens, it would be as a result of not having the surgery this morning. It does really make you just realize how much we rely on technology and how scary it is. The report continued, Her father was waiting at Baptist Hospital in Paducah, Kentucky, to find out what will happen next, she said. Her father was expecting surgery after he received a call from his doctor on Wednesday saying he had eight blockages and an aneurysm. But the family was told the operation had to be postponed due to the outage.

The full extent and impact of the outage around the world will not be known for days or weeks. Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella issued a statement on Twitter/X that said, Yesterday, CrowdStrike released an update that began impacting IT systems globally. We are aware of this issue and are working closely with CrowdStrike and across the industry to provide customers technical guidance and support to safely bring their systems back online.

CrowdStrike has 29,000 customers with approximately $4 billion in annual sales and a current stock market value of $74 billion which is down 20 percent from a recent all-time high reached last month. It is a cloud-based cybersecurity platform with software used by industries around the world to protect against hackers and outside breaches.

The CrowdStrike Falcon antivirus software operates deep within network endpoints, such as desktops, servers and routers, to detect malware and other cyber threats. Due to the proliferation of hacking, ransomware and other evolving technology attacks, CrowdStrike enables its software to be configured for regular automatic updates of new antivirus responses.

It is ironic that a technology company devoted to protecting computers from being infected with viruses and malware has itself shut down a significant number of computer systems on a world scale.

A statement from CrowdStrike said the company was actively working with customers to fix the problem and that it was not a cyberattack. The statement continued, The issue has been identified, isolated and a fix has been deployed. We are referring customers to the support portal for the latest updates and will continue to provide complete and continuous public updates on our blog.

The prevailing commentary on the disaster is focused on the fact that there are too few providers such as Microsoft and CrowdStrike in the IT marketplace. However, the collapse of a substantial portion of the worlds information infrastructure is not caused by a lack of providers but the anarchy of the capitalist economic system in which the increasingly critical functioning of digital technologies is run on the basis of private interests and profit and not the needs of society as a whole.
In the wake of the carnival of reaction that was the Republican National Convention, at least a dozen more Democratic Party officeholders have called on their presumptive nominee, incumbent President Joe Biden, to withdraw from the race.

President Joe Biden walks off stage during the break of a presidential debate with Republican presidential candidate former President Donald Trump hosted by CNN, Thursday, June 27, 2024, in Atlanta. [AP Photo/Gerald Herbert]

The 81-year-old president is currently self-isolating at his home in Rehoboth Beach, Delaware after contracting COVID-19 for the third time. Prior to and after the White House announcing his infection, Biden was recorded not wearing a mask.

Elected Democrats have unleashed a series of public statements calling on him to drop out, and it appears increasingly likely that this will happen.

Over the past several days, Senators Jon Tester of Montana, Martin Heinrich of New Mexico and Sherrod Brown of Ohio have all called on Biden to step down. In addition to the senators, nearly a dozen members of the House issued public statements on Friday calling on Biden to end his campaign.

However, the incumbent president continues to receive outsized support from two of his most famous campaign surrogates, New York Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez and Vermont Senator Bernie Sanders.

President Joe Biden with Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, D-New York and Sen. Bernie Sanders, April 22, 2024. [AP Photo/Manuel Balce Ceneta]

The various conflicts within the Democratic Party over Bidens personal fate do not reflect policy differences. All factions, including that around Ocasio-Cortez and Sanders, agree on the fundamentals. The internal divisions are over how best to preserve the Democratic Party and capitalist two-party system.

The full support for Biden from Ocasio-Cortez and Sanders, however, does express their particular nervousness over the crisis in the Democratic Party. They want to prevent any circumstance where popular opposition escapes from its control.

In an over hour-long video posted on her social media on Thursday, Ocasio-Cortez, in her typical word-salad, defended Bidens record, attacked Democrats who spoke out against him, and stated her opposition to an open convention.

Before delving into some of her only cogent statements, it is important to make note of what Ocasio-Cortez did not say. In her defense of Biden, Ocasio-Cortez never once uttered the words, Gaza, Palestine ceasefire genocide or war crime. In fact, she purposely went out of her way to avoid talking about substance, merits, policy, etc. imploring her audience to take that aside.

In an expression of the ongoing internecine conflict within the Democratic Party and ruling class, Ocasio-Cortez lashed out at Democratic lawmakers anonymously making statements to the press, characterizing their actions with expletives.

While warning against replacing Biden, Ocasio-Cortez defended his performance.



I do think that people underestimate Bidens performance. I think that is how he became president is through a lot of people underestimating his performance with demographics that are not traditionally valued.



Continuing to heap praise on the war criminal who is directly responsible for the Gaza genocide, Ocasio-Cortez said, I think people see where he is weak, I dont think people see where he is strong.



Speaking in terms of electoral politics, Ocasio-Cortez added, Whether you like it or not, whatever you think about it, Joe Biden kind of like, stomps with older people. Like electorally. Which is one of the strongest and most consistent electorates. And its actually a hard electorate for Democrats to win. You know? Those are not people who are on Twitter, but they vote more consistently than almost any other bracket.



After praising Bidens small, tightly controlled, rallies in North Carolina and Detroit, Michigan, Ocasio-Cortez offered a muddled critique of the left, saying, And look listen, Ive been on the left, I am on the left. Ive seen the left be really wrong before electorally, and Ive seen the left be really right electorally.



She then noted Bidens support among the trade union bureaucracies, claiming Biden has very strong, broad union support and that is not something that just goes automatically to any Democrat as weve seen this week, referring to Teamsters President Sean OBriens speech at the Republican National Convention. Ocasio-Cortez did not attempt to explain to her audience how it came to be that OBrien, who she previously supported and boosted, ended up at the RNC.

Left to right: Congresswoman Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, Teamsters General President Sean O'Brien, UAW President Shawn Fain [Photo: Oliver Hidalgo-Wohlleben via Twitter]

She ended the call reaffirming her support for Biden, Ill go out, and I campaign for the president and I stump for the president and I have done that because he is our Democratic nominee. She added, We have passed an insane amount of productive legislation.



In her only, extremely oblique, reference to Biden and the bipartisan support for the genocide in Gaza, which a recent Lancet study found has led to the deaths of over 186,000 people, she said: So theres also a bunch of things that have happened that I dont agree with, that I find morally horrific.



Exuding pragmatism she said, Complexity is the job. You may have, like, whatever opinions you have.



As Ocasio-Cortez was stumping for Biden on the internet, Vermont Senator Bernie Sanders advocated for Biden on the Late Show with Stephen Colbert. Sanders claimed that Biden has been the strongest, most progressive president in my lifetime.



Sanders added, Biden has the record to run on. What is this record? Sanders was polite enough not to mention Bidens record military budgets, record disenrollment from Medicaid, record attacks on immigrants and record payouts for billionaires.



At the center of Bidens record is global war. In addition to the Gaza genocide, hundreds of thousands of working class people have been slaughtered in Ukraine following Russias invasion, which was provoked by the US-NATO powers who have systematically cultivated and armed neo-Nazi elements in Ukraine for over a decade.



In their unstinting support for Biden, Sanders and Ocasio-Cortez are being exposed as nothing more than propagandists for imperialism.

It has also exposed political organizations, such as the Democratic Socialists of America, of which Ocasio-Cortez is still a member, that claim the Democratic Party can be reformed or pressured to adopt anti-capitalist and left-wing positions.
Striking non-academic workers demonstrate in Colombo, June 18, 2024

On Monday, the University Non-Academic Trade Union Alliance (UNATUA) accepted a series of vague government promises and ended a 75-day pay strike by its members without winning any of their demands. About 13,000 non-academic workers at all of the countrys 17 state universities began their struggle on May 2 to demand a 15 percent pay hike through the rectification of longstanding salary anomalies, and for a 25 percent increase in the monthly compensation allowance (MCA).

The UNATUA bureaucracys decision is a gross betrayal of its members whose determined strike defied police repression and the Wickremesinghe governments outright rejection of their demands, and a vicious media campaign accusing workers of sabotaging students future.

Attempting to justify its betrayal, UNATUA co-chairman Dhammika S. Priyantha told the media that the strike shutdown was only temporary. He claimed the union leadership had been able to reach an agreement with the University Grant Commission chairman Sampath Amaratunge after discussions with Education Minister Susil Premajayantha.

Priyantha said these officials had promised to correct salary anomalies by January next year via an expert committee previously suggested by President Wickremesinghe, and that work towards an MCA increase would begin soon.

Previous Sri Lankan governments have made similar flimsy promises since the non-academic trade unions first raised their demands in 2016. On each occasion, the union bureaucracy has presented these promises as a victory and called off all action.

Wickremesinghe insisted from the outset that the treasury did not have enough revenue and that his government would not allocate any funds in this years budget for public sector wage increases. Do you want me to increase VAT [value added tax] by 3 to 4 percent to give you a salary increase? he exclaimed.

Confronted with growing calls for pay rises by public sector workers, Wickremesinghe said he would appoint an expert committee headed by Udaya Nanayakkara to examine their demands. The committee proposala crude political manoeuvre by the governmentprovided the trade union leadership with an excuse to derail workers demands for industrial action.

Priyantha presented the unions betrayal of the strike as a victory, praising the UGC chairman for promising not to cut the pay of the non-academic staff or reduce loan instalment payments during the 75-day strike. It has yet to be seen whether the government, which was desperate to stop the industrial action lest it encourage others to strike, will keep this promise.

The UNATUA bureaucracy did not consult with members prior to ending all industrial action and then suddenly called meetings at the universities to announce the leaders decision. Members where simply presented with a fait accompli, with no discussion allowed or votes taken at these meetings.

This blatant violation of members rights was replicated at a meeting of about 400 workers convened by the University Trade Union Collective, which is affiliated to UNATUA, at Moratuwa University on Monday.

Gayan Peiris, president of the Moratuwa University union collective, claimed pay rise strikes by public sector employees had undermined the non-academic workers. In a crude attempt to pit university workers against their class brothers and sisters in other sectors, Peiris declared, The government thinks that if demands are given to one section, then it will have to give the same to other sections We were at a disadvantage because of this situation, he said.

Peiris also falsely claimed that workers could not take any industrial action, if Sri Lankas election commission announced the date for the forthcoming presidential elections, scheduled sometime in September or November. It was therefore a tactical decision to end the non-academic workers strike, he said.

Attempting to justify the betrayal, Asoka Chandana from the Janatha Vimukthi Peramuna (JVP)-controlled Inter University Workers Union branch at Moratuwa University, declared: It is a victory that we began the action together and ended it together We fought not just for the sake of money.

Dehin Wasantha, a technical worker at the Moratuwa University and a leading Socialist Equality Party (SEP) member, briefly addressed the meeting, challenging the union bureaucracy and its bankrupt program. The trade union leadership attempted to stop him speaking but when this failed, they started shouting and making noise so that he could not be heard.

Dehin Wasantha presenting resolution in support of victimised Ceylon Electricity Board workers at Colombo public meeting, 1 February, 2024.

Wasantha hailed the determined struggle waged by his striking colleagues, saying: The SEP and I insisted from the beginning of the struggle that it was impossible for non-academic workers to win our demands simply by pressuring the government. That has now been clearly proven.

You must give serious attention to the critical political issues posed before us in this struggle. The trade union leaders unwillingly called this strike. Their letter to the education minister admitted, We were compelled to call the strike because of pressure from members.

The rejection of our pay demands and other attacks on the working class are a part of the IMF [International Monetary Fund] program being implemented by the Wickremesinghe government. Workers must be mobilised in a united struggle against the government and its austerity program.

This struggle cannot be carried out under the trade unions. It is necessary to build action committees, independent of the union leadership to organise such a struggle. Study the program presented by the SEP and the WSWS, Wasantha said.

The non-academic university workers determined 75-day strike action again demonstrated that the working class can only defend jobs, wages and social conditions in a political struggle against the Wickremesinghe government and its IMF-dictated austerity attacks.

Following IMF orders, Colombo is now increasing government revenue by squeezing workers and the poor to repay foreign debts and boost investments and the profit system.

Instead of fighting these social attacks, all sections of the trade union bureaucracy, including the UNATUA, have deliberately divided workers, pitting one sector against another, calling separate, scattered actions and falsely claiming that the government can be pressured to change course.

Claims by the trade union bureaucracy that workers cannot strike or fight for their rights during the elections are a patent lie. This canard is promoted by the parliamentary opposition Samagi Jana Balawegaya and the Janatha Vimukthi Peramuna (JVP) and their respective trade unions. These pro-capitalist parties and unions have no fundamental differences with the IMF and if elected would implement its austerity measures with the same ruthlessness as Wickremesinghe and his government.

The SEP intervened in the non-academic workers strike systematically proposing an alternative program to carry forward their struggle. It published numerous articles in English, Sinhala and Tamil on the World Socialist Web Site, and held an online public meeting on June 14 to develop discussion on its perspective.

As SEP member Dehin Wasantha explained at the Moratuwa University meeting, university non-academic staff must review the political lessons of their 75-day struggle. Above all, workers cannot go forward if their struggle remains in the hands of pro-capitalist trade union bureaucracies.

Democratic discussion on their demands and what industrial and political actions are needed to win is impossible inside the existing trade union structures. Workers who try to discuss or criticise the existing trade union leadership and their programs are blocked and silenced, including with threats of physical violence.

We urge workers to take matters into their own hands by forming democratically controlled action committees, independent of the trade union apparatuses.

Such bodies can coordinate with committees in other workplaces, plantations and in working-class neighbourhoods to develop the ways and means for a common struggle against the government and its escalating social attacks. They will also reach out to international class brothers and sisters now coming into struggles against jobs and wage cuts and the suppression of basic democratic rights.

None of these demands can be won without a political fight against the Wickremesinghe regime and its IMF measures and for a workers and peasants government which will implement socialist policies.

We appeal to non-academic university to contact the SEP, which will assist you and other workers to form action committees and take forward the struggle.
Federal opposition leader Peter Duttons announcement last month that the Liberal-National Coalition would build seven nuclear power plants seeks to overturn longstanding official opposition to nuclear energy, entrenched in state and federal law. Currently, Australia has just one nuclear reactor, operated by the Australian Nuclear Science and Technology Organisation (ANSTO) for research and the production of medical isotopes.

Australian parliamentary Opposition and Liberal Party leader Peter Dutton [Photo: Facebook/Peter Dutton]

Dutton slammed Prime Minister Anthony Albaneses Labor government for its reliance on renewables, claiming that nuclear power would provide cheap, reliable, environmentally-friendly energy for households and businesses. He dismissed problematic issues of nuclear waste and safety by pointing out that the Albanese government had already ditched Labors nuclear-free policy by embracing the acquisition of nuclear-powered attack submarines under the AUKUS pact with the UK and US.

In the ensuing wave of commentary on the nuclear power proposal, critics derided Duttons lack of detail, including costings, and pointed out that nuclear reactors would not be operational for at least a decade. Advocates of the profitable renewable industries touted solar and wind power as the cheap, clean, safe alternatives to nuclear power.

Barely mentioned is the potential of a nuclear power industry to provide a pathway for the development of nuclear weapons: first, by providing a large pool of nuclear scientists, engineers and technicians and, second, by creating the means to manufacture the fissionable material needed for a bomb. The latter would require further heavy investment in either a uranium enrichment plant or a plutonium reprocessing plant, or both.

Such a discussion has been underway largely behind closed doors in strategic and military circles for decades. Plans for an Australian atomic bomb were seriously considered in the 1950s and 1960s, with the 196871 Coalition government of Prime Minister John Gorton taking the first steps in building a nuclear power reactor that provided a route to manufacturing a nuclear weapon.

In the midst of the Cold War, however, Washington was determined to maintain the effective monopoly of its massive nuclear arsenal and thus its use as a menacing threat or in war itself against the Soviet Union or any other potential rival. Under the guise of disarmament, the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT) banned the manufacture of nuclear weapons except for the five countries with a known nuclear arsenalthe US, the Soviet Union, Britain, France and Chinaand effectively stymied the Australian project as well as most similar plans by other countries. Australia signed the NPT in 1971 and ratified it in 1973.

The global geopolitical landscape, however, has dramatically changed since the dissolution of the Soviet Union in 1991 and the end of the Cold War. Far from bringing global peace and prosperity, US imperialism has been waging war for the past three decades in a desperate attempt to maintain its global hegemony. Conflicts in the Middle East and Central Asia are now rapidly metastasizing into great power conflicts and world war involving nuclear-armed powers. The US and its NATO allies are already waging war against Russia in Ukraine and, in league with its Asian allies, including Australia, preparing for war against China.

In this context, as the danger of nuclear war looms larger, debate has reemerged in military circles over the building of an Australian atomic bomb. In his book How to Defend Australia, published in 2019, prominent strategic analyst Hugh White devoted an entire chapter to the question: Does Australia need its own nuclear weapons to preserve its strategic independence in the decades ahead?

The way White posed the question points to the central argument of the book as a wholethe necessity of Australian imperialism forging a foreign and military policy that does not rely on Americas waning power. He argued that a US pullback from Asia in the face of a more aggressive China would potentially leave Australia isolated, particularly without the protection of the so-called American nuclear umbrella.

White, however, is standing reality on its head. The response of US imperialism to its historic decline has not been to retreat into isolation but rather to aggressively use its military might in one war after another. In the Indo-Pacific, the US has been preparing for war with China, which Washington regards as the chief threat to its global domination. Far from leaving Australia isolated, the US is integrating the Australian military directly into its war plans against Chinathe AUKUS pact being the most obvious expression. This places the Australian population on the front lines of such a war.

White speaks for a minority in the ruling class that doubts the wisdom of being drawn into a catastrophic military conflict with Australias biggest trade partner. He and others argue for Australian imperialism to adopt a stance of heavily-armed neutrality. While not explicitly calling for an Australian nuclear weapon, Whites book certainly implied its necessity. Grossly inflating the threat posed by China, he argued that without the protection of the US, the only realistic means of countering such a threat is for Australia to have its own nuclear armaments.

In a particularly ghoulish passage, White considered the minimum nuclear arsenal necessary to present a credible deterrent to China. Couched in terms of defence, his estimate was based on a British report from the late 1970s, during the Cold War, which calculated the level of damage that its nuclear forces needed to be able inflict on the Soviet Union to deter Moscow from launching a strike.

The report concluded, White wrote, that the British military had to be able to either completely destroy government centres in Moscow (and presumably Moscow itself), or inflict breakdown level damage on Moscow, Leningrad and two other cities, or lesser levels of damage on up to 30 other targets, including large cities. It estimated that inflicting this level of punishment carried the possibility that up to 5 million people might be killed and a further 4 million injured.

Given the far larger population of China, White implied that the level of destruction would need to be far greater. For the Australian military, he wrote, an effective minimum deterrent force would have to be able to unleash several dozen warheads on an adversarys cities, so it is not a merely token force.

Whites book revived the foreign policy and military establishment debate over the necessity of an Australian nuclear arsenal. While no one is overtly calling for Australia to establish its own nuclear arms stockpile, there are certainly those who advocate creating the preconditions for doing so at short notice through the creation of a nuclear power industry.

In October 2019, Rod Lyon, an Australian Strategic Policy Institute analyst, published an article entitled: Should Australia build its own nuclear arsenal? He answered his own question with a heavily qualified: Yes, if it needs to. He bemoaned the fact that the country lacked a nuclear-skilled workforce, as well as the capacity to produce fissionable materials needed to make a nuclear weapon. If Australia was to attempt to proliferate, using only national resources, wed likely face a 15-year-plus haul.

Lyon concluded that the global situation was sufficiently dark to be thinking about an indigenous nuclear weapons program and the need to be acting to minimise the lead time required for us to have such a capability, just in case we decide we do need it.

While Lyon did not explain how the lead time could be shortened, Associate Professor of Physics Heiko Timmers at the University of New South Wales, an opponent of nuclear weapons, inadvertently did. Writing in the Conversation in July 2019, he pointed out that Australia had no way to build nuclear weapons, even if the government wanted to. However, he noted: A well-developed nuclear power industry would eventually give Australia almost all the necessary technologies, personnel and materials to make and maintain a nuclear weapon. This includes, in particular, the ability to enrich uranium and breed plutonium.

Five years on, US imperialism is already, in reality, engaged in a war with nuclear-armed Russia in Ukraine and making advanced preparations for conflict with nuclear-armed China. The Australian military, including its bases, forms a vital component of the Pentagons strategy for fighting a nuclear war and, thus, a potential nuclear target. American nuclear submarines and nuclear-capable strategic bombers are being stationed in western and northern Australia. US spy and communications bases in Australia are indispensable to the US militarys global war plans. In other words, if US imperialism launches nuclear war, Australian imperialism is automatically involved.

Moreover, the very fact that AUKUS envisages conventionally-armed Australian submarines operating alongside their US and British nuclear-armed counterparts in any conflict with China must raise the question for the Pentagoncan we afford to sell Virginia-class submarines to Australia that are not going to be nuclear-armed? An obvious question is whether a secret deal has been struck to arm Australian submarines with nuclear weapons in the event of war. The US already has such an arrangement with several NATO allies that have trained aircrews ready to take part in a nuclear attack.

None of these options can be openly discussed. While a decision on nuclear power plants is yet to be made, let alone nuclear weapons, the gruesome calculations undoubtedly being considered in think tanks and by military plannersthe catastrophic consequences of a nuclear weapon dropped on Sydney or Canberra, and many millions of more deaths across the globewould undoubtedly provoke widespread fear and further fuel to anti-war opposition and protests.

While nuclear power stations may prove useful as part of a scientific solution to halt climate change, it is impossible under capitalism to resolve the inherent dangers of nuclear safety and waste disposal, let alone disentangle nuclear power from nuclear weapons and war. The worsening economic crisis of global capitalism fuelling geopolitical rivalries and the rapacious drive for profit only makes the risks more acute. The dangers of nuclear Armageddon, as well as catastrophic climate change, can only be resolved internationally. That requires nothing less than a unified international anti-war movement of the working class based on a socialist perspective to abolish the profit system and its outmoded division of the world into rival nation-states.
The response of the corporate media to the outpouring of fascist filth at this weeks Republican National Convention (RNC), culminating in the coronation of the GOP Fuhrer Donald Trump, was a combination of cover-up and barely suppressed admiration.

In hour after hour of coverage provided by the cable and broadcast networks, the seven-figure-salaried talking heads pretended there was nothing abnormal or unprecedented in the parade of speakers promoting anti-immigrant racism, extreme nationalism, defense of Trumps January 6 attempted coup, Christian evangelical fundamentalism and total subordination to the Great Leader. The words fascistic, authoritarian, even anti-democratic were seldom if ever uttered.

People arrive at Fiserv Forum for the Republican National Convention Thursday, July 18, 2024, in Milwaukee. [AP Photo/Paul Sancya]

The coverage in the liberal press was no better. But the fawning press commentary on the degrading proceedings in Milwaukee was entirely in line with the prostration of the imploding campaign of Joe Biden and the Democratic Party as a whole. Biden immediately responded to the near assassination of Trump last Saturday by calling for unity, denouncing all violence as supposedly un-American, and halting his campaign ads and political attacks on Donald.

The tone in the press was set by the Washington Post. Within hours of the shooting at a Trump rally in Pennsylvania, it posted an editorial (Turn down the heat, let in the light) that began with praise for the aspiring dictator and possible next president, writing, Donald Trump has responded commendably to his harrowingly close encounter with a would-be assassins bullet in Pennsylvania on Saturday

It cited Trumps call for national unity in a phone conversation with Biden following the assassination attempt and expressed the delusional hope that Trump would moderate his violent rhetoric and instead turn toward the light.

It then used the shooting to demand that Biden tone down his warnings about Trumps dictatorial agenda, chastising him for telling donors in a private call, Its time to put Trump in the bulls-eye. It went on to attack anti-war and anti-Gaza genocide protesters, complaining that Universities have become battlegrounds.

A similarly reactionary, Trump-friendly posture was adopted by NBC Evening News moderator Lester Holt in an 18-minute interview with Biden that had been set up prior to the Trump shooting. The interview was taped Monday afternoon, July 15, and aired that evening.

Biden began by reiterating his prayers for Trumps well-being and his claim that violence in politics has no place in America, an absurdity given the countrys history of dozens of political assassinations, including of four sitting presidents.

But when Biden tried to raise Trumps repeated incitement of political violence, citing the ex-presidents praise of the neo-Nazis who marched in Charlottesville and his role in the attack on the US Capitol on January 6, Holt made no acknowledgement of Bidens points. Instead, he sought to turn the table on Biden, citing his use of the word bulls-eye in his call with donors.

Biden abjectly apologized for his choice of words, but went on to cite Trumps talk about establishing a dictatorship on day one of a second term, his talk of a bloodbath should he lose the election, his promise to pardon the convicted January 6 insurrectionists, and his joking about the beating of Nancy Pelosis husband.

Holt responded by saying, This doesnt sound like youre turning down the heat, though.  what can you and what will you do, at least things you can control, to lower down the temperature, the rhetoric out there? What he was demanding, of course, was a pledge from Biden to drop even the most lame warnings about the very real dangers of police state rule under Trump.

The Wall Street Journal was more blunt in issuing this demand. In its editorial on the Trump shooting published Sunday, July 14 it wrote:

But leaders on both sides need to stop describing the stakes of the election in apocalyptic terms. Democracy wont end if one or the other candidate is elected. Fascism is not aborning if Mr. Trump wins, unless you have little faith in American institutions. We agree with former Attorney General Bill Barrs statement Saturday night: The Democrats have to stop their grossly irresponsible talk about Trump being an existential threat to democracyhe is not.

In all of its coverage, the corporate media seeks to conceal from the public the scale and depth of political reaction in the US for fear of social revolution. But in the coverage of the RNC, which began Monday, less than two days after Trumps near assassination, this assumed a new dimension.

It was left to the New York Times, the liberal newspaper of record, to publish the most grotesque and enthusiastic tribute to Donald Trump. In a column that appeared on day one of the RNC, headlined Donald Trump, Man of Destiny, opinion writer Ross Douthat argued that Trump was an example of a Hegelian great man of history, who, according to the German philosopher, embodied the will of the World Spirit.

Douthat wrote:

 Trump shifted his head fractionally and literally dodged a bullet, fell bleeding and then rose with his fist raised in an iconic image of defiance. The scene Saturday night in Pennsylvania was the ultimate confirmation of his status as a man of destiny, a character out of Hegel or Thomas Carlyle or some other verbose 19th-century philosopher of history, a figure touched by the gods of fortune in a way that transcends the normal rules of politics.

Douthat continued:

For Hegel the great mans role is a fundamentally progressive one. He is  pushing civilization toward its next stage of development, sometimes committing crimes or trampling sacred things but always in service to a higher aim, the unfolding intentions of a divine process What does a man of destiny look like then? I think we have to say it looks like Donald Trump  who has become the avatar of the rebellious populism that has remade his eras politics and overthrown or undermined its establishments.

This is an unabashed endorsement of Trumps brand of American fascism, which has now become the official policy of the Republican Party.

The Times coverage of the succeeding days of the convention was punctuated with similarly glowing presentations of the supposed power and confidence of Trumps GOP and the partys impending victory in November.

Some examples:

New York Times (July 17), Headline: In Milwaukee, A G.O.P. Transformation From Dysfunctional to Unified

On Tuesday, Republicans effectively took a victory lap in the middle of the presidential race, expressing a sense of invincibility at their convention.

New York Times (July 17), Headline: A Joyful Fellowship of Patriots

Lara Trumps eloquent remarks (quote from Kristen Soltis Anderson)

Sarah Huckabee Sanders knows how to craft and deliver a speech with humor and humanity. (David Brooks)

Again and again, the cameras showed Trump and J.D. Vance bending their heads together and swapping observations about the program  as though Vance were the accomplished son Trump has long dreamed of. (Michelle Cottle)

New York Times (July 18), Headline: J.D. Vance Brought What Trump Team Needed

Vances personal story is genuinely inspiring. (David French)

Vances speech was masterly and more than a moment. (Dan McCarthy)

New York Times (July 18), Headline: A Party Now Molded in Trumps Image Prepares for a Coronation

Thursday night, when Mr. Trump accepts the Republican presidential nomination for the third time, will be the culmination of an extraordinary run of good fortune and a testament to his political instincts. His address will also in many ways serve as the Republican Partys coronation of a leader who went from rattling the conservative establishment to refashioning it entirely in his image. (Michael Gold)

Not to be outdone, the Washington Post published an article by veteran political correspondent Dan Balz on July 19 under the headline: A month that upended the campaign leaves Trump in his strongest position yet. Balz wrote:

Suddenly, Republicans are as sky-high and confident as Democrats are down and discouraged.  Republicans produced a convention here in Milwaukee that highlighted a party that has been reshaped in Trumps image and with delegates fully united behind their nominee.

This, it must be stressed, was published after Trumps degrading and interminably long rant accepting the Republican nomination Thursday night, in which he reiterated his fascist attacks on immigrants, repeated his stolen election lies, spoke of the China virus, and claimed that God spared him from his would-be assassins bullet because he is Gods chosen instrument to save America.

Nor is the response of the middle-class pseudo-left fundamentally different. Jacobin, politically aligned with the Democratic Socialists of America (DSA), responded to the assassination attempt against Trump and the opening of the RNC with an article posted July 16 by Branko Marcetic under the headline: Donald Trumps Near Death Has Reenergized His Movement.

Clearly awe-struck by the goings on in Milwaukee, Marcetic wrote:

While Democrats remain in disarray over an unpopular, unsteady incumbent, Donald Trump supporters at the Republican National Convention are newly energized after the candidates near-death experienceand more committed to victory than ever. These pitched emotions spiraled into the nights climax, when a bandaged-up Trump emerged, on camera, from a stadium corridor into the convention hall to a rapturous, extended ovation.  The Republican rank and file have inherent trust in the former president, and not just for the sake of the presidential ticket but for the man himself.

The DSA is a faction of the Democratic Party. Embodying privileged sections of the upper-middle class, it is hostile to and fearful of the working class and unalterably opposed to Marxism and its contemporary representative, Trotskyism, i.e., the International Committee of the Fourth International and the World Socialist Web Site. The crisis of the Democratic Partyitself one expression of the insoluble crisis of American capitalismsows demoralization and panic in the DSAs midst and even attraction to the figure of the Great Leader sent to stave off socialist revolution.

The transformation of the Republican Party into a Trumpite American version of fascism reflects the bankruptcy and historic crisis of the capitalist ruling class as a whole, including both of its traditional partiesmired in war, genocide and domestic plunder and repression. It is the outcome of a long process of political, intellectual and cultural degradation. It is up to the working class to defend and revive all that is progressive in society and prevent a descent into barbarism by breaking from the parties of big business and adopting the methods and program of world socialist revolution.
The Chinese Communist Party (CCP) leadership is becoming increasingly concerned that significant economic problems, reflected in much lower growth rates compared to previous years, will lead to increased social tensions and political opposition.

Chinese President Xi Jinping at a session of the National People's Congress in Beijing, Tuesday, March 7, 2023. [AP Photo/Ng Han Guan]

This is evidenced by the issues raised in the communique from the Third Plenum of the central committee, comprising some 199 members and 165 alternates along with a number of policy experts, held in Beijing this week.

The meeting was convened to chart a course for future economic development and to confront significant problems. The official growth target is around 5 percentthe lowest in around three decadesand the problems were underscored by the fall in the growth rate for the second quarter to 4.7 percent, down from the 5.3 percent recorded in the first.

Amid the vague calls in the initial statementmore specific plans may be released in coming weeksthere was a reference to the problems caused by the ending of the previous growth model based on real estate and infrastructure development which had been responsible for up to 30 percent of GDP.

The collapse of this orientation, due to mounting debt and the threat to financial stability this poses, has led Chinese President Xi Jinping, who is also CCP general secretary, to implement the development of high quality productive forces based on new technologies.

That orientation will continue. There was no reference at all to the need to expand consumption, as advocated by numerous Western economists as well as some in China, in order to raise the economic growth rate. But the plenum statement did acknowledge the problems arising from the end of the old growth model.

It said the leadership would implement various measures for preventing and defusing risks in real estate, local government debt, small and medium financial institutions and other key areas.

The problems are not small. It has been estimated that the total debt of local government funding vehicles (LGFVs) is anywhere between $7 trillion and $10 trillion. The LGFVs raised debt to finance infrastructure projects by selling land for housing development. But with the downturn in the real estate sector, evidenced by the collapse of major firms such as Evergrande along with many others, this form of financing is increasingly unviable.

It was significant that the same paragraph that pointed to the debt problems raised the need for tighter social and political controls by the state.

We will strengthen the network for preventing and controlling public security risks so as to safeguard social stability. We will improve public opinion guidance and effectively deal with risks in the ideological domain.

The significance of these statements is that they express the great fear of the CCP leadership that as growth slows and economic and social tensions rise, the regime, having long ago abandoned any real commitment to social equality, loses any remaining political legitimacy and faces an oppositional movement from below.

The long delay in convening the meetingit is 17 months since the previous plenum in February 2023, one of the longest intervals since the days of Maoalso points to possible conflicts within the central leadership.

Besides the fear of opposition in the working class, it also fears the emergence of cracks within the leadership of Xis Bonapartist regime, lest this provides an opening through which broader opposition could start to flow.

This concern was expressed in a lengthy paragraph which stressed that the Partys leadership is the fundamental guarantee for further reform.

We must acquire a deep understanding of the decisive significance of establishing Comrade Xi Jinpings core position on the Party Central Committee and in the Party as a whole and establishing the guiding role of Xi Jinping Thought on Socialism with Chinese characteristics for a New Era

The regime of Xi Jinping is in no way socialist. In early 2018, Xi and the Chinese leadership scrapped the 30-year practice that presidents serve for two terms and established him as the leader for life in an endeavour to defend the interests of the capitalist ruling class.

His Bonapartist regime has sought to balance between the competing interests of the Chinese oligarchsChinas levels of social inequality are among the highest in the worldthe pressure exerted by the imperialist powers, led by the US, while seeking to defend the interests of the capitalist class as a whole against the working class, now numbering more than 400 million.

Socially it has rested on a growing but narrow stratum of the Chinese upper middle class which was able to advance itself in conditions of consistently high levels of economic growth. But this base is under threat.

In the past six years the pressures on the regime have intensified. Growth has fallen below the 8 percent level, which the CCP regime once declared was necessary to maintain social stability, never to return.

The hopes of the regime that it would be able to peacefully integrate itself into the global economy have been shattered. Starting under the Trump administration and deepened under Biden, US imperialism has launched an economic war against China aimed at crushing its economic development through ever-expanding sanctions and export bans on vital high-tech components.

This has now been coupled with tariffs against Chinese exports, particularly in the area of high-tech green technology such as electric vehicles.

The economic offensive has been increasingly joined by the European powers while the preparations for military conflict develop apace.

Without going into any detail, the introduction to the plenum statement noted that the regime faced a grave and complex international environment and the arduous tasks of advancing reform and development and ensuring stability at home.

The response in the Western media to the plenum is that it has done little or nothing to solve the mounting problems of the Chinese economy.

This conclusion was summed up in comments by China expert Eswar Prasad of Cornell University to the Financial Times.

The plenum has re-articulated the governments economic objectives and acknowledged some keys risks but inspires little confidence that the government has a strategy for effectively managing the economys cyclical and structural problems, he said.

If this assessment is correct, and the references by the plenum to the need for tighter social and ideological controls point in that direction, the indications are that the period of relative social peace the regime has enjoyed since the suppression of the working class at the time of the Tiananmen Massacre of 1989 is coming to an end.
University of Sydney (USyd) management has, in the wake of the ending of the student encampment protesting Israels ongoing genocide in Gaza, unveiled a new policy which severely curtails the right to protest on campus.

Anti-Gaza genocide protests at the University of Sydney, March 2024

The move at one of Australias most prestigious universities is among the sharpest in a coordinated attack by the Australian Labor government, the corporate media and university managements across the country against the democratic rights of students. The aim is to suppress broader hostility in the population to genocide, militarism and the pro-war policies of the ruling elite.

Vice-chancellor of the University of Sydney Mark Scott issued a campus access policy on 27 June effective immediately.

Scott announced the new policy to staff in a July 4 email under the guise of [e]nsuring our campus is vibrant, welcoming, and safe for all members of our community. With this pretense, the administration is trying to create the conditions where popular discontent cannot be expressed on campus.

The policy has been widely opposed by students and staff at USyd, and broader layers of the population who have correctly denounced it as a draconian attack on the right to protest.

While paying lip service to demonstrations as a legitimate exercise of freedom of speech, the USyd policy outlines that such activities will be essentially outlawed.

Only staff and students will be allowed to organise protests on campus subject to a plethora of conditions. These cannot be held inside buildings.

The policy states that demonstrations must be orderly and peaceful. It cites as examples of disorderly and not peaceful behaviour: interfering with safety, property damage, disruption of the universitys operations and impeding the movement of people or vehicles. Those stipulations are so vague they could include almost any activity.

In a clear attempt to prevent the broadening of student movements to involve the wider population and, above all, the working class, the universitys new policy mandates that members of the public outside the university will only be allowed to engage in demonstrations if they have prior approval from management.

Student demonstrations must be approved by management, with 72-hours notice, barring rapid snap actions in response to political events as well as campus developments such as university cuts.

It is forbidden to use a megaphone or other amplifier in close proximity to a person, a provision which effectively bars any large protest.

Such ambiguous language has already been used at USyd to slander students involved in the encampment which was shut down a month ago.

Students protest against Israeli military attacks on Gaza at University of Sydney in March 2024

Two USyd students were suspended for a month after the administration claimed that classes were significantly disrupted by protests in May.

The response of the middle-class organisers of the encampment at USyd, as in campus after campus around the country, has been essentially to accede to managements intimidation and demands for the protest to be shut down.

Even as the encampment was dissolved, Scott implied, without a shred of evidence, in a June 24 email that the peaceful protest represented a threat to safety of students and staff. He indicated that USyd management had been working closely with state police throughout the encampment.

This highlights the collaboration of the university managements with the highest levels of the state to suppress the free speech of students as part of a broader crackdown on anti-genocide protests and widespread opposition to government policies.

Labor Prime Minister Anthony Albanese has spearheaded this malicious campaign, branding peaceful student demonstrations as divisive displays of hatred in May. He declared that protests against the genocide of the Palestinian people do not have a place in society and claimed that he had never seen so much antisemitism in his lifetime.

Albanese and Labor have been among the most vocal purveyors of the lie that opposition to the actions of the Zionist regime in Israel amounts to antisemitism. This has been used to justify the unflinching support given by all the imperialist powers, including Australia, to the fascistic government of Netanyahu as it carries out its historic war crimes. According to the Lancet medical journal, the death toll of the Gaza genocide which began nine months ago could be 186,000 people or more.

But, according to Albanese and Scott, the corporate media, university managements around the country and the political establishment, the violence to be opposed is that of students protesting against this industrialised slaughter of the Palestinian people.

At another of Australias sandstone institutions, the University of Melbourne (UofM), the encampment was also shut down based on a rotten deal between the encampment organisers and management which commits the university to do nothing except list the arms manufacturers with which it has open deals, subject to confidentiality and national security considerations.

The UofM administration threatened 21 student protesters with disciplinary action in Junea month after the encampment was ended.

About 100 students and their supporters protested against the charges outside the university last week.

Misconduct notices were reportedly sent to students along with CCTV images of the students and tracking data showing the students use of the universitys Wi-Fi, used to determine the location of the individual at different times during the encampment protests.

Earlier this month, the Office of the Victorian Information Commissioner confirmed that it had begun a preliminary investigation into a potential breach of the students privacy by the university administration, according to Nine media.

Several universities have issued disciplinary action against students involved in the protests on campuses around the country. This includes Monash, La Trobe and Deakin Universities in Melbourne and the Australian National University (ANU) in the countrys capital Canberra where at least two students have been expelled for their involvement in pro-Palestinian protests.

The coordinated campaign against protesting students has seen almost all the university encampments around the country end, with the last remaining at ANU and the University of Tasmania.

This week, the only other remaining encampment at the University of Newcastle in regional New South Wales was shut down by management. An email was sent last Friday to all students that the encampment would have to be wound up by 5 p.m. on Monday.

By 5 p.m., almost all students had left. Campus security attempted to remove the last remaining students at about 6 a.m. the next morning, but four chained themselves to a couch and refused to leave.

The University of Newcastle administration sent letters to the remaining students threatening them with disciplinary proceedings.

Attacks on the democratic rights of students protesting against the Gaza genocide and the complicity of the governments and universities are taking place internationally. In Germany, the US and Canada, students have been violently arrested.

The assault on students right to protest is a warning.

Opposition to the militarist agenda will not be tolerated. The methods being prepared against student protesters are already being broadened as pro-Palestinian protesters are coming under attack.

Last week, it was revealed that Palestinian-Australian business owner Hash Tayeh, is under investigation for his involvement in anti-genocide protests. He is being accused of allegedly violating the state of Victorias Racial and Religious Tolerance Act.

The fact that the middle-class leaderships of the student encampments have worked with management to ensure the protests are shut down must be a lesson. Students, and the working class more broadly, cannot defend democratic rights, let alone end the genocide and imperialist war, through plaintive appeals to university managements and the capitalist governments they serve.

This can only be achieved through a turn to the working class, the sole force in society which can end the profit system which is behind war and the attacks on democratic rights.
The Mars Hill Anderson Rosenwald School will host WestSound July 28 in a concert produced by Madison County Arts Council.

MARS HILL - The Madison County Arts Council will host a first-of-its-kind event as part of a weekend featuring back-to-back concerts July 27-28.

The weekend will kick off July 27 with WestSound, a band comprised of two of the sons of Mars Hill Anderson Rosenwald School's alumni, Sarah Roland Weston Hart

On July 28, The Nick Garrison Quintet will perform at the Ebbs Chapel Performing Arts Center at 4 p.m. Tickets are $20 in advance.

WestSound

The WestSound show will take place from 3-5 p.m. at the historic Anderson Rosenwald School, 225 Mount Olive Drive in Mars Hill.

The band's guitarist and vocalist, Oscar Weston, is a Mount Olive Drive resident. Weston's brother, Randy, plays keyboard and sings.

The free show is paid for with funding from the North Carolina Arts Council's Grassroots Program, according to Madison County Arts Council Executive Director Brandon Johnson.

"We're super excited," Johnson said. "One of my goals for the Arts Council is to get out into the county more. I taught at Mars Hill and spent a lot of time there, and have connections to a lot of people who are involved with the Anderson Rosenwald School.

"I've been there for some meetings, and given some money to them because I think it's a great cause. So, it was like, it's a great facility so we can do some music, and I know WestSound is right there, as like an all-included community kind of package. So, it's kind of a plug and play. It all worked out."

Johnson said he reached out to Willa Wyatt, the Friends of Mars Hill Anderson Rosenwald School's chair, about collaborating on a concert at the historic school.

"The community is tight, and that church is a big part of that community, and music is a big part of that," Johnson said of Mount Olive Baptist Church.

According to the Arts Council executive director, the free event was initially scheduled to be a gospel show, but WestSound's style is more expansive, as the band plays rock, R&B and blues, as well as other genres.

The WestSound show will mark the first time the Arts Council has presented a concert at the Mars Hill Anderson Rosenwald School.

"It was like, hey, what can we do to showcase some different elements of our county that haven't been showcased before. And we thought, let's do this," Johnson said.

"Willa called Oscar and got them on board. Hopefully we'll just get some people out to the Anderson Rosenwald School who haven't been there before, and help them know about the good work that's going on there, and maybe hear a cool band from the community they haven't heard before."

Wyatt said the building typically operates a 40-person capacity, but "if necessary, we can open the windows."

The Rosenwald schools were named in honor of Julius Rosenwald, former president of Sears and Roebuck who collaborated with Booker T. Washington  a renowned educator and founder of the Tuskegee Institute  to aid Black colleges and preparatory academies.

The Mars Hill Rosenwald School's impact has reached other areas of the country, as a group is aiming to bring a national park to Chicago to celebrate Julius Rosenwald, and the Mars Hill school is being considered for selection as one of five satellite facilities.

Additionally, the school is listed on the group's promotional literature for the national park.

"The group wants five satellite facilities among the 11 Southern states, and this is one of the ones that's being considered," Friends group member Ray Rapp said in the Mars Hill Board of Education's February 2023 meeting at the school.

"Some would say, 'Well, there's still 10% of those 5,000 schools left in different stages.' That's true, but this is the school that's pictured on the cover of the promotional literature in the national park."

Johnson said he hopes the WestSound concert will help to spread the news about these and other ventures.

"It's something not everybody knows about, and they're doing great work at the school," Johnson said. "Hopefully this can bring some folks who might not have been there and help raise awareness about some of those efforts."

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More: Mural tells two sides of history New Mars Hill art mural celebrates county's beautiful and complicated history

More: School renovations complete Mars Hill community celebrates completion of historic Black school's rehabilitation

Nick Garrison

The Nick Garrison Quintet

According to a release from the Madison County Arts Council, The Nick Garrison Quintet celebrates the music of New Orleans, from traditional Black American Music of Louis Armstrong to the street sounds of brass band jams.

"Trombonist and vocalist Nick Garrison brings the energy of the Crescent City onto stage, incorporating his original arrangements of swing tunes from the 20's- 40's, bebop burners, blues, and ballads. This is a super talented band," the Arts Council said in the release.

Garrison also serves as an adjunct music professor at UNC Asheville.

The Ebbs Chapel Performing Arts Center is located at 271 Laurel Valley Road in Mars Hill. For tickets, call 828-649-1301 or visit madisoncountyarts.com.

Johnny Casey has covered Madison County for The Citizen Times and The News-Record & Sentinel for three years. He earned a first-place award in beat news reporting in the 2023 North Carolina Press Association awards. He can be reached at 828-210-6074 or jcasey@citizentimes.com.

This article originally appeared on Asheville Citizen Times: Council to host 1st concert at Mars Hill Anderson Rosenwald School
Bob Newhart rarely set foot in Vermont. But his impact on the state was noteworthy.

Bob Newhart portrayed a fictional Vermont innkeeper in the 1980s sitcom Newhart. His death on July 18 at age 94 affected Vermonters in ways the passing of other TV icons might not. The comic actor rarely set foot in the state, but it felt like he was a part of it.

"We are all saddened to hear the news of the passing of Bob Newhart, reads an email sent July 18 to the Burlington Free Press from a publicist for The Waybury Inn in East Middlebury.

The Waybury has the closest association to Newhart of any Vermont establishment, as the inn was used in the show for exterior shots as a fill-in for the Stratford Inn, owned by the characters portrayed by Newhart and Mary Frann.

Was the 'Newhart' show filmed in Vermont

As you know, he holds a special place in our hearts here at the Waybury Inn, according to the email from the inn. Although he did not visit in person, he said many times over the years how the Waybury was special to him. We continue to display his picture in our lobby and are proud to share with our guests some remembrances from the Newhart series that are in honored places throughout the Inn.

The black-and-white glossy photo of Newhart on display at the Waybury appears on the inns website. To the proprietor at the time, Newhart wrote Take care of my Inn!

The Waybury Inn, which dates to 1810, came under new ownership in early May. The new owners are Antonio Petri and Halina and Chas Lyons, all of East Middlebury, according to another email from the inn to the Free Press. Petri has been the inns executive chef since 2022. Halina Lyons is a former server in the inns dining room.

A photograph of the website of The Waybury Inn, taken July 19, 2024, shows the East Middlebury establishment that was used for exterior shots on the CBS television show "Newhart."

When has Bob Newhart visited Burlington, Vermont

One of Newharts rare visits to Vermont came in 1990.

Vermont finally had the opportunity to say hello to its favorite honorary native Friday, when Bob Newhart brought his legendary stand-up act to Burlingtons Memorial Auditorium, reads a Free Press article from the time.

A Burlington Free Press newspaper clipping from October 6, 1990 shows Bob Newhart at a news conference with Gov. Madeline Kunin at Burlington City Hall.

The article includes a photo of Newhart and then-Gov. Madeleine Kunin attending a news conference at Burlington City Hall as a can of maple syrup sits on the table to Newharts right. The article states that Kunin presented the syrup to Newhart, saying Its the best we have to offer.

According to the article, Susan Green, then director of Burlington City Arts in the administration of Mayor Peter Clavelle, presented Newhart with Burlington T-shirts. Later, as a Free Press correspondent, Green shared her memories of that day in a 2012 article tied to an appearance by Newhart at the Paramount Theatre in Rutland.

I have a vivid recollection of him asking me afterward if there was a nearby telephone he could use (in those days before cell technology), Green, who died in 2019, wrote in 2012. So I accompanied Newhart to my office in the basement of City Hall and left him alone at my desk to make his call  but quickly snapped a photo of the historic moment.

Newhart, after all, is famous for his comedic shtick of conducting phone conversations with an unseen party on the line, Green wrote. He delivered these wry monologues at least once in every episode of the 1980s show.

Contact Brent Hallenbeck at bhallenbeck@freepressmedia.com.

This article originally appeared on Burlington Free Press: Vermont's Waybury Inn remembers Bob Newhart. His TV show made it famous
Celebrity Realtor and reality TV star Ryan Serhant is opening his second office in Palm Beach County after adding 50 agents to his local roster and surpassing $300 million in closed sales over the past year.

Serhant, who starred in the Emmy-nominated Million Dollar Listing New York series and has a new show on Netflix called Owning Manhattan," launched a Delray Beach office of the firm Serhant. (the period is part of the name) in the spring of 2023.

He is scheduled to open his second office Aug. 1 at Harbourside Place in Jupiter.

We have proven that we arent just the new kids on the block in Palm Beach County, we are continuing to grow with top producing agents and setting record sales prices, said Christian Prakas, the opening broker of Serhant. in Delray Beach. We are thrilled with the success weve had so far.

'Million Dollar Listing's' Ryan Serhant's Jupiter real estate office will open with 15 agents

Prakas, who built the Delray Beach office from scratch, said the Jupiter office will open with 15 agents.

We have already added some great people that were exposed to us via the show and we've signed three new listings this week due to sellers seeing what we do best via Netflix, Prakas said.

Serhant, who was one of three New York Realtors followed by the Bravo TV series Million Dollar Listing, founded Serhant. in the fall of 2020. He now has 600 agents and announced last year he was expanding into seven East Coast markets, including South Florida.

The new Netflix show Owning Manhattan follows a handful of Serhant. agents  from novices to seasoned professionals  as they hawk high-rise condominiums, apartments and townhomes in the competitive world of luxury listings.

Ryan Serhant opens office in Delray: Bravo TV real estate celebrity joins 'Beverly Hills Housewives' star in move to Palm Beach County

Serhant said last year that Palm Beach County was an obvious next step for his firm.

In 2021, he co-represented the buyer of the beachfront home at 535 N. County Road in Palm Beach, which set the record at the time for the highest residential sale on the island at a recorded $122.7 million.

That sale has since been surpassed with the current record of $170 million for an oceanfront Palm Beach estate at 598 N. County Road.

Ryan Serhant on Palm Beach County real estate scene: 'We are experiencing a massive growth'

Reality TV star Ryan Serhant is a real estate broker and founder of New York-based SERHANT., which is expanding its real estate services into Boca Raton and Delray Beach. Serhant was Serhant starred on Million Dollar Listing New York and had spinoff shows including Sell it like Serhant and Ryan's Renovation.

Serhant also noted West Palm Beach as a growing market.

West Palm has become the new epicenter for large multi-billion-dollar financial institutions that have migrated to South Florida within the last three years, Serhant said in an email to The Palm Beach Post last year. We are experiencing a massive growth that is directly correlated with the real estate explosion on Palm Beach Island, and the migration to the Wall Street South.

West Palm Beach and Palm Beach experienced a 93% increase in millionaires between 2013 and 2023, ranking the two cities third nationwide in this years Henley & Partners USA Wealth Report.

"The Serhant name has helped us build immediate credibility with clients," said Nicholas Gonzalez, who is a founding agent in the Delray Beach office. "He is super involved in his business and it's so cool that we can go on a listing appointment and if we need him to make the seller feel comfortable, he's easily accessible."

Gonzalez said while home sales have cooled since the frenzied early days of the pandemic, a specialized development division at Serhant. assembles branding packages for new projects to help its agents boost sales. The division worked with Gonzalez and his colleague Matthew Moser to market the Sirene Villas in Delray Beach, which are selling for between $5.3 million and $5.5 million. Gonzalez said Serhant. will "create a whole vibe" around a project whether it's a new single-family home or multi-unit development.

"They are taking the same method they use to sell 400-unit buildings in New York City and applying it here," Gonzalez said.

Serhant, whose new Jupiter office is at 114 N. Coastal Way, is one of at least three real estate agents doing business in Palm Beach County whose reputations were boosted by reality television shows.

Mauricio Umansky, who appeared on the Real Housewives of Beverly Hills and now has his own Netflix series Buying Beverly Hills, opened a Palm Beach office of his firm The Agency in 2023. Umansky is separated from Real Housewives of Beverly Hills star Kyle Richards.

More: 'Million Dollar Listing' star Fredrik Eklund moved to Miami as South Florida real estate booms

Fredrik Eklund, who co-starred with Serhant on Million Dollar Listing New York, opened an office of his Eklund Gomes Team at the Jupiter Yacht Club shortly before the COVID-19 pandemic.

Eklund, who has since moved to Miami after a stint in California, said in an interview earlier this year that he was drawn to Florida because of the number of new developments. Last year, the Eklund Gomes Team had $3.77 billion in total transactions from agents in New York, California, Texas and Florida.

In LA, there just wasnt a lot of new construction, Eklund said.

Serhant, who is 6-foot-3, and Eklund, who is 6-foot-5, had a competitive  sometimes contentious  relationship on "Million Dollar Listing."

In Jupiter, their offices will be less than a mile from each other.

"I think there will be some natural competition between the two offices," Gonzalez said.

Stay up to date on South Florida's sizzling real estate market and sign up for The Dirt weekly newsletter, delivered every Tuesday! Exclusively for Palm Beach Post subscribers.

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: 'Owning Manhattan' star Ryan Serhant opens Jupiter real estate office
Reddit user ssteepballet recently asked community members to share their final "F U" moments towards a boss they didn't like. The thread quickly filled with a spicy range of defiant and triumphant "mic drop" exits that left me speechless. Here's what people shared:

1."He had shared an Andy Warhol bottle of Dom Perignon with us after we hit a big goal. He let me keep the cork because it was the first time I'd ever had champagne. When he fired our team months later, he stood in the doorway as I packed my desk. I tossed him the cork, said, 'I think you know where you can stick this,' and walked out the door with my stuff."

u/mfmeitbual

2."I reported him and the company to the IRS for not sending me a W2 and noted how they changed the company name and various things every few months to cheat on taxes."

u/Pantastic_Studios

Jitalia17 / Getty Images

3."We were getting ready to roll out the next great version of our core product. It was dependent on a single 'master' encryption key. The boss asked me to change the key and not share it with anyone. Okay, no problem. A week or two later, I decided to give my two weeks' notice, and he went off the deep end, screaming and throwing stuff. I was going to give him the key; I had it on a diskette in my hand. He called security, and they immediately walked me out the door. Later that day, a messenger gave me a 'legal order' saying I must immediately destroy all company stuff (threatening a lawsuit if I didn't), so I killed the diskette. They went live immediately after, but the database was corrupted, and they couldn't do anything without the key, which no longer existed. Apparently, it took them weeks to recreate all the lost customer data. Bummer."

u/kooknboo

4."Trucker here. I convinced all the other drivers at our terminal to apply at a competing trucking company down the road. They hired all but one of us, so we dropped our keys on the boss's desk. The plant pulled their contract within a month, and the company went bankrupt."

u/tc6x6

Driendl Group / Getty Images

5."He got a new job and was leaving. On his last day, I left a gift on his desk: the board game 'Clue,' with a note that said, 'Since you don't have one.'"

u/squid-do

6."I left him stranded at Marseilles airport. I was meant to pick him up that day and drive him back to Monaco. At precisely the moment his plane was landing, I sent the 'F U' email to his PA saying that I would no longer be available. It was the best day ever."

u/Wwwweeeeeeee

Ugurhan / Getty Images/iStockphoto

7."I just made the firing as awkward as possible. I spent 20 minutes in silence reading my severance package while she and the rep from HR watched. They tried to tell me they would email a copy I can electronically sign, but I just said no thanks. Then, I had them make a copy for me to take home again. They tried to say they would email it, but I insisted on a paper copy."

u/CertainlyAmbivalent

8."I quit just before a busy holiday weekend. I booked a nice beach trip and headed out. On my way out of town, the manager called and asked, 'Are you going to cover your shifts this weekend, or did you get somebody to work for you?' Nope."

u/really_affordable

Catherine Falls Commercial / Getty Images

9."I used their arrogance to fund my startup. I worked for this company for more than 10 years. They had about 150 employees and always claimed the whole 'we're a family' thing, but the vibe was actually, 'If you're not with us, you're against us.' Anyone who ever quit, which was rare, was always shunned and walked out immediately. Knowing this, and after researching employment law in my state, I gave him a 30-day notice instead of just two weeks. As expected, he walked me out and paid me for only two weeks. That shortfall allowed me to file for unemployment since I had no HR issues. His pride made it all too easy to predict, and I enjoyed every check, knowing their insurance had gone up a little because of it."

u/WIDSTND

10."I left an upper-decker in the 'office staff only' bathroom on my last day after the boss stopped letting the shop crew and drivers use both bathrooms and had 100+ people sharing one single bathroom so four people could have their own."

u/Eating_sweet_ass

La Bicicleta Vermella / Getty Images

11.I worked at a grocery store when I was younger. While working there, my first daughter was born. Her first birthday happened to fall on Memorial Day, and the store director wanted me to skip her birthday so he could have a barbecue. I told him that I wouldn't be there, but he still went ahead and scheduled me. Well, I didn't show up, and the next few months were a real pain. This guy started acting all petty and demoted me from management, cut my pay, and reduced my hours. It was messed up, but luckily, the union had my back and made him pay me a couple of grand in back pay after I put up with that crap for a few months."

"I eventually landed an amazing career at a water treatment plant, and now I'm making three times the money I used to. But before leaving, as my final F U, I gave all of my uniforms to the unhoused men who hung out in the parking lot. They'd walk around the parking lot in store uniforms, asking for money and food. My old boss got into a few confrontations trying to get the shirts back from them. I wish I could've been there for those. Ultimately, those guys started going through the back of the store during receiving hours and taking beer and food. To this day, years later, I guess it's still a problem, even after they changed uniforms."

u/Forcekin6532

12."I was a teacher and needed to take off the last day for a family vacation. Note: This was the last day for teachers, so we had no students. We would just clean up and go out to lunch with our coworkers. I submitted my vacation request and told them I would do all necessary check-out items before I left. Also, I hadn't taken any time off for the last two years, not a sick or personal day! They denied my request and said if I didn't show up that day, they would deduct my pay by my daily rate of $300+. I was so mad that I went and applied for another job in a way better district and got it. When the principal found out I got a new job, she frantically emailed and texted me, saying they would work out the vacation time. I was so over them and didn't give her the time of day. They had treated me poorly long enough. The real kicker was that I didn't submit my quitting form until July 1 (my district's deadline), so they couldn't hire someone for months!"

u/mmmcookie7

Jetta Productions / Getty Images

13."I was in a crappy job, in HR no less, on a contract, and I told the boss two months in advance that I was leaving at the end of the contract. After that day, they removed me from EVERYTHING  email groups, meetings, and a three-day offsite meeting (I found out about the meetings when I came to work, and no one was there for three days). I sat around playing games and reading on my last day. I was wandering around the building saying goodbye to people I actually enjoyed when suddenly my boss stopped me and said, 'We are having a staff meeting, and you have to be there,' then left. I went to someone I knew in the area of HR, and they said, 'They planned a party for you.'"

"So after two months of being totally removed from ANYTHING  no meetings, no one talking to me, etc.  they wanted to feel good by throwing me a party. So I snuck out the back door (my desk had been cleared for days), got in my car, and left. I called the lady I knew, and she said they sat there for about 30 minutes and then left the board room. THEY WERE MAD."

u/layer-motor2

14."I was a mechanic at a shop, and the boss had a favorite mechanic who could get away with anything. One day, about an hour before closing, an older lady comes in for front wheel bearings. I don't know why they told her they could do it then, but they did. Well, the suck-up favorite mechanic snapped two of her wheel studs. He got frustrated, left the car in the air, and went home! The boss came in and asked where he had gone, so I told him what happened. The boss then said, 'Well, get over there and finish it.' Excuse me? I told him that it was not my problem and that I was finishing another vehicle in my bay. He said, 'If you don't finish that car, you can find another shop to work at.' I simply said, 'You are right.'"

"Later that night, after we closed, I used my store key to come in and turn in my uniforms and get my tools. The boss blew up my phone for the next two weeks, but I never answered. I went on to open my own shop and do better."

u/ShawVAuto

D-ozen / Getty Images

15."We never really got along. He got a promotion to upper management and needed an assistant. I had already found another job elsewhere before he got that promotion and had planned to quit. When the posting came out for his assistant, I applied for it just to stress him out, thinking he would once again have to deal with me. I went through the process and got the job, but never showed up on the first day, or the next, or the next. Somehow, this went on for over a month before HR called me, laughing and asking if I wanted to submit my resignation. He had to do all the work alone, which made me happy."

u/Other-Negotiation328

16."I worked for a landscaping company that mainly did construction. The owner would constantly take more work than a company our size could manage and would then have massive temper tantrums when it wasn't getting done fast enough. The breaking point was him taking a massive project that was over two hours away from where anyone lived. That morning, he had 10 employees. The next morning, he had three. He called each of us, begged us to return, and then asked why we were doing this to him. I told him about his inability to balance the workload and the fact that his employees didn't want to drive over two hours to a job site every day. He said I'd regret it and hung up. I had a new construction job the next week. The dumb owner's company went under about a year later."

u/apocalypticradish

Catherine Mcqueen / Getty Images

17."Gave them a 'Sorry for your loss' card when I quit."

u/WiscoPopPM

18."Not me, but a friend. He worked at an Aladdin's Castle video game parlor in the mid-'80s. His boss had been hounding him for weeks to work additional overtime even though he had a new baby and his wife was still in the hospital because of complications. His wife was scheduled to come home on a day the boss insisted he work. He decided he no longer needed the job or the headaches and tossed his master keyring into the roll-top safe, spun the cylinder, and walked out to pick up his wife from the hospital."

"A roll-top safe was used to make daily deposits into a secure safe that only the person with the master key could unlock. There was a heavy metal cylinder at the top of the safe with an opening; when deposits were made into the cylinder, the deposit fell into the secure chamber when the cylinder was rotated. Once deposited, the only way to access the money was with the master key. With the master key (and the keys that locked the building) trapped deep within the safe, the boss was forced to call a locksmith (on a weekend) to retrieve the keys. His boss deserved every second of seething fury he experienced while watching the locksmith work over the safe."

u/wkarraker

Dscimage / Getty Images

19."I called a day before Christmas Eve to say I was resigning. I tried raising my salary for six years and never got more than a trainee. When I called, he said he could finally raise my salary to keep me in his company. I laughed and said, 'No, I have already decided.' It was the best decision ever in my work career. The place was toxic, with a really bad salary, and everyone was competing against each other instead of helping."

u/cornered_beef

20."I used to clean a very busy deli in the evening after closing. I worked from 9:00 p.m. until 2:00 a.m., completely taking the display cases apart, making it BEAUTIFUL for the next morning. The owner was a nasty drunk. As I was in the process, he called the store, berated me, called me names, told me I took too long, and rambled on and on. I was already fed up with his nonsense. I got off the phone, wrote a note that said, 'I quit,' set the alarm, and put my key through the mail slot. I left a NASTY, horrible mess. He called the next day and asked what had happened, but I didn't call him back. I called the deli the next day and apologized to my coworkers, but they thought it was hysterical. They said he was totally distraught and hungover, but they were with me 100%! Everybody quit over the next few months because he was a complete jerk."

u/Max123Dani

Xavierarnau / Getty Images

21."I called in sick on my last day after 15 years at the company. He wasn't happy, but I was, and I was finally free."

u/WhatsACellPhone

22."I had a meeting with my boss, who was trying to 'put me in my place' the whole time. At the end of his 20-minute rant, I handed him the resignation letter I planned to give him the whole time. Watching him waste his time and tell him I was leaving without anything else lined up was so satisfying."

u/ohhhohohkay

Ljubaphoto / Getty Images

23."I emailed my two weeks' notice the very same day I got another job offer. I copied the email to HR. My notice came only a few days after another manager's two-week notice. My boss scheduled me to close on my very last day and told me I could come by to give her my keys another day. She hated closing and had made me the closing donkey for months. Yeah, right. She opened that day. I came in, told her I had a medical emergency, handed her my keys, and left. According to my old coworkers, she had to work a double and apparently was seething."

"She was easily the worst boss I ever had for many reasons, not the least of which was verbally abusing our employees. One of my final straws was when I found out she'd been lying to others in the company that she had put me on a performance review that I'd signed off on. Turnover was extremely high under her, and actually, our entire management team ended up quitting. Last I heard, the store was falling apart, and our district manager had gotten sick of her."

u/PrehistoricPrincess

24."I was at a school where, for no reason, my boss and his boss both disliked me. The boss was an ex-military guy, and I was involved in the Peace Corps, which may have been a part of it. I was very successful at the school and made my boss look bad by comparison. Anyway, I got let go, which I knew was coming. It was one of those deals where they allowed you to stay a year while you found a new school. Since I knew it was coming, I went out and got a job, which turned out to be a better job with 50% more pay. The market just happened to be hot at the time, pre-Covid. Summer came, and I didn't tell them I had a new job, so they assumed I would stay the extra year."

"There was a date by which I had to turn in my contract for the extra year, but it was in July, so it was pretty late for them to find a new person. On the deadline date, I declined the offer. They could not replace me in time, so this caused a lot of issues and extra work for them. The best part was that I wrote a really nice letter thanking everyone for their support (which had been minimal at best) and basically left on very good terms. I sent it to every one of my colleagues, most of whom supported my boss. One of my friends told me that the letter made them furious, and my boss got fired eventually as things went downhill."

u/teacherbooboo

John Coletti / Getty Images

25."A month after I started my new job, I recruited two key workers from my old company. I left my boss having to explain to his boss why he had no idea what to do despite taking credit for everything we had done."

u/JustSomeGuy_56

26."I'm a former executive chef. I got fired via email while on leave for a death in the family. I didn't check my messages until I returned to work, so I was completely blindsided. Of course, everyone else already knew, including other restaurants. The boss was conveniently absent when I came to get my stuff. I smashed a company laptop and wiped a few hundred recipes and other important documents from my master hard drive. I heard she was pretty mad about that. These were petty actions on my part, but that boss was a habitual line stepper and harasser who loved verbal abuse. They constantly threatened to fire me over several years, always saying they could do it without me at a moment's notice. That was part of daily life for way too long, so I never felt bad for screwing her over like that. A few months later, she got fired. Three of my former managers informed me about it before the boss knew it was coming. That was the sweet, sweet icing on the cake."

u/guiltycitizen

Dima_sidelnikov / Getty Images/iStockphoto

27."I quietly asked for an exit interview with HR. I was told they don't do that for contractors, but I insisted. When it came time for the exit interview, I quietly explained the desperate situation on the call floor to HR. People were quitting for other jobs, and the boss was not replacing them but was still expecting call numbers and stats to improve with fewer people. Also, the boss changed the rules of what was and was not allowed in a call daily, yet didn't ask her workers their opinions on it, but expected us to just take her write-ups for breaking rules that didn't exist the day before."

"I never insulted the big boss; I kept my tone polite and professional while pointing out the issues. HR started sitting in on those daily meetings with shift supervisors about the rule changes and started to push back. Things got better for the floor staff, and they hired replacements. Within a few months, after the shift supervisors collectively signed a statement to point out the boss's direct abuse towards them, HR had enough and asked her to leave."

u/IronBoomer

28.And: "I worked retail for a bit after finishing school, and our manager quit right during the holiday season, so we went without one through January. Then, instead of promoting those of us who kept the store running, corporate brought a new manager in from a different store. She proceeded to find flimsy pretexts to fire us all. She called me back from vacation time I was spending visiting my sister, who was going through cancer treatment, to 'cover a shift.' When I showed up, she fired me. I had a 32 oz root beer in my hand, which I expected to sip during my shift. She was wearing the whole thing before I walked out the door for the last time. It was all over her ugly white sweater. Zero regrets."

u/geoffbowman

Have you ever given a crappy boss one final "screw you" before leaving a toxic job? Tell us your story in the comments or submit it anonymously using this form.

Note: Submissions have been edited for length and/or clarity.
Astrophotographer takes stunning photographs of the sun in incredible detail from his backyard in Arizona

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Credit: Mark Johnston (@azastroguy)

Seasoned astrophotographer Mark Johnston, who is also a NASA solar system ambassador, has managed to capture these phenomenal images of our sun from his backyard in Scottsdale, Arizona.

I started off projecting images from a camera attached to my telescope through a PC to a TV in public outreach events during Covid, to avoid having people line up to look in the telescope, Johnston told Digital Camera World, Then I started saving the images and it kind of snowballed from there.

We are currently in the midst of a solar maximum, the first since 2014, the peak of solar activity during the suns approximately 11-year solar cycle, which is expected to last until January 2025.

The surface of our sun

During this period the average number of solar sunspots increases on the suns surface, magnetic phenomena that can cause solar storms, known as solar flares and coronal mass ejections (CMEs).

This period of increased solar activity has had astrophotographers like Johnston reaching for their cameras in the hopes of seeing something spectacular.

Arizona, in particular, is a highly popular spot for astrophotographers due to its good weather and clear night skies, and the mountains provide a way of getting above the thicker portion of the atmosphere.

I have been imaging the Sun for years, Johnston said, Recently, I created a large aperture custom solar telescope and have been keen to test it out! All of these images were taken in July 2024.

The surface of our sun

To capture the sun in such detail, Johnston uses special process and kit:

160mm refractor telescope with an energy reflection filter over the objective to protect it from the Sun

"Then after the focuser, two hydrogen alpha etalons to isolate the 656.28 angstrom wavelength

"Then a special high-speed monochrome astronomy camera

"I focus on the sun, and tune etalons for maximum contrast

"Capture 2000 x 10 millisecond frames [milliseconds, not fractions of a second, are used in the software]

"Use software to extract and stack the best 200 frames

"Then further sharpen, denoise, and adjust the photo"

The surface of our sun

In the photographs we are looking at we can see, high-resolution images of the Sun's chromosphere. We can see prominences and spicules on the limb, filaments and sunspots on the surface, and a lot of active plasma activity, says Johnston.

The recent visibility of the Northern Lights can be attributed to the suns recent activity and the presence of sunspots. The electrical charges caused by the solar storms collide with the Earths atmospheric gases, most commonly oxygen and nitrogen. Oxygen atoms glow green, which is the most common color seen in the Northern Lights, while nitrogen atoms burn purple, blue and pink.

The surface of our sun

Johnston said:

Imaging the sun is fascinating because it is the only object in astronomy that is different every time you take a picture. The moon, planets, galaxies and star clusters are, with rare exceptions like supernovae, always pretty much the same. But the sun can spit out a sudden prominence in 30 minutes.

If youve been inspired to get out there and capture your own images during this rare period of the suns orbital cycle, Johnston recommends getting comfortable with using your astronomy gear visually.

Reach out to imagers whose work you like and ask them for advice.

He also has a wealth of information on how to capture similarly amazing images on his YouTube channel, @azastroguy.

Take a look at our guide to the best cameras for astrophotography, the best lenses for astrophotography, and the best star tracker camera mounts for astrophotography.
Beach lovers on Cape Cod face a delightful dilemma: with so many superb strands, how do you choose where to plant your umbrella?

Perhaps the first place to start is figuring out what water conditions suit you best. Beaches on Cape Cod Bay, Nantucket Sound and Buzzards Bay tend to have warmer water and gentler surf conditions. Outer Cape Cod beaches that face the Atlantic Ocean tend to have colder water and surf conditions can be rough at times, though some folks love playing in the waves.

The other big factor is figuring out the sticker requirements/entrance fee situation for beaches you are interested in. It's always a good idea to check out town beach office websites for information as you start planning. Exceptions include the six Cape Cod National Seashore beaches as well as Scusset Beach State Reservation and South Cape Beach State Park, which aren't administered by towns.

For folks who don't mind an evening dip, you'll find that many Cape beaches can be visited after 5 p.m. without paying an entrance fee or needing a sticker. That can be a good way to check out a beach for a future day trip.

To make things a little easier, we've put together a list of some of our favorite Cape Cod beaches. Here we go!

Our choices for Cape Cod's best beaches

Coast Guard Beach, Eastham

Sunrise at Coast Guard Beach in Eastham.

Coast Guard Beach is probably the most famous beach on Cape Cod, as this beautiful spot often makes Top Ten lists of best beaches in the country. Waves and chilly water are a possibility here, so less capable swimmers and kids should be careful.

Beachgoers park at the nearby Little Creek lot on Doane Road and take a shuttle to the beach. A bike trail connects the beach to the Salt Pond Visitor Center. What's nice about Coast Guard and all the other Cape Cod National Seashore beaches is that you don't need a town sticker to park at the beach. Simply pay an entrance fee or buy a pass at the booth and you're good to go, as long as the lot isn't full. Located at 2 Ocean View Drive, Eastham.

Crosby Landing Beach, Brewster

Crosby Landing Beach in Brewster.

The Cape Cod Bay beaches of Brewster offer warm water swimming without many waves and are a good choice for families with little kids. Sunsets are fantastic here. An important thing to remember is that high tide is by far the best time for swimming, because at low tide the water recedes far into the distance. But walking the tidal flats is splendid fun as well.

Crosby Landing Beach also features trails along the backing Namskaket Marsh. A relatively short walk brings you to the entrance of Namskaket Creek, a cool place to watch birds. The parking lot is relatively small and a sticker is required. Located at the end of Crosby Lane.

First Encounter Beach, Eastham

First Encounter Beach in Eastham.

First Encounter Beach is a beautiful and large beach on Cape Cod Bay. There's a big tide effect in play, with high tide being the best time to swim, but wandering the extensive flats at low tide is also good fun. This is an excellent choice for families or folks who don't want to wrestle with the surf.

There are also other parking places beyond the main lot, which allows folks to find a less populated beach spot. Town beach stickers or daily entrance fees are required to park at First Encounter Beach. Located at the end of Samoset Road in Eastham.

Grays Beach, Yarmouth Port

The Bass Hole boardwalk near Grays Beach in Yarmouth Port.

Grays Beach is also known as Bass Hole Beach and is home to the epic Bass Hole boardwalk which stretches out over a salt marsh. The beach is small and high tide is the best time to swim. The Cape Cod Bay water is warm and the protected location means it's almost always very gentle. This makes it a perfect place for families with little kids, and the sunsets are sublime.

There are restrooms, a playground and nearby hiking trails. Residents can park here with their beach stickers, non-residents must pay a daily or weekly fee. Located at the end of Center Street in Yarmouth Port.

Head of the Meadow, Truro

Head of the Meadow Beach in Truro.

This might be the Cape Cod National Seashore beach that you've never heard of, and that could be a good thing. On a hot summer day, when the parking lots are full at other beaches, you can often find a space here, perhaps because of its somewhat remote location. Head of the Meadow is an Atlantic-facing beach, so cool water and big waves can be in play. Restrooms are available.

What's nice about Head of the Meadow Beach and all the other Cape Cod National Seashore beaches is that you don't need a town sticker to park at the beach. Simply pay a fee at the booth or purchase a pass. Located at the end of Head of the Meadow Road in Truro.

Herring Cove Beach, Provincetown

Herring Cove Beach is an intriguing blend of Cape beach styles. Because of its location, pointed back toward Cape Cod Bay, the surf tends to be less significant than Atlantic-facing beaches. But keep in mind that swimming conditions may still be more challenging than Cape Cod Bay or Nantucket Sound beaches and the water may be chillier than those locales.

Sunsets are outstanding at Herring Cove and the beach is long, with plenty of room for folks to spread out. It also links up to the Province Lands Bike Trail. There are bathrooms and a snack bar. An entrance fee is required or you can purchase a pass. Located on Province Lands Road, Provincetown.

Marconi Beach, Wellfleet

Marconi Beach in Wellfleet.

For a lot of folks, visiting the big Atlantic-facing beaches like Marconi is essential to capturing that summer vibe. Sure, the water tends to be chilly and the waves can be big. But if you love the wild ocean and endless stretches of sand, it's a great place to be. The parking lot is huge and there's a pretty big set of stairs that lead down to the beach.

What's nice about Marconi and all the other Cape Cod National Seashore beaches is that you don't need a town sticker to park at the beach. Simply pay a fee at the booth or purchase an annual pass. Located at the end of Marconi Beach Road, South Wellfleet.

Mayo Beach, Wellfleet

Mayo Beach in Wellfleet.

In a refreshing change of pace from most Cape beaches, parking at Mayo Beach is FREE! It's located in Wellfleet Harbor, next to the town pier and across the street from an excellent playground and playing fields, so families can keep kids happy with the alternatives. Several restaurants are nearby, and ice cream is available at the foot of the pier.

This is a tide-affected beach, with high tide being the best time for a swim. The boat traffic coming in and out of the harbor is fun to watch. Located on Kendrick Avenue in Wellfleet.

Nauset Beach, Orleans

Nauset Beach in Orleans.

Nauset Beach s a giant Atlantic-facing strand with beautiful scenery and a big parking lot. A daily fee or beach sticker is required to park there. Cool water and waves can be in play, so swim with caution. Sunrises are spectacular and you can walk for miles along the shore.

This is one of the most popular beaches on Cape Cod, so despite the size of the parking lot, it's a good idea to arrive early on a hot summer day or wait until later in the afternoon when spots open up. Located at 250 Beach Road, Orleans.

Old Silver Beach, North Falmouth

Old Silver Beach in Falmouth.

Old Silver Beach is a classic old school Cape Cod beach on Buzzards Bay with great sunsets and gentle water. It's a big beach, divided in two by a salt waterway. The swimming is excellent, and the beach has more of a resort feel than many Cape beaches. A neat place to watch boats in the bay. Perfect for families with young kids.

There is a parking lot for those with resident stickers and a lot for the general public who pay an entrance fee. This is a very popular beach, so plan to arrive early to claim your parking spot. Located on Quaker Road in Falmouth.

Sandy Neck Beach Park, West Barnstable

Sandy Neck Beach Park in Barnstable.

Sandy Neck Beach Park is a spectacular and enormous place, with thousands of acres of dunes, marsh, trails and forest on Cape Cod Bay. Maybe the best place on the Cape for a combined hike and swim escapade. The interior of Sandy Neck is similar to the Province Lands at the Cape tip.

The beach is six miles long and popular with off-road vehicles. Barnstable and Sandwich residents can enter with their town beach stickers and non-residents may pay a daily fee at the entrance. Located on Sandy Neck Road, West Barnstable.

Scusset Beach State Reservation, Sandwich

Scusset Beach State Reservation in Sandwich.

Located on the mainland side of Cape Cod, east of the Sagamore Bridge, Scusset Beach State Reservation offers 1.5 miles of bay beach right next to the Cape Cod Canal. A great place to swim and watch boat traffic. The water is usually calm, making it a great beach for kids.

Perhaps the most intriguing thing about Scusset for folks who live off-Cape is you can visit a Cape Cod beach without crossing one of the bridges. The daily parking fee is $14 for Massachusetts residents and $40 for non-residents. Residency status is determined by the license plate of the vehicle. Located at the end of Scusset Beach Road in Sandwich.

South Cape Beach State Park, Mashpee

South Cape Beach in Mashpee.

There's a lot to love about South Cape Beach State Park, perched on Nantucket Sound. It's a big beach, with warm water and gentle surf. The nearby Dead Neck Trail (much nicer than it sounds), is a splendid little hike that winds behind the beach area out to a neat breakwater.

The daily parking fee is $12 for Massachusetts residents and $40 for non-residents. Residency status is determined by the license plate of the vehicle. Facilities include restrooms, a picnic area and grills. Located at 668 Great Oak Road in Mashpee.

Town Neck Beach, Sandwich

Town Neck Beach in Sandwich.

Town Neck Beach is a great spot to watch boat traffic entering and exiting the Cape Cod Canal and enjoy the warm and gentle waters of Cape Cod Bay. Behind the beach a vast marsh offers excellent birdwatching. And the nearby, iconic Sandwich Boardwalk is back in action!

It's a good spot for families with little kids and the sunsets are excellent. Those looking to park at the beach must have a resident or non-resident sticker or pay an entrance fee. Located at the end of Wood Avenue in Sandwich.

West Dennis Beach

West Dennis Beach.

This is a mega-beach with tons of parking and offers the warm, gentle waters of Nantucket Sound. You can walk down to the breakwater at the entrance to the Bass River and watch boats. A very family-friendly atmosphere and a good place for a long, luxuriant dip in the sea. There are restrooms and swings for the kids.

A sticker or daily beach parking fee is required for vehicle entrance. While the parking lot is very large, West Dennis Beach is highly popular, so it makes sense to arrive early to claim your favorite spot or swing by in the afternoon when things thin out a bit. Located on West Dennis Beach Road in West Dennis.

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.

Thanks to our subscribers, who help make this coverage possible. If you are not a subscriber, please consider supporting quality local journalism with a Cape Cod Times subscription. Here are our subscription plans.

This article originally appeared on Cape Cod Times: Best Cape Cod beaches: Great choices for bay or ocean swimming
In its most basic form, a hot dog is just bread with a meat filling. Whether you think that makes it a sandwich or not is up to you, but we can all agree that it's one tasty snack. Still, hot dogs around the world don't always taste the same. Even within America, everyone has a unique take on them, with many delicious hot dog styles across the country made with a variety of toppings and sauces. In particular, hot dogs are a popular delicacy in the Dominican Republic's thriving street food market. Food carts loaded with them are set up at almost every street corner. Plus, outdoor events wouldn't be complete without them.

At first glance, Dominican hot dogs might not look too different from what you're used to -- essentially sausage between buns with a splash of veggies and sauces. But after one bite, you see why everyone's a fan, including locals and tourists. So, how are Dominican hot dogs different from regular hot dogs, and why are they so delicious?

Read more: 6 Meats You Should And Shouldn't Buy From Walmart

The Sausages Are Infused With Flavor

Frankfurters boiling in a pan - Kosmos111/Getty Images

If you've ever made hot dogs at home, you probably already know that you technically don't have to bother parboiling or boiling your hot dogs because the sausages typically come pre-cooked. However, most people don't mind cooking the sausages by either boiling or grilling before putting them in the hot dog bun. But for Dominican hot dogs, this is the crucial step that transforms a simple snack into something that tastes extraordinary. So how is it done?

Making authentic Dominican hot dogs requires infusing as much flavor as possible into the meat. This means you can't just boil the sausages in plain water; you would typically cook them in a rich broth that contains tomato powder, chicken bouillon cubes, and chopped cabbages. One fun hot dog hack to help the sausages soak up all the flavor is to split them down the middle before cooking. Another way this step upgrades the hot dogs is that cooking cabbages unlocks the mild sweetness of the vegetable, infusing the sausage as it simmers.

The Hot Dog Toppings Are The Final Touch

hot dog with condiments - siamionau pavel/Shutterstock

To assemble Dominican hot dogs, you could begin by drizzling generous amounts of ketchup, mustard, and mayonnaise on both sides of the bun. Yes, you read that right: Mayonnaise goes on hot dogs, too. Although mayo might not be the most popular hot dog condiment, don't knock it until you try it. Mayonnaise brings a certain savory flavor to these hot dogs that's undeniably delicious.

Once the base layer of sauces is applied, add the pre-seasoned sausages between the buns, followed by the veggies. Dominican hotdogs usually contain a colorful mix of cooked cabbage, onions, sweet corn, and tomatoes, with many other options available. There are no strict rules here, so if you're making Dominican hot dogs at home, you can make the recipe yours by taking out vegetables you don't like and leaving only those you enjoy.

Finally, top everything off with more ketchup, mustard, and mayonnaise. You can also add cheese, bacon, and Dominican chimi sauce if you like. And there you have it. A Dominican hot dog in all its glory: One of the world's unique hot dog styles, which may be different from what you're used to yet is packed with flavor.

Read the original article on The Daily Meal.
When it's blisteringly hot outside, it can feel like the sun is sapping you dry. Drinking cold water is arguably the best way to stay cool and keep hydrated, but that can be boring. Instead, get your hydration the fun way by enjoying a delicious shaved ice treat.

Shaved ice comes in many forms worldwide, with two popular versions coming from Hawaii and South Korea. You're probably familiar with Hawaiian shave ice (there's no "d" when talking about this specific treat). Shave ice and snow cones, which use crushed ice, are among the most popular versions enjoyed in the United States. They're typically covered in colorful, fruity, sugar-loaded syrups with fun names such as tiger's blood and Bahama Mama.

The main difference between Hawaiian shave ice and Korean shaved ice  or bingsu  is that bingsu's ice is flavored before it's shaved. It's usually a mix of water, milk, and condensed milk, with flavorings such as matcha and chocolate sometimes added. This gives every bite a creamy, ice cream-like texture and flavor. Bingsu is then loaded up with delicious toppings such as boba, sweet red beans, and more condensed milk.

Read more: 21 Top Ice Cream Brands, Ranked By Flavor And Quality

What To Know About Hawaiian Shave Ice

Two cups of shave ice - Yinyang/Getty Images

Hawaiian shave ice's history is rooted in Japan. In the late 1800s and early 1900s, Japanese immigrants traveled to Hawaii for work, commonly finding it on sugar and pineapple plantations. They brought with them kakigori, a shaved ice treat enjoyed by Japan's wealthy as early as the 9th century. When the workers started shaving ice with their tools on breaks and topping it with the fruits and sugars they had ample supply of, Hawaiian shave ice was born.

The key to Hawaiian shave ice is truly in the shaving. Unlike snowcones' loose and crunchy crushed ice, thin ice shavings create dense, fluffy layers that melt in your mouth. The density forces syrup to travel slowly through the layers, making each bite as flavorful as the last. In crushed ice, much of the syrup goes straight to the bottom.

Because of its simplicity, Hawaiian shave ice is a great treat to make at home. If you want the classic snowcone stand experience, you can use pre-made syrups. Or, if you make your own, start with canned fruit liquid as a base for flavorful syrup. Then, reduce it with some sugar until it's the right consistency. You could also start a quick and easy multi-fruit jam, stopping before it thickens to strain the pulp away and return the mixed juices to the pot for further reduction. Or leave the pulp in for a half-syrup, half-jam topping.

What To Know About Korean Shaved Ice

bingsu with red bean topping - Mixa/Getty Images

Bingsu, like Hawaiian shave ice, is also deeply rooted in history and owes much of its modern form to Japan. While there are records of a bingsu-like treat called hwachae as early as the late 14th century, modern bingsu took on its kakigori-like shape in the early 20th century during Japan's colonization of Korea. However, bingsu has firmly established its own identity separate from desserts that use plain ice by using a milk-and-water ice block. The milk also makes the already creamy texture of ice shavings that much creamier.

Because of this flavored base, you can top bingsu with a huge array of treats without worrying about how they affect the taste. Some collections of toppings are so common they've become their own named dish. Patbingsu's mix of sweet red bean paste, vanilla ice cream, and fruit is among the most popular, as is injeolmi bingsu's use of rice cakes and soybean powder.

If you want to shave this milk-and-water ice or regular ice, the easiest way is to use an at-home shaver. You can also use a blender for partly fluffy, partly crunchy ice. If you don't mind using some significant elbow grease, you can ignore machines entirely by hand-shaving the ice with a sharp knife or cheese grater. However you shave it, use large blocks that have thawed for about five minutes for the best results.

Read the original article on The Daily Meal.
Ohio's longest rivers flow for hundreds of miles. See the top 10

Did you know one of the facts about Ohio is that it was named after the Seneca word for river?

The Seneca people, who spoke Seneca, an Iroquoian language, named Ohio after the Ohio River. It can mean "good river," "large creek," or "great river, according to WorldAtlas. The rivers in Ohio are significant, as they provide water for both domestic and industrial use.

Ohio's great river is just thatthe longest river that touches Buckeye State soil. These are the 10 longest rivers in Ohio.

1. Ohio River981 miles

The Ohio River is the longest in Ohio. This river flows as long as 981 miles from Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, to Cairo, Illinois, where it meets the Mississippi. Its drainage basin extends over 15 states.

From flowing to floes: People walked across a frozen Ohio River in 1977. See the photos

2. Wabash River503 miles

Though it flows through Indiana and is Indianas state river, the Wabash River starts in Ohio. This 503-mile river flows from Ohio to Indiana, and ends in Illinois, draining into the Ohio River, making it the largest northern tributary of Ohio's namesake river.

3. Scioto River231 miles

Ever visited Columbus' Scioto Mile for a walk? The Scioto River flows right through it.

The Scioto River courses for 231 miles only in Ohio, from Auglaize County to Portsmouth. This river receives its water from the Olentangy River and drains into the Ohio River. In the early days of Ohio, Native Americans and settlers used the Scioto River for transport, and it is now used for recreation and domestic use.

4. Great Miami River160 miles

Another tributary to the Ohio River is the 160-mile-long Great Miami River. The river flows almost exclusively in the Buckeye State before briefly crossing the Ohio-Indiana state border before it discharges into the Ohio.

Sydney, Hamilton, Troy, Piqua, and Dayton are some of the cities that sit on the banks of the Great Miami River.

A win for conservation: Land, where Ohio and Great Miami rivers meet, protected

5. Maumee River137 miles

The Maumee River starts its 137-mile journey toward Maumee Bay and the shores of Lake Erie near Toledo in Ft. Wayne, Indiana. This river forms at the confluence of the St. Marys and St. Joseph Rivers.

6. Sandusky River133 miles

Beginning at the confluence of Paramour Creek and the Allen Run near Leesville, according to the Ohio government website, the Sandusky River flows for 133 miles until it reaches Sandusky Bay in Lake Erie.

This river is considered underdeveloped, its surrounding land consists of bogs and marsh areas, and its watershed is home to 220,000 people.

7. Tuscarawas River130 miles

Named after a Native American village, the Tuscarawas River flows near the city of Coshocton during a portion of its 130 miles, according to the Muskingum Watershed Conservancy District. It begins near Akron and is a tributary of the Muskingum River, where it ends.

This river is used for recreation, such as fishing and paddling, and provides a habitat for wildlife.

8. Raccoon Creek114 miles

Flowing through the Ohio counties of Athens, Hocking, Vinton, Jackson, Meigs, and Gallia, according to Ohio Watershed Data, the Raccoon flows for 114 miles, discharging into the Ohio River.

This river requires conservation as it suffers from oil and natural gas pollution and other harmful substances.

9. Auglaize River113 miles

The Auglaize River is a tributary of the Maumee River, so its waters eventually drain into Lake Erie. It is located entirely within Ohio and stretches roughly 113 miles, according to Natural Atlas. The Auglaize's headwaters start near Lima, Ohio, and the river is a popular spot for canoeing.

10. Mahoning River113 miles

Ending this flowing list of rivers comes the Mahoning River. It starts in northeastern Ohio and crosses into Pennsylvania, where its waters eventually join the Beaver River and, later, the Ohio River.

According to Friends of the Mahoning River, this watershed played a significant role in the development of Youngstown, Ohio, laying the groundwork for population and industrial growth in the 19th and 20th centuries.

This article originally appeared on Cincinnati Enquirer: Ohio's longest river is obvious. Do the others surprise you?
Pan Am is returning to skies in 2025, and packages start at $65K: Whats included?

(NEXSTAR)  Longing to return to the airline industrys Golden Age of travel, with spacious seating, in-flight freebies and an open bar?

Just be prepared to pay for it.

A Pan Am-branded plane will be returning to the skies in 2025, offering a select group of passengers a multi-destination travel experience that retraces some of the now-defunct airlines original transatlantic routes for one all-inclusive price.

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The flight program, appropriately called Tracing the Transatlantic, kicks off June 27, 2025, in New York City before making stops in Bermuda, Lisbon, Marseille, London and Foynes in midwestern Ireland, where guests can tour a full-size Pan Am Clipper replica before heading back to the States on July 9. At each stop, travelers will enjoy accommodations at notable hotels including the Waldorf Astoria in NYC, the Four Seasons Hotel Ritz in Lisbon, The Savoy in London, and a literal castle in Ireland.

The flights and accommodations were chosen to invoke a sense of luxury and exclusivity, according to the official website of Criterion Travel, a U.S.-based tour operator who partnered with Bartelings, a U.K. charter company, to plan the trips under an official license from Pan Am Brands.

In other words, its not cheap. Tickets are priced at $59,950 per person for passengers traveling as a couple, or $65,500 per person for solo travelers.

Passengers deplane after a flight from New York to Brussels. The airline, once the unofficial flag carrier of the United States, filed for bankruptcy in 1991. (Getty Images)

Costs include more than just travel and accommodations. The flights  chartered on an all business-class plane  will feature lie-flat seats, an open bar and continental cuisine. The inclusive rate also includes all meals (except for a dinner in London), and some exclusive branded swag, according to the Criterion and Bartelings sites. (A representative for Criterion was only able to say the swag will include Pan Am-branded items and collectibles; Pan Ams official site currently sells pens, bags and sweatshirts, among other items.)

Additionally, Criterion indicated that the passengers  of which only 50 will be allowed  can partake in optional excursions at the destinations. Guests will also enjoy expedited screening at customs and immigration checkpoints, per the Tracing the Transatlantic site.

A spokesperson for Criterion Travel added that the plane itself (a Boeing 757-200) will feature Pan Am livery, indicating it may resemble the airlines aircraft of yore.

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Despite the price, the idea of revisiting the Pan Am era has proven to be quite popular: The first Tracing the Transatlantic trip is already sold out. Criterions spokesperson has confirmed that a second departure is already in the planning stages, though they did not say when that trip would take place.

Craig Carter, the CEO of Pan American World Airways, had already indicated that future flight programs could take to the skies in coming years, calling the 2025 experience just the first of many exclusive themed flights back into the luxury travel space. A full itinerary on the Bartelings site also teases exciting centenary plans for Pan Am in 2027.

Pan American Airways, founded in 1927, was once regarded as a leading international airline. The carrier filed for bankruptcy in 1991 amid increased competition from commercial carriers.

Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. 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.
(PUEBLO, Colo.)  On Saturday, July 20, Pueblos top chefs will compete at Electric Avenues Pueblo Plate-Up, using the latest electric kitchen technology at the Fuel & Iron Food Hall. This free event takes place from 3 p.m. to 4 p.m. and is open to the public.

The chefs will compete in teams of two, each partnering with a Pueblo grower to highlight the areas local produce.

Ryan from Union Pizza and Chuck from The Hungry Buffalo will receive their produce from Musso Farms to make a bison and chili lasagna. The recipe will feature freshly made pasta, Pueblo chilis, and a bison red sauce made with San Marzano tomatoes.

Chad and Nako from The Cutting Board and Chelsea from Trailglazers are partnering with Millberger Farms to make harvest bruschetta, asparagus focaccia, marinated mushroom duxelles, lemon miso asparagus, marinated grape tomatoes, and vegan feta.

Richard and Mary from Diavolo Hot Chicken and Ed and Dorothea from Steel Crescent Kitchen will use ingredients from Crites Farm to make heirloom tomato salad with opal basil vinaigrette and green chili goat cheese, as well as sous vide Berkshire pork tenderloin with red Pueblo chilis, fingerling potatoes, and succotash.

While visitors will have a chance to taste unique recipes from some of Pueblos top cooking talent, they will also have a chance to witness innovative cooking methods and learn why moving towards electric kitchens is a smarter and safer way to cook.

Benefits of cooking with electric technology include:

Electric ranges dont pollute: By burning methane (natural gas), gas ranges emit pollutants that harm the lungs and cause asthma. Electric ranges have no emissions.

Electric ranges are more efficient: Gas ranges operate at 32% energy efficiency, while traditional electric cooktops perform at 75%-80% efficiency. Induction stoves achieve around 85% energy efficiency.

Save money on energy bills: The cost of electricity is lower than natural gas, so running an electric appliance cuts down on energy bills.

Safer for kitchen staff: Without open flames and the extra heat they release, cooks and other kitchen staff have less risk of burning themselves, getting dehydrated, or overheating.

Plenty of Incentives: With the passage of the IRA, the government has earmarked billions of dollars to encourage the shift to electric appliances. If youre looking to install a new oven or upgrade an existing one, its never been cheaper to purchase an electric model.

The event is a part of Electric Avenue, a series of public education events mixing food, art, tech, and social interaction, sponsored by Good Business Colorado. In addition to electric kitchen technologies, Pueblo Plate-Up will exhibit the latest electric vehicles, E-bikes, and interactive displays from local utilities and tech companies.

Fuel & Iron Food Hall is located at 400 South Union Avenue in Pueblo. For more information, or to RSVP, click on the link above.

Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to FOX21 News Colorado.
Rucking is a buzzy fitness trend so I tried it. I'm fit and loved how efficiently it turned my daily walk into a challenging workout.

Rucking is a buzzy fitness trend so I tried it. I'm fit and loved how efficiently it turned my daily walk into a challenging workout.

Rucking has risen in popularity among elite athletes and tech and business executives.

It helps build stamina, strength, and cardiovascular fitness, so I decided to try it.

I was surprised by how challenging rucking was and how much it elevated my daily walks.

As a person who does a lot of walking and a lot of weight lifting, I thought rucking  walking while carrying a heavy weight in a backpack  would be a breeze. I was wrong.

Rucking has been a popular military training tool for decades. It's a staple for both the US Army and the British Royal Marines, who call it yomping.

In recent years, however, rucking has exploded in popularity, both among elite athletes such as six-time Fittest Woman in the World Tia-Clair Toomey-Orr and high-level executives in business and tech.

The benefits of rucking are wide-ranging: It can help build stamina, strength, and cardiovascular fitness, while also strengthening bones and burning energy.

As a health reporter, keeping active is important to me. I've been lifting weights for seven years, play netball, row, and run most weeks, and aim to walk every day to hit 10,000 steps (even though I know there's nothing magical about that number).

Rucking appealed to me because it seemed like a simple way to make my daily lunchtime walks more efficient.

It only took one attempt, however, to learn that carrying a weighted backpack, known as a ruck or rucker, completely changes a walk. My lunchtime stroll was replaced by a challenging workout that raised my heart rate and left me so sweaty I needed to shower.

Having tried rucking a few times now, I can understand why it's a brilliant way to improve your fitness, but it's definitely not relaxing like a regular walk.

Proper rucking equipment is pricey

I used GoRuck's 15L Rucker 4.0 with one of the brand's 20-pound plates in the inside pocket.

The rucking kit used by Rachel Hosie. Rachel Hosie/Business Insider

The backpack is designed to hold both a weight plate and have space for other items like a bottle of water, an extra layer of clothing, and snacks.

The rucker alone costs $245 and the plate costs $105, so they're not cheap.

However, the products have a lifetime warranty and are designed specifically for rucking. To minimize injury and improve posture, the weight stays closer to your body and higher up your back than if you just put heavy things in a normal backpack, and the bag has thickly padded shoulder and sternum straps.

There are a lot of colors to choose from, and I opted for a berry shade, which I thought was very cute and on brand for me.

Walking around with the ruck on definitely doesn't look as odd as wearing a weighted vest. That said, it doesn't look like a normal backpack, so I did get a few strange looks as I strolled around the rural village where I live on a weekday lunchtime.

It felt very different from carrying a normal backpack, too, likely due to the weight and its positioning. I often find myself carrying a decent amount of weight on my back, whether that's dashing around London with my laptop, water, and overnight essentials, or heading off on a long hike with my far-more-outdoorsy fiance.

Rucking raised my heart rate

Rucking swiftly raised my heart rate. Rachel Hosie/Business Insider

It took some fiddling around with the straps to find the right positioning. The rucker wasn't particularly comfortable, especially as I got sweatier and sweatier. And boy, did I get sweaty. I wasn't expecting to need a shower afterward, but I definitely did.

Loosening the straps meant my back could breathe somewhat (I didn't love the feeling of my sweaty back on the rucker), but it also meant the weight moved around and hit my back with every step, which wasn't great.

With each ruck I've done, I've swiftly felt my heart rate increase to what felt like higher than during a normal walk, so I could tell my body was working hard.

After 20 minutes or so, I could feel my upper body and shoulders fatiguing. After half an hour or so, I feel myself starting to tire.

Rucking, I have learned, doesn't help you relax and decompress like a walk might. It's a workout. And one I should not attempt immediately after eating my lunch.

I also learned that the ruck isn't something I will just always throw on when going for my daily walk. When I want to get a full body workout in while enjoying the outdoors, I will ruck, when I need to decompress, I will walk.

The ruck is useful for workouts too

One weekday evening I told myself I'd go for a ruck, but what I really wanted to do was watch Wimbledon. So I decided I'd get the best of both worlds and exercise in front of the television while wearing the rucker.

It ended up being a great workout, and definitely left me with aching muscles the next day.

I did movements including lunges, squats, and Bulgarian split squats all while wearing the rucker, and it really leveled up what would have otherwise been an easy bodyweight workout for me.

The ruck also has handles both at the top and the bottom, meaning you can easily hold it in your hands for different types of exercises.

So I will definitely keep using the rucker, both on walks and for home workouts. If you don't want to invest in much fitness equipment, a rucker is a really versatile piece of kit that can tick a lot of boxes.

Just make sure you factor in time to shower after using it.

Read the original article on Business Insider
Driving out of Cork on the way to Ballymaloe, roads run alongside moss-covered stone walls and everything gets greener and greener. On the stretch of rugged beach by Ballycotton we stop and get out to look out at the lighthouse perched on its own mass of rock and breathe in gulps of sea air.

I have come for a long weekend in Ireland  and instead of Dublin or Belfast, I want to experience the southern city of Cork and the surrounding area. Its an easy weekend trip from London  flights were a 30 return with Ryanair, and I spent more time travelling to Luton airport than I did in the air. The city itself has become a foodie destination, with new hotels and restaurants popping up to welcome tourists  and of course, the pubs are some of the best in the world.

(Ballymaloe Hotel)

The first stop is Ballymaloe House Hotel. 2024 marks 60 years of Ballymaloe, the Hotel opened by Ivan and Myrtle Alan in 1964 as a restaurant called The Yeats Room. The hotel has been so successful that it spawned a cookery school founded by Mrytles daughter-in-law Darina Allen in 1983.

As the taxi pulled up around the sweeping drive, we saw the front of the house was draped in wisteria. We had cocktails in the front sitting room  spicy margaritas and spring whiskey cocktails  all with ingredients grown on the grounds. Our room, the Ivy Suite, had its own porch with a row of pink geraniums. The room was huge, with a separate closet, and new furnishings in modern florals.

Suites have their own porches and contemporary interiors (Ballymaloe Hotel)

That Friday evening, we ventured into the nearest town, Ballycotton, for fresh fish and chips at The Blackbird, and to experience some live music. We drank local gin, Guinness and Murphys  another much lighter stout.

On Saturday morning after a delicious omelette and multiple cups of coffee at the hotel, we set off for the Ballycotton cliff walk. The skies cleared and we were bathed in sunshine the whole walk. We wound our way along the cliff tops, discovering tiny coves and caves perfect for stone skimming, and lined with wildflowers. We reached two ghost shipwrecks an hour-and-a-half in, and turned around to make it back into town for lunch.

Youre going to want to visit the cookery school just a few kilometres from Ballycotton, even if youre not taking a cookery class (and even if you are not a big fan of cooking). The grounds themselves are a small world: theres a mystical shell grotto intricately decorated at one end of the grounds, crowds of geese and ducks wandering around, and even a huge Saltburn-style Celtic maze that we tried to navigate multiple times, only to get very lost and then have to use pollen to mark our route because we didnt have a pen. We grabbed crisps and olives and soaked up some unusually-hot Irish sun.

Dervilla O'Flynn Executive Head Chef (Ballymaloe Hotel)

We made it back to the hotel in time for dinner, which was the highlight of our stay. I recommend making it your entire evening plan, and settling in to watch the other diners and just enjoy the slowness of the courses. We had sparkling wine to start with warm fresh bread, followed by the lightest seabass  but the real excitement came at dessert. Have you ever seen a dessert trolley before? Well, we hadnt. It was wheeled around the restaurant, and you could pick as many different options as you wanted on one plate. There was fresh homemade honeycomb ice cream, pistachio biscotti, strawberry tarts, and a chocolate rum meringue log. We tried them all and then crawled back to the room.

After two blissful days in by the coast, the next stop was the Montenotte hotel, at the top of Cork. The Montenotte is a great option because its up on the hill, you can see out over the River Lee and the spires of the churches, as well as the more industrial side of the city.

The Montenotte is up on the hill, you can see out over the River Lee (The Montenotte)

For dinner, we headed to Cask in town, lured in by the red lights inside, and the host of people laughing at tables down the alley next to it. We shared small plates of olives and fish tacos, which were both delicious, and more rounds of Aperol spritzes than I want to admit. Then, we set out in search of the best pub to wile away the night  walking past countless bars with crowds spilling onto the streets, loud renditions of Wonderwall and perfectly-poured pints of Guinness.

We settled on Arthur Maynes, a quirky apothecary bar crammed full of rainbow bottles in deep blues and reds, that serves strong gin and tonics downstairs, and fantastic cocktails upstairs in a dimly-lit speakeasy  you have no idea of the time of day or night in the bar, to the point where we realised it was 2.30am and we should start walking up the hill to bed.

On the Monday we headed to one of the most extensive hotel gyms Ive ever seen  an actual dedicated space rather than an add on  before heading off to get more of a sense of the city in daylight.

The Montenotte has an expansive gym and spa facilities (The Montenotte)

Cork is small enough that you can walk everywhere by foot. It offers the Crawford art gallery for a dose of culture, and Cork Cathedral, whose spires you can see for miles around. We had an unfussy lunch at Umi  bowls of falafel and hummus and sweetcorn salad  all for 20 for two people, but enough food for four.

We followed this with coffee at Cork Coffee Roasters: there are a few around the city but I would recommend the one on Ballyhooly Road, where you can sit outside with a view.

For our final dinner, we ate at the Montenotte  led by South African head chef Rudi Liebenberg, formerly of Cape Towns Mount Nelson hotel. Huge portions of salmon and roast lamb were cooked perfectly, and we drank margaritas afterwards looking over the nighttime Cork skyline.
Love of ice cream may be one of the few things Americans everywhere can agree on  until you start talking about flavors, at least.

What better time for these passionate discussions than National Ice Cream Day on July 21  though this summer, every day may feel like an ice cream day, especially with the recent heat wave across New England.

Holiday Calendar conducted a study of the five most popular ice cream flavors in each state, through analyzing grocery shopping data of over 12 million Americans, combined with a survey of 4,500 people across 15 states to supplement the findings.

Favorite ice cream flavor in Massachusetts

Coffee ice cream is Massachusetts' favorite flavor.

Massachusetts really does run on coffee.

The Bay State bucked the trend, with coffee being No. 1, and the national favorite, vanilla, relegated to fourth place. For anyone familiar with the history leading up to the American Revolution, preference for coffee should not come as a surprise. Boston in particular has had a special affinity for coffee ever since city residents began losing their taste for tea following the 1773 Boston Tea Party protest against British taxation.

Massachusetts' top flavors:

Coffee Chocolate Strawberry Vanilla Rocky road

Top flavors in the country

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Embedded content: https://imagedelivery.net/lCsODh8EJUNDijZLbbcSWQ/c35988f2-067b-45c6-a116-384d72254e00/huge

Vanilla came out on top in the nationwide average, being the first choice in 19 states. You can draw your own conclusions on what it may say that our nation's favorite flavor is also a synonym for boring or uninteresting.

Chocolate was a close second, being the favorite in 15 states, according to Holiday Calendar's map.

While it didn't have a nationwide list, the International Dairy Foods Association supported these findings with its own data.

Vanilla.

Chocolate.

Strawberry.

Butter pecan.

Cookie dough

This article originally appeared on Telegram & Gazette: Top ice cream flavors in MA: Did your favorite make the list?
LANSING, Mich. (WLNS)  One driver is in the hospital with injuries Saturday afternoon after crashing a car into a Jackson church building.

Jackson police responded to the crash at around 1:30 p.m. Their investigation shows that the car had swerved off the road and crashed into Word of Light Christian Center at 804 Alpine Drive in Jackson.

A vehicle crashed into Word of Light Church in Jackson Saturday afternoon, July 20. (Photo courtesy Michigan Fire Alerts)

Luckily, nobody was inside the church at the time of the collision.

Responders transported the injured driver to the hospital. Right now, police said, no one is in custody.

Michigan Fire Alerts has shared the photo of the crash with 6 News.

Police said its not yet clear whether or not alcohol was involved in the crash.

Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to WLNS 6 News.
Democrats faced a challenging path to holding their Senate majority even before President Joe Biden stepped aside from the 2024 campaign  and they likely still do with Vice President Kamala Harris as their presumptive nominee.

But this years Democratic candidates, many of them well-known incumbents, have so far been able to create some separation from the top of the ticket. The question is whether they can sustain it as these contests take off over the late summer and fall.

Nine of the top 10 seats on CNNs latest ranking of the Senate seats most likely to flip are held by Democrats (or independents who caucus with them). And assuming Republicans flip West Virginia, where Sen. Joe Manchin is retiring, the GOP just needs to win the White House or pick up one more Senate seat to win the majority.

Thats a tough landscape for Democrats  especially when theyre defending seats in states that either twice voted comfortably for Donald Trump (Montana and Ohio) or are presidential battlegrounds. CNN polling released this week showed no clear leader between Harris and the former president  although it was closer contest than CNN had found in earlier surveys of the Biden-Trump matchup. The poll showed Harris doing better than Biden against Trump among some key demographic groups  younger voters, female voters and Black voters.

But theres been limited public polling of Senate races that would capture the past tumultuous month in American politics  from the June 27 presidential debate that sparked Democratic consternation about Biden, the assassination attempt on Trump in Pennsylvania in mid-July, and Bidens decision to forgo reelection nearly a week ago.

The CNN poll found Trump enjoying his highest approval rating since 2020 in CNN surveys and maintaining support with his most loyal constituencies. Republicans have already made clear theyll be tying Harris to the Biden administration, misleadingly calling her a border czar because of her assignment to address the root causes of emigration from Central America. Even though her role has not included managing the border, that messaging fits into the immigration-related attacks that have been central to GOP campaigns this cycle.

The National Republican Senatorial Committee said in a memo this week that Harris is arguably a bigger threat to Democrats Senate majority than Joe Biden, acknowledging that the narrative about the presidents mental fitness didnt apply as well to down-ballot races. The committee encouraged candidates to tie senators to Harris and her positions.

All of that raises the stakes for Senate Democrats to keep doing what theyre doing: touting their legislative accomplishments without invoking the Biden administration and using their fundraising edge to try to define their GOP challengers  often by mining their business backgrounds and out-of-state ties. Democrats have also been hitting back on attacks over the southern border by highlighting their support of bipartisan immigration legislation that Republicans killed in Congress this year.

But the risk for Democrats is that as their Republican challengers become better known, GOP campaign spending increases and more voters tune in, any separation from the top of the ticket will erode. Ticket-splitting isnt as common as it once was, as CNN political analyst Ronald Brownstein wrote recently.

One change to this months CNN ranking is reflective of that challenge. Two Democratic-held seats are trading places: Michigan, an open seat, moves above Pennsylvania, where theres a three-term incumbent on the ballot. But otherwise, the list remains unchanged from April, when Maryland was first included due to Republican former Gov. Larry Hogans candidacy and when Florida fell off. That leaves Texas as the only Democratic target in the top 10.

While Biden was still a candidate, his recent struggles had raised questions about whether the list of Senate GOP targets would grow  a source of enthusiasm for attendees at last weeks Republican National Convention. Virginia GOP nominee Hung Cao, for example, addressed the delegates just as new polling from The New York Times/Siena College showed a margin-of-error presidential race in the Old Dominion. (Democratic Sen. Tim Kaine, however, led Cao 53% to 36% among likely voters in that survey.)

And NRSC Chair Steve Daines talked up the prospects of New Mexico nominee Nella Domenici, the daughter of the late Sen. Pete Domenici. Democrats, however, felt confident about their incumbents in states Biden won by 10 points (Virginia) and 11 points (New Mexico), given that some of their candidates in much tougher states are, for now, still holding their own. But if Harris can keep the race with Trump tighter, the Senate map is less likely to expand in the GOPs favor.

The rankings below represent a snapshot of where the race for the Senate stands and not necessarily where it may be heading, so well check back on the following contests next month.

1. West Virginia

Sen. Joe Manchin - Samuel Corum/Getty Images

Both Democrats and Republicans have essentially been treating this seat as a GOP pickup since Sen. Joe Manchin announced he wasnt running for reelection. The onetime Democratic senator tried last month to put to rest chatter that he could run as an independent against Republican nominee Jim Justice, the current governor, in the Trump-friendly state. Im not running for any office, political office, Manchin told CNNs Manu Raju in June shortly after registering as an independent. He did, however, leave a little bit of wiggle room ahead of the August 1 filing deadline, adding, You always have options, because life is full of surprises.

Justice, a former Democrat, has had his share of troubling headlines  about his business practices, for example  but hes a popular and well-known second-term governor who easily dispatched Rep. Alex Mooney in the May Republican primary. And Manchin, the most conservative member of the Senate Democratic Caucus, was clear about the challenge of running in a state thats moved so sharply to the right, noting that the D brand in West Virginia had grown toxic.

2. Montana

Sen. Jon Tester - Drew Angerer/Getty Images

Sen. Jon Tester needs to overperform the top of the ticket in a state that twice backed Trump by double digits. Tester has won tough elections before  including in 2018, when Trump was in the White House  but this is the first year he will be on the same ballot as the former president.

Republicans have run plenty of ads attempting to tie Tester to Biden and attacking him over the border. They are now likely to substitute the president for Harris, although Tester is among the few Democrats not to have endorsed her so far. Democrats, meanwhile, are trying to play up the contrast between the seven-fingered dirt farmer and his GOP opponent, Tim Sheehy, a wealthy businessman and retired Navy SEAL. Last Best Place PAC, a Democratic-aligned group, has run ads poking fun at what they call Sheehys hobby ranch and attacking him as a millionaire out-of-stater driving up housing costs. Democrats have also seized on Washington Post reporting about Sheehys changing account of a gunshot wound sustained roughly a decade ago to raise questions about his credibility.

The relevance of Sheehys relatively recent arrival in the state  he settled there in 2014 after leaving the military  has become a key question in this race. Democrats are trying to make it a weakness after using a similar argument to discredit Republican nominee Matt Rosendale in his 2018 challenge to Tester. But Republicans argue that post-pandemic Montana is filled with conservative transplants from bluer states and that Sheehy, who recently stepped down as CEO of Bridger Aerospace, has been a job creator.

Tester raised $10.6 million in the second quarter  about double Sheehys haul, which included a million dollars in personal loans. The senator spent more than he took in those three months, but he still started July with a healthy cash-on-hand advantage over Sheehy  $10.9 million to his opponents $3.2 million.

3. Ohio

Sen. Sherrod Brown - Evelyn Hockstein/Reuters

Democratic Sen. Sherrod Brown is the second-most vulnerable incumbent, facing reelection in a state that Trump has twice carried by 8 points. His path to reelection, like Testers, runs through distancing himself from the top of the ticket while trying to paint a character contrast with his GOP opponent to localize rather than nationalize the race. Democrats got their preferred opponent in Bernie Moreno, a Cleveland car dealership owner whom they boosted in a three-way primary by highlighting his backing from Trump.

Brown, a progressive populist whos been in Congress since 1993, raised more than any other incumbent in the second quarter and is spending heavily  a whopping $18.1 million during that three-month period  to shape that contrast with Moreno. His ads feature a Republican sheriff vouching for him and tout successful legislation to lower the cost of insulin (without mentioning that this was a Biden priority). A Democratic-aligned outside group has highlighted legislation he has pushed that Trump signed. Democrats have been working to define Moreno  Browns campaign uses his background as a car dealer to attack his credibility, for example. Democrats have also seized on a New York Times story that poked holes in the personal narrative the Colombian-born Moreno presents on the trail.

Brown is the known commodity in this race  a recent ad about his gravelly voice underscores that familiarity  but Republicans think Ohio voters will eventually come their way given the states increasing redness. Moreno, whos playing up his ties to Trumps running mate, Ohio Sen. JD Vance, had tried to tether his opponent to an unpopular president with one ad featuring two men, supposed to be Biden and Brown, riding a tandem bicycle to make the argument that theyre pedaling together in Washington.

A Marist poll released in early June, well before Biden dropped out, hinted at the ticket-splitting Democrats are banking on for Brown to prevail. (While Trump led Biden by 7 points among registered voters, Brown led Moreno by 5 points.) Brown, who raised $12.8 million in the second quarter and ended June with $10.7 million in the bank, will need to similarly overperform Harris to win another term. Moreno raised $4.4 million and ended the quarter with $4.5 million on hand.

4. Nevada

Sen. Jacky Rosen - L.E. Baskow/Las Vegas Review-Journal/TNS/Getty Images/File

Democratic Sen. Jacky Rosen is running for a second term in a state that, on paper, would seem to lean more comfortably blue (Biden carried it by 2 points) than a few others on this list. But the first-term senator, whos up against Republican Sam Brown, may be in a more vulnerable position than some of her fellow battleground state incumbents in part because of the states shifting demographics.

Rosen led Brown 47% to 40% in a Times (UK)/SAY24/YouGov survey released last week. Before that, the most recent poll that met CNN standards  from The New York Times/Siena College in early May  had each Senate candidate at 41%.

Rosen, who raised $7.6 million in the second quarter and spent nearly $4 million more than that, is touting her work to lower prescription drug costs (again without mention of Biden). But she doesnt have the same established brand as her Montana or Ohio colleagues. Shes trying to tar Brown as a MAGA extremist  specifically attacking inconsistencies in his abortion position, which Democrats see as an especially salient issue in the Silver State. Brown, who told NBC News earlier this year that hed close the door on backing a national abortion ban and that he supported Nevadas law allowing the procedure up to 24 weeks, once backed a more restrictive abortion bill when running for office in Texas. His support for that legislation, and its effect on one woman named Valerie, was the subject of one of Rosens first ads against the Army veteran after he won the GOP nomination last month.

Brown, who got a shout-out from Trump during his keynote speech at the Republican convention last week, is focused on the border and the economy, promising to build Trumps wall and extend his tax cuts. He raised $4.1 million in the second quarter, ending with $3.1 million in the bank to Rosens $9.5 million.

5. Arizona

Sen. Kyrsten Sinema - Anna Moneymaker/Getty Images

While Arizona has looked favorable for Republicans at the presidential level, their liability at the Senate level is their leading candidate. Kari Lake, who lost the 2022 gubernatorial election and continues to make false claims about that defeat and the 2020 election, is all but guaranteed to win the GOP nomination in the August primary to succeed retiring independent Sen. Kyrsten Sinema.

Lake would then be up against Democratic Rep. Ruben Gallego, who significantly overperformed Biden in the Times (UK)/SAY24/YouGov poll conducted after the presidential debate but before the assassination attempt on Trump. While Trump led the president 44% to 37% among registered voters, Gallego led Lake 48% to 41%. Harris may have the ability to do better in a state like Arizona, which Biden barely flipped in 2020, but it remains to be seen how her candidacy will affect the Senate race. Gallego, a Marine veteran, went up on TV early, giving him an advertising advantage thats been fueled by his strong fundraising. He brought in nearly $10.5 million in the second quarter to Lakes $4.3 million and started July with $9.2 million in the bank to his opponents $2.8 million.

A former member of the Congressional Progressive Caucus, Gallego is attempting to cut a more moderate profile in this race, with ads that tout his military service, his humble upbringing and his work to lower costs for families. Lake has run ads with the NRSC that feature women talking about their fears of the border and immigrants. But shes faced concerns from within her own party  including from Trump, according to The Washington Post  that shes traveling the country too much instead of campaigning in the state shes trying to win. If Trump does well enough in Arizona, however, he may be able to carry Lake to victory with him.

6. Michigan

Sen. Debbie Stabenow - Anna Moneymaker/Getty Images

The race to replace retiring Democratic Sen. Debbie Stabenow in Michigan  where Republicans havent won a Senate race in 30 years  moves up one spot on the ranking this month. Thats largely because its an open seat, which is typically harder for the party in power to defend while facing a troubling national environment.

Democratic Rep. Elissa Slotkin, whos all but guaranteed to win next months primary, is a strong recruit and fundraiser  she raised $6.5 million in the second quarter and ended June with $9.6 million in the bank. But her comments on a donor call, obtained earlier this month by The New York Times, crystalized the Democratic fears about how the top of the ticket could jeopardize such a crucial battleground race. Slotkin said that Trump was leading in her state and that the Senate race was a toss-up. But Slotkin acknowledged on CNN this week that her race was in a better position without Biden running. In particular, she said the energy is palpable for Harris, citing enthusiasm shed heard from young voters.

Polling from the Times (UK)/SAY24/YouGov showed Slotkin holding her own against the likely Republican nominee, former Rep. Mike Rogers  48% to 39% among registered voters.

Notably, both candidates have national security backgrounds  Slotkin as a former CIA analyst and Rogers as the former chairman of the House Intelligence Committee. Slotkin has made her public service a cornerstone of her campaign and advertising, touting her experience in Democratic and Republican administrations.

With the primary still looming, Rogers allies are leaning into his endorsement from Trump. A recent ad from the Great Lakes Conservatives Fund, for example, almost exclusively features the former president praising Rogers. Rogers raised $2.1 million in the second quarter, ending June with $2.5 million banked.

7. Pennsylvania

Sen. Bob Casey - Mark Makela/Getty Images

Democratic Sen. Bob Casey, a three-term incumbent with a well-known name in the state, is facing wealthy Republican Dave McCormick  a matchup that both sides are trying to milk for the political contrast that suits them. For Democrats, that means painting McCormick, a onetime hedge fund executive, as a rich guy who regularly flies back to Connecticut, has had business ties to China and opposes abortion rights.

For Republicans, its been about portraying Casey as a career politician who answers only to Washington and who is weak on the border. McCormicks campaign quickly pivoted this week to attacking the Harris-Casey agenda, releasing a digital video that splices past footage of Harris and calls her the most liberal nominee ever.

Democrats have been trying to counter the border message. For example, one ad from Duty and Honor sounds like it could be a GOP spot, opening with Fentaynl and crime, theyre coming from our southern border.

Before Biden dropped out, Casey had been holding his own, even as the numbers for the president  who narrowly carried the state in 2020  became more precarious. A New York Times/Siena College poll conducted after the presidential debate but before the assassination attempt on Trump found Casey leading McCormick 50% to 42% among likely voters while Biden and Trump were locked in a close race.

Casey raised $8 million in the second quarter, entering July with $8.4 million on hand. McCormick raised $6.7 million, which included $2.1 million in personal loans, ending June with $8 million. But he has plenty more of his own money to spend, as well as a supportive super PAC, and the Senate Leadership Fund recently announced a $24 million investment in the state beginning in September  a sign that Republicans see this as a winnable contest.

8. Wisconsin

Sen. Tammy Baldwin - Evelyn Hockstein/Reuters

Sen. Tammy Baldwin was with Harris in Milwaukee this week for the vice presidents first campaign rally since becoming the presumptive Democratic nominee  a clear sign that down-ballot Democrats feel better about their chances with Harris on top of the ticket.

Biden barely won the Badger State in 2020 after Trump had carried it by a similarly narrow margin four years earlier. Despite those thin margins, Democrats are heartened that Baldwin, a two-term senator with a known statewide brand, will likely be up against Republican Eric Hovde, the favorite in the August primary.

Hovde has made a string of controversial comments that have provided fodder for Democrats as they rush to define him. Baldwins campaign has run ads with people responding to a remark he made during a 2012 Senate run that those who are overweight need to pay more for health care and to a more recent comment that most nursing home patients arent in a condition to vote.

Hovde, the CEO of Sunwest Bank who bought a house in Laguna Beach, California, after losing the 2012 Senate primary, has responded to Democratic attacks about his out-of-state ties with an ad that showcases where he grew up and went to school in Wisconsin. Hovde ran ads trying to press Baldwin to say whether she thought Biden should step aside, which she did not. After Biden dropped out of the race, Hovde attacked the senator for not taking a firm enough stand, accusing her of being part of a Biden cover-up. (Asked about Biden last week, before his announcement, Baldwin said she was hearing legitimate and serious concerns about the president from her constituents and relaying them to the White House and the Biden campaign.) She has also been on the air touting her work to cap insulin prices and crack down on fentanyl.

Pointing to Hovdes early spending, Daines, the NRSC chairman, said at an RNC event last week that the Wisconsin Republican has closed the gap with his Democratic opponent more than any other GOP challenger. Thats where self-funding comes into play. Hovdes second-quarter haul was just slightly less than Baldwins  $7.3 million to $7.5 million  but his total included a $5 million loan. Baldwin ended June with $7.3 million in the bank, while Hovde had $5.4 million.

Baldwin led Hovde 50% to 43% among registered voters in the Times (UK)/SAY24/YouGov poll. A Marquette Law School poll from mid-June showed the senator up 52% to 47% over Hovde among both registered and likely voters. Notably, however, Hovde was still largely unknown  44% of registered voters said they hadnt heard enough about him to form an opinion, which means he likely has room to grow his support.

9. Maryland

Sen. Ben Cardin - Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images

Angela Alsobrooks shook up the political world this spring when she defeated self-funding Rep. David Trone for the Democratic nomination to succeed retiring Democrat Ben Cardin. Shell now face Republican former Gov. Larry Hogan, whos the only reason a seat in a state Biden carried by more than 30 points is even competitive.

While Alsobrooks, the executive of Prince Georges County, doesnt bring the personal resources that Trone would have, she has proved to be a strong campaigner and has raised significant money. She narrowly outraised Hogan in the second quarter, raking in $5.3 million to his $5.1 million, and ended up with more money in the bank. Alsobrooks potential to become the first Black senator from Maryland and just the third Black woman elected to the Senate carries appeal for some voters  especially against a White Republican opponent whom Democrats are attacking on abortion.

Hogan has tried to distance himself from his party  In the Senate, Republicans cant count on my vote, he says in one spot. After winning his primary, he told The New York Times that hed support federal legislation to codify Roe v. Wade  which Alsobrooks immediately criticized, citing his previous veto of a state law to expand abortion access. Hogan has also tried to disavow his June endorsement from Trump, saying he had no interest in it. But Trumps embrace of the former governor  who has said he isnt backing the former president  may be a gift for Democrats trying to defend this seat.

10. Texas

Sen. Ted Cruz - Alex Wong/Getty Images

Knocking off Sen. Ted Cruz in Texas was going to be a tough proposition for Democrats regardless of whom they nominated for president. Democrats have not won a statewide election in Texas since 1994. Still, Democrats have a strong recruit in Dallas-area Rep. Colin Allred, who first came to the House by unseating a Republican congressman in 2018.

Allreds campaign pulled in more than Cruzs principal campaign account in the second quarter, although the senator still ended with more cash on hand. Allred brought in $10.5 million, spent about as much and ended June with around the same amount in the bank. Cruz raised $7.9 million and ended the period with $12.7 million banked.

Despite Texas voting reliably red, polling of the Senate race has shown a close contest  47% of likely voters backed Cruz and 44% backed Allred in a recent University of Houston/YouGov poll.

This story has been updated with additional information.

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CLARKSVILLE, Tenn. (WKRN)  Investigators are still trying to solve a nearly 14-year-old cold case that unfolded after a mans remains were found in the woods behind a Clarksville shopping center.

The discovery was made on July 20, 2010, off Terminal Road. Back then, the area bordering Wilma Rudolph Boulevard was home to a Kmart and a few other stores, but over time, businesses have closed, and new ones have taken over.

PREVIOUS: Investigators hope billboards will help solve mans 2010 murder

Officials were able to identify the remains as Steven Everett Davies, a Navy veteran who they later learned spent a lot of his time in the wooded area behind the old Kmart. According to Clarksville Police, Davies was homeless and mostly kept to himself.

He didnt have any family in Tennessee, leaving detectives with many questions. However, in a previous interview with News 2, Kaye Jones with Montgomery County Crime Stoppers said that with Clarksville being a military city, they owe it to a veteran to bring some justice to his life.

Steven Davies (Courtesy: CPD)

Following an autopsy, the medical examiners office ruled his death as a homicide, but investigators have not said how Davies was killed. Initially, it was hoped that someone within the homeless community who stayed in the area might have some information about the case.

In 2017, officials put up billboards across Clarksville with photos of Davies, to no avail. Despite at least one anonymous tip coming in, police are still searching for his killer.

UNSOLVED TENNESSEE: Find more of the states cold cases, missing persons, and other mysteries 

Even a full decade later, his case has continued to be featured among Crime Stoppers unsolved murders, with it being one of the cases that now qualifies for a $10,000 cash reward.

Anyone who has information on the death of Steven Davies is asked to contact Crime Stoppers at 931-645-TIPS, or go to www.p3tips.com, and leave a tip online. All callers remain completely anonymous.

Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. 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.
1st Mexican-born woman to travel to space will visit this Parlier school

PARLIER, Calif. (KSEE/KGPE)  Kat Echazarreta, the first Mexican-born woman to travel to space, will visit a school in the Parlier Unified School District in late August, officials announced.

According to officials, Echazarreta will visit Parlier High School on Aug. 29. She will visit the school to inspire students to pursue careers in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM).

Echazarretas journey to the stars is a testament to the power of dreams and the limitless possibilities of STEM education, said officials with the school district in a social media post.

According to officials, Echazerreta worked on five NASA missions, including the Perseverance rover and Europa Clipper.

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Two people were injured in a crash in Washington Twp. early Saturday morning.

Around 3:30 a.m., Montgomery County Sheriffs Office deputies were called out to the area of McEwen Road, south of Interstate 675, on reports of a crash with two males trapped in a car, according to the sheriffs office.

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When they got to the scene, deputies found a 2018 McLaren 570S on its top at the bottom of an embankment.

Both occupants were extricated from the car and transported to an area hospital for treatment. Their injuries are non-life-threatening.

Deputies said there was no evidence of impairment from the driver, but speed did appear to be a factor.

The crash remains under investigation.
BLOOMINGDALE, Ill.  Two men accused of spray painting FREE GAZA on an Israeli flag at a grocery store in the northwest suburbs last month are now facing hate crime charges.

Prosecutors said the alleged incident unfolded just before 11:30 p.m. on Monday, June 24, at a Woodmans Food Market along Stratford Drive in Bloomingdale.

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Tabshir Rizvi, a 23-year-old Bloomingdale resident, and Mohammed Faroun, a 22-year-old Hoffman Estates resident, have each been charged with two counts of hate crime as well as additional misdemeanor charges of criminal damage to property and disorderly conduct.

According to prosecutors, the two men allegedly entered the grocery store and grabbed a can of red spray paint before walking to the international food section where an Israeli flag was hanging.

Tabshir Rizvi (left), a 23-year-old Bloomingdale resident, and Mohammed Faroun (right), a 22-year-old Hoffman Estates resident, have each been charged with two counts of hate crime as well as additional misdemeanor charges of criminal damage to property and disorderly conduct, after allegedly spray painting 'FREE GAZA' on Israeli flag at a northwest suburban grocery store in June.

The men then allegedly climbed the shelving unit beneath the flag and painted FREE GAZA on the flag.

Following the alleged incident, the two men then left the store.

An investigation was launched and authorities identified Rizvi and Faroun as suspects in the case.

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Prosecutors said Faroun eventually turned himself in to authorities on Tuesday, July 16 and Rizvi turned himself in the next day.

Both men were subsequently released on personal recognizance and are set to appear in court for arraignment on August 13.

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SAN ANGELO, Texas (Concho Valley Homepage) A collision between a Chevy Silverado and a Blue Chevy Malibu on July 19 resulted in minor injuries and a citation for failure to yield, according to a San Angelo Police officer at the scene.

According to an SAPD Officer at the scene, The incident occurred at the intersection of Briargrove Lane and Stone Canyon Trail. The Malibu, heading west on Briargrove, allegedly failed to yield at a sign while turning north onto Stone Canyon, leading to the collision with the Silverado.

Responders found both vehicles damaged but the roadway was unaffected. The driver of the Silverado had no injuries, while the driver of the Malibu sustained non-life-threatening injuries and was transported to Shannon Medical Center for treatment.

Authorities noted that the Malibus driver had to be extricated from the passenger side as the drivers side door was jammed shut, trapping the individual following the incident.

San Angelo Police arrived on the scene and issued a citation to the driver of the Malibu for failure to yield right of way.

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For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to ConchoValleyHomepage.com.
President Joe Biden announced Sunday that he is dropping his reelection bid against Donald Trump, in a social media post that sent political shockwaves around the country and threw an element of turmoil into the election just months before voters go to the polls.

Biden's decision came on the heels of a poor debate performance that prompted many rank-and-file Democratic lawmakers to urge him to withdraw from the race. The president said he will address the nation later this week in more detail about my decision.

Biden threw his support behind Vice President Kamala Harris to be the Democrats' new candidate, and she vowed to earn and win the nomination.

Republican leaders attacked Harris and said she shares responsibility for the policies of the Biden administration. Former President Donald Trump said Biden was not fit to run for president, and he also called for the second debate to be moved from ABC to the Fox News Channel, which is seen as friendlier to him.

Follow the APs Election-2024 coverage at: https://apnews.com/hub/election-2024.

Here's the Latest:

Democrats hail Bidens decision to not seek reelection as selfless. Republicans urge him to resign

Democratic lawmakers are hailing President Joe Bidens historic decision not to seek reelection as putting his country and his party before himself.

Republicans are calling on him to leave office as well, saying that if he is unable to run, then hes unable to serve as president.

Read more about Democrats and Republicans reactions.

Homeland Security secretary names independent panel to review Trump assassination attempt

U.S. Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas has appointed a bipartisan, independent panel to review this months assassination attempt on former President Donald Trump, officials said Sunday.

The panel members will have extensive law enforcement and security experience to conduct a 45-day independent review of the planning for and actions taken by the U.S. Secret Service and state and local authorities before, during, and after the rally, and the U.S. Secret Service governing policies and procedures, the Department of Homeland Security said in a statement.

The first people named to the panel are former Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano; Frances Townsend, former Homeland Security adviser to President George W. Bush; Mark Filip, a former federal judge and deputy attorney general to President George W. Bush; and David Mitchell, former Secretary of the Department of Public Safety and Homeland Security for the state of Delaware.

Additional experts could be asked to join the group in the coming days.

Read more about the naming of the panel.

Small-dollar donations total $46.7 million for Harris

ActBlue, the Democratic fundraising platform, announced that it had collected $46.7 million as of 9 p.m. ET from small-dollar donations for Vice President Harris campaign.

The Biden campaign and affiliated groups previously had about $96 million in cash on hand. The Republican National Convention, by contrast, reported a campaign fund of $102 million in June.

Trumps campaign quickly pivots to Harris after Biden withdraws

Donald Trumps campaign has spent the last year and a half viciously attacking Joe Biden, ridiculing his policies, mocking his fumbles and relishing a rematch they felt they were winning.

But it has also spent weeks preparing for the possibility that he might exit the race, readying a bevy of attacks against Vice President Kamala Harris that it unleashed as soon as Biden made his stunning announcement Sunday that he would step aside.

Biden soon after endorsed Harris, who was quickly winning support from Democrats to be the partys nominee.

The shakeup less than four months before Election Day lays out new challenges for Trumps team, which had until recently been focused on contrasting the former presidents vigor and mental acuity with Bidens.

Read more about the Trump campaign's pivot toward Harris.

Some states' convention delegates begin shifting support to Harris

The Democratic delegations of multiple states have decided to back Vice President Kamala Harris for the party nomination at next months national convention.

Tonight, all 168 delegates of the North Carolina Democratic Party made history, North Carolina party chair Anderson Clayton said in a post on the social platform X.

In South Carolina, party chair Christale Spain said in an email statement Sunday night that that states delegation met virtually. The vice president has been fully vetted, and she has earned our unwavering support, Spain said.

Harris received her first delegates earlier in the day from Tennessee, when the state party posted on X that its delegation voted during a meeting to back her.

Another state where the switch was made was New Hampshire, where the 25 pledged delegates voted unanimously Sunday night to endorse Harris.

Black state attorneys general back Harris

The nations six Black state attorneys general threw their support behind Vice President Harris. In a statement on X, they laid out her qualifications and said she has staunchly defended our right to choose and preserved our most sacred right to vote. There is no one more qualified to lead and continue to uphold the values of our great nation.

The statement listed Letitia James, New York; Kwame Raoul, Illinois; Anthony Brown, Maryland; Andrea Campbell, Massachusetts; Keith Ellison, Minnesota; and Aaron Ford, Nevada.

Democrats promise orderly process to replace Biden. Harris is favored, but questions remain

Shortly after President Joe Biden announced that he would drop his reelection campaign, Democratic National Committee Chair Jaime Harrison had a message: There would be no automatic coronation for his replacement.

In the coming days, the party will undertake a transparent and orderly process to move forward, Harrison said in a statement. This process will be governed by established rules and procedures of the party. Our delegates are prepared to take seriously their responsibility in swiftly delivering a candidate to the American people.

The comment reflected the reality that while Vice President Kamala Harris is emerging as the prohibitive favorite to become the nominee  backed already by Biden and many Democrats  its not so simple. And for now, the party isnt offering many details on what happens next.

Read more about the process of replacing Biden on the Democratic ticket.

Outside the White House: We love you Joe!

Dozens of people came to the street outside the presidential residence as news of Bidens withdrawal from the campaign set in.

There were signs with messages like We love you Joe! and chants of Thank you Joe! as adults and some children took photos or just gazed at the complex that serves as both the president's home and the seat of executive power.

Biden was not at the White House this weekend. Instead he was recuperating from COVID-19 at his vacation home in Rehoboth Beach, Delaware.

Another sign read: You did it, Joe! Now lets make some history, a reference to Harris exclamation of We did it, Joe! during a phone call with Biden after their ticket was determined to have won the 2020 election.

Bidens decision to drop out crystalized Sunday. His staff knew one minute before the public did

At 1:45 p.m., President Joe Bidens senior staff was notified that he was stepping away from the 2024 race. At 1:46 p.m., that message was made public.

It was never Bidens intention to leave the race: Up until he decided to step aside Sunday, he was all in.

His campaign was planning fundraisers and events and setting up travel over the next few weeks. But even as Biden was publicly dug in and insisting he was staying in the race, he was quietly reflecting on the disaster of the past few weeks, on the past three years of his presidency and on the scope of his half-century career in politics.

In the end, it was the presidents decision alone, and he made it quietly, from his vacation home in Rehoboth Beach, Delaware, sick with COVID-19, the first lady with him as he talked it through with a small circle of people who have been with him for decades.

Read more about his decision.

Sen. Manchin considers reregistering as a Democrat to seek the presidential nomination

Though some potential challengers to Harris for the Democratic bid have already made it clear they would not run, there is some early indication that she might not be alone in seeking the nomination.

West Virginia Sen. Joe Manchin, who left the party earlier this year to become an independent, is considering reregistering as a Democrat to vie for the nomination against the vice president, according to Jonathan Kott, a longtime adviser to Manchin.

Manchin, who repeatedly irked Democrats with his independent streak but was also a lynchpin for the Biden administrations biggest legislative accomplishments, was the latest senator to call on Biden to drop his candidacy before the president made his announcement Sunday.

In Harris' hometown, a voter looks forward to having her as a candidate but says she must move quickly

Christian Garcia of Oakland, California, said hes looking forward to having Harris become more widely known to voters nationwide. But Garcia also said Harris, who was born in Oakland, must move fast if she is to get the nomination and beat Trump.

I mean, youre talking about a really quick turnaround, Garcia said. Shes got a lot of work to do, and the partys got a lot of work to do to get behind her.

In his view, one of Harris main challenges is a problem that hurt Hillary Clinton: an ability to be relatable to average voters. Garcia also worries that the Trump campaign will stop at nothing to go after Harris.

We know Trump and his allies will do anything they can to lie and make up stories and bring out old skeletons, he said.

Garcia, 36, commended Biden for stepping aside, calling him a statesman.

In swing state Pennsylvania, a Trump backer says Biden's exit long overdue

Kristine Stoll is a Trump backer from Dunmore, which is next door to Scranton, where Biden was born. She said Biden isnt mentally stable enough to run the country.

Its about time, he should have dropped out a long time ago, said Stoll, 56.

She does not fear Harris or really anyone else who could top the Democratic ticket when it comes to winning the key battleground state.

Trumps going to take Pennsylvania this time, definitely going to take Pennsylvania, Stoll said. Theres no doubt about it, doesnt matter who runs.

Democrats begin to rally around Harris after Biden exits, though campaign dynamics remain in flux

Democrats quickly rallied around Vice President Kamala Harris as their likely presidential nominee Sunday after President Joe Biden s ground-shaking decision to bow out of the 2024 race.

Among others, endorsements came from Biden; Bill and Hillary Clinton; prominent U.S. senators; a wide swath of House representatives and members of the influential Congressional Black Caucus; and Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro, who has been the subject of speculation as a potential running mate.

But the fast-moving political situation remains volatile just months before the November election.

Read more here about Democrats rallying around Harris.

Zelenskyy: We will always be thankful for President Bidens leadership

We respect todays tough but strong decision, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said in a post on the social platform X.

We will always be thankful for President Bidens leadership. He supported our country during the most dramatic moment in history, assisted us in preventing Putin from occupying our country, and has continued to support us throughout this terrible war.

Zelenskyy spoke with former President Trump by phone Friday. Both men described it as a good call on X.

Democrats are poised to attack Trumps age

A political weakness that hounded Biden  age  could become an avenue for attack against Trump.

This will probably boil down to Donald Trump, who is the oldest nominee in history, against Kamala Harris, said Rep. Maxwell Frost, a 27-year-old Democrat from Florida who has worked to reach young voters for Bidens campaign.

Frost, who endorsed Harris, pointed to the vice presidents work on gun violence protection as an issue that could engage young voters and said she will be able to win back a lot of the youth vote.

She is someone who really values young voices in general, he said.

Harris could become first woman, second Black person to be president

Shes already broken barriers, and now Kamala Harris could shatter several more after President Joe Biden abruptly ended his reelection bid and endorsed her.

Harris is the first woman, Black person or person of South Asian descent to serve as vice president. If she becomes the Democratic nominee and defeats Republican candidate Donald Trump in November, she would be the first woman to serve as president.

Read a profile of Harris here.

Trump says Biden was not fit to run

Former president Donald Trump posted on his social network Truth Social that Crooked Joe Biden was not fit to run for president and is not fit to serve.

All those around him, including his Doctor and the Media, knew that he wasnt capable of being President, and he wasnt, he said.

Trump and members of the RNC spent much of their week at the Republican National Convention calling for a ratcheting down of the political temperature and touting the importance of American unity in light of last week's assassination attempt.

The former president is also calling for the second debate to be switched to the Fox News Channel, which is seen as friendlier to him, now that Biden has dropped out.

He said in a Truth Social post that whoever becomes the Democratic nominee should face him on that network rather than the very biased ABC. Trump and Biden had previously agreed to meet in a second debate Sept. 10 hosted by ABC.

Harris hits the phones

As Vice President Harris looks to lock up the nomination, she is hitting the phones and making her case to Democrats in Congress.

She spoke with Democratic lawmakers Sunday including Rep. Annie Kuster, who chairs a moderate group called the New Democrat Coalition and endorsed Harris in the afternoon.

Harris also quickly won endorsements from leadership in several influential caucuses.

While some Democrats remained silent on who they want for a nominee, many others said the party should immediately assemble behind Harris. They want to quickly move past the painful, public deliberations of the weeks since the July 27 debate.

Harris inherits Bidens campaign infrastructure

President Bidens campaign formally changed its name to Harris for President, reflecting that she is inheriting his political operation  a sign of the prohibitive leg up she has for the Democratic nomination.

Democratic groups, including the Democratic National Committee, also filed paperwork changing the names of their joint fundraising committees to reflect Harris candidacy.

Meanwhile Biden urged his vast list of supporters to contribute to what is now the Harris campaign, saying in an email sent Sunday afternoon that picking her as his running mate is the best decision Ive made.

Today I want to offer my full support and endorsement for Kamala to be the nominee of our party this year, Biden wrote. Democrats  its time to come together and beat Trump. And if youre with us, donate to her campaign.

Bidens legacy: far-reaching accomplishments that didnt translate into political support

Historians and political advisers say history will be kinder to President Joe Biden than voters have been.

David Axelrod, a former senior adviser to President Barack Obama, said Bidens legacy will include many legislative achievements, but above all, he will be remembered as the president who defeated Donald Trump.

Read more about Biden's legacy.

White House expects no serious challenge to Harris; convention delegates show early signs of unity

Inside the White House, theres low expectation that Harris will get a serious challenge following Bidens endorsement, according to a person familiar with deliberations who requested anonymity to discuss the private conversations.

Among potential top tier contenders, Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer has already said she wont run, while California Gov. Gavin Newsom has said he would back Harris if she became the nominee.

Other names that have been bandied about as viable contenders  including Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro and North Carolina Gov. Roy Cooper  would also seem unlikely to run in light of Bidens endorsement for Harris and the expected fundraising advantage she would hold over anyone else.

Meanwhile delegates who are pledged to support Biden at the Democratic National Convention expressed admiration for the president and also showed early signs of uniting around Harris.

I believe its her time and has earned the right to be our nominee, said Paul Pezzella, a Massachusetts delegate who has been active in Democratic politics for decades. I cant think any American isnt sad about Bidens decision and that he has proven to be a patriot.

Lee Cutler, political coordinator for the Northeast Area Labor Council affiliated with the Minnesota AFL-CIO, said he wishes Democrats had been able to start the process of replacing Biden earlier in the electoral cycle but he is also proud of the president.

When we were voting for Biden, we were also voting for Kamala Harris, Cutler said. We were voting for an 82-year-old man.

 Aamer Madhani

Upcoming Biden-Netanyahu meeting is still on

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu will meet with President Joe Biden at the White House this week as planned, despite Bidens withdrawal from the presidential race, a person familiar with Bidens schedule said Sunday.

The official, speaking on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to comment publicly, said the exact timing of the meeting has not been established because Biden is recovering from COVID-19.

Netanyahu is scheduled to deliver an address to Congress on Wednesday. He is also expected to meet with Vice President Kamala Harris, who is now seeking the Democratic Partys nomination.

An official in Netanyahus office confirmed that the Israeli leader was set to travel to Washington, as scheduled, on Monday. The official also spoke on condition of anonymity pending a formal announcement.

 Aamer Madhani and Josef Federman

Some world reactions to Bidens withdrawal

Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov urged Russians to pay attention and watch what will happen in the U.S. election in November now that Biden has withdrawn his candidacy.

Peskov was quoted by Russian pro-Kremlin tabloid Life.ru as saying that there are still four months until the elections. And this is a long period, during which a lot can change.

German Chancellor Olaf Scholz called Biden a friend and said the president has achieved a lot for the U.S., Europe and the world. Scholz cited a strong NATO and close transatlantic cooperation as examples.

New British Prime Minister Keir Starmer, who met Biden for the first time this month, said he knows he reached his decision based on what he believes is in the best interests of the American people.

Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau thanked Biden and the first lady Jill Biden, saying on the social platform X; Hes a great man, and everything he does is guided by his love for his country. As President, he is a partner to Canadians  and a true friend.

And Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese praised the U.S. president for his leadership and ongoing service and said the two countries alliance has never been stronger with our shared commitment to democratic values, international security, economic prosperity and climate action for this and future generations.

Clyburn, credited with helping Biden win the 2020 nomination, endorses Harris

South Carolina Rep. Jim Clyburn, who is credited with helping President Joe Biden win the partys nomination four years ago with his endorsement, has thrown his support behind Vice President Kamala Harris.

Clyburn, a co-chair of Bidens campaign, said the president showed good judgment in choosing a running mate who has the necessary values and vision. He said he is proud to follow Bidens lead in supporting Harris.

Clyburn also heaped praise on Biden. He said the president improved the lives of countless Americans through his selfless service and thanked him for his strong leadership.

Vance says Harris owns Bidens policies

Trumps running mate, JD Vance, who was initially expected to face off against Kamala Harris in a debate, linked her Sunday to all of Bidens policies.

Vance said Harris co-signed Bidens border and climate policies and that those drove up prices for housing and groceries.

She owns all of these failures, Vance said on the social platform X.

President Trump and I are ready to save America, whoevers at the top of the Democrat ticket, the Ohio senator said. Bring it on.

Kamala Harris says she's honored to have Biden's support

Vice President Kamala Harris says she is honored to have President Joe Bidens support to replace him as the Democratic nominee heading into the November election.

Harris said she intends to earn and win this nomination.

She released a statement calling the 81-year-old Biden's decision to end his reelection campaign a selfless and patriotic act.

She also thanked Biden for extraordinary leadership and argued that his legacy as a one-term president would surpass the records of many chief executives who served two terms in office.

Some Democratic governors praise Biden but dont immediately endorse Harris as his successor

Govs. J.B. Pritzker of Illinois, Laura Healy of Kansas, Andy Beshear of Kentucky and Tim Walz of Minnesota are among Democrats who are praising Biden's record of public service. But they didnt follow the presidents lead and endorse Harris as his successor.

Beshear said Biden will be remembered as a consequential president who, with Harris, led the country through the aftermath of the Jan. 6, 2021, attack on the U.S. Capitol and the COVID-19 pandemic.

Walz, who heads the Democratic Governors Association, said history will look fondly on his legacy.

Healy said few could have risen to the challenge like Biden. The Massachusetts governor had issued a statement several weeks ago urging Biden to think hard about his campaign.

Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer also praised Bidens public service Sunday, saying on social media platform X that Biden knows better than anyone what it takes to defeat Donald Trump."

My job in this election will remain the same: doing everything I can to elect Democrats and stop Donald Trump, a convicted felon whose agenda of raising families costs, banning abortion nationwide, and abusing the power of the White House to settle his own scores is completely wrong for Michigan, she said.

Former President Barack Obama praises Biden, stops short of endorsing Harris

Former President Barack Obama has praised President Joe Biden's decision to abandon his reelection quest. But Obama stopped short of endorsing Vice President Kamala Harris to replace Biden as the Democratic nominee the 2024 presidential race.

Obama called Biden, his former vice president, one of Americas most consequential presidents, as well as a dear friend and partner to me.

Obama said Sunday that when he picked Biden as his running mate in the 2008 campaign, what I came to admire even more was his character  his deep empathy and hard-earned resilience; his fundamental decency and belief that everyone counts.

Obama said Biden has never backed down from a fight, adding that he wouldnt make this decision unless he believed it was right for America.

Of whats to come, Obama said he has extraordinary confidence that the leaders of our party will be able to create a process from which an outstanding nominee emerges. That nominee will face Republican and former President Donald Trump in November.

Clintons throw their support behind Kamala Harris

Former President Bill Clinton and Secretary of State Hillary Clinton issued a joint statement endorsing Kamala Harris, saying its time to "fight with everything weve got" to elect her.

The Clintons said Biden in his extraordinary career had lifted America out of an unprecedented pandemic, created millions of new jobs, rebuilt a battered economy, strengthened our democracy, and restored our standing in the world.

They added that Bidens leadership had advanced our founders charge to build a more perfect union and his own stated goal of restoring the soul of our nation.

DNC says top priority is a candidate who can beat Trump

Democratic National Committee Chairman Jaime Harrison says following President Joe Bidens abandoning his reelection bid that the work that we must do now, while unprecedented, is clear.

In the coming days, the party will undertake a transparent and orderly process to move forward, Harrison said in a statement, with a candidate who can defeat Donald Trump in November.

This process will be governed by established rules and procedures of the party, Harrison added. Our delegates are prepared to take seriously their responsibility in swiftly delivering a candidate to the American people.

His statement also noted: In short order, the American people will hear from the Democratic Party on next steps and the path forward for the nomination process.

Biden throws support behind his vice president, Kamala Harris

President Joe Biden has endorsed Vice President Kamala Harris to take on Trump in November, and encouraged the Democratic Party to unite behind her.

In a stunning social media post Sunday, Biden announced he was pulling out of the race for a second term in the White House.

It has been the greatest honor of my life to serve as your President. And while it has been my intention to seek reelection, I believe it is in the best interest of my party and the country for me to stand down and to focus solely on fulfilling my duties as President for the remainder of my term, Biden wrote in a letter posted to his X account.

Biden threw his support behind Harris.

Today I want to offer my full support and endorsement for Kamala to be the nominee of our party this year, he said in a separate post. Democrats  its time to come together and beat Trump.

Schumer, first lady react to decision by Biden to drop reelection bid

Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., said in a statement that President Joe Biden has not only been a great president and a great legislative leader but he is a truly amazing human being.

Biden announced Sunday that he was dropping out of the 2024 presidential race.

His decision of course was not easy, but he once again put his country, his party, and our future first, said Schumer, who traveled to Rehoboth Beach earlier this month to speak to Biden directly about the race. Joe, today shows you are a true patriot and great American.

First lady Jill Biden responded by reposting the presidents letter announcing his decision and adding red heart emojis.

Granddaughter Naomi Biden Neal said on social media that Im nothing but proud of my Pop.

She said he has served the country with every bit of his soul and with unmatched distinction and that our world is better today in so many ways thanks to him.

Biden ends his bid for reelection

President Joe Biden announced that he is ending his bid for reelection after a disastrous debate inflamed doubts hes fit for four more years on the job.

He made the announcement Sunday.

The president said he will address the American people later this week in more detail about my decision.
INDIO, Calif. (FOX 5/KUSI)  Authorities earlier this month seized a collection of weapons, magazines and ammunition from a vehicle in Indio, California.

On the evening of July 1, U.S. Border Patrol agents with the El Centro Sector pulled over a vehicle on Interstate 10 in Chiriaco Summit, U.S. Customs and Border Protection said in a news release Wednesday.

When they searched the car, authorities found duffle bags containing 28 rifles, one handgun, 30 high-capacity magazines and 2,210 rounds of ammunition of various calibers hidden in the vehicles truck and backseat.

Four killed in suspected DUI crash on SR-163

Smugglers are all cut from the same dirty cloth. Theyll do anything for profit, including trafficking children, drugs, or in this case, weapons headed to Mexico, said El Centro Sector Chief Patrol Agent Gregory Bovino. Conversely, our agents are forged differently  winners, ready to take it to criminals anywhere, anytime, anyplace, as this excellent arrest indicates.

The driver of the vehicle, an American man, was arrested, while the weapons and vehicle were turned over to a local law enforcement task force, per border officials.

Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to FOX 5 San Diego & KUSI News.
A second teacher affiliated with a Raleigh dance company is facing felony child sex abuse charges, according to records.

The arrests are the latest blow in two years to the dance community, which lost 11-year-old dancer Hailey Brooks when she was struck and killed by the driver of a pickup truck towing one of the dance companys floats in the 2022 Raleigh Christmas Parade.

Some parents told The News & Observer and posted online this weekend that they are pulling their children out of CC & Company Dance Complex after learning that dance instructor Elissa Susan Edwards, 41, is charged with four felony counts of indecent liberties with a child and four felony counts of statutory rape.

Edwards arrest Thursday in Raleigh resulted from an extensive investigation into allegations of misconduct involving students from multiple dance studios across the state, New Hanover County sheriffs officials said in a news release.

Arrest warrants issued in Pender and New Hanover counties say the crimes happened in 2007 and 2008, when the victim was 14 to 16 years old. Edwards is 10 years older than the victim, according to the warrants.

She was released Sunday from the New Hanover County jail after posting a $400,000 secured bond, records show.

The dance company posted a statement Friday on its Facebook page about the charges and sent an email to parents earlier in the day.

This afternoon, our attorneys office called the New Hanover County Sheriffs Office and confirmed the charges against our former employee, Elissa Edwards, are NOT in any way connected to CC & Dance Complex or to Wake County, the Facebook message said.

In June, another CC & Company instructor  Justin Edwards McKoy, 33, of Raleigh  was charged with five felonies, including statutory sex offense with a child by an adult, child abuse involving a sexual act, and indecent liberties with a child, Wake County Sheriffs Office records show.

CC & Company parents who spoke with The News & Observer said McKoy was at the dance companys June 1 recital  one day after the warrant for his arrest was issued. Wake County Detention Center records show he was arrested June 4.

Neither instructor appears on the dance companys website, but a copy archived via the Internet Archive Wayback Machine shows both teachers were employed as recently as Feb. 25. Parents told The N&O that both worked for CC & Company until their arrests.

Edwards wife, Lindsey Bryant, is still listed as a teacher on the dance companys website.

Company response, rules spur concerns

Criticism continued to grow Sunday on CC & Companys Facebook page, with parents calling the staffs response to the arrests dismissive and offensive. Two parents who spoke with The N&O said they removed their children because of mounting safety concerns.

CC & Company holds observation days, but otherwise keeps parents in the dark with curtains over the windows, closed doors and limited information, the parents said. The nonprofit Dance Data Project and other safe dance organizations recommend letting parents watch through a lobby window or over an app via camera feeds from the practice rooms.

Parents also arent allowed to be in the dressing room with their children at competitions, often held in convention centers and hotels open to the public, they said. Last year, enough parents complained about their children being naked for costume changes to get the rules changed. Children now can wear flesh-colored leotards, parent Lauren Goins said.

Goins was nearby when the truck hit Hailey in 2022, she said, but other parents didnt learn if their children were safe for 20 minutes or more. Another parent, who declined to be named, said her concerns about the companys response to the fatal crash were compounded by another teen dancers death last year and a summer workshop that included a guest teacher accused of sexual abuse.

Travis Wall, a renowned choreographer who starred in 2006 on the TV show, So You Think You Can Dance, was dismissed in 2021 from the Break the Floor dance company after he and other staff members were accused by underage students of grooming, sexual abuse and harassment. He had been a guest instructor at CC & Company for several years, including in 2023.

Goins said her 11-year-old daughter loves dance and her teammates, and they have met some wonderful moms, but all of us have been so naive, because were not in the dance world. We dont know that its done better in other places. She is tired of talking with her daughter about death, suicide, molesters and pedophiles, Goins said.

All of these issues, someone knew and could have said something, and Im tired of (CC & Company founder Christy Curtis-Kopcsak) being so closely linked to so much tragedy and scandal, Goins said.

Still facing Raleigh parade death lawsuit

CC & Company has two locations in Raleigh and has been in business for about 18 years. In April, it was named as a party in a lawsuit filed by the Brooks family that claims wrongful death, negligence and gross negligence and liability in the girls parade death.

The wrongful death lawsuit also was filed against the pickup driver, 20-year-old Landen Glass; parade float provider D and L Floats LLC; and the Greater Raleigh Merchants Association, which organized the parade.

It claims CC & Company was negligent in letting Glass drive the parade float, was not aware of his driving history or the trucks condition, and did not adequately train parade performers to participate safely.

Curtis-Kopcsak issued a statement earlier this year in response to the lawsuit.

As a longstanding dance institution, we have always prioritized the safety and well-being of our students and we take these allegations very seriously, Curtis-Kopcsak said. Our staff remains dedicated to providing a nurturing environment that fosters learning, growth and a passion for dance.

The Raleigh City Council approved new parade rules in June in response to the death.

Former student calls for dance safeguards

A CC & Company attorney emailed a statement to The News & Observer on Saturday in response to an email and calls seeking comment.

The safety of our dancers and their families is of the utmost importance to CC & Co Dance Complex. Thats why we thoroughly vet all employees, include conducting criminal background checks, the statement said. Thursday we learned about the arrest of our former employee, Elissa Edwards. We have not been contacted by law enforcement, but if we are, we will fully cooperate with authorities.

Online articles show Edwards is an award-winning dancer and choreographer who has worked and taught master classes and workshops nationwide. In 2010, she and Bryant opened the Impulse Dance Project pre-professional training company in Wilmington.

That school closed in 2018 when Edwards and Bryant moved to Raleigh, according to another biography. Edwards soon joined CC & Company as a full-time staff member, and by 2020, she was director of the PrePro Program and the Contemporary Department.

Amber Mitchell, a former CC & Company member who owns a dance studio in Wilmington, said she heard rumors about Edwards when she started working in Wilmington several years ago.

There is more that CC & Company can do to protect its students, she said, including a no-tolerance policy when there are allegations that a teacher may be abusive. The Youth Protection Association for Dance offers an affordable staff certification-safety program, she said.

Her experiences at CC & Company were mostly amazing, Mitchell said, and the training was tough, but she also knew other children who were approached by guest choreographers.

Ive never understood why, with children especially, that if you have any sort of feeling (about a teacher), why take the risk, Mitchell said. She joined investigators urging other potential victims to come forward and also advised parents to talk with their children.

You have to talk to them, even if you were never a part of any of this, if you thought that they were safe and you have no doubt in your mind. It can happen anywhere  Girl Scouts, YMCAs, any child program is susceptible unfortunately, she said.

Anyone with information or who may have been a victim can call New Hanover County Sheriffs Office Detective Starnes at 910-798-4287 or submit an anonymous tip at nhcgov.com/1066/Submit-a-Crime-Tip.
3 alleged gang members and an associate charged in the fatal shooting of an off-duty LAPD officer

Editors Note: (7/19/24) Since this story was published in January 2022, Rios, Contreras, and Cisneros pleaded guilty to one count each of conspiracy to violate the Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations Act. Rios and Cisneros were both sentenced to 50 years in federal prison and Contreras was sentenced to 35 years in federal prison, according to the US Attorneys Office. Grisham pleaded guilty to violent crime in aid of racketeering and is expected to be sentenced in September.

Federal prosecutors charged three alleged gang members and one alleged gang associate Thursday in the fatal shooting of off-duty Los Angeles Police Department officer Fernando Arroyos during an attempted robbery.

Luis Alfredo De La Rosa Rios, 29, Ernesto Cisneros, 22, and Jesse Contreras, 34, are allegedly members of the F-13 gang, according to a US Justice Department release. Rios alleged girlfriend Haylee Marie Grisham, 18, was also charged.

According to the complaint, Arroyos was house-hunting on Monday with his girlfriend when a black pickup truck drove up. Rios and Cisneros pointed guns at Arroyos and his girlfriend and removed items from both, including chains from Arroyos neck.

There was an exchange of gunfire between Arroyos and the two suspects, after which Arroyos collapsed and the two suspects fled, the release said. Los Angeles County sheriffs deputies responded to the scene and took Arroyos to a hospital where he died.

The four defendants were in the vehicle and allegedly were at the scene of the robbery and the shooting, the complaint said. They are charged with violent crime in aid of racketeering, which carries a potential death penalty and a minimum sentence of life in federal prison without the possibility of parole.

CNN has reached out to the Los Angeles County Public Defenders office in an attempt to contact legal representation for the defendants and is awaiting a response.

Arroyos, 27, was starting a very promising career, LAPD Chief Michel Moore said Tuesday. He was with the department for three years and assigned to the Wilshire Division.

He found himself, after working a series of days in patrol, to have a day off, enjoying it with his girlfriend on a hunt for a house, a place to live, a place to buy and invest in this city and the future of this region, Moore said.

Arroyos is survived by his mother and stepfather.

He was the only child, he had a promising future, a bright future that was taken away, viciously, over a street robbery, the chief said.

F-13 is a large, multi-generational street gang that previously has been the subject of federal prosecutions, including two large racketeering cases, the US Attorneys office said in a news release.

The news release did not mention any connection between Arroyos and the suspects.

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3 finalists are vying to be the next Boise police chief. Heres how theyd approach it

As the city of Boise gets closer to picking its next chief of police, the finalists are making their case for why theyd be the best choice to build community trust in the agency.

The three candidates  Jeffery Bert, Chris Dennison and Tom Worthy  focused on their approach to community policing during an open house at the Boise Train Depot on Thursday and in interviews with the Idaho Statesman. The three out-of-state candidates in the past few days have participated in panel interviews, met the departments officers and staff, and received a tour of the city.

In the Northwest, people want to have a relationship with the police department, Worthy, chief of the police department in The Dalles, Oregon told the Statesman in an interview. If thats the expectation, we have to have that mantra of no call too small.

Candidates for the Boise police chief position Tom Worthy, left, Jeffrey Bert, center, and Chris Dennison, right, answer questions during a forum held at Boise Depot, Thursday, July 18, 2024.

Boise Police Chief Ron Winegar took over the department at a turbulent time and will again retire in September after a nearly 30-year career with the agency. Boise Mayor Lauren McLean asked Winegar to come out of retirement and lead the department temporarily in October 2023, after McLean asked former Chief Ryan Lee to resign. She appointed Winegar to the position permanently in April 2023.

I think its a good opportunity to get to know them and figure out whos going to be the best fit for the Boise Police Department, Winegar told the Statesman in an interview.

City officials narrowed the finalists down from a pool of 20 reviewed candidates. The salary range for the job is $190,000 to $213,000, according to Public Sector Search & Consulting, the recruitment firm hired by the city. Winegar makes $196,352, according to the Statesmans salary database.

Boise police chief finalists emphasize community policing

After working for the Los Angeles Police Department for 24 years, Bert was hired to head the police department in Tomball, Texas, in June 2020. Bert said during Thursdays event he has the vision and wisdom to know what matters most in policing, which is working with underserved communities.

Bert said hes worked with youth programs and homelessness in Los Angeles, and worked in really kind of difficult neighborhoods where he tried to help make the community better.

Yes, people are going to go to jail, Bert said. That isnt always the answer. How can we prevent crime?

He said when police departments work with residents who might have more negative associations with law enforcement, the first step is admitting that the contentious relationship exists. Bert pointed to Boises growing refugee population and said officers should be mindful that immigrants may have had difficult experiences with police.

Tom Worthy was hired in 2021 as the police chief in The Dalles, Oregon. Before joining the 25-person department, he worked for almost 30 years with the Oregon State Police.

Meanwhile, Worthy said his background and service in the Northwest give him an edge over his competitors for the job. Policing is regional in its approach and expectations, and hes familiar with the region and its culture, he said in an interview. Worthy grew up in Pullman, Washington, and was hired to be the chief in The Dallas in 2021 after almost 30 years with Oregon State Police.

Worthy told the Statesman he publicly set goals for his department in The Dalles, including to cement the departments commitment to 21st century policing. He told the Statesman he pushed his officers to form bonds with the residents, whether they were kids at the park or people experiencing homelessness, in their assigned patrol areas.

Worthy said Thursday that he doesnt have any tolerance for commanding officers and leaders who arent willing to address concerns and highlighted the importance of having systems of accountability in place. He said he uses a dashboard in Oregon to track officers uses of force, which allows him to see when intervention might be needed.

We are not at war with the citizens. We are not in the military, Worthy said. We are civilian police officers out to protect our community.

Eliminate or reduce police shootings

All three of the candidates spoke about the ways they take care of their officers, from treating them with respect, to ensuring they receive training beyond the academy and take care of their well-being.

Bert also emphasized the importance of receiving the best training to help others who are in crises, whether thats deescalation or mental health training.

We really have to focus on educating our people, Bert said.

Dennison, who has spent his entire career in Arizona and rose up through the ranks of the Tucson Police Department, told the Statesman law enforcement should meet its community members regularly and be transparent about its actions to gain trust.

To build that trust with the community, you have to be open with them, Dennison said during Thursdays event I would much rather air dirty laundry of an agency on my terms as opposed to doing it under public record requests.

Chris Dennison has been with the Tucson Police Department for over 20 years. He serves as the assistant chief of police overseeing the departments investigative services bureau.

All three of the candidates said they want to release body camera footage of police shootings as soon as possible.

The Boise Police Department last year reached a decadeslong high with four fatal shootings, and critics have pushed the department to release investigative documents or footage more quickly. The department early this year created a webpage where that information is released once the investigation is finalized.

Dennison acknowledged that asking someone to wait six months before seeing the footage is a long time to wait, which is why his agency releases the footage after any of the officers involved in shootings have provided a statement about the incident. He told the Statesman thats typically a few weeks or a month after the shooting.

Bert told the Statesman he hasnt dealt with a police shooting while leading the Tomball Police Department, which serves a Houston suburb of roughly 11,000 people. But in Los Angeles, he said releasing the footage has shown the community true transparency.

In Oregon, Worthy told the Statesman prosecutors typically decide to have police shootings scrutinized by a grand jury. Officers from The Dalles Police Department were undergoing that process last week.

Its also up to each agency in Oregon to decide whether the involved officers should be kept on administrative leave during the process, which Worthy said serves to protect both the officers and the community.

Worthy said in an interview he wants to eliminate or reduce police shootings and, when they do happen, to review shootings thoroughly to ensure the officers were in compliance with the departments policies.

The three candidates  two of whom grew up in neighboring states  were part of an initial pool of 20 whose applications were reviewed by the city.
CHICAGO  A shooting on the citys South Side on Saturday morning left three men hospitalized.

According to Chicago police, the gunfire erupted in the 4000 block of South Prarie Avenue in Bronzeville at around 10:15 a.m.

Read more: Latest Chicago news headlines

Officers say the three victims, two 34-year-old men and a 44-year-old man, were standing outside in the area when an unknown individual approached and opened fire in their direction.

Following the shooting, officers say the gunman fled the scene in an unknown direction.

All three victims were wounded in the shooting and taken to the hospital in good condition.

Currently, it is unclear what led to the shooting and an investigation is now underway.

LATEST CASES: Missing people in Chicagoland

Anyone with information on the shooting is asked to contact CPD Area One detectives at 312-747-8380 or dial 911.

Those with information that could help authorities in their investigation can also leave a tip at CPDtip.com. Tips can be filed anonymously.

Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to WGN-TV.
Kenosha, Wisconsin, is a picturesque community on the shore of Lake Michigan. It is known for its boats, fresh corn at the farmer's market and the country's oldest velodrome. However, everything changed when Kenosha burst into the national spotlight in 2020.

Jacob Blake, 29, a father of three, was shot seven times by a local police officer and left paralyzed from the waist down. Following the August 2020 police shooting of Blake, protests, riots, and civil unrest took place in Kenosha and across the United States as part of the Black Lives Matter movement and other groups protesting racial injustice.

Amid looting and riots in Kenosha, 17-year-old Kyle Rittenhouse arrived at the scene armed, stating he was there to protect a car dealership from rioters. As the situation escalated, Rittenhouse shot three men, two of whom died.

VIDEO: Trump assassination attempt reignites fears of political violence in Kenosha, WI (ABCNews.com)

Rittenhouse was charged with two felony counts of first-degree recklessly endangering safety, first-degree reckless homicide and first-degree intentional homicide and attempted first-degree intentional homicide. A charge of violating a curfew that was imposed during the protests in Kenosha was later dropped.

Rittenhouse pleaded not guilty to the charges and, during trial testimony, said he shot all three men with an AR-15-style semi-automatic rifle in self-defense.

Rittenhouse was found not guilty. Embraced by gun rights supporters, he became a symbol of the Second Amendment and gained popularity within the Republican Party.

MORE: Family to sue Kenosha police after accusing officer of kneeling on 12-year-old girls neck

Now, in the aftermath of an assassination attempt on former President Donald Trump, all eyes are on the state of Wisconsin, a battleground state where Trump recently visited for the Republican National Convention.

Residents of Kenosha are experiencing similar fears they felt four years ago, according to community activist Molly Gray-Moores.

"Oh, my God, are we going backward instead of moving forward?" Gray-Moores said. "We need our city and our nation to come to one place where we all come together. We can't keep tearing up our city and our nation."

Gray-Moore's sentiments also resonate with Kenosha's new police chief, Patrick Patton, who agrees. Patton was policing a local parade when news broke of the assassination attempt on Trump.

"Whatever side of the fence you fall on, an attack on an elected official or a former sitting president or a candidate for that matter is kind of an attack on our democracy," Patton said. "The world kind of looks to America as the leaders in that field. So this sets us back. We can't have it. It's un-American."

In rural Kenosha, it's Trump country, and there has been a wake-up call. Some locals are concerned that people are resorting to violence, using guns instead of voting to get their message across.

"They might not always agree with us, but they have their opinions, we have our opinions," Diane Biehn, a resident of rural Kenosha, said. "Let's not take it to that level of violence."

On the other side of town, a local businessman and barber is trying to increase community participation by holding community engagement sessions in his shop. Topics include the direction of our country and who will lead it.

Alvin Owens operates the Regimen Barber Collective and hopes to engage individuals from diverse backgrounds to advocate for voting and the right to vote.

ABC News spoke with a participant who said they benefited from these conversations and put their apathy toward the current presidential candidates aside.

"I got four children and they're all boys, and I want them to be kings," Kyle Smith said. "I want them to be men in the truest sense that they can. And I can't teach that if I don't embody it and I may not want to vote, but I got to, man. So, hopefully, I vote for the right person. We'll see."

Another participant encourages candidates to appreciate Americas diversity.

"I think that's really important to go outside of your box and listen to other people and learn who they are, and embrace our diversity, because that's what America is," Jami Jastrom said.

As the nation enters the final months of this tumultuous election cycle, both presidential candidates are calling for less angry rhetoric and more unity, a sentiment shared by Kenoshans.

"Let's work together," Gray-Moores said. "Everybody has a voice, use it. You dont have to use anger, you dont have to use weapons. None of that, thats not what were about."

4 years after Kyle Rittenhouse shooting, Wisconsin city reflects on unity and moving on originally appeared on abcnews.go.com
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, center, and Cypriot leader Ersin Tatar, rear right, talk with a woman after the end of a military parade, in the Turkish occupied area of the divided capital Nicosia, Cyprus, Saturday, July 20, 2024. Today marks the 50th anniversary of Cyprus' ethnic division after Turkish invaded in the summer of 1974 in the wake of an Athens junta-backed coup aiming at union with Greece. (AP Photo/Petros Karadjias)

NICOSIA, Cyprus (AP)  Turkey's president on Saturday put a damper on hopes for a quick resumption of talks to heal a half-century of ethnic division on Cyprus, reaffirming his support for a two-state deal that Greek Cypriots dismiss as a non-starter.

President Recep Tayyip Erdogan ruled out a peace deal based on a United Nations-endorsed plan for federation, speaking ahead of a military parade to mark the 50th anniversary of a Turkish invasion that split the island along ethnic lines.

Although Erdogan has previously rejected the federation plan, Greece and the Greek Cypriots had hoped he would soften his position.

The anniversary is a festive occasion for Turkish Cypriots in the island's northern third, who view the invasion as salvation from the Greek-speaking majority's domination. The invasion followed a coup that aimed at a union with Greece, which was backed by the junta then ruling in Athens.

In the south, the howl of air raid sirens at daybreak began a solemn day marking what Greek Cypriots remember as a catastrophe that left thousands of people dead or missing and displaced a quarter of the Greek Cypriot population.

Erdogans remarks may further complicate U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres effort to get both sides back to the negotiating table. His personal envoy, Maria Angela Holguin Cuellar, has spent the past six months scoping both sides out.

We will continue to fight with determination for the recognition of the TRNC (breakaway Turkish Cypriot state) and the implementation of a two-state solution," Erdogan told throngs of Turkish Cypriots lining the parade route in scorching heat in the northern half of the divided capital, Nicosia.

A federal solution in Cyprus is not possible, this is what we believe," Erdogan said. "The Turkish Cypriot side, as equals with the Greek side, are willing to negotiate and are ready to sit down and negotiate. If you want a solution, you need to recognize the rights of Turkish Cypriots."

Turkish Cypriot leader Ersin Tatar said Turkish Cypriots reject domination by the Greek Cypriot majority and seek equal national status for their breakaway state they unilaterally declared in 1983, which is only recognized by Turkey. He added that there's now no common ground for a return to peace negotiations.

Referring to a recent resolution in the Ankara parliament calling for a two-state solution, Tatar said it will help us and our cause incredibly.

The island's Greek Cypriot President Nikos Christodoulides said he remains committed to resuming peace talks to reunify the island as a federation, despite obstacles or even threats from Erdogan.

But Christodoulides said he wouldnt sign up to any agreement that either foresees a two-state arrangement or is unworkable and doesnt guarantee rights afforded to any other European Union citizen.

Speaking at the same event, Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis said there's no other option than to resume talks, an assessment he said was shared by the U.N. chief.

One who isnt in the right and has no arguments to make evades dialogue, Mitsotakis said.

After numerous failed rounds of peace negotiations, many Cypriots on both sides  although jaded  still hold out a glimmer of hope for a peace deal.

Apart from the evening event at the Presidential Palace, the Greek Cypriot commemorations also included the unveiling of memorials to fallen heroes and church services.

Erdogan earlier presided over golden jubilee events, replete with a visit by Turkeys first amphibious assault ship to carry the countrys potent Bayraktar drones, and an airshow.

The EU, which Cyprus joined in 2004, urged both sides to show genuine commitment to a peace deal in line with U.N. resolutions.

Too much time has been lost, an EU spokesperson said. A forced division can never be a solution. Hope for a better future, a united Cyprus, still exists.

____

AP writer Andrew Wilks in Istanbul contributed.
Time is almost up for voters around Maricopa County to mail in their ballots. While most eyes are focused on races at the top of the ballot, plenty of local elections are heating up.

Some are controversial, others consequential, some both. Throughout the Phoenix area, races for mayor or for city or town council will have significant bearing on how those communities will develop and whether they can be governed effectively.

Towns and cities face some big challenges: providing housing people can afford, attracting industries that offer well-paid jobs, easing commutes, dealing with state-mandated revenue cuts, curbing a lingering homelessness crisis, keeping up with the effects of rapid growth, providing adequate public safety, developing land responsibly and maintaining basic civility at public meetings.

Voters can check on the status of their mailed-in ballot on Maricopa Countys website at https://elections.maricopa.gov/voting/voter-dashboard-login. Those who choose to vote by mail must mail their ballot by July 23 or drop it off at a ballot drop-off location or voting location by July 30. Or they can vote in person on July 30.

In contested races, if no candidate gets eclipses 50% of the votes, the two highest voter-getters will move forward to a runoff election in November. For full election coverage, check out our comprehensive voter guide.

Here are seven intriguing local elections worth watching.

Scottsdale City Council candidates Stephen Casares (top left), Councilman Tom Durham (top middle), Justin Laos, Councilwoman Tammy Caputi (middle left), Mason Gates (center), Jan Dubauskas (middle right), Adam Kwasman (bottom left), Maryann McAllen (bottom middle) and Bob Lettieri (bottom right).

Could Scottsdale have a power shift?

In Scottsdale, there are hotly contested races for the mayor's seat and a big field of candidates for City Council. The result could tip the balance of power in City Hall and dramatically shape the city's appetite for approving developments.

Three candidates, including incumbent David Ortega, are seeking to become Scottsdale mayor. Ortega took the role in 2020 and also served one term on the City Council in the early aughts. Challenging him are two former councilmembers: Linda Milhaven, who served three terms on the dais from 2011 to 2023, and Lisa Borowski, who served from 2008 to 2012.

In the Scottsdale council race, nine candidates are seeking three seats. They are:

Adam Kwasman, 41, is a personal injury lawyer who served one term as a Republican member of the Arizona House of Representatives from 2013 to 2015.

Jan Dubauskas, 48, is a corporate lawyer for U-Haul who is active in the local Republican political scene. Shes among the most moderate of the opposition candidates in regard to her campaign rhetoric.

Mason Gates, 21, is a sales agent at a commercial real estate investment firm who has also worked in business and marketing.

Bob Lettieri, 79, is the chief financial officer of a Scottsdale-based software company that served as the Arizona Republican Party's state treasurer from 2017 to 2021.

Maryann McAllen, 60, a long-time resident who has served on numerous parent teacher organizations and as the chair of Scottsdale's Parks and Recreation Commission.

Justin Laos, 29, is a software engineer who has served on Scottsdales Board of Adjustment and is active in multiple community organizations.

Stephen Casares, 37, is a combat veteran who served in Afghanistan, worked as an economic intelligence analyst for a private firm, and is now studying to become a high school teacher.

Both contests involve a slate of opponents trying to defeat status quo candidates.

Will 'Gilbert Goons' fallout shape the next Town Council?

Gilbert voters will choose between two remaining candidates for mayor in a race that has already been heavily affected by the ongoing "Gilbert Goons" scandal involving viscous random attacks by mostly affluent teenagers and the police follow-up.

The political climate after the Goons revelations already prompted two mayoral candidates, including incumbent Brigette Peterson, to drop out. And debate about the town's response to the Goons phenomenon has played heavily in competitive town council races, too.

All this comes after a year of squabbles over council ethics probes as members take aim at each other. Much of it revolved around leaders' responsiveness to the public.

The mayor's race pits Scott Anderson against Natalie DiBernardo.

Anderson was elected to the council in 2016 and is currently serving as the towns vice mayor. Anderson was the towns Planning and Zoning director for 12 years before becoming the director of the Riparian Institute focused on developing Gilberts Riparian Preserve. He retired in 2013. DiBernardo is a business owner and realtor. In 2022, she ran as a Republican state House candidate for Legislative District 14.

Meanwhile, four candidates are seeking two seats on the Town Council, after a year of turmoil. They are:

Aaron Accurso, a procurement and operations manager in the local market. He's lived in Gilbert since 2007.

Kenny Buckland, a former Gilbert police commander from 1995 to 2016 who currently works as a senior director of sales.

Monte Lyons, a former Air Force veteran with over 35 years of experience in aerospace manufacturing.

Noah Mundt, who is a co-founder of a consulting company for water and energy business solutions and is the chair of the town's Planning Commission.

Mesa to pick a new mayor in field of big names

Mesa politics tend to be less melodramatic than in its neighboring communities, but voters there have a momentous decision. They will pick their first new mayor in 10 years and have some local heavyweights competing for the seat in a crowded field.

The vote could be a referendum, of sorts, on the legacy of outgoing Mayor John Giles. Voters will decide whether they support candidates who plan to continue his agenda for growth and modernization  "momentum," as he calls it  or if they reject that approach for a change in direction.

Five men are vying to replace Giles and lead the states third-most populous city. They include Carey Davis, Mark Freeman, Scott Neely, Scott Smith and Ryan Winkle. The big names are Smith and Freeman.

Smith is seeking to make a comeback to the role as mayor. He was previously voted in twice for the role in 2008 and in 2012. He resigned in the middle of his second term to run as the Republic gubernatorial nominee in 2014, which he lost to Doug Ducey.

Freeman currently serves on Mesa City Council representing District 1, the north-central area of the city, and is term-limited. He worked as a fireman for 31 years in the Mesa Fire and Medical Department before retiring in 2011. His ancestry goes as far back as the early Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints pioneers who settled in Mesa.

Davis served as mayor of San Bernardino, California, from 2014 to 2018. After his retirement in 2019, he moved to Mesa to be closer to his family. He formally worked as a certified public accountant.

Neely is a former 2022 Republican gubernatorial candidate. Neely moved 20 years ago from California to Mesa and started a concrete business venture.

Winkle is a former Mesa council member who was ousted in 2017 after a DUI charge. Winkle recently stepped down as the executive director of the Mesa-based community organization RAIL CDC to focus on his mayoral run.

The council races are more sedate.

Eight Mesa City Council candidates are vying to take three seats up for election this July.

In District 1 will have to choose a new council member between four candidates. The four-way race is between candidates Rich Adams, Zachary Hichez, Tim Meyer and Ron Williams. District 2, in the east-central area of the city, has two candidates vying for the seat, including incumbent Councilmember Julie Spilsbury and Melody Whetstone. District 3, which includes Sloan Park and the Asian District in west Mesa, is a two-way race with incumbent Vice Mayor Francisco Heredia and Marc Lavender.

In Fountain Hills, Joe Arpaio brings name recognition in a deeply divided town

Fountain Hills also has races worth watching because of internal acrimony on the current Town Council. This is another panel that has been mired in ethics claims and accusations of corruption.

Adding pizzazz to the Fountain Hills mayoral contest is the appearance on the ballot of one of the most famous names in Arizona politics: former six-term Maricopa County Sheriff Joe Arpaio. He lost badly to the same opponent four years ago, but this time a whole slate of like-minded candidates is trying to take power.

Three candidates are vying for mayor, and eight candidates are running for the three available council seats. The outcome will influence everything from the town's approach to affordable housing and growth to the tone of its often divisive political discourse.

The Fountain Hills mayoral contest involves three individuals well known in the local political scene:

Ginny Dickey, 68, is the incumbent who was first elected Fountain Hills mayor in 2018 and re-elected in 2020 and 2022. Dickey was an Arizona Senate staffer, part-time teacher, bookkeeper, school board member and assistant director of the Department of Environmental Quality.

Arpaio, 92, served as Maricopa County sheriff from 1992 to 2016. He was convicted for contempt of federal court for his sluggish progress complying with court-ordered civil rights reforms stemming from a class-action lawsuit against the Maricopa County Sheriff's Office.

Gerry Friedel, 67, currently serves on the Fountain Hills City Council. He worked nearly 22 years as a loan officer and another 17 years as a financial planner.

Meanwhile, voters have a wealth of choice for the open council seats. This years race is the first in Fountain Hills since a vitriolic and heavily partisan 2022 election, driven largely driven by a group called Reclaim Our Town, which sought to establish a hardline Republican majority on council. Running in those races are:

Peggy McMahon, 73, was elected to Fountain Hills City Council in 2020 and is the only incumbent on the ballot.

Clayton Corey, 39, is currently a member of the Fountain Hills Planning and Zoning Commission and the Board of Directors of the Fountain Hills Sanitary District.

Mathew Corrigan, 71, spent his career in sales, working as a small business owner and district sales manager.

Gayle Earle, 65, is a small business owner, having owned and operated a pool service business for more than 30 years.

Henry Male, 67, is employed with Penske Automotive Scottsdale BMW and is currently the president of the Fountain Hills Theater Board of Directors.

Art Tolis, 53, is a former Fountain Hills Council Member who was first elected in 2016. He is the president of Tolis Mortgage Financial Group.

Robert Wallace, 39, is a real estate agent with experience in IT desktop support and systems administration.

Rick Watts, 73, is currently on the Fountain Hills Planning and Zoning Commission.

Arizona primary election 2024: Who is running for mayor, city council?

Surprise mayor's race has been notable for mudslinging

The race for mayor of Surprise has been muddied with Councilmember Aly Cline engaging in some questionable campaigning activities, for which shes been formally reprimanded. Her opponent, Kevin Sartor, is hammering her on the censure, painting her as unfit for office.

Cline, 71, has represented Surprises second district since being elected in 2020. Shes turned her attention to higher office, hoping to replace Mayor Skip Hall. She spent more than 30 years in the financial services industry, holding leadership positions at Wells Fargo Bank, First Interstate Bank and Security Pacific Bank.

Sartor, 41, is a retired Army officer who led combat missions during the Iraq War. He now works for the Dysart Unified School District as its safety coordinator and served as the chair of the citys Planning and Zoning Commission.

They, and one write-in candidate, are competing to fill Halls seat. Hes leaving office after spending the past 16 years as an elected public servant in Surprise, six as mayor.

Surprises mayoral contest will coincide with races for three of the councils district seats  Districts 2, 3 and 4. All three are uncontested, with only one incumbent, Councilmember Patrick Duffy of District 3, seeking reelection.

Glendale City Council candidates: Ian Hugh (upper left), Lupe Encinas (upper right), Lupe Conchas (lower left), and Dianna Guzman (lower right).

Glendale council race also mired in allegations and countercharges

In Glendale, five candidates are seeking three council seats, in district races.

In Glendale's Cactus District, Lupe Conchas is an unknown name challenging longtime incumbent Councilman Ian Hugh. Hugh is leveling attacks on Conchas, referring to him as a defund-the-police candidate and using altered versions of his mugshot when Conchas was arrested for protesting immigration policy.

In the Yucca District race, Dianna Guzman and Hugh ally has applied similar tactics against Lupe Encinas.

In both races, the challengers have accused the incumbents of misleading the voters.

In the third district race, as with the mayor's race, the incumbent is unopposed.

Peoria's ambitious airport plan shapes council race

A race to watch is the one for Peoria Mesquite District. Three candidates are vying for this open seat that represents a crucial area of the citys long-term future. One candidate is a major supporter of Mayor Jason Beck, a strong booster of building an airport on open land owned by the state.

That candidate would help advance the mayors agenda, while the other two, staunch airport opponents, would likely act as roadblocks to the airport proposal and other Beck agenda topics.

In each of the two other council districts up for grabs, only one qualified candidate will appear on the ballot.

Running for office in the Mesquite District are:

Thomas Bottorf, who has a nearly 30-year career as an electrical engineer in the Valley and is focused on the semiconductor industry and gained experience in sales engineering.

Matt Bullock, a businessman who founded two technology companies, who served on the Peoria Unified School Districts governing board as president from 2013 to 2016.

Laura Page, a senior adviser for U.S. Rep. Doug LaMalfa of California's 1st Congressional District. Before that, she was the deputy chief administration officer in Butte County and the disaster recovery director in the town of Paradise.

This article originally appeared on Arizona Republic: Arizona primary election 2024: 7 local races to watch in metro Phoenix
A man who was picking huckleberries on Flathead National Forest land Thursday evening was charged and attacked by a grizzly sow. The 72-year-old, whose identity has not yet been made public, shot and killed the bear with his handgun, according to a statement from Montana Fish, Wildlife and Parks on Friday.

Few details have been released about the incident, though the victims injuries were serious enough that he was hospitalized. No details about the mans condition or prognosis have been released, but he was apparently lucid enough to contact authorities and explain the encounter. The man told officials he was picking berries alone about 2 miles north of Columbia Falls off the North Fork Road when the sow charged.

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FWP wardens and bear specialists responded to the incident and confirmed that an adult female grizzly bear was killed, the agency wrote in its terse press release. FWP is working to verify if any cubs are present. FWP determined it to be a surprise defensive encounter. No additional information is available at this time.

MFWP spokesperson Dillion Tabish told the Associated Press that wildlife officials had set out trail cams to attempt to confirm the presence of cubs. Even if the cameras do document young grizzly cubs in the area, Tabish said hes not sure if they would be captured because its difficult to find rehabilitation facilities that are qualified to accept them.

Depending on the age [of any cubs we find,] we might leave them in the wild because they have a better chance of survival, rather than have to euthanize them, Tabish told the AP.

Grizzlies have a slower reproductive rate than black bears, and its possible she did not have young cubs this season. Once grizzly sows reach breeding age (between three and eight years of age) they give birth every three to four years into their mid-20s, according to the University of Montana. A grizzlys average litter size is two cubs, though individual litters can range from one to four cubs. Cubs usually stay with the sow for two to three years before dispersing.

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This is the second known grizzly attack in the Lower 48 this year. In May, a backcountry hiker in Wyomings Grand Teton National Park was attacked by a sow shortly after encountering a cub. He deployed bear spray, which he credits for saving his life, and was hospitalized for days with severe injuries to his leg, back, and hand. Last year there were at least two high-profile grizzly attacks in Montana, with a trail runner dying from a bear attack in West Yellowstone and a man losing part of his jaw to a griz in Big Sky.
DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. (WFLA)  A Florida jewelry store shooting left one person dead and a suspect hospitalized Friday, officials said.

Just before 1 p.m., Daytona Beach police responded to the shooting at the Gold and Diamond store, located at 536 West International Speedway Boulevard.

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Officials said John Craiger, 83, entered the jewelry store and approached an employee, who was behind the counter, and got into a verbal argument.

Craiger pulled out a firearm and shot the victim, police said.

A nearby witness pulled out their firearm, shooting Craiger, while another witness struck Craiger in the head with an object from behind.

Officials said Craiger suffered several gunshot wounds and a laceration to his head. No witnesses were injured.

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The victim was taken to a nearby medical center where they were later pronounced dead.

Craiger is being charged with first-degree murder and attempted first-degree murder.

This is a developing story. Stay up to date on the latest from News Channel 8 on-air and on the go with the free WFLA News Channel 8 mobile app.

Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to WFLA.
An investigation is underway after a triple shooting at a gathering in the parking lot of a temple in Lowell early Saturday morning left one person dead and two others injured, officials said.

Officers responding to a report of a shooting in the parking lot of the ISSO Shri Swaminarayan Hindu Temple on Middlesex Street just before 5 a.m. found three people suffering from apparent gunshot wounds, according to Middlesex District Attorney Marian Ryan and Lowell Police Superintendent Greg Hudon.

Two of the victims, a 43-year-old Lowell man and a 34-year-old man were rushed to a local hospital. The older man was pronounced dead, while the other remains hospitalized.

The third victim, a 26-year-old woman, suffered minor injuries and took herself to the hospital.

Investigators say a fight likely preceded the shooting and that the incident was not related to the temple.

The preliminary investigation suggests that early this morning a group was gathered in the parking lot when a physical altercation occurred prior to the shooting, Ryan and Hudon said in a statement. There is no information that the gathering was at all related to the temple.

There have been no arrests made in connection with the shooting.

Investigators on Saturday morning were seen photographing vehicles in the parking lot near a large tent with tables and chairs, placing evidence markers on the ground, and interviewing people at the temple.

A woman who watches birds in the area told reporters that she was shocked to find out about the fatal incident.

Its sad. I wouldnt expect it over here, Wendy Porter said. Ive never ever heard of anyone hanging out over here.

Another witness whose car is stuck inside the crime scene told Boston 25s Joanna Bouras that she saw two gunshot victims bleeding on the ground before officers arrived at the scene.

Others showing up at the temple for a scheduled religious event say an all-day prayer session was supposed to begin around 7:30 a.m.

State troopers assigned to Ryans office are assisting Lowell police with the investigation.

Anyone with information is urged to call Lowell police at 978-937-3200.

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.

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Do active shooter drills make Miami schools safer or cause more harm than good?

Miami Central Senior High seemed more like a police training camp than a high school on Thursday morning as Miami-Dade school police officers patted down and searched the bags of people entering the cafeteria.

Members of the school band quietly played their trumpets inside as students on the dance team rehearsed and officers from several law enforcement departments prepared to work together for a large-scale active shooter drill, a practice that has become both common and controversial. While district officials and law enforcement tout these school safety efforts, there is growing evidence that these drills are not effective.

The cafeteria, which was the staging area for the drill, was filled with participants, including students, staff and officers from the Miami-Dade Schools Police, the City of Miami Police Department, the Miami-Dade County Police Department, the North Miami Police Department, and even U.S. Customs and Border Patrol.

Everybody ready to go, you got your wounds? said an officer as he poked his head into the school cafeteria. Students, many of them football players, were having fake wounds applied and getting splattered with artificial blood to make the simulation seem more realistic.

In minutes, more than 50 armed officers, including members of the Miami-Dade priority response team  decked out with helmets, bulletproof vests, and large guns would begin the simulation. All of the students participating in the summer drill had been informed about the drill and agreed to participate.

Three loud gunshots marked the beginning of the drill.

Through a radio positioned on an officers duty belt, you could hear a dispatcher notify the officers of the fake active shooting: Gunshots are being fired, they said.

Soon after, screams came from a classroom on the upper story of the building. On the ground level, patrol cars pulled up to the front of the building, sirens blasting  and dozens of officers spilled out of their cars running into the school. The school fire alarm blared.

Zulimar Zamora, an incoming sophomore, had fake gun wounds on each leg and sat on the cement among other students pretending to squeal in pain. Help, my leg! she said, as officers jogged past, searching for the fake shooter.

A police officer posing as a school shooter ran across classrooms and hallways.

At one point in the drill, one officer advised the other: Make sure you maintain a 360-degree vigilance.

Miami-Dade Schools Police Department officers arrive on the scene during a large-scale active shooter drill at Miami Central Senior High in Miami, Florida on Thursday, July 18, 2024.

Within minutes, the fake shooter was located in a classroom and shot dead by officers.

The apparently wounded students were then attended to and carried away by officers.

The final step in the plan is to reunify students with their parents, at a location that will be determined based on the circumstances of the emergency.

Debate over effectiveness of large-scale drills and armed officers

Miami-Dade School District Superintendent Jose Dotres was at the drill Thursday and touted the districts efforts regarding school safety. But some experts believe that large-scale drills that aim to simulate a real life situation can do more harm than good.

Miami-Dade County Public Schools Superintendent Jose L. Dotres speaks to reporters after a large-scale active shooter drill at Miami Central Senior High in Miami, Florida on Thursday, July 18, 2024.

These kinds of drills can often traumatize participants, says Scott Woitaszewski, professor and chair of the Department of Counseling & School Psychology at the University of Wisconsin-River Falls. He is also chair of the School Safety and Crisis Response Committee, a national committee that advises schools on how best to respond to security threats.

He says that although sensorial drills such as the one at Miami Central High School may seem valuable, they are not recommended by research and can even be harmful to students and teachers.

Miami-Dade Police officers arrive on the scene during a large-scale active shooter drill at Miami Central Senior High in Miami, Florida on Thursday, July 18, 2024.

Students who have experienced trauma in a variety of ways, especially gun violence, for them to be involved in a highly sensorial armed assailant drill at school could be a very negative thing for them. It can re-traumatize them, he said.

Nationally, there have been examples of teachers and students saying they were traumatized by the drill.

A report on armed assailant drills in schools endorsed by the The National Association of School Psychologists and the National Association of School Resource Officers suggests that lockdown drills that dont involve simulations are best practice. The report also says that drills that mimic a real experience can be traumatizing.

But chief of the Miami-Dade schools police, Ivan Silva, says these drills are helpful because during times of stress, officers revert to their training. He also said that the decision to conduct the drill over the summer was made in order to not interrupt instruction.

We have always conducted these drills over the summer when school is not in session with students who volunteer for role-playing purposes during these exercises that allow us to assess the level of coordination among first responders and our preparedness to confront these situations, he said.

Woitaszewski says the question of whether to have an armed officer on school campuses is complicated. On one hand, it can create an increased sense of safety for some students. But he also pointed to examples where having an armed resource officer did not prevent the shooting. He also added that some students feel less safe having an armed officer on campus, especially students of color coming from communities where trust of law enforcement is low.

I think it just needs to be very carefully thought through and not just assumed that having law enforcement, especially armed officers on site, is going to somehow make things safer, he said.

A large-scale study from 2021 written by two criminal justice and law enforcement professors in St. Paul Minnesota analyzed over 130 school shootings between 1980 and 2019 and found that having armed guards did not show a significant reduction in rates of injuries. According to the researchers, the rate of deaths was 2.83 times greater in schools with an armed guard present.

A 2013 study from the FBI found the majority of shootings ended within 5 minutes or less, and therefore it is often difficult for armed guards to be useful in the most important moments.

Some civil rights activists believe that having armed guards on school campuses can pose a risk to students throughout the school year. The Advancement Project, a civil rights organization that advocates for people of color, created a map of incidents where school police officers perpetuated violence against students. Recently in Miami-Dade a school police officer was accused of body slamming a 14-year-old.

The Miami-Dade school police department has one armed officer in every school in the district, although Ivan Silva, the chief of police for the Miami-Dade schools police department, was unsure whether the specific school resource officer for Miami Central High was present at this years drill.

Learning from our past incidents

The first priority in this kind of scenario is always to stop the killing, said Silva. The second priority is to stop the dying, which basically is to treat the wounded immediately.

The Miami-Dade Schools Police Departments school resource officers are trained to immediately respond to an active shooter and to shoot if needed, instead of waiting for other authorities to arrive.

Thats the difference between learning from our past incidents to what we do today, said Silva.

Chief of the Miami-Dade Schools Police Department Ivan Silva speaks to reporters after a large-scale active shooter drill at Miami Central Senior High in Miami, Florida on Thursday, July 18, 2024.

During the school shooting at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland which killed 17 people and wounded 17, an armed school police officer did not go inside the high school or try to engage the gunman during the attack. After the shooting, he was suspended without pay, then immediately resigned and retired.

After Thursdays drill, the chief of police for Miami-Dade Schools Police said that teachers and students should fight back if absolutely necessary. But, dont engage if you dont have to, said Silva.

He also said all teachers have a mobile app on their phones with a button that can be pressed to notify 911 and the school resource officer in case of an emergency.

School safety is a top priority for many of the Miami-Dade school board members. It is also a top priority for some of the candidates for the school boards upcoming election.

School districts across the country continue to work to find ways to increase safety in schools.

In Broward County, metal detectors will be installed in 10 schools during the upcoming school year.

Miami-Dade County has contracted with an advanced mapping technology company that will created digitized maps across all of its 573 schools. The maps aim to help first responders understand the layout of a school in cases of emergency; they are slated to be completed in time for the upcoming school year beginning on Aug. 15.

Miami Herald intern Alecia Taylor contributed to this report.
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Activist organizations are appealing a judge's ruling that allowed a proposal making it a state crime to cross the border illegally to qualify for the November ballot.

Maricopa County Superior Court Judge Scott Minder on July 12 rejected the organizations' argument that the measure violated the constitution's single-subject rule. The appeal is headed to the Arizona Supreme Court.

Alejandra Gomez, executive director of the advocacy group Living United for Change in Arizona, said the group is challenging the decision because they believe the measure violates the rule that a ballot measure must be on a single subject.

In early June, LUCHA, along with state Rep. Oscar De Los Santos, D-Phoenix, the assistant minority leader, and a separate cluster of organizations, including Poder in Action, Phoenix Legal Action Network, and the Florence Immigrant & Refugee Rights Project, sued the state of Arizona, challenging the constitutionality of the House Concurrent Resolution 2060.

The measure would require legal status verification of those seeking public benefit programs and would increase penalties for providing false documentation to an employer or to obtain state or local public benefits.

It also includes provisions related to the sale of fentanyl, including making the sale of the drug a Class 2 felony if it results in the death of another person.

HCR 2060 passed the House and Senate last month and is scheduled to appear on the November ballot for voters' consideration.

A bill with the same proposals was killed by Gov. Katie Hobbs in March.

A broad-brush proposal

According to the state Constitution, legislative proposals must address a single issue to avoid bundling together multiple unrelated statutes that may not be approved on their own merits. This rule applies to legislative statutes as well as ballot measures.

Activists and their legal representatives are trying to keep it off the ballot, fearing HCR 2060 would represent a setback reminiscent of the days of SB 1070 or the "show me your papers" law.

HCR 2060 opponents have argued that the measure, dubbed "Secure the Border Act," does little to fulfill its stated purpose. Rather, they say it sets the stage for racial profiling, which would disproportionately affect communities of color, especially Latinos.

The proposal does not state geographic limits, and nowhere does the resolution state age restrictions or exceptions for sensitive locations such as schools, hospitals or places of worship. The measure would allow the deportation of asylum seekers pending legal proceedings.

This proposal has everything to do with politics, the politics of division, Gomez said, adding that the law would be "stop-and-frisk" on steroids, which historically has drawn criticism for its potential for biases and abuse.

The community is paying attention, and they don't want to go back to the Arizona of 2010 where police could stop our communities, detain our communities, and deport our communities, she said.

Seeking to shed light on the 'true impact'

Should the high court rule against their challenge, the next battle would focus on the ballot measure's synopsis to ensure it reflects the true impact of the proposed law, which is several pages long, according to Joseph Garcia, executive director of Si Se Vota CPL Action Fund and vice president of public policy at Chicanos Por La Causa.

We need to make sure ballot language voters read is not biased and does not show a dumb-down version of what this law entails. Theres a lot of bad stuff in this law, and if that isn't in the ballot language, voters may think its no big deal, Garcia said. Well, it is a big deal. We have to make sure the ballot language matches the true impact.

Much of the activists' work ahead will entail reminding voters of the damage caused by SB 1070 a decade ago, he said.

That effort is made more complicated because the state has many new voters who were not around at the time. Between 2010 and 2022, Arizona's population grew by almost 15%, adding nearly 1 million new residents.

In a statement Monday, state Senate Republicans lauded the court's ruling, calling the lawsuit an attempt by radical left activists" to keep the measure off the ballot.

"My colleagues and I worked tirelessly this session to create impactful legislation to help secure our border because the people of Arizona are desperately asking for it," stated Republican Sen. Janae Shamp, R-Surprise. She proposed an identical bill early in the legislative session that ultimately was vetoed by Gov. Katie Hobbs.

From the spreading of misinformation to the filing of frivolous lawsuits, they will stop at nothing to keep our border wide open and perpetuate Biden's border crisis, Shamp said in the statement.

According to Andrew Gaona, partner at Coppersmith Brockelman PLC and legal representative of Poder in Action, the appellants on Wednesday received a scheduling order from the court.

After opening and response briefs in the coming days, the court could decide on the appeal anytime between July 31 and the third week in August.

November ballots will go to the printers on Aug. 22.

This article originally appeared on Arizona Republic: Arizona activists continue fight to keep HCR 2060 off the ballot
The offices of the Alaska Department of Labor and Workforce Development in Juneau are seen on Thursday, Oct. 26, 2023. (Photo by James Brooks/Alaska Beacon)

The offices of the Alaska Department of Labor and Workforce Development in Juneau are seen on Thursday, Oct. 26, 2023. (Photo by James Brooks/Alaska Beacon)

Alaskas population is set to significantly decline by 2050, according to a new forecast from the Alaska Department of Labor and Workforce Development.

The department publishes population forecasts every two years, and the new document estimates the state will drop by nearly 2% before 2050.

This graphic, incorporating 20 years worth of population forecasts and actual population estimates, shows how those estimates have varied from the actual figures. (James Brooks/Alaska Beacon)

The prediction, which reverses decades of optimistic forecasts by the department, is based upon more than a decade of outmigration, rising death rates and falling birth rates.

The states forecast is critical for urban planners and others who need to calculate demand for schools, transportation, utilities and commerce.

State Demographer David Howell said the department bases its forecast on a 30-year average and extends current trends into the future. That results in the states population falling from 736,812 to 722,806 residents by 2050.

Weve now had 11 straight years of negative net migration, and its just pushed that 30-year average down enough that our natural increase, which is just births minus deaths, cant make up for the losses in net migration once we get about 10 years out in the projected period, he said.

Younger Americans tend to be more mobile and are more likely to be the people who move into the state. With fewer people moving into the state, the states average age is rising, which means fewer new births.

By the mid-2030s, our Baby Boomer population is really starting to hit these older ages, and so were seeing not only births declining, but also deaths increasing. So those two things come together, which ends up leading to population losses, Howell said.

For at least two and a half decades, the department has expected Alaskas population to grow significantly.

In 1998, for example, the Department of Labor expected the state would have more than 843,000 residents by 2018. In reality, the figure was 738,300 that year.

The departments forecasts have grown more pessimistic with each new forecast since 2007, and this years is the first to predict a long-term decline.

This graphic, incorporating 20 years worth of population forecasts and actual population estimates, shows how those estimates have varied from the actual figures. (James Brooks/Alaska Beacon)

A decline isnt certain. The forecast is based upon existing trends and could be altered by unforeseen circumstances, such as a new oil boom on the North Slope or the arrival of climate-change refugees in large numbers, but Howell said that demographers dont see signs of a large change in trends at the moment.

We could have big swings in migration, oil booms, busts, that sort of thing. But if we average out to be that 30 year average, then (the decline) is the most likely scenario, he said.

A missed estimate on birth rates could cause a steeper decline. The forecast keeps Alaska at an estimate of 1.9 children per woman, currently the third-highest in the country.

Howell said the state has always had a higher birth rate than the national average, and declines in that area seem to have bottomed out  but its hard to say what will happen going forward.

The population declines wouldnt be spread evenly across the state, the forecast indicates. Southwest Alaska, where the average age is relatively low, continues to have more births than deaths and outmigration through 2050. he Matanuska-Susitna Borough is forecast to continue growing in population.



But Southeast Alaska, which already is older on average than the rest of the state, is expected to lose significantly more population than the state as a whole, as are communities along the Gulf Coast and in the Interior, as well as Anchorage.

But Southeast Alaska, which already is older on average than the rest of the state, is expected to lose significantly more population than the state as a whole, as are communities along the Gulf Coast and in the Interior.

For example, Wrangell, in Southeast Alaska, is expected to drop from about 2,000 residents to fewer than 1,400.

The population decline also would change the states demographic mix, the forecast indicates. Alaska would become less white; the proportion of Alaska Natives would rise from about 22% to 25%, in part because Alaska Natives move out of the state less frequently than white residents do.

Howell said the number of Alaska Natives over 65 years old is also set to rise significantly; the forecast expects a 131% increase between 2020 and 2050.

Correction: The original version of this article stated that Anchorage and the Matanuska-Susitna Borough are forecast to continue growing in population. Anchorage and the Mat-Su are grouped together in some statistical measurements, but Anchorage is forecast to shrink in population, while the Mat-Su is not.

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One attorney would love to help actor Alec Baldwin sue the Santa Fe police department and special prosecutor Kari Morrissey over his highly publicized "Rust" trial.

The 66-year-old actor was charged with involuntary manslaughter in connection with the October 2021 death of cinematographer Halyna Hutchins on the set of the Western film.

However, on day three of the trial, Judge Mary Marlowe Sommer dismissed the trial with prejudice after she decided that law enforcement officials and the prosecution violated the Brady rule by failing to turn over evidence related to the "Rust" case to the defense.

Alec Baldwin May Sue 'Rust' Prosecutor and Santa Fe Police

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Alec Baldwin's "Rust" trial was dismissed with prejudice, which means he can no longer be held criminally responsible for the death of Halyna Hutchins, although he is still involved in multiple civil lawsuits regarding her death.

However, it is possible that the "30 Rock" actor might file a civil rights lawsuit himself against the Santa Fe County Sheriff's Office after a crime scene technician testified that they had cataloged ammunition under a different case number and did not turn it over to the defense.

Alec Baldwin Can Sue The Santa Fe Sheriffs Office For Withholding Evidence

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On day three of the trial, the jury was dismissed as Judge Mary Marlowe Sommer listened to testimony from several police officers. She even let special prosecutor Kari Morrissey testify under oath to get to the bottom of the matter. In the end, Judge Sommer found the state was highly culpable for failing to disclose evidence to Baldwin's legal team.

According to Variety, it is possible that Baldwin could sue the police department under the New Mexico Civil Rights Act, the State Tort Claims Act, or the Federal Civil Rights Act of 1871. Taylor Smith, an attorney based in Albuquerque, said, "This is open and shut in my mind, adding, I would love to take this case.

Baldwin's Lawyer Seems Prepared To Go Back To Court

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Alec Baldwin's attorney Alex Spiro seems prepared to take the Santa Fe County Sheriff's Office and special prosecutor Kari Morrissey back to court. As per Variety, Spiro sent letters to Santa Fe County Sheriff Adan Mendoza and special prosecutor Kari Morrissey on Monday, advising them to preserve evidence in light of the potential for future litigation based on your actions in connection with Mr. Baldwins prosecution.

Although prosecutors are usually protected from lawsuits, they can face disciplinary complaints where misconduct is found. Police departments can be sued for civil rights violations and in instances where negligence is found.

Lawyers Weigh In On Potential 'Rust' Lawsuits

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Several lawyers and legal experts have weighed in on the "Rust" trial. John Day, a Santa Fe lawyer and legal commentator, told Variety, Theres a number of different tracks if they want to fight back and it wouldnt surprise me if they pursue all of them."

Richard Rosenstock, a veteran civil rights lawyer in Santa Fe, said, "Youre going to have to show that the violation made a difference, adding, Youve got the burden of proof as the plaintiff.

Alec Baldwin Needs To Prove Negligence In Possible 'Rust' Lawsuit

MEGA

If Alec Baldwin plans to sue the Santa Fe County Sheriff's Office and special prosecutor Kari Morrissey, his legal team will have to prove that one or both parties were negligent or reckless. He may also have to prove that his right to due process was denied through their conduct.

The "Supercell" actor would also have to prove that their level of misconduct warranted damages. He could argue that he is entitled to reimbursement for his legal costs or claim damages due to the damage to his reputation and career. Under the New Mexico Civil Rights Act, damages may not exceed two million dollars.

Prosecutors Requested To Preserve 'Rust' Documents

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According to the preservation letters sent by Spiro, special prosecutor Kari Morrissey and the Santa Fe Police Office have been asked to preserve all relevant information in your possession, custody, and/or control, including devices, hard drives, emails, text messages, and other electronic communications.

Last fall, special prosecutor Kari Morrissey indicated that Baldwin had been planning to file a "frivolous lawsuit" against the state of New Mexico and former "Rust" prosecutors for leading to criminal charges against him. At the time of this writing, Baldwin has yet to file a civil lawsuit against the police department of special prosecutors.
PORTLAND, Ore. (KOIN)  The Oregon Liquor and Cannabis Commissions push to crack down on businesses that sell certain products to minors has yet to reach its compliance goal among alcohol retailers.

OLCC has conducted minor decor operations since 2017, with a two-year hiatus from 2021 to 2022 due to the pandemic. For these operations, the agency enlists minors between the ages of 18 and 20 years to attempt to buy liquor or cannabis. The program is one way officials strive to enforce state laws.

24 arrested in retail theft sting, over $3K in stolen merchandise recovered

The commission shoots for 90% compliance. A report from Thursdays meeting shows there was a 91% success rate among the 471 marijuana operations conducted through June, which met the goal, but only a 77% success rate among the 607 alcohol operations.

According to Rich Evans, the senior director of licensing and compliance, this program has become especially difficult with the proliferation of fake IDs that arent detected by scanner systems.

At a recent community event where alcohol was being served, an OLCC inspector confiscated 10 fake IDs and then checked them using an ID scanner; the scanner indicated all of them were legitimate, OLCC said in a release.

Multnomah County jury calls draw in Odell Beckham Jr.s case against Nike

And just last year, the commission announced it would further regulate home alcohol deliveries conducted by third-party companies such as Doordash, Instacart and Grubhub. The apps are now required to train drivers on the correct practices for liquor delivery.

Despite this, the commission reported a 76% compliance rate among the two operations that targeted at-home deliveries. But officials noted that regulations arent as stringent for third-party companies as they are for brick-and-mortar retailers.

OLCCs licensing and compliance director is also working to ensure officials enforce consistent, appropriate penalties for those who violate the law.

Investigation using anti-car theft software leads to chase, arrest and guns seized

If youre handed a citation and then nothing happens, you really have no compliance program, Evans said. We also had the other extreme where we actually had a nursing student that was signed criminally at a 7-Eleven that was kicked out of a nursing school for the criminal violation You can steal a car in Portland and not go to jail, why would this person get kicked out of nursing school?

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For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to KOIN.com.
Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-N.Y.) said that Vice President Kamala Harris isnt a shoo-in to be the 2024 Democratic presidential nominee if Biden were to bow out.

During an Instagram live session posted Thursday, Ocasio-Cortez warned that some of the same Democrats dissenting to a second Biden presidency also want Harris gone.

If you think that there is consensus among the people who want Joe Biden to leave, that they will support Vice President Harris, you would be mistaken, she said.

Biden dropping out of the presidential race would not be an easy transition, said Ocasio-Cortez because there is a huge amount of the donor class and these elites who also do not want to see Harris be the nominee.

She added, there is no safe option.

With no clear consensus on who could replace Biden atop the Democratic ticket, Ocasio-Cortez explained that it could spell chaos for the upcoming Democratic National Convention on August 19-22.

I have not seen an alternative scenario that does not set us up for enormous peril, said Ocasio-Cortez, adding that Dems would have to go back to the drawing board in August when some people vote as early as September with absentee ballots.

A presidential ticket without Biden would also open up the possibility of legal challenges in swing states to block a new Democratic nominee from being added to the presidential ticket.

Republicans, they mount that legal challenge, [then] the possibility of our elections being decided by a Supreme Court ruling skyrocket, said Ocasio-Cortez.

She encouraged her fellow Democrats who want Biden off the ticket to sit with the stakes, with the reality, of what that could mean for November. And if you come to the same conclusion. Fine.

Read more at The Daily Beast.

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New York Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez is urging fellow Democratic leaders and commentators to rethink their efforts to push President Joe Biden aside as the presidential nominee. The lawmaker  often referred to as AOC  shared her thoughts on the forthcoming election via an Instagram Live session on Thursday, explaining to her followers for nearly an hour why counting Biden out could have dangerous consequences in November.

During her video address, AOC acknowledged that she doesn't know what's going to happen but wanted to express what she sees in the moment" to help people better conceptualize what asking Biden to step down could result in. Ocasio-Cortez did not deny growing concerns from Democratic leaders and voters about the 81-year-old president's age and capacity to win a second term, but said that people should understand the reality and the gravity of what these people are proposing.

While chatter on social media has now pivoted  whether jokingly or not  to backing Vice President Kamala Harris as the Democratic nominee if Biden were to step down, AOC said that the donor class" and elites who are the most vocal about Biden needing to give up the ballot, "also do not want to see the VP be the nominee.

If you think that there is consensus among the people who want Joe Biden to leave that they will support Vice President Harris, you would be mistaken, Ocasio-Cortez continued.

She went on to say that having an open convention for selecting a new Democratic nominee would be crazy," adding that she has not seen an alternative scenario that I feel will not set us up for enormous peril. Ocasio-Cortez also mentioned Biden's ability to secure votes from older Democratic voters  something she is afraid will be lost if he were to step down.

AOC's video came the same day that former president Donald Trump accepted the GOP nomination for the third time at the Republican National Convention  just days after he was shot at in an assassination attempt during one of his rallies. Ocasio-Cortez expressed her disappointment in other Democratic party leaders and donors who have prematurely accepted defeat in the election due to their mistrust in Biden's ability to secure a win.

We are not losing. I dont know about you, but my community does not have the option to lose, Ocasio-Cortez said, who represents parts of the Bronx and Queens in New York City, which is made up of a majority of people of color. My community does not have the luxury of accepting loss in July of an election year. My people are the first ones deported. Theyre the first ones put in Rikers. Theyre the first ones whose families are killed by war.

Top Democrats including former Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi (D-CA), Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY), and Rep. Hakeem Jeffries, (D-NY) were all named in leaked reports that they have individually urged President Biden not to run in this election. A report from The Washington Post also alleged that former President Barack Obama was having continued discussions with Biden about running for a second term, reinforcing the narrative that Democrats once-fervent support of Biden is now wavering. Rep. Ilhan Omar (D-MN) shared how shameful the leaks are in a post on X, writing that the lack of leadership" is "making all Democrats look bad.

With the Democratic National Convention approaching in mid-August, the infighting between Democrats could lead to chaos, Ocasio-Cortez explained. She also noted that adding another nominee to the ballot could cause legal ramifications in swing states, likely brought forward by Republicans, leading to our elections being decided by a Supreme Court.

While Ocasio-Cortez didn't directly tell followers to stick with President Biden, she did say to sit with the stakes" of asking him to step down. And if you come to the same conclusion. Fine.

Watch her full video here:

Originally Appeared on Teen Vogue

News and Politics: Mid Hero
PANAMA CITY  At an official check presentation on Thursday, the St. Joe Foundation donated $197,000 to support two of Florida State University Panama City's programs.

The ASCENT program (Advancing Science and Career Education in New Technologies) received $122,527. The Early Childhood Autism Program (ECAP) received $75,000.

The Early Childhood Autism Program building is seen on the campus of Florida Sate University Panama City July 18, 2024. The St. Joe Community Foundation donated $75,000 to the program that same day. (Tyler Orsburn/News Herald)

According to a press release from FSU Panama City, ASCENT is a six-year, $23 million project partially funded by Triumph Gulf Coast Inc and designed to contribute to the development of a strong, regional workforce in cybersecurity and new technologies.

"We will be using the donations to pay for hardware and software certification testing for students," said Brianne Biddle, ASCENT Program K-12 liaison. "We love receiving support and we always need support. When our community partners step up and partner with us, it's amazing and it helps us move our program forward."

The St. Joe Foundation was developed in 1999 separate from the St. Joe Company. In 2022, the St. Joe Foundation awarded $135,000 to the ASCENT program at FSU PC.

The St. Joe Community Foundation presents a check for more than $122,000 to Florida State University Panama Citys Advancing Science and Career Education in New Technology on July 18, 2024. (Tyler Orsburn/News Herald)

"In that initial year, students participating in ITCs earned more than 280 industry certifications outside of career technical education pathways," the release says.

"It's incredibly rewarding," said April Wilkes, executive director of the St. Joe Community Foundation. "The funds that we provide are used to benefit so many people, and knowing that the autistic community will receive the help they need is rewarding."

According to FSU Panama City website, ASCENT projects focus on increasing the interest of K-12 students in engineering, computer science, information technology and cybersecurity fields; and expanding undergraduate degree programs at FSU Panama City to include information technology, with a specialization in cybersecurity.

Back to School: When does school start in Bay County, Florida? Get ready for the 2024-25 school year

The ASCENT program allows teachers to work during the summer to develop technology skills to be a greater asset to the students.

"The success of our students have had in this program could not have been possible without the generous donations of St. Joe Foundation," teacher Rebecca Stuart said. "It's so empowering to our students that this donation will help them in their high school and college careers."

This article originally appeared on The News Herald: St. Joe Community Foundation donates over $100K to FSU PC
Update, July 21, 2024, at 2:15 p.m.: Joe Biden has announced he has decided to end his run for president. In a letter to the nation, he thanked Kamala Harris for her partnership. In a subsequent tweet, he endorsed her:

My fellow Democrats, I have decided not to accept the nomination and to focus all my energies on my duties as President for the remainder of my term. My very first decision as the party nominee in 2020 was to pick Kamala Harris as my Vice President. And its been the best pic.twitter.com/x8DnvuImJV  Joe Biden (@JoeBiden) July 21, 2024

The original article follows.

When the political satire Veep premiered on HBO in 2012, it was viewed by those of us outside of government as a show too absurd to be a true commentary on the vagaries of American political power. By the time the show ended in 2019, two and a half years after Donald Trump had been sworn in as the president, the audience had come around to some hard truths: Veeps absurdism was starting to feel like a black mirror to reality. There are the vanity-obsessed lawmakers, the slobbering cronies, unethical lobbyists, and the now-predictable incompetence and selfishness that we recognize as holding us all hostage in a political system that feels far from representative. Central to all of that in Veeps universe is Vice President Selina Meyer, an ineffectual, sharp-elbowed politician whos routinely shunted to the side in President Hughes administration. In early seasons of the show, her sole political power is in being trotted out for photo ops with the people while rarely getting invitations to official briefings. Most of the shows jokes stem from her barely repressed fury at being ignored by her own party; she struggles so much to get any face time with the president that the audience never sees his face either.

If that sounds uncomfortably familiar to non-Veep viewers, thats because youre probably already thinking about her real-life analogue: the veep herself, Kamala Harris.

On social media, you can find countless side-by-side comparisons of Harris real statements and Meyers scripted ones; both share a penchant for long-winded, nonsensical speeches, folksy interactions with the public that come off as clueless, and klutzy answers to even the simplest questions. But my favorite Harris-as-Meyer moment took place on Drew Barrymores daytime talk show in April. Harris, I presume, was on the show to give some canned answers about Bidens second-term promises and the importance of voting. Instead, she was foisted into a disproportionately emotional chat with the former child star best known for giggling in the rain. Perched on a couch with alarmingly little personal space between the two of them, Barrymore leans into Harris, taking the vice presidents hands as she delivers this plea:

I keep thinking in my head that we all need a mom. Ive been thinking that we all need a tremendous hug in the world now, but in our country, we need you to be Momala of the country. And as a woman who respects so much, and wants to share, and wants to be confident, and has no ounce of me that has competitiveness, when we lift each other up, we all rise. However, we need a great protector.

What  the hell is she talking about? Who knows, but its all Ive been able to think about for the past few months. Momala. I repeat it to myself almost daily. Has any vice president been talked to so condescendingly, and with no real recourse available to her? Of course not: No one would ever ask Dick Cheney to take over the reins as Papa America and bring us comfort during the Iraq War. Even Joe Biden, back when he was the VP himselfin his aviators, eating an ice cream cone, politely edging away from a frenzied Leslie Knope on Parks & Recreationwas in on the joke, and still treated with some admiration. Harris, meanwhile, has the distinct expression of someone whos just been spit on in public but is forced to grin and bear it.

This kind of bizarro-world moment is one of a hundred for Harris, who has spent much of her first term as vice president known less for her accomplishments than for being a living meme. There was Harris dancing with a marching band made up of children, Harris laughing maniacally with her whole body, Harris mimicking a senators voice while swearing him in. Most infamous is the clip of Harris talking about coconut trees, which has been taken out of context a thousand timesironic for a message that was about existing in the context of all in which you live and what came before youand remixed and memed in a surefire sign of this summers feeling of widespread insanity. Theres just something a little deranged and funny about Harris, the way her speeches contain these circuitous and repetitive slogans, or her attempts at relatability which get her mired in televised quagmires (Momala). Its been a long time since the Democrats have had anyone who was ha-ha funny and not does-he-have-dementia funny.

But its not a coincidence that Harris, of all people, has had her vice-presidential term defined largely by being the butt of the joke. Since she joined Bidens ticket in 2020, Harris has been sidelined by her party, defanged in quips made by pundits and in TikTok memes, and largely forgotten by voters in a fate befitting that of the first woman of color in her position. How funny, then, that, amid increasingly panicked concerns over Bidens age and mental acuity, with those worries multiplied at least threefold following the assassination attempt on Trump, Harris is now being bandied about as one of democracys last hopes as the presidential election draws nearer like the promise of death itself. As the pressure on Biden to drop out of the race intensifies with each passing day, Democrats have worked themselves into a tizzy over who can possibly replace him. America (or half of it, at least) feels a little doomed, and the only person who might be able to save us is the very person weve been dutifully ignoring this whole time. Veep couldnt have scripted it any better.

It may be surprising to recall that, before Harris became the neutered vice president, she had all the makings of a promising candidate. Or, at least, what we thought was a viable candidate in 2019. She had the right backstory: a biracial woman of color, a first-generation American raised by a scientist mother from India and an economist father from Jamaica, who came of age at Civil Rights protests at Berkeley in the 1960s. But, as Harris stepped onto the national stage early on in her presidential campaign, a dissonance emerged over who she was and what she stood for.

Harriss political career began in the early 90s when she was a deputy district attorney in California, and since those early beginnings, shes oscillated between enforcing the status quo as a state prosecutor and attempting to inject some fairness in a deeply unfair system. In 2019, when she first started campaigning for president, Harris ran on what she described as a progressive record within policing. Trumps campaign called her the most liberal member of the Senate, which progressives dutifully pointed out was actually not the case. After the summer of 2020, in a major shift from our decades-long status quo, there was real political momentum to hopefully enact change and hold cops accountable for abuses of power. Black and brown voters in particular were suspicious of a woman of color who was still operating in the very systems that unfairly persecuted her fellow community members. Before she even had a real shot at the presidency, Harris was caught in her own double bind: To progressives, she was a cop, and to conservatives, shed never be enough of a cop.

When asked, on Watch What Happens Live in June 2020, about the movement to defund the police, Harris repeated an answer nearly verbatim to the one she gave Meghan McCain on The View a few days prior. It really, I believe, is about reimagining public safety and how we achieve it, she said. Healthy communities are safe communities, and the way to create healthy communities is to invest in the core needs those communities have. This is the safest, easiest answer she could give, a trap she falls into often. The shape of her word salad of a reply, although lacking in any real detail, sounds like something progressives would wantor at least what they wanted a few years ago during the height of the protests against police brutality. But this is impossible to square away with her actual record. A New York Times investigation in August 2020 showed that Harris was often reluctant to involve herself in cases around police shootings as Californias attorney general in 2011. Shes defended Californias death penalty in court despite saying shes personally against it. In her 2019 memoir, The Truths We Hold, she describes herself as a progressive prosecutor, whatever that might mean, but she also fought to keep nonviolent offenders incarcerated in California prisons as attorney general.

Throughout her campaign, there was a constant push and pull between the images that Harris tried to project: She simultaneously wanted to dispense with the myth that she was the most liberal option while also reassuring progressives that she was the liberal option they were looking for. The result was a muddled candidate, one who struggled to gain a real foothold despite good debate performances and a marketable personal narrative.

But in 2019 and 2020, Harris had real defenders and supporters in the #KHive. A play on Beyonces Beyhive, KHive was the self-coined online term for Harris supporters, placed on the same shelf as Bernie Bros or (shudder) Cuomosexuals. There wasnt a significant ideological underpinning to the KHives once rabid support; mostly, it seemed, they were drawn to Harris because she could have been our first woman-of-color president, and those very factors meant she had an even steeper uphill battle to the ballot box. The fact that Harris is a biracial Black woman made her a target of the right; even today, shes still being insulted, demonized, and lied about by right-wing pundits and trolls. The KHive was self-deputized to defend her against such attacks (along with any mild critique). They formed enough of a base that as a running mate, she could offer the Biden ticket access to those coveted female, Black, and brown voters. The KHive was significant enough that Biden even made a video asking them for their support in 2020. (These days, according to new data from the Cut, support for Harris from Black women still far outpaces their support of Biden.)

Harris presence on Bidens ticket helped swing Black votersnamely ones who still disapproved of Bidens treatment of Anita Hill in the 90sto their side. But, once elected as vice president, Harris quickly receded from view, perhaps in an effort to downplay reports that Harris was mistreating staff membershow very Veep indeed!or perhaps to mollify complaints coming from both ends of the political spectrum. Republicans hated her: She wanted to open the jails and make everyone gay! Progressives hated her, too: She built her career on holding up many of the very systems her more radical parents protested against in the 60s. Between those anxieties and the rumors that, as a boss, she was cruel, or ineffectual, or disorganized, or egomaniacal, no wonder the White House chose to simply defang her instead.

Shut out of any meaningful positions of power within the administration, and without a weighty national issue to successfully champion, Harris has been dispatched to do the kind of low-stakes posturing that Selina Meyer was always so pissed off about. In 2021, Biden appointed Harris to handle migration issues at the southern border, a job that already felt a little fake, but felt even more ludicrous once Republicans dubbed the gig border czar. Classic: A flimsy, impossible task handed to Harris, warped into a job title for the scary biracial woman here to ruin America with Soviet-style socialism.

For the past few months, Harris has been spending much of her time engaged in the soft sciences of campaigning: Pride events where shes wiggling around in a bedazzled denim jacket, reproductive rights events where she talks about what she and Biden will do after the election to bring back Roe v. Wade, outreach events with different ethnic groups in an attempt to bring Biden their (exhausted, indifferent) vote. We rarely heard from Harris when it comes to the economy, war, national debt, or climate change. Mostly, shes been trotted out as token woman (when it comes to abortion or reproductive rights) or Black woman (Juneteenth) or Indian woman (Diwali only, steering clear of most discussion around Indias ruling Bharatiya Janata Party).

Where this leaves Harris is in the same gender trap that Hillary Clinton crawled into, times a factor of race. As New York magazines Rebecca Traister wrote in June, Clinton was perhaps the most acute example of an assertive Democratic woman whose efforts to satisfy a ravening press and public intolerant of female complexity left her so twisted and poll-tested that she became largely illegible as human, let alone female. Harris struggles with this, too; in all her attempts to appear approachable and relatable, she comes across as slightly off-kilter, like an OpenAI-generated image thats too shiny and has too many extra fingers to be legitimate. No wonder were all laughing at her singing The Wheels on the Busshe looks like shes never heard a song before in her life.

The internet cant resist such a strange spectacle, of course, especially as this election is shaping up to be our most dystopian thus far. Harris funny repeated aphorisms, her signature cackle, her mom-at-a-wedding dancingall make her social-media catnip. Lately, the memes have increased tenfold as everyone has collectively lost their minds, leaning into the absurdity of our political realitycoconut trees and all. Were stuck between a septuagenarian convicted felon and an octogenarian who accidentally referred to himself as the first black woman to serve with a black president. So yes, the coconut tree memes are all we have.

The grand twist of Harris being made into a joke is that her name is now being floated as our last true hope in this election cycle. Pundits and anonymous so-called senior political operatives alike are asking Why not Kamala? with a growing urgency. There have probably been more half-ironic conversions to the KHive in the past three weeks than in the past three years.

But memes do not necessarily a presidential successor make. The Biden administration wanted a more palatable, less visible Harris, one they could trot out at reproductive rights rallies, and not one that spooked people leery of biracial radicals or of hard-ass prosecutors. They got it: For better or for much, much, worse, theyre stuck with a version of Harris whose first-term record and public perception among left-leaning voters are more akin to that of a goofy auntie than of the second most powerful person in the country. Meanwhile, the right is still treating her like a radical whos prone to destroying the economy and enforcing communism. Either too silly or too dangerous, Harris is caught between two poles of absurdity, just as she has been this entire time. Its telling that, despite being vice presidentthe job that trains you for presidentshes still not the No. 1 pick among her own party members. Establishment Democrats and their donors arent scrambling to slot her in as Bidens natural replacement; most of the support around her comes from a few media figures and weirdos on the internet intersplicing footage of her dancing to the tune of the new Charli XCX record. While big-time Democratic supporter George Clooney is writing op-eds for the New York Times about possible replacements, hes not even listing Harris first on his own list of possible candidates. Theres nothing more Veep than that.

However, things have changed a lot since these Momala memes first started to take hold earlier this summer. Biden is weaker than ever, even worse than after his disastrous debate performance against Trump. With J.D. Vance now formally on the GOP ticket, a brutalist, even more unflinchingly anti-woman Republican Party is fully formed and still very likely to take the presidency this fall. Trump, having survived an assassination attempt, is more popular than ever, armed now with a shield of martyrdom and a direct line to Ronald Reagan and Jesus comparisons. It would take a lot to beat this team. Who knows if Harris can actually do it; whether shes capable or not, she might be our last best hope.

Miraculously, Harris seems to be responding in turn. Finally, shes stepping off the sidelines to directly address what kind of threat the Republican Party could pose in the near future. At a campaign stop in North Carolina earlier this week, she sounded more sure, more confident, and more presidential than ever. If you claim to stand for unity, you need to do more than just use the word, she said to raucous applause. You cannot claim you stand for unity if youre pushing an agenda that deprives whole groups of Americans of basic freedoms, opportunity, and dignity. She spoke fiercely about Project 2025, about the plan to restrict abortion rights across the country, about the Trumpian attempts to overturn the last election. Were too busy watching what youre doing to hear what youre saying, she says with a smile, but shes not fucking around. Shes not falling out of a coconut tree. Shes mad as hell; its a good reminder of why so many people thought she had such a good chance in 2019.

Desperation-fueled memes were only ever going to take us so far in this cursed election. At the end of the day, what we need is someone who can step up to the plate, who can wrangle a disjointed party, and who can speak truth to the abject lies coming from Trumps campwhat we need is an adult. When Barrymore pleads with Harris to be the countrys Momala, I can see the fear and longing in her eyesshe seems to really believe that Harris is the one person who can nurture this country back into some semblance of functionality, like only a mom can. Yet what I see in Harris expression is the soft, simmering irritation of a woman who does not want to have to mother anyone. What she wantswhat she has clearly always wantedis to be trusted with the job. But you know how it is with your own Momala, right? You only ever call her when you really, really, really need her to fix something.
A string of luxury skyscrapers backed by Andy Burnhams Manchester authority have failed to include any affordable apartments despite the Labour mayors pledge to tackle the citys housing crisis.

At least six major developments funded by the Greater Manchester Combined Authority (GMCA) since 2016 did not produce a single low-price home, analysis by The Telegraph has found.

That is despite targets set by the local council requiring all new developments in Manchester to designate at least 20pc towards affordable homes.

The developments were built by Renaker, a local property company owned by skyscraper tycoon Daren Whitaker.

Mr Whitaker has been able to transform Manchesters skyline with a series of luxury projects over the past decade, which have been propped up by 745m in taxpayer loans from the GMCA  of which Mr Burnham is chairman.

It comes as Mr Burnhams Greater Manchester Combined Authority faces scrutiny over its decision to hand hundreds of millions of pounds to Renaker.

Some of these loans to Mr Whitaker are now subject to a lawsuit being brought in the Competition Appeals Tribunal by a rival investor, Aubrey Weis.

Mr Weis has accused the GMCA of distorting Manchesters property market by providing Renaker with advantageous treatment. Mr Whitaker is not accused of any wrongdoing.

Developers including Renaker have previously argued that property schemes will be rendered unviable if affordable homes are included, a loophole that the GMCA has been willing to accept in recent years.

John Leech, a Liberal Democrat councillor who sits on Manchester City Council, said he planned to raise the issue as a matter of urgent business.

He said: It should be very clear why it is that the same individuals seem to be getting money time and time again when other developers arent. Theres absolutely no transparency about this process, as far as I can see.

If we are lending money to [get] developments done then we should be able to attach whatever strings we think are appropriate.

Surely we should be able to say that if you want to borrow money from us then this is what we want in return. And that is some affordable housing for local people who cant afford extortionate rents or high prices.

Loans awarded to Renaker have enabled the construction of a raft of skyscrapers across Manchester, including the tallest tower block outside London.

One of its latest developments, known as the Contour Tower, will contain a dog spa, a virtual driving range and a Mahjong room, with one-bedroom apartments starting at 275,000.

The GMCA sought to defend its position by claiming the housing fund in question was not created for affordable housing. A spokesman said: The lending criteria for the fund are based on parameters set by central government and we have not turned down a single viable scheme which met those criteria.

In the past nine years, the fund has helped unlock more than 10,000 new homes across the city region, supporting a wide variety of developers and projects and helping to regenerate brownfield sites at no cost to the taxpayer.

We refute any suggestion that loans from the Housing Investment Loans Fund are given at less than market rate or on preferential terms and will be submitting our response to the Competition Appeals Tribunal.

Mr Whitaker, who was contacted for comment, has blamed a lack of affordable housing on the constraints attached to delivering skyscrapers on brownfield sites.

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Animal shelter asks for urgent help after taking in over 30 dogs

The Montgomery County Animal Resource Center said it urgently needs help after having to take in over 30 dogs Friday.

In a social media post, the shelter said it assisted the sheriffs office with removing 33 dogs from a property.

As it is already housing 94 dogs in its building, ARC said it is in desperate need of adopters and fosters to help them.

>> 1 dead after domestic violence situation leads to shooting in Washington Twp.

The dogs are not legally allowed to go for adoption, foster, or rescue yet but ARC said the community can help in other ways including:

Adopting the dogs that are available in the shelter

Signing up to foster

Donating items such as crates, food, and other basic supplies

Reaching out to other rescue organizations to assist.

As News Center 7 previously reported, Friday morning deputies responded to a a home on Dayton-Lebanon Pike near E. Social Row Road.

Deputies said a man was shot and killed.

Animal control was called to the scene to secure dozens of dogs that were inside the house. ARC has not confirmed if these 33 dogs are from this investigation.

We are working to learn more details and will continue to follow this story.








A new paper from researchers whose abortion-pill studies were retracted touts C-sections and induced labor as alternatives for pregnant patients in medical emergencies as a federal appellate court revisits a pivotal case in Idaho. (Getty Images)

The day the U.S. Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade in 2022, the medical board that certifies OB-GYNs in America released a statement calling legal pregnancy termination and knowledge of abortion procedures essential to reproductive health care.

But a small number of influential anti-abortion doctors have spent the last two years trying to change the reproductive health care standards in state and federal health policy, in a way that is potentially dangerous, doctors representing major medical institutions say.

The question of when abortion is essential health care that states cant ban is central to several ongoing lawsuits, including Moyle v. United States, testing whether emergency rooms receiving federal funding have to treat pregnant patients with stabilizing care if it might result in the end of the pregnancy.

The U.S. Supreme Court recently kicked the case back to the lower appellate court, a move that newly allows doctors in Idaho to perform emergency abortions. But the issues remain unresolved, with doctors in Idaho (as in other states) still seeking clarity about whether what theyve long considered necessary care is legal.

Now, as the case returns to the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit, researchers behind retracted studies claiming abortion drugs are dangerous are out with new policy recommendations that say when pregnancy termination is necessary, doctors should opt for procedures considered by the wider reproductive health community to carry bigger health risks, such as cesarean sections, rather than less invasive abortion procedures.

[M]any physicians argue that it is almost never necessary to end the life of a child directly and intentionally by an abortion procedure, public health researcher James Studnicki and OB-GYN Dr. Ingrid Skop, of the Charlotte Lozier Institute, wrote in a paper published this summer in Medical Research Archives, a journal of the European Society of Medicine.

[W]hen a pregnancy endangering the life of the mother requires termination, a direct dismemberment dilation and evacuation (D&E) abortion may be unnecessary, as delivery can usually be performed with a standard obstetric intervention such as labor induction or cesarean section (if indicated).

Experts told States Newsroom that Charlotte Loziers claims contradict national standards of care. And they come at a time when states with strict abortion bans like in Texas and Louisiana are seeing a rise in surgical incisions like C-sections and hysterotomies to end pregnancies, even though they carry higher risk, delay future pregnancies, and can affect fertility.

The end goal of doing a medical intervention to end a pregnancy and save a patients life is the same as when we do an abortion. They are just calling for more complicated, sometimes invasive procedures to get to that same end goal, said Atlanta-based OB-GYN and complex family planning specialist Dr. Nisha Verma. I think this is really dangerous  it creates confusion. It prevents the public from understanding that abortion is a necessary life-saving procedure.

The Charlotte Lozier Institute has for more than a decade worked to build the anti-abortion movements credibility, by providing research and data to defend anti-abortion laws in legislatures and the courts. Its claims frequently contradict major American medical institutions on abortion science and safety, and their research methods have faced academic scrutiny  while continuing to wield influence.

Publications retracted

Between 2019 and 2022, Studnicki and Skop co-authored three papers in the journal Health Services Research and Managerial Epidemiology, two of which were used by anti-abortion plaintiffs and judges to argue for the restriction of abortion pills in a lawsuit against the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, which the Supreme Court rejected this term for lack of standing.

But earlier this year, Sage Journals retracted these studies following a reader-prompted investigation, in part for methodological flaws and data misrepresentation. The Charlotte Lozier researchers have insisted the retractions were meritless and politically motivated.

Skop, an OB-GYN from San Antonio, Texas, and Charlotte Loziers director of medical affairs, now has even more influence following her controversial appointment to Texass maternal mortality review committee. Skop has made unfounded claims, including that abortion bans will improve maternal mortality rates and that rape or incest victims as young as 9 can safely give birth to a baby. But experts say minors are at increased risk for serious complications like preeclampsia and likelier to give birth to low-birth-weight babies.

Last year the San Antonio-based OB-GYN served as a state expert witness when Kate Cox from Dallas asked a Texas judge to grant her an abortion for a nonviable pregnancy. Skops sworn affidavit alleged Cox was not at risk of death or substantial impairment of a major bodily function, although Coxs doctor recommended an abortion to preserve her health and future fertility. Denied the abortion in her home state, Cox aborted in New Mexico, and is newly pregnant again.

As a fellow for the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists, which has more than 60,000 members, Verma said she has regularly testified before Congress alongside OB-GYNs with minority-held positions on reproductive health policy like Skop and Dr. Christina Francis, CEO of the anti-abortion American Association of Pro-Life Obstetricians and Gynecologists, which comparatively has approximately 7,500 members.

It can be really deceptive and confusing for the public who just hear different things coming from two OB-GYNs, Verma said.

Not evidence-based

Studnicki and Skop argue that abortion is not evidence-based because many people do not seek abortions for physical health reasons, and because much of the existing abortion-safety and efficacy data do not involve randomized controls, i.e., comparing groups of people receiving abortion procedures with those delivering unwanted or nonviable pregnancies to term.

Based upon the research standard of the Cochrane guidelines, our study shows the science required to consider abortion evidence-based, alone or in comparison to other interventions, does not exist, said Studnicki in an written statement, referring to guidelines for systematic reviews named after British medical researcher Archie Cochrane. All of us who want the best for women should desire better quality data, including comparison of abortion to other pregnancy outcomes like childbirth, so we can best address the needs of women in heartbreaking circumstances.

They do not mention the longitudinal Turnaway Study, produced at the University of California San Francisco, which found short- and long-term improved health and socioeconomic outcomes for women who received versus were denied wanted abortions. (Editors note: Reporter Sofia Resnick contributed proofreading and editing to UCSF professor Diana Greene Fosters 2020 book about the study she led.) Anti-abortion activists have criticized that study, including in a published critique that was retracted following concerns about its peer review.

Studnicki and Skop did not agree to an interview but provided a fact sheet for their claims, which notes that OB-GYNs should adhere to guidelines set by ACOG when it comes to life-threatening situations, but also asserts that existing abortion bans do not preclude necessary care.

The debate

Claim: Almost all induced abortions demonstrate no therapeutic intent or medical necessity.

That abortion is not legitimate health care is a similar argument that a coalition of anti-abortion doctor groups including AAPLOG (of which Skop is a member) made in the abortion-pill case. Its an argument Charlotte Lozier advanced in an amicus brief submitted to the Supreme Court in Moyle v. United States.

And its an argument featured in Project 2025, the Heritage Foundations blueprint for a potential future GOP presidency, which says that the federal Emergency Medical Treatment and Labor Act should not be interpreted to cover abortions. Republican presidential nominee former President Donald Trump has attempted to distance himself from Project 2025s proposed federal abortion restrictions, although they were authored by officials from his previous administration.

But decades of research have established the high safety record and medical benefits of termination.

Data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) clearly shows that pregnancy is a condition that can kill you, said Dr. Sarah Horvath, an OB-GYN and complex family planning subspecialist and researcher at Penn State Universitys Hershey Medical Center, in an email. As a mother, I can tell you that the benefits of a wanted child often, but not always, outweigh the risks of pregnancy complications and death.

According to the CDC, the U.S. has the highest maternal mortality rate in the developed world at 22.3 deaths per 100,000 live births as of 2022, with rates for Black women more than double, at 49.5 deaths per 100,000 live births. Research in the journal Obstetrics & Gynecology shows that by contrast the risks from an induced abortion are smaller than the continuing a pregnancy: In the first trimester (more than 90% of all abortions), the rate of maternal death is less than 1 per 100,000 and, for abortions at 18 weeks gestation or higher, the risk of death is 6.7 per 100,000.

In the two years since the Dobbs decision overturned federal abortion protections, OB-GYNs in states with near or total abortion bans have reported denying critical care because of these new laws. Many have become politically active, trying to impress upon lawmakers and the public that pregnancy is highly variable and vague exceptions to prevent death are impossible to interpret medically, especially as complications are not always immediately deadly but could become so if not treated promptly.

Claim: When the separation of a mother and her baby is necessary, C-sections and inductions should be prioritized over induced abortion to allow parents to express appropriate grief.

Referring to a medically indicated abortion as the separation of a mother and her baby, which is not a medical term, Studnicki and Skop pose labor induction or cesarean section as the ethical choice.

Beyond 22 weeks gestation, the baby will often survive separation from the mother if given active medical intervention, and even if too young or sick to survive, the family can show the child love and express appropriate grief with the assistance of supportive palliative care, Studnicki and Skop write. No study has compared the well-being of a woman and family who end their childs life in these tragic circumstances to those who continue to allow their child to live until a natural death.

Verma said depending on the situation and especially before 20 weeks, induction or a C-section could introduce unnecessary risks and delays of care. And the patient would have to wait longer to try to get pregnant again.

I have a hard time even understanding this claim that a C-section is equally invasive and morbid to abortion procedure, Verma said. Thats a major abdominal surgery. We are making a large incision in the abdomen, making incisions in the tissue below the skin, pulling apart the muscles, going into the abdominal cavity, the peritoneal cavity, cutting open the uterus and removing a pregnancy.  If the patient wants to get pregnant again, after a D&E procedure, they can start trying a month later, whereas after a C-section you have to wait months to be able to safely start trying again without as much risk of your uterus rupturing in the next pregnancy.

Verma said that sometimes C-sections do make sense in these cases, and that many of her patients do opt for labor and delivery to hold their dead or dying child, but she doesnt believe these options should be forced on patients.

Claim: Rape and incest victims  who are often adolescents and children  dont need abortions.

The emotionally provocative scenario of a young adolescent girl seeking to abort a pregnancy conceived in rape or incest is repeated in the media at a rate which is grotesquely disproportionate to the rarity of its occurrence, Studnicki and Skop write. The question of importance is whether an abortion in this circumstance improves the mental or physical health status of the victimized girl. Understandably, there have been no clinical trials addressing this question, so even an abortion in this tragic circumstance cannot be characterized as an evidence-based medical intervention.

But there is evidence that children and teens face greater physical health risks from pregnancy and childbirth than adults. And Verma noted that the incidence of young children getting pregnant, often by rape or incest, is small but real.

I have treated young kids in, like the 10-, 11-year-old range, Verma said. Its not something thats happening every day, but there are many reasons why people need abortions, and that is something that we see, and it is terrible.

Lauren Ralph, an epidemiologist and associate professor at UCSF who specializes in the impact of abortion policies on young people, told States Newsroom that initial research out of Texas is showing fewer young people able to access abortions. According to a national 2021-2022 patient survey, about 10% of abortion seekers were 19 and younger and about 2% were 17 and younger. Ralph noted that many rape and incest cases among young people are likely underreported.

The rarity of it, I dont think diminishes its importance in conversations around the reasons why people seek abortion, for young people in particular, who are victims of sexual assault, Ralph said. We know that theyve had their autonomy violated once, and then if you deny them access to a wanted abortion and force them to continue a pregnancy and give birth, that violates their autonomy yet again.
A new paper from researchers whose abortion-pill studies were retracted touts C-sections and induced labor as alternatives for pregnant patients in medical emergencies as a federal appellate court revisits a pivotal case in Idaho. (Getty Images)

A new paper from researchers whose abortion-pill studies were retracted touts C-sections and induced labor as alternatives for pregnant patients in medical emergencies as a federal appellate court revisits a pivotal case in Idaho. (Getty Images)

The day the U.S. Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade in 2022, the medical board that certifies OB-GYNs in America released a statement calling legal pregnancy termination and knowledge of abortion procedures essential to reproductive health care.

But a small number of influential anti-abortion doctors have spent the last two years trying to change the reproductive health care standards in state and federal health policy, in a way that is potentially dangerous, doctors representing major medical institutions say.

The question of when abortion is essential health care that states cant ban is central to several ongoing lawsuits, including Moyle v. United States, a case about whether emergency rooms receiving federal funding have to treat pregnant patients with stabilizing care if it might result in the end of the pregnancy. The U.S. Supreme Court recently kicked the case back to the appellate court, a move that newly allows doctors in Idaho to perform emergency abortions. But the issues remain unresolved, with doctors in Idaho (as in other states) still seeking clarity about whether what theyve long considered necessary care is legal.

Now as the case returns to the U.S. 9th Circuit of Appeals, researchers behind retracted studies claiming abortion drugs are dangerous are out with new policy recommendations that say when pregnancy termination is necessary, doctors should opt for procedures considered by the wider reproductive health community to carry bigger health risks, such as cesarean sections, rather than less invasive abortion procedures.

[M]any physicians argue that it is almost never necessary to end the life of a child directly and intentionally by an abortion procedure, public health researcher James Studnicki and OB-GYN Dr. Ingrid Skop, of the Charlotte Lozier Institute, wrote in a paper published this summer in Medical Research Archives, a journal of the European Society of Medicine. [W]hen a pregnancy endangering the life of the mother requires termination, a direct dismemberment dilation and evacuation (D&E) abortion may be unnecessary, as delivery can usually be performed with a standard obstetric intervention such as labor induction or cesarean section (if indicated).

Experts told States Newsroom that Charlotte Loziers claims contradict national standards of care. And they come at a time when states with strict abortion bans like Texas and Louisiana are seeing a rise in surgical incisions like C-sections and hysterotomies to end pregnancies, even though they carry higher risk, delay future pregnancies, and can affect fertility.

The end goal of doing a medical intervention to end a pregnancy and save a patients life is the same as when we do an abortion. They are just calling for more complicated, sometimes invasive procedures to get to that same end goal, said Atlanta-based OB-GYN and complex family planning specialist Dr. Nisha Verma. I think this is really dangerous  it creates confusion. It prevents the public from understanding that abortion is a necessary life-saving procedure.

The Charlotte Lozier Institute has for more than a decade worked to build the anti-abortion movements credibility, by providing research and data to defend anti-abortion laws in the legislature and in the courts. Their claims frequently contradict major American medical institutions on abortion science and safety, and their research methods have faced academic scrutiny  while continuing to wield influence.

Between 2019 and 2022, Studnicki and Skop co-authored three papers in the journal Health Services Research and Managerial Epidemiology, two of which were used by anti-abortion plaintiffs and judges to argue for the restriction of abortion pills in a lawsuit against the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, which the Supreme Court rejected this term for lack of standing. But earlier this year, Sage Journals retracted these studies following a reader-prompted investigation, in part for methodological flaws and data misrepresentation. The Charlotte Lozier researchers have insisted the retractions were meritless and politically motivated.

Skop, an OB-GYN from San Antonio, Texas, and Charlotte Loziers director of medical affairs, now has even more influence, after her controversial appointment to Texass maternal mortality review committee. Skop has made unfounded claims, including that abortion bans will improve maternal mortality rates and that rape or incest victims as young as 9 can safely give birth to a baby. But experts say minors are at increased risk for serious complications like preeclampsia and likelier to give birth to low-birth-weight babies.

Last year the San Antonio-based OB-GYN served as a state expert witness when Kate Cox from Dallas asked a Texas judge to grant her an abortion for a nonviable pregnancy. Skops sworn affidavit alleged Cox was not at risk of death or substantial impairment of a major bodily function, though Coxs doctor recommended an abortion to preserve her health and future fertility. Denied the abortion in her home state, Cox aborted in New Mexico, and is newly pregnant again.

As a fellow for the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists, which has more than 60,000 members, Verma said she has regularly testified before Congress alongside OB-GYNs with minority-held positions on reproductive health policy like Skop and Dr. Christina Francis, the CEO of the anti-abortion American Association of Pro-Life Obstetricians and Gynecologists, which comparatively has approximately 7,500 members.

It can be really deceptive and confusing for the public who just hear different things coming from two OB-GYNs, Verma said.

Studnicki and Skop argue that abortion is not evidence-based because many people do not seek abortions for physical health reasons, and because much of the existing abortion-safety and efficacy data does not involve randomized controls, i.e., comparing groups of people receiving abortion procedures with those delivering unwanted or nonviable pregnancies to term.

Based upon the research standard of the Cochrane guidelines, our study shows the science required to consider abortion evidence-based, alone or in comparison to other interventions, does not exist, said Studnicki in an written statement, referring to guidelines for systematic reviews, named after British medical researcher Archie Cochrane. All of us who want the best for women should desire better quality data, including comparison of abortion to other pregnancy outcomes like childbirth, so we can best address the needs of women in heartbreaking circumstances.

They do not mention the longitudinal Turnaway Study, produced at the University of California San Francisco, which found short- and long-term improved health and socioeconomic outcomes for women who received versus were denied wanted abortions. (Editors note: Reporter Sofia Resnick contributed proofreading and editing to UCSF professor Diana Greene Fosters 2020 book about the study she led.) Anti-abortion activists have criticized that study, including in a published critique that was retracted following concerns about its peer review.

Studnicki and Skop did not agree to an interview but provided a fact sheet for their claims, which notes that OB-GYNs should adhere to guidelines set by ACOG when it comes to life-threatening situations, but also asserts that existing abortion bans do not preclude necessary care.

Claim: Almost all induced abortions demonstrate no therapeutic intent or medical necessity.

That abortion is not legitimate health care is a similar argument that a coalition of anti-abortion doctor groups including AAPLOG (of which Skop is a member) made in the abortion-pill case. Its an argument Charlotte Lozier advanced in an amicus brief submitted to the Supreme Court in Moyle v. United States.

And its an argument featured in Project 2025, the Heritage Foundations blueprint for a potential future GOP presidency, which says that the federal Emergency Medical Treatment and Labor Act should not be interpreted to cover abortions. Republican presidential nominee former President Donald Trump has attempted to distance himself from Project 2025s proposed federal abortion restrictions, though they were authored by officials from his previous administration.

But decades of research have established the high safety record and medical benefits of termination.

Data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) clearly shows that pregnancy is a condition that can kill you, said Dr. Sarah Horvath, an OB-GYN and complex family planning subspecialist and researcher at Penn State Universitys Hershey Medical Center, in an email. As a mother, I can tell you that the benefits of a wanted child often, but not always, outweigh the risks of pregnancy complications and death.

According to the CDC, the U.S. has the highest maternal mortality rate in the developed world at 22.3 deaths per 100,000 live births as of 2022, with rates for Black women more than double, at 49.5 deaths per 100,000 live births. Research in the journal Obstetrics & Gynecology shows that by contrast the risks from an induced abortion are smaller than the continuing a pregnancy: In the first trimester (more than 90% of all abortions), the rate of maternal death is less than 1 per 100,000, and for abortions at 18 weeks gestation or higher, the risk of death is 6.7 per 100,000.

In the two years since the Dobbs decision overturned federal abortion protections, OB-GYNs in states with near or total abortion bans have reported denying critical care because of these new laws. Many have become politically active, trying to impress upon lawmakers and the public that pregnancy is highly variable and vague exceptions to prevent death are impossible to interpret medically, especially as complications are not always immediately deadly but could become so if not treated promptly.

Claim: When the separation of a mother and her baby is necessary, C-sections and inductions should be prioritized over induced abortion to allow parents to express appropriate grief.

Referring to a medically indicated abortion as the separation of a mother and her baby, which is not a medical term, Studnicki and Skop pose labor induction or cesarean section as the ethical choice.

Beyond 22 weeks gestation, the baby will often survive separation from the mother if given active medical intervention, and even if too young or sick to survive, the family can show the child love and express appropriate grief with the assistance of supportive palliative care, Studnicki and Skop write. No study has compared the well-being of a woman and family who end their childs life in these tragic circumstances to those who continue to allow their child to live until a natural death.

Verma said depending on the situation and especially before 20 weeks, induction or a C-section could introduce unnecessary risks and delays of care. And the patient would have to wait longer to try to get pregnant again.

I have a hard time even understanding this claim that a C-section is equally invasive and morbid to abortion procedure, Verma said. Thats a major abdominal surgery. We are making a large incision in the abdomen, making incisions in the tissue below the skin, pulling apart the muscles, going into the abdominal cavity, the peritoneal cavity, cutting open the uterus and removing a pregnancy.  If the patient wants to get pregnant again, after a D&E procedure, they can start trying a month later, whereas after a C-section, you have to wait months to be able to safely start trying again without as much risk of your uterus rupturing in the next pregnancy.

Verma said that sometimes C-sections do make sense in these cases, and that many of her patients do opt for labor and delivery to hold their dead or dying child, but she doesnt believe these options should be forced on patients.

Claim: Rape and incest victims  who are often adolescents and children  dont need abortions.

The emotionally provocative scenario of a young adolescent girl seeking to abort a pregnancy conceived in rape or incest is repeated in the media at a rate which is grotesquely disproportionate to the rarity of its occurrence, Studnicki and Skop write. The question of importance is whether an abortion in this circumstance improves the mental or physical health status of the victimized girl. Understandably, there have been no clinical trials addressing this question, so even an abortion in this tragic circumstance cannot be characterized as an evidence-based medical intervention.

But there is evidence that children and teens face greater physical health risks from pregnancy and childbirth than adults. And Verma noted that the incidence of young children getting pregnant, often by rape or incest, is small but real.

I have treated young kids in, like the 10-, 11-year-old range, Verma said. Its not something thats happening every day, but there are many reasons why people need abortions, and that is something that we see and it is terrible.

Lauren Ralph, an epidemiologist and associate professor at UCSF who specializes in the impact of abortion policies on young people, told States Newsroom that initial research out of Texas is showing fewer young people able to access abortions. According to a national 2021-2022 patient survey, about 10% of abortion seekers were 19 and younger, and about 2% were 17 and younger. Ralph noted that many rape and incest cases among young people are likely underreported.

The rarity of it, I dont think diminishes its importance in conversations around the reasons why people seek abortion, for young people in particular, who are victims of sexual assault, Ralph said. We know that theyve had their autonomy violated once, and then if you deny them access to a wanted abortion and force them to continue a pregnancy and give birth, that violates their autonomy yet again.

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The virulently anti-Israel Advisory Opinion handed down by the International Court of Justice (ICJ) on Friday, arguing Israels policies and practices have breached international law, is just that: an opinion. It does not have legally binding status. The value of that opinion is ultimately undermined by the weakness of its reasoning, the misapplication of international law and the false factual basis upon which it is predicated, admirably highlighted by the powerful Dissenting Opinion of the Courts Vice President Julia Sebutinde.

For context, the Opinion was requested from the Court by General Assembly Resolution 77/247, which already pre-judged Israel as a violator of international law for political reasons. Out of the 32 states that drafted and sponsored that Resolution, two-thirds do not have any diplomatic ties with Israel, and several of them do not recognise Israel as a state.

The Court has adopted the politicised allegations made against Israel in the Resolution, even erasing Israel from the map, purporting that the contiguity of Palestinian territory is to be preserved and respected. Neither cartography nor history seem to be the judges strong suit. As a consequence of deeply flawed findings, the Court has called for the evacuation of Jews  read ethnic cleansing  from Judea and Samaria, also known as the West Bank, and Israels capital Jerusalem. It will not be lost on students of history that these are the very places that Jordan ethnically cleansed Jews from in 1948.

This Opinion is based upon an incorrect factual basis. Worse still, the majority of judges at the Court signed onto patent falsehoods with respect to the information available to it. For example, concerning the legal status of the territory, the very core of the matter, the majority claimed that no information has been provided to the Court to substantiate [Israels] claims. The information was provided by multiple states and international organisations, and is on the Court record, as acknowledged in the dissenting Opinion. Just as in its 2004 Opinion against Israel, the Court has refused to address Palestinian terrorism. Instead of addressing the facts, the Court has made up its own narrative, rewritten history, and misapplied the law.

The Opinion is driven by a clear political agenda from the Courts President Nawaf Salam, who twice ran to be Lebanons Prime Minister. He has a virulently anti-Israel track record, including from his time as Lebanons Ambassador to the UN, where he voted to condemn Israel 210 times. His lengthy history of inflammatory speeches accusing Israel and terrorist Jewish organizations of the worst possible crimes makes a mockery of the Courts claim to impartiality. His refusal to recuse himself, despite a requirement under the Courts statute and repeated formal calls from around the world for him to do so, damages the credibility of the UNs highest court and tarnishes the reputation of international law more generally. This irreparable harm to the Courts credibility, and the integrity of its judicial role, spells dire consequences which are far reaching and should worry anyone who purports to care about international legal order.

The Opinion is, in short, a further nail in the coffin of the standing of the Court and an unsurprising continuation of the lawfare campaign against Israel through the politicisation of legal institutions. It also trashes the political framework established in the 1990s by the Oslo Accords and endorsed by the international community that seeks resolution through a bilateral negotiated final status agreement. Indeed, by pursuing this pseudo-legal campaign at the ICJ, the Palestinian Authority has engaged in a further flagrant violation of the very international agreement which created it in 1994. Agreements endorsed by the international community have been made meaningless.

In tearing up the Oslo Accords, the Court has sounded the death knell for any future negotiations and any chance at peace.

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An abandoned piano is seen inside of an abandoned apartment in the war-torn UN buffer zone in divided capital Nicosia, Cyprus, Tuesday, June 18, 2024. Fifty years after war cleaved Cyprus along ethnic lines, re-emergent tensions along a 180 km-long United Nations controlled buffer zone separating breakaway Turkish Cypriots from Greek Cypriots in an internationally recognized south have revived concerns that this "frozen" conflict could become another source of instability in an already tumultuous region. (AP Photo/Petros Karadjias)

NICOSIA, Cyprus (AP)  A rickety piano leans crookedly against a peeling apartment wall, pots and pans filled with dust rest on a stove that has seen much better days and a book, its pages turning yellow with time, lies open next to a rusty tin can; signs of homes, once teeming with life, but suddenly abandoned as they stand frozen in time.

Fifty years ago, Turkey invaded Cyprus  five days after supporters of union with Greece mounted a coup backed by the Greek junta then ruling the country  splitting the east Mediterranean island nation along ethnic lines. Only Turkey recognizes a subsequent Turkish Cypriot declaration of independence in the islands northern third where it keeps more than 35,000 troops.

The Associated Press was allowed unique access inside the United Nations 180-kilometer (about (110-mile) buffer zone where its troops have been situated since 1974 to preserve the peace between Turkish and Turkish Cypriot troops on one side and Greek Cypriot national guardsmen.

The marks of war are ubiquitous; from the pock-marked walls of homes and businesses targeted by large-caliber gunfire to hastily-constructed brick-and-mortar gun nests facing off each other. But the eeriest sensation comes from how a capitals heart stopped mid-beat along the hasty exodus of people fleeing for their lives, leaving everything behind.

The U.N. says tensions along the buffer zone are again being ratcheted up with the appearance of hundreds of new firing positions and high-tech surveillance technology with possible military applications.

Talks about forming a federation composed of Greek and Turkish-speaking zones have been stalemated since the last U.N. facilitated bid seven years ago. Many failed attempts preceded that.

Now, a Turkish and Turkish Cypriot shift away from a federation and toward a two-state deal that Greek Cypriots have dismissed outright is jeopardizing a renewed bid by U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres to get the two sides back to the negotiating table.
Aritzia and Alo Yoga now open at Town Center at Boca Raton; five more stores coming soon

BOCA RATON  Palm Beach County's first Aritzia, the popular women's clothing and accessory line, is now open at the Town Center at Boca Raton.

It is one of seven new stores the Town Center has announced for this year and early 2025. It is Aritzia's fifth location in Florida and its second in South Florida  the first was opened April 2022 in Aventura Mall, about 30 miles south.

"Aritzia is one of the most sought after womens retailers," General Manager at Town Center at Boca Raton Salvador Saldana said. "Were thrilled they made their Palm Beach County debut at Town Center at Boca Raton."

Aritzia at Town Center Boca Raton

The brand is a design house and fashion boutique offering its customers "everyday luxury" and timeless style. It's near Bloomingdales at the Town Center.

Also now open at Town Center at Boca Raton

Alo Yoga: The trendy and practical activewear line is headquartered in Los Angeles and offers a variety of athleisure apparel fit for anywhere from the studio to the streets. The Town Center's Alo Yoga is between Macy's and Neiman Marcus.

Alo Yoga at Town Center Boca Raton

Orlebar Brown: The Chanel-owned British resort wear Orlebar Brown specializes in sophisticated and tailored men's swim shorts. It has four other Florida locations  three in Miami and one in Palm Beach. It's also between Macy's and Neiman Marcus.

"Its too early to project performance, but we have seen many people laden with shopping bags from Aritzia, Alo Yoga and Orlebar Brown since the retailers opened these last couple of months," Saldana, the Town Center's general manager said.

"Both Aritzia and Orlebar Brown offer unique styles that our shoppers cant find anywhere else in Palm Beach County, so we anticipate that guests will be eager to explore these two particular brands throughout the year."

Alo Yoga at Town Center Boca Raton

Coming this summer and fall to Town Center at Boca Raton

Serena Uziyel: Serena Uziyel is a designer shoe, bag and accessory line born from a desire to "revive and infuse ancient craftsman techniques with elements of modernity." Its Boca Raton location will be its first in Florida. It's slated to open this summer near Saks Fifth Avenue.

Anthropologie: The boho-chic womenswear line also sells shoes, accessories and home decor. It will open this fall directly across from Neiman Marcus.

Rowan: The New York-based ear piercing studio offers "fun, celebratory and safe" piercing for everybody. All piercings are done by licensed nurses, and all jewelry is hypoallergenic. Rowan is expected to open this fall at the Town Center.

That's not all  the center's second annual Christmas in July event will take place from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m., Saturday July 20 in the Nordstrom Court. Activities will include:

Free photos with summertime Santa

A craft station to make beach-themed Christmas ornaments

A treasure map for children to visit participating stores to collect beach toys other summertime treats

A $500 Simon American Express gift card giveaway

Opening in 2025 at Town Center at Boca Raton

CVI.CHE 105: The Peruvian-style seafood restaurant offers lunch and dinner at its current five Miami locations. Its slated to open in 2025 near Nordstrom and will be the first of the chain in Palm Beach County.

The Boca Raton Town Center is located at 6000 Glades Road. It's open Monday through Thursday from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m., Friday and Saturday from 10 a.m. to 9 p.m. and Sunday from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m.

Jasmine Fernandez is a journalist covering Delray Beach and Boca Raton for The Palm Beach Post. You can reach her at jfernandez@pbpost.com and follow her on X (formerly Twitter) at @jasminefernandz. Help support our work. Subscribe today.

This article originally appeared on Palm Beach Post: Seven stores, including Aritzia, Alo Yoga, opening at Town Center Mall
LITTLE ROCK, Ark.  Attorney General Tim Griffin filed a motion Friday asking the Arkansas Supreme Court it to dismiss a lawsuit brought by a group trying to put an abortion access amendment on the November 2024 ballot.

The group Arkansans for Limited Government (AFLG) sued after Secretary of State John Thurston rejected its submission of signatures required to put the issue on the ballot. Griffins filing states AFLG failed to follow state law in the submission process, backing Thurstons original assessment.

Arkansans for Limited Government sues Secretary of State Thurston over abortion amendment petition rejection

At issue is the interpretation of Arkansas law, including what paperwork is turned in when for having the secretary accept the signatures. In a July 10 letter, Thurston said the signatures were rejected because some required paperwork was not turned in at the same time.

Thurston said he rejected the signatures turned into his office on the July 5 deadline due to the lack of corresponding paperwork for paid canvassers, which was not been included at that time.

AFLG maintained that it had turned in the paperwork ahead of time and the secretary made a mistake in rejecting the signatures.

Arkansas election officials reject petitions submitted for an abortion-rights ballot measure

AFLG filed its suit with the Supreme Court on Tuesday, five days after Thurstons office rejected the signature submission, maintaining it followed state law. It asked for an expedited hearing, presumably to have time to place the question on the ballot.

Griffins motion states that Thurston was correct in rejecting the submission and that AFLGs representation to the court that it had followed state law is incorrect.

The AGs motion goes on to state that the paperwork AFLG turned in was incomplete and not in keeping with state law, as well as not being turned in alongside the signatures. The motion from his office states what was turned in early was signed by the canvassers, not by an AFLG representative as the sponsor, and that meant the signatures would not be counted.

Arkansas Secretary of State John Thurston responds to complaint about abortion on ballot rejection: My position remains unchanged

The number of signatures in question totaled just over 14,000, and with their removal AFLG would be under the threshold required by state law for the petition to be considered for the November ballot.

The Court should therefore decline to require further merits briefing, deny the requested relief, and dismiss this case, the motion states.

The measure has fought an uphill battle to get this far in the voting process. It faced condemnation from both multiple private groups in Arkansas as well as from lawmakers.

Arkansas abortion amendment organizers claim secretary of state failed to fulfill his duty in rejecting signatures

The proposed amendment aimed to enshrine abortion access in the state constitution and would stop any laws from being passed to restrict abortion in cases of rape, incest, fatal fetal anomaly or to protect the life or well-being of the mother within the first 18 weeks after conception.

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LITTLE ROCK, Ark.  The Arkansas Department of Emergency Management has provided information for those Arkansans that were affected by flash flooding on Wednesday.

ADEM officials said that the first step for anyone dealing with damage from the flooding is to contact your insurance company. Its always important for homeowners and renters to contact insurance when they experience damage to check the coverage on their policies.

Conway, Faulkner Co. declare state of emergency from July 17 flash flooding

Officials also encourage those affected by flooding to exercise caution and rescue only the most valuable belongings and to not attempt to recover items that put their safety at risk.

When entering a building that was impacted by floodwaters, ADEM officials advise that they check for structural damage to avoid getting trapped if the structure collapses. They also recommend keeping the power off until an electrician can inspect the property and turn off any gas line connections.

Conway car dealership dealing with aftermath of flooding

After a flood, some of the main damages that can be encountered include debris on the floor like broken glass, nails and mud. Another of the main threats is mold, which can form within 48 hours.

ADEM officials recommend those affected by floods to take as many photos of the damage as possible for insurance purposes.

Water rescues underway in Arkansas after a new wave of storms across US and Canada

For more information on what to do when returning home after a disaster, hazards that may be encountered during the clean-up process and what to do in the case of mold, visit EPA.gov or CDC.gov.

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Ashland woman's visit to Pennsylvania provides hope that America will mend itself

To the Editor:

The Fourth of July. A bad day for concerned citizens turned into a bad week.

Despite Trumps repetitious lies, Bidens debate performance was abysmal, with lapses in focus and meandering sentences that did nothing to reassure a voting public

Beyond the debate, Supreme Court decisions arrived. Regulators lost much of their abilities to protect citizens, placing decisions into the hands of judges who are unlikely to be aware of the nuances of an agencys responsibilities.

In another Supreme Court decision, bribery was, in essence, acceptable as long as the payoff came after the negotiated service. Money talks, even louder.

Finally, the court gave all presidents a get out of jail free card.

Essentially, the president can be above the law, breaking traditions established since the origin of our nation.

Such news is depressing.

Visiting our son and his family in Jacobus, Pennsylvania, softened some concern. Jacobus is a small town where family homes line Main Street and the local Lions Club sponsors a Fourth of July picnic.

One granddaughter was doing $5 henna designs for her Girl Scout troop while the younger granddaughter was waiting for her father to buy her deep fried pickles and a funnel cake.

A band played oldies and a 12-year old was singing the lyrics to My Girl. The Lions Club offered blood pressure checks and the local church sold sweet goodies. We bought My Fathers Dragon, Ferdinand and a 1,000-piece jigsaw puzzle at the library book sale.

A couple from a nearby community sat with us for conversation, and convinced us to try the deep fried vegetables.

Afterward, I stood in the middle of the crowd of young and old, of teenaged couples, of a playground for the little ones, of a display of classic cars, of people with canes, of couples pulling wagons with curly-headed tots  and sighed.

As my son approached, I tried to convey my emotions. All this, all this. I dont want to lose it.

You wont, he said. It will right itself.

Later, sitting on a bench under a 30-foot oak tree, a Lions Club member chatted about planting this tree as a 12-foot sapling 25 years ago. The concept of preparing and planning for the future of our country and its citizens started in Philadelphia many years ago. The future must still be protected.

And, yes, there were fireworks.

Linda C. Schreiber

Ashland

This article originally appeared on MetroWest Daily News: Ashland woman writes that small-town Fourth of July event offers hope
When I first saw the shot of Donald Trumps blood-smeared face as he pumped his fist in the air postassassination attempt, I wondered how long it would be before it ended up on a T-shirt.

It was only a few hours before Barstool Sports Instagram account posted a T-shirt celebrating that photo, with the caption If You Come at the King You Best Not Miss, from fellow right-leaning Instagram account Old Row Official (which has several versions with several different slogans).

Then came the unofficial official branded merchandise: limited-edition sneakers depicting the aftermath of Trumps assassination attempt. Relatedly, in February, Trump made a rather unorthodox campaign stop at Sneaker Con to introduce what he dubbed the first official Trump footwear.

Cool, I thought, were monetizing assassination attempts now, because whether you like Trump or not, an assassination attempt on a former president and the eventual 2024 Republican nomineeand one in which a rally attendee was brutally killed in front of his familyshould be, in my opinion, at least met with a certain amount of  decorum? Even still, this was exactly what I expected, because this is America now: land of the free market and home to a population that will monetize  anything.

In many ways, Trump and his natural inclination to monetize and sell anything and everythingBibles! Digital trading cards! Steaks! Pieces of his mug shot suit!is a bit of a homegrown monster. Because for some time now, America has been flirting with the limits of what we wont monetize.

Its not just Trump: The American obsession with monetization transcends party lines.

Theres earning potential in pregnancy announcements, deaths (those that just happened and infamous ones in the past; even those infamous deaths in the past you are probably responsible for), true crime, activism, and gun violence. Of course an assassination attempt would join the ranks.

Hustle! Grind! The left does it. The right does it. At some point, it brought the political spectrum together, evident in the time Gwyneth Paltrow (who has rebranded herself as someone wholl sell anything headline-worthy) and conspiracy theorist Alex Jones (who in part built his personal brand off the backs of school shooting victims and their families) hawked (no, not hawk tuah-ed ) the same supplements branded differently for their ideologically opposed audiences.

While it might make us sleep better at night to pretend that historically, politics has always been first and foremost about ideology, politics has always been about selling us an idea (hope, for example) or a brand (Camelot, anyone?) that, for better or worse, ends up being monetized. Its been done for years. Trumps just been the most openly brazen with it.

Similarly, we like to pretend that art is pure and exists solely for the sake of expression, but even the word patron derives its meaning from the ruling class that supported, commissioned, and often dictated the work of artists. Like politics, creating has always been tied to commoditization, which brings us to  content creators.

Barstool Sports, the Instagram account where I first spotted that Trump-assassination-attempt T-shirt, has built a media empire by identifying, employing, and developing a bevy of content creators, a more palatable term for influencers.

A 2019 survey by Harris Poll and Lego found that American children were three times more likely to want to be YouTubers than musicians. By last year, influencer was the top career choice for Gen Zers, and 60 percent of Americans aged 13 to 38 said theyd enjoy influencing.

While we can fool ourselves into thinking that influencing is about creating content, its really about creating a commodity. While plenty of creatives use social media to grow their platforms or brands, the specific career of influencing is about influencing people to buy things for a more optimized life.

College students blithely shout out the brands they wear in OOTD videos. Middle schoolers show off their Sephora hauls. Family bloggers have branded their miscarriages. Its become so mundanely second-nature to monetize your lifedocumenting and commoditizing every personal detail, win, and traumathat Trump and the cohort of intrepid entrepreneurs monetizing an assassination attempt that left him injured and an American citizen dead doesnt frankly even feel headline-worthy. Its a twisted expectation in our perpetually mediated reality.
As a budding star in the Quiksilver Young Guns series, a searing section in Taylor Steeles Campaign II, and slammed like a sardine in a van with the likes of Kelly Slater in the Europe edition of the Drive Thru anthology, Ry Craike made his mark as a fun-loving, high-pitched-giggling, and absolutely ripping free-surfer in the early aughts.

Since then, however, hes shied from the surf spotlight somewhat. But anyone who was around for that era of surf cinema will easily recall the Aussie goofyfooters go-for-broke layback hacks, or his knack for threading long, tricky tubes.

Now, Craike has resurfaced. But perhaps not in the way most surf fans wouldve liked. Craike and his father were recently involved in an accident  a boat collision with a whale  which left them both seriously injured and lucky to be alive.

Retelling the incident, Craike posted:

As some of you may know at approximately 6:45pm on Tuesday the 16th July about 22 nautical mile north of Kalbarri me and my old man were in an accident when my boat was struck on the port side bow by a whale on the steam back to Kalbarri.

I head butted the dash and received some wounds to my head while my old man was left seriously injured as he took most of the impact. It took me nearly an hour to steam back to Kalbarri where I was met by the Kalbarri sea search and rescue approximately 2 mile outside of the Kalbarri river mouth.

We had 2 members from sea search and rescue jump on board and look after Dad while I steamed in the river mouth. I was taken to Geraldton in the ambulance while my old man was flown down to Perth by Royal Flying Doctor in a critical condition.

Heavy stuff. And the surf world poured in with well wishes: Glad to hear youre all safe brother.  Mick Fanning; Mate, thats wild. Lots of love and healing to you and the old boy.  Taj Burrow; So glad you two are healing up Ry! Big hug to both of you.  Ian Walsh.

Related: Maui Waterman Zane Schweitzer Badly Injured in Boat Collision

By all accounts, despite the serious injuries, it looks like Craike and his dad are going to pull through this fluke and tragic accident. Craike continued:

I am so happy to say that my old man is now awake and is making good progress, receiving the best care possible. He received a lot of serious injuries but he is a stubborn old bugger and we are hopeful in time he can make a full recovery and get back do doing what he loves. On behalf of me and my family we would like to thank everyone that has been involved in helping us, the amount of love and support has been overwhelming.

Here's to a speedy recovery for the two of em.

***

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After three years at the boneyard, a B-1B Lancer, nicknamed Rage, has been resurrected and is flying once more. The re-appearance of the aircraft comes as the Air Forces B-1B bombers look to be in the twilight of their service career.

Aviation photographer Cayden Smith recently pictured B-1B Rage, with the serial number 86-0115, flying at DavisMonthan Air Force Base in Tucson, Arizona. The 309th Aerospace Maintenance and Regeneration Group (AMARG), located at the base, manages the Pentagons adjacent aircraft boneyard in Tucson.

B-1B Rage pictured flying at DavisMonthan Air Force Base. Cayden Smith

Cayden Smith

Rage was one of 17 B-1Bs retired in 2021 which ended up at the boneyard. This was to help consolidate the B-1 fleet from 62 to 45 aircraft to help improve overall readiness rates and cut costs before completion of the types replacement, the B-21 Stealth Raider.

Moreover, Rage was just one of four B-1Bs placed into whats known as Type 2000 (reclaimable) storage. Essentially, as we have explained before, this means the aircraft are maintained in a fashion that makes it easier and quicker for them to return to service should the need arise, due to any potential future combat losses or accidents. Type 2000 storage is one step down from Type 1000 inviolate storage, which prohibits any part of the aircraft from being removed. Yet even in this type of storage, it can still take months to get aircraft ready to resume their operational duties.

Rage pictured flying at DavisMonthan Air Force Base. Cayden Smith

It seems highly likely that the bomber has been restored to operational readiness to replace the B-1 that crashed at Ellsworth Air Force Base, South Dakota earlier in January this year. As part of the aftermentioned consolidation of the B-1B fleet in 2021, there are strict legal requirements set by Congress for the service to maintain a fleet of 45 B-1Bs.

The remains of the B-1B after the aircraft came to rest adjacent to the runway at Ellsworth, in satellite imagery dated January 6, 2024. PHOTO  2024 PLANET LABS INC. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. REPRINTED BY PERMISSION

The B-1 fleet has seen its fair share of incidents and accidents over recent years, alongside general readiness issues. Notably, in 2021, an issue with the augmenter fuel pump filter housing led to a fleet-wide grounding.

This is not the first time weve seen a recently retired B-1B come back from Tucson to replace another due to an accident occurring.

In April this year, a B-1B nicknamed Lancelot  also retired in Type 2000 storage  was flown to Tinker Air Force Base, Oklahoma, to complete the regeneration process before joining the Air Fleet. This was in order for it to replace another aircraft that was written off after a catastrophic engine fire during routine maintenance at Dyess Air Force Base, Texas, in 2022.

Lancelot pictured earlier this year. U.S. Air Force photo by Clayton Cummins

Parts of B-1Bs have also been removed from the boneyard for various non-flying test purposes, too.

Other bombers have also been removed from the Bone Yard and placed back into service. In May 2019, the B-52 Wise Guy, serial number 60-0034 touched down at Barksdale Air Force Base in Louisiana to replace another one of the bombers that crashed and burned at Andersen Air Force Base, Guam, three years before. Before that, the B-52 Ghost Rider, serial 61-0007, returned to service at Minot Air Force Base, North Dakota, in February 2015 to replace a B-52 written off after an electrical fire broke out during routine maintenance in 2014.

While the size of the B-1 fleet has significantly downsized in recent years, the Air Force still values the Lancer. Efforts have been made to extend the life of the bombers prior to the introduction of the B-21, including flight envelope restrictions having been placed on the fleet, as well as systems and potential weapons upgrades.

A B-1B during a Bomber Task Force mission over the Pacific Ocean, June 25, 2022. U.S. Air Force photo by Master Sgt. Nicholas Priest U.S. Air Force photo by Master Sgt. Nicholas Priest

The mission-set of the B-1B has also shifted back primarily to long-range strike after years of providing close air support and strike support for counter insurgency operations during the Global War On Terror. These extremely long sorties  which can last nearly 40 hours  point to the kinds of operations the service likely expects to conduct with its new B-21.

Moreover, the type is also prized due to its load-carrying capabilities, including the potential carriage of larger weapons and possibly hypersonic cruise missiles. The B-1Bs ability to carry many stealthy cruise missiles over great distances is already extremely relevant to a potential fight in the Pacific against China. These include the ability to fire Long-Range Anti-Ship Missiles (LRASMs), allowing the B-1B to target entire floatillas over great distances.

With this in mind, the B-1 fleet  now including Rage  will still be put to good use until it eventually faces retirement for good, but it is a bit concerning that two of just four attrition reserve airframes are already regenerated back to the relatively tiny fleet.

Hat tip: thanks to aviation photographer Cayden Smith for allowing us to use his pictures of Rage in this article.

UPDATE: 07/22/

AMARG public affairs has responded to our request for information on Rages return to service with the following statement:

At the request of Air Force Global Strike Command, Air Force Materiel Command is in the process of regenerating a B-1B to replace aircraft -0126, which was undergoing heavy structures repair development at Boeing-Palmdale.

Analysis determined regenerating an aircraft in AMARG storage could be accomplished faster, at lower cost and risk, than continuing the Boeing repair project.

Following regeneration by artisans with the Aerospace Maintenance and Regeneration Group, tail number 86-0115, nicknamed Rage was flown on July 2 from Davis-Monthan Air Force Base, Arizona to Tinker AFB, Oklahoma to complete Time Compliance Technical Order Updates and Programmed Depot Maintenance at the Oklahoma City Air Logistics Complex.

Contact the author: oliver@thewarzone.com
As part of the regular monitoring of bathing water quality, a significant proliferation of cyanobacteria, commonly known as blue algae, has been observed in the Lac de la Haute-Sure at Rommwiss and Burfelt beaches.

In view of the health risks, a bathing ban has been imposed with immediate effect at Rommwiss and Burfelt beaches in accordance with the amended Grand Ducal regulation of 19 May 2009 determining special protection measures and programmes for monitoring the condition of bathing water.



Some species of cyanobacteria produce toxins that can pose a health risk to humans, aquatic fauna, domestic animals and livestock. As a result, the Luxembourg Institute of Science and Technology (LIST) has been commissioned to monitor the proliferation of cyanobacteria in official bathing areas. Analyses carried out today revealed the presence of toxic cyanobacteria and toxins above the action threshold in the Rommwiss and Burfelt beaches (see the national cyanobacteria alert plan).

Problems associated with contact, ingestion or inhalation of these substances vary in nature and intensity, and may include headaches, skin irritation and/or burns, or nausea. If you experience any health problems after swimming, please contact your GP, mentioning any possible contact with toxic cyanobacteria.

For lakes where a significant proliferation of cyanobacteria has been observed, the Water management agency, on the basis of the Health Department's assessment, also recommends the following to the public:

Do not allow dogs or other pets to drink the water;

Avoid all contact with the water;

Avoid all water activities (e.g. water sports, fishing).

And especially when fishing:

Avoid contact with fish;

Do not eat the fish caught;

Refrain from fishing if cyanobacteria blooms are visible.

Any sighting of blue-green algae in the Grand Duchy of Luxembourg can be reported via the Bloomin'Algae app and will be assessed by a LIST expert. All reports can be viewed on cyanowatch.lu.

For the time being, swimming is still permitted on the other beaches of Lac de la Haute-Sure namely Liefrange, Fuussefeld, Insenborn and Lultzhausen. In this context, the Water management agency would like to remind the public that, in accordance with the provisions of the amended Grand Ducal regulation of 19 May 2009, the bathing season will end on 30 September 2024.

It should be emphasised that there is no risk associated with drinking water from the Lac de la Haute-Sure, as the raw water is taken from the depths (25m) of the dam at Esch-sur-Sure, where the concentration of cyanobacteria is very low, and the treatment system in place effectively eliminates the toxins produced by the cyanobacteria.

The current situation regarding the opening and closing of official bathing sites can be followed on the website of the Water management agency: www.waasser.lu.

Press release by the Water management agency
A brown bear is pictured at its enclosure in Aschersleben Zoo. A bear attacked a 63-year-old man herding sheep in a pasture in the southern Carpathian Mountains of Romania and bit him in the leg, the digi24.ro news portal reported late on Friday. Matthias Bein/dpa

A bear attacked a 63-year-old man herding sheep in a pasture in the southern Carpathian Mountains of Romania and bit him in the leg, the digi24.ro news portal reported late on Friday.

The shepherd was tending to his animals when the bear suddenly appeared and behaved aggressively, the news portal wrote, citing rescue workers and eyewitnesses.

The incident took place in the village of Rucar, around 150 kilometres north of Bucharest. A colleague of the shepherd called the emergency services, who took the injured man to hospital. Doctors described his condition as serious, according to the news portal.

The incident comes just a week and a half after a bear killed a 19-year-old woman who had been out hiking in the same area.

Around 8,000 brown bears live in Romania's Carpathian Mountains, according to government estimates. It is Europe's second largest bear population, after Russia.

Time and again, the animals attack hikers, invade farms and rummage through rubbish bins in towns in search of food.

Following the recent fatal incident, Romanian Prime Minister Marcel Ciolacu announced a tightening of measures against bears. A new law should allow for more bears to be shot in certain high-risk regions.
Being Kind and Being Busy: Thats The N&Os Washington reporter on busy political week

Danielle Battaglia works out of our D.C. bureau, covering North Carolina politics from a national perspective. We only see her in-person a couple of times a year, but Danielle is a beloved member of The News & Observer family.

Danielle is among the first journalists to join our staff calls at 8:45 a.m. weekdays, so I occasionally banter with her about D.C. weather, about whether shes on her way to the White House that day or about Julie, her cute-and-curious-but-cautious dog. We also chat about Chipotle.

Yet last week, whenever Danielle popped onto our video call, the conversation started the same way: Why are you on this call?

If anyone had a legitimate reason to play hooky from a phone-in meeting, it was Danielle.

Busy days for Danielle

For wannabe White House correspondents, this is how last week went for Danielle:

Last Saturday, in D.C., an apparent day off. But theres a shooter at former President Trumps rally in Pennsylvania. Danielle starts posting and filing with what credible information is available while also reaching out for reactions from North Carolina politicians on the assassination attempt.

Early Sunday morning, shes on a flight to the Republican National Convention in Milwaukee while continuing to work on stories.

Monday through Thursday, she started with our staff call at 7:45 a.m. Milwaukee time followed by a full evening-turned-night of convention coverage.

Friday, the morning after President Trumps closing speech at the convention, she admitted to having a cold.

Donald Trump and his family, along with JD Vance and his wife Usha Chilukuri Vance, stand on stage as balloons drop at the the final day of the Republican National Convention at the Fiserv Forum on July 18, 2024.

And, with attention on President Bidens future, who knows how much recovery time Danielle will have from her Wisconsin-made sniffles.

Convention coverage resonates with N&O subscribers

Coverage of the Republican National Convention resonated with N&O subscribers, according to our audience metrics. North Carolinas presence at the convention and within the Republican Party came through in our reporting.

Here is a sampling of North Carolina headlines from staff-reported convention stories:

 NRCC chairman Richard Hudson of NC tells RNC that Republicans must keep House majority

 UNC fraternity members proud to honor our flag again at Republican National Convention

 NCs Mark Robinson introduces himself at the Republican National Convention. What to know.

 GOP leaders put NC on the map at the RNC convention. Meet Lara Trump and Michael Whatley

State Politics Editor Jordan Schrader is the calmest dude youll ever meet in a perpetual storm of breaking and merging news. His team is relatively young but competitive, insightful and talented. If youre not following the work of Danielle, Dawn Baumgartner Vaughan, Avi Bajpai, Luciana Perez Uribe Guinassi, Kyle Ingram and Korie Dean  well  you should.

The N&Os Under the Dome includes a popular podcast and a regular email. For state politics and government followers, they are must reads on the ever-changing NC Politics Bingo Card.

Who had Sen. Tillis making a last-minute trip to RNC on their card? Or Vice President Kamala Harris making another stop in NC?

Covering politics takes persistence, patience and thick, thick skin. Some politicians understand the importance of engagement with voters, and how journalists serve as that truth-telling conduit. Other politicians and politicos are obstinate or simply bullies.

Be Kind

Danielle often starts her social-media postings each day with a two-word message: Be Kind. For understandable reasons.

A recent newsletter from NC Local News Workshop did a Q&A with Danielle on covering the Republican National Convention that included this question: Theres been some aggressive rhetoric against journalists since the PA shooting, and some online harassment directed at you. What are you doing to stay safe, both in Milwaukee and online?

Here is how Danielle answered: For the most part Im ignoring it. My followers are great. Many have reached out in direct messages to make sure Im OK. Others have called me. My friends and family also remind me why my job is important and why I do what I do. Throughout my career Ive come to find that threats and hateful comments typically come from a place of frustration and that there isnt a lot of merit behind them, but that doesnt negate taking them seriously. And of course the words being said repeatedly will sting after a while, but honestly, Ive been so busy that I dont have time to think too much about the things being said about me.

Be Kind. Be Busy.

Thats Danielle.

Morning, night and even with the sniffles.

Bill Church is executive editor of The News & Observer.
Civil rights attorney Ben Crump has issued a chilling warning about the impending release of bodycam footage showing the deputy-involved shooting of 36-year-old Illinois woman Sonya Massey. "It is going to shock the conscience of America," the attorney said to reporters at Masseys funeral on Friday (July 19), comparing the images to the photos of Emmitt Till shared after his death.

Trending

On July 6, then-Deputy Sean P. Grayson allegedly shot Massey three times, including once in the face, while inside her home. Grayson and another deputy responded to her 911 call about a possible intruder being inside the Woodside Township, Illinois residence at 12:50 a.m.

According to CNN, court documents state Grayson was near the kitchen and his partner elsewhere when the former instructed the victim to remove a pot of heated water from the stove.

At some point, he drew his weapon and aggressively yelled for her to put the pot down before threatening to shoot her in the face. She reportedly raised her hands, said Im sorry, and ducked behind the counter before he moved closer and fired his weapon.

Furthermore, documents revealed Grayson did not activate his bodycam until after the shooting occurred and instructed his partner not to render emergency medical aid to the woman. The unidentified deputy ignored the command and helped Massey until paramedics arrived instead. Whats more, the defiant officer kept his bodycam was on from the moment they arrived at the home. Massey was then transported to HSHS St. John's Hospital, where she was pronounced dead.

It is clear that the deputy did not act as trained or in accordance with our standards, said Sangamon County Sheriff Jack Campbell in a statement posted to the departments Facebook page. Per a state investigation into his use of force, Grayson was terminated. The disgraced deputy had been with the Sangamon County Sheriffs Office since May 2023. The actions taken by Deputy Grayson do not reflect the values and training of the Sangamon County Sheriffs Office or law enforcement as a whole. Good law enforcement officers stand with our community in condemning actions that undermine the trust and safety we strive to uphold, Campbell added.

Following his termination, Grayson was indicted on three counts of first degree murder and single counts of both aggravated battery with a firearm and official misconduct in connection with the fatal shooting. He pleaded not guilty to all charges a day before the funeral services on Thursday (July 18).

Crump says Masseys loved ones viewed the footage that is expected to be released to the public on Monday (July 22). It is that senseless, that unnecessary, that unjustifiable, Crump exclaimed at Masseys service. Sonyas death has been extremely shocking and devastating for her family and community. We hope that this officer continues to be held accountable for his deadly actions, the attorney said in additional comments posted to Twitter.

A judge determined Grayson to be a threat to the community, denying him bail as he awaits trial. He is due back in court on Aug. 26.

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Numerous people wait in front of a dark display board at the capital's BER airport, where air traffic has been halted owing to technical issues. Christoph Soeder/dpa

Operations at Berlin's international airport were largely back to normal on Saturday following a major global IT outage the previous day, an airport spokesman said.

Departing flights were on schedule with minor delays, the spokesman told dpa. Merely two arrivals from New York and Newark had been cancelled by the airlines due to apparent ongoing issues in the United States.

The situation at Berlin's airport terminals was calm and relaxed, the spokesman said. Overall, the airport expected 70,000 passengers on Saturday

Despite being the first weekend of school holidays in the German capital and surrounding area, this is below peak passenger numbers.

A faulty software update from the US cybersecurity company CrowdStrike had caused widespread disruptions worldwide on Friday morning, almost paralyzing air traffic in many places, The company said the issue had been resolved by Friday afternoon.

Supermarkets, banks, hospitals, television stations and other facilities were affected.

Nevertheless, many airlines continued to experience problems throughout the day.

According to the Berlin airport spokesman, 150 out of 552 flights were cancelled, including departures and arrivals. Thousands of passengers had to wait at the airport or were taken to hotels, while others were rebooked.

Nineteen planes took off during the night, as airlines were granted an exemption from a night flight ban between midnight and 5 am (0300 GMT).
(Bloomberg) -- Carved out of the forest on the southwestern edge of Berlin lies an outpost of the Cold War thats becoming more relevant by the day.

Most Read from Bloomberg

Officially, the Military History Museum located at the former British airfield of Berlin-Gatow documents the role of air warfare, from the first days of flying through to Germanys reunification.

The real highlight is its collection of Cold War artifacts: fighter jets, western and Soviet; East German helicopters, West German radar installations, NATO air-defense systems and transport aircraft; even early nuclear missiles.

Its a sobering, at times unnerving, glimpse of a period that until recently was considered over and done with. But with the West again aligned against Moscow as President Vladimir Putins war on Ukraine grinds toward the 2 1/2-year mark, it now seems strangely current.

More advanced versions of the same weaponry on show at Gatow, from Patriots to MiGs, are being deployed on the battlefields of Ukraine. And as the largest European supplier of military aid to Kyiv, Berlin is again playing a central role  a reality sparking domestic opposition and spilling into the political arena, just as it did in the West Germany of the 1970s and 1980s.

Cold War-style espionage is back. Just last week it emerged that US and German secret services had thwarted a plot to assassinate the chief executive officer of Rheinmetall AG. His company helps produce Leopard 2 battle tanks and artillery shells that are supplied to Ukraine, and is a key defense contractor in rearming Germanys armed forces, the Bundeswehr.

Now, as then, the US is the ultimate guarantor of security in Europe. For how much longer is an open question with a turbulent election campaign that could put Donald Trump back in the White House to undermine the North Atlantic Treaty Organization anew, and again clash with Germany.

Perhaps to short-circuit such an eventuality, Washington and Berlin jointly announced that US long-range missiles will be returning to German territory from 2026, a move demonstrating Americas commitment to NATO and its contributions to European integrated deterrence.

While conventional, these advanced capabilities, including Tomahawk cruise missiles and hypersonic weapons still in development, are an echo of the stationing of nuclear-capable Pershing II ballistic missiles in West Germany in response to Soviet deployments in the eastern bloc  events also documented at Gatow.

Those US plans in the early 1980s met with protests led by the nascent Greens movement, and caused ructions within Social Democratic Chancellor Helmut Schmidts government.

Now the Greens are in a coalition headed by another SPD chancellor, Olaf Scholz, and opposition to the deployment is instead coming from the political fringes. Left Party chair Janine Wissler has condemned the policy as provoking Moscow, leading to a spiral of rearmament that with each step takes us closer to the brink.

Its a stance shared by Sahra Wagenknecht, who quit the Left to set up her own eponymous party, the BSW  where the B is for Buendnis, or alliance  on a platform that includes opposition to supplying weapons to Ukraine. The BSW is only a few months old but already attracts as much as 9% support in polls and far more in some federal states  more than enough to complicate future coalition building.

National surveys still show a majority favor helping Ukraine militarily, but a residual pacifist camp rooted in the Cold War peace movement is dismayed, and casting around for a new political home. Taken together, parties that oppose such aid have the support of somewhere between a quarter and a third of voters.

Its one element that adds to economic stagnation, in-fighting and missed goals from climate to housing that explains disaffection with Scholz and his coalition; it looks unlikely to survive past next years federal elections. Like Helmut Schmidt, Scholz calls Hamburg home, but hes not considered the same caliber of chancellor.

For all that, he is presiding over a government that is making historic changes to Germanys longstanding positions on defense and security, and seeking a leading role in NATO against Russia, regardless of the future US commitment to that cause.

Asked about opposition to US cruise missiles in Germany and the chance of triggering a new arms race with Putin, Scholz pointed to Russia as having engaged in an unbelievable buildup of weapons that threaten European territory.

The precision-strike capabilities offered by the US deployment are needed while Germany works with France and the UK on developing a similar conventional deterrent to combat the threat, he told reporters at the NATO summit in Washington on July 11.

Trump takes credit for berating allies including Germany into raising defense spending, but Berlin could yet become an even bigger target for his second administration, especially given that his choice of vice president, JD Vance, is an outspoken critic of aid for Ukraine.

Trump professed his love for Germany and Europe in a Bloomberg Businessweek interview published July 17. But once you get past that, they treat us violently, he said.

Tensions with the US have their Cold War parallels. Back in 1982, Helmut Kohl succeeded Schmidt, and the US missile deployment went ahead despite widespread public discontent. Yet within less than a decade the Berlin Wall had fallen and the Soviet Union impoded  the singular event that shaped Putins worldview.

For Frederick Kempe, president of the Atlantic Council, today Ukraine is the front line of a global struggle, just as West Berlin was during the Cold War  a reality acknowledged by China and Russia in their no limits partnership struck on the eve of the 2022 invasion, he said in an online commentary posted July 15.

Gatow bore witness to the standoff with Moscow then, as a destination for western supplies flown in by Allied planes in a successful bid to break the blockade of Berlin ordered by Soviet leader Josef Stalin in 1948-9.

The effects of the current Russian leaders actions can also be seen at Gatow.

On a recent visit, a group of wounded Ukrainian veterans toured the museum, which is unusual for its relatively unfiltered take on the past. Displays of items like Nazi aviation chief Hermann Goerings outsized Luftwaffe uniform carry matter-of-fact descriptions that are mostly shorn of commentary.

They trailed from hangar to hangar in a procession of wheelchairs, accompanied by partners or friends. One man had new prostheses on both legs similar to those used by sprinters at the Paralympics; another wearing shorts revealing a terrible knee wound leaned heavily on a crutch to get around.

More than 1,000 injured Ukrainians have been treated in Germany, including almost 700 soldiers as of March, according to the Health Ministry. Most receive specialist care such as the fitting of prostheses. Ukraines First Lady, Olena Zelenska, visited wounded veterans in a Berlin military hospital in June.

Thank you to the defenders! she said in a post on Facebook. And thanks to Germany, which treats them as its own defenders.

One of those defenders, asked at the military museum if he was OK, paused to consider. Offering a fist bump, he said I am now, and slowly wheeled himself away.

--With assistance from Aliaksandr Kudrytski.

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The United States withdrawal from Afghanistan, on August 30, 2021, was one of the first major blunders of Joe Bidens administration, and the calamitous fallout from that departure is depicted in up-close-and-personal detail by Hollywoodgate.

Egyptian filmmaker Ibrahim Nashats illuminating and distressing documentary (July 19, in theaters) offers an insiders peek at the first year of Taliban rule from the perspective of two of the organizations leaders. What it paints is a damning portrait of the terrorist group as equally bloodthirsty and primitive, ill equipped for the modern world and yet now left with the resources to become more educated, formidable and deadlyboth with regards to their own people and their foreign adversaries.

Nashat visited Kabul just days after the final U.S. soldier left the country, armed with only a camera and his Afghan translator. I came to see in whose hands this country was left, he muses upon his arrival. The answer is a collection of combatants who appear unprepared for the task before them. Though hes been allowed to film so long as he presents what the Taliban wants the world to see, Nashats intentions arent propagandistic, as evidenced by the eerie music that accompanies footage of his drive through Kabul air base.

The remainder of Hollywoodgate is similarly despairing and caustic, and its also charged with tension, since multiple Taliban soldiers express distrust and disdain toward the filmmakerepitomized by one individual remarking, I dont like journalists. They are always connected to some countrys intelligence.

Late 2021 is a crucial moment in which the Taliban seeks to transition from an insurgent movement into a military regime, and a good deal of that responsibility falls to Nashats two subjects. The first is Mawlwai Mansour, the newly appointed commander of the air force, who spends a lot of time in Hollywoodgateits title a reference to the names given to these abandoned bases by the U.S.inspecting the contents of forsaken warehouses. The Americans left us an enormous treasure, he opines as they sift through refrigerators stocked with beer and liquor, crates full of Chapstick and medicine, and hangars populated by dismantled helicopters. This is certainly true, although at outset, its clear that Mansour and his compatriots can barely identify most of what theyre finding, much less put it to effective use.

The Talibans ignorance is typified by a trip to a modern gym where they marvel at the treadmills and Stairmasters, as well as an early scene in which Mansour, sitting at his desk going over military expenses, fails to correctly multiply 67 by 100as do his underlings. That a man like this is in charge of the countrys air force is an indication of the Talibans lack of sophistication.

That impression is furthered by Hollywoodgates focus on its other protagonist, lieutenant M.J. Mukhtar, who after enjoying some target practice with an American machine gun (which is lighter and more accurate than a Russian Kalashnikov) shows Nashat the cave where he used to hide with a lone blanket and weapon. Mukhtar says that in this hideout, they never used any light so the Jews wouldnt detect us. Hey Jews, you lost your war!

The Threat of a Forgotten American Map Unearthed by the Taliban

Mukhtars hateful conflation of antisemitism and anti-Americanism goes hand in hand with his later discussion about the need for women to remain fully covered at all timesa requirement he justifies via an anecdote about chocolate thats so moronic, even his acolytes respond with blank stares. Unsurprisingly considering the Talibans belief in sharia law, women are rarely seen in Hollywoodgate, save for a few shrouded adults who beg outside a mosque and a couple of young children running and playing in the sunshiny desert.

Happiness abounds in Nashats film. However, its primarily of a grim sort predicated on oppression, intolerance, and violence, such that Mansour and Mukhtars smiles are laced with the same callousness that defines their stone-faced countenances. Whether interviewing ex-government pilots to join the air force or planning a nighttime mission to capture and interrogate enemies, the duo prove the embodiment of banal, brutal fanaticism.

In shots of Taliban soldiers decked out in American tactical gear, as well as the sight of Mukhtar rehearsing a siege (complete with him starting things off with Action!), Hollywoodgate suggests that the Taliban are engaged in an elaborate role-playing performance for which theyre unqualified. Nonetheless, Mansour and Mukhtar are convinced that they can flourish courtesy of American technology, with the latter proclaiming that these tools will allow the group to rule the world, and our flag will stand tall, and the former putting his mechanics to work so they can fly U.S. aircraft at the big one-year anniversary celebration of the countrys liberation. Theyre amateurs determined to become experts, and if it seems like that process will take some time, its apparent that the Taliban are a patient and dedicated lot.

The Taliban Doesnt Have an Existential Crisis. Biden Does.

A closing text card relays that more than $7.2 billion worth of American military equipment was left behind in Afghanistan, and while not all of it is operational, the threat of this situation is impossible to miss, especially given the Talibans warlike nature.

The burning desire in my heart is to see American troops still here, so that I could set an ambush right here with my machine gun and have it loaded with 500 bullets. I keep shooting, shooting, shooting until my heart is satisfied. And then at the end, I become a martyr, says Mukhtar.

Similar dreams fuel Mansour, who doesnt just oversee the air forces efforts to repurpose American detritus into usable instruments of destruction, but manages a growing fight with Tajikistan. Telling that countrys minister of defense that you have gone too far by harboring Taliban enemies, and that they will now do likewise, it's stark evidence that the regime knows only conflict and, thus, will continue to seek it out wherever possible.

"Inside all the gates I went through, one thing I cannot move past is the obscene power of those who worship war, and the pain that it causes for generations, muses Nashat at the conclusion of Hollywoodgate. The startling material he captures intimates that, at least for the foreseeable future in Afghanistan, theres much more pain to come.

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FILE - President Joe Biden speaks at a news conference on the final day of the NATO summit in Washington, July 11, 2024. Biden now is weighing whether to bow to the mounting pressure to exit the presidential race. | Jacquelyn Martin

President Joe Biden continues to insist he doesnt have any plans to drop out of the presidential race. Only divine intervention or a not-yet-diagnosed medical condition could make him withdraw from the race, the president said on separate occasions.

Still, reports say Biden could drop out any day  but his campaign manager, Jen OMalley Dillon, insisted otherwise.

Hes our nominee and hes going to be our president for a second term, she said Friday on MSNBCs Morning Joe. Dillon added its been a hard week for the campaign, but said Biden will be back on the trail next week.

But his performance after the presidential debates and in television interviews led to deep concerns in the Democratic Party about Bidens ability to win against Republican nominee Donald Trump, as well his ability to serve another four years.

Biden faces increasing pressure to exit race

Top Democratic leaders and donors have reportedly held private meetings with Biden to relay these concerns and to try to persuade him to drop out.

In conversation with others, former President Barack Obama has highlighted that Bidens path to victory has diminished and that Biden is struggling against Trump in polls, while Democratic donors are closing their wallets, as The Washington Post reported.

Billionaire Michael Moritz, a Democratic megadonor, said in a statement Friday, Sadly, President Biden has a choice  vanity or virtue.

He can either condemn the country to dark and cruel times or heed the voice of Father Time. The clock has run out, said Moritz, adding he would vote for Biden, but I would not give another penny to any fund-raising appeals from Democrats.

As of Friday, at least 27 Democratic U.S. representatives and three senators had joined in urging Biden to end his bid for reelection.

Reps. Jared Huffman of California, Marc Veasey of Texas, Chuy Garcia of Illinois and Mark Pocan of Wisconsin joined this list Friday after making a joint public statement.

We believe the most responsible and patriotic thing you can do in this moment is to step aside as our nominee while continuing to lead our party from the White House, the statement said.

Democrats have a deep and talented bench of younger leaders, led by Vice President Kamala Harris, who you have lifted up, empowered, and prepared for this moment.

Bidens campaign and AOC defend the president against mounting pressure

As his party reconciles with whether Bidens exiting the presidential ticket is a good idea during a stormy time, the president is self-isolating after being diagnosed with COVID-19. According to the White House physician Friday, Biden has a cough and is being treated with Paxlovid.

Reports from Thursday suggested Biden would drop out by the weekend. But White House spokesperson Andrew Bates denied Bidens plans to leave the Democratic ticket, saying, That is not happening, period. The individuals making those claims are not speaking for his family or his team and they will be proven wrong. Keep the faith.

Lawmakers like Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, D-N.Y., said its the elites pushing Biden out.

If you think that there is consensus among the people who want Joe Biden to leave that they will support Vice President Harris, you would be mistaken, Ocasio-Cortez said in a live stream on Instagram, as The Hill reported. Theyre not going to be fully honest, but Im going to be honest for them.

Im in these rooms. I see what they say in conversations, she continued. Im here to tell you that a huge amount of the donor class and a huge amount of these elites and a huge amount of these folks in these rooms that I see that are pushing for President Biden to not be the nominee also are not interested in seeing the vice president being the nominee.

She admitted Biden is old, but said so is Trump, his opponent.

A lot of people dont love that we have the same exact match-up all over again, which is to say that the debate didnt change much at all, Ocasio-Cortez. It didnt really change a lot in terms of peoples perceptions, in terms of where the electorate is at and going into the debate.
Biden chews over mounting calls for him to quit 2024 race as Pelosi said to be seeking to avoid Harris coronation

As President Joe Biden faces mounting pressure to drop out of the 2024 presidential race while isolating in Delaware with Covid-19, former House speaker Nancy Pelosi is reportedly looking to prevent the vice president from automatically taking the nomination.

The California representative hopes to avoid Kamala Harris automatically becoming the Democratic candidate if Biden drops out, Politico and The New York Times report. Earlier this week, reports emerged that the influential Democrat told Biden privately he cant beat Donald Trump in November.

Pelosi is not against a Harris-led ticket, according to the Times. Instead, Pelosi is advocating for an open nomination process at next months Democratic National Convention, arguing that Harris  or any other potential candidate  would be strengthened by earning the title, the Times reports.

Representative Zoe Lofgren, a California Democrat, made a similar argument on Friday. Should he make that decision, there will have to be quick steps, Lofgren said on MSNBC. I dont think we can do a coronation, but obviously the vice president would be the leading candidate.

And representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez said this week on a widely discussed social media post: "If you think that there is consensus among the people who want Joe Biden to leave.... that they will support Kamala, Vice President Harris, you would be mistaken.

Pelosi, right, reportedly argued for an open convention to help strengthen Harris as the Democratic candidate if Biden leaves the race (AFP)

Harris hit the campaign fundraising circuit on Saturday in breezy Provincetown, Massachusetts, and picked up a nod from the states prominent Democratic Senator Elizabeth Warren, who said before the visit that if Biden were to step aside, his vice president is "ready to step up".

At the event, which organizers said raised $2m and was attended by 1,000 guests, Harris did not mention the calls for Biden to leave the race or for her to replace him, instead repeating one of her regular campaign lines: Were going to win this election, she said. Do we believe in freedom? Do we believe in equality? Do we believe in the promise of America? Then are we ready to fight for it? she called to a cheering crowd. When we fight, we win.

An open convention could happen if Biden drops out of the race, as he would surrender the delegates he won during the Democratic primary and leave them free to back someone else at the convention.

In an open convention, new candidates would have to try to convince delegates who were previously pledged to Biden to back them for the nomination.

Pelosi isnt the only one reportedly urging Biden to not run. Thirty Democratic lawmakers and several influential public figures have called for the president to step down from the ticket.

On Friday, Representative Seth Moulton of Massachusetts said the president didnt seem to recognize him at a D-Day event in Normandy, France in a recent op-ed for The Boston Globe.

Of course, that can happen as anyone ages but, as I watched the disastrous debate a few weeks ago, I have to admit that what I saw in Normandy was part of a deeper problem, Moulton wrote.

Meanwhile, at least three 6 January congressional committee members joined the growing number of Democratic officials urging Biden to bow out. These members include Representatives Adam Schiff and Jamie Raskin.

Schiff warned in a statement this week that a second Trump presidency will undermine the very foundation of our democracy, and I have serious concerns about whether the President can defeat Donald Trump in November.

In a recent four-page letter to Biden, Raskin also told the president that everything we believe in is on the line in the next four-and-a-half months and that we have an overriding obligation to defeat the forces of resurgent monarchy and oppression.

Everything else pales in comparison to this struggle, he added.

Meanwhile, one Democratic strategist told The Hill that Bidens campaign has yet to present a clear plan for victory in November.

What everyone has said is we need to see more and, frankly, the last two weeks has been worse than the actual debate in a lot of ways because they havent put a plan together and havent executed it, the anonymous strategist told The Hill.
GREENSBORO  The International Civil Rights Center Museum will celebrate the 64th anniversary of the conclusion of Greensboros civil rights sit-ins on Saturday, and honor six individuals who have contributed to civil and human-rights efforts.

The museums annual fundraising gala will be held at the Joseph F. Koury Convention Center from 6-8 p.m. Doors open at 5 p.m.

The honorees include the Rev. Benjamin F. Chavis Jr., Heather Booth, Dot Kearns, Frankie T. Jones Jr., Yvonne Revell and William Bill V. Bell.

Chavis is an ordained minister and the president and CEO of the National Newspaper Publishers Association: The Black Press of America. Additionally, Chavis was a member of the Wilmington 10  one of the 10 civil rights activists falsely convicted and sentenced to prison following a 1971 riot in Wilmington over school desegregation. He served as the executive director and CEO of the NAACP from 1993-1994 and remains a lifelong member of the organization.

He will receive the Alston/Jones International Civil & Human Rights Award.

Earning this years Unsung Hero Award, Booth is a progressive issue and electoral campaign strategist with organizing roots in the civil rights movement, anti-Vietnam war efforts and feminist movements.

Kearns was the first woman to serve on the Guilford County Board of Commissioners and the first woman to serve as the boards chairperson in 1985. For her avid work in the community, she will receive this years Lifetime Community Service Award.

County commissioner Jones will receive the Keeper of the Flame Award. The former mayor of Durham, Bell, will be honored by the museum with the Trailblazer Award.

Revell participated in the 1960 lunch counter sit-ins at the Greensboro Woolworths. She will be recognized at the conclusion of the fundraising gala.

2024 also marks the 70th anniversary of the decision in Brown v. Board of Education, the landmark ruling that found segregation in public schools violated the Constitutions 14th Amendment. In recognition of the case, the gala will be themed around The Road to Equality.

Tickets are available online.
Biden continues to isolate with COVID as questions swirl around his candidacy

President Biden is on day three of his isolation, following his COVID diagnosis. While isolating in his Delaware home, Biden has faced a barrage of calls to step aside, peaking on Friday when 12 Democratic lawmakers joined the list.

The president tested positive for the virus on Wednesday while on the campaign trail in Nevada. He presented with mild symptoms, and was put on a course of Paxlovid, a COVID treatment, which he is still on.

President Biden completed his sixth dose of PAXLOVID this morning, Dr. Kevin OConnor, the presidents doctor, wrote in a White House letter. He is still experiencing a loose, non-productive cough and hoarseness, but his symptoms continue to improve steadily.

Anthony Fauci, Bidens former chief medical advisor, told CNN on Thursday that taking the treatment was the right decision to help with recovery given the presidents age.

OConnor also reported that they determined the president is carrying the KP .2.3 variant, which he wrote accounts for approximately a third of all new infections in the country according to the CDC.

While the president recovers, the calls for him to forgo the 2024 Democratic nomination have only accelerated. Updates on the partys internal division were momentarily cooled following the assassination attempt on former president Trump.

However, after the conclusion of the Republican National Convention, 12 Democratic legislators called for Biden to step aside on Friday alone. Rep. Takano (D-Calif.) became the latest to make a statement on Saturday. Reports also emerged that major campaign donors threatened to pull planned donations to his campaign.

There is no announcement yet of when the president plans to make his public return and complete his isolation.

He is expected to meet with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu sometime this week as Netanyahu travels to address a joint session of Congress on Wednesday. The Biden camp has maintained that the presidents health is a top priority.

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The president had a brutal week, but he is heading into the weekend still atop the Democratic ticket, with his campaign beating back a barrage of private and public pleas for his exit.

The presidents week was derailed by a positive COVID-19 test result  grim counterprogramming to the Republican National Convention amid an election where age and vitality are top of mind to voters. While he saw a brief pause in lawmakers publicly saying he should drop his 2024 bid following the assassination attempt on former President Trump  and Bidens immediate calls for unity in the aftermath  those public statements have picked back up, with another senator and nine House members going public Friday alone.

Biden faces a ticking clock before the Democratic National Committee moves forward with plans to virtually nominate him as early as Aug. 1, ahead of its convention starting Aug. 19, and faces mounting pressure to make a final decision on his political future.

COVID symptoms improving, but weekend schedule empty

Biden is weighing one of the toughest political decisions of his decades-long career while he has COVID-19 and is isolating at his home in Rehoboth, Del.

The president tested positive on Wednesday while campaigning in Las Vegas. He had nothing on his schedule for the rest of the week and no public plans coming up, but he said Friday he looks forward to getting back on the campaign trail next week.

Bidens doctor, Kevin OConnor, released an update on his health, outlining that he took his fourth dose of Paxlovid that morning and tested positive for COVID-19 again Thursday. OConnor said Bidens main symptoms are a loose, non-productive cough and hoarseness, but he is improving meaningfully.

He also said the presidents lungs are clear, blood work is normal, and blood count is not showing any evidence of a bacterial infection.

First lady Jill Biden is in Rehoboth with her husband. She has been making a swing to critical states this month, including Georgia, North Carolina and Florida, and she is set to leave for Paris next week for the Olympics.

Vice President Harris, who campaigned in North Carolina this week and has been staunchly supportive of Biden amid speculation that she could replace him, is set to address top Democratic donors on Friday, The New York Times reported, while Biden has struggled to ease concerns among donors about his candidacy.

Biden team defiant in wake of bruising reports

Bidens team insists he is not dropping out of the race, even as reports say the president has become open to the possibility. Pressure is building from party leaders like former Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.), Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) and former President Obama, who have all reportedly told Biden hes likely to lose to Trump.

Absolutely, the presidents in this race, Biden campaign chair Jen OMalley Dillon said Friday on MSNBCs Morning Joe, adding that Biden is more committed than ever to beat Donald Trump.

A source familiar with the White House staffs thinking on Friday pointed out that Biden was doubted in the 2022 midterms and the 2020 Democratic primary, and excelled.

This president and his team are resilient as f. He is committed to staying in this race until he is reelected, period. So is his staff, the source said.

Biden was leading in polls throughout the 2020 campaign, and though he remains neck and neck with Trump nationally, hes fallen further behind in swing states since his disastrous debate last month.

The Democratic National Committee (DNC) and Biden campaign remain insistent on moving forward with plans to nominate Biden through a virtual roll call ahead of the convention.

Growing list of Democrats call for Bidens exit

The chorus of Democratic lawmakers calling on Biden to step aside grew by 10 on Friday  nine House members and one senator  a concerning sign for the president that is only expected to increase when Congress returns to Washington next week.

Reps. Jared Huffman (D-Calif.), Marc Veasey (D-Texas), Jesus Chuy Garcia (D-Ill.) and Mark Pocan (D-Wis.) called on Biden to step aside in a joint statement Friday, a notable development that highlights discontent with the president from several corners of the Democratic Party.

Veasey is the first member of the Congressional Black Caucus to urge Biden to withdraw from the race, highlighting a crack in what has been the presidents strongest cohort of support in the Capitol. Huffman, Garcia and Pocan are all part of the Congressional Progressive Caucus, where Biden has also largely enjoyed support.

Garcia is also a member of the Congressional Hispanic Caucus (CHC). The joint statement published the same day news broke that the CHCs political arm, BOLD PAC, endorsed Biden, poking a hole in what the campaign had touted as a key sign of support in his reelection bid.

Other calls for Biden to step down came from Rep. Zoe Lofgren (D-Calif.), a close ally of former Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.), Rep. Greg Landsman (D-Ohio), a front-liner, and Reps. Sean Casten (D-Ill.), Betty McCollum (D-Minn.) and Morgan McGarvey (D-Ky.).

On the other side of the Capitol, Sen. Sen. Martin Heinrich (D-N.M.) became the third senator to call for Biden to move aside, joining Sens. Peter Welch (D-Vt.) and Jon Tester (D-Mont.)

Biden notches new endorsements

The campaign on Friday morning announced a new endorsement from the political arm of the Congressional Hispanic Caucus, BOLD PAC, The Hill first reported.

And, more than 1,400 Black women and allies indicated their support for Biden and Harris in a Thursday letter.

OMalley Dillon held an all-campaign staff call Friday, during which she touted those who have had Bidens back, according to a source familiar with the call.

The people that the president is hearing from are saying, stay in this race and keep going and keep fighting, and we need you. Those voices will never be as loud as the people on TV, but remember that the people in our country are not watching cable news, she said, according to the source.

Others are coming to his defense, including Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-N.Y.), who took a swing at Democratic elites who are pushing for Biden to stand down, warning they are also not interested in seeing Harris atop the ticket.

And, Delaware Sen. Chris Coons (D), a Biden campaign co-chair, after saying Biden is weighing his future, shared on the social platform X: I fully support the President. Hes told me hes in it to win it. Im with him 100% because I know he can beat Trump just like he did last time.

Jeffries coy on Biden as pressure in caucus grows

House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries (D-N.Y.) on Friday praised Biden, but he stopped short of endorsing the president  or calling on him to step aside  further fueling the speculation about where the top Democrat stands in the debate over Bidens candidacy.

Jeffries has been coy in his public comments about Biden since last months disastrous debate, but according to ABC News, suggested to Biden during a meeting last week that he should step out of the race.

He would not confirm those reports Friday.

President Biden, as Ive said repeatedly, is our nominee, Jeffries said during an event in Brooklyn. He has a tremendous track record of success. Hes one of the most accomplished American presidents in our history, and he has the vision, I believe, the ability, the capacity, and the track record to make a case to the American people that will result in us being successful in November.

In a statement following the ABC report, a Jeffries spokesperson said, Any further characterization of the private, one-on-one meeting between President Biden and Leader Jeffries is speculative and uninformed.

Congresss return looms

Both the House and Senate are set to return to Washington on Monday, marking the first time in more than a week that Democrats will come face-to-face with reporters questioning where they stand on Bidens future.

Since the last time Democrats were in the Capitol, Biden held a high-stakes press conference and sat for an interview with NBC News and other outlets, but polling has done little to reassure Democrats he can win back voter support and beat Trump, and fears are growing he also will drag down House and Senate candidates.

Some Democrats are expecting more lawmakers to come out of the woodwork when Congress returns to session next week.

I would be very surprised if that did not happen, one House Democrat, who requested anonymity to discuss the sensitive deliberations, told The Hill when asked if more members will urge Biden to step aside next week.

I just think the alarm is spreading among those in competitive districts, or those who are hoping for exploitation of opportunities, they added. To see all of that in danger, is going to lead people to make hard choices.

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President Biden released a statement honoring Rep. Sheila Jackson Lee (D-Texas), who died Friday evening at 74, calling her a great American who was always fearless.

Sheila Jackson Lee was a great American. I had the honor or working with her during her nearly 30 years in Congress, Biden wrote. No matter the issue  from delivering racial justice to building an economy for working people  she was unrelenting in her leadership.

The president added, always fearless, she spoke truth to power and represented the power of the people of her district in Houston with dignity and grace.

Jackson Lees family announced her death in a statement on social media platform X, but did not specify a cause. The news comes just over a month after the Texas Democrat announced she was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer and had been undergoing treatment.

She was first elected to the House in 1994. Jackson Lee served on the House Judiciary, Homeland Security and Budget Committees. She also was chief deputy whip for the House Democrats and a vice chair of the Congressional Progressive Caucus.

The Texas Democrat introduced legislation, which Biden signed in 2021, that made Juneteenth a federal holiday.

In his statement, Biden highlighted several other career moments and character traits of Jackson Lee.

Those character traits established her as a towering figure in our politics, Biden said. We saw it through her efforts to reauthorize the Violence Against Women Act, make Juneteenth a federal holiday, reintroduce the George Floyd Justice in Policing Act, and so much more.

The president said she is part of a long line of American patriots and he and the first lady, Jill Biden, send condolences to her family, constituents and members of the Congressional Black Caucus.

May God bless our friend, Sheila Jackson Lee, Biden concluded.

Many members of Congress also released statements honoring Jackson Lees legacy.

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Biden Plots to Salvage Campaign Many Allies Believe Is Over

(Bloomberg) -- President Joe Biden is huddling this weekend with top political aides as he plots a return to the campaign trail  and a last-ditch effort to salvage his reelection bid  despite an onslaught of anxious pleas from fellow Democrats to step aside.

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The appeals from vulnerable House and Senate Democrats for Biden to exit the race have only intensified as the president has been quarantined at his Delaware beach home after testing positive for the coronavirus on Wednesday. Senator Sherrod Brown of Ohio, a longtime ally, joined a chorus of some three dozen Democratic lawmakers urging Biden to suspend his campaign.

Those closest to the president say his resolve has only hardened in recent days, despite the imploring by some of his partys most senior figures. That did little to quiet rumors in Washington of a weekend announcement  and suggestions, even from longtime Biden allies, that his reelection bid had entered a death spiral.

I think the President should end his campaign, Brown said in a statement Friday, arguing that our full attention must return to campaign issues including jobs and abortion rights.

Amid predictions that the end was near, Biden issued a statement vowing to return to the campaign trail next week. Vice President Kamala Harris told top-dollar Democratic donors that the president retained a pathway to victory. And campaign chairwoman Jennifer OMalley Dillon, in a rare television interview, said Biden was more committed than ever.

At the White House, aides prepared for a high-stakes summit with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who planned to meet the president early in the week before delivering an address to a joint session of Congress.

While in Rehoboth Beach on Saturday, Biden was briefed by a senior security aide on developments in the Middle East and called newly reelected European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen to reaffirm their commitment to a strong US-EU relationship, according to a White House official.

Bidens Covid symptoms continue to improve steadily and hes performing all of his duties, presidential physician Kevin OConnor said in an update Saturday.

Yet hanging over Bidens efforts to project a sense of normalcy remains the question of whether the president truly believes he can sustain the unprecedented and unrelenting effort by fellow Democrats to push him from atop the 2024 ticket.

Remaining dutiful to his presidential tasks has done little to quell concerns among Democrats about the 81-year-old presidents fitness to serve another four-year term  and the fear that he might be defeated by Donald Trump before that term could even begin.

In addition to Brown, prominent lawmakers including Representative Adam Schiff of California  the former chairman of the House Intelligence Committee  and Montanas Senator Jon Tester, whose reelection is crucial to Democratic hopes of retaining the upper chamber, joined the calls for Biden to step aside.

Pass the Torch

Representative Mark Takano of California on Saturday became the latest Democrat to defect, saying Biden should clear the way for his vice president.

Joe, I love and respect you. But the stakes are too high to fail, Takano said in a statement. Its time to pass the torch to Kamala.

Multiple news reports suggest Democratic congressional leaders, including former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer and House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries, have warned Biden about the ramifications of his candidacy on down-ballot races and pressed him to consider dropping out.

In total, the dissenters represent more than one in 10 Democrats in Congress, where Bidens party controls 213 seats in the House of Representatives and 51 in the Senate.

The concern by lawmakers is rooted in part by a bigger worry: that Republicans could sweep the Nov. 5 election by taking the reins of the White House and the gavel in both chambers of Congress. Such a defeat may handcuff Democrats ability to stymie the sweeping conservative proposals Trump has offered.

But Biden insisted in a statement Friday that he still believed he was the best bulwark toward such an outcome.

I look forward to getting back on the campaign trail next week to continue exposing the threat of Donald Trumps Project 2025 agenda while making the case for my own record and the vision that I have for America, he said in the Friday statement, referring to a sweeping array of policy proposals developed by conservative corners of Washington.

His campaign also continued announcing big-ticket fundraisers for the coming weeks, including an event later this month on Marthas Vineyard headlined by comedian David Letterman.

Biden knows the stakes of this election are high, spokesman Kevin Munoz said in a statement, adding that there are a lot of days between now and Election Day.

The divide among Democrats is a stark contrast to the scenes that unfolded during the Republican National Convention in Milwaukee, where former party rivals united around Trump, who accepted the formal Republican nomination for president.

The former president is expected to hold his first rally since an attempted assassination last weekend on Saturday night in the battleground state of Michigan, alongside newly minted running mate JD Vance. Trump is also planning events in North Carolina and at a Bitcoin conference in Tennessee over the next week, while the Ohio senator is planning rallies in his home state as well as Virginia.

(Updates with Bidens official duties in seventh paragraph, doctors letter in eighth, Takano calling for president to step aside in 12th.)

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Vance and Trump walk out together to rapturous applause - GETTY IMAGES

Donald Trump warned of slaughter in the suburbs and called Joe Biden a sick, weak, pathetic man in his first rally since surviving an assassination attempt last weekend.

The Republican presidential nominee had promised unity for the United States in the wake of his shooting in Pennsylvania last Saturday, which shocked the country and triggered a surge in support for Trump in opinion polls.

Mr Trump had this week urged his supporters to dial down their rhetoric to focus on national consensus amid a divisive US election race.

But at a rally in Grand Rapids, Michigan, on Saturday night, Trump returned to his usual combative style  and at times dark tone  as he railed against the radical Left Democrats, accused his opponents of rigging the election and calling Mr Biden crooked.

He also goaded Nancy Pelosi over reports that she has advised Mr Biden to quit the election race, accusing her of turning on the president like a dog.

In a lengthy, near-two-hour speech that appeared largely to be improvised, Mr Trump also resumed his claims that South and Central American countries are sending their criminals to the US.

Theyre dumping their criminals in the United States, and were not gonna take it anymore, Trump said, prompting a standing ovation from the crowd as he promised to deliver the largest deportation operation in history.

When I return to the White House, we will stop the plunder, rape, slaughter and destruction of our American suburbs and cities.

Trump was given a rapturous reception in Grand Rapids - AP

Trump took to the stage on Saturday alongside his vice-presidential running mate JD Vance.

He appeared without the large, white bandage that he wore over his ear at this weeks Republican convention, instead wearing a small plaster.

I took a bullet for democracy

The former president, 78, was struck in the ear by a would-be assassin in an attack he told the partys convention he would not speak about again because it was too painful.

But on Saturday, Trump retold the story of how the bullet from Thomas Matthew Crooks AR-15 struck his ear.

He cracked jokes about the shooting, saying how immigrants saved his life, referring to the immigration chart that he turned to look at in the seconds before he was fired upon.

He used the moment to hit back at Democrat assertions that he is a threat to democracy.

I took a bullet for democracy, he said, to rapturous applause.

'They keep saying 'He's a threat to Democracy' What the Hell did I do to Democracy?'



'Last week, I took a bullet for Democracy.'



Donald Trump Yes This!!!

pic.twitter.com/oXgAsQg7yN  Donald Trump Jr. (@DonaldJTrumpJr) July 20, 2024

Michigan is one of the vital swing states in the US election and has become even more important since the attempt on Trumps life, with recent polls showing a chunky swing towards the former president, much to the alarm of Democrats.

Republican momentum is in stark contrast to the mire around President Biden, who remains hunkered at home with Covid, resisting unprecedented Democratic pressure to step aside.

They have no idea who their candidate is, Trump said.

This guy goes and he gets the votes, and now they want to take it away. Thats democracy, he told the 12,000-strong crowd of passionate supporters.

Pelosi is crazy as a bedbug

Trump mocked Kamala Harris, the vice-president, amid reports she is being pushed forward by Democrats to replace Mr Biden.

We will take back the White House from crooked Joe Biden and Kamala, Trump said. I call her laughing Kamala. You ever watch her laugh? Shes crazy. You know? You can tell a lot by laughter. Shes crazy. Shes nuts.

Trump earned one of the biggest laughs of the night when he criticised Ms Pelosi over reports she has turned on Mr Biden.

Did you see Nancy Pelosi is selling out now? Did you see she turned on him like a dog? Trump said.

Where did that come from? She was 100 per cent and all of a sudden shes not sure. Shes crazy as a bedbug.

Trump denies any knowledge of Project 2025

Trump also defended himself against claims from the Democrats that he and his allies want to instigate Project 2025.

The project is based around an ultra-conservative instruction manual setting out proposals for Trumps second term in the White House.

It contains plans to restrict abortion access, deport immigrants en masse, and sack thousands of civil servants in favour of political appointees, among other ideas.

Trump has claimed not to know anything about the document, despite many of its proposals matching his own priorities, and despite being mentioned in the document several hundred times.

He told the crowd: Im not an extremist at all. Some on the Right, the severe Right, came up with this Project 2025 and I dont even know... I mean, some of them, I know who they are, but theyre very, very conservative, theyre sort of the opposite of the radical Left.

I dont know what the hell it is. I mean, theyre seriously extreme, but I dont know anything about it. I dont want to know anything about it.

12:37 AM BST

Thank you for joining us

Thats it for Trumps speech  thank you for joining our live coverage.

Read more on our top US election stories today:

12:17 AM BST

Trump enjoyed every moment of that

Trumps rambling remarks ran for over 1hr 45mins.

He finished by telling the audience he would make America great again, before slowly wandering around the stage to soak in the applause.

It may have been lengthy and meandering, but you can tell Trump enjoyed every moment of that speech.

12:12 AM BST

We will make America great again

With a familiar refrain, Trump closes his speech.

We are one movement, one people, one family and one glorious nation under God and, together, we will make America powerful again.

We will make America wealthy again.

We will make America strong again.

We will make America proud again.

We will make America safe again, and we will make America great again.

Thank you very much. Thank you, Michigan. Thank you very, very much. Thank you.

He turns to all sections of the arena, waving and clenching his fist.

12:10 AM BST

American dream will thrive again

Trump now appears to be wrapping up.

The American dream will be thriving again for citizens of every race, religion, color and creed, he says.

Law and Justice will reign all throughout our land. Freedom will be restored. The flame of liberty will be burning bright, crooked Joe Biden, the worst president of the history of our country, will be a fading memory of the past, and our great silent majority, including the once forgotten men and women of our country, will be the one shaping Americas magnificent future.

When I am the 47th president of the United States.

Trump

11:59 PM BST

Longer than Thursdays speech

Trumps speech has now gone on for longer than Thursdays 93-minute address at the Republican convention.

11:56 PM BST

Trump points out key ally

Trump has thanked a raft of people in the audience, including his daughter Tiffany and her husband Michael.

He also heaped praise on Michaels father, Massad Boulos, the Lebanese-born businessman, who Trump said is also at the rally.

Mr Boulos has turned out to be an important ally for Trump. He has taken on the challenge of trying to convince the politically influential Arab community angry at Joe Biden over his response to the war in Gaza to vote for Trump.

11:49 PM BST

Pelosi turned on Biden like a dog

Now Trump is goading the Democrats, who are locked in a civil war over the ailing Biden campaign.

In the past few days, senior Democrats including Nancy Pelosi, Adam Schiff and Barack Obama have reportedly indicated that Mr Biden ought to consider quitting the race.

We will take back the White House from crooked Joe Biden and Kamala, Trump says.

I call her laughing Kamala. You ever watch her laugh? Shes crazy. You know? You can tell a lot by a laughter. Shes crazy. Shes nuts.

But Trump gets a big laugh for attacking Ms Pelosi and mocking her for reports she has turned on Mr Biden.

Did you see Nancy Pelosi is selling out now? Did you see she turned on him like a dog? Trump says.

Where did that come from? She was 100 per cent and all of a sudden shes not sure. Shes crazy as a bedbug.

11:36 PM BST

So much for unity

There has been little evidence of Trump toning down his attacks on his political rivals in the wake of last weeks attempted assassination.

So far tonight he has railed against the radical left Democrats, accused his opponents of rigging the election and called Joe Biden a sick, weak, pathetic man.

He also rolled out one of his favourite insults: that Mr Biden is crooked.

Many Republicans blamed the Democrats rhetoric after the attempt on Trumps life.

11:32 PM BST

Deportation gets a huge cheer

One of the biggest rounds of applause this evening came when Trump promised to deport migrants.

Theyre dumping their criminals in the United States, and were not gonna take it anymore, Trump said, prompting a standing ovation from the crowd.

Fans wearing bejewelled MAGA hats stood and cheered as Trump promised to deliver the largest deportation operation in history.

Trump

11:32 PM BST

Fake election, fake indictments

Now Trump attacks Democrats for stealing the 2020 election and setting up rigged trials against him.

Every time the radical Left Democrats, Marxists, communists and fascists indict me, I consider it a great badge of honour. You know, Ive been indicted more than the legendary Alphonse Capone Scarface.

These arent indictments. These are Biden indictments. This is a sick, weak, pathetic man who cant run an election, so he indicts his opponent, thinking thats going to win.

11:29 PM BST

Slaughter in the suburbs

Crime is clearly something Trump thinks he can win on and his rhetoric is very dark.

In Oakland County [in Michigan], criminal squads of illegal alien gang members are hiding in the trees and breaking into Michigan homes after dark, looting them for jewellery, purses, taking the womens purses right out of their bedrooms, electronics, cash theyre stealing, he says.

Does anybody live in Kent County here? Sounds good to me, but youre not going to like this: a sadistic illegal alien, of which there are many criminals, was sentenced for executing a 22-year-old Red Rapids woman while she was in her car with a one-year-old baby, shooting her at least five times with a rifle at point-blank range while the killer was wanted on an outstanding warrant for attempted strangulation of another woman.

He adds: When I return to the White House, we will stop the plunder, rape, slaughter and destruction of our American suburban cities.

11:26 PM BST

We want safety

Trump now jokes that crime is so bad in the US that next year the Michigan rally will be held in Venezuela.

In Venezuela, crime is down 72 per cent, you know? Caracas, Venezuela, was a very, very dangerous place, and now, because of the great job theyve done in removing their criminals into the United States, next year, were going to have our Michigan rally in Caracas, Venezuela, because its nice and safe.

He then gets one of the biggest cheers so far when he says foreign countries are dumping their criminals into the United States and were not going to take it any more.

Trump adds: That is why, as soon as I take the oath of office, we will begin the largest deportation operation in the history of our country, even larger than that of President Eisenhower.

11:17 PM BST

Trump apologises for his hair

Trump gets the biggest laugh so far with a joke about his hair.

He stops mid-flow as hes attacking Bidenomics to tell the crowd to look up at the big screen.

Thats very severe that combover, he says, and the crowd laugh. Thats a severe sucker. Whats with that one? It looks OK from the other side, he says, turning his head to the right, but that is very severe. I apologise.

I looked up there. I said, Whoa, look at that. Wow, thats like a work of art.

He later adds, as he speaks about a policy to stop taxing workers tips, that he doesnt tip his barber.

I dont give mine a big tip because I dont think they do a very good job, he jokes.

TRump

11:14 PM BST

I would duck, says unconcerned Trump supporter

Last week the crowd sitting directly behind Trump were directly in the line of fire.

Former fire chief Corey Comperatore, 50, had a prime spot in the rows behind the former president when he was killed by a bullet intended for Trumps head. Two other supporters are in critical condition after they were struck when gunman Thomas Crooks opened fire on the Pennsylvania rally.

But the supporters behind Trump today appear anything but concerned about their safety. They are waving their Trump Vance placards, laughing at his jokes and cheering on cue - even as Trump strays from tangent to tangent.

When asked if he was scared following last weeks chilling attack, supporter Tim Dolan told me: Ill duck.

Trump

11:03 PM BST

Were leading Michigan by six points

OK, hes back to talking about politics.

He hails new polls in Michigan that put him well ahead of Biden.

Were leading Michigan by six points, he says, and the crowd screams.

And a report just came out, actually were leading everywhere and nationally, that we have to keep it that way.

He then refers to his often repeated and untrue claims that the Democrats stole the 2020 election.

Gotta make sure they dont cheat, he says. Gotta make sure they dont cheat.

Trump arrives on stage at the rally in Grand Rapids - AP

10:59 PM BST

On the TRUMP index, this is about an 8

At the moment Trumps saying something about electrocution and heavy boats and death by sharks.

Hes known for his rambling speeches and Trump is so far providing a classic of the genre.

Lets call it the TRUMP index  the Trump scale of Really Unscripted Maga-y Ramblings.

If his 2016 inauguration speech was a 1, for teleprompter tightness, and his Republican speech on Friday was about a 6, with plenty of waffle, this is more like an 8 or 9 so far.

10:55 PM BST

Immigration saved my life, Trump jokes

Trump is cracking jokes about attempted assassination and the crowd is eating it up.

Demonstrating how he turned his head to look at a board showing immigration statistics, Trump gestured with his arms, saying: the thing [bullet] went that way instead of that way.

I owe immigration my life, he said.

That sign is very good I think Im going to sleep with it tonight, he added, prompting huge cheers and laughs from the audience.

I hope we have to never go through that again everybody, Trump said

10:52 PM BST

Trump: Musk is as smart as they get

Trump is now hailing Elon Musk in a slightly rambling bit about electric engines.

He says: You know, hes a very advanced person, and hes doing other things that are great, and so are other we have to make we have to make life good for our smart people. You know, we have some smart people. We have to make life good for us smart people, and hes as smart as you get.

Trump then thanks Musk for his commitment to spend $45 million a month on his campaign.

Not $45 million, he gives me $45 million a month, Trump says.

I talked to him just a little while ago to say I was coming here. And he didnt even mention it. He didnt mention it.

The other guys, they give you $2 and you got to take them to lunch. You got to wine them, dine them... No, hes a great guy. He really is.

Trump

10:49 PM BST

Trump talking about the shooting

Despite telling the Republican convention on Thursday that he would never again speak about the attempt on his life because it is too painful, Trump is again talking about how he turned his head at the right moment to avoid the bullet that struck his ear.

Referring to the immigration chart that he turned to look at in the moments before he was fired at last Saturday, Trump says: I would have never been looking to the right, and I had to be. It was the only place that would have saved us.

They do these reports in The New York Times and all over the place where they had, you know, the shape, the if he turns this way, this way...

I hope we have to never go through that again. Everybody is just so horrible.

10:44 PM BST

I took a bullet for democracy

The former US president hit back at Democrat assertions that he is a threat to democracy.

I took a bullet for democracy, he said, to rapturous applause.

The latest reference to his attempted assassination came after he tried to hold a poll to see which Democrat candidate the audience would prefer him to run against.

The crowd hoovered it up, loudly booing both options - Kamala Harris and Joe Biden.

Donald Trump

10:42 PM BST

Trump addresses Project 2025

Trump now defends himself against claims from the Democrats that he and his allies want to instigate Project 2025.

The project is based around an ultra-conservative instruction manual setting out proposals for Trumps second term in the White House.

It contains plans to restrict abortion access and widen free-market control over US society, among other ideas.

Trump has claimed not to know anything about the document, despite many of its proposals matching his own priorities, and despite being mentioned in the document several hundred times.

He tells the crowd: Im not an extremist at all. Like some on the Right, the severe Right, came up with this Project 2025 and I dont even know, I mean, some of them, I know who they are, but theyre very, very conservative, theyre sort of the opposite of the radical Left.

I dont know what the hell it is. I mean, theyre seriously extreme, but I dont know anything about it. I dont want to know anything about it.

10:35 PM BST

Who would you like to run against?

Trump now says he will help the media by doing a free poll in the room, asking the crowd who they would rather run against: Crooked Joe Biden or Kamala Harris?

Loud boos greet each name.

10:32 PM BST

Bandage-free Trump relishes applause

Trump walked out slowly on stage, soaking up the cheers from the crowd of some 12,000 supporters.

Chants of USA, USA, USA filled the arena and a sea of MAGA fans pumped their fists in the air as Trump entered the venue.

The former US president appears to have ditched the white ear bandage he was sporting at the RNC in Milwaukee.

Trump joined his running mate, JD Vance, on stage, whispering in his ear before claiming the packed-out audience was like a football game.

The Republican nominee noted that the timing of the rally was a week ago almost to the hour, even to the minute.

He then repeated his previous claims that he shouldnt be here and is only alive because something very special happened.

Trump

10:31 PM BST

They have no idea who their candidate is

Trump gets in his first dig at Joe Biden and the Democrats, saying the party does not even know who their candidate at the election will be.

Now we have something coming up where theyre going to go through the convention, and they have a couple of problems, Trump says, getting a big laugh from the crowd.

Number one, they have no idea who the candidate is. Thats a problem, but well see. Hopefully they get it worked out. Sort of interesting.

10:29 PM BST

Trump pays tribute to dead firefighter

Trump pays tribute to Corey Comparatore, the firefighter who was killed shielding his family during the assassination attempt on the former president last Saturday.

He was a big Trumper, and we will never forget him, right? Trump says. Were all together. Were all together. This is theres never been anything like what you witnessed the other day with the convention. I dont think theres ever been a convention where there was such unity and love.

The crowd chants: Corey, Corey, Corey.

10:24 PM BST

Trump is no longer wearing his bandage

Trump does not appear to be wearing the white bandage he had on his ear at the Republican convention.

He says: Let me begin this evening with a very special thanks to Americans nationwide, including all of you here today, for your extraordinary outpouring of love and support in the wake of the horrific last Saturday event.

When you think of it, it was exactly one week ago today, almost to the hour, even to the minute.

What a day it was. As I said earlier this week, I stand before you only by the grace of Almighty God. Thats true. I shouldnt be here.

10:21 PM BST

Here he comes...

Donald Trump is out now, walking slowly to the stage, milking the massive applause.

Well, thank you very much, he tells the crowd. This is like a Michigan football game over here.

10:16 PM BST

Vance is back...

JD Vance is walking on stage now to a raucous reception.

In a bit of a bait-and-switch, he says he is coming on to introduce Donald Trump... and the crowd erupts. But Vance continues: Before I do that... Sorry, I had to screw with you a little bit, right?

10:03 PM BST

Our existence depends on US vote, says Ukrainian MP

Ukraine believes its physical existence depends on the outcome of Novembers US election after Donald Trumps selection of JD Vance as his potential vice president, an MP has warned, Liz Cookman writes.

Trumps choice of the Ohio senator as his running mate has fanned fears that a new Republican government would push Ukraine to acquiesce to Vladimir Putin if elected, withdrawing aid if no peace deal is reached with Russia.

Read more: Our existence depends on US election result, warns Ukrainian MP

09:43 PM BST

Attendees treated to My Heart Will Go On

An eclectic selection of music has been blaring through the speakers to keep the energy up at the Van Andel Arena.

Weve had everything from Celine Dions My Heart Will Go On to The Winner Takes it All by ABBA.

The Trump fans are getting very excited.

A stadium-wide Mexican wave has gone round the stands a few times with people holding up their Trump, Vance and Joe Biden: Youre Fired signs.

Trump supporters

Trump supporters

09:21 PM BST

Trump due any minute

We are waiting for the former president who is due to take the stage any moment.

Inside the arena, the extremely dodgy Wi-Fi is causing havoc with the TV feed.

Hopefully someone will try the guaranteed method to fix internet trouble  swear at and kick the router  and all will be fine in time for Trumps speech.

09:19 PM BST

Vance will harm the USs global interests

John Bolton, the former US ambassador to the UN, says Vance is a worrying pick to be Vice-President.

Writing for The Telegraph, Mr Bolton says the Ohio senator will weaken Trumps ability to recruit for a second term  and Ronald Reagan would be turning in his grave.

Trump wants undiluted personal loyalty in his post-election government team, at all levels. Vance craved Trumps endorsement in his 2022 Senate primary, and his help in that years general election. He worked for the past two years to get into Trumps inner circle, adopting his policies as he went. He has now succeeded. As Chinese Communists describe their relationship with North Korean Communists: Trump and Vance are like lips and teeth.

Read more: JD Vance is a disturbing choice for Vice-President

09:00 PM BST

Trumps bullet wound is still bleeding

Dr Ronny Jackson, Trumps former White House doctor, said he evaluated and treated the Republican nominees injury the night of the assassination attempt.

In a letter sent out by the Trump campaign, Dr Jackson said the former president is doing well.

The bullet track produced a 2 cm wide wound that extended down to the cartilaginous surface of the ear, he wrote.

He added: There was initially significant bleeding, followed by marked swelling of the entire upper ear.

The swelling has since resolved, and the wound is beginning to granulate and heal properly. Based on the highly vascular nature of the ear, there is still intermittent bleeding requiring a dressing to be in place. Given the broad and blunt nature of the wound itself, no sutures were required.

Dr Jackson said Trump will have further tests, including a hearing exam if necessary.

Donald Trump

08:54 PM BST

Vance marvels at incredible turnout

JD Vance walked onto the stage to chants of JD, JD, JD as he joined the campaign for the first time as Trumps running mate.

The Ohio senator, 39, noted there was an incredible turnout for the Grand Rapids rally given this time last week a gunman fired a volley of bullets at the Republican nominee.

I find that hard to believe that a week ago, an assassin tried to take Donald Trumps life and now weve got a hell of a crowd in Michigan to welcome him back on the campaign trail, Mr Vance told the audience at the Van Andel Arena.

One woman sat behind Mr Vance looked like she was going to keel over from cheering so intensely.

Ive had such an incredible, blessed week Mr Vance added. What a cool thing it was to be asked by President Trump to serve as his running mate and to get out there on the campaign trail.

Looking around at the placards bearing his name, Mr Vance added that its still a little bit weird to see my name on the signs.

JD Vance said it was still "weird" to see his name on placards alongside Donald Trump - GETTY IMAGES

08:52 PM BST

Enhanced security inside the arena

There is enhanced police presence at the Van Andel Arena today in response to would-be assassin Thomas Crooks opening fire at Trumps last rally.

Joseph Trigg, 47, Grand Rapids Deputy Chief of Police, told The Telegraph: President Trump came in 2019 and we had about over 100 bodies so we wanted to at least match that right in light of what happened last Saturday.

Mr Trigg said they enlisted the help of at least 10 outside agencies to ensure there were more than 100 officers, not including Secret Service, on site to make sure the venue is safe.

There are police officers on every corner and in elevated positions, he said. Its very, very serious, Mr Trigg added.

While protecting Trump is their number one priority, officers also want to ensure Trump supporters and protesters are safe.

We just want people to come have a good time, voice their First Amendment rights, and then have everybody leave with a good experience. Thats the goal.

Security is tight ahead of Trump's speech - GETTY IMAGES

Police

08:47 PM BST

Trump attacker may have used drone

Thomas Crooks may have used a drone to scope the site of Donald Trumps rally ahead of his assassination attempt, the Wall Street Jurnal reported.

Investigators found a small drone in Crookss car as they tried to piece together a detailed timeline of what happened. It was discovered alongside explosive devices in his Hyundai Sonata/

Crooks visited the event site six days before the rally. The New York Times reported he is believed to have flown the drown ahead of the shooting.

The 20-year-old, who was technologically savvy, started researching the site on July 3 shortly after the rally was announced and registered to attend four days later.

Thomas Matthew Crooks - AP

08:43 PM BST

Why Trump picked Michigan tonight

The choice of location for tonights rally shows Trump is doubling down on trying to pick up voters in blue wall battleground states.

Michigan is one of the crucial swing states expected to determine the outcome of this years election.

Trump narrowly won the Great Lake State in 2016 by just over 10,000 votes.

But it is one of three states which turned blue in 2020 to help Joe Biden clinch the election.

Grand Rapids is a historically Republican stronghold that has trended increasingly blue in recent elections.

Trump will be hoping JD Vance, his newly anointed running mate, will help bolster his support among Rust Belt voters in the state.

Its also an area where Nikki Haley secured a substantial number of votes in the Republican primary in February, a group of voters that both presidential campaigns are now hoping to pick up.

08:39 PM BST

Trump set to speak

Welcome to our live coverage of Donald Trumps rally in Grand Rapids tonight.

JD Vance is currently on the stage talking up his new boss  and the former president is due to speak soon.

JD Vance is in the warm-up slot tonight - GETTY IMAGES

05:10 PM BST

Thats all for today.

Thanks for following the Telegraphs live blog. Well be back tomorrow with the latest updates on the US election.

04:58 PM BST

Harris is ready to step up if Biden bows out, says Elizabeth Warren

Elizabeth Warren, the Democratic senator for Massachusetts, has said that if Joe Biden opts to bow out of the presidential race, Kamala Harris, the vice president, is ready to step up.

What gives me a lot of hope right now is that, if President Biden decides to step back, we have Vice President Kamala Harris who is ready to step up, Ms Warren told MSNBC on Saturday, to unite the party, to take on Donald Trump and to win in November.

Ms Warren, who competed with Mr Biden in the 2020 Democratic presidential primary, said the president has a really big decision to make about whether he wants to leave the race.

04:36 PM BST

Kamala Harris only choice to replace Biden as time runs out, say Democrats

Kamala Harris is the only choice to replace Joe Biden as the Democrats presidential nominee as there is so little time until the election, senior party figures have told The Telegraph.

The vice-president is seeing a groundswell of support among the partys many elected officials who believe the 81-year-old presidents position is untenable.

But the question of how she would assume the position at the top of the ticket, should Mr Biden stand down, is increasingly contested.

Read the full piece, by Rozina Sabur, Deputy US Editor, here.

04:18 PM BST

Biden angry with Obama over calls to step down

Joe Biden is reportedly angry with Barack Obama for joining other top Democrats in calling for him to bow out of the US presidential race.

Mr Obama, the former president, and Nancy Pelosi, the former speaker of the House of Representatives, are among those calling for Mr Biden to withdraw from the race, as Mr Bidens cognitive faculties have come under increasing scrutiny.

Mr Biden, currently in isolation with a Covid infection at his beach home in Delaware, is said to view Ms Pelosi as the instigator of the plot to oust him but is particularly wounded by the involvement of Mr Obama, whom he once considered a close friend.

03:57 PM BST

Kamala Harris allies working behind scenes to position her as Bidens replacement

Allies of Kamala Harris are said to be working behind the scenes to position the vice president as the best replacement for Joe Biden if he steps down as the Democratic nominee, writes Susie Coen, US Correspondent, and Verity Bowman.

The uncoordinated effort involves prepping talking points which show Ms Harris is the partys best hope of defeating Donald Trump in November, sources told Politico.

The group is quietly preparing to show she is qualified to lead the ticket in her own right rather than simply because it would be remiss to overlook the first female black vice president.

Read the full piece here.

03:17 PM BST

Bidens opponents plan oust him using party rulebook

Joe Bidens opponents are drawing up plans to use a clause in the Democratic Party rule book to ditch him as a candidate at the convention, according to reports in the US, writes David Millward, US Correspondent.

Delegates are no longer bound to vote for the candidate they were elected to support at the convention.

A change in party rules in 1980 says they can choose somebody else if in good conscience the candidate represents their beliefs.

According to the New York Post Elaine Kamarck briefed fellow delegates on the clause in a Zoom call on Friday.

Theres no such thing as Joe Biden releasing his delegates. And Joe Biden gets this, Ms Kamarck, an expert on the partys rules, reportedly told 50 delegates.

US Vice President Kamala Harris holds a campaign event that is her seventh visit to North Carolina this year - Anadolu

If enough of the 3,896 pledged delegates refuse to back Mr Biden and abstain the convention would be thrown wide open.

It would pave the way for around 700 superdelegates - an array of senior party officials, members of Congress and governors  to enter the fray.

This could see the party coalescing around Vice President Kamala Harris or a raft of candidates throwing their hats into the ring.

02:57 PM BST

Biden says he will return to campaign trail next week

President Joe Biden says hes ready to return to the campaign trail next week, even as a growing chorus of Democratic lawmakers called for him to step aside.

Meanwhile, after wrapping their national convention in Milwaukee this week, Republican officials, strategists and activists are exuding a confidence not seen in decades.

Donald Trump on Saturday will hold his first public campaign rally since he was injured in an assassination attempt, with an event in the battleground state of Michigan alongside his new running mate Ohio Senator JD Vance.

02:29 PM BST

How JD Vance became the new king of America

The future of the Republican Party, and perhaps the United States with it, is James David JD Vance: former US Marine, best-selling author, senator from Ohio and now selected by Donald Trump for potential vice president, writes Tim Stanley.

Trump had been tempted to go with someone else: Doug Burgum, the governor of North Dakota, a solid conservative who wouldnt outshine the boss. An insider told NBC News that when Trumps sons Don Jr and Eric heard this debate they went bats--- crazy, crying JD! JD! JD! like kids after ice cream.

Trump caved. Vance got the call. The decision is immensely consequential.

Read the full piece here.

01:55 PM BST

Biden: Trump has a dark vision for the future

Joe Biden criticised his Republican rival Donald Trump as having a dark vision for America and said he looked forward to returning to the campaign trail next week and winning at the ballot box in November.

Donald Trumps dark vision for the future is not who we are as Americans. Together, as a party and as a country, we can and will defeat him at the ballot box. I look forward to getting back on the campaign trail next week to continue exposing the threat of Donald Trumps Project 2025 agenda.., Mr Biden said in a statement following the Republican National Convention.

01:36 PM BST

Watch: Trump recounts painful assassination attempt at RNC convention

01:12 PM BST

Pressure mounts on Biden to step aside

Despite a week of campaign stops, interviews and insistence that he is the best candidate to confront his Republican rival Donald Trump, President Joe Biden has done little to soften the push for him to exit the 2024 race.

Mr Biden has weighty options before him this weekend that could set the direction of the country and his party as the nation heads toward the November election with an energized GOP after the Republican nominating convention to send Trump back to the White House.

Almost 35 Democrats in Congress say its time for Biden to quit the race, with more lawmakers expected to speak out in the days ahead. Donors have raised concerns. And an organization calling on Biden to Pass the Torch planned a rally Saturday at the White House.

12:51 PM BST

Trump the agitator extends a hand of friendship ... for a bit

Donald Trump ascended the stage at the Republican National Convention in a manner befitting a prize fighter, or his former life as a TV star, writes Rozina Sabur, Deputy US Editor.

The GOP nominee is an American bad--s and a fighter, his warm-up acts former wrestler Hulk Hogan, musician Kid Rock, and son Eric Trump had just told the crowd.

But as he began his acceptance speech, he adopted another persona: Trump the sombre statesman.

Read the full piece here.

12:20 PM BST

Election in Pictures

US Vice President Kamala Harris stops for ice cream at a shop owned by US model Tyra Banks, in Washington DC - Erin Schaff/AFP

Joe Biden arrives to deliver remarks on the assassination attempt on former President Donald Trump - Kevin Dietsch/Getty Images North America

12:06 PM BST

Trump unlikely to discuss painful trauma on campaign trail

Riding high after a triumphant convention that formalized Donald Trump as the Republican Partys White House nominee, the ex-president will speak at a rally in Michigan today.

Attendees at Saturdays 5:00 pm (2100 GMT) rally though are unlikely to hear Trump discuss last weeks trauma, as he told the convention: Youll never hear it from me a second time because its actually too painful to tell.

It comes as Joe Bidens campaign is grappling with an internal Democratic Party revolt from senior lawmakers and donors calling on the 81-year-president to quit the race.

11:37 AM BST

Trump to hold first campaign rally since assassination attempt

Donald Trump will hold his first campaign rally on Saturday since he narrowly escaped an assassination attempt one week ago and fresh from his nominating convention where his takeover of the Republican Party was cemented.

Trump will appear in Grand Rapids, in the battleground state of Michigan, along with his new vice presidential pick, Ohio US Senator JD Vance. It will be their first campaign event together as the now official Republican presidential ticket.

Republican Party officials said during Trumps nominating convention in Milwaukee this week that his brush with death last Saturday had changed him, and that when he made his acceptance speech on Thursday night he would call for national unity.

While Trump began the address with a call for unity and national healing, much of his speech was his well-known list of grievances and attacks on opponents.

11:14 AM BST

Democrats call for open process to replace Biden

Nancy Pelosi has reportedly called for an open process to select a new Democrat presidential candidate should Joe Biden step down in the coming weeks.

Ms Pelosi is keen to avoid the appearance of a Kamala Harris coronation by awarding the ticket directly to the US vice president, believing that an uncompetitive process would put voters off, Politico reports.

Zoe Lofgren, a representative for California and ally of Pelosi, told MSNBC on Friday that Ms Harris would be the leading candidate, but could not be handed the role without any democratic process.

I think kind of a mini primary, maybe a vetting hosted by former presidents including Obama and Clinton, would be helpful and help focus the attention, Ms Lofgren said.

10:43 AM BST

Biden team discuss venue for potential exit announcement

Joe Bidens aides have reportedly been privately discussing dates and a venue for the 81-year-old to announce his exit from the US presidential race.

The US president has not yet decided to withdraw from the contest, but Mr Bidens team have been planning for the eventuality, according to the New York Times.

It comes amid mounting pressure for Mr Biden to bow out from top Democrats, including 30 congressmen and former US president Barack Obama, once a staunch Biden ally.

Mr Bidens campaign chair, Jen OMalley Dillion, on Friday acknowledged a slippage in support for the president but insisted hes absolutely remaining in the race and the campaign sees multiple paths to beating Trump.

We have a lot of work to do to reassure the American people that, yes, hes old, but he can win, she told MSNBCs Morning Joe show. She said voters concerned about Bidens fitness to lead arent switching to vote for Trump.

10:08 AM BST

Biden recovering from Covid

Joe Biden, 81, isolating with a Covid infection at his beach home in Delaware, with a small circle of family and close advisers.

Kevin OConnor, the White House doctor, said Friday that the president still had a dry cough and hoarseness, but his Covid symptoms had improved.

The presidents team insisted hes ready to return to the campaign trail next week to counter what he called a dark vision laid out by Trump.

Together, as a party and as a country, we can and will defeat him at the ballot box, Mr Biden said in a statement Friday. The stakes are high, and the choice is clear. Together, we will win.

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The Biden campaign is scrambling to maintain morale among organizers and campaign officials as the president faces increasing pressure to withdraw from the 2024 race.

Campaign chair Jen OMalley Dillon reportedly convened with staffers during a call on Friday, telling them not to watch cable news all the time, according to Axios, which obtained a recording of the call.

I talked to him this morninghe sounds like shit because hes not feeling that well, OMalley Dillon said during the call, while claiming that Biden is in this race. She added: He is doing the work, and he is focused on what you guys are doing.

OMalley Dillon, attempting to rally Bidens troops, continued, The people that the president is hearing from are saying: Stay in this race and keep going and keep fighting, and we need you. Those voices will never be as loud as the people on TV, but remember that the people in our country are not watching cable news. They just arent.

Joe Bidens Family Start Plotting His Exit as More Top Democrats Say Quit

Marty Walsh, former Biden Labor Secretary, followed OMalley Dillon on the call, Axios reported, telling staffers, Ladies and gentlemen, its up to you.

It is up to us to say: OK, wait a second. Screw it! Were gonna go deeper. Were gonna move harder. The people of America want to vote for us, Walsh added.

OMalley Dillon told MSNBCs Morning Joe program during a Friday morning appearance that Biden would be the nominee.

The new report comes as Bidens closest family members and colleagues are urging the president to exit the race.

"Absolutely the president is in this race, you've heard him say that time and time again... He is the best person to take on Donald Trump."



 Biden campaign chair @jomalleydillon says Biden is not exiting the presidential race pic.twitter.com/zElSb3fG4X  Morning Joe (@Morning_Joe) July 19, 2024

Four senators, more than 30 members of the house and a litany of strategists, pundits and donors have been beating the drum to get Biden to drop out.

Most notably, on Friday Sen. Chris Coons (D-DE), Bidens successor in the Senate, told the Aspen Security Forum that Biden was weighing who would be the best fit to beat Trump in November.

I am confident he is hearing what he needs to hear from colleagues, from the public, from folks, Coons said.

Sens. Jon Tester (D-MT), Peter Welch (D-VT), Sherrod Brown (D-OH) and Martin Heinrich (D-NM) have also called for Biden to step down.

In the House, Reps. Marc Veasey (D-TX), was the first of the Congressional Black Caucus to break ranks with his otherwise staunchly pro-Biden caucus on Friday, calling on the president to drop out.

We must face the reality that widespread public concerns about your age and fitness are jeopardizing what should be a winning campaign, read a letter that Veasey and his colleagues, Reps. Jesus Garcia (D-IL), Mark Pocan (D-WI) and Jared Huffman (D-CA) jointly signed and released on Friday.

Joe Bidens Biggest Challenge: If He Quits, How Does He Quit?

The Biden family is even joining the call, with Hunter, Jill and Joe Bidens sister Valerie Owens reportedly discussing ways in which they could get Joe to go, according to NBC.

That is not happening, period. The individuals making those claims are not speaking for his family or his teamand they will be proven wrong. Keep the faith, White House spokesperson Andrew Bates fired back at NBCs reporting. President Biden is the nominee of the party. He plans to win and looks forward to working with congressional Democrats to pass his 100 days agenda to help working families, Bates told CNN.

Biden has previously made the claim that only God Almighty could convince him to drop out. Last week, he told reporters that if the polls said, Theres no way you can win, he would drop out, adding that no poll says that. He said earlier this week he would drop out if doctors told him he had a medical condition. He subsequently announced a positive COVID-19 diagnosis and is now self-isolating. His doctor said Thursday that Biden was experiencing mild symptoms and his vital signs remain normal.

The president issued a statement Friday that suggested Biden has no intention of dropping out.

I look forward to getting back on the campaign trail next week to continue exposing the threat of Donald Trumps Project 2025 agenda while making the case for my own record and the vision that I have for America: one where we save our democracy, protect our rights and freedoms, and create opportunity for everyone, the president said.

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Biden is staying in the race for now to stick it to Netanyahu his advisors believe, according to a new report

Biden is staying in the race for now to stick it to Netanyahu his advisors believe, according to a new report

President Joe Biden has insisted he has no plans to drop out of the race for president.

A report in The New York Time said Biden is growing frustrated with a lack of support from allies.

Netanyahu's upcoming visit to Washington, DC, may also be influencing Biden, the outlet reported.

President Joe Biden has been adamant in public that he will not drop out of the race for president, even as reports have piled up that people around him believe he is becoming more receptive to the idea of withdrawing.

A new report from The New York Times described Biden, who tested positive for COVID-19 on Wednesday, as growing increasingly frustrated with allies who are pushing for him to drop out or not lending him enough support. The report cited people close to the president who were granted anonymity.

The report also said that he may be coming to terms with the fact that may not be able to stay in the race, and the outlet reported that people around Biden are even looking into times and locations for a potential withdrawal announcement.

But they also noted one surprising reason that could be holding Biden back from making a final decision just yet: Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's planned visit to Congress next week.

According to the Times, advisors to Biden think he does not want to drop out and give Netanyahu, as the Times put it, "the satisfaction." The two leaders are on shaky terms over the Israel-Gaza War.

The meeting may have already been a problem for Biden, regardless of the domestic political winds he faces.

"He will humiliate Biden, frankly, by showing up without having agreed to a cease-fire deal," Barbara Slavin, a fellow for the Middle East and North Africa at the think tank Stimson Center, told the German outlet DW. "It will not help his reelection chances. It will infuriate many, many Americans who are extremely angry about what is going on in the Middle East."

When reached by Business Insider, the Biden campaign provided a statement from Campaign Chair Jen O'Malley Dillon: "You have heard from the President directly time and again: He is in this race to win, and he is our nominee, and he's going to be our President for a second term."

A representative for the White House did not respond to a request for comment from Business Insider.

Read the original article on Business Insider
As aid groups began sounding the alarm this year that famine was possible in Gaza amid Israel's military incursion, the White House asked the Pentagon for creative solutions on how the U.S. could get more aid inside.

Trucks carrying tons of supplies were being held up at border crossings, with Israel citing security concerns about compromised cargo. Aid groups countered that the Israeli government was enforcing arbitrary rules on what supplies would be allowed.

So, what if the U.S. military dropped supplies from airplanes? Or even boats?

According to multiple officials familiar with the deliberations, the U.S. military spelled out the president's options. Air drops were doable, but not terribly effective. One C-130 cargo plane can carry about as much aid as a single truck.

Delivering aid via sea was considered even more complicated.

PHOTO: A truck carries humanitarian aid across Trident Pier, a temporary pier to deliver aid, off the Gaza Strip, amid the ongoing conflict between Israel and Hamas, near the Gaza coast, June 25, 2024. (Amir Cohen/Reuters)

MORE: Military pier off Gaza likely to cease operations in coming days: US officials

The U.S. military has the equipment to build a temporary floating pier off a coastline much as it did in Haiti after an earthquake in 2010. But the military warned the White House it wouldn't be easy, officials said.

For starters, the proposal would take one to two months to complete and require the deployment of several hundred troops. The pier also wouldn't work if sea levels rose to high -- a factor that would be increasingly problematic in August into fall.

Then there was the question of who would agree distribute the aid after it arrived in Gaza. U.S. aid groups were still at odds with Israel's government on who would provide security to truck drivers and whether there were enough guarantees they wouldn't get struck by Israeli fire.

By early March, the White House opted for air drops. That first weekend, the military was given the greenlight to drop some 38,000 meals via parachute from three C-130s.

Officials told reporters they were still looking at all the possibilities.

"We're looking at the land routes, we're looking at the sea route, we're looking at the air route, to really ensure that we're exploring every opportunity to get assistance in," one official said after the first air drop, speaking on condition of anonymity.

PHOTO: Trucks loaded with humanitarian aid from the United Arab Emirates and the United States Agency for International Development cross the Trident Pier before arriving on the beach on the Gaza Strip, May 17, 2024. (Staff Sgt. Malcolm Cohens-Ashley/AP)

MORE: US military delivers supplies to Gaza via pier, but there's no one to distribute them

Meanwhile, U.S. officials were still holding out hope that private talks with Israeli officials would open up ground routes so aid could to start flowing.

Five days after the first air drop though, talks with the Israelis to increase access to humanitarian aid via ground weren't as productive as officials hoped. A cease-fire between Israel and Hamas also seemed elusive.

Humanitarian and advocacy groups argued that Biden could have done more to demand Israel open up ground routes to let aid trucks through. They argued the U.S. could withhold some of the $3 billion it spends each year on military aid for Israel.

But as a staunch supporter of supplying Israel with weapons to defend itself from a possible attack from Iran, Biden declined. Instead, he ordered the U.S. military to build a pier off the Gaza coast, announcing his plans in the March 7 State of the Union speech.

"This temporary pier would enable a massive increase in the amount of humanitarian assistance getting into Gaza every day," he declared in his address to Congress, as 1,000 US troops scrambled to deploy to the Middle East.

Shortly after becoming operational in May, the pier broke in rough weather. The Army fixed it and tried again, only to have to remove the pier from the coast two more times due to high sea states.

Four months after he ordered its construction, Biden acknowledged the pier hadn't worked as planned.

"I've been disappointed that some of the things that I've put forward have not succeeded as well, like the port we attached from Cyprus -- I was hopeful that would be more successful," he told reporters in a July 11 news conference.

Days later, last Wednesday, the U.S. military announced it was packing up the pier for good and ending its mission.

"We're now mission complete and transitioning to a new phase," said Vice Adm. Brad Cooper, deputy commander of U.S. Central Command announced this week.

U.S. troops were expected to remain offshore for now until the remaining aid in Cyprus can be delivered to the Israeli port of Ashdod. The military has not announced when troops will return.

In the end, the $230 million pier was operational 20 out of the 60 days it was deployed. It enabled the delivery of some 20 million pounds of aid to Gaza, which USAID estimates would provide enough food to half a million people in Gaza for one month.

PHOTO: U.S. Army soldiers assigned to the 7th Transportation Brigade U.S. Navy sailors assigned to Amphibious Construction Battalion 1, and Israel Defense Forces place the Trident Pier on the coast of Gaza Strip on May 16, 2024. (AP)

Aid groups say access via land routes remains difficult and the humanitarian situation has worsened. Distribution points inside Gaza for aid have shut down and only a few bakeries are operational, according to the UN's World Food Programme.

U.S. officials though defended the construction of the pier as better than nothing.

"When the president announced this at the State of the Union, what we were talking about was an all of U.S. government effort to ensure that we were leaving no stone unturned," said State Department deputy spokesperson Vedant Patel.

"That's what this is about -- us trying to pursue every possible alternative to ensure that we can get humanitarian aid into Gaza. And in that effort, this pier was successful," he added.

ABC News' Shannon Kingston and Luis Martinez contributed to this report.

How Biden's floating pier off Gaza wound up a 'disappointment' originally appeared on abcnews.go.com
Biden's national security team team says he's up for 4 more years

National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan praised President Joe Biden's capacity to lead at this weeks Aspen Security Forum. File Photo by Shawn Thew/UPI

July 20 (UPI) -- President Joe Biden's national security advisers say he's up to the job while former officials cast doubt on his ability to protect his legacy from Donald Trump.

National security adviser Jake Sullivan, Secretary of State Antony Blinken and Joint Chiefs Chair C.Q. Brown at this week's Aspen Security Forum in Colorado insisted Biden is fully capable of steering the United States through a global landscape marked by fears of Russian and Chinese aggression.

"I am damn glad we have that guy sitting at the head of the table in the Situation Room," Sullivan said Friday in a press conference.

It's rare for national security officials to voice their opinions about domestic partisan politics, but growing Democratic concerns about Biden's fitness for office topped with the recent assassination attempt on Trump has made the topic virtually inevitable in national security discussions.

Sullivan, when pressed about Biden's acuity, pointed to his alert and engaged response to Iran's April 13 missile attack on Israel, which the United States helped fend off.

At that time, "you get to see in living color, in real time, the capacity of a commander-in-chief," Sullivan said.

Brown echoed Sullivan's testimony, saying "all the times I've been engaged with the president, he's been engaged."

But officials who previously sat in their roles were not optimistic about Biden's aptitude for a second term.

In a letter obtained by CNN, 56 former national security officials urged Biden to step down from the race arguing his potential loss to Trump could pose a risk to national security.

"With the deepest appreciation for your many decades of inspired leadership, we strongly believe that ongoing concerns surrounding your continued candidacy and the growing likelihood of an electoral college victory for Donald Trump put your national security accomplishments -- and our country and your legacy -- at an unacceptable level of risk," the letter read.

"Donald Trump's vision, approach and expressed intentions concerning our nation's security are in fundamental conflict with the values and principles for which you have stood."

The letter, which included signatures from officials who served in multiple administrations, was front-lined by John Shattuck, former U.S. ambassador to the Czech Republic, and Eric Schwartz, a former National Security Council official under President Bill Clinton.

The Biden campaign responded to the letter by saying, "this is a time to unify against the national security threat that is Donald Trump. Joe Biden's strong and steady leadership are essential at a time when dictators and despots around the world are threatening established norms, laws, and borders.

His experience and knowledge in foreign affairs is unmatched - that is exactly it is essential he win this November."
President Joe Biden faces increasing pressure to drop out of the race.

Two top donors told BI that they've lost faith in the Biden campaign in the past few weeks.

Members of Biden's National Finance Committee told BI that calls to drop out don't help.

Calls from major Democratic donors urging President Joe Biden to step down from his campaign have only increased since the president's stumbling debate performance in late June.

Netflix cofounder Reed Hastings and philanthropist Gideon Stein are among some big-dollar donors who have slammed their checkbooks shut to pressure Biden to drop out of the race.

Still, those calls aren't unanimous.

As the chorus of Democratic leaders and donors turning on Biden increases, some wealthy supporters are holding the line because they believe a Biden-Harris ticket is the only viable path to defeat what they view as the greatest threat: Donald Trump.

"The donors that I'm in contact with are solidly behind Biden because we know Biden and Harris can defeat Trump," Ajay Bhutoria, the deputy national finance chair of Biden's National Finance Committee, told Business Insider. The committee consists of hundreds of top Democratic donors.

A spokesperson for the Biden campaign declined to comment on this story, and a Democratic National Committee spokesperson did not respond to a request for comment.

Top donors bail on Biden

Wealthy donors' decision to withhold funds is expected to hit Biden's coffers.

The Biden Victory Fund, a joint fundraising committee, is projected to reel in less than half of the $50 million goal the Biden campaign hoped for, four people familiar with the campaign's finances told The New York Times.

Lauren Hitt, a Biden campaign spokeswoman, told the Times that the number is "speculation" and that totals "mid-month before the final push are meaningless predictors."

Two wealthy donors told BI that they've lost faith in the Biden campaign just in the past month and that a new, younger Democratic nominee is needed to energize the base.

Real estate developer Jeffrey Gural, 82, who has donated $100,000 this year to the party, told BI that Biden's recent debate performance was the final tipping point for his faith in the president's electoral prospects.

"I love Joe. I think he's done an unbelievable job. I just think it's time to give a younger person a chance. I think it'd be difficult for him to win," Gural said.

Another large donor, who had a long-standing relationship with Biden and requested anonymity to speak freely about the campaign, told BI they initially brushed off concerns about Biden's debate performance and were firm in their support for the president.

But on Wednesday, the donor told BI that their thinking, along with other donors they have spoken to, has changed.

"I've evolved the last 12 days. Wasn't just the debate but everything since," the donor told BI in a text message on Wednesday. "Now, no one I know thinks our best option is for Pres Biden to continue."

The donor said that they believed the best option is to choose a new Democratic nominee through an "open mini primary."

Bill Harris, the former CEO of PayPal, told The Washington Post earlier in July that he's spearheading a group of donors who have pledged $2 million to hold debates among potential nominees should Biden step aside.

Choosing a new nominee could energize the party, the donor told BI, naming Vice President Kamala Harris, Sen. Cory Booker of New Jersey, or "another younger Dem" as a few options.

The donor surmised that a new nominee could spark a fundraising bonanza, potentially raising up to $30 million overnight, although they did not explain the thinking behind that number.

Gural told BI that money is no object.

"Money is not the issue here," he said.

Some top donors hold the line

Despite a potential dry spell in wealthy donor money, another member of Biden's national finance committee, who also hosted Biden at their home several years ago and requested anonymity to speak about the campaign, dismissed the impacts of top donors and chastised those backing out on the president.

"Everyone's trying to become relevant in the news cycle by saying something about Biden. Give me a break," they said. "And the donors don't want to give money? Don't give your money. Who cares? He's going to have enough from now to four months from now."

The national finance committee member added that Biden's campaign will rely on grassroots donors and that "top donors don't matter as much as people think."

Biden repeated a similar message in early July, saying in an interview on MSNBC, "I don't care what the millionaires think."

"I'm getting so frustrated by the elites," he said, "I want their support, but that's not the reason I'm running."

Not all top donors have abandoned the Biden-Harris ship.

Amy Goldman Fowler, billionaire real estate heiress who has donated more than $27 million to Democrats in her lifetime, reaffirmed her support for Biden in a statement to The New York Times. She said that she plans to max out her contribution to the Biden Victory Fund with a $400,000 donation.

Retail executive Peter Lowry also donated $929,600 to support Biden's campaign, The Times reported.

Biden's legacy

In making a case for Biden to stay in the running, Bhutoria, the deputy national finance chair, told BI that support for the Biden-Harris ticket also means support for the current administration, naming folks like Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin.

"It's the whole team," Bhutoria said. "And that team is strongly behind Biden."

Both members of the national finance committee who spoke to BI, including Bhutoria, said that choosing a new candidate this far in the race also isn't a viable option.

"You have to refund all the money, you have to fire everyone, rehire everyone. You're four months out. Ballots drop in 90 days. It's a fantasy land," the national finance committee member who requested anonymity said.

But for donors who believed Biden should drop out, the stakes for the 2024 election are too high, not just because of a potential second Trump administration but because of what it may mean for Democrats on Capitol Hill.

"He has two choices," Gural, the real estate developer, told BI. "He can go out on top, or he can stay in the race and most likely lose and take Democrats down in the Senate and House."

CNN reported that some donors, concerned about Biden's impact on down-ballot races, are also threatening to withhold donations to House and Senate races, citing two anonymous sources, including a Democratic strategist involved in big-dollar fundraising.

Gural, who is just several months older than Biden, told BI that he's supported the president for years, spanning back from Biden's run for the Senate in 1972 and Biden's first shot at the presidency in 1988.

"I love Joe," Gural repeated. "I don't know why he wants to roll the dice on his legacy."

Have a tip on the Biden campaign? Reach Lloyd Lee at (646) 768-1630 or email lloydlee@businessinsider.com for his Signal number.

Read the original article on Business Insider
Iran is probably capable of producing enough fissile material for use in a nuclear weapon within "one or two weeks," US Secretary of State Antony Blinken said on Friday.

"They havent produced a weapon itself, but thats something of course that we track very, very carefully," Blinken said at the Aspen Security Forum in Colorado.

Tehran had committed to restricting its nuclear programme in a landmark treaty in 2015, but former US president Donald Trump withdrew from the agreement in 2018, imposing harsh economic sanctions.

In return, Iran resumed uranium enrichment and restricted inspections by the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA).

"Iran, because the nuclear agreement was thrown out, instead of being at least a year away from having the breakout capacity of producing fissile material for a nuclear weapon, is now probably one or two weeks away from doing that," Blinken said.

"One of the biggest mistakes that weve made in recent years, was throwing out that agreement and allowing Iran to get out of the box that we put it in," the secretary of state added.

Earlier this month, Iran's new President Masoud Pezeshkian repeated Teheran's insistence that his country was not building nuclear weapons.

Writing in the Tehran Times, Pezeshkian stressed that "Iran's defence doctrine does not include nuclear weapons," adding that the United States should lift harmful economic sanctions.
Secretary of State Anthony Blinken suggested Friday that a cease-fire in the ongoing Israel-Hamas war is within the 10-yard line.

His comments come as Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu prepares to visit Washington next week.

I believe were inside the 10-yard line and driving toward the goal line in getting an agreement that would produce a cease-fire, get the hostages home and put us on a better track to trying to build lasting peace and stability, Blinken said Friday during the Aspen Security Forum.

Netanyahus July 24 visit has drawn intense scrutiny from critics of Israels ongoing military operation in Gaza, with over 200 congressional staffers signing on to a letter protesting his upcoming visit. The U.S. Capitol Police have also announced they will add more officers ahead of the visit, where he is expected to address Congress and meet with President Biden.

Blinken previewed what the discussion could look like between the two leaders at the security conference, highlighting that a day-after plan still needs to be negotiated.

What we cant have is an agreement thats followed by some kind of void, the State Department chief said, if its there, by Hamas coming back, which is unacceptable; by Israel prolonging its occupation, which they say they dont want to do and is unacceptable; or just having a vacuum thats filled by lawlessness.

The remarks also come nearly two months since the Biden administration released a three-part proposal outlining steps to a permanent cease-fire in Gaza and the release of the more than 120 hostages still believed to be held by Hamas. In Aspen, Blinken reiterated that both sides have agreed to the presidents framework.

The first phase of the plan is six-weeks of a complete cease-fire, which would also mean the withdrawal of Israeli forces from populated areas of the Gaza Strip and the release of the remaining hostages taken captive during the Oct. 7 attack on Israel.

Still, Israels legislature passed a resolution Thursday rejecting Palestinian statehood, one of the key parts of Bidens plan, per reports. That move could serve as a major obstacle in facilitating the deal.

I think the best way I can respond to that is to just reiterate our firm belief in the power and the promise of a two-state solution, White House communication director John Kirby told reporters in response.

Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

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(Bloomberg) -- French lawmakers reelected a member of the far-left France Unbowed party to head the National Assemblys powerful finance committee, foiling a plan by President Emmanuel Macrons allies to team up with the center-right opposition and gain the post.

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Eric Coquerel, who held the job in the previous legislature, got 29 votes on the commission, beating Veronique Louwagie, who had the support of her own Republican Right party and Macrons group, with 26 votes and Jean-Philippe Tanguy of the far-right National Rally with 18, Le Parisien reported Saturday.

The finance committee, traditionally led by a member of an opposition party, has a key role in the adoption of the French budget in Parliament. It also oversees how the government spends public money. The committee can also block legislation if it deems that it puts too much pressure on public finances. Macrons party tried to choose the opposition that it preferred by teaming up with the center right, Coquerel said.

Im all the more proud to say that this attempt was thwarted, he said in televised comments after the vote. It is totally contrary to the prevailing spirit: That the chairman of the finance committee should come from the opposition and therefore be the guarantor of control over the budget that was intended.

Coquerels win comes two days after Yael Braun-Pivet, a member of Macrons party, was reelected as the head of the National Assembly thanks to Republican Right legislators who rallied behind her in the third and final round of the vote. While formally registered as an opposition party in parliament, the Republicans have joined forces with Macrons bloc in order to face down lawmakers from the far left and the far right.

France was thrown into political disarray in June when Macron dissolved the National Assembly and called a snap election after his party was crushed in a vote for the European Parliament.

The power-sharing deal between Macrons political group and center-right lawmakers is another sign he may try to cobble together a centrist coalition government that excludes radical parties on the left and right. The deal between two groups that are traditionally rivals helped secure Braun-Pivets reelection Thursday.

The snap election fragmented the lower house into three primary groups  the left-wing New Popular Front, which holds the most seats and includes France Unbowed and the center-left Socialists; the centrist Ensemble that is second; and Marine Le Pens far-right National Rally in third.

No group holds enough seats to govern on its own, putting the country in the unprecedented situation of having to rely on several parties across the ideological spectrum to form a new government.

The agreement between Macrons Ensemble and the Republican Right failed to deliver enough votes to elect Louwagie. But each group got National Assembly vice president positions in balloting late Friday night that stretched into Saturday morning.

Details of the agreement have been laid out in discussions between Laurent Wauquiez, the Republican Right leader in the Assembly, and the head of Macrons group, former Prime Minister Gabriel Attal.

While the Republican Right  the fifth-strongest faction in the assembly  is working with Macrons bloc to face down lawmakers from both ends of the political spectrum, the main target is now the left, since it won the most seats while Le Pens party came in third.

Top jobs in the lower house arent directly related to the appointment of a prime minister or the formation of a government, though they could give an indication about which coalitions are able to unite behind a single candidate in sufficient numbers.

Macron is constitutionally empowered to pick a new prime minister and its been accepted practice to appoint someone from the biggest group in the National Assembly. As a counterweight, lawmakers can call for confidence votes in the government.

This means choosing a premier with broad enough appeal to stay in place and build majorities on a case-by-case basis to pass legislation.

Despite winning the most seats, the New Popular Front has been unable to propose a candidate for prime minister because the four parties in the alliance cant agree among themselves who that person should be. The Socialist Party proposed Friday that the deputies from the parties hold a vote by Tuesday at the latest to choose a candidate.

Macron has called for all parties that support the European Union and the rule of law to come together to form a government, in an effort to form a mainstream alliance that would exclude both the far right and the far-left France Unbowed party.

This approach would allow Macrons government to continue, albeit in a weakened form. Macron has asked Attal to stay on as head of a caretaker government with limited powers.

The deal also grants Republicans some relevance after mounting defeats in the ballot box in recent years. Existential internal discussions in the party that was founded by general Charles de Gaulle and had Nicolas Sarkozy and Jacques Chirac as presidents got worse after its head, Eric Ciotti, rallied behind Le Pens far right in this years election.

(Updates to add Coquerel comment in fourth paragraph, Socialist Party statement in 16th.)

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Reports of a 10-foot alligator have turned out to be an incredibly docile and friendly pet tegu by the name of Tazz. The tegu went on a journey over the weekend, but has since been found safely and returned to his owner.

Friday night, Snohomish County Deputies were called to an area just outside Granite Falls where a supposed alligator was spotted. Deputies were able to get eyes on the animal to confirm it was alive and moving and called the Washington Department of Fish & Wildlife, but told us they were not able to get in touch.

Deputies said they were monitoring the situation but were not trying to capture the animal since there werent any houses or humans nearby.

Granite Falls Deputies are investigating the sighting of a 10 alligator near the 9400 block of Ray Grade Rd. The reptile was last seen south of Ray Grade Rd toward the Pilchuck River.

No further information at this time. pic.twitter.com/KJWBTF9geZ  snocosheriff (@SnoCoSheriff) July 20, 2024

The following morning, KIRO 7 spoke with Tazzs owner, Avery Coleman. He said the lizard had escaped from his home, and was in fact an incredibly docile and friendly pet tegu. Coleman was worried that someone might hurt Tazz, especially if they thought he was an alligator.

Granite Falls Police Department then added an update, saying, Based on information gathered last night, and the proximity of the reptiles owner, this most likely is an Argentine white Tegu named Tazz. If you spot Tazz please call 911 and we will advise the owner of the reptiles whereabouts.

Granite Falls PD Chief Dalton thanked community members for reaching out, saying, We responded to a complaint last night and were provided with certain information and it was only prudent to post for public safety reasons. We apologize if we upset some of our community members but as we say, safety first.

Luckily, Tazz the tegu was found and returned safely home to his family by Sunday.
Sarah Packwood, 54, from Warwick, and Brett Clibbery, 70, were reported missing after leaving Nova Scotia, Canada, in their 42-ft sailing boat

A couple who embarked on a green odyssey across the Atlantic were found dead in a lifeboat after being forced to abandon their wind and solar-powered yacht.

Sarah Packwood, 54, from Warwick, and Brett Clibbery, 70, were reported missing on June 18 after leaving Nova Scotia, Canada, in their 42-ft sailing boat, Theros, a week earlier. They were en route to the Azores.

Their two bodies were finally found on a three-metre liferaft last week, after it washed ashore on Sable Island, 180-miles off the coast of Nova Scotia.

Mystery surrounds how the couples planned voyage turned to tragedy, with fears growing that their reliance on sail and an electric engine powered by solar panels, may have left them without back-up when things went wrong.

Before they set sail, Mr Clibbery, a Canadian, said in a video posted on April 12: Were doing everything we can to show that you can travel without burning fossil fuels.

After they departed, Ms Packwood posted a farewell video message: Captain Brett and First Mate Sarah set sail on the 2nd leg of The Green Odyssey on board Theros  GibSea 42 foot sailboat. Powered by the wind and sun. Heading east to the Azores.

Ms Packwood, who was a poet, musician and reiki healer as well as being described by friends as an accomplished sailor, added: Its probably the biggest adventure of our lives so far.

Police in Halifax, Nova Scotia, have launched an investigation into the deaths and have yet to rule out accidental collision, power failure, fire or suspicious circumstances.

The couples life of adventure began when they met during a chance encounter at a bus stop in London in 2015.

They married on the yacht a year later before holding a Celtic marriage ceremony at Stonehenge known as handfasting. They then returned to Canada, where they bought a tract of land on Salt Spring Island, near Vancouver.

The couple held a Celtic marriage ceremony at Stonehenge known as 'handfasting'

Ms Packwood learned to sail at university in England and became a crew member on the Lord Nelson for the Jubilee Sailing Trust on the first leg of the European Tall Ships race.

With Mr Clibberry she went on to sail 5,000 miles along the Pacific Coast of Canada, the USA and South America.

Ms Packwood had previously worked as an aid worker in Africa, South America and South East Asia.

She blogged about their travels and the pair ran a YouTube channel updating friends, family and fans on their plans to turn Theros into a fully-solar powered vessel.

Ms Packwood had previously written during one of their journeys together on Spains Camino Frances: I believe in the mystical and often feel as though guardian angels watch over us.

Writing on her online blog about one of their voyages she said: We spent a year aboard Theros on the high seas together, sailing on the first leg of our round-the-world voyage in stages from Salt Spring Island, British Columbia to Dartmouth in Nova Scotia, via Central America, the Panama Canal and crossing the Western Caribbean.

Their trip in Theros from Halifax in Nova Scotia to the Azores was meant to be the first in the yacht after it had been fully converted to eco-friendly power.

Mr Clibbery, with the assistance of Ms Packwood, converted the Theros to solar power himself by removing the diesel engine.

He fitted the boat with six solar panels powering a lithium battery pack and auxiliary electric engine.

The solar panels were attached to the roof of a steel frame, with side panels made of fibreglass and plexiglass creating a waterproof hard dodger cabin.

In a YouTube film, Mr Clibbery chronicled how he had carried out the conversion, using hand tools and readily available DIY materials.

Some experts said the addition of the solar panels and battery pack will have added weight to the yacht and made it potentially unstable. There were also fears that salt water may have led to the lithium battery pack being corroded and catching fire.

In her last message before the couple set sail on June 11, Ms Packwood wrote on Facebook: We aim to sail across the ocean, all being well, fair winds and following seas with us!

At that stage Theros was 10 nautical miles from shore and sailing at five and half knots towards the Azores. In the video Mr Clibbery said they were sailing away from a large tanker that had also left Halifax.

When Theros appeared to lose contact with shore, friends began posting anxious messages on the Facebook page.

Catherine Allison wrote: The coastguard are on the lookout for Theros. Fingers crossed when they get within 150 miles or so of the Azores theyll make an AIS [Automatic Identification system] ping and we can all breathe again.

However, after more than a months radio silence, their friends worst fears were confirmed.

Dozens of well wishers have since posted messages of condolence.

Tim OConnor, 64, and John Dolman, 63, who were friends with Mr Clibberly and Ms Packwood for years, described them as like two peas in a pod.

They were the kind of couple that you see at a table, and rather than staring at their phones, they always had something to say to each other. They laughed together all the time. They were one of the happiest couples we know, Mr Dolman said.

Sarah Packwood was a poet, musician and reiki healer

The couple said Mr Clibberlys son, James, was travelling from his home in Ontario to the island where a celebration of their life was being planned.

He posted a tribute saying: The past few days have been very hard. My father James Brett Clibbery , and his wife, Sarah Justine Packwood, have regrettably passed away. There is still an investigation, as well as a DNA test to confirm, but with all the news, it is hard to remain hopeful.

They were amazing people, and there isnt anything that will fill the hole that has been left by their, so far unexplained passing. Living will not be the same without your wisdom, and your wife was quickly becoming a beacon of knowledge, and kindness. I miss your smiles. I miss your voices. You will be forever missed.

It remains unclear how the couple got into trouble.

Medical examiners are carrying out a full examination of Ms Packwood and Mr Clibberys remains for any signs of injury.

The couple's yacht, Theros, will be examined if she is eventually recovered

If Theros is eventually recovered she will also be examined to establish whether it was accidentally rammed by a larger vessel or suffered a fire onboard, forcing them to abandon ship.

A veteran Nova Scotia sailor understood to be close to the investigation said, on condition of anonymity: While they do not have conclusive proof, they suspect the sailboat whose crew washed up dead on Sable Island was struck by a bulk carrier only a few days after departing Halifax.

The sailboat crew were either unable to avoid collision or they could have been down below with Theros on automatic pilot.

Hugo Fontaine, Canadian transportation safety board spokesman, said: At this time, we cannot say with complete certainty that the sailing vessel was struck by a ship, as we are still gathering information regarding the overdue sailing vessel Theros.

There has also been speculation that a fire may have broken out after on board  a common danger on a boat  forcing them to abandon the vessel.

The couple do not appear to have made mayday calls or fired emergency flares before their boat vanished.

Guillaume Tremblay, public information officer for the Halifax Royal Canadian Mounted Police regional detachment, said that investigators are looking at all possible avenues.

Officer Tremblay said the couple may have run into trouble in the treacherous water off the coast of Nova Scotia.

The Atlantic ocean can be very unfriendly, especially with the current weather and weather cycles that are coming from the south, such as hurricanes, so theres certainly a lot of impacts and effects on ocean vessels, he said.

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Bronx Science HS graduate accepted into all 28 colleges she applied to  including the eight Ivy Leagues

Shes New Yorks Brightest.

A remarkable Washington Heights teenager was accepted to all eight Ivy League schools  along with all 20 other colleges and universities she applied to.

When I was about to open [an admissions] letter, I would prepare myself for it to be the first rejection letter. And then I would open them and it would always say, Congratulations on being accepted! said Malena Galletto, who graduated from Bronx Science High School in June. I was not expecting to be accepted everywhere.

Malena Galletto, 17, graduated with a 97% GPA from the prestigious Bronx Science High School in June. Helayne Seidman

Galletto, 17, finished up at the ultra-competitive school with a 97% GPA. She will be the first in her family to go to college.

For as long as I can remember, school has always been my number one priority. Even in elementary school, I remember always wanting to be at the top of my class, she said, crediting her parents, both of whom teach tango and immigrated from their native Argentina to Washington Heights in 2000. They instilled in her that education was the most important thing, she added.

At Bronx Science, Galletto took a mind-bending 11 Advanced Placement classes, captained the prestigious schools Speech and Debate Club, founded a student-led group devoted to gender equality, served as secretary of the Senior Council, and more.

Malena is a guiding light on the true meaning of the American dream, said Frances Kweller, who founded tutoring company Kweller Prep and has worked with Galletto since she was in sixth grade.

At Bronx Science, Galletto took 11 Advanced Placement classes, captained the Speech and Debate Club, and more. Helayne Seidman

The high achiever estimated she spent around 200 hours writing 70 supplemental essays for college applications, along with countless hours studying for the SAT, on which she scored a 1560 out of 1600.

The fees for all of Gallettos college applications  which ranged from $50-$85 each  were waived through a College Board financial program, she explained.

Her first acceptance email came in December  a Yes from the University of Albany.

I was like, Yes, Im going to college! Galletto recalled.

Galletto plans to double major in government and physics at Harvard University. Helayne Seidman

Acceptances kept rolling in from colleges across the country, including The University of Michigan, New York and Columbia universities, Boston and Georgetown universities, Barnard and Vassar colleges, and more.

But Galletto held her breath until March 28, the day when all eight Ivy League colleges emailed prospective students to say if theyd been accepted or rejected.

The first one I opened was from Cornell [University], and when that was a Yes, it was life changingBut when I opened Harvard [University], I was absolutely screaming, Galletto said.

Deep down, it was always Harvard for me, said Galletto, who wont be taking it easy in Cambridge, Mass., where she plans to double major in government and physics.

Gallettos mother, Karina Romero, left, seen here with Galletto taking a tango class, said she always had faith her daughter would achieve her goals. Helayne Seidman

Im very excited. I cant wait, she said.

Mom Karina Romero never doubted her daughters ability to accomplish her goals.

I am so incredibly proud. Shes always studying and doing her very best, and Im so happy she got what she worked so hard to achieve, Romero gushed.

City Department of Education spokeswoman Nicole Brownstein called her 28 college acceptances a testament to her hard work and dedication.
NEW YORK (PIX11)  The sweltering summer months often see an increase in gun violence in the city, particularly in places like Crown Heights, Brooklyn, which has experienced a rise in shootings and homicides this year.

In response, the Brooklyn District Attorney is leading investigations into gangs and gun trafficking, but now hes also making a personal appeal. Offering a $500 incentive for people to surrender their operational guns.

This Cash for Guns has been successful in the past, netting over 400 firearms in the past two years. The initiative aims to reduce the number of firearms in homes, where they can pose risks, especially to children.

Tragically, this summer, three children playing with guns were shot in their homes, leading to two deaths, including that of Jasai Guy.

District Attorney Gonzalez emphasizes that many people who surrender guns are not criminals themselves but are concerned about safety. Gonzalez believes these initiatives are crucial in preventing senseless tragedies like accidental shootings at home.

To participate, anyone can surrender their guns anonymously at the Church of the Nazarene on St Johns Place on Saturday from 10am to 4pm.

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For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to PIX11.
Attorney General Anthony Brown at a press conference behind a podium in front of the U.S. flag and the Maryland flag.

Attorney General Anthony Brown on Friday discusses a sexual discrimination suit against an Eastern Shore landlord, the first filed by a new civil rights division in Brown's office. Photo by Elijah Pittman

The Attorney Generals Office on Friday sued a Wicomico County landlord for sexual discrimination, claiming he coerced women who were tenants and potential renters for sex in exchange for preferential treatment.

The lawsuit against Eric R. Sessoms and the Mt. Vernon Group LLC is the first filed under the offices new civil rights division, which launched this year. Attorney General Anthony Brown said the civil rights division was involved because Sessoms alleged actions are in violation of Marylands anti-discrimination laws and the federal Fair Housing Act

In Maryland, that ends today, Brown said in a statement Friday. This historic filing puts landlords on notice: You cannot sexually harass your tenants. And if you do, the Office of the Attorney General will take action.

A message left late Friday at the Mt. Vernon Group office in Salisbury was not immediately returned.

According to the suit, Sessoms managed 23 properties in towns around the Lower Shore. The suit said that since at least 2019, Sessoms engaged in a persistent course of conduct that subjected women tenants and prospective tenants  to discrimination based on gender, including unwelcome and severe or pervasive sexual harassment.

In one case, in March 2023, Sessoms had a prospective tenant meet him in a warehouse on the pretext of having her sign a lease. Instead he asked if her husband was coming and, when she said no, he flashed his genitals and placed her hand on them, according to the complaint.

In another case, in late 2021, he offered reduced rent in exchange for sexual favors. The tenant conceded but in 2022, when the tenant said she wanted to stop, Sessoms retaliated by illegally evicting her, according to court documents.

The lawsuit lists a total of five such incidents, but said there were likely others. In each case, Sessoms preyed on women who were unhoused or in danger of becoming homeless, the suit said.

When asked about the possibility of finding emergency housing for women in such situations, the head of the civil rights division said the office is not equipped to do that.

Our office is set up to address patterns and practices of violations and were not equipped to take emergency relief, although I certainly would never rule it out under the right circumstances, Jonathan Smith, the division chief, said at Fridays news conference.

Vicki Schultz, the executive director of Maryland Legal Aid, agreed with Smith and Brown that the primary goal is to go after predatory landlords. Schultz said that because there is an affordable housing crisis it is hard to relocate the women tenants who may be facing discrimination.

Thats the vulnerability that the attorney general was speaking about today, Schultz said Friday. These are often housing of last resort, nowhere to go, and thats what keeps women in these terrible predatory situations. But when we hear about it we can help take action.

This case is the first launched by the Civil Rights Division, which was created in January under a law passed last year. The division allows the attorney general and partner agencies to pursue litigation concerning discrimination based on race, religion, gender and more.

The press release announcing Fridays suit said the division has launched several additional investigations into civil rights violation patterns across the state.

Civil rights violations can be reported to the Attorney Generals Office by email at civilrights@oag.state.md.us, can be submitted as a complaint on their website, or by calling (410) 576-6300.

Other resources available to victims include Maryland Legal Aid, which can be called at (410) 260-1392, and the Equal Rights Center (202) 234-3062.

The post Brown lawsuit charges Eastern Shore landlord sexually preyed on tenants appeared first on Maryland Matters.
A bus carrying Ukrainians crashed in Poland, injuring all nine passengers on board, Polish police reported on July 20.

The crash took place at around 5 a.m. in the area of Swiebodzin in western Poland.

According to Polish news outlet RMF24, five of the passengers were seriously injured, among them four children aged 2 to 15.

A police spokesperson told RMF24 that the bus hit a road repair truck that was carrying a sign informing drivers that the road was about to narrow.

In June, four people were hospitalized after a bus with 57 Ukrainians on board crashed near the city of Constanta in Romania.

Forty-two of the passengers on the bus were Ukrainian minors, two of whom were hospitalized after the accident.

Read also: Volunteers recruited to Ukrainian Legion will have right to return to Poland, official says

Weve been working hard to bring you independent, locally-sourced news from Ukraine. Consider supporting the Kyiv Independent.
Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg weighed in on former President Trumps decision to elevate Sen. JD Vance (R-Ohio) to his 2024 running mate, comparing him to former Vice President Mike Pence.

I guess maybe not as a politician but as a human being what Ill say is that I hope things work out a little bit better for JD Vance than they did for Mike Pence, he said Friday evening on Real Time with Bill Maher.

Buttigieg, who served as mayor of South Bend, Ind., while Pence was governor of the state, said he watched the former vice president sacrifice his values to gain his position in the Trump administration, pointing to Pences staunch Evangelical values.

Trump formally accepted the GOP nomination for president Thursday evening at the Republican National Convention in Milwaukee. Buttigieg, who briefly ran against President Biden in 2020, cautioned that Vance was repeating history by joining Trumps ticket as VP, in what he characterized as a power grab.

I knew a lot of people like him when I got to Harvard, Buttigieg said, referring to Vance. I found a lot of people like him who would say whatever they needed to get ahead, and 5 years ago that seemed like being the anti-Trump Republican.

Vance was heavily critical of Trump during his first campaign in 2016, calling him cultural heroin in a piece for The Atlantic and allegedly likening him to Hitler in a private exchange.

In the years since, the Ohio Republican  who won his election for Senate in the 2022 midterm elections  has transformed into a Trump loyalist. The victory marks his first seat in public office.

In the job, he has served as an active advocate for the former presidents policy positions, including cutting funding to Ukraine amid its war with Russia, and participating in election denialism.

At 39 years old, Vance looks to be Trumps political heir in the Republican party  an observation the former president pointed to in his speech concluding the Republican convention.

JD, youre going to be doing this for a long time. Enjoy the ride, Trump said.

Buttigieg warned that Vances alignment with Trump on the issue could also lead to political ruin, pointing to the Jan. 6, 2021, attack on the Capitol, as the bookend of Pences political career. Trump had repeatedly urged Pence to contest Bidens electoral win, though the former Indiana governor pushed back, as he had no constitutional authority to make such a call.

It ended on the west front of the Capitol with Trump supporters proposing that he be hanged for using the one shred of Integrity he still had to stand up to an attempt to overthrow the government, Buttigieg said Friday.

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SACRAMENTO, California  The attempted assassination of former President Donald Trump has revived efforts in California to let candidates spend more money on their own security.

Democrats in the state Legislature have no love for Trump, but after the shooting in Butler, Pennsylvania, they are rallying around a push to lift campaign spending limits on security for elected officials and candidates.

Its important to remember that he is a candidate, said state Sen. Catherine Blakespear, a San Diego Democrat, adding that the assassination attempt made the California security spending bill even more clear and urgent.

All candidates for public office are facing increasing threats and fear of violence. Theres a civic environment that has become a less safe feeling for many of us who are in elected office and who are candidates for office.

The bill would eliminate Californias $5,000 cap on campaign funds that candidates and elected officials can use on security. It would instead allow them to cover reasonable costs for safety measures such as a home or office monitoring system, personal security details and related expenses for tangible items.

The proposal enjoys bipartisan support.

State Sen. Brian Dahle, a Republican from Northern California, called it a commonsense measure.



Political candidates should be allowed to allocate campaign funds at their discretion to ensure they are adequately protected, Dahle said in a statement.

The bills fate will ultimately be decided by one of Trumps primary foes: California Gov. Gavin Newsom.

The Democratic governor vetoed a similar bill last year because it didnt clearly define what was a security expense. He also worried the measure could lead to use of political donations for expenditures far beyond what any reasonable donor would expect.

His office declined to comment on the 2024 version, but Newsoms decision will come under more scrutiny this year given the assassination attempt if the proposal clears the Senate floor in August and lands on his desk again. The veto deadline is the end of September  just over a month away from the presidential election.

Assemblymember Mia Bonta, a Democrat from Oakland who is carrying the measure, said in March that the governor was concerned about elected officials using the bill to arm people in excess. She said this years proposal would ban spending campaign funds on firearms.

Weve addressed those concerns, Bonta said.

The bill has the approval of the states ethics watchdog, which worked closely with Bonta on language. Adam Silver, chair of the Fair Political Practices Commission, told POLITICO in a statement that the commission is naturally hesitant to support any legislation that expands the permissible use of campaign funds, but that it is an unfortunate reality that elected officials and their families report facing an unprecedented threat of physical violence on a daily basis.



Silver said the commission believes the measure addresses this serious public safety concern without undermining the Legislature and voters intent to strictly limit the use of campaign funds.

Bonta, in a statement, said she introduced the measure because of harassment and intimidation she faced when she first ran for office.

What we saw on Saturday was proof that political violence continues to plague our democracy and reaffirms to me that we urgently need to allow state candidates to invest in their safety and fund security for themselves, their families and their staff, Bonta said, referencing the attack on Trump.

Assembly Elections Committee Chair Gail Pellerin, a Democrat who previously served as Santa Cruz Countys chief elections official for decades, cited both last weeks assassination attempt and the 2022 attack on former Speaker Nancy Pelosis husband as reasons to pass the bill.

Violence has no place in our communities, including our political system, Pellerin said.

The bills supporters include Todd Spitzer, the Republican District Attorney of Orange County. Audrey Ratajczak, a lobbyist for Spitzer, told a committee in June that the former state lawmaker has faced numerous threats throughout his political career, including a stalker who showed up to his home multiple times.

He has had to implement a myriad of necessary security protections that far exceed the cap under current law, Ratajczak said.



There has been no formal opposition to the measure.

Blakespear said she received a rape threat by a caller who identified her by her name.

Something like a threat of physical violence or of sexual violence  the idea of a man being able to overtake a woman in any way is very scary, Blakespear said. Women in particular need to feel that they are safe.

Scott Wiener, a San Francisco Democrat and leading supporter of LGBTQ+ rights whos likely to run for Pelosis seat when she retires, said hes been the target of many death threats.

Someone saying they are going to kill you, rape you, decapitate you, whatever the case may be  its absolutely jarring, Wiener said. And that never gets any easier. Its not just me: Its also my staff and interns who have to see that kind of horrific language.

Removing the cap on campaign spending for security expenses may make elected officials safer, but Democratic state Sen. Josh Newman  who voted for the bill in a committee and has faced a death threat himself  doubts the measure will lower the temperature of the current volatile political discourse.

I can see where theres certainly a natural impulse on the part of candidates to want to be better protected from all of the noise and the apprehensions that it creates, Newman said. But the question is, Does it make our politics better? Im not sure that it does.
In a California gold rush town, some Black families are fighting for land taken from their ancestors

Descendants of Nelson Bell, brothers Milford Fonza, front left, and Elmer Fonza, front right, surrounded by extended family members, show their ancestors' pictures in Glendora, Calif., on Friday, Sept. 8, 2023. Family members standing from left: Trent Mure, with son Armani Mure, and his wife Tami Mure, William Woolery, Louie Hobbs and Carolyn Fonza. (AP Photo/Damian Dovarganes)

COLOMA, Calif. (AP)  In a tiny town where the California gold rush began, Black families are seeking restitution for land that was taken from their ancestors to make way for a state park now frequented by fourth graders learning about the state's history.

Their efforts in Coloma, a town of around 300 people thats located about 36 miles (58 kilometers) northeast of Sacramento, are one of the latest examples of Black Americans urging the government to atone for practices that have kept them from thriving long after chattel slavery was abolished.

Debates over reparations for African Americans often come back to land. That was at the center of a promise originally made  and later broken  by the U.S. government to formerly enslaved Black people in the mid-1800s: Give them up to 40 acres (16 hectares) of land as restitution for their time enslaved. For some, the promise of reparations has been nothing more than Fools gold, epitomized by a bill in Congress thats stalled since it was first introduced in the 1980s, even though its aimed at studying reparations and named after the original promise.

The fight in Coloma is taking place in a state where the governor signed a first-in-the-nation law to study reparations. But advocates are pushing for the state to go further.

Gold was found near Coloma in 1848 by James W. Marshall, a white carpenter, setting off the California gold rush that saw hundreds of thousands of people from across the nation and outside of the U.S. come  or be brought  to the state. Those who migrated included white, Asian, and free and enslaved Black people.

Decades later, Black and white families had their land taken by the government in the town before it was turned into the Marshall Gold Discovery State Historic Park, which opened in 1942. The park today is home to a museum, churches and cemeteries where residents were buried. A nearly 42-foot (13-meter) monument of Marshall stands on its grounds.

But the history of Black families who settled in Coloma only recently started getting increased recognition. California State Parks launched an initiative in 2020 to reexamine its past and to tell a more thorough, inclusive, and complete history of California, department spokesperson Adeline Yee said in an email to The Associated Press. The department created a webpage with information about properties owned by Black families at the park in Coloma.

Elmer Fonza, a retiree who worked at a brewery in California before eventually relocating to Nevada, said he is the third-great grandson of Nelson Bell, a formerly enslaved Black man from Virginia who became a property owner in Coloma.

After Bells death in 1869, a judge determined he had no heirs in the state, and his estate was sold at an auction, according to a probate document shared by the El Dorado County Historical Museum.

It is unclear what happened to Bells property in the years that followed, Fonza said, adding that the land should be returned to his family.

We rightfully believe that we have been denied the generational wealth that our family may have been entitled to if given our rightful inheritance  the land once owned by Nelson Bell, he said at the final meeting of a first-in-the-nation state reparations task force.

Nancy Gooch, a Black woman, was brought to Coloma from the South in 1849 by a white man who enslaved her and her husband. Gooch was soon freed when California became a state and worked as a cook and cleaned laundry for miners. She later brought her son, Andrew Monroe, from Missouri to join them in the town. The Monroe-Gooch family would become one of the most prosperous Black landowners in California.

We have to bring forth the truth, because thats reconciliation, said Jonathan Burgess, a Sacramento resident who co-owns a barbecue catering business, and who also is claiming land in Coloma was that of his descendants. And then once we bring forth the truth, which Ive been doing in speaking the whole time, weve got to make it right.

Making it right would mean compensating families for land that cant be returned or returning property where possible, Burgess said in an interview at the park. He said he is descended from Rufus Morgan Burgess, a Black writer who was brought to Coloma with his father, who was enslaved.

Jonathan Burgess also said his family is descended from Bell, but the Fonza and Burgess families say they are not related to each other. The discrepancy highlights the difficult work that could be ahead for Black residents if California ever passes reparations legislation requiring families to document their lineage.

Cheryl Austin, a retiree living in Sacramento, said she is an heir of John A. Wilson and Phoebe Wilson, a free, married Black couple who came to Coloma during the late 1850s. After John and Phoebe Wilson died, their property was sold through probate, Austin said. The state must somehow repair harm done to families whose property was seized, she said.

The restitution fight in California comes as lawmakers are weighing reparations proposals in the state Legislature. That includes a bill to create the California American Freedmen Affairs Agency, which would help Black residents research their family lineage. Another proposal would make any families whose land was seized unjustly by the government due to racially discriminatory motives entitled to the return of the property or compensation.

The legislation, which is expected to be voted on this summer, reflects a growing push for restitution by Black families targeting the misuse of a practice known as eminent domain, where the government must pay people fairly for property it plans to make available for public use. The issue garnered attention across the state when local officials in Los Angeles County returned a beachfront property in 2022 to a Black couple, nearly a century after it was taken by the government from their ancestors.

Earlier this month, California marked a milestone when Democratic Gov. Gavin Newsom included $12 million in the state's 2024 budget to spend on reparations legislation. But the budget does not specify what the money would be used for, and estimates from the state say the bills could cost millions of dollars annually.

State Sen. Steven Bradford, a Los Angeles-area Democrat who authored the proposals, said they will help the state atone for taken land, adding that land ownership is critical to building general wealth.

Reparations was never about a check, Bradford said. It was about land.

___

Associated Press photographer Godofredo A. Vasquez contributed to this report.

___

Austin is a corps member for The Associated Press/Report for America Statehouse News Initiative. Report for America is a nonprofit national service program that places journalists in local newsrooms to report on undercovered issues. Follow Austin on X: @sophieadanna
This is a KFF Health News story.

They distribute GPS devices so they can track their homeless patients. They stock their street kits with glass pipes used to smoke meth, crack or fentanyl. They keep company credit cards on hand in case a patient needs emergency food or water, or an Uber ride to the doctor.

These doctors, nurses, and social workers are fanning out on the streets of Los Angeles to provide health care and social services to homeless people -- foot soldiers of a new business model taking root in communities around California.

Their strategy: Build trust with homeless people to deliver medicine wherever they are -- and make money doing it.

MORE: Supreme Court says city's homeless camping ban not 'cruel and unusual' punishment

"The biggest population of homeless people in this country is here in Southern California," said Sachin Jain, a former Obama administration health official who is CEO of SCAN Group, which runs a Medicare Advantage insurance plan covering about 300,000 people in California, Arizona, Nevada, Texas and New Mexico.

"The fastest-growing segment of people experiencing homelessness is actually older adults," he said. "I said, 'We've got to do something about this.'"

PHOTO: Physician assistant Daniel Speller, a street medicine provider. (Angela Hart/KFF Health News)

Jain's organization three years ago created Healthcare in Action, a medical group that sends practitioners onto California's streets solely to care for homeless people. It has grown rapidly, building operations in 17 communities, including Long Beach, West Hollywood and San Bernardino County.

Since its launch, Healthcare in Action has cared for about 6,700 homeless patients and managed roughly 77,000 diagnoses, from schizophrenia to diabetes. It has placed about 300 people into permanent or temporary housing.

Street medicine in most of the country is practiced as a charitable endeavor, aimed at serving a challenging patient population failed by traditional medicine, its proponents say. Living transient, chaotic lives, homeless people suffer disproportionately from mental illness, addiction, and chronic disease and often don't have health insurance -- or don't use it if they do.

That makes designing a business around caring for them a risk, insurance executives and health economists say.

"It's really innovative and entrepreneurial to take all this energy and grit to try and improve things for a population that is too often ignored," said Mark Duggan, a professor of economics at Stanford University who specializes in homelessness and Medicaid policy. "Financial incentives matter massively in healthcare. It's everything."

MORE: 'You can't be accurate': Annual count of US homeless population misses large numbers of people, experts warn

An estimated 181,000 people were homeless in California in 2023 -- about 30% of the nation's total. The number living outside, more than two-thirds of California's total, increased 6.9% over the previous year.

The state's leaders, including Democratic Gov. Gavin Newsom, have struggled to make inroads against the mounting public health and political crisis -- despite marshaling unprecedented taxpayer resources.

"We have a huge problem on our hands, and we have a lot of health plans and municipalities saying, 'We need you,'" Jain said.

On the streets

On a cloudy April morning in Long Beach, Daniel Speller navigated his mobile medical van among the tents and tarps that crowded residential streets, searching for a couple of homeless patients. A physician assistant for Healthcare in Action, Speller said he was particularly worried about the badly infected wounds they developed on their limbs after they used the street drug xylazine, an animal tranquilizer often mixed with fentanyl.

"These wounds are everywhere. It's really bad," Speller said. If infections progress, they can require toe, foot or arm amputations.

"Man, this one is still so deep," Speller said as he peeled denim pants from the swollen leg of Robert Smith, 66.

After cleaning and wrapping Smith's leg, Speller asked him if he needed anything else. "I lost my food stamps," Smith replied.

PHOTO: Isabelle Peng tries to talk with a homeless woman, Lisa Vernon, after receiving a call about someone in crisis on the streets. (Angela Hart/KFF Health News)

Within the hour, Speller's team of social workers and nurses had summoned an Uber to take Smith to a state office, where he received a new CalFresh card.

MORE: Supreme Court to decide if ban on homeless encampments is 'cruel and unusual'

Speller then turned his medical van onto a side street lined with more tents and cars-turned-shelters. Nick Destry Anderson, 46, was sleeping on the sidewalk and badly in need of wound care.

"I was so scared. I thought I was going to lose my leg before I met them," Anderson said, grimacing as Speller sprayed his leg with antibiotic mist. "These people saved my life."

Anderson reported feeling lightheaded, so Speller asked another team member to use the company credit card to get him a cheeseburger and a Sprite.

Many homeless people languish on the streets, so entrenched in mental health crises or addiction that they don't much care about seeing a doctor or taking their medication. Chronic diseases worsen. Wounds grow infected. People overdose or die from treatable conditions.

Part of street medicine is bandaging infected sores, administering antipsychotic injections, and treating chronic diseases. Street providers often hand out drug paraphernalia such as clean needles and glass pipes to reduce sharing and prevent infections. Perhaps more importantly, these workers build trust.

Getting homeless patients established with primary care doctors and nurses -- who visit them on the streets, in parks, or wherever they happen to be -- can prevent frequent and expensive emergency room trips and hospitalizations, potentially saving money for insurers and taxpayers, Jain argues. Even though shelter and housing are scarce, Healthcare in Action's goal is to get patients healthy enough to live stable, independent lives, he said.

MORE: California lawmakers try to address homelessness with new proposed encampment ban

But that's easier said than done. In West Hollywood that week in April, Healthcare in Action clinical coordinator Isabelle Peng found Lisa Vernon, a homeless woman, slumped over in her wheelchair at a busy bus stop. Vernon is a regular at nearby Cedars-Sinai Medical Center, Peng and her colleague David Wong said.

When Peng and Wong attempted to examine her swollen leg, Vernon shouted at them and declined aid. "Antibiotics aren't going to save my life!" Vernon yelled as a mouse scurried for the potato chip shrapnel at her feet.

They moved on to their next patient, a man they were tracking with a GPS device they sometimes affix to homeless people's belongings. Use of the devices is voluntary. They work better than cellphones because they less often get taken by law enforcement during encampment sweeps or stolen by thieves.

"Our patients really move around a lot, so this helps us go find them when we have to get them medication or do follow-up care," Wong said. "We have already developed rapport with these patients, and they want us to see them."

PHOTO: Isabelle Peng points on a phone to the location of a GPS tracking device attached to a homeless patient. Some homeless patients agree to wear the devices so providers can find them. (Angela Hart/KFF Health News)

Growing revenue

Street medicine teams are in demand, largely because of growing public frustration with homelessness. The city of West Hollywood, for instance, awarded Healthcare in Action a three-year contract that pays $47,000 a month. The nonprofit can also bill Medi-Cal, California's Medicaid program, which covers low-income people, for its services.

Mari Cantwell, a health care consultant who served as California's Medicaid director from 2015 until early 2020, said Medicaid reimbursements alone aren't enough to fund street medicine providers. To remain viable, she said, they need to take creative financial steps, like Healthcare in Action has.

"Medicaid is never going to pay high margins, so you have to think about how to sustain things," she said.

PHOTO: Healthcare in Action's Isabelle Peng searches for her homeless patients in West Hollywood. (Angela Hart/KFF Health News)

Healthcare in Action brought in about $2 million in revenue in its first year, $6 million in 2022, and $15.4 million in 2023, according to Michael Plumb, SCAN Group's chief financial officer.

Healthcare in Action and SCAN's Medicare Advantage insurance plan generate revenue by serving homeless patients in multiple ways:

Both are tapping into billions of dollars in Medicaid money that states and the federal government are spending to treat homeless people in the field and to provide new social services like housing and food assistance.

For instance, Healthcare in Action has received $3.8 million from Newsom's $12 billion Medicaid initiative called CalAIM, which allows it to hire social workers, doctors, and providers for street medicine teams, according to the state.

It also contracts with health insurers, including L.A. Care and Molina Healthcare in Southern California, to identify housing for homeless patients, negotiate with landlords and provide financial help such as covering security deposits.

Healthcare in Action collects charitable donations from some hospitals and insurers, including CalOptima in Orange County and its own Medicare Advantage plan, SCAN Health Plan.

Healthcare in Action partners with cities and hospitals to provide treatment and services. In 2022, it kicked off a contract with Cedars-Sinai to care for patients milling outside the hospital.

It also enrolls eligible homeless patients into SCAN Health Plan because many low-income, older people qualify for both Medicaid and Medicare coverage. The plan had revenue of $4.9 billion in 2023, up from $3.5 billion in 2021.

"There's been an incredible market fit, unfortunately," Jain said. "You can't walk or drive down a street in Los Angeles, rich or poor, and not run into this problem."

Jim Withers, who coined the term "street medicine" decades ago and cares for homeless people in Pittsburgh, welcomed the entry of more providers given the enormous need. But he cautioned against a model with financial motives.

"I do worry about the corporatization of street medicine and capitalism invading what we've been building, largely as a social justice mission outside of the traditional healthcare system," he said. "But nobody owns the streets, and we have to figure out how to play nice together."

A California medical group treats only homeless patients -- and makes money doing it originally appeared on abcnews.go.com
Californias unemployment rate in June remained unchanged following an encouraging increase in jobs in May, the states Employment Development Department announced Friday.

The states unemployment rate held steady while it added 22,500 nonfarm payroll jobs in June, roughly half the number of May when unemployment dipped for the first time in months. June marked the 50th consecutive month California increased jobs numbers, state officials said.

The state gained 107,100 nonfarm payroll jobs over the first six months of 2024, more than double the same time frame last year when 38,400 jobs were added, the EDD said. Unemployment went down in May from 5.3% to 5.2% behind the addition of 43,700 jobs, the most in a month since October 2023.

However, that statewide growth in June was not reflected in figures for the capital region.

Sacramento County saw its unemployment total go to 35,100 from 29,200 people, according to the EDD, increasing the countys unemployment rate to 4.8% from 4.0%. The total number of employed people fell by 4,100 while the workforce increased by 1,800 people.

Placer County saw its unemployment rate increase to 4.2% from 3.4%. El Dorado Countys rate went up to 4.4% from 3.7%. Yolo Countys rate grew to 5.2% from 4.2%. Despite these increases, those counties unemployment rates remained below the state average.

Statewide, seven of the 11 industries tracked gained jobs in June with the biggest gains coming in trade, transportation and utilities, which added 9,800 new jobs. The sector has gained 21,700 jobs since March due to increased traffic at California ports and improved weather of the spring and summer months.

Government jobs grew by 5,200 last month pushing the change over the last 12 months to 60,200. The information sector grew by 4,000 jobs thanks largely to the movie industry, officials said.

Private education and health services grew by 3,200 new jobs in June pushing the total over the last year to 156,600 new jobs. The decline in manufacturing jobs continued by 2,900 in June pushing the total loss to 25,900 since June 2023. State officials said that decrease aligns with the downturn of manufacturing nationally.

The EDD said the number of jobs in the agricultural industry increased by 4,200 jobs in May to 414,800 in June, although thats 4,300 fewer jobs than the same time last year.

California and Nevada share the highest unemployment rate in the country at 5.2%. Only the District of Columbia is higher, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, at 5.4%. The BLS said unemployment rates in June went up in eight states, lowered in one state, and remained stable in 41. Connecticut was the only state to have its unemployment rate decrease, lowering by 0.4%.
Carmel-by-the-Sea, a town with no addresses, says the time has come to add house numbers

Carmel-by-the-Sea has historically had no street addresses or home mail delivery. Residents pick up their parcels at the post office. (Genaro Molina / Los Angeles Times)

After decades of resistance, Carmel-by-the-Sea is about to address some of its residents' biggest frustrations.

Quite literally.

The moneyed little town, where homes and businesses have no street addresses, soon will have numbers assigned to its buildings, forgoing a cherished local tradition after too many complaints about lost packages, trouble setting up utilities and banking accounts, and other problems.

The Carmel-by-the-Sea City Council approved establishing street addresses in a 3-2 vote earlier this month, with proponents citing public safety concerns and the need to abide by the state fire code, which requires buildings to be numbered.

"Do we need to wait for someone to die in order to decide that this is the right thing to do? It is the law," said Councilmember Karen Ferlito, who voted in favor of addresses.

Rather than street numbers, residents in the town of 3,200 have long used directional descriptors: City Hall is on the east side of Monte Verde Street between Ocean and 7th avenues. And they give their homes whimsical names such as Sea Castle, Somewhere and Faux Chateau.

There is no home mail delivery. Locals pick up their parcels at the downtown post office, where, many say, serendipitous run-ins with neighbors are an essential part of the small-town charm.

Read more: There are no street addresses in Carmel-by-the-Sea. Some say it's time to change

For more than 100 years, residents fought to keep it that way, once threatening to secede from California if addresses were imposed. They argued that the lack of house numbers  along with other quirks, such as no streetlights or sidewalks in residential areas  added to the vaunted "village character."

"We are losing this place, day by day and week by week, from people who want to modernize us, who want to take us to a new level, when we want to stay where we are," Neal Kruse, co-chair of the Carmel Preservation Assn., said during the July 9 City Council meeting at which addresses were approved.

Carol Oaks stands in front of her home, which is named "Somewhere" and has no formal address. Carmel-by-the-Sea will soon number its homes and businesses. (Genaro Molina / Los Angeles Times)

The debate over street numbers has simmered for years and intensified during the COVID-19 pandemic, when people began shopping online more frequently and struggled to get their packages delivered.

Some residents and tourists worry that if they have an accident or a medical issue, emergency responders will have trouble finding them. Others have had trouble receiving mail-order prescriptions and medical equipment.

"This is a life-and-death situation in my life and my family," resident Deanna Dickman told the City Council. "I want a street address that people can find on GPS and get there, and my wife can get the medication she needs."

Dickman said her wife needs a shot that comes through the mail and must be refrigerated. If she can't get it delivered, she has to travel to an infusion center and get her medication every 30 days "so she can breathe," Dickman said.

Dickman once had her own temperature-controlled medication "tossed over a fence a block away." The property owner was not home, and it spoiled.

Resident Susan Bjerre said she once needed oxygen delivered to her house for someone who had just gotten out of the hospital. The delivery driver could not find the residence, so she said: "I will be in the street. I will wave you down."

"This is going to sound really snarky, but I think people who oppose instituting an address system don't realize how inconsiderate they are to everyone else," Bjerre said.

Another speaker, Alice Cory, said she worried that implementing addresses in Carmel-by-the-Sea  long a haven for artists, writers and poets  "would just make us another town along the coast."

In the one-square-mile town, "the police know where everybody is," and fire officials get to people quickly because there are so few streets, she said.

"Let's keep it that way, and let's keep the sweetness of this little town, because people know Carmel for a reason," she said.

Neal Kruse, center, with Karyl Hall and her dog, Bubbles, chat with a resident at the Carmel Preservation Assn. booth at a farmers market. Kruse and Hall worry street addresses will hurt the town's character. (Genaro Molina / Los Angeles Times)

Emily Garay, a city administrative analyst, told the council that while local authorities might be familiar with Carmel-by-the-Sea's unconventional navigational practices, other emergency responders  such as the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection or Monterey County's contracted ambulance provider  might struggle to quickly figure out where people live.

The California Fire Code requires buildings to have and display addresses. But Carmel-by-the-Sea has not enforced the provision.

"I believe, as a professional firefighter for over 37 years [with] a lot of experience in emergency response, that if the question is, 'Is it more advantageous to have building numbers identified?' Yes, absolutely," Andrew Miller, chief of the Monterey Fire Department, told the council.

Residents opposed to street addresses have said they fear that numbering houses would lead to home mail delivery  which, in turn, could trigger the closure of the Carmel-by-the-Sea post office.

Read more: Dear USPS: This California town wants its post office back

In January, David Rupert, a spokesman for the U.S. Postal Service told The Times that the post office had "been serving the local community since 1889" and there were no plans to close it. (The lobby for the post office was red-tagged this spring after a septuagenarian crashed her red Tesla through the front windows.)

Garay said addresses would not trigger home delivery.

Before voting against addresses, Mayor Dave Potter said he was "concerned about the fact that we're kind of losing our character of our community along the way here" and that it had become the nature of the community "to fight over little things.

But Ferlito said she had received "piles of emails from residents" who wanted addresses and worried about being found in a crisis.

"If we're saying we will lose our quaintness because we have an address, I think that's a false narrative," she said. "This is more than quaintness. This is life emergencies."

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This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times.
Work to rebuild Old Mine Road, the 250-year old route through the Delaware Water Gap National Recreation Area, is on schedule, with the road expected to reopen to the public in late August, according to an update from park officials.

Thought by some to be the oldest commercial highway in the U.S., Old Mine Road winds up the eastern side of the Delaware River from Interstate 80 to the northwestern corner of New Jersey. It's being repaired and resurfaced as part of an $11 million upgrade project. The road was closed in the spring at the border between the federal park and New Jersey's Worthington State Forest and on into historic Millbrook Village.

A backhoe is used to help reshape shoulders of Old Mine Road within the Delaware Water Gap National Recreation Area in this photo from the National Park Service. The road, which dates to the Dutch colonial period, is the oldest commercial highway in the U.S.

This road project will modernize a vital piece of the parks infrastructure and enhance safety and access while also protecting sensitive natural and cultural resources along its route and maintaining its historic integrity, Superintendent Doyle Sapp said when the reconstruction was announced in the spring.

Old Mine Road is the only north-south highway through the recreation area and is busy for much of the year from its start near Exit 1 on I-80 in New Jersey. It is listed on the National Register of Historic Places along with historic buildings along its path and also traverses the Minisink National Historic Landmark in the park.

Old Mine was traditionally thought to have been built by Dutch settlers to transport ore from mines on the western side of the Kittatinny Ridge to Poughkeepsie, New York, along the Hudson River, at a time when there was no road across the Delaware Water Gap. Originally, the road continued through to the Hudson.

But the National Park Service, on its website, acknowledges that Old Mine Road's origins are uncertain. "The popular story is that it is the road that was used to haul copper from the mines to port cities dozens of miles away, but there is no evidence of activity at the required scale. The more likely explanation is that old Lenape  and later, colonial  trails gradually widened with use. This provided clearer paths for people wanting to reach different locations."

Still, the route is "one of the oldest continually used roads in the United States," the Park Service says.

More: NJ Transit's Sussex County expansion is on track with upgrade to century-old tunnel

Once this section of Old Mine Road is rebuilt with new shoulders and culverts, a second phase is due to begin this fall. Expected to be finished next year, that stage will cover the northern end of the highway from markers 26.4 to 26.7 and markers 29.6 to 32.4.

The park said the project will extend the life of the road as well as save on the cost of patching potholes and other temporary repairs. The work will also correct steep drop-offs at the road's shoulders, providing more safety for travelers.

Part of the $11 million project to upgrade Old Mine Road within the Delaware Water Gap National Recreation Area includes expanding and improving turnoffs at the entrance to the park. The project for the southern part of the road is expected to be completed late this summer.

Last year, there were 4.2 million visits to the Delaware Water Gap Recreation Area, making it the 17th most-visited National Park property.

According to the NPS, funding comes from the National Parks and Public Land Legacy Restoration Fund, the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law and other sources and is part of an effort to cut the large maintenance and repair backlog in national parks. This road project is expected to eliminate approximately $9.7 million of the maintenance backlog in the Delaware Water Gap Recreation Area.

Email: bscruton@njherald.com Twitter/X: @brucescrutonNJH

This article originally appeared on New Jersey Herald: Centuries-old Delaware Water Gap route set to reopen amid $11M rebuild
More than a dozen other states have attempted to implement laws promoting the Ten Commandments in public schools. File Photo by Morris Abernathy UPI

July 20 (UPI) -- A new law requiring the Ten Commandments to be displayed in all public school classrooms in Louisiana will not be implemented until mid-November, according to a Friday agreement.

An interfaith family group filed a lawsuit challenging HB 71, which Republican Gov. Jeff Landry signed last month. The filing argued the law was unconstitutional and violated the separation of church and state.

The defendants, which include the Louisiana State Board of Elementary and Secondary Education, agreed to postpone enforcement of the law until Nov. 15 to allow time for a trial and decision.

The agreement also stated education officials must not "promulgate advice, rules, or regulations regarding proper implementation of the challenged statute," during that time.

U.S. District Court Judge John deGravelles plans to set a hearing for Sept. 30 and to reach a decision by mid-November.

Louisiana Attorney General spokesperson Lester Duhe said the Jan. 1 deadline for all schools to abide by the law still applies pending the outcome of the trial.

HB 71, sponsored by Republican state Rep. Dodie Horton, requires all public schools to display the Ten Commandments in every classroom on "a poster or framed document that is at least 11 inches by 14 inches."

The law does not specify what would happen if a school doesn't comply. The posters were supposed to be financed by private donations, rather than state dollars.

The families who filed the suit -- who are secular, Jewish, Christian and Unitarian Universalist -- argued the law also violates their children's First Amendment rights and constitute religious coercion.

"Permanently posting the Ten Commandments in every Louisiana public school classroom -- rendering them unavoidable -- unconstitutionally pressures students into religious observance, veneration and adoption of the state's favored religious scripture," the suit read.

"It also sends the harmful and religiously divisive message that students who do not subscribe to the Ten Commandments -- or, more precisely, to the specific version of the Ten Commandments that H.B. 71 requires schools to display -- do not belong in their own school community and should refrain from expressing any faith practices or beliefs that are not aligned with the state's religious preferences."

Dodie argued the law isn't about promoting a particular religion, rather "it's teaching a moral code."

The law states the Ten Commandments reflect "the understanding of the founders of our nation with respect to the necessity of civic morality to a functional self-government."

Landry, at the bill's signing said, "if you want to respect the rule of law, you've got to start from the original law given, which was Moses."

Louisiana is not the first state to introduce a Ten Commandments Law. The Kentucky legislature in 1978 passed a bill requiring all public schools to display the religious text, but the U.S. Supreme Court struck it down in 1980 in a 5-4 decision.

Arizona lawmakers this year passed a bill that would have added the Ten Commandments to a list of historical documents that "a teacher or administrator in any school in this state may read or post in any school building," but Gov. Katie Hobbs vetoed the measure.

"Not only do I have serious concerns about the constitutionality of this legislation, it is also unnecessary," Hobbs wrote.
IATSE has been organizing workers Off-Broadway in a push for greater benefits and a say in the changing theater landscape.

Thus far, workers at commercial productions of Titanique and Little Shop of Horrors have won organizing victories, as have the nonprofit Vineyard Theatre and Atlantic Theater Company, which has developed notable shows such as The Bands Visit and Kimberly Akimbo, and the Public Theater, one of the largest nonprofit theater companies in the country and the starting point for productions such as Hamilton and A Chorus Line.

More from The Hollywood Reporter

The five companies have recognized IATSE as the collective bargaining agent for the production employees. All theaters are currently at the beginning stages of talks, with no completed collective bargaining agreements as of yet. IATSE hopes to keep organizing additional workers, but is doing so against a backdrop of layoffs, rising costs and fear over how this could impact the industry.

While Off-Broadway is slightly less unionized than Broadway, many Off-Broadway workers are already represented by unions, including designers, who have been represented by one of IATSEs local unions, USA 829, via negotiations with the Off-Broadway League. In this case, IATSE is negotiating on behalf of production workers, including theatrical electricians and carpenters, painters, wardrobe and costume dressers.

The decision to unionize came about after IATSE organized a meeting in July 2023, and invited a handful of workers, only to have about 100 show up. The meeting, which was also happening amid the dual writers and actors strikes, served as a catalyst for workers who had been mulling the idea for years.

I think theres been a consistent kind of hushed conversation about the willingness and the readiness to organize for several years in New York for Off-Broadway workers, but nobody really knew how or what the steps were to go about it. And what the risks could be and the benefits could be, said Mikey Stevens, a freelance carpenter who has worked mostly at the Atlantic Theater Company.

One of the fears, Stevens said, was that because the workers typically operate on a freelance basis, employers could have retaliated to any perceived hostility by removing those workers from the call list, an email blast theaters use to recruit workers when the need arises.

Having a bit more job security was one of the reasons workers sought to unionize, with a larger common goal around healthcare, particularly portable insurance that could follow the workers from job to job, as well as higher wages and retirement benefits.

A lot of Off-Broadway folks are young and age out of their parents health insurance, and thats a really big thing for us. Its incredibly hard to get healthcare as a freelancer, said Shane Crowley, who has primarily worked as an electrician at The Public Theater.

The decision to unionize also comes as the theater industry continues to recover coming out of the pandemic, where the theaters are often dealing with lower audience numbers and with higher costs. This has, in turn, led to a number of layoffs. Dan Little, IATSEs lead Off-Broadway organizer, says having a collective bargaining agreement doesnt necessarily stop layoffs, but it brings the workers into the conversation about how best to make up for the revenue shortfall.

American theater production seems to be at a crossroads, Little said. There have been a number of companies that have either reported that they are going to some hiatus or theyre laying folks off or theyre going out of business.

A wave of layoffs and cost-cutting measures began hitting nonprofit theaters across the country last year, including at Center Theatre Group in Los Angeles, which laid off 11 percent of its staff and at The Public Theater, which laid off 19 percent of its staff.

Most recently, days after the June 16 Tony Awards, even Playwrights Horizons, which developed best play winner Stereophonic, conducted layoffs of three employees, effective immediately, with two more designated to come at the end of the 2024-2025 season, according to BroadwayWorld.

IATSE has been negotiating with individual employers, rather than the Off-Broadway League as a whole.

Amid the layoffs, some members of the Off-Broadway community are wary about the IATSE organization due to the higher costs that can come with having a unionized workforce and its impact on industry.

I am concerned about anything that could potentially increase the production expenses that producers are experiencing, said Joey Monda, a general manager for commercial Off-Broadway shows. And producers are all supportive of trying to find ways for us to increase the quality of life of our workers, while also acknowledging that its extraordinarily difficult right now and expensive to produce theater.

In addition to higher production costs and an audience that, like on Broadway, has been slow to return, Monda noted that many producers were already paying higher rates for workers than they were pre-COVID in order to attract laborers. And while there have been a few buzzy Off-Broadway productions, including Oh, Mary! and Job, which both recently transferred to Broadway, Monda argues that these were outliers rather than the rule and the economics for most are still difficult.

While the commercial sector has enjoyed some very high profile successes in the recent season, the reality is that the majority of commercial successes Off-Broadway still close at a complete loss, Monda said.

In response to arguments about the expense, Stevens says that driving up costs is not their goal in unionizing.

We dont want our places that we work to go out of business because then we dont have work. So were not just trying to grab all the money that these companies have, Stevens said.

And Crowley argues that it benefits the theaters to have a workforce that can afford to continue working in the industry, rather than leave as many had to during the pandemic. A regular workforce also allows theater companies and productions to retain institutional knowledge and specific knowledge about that theater.

What it does is make a sustainable workforce that will ultimately be better for the theaters moving forward. So yes, costs might go up a little bit, but labor is certainly not the only part driving costs up at the moment. That is simply the world that we work in, Crowley said.

Among the theater companies so far, the Vineyard Theatre voluntarily recognized the union and the Public Theater took a position of neutrality and allowed the workers to conduct a private election, via the American Arbitration Association, where they voted in favor of unionization, 178 to 11.

In the other cases, IATSE petitioned the National Labor Relations Board to conduct a secret ballot election of the workers, with all six workers on Titanique voting for unionization and 16 votes for unionization at Little Shop of Horrors, and one against, with two votes challenged by producers and the law firm hired to represent them, according to filings with the NLRB, and 129 and one against at the Atlantic Theater Company.

The details of the collective bargaining agreements are still to be worked out, Little said, including the structure of the healthcare plan, which has been a top priority for workers. The idea would be to set up contributions to a Taft Hartley Fund, or a multiemployer benefit trust fund, in which employers agree to make contributions at a certain rate, with trustees from both sides. But its unclear whether it would work like the SAG-AFTRA plan, for example, where a certain number of hours or wage earnings has to be hit to qualify.

Even so, IATSE leaders are optimistic about what it could look like moving forward.

Theater is a living and breathing art form, but its also a uniquely collaborative art form and the people who work in production want a meaningful opportunity to cooperate in working with the leaders of this industry in shaping it, so that it works for everyone into the future, Little said.

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Boston Police are asking for the publics help identifying a man accused of robbing a victim at knifepoint on Wednesday.

The alleged robbery occurred around 8:45 p.m. in the area of 285 Main Street in Charlestown, according to authorities.

The suspect is described as a white male with tattoos on his right forearm, wearing a blue t-shirt, gray running pants with dark stripes, and black sneakers.

Anyone with information regarding the incident is asked to call District A-1/A-15 Detectives at (617) 343-4571.

No further information was immediately available.

BPD Community Alert: Detectives Assigned to District A-1/A-15 Seek the Publics Help to Identify The Following Individual in Relation to an Armed Robbery in Charlestown https://t.co/ZBL55tzLad pic.twitter.com/8DKY9cHK4W  Boston Police Dept. (@bostonpolice) July 19, 2024

This is a developing story. Check back for updates as more information becomes available.

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BEIJING (Reuters) - China and Canada should promote normalising relations and get back on track toward establishing a strategic partnership, Foreign Minister Wang Yi told his Canadian counterpart, according to his ministry.

"China-Canada relations have experienced difficulties and twists and turns over the years, which is not something China would like to see," Wang told Foreign Minister Melanie Joly in Beijing, the ministry said in a statement late on Friday.

Joly's three-day visit through Saturday, at Wang's invitation, is the first by a Canadian foreign minister in seven years.

Bilateral relations, established in 1970, turned icy in 2018 after Huawei's Chief Financial Officer Meng Wanzhou was arrested in Canada and China subsequently arrested two Canadians in China. All three were later released, but Ottawa's allegations of Chinese interference in Canada have kept relations strained.

The last time Chinese and Canadian leaders met was in Indonesia in 2022, when President Xi Jinping criticised Prime Minister Justin Trudeau over alleged leaks of a closed-door meeting.

There is no fundamental conflict of interest between China and Canada, Wang told Joly, adding that maintaining and developing bilateral relations is in the interest of the two countries and peoples.

He said issues relating to Taiwan, Tibet, Xinjiang and Hong Kong pertain to China's domestic politics and that Canada should not interfere.

She was quoted by the ministry as saying Canada will abide by the one-China policy and is willing to actively develop the bilateral relationship and enhance cooperation in areas such as trade and economy, tourism, climate change and drug control.

Wang and Joly also exchanged views on the war in Ukraine and Israel-Palestinian conflict.

Meng, the daughter of Huawei's founder, was detained in Vancouver after the United States issued an arrest warrant accusing her of covering up attempts by companies linked to the Chinese tech giant to sell equipment to Iran, breaking U.S. sanctions.

Washington has sought to cripple Huawei on national security grounds. Huawei has denied it is a security risk.

China, warning Canada of consequences if Meng was not released, arrested Canadians Michael Spavor and Michael Kovrig.

Meng was released in 2021 after a deal cut with U.S. prosecutors to end her bank fraud case, and returned to China. The two Michaels, as the case came to be known, were also released after nearly three years in detention.

Canada has also claimed political interference by China.

Last year, Ottawa began investigating covert Chinese police operations within its borders, while Beijing has denied repeatedly that it interferes with Canada's affairs.

In April the Canadian spy agency concluded that China had interfered in its 2019 and 2021 elections, prompting Trudeau to set up a commission to probe foreign interference.

(Reporting by Liz Lee, Siyi Liu and Colleen Howe; Editing by William Mallard)
(The Hill)  Rep. Chip Roy (R-Texas) called for the Secret Service to be defunded after the recent assassination attempt on former President Trump raised questions about the services ability to keep elected officials safe.

Roy joined Fox Newss Laura Ingraham Friday after he attended the funeral of Pennsylvania firefighter Corey Comperatore  the rallygoer who was killed during the shooting at Trumps rally outside Pittsburgh last weekend.

Right now, the president of the United States  the former president and hopefully soon to be president of the United States Donald Trump  is alive not because of what the Secret Service did, but because he providentially turned his head, Roy said on The Ingraham Angle, adding thats the truth of the fact and the fact is, the American people are sick of it.

Roy also criticized members of the Biden administration, saying the public is sick of leaders keeping their jobs after events like the assassination attempt and President Bidens withdrawal of troops from Afghanistan in 2021.

Theyre sick of the FBI. Theyre sick of the intel community, he continued. All of these people keep their jobs and now, the Secret Service endangers the poor president and the sitting Republican nominee and theyre acting like nothing happened.

His comments come after 20-year-old Thomas Matthew Crooks opened fire at the rally in Butler, Pa., killing Comperatore, critically injuring two other event attendees and grazed the former presidents ear with a bullet. Crooks was also killed by a countersniper.

The Secret Service (USSS) was heavily criticized for its perceived lack of security and communication. USSS Director Kimberly Cheatle said her agency was solely responsible for Saturdays protocol and noted that certain safety factors  including the buildings sloped roof where the gunman lay  that were considered when police opted to secure the building from inside, instead of on top.

Cheatle will testify before the House Oversight and Accountability Committee on Monday to talk about what security failure led to Trumps near-death experience. There have been several calls for her to step down from her leadership position, which she has thus far refused to do.

Roy argued that it was absolutely unbelievable that the gunman flew a drone over the rally site hours before the event began, and the Secret Service didnt notice. Roy was referencing a report by The Wall Street Journal, which added to the security lapses for the day.

Heres the deal. We have to stop funding it. We have to stop giving these people jobs, he argued. We have to hold them accountable.

Its not just the Secret Service, Roy added later. Its the Pentagon, the Department of Defense, the FBI, the CIA, DHS.

Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. 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.
Former GOP presidential candidate Chris Christie argued with The View hosts on Friday over who he would vote for in the upcoming election, saying neither former President Trump nor President Biden would earn his support.

I know youre not voting for Trump. Would you vote for a Democratic ticket? host Ana Navarro asked the former New Jersey governor.

Right now, Im not voting for either, Christie told The View hosts in response. Im just not. I cant. One guy is completely, mentally incompetent to do the job.

He was cut off by several hosts.

But you have to vote! Joy Behar said.

Christie pushed back and said he will vote down ticket but he doesnt have to vote.

You cannot throw away your vote, Sunny Hostin responded.

Christie ran against Trump in the GOP primary. He suspended his bid in January but remained the only challenger to Trump who has remained critical of the former presidents campaign.

Christie said he will wait to see what the Democratic Party does with its nominee before making a final choice as concerns continue about Bidens ability to beat Trump in the election and serve another four years if reelected.

Navarro asked Christie if he thought it was rich for you to tell the Democrats that theyve got to get rid of their nominee when youre not willing to vote for any of their nominees?

Wait a second, you just asked me who Im voting for now. Biden is the nominee. Let me see what the Democrats do, he responded.

He added that he is willing to consider voting for anybody who presents themselves as someone who will make the country better. He said he is not encouraged by Vice President Kamala Harris performance thus far.

A growing number of Democratic lawmakers have called on Biden to step aside and allow someone else to take on Trump in November. Harris has emerged as a likely replacement but questions remain about who she would choose as a running mate if necessary.

But  to answer your question directly, I think that theyre gonna get rid of Biden. I think its most likely to be Harris and I think she has to pick a moderate Democratic governor, Christie said, adding that he thinks it could be Democratic Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro.

Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. 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.
Civilian killed in Russian artillery strike on Nikopol, Dnipropetrovsk Oblast

The aftermath of the Russian attack on the city of Nikopol. Photo: Dnipropetrovsk Oblast Military Administration

A man, 44, was killed in the Russian artillery strike on the city of Nikopol in Dnipropetrovsk Oblast on the afternoon of 20 July.

Source: Dnipropetrovsk Oblast Military Administration

Details: A woman, 60, has also been injured in the Nikopol district.

The attack damaged residential buildings, outbuildings, greenhouses, cars, gas pipelines, and a power line.

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Former President Donald Trump is wearing a bandage after being wounded in an assassination attempt.

Some RNC attendees and supporters started wearing ear bandages in shows of solidarity.

Leaders throughout history were shown similar support, such as Alexei Navalny.

After surviving an assassination attempt, former President Donald Trump made his first public appearance two days later, on the first night of the Republican National Convention.

He entered the convention center wearing a massive bandage on his right ear, where the bullet wounded him. In the days that followed, some of his supporters started sporting bandages of their own.

Like donning MAGA hats, "it facilitates a sense of belongingness and a sense of connection," Dr. Catherine Nobile, a clinical psychologist in New York, told Business Insider. "'We're all in this together, we're all behind the same idea.'"

The bandages go a step beyond Trump shirts and lawn signs, Dr. Angie Corbo, chair of communications studies at Widener University, told Business Insider.

Humans always do something you don't expect pic.twitter.com/fkzGQECzme  Jamie Bartlett (@JamieJBartlett) July 18, 2024

This is a classic example of co-regulation  a coping mechanism, well-documented in psychology, that can soothe the nervous system.

Signs of solidarity are comforting in a time of distress

Mimicry has always been a gesture of devotion and support. Take people shaving their heads in solidarity with cancer patients.

It's also not new in the world of politics. In 2017, for example, supporters of Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny painted their faces green after an attacker threw antiseptic green dye into his face.

For supporters of Navalny and now Trump, this performative act of imitation is a sign of solidarity. "It's saying, 'We matter and you can't take that away from us,'" Nobile said. "'My feelings about myself, the world around me, this culture, politics at large, it's an opinion that has validity and that's not going to be harmed.'"

But this goes beyond a political statement of defiance and allegiance. Signs of solidarity are also self-soothing.

Humans have a standard way of processing overwhelming emotions and stress: co-regulation, a technical term for hugging, talking, or touching. Evidence suggests co-regulation, such as wearing the same bandages, can "create a sense of understanding and belonging that can calm the nervous system," Nobile said.

"Not every Trump supporter can come and hug one another," she added. "The ear piece that they're all putting on, it could be a symbol in an effort to co-regulate as a community."

Trump's softer demeanor continues to rally supporters

Corbo said one of Trump's strengths is his ability to wield media to his advantage. He expressed excitement at getting an iconic photo moments after being shot because he understood its impact. Fans are already getting tattoos of said photo.

The ear bandages portray a different, softer message  one that could make his audience feel more connected to him.

To match the mood, Trump's tone and demeanor were softer throughout the RNC. Recapping the assassination attempt, he was subdued and somber. Then, he paid tribute to Corey Comperatore, a man who died during the rally, by hugging his firefighter uniform.

"When he kissed the helmet, anybody who is in a parasocial relationship with him felt the embrace," Corbo said.

The visible bandage further elicits his supporters' sympathy, concern, and togetherness.

"I'm not sure how long they'll last, but he might see the value of having the softer and the strong in combination with one another," she said.

Read the original article on Business Insider
SAN FRANCISCO (KRON)  A cleaning crew was robbed at gunpoint while working at a San Francisco club early Thursday morning, according to an Instagram post from Oasis Cabaret & Nightclub. The San Francisco Police Department confirmed the robbery and vandalism.

Oasis said four armed gunmen broke into the club and trashed the space after robbing the victims of their wallets and phones.

Drunk SFPD officer flashed gun at bar employees attempting to kick him out, documents say

It was bad enough that they broke a number of doors and trashed the place, but what is even more disturbing is that they robbed our cleaning crew at gunpoint. We are grateful everyone was unharmed, and that more damage wasnt done to our crew or our venue, Oasis said.

By the time police responded to the club, located at 298 11th St., the suspects had left. SFPD confirmed the damage and tampering that had been done to the business.

Oasis is a drag show nightclub and cabaret that has been operating in San Francisco since 2015.

No arrests have been made as of this story. Anyone with information regarding this investigation is asked to call SFPDs tip line at (415) 575-4444 or text a tip to TIP411 and begin the text message with SFPD.

Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. 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.
Rep. Jim Clyburn (D-S.C.) is urging Democrats to unify behind Biden as the Democratic convention approaches.

As of Saturday the number of Democratic lawmakers calling for Biden to step aside and those voicing public support is split exactly down the middle, with 35 making statements to either effect.

We are not unanimous in our support for the president but we are certainly unified in that support, Clyburn told MSNBC Sunday morning.

This process, this drama that they created  it may not be healthy, but it is curable. But we must stay focused, stay steady. We will win this race if we do so, he added.

Clyburn has stood behind Biden since the presidential debate, where the presidents poor performance and weak appearance launched public concerns about his ability to serve another term. After the debate, Clyburn advised Biden that he stay the course and told those calling him to leave to chill out.

Clyburn, who helped Biden gain approval among Black voters during the 2020 Democratic party, has been joined by other prominent Black members of the Democratic caucus in rallying behind the president.

Over 1,400 Black women signed a letter on Thursday in support of Biden writing that a divided house will fail.

I have never seen in modern times a wide open convention be successful in November. It has not happened, and I dont think it will happen now, Clyburn said, drawing from his recollection of the divisive 1972 and 1980 Democratic National Convention.

Clyburn recently noted that he expected that a mini-primary would likely take place at the convention if Biden were to step aside. At the time, he endorsed opening up the field in that event, however, his latest statement indicated that he would like to avoid a contested convention altogether.

I think that wed better go into Chicago unified as one part and one big love fest that we will share with the American people, Clyburn added.

We are not unanimous on anything. but we are unified. We are a unified party and we are unified in support of Joe Biden.

Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. 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 Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police Department held its inaugural Run Against Crime 5K Saturday morning.

Crime Stoppers collaborated in organizing the event.

The run started at the Charlotte Police and Fire Training Academy on Shopton Road.

Channel 9 spoke with Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police Chief Johnny Jennings about why the Crime Stoppers organization is so important.

ALSO READ: Reduce the stigma: Local nonprofit hosts 5K, festival to raise awareness about mental health

It allows that avenue and that vehicle for people who say, Hey, I know something about this, but I dont want to come out. It has helped solve so many cases year after year. It will continue to solve cases and keep our community safe, Jennings explained.

Crime Stoppers has been working within the Charlotte community since 1976.

The money raised during the event will go towards local programs focused on preventing and solving crimes.

VIDEO: Reduce the stigma: Local nonprofit hosts 5K, festival to raise awareness about mental health




















COLUMBUS, Ohio (WCMH)  The owner of a home healthcare agency has been sentenced after being convicted of falsely billing the states Medicaid system.

Dorreetha Irby, owner of Loving Hearts LLC of Columbus, was sentenced Thursday to five years of probation, a suspended 10-month prison sentence and $13,261.06 in restitution, according to Ohio Attorney General Dave Yosts office.

Irby was found guilty in May of Medicaid fraud and forgery, both fifth-degree felonies, after a week-long trial.

One suspect at large in Ohio State shooting and robbery

According to Yost, Loving Hearts contracted with the Ohio Department of Medicaid and the Ohio Department of Developmental Disabilities to provide in-home care for Medicaid patients living with developmental disabilities. Irby would then file false time sheets, billing Medicaid for the maximum number of hours regardless of the services Loving Hearts actually provided.

Facilitating fraud under the guise of a business named Loving Hearts is a sick and twisted irony, Yost said in a news release. Those who rely on Medicaid  and the taxpayers that fund Medicaid  deserve honest providers with kind hearts, not thieves in the night.

Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. 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.
LANCASTER - The Lancaster Post of the Ohio State Highway Patrol is investigating a single motorcycle fatal crash that occurred at approximately 7:19 p.m. Friday, July 19, at approximately 7:19 on Ohio 159 near mile post 1, in Clearcreek Township in Fairfield County.

Warren E. Brewer Jr., 64, of Columbus was operating a 2007 Harley Davidson motorcycle. Brewer was driving southbound on Ohio 159 when he drove off the right side of the roadway, struck a guardrail, and overturned onto its side when it came to final rest. Brewer was pronounced deceased on scene by the Fairfield County Coroners Office.

The crash is still under investigation by the Lancaster Post of the Ohio State Highway Patrol.

The Ohio State Highway Patrol was assisted on scene by the Clearcreek Township Fire/EMS, Amanda Township Fire Department, Saltcreek-Tarlton Fire Department, Fairfield County Sheriff's Office, and the Fairfield County Coroners Office.

This article originally appeared on Lancaster Eagle-Gazette: Columbus man killed in motorcycle crash on Ohio 159
Come meet our journalists at IndyStar's mobile newsroom at the Indiana State Fair

"We don't know who you are."

That's probably the clearest message the IndyStar has received from the reader advisory panel that we launched earlier this year. The panel is a mix of avid IndyStar readers, former subscribers and folks who are interested in local journalism but haven't ever supported it with a subscription.

So far, our two panel discussions have been lively. They've challenged and refined our understanding of the breadth of Central Indiana residents' news needs, along with how they're consuming news in an increasingly diffuse media landscape.

Between the 24/7 news cycle, ever-earlier deadlines and a city's news demands that, if we're being honest, have always outpaced our resources, there's always more work to do.

That work starts with some important introductions.

Last week, Indianapolis lost a civic titan with the passing of Jim Morris at age 81. Among Morris' many superpowers was an ability to connect people from his numerous spheres of influence and rally their talents for the greater good of the city.

I never met Morris, but he has my admiration. After all, connection is at the heart of local journalism and the IndyStar's mission.

You may have seen it before, but here's a reminder of our mission statement: IndyStar informs, empowers and inspires the people of Central Indiana with our journalism. We hold the powerful accountable and tell Hoosiers stories with depth and empathy. We do this to support democracy, improve lives and make our home state a more equitable place for all.

So who are we? At our core, we're that.

But who we are extends far beyond what we do. We're downtowners, west-siders and east-siders. We call Irvington, Broad Ripple, Fishers, Avon and Brownsburg home. Some of us walk to work at the corner of Meridian and Georgia streets. Some of us navigate Carmel's roundabout maze during our daily commutes.

In short, regardless of who you are or where you live in Central Indiana, an IndyStar journalist is your neighbor. So, we're going to do something neighborly and keep saying hello until you get to know us.

IndyStar: part of your Indianapolis community

IndyStar sports reporter Dana Hunsinger Benbow talks with an Indiana Fever fan before the Fever hosted IndyStar night on Friday, July 12, 2024, at Gainbridge Fieldhouse in Indianapolis.

As part of IndyStar night at the Indiana Fever's July 12 win over the Phoenix Mercury, a group of our journalists hosted a table to hand out notepads and pens, promote our Caitlin Clark Fever newsletter and meet more of our readers. Many thanks to the more than 500 Fever fans who signed up for the newsletter at the event, and to the readers who shared their praise, critique and troubleshooting needs.

Next up, we're headed to the Indiana State Fair, where I hope many of you will come to say hi. IndyStar journalists will be at the fair from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Aug. 2 and Aug. 6-9, working in our first of what I hope will be many "mobile newsroom" events to come.

Our partners in marketing have commissioned an 8-foot-by-10-foot mural of photojournalist Mykal McEldowney's iconic shot of Helio Castroneves and his pit crew celebrating their 2021 Indianapolis 500 win. We hope you'll visit the interactive mural and "climb the fence" for a photo keepsake.

Meyer Shank Racing driver Helio Castroneves (06) and team climb the fence near the yard of bricks Sunday, May 30, 2021, during the 105th running of the Indianapolis 500 at Indianapolis Motor Speedway.

While you're there, you'll have a chance to chat with McEldowney (he's planning to be there from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. Aug. 6), columnist Gregg Doyel, food and dining reporter Bradley Hohulin, investigative reporter Kristine Phillips and many more who have signed up for a shift at the fair.

We hope you'll come and score some IndyStar swag. More importantly, come with your story ideas, your questions about who we are and what we do, and your suggestions for how we can better serve Central Indiana with the news its residents deserve.

If you can't make it to the fair, I'm confident that a mobile newsroom will be headed your way in the months and years ahead.

Finally, if you're the leader of a service organization, community group or business that would be interested in having one of our journalists visit to talk about our work and mission to serve Central Indiana, send me an email at ericlarsen@indystar.com.

We'd love to hear from you. We'll also do our best to take a page from Morris' playbook and make some meaningful connections.

Thank you for reading IndyStar.

Eric Larsen is executive editor of IndyStar. Reach him at ericlarsen@indystar.com or 317-444-7342.

This article originally appeared on Indianapolis Star: Meet IndyStar journalists at our Indiana State Fair mobile newsroom
Congresswoman Sheila Jackson Lee attends an awards ceremony hosted by the Congressional Black Caucus in 2023. The Texas lawmaker died on Friday after battling pancreatic cancer. (Getty)

Congresswoman Sheila Jackson Lee has died aged 74 after being diagnosed with pancreatic cancer.

The Houston area congresswoman was a fixture of Democratic Party politics for almost three decades and a well-loved figure in the state of Texas. Her family announced her death on Friday evening.

"Today, with incredible grief for our loss yet deep gratitude for the life she shared with us, we announce the passing of US representative Sheila Jackson Lee of the 18th Congressional District of Texas. A fierce champion of the people, she was affectionately and simply known as Congresswoman by her constituents in recognition for her near-ubiquitous presence and service to their daily lives for more than 30 years, her family wrote in a statement released on her Twitter account.

Given Texass status as a traditionally Republican state, tributes for Jackson Lee poured in from friends made on both sides of the aisle during her time in Congress  including such polar opposites as Nancy Pelosi, Jamaal Bowman and Ted Cruz.

Sheila Jackson Lee attends an awards ceremony hosted by the Congressional Black Caucus in 2023. The Texas lawmaker died on Friday after battling pancreatic cancer. (Getty Images for Congressional B)

It is with deep sadness that I learned of the passing of my dear friend and colleague congresswoman Sheila Jackson Lee, said former speaker of the House Ms Pelosi.

Congresswoman Jackson Lee achieved a remarkable legislative record in the Congress for Houston and for our country. As a powerful voice for our Constitution and human rights, she fought tirelessly to advance fairness, equity and justice for all.

All of us in the House Democratic Caucus were blessed to know congresswoman Sheila Jackson Lee and we will miss her dearly, she said.

Im deeply saddened by the passing of my friend and colleague Sheila Jackson Lee. She was a tireless advocate for Houston. I will always cherish our friendship and the laughs we shared throughout the years. Heidi and I offer our prayers and sincerest condolences to her family, wrote Mr Cruz.

A proud Democratic stalwart in a conservative bastion, Jackson Lees Twitter account was active just hours before her death. Her final statements were a rousing condemnation of Donald Trumps speech to the RNC in Milwaukee on Thursday.

I have no idea what Donald Trump was talking about last night, read a post dated Thursday evening after Trumps speech wrapped up. For more than an hour, he rambled and lied. He is unfit for the presidency! Now, my friends, is the time to focus on beating him and his Project 2025 monstrosity. Enough is enough!

Jackson Lee was a graduate of Yale, and went on to earn a law degree from the University of Virginia Law School. During her study at Yale she was classmates with several other future fixtures of US political life, including Dr Ben and wife Candy Carson, as well as Henry Louis Gates.

In Congress, she was a leader in the Congressional Progressive Caucus and Congressional Black Caucus, as well as chief deputy whip for her party at large.

As a legislator, she carved out a progressive reputation, even at the cost of being a lone figure on some issues. She was an early opponent of the Iraq war, and championed legislation calling for reparations to Black descendants of enslaved Africans brought to the US as part of the intercontinental slave trade prior to the Civil War.

Cecilia and I will forever remember congresswoman Sheila Jackson Lee, Texas governor Greg Abbott, a conservative, wrote on Friday evening. "She was a proud Texan and a tireless advocate for the people of Houston. Her legacy of public service and dedication to Texas will live on.
Richland County Sheriff Leon Lott says hes very disappointed in a decision by the 5th Circuit Solicitors Office to not seek the death penalty for a man formerly on death row after murdering two people in Richland County.

The man will now serve life in prison, a decision supported by the victims families, according to the solicitors office.

Qunicy Allen, who said he wanted to be a Mafia hitman, was convicted in 2002 of brutally murdering two people in Richland County before killing two more in North Carolina.

Locally, Allen shot and killed Dale Hale, a woman he met on Two Notch Road, with a shotgun near I-77 in Columbia. He then doused her body with gasoline and set it on fire. A month after that killing, Allen  again using a shotgun  shot and killed Jedediah Harr, a bystander in an argument Allen had with others outside the Texas Roadhouse Grill on Two Notch Road.

Although Allen was ultimately sentenced to death, his sentence was overturned in 2022 by the U.S. 4th Circuit Court of Appeals, which found that the trial judge failed to consider all favorable evidence for him in the case.

That decision left 5th Circuit Solicitor Byron Gipson with a choice: re-try the sentencing phase of Allens trial to try to resecure the death penalty or settle with a life sentence. Gipson chose the latter, spurring Lott to express his disappointment with the case.

I am very disappointed in your decision, Lott wrote in an email to 5th Circuit Deputy Solicitor Dan Goldberg and Gipson. Quincy Allen is a cold-blooded killer of four victims. He will continue to kill as he has already demonstrated in prison. Any other deaths/injuries/crimes committed by him will be the result of your decision.

Its sad that the voices of the victims cannot be heard because we are not speaking for them, Lott said.

While incarcerated, Allen was charged with assault and battery on a prison employee with intent to kill in 2009, according to South Carolina Department of Corrections records. In 2012, he was charged with possessing a weapon while still behind bars and, in 2014, for threatening to inflict harm on a prison employee.

Prior to the 4th Circuit overturning Allens sentence, the S.C. Supreme Court unanimously upheld his death sentence in 2009, saying the sentence was proper and supported by ample aggravating circumstances that made him eligible for the death penalty.

Allen gave statements to police outlining the details of his crimes, the Supreme Court noted. He told police he began killing people because an inmate in federal prison, where Allen spent time for stealing a vehicle, had told him he could get him a job as a Mafia hit man.

Before starting his death spree, Allen used a homeless man, James White, 51  who was sitting on a bench in Finlay Park in downtown Columbia  for target practice. Allen shot him twice to learn how to use his shotgun, the high court noted.

If anyone deserves the death penalty, its Quincy Allen, Lott told The State Friday.

In an email last week to Lott and attorneys connected to Allens case, Goldberg said the decision to not re-try Allen for the death penalty was largely based on wishes from the victims families.

After a great deal of consideration, we have decided to allow Mr. Allen to be sentenced to life in prison rather than re-trying the sentencing phase of his previous death penalty trial. This decision was based in large part on conversations that our office has had with the surviving next of kin of both Ms. Hall and Ms. Harr, Goldberg wrote.

This was not an easy decision by any stretch of the imagination, Goldberg continued. Solicitor Gipson and I discussed the case at great lengths and he struggled mightily with how to resolve it. In the end, the idea of getting immediate closure for these families, rather than potentially living thru another 18 years of litigation, carried the day.

The sentencing will be placed on the record in front of Judge Debra McCaslin on Monday, July 22, at 1 p.m., in Lexington County.

Out of respect for the family, Gipson told The State Friday that he didnt think addressing Lotts comments were proper before Mondays hearing, but that he and Goldberg plan to fully explain their reasoning before McCaslin on Monday.

When sentenced in 2007, Allen, of Columbia, became the first person in Richland County in 10 years to receive the death penalty. In five other death penalty trials, from 1997 to 2000, defendants received life sentences. Richland County juries are known for handing down life sentences instead of death penalties.

But Allens case was unusual in that a judge, not a jury, imposed the sentence.

Allen had pleaded guilty before Judge G. Gordon Cooper, and Cooper then heard testimony about whether Allen should get the death penalty or life.

Allens lawyers contended the killer suffered from schizophrenia during his crime spree  but prosecutors said claims of mental illness were exaggerated.

Allens lawyers also said he had suffered a horrendous childhood, shuffled among relatives. His mother once stuffed him in a trash can.

It was those circumstances surrounding Allens childhood that led the 4th Circuit to overturn his original death sentence.

The appeals court said that Cooper, who sentenced Allen to death after 10 days of testimony in 2005, did not consider all of Allens mitigating evidence and sometimes assigned no weight at all to crucial mitigating evidence that works in favor of the defendant.

The trial court in this case just completely failed to give meaningful consideration to the overwhelming mental illness this young man has suffered, and the profound damage that Quincy had been subjected to as a young man and as a child, said 5th Circuit Public Defender Fielding Pringle, who served as Allens defense counsel when he was convicted in 2005.

Allen had a severe mental illness at the time of the killings and the sentence would likely have been different if the judge had not excluded, ignored or overlooked defense testimony concerning it, the federal panel said.

Allen also has pleaded guilty and been sentenced to life for killing the two North Carolina men in 2002.

Both families previously expressed that they would be okay with life, so long as Mr. Allen waived all appeals, and that they were ready to move on with their lives, Goldberg said in the email to Lott. Our office has made contact with both families again over the last few days and they each reiterated those same feelings. Mr. Allen has signed a waiver of all appeals and a waiver of his right to pursue a (post conviction relief).

I appreciate and Im grateful to the solicitor for looking at all of the factors ... and getting us to the right outcome, Pringle said. He should of never been sentenced to death. Never should have happened that he was sentenced to death. But ultimately, the system did what it was supposed to, and righted itself.

Staff writer John Monk contributed to this story.
PORTLAND, Ore. (KOIN)  A convicted felon faces charges after barricading himself inside a garage and making threatening statements related to a pending jail sentence, according to Corvallis police.

Authorities say a family living near 2050 NW Lance Way left their home and called police after an armed Jacob W. Jaeger, 27, began making the threats early Saturday morning.

Man sentenced to 4 years in prison for 2013 Baby Precious homicide

Corvallis police created a perimeter around the house and called in a SWAT team to help bring Jaeger into custody. Meanwhile, neighbors were evacuated from their homes and the surrounding community was told to avoid the area.

An Oregon State Police negotiator was able to contact Jaeger, who peacefully surrendered to law enforcement around 1:20 p.m. He was uninjured.

PHOTOS: Two men caught climbing 60-foot state camera tower near Sisters

Police brought Jaeger to Benton County Jail, where he faces charges of unlawfully using a weapon, unlawfully possessing a firearm, and possessing certain weapons as a felon.

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As many people look to enjoy the warmer summer months, COVID cases are rising across the United States.

Although the KP.3 COVID-19 variant continues to lead as the dominant variant, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) data shows that another variant, KP.3.1.1, is not too far behind the leading strain.

The CDC's Nowcast data tracker showed the projections of the COVID-19 variants for a two-week period starting on July 7 and ending on July 20. The KP.3 variant accounted for 32.9% of positive infections, followed by KP.3.1.1, at 17.7%. Combined, the two variants make up 50.6% of cases.

The data also shows that from June 23 to July 6, KP.3 was at 33.7% during the previous two-week period. The strain decreased in positivity by 0.8%. However, KP.3.1.1. rose 10.9% from 6.8% for the period ending on July 6 to 17.7% on July 20.

COVID-19 cases: Biden has COVID-19 and he isnt alone. Cases are rising across the US.

COVID Symptoms of KP.3, KP.3.1.1

The CDC has not said if KP.3 or KP.3.1.1 have their own specific symptoms. However, CDC Spokesperson Rosa Norman previously told USA TODAY that the symptoms associated with KP.3 are similar to those from JN.1. The government agency outlines the basic symptoms of COVID-19 on its website. These symptoms can appear between two and 14 days after exposure to the virus and can range from mild to severe.

These are some of the symptoms of COVID-19:

Fever or chills

Cough

Shortness of breath or difficulty breathing

Fatigue

Muscle or body aches

Headache

Loss of taste or smell

Sore throat

Congestion or runny nose

Nausea or vomiting

Diarrhea

The CDC said you should seek medical attention if you have the following symptoms:

Trouble breathing

Persistent pain or pressure in the chest

New confusion

Inability to wake or stay awake

Pale, gray, or blue-colored skin, lips, or nail beds

CDC data shows the COVID-19 test positivity by state

CDC data shows which states have the lowest and highest COVID-19 positivity rates from July 6 to July 13, 2024.

Can't see the map? Click here to view it.

The CDC data shows that COVID-19 test positivity has risen 12.6% within the past week.

On July 16, the CDC said that COVID-19 infections are growing in 42 states, stable or uncertain in 6 states, and declining to zero.

Changes in COVID-19 test positivity within a week

Data collected by the CDC shows that four states had the biggest increase of 5.6% in positive COVID-19 cases from July 6 to July 13, 2024.

Here's the list of states and their changes in COVID-19 positivity for the past week.

Alabama, +3.7%

Alaska, +0.6%

Arizona, +0.7%

Arkansas, +3.3%

California, +0.7%

Colorado, +3.1%

Connecticut, +3.4%

Delaware, +3.6%

District of Columbia, +3.6%

Florida, +3.7%

Georgia, +3.7%

Hawaii, +0.7%

Idaho, +0.5%

Illinois, +4.7%

Indiana, +4.7%

Iowa, +5.6%

Kansas, +5.6%

Kentucky, +3.7%

Louisiana, +3.3%

Maine, +3.4%

Maryland, +3.6%

Massachusetts, +3.4%

Michigan, +4.7%

Minnesota, +4.7%

Mississippi, +3.7%

Missouri, +5.6%

Montana, +3.1%

Nebraska, +5.6%

Nevada, +0.7%

New Hampshire, +3.4%

New Jersey, +5.5%

New Mexico, +3.3%

New York, +5.5%

North Carolina, +3.7%

North Dakota, +3.1%

Ohio, +4.7%

Oklahoma, +3.3%

Oregon, +0.6%

Pennsylvania, +3.6%

Puerto Rico, +5.5%

Rhode Island, +3.4%

South Carolina, +3.7%

South Dakota, +3.1%

Tennessee, +3.7%

Texas, +3.3%

Utah, +3.1%

Vermont, +3.4%

Virginia. +3.6%

Washington, +0.6%

West Virginia, +3.6%

Wisconsin, +4.7%

Wyoming, +3.1%

Biden is on Paxlovid to fight COVID: What to know about accessibility, effectiveness

How can we protect ourselves from KP.3, KP.3.1.1, and other variants?

The CDC recommends that everyone 6 months old and older get the updated 2024-2025 COVID-19 vaccine.

Ahjane Forbes is a reporter on the National Trending Team at USA TODAY. Ahjane covers breaking news, car recalls, crime, health, lottery and public policy stories. Email her at aforbes@gannett.com . Follow her on Instagram, Threads and X (Twitter) @forbesfineest.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: KP.3 COVID variant holds strong, KP.3.1.1 emerges: Symptoms, CDC data
NEW YORK (PIX11)  You may have heard more people around you mentioning they recently contracted COVID 19.

In the city, COVID cases are up 317 percent between May and last week, based on a 7-day average and hospitalizations are up 160 percent.

Some experts say the numbers are likely much higher.

Stephanie Silvera is the Acting Associate Dean for the College of Public Health at Montclair State University. She said, those are an undercount of those people who have covid. Very few people are going for clinical testing, the PCR tests, and those are the only ones being reported.

She added, The only way we really know whats happening with covid is hospitalizations and those are slowly creeping up.

If you test positive, the city recommends people isolate until they are fever free for 24 hours without medication and their other symptoms are improving.

For the next five days, it advises wearing a mask and distancing from others.

The city also reminds people it does offer free PCR testing at a location in Crown Heights.

Not a cyberattack: NYC services not affected by global Microsoft outage

Thomas Park is feeling better after testing positive for COVID earlier this week.

The 18-year-old is visiting NYC from North Carolina. He isolated until his serious symptoms subsided.

Thomas Park, I mainly had a stuffy nose and a sore throat and headaches and body soreness.

Its an ever prevalent threat that never really went away  obviously cases are down overall but its still something to take seriously.

Experts say some people are not testing right now because they cant afford to isolate. Park understands it can be hard to do so but hopes people will if they can.

Its something you have to do for the greater good of society. You have a duty to keep others as well as yourself safe.

Global tech outage causing disruptions at New York City, New Jersey airports

The City of New York released the following statement in response to the increase in COVID cases: We are still seeing an increase in cases of COVID and have the tools and experience to protect ourselves and one another. We encourage anyone not feeling well to stay home to keep our communities safe. If you test positive for COVID, treatments are available to you. The citys vaccine finder continues to be a valuable resource to help New Yorkers find a place to get vaccinated. And for people who want an extra layer or protection, high quality masks continue to help guard against all respiratory viruses.

Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. 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 Calgary Zoo has a lot to celebrate with the birth of a "critically endangered" Egyptian Tortoise, and in sharing the news, they've given the audience a very adorable first look.

On July 17, 2024, the Calgary Zoo took to social media to announce the birth of this "major milestone" baby, and this baby is really cute. Take a look!

"Tiny Tortoise brings big joy," the zoo wrote on Instagram. "Its a tiny tale nearly a decade in the making."

Related: Tortoise Booping Golden Retriever on the Nose Is Just Like a Little Sibling

The Instagram post celebrated the birth, which happed on July 8, and it marked a very big milestone in all the work that's gone into helping this species.

"This successful hatching marks a major milestone in our conservation breeding efforts for the species, which began in 2015," the zoo share.

Along with the news, the zoo shared two photos of the Egyptian Tortoise baby, and it is smaller than expected when we think about a tortoise.

The first photo shows someone who is wearing medical gloves holding onto the little tortoise who is gently held between two fingers.

The second image is a comparison photo between the baby tortoise and a Canadian two dollar coin, which is slightly larger than a quarter.

Such a tiny little turtle, but so important.

In the comments, people were happy to celebrate the birth of the little turtle.

One person wrote, "So great to see another species being saved. Hopefully the other egg will hatch."

Another shared, "This makes me so happy!!! Ive been wondering if a viable egg happened! One of my favourite animals to come and see!!"

Someone else added, "Congratulations! What a cute little joy!"

And the zoo continued, explaining why this birth is something extra important to celebrate.

Conservation isn't just something we do; it's our purpose and underscores our deep connection to nature and our duty to help safeguard the world we share," said Mona Keith, Animal Care Supervisor.

Like this tiny tortoise emerging into a vast world, its arrival symbolizes hope and resilience for its species. Through dedicated conservation efforts and education, we can foster this hope and strive towards a future where these remarkable reptiles can flourish.

Interesting Facts About the Egyptian Tortoise

According to the Calgary Zoo, Egyptian Tortoises are "known for their small size" which makes them perfectly adapt for the desert.

Their small size "allows them to easily regulate their temperature and avoid overheating. Being pale in color allows an Egyptian tortoise to reflect heat, as well as hide from predators, in their desert home," the zoo explains on its website. "While this species is active during the day, they rest during high heat and browse for food at dawn and dusk."

They're listed as "critically endangered" by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) due to "degradation of landscape and trade."

Th IUCN notes that due to trade and loss of habitat, their population numbers continue to decline, and the Egyptian Tortoise is essentially "extinct" in some areas they were previously found.
Is CrowdStrike outage still affecting my flight? Updates from Florida airports

Flights are still seeing delays and cancellations Saturday after a global outage of cybersecurity service CrowdStrike disrupted airports, banks, hospitals and other businesses around the world.

The U.S. cybersecurity firm said an update had a defect that impacted Microsoft's Windows Operating System.

While most airports across Florida reported being back to normal operations, airlines are still reporting issues. Flight-tracking service FlightAware reported more than 2,500 delays and more than 1,000 cancellations of U.S. flights Saturday.

Delta posted on social media Saturday morning that it's "continuing operational recovery" after Friday's outage. "A travel waiver is still in effect for those impacted," the airline posted on the site formerly known as Twitter.

We are continuing operational recovery today following an outside vendor technology issue. For updates on itineraries visit our website or the Fly Delta app. A travel waiver is still in effect for those impacted. For the latest visit: https://t.co/zA4eOrlFe9  Delta (@Delta) July 20, 2024

United also posted Friday night that some flights could still be delayed or canceled. It also informed passengers about its travel waiver, which lets travelers change their flight or connection city if needed.

While most of our systems have recovered from the worldwide third-party software outage, we may continue to experience some disruption to our operation, including flight delays and cancellations.



Our travel waiver allows you to change your flight or connection city. To see your  United Airlines (@united) July 20, 2024

Scroll down for updates on airports across Florida, as well as how to check the flight status for your airline.

Orlando International Airport said Friday it "has experienced limited impact from the worldwide technology glitch that affected IT systems at several U.S. airlines."

MCO's most recent update came about 1:30 p.m. Friday, saying "delays/cancellations may continue, and we kindly ask all travelers to continue contacting their airlines for the latest updates."

MCO provided advice Friday asking travelers to:

Check with their airlines for the latest flight information

Allow extra time for check-in and baggage processing

Monitor the airports website and social media for updates

 How the global Microsoft outage is impacting Tallahassee airport

 Check on flight status at RSW in Fort Myers, Punta Gorda Airport

Fort Lauderdale airport

Fort Lauderdale International Airport posted updates through Friday afternoon from airlines saying operations were returning to normal. FLL suggested travelers check with their airline for flight status updates.

Miami airport

The Miami International Airport website noted the global outage was causing delays at the airport, but the page with more information was not available Saturday morning. The MIA social media feed urged passengers to contact their airline for flight status updates.

Palm Beach International Airport reported 20 cancellations and more than 50 delays as of Friday afternoon. PBI requested passengers check with their airlines before heading to the airport.

Tampa airport

Tampa International Airport sent an update Friday morning that flight operations had fully resumed. TPA encouraged passengers to check with their airlines directly for updates on flight status.

Jacksonville International Airport posted that passengers could experience longer lines, delays and possible cancelations as it and airlines work to restore normal operations. JAX last posted an update to social media Friday morning asking passengers to check with their airlines for flight updates.

Some flights Friday were canceled, and one flight Friday morning was delayed by three hours.

Sarasota Bradenton International Airport reported 11 canceled flights and 17 delays Friday morning, according to SRQ spokesperson Emma Klostermeyer.

Sanford airport

Orlando Sanford International Airport posted Friday that because of technical issues, flights to and from SFB might be delayed or canceled. It asked passengers to contact Allegiant Airlines directly for flight status updates.

How to check if your flight is delayed or canceled

Most airlines have an app that will notify you of flight cancellations or delays. You can also check the status of your flight through FlightAware.

Most airports are asking passengers to check directly with their airline. Websites for some airlines listed below:

Delta flight status

Check on status of Delta Airlines flights.

American Airlines flight status

Check on status of American flights.

Southwest flight status

Check on status of Southwest Airlines flights.

United flight status

Check on status of United Airlines flights.

Allegiant flight status

Check on status of Allegiant Airlines flights.

JetBlue flight status

Check on status of JetBlue Airways flights.

Spirit flight status

Check on status of Spirit Airlines flights.

Frontier flight status

Check on status of Frontier Airlines flights.

Breeze Airways flight status

Check on status of Breeze flights.

Avelo flight status

Check on status of Avelo Airlines flights.

This article originally appeared on Treasure Coast Newspapers: CrowdStrike outage at Florida airports: Check Delta flight status
(Bloomberg) -- The cryptocurrency industry is hoping the upcoming US presidential election will put someone in the White House who has a softer approach on enforcement, thereby ending prolonged battles with Wall Streets top cop.

Most Read from Bloomberg

Former President Donald Trump has lately cozied up to the $2.5 trillion crypto industry, even inviting supporters to a Bitcoin-focused fundraiser on July 27. Although the Republican nominee criticized cryptocurrencies while in office, his recent comments have been more favorable  and lawyers expect that, if he wins, the US Securities and Exchange Commission will stop pursuing the digital-asset space so aggressively.

A Trump administration would likely seek to reset and rethink the SECs crypto regulatory policy, said Michael Selig, partner at Willkie Farr & Gallagher LLP. Such a reset would naturally involve resolving ongoing enforcement actions and investigations brought by the prior administration.

Under President Joe Biden, the SEC has ramped up its pursuit of the industry, especially after the collapse of crypto exchange FTX in 2022. The regulator has brought dozens of enforcement cases, often accusing exchanges and broker-dealers of not properly registering under securities law.

SEC Chair Gary Gensler maintains that most cryptocurrencies are securities and should therefore register with the agency. Many crypto companies either argue that their tokens are not securities or say the registration requirements are unclear.

The SEC has settled some matters, but litigation involving firms including Kraken, Coinbase and Binance are still tied up in court. The SEC has also closed some of its investigations including one into Ethereum and another regarding BUSD, a Binance-branded cryptocurrency issued by New York-headquartered Paxos.

The varied outcomes have left open the question of whether tokens are, or are not, securities. The SECs lawsuit against Ripple Labs Inc. and its executives could help put the matter to rest.

The SEC alleged that Ripple conducted an unregistered securities offering through the sale of XRP tokens, raising over $1.3 billion. In what many saw as a setback for the SEC, a federal judge ruled last July that sales of XRP to retail investors on exchanges did not amount to investment contracts.

Ripple Chief Executive Officer Brad Garlinghouse predicted a resolution very soon in an interview with Bloomberg Television on Wednesday.

The SEC filed that lawsuit in 2020 while Trump was still in office, and he has not offered specific details about his views on crypto regulation. But several lawyers and executives within the industry said they expect less enforcement activity if he gets elected again.

Remember, if Trump gets elected, the Republicans can immediately change who the chair is, said Austin Campbell, a blockchain consultant and adjunct professor at Columbia Business School. What this means in practical terms is that many of these cases  which have been shotgunned out at highly variable degrees of quality and generating highly variable decisions that are increasing confusion  could all be settled instead of having to go forward.

Of course, it is not certain that Trump will win the election, or what his actual policy stance will be. He has been leading in recent polls amid speculation that Biden may step aside to let another Democrat replace him on the ballot. Whether that will happen, who it would be or how a different candidate would fare against Trump is unclear.

And, some experts do not predict the SEC will drop or settle ongoing litigation, even if Trump were to win.

Securities enforcement cases are typically apolitical and theres little staff turnover resulting from political changes, said Emily Meyers, general counsel at venture capital firm Electric Capital.

Its unlikely that any ongoing cases get dropped, especially those that are already being argued in federal court, Meyers said. Its more likely that a new administration, or even a second Biden administration, brings fewer or different types of new crypto enforcement cases.

Ji Kim, chief legal and policy officer at lobbying group Crypto Council for Innovation, took a similar view.

If President Trump were reelected and chair Gensler steps down, we could see the current regulation-by-enforcement norm change, he said. However, that would depend on the leadership and the make-up of the commissioners  nothing is guaranteed.

Most Read from Bloomberg Businessweek

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Cubans continue fighting in war against Ukraine for generous payments and Russian citizenship  Bloomberg

Cuban citizens continue to travel to Russia to join the fight against Ukraine, despite the government's efforts to stop the Russian recruitment.

Source: Bloomberg citing an anonymous source familiar with the matter

Quote: "Volunteers are signing up through informal channels and the total number involved in the fighting is likely in the low hundreds, though exact details are hard to establish."

Details: The Russian military uses generous rewards to recruit impoverished Cubans as the country struggles with energy blackouts and food shortages in an economic crisis that has sparked widespread migration and street protests.

Some are also drawn to the chance of receiving Russian citizenship, after Vladimir Putin's January directive allowing foreigners to seek citizenship in exchange for military service.

The Russian Defence Ministry did not respond to Bloombergs request for comment, same as did officials from the Cuban embassy in Washington and the Foreign Ministry in Havan.

According to the news agency, Russia has increased recruitment at home and abroad in an effort to replace the large number of soldiers killed or injured in Ukraine.

Western estimates place Russia's losses since the invasion began in February 2022 at 500,000. The UK Ministry of Defence stated on 12 July that Russia may have lost 70,000 killed and wounded in the last two months.

Background:

Russia is recruiting nationals from different countries into the war in Ukraine, including the poorest states.

Russia recruited about 15,000 Nepali citizens for the war against Ukraine, CNN and Nepali opposition lawmaker and former foreign minister Bimala Rai Paudyal reported.

Indian publications, citing sources, reported in July that Russia decided to dismiss all Indians recruited by Russia for the war in Ukraine after a meeting between Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Kremlin leader Vladimir Putin.

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TOPEKA (KSNT)  A major technology outage caused disruptions across the world, and here in Kansas.

One of the most notable closures was drivers license offices. Friday, drivers license stations across the Sunflower State were shut down with no advance notice, leaving people upset.

Cindy Collins made a trip to the office and was surprised to find the doors locked.

Im a little shocked, she said.

Scott Akerstrom shared the confusion.

I was like what the heck. Like, why is it closed? I didnt know about any cyber outage, Akerstrom said.

Crowdstrike, a Texas based cybersecurity company, said a worldwide outage was caused by a defect in a software update it deployed to Windows computers that use its software.

Steven Blount came to the office to renew his drivers license. He was disappointed about what he had to give up to do so.

I took a half-days vacation. I was going to do that and a couple of other things this afternoon, but wasted a day of vacation. Half a day of vacation at least, Blount said.

Kansas courts proceeded with all scheduled hearings Friday, but had to work without their computers. Local emergency operators and many police officers were also forced to put pen to paper. However, 9-1-1 lines were unaffected. Many state websites went down as well, with phone lines going along with it.

Eric McCracken wished that someone would have let him know the offices were closed before he made the trip.

It would have been good to have a notice or something put on and put out there that they was going to be closed this Friday. You know, it wouldve helped a lot, McCracken said.

State officials tell 27 News that theyve identified the problem, and are currently working to get all their computers back up and running for business on Monday.

For more Kansas news, click here. Keep up with the latest breaking news in northeast Kansas by downloading our mobile app and by signing up for our news email alerts. Sign up for our Storm Track Weather app by clicking here.

Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to KSNT 27 News.
Cyprus marked the 50th anniversary of its division on Saturday, as Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan rejected a unified Cypriot federation.

"We believe that a [single] federal solution is not possible in Cyprus, the Turkish leader said on Saturday while visiting the Turkish-controlled north of the divided island.

Cypriot President Nikos Christodoulides has rejected calls for a two-state solution.

"We are under no circumstances discussing a two-state solution," Christodoulides told dpa on Thursday.

Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis called on Saturday for a united Cyprus.

"Its been half a century since the national tragedy of Cyprus ... We claim a European state, united, based on UN resolutions. No foreign occupation army," Mitsotakis wrote on the social media platform X.

European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen also commented, calling the day a "tragic 50th anniversary."

"Cypriots deserve to live in a reunited country in conditions of peace, co-existence, stability and prosperity," she argued.

Von der Leyen said further: "We will continue to firmly support Cyprus in the efforts to reunify the last divided EU member state, in line with the relevant UN Security Council Resolutions."

50 years divided

Cyprus has been divided since 1974, when nationalist Greek Cypriots and the military dictatorship in Athens sought to unite Cyprus with Greece, leading to a coup on the island.

To prevent a union with Greece, Turkey intervened militarily, with the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus (TRNC) being proclaimed in 1983 in the northern part of the island. To this day, it is only recognized by Turkey.

In 2004, the entire island was admitted to the EU as a state. De jure, the entire island has been an EU member since then, but EU law is only applied in the southern part, meaning the island is de facto divided.

A two-state solution is opposed not only by Nicosia but also by the European Union and the United Nations. The UN's goal has always been a federation with a central government.

Turkey celebrates anniversary

Erdogan has said that Ankara is ready to negotiate and establish a permanent peace and solution in Cyprus.

However, he has charged that Turkish Cypriots are regularly discriminated against and not allowed to share the island's energy resources.

The event on Saturday, marking the 50th year of Turkey's invasion of the Mediterranean island, featured an elaborate military parade.

A fleet of 50 ships, jets and armed drones from the Turkish mainland were to join the parade, the state news agency Anadolu reported.

Cypriot President Nikos Christodoulides speaks to media as he arrives to attend the EU summit in Brussels. Gaetan Claessens/European Council/dpa
A boy has been killed in Mykolaiv. Photo: Archive of the SOUVENIR Dance Ensemble

A 13-year-old dancer, Kyrylo Diadiushka, has been killed in a Russian missile strike on the city of Mykolaiv on the evening of 19 July.

Source: SOUVENIR Folk Dance Ensemble on Facebook

Details: "Our Sunshine, our talented child who dreamed and wanted to live so much... Why? Words cannot express this terrible pain," the ensemble reported.

Ukraine's Interior Ministry reported that the missile had hit a playground.

Kyrylo was a member of the dance ensemble.

Photo: Archive

The boy was a 7th grader at Mykolaiv secondary school No. 10.

"This is a tragic day for our gymnasium family. Our student Kyrylo Diadiushka has been killed by an enemy missile...

He was always cheerful, creative, and artistic, participating in all art competitions and being a member of the Ukrainian SOUVENIR Dance Ensemble. An enemy missile claimed Kyrylo's life, and he will remain 13 forever," the Facebook group of Mykolaiv Gymnasium No. 10, where the boy studied, said.

The child's mother is in shock. She was provided with assistance by psychologists of the State Emergency Service, the Interior Ministry added.

Ukrainska Pravda. Zhyttia expresses its condolences to Kyrylo's parents.

Three people have been killed in the Russian missile attack in Mykolaiv. In addition to the boy, the Russian attack claimed the lives of two women aged 53 and 63. Fifteen people have been injured.

Background:

Russia has killed over 560 Ukrainian children since the start of its full-scale invasion of Ukraine.

On 8 July, a 10-year-old karate star, Maksym Symaniuk, his younger sister Anastasiia and their mother were killed in a Russian attack on Kyiv.

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The first hints of imminent global chaos came in the dead of night.

A U.S cybersecurity firm that serves hundreds of Fortune 500 companies alerted clients a software glitch was causing computer users' worst nightmare: the Blue Screen of Death. CrowdStrike blamed a botched update to its falcon Sensor software in the 1:30am ET alert, saying it was causing Microsoft Windows to crash.

When Ty McKinnie arrived in the early morning hours at New Yorks LaGuardia Airport, he was unaware of the brewing storm and unprepared for the blue death screens all around him. McKinnie, a 31-year-old musician and filmmaker, was focused on getting home to North Carolina for his grandfathers funeral.

I'm thinking Oh, its a display issue, someone needs to fix the computer, he said. I didnt think it was an actual worldwide system going down.

Like many Americans, McKinnie took to social media to share his confusion, where he quickly realized that the issue wasnt just hitting New York. The outage had impacted more than 10,000 flights, knocked parts of public transit systems offline, disrupted operations at hospitals and 911 call centers, and sent global stocks sliding.

As the day unfolded hour by hour, blue screen by blue screen, tech issues cropped up in vastly different industries, reminding people across the country and the world just how much society has come to rely on interconnected technology - and how vulnerable that has made us to a software glitch or cyberattack.

Jordan Rawls troubleshoots the advertising monitors at the baggage carousel at the Eugene Airport during the global Microsoft outage on Friday, July 18, 2024.

McKinnies flight would be delayed twice before it was finally canceled, forcing him to spend hours in a rebooking line so long it wrapped around itself like a snake. By the time McKinnie made it to the front, no other flight out would get him to the funeral on time. Even if he drove, hed miss it. He said he left the airport six hours after he'd arrived defeated, really angry, with tears in my eyes.

"I just hope this doesn't happen again to this scale. I mean, things happen, but the fact that this is a massive thing, and it's not just airlines, it's banks, it's computer systems," he said. "For things to be this interconnected, it shouldn't be this easily penetrable."

Live updates: Global tech outage hits airlines, banks, health care and public transit

911 dispatchers turn to pen and paper during CrowdStrike crisis

Within hours of CrowdStrike sending out its alert, the outage struck 911 call centers across the country.

In Alaska, both non-emergency and 911 calls went unanswered at multiple dispatch centers for seven hours.

Some personnel were shifted to the centers that were still up and running to help with their increased load of calls, while others switched to analog phone systems, Austin McDaniel, state public safety department spokesperson, told USA TODAY in an email. McDaniel said they had a plan in place, but the situation was "certainly unique.

Agencies in at least seven states reported temporary outages, including the St. Louis County Sheriff's Office, the Faribault Police Department in Minnesota, and 911 systems in New Hampshire, Fulton County, Indiana, and Middletown, Ohio. Reports of 911 outages across the country peaked at more than 100 on Friday just before 3 a.m., according to Downdetector.

In Noble County, Indiana, about 30 miles northwest of Fort Wayne, 911 dispatchers were forced to jot down notes by hand when the system went down in the early morning hours, according to Gabe Creech, the county's emergency management director. While the outage persisted from 1 a.m. to 3 a.m. ET, some calls were routed to dispatchers in surrounding counties who could transfer information back to Noble County first responders, he said.

"We had to switch over to our backup 911 system," said Creech.

United Airlines employees wait by a departures monitor displaying a blue error screen, also known as the blue screen of death, inside Terminal C in Newark International Airport, after United Airlines and other airlines grounded flights due to a worldwide tech outage caused by an update to CrowdStrike's "Falcon Sensor" software which crashed Microsoft Windows systems, in Newark, New Jersey, on July 19, 2024.

A White House wake-up call on CrowdStrike

Anne Neuberger, deputy national security adviser for cyber and emerging technology, started her day with a 4 a.m. ET wakeup call from the White House Situation Room on the developing CrowdStrike crisis. Neuberger said during a panel at the Aspen Security Forum Friday that she spent the morning assessing the outage's impact on the nations critical infrastructure sectors and spoke with George Kurtz, CrowdStrikes CEO, POLITICO reported.

President Joe Biden was briefed on the outages, and his team was in touch with the cybersecurity firm, as well as with impacted companies and agencies, according to the White House. Biden would receive "sector-by-sector updates throughout the day and is standing by to provide assistance as needed," the White House added.

Kurtz, meanwhile, apologized for the disruptions in an early morning interview with NBC's Today and said in a post on X at 5:45 a.m. ET that the issue had been identified, a fix had been deployed, and the company would "continue to provide complete and continuous updates on our website." He stressed that the incident was "not a security incident or cyberattack."

Dmitri Alperovitch, CrowdStrike's former chief technology officer, is a member of the Biden administration's Homeland Security Advisory Council, which is meant to provide advice and expertise to support decision-making "across the spectrum of homeland security operations." Alperovitch declined to comment Friday to USA TODAY, either in his capacity as a former top CrowdStrike official or in his current role on the Homeland Security Advisory Council.

"I am not there anymore and not commenting," he said in a text, in reference to CrowdStrike.

Doctors appointments, medical procedures canceled across country

Shahana Hanif, a New York City councilmember in Brooklyn, commuted forty-five minutes to her doctors appointment this morning before being told all appointments were canceled because of the tech outage.

Im grateful that this was a non-urgent matter but, interruptions in patient care and treatments can have serious consequences, Hanif said in a post on X.

The outage indiscriminately impacted healthcare services across the country. American Hospital Association officials were working with the federal government and facilities nationwide to address the outage and understand its scope and impact, said John Riggi, the AHAs national advisor for cybersecurity and risk.

Mass General Brigham in Boston canceled previously scheduled non-urgent surgeries, procedures and medical visits, according to a statement sent to USA TODAY. Its facilities remained open for urgent health concerns and emergency department visits and continued treating patients who were receiving care in the hospital.

In the Midwest, Cincinnati Children's Hospital said many of its Microsoft-based computer systems were down, which forced the hospital to cancel appointments before 10 a.m. ET. Patients were told to expect delays throughout the day.

Doreen McGettigan, 65, of suburban Philadelphia, said shes feeling angst-ridden because Penn Medicine canceled an appointment to check whether her colon cancer is still in remission. Despite multiple attempts both online and over the phone, she was unable to reschedule the appointment because the hospital was overwhelmed with calls and queries due to the outage.

Timing is critical for McGettigan. If shes unable to get her scan done next week, shell be forced to delay an appointment with her oncologist who needs the scan to verify shes still in remission. It also could interfere with a vacation and an unrelated surgery scheduled next month.

Anxiety for cancer patients is a real thing  and its terrifying, said McGettigan. I'm just trying to keep telling myself this is the world we live in right now, and I just have to be calm.

CrowdStrike-caused outages delay commuters and transit

Just as many Americans were beginning their commute Friday, public transit systems across the U.S., including Washingtons Metropolitan Area Transit Authority in D.C., the New Yorks Metropolitan Transportation Authority, Metro Transit in Minneapolis, Cincinnati Metro and Oakland, California-based Alameda-Contra Costa Transit District were hit with delays, website and app outages, problems with their social media feeds and issues with payment and ticketing systems.

Delays on some commuter rail lines in the Chicago area were as long as 45 minutes, The Chicago Tribune reported. Chicago Transit bus and rail service was not affected.

The outage also affected operations at U.S-Canada and U.S.-Mexico border crossings.

CBP One, an app developed by U.S. Customs and Border Protection for migrants, travelers, bus operators, pilots, commercial truck drivers and others, was experiencing technical issues. Customs and Border Protections desktop border wait times website appeared to be experiencing an outage as well.

The Detroit Free Press reported stalled traffic on the Ambassador Bridge, which connects the city with Windsor, Ontario, Canada. Vehicles appeared to be going about 10 mph into America and moving a little fasterabout 25 mphinto Canada, the outlet, part of the USA TODAY Network, reported just before 9 a.m. Traffic was also slow at the Detroit-Windsor Tunnel, more so for those entering the U.S. than those going to Canada.

Doug Witten, who was stuck in traffic Friday on the Blue Water Bridge to Canada, warned that the incidents were an example of just how vulnerable and interconnected our digital systems are and why threat protection from criminals, terrorists and foreign nations is so vital.

"What I'm scared about, as a cyber security professional, is what could happen," Witten, an assistant professor of computer science at Wayne State University, told the Free Press. "If this were an attack, we wouldn't be recovering from it."

Contributing: Josh Meyer, Gabe Hauari, Kim Hjelmgaard, Christopher Cann, Felecia Wellington Radel, Adrianna Rodriguez, Bailey Schulz, Zachary Schermele, Cybele Mayes-Osterman, Phaedra Trethan, and Ken Alltucker, USA TODAY

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: How CrowdStrike outage severed 911 calls, flights, health services
Death toll from Russian missile attack on Mykolaiv rises to 4

The death toll from a Russian missile attack on Mykolaiv on July 19 has risen to four, Mayor Oleksandr Sienkevych reported on July 20.

A man injured in the strike died in hospital, Sienkevych said. The other victims are a 12-year-old boy, an elderly woman, and another man.

The attack hit a residential part of Mykolaiv during the afternoon, injuring at least a dozen people. The blast damaged 19 residential buildings, a kindergarten, and numerous cars.

"Russia proves every day with its terror that pressure on it is not enough. This destruction of life must be stopped," Zelensky said in response to the attack.

Mykolaiv Oblast and other southern regions regularly suffer Russian attacks. The city of Mykolaiv lies roughly 60 kilometers (37 miles) northwest of the front line in Kherson Oblast.

Read also: Drone attack damages power, water supply in Poltava Oblast

Weve been working hard to bring you independent, locally-sourced news from Ukraine. Consider supporting the Kyiv Independent.
Demetris Gadson arrested in connection with Topeka homicide death of Dedra Simmons

Topeka police said they arrested a man Friday in connection with the homicide death that morning of a woman in central Topeka.

Demetris Terrill Gadson, 32, was taken into custody in connection with crimes linked to the death of Dedra L. Simmons, 38, of Topeka, said Lt. Ronnie Connell of the Topeka Police Department.

Police were called about 6 a.m. Friday to a report of a domestic disturbance in the 1300 block of S.W. Western Avenue, where they found Simmons suffering from life-threatening injuries, Connell said.

Simmons was taken to a Topeka hospital, where she subsequently died, Connell said.

Topeka police on Friday arrested Demetris Terrill Gadson, 32, in connection with crimes that included second-degree murder.

Gadson was booked at 5:25 p.m. Friday into the Shawnee County Jail, where he was being held without bond in connection with one count each of second-degree murder, aggravated battery and cruelty to animals, jail records said.

Gadson was also being held in connection with a parole violation, jail records said.

Kansas Department of Corrections records show Gadson was released Aug. 7 from El Dorado Correctional Facility, where he was being held on Sedgwick County convictions for two counts of aggravated sexual battery and one count of aggravated burglary.

Simmons was Topeka's 10th homicide victim this year.

Further details weren't being made public.

Contact Tim Hrenchir at threnchir@gannett.com or 785-213-5934.

This article originally appeared on Topeka Capital-Journal: Arrest made in connection with Topeka homicide death of Dedra Simmons
Democratic calls for a new nominee ramp up as Biden camp pledges to stay the course

President Joe Biden speaks at the 115th NAACP National Convention at the Mandalay Bay Convention Center on July 16, 2024 in Las Vegas, Nevada. It was Bidens last event before he left the campaign trail due to testing positive for COVID-19. (Photo by Mario Tama/Getty Images)

WASHINGTON  Ten more congressional Democrats called on President Joe Biden to drop his reelection bid Friday, the most in a single day since a poor debate performance shook confidence among his fellow Democrats in his ability to win Novembers election.

The 10 Democrats on Friday, the day after former President Donald Trump officially accepted his partys nomination at the Republican National Convention in Milwaukee, brought the total to 31, increasing the pressure on Biden to withdraw from the race.

While no member of congressional Democratic leadership has publicly called for Biden to step down, several top Democrats who were either involved with handling Trumps impeachment trials or with investigations into the Jan. 6, 2021, insurrection at the U.S. Capitol have raised their concerns, citing the former presidents threat to democracy.

California Rep. Adam Schiff, who was the lead impeachment manager in Trumps first impeachment trial, called on Biden to drop out, saying in a statement that he had serious concerns about the presidents ability to win a second term.

And Maryland Rep. Jamie Raskin, who was a member of the House Select Committee to Investigate the Jan. 6 Attack on the U.S. Capitol, stopped short of explicitly calling on Biden to step down, but urged the president to reconsider whether he should remain in the presidential race.

Biden remained at home in Delaware with no public events scheduled after testing positive for COVID-19 on Wednesday evening.

In an interview on MSNBCs Morning Joe early Friday, Biden campaign co-chair Jen OMalley Dillon said the president remained absolutely in the race, even as a growing number of Democrats voiced unease about his ability to defeat Trump.

Absolutely the president is in this race, youve heard him say that time and time again, she said. He is the best person to take on Donald Trump.

But reports also surfaced Friday that Vice President Kamala Harris, a potential replacement for Biden if he takes the unprecedented step of withdrawing from a race less than four months from Election Day, was scheduled to speak by phone with top Democratic donors in the afternoon.

Harris did not respond to reporters questions at an appearance at a Washington ice cream shop Friday, according to a pool report.

And 10 more congressional Democrats, including more senior members than had previously broken ranks with the president, said Friday that Biden should step aside.

U.S. Rep. Sean Casten of Illinois wrote an op-ed in the Chicago Tribune.

Reps. Jared Huffman of California, Marc Veasey of Texas, Jesus Chuy Garcia of Illinois and Mark Pocan of Wisconsin wrote a joint open letter to Biden that they posted on social media.

The quartet represents important constituencies in the House Democratic Caucus.

Veasey is the first member of the influential Congressional Black Caucus, which has been among Bidens staunchest Democratic backers, to join the call for him to step down. He is also a member of the moderate New Democrat Coalition.

Pocan is the co-chair of the Congressional LGBT Equality Caucus and a former chair of the Congressional Progressive Caucus.

Garcia is a member of the Congressional Hispanic Caucus.

U.S. Sen. Martin Heinrich of New Mexico and Reps. Greg Landsman of Ohio, Zoe Lofgren of California also released their own statements. Betty McCollum of Minnesota told the Star Tribune newspaper she wanted Biden step aside and allow Harris to lead the ticket with Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz as her running mate.

Rep. Morgan McGarvey, of Kentucky, posted a statement on X.

The calls came a day after Sen. Jon Tester, in a difficult reelection race in Montana, said in a statement to the Daily Montanan that Biden should withdraw.

Rep. Seth Moulton of Massachusetts, who was one of few Democrats who called on Biden to step down two weeks ago, expanded on his view in an op-ed Friday.

Moulton wrote in the Boston Globe that when he went on a June trip to Normandy to commemorate the 80th anniversary of D-Day, the president didnt recognize him, despite their decade-long relationship.

Of course, that can happen as anyone ages, but as I watched the disastrous debate a few weeks ago, I have to admit that what I saw in Normandy was part of a deeper problem, Moulton wrote. It was a crushing realization, and not because a person I care about had a rough night but because everything is riding on Bidens ability to beat Donald Trump in November.
Democratic calls for a new nominee ramp up as Biden camp pledges to stay the course

President Joe Biden speaks at the 115th NAACP National Convention at the Mandalay Bay Convention Center on July 16, 2024 in Las Vegas, Nevada. It was Bidens last event before he left the campaign trail after testing positive for COVID-19. (Photo by Mario Tama/Getty Images)

WASHINGTON  Ten more congressional Democrats called on President Joe Biden to drop his reelection bid Friday, the most in a single day since a poor debate performance shook confidence among his fellow Democrats in his ability to win Novembers election.

The 10 Democrats on Friday, the day after former President Donald Trump officially accepted his partys nomination at the Republican National Convention in Milwaukee, brought the total to 31, increasing the pressure on Biden to withdraw from the race.

While no member of congressional Democratic leadership has publicly called for Biden to step down, several top Democrats who were either involved with handling Trumps impeachment trials or with investigations into the Jan. 6, 2021, insurrection at the U.S. Capitol have raised their concerns, citing the former presidents threat to democracy.

California Rep. Adam Schiff, who was the lead impeachment manager in Trumps first impeachment trial, called on Biden to drop out, saying in a statement that he had serious concerns about the presidents ability to win a second term.

And Maryland Rep. Jamie Raskin, who was a member of the House Select Committee to Investigate the Jan. 6 Attack on the U.S. Capitol, stopped short of explicitly calling on Biden to step down, but urged the president to reconsider whether he should remain in the presidential race.

Biden remained at home in Delaware with no public events scheduled after testing positive for COVID-19 on Wednesday evening.

In an interview on MSNBCs Morning Joe early Friday, Biden campaign co-chair Jen OMalley Dillon said the president remained absolutely in the race, even as a growing number of Democrats voiced unease about his ability to defeat Trump.

Absolutely the president is in this race, youve heard him say that time and time again, she said. He is the best person to take on Donald Trump.

But reports also surfaced Friday that Vice President Kamala Harris, a potential replacement for Biden if he takes the unprecedented step of withdrawing from a race less than four months from Election Day, was scheduled to speak by phone with top Democratic donors in the afternoon.

Harris did not respond to reporters questions at an appearance at a Washington ice cream shop Friday, according to a pool report.

And 10 more congressional Democrats, including more senior members than had previously broken ranks with the president, said Friday that Biden should step aside.

U.S. Rep. Sean Casten of Illinois wrote an op-ed in the Chicago Tribune.

Reps. Jared Huffman of California, Marc Veasey of Texas, Jesus Chuy Garcia of Illinois and Mark Pocan of Wisconsin wrote a joint open letter to Biden that they posted on social media.

The quartet represents important constituencies in the House Democratic Caucus.

Veasey is the first member of the influential Congressional Black Caucus, which has been among Bidens staunchest Democratic backers, to join the call for him to step down. He is also a member of the moderate New Democrat Coalition.

Pocan is the co-chair of the Congressional LGBT Equality Caucus and a former chair of the Congressional Progressive Caucus.

Garcia is a member of the Congressional Hispanic Caucus.

U.S. Sen. Martin Heinrich of New Mexico and Reps. Greg Landsman of Ohio, Zoe Lofgren of California also released their own statements. Betty McCollum of Minnesota told the Star Tribune newspaper she wanted Biden step aside and allow Harris to lead the ticket with Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz as her running mate.

Rep. Morgan McGarvey, of Kentucky, posted a statement on X.

The calls came a day after Sen. Jon Tester, in a difficult reelection race in Montana, said in a statement to the Daily Montanan that Biden should withdraw.

Rep. Seth Moulton of Massachusetts, who was one of few Democrats who called on Biden to step down two weeks ago, expanded on his view in an op-ed Friday.

Moulton wrote in the Boston Globe that when he went on a June trip to Normandy to commemorate the 80th anniversary of D-Day, the president didnt recognize him, despite their decade-long relationship.

Of course, that can happen as anyone ages, but as I watched the disastrous debate a few weeks ago, I have to admit that what I saw in Normandy was part of a deeper problem, Moulton wrote. It was a crushing realization, and not because a person I care about had a rough night but because everything is riding on Bidens ability to beat Donald Trump in November.
No one quite knows what the process of picking a new nominee would be if Joe Biden did step aside  but many Democrats say that any process is likelier than ever to quickly end with Vice President Kamala Harris as the nominee.

The informal conversations about how a fight to replace Biden at the top of the ticket would play out have been raging for weeks behind the scenes. But uncertainty about the process has been so unclear its given multiple Democrats  even those with serious concerns about Biden  pause about coming out against the presidents candidacy, given that what comes next could be even messier.

F**k it, Im coconut pilled. I just want this to stop, said one well-known Democratic operative, referring to the online meme that has taken off from an old video of the vice president telling a story of her mother saying, You think you just fell out of a coconut tree?

Its not that everyone has suddenly coalesced  but exhaustion is gelling into consensus.

Internal polls that show Harris would at least be more helpful to boosting Democratic enthusiasm and aiding down ballot races are getting passed around. Arguments that she would be fastest to put together a campaign are landing harder. Daydreams of her making a more active and vigorous case against Donald Trump are taking root.

Many are deliberately holding off talking about hypotheticals as Biden aides say he plans to get back on the campaign trail next week once he recovers from Covid-19. But if that suddenly changes, two dozen leading Democratic politicians and operatives told CNN, they cant realistically see this ending any other way.

Some are pushing for a fast and closed process, where delegates would bless the swap as part of their planned pre-convention virtual nomination plan.

Some reject the idea of a coronation, either because they prefer others or dont like the way that would look. But  though there are musings about quickly creating a series of blitz primaries or town halls  no one can agree how that would work with just over 100 days until the election and much less than that before Democrats are scheduled to gather in Chicago. Still, its an idea some Harris backers support, doubting that anyone serious would challenge her, as much chest puffing as there is behind the scenes.

Multiple Democratic members of Congress who have called for Biden to go declined on Friday when asked by CNN if they were ready to say they want Harris to be the nominee.

If nothing else, people connected with several of the other possible most serious options and others acknowledge, they would likely feel boxed in by both party loyalty and their own future ambitions. Pressure will be high to unify after the last month of infighting, and anyone who takes her on would be risking torpedoing their reputation with the base in a potential 2028 open primary if she were seen as weakened by that and went on to lose.

Some Democrats believe, even with the threat of early ballot deadlines, it could be settled on the floor of the convention in late August. If this stretches out that long, though, multiple Democrats predicted that the hunger for resolution will only intensify.

Thats become ever more likely, those politicians and operatives say, both by how much closer they are to Election Day and by how impressed theyve been by how the vice president has handled these weeks of Democratic crisis. They argue the vice president has not been caught scheming, even in private conversations, and instead has showcased being fiery and loyal to Biden at a series of campaign stops, which will continue on Saturday at a fundraiser shes headlining in Provincetown, Massachusetts.

I do believe it has to be the vice president. Shes campaigning vigorously under the mantle and shes the natural successor. Its going to be important in the scenario that the president isnt the nominee that we rally around her immediately, said one Democratic House member who asked not to be named so as not to be seen undercutting the president.

Bidens hand would matter

Few can conceive of Biden stepping aside and not tapping his running mate to take over. To do otherwise would be a devastating insult to her of the sort that pained Biden himself so much when Barack Obama turned to Hillary Clinton over him ahead of the 2016 election. Hed also be undercutting his own judgment in picking her four years ago as ready for the job, which he reiterated at his news conference last week.

And it would mean passing over a Black vice president after Black voters and Black leaders including South Carolina Rep. Jim Clyburn, who has said repeatedly he wants Harris if not Biden  not only sustained him to victory in 2020 but are some of the ones standing most strongly with him through this now.

That kind of support would likely only lead to more, which would be convincing to delegates and voters alike  and make taking her on, even with her history of a failed 2020 campaign and rocky start in the vice presidency, harder and harder.

Eleni Kounalakis, the lieutenant governor of California and a Democratic convention delegate who is part of its rules and bylaws committee  as well as an old friend of Harris  said that its important to remember, if the president were to step down, that he won Democratic primaries while talking about Biden-Harris accomplishments.

When people voted for him as the nominee they were voting for this ticket, so it just has to be concluded that the best way to validate the vote of the primary voters is to support the vice president as our nominee, she said. Theres so much respect for President Biden that if he asked delegates to support her, even with a public chaotic media swirl, I believe most delegates would honor his wishes as the person who was chosen through the primary process and as our president.

Thinking like that resonates down-ballot as well.

I think Democratic frontliners know better than anybody else the power of stability. When there is chaos, theyre the ones who suffer the consequences, an aide to one Democrat in a frontline district told CNN. Frontliners are like the stock market.

Democratic politicians and senior aides across national politics fear that unleashing an open process at the convention would be a mess, prolonging the partys drama and cratering support from the powerful Congressional Black Caucus, a force for mobilizing grassroots support and driving up enthusiasm in November.

Even some Democratic members up for reelection in swing districts also see little upside in the party engaging in a weekslong sojourn to battle test a new face of the party and that assumes that anyone would even want to go up against Harris, risking their own political future if they were to be unsuccessful now.

The internal fight is killing us. There is no world in which you can push Kamala to the side, one Democratic member told CNN on the condition of anonymity to discuss the difficult political moment Democrats find themselves in.

Weaknesses havent been forgotten

People who have long disliked Harris havent suddenly changed their minds. Amnesia hasnt suddenly set in about her past weaknesses or problems. Thats been part of the calculations Biden is making himself as he deliberates what to do.

Texas Rep. Vicente Gonzalez, who is running for reelection in a tough race, told CNN he was surprised by how quickly the conversation had moved from people saying just a few months ago that Harris would be a drag on the ticket and Biden might consider replacing her.

I just dont understand how we go from that to the idea that she should be leading the ticket, Gonzalez said. I have nothing against her, but the facts are just the facts. Not everything changed, right? How did we go from that to this? I mean, nowhere else in the world but this town, right?

Republican operatives tell CNN they are salivating  not just at going back through the old attacks and the videos of her word-salad answers but asking her over and over about what she knew and when she knew it about Bidens health and effects of aging. Theyll push for Biden to resign, to create more chaos and take her off the trail more.

Theyll also question not just the legitimacy of her coming through whatever rushed process is chosen, but of whether she can legally be replaced on the ballot. House Speaker Mike Johnsons comment in an interview this week that theres some preliminary research being done is making the rounds, with real concerns that ballot access that could be affected if Democrats move ahead with a completely new candidate that comes out of a brokered convention.

And already in 2020 when Biden put Harris on the ticket, some went beyond just deliberately mispronouncing her first name, but threatening lawsuits about whether she is constitutionally eligible to serve, hooking the flawed argument on that neither of her parents were born in America.

Theyre not the only ones.

If you think thats going to be an easy transition, Im here to tell you that a huge amount of the donor class, a huge amount of the elites, a huge amount of these folks in these rooms that I see that are pushing for Joe Biden to not be the nominee also are not interested in seeing the vice president be the nominee, New York Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez said on an Instagram live chat on Thursday evening.

Some progressives have said behind the scenes, meanwhile, that they trust Biden to be more aligned with their agenda than they do Harris  and that is part of why so many have stuck with him.

Shes auditioning for the presidency right now

To others, the political conversation is lagging behind the way this is landing to many outside Washington and the people who obsess over internal polls and donor data.

To some degree shes auditioning for the presidency right now, said Ashley Etienne, her former communications director and a longtime Hill aide still in touch with many current members. Shes well positioned to shore up confidence about Joe Biden while assuring people that shes ready. She needs to do that in more profound ways. The campaign needs to create opportunities for her to do that.

To Rep. Jared Golden, a Maine Democrat who has said he doesnt think he could vote for the president, thinking of a move toward Harris is just logical.

I think that many Americans are thinking that theres a very high likelihood that if the Biden-Harris ticket wins, that Kamala will finish that second term, Golden said. So, it might beg the question: Why not just settle that matter in this election?

Clarification: This story has been updated to better characterize Rep. Jared Goldens stance.

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Delegates cheer VP Joe Biden during Day three of the Democratic National Convention at Wells Fargo Center in Philadelphia, Pa., on July 27, 2016. Hillary Clinton claimed the Democratic Party's nomination for president. File photo by Pete Marovich/UPI

July 20 (UPI) -- The Democratic Party plans to formally nominate Joe Biden for president in an early virtual roll call vote in early August, the Democratic National Committee said, as calls for the 81-year-old leader to step down from the campaign mount.

The DNC's convention rules committee met virtually Friday and decided the vote would not take place before Aug. 1 or after Aug. 7. The committee said a final date would be set by DNC leadership after a second committee meeting next week.

The 3,896 pledged delegates will be given 24-hour notice before the virtual ballot window opens.

There also are 700 automatic "superdelegates," which include members of the House and Senate, governors, state party chairs and DNC members. They are not permitted to vote on the first ballot unless it's determined that one candidate has an absolute majority of pledged delegates.

Biden won 99% of the pledged delegates.

The four-day Democratic convention is scheduled to start Aug. 19 in Chicago.

Typically, parties nominate their candidates at their national conventions, during live roll-call votes. In 2020, the process was conducted virtually because of the pandemic.

Party leaders say the virtual roll call is necessary to avoid litigation in Ohio, which requires major parties to have a presidential nominee by 90 days from the presidential election to appear on the ballot. This year that date falls on Aug. 7.

"My goal as counsel is to ensure we address and avoid all unnecessary legal risk on the way. And that's why we need a virtual nominating process," Dana Remus, a former White House counsel advising the DNC on the process, said. "It's why the wisest, most prudent course is to have that process conclude in time to allow us to file a certified nomination in Ohio by Aug. 7."

Democratic National Committee Chair Jaime Harrison on Friday described his excitement to "renominate President Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris" and to promote the "Biden-Harris ticket."

So far, at least 35 members of Congress have called for Biden to leave the race.

Late Friday, Ohio Sen. Sherrod Brown, a Democrat seeking reelection, called for Biden to not seek reelection.

Other Senators wanting a change are Peter Welch of Vermont, Jon Tester of Montana and Martin Henrich of New Mexico. All but Welch are seeking reelection.

Prominent members of the House urging him to leave the race are Adam Schiff of California, Jim Hines of Connecticut and Zoe Lofgren of California. Jamie Raskin of Maryland said Biden should reconsider his decision.

Rep. Mark Takano of California on Saturday posted on Facebook: "Joe, I love and respect you. But the stakes are too high to fail. It's time to pass the torch to Kamala (Harris)."

Biden defiantly has ignored their advice during public appearances and interviews with the media.

The president is off the campaign trail because he tested positive for COVID-19 on Wednesday but plans to return to the campaign trail next week.
Democrats attacking their presidential candidates instead of Republican opponents is nothing new. But this year, the donkey party has outdone itself.

These past few weeks have been breathtaking as Democrats have tried to force one of the most consequential presidents of recent history out of office because they think hes too old and cognitively compromised to defeat the old and cognitively compromised Donald Trump.

Opinion

The only Democrats who have any guts are the same voters who always save this party - Black voters. They are behind Biden. They understand the consequences if Trump is re-elected and they know what happens when Democrats dont show up to vote. Republicans win, underserved communities suffer, and conservative judges, appointed by Republican presidents, strip women of reproductive rights.

Those leading the charge to force out Biden are the elite folks hogging up air space under the Democratic big tent: George Clooney, Adam Schiff, Hollywood, mega-rich donors threatening to withhold their money, podcast bros, and others who are well-educated but have forgotten how elections work.

In an election, you win when you get behind your candidate and get out the vote.

But the anti-Biden Democrats think Biden cant win. Never mind that removing a sitting president from a ticket this close to an election has never happened before. Never mind that when Democrats have turned on their nominees in election years, Republicans have always won. Never mind that it would be just like elite Democrats to want to push Biden out, jettison Vice President Kamala Harris (thereby enraging Black voters) and stage a food fight at the Democratic National Convention in August.

Google the 1968 Democratic National Convention to understand what happened when Democrats fought each other instead of Republican opponents.

It led to Richard Nixon, an escalation in the Vietnam War, campus protests, Watergate, and an erosion of faith in government.

Google the 1980 Democratic primary, when Senator Ted Kennedy challenged a sitting Democratic president, Jimmy Carter. We got Ronald Reagan and an explosion of income inequality that has only gotten worse. Carter may have lost anyway, but the most effective attack ads Reagans campaign ran that year were clips of Kennedy eviscerating Carter. At the Democratic convention that year, when it came time for the party to gather on stage and for Kennedy to raise Carters arm as a symbolic gesture of unity, Kennedy wouldnt do it.

Carter just stood there staring at him as Kennedy knee-capped him in public, and as Republicans rejoiced.

What is happening with Biden today is not new.

In 2000, enough Democrats decided that they didnt want Al Gore. He was too stiff, too much of a nerd, too centrist. So what happened? Enough Democrats in Florida cast their votes for Ralph Nader, who traded his legacy as a consumer watchdog for that of a useful idiot in service of George W. Bush.

In 2016, Democrats found fault with Hilary Clinton, though she was one of the most qualified people ever to run for the presidency. Enough Democrats in pivotal states voted for third-party candidates and Trump was elected.

Trump appointed three conservative judges who joined with two appointed by Bush in his first term to repeal Roe V Wade.

And now here we are again. It could be argued the panicked reaction by Democrats to Bidens terrible debate performance in June has done more damage to Biden than the actual debate. It could also be argued that Trumps rambling, unhinged acceptance speech at the Republican National Convention on Thursday was even worse.

But somehow, in the crazy calculus of acceptable behavior in this election, Biden struggling with his stuttering and mixing up names is worse than Trump praising Eastern European autocrats, invoking serial killer Hannibal Lecter, and sharing the stage with Hulk Hogan.

Liberals may not like it, but this is what the gift of gab looks like, said Jon Lovett, podcaster and former Obama speechwriter, on X as Trump rambled Thursday night. It didnt seem to matter that Trump often sounded insane. The gift of gab is what counts and Biden doesnt have it.

He is old, at 81.

Whats also true is that Biden restored the principles of science to the fight against COVID. So far, under Biden, an impressive 15.7 million jobs have been added to the economy, wrote the Washington Post. Biden has passed impressive bipartisan legislation that has bolstered American infrastructure. He recognizes the threat Russian dictator Vladimir Putin poses as a destabilizing force in Europe and beyond.

I have absolutely no concern about the capacity of the current president of the United States to lead his country and to lead our fight for Ukraine and to lead NATO, said Alexander Stubb, president of Finland, after meeting with Biden at the most recent NATO summit last week.

The only thing Im worried about is that the political climate in the United States right now is too toxic, is very polarized, and that doesnt leave enough room for a civilized and constructive debate. What does it say when the President of Finland believes in Biden more than some Democrats do?

Meanwhile, Trump has been happy by watching Democrats abandon Biden.

From a political standpoint, an unprecedented event is happening - The Dems are trying, again, to get Biden off the ballot!!! said Trump on Truth Social Wednesday. By Friday, more than 30 Democratic leaders had called on Biden to quit. Based on interviews with some, like Sacramento-area Rep. Ami Bera, its unclear whether Democrats would rally around Harris if Biden stepped aside or if they opened the top of the ticket up to some or all comers. That would be 1968, 1980, 2000 and 2016 all over again as Democrats yearned for some other candidate besides their own.

Trump is weak, the election is winnable. In 2028, Millennial and Generation Z voters will be in the majority, and a new generation will take over from the old white men. What will they inherit if Trump wins again in November because Democrats couldnt unify behind their candidate?
Democrats are in a stalemate.

On one side, theres President Biden, a beloved patriarch of the party whom Democrats have for years called Uncle Joe. He has built a coalition of progressive, Black and Hispanic voters and lawmakers. He is quick to point out that he defeated former President Donald Trump once, and he can do it again.

He is dug in.

On the other side, theres a growing chorus of Democrats  key lawmakers (including former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and former President Barack Obama) donors, operatives, pundits  who believe hes too old for another term. But its not just them. In the three weeks since Bidens disastrous debate performance, poll after poll has revealed that a majority of Democrats think the same.

Both sides are eager to win. And this week has been proof of that.

Take Fridays tug of war, for example: Within a matter of hours, Biden got a key endorsement from the Congressional Hispanic Caucus PAC, contrasting against a group of Democratic lawmakers coming out against him. House Minority Leader Hakeem Jefferies came out in support of the president. But key Democratic donors threatened to cut off money to the campaign, adding to a situation where the money coming in is already godawful, as one donor put it.

This wont end well unless it ends soon, one Democratic strategist surmised, when asked about the teetering state of play. Were a divided nation, but even worse, were a divided party.

Since Bidens debate performance on June 27, the story has rocked back and forth, from stubborn stances  I am not going anywhere, as Biden has said  to bold declarations  I believe President Biden should not seek re-election to another term, as Sen. Jon Tester (D-Mont.) said Thursday, shortly before Trump took the stage at the Republican National Committee.

Amid backroom meetings where lawmakers worried about their chances of winning in November  not only the White House but both chambers of Congress  Biden has encountered friendly crowds. Dont you quit! a crowd at Bidens Detroit rally chanted last week.

The fracture in the Democratic Party was only underscored as Republicans rallied behind Trump at the RNC, days after an attempted assassination attempt that prolonged a conclusion to the intraparty food fight.

Its a worst case scenario for Democrats as Republicans unify, energize and mobilize, said Julian Zelizer, a professor of history and public affairs at Princeton University. The polls dont get better as more Democrats publicly articulate the problems with Biden. Meanwhile, Biden doubles down.

Instead of a party fighting the GOP, they are fighting amongst themselves, Zelizer said.

Further complicating the issue is what to do if Biden does step aside. There are various camps, if that happens too.

There are some Democrats who say it would be a more seamless process if Vice President Harris becomes the nominee because shes already been tested, can easily acquire the $91 million campaign war chest and because she will help galvanize the base of the party that is anxious to win back support from Black and Hispanic voters.

But there are others who dont think she can win  particularly in Blue Wall states like Wisconsin and Michigan.

Some donors, in particular, would like to see an open convention next month in Chicago. But that would cause more chaos, strategists say, especially if some Democrats feel Harris has been leapfrogged.

Therein lies the problem, said one major Democratic donor. Theres no easy way to get from A to B, and I think thats the main reason why Biden doesnt want to go anywhere.

Those in Biden World say the president is surely thinking about the 2016 race, when he attempted to run in the Democratic primary against Hillary Clinton. Biden thought he was a better candidate than Clinton but was kept out of the race by former President Obama, donors, and other members of the party establishment.

In his 2018 book Promise Me Dad, Biden wrote that his senior adviser Mike Donilon made the case for his prospective candidacy.

My favorable ratings were higher than those of any candidate in the race  in either party. My numbers on trustworthiness, honesty, and empathy were as high as they had ever been, he wrote. And I was strongest, where the most formidable candidate Hillary Clinton was weakest: the key swing states like Pennsylvania, Ohio and Florida.

When Clinton lost in 2016, Biden told supporters, journalists  and anyone who would listen  that he could have won, if he had only run.

I am sure all of this is playing into his calculus, said a longtime Biden ally.

On Friday, as the chorus of Democrats once again grew louder, the president appeared to be not moving. And while he remained at home with a bout of COVID, his advisers were still making the argument.

When you give me polls, Im going to give you direct voter contact, Jen OMalley Dillon, the Biden campaign co-chair, told an all staff meeting on Friday. The people that the President is hearing from are saying, Stay in this race and keep going and keep fighting, and we need you. Those voices will never be as loud as the people on TV, but remember that the people in our country are not watching cable news.

If anything served as a unifying factor on Friday, it was Trumps speech at the Republican National Convention.

We just have to get our s together because damn it, we can beat this guy, the strategist said.

Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

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Dental therapists, who can fill cavities and check teeth, get the OK in more states

Dental therapist Sarah Chagnon treats a patient at the Swinomish Dental Clinic in La Conner, Wash., as part of a school-based sealant week program. More states are considering authorizing licensures of dental health aide therapists, also known as dental therapists. Experts say the midlevel practitioners can help fill gaps in access to dental health care. (Courtesy of Swinomish Dental Clinic)

During a game of Red Rover when she was 16 years old, Rochelle Roz Siuvuq Ferry lost a front tooth.

Ferry, who is Inupiaq, remembers having to get on a plane to get from her remote Alaskan village to the city of Nome to start the tooth replacement process.

Traveling to Nome for dental care is what everyone in her community had to do  even for a toothache or a basic cleaning. There was no such service where they lived.

Ferry knew many members of her community whose teeth decayed so badly, they needed extraction  simply because they didnt have access to care.

Her tooth mishap 28 years ago and her awareness of neighbors struggles led Ferry to become a dental therapist.

Dental therapists are licensed to fill cavities, place temporary crowns, extract diseased teeth and provide other basic preventive dental care, working under a dentists supervision. They have more training than a hygienist but not the advanced degree of a dentist.

More than a dozen states have authorized the licensing and practice of dental therapists, and the occupation is growing. Critics of dental therapy say state and federal policy should instead focus on supporting dentists. But many experts say dental therapists can help provide better access to oral health care for underserved communities  including in rural areas and for adults and children who lack insurance coverage or who are on public insurance.

About 58 million Americans live in areas with dentist shortages, according to the U.S. Health Resources and Services Administration. And the American Dental Association estimates just a third of dentists across the nation accept Medicaid. More than half of Medicaid enrollees are Black, Hispanic and American Indian or Alaska Native, and children of color experience significant disparities in oral health.

Poor oral health and gum disease are associated with more serious conditions such as heart disease and diabetes. And research has shown visibly poor oral health can hurt employment opportunities and a persons well-being.

It was a real kick to my self-esteem. I was knocked down, Ferry said, recalling losing her front tooth as a teen. I realized that theres a huge correlation between your self-esteem and your socioeconomic status, based on your smile.

Dozens of other countries have had dental therapists since the 1920s. But there werent any in the United States until about two decades ago, when Alaska Native students returned from training in New Zealand, ready to provide care to their remote tribal communities. Ferry was part of that group.

Ferry said she had been the first full-time dental provider in her grandmothers tight-knit Alaska village, St. Michael.

Welcoming dental therapy

Today, dental therapists are authorized in at least some settings in 14 states: Alaska, Arizona, Colorado, Connecticut, Idaho, Maine, Michigan, Minnesota, Nevada, New Mexico, Oregon, Vermont, Washington and, most recently, Wisconsin, according to the National Partnership for Dental Therapy, a group of organizations focused on dental therapy awareness and education that tracks related state policies.

Ferry was the first dental therapist hired in Washington state after Democratic Gov. Jay Inslee signed a law in 2017 authorizing dental therapist licensures and practice. She joined the Port Gamble SKlallam Tribe Dental Clinic in 2018.

Alaska, Minnesota and Washington have the nations four dental therapy programs.

Other state efforts to authorize dental therapists to practice have stalled. A bill that would have amended the Illinois Dental Practice Act to create dental therapist licenses died in May.

Lawmakers in Florida  which has one the nations worst shortages of dental professionals  Massachusetts, New Jersey and New York also have introduced legislation to allow dental therapists to practice, said Laura Hale Brannon, project manager of the Dental Therapy Project at Community Catalyst, which advocates for policies around health equity.

We really have two dental care systems in the United States: one for people with private insurance and enough money to pay out of pocket for any additional care, and then a safety net for everyone else  and that safety net is really failing folks.

 Laura Brannon, project manager at Community Catalyst

Before Idaho passed its law, some lawmakers cautioned against creating a new midlevel position, as some dentists testified that theyd instead like to see more training for dental hygienists and higher Medicaid reimbursement rates.

Meanwhile, other states are authorizing dental therapists to practice in more places: Last year, Washington state expanded its legislation to allow dental therapists to practice at community health clinics and not just tribal clinics, providing more dental care access to Medicaid patients.

While dentists perform more complex procedures, dental therapists can tend to basic treatment for patients who otherwise would have long waits for an appointment, have to travel far or may forgo care altogether, worsening their dental health.

Brannon said there is a shortage of dentists who will accept Medicaid because of its low reimbursement rates. Research shows patients on Medicaid disproportionately end up in the emergency room because of oral health issues. Losing teeth also has been associated with a higher risk of death, according to an analysis of 49 studies published in 2018 in the Journal of Prosthodontic Research.

We really have two dental care systems in the United States: one for people with private insurance and enough money to pay out of pocket for any additional care, and then a safety net for everyone else  and that safety net is really failing folks, Brannon said.

The American Dental Association did not make officials available for an interview.

Angel hands

This month marks 27 years that dentist Raymond Dailey has practiced at the Swinomish Indian Tribal Communitys dental clinic in La Conner, Washington.

Before the clinic hired dental therapists, staff would have to juggle three to seven emergencies and walk-ins in addition to regular appointments, Dailey said. I was doing a lot of basic dentistry. So there were a lot of things I wanted to do for our patients or elders, but you cant do those extra things if youre just working on the emergency level of things. So we were definitely overwhelmed.

Now, he said, he can better care for the tribes elder community, doing implants and dentures.

Dental therapy programs began with workers who came from the communities they were serving, allowing for more culturally sensitive care. The clinic is mostly staffed by Native community members, Dailey said.

Sarah Chagnon, a dental therapist at the Swinomish dental clinic, grew up just outside the reservation. To help quell one childs nerves about going to the dental clinic, Chagnon got to know the girl outside the clinic, visiting the preschool. Step by step, Chagnon was able to introduce brushing, flossing and other care.

Now, whenever Im out in public, she runs up to me and gives me a hug, she said.

Chagnon recalled another patient who fell and broke her front tooth. After Chagnon treated her with a restorative procedure, the patient cried.

You have angel hands, she remembered the patient telling her. I can now smile again.

The Alaska Native Tribal Health Consortium estimates that more than 40,000 rural Alaskans now have regular access to dental care from dental therapists, also known as dental health aide therapists. In 2022, a federal advisory committee of dentists and other medical professionals recommended that Congress allocate $6 million annually toward dental therapy programs nationwide.

They [dental therapists] are part of a team that can be used to expand access to care, said Dr. Karl Self, a dentist and director of the University of Minnesota School of Dentistrys dental therapy program.

Our statute requires dental therapists to work predominantly in areas that serve low-income, uninsured, underserved patients or in dental health professional shortage areas, he said.

Dental therapist Savannah Bonorden, who practices in Sitka, Alaska, likened her occupation to physician assistants or nurses.

If we look over on the medical side of everything, there are so many different tiers and levels of medical professionals, she said.

Im not trying to take anyones job away. Im trying to add to the team dynamic.

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.
DENVER (KDVR)  When you remove your valuable items before locking your car (if you dont already, police strongly recommend doing so), dont forget things like keys and garage door remotes.

Police in Denver are reminding residents to protect themselves and keep burglars at bay after someone allegedly broke into a residents car and used a garage door remote in the car to get inside and steal thousands of dollars worth of e-bikes.

Denver to test wastewater for fentanyl, high-risk substances

The Denver Police Department told FOX31 that the alleged e-bike theft happened just after midnight early Monday morning in the 3800 block of North Newton Street. Police responded to a report of a burglary and the victim said two e-bikes with a value of $6,000 were stolen.

Were sure that we can all agree that burglars are terrible, and the best way to combat them is to reduce their opportunity to victimize us, DPD said in a post.

Police emphasize that one of the best ways to prevent break-ins and theft is to remove valuables from your vehicle, including garage door remotes.

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This reduces any temptation to break into your vehicle and eliminates their potential access to your garage and home, DPD said.

The case that prompted the warning is being investigated, but no arrests have been made and anyone with information is asked to call Metro Denver Crime Stoppers at 720-913-7867.

Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. 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.
Despite what some politicians say, crime rates are decreasing

Photo illustration by Getty Images.

Violent crime in the United States dropped significantly in the first quarter of 2024 compared with the same period last year, according to the FBIs Quarterly Uniform Crime Report released earlier this month.

The FBIs data, collected from nearly 12,000 law enforcement agencies representing about 77% of the countrys population, suggests violent crime dropped by 15% compared with the first quarter of 2023.

The data, which covers reported crimes from January to March, shows a 26.4% decrease in murders, a 25.7% decrease in rapes, a 17.8% decrease in robberies, and a 12.5% decrease in aggravated assaults. Reported property crime also fell by 15.1%.

Nevertheless, the widespread public perception that crime is rising  a perception reinforced by presumptive Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump and many other GOP candidates  could figure prominently in Novembers election. And state legislative and gubernatorial candidates from both parties likely also will cite crime statistics on the stump.

In a Gallup poll conducted late last year, 63% of respondents described the crime problem in the U.S. as either extremely or very serious. This is the highest percentage since Gallup began asking the question in 2000.

If you are a political operative, capitalizing on fear of crime is incredibly easy to do.

 Dan Gardner, author of Risk: The Science and Politics of Fear

In May, Trump wrongly called FBI data showing a decline in crime fake numbers. This month, he erroneously claimed that the FBIs crime statistics exclude 30% of cities, including the biggest and most violent.

He could have been referring to the fact some departments couldnt report data in 2021 because the FBI switched data reporting systems, but experts say the overall numbers remain valid.

President Joe Biden has also used crime statistics for political gain. In a May campaign email, Biden said that Trump oversaw the largest increase in murder in U.S. history. While this is not entirely inaccurate  the country did see the largest one-year increase in murders in 2020  it omits context regarding the COVID-19 pandemic and the social upheaval following George Floyds murder by a Minneapolis police officer.

The latest FBI crime statistics align with other early data from 2024. In May, the Major Cities Chiefs Association released first-quarter data from a survey of 68 major metropolitan police departments showing a 17% drop in murders compared with the same period last year.

The FBIs latest data is preliminary and unaudited, which means it will change as more law enforcement agencies refine their numbers throughout the year. National crime data is incomplete, as it only includes crimes reported to police, and not every law enforcement agency participates in the FBIs crime reporting program.

Despite the datas limitations, some criminologists and crime data experts say the data is reliable. Some say the FBIs data likely overstates the decreases, suggesting the drop in violent crime is likely less dramatic but still trending downward.

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 was originally produced by Stateline which is part of States Newsroom, a nonprofit news network, including the Daily Montanan, supported by grants and a coalition of donors as a 501c(3) public charity. Stateline maintains editorial independence.
Detroit man accused of drug trafficking in Beaver County sentenced to 9 years in prison

Police say a man from Detroit accused of being a part of a trafficking organization that was bringing drugs into Beaver County will serve nine years in prison.

The Department of Justice says Andrew Brant Steel, 33, from Detroit, Michigan pleaded guilty in federal court on Friday.

Steels arrest came after a joint investigation including federal, state and local law enforcement officers who were trying to learn more about an organization bringing drugs into Beaver County.

They say drug customers called a number to buy the drugs and dealers would send them to different apartments in Ambridge or New Brighton to pick them up.

Police say they learned about Steel after arresting other members of the organization who were running the drugs from Detroit and into the area.

They say he had a cell phone that linked him to the purchase operations of the process.

During the investigation, police found 130 grams of acetyl fentanyl, 330 grams of a fentanyl and heroin mixture and 200 grams of crack.

Steel will serve 4 months of supervised release after serving his time in prison.

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Dickinson State to get nursing program help from Mayville State

A sign marks the entrance to the Dickinson State University campus. (Jeff Beach/North Dakota Monitor)

Dickinson State University, which last week had all of its nursing faculty resign, announced Friday it will use nursing program administrators from Mayville State University to keep the program running.

The faculty resignations were followed by the resignation of Dickinson State President Stephen Easton on Monday, adding to uncertainty about the future of the program.

Mayville State nursing administrators Carey Haugen and Collette Christoffers said in the announcement that they wanted to reassure Dickinson State students.

We are willing to help the current program maintain its accreditation status and students achieve the education they were seeking  we are here for the students, they said in the announcement posted on the Dickinson State website.

One former Dickinson State nursing faculty member, Teresa Bren, said she was disappointed in the college administration and North Dakota University System Chancellor Mark Hagerott in not working harder to bring back the faculty that had resigned.

She said she listened to a forum with nursing students led by the North Dakota Nurses Association, where students said they wanted the faculty that resigned to come back.

They have built respect and trust in our expertise, in how we teach, and that was their number one goal, was to return to DSU with the nursing faculty that were there when they left last academic year, Bren said in an interview.

Bren, who had been at Dickinson State for 11 years, said she has accepted another position.

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Mayville State operates two online nursing programs: one is for licensed registered nurses to obtain a bachelor of science in nursing, the other is for nurses to obtain a master of science in nursing.

Dickinson State offers two licensure-based programs: an associate in applied science for practical nursing  licensed practical nurse, or LPN  and a bachelors degree in nursing.

The distinct nature of these programs ensures that this collaboration is non-competitive and mutually beneficial, the Dickinson State announcement said.

Bren said her concern is that there are significant differences in the accreditation standards for the new administrators to comply with.

The collaboration is to commence Monday and is set to conclude on May 20, 2025.

The announcement said both institutions would like to see an agreement continue into the future.

In a visit to the Dickinson State campus Thursday, Hagerott did say he expected the college to have an acting president to replace Easton within weeks, followed by a search for an interim president.

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ALLEGAN, Mich. (WOOD)  An Allegan County judge delivered harsh criticism from the bench Thursday over the behavior of a fellow judge and the countys prosecutor.

The actions of Judge (Margaret Zuzich) Bakker and Prosecutor (Myrene) Koch have brought dishonor and shame to the courts of Allegan, declared Allegan County District Court Judge William Baillargeon. The damage done to public confidence is hard to measure and the work to rebuild and maintain that confidence will no doubt be daunting. But that is what we swore to undertake when we took the oath to become a judge.

Baillargeon made the comments at a bond hearing for Daniel Albert Loew, whos been out on bail pending appeal of his 2019 conviction for criminal sexual conduct.

A booking photo of Daniel Loew from the Allegan County Jail.

Baillargeon revoked Loews bond and remanded him to the custody of the Michigan Department of Corrections after the Michigan Supreme Court rejected Loews bid for a new trial.

An Allegan County jury found Loew guilty in August 2019 of sexually assaulting a girl repeatedly, beginning when she was 13 and he was 21.

Then, in 2020, it was discovered that Zuzich Bakker, the circuit court judge whod presided over Loews trial, had sent private emails to Allegan County prosecutor Myrene Koch during the trial.

In three brief emails to Koch, Bakker questioned the quality of the investigation by Michigan State Police.

She sent the first email while the trooper was testifying, according to a prior decision by the Michigan Court of Appeals.

This MSP trooper did not do a very good investigation, the appeals court quoted Bakker as writing in one of her emails to Koch. Dont they have detectives with MSP anymore?

Koch, who was not trying Loews case herself, responded the next morning.

They do but not typically for (criminal sexual conduct) cases, Koch wrote. This trooper has been given additional personal training since this investigation.

Baillargeon granted Loew a new trial based on the ex parte communication, which he said called into question the judges impartiality.

In January 2022, the Michigan Court of Appeals reversed Baillargeons order for a new trial, prompting a higher court appeal by Loews attorneys.

On Tuesday, the Michigan Supreme Court issued its opinion, again rejecting a new trial for Loew but holding that the private emails were unethical and, in the trial judges case, a violation of the Michigan Code of Judicial Conduct.

Not only did the trial judge (Bakker) give Prosecutor Koch private access to her ear,' wrote the Supreme Court in its opinion, one might reasonably question whether the trial judge was interested in seeing the prosecution succeed or seeing defendant convicted.

Bakker declined to comment Friday on the Supreme Courts opinion.

Though the justices deemed the email exchange inappropriate, they determined it did not impact the outcome of Loews trial, which is the bar that must be reached to retry the case.

The trial judge sent only three short emails to Prosecutor Koch asking questions about the investigation in defendants case, read the Supreme Court opinion. The trial judge did not cooperate with the prosecutor on some matter in an effort to further the prosecutions interest to defendants detriment.

Loews attorneys, SBBL Law of Grand Rapids, vowed to continue their fight for a new trial.

What were saying here is, its all but impossible to find this sort of smoking gun, said defense attorney Heath Lynch in an interview with News 8. Its all but impossible to find that hard evidence that there was prejudice, that the trial judge wanted that conviction.What we believe is, Hey, in something as egregious as this, the system should err on the side of granting the citizen a new and hopefully clean and fair trial.'

Lynch said his firm is researching additional options for appeal.

This doesnt just concern some guy in Allegan County and one trial, explained Lynch. This concerns us all. This concerns any of us who end up in the justice system, and who have  on the opposite side of the aisle  a prosecuting attorney and a judge who wed like to think looks at that prosecuting attorney and the defense attorney the same way, treats them the same way, doesnt have side conversation with either one of us. But now we have a case where its very clear, thats not always the case.

Bakker was a prosecutor in Allegan County prior to taking the bench.

Prosecutor Koch emphasized that her focus is on achieving justice for Loews victim.

What Im most disheartened about is that the victim in this case has had to go through this entire appellate process, said Koch in an interview Friday with News 8. The appeals court and Supreme Court affirmed these convictions. But at the end of the day, the focus should be on this victim and what happened to her.

Allegan County Prosecutor Myrene Koch speaks with News 8 on July 19, 2024.

Koch said she did want to set the record straight regarding the emails.

The communications were sent to me by the trial judge, talking about deficiencies in the investigation, said Koch. My responses were specifically and solely about policies and procedures moving forward. Nothing about the witnesses, the evidence, the trial itself, nothing about what the court should do or not do. And, quite honestly, those communications were never shared with the assistant prosecutor attorney who was trying the case.

In its opinion, the Supreme Court noted the assistant prosecutor on the case addressed problems with the investigation before the ex parte emails occurred.

There was no evidence that Prosecutor Koch told the trial prosecutor about the trial judges comments, wrote the justices. And even if Prosecutor Kochs knowledge were imputed to the trial prosecutor, there was nothing to suggest that the trial prosecutor tried a different tack in response to the trial judges comments. The trial prosecutor disclosed the troopers investigative missteps in her opening statement.

Koch, whos running for reelection, said she has learned from the Loew case.

Even though my intent was pure to talk (in the emails) only about procedural aspects, I have learned not even to do that, and Ive shared that with my staff and others around the state to make sure they dont find themselves in similar circumstances. But at the end of the day, the focus should be on the victim and what happened to her and that this person, indeed, has been convicted by a jury of multiple counts of criminal sexual conduct.

Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

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A coalition of four labor unions representing 14,000 Disneyland workers voted on Friday to authorize a potential strike, threatening the first major work shutdown at the Southern California park in four decades, as contract negotiations stretched on for scores of park employees.

Today Disneyland Park cast members made their voices heard by voting to authorize the Disney Workers Rising bargaining committee to call for a strike to protest unfair labor practices by 99%, the coalition said in a statement. We stood up and showed Disney that we wont sit by and allow them to intimidate, surveil and unlawfully discipline cast members for exercising their rights.

The coalition represents workers including custodians, ride operators, candy makers, merchandise clerks, and parking attendants at the Anaheim park.

The four unions  Bakery, Confectionery, Tobacco Workers and Grain Millers (BCTGM) Local 83; the Service Employees International Union-United Service Workers West (SEIU-USWW); the Teamsters Local 495; and the United Food and Commercial Workers (UFCW) Local 324  have been negotiating with Disney since April.

Disney employees rally outside the main entrance of Disneyland Resort in Anaheim, California, ahead of a planned strike authorization vote (AFP via Getty Images)

A contract covering 9,000 Disneyland workers expired on June 16, and another, representing another 5,000 at Disney California Adventure and Downtown Disney, is set to lapse on September 30, according to the Orange County Register.

Another round of bargaining is set for Monday and Tuesday next week.

We greatly appreciate the important roles our cast members play in creating memorable experiences for our guests, and we remain committed to reaching an agreement that focuses on what matters most to them while positioning Disneyland Resort for growth and job creation, Disney said in a statement after the strike vote.

Disney workers have consistently complained of conditions at the iconic Southern California theme park, including pay they say leaves them unable to meet basic needs.

More than a quarter of Disneyland employees face food insecurity, 33 percent faced housing insecurity last year, and 64 percent of cast members said they spend more than half their paycheck on rent, according to an internal union survey.

Its upsetting that the balloons that we sell in the park are more expensive than [what] Im making an hour. I have to work an hour and a half if I want to afford one of those Disney balloons, Cyn Carranza, who cleans floors on an overnight shift, told CNN.

Carranza said she had to live in her car for months last year, even though she worked two jobs in addition to being at Disneyland.
Thousands of workers at Disney's theme parks and resorts in Southern California announced late Friday night that they have authorized a strike, citing alleged unfair labor practices during recent contract negotiations.

Four unions representing more than 14,000 workers at Disneyland, Disney California Adventure, Downtown Disney and Disney-owned hotels announced the walkout, saying its members overwhelmingly voted in favor after hundreds of alleged labor violations by Disney "interfered with the unions getting the fair contract cast members deserve." They said of the members who participated in the vote, 99% voted in favor of authorizing the strike; however, an exact number was not released.

"Today's overwhelming unfair labor practice strike authorization vote sends a clear message to the company: we are stronger together and will not be divided by scare tactics," the Disney Workers Rising Bargaining Committee said in a statement on Friday, adding: "We make the theme parks' profits and the magic you find across the resort. But instead of rewarding our hard work and dedication, Disney is intimidating, surveilling, and unlawfully disciplining members, harming our negotiations and our ability to get the contract we deserve."

Over 400 Disney cast members rally outside the Disneyland Main Entrance Ahead of ULP Strike Authorization Vote Disneyland in Anaheim on Wednesday, July 17, 2024. / Credit: Allen J. Schaben / Los Angeles Times via Getty Images

The authorization does not mean a strike will happen immediately and both sides could reach a deal. If a strike does happen, it would be the first at Disneyland in 40 years.

"We are fed up with being pushed around by Disney and are ready to fight back against its unfair labor practices," David Hernandez, who is a member of the bargaining committee and monorail operator, said in a statement.

The unions said they have been negotiating a new contract with Disney since April 24. Nearly two months later, on June 10, Disney workers announced that they had filed unfair labor practice charges against the company. The charges, concerning more than 675 workers, are now being investigated by the National Labor Relations Board.

Ahead of the vote, hundreds of Disneyland employees protested outside the world-famous theme park on July 17, calling for better wages and denouncing anti-union practices.

Disney employees hold up signs as they rally outside the main entrance of Disneyland Resort in Anaheim, California, on July 17, 2024, ahead of a planned strike authorization vote. / Credit: FREDERIC J. BROWN/AFP via Getty Images

A Disneyland representative told CBS News in a statement that the strike authorization is not unusual as part of a negotiation process and that the company looks forward to continuing discussions in upcoming meetings on Monday and Tuesday.

"We greatly appreciate the important roles our cast members play in creating memorable experiences for our guests, and we remain committed to reaching an agreement that focuses on what matters most to them while positioning Disneyland Resort for growth and job creation," the representative said, adding that the parks continue to welcome guests.

The four unions that represent the workers are the Bakery, Confectionery, Tobacco Workers and Grain Millers (BCTGM) Local 83; the Service Employees International Union-United Service Workers West (SEIU-USWW); the Teamsters Local 495; and the United Food and Commercial Workers (UFCW) Local 324.

They said they are seeking fair wages, a fair attendance policy, seniority increases and safe parks for cast members. The unions cited economic hardship for their members, including food and housing insecurity.

"Instead of rewarding our hard work and dedication, Disney is intimidating, surveilling, and unlawfully disciplining members, harming our negotiations and our ability to get the contract we deserve," the bargaining committee said.

The contract for cast members at Disneyland expired on June 16 while the contract for Disney California Adventure and Downtown Disney workers expires on September 30.

The bargaining committee said it is committed to negotiations on Monday and Tuesday, but said the strike authorization allows it to call a strike at any time.

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JUBA, July 20 (Xinhua) -- More than 1.4 million South Sudanese refugees have returned home between the signing of a revitalized peace agreement in October 2018 and May 31, 2024, the UN refugee agency said.

There are 2.2 million South Sudanese refugees in the region, including in Kenya, Uganda, Sudan, Ethiopia, the Democratic Republic of the Congo and the Central African Republic, as of May 31, according to a joint report released Friday by the UN High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) and the South Sudan Relief and Rehabilitation Commission (RRC).

Uganda is hosting the highest number of South Sudanese refugees, at 939,538, followed by Sudan, 668,847; Ethiopia, 422,107; Kenya, 181,963; the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), 53,621; and the Central African Republic, 2,813, the report said.

The UNHCR said the most cited reasons for returning home from the countries of asylum included reunion with family members, improvement of the security situation in South Sudan, and to assess land, property and housing.

The reasons cited by the refugees for leaving their countries of asylum were insecurity; lack of employment, livelihood and economic activities; and reduction in food ration in refugee camps.

The report said that 41,600 South Sudanese returned home in May, a slight increase from the previous month.

"The slight increase is due to insecurity in some of the countries of asylum, especially Sudan, reduction of food ration and lack of employment and livelihood opportunities in some parts of the country, which impacted the spontaneous refugee returns to South Sudan during the reporting month," the report said. 
Three weeks after President Joe Biden's fumbled first debate, some of the delegates who pledged to nominate him at the party convention in August have now joined big-dollar donors in the push to consider other names for the top of the ticket, sources tell ABC News. And as the Democratic National Committee forges forward with plans to nominate Biden by virtual roll call weeks before the convention, they're trying to hit the brakes.

Biden's struggles are bubbling back up after they drifted to the background following the failed attempt to assassinate former President Donald Trump last weekend. Biden is now facing a critical point in his reelection bid as Democratic calls for him to exit the 2024 race continue to mount.

Last Saturday, Senate Democratic Leader Chuck Schumer had a blunt conversation with Biden, making the case it would be best if Biden dropped out of the 2024 presidential race, sources told ABC News. Nearly a week later, there are mounting calls from congressional Democrats for him to exit the race.

MORE: 2024 election live updates: 'I look forward to getting back on the campaign trail next week': Biden

There have been growing concerns from donors about Biden's candidacy. Also, a handful of delegates both want Biden removed from the top of the ticket and oppose a virtual roll call, sources familiar tell ABC News.

In recent days, grassroots efforts by some worried delegates to prevent a virtual nomination have picked up steam, said Chris Dempsey, a leader of one delegate group involved.

PHOTO: President Joe Biden speaks at the 115th NAACP National Convention in Las Vegas, July 16, 2024. (Susan Walsh/AP)

A Democratic National Convention delegate closely involved with the push to delay the virtual roll call described informal, energetic donors, delegates and advocates who have come together to stop a president nearly all of its members believe has had a wonderful first term.

"It's very ad hoc," said the delegate, who estimated that they had joined 10 Zoom calls with between 80 and 120 people concerned about the president's candidacy since the debate. "You know, it's one individual, we'll call other individuals, and then they'll put out the word to their network. It's incredibly grassroots."

One new group that has emerged from this informal coordination is Pass The Torch, which describes itself as "a network of Democratic activists, organizers and voters" advocating to "urge President Biden to pass the torch to a new ticket that has a better chance of beating Donald Trump."

MORE: Schumer privately urged Biden to step aside in 2024 election: Sources

In a press release earlier this week, Pass the Torch steering committee member Aaron Regenburg -- a progressive activist and former Rhode Island state representative -- called for the DNC Rules Committee to alter its plans for a virtual roll call. The DNC has indicated that the virtual roll call has long been part of their plans -- since the party took action in rectifying a ballot certification issue earlier this spring.

"It's hard to imagine any move with as much potential to tear the Democratic Party apart as the DNC ramming through an unprecedented early nomination of Biden," wrote Pass the Torch in the release.

The DNC initially made the move to a virtual role call due to an early deadline in the state of Ohio requiring the party to submit its nominee before the convention. That deadline has since been moved, but, due to another complication with state law, the DNC has argued that nominating after the convention could put the party's ballot access at risk.

"We certainly aren't going to tempt fate by inviting challenges to policing the Democratic ticket on the ballot throughout this country," said DNC Chair Jaime Harrison in a meeting Friday.

Pass The Torch and some experts dispute that the move is legally necessary.

PHOTO: Activists gathered outside the Democratic National Committee headquarters in Washington, D.C., July 19, 2024, calling for President Joe Biden to pass the torch and end his campaign for re-election. (ABC News)

At a meeting on Friday, the DNC Rules Committee chairs said they do not plan to open voting until Aug. 1, at the earliest

Another newly formed grassroots group, Delegates Are Democracy, also opposes the virtual roll call vote, though the group is not calling for Biden to step aside.

"Delegates Are Democracy thinks our Party's nominee will be in the strongest position to beat Trump if the Convention follows regular order and the roll call is in-person at the Convention," wrote Dempsey, a DNC delegate from Massachusetts leading the group, in a statement. "It's important that the process be seen as legitimate and not rushed."

According to Dempsey, Delegates Are Democracy seeks to inform delegates about their rights and responsibilities in the event that Biden steps aside, initially focusing on outreach to delegates in Massachusetts, Maryland and Colorado. And Dempsey says its affiliates have had "positive and receptive" conversations with multiple Democratic House members -- though it's not yet clear if those members have plans to directly aid the group's efforts.

MORE: Former DNC chairs push back on calls to delay party's virtual Biden nomination

"We think it's essential that delegates themselves, and really all stakeholders, are reminded of the important role that they play in the democratic process," Dempsey said. "While conventions in recent years and decades have been really seen as just sort of a party or a coronation, in fact, the rules still state that delegates have the ability to decide and choose a nominee."

The Biden campaign declined a request for comment and a spokesperson for the Democratic National Committee did not comment on the delegates' efforts.

Though Democratic delegates are pledged to a particular candidate and expected to reflect the views of those who elected them "in all good conscience," according to party rules, nothing formally prevents them from voting for a different candidate during the roll call nomination vote.

Over the last two weeks, some delegates said the Biden team has made efforts to keep that from happening.

Several delegates who spoke with ABC News said they had received calls from staffers asking whether they still support Biden. Others said they had received calls merely reminding them of information about the convention and their role.

A delegate, who spoke to ABC News on the condition of anonymity and is working to coordinate opposition to Biden's candidacy, said they recently attended a webinar hosted by Biden campaign manager Julie Chavez Rodriguez, which they described as "devoid of reality."

"You would never know that we had had a bad debate and that people are asking the president to speak. Everything was rainbows, sunshines and unicorns," the delegate said. "It was completely devoid of reality. I mean, there was no mention of the elephant in the room."

MORE: Major Democratic donors continue calls for Biden to step aside after ABC News interview

Instead, they continued, Chavez Rodriguez spoke about "abortion, the AAPI community, grassroots activity, some records, some new accomplishments of the administration."

A read-out of the meeting mentioned those topics several times -- but not the debate or Biden's recent struggles.

"Communication with delegations is a routine part of convention operations," a DNC spokesperson wrote in a statement. "The Democratic National Convention Committee has been engaging regularly with state parties and their delegations in a variety of ways beginning in 2023."

The disillusioned delegates join major Democratic donors similarly unmoved by the campaign's overtures, according to longtime big-dollar donor Scott Wallace. Several major donors have called on Biden to step aside since his debate performance.

"[The campaign is] hoping to calm people down and persuade us and bring us back, and I think maybe a few have been persuaded," Wallace said.

But, he stressed, only a few.

MORE: Democrats who want Biden out see flicker of hope with high-level pressure

"The overwhelming consensus is that people don't want to give to the Biden campaign, but they do want to help hold the Senate and take the House," said Wallace. "I've conveyed that to the Biden team myself and the DNC, that I'll be concentrating elsewhere as long as Biden is the candidate."

Wallace told ABC News that he has been in touch with other donors since the debate through shared donor collaboratives, 90% of whom he estimated favor Biden stepping aside.

The DNC Rules Committee will meet next week to vote on whether to nominate by virtual roll call.

ABC News' Oren Oppenheim and Jacob Steinberg contributed to this report.

Some DNC delegates push to remove Biden from top of ticket, oppose virtual roll call originally appeared on abcnews.go.com
Rescue workers have saved the baby of a heavily pregnant Palestinian woman who was killed in an Israeli attack in the Gaza Strip, Palestinian media reported.

The Palestinian news agency WAFA reported on Saturday, citing the al-Awda hospital in Nueseriat, that the child had been delivered in an emergency operation. The newborn is now being treated at the hospital in the central Gaza Strip and is said to be in stable condition, the agency reported.

Palestinian media reported that a total of eight people had been killed in the Israeli army attack on a residential building in the refugee neighbourhood in the coastal strip. An Israeli army spokesperson said on enquiry that the reports were being investigated.
Heavy smoke and fire billow following following an Israeli military strike. Omar Ashtawy/APA Images via ZUMA Press Wire/dpa

Rescue workers in central Gaza have saved the unborn baby of a heavily pregnant woman who was killed in an Israeli attack, Palestinian media reported on Saturday.

The Palestinian news agency WAFA said that the child had been delivered in an emergency operation at the al-Awda hospital in Nuseirat.

The newborn is now being treated at the hospital and is said to be in a stable condition, the agency reported.

Palestinian media reported that a total of eight people had been killed in the Israeli army attack on a residential building in the refugee neighbourhood in the coastal strip.

An Israeli army spokesperson said on enquiry that the army had attacked "terror targets throughout the Gaza Strip during the night, including terrorists and terror infrastructure in the Nuseirat area."

The military said it made considerable efforts to prevent harm to innocent civilians.

Heavy smoke and fire billow following following an Israeli military strike. Omar Ashtawy/APA Images via ZUMA Press Wire/dpa

Heavy smoke and fire billow following following an Israeli military strike. Omar Ashtawy/APA Images via ZUMA Press Wire/dpa
Eerie Way Out

Cue the controversy, because Switzerland is about to test the world's first portable "suicide pod."

Known as Sarco, its sleek design is meant to take away from some of the uneasiness around assisted suicide. Arguably, though, the jarring contrast between its looks and its morbid purpose makes the whole thing feel even eerier.

The assisted-suicide device was first unveiled in 2019 by its divisive inventor Philip Nitschke, and its use has since been championed by The Last Resort, a newly formed euthanasia organization  which is now saying that the Sarco pod will be tested "soon."

"Since we have people indeed queueing up, asking to use the Sarco, it's very likely that it will take place pretty soon," CEO Florian Willet told a press conference, as quoted by NDTV. "I cannot imagine a more beautiful way (to die), of breathing air without oxygen until falling into an eternal sleep."

Press to Kill

How the pod works is this: a person who has consented to end their own life lies down inside, the lid is closed, and a button is pressed that replaces oxygen with nitrogen in the chamber. Gradually, they lose consciousness, and "peacefully" die of hypoxia within 10 minutes.

The easy, tech-inflected design of Sarco has caused an ethical and legal stir in Switzerland. Assisted suicide is legal there, but only if it's administered by the patient themselves  not by a third party.

Technically, the pod is designed to be activated by the patient, either through a button or through gestures, voice controls, or even a blink. But as Swiss public prosecutor Peter Stiche argued last week, "there is no reliable information about the method of killing."

"[It is] completely unclear who has control over which mechanical process during the dying process," he told the Swiss newspaper Blick, as quoted by The Independent.

Tough Questions

Assisted suicide is a fraught subject, and the fact that the Sarco pod offers it at a literal button push  and at a mere 18 francs, or $20  is bound to inflame debates further.

It's understandable why assisted forms of suicide should be available to someone afflicted by a terminal, painful disease, for example, but many argue that giving such easy access to it could be dangerous.

"What if it is accessed by someone not in their right mind?" Stephen Duckworth, the founder of Disability Matters Global, wrote in an opinion piece for The Independent in 2021. "Or a child? Or if it is used to abuse others? What if it doesn't result in immediate or peaceful death and the individual is left alone without any recourse to call for help?"

The Last Resort hasn't disclosed who the pod's first user will be, but it expects that the test will take place later this year.

More on assisted suicide: Couple Gets Assisted Suicide Together
Curious Kids is a series for children of all ages. If you have a question youd like an expert to answer, send it to curiouskidsus@theconversation.com.

What happens in your brain when you wake up from your sleep?  Ainsley V., age 11, South Carolina

When youre asleep, you can seem completely dead to the world. But when you wake up, in an instant you can be up and at em. How does the brain turn on awareness or consciousness? This question has puzzled scientists for centuries  and continues to do so.

While scientists dont have the full answer yet, they are finding clues by studying peoples brains as they shift between sleeping and waking.

Looking inside a living brain

One way scientists study activity in the brain is by using a tool called electroencephalography, or EEG. EEG measures electrical signals coming from thousands of brain cells called neurons. The person being studied wears a funny-looking cap that is connected to a computer. It doesnt hurt at all. The electrical activity in their brain shows up as wavy lines.

Brain waves have a story to tell. William Taufic/The Image Bank via Getty Images

You might think your brain is turned off  or resting  while you sleep, but its actually on a roller-coaster ride of activity, even if youre not aware of it. You cycle through four different sleep stages, each of which shows up as a different pattern on the EEG.

One stage of sleep, called rapid eye movement or REM sleep, is when dreams typically occur. Dreams are interesting because you actually feel like you are conscious, but youre not conscious in the same way you are when youre awake.

It turns out each sleep stage is also associated with different patterns of chemicals in your brain. These are called neurochemicals and are the way brain cells communicate with each other.

What scientists know so far

One of the major systems in the brain that wakes you up is called the reticular activating system, or RAS. The RAS is a part of your brain located just above your spinal column. Its about two inches long and the width of a pencil. The RAS acts like a gatekeeper or filter for your brain, making sure it doesnt have to deal with more information than it can handle.

The RAS can sense important information and create neurochemicals that wake up other parts of the brain. It also keeps you awake throughout the day.

If you have to go to the bathroom in the middle of the night, the RAS senses that signal from your body and flips a switch to wake your brain up  just like a light switch. Signals coming from outside of your body, like the sound of an alarm clock or a parent waking you up, can also flip on your RAS.

Once the RAS switch turns on, it can take some time for your whole brain and body to wake up. This is because it takes a few minutes to clear all the sleepy neurochemicals from your brain, which is why you may feel groggy when an alarm clock wakes you up.

Sometimes your brain is slow to wake up. Mypurgatoryyears/E+ via Getty Images

But why do you feel more groggy on some days and not on others? When your brain is asleep, it shifts between deep and light stages. If your alarm clock goes off during a deeper stage of sleep, it takes longer for all the parts of your brain to wake up. You can use technology to track what stage of sleep youre in and then wake you during a light stage, so you wake up feeling more refreshed.

Mysteries left to solve

There is still a lot to learn about waking up. Although you spend about one-third of your time sleeping, scientists dont totally understand the purpose of sleep.

They do know that sleep is vital for health, especially for kids whose brains and bodies are still growing. Sleep restores your immune system, improves your memory and supports your mental health. And you might be surprised by how many hours of sleep doctors recommend for babies, kids and adults.

Even though scientists have found some of the pieces, the puzzle of how and why the brain generates consciousness is still unsolved. This is why the future needs curious scientists  perhaps even you.

Hello, curious kids! Do you have a question youd like an expert to answer? Ask an adult to send your question to CuriousKidsUS@theconversation.com. Please tell us your name, age and the city where you live.

And since curiosity has no age limit  adults, let us know what youre wondering, too. We wont be able to answer every question, but we will do our best.

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: Hilary A. Marusak, Wayne State University and Aneesh Hehr, Wayne State University

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Dr. Marusak is funded, in part, by grants from the National Institute of Mental Health.

Aneesh Hehr 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.
Does a new proposal have the teeth to bring property tax relief to Topeka?

Does a new proposal have the teeth to bring property tax relief to Topeka?

TOPEKA (KSNT)  Topeka city council is set to discuss a proposal targeting property taxes. The question is: does it have teeth?

Topeka resident Earl McIntosh went to great lengths organizing a petition and getting thousands of signatures around Topeka. The petition seeks to require the city to put any property tax increases to a vote. McIntoshs efforts forced leaders in the capital city to discuss the petition during a July 9 council meeting.

The city chose to ignore it.

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In the wake of that decision, on July 18 District 8 City Councilman, Spencer Duncan, created a resolution urging all taxing entities, to keep mill levies at the lowest possible rates.

Passage of the resolution would be a formal acknowledgement by city leaders that its residents are facing financial hardship; but, it wouldnt require any taxing entity to actually do anything about it.

Nonetheless, McIntosh said the resolution is a good thing for the people of the capital city.

Topeka animal shelter at full capacity, woman fosters dog to make room

Since our meeting this resolution has come forward, McIntosh said, and thats very exciting for us and the taxpayers of Topeka. Though McIntosh said hes still weighing his options when it comes to pushing the tax petition forward.

During an impromptu press conference with McIntosh and his lawyer immediately following the July 9 council meeting, the two said theyre not giving up on the petition. McIntoshs lawyer said that could mean taking legal action against the city.

The city is scheduled to take action councilman Duncans resolution July 30.

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For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to KSNT 27 News.
DENVER (KDVR)  An Arizona familys dog, Konnie, is safe once again after spending 14 days alone in the San Juan Mountains near Silverton.

Konnie went missing on July 4 while traveling with his family, who was exploring the San Juan Mountains. After searching extensively, the family decided to return home, hoping to one day see their pooch again.

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On Friday, the founder of San Juan Mountain Adventures, Jimmy Keene, successfully rescued the lost dog. Keene said that after hearing the story, he took it upon himself to find Konnie. For 14 days, Keen tracked Konnie through the rocky landscape.

We never gave up hope, said Keene. The San Juan Mountains are vast and beautiful, but they can be unforgiving. Konnies resilience and the unwavering support of the community kept me going. Im thrilled to reunite Konnie with her family.

Konnie was rescued by Jimmy Keene on Friday, July 19, 2024, from the San Juan Mountains. Photo courtesy Jimmy Keene.

Konnie was rescued by Jimmy Keene on Friday, July 19, 2024, from the San Juan Mountains. Photo courtesy Jimmy Keene.

Konnie was rescued by Jimmy Keene on Friday, July 19, 2024, from the San Juan Mountains. Photo courtesy Jimmy Keene.

Konnie, seen here on a trail camera near food that Keene left out for Konnie, was rescued on July 19. Photo courtesy Jimmy Keene.

On Friday, Keene found Konnie several miles from where shed been seen last and brought her to safety. Keene reported that the four-legged friend is in good health and spirits and the family is en route from Arizona to reunite with their pet.

San Juan Mountain Adventures is a nonprofit based in Silverton that provides outdoor experiences to locals and visitors. The rescue operation is a testament to Keenes dedication to the well-being of all who venture into the mountains.

Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. 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.
Employees of a Texas-based nonprofit that provides housing to unaccompanied migrant children repeatedly subjected minors in its care to sexual abuse and harassment, the Department of Justice (DOJ) alleged in a new lawsuit.

From 2015 through at least the end of 2023, multiple employees at Southwest Key Programs, the countrys largest private provider of housing for unaccompanied children, subjected unaccompanied children in their care to repeated and unwelcome sexual abuse, harassment, and misconduct, the lawsuit said.

Minors housed in its shelters were subjected to severe sexual abuse and rape, solicitation of sex acts, solicitation of nude photos and entreaties for sexually inappropriate relationships, among other acts, according to the lawsuit.

The children range in age from as young as five years old to teenagers just shy of eighteen years old, and primarily come from Guatemala, Honduras and El Salvador.

Southwest Key employees allegedly discouraged children from reporting abuse, in some cases threatening them and their families, according to the lawsuit.

Employees exploited the childrens vulnerabilities, language barriers, and distance from family and loved ones, according to the lawsuit, which was filed in federal court in Texas on Wednesday.

Despite being aware of the severe and pervasive harms, Southwest Key failed to take appropriate action to protect the children in its care, the DOJ said.

In search of the American Dream, children often endure perilous journeys on their migration north to the southern border, Alamdar Hamdani, U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Texas, said in a statement. The sexual harassment alleged in the complaint would destroy any childs sense of safety, turning what was an American Dream into a nightmare.

In a statement, a Southwest Key spokeswoman said the complaint does not present the accurate picture of the care and commitment our employees provide to the youth and children.

We are in constant communication and continue to closely partner with the Office of Refugee Resettlement (ORR), as we have done so for the past two decades to ensure the children and youth entrusted to our care are safe with us during their short stay with Southwest Key, Anais Biera Miracle said in an emailed statement.

Southwest Key is the largest private care provider for unaccompanied children in the United States and currently operates at least 29 shelters in Texas, Arizona and California that hold a total of 6,350 unaccompanied children.

Children who arrive at the southern border with Mexico unaccompanied by parents or legal guardians are the responsibility of the federal government.

The Department of Health and Human Services Office of Refugee Resettlement (ORR) is responsible for sheltering unaccompanied migrant children, and contracts with facilities like Southwest Key to provide the shelter.

Its a lucrative industry. Between fiscal years 2015 and 2023, Southwest Key received over $3 billion in funding from HHS, according to the DOJ.

During that period, Southwest Key received over 100 reports of sexual harassment or abuse of the children under its care, the DOJ alleged, but the company took no action.

On numerous occasions Southwest Key employees failed to report knowledge or suspicion of sexual abuse or harassment of children, including when the abuse was observed by others or was ongoing, the lawsuit stated.

One report describes a Southwest Key Youth Care Worker who repeatedly sexually abused a five-year-old girl, an eight-year-old girl and an eleven-year-old girl at a facility in El Paso, Texas, in 2022. He entered their bedrooms in the middle of the night to touch their private area, and threatened to kill their families if they disclosed the abuse, according to the lawsuit.

In another instance Southwest Key documented, a supervisor at a Texas shelter in 2019 would regularly switch assignments with other staff so that he could be alone with a teenage girl, who he repeatedly raped, abused and threatened.

She reported the abuse by passing a note to her teacher when the supervisor was on vacation, according to the lawsuit. Following her report, the child was transferred to a different shelter.

The lawsuit cited a 2019 report of a clinician who asked inappropriate questions about a girls sexual experiences, asked if she wanted a hug and looked over her body.

In another, documents detailed an employee sexually touching boys during transport in May 2022.

In a 2020 incident detailed in numerous reports, per the lawsuit, a Southwest Key worker ran off with a fifteen-year-old boy from an Arizona shelter. The worker took the boy to a hotel room for several days where he paid the boy for sex acts. The worker was later indicted and pleaded guilty in March 2022 to felony attempted sexual conduct with a minor.

The DOJ alleged Southwest Key employees also threatened children into silence.

A Southwest Key employee at a Brownsville, Texas, shelter discouraged a child from pursuing a report of harassment by saying it would delay her reunification with her family or adversely affect her placement with a sponsor, according to the lawsuit.

In another case described in the lawsuit, a child with visible physical marks resembling hickeys on her body and breasts reported a sexual assault to a Southwest Key employee who instructed her to cover up the marks. The child reported to another, trusted Southwest Key employee, who notified a supervisor of the incident. The supervisor told the employee not to write an official report.

Southwest Key shelters experienced an influx as children were separated from their families at the border under the Trump administrations zero-tolerance policy in 2017 and 2018. It resulted in more than 5,000 children being put into federal custody after they were removed from their parents or guardians at the southern border.

The company has come under scrutiny before.

Videos from Arizona Southwest Key shelters in 2018 showed staffers physically abusing children. Two facilities lost their licenses. Around the same time, the state Department of Health Services moved to revoke the licenses of all Southwest Keys Arizona shelters, citing a failure to provide proof that its workers had received required background checks.

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For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to The Hill.
WALKER COUNTY, Ala. (WIAT)  A two-vehicle crash that occurred Friday afternoon left a Dora woman dead.

According to Alabama Law Enforcement Agency, Melissa Parker, 42, was injured when the Toyota Tundra she was driving left the roadway and was struck by a Chevrolet Silverado around 12:35 p.m. Prior to impact, both vehicles left the roadway, which resulted in the crash. Parker was pronounced dead at the scene. The driver and passenger in the Chevrolet were transported to Brookwood Baptist Medical Center in Jasper for treatment.

The crash occurred on Horse Creek Boulevard near Singleton Road, approximately one mile west of Dora, in Walker County. No further information is available as ALEA continues to investigate.

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A 21-year-old Pennsylvania woman died in the Bronx early Saturday when a BMW collided with the car she was riding in and sent it crashing into a parked truck, police said.

Jinmaris Melendez of Lancaster, Pa., was in the passenger seat of a Ford Focus at about 2:45 a.m. when it was involved in a collision with a purple BMW at the corner of Viele Ave. and Manida St., a desolate stretch of commercial buildings in Hunts Point, cops said.

The force of the impact slammed the Ford into a parked box truck, causing Melendez to suffer extensive head and body injuries, cops said.

Emergency medical technicians rushed her to Lincoln Hospital, but she couldnt be saved.

Police said Melendezs Ford was traveling east on Viele Ave. when it smashed into the BMW, which was heading north on Manida St. It wasnt immediately clear which car sparked the crash.

A 37-year-old man driving the Ford and two women, ages 22 and 23, in the back seat also were rushed to Lincoln Hospital and had non-life threatening injuries, cops said.

The 23-year-old man driving the BMW suffered minor injuries and remained at the scene. An unidentified female passenger in the BMW ran from the scene and had not yet been questioned, a police source said.

No charges were immediately filed.
BUENOS AIRES  A siren sounded on the street at 9:53 on July 18, at the same moment and place a bomb tore through the Jewish community center here thirty years ago to the day. When it did, I again imagined a different world.

Iranian-backed Hezbollah terrorists murdered 85 people and injured more than 300 in the attack on the Asociacion Mutual Israelita Argentina (AMIA) that cloudy day on July 18, 1994, reducing the community center to rubble. The atrocity could have been a clarion call for Western democracies to confront the genocidal agenda of its mastermind, Ayatollah Khomeini.







Instead, an unchecked menace in Tehran gathered strength and resolve. It unleashed itself again on Oct. 7 when Hamas terrorists attacked Israel, the worst mass murder of Jews since the Holocaust. Now, as the Iranian regime races to develop nuclear weapons, I shudder to think what awaits us if we fail to heed historys lessons again.

The years following the bombing of the AMIA tell a story of profound corruption abetted by institutional failures. I witnessed them firsthand representing the Simon Wiesenthal Center in meetings with Argentinian presidents and foreign ministers, trying to focus the nations leadership on delivering justice to the victims. The wait for that reckoning goes on: Neither the attackers nor their sponsors have faced any consequences.

Survivors once found a champion in Alberto Nisman, a brave prosecutor. When a colleague and I met with him in his Buenos Aires offices, strategically located away from the street, it was clear he was committed to following the truth wherever it led him. But Nisman was found murdered in his apartment hours before he was set to go public. No one has been convicted of this horrible crime.

The bombing and its aftermath remain an open wound for hundreds of still-grieving families. But this tragedy is not Argentinas alone. The plan the Iranian regime followed that day became a blueprint it has since deployed to fulfill its murderous mission in Gaza, Iraq, Lebanon and beyond.

Tehran has learned it can range abroad to kill its enemies with impunity, evading Interpol and Western counter-terrorism authorities. The regime has sent hit teams to eliminate Iranian dissidents across Europe and the U.S. It has threatened senior State Department officials responsible for setting policy toward the country during the Trump administration.

U.S. administrations led by both parties have enabled this scourge. Iran and its proxies are establishing a growing presence in Latin America, bringing the threat to our doorstep.

As leaders from around the world gather here in solemn remembrance, we also need to summon the determination, finally, to curb Tehrans aggression. The barbarity of the AMIA bombing echoed in Hamas Oct. 7 slaughter.

Such an evil equipped with apocalyptic force would be an unconscionable horror.

Rabbi Abraham Cooper is the associate dean and director of Global Social Action for the Simon Wiesenthal Center, a Jewish human rights organization.
Following a livestream that Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez did about the future of Joe Bidens presidency, Sen. Elizabeth Warren responded to concerns Saturday on MSNBC that some may be looking to keep Vice President Kamala Harris from being the Democratic Partys new nominee.

Ocasio-Cortez spoke in a nearly hourlong livestream Thursday night where she talked about the private discussions politicians are having around getting Biden to step aside as their partys nominee for a new candidate, amid calls for him to do so from the public, the media and other Democratic politicians.

If you think that there is consensus among the people who want Joe Biden to leave, that Kamala, that they will support Kamala, Vice President Harris, you would be mistaken, Ocasio-Cortez said. Im in these rooms. I see what they say in conversations. A lot of them are not just interested in removing the president  they are interested in removing the whole ticket.

Watch the full video from Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez here:

When asked about the AOC video and those who seek to leaprog Senator Harris on MSNBCs The Weekend, Warren responded, So look, Joe Biden is our nominee. As I said before, he has a really big decision to make. But what gives me a lot of hope right now is that if President Biden decides to step back, we have Vice President Kamala Harris, who is ready to step up, to unite the party, to take on Donald Trump and to win in November.

Warren pointed to the fact that voters have already shown support for Harris and that they knew she had to be ready to step into Bidens shoes if needed. The presidents age, while a smaller concern, was among discussions in the 2020 campaign around who his vice president should be given what appeared to be a higher likelihood that they could run soon if Biden chose to be a one-term candidate.

Remember, 80 million people voted for Joe Biden and Kamala Harris in 2020, knowing that Kamala Harris would be ready to step up if needed, Warren said. Ive known Kamala for nearly 15 years now. Back when I was setting up the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau and Kamala was attorney general of California, we worked side by side to try to fight back against giant banks that were cheating people.

The senator went on to tout Harris strong opposition to a nationwide abortion bad following the overturning of Roe v. Wade, then drew the now increasingly popular contrast of Harris as a prosecutor up against former President Donald Trump, recently convicted of numerous felony charges.

Look, if youre running against a convicted felon, then a prosecutor like Kamala is really a good person to make that case, Warren said. No matter what happens, I will be out there fighting for Democrats. I believe were going to come together and were going to win in November.

You can watch Sen. Elizabeth Warrens MSNBC interview in the video below:

There's been discussion of Democrats' desire to eliminate the entire Biden-Harris ticket. Senator Elizabeth Warren says @POTUS has a big decision to make and Vice President Harris is ready to serve if needed. pic.twitter.com/ddeZcUgjij  The Weekend on MSNBC (@TheWeekendMSNBC) July 20, 2024

The post Elizabeth Warren Responds to Viral AOC Video About Replacing Biden: Kamala Harris Is Ready to Step Up, to Unite the Party | Video appeared first on TheWrap.
A gray wolf. (Gary Kramer/U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service)

A sharply-divided state panel on Friday retained strict protections for gray wolves in Washington, concluding their status under the states endangered species law should not change despite signs of a growing population.

In a pair of 5-4 votes, the Washington State Fish and Wildlife Commission rejected downlisting wolves from endangered to either threatened or sensitive, moves that would have led to lower penalties for poaching and slightly easier access to permits to kill wolves that attack livestock.

Fridays debate, the latest in the decadeslong fight on how to manage wolves in Washington, centered on the extent to which gray wolves are increasing in population and recovering as a species in the state.

Department of Fish and Wildlife staff recommended wolves be downlisted to sensitive more than a year ago as part of a process known as periodic status review. They pointed to a rising number of wolves. Last years annual wolf report found their population had reached an estimated 260 in the state  up about 20% over 2022 and the 15th consecutive year of growth.

Some commissioners doubted the numbers and said the biological evidence does not justify lowering the status. They worried doing so could slow recovery in the long term.

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I do not believe I was presented reliable, compelling science to downlist, said Commissioner Lorna Smith.

Commissioner Jim Anderson disagreed.

We have very good data, he said. With downlisting, we are not all walking away from recovery. We are embracing recovery.

Tim Ragen, the commission vice chair, said gray wolves are doing better but its unclear at what point they will number enough to be deemed recovered.

What is a recovered population? What is endangered? Threatened? We have not really defined them well, he said. That should be done before deciding on gray wolves status, he said.

Were not only considering what to do with the wolves. Were also trying to build a best management approach for all species, he said.  I want us to do all of our homework. I think we can do a better job than we have now.

Commissioners on Friday did briefly endorse a downlist for wolves, voting 5-4 to accept their staffs recommendation.

But Commissioner Woody Myers subsequently changed his mind, providing the critical fifth vote to prevent any changes. He said hed been torn on what to do.

I wish I could tell you with conviction what is the right way to go, he said before casting any votes. Im not necessarily sure there is a right decision.

A road to recovery

Washingtons endangered species list has three categories: endangered, threatened and sensitive.

Endangered means a species is seriously threatened with extinction throughout all or a significant portion of its range within the state. The sensitive classification means a species is vulnerable or declining and is likely to become endangered or threatened in a significant portion of its range within the state without cooperative management or removal of threats.

Department officials and supporters of downlisting said not much would change for wolves practically if their status were lowered and that its time to recognize their population growth since they were first designated as endangered.

But environmentalists and wildlife advocates said the move would lead to inadequate protection for wolves when they still havent recovered in some parts of the state, particularly the southern Cascades and Olympic Peninsula.

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They also pointed to concerns with the data considered in the process.

Science tells us that a decision to downlist wolves would have put the population at even greater risk, so we are relieved and grateful that the Commission decided to keep current state protections in place, Dr. Fran Santiago-Avila, Washington Wildlife Firsts science and advocacy director, said in a statement Friday.

While the population growth in the last year was the most in state history, environmentalists and some commissioners have been skeptical, specifically related to the higher numbers on Colville tribal lands. The Confederated Tribes of the Colville Reservation reported a significant rise in wolves in their territory despite an increase in the number of wolves killed by tribal hunters.

Wildlife advocates say the tribes have provided little information on how they gathered their data, and theyre suspicious of the Department of Fish and Wildlifes willingness to take the numbers at face value.

At a meeting in June, agency staffers told the commission that the decision to downlist was not based solely on last years numbers but instead on years of recovery efforts that are working.

I think the information is still there to make a decision regardless of what this years count is, Ben Maletzke, the departments wolf specialist, told commissioners last month in response to questions about the data.

After Friday, the next time a decision might be made is in five years when the next periodic status review is completed. In addition to state law, wolves in the western two-thirds of the state are protected under the federal Endangered Species Act.

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EL PASO, Texas (KTSM)  El Paso Community College (EPCC) gave out backpacks filled with school supplies to 1,200 area K-12 students through its annual School Store.

The event was held Saturday, July 20 at the Valle Verde Campus and in partnership with the El Paso Community Foundation.

This effort ensures that students are prepared with the supplies they need to start the school year, according to EPCC. The children earned play money to shop for their supplies by visiting informational booths and participating in campus tours.

EPCC is committed to increasing the number of students going to college in the region by partnering with the El Paso Community Foundation, school districts and other partners on various initiatives, the college said in its news release.

For the past nine years, the EPCC School Stores have provided school supplies to schools as well as offered campus tours and information to students about going to college.

EPCC said the program has been able to expand significantly in the past few years from the support of the El Paso Community Foundation.

As a result, more schools and volunteers participate each year and more kids are able to benefit from the program, EPCC said.

Also Saturday, the El Paso County Sheriffs Office Community Service Section teamed up with Operation Hope and other community partners to give out 250 backpacks to students and families at the EL Paso County Sheriffs Office.

Through events like these, the El Paso County Sheriffs Office continues to demonstrate its unwavering commitment to serving and supporting the local community, making a lasting difference in the lives of those who need it most, the Sheriffs Office said in a news release.

Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to KTSM 9 News.
Erdogan says single state solution for Cyprus 'not possible'

Turkey remains opposed to creating a unified Cypriot federation, President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said on Saturday during events on the island commemorating the 50th year of Turkey's invasion.

"We believe that a [single] federal solution is not possible in Cyprus, the Turkish leader said on Saturday while visiting the Turkish-controlled north of the divided island.

In 1974, nationalist Greek Cypriots and the then-ruling dictatorship in Athens wanted to unite Cyprus with Greece, which led to a military coup on the island.

To prevent a union with Greece, Turkey intervened militarily. Since then, the island has been divided.

Greek Cypriot President Nikos Christodoulidis has already rejected a call by his Turkish Cypriot counterpart Ersin Tatar for a two-state-solution.

"We are under no circumstances discussing a two-state solution," Cypriot President Nikos Christodoulides told dpa on Thursday.

And Greece's prime minister, Kyriakos Mitsotakis, called on Saturday for a united Cyprus.

Its been half a century since the national tragedy of Cyprus...We claim a European state, united, based on UN resolutions. No foreign occupation army, Mitsotakis wrote on the social media platform X.

A two-state solution is opposed not only by Nicosia but also by Germany, the European Union and the United Nations. The UN's goal has always been a kind of federation with a central government.

Erdogan, meanwhile, said Ankara is ready to negotiate and establish a permanent peace and solution in Cyprus.

He, however, charged that Turkish Cypriots are being discriminated against and not allowed to share the island`s energy resources.

The event marking the 50th year of Turkey's invasion of the Mediterranean island, featured a military parade. A fleet of 50 ships, jets and armed drones from the Turkish mainland were to join the parade, the state news agency Anadolu reported.

Nearly a decade after the invasion, the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus (TRNC) was proclaimed in 1983 in the northern part of the island, which to this day is only recognized by Turkey.

In 2004, the entire island was admitted to the EU as a state. De jure, the entire island has been an EU member since then, but EU law is only applied in the southern part, meaning the island is de facto divided.
Jurupa Valley Sheriff's Station at 7477 Mission Blvd. in Jurupa Valley. An officer-involved shooting took place Friday involving a Riverside County sheriff's deputy. (Google Maps)

The Riverside County Sheriff's Department is investigating a deputy-involved shooting that killed a man who was allegedly armed and behaving erratically in the Santa Ana River.

On Friday at 7:28 a.m., Riverside County Parks rangers called the sheriff's department for assistance at a cleanup site in the Santa Ana River bottom because the rangers encountered a man who was armed with an unknown object.

When deputies from the Jurupa Valley sheriff's station arrived to the area of 34th Street and Crestmore Road, they located the man who was armed with a machete and a large metal pipe, according to a news release.

Deputies ordered the man to drop the weapons, but he refused to comply.

The officers then used a "less lethal device to gain compliance," but the device was ineffective, the news release states. The type of "less lethal device" that was used on the man is unknown.

The Sheriff's Department declined to disclose the less lethal method, saying the incident is under investigation.

Read more: Father of four killed by man shooting at passing cars in Riverside County, authorities say

Riverside County Parks officials said they regularly conduct debris and encampment cleanups along the riverbed. Park officials declined to say whether the cleanup effort Friday morning was targeting an encampment along the river.

According to the sheriff's office, the male who was still armed with the machete "continued to behave erratic and assaultive" toward the deputies and a deputy-involved shooting occurred.

It is unclear what prompted the deputy to open fire.

The man was struck by the deputy's gunfire. No deputies or rangers were injured during the shooting.

Officers performed medical aid on the man until the paramedics arrived. The man was transported to a local hospital, where he was later pronounced dead.

The identity of the deceased was not released.

The investigation is ongoing, and no additional details are available. The sheriff's department declined to release the name of the deputy involved in the shooting.

Read more: Inmate attacks San Bernardino County sheriff's deputy with a shiv in surveillance footage

The sheriff's office said the deputy involved will be placed on paid administrative leave. according to department policy.

Investigators from the Riverside County district attorney's office assigned to the Riverside Sheriff's Force Investigations Detail are leading this investigation.

Anyone with information regarding this shooting is encouraged to contact Riverside County Dist. Atty. Investigator Mario Moreno or Riverside County Sheriff's Master Investigator Martin Alfaro at (951) 955-2700.

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This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times.
The European Union will demand access to British fishing waters in return for a closer relationship with Britain, The Telegraph understands.

Sir Keir Starmer is pursuing a reset to European relations and last week hosted a summit for European Political Community (EPC) leaders at Blenheim Palace.

The Prime Minister hoped to use the summit as a springboard to forge closer trade, security and foreign policy ties with Brussels, as well as work on a migrant returns deal.

However, the EU is said to be preparing a list of offensive interests it will use in any future talks with the UK Government.

Government officials believe access to British fishing waters will be one of the key trade-offs in response to Sir Keirs requests.

We dont know what they want

The Government has also said it will attempt to improve the UK-EU trade deal agreed by Boris Johnsons government in 2020, and Sir Keir has been offered a symbolic EU-UK summit in Brussels by Charles Michel, the European Council president, to begin those negotiations.

The blocs 27 prime ministers and presidents are understood to be keen to hear from Sir Keir about his plans to overhaul relations.

We still dont know what they want, a European diplomatic source told The Telegraph at the EPC summit.

An EU official added: First they have to work out exactly what they want and then come to us and we will talk about it.

Top of the agenda for the EU, especially France, will be renewing the UK-EU fisheries deal, which expires at the end of June 2026.

Emmanuel Macron has listed the issue of fishing as a priority, alongside migration and defence, for talks with the UK.

The EU also wants a deal on greater access to Britain for young Europeans.

Brussels current youth mobility proposal, tabled in April, has no limits placed on 18- to 30-year-olds coming to work or study in Britain for four years, with rights to bring their family members.

Starmer may rethink university fee rules

The bloc also wants rules that would prevent EU students being charged international fees by British universities.

At the time, the scheme was rejected by Labour, but it would likely be brought back to the negotiating table if Sir Keir is to secure deals to reduce red tape on trade with the bloc.

He is likely to want to negotiate better terms on animal health standards, mutual recognition of qualifications and a regulatory deal on chemicals.

A deal with Spain on the post-Brexit future for Gibraltar will also become an early priority in talks with Europe.

Pedro Sanchez, the Spanish prime minister, has said clarifying this issue would help advance between London and Madrid.

But it has prompted warnings that Sir Keir will be exploited in his efforts to reset Britains relations with the bloc.

Veteran Brexit negotiators have said the prime minister will suffer if he attempts to please the EU by giving ground early with a deal on fisheries.

They told The Telegraph that it would be mad to believe striking an early fisheries deal would convince Brussels to go easy on Labour in future talks to reopen parts of Mr Johnsons trade deal.

Single Market cannot be cherry-picked

Despite the positive response from Europeans to the Prime Ministers desire to reset relations, they said they would not allow their Single Market to be cherry-picked.

Mr Michel, who will be replaced as European Council president later this year, said it was legitimate for Brussels to defend its interest, adding: In the end what is important is common sense and political courage so that we can make the right decisions, the right choices for the benefits of our citizens.

Meanwhile, Mr Macron, referring to Mr Johnsons deals, told reporters at the EPC: This one obviously has to respect what was decided at the time and should not be a sort of cherry picking.

The French president will position himself as a defender of EU interests in any talks with the UK, despite his public determination to improve relations since Sir Keirs election victory.

Olaf Scholz, the German chancellor, who is expected to take softer positions, said: It is too early now to go into the details, but there is a willingness to solve every question that needs to be solved in order to have good relations.

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The European Political Community junket over which Sir Keir Starmer presided at Blenheim Palace last week was described by him as being a reset of our relations with Europe. This concerned those of us who wish to respect the largest democratic vote in this countrys history to keep Britain out of the European Union, but that was not its main significance. One of the 45 European leaders present was Volodymyr Zelensky, the leader of Ukraine; and his presence was by far the most important. Tedious north London and university high table arguments about rejoining the EU are trivial compared with the existentialist question about Ukraine; and whether the free world is prepared to stop the tyrant Putin taking what he wants from a sovereign neighbour.

The EPC was founded in response to Putins invasion of Ukraine in 2022. On Friday, Mr Zelensky became the first foreign leader to address the Cabinet since Bill Clinton in 1997. Sir Keir is said to have promised Mr Zelensky that British support for Ukraine would be stepped up as part of Britains unshakeable support for that country. There is no reason to doubt his sincerity. Politically, he is on safe ground: most Britons feel disgust at Putins brutality, and share a sense that Ukraine has been bitterly wronged. Sounds from the rest of Europe have been generally less attractive, however, despite Polands having indicated that it would speed up delivery of F-16 jets to Ukraine; and these were tiptoed around at Blenheim.

Germany announced last week that it was halving its military aid to Ukraine. President Macron, one of Ukraines most fervent supporters, is struggling with the more proximate problem of governing a country that through his own recklessness and stupidity he has helped make nearly ungovernable. Elsewhere on the continent are those such as Viktor Orban from Hungary, who wish the whole thing would just go away: though for it to do so would require some major concession to be made to the Russians, rewarding their naked aggression and violating Ukraines intensely strong idea of itself as a nation distinct from its former imperial masters: which brings us to Donald Trump.

Even before a crank attempted to shoot him on 13 July, Mr Trump was set fair to become president of the United States for the second time. His exceptionally close escape, and the unbowed fashion in which he reacted to it, means his opponents will require a miracle to stop him returning to the White House in January. This has serious implications for the Russo-Ukraine war. Last week Mr Trump announced the Ohio senator JD Vance as his running mate. Mr Vance has said that he doesnt care what happens to Ukraine one way or the other. He has opposed further aid and his appointment will delight the Kremlin.

The view there is that when and if he becomes president Mr Trump will try to force territorial concessions out of Ukraine, thereby making all the slaughter and humiliation worth Russias while. With Russias assault so far having failed to conquer Ukraine, two-and-a-half years in, such an initiative could come just as Kyiv might, at last, have the means to press home an advantage against an increasingly enfeebled and demoralised enemy.

At Blenheim, of all places, with its Churchillian resonances, one geopolitical point should have been paramount: that bullies control the playground unless there is a concerted effort to stand up to them. From 1941 Churchill and Roosevelt called such an effort against the Axis the United Nations, the name later being used to describe the hoped-for new world orders debating chamber, where international disputes could be settled without war. Stalins determination to cling to notions of more barbaric conduct hamstrung that, and the UN was soon divided between the Soviet bloc (and its communist and anti-American allies) and what came to be called the West. The West was defined from 1949 with the foundation of Nato; and it is Nato today that, while not belligerent on behalf of Ukraine, is watching its struggle with Russia, its individual members doing what they can to support the side of right and freedom.

But if Mr Trumps throwaway line about ending the war on his first day in office has any link with reality, what does it mean? It can only mean the territorial surrender for which the Kremlin hopes, as a means of Putins saving face. But will Ukraine stomach that? It doesnt matter that the development of its 20th century borders, after Versailles and then Yalta, were in some respects an offence against history. Its present borders, part Habsburg, part Romanov, are those with which its people now identify. Ironically, they have been made so by Russias aggression. If a newly-enthroned President Trump expects Mr Zelensky to surrender part of his territory to the aggressor, Mr Zelensky is likely to do two things: to tell Mr Trump where he can put his grandstanding initiative, and to ask Europe  the very people Sir Keir gathered at Blenheim last week  to support him in doing so.

It is hard to see how the British government could do anything but agree with Mr Zelensky, if it is not to forfeit its credibility in international relations. For that reason David Lammy, the Foreign Secretary, had better be on a plane to Washington as the polls close on 5 November to see whether he can talk the putative president-elect out of doing anything stupid. Since Mr Lammy has only just stopped trumpeting his love affair with the Obamas, and in 2018 called Mr Trump a neo-Nazi-sympathising sociopath, he may have his work cut out. Other European powers, if they have any sense, will have to reject anything that, by rewarding Putins aggression, could encourage him to repeat it  say against the Baltic States, which are members of Nato.

What should have been discussed at Blenheim was whether Mr Trump understood that if he cuts Ukraine adrift, he is torpedoing the very concept of the West that has existed since at least 1949, co-terminously with Nato. Perhaps he is such an isolationist that he doesnt care. If that is so, the half-per cent increase the Government promises in our defence spending will not be nearly enough; the world will by a quantum have become far more dangerous.

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Catherine De Bolle, Director of Europol, attends the Conference of Ministers of the Interior. Organized crime is spreading across Europe, according to the EU law enforcement agency Europol, with an increasing propensity for violence among criminal networks posing a problem in countries including Germany. Carsten Rehder/dpa

Organized crime is spreading across Europe, according to the EU law enforcement agency Europol, with an increasing propensity for violence among criminal networks posing a problem in countries including Germany.

"Organized crime is on the rise. It exploits every weakness," Europol chief Catherine De Bolle told the German news magazine Der Spiegel, in comments seen by dpa.

The increasing drug trade was fuelling the violence, De Bolle said. Cocaine production in South and Central America is booming and Europe is awash with the drug, according to Europol.

"The situation is dramatic," De Bolle said, noting that trade in other drugs was also increasing.

According to investigations by the Hague-based police authority, 821 serious criminal networks are active in the European Union.

These gangs, with more than 25,000 members, are highly professional and ruthless, Europol recently warned. The main business, according to the analysis, is drug trafficking.

Urgent appeal

Money earned from drugs in Europe mostly stays on the continent and is invested in the local economy, De Bolle further stated. "This makes organized crime one of the greatest dangers of our time."

The police need the technical means, powers and personnel to have a chance in the fight against the criminal networks, De Bolle said. "If we do not invest more, we will lose this fight."

Following a severe conflict between German and Dutch drug gangs in the Cologne area, the union of German criminal investigators (BDK) has warned of crimes such as explosive attacks and kidnappings.

"The Netherlands must be a warning to us," the BDK's North Rhine-Westphalia chairman Oliver Huth told the Frankfurter Allgemeine Sonntagszeitung newspaper. There explosions in front of homes or businesses are a common pressure tactic used by drug gangs.
Incumbent President of the European Commission Ursula von der Leyen issues a press statement following her election to the European Parliament. The EU Parliament supported von der Leyen's second term as President of the EU Commission. Philipp von Ditfurth/dpa

Newly re-elected European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen and US President Joe Biden, who is under significant domestic pressure, spoke by telephone on Saturday.

Both von der Leyen and the White House confirmed that Biden congratulated her on her re-election. According to the US government, the discussion also covered support for Ukraine and efforts to hold Russia accountable for its aggression.

The 65-year-old von der Leyen wrote in a post on the social media platform X that the EU and the US face common challenges in Europe, the Middle East, and the Indo-Pacific region. She said they were "partners, friends and allies."

The 81-year-old Biden is currently being urged by an increasing number of party members to not run again in the presidential election in November.

This is primarily due to his performance in a TV debate with challenger Donald Trump, which raised significant doubts about his mental and physical fitness.

Biden, who is currently isolating due to a Covid-19 infection and not appearing in public, has so far remained outwardly unfazed by the internal party criticism.

Last Thursday, von der Leyen cleared the final hurdle to remain president of the powerful European Commission for another five years with her election by the European Parliament. In this role, she regularly has contact with the US president.
It was supposed to be an unremarkable morning. Hillsborough Schools Superintendent Van Ayres would sit quietly in the audience as the County Commission placed two tax referendums on the November ballot.

A pass-through, Ayres would later call it.

They had expected the county commission to bless two measures: First, a renewal of the community investment sales tax for capital spending; then the school districts proposed property tax to boost employee pay. They voted 6-0 to move their sales tax along.

Then the bottom fell out. Joshua Wostal, a business owner who won a seat on the county board in 2022, moved to postpone the property tax referendum until 2026. His measure passed 4-3.

School district leaders had not received any warning, they said. There had been numerous conversations with county commissioners about the sales tax, and what percentage of the money might be used to help build new schools. But not about the property tax, which the School Board approved in April.

And they needed the money. Pasco, Pinellas, Manatee and nearly all the states large school districts had similar taxes, which they used to pay starting teachers as much as $57,000 a year. Hillsborough was lagging behind at $48,000.

Days later, educators as far as Tallahassee are wondering how Wostals gambit happened. All four yes votes were cast by Republicans. Was this a partisan power play? Was it legal? And if it does not survive a likely lawsuit, what will become of a district that is already short 500 teachers?

Everyone seems shocked by it because its not normal, said Andrew Spar, president of the Florida Education Association, the umbrella group for teachers unions. If there is a play here, I dont know what it is. Maybe to set a precedent? To come after public schools? To come after people who work in public schools?

Competing school, county agendas

Wostal and commission chairperson Ken Hagan said Wednesday they were postponing the referendum because they didnt want to burden constituents already suffering from rising housing costs.

But in the months leading up to the vote, there was another concern.

County leaders wanted to ensure that the sales tax would survive the election so they could continue to build parks, fire stations and other public facilities. They could have waited, as the existing tax sunsets in 2026. Instead, then-commissioner Michael Owen tried to cut a deal with Ayres: Back off plans for the property tax, and Owen could vote for the sales tax to continue to benefit schools.

Ayres stood firm. Ultimately, county leaders cut the schools share of sales tax proceeds from 25% to 5%.

Behind the scenes, organizations including the teachers union and PTA council were looking ahead to a campaign that would begin after the Aug. 20 primary elections, in which four school board members were trying to hold onto their seats.

Might the backers have protected their cause by starting the campaign earlier?

They didnt think they needed to. And an early campaign did not make logical sense.

You dont get votes in April, May and June, said Melissa Erickson, who runs an organization that helps high school students meet their graduation goals, and worked on a successful school sales tax campaign in 2018. The time you get parents talking about school is when when kids are in school.

Erickson and other advocates wondered how Wostal, Hagan, Christine Miller and Donna Cameron Cepeda could put one tax on the ballot, then block the other out of concern for their constituents living costs.

They noted other contradictions, such as parental rights being a rallying cry for Republican leaders.

Shouldnt parents have a choice to pass a tax to invest in their schools? Erickson asked.

As news sets in, a call to action

After calling schools board members on the two-block walk back to district headquarters, Ayres assembled his executive team to begin discussing legal strategies. They notified the local teachers union and the Hillsborough Education Foundation, who called on their supporters to join Ayres at a hastily assembled news conference.

Letters went out to parents and staff.

With more than 23,000 employees, including 13,000 teachers, more than 200,000 students and all their parents, it is puzzling to all of us in the district as to why the County Commission is not allowing voters to have a choice to vote on the millage, Ayres wrote. I want to ensure voters in Hillsborough County have their voices heard.

The union and education foundation urged their supporters to contact county commissioners, who meet next on Aug. 7. Music teacher Cristina Johnson wrote on Facebook: I sent a message that details how much Im spending on a 1-bedroom apartment compared to my salary in Hillsborough. Its between 60-70%.

Two county commissioners who voted with Wostal are on the ballot in August: Hagan, first elected in 2002; and Miller, who Gov. Ron DeSantis appointed in June after Owen resigned to run for the legislature.

An aide to Hagan said he was out of town Friday and not available for an interview.

Wostal told the Tampa Bay Times he was just against property taxes in general. Responding to Ayres remarks at the news conference, he said. I guess I will take a lecture from a bureaucrat that makes a third of a million dollars a year of peoples taxes decrying us delaying them even more as a badge or honor.

If a lawsuit comes, what then?

On Tuesday, Ayres will ask for school board approval to pursue legal action that would force the county commission to send the tax question to the Supervisor of Elections. They have an Aug. 20 deadline to get it onto the November ballot.

Its not clear how much this court action might cost. And, as Spar noted, we will have one tax-paid entity, the school board, suing another. Taxpayers are paying both sides.

The question has been raised before. In 2020, the Indian River County Commission attempted to place the school districts property tax referendum on the November ballot instead of the August one, as the school board wanted.

Indian River Circuit Judge Janet Croom determined the commission had acted outside the law, which states that, after adopting a millage rate referendum, a school board shall direct the county commissioners to call an election. The law is in the Florida education code and does not address any authority of commissioners, Croom wrote.

Under that law, she wrote, commissioners have no discretion to choose a different date, but must perform the ministerial act of calling for an election as directed by the School Board, including the date requested.

That case differed from a 2019 Clay County case, where a judge found the commission could change the date of a sales tax referendum, which is governed under a separate law.

Andrea Messina, executive director of the Florida School Boards Association, said school board members across Florida have their eyes on the latest events in Hillsborough.

They would like it settled one way or another, she said.

The Hillsborough situation stands in direct contrast to Pinellas, where school supporters are asking voters to double their longtime tax from 50 cents to $1 per $1,000 of assessed value.

The Pinellas County commission, which also has a Republican majority, didnt even ponder the merit of it, said political consultant Beth Rawlins, who has led the Pinellas referendum campaigns since 2004. They didnt see that as their role.

Not only that: The Pinellas School Board endorsed this years referendum unanimously, even though members Dawn Peters and Stephanie Meyer, both Republican, were apprehensive about raising taxes. The two said they wanted voters to be able to decide the question.

In Hillsborough, Republican school board members Stacy Hahn and Patti Rendon have said they do not support the property tax measure, and they cast dissenting votes in April when the board approved it.

Rendon said Friday that she continues to believe that there is more money in our budget that we should be putting toward teacher salaries. Looking ahead to Tuesday, she said she does not want to see the district legal fees for a losing case, and she is doing her own legal research.

Its a question of, did they (the county commission) have the authority to do what they did, she said.

Not long ago, Hillsborough district and teachers union leaders celebrated an unusually early conclusion to their annual salary negotiations. Those new pay schedules are not in danger, district spokeswoman Tanya Arja said.

This is not about balancing our budget, Arja said. This is about more money to pay the teachers so we are competitive with other districts.
A State College man imprisoned more than four decades for a killing he says he did not commit plans to ask Centre Countys top judge Monday to allow a hearing into allegations that newly discovered information was withheld during his previous trials  evidence he believes could prove his innocence.

Subramanyam Subu Vedam, 62, has spent about two-thirds of his life at Huntingdon state prison after being twice convicted of first-degree murder and sentenced to life in prison for the killing of his former classmate.

At the forefront of his defense teams new claims is an allegation that an FBI report found the size of the bullet wound found in the mans head did not match the caliber of the gun Vedam was accused of using to carry out the killing.

In a statement to the Centre Daily Times, Vedams attorneys wrote he is an innocent man, wrongfully convicted and serving a life sentence for a crime he did not commit.

By withholding this evidence, its clear that the former District Attorney deprived Subu of a fair trial resulting in his wrongful conviction, defense attorney Gopal Balachandran said in a statement. Prosecutors have a constitutional obligation to share all evidence theyve compiled with the defense, and yet in Subus case, the District Attorney hid critical evidence that demonstrated his innocence.

That tramples over one of the most sacred tenets of our legal system: That everyone is entitled to a fair trial. After more than 40 years of wrongful imprisonment, Subu deserves a fair trial where he can present the evidence exonerating him. We have faith the court will agree.

If hes successful in proving his innocence and gaining his release, Vedam would become the longest-serving inmate in Pennsylvania history to be exonerated.

Its been 41 years, five months and 11 days as of Friday since his first conviction. The longest imprisoned Pennsylvania inmate to be cleared of guilt spent 40 years, three months and four days behind bars, according to data kept by The National Registry of Exonerations.

Whats at stake here is the most fundamental principle our justice system is supposed to uphold: The right to a fair trial, Balachandran wrote. This new evidence substantiates what weve always maintained: Subu is innocent. And at this point, Subu is merely asking for an opportunity to present that evidence.

An undated photo of Subramanyam Subu Vedam, a State College man who says hes spent more than 40 years in prison for a murder he did not commit.

Vedam and Kinsers story

Thomas Kinser borrowed his parents van in December 1980 to give Vedam a ride so he could buy drugs in Lewistown. It was the last time he was seen alive by his family or friends.

Two hikers found his decomposing remains about nine months later in a sinkhole in Harris Township. A forensic pathologist determined Kinser, 19, of Boalsburg, died of a gunshot to the head.

Centre County prosecutors have alleged it was a .25-caliber bullet that killed Kinser, writing in court filings that a bullet of that size was recovered from inside his shirt and a casing was found underneath his body.

In an October 2023 filing, a result of that new evidence coming to light, Vedams defense team described that as a physical impossibility.

The wound in Kinsers skull was simply too small to be caused by a .25-caliber bullet, his lawyers wrote. Instead, they floated the possibility that Kinser was killed by a smaller .22-caliber bullet; four such casings were found within seven feet of his body.

No weapon was recovered at the scene. Prosecutors instead relied on information from a younger acquaintance of the two men who said he sold Vedam a .25-caliber firearm.

After recovering a bullet and casing that prosecutors said Vedam test fired before Kinsers disappearance, an FBI ballistics expert testified those and the ones found on Kinsers remains were both fired by the same gun.

Vedam was found guilty of first-degree murder in February 1983 following a five-day trial. An all-white jury convicted him on circumstantial evidence; law-enforcement agencies didnt begin developing DNA databases until the early 1990s.

The state Superior Court ruled two years later that the evidence was sufficient to sustain the conviction, but reversed it on the grounds that the judge improperly allowed testimony about Vedams prior misconduct.

He was again convicted of first-degree murder in February 1988 and was sentenced to life in prison without parole. Several of his following appeals were rejected by statewide appeals courts.

Family & freedom

His latest attempt to secure his freedom gained momentum in September 2021 when Centre County District Attorney Bernie Cantorna voluntarily gave Vedams defense team full access to more than 3,000 pages of documents.

Vedams team said its review of the documents uncovered new information that showed prosecutors concealed multiple pieces of evidence, including details about a key witness and what it described as shoddy investigative work.

Those violations, they claimed, are strong enough to warrant a third trial.

For forty years, he has faced innumerable obstacles in trying to exonerate himself, Balachandran wrote. Now, for the first time in decades, thanks to Centre County District Attorney, Bernie Cantorna, who provided us access to their old files from the case, he has the evidence.

Cantornas office has pushed back in court filings. In a 105-page response, First Assistant District Attorney Josh Andrews and Assistant District Attorney Matt Metzger characterized Vedams claims as meritless 10 times.

None of these claims has any merit whatsoever, and the aggregation of meritless claims cannot be the ground for relief, they wrote. Nothing raised by Petitioner undermines confidence in the verdict, or gives rise to a reasonable probability that there could be a different outcome.

About four dozen people, including State College Borough Councilwoman Nalini Krishnankutty, attended a March hearing in support of Vedam. In the months since, yellow yard signs that read Were for fair trials. #FairTrialForSubu and Were for integrity. #FairTrialForSubu have sprung up in the Centre Region.

Vedams family  the first from south India to make their home in State College  was a pillar of the community, especially among immigrants.

His late mother, Nalini Vedam, welcomed members of the growing Indian community to her home for more than 60 years. She died in 2016 after 34 years of visiting her son weekly in prison. Vedams father died in 2009.

To see what it did to my parents, it was just the worst, his older sister Saraswathi Miller-Vedam told the CDT. Now this suppressed evidence has come out and its wonderful, but its also such a sharp thing that theyre not here to witness this.

A more than hourlong conversation with Miller-Vedam and her daughter Zoe Miller-Vedam revealed a closely-knit family, one that talks frequently despite the challenges that come with one of them being in prison and the others living on the West Coast.

The younger Miller-Vedam has only ever known her uncle while hes been incarcerated, but the 35-year-old described herself as very, very, very close with him.

They often find themselves talking about books they have read and yoga. She said her uncle is a kind, caring and loving person who has been such a big influence in my life.

It would mean everything to our family, she said of the possibility that Vedam is one day freed. Hes one of the cornerstones of our family and just being able to be with him outside of the prison, to be able to continue to share our lives, to see him build his life outside of the prison would mean absolutely everything to us.

His 67-year-old sister  who isnt afraid to remind him that shes five years older, at least until his August birthday  spoke of the heartache that comes when a loved one is unable to attend weddings, family gatherings and births of children. She was also mindful that Kinsers family may have similar experiences.

But she also credited Vedam for forming close relationships with each of her four children and taking an interest in each of their pathways.

Even though my kids have a great relationship with him, I feel like that was taken away from us. I miss him, she said through tears. I miss having him visit us and be with us. He loved the outdoors and we live in this beautiful British Columbia now and every time Im out on the water or hiking I think Oh, Subu would love this. 

Where things go from here

Attorneys are due back 10 a.m. Monday in front of Centre County President Judge Jonathan Grine. Vedams team is expected to argue he deserves an evidentiary hearing regarding the evidence, while prosecutors will tell Grine they believe no hearing is necessary.

Vedam is expected to attend via Zoom. His family said a contingent of his supporters is expected to pack the courtroom, including at least one person from Europe.

After whats felt like a lifetime of waiting for another chance, Vedam and his family are hoping for an opportunity to be heard.

It is, of course, about my brother, but its about so much more. Its about the fairness of the system. Its about what Centre County looks like to the rest of the world, his sister said. In an era where were talking about transparency and truth-telling and fair process and due process, its just one example of that. Its bigger than just Subu.
The Fork fire has scorched more than 330 acres and continues to burn toward Sheep Mt. Wilderness. More than 200 air and ground support are on it. (Angeles National Forest)

An excessive heat warning was issued Saturday for Southern California's inland and desert communities, with triple-digit temperatures forecast through next week, bringing an elevated fire risk to some areas, according to the National Weather Service.

Portions of Los Angeles County, including Palmdale and Lancaster, as well as smaller towns in the San Gabriel Mountains and the Antelope Valley, can expect to see temperatures of 100 to 110 degrees. The warning is in effect through 10 p.m. Wednesday.

Heat warnings were also issued for mountain areas of Ventura and Santa Barbara counties, and for desert communities in the Inland Empire such as Victorville and Apple Valley.

In the Central Valley, high winds and dry conditions have added to worries of fires. Pacific Gas and Electric said thousands of customers, mainly in the Fresno area but also Sacramento and Bakersfield, could lose electricity on Saturday in a power shutoff plan to prevent wildfires.

In L.A. County, Angeles National Forest has been a particular area of fire concern.

On Friday afternoon, a wildfire broke out in the Fork area of the forest and has since spread to 330 acres. More than 200 personnel from federal, state and county agencies were on the scene Saturday battling the fire with lots of air tankers and helicopters, said Angeles National Forest spokeswoman Dana Dierkes.

The Fork wildfire was "0%" contained as of Saturday morning, she said. Vegetation is very dry, its been very hot, Dierkes said, adding that officials hoped to extinguish the blaze as quickly as possible.

Two people were treated for potential smoke inhalation, Dierkes said, and recreationists were evacuated from the East Fork of the San Gabriel River and from the parking lot area at the East Fork Trailhead. Residents have not been evacuated at this time.

The East Fork area is a popular destination for hiking and camping, and many have been going there to cool off from the hot weather in L.A. But those looking to access the river through East Fork will find the road has been closed so crews and equipment can have a clear path to fight the fire.

Farther east, closer to where Angeles National Forest meets the San Bernardino National Forest, some 300 firefighters are still battling the Vista wildfire, which has scorched almost 3,000 acres on the south side of Lytle Creek. As of Saturday morning, that fire was reported as 83% contained, according to the interagency information website InciWeb.

Between July 1 and July 11, there have been 38 wildfires within and surrounding Angeles National Forest, Dierkes said.

Separately, a fire ignited Friday afternoon in Palmdale located north of East Avenue Q & 35th Street East. The so-called Deer fire, affecting about 270 acres, has been fully contained, according to California officials.

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This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times.
Donald Trump and JD Vance on stage at the Republican National Convention last week with their wives Melania and Usha - Carolyn Kaster/AP Photo

Ukraine believes its physical existence depends on the outcome of Novembers US election after Donald Trumps selection of JD Vance as his potential vice president, an MP has warned.

Trumps choice of the Ohio senator as his running mate has fanned fears that a new Republican government would push Ukraine to acquiesce to Vladimir Putin if elected, withdrawing aid if no peace deal is reached with Russia.

Mr Vance, an opponent of the USs assistance package to Ukraine in the spring, wants to cut military support and has said Kyiv has no chance of regaining the territory lost since Russia invaded in 2022.

Kira Rudik, a member of the Ukrainian parliament and leader of the Golos party, said Kyiv must intensify efforts to speak with Mr Vance and highlight why support for Ukraine is vital for the US and globally.

Of course were nervous, we know its the free will of the American people to choose their leaders, Ms Rudik said.

Yet we also know that our lives and physical existence depend on whoever they choose and the support we get from our biggest and strongest ally.

The main outcome [from Vances appointment] is realising that we could have been doing a better job of approaching people from all sides in the US Congress and delivering the message of Ukraine, and right now we need to make sure were doing that and make sure were working with both parties with the same intensity.

On Friday Mr Trump said he had spoken by telephone with Volodymyr Zelensky, the Ukrainian president, and pledged to end the war with Russia.

I appreciate president Zelensky for reaching out because I, as your next president of the United States, will bring peace to the world and end the war that has cost so many lives and devastated countless innocent families, Trump said in a post on his Truth Social platform.

Both sides will be able to come together and negotiate a deal that ends the violence and paves a path forward to prosperity.

Mr Zelensky said he and Trump had agreed to discuss at a personal meeting what steps can make peace fair and truly lasting.

Volodymyr Zelensky met Sir Keir Starmer at No 10 Downing Street last week and says he plans to meet Donald Trump - Geoff Pugh for The Telegraph

However, among a number of controversial statements about the war, Mr Vance told Steve Bannon during a podcast appearance shortly after the start of the war in Ukraine: I dont really care what happens to Ukraine one way or another.

He is expected to pursue an America first foreign policy, drawing loud cheers during his acceptance speech on Wednesday as he laid bare plans to shift away from interventionism and towards protectionism and isolationism.

In a second setback for Ukraine as it continues to fight for its future, a draft budget approved by Germanys government on Wednesday saw military aid for the country halved for next year, from around 6.7 billion to around 3.3 billion.

After the US, Germany is Ukraines second biggest military donor.

Ms Rudik said that strategic discussions on how to weather the shifts in support are already happening between allied countries. The most viable solution, she believes, is the confiscation and redistribution of Russian assets.

Around $500 billion in frozen assets is being held in Europe and G7 countries. The decision for now is to keep those assets frozen and to give Ukraine a $50 billion loan that will be covered by that money, she said. We applaud this step, but it is a halfway step and it needs to go further.

A woman and her daughter talk to the police after a Russian attack that killed three people in Mykolaiv, Ukraine, on Friday - Diego Herrera Carcedo/Anadolu via Getty Images

Following recent visits to Ukraine, Russia, China and the US, Viktor Orban, the Hungarian president, said in a letter to the European Council president that Trump already has detailed and well-founded plans for peace in Ukraine if he were to win the 2024 election.

Details are yet to emerge, but experts believe they would not be favourable to Ukraine in the long run. Kyiv and its Western backers have previously insisted that the war could end if Russia withdrew its troops from Ukraine.

The question we are constantly asking, with still no answer, is who or what in the world would make sure that Putin keeps his side of the bargain? said Ms Rudik.

I dont see anyone stepping forward to stand as guarantor for Putin, to make him keep his side of the bargain  not the UN, Nato, or anyone in power or planning to be.

That is critical because what may seem like a good idea now could be a disaster in two years if Russia rearms and attacks us again.

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Experts say NYPDs gang database needed more than ever as soft-on-crime pols look to shut it down

composite image: upper left photo of City Councilwoman Althea Stevens; lower left gang tattoo;right Bernardo Raul Castro Mata at his arraignment in Queens Criminal Court

Soft-on-crime City Council members want to delete the NYPDs Gang Database, despite a surge in gang-affiliated migrants pouring into the Big Apple.

The database, which has been operational since 2013 and contains thousands of entries and intel  including distinctive tattoos  is considered a vital crime-fighting tool by the NYPD in the war against criminal groups and street gangs.

But left wing city pols contend the secret database demonizes minorities, and are trying a second time to push for legislation that scraps the NYPDs Criminal Group Database database,

Venezuelan migrant Bernardo Castro Mata, 19, is charged with wounding two NYPD officers during a wild chase on a Queens street June 3, authorities said. FNTV

South Bronx Councilmember Althea Stevens re-introduced legislation originally pushed in 2022 by her East Village comrade Concilwoman Carlina Rivera, whose bill died in committe,

Stevens claimed the database subjects black and brown youth to unclear criteria, and sweeps up too many innocent people. I have seen the need to avoid labeling young people and the additional stigmas that come with these labels, she said.

Law enforcement experts and the NYPD ripped the legislation as misguided.

Its more invaluable than before, insisted John Jay College of Criminal Justice Professor Michael Alcazar, a retired NYPD detective. Now we have all these migrants.  You dont have birth certificates, passports, so now we have to really use the database to gather information: their photographs, tattoos, their scars, their gang affiliation.

A tattoo on the arm of cop shooting suspect Bernardo

Castro Mata identifying him as a member of the Tren de Aragua

gang.

The NYPD Intelligence & Counterterrorism Bureau released a memo on how to spot members of the Tren de Aragua gang including a guide to various tattoos and hand gestures they may have. NYPD

The legislation is taking a page from the same book that brought the city bail reform, he said. They [City Council] believe that certain segments of the population are being targeted by these databases. It is targeting the criminal population.

Alcazars John Jay colleague, retired NYPD sergeant Joseph Giacalone, agreed.

As New York City police officers are targeted by the recently immigrated Venezuelan gang members, certain members of the City Council are still pushing to remove the gang database. Let that sink in folks, he said. They would rather see cops shot in the street and New Yorkers robbed at alarming rates than to use common sense.

Critics of the database, including Councilwoman Carlina Rivera, (center), critics claim the database sweeps up too many innocents. But law enforcement experts counter the Council is out of touch. Gregory P. Mango

Giacalone was referring to a 19-year-old Venezuelan migrant accused of wounding two NYPD officers during a wild chase on a Queens street last month.

Bernardo Raul Castro Mata, who admitted to being a member of the notorious Venezuelan gang Tren de Aragua, fired into one cops chest at point-blank range,  prosecutors said.

I dont know what planet the New York City Council is on, fumed retired NYPD Lt. John Macari. We have gang members coming to the United States to commit crimes. You couldnt have picked a worse time to continue to push through this anti-police, pro-criminal legislation.

Bernardo Raul Castro Mata admitted he belongs to the notorious Tren de Aragua gang, authorities said. Gabriella Bass

Calls to abolish the departments Criminal Group Database are misguided, the NYPD told The Post.

The NYPD said the database is a vital tool to combat gang violence.

Police need to understand the size of these criminal groups, their scope, who its members are, and the crimes they have committed. This is what the database provides and it would be irresponsible for the NYPD to not understand these groups, the department said, noting unfortunate pattern between shootings and gang affiliations.

The NYPD said an unfortunate pattern emerges each year with shootings

in New York City and that is that a significant portion of those shootings

have a nexus to gang activity. NYPD

Police carry suspected cop shooter Bernardo Raul Castro Mata following a wild episode in Queens last month. FNTV

The database has a strict and transparent set of rules and criteria, multiple levels of review, and is subject to audits to remove individuals no longer active in gang activity, the NYPD added.

A five-year probe launched by the Department of Investigation in 2018 found no evidence of harm to those with suspected gang ties.

The NYPD would not say how many people and gangs are now catalogued in the database, or if any migrant gang members have been included.

There were 16,141 individuals catalogued in the database as of December 2022, according to the city Department of Investigations Inspector General for the NYPD, the latest stats available.

Stevens bill sits in the Councils Public Safety Committee.
Facing difficult frontline reality and the prospect of Trump in the White House, Zelensky hints at negotiations with Russia

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky struck an unusually subdued tone as he addressed his nation this week, hinting at a willingness to negotiate with Russia for the first time since Moscow launched its full-scale invasion more than two years ago.

Zelensky suggested Moscow should send a delegation to the next peace summit that he hopes to hold in November. Russia was not invited to the previous peace conference, held in Switzerland last month, as Zelensky said any talks could only happen after a Russian withdrawal from Ukraine.

Kyiv is currently facing the double whammy of a difficult frontline situation and political uncertainty over the level of future support from Ukraines closest allies.

While the progress Russian troops are making in eastern Ukraine has slowed significantly since US weapons started arriving in the country in May, it has not stopped entirely. Russia is still gaining territory, albeit at a much slower pace.

At the same time, questions are emerging about the willingness of some of Ukraines closest and most important allies  notably the United States and Germany  to continue pouring resources into the conflict in support of Kyiv.

Speaking to reporters on Monday, Zelensky said Ukraine was not receiving enough Western assistance to win the war, pointing out that its outcome will be determined way beyond Ukraines borders.

Not everything depends on us. We know what would be a just end to the war, but it doesnt depend only on us. It depends not only on our people and our desire, but also on finance, on weapons, on political support, on unity in the EU, in NATO, in the world, the president said.

Former US Ambassador to Ukraine John Herbst said it was plausible Zelenskys shift in tone was a reaction to the events unfolding in the United States, where former President Donald Trump on Monday announced a staunch critic of sending support to Ukraine, JD Vance, as his running mate.

Speaking to CNN from the Aspen Security Forum, Herbst said that it was possible Zelensky was trying to reach out to the potential future Trump administration by stressing he would be willing to negotiate  as long as the deal on the table is just.

It has to be (a) reasonable peace, which does not permit Russian occupiers to continue to torture, repress and murder the people of Ukraine who are being occupied, he said. Russia has repeatedly denied accusations of torture and human rights abuses in Ukraine despite overwhelming evidence to the contrary.

Trump and Zelensky spoke on Friday in what Trump called a had a very good phone call.

The former president said he would bring peace to the world and end the war that has cost so many lives while Zelensky said the two discussed what steps can make peace fair and truly lasting.

Unacceptable terms

Russian President Vladimir Putin has repeated several times in recent months that he would be willing to negotiate with Ukraine  albeit on terms that remain completely unacceptable to Ukraine and its Western allies.

Putin said Russia would end its war in Ukraine if Kyiv surrendered the entirety of four regions claimed by Moscow: Donetsk, Luhansk, Kherson and Zaporizhzhia. Large swathes of these regions remain under Ukrainian control, so he is essentially asking Ukraine to give up territory without a fight. Putin also said any peace deal would require Ukraine to abandon its bid to join NATO, prompting Kyiv to call the proposal offensive to common sense.

Orysia Lutsevych, deputy director of the Russia and Eurasia Programme at Chatham House, said that considering Putins public demands, Zelenskys words were likely meant as a message to the rest of the world.

Its both a signal to Russia and a signal to the global south that Ukraine is not some kind of obstructive force. It is willing to sit at the negotiating table. But this cannot be totally on Russian terms, and it cannot lead to (the) capitulation of Ukraine to Russia  Putin is demanding the control of regions he cant conquer militarily, she told CNN.

Lutsevych believes Putin has stepped up his calls for negotiations because he knows his window of opportunity may be closing.

Despite being considerably bigger and stronger than Ukraine, Russia has not managed to fulfil its territorial goals  even when Kyiv was receiving only limited help from the West. Moscows initial attempt to take the capital ended up in a defeat and the front lines have not moved considerably in more than a year.

Uncertainty ahead

New US military assistance started reaching the front lines in Ukraine in May, after months of delays caused by political deadlock in the US Congress. At the same time, Ukraine finally received permission from some Western nations to use their weapons to strike targets inside Russia  although only in limited circumstances and in areas near the border with Ukraine.

While this has helped slow Russian progress and averted a possible reoccupation of the Kharkiv region, Ukraine is still defending territory, rather than pushing forward to reclaim areas currently under Russian occupation.

Ukrainian forces are going to have to accumulate equipment, material and manpower for a future counteroffensive operation, and thats part of the Russian calculus that we are seeing  the Russian military command very much appears to be pursuing a strategy where they are conducting consistent, grinding offensive operations throughout the entire front line, said Riley Bailey, a Russia analyst at the US-based Institute for the Study of War.

By making gradual, creeping advances along the more than 600-mile-long (1,000 kilometer) front line, Russia is forcing Ukraine to commit to defensive operations rather than gear up for a counteroffensive, Bailey said.

They will need to degrade the Russian forces and capabilities that are part of the offensive operations, which would bring some more flexibility and ease some of the pressure, Bailey said. Ukraine can then start making some operational choices that it hasnt been able to make in the past few months.

But the success of any future Ukrainian counteroffensive will depend primarily on how much support it receives from its Western allies going forward. Zelensky said this week that the current level of support was enough to hold off further Russian advances, but not win the war.

This week brought more uncertainty on that front, as Trump announced that he had picked Vance as his vice-presidential nominee. Vance has previously suggested Ukraine should negotiate with Russia because the US and other allies do not have the capacity to support it. Trump himself has claimed he would end the war in one day and said the US shouldnt be sending money to Ukraine with no strings attached.

Ukrainian infantry fire at Russian positions in eastern Ukraine on July 5, 2024. - Libkos/Getty Images

At the same time, it emerged that Germany, which is among Ukraines biggest supporters, plans to halve its military aid to Ukraine next year  although it suggested Ukraine should be able to meet the bulk of its military needs with the $50 billion in loans from the proceeds of frozen Russian assets approved by the G7 last month.

If the worst-case scenario for Ukraine was to materialize  if the US stopped providing aid, Europe didnt step up its assistance and Ukraine wasnt able to access the frozen Russian assets  Russia would likely start to make much bigger gains.

Herbst said that if the Democrats win the US presidential election in November, the current US policy of supporting Ukraine is likely to continue, with more aid flowing in.

If Trump were to win, we dont know what he will do. But we know that there are serious people on his national security team who will understand that Putin is a direct threat to American interests and that it is important or critical to the US that Putin lose in Ukraine, he added.

But Herbst said there is one more factor which could convince a possible Trump administration to keep helping Ukraine.

If his team cuts off aid, and Ukraine collapses, that will be a major defeat to the United States, caused by the Trump team. And a defeat that would dwarf the embarrassment and the damage done by Bidens incompetent withdrawal from Afghanistan. And there will be people on his team that will understand that, he said.

Analysts expect the Ukraine aid package  the more than $60 billion approved by the US Congress earlier this year  to last Kyiv about a year to 18 months, which could be enough time for Ukraine to regroup and launch a new counteroffensive.

Lutsevych said that Ukraine desperately needs to make battlefield gains and then see if there is a real desire by Russia to negotiate  which she says doesnt currently come across as genuine.

But what evidence do we have that Russians are willing to negotiate? Putin is putting his country on a total war footing, she said, adding that the war will likely end only if Moscow begins to feel threatened.

I think this war will end when Putin begins to feel that the Russian control over Crimea is threatened.

Ukraine has already stepped up its attacks against the peninsula, illegally annexed by Russia in 2014 and home to Moscows Black Sea fleet. Kyiv claims its military has struck and sunk or severely damaged several Russian warships in the area, disabling at least a third of Russias Black Sea fleet.

Ukraine has also managed to hit and temporarily shut down the Kerch Strait bridge that connects Crimea with Russia on several occassions. The southern front  which stretches from the Donbas in eastern Ukraine across the Kherson and Zaporizhzhia regions, with Russian-occupied territory creating a land bridge between Russia and Crimea  will be a key target.

While Zelenskys tone might have shifted this week, his position on what a peace deal should look like hasnt, or at least not publicly. The majority of Ukrainians do not want the government to give up any territory at all.

Right now, it is politically difficult, if not impossible, to state that a peace can be achieved without the full return of all Ukrainian territories. But that doesnt mean that over time, it couldnt become possible, Herbst said.

He believes Kyiv could speak with some justification of Ukrainian victory in this war, even if Ukraine doesnt manage to get back all of its pre-war territory  as long as it reclaims enough to be an economically viable and secure state.

But for it to be a secure state, especially in those circumstances, it must be a member of NATO. I believe that if this were truly on the table, meaning with the full faith and power of the United States behind it, this in theory could lead to a stable peace, he said.

It wouldnt be a just peace, because youre still consigning millions of Ukrainians to the tender mercies of a vicious regime of the Kremlin, which has shown it has no love  and thats a very polite way to phrase it  for Ukrainians who believe they are Ukrainians, and not little Russians.

CNNs Olga Voitovych contributed reporting.

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Claim:

A photograph of former U.S. President Donald Trumps side-profile shows him with a massive double chin.

Rating:

Rating: Fake

In July 2024, a viral photograph appeared to show former U.S. President Donald Trump's side-profile with a very large double chin. The image was shared hundreds of times on X.

(X user @davesumnersmith)

The same image became a viral sensation eight years earlier, when Trump was first running for president in 2016, and was dubbed "Unflattering Trump" on social media according to KnowYourMeme, a site dedicated to investigating the origins of memes and viral phenomenon.

The above image is fake. It is a digitally manipulated version of a real photograph of Trump taken by Jessica Kourkounis for Getty Images during an October 2016 campaign rally in Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania:

(Jessica Kourkounis/Getty Images)

The original image shows the same angle with the same shadows on Trump's cheek, but does not have the exaggerated proportions seen in the X post. The chin in the "Unflattering Trump" version was clearly digitally manipulated to appear bigger than it actually is, and the X post shows a zoomed-in and lightened version of the Getty Images photograph.

Trump has frequently criticized the news media for showing pictures of him taken from unflattering angles. In 2023, he wrote on his social media app, TruthSocial, "Why doesn't Fox and Friends show all of the Polls where I am beating Biden, by a lot. They just won't do it! Also, they purposely show the absolutely worst pictures of me, especially the big 'orange' one with my chin pulled way back. They think they are getting away with something, they're not. Just like 2016 all over againAnd then they want me to debate!"

According to a 2016 Politico report, then-President-elect Trump also criticized NBC News for using unflattering photos of him. Per an anonymous source, during a private meeting with television executives, Trump told NBC News' president, Deborah Turness, the network won't use a nice picture of him, but chose "this picture of me," and he made a face with a double chin.

Sources:

Gold, Hadas. "Trump Asks for Media 'reset,' but Lashes out at Execs." Politico, 21 Nov. 2016, https://www.politico.com/blogs/on-media/2016/11/donald-trump-media-transition-tension-231727." target="blank">https://www.politico.com/blogs/on-media/2016/11/donald-trump-media-transition-tension-231727.">https://www.politico.com/blogs/on-media/2016/11/donald-trump-media-transition-tension-231727. Accessed 19 July 2024.

Hibberd, James. "Trump Wants Fox News to Stop Using Photos Where He Looks Big and Orange." The Hollywood Reporter, 17 Aug. 2023, https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/politics-news/trump-fox-news-big-orange-photo-1235569339/." target="blank">https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/politics-news/trump-fox-news-big-orange-photo-1235569339/.">https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/politics-news/trump-fox-news-big-orange-photo-1235569339/. Accessed 19 July 2024.

"Republican Presidential Nominee Donald Trump Holds a Campaign Rally..." Getty Images, 11 Oct. 2016, https://www.gettyimages.com/detail/news-photo/republican-presidential-nominee-donald-trump-holds-a-news-photo/613833542." target="blank">https://www.gettyimages.com/detail/news-photo/republican-presidential-nominee-donald-trump-holds-a-news-photo/613833542.">https://www.gettyimages.com/detail/news-photo/republican-presidential-nominee-donald-trump-holds-a-news-photo/613833542. Accessed 19 July 2024.

"Unflattering Trump | Donald Trump." Know Your Meme, https://knowyourmeme.com/photos/1195382-donald-trump. Accessed 19 July 2024.
Fact Check: Trump Didn't Tell People to 'Inject Bleach' for COVID-19. But Here's What He Did Say

Claim:

Former U.S. President Donald Trump once suggested that people inject bleach or other disinfectants into their bodies to treat COVID-19.

Rating:

Rating: Mostly False

What's True:

During an April 2020 media briefing, Trump did ask members of the government's coronavirus task force to look into whether disinfectants could be injected inside people to treat COVID-19. But when a reporter asked in a follow-up question whether cleaning products like bleach and isopropyl alcohol would be injected into a person, the then-president said those products would be used for sterilizing an area, not for injections.

What's False:

However, at no point did Trump explicitly tell people they could or should inject bleach into their bodies.

During the first presidential candidates' debate of the 2024 election campaign, U.S. President Joe Biden revived a claim that has circulated about former President Donald Trump's response to the COVID-19 pandemic since April 2020.

In his opening remarks of the June 27, 2024, CNN debate, Biden said the pandemic was "badly handled" by Trump and "many people were dying." He then claimed (at 3:27 in the video below) his predecessor once told people to "inject a little bleach in your arm; it'd be all right."

Social media users repeated similar versions of this assertion on X in mid-July 2024.

However, examples of this claim had been circulating online for four years, following a media briefing conducted by the then-president on April 23, 2020, during which Trump discussed using disinfectants, such as bleach, in the U.S. government's response to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Though Trump's comments made little sense and were ridiculed and described as dangerous by experts, under any reasonable interpretation of his words, he didn't explicitly suggest people should inject themselves with bleach or other household disinfectants.

Instead, while floating the idea to the government's coronavirus task force and the media, Trump asked whether injecting disinfectants "inside" could help fight the virus, as we further outline below. Therefore, because Biden's remarks were at best a misinterpretation and at worst a misrepresentation of what Trump said, we rated this claim "Mostly False."

#PanicDiary @realDonaldTrump to Americans: inject bleach to kill the virus. In other words: drop dead.



Time for USA, the world and British government too to call Trump for who he is, a snake oil salesman. https://t.co/Szb2o0pm53  John Sweeney (@johnsweeneyroar) April 24, 2020

So What Did Trump Actually Say?

On April 23, 2020, Trump conducted an hourlong media briefing with members of the government's coronavirus task force (transcript).

The then-president spoke several times throughout the conference, but just over 26 minutes in, he took over from the head of the science and technology directorate at the Department of Homeland Security, Bill Bryan, who had just been discussing the use of ultraviolet light and disinfectants  such as bleach and isopropyl alcohol  to kill the virus rapidly on nonporous surfaces.

In an apparent reference to Bryan's earlier comments, Trump then said (around the 26:51 mark):

THE PRESIDENT: Thank you very much. So I asked Bill a question that probably some of you are thinking of, if you're totally into that world, which I find to be very interesting. So, supposing we hit the body with a tremendous  whether it's ultraviolet or just very powerful light  and I think you said that that hasn't been checked, but you're going to test it. And then I said, supposing you brought the light inside the body, which you can do either through the skin or in some other way, and I think you said you're going to test that too. It sounds interesting. ACTING UNDER SECRETARY BRYAN: We'll get to the right folks who could. THE PRESIDENT: Right. And then I see the disinfectant, where it knocks it out in a minute. One minute. And is there a way we can do something like that, by injection inside or almost a cleaning. Because you see it gets in the lungs and it does a tremendous number on the lungs. So it would be interesting to check that. So, that, you're going to have to use medical doctors with. But it sounds  it sounds interesting to me.

Four minutes later, a journalist responded to Trump's disinfectant comments by asking whether there was any scenario in which cleaning products like bleach and isopropyl alcohol would be injected into people.

Bryan replied first, saying: "No, I'm here to talk about the findings that we had in the study. We won't do that within that lab, our lab."

Trump then clarified his own remarks, adding: "It wouldn't be through injection. We're talking about through almost a cleaning, sterilization of an area. Maybe it works, maybe it doesn't work. But it certainly has a big effect if it's on a stationary object."

At no point in the media briefing did the then-president recommend that people inject bleach or other disinfectants into their bodies. He merely asked experts whether disinfectants could be injected to tackle COVID-19; a stance he later rowed back on when pressed by a journalist.

A day later, on April 24, 2020, Trump told reporters in the Oval Office his question about injecting disinfectants was a "sarcastic question" to "see what would happen":

I was asking a question sarcastically to reporters like you just to see what would happen I was asking a sarcastic, and a very sarcastic, question to the reporters in the room about disinfectant on the inside. But it does kill it, and it would kill it on the hands and that would make things much better. That was done in the form of a sarcastic question to the reporters.

He then denied he was asking medical experts to look into injecting people with disinfectants.

Criticism of Trump's Comments

Nonetheless, Trump's comments about injecting disinfectants drew widespread criticism from experts.

Reckitt Benckiser, the Britain-based maker of cleaning, disinfectant and antiseptic products Dettol and Lysol, said in a statement: "We must be clear that under no circumstance should our disinfectant products be administered into the human body (through injection, ingestion or any other route)."

John Balmes, a pulmonologist at Zuckerberg San Francisco General Hospital and a professor of medicine at the University of California San Francisco, told Bloomberg on April 24, 2020, inhaling chlorine bleach "would be absolutely the worst thing for the lungs."

"The airway and lungs are not made to be exposed to even an aerosol of disinfectant . Not even a low dilution of bleach or isopropyl alcohol is safe . It's a totally ridiculous concept."

Dr. Vin Gupta, a pulmonologist and global health policy expert, told NBC News that same day: "This notion of injecting or ingesting any type of cleansing product into the body is irresponsible, and it's dangerous . It's a common method that people utilize when they want to kill themselves."

Sources:

CNN Presidential Debate: President Joe Biden and Former President Donald Trump. www.youtube.com, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-v-8wJkmwBY. Accessed 18 July 2024.

'Dr. Vin Gupta, MD, MPA'. Dr. Vin Gupta, MD, MPA, https://vinguptamd.com/. Accessed 18 July 2024.

Improper Use of Disinfectants. https://www.reckitt.com/media-landing/press-releases/2020/improper-use-of-disinfectants/. Accessed 18 July 2024.

'"It's Irresponsible and It's Dangerous": Experts Rip Trump's Idea of Injecting Disinfectant to Treat COVID-19'. NBC News, 24 Apr. 2020, https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/donald-trump/it-s-irresponsible-it-s-dangerous-experts-rip-trump-s-n1191246.

John Balmes | UCSF Profiles. https://profiles.ucsf.edu/john.balmes. Accessed 18 July 2024.

Remarks by President Trump, Vice President Pence, and Members of the Coronavirus Task Force in Press Briefing  The White House. https://trumpwhitehouse.archives.gov/briefings-statements/remarks-president-trump-vice-president-pence-members-coronavirus-task-force-press-briefing-31/. Accessed 18 July 2024.

staff, C. N. N. 'READ: Biden-Trump Debate Transcript | CNN Politics'. CNN, 28 June 2024, https://www.cnn.com/2024/06/27/politics/read-biden-trump-debate-rush-transcript/index.html.

'Trump Says He Was Being Sarcastic with Comments about Injecting Disinfectants'. NBC News, 24 Apr. 2020, https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/donald-trump/trump-says-he-was-being-sarcastic-comments-about-injecting-disinfectants-n1191991.

Trump White House Archived. 4/23/20: Members of the Coronavirus Task Force Hold a Press Briefing. 2020. YouTube, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PsQnfpfIa_o.

'Trump's Idea to Inject Disinfectant Alarms Medical Experts'. Bloomberg.Com, 23 Apr. 2020. www.bloomberg.com., https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2020-04-23/coronavirus-dies-fastest-under-light-warm-and-humid-conditions.
LANSING, Mich. (WLNS)  US-127 between the Cedar St. Exit and the I-96 interchange will now be known as the Trooper Starr Memorial Highway, with Governor Gretchen Whitmer signing the bill to rename it into law last week.

The Michigan State Police hosted a highway dedication ceremony on Friday to make the name official.

(WLNS)

Trooper Caleb H. Starr was on duty July 10, 2020, driving on Grand River Ave. in Ionia County, where a drunk driver crossed the center line and struck his patrol car head-on. He died three weeks later, at the age of 33.

State representatives Kara Hope and Julie Brixie wrote the bill to rename the stretch of highway, and Hope was at the ceremony to honor Starr and show support for law enforcement.

Theyre there when we need them, said Hope. And its important to memorialize and recognize the service and, in this case, sadly, the loss.

(WLNS)

This event comes two days after an Eaton County deputys cruiser was hit by a suspected drunk driver. The deputy was responding to a semi-truck that had overturned and was not in the car at the time. No one was injured.

Were seeing this time and time again with our troopers and all kinds of officers and deputies are getting struck, said Lt. Rene Gonzalez of the Michigan State Police. Our guys and gals are out there trying to do a job but now theyre still looking over their shoulders for other vehicles.

Starr was a native of Mason and graduated from the 135th Trooper Recruit School after joining the MSP in Sept. 2018.

He is survived by his wife, Rachael, and his two daughters. Rachael hopes drivers will see the memorial signs and look up Trooper Starrs story, to continue his legacy just outside his hometown.

(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.
Families are still unable to return following the evacuation of 35 homes in Chesterfield after suspicious items were uncovered during a police search.

Police are still searching a property on Kingsley Avenue following a reported assault on Derby Road on Friday at around 12.25am.

A man remains in custody in connection with the incident.

Derbyshire Constabulary said: A number of suspicious items were found, which resulted in the cordon being put in place for the safety of people in the immediate area.

Robots deployed to help with the search of a house where the suspicious item was found - RO COOPER

A road closure is in place on Kingsley Avenue from the junction at Church Street South to the junction at Burns Road as a blue tent was positioned outside a property.

Evacuated families were moved to a rest centre at Queens Park Leisure Centre in the wake of the incident.

A spokesman for the force told ITV News it is unclear when people will be able to return to their homes.

He said: At this time there is no indication as to how long the evacuation and cordon will be in place. We will update our channels as soon as further information is available.

Broaden your horizons with award-winning British journalism. Try The Telegraph free for 3 months with unlimited access to our award-winning website, exclusive app, money-saving offers and more.
A Smyrna teen who went missing Thursday has been safely located.

According to Smyrna police, Shayne Lash, 15, was located shortly before midnight on Friday.

His family offered a $10,000 reward for information on his whereabouts while he was missing.

[DOWNLOAD: Free WSB-TV News app for alerts as news breaks]

Police did not detail whether or not anyone was able to claim the reward or the circumstances of him being located.

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IN OTHER NEWS:
If Your Family Moved a Lot as a Kid, We Have Bad News About Your Mental Health

In a new study, researchers found that people who moved a lot in their childhood and early teen years are more likely to be depressed as adults.

Published in the journal JAMA Psychiatry, this new paper out of Denmark and England found that moving around a lot in childhood had a greater effect on adult mental health than even childhood poverty.

Looking at more than a million records compiled for every person born in Denmark between 1982 and 2003, the researchers found that around 35,000 people, or 2.3 percent, had been given a depression diagnosis as adults.

While those who grew up in poorer neighborhoods did unsurprisingly appear to be more likely to be depressed as adults, the researchers found that even when adjusting for other individual factors, people who'd moved more than once between the ages of 10 and 15 were a whopping 61 percent more likely to develop depression than those who hadn't.

"Even if you came from the most income-deprived communities, not moving  being a 'stayer'  was protective for your health," explained lead paper author Clive Sabel, a geographer at England's University of Plymouth, in an interview about the research with the New York Times.

Sabel said that the research he undertook with colleagues from Denmark's Aarhus University and the University of Manchester in the UK also suggested an inversion of the same principle.

"Even if you come from a rich neighborhood, but you moved more than once," he explained, "your chances of depression were higher than if you hadnt moved and come from the poorest quantile neighborhoods."

Even more surprisingly, the research suggested that even adults who'd moved from poorer to richer neighborhoods as children had a 13 percent higher risk of depression. Comparatively, those who'd moved from wealthier to poorer neighborhoods as kids were about 18 percent more likely to be depressed as adults, per the research.

While the paper itself didn't present any hypotheses about the effect, Sabel offered his own.

"Its at a vulnerable age  at that really important age  its when children have to take a pause and recalibrate," the geographer speculated in his discussion with the NYT. "We think our data points to something around disruption in childhood that we really havent looked at enough and we dont understand."

All the same, Sabel insists that on one huge data point, the research is clear.

"The literature does clearly point to having stability in childhood, especially early childhood, is really, really important," he told the newspaper.

More on childhood and mental health: Childhood Cat Exposure Once Again Linked to Schizophrenia
Father of family shot on I-240 shares his side of the story

MEMPHIS, Tenn.  The father of the family shot on the interstate last month is speaking out in an exclusive interview with WREG.

Now homeless, Antonio Meeks says a simple gesture for a car to go around him led to tragedy for him and his children.

ORIGINAL STORY: 4 kids, 1 adult shot on I-240; 2 detained after chase with shots fired

Through tears, Meeks replays the moments on Interstate 240 that changed his family forever.

I just grabbed all three of them and ran them back to the good Samaritans that helped us. I ran them back to the car, Meeks said. People ask me how I feel, Im just here. I dont know how to feel, you know what Im saying.

He says it was a simple drive home after picking up his three children and bonus son, ending in a car pulling beside them and firing shots.

It wasnt road rage, it wasnt targeted, I didnt disrespect them or taunt them in any way, he said. It could have happened to anybody but it happened to me and my children

I dont have time to cry: Mother of I-240 shooting victims gives update on their recovery

As his children and their mother are united, he says his recovery has been alone.

Ive been sleeping in my car. Heres my luggage, my walker, my pillow, my blanket, Meeks said.

Since hes gotten out of the hospital, Meeks says hes been kicked out and unable to see his kids. Now hes homeless, disabled, and unable to work.

When I got shot it went in my side and broke my tailbone and shattered my tailbone so the bullet is still there, Meeks said. Im still healing from that.

Despite his physical pain, he says its his broken family that hurts most.

Police: Father out of hospital after I-240 shooting, 2 children still critical

Before this, I was a working father, a good spouse, Meeks said. This situation really changed a lot for me.

The suspects have a $1 million bond right now. Meeks says he has already forgiven them and is in physical and mental therapy to heal.

Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. 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.
Former White House chief medical adviser Dr. Anthony Fauci denounced questions around former President Trumps health following the failed assassination attempt a week ago, noting he was suffering from a superficial wound.

I dont think there is much more to it, he told CNNs Wolf Blitzer Friday, after watching clips of Trump speaking about his ear, which was grazed by a bullet during the shooting in Pennsylvania. I mean, from what weve seen and what weve heard, it was  a bullet shot that grazed his ear and injured his ear.

Fauci said that according to the physicians who examined the former president, there was no further damage.

His comments come after 20-year-old Thomas Matthew Crooks climbed a roof with a direct line to the former president and began firing off shots during a campaign stop in Butler, Pa., just outside Pittsburgh. Crooks and one event attendee were killed, and two others were critically injured, per the Secret Service, which has come under intense scrutiny following the event.

Fauci, who served under both the Trump and Biden administrations, added that he thinks the former president is in the clear related to the bullet itself.

As far as I can see, I mean, its dangerous to make diagnoses from a distance. From what Im seeing, the way hes acting now and what his physicians report saw, it seems to have been a superficial wound to the ear and thats all, Fauci said in comments, highlighted by Mediaite.

Just days after the assassination attempt, Trump formally accepted the GOP presidential nomination at the Republican National Convention in Milwaukee.

While Trump had a visible presence at the convention this week, little information about his recovery or lingering effects from the shooting have been released. The former president wore a large white bandage on his ear throughout the RNC, but has not provided a formal update.

In his speech at the convention and in a post online after the shooting, Trump said he heard a whizzing sound during the shooting and then noticed that his ear hurt.

Fauci explained that he would imagine that the physicians who examined the former president after the incident did some sort of brain study, such as a CT or MRI scan, but he cant say that was done with certainty.

That would be a reasonable thing to do following an encounter the way he had with a bullet, the doctor, known mostly for his handling of the COVID-19 pandemic, said 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 The Hill.
FBI investigating deadly Gila River Police involved shooting. Here's what we know

The FBI confirmed that a man died following a police officer-involved shooting in the Gila River Indian Community on Sunday.

According to FBI's Phoenix Field Office, 28-year-old Marcus Lewis was killed in a police officer-involved shooting by the Gila River Police Department on July 14.

The shooting occurred within the Gila River Indian Community reservation, though the FBI did not specify the exact location. Details about what led up to the shooting are still under investigation, according to Kevin Smith, spokesperson for the FBI Phoenix Field Office.

Lewis was an enrolled tribal member of the Gila River Indian Community.

The FBI noted that it is standard procedure for the agency to handle investigations that occur on tribal land.

"Once our investigation is complete, we will forward the results to the US Attorneys Office for a charging decision," wrote Smith on Friday.

This article originally appeared on Arizona Republic: 28-year-old man killed in shooting with Gila River Police Department
The Louisiana governor, Jeff Landry, signed a bill in June requiring the Ten Commandments to be displayed in all state K-12 public schools.

The Louisiana governor, Jeff Landry, signed a bill in June requiring the Ten Commandments to be displayed in all state K-12 public schools. Photograph: Brad Bowie/AP

A federal judge blocked Louisiana from posting the Ten Commandments in public schools until November after parents from five districts sued the state over the law.

In a brief ruling Friday, district court judge John deGravelles said that the parents and the state agreed that the Ten Commandments will not be posted in any public school classroom before 15 November. The state also agreed to not promulgate advice, rules or regulations regarding proper implementation of the challenged statute.

The states Republican governor, Jeff Landry, signed into law last month a bill that requires all classrooms, in K-12 public schools and colleges, to have Ten Commandments posters with large, easily readable font. The state is also requiring a four-paragraph context statement about how the commandments were a prominent part of American public education for almost three centuries.

Soon after the bill was signed, a coalition of parents, supported by the American Civil Liberties Union and other civil rights groups, sued the state saying the bill violates the first amendment.

The bill unconstitutionally pressures students into religious observance, veneration and adoption of the states favored religious scripture, the lawsuit reads.

The state gave schools a deadline of 1 January to put the posters up and said the deadline had not been affected by the lawsuit.

In a statement, the Louisiana attorney general, Liz Murrill, said that the state agreed not to put up posters until 15 November because certain legal actions take time  in addition to creating the posters.

The compliance date of January 2025 has not changed, Murrill said.

The bill is meant to give the supreme court a chance to overturn its 1980 ruling that a similar law in Kentucky violated the first amendments establishment clause.

In an interview at the Republican national convention in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, earlier this week, Landry said: This is one of the cases where the court has it wrong.

So here is the question: if the supreme court has something wrong, why would you not want that to be corrected? What is the price you would pay to correct that?

Landry noted that he believes the Ten Commandments will help students moral behavior, pointing to Thomas Crooks, the 20-year-old who shot Trump last week.

I would submit, he said, that maybe if the Ten Commandments were hanging on the wall in the school that he was in, maybe he wouldnt have taken a shot at the [former] president.
NORTH MYRTLE BEACH, S.C. (WBTW)  A federal judge in Florence is set to resolve the yearslong legal dispute between a North Myrtle Beach rental business and the city  a decision that could reshape the citys economy.

U.S. District Court Judge Joseph Dawson III is expected to rule soon in the legal battle between Cherry Grove Beach Gear and the city, according to court records. In July 2022, Derek and Jacqueline Calhoun sued North Myrtle Beach over its long-standing ordinance giving the city or authorized franchisees exclusive rights to set up rental equipment on its shores.

Cherry-Grove-Beach-Gear-complaintDownload

The Calhouns, who launched their business in 2020, have said in court theyve twice asked city leaders for a franchise so they can continue operations but were denied both times. Their initial 20-page motion accused North Myrtle Beach of violating antitrust laws.

The citys actions intentionally and flagrantly targeted Plaintiffs by enacting an amendment to North Myrtle Beach City Ordinance 5-24 in order to render Plaintiffs lawful and existing business practices unlawful, without establishing any amortization period during which Plaintiffs could recover their business investment, the lawsuit reads.

The lawsuit claims the citys actions were positive, aggressive, illegitimate, unlawful, unreasonable, and taken without constitutional, statutory, or regulatory authority.

The business owners are also suing for defamation, libel and slander, saying that the city is damaging the business reputation by publishing statements about the company, according to the lawsuit.

The city has restricted private commerce on its sands since 1981 when council members first required vendors to obtain a franchise agreement. The law was most recently updated in 2010 when authorized hours and rules for the placement and size of shading devices and removal of equipment were added.

City attorneys have repeatedly pointed to a 25-year-old section of state law giving coastal communities broad powers to adopt ordinances regulating beach safety, including granting franchise agreements.

It has existed since long before Plaintiffs started doing business in 2019. Other beach equipment companies comply with the law by delivering items to where their customers are staying. But Plaintiffs dont like the law, so they refuse to comply with it, city attorneys wrote in an August 22 response to the suit. And they have turned their ongoing violations of the law into a marketing tactic, gleefully announcing each citation on social media under the hashtag #outlawbeachlife and asking people to chip in for the fines they are deliberately incurring.

North-Myrtle-Beach-responseDownload

The city makes between $1.5 million to $3 million in revenue annually from beach rentals, which is used to offset tax increases and pay for beach safety initiatives, officials say. Marilyn Hatley, North Myrtle Beachs five-term mayor, said at a July 2022 city council meeting that the franchise agreements were an additional source of revenue since a percentage of their sales flow back to the city.

North Myrtle Beach owns and maintains roughly 2,800 beach chairs and 1,500 umbrellas that are set up by municipal employees trained on proper installation, its attorneys said in a November filing.

Other entities including Hilton Head Island, Isle of Palms, Horry County and Myrtle Beach all have similar regulations in place that restrict private companies from setting up equipment on public beaches.

In September 2022, a federal judge denied Cherry Grove Beach Gears request for a preliminary injunction to bar the city from enforcing its ordinance, saying the company failed to show that it would likely succeed in the lawsuit.

The city in December then asked for the entire case to be dismissed.

Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. 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.
(FOX40.COM)  According to the Placer County Sheriffs Office, two fires in Placer County caused evacuation orders to be enacted.

Lehi Fire

Around 5 p.m., deputies said that residents on Lehi Lane in the Newcastle area were being asked to leave immediately.

Just before 6 p.m., the sheriffs office said evacuation orders had expanded to include the following areas: Autumn Wind, Winter Snow Court, Summer Star Way, and Lehi Lane.

Around 7:45 p.m., the fires progress had been stopped, officials said.

Around 8 p.m., all warnings had been lifted, but all mandatory evacuations remained in place.

At 9 p.m., the sheriffs office said orders for Winter Snow Court, Autumn Wind Court, and Summer Star Way were downgraded to warnings. Evacuation order remains for all of Lehi Lane.

At 9:30 p.m., Lehi Lane evacuation orders remained in place. All other evacuation orders and warnings have been lifted.

Wildfire Information

Zonehaven, CAL FIRE and NIXLE: Websites you can use for wildfire information

AlertCalifornia live cams to provide more insight into natural disasters

These are the items to include in your emergency kit in case of a disaster

Cal Fires Nevada-Placer-Yuba unit said at 6:09 p.m. that the Lehi Fire grew from two acres to nine acres and one structure had become involved.

The agency added that the fire was started by lawn mowing and dry grass.

Placer County has provided a dashboard for residents to follow along with updates for the Lehi Fire, which can be found here.

Weimar Fire

At 7:15 p.m., the Placer County Sheriffs Office said all evacuation orders were downgraded to warnings and the evacuation warning in place along Serenity Ridge Road has been lifted.

Canyon Way has also been reopened.

FOR PREVIOUS COVERAGE, SEE BELOW

For the Weimar Fire, an evacuation order is in place at Canyon Way, north of I-80, including Heavenly View and Oak Ridge.

Around 6:20 p.m., road closures were put into effect at Yankees Jims and Canyon Way at Weimar Cross Road.

Officials said the Weimar Fire is also about three acres large.

The sheriffs office said deputies are also going door-to-door in the area and asking residents to evacuate.

Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. 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.
Flagler Beach Police are investigating the "suspicious" death of a woman whose body was found Thursday, according to a post on the department's Facebook page.

The body of Sally J. Byrd, 66, a resident of the Pebble Beach Village community in Flagler Beach, was discovered Thursday by authorities. A cause of death has yet to be determined.

Police say a "a person of interest" was arrested Thursday evening in Washington County, Georgia with the victim's car.

More: Volusia Gold & Diamond employee shot dead by suspect who is then shot by another employee

David Brownstone, 64, residency unknown, was arrested for grand theft auto and remains in custody in Georgia until he can be extradited back to Florida, according to authorities.

Flagler Beach Police Chief Matt Doughney stated Saturday that Our thoughts and prayers are with Ms. Byrds family and friends during this most difficult of times."

The Flagler County Sheriff's Office is assisting in the case.

This is a breaking news story. Please check back for more updates.

This article originally appeared on The Daytona Beach News-Journal: Flagler Beach woman's death ruled 'suspicious'; man in custody
A Florida man was arrested and charged Friday for allegedly threatening to kill Donald Trump and J.D. Vance, authorities announced.

Michael Wiseman made the threats against the GOPs presidential ticket in Facebook posts, according to a statement from the Jupiter Police Department.

After investigating the reports and the suspects Facebook account, JPD detectives found that Wiseman had made multiple threats against Trump and Vance, who earlier this week became the Republican nominees for President and Vice President, respectively, the statement said. Threats were also made concerning bodily harm to members of the Trump and Vance families.

Police said they received multiple tips about the 68-year-olds alleged posts.

The arrest comes less than a week after Trump was the target of an assassination attempt during a campaign rally in Pennsylvania. Jupiter Police Department Deputy Chief Michael Barbera told local ABC affiliate WPBF Friday that last Saturdays events played a role in their handling of the matter.

We take all threats to human beings seriously here at the Jupiter Police Department, but given what happened a couple of days ago, we took it a step further, he said.

Elsewhere in Florida this week, another man was arrested for allegedly threatening to kill President Joe Biden.

Read more at The Daily Beast.

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A man in Florida has been arrested after he made threats to kill former President Trump and Sen. JD Vance (R-Ohio), Trumps newly named vice-presidential pick.

The Jupiter Police Department in Florida announced Friday that Michael Wiseman had been arrested on charges of Written Threats to Kill after an investigation found that he wrote threats on social media against Trump, Vance and their families.

Police said they were alerted to the threats through multiple online crime tips as well as residents who expressed their concern in person.

Jupiter police investigated and found he had made threats to Trump, who officially became the Republican Partys presidential nominee at the Republican National Convention, and threats to Vance, who was named Trumps running mate at the convention.

Threats were also made concerning bodily harm to members of the Trump and Vance families, police said.

Jupiter police said it coordinated the investigation with the Secret Service and the Palm Beach County State Attorneys Office.

JPD officers took Wiseman into custody without incident, the police said.

The arrest follows last Saturdays assassination attempt against Trump. A gunman allegedly climbed a roof at Trumps Butler, Pa., rally and had a clear line of vision to the former president when he began firing.

A bullet grazed Trumps ear. One event attendee was killed and two others were critically injured. The gunman, identified as 20-year-old Thomas Matthew Crooks, was killed by police.

The assassination attempt happened just days before the convention.

The Hill has reached out to the Secret Service for comment.

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For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to The Hill.
A Florida man was arrested for allegedly making social media threats against former President Donald Trump and his running mate, Ohio Sen. JD Vance, just less than a week after the assassination attempt on Trump in Pennsylvania.

Michael Wiseman was taken into custody without incident on charges of written threats to kill, the Jupiter Police Department announced in a statement on Friday. Hes being held at the Palm Beach County Jail.

Jupiter police  in conjunction with the United States Secret Service and the Palm Beach County State Attorneys Office  launched an investigation into Wiseman after they received a series of tips regarding his social media activity.

After investigating the reports and the suspects Facebook account, JPD detectives found that Wiseman had made multiple threats against Trump and Vance, who earlier this week became the Republican nominees for President and Vice President, respectively, the statement said. Threats were also made concerning bodily harm to members of the Trump and Vance families.

Wiseman, who does not have a criminal record, reportedly admitted to making the treats but did not say why he made them.

Authorities did not provide further details on the content of the threats.

The arrest comes after 78-year-old Trump was shot during a recent campaign rally, sparking concern about the potential for political violence in the weeks leading up to the 2024 presidential election.

The former president was struck in the ear while another rallygoer, volunteer firefighter Corey Comperatore, was killed and two others were wounded.

The gunman, identified as Thomas Matthew Crooks, was killed shortly after he opened fire from a roof overlooking the event.
Five people were injured, two critically, in an explosion at a food truck in Whittier on Saturday, authorities said. (Onscene.tv)

Five people were injured, two critically, in an explosion Saturday morning at a food truck in a popular dining and shopping area of Whittier, according to authorities.

Eleven units of firefighters and paramedics were dispatched at 9:17 a.m. to the 6700 block of Greenleaf Avenue, said Martin Rangel, supervising fire dispatcher at the Los Angeles County Fire Department.

"There was an explosion of some kind but no fire when first responders arrived at the scene at 9:21, he said.

Whittier Police Department is investigating the circumstances around the incident and were expected to report the case to Cal/OSHA.

Rangel said it was most likely a propane tank explosion. Whittier police officials werent immediately available for comment.

Five people were injured, two critically, in an explosion at a food truck in Whittier on Saturday, authorities said. Whittier police were at the scene investigating the cause of the explosion. (Onscene.tv)

The National Fire Protection Assn. says that 68% of food truck fires are related to leaks or structural failures in propane tanks. As the food truck business has grown over the years, there have been periodic occurrences of propane-related accidents, the most notorious in the summer of 2014 when an explosion and ensuing fire of a food truck in Philadelphia claimed the lives of the truck owner and her daughter and injured 11 others.

Food truck explosions and fires are rare in California, which has some of the strictest regulations governing the safety of mobile food operations, according to experts.

More than 2,700 food trucks and trailers operate in Los Angeles County, said Matt Geller, head of the Southern California Mobile Food Vendors Assn. Geller wasnt aware of the Whittier food truck explosion. He said it didnt appear that the truck operator was a member of his association.

Its a pretty rare event, Geller said, noting that the last food truck fire that he could recall was 10 years ago in Venice. At the same time, he said, we have a lot of old trucks.

The five who were injured Saturday in Whittier were apparently crew members of the food truck, said Rangel. They were treated on site and transported to a hospital, with two having suffered critical injuries, two with moderate injuries and one with a minor injury, Rangel said.

He didnt have details of the food business or the owner of the truck, but some working in neighboring shops said it was related to a coffee business where the truck was parked, in the part of the town known as Uptown Whittier.

Video images showed a small section of Greenleaf Avenue was cordoned off Saturday, but by midday, the street was clear, said people in nearby businesses.

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This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times.
BERNALILLO, N.M. (KRQE)  Former Bernalillo Police Department Officer Jeramie Nevarez has pled guilty in a domestic misdemeanor battery case against him. Nevarez was arrested by the Rio Rancho Police Department in November after his girlfriend at the time told officers that Nevarez wouldnt let her leave and got physical.

Family sues police after dog died as officers held them at gunpoint during traffic stop

The former Bernalillo police officer was at the center of a tense traffic stop that KRQE Investigates exposed last year when Nevarez pointed guns at a family without explanation. He was fired from the police department in December.

As part of his guilty plea, a judge ordered Nevarez to one year of supervised probation. He must complete anger management, a parenting class, and a domestic violence program. Nevarez is also prohibited from carrying a firearm.

Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. 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.
Former NYC Rite Aid is now overrun by booze-swilling vagrants, zonked-out junkies: Fking preposterous

composite image: the graffiti covered exterior of the vacant building; various shots of junk collected by the apparent vagrants; a group of people stands near the building

A former Rite Aid in Queens has been transformed into a nightmare out of Mad Max, overrun by booze-swilling hobos, zonked-out junkies and migrants who have transformed the forlorn spot into their own dystopian social club.

The mostly middle-aged derelicts laid claim to the 25,058-square-foot Astoria plot seven months ago, neighbors say  planting Mexican, American and Puerto Rican flags atop the vacant buildings roof and furnishing it with sofas, tables, chairs and foam mattresses.

Theyve since turned the site into a blight, dangling bizarre items from the roofs edges.

A former Rite Aid in Queens has been transformed into a nightmare for Astoria residents. J.C. Rice

Theres seemingly no rhyme or reason to whats on display at the encampment. J.C. Rice

Everything from bras and bicycles, to pool noodles and a Power Wheels Jeep adorn the top of the building.

Its got a real Mad Max vibe going on, said one neighbor, who declined to give her name out of fear of retaliation from the vagrants.

It should be fenced off or something, but the owner doesnt take any responsibility for it.

At least eight apparent boozehounds were spotted loitering behind the building this week, drinking and laughing loudly, with two unconscious on the ground.

Flags from Mexico and the U.S. have been set up atop the building. J.C. Rice

Neighbors said the migrants drink the day away and end up passed out on their lawns. James Messerschmidt

One man flashed an eight-inch knife when approached by The Post, while another reached for what appeared to be a loose table leg.

They didnt appear to speak English.

Neighbors said they believe the men are migrants.

More forgotten toys litter the exterior of the building. J.C. Rice

The empty building has been covered in tags and graffiti. James Messerschmidt

Its fking preposterous, said a lifelong neighborhood resident, as he surveyed the scene behind 47-07 Broadway, which housed the Rite Aid Pharmacy until 2019.

The building has been vacant since September, when a business adjacent to the Rite Aid moved.

In February 2023, the site was sold to Long Island investors Frank Tehrani and Perry Moradof for $11.1 million.

Neighbors said the encampment began back in January. J.C. Rice

A man passed out on a soiled couch in the middle of a Wednesday. RAW News

The previous owners had it for 52 years.

Neither Tehrani nor Moradof responded to calls seeking comment.

Permits have already been filed to expand the one-story building into a five-story mixed-use structure, with housing and retail.

Toy trucks and a painting of llamas are on display at the encampment. J.C. Rice

The citys Department of Buildings objected to the plans in March, citing, among other things, non-compliance issues.

The status of the project is unclear.

Many neighbors told The Post the situation is a tragedy in the making.

Trash and broken glass cover the lot, where neighbors say vagrants spend the day drinking. RAW News

Its absurd and dangerous, one worried woman said Wednesday.

On the weekends, Ive seen kids playing on that wood pile over there, like its a jungle gym. Some of that woods got exposed nails, too.

The parking lot is sandwiched between Newtown Road and 47th Street, just a stones throw from William Cullen Bryant High School.

Junked couches are getting a second life behind the former Rite Aid on Broadway. J.C. Rice

My husband worries theres going to be a fire, and that firefighters wont be able to get inside because the whole buildings closed off, another neighbor told The Post.

Theres always a drunk passed out here  ambulance, every other day here to pick one or two up, one of the neighbors explained.

The city services that get chewed up over here, its ridiculous. God forbid we need an ambulance, theyre tied up with these guys.

Residents said police have been unable to help with the situation. J.C. Rice

The Post watched as a man seated on a soiled blue couch behind the building appeared to sell drugs.

Another urinated out in the open as two teenaged couples walked by, while a third, heavily tattooed man stripped to his boxer shorts and bathed himself with a half-filled five-gallon water bottle.

There have been 163 complaints to 311 about the hellish parking lot and building since Jan. 1, city records show.

Children are said to climb on the piled up wood and construction debris. J.C. Rice

Of those, 69 people reported the active encampment, while 36 complained about drinking at the site with another 11 gripes about public urination.

Rite Aid has been embroiled in bankruptcy proceedings since the fall, and shuttered the Astoria location due to sluggish sales.

Since before the pandemic, there has been a spate of convenience and grocery store closures in the Big Apple, as chains abandon their brick-and-mortar locations thanks to rampant shoplifting.

A collection of discarded items, as well as salsa and packing tape, sits atop a table in the parking lot. J.C. Rice

The Center for an Urban Future, which keeps tabs on retail chains in New York City, issued its most recent report in January.

Between 2021 and 2023, Rite Aid shut more than half of its Big Apple locations  shrinking from 119 to 54 stores.

During that same period, Duane Reade went from 317 to 211 stores, and CVS closed five stores, dropping to 170 locations.

In April, Rite Aid closed another five stores in the five boroughs, and a large CVS on the Upper East Side ceased operations in May.

Tags and planks of wood grace the doors of the former Rite Aid. James Messerschmidt

Garbage and construction debris are piled up against the back of the building. J.C. Rice

While the buildings future remains in limbo, residents told The Post the situation continues to worsen, with garbage piling up behind the building since January attracting rats.

The city said it cleaned up the site June 8 and offered the men services, pledging to return after the Post inquired about the troubling scene.

These guys are out here, drinking liquor in the open, a disgusted neighbor said.

We pay a lot of taxes living here. You dont see this st in the suburbs.
JACKSBORO, Tenn. (WATE)  A former Jacksboro, Tennessee police officer is facing a vandalism charge after allegedly throwing cans of Vienna sausages at the Vice Mayor of Jacksboros home earlier this month.

An affidavit from the Campbell County General Sessions Court states that the Jacksboro Vice Mayor reported to a Campbell County Sheriffs Deputy that he was lying in bed when he heard several loud thumps on the exterior of his home.

Man sentenced to life in prison after January 2022 murder in North Knoxville

The deputy noted in the affidavit that he noticed two busted windows facing the roadway and cans of Vienna sausages that had been run over in the driveway.

During the course of the investigation, the deputy noted that one of the cans of sausages was a brand only sold at Walmart.

When the officer arrived at Walmart, he spoke with a cashier who remembered throwing away a receipt from the night before that morning. The receipt and camera footage confirmed that the individual who purchased a large quantity of Vienna sausages was former Jacksboro police officer Joseph Weaver, according to the affidavit.

Neighboring law enforcement agencies assisting Jacksboro Police during shortage

According to the report, Weaver then drove to the Vice Mayors home and told the group he was with to follow him and went to the house with the cans of Vienna sausages and threw them at the home.

The deputy wrote that he spoke with Weaver who took sole responsibility for the incident. Weaver is facing charges of vandalism over $2,500 and theft under $1,000, according to an arrest warrant.

People who were with Weaver that night say that they had been drinking and became agitated about the incident that led him to resign from the Jacksboro Police Department, causing him to buy the Vienna sausages and then vandalize the Vice Mayors home.

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For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to Queen City News.
LOCKHART, Texas (KXAN)  The Connie S. Amaya Education Aid Foundation, based in Lockhart, held its sixth annual Free Back-to-School Backpack Drive for students in Central Texas on Saturday.

Students were able to pick out one backpack at no cost during the event. Other donated supplies were also available for students, according to organizers.

Free backpack drive in Lockhart (KXAN photo/Lauren Ryan)

Free backpack drive in Lockhart (KXAN photo/Lauren Ryan)

Free backpack drive in Lockhart (KXAN photo/Lauren Ryan)

Free backpack drive in Lockhart (KXAN photo/Lauren Ryan)

Free backpack drive in Lockhart (KXAN photo/Lauren Ryan)

Free backpack drive in Lockhart (KXAN photo/Lauren Ryan)

The goal of the foundation, which was officially established in spring 2024, was to empower students in Central Texas to achieve their educational potential.

By providing essential resources and fostering a supportive community, we aim to remove barriers to education under the guiding principle: Empowering Education for Everyone, the foundations website said.

Amaya worked in Lockhart ISD for 46 years before retiring, and she now uses her own retirement funds to purchase hundreds of backpacks to give back to the community.

According to Amayas grandson, John Mathew Bernal, she has purchased over 2,500 backpacks over the past five years, and this year, he said she would give out her 4,000th backpack.

As to the question, why a backpack? Organizers said that, for many families, a backpack can be the most expensive item ahead of the new school year. It was also considered essential for starting the school year on the right foot.

Its also our way of telling students in the community, Weve got your backpack! the foundation website said.

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For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to KXAN Austin.
Four civilians injured in Russian attack on shop in Kharkiv Oblast

The village of Ivashky in Kharkiv Oblast. Photo: DeepState analysts

Four civilians have been injured in a Russian strike on the village of Ivashky in Kharkiv Oblast with a First-Person View (FPV) drone.

Source: Oleh Syniehubov, Head of Kharkiv Oblast State Administration, on Telegram

Quote: "The invaders attacked the village of Ivashky with an FPV drone at 15:40.

Four civilians sustained injuries of varying severity when a shop was hit. Early reports indicate that [the people in question are] two men aged 48 and 33 and two women aged 62 and 44.

They are currently being taken to hospital."

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Four individuals pled guilty, sentenced to prison for various charges: DA

CHARLOTTE, N.C. (QUEEN CITY NEWS)  Four individuals pled guilty and were sentenced to prison for various charges, according to the Mecklenburg County District Attorneys Office.

On March 18, 2023

Alejandro Chavez-Gomez, 24, traveled east on Central Avenue in a 2014 Nissan Sentra, going about 94 mph while driving impaired. As Chavez-Gomez tried to merge into the left lane, he struck a 2012 Hyundai Genesis, driven by Kendall Ross, 29, from behind.

FULL STORY: 1 killed, 3 hospitalized in Central Ave. wreck: Medic

The Hyundai went off the road, struck a power pole, and wedged between an embankment and the power pole. Mr. Ross, a Charlotte chef, succumbed to his injuries, and his wife, who was a passenger in the vehicle, sustained life-threatening injuries.

Chavez-Gomez pled guilty to felony death by vehicle and assault with a deadly weapon inflicting serious injury. He was sentenced to 70-96 months for the felony death by vehicle charge and 26-44 months in prison for the second charge. Those sentences will run consecutively.

On November 8, 2023

In a separate case, CMPD responded to a two-car wreck with injuries on West Sugar Creek Road.

Gregorio Aquirre-Romero, 44, was found in the drivers seat of a white Ford Econoline van.

Photo: Gregorio Aguirre Romero via MCSO

Robert Martinez, 54, was found trapped in the drivers seat of a red Chevy Express van. Martinez was extricated by members of the Charlotte Fire Department and transported to the hospital where he later died.

During the investigation, Real Time Crime Center video showed Aquirre-Romero driving down Sugar Creek Road into oncoming traffic at least twice before the wreck occurred. While passing Regan Drive toward I-85, he sideswiped a Toyota Corolla driving in the opposite direction.

Without stopping, Aquirre-Romero drove at approximately 70 mph in a 40 mph zone before crossing the center line and striking Martinez head-on.

Two others were sentenced in separate cases:

Jamal Dean, 25, pled guilty to second-degree murder and felony breaking or entering for the June 5, 2023 killing of Britton Owens, 31. He was sentenced to 292-363 months in prison.

Jamal Dean. (CMPD)

Dean admitted to violating his probation from a previous conviction. A judge revoked that probation and activated his suspended sentence to 19-32 months, which will run concurrent to the new sentence.

Dequayvius Young, 29, pled guilty to second-degree murder and possession of a firearm by a convicted felon for the killing of Christopher McGill on July 24, 2022.

Dequayvious Young (Mecklenburg County Detention Center)

He was sentenced to a consolidated sentence of 300-372 months in prison.

Queen City News is tracking CRIME in your area  >> Latest stories here

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FOX CROSSING, Wis. (WFRV)  A family of four has been displaced and their four pets were found dead after multiple agencies responded to a fire at a Fox Crossing home on Friday.

According to a release from the Fox Crossing Fire Department, firefighters responded to the 1000 block of Cold Spring Road just after 5:30 p.m. on July 19. First crews to arrive noticed smoke and fire showing from the backside of the single-story home.

This embedded content is not available in your region.

Fire at single-family residence in Kaukauna causes $25,000 in damages

Search and rescue operations at the home were conducted when the fire was under control. It was noted that four pets were found dead during search efforts.

The American Red Cross is assisting the family of four who were displaced as a result of the fire. One firefighter was injured and treated at the scene during the incident.

Assisting agencies included:

Algoma Fire Department

Appleton Fire Department

Clayton Fire Rescue

Fox Crossing Police Department

Grand Chute Fire Department

Greenville Fire Department

Neenah Fire Department

Neenah-Menasha Fire Rescue

The fire is currently under investigation and no estimated damage amount was provided.

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For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to WFRV Local 5 - Green Bay, Appleton.
By Marco Trujillo and Elizabeth Pineau

LA ROCHELLE, France (Reuters) - A police officer and five protesters were injured on Saturday when violence erupted during a demonstration in the French grains port of La Rochelle over the use of reservoirs to supply large-scale agriculture, local officials said.

Police fired teargas and brought in water cannon trucks and reinforcements to disperse the roughly 4,000 demonstrators after the unrest broke out in the early afternoon, with several shop fronts smashed and at least seven people arrested.

"A number of radical, extreme left wing participants have attacked property and rampaged a supermarket," said Interior Minister Gerald Darmanin on X. "It is hard to see a link to defence of the environment."

Droughts in France have heightened tensions over water resources, and critics say building large reservoirs to feed agricultural irrigation is a wasteful practice that favours large farms.

On Saturday, the protesters gathered in front of a site belonging to Soufflet Negoce, a grains trading business owned by French cooperative group InVivo, before setting off on their march through the city.

In March last year, similar violence broke out during another protest over agricultural reservoirs in Sainte-Soline in western France.

Saturday's unrest come as the country has its security alert at its highest level ahead of the Olympic Games, which kick off with an opening ceremony on the River Seine on July 26.

(Reporting by Marco Trujillo and Elizabeth Pineau; Writing by Mimosa Spencer; Editing by Helen Popper)
GA man sentenced to 19 years in prison for distributing fentanyl

A Georgia man has been sentenced to prison after pleading guilty to distribution of fentanyl.

Ricky Rich, 42, of East Dublin was sentenced to 19 years in prison after pleading guilty to distributing fentanyl.

He was also ordered to pay a $2,500 fine and will serve three years of supervised release at the end of his prison term.

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Ricky Rich is a career offender with a long history of distributing illegal drugs in the middle Georgia area, U.S. Attorney Jill E. Steinberg said. This substantial prison sentence holds him accountable while protecting the community from his criminal activity.

Investigators with the Laurens County Sheriffs Office, with assistance from the Drug Enforcement Administration and the Georgia Bureau of Investigation, identified Rich as a drug dealer.

Investigators found large amounts of drugs at his home and the home of a relative, including fentanyl and drug paraphernalia.

He was on parole for previous Georgia drug trafficking charges at the time he was arrested.

As a part of his plea agreement, Rich surrendered 19 illegally owned guns and ammunition that were seized during the searches of his home.

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IN OTHER NEWS:
This Gen Zer traveled to 10 countries in 3 years. Here's how she did it while earning $25 an hour.

This Gen Zer traveled to 10 countries in 3 years. Here's how she did it while earning $25 an hour.

A 26-year-old New Yorker is traveling the world on a waitress's salary.

Worldpackers and Workaway help Celeste Cox find places to stay in exchange for volunteer work.

This popular travel hack isn't a one-size-fits-all solution to budget traveling.

Waiting tables a few months at a time is enough for Celeste Cox to fund her travels to bucket list destinations.

The 26-year-old has been to 10 countries since embarking on what she intended to be a gap year in 2021. She's managed to do all of it by working as a waitress in New York City in between her adventures.

When she's in the US, she lives rent-free with her dad, but Cox told Business Insider that the main reason she can spend several months out of the year abroad is her choice of accommodations.

Instead of splurging on hotels or Airbnbs in touristy areas, Cox said she works in exchange for free meals and places to stay. The journey hasn't always been easy, but she said it's worth it.

"I honestly think this is the best thing for me to do in life right now," Cox told BI.

She graduated from Hunter College in 2020, but COVID-19 travel restrictions delayed her plans for a gap year. As the world slowly opened back up in 2021, Cox made her first trip to Puerto Rico, where she volunteered as a housekeeper for six weeks.

Her next trip  this time to the Dominican Republic  was over two months long. By then, Cox was sure she wanted to keep traveling this way.

"I'd met a bunch of travelers who were taking long backpacking trips for six months, or nine months, or 12 months at a time," she said.

She was inspired to take her own "long-term backpacking trip."

Here's how she managed to stay for months in places like Brazil, Colombia, and Italy with less than $10,000 in her bank account.

These are her favorite apps for finding work in foreign countries

On her off-time, Cox is able to explore the environment around her, Courtesy of Celeste Cox

Cox finds her accommodations through Workaway and Worldpackers, which she learned about from a friend. The two sites offer travelers a chance to stay with a host and get free meals in exchange for their labor.

The programs have become popular among Gen Zers on TikTok who document their stays and promote it as a world-traveling hack for young people without the funds for lavish trips.

Expect to pay an annual fee to join either site. For Workaway the fee starts at $49 per year for an individual and goes up for couples. Worldpackers also offers a $49 per year plan and a higher-tier $99 plan with access to more benefits.

Cox receives a discounted rate since Worldpackers recently made her an ambassador.

It works similarly to Airbnb. Travelers can browse various volunteer opportunities offered by different hosts and read reviews from past guests.

"At most places, the agreement is generally from 25 to 30 hours a week," Cox said.

During those hours, Cox has cleaned the bathrooms at hostels, worked on a remote Italian farm, and worked as a nanny for one hostel manager.

For Cox, it's a more intentional way of traveling

Her volunteer opportunities have led her to remote islands and adventures in the Amazon Rainforest. Courtesy of Celeste Cox

By using programs like Workaway and Worldpackers, Cox said she's practicing more "intentional, purposeful travel" that allows her to establish a connection to the countries she travels to.

When she stays in a city, it's "almost always for at least a month." She prefers Latin American countries since she speaks Portuguese and Spanish, and US dollars typically stretch further in those places.

Although this style of travel is popular among Gen Z on TikTok, Cox recommends it to travelers of all ages, even if they're worried about their finances.

"A lot of the people I've met, especially in Latin America, don't have a lot of money at all," she said. "But they're still traveling, and they have the richest lives because they're meeting all these people and learning all these cultures."

Her routine works by saving as much as she can while waiting tables in NYC as her departure date to the next country creeps closer. Then, she takes her savings  ranging between $5,000 and $8,000  and lives off of it in foreign countries for the rest of the year.

It's not always the perfect vacation

In Latin America, Cox spends little money, but she's experienced negative, and sometimes dangerous, interactions. Courtesy of Celeste Cox

One of her first adventures ended abruptly with a traumatizing bedbug infestation at a hostel in the Dominican Republic, Cox told BI, and it wasn't the last time the pests overtook her belongings.

According to Cox, it comes with the territory.

"I've gotten robbed before, I've gotten bedbugs many times, I've slept on floors," she said.

Having your own room is a rare luxury, and Cox recalled a time when she was the only woman in a 12-bed room at a Brazilian hostel. At her most recent post on a farm in Sardinia, Italy, she said she worked long hours, ate meals that had very little protein, and had a language barrier with the host.

While hosts might be responsible for housing, it's on the traveler to arrange transportation. In emergencies, Cox said Worldpackers will pay for immediate relocation.

Still, Cox believes the experience is worth it.

"These travels have taught me so much about life and have really given me so much life experience," Cox said,

Read the original article on Business Insider
U.S. Senator Jon Ossoff of Georgia strongly condemned the sentencing of Wall Street Journal reporter Evan Gershkovich in Russia on Friday.

I condemn the Russian Governments wrongful arrest, sham trial, and todays unjust sentencing of Wall Street Journal reporter Evan Gershkovich. I call again for Mr. Gershkovichs immediate release, Ossoff said in a statement. Mr. Gershkovich is an honorable American journalist who has been illegitimately seized and prosecuted by the Russian Federation. His detention and sham trial are cruel and unjustifiable violations of human rights and press freedom.

Gershkovich, who has been in the custody of the Russian government since his arrest in March 2023 on charges of espionage. He was convicted and charged on Friday.

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The Russian government accused him of working on behalf of the U.S. government to find and collect state secrets in Russia. Gershkovich, the Wall Street Journal and the U.S. government have repeatedly denied those claims.

The Associated Press reported that during the trial, the Russian government did not present evidence or provide details though prosecutors said Gershkovich was caught red handed.

TRENDING STORIES:

The AP also reported that Gershkovichs arrest came about a year after President Vladimir Putin pushed through laws that chilled journalists, criminalizing criticism of Russias war in Ukraine and statements seen as discrediting the military.

The U.S. Department of State, which handles U.S. foreign policy actions, has listed Gershkovich as wrongly detained since early April 2023.

The AP reports Gershkovich is the first Western journalist arrested on espionage charges in post-Soviet Russia.

Today, Evan Gershkovich received a sentence of 16 years in a Russian prison, despite having committed no crime. Rather, he was targeted by the Russian government because he is a journalist and an American. We are pushing hard for Evans release and will continue to do so, President Joe Biden said in a statement after the sentencing on Friday.

The president said Gershkovich and his family were in his prayers.

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IN OTHER NEWS:
(This column was originally published in the Tallahassee Democrat on Feb. 19, 2012.)

I wrote a story recently about the origin of Bannerman Road. It was named for the family of Charles Bannerman, a North Carolina planter who moved to Tallahassee in the 1830s.

The story upset one reader because he said I didn't give the full story: Charles Bannerman was one of the biggest slaveholders in antebellum Tallahassee.

Bannerman Family home once located at 13426 Meridian Road in Tallahassee

Though the story was not about such issues, it's a reminder of two things: Slavery still matters. And Leon County had a lot of slavery.

"It was a hotbed of slavery," said historian Larry Rivers. "Tallahassee was the center of the slave trade."

Rivers is the former Florida A&M professor who, since 2006, has been the president of his alma mater, Fort Valley (Ga.) State University. His 2000 book, "Slavery in Florida," is considered the seminal text on the subject and is one of the best-selling books ever published by the University of Florida Press. Rivers' newest book, "Runaways and Rebels. Slave Resistance in 19th century Florida," is being published in May by the prestigious University of Illinois Press.

Most people don't associate Florida with slavery. They think of cotton plantations in Georgia and South Carolina or tobacco plantations in Virginia and North Carolina.

Fewer still associate slavery with Tallahassee. They think of Tallahassee as a historically sleepy little burg, established for government and education.

But, it's good to recall the reality: Florida was as much a slave state as any of the 11 states of the Confederacy that seceded from the Union over the issue of slavery (no matter what apologists want to believe). And Tallahassee, founded in 1824, was the epicenter of Florida slavery.

As the capital of the new territory, and the biggest population center of fertile Middle Florida, Tallahassee attracted planters from other Southern states looking for new opportunity. They had exhausted the soil in Virginia, Maryland, and the Carolinas. So, they swarmed to Middle Florida to buy land for $1 an acre and start anew  with plantations that depended on large numbers of slaves.

By 1830, planters with 20 or more slaves constituted 14 percent of Leon County's population. By 1860, they counted for 21 percent of the population. The ranks of slaveholders included such historic figures as Richard Keith Call, Benjamin Chaires, William Bloxham and Francis Eppes, who each owned anywhere from 30 slaves (Bloxham) to 120 slaves (Call).

In fact, by 1860, Leon County had 2,197 white people  and 8,200 Black slaves. And it would be the 1950 census before whites would outnumber Black people in Leon County.

"Florida has always tried to present this sunny image to attract new settlers; we have not wanted to confront the darker aspects of our history," said historian Canter Brown. "Yet Florida was founded to permit development of the cotton plantations and the slaves that worked them. And Tallahassee sat at the very heart of that."

Often overlooked was the trade in slaves. Slaveholders routinely hired out their slaves as laborers to other slaveholders and to merchants or farmers in need of temporary labor. They also sold slaves: In 1830, a slave sold for $500 to $1,000. By 1860, they were selling for as much as $3,000  the equivalent of an expensive car today.

"Tallahassee was tantamount in the slave trading business to New Orleans or Richmond or Washington, D.C.," Rivers said. "Tallahassee was where you came to deal with governmental affairs, talk about what was happening around the country and shop for a slave."

One of the enduring debates about slavery is how slaves were treated.

Brown allows that slaves in coastal and peninsula Florida may have suffered less than some  because the threat of escape and thus loss of property was more real.

"We talk about slaves running away," Brown said. "But slaves (on the coast) often just paddled away or got on board a ship. If you treated your slave badly (in those locations), the odds were you wouldn't have one long."

In Middle Florida, where escape was more difficult, slave owners may not have been as kind. Rivers is loath to generalize about the treatment of slaves because there was little documentation by slaves, most of whom could not read and write. He believes treatment varied from slave owner to slave owner.

Yet, it is not the treatment of slaves that matters today. Rather, it was the long existence of slavery that continues to impact us. To put it bluntly, there are still white people who feel superior to black people because of the condition to which we once relegated black people  during and after slavery.

Dr. Larry E. Rivers gives brief remarks at the unveiling of a historical marker honoring Father James Page in front of Bethel Missionary Baptist Church on Thursday, June 13, 2024.

"Slavery still matters, because remnants of the institution are still felt today," Rivers said. "It's the whole opportunity structure. We still have people who believe there are certain positions in society blacks need not apply, need not fill.

"Certainly, things have gotten better. But we still have instances of racism. I think we would have a much more color-blind society today if slavery had not existed in this country."

Including Tallahassee.

Gerald Ensley was a reporter and columnist for the Tallahassee Democrat from 1980 until his retirement in 2015. He died in 2018 following a stroke. The Tallahassee Democrat is publishing columns capturing Tallahassees history from Ensleys vast archives each Sunday through 2024 in the Opinion section as part of the TLH 200: Gerald Ensley Memorial Bicentennial Project.

JOIN THE CONVERSATION

Send letters to the editor (up to 200 words) or Your Turn columns (about 500 words) to letters@tallahassee.com. Please include your address for verification purposes only, and if you send a Your Turn, also include a photo and 1-2 line bio of yourself. You can also submit anonymous Zing!s at Tallahassee.com/Zing. Submissions are published on a space-available basis. All submissions may be edited for content, clarity and length, and may also be published by any part of the USA TODAY NETWORK.

This article originally appeared on Tallahassee Democrat: Gerald Ensley: Tallahassee doesnt get a pass on slavery
German minister says US election 'not over yet' on three-day visit

German Minister of Labor Hubertus Heil is on a plane on his way to the USA. Basil Wegener/dpa

German Labour Minister Hubertus Heil on Saturday said he believes the US presidential election is "not over yet," as he travelled to Washington for talks with political leaders and NASA.

Heil is the first German minister to visit the United States since President Joe Biden's disastrous performance in a June TV debate with former president Donald Trump, who is seen as the front-runner in November's election after surviving an assassination attempt last week.

The minister refused to be drawn on whether Biden should withdraw his candidacy or seek a second term in office, after weeks of difficult questions about the 81-year-old's fitness for the presidency.

Heil - a member of Germany's centre-left Social Democratic Party - said the German government has had "very intensive trans-Atlantic relations with the Biden administration."

While he admitted his political sympathies lie with Biden's Democrats, Heil said Chancellor Olaf Scholz's coalition government would be ready for all eventualities.

"Even though, as a Social Democrat, I am keeping my fingers crossed for the Democrats, we will have to prepare for all possible scenarios," the minister said.

Whatever happens in November, Germany and Europe will have to deal with the election result, he added, with trade relations, the future of Ukraine and the Israel-Gaza conflict all likely to be impacted in different ways.

The agenda for Heil's three-day trip includes talks with US Labour Secretary Julie Su and the Republican governor of Texas, Greg Abbott.

The minister is aiming to discuss the future of the world of work, including the impact of artificial intelligence. A visit to the US space agency is on the cards for Monday.
German Chancellor Olaf Scholz on stage at an election campaign event of the |Social Democratic Party (SPD) at the Schlossplatz. Sebastian Kahnert/dpa

The German government plans to commemorate the failed assassination attempt on Adolf Hitler 80 years ago on Saturday.

Chancellor Olaf Scholz aims to give a speech at a ceremony at the German Resistance Memorial Centre in Berlin.

Scholz and President Frank-Walter Steinmeier are expected to lay wreaths in memory of those involved in the attempted coup against the Nazi dictator on July 20, 1944.

In the afternoon, almost 400 recruits to the German Armed Forces, the Bundeswehr, are to take their oaths at a roll call in Berlin. Speeches by Scholz and Defence Minister Boris Pistorius are planned.

On July 20, 1944, army officers led by Claus Schenk Graf von Stauffenberg tried in vain to kill Hitler with a bomb, overthrow Nazi rule and end World War II.

Stauffenberg and three others involved were shot that same evening in the courtyard of the Bendlerblock in Berlin, one of the main Ministry of Defence buildings. The memorial is now located here.
Olaf Scholz, Germany's Chancellor, speaks at the 80th anniversary of failed attempt on Hitler's life at the Bendlerblock. Hannes P. Albert/dpa

German Chancellor Olaf Scholz on Friday called on citizens to stand up for democracy and freedom, as the country marked the 80th anniversary of the assassination attempt on Nazi leader Adolf Hitler.

"The coup attempt on July 20, 1944 failed. The unifying goals of the resistance did not," Scholz said at a memorial ceremony in Berlin, where he and President Frank-Walter Steinmeier laid wreaths in memory of those involved in the attempted coup against the Nazi dictator.

On July 20, 1944, German army officers led by Claus von Stauffenberg tried in vain to kill Hitler with a bomb, with the aim of overthrowing the Nazi regime and ending World War II.

Stauffenberg and three others involved were shot that same evening in the courtyard of the Bendlerblock in Berlin, a military complex which now houses the German Resistance Memorial Centre.

In his speech, Scholz said the coup against Hitler had proved that an alternative to the Nazi dictatorship, and a better Germany, were possible.

The resistance was a reminder to remain steady in the face of history, the chancellor added.

To play their part, modern citizens of democratic Germany no longer need to attempt dangerous deeds such as assassinating a dictator, Scholz said.

Nonetheless, they must engage in democratic processes and oppose hatred and extremism, he argued.

"Our democracy relies on our tireless efforts, on the efforts of each and every one of us," Scholz concluded.

Steinmeier, too, called on Germans to "protect our democracy" in honour of those who gave their lives to the resistance against Hitler.

"The resistance against National Socialism was necessary because the Weimar democracy did not have the support it needed," the president said, referring to the short-lived democratic republic of 1919-1933 that was overthrown by the Nazis.

Steinmeier said citizens should not become caught up in hatred. "Violence destroys democracy," he stated.

The president paid tribute to the members of the resistance against Hitler, saying Stauffenberg and his co-conspirators were not "flawless heroes," but people "who did the right thing at the right moment and at great risk to themselves and their families."

Later on Saturday, Scholz and Defence Minister Boris Pistorius were due to appear at an oath-taking ceremony for almost 400 recruits to the German Armed Forces.

Beatrix von Storch (L) speaks with Goetz Froemming during the 80th anniversary of failed attempt on Hitler's life at in the Bendlerblock. Hannes P. Albert/dpa

Frank-Walter Steinmeier, German President, places the ribbon on the wreath at the 80th anniversary of failed attempt on Hitler's life at the Bendlerblock. Hannes P. Albert/dpa
Soldiers march past Boris Pistorius, German Minister of Defense, and Olaf Scholz, German Chancellor, on the parade ground of the Federal Ministry of Defense, as around of 400 recruits take their oath in memory of the German resistance and the 80th anniversary of failed assassination attempt against Hitler. Hannes P. Albert/dpa

German Chancellor Olaf Scholz on Friday called on citizens to stand up for democracy and freedom, as the country marked the 80th anniversary of the assassination attempt on Nazi leader Adolf Hitler.

"The coup attempt on July 20, 1944, failed. The unifying goals of the resistance did not," Scholz said at a memorial ceremony in Berlin, where he and President Frank-Walter Steinmeier laid wreaths in memory of those involved in the attempted coup against the Nazi dictator.

Later, Scholz attended an oath-taking ceremony for almost 400 recruits to the German Air Force, arguing the country's military, or Bundeswehr, belongs in the centre of "democratic society."

The events were being held to mark one of the most important moments of the German resistance against Hitler's regime.

On July 20, 1944, German army officers led by Claus von Stauffenberg tried in vain to kill the dictator with a bomb, with the aim of overthrowing the Nazi government and ending World War II.

Stauffenberg and three others involved were shot that same evening in the courtyard of the Bendlerblock in Berlin, a military complex which now houses the German Resistance Memorial Centre.

In total, around 200 members of the resistance were either shot or driven to suicide after the failure of the plot.

Scholz and Steinmeier praise resistance

In his speech at the Bendlerblock, Scholz said the coup against Hitler had proved that an alternative to the Nazi dictatorship, and a better Germany, were possible.

The resistance was a reminder to remain steady in the face of history, the chancellor added.

To play their part, modern citizens of democratic Germany no longer need to attempt dangerous deeds such as assassinating a dictator, Scholz said.

Nonetheless, they must engage in democratic processes and oppose hatred and extremism, he argued.

"Our democracy relies on our tireless efforts, on the efforts of each and every one of us," Scholz concluded.

Steinmeier, too, called on Germans to protect their democracy in honour of those who gave their lives to the resistance against Hitler.

"The resistance against National Socialism was necessary because the Weimar democracy did not have the support it needed," the president said, referring to the short-lived democratic republic of 1919-33 that was overthrown by the Nazis.

Steinmeier said citizens should not become caught up in hatred. "Violence destroys democracy," he stated.

The president paid tribute to the members of the resistance against Hitler, saying Stauffenberg and his co-conspirators were not "flawless heroes," but people "who did the right thing at the right moment and at great risk to themselves and their families."

Oath-taking ceremony

At the oath-taking ceremony for German Air Force recruits later on Saturday, Scholz said members of the Bundeswehr must remain citizens, alongside their military duties.

"Serving in the Bundeswehr today requires you to think for yourself and not just blindly obey," he added.

Scholz said that many German soldiers were torn at the outbreak of World War II between their conscience and their military oath, questioning whether "to rebel against the war of extermination and mass murder."

The current constitutional order in Germany is based on the principle that no soldier should ever again face such a choice, he said.

Defence Minister Boris Pistorius, also in attendance, said that July 20, 1944, remains a crucial date for the Bundeswehr.

The soldiers' pledge to defend the law and freedom of the German people is a relatively short sentence, but a powerful one, he argued.

"It is about our free and democratic constitutional state. They pledge their loyalty to that - and not to any party or leader," Pistorius said.

This responsibility has become even more real, Pistorius argued, as the Russian threat to security in Germany and Europe continues to increase.

Relatives in attendance

Relatives of the resistance fighters killed after the failed coup were in attendance at the memorial centre in Berlin.

Robert von Steinau-Steinruck, chairman of the July 20 1944 Foundation, said many of the relatives had been treated in the early post-war years as children of traitors.

The foundation continues to fight against narratives originally shaped by the Nazis, such as the myth that only a "very small clique" was involved in the attempted coup.

Von Steinrau-Steinruck also said the foundation opposes the "misuse of resistance by right-wing and left-wing extremists and populists."

Olaf Scholz and Defense Minister Boris Pistorius, stand with soldiers on the parade ground of the Federal Ministry of Defense, as around of 400 recruits take their oath in memory of the German resistance and the 80th anniversary of failed assassination attempt against Hitler. Hannes P. Albert/dpa
German Defense Minister Boris Pistorius wants to push for a larger defense spending for next year, as he considers the planned increase insufficient, the German outlet Tagesspiegel reported on July 20.

The agreed budget will see an increase in defense spending by 1.2 billion euros (nearly $1.4 billion), while Pistorius requested a 6.7 billion euros (nearly $7.3 billion) increase, according to Tagesspiegel.

The draft state budget for next year provides 53.2 billion euros (nearly $58 billion) for the Bundeswehr, compared to 51.9 billion euros (nearly $56.5 billion) this year.

"I will continue to promote the idea that the Bundeswehr should receive the necessary funds in light of the real threat of Russia. The next opportunity for this will be the parliamentary review process," Pistorius said.

"In the federal government, we need to have another fundamental discussion about how we want to guarantee our security. I was not satisfied with the outcome before the government's decision, and I am certainly not satisfied with it now," the minister added.

Pistorius said that he does not agree with Finance Minister Christian Lindner's view on Germany returning to "normal fiscal policy" after the coronavirus pandemic, considering the security situation in Europe due to Russia's war against Ukraine.

Germany should take on an even greater military role in Europe as the largest European economy, according to the minister.

"If Donald Trump becomes president of the U.S., the balance of power in NATO is likely to change even faster. If we do not find a solution to reflect all these circumstances in the budget, the next government will have to do it," he said.

According to the agreed state budget, Germany's military aid for Ukraine will be cut by half next year.

Berlin will provide Kyiv with around 8 billion euros ($8.7 billion) this year but will only give 4 billion euros ($4.35 billion) in 2025.

Berlin is hoping that the shortfall will be made up by the profits from frozen Russian assets, Reuters reported.

Read also: Out of the question, Scholz rejects downing Russian missiles over Ukraine

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Demonstrators protest against a so-called apron meeting organized by the Alternative for Germany (AfD) to network right-wing forces. Markus Scholz/dpa

A regional chapter of the populist Alternative for Germany (AfD) party has held a controversial meeting with far-right groups in northern Germany.

Around 100 people were in attendance at the event in Neumunster, the AfD chapter in the northern German state of Schleswig-Holstein said. The meeting featured lectures and exhibits around the theme of preparing for the future.

A broad alliance of around 130 counterprotesters from across the political spectrum assembled outside the venue, said police.

Organizers of the counterprotest said 200 demonstrators took part, carrying signs and banners before dispersing in the afternoon.

The Schleswig-Holstein Interior Ministry in Kiel was critical of the meeting, saying the participants included a number of organizations classified as far-right extremists by Germany's domstic intelligence service, the Office for the Protection of the Constitution.

Representatives from the Compact magazine, which was recently banned by German Interior Minister Nancy Faeser, were originally invited to Saturday's meeting, but an AfD politician confirmed to dpa that their invitation was rescinded.

Demonstrators protest against a so-called apron meeting organized by the Alternative for Germany (AfD) to network right-wing forces. Markus Scholz/dpa

Demonstrators protest against a so-called apron meeting organized by the Alternative for Germany (AfD) to network right-wing forces. Markus Scholz/dpa
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Olaf Scholz, Germany's Chancellor, speaks at the 80th anniversary of failed attempt on Hitler's life at the Bendlerblock. Hannes P. Albert/dpa

German Chancellor Olaf Scholz has called on people to stand up for democracy and freedom on the 80th anniversary of the assassination attempt on Nazi leader Adolf Hitler.

"The coup attempt on July 20, 1944 failed. The unifying goals of the resistance did not," Scholz said at a government memorial ceremony in Berlin. He emphasized that there was an alternative to the Nazi dictatorship, and a better Germany.

"It is the Germany of our Basic Law," Scholz said, referring to the German constitution.

Scholz said the resistance was a reminder not to resign in the face of history. Today's binding commitment must be: "It is up to me," the chancellor said.

For this, regular citizens of democratic Germany did not need to perform life-threatening heroic deeds, as did the army officers led by Claus Schenk Graf von Stauffenberg, who tried in vain to kill Hitler with a bomb.

It should be clear, however, that "our democracy relies on our tireless efforts, on the efforts of each and every one of us," Scholz said. It depended on everyone getting involved and opposing misanthropy and extremism.
Olaf Scholz, Germany's Chancellor, speaks at the 80th anniversary of failed attempt on Hitler's life at the Bendlerblock. Hannes P. Albert/dpa

Chancellor Olaf Scholz on Saturday said the country's armed forces belong in the "centre of [Germany's] democratic society," as the country marked the 80th anniversary of the assassination attempt on Nazi leader Adolf Hitler.

Scholz made the comments at an oath-taking ceremony for almost 400 recruits to the German Armed Forces, or Bundeswehr, after earlier laying a wreath at the German Resistance Memorial Centre in Berlin alongside President Frank-Walter Steinmeier.

The chancellor said members of the Bundeswehr must remain citizens, alongside their military duties.

"Serving in the Bundeswehr today requires you to think for yourself and not just blindly obey," he added.

Scholz said that many German soldiers were torn at the outbreak of World War II between their conscience and their military oath, questioning whether "to rebel against the war of extermination and mass murder."

The current constitutional order in Germany is based on the principle that no soldier should ever again face such a choice, he said.

Scholz also commented on the war in Ukraine.

The chancellor said that the new German Air Force recruits are taking their vows at a challenging time: "Not only peace in Europe, but our freedom is under pressure," Scholz said.

Authoritarian regimes around the world are gaining strength, he argued, causing challenges for democracies. "Even within virtually all liberal societies, movements that look to tyrannical rulers like Putin as role models are gaining ground," Scholz added.

The challenging global situation serves as a reminder of the importance of those "who courageously defend peace and freedom," the chancellor stated.
Given Germany's history, we should be on Ukraine's side  Scholz

German Chancellor Olaf Scholz has called support for Ukraine a matter of Germany's historical responsibility during his speech on the occasion of the 80th anniversary of the failed assassination attempt on Nazi Germany leader Adolf Hitler.

Source: European Pravda, citing Spiegel

Quote: "In view of our own history, there can only be one place for Germany in this situation: at Ukraine's side. We cannot celebrate this 20 July in 2024 without thinking of the brave citizens of Ukraine who have resisted the criminal Russian war of aggression for more than two years."

Details: Speaking about Russian leader Vladimir Putin, the German chancellor stressed that there is an ongoing war "with which Russia's ruler explicitly pursues the goal of conquering Ukraine and destroying it as a sovereign country  79 years after the end of the World War II and 79 years after the United Nations Charter came into force".

Scholz separately urged Germans to be vigilant in defending democracy.

"Democracy depends on citizens getting involved, treating each other with respect and opposing all forms of misanthropy and extremism. Those who fight against our democracy will always face our resolute resistance," the chancellor stressed.

For reference: On 20 July 1944, Wehrmacht officers led by Count Claus von Stauffenberg made a vain attempt to kill Hitler with explosives and overthrow the National Socialist regime. Hitler survived and continued the war that Germany had started for over nine months.

Background:

The German chancellor had previously stressed that he would continue supporting Ukraine, despite acknowledging that it was a factor in the decline of his government's popularity.

At the same time, Scholz has set some red lines in this support, including the supply of long-range Taurus missiles and the shooting down of Russian drones and missiles over Ukraine.

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Operations are gradually being restored but delays continue for a second day after the largest IT outage in history disrupted sectors across the globe, leaving thousands of passengers stranded at airports, emergency communication services down and blood donation centers without vital shipments.

Airlines, businesses, government agencies, health and emergency services, banks and schools and universities around the world ground to a halt or saw services disrupted due to a flawed software update for Microsoft Windows operating systems issued by the cybersecurity firm CrowdStrike, experts told CNN.

CrowdStrikes CEO said a fix has been deployed, but experts say getting systems back in order will be a lengthy process.

The outage affected an estimated 8.5 million Windows devices, less than 1 percent of all Windows machines, according to a Saturday blog post from Microsoft. While the percentage was small, the broad economic and societal impacts reflect the use of CrowdStrike by enterprises that run many critical services, Microsoft said.

According to the tracking website FlightAware, more than 2,300 flights into, out of, or within the US have been canceled and more than 6,000 delayed, as of Saturday afternoon.

On Friday, more than 3,000 flights were canceled and more than 11,000 were delayed, according to FlightAware.com.

Worldwide, major airlines have said services are being restored.

A majority of United Airlines systems have recovered from Fridays outage, the airline said in a statement.

While most of our systems have recovered from the worldwide third-party software outage, we may continue to experience some disruption to our operation, including flight delays and cancellations, United said.

Delta Air Lines is continuing its operational recovery after the outage prompted the airline to pause flying on Friday, according to a Saturday morning update. Still, over 600 Delta flights have been canceled Saturday.

Additional cancelations are expected as some of Deltas technology continues to recover from Friday mornings vendor-caused issue, the update said.

Jetstar Japan, Hong Kong Express and Cebu Pacific airlines said Saturday their operations are gradually being restored too.

Cybercriminals capitalized on the chaos by promoting fake websites filled with malicious software designed to compromise unsuspecting victims, according to warnings from the US government and multiple cybersecurity professionals.

Former McAfee CEO Dave DeWalt told CNN a group of private sector and government agencies worked overnight to ascertain the threat and find a solution to the global outage. The call included the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency and other private and government organizations.

CrowdStrike CEO George Kurtz apologized to customers Friday for the outage and said the company is working with those affected.

We understand the gravity of the situation and are deeply sorry for the inconvenience and disruption, Kurtz posted on X. We are working with all impacted customers to ensure that systems are back up and they can deliver the services their customers are counting on.

But it could be easier said than done: Manual restarts of individual systems take time and expertise some customers dont have, which is why companies have been slow to recover from the outage.

Chaos continues for travelers

Frustrated passengers lined up at airports backed up with flight cancellations and delays, some missing life events like funerals and birthdays. At Atlantas Hartsfield-Jackson International Airport, long lines of passengers waited for assistance Saturday, with many flights still canceled or delayed.

I was supposed to be in California for my moms wedding, Richard Whitfield of Pasco County, FL told CNNs Isabel Rosales Saturday. Whitfield and his partner, Jonathan Shade, left Tampa on Thursday and missed their connecting flight in Atlanta due to poor weather conditions, delaying their landing and forcing the plane to refuel in Tallahassee.

After their rescheduled flight on Friday was delayed many times, the couple decided to cancel the trip and just head home. But with no available flights back to Tampa, Friday night, they spent their second night in an airport hotel. They were unable to get a voucher from Delta for either of their stays.

(Richard has) been on hold for 24 hours, Shade told CNN. When he eventually got his number in line, it was 2,001.

Two hours later, Richards place in Delta Air Lines virtual customer service queue was 2,300 in line, Shade said. Delta Air Lines has reported the most cancellations, with more than 850 Delta and Delta Connection flights unable to depart.

If we cant do the flight, we will try for the car and if we cant do the car, its just another night in a hotel and we will see what happens, Shade said.

At last check, a rental car back to Tampa would cost the pair $600, Shade and Whitfield said. Amtrak is charging $1,000 for a one-way ticket to Tampa, they added.

Whitfield tells CNN the whole ordeal has had an impact on him. For me, its been the domino effect that it has on humanity and everything that we need to survive: food, sleep, or water, housing, he said.

A traveler looks at a screen displaying delayed and canceled flights in Terminal 2, Delta Airlines, at Los Angeles airport, on Friday. - Etienne Laurent/AFP/Getty Images

After spending 48 hours in Atlanta, they found a Saturday evening flight back to Tampa they say they can only hope is not delayed or canceled. For now, there is nothing the couple can do but wait and get a good stiff drink, Shade and Whitfield said.

In addition to the problems at airports, the outage has also caused delays at hotels and rental car companies. Major hotels, including Marriott International and some Hiltons, were impacted both in regard to payment processing and delays to check in-processes.

Even Americans not traveling felt the effects of the outage in various facets of their everyday lives, including while trying to call 911 during emergencies in some areas, getting or renewing their drivers licenses or shipping or receiving packages.

There were reports of 911 outages in various states, like Alaska, and cities, like Phoenix, where the system was down for hours but has since been restored.

Drivers license offices were closed or had limited services in Texas, Tennessee, North Carolina and Georgia.

Some hospitals had to cancel appointments and surgeries

While most hospitals remained open to treat medical emergencies, some said an inability to access electronic medical records and order lab tests and prescriptions had caused them to cancel patient appointments and surgeries.

Hospital workers scrambled to provide needed care to patients without the technology they rely on.

Kim Brown was near the end of her shift Thursday night as a labor and delivery nurse at Kaiser Permanente in San Jose, California, when the hospitals computer systems, which it relies on to care for women in labor and their babies, went down.

All of our babies get little plastic tags that will set off an alarm if they get too close to an exit or an elevator. That went down, Brown said. It was unnerving because we had zero information. It was just, Oh, well, everythings out now.

With the outage posing a security risk to newborn babies, the hospital called security guards to sit by the elevators to keep them safe.

At the postpartum care unit in Dignity Health California Hospital Medical Center in Los Angeles, nurse Laura Topete said she ran into a roadblock trying to get analgesic drugs for a woman who was in pain after delivery, but couldnt access the doctors orders to see what kind of medications she could have.

The patient was in pain longer than she needed to be, Topete said.

Epic Systems, a company that makes widely used electronic health records systems for hospitals and doctors offices, said on Friday its Nebula cloud-based platform had been impacted by the outage overnight and some services, including telehealth visits, were not available during the outage. Another electronic medical records company, Veradigm, also said its systems were impacted by the CrowdStrike outage.

A spokesperson for the US Department of Health and Human Services said it was working to assess the impact of the CrowdStrike outage on patient care and HHS systems, services, and operations, along with federal, state, local and private sector partners.

In addition to hospitals, blood donation centers experienced challenges and altered blood shipment methods due to flight delays. New York Blood Center, which supplies about 200 hospitals in the Northeast, initiated an emergency driving operation to distribute collected blood. And Blood Assurance was concerned for its planned shipment of at least 20 platelets  the disc-shaped fragments that help with clotting  due to flight issues.

Government agencies were at a standstill

The impacts of the global tech outage were felt across the US as countless government agencies waited for services to get back to normal.

The mayor of Portland, Oregon, issued an emergency declaration due to the ongoing outage. It affected the citys servers in city data centers, employee computers and single sign-on to cloud services, Mayor Ted Wheeler said in a news release.

In Southern California, the disruption caused connectivity issues at the Los Angeles County Superior Court and it temporarily limited jail bookings in San Diego County, officials said.

Elsewhere, some voting locations in Arizona experienced outages in Maricopa County as early voting continued in the states primary, according to the Maricopa County Elections Department. The county is the fourth-most populous in the US and is home to Phoenix, the county website said.

The Social Security Administration closed its local offices to the public on Friday after the outage shut down numerous services. The agency said in a statement it expected longer wait times for the national 800 phone number, and some online services may be unavailable.

CNNs Mary Kay Mallonee, Josh Campbell, Brenda Goodman, Ramishah Maruf, Henry Klapper, Joe Sutton, Taylor Galgano, Brian Fung, Sean Lyngaas, Rebekah Riess, Dianne Gallagher, Shawn Nottingham, Kara Mihm, Isabel Rosales, Jaide Timm-Garcia, Christina Zdanowicz, Cheri Mossburg, Lauren Rapp, Chris Isidore, Isabel Rosales, Jaide Garcia, and Amanda Musa contributed to this report.

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Republicans believe 39-year-old Sen. JD Vance (R-Ohio) will appeal to younger voters as part of the newly minted GOP presidential ticket.

Former President Trump named the millennial as his running mate this week during the Republican National Convention.

While Democrats argue that Vances platform doesnt align with the views of younger voters, members of the GOP believe Trumps vice-presidential pick could attract several key cohorts.

Its a breath of fresh air, said Kyle Schroeder, the 28-year-old chair of the Wisconsin Young Republicans, when asked what it was like to see someone near his generation on the top of the presidential ticket.

Trump capped off months of speculation on Monday with his choice. Vance was largely seen as among the top three finalists in contention for the role, which also included Sen. Marco Rubio (R-Fla.) and North Dakota Gov. Doug Burgum.

In some ways, Vance is limited in the kind of additions he can offer the Republican presidential ticket: He hails from Ohio, which has trended redder in recent years, and his ideology resonates mostly with the staunch core of the GOP base. While the Republican Party has looked to court more voters of color, the GOP presidential ticket includes two white men.

On the other hand, Vance is much younger than Trump or the Biden-Harris ticket. Vice President Harris is 59, Trump is 78 and Biden is 81.

Members of the GOP believe his youth will appeal to younger voters  a bloc that will play a critical role in determining which candidate returns to the White House in November.

I think this was an awesome pick for young people across the country, explained Mason Morgan, 28 and the co-founder and executive director of the conservative youth group Run Gen Z.

Regardless of kind of what ideology you fit into, I think Sen. Vances story and success, both his personal and public life, show young voters that which one of these tickets is looking to the future.

Run Gen Z supports young conservatives running for office. Morgan explained that he believed Vances candidacy could inspire young people as they look to enter politics.

This is the opening of the floodgates now that we have a millennial on the presidential ticket for the Republican Party, for a lot of young people, and so were excited to be able to point to Sen. Vance as an example for these young people as theyre getting involved, as a reason to start early rather than wait their turn in line, as young people are often told, he explained.

Arizona-based GOP consultant Chuck Coughlin called Vance the embodiment of the MAGA movement, saying he represented the kind of people Trump said have been forgotten.

It was always presumed that was just political rhetoric and not very heartfelt, he said. By picking Vance, he picks somebody that is actually that type of person who comes from that background and is young and smart and successful and a veteran.

Vance rose to fame as the author of Hillbilly Elegy, which detailed his upbringing and spotlighted white working-class America. He spotlighted his story in his speech at the RNC and vowed that he would be a vice president who never forgets where he came from.

He also didnt fail to note that he was much younger than the current president, saying in another part of his speech that, Joe Biden has been a politician in Washington as long as Ive been alive.

Vance will make his first campaign appearance alongside Trump on Saturday in Grand Rapids, Mich.

While recent polling has shown Biden outperforming Trump among young voters, surveys have also indicated that hes underperforming his 2020 numbers.

A Harvard Youth Poll released by the Institute of Politics (IOP) at Harvard Kennedy School in April, for example, showed Biden with a 8-point lead over adults aged 18 to 29 years old  a far cry from the 23-point lead he felt in 2020.

While the April poll looks at likely voters under 30 years old, Biden leads Trump 19 points. In comparison, Biden led Trump by 30 points among likely voters under 30 in 2020.

Questions are lingering around the fate of Bidens presidency as more and more Democrats have called on the president to drop out of the race, particularly this week. But the Biden campaign reiterated multiple times that the presidents not going anywhere.

Democrats, too, believe that the more young voters learn about Vance, the more likely theyll be turned off. Theyve pointed, for example, to his opposition to student loan forgiveness and to his comments on abortion.

Despite being a millennial, JD Vance does not represent the values and priorities of young voters. His conservative views on all of these issues is more in line with older generations of voters across the country, rather than with the more progressive stance of young voters, noted Andrew Muth, 24 and the communications director for the Pennsylvania College Democrats.

Members of the party also suggest Vance isnt attracting new young voters into the fold, either.

I think the young voters he brings into the fold are young voters that were already predisposed to vote for the Trump ticket, regardless of who Trump had chosen, said Miami-based Democratic pollster Fernand Amandi.

Despite Democrats skepticism, Republicans see Vance as a smart pick.

Vince Galko, a former Pennsylvania GOP executive director, argued it was presumptive for Democrats to say that Vances views didnt align with those of young voters, noting that not all young people think the same way.

Whether you are 18 years or 88 years of age in this country, I think you want to have a strong economy, you want to feel safe walking down your street. You want to know that theres opportunity for you and your children and grandchildren, Galko explained.

His life itself is a story of hope, he added. I mean, even if you dislike Republicans, even if you dislike Sen. Vance, you cannot dislike his story.

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Got plans in Seattle this weekend? Expect heavy delays traveling from Pierce County

South Sound residents heading to Seattle this weekend be warned: There could be tons of traffic.

Seattle-bound travelers driving north on Interstate 5 should give themselves ample time to get there, according to a post on X (Twitter) by the Washington State Department of Transportations account for traffic in King and Snohomish counties.

Its also a good idea to consider taking public transit or alternate routes.

Northbound I-5 along Boeing Field will be reduced to two lanes while road crews work on replacing old expansion joints, per the X post.

We need good weather, and this weekend certainly qualifies, WSDOT Traffic added.

The work is happening on a weekend when several big events hit the Emerald City, including the Sounders FC game at Lumen Field, Mariners games at T-Mobile Park and the Capitol Hill Block Party music fest.

This weekends expansion joint-replacement work over Military Road is part of the departments Revive I-5 preservation project, according to a news release. It started the night of Friday, July 19 and will last until 5 a.m. Monday, July 22.

Lots happening in Seattle this weekend; if you're heading into Seattle from the south plan ahead, allow plenty of time, consider transit. NB I-5 reduced to two lanes along Boeing Field so we can replace expansion joints. We need good weather, and this weekend certainly qualifies. pic.twitter.com/SLJbyapga9  WSDOT Traffic (@wsdot_traffic) July 20, 2024
SWEETWATER, Texas (KTAB/KRBC)  The City of Sweetwater is celebrating the groundbreaking of 10 new homes. These homes represent the first phase of a 92-lot subdivision located on the northeast corner of town. Construction began in 2022, marking the beginning of this exciting new project.

Bringing Home the Gold: Big Country TSTC students win gold at national competition

Creekside is the citys first major housing development of its size in more than 40 years. City Manager David Vela said it is a pivotal moment in the citys move to drive growth and bolster the community.

It feels good. Its been a long time coming This is the first large-scale type of housing development that weve seen in quite a while. Many decades, Vela said.

Fishing Frenzy: Opportunities rise as cooler temps & rain approach the Big Country

According to Sweetwater Economic Development Executive Director Meisha Adames, with five homes sold, five more under construction, and a total of 92 lots, Sweetwaters Creekside subdivision is a promising development the city hasnt seen since the early 1980s.

In 2017, we did a housing study and found that over a 10-year period, only 10 homes had been built; thats an average of a home a year, Adames shared.

Adames added that those numbers and the citys slow population decline since the 80s were the inciting factors that led to this move.

We saw that the market wasnt driving itself and bringing single-family housing to Sweetwater and home builder interest, so thats why we felt the need to offer incentives, Adames explained.

Italy-based cement plant Buzzi USA is partnering with builder Fortezza Homes to bring this first cul-de-sac to life. The development corporation is offering a little over $300,000 in incentives to see the plan through, as well as $10,000 per house to any future builders.

Sweetwater has a population of about 10,900. As long as we can stick there and sustain ourselves for a few years, then well see that decline turn around and start an increase, Adames said.

City Manager David Vela said these 10 homes are only the first step.

Its gonna take a little while to fill up, but were hopeful that it will fill up at some point, and then we move on to the next subdivision, Vela said.

A Scholarship that Rocks: TSTC Sweetwater students receive scholarships from Metallica

The ten initial homes were constructed with insulated concrete foundations and solar panels with battery storage. These modern additions are a testament to the citys ambitious vision for the future.

Were in a prime position for growth and development here in the city of Sweetwater, so were looking forward to the future, Vela expressed.

Concrete manufacturer Boozeey Buzzi said these first few homes were built in part as a retention gift for their employees. Those workers temporarily occupy the homes before potentially buying their own residence in Sweetwater.

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Groundwork Jacksonville has been awarded a $1 million grant from the Delores Barr Weaver Legacy Funds in conjunction with the J. Wayne Weaver Fund at The Community Foundation for Northeast Florida. This grant, the largest single private donation in Groundwork Jacksonvilles 10-year history, will serve as the lead sponsorship for the Emerald Trail Riverside Link.

>>> STREAM ACTION NEWS JAX LIVE <<<

The donation is part of Delores Barr Weavers Legacy 2024 grantmaking plan, which included a historic $61 million contribution to her donor-advised fund at The Community Foundation. Groundwork Jacksonville is among several local charities benefiting from this philanthropic gift, which focuses on causes and nonprofits Weaver has long supported. Previously, Weaver contributed nearly $60,000 for the McCoys Creek restoration design and $250,000 for the Emerald Trail LaVilla Link.

Groundwork Jacksonville is grateful to be among the beneficiaries of the Weavers generous commitment to improving our community and the lives of our residents. The positive impact they are making with these gifts will be felt for generations, said Kay Ehas, CEO of Groundwork Jacksonville.

The grant will fund the design of segment three, the Riverside Link.

This grant enables Groundwork Jacksonville to maintain the tremendous momentum we have established in building the Emerald Trail, Ehas added.

Delores Barr Weaver emphasized the importance of such projects, stating, Investing in projects like the Emerald Trail ensures that people in the surrounding neighborhoods are included in the quality-of-life benefits that result from this important work. For me, it is gratifying to see the entirety of the Riverside area benefit from this Emerald Trail link.

Ehas highlighted Weavers enduring impact on the community, noting, This grant is a wonderful continuation of the work Mrs. Weaver has done in Riverside, including the restoration of the historic John Gorrie High School into residences and her support of the John Gorrie Dog Park, which the Emerald Trail Riverside Link will connect to. Her legacy in Jacksonville - and in Riverside - is indelible.

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The Spanish Civil Guard reported the arrest of three individuals for their possible involvement in cyberattacks on government institutions and strategic sectors in Spain and NATO countries on Saturday, 20 July.

Source: European Pravda, citing Europa Press

The alleged perpetrators were arrested in the Balearic Islands and the province of Andalusia. Searches were conducted at their homes, and computer and documentary materials were seized.

Spanish investigators believe that those arrested are part of the hacktivist group NoName057(16), which emerged following the start of Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine and declared its goal to "respond to hostile and overtly anti-Russian actions by Western Russophobes."

The group's primary activity involves carrying out distributed denial-of-service (DDoS) attacks on the websites of government and private organisations in countries that support Ukraine.

Background:

Last month, the General Dynamics division, specifically Santa Barbara Systems  a Spain-based company involved in repairing Leopard tanks for delivery to Ukraine  reported a cyberattack by NoName057(16).

The investigation into the arrested hackers in Spain is being coordinated by the specialised prosecutor's office. The Spanish Civil Guard has also announced that it continues to investigate along several lines of enquiry to further identify the participants in the attacks.

NATO has already warned Russia about possible consequences of further cyberattacks and other hybrid attacks on member states.

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Police are asking the public to identify a person wanted for shooting at a school patrol officer, narrowly missing an officer.

On Thursday, in the parking lot of the Tacoma Public Schools Office on South 8th Street, a suspect in a silver SUV approached a marked Tacoma School Patrol vehicle, stopped behind it, and fired a handgun at the officer inside.

The suspect exited the passenger seat of the SUV, walked toward the patrol car, and fired a shot, narrowly missing the School Patrol Officer.

The gunman then got back into the SUV and drove away.

The SUV was last seen on camera at South 7th Street and Tacoma Avenue South.

Tacoma Police are seeking information regarding the shooting and are urging anyone with information of the incident to come forward.

Tips can be submitted anonymously through Tacoma Pierce County Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-TIPS or via the P3tips.com app.
Harris tries to rescue campaign from fundraising pitfall, as donors drop Biden

Vice President Kamala Harris called 300 top Democratic donors to urge them to get back on board after party elites turned against Bidens continued candidacy, following his debate performance.

The VP, who has taken an increasingly central place in the campaign amid reports that top Democratic opponents of Biden want her out, too, rejected the idea that Bidens battle was un-winnable.

I will start by sharing something with all of you, Harris reportedly told donors, per an anonymous listener who spoke to the New York Times. Something I believe in my heart of hearts, it is something I feel strongly you should all hear and should take with you when you leave. And tell your friends, too. We are going to win this election.

Harris' call, which featured LinkedIn founder and Democratic donor Reid Hoffman splitting from an increasingly MAGA-backing Silicon Valley, was focused on winning back donors to the cause.

The message of optimism comes amidst deeply mixed polling, with some counts suggesting the president could lose multiple key swing states without a dramatic change.

Biden, one of the most economically left presidents in modern American memory, has faced severe scrutiny and calls to quit the race from ultra-rich Democratic donors and pundits alike following his lackluster debate performance more than three weeks ago.

Democrats are reportedly experiencing a campaign finance crisis, losing tens to hundreds of millions in pledged funds, while the Trump campaign pulls in tens of millions a month from Elon Musk and recruits big tech allies to boost fundraising efforts.

But both Biden and Harris have stood steadfast on their ticket, rebuking calls from Hollywood stars, moderate legislators, and media figures alike to switch the partys candidate just four months out from the election.

Harris rescue effort comes after progressives urged their colleagues to get in line behind Biden, with Congressperson Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez accusing Bidens critics of wanting to toss out the entire ticket, including Harris.
Heat advisories arrive in pairs this weekend from Miami to Fort Lauderdale. And the Keys?

The National Weather Service in Miamis heat advisories are coming like BOGOs now.

Early Saturday, forecasters at the service issued a heat advisory for Saturday and for Sunday for all of South Florida because of feels-like temperatures expected to run from 105 to 108 degrees.

The weekend heat advisory for South Florida runs from 10 a.m. Saturday until 6 p.m. Sunday.

The weather service in Key West also issued a heat advisory for the Florida Keys from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. Saturday with a forecast feels-like reading of 111.

Regular highs in the seven-day forecast call for 88 with lows still a toasty 82 from Miami to Fort Lauderdale. In the Keys, expect low 90s down to mid-80s.

What you should do

Beachgoer Sergei lazovskiy cools off under the shower on a sunny and hot day at the Haulover Park beach on May 28, 2024. There have been regular heat advisories throughout the summer so far in South Florida.

The services standard advice on how to stay safe in hot weather bears repeating: Drink plenty of fluids, stay in an air-conditioned room, stay out of the sun, and check up on relatives and neighbors. Young children and pets should never be left unattended in vehicles under any circumstances, forecasters said.

Heat forecast

National Weather Service in Miamis maximum heat index forecast temperatures for parts of Florida on Saturday afternoon, July 20, 2024.

Here are the expected heat index figures for several South Florida locations forecast for Saturday:

 Miami: 106.

 Homestead: 106.

 Fort Lauderdale: 106.

 West Palm Beach: 109.

The highest heat index forecast in Florida? Naples, where forecasters predict 113. That beats the Keys by two degrees.

Rain chances

In South Florida, from Homestead to Fort Lauderdale, forecasters also predict a 70% chance for scattered showers and thunderstorms through the weekend, especially in the afternoon hours through the rest of the week, with 70% chances for afternoon showers steady Monday to Friday, dropping a bit at night to the 40% range.

Some thunderstorms could pack gusty winds, frequent lightning and downpours, according to the service.

Theres a decent chance for rain and occasional thunderstorms in the Keys, too, but the forecast tops out at 60% Sunday night and generally runs a 30% chance through day times during the week.

Rip currents

Rip currents are moderate at South Florida beaches Saturday but an elevated risk is possible later this weekend and into early next week along the Atlantic Coast beaches as east to southeasterly wind flow strengthens, the service forecast.
Heat is to blame for thousands of deaths. Heres how it actually kills you

(NEXSTAR)  In an average year, heat takes more lives in the U.S. than hurricanes, tornadoes and earthquakes combined. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention estimates the death toll of extreme heat waves to be around 1,220 annually.

But the way heat kills people is less obvious than other violent natural disasters. The difference between life and death can be decided by just a few degrees, experts say.

Your bodys resting temperature is supposed to be around 98.6 degrees Fahrenheit. If it gets seven degrees higher than that, the results can be catastrophic.

Map shows extreme heat danger zones

We routinely will see core temperatures greater than 104, 105 degrees during some of the heat episodes, Dr. Neil Gandhi, emergency medicine director at Houston Methodist Hospital, told the Associated Press. Another degree or three and such a patient is at high risk of death, he said.

3 ways heat kills

High body temperature is dangerous because it can start to cause organ failure.

When inner body temperature gets too hot, the body redirects blood flow toward the skin to cool down, said Ollie Jay, a professor of heat and health at the University of Sydney in Australia. But that diverts blood and oxygen away from the stomach and intestines, and can allow toxins normally confined to the gut area to leak into circulation.

That sets off a cascade of effects, Jay said. Clotting around the body and multiple organ failure and, ultimately, death.

But the bigger killer in heat is the strain on the heart, especially for people who have cardiovascular disease, Jay said.

Early McDonalds menu shows incredibly cheap prices. Have they kept up with inflation?

It again starts with blood rushing to the skin to help shed core heat. That causes blood pressure to drop. The heart responds by trying to pump more blood to keep you from passing out.

Youre asking the heart to do a lot more work than it usually has to do, Jay said. For someone with a heart condition its like running for a bus with a dodgy (hamstring). Somethings going to give.

The third main way is dangerous dehydration. As people sweat, they lose liquids to a point that can severely stress kidneys, Jay said.

Dehydration can progress into shock, causing organs to shut down from lack of blood, oxygen and nutrients, leading to seizures and death, said Dr. Renee Salas, a Harvard University professor of public health and an emergency room physician at Massachusetts General Hospital.

Heat stroke warning signs

The best way to protect yourself from heat-related death is to cool your body down by any means possible. Emergency rooms often turn to cold water immersion as a quick way to drop the bodys temperature.

Signs your health may be impacted by dangerous heat include:

Dizziness

Thirst

Profuse sweating

Nausea

General weakness

If you feel any of the above signs of heat exhaustion, you should move to a cooler area and drink water.

If action isnt taken, heat exhaustion can turn into heat stroke. Signs of heat stroke include confusion, dizziness and losing consciousness. Those are signs you should call 911 and seek urgent medical attention.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

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'We need to heed their warnings': Advocacy groups remain committed to work following RNC in Milwaukee

Leaders from prominent advocacy organizations decried the Republican Party following the conclusion of its national convention this week in Milwaukee, saying the presidential election is a choice between a vision of unity and a vision of oppression.

"This is what unity looks like," Kelley Robinson, president of the Human Rights Campaign, said. "We're gathered here across reproductive rights, across labor organizing, people that care about educational equity, folks that care about racial justice, folks that care about LGBTQ+ equality.

"And what after what we just got this week  the party of Lincoln spiraling into chaos. It's good to be among our chosen family and our allies."

A contingent of about 20 people from advocacy groups, both local and national, and lawmakers, stood under the clock tower at Milwaukee City Hall on Friday to say they are more dedicated than ever to stay in the fight following the conclusion of the Republican National Convention on Thursday night.

Prominent advocacy organizations stand outside Milwaukee City Hall on Friday and decry the Republican Party following its national convention this week.

"The hard truth is that there is a handful of extremists right now who want to drag us backwards," Robinson said. "And they've got a vision too, it's called Project 2025."

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 presenting a plan to overhaul several federal government agencies, including the FBI, for the country's next conservative president to follow.

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.

Ideas include dismantling policies instituted by former Presidents Barack Obama and Joe Biden, such as the Affordable Care Act and student loan forgiveness. It also urges 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."

On Thursday, former President Donald Trump accepted the Republican nomination in Milwaukee just days after being shot in Pennsylvania. He wrote on Truth Social earlier this month: "I know nothing about Project 2025." But a number of former Trump administration officials were involved in crafting Heritage's plans. Trump instead points to his campaign's "Agenda47."

"We know what's at stake with Project 2025," said Angela Lang, executive director of Black Leaders Organizing for Communities or BLOC. "We know that every basic fundamental human right, that already isn't being attacked currently, will continue to be attacked and destroyed in our own communities.

"And as a pansexual, Black woman I do not have time to sit on the sidelines and hope that Project 2025 won't come true. They have showed their hands. They've shown how hateful and spiteful they can be towards people just trying to live a free, authentic, loving life.

Angela Lang, the executive director of the Black Leaders Organizing Committee, poses for a portrait at her apartment in Milwaukee on June 13.

"And we need to heed their warnings. They're not hiding it."

Speakers at the event didn't address the growing concerns surrounding Biden as Obama and top Democratic congressional leaders have expressed to the president that many don't believe he is the best candidate for the Democratic Party to defeat Trump in November.

Many had concerns with Biden's age and mental fitness to handle the presidency. Those concerns intensified following a presidential debate during which Biden appeared to lose his train of thought and stumbled over his words.

Biden has said he's staying in the race multiple times. Milwaukee Mayor Cavalier Johnson, a Democrat, has been vocally supporting the president and, as recently as Friday, lobbying for him to stay in the race.

For the advocates at Friday's news conference, it's about policies. Biden and the Democrats have campaigned to restore Roe v. Wade after the Supreme Court repealed the decision in 2022, eliminating the federal right to abortion and returning the issue to the states.

"Research shows hundreds of Wisconsin women and people across the gender spectrum who needed an abortion were not able to access that basic care they needed" since Roe was struck down 451 days ago, said Tanya Atkinson, president and CEO of Planned Parenthood of Wisconsin.

"These are our friends, our families, our neighbors perhaps, and even you.

"What we saw these past few days in Milwaukee, that's just the start of their agenda to come after all of our reproductive rights, our bodily freedom and our autonomy.

"This election is a decision about whether we are going to elect leaders who share our values and believe we deserve the ability to make our own deeply personal decisions about what's best for us with support from the people we trust or not."

Peggy Wirtz-Olse, president of the Wisconsin Education Association Council, said this election is about the future of children. "We've all seen it, raging adults at school board meetings," she said.

America's educational system has become increasingly partisan in recent years and Milwaukee's schools, including in the suburbs, are no stranger to intense debates on policy.

In Waukesha, the local Republican Party invested thousands into school board races leading to election victories. Soon, controversy followed after policies were enacted banning "controversial issues" or political stances from the schools and the firing of the staff handling diversity, equity and inclusion for the school district.

Ali Storms, left, and her sister Julia, both of Grafton, came to the Waukesha School Board's meeting last July to support the board members and their decision to ban the song "Rainbowland" from a spring concert at Heyer Elementary School.

Many Democrats, including state Superintendent Jill Underly, and advocates argued students and staff were being discriminated against. Republicans argued they are doing what's best for children and were duly elected. Four state lawmakers sent a letter to Underly supporting the school board.

A little less than half of LGBTQ+ youth report feeling unsafe at school, according to Wirtz-Olse. "Why would anyone want to make a child feel unsafe?" Wirtz-Olse said.

"When someone shows you who they are, believe them."

USA Today contributed to this report.

This article originally appeared on Milwaukee Journal Sentinel: Advocacy groups remain committed to work following RNC in Milwaukee
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In the eleventh year of its mission, the European Space Agency (ESA)'s Gaia space telescope has suffered a pair of technical snags. The telescope has spent its time in space precisely measuring the positions and motions of distant stars, offering an immense boon to astronomers.

ESA said that Gaia suffered first a puncture from a fast-moving micrometeoroid, then an electronics malfunction. Due to these issues, the telescope began sending its Earthbound operators gigabytes of junk data.

"Gaia typically sends over 25 gigabytes of data to Earth every day, but this amount would be much, much higher if the spacecraft's onboard software didn't eliminate false star detections first," said Edmund Serpell, Gaia's spacecraft operations engineer, in a statement . Serpell and his fellow engineers thus had to frantically deal with the problems.

Gaia sits at L2  the Lagrange point approximately 1.5 million kilometers (940,000 miles) away from Earth. This point resides in Earth's shadow, where our planet's gravitational pull balances out the sun 's. Out there, without even a trace of Earth's atmosphere to burn them up, high-speed micrometeoroids are a common threat. And, although Gaia has a protective thermal tent designed in part to protect the observatory from such micrometeoroids, one got through.

Related: Gaia telescope's new data reveals 'goldmine' of over 500,000 undiscovered stars and more

In April, a piece of space dust punched a hole into Gaia's shielding, enough to allow a sliver of sunlight into Gaia's innards. Though only about one-billionth the intensity of sunlight that reaches Earth's surface, this speck of light was still bright enough to disrupt the telescope's onboard sensors.

To make matters worse, Gaia would soon suffer another issue. Gaia's camera consists of 106 charge-coupled devices (CCDs)  electronic components that convert light falling upon them into electrical charge. In May, one of the CCDs failed. Engineers don't know what exactly caused the fault, though it coincided with the solar storm that lit up Earth's northern skies with brilliant auroras . The spike of solar radiation that came with the storm may simply have overwhelmed Gaia's decade-old electronics.

The result of the failure, on the other hand, is clear. This particular CCD helps Gaia root out false positives. Without it in proper function, coupled with the disruption from the micrometeoroid puncture, Gaia's sensors began lighting up with stars that didnt exist.

Related stories:

 Gaia space telescope helps astronomers image hidden objects around bright stars

 Record breaker! Milky Way's most monstrous stellar-mass black hole is sleeping giant lurking close to Earth (Video)

 The Milky Way's last major act of galactic cannibalism was surprisingly recent

With Gaia too far from Earth for ESA to consider repairs, Gaia's engineers had to sort out how to address both issues from afar. They responded by adjusting the threshold above which Gaia identifies a distant point of light as a star and adjusted the telescope's optics, meaning that the telescope is now actually sending back better data than ever.

So, for now, the story has a happy ending. But Gaia has already survived nearly twice as long in space as its original mission plan, and all good things tend to come to an end.
From the Dispatch Weekly on The Dispatch

Much will be written about the past week in decades to come, but finding the right words to describe the events of the past few days as were living through them is a challenge. An election season that had already been contentious and dispiriting took a dark turn last Saturday when Donald Trump was nearly assassinated at a rally in Pennsylvaniadays before his partys nominating convention. But while the Republicans in Milwaukee rallied around Trump in a celebratory mood, President Joe Bidens campaign was crumbling around him.

The shocking assault sparked calls for cooling our heated rhetoric. There is no place for violence, President Biden said in multiple statements last weekend, and most Democrats and Trump critics extended well-wishes to the former president. Writing on Tuesday, Paul D. Miller heartily endorsed the notion of turning down the heat, and noted that, while the former president certainly warrants criticism, political violence is both unacceptable and counterproductive. Trump is a threat to democracy and we shouldnt stop ourselves from saying so, he wrote. We shouldnt let the threat of terrorist violence have a hecklers veto over our speech.

Paul Matzko looked at the attempt on Trumps life from a historical perspective, recalling Lee Harvey Oswalds assassination attempt against a presidential candidate in 1963not JFK but Edwin Walker, a conservative independent. Based on that analogy, hes worried that were in for a tumultuous era. The failed assassination attempt on Edwin Walker was a beginning, not an end, he wrote.

With the president miraculously uninjured except for his right ear, which was grazed by a bullet, Republicans rolled into their nominating convention in an almost joyful mood. Michael Warren covered an event featuring senior Trump adviser Chris LaCivita, noting that the typically gruff LaCivita sounded practically sunny about the prospects for his boss, Trump, and the Republican Party. Trumps polling numbers are good, hes caught some big legal breaks in recent weeks, and the Democrats are in disarray. It all looks like the convention of a winner and for Trump, appearance is everything, Michael wrote.

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The biggest news out of the convention, of course, was Trumps selection of J.D. Vance to be his running mate. Vance, the 39-year-old senator from Ohio, is a onetime Trump critic who became a staunch Trump supporter. As John McCormack noted in a profile we published earlier in July, when Vance launched his Senate campaign in 2021, he begged Trump and Republican voters for forgiveness.

Now Vance is the heir to the MAGA movement, and Reaganism is out, as the Dispatch Politics crew wrote from the ground in Milwaukee:

While Trump felt the need to select a classic Reaganite as his running mate in 2016, Trump in 2024 felt emboldened to pick a senator who has reinvented himself as an absolute loyalist to Trump, one who has indicated he would carry out an agenda of post-liberalism when he likely assumes the role of GOP presidential frontrunner in 2028.

Vances speech on Wednesday was a far cry from anything resembling Reaganism, reflecting the tenor of the rest of the convention. He blamed the government for abandoning the white working class, criticized free-trade agreements, and promised a more isolationist foreign policy. His speech also reflected his own journey, as we wrote in Thursdays Dispatch Politics:

The main sociological point Vance made in Hillbilly Elegy was that the biggest problems facing the white working class are cultural, not political, and those communities only begin to solve them when we stop blaming Obama or Bush or faceless companies and ask ourselves what we can do to make things better. But Vance said on Wednesday night that when he now hears of drug overdoses in his hometown, he thinks: Americas ruling class wrote the checks. Communities like mine paid the price. While Vance wrote in 2016 that Trump was cultural heroin, he said in his 2024 acceptance speech: President Trump represents Americas last best hope to restore whatif lostmay never be found again.

Kevin, for one, is unimpressed with our potential future vice president. As he noted in his response to Vances speech, Government isnt your mamaw. In a separate piece, outlined why he believes Trump settled on the senator from Ohio: Vance is whomever Trump needs him to bethe perfect would-be vice president, a quite green second banana. Vance can be anybody the day calls for.

The final night of the convention was, of course, Donald Trumps big moment. In the wake of Saturdays shooting, Trump said that he had torn up his intended speech and would deliver a message of unity. And it was indeed a different Trump who took the stage on Thursday night in Milwaukeeat least at first. Trump started off calling for an end to discord and division, saying We rise together. Or we fall apart.

Trump gave a very detailed description of the assassination attempt, and throughout the retelling seemed genuinely humbled, marveling that he would not be alive had he not turned his head to look at a chart displayed behind the crowd on a large screen to his right. And he spoke for a few minutes about Corey Comperatore, the 50-year-old father of two who was killed in the shooting. And then he returned to the notion of unity  kind of. If Democrats want to unify our country, they should drop these partisan witch hunts, which Ive been going through for approximately eight years, he said. Well then.

Trump went on for more than 90 minutes, delving into a fairly standard stump speech from there on out. As we wrote in Dispatch Politics:

Trump proceeded to mention Crazy Nancy Pelosi, referring to the Democratic congresswoman from California and former speaker of the House; recalled an episode of Deface the Nation, his nickname for the CBS News Sunday public affairs show Face the Nation; and alluded to unfounded claims he has made, consistently, since losing to Biden in 2020, that the election was stolen.

However dramatic the Republican convention was, playing out in the wake of the assassination attempt, it paled in comparison to what was going on with President Joe Bidens campaign.

In the immediate aftermath of Trumps shooting, talk about Biden withdrawing subsided. For a couple days it seemed like the Democrats had decided that sticking with the president was the best path forward.

But by Wednesday, the calls for Biden to end his campaign had begun anew. Democratic Rep. Adam Schiff of California called for him to pass the torch, and reportedly told donors that Biden staying in could cost the Democrats not only the White House, but both the House and the Senate, we reported in The Morning Dispatch.

Biden has remained defiant in face of his calls to step down, even as reports emerged that former President Barack Obama has suggested that Biden needs to reconsider his decision to stay in and that former Speaker Nancy Pelosi has maneuvered behind the scenes to encourage the Democrats to find someone else. Some reports indicate she prefers an open convention.

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As of Wednesday, Nick remained skeptical that the Democrats could push Biden toward the exit, and it makes him a little angry. As he wrote in Boiling Frogs:

The president, his advisers, his allies in Congress, and his friends in the media have for weeks engaged in a gaslighting campaign so ambitious in its shamelessness that even Donald Trump must be impressed by it. But it simply isnt working. Whether because Democratic voters are made of sterner stuff than their perpetually gaslit Republican counterparts or because the evidence of infirmity is too blatant to be ignored, there will be no Biden revival. The party seems ready to nominate him anyway. The nuclear reactor is about to melt down.

Because this weird week apparently needed to be just a little weirder, Biden tested positive for COVID on Wednesday, taking him off the campaign trail and back home to Delaware. Yet, perhaps proving Nick wrong, that didnt quiet the push for Biden to step down. As of Friday, a total of 35 House Democrats had called upon him to do so. In his newsletter this morning, Stirewalt writes that Biden is stealing the spotlight even from the seclusion of his quarantine:

Biden is bluffing and blustering, smearing his critics, and making an implicit threat: Get back on board or I will ride this whole thing into the ground. But unlike Trump and the Republicans, Democrats continue to defy him. Every day, Biden dares his party to oppose himand every day its members do.

Whew. What a week. We wrote a lot of great stuff I havent even mentioned here: Jonahs G-File about Trumps speech, Steves interview with Sen. Mike Lee about his conversion from Trump critic to Trump supporter, Charlottes reporting from Israel on the status of an Israeli proposal for a ceasefire against Hamas, and more. I look forward to returning this newsletter to its normal format  someday soon, I hope. In the meantime, thanks for reading and enjoy your weekend.

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Do homeowners in Washington have to tell me about past deaths, crime on the property?

There are many factors one might consider when buying a home. Location, neighborhood amenities and needed renovation are all important issues for many potential homebuyers.

Individuals will have different deal breakers, too.

Whether its the distance from work, lack of an open floor plan or not enough parking, its important for buyers to know whats unacceptable for their future home.

For some, a violent crime on the property is an immediate deal breaker. But how can you find this information? Do sellers have to disclose gruesome details about a homes past?

Heres the requirement in Washington:

Required property disclosures in WA state

The Revised Code of Washington outlines property owners required disclosures. Potential buyers must be informed of certain information.

Basic information like property ownership, water and sewage system details and the original year of construction must be disclosed to the best of the owners knowledge.

Additionally, potential defects involving the water system, heating and cooling, appliances or other specified aspects must be disclosed.

Owners also need to report if the basement flooded or leaked, if the property has settled or slid, if any wood destroying organism or pest infestation has taken place under their ownership, or if the roof has leaked within the last five years.

Environmental concerns should be relayed as well, including any flooding, standing water or drainage problems affecting the property.

Other required legal disclosures include boundary disputes, agreements or encroachments, current assessments, zoning violations or unusual restrictions that could impact construction, and any covenants, conditions or restrictions against the property.

Various additional disclosures are required.

Death disclosures for WA properties

Violent crimes do not have to be reported, according to the RCW. That includes murder, suicide, sexual assault and other crimes.

There are two prior crimes homeowners must report to potential buyers:

If the property was a dumping site at any point (legally or illegally).

If the property has been used as an illegal drug manufacturing site.

Sellers also must tell interested buyers that law enforcement has information on any registered sex offenders living nearby. They do not need to provide specifics, just let them know that the police can share more if theyre interested.

Of course, sellers can always disclose more information to potential buyers than theyre required to under the law.
Saturday will be very hot, with heat index values of 103 to 107 degrees.

Meteorologist Kassandra Crimi said the high temperature in Orlando should reach around 95 degrees.

There will be a 60% chance of afternoon and evening storms.

Read: Happening Saturday: Food giveaway in Clermont

The chances of rain dropping on Sunday are high due to the Saharan Dust.

The beaches look nice before the chance of late-day storms.

Read: Some species of sea turtle see increase in nest numbers, while other decline, FWC says

Channel 9 meteorologists are also monitoring the tropics and are thankfully quiet.

Follow our Severe Weather team on X for live updates:

Click here to download our free news, weather and smart TV apps. And click here to stream Channel 9 Eyewitness News live.
Former Arkansas governor Mike Huckabee (R) lauded former President Trumps decision to pick Sen. JD Vance (R-Ohio), noting that his inexperience in elected office is good.

When people say JD Vance hasnt been in office that long  good, Huckabee said Saturday in an interview with NewsNations Hena Doba.

The longer people stay in a political office, particularly if its in Washington, more so than anywhere else, they get infected by this horrible Potomac River disease, he added.

Vance was first elected to the Senate during the 2022 midterm elections after securing Trumps endorsement  meaning hes served less than a term in Congress.

The Ohio Republican hasnt always been such a staunch support of the former president, however. During Trumps 2016 presidential run, Vance strongly opposed having Trump at the top of the ticket, calling the bid cultural heroin in an op-ed in The Atlantic.

The tides eventually turned, and Vance has steadily become one of the GOP presidential nominees most vocal supporters. During the Republican National Convention in Milwaukee this week, where Trump became the official GOP nominee, the former president ended the high stakes veepstakes, naming the Ohio senator to his ticket.

Vance built much of his political career around his difficult upbringing in a low-income community of southwestern Ohio. His best-selling memoir, Hillbilly Elegy, detailed the challenges he overcame in the Buckeye State, such as his mothers struggle with addiction.

Huckabee commended Vance for opening up about his background, saying that his addition to the GOP ticket was a good sign for the party.

The Republican Party in the past has been the silk-stocking, country club, elitist party of the east and west coast. It isnt anymore, Huckabee said. Its a working class party. I love this change.

JD Vance is the perfect embodiment of that, he added.

The former governor also noted that former President Obama had a similar rise through politics, spending little time in the Senate before his successful bid for president in 2008.

Barack Obama was heralded as the greatest thing that ever happened to politics, Huckabee said.

NewsNation is owned by Nexstar Media Group, which also owns The Hill.

Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to The Hill.
Hundreds of thousands of dollars missing from disabled mans special needs trust at St. Pete non-profit

Hundreds of thousands of dollars missing from disabled mans special needs trust at St. Pete non-profit

TAMPA, Fla. (WFLA)  A family was left outraged and in disbelief after hundreds of thousands of dollars intended to help care for their disabled son disappeared.



More than $100 million is still missing from a St. Petersburg non-profit, in charge of the trusts of vulnerable people.

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This is the 10th family weve profiled here at News Channel 8, and its the same tragic story. Chase McMinn, 47, man was first robbed of his life in 2017 and now again, seven years later.

He was a very vibrant and busy guy all the time 6-foot-1, said Milt McMinn, Chases father.

Milt McMinn said one September day in 2017, his sons fate forever changed.

An angry customer shot Chase McMinn, who was one of the owners of a Colorado auto shop at the time, in the face.

He cant walk, he said. He cant talk, He cant eat, cant move. He requires a feeding tube. He requires 24/7 care.

Through several lawsuits including workmans compensation, he was awarded money to care for him for the rest of his life. That money was placed at St. Petersburgs Center for Special Needs Trust Administration.



When asked about how the money is used, Milt McMinn said it goes to his sons care.

Theres so much, he said. It runs many thousands of dollars a month, and thats even with him being covered by Medicare and Medicaid.

$100M gone: Govoni stole from people with special needs trusts, Moody says

But in February, the McMinns faced yet another tragedy.

Im confused; Im outraged, he said. Im worried. I dont sleep at night.



The Center filed for bankruptcy, and Chases money had vanished. He is one of at least 1,500 trusts impacted.

Milt McMinn said between $200,000 and $400,000 is gone. He said hes not too sure because he believes the documents that were provided by the Center over the years are bogus.

Center founder Leo Govoni stands accused of siphoning over $100 million in funds that was intended to help vulnerable people but instead loaned it to other businesses under his control.



We still have a little bit of money left to last until the end of the year, but after that, we are in trouble, Milt McMinn said.

While Govoni is not facing criminal charges, he and his business partners are facing civil litigation from Attorney General Ashley Moodys office for theft. Court records showed Govoni is fighting General Moodys injunction to freeze all his assets, including his personal bank accounts.

I spoke with people and law-enforcement, and they are doing the investigation, and they are trying to make a big case and hand it over to the Department of Justice, so well see, Milt McMinn said.

He said he wants to see those responsible held accountable as well as oversight.

The case is making its way through federal bankruptcy court. The next hearing is on Tuesday afternoon in Tampa.

If you are a victim of this case and want to share your story, please contact Investigative Reporter Brittany Muller at bmuller@wfla.com.

Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to WFLA.
With IATSE in the Rearview, Teamsters Are Far Apart with Studios as the Clock Is Ticking to Make a Deal

Just yesterday on Thursday, Hollywood breathed a sigh of relief over the film and TV industrys crews with IATSE ratifying new contracts that would mean they would not be heading out on strike this summer. But one negotiation still remains, for Teamsters Local 399 and Hollywood Basic Crafts, and the clock is ticking.

On Friday, the Teamsters wrapped up their previously scheduled bargaining window of talks with the AMPTP. Theyve been at the bargaining table for five straight weeks, briefly overlapping with IATSE, and today they gave members an update that they still are without a deal and with still much work to be done.

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There is still much work to be done to reach a tentative agreement as we remain far apart on our core bargaining priorities, the negotiating committee said in a statement to members late Friday night. After five weeks of negotiations, this was the first week in which we saw the employers take this process seriously and engage in meaningful discussions. We look forward to continuing to educate the Companies on the important work our members do for their productions, and we will see them back at the table next week.

Hollywood Basic Crafts consists of Local 399, IBEW Local 40, LiUNA! Local 724, UA Local 78 and OPCMIA Local 755. They represent roughly 8,000 workers, including everyone from drivers, location managers, electricians, chef assistants, animal wranglers, plasterers, and more. Theyre negotiating for an update to their Black Book Agreement and Locations Managers Agreement, both of which expire on July 31.

The union said today that talks would continue for now on Monday and Tuesday, but like IATSE before them, theyve struck a tough tone and have said they dont want to extend negotiations past July 31. Should they still not have a deal by then, its likely that the Teamsters will do a vote to authorize a strike and could call one shortly after that.

Should the Teamsters go on strike, virtually all Hollywood production would shut down. Writers rooms, development, and actors signing on to new projects would continue, as would post-production work, but physical production depends entirely on truck drivers and basic crafts individuals to keep the show rolling.

Some of the Teamsters demands include higher wages for workers, creating minimum wages for department heads, improved working conditions including more holidays and more overtime penalties, and more contributions to the unions pension and health plan.

Lead negotiator Lindsay Dougherty has said these proposals are reasonable and would cost the studios little, but that they have not been aligned with the studios on some of their core priorities.

I want to be clear; we arent looking for a strike, were fighting for a fair deal for our members, Dougherty said on a call with around 2,000 members last Sunday. We wont, however, bargain against ourselves, we wont be intimidated to take our priorities off the table, and we wont be taking any concessions.

The union even brought in Teamsters General President Sean M. OBrien to help give Local 399 some more firepower during the last week of negotiations. OBrien spoke at the Republican National Convention earlier this week, so his presence was intended to help the Teamsters put the thumb on the scale when dealing with the AMPTP.

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Travis Calumpit, the 37-year-old Parma campground victim, was allegedly killed by his estranged wife and her mother, according to a court hearing and probable cause affidavits filed Friday by law enforcement.

Travis Calumpit was shot and killed July 12 at the Martin Landing campground, which sits near the confluence of the Boise, Snake and Owyhee rivers. The arrest of the two women from Battle Mountain, Nevada, was announced Thursday.

Travis estranged wife, Melissa Calumpit, 35, petitioned for divorce in 2018 after eight years of marriage, court records showed. But the two got remarried in 2020, Melissa told police. She and her mother, 59-year-old Rosalie Morris, had their bonds set at $2 million each on Friday.

Rosalie admitted there had been a family meeting at Rosalies residence  they talked about how to get rid of Travis for good, a probable cause affidavit said.  She planned to do it herself; however, Melissa wanted to come along.

Calumpit and Morris appeared in court Friday in orange jumpsuits, glasses and handcuffs. Calumpit was charged with first-degree murder and destruction, alteration or concealment of evidence. Morris was charged with aiding and abetting murder and destruction, alteration or concealment of evidence.

Before his death, Travis told his stepfather he was going to meet with Melissa in the hopes that they would reconcile their relationship and go camping, according to a probable cause affidavit.

Police said the dash camera on Travis car showed Melissa standing beside a car at Martin Landing.

Calumpit said that Travis asked why? after she shot him, and that she said, Im sorry. I love you, before running away, according to a probable cause affidavit.

Later, Calumpit threw the SIM card on Travis phone out the window and tossed the phone and gun into CJ Strike Reservoir, a probable cause affidavit said. Rosalie drove her to the reservoir, an affidavit said.

The prosecutor and judge cited the severity of the crime and the two being from out of state for why the bond was so high.
I'm an 82-year-old lifelong voter. I think Biden and Trump are both way too old.

I'm an 82-year-old lifelong voter. I think Biden and Trump are both way too old.

At 82 years old, Barbara Fassett thinks both Biden and Trump are far too old to be president.

A lifetime of voting has taught her that only younger leaders can bring the necessary vigor.

If there were more younger politicians, her friends would likely be politically engaged.

This as-told-to essay is based on a conversation with Barbara Fassett, who has lived in Michigan nearly her entire life. It has been edited for length and clarity.

Ever since I was a young girl, my dad taught me the importance of voting. He considered it a civic duty, and I do, too. All six of my siblings and I registered to vote as soon as we were able and I've voted in every election since, from county or national races.

My household was conservative and I tend to vote Republican, but I never stick to the party for the sake of consistency. Instead, I follow my late father's advice and examine candidates' policies and records. This election, though, I'm also considering age.

I've spent nearly all of my 82 years in Michigan. I've seen the state change politically, watching it go from blue to red as I went from childhood, to adulthood, to old age. And though I'm as engaged as ever, reading the newspaper far more than other residents at my retirement home, I know that an octogenarian is generally not up for the job of president.

I, for one, cannot imagine being the country's Commander in Chief. The job demands that you're constantly alert and up-to-date, moving at a clip that's difficult even for a young person to maintain. There are some days where I can't even read past a certain time, depending on how hot it is or how busy I've been. Being the president, you can't count on a full eight or nine hours of rest each night. What if someone attacks American ships, or there are urgent updates abroad?

Biden may be well-informed about the issues, but he doesn't seem quick in interviews or on his feet. We're all forgetful at this age, and the title of "President" doesn't protect you against the realities of time. The debate was troubling, but my concerns predated that night. President Biden was, quite frankly, too old four years ago, and he'll certainly be too old four years from now.

And despite my conservative leanings, I've never voted for Trump. I never will. I don't trust him or his morals. He couldn't tell the truth if his soul depended on it. Beyond that, he's overweight and barely younger than Biden himself.

If my dad was alive, he'd likely think the same way. He died at 68, but even at that age he knew that there comes a time to let younger people lead. They have more energy. They have more of their futures at stake. As far as my dad was concerned, anyone beyond Medicare age, which Biden and Trump have long surpassed, should be passing the torch.

Few of my friends keep up with politics. I only know four others at my nursing home who read the paper out of 90 residents. Most didn't even know the debate was happening, let alone watched. I've already cast my absentee ballot for Michigan's August 6 primary, but I doubt many of them will do the same, even though our tax dollars cover the postage. If there were more young people in politics, my friends might be more excited by the elections.

If the candidates were to drop out, younger leaders could learn from their wisdom and benefit from their vast experience. Then, age truly would be an asset. But power is addictive, especially for Trump. Power is hard to relinquish once you've held it in your own two hands.

This election, I'll probably write in Tim Scott's name or vote for the libertarian candidate  I just can't trust either of the older options. I've been thinking about politics longer than both Biden and Trump; I've got them beat by one and four years respectively. I wish they'd listen to their elders and know that it's time to step aside.

Read the original article on Business Insider
I'm a Brit who went to the Cheesecake Factory for the 1st time. The portion sizes blew me away, but I couldn't decide if the decor was opulent or tacky.

I'm a Brit who went to the Cheesecake Factory for the 1st time. The portion sizes blew me away, but I couldn't decide if the decor was opulent or tacky.

I visited the Cheesecake Factory for the first time on a recent trip to Chicago.

I had an excessively large salad and a slice of cheesecake served with a mountain of cream.

The decor unnerved me. It felt like a bizarre cross between an art deco cafe, a Disney attraction, and Atlantis.

I visited the Cheesecake Factory for the first time on a recent business trip to Chicago. Here's what I thought.

Growing up in the UK, "The Big Bang Theory" was my only frame of reference for the Cheesecake Factory, where Penny worked as a server. When I started working at Business Insider, I was surprised to hear just how extensive the chain's menu actually is.

Penny worked at the Cheesecake Factory in "The Big Bang Theory." Sonja Flemming/CBS via Getty Images

On a work trip to Chicago in May I finally visited the Cheesecake Factory for myself. I went to its only restaurant in the city center, at the bottom of 875 North Michigan Avenue, formerly the John Hancock Center  one of Chicago's tallest buildings.

The Cheesecake Factory I visited was located at the bottom of 875 North Michigan Avenue. Grace Dean/Business Insider

I was immediately struck by the unique decor  and the darkness of the interior. It was very dim in the restaurant. I wasn't sure I'd be able to read my book while I ate.

The interior was very dim. Grace Dean/Business Insider

These were decorative pillars throughout the dining area, as well as a very strange 3D ceiling that looked almost like it was inflated. Overall, the restaurant was very warm-toned, with gold, red, orange, yellow, and brown decor and dim yellow lighting.

There were pillars throughout the restaurant. Grace Dean/Business Insider

As for this hole in the wall  I have no idea why it was there.

There were interesting decorations throughout, like this hole in the wall. Grace Dean/Business Insider

The restaurant was designed by Jordan Mozer & Associates in the 1990s. The architecture firm says it was inspired by psychedelic rock n roll posters, French cafes, and elements of ancient Asian artwork. To me, it felt like a bizarre cross between an art deco Parisian cafe, a cartoon-like attraction at Disney, and Atlantis. It was quite unsettling.

The restaurant had a warm-toned interior. Grace Dean/Business Insider

Source: JMA

Outside, the patio seating was much simpler, with black tables, wicker chairs, and umbrellas.

The outdoor dining area had much simpler decor. Grace Dean/Business Insider

One of the first things I saw when I entered the restaurant was the refrigerated display of cheesecakes, which you could get boxed up to take out. They looked great  but I wanted to try the chain's savory offerings first.

The cheesecakes were displayed near the entrance. Grace Dean/Business Insider

And, boy, was there a lot to choose from. I don't think I've ever been to a restaurant with such an extensive menu, which included pizza, tacos, steak, salad, pasta, seafood, and much more.

The menu was incredibly extensive. Grace Dean/Business Insider

I could tell the portions would be massive, too. I had been planning on getting the fettuccini Alfredo, but the fact that it contained 1,930 calories before adding chicken put me off.

There were about a dozen pasta dishes to choose from. Grace Dean/Business Insider

The salads were all pretty calorific, too.

The Barbeque Ranch Chicken Salad contained 1,920 calories. Grace Dean/Business Insider

The Cheesecake Factory also has a dedicated Skinnylicious menu, featuring dishes that come in at 590 calories or less. The list included three burgers, a chicken sandwich, chicken pasta, and tacos  plus five "skinny cocktails."

Diners were given a separate Skinnylicious menu, too. Grace Dean/Business Insider

The Skinnylicious menu alone was extensive enough to be a main menu.

There were over a dozen entrees on the Skinnylicious menu. Grace Dean/Business Insider

I ordered the Vegan Cobb Salad, which included quinoa, avocado, roasted beet, grilled asparagus, and almonds. The portion, unsurprisingly, was massive. I've never been given such a big salad before.

My Vegan Cobb Salad was huge. Grace Dean/Business Insider

It tasted great and the vegetables, including the avocado, seemed very fresh. It was unusual to have a salad served with the different components laid out in strips like this rather than layered or simply mixed together. I ate about 70% and got the rest to take home.

I couldn't finish the salad in one go. Grace Dean/Business Insider

My cutlery and crockery were very plain, which was surprising given the over-the-top opulent decor. But my sparkling water was served in a tulip glass, at least.

My drink looked quite fancy thanks to the shape of the glass. Grace Dean/Business Insider

Then it was time for dessert. There were so many different flavors to choose from  chocolatey, fudgy, fruity, nutty. Some of them used the brands of the products they were made with to draw diners in, like Oreo, Reese's, Hershey's, Godiva, Cinnabon, and Ghirardelli.

It was hard to choose between all the cheesecakes. Grace Dean/Business Insider

Prices started at $10.50 a slice and went up to $12.95. You could buy whole cheesecakes, too.

You could buy cheesecake by the slice  or by the cheesecake. Grace Dean/Business Insider

I was torn between a few, but my server recommended the Adam's Peanut Butter Cup Fudge Ripple Cheesecake, so I went for that. It looked tasty but quite underwhelming compared to the glossy pictures on the Cheesecake Factory's website.

My server recommended the Adam's Peanut Butter Cup Fudge Ripple Cheesecake. Grace Dean/Business Insider

Source: The Cheesecake Factory

Strangely, I was given it in a take-home box and was presented with my bill at the same time. I hadn't asked for it to go, but thought that this was perhaps a good thing anyway because it would give me time to let my salad go down a bit first.

My cheesecake came in a to-go box with a mountain of cream. Grace Dean/Business Insider

After a stroll along the river, I headed home to tuck into the cheesecake. It was incredibly fudgy and gooey, though I would have preferred a traditional crust rather than a chocolatey one. I'd never had cheesecake served with a mountain of cream on the side before, either, and I found this a bit excessive.

My cheesecake got a bit squished on the journey home. Grace Dean/Business Insider

My bill came to $42.41 post-tax, pre-tips. The cheesecake itself was on the pricy side, but overall it didn't seem too bad. The bill came with a note in six different languages, telling diners that "it's customary in the US to tip 15-22%."

Diners were advised that it's "customary" to tip in the US. Grace Dean/Business Insider

The restaurant was busy, full of tables of both friends and families. Two separate tables sang "happy birthday" while I was there. Overall my meal was tasty and the excessive portion sizes blew me away  but I was left wondering if the decor was opulent or just tacky. Sadly it just wasn't my cup of tea.

The Cheesecake Factory's decor wasn't to my taste. Grace Dean/Business Insider

Read the original article on Business Insider
One of former Pakistan prime minister Imran Khans most senior media advisers has been abducted from his home by police and unidentified armed men, Mr Khans party says, days before a UK parliamentary event discussing the erosion of the countrys democracy.

CCTV footage released by the party appears to show Ahmed Janjua, who works as the opposition Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) partys international media coordinator, being taken into custody at around 4am on Saturday.

Neither the government nor police have yet commented on the incident, nor has a reason been provided for Mr Janjuas apparent arrest.

On Tuesday a debate is due to be held in the UKs House of Lords on Pakistans Democracy in crisis and the ongoing detention of Mr Khan, who remains in prison despite being granted bail or being acquitted in many of the criminal cases brought against him. He says all the charges are politically motivated, and part of a wider effort by the countrys military and political establishement to keep his party  which won the most seats in this years general election  from power.

Tuesdays event is being hosted by Labour MP Naz Shah and Daniel Hannan, the former Conservative MP and now member of the House of Lords as Lord Hannan of Kingsclere. Mr Janjua had been actively involved in organising the event and promoting coverage among the international media.

CCTV footage of Ahmed Waqas Janjuas enforced disappearance by persons in plainclothes and police officials. Ahmed was abducted at 4 AM from his home in Islamabad.



Our appeal to whole Judiciary is to not let Pakistan be a lawless land & take #SuoMotoAgainstAbductions



Protect pic.twitter.com/VBJmJI3G0R  PTI (@PTIofficial) July 20, 2024

Mr Janjuas wife, Farhana Barlas, has filed an urgent application in the Islamabad high court alleging that around two dozen armed personnel, who did not identify themselves, barged into their home with their faces covered and abducted her husband.

The men broke down the main door of the house, conducted a search of the house without presenting a warrant and seized the occupants phones before dragging away Mr Janjua, the application said. It represents one of the most high-profile abductions of a PTI official in months.

Sayed Zulfikar Bukhari, a close adviser to Mr Khan and spokesperson for PTI who is among the speakers set to address parliament on Tuesday, told The Independent that Mr Janjua and three other PTI workers have been abducted and no one knows where they are or who took them.

Mr Bukhari said the party believes the abduction was linked to the UK parliamentary event and designed to prevent it from receiving international attention.

This is a serious attack on not only Mr Janjua but everyone who has been abducted, especially the international media team, he said in a statement.

Mr Khan has been incarcerated since he was arrested in August last year. First elected as prime minister in 2018, he was ousted through a parliamentary vote of no confidence in 2022.

His arrest triggered violent unrest across Pakistan, with some supporters attacking facilities associated with the countrys military. Those riots have been used as the basis for the arrest of thousands of PTI workers and some of the criminal charges brought against Mr Khan, who was convicted on several charges just before the election in February. It meant he couldnt stand for election, and his party was also prevented from being registered. Its candidates ran as independents instead, though most media accredited their victories to the party.

A UN human rights panel has called for Mr Khans immediate release, saying he has been detained arbitrarily in violation of international laws.

The UN working group on arbitrary detention noted in an opinion that Mr Khans detention had no legal basis and appears to have been intended to disqualify him from running for office.

The Shehbaz Sharif government denies unfairly targeting the opposition party, and says criminal cases against PTI activists are justified given the attacks on military facilities in May last year. The authorities accused Mr Khan of instigating violence and called his rioting supporters arsonists exhibiting enmity against the motherland.

On Saturday, journalists and activists called for the safe release of Mr Janjua and others.

Haroon Janjua, a freelance journalist, said: Very alarming and tragic. Ahmed Janjua international media coordinator and a very decent guy went missing early this morning. He should be immediately released, hoping for his safe recovery in these tough times.

Amjad Ali said: Any attempt to curtail the flow of information to the media is condemnable. The state must ensure their safety and return as soon as possible.

Earlier this week the countrys information minister Attaullah Tarar said in a press conference in Islamabad that a move to ban PTI would be discussed in cabinet and that the government would go to the Supreme Court to push it through, if necessary. It was not the first time the government has said it plans to outlaw Mr Khans party.

The Independent has contacted prime minister Shehbaz Sharifs office for comment.
Members of the Wambli Ska Society perform a Lakota drum song at a ceremony on Sept. 13, 2022, in Pierre to celebrate the launch of a Missing and Murdered Indigenous Persons liaison within the South Dakota Attorney General's Office. (Courtesy of Attorney General's Office)

Members of the Wambli Ska Society perform a Lakota drum song at a ceremony on Sept. 13, 2022, in Pierre to celebrate the launch of a Missing and Murdered Indigenous Persons liaison within the South Dakota Attorney General's Office. (Courtesy of Attorney General's Office)

The state Department of Education glaringly omitted substantial Native American representation during its recent Civics and History Summit, alleges the South Dakota Education Equity Coalition.

In response, the department highlighted several efforts it made to include Indigenous perspectives and material.

The purpose of the conference was educating teachers about how to implement a new set of social studies standards to be taught to South Dakota public school students starting in 2025.

Native Americans were featured during lunch performances each day: a Dakota flutist and a drum group of elementary students from the White River School District. None of the session presenters were Indigenous, though there were some sessions discussing Native American history. The coalition said the sessions presented inaccurate and problematic portrayals.

South Dakota Education Equity Coalition Executive Director Sarah White said the state Department of Education should involve more Indigenous perspectives in its educational training and implementation. The coalition is an organization representing Native American education leaders throughout the state.

Excluding Indigenous educators and experts from the SDDOE Civics and History Summit is not just an oversight; it is a significant setback for educational equity in South Dakota, White said in a news release.

Excluding Indigenous educators and experts from the SDDOE Civics and History Summit is not just an oversight; it is a significant setback for educational equity in South Dakota.

 Sarah White, executive director, South Dakota Education Equity Coalition

There are nine tribal nations and reservations within South Dakota boundaries. Native Americans account for 12.5% of the states child population, according to census data.

The South Dakota Department of Education said in an emailed statement that the lunch performances were not only a chance to highlight Native American culture, but also Indigenous perspectives. The elementary school performance specifically included a discussion about how creating a drum group as an extracurricular activity centered around Native culture is impacting student attendance, performance and behavior.

The new Social Studies standards represent the largest emphasis on Native American history than any previous set of standards, for both the volume of references and the breadth of tribes covered, the departments statement said. And these references are made throughout the grade levels, K-12, ensuring that students will be exposed to Native American history and government throughout their academic careers.

The department also offered the South Dakota History Road Trip following the summit, including visits to sites with Native American significance, such as Sica Hollow in northeastern South Dakota and the Akta Lakota Museum and Dignity statue in Chamberlain.

The new social studies standards were criticized during the approval process due to what some educators described as the standards emphasis on rote memorization over inquiry-based learning. The social studies standards controversy started in 2021 because the department removed more than a dozen references to the Oceti Sakowin from a committees draft revision of the standards. Gov. Kristi Noem then formed a new work group and ordered the process to start over.

The states Oceti Sakowin Essential Understandings, which are a set of standards approved in 2018 for teaching students about Native American culture and history, are not required. Oceti Sakowin is the collective term for Lakota, Dakota and Nakota speaking Native Americans, many of whom live in South Dakota.

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OKLAHOMA CITY (KFOR)  A global outage Friday has had a wide-ranging impact in Oklahoma and on at least one Oklahoman stranded in a different state.

The problems stemmed from a software outage announced by Microsoft and Cyber Security company CrowdStrike Friday morning. CrowdStrike confirmed the outage was not the cause of a cyber attack, but a content defect.

LOCAL NEWS: Oklahoma Scientists: Stars behind the scenes of the new movie Twisters

Anyone that is using that software in their organization or on their computer would have experienced an outage on that device once Windows rebooted, said Cory Carson, CEO of ITology.

Hundreds of flights were delayed or canceled at airports across the country, including at Will Rogers World Airport in Oklahoma City. A spokesperson said as of Friday the airport was up and running again efficiently with just a few delays in the afternoon.

Arrivals and departures Friday at Will Rogers World Airport. Image Courtesy: KFOR.

News 4 spoke with an Oklahoma radio host trapped in Las Vegas who said the experience there hasnt been as smooth after his flight was canceled.

This is insane, said Travis Davidson in a clip he posted on social media showing mostly empty security lines at one of the nations busiest airports.

Davidson said his flight was canceled at the last minute, leaving him and four other people with him, stuck in Las Vegas. He said its not as luxurious of an extended getaway as it might sound to some.

LOCAL NEWS: OKCPD warns of Facebook scam using name of fallen officer

Lucky you, youre stranded in Vegas, said Davidson of what the reaction has been like. Its 110 here and Im not trying to spend seven or eight days here.

Davidson said its also been difficult trying to find a rental car.

All their rental cars are spoken for, said Davidson. I finally got one for Sunday. I think Im picking it up at 6 a.m. and Im dropping it off in Tulsa.

Various industries across the state were impacted by the outage as well.

The Stillwater Police Department dealt with all of its phone lines being down, eventually rerouting them before operations returned to normal just before 10 a.m. Friday.

SSM Health St. Anthony Hospital shared the impact to its systems in a statement to News 4:

SSM Health has been impacted by the global IT issue that occurred overnight. While we are continuing to provide exceptional patient care without disruption, we do have some phone systems down and are postponing a limited number of procedures. Our team is working quickly to resolve these issues and expect to have all operations fully restored today. SSM Health Spokesperson

Service Oklahoma also shared a statement with News 4 on the impact the outage had on the agency and its partners:

The worldwide CrowdStrike issue affecting IT systems is impacting driver license services in the state. There are currently intermittent issues, with many driver license services unavailable at Service Oklahoma and licensed operator locations at this time. Written and drive tests are still available at Service Oklahoma locations. Many driver license and motor vehicle services can be completed online at service.ok.gov. Service Oklahoma Spokesperson

Carson said even though this incident wasnt a cyber attack it should serve as a reminder for Oklahomans to protect themselves.

Sometimes we can become complacent or we can choose to push off securing our credentials and our systems, said Carson.

Carson said its important businesses start to consider consulting I.T. providers, but offered some personal cyber safety tips for everyone including:

Use strong passwords.

Use different passwords.

Use a password manager.

Use 2FA/MFA.

Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to KFOR.com Oklahoma City.
Tech outage latest | Airlines and others rush to get back on track after global tech disruption

A technician works on an information display near United Airlines gates at Chicago O'Hare International Airport in Chicago, Friday, July 19, 2024, after a faulty CrowdStrike update caused a major internet outage for computers running Microsoft Windows. (AP Photo/Carolyn Kaster)

Transport providers, businesses and governments on Saturday are rushing to get all their systems back online after long disruptions following a widespread technology outage.

The biggest continuing effect has been on air travel. Carriers canceled thousands of flights on Friday and now have many of their planes and crews in the wrong place, while airports facing continued problems with checking in and security.

At the heart of the massive disruption is CrowdStrike, a cybersecurity firm that provides software to scores of companies worldwide. The company says the problem occurred when it deployed a faulty update to computers running Microsoft Windows, noting that the issue behind the outage was not a security incident or cyberattack.

Here's the Latest:

Microsoft: 8.5 million devices on its Windows system were affected

Microsoft says 8.5 million devices running its Windows operating system were affected by a faulty cybersecurity update Friday that led to worldwide disruptions.

A Saturday blog post from Microsoft was the first estimate of the scope of the disruptions caused by cybersecurity firm CrowdStrikes software update.

We currently estimate that CrowdStrikes update affected 8.5 million Windows devices, or less than one percent of all Windows machines, said the blog post from Microsoft cybersecurity executive David Weston.

While the percentage was small, the broad economic and societal impacts reflect the use of CrowdStrike by enterprises that run many critical services.

Weston said such a significant disturbance is rare but demonstrates the interconnected nature of our broad ecosystem. Windows is the dominant operating system for personal computers around the world.

Austrian doctors' group calls for better data protection for patients

In Austria, a leading doctors organization said the global IT outage exposed the vulnerability of health systems reliant on digital systems.

Yesterdays incidents underscore how important it is for hospitals to have analogue backups to safeguard patient care, Harald Mayer, vice president of the Austrian Chamber of Doctors, said in a statement on the organizations website.

The organization called on governments to impose high standards in patient data protection and security and on health providers to train staff and put systems in place to manage crises.

Happily, where there were problems, these were kept small and short-lived and many areas of care were unaffected in Austria, Mayer said.

Germany warns of scams after major IT outage

BERLIN  The German governments IT security agency says numerous companies are still struggling with the consequences of a far-reaching technology outage.

Many business processes and procedures have been disturbed by the breakdown of computer systems, the BSI agency said on its website.

But the agency also said Saturday that many impacted areas have returned to normal.

It warned that cybercriminals were trying to take advantage of the situation through phishing, fake websites and other scams and that unofficial software code was in circulation.

The agency said it was not yet clear how faulty code ended up in the CrowdStrike software update blamed for triggering the outage.

European airports appear to be close to normal

LONDON  Europes busiest airport, Heathrow, said it is busy but operating normally on Saturday. The airport said in a statement that all systems are back up and running and passengers are getting on with their journeys smoothly.

Some 167 flights scheduled to depart from U.K. airports on Friday were canceled, while 171 flights due to land were axed.

Meanwhile, flights at Berlin Airport were departing on or close to schedule, German news agency dpa reported, citing an airport spokesman.

Nineteen flights took off in the early hours of Saturday after authorities exempted them from the usual ban on night flights.

On Friday, 150 of the 552 scheduled inbound and outbound flights at the airport were canceled over the IT outage, disrupting the plans of thousands of passengers at the start of the summer vacation season in the German capital.

German hospital slowly restoring its systems after widespread cancellations

BERLIN  The Schleswig-Holstein University Hospital in northern Germany, which on Friday canceled all elective surgery because of the global IT outage, said Saturday that it was gradually restoring its systems.

In a statement on its website, it forecast that operations at its two branches in Kiel and Luebeck would return to normal by Monday and that elective surgery can take place as planned and our ambulances can return to service.

Britain's transport system still trying to get back on track

LONDON  Britains travel and transport industries are struggling to get back on schedule after the global security outage with airline passengers facing cancellations and delays on the first day of summer holidays for many school pupils.

Gatwick Airport said a majority of scheduled flights were expected to take off. Manchester Airport said passengers were being checked in manually and there could be last-minute cancellations.

The Port of Dover said it was seeing an influx of displaced air passengers, with hourlong waits to enter the port to catch ferries to France.

Meanwhile, Britains National Cyber Security Center warned people and businesses to be on the lookout for phishing attempts as opportunistic malicious actors try to take advantage of the outage.

The National Cyber Security Centers former head, Ciaran Martin, said the worst of the crisis was over, because the nature of the crisis is that it went very wrong very quickly. It was spotted quite quickly and essentially it was turned off.

He told Sky News that some businesses would be able to get back to normal very quickly, but for sectors such as aviation it would take longer.

If youre in aviation, youve got people, planes and staffs all stranded in the wrong place So we are looking at days. Id be surprised if were looking at weeks.

Germany airline expects most of its flights to run normally

BERLIN  Eurowings, a budget subsidiary of Lufthansa, said it expected to return to largely scheduled flight operations on Saturday.

On Friday, the global IT outage had forced the airline to cancel about 20% of its flights, mostly on domestic routes. Passengers were asked to take trains instead.

Online check-in, check-in at the airport, boarding processes, booking and rebooking flights are all possible again, the airline said Saturday on X. However, due to the considerable extent of the global IT disruption there may still be isolated disruptions for passengers, it said.

Delta Air Lines and its regional affiliates have canceled hundreds of flights

DALLAS  Delta Air Lines and its regional affiliates canceled more than a quarter of their schedule on the East Coast by midafternoon Friday, aviation data provider Cirium said.

More than 1,100 flights for Delta and its affiliates have been canceled.

United and United Express had canceled more than 500 flights, or 12% of their schedule, and American Airlines network had canceled 450 flights, 7.5% of its schedule.

Southwest and Alaska do not use the CrowdStrike software that led to the global internet outages and had canceled fewer than a half-dozen flights each.

Portland, Oregon, mayor declares an emergency over the outage

PORTLAND, Ore.  Mayor Ted Wheeler declared an emergency Friday after more than half of the citys computer systems were affected by the global internet outage.

Wheeler said during a news conference that while emergency services calls werent interrupted, dispatchers were having to manually track 911 calls with pen and paper for a few hours. He said 266 of the citys 487 computer systems were affected.

Border crossings into the US are delayed

SAN DIEGO  People seeking to enter the U.S. from both the north and the south found that the border crossings were delayed by the internet outage.

The San Ysidro Port of Entry was gridlocked Friday morning with pedestrians waiting three hours to cross, according to the San Diego Union-Tribune.

Even cars with people approved for a U.S. Customers and Border Protection Trusted Traveler program for low-risk passengers waited up to 90 minutes. The program, known as SENTRI, moves passengers more quickly through customs and passport control if they make an appointment for an interview and submit to a background check to travel through customs and passport control more quickly when they arrive in the U.S.

Meanwhile, at the U.S.-Canada border, Windsor Police reported long delays at the crossings at the Ambassador Bridge and the Detroit-Windsor tunnel.
Iran may pay for you to be trans, but it comes with a cost  your dignity

Iran may pay for you to be trans, but it comes with a cost  your dignity

As a child growing up in Tehran, Shayan Varamini didn't know what it meant to be transgender.

Assigned female at birth, Varamini always felt drawn to dressing boyishly. He'd once had romantic feelings for a girl in his school, leading him to assume he might be a lesbian.

But in Iran, where same-sex relations can lead to imprisonment, corporal punishment, and even execution, he needed to be sure.

When he turned 18, just over a decade ago, Varamini sought guidance from a psychologist, who told him he was not a lesbian. Instead, he was diagnosed with "gender-identity disorder," an outdated term used to describe being transgender.

Because of its classification as an illness, Varamini's diagnosis came with a proposed treatment  what the Iranian government calls "sex-reassignment surgery."

After a lengthy bureaucratic procedure, the Iranian state not only recognized Varamini's transition but also helped finance it.

Varamini's surgeries were covered by his public health insurance, along with a modest grant the state paid him upon completion. Varamini paid 250,000 tomans, or about $60, out of pocket for the surgeries.

This generous coverage has led some to describe Iran, a deeply religious and socially repressive culture, as an unlikely "hub" for gender-affirming care.

While exact figures are hard to come by, a 2022 report by the UK's Home Office said that about 4,000 gender-affirming surgeries were performed each year in Iran. In 2007, The Guardian reported that Iran ranked second only to Thailand in the number of gender-affirming surgeries performed.

But transgender Iranians told Business Insider that this portrayal doesn't capture their reality  one marked by humiliation, rejection, and even violence.

Tehran's City Council created no-go zones for transgender people. BornaMir/Getty Images

On the surface, Iran's transgender policy might seem surprisingly liberal, an anomaly in the Muslim world. But a closer look reveals a darker picture.

Iran permits and funds gender-affirming care while discriminating against lesbian, gay, and bisexual people, along with others who identify as queer.

In a country that has executed people for being gay , what's behind this paradox?

Thanks in part to an edict issued by a Muslim ruler in the 1980s, being transgender in Iran is considered a medical disorder, while being gay is considered a sin.

Some Iranian leaders have made it a mission to erase homosexuality in the country  and activists believe that the government funds gender-affirming surgery in part to accomplish that.

But even once a person has transitioned, they are by no means safe.

Earlier this year, Tehran's city council started creating no-go zones for transgender people. Antidiscrimination laws for LGBTQ+ people don't exist in Iran, nor is there any recognition of genders beyond the binary male and female.

Becca Kia, who now lives in the US, postponed her transition until leaving Iran, recognizing that the country's rigid definitions of sexuality and gender left no room for her.

"Trans people are being suppressed," she told BI. "Like trans lesbian women or trans men who are gay, they cannot transition unless they submit to that rule that, OK, I'm a trans man, but I'm attracted to a woman."

Anti-gay laws

In Iran, same-sex relations are strictly prohibited by law, which doesn't differentiate between consensual and nonconsensual acts.

Punishments vary based on the roles people play in sexual encounters. Under the Islamic Penal Code, engaging in penetrative sex could result in a punishment of up to 100 lashes or, in some cases, the death penalty. Sexual intercourse between women carries a penalty of up to 100 lashes, while those who engage in lustful kissing or touching may face up to 74 lashes.

The Iranian government does not publicize its punishment of gay or lesbian people. However, a 2021 report by Eleos Justice and the Capital Punishment Justice Project estimated over 250 people were executed for same-sex conduct between 1979 and 2004, and at least 79 people have been executed since 2004.

Individuals who identify outside their assigned gender are at risk of these penalties  unless they undergo a physical transition.

"If I were caught in a compromising situation with a man, the sodomy punishments would apply," Raha Ajoudani, a trans woman who is sexually interested in men, said.

On a video call earlier this year, Ajoudani brushed her blond bob behind her ears, showing off her perfectly manicured nails. She'd recently had a tense interaction with the Iranian morality police, but she said she's experienced far worse.

Ajoudani dresses femininely and uses she/her pronouns, but because she has refused to undergo surgical procedures, legal documents mark her as male.

Despite pressure from the authorities, Ajoudani said she refuses to get surgery because she doesn't "have a problem with my body."

Raha Ajoudani

When she was 15, Ajoudani said she was made to visit a state psychologist, only to be presented with an ultimatum.

"They told me I had two options," she told BI. "Either go back to what society expected of me or undergo surgery."

She didn't do either, and in October 2022 she was detained by the morality police.

Ajoudani said she fell victim to a honey-trap scenario in which a man she was talking to online lured her to a public spot, where two dozen officers apprehended her.

In December 2022, she was detained again.

Members of Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, which has a mandate to ensure the integrity of the Islamic Republic. Vahid Salemi/AP Photo

In that instance, Ajoudani said that Revolutionary Guard Corps officers raided her home, confiscated her phone, and searched her belongings. She was dressed in a miniskirt and wearing makeup when arrested and was dressed the same when placed in solitary confinement in a men's prison.

Ajoudani initially received a 30-month prison sentence and a temporary travel ban for insulting "Islamic sanctities," among other charges.

Ajoudani told BI that the court determined no prison facilities were equipped to house her  a transgender person deemed to have "mental and sexual issues" because she had not undergone gender-affirming surgeries.

"The surgical blade is a legal must for trans people," Ajoudani said. "Either you undergo it, or you are completely deprived of your civil rights, and that is exactly what they did to me."

A historic fatwa

In 1987, the leader of Iran's Islamic Republic, Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini, issued a fatwa  an Islamic legal decree  declaring that gender-affirming surgery did not violate Islamic law.

The key player behind Khomeini's decree was Maryam Khatoon Molkara, a trans woman whose story convinced him to declare the fatwa.

When Molkara was 2 years old, her mother found her mimicking putting on makeup by applying chalk to her face. As she grew older, Molkara knew she was transgender, but as a devout Muslim, she struggled to understand how she could reconcile her gender dysphoria with her faith.

She began corresponding with religious figures, including Khomeini, a respected Shiite jurist living in exile in Iraq at the time, seeking religious blessing to undergo a transition.

Maryam Khatoon Molkara at her home in 2010. Molkara, who died in 2012, was instrumental in securing the fatwa that legalized gender-affirming surgeries in Iran. Kaveh Kazemi/Getty Images

In 1979, a revolution shook Iran, leading to the establishment of the Islamic Republic. The new government enacted a legal code rooted in Sharia law, which ushered in a period of profound adversity for LGBTQ+ people.

Under the new laws, Molkara lost her job, had to dress like a man, was forcibly given male hormones, and was confined for a time to a psychiatric facility.

But she persisted in her attempts to communicate with Khomeini, who had risen to become the supreme leader of the newly formed republic.

"I knew I could get the operation easily enough in London, but I wanted the documentation so I could live," she told The Guardian in 2005.

Dressed in a man's suit and clutching a Quran, she confronted Khomeini at his compound in Tehran to plead her case. At first, she was beaten by security guards, but seeing the commotion, Khomeini's relatives intervened, granting her an audience with the ayatollah.

Khomeini provided her with a letter giving her religious authorization to proceed with the surgeries. This was the start of a new era in which transgender Iranians could physically transition.

Home visits and scrutiny

Nonetheless, getting permission to proceed with the surgeries in Iran is no easy feat.

People seeking government support for transitioning must consent to home visits and scrutiny of their private lives, according to a document published by the State Welfare Organization of Iran and seen by BI.

And that's just one facet of the invasive, arduous, and often degrading process.

A 2023 report by Australia's Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade said obtaining approval for the surgery in Iran may take "several years of public court hearings, virginity tests, and mandatory counseling."

Those seeking surgery may bounce back and forth between the Legal Medicine Organization  a medical institution within the judiciary  and the court system while undergoing various tests to determine whether they meet the criteria for Iran's version of a gender-dysphoria diagnosis.

Pooya Mohseni told BI she was asked graphic questions by a panel of Iranian psychologists. Eugene Gologursky/Getty Images

Pooya Mohseni, an Iranian American actor and trans activist, recalled the humiliation of being "interrogated" in 1994 by a panel of psychologists.

"The questions were so graphic that my mom, at some point, left the room," she told BI.

A questionnaire handed to patients by a Tehran clinic, reviewed by BI, prompted psychologists to ask about a person's "wet, sexual dreams" and whether "cross-dressing" sexually excited them.

It also asked whether they had been sexually abused or grew up in a "female-headed" household, and it suggested that practitioners check for "other sexual deviations."

The questionnaire requested a chromosome test, pelvic and abdominal ultrasounds, and hormone testing.

A medical document from the same clinic, also reviewed by BI, showed the results of a karyotype test, which checks a person's chromosomes for any "abnormality."

Homosexuality as a sin

Javad Sadidi, a Mashhad surgeon who specializes in gender-affirming surgeries, told BI that the process takes a minimum of two years.

It's so demanding, he said, in part because it's used as a filter to distinguish between transgender people and those seeking the surgery for different reasons, such as gay and lesbian people hoping to gain legal rights.

Sadidi said that gay people "never" slipped through.

Past reports, however, have accused Iranian authorities of coercing gay people into transitioning as part of a mission to eradicate homosexuality in the country.

In 2007, Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, Iran's president at the time, said in a speech at Columbia University: "In Iran, we do not have homosexuals like in your country."

In a 2007 speech at Columbia University, President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad said that Iran did not have gay people. SPENCER PLATT/Getty Images

Elina, a 33-year-old masculine-presenting Iranian lesbian who asked that their last name not be published for safety reasons, told BI that they saw this attitude in action.

They recalled a psychologist trying to persuade them that they were transgender.

"I was not uncomfortable with my body," Elina said, adding that the therapist thought all gays and lesbians were trans.

Elina, who refused to undergo the procedures, eventually left the country.

Shadi Sadr, an Iranian human-rights lawyer and a cofounder of Justice for Iran, told BI that direct coercion of gay people into transitioning was less common than in the past but that societal pressures remain strong.

"Against the context where homosexuality is not only a sin but a crime, many people in the LGBTQ+ community see that, going through the process of sex reassignment, they would gain relative freedom and human rights," she said.

"That's the whole coercive situation," she said.

Shadi Sadr, a human-rights lawyer and a cofounder of Justice for Iran. Tristar Media/Getty Images

An independent expert tasked by the United Nations to examine human-rights issues in Iran painted a bleak picture of the quality of gender-affirming care for Iranians in a March 2015 report

It described a system that was "clearly substandard and not in line with professional norms." It said people were often left with complications like severe bleeding, infections, scarring, and abnormally shaped sexual organs.

Soheil, an Iranian whose last name BI is withholding for his safety, underwent a mastectomy, oophorectomy, and hysterectomy 13 years ago at an Iranian public hospital in Karaj.

He said he received about $3,000 toward the surgery from the state, but the operations left him with lasting scars and health complications.

Soheil, who's now living as a refugee in Canada, is hoping to have corrective surgeries to repair the botched work done by Iranian surgeons.

Soheil

Anecdotal evidence from BI's sources suggests that only a few surgeons are trained in gender-affirming surgeries.

Indeed, there aren't many surgeons at all  a Lancet Commission on Global Surgery reported that Iran has 1.7 surgeons per 100,000 people, compared to 36.1 in the US.

"They do garbage, garbage surgery," Soheil said.

He has a "big hole" in his chest where muscle tissue was removed, he said. "When I go somewhere and need to remove my shirt, I feel embarrassed."

Soheil's experience was not just physically traumatic. From the outset, he said, nurses subjected him to harassment and ridicule. One nurse messed with his catheter, taunting him repeatedly about his decision to transition, he said.

He also recounted the story of a friend who decided to get surgery at a private Iranian hospital after being put off by horror stories about the public system.

After the surgery, the friend was unable to afford a stay in the hospital, so he checked himself into a motel, Soheil said. "He called one of his friends, saying that he didn't feel OK," Soheil said. "When his friend went, he had passed away."

Not a trans haven

Being ridiculed and othered is common for Iran's LGBTQ+ populations, said Varamini, the transgender man who had his surgery paid for by the state.

That's why, after his own transition, he worked with the State Welfare Organization of Iran to offer support to fellow transgender Iranians.

Later, he established his own organization, the Mahtaa Institute, which provides clandestine support to LBGTQ+ communities and sex workers. (He said the government heavily monitors his organization.)

While Varamini is grateful for his transition, he's confronted daily by the harsh realities others face.

Iran does offer opportunities for some transgender individuals, he said, but for many others, life is nothing short of "hellish."

Read the original article on Business Insider
Iryna Farion murder: details of the assassination, lines of enquiry, and why the Lviv professor was so controversial

On the evening of 19 July, an assassination attempt was made on Iryna Farion, a linguist, professor at Lviv Polytechnic National University, and former Ukrainian MP. The incident took place in Lviv on Masaryk Street, near the apartment building where she lived.

Witnesses reported that the killer fired a single shot and quickly fled the scene. Farion sustained a gunshot wound to the head as a result of the attempt.

She was taken urgently to a local hospital, where doctors tried for several hours to save her but were unable to do so. Iryna Farion died at 23:20. The news was officially announced by Andrii Sadovyi, Mayor of Lviv, and Maksym Kozytskyi, Head of the Lviv Oblast Military Administration.

The crime has rocked the country and left many questions unanswered. Ukrainska Pravda presents the details of this high-profile murder, as well as the lines of enquiry being pursued by police.

The day of the murder

A friend of Farion's family told Ukrainska Pravda that the professor had been planning to leave Lviv for a short holiday, as it had been a long time since she last had a break. She had planned to spend Friday evening with her family, including her daughter and two grandchildren, whom she was on her way to visit.

"She called her daughter Sofiia just before the assassination attempt and said that she had just finished recording a new video for her YouTube channel and could relax now. She was going to theirs for dinner. The shooter hit her as she was waiting outside for a taxi," a friend of the deceased's family said.

Iryna Farion was taken to St Panteleimon's Hospital in Lviv at around 20:00 in a critical condition.

Nataliia Matolinets, Head of Anaesthesiology at the First Medical Association of Lviv, said Farion immediately underwent a full-body CT scan and emergency surgery.

Dmytro Symak, a close friend and colleague of the professor, was at the hospital as the team of doctors was trying to revive her. He told Ukrainska Pravda that the police and the Security Service of Ukraine (SSU) were at the hospital.

"I was waiting to hear the outcome of the operation with her daughter Sofiia and the lawyer who assisted her in court after she was dismissed from Lviv Polytechnic, next to the intensive care unit. The doctors came out and immediately said that there was nothing they could do. She was shot at close range, the bullet hit her in the head.

They let us go into the intensive care unit. We went over to Irynas bedside. She was in a deep coma, but still breathing.

The doctors started performing artificial respiration, starting her heart, doing everything possible and impossible for about 15 minutes. By that time, it was clear that it was over. She died in front of our eyes. The doctors pronounced her dead," Symak said.

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Lines of enquiry

As of the night of 19-20 July, the police have considered several theories as to why Iryna Farion was murdered. The main reasons are her public and political activities, or the perpetrator may have been someone with personal animosity towards her. This was stated by Ihor Klymenko, Minister of Internal Affairs, during a night briefing. Klymenko travelled to Lviv immediately upon hearing about the attempted assassination.

"Other lines of enquiry may of course emerge. We already have some information about the crime and how it was carried out, but we are keeping it quiet for now because all the lines of enquiry are being checked out," Klymenko said.

Another high-ranking law enforcement source said that as of 01:00 on 20 July, two potential suspects had been eliminated. The investigation and search for the killer is ongoing.

The Ministry of Internal Affairs has tasked the entire police force of Lviv and part of the Lviv Oblast force with carrying out operational activities. In addition, authorised operatives and investigators from the National Police and the SSU have been sent to Lviv from Kyiv.

The TV channel We-Ukraine quoted one of the residents of the apartment building on Masaryk Street in Lviv where Farion lived as saying that a stranger, aged about 18, had begun to hang around the entrance to the building about two weeks ago. He would sit on a bench in front of the professor's entrance in the morning and not leave until the evening.

A photograph published in the media shows him wearing a black panama hat, black glasses and a red T-shirt with the words "Los Angeles" on it.

,     

The stranger seen outside Farion's apartment block.

Photo: Zakhid.net

"He had a very interesting style, and thats why I remembered him: it was hot, 40C, and hed be wearing sneakers, socks, sweatpants, a long sweatshirt like Americans wear, a hat and dark glasses. Whenever I went out or came home, hed be there.

Three days ago, I came back around lunchtime, and he was sitting on the bench. I thought to myself, it's 40C, it's hot, and he's sitting there, there must be something wrong with him. I went over to him and said: Excuse me, can I help you? Everythings fine, he replied."

Ihor Klymenko has confirmed that the stranger in the photo is the main suspect. The police are now looking for him.

"The electricity is [periodically] cut off because of the rolling blackout priority system, so there have been problems determining who was at the entrance, including with the operation of the video cameras installed at the entrance, in order to confirm or eliminate this line of enquiry 100%," Klymenko said. "So were checking all the information, working with witnesses, and contacting anyone who can provide additional information for the investigation."

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Why was Iryna Farion so well-known?

Iryna Farion, 60, was born and bred in Lviv and studied and worked there for almost all her life. She was a well-known Ukrainian language specialist who lectured at Lviv Polytechnic for almost 30 years and had also had a successful career in politics.

Stock photo: Iryna Farion

Farion joined the Communist Party of the Soviet Union (CPSU) in the late 1980s, although for a long time she categorically denied this. However, in 2013, journalists found documents in the State Archives of Lviv Oblast that confirmed her Communist Party membership.

Farion refused to comment on this even after the documents were made public. When a journalist asked her to respond, she said: "An eagle does not confess to hyenas." Later, however, she confirmed her membership of the CPSU.

"As for my communist past. It lasted for one year, and so what?" the professor said. "Levko Lukianenko had a communist past, and he became the author of the Declaration of Independence of Ukraine. The famous [dissident] Mykola Rudenko had a communist past: he was the secretary of the party committee of the Kyiv organisation, and then he destroyed that Kyiv organisation and served more than 10 years in prison for it. You can talk about someones communist past when there are actions. What actions did Farion take during her one-year membership of the Communist Party? None!"

Farion had been a member of the ultranationalist Svoboda party since 2005. She was elected to Lviv Oblast Council in 2006 and to the Verkhovna Rada (Parliament) as an MP in 2012, running as a Svoboda candidate in both cases.

During the 7th convocation of the Verkhovna Rada, when Viktor Yanukovych and the Party of Regions were in power, she opposed all initiatives that restricted the Ukrainian language.

Farion also supported the ban on the activities of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church (Moscow Patriarchate) in Ukraine.

"I believe that this organisation, which calls itself the Moscow Patriarchate, has nothing to do with Christianity. It is one of the biggest threats to the free and self-sufficient development of Ukraine. And as long as this institution occupies the Kyiv-Pechersk Lavra (the Monastery of the Caves in Kyiv), Ukrainians will be oppressed," the professor said back in 2008.

Svoboda failed to win any seats in the Verkhovna Rada in the 2014 elections, so Farion returned to Lviv and continued her work as a professor.

Stock photo: Iryna Farion

As the media outlet ZAXID.NET mentioned, Iryna Farion hosted a television series, The Greatness of the Personality, on the Rada TV channel from 2013 to 2019, which aimed to popularise knowledge about significant figures in Ukrainian history, culture and politics. 160 programmes were broadcast during that period.

Farion also created and wrote a TV series entitled The Ukrainian Gene (2019-2023), which aired on the Lviv-based TV channel NTA. In addition, she ran two YouTube channels, Iryna Farion and Studio Farion, where she presented three series: Anti-Anglicism, Political Review, and Ukrainian Language Culture Courses.

The linguist frequently hit the headlines due to her passionate defence of the Ukrainian language and her no-holds-barred statements about everything Soviet and Russian in Ukraine.

The SSU launched a criminal case against Iryna Farion in November 2023, conducting a psychological and linguistic analysis of her statements, after the professor stated that she did not recognise Russian-speaking military personnel of the Armed Forces of Ukraine.

"Can a soldier or officer not follow orders from his commanding officer without breaking the law? I would like to ask every Russian-speaking soldier: have you read the law on the Armed Forces of Ukraine in the Ukrainian onstitution, have you read what is written in Article 13? The language of the Armed Forces of Ukraine is the state language. So are you fighting for the Ukrainian state, or are you defending your right to be a speaker of the Russian world? At least speak surzhyk [a Ukrainian-Russian pidgin], but dont speak Russian," Farion said.

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She also shared a post on her social media containing a screenshot of a message from a pro-Ukrainian student from Crimea that included his full name and other personal details. This is alleged to have resulted in the Crimean citizen being harassed by Russian secret services.

The Russian Federal Security Service (FSB) turned up at the young man's home and took him to a "centre for combating extremism". Later, the Russians released a video of him "repenting" on social media. The student was seated in front of a Russian flag and forced to record a "video confession" in which he said that he "completely renounces his views because he realises that he was wrong". His subsequent fate is unknown.

A criminal case was then launched against Farion for violating the equality of citizens, insulting the honour and dignity of a serviceman, and violating the secrecy of correspondence and privacy. The pre-trial investigation is still ongoing.

This scandal led to protests by students at Lviv Polytechnic, who demanded Farion's dismissal. On 15 November 2023, she was suspended from her post at the university.

However, the Lviv Court of Appeal reinstated the professor in her position at the University in late May 2024 and ordered the payment of compensation for her forced absence in the amount of UAH 124,000 (US$3,000).

Farion spent the money she received on drones for the Rubizh Brigade, the Syla Svobody (Power of Freedom) and Svoboda (Freedom) Battalions, and the 5th Assault Brigade. She also announced a fundraising campaign called One Million for Drones to Kill the Enemy, with some of the funds raised going to the unit where her son-in-law Vasyl Osoba serves.

Ukrainian servicemen wrote "For Farion" on these mortar rounds in tribute to Iryna Farion, the former MP who was assassinated on 19 July

Photo: Vasyl Osoba, son-in-law of Iryna Farion, on Facebook on Facebook

You can donate to the fundraiser using the following bank details: Target: UAH 1,000,000. Link: monobank Bank card number: 5375 4112 2017 8318 PayPal: iryna.farion@gmail.com

Written by Anhelina Strashkulych, Yevhen Buderatskyi, Rustem Khalilov, Mykhailo Kryhel and Sevgil Musaieva

Translation: Violetta Yurkiv

Editing: Teresa Pearce
Despite the contrasting opinions surrounding her lifes work and sometimes contentious public statements, the assassination of linguist and former right-wing lawmaker Iryna Farion on July 19 came as a shock to Ukrainians.



Sixty-year-old Farion was shot in the head by an unknown assailant outside of her home in the western city of Lviv in what many now believe to be a politically-motivated killing.



While commenting on the incident President Volodymyr Zelensky said on July 20 that all potential motivations behind the murder are currently being investigated and that includes the one leading to Russia.



Farions public and political activities are believed to have been a driving force behind the assassination, Interior Minister Ihor Klimenko added.



Farion strongly advocated for the use of the Ukrainian language in Ukraine during her lifetime. Many Ukrainians praised her for encouraging Ukrainian society to sever all ties to the Russian language to counter Russian influence, while others viewed her methods as polarizing. Her comments late last year that Russian-speaking Ukrainian soldiers were not real Ukrainians caused a huge uproar in Ukraine.



Ultimately, history will put everything in its place. And Iryna Farion has already taken her place in modern Ukrainian history. Historians will evaluate what that place is, lawmaker Yaroslav Yurchyshyn wrote in a post on social media.



Farion held university degrees in philology from the Ivan Franko National University of Lviv. She authored over 200 articles throughout her academic career and was involved in numerous educational projects to promote the Ukrainian language and culture.

In the late 80s, she was an official member of Ukraines Communist Party. This was during the end years of the Soviet Union when the policies of glasnost and perestroika aimed at prompting social change through less censorship and more freedom of expression.



Farion initially denied that she had been a member of the Communist Party and even claimed that it was a move to destroy her reputation. She later acknowledged she had been a member but only for one year, also claiming she was among those who wanted to dismantle the Communist Party from within."



The Ukrainian language has become more widespread since the Euromaidan Revolution of 2014, thanks in part to language laws that were later implemented to promote its use in the public sphere. Prior to that, the use of the Russian language and the influence of Russian culture was more widespread in Ukraine.

In 2010, Farion was criticized by pro-Russian politicians for speaking to a group of kindergarten students and telling them it was wrong to use the Russian diminutive form of Slavic names.



If shes Masha (and not Marichka), then its not our way of saying her name, Farion said in a video that became legendary on Ukrainian social media. Let her go there (to Russia) where all the Mashas live.



Maria is a popular name in Ukraine and many Ukrainian women go by the diminutive Masha.

After the video surfaced online, Vadim Kolesnychenko, a lawmaker with the now defunct Party of Regions who later became a collaborator with the Russian occupation authorities in Crimea, tried to lobby Ukraines Prosecutor General to prosecute Farion on the grounds of promoting linguistic discrimination among children.



Farion herself was involved in politics from 2012 to 2014 when she was elected as a member of the Verkhovna Rada, Ukraines parliament. She was a member of the nationalist Svoboda party.



During her time in the parliament, she famously mocked Prime Minister Mykola Azarov, who served under pro-Russian President Viktor Yanukovych, for his poor use of the Ukrainian language. She asked Azarov whether his inability to speak Ukrainian well was the result of an intellectual impairment.



She also fiercely criticized fellow lawmakers who refused to speak the Ukrainian language despite it being the official working language of the Ukrainian government.



Farion remained a well-known public figure after her stint in politics but became an even more divisive figure during the later years of her life. In 2018, during a public forum on the Ukrainian language, Farion called the ethnic Hungarians of the Zakarpattia region who didn't speak proper Ukrainian "idiots" and suggested they "go back to Hungary.

Read also: RFE/RL: Hungary again criticizes Ukraines national minority policies in letter to EU



Her biggest scandal came following comments she made about Russian-speaking soldiers in the Ukrainian military. Although there are changes in linguistic dynamics prompted by the ongoing war, many Ukrainians, especially those from the eastern part of the country, still speak Russian.



During an interview with Ukrainian journalist Yanina Sokolova in November 2023, Farion said that she categorically rejected the fact that some of the Azov regiments soldiers spoke Russian.



I have a question for them: What is stopping you guys from doing this if you are so strong? And you are very smart. What prevents you from fulfilling Article 29 of the law on the Armed Forces of Ukraine? Do you guys know what discipline is in the army? Farion said.



"I cannot call them Ukrainians. If they do not speak Ukrainian, then let them call themselves 'Russians, If they are such great patriots, then show your patriotism. Study the language of (19th century national poet) Taras Hryhorovych Shevchenko.



News also surfaced shortly after of a pro-Ukrainian student in Crimea who was interrogated by occupation authorities after Farion published an email shed received from him. Shed failed to conceal his full name and other identifying information.



Farion was dismissed from her position as a Ukrainian language professor at Lviv Polytechnic University once students at the university and others organized protests demanding so. Ukraine's Security Service (SBU) launched an investigation after both incidents.



She was reinstated as a professor at Lviv Polytechnic University in June 2023.



Following the news of her murder, the Svoboda political party which Farion was a member of issued a public statement in which they declared that it was carried out on Moscow's orders, regardless of which scoundrel directly executed it.



Advancing the idea that the murder was politically motivated, Svobodas statement goes on to read that there has been no fundamental cleansing of power (since the start of Russias full-scale war. On the contrary, enemy agents and their accomplices still feel free in Ukraine.



The Svoboda party also called for the full neutralization of Moscows agents, no matter what guise they assume, ban their organizational structures, and destroy their financial and material capabilities.



Similarly, Yurchyshyn in his post called on the Verkhovna Rada to urgently pass a law banning the activities of Russian-affiliated religious organizations in Ukraine, adding that it would be the best immediate tribute to Iryna Farion's memory.



The decolonization of the linguistic space must continue, Yurchyshyn added, urging people to continue Farions work.



Regardless of their personal opinions about Farion, Ukrainians across social media overwhelmingly expressed their horror at her murder.



It doesn't matter how you feel about Farion, video blogger and volunteer Serhiy Sternenko, who has survived attempts on his own life, wrote.



(Her murder) is a shameful act of terror that cannot be justified.

Read also: Everyone says culture has nothing to do with it. It does  Ukrainian writer Volodymyr Rafeyenko on Russias war

Weve been working hard to bring you independent, locally-sourced news from Ukraine. Consider supporting the Kyiv Independent.
Israel has launched an attack on Houthi targets in western Yemen in retaliation for a fatal drone attack on Tel Aviv on Friday.

Three people were killed and 87 were wounded in the air strikes, Houthi Al Masirah TV said.

It is believed this was the first Israeli strike on Yemen itself since the outbreak of the war against Hamas in October.

Israeli fighters pummelled the Houthi-controlled Yemeni port of Hodeida on Saturday.

Antonio Guterres, UN secretary-general, appealed for maximum restraint in the region.

The attack struck fuel-storage facilities and a power plant in Hodeida as part of a campaign to dissuade the Houthis from supporting Hamas in the war in Gaza.

Smoke could be seen billowing out from the port and a reporter from the AFP news agency heard a series of loud explosions.

Footage broadcast by the Houthi-controlled TV station Al-Masirah showed a massive blaze on the seafront.

It also showed the injured lying on stretchers waiting to be treated at a city hospital; several reportedly suffered serious burns.

The city is dark, people are on the streets, petrol stations are closed and seeing long queues, said a Hodeida resident.

Mohammed Abdulsalam, a Houthi official, described the attack as brutal Israeli aggression against Yemen.

He wrote on X that the attacks were intended to to increase the suffering of the people and to pressure Yemen to stop supporting Gaza.

Threatening revenge, Mohamed Ali al-Houthi of the Supreme Political Council in Yemen wrote on X that there will be impactful strikes.

Israel had warned it would avenge Fridays attack on Tel Aviv in which at least one person was killed and eight others hurt when the Houthi drone struck an apartment building near a United States embassy building in the city.

Yoav Gallant, Israeli defence minister, threatened retaliation in the immediate aftermath of the drone attack.

The blood of Israeli citizens has a price, he said, adding more operations against the Houthis would follow if they dare to attack us.

He added: The fire in Yemen is seen across the Middle East.

Caught by surprise

Although the Houthis have tried to attack other Israeli cities, including Ashdod, Haifa and Eilat, this was the first to have breached the countrys air defences.

The attack caught Israel by surprise with the Israeli defence system detecting the drone but not warning it was a threat.

It meant that no air-raid warning was given before the drone crashed into the apartment block.

Benjamin Netanyahu, Israeli prime minister, said the retaliatory attack was justified.

The port we attacked is not an innocent port, he said in a news briefing. It was used for military purposes, it was used as an entry point for deadly weapons supplied to the Houthis by Iran.

And in a statement, the Israel Defense Forces said it had struck in response to the hundreds of attacks carried out against the state of Israel in recent months.

Houthi attacks on Western shipping in the Red Sea have caused massive disruption.

Barrage of missiles

Both the US and the UK have launched their own attacks on the Houthi rebels.

Last month, the US unleashed a barrage of missiles, destroying seven Houthi radar installations, one drone and two unmanned bomb-boats, which have recently become a weapon of choice for the rebels.

However, the US said it was not involved in Saturdays Israeli operation.

The United States was not involved in todays strikes in Yemen, and we did not coordinate or assist Israel with the strikes, a spokesman for the US National Security Council said.

Weve been in regular and ongoing contact with the Israelis following the strike in Tel Aviv that killed an Israeli civilian on Friday morning. We fully recognise and acknowledge Israels right to self-defence.

In a separate operation, Israel launched an air strike on Adloun in southern Lebanon, 30 miles from the border.

It followed Hezbollah and its Palestinian ally Hamas firing rockets and explosive-laden drones at Israeli positions.

Lebanese media reported there had been civilian casualties, including a one-year-old boy who was reportedly in a critical 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.
The Israeli Air Force carried out a long-distance strike on an oil depot in the Houthi-controlled city of al-Hudaydah in western Yemen.

A short while ago, IDF fighter jets struck military targets of the Houthi terrorist regime in the area of the Al Hudaydah Port in Yemen in response to the hundreds of attacks carried out against the State of Israel in recent months, the IDF said on Telegram. There are no changes in the Home Front Command defensive guidelines. In the case of a change to the guidelines, we will update the public accordingly. Details to follow.

The attack, Israels first on Yemen and at least 1,250 miles away over the shortest route, comes one day after the Iranian-backed group carried out their first lethal strike on Tel Aviv in Israel, prompting officials there to say that targeting Yemen was on the table.

Dramatic video and images are emerging on social media showing massive flames erupting in the wake of that attack. The fuel storage site was clearly a very valuable target based the the size of the resulting fire alone.

What appears to be an Israeli airstrike in response to the Houthi drone attack on Tel Aviv has reportedly targeted a fuel depot in Hodeidah. pic.twitter.com/X8YeLuMsz2  Joe Truzman (@JoeTruzman) July 20, 2024

More footage from Al-Hudaydah in Yemen following Israeli airstrikes. pic.twitter.com/aWUENvVW3D  Faytuks News (@Faytuks) July 20, 2024

Airstrikes reported in the Houthi-controlled city of al-Hudaydah in western Yemen.



Israeli officials havent commented. The strikes come one day after a Houthi drone struck Tel Aviv, killing an Israeli man. pic.twitter.com/7XiZ92Kx3V  Aviva Klompas (@AvivaKlompas) July 20, 2024

Reports that Al Hudaydahs fuel depot has been hit and destroyed in recent airstrikes



(1449'39"N 4256'17"E) https://t.co/vfPKPDtajq pic.twitter.com/8WBNIrxfhu  ELINT News (@ELINTNews) July 20, 2024

There was also video purporting to show an Israeli Air Force 707 aerial refueling tanker and an F-35I, as well as other fighters, flying over Eilat towards the Red Sea.

  Boeing 707        F-35  F-16      pic.twitter.com/Wp1J20rru0    (@Alabbass_ayoub) July 20, 2024

If the most direct route through international airspace was taken, this would be the longest Israeli air strike since Operation Wooden Leg, the 1985 attack on the Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO) headquarters in the Tunisian capital of Tunis. That attack saw Israeli F-15A/B Baz fighters acting in the strike role fly at least 1,400 miles to their target. A strike on a facility in Khartoum in 2012 was nearly as far as the one on Yemen.

Regardless, the strike is a clear reminder of Israels long-range strike capabilities, which have been honed via real operations spanning decades and constant practice to execute a major air campaign against Iranian nuclear interests. It isnt clear if these were direct strikes or some kind of standoff weaponry was used, but considering the very low-level air defense capabilities of the Houthis, it was likely at least a semi-direct attack using JDAMs or similar weaponry.

The strike on Yemen also marks the end of Israeli patience with regard to the Houthis.

Since October, when the Israel-Hamas war broke out sparking Houthi attacks in support of Palestinians, there have been many long-range drone, cruise and ballistic missile attacks on Israel. The vast majority of these failed or were intercepted by U.S. warships and aircraft or Israeli defenses.

The attack comes as Israel is still bogged down in the Gaza fight and could be aiming to launch an invasion into Lebanon after repeated cross-border missile, rocket and drone attacks by Hezbollah.

Nasruddin Amer, a Houthi spokesman, said a response by the group was inevitable, according to the New York Times.

Our country is at war with the enemy Zionist entity and it will not stop its operations in support of Gaza, he wrote on social media. Rather, it will escalate the operations.

As Fridays attack on Tel Aviv  which killed one person and injured at least 10 shows  they have the ability to carry out long-distance attacks on Israel.

This is a developing story.

Update: 1:40 PM Eastern 

The IDF released video and images show its F-15 Baz fighters preparing to attack the Houthis in Yemen and recovering after the mission. Interestingly, no stores are shown, aside from a covered one of the Bazs centerline station, which could be a Ophir reconnaissance pod. We only see Elta ELM-3222 self escort electronic warfare pods on the landing jet which are standard fit for Israeli F-15A/B/C/Ds.

       F15    pic.twitter.com/fY8RtdzAbr     (@idfonline) July 20, 2024

Wouldn't be surprised if 1 of the F-15 'Bazs' that took part in this carried an Ophir recce pod for post-strike BDA. Could be seeing that in the corner of this video. Baz's use as long-range strike weapon for IDF dates back to Wooden Leg 40 years ago. Pioneered A2G Eagle. https://t.co/8P7HSkSu3B  Tyler Rogoway (@Aviation_Intel) July 20, 2024

The Israelis are calling this attack Operation Long Arm.

IDF Spokesman Rear Adm. Daniel Hagari says the name of the Israeli attack on the Houthis in Yemen is "Operation Long Arm."  Emanuel (Mannie) Fabian (@manniefabian) July 20, 2024

A spokesman for the White House National Security Council said the U.S. was not involved in the strike and did not coordinate or assist the Israelis with the strikes.

NSC spox: Weve been in regular & ongoing contact with the Israelis following the strike in Tel Aviv that killed an Israeli civilian on Friday. We fully recognize & acknowledge Israels right to self-defense. The US was not involved in todays strikes in Yemen & we did not  Hiba Nasr (@HibaNasr) July 20, 2024

The Houthis will soon release a statement.

In ~30 minutes, the Yemeni Armed Forces will deliver a statement. https://t.co/aoimuZmvgZ  The Intel Crab (@IntelCrab) July 20, 2024

Update: 2 PM Eastern 

Mohammed Al-Bukhaiti, a member of the Houthi political bureau, released a statement:

The Israeli aggression against Yemen will not stop our military operations in support of the Palestinian people. Rather, they will increase until the aggression against Gaza is stopped and the siege on its residents is lifted, and we will meet escalation with escalation.

The Israeli aggression against Yemen will not stop our military operations in support of the Palestinian people. Rather, they will increase until the aggression against Gaza is stopped and the siege on its residents is lifted, and we will meet escalation with escalation.#Yemen pic.twitter.com/ok2r5Ri9PM   (Mohammed Al-Bukhaiti) (@M_N_Albukhaiti) July 20, 2024

Update: 3 PM Eastern 

Israel released a video of Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu in the Air Force command center during the attack.

Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu at the time of the attack in #Yemen at the Air Force underground command center in #TelAviv. pic.twitter.com/oyKJFYqgCN  Geo View (@theGeoView) July 20, 2024

Rear Adm. Daniel Hagari, the IDF spokesman, issued a statement.

Israel's necessary and proportionate strikes were carried out in order to stop and repell the Houthi's terror attacks after 9 months of continuous aerial attacks toward Israeli territory.



Hear from IDF Spokesperson RAdm. Daniel Hagari on Israels response to the Houthi pic.twitter.com/VEocconfhJ  Israel Defense Forces (@IDF) July 20, 2024

The Houthis have also issued a statement.

Update: 4:39 PM Eastern 

Residents of the southern Israeli city of Eilat reported hearing explosions while video has emerged on social media claiming to show Israeli air defenses activated there.

Eilat residents reported late Saturday that interceptors were activated in the city and sounds of explosions could be heard in the area, the Israeli YNet News outlet reported.

The reports regarding explosions heard in the area of Eilat are under review, the IDF said on Telegram.

Air activity reported in Eilat, southern Israel. pic.twitter.com/L5ie9Mmg0f  Joe Truzman (@JoeTruzman) July 20, 2024

U.S. Central Command said it destroyed a Houthi drone over the Red Sea in the past 24 hours.

July 20 U.S. Central Command UpdateIn the past 24 hours U.S. Central Command (USCENTCOM) forces successfully destroyed one Iranian-backed Houthi uncrewed aerial vehicle (UAV) over the Red Sea. It was determined the UAV presented an imminent threat to U.S. and coalition pic.twitter.com/KyCi4WY4tz  U.S. Central Command (@CENTCOM) July 20, 2024

Update: 5 PM Eastern 

The IDF issued an update on Eilat:

A short while ago, reports were received regarding explosions heard in the area of Eilat. It was found that no projectiles were fired toward the area of the city and no interceptor was launched. There is no indication of a security incident.

Contact the author: howard@thewarzone.com
Israels invitation to this years atomic bomb commemorations in Japan has sparked a controversy over double standards

Hiroshima, the Japanese city devastated by a US atomic bomb in 1945, is at the center of a growing controversy after local officials dismissed calls to disinvite Israel from its annual ceremony promoting world peace as war rages in Gaza.

Every year on August 6, Hiroshima gathers foreign officials, along with locals, in a minute of silence at 8:15 a.m. to mark the exact moment the bomb dropped, killing tens of thousands of people and leading to the end of World War II.

Some activists and atomic bomb survivors groups say the ceremony is no place for Israel, which is pounding Gaza with strikes as it seeks to eradicate Hamas in response to the Palestinian militant groups devastating attack on October 7 last year.

They say the Hiroshima city government should exclude Israel from this years ceremony, as it has Russia and Belarus for the past two years over Moscows invasion of Ukraine.

But Hiroshima authorities say they have no intention of excluding Israel.

It is not a double standard. Our policy is to invite all countries. However, Russia and Belarus are exceptions due to the invasion of Ukraine, a Hiroshima city government spokesperson told CNN.

Russia and Belarus are not invited in order to ensure the ceremony goes smoothly.

Authorities in Nagasaki, the Japanese city hit by an atomic bomb just days after Hiroshima, told CNN they havent decided whether to invite Israel to their peace ceremony on August 9.

Israels war in Gaza may prevent the smooth execution of the ceremony, they said, stressing the move was not a gesture of protest but a practical consideration.

Calls for Israels exclusion

Of the two ceremonies, Hiroshimas is the largest with representatives from 115 countries and the European Union set to attend this year.

Envoys from Russia and Belarus havent attended since Hiroshima excluded them in 2022 following Moscows invasion of Ukraine in February that year. Russia used Belarus as one of the launch pads for its assault and later moved some of its tactical nuclear weapons there.

This years Hiroshima Peace Memorial Ceremony takes place against the backdrop of the war in Gaza, where Israels bombardment has killed tens of thousands of Palestinians and displaced nearly the entire enclaves more than 2 million people, who now face severe shortages of food, shelter, water and medical supplies.

Why invite Israel if they are committing genocide-like crimes, just like Russia and Belarus? said Tetsuji Kumada, executive director of Hiroshimas Confederation of A- and H-Bomb Sufferers Organization, one of the groups opposing Israels presence.

It is very disappointing that our request wasnt taken into account, he told CNN, adding that the organization wrote to the Hiroshima government in June to ask for Israel to be disinvited.

Another group, Hiroshima-Palestine Vigil Community, launched an online petition in May, calling for Israels representatives to be excluded, saying that current global protests against Israel clearly outnumber those against Russia in both scale and frequency.

The petition has since amassed more than 30,000 signatures.

Israel has repeatedly rejected accusations from critics as well as rights groups and experts that it has broken international humanitarian law with the breadth of its response to Hamas attacks. It argues its war is against Hamas, not Palestinians, although anger over the extent of the destruction and civilian deaths in Gaza has swelled globally.

CNN has reached out to the Israeli embassy in Japan for comment.

Palestinians gather near damaged buildings, following what Palestinians say was an Israeli strike at a tent camp in Al-Mawasi area in Khan Younis in the southern Gaza Strip July 13, 2024. - Mohammed Salem/Reuters

Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida (L) and Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelensky lay a bouquet of flowers at the Cenotaph for the Victims of the Atomic Bomb in Hiroshima Peace Memorial Park on May 21, 2023. - Naoya Azuma/AP

Japan has taken a strong stance in Russias war on Ukraine, pledging to stand with Kyiv, offering billions of dollars in humanitarian aid and military vehicles and equipment for mine-clearing operations. It has also imposed sanctions on Russia.

Meanwhile, Tokyo has offered humanitarian aid to Gaza, expressed deep concern for the critical situation in the strip and supports a two-state solution to the conflict.

According to Japanese news agency Kyodo News, the Hiroshima government referred to the war in Gaza in its invitation to Israel, urging the country to cease its offensive.

The invitation said it was deeply regrettable that the lives and everyday existences of many people are being taken away, Kyodo reported.

Palestinians not invited

The bombing of Hiroshima on August 6, 1945, and Nagasaki three days later led to Japans unconditional surrender and brought an end to World War II. But it also killed tens of thousands of people, both instantly and in the months and years to come due to radiation sickness.

Every year, diplomats in Japan are invited to Hiroshima to join the commemoration that highlights the importance of peace and cautions against the use of nuclear weapons.

But while some advocacy groups urged Hiroshima to shun Israel, others supported its presence.

As a city of international peace, Hiroshima city needs to invite all nations, regardless of whether they are at war or not, said Kunihiko Sakuma, president of Hiroshima Hidankyo, an atomic bomb survivors advocacy group.

However, the Permanent General Mission of Palestine in Tokyo complained on social platform X that it had not been invited to the ceremony. This decision is a double standard, it said. Its envoy was never invited to the ceremony, the office told CNN.

Hiroshima authorities said they only send invitations to countries with embassies in Japan and have never invited Palestinian representatives to the ceremony.

At a news conference last week, Foreign Minister Yoko Kamikawa reiterated Japans support for a two-state solution.

We continue to comprehensively consider the recognition of Palestinian statehood, taking into account how to advance the peace process, she said.

Junko Ogura contributed to this report.

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A handout picture obtained from Yemen's Huthi Ansarullah Media Center shows a column of fire erupting following reported strikes in the port city of Hodeida on July 20, 2024 (AFP via Getty Images)

The Israeli military said it bombed sites in Yemen linked to the Iran-backed Houthi militias in retaliation for a deadly drone attack on Tel Aviv on Friday.

The military said it hit military targets over 1600km away in Yemens port city of Hodeidah on Saturday in response to hundreds of aerial threats including Fridays attack which killed an Israeli man and wounded 10 others.

It marks the first time Israel has publicly acknowledged striking Yemen amid escalating attacks from the Houthis.

The military claimed it is also one of the furthest strikes away from Israeli territory ever conducted by the Israeli Air Force.

Houthi spokesperson Mohammed Abdulsalam wrote on X, formerly known as Twitter, that Yemen had been subject to blatant Israeli agression against Yemen. He said the strikes had targeted civilian infrastructure, oil tanks and an electricity station in the strategic port city.

A handout picture obtained from Yemen's Huthi Ansarullah Media Center shows a huge column of fire erupting following reported strikes in the Yemeni rebel-held port city of Hodeida opn July 20 (ANSARULLAH MEDIA CENTRE/AFP via)

With the aim doubling the peoples suffering, and pressuring Yemen into halting supporting Gaza, he added, writing that the attacks will only increase the determination of the Yemeni people and the armed forces.

Mohamed Ali al-Houthi, of the Supreme Political Council in Yemen, wrote on X that there will be impactful strikes. Yahya Saree, a Houthi military spokesperson, said they will not hesitate to strike the vital targets of the Israeli enemy in a statement carried by Yemeni media.

The ministry of health in Sanaa said that 80 people had been wounded, the majority with severe burns. Houthi-affiliated al Masirah TV later reported that Israels strikes killed three people and wounded 87.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said the strike was a direct response to the Houthis strike on Tel Aviv, which killed 50-year-old Israeli citizen Yevgeny Ferder and injured 10 others on Friday.

It was used for military purposes, it was used as an entry point for deadly weapons supplied to the Houthis by Iran, he said of the port. It makes it clear to our enemies that there is no place that the long arm of the State of Israel will not reach, he continued.

Israeli defense minister Yoav Gallant said that the Houthis have struck Israel over 200 times.

The first time that they harmed an Israeli citizen, we struck them. And we will do this in any place where it may be required, he added in a statement.

The drone attack by Houthi rebels killed one person in the center of Tel Aviv and wounded at least 10 others near the US Embassy early Friday. Nearly all projectiles fired from Yemen toward Israel have been intercepted in the past. However, on Friday Israel said while the air defenses detected the drone, no air raid sirens sounded and an error occurred.

Since January, British and American forces have been striking targets in Yemen, in response to the Houthis attacks on commercial shipping that the rebels have described as retaliation for Israels actions in the war in Gaza. However, many of the ships targeted werent linked to Israel.

The joint force airstrikes so far have done little to deter the Iran-backed force. Also on Saturday, Israeli strikes killed at least 13 people in refugee camps in central Gaza overnight, according to Palestinian health officials, as ceasefire talks in Cairo appeared to make progress. Among the dead in the Nuseirat and Bureij refugee camps were three children and one woman, according to Palestinian ambulance teams.

Israel launched its most ferocious bombardment ever of Gaza and a crippling siege of the tiny 42-km strip in retaliation for the October 7 attacks by Hamas where the military group killed over 1,000 people and took more than 250 hostage. Since then Palestinian health officials say that Israels bombings have killed more than 38,000 people the majority women and children. The United Nations said crippling food shortages has led to famine.
J.D. Vance Calls on Biden to End Campaign and Resign Now

Sen. J.D. Vance (R-OH) told followers in an X post on Saturday that he thinks President Joe Biden should resign if he drops out of the race.

Everyone calling on Joe Biden to *stop running* without also calling on him to resign the presidency is engaged in an absurd level of cynicism, Vance wrote. If you cant run, you cant serve.

He should resign now, he concluded.

In another post from Friday, Vance also wrote, if Joe Biden doesnt have the cognitive function to run for re-election, then he certainly doesnt have the cognitive function to remain as Commander-In-Chief.

Vance has previously said that former President Donald Trump was unfit for our nations highest office in a 2016 opinion piece entitled Why Trumps Antiwar Message Resonates with White America published in The New York Times.

Vances call for Biden to resign comes as new reports signal Biden may be preparing to exit the race.

Biden has denied those reports and insists he is mentally fit to serve and continue his election bid.

He told George Stephanopoulos during a prerecorded interview that he believes he is fit to run, adding he wouldnt be runnin if I didnt think I did.

Biden has also said he would only drop out of the race if the Lord almighty told him to do so, the polls said he had no path to victory, or he came down with a serious illness.

On his X account, White House spokesman Andrew Bates has consistently denied any suggestion that Biden would be exiting the race or resigning.

Bates rebuked reporting that Bidens family was going to apply pressure on the president to drop out, writing, Not true. Keep the faith, in reaction to a Politico article that reported such on Friday.

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Sen. J.D. Vance (R-OH) wasted no time when taking to the podium at the Van Andel Arena in Grand Rapids, Michigan on Saturday, immediately taking jabs at Vice President Kamala Harris.

The Trump campaign rally is the first joint event with his recent vice presidential pick and the first campaign rally since the assassination attempt at his rally in Pennsylvania last weekend.

What a cool thing it was to be asked by President Trump to serve as his running mate and to get out there on the campaign trail, but theres some bad news, actually, Vance said as he greeted supporters.

The Vice President Kamala Harris, she doesnt like me, the crowd responded with a chorus of boos.

Kamala Harris Takes Dig at J.D. Vance for Not Telling Full Story in RNC Speech

Kamala Harris said something to the effect that I have no loyalty to this country, the 39-year-old continued.

Well I dont know, Kamala, I did serve in the United States Marine Corps and build a business, what the hell have you done, other than collect a check?

What has she done other than collect a check from her political offices? Vance asked the crowd.

We have to give her credit, my friends, he continued, she did serve as Border Tsar during the biggest disaster open borders we ever had in this country.

Vance then said Trump would close back that border, and bring some common sense and security to this country.

What the hell have you done?: JD Vance BLASTS Kamala Harris at Grand Rapids, MI rally pic.twitter.com/3WdHOdbv7R  RSBN  (@RSBNetwork) July 20, 2024

The packed crowd of nearly 14,000, according to the New York Post, cheered along during Vances speech,

Vance also reiterated the classic 2008 Michael Steele line drill, baby, drill when talking about how Trump would secure energy dominance.

Vance also promised to kick out the drug cartels of our country.

The speech comes days after Harris used her first opportunity to take her own shots at Vance, after formally accepting the Republican vice presidential nomination.

In Fayetteville, North Carolina, Friday, Harris told supporters that Vance only gave fans part of his story.

Some of you may have heard Donald Trumps running mate deliver remarks at the Republican National Convention, Harris said, adding that though compelling, it was not the full story.

Frankly, what is very telling is what he did not talk about on that stage, she continued, as she began to outline the various right-wing movements the Ohio senator is linked to, including Project 2025.

Heres the thing, if you claim to stand for unity, you need to do more than just use the word, Harris said to a chorus of applause.

You cannot claim you stand for unity if you are pushing an agenda that deprives whole groups of Americans basic freedoms, opportunity, and dignity.

Vance will hold his first rally as Trumps vice-presidential nominee on July 22 in his hometown of Middletown, Ohio, a Trump statement confirmed.

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The future of the Republican Party, and perhaps the United States with it, is James David JD Vance: former US Marine, best-selling author, senator from Ohio and now selected by Donald Trump for potential vice-president.

Trump had been tempted to go with someone else: Doug Burgum, the governor of North Dakota, a solid conservative who wouldnt outshine the boss. An insider told NBC News that when Trumps sons Don Jr and Eric heard this debate they went bats--- crazy, crying JD! JD! JD! like kids after ice cream.

Trump caved. Vance got the call. The decision is immensely consequential. Trump might be preaching unity in the wake of his assassination attempt, but here he has leant into his base, picking a man who is culturally conservative, economically nationalist and critical of the never-ending wars that have run from Afghanistan to Ukraine. It all but guarantees that the Republican party wont return to the Reaganite consensus when Trump is gone. His revolution is permanent.

Vance, 40 in August, is the first VP candidate with facial hair in 76 years. If elected alongside Trump, he would be the third-youngest holder of the office in American history, behind only Richard Nixon (40, under Dwight Eisenhower), and John Breckinridge (36, under James Buchanan). The Telegraph has spoken to people who know Vance, and admire him, to understand what he means for the US and the world. One of them, the broadcaster Tucker Carlson, addressed this weeks Republican National Convention on its fourth and final night. He told The Telegraph that Vances views are a lot closer to Trump and Trumps voters than any other of the [VP] candidates. Thats how democracy is supposed to work. Vance as the running mate is not just a good thing but its a necessary thing.

The man

The old Republican Party was bourgeois and free market. Vances speech to the Milwaukee convention shows that it has changed on both counts.

The Senator was born in Middletown, southwest Ohio, in 1984. His mother, who he introduced at the audience as 10 years clean and sober, struggled with addiction; she married five times. Vance explained how he was raised by his beloved Mamaw  the name we hillbillies gave to our grandmothers  who loved the Lord but also loved the F word She could make a sailor blush. She once told JDs Papaw that if he kept coming home drunk, she would kill him. When he did so, and fell asleep on the couch, she poured gasoline over him and lit a match. Papaw escaped with a few burns.

Ronald Reagan and Richard Nixon were working class but upstanding. The Vances were underclass: what snobs would call white trash. Vance escaped his upbringing via the Marines, serving in Iraq. He won a place at Yale Law School, but a speech delivered by Peter Thiel, the tech entrepreneur, in 2011 persuaded him to divert into the world of venture capital.

Within him burned a book. In 2016, Vance wrote Hillbilly Elegy, the story of his traumatic childhood, which became a New York Times bestseller and was snapped up for a film adaptation by Netflix for $45 million. One of the people who helped bring the book to wider attention was Rod Dreher, the influential US thinker, himself famous for The Benedict Option, a foundational text for conservatives given the vague label New Right.

Dreher was so happy when Vance was nominated, he cried. Speaking to The Telegraph over email, he describes Vance as affable, in an everyman way, but you can tell theres a lot of depth there.

His blue eyes have the most intense gaze Ive ever seen on anybody, says Dreher. Maybe Im projecting what I know about his difficult childhood onto him, but there seems to be something mistrustful there, and even angry. He uses the word scepticism  as do others we speak with  the look of a man raised in such chaos and pain that hes bound to doubt what hes being told.

It would have been easy for [Vance] to have written a memoir sentimentalising the hardscrabble people he grew up around as societys victims. He didnt do that, says Dreher. Vance portrayed them as betrayed by economic change, yes, but also damaged by self-pity and the renunciation of moral agency Its always somebody elses fault when you dont succeed  thats the narrative our pop culture feeds people.

The book was published in the year of Trumps shock election victory over Hillary Clinton; for liberals trying to understand why poor whites would back a billionaire, Vance seemed to provide a credible explanation. It helped that he was perceived as conservative but moderate: he called Barack Obama admirable and privately voiced fears Trump might be Americas Hitler.

Plus he has a mixed-race family. In 2014 he married Usha Chilukuri, the daughter of Indian immigrants, in a ceremony blessed by a Hindu scholar. They have two sons, Ewan and Vivek, and a daughter called Mirabel. Usha has degrees from Yale and Cambridge, clerked for two Supreme Court justices and until recently worked for a prestigious  and progressive  law firm based in San Francisco. In short, the Vance of 2016 was a different political animal to today.

The philosophy

Politically ambitious, he entered the 2022 Republican primaries for the Ohio senate seat as an outsider, low on cash and endorsements. But he was great on television and pushing very Trumpian lines, especially on Ukraine and immigration. And he had a powerful admirer: Don Jr. Don and Thiel choreographed a reconciliation with Trump at his Mar-a-Lago resort in Florida, putting the Hitler remarks behind them. Trump endorsed Vance, helping him win the GOP (Republican party) nomination and the seat.

Liberals who once loved the hillbilly turned on him. His movie was panned; Vance was accused of blaming the poor. In April of this year, the economist Paul Krugman wrote an editorial comparing him to a czarist-era instigators of pogroms. Many assumed Vances spur was fame, that he wanted a future in the GOP, which Trump controls, so he changed his politics to get ahead.

But there was something far deeper going on in his private life. In 2019, Vance, raised in a Protestant culture and latterly an atheist, was received into the Catholic Church (a journey taken by many on the New Right). Ive felt the touch of God, he wrote in The Lamp, a Catholic journal  and it caused him to rethink what he felt about his family. Vance sees modern America as spiritually sick: a society oriented entirely towards consumption and pleasure, spurning duty and virtue. But whereas American Protestantism tends to place emphasis upon the individuals personal relationship with God as the path to redemption, Catholicism perceives bad behaviour as simultaneously social and individual, structural and moral. Human beings are products of our environment. Therefore, it is the duty of a Christian politician to try to change that environment.

Vance's wife Usha Chilukuri is similarly successful, with degrees from Yale and Cambridge - Bloomberg

Sohrab Ahmari, the editor of Compact, the online political magazine, and a fellow convert, got to know Vance after he joined the church. Hillbilly Elegy, he senses, was a self-help book, written to show how Americans can work hard and overcome their dysfunctions. Partly under the influence of Catholic social teaching, Vance has discovered that if you want people to live virtuous lives that requires a certain kind of material, structural support. Ahmari, who is an advocate for balancing conservative cultural values with economic justice, is happy to report that, as a senator, Vance has co-authored legislation with progressive Democrats. These measures include efforts to reduce insulin prices; a railroad bill designed to increase safety; and an effort to claw back the executive compensation of banks that have enjoyed bailouts (so the taxpayer is not going to underwrite your fat bonus).

In each instance, Vance was more likely to face opposition from the conventional Republican Party than the Democrats, according to Ahmari. His politics sounds closer to Hungarian or Polish-style conservatism than Americas, but Ahmari points to its US antecedents: the 19th-century populism of President Andrew Jackson, whose portrait Trump hung in the White House, along with the Eisenhower/Nixon tradition in the Republican Party, which made peace with the welfare state and avoided adventurism overseas. It is Reagan or George W Bush who were the aberrations; Vance et al are a throwback to an older, more authentic conservative tradition that wasnt driven by corporate greed. To British ears, Trump and Vance might almost sound Disraelian.

The party takeover

Perhaps thats why, as the convention approached, some Republicans agitated for a different VP pick. They argued that the Republican party needs to reach beyond the populist movement, to someone such as Marco Rubio, Floridas senator, who might appeal to old-school Republicans, the suburbs and women. Rubio is also much better known. One poll found that 37 per cent of American voters of all persuasions didnt know what to make of putting Vance on the ticket, and even among Republicans alone, 29 per cent were unsure  probably because theyd never heard of him.

Media magnate Rupert Murdoch was said to have favoured Burgum. But Carlson advocated for Vance. He told The Telegraph that the Ohio senators appeal is not just philosophical but human: JD Vance most importantly is a decent man, and there are very few decent men in politics. He has a real relationship with his wife and children. Moreover, he has had just enough exposure to Yale Law School and to venture capital to know how people in these things are bad.

Political strategist James OBrien, who runs the GreyRock strategies company, sees the logic in picking the author of Hillbilly Elegy: its the book that helped shape the foundations of the 2016 Trump campaign, as it was a driver for Republican outreach to rural voters but also to black and Hispanic voters who go to church, believe in family and love our country. Georgette Mosbacher, the US ambassador to Poland in the first Trump administration and former chairman of the Republican Governors Association, agrees that Hillbilly Elegy showed he has the heartbeat of hardworking Americans. Todays conservatives have to speak to so many people, like me, who also had difficult upbringings in a one-parent household, says Mosbacher.

Trump was also thinking about his debate against Biden in June. Given how sickly Biden looked, and considering speculation that he might drop out, he had to contemplate running against Kamala Harris instead  and Harris is widely tipped to pick a Midwestern running mate to shore up her support in key states such as Michigan and Wisconsin. So Trump ignored elite advice, listened to his sons and went with a true believer. Its an insight into how he would staff a second administration. In 2017, he had appointed regular Republicans recommended to him by the party  and they either fell short or, he felt, betrayed him. Most quit or were fired. This time Trump would go into office surrounded by his own people, to implement his agenda. The convention itself proved that Vance isnt a mere bolt-on but part of a wider project of Republican reinvention.

For the first time in history, the gathering was addressed by the Teamsters, Americas largest union. The platform was rewritten to pledge a manufacturing revival and protection of benefits. Defence of heterosexual marriage was excised; the abortion plank was watered down. The convention was addressed by Amber Rose, a sex positive activist. Trumps populism, suggests Ahmari, might be best understood as popularism: meeting most people where they are, which is anti-woke but not moralistically Christian. If so, the stories about Vances Mamaw fit the bill perfectly, for Hillbilly Elegy is simultaneously patriotic and ironic, sacred and profane.

And then theres Vances views on foreign policy. He returned from Iraq sceptical about military intervention. We will send our kids to war only when we must, he told the Milwaukee delegates. As for allies, they must share in the burden of securing world peace. All this fits with Trumps record  avoiding engagement in the Middle East, demanding Nato partners contribute more  and though Ukraine wasnt mentioned directly, Vance has joined the former president in questioning ongoing US aid. Understandably, Europe is worried: with the Democratic nomination in chaos, a Trump presidency seems likely and Vance confirms a paradigm shift on Russia. Vance was caught on tape joking that the UK might become the worlds first Islamist country to obtain nuclear weapons now that its run by the Labour Party. Foreign Secretary David Lammy has meanwhile claimed that he and Vance get along well, that they have common ground on class and faith.

The future

But those fearing a turn towards isolationism shouldnt panic. In the US, foreign policy is shaped by domestic partisanship: the parties are both happy to meddle in the world, they just have different causes. Vance believes Israel, for example, should finish the job. He wants to do more to contain China. The Vance view is that the US has limited resources, that empires collapse when they are overstretched; hence it is necessary to build up allies and let them fight for themselves. If Israel could contain the Arab threat for decades, a populist might ask, why cant the Europeans stand up to Moscow? A Trump administration is likely to see US power switch its attention from Europe to Asia.

How much influence would Vance realistically have in a Trump administration? Mosbacher is clear: Donald Trump will make that determination. The vice-president supports the president. As Kamala Harris has found, the job is secondary and frustrating; you have to bury your abilities so as not to distract. Dreher sees a potential tension there: JD will have a real challenge in not outshining his boss. Trump hates that. JD is sharp, energetic and articulate, and it will not be easy to tamp these qualities down to serve the team. The job is a chance to shine, but he has to be exceedingly careful that he doesnt shine too brightly.

Still, the political calculus looks good. If Trump wins, says OBrien, Vance will have four years in power to show whether he became a global elite or remembered his humble roots  and made peoples lives better by putting into effect some of that Catholic social teaching. And whether Trump wins or loses, Vance will enter the 2028 election cycle as the natural Republican front-runner  probably with the Trump familys endorsement.

Whether Trump wins or loses, Vance enters 2028 as the Republican frontrunner - Getty

This is why Ahmari was so overjoyed to see Vance on the ticket. Trump could have picked some conventional, tax-cutting, conservative hawk. Instead, he sends a clear signal that theres no reverting to the pre-Trump country club, Republican party of George W Bush [and] Mitt Romney The populist turn is not going to be reversed.

If the Democrats remain a shambles  which is a big assumption  and are unable to designate a popular heir to Biden, Trump might win in November, Vance in 2028 and 2032, adding up to 12 years of unbroken populism in the White House. Twenty if you combine Trumps first term, plus  and this is surprising  Bidens interregnum. In some ways, Bidenism is part of that story, argues Ahmari, because picking a working-class Democrat in 2020 was a concession from the centre-Left establishment to the populist vibe. Biden has pulled out of Afghanistan and rebuilt manufacturing.

In other words, if Vance someday serves as president, we wont look back on Trump as a flash in the pan  a bizarre experiment in reality TV meets politics  but the man who remade Americas politics and its role in the world. Every bit as historically significant as Reagan or Franklin D Roosevelt. A president-cum-king, and a kingmaker, too  one who has just anointed JD Vance.

Additional reporting by Tom Teodorczuk

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Although widely expected, Donald Trumps selection of JD Vance as his running mate is nonetheless profoundly disturbing in its implications for American foreign policy in a Trump presidency. Ronald Reagan and Barry Goldwater are turning in their graves.

Describing the substantive defects in the Trump-Vance approach could fill many pages of newsprint, but  taking Ukraine as an example  both men are disinterested, or openly disdainful, of assisting Kyivs defense against Russias unprovoked aggression. For Vance, the US lacks both the military assets and the defense-industrial base to be a global power, meaning it must concentrate its resources to defend against China.

It is beyond debate that years of inadequate defense budgets have made Washingtons job harder. Bill Clintons eagerness (along with European governments) to cut military budgets after the Soviet Unions collapse (the so-called peace dividend) and Barack Obamas debilitating military budget cuts still need repair. But these are failures of will and resolve, typical of Democratic foreign policies, not inadequate assets. Trump should work to correct these deficiencies, not treat them as excuses for further reductions, thereby abandoning even more international positions of strength.

Ironically, Trump rejects Vances foundational logic. He is apparently unwilling even to defend Taiwan. As he recently said: Taiwan doesnt give us anything. [Its] 9,500 miles away. Its 68 miles away from ChinaChinas a massive piece of land, they could just bombard it...Taiwan should pay us for defense. You know, were no different than an insurance company.

Isolationism combined with such incoherence is a toxic brew for US national security. But Vances nomination has additional implications beyond his and Trumps poorly conceived statements.

In Vance, Trump unmistakably named his heir-apparent, which he had heretofore resisted. Many first-term officials and members of Congress had hoped for that designation, but their hopes have now been dashed. The new reality may persuade many disappointed aspirants not to serve in a second Trump term. They know that a VPs influence in decision-making can be profound, especially when his personal chemistry with the President is as strong as that between Vance and Trump. Working in the West Wing, just yards away from the Oval Office gives the VP a customary advantage of being the last person to speak with a President before a major decision. These advantages are not overcome even by running great Cabinet empires like Defense or State.

Accordingly, the small army of political figures considering becoming candidates for the 2028 Republican presidential nomination might be best served by remaining in Congress or the private sector rather than joining a second Trump term, allowing them to retain their distance in case of disaster in the next four years, preserving their 2028 viability.

Moreover, choosing Vance signals that Trump will not be normalising his policy or personnel decision-making in a second term. Non-Trump Republicans hoped desperately during his march to the 2024 nomination that a second Trump term would profit from the mistakes of his first. They longed for four years of consistent policy directions and sound implementation, rather than the firsts transactional, unpredictable neuron flashes. Unfortunately for that dream, and the country, Trump clearly wants no troublesome subordinates, only yes-men and -women. Vance isnt going to modulate Trumps behavior. He is no Mike Pence.

Trump wants undiluted personal loyalty in his post-election government team, at all levels. Vance craved Trumps endorsement in his 2022 Senate primary, and his help in that years general election. He worked for the past two years to get into Trumps inner circle, adopting his policies as he went. He has now succeeded. As Chinese Communists describe their relationship with North Korean Communists: Trump and Vance are like lips and teeth.

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(Bloomberg) -- Donald Trump and JD Vance are set to make their campaign-trail debut as the official Republican ticket by returning to one of a trio of key blue wall states thats increasingly likely to decide the US election.

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Trump and Vance will hold a rally in Michigan on Saturday, Trumps first since the Pennsylvania campaign event a week earlier where he was shot in the ear. The two states and Wisconsin make up a group that typically leans Democratic but each backed Trump in 2016.

Both parties are zeroing in on the three as keys to the White House. President Joe Bidens campaign has said the trio is their best bet for a comeback, while Vance  who hails from nearby Ohio  repeatedly aimed his Republican National Convention prime-time speech at those three in a bid to woo voters.

Vances ascent has buoyed hopes from Republicans across the three states that the party will make breakthroughs  and cement victory for the Trump campaign. In interviews at the convention in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, the Republican chairs of each state expressed confidence in their chances, while delegates applauded Vance as a messenger.

Hes got a Midwestern feel, hes got a very compelling life story, Wisconsin Republican Party Chair Brian Schimming said, joking that hed sell tickets to see Vance debate Vice President Kamala Harris.

With polls showing Trump holding healthy leads in battlegrounds like Arizona, Georgia, Nevada and North Carolina, winning a single one of the Great Lakes trio would likely cement a win for the former president. Biden, meanwhile, could eke out 270 electoral college votes by winning Michigan, Wisconsin and Pennsylvania  even if he loses those four other battlegrounds.

To the people of Middletown, Ohio, and all the forgotten communities in Michigan, Wisconsin, Pennsylvania, and Ohio, and every corner of our nation, I promise you this: I will be a vice president who never forgets where he came from, Vance said Wednesday in his speech accepting the vice presidential nomination.

Democrats have poured resources into the trio of states. In a campaign memo last week, the Biden campaigns manager and chair said winning Wisconsin, Michigan, and Pennsylvania is the clearest pathway for a Biden victory.

Ben Wikler, chair of the Wisconsin Democratic Party, downplayed age questions pummeling Biden, saying he hasnt met a voter who thinks the president is too old to codify Roe v. Wade, expand Social Security and back NATO.

The fundamental issues in this race are about voters lives. And for any Democrat that is feeling waves of anxiety as they think about what it would be like to live under MAGA, they should channel that into talking to voters, Wikler said, referring to Trumps Make America Great Again slogan. The only thing people could regret after this election is not giving it their all.

Schimming, the Wisconsin Republican chair, said he considers the race in his state a true toss-up. Michigan Republican Party Chair Pete Hoekstra said the same but that it felt more like 2016  when Trump won, in part by making inroads with blue-collar and union workers.

The feeling was that Biden got some of those voters back. And I can tell you that, in 2024, it feels even more like 16, said Hoekstra, who previously represented Michigans 2nd Congressional District and served as Trumps ambassador to the Netherlands.

I like the position that we are in. We came out of nowhere in 16 and surprised everybody. This cycle, weve got the resources, weve got the commitment.

And then theres Pennsylvania  the biggest Electoral College prize of the three. Lawrence Tabas, chair of the Pennsylvania Republican Party, said he thinks his party has the inside track due to malaise over the economy.

I think the momentum is now going in our direction, because in large part, its the economy, Tabas said. I do believe we will defeat him in the state, he added. And, if so, its over.

Chris LaCivita, a senior adviser to the Trump campaign, predicted at an event on the sidelines of the convention Thursday that Trump can break through the blue wall in all three states. We really are bullish on all three, he said at the CNN-Politico event.

All three states have Senate races that raise the stakes. Trumps push to cement the victory could ultimately fuel Democrats efforts to swap their ticket and seek a candidate, or running mate to Harris, who can shore up support across the trio. Vance himself appealed to his home state to buoy his efforts to appeal to neighboring battlegrounds.

Weve got to chill with the Ohio love, Vance said Wednesday as his home-state supporters chanted loudly during his address. Weve got to win Michigan, too.

--With assistance from Jennifer Jacobs.

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JD Vance Left His Venmo Public and There's Some Wild Stuff in There

Open Book

You'd think an operator as smooth as JD Vance  Yale alumnus, Ohio Senator, and now Donald Trump's running mate  would be more mindful about his social media use.

Wired got a hold of Vance's Venmo account and took a peek into his contact list, which shows the breadth and depth of his deep connections with the rich and powerful of the United States, despite his personal brand as an underrepresented figure from rural America, fighting against out-of-touch elites.

In reality, the payment app shows a range of powerful connections, from Tucker Carlson to Yale Law School classmates in high places, tech executives, the superrich, and conservative operatives connected with The Heritage Foundation's notorious Project 2025, whose aim is to mold the federal government into a more starkly right wing apparatus. In other words, his gilded personal connections should raise the eyebrows of anybody who thinks of him as legitimately working class.

There are also personal connections that just look embarrassing. Take his connection Jordan Wiggins, who once ran Vance's successful Senate campaign, and according to Wired had transactions crudely described as "adult " and "Back waxing & Happy Ending." (Wiggins didn't respond to Wired's request for comment, but made his account private after the magazine reached out.)

Private Eye

Beyond the specifics of Vance's Venmo, the incident goes to show that nothing is ever private when it comes to technology like social media.

Case in point is the infamous example of US Congressman Matt Gaetz of Florida, whose Venmo showed that he had paid a now-convicted sex trafficker, who then gave money to three women. Gaetz is alleged to have had sex with one of the women, who was 17 years old at the time.

You'd think that such a spectacular explosion of scandal would make anybody  especially the well-connected  cautious about their social media use. But that's a no, as seen in the situation with Vance and his former campaign manager.

Even if you aren't a well-connected senator who's one step away from becoming vice president, you should be more mindful about social media use and anything involving online transactions.

Not only can your activities become public, but hackers can exploit the bread crumbs of information in apps like Venmo and make you a target for a scam, among other thievery.

More on Venmo: Congressman's Sex Scandal Explodes Because He Left Venmo Transactions on Public
Earlier this year Senate Democrats penned a letter attacking Amazon over its labor practices, calling the retail giants subcontracted delivery network a big scheme to prevent drivers from unionizing. They only managed to rustle up three Republicans to sign on. After all, it was a letter in support of the International Brotherhood of Teamsters, a longtime ally of the Democratic Party.

Among the trio of GOP signatories was Ohio Sen. JD Vance, whom Donald Trump selected as his vice presidential running mate on Monday. Vance, sounding more like a Democrat than a typical pro-business Republican, told HuffPost at the time that he believed Amazon was playing a game.

There are some weird ways that Amazon treats certain people and I think they ought to do a better job, the senator said. I think they use certain loopholes to try and pretend they arent actually employees, and they are.

Vance is part of a very small subset of Republican lawmakers whove walked a strike picket line and have criticized companies like Amazon for the way they treat workers. Sometimes using similar language to the left, these conservatives speak of the need to engender more worker power as a counterweight to corporate forces, and they say organized labor can play a role in that, despite their partys longtime antipathy to collective bargaining.

The 39-year-old Vances place on the GOP ticket has accelerated talk of a GOP realignment on economic issues, one that could weaken the partys ties with big corporations and maybe even allow for a functioning relationship with unions. Teamsters President Sean OBrien called for just that in an address at the Republican National Convention on Monday. OBrien had praised Vance as being great on Teamster issues in an interview before his speech, citing his Amazon stance, as well as a bipartisan bill Vance co-sponsored aimed at stopping the overseas outsourcing of airline maintenance jobs.

Vances GOP colleague, Sen. Josh Hawley of Missouri, published an essay the next day titled, The Promise of Pro-Labor Conservatism. Thousands of Americans have voted to unionize in elections but can never get a contract done, often due to corporate tricks. How can we let that stand? Hawley asked. (Hawley and Sen. Roger Marshall of Kansas were the two other Republicans to sign that Amazon letter, alongside 25 Democrats.)

Vance may do a little bit better on the rhetoric, but there isnt a ton of daylight between the vice-presidential nominee and Trump.Celine McNicholas, Economic Policy Institute

The idea of a pro-union dawn in the Republican Party is complicated by a few things  first and foremost, Trumps patently anti-union record as president, as well as the voting records of ostensibly union-friendly Republicans like Vance. Policy experts whove spent years thinking about how to rebuild unions (in 2023, membership dropped to just 6% in the private sector) are leery of conservative ideas for reform, and doubtful of whether the pro-labor positions of people like Vance will extend much beyond economic nationalism and tariffs.

I would say my skepticism runs deep, said Celine McNicholas, policy director at the left-leaning Economic Policy Institute and former special counsel at the National Labor Relations Board, the federal agency that referees union matters in the private sector.

She noted that although Vance visited striking auto workers in Ohio last year, he has not gotten onboard with the Protecting the Right to Organize Act, Democrats sweeping proposal for labor law reform. The legislation would, among other things, prevent companies from permanently replacing strikers.

Vance may do a little bit better on the rhetoric, but there isnt a ton of daylight between the vice-presidential nominee and Trump, McNicholas said.

A Broader Rejection Of Market Fundamentalism

At the forefront of the conservative collective-bargaining talk is Oren Cass, a veteran of the 2012 Mitt Romney presidential campaign who now runs a think tank called American Compass. The group seeks to steer conservative thinking away from growth for its own sake to widely shared economic development that sustains vital social institutions.

Cass said in an interview that Vance was among the first to endorse American Compass mission, and called him somebody weve worked with a lot since the organization launched in 2020.

We do want to have thriving free markets, and we want the purpose of those to be to deliver good outcomes for workers and their families. If thats the case, for capitalism to work well, you need workers to have power, Cass said.

There must be a mechanism of governance that supports workers solidarity and gives them influence in the labor market, Cass went on.

Conservatives should obviously want that, and prefer that way of achieving it to just kind of taxing and redistributing on the back end, he said.

We do want to have thriving free markets, and we want the purpose of those to be to deliver good outcomes for workers and their families. If thats the case, for capitalism to work well, you need workers to have power.Oren Cass, American Compass

There are things a guy like Cass likes about unions  in particular, the social structure they provide, a bridge between workers and families embodied in the union hall. What they like a lot less: the way unions have become hitched to the Democratic Party  a natural outgrowth of decades of conservative post-Reagan hostility to labor  and the adversarial nature of organizing and bargaining in so many American workplaces.

Vance told the New Statesman earlier this year that he endorses a form of European-style sectoral bargaining, where wages and working conditions are set through a collective bargaining agreement that covers a broader industry, as opposed to a single employer. Sector-wide bargaining is a mainstream idea embraced by many on the labor left who believe the U.S. system of enterprise bargaining under the National Labor Relations Act  unionizing one Starbucks at a time, then spending years fighting for a contract  is broken.

Which side are you on, Sen. Vance? Anna Moneymaker via Getty Images

Cass acknowledged some conservative politicians might latch onto these ideas out of nothing more than political expedience. Union favorability is near a six-decade high, and unions approval among Republicans has risen more than 20 points since 2011, up from 26% to 47%, according to Gallup. But Cass insists something bigger is going on.

At a more intellectual level, this is part-and-parcel of the broader rejection of market fundamentalism, and kind of taking seriously the question of what the right rules and institutions are to actually have capitalism work well at all.

Really, Really Skeptical

So far, Republican lawmakers in Washington dont seem to be pushing many bold new ideas to empower workers and foster more organizing.

Vance and Sen. Marco Rubio (R-Fla.) proposed a bill in January known as the TEAM Act, an earlier form of which goes back to the 1990s. The legislation would loosen the National Labor Relations Acts ban on what are known as employer-dominated labor groups  pseudo-unions controlled by companies themselves  to more easily allow for so-called works councils and other labor-management bodies to form inside companies.

Rubio argues this reform would give workers some kind of seat at the table, a much-needed third choice beyond no representation [or] woke union leadership. But there is a ban on company unions for a reason: to prevent employers from heading off real unions by setting up sham ones steered by management.

Benjamin Sachs, a labor law professor at Harvard Law School, said its dangerous to pursue such a discrete reform when its not part of a broader, holistic approach to reengineering a ruptured system  such as the one Sachs co-authored, called Clean Slate for Worker Power.

If you just have works councils like the TEAM Act proposes, I think youre going to end up with company unions, Sachs said. When you put together the TEAM act and opposition to the PRO Act, you leave people like me  really, really skeptical.

In addition to barring employers from permanently replacing strikers, the PRO Act would ban anti-union captive-audience meetings at work, make it easier for newly unionized workers to secure their first contract and preempt state right-to-work laws, among other measures. Those who crafted the bill view it as the best way to revitalize the labor movement within the current legal system.

It has no support among the Senate GOP.

If Vance supports sectoral bargaining, Sachs added, then he should back the current, progressive NLRBs joint employer rule, which makes it easier for more workers to form unions  including the Amazon drivers who Vance said are being gamed by the e-commerce giant. Instead, Vance voted for a GOP-led resolution that would nullify the rule.

That vote raises an important question for Vance: What kinds of labor officials would he want Trump to hire, if he reaches the White House? The aggressively pro-union kind, like Bidens pick for NLRB general counsel, Jennifer Abruzzo? Or someone from the management side who will stick it to unions and reverse Abruzzos progressive reforms, like Trumps last NLRB general counsel, Peter Robb?

It was a stunningly anti-labor lineup [under Trump]. And theres no amount of words right now that they could say to change that.Sharon Block, Harvard Law School

Project 2025, the White House transition blueprint drawn up by the conservative Heritage Foundation and other Trump allies, includes at least one surprise on the labor front. It calls for the NLRBs general counsel to make greater use of court injunctions to put workers back on the job when theyve been fired for trying to unionize. That recommendation certainly isnt coming from the U.S. Chamber of Commerce. (Cass said American Compass provided input on Project 2025s labor section.)

But most of the document, which the Trump campaign has tried to distance itself from, sounds like standard conservative anti-labor policy: increase oversight of unions, label more workers as independent contractors, exempt more employers from coverage under the National Labor Relations Act, make fewer workers eligible for overtime pay, expand the use of child labor and restrict whats considered protected concerted activity by workers.

Sharon Block, a former NLRB member who co-authored Clean Slate with Sachs at Harvard, said she has a hard time seeing a Trump administration give workers more bargaining power, whatever his running mate might say about unions. She called Trumps last NLRB the most anti-union since at least the Reagan years, and possibly ever.

It was a stunningly anti-labor lineup over there, said Block, who also served as a regulatory czar in the Biden White House. And theres no amount of words right now that they could say to change that.

Still, Cass said, a second Trump administration might come with some twists. He called the Trump of 2016 the dog that caught the car, who arrived in Washington with nothing there but the pre-Trump GOP.

You now have a bench of people across policy areas ... who actually have been working on this, building proposals, Cass said.

But Block said she wont believe a Republican administration will actually put labor-friendly policies and personnel in place until she sees it.

Talk is cheap, she said. Working people need policies to change.

Related...
The wife of Republican vice presidential candidate JD Vance, Usha Chilukuri Vance, and the couple's children have become the targets of backlash for their Indian ancestry.

Chilukuri Vance, the daughter of Indian immigrants who grew up in San Diego, as well as RNC speaker Harmeet Dhillon  who is Sikh and Indian  are facing anti-Asian hate from far-right figures online.

Posts appear to have spiked this week following Vance's nomination criticizing Vance for marrying someone who is non-white, expressing concerns about an influx of Indian immigrants as a result and the so-called Great Replacement conspiracy have garnered hundreds of thousands of views according to individual post engagement figures.

Stop AAPI Hate, an advocacy group that tracks anti-Asian hate incidents, condemned the attacks, arguing that the onslaught of hate has reinforced heightened levels of fear and anxiety Asian Americans and immigrants are currently experiencing across the country leading up to this years presidential election.

The group added: In the midst of an inflamed political climate, we continue to see the targeting of South Asians across parties, including ongoing questioning of VP Kamala Harris electability.

Stop AAPI Hate has recorded thousands of potential hate-motivated incidents since 2020, when anti-Asian sentiment increased around the start of the coronavirus pandemic.

PHOTO: Republican vice presidential candidate Sen. J.D. Vance and his wife Usha Chilukuri Vance during the Republican National Convention in Milwaukee, WI, July 17, 2024. (Robert Gauthier/Los Angeles Times via Getty Images)

All this vile racism, xenophobia & bigotry against South Asians, Sikhs & immigrants amid the #RNC illustrates the severity of intolerance threatening the safety of so many communities today. We need to hold leaders & others w/ platforms accountable for harmful political rhetoric.  Stop AAPI Hate (@StopAAPIHate) July 18, 2024

The backlash comes as former President Donald Trump appeared to call for more national unity after the assassination attempt he experienced at a Pennsylvania rally last weekend.

The discord and division in our society must be healed. We must heal it quickly. As Americans, we are bound together by a single fate and a shared destiny. We rise together. Or we fall apart, Trump said during his remarks Thursday on the last day of the Republican National Convention in Milwaukee.

Its a stark contrast from Trumps typical tone that has been criticized as inflammatory and divisive, often when he is referring to race and immigration.

But the former president quickly fell back into his old talking points. "The greatest invasion in history is taking place right here in our country, Trump said, referring to undocumented migrants coming across the U.S. border.

However, encounters at the southern border have continued to drop for the fourth month straight, newly released numbers from the CBP shows.

He continued, "They are coming in from every corner of the Earth, not just from South America, but from Africa, Asia, and the Middle East  theyre coming from everywhere, and this administration does nothing to stop them," Trump added.

However, CBP says recent measures, including President Bidens June 4 executive order restricting access to asylum in between ports of entry, have contributed to a more than 50% drop in encounters at the border over the past six weeks.

JD Vance previously criticized Trump and his base for the rhetoric on race, a backdrop to the current onslaught of criticism facing Vances wife and children.

Vance told POLITICO in 2016 that the Trump people are certainly more racist than the average white professional. He also warned that Trumps rhetoric would cause white people to become more racist over time.

PHOTO: Republican presidential candidate former President Donald Trump gestures during the final day of the Republican National Convention in Milwaukee, WI, July 18, 2024. (Paul Sancya/AP)

MORE: How AAPI social media influencers are working to mobilize voters in 2024

In an interview with PBS Newshour in 2016, Vance also stated there is definitely an element of Donald Trump's support that has its basis in racism or xenophobia.

JD Vance, who previously called himself a Never Trump guy, has cited Trumps many successes in office for changing his opinion of the former president and will now join Trump on the Republican ticket for the presidential election in November.

Vance eventually aligned with the former president around 2021, praising his time in office and apologizing for his attacks on him.

"Look, I was wrong about Donald Trump. I didn't think he was going to be a good president, Bret," Vance told Fox News anchor Bret Baier last month. "He was a great president, and it's one of the reasons why I'm working so hard to make sure he gets a second term."

JD Vance's wife faces racist online backlash from far-right social media posts originally appeared on abcnews.go.com
Mandatory genomic sequencing of all newbornsit sounds like something out of a dystopian sci-fi story. But it could become a reality in New Jersey, where health officials are considering adding this analysis to the state's mandatory newborn testing regime.

Genomic sequencing can determine a person's "entire genetic makeup," the National Cancer Institute website explains. Using genomic sequencing, doctors can diagnose diseases and abnormalities, reveal sensitivities to environmental stimulants, and assess a person's risk of developing conditions such as Alzheimer's disease.

Ernest Post, chairman of the New Jersey Newborn Screening Advisory Review Committee (NSARC), discussed newborn genomic sequencing at an NSARC meeting in May. An NSARC subcommittee has been convened to explore the issue and is expected to issue recommendations later this year. It's considering questions such as whether sequencing would be optional or mandatory, the New Jersey Monitor reported.

Such schemes have attracted criticism from civil liberties groups such as the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) and the Institute for Justice (I.J.). "What we're talking about is information from kids that could allow the state and other actors to use that data to monitor and surveil them and their families for the rest of their lives," Dillon Reisman, an attorney with the ACLU of New Jersey, told the Monitor.

Perhaps this wouldn't be as worrying if New Jersey had strong safeguards on what could be done with the genetic material it already collects. But the state's practices, as is, raise ample cause for concernand legal action. I.J. is currently representing a group of New Jersey parents in a class-action lawsuit concerning the state's newborn testing practices.

Like every other state, New Jersey requires hospitals to collect blood from newborn babies and turn it over to state health authorities, who use it to screen for various diseases. And like many states, New Jersey is less than transparent about this process. Parents are simply told that the testing is mandatory. They are not told that they can object on religious grounds. They are not told what the state does with newborn blood samples after health screenings are completed.

In fact, the state holds on to these blood samples for 23 years, putting no legal restrictions on how they can be used.

In at least one instance, a newborn blood sample was used to tie the baby's father to a crime, according to the New Jersey Office of the Public Defender. Some states were found to be selling the blood samples to researchers, or turning blood over to the Pentagon's DNA registry.

Now, New Jersey parents are seeking a court order requiring the state to return or destroy the blood samples taken from newborns, or to get informed consent from parents to hold on to it. "The government cannot take your newborn's blood to test for diseases, and then secretly keep it for 23 years and use it for other purposes, without your consent," declared I.J., summing up its case, Lovaglio and Jedynak v. Baston and Scotto-Rosato, in an Instagram post.

The I.J. lawsuit serves as an important reminder that even absent a genomic sequencing mandate for newborns, states still collect sensitive bioinformation on residents starting at birth, and there are often few limits on how they can use it and no real safeguards on privacy. Taking advantage of the fact that new parents are too preoccupied to pay close attention to exactly what tests are being conducted and where the results will go, authorities are able to obtain and hold on to genetic material that parents might otherwise object to them having. Even when parents have the right to opt out, or to have the blood samples destroyed after testing, many aren't aware they have those options.

As genomic sequencing becomes cheaper and more common, it's all but a given that more states will begin adding the process to newborn testing regimes. It's imperative that we work out safeguards before these programs are implemented.

The post New Jersey Wants Your Baby's Genes appeared first on Reason.com.
On the morning of April 12, the farmworker woke up struggling to breathe and delirious with fever.

Jiaai Zeng had spent the past month working nonstop at a marijuana farm in Oklahoma run by fellow Chinese immigrants. The job was brutal, the 57-year-old had told relatives in New York. He said his bosses made him labor up to 15 hours a day in the blast-furnace heat of a greenhouse. He was feeling awful even after a visit to the doctor, so he planned to return to New York that evening for medical treatment.

At 9:38 a.m., Zeng sent an audio message to a cousin in Manhattans Chinatown. In an agonized whisper, he asked her to buy a bag of oranges for when he arrived.

I dont want to eat anything, he said, speaking a dialect of Fujian province. I just want to take a look at oranges and see if Ill have an appetite.

About an hour later, Zeng was unconscious and had no pulse when three people from the farm drove him to a nearby hospital. They dropped him off and left in a hurry while doctors were trying to revive him, according to a hospital report.

By 11:05 a.m., Zeng was dead.

This death is not normal, said his nephew, Westin Zeng, in an interview with ProPublica and The Frontier. He lives there for a little bit over 30 days: from a healthy person to a dead person. It doesnt make sense to me.  In my mind, theres a logical link from his work to his illness, and from his illness to how they handle that, and a link to his death.

The farmworkers story gives a glimpse into the harsh and often abusive conditions endured by the tens of thousands of Chinese immigrants who have quietly become the backbone of many U.S. marijuana operations.

It is one of the most deplorable parts of what we see in this industry, said Donnie Anderson, the director of the Oklahoma Bureau of Narcotics and Dangerous Drugs Control, who met with Zengs relatives and ordered an investigation.

More: Can a mom who smoked pot while pregnant be charged with child neglect? It depends

Cannabis farms have boomed in states that have passed medical and recreational marijuana laws. But when voters in Oklahoma approved a law allowing the cultivation of medical marijuana in 2018, legislators didnt develop corresponding regulations to protect employees. Oklahomas historically weak labor enforcement system leaves the protection of workers largely to the federal government. And the U.S. Department of Labor has limited oversight because marijuana is illegal at the national level.

As a result, workers who are already isolated by language and culture have found themselves largely at the mercy of their employers, often criminals who rely on Chinese immigrant labor. As ProPublica and The Frontier have reported, Chinese mafias  some with suspected ties to the Chinese government  have taken advantage of state-level legalization to dominate a nationwide black market for marijuana.

During raids, inspections and investigations at more than a thousand farms over the past five years, Oklahoma law enforcement officers, fire marshals, federal labor inspectors and other officials have encountered a litany of abuses: bosses threaten and beat workers, sexually assault them, steal their wages, confiscate their IDs, restrict their movements and force them to work in dangerous heat with noxious chemicals and pesticides. Wrongdoing is rampant at many Chinese-owned farms, where immigrants are often so fearful of their employers and the authorities that they do not cooperate with investigations, according to law enforcement officials, court cases, human rights advocates and workers.

The mistreatment and squalid conditions are the hallmarks of human trafficking, said Craig Williams, the chief agent of the marijuana and human trafficking sections of the Oklahoma Bureau of Narcotics.

Its hard to convey what its like until youre standing there, looking at the people, looking at the environment, smelling the environment, seeing what theyre living in, Williams said. Your heart goes out to them like, This is just wrong.

While problems are particularly bad in Oklahoma, studies and media reports have detailed similar risks nationwide to laborers, many of them recent arrivals who crossed the Mexican border illegally. Exploitation of Chinese immigrants pervades the marijuana underworld from California to New Mexico to Maine, according to interviews and court cases.

And even overseas, authorities have found patterns of mistreatment at Chinese-run marijuana sites from Chile to Ireland.

These are people living in a situation of semi-slavery, said a police official in Spain, a center of illegal marijuana cultivation in Europe, who spoke on the condition of anonymity for safety reasons. They are locked up 24 hours a day. They dont know what country they live in. They dont have contact with the outside world.

During raids in 2021 on cannabis plantations hidden in warehouses near Barcelona, Spain, police freed 10 immigrants from Fujian whom gangsters had forced to work to pay off smuggling debts of up to $35,000. The drug traffickers locked the workers in the dirty, windowless buildings, making them sleep on mattresses on the floor. Some of the victims spent up to a year in captivity, police said.

Everyone has a different story, but the bottom line is that they have not escaped the darkness of China, said Ju Ma, a Chinese human rights advocate who runs a migrant shelter in New York that has aided marijuana workers.

In the Zeng case, the federal Occupational Safety and Health Administration and the Oklahoma narcotics bureau are investigating. The chief medical examiner's office recently concluded that the cause of the farmworkers death was pneumonia.

They are making so much money in the marijuana industry, but they are treating the workers like slaves, Westin Zeng said. I want to find out everything that happened and get justice for my family.

The farms owners have not been sanctioned or charged with a crime in relation to the case. Jeffrey Box, a lawyer for one of them, rejected the Zeng familys allegations that neglect and harsh working conditions played roles in the farmworkers death.

Official data and reports on labor in the marijuana industry are sparse, and Chinese workers rarely talk about their experiences. To report this story, ProPublica andThe Frontierinterviewed several dozen current and former law enforcement officials in the United States and overseas, other government officials, farmworkers, human rights advocates, lawyers and others. Reporters also reviewed court documents, medical files, government reports and social media posts in English, Chinese and Spanish.

The reporting reveals a saga of despair that remains largely out of sight for the U.S. public. Zengs case is rare because his family has spoken out. Many Chinese immigrants enter the nations marijuana industry hoping to plant the seeds of new lives, but they end up suffering in silence.

If they go missing, no ones going to report anything, Williams said. I sincerely wonder how many people are buried on illegal marijuana grows.

The journey

Zeng was born in a village in Yongtai County, Fujian. His nephew remembers him departing at dawn to cultivate rice and plum trees, and returning after dark.

If people were carrying two baskets of stuff, he carried four, said Westin Zeng, now a 32-year-old business consultant in New York.

A father of two, Zeng also did itinerant manual labor in Shanghai and other cities to support his family, including his father and a grandson who are both disabled. In 2021, he converted to Christianity (his U.S. relatives are Christians), which caused police in his hometown to harass him, according to an account he later wrote for a U.S. immigration court. At the same time, the pandemic was worsening Chinas economic woes and the hardships of its working people.

More: Gangsters, money and murder: How Chinese organized crime is dominating Oklahomas illegal medical marijuana market

Zeng decided to leave. His U.S. relatives lent him about $65,000 for the smugglers fee. The money included a payoff to expedite issuance of a passport by Chinese officials in Fujian, a coastal province whose longtime smuggling underworld intertwines with official corruption. Zeng traveled via Bolivia and Mexico, climbing the border fence into San Diego in December 2022. After Border Patrol agents arrested him, he requested political asylum and was released.

He arrived during a multiyear surge of immigration from China. In the first eight months of the 2024 fiscal year, the U.S. Border Patrol apprehended about 31,000 Chinese nationals illegally crossing the southwest border. Thats over 15 times more than the entire 2019 fiscal year.

Some Chinese border-crossers find work in marijuana operations after they arrive. Others are smuggled across the globe specifically to work in the cannabis industry.

A former senior Drug Enforcement Administration official said the agency has learned about these clandestine labor pipelines from informants and a jailed high-level human trafficker and money launderer.

The word goes out: We need more manpower for all these marijuana farms, said Christopher Urben, who is now a managing director at the global investigations firm Nardello & Co. The same networks are involved in weed, money laundering and human smuggling.

Blackwell

When Zeng reached New York in early 2023, he gave thanks at a Fujianese church in Chinatown and became a regular worshipper.

He was surprised how much people were willing to support him, Westin Zeng said. He was really touched. He told my father its totally different here.

Zeng first worked at a restaurant and then, at the suggestion of a cousin employed in the marijuana industry in Oklahoma, spent a month last summer working at a marijuana farm there. He had no complaints about that experience, his family said. He saved money to send to family in China and to pay off debts incurred by his overseas journey.

Back in New York, Zeng, who had just gotten Medicaid insurance coverage, underwent a medical checkup in early March that did not find serious ailments, according to the doctor who examined him, medical documents and his family.

On March 7, Zeng returned to Oklahoma to work at a farm in the small town of Blackwell, near the Kansas state line. Photos and public records show the 65-acre lot had six greenhouses and nine indoor grow houses and, according to Zengs family, the farm employed about 13 workers. The metal fence displayed signs depicting a pistol above the warning Lawful Concealed Carry Permitted on Premises.

Zeng earned about $4,500 a month for trimming plants, spreading fertilizer and doing pest control, his family said. His shift began at 7 a.m. and lasted as late as 10 p.m., with no days off. He slept in a cubicle in a partitioned room in the red-roofed main house.

In calls to relatives, Zeng sounded unhappy. Although his bosses and co-workers were also Fujianese, they mistreated him because they were from another county with a different dialect, he told his relatives. The meals were meager, workers were quitting because of the intense pace and the plastic-covered, dome-shaped greenhouses were infernally hot, he told them.

He was complaining to my aunt that he had to work almost naked because it was too hot in there, Westin Zeng said. The only way to cool down was to spray himself with water.

Investigators have documented heat reaching over 120 degrees at some farms, Williams said. During raids, agents routinely cut the sides out of the greenhouses to dissipate the heat and fumes from chemicals. Agents wear oxygen monitors because farmers pump in CO2 to enhance the growth of plants, a practice that depletes oxygen levels without agents, or laborers, realizing it.

I worry about our agents health all the time, Williams said. And those workers are living in it.

Government and academic studies have found that heat and humidity in the greenhouses can promote bacterial growth and cause heat stress, and that chemicals, gasses and other substances at marijuana farms can result in ailments ranging from allergies to fatal asthma. Other research shows that extended time in excess heat can cause human organs to shut down.

Fires and explosions are another hazard. And many farmers use toxic pesticides smuggled from China or across the Mexican border that have made workers sick in California, officials said.

The extent of such hazards at the Blackwell farm is not clear. Zeng told his family that he sometimes wore a mask because of the smell of chemicals and marijuana, his relatives said.

Box, the lawyer representing an owner of the farm, disputed the familys allegations about extreme heat and other conditions at the farm.

About April 9, Zeng fell ill. Someone from the farm took him to a doctor in Oklahoma City on April 10. The doctor diagnosed cystitis and a urinary tract infection  conditions that research shows can be exacerbated by heat stress  and prescribed an antibiotic, according to medical records and the relatives. (The doctor declined a request for comment.)

That night, Zeng talked to his family about flying back to New York, where his insurance would help cover further treatment.

I want to give it a few days, wait until I get better, then leave, he said in an audio message.

Despite the antibiotic, his condition deteriorated. His bosses bought him a plane ticket to New York for the afternoon of April 12, his family said. That morning, he recorded the audio message to his cousin.

You can hear he was dying, Westin Zeng said.

At 10:35 a.m., an hour after Zeng sent the message, a minivan pulled up to the emergency room at Stillwater Medical Center-Blackwell. Nurses found Zeng slumped unconscious wrapped in a blanket. They began CPR, put him on a stretcher and rushed him inside, according to the hospital report.

The woman and two men who brought him from the farm claimed they did not speak English and provided little information other than the patients date of birth and his name, the report says.

Using a Mandarin-speaking phone interpreter, the nurses got a few answers from the woman, who identified herself only as Stella. She was not very forthcoming and asked several times when she could leave, the report says. She denied knowing Zeng but explained that he worked at a marijuana farm, had been sick two or three days and had seen a doctor, the report says.

Stella left with the other two males, the report says. CPR continued.

Doctors pronounced Zeng dead a half hour after his arrival. Tests revealed he had sepsis and pneumonia, the report says. A hospital spokesperson declined to comment.

Thousands of Chinese immigrant laborers suffer abuse and exploitation in a U.S. marijuana underworld dominated by Chinese mafias. A human rights advocate says: They have not escaped the darkness of China.

'Selling hope'

Zeng died at a time when Oklahoma is confronting the dark side of its rush into the marijuana frontier.

In 2018, voters passed the ballot petition that legalized medical marijuana with 56% of the vote. The petition written by citizens included virtually no regulations. The following year, the state Legislature approved several regulations protecting consumer access to medical marijuana, but it did not address the health and safety of the marijuana workers.

At the peak of the billion-dollar marijuana boom in 2022, the state had almost 10,000 cannabis farms, which have an estimated average workforce of 15 to 20 employees per site. Although a crackdown on black market marijuana trafficking has cut the number of farms, authorities still come across abusive, squalid and unsafe workplaces.

Problems are endemic at Chinese-owned farms engaged in illicit activity, officials said. Workers often tell investigators their bosses promised to pay them at harvest, then claimed the harvest wasnt big enough. Owners sometimes offer new hires an eventual cut of the profits, and even entice them to invest hard-won savings in the ventures, then rip them off, according to law enforcement officials and workers.

We see promised pay that hasnt been delivered on very frequently now, Williams said. They think they just have to work in a really bad environment for a while and think its going to pay off at the end. They dont realize theyre working on an illegal grow. And that the work theyve done, theyre never going to get paid for anyway. To some degree, theyre selling hope.

In a rare workplace enforcement case in 2021, the Oklahoma Department of Labor judged that four Chinese employees were owed a combined total of nearly $57,000 in unpaid wages and damages after investigators found they were not paid for months of intense physical labor at a marijuana farm in southern Oklahoma.

We were overworked, said Yulin Zheng through an interpreter in an interview with ProPublica and The Frontier.Nearly 50 employees worked up to 14 hours a day, no days off, and lived in trailers without air conditioning, she said.

Zheng and her husband, Chang Qin Jiang, both in their late 60s, took jobs in Oklahoma after someone told them cannabis was a lucrative industry. They were each paid $4,000 in cash the first month. But the next month, a boss told them he didnt have the money, according to screenshots of text messages they included in a complaint to the Labor Department.

Ill pay the wage in several days, probably next week, he said in a text message. Believe me!

The cash never came. Months later, he told them they could make money if they bought one of the farms greenhouses to grow and sell marijuana themselves, the couple said.

It was like a chicken game, Zheng said. They were trying to keep as much money as possible.

The employer eventually abandoned the farm, leaving many workers without food or transportation, according to the couple and court documents. The couples son in California drove to Oklahoma and helped them file the successful claim.

Later, an owner of the farm tried to apply for bankruptcy, but a court found she had not disclosed hundreds of thousands of dollars in income from marijuana ventures, court documents say. Public records also show that the phone number for the farm belongs to the Chinese owner of a furniture store in Oklahoma City that the FBI raided last year in an investigation that led to three other people being convicted. Investigators found that the store was being used as a front for a criminal network that trafficked marijuana to the East Coast using fake Amazon delivery vehicles.

Workers at other farms have recounted their struggles in Chinese-language blog posts. In 2021, an electrician at a farm near Maramec, Oklahoma, alleged that his employer threatened to have our legs broken when he and his wife asked for months of wages they were never paid. Another woman at the same farm described how a boss grabbed an iron bar and a gun to menace her during a confrontation over unpaid salary. Court documents show the farm was later raided and the owner convicted on drug charges.

Scams are common in other states, as well, according to interviews and court files.

What we see is Chinese nationals who are either here legally  or were smuggled in across the Mexican border and are forced into labor, or more often tricked into labor, said Kevin McInerney, a commander at the California Department of Cannabis Control.

Agents in Southern California are investigating the recent case of a woman who invested $10,000 to work at a marijuana farm in exchange for a small monthly wage and an eventual cut of the profits. After she toiled in awful conditions, the employers refused to pay her first months salary. She stopped working in protest, so they drove her out into the desert and abandoned her at a gas station, officials said.

Pervasive criminality makes the marijuana business inherently more violent than other industries, said Whitney Anderson, who directs The Dragonfly Home, a shelter for victims of human trafficking in Oklahoma City.

Workers in Oklahoma have suffered beatings and even died in robberies and shootings. In one case, an employee told police her boss grabbed her by the hair, fired shots near her head and threatened to kill her and her daughter, according to court documents.

Sex crimes are also a danger. A 42-year-old former supervisor at a cannabis farm in Noble County is facing charges of rape and sexual battery after he allegedly assaulted an employee in her sleeping quarters in 2022, court documents say. He had previously tried to assault her at work by slipping a dose of ketamine into her drinking water to incapacitate her, but a co-worker intervened, the documents say. The former supervisor has pleaded not guilty and is awaiting trial.

Im so scared [he] will take revenge on me, my daughter, or family, the woman wrote in a request for a protective order. I have to live in fear every single day.

And in another dramatic incident in 2021, a Chinese worker in Garvin County escaped from a marijuana farm and ran to a nearby house, where he banged on the door screaming for help. A man and a woman chased him down and tried to drag him back across the road, according to 911 call transcripts, court records and interviews.

They had a big old fight in my front yard, Diann Skinner, who lives in the house, said in an interview. Theyd tackle him, hed get up and take off and theyd tackle him again.

Frightened neighbors and passing drivers called police, who arrived as the assailants wrestled with the escaped worker. The 37-year-old victim told officers that the woman and two men had held him against his will for three months and forced him to work. He was extremely scared of his captors and believed they would try to kill him, a police report said.

Police found 1,500 pounds of illegal marijuana, $32,000 in cash and two pistols in the run-down property, which served as a processing depot for Chinese-owned farms involved in illicit trafficking, according to court documents and interviews.

Prosecutors filed charges of kidnapping and drug trafficking against the suspects. But the victim quickly left the state, making it impossible to pursue the kidnapping charge. The two men were convicted of the drug offenses and sentenced to two years in prison. The charges against the woman were dropped.

Fifty thousand dollars

The day after Zengs death, his distraught nephew hurried to Oklahoma City and met with a man and four women from the farm. They had a tense conversation in the lobby of an apartment building, he said.

They said, We did everything right, Westin Zeng said. The attitude of these people to me was, the whole tone of the conversation was, It was your uncles fault.

The group did not give their names and offered to pay $50,000 if the family kept silent, Westin alleges. He said he refused.

ProPublica and The Frontier used photos, social media, public records and other sources to identify the owner of the farm, Xiuna Chen. Westin Zeng recognized her as one of the people at the meeting.

Chen has not been charged with any crime. But public records show that her Blackwell farm has multiple ties to another farm that was recently raided by the Oklahoma Organized Crime Task Force, which led to six indictments. The defendants have pleaded not guilty.

Chen referred reporters to Box, her lawyer, who accused the dead workers family of trying to shake down his client for a ton of money.

Another woman that Westin Zeng recognized from the meeting is Zhixin Liu, who on social media goes by Stella  the name given by the woman who brought Jiaai Zeng to the hospital. Lius phone is on the marijuana license for the Blackwell farm, and she is identified as its owner on a report by firefighters who responded to a fire there in April.

In 2022, Liu established a corporation with Zenith Top LLC, an Oklahoma City firm that has been raided for allegedly setting up illegal marijuana ventures, public records show. She listed her address as a house that belongs to a suspected owner of Zenith Top, according to public records and court documents. The owners of the firm have not been charged, though agents have executed search warrants and initiated money forfeiture actions against them that are awaiting trial.

Liu declined requests for comment.

While in Oklahoma, Westin Zeng met with the state anti-drug director and an official at OSHA. Officials at both agencies told ProPublica and The Frontierthat they are investigating the farmworkers death and the Blackwell farm.

The familys engagement with authorities is unusual. Many workers who feel they have been victims of wrongdoing dont have contacts in the U.S. or their relatives are fearful and speak little English, officials said.

Last year, the state narcotics bureau succeeded in building a human trafficking prosecution in a grim case: The accused ringleaders forced women to work as prostitutes at a brothel catering to owners and managers of Chinese-owned marijuana farms, flying the women to Oklahoma City from New York, according to court documents.

In general, though, the reluctance and elusiveness of victims discourage authorities from filing charges of human trafficking or workplace abuses. They focus instead on drug-related offenses by the owners.

The clash between state and federal laws combined with weak regulation make workers in Oklahoma especially vulnerable.

Oklahoma leaves regulation of workplace safety to OSHA, but the agency does not proactively monitor marijuana worksites in Oklahoma, and it only investigates in extreme cases such as job-related injuries or deaths, officials said. Because marijuana remains illegal at the federal level, OSHA has not developed specific workplace safety regulations for the cannabis industry, and relies mostly on the agencys general duty clause, which covers all employers, for enforcement.

By contrast, in California, which has its own state-level workplace safety agency, a state task force requires owners of marijuana operations to take a training course and create a written injury and illness program. Even owners of illegal growing sites are subject to such rules, a spokesperson for the California Department of Industrial Relations said.

Oklahoma leaders say they are trying hard to overcome a bureaucratic limbo. The state labor commissioner, Leslie Osborn, said in an interview that the heads of agencies met last year to really knock out who is responsible for what. And there is not a lot of clarity.

We let this flourish like a black market, Osborn said, and now were kind of behind the eight ball.

The Frontier is a nonprofit newsroom that produces fearless journalism with impact in Oklahoma. Read more at www.readfrontier.org.

This article originally appeared on Oklahoman: Advocates: Immigrant laborers at Oklahoma pot farms suffer abuse
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.

Johnson County Sheriff Calvin Hayden is casting an ethics complaint filed against him and an unflattering poll shared by his Republican primary opponent as election interference.

Hayden made the claim in a Saturday plea to voters where he compared his own fierce political battle to that of former President Donald Trump.

Hayden  whose long-running and fruitless investigation into Johnson County elections earned criticism for undermining the integrity of the voting process  blasted challenger Doug Bedford and his political consultant for accusing the sheriff of violating state campaign finance law. Hayden also took aim at a grossly biased poll that suggested dwindling support for his candidacy.

The public is sick of dirty politics, and that is exactly what is at play here, Hayden said in his press release, condemning the ethics complaint as an effort to damage my reputation and weaponize our election system.

In a statement from his campaign, Bedford told The Star that the sheriffs allegations are not only baseless but also a clear attempt to divert attention from the real issues facing Johnson County.

Our campaign has always maintained the highest ethical standards and transparency, Bedford said.

The sheriffs lone opponent in the Aug. 6 primary, Bedford previously served as undersheriff under Hayden. His credentials in law enforcement and as a former Navy SEAL have helped him gain the public endorsements of dozens of sheriffs department employees and retirees, including former Johnson County Sheriff Frank Denning, Haydens predecessor.

Dustin Morris, the political consultant for Bedfords campaign who landed in Haydens crosshairs on Saturday, told The Star the sheriff is wrongly calling this election interference when this is normal, run-of-the-mill campaigning.

This isnt dirty tactics, Morris said, adding: Its very laughable that hes trying to compare himself and his situation to the same as Donald Trumps political persecution hes going through.

Hayden, a staunch Trump supporter, has been criticized for the time and resources his office spent on his election fraud investigation, which started after Johnson County broke its tradition of support for Republican presidents in 2020. Earlier this month, he announced he was pausing the investigation.

As the tough primary contest inches closer, Hayden is suggesting voters should reelect him in part because of his support for the former president.

Hayden earlier this week wrote in a social media post: President Trump faces a monumental challenge and needs honorable, experienced men and women of integrity in law enforcement to support him and keep our country safe.

He included a photo of himself with Trump, which he shared again with his remarks on Saturday.

We have watched with disgust, in recent years, as the US Justice Department manipulated the US Justice system in an effort to destroy President Trump, Haydens campaign said in his release. Bedford and his team have resorted to similar tactics against Sheriff Hayden as they are unable to win the race fair and square.

Bedfords campaign countered on Saturday: The voters deserve better than baseless accusations and political mudslinging.

Ethics complaint, voter poll

Bedfords consultant, Morris filed the ethics complaint against Hayden on June 24.

The complaint, provided to The Star, suggests Haydens campaign may have violated regulations meant to prevent coordination with outside political action committees. It also questions whether the campaign violated state law by accepting a contribution valued at more than $500 and calls for an investigation.

At the center of the complaint is a video advertisement promoted by the Midwest Center for Law and Order PAC, a political action committee supporting Haydens reelection.

In a 24-second ad, shared over social media, the sheriff looks directly into the camera and calls for Johnson Countians to support his reelection, touting the offices handling of 911 calls and emergency response times. The video includes a tagline saying the commercial is presented without the authorization of Hayden or his official political campaign.

A hearing on the ethics complaint is expected to be held next month, after the primary election.

Hayden said Bedfords campaign leaked the complaint to the press, which he claimed constitutes election interference.

In his statement, Bedford said the complaint was filed to address genuine concerns about Sheriff Haydens conduct and was in no way intended to manipulate the election process. He added it is crucial for public officials to be held accountable.

Earlier this month, Bedfords campaign shared a poll of 680 likely Republican voters suggesting far greater confidence in the challengers candidacy than in the incumbents. Bedfords campaign paid for the poll, which was conducted by Kansas City-based political and corporate research firm co/effiecient.

Hayden on Saturday called both the ethics complaint and poll bogus. He said the poll, using language such as lied and undermined in reference to Haydens behavior in office, is defamatory.

Bedfords campaign said the polls purpose was to gauge public opinion, not to defame anyone, arguing the results should be viewed as a call for accountability and improvement in the sheriffs office from voters.

One of the top campaign issues in the Republican primary is Haydens election investigation. Earlier this month, Hayden announced he had shelved his controversial, years-long probe, which resulted in no criminal charges while fueling false conspiracy theories and energizing election deniers.

Haydens investigation appeared centered on Konnech, an election software company that has called the investigation baseless. Johnson County had used Konnechs software to help manage election workers, but stopped using it in 2022. The program had nothing to do with voting or voting information.

Hayden, who has spent roughly three decades in the sheriffs office and previously served as a county commissioner, is seeking a third term as sheriff. He won a competitive Republican primary in 2016, to then run unopposed in the November election and again unopposed in 2020.

The winner of the Aug. 6 primary will go on to face Democrat Prairie Village Police Chief Byron Roberson in the November election.

Includes reporting by The Stars Jonathan Shorman.
Vice President Kamala Harris speaks during a campaign event at the Asian and Pacific Islander American Vote Presidential Town Hall at the Pennsylvania Convention Center on July 13, 2024 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania - Image: Drew Hallowell (Getty Images)

President Joe Biden is catching pressure from every angle to bow out of the 2024 presidential election following his wildly-criticized showing at the June 27 debate with former president Donald Trump. Though the 81-year-old is digging in and refusing to resign his space in the race, everyone is talking about who might serve as a replacement on the ticket. - Phenix S Halley Read More

Image: MSNBC/Getty

On Monday (July 15), Amber Rose made a surprising appearance at the Republican National Convention to show her unabashed support for Donald Trump. I believed the left-wing propaganda that Donald Trump was a racist, Rose said to the mostly white crowd. - Candace McDuffie Read More

Photo: Andrew Harnik (Getty Images)

As the Republican National Convention kicks off today (July 15) in Milwaukee, it serves as a strong reminder to Black folks that all skinfolk aint kinfolk. For years, Black conservatives have peddled white supremacist rhetoric as a way of gaining and maintaining power. Here is a list of them who are scheduled to speak to the RNC. - Candace McDuffie Read More

Photo: Brian Snyder (Reuters)

On the first day of the Republican National Convention in Milwaukee (July 15), Donald Trump revealed that 39-year-old Ohio senator JD Vance is his vice presidential nominee. For months, there was speculation that Trumpwho has made numerous attempts to garner support from the Black communitywould select a Black man as his vice president. - Candace McDuffie Read More

Model Amber Rose appears on stage on the first day of the Republican National Convention at the Fiserv Forum on July 15, 2024 in Milwaukee, Wisconsin - Image: Chip Somodevilla (Getty Images)

Black people everywhere were shocked when reality TV star Amber Rose announced she would be speaking at the Republican National Convention this month. - Phenix S Halley Read More

Democratic presidential candidate former U.S. Vice President Joe Biden participates in a Presidential Candidates Forum at the NAACP 110th National Convention on July 24, 2019 in Detroit, Michigan - Image: Bill Pugliano (Getty Images)

In his first public speech after the Donald Trump assassination attempt, President Joe Biden told Black folks at the 115th NAACP National Convention he is all in during a 30-minute speech about his plans for the future, Black issues, and most interestingly, what he thinks a Black job is. - Phenix S Halley Read More

Republican presidential candidate, former U.S. President Donald Trump gestures during the first day of the Republican National Convention at the Fiserv Forum on July 15, 2024 in Milwaukee, Wisconsin - Image: Andrew Harnik (Getty Images)

While the world watched as former President Donald Trump spoke for the first time since his brush with death at a rally last week, Black folks were ready to clock his lies and call the GOP nominee out on his racially divisive language. - Phenix S Halley Read More

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A federal judge on Friday declined to dismiss several criminal charges against George Santos, the ex-Republican House member expelled from Congress last year.

Santos faces 23 counts connected to separate accusations he misled and mistreated campaign donors, lied on financial disclosures and inflated campaign finance reports. The former lawmaker, who has pleaded not guilty to all the charges against him, is also accused of fraudulently receiving unemployment benefits.

He asked U.S. District Judge Joanna Seybert in various motions to dismiss three of those charges, including two counts of aggravated identity theft and one count of theft of public money, which she combined and denied in its entirety.

Santoss criminal exposure builds on his historic rise and fall in the House, which began after he admitted to embellishing parts of his background while running for office. Since then, he has been accused of several unlawful schemes intertwined with his campaign.

Federal prosecutors say Santos stole campaign donors identities and used their credit cards to rack up thousands of dollars in unauthorized charges, in addition to cushioning his own personal bank account and his campaign fund.

Two of Santoss former staffers have also faced charges and since pleaded guilty.

His former fundraiser, Samuel Miele, was accused of impersonating a top aide to a member of House leadership while soliciting contributions for Santoss campaign, and Nancy Marks, his former campaign treasurer, pleaded guilty to conspiring with the then-candidate to commit fraud on his campaign finance reports.

Breon Peace, U.S. attorney for the Eastern District of New York, previously accused Santos of using the electoral process as an opportunity to defraud the public and our government institutions.

Court filings from the prosecution have previously indicated that plea negotiations with Santos were ongoing. The ex-lawmaker has offered conflicting opinions on the matter, suggesting both that accepting a plea deal is not on the table and that hes not ruling it out.

Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to The Hill.
Judge issues gag order in case against 12-year-old charged with murder

GIBSON COUNTY, Tenn.  A 12-year-old girl accused of suffocating her 8-year-old cousin while they were staying with their grandmother in Humboldt, Tennessee for the summer appeared in court on Friday.

According to the District Attorney, video evidence shows the 12-year-old suffocating 8-year-old Demaria Hollingsworth with bedding, then cleaning up the victim and repositioning the body.

ORIGINAL STORY: 12-year-old girl charged with murder, accused of suffocating 8-year-old cousin in bed

The cousin who will soon turn 13 is charged with first-degree murder and tampering with evidence.

While in court, Juvenile Court Judge Mark Johnson issued a gag order, meaning the District Attorney could not offer comment on the case.

Father of family shot on I-240 shares his side of the story

I would recommend that you contact Judge Johnson and find out what youre entitled to and what youre not entitled to. But Im going to obey his order and he issued a gag order, said Fred Agee, District Attorney.

However, the Court Clerk officer says they could not comment on the case because it involved a juvenile under the age of 14.

Family members at the hearing also declined to 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 WREG.com.
FILE - Rep. George Santos, R-N.Y., leaves the Capitol after being expelled from the House of Representatives, Dec. 1, 2023, in Washington. (AP Photo/Stephanie Scarbrough, File)

NEW YORK (AP)  Former U.S. Rep. George Santos on Friday lost a bid to get rid of part of the criminal case against him as he heads toward trial on charges that include defrauding campaign donors.

U.S. District Joanna Seybert turned down Santos' request to dismiss charges of aggravated identity theft and theft of public money  in all, three of the 23 charges against the New York Republican.

Prosecutors and Santos lawyers declined to comment.

Prosecutors have accused Santos of a range of crimes  among them lying to Congress about his wealth, collecting unemployment benefits while actually working, and using campaign contributions to pay for such personal expenses as designer clothing. He pleaded not guilty to a revised indictment in October.

The aggravated identity theft charges pertain to allegations that Santos used campaign donors' credit card information to make repeated contributions they hadn't authorized. Prosecutors say he also tried to hide the true source of the money  and evade campaign contribution limits  by listing the donations as coming from some of his relatives and associates, without their assent.

Santos lawyers argued in court filings that the aggravated identity theft charges were invalid because, in the defense's view, the allegations amounted only to overcharging credit card accounts that had been willingly provided to him.

Prosecutors disputed that argument. They said in filings that Santos hadn't just used the credit card information but abused it, with specific intent to defraud in order to make his campaign coffers look fuller.

The theft of public funds charge relates to the alleged unemployment fraud.

Santos' lawyers said the charge improperly combined multiple alleged criminal schemes and transactions. Courts have said in other cases that such combination isn't allowed for various reasons, including the possibility that jurors could convict on the charge while believing a defendant guilty of only part of it.

Prosecutors in Santos' case said the theft of public funds charge against him alleges a single continuing scheme.

The former Congress member is slated to go on trial in September in Central Islip, on New York's Long Island.

In April, he dropped his longshot bid to return to Congress as an independent in New York's 1st Congressional District, on Long Island.
STAUNTON  The Democratic Party of Virginia opened a new headquarters in downtown Staunton on Saturday.

Virginia Senator Tim Kaine was one of several speakers at the opening, addressing President Joe Biden's health and calls for Biden to resign as the party's presidential nominee. Kaine also criticized his opponent in the Virginia senatorial race, Republican Hung Cao.

An overcast morning, but no rain at the start

Virginia Senator Tim Kaine arrived at the new Staunton office around 10:15 a.m. A press release was not issued until late Friday afternoon by the Kaine campaign. Before then, information on the address was sent only to people who registered online to attend.

The new office is one of six Democratic election headquarters opened in the past week, including Abingdon, Culpeper, Warrenton, Front Royal, and Lynchburg. The Staunton opening was the most recent of the Democratic Coordinated Campaign offices opened, and the first at which Kaine made an appearance.

The rain stayed away long enough for the crowd to gather under the tent and get settled in to hear the candidate's remarks.

Opening remarks from congressional candidate and Virginia Democrat chair

Congressional Candidate Ken Mitchell was the first speaker. Mitchell voiced support for the equal rights amendment, the John Lewis Voting Rights Act, the LGBTQ community, and limiting the effects of climate change.

The basic rights and freedoms that we protect and defend as Democrats is at the top of the ticket, said Mitchell. Even though the issues may change, what will not change is the need for men and women of character, value, sound judgment and integrity. That's what Biden-Harris bring to it. That's what Senator Tim Kaine brings to it. I'll be brief because I know you're here to hear the senator.

Sixth Congressional District Candidate Ken Mitchell

Democratic Party of Virginia Chairwoman Susan Swecker was the second speaker. She thanked Mitchell for his comments and went on the offensive against his opponent, current Congressman Ben Cline.

When you're elected to Congress, you're gonna be able to stand there with integrity when our U.S. Senator Tim Kaine delivers a check for, whether it's broadband, airport construction, or whatever, unlike that fraud, Ben Cline, who acts like he did something to get that money here," said Swecker. "We know he didn't. So, thank you very much.

She celebrated the opening of the Democratic office as the 17th party election headquarters in the state, including three in the sixth congressional district. She also took aim at JD Vance, Trump's recently announced vice presidential running mate and current senator from Ohio.

JD Vance, I'm for Appalachia, you're not, Swecker said. I mean, you know, it's not like the truth matters to those folks. It's not like the truth matters, but it does to us.

Democratic Party of Virginia Chairwoman Susan Swecker

She closed on a round of applause and called Kaine to speak.

Senator Tim Kaine returns to Staunton

Similar to the last time he was in Staunton, Kaine first spoke of his honeymoon in the area and previous career in Richmond politics. Turning to the upcoming November election, Kaine was optimistic and pointed to Democratic campaign spending in Virginia.

We made the case to the Biden campaign, and they said we're going to make sure that we invest in Virginia," said Kaine. "We don't take you for granted. Virginia's gone blue four times in a row, which would have seemed impossible. We want to go blue five times in a row, and we're going to, right?

The crowd applauded. Kaine said he wanted to invest the resources in local Virginian organizers, people who would know the pronunciation difference between Stan-ton and Staun-ton.

Sixth Congressional District Candidate Ken Mitchell

He then endorsed Mitchell, If you want to know the kind a public servant someone will be, look at what they did before they said, 'I'm going to put my name on it.' What Ken Mitchell has done is serve his country in a patriotic way, and that's the kind of public servant that he's going to be.

Kaine was 'happy' with the Democratic slate of congressional candidates, particularly hopeful to flip the House of Representatives majority to the Democrats.

Biden's health and a new presidential candidate

Since the June 27 presidential debate, there have been Democratic calls for Biden to step out of the race. Kaine celebrated the diversity of thought among Democrats, even as they disagree. That morning, at the Staunton Farmers' Market, he said one question was on everyone's mind.

Okay, what about the debate? What about President Biden? Kaine said they asked. Let me just tell you this, here's what I would ask of you, and here's what I'm so proud about this team on. We got this.

Rather than linger on Biden's health, Kaine contrasted Biden and Trump, again calling Trump the greatest tear-down artist in the history of this county. He continued to praise Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris' policies and accomplishments, such as the American Rescue Plan Act of 2021 and a $35 price cap on insulin, a necessary medication for those with diabetes.

Despite this, Kaine also said obviously we're concerned about President Biden's health.

Senator Tim Kaine during the downtown Staunton opening on Saturday, July 20.

Kaine was vocally supportive of both Biden and Harris. Democratic discussions about replacing Biden on the ticket have included Harris as a successor. Whether or not Biden drops out, Kaine said, is up to him.

I also know this about Joe. If he looks in the mirror one day and says this is the hardest job in the world and it is not something I can say, for four years, I'll just pedal to the metal and do it, he's going to tell us. Because that's exactly the kind of person that Joe Biden is. We don't need to stress about whether the right decision is going to be made. We are going to do what's best for this country. We're going to win this race.

The News Leader, a 'podunk paper,' back in the news

According to Kaine, Saturday was initially expected to be the day of the first senate candidate debate between him and his Republican challenger, Hung Cao. Kaine said Cao wouldn't debate him because he's afraid.

In 2023, he set up a PAC and he raised over $100,000 to help Governor Youngkin switch both houses of the state legislature from blue to red, Kaine explained, citing a story from The News Leader's elections reporter. How much of it did he spend helping others? Zero. He didn't spend one dime, after he shook people down for money and said he was going to use it to help them win legislators. He didn't spend one dime doing that, he instead used it for his own campaign expenses and his own advisors, and then the Republicans ended up losing both houses by one seat. What if he had actually done [it]? I'm actually kind of glad he didn't.

Senator Tim Kaine during the downtown Staunton opening on Saturday, July 20.

Rather than answer questions from The News Leader's elections reporter, Cao called The News Leader a "podunk local newspaper" and dodged. Kaine has been critical of Cao's response before, and said Cao would dodge similar questions about abortion access, the millions that would lose health insurance if the Affordable Care Act were repealed, and a controversial potential reorganization of Medicare, Medicaid, and Social Security.

You don't debate for yourself, you debate for the voters, Kaine said. Because if you want to represent them, then they are entitled to hear what your points of view are and ask you questions and make their own judgments. He does not want to answer the question about why he said the Staunton paper was just a podunk local paper.

The office is located at 240 N. Central Ave, Suite 1, in downtown Staunton.

Lyra Bordelon (she/her) is the public transparency and justice reporter at The News Leader. Do you have a story tip or feedback? Its welcome through email to lbordelon@gannett.com. Subscribe to us at newsleader.com.

This article originally appeared on Staunton News Leader: Kaine addresses Biden's health, 'podunk paper' at Staunton election office opening
Kamala Harris has stayed loyal to Joe Biden, who is under pressure to quit the race - Kyle Mazza/Anadolu

Kamala Harris is the only choice to replace Joe Biden as the Democrats presidential nominee as there is so little time until the election, senior party figures have told The Telegraph.

The vice-president is seeing a groundswell of support among the partys many elected officials who believe the 81-year-old presidents position is untenable.

But the question of how she would assume the position at the top of the ticket, should Mr Biden stand down, is increasingly contested.

Allies of Ms Harris are reportedly already working on a plan to secure her as the candidate-in-waiting.

But on Friday, it was reported that Nancy Pelosi, the former House speaker, favours holding an open convention, which would allow alternatives such as Gretchen Whitmer, governor of Michigan, and Gavin Newsom, governor of California, to pitch for the nomination.

She reportedly believes that a mini-primary of sorts would strengthen Ms Harris and avoid giving voters the impression she was handed the nomination in a stitch-up by party leaders.

Should he quit the race, Mr Biden could ask the delegates who are bound to him as the winner of the Democratic primary to switch over and endorse Ms Harris. With the backing of the partys most influential figures, a coronation of sorts could easily follow.

Joe Biden and Kamala Harris with their respective spouses on July 4 - Elizabeth Frantz/Reuters

A former Obama strategist told The Telegraph that they favoured a swift hand-over without opening the floor to competition against Ms Harris.

Were 100-ish days from the election. I dont think we have time for a process, the strategist said, adding: I think the vice-president is our only choice right now.

The strategist, a veteran of numerous presidential campaigns, said Ms Harris was an upgrade on Mr Biden in every way.

Theres not a single attack on Donald Trump that Joe Biden can make that Kamala Harris cant make even better, the strategist said.

The Obama-era veteran said Ms Harris could use her background as a former district attorney to her benefit. This is somebody who convicted a lot of felons, running against a convicted felon. Ill take that, they said.

Another Democrat insider said, despite reservations about Ms Harriss performance as vice-president, she has grown into the role.

The insider noted that as vice-president, Ms Harris has a rare insight into the challenges facing the US through her daily intelligence briefings.

I think that has made her a deeper thinker, he said, describing her having an understanding of the world that she didnt have three and a half years ago.

Shifting polls

Polls suggest the public perception of Ms Harris has shifted following Mr Bidens abysmal debate performance.

While Trump leads Mr Biden in most current polls, a recent survey by CNN had Ms Harris tying with the Republican nominee.

According to Politico, Ms Harriss allies include former staffers, members of the influential Congressional Black Caucus, and other outside players.

There is an effort quietly afoot to position an apparatus to turn on the lights, one of those involved told Politico.

The caucus chairman, Jim Clyburn, is among those who favour Ms Harris as a replacement candidate. He told reporters: I will support her if [Mr Biden] were to step aside.

According to the New York Times, Ms Pelosi favours an open primary process because of polling data that shows many candidates could appeal to voters.

Alongside Ms Whitmer, Wes Moore and Josh Shapiro, the governors of Maryland and Pennsylvania respectively, outperformed Ms Harris in match-up against Trump in a survey Blue Labs analytics, a Democrat polling company.

Perceived as ineffective

There are concerns that a perception of Ms Harris as an ineffective vice-president may hurt her chances in the election, along with her refusal to break with Mr Biden over his failing health.

She may also be vulnerable over her assignment as the White House point person for controlling illegal migration at the southern border, which has surged under Mr Bidens administration.

Zoe Lofgren, a Democrat representative for California and close ally of Ms Pelosi, publicly called for a mini-primary on Friday, as she urged the president to step down.

I dont think we can do a coronation, she said. Kind of a mini-primary, maybe a vetting hosted by former presidents, including Obama and Clinton, would be helpful.

Democrats in Congress said they believed Ms Harris had performed strongly since Mr Bidens disastrous debate of June 27.

I do believe it has to be the vice-president. Shes campaigning vigorously under the mantle and shes the natural successor. Its going to be important in the scenario that the president isnt the nominee that we rally around her immediately, one House member told CNN.

Eleni Kounalakis, the lieutenant governor of California and a Democratic convention delegate, said that Mr Bidens endorsement of Ms Harris would almost ensure her elevation to the top of the ticket.

Ms Harris has been dogged by a perception she is ineffective - Erin Schaff/AFP

Theres so much respect for president Biden that if he asked delegates to support her, even with a public chaotic media swirl, I believe most delegates would honour his wishes as the person who was chosen through the primary process and as our president, she said.

Unconvinced

However, not all Democrats were as convinced of the merits of choosing Ms Harris.

Vicente Gonzalez, who faces a tough re-election bid in Texas, wondered how quickly the party had moved on from the view that Ms Harris might actually be weighing down Mr Bidens re-election chances.

I just dont understand how we go from that to the idea that she should be leading the ticket, Mr Gonzalez told CNN.

I have nothing against her, but the facts are just the facts. Not everything changed, right? How did we go from that to this? I mean, nowhere else in the world but this town, right?

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Tech journalist Kara Swisher criticized former President Trumps keynote speech closing out the Republican National Convention in Milwaukee, calling it off the rails.

Swisher joined a CNN panel Saturday to discuss Trumps address  his first since a failed assassination attempt at a Pennsylvania rally a week ago. During his speech, he also formally accepted the GOP nomination for president.

While he began his speech on a restricted tone, calling for unity, he quickly fell into old habits by harking on Democrats and breaking his own record for longest acceptance speech in history  hitting the 90-minute mark.

Throughout the convention, various speakers attempted to shine the former president in a new light, including his granddaughter, Kai Trump and Arkansas Gov. Sarah Huckabee Sanders (R).

Until he got up, yeah, it worked, Swisher said. So, I thought that the granddaughter was charming, was lovely. Sarah Huckabee Sanders, not so much. She was very good, but they tried to do it and they tried to do it lots of different ways  but some of the speakers seemed off kilter.

I would say it worked a little  and then Trump showed up. And [that] was the Trump that we know him as and youre like Oh that guy and I remember, I was watching that speech and he was great  and then it was off the rails, she added.

During his speech, Trump divulged the details of his near-death experience at a campaign rally outside Pittsburgh last Saturday. During the incident, a bullet grazed his ear and one of his rallygoers was killed.

As the former president addressed thousands in Milwaukee, the crowd was largely silent, hanging onto his words as he outlined the details. They later cheered as Trump, wearing a bandage over his ear, accepted the GOP nomination.

As you already know, the assassins bullet came within a quarter of an inch of taking my life. So many people have asked me, What happened? Tell us what happened, please, Trump said Thursday night, vowing to never share the story a second time, because it was too painful to tell.

Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. 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.
Kari Lake, Ruben Gallego spent way more than they raised in early July for US Senate race

U.S. Senate candidate Kari Lake burned through far more money than she raised in the first 10 days of July amid continued sluggish fundraising.

Lake raised $325,000 in that span, which came in the midst of early voting for the July 30 primary. She spent $1.1 million in the same period.

U.S. Rep. Ruben Gallego, D-Ariz., who is unchallenged for his partys nomination, didn't expand his financial advantage over Lake. His campaign raised $1.1 million and poured $2.1 million into the race.

That brought down his campaigns cash total by more than $1 million, but he still had a sizable lead over Lake in that department.

Gallego had $8.2 million and Lake had $2.1 million. But Lake also added another $44,000 to her campaign debt, which totaled $857,000.

The campaign for Lakes main Republican challenger, Pinal County Sheriff Mark Lamb, essentially existed hand-to-mouth at the beginning of the month, taking in $48,000 and spending about the same.

His $117,000 campaign debt went unchanged heading into the final weeks of early voting.

The updated financial snapshots came as groups apart from the campaign are also spending in the race to succeed retiring U.S. Sen. Kyrsten Sinema, I-Ariz.

Most of the states notable congressional races had candidates with clear cash leads over their competition.

Which House candidates have the most campaign cash?

Perhaps the most closely watched race is the 8th Congressional District Republican primary. Five prominent candidates are vying to succeed retiring U.S. Rep. Debbie Lesko, R-Ariz., in a safely red seat that covers the northwest Valley.

Blake Masters had by far the most cash left as of July 10, with $976,000. He has provided $3.5 million of the $4 million his campaign has raised.

Former U.S. Rep. Trent Franks, R-Ariz., who quit in 2017 facing an ethics investigation for allegations of sexual misconduct, had $268,000 in cash. The $600,000 he has loaned his campaign represents almost all of the money his team has.

Abe Hamadeh had $214,000 in cash. Arizona state House Speaker Ben Toma, R-Peoria, had $170,000. Arizona state Sen. Anthony Kern, R-Glendale, had $16,000.

Four Democrats in the competitive 1st Congressional District House race entered the final stage of that primary relatively close financially. The candidates are vying for the right to challenge seven-term incumbent U.S. Rep. David Schweikert, R-Ariz.

As of July 10, Andrei Cherny had the most cash, $691,000. He also raised the most money from donors so far this month as well, more than $200,000.

Conor OCallaghan, who has underwritten about half his campaign to this point, had $548,000. Andrew Horne had almost as much, though that owed to the $580,000 he loaned his campaign.

Marlene Galan-Woods had $467,000 in cash.

Amish Shah still had $217,000 in cash.

That district spans the northeast Valley to north-central Phoenix.

In the 3rd Congressional District race Democratic primary, Raquel Teran had a significant cash edge over Yassamin Ansari in the race to replace Gallego in a safely Democratic seat that covers south Phoenix and the lower half of the West Valley.

Teran had $416,000 in cash to Ansaris $259,000. Phoenix City Councilmember Laura Pastor, who has withdrawn from the race, had $9,700.

One Republican had a significant cash advantage in the Tempe-based 4th Congressional District primary in the race to challenge three-term incumbent U.S. Rep. Greg Stanton, D-Ariz.

Zuhdi Jasser had $197,000. Kelly Cooper had $81,000.

The 6th Congressional District race hasnt formally started, but incumbent U.S. Rep. Juan Ciscomani, R-Ariz., and Democrat Kirsten Engel continued to stockpile money for a rematch of their 2022 race.

Engel continued to add to her fundraising advantage. She outraised Ciscomani 3-to-1 in the beginning of July. Engel had $3.2 million in cash compared with Ciscomanis $2.7 million.

That district includes part of Tucson and southeastern Arizona.

This article originally appeared on Arizona Republic: Arizona Senate race: Kari Lake, Ruben Gallego spend big
KANSAS CITY, Kan.  The scars are still visible on Stephanie Perezs body, but shes come a long way over the last 12 months.

I dont know if I will ever walk (alone) again. I dont know if I will walk, said the 47-year-old.

For months, she was plagued with nightmares of what happened on July 18th, 2023, but those are now few and far between. She still volunteers at the local food pantry at Immanuel Lutheran Church in the East Argentine neighborhood as well as The Hud, but she refuses to walk there alone, something she used to do for years. Instead, other volunteers now drive her back and forth on the days she works.

It feels good to see her because before she was at home not wanting to go anywhere, added Stephanies mom, Laura Villegas.

She followed me everywhere for a while.

Missouri woman released from prison after 1980 murder conviction overturned

The family now waits for Stephanies accused attacker to face justice. John Eugene McGriff, 33, is accused of attacking Stephanie from behind and cutting her face, neck, and hand with a six-inch knife. The reason for the attack remains unclear.

There was so much blood that if they wouldve gone a little bit more she wouldve died. He just missed her by an inch the doctor told us, said Villegas, whose daughter has had six surgeries since the attack along with weekly physical therapy appointments.

McGriff is charged with aggravated battery, aggravated assault, and mistreatment of a dependent adult in Stephanies attack. Hes also charged with second-degree murder in the death of his father, Samuel McGriff, which happened an hour or so before the attack on Stephanie, per court documents.

The case against him had been suspended since last August pending the outcome of a mental evaluation. In October, the court appointed a psychiatrist to evaluate McGriff at the State Security Hospital in Larned, Kansas. After that, he would be transferred back to Wyandotte County.

Then, in November, McGriffs attorney entered a motion requesting a mental examination to determine if, as a result of mental disease or defect, [McGriff] lacked the mental state required as an element of the offense charged.

The case stayed quiet for about six months until May 2024 when McGriffs attorney notified the court that he no longer wanted to rely on a lack of mental state defense, allowing the case to proceed as McGriff was found competent to stand trial.

Potential sale of Independence church following allegations against former pastor

Right now, McGriff has a plea hearing set for August 23, pushed back from a previous date of June 18th; Stephanies family remains optimistic about the outcome.

Just keep him in there. Dont let him out so he wont ever hurt anyone again, said Villegas.

McGriff remains in custody on a $300,000 bond. Court documents indicate he cannot pay that as hes been unemployed since he was 18 years old and collects $934 a month through disability. Its unclear what that disability is 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 FOX 4 Kansas City WDAF-TV | News, Weather, Sports.
A jury awarded $2 million to the estate of a man who died months after being scalded and severely burned by water from a shower in his Kentucky motel room, according to a lawsuit.

Alex Chronis, then 76 years old, sustained third-degree burns on his body at the Econo Lodge in Erlanger, Kentucky, which ultimately resulted in his untimely and wrongful death, on June 19, 2022. according to the complaint filed by Chronis niece.

On November 19, 2021, Chronis attempted to take a shower but was almost immediately bombarded with scalding hot water which knocked him to the floor of the shower tub where the water continued to scald him, the complaint states.

Two associates of Chronis rushed to his aid after hearing his fall and screams, according to the complaint.

The shower delivered water at an extremely excessive temperature, the complaint stated. The temperature was more than 150 degrees, according to Chronis family attorney, N. Jeffrey Blankenship. Most adults will suffer third-degree burns if exposed to 150-degree water for two seconds, according to the Consumer Product Safety Commission.

Chronis, a food vendor visiting the Cincinnati region for work, initially used nonprescription medicine for his burns before working at a local festival, according to Blankenship. He went to a nearby hospital but left to return to work, Blankenship added.

Two days later, Chronis returned to the hospital for skin graft surgery and remained hospitalized for nearly five months, according to the complaint.

CNN

In April 2022, Chronis was transferred to a rehabilitation facility in his hometown of Knoxville, Tennessee, Blankenship said. He spent months in the hospital after the incident, underwent numerous medical procedures, and endured substantial conscious pain and suffering before ultimately dying from his injuries on June 19, 2022, according to the complaint.

The jury found the motel owner, Sanjay Patel, failed to exercise ordinary care in inspecting and maintaining their hotel rooms in a reasonably safe condition for the use of their guests, according to the trial order and judgment.

According to the Kentucky Secretary of States website, Patel owns Aspyn, LLC, which operates the Econo Lodge in Erlanger, which was also named as a defendant in the suit.

The judgment, filed on July 3, awarded Chronis estate nearly $1.3 million to cover medical expenses, $250,000 for pain and suffering, more than $16,000 for funeral costs, and $500,000 in punitive damages.

CNN has reached out to Patels attorney, Lindsay Rump, for comment.

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King Charles and Queen Camilla were bundled out of a public engagement earlier this week after cops spotted a man on a nearby rooftop, sparking fears a copycat assassin was emulating the attempt to shoot Donald Trump.

The royals were visiting St Helier, the capital of the wealthy island of Jersey, which is a British territory, on Monday, when concerned aides rushed them out of a public walkabout to a nearby hotel.

The Daily Beast was told at the time the urgent departure was owing to a small security scare.

Now, however, The Sun has revealed that security staff were left with shredded nerves after spotting someone on a roof overlooking the royals, reminiscent of Trumps would-be assassin, Thomas Matthew Crooks, who had fired shots at the 45th president two days earlier.

Sources informed The Sun that the man was spotted on a rooftop overlooking Liberation Square, where the king and queen were greeting well-wishers. Buckingham Palace did not respond to a request for comment from The Sun, and typically do not comment on security issues.

Matt Taylor, founder of Jersey Sea Salt, was speaking to the king when the security alert was triggered.

He said: He stopped at the stall and said, Ooh sea salt, and I said, Come and have a chat, Sir. Then his security appeared and grabbed me and said, He has to go, now.

Crooks, 20, shot at former President Trump during a rally in Pennsylvania on Saturday. Trump was struck in the ear and bloodied, while former fire chief Corey Comperatore, 50, was killed by a stray shot.

Crooks was killed seconds later by Secret Service snipers, raising questions about why he wasnt stopped sooner, despite witnesses spotting him minutes beforehand.

Crooks motive remains unidentified, though he had searched online for Trump, President Joe Biden, and members of the British royal family, including Kate, Princess of Wales, before the incident.

Addressing supporters at the Republican National Convention (RNC) yesterday, Trump remarked that he shouldnt be here, as many attendees wore patches over their ears in solidarity.

Read more at The Daily Beast.

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The Institute for the Study of War (ISW) has noted that the Russian authorities may introduce even harsher measures for controlling and censoring social media.

Source: ISW

Details: The Russian government is reportedly considering harsher measures to directly censor critical voices on social media.

According to the Kremlin-aligned Russian news agency TASS on 19 July, an anonymous source stated that lawmakers were discussing legislation requiring social media account holders with at least 10,000 subscribers to provide personal identification data to Roskomnadzor, the federal censor. Channels that do not comply would be blocked.

This move is seen as part of a broader Kremlin strategy to eliminate dissenting voices and tighten control over the information space.

Previous measures aimed at pushing critics to self-censor due to fear of losing advertising revenue were not sufficient, as those not dependent on ads could still operate anonymously.

The new proposals would enable the government to directly censor all significant anonymous critical channels. Such measures appear to be influencing Telegram's decision-making.

In addition, Telegram founder Pavel Durov announced on 19 July that Telegram would now display the registration month and country for each channel, ostensibly to combat scammers.

Quote from ISW: "Durov's announcement, however, is notable as he has regularly advertised Telegram as a privacy-oriented, independent, and censored platform since its founding in 2013."

To quote the ISWs Key Takeaways on 19 July:

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy reiterated the importance of developing an international consensus for pursuing peace negotiations to end the war in Ukraine.

Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban appears to be augmenting several Russian information operations amid continued efforts to present himself as a possible future mediator between Russia and Ukraine.

New United Kingdom (UK) Defence Secretary John Healey stated on 19 July that Ukraine can use UK-provided weapons to strike military targets in Russia, despite previous reports that the UK had not permitted Ukraine to use UK-supplied Storm Shadow missiles to strike military targets within Russia.

The Kremlin is reportedly concerned about the long-term social and political implications of Russian veterans returning from the war in Ukraine.

The Russian government is reportedly considering stricter measures to directly censor critical voices on Russian social media.

Russian authorities continue to propose stricter migration legislation as Russia's ultranationalists continue to espouse xenophobic rhetoric and complain about the Russian government's perceived lenient migration policy.

Russian forces recently advanced near Siversk, Toretsk and Avdiivka.

Disorganisation continues to plague Russian efforts to integrate personnel who served in Russian proxy forces in occupied territories of Ukraine into the Russian military bureaucracy.

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Cypriot president Nikos Christodoulides (left) meets president of the unrecognised TRNC Ersin Tatar (right) last year (Copyright 2023 The Associated Press. All rights reserved)

Turkeys president Recep Tayyip Erdogan will lead celebrations of the anniversary of his countrys intervention 50 years ago, which left the island of Cyprus split in two.

Thousands of mostly Muslim Turkish Cypriots in the north of the island will join their president Ersin Tatar and Mr Erdogan to watch a peace parade of tanks, soldiers, jets and military vehicles, followed by an air performance carried out by the Turkish Stars (the Turkish version of the Red Arrows) on Saturday.

But while this is happening, Greek Cypriots in the south of the island will approach the anniversary in a much more sombre mood, with many on both sides having lost their homes and land as well as family members to the conflict five decades ago.

It comes as former Labour foreign secretary Jack Straw has written for The Independent, accusing the recognised [Greek] Cypriot government on the island of being happy with the status quo and demanding that the United Nations, the European Union, and the UK, as a guarantor power, propose a two-state solution to force an end to the 50-year crisis.

Newly appointed Europe minister Stephen Doughty has, though, stuck with UK foreign policy  that the island needs to come back together in a federal structure that recognises both communities. This is the solution the UK attempted to create in the 1960s when it withdrew as the colonial power, only holding on to its two key military bases.

The presence of what are two highly important bases for the UK, facing out onto the Middle East, have made the Cyprus crisis a critical issue and one that is difficult to navigate diplomatically.

Cyprus crisis anniversary with Erdogan and Tatar (AP)

In a tweet, Mr Doughty said: For too long now, the people of Cyprus have been divided. On the 50th anniversary of the events of 1974, the UK restates its commitment to a lasting, comprehensive and just settlement which benefits all Cypriots, within the UN parameters of a bi-zonal, bi-communal federation with political equality.

We urge all sides to show openness, flexibility and compromise, and to engage with UN-led efforts to reach a settlement.

The events of 20 July 1974 are referred to by Turkish Cypriots as an intervention by Turkey, and by Greek Cypriots as an illegal invasion. They came after what both sides acknowledge was a coup by a Greek Cypriot military junta with the aim of enosis or unification with Greece. Almost immediately, Greek Cypriot militias armed by Greece turned on Turkish Cypriots and killed hundreds.

It is estimated that some 5,000 individuals from both communities, also including 300 Turkish soldiers, were killed during the conflict, and 200,000, including 160,000 Greek Cypriots, were made refugees as they fled to their respective parts of the island.

The war that followed saw the Turkish army occupy the north of the island and take almost a third of the territory. The Turkish military has remained in bases there to this day, with the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus (TRNC) declared about a decade later, although it remains unrecognised by countries other than Turkey.

The TRNC has remained isolated to this day, with the UK and other countries even banning direct flights there, despite 300,000 Turkish Cypriots living in Britain. Former Tory leader Sir Iain Duncan Smith has joined Mr Straw in campaigning for direct flights to be allowed on humanitarian grounds.

Jack Straw has suggested a two-state solution (Getty)

Mr Straw has insisted that the problem has become an impasse because of what he describes as the mistake of allowing Cyprus to join the EU in 2004, after the southern part of the island reneged on the UN-brokered Annan deal to bring the island back together again, a solution the citizens of the unrecognised TRNC accepted. In 2017, the Cypriot government walked away from Crans-Montana in Switzerland with a solution close.

When Ersin Tatar was elected president of the TRNC in 2020, he won on a platform backed by Mr Erdogan for a two-state solution, claiming that, after five decades, hopes of bringing the two communities together were dead.

It is the facts on the ground, he noted. What we have at the moment is peaceful coexistence with two neighbouring states.

Different people, different language, different history, different culture. Therefore it was our true right to establish our own state, which we did [in 1983].

Since 1974 we have been separated. The young generation dont know one another. They have different language, culture and experiences. There have been so many bitter experiences that there is no hope for a federal relationship in the future.

Now Mr Straw, who played a leading role in the Annan talks, appears to have backed a move opposed by the UK, Cypriot and Greek governments as well as the EU and UN.

He said: The possibility of partition is the one thing which could, and likely would, prompt the south to compromise, because if not, they would have an entirely separate, internationally recognised, independent state to their north. The absurdity of the current situation, which makes [Ursula] von der Leyens 2021 view so risible, is that, de facto, thats what we have anyway. Why should innocent people in the north continue to be punished through the inconvenience of international isolation, when their negotiators have repeatedly cooperated only to face obduracy from the south?

President Tatar and Turkish Cypriot campaigners have welcomed his comments.

Rikki Williams and Cetin Ramadan, co-chairs of the organisation Freedom and Fairness for Northern Cyprus, said: As the former foreign secretary, Jack Straw witnessed first hand the Greek Cypriot rejection of the Annan plan in 2004 and despite this, their entry into the European Union. This not only compounded the isolation of the Turkish Cypriots which had begun in 1963, but it also removed all incentive for the Greek Cypriot side to negotiate a fair and sustainable settlement.

Twenty years later and Jack Straws statements are truer than ever. Labour were in government in 1974, 2004 and now 2024  they owe it to the Turkish Cypriots to view them as equals at the negotiating table with their inherent sovereign rights recognised. It is time for two states on one island. We would hope that Mr Straw can talk directly to his friends in the new Labour government.

But the Cypriot government and its high commission in London say that a federal solution and the end of Turkish occupation would be the only acceptable outcome.

Deputy high commissioner Spyros Miltiades told The Independent: It is obvious from the above that the Cyprus problem is not a bicommunal dispute but rather an issue of an illegal invasion and occupation.

He added: It is true that the passage of time makes it harder to reach a solution of the Cyprus problem. But there is no other alternative than continue all efforts to reach a settlement that will reunite our country. As we have witnessed there is no such think a s frozen conflict.

Cyprus lies in the centre of a turbulent region. A reunification that would bring peace and stability in Cyprus could be a catalyst for peace and stability for the whole region. In this effort we need the support of the International Community. The UK a guarantor power has special role to play and we rely on its leadership and influence. Most importantly, a solution of the Cyprus issue must incorporate a sense of justice. Otherwise, we will find ourselves back to square one.
Hundreds of eager shoppers lined up Friday outside of the Winston-Salem Fairgrounds Education Building to get their hands on discounted Champion apparel.

The HanesBrands back-to-school sale is being held at the Education Building, 360 Deacon Blvd. The sale began Thursday and will continue through Monday.

The sale features Champion apparel, accessories and footwear. All items are priced at $10 or less, with daily doorbuster deals.

The sale comes after the June 5 announcement from HanesBrands that the company would be selling the Champion brand to Authentic Brands Group Inc.

Believing this may be the last local Champion sale, shoppers filled their bags to the brim.

Its been really impressive  I think the community has really showed up in a really big way, Stefanie Jaworski, store operations manager, said. Its a lot of hard work, but theres a lot of love behind it, too, when you see the turn out weve had today.

Shoppers could be seen carrying large plastic bags to place items in as they shopped. Some seasoned shoppers came with with large beach wagons to hold all of their purchases.

According to Jaworski, the line outside of the building was over 100 people long on Thursday and Friday.

The Champion back-to-school sale is an offshoot of the HanesBrands annual community sale, which features discounted HanesBrands items from such brands as Bali, Champion, Hanes and Maidenform.

I think the community loves when HanesBrands and Champion offers this [sale], Jaworksi said. We have really great value ... [and] I think everyones on a budget with the economy the way that it is.

Jaworski expects it to only get busier as the weekend goes on.

This sale makes the second HanesBrands sale of this summer, with the most recent Champion warehouse sale occurring in June. According to Jaworski, more HanesBrands sales will be coming to Winston-Salem later this year.

PHOTOS: Champion warehouse sale at Winston-Salem Fairgrounds offers bargains for $10 and under
This Lady Justice costume was stolen in Missoula from Montana Supreme Court clerk candidate Erin Farris-Olsen. Police have no leads and marked the case inactive. (Provided photo)

Justice hasnt just been delayed. It hasnt just been denied.

Lady Justice has been stolen.

From the back of a Toyota minivan. Parked near downtown Missoula.

A costume of the popular symbol of American justice, complete with blindfold, scales and toga, was unjustly taken from Erin Farris-Olsens minivan earlier this week as she was campaigning for clerk of the Montana Supreme Court.

Farris-Olsen, a lawyer and Helena resident, said she had been campaigning with different volunteers wearing the costume as a way to convey an image of her message that justice should be impartial.

What comes to mind for me, and I think for many people, is Lady Justice, said Farris-Olsen in a phone call about the theft.

Lady Justice is her logo, but she said shes always loved costumes, so she put together a getup of the symbol with a toga, a blindfold, a sword and scales.

Those represent my vision and what we need to strive for as a society to have a justice system that upholds our democracy, Farris-Olsen said.

Farris-Olsen, a Democrat, is trying to unseat incumbent Republican Bowen Greenwood. Greenwood, elected in 2018, confirmed in a phone call Thursday he had not recently acquired a Lady Justice costume.

He said he does not even dress up for Halloween  unlike Farris-Olsen  although he would one day like to wear a theater-quality Jedi Knight costume.

Nonetheless, he said his stance on such criminal activity is clear.

As a strong personal principle, I condemn all theft costumes, Greenwood said.

The costume was stolen Monday night, and Farris-Olsen said she reported it as missing with the Missoula Police Department.

In a phone call Thursday, Officer Whitney Bennett said the case was listed as inactive because of a lack of surveillance footage or other leads.

Unfortunately, we have limited follow-up options with this stuff, Bennett said.

Thief in the night

Farris-Olsen said she put the costume together and was excited to take Lady Justice to parades and be doing little photoshoots and videos at courthouses in Montana.

I always love these courthouses that we have across the state, she said.

A different volunteer has worn the costume, with different hair, demographics and body styles, but always a woman based on Lady Justice being female, inspired by a Greek goddess and representing continuity across generations because women bear children, she said.

Monday in Missoula, she parked somewhere near Broadway, a busy thoroughfare, and she recalls thinking she should lock her car, but she doesnt remember if she actually did. She also said she might have locked the car but left a window cracked.

Nothing was broken, but sometime after 10:30 p.m. Monday and the wee hours, the thief or thieves stole other items, such as her phone charger, sun shirt and jacket. Farris-Olsen said her old laptop was in the car too, but the culprit(s) didnt want that hardware, and she doesnt blame them too much on that count.

I half wish theyd taken the laptop, she said.

Since they didnt, shell motor around Montana with the old computer, but soon, she hopes, a new Lady Justice costume, maybe in time for a visit to the courthouse in Flathead County July 23-25.

I want to reassemble the pieces and still try to get Lady Justice out in the public eye, Farris-Olsen said. But Ive got to regroup, obviously.

Roving thieves

Bennett, with the police department, said its common for thieves to walk down streets looking for unlocked cars and things to steal.

She said one officer has also noticed a trend of a bump key being used recently in Missoula, although its unclear if it could have been used to steal Lady Justice. A bump key can be used to pick a lock.

Despite the roving thieves, Greenwood, of Helena, may brave Missoulas streets soon, possibly this weekend. He wont face the same trouble, though.

I have no costumes at all, Greenwood said.

Hes a fan of justice too, although he said some of the clerk of courts work is more basic, timely document filing, for instance. He talks about his record on his campaign website.

During my first term, every single document, without exception, has been processed on time and according to the rules, he said. Republican or Democrat, politician or prisoner, everyones legal filings move through the system promptly and correctly.

Although theyre both against costume stealing, Greenwood and Farris-Olsen differ in their professional backgrounds. Shes a lawyer, and hes worked in communications and is also a novelist and former head of the Montana Republican Party.

There are not many places where an ordinary Montanan without a law degree can see the inner workings of the justice system, Greenwood said. And I think its a great thing that clerks of court dont have to be attorneys.

Farris-Olsen, not only a lawyer but one the State Bar of Montana has awarded, said the work court clerks do engaging with the public gives people the information and resources they need to achieve justice. She said shes passionate about their work and the justice system, the backbone of our society.

She said her campaign is an uphill battle because her opponent is an incumbent. Shes also a Democrat in a Republican state. But Farris-Olsen said shed like to remind people about justice not just for her own campaign.

I think one of the biggest things thats at stake is the public perception of justice, she said.

When she was out and about, one thing people commented on is the sword Lady Justice wore, Farris-Olsen said: She does have a sword because justice is swift and final.

It appears to still be elusive in the case of the missing Lady Justice, however. But if someone sees her at a pawn shop or for sale on Facebook, they should call the Missoula Police Department, Bennett said: (406) 552-6300.
Lake Erie was at record levels in 2019. Where things stand, and a forecast, 5 years later.

Lake Erie water levels are slightly above average midway through July but a far cry from the record levels reached a few years ago.

The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers forecasts that water levels will fall in the coming months, but July is seeing an uptick from June.

February: What low ice levels on the water this winter mean for Lake Erie and its ecosystem

The average levels are measured off a network of gauges located around the Great Lakes.

From July 1 to July 15, the water levels in Lake Erie were at a minimum of 572.83 feet and a maximum of 573.03 feet.

These levels were above those that were reported in June and above the average level for July, 572.01 feet.

June saw a minimum depth of 572.80 feet and a maximum depth of 573 feet. The levels were 10 inches above the June long-term average.

August 2023: Lake Erie water level resuming seasonal decline but still above average

Bottom line: Lake Erie is not showing any significant increase or decrease from average water levels.

Five years earlier it was a different case. Lake Erie this June was 20 inches below the record levels recorded in June 2019.

The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers reports that Lake Erie water saw an average level of 572.90 feet in June.

The highest water level Lake Erie recorded in any month of July was in 2019, 574.57 feet. The lowest water level for July was in 1934, 569.06 feet.

The lake's average depth is 62 feet, while the maximum depth is 210 feet. Water levels are the measured height of water above or below a reference point.

More: How are homes and properties along Lake Erie being saved from falling into the water?

What is the U.S. Army Corp of Engineers?

The Army Corps collects and disseminates water level data along with the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration and the Canadian Hydrographic Service.

The USACE Detroit District compiles Great Lakes water level information with data that spans back to 1918 to the current month with future predictions.

How deep is Lake Erie?: How was it named? Facts about the Great Lake and its cousins

What's ahead for Lake Erie water levels?

The U.S. Army Corp. of Engineers forecasts that Lake Erie will begin a seasonal decline this month.

Over the next six months, the water levels are likely to match the levels recorded in July 2023. The levels will then possibly decline 3 inches to 6 inches below the levels recorded in 2023 from August to December.

The water levels are forecast to remain 6 inches to 10 inches above the long-term average and will be 19 inches to 28 inches below the record levels.

Here are the water level forecasts for Lake Erie from the U.S. Army Corps for the next five months:

July: upper levels 573.1 feet, lower levels 572.37 feet.

August: upper levels 572.9 feet, lower levels 571.98 feet.

September: upper levels 572.64 feet, lower levels 571.59 feet.

October: upper levels 572.37 feet, lower levels 571.13 feet.

November: upper levels 572.24, lower levels 570.8 feet.

Contact Nicholas Sorensen at nsorensen@gannett.com.

This article originally appeared on Erie Times-News: What are Lake Erie water levels in Pa. 5 years after record highs?
Land Back: Winnebago Tribe of Nebraska Get Back 1,600 Acres That Were Illegally Taken by US 50 Years Ago

The Winnebago Tribe of Nebraska has fought for more than 50 years to reclaim land located along the Missouri River in Woodbury and Monona Counties.(Photo/Garan Coons/Winnebago Tribe Of Nebraska)

This week, President Joe Biden signed a bill into law that returns 1,600 acres of land back to the Winnebago Tribe of Nebraska. The land was illegally seized by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers 50 years ago.

The bipartisan Winnebago Land Transfer Act, introduced by U.S. Senator Deb Fischer (R-Neb.) honors the The Treaty of 1865, which established the Winnebago Reservation in northeastern Nebraska along the Missouri River. But westward shifts in the river moved the boundaries of the reservation, and portions of tribal land ended up in Iowa.

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In 1970, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers condemned land on both the Nebraska and Iowa sides of the river for a proposed recreation project. The Corps filed eminent domain proceedings to acquire both tracts of land, which began the tribes five decade fight for their territory back.

Winnebago Tribal chairwoman Victoria Kitcheyan called the landback a truly historic moment for the tribe.

Our ancestors, including the late Louis LaRose, fought tirelessly to secure and protect our homelands, she said. The Tribal Council is honored to carry on their work.

The chairwoman told a KTIV reporter that the land will continue to be used by tribal members, including for public hunting.

The land transfer includes a restriction on use the tribe is prohibited in using the land for gaming purposes, according to the bill.

Our bill becoming law corrects a decades-old wrong, Sen. Fischer said in a statement. Now, we can finally return this land to the Winnebago Tribe of Nebraska.

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Former Maryland Gov. Larry Hogan (R) criticized Project 2025 in a recent op-ed, calling the policy priorities outlined in the conservative agenda absurd and dangerous.

Hogan, in the piece published Friday by The Washington Post, argued that traditional American Values are under threat on both sides of the aisle.

On the left, the refusal by some to clearly stand up to radicals such as antisemitic and pro-Hamas protesters, advocates of defunding the police, and the open-borders movement has done substantial damage, Hogan wrote. However, on the right, there is no clearer example of the threat to American values than Project 2025.

The 900-age policy agenda, led by the conservative Heritage Foundation, is gaining traction as the unofficial presidential transition project. It is divided into sections based on five main topics  Taking the Reins of Government, The Common Defense, The General Welfare, The Economy and Independent Regulatory Agencies.

Project 2025 has gained support from more than 100 other right-wing organizations and conservatives who critics argue could staff a second Trump administration if hes reelected in November.

Trump, however, has called attempts to link him to the document pure disinformation and claimed he has nothing to do with it.

Hogan said to call the ideas in the plan radical would be a disservice, even as Republicans downplay the influence of the plan.

In truth, Project 2025 takes many of the principles that have made this nation great and shreds them, he wrote in the opinion piece.

Hogan, who is running for the vacant Senate seat left by retiring Sen. Ben Cardin (D-Md.), noted that one of the primary goals in the plan targets federal workers, and could affect more than 150,000 Maryland residents.

The goal is to remove nonpartisan civil servants, most of whom patriotically do their jobs without fanfare or political agendas, and replace them with loyalists to the president, Hogan said. Republicans who believe this power grab will benefit them in the short term will ultimately regret empowering a Democratic president with this level of control.

The former governor, whose father was an FBI agent, also highlighted an aspect of the plan that he said would weaken the Department of Justices independence from the president. Impartial justice should not be abandoned by choice and design, Hogan argued.

Of the absurd and dangerous policies in the plan, Hogan highlighted that the Education Department and the Federal Reserve could potentially be disbanded, as well as mass deportations.

This radical approach is out of touch with the American people, Hogan said. Most Americans  regardless of party affiliation  have more in common than many realize.

They want common-sense solutions to address the cost of living, make our communities safer, and secure the border while fixing the broken immigration system, he continued. Instead of addressing these problems, Project 2025 opts for total war against the other side, making it impossible to find common ground.

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ROANOKE, Va. (WFXR)  Larrys Law went into effect on July 1 and is designed to protect Virginias most vulnerable communities from financial exploitation.

While the law has gained a reputation for primarily protecting the elderly, it seeks to prevent scams from attacking any at-risk communities, including adults with disabilities and cognitive challenges.

Julie Wheeler, President of the Better Business Bureau for Western Virginia explains the evolution of technology and the trusting nature of many individuals living in the rural areas of Southwest Virginia raise concerns as a potential at-risk community.

Youre in a part of the state where people tend to be trusting, she said. They tend to want to be nice.

For the technology portion of concern, Delegate Michelle Maldonado (D-Manassas) brings up the rise of artificial intelligence.

Our AI technology only needs a few seconds of your voice to be able to replicate proper intimation and pronunciation, said Maldonado.

Maldonado sponsored the bill derived from the Senior Safe Act, naming it Larrys Law, in honor of the late Larry Cook. He was a native of Herndon, Virginia, and a retired Navy submarine commander.

His family says Cook was robbed of over $3 million in a wire fraud scheme in 2021.

Larrys Law aims to prevent elder fraud in Virginia

The law provides banks certain immunity to reach out to trusted contacts designated by the account holder when they suspect fraudulent activity. As it currently stands, some banks fail to contact relatives or loved ones for fear of litigation, while others are simply too small to dedicate the resources to tracking down additional contacts.

The introduction of an emergency contact was done in hopes of stifling scams before they get out of control. However, it has raised some concerns about overstepping the independence of these vulnerable individuals. In the end, Maldonado believes that while banks may occasionally misidentify fraud, that outweighs the consequences of failing to reach out when there is a scam at work.

We have to make sure that were not taking away the independence, autonomy, and decision-making of our elders, said Maldonado.

Many scammers prey on the fears of their victims by impersonating family members or government officials to fabricate situations that require urgent attention. Experts suggest establishing a code word with family members to pick out the real from the imaginary, but there are other potential solutions.

If it sounds too good to be true or they are trying to scare you to death, chances are you need to step back, talk to someone else, and evaluate before you take any action, said Wheeler.

Wheeler identified prize scams, investment fraud, and impersonating family members in need of help as popular forms of exploitation in Southwest Virginia.

According to Maldonado, the next goal for this type of legislation is to introduce a standard mandatory reporting process for financial institutions. As for Larrys Law, the process of developing a standard guide for banks to report fraud is expected to be in place by January 1, 2026.

With that on the horizon, Maldonado has a message for those who steal from the vulnerable.

Were coming for you, she said. We see it and we know that things are getting more sophisticated. And we will do the work to protect our people.

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Michele Fiore, a longtime RNC committeewoman and former Las Vegas city councilor, has been accused of stealing $70,000 from a charity she set up to build a memorial to a dead police officer, according to an indictment filed by the DOJ on Tuesday.

In 2018, at the opening of a park memorializing Alyn Beck, a Las Vegas police officer who was killed in the line of duty, Fiore proposed the city erect a statue to Beck, according to the Nevada Independent.

Fiore then allegedly contracted a company to create the statue and falsely told the company that she had appropriated discretionary funds through the City of Las Vegas to pay for it, according to the indictment.

At the same time, Fiore had set up a charity in July 2019 which solicited donations to build the statue. Fiore operated the charity between July 2019 and January 2020 and promised 100 percent of the contributions to the charity would go to the funding of the statue.

Fiore allegedly had all donations sent directly to bank accounts she controlled, and none of the money was used for the statue.

Fiore instructed prospective donors to write a check to a bank account that Fiore controlled at Bank of Nevada, the indictment alleges. Fiore directed that money to be spent not for the charitable purpose solicited but for her own personal expenses.

The indictment further alleges Fiore attempted to hide the money, moving the fraudulently obtained contributions from the bank accounts of a Political Action Committee A and charity A into different bank accounts, including accounts controlled by Fiore.

On one occasion, Fiore allegedly instructed a donor to write a $5,000 check to her PAC, which the donor thought was intended for the statue. That money was then, allegedly, used by an unnamed relative to pay Fiores rent.

The DOJ says Fiore also used the money to pay for her daughters wedding.

In total, the DOJ alleges that Fiore stole more than $70,000 of donations intended for the statue.

The indictment recommended Fiore be charged with four counts of wire fraud and one count of conspiracy to commit wire fraud. Fiore, who currently serves as a Justice of the Peace in Nye County, could be sentenced to 20 years in prison if found guilty.

Fiore did not return The Daily Beasts request for comment by the time of publishing.

Fiore was previously accused of accepting campaign donations that exceeded Nevadas maximum contribution limit of $10,000, during her campaign for state treasurer in 2022, according to the Nevada Independent.

Read more at The Daily Beast.

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LAS VEGAS (KLAS)  Las Vegas police released officer-worn body camera video after an in-custody death on Tuesday.

According to police, it happened shortly after 8:30 a.m. on July 16 in the 4700 block of West Charleston Boulevard near Decatur Boulevard.

Officers driving near the scene spotted a fight in the parking lot between three men, which was later determined to be a robbery between the men.

Police spoke with one of the men who told officers the suspect, later identified as Michael Turner, 56, assaulted him, took items from him, and pointed toward Turner as he was entering a white vehicle nearby.

Las Vegas police released officer-worn body camera video after an in-custody death on Tuesday. (LVMPD)

The officer then located the white vehicle, with Turner attempting to leave the parking lot. According to police, Turner started to drive away from the officer at a slow speed in the parking lot. The officer followed and observed the vehicle become high-centered on a median. Turners vehicle reversed, and his vehicle and the patrol car collided. Turner then drove the vehicle a short distance from the patrol vehicle and stopped, police said.

The officer issued verbal commands to Turner to exit the vehicle. He exited by crawling out of the vehicle and immediately lay on the ground. An additional officer arrived, and Turner was taken into custody and handcuffed at which time medical was requested, according to police.

While waiting for a medical team to arrive, Turner sat up and requested water be poured on him several minutes later he then rolled himself back down onto the ground, police said.

Las Vegas police released officer-worn body camera video after an in-custody death on Tuesday. (LVMPD)

Once a third officer arrived at the arrest location and began monitoring Turner. After several more minutes, a supervisor arrived and noticed that Turner appeared unresponsive. He told the officer to remove the handcuffs and administer Narcan. The Narcan did not appear to work, and officers began CPR on Turner as a medical team arrived.

Nearly 50 grams of meth was found inside Turners vehicle, and another 29 grams of meth was found on Turners body was found at the hospital, police stated.

Nearly 50 grams of meth was found inside Turners vehicle, and another 29 grams of meth was found on Turners body was found at the hospital, police stated. (LVMPD)

Nearly 50 grams of meth was found inside Turners vehicle, and another 29 grams of meth was found on Turners body was found at the hospital, police stated. (LVMPD)

A medical team took Turner to UMC where he was later pronounced dead.

The cause and manner of death will be released by the Clark County coroners office.

The investigation of the incident remains ongoing. An examination of the incident is being conducted by the LVMPD Critical Incident Review Team.

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Nicolas Maduro flashes victory signs at a campaign rally in Caracas this week - but the polls tell a different story - Juan Barreto/AFP via Getty Image

It was early on Wednesday morning when police forced their way into the Caracas home of their former colleague Milciades Avila.

Mr Avila, who for a decade has provided personal security for Maria Corina Machado, the opposition leader currently taking Venezuela by storm, was charged with gender violence, they said, as they whisked him away.

The arbitrary detention  the 71st this year of members of the Unitarian Democratic Platform, the opposition umbrella alliance  is just the latest example of kleptocratic strongman president Nicolas Maduros dirty tricks before elections scheduled for Sunday July 28.

After more than two decades of runaway corruption, gross economic mismanagement and widespread human rights abuses, even many of the poorest Venezuelans, traditionally the Chavista regimes strongest supporters, have turned against it. Polls show the authoritarian socialist government losing by a landslide  unless, as many fear, it rigs the vote.

Opposition figures arrested include around a dozen of Ms Machados inner circle. Meanwhile, six of her aides, including her press secretary, have been holed up in the Argentine embassy in Caracas for months after seeking asylum there.

Mr Avila was targeted after several female Maduro supporters suddenly barged their way towards Ms Machado on July 13 in the central region of Carabobo. Mr Avila did his job, physically blocking the womens path.

He was eventually released on bail on Friday. But not before Ms Machado, 56, an industrial engineer who has long been one of the most fiery critics of Mr Maduro and his late mentor Hugo Chavez, claimed the incident was a set-up.

Milciades Avila at the wheel of Maria Corina Machado's car as she greets supporters during a rally in Merida state last month - Gaby Oraa/Reuters

There are dozens of witnesses and videos that prove this was an act of planned provocation to leave us without protection, she posted on X, formerly Twitter. Maduro has made violence and repression his campaign.

For Mr Maduro, 61, facing a laundry list of potential serious criminal charges, defeat next week is not an option. Barring a deal with the opposition, he would lose not only power, but his freedom.

Separately, he would also need to negotiate immunity with the US, which has placed a $15 million bounty on his head for large-scale drug trafficking.

That explains why the former bus driver and union leader, anointed in 2012 as the next leader of Venezuela as Mr Chavez was dying of cancer, has this week been warning of a bloodbath and fratricidal civil war should the fascists  a term he appears to use for anyone who believes in the rule of law  win.

The florid rhetoric may be more than scare tactics. The regime has heavily armed its civilian supporters ever since a failed coup against Mr Chavez in 2002.

A show of support in Caracas by supporters of the Maduro regime, who have been heavily armed since a failed coup in 2002 - Miguel Gutierrez/EPA-EFE/Shutterstock

And force may be all that is left to keep a once popular, but now deeply loathed, government in power.

Initially, after Mr Chavez was first elected president in 1998, his colloquial but sweeping oratory, anti-American posturing and petrodollar-fuelled largesse, even distributing televisions to the poor, saw his approval ratings soar.

But since then, his regime has transformed the only country with larger oil reserves than Saudi Arabia into one stalked by hunger where hospital patients die for lack of basic medicines.

The humanitarian crisis has prompted an exodus of seven million Venezuelans, roughly one in four of the population. It is statistically the western hemispheres greatest refugee crisis ever.

Meanwhile, Mr Maduro and his inner circle are accused of embezzling billions of dollars and running the state-owned oil company PDVSA, which accounts for more than 90 per cent of exports, into the ground.

But the regime may finally have met its match in Ms Machado. The mother of three grown children, who like so many Venezuelans now live abroad, is frequently mobbed by emotional supporters as she criss-crosses Venezuela on the campaign trail. Expectation of her imminent triumph is at fever pitch.

Some commentators say the fervour is reminiscent of the heyday of el Comandante as Mr Chavez, a former lieutenant colonel in the army who first rose to national prominence following his own botched coup attempt in 1992, was once known.

Maria Corina Machado has been prevented from being a candidate for the presidency but is widely expected to be the real leader if Edmundo Gonzalez is elected - Juan Barreto/AFP via Getty Images

Yet Ms Machado, who counts Margaret Thatcher as one of her political heroes, is not even a candidate in the presidential race.

After winning more than 90 per cent of the votes in the UDPs primary last year, she was barred from public office by a Chavista-packed court for supposed corruption and supporting US sanctions against the dictatorship.

She promptly threw her support behind a back-up candidate, Edmundo Gonzalez, 74, a little-known, softly spoken retired diplomat and amateur birdwatcher.

The pair often campaign together now, braving police roadblocks and government harassment as they travel by car because of a ban on Ms Machado flying.

Hotels where the pair have stayed and restaurants where they have eaten have often been shuttered by the regime, prompting the pair to rely on the hospitality of local supporters.

Should the opposition win, Ms Machado is widely expected to be the de facto leader of a government formally led by Mr Gonzalez.

Polls show him on more than double the level of support for Mr Maduro. The remainder of the vote is shared by around a dozen smaller candidates widely viewed as stooges of the regime.

Its hard to imagine they will hand over the keys

Im sure they [Ms Machado and Mr Gonzalez] represent change, for a prosperous Venezuela, where theres no persecution and those of us who see things differently to the government can be adversaries, not enemies, Milagros Gomez, a retired lawyer who attended a rally held by the pair at the Central University of Venezuela in Caracas last Sunday, told The Telegraph.

But for that to happen, Mr Maduro must be prepared to relinquish power, something that strikes Michael Shifter, a Latin America expert at the InterAmerican Dialogue, a Washington DC think tank, as pretty far-fetched.

Its hard to imagine that without guarantees for Maduro and those in his inner circle, and all the accusations, including of crimes against humanity, that they are just going to hand over the keys and walk away, he says.

Nevertheless, even with electoral fraud, this months vote and the oppositions new-found unity could signal the start of a long, painful democratic transition, Mr Shifter believes: There will be significant actors within Chavismo who will see the writing on the wall.

But for that to happen, citizens will need to make their weight felt and vote in significant numbers next Sunday, even if the Maduro government ultimately manages to fake, at least temporarily, an improbable electoral comeback.

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It was an eventful week for the Silicon Valley moguls who have vowed to support Donald Trump in his bid to return to the presidency.

Given the collision course of tech and Trump, when Leda Health founder Madison Campbell asked me if Id care to buy an extra ticket to the Republican National Convention from her, I agreed. During the four days I attended the event in Milwaukee, I saw the Valleys presence everywhere: Jacob Helberg  venture capitalist Keith Rabois husband and former president Donald Trumps evangelist  watched the Republican National Convention from his own private box that overlooked the floor, donning a red yarmulke with Trump stamped on the edge. Investor David Sacks took the stage, orating to the hundreds of delegates decked out in red. Peter Thiels protege and former venture capitalist J.D. Vance sat beaming by Trumps side.

In the brightly lit hallway, flooded with Texas delegates donned in cowboy hats and jeans, Trump superfans in American-flag suits and the occasional woman in a red ball gown, I found Blake Masters, another Thiel protege running for office in Arizona. He demurred when I asked if he, Vance and Thiel have a group text chat. But he did smile and say, Peter is very, very pleased, referring to Vances veep nomination.

All week at the RNC, I saw an event defined by Silicon Valley. But I also saw the tech elite experience flashes of discordance between their dreamed-of outcomes and those of the working-class MAGA supporters overflowing the halls. Take Sacks, who has been critical of unions, speaking at 9 p.m.  only for Sean O'Brien, general president of the International Brotherhood of Teamsters in America, to close out the night a few hours later.

On the first day of the convention, I met Campbell at the Pfister Hotel, where Trump was reportedly staying. Secret Service agents lined the doors, and a procession of armored vans continuously pulled up to drop off congressmen. (I passed Alabama senator Katie Boyd Britt as I walked in.) Every night, delegates and lobbyists sipped espresso martinis at the hotel bar and talked shop beneath the oil-painted mural sky.

Campbell, whose company creates at-home evidence-collection kits for rape and sexual assault victims, filled me in on her own political journey. Shes a libertarian (and famously dated infamous former hedge fund libertarian Martin Shkreli) who recently doubled down on her hometown of Pittsburgh. She won the Miss Pittsburgh pageant last year and then began working closely with local conservatives. Recently, shes opened her mind to a spot in the Trump administration, interviewing to be in Project 2025s Presidential Personnel Database, an effort by the Heritage Foundation to centralize potential Trump administration personnel.

Campbell, who had been selected last minute as an alternate Pennsylvania delegate, told me shes not a die-hard Trump supporter. Rather, she thinks hell be beneficial for businesses like her own. Even if I agree with some of the policies of Trump, I don't think I necessarily agree with him as a person. And now it looks like, you know, its Trump for president, she said. So here we are.

RNC security on boats.

Tense contradictions

To get to the convention center from the hotel, we passed hordes of cops on boats floating in the Milwaukee River, on bikes in the street, on horses milling around the security perimeter. We weaved around a crowd of protestors waving Palestinian flags.

After we arrived, I pushed through a crowd of reporters to ask Vivek Ramaswamy  former presidential candidate, investor and founder of biotech company Roivant Sciences  what he thought of Silicon Valleys support for Trump. He noted the announcements of Trump support from Silicon Valley. He said he speaks with Musk frequently about our shared passions for reviving this country. (The WSJ reported this week that Musk is donating heavily to the Trump Super PAC, although Musk has publicly disputed the report). He said that other tech elites have expressed to him that they are gonna come around this year and predicted a tidal wave this summer, he said.

Theres good reason for Ramaswamys optimism. While many Trump supporters among the tech elite have always traditionally leaned right, there have been surprise endorsements. For example, Ben Horowitz and his a16z co-founder Marc Andreessen publicly announced this week that they would be supporting Trump, rather than quietly donating.

The GOP hasnt exactly been subtle about courting Silicon Valley, either. Earlier this month, the party released its platform, highlighting support for crypto development free from Government Surveillance and Control. Trump is also scheduled to speak at Nashvilles Bitcoin Conference later this month  prompting investor Mark Cuban to offer a cynical take on why techies are turning to Trump. Its a Bitcoin play, he tweeted, explaining that its all about driving Bitcoin prices higher.

The platform also supports AI Development rooted in Free Speech and Human Flourishing.

Of course, politicians at the RNC had a more classic down-with-regulation rationale. Just like with Elon Musk and the rest, [Trump] supports free speech, he supports the free market, Florida Rep. Cory Mills told me, not the ideas of having policy drive our private sector.

Still, Silicon Valleys embrace of Trump is filled with tense contradictions: Trumps administration was actually fairly tough on crypto (he even banned Venezuelas crypto coin), and Trump himself has derided subsidies for electric vehicles. Even Vances record is questionable in terms of being pro-tech, and he's campaigned on being anti-Big Tech. "I guess I look at Lina Khan as one of the few people in the Biden administration that I think is doing a pretty good job," Vance said in February. Khans time at the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) has been marked by aggressive pursuit of antitrust cases blocking acquisitions.

Despite all that, Daniel Castro, vice president at the Information Technology and Innovation Foundation, told me that Bidens antitrust streak and advocacy for AI regulation has pushed the already-libertarian-leaning parts of Silicon further and further away.

The Biden administration should be careful not to kind of demonize Silicon Valley, he said.

It might be too late.

RNC VIP party invite.

Inside the VIP party

Everywhere Campbell and I went, we could see Silicon Valley in the MAGA-verse. Outside the convention center, we ran into Conor Sweeney, a Snapchat software engineer, wearing a snakeskin belt. We chatted with him shortly after Vance was announced as the vice presidential pick. Anything with Peter Thiel turns to gold, he said.

At night, in the Pfisters mahogany-lined bar, Campbell struck up a conversation with Jeff Miller, a powerful political strategist and close confidant of former House speaker Kevin McCarthy. Campbell gave Miller the pitch for her home rape-kit evidence company, and he steered the conversation to his stance on abortion. (He was opposed to it but did agree that there should be exceptions in the case of rape, incest, and life of the mother). That conversation ended with a tantalizing promise to get her passes to the VIP after-party. Later, I noticed that Miller had liked an Instagram photo of Campbell during the swimsuit competition of the Miss Pittsburgh competition.

The next night, Miller sought Campbell out in the Pfister bar and handed her a glossy party invitation, complete with a drawing of a grinning ringleader. Campbell and I took an Uber to a rooftop birthday party for Indiana Rep. Jim Banks, where we were held up by Secret Service agents sending their search dogs to sniff each vehicle. The line of cars was backed up after the officers found a bag of white powder in the car in front of us. (We had a raucous debate over the fate of the powder while we waited but never found out more).

The party was a dull assembly of mostly staffers in suits sipping their beers. But at 1 a.m., we took a car over to the main attraction: a warehouse decked out in pink lights on the outskirts of town, where the big GOP donors and power players went every night to unwind. We ran into Miller again, surrounded by women, and then hung out with CJ Pearson, a 21-year-old conservative influencer, one of about 70 such influencers at the RNC.

Ironically, given the Trump administrations anti-China stance and his attempt to ban TikTok, hes now on the popular app as a candidate, as are the young influencers.

If we're in the business of truly winning elections, then we have to go to where young people are, and young people are on TikTok and young people are on Instagram, Pearson said. I'm not a fan of the Chinese Communist Party. But what I am a fan of is changing the hearts and minds of America's young people.

Throughout the night, I also heard Campbell offering slightly different political advice to fellow partygoers. Despite thousands of attendees yelling, Drill, baby, drill! as they watched speakers during the day, a call for increased U.S. oil production, she lightly chastised Pennsylvania conservative candidates for chasing the oil and gas donors of Pittsburghs past. She wanted them to embrace tech as the new GOP kingpins.

The only new money that I can see is like Elon Musk, right? Or you have the Thiel money, Campbell said. If youre looking for oil and gas money from people who used to be big Republican donors in the 1980s, you're looking at the wrong type of people. Because the new money is all in technology.

To me, these conversations captured the tenuous thread between Silicon Valley and Trump  an imperfect yet lucrative match, one that requires each side to tuck away moral misgivings.
PORTLAND, Ore. (KOIN)  Oregon Republican lawmakers are calling on Governor Tina Kotek to remove Cass McLeod-Skinner from her role as director of the Oregon Board of Chiropractic Examiners after re-posting a message about the assassination attempt against former President Donald Trump on social media.

Cass McLeod-Skinner is the wife of Jamie McLeod-Skinner, who was the Democratic nominee for Oregons 5th congressional district in the 2022 election.

Oregon House Republican Leader Jeff Helfrich (R-Hood River) and Senate Republican Leader Daniel Bonham (R-The Dalles) sent a letter to the governor on Wednesday asking for the director to be removed for amplifying the assassination comments.

The lawmakers claimed McLeod-Skinner reposted a message on X, formerly known as Twitter, expressing disappointment that the shooter had not succeeded in murdering the former president and current Republican nominee for President of the United States.

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Political violence has no place in American politics. Certainly, those who believe that it does should not be in positions of authority in Oregon state government. With her amplification of pro-assassination messages, Cass McLeod-Skinner has demonstrated that she is unfit for the position she holds with the Oregon Board of Chiropractic Examiners. Gov. Kotek rightly denounced violence in the aftermath of the shooting, and now she has an opportunity to put her words into action by removing McLeod-Skinner from her position to signal that such dangerous rhetoric is unacceptable, Helfrch and Bonham said in a joint statement.

In their letter to Kotek, the lawmakers said, We firmly believe that the Oregon Chiropractic Examiners Board, as well as all public offices, must be led by individuals who demonstrate the highest levels of professionalism and ethical conduct. Allowing such statements to go unaddressed sets a dangerous precedent and risks eroding public trust in our institutions.

KOIN 6 News reached out to Cass McLeod-Skinner, the Oregon Board of Chiropractic Examiners and Governor Kotek. This story will be updated if we receive responses.

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In a statement reacting to the assassination attempt, Gov. Kotek previously said, Violence in a political context is never acceptable, and our country is better than this. Thankful that the former president is recovering and grateful to all those on the front line that responded quickly.

According to the Oregon Board of Chiropractic Examiners, McLeod-Skinner has served as its director since 2014 after serving as general counsel and health equity officer for Trillium Community Health Plan and chair of the Board of Commissioners for Oregons Liquor Control Commission.

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Members of Congress took to social media to remember Rep. Sheila Jackson Lee (D-Texas), who died Friday evening at the age of 74.

Many of her colleagues highlighted Lees nearly three-decade career in Washington, calling her a fierce advocate and a fighter for justice.

Her family announced her death in a statement Friday, but did not specify a cause. The news, however, comes just over a month since the Texas Democrat revealed she was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer and had been undergoing treatment.

She was first elected to the House in 1994. Jackson Lee served on the House Judiciary, Homeland Security and Budget Committees. She was also chief deputy whip for the House Democrats and a vice chair of the Congressional Progressive Caucus.

Her colleagues posted messages honoring the congresswomans tenure and offering condolences to her family.

Fellow Texas Democrat Rep. Jasmine Crockett posted a photo of the two women wearing pink outfits on social media platform X.

Tonight, Texans all over are mourning the loss of a legend, true leader for social justice, public servant, and my friend, Congresswoman Sheila Jackson Lee, Crockett said, adding that the late Jackson Lee was a fierce advocate who never backed down.

If you ever needed a living example of servant leadership, you could look no further  Congresswoman Jackson Lee was compassionate, resilient, and most importantly, always willing to do the work! she wrote.

Rep. Joaquin Castro (D-Texas) called Jackson Lee a tough, principled and gracious.

As a black woman in Texas you carried yourself in a way that demanded respect amid the racism and misogyny you encountered, Castro wrote on X. I dont think people realize how hard you worked every day.

Castro said Jackson Lee made a difference for her community, for Houston and for the country. You really mattered, Sheila, he added.

Former Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) said she had learned about Jackson Lees death with deep sadness.

Congresswoman Jackson Lee achieved a remarkable legislative record in the Congress for Houston and for our country, Pelosi posted online. As a powerful voice for our Constitution and human rights, she fought tirelessly to advance fairness, equity and justice for all.

Pelosi said the House Democratic Caucus was blessed to know Jackson Lee and we will miss her dearly.

House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries (D-N.Y.) released a statement honoring the one and only Jackson Lee, calling her an inimitable force for change and a warrior for justice. He also highlighted that President Biden signed Jackson Lees bill into law that established Juneteenth as a federal holiday.

Sheila Jackson Lee was an accomplished legislator, passionate public servant, loving mentor and wonderful friend to so many of us in the Congressional Black Caucus and House Democratic Caucus family, Jeffries said. I am grateful for her fearless advocacy, fierce determination, formidable service and legacy of leadership.

Rep. Pramila Jayapal (D-Wash.) also said she was heartbroken to hear about Jackson Lees death in a post on X.

In her last text to me, she told me she has always been a fighter. Thats who she wasalways fighting for the people, for justice, Jayapal wrote. Love & comfort to her loved ones. May she rest in peace & power.

Rep. Maxine Waters (D-Calif.) highlighted Jackson Lees work ethic in her post on social media

Sheila Jackson Lee was a true legislator, committed to significant public policy. She spent every day on legislation, amendments, one minutes and five minutes, using every tool available to members of Congress to rewrite the rules and challenge the system, Waters said. Her time in Congress was truly significant.

Waters said she is going to miss the Texas Congresswoman, who has truly earned your place in the annals of history!

Rep. Al Green, another Democrat from Texas, called the news a great loss.

My condolences to @JacksonLeeTX18 immediate family, staff, & extended family. This is a great loss to people across the globe suffering injustice, he wrote on X. Although weve lost her physical presence, her spiritual presence will continue to reside in all who knew her. #SheilaJacksonLee.

Rep. Gregory Meeks (D-N.Y.) extended condolences to those impacted by Jackson Lees death.

Her dedication to public service and advocacy for justice and equality will always be remembered, Meeks said online. My thoughts and prayers are with her loved ones.

Rep. Cori Bush (D-Mo.) highlighted Jackson Lees dedication to criminal and legal reform  and fight for Black Americans.

From her leadership in criminal legal reform & reparations, to her dedication to the people of Houston  she was a force to be reckoned with, Bush posted. Sending love to her family, loved ones & constituents.

Rep. Tom Suozzi (D-N.Y.) also shared a photo of him and Jackson Lee when they served together on the House Pakistan Caucus.

Sheila was a fearless advocate for racial, criminal, and social justice, and she was also a trusted colleague and a cherished friend, Suozzi wrote.

Colleagues across the aisle also offered their condolences.



Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.), in a statement, also called the late congresswoman a fierce advocate, saying her larger-than-life personality will be missed.

Sheila and I served together on the Judiciary Committee for seven years. While we rarely agreed on policy, I always enjoyed our spirited debates about law and policy, and I counter her as a friend, Johnson said, adding May she rest in peace.

Rep. Byron Donalds (R-Fla.) branded the late congresswoman as a dedicated public servant.

Sheila Jackson Lee was a dedicated public servant who represented the people of Houston for more than three decades in federal and local government, he wrote on X. Erika and I pray for the strength of the congresswomans family. May her memory be a blessing.

Rep. Nancy Mace (R-S.C.) said she was saddened to learn of Jackson Lees death.

Deeply saddened by the passing of our colleague Congresswoman Sheila Jackson Lee, she posted early Saturday. We will be praying for her family and her eternal rest.

Sen. John Cornyn (R-Texas) also posted Saturday in her honor: End of an Era.

Jackson Lee is survived by her husband, Elwyn Lee, and two children.

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In this photo taken from video released by the Russian Defense Ministry on Friday, July 19, 2024, a Russian self-propelled multiple rocket launcher Uragan (Hurricane) fires toward Ukrainian position at an undisclosed location in Ukraine. (Russian Defense Ministry Press Service via AP)

KYIV, Ukraine (AP)  A Ukrainian former lawmaker best known for her crusade to promote the Ukrainian language has died after being shot in the street by an unknown assailant.

Iryna Farion, 60, initially survived the assault in the western city of Lviv on Friday, but later died from her wounds in a hospital. A manhunt is currently underway for her attacker, who fled from the scene. Ukrainian officials said an investigation is being carried out and that the attack is being treated as an assassination.

All available surveillance cameras are being worked on, witness interviews are ongoing and several districts are being surveyed. All leads are being investigated, including the one that leads to Russia, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said on his official Telegram channel Saturday.

All necessary forces from the National Police of Ukraine and the Ukrainian Security Service have been deployed to search for the criminal.

Farion served as a member of the Ukrainian parliament between 2012 and 2014, and was best known for her campaigns to promote the use of the Ukrainian language by Ukrainian officials who spoke Russian. She controversially criticized Russian-speaking members of Ukraines Azov regiment who defended the port city of Mariupol in the first days of the full-scale invasion.

Police are considering personal animosity toward the former MP due to her social and political activities as a likely motive behind the attack, said Interior Minister Ihor Klymenko, who will oversee the investigation in Lviv.

Elsewhere in Ukraine, at least two people were killed and three more injured after a Russian missile strike on infrastructure in the country's northeastern Kharkiv region, Gov. Oleh Syniehubov said Saturday.

Ukrainian officials also confirmed that the death toll following a Russian strike Friday on the city of Mykolaiv, had risen to four. A child was among the victims, said the citys mayor, Oleksandr Sienkevych.

Writing about the Mykolaiv strike on social media, Zelenskyy said that a projectile had hit a playground next to an apartment block.

Russia proves every day with its terror that pressure is not enough, he said. This destruction of life must be stopped. We need new solutions to support our defenses. Russia must feel the power of the world.

Ukraines air force said Saturday that Russia had launched four missiles and 17 drones overnight, of which 13 drones had been shot down.

The attacks have left thousands of people without power or running water in the Poltava region of central Ukraine, Gov. Filip Pronin said. Russia has continuously targeted Ukraines energy infrastructure, leading to blackouts across the country.

A pulverizing Russian onslaught in recent months has forced Kyivs troops to withdraw from some towns and villages in the eastern Donetsk region,

The latest targets are the mining town of Toretsk and the city of Pokrovsk, where Russia is stepping up its assaults. Ukrainian forces repelled 20 and 27 attacks on those areas respectively over 24 hours, Ukraines General Staff said Friday. That was almost double the number of assaults recorded at other hot spots along the front line, it said.

Russias Defense Ministry also announced Saturday that it had shot down 26 Ukrainian drones over Russias southern Rostov region, several hundred kilometers (miles) from the front line. Three more drones were destroyed over the Belgorod region, as well as one over the Smolensk region, it said. No casualties were reported. 

Katie Marie Davies in Manchester, England, contributed to this report.  Full coverage of the war in Ukraine: https://apnews.com/hub/russia-ukraine
Leeds city council has launched an urgent review of its handling of a child care case after it sparked a night of rioting in the city.

The Harehills area of the Yorkshire city descended into violence on Thursday night with police cars and a bus torched by a lawless mob.

Yvette Cooper, the Home Secretary, said those responsible for the disorder should feel the full force of the law for what she described as audacious criminality.

After a tense Friday night where a vigil was held by members of the Romanian and Roma community chanting please bring the kids back, the council has called for calm and announced a review of its handling of the family matter.

It comes as the parents of the children announced they are going on hunger strike until their four children are returned.

The remains of a bus after it was torched during violent protests on Thursday night - Asadour Guzelian

In a statement, Leeds city council said: The council has agreed to undertake an urgent review of the case and work with Romanian and Roma led organisations, the churches, and the Honorary Consulate of Romania and other family representatives for the best interests of the family and wider Roma community.

The local authority urged all communities to remain calm to try to prevent a repeat of Thursday nights disturbances that culminated in five arrests on Friday.

Local people are devastated by what happened, and we want to ensure there is no repeat of the distressing scenes we saw. Such actions will have a long lasting and harmful impact on our community, the statement continues.

The Romanian and Roma community have played a fantastic role in the community and have contributed much to the diversity and richness of the Harehills. We want this work to continue, and develop further work that makes Harehills an even better place to work and live.

Local people watch the clean up of the Harehills area of Leeds - Christopher Furlong/Getty Images

The move follows meetings with members of the Romanian and Roma community who claim the authorities had shown systemic racism and discrimination when handling the case regarding a family from their community.

On Thursday evening police were called to a home in Harehills after social services encountered difficulties handling a care issue surrounding Romanian and Roma children. Officers were filmed on social media removing children from the home as crowds gathered.

Police said officers were called after social workers reported being met with hostility when dealing with a child protection matter.

Officers soon came under attack forcing them to retreat as they became the target of hundreds of people.

Police patrol the Harehills neighbourhood after riots in Leeds - Christopher Furlong/Getty Images

West Yorkshire Police is analysing footage of the violence, much of it posted on social media, and has said further arrests will follow in the coming days.

Asst Chief Constable Pat Twigg said on Friday: The major enquiry team have launched an investigation which will include reviewing CCTV and social media footage and images to identify the perpetrators.

We will leave no stone unturned in our hunt for all those who were involved and will work closely with our criminal justice partners to bring them to justice.

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ELMIRA, N.Y. (WETM)  After being vacant for several years, the Water Street Place building in downtown Elmira is being transformed into several new businesses. A new gaming bar called The Playground is getting ready for its grand opening, after a soft opening three weeks ago.

Were a family partnership, a family business, said Kaylen Knox. So, we looked at this building for a year easily, and it was kind of an eyesore in the downtown area. We did a lot of footwork and legwork to find out who owned it. We purchased the building, and we kind of just had a vision in our mind of what, looking at everything else in the area, of what would be the best fit for the area. So, we built this out.

The property used to be a furniture rental store that shut down more than four years ago. The building is owned by the Knox and Joseph families. Knox says his brother and sister are also a key part of the business.

We focus on league play. We have dartboards, we have video games in the back, we have three pool tables. We do have beer pong tables, which will start going when college kids come back into session. We have cornhole, we will be doing cornhole leagues. We have 37 TVs, we have drop down projectors. We have a full DJ booth, full club style sound system. The space also has a kitchen.

Knox and his family are working on several other projects for the building. They include what could become one of the first legal cannabis dispensaries in Elmira.

Were working with OCM (Office of Cannabis Management) to develop a medical dispensary within this property, Knox said. Weve been granted proximity protection down here, which means that within a certain amount of area no one else can open up one. So, were just in limbo right now with the lawsuits and legal challenges OCM is going through. Theyve kind of slowed down in their approval processes. So, were just in this kind of a holding pattern right now.

Other projects include an incubator-style space to help small businesses grow.

Former Rossi Lanes sold; will not reopen as bowling alley

People that have secondary jobs, estheticians, beauticians, tattoo artists, masseuses, theyll be able to rent out a room instead of a booth. Theyll rent out a suite and be able to have a centralized receptionist that works for everyone. That can allow them to be a little more professional and grow their business a little bit faster.

Knox is also the owner of the WMC North Jazz Lounge and Restaurant across the street, which opened in 2022. He is also a chef, and the grandson of Jesse Knox, a local chef that worked in at several restaurants in our area for decades.

Jesse Knox is my grandfather. He was a chef that started here in 1949. He did his final tour of duty in 2005. He spent 30 years at the Holiday Inn, spent time at Vin Hosiers Fine Food, the Baron Steuben Hotel, he worked in Corning to help set up the plants up there for food service. He worked at the Mark Twain Hotel when it was first coming out in 49. Many restaurants, many people he influenced, trained many folks.

It is a family lineage as far as its a partnership of both my maternal and paternal side. My brother, my sister are both integral parts of this business. The great thing is that theyre immigrants. So, we immigrated here from another country and have been able to see the American Dream through that. So, its really a cool thing. Its a Joseph and Knox family partnership.

Knox told us his family immigrated from Trinidad. You can watch our full conversation with Kaylen Knox below.

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Our Wichita Falls area readers reflect many diverse opinions and viewpoints. Letters to the editor are written by members of our local community and reflect their personal beliefs not those of the Times Record News. The opinion of these letters is neither endorsed nor opposed by the Times Record News.

Shelters and rescues all over Texas continue to struggle with the problem of too many unwanted/stray/homeless pets, while puppy mills are still churning them out  under horrific conditions. Because of the conditions in the mills, puppies can suffer from an array of health issues as well as behavioral problems. It's time to do something about that.

July 21 was No Pet Store Puppies Day. Retail pet stores that sell puppies put profit over the health of animals and have been repeatedly proven to source puppies from out-of-state puppy mills. Texas is a part of the Puppy Mill Belt, a corridor stretching from Texas north through the Midwest where most puppy mills are located. While there are 18 cities in our state (including Wichita Falls) that have banned retail pet sales, dozens of such stores that still remain in business are selling hundreds to thousands of puppies annually. Texas must step up and end retail pet sales on the state level to protect puppies and people alike.

Please educate family, friends, and coworkers about retail pet stores, cruel puppy mills, and the "Puppy Mill Belt"  the very last thing Texas needs is the import of often-sick puppies from out of state. For more information, check out Texas Humane Legislation Network on facebook or at thln.org.

Jan Herzog, Wichita Falls Chapter president, Texas Humane Legislation Network

Letters to the editor can be submitted to Interim Editor Trish Choate at tchoate@gannett.com. Letters must be signed, free of abusive language and free of personal attacks. We cannot print letters from individuals who are incarcerated. Letters are subject to editing for length, grammar and spelling. We reserve the right to print a letter anonymously if requested by the letter writer and the individual identifies themselves to us with a name, address and/or phone number.

This article originally appeared on Wichita Falls Times Record News: Letter: No Pet Store Puppies Day and the 'Puppy Mill Belt'
I felt great indignation reading your story this weekend, Did you see the giant inflatable rats on South Main in Rockford? Heres why they were here.

I understand that the developer of Colman Yards and the union workers have a discrepancy that they should address through dialogue and attempts to reach an agreement, if possible.

However, did it necessitate inflating rats and cockroaches in front of a building that would have been demolished if J. Jeffers & Company had not invested in it? I do not have data on the ratio of local to non-local workers employed for this construction.

It is hard to imagine how a workforce of 400 full-time employees could all be from Wisconsin. This does not consider the workers who will be hired after the construction is completed.

And if they are employing workers from Wisconsin, so what? We house and provide jobs for those around the area of northern Illinois, and certain towns in Wisconsin like Beloit.

Treating outside investors and entrepreneurs as pests will only hinder the opening of new businesses in the area, and for that purpose, local employment.

Carlos Martinez, Beloit, Wisconsin

This article originally appeared on Rockford Register Star: Letter: Give outside investors, entrepreneurs respect in Rockford
Jessica Bateman is our best Senate choice

I got to know Jessica Bateman when we worked together at United Way of Thurston County before she became a legislator. She led Olympias successful community drive to pass the Home Fund that has added hundreds of new units of affordable housing in the past six years.

As our 22nd Legislative District Rep., she has proven herself to be a very effective leader, tackling the challenges of affordable housing and mental health services across the state. She worked across the aisle and pulled together a broad coalition of liberal and conservative organizations to get new laws passed to build more housing in our urban areas. She has been laser focused, smart and effective, and will continue to be as our new state senator.

Please join me in voting for her in the upcoming primary!

Paul Knox, Olympia

Nick Brown is the best AG candidate

I am writing to encourage you to vote in the Aug. 6 primary for Nick Brown for Attorney General.

Your vote is important this year not only for national elections, but also for state offices. The November election will be critical to preserve democracy and protect peoples rights. Who our states Attorney General is matters greatly in protecting our rights here in Washington.

I am a retired assistant attorney general who served our state for 30 years under four different Attorneys General, two Republicans and two Democrats. I know first-hand who we have in that office matters. Nick Brown has extensive and broad experience that we need in our Attorney General. He served as an attorney in the JAG Corp, as U.S. Attorney for Western Washington, and as General Counsel to Gov. Inslee. He brings a wealth of knowledge and is exceptionally well qualified.

Nick Brown is the best choice for Washingtons next Attorney General. Check his website for more information.

Linda Sullivan-Colglazier, Tumwater

Open Letter to President Biden

Dear President Biden,

I am writing to ask you to please pass the baton now, without delay. You have accomplished a lot for our country and millions of citizens thank you for that. You saved us once from a second Trump presidency, for which we are also eternally grateful. Now please safeguard our country again by accepting the fact that beating Trump depends upon a revitalized campaign that can only come with a fresh new candidate. Please act now, in the best interests of the country, before it is too late.

Thank you for your service.

Ted Whitesell, Olympia

A successful single-term President

Sadly, President Bidens debate performance was weak. I agree with New York Times columnist Thomas Friedman that although he is a good man and a good president  he must bow out of the race. If he insists on staying in the race, he will likely lose to Donald Trump, and thus be indirectly responsible for a slow erosion of democracy in America.

Or President Biden can, for the good of his country, quickly release his delegates and open the race to younger Democrats, one of whom can gain enough swing voters to win the presidency and maintain our democracy into the future. Bidens debate performance doesnt mean that he couldnt do the job of being president if elected  I certainly believe he could  but rather that he is not likely to be elected, so whether he could do the job becomes moot.

President Biden has served his country well, capped by a presidency that ended the chaos and damage of the previous Trump years and provided significant advances in climate legislation, environmental protection, and support both for hi-tech and for folks striving to make ends meet.

As one octogenarian to another, I thank him for a job well done, and suggest that he can best be remembered as a successful single-term president, who did the gracious thing by opening the way for a successor to continue his work.

Samuel Merrill, Olympia
LITTLE ROCK, Ark.  A global tech outage impacted multiple places in Little Rock, including Clinton National Airport.

Travelers at the airport experienced delayed and canceled flights, inconveniencing many like Macey Green.

We were supposed to be leaving around noon, so weve been here since about 10 oclock, Green said.

Flights grounded in Arkansas after global technology outage

She said she was supposed to be in New Jersey, while Shantavia Climons said her stay turned into a longer visit.

Well hopefully Ill be leaving Sunday, but well see what goes on, Climons said.

Clinton National Airport Public Affairs Director Shane Carter said what started with three delayed flights has now turned into 30 along with six cancellations. He said other parts of the airport were affected as well.

We did not have any food service as the computer systems for the restaurants here in the airport were down, Carter said.

In Jacksonville, Jordan Cooper, the owner of Cooper Family Dentistry, said he had to cancel about 30 appointments on Friday.

We have 30 computers in this clinic and 23 were down, Cooper said.

A faulty software update causes havoc worldwide for airlines, hospitals and governments

He said an IT technician has been working in the building and everything should be up and running by Monday.

We just hope that theres not a lot of interruptions going forward, Cooper said.

Officials with cybersecurity firm CrowdStrike said the outage was caused by a software update issued by the company, impacting only their customers running Microsoft Windows.

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LITTLE ROCK, Ark.  A doctor from Little Rock is back home from a medical mission in Gaza.

Dr. Ahmad Yousaf is a pediatrician and internal medicine doctor in Arkansas. For the last month, hes volunteered at a Gaza hospital trying to save lives in the war between Hamas and Israel.

I wasnt prepared for that emotionally, mentally or from a medical skills perspective, Yousaf said.

A killing box Arkansas doctor volunteering in Gaza pleads for ceasefire

He said he landed back in Arkansas Thursday night and was met with a warm welcome from family and friends with hugs and signs.

He is happy to be reunited with his wife and three kids, but he said there are two feelings he felt when leaving Gaza: guilt and that he has to go back.

He said the guilt comes from a feeling of betrayal because he got to leave but those there didnt have that option.

Yousaf said hes been on many other medical missions but never one where the population we were treating was trapped.

In Gaza, Yousaf said he was faced with the constant sound of bombs, and drones and the sight of injured and lifeless people, describing it as a zombie apocalypse.

We saw exposed brain matter. I saw eviscerated children. I saw kids without limbs and their parents all had the same look on their face like, Help me fix this problem.

Humanitarian crisis grows in Gaza

Yousaf volunteered at one of Gazas only remaining hospitals where resources to care for patients were thin.

I felt hopeless and helpless, he said.

He said he was there when a school was bombed, killing 16 people and injuring more than 50 others.

Just child after child came in, he described. Many dead on arrival.

Yousaf said the hospital didnt have enough machines to breathe for them if they needed ventilators or inhalation injury.

He said its a lie when people say humanitarian aid was let into Gaza.

I personally had multiple suitcases from wonderful people here in Arkansas of donations and gifts and medical supplies that were left because they were declined at the border, he said.

Half a year into the war in Gaza, heres a look at the conflict by the numbers

Officials say more than 38,000 people have been killed in Gaza in nine months, but Yousaf said that number doesnt tell the full story.

When you dont die on the day of the bombing they dont consider it a death of the bombing, he said. But if you die from a wound infection 2 days later because of no medical supplies and we cant clean your wound properly and you got the wound from the bombing that happened 2 days ago, you are not included into the statistic currently.

Yousaf said this is just one example of victims not being counted in the death total.

When you die because you cant get to dialysis because the dialysis machines have all been destroyed, they dont include you in the numbers of those who were killed in the bombing, he said.

Yousaf said when the war is over, he feels the death total will be a few hundred thousand people easily.

What are the latest obstacles to bringing humanitarian aid into Gaza, where hunger is worsening?

He said even through all the devastation those in Gaza are experiencing, they showed appreciation to him, with some even giving him gifts to take back home.

They have nothing. They dont have food for tomorrow and they are giving me gifts because they are grateful that we came for a couple of weeks, he said with tears in his eyes.

Theres nothing like whats happening there and theres nothing like those people, Yousaf said. So there is no doubt that when the moment presents itself I will take the opportunity to try to go back and help.

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The former president spoke for close to two hours in Grand Rapids on Saturday.

Former President Donald Trump and Sen. JD Vance on stage in Grand Rapids, Mich., on Saturday. (Evan Vucci/AP)

Former President Donald Trump and his freshly announced running mate, Sen. JD Vance of Ohio, held their first rally together in the battleground state of Michigan on Saturday.

Vance briefly spoke before introducing Trump, who talked to the crowd in Grand Rapids for close to two hours. It was Trump's first time back on the campaign trail since surviving an assassination attempt at his rally in Butler, Pa., last weekend. The event was held indoors at the Van Andel Arena, and security was reported to be tighter.

Michigan is a key battleground state for Trump. He won the state by just over 10,000 votes in 2016, but President Biden flipped it blue in 2020.

Biden, meanwhile, is facing calls from a growing number of congressional Democrats and others in the party to step aside and make room for someone they think could beat Trump in the November election. Biden has been self-isolating at his beach house in Delaware this week after being diagnosed with COVID.
FILE - Rep. Shelia Jackson Lee, D-Texas, speaks during a House Judiciary Committee meeting, Dec. 13, 2019, on Capitol Hill in Washington. Longtime U.S. Rep. Sheila Jackson Lee, who helped lead federal efforts to protect women from domestic violence and recognize Juneteenth as a national holiday, has died Friday, July 19, 2024, after battling pancreatic cancer, according to her chief of staff. (AP Photo/Patrick Semansky, Pool, File)

Longtime U.S. Rep. Sheila Jackson Lee of Texas, who helped lead federal efforts to protect women from domestic violence and recognize Juneteenth as a national holiday, has died. She was 74.

Lillie Conley, her chief of staff, confirmed that Jackson Lee, who had pancreatic cancer, died in Houston Friday night with her family around her.

The Democrat had represented her Houston-based district and the nations fourth-largest city since 1995. She had previously had breast cancer and announced the pancreatic cancer diagnosis on June 2.

The road ahead will not be easy, but I stand in faith that God will strengthen me, Jackson Lee said in a statement then.

Jackson Lee was a towering figure in our politics, President Joe Biden said in a statement Saturday. Always fearless, she spoke truth to power and represented the power of the people of her district in Houston with dignity and grace.

Biden said Jackson Lee's spirit was unbreakable.

I had the honor of working with her during her nearly 30 years in Congress, Biden said. No matter the issue  from delivering racial justice to building an economy for working people  she was unrelenting in her leadership.

Vice President Kamala Harris called her a dear friend for many years, as well as a fellow member of the Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority and the Congressional Black Caucus.

She was relentlessone of our nations fiercest, smartest, and most strategic leaders in the way she thought about how to make progress happen. There was never a trite or trivial conversation with the Congresswoman. She was always fighting for the people of Houston and the people of America, her statement said.

Bishop James Dixon, a longtime friend in Houston who visited Jackson Lee earlier this week, said he will remember her as a fighter.

She was just a rare, rare jewel of a person who relentlessly gave everything she had to make sure others had what they needed. That was Sheila, he said.

Jackson Lee had just been elected to the Houston district once represented by Barbara Jordan, the first Black woman elected to Congress from a Southern state since Reconstruction, when she was immediately placed on the high-profile House Judiciary Committee in 1995.

They just saw me, I guess through my profile, through Barbara Jordans work, Jackson Lee told the Houston Chronicle in 2022. I thought it was an honor because they assumed I was going to be the person they needed.

Jackson Lee quickly established herself as fierce advocate for women and minorities, and a leader for House Democrats on many social justice issues, from policing reform to reparations for descendants of enslaved people. She led the first rewrite of the Violence Against Women Act in nearly a decade, which included protections for Native American, transgender and immigrant women.

Jackson Lee was also among the lead lawmakers behind the effort in 2021 to have Juneteenth recognized as the first new federal holiday since Martin Luther King, Jr. Day was established in 1986. The holiday marks the day in 1865 that the last enslaved African Americans in Galveston, Texas, finally learned of their freedom.

A native of Queens, New York, Jackson Lee graduated from Yale and earned her law degree at the University of Virginia. She was a judge in Houston before she was elected to Houston City Council in 1989, then ran for Congress in 1994. She was an advocate for gay rights and an early opponent of the Iraq War in 2003.

Top congressional Democrats reacted quickly to the news Friday night, praising her commitment and work ethic.

Rep. James Clyburn of South Carolina called her a tenacious advocate for civil rights and a tireless fighter, improving the lives of her constituents.

Rep. Jamie Raskin of Maryland said he had never known a harder-working lawmaker than Jackson Lee, saying she "studied every bill and every amendment with exactitude and then told Texas and America exactly where she stood.

Former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi of California cited Jackson Lees relentless determination in getting Juneteenth declared a national holiday.

As a powerful voice in the Congress for our Constitution and human rights, she fought tirelessly to advance fairness, equity and justice for all," Pelosi said.

Republican Texas Gov. Greg Abbott said he and his wife Cecilia will always remember Jackson Lee, calling her a tireless advocate for the people of Houston.

Her legacy of public service and dedication to Texas will live on, he said.

Jackson Lee routinely won reelection to Congress with ease. The few times she faced a challenger, she never carried less than two-thirds of the vote. Jackson Lee considered leaving Congress in 2023 in a bid to become Houstons first female Black mayor but was defeated in a runoff. She then easily won the Democratic nomination for the 2024 general election.

During the mayoral campaign, Jackson Lee expressed regret and said everyone deserves to be treated with dignity and respect following the release of an unverified audio recording purported to be of the lawmaker berating staff members.

In 2019, Jackson Lee stepped down from two leadership positions on the House Judiciary Committee and Congressional Black Caucus Foundation, the fundraising of the Congressional Black Caucus, following a lawsuit from a former employee who said her sexual assault complaint was mishandled.

In a statement, Jackson Lee's family said she had been a beloved wife, sister, mother and grandmother known as Bebe.

She will be dearly missed, but her legacy will continue to inspire all who believe in freedom, justice, and democracy," the statement said. God bless you Congresswoman and God bless the United States of America.

___

Associated Press writer Lou Kesten contributed to this story from Washington.
Rose Fisher Greer, one of the only basket weavers left in the Jena Band of Choctaw Indians, holds a piece of river cane in Louisianas Kisatchie National Forest

Rose Fisher Greer, one of the only basket weavers left in the Jena Band of Choctaw Indians, holds a piece of river cane in Louisianas Kisatchie National Forest on April 17, 2024. (Eva Tesfaye, WWNO)

Rose Fisher Greer and her daughter are the only basket weavers left in the Jena Band of Choctaw Indians, a tribe based in central Louisiana.

To practice her craft, Greer needs river cane. For that, she has to go into Kisatchie National Forest, and shes the only person in her tribe willing to make the journey. At one patch just off the side of the road, a few feet into the forest, the river cane grows in clusters of green stalks several feet high.

In April, Greer drove out to harvest some, along with David Moore, a U.S. Department of Agriculture Forest Service botanist who works at Kisatchie. The last basket weaver died in the 1930s from my tribe, she said. So that tradition and that part of our culture had died out, you know, fifty, sixty years before I was even born.

Greer enjoys being a part of the process of making a basket from start to finish. Its very meaningful for me to even harvest the cane because I know Im doing the same thing my ancestors did and my ancestors ancestors, she said.

Listen to this story, which first aired on WWNO-FM.

When she was 15, Greer took a class on basket weaving from a man from southern Louisiana, who had learned from a Choctaw woman.

Ive just been doing it ever since, and doing everything in my power and to try to keep this alive in my tribe, Greer said. I dont ever want it to die out again.

Tribal members and other advocates from across the South, including in Louisiana, Oklahoma and Alabama, are working toward that goal  hoping to sustain their basketry culture and rebuild important native habitats in the process.

Rose Fisher Greer demonstrates how she shaves down the river cane using her knife to prepare it for use in weaving. (Eva Tesfaye, WWNO)

Cane groves are long gone

Greer cut off a stalk and tapped it with her knife, to see if it was thick enough. Then, after making cuts at the top of the cane, she slammed the stalk into a piece of wood, splitting it into four. When preparing stalks for weaving, she splits those again and again until she has several with the width she wants. She then peels them into strips and shaves them down. Its a difficult and dangerous process.

Canes are really sharp. Theyre sharp like a razor, and youre going to cut yourself. That is an absolute fact, she said.

But the biggest problem is that river cane is so hard to get, even for Greer, who has an agreement with the USDA to harvest it from Kisatchie. The forest is crawling with bugs and animals. Within minutes of stepping into the cane patch, we encountered ticks, mosquitoes and a poisonous copperhead snake.

Many Louisiana tribes pride themselves on their basketry and rely on river cane for it. The species used to be abundant.

Historically, river cane grew especially in the Mississippi River Valley. Big groves, big cane, thick. You couldnt hardly get into them. Those are long gone. Theyre farmland now, said Moore, the forest service botanist.

Jena Band of Choctaw Indians weaver Rose Fisher Greer uses Choctaw patterns that she finds in museums to craft her river cane baskets. (Rose Fisher Greer/Jena Band of Choctaw Indians)

River cane is one of only three bamboos native to North America, but now there is little of it left. The USDA estimates that the country has lost 98% of its river cane habitat since European settlement, a situation that has had cascading environmental impacts. River cane helps improve soil quality, filter water and store carbon.

The Louisiana black bear also uses river cane for cover. Historically, bison would have grazed on it. Now, deer do.

Restoring cane lands close to home

Tribes across the country are helping to restore river cane. Last October, 12 tribes attended the first River Cane Gathering, hosted by the United Keetoowah Band of Cherokee Indians in Oklahoma.

The Chitimacha Tribe of Louisiana started growing its own river cane in 1997. Basketry was critical to the survival of the Chitimacha. At the turn of the 20th century, the tribe raised funds by selling baskets to get back land that had been taken from them.

Basically every able-bodied woman in the tribe was weaving to make money, said Kimberly Walden, the tribes cultural director and historic preservation officer.

Before they began growing their own patch, the Chitimacha had an agreement with a private landowner to harvest from another property. But the land was far away, and one summer, a miscommunication led to their lives being threatened.

My first trip to a river cane patch, we were run out at gunpoint, said Walden.

A USDA conservationist new to the area approached the tribes chairman and offered to help. That partnership enabled the tribe to start its own river cane patch on its reservation. Now its the most successful river cane restoration project in the state.

Its really a game changer because you dont want to take more cane than you can peel within a few days because it dries out, said Walden.

One of the tribes weavers, Neka Savage, said having the patch nearby means she can weave more baskets for her and her family.

Youll see a lot of baskets in museums that have been only made for display, she said. To have the baskets be accessible in our homes, that has become my mission to myself and my family.

A native planting option

Its not just tribes contributing to the revival of river cane. An hour or so northwest of the Chitimacha reservation, Bruno Sagrera is propagating the plants rhizomes on his urban farm. Hes a Choctaw farmer in Abbeville, but not enrolled with a tribe. His elder, who was Cherokee, taught him to craft blowguns using river cane for hunting small game.

Louisiana farmer Bruno Sagrera shows off a blow gun he made out of river cane on March 15, 2024. ( Eva Tesfaye, WWNO)

Blowguns were actually one of the main tools traditionally used down here in the Southeast, he said.

Last October, he decided to learn how to grow river cane so he could give it to others and, he said, hopefully get the populations back up to where its not so critical.

Most people have no idea what it is. Theyre just like, Oh, thats just like the bamboo that grows, or whatever. Like my family, for example, theyll just mow over it, he said.

He said that anyone can help the cause: If youre considering planting bamboo, try planting river cane instead. If you do grow river cane or come across some on your property, reach out to the nearby tribes and see if they want some.

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This story is a product of the Mississippi River Basin Ag & Water Desk, an independent reporting network based at the University of Missouri in partnership with Report for America, with major funding from the Walton Family Foundation. The Louisiana Illuminator is an affiliate of the Ag & Water Desk and Report for America.
Lucasville man arrested on six counts of rape, wife arrested for lying to deputies

LUCASVILLE, Ohio (WCMH)  A Lucasville man indicted on rape charges was arrested by authorities Friday along with his wife after she allegedly lied to deputies.

According to the Scioto County Sheriffs Office, 81-year-old Ezra Wright was indicted on six counts of rape of a child. Deputies on Friday went to his home on Eckhart Road and Wrights wife, 80-year-old Carolyn, answered the door and told authorities her husband went fishing and was not home.

Police release video of Ohio State robbery and shooting, with one suspect still at large

Deputies searched the area for Ezra when they saw all vehicles registered to the couple remained in the houses driveway. As they surveilled the area, detectives and deputies saw a van leave the house, prompting a traffic stop. Two people were inside the van and told authorities Ezra was inside the house and that Carolyn was lying.

Law enforcement then knocked on the door of the house for several minutes, per the sheriffs office. With authorities believing the couple could inflict harm on themselves, they entered the home and found the Wrights hiding in a bedroom unharmed. Both were arrested.

Ezra Wright is being held without bond on six counts of rape while Carolyn Wright has been charged with obstructing justice. Carolyn received a $10,000 bond and will appear in Portsmouth Municipal Court on Monday.

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Michael Mortiz, a major Democratic donor, has joined the calls for President Biden to drop out of the presidential race against former President Trump.

With his public comment, Mortiz  a billionaire Silicon Valley venture capitalist  becomes one of the Democratic partys largest contributors to pressure Biden to suspend his campaign.

Sadly, President Biden has a choice  vanity or virtue, Mortiz said in an email Friday to The New York Times. He can either condemn the country to dark and cruel times or heed the voice of Father Time. The clock has run out.

The Times noted that Mortiz has given $7.8 million to pro-Biden and anti-Trump initiatives in the 2024 election cycle so far. Most of it, about $6.8 million, went to American Bridge PAC, which runs anti-Trump advertisements in battleground states.

In another email to the Times, Mortiz said all of his donation to the Democratic Party, not just Biden, was now on hold.

I would vote for Biden, but I would not give another penny to any fund-raising appeals from Democrats, he said.

Mortiz joins a growing list of Democratic donors who have urged the president to suspend his campaign. Netflixs co-founder and executive chairman Reed Hastings has also doubled down on his call for Biden to withdraw. Bill Harris, the former CEO of Paypal, recently said he thinks its inevitable that the incumbent step aside.

Whitney Tilson, a major investor for Democrats, said its highly unlikely that Biden can beat Trump in November. Tilson told ABC News that even the wealthiest people have limitations on money and will hold his donation in order to support a new candidate.

Billionaire Rick Caruso also posted online saying its time for Biden to step aside. Damon Lindelof, the co-creator of Lost and a notable Democratic Party supporter, called on his fellow donors to stop giving money until the president makes the decision to withdraw.

Abigail Disney, the granddaughter of The Walt Disney Co. co-founder Roy O. Disney, also said she plans to stop giving money unless Biden drops out.

The donors are joining several congressional Democrats airing their frustration and calling on Biden to retire his campaign  which was sparked by a rocky debate performance between the party front-runners. The incumbent appeared to lack energy, had a raspy voice and struggled to finish his points, leading to concerns on the left of his ability to not only defeat Trump, but also serve another four years.

As of Friday evening, four Democratic senators and more than 30 House Democrats have asked him to pass the torch.

As the pressure mounts, well-connected insiders of the Democratic Party say a decision from Biden should be happening in the coming days, even though hes publicly insisted hes not backing down.

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Man accused of holding man at gunpoint, stealing over $40k in jewelry

MEMPHIS, Tenn.  A man is facing multiple charges after police say he held a man at gunpoint and robbed him of over $40,000 worth of jewelry.

Taylor Bell, 21, has been charged with aggravated robbery, aggravated burglary, possession of a firearm in the commission of a felony, theft of property $10,000-$60,000, aggravated assault and acting in concert to wit aggravated assault for an incident that took place in June.

On June 26, a victim was robbed at gunpoint by three men as he entered his home.

MPD: Man mistakes girlfriends brother for car burglar, opens fire

The victim recognized one of the suspects as Taylor Bell. Hed told officers that Bell went to school with his son and had visited his home on several occasions.

Bell allegedly placed the victim in a chokehold while pointing a handgun at his head. He then forced him into his home.

Bell allegedly threatened to kill the victim if he didnt give him his jewelry.

The victim said that a diamond Cartier watch (valued at $24,000), a designer ring (valued at $6,000) and a diamond necklace (valued at $15,000) were taken from his home.

Armed robberies after escape get 210-year sentence

He said that the suspects also stole $1,375 in cash, the keys to his three vehicles and the keys to his home.

After the robbery took place, the victim said he ran behind the suspects before one of them turned around and fired two shots at him.

The victim was able to positively identify Bell in a six-person photographic display as the person that he knows as Twin.

Bell was arrested on Friday and is being held on $375,000 bond.

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Police say a man is suspected of hopping a fence to stab a Bellingham neighbor in the head during an argument.

Brian Matthew Burton, 51, was in an argument with his neighbor July 17 in the 1800 block of Texas Street, according to Megan Peters with the Bellingham Police Department. The area is just north of Roosevelt Park.

The argument turned physical when Burton jumped the fence into his neighbors yard and fought with the male neighbor. When a female neighbor attempted to break up the fight, Burton reportedly punched her. During the fight, he stabbed the man in the top of the head with a knife, Peters said.

Burton then made comments about getting a gun and jumped back over the fence into the apartment he was staying in, Peters said.

Officers responded to the scene around 10:50 p.m. to find the parties involved to be separated. Police contained the area and spoke to those involved and witnesses. Burton came out of his apartment and was taken into custody without incident.

The male neighbor was taken to the hospital in a personal vehicle after speaking to police. Information regarding his condition was not available.

Burton was booked into Whatcom County Jail for suspicion of first- and second-degree assault, burglary and harassment.
Man arrested after firing gun at car in Mountlake Terrace elementary school parking lot

Mountlake Terrace police arrested a man Thursday following an incident on July 10, where he allegedly fired a gun at a vehicle in the parking lot of a Mountlake Terrace elementary school.

Officers responded to the report of a shooting around 9:30 p.m.

According to police, the suspect, on foot, threatened the driver of a parked vehicle over noises coming from the car.

As the driver attempted to leave, the suspect fired a single shot. No one was injured.

A Mountlake Terrace man, 30, was arrested for second-degree assault and discharging a firearm.

He was booked into the Snohomish County Jail.
SALT LAKE CITY (ABC4)  A man was arrested Friday night for trying to kidnap a 12-year-old girl in Salt Lake Citys Sugar House neighborhood, according to Salt Lake City Police.

Mason Andrew Musser, 29, is facing one charge of attempted child kidnapping.

At around 10:45 p.m. on July 19, police received information about a suspicious circumstance near the I-80 overpass and 700 East. The report stated that a man, later identified as Musser, had grabbed a 12-year-old girl by the wrist and began pulling her.

Utah court denies Phil Lymans request to inspect unredacted signatures

The girl, along with her friend, fought back against the man and were able to break his grip. They then waved down a community member for help, police said.

Officers searched the area for Musser and later found him nearby and arrested him. Detectives with the SLCPDs Special Victims Unit also responded to investigate.

Detectives are trying to identify the community member who helped the girls, SLCPD stated in a press release. Detectives believe that person may have critical information to this case. That person is asked to contact the SLCPD by calling 801-799-3000.

Violent crime of this nature is very rare in Salt Lake City, SLCPD stated. Its important for parents and guardians to have age-appropriate conversations with their children about safety, including what to do if approached by strangers and how to respond in potential dangerous or unwanted situations.

The Salt Lake City Police Department recognizes the bravery of the two minors involved in this incident. This was a traumatic experience, and the department, through its victim services program, will help provide support and advocacy to help those affected.

No further information is available at this time.

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Man charged after young mother found shot to death in North Lawndale kitchen

Man charged after young mother found shot to death in North Lawndale kitchen

CHICAGO  A Chicago man is accused of killing a woman found shot to death inside a home in the citys North Lawndale neighborhood.

A first-degree murder charge against 39-year-old Kevin Scott stems from a fatal shooting on Thursday, May 9, in the 14000 block of S. St. Louis.

Responding officers located a 27-year-old woman with gunshot wounds to her body in the kitchen of a residence. She was pronounced dead at the scene.

The Cook County Medical Examiners Office identified the victim as Tetorsha T. Williams.

Read more: Latest Chicago news headlines

Police arrested Scott on Thursday, July 18. He is due to appear in court on Saturday.

Family of slain mother had hoped for justice

Days shy of the one-month anniversary of the fatal shooting, Williams family spoke to WGN News, describing her as the sweetest person on Earth.

Williams left behind a young son named Khristian.

He understands that mommy in his Heaven, Williams mother, Trinetta McClure, told WGN News on Friday, June 7. But he is like, Why mommy?'

Loved ones had long suspected Scott in the death of Williams. A GoFundMe created for Williams raised nearly $2,000.

Anyone with additional information may leave an anonymous tip at cpdtip.com.

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For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to WGN-TV.
Man confronted by swarm of teens after he allegedly offered to pay 15-year-old for sex

SANDY, Utah (KTVX)  A Utah man faces felony charges after he allegedly offered to pay a minor $700 for sex and was confronted by over 20 teens at a Sandy mall.

According to court documents, Bryce Stephen Ray, 49, of West Haven used Snapchat to talk with a 15-year-old high school student. During their conversation, Ray reportedly never shared his real name but did send a picture of himself through the app.

Ray later offered the victim money in exchange for sex so she could buy clothes. Despite the teen telling Ray she was a minor, the two agreed to meet at the Shops at South Town Mall in Sandy.

On Monday, July 9, a Sandy Police Department officer responded to the mall after getting reports of a group of teenagers confronting a man. When the officer arrived, he reported finding approximately 20 teenagers yelling at an older man, identified as Ray, calling him a pedophile.

Wanted man arrested after falling through apartment ceiling in New York

According to the Sandy Police Department, Ray had a check for $360 on him and had agreed with the teen to send her another $350 through CashApp.

Ray was charged with one count of enticing a minor and one count of sexual solicitation of a child, both second-degree felonies.

Ray had his initial hearing on Tuesday, July 16 where he was appointed a defense attorney. A detention hearing was scheduled for Monday, July 22. Ray is currently being held without bail, pending the detention hearing.

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Update: Man who died at Modesto Reservoir identified by coroners office

Authorities reported that another person drowned at Modesto Reservoir, the latest on Friday.

According to a Stanislaus Consolidated Fire District post, emergency units were dispatched to the reservoir east of Waterford at about 3:10 p.m. Friday for a reported drowning. A fire district water rescue team, the Stanislaus County Sheriffs Department helicopter and sheriff divers were involved in a 40-minute search at the reservoir.

The rescue teams found the man and he was pronounced dead at the scene. It was the fourth drowning death at Modesto Reservoir since late June.

The man was identified as 58-year-old Venice resident Alberto Gonsalez.

Drowning deaths also occurred at Modesto Reservoir on June 29, July 2 and July 8.

The Stanislaus Consolidated post said Gonsalez was not wearing a life jacket. No other details were released on Fridays incident.

Fire officials have encouraged anyone who swims in lakes and rivers to wear a life jacket. A free loaner program makes life jackets available to the public.
Man dies after kayak flips in surf at Cape Hatteras National Seashore

BUXTON, N.C. (WNCN)  A man died while kayaking at the North Carolina Outer Banks on Saturday, according to Cape Hatteras National Seashore officials.

The incident happened Saturday morning near Buxton in the surf off Cape Hatteras National Seashores Ramp 43, located east of Cape Point Campground, a news release from the National Park Service said.

The kayaker launched his vessel near Ramp 43 and was trying to ride a wave about 50 yards from shore, the news release said.

Witnesses saw the mans kayak capsize during the incident.

NC teen girl dies in rip currents at Ocean Isle Beach; man drowns in ocean at Surf City

They swam out to help pull the man from the kayak and brought him to the beach, park service officials said.

CPR was started on the man, but he died. The victims name was not released but officials said he was 72 and from Florence, South Carolina.

Cape Point in a photo from Cape Hatteras National Seashore. The kayaking incident was north of Cape Point  an area off to the right in the photo.

We send our condolences to the kayakers family and friends, Cape Hatteras National Seashore Superintendent David Hallac said in the news release.

Dare County Emergency Medical Service and Dare County Sheriffs Office, Hatteras Island Ocean Rescue and Cape Hatteras National Seashore Rangers assisted in the incident.

The North Carolina Wildlife Resources Commission is investigating the death because it happened while kayaking, officials said.

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Police patrolling on Bournemouth beach, where the teenage girl reported she had been sexually assaulted - Russell Sach

A 20-year-old man has been arrested on suspicion of sexually assaulting a teenage girl on Bournemouth beach.

The girl was on the beach close to Bournemouth pier at 8pm on Friday night when she was allegedly attacked.

The incident was reported to police officers who were on patrol in the area, and the suspect was detained soon after.

The alleged attack led to a confrontation between two groups of youths at Pier Approach, with extra police officers being called in to deal with the matter.

A spokesman for Dorset Police said the arrested man was later released on bail.

He said: Officers  who received the report directly as they were on foot patrol in the immediate vicinity  responded, and it was reported that a man had sexually assaulted a teenage girl by touching her inappropriately.

Officers were in the area as part of their enhanced patrols of the Bournemouth town centre and beach area. We will continue to work with our partners to provide a visible presence in the vicinity.

Police will be engaging with members of the public and can be approached by anyone with information or concerns.

No arrests were made as part of the disturbance that followed.

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A man has been indicted on gambling charges following an internet cafe raid earlier this year.

News Center 7 previously reported that Kettering VICE detectives, the Tactical Crime Suppression Unit, and the Ohio Casino Control Commission searched an Internet Cafe in Kettering on May 30.

The search was in connection with illegal gambling and money laundering.

>> PREVIOUS COVERAGE: Investigators raid local internet cafe for alleged illegal gambling operation, money laundering

On Friday 44-year-old Sanjay Patel was indicted on one count of gambling and one count of operating a gambling house.

Patel was identified as a part of the Kettering Police Department and Dayton Police Departments joint investigation into illegal gambling operations in the area.

Patel was taken into custody by US Department of Homeland Security Investigations officers in Chicago, according to the statement of facts obtained from the Kettering Municipal Court.




TRIGG COUNTY, Ky. (WKRN)  A man has reportedly died following a Friday night shooting that occurred in Trigg County.

According to News 2s partner WKDZ Radio, the shooting happened on Friday, July 19 at a residence located along Linda Lane.

Three charged in month-long Trigg County drug investigation

Trigg County Sheriff Aaron Acree told the radio station that a man was found dead at the scene.

WKDZ Radio said Linda Lane was blocked off for several hours as law enforcement collected evidence and spoke with witnesses.

Acree stated that everyone involved in the incident is believed to be in custody, according to WKDZ Radio.

Kentucky State Police later told the radio station that the man killed in the shooting was armed with a weapon and forced his way into a room before he was shot and killed by the homeowner.

 Read todays top stories on wkrn.com

The incident is reportedly under investigation by the Trigg County Sheriffs Office and Kentucky State Police.

No other information about the deadly incident was immediately released. News 2 has reached out to officials to learn more.

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Blessed By A Bullet?

Hello, its the weekend. This is The Weekender 

Does almost getting killed make you a leader? Thats what Tucker Carlson suggested on Thursday night at the RNC, where he distilled what many other speakers were suggesting into a simple formula: Trump survived his assassination attempt thanks to divine intervention, and that, in turn, anointed him leader.

In one sense, its a vindication of political violence, but not in the way that we usually think about it. Carlson and Trump werent giving approval to the idea that its okay to use violence to suppress your political opponents. Rather, they were drawing on the idea that, in this sense, violence is what granted Trump legitimacy. Surviving the assassination attempt, in this telling, was not just a moment of divine intervention but a coronation. That was the moment where it was revealed that Trump has a mandate from above to lead.

It sounds crazy, but this is very literally what Carlson and others were saying at the RNC on Thursday night. To find the agenda that this allows, however, you have to look to the night before, when vice presidential candidate Sen. JD Vance (R-OH) spoke.

Vance used his speech to lay the rhetorical groundwork for some of Trumps most transformative policies, including banning birthright citizenship and dramatically restricting legal immigration. To do that, Vance tried to define America in a way that would accommodate those policies.

But America is not just an idea. It is a group of people with a shared history and a common future. It is, in short, a nation, he said.

Its a fancy way of both closing the door to new immigration, and of rejecting a core feature of the melting pot that characterized Americas development: that immigrants dont only assimilate, but they bring elements of their own cultures and values into the country, thereby helping to shape a common culture.

Heres what else TPM has on tap this weekend:

Kate Riga soothes our collective anxiety.

Hunter Walker gives us a post-mortem on the phenomenon that hung over the RNC like thick smoke: Jan. 6.

Khaya Himmelman weighs in on the ways in which the myth of non-citizen voting reared its head at the Republican convention this week.

Emine Yucel reacts to Marjorie Taylor Greenes belief in an American flag angel that supposedly protected Donald Trump during the shooting.

Lets dig in.

 Josh Kovensky & Nicole Lafond

Unending Unprecedented Times

If youre anything like me, youre utterly, inarticulately, down-to-the-bone exhausted right now.

I was rocked to my core by President Joe Bidens historically awful debate performance and its massive ramifications. I was still numb when the Supreme Court handed down its sea change of an immunity decision just days later. By the time Donald Trump was nearly assassinated two weeks later, nothing felt real to me anymore. My emotions had curled up into some kind of shock-proof armadillo ball.

The January 6 attack was the last time I felt this sense of surreality, that the events in our politics were too shocking, too upsetting to fully process, leaving me to push on cloaked in a cloud of free-floating anxiety.

It cant stay like this forever. At the very least, the fever pitch over Bidens candidacy  the source of intense stress and anguish for most on the left and all who oppose Trump  will die down when that question is answered, either by his stepping aside or by convention deadlines. Our baseline is still an election year news environment, but it wont have the minute-by-minute fluctuations about what Biden or the people around him may be thinking or doing or saying.

There are months to go until the election. As Trumps keynote speech at the convention proved, some of the overweening right-wing confidence is unjustified, or at least preemptive; he continues to be a weak candidate with massive and exploitable flaws, if Democrats can get their house in order enough to exploit them.

These past three weeks have been some of the hardest for anti-Trump forces since he came on the scene. But there are miles to go. Unless you predicted everything that happened in the past 23 days (and if you did, shoot me an email, or maybe just set up shop over a big crack in a Delphic cave), theres no reason to assume you know how this ends.

 Kate Riga

The J6 Convention

The final night of the Republican National Convention on Thursday featured a speech from former President Donald Trump, who is, of course, the single biggest promoter of conspiracy theories about the 2020 election. He is also the one who called his supporters to march to the U.S. Capitol and fight like hell based on those lies as his loss in that race was being certified on Jan. 6, 2021. We all know what happened next.

While its not surprising that the convention for a candidate and party who masterminded the efforts to overturn the last election would feature many people who participated in different aspects of the plot, its still noteworthy. Courage For America, a group that is dedicated to taking on what it describes as the extremist GOP House majority and highlighting risks to the next electoral certification, issued a press statement pointing out multiple people involved in the RNC who were in the crowds outside the Capitol as it was stormed on Jan. 6 or part of the political efforts to reverse Trumps loss.

The CFA list included the deputy policy director of the RNC platform committee, Ed Martin who the group said was in the mob outside the Capitol on Jan. 6.

At least three other people photographed in that mob are serving as delegates, the CFA press release said. So are five people who previously served as alternate electors, including four who have been charged with fraud, forgery and conspiracy.

CFA specifically pointed out the presence of Nevada Republican Party Chairman Michael McDonald, who seconded Trumps formal nomination and helped lead an effort to organize a slate of pro-Trump alternate electors in his home state. The group also noted Wyoming state senator Bob Ide, who it said was photographed on the Capitol grounds on Jan. 6, reaching the scaffolding set up for the inauguration.

The attempted assassination of Trump last Saturday put the spotlight on rising political violence in this country. CFAs statement about the RNC platforming Jan. 6 insurrectionists included a remarks from Michael Fanone, a former D.C. Metropolitan Police Officer who was injured defending the Capitol when the violence broke out. He stressed that this could be a chance to walk away from extremism, but argued the RNCs choice of participants shows Trumps party is headed in an entirely different direction.

What happened on January 6th almost cost me my life and brought our democracy to the brink, Fanone said. This is a moment to come together and oppose those who call for violence in politics, but the RNCs decision to give a platform to the same people who rioted against our democracy on January 6th does the opposite.

 Hunter Walker

The Myth of Non Citizen Voting Becomes RNC Talking Point

The myth of noncitizen voting was, unsurprisingly, a big topic for speakers at the RNC this week. Republicans have been perpetuating the false narrative that non-citizens are illegally voting in our elections on behalf of Joe Biden for months now, but there is simply no evidence to suggest this is happening. Its illegal for non-citizens to vote in federal elections.

Democrats cynically decided they wanted votes from illegals more than they wanted to protect our children, Sen. Ted Cruz (R-TX) said during the RNC this week.

Arizona Senate candidate and failed GOP gubernatorial candidate Kari Lake similarly claimed at the convention that Democratic Rep. Ruben Gallego voted to let the millions of people who poured into our country cast a ballot in this upcoming election.

And House Majority Leader Steve Scalise (R-LA) claimed at another point during the convention that: Biden and Harris want illegals to vote now that theyve opened up the border.

The narrative, as TPM has reported , has increasingly become an area of fixation for Republicans who are preparing for ways to potentially cry voter fraud or challenge the election results in November.

In May, Republican members of Congress promoted a redundant piece of legislation, known as the Safeguard American Voter Eligibility (SAVE) Act, which wouldve outlawed non-citizens from voting in federal elections  something that is already illegal.

Eliza Sweren-Becker, senior counsel in the Voting Rights and Elections Program at the Brennan Center for Justice, in a previous interview with TPM , described the myth of non citizens voting in elections as yet another misrepresentation and falsehood about the integrity of elections that appears intended to spread mistrust in our election systems.

 Khaya Himmelman

Words Of Wisdom

I believe we all witnessed a miracle. You know, before it happened, the flag above got blown in the wind and it got tied into literally what looked like an angel  It was like an angel coming down.

Thats MAGA loyalist Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-GA) during an interview she gave at the RNC commenting on the attempted assassination of Trump during a Saturday afternoon campaign rally in western Pennsylvania.

The conspiracy theory-loving congresswoman is known to exaggerate and, well, lie. But an American flag angel that appeared before the shooting to protect Trump from a gunman  please lets be real here.

Dont get me wrong, she is not the only MAGA ally who has tried to cast Trump as divine and appointed by God in the wake of the shooting. In fact, the list of Republicans who leaned into that image at the RNC is not short.

 Emine Yucel
NORTHERN MICHIGAN  At their inaugural Manna Gala on June 20, the Manna Food Project raised $250,000 to help support its Food 4 Kids program.

The event also helped shed light on the growing crisis of food insecurity in Northern Michigan. As the cost of living outpaces wages in the tri-county service area, officials said more and more families are turning to the charitable food network to keep food on the table.

I have learned that the signs of food scarcity and hunger are usually subtle, but prevalent, said Erin Cluley, site coordinator for Communities in Schools of Northwest Michigan, in a press release.

Cluley works at East Jordan Elementary School and presented the keynote address at the Manna Gala.

The effects of poverty can often be hard to notice and see," she added. "And Ive learned that homelessness doesnt usually mean living on the street corner. Here in Northwest Michigan, it often means youre living in a camper with your entire family and probably have no running water. When we run into these types of situations with our students, it can feel really overwhelming for those of us who are there to help. But having a community partner as reliable, available and effective as the Manna Food Project, brings such a huge level of relief to those of us in our positions and to the families that we all serve.

On average, one in five children in Michigan are at risk of hunger. In some Northern Michigan communities, that number is much higher. At East Jordan Elementary School, 52 percent of their students need additional food assistance through Mannas Food 4 Kids backpack program.

Volunteer Karen Quenneville helps pack snacks for the student backpack program at the Manna Food Project in Harbor Springs.

This program supplies bags of food to 30 organizations across Antrim, Charlevoix and Emmet counties, including elementary schools, preschools and head start programs, and public libraries. Backpacks include meals and snacks for over the weekend when kids arent getting meals at school. The backpacks are now available throughout the summer. In 2023, Manna distributed over 61,000 backpacks, which cost over $250,000 in food alone.

The Doll-Loesel Foundation offered a $100,000 matching donation, and the Manna Food Project raised another $153,000 at the gala thanks to the attendees and event sponsors.

Officials said the Food 4 Kids program will now go into the next school year with proper funding and with the ability to include higher quality food items.

I am in awe of the incredible support we have from our community, said Carrie Klingelsmith, executive director at the Manna Food Project, in a statement. Once people understand that a lot of children in our community dont have regular access to food, or that their parents are skipping meals just so that their kids can eat, its easy to join the fight against hunger. It really takes everyone working together to address food insecurity.

To learn more about the Manna Food Project, visit mannafoodproject.org. If you are in need of food assistance, call (231) 347-8852.

This article originally appeared on The Petoskey News-Review: Manna Gala raises $250,000 for Food 4 Kids program
How many other Nashvilles are in the US?

How many other Nashvilles are in the US?

NASHVILLE, Tenn. (WKRN)  While most people think of Tennessee when they hear about Nashville, Music City isnt the only town with the Nashville name.

There are more than a dozen other Nashvilles in the country, including small cities, tiny towns, and unincorporated areas. Here are the other Nashvilles in the United States.

Arkansas

The city is located in Howard County, in the southwest portion of the state. Nashville is the Howard County seat and has a little more than 4,000 residents, according to the 2020 Census.

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California

Over on the West Coast, an unincorporated community in El Dorado County is home to Nashville, California.

Georgia

Nicknamed the City of Dogwoods, Nashville, Georgia, boasts a population of 4,697 people and is the county seat of Berrien County. According to its city website, the city provides the amenities of a small town, while maintaining charm and atmosphere of the old south.

Illinois

Northwest of Tennessee, Nashville, Illinois, is a city in Washington County. Per 2020 Census data, the city had a population of slightly over 3,000. The city recently made headlines when residents near a dam were told to evacuate after receiving historic rainfall.

Indiana

The Town of Nashville is located in Washington Township, Indiana, in Brown County. It is the county seat of Brown County and had a population of 1,256 in the 2020 Census.

Iowa

Best and worst states of 2024: Where did Tennessee rank?

Another unincorporated area, Nashville, Iowa, is located in Jackson County. It is located on the eastern side of the state.

Kansas

One of the smallest cities also named Nashville had a population of 54 as of the 2020 Census. It was founded in the 19th century and named for Music City.

Michigan

Nashville, Michigan, is a village in Barry County. It is located in the southwest portion of the mitten of Michigan and had a population of 1,537 at the 2020 Census.

Missouri

The unincorporated community of Nashville, Missouri, is located in Barton County, in the southwest portion of the state. It had an estimated population of 396 in the 2000 Census.

Nebraska

Another unincorporated community, Nashville, Nebraska, is located in Washington County. It lies along the eastern border of the state, just north of Omaha and south of Fort Calhoun.

| Check out more lists and rankings from across Tennessee 

New York

Two different towns in New York have hamlets named Nashville: Hanover in Chautauqua County and Wheatfield in Niagra County. These hamlets are smaller settlements in rural areas within each town.

North Carolina

Nashville, North Carolina, is the oldest Nashville in America. Founded in 1777, it was first referred to as Nash Court House by Peach Tree Creek for its county courthouse. The first reference of the town as Nashville occurred in 1780, according to the city. The town motto is The original town of Nashville.

Ohio

In central Ohio, Nashville is a village in Holmes County. As of the 2020 Census, Nashville, Ohio, had a population of 183.

Oregon

Nashville, Oregon, is another unincorporated community. Located near the western border of the state, the Lincoln County community was founded in the late 19th century.

Texas

Nashville, Texas, is now a ghost townan abandoned citylocated along the Brazos River in Milam County. According to the Texas State Historical Association, the city was also called Nashville-On-The-Brazos and founded by a Nashville, Tennessee, native named Sterling C. Robertson in 1835. He named the settlement after his birthplace. The town was once considered as a potential capital city for the state immediately following the Texas Revolution.

 Read todays top stories on wkrn.com

Wisconsin

Nashville, Wisconsin, is a town located in Forest County in the northern part of the state. The 2020 Census lists the population as 1,215. It is also home to the Sokaogon Chippewa Community.

Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. 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.
Marianne Williamson wants to step into the void. With the future of President Joe Bidens reelection campaign in doubt, Williamsons emissaries have been reaching out to Democratic National Convention delegates to convince them to pull support from Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris.

They called me yesterday morning to see if I would send a notarized letter rescinding my support of Biden-Harris, New York State Assembly Member Robert Carroll told TPM in a phone conversation on Friday.

Utter lunacy  on their part, he added. I mean, I just think its insane.

A second Democratic National Convention delegate, who requested anonymity to discuss the nomination process, told TPM they knew of another delegate who received outreach from Williamsons campaign in addition to Carroll. According to Carroll, the person from Williamsons team framed the delegate play as an effort to nominate a new Democratic candidate in response to the concerns that have erupted inside the party following Bidens lackluster performance in his June debate against former President Trump.

Carroll, who first revealed the calls from Williamsons team on Twitter, noted he is a pledged delegate. There are over 3,900 pledged DNC delegates from around the country, and the rules specify that they should in all good conscience reflect the sentiments of those who elected them and back the winners of the Democratic primary in the area they represent. Because of his victories in the primary, which was largely uncontested, the vast majority of these delegates are pledged to Biden.

For his part, Carroll said he is going to nominate Biden at the convention both due to his obligation as a pledged delegate and because he thinks the president is still the best choice to defeat Trump, despite the concerns reportedly raised by party leaders about his candidacy.

Im an elected member of the Democratic Party. I represent about 145,000 people. Im an elected delegate. I take that all very, very seriously, Carroll said, adding, I think its a team effort  and I think we need to stop having a  circular firing squad.

Though I will agree that the debate performance was poor, he added, the hysteria of the last three weeks is significantly worse.

GRAND ARMY PLAZA, NEW YORK, UNITED STATES  2019/08/05: Assemblyman Robert Carroll  New Yorkers Against Gun Violence, Youth Against Guns, Gays Against Guns, Borough President Eric L. Adams, civil rights lawyer Norman Siegel, Alexandria Ocasio Cortez, numerous local elected officials and other advocates gathered for a candlelight vigil in Prospect Park to mourn the lives lost during recent mass shootings in Brownsville, Dayton, El Paso, and Gilroy, denouncing the surge in gun violence throughout the city and country, and calling on lawmakers at the federal level to enact real gun reform. (Photo by Erik McGregor/LightRocket via Getty Images)

Williamson is a spiritually progressive author and self-help guru who has stopped and started a presidential bid multiple times during this election cycle. She initially dropped out of the race on Feb. 7 after receiving roughly four percent of the vote in the New Hampshire Democratic primary and about two percent in South Carolinas Democratic primary. Williamson, who also mounted an unsuccessful presidential bid in 2020, announced the unsuspension of her campaign three weeks later before ending it again last month. After her halting primary bid, Williamson has resurfaced in the midst of the Democratic Partys post-debate drama.

Bidens performance in that debate, which included multiple moments where he seemed to lose his train of thought and have difficulty expressing himself, have led to widespread concerns about his age, health and whether he can lead the party to victory in November. In recent weeks, numerous Democrats have called for him to abandon his re-election bid, citing their fears he cannot defeat Trump. Despite reports Friday that Bidens family has considered a potential exit plan, his campaign team has insisted he is more committed than ever to beat Donald Trump. On July 3, Williamson announced that she was re-re-entering the race and said the debate made very clear that the Democrats need a new nominee on the ballot. Since then, she has launched the operation focused on the DNC delegates.

The delegates are set to nominate the Democratic Partys presidential candidate in a virtual roll call ahead of the convention, which will take place in Chicago starting Aug. 19. In addition to the pledged delegates, there are 739 automatic delegates, who are often called superdelegates. The automatic delegates can vote to nominate any candidate of their choosing, but, as a result of reforms put in place in the wake of the contested 2016 Democratic primary, they cannot vote on the first ballot. A candidate can secure the nomination by winning a majority in that initial vote. If Biden does indeed step aside, his pledged delegates would be released. However, the concerns about his candidacy have caused some delegates and others to wonder if the good conscience clause in the partys rules might allow them to break away even without Biden deciding to end his run.

Williamsons delegate play is centered on this idea. Earlier this week, she released a video outlining her message to delegates and suggesting they can open up this convention by sending letters to the DNC. Williamson stressed that these letters would need to be notarized and submitted before Friday.

The only chance now to stop this is for you who are delegates to use your power and to step in, Williamson said in the clip, adding, You do that by sending a communication  saying that you as a delegate to this convention no longer automatically pledge your vote to Joe Biden, that, according to the dictates of your conscience and your firm belief that were in trouble regarding the election in November, you want to hear from any other candidates, you want to open up this convention.

In her video, Williamson stressed that she was not calling for delegates to pledge to support her.

What Im asking you to do is to just pledge to opening up the convention, Williamson said.

In a note on her site that accompanied the video, Williamson suggested the show of opposition to Biden was focused on convincing the DNC to eliminate a planned, early virtual roll call ahead of the in-person convention. Amid the questions surrounding Biden, others in the party have also raised concerns about the early roll call, which has not been scheduled. In a letter to committee members on Wednesday, the co-chairs of the DNC rules committee indicated the roll call would not occur before Aug. 1 and said it needed to take place prior to the convention due to concerns about ballot access.

Carroll, the New York delegate who received the call from Williamsons team, said they offered to send him text for a potential letter opposing Bidens nomination.

I told them that I was uninterested and that I wasnt going to humor them, he said.

Williamsons campaign did not respond to a request for comment asking how many delegates they believe signed the letters or whether she expected to receive any support at the DNC. Bidens campaign also did not respond to a request for comment on this story.

Carroll said that, in the event that Biden steps aside, he would vote for any candidate recommended by the president and he assumes that would be Harris. He also said there is no universe where he would vote to nominate Williamson at the DNC.

To be perfectly honest, I barely know who the hell she is, Carroll said.

I mean, I know that shes got like crystals to sell or something, but like, I really, I couldnt tell you if she walked into my office right now I wouldnt know that she was Marianne Williamson, he continued, adding, I dont think of her as a Democratic Party person, I dont think of her as an elected official, I dont think of her as a party activist or somebody who has got her finger on the pulse.  I know shes a kooky person, but I dont spend  Ive got too many things going on in my life to spend any time on kooky Marianne Williamson and what her ideas are.
Mark Zuckerberg has praised Republican presidential nominee Donald Trumps reaction to his attempted assassination at a Pennsylvania rally last weekend.

The Meta CEO, in a Thursday interview with Bloombergs Emily Chang, recalled seeing the former president get up after the shooting and then pump his fist in the air, a moment documented in widely shared photos from the attack that killed one rally attendee.

Zuckerberg described the scene, which featured an American flag waving in the sky, as one of the most badass things hes seen in his life.

On some level as an American, its like hard to not get kind of emotional about that spirit and that fight, and I think that thats why a lot of people like the guy, Zuckerberg said of Trump.

The Meta Platforms chief, who once criticized Trump over his immigration policies back in 2017, declined to endorse the Republican nominee or President Joe Biden as they compete for the White House this year.

Ive done some stuff personally in the past. Im not planning on doing that this time, said Zuckerberg, who has previously made headlines for his politicalmoves.

Mark Zuckerberg said that Donald Trumps immediate reaction after being shot was badass and inspiring  without endorsing the former president.



The Meta CEO spoke exclusively to @emilychangtv on The Circuit https://t.co/Y1s1HmhotXpic.twitter.com/DQI10NHzhq  Bloomberg (@business) July 19, 2024

Zuckerbergs remarks arrive after fellow billionaire Elon Muskendorsed Trump following his assassination attempt.

Musk has reportedly pledged to donate $45 million a month to America PAC, a political action committee working to elect Trump.

Zuckerberg, elsewhere in his interview with Chang, said that users of Metas services actually want to see less political content. Metas Instagram announced earlier this year that the platform wouldnt proactively recommend political content from accounts that users dont follow.

I think youre going to see our services play less of a role in this election than they have in the past, Zuckerberg said Thursday.

Trump  whose Facebook and Instagram accounts were suspended in the wake of the Jan. 6, 2021, insurrection before being reinstated last year  has referred to Facebook as the enemy of the people and seemingly warned Zuckerberg that hed go to prison if Trump were to retake the Oval Office.

Trump recently told Bloomberg Businessweek that hes against banning the Chinese-owned platform TikTok since you need competition, before disparaging Facebook and Instagram.

Thats, you know, thats Zuckerberg, the former president said.

Ahead of the 2020 election, Biden similarly said that hes never been a big Zuckerberg fan, referring to the CEO as a real problem.

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BETHESDA, Md. (DC News Now)  Employees at Bethesda Game Studios  the company behind award-winning games such as Skyrim and the Fallout series  voted to unionize, joining the Communications Workers of America (CWA),

The workers, consisting of 241 developers, signed a union authorization card or indicated they wanted union representation, according to CWA. Microsoft recognized the union, making it the first wall-to-wall union at a Microsoft video game studio.

We are so excited to announce our union at Bethesda Game Studio and join the movement sweeping across the video game industry. It is clear that every worker can benefit from bringing democracy into the workplace and securing a protected voice on the job, stated Bethesda Game Studios Senior System Designer, Mandi Parker, in a press release.

Businesses, hospitals, banks affected by global Microsoft outage

Were thrilled to get down to brass tacks and win a fair contract, proving that our unity is a source of real power to positively shape our working conditions, our lives, and the company as a whole, she continued.

The workers are joining CWA Locals 2108 in Maryland and 6215 in Texas.

Bethesda Game Studios workers in Montreal also filed for union recognition with the Quebec Labor Relations Board just last month, and will be represented by CWA Canada.

The studio has locations in Bethesda, Quebec, Austin, Texas and Dallas, Texas. Its newest game, Starfield, garnered 10 million players within three weeks of its release in 2023, according 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 DC News Now | Washington, DC.
MASON COUNTY, Texas (KXAN)  Mason County reopened its courthouse July 13, three years after it burned in an arson fire.

According to a press release from the Texas Historical Commission, a crowd of 750 cheered as former County Judge Jerry Bearden cut the ribbon on the newly restored building.

PREVIOUS: The heartbeat of our community: Fire damages Mason County courthouse

Bearden served as county judge when the building burned on Feb. 4, 2021.

The Historical Commission gave the county grant money for a courthouse restoration project that was nearly underway when the fire happened.

Mason County reopened its courthouse July 13. (Courtesy: Texas Historical Commission)

Mason County reopened its courthouse July 13. (Courtesy: Texas Historical Commission)

Mason County reopened its courthouse July 13. (Courtesy: Texas Historical Commission)

In 2021, tragedy struck this cornerstone of Mason County. Watching it as it was engulfed in flames was a shocking blow. But in the face of that devastation, your community did not falter. Everyone stepped up, and you united and resolved to rebuild and restore, said Commissioner Garrett Donnelly, secretary of the Texas Historical Commission at the July 13 ceremony.

Mason County allowed everyone to walk through the restored courthouse following the ceremony.

Nicholas Jarret Miller was convicted and sentenced Feb. 28 on two first-degree felony arson-related charges and three others in connection with the fire.

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For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to KXAN Austin.
SPRINGFIELD, Ill. (WCIA)  The funeral for a woman shot and killed in her own home was full of celebration and calls for justice.

Hundreds gathered on Friday to celebrate Sonya Masseys life and lay her to rest. She was remembered as a friend, a daughter, a sister and a mother of two. Family and friends took turns sharing stories and honoring her.

The celebration of life then quickly turned into calls for justice for the 36-year-old.

Massey was shot and killed two weeks ago by a Sangamon County Sheriffs deputy who responded to a 911 call from her for help. That deputy, Sean Grayson, has been fired from the Sheriffs Office and is now charged with first degree murder.

The family thanked States Attorney John Milhiser for his quick action in filing the charges. But they made it clear that they want more than just convictions to believe justice is served. They want to see total justice and systemic change at the local and state levels.

Former Sangamon Co. deputy arraigned, new details revealed in Sonya Masseys death

The Massey family has retained nationally recognized civil rights attorney Ben Crump to handle other aspects of the legal fight. Crump spoke at the funeral and to reporters after, saying the family will be accept nothing less than complete justice.

Thats very important that we dont ever take our foot off the gas when we are fighting for marginalized people of color, especially black people in America, Crump said.

Masseys father James Wilburn also spoke at the funeral. He wondered out loud how Sangamon County Sheriff Jack Campbell could hire Grayson.

If what Ive heard is true about yalls sheriff, he needs to go, Wilburn said.

Pritzker, Sangamon Co. officials speak out on deputys shooting charges

State records obtained by WCIA show Grayson worked at six different law enforcement agencies since August of 2020. He worked less than one year at the Auburn Police Department, one year at the Logan County Sheriffs Office, and then just over a year with the Sangamon County Sheriffs Office.

Grayson was arrested twice for Class A misdemeanor DUIs  one in 2015 and one in 2016.

There was all these red flags, and yet they still made him a deputy in this county, Wilburn said.

The Sangamon County Sheriffs Office acknowledged they knew about Graysons two DUIs when they hired him. The county conducts criminal background checks on all employees before hiring them.

But they said they are not aware of any complaints of excessive force during Graysons previous stints in law enforcement.

WCIA has multiple Freedom of Information Act requests out to Graysons previous employers for more information on his departures from previous jobs. State records show he resigned and started new jobs shortly after  sometimes the next day. County officials said that to their knowledge, Grayson had not been fired from previous jobs.

Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to WCIA.com.
EL PASO, Texas (KTSM)  The South Fork and Salt fires brought a whole community together to help those impacted by the fires and then later the floods that hit the area. However, the help is not over yet as a famous Hollywood actor used his social media to express his support for the Ruidoso area.

More than $6M in federal aid OKd for Ruidoso fire, flooding recovery

Actor Matthew McConaughey used his Instagram story on Thursday, July 18 to share a link on how to help Ruidoso and Lincoln County.

The Village of Ruidoso shared its gratitude for McConaugheys support in a Facebook post, along with a screenshot of the actors Instagram story.

Photo credit of the Village of Ruidoso via Facebook

Back in March, the Village of Ruidoso announced that the movie The Lost Bus would film from April 1-7 in Ruidoso.

The movie, starring McConaughey, America Ferrera and Yul Vazquez, explores what went wrong in Californias Camp Fire, the nations deadliest wildfire in a century, and how to prevent future tragedies, also including stories of a bus driver and school teacher who helped through a wildfire, according to IMDbs website.

A KTSM viewer, Adrian Madrigal, reached out to us saying he and his wife spotted McConaughey filming in Ruidoso the first week of April.

Madrigal said film crews encouraged the people of Ruidoso to be around during filming and hired hundreds of locals for extras.

Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. 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.
Breaking News Reporter Will Greenlee gathers interviews and photos from the crowd for TCPalm outside the federal courthouse in Fort Pierce in 2024 during a hearing for the classified documents criminal case against former President Donald Trump.

Will Greenlee is a breaking news reporter for TCPalm/Treasure Coast Newspapers, mainly covering St. Lucie County. Originally from Orlando, he began working at The Stuart News in 1997, covering government issues in Stuart and Sewall's Point. He often was asked to help cover crime and breaking news stories in Martin County, and wound up being assigned to that. In fall 1999, his editor at the time shifted his coverage area to St. Lucie County.

Q: What is it like covering breaking news for the USA Today Florida Network?

A: I enjoy the job and the different challenges it can bring on a daily basis. Connecting with family or friends of victims impacted by crime or tragedy, such as a criminal homicide or accidental car crash, to share that person's story is a privilege, and not one I take lightly. I enjoy interacting with local law enforcement officers, learning about their jobs, responsibilities and helping tell their stories. Sometimes the job can be very difficult, such as interviewing grieving parents, but it always is rewarding to help inform the community.

Q: What are some of the other things you enjoy about your job?

A: Sometimes story opportunities come my way that allow me to interview interesting residents and officials and tell their stories in a more feature-like format. For example, I spoke at length to Dr. Patricia Aronica for a profile story when she took over as the area's chief medical examiner and I also spoke to Barry Mawn, who retired from the FBI in 2002 and at the time was a seasonal Hobe Sound resident. Before retiring he headed an FBI office about five blocks from the World Trade Center on Sept. 11, 2001. I have an interest in military history, and have had the pleasure of interviewing a Vietnam veteran with ties to Vero Beach whose service involved treating patients in a civilian hospital in what then was South Vietnam, and a number of World War II veterans, including a then 100-year-old Fort Pierce resident who served in the U.S. Army in the Pacific.

Q: What is your most memorable story?

A: Over the years I have written many stories that stay with me. Most are profiles, or feature type stories, that involve interviews with many people before crafting an article that captures what a person is like, or illustrates that person through the memory of others. In one case, I got an email from a then stranger to me. Although I didn't know this person, I knew his father, learned from him and interviewed him many times over the years before he retired. That stranger said his dad told him he always felt I "gave him a fair shake." He told me his father was in ill health and did not have much time left and asked for help in writing an obituary. It was a powerful moment for me, and was the start of what became a front page story about the passing in 2020 of the area's longtime top medical examiner, Dr. Roger Mittleman.

Breaking News Reporter Will Greenlee is not always at a crime scene on the Treasure Coast. Sometimes he's in an office.

Will Greenlee is a breaking news reporter for TCPalm. Follow Will on X @OffTheBeatTweet or reach him by phone at 772-267-7926. E-mail him at will.greenlee@tcpalm.com.

This article originally appeared on Treasure Coast Newspapers: Meet TCPalm Breaking News Reporter Will Greenlee
MEMPHIS, Tenn.  The Memphis Shelby County School District has agreed to pay more than $15,000 to resolve a federal lawsuit with the sponsors of an after-school satan club.

The Freedom from Religion Foundation filed the lawsuit on behalf of the Satanic Temple back in March, claiming MSCS violated their First Amendment rights.

Satanic Temple sues MSCS, claiming discrimination

Late last year, the Satanic Temple announced plans to host the after-school satan club at Chimneyrock Elementary School. Planned activities included science and community service projects, games, nature activities, and arts and crafts. It marked the organizations fifth active club in the country.

At the time, MSCS said while they did not endorse the satan club, all non-profit organizations seeking to use facilities after school hours were guaranteed equal access.

Memphis school officials address After School Satan Club

On January 10, MSCS allowed the Satanic Temple to hold the first after-school event at Chimney Rock, but club leaders said administrators and members of the clergy tried to block and deter them from meeting at the school. The lawsuit also alleged MSCS charged discriminatory rental and security fees.

FFRF said MSCS agreed to pay $1 for nominal damages to The Satanic Temple, $14,845 in attorneys fees and costs and $196.71 for various fees previously paid by the Temple that had not yet been refunded.

WREG contacted MSCS, but so far, the school system has not commented on the settlement.

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WASHINGTON (DC News Now)  The U.S. Attorneys Office (USAO) announced Friday that two men from the DMV  one from Fairfax County in Virginia and another from Bethesda in Maryland  were sentenced for their involvement in the Jan. 6, 2021, breach of the U.S. Capitol.

His actions and the actions of others disrupted a joint session of the U.S. Congress convened to ascertain and count the electoral votes related to the 2020 presidential election, the USAO said in both of the press releases about the mens sentences.

Jan. 6 police officers honored with Congressional Gold Medals

Virginia

Joseph Brody, 24, of Springfield, Va., will spend a year and a half in prison, followed by three years of supervised release, for assaulting a law enforcement officer during the insurrection.

According to court documents, the USAO said Brody attended former President Donald Trumps rally in D.C. with several friends. After the rally, they made their way to the Capitol building and entered alongside many other rioters just after 2:15 p.m.

Eventually, they continued into a small atrium with a plaque reading Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi, entering a conference room within the Speakers office suite.

Brody eventually broke off from the group and entered the Senate Chamber. While there, he appeared to photograph or record what was inside, including documents and other information on top of and inside several senators desks.

He and the group left the Capitol at about 2:50 p.m.

Former U.S. Capitol police officer who defended the Capitol on Jan. 6 is running for Congress

Then, the group moved to the north side of the building, where officers were trying to keep rioters from breaching the North Door. Thats when an officer tried to use a fire extinguisher to keep the rioters at bay.

Brody grabbed a metal barricade, lifted it up and shoved it over a concrete station and into the officer, wrote the USAO.

The force of the barricade knocked the officer backward, according to documents.

The group then began destroying and looting media equipment set up outside of the Capitol building.

He was eventually arrested by the FBI on Sept. 14, 2022, in Springfield. He pleaded guilty to a felony count of assaulting, resisting or impeding certain officers on Feb. 21, 2024.

Maryland

Steven Patrick Cook, 25, of Bethesda, Md., will spend 28 months in prison, followed by 36 months of supervised release. He also pleaded guilty to assaulting law enforcement during the insurrection.

Moments after rioters broke the police line on the West Plaza, the USAO said Cook pushed and hit multiple police officers.

Just before 2:30 p.m., he pushed a Metropolitan Police Department officer as they were trying to reestablish the police line. He then grabbed the officers police baton and punched another officer.

DC police officer, 2 women hurt in shooting after basketball game in Southwest

According to the USAO and his guilty plea, Cook spent over an hour assaulting officers in the Lowe West Tunnel, the site of some of the most violent attacks against law enforcement.

While in the Tunnel, Cook helped other rioters attack police and, at one point, grabbed a gas mask from a nearby rioter, put it on his face and bull-rushed officers.

He also grabbed an officers baton and pushed himself continuously into officers in order to break the line.

The FBI arrested Cook on Sept. 16, 2023, in Maryland. He pleaded guilty to his charges earlier this year.

Joseph Brody and Steven Patrick Cook are two of over 1,470 people who have been charged with crimes related to the breach of the U.S. Capitol, including more than 530 individuals charged with assaulting or impeding law enforcement, according to the USAO.

Anyone with tips can call 1-800-225-5324 or visit tips.fbi.gov.

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MCKINLEY COUNTY, N.M. (KRQE)  A woman has entered a plea in a robbery case. The crime happened in 2021.

Amber Yazzie, of Gamerco, 29, is accused of entering an insurance company in Gallup, with two other people, while brandishing a firearm. She reportedly yelled at employees for money, threatened them, and shot the gun into the ceiling. Yazzie and the other people fled to Albuquerque.

Video: Suspected racer talks to police after Albuquerque crash kills 2

Court records alleged they went shopping with the money at a mall. Receipts and surveillance footage document this.

Yazzie pleaded guilty to robbery and federal firearm charges. She faces between 10 years and life in prison. She will have to serve supervised release for three years after her sentence.

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FILE - A Southwest Key Programs sign is displayed on June 20, 2014, in Brownsville, Texas. Southwest Key, the largest housing provider for unaccompanied migrant children has been accused of severe, pervasive, and unwelcome sexual abuse of and harassment of children in its care, the Justice Department said Thursday, July 18, 2024. (AP Photo/Eric Gay, File)

MCALLEN, Texas (AP)  As allegations of sexual abuse built up at the largest housing provider for unaccompanied migrant children in the U.S., officials continued placing children in their care in a system that lacks adequate oversight, advocates say.

A lawsuit filed Wednesday by the Justice Department alleges employees of Southwest Key Programs Inc. sexually abused and harassed children in their care for at least eight years. During that time, the nonprofit organization amassed billions of dollars in government contracts and continued to house thousands of unaccompanied migrant children entering the U.S.

It remained unclear Friday how many children are currently in Southwest Key shelters, and federal officials did not respond to questions about whether any actions would be taken in response to the lawsuit. Critics say it reflects a system that has lacked accountability for years.

The whole point of this complaint is that theres this pattern and practice, said Leecia Welch, deputy legal director at Childrens Rights. If theyre bringing this complaint that they saw a pattern and practice of sexual harassment and violating these kids while still placing kids at Southwest Key during the same time period, thats why I have such a disconnect.

Southwest Key, which operates under grants from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services through the Office of Refugee Resettlement, has 29 child migrant shelters  17 in Texas, 10 in Arizona and two in California  with room for more than 6,300 children.

The department did not respond to emailed requests for comment asking whether children will continue to be placed there. A Justice Department spokesperson declined to comment beyond the lawsuit announcement Thursday. Southwest Key did not respond to an additional emailed request for comment Friday.

ORR continued to contract with Southwest Key despite knowing of some of these issues, so right now there isnt in another place to put all these kids, said Diane de Gramont, an attorney with the National Center for Youth Law. And we would be extremely concerned if kids then ended up in border patrol facilities for longer periods of time because ORR didnt have enough beds for them.

The Border Patrol must transfer custody of unaccompanied children within 72 hours of arrest to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, which releases most to parents or close relatives after short stays at Southwest Key or shelters operated by other contracted providers.

The Young Center for Immigrant Childrens Rights, a nonprofit organization that advocates for immigrant children, called for children in custody to be immediately reunited with family members and have access to attorneys as well as independent courts who will hear their claims of harm.

Previous abuse at some Southwest Key shelters led to their closure, including two large facilities in Arizona in 2018. The state revoked their licenses for not properly conducting background checks on their employees, and further investigation revealed several cases of physical and sexual abuse, including accusations from the government of El Salvador.

The abuse reflects the important role of state oversight, something that is now lacking in states like Texas and Florida, where Republican governors revoked state licensing of facilities that house migrant children.

Critics say there exists no equivalent system to report and investigate child abuse and neglect through the Health and Human Services Department's Office of Refugee Resettlement, which oversees the housing of migrant children.

If there is an incident of abuse, when the state is there, theres a clear hotline for anybody to call, de Gramont said. Theres a mandatory investigation ... theres a strict series of events thats supposed to happen there.

Some experts also wondered why the complaint was filed as a civil lawsuit where no one would be held criminally liable.

Daniel Hatoum, a Texas Civil Rights Project attorney whose experience includes defending children subject to the work of immigration contractors, said a criminal lawsuit could come later.

Corporate liability can be a lot harder for the Department of Justice than civil liability and especially individual criminal liability, he said. The civil lawsuit is seeking a jury trial and requesting monetary damages for the victims of the alleged abuse.

The Justice Departments lawsuit comes less than three weeks after a federal judge granted its request to lift special court oversight of the Health and Human Services Departments care of unaccompanied migrant children, known as the Flores agreement. This gave attorneys representing child migrants broad authority to visit custody facilities and conduct interviews with staff and other migrants, as well as register complaints with the court.

President Joe Bidens administration argued that new federal safeguards rendered special oversight unnecessary 27 years after it began. In one court document, Health and Human Services Department official Toby Biswas painted a rosy picture of the new regulations' numerous protections for unaccompanied children as well as independent accountability for their custody conditions.

Advocates instead saw a void in oversight.

Carrie Van der Hoek, deputy program director for the Young Center's Child Advocate Program in Texas, said in an affidavit opposing the termination of the Flores agreement that her staff reported approximately 10 instances of alleged abuse and neglect to the state's Department of Family and Protective Services since Texas revoked its licensing in 2021.

When we have made these reports, in some cases, DFPS officials told us that they would not investigate the complaint because DFPS did not have jurisdiction over ORR facilities, Van der Hoek said. In other cases, we received no response and were not aware of any actions taken by DFPS or any other state agency to investigate the report.

Van der Hoek also said that if a child called preprogrammed telephones in the Office of Refugee Resettlement, facilities that allow them to reach the state child abuse and neglect hotline, they would get the same response.

Biswas said they began conducting in-depth reviews of abuse allegations at Texas facilities beginning March 2022 and will begin its own investigations of alleged child abuse and neglect in Texas or in any other state if it ceases to perform such investigations as of July of this year.

___

Associated Press journalist Elliot Spagat contributed to this report.

___

A previous version of this story incorrectly reported the Justice Department filed the lawsuit on Thursday.
Bangladeshi people holding placards gather in front of the Bangladesh Embassy in Washington DC as they show solidarity with Bangladesh students anti-'Quota' protest. More than one hundred people have been killed in the clashes so far across the country and over 1,500 have been injured by the authoritarian government in Bangladesh during a movement demanding reform of the quota system in government jobs. Probal Rashid/ZUMA Press Wire/dpa

The government of Bangladesh has imposed a nationwide curfew and deployed the military following clashes between demonstrators and police during student protests, the military announced on Saturday.

The army will be deployed in the capital Dhaka and other districts, announced Home Minister Asaduzzaman Khan.

More than 100 people have died in the protests since violence broke out on Tuesday. At least 56 deaths were reported on Friday, according to BBC Bangla, citing the newspapers Prothom Alo and The Daily Star.

News from these outlets and other local media was not accessible online on Saturday, after the government largely cut off internet, telephone and SMS connections. The casualty figures have not been officially confirmed.

The US embassy in Bangladesh spoke on Friday of "hundreds to possibly thousands injured."

In the capital Dhaka, all gatherings were banned on Friday until further notice, Prothom Alo reported, citing the police.

Nevertheless, some protests took place. The police used stun grenades, tear gas and rubber bullets. Protesters set vehicles, shops and offices on fire, according to a dpa reporter on-site.

At midnight on Friday, student representatives had reportedly met with government representatives. No information on the outcome was known, BBC Bangla reported.

On Saturday, military personnel were predominantly seen on the streets. The website of the Bangladeshi government appeared to be hacked. It read: "Stop Killing Students" and "It's not a protest anymore, it's a war now."

The demonstrations, which have been ongoing since early July, are directed against the possible reintroduction of an old quota system.

It stipulates that more than half of public sector jobs be reserved for certain groups - such as the descendants of soldiers who fought for the country's independence in 1971, women and people from poor neighbourhoods.

Thousands of young people are calling for a more merit-based system.

Unemployment is high in the country with more than 170 million inhabitants. On Thursday, the government signalled its willingness to reform the system and hold talks.

Observers say that the quota system favours supporters of Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina and her Awami League. The government, in turn, accuses a section of the opposition Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) of fuelling the violence during the protests.

On Friday afternoon, the police arrested Ruhul Kabir Rizvi, a senior BNP figure.
This article was originally published in SC Daily Gazette.

COLUMBIA  Just over $8 million meant to help families afford groceries went unused when debit cards with the money expired last month, according to state data.

Last August, the state Department of Social Services mailed nearly 537,000 debit cards loaded with money for groceries to families across the state. The money was part of a temporary federal program during the COVID-19 pandemic meant to help families buy groceries during the months when their children werent in school.

The last round of cards, which gave families $120 per child, expired in May, nine months after they were issued. Nearly 470,000 cards  87.5% of those mailed  were activated, totaling $56.2 million.

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Whether families used up all of their allotment is unknown. DSS doesnt track how much of a card is used once its activated. But with the cost of groceries, its expected that families who activated their card at all quickly used their total available.

Cards remain good nine months after theyre used for an initial purchase of any amount. That means the 1,300 people who first used the cards between April and May have until next January or February to use the remaining money before it, too, returns to the federal government.

The exact reasons 67,000 families did not use their cards at all are unknown. There could be several reasons a parent didnt use the money, DSS officials and advocates have said.

Some cards may have been lost in the shuffle of other pandemic assistance, Sue Berkowitz, an advocate with Appleseed Legal Justice Center, said previously. Others may have thrown it out because they didnt know what it was or that it was legitimate.

The social services and education departments tried to get the word out through news interviews and social media posts, agency spokespeople said.

Still other families may have intentionally discarded the aid. The cards went to the addresses listed for any student who qualifies to eat free or reduced-priced meals at school.

And the vast majority of schools statewide qualify for a federal program that allows all students to eat for free, regardless of their parents income. That means families who normally dont qualify for any public assistance received the grocery debit cards anyway.

The cards sent out in August were the final of seven rounds of federal pandemic grocery aid.

In all, the state distributed 2.26 million cards between July 2020 and last August providing $1.04 billion for groceries. Parents used 90% of those cards at least once, according to DSS data.

While no complete database of states usage exists, South Carolina families seem to have used the money at a higher rate than other states. For instance, Missouri had about $37 million in unused grocery aid in February, and Louisiana had $16 million in April, just ahead of their cards expiration dates.

A new, permanent version of the program began in 35 states this summer. South Carolina was not among them after Gov. Henry McMaster declined to participate, pointing to other statewide programs that feed children over the summers.

Unlike the pandemic-era aid, which the federal government fully funded, the new program requires states to chip in half the administrative cost.

Democratic legislators lambasted McMaster for his decision, but legislation that would have required him to sign on and asking Congress to extend the Jan. 1 deadline to sign up went nowhere.

SC Daily Gazette is part of States Newsroom, a nonprofit news network supported by grants and a coalition of donors as a 501c(3) public charity. SC Daily Gazette maintains editorial independence. Contact Editor Seanna Adcox for questions: info@scdailygazette.com. Follow SC Daily Gazette on Facebook and X.
Minsk and Berlin discussing fate of German man sentenced to death in Belarus  Belarusian Foreign Ministry

The Belarusian Foreign Ministry says it is in contact with the German Federal Foreign Office regarding 30-year-old German citizen Rico Krieger, who has been sentenced to death in Belarus.

Source: Anatoly Glaz, spokesperson for the Belarusian Foreign Ministry, told Belarusian regime-aligned news outlet BelTA on Saturday, 20 July, as reported by European Pravda

Details: Glaz stated that Belarus provided Germany with consular access to Krieger "in full compliance with international norms and bilateral agreements".

"Considering the German Foreign Ministry's request, the Belarusian side has proposed specific solutions for addressing the situation. Discussions between the foreign ministries of the two countries are ongoing," he added without elaborating.

Background:

Earlier, it was reported that Krieger had been sentenced to death in Belarus for supposedly "illegal actions involving firearms", damage to transport or communication routes, creation of or participation in an "extremist" group, espionage, mercenarism and terrorism.

The German citizen received the sentence on 21 June, an extremely rare occurrence in Belarus, where the death penalty still exists but is seldom applied to foreigners. No official Belarusian institution has yet commented on the verdict.

Independent Belarusian media outlets have learned from unofficial sources that Krieger's case concerns his alleged involvement in the Kastus Kalinouski Regiment, a group of Belarusian opposition volunteers, which was formed to fight the Russians in Ukraine. The man was detained last year; before that, he was a medic with the German Red Cross.

The regime of Alexander Lukashenko, the self-proclaimed president of Belarus, is notorious for its repression of opposition and activists, which intensified significantly after the 2020 protests against the falsification of presidential election results.

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Ordinarily, Lance Morgan doesn't celebrate a victory until it's in hand.

So while Friday's approval by the Nebraska Racing and Gaming Commission to open the first phase of the WarHorse Casino in Omaha on Aug. 6, the real celebration will wait until then.

"(Today) really is a pretty nice feeling," said Morgan, the CEO of Ho-Chunk Inc., the parent company of WarHorse Gaming and the economic development arm of the Winnebago Tribe of Nebraska. "Sometimes it's nice to take a break and just sort of acknowledge how far you've come. We've been working on this for a long time.

"This is a pretty seminal moment in the Nebraska gaming industry, but the real celebration comes when we open the doors."

That will come in 17 days  after the Racing and Gaming Commission signs off on a handful of standard inspection items, including proper signage and properly functioning alarms, doors and cameras.

The casino now has two years to complete construction of phase two, which will be its permanent facility.

"This is a big deal," said Dennis Lee, the chairman of the Racing and Gaming Commission. "Historically, this is quite an exciting time. We're opening a casino in the largest metropolitan area in the state of Nebraska."

The commission also on Friday unanimously approved a racing license for Hastings Exposition and Racing Inc. to establish a quarter horse track in Ogallala, near Lake McConaughy.

Hastings Exposition and Racing Inc. is partnering with Elite Casino Resorts, which currently operates the Grand Island Casino Resort, to develop a 5/8-mile track on a 178-acre site.

The issue had been carried over from the June meeting until ownership of the track could be confirmed. A marketing study prepared for the commission had recommended the Ogallala track and casino as one that is least likely to negatively affect the state's other existing operations.

Elite Casino Resorts submitted a gaming application to build a casino resort next to the track.

The planned casino resort complex includes a hotel, restaurants and a truck stop and will be owned and operated by Elite Casino Resorts. The project is pending Racing and Gaming Commission approval.

We are thrilled to bring a first-class resort, grow out-of-state tourism, add jobs and invest $100 million into Ogallala and western Nebraska Dan Kehl, CEO of Elite Casino Resorts, said in a written statement.

Detailed plans were submitted as part of the application for the racetrack and facilities and the casino resort complex. Construction on the racetrack is expected to begin as soon as zoning is approved.

Friday's approval is significant because it is the first western Nebraska casino. For years, Lee pointed out, Fonner Park in Grand Island, along with Hastings, had been the westernmost racing venues.

"Fonner Park and Hastings had been our western frontier," he said. "We're going to move that hundreds of miles to the west. Ogallala really has a unique opportunity to open racing and  sometime in the future  gaming to western Nebraska."

Top Journal Star photos for July 2024
SALT LAKE CITY (ABC4)  A 48-year-old man is missing out of Cache County, according to the Cache County Sheriffs Office.

David Allan Roe, 48, is described as a Caucasian man, 63, 135 lbs, with brown hair and hazel eyes.

Roe last used his banking cards on Monday, July 15, in Salt Lake City, police said. His vehicle was found near the Hardware Ranch wildlife refuge at Blacksmith Fork Canyon in Cache County on Thursday, July 18.

Man arrested in Sugar House for attempted kidnapping of 12-year-old girl

Courtesy of Cache County Sheriffs Office

His vehicle is described as a 2001 maroon Dodge Caravan. The area where his vehicle was found is said to be his last known location.

If you have seen David, or have any information regarding his whereabouts, please contact the Cache County Sheriffs Office through Dispatch (435)-753-7555. the Cache County Sheriffs Office stated. Please reference case #24-C6481.

No further information is available at this time.

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Missouri woman who served 43 years in prison is free after her murder conviction was overturned

Chillicothe, Missouri (AP)  A woman whose murder conviction was overturned after she served 43 years of a life sentence was released Friday, despite attempts in the last month by Missouris attorney general to keep her behind bars.

Sandra Hemme, 64, left a prison in Chillicothe, hours after a judge threatened to hold the attorney generals office in contempt if they continued to fight against her release. She reunited with her family at a nearby park, where she hugged her sister, daughter and granddaughter.

You were just a baby when your mom sent me a picture of you, she said. You looked just like your mamma when you were little and you still look like her.

Her granddaughter laughed. I get that a lot.

Hemme had been the longest-held wrongly incarcerated woman known in the U.S., according to her legal team at the Innocence Project. The judge originally ruled on June 14 that Hemmes attorneys had established clear and convincing evidence of actual innocence and he overturned her conviction. But Republican Attorney General Andrew Bailey fought her release in the courts.

It was too easy to convict an innocent person and way harder than it should have been to get her out, even to the point of court orders being ignored, her attorney Sean OBrien said. It shouldnt be this hard to free an innocent person.

During a court hearing Friday, Judge Ryan Horsman said that if Hemme wasnt released within hours, Bailey himself would have to appear in court Tuesday morning. He threatened to hold the attorney generals office in contempt.

He also scolded Baileys office for calling the warden and telling prison officials not to release Hemme after he ordered her to be freed in her own recognizance. I would suggest you never do that, Horsman said, adding: To call someone and tell them to disregard a court order is wrong.

Hemme declined to address reporters after she was released. OBrien said she was going straight to the side of her father, who was hospitalized with kidney failure and recently moved to palliative care. This has been a long time coming, he said of her release.

OBrien said previously that delays had caused their family irreparable harm and emotional distress.

There are still struggles ahead.

Shes going to need help, he said, noting she wont be eligible for social security because she has been incarcerated for so long.

Over the last month, a circuit judge, an appellate court and the Missouri Supreme Court all agreed Hemme should be released, but she was still held behind bars, leaving her lawyers and legal experts puzzled.

Ive never seen it, said Michael Wolff, a former Missouri Supreme Court judge and professor and dean emeritus of Saint Louis University Law School. Once the courts have spoken, the courts should be obeyed.

The lone holdup to freedom came from the attorney general, who filed court motions seeking to force her to serve additional years for decades-old prison assault cases. The warden at the Chillicothe Correctional Center initially declined to let Hemme go, based on Baileys actions.

Chillicothe Correctional Center, where Sandra Hemme was held, is seen on July 18, 2024, in Chillicothe, Missouri. - Heather Hollingsworth/AP

Horsman ruled on June 14 that the totality of the evidence supports a finding of actual innocence. A state appeals court ruled on July 8 that Hemme should be set free while it continued to review the case. The next day, July 9, Horsman ruled Hemme should be released to go home with her sister. The Missouri Supreme Court on Thursday declined to undo the lower court rulings that allowed her to be released on her own recognizance and placed with her sister and brother-in-law.

Bailey, a Republican facing opposition in the Aug. 6 primary election, responded with another request late Thursday, asking the Circuit Court to reconsider.

Hemme was serving a life sentence at the Chillicothe Correctional Center for the 1980 stabbing death of library worker Patricia Jeschke in St. Joseph, Missouri.

Hemmes immediate freedom was complicated by sentences she received for crimes committed while behind bars. She received a 10-year sentence in 1996 for attacking a prison worker with a razor blade, and a two-year sentence in 1984 for offering to commit violence. Bailey had argued that Hemme represents a safety risk to herself and others and that she should start serving those sentences now.

Her attorneys countered that keeping her incarcerated any longer would be a draconian outcome.

Some legal experts agreed.

Peter Joy, a law professor at the Washington University School of Law in St. Louis, said the effort to keep Hemme in prison was a shock to the conscience of any decent human being, since evidence strongly suggests she didnt commit the crime.

Baileys office did not immediately respond to messages seeking comment Friday.

Bailey, who was appointed attorney general after Eric Schmitt was elected to the U.S. Senate in 2022, has a history of opposing overturning convictions, even when local prosecutors cite evidence of actual innocence.

Horsman, after an extensive review, concluded in June that Hemme was heavily sedated and in a malleable mental state when investigators repeatedly questioned her in a psychiatric hospital after the killing. Her attorneys described her ultimate confession as often monosyllabic responses to leading questions. Other than the confession, no evidence linked her to the crime, her trial prosecutor said.

The St. Joseph Police Department, meanwhile, ignored evidence pointing to Michael Holman  a fellow officer, who died in 2015  and the prosecution wasnt told about FBI results that could have cleared Hemme, so it was never disclosed before her trials, the judge found.

Evidence presented to Horsman showed that Holmans pickup truck was seen outside Jeschkes apartment, that he tried to use her credit card, and that her earrings were found in his home.

Horsman, in his report, called Hemme the victim of a manifest injustice.

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A female grizzly bear attacked an elderly man who was picking huckleberries and used a handgun to shoot and kill the bear before being hospitalized Thursday night in northwestern Montana. File Photo by Robin Winkelman/St. Louis Zoo/UPI

July 20 (UPI) -- A female grizzly bear attacked a 72-year-old Montana man while he was picking huckleberries, which forced him to shoot and kill her with a handgun.

On Thursday, the unidentified Columbia Falls resident was in the Flathead National Forest near the North Fork Road in northwestern Montana when the grizzly charged and attacked him, Montana Fish, Wildlife & Parks officials announced Friday.

The man is hospitalized, but his condition was not reported.

Montana game wardens and local bear specialists are investigating the bear attack to learn if the man accidentally got between the female bear and any bear cubs.

The investigators confirmed the encounter was a surprise bear attack that ended when the man killed the bear with a handgun of an unidentified caliber.

Montana Fish, Wildlife & Parks staff earlier Thursday shot and killed an adult female grizzly bear that had gotten used to getting food from people and breaking into homes in and near Gardiner, which has a population of about 800 and is located due north of Yellowstone National Park.

That incident occurred about 300 miles from the Columbia Falls area grizzly bear attack.

Garbage, barbecue grills and pet food commonly attract bears, which could turn into dangerous encounters.

Montana wildlife managers often catch and move grizzly bears that create problems but will shoot those that attack people or continue causing problems after being relocated.

The Endangered Species Act lists grizzlies as a threatened species, but many officials in Rocky Mountain states want the bears' protected status removed.

Removing the bears from the protected status would enable licensed grizzly bear hunts to better manage local populations.
The Moon Landing Summer: What has happening in Elmira in July 1969.

On July 20, 1969, Neil Armstrong and Edwin "Buzz" Aldrin, aboard Apollo 11, became the first astronauts to walk on the moon. Fifty-five years ago, I was nine and remember the build-up to the day.

I had just graduated 4th grade at Riverside Elementary School, and although I did not like my teacher, I did enjoy the science part of her class. We talked about space and the future, and later in my life, I recalled each of the events she predicted would happen. School ended in late June, and the spacewalk would soon occur in late July.

During early July, Camp El-Ne-Ho of the Neighborhood House, located at the Sayre-Welles Woods in Millport, had chosen the "best day campers." The Gorton Coy had culottes on sale for $10. Permanent waves were on sale at the Escompe Beauty Salon in Miller Plaza. The "Love Bug" was playing at the Elmira Theater. Janowski Gardens sold peas, bibb, curly lettuce, rhubarb, and beets in their farmstand.

The Mall, now the Arnot Mall, had its fireworks display on the evening of July 3.

On July 4, the Associated Press reported that the rehearsal for Apollo 11 was "AOK." The astronauts, rocket and spacecraft had completed the final countdown rehearsal for the trip to the moon.

I didn't find any organized July 4 activities listed in Elmira. Eldridge Park's annual fireworks had been canceled for some reason, and an elephant show replaced it.

The Star-Gazette's moon map offer appeared on page 3 July 14, 1969.

Rossi's Bakery on Washington Avenue was closed for vacation from July 7-13. Rosenbaum's was having a dress sale. Chuck's restaurant on South Main Street advertised fish fries for 85 cents. Roy Russell's Restaurant also promoted fish fries  theirs were $1.

Seventeen glider pilots qualified in a meet at Harris Hill. Red Barn on South Main Street advertised a 15-piece bucket of chicken for $2.99.

On July 13, the Associated Press reported that "the spacemen were keyed up for a great adventure." The Pine City Firemen's Annual Pit Barbecue drew 8,000 hungry people.

On July 15, all anyone could talk about was the next day's blast-off. The Star-Gazette was selling a moon map for 50 cents. Teleprompter Cable TV offered a free detailed Moon Globe with cable TV installation in your home for the next 10 days.

Network NBC and local affiliate WSYE offered full-color coverage beginning July 16 at 6 a.m. with "coverage through the Moon landing and splashdown." Other things may have happened, but we were only interested in one thing.

On July 16, Apollo 11 lifted off at 9:32 a.m. It was all we could talk about. Now, all we had to do was wait. In the meantime, Kobacker's furniture store was holding a warehouse sale. Schwartz's ladies' wear store had a sale on bikinis. The Red Jacket restaurant on old Route 17 had old-fashioned chicken and biscuits, appetizers, salad, potato, vegetable, coffee, and dessert for $2.75. Or you could stay in town and have a Big Barney, French fries, and a Coke for 57 cents at Red Barn.

'The ultimate place for hot dogs': M&M Red Hots returns to Elmira with much fanfare

On July 19, the Associated Press reported that the two astronauts inspected their spacecraft and found it in good shape. Some people started complaining after 30 hours of moon landing coverage on TV. They wanted regular TV. Apollo 11 entered lunar orbit at 1:22 p.m.

On July 20 at 10:56 p.m. Elmira time, Armstrong was the first person, and Aldrin was the second to walk on the moon. The flight back to Earth began on July 21.

On July 24, the Apollo 11 crew were welcomed back to their home planet at 12:50 p.m., eight days and three hours from when they left.

On July 25, Elmira and the world got back to normal.

 Elmira city historian Diane Janowski writes a monthly history column.

This article originally appeared on Elmira Star-Gazette: Elmira memories of the moon landing: The summer of 1969
More than $1 million likely stolen in Delray Beach mail-theft scheme, investigators say

DELRAY BEACH  A southern Palm Beach County mail-theft scheme that resulted in the arrests of five people on racketeering charges earlier this month may have involved more than two dozen conspirators and resulted in more than $1 million in losses to their victims, Delray Beach police say.

Officers this week described a monthslong investigation into suspected mail theft and check fraud in multiple areas of the county.

During a news conference on Tuesday, July 16, at Delray Beach police headquarters, Detective Kimberly Mead outlined numbers that police say shows the scope of the scam.

More than 30 people are suspected of being involved, with investigators seeking to make more arrests.

More than 2,000 victims have been identified, including some who live out of of state.

To date, investigators have identified more than $800,000 stolen through the mail-theft scheme, with that figure likely surpass to $1 million.

A southern Palm Beach County mail-theft scheme that has resulted in the arrests of five people on racketeering charges may have involved more than two dozen conspirators and resulted in more than $1 million in losses to their victims, Delray Beach police say.

"This has affected an extreme number of victims and has caused severe financial losses," Mead said. "We hope this sends a message to offenders or would-be offenders that law enforcement and prosecutors are taking this seriously."

Human trafficking in Palm Beach County: Plea deal in case spares man, woman from prison time

Stolen USPS keys that allow letter carriers access mail to community mailboxes and blue drop boxes are part of Delray Beach police's investigation into a mail-theft and check-fraud ring in southern Palm Beach County.

South Florida mail-theft scheme involves stolen box keys, check 'washing'

Investigators said the scheme has involved several facets, including using stolen postal arrow keys to access mail from community mailboxes and blue drop boxes.

Checks taken from the stolen mail were then "washed" to remove certain information, then rewritten with new payout amounts to a different payee.

Mead said a search warrant obtained in March 2023 yielded more than 1,600 checks and money orders, check-washing and printing materials and blank paper for printing new checks. Some involved in the scheme allowed for their bank accounts to be used to deposit fraudulent checks, with the money later being withdrawn and divided among the co-conspirators, Mead said.

Accounts using stolen identities were also used to deposit counterfeit checks. Mead said the suspects have largely avoided making lavish purchases, spending the stolen funds on smaller items such as shoes and jewelry.

Investigators allege that the mail thieves would 'wash' stolen checks to remove certain information, then rewrite them with new payout amounts to a different payee.

'The worst moving company ever': Florida sues Palm Beach County companies accused of bait-and-switch scams

She described one defendant, 21-year-old Jordan St. Val of Boynton Beach, as the leader of the operation, noting that he is also suspected in mail-theft cases in Boca Raton.

Last week, the Palm Beach County State Attorney's Office announced the arrests of St. Val, along with Dario Cadet and Joelson Gabrius, both 24, Mozelle Estica, 23, and Billy Cadet, 20, on charges of racketeering, conspiracy to commit racketeering and fraudulent use of personal identification.

Palm Beach County Jail records showed that all five remained in custody as of Thursday, July 18. A circuit judge last week found that Dario Cadet, Billy Cadet and St. Val were indigent, meaning they will likely be appointed a public defender or private attorney by the court. It was not clear whether Gabrius and Estica will have a public defender or private attorney.

The U.S. Postal Service says it is making changes to its mail boxes in southern Palm Beach County to make them more secure.

USPS to use new technology to make collection boxes, arrow keys secure

Authorities said postal arrow keys have become highly sought-after in recent years as they can open both community mailboxes and blue drop boxes, giving the thieves access to steal people's checks, and bank and credit card statements.

The keys can only be used by postal-service employees during the course of carrying out their assigned duties and must be returned at the end of each workday.

Double homicide sentence: DNA tied him to a 2019 fatal shooting in West Palm Beach.

U.S. Postal Inspector Bryan Masmela said changes are being made to make the arrow keys and collection boxes more secure, including assigning electronic mechanisms that can remotely deactivate the keys in the event they are stolen.

"There are changes that are being made to that system. Unfortunately, it's going to take some time because it's a nationwide problem," he said.

"There are certain areas that have been hit harder than others, and those are the areas where the collection boxes are being changed to make it more difficult to break into and the locks are being changed for these arrow keys as well."

Federal and local law-enforcement officials urge residents to pick up delivered mail as quickly as possible and to avoid leaving sensitive documents sitting in mail-collection boxes overnight or over the weekend. Checks and financial documents should be brought inside post offices for mailing.

Mail tampering and fraud should immediately be reported to the U.S. Postal Inspection Service by submitting an online complaint at www.uspis.gov/report or calling 877-876-2455. It offers these other tips to protect your mail and to eliminate risks to letter carriers.

Sign up for our Post on Delray Beach weekly newsletter, delivered every Thursday!

Julius Whigham II is a criminal justice and public safety reporter for The Palm Beach Post. You can reach him at jwhigham@pbpost.com and follow him on X, the platform formerly known as Twitter, at @JuliusWhigham. Help support our work: Subscribe today.

This article originally appeared on Palm Beach Post: Mail-theft fraud: Over $1 million likely stolen, Delray police say
More than 300 Horry County parcels to be barred from major development along Interstate 73 corridor

HORRY COUNTY, S.C. (WBTW)  Hundreds of potential tracts will be barred from major development along Interstate 73s stretch through Horry County once the highway is officially added to its maps.

In all, 389 parcels would be pulled off the table for large-scale projects once the maps are formally updated  which may happen as quickly as next month.

Officials referred News13 to the states transportation department for an exact acreage amount since that agency is overseeing construction of I-73.

Timeline: 40 years, 7 presidents, $2 billion; I-73 in South Carolina brings complicated history

Despite the removal of that much land, county spokesman Thomas Bell said it wont mean any revenue losses in the way of building permit fees or commercial investments since state-owned parcels arent subject to property taxes.

If it ever gets built, the roughly 80-mile, $2 billion highway would be South Carolinas sixth interstate, linking the states tourism hub directly to the North Carolina border through rural areas of the Pee Dee, running from Rockingham, North Carolina through Marlboro and Dillon counties.

It would then cross Interstate 95 and feed onto Highway 22 in Horry County.

While a construction timeline for the highway remains unknown, David Gilreath, an assistant county administrator, said theres an advantage to adding I-73 onto official maps now.

No matter how we talk about this and no matter what we do, its not a pleasant situation when you have to take someones property to improve it for the public, he told the county council this week. That said, what this ordinance does is it tries to protect the interests of the public in reducing or eliminating improvements to a property the public is anticipating to acquire.

A finished I-73 is also estimated to create 29,000 jobs and cut evacuation times by up to 15 hours.

It would be about $300 million to built out the first six miles to U.S. Highway 501 with an I-95 interchange.

Gov. Henry McMaster in March reiterated his support for a completed Interstate 73 through Horry County, despite not recommending any money for the project in his 2024-25 budget.

I think its important it happens, he told News13 during a stop in Myrtle Beach. Ive been in favor of that. This area is growing and we need to be able to get people in and out, and do so safely.

I-73 construction would make Little Pee Dee among most endangered rivers in U.S., report says

McMaster has been a proponent of the interstates expansion throughout his administration. In 2021, he first proposed a $300 million investment to be funded through COVID-era federal aid. The same suggested allocation was included in his 2023-24 executive budget proposal.

Marion County, Myrtle Beach and North Myrtle Beach leaders have all supported resolutions pledging local money for an expanded I-73.

And up to half of the cost could be covered through Horry County RIDE IV revenues should voters approve the referendum in November  and only if construction contracts are finalized between state and federal agencies.

* * *

Adam Benson joined the News13 digital team in January 2024. He is a veteran South Carolina reporter with previous stops at the Greenwood Index-Journal, Post & Courier and The Sun News in Myrtle Beach. Adam is a Boston native and University of Utah graduate. Follow Adam on X, formerly Twitter, at @AdamNewshound12. See more of his work here.

Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. 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.
More than 300 migrants arrive in Gran Canaria by boat in less than 24 hours

More than 300 migrants arrive in Gran Canaria by boat in less than 24 hours

Four boats carrying more than 300 migrants have docked at the Spanish island of Gran Canaria in less than 24 hours.

One of the vessels, a wooden boat carrying 64 people, arrived at the island unassisted. 11 of the people on board were transported to hospital, some by helicopter as four were said to be in a critical condition.

Another of the boats was escorted to port by the Maritime Safety and Rescue Society (Salvamento Maritimo) after being spotted around 15 kilometres southeast of Gran Canaria.

That boat was carrying 145 people, all of sub-Saharan African origin, and everyone on board was said to be in good physical condition.

Rescue vessels docked at the port of Arguineguin on Gran Canaria, July 19, 2024 - Screenshot from EBU video EBU 2024_10246440

Spain's Interior Ministry said that the number of migrants arriving by sea to the Canary Islands jumped by 160% between January and July compared to the same period last year.

The ministry said almost 20,000 people in total had made the perilous sea crossing in that period.

Overall arrivals by sea to Spain, including to the mainland, rose by 88% to around 25,300 people.

The route from Africa to the Canary Islands, which are located off Morocco's southern coast, is the fastest-growing migration route to Europe.

The European border control agency Frontex says irregular crossings are up 303% from January to May compared to a year ago.

And in many cases, many of the arrivals to the Canary Islands are unaccompanied minors. That's put a strain on relevant services across the archipelago where there are reportedly almost 6,000 immigrant children.
In a country where gang-orchestrated killings have become all too common, it was the worst massacre in more than a decade: Dozens of people killed in a 24-hour period after corrupt cops and gang members clad in black barged into an impoverished Port-au-Prince neighborhood and unleashed terror.

Armed with guns and machetes, they went house to house raping and beheading unsuspecting residents and burning them alive. Others were dragged into narrow corridors, shot and hacked to death, their bodies dumped onto garbage heaps where their corpses were picked apart by pigs.

Six years after the massacre in Port-au-Princes La Saline neighborhood shook human rights groups and revealed an ugly truth  that Haitian gangs werent just ruthless, they were complicit with some government officials in their struggle for control and influence  the judicial system is finally ready to have those responsible for the deaths answer for their crimes.

Investigative Judge Jean Wilner Morin, who has been carrying out an inquiry into the November 2018 massacre, has issued a ruling charging 45 people with crimes ranging from murder to criminal conspiracy, and ordering them to stand trial. The list of names include gang members, police officers, a relative of former First Lady Sophia Martelly and two officials in the administration of late President Jovenel Moise. Joseph Pierre Richard Duplan, the former delegate for the West region, which includes Port-au-Prince, was charged along with Fednel Monchery, the former director general of the interior ministry. Both were in office at the time of the massacre, which occurred early in Moises presidency.

Also charged: Jimmy Barbecue Cherizier, a former police officer who became the leader of a powerful gang alliance. Cherizier is accused of financing the massacre, according to the 20-page indictment issued on Thursday.

Duplan, Monchery and Cherizier were sanctioned in 2020 by the U.S. Treasury Department as human-rights abusers for their role in the massacre.

Human rights groups and residents of La Saline had long claimed that those involved in the massacre, which started at 2 a.m. on Nov. 12 and went on until the next day, werent just gang leaders working with corrupt cops to seize territory but also government officials seeking to block protests in the community, an opposition stronghold.

In his report, Morin says the La Saline massacre was predictable. About a month before the incident, he said, Duplan and Monchery were seen with supporters and leaders of armed gangs in several vehicles participating in a meeting with Cherizier.

He notes that a former lawmaker in Haitis Lower House of Deputies, Arnel Belizaire, testified that despite all the steps he took, nothing was done by the political and police authorities to avoid the massacre of La Saline.

The testimonies and evidence suggest there were alliances between gangs and their violent struggle for territory and influence over both the neighborhood and the Croix-des-Bossales public market, a source of income under the control of three gang leaders.

As a result of the testimonies, Morin said there was enough evidence to hold dozens of people accountable, including the two former government officials and Cherizier.

Monchery is charged with murder, attempted murder and arson. Morin noted that Monchery refused his request to present himself in order to tell his version of the facts. Instead, he said, Monchery preferred to send a handwritten letter to the judge to ask him to suspend the investigation of the case.

Duplan, who represented the presidency in the West region, did appear before the judge. But during his testimony, he claimed that accusations against him were the work of human-rights groups, which were the first to bring the killings to light and to publicly denounce them, and that he learned about the massacre from social media networks.

Morin didnt buy either argument. He noted that Duplan, a former mayor, even declares he does not remember his occupation or where he was when the victims claimed to have seen him in the company of gang leaders from La Saline distributing weapons and very large sums of money to the perpetrator of the massacre.

Two witnesses testified before the investigative judge, whose work is similar to the way a grand jury operates in the U.S., of seeing Duplan distribute weapons prior to the massacre.

Duplan, according to the ruling, is charged with complicity in murder, attempted murder and criminal conspiracy.

The other high-profile individual now officially charged is Cherizier, the gang leader who in late February launched a united front with other gang leaders to topple the government and threatened civil war if the prime minister at the time, Ariel Henry, did not resign.

Morin said there is enough evidence and consistent testimony to send Cherizier, along with others, to stand trial as a co-author of the massacre.

Some of the witnesses who testified to the judge put Cherizier at the scene accompanied by more than five armed groups, and that they had seen a pick-up with the logo of the interior ministry and gang members inside.

Morin also indicted a relative of former First Lady Martelly, Pierre Leon Saint-Remy, whose weapon ended up in the hands of gang members. Saint-Remy worked in security at the National Palace and an investigation later revealed that a 5.56 caliber Galil assault rifle seized on Dec. 2, 2018, from a dismantled gang on Rue Porcelaine in Port-au-Prince and linked to another gang involved in the La Saline massacre had been assigned to him.

Morin asked why such a large caliber weapon had been placed at Saint-Remys disposal and said the judicial police tried in vain to find Saint-Remy to answer questions about the weapon. However, Saint-Remy ignored a warrant requesting his appearance before the judge. Based on the findings of the investigation, Morin said there is reason to charge Saint-Remy with complicity in murder, attempted murder, armed robbery and criminal association.

Haitis Le Nouvelliste newspaper previously reported that there was a strong probability that the Galil in question was among 56 such rifles provided to the National Palace during Michel Martellys presidency by the Haiti National Police that had gone missing. Three of the guns were eventually found during police operations abroad two in Jamaica and another in the Dominican Republic. Three rifles were also found on Haitian territory, the newspaper reported.
More Democrats call for new nominee, as Biden camp pledges to stay the course

President Joe Biden speaks Tuesday at the 115th NAACP National Convention in Las Vegas. It was Bidens last event before he left the campaign trail due to testing positive for COVID-19. Photo by Mario Tama/Getty Images

WASHINGTON  Ten more congressional Democrats called on President Joe Biden to drop his reelection bid Friday, the most in one day since a poor debate performance shook confidence among some Democrats in his ability to win Novembers election.

The 10 Democrats on Friday, the day after former President Donald Trump officially accepted his partys nomination at the Republican National Convention in Milwaukee, brought the total to 31, increasing the pressure on Biden to withdraw from the race.

While no member of congressional Democratic leadership has publicly called for Biden to step down, several top Democrats who were either involved with handling Trumps impeachment trials or with investigations into the Jan. 6, 2021, insurrection at the U.S. Capitol have raised concerns, citing the former presidents threat to democracy.

California Rep. Adam Schiff, who was the lead impeachment manager in Trumps first impeachment trial, called on Biden to drop out, saying in a statement that he had serious concerns about the presidents ability to win a second term.

And Rep. Jamie Raskin (D-8th), who was a member of the House Select Committee to Investigate the Jan. 6 Attack on the U.S. Capitol, stopped short of explicitly calling on Biden to step down, but urged the president in a deeply personal letter to reconsider whether he should remain in the presidential race.

Biden remained at home in Delaware with no public events scheduled after testing positive for COVID-19 on Wednesday evening.

In an interview on MSNBCs Morning Joe early Friday, Biden campaign co-chair Jen OMalley Dillon said the president remained absolutely in the race, even as a growing number of Democrats voiced unease about his ability to defeat Trump.

Absolutely the president is in this race, youve heard him say that time and time again, she said. He is the best person to take on Donald Trump.

But reports also surfaced Friday that Vice President Kamala Harris, a potential replacement for Biden if he takes the unprecedented step of withdrawing from a race less than four months from Election Day, was scheduled to speak by phone with top Democratic donors in the afternoon.

Harris did not respond to reporters questions at an appearance at a Washington ice cream shop Friday, according to a pool report.

The 10 congressional Democrats who added their voices to those saying Biden should step aside included more senior members than had previously broken ranks with the president. Rep. Sean Casten of Illinois wrote an op-ed in the Chicago Tribune.

Reps. Jared Huffman of California, Marc Veasey of Texas, Jesus Chuy Garcia of Illinois and Mark Pocan of Wisconsin jointly wrote an open letter to Biden that they posted on social media.

The quartet represents important constituencies in the House Democratic Caucus.

Veasey is the first member of the influential Congressional Black Caucus, which has been among Bidens staunchest Democratic backers, to join the call for him to step down. He is also a member of the moderate New Democrat Coalition.

Pocan is co-chair of the Congressional LGBT Equality Caucus and a former chair of the Congressional Progressive Caucus. And Garcia is a member of the Congressional Hispanic Caucus.

Sen. Martin Heinrich of New Mexico and Reps. Greg Landsman of Ohio and Zoe Lofgren of California also released their own statements. Rep. Betty McCollum of Minnesota told the Star Tribune newspaper she wanted Biden step aside and allow Harris to lead the ticket with Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz as her running mate.

Rep. Morgan McGarvey, of Kentucky, posted a statement on X.

The calls came a day after Sen. Jon Tester, in a difficult reelection race in Montana, said in a statement to the Daily Montanan that Biden should withdraw.

Rep. Seth Moulton of Massachusetts, who was one of few Democrats who called on Biden to step down two weeks ago, expanded on his view in an op-ed Friday in the Boston Globe. He wrote that when he went on a June trip to Normandy to commemorate the 80th anniversary of D-Day, the president didnt recognize him, despite their decade-long relationship.

Of course, that can happen as anyone ages, but as I watched the disastrous debate a few weeks ago, I have to admit that what I saw in Normandy was part of a deeper problem, Moulton wrote. It was a crushing realization, and not because a person I care about had a rough night but because everything is riding on Bidens ability to beat Donald Trump in November.

The post More Democrats call for new nominee, as Biden camp pledges to stay the course appeared first on Maryland Matters.
A KFC employee hangs a sign for job openings at a restaurant in Miami. Several states have passed pay transparency laws that require employers to be more open about the wages and benefits they offer. Joe Raedle/Getty Images

To combat gender and racial wage gaps, nearly a dozen states recently have enacted pay transparency laws that require employers to be more open about the wages and benefits they offer.

Most of the laws require employers to disclose wages in job postings and some bar them from asking a job candidate about their salary history.

Even though its against the law, we definitely still see that women are being paid less than their male counterparts, even though theyre doing the same job, said Jessica Ramey Stender, a lawyer and the policy director at Equal Rights Advocates, a San Francisco-based nonprofit that focuses on sexual harassment and pay discrimination, among other issues. And thats a problem.

Under the federal Equal Pay Act of 1963, employers cant pay different salaries on the basis of sex to employees who do equal work. States have similar protections. Nevertheless, women on average have been paid less than men as far back as federal data has been collected.

Women on average earn about 84 cents for every dollar that men earn, according to the U.S. Department of Labor. Federal data also shows a racial pay gap: Latino, Black and Native American workers on average earn from 73 cents to 77 cents for every dollar a white worker earns.

Part of the pay gap comes from the fact that women and racial minorities are overrepresented in industries that pay lower wages, according to the U.S. Department of Labor. But there is still a gap, though a narrower one, when men and women are doing the exact same job.

Pay transparency laws can close the gap further by providing women and people of color with more opportunities to see whether theyre being compensated fairly, Stender said.

The hope is that with this additional information in their toolbox, everyone  especially women experiencing the wage gap  will be able to better negotiate pay for themselves, she said.

But some critics of pay transparency laws question whether theyll have the desired effect.

Todd Zenger, a professor of strategic leadership at the University of Utah, said requiring complete transparency is an extreme way to address pay equity. Theres also mixed evidence over whether prohibiting employers from asking about salary history could help or hurt job candidates, he said.

Theres one argument that theres gender differences in ones willingness to bargain, Zenger said, noting research showing that women might not negotiate in the same way that men do. You can say, This is what I need to come and join you, and if theyre able to ask about your prior pay, that sets some sort of common ground.

Pay transparency laws also could lead to flattened pay, he said. Some people are paid more because of good performance, for example, but transparency laws could make it difficult to change pay on those less objective criteria, he argued.

Salary transparency and history bans

The number of states with pay transparency laws has grown significantly within the past few years, said Glenn Jacoby, a policy associate in employment matters at the National Conference of State Legislatures. Labor force participation still hasnt reached pre-pandemic levels, but more people are looking to join the workforce and lawmakers want the job-seeking process to be smoother, she said.

So far, California, Colorado, Connecticut, Hawaii, Illinois, Maryland, Minnesota, Nevada, New York, Rhode Island, Washington state and the District of Columbia have approved pay transparency laws.

The laws take varying approaches to ensuring transparency. They may require employers to disclose salary ranges for open positions, prohibit retaliation against employees who discuss their pay with colleagues, or require employers to report pay data to government agencies, according to GovDocs, a Minnesota-based company that tracks employment laws for large companies.

Some laws also mandate that employers provide salary information upon request, or prohibit them from asking job candidates about their salary history, according to Jana Bjorklund, the senior counsel and director of employment law and compliance at GovDocs.

And this is all driven by pay inequity, Bjorklund said.

A handful of cities, including New York City, Jersey City, New Jersey, and Columbus, Ohio, have enacted their own transparency laws.

Most states with pay transparency laws require employers of a certain size to post salaries for all open job positions. In California, companies with at least 15 workers must do so. But some states, such as Colorado, where lawmakers enacted new rules this year, require the transparency from all companies, even those with a single worker.

When states first began considering pay transparency laws, they tended to focus on requiring employers to provide salary information upon request, Jacoby said. In some cases, the requirement would apply only for applicants selected for an interview. Now, several states are expanding these laws to require compensation-related information in the initial job posting, she said.

In January, a law took effect in Hawaii requiring certain job listings to include an hourly rate or salary range. It also prohibits an employer from discriminating by paying one employee in a protected category less than another for substantially similar work.

The bills original language was inspired by conversations among recent college graduates struggling to find jobs, said Hawaii state Sen. Chris Lee, a Democrat. These laws make sure everyone is on the same page through the entire hiring process, he said.

Its both fair to the companies as well as the employees or prospective employees and helps ultimately saves a ton of frustration and time and effort by a lot of other folks who would be applying for these positions, Lee said.

Still, Lee recalled that lawmakers heard complaints from small businesses concerned about being able to compete with larger companies.

In the District of Columbia, new rules went into effect last week requiring employers to include salary ranges in job postings and to disclose health care benefits before the first interview. A Maryland law with similar rules will go into effect in October.

As a Black woman and as someone who works professionally, this is personal to me, said Maryland state Del. Jennifer White Holland, a Democrat who helped pass the new law. When we look at families in Maryland, its womens earnings  that matter now more than ever.

She cited the states Equal Pay Day report for 2024, which found that more than 40% of Maryland mothers are the lead or only wage earner in their household.

On average, women in Maryland are paid 86 cents for every dollar their male counterparts make, according to the report. Hispanic women in Maryland have the largest gender and racial wage gap, making just 50 cents for every dollar earned by white men.

Do the laws work?

While some states pay transparency laws are just going into effect, some preliminary research shows how such laws could be helping raise salaries for all workers.

A recent study in Colorado, the first state to mandate salary transparency, in 2021, found that not only did more companies share salaries within job postings, but the posted salaries increased by 3.6%. One possible explanation for the boost is that some companies adjusted their salaries to match their competitors and reach market equilibrium, according to the paper, which was written by a pair of economists in the University of California system.

According to a survey from the Society for Human Resource Management, a nonprofit for human resources professionals, 70% of organizations that list pay ranges in their job postings said they received more applications, and 65% said that listing pay ranges made the candidate pool more competitive.

Isabela Salas-Betsch, a research associate at The Center for American Progress, a left-leaning think tank, said the results are good news for businesses.

When employees have more information, they feel more valued and motivated, which translates to greater performance and retention, she said.

But some small employers fear that pay transparency laws will make it more difficult for them to compete with larger companies for talent. Close to half of the almost 400 companies that responded to a 2022 pay clarity survey by global advisory company WTW cited possible employee reactions as a reason for holding back on communicating about pay. Still, many companies said they plan to increase transparency in their postings, even without local mandates.

Some experts warn that the laws could have unintended consequences.

In a 2016 article for the Harvard Business Review arguing against pay transparency, Zenger, the University of Utah professor, cited an experiment in which University of California faculty who discovered they were being paid less than their peers became much less satisfied with their jobs and more likely to say they might leave.

Theres always a trade-off associated with these kinds of things, Zenger told Stateline.

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.
More than 35 congressional Democrats have now called on Biden to end his reelection bid

A wave of congressional Democrats have called on President Biden to drop his 2024 campaign. They add to the pressure he faces as he seeks to reassure his party that he is ready to take on former President Donald Trump in November.

More than 35 congressional Democrats have now called for Biden to step aside in what would be an unprecedented decision, while a number of other party leaders have voiced various concerns about his candidacy.

Biden, meanwhile, has shown no signs of backing down after a highly criticized debate performance last month reinforced questions about his age and fitness for office. The president said he simply had a "bad night," and he has since held rallies and a series of media interviews in an attempt to showcase his viability on the campaign trail.

Here are the Democrats who have spoken out. Check back here, as this article will be continually updated.

Rep. Joe Manchin, July 21

The Democratic-turned-Independent Senator from West Virginia, and chairman of the Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee, said on ABC's This Week it was time for Biden to "pass the torch to a new generation."

Rep. Mark Takano, July 20

While Takano acknowledged Biden's accomplishments in a statement shared on X, the Democratic Congressman from California called on the president to "pass the torch" to Kamala Harris.

Rep. Betty McCollum, July 19

The Democratic lawmaker from Minnesota released a statement Friday calling on Biden to "release his delegates and empower Vice President Harris to step forward to become the Democratic nominee for president."

Sen. Sherrod Brown, July 19

In a statement released Friday evening, Brown of Ohio became the latest Senator to come out in favor of Biden exiting the race. "I think the President should end his campaign," he said.

Rep. Morgan McGarvey, July 19

McGarvey, a Democratic representative from Kentucky, emphasized the need to "defeat Donald Trump, flip the House, and protect the Senate" in a statement shared on X.

"There is no joy in the recognition he should not be our nominee in November," McGarvey wrote. "But the stakes of this election are too high."

Rep. Gabe Vasquez, July 19

The New Mexico representative shared a statement complimenting Biden's career but ultimately called for the president to "step aside to give Democrats the best opportunity to win this November."

Regardless of who our nominee is, my number one job will be to take care of the people of my district and continue bringing results home to New Mexico. pic.twitter.com/NKDGsa2mEt  Gabe Vasquez (@Gabe_NM) July 19, 2024

Rep. Greg Landsman, July 19

Landsman, a representative from Ohio, posted a thread on X partly inspired by former President Donald Trump's speech at the Republican National Convention the night before.

"To allow Trump to become president and control all three branches of government puts our democracy and freedoms at great risk," Landsman wrote. "It is time for President Biden to step aside and allow us to nominate a new leader who can reliably and consistently make the case against Donald Trump."

Reps. Jared Huffman, Marc Veasey, Mark Pocan and Jesus "Chuy" Garcia, July 19

In a joint statement, the four representatives  from California, Texas, Wisconsin and Illinois, respectively  wrote, "We must face the reality that widespread public concerns about your age and fitness are jeopardizing what should be a winning campaign."

"We believe the most responsible and patriotic thing you can do in this moment is to step aside as our nominee while continuing to lead our party from the White House," the letter concluded.

Rep. Sean Casten, July 19

In an op-ed for the Chicago Tribune, the Illinois representative wrote that "with a heavy heart" he is calling on Biden to leave the race and "pass the torch to a new generation."

Sen. Martin Heinrich, July 19

Heinrich, of New Mexico, became the third Democratic Senator to ask Biden to step aside, issuing a statement the morning after the final day of the Republican National Convention.

"While the decision to withdraw from the campaign is President Biden's alone, I believe it is in the best interests of our country for him to step aside," Heinrich wrote.

Rep. Zoe Lofgren, July 18

Lofgren, a representative from California and one of the members of the Jan. 6 select committee, issued a statement praising Biden's achievements as president but also asking him to step aside.

"As I am aware that you have been provided data indicating that you in all likelihood will lose the race for President, I will not go through it," she wrote. "Your candidacy is on a trajectory to lose the White House and potentially impact crucial House and Senate races down the ballot."

Lofgren added that, should Biden ultimately be confirmed as the Democratic nominee, she would "do everything I can to promote your candidacy."

Rep. Jim Costa, July 18

The day after Rep. Adam Schiff called Biden to exit the race, Costa, a fellow California Democrat, said in a statement he thought "it is time for the President to pass the torch to the next generation to carry on the legacy he started."

Sen. Jon Tester, July 18

Jon Tester, Montana's senior senator, has asked Biden to drop out of the race in a statement given to the Daily Montanan.

Montanans have put their trust in me to do what is right, and it is a responsibility I take seriously. I have worked with President Biden when it has made Montana stronger, and Ive never been afraid to stand up to him when he is wrong, Tester said. And while I appreciate his commitment to public service and our country, I believe President Biden should not seek reelection to another term.

Rep. Adam Schiff, July 17

The California Democrat told the Los Angeles Times that the "choice to withdraw from the campaign is President Biden's alone," but Biden should "pass the torch" and "secure his legacy of leadership" by allowing another Democrat to step forward to challenge Trump.

Schiff is running for the Senate seat that was long held by Dianne Feinstein.

Rep. Mike Levin, July 12

Levin released a statement that he was "concerned about President Biden's performance in the recent debate."

"It is time to move forward. With a new leader. Together," he concluded.

Democrat Rep. Mike Levin (CA-49) flips stance, joins fellow San Diego Dem congressman Rep. Scott Peters, calling for President Biden to pull out of the 2024 Presidential race. @10News #capolitics pic.twitter.com/rHr1hH2r3t  Spencer Soicher ABC 10News (@spencersoicher) July 12, 2024

Rep. Brittany Pettersen, July 12

The Colorado congresswoman said that she is "joining the growing number of people" to ask Biden to "pass the torch to one of our many capable Democratic leaders."

Rep. Eric Sorensen, July 11

Sorensen, an Illinois congressman, was the third House Democrat to speak out shortly after the president's NATO news conference.

My statement on the presidential race. pic.twitter.com/bmjlp06psd  Eric Sorensen (@ERICSORENSEN) July 12, 2024

Rep. Scott Peters, July 11

The California lawmaker also issued his statement after Biden's press conference.

Today I ask President Biden to withdraw from the presidential campaign. The stakes are high, and we are on a losing course. My conscience requires me to speak up and put loyalty to the country and to democracy ahead of my great affection for, and loyalty to, the President and those around him, Peters said in a statement. We must find a candidate from our deep bench of talent who can defeat Donald Trump.

Rep. Jim Himes, July 11

Himes, a Connecticut Democrat, called on Biden to exit the race as the president was wrapping up his highly anticipated NATO news conference Thursday.

Joe Bidens record of public service is unrivaled. His accomplishments are immense. His legacy as a great president is secure.



He must not risk that legacy, those accomplishments and American democracy to soldier on in the face of the horrors promised by Donald Trump. pic.twitter.com/FMMrTK8pb8  Jim Himes  (@jahimes) July 12, 2024

Rep. Marie Gluesenkamp Perez, July 11

In an email to a local Oregon outlet, Gluesenkamp Perez, a Washington state representative, wrote, "Like most people I represent in Southwest Washington, I doubt the President's judgement about his health, his fitness to do the job, and whether he is the one making important decisions about our country, rather than unelected advisors.

"The crisis of confidence in the Presidents leadership needs to come to an end," she added. "The President should do what he knows is right for the country and put the national interest first."

Rep. Greg Stanton, July 11

The Arizona congressman reiterated themes from other representatives asking Biden to step down  some extremely similar to what Rep. Brad Schneider said earlier in the day  including that "the stakes in this election could not be higher" and "it is time for the President to pass the torch to a new generation of leaders."

"The Democratic Party must have a nominee who can effectively make the case against Trump," Stanton wrote. "For the sake of American democracy, ... I believe it is time for the President to step aside as our nominee."

I was one of President Biden's earliest supporters in 2020, and I'm proud of the progress we've made for Arizona.



However the stakes in this election could not be higher. For our country's sake, it is time for the President to pass the torch to a new generation of leaders. pic.twitter.com/KSX1jd0O6m  Greg Stanton (@gregstantonaz) July 11, 2024

Rep. Ed Case, July 11

"My guidepost is what is the best way forward for our country," the Hawaii congressman said in a statement. "I do not believe President Biden should continue his candidacy for re-election as President."

Rep. Brad Schneider, July 11

Schneider's statement described how Biden "has the opportunity to secure his legacy" by leaving the race.

"The stakes in this election could not be higher," the Illinois Democrat wrote. "I love President Biden. I am forever grateful for his leadership and service to our nation. The time has come, however, for President Biden to heroically pass the torch to a new generation of leadership."

Just in:

Illinois Democrat Rep. Brad Schneider issues a lengthy statement calling for Joe Biden to step aside for a new generation of leadership. pic.twitter.com/woFeil6mct  Ben Szalinski (@BenSzalinski) July 11, 2024

Rep. Hillary Scholten, July 11

Scholten, who flipped her district in Michigan in 2022, issued a statement on X that Biden should step aside from the presidential race and allow a new leader to step up.

However, she added that should Biden stay in the race, she would "respect" the decision and will still vote for him, as a clear and necessary alternative to Donald Trump."

President Biden has served his country well, but for the sake of our democracy, he must pass the torch to a new candidate for the 2024 election. pic.twitter.com/derEO1kl3f  Hillary Scholten (@HillaryScholten) July 11, 2024

Sen. Peter Welch, July 10

In an op-ed in the Washington Post, Welch, of Vermont, became the first U.S. senator to call for Biden to withdraw from the 2024 race.

I understand why President Biden wants to run. He saved us from Donald Trump once and wants to do it again. But he needs to reassess whether he is the best candidate to do so. In my view, he is not," Welch wrote.

Rep. Earl Blumenauer, July 10

Blumenauer, of Oregon, became the ninth House Democrat to call for Biden to exit the presidential race.

"It is a painful and difficult conclusion but there is no question in my mind that we will all be better served if the president steps aside as the Democratic nominee and manages a transition under his terms," Blumenauer said in a statement, according to Politico. "He has earned that right."

Rep. Pat Ryan, July 10

Ryan told the New York Times that he felt Biden should step aside "for the good of the country."

"I'd be doing a grave disservice if I said he was the best candidate to serve this fall," the New York Democrat said. "For the good of our country, for my two young kids, I'm asking Joe Biden to step aside in the upcoming election and deliver on the promise to be a bridge to a new generation of leaders."

Rep. Mikie Sherrill, July 9

In a statement posted on X, Sherrill shared that because she knows "Biden cares deeply about the future of our country," he should "declare he won't run for reelection" and "help us through a process toward a new nominee."

Sherrill added that her concerns lie with the "threat" of Trump returning to the White House.

"The stakes are too high," the New Jersey Democrat wrote. "I realize this is hard, but we have done hard things in pursuit of democracy since the founding of this nation. It is time to do so again."

I know President Biden cares deeply about the future of our country.



That's why I am asking that he declare that he won't run for reelection.



My full statement: pic.twitter.com/rR2rmZ1ewN  Mikie Sherrill (@MikieSherrill) July 9, 2024

Rep. Adam Smith, July 8

Smith, ranking member of the House Armed Services Committee, told CNN on July 8 that he agreed Biden should end his candidacy and that Vice President Kamala Harris "would be a much better, stronger candidate." He also issued a similar statement on his official site.

"The president's performance in the debate was alarming to watch and the American people have made it clear they no longer see him as a credible candidate to serve four more years as president," Smith said. "Since the debate, the president has not seriously addressed these concerns.

"This is unacceptable. The stakes are simply too high. Donald Trump and MAGA extremism pose an existential threat to our nation, and we need to be in the strongest possible position to win in this election."

Smith did add that if Biden stays in the race, he will support him.

"If he gets the nomination, I'm all in," Smith said.

Rep. Angie Craig, July 6

Craig, a Democrat who represents Minnesota's second congressional district, issued a statement hours after the ABC interview, for Biden to step aside in the 2024 race.

While noting her respect for Biden's "decades of service," Craig said "given what I saw and heard from the President during last week's debate in Atlanta, coupled with the lack of a forceful response from the President himself following that debate, I do not believe that the President can effectively campaign and win against Donald Trump.

"This is not a decision I've come to lightly, but there is simply too much at stake to risk a second Donald Trump presidency," she added, before calling on Biden to drop out of the race and "allow for a new generation of leaders to step forward."

"There is only a small window left to make sure we have a candidate best equipped to make the case and win," Craig said.

Rep. Mike Quigley, July 5

Quigley, an Illinois Democrat, became the fourth House Democrat to call on Biden to exit the presidential race.

"Mr. President, your legacy is set," he said on MSNBC. "We owe you the greatest debt of gratitude. The only thing that you can do now to cement that for all time and prevent utter catastrophe is to step down and let someone else do this."

Quigley affirmed his decision in comments following Biden's ABC News interview Friday.

The Illinois representative had previously publicly expressed reservations about Biden continuing his campaign, urging the president to "appreciate at this time just how much it impacts not just his race, but all the other races that are coming in November."

Rep. Seth Moulton, July 4

Moulton, a Massachusetts Democrat and Iraq war vet, became the third House Democrat to call on Biden to step aside. He did so in an interview with Boston radio station WBUR.

"President Biden has done enormous service to our country, but now is the time for him to follow in one of our founding fathers, George Washington's footsteps and step aside to let new leaders rise up and run against Donald Trump," Moulton told WBUR.

Moulton said the mechanism for choosing a new candidate was "yet to be determined" and could include "some sort of primary process" or that Vice President Kamala Harris could emerge as the presidential nominee.

On Wednesday, Moulton had released a statement that had stopped short of calling for Biden to exit, but had recommended "all viable options" be on the table.

Rep. Raul Grijalva, July 3

Grijalva became the second House Democrat to call on Biden to drop out. In an interview, he said, "If hes the candidate, Im going to support him, but I think that this is an opportunity to look elsewhere."

"What he needs to do is shoulder the responsibility for keeping that seat," the Arizona Democrat continued, "and part of that responsibility is to get out of this race.

Rep. Lloyd Doggett, July 2

Doggett was the first Democrat in office to directly call for Biden to drop out. In a statement, which circulated on X, Doggett, of Texas, said Bidens debate performance did not reassure voters and Biden failed to effectively defend his many accomplishments and expose Trumps lies.

Following Biden's ABC News interview Friday, Doggett said the "need" for Biden to step aside was growing more urgent every day.
MPD: Man in possession of stolen car found hiding in a dryer

MEMPHIS, Ten.  A man has been charged with theft of property $10,000-$60,000 after police learned he was in possession of a stolen Honda after finding him hiding in a dryer.

On Thursday at 3:40 p.m., a woman reported to the police that her silver 2020 Honda Accord was stolen from the Kroger located at 2835 Kirby Road while she was pumping gas.

According to the police report, the vehicle was valued at $23,153.

Man accused of holding man at gunpoint, stealing over $40k in jewelry

On Friday, at 9:30 a.m., detectives with the Memphis Police Fugitive Unit attempted to locate Marshawn Roberts, a man with multiple felony warrants at a residence in the 2400 block of Rammesses.

Detectives were granted access to the residence and found Roberts hiding in a dryer. He was taken into custody.

Inside the dryer, were Roberts cell phone and a key fob. Detectives pushed the alarm activation button on the key fob and the alarm of a silver 2020 Honda Accord began to go off in front of the residence.

Two injured during shooting in community center parking lot

Detectives learned this was the same Honda that was reported stolen the day before.

Roberts is being held on $10,000 bond.

Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to WREG.com.
1 seriously injured in Miami County house fire, family says

Homeowners in Miami County say their house is a total loss after a large garage fire early Saturday morning.

Around 5:52 a.m., Bradford Fire Department crews were dispatched to the 100 block of East Church Street on reports of a fire.

>> PHOTOS: Garage destroyed, house damaged in Bradford fire

According to emergency scanner traffic, the garage was fully engulfed in flames.

Photos shared with News Center 7 showed a large fire in the garage, which spread to parts of the home. The garage was destroyed in the fire. Several vehicles also caught on fire.

The Covington Fire Department and the Gettysburg Fire Department responded to the scene as mutual aid, according to a Miami County dispatcher.

The homeowners told News Center 7 that a family of five, plus an aunt, was inside the house at the time of the fire.

The aunt sustained significant burns and was flown to the hospital in critical condition, according to the family.

News Center 7 has reached out to the Bradford Fire Department for more information. Well provide updates as we learn more.
A view of smoke from a brush fire burning off the side of the 210 Freeway near Tujunga. (KCAL)

At least three fires broke out in Los Angeles County on Friday afternoon amid hot and dry conditions that are expected to persist through the weekend.

In Palmdale, firefighters battled a 300-acre brush fire near North 35th Street East and East Avenue Q. In the Angeles National Forest, the Fork fire ignited and quickly grew to 250 acres in the East Fork area above Glendora, emitting a giant smoke plume that was visible for miles.

That area is popular with hikers and those looking to swim in the San Gabriel River, making the situation particularly dangerous. Video posted to the social media site X showed campers along the river as smoke billowed behind them.

Read more: Another round of relentless, hazardous heat forecast across the West

Angeles National Forest spokeswoman Dana Dierkes said that two people were treated for potential smoke inhalation and that people were evacuated from the East Fork of the San Gabriel River and from the parking lot area at the East Fork Trailhead.

She could not say how many people were evacuated, but they were all recreationalists. Residents of the area have been allowed to stay.

As of Friday evening, the fire was burning toward the Sheep Mountain Wilderness, Dierkes said. Firefighters from multiple agencies are on the scene, as well as seven air tankers and eight helicopters.

The Los Angeles Fire Department also was responding to a 43 -acre brush fire between the 210 Freeway and La Tuna Canyon Road in Tujunga.

"In terms of fire potential, we just saw a few pop off in the last hour or two," Bryan Lewis, a National Weather Service meteorologist in Oxnard, said Friday afternoon.

A heat warning is in effect through Wednesday for the Antelope Valley and the mountains of Santa Barbara, Ventura and Los Angeles counties, with temperatures potentially reaching 106 degrees. Low humidity is expected to persist at least through the weekend.

The coastal plain and valleys are expected to be cooler.

Although hot and dry conditions make it easier for fires to start, Lewis said conditions haven't yet been severe enough to issue a red flag warning.

As of 5 p.m. Friday, firefighters in Palmdale had made progress on what was dubbed the Deer fire. Jeremy Stafford, dispatch supervisor with the Los Angeles County Fire Department, said there was no visible fire left and crews were checking to see if any hot spots remained.

In Tujunga, officials said that firefighters had stopped the fire's forward progress as of 7:39 p.m. Friday and would be working throughout the night.

Air and ground support are battling the Fork fire. East Fork Road was closed from Highway 39 to Glendora Mountain Road by the California Highway Patrol. (Angeles National Forest)

In Angeles National Forest, the Fork fire forced the closure of Glendora Ridge Road, as well as East Fork Road between Highway 39 and Glendora Mountain Road.

"Our goal is to put this fire out as quickly as possible," Dierkes said.

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This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times.
(NBC News)  On Fridays Dateline, when pharmacist Ken Juedes is found shot to death in his Wisconsin farmhouse, investigators embark on a 15-year hunt for his elusive killer.

Here is a preview of Andrea Cannings report:

Dill Creek Farm belonged to 58-year-old Ken Juedes  a local pharmacist. He was married to his second wife, Cindy. She was the woman whod called 911 and was now holed up at her neighbors house.

Columbus plans new courthouse building Downtown

Detective Sean McCarthy headed to the scene where he met with his partner, Greg Bean.

GREG BEAN: And on the bed was the victim. He was laying unclothed with some major injuries to his chest.

ANDREA CANNING: Bullet wounds.

GREG BEAN: Bullet wounds.

ANDREA CANNING: To the chest.

Ken had been shot twice at close range. And there was something else that caught the detectives eye.

SEAN MCCARTHY: On the other side of the bed, there w was a knife stickin through a pillow. It had a white note on it. And on the note was written the word bitch.

ANDREA CANNING: Wow. Thats something you see in the movies.

SEAN MCCARTHY: It definitely got our attention. Like, we hadnt seen that before.

Ohio-based Big Lots to close dozens of stores, at risk of bankruptcy

ANDREA CANNING: That sounds like a revenge thing.

SEAN MCCARTHY: And then you wonder whats goin on here and what was really meant to happen that night, right?

The detectives wondered whether the note was a message not for Ken  but for his wife.

Watch Dateline: The Trouble at Dill Creek Friday at 9 p.m. on NBC4.

About Dateline

Dateline NBC is the longest-running series in NBC primetime history and is in its 32nd season. Dateline is anchored by Lester Holt and features correspondents Andrea Canning, Josh Mankiewicz, Keith Morrison and Dennis Murphy.

The stories range from compelling mysteries to powerful documentaries and in-depth investigations. When major news breaks, they go to the scene, putting the pieces together to bring the viewer the full picture. And in every story they tell, they help the real people who lived the events share their journeys with the viewer.

Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. 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.
When Nancy Pelosi rang Joe Biden to warn him of dire opinion polling, suggesting he could not win the next election to Donald Trump, the president insisted he had data saying the opposite.

The 84-year-old ex-speaker did something few others would have dared: she demanded to speak to the advisers telling him so and implied they were not telling the president the truth.

Put Donilon on the phone, she said, referring to long-time Biden aide and strategist Mike Donilon. Show me what polls.

Openly challenging the president and implying that his aides have been lying to him would be bold coming from anyone. From Mrs Pelosi, it must have been especially wounding.

Mrs Pelosi and Mr Biden go way back.

A fellow devout Catholic (Mr Biden used to call her my Catholic sister), she delivered him win after win in the House until her second term as speaker ended in 2022. Although they have clashed in the past, he has let it be known that he considered her the best House speaker ever.

And they share the same instinctive institutional political instincts and fears about what Trump could do to US democracy.

Mrs Pelosi was Trumps most implacable foe during his 2016-2020 presidency.

But she also has a reputation as the Democrats hardest, cleverest, and most strategic thinker. And she seems to have come to the conclusion that to stop Trump this time, she must first stop Mr Biden.

Mrs Pelosi has avoided calling directly for him to step down. But she is now thought to be working the phones behind the scenes to ratchet up pressure on Mr Biden to step aside.

Her strategy appears to have three strands: first, private appeals to the president; second, when they are ignored, leaks about those conversations to the press (the appearance in the New York Times of her remarks about Mr Donilon is a classic example), and the third strand which involves rare but decisive public remarks designed to keep the rebellion alive.

Rekindling embers of dissent

Twice since his disastrous debate performance, Mr Biden seemed to have dowsed the embers of dissent. It is Mrs Pelosi who rekindled them both times.

By July 10, Mr Bidens vows that only the Lord Almighty could convince him to stand aside had quelled most public criticism from elected Democrats. They did not want to put their heads above the parapet, endangering their careers by angering the White House.

But then Mrs Pelosi appeared on Mr Bidens favourite morning show to give a very pointed message.

Its up to the president to decide if he is going to run. Were all encouraging him to make that decision because time is running short, she said.

That would have been scrupulously neutral if Mr Biden had not obviously already made that decision. The flames of rebellion immediately leapt back into life.

The race took a shock turn on July 13 when Trump narrowly survived an assassination attempt at a rally in Pennsylvania. Democrats briefed out that they believed the ensuing furore would end the campaign to oust Mr Biden, which was running short of time in any case.

But again, Mrs Pelosi applied herself to the cause, calling Mr Biden shortly after to say she saw very little chance of him winning re-election.

With Mr Biden still defiant several days later, representatives Adam Schiff of California and Jamie Raskin of Maryland, two close allies of Mrs Pelosi, both called on Mr Biden to quit. Mr Schiff was described by one Democrat as Mrs Pelosis drone.

On Thursday Barack Obama, the former president, let it be known via intermediaries that he too harbours doubts about Mr Bidens ability to win the election.

But the president remained defiant. When he responded on Friday that he was looking forward to returning to the campaign trail next week, more of Mrs Pelosis allies called on him to stand down.

Every time Mr Biden looks like he has found a moments peace, the pressure is upped on him again with strategic defections.

Mr Biden and Mrs Pelosi at the EMILYs List Gala where the former House speaker was honoured in May 2023 - Evelyn Hockstein/Reuters

Record of getting big calls right

It should worry the president that Mrs Pelosi has a track record of getting the big calls right.

For Republicans, she is the epitome of the Californian champagne liberal (literally: she and her husband own a vineyard in the Napa Valley that supplies grapes to several wineries). The couple live in a nice place in Presidio Heights, one of San Franciscos most exclusive districts. She has an estimated net worth north of $100 million, making her among the richest members of Congress.

But she has proved her political nous - and reading of the electorate - time and again.

She was one of very few Democrats to oppose the invasion of Iraq.

Mrs Pelosi long resisted calls to impeach Trump because she was not convinced that it would succeed - and that if he survived, he would emerge strengthened.

She could remember Bill Clinton emerging from his own brush with impeachment with a surge of popularity.

And Richard Nixon, she pointed out, was only forced out because once the Watergate tapes emerged, even Republicans could see he had to go. There was no similar shift of sentiment about Trump in the modern Republican party, so expecting success would be naive.

Most effective speaker of all time

Her superpower as a politician has been the ability to assess support and opposition down to the last vote, and knowing what to offer representatives to pass legislation despite the narrowest of margins.

That skill was key to the House passing Mr Obamas flagship Affordable Care Act in March 2010 by a knife-edge 219-212 vote.

She pulled off the same trick for Mr Biden in 2021 when she ushered through his infrastructure act despite the Democrats having just a three-seat majority. The bill eventually passed by a 228-206 margin, with the support of 16 Republicans.

Bruce Melman, a Republican lobbyist, called her the most effective speaker of all time after that vote.

Much of that work has outraged the alt-Right. On January 6 2021 Capitol rioters went looking for her office. Those jailed in the aftermath included a woman who had said: We were looking for Nancy to shoot her in the friggin brain, but we didnt find her.

Mrs Pelosi withdrew from front-line politics not long after her husband was attacked in their home by a Canadian conspiracy theorist.

But she appears to be making one last effort to thwart Trump - by ensuring Mr Biden is not the Democrat candidate on Nov 5.

While the president has spoken openly of needing to get more rest, Mrs Pelosi is indefatigable in pursuit of her goals.

People get tired, she has said of the art of negotiation. You cant get tired. You can never get tired.

It is now Mr Biden on the receiving end of that doggedness.

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NASA astronaut Chris Cassidy, now retired, during a 2013 spacewalk using the extravehicular mobility unit (EMU) spacesuit. Not long after his picture was taken, the July 16, 2013 effort was suspended when his crewmate and European Space Agency astronaut Luca Parmitano experienced a critical coolant leak in the spacesuit. | Credit: NASA

NASA says its next spacewalk will be delayed indefinitely until engineers understand more about what caused a coolant leak on June 24.

Tracy Dyson, a NASA astronaut, had a brief spacesuit leak a month ago while still in the hatch of the International Space Station (ISS). She and Mike Barrett had just opened the door for a 6.5-hour spacewalk for maintenance activities, when showers of ice particles erupted from a spacesuit connection to the ISS. The spacewalk was suspended, but the astronauts were never in any danger, NASA has emphasized.

"That spacewalk ended early because of a water leak in the suit's service and cooling umbilical; that's the site that's connected to ISS," station program manager Dana Weigel, of NASA, told reporters in a teleconference Wednesday (July 17). (Astronaut spacesuits stay connected to ISS life support systems via that umbilical until just before they exit the hatch.)

"We're still taking a look at the cause of the water leak, and what we want to do to recover," Weigel added. "We'll go look for the next opportunity for where we want to do the spacewalk. It's not time-critical or urgent, and so we'll find the best, logical place to put it."

NASA's extravehicular mobility unit (EMU) spacesuit used for spacewalks has design that dates to the 1970s, and was first used during space shuttle mission STS-6 in April 1983. The EMU has a long and reliable flight heritage: It's the spacesuit that was used for all space shuttle spacewalks, it handily allowed crews to service the Hubble Space Telescope, and it helped astronauts build the ISS as well.

The EMU has swappable parts that can be replaced and serviced. That said, in recent years, it has been prone periodically to coolant leaks for different reasons. NASA suspended spacewalks for seven months in March 2022 after water was discovered in a spacesuit helmet, for example. And a July 2013 incident required an investigation report and additional months of spacewalk suspension, after Italian astronaut Luca Parmitano's helmet filled with water while he was spacewalking.

NASA's and private industry's newer generations of spacesuits are emphasizing better flexibility with updated materials, alongside improved sizing to accommodate all genders. The EMU is biased towards larger and male sizes, due to being designed in an era when most astronauts were male recruits from the then nearly single-gender armed forces. In June, Collins Aerospace backed out of its contract to design newer ISS suits, saying its schedule for development "would not support the space station's schedule and NASA's mission objectives."

Related: ISS astronauts conduct 'spacewalk review' after spacesuit coolant leak

an astronaut in a spacesuit floats in zero gravity against the blackness of space

The cause of the latest leak is not yet known, but the onboard Expedition 71 astronauts have done several hours of troubleshooting in recent weeks and NASA is reviewing that information.

NASA had originally planned a trio of spacewalks in June and July, but shortened that to two after a June 13 spacewalk was suspended due to "spacesuit discomfort." The second of the revised series was originally expected for July 2, but as Weigel indicated July 17, spacewalk needs in general will be examined in the coming months.

Spacewalking is among the "dynamic activities" that the ISS hosts, Weigel noted in the same conference. Such activities happen roughly every week or 10 days, she added, when including "something like a visiting vehicle docking or undocking, [or] spacewalk, [or] robotics." (The ISS has several robotic arms and devices that perform maintenance and science work, often under control from the ground.)

RELATED STORIES:

 NASA delays next ISS spacewalk until end of July due to spacesuit leak issue

 A leak on the ISS canceled his spacewalk. But an astronaut says that was the right call

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Schedules in space are always in flux, but the past few weeks have been especially uncertain for ISS planning.

The Boeing Starliner spacecraft's mission to the ISS for its first astronaut test flight was initially delayed from May 6 due to a helium leak, which NASA and Boeing extensively analyzed and troubleshooted before approving a launch. (Developmental efforts such as this often have uncertainty as the spacecraft and systems are new to launching humans.)

After arriving at ISS on June 6, the 10-day Crew Flight Test mission was eventually extended indefinitely due to thruster issues that delayed docking. Starliner remains rated to leave ISS in case of emergency, but engineers are analyzing ground tests performed last week to better analyze the performance of the Starliner system before it is authorized for six-month operational missions as soon as 2025.

NASA's portion of the Expedition 71 crew arrived in March as a part of SpaceX's Crew-8, riding the SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket to space. Crew-9 was supposed to arrive in mid-August. While that timing is still on NASA's manifest, all launches of Falcon 9 were suspended last week after a problem on the second stage of a Starlink satellite launch.

SpaceX has petitioned the Federal Aviation Administration to allow launches to proceed, but NASA says it wants to do its own review before authorizing SpaceX to launch astronauts or cargo to the ISS. (Different variants of Falcon 9 are used for astronauts and satellites.)
National Ice Cream Day is Sunday. These are the deals in Cincinnati

National Ice Cream Day is this Sunday, July 21.

It's time to cash in on holiday discounts. By now you've read about offers available at ice cream chains in Ohio. But what about local ice cream shops?

Yes, your Queen City favorites like Graeter's and Aglamesis are offering deals too. Check out the National Ice Cream Day offers at these Greater Cincinnati area parlors.

When: Monday, July 15 to Sunday, July 21.

What:

Single dip sugar cone for $1.54 via the Graeters app. Offer available to Sweet Rewards Loyalty Program Members. Join the Sweet Rewards program here.

Online shoppers can also enjoy 10% off ice cream shipped nationwide with code "TREATYOURSELF10" at graeters.com.

Where: All shop locations

When: Sunday, July 21.

What:

BOGO single dip sugar cone coupons. Redeemable any time after Sunday.

National Ice Cream Day 2024 postcards.

Enter to win "free ice cream for a year" with purchase.

French Quarter Bonanza Challenge (12 p.m. to 5 p.m.): Race against competitors to eat an eight-scoop sundae in less than 15 minutes. There will be four rounds of the competition at each location. The winner of each round will get the dessert for free, a T-shirt and a postcard. Walk in to sign up.

Where: 9899 Montgomery Road in Montgomery; 3046 Madison Road in Oakley.

When: Sunday, July 21, at different times.

What:

12 to 3 p.m.: BOGO kiddie cones.

3 to 6 p.m.: $2 small glaciers (slushes with ice cream).

6 to 9 p.m.: $3 small sundaes.

Where: 4490 Forest Ave. in Norwood.

When: Now to Sunday, July 21.

What: Earn a chance to win a free sundae flight from Whetsel Whip. Guidelines here. Two winners will be chosen on Sunday.

Where: 4825 Whetsel Ave. in Madisonville.

When: Sunday, July 21.

What: Cake shake  a slice of chocolate cake swirled in soft-serve ice cream topped with whipped cream.

Where: 801 Mount Hope Ave. in East Price Hill.

When: Sunday, July 21.

What: Ice cream nachos. Choose from chocolate and vanilla soft serve or blue raspberry and vanilla soft serve.

Where: 1006 Old State Route 74 in Batavia.

When: Sunday, July 21.

What: Free offering of sprinkles with an order of any ice cream cone, as well as an exclusive secret menu made up of creations by the stores employees.

Where: 127 East Main St., Mason

Do you know a Cincinnati ice cream shop that's celebrating National Ice Cream day and isn't listed? Email bhodges@enquirer.com.

Looking for more deals?

Ohio deals: National Ice Cream Day 2024: Sweet deals at Dairy Queen, Cold Stone Creamery and more

Nationwide deals: National Ice Cream Day 2024: Get some cool deals at Dairy Queen, Cold Stone, Jeni's and more

This article originally appeared on Cincinnati Enquirer: Where to get deals for National Ice Cream Day in Cincinnati
People on Medicaid in North Carolina will soon be able to have obesity management medications covered.

The states Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS) announced that effective Aug. 1, NC Medicaid will add coverage of FDA-approved obesity management medications for beneficiaries 12 and older.

This coverage includes glucagon-like peptide 1 agonists (GLP-1s). The expanded access for low-income patients on the state and federal health insurance program comes as state government has cut back on access to the drugs for public employees and retirees.

GLP-1s exploded in popularity in recent years following the Food and Drug Administration approval of their use for people with obesity who do not have diabetes. These drugs, which work by making people stay fuller for longer, have been found to help people lose over 10% of their body weight.

The FDA has approved for weight loss GLP-1 drugs Wegovy and Saxenda, which are manufactured by Novo Nordisk, a Danish company. Its also approved Zepbound, manufactured by Eli Lilly, a U.S. company.

NC Medicaid is adding this coverage because of the substantial weight loss associated with these medications and the impact on comorbidities, DHHS said in a news release.

Prescription obesity management medications are now playing a role in addressing the obesity epidemic, as they may provide additional weight loss benefits compared to lifestyle modifications alone, the release says. Certain weight loss therapies, such as glucagon-like peptide 1 agonists (GLP-1s), can help reduce weight, lower blood sugar and lower rates of significant cardiovascular events, such as heart attack and stroke.

Weight-loss drug costs

But these drugs come with a hefty price tag: A monthly supply of some of these drugs can cost more than $1,000 without insurance or rebates.

The State Health Plan, which covers hundreds of thousands of state employees, ended coverage of these drugs for weight loss in January, citing rising costs.

The plan spent a projected $102 million on the drugs in 2023, or 10% of its roughly $1 billion in net pharmacy spending last year, The News & Observer previously reported.

For the added Medicaid coverage, a public notice posted July 10 on DHHS website says that the change will cost the state more than $21 million in 2025 and over $15 million in 2026.

During a legislative committee meeting in early March, DHHS Secretary Kody Kinsley spoke on GLP-1 drugs and the potential of expanding NC Medicaid coverage of the drugs for weight loss.

Kinsley also told lawmakers that Medicaid already covered GLP-1 drugs, but only for people with diabetes.

Its frankly so frustrating to me that they are so incredibly expensive relative to what we see in other countries, Kinsley said.

I believe that theyre being held back from the people of North Carolina when they could be providing a great deal of value ... so my desire is for us to go after this and figure out a way to both get increased coverage, but to figure out a way that its got to be cheaper, he said.
Presidential candidate Robert F. Kennedy, Jr. takes the stage at the Des Moines Register soapbox Aug. 12, 2023. (Jay Waagmeester/Iowa Capital Dispatch)

LINCOLN  The Nebraska Democratic Party filed an objection this week seeking to block Robert F. Kennedy Jr. from appearing as a nonpartisan candidate for president on the states fall ballot.

In a Tuesday filing, the party said Kennedys ticket does not satisfy the statutory requirements to form a nonpartisan ticket. The party cites two reasons for its challenge: that Kennedy had been a registered Democrat as of March 1 and that the overall strategy of the campaign has been to seek ballot access through whichever method they perceive to be the easiest.

Under Nebraska law, a truly nonpartisan candidate may bypass the primary election and still appear on the ballot for the general election, the challenge reads. State law is clear on the requirements for the offices of President and Vice President, in particular.

In Nebraska, nonpartisan is a catchall label for any voter without affiliation to one of five recognized political parties. As of July 1, 22% of Nebraska voters were registered nonpartisan.

The Nebraska Democratic Partys filing was submitted by Alexander S. Arkfeld, the partys counsel, on behalf of Jane Kleeb, state party chair.

Partisan in some states. nonpartisan in others

One of the Democratic Partys key complaints is Kennedys efforts to appear in some states as a nonpartisan candidate while pursuing a partisan label in others.

In Hawaii and North Carolina, his campaign established a new party  the We the People Party.

Elsewhere, Kennedys campaign has sought access through the Libertarian Party of Colorado, the American Independent Party of California, Independent Party of Delaware, Reform Party in Florida, Natural Law Party in Michigan and Alliance Party in South Carolina.

Even a cursory review of these political parties platforms reveals distinct and conflicting ideologies, the challenge states. Accordingly, the Kennedy campaign is attempting to evade Nebraskas Election Act.

Kennedys running mate is Nicole A. Shanahan, who said in mid-March she would also leave the Democratic Party to join Kennedys ticket.

The challenge rests on a handful of state laws, including one outlining that any registered voter who was not a candidate in the primary and who wasnt registered with a party affiliation on or after March 1 could pursue a petition campaign for a partisan office that fall.

Pathway for independent candidate

A second law, which applies only to presidential and vice presidential candidates, says candidates of nonpartisan status must file with the Nebraska Secretary of State an application and petition, signed by at least 2,500 registered voters, by Aug. 1 in a presidential election year. If valid, that ticket could appear on the presidential ballot.

Online, at the bottom of that law, is an annotation stating it is unconstitutional as it relates to independent presidential and vice presidential candidates. Thats because of a 1977 court case that started in Nebraska and went to the 8th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals: MacBride v. Exon.

The state has a perfectly legitimate and compelling interest in requiring of a would-be candidate a showing, as by nominating petitions, that his candidacy is not frivolous, that he is truly an independent candidate and that his candidacy has a satisfactory level of popular support, the court wrote in 1977.

At the time, the court determined there was no pathway for an independent onto Nebraskas ballot, which has since been changed.

Kennedy submitted more than 5,000 signatures to Nebraska Secretary of State Bob Evnens office as part of that process last month.

The Nebraska Democratic Party filed a July 12 records request asking to review those signatures once they were available.

The MacBride decision is cited as a reason the state should determine its election processes, but the challenge doesnt address petitions as a way to prove a candidates legitimacy.

However, the filing does seemingly push back on another state law that excludes the executive branch positions in the states definition of candidate in state laws.

Kennedy and Shanahan are seeking to access Nebraskas general election ballot as nonpartisan candidates pursuant to Section 32-620, which is the only statute available to them to do so, the filing explains.

The Nebraska Democratic Party asked Evnen to render a decision as soon as possible while acknowledging Kennedys campaign should be given an opportunity to respond.

We respectfully suggest that you set a seven-day deadline for the campaign to do so.

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LAS VEGAS (KLAS)  A Sparks, Nevada, man was sentenced on Friday to 65 years in prison after he was convicted in a sextortion scheme perpetrated over Omegle, Snapchat, TikTok and Mega social platforms from 2018 to 2021.

James Patrick Burns, 55, sextorted multiple minors online, according to a U.S. Department of Justice news release. Burns was already a registered sex offender when he was arrested by authorities.

During this period, Burns was the most prolific creator of illegal content on these forums, according to the news release. He victimized over 100 children, many of whom have yet to be identified. Burnss offenses came to the attention of law enforcement when the mother of one of his victims saw threats on the victims phone and reported what she saw to the police.

Burns will be required to serve lifetime supervised release if he is released from prison.

He was convicted on March 5 by a federal jury on eight counts of sexual exploitation of a minor, eight counts of coercion and enticement of a minor, and one count each of advertising, receiving, distributing and possessing child pornography.

Burns coerced minors into producing pornography. He was also ordered to pay $82,655.92 in restitution and $21,000 in assessments under the Amy, Vicky, and Andy Child Pornography Victim Assistance Act.

The announcement was made by Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General Nicole M. Argentieri, head of the Justice Departments Criminal Division; U.S. Attorney Jason M. Frierson for the District of Nevada; Assistant Director Michael Nordwall of the FBIs Criminal Investigative Division; Special Agent in Charge Spencer L. Evans of the FBI Las Vegas Field Office; and Special Agent in Charge Christopher Miller of Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) Las Vegas.

The FBI-led Northern Nevada Child Exploitation and Human Trafficking Task Force, which is comprised of detectives and investigators from the Sparks Police Department, Washoe County Sheriffs Office, Nevada Attorney Generals Office, and HSI, investigated the case. The Los Angeles County Sheriffs Office, HSI Chicago Field Office, and local law enforcement around the country provided substantial assistance.

Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. 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.
New Jersey Senator Bob Menendezs guilty verdict on federal bribery and corruption charges may have brought the nine-week courtroom drama to a close  but speculation is now swirling over who Gov. Phil Murphy will tap to replace the scandal-scarred Democrat.

Menendez, 70, who was convicted on 16 felony counts for taking bribes from New Jersey businessmen with ties to the Egyptian and Qatari governments could continue to hold office under the Constitution.

But an outraged chorus of senators have already called for his resignation, and could ultimately expel him from the Senate with a two-thirds majority vote.

New Jersey politicos, insiders and experts shared who Gov. Phil Murphy could choose to replace now-convicted Sen. Bob Menendez. Getty Images

Murphy, who called for Menendezs ouster following Tuesdays conviction, said he would select a temporary appointment to finish out the remainder of the senators term once his seat is vacated.

You want someone whos capable of doing this job for five months, and doing it competently, and not embarrassing our state, one Democratic insider told The Post.

Here are some of the names NJ political watchers say could be picked to fill a vacated Senate seat:

Rep. Andy Kim

The congressman for New Jerseys 3rd District is considered Murphys most logical pick, pundits said.

Kim, 41, who won the contentious Democratic primary to replace Menendez, would enjoy his brief incumbent advantage during the race in November, when he will seek a full six-year term to replace Menendez, who also is running as an independent in a long-shot bid for a fourth term, Democratic insiders said.

Many said Rep. Andy Kim (D-NJ), who won the Democratic primary to replace Menendez in the November election, is the most logical choice. AP

The interim Senate role would also give Kim seniority over other freshman senators elected in November, putting him ahead for committee seats that would most benefit New Jersey, said Ross Baker, professor of political science at Rutgers University.

Murphy, however, has reasons to pass over Senate Democratic nominee for the interim appointment  most notably the bad blood between the pair over Kim besting the governors wife, First Lady Tammy Murphy, in the fierce primary race, insiders and experts said.

In New Jersey politics, everythings personal, and Andy Kim for all his virtues is the man who challenged Tammy Murphy, Baker said.

Lt. Gov. Tahesha Way

Way, who Murphy appointed to serve as his administrations third lieutenant governor last year, is a sensible placeholder pick, Democratic sources said.

One insider said Lt. Gov. Tahesha Way would understand the temporary nature of the role if tapped to fill Menendezs seat. Chris Pedota, NorthJersey.com / USA TODAY NETWORK

Way, 52, who also serves as New Jerseys Secretary of State, successfully handled the transition to her new position in the administration, but also is someone [the governor] is comfortable with and who will understand the role she being asked to fulfill, one Democratic insider said.

They dont expect her to one, run [for office], and two, do anything that would be not without checking in with the governors office down in DC, the insider added.

Patricia Campos-Medina

Labor leader Patricia Campos-Medina, who also challenged Kim for Democratic partys Senate nomination in June, has been cited by operatives as a possible fill-in pol and reportedly has expressed interest in the role.

Campos-Medina, 51, whose family fled with civil war in El Salvador, campaigned as representing the interests of Black and Latino voters in addition to strengthening reproductive rights and union protections, but ultimately secured just 16% of the Democratic primary vote.

Labor leader Patricia Campos-Media, who ran in the Democratic Senate primary, has reportedly expressed interest in filling Menendezs seat. AP

Still, selecting Campos-Medina for the interim role would be an opportunity for Murphy to replace Menendez with another Hispanic person, in addition to the states first female US senator, a veteran New Jersey Democratic strategist said.

Shes a progressive, shes well-known in Democratic circles, she gets along pretty well with a lot of people, the strategist said. It could be a Murphy making history kind of thing.

Tammy Murphy

Tammy Murphy may have dropped out of the Democratic Senate primary, but some New Jersey politicos suggest the First Ladys path to Washington hasnt been completely closed off just yet.

Tammy Murphy dropped out of the Senate primary against Kim, but Murphy could still send the First Lady to Washington. AP

GOP strategist and former Senate candidate Alex Zdan mused that the governor has likely faced a round-the-clock lobbying effort from wife, who is 58, to send her to the upper chamber, and his appointment power provides complete authority to put her in office without any repercussions.

To me, the decision has already been made, he said. Its a question of whether or not the governors political advisors can talk him out of it.

Murphy vowed back in October that he would not appoint his wife to the senators seat should he resign, although that pledge predated the First Ladys failed campaign.
"We have no internet. We have no CAD': Phoenix dispatchers make do during emergency system crash

The computer systems that track emergency calls and help send out life-saving crews went down Thursday night for most cities around the Valley, causing dispatchers to fall back to paper and pen until daybreak.

A flawed software update caused a global outage for Microsoft systems, according to cybersecurity CrowdStrike.

Fire and police departments in Phoenix, Scottsdale, Glendale, Queen Creek, and Mesa, all reported to the Arizona Republic that their systems had crashed.

"We are working off cards right now  We have no internet. We have no CAD  we're still working on it," one Phoenix dispatcher said.

Dispatchers have contingency plans for when the computer-aided dispatch system goes down or stops working, allowing them to still take calls and direct them to the appropriate personnel.

Mesa dispatchers, like many others across the Valley, switched over to a manual process, according to Mesa Police Detective Brandi Myers.

Call takers, who answer 911 calls, would record a caller's information on paper and then have a runner deliver it to the appropriate dispatcher. For fire-related calls, the information would be given to a dispatcher who could send out a fire crew. For crime-related calls, it would be delivered to a dispatcher who could forward it to a police patrol. Dispatchers would then relay the information to the correct department and coordinate with a crew to respond via radio.

You could categorize it as a pre-computer way of handling calls for service, said Phoenix Police Sergeant Robert Scherer

The manual process is trained across the board from call takers to responding crews.

Our communications employees train new 911 operators and dispatchers how to enter and process all calls when we are manual. They also train dispatchers to dispatch police units while manual. All staff are familiar with having to operate manual as it is part of our continuous operations plan, Myers said.

To help speed up the process the communication staff used a shorthand, she explained.

For some departments, the issues lasted seven hours, while for others it was five. However, across the valley, most dispatch centers had their computer systems up and running again by sunrise.

Scottsdale reported no gaps in calls and was back to normal by 3:30 a.m. In some areas, such as Phoenix, calls needed to be logged into the computer-aided system once it was restored.

Departments across the Valley said that the contingency plan went as intended. While some were still reviewing the outcomes, none reported any major issues.

This article originally appeared on Arizona Republic: Phoenix emergency services recover after CrowdStrike outage
LAS VEGAS (KLAS)  What some critics called a wild campaign stunt by Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump is now a bipartisan effort to exclude tips from federal taxes.

Trump first unveiled his plan to cut those taxes for waitstaff  all 2.24 million countrywide, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics  at a rally last month in Sunset Park in Las Vegas.

So this is the first time Ive said this, and for those hotel workers and people that get tips youre going to be very happy because when I get to office, we are going to not charge taxes on tips people making tips, Trump at that June 9 rally.

At the time, the Culinary Union Local 226  which represents 60,000 workers in Nevada  panned the idea.

Relief is definitely needed for tip earners, but Nevada workers are smart enough to know the difference between real solutions and wild campaign promises from a convicted felon, the unions secretary-treasurer, Ted Pappageorge, said in a news release.

But Trump doubled down at the Republican National Convention in Milwaukee Thursday, telling this story about tips.

Having dinner at a beautiful building, the Trump building on the strip, the waitress comes over, hows it going?' Trump recalled. Really nice person. Oh sir, the governments after me all the time, after tips, tips, tips. Very little cash is given; take so much its just ridiculous.

And in the weeks since its first mention, the culinary union and some of Trumps foes on the other side of the political aisle have changed their tune.

Nevada Democratic Senators Jacky Rosen and Catherine Cortez Masto signed onto a bipartisan bill proposed in the Senate by Ted Cruz (R  Texas). They are the only two Democrats to do so.

Getting rid of the federal income tax on tips would deliver immediate financial relief for service and hospitality staff across our state who are working harder than ever while getting squeezed by rising costs, Rosen said in a statement to the media.

There is no recent estimate of how much such a change would save each person. Using 2018 IRS figures, a top tip earner might save $6,000 per year.

Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to KLAS.
A Florida man faces criminal charges for allegedly attempting to sell jewelry he fraudulently claimed was Native American made, according to a recently unsealed indictment released by the U.S. Attorney's Office for the Western District of Wisconsin.

The indictment alleges that from December 2015, to January 2024, 45-year-old Jose Farinango Muenala of Casselberry, Florida, devised a scheme to defraud when he applied to art shows across the United States in order to sell jewelry in violation of the 1990 Indian Arts and Crafts Act. IACA, as it is called in shorthand, is a truth-in-advertising law that prohibits misrepresentation in the marketing of Indian art and craft products within the United States.

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In Muenalas art show applications, the indictment says, and to attendees of art shows, Muenala falsely represented that he was Native American and made the jewelry he displayed for sale," when, in fact, Farinango Muenala was not Native American nor a member of an Indian tribe.

Muenala is also being charged with wire fraud and mail fraud for allegedly false statements he made via email to the Mercer Chamber of Commerce, and via mail to the same party.

The indictment was unsealed yesterday, June 19, after agents served Muenala with the indictment and a summons ordering him to appear for an initial appearance in the Western District of Wisconsin on July 30, 2024, according to the U.S. Attorneys Office.

Timothy M. OShea, United States Attorney for the Western District of Wisconsin, said in a statement that prosecuting fraudulent cases is part of his offices work to support tribal nations.

The indictment announced today is not only about enforcing the law, but also about protecting and preserving the cultural heritage of Native Americans, OShea said.

Edward Grace, the Assistant Director of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Office of Law Enforcement, who worked on investigating the case, said that Muenalas claims cheated customers, and also impacted the cultural livelihood of Native American artists.

Our dedicated team of special agents works on behalf of the Department of the Interior and the Indian Arts and Crafts Board to protect Native American and Alaska Native artists, Grace said in a statement. Safeguarding Native American culture, traditions, and the consumers who purchase authentic Native American art are a critical part of these investigations.

If convicted, Farinango Muenala faces a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison on the wire and mail fraud charges. He faces a maximum penalty of 5 years in prison on the misrepresentation of Indian produced goods charge.

About the Author: "Native News Online is one of the most-read publications covering Indian Country and the news that matters to American Indians, Alaska Natives and other Indigenous people. Reach out to us at editor@nativenewsonline.net. "

Contact: news@nativenewsonline.net
PATERSON  Two city women pleaded guilty this week in a federal case in which a doctor who practiced medicine in Paterson for 30 years is accused of illegally providing prescriptions for more than 36,000 oxycodone pills.

The physician, Lisa Ferraro, allegedly provided illegal prescriptions to one of the women, 32-year-old Jasmine McGregor, for more than 12,000 of the highly addictive opioid pills between July 2022 and October 2023, according to the United States Attorneys Office.

Ferraro also is accused of writing prescriptions for the other woman, Jhenelle Lewis, 35, for more than 9,400 oxycodone pills from January 2019 through September 2023, federal authorities said.

Story continues below photo gallery

Ferraro, who is in her 60s, allegedly wrote the opioid prescriptions for people recruited by her co-conspirators to pose as patients without ever examining them or asking about their pain symptoms, according to court records.

Among the alleged recipients of the bogus prescriptions was a man who at the time was incarcerated in a federal prison in Alabama, said the criminal complaint against Ferraro. The charges say Ferraro kept a portion of the pills for her own use.

Ferraros lawyer, Linda George, declined to comment about the accusations against her client.

The New Jersey Board of Medical Examiners online records say Ferraros physicians license remains active, with no disciplinary complaints pending against her.

More: 7 robberies at 5 North Jersey pharmacies. Now, 2 suspects indicted

More: Overdoses remain an issue in NJ. This is how Bergen County officials are trying to help

Six years ago, Ferraro and two other women had been indicted on state fraud charges alleging they filed bogus claims with health insurance companies. But the courts dismissed those indictments, saying the Passaic County Prosecutors Office mishandled the grand jury proceedings.

After one of the dismissals, the Paterson Times published a news story quoting a letter that it said Ferraro had sent to its editor about the case.

I have continued providing quality care to this community for the past 30 years, the Paterson Times story said, quoting from Ferraros letter. The charges and the ensuing news articles severely damaged my reputation as well as my practice.

Back then, Ferraro was working out of Ferraro Medical Associates on Broadway in Paterson, a family business started by her father more than seven decades ago. The federal complaint filed last September against her said she was working for HVA Medical Group, which has several offices in Paterson.

Federal authorities had filed their complaints against McGregor and Lewis four months after the charges against Ferraro. The two women are scheduled for their prison sentencings in November and December.

This article originally appeared on NorthJersey.com: NJ doc allegedly wrote illegal scripts for 36K opioid pills
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

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KANSAS CITY, Mo.  Friday marks two years since North Kansas City, Missouri Officer Daniel Vasquez was shot and killed in the line of duty.

The North Kansas City Police Department shared a photo of Vasquez on Facebook Friday, showing the lighter side him.

Officer Vasquez dedicated his life to serving and protecting our community, the police department said. His sacrifice will never be forgotten, and his legacy continues to inspire us all. As we honor his memory, let us also keep his family, friends, and fellow officers in our thoughts and prayers.

Officer Vasquez, your commitment and courage remain a guiding light for all of us. Rest in peace, and thank you for your service.

KC man pleads guilty for 2021 crash that killed Wichita man after Chiefs game

Last year, Highway 210 from Diamond Parkway to Chouteau Trafficway was dedicated as Officer Daniel Vasquez Memorial Highway.

The trial for the man suspected of shooting and killing Vasquez wont take place until Sept. 29, 2025.

Rocha is charged with first-degree murder and armed criminal action in Clay County in the death of Vasquez. Rocha entered a not guilty plea to the charges in September 2022.

Clay County Prosecutor Zachary Thompson announced in March of 2023 he plans to seek the death penalty.

Vasquez died on July 19, 2022 after prosecutors said Rocha shot him during a traffic stop. Investigators said Vasquez stopped Rochas car because of an expired temporary tag.

Video from Vasquezs dash camera showed Rocha opening the door of his car and immediately shooting at Vasquez, court records say. Rocha then got out of the car and shot Vasquez two more times after the officer fell to the street.

Suspect performs handstand in front of officers during DUI stop in Shawnee

Rocha drove from the scene but officers later took him into custody.

A judge previously ruled the case will be tried in Clay County, but they will bring in a jury from the St. Louis area.

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WICHITA, Kan. (KSNW)  A Logan, Kansas, man pleaded guilty to defrauding a rancher in Montana on Friday.

A news release from the Department of Justice said Jory Parks, 43, was arraigned and pleaded guilty to one count of wire fraud.

Court documents say a drought in the summer of 2021 caused a hay shortage in Montana and Wyoming. The DOJ said Parks intentionally devised a scheme to defraud these ranchers by advertising on Facebook, claiming he was selling large amounts of hay and was willing to deliver to Wyoming and Montana.

Parks, operating as Heart Cross Ranch, LLC, received money from customers in exchange for promises to deliver hay. Instead, he used the money for unrelated expenses and made false promises about what he would deliver, as well as the success of his business.

Two deaths linked to listeria from meat sliced at deli counters

The DOJ said in September 2021, Parks was trying to convince a prospective customer that he had a successful business selling high-quality hay. He told the victim that he had sold all his hay the previous year to a known horse racing facility in Nebraska to feed racehorses.

After interviewing the facilitys CEO and analyzing Parks financials, the FBI determined that Parks was lying.

The news release from the DOJ said a ranching business owned by a couple in Ingomar, Montana, responded to one of Parks Facebook ads. The couple signed a contract with Parks to buy 190 tons of hay from Parks for $43,300 and mailed half of the amount as a down payment to Heart Cross Ranch.

The DOJ said Parks deposited the check into his business account in a bank in Colorado. Three weeks later, Parks delivered the couples first shipment of 23 tons of the 190 tons they had purchased but never delivered the additional hay or repaid the remainder of the downpayment.

A sentencing date has not yet been set. The DOJ said Parks faces a maximum of 20 years in prison, a $250,000 fine and three years of supervised release.

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NYC food truck worker sued for $20M by consultant he falsely accused of stalking him: suit

A NYC crisis management consultant is suing a halal food trucker worker for $20 million after being falsely accused of pulling a gun on him and telling him to go back to [his] country.

Eric Laptook, 70, was accused of harassing Mahmoud Ahmed near his building on West 115th Street where Ahmed operated a food truck as early as September 2022, according to the lawsuit filed in Manhattan Supreme Court.

In October, Laptook was arrested when Ahmed told police he pointed a black firearm at him, according to a criminal complaint included in the court filing.

A NYC consultant is suing a food truck worker and company claiming the worker made a slew of false accusations against him, a suit allegs. Google Maps

Ahmed alleged in criminal complaints that an older white male approached his food truck and said, Youre not supposed to be here. This is my home, not your home. Go back home Mohamed, go back to your country. You are bothering people, you are operating illegally.

Laptook had his home and car searched by police, and was charged with stalking, menacing and criminal possession.

All the charges against Laptook were dismissed, according to the suit.

Laptook is suing Ahmed and MJM Halal Food, Inc. for malicious prosecution and intentional infliction of emotional distress, according to the court summons.

Roughly 100 complaints to 311 for the food trucks address have been filed in July, according to city records, including food not being protected and the truck operating in a prohibited area.

Laptook owns Laptook Risk Consulting, a crisis management advisory firm, according to online records.

Numerous 311 complaints have been made about the truck, which is popular among Columbia students. Google Maps

Laptook is seeking $20 million in damages, according to the summons filed last week. DAVID  stock.adobe.com

He was previously general counsel and chief safety and compliance officer for TK Holdings Inc., the U.S. arm of Japanese airbag supplier Takata Corp., which went bankrupt in 2017.

Laptook and Ahmed could not be reached for comment.
Mayor Eric Adams administration is asking City Council members to sign a letter calling for a peaceful political process in the wake of the assassination attempt against former president Donald Trump, The Post has learned.

We cannot allow the single, horrifying act of political violence against former President Trump this past weekend to escalate into greater strife and disunity, the message, obtained by The Post Friday, says.

We must say enough. Enough violent political rhetoric. Enough pitting one group of Americans against another. And enough spreading this kind of hate online and in real life.

Mayor Eric Adams administration is asking City Council members to sign a letter calling for a peaceful political process. Pacific Press/LightRocket via Getty Images

The letter was attached in an email sent by a City Hall staffer to lawmakers and non-profit organizations Friday, asking them to sign it and to commit to a safer, stronger, more peaceful democracy.

It called on lawmakers to engage in thoughtful debate and ensure the safety of those at polling places while also respecting the will of the voters, and partaking in the peaceful transfer of power.

We seek nothing less than the mass de-escalation of the current toxic political rhetoric, and we ask friends, citizens, and our supporters to do the same, the letter said.

Each one of these signatures will help renew and rebuild the foundations of our democracy, one that has been a beacon for freedom, equality, and justice across the globe, it adds.

Several sources in political circles raised eyebrows at the move  questioning the mayors decision to take such a strong stance on the matter.

One Council source suggested the letter serves no other purpose except for the mayor to virtue signal to a national audience.

The letter comes after the assassination attempt against Trump. Bloomberg via Getty Images

Maybe the mayor thinks this will get him back into Bidens good graces? the source added, referring to the seemingly tense relationship between the two in light of Adams public criticism about Bidens handling of the border crisis.

Another source called the move shameless, suggesting Adams was trying to cozy up to Trump by putting on a show with Republicans.

Where was he when extremists were targeting non-Republicans? the Democratic operative said.

Others applauded the mayor, saying it was important the city and country unite to condemn political violence.

Reverend Al Sharpton speaks at the City Hall. Pacific Press/LightRocket via Getty Images

What happened to President Trump was reprehensible and should be unequivocally denounced, said Councilman Robert Holden (D-Queens).

People are getting tired of the vitriol coming from both sides, and I think the mayor recognizes that, added Councilwoman Joann Ariola (R-Queens).

A City Hall rep confirmed the letter was part of a promise toward unity made by Adams over the weekend. It wasnt immediately clear how many people had signed on to it.

Adams stood with faith and political leaders on Sunday in the wake of the shooting at Trumps Pennsylvania rally that wounded the 2024 Republican presidential nominee to condemn the violence.

Council member Joseph Borelli speaks at the City Hall during a call for unity. Pacific Press/LightRocket via Getty Images

We have watched our children [be] radicalized to a place to be anti-everything, he said at the time.

The extremes have basically hijacked what we feel as a country and what we stand for.

A sniper, revealed later to be Thomas Matthew Crooks, 20, had managed to climb onto the roof of a manufacturing plant 130 yards away from where Trump was speaking and opened fire on the Republican nominee.

Trump revealed exclusively to the Post on Sunday that he was supposed to be dead.
Obama was startled by how 'disoriented' Biden appeared during a June fundraising event, NYT reports

Obama was startled by how 'disoriented' Biden appeared during a June fundraising event, NYT reports

Biden startled Obama with his disoriented state at a June fundraiser, The New York Times reported.

Biden is upset that Obama isn't supporting him as Democratic leaders ask him to step down.

Biden believes Obama is partially behind the wave of attacks about his age, people told the NYT.

During a campaign fundraising event in June, President Joe Biden's disoriented state while onstage left former President Barack Obama "startled," The New York Times reported.

The event in question  a Los Angeles fundraiser hosted by Jimmy Kimmel  included a viral moment where it appeared Obama led a frozen Biden offstage. At the time, the White House dismissed the notion, saying Biden paused for applause.

According to an anonymous former Obama aide who spoke to the Times, the former president was surprised by how Biden had "aged and seemed disoriented."

The report also cites people close to the president describing an upset Biden, recovering from COVID at his Delaware home while fighting off multiple attacks on his ability to serve another four years as president.

Biden is most upset that Obama hasn't come to his aid, the Times reported. This resentment partially stems from Obama discouraging Biden from running for president in 2016 to make room for Hillary Clinton, the Times reported.

However, the Times also reports that Biden believes Obama to be behind the wave of Democrats urging him to step down, according to people close to the President. Multiple reports indicate that Obama expressed concerns about Biden's ability to beat Republican nominee Donald Trump.

Behind the scenes, Biden is considering what an exit from the 2024 race might look like, per multiple reports. But on Friday, his campaign insisted he is here to stay.

"He's the best person to take on Donald Trump," Biden's reelection campaign chair, Jen O'Malley Dillon, said on "Morning Joe."

Following a debate against Trump in which both candidates performed poorly, dozens of prominent Democratic lawmakers and donors are asking Biden to step down and allow another candidate to take his place before the Democratic National Convention in August.

Representatives for Obama and Biden did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

Read the original article on Business Insider
Oconto County man awaiting trials for child sexual assaults captured in Texas after fleeing Wisconsin

A 41-year-old Suring man who authorities say removed his GPS tracking device and took off is back in custody after being captured in Texas, the Oconto County Sheriff's Office reported Friday.

Michael Bullock was spotted in a RV park in Aransas County by a citizen who said she saw his picture online and contacted the local sheriff's office.

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Bullock was out on bond on charges of repeated sexual assault of a child in Oconto and Kewaunee counties, as well as invading the privacy of a minor through the use of a surveillance device in Oconto County.

Bullock was last previously seen in the Suring area on July 1 before he fled, the Oconto County Sheriff's Office said.

Bullock is waiting to be extradited back to the Oconto County Jail. He now faces a felony bail jumping charge in both Oconto and Kewaunee counties.

This article originally appeared on Green Bay Press-Gazette: Oconto County man awaiting child-sex assault trials captured in Texas
Officials identify man MBI says was killed by Biloxi Police after pointing weapon at them

Biloxi Police shot and killed a man while responding to a call early Saturday, the Mississippi Bureau of Investigation said in a news release.

Jason Moore, 42, died after being transported to a hospital, said Bailey Martin, the press secretary for the Mississippi Department of Public Safety.

Officers responded to a call on Lakeview Drive and encountered the subject who pointed a weapon towards the officers, according to MBI.

Officers fired their weapons and hit Moore, police said. Martin said MBI was notified of the shooting about 1:15 a.m.

Moore sustained serious injuries and was transported to a hospital, MBI said Saturday morning. Martin said Saturday afternoon that Moore succumbed to the injuries sustained in this incident.

The officers involved were not injured.

It is unclear what call police were responding to. MBI did not say what kind of weapon Moore allegedly pointed toward police.

MBI investigates all officer-involved shootings in the state. The agency did not release more information but said authorities were gathering evidence and would share findings with the Attorney Generals Office.
ST. CLAIR COUNTY, Ill.  Residents voiced their concerns as officials toured parts of the Metro East slammed by torrential rain and flooding Tuesday.

Amid ongoing flood recovery efforts, Illinois U.S. Rep. Nikki Budzinski and the Army Corps of Engineers visited flood-stricken neighborhoods in Cahokia Heights on Friday.

The flooding added to other concerns in the area, such as a sinkhole that emerged on North 63rd Street.

Retired MSD CEO receives six-figure payout for unused sick, vacation days

All were asking is for help, said Metro East resident Kenna Mosby. Weve got problems breathing from the water. This isnt the first time. We go through this all the time. Weve been complaining, complaining, complaining. We dont get help.

Flooding is an ongoing problem, but Budzinski says there is movement. St. Clair County has declared various neighborhoods and municipalities as disaster area, which help with relief efforts and offering resources.

I would urge constituents that have been impacted by this flooding to go to the county website, said Budzinski. They can actually fill out an assessment form and talk about the specific damages to their homes. And that can be a part of what is calculated in the disaster relief.

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The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers also listened to residents frustrations.

 We will have a draft report ready for city review by September 16, said Shawn Sullivan, Army Corps strategic planning coordinator. With that there are some grant opportunities that we dont want the city to miss.

St. Clair County residents affected by recent floods are asked to fill out a damage assessment form on the countys website.

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An Ohio mother has received her sentence after she crushed her 4-month-old babys skull.

On Thursday. 40-year-old Melissa Thorp of Columbus entered a guilty plea to a charge of aggravated murder, the Columbus Dispatch reported.

Thorp was sentenced to 20 years in prison by a Franklin County judge, abc6 reported.

>> Officers respond to two vehicle crash in German Twp

In September 2022, Thorp called Columbus police stating her 4-month-old son, Aaron, was not breathing, the Columbus Dispatch reported.

Officers on the scene said the body was already in a state of decomposition when they arrived, abc6 reported.

It was not clear how long Aaron was dead, according to Assistant Franklin County Prosecutor Dan Meyer, but it appeared longer than Thorp told police, the Columbus Dispatch reported.

The Franklin County Coroners Office determined the cause of death was blunt force trauma to the head, and it was ruled a homicide, abc6 reported.
Sen. Sherrod Brown (D-Ohio) released a statement Friday urging President Biden to withdraw from the presidential race, joining a growing list of Democrats to make the call.

Brown pointed to the the issues at the top of mind for his constituents in the Buckeye State, including job creation, giving law enforcement tools for the fentanyl crisis, protecting Social Security and Medicare and preventing efforts to restrict abortions.

There are the issues Ohioans care about and it is my job to keep fighting for them, Brown said in a statement, shared on social media platform X.

At this critical time, our full attention must return to these important issues, he added. I think the President should end his campaign.

Brown is currently running in what is expected to be one of the closest Senate races in the country. His remarks make him the fourth Senate Democrat to pressure Biden to rescind his candidacy and allow someone else the opportunity to run against former President Trump in November.

He joins Democratic Sens. Peter Welch (Vt.), Jon Tester (Mont.) and Martin Heinrich (N.M.).

Brown and Heinrichs statements each came Friday, the day after Trump officially secured the Republican Presidential nomination. They join more than 30 House Democrats in calling on the president. Ten House Democrats called on Biden to step aside on Friday alone.

In the weeks following a poor debate performance by the president, Democrats have shown concern about the presidents ability to beat Trump and serve another four years if reelected. Many say Biden cant recover now, and his continued run could threaten House and Senate races if he stays in.

The Ohio senator previously brushed off concerns about Bidens candidacy, saying he wouldnt wade into discussions but would continue listening to people in Ohio who had legitimate questions.

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For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to The Hill.
Ohio woman brandishes replica gun outside of Sheriffs Office, shot by Sheriff

A woman is dead after being shot by an Ohio Sheriff outside of the county Sheriffs office.

The Medina County Sheriff shot a woman wielding a knife and a replica gun outside the sheriffs office, CBS affiliate Cleveland 19 reported.

Medina Police identified the woman as 37-year-old Victoria Carter of Lafayette Township, WKYC reported.

>> Ohio mother sentenced for crushing 4-month-old sons skull, letting body decompose

Carter was reportedly causing a disturbance in the parking lot when she threatened a man with a knife and a gun. The man then reported her to the sheriffs office via an outdoor intercom, News 5 Cleveland reported.

Medina County Sheriff Terry Grice and Deputy Clinage went to the front of the building where they found Carter and ordered her to drop her weapons, CBS affiliate Cleveland 19 reported.

Carter did not comply with their orders and charged at both officers. Clinage tasered Carter but it was ineffective, News 5 Cleveland reported.

>> Multiple fire departments battle garage fire in Miami County

When Carter charged at them again, Grice shot and killed Carter, CBS affiliate Cleveland 19 reported.

Grice is on paid leave while the Ohio Bureau of Criminal Investigation investigates the shooting, News 5 Cleveland reported.

The shooting remains under investigation by the Ohio Bureau of Criminal Investigation and the Medina Police Department.
The US-70 Roosevelt Bridge across Lake Texoma is set to be replaced thanks to a $124 million Large Bridge Project award through the Federal Highway Administrations Bridge Investment Program. The grant is the largest in state transportation history and will pay for a modern four-lane crossing with potentially a pedestrian path linking Kingston and Durant in southeastern Oklahoma.

The Oklahoma Department of Transportation is going to replace the US-70 Roosevelt Bridge across Lake Texoma using the largest federal grant in the agencys history.

The White House announced this week the project is approved for $124 million through the Federal Highway Administrations Bridge Investment Program. The grant will pay for replacement of the bridge, which opened in 1945 and connected Kingston and Durant in southeastern Oklahoma.

Tim Gatz, Transportation Department director, said the grant surpasses the $85 million National Infrastructure Project Assistance grant received in January 2023 that went toward rebuilding the Interstate 44 and US-75 interchange in Tulsa.

This is exciting news for the state and were grateful to Gov. Stitt and members of Oklahomas congressional and legislative delegation and the Federal Highway Administration for seeing the importance of this corridor and helping the department secure an additional funding source, Gatz said. The Roosevelt Memorial bridge is an outdated design  nearly 80 years old  and doesnt meet current or future traffic needs.

What to know about the new planned bridge across Lake Texoma

The grant announcement reported the project will improve the efficiency and reliability of moving people and freight, increase resiliency to flooding, and increase safety through a potential pedestrian and bicycle crossing.

Plans are to build the bridge to the south of the existing structure while keeping the current bridge open to traffic. The new bridge will be four lanes with shoulders, rumble strips and lighting. Engineers have not determined yet the ultimate fate for the existing bridge, which carries 8,500 vehicles per day.

kingston_bridge

Although half of the estimated cost of the project is coming from this grant, House Bill 2915, passed in the 2024 legislative session, gave state transportation officials permission to bond up to $200 million against the project, which is currently estimated to cost more than $250 million.

The legislation provides an opportunity to consider advancement of the project in the annual eight-year plan.

More: Lincoln Boulevard connector to I-44, I-235 in OKC set for completion in August

We are committed to this priority project and want to move it forward as responsibly and as expeditiously as possible to meet the needs of the surrounding communities, Gatz said.

The US 70 grant is funded through the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act and is one of 13 bridges deemed nationally significant approved for funding by the Federal Highway Administration.

This article originally appeared on Oklahoman: Aging Lake Texoma bridge to be replaced using $124M federal grant
COLUMBUS, Ohio (WCMH)  One person is dead after being shot Saturday morning in northeast Columbus.

A police dispatcher said that Columbus police officers were called to the 1700 block of Genessee Avenue near the neighborhood of East Linden at 10:38 a.m. Officers arrived two minutes later and found one person who had been shot.

Columbus man killed in Fairfield County motorcycle crash

Medics at the scene pronounced the victim dead at 10:46 a.m. Officers are continuing to investigate the shooting, per a police dispatcher.

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One man killed, one wounded in double shooting along midtown Sacramento street, police say

One man was killed and another was hospitalized after a double shooting early Saturday in Sacramentos midtown district.

According to the Sacramento Police Department, officers were called just before 1:15 a.m. to reports of gunfire on the 1500 block of 20th Street. Witnesses told police, according to archived radio dispatches reviewed by The Sacramento Bee, that the gunman may have been in a vehicle when the gunfire started in an auto works parking lot next to a bar between O and P streets.

Officers arrived to find one man with at least one gunshot wound, said Officer Anthony Gamble, a spokesman for the Police Department. The man, described by paramedics as a man in his 30s, was taken to a hospital where he was pronounced dead.

Another man who was shot was located after friends drove him to UC Davis Medical Center. According to radio dispatches, the vehicle that drove the man to the hospital had several bullet holes.

Gamble said the second victim was listed in stable condition at the hospital and was expected to recover.

No suspects were announced by police and a motive for the shooting also was not known.

Gamble said that anyone with information was encouraged to call police at 916-808-5471.

The identity of the man who died was expected to be released by the Sacramento County Coroners Office once relatives are notified of his death.
Editors Note: Lonnie G. Bunch III is the Secretary of the Smithsonian Institution. The views expressed in this commentary are his own. Read more opinion at CNN.

During the 1960s, our family road trips from our New Jersey home to visit relatives in North Carolina were always full of education and adventure, but they were also tempered by the reality of traveling through the Jim Crow South. Roadside diners were not available to all who were hungry. Gas station restrooms and hotels were still segregated by skin color.

Lonnie G. Bunch III - Smithsonian Institution

Like many Black families, in order to avoid indignities and danger present in such trips, we had to prepare to go down South. We had to be self-sufficient: My mother created meals that would last until North Carolina.

My father kept an eye out for Esso gas stations because they were the only place that allowed Black travelers to use the restrooms. Although I was young, I remember seeing signs that said Whites Only in front of businesses and hotels. As a family, we always discussed the challenges before going.

One trip in 1965 stands out, though. It was one of the first times we used the recently opened I-95. We stopped at the Maryland House rest stop in Aberdeen, Maryland, a new colonial-style brick building that provided food and relaxation for weary travelers. I dont know why my parents took a risk and stopped at an unfamiliar place. It could be that they tired of egg salad sandwiches, or maybe they simply felt enough was enough and that we had the right to stop there just like everyone else.

We were trepidatious about the reception a Black family might receive there. As we sat down, we saw some stares, but there was no confrontation. We had relieved smiles as we slowly realized there would be no indignities served with our meals. It was my first experience in a post-segregation South. I did not recognize it at the time, but that day my family had become a direct beneficiary of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, which had passed the summer before. The moment was as transformative for me as it was long overdue for the country.

July 2, 2024, marked the 60th anniversary of the passage of the Civil Rights Act, a historic anniversary that has come and gone this year with relatively little fanfare. President Lyndon B. Johnson signed it into law that same day.

It is disheartening how few people understand and appreciate the legislations transformative power. Just consider how many have been helped by it, how different the nation would look without it and how much was sacrificed to attain the rights so many take for granted. The act was a major weapon in the battle to overcome Jim Crow segregation.

While the law directly benefited African Americans, in reality, its impact was much broader. It barred unequal application of voter registration requirements and outlawed discrimination based on race, color, religion or national origin in public accommodations such as restaurants, motels or theaters and provided equal opportunity for employment. It also prohibited gender-based discrimination, extending advancements of the Equal Pay Act of 1963.

As impressive as the Civil Rights Act was at the time, its legacy endures, continuing to open the gates of opportunity. The Voting Rights Act of 1965 and the Civil Rights Act of 1968 built on its progress, and 1972s Equal Employment Opportunity Act strengthened regulatory authority to enforce its anti-discrimination laws, applied it to state and local governments and extended its application to pregnant women in the workplace.

Some 60 years after the passage of the Civil Rights Act, the legislations Title VII provision was applied to LGBTQ rights against discrimination. The Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990, a landmark piece of legislation in its own right, was heavily influenced by its predecessor in spirit and structure, broadly extending similar protections to people with disabilities.

When the historic signing of the 1964 bill is commemorated, we inevitably recall the black-and-white photo of Johnson surrounded by congressmen, with Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. one of the few faces of color behind him. While Johnson deserves praise for his political maneuvering to ensure passage of the bill, we must give proper credit to the actions of African Americans and their allies who marched, were arrested and were killed by those determined to deny liberty and justice for all.

Without the sacrifices of Emmett Till, civil rights icon Medgar Evers and Mississippi civil rights workers James Chaney, Andrew Goodman and Michael Schwerner, among many others, the legislation might not have been possible. If not for the horrifying images on the nightly news of the young Freedom Riders beaten and firebombed and set upon by dogs and sometimes knocked off their feet by the force water sprayed by high pressure fire hoses, the White public would not have been engaged.

Those who protested and resisted, from Mamie Till-Mobely, the mother of Emmett Till, to Dr. King to civil rights organizers Diane Nash and John Lewis, caused a nation to confront itself, turning public sentiment toward justice. They showed civil rights not to be an abstraction applied to a few, but a life-or-death struggle for the soul of a nation affecting us all.

It should be evident that the Civil Rights Act of 1964 was not the endpoint of that struggle, but a single point on a continuum of those endeavoring to expand Americans freedom in opposition to those who would constrain it.

The sacrifices that led to that historic bill should inspire us, even haunt us, reminding us to never retreat from the good fight. We should reflect on all throughout our history who helped the nation live up to its ideals  from those working for the abolition of slavery to those lifting their voices for justice and equality today  and follow their lead by continuing to extend the blessings of liberty to all.

Weakening the movement for freedom and fairness embedded in the Civil Rights Act not only weakens us all, it prevents us from being the nation of our dreams. As we celebrate this landmark legislation we owe a debt of gratitude to all those whose eternal vigilance helped make real the promise of freedom.

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In this Nov. 22, 1963, file photo, President John F. Kennedy slumps down in the back seat of the presidential limousine as it speeds along Elm Street toward the Stemmons Freeway overpass after being fatally shot in Dallas. Jacqueline Kennedy leans over the president as Secret Service agent Clinton Hill rides on the back of the car. | James W. Ike Altgens

Political assassination is a particularly grim, disturbing and important subject. Murder alone is awful, but violence against a political leader tears at the very fabric and foundations of our system of government.

Unfortunately, this phenomenon has been a regular  though not frequent  occurrence in U.S. political history.

Former President Donald Trump, fortunately, has survived this latest instance of a despicable crime. His actions have been heroic. He demonstrated self-control under fire, reacted fast and effectively in taking cover, did not panic and encouraged others.

Republican presidential candidate former President Donald Trump gestures as he is surrounded by U.S. Secret Service agents as he leaves the stage at a campaign rally, Saturday, July 13, 2024, in Butler, Pa. | Evan Vucci

The United States Secret Service is an exceptionally professional organization, which was dramatically demonstrated. Agents immediately shielded Trump while others scanned the crowd. The former president was quickly evacuated.

Lets wait for confirmed facts on exactly what happened. Ignore judgmental, largely worthless media speculation.

Tragically, gunfire also struck audience members at the political rally. Former Fire Chief Corey Comperatore was shielding his family when he was killed. Two other audience members were wounded.

Unfortunately, our nation has a history of such violence. The first attack on an American president took place nearly two centuries ago. An unemployed house painter ambushed President Andrew Jackson in the U.S. Capitol. Fortunately, the would-be killers pistols misfired.

Despite his age and ill health, Jackson attacked the gunman, who was tackled by others. Jackson survived numerous military battles and duels with firearms.

During the same general time period, in May 1812, Britains Prime Minister, Spencer Perceval, was assassinated. Later, a radical plot to murder Prime Minister Lord Liverpool and his cabinet in 1820 failed, and the conspirators were hanged.

Generally, in the decades since, our close ally Britain has been spared this sort of political violence.

President Abraham Lincoln was assassinated on April 14, 1865, while he and his wife and guests were attending a stage play in Washington, D.C. The assassin was part of a larger conspiracy to kill senior officials of the Lincoln administration.

Lone killers assassinated Presidents James Garfield in 1881 and William McKinley in 1901.

Former President Theodore Roosevelt was shot in the chest in 1912 while campaigning in Milwaukee. He completed his speech before being rushed to the hospital, and survived.

Mayor Anton Cermak of Chicago was shot and killed in February 1933 in Miami while in the company of President-elect Franklin D. Roosevelt. FDR is presumed to have been the actual target.

On Nov. 1, 1950, two Puerto Rican nationalists tried and failed to assassinate President Harry Truman in Washington, D.C.

President John F. Kennedy was shot and killed in Dallas, Texas, on Nov. 22, 1963. Alleged assassin Lee Harvey Oswald was murdered in police custody two days later. That, combined with other circumstances, fueled conspiracy theories that have powerfully endured.

The limousine carrying mortally wounded President John F. Kennedy races toward the hospital seconds after he was shot in Dallas, Texas, Nov. 22, 1963. With secret service agent Clinton Hill riding on the back of the car, Mrs. John Connally, wife of the Texas governor, bends over her wounded husband, and Mrs. Kennedy leans over the president. | JUSTIN NEWMAN

In 1972, Gov. George Wallace of Alabama, who was seeking the Democratic presidential nomination, was shot and paralyzed while campaigning.

Two women fired pistols at President Gerald Ford, on separate occasions. Both missed.

In early 1981, newly inaugurated President Ronald Reagan was shot and seriously wounded while entering his limousine in Washington, D.C., after a speech. He survived the ordeal, and, in fact, his bravery and humor while being treated in the hospital earned him considerable respect.

In this combination of file photos, President Ronald Reagan waves, then looks up before being shoved into a presidential limousine by Secret Service agents after being shot outside a Washington hotel, March 30, 1981. | RON EDMONDS

Presidents attackers usually act alone.

Such attacks are sick, as President Joe Biden observed, but do not indicate a sick society or signal political crisis. To reiterate, focus on the facts, not judgmental media speculation.

Ideally, this latest incident will foster rhetorical restraint. Politicians should turn down the heat.

This history is grim, but also shows the enduring strength of our political institutions.

Arthur I. Cyr is author of After the Cold War. Contact acyr@carthage.edu
The news from Milwaukee and the Republican National Convention has dominated this week, but it hasnt stopped speculation about whether Joe Biden will or should withdraw as the Democratic presidential nominee. A lot of Democrats who want a change are eager to have an open contest, to let the wild rumpus begin at the Democratic convention in Chicago in August.

The hope that the way to victory is an open convention is a pipe dream.

Read more: Beleaguered Biden sits on sidelines with COVID as Trump returns to center stage after shooting

For many members of Congress and others sophisticated about politics, a wide-open nominating convention in Chicago in four weeks is the best way to come up with a dream ticket  Whitmer-Warnock seems to be the one mentioned most. At minimum, they want to have a contest, an open process that yields the nominee. To some, if Kamala Harris prevails in that setting, directly vanquishing other rivals, it would bolster her candidacy. And the excitement of a wide-open convention would give the Democratic ticket the jump start it needs.

A little history is in order. The last time there was a convention with more than one ballot was in 1952. Both parties held some primaries that year, but they were basically beauty contests that did not choose nominees. The Democratic nominee, Adlai Stevenson, didnt even run in a primary; at the convention (in Chicago, by the way), he was drafted and won on the third ballot. Republican candidate Dwight Eisenhower split primary victories with his prime rival, Robert Taft, but those outcomes had little to do with his final nomination.

Read more: Calmes: Step aside, Joe. It's time

Although every convention since has seen the nomination resolved on the first ballot, there have been plenty we can call open  contested conventions, where candidates jostled and the disgruntled were determined to make their unhappiness known.

For Republicans, consider the 1964 convention at the Cow Palace in San Francisco. Barry Goldwater was a first-ballot victor, after his rival, the newly divorced and remarried Nelson Rockefeller, flamed out, but not before Republican moderates led a last-ditch effort behind Pennsylvania Gov. Bill Scranton to wrest the nomination away. Bitterness on the convention floor, including Rockefeller being nearly hooted off the podium, left a fractured party. Goldwater would likely have lost in any case, but his defeat by Lyndon Johnson was wider and deeper as a result of the fractures demonstrated at the convention.

Then there was 1976. At Kemper Arena in Kansas City, Mo., the Republican nomination was in serious question as the convention began. Incumbent Gerald Ford, who did not have a majority of delegates, faced a fierce challenge from Ronald Reagan. Ford eked out a victory on the first ballot, but a large number of unhappy conservatives threatened to bolt the GOP and form a new party, which contributed to Fords narrow defeat at the hands of Jimmy Carter.

Read more: Rep. Schiff calls on Biden to drop out, citing 'serious concerns' that he can't win

For Democrats, of course, Chicago in August could be deja vu all over again. Their 1968 gathering is the limiting case of a contested and bitter convention, one where the withdrawal of the incumbent Johnson, spurred by a challenge from Minnesota Sen. Eugene McCarthy, led to a struggle between Robert F. Kennedy and Vice President Hubert Humphrey that was upended by Kennedys assassination that June. Most of Kennedys delegates went to Humphrey, who won the nomination handily on the first ballot. But anti-Vietnam War demonstrations outside the convention hall were met with tear gas and violence from Chicago police, and after Connecticut Sen. Abe Ribicoff used the podium to decry Mayor Richard J. Daleys Gestapo tactics, the vivid image inside the hall was Daley shaking his fist and shouting an antisemitic epithet at Ribicoff. All of it left Humphrey with the opposite of a convention bump. He fell just short in November, a defeat easily attributable to mayhem at the convention.

The Democrats had at it again in 1980 in New York City. The incumbent Carter easily prevailed at winning renomination, but only after a hard-fought challenge from Massachusetts Sen. Edward M. Kennedy. Kennedys defiant convention speech was anything but a full-throated endorsement of the nominee. He closed by saying, "For me, a few hours ago, this campaign came to an end. For all those whose cares have been our concern, the work goes on, the cause endures, the hope still lives, and the dream shall never die." The divisions exposed at the convention were not the only cause for Carters loss to Reagan  the U.S. hostages seized in Iran and stagflation were key. But the disunity didnt help.

Read more: 5 takeaways from Trump's Republican convention acceptance speech

The main reason even these contentious conventions required just one ballot, and most others are showcases of party unity, is that, for all its flaws, the primary-driven nominating process works. In state-by-state contests, candidates who fail  who cant win or place in key races, who find money drying up  cannot easily claim to have been robbed. The nominee emerges fair and square, and the process provides time and opportunity to heal the wounds among party factions.

There is no question that Democrats are deeply divided over whether Joe Biden is the best choice for the party in an existential election against a Republican nominee who pledges a presidency of retribution and a dictatorship on Day 1. But in the event Biden withdraws, the party needs an alternative to a barnstorming free-for-all in Chicago.

The obvious path is simply to pass the torch to Vice President Harris, and make the convention one where Democrats can both have the excitement of choosing a new running mate and yet directly make the case for the Biden-Harris record and for democracy, reproductive rights and political integrity. The only other option would be a more controlled mini-contest, three weeks or so of debates with perhaps three or four candidates, followed by ranked-choice voting at the convention. But that course has its own pitfalls  who would choose which candidates and put into place a mechanism for an expedited ranked-choice vote on the convention floor?

There is no sugarcoating the mess Democrats find themselves in right now. But they need to keep it from getting even messier, and soon.

Norman J. Ornstein is an emeritus scholar at the American Enterprise Institute and co-host, with Kavita Patel, of the podcast "Words Matter."





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This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times.
At 6:13 p.m. ET Saturday, it was exactly seven days since Thomas Matthew Crooks scrambled onto a warehouse rooftop in Butler, Pennsylvania, slipped his finger around the trigger of his fathers AR-15, and fired off several rounds.

Those seven days have transformed the political landscape of America. In just one week, weve witnessed a series of events so dramatic, so seismic, that theyve redefined the battle lines of the upcoming election, now just 107 days away. And here in the eye of this political storm stands Donald Trump, fist still raised, and stronger than ever.

Consider too the extraordinary timingthe shooting happened two days before the Republican National Convention, an event that comes around only once every four years. Two days!

At a talk with Georgetown University students, Trumps co-campaign manager Chris LaCivita (responsible for stoking the Swift Boat controversy that partly sank John Kerrys presidential hopes) declared they had found at least 20 paths to victory. Joe Biden, on the other hand, finds himself isolated and beleaguered, grappling with COVID-19 in Rehoboth, Delaware after forgetting the name of his Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin, whom Biden referred to as the Black man, and facing mounting calls for his withdrawal.

Bidens Like an Old Laptop With a Software and Hardware Issue

Its a narrative that reads like a fever dream of two men on diverging paths. Trump, the embattled former president, aged 78, has harnessed the chaos with renewed vigor. His base, emboldened by his resilience, sees him as a religious figure born again and ready to reclaim the mantle of leadership. Meanwhile, Bidens presidency teeters on the edge, besieged not only by the virus but by internal dissent.

He sounds like shit, because hes not feeling well, his campaign chair Jen OMalley Dillon, remarked to staffers on a recent call. Not words a supporter ever wants to hear about an 81-year-old candidate. The once unifying figure now finds himself at odds with the Democrats most influential voices, including Barack Obama and Nancy Pelosi. As of Friday night, 37 Democratic lawmakers have publicly called for Biden to step aside. On X a new hashtag was trending: #Passthetorch.

Alexandra Ocasio-Cortez went on the defensive and took to Instagram to advocate that Biden remain on the ballot. Its worth noting that the congresswomans arguments focused less on the candidate and more on the serious legal challenges that the GOP would mount if the ticket changed.

I have not seen an alternative scenario that does not set us up for enormous peril, said Ocasio-Cortez, Republicans, they mount that legal challenge, [then] the possibility of our elections being decided by a Supreme Court ruling skyrocket.

Every day, every news cycle, feels magnified. The media landscape is a battlefield, each headline a grenade, each tweet a firecracker. OMalley Dillon advised staffers, the very people monitoring the campaign, to stop watching cable news.

Trumps defiance, his refusal to go quietly into the night, has turned every setback from his legal woes to an attempt on his life, into a rallying cry. And this week, after the long-teased reveal of J.D Vance as his running mate, the political pundits have been forced to admit Trumps path to victory, once seen as a long shot, now looks plausible. Like Jesus, he has risen.

Bidens fall is equally compelling. The president, once the beacon of hope and stability, is now recast as King Lear, detached from reality and raging in his beach house. His battle with COVID is compounded by the infighting that threatens to tear his party apart. Bidens own fist raised against those he once counted as alliesAdam Schiff, Sherrod Brown, George Clooney, and now Seth Moulton, the appealing 45-year old Democratic congressman from Massachusetts. Moultons accusation must have cut especially deep with the confession that President Biden, once Moultons mentor, repeatedly failed to recognize him at the 80th anniversary of the D-Day landings last month.

In the next 107 days, this sense of panic will only increase as every action, every decision and every misstep is scrutinized. Trump and Democrats are on a collision course, and so is our country.

Good luck America.

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Outside the RNC, small Milwaukee businesses and their regulars tried to salvage a sluggish week

Stools line the bar at Elwood's Liquor and Tap on Thursday, July 18, 2024 in Milwaukee, Wis. This week's Republican National Convention didn't deliver an overwhelming victory to some small businesses in downtown Milwaukee. There had been earlier promises of an economic boost, but some bars, convenience stores and restaurants along the edge of the secure zone sat largely empty all week. (AP Photo/Patrick Orsagos)

MILWAUKEE (AP)  Jay Nelson was standing outside the convenience store he manages in downtown Milwaukee when one of his regular customers walked by on her daily stroll around the neighborhood.

I've been telling people to come and buy even just a bottle of wine, she said, stretching out her arms. I hope it helps.

Pulling her in for a hug, Nelson said they needed all the help they could get.

The store he has managed for nearly a decade, Downtown Market & Smoke Shop, was among the many businesses sealed off by tall metal fencing for the 2024 Republican National Convention, a sprawling footprint that shut down portions of the city's downtown for more than a week.

For small businesses like Downtown Market, the RNC didn't deliver a decisive victory, instead hindering sales despite earlier promises that it would bring an economic boost.

I want you to take all your money to Milwaukee, spend it that week, and leave it in Milwaukee, Mayor Cavalier Johnson said two years ago at the RNCs summer meeting where it was announced that the city would host the GOP's national convention.

But Samir Saddique, owner of Downtown Market and the neighboring Avenue Liquor, said the convention brought a lot of nothing." Traffic and sales took a nose dive soon after the fencing went up in front of the stores. By Thursday, the RNC's final day, the liquor store had made just 10% of its usual sales, he said.

Were barricaded away from the rest of the world, Saddique said.

Claire Koenig, a spokesperson for Visit Milwaukee, which promotes the city as a tourism destination, said economic impact reports will likely take three months to compile.

Across the Milwaukee River, which marked the eastern edge of the RNC secure zone, just one seat was taken at the bar inside Elwoods Liquor & Tap during their Wednesday happy hour, which is usually a reliably busy night for the red-booth bar near Fiserv Forum where the convention's main stage was housed.

Everybody was promised that this was going to be a giant moneymaker for businesses, bar manager Sam Chung, 30, said. So its strange seeing how much its actually killed business for a lot of people outside the perimeter.

Even their most loyal customers hadn't stopped by this week, Chung said.

They don't even want to come down here because it's obviously a mess to get here, she said, adding that she thought "a big part of it is that a lot of our regulars are Democrats.

Milwaukee is the deepest blue city in Wisconsin, a key swing state.

Adam Buker, a 21-year-old barista at a coffee shop near one of the convention's exits, which leads attendees onto a wide-open street, said that all week he had been playing music by queer artists as his own protest.

Yet the door kept swinging open at Canary Coffee Bar.

It 100% has to do with our location, Buker said Thursday as he packed espresso grounds for a cortado, with a Frank Ocean track playing in the background.

Though it was outside the secure zone, the cafe's glass storefront and buttery yellow sidewalk seating weren't obstructed by the fencing like Saddiques liquor and convenience stores were. RNC attendees also didnt have to cross the river to get to the coffee shop, unlike Elwoods.

After closing this week, Buker said he had been spending his cash tips at some of the struggling bars around the convention's perimeter.

From one service worker to another," he said. Spread the love.

As Buker's final shift during RNC week was coming to an end Thursday evening, a last-minute party outside Saddique's convenience store was just underway. Saddique and Nelson, the manager, hoped catered tacos and ice-cold green tea flowing from orange coolers would bring customers into the stores that have been open for 20-plus years, surviving a recession and a global pandemic.

Debra Lampe-Revolinski, who has lived in the building adjacent to Saddique's businesses for 15 of those years, said she pitched the idea for the party earlier in the week, when she realized the expected boost in business would not materialize for her friends.

She knew Saddique and Nelson went to great lengths preparing for the RNC, having seen them hard at work for weeks while they remodeled parts of the stores, she said.

And then there was just this deflation because the stores were blocked out by those tall metal fences, she said. It was so uninviting.

By the time Trump took center stage Thursday to formally accept the GOP nomination, Lampe-Revolinski said the party, originally aimed at bringing in business, instead had turned into a celebration of surviving the week.

If anything, this week strengthened our little community on this block to support its local businesses, she said.

___

Associated Press writer Todd Richmond contributed from Madison, Wisconsin.
There have been 101 combat clashes recorded on the battlefield since the beginning of the day on 19 July. Ukrainian soldiers continue to courageously rebuff the Russian attempts to push into the depths of the country, exhausting the opposing forces across the entire front line.

Source: General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine on Facebook; information as of 20:51 on 19 July

Quote: "The Russian invaders launched two missile attacks on Ukraine, each with four missiles, as well as 65 air raids, dropping 91 guided bombs. Furthermore, the Russians deployed 447 kamikaze drones and carried out almost 3,200 strikes on our forces' positions and settlements."

Details: On the Kharkiv front, the Russians struck Ukrainian troops' defensive positions around Vovchansk and Hlyboke five times, achieving no apparent success.

On the Kupiansk front, the Russian forces launched nine assaults in the vicinity of Synkivka, Petropavlivka, Novoosynove and Stelmakhivka. Ukrainian soldiers withstood five Russian assaults, with four clashes still underway.

On the Lyman front, the Russians attacked Ukrainian positions 13 times during the day near Hrekivka, Nevske, Novosadove, as well as Serebrianka forest. Ukraines forces repulsed the Russian attacks, preventing them from advancing.

On the Siversk front, the Russian forces were also repulsed near Bilohorivka, Verkhnokamianske, Vyimka and Pereizne. Ukrainian defenders withstood all six attacks.

On the Kramatorsk front, Ukrainian forces stopped three Russian offensive actions near Chasiv Yar and Bila Hora. Two Russian assaults are still ongoing in the vicinity of Chasiv Yar.

On the Toretsk front, the Russians attacked the Ukrainian defence forces at Pivnichne, Toretsk, New-York, and Zalizne 13 times. Eleven assaults have been hampered, with two more still underway.

The Russian forces were the most active on the Pokrovsk front. Since the beginning of the day, they have attempted 28 times to breach Ukrainian defences near Vozdvyzhenka, Novooleksandrivka, Prohres, Kalynove, Yasnobrodivka and Novoselivka Persha. Four combast clashes are still underway.

The Russian forces suffered severe losses; 247 personnel were eliminated on this front, 78 of them killed in action. Two tanks, two infantry combat vehicles, two Tigr armoured vehicles, three D-30 howitzers, three Lancet unmanned aerial vehicles, six trucks, and a Murom-M video surveillance system were all destroyed. In addition, a tank, four D-30 howitzers, two 2A65 guns, and an MT-12 anti-tank gun were damaged.

On the Kurakhove front, the Russians attacked Ukrainian positions nine times near Krasnohorivka, Karlivka and Kostiantynivka. According to the most recent information, one combat clash is still ongoing.

On the Vremivka front, the Russians launched an ineffective assault operation near Vodiane.

On the Orikhiv front, the Russian attempts to force Ukrainian soldiers to abandon their positions were equally futile. Ukrainian defenders repulsed six attacks near Mala Tokmachka, Mala Tokmachka, Shcherbaky and Novoandriivka.

The Russians were also defeated on the Prydniprovske front while attacking the Ukrainian positions on the Dnipro river's left (eastern) bank.

On other sections of the battlefield, the situation has remained stable.

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Gov. Josh Shapiro gives his 2024 budget address at the Capitol in Harrisburg Feb. 6, 2024 (Commonwealth Media Services photo)

Hes only been Pennsylvanias governor for a year and a half and just got his second state budget wrapped, but Josh Shapiro already had a national profile for some of the cases he prosecuted during his tenure as the states attorney general.

Shapiro is one of the people considered most likely to join the Democrats 2024 ticket with President Joe Biden dropping out of the race on Sunday. He leads a critical battleground state with 19 electoral votes up for grabs.

Shapiro had continued to support Biden publicly in the aftermath of the presidents poor performance in the June 27 presidential debate, saying the morning after on cable news morning shows that Democrats should stop worrying and start working. But that hasnt stopped speculation  which Shapiro has largely dismissed  that he is destined for bigger things within the Democratic Party, whether its now or sometime in the near future.

On Sunday, Shapiro released a statement praising Bidens long career in politics. President Biden is a patriot who has served our country honorably in the Senate, as Vice President, and as one of the most consequential presidents in modern history, he said in a post to social media. President Biden has gotten an incredible amount done to move our country forward, defend our democracy, and protect real freedom. I am proud to work by his side and am grateful for his leadership and his unwavering commitment to delivering for Pennsylvania  the Commonwealth that raised him.

He later released a statement endorsing Vice President Kamala Harris for president. The best path forward for the Democratic Party is to quickly unite behind Vice President Harris and refocus on winning the presidency, Shapiro said. The contrast in this race could not be clearer and the road to victory in November runs right through Pennsylvania  where this collective work began. I will do everything I can to help elect Kamala Harris as the 47th President of the United States.

A Shapiro spokesman confirmed that the governor spoke with Harris on Sunday.

Rising through the ranks

Rising from a state House seat representing his hometown of Abington to the governors mansion, Shapiro built a reputation for being a hard worker and a skilled negotiator. And he has projected those attributes onto his administrations brand with the slogan Get S**t Done.

Hes had 20 years of being in government and thats a lot of experience, Neil Oxman, who served as a consultant for Shapiros first campaign.

Shapiro touts simple achievements in state government such as cutting the time to register a new corporation from months to days and flipping the states reputation for lethargic government by reopening Interstate 95, a crucial mid-Atlantic artery, in 12 days after a gasoline tanker crash last June destroyed an overpass.

And he offers grand designs for the future of Pennsylvania by reforming the states system of higher education, expanding workforce training and development opportunities and reinventing the commonwealths energy economy to meet carbon reduction goals while recognizing the role the states fossil fuel industries will continue to play for the foreseeable future.

Berwood Yost, director of the Center for Opinion Research at Franklin & Marshall College, said Shapiros approval ratings, his 2022 gubernatorial election win by a 15% margin, and record as attorney general all make him one of the most recognized political figures in the key swing states for Democrats.

People view him as  a moderate commonsense Democrat who tries to get things done, Yost said, adding that his profile among Democratic leaders is also strong.

People wouldnt be mentioning his name if he hadnt already generated some buzz, Yost said. His brand is undoubtedly strong, particularly within the party, but it has the potential to be appealing to a broader swath of voters.

Rising through the ranks

Shapiro was elected to the state House of Representatives in 2004 and served there until 2011. During his first tenure in Harrisburg, Shapiro demonstrated acumen for forging compromise. He helped to negotiate a play to put Rep. Denny OBrien, a Republican backed by a reform-minded alliance of Democratic and GOP lawmakers, on the speakers rostrum in 2007.

In doing so, Shapiro helped knock Rep. John Perzel, a Philadelphia GOP boss later convicted of using state resources for campaigns, from the speakers seat. OBrien named Shapiro a co-chair of the newly formed Speakers Committee on Reform.

After three terms in the House, Shapiro returned to Montgomery County, where he was elected to oversee a financially distressed government. According to his campaign biography, Shapiro erased a $10 million deficit and simplified the countys investments to rescue its half-billion-dollar retirement fund.

It was as the states attorney general, however, that Shapiro began to draw national and international headlines. In 2018 he released the results of a grand jury investigation that alleged widespread abuse of 1,000 children by some 300 predator priests in six of Pennsylvanias eight Roman Catholic dioceses. In a scathing report, Shapiro said church leaders engaged in a systematic cover up over the course of eight decades to protect the institution, transferring abusers from one parish to another without disclosing their prior acts.

Shapiro opposed proposals by the dioceses to establish victims compensation funds, noting that the grand jury recommended lifting or creating exceptions to the criminal and civil statutes of limitations for abuse and saying that the church should not be the arbiter of its own punishment. While the legislature eliminated the criminal statute of limitations for abuse, it has been unable to complete legislation to allow older victims to sue their abusers and those who enabled them. Within a year of the reports release, the dioceses paid $84 million to settle claims by 564 victims.

And he sued former President Donald Trumps administration some two dozen times, including in 2019, to challenge a gag rule imposing restrictions on participants in the Title X family planning program.

Shapiro also brokered a 2019 deal between two western Pennsylvania healthcare giants, UPMC and Highmark, who were at odds over terms to allow Highmark-insured patients to receive in-network care at UPMC facilities. Shapiro accused UPMC, the largest healthcare system in western Pennsylvania, of violating the states public charities law and of unfair trade practices. The two sides signed a 10-year agreement allowing patients to keep access to each others services just days before the previous agreement expired.

Shapiros 2022 run for governor came the same cycle that Democrat John Fetterman ran for the states open Senate seat, in an election year when candidates aligned with Trump fared relatively poorly. The U.S. Supreme Courts Dobbs decision, which overturned Roe v. Wade just a few months prior, was galvanizing for many Democrats, and Shapiros Republican opponent, state Sen. Doug Mastriano (R-Franklin), was and is staunchly anti-abortion.

Mastriano, a retired U.S. Army colonel from south-central Pennsylvania, ran on a far-right platform in which he advocated restricting abortion access and cutting public school funding. He also promoted conspiracy theories about the 2020 election and the COVID-19 pandemic.

Chris Borick, director of the Muhlenberg College Institute of Public Opinion, said Shapiros campaign zeroed in on Mastrianos weaknesses early in the campaign and didnt let up. He also received endorsements from more than a dozen high-profile Republicans including former U.S. Homeland Security Secretary Michael Chertoff and former Pennsylvania Congressmen Charlie Dent and Jim Greenwood.

It was a textbook on campaigns that didnt deviate from their game plan, Borick said, adding that Shapiro is disciplined in his messaging and style. He doesnt make a lot of unforced errors in his politics.

His tenure as governor has not been without controversy. The first budget Shapiro negotiated, with a GOP-controlled Senate and Democratic-controlled House, was delayed nearly six months, as a protracted battle over school vouchers simmered through the summer into the fall. Senate Republicans blamed Shapiro for failing to secure the support of House Democrats, who killed the $100 million program.

Last August, Shapiros office paid $295,000 in public funds to settle a state employees sexual harassment complaint against his longtime aide and former Legislative Affairs Secretary Mike Vereb. The terms of the agreement came to light last October.

What would he bring to the ticket?

With the blue wall states of Pennsylvania, Michigan and Wisconsin crucial to winning the presidential election, both the Biden and Trump campaigns have spent significant time and resources in the Keystone State, with only a few points separating the two in recent polls. However, following the June 27 debate, a growing number of Democrats called for Biden to step down from the ticket, in favor of Harris or another candidate, like Shapiro.

A July 18 survey by Public Policy Polling found a Democratic ticket of Harris/Shapiro ahead of Trump and his running mate U.S. Sen. J.D. Vance by one point, while the Biden-Harris ticket trailed the GOP team by about four points. A Quinnipiac University poll in January found Shapiro with a 59% approval rating, well ahead of the 40% approval rating Biden had in the same poll. And in a 2022 Muhlenberg poll of a hypothetical presidential election between Shapiro and Trump, the governor led by 11% among Pennsylvania voters.

His resume is stellar for taking that next step, Yost, of Franklin & Marshall said. We just dont know what that would look like.

If Shapiro were to stand as a choice for the presidential nomination in an open Democratic convention, he would be an attractive choice, he added.

He would be one of the leading candidates just given his record and the necessity of winning Pennsylvania for Democrats and his ability to appeal to the middle in the way his opponent, if he were to run against Trump, has struggled with, Yost said.

And although voters in Arizona or Wisconsin might never have heard his name, Shapiros brand of politics is well suited for a national audience, Borick said.

Pennsylvania  is a swing state for a reason, Borick said. It has one of the largest rural populations in the nation, it has large urban populations and booming suburbs. It mirrors the national landscape of American life.

Update: This story was updated Sunday July 21, 2024 at 3 p.m. after President Joe Biden announced he was bowing out of his reelection bid, again at 6:30 p.m with Shapiros statement endorsing Kamala Harris for president, and at 10 p.m. to add that Shapiro and Harris spoke on Sunday.

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Papaw played banjo in the holler. I know hillbillies. Vance didn't tell Appalachia's story.

Like JD Vance, I am from the great state of Ohio.

I knew about the first-term U.S. senator long before Donald Trump announced him as his running mate.

Vance's memoir, Hillbilly Elegy," piqued my interest when I first saw it featured in a bookstore's local author section.

I have a natural affinity for so-called hillbillies.

Im from one of the 32 counties that make up Ohios portion of Appalachia. I grew up in a small town near the borders of West Virginia and Kentucky.

The memoir was supposed to be about life in Appalachia and the struggles the region faces, but Vances family didnt reside in Appalachia  they lived in Middletown, a place with over 50,000 people less than 45 minutes from Cincinnati.

Ohio has 32 counties in the Appalachian Regional Commission, mostly along the Ohio River and the hill counties of Southeast Ohio.

Jackson, Ohio, the largest city near my hometown, has a population of a little more than 6,200 people.

Vance's family hadnt lived in Kentucky since right after World War II. He spent time in Kentucky during holidays and over summers.

JD Vance didn't depict the Appalachians I know

When I read the memoir, I was aghast at the depiction of my community.

Vance painted Appalachia as a place to escape. While there are moments of admiration, he insinuated Appalachians were stubborn folks with no value and no real culture, fueled by drugs, self-pity and lack of motivation to work hard.

How to watch Vance's story: JD Vance's Appalachia controversy explained

Vances portrayal of my part of America was personal  not universal.

Substance abuse, poverty and a wide range of problems have afflicted the region for years, since most industries in the area have faded  like coal mining or timber harvesting. When these industries left the region, it also left the communities behind to fend for themselves.

One main message to interpret from the memoir was Vances own way to success: Join the military, find a way to go to Yale and then youll end up a millionaire.

Childhood photo of Riley Crabtree (right) with her cousin Corey Carter (middle) and her brother Aden Crabtree (left) at her papaw's house. Riley Crabtree

He makes it seem so achievable. Unfortunately, for the vast majority  nearly everyone, that is  of Appalachians, achieving even a career that can provide for your family is difficult.

JD Vance is no hillbilly. He knows nothing about real conservative values

My grandparents worked in factory after factory as plants closed. My parents couldn't afford to get the college educations they craved.

After reading "Hillbilly Elegy," I believe Vance would say they didn't work hard enough  that they didn't want it enough, but I know better.

Real Appalachians want upward mobility

Nobody invests in the area. JD Vance, for his small part, ran a start-up fund to help business leaders in the region.

These communities need investment and are willing to put in the work, but they dont have opportunities for upward mobility. Many students in the region, like myself, are first-generation college students whose parents couldnt even afford to set aside money to help fund their college expenses.

Many families want job training, social programs, recreational facilities, improved educational resources and steady employment, and most important, we want industries to see the potential and the thriving culture that exists in the region.

Children and families are being left out of a conversation Vance can start, given his political and Silicon Valley ties.

There is potential for growth in the region, but we need cooperation from employers, politicians and those with a platform to uplift the area.

Readers of Hillbilly Elegy have heard Vances message: I escaped Appalachia.

Because of Appalachia, I have lived a wonderful life with supportive parents, grandparents and a tight-knit family.

I have found memories with my papaw playing the banjo and in the holler, of bluegrass music and my mamaws slight southern drawl.

As I prepare to enter my career, I appreciate the support of the Appalachia I know and love.

It's quite different from Vances image of the region.

May 21, 2024; Columbus, Ohio, USA; Riley Crabtree is an intern with the Columbus Dispatch.

Riley Crabtree is an opinion writer for the Columbus Dispatch, part of the USA Today Network. The first-generation college student was raised near Jackson, Ohio and attends Miami University. Submit a letter to the editor at freep.com/letters and we may publish it in print or online.

This article originally appeared on The Columbus Dispatch: With Hillbilly Elegy, VP pick JD Vance misrepresented Appalachia
CHARLOTTE, N.C. (QUEEN CITY NEWS)  The problems mounted quickly for Veena Rhodes Friday morning.

Theres no signs of any delay on the app. But for some reason, I couldnt check-in. So, as we got to the airport and there was canceled, canceled everywhere, all the airlines, Rhodes recalls. They said We dont know what happened, the system is down. All the flights are canceled, and our next flight is Monday. So, I was like, thats three days from now!

Rhodes was headed to Asheville from Boston, but was still 120 miles from her destination.

Charlotte airport flights stalled, global tech outage impacting city and state services

She and thousands of other flyers were heavily impacted by a global tech outage hitting airlines and other major businesses overnight. That outage  caused by a cybersecurity software update  forced the delay or cancellation of thousands of flights around the world.

The Federal Aviation Administration issued a ground delay around 8 a.m. at Charlotte Douglas International.

They are offering a $70 refund or $100 plus a refund for the seat, which, you know, is a budget airline, Rhodes said. It wasnt a lot and I had to spend more for the new ticket. So, you know, its still a loss. And I just made it to Charlotte, so Im not even kind of where I need to be.

Travelers huddled around the baggage claim were just a small portion of those lingering for their luggage from the mountain of delayed flights.

The boards at the airport showing the slew of flight delays caused by the global tech outage.

One family had been in the airport for hours, nowhere near the place they called home.

So our plane has been down, delays since 9 oclock this morning and were still not home yet, said Meliya Jackson. And its 5 oclock right now.

She was there with other family members.

No, I was not prepared at all. We were just expecting to go home and we not even home, passenger Noah Martin said. Were still here at the airport.

Reports of an armed person prompt lockdown of school, Jewish community center, CMPD says

Theyve since been sleeping, and keeping their phones charged while they wait on their bags. Charlotte was the teens connecting flight from Jacksonville, Florida. They say they were hoping to be home by 2 p.m. Friday  that is, until they were notified about the flight issues.

When I first got it, it was like my flight had been canceled, so I was a little panicky at first, Martin said. I was like, How am I getting home? But I mean, I made it halfway, but were still delayed.

Travelers who were impacted by the outage that are still at Charlotte Douglas say they hope to never run into this problem again.

Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to Queen City News.
Past assassination attempts led to US gun reform. But not this time

Agents help Reagan into his limousine after an attempt on his life in March 1981. On the right, Trump is being helped off stage after he was shot in July 2024

Agents help Reagan into his limousine after an attempt on his life in March 1981. On the right, Trump is being helped off stage after he was shot in July 2024 Composite: AP, Getty Images

In the aftermath of the assassination of John F Kennedy in 1963, the calls for stricter gun regulation came quickly. Senator Thomas Dodd proposed new legislation five days after the presidents death.

Almost two decades later, the 1981 shooting of Ronald Reagan prompted swift demands for action, including restrictions on handguns.

And though in both instances it would take years for lawmakers to move forward, both tragedies led to meaningful reform: bans on mail-order gun sales, restrictions on who can purchase weapons and federal background checks for all gun purchases.

Political violence has long shaped the US gun control movement, but it appears little will change from this week.

After the attempt on Donald Trumps life over the weekend, outcry over the easy access to guns in US has been relatively muted. There are no Republicans calling for tougher laws. Theres no national conversation about the toll of gun violence on American life.

The biggest movements for gun control in US history can be traced to specific assassinations, said Andrew McKevitt, a history professor at Louisiana Tech University and the author of Gun Country, which looks at Americas relationship with firearms.

The calls for those things came in the immediate aftermath, McKevitt said. These are both kind of foundational moments for gun control in the United States and yet we havent seen anything in that regard in the last week.

***

After Kennedys death, Dodd urged action. It would take five years, and the assassinations of Martin Luther King Jr and Robert Kennedy, but in 1968 lawmakers passed the Gun Control Act, banning mail-order gun sales and restricting who can purchase weapons.

In 1981, Ronald Reagan was seriously injured in an assassination attempt alongside his press secretary, James Brady, who was shot in the head, as well as a Secret Service agent and police officer. In the following years, Brady and his wife, Sarah, became advocates for gun violence prevention and joined a non-profit that was eventually renamed in honor of the couple.

They pulled in the likes of Ronald Reagan and Bill Clinton to champion gun safety legislation, said Christian Heyne, the chief officer of policy and programs at Brady, the organization. The Brady Handgun Violence Prevention Act, which passed under Bill Clinton in 1993, was named for James.

It wasnt quick. It wasnt overnight. They had a series of votes over a series of years and not all of them were successful, but they were persistent, Heyne said.

In more recent years, as the US became plagued by increasingly horrifying mass shootings, the gun violence prevention movement has grown significantly, but progress at the federal level has been stymied. After the 2012 shooting at Sandy Hook elementary school, efforts by Democrats to pass new gun legislation, including a renewal of the assault weapons ban, were blocked by Republicans.

The school shooting in Parkland, Florida, sparked a major youth movement and massive demonstrations across the US and renewed hope that Congress would take meaningful action. It did not, and instead, the National Rifle Association (NRA) said schools should improve safety and that teachers should be armed.

The cultural and legal landscape has changed dramatically in the decades since the attacks on Kennedy and Reagan, McKevitt said, pointing to the 2004 expiration of a federal ban on assault weapons, which opened the floodgates for a market for the firearms and occurred as TV news showed American soldiers in Iraq and Afghanistan carrying similar weapons.

US gun culture underwent rapid militarization, he said, and the industry aggressively marketed the expensive AR-15 and swiftly expanded. The gasoline on the fire was the election of Barack Obama, who the right portrayed as coming for your guns, McKevitt added.

At the heart of the movement is the NRA, the powerful lobbying group that spent $31m to elect Trump in 2016. The NRA developed into what was for years a virtually unstoppable political force that could make or break the careers of Republican politicians.

The group made guns a core of US culture wars and successfully pushed the narrative that it takes a good guy with a gun to stop a bad guy with a gun.

The gun rights movement was able to achieve major legal victories, McKevitt said, including stand your ground laws and open carry legislation.

Meanwhile, during the pandemic, Americans bought guns at record rates.

Were living in an era where the gun rights movement won. The gun rights movement has had tremendous, dramatic, triumphant success over the last 40 years, McKevitt said. These legal triumphs, these political triumphs, have remade the landscape of guns in America.

And here we came mere inches from Americas rifle taking the life of the president who is the sort of great icon of the gun industry, McKevitt said.

***

McKevitt said Republicans were likely to remain resistant of any talk of gun safety laws, no matter the victim. And that Democrats were unlikely to want to push such a proposal in an election year.

Heyne, whose mother died in a shooting, said he hoped the shooting in Pennsylvania would inspire some action.

President Trump now is a survivor of gun violence and I hope part of the process of what comes next is a real sincere thought about what it is that can prevent other people from experiencing what hes experienced.

Still, he is frustrated by the lack of a national conversation around gun violence.

There is a dangerous normalization of gun violence in this country. Were not having robust calls to action so we can prevent the next national tragedy like this. Until were willing to do something it almost certainly will happen again, he said.

This assassination attempt was enabled by easy access to a military-style rifle and it was used precisely as it was designed, he said.
Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg knocked Sen. JD Vance (R-Ohio) on Friday, comparing his journey to the GOP vice presidential nomination with the path that former Indiana Gov. Mike Pence, Donald Trumps previous running mate, once took on his way to the vice presidency.

Behind the scenes, apparently, hes actually calling him Hitler, right? Buttigieg said on Real Time With Bill Maher, referring to private remarks that Vance made about Trump in 2016.

Five years later, the way he gets ahead is that hes the greatest guy since sliced bread. And I actually watched this exact same process with somebody else I got to know in my days in the Midwest, which was my former governor, Mike Pence.

Buttigieg  who said people like Vance say whatever they must to get ahead  added that the Ohio senator used to be an anti-Trump Republican who described the businessman and reality star as unfit to be president.

Buttigieg said he saw Pence, meanwhile, start out as an evangelical Christian who cared about rectitude and family values, and then get on board with a guy who was mixed up with a porn star, make excuses for him so that he could have power.

The former Democratic presidential candidate added: He got four glorious years, I guess, as vice president of the United States. And it ended on the west front of the Capitol with Trump supporters proposing that he be hanged for using the one shred of integrity he still had to stand up to an attempt to overthrow the government.

The relationship between Pence  whos said that anyone who puts himself over the Constitution should not be president  and Trump soured after the then vice president refused to block the certification of electoral votes on Jan. 6, 2021.

Pence criticized Trump on a number of occasions during his own 2024 presidential campaign, declaring that Trump and his reckless words endangered his family on the day of the deadly Capitol riot.

The former vice president announced in March that he wouldnt be endorsing Trumps current bid to retake the White House.

Buttigieg, in his appearance on Real Time, shared a message for Trumps latest vice presidential pick, not as a politician but as a human being.

I hope things work out a little bit better for JD Vance than they did for Mike Pence, Buttigieg said.

Related...
Phoenix police arrested a man on Friday on triple homicide charges after three bodies were found inside an apartment that burned on Monday, according to a Phoenix police news release.

The Phoenix Police Department announced the arrest of 30-year-old Chase Christman after physical and digital evidence linked him to the incident, according to the news release.

The three victims, identified by Phoenix police, were Merissa Honeycutt, 27, Anthony Frederickson, 25, and Samuel Lott, 37. All three were associates of the suspect.

Christman committed the killings on Sunday, and the apartment unit went up in flames the next day, according to police.

Christman admitted to police that he was at the apartment before the fire but denied killing the three victims, according to police.

"Investigators believe that Christman was the only suspect involved in the murders of the three victims," wrote Phoenix police spokesperson Sgt. Rob Scherer.

About 6:30 a.m. Monday, first responders arrived at an apartment fire near South 48th Street and South Wakial Loop.

Firefighters extinguished the blaze and found a woman and two men dead inside, according to Phoenix police. Initial examinations revealed that all three victims had "obvious signs of trauma" unrelated to the fire.

Christman was booked into jail on three counts of murder and one count of misconduct involving a weapon. His booking information and next court date were not available as he was still being processed.

Republic reporter Jose R. Gonzalez contributed to this article.

This article originally appeared on Arizona Republic: Man arrested on murder charges after 3 bodies found in Phoenix fire
The photo of the so-called murderer of professor and linguist Iryna Farion. Photo: Center for Countering Disinformation

The Center for Countering Disinformation (CCD) at the National Security and Defence Council of Ukraine urges people not to believe the fake information about the supposed murderer of professor and linguist Iryna Farion, which is being circulated online.

Source CCD

Quote: "A photo of the alleged murderer of professor and linguist Iryna Farion is being circulated online, with the suspect purported to be a 21-year-old resident of Lviv Oblast.

Having checked this information with the National Police of Ukraine, the Center announces that it is untrue.

The citizen depicted in the photo being circulated online has no relation to this crime. Trust only verified sources of information!"

Read also: Iryna Farion murder: details of the assassination, lines of enquiry, and why the Lviv professor was so controversial

Background:

On the evening of 19 July, an attempt was made on the life of former MP Iryna Farion on Masaryk Street in Lviv.

Farion later died in hospital.

On the morning of 20 July, President Volodymyr Zelenskyy stated that he had received new reports regarding the murder of Iryna Farion and that all lines of enquiry were being investigated, including the one leading to Russia.

Farion's funeral will be held on Sunday, and she will be buried in Lviv.

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Pittsburgh police detectives are asking for help in the search for a missing 13-year-old girl.

Aniyah Davis-Stackhouse was reported missing after a family dispute. She was last seen on the 3900 block of Perrysville Avenue, but police say she could be in Market Square or Downtown. She may be carrying a black leather backpack.

Aniyah currently has a shorter afro-natural hairstyle with half black/half purple coloring.

If you know where she may be, call 412-323-7141 or 911.

Download the FREE WPXI News app for breaking news alerts.

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CrowdStrike, Microsoft outage: Flights grounded, business stopped globally Hundreds of firefighters gather for funeral of former chief killed in Trump rally shooting PHOTOS: Funeral procession for Corey Comperatore, former fire chief killed at Trump rally VIDEO: Safes stolen, $12K in damage reported at local VFW DOWNLOAD the Channel 11 News app for breaking news alerts
PLEASANTVILLE, Iowa  For Joe Mrstik, being the police chief in Pleasantville was a great job. But it got really interesting when the City Council asked him to take over the job of city manager after the former manager left. The only catch  the council wanted him to continue in the role of police chief, as well.

I used to have hair when I first got this job, said Mrstik. Ive argued with myself between the city administrator and the police chief, for something, and we have internal battles all the time.

For Mrstik the city manager job takes around 65% of his time, with the rest going to the police chief job.

Its a great gig to have right now and I am so honored to have that, said Mrstik. Its reached that point for me, its you know were doing 67% the city administration and expect to do 60 or 70% as a police chief and you can do both jobs proficiently.

Mrstik plans to retire in early August. That will leave two jobs open with this Marion County town.

You know you get those 4 or 5 oclock in the morning calls that you have to respond from a dead sleep, to coming out to call which thats what they paid me for it, said Mrstik. You know you just did a death notification and then youre going to a meeting as a city administrator and you get to start talking how to grow Pleasantville, so yeah it can be a struggle sometimes.

The Pleasantville Police Department has two other full-time officers and two part-time officers.

After Mrstik retires, he plans to stay in the area and spend time with his grandkids.

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EVA spacesuit acceptance testing. | Credit: Polaris Program / John Kraus

This first ever private spacewalk will be bringing some serious style to outer space.

SpaceX's privately-funded crewed mission, Polaris Dawn, is moving toward a launch sometime this summer. The four-person crew, which includes the mission's funder, billionaire philanthropist Jared Isaacman, recently completed acceptance testing for SpaceX's new extravehicular activity (EVA) spacesuits, which they will wear as they become the first private citizens to perform a spacewalk on orbit.

In addition to Isaacman, the crew includes two lead operations engineers at SpaceX, Sarah Gillis and Anna Menon, serving as mission specialists, and the mission pilot, retired United States Air Force Lieutenant Colonel Scott "Kidd" Poteet. Training for their upcoming mission has included hands-on work developing SpaceX's new EVA suit, which recently reached its last major developmental milestone test as the crew donned their suits in a vacuum for the first time.

"The Polaris Dawn crew recently completed a series of spacesuit acceptance tests in preparation for the mission's extravehicular activity," reads an update on the mission website. Wearing their EVA suits in a vacuum for the first time allowed SpaceX to collect a number of different data ahead of the crew's upcoming mission, when they will wear the suits in the vacuum of space.

According to the Polaris website, the vacuum environment allowed SpaceX to collect a number of data on what to expect during an actual EVA:

"Familiarization with how the spacesuit performs in a vacuum;

Collection of spacesuit and biometric data to assess the overall systems performance in a flight-like environment;

Understanding of general impacts of pressure changes on their body during pressurized operations;

Insight into the various thermal states expected throughout the spacewalk; and

An elevated metabolic period for the crew to simulate the expected workload during the spacewalk, as well as a reduced-activity period to understand the trend of body temperatures throughout the operation"

Two astronauts, one in the foreground, the other in the background, both facing left, lean back in white and black bucket sets, wearing white spacesuits.

A number of photos from the test were posted to the Polaris Porgram's Flickr account, showing off SpaceX's sleek new, albeit familiar, spacesuit design. Polaris Dawn is a follow-up mission to SpaceX's first private astronaut launch, Inspiration4, aslo funded by Isaacman, and the first of three potential missions for the Polaris Program. Each will help raise money for the pediatric cancer research center St. Jude Children's Research Hospital.

Related: SpaceX reveals new EVA suit for 1st private spacewalk on upcoming Polaris Dawn spaceflight (video)

Two men in white space suits are seen from the chest up. Their copper colored visors are flipped up to show their faces cushined inside their helmets. They are in a white room smiling.

The first images of SpaceX's EVA suit, which, on the outside, looks like a bulkier version of their intravehucliar actitivy (IVA) suits  pressure suits worn during launch and landing of a spacecraft, but not designed to operate in the exposed vacuum of space  were revealed on the company's website May 4.

But Polaris Dawn's new images from the recent tests highlight some of the differences between the IVA and EVA suits.

A closeup of a white-shelled astronaut helmet from the left, extending to the middle of the image. A copper-shaded visor stretches across the dimmed interior face. A black-tipped white glove tests on the visor.

The suit's helmet, particularly, has received some upgrades, including a new heads-up display for astronauts to view data such as their suits' internal pressure, temperature and humidity. SpaceX's EVA suits also contain new insulation materials and joint improvements for increased mobility and temperature control.

Related: Meet the four private Polaris Dawn astronauts SpaceX will launch into orbit this year

Two women in white space suits are seen from the chest up. Their copper colored visors are flipped up to show their faces cushined inside their helmets. They are in a white room smiling.

Polaris Dawn is scheduled to last five days, and will involve almost 40 different science experiments for the crew to conduct while in space, including testing the new EVA suits and the capabilities of their Crew Dragon spacecraft while exposed to the vacuum.

The Polaris team had been targeting no earlier than July 31 for the launch of their historic mission, according to a July 3 post on X, but that date may be highly tentative after a recent incident during the launch of a set of SpaceX Starlink satellites.

Two astronauts, one in the foreground facing left, the other in the background facing right, lean back in white and black bucket sets, wearing white spacesuits.

Related Stories:

 Polaris Dawn crew prepares for world's 1st private spacewalk with SpaceX

 SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket failure forces NASA to evaluate astronaut launch schedule for ISS

 SpaceX's private Polaris Dawn space crew talks about their ambitious mission (exclusive)

A July 11 launch of a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket carrying 20 additions to the company's satellite internet megaconstellation ended in failure, with the second stage experiencing a phenomon that led to a catestrophic loss of the entire payload. As a result, all Falcon 9 launches have been put on hold, pending the results of investigations from SpaceX and the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA).

The grounding of the Falcon 9 may also have implications for NASA's upcoming missions to the International Space Station (ISS), which was slated to launch both a cargo mission and a crewed mission to the space station in the coming months.
Sherry Holtz, 50, was murdered on the night of Dec. 3, 1999, and DNA evidence and witness statements allegedly tie to her ex-boyfriend to the crime. Photo by the Sanford Police Department

July 20 (UPI) -- The Sanford Police Department in Florida announced the arrest of a man suspected of the 1999 murder of Sherry Holtz, 50, after she was last seen alive at a local bar.

Gary Durrance, 74, was arrested Thursday and has been charged with second-degree murder, Sanford Police public information officer Bianca Gilett told media Friday.

Durrance was Holtz's boyfriend at the time of her death.

"Twenty-four years ago, Sherry Holtz was brutally murdered and left behind in the woods as if her life had no value," Sanford Police Chief Cecil Smith said Friday in a prepared statement.

"This was someone's mother, someone's daughter," Smith said. "Durrance will not face justice for the horrible and despicable things that he did."

Police arrested Gary Durrance, 74, on Thursday after obtaining an arrest warrant based on DNA evidence and witnesses' statements. Photo by the Seminole County Sheriff's Office

Someone collecting cans in a wooded area along South Orlando Drive in Sanford found Holtz's lifeless body on Dec. 4, 1999, and reported it to local police.

Responding officers found Holtz's body on a concrete slab with her neck cut.

A medical examiner determined she suffered strangulation, blunt force trauma and sexual battery.

Investigators found a knife covered in human blood and administered a sexual assault kit but could not get a suitable DNA sample to test given the limitations of DNA testing in 2000.

They saved DNA samples that subsequent advancements in DNA testing could analyze.

Sanford police investigators in May 2023 submitted some of the DNA evidence to the Florida Department of Law Enforcement, which on Thursday confirmed the blood on the knife is Holtz's and the DNA on its handle is Durrance's.

Durrance in 1999 denied seeing Holtz the night she was murdered, but investigators determined she and Durrance argued on Dec. 2, resulting in Durrance kicking Holtz out of their residence.

Durrance's roommates at the time confirmed he was home the evening of her murder but could not account for his whereabouts for the entire night.

The bar where Holtz last was seen alive was located about half a mile from where her body was found the next day.

Witnesses told police she left sometime between 7 p.m. and 11 with two others.

Durrance allegedly told some witnesses he had seen Holtz's body and was at the crime scene the night she was murdered.

He allegedly made those comments before Sanford Police had announced her murder.

The physical evidence and witness statements enabled Sanford police to obtain a warrant and arrest Durrance, whom they located in a wooded area in Volusia County near Veteran's Memorial Parkway.

Durrance is being held at the Seminole County Jail while awaiting trial.
TOPEKA (KSNT)  Topeka police have one man in custody and are investigating the citys 10th homicide of 2024.

The Topeka Police Department (TPD) is investigating an aggravated battery incident that resulted in Topekas 10th homicide of this year. Around 6 a.m. Friday, July 19, police responded to a domestic disturbance call at the 1300 block of Southwest Western Avenue, according to a news release from TPD.

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Officers found one individual suffering from life-threatening injuries at the scene, who was later transported to a local hospital. 32-year-old Demetris Gadson who police believed to be involved was taken into custody at the Law Enforcement Center to speak with TPD detectives.

Former Kickapoo tribal chair indicted for assault

After investigating, the deceased was identified as a 38-year-old Dedra L. Simmons, of Topeka. According to the news release, Gadson was transported to the Shawnee County Department of Corrections for the following charges:

Murder in the 2nd degree

Attempted murder in the 2nd degree

Aggravated domestic battery

Cruelty to animals

The investigation into this incident is ongoing. Anyone with information regarding this investigation is encouraged to email telltpd@topeka.org or contact the Topeka Police Criminal Investigation Bureau at 785-368-9400. Anonymous tips can be made by calling Shawnee County Crime Stoppers at 785-234-0007. You can also make anonymous tips online.

For more crime news, click here. Keep up with the latest breaking news in northeast Kansas by downloading our mobile app and by signing up for our news email alerts. Sign up for our Storm Track Weather app by clicking here.

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For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to KSNT 27 News.
CARLISLE, Pa. (WHTM)  Carlisle Police are investigating a reported stabbing incident that occurred earlier today.

According to the Carlisle Police Department, on July 20 at about 9:16 a.m., officers were dispatched to the 400 block of North Hanover Street for a reported stabbing.

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Upon arrival, officers say they encountered a stabbing victim being assisted by bystanders. EMS was quickly summoned for treatment of severe injuries to the face and neck.

Police say the suspect, Henry Gumby, was located nearby and taken into custody.

The investigation remains ongoing. No word on the condition of the victim.

This is a developing story. abc27 news will keep you updated as we learn 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 ABC27.
A new TV ad paid for by Defend Missouri accuses Attorney General Andrew Bailey of being too lenient on a repeat offender during his time in a local prosecutor's office (screenshot).

A new ad targeting Missouri Attorney General Andrew Bailey from a group backing his rival in the GOP primary places the blame for the shooting death of a police officer last year on Baileys tenure as a local prosecutor.

To deliver the message, the Defend Missouri PAC enlisted Ray County Sheriff Scott Childers, who Bailey is seeking to oust from office on allegations he allowed prisoners to leave jail and smuggle in drugs and alcohol on their return.

The ad garnered a sharp rebuke Friday from a pair of law enforcement organizations, who said it was exploitative of the officers death.

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At the heart of the issue is Baileys time working in the Warren County prosecutors office, where in the fall of 2017 he filed criminal charges against a man named Kenneth Lee Simpson.

Simpson was no stranger to local law enforcement, having spent the better part of the previous decade in and out of jail on myriad felony and misdemeanor charges.

He pleaded guilty to two misdemeanor charges filed by Bailey, with a different assistant prosecutor handling the case in 2018 when Simpson received six month sentences for fourth-degree assault and unlawful possession of a weapon.

Nearly seven years later, Bailey is Missouris attorney general and once again prosecuting Simpson. This time, its for the shooting death of Hermann Police Det. Sgt. Mason Griffith, who was killed last year while trying to arrest Simpson for outstanding warrants outside of a Caseys General Store.

Another officer was injured in the shooting.

The 30-second TV ad launched this week by Defend Missouri  a PAC formed to support the man challenging Bailey in the Aug. 6 primary, Will Scharf  focuses on those misdemeanor charges from 2017 and accuses Bailey of going easy on a violent career felon.

The same felon Bailey slapped on the wrist allegedly used that wrist to shoot two cops, Childers says in the ad.

The Missouri Fraternal Order of Police and the Law Enforcement Legislative Coalition denounced the ad in similar statements released to the media on Friday, arguing it politicizes Griffiths death and jeopardizes Baileys prosecution of Simpson.

The ad demonstrates a complete and utter disregard for Dt. Sgt. Griffiths family, including his wife and two young sons, the FOP, which endorsed Bailey last year, said in its statement. They have been through enough pain and trauma over the past year and should not be subjected to images of their loved ones murderer on television.

Both groups are calling for the ad to be taken off the air and for Scharf to apologize.

Scharf, who is prohibited from coordinating with Defend Missouri on messaging or strategy, declined comment Friday afternoon. Kristen Sanocki, president of Defend Missouri, did not respond to a request for comment.

Baileys campaign called the ad a last-ditch attempt to score cheap political points that demonstrates a complete disregard for the victims.

If Will Scharf truly supports law enforcement, he would demand the ad be taken down immediately and issue a personal apology to the families traumatized by these events, said Michael Hafner, a spokesman for Baileys campaign.

Long criminal history

Missouris online court records system shows Simpson has faced criminal charges at least 20 times since 2004, when he turned 17.

That year, Simpson faced 11 felonies after he drove a truck down while a friend shot a BB gun at car windows, according to the St. Louis Post-Dispatch. He received probation that was revoked months later when he shot out the window of Lincoln County Sheriffs deputys vehicle as it drove down the highway.

After Simpsons 2023 arrest, the Post-Dispatch interviewed his neighbors, who were not surprised to find out about his involvement in the Hermann shooting. One told the newspaper: Hes always had problems. That officer should not be dead.

Kelly King, who served as Warren County prosecuting attorney starting in 2014, told the Post-Dispatch last year that Simpson even threatened to blow up her car.

King now serves as deputy attorney general under Bailey, overseeing the day-to-day management of the office and serving as senior advisor.

After his 2023 arrest, Simpson told the police he was on the run for several warrants. When officers arrived at the Caseys, Simpson said he believed he was going to die and decided to commit suicide by cop, according to the probable cause statement filed after his arrest.

Simpson said he didnt originally intend to kill anyone but himself.

Ray County Sheriff

The anti-Bailey ad, which is airing on television around the state and was pushed out Friday evening through text message by Defend Missouri, is narrated by Childers.

In March, Bailey filed a lawsuit seeking to remove Childers from office, alleging he unlawfully allowed prisoners to leave jail, perform work for friends and smuggle drugs, alcohol and other contraband into the jail.

Childers is on paid administrative leave while the suit works through the courts. He has denied any wrongdoing, alleging in a court filing last month that Baileys efforts to oust him are retaliation for Childers threatening to go to the media with accusations the attorney general refused to take action on a sexual assault case.

Theres no mention of Childers legal tussle with Bailey in the ad, though he opens it by saying, as Ray County sheriff, I worked with Andrew Bailey. I can tell you hes no friend of law enforcement.
Tape is stretched in front of a school in Wedel, after a teacher has been stabbed on the grounds of an adult education center. Katharina Heinemann/dpa

Police in the northern German town of Wedel, near Hamburg, are continuing to search for a motive after a teacher was stabbed outside an adult education centre on Friday.

A police spokesman told dpa that a 67-year-old man was critically injured in the attack, which took place in the centre's car park.

Two suspects were arrested on the grounds of the centre after a short manhunt. Authorities said the pair are brothers from Syria aged in their early 20s.

The background to the offence is still unclear, but it is being assumed that the victim and perpetrators knew each other, as the teacher was reportedly able to identify his attackers.

The police spokesman would not confirm or deny the possibility that the suspects were students at the centre.

The Hamburger Abendblatt newspaper reported that the teacher managed to get back inside the centre after the attack. An administrative staff member then raised the alarm.

Police initially said they were looking for three suspects, but later confirmed only two people were involved.

Investigators assume the suspects attempted to kill the teacher, who was left with one serious wound on his upper body. However, they were unable to say whether a knife was used in the attack.

Wedel's acting Mayor Julia Fisauli-Aalto from the centre-right Christian Democratic Union (CDU) told local media outlet SHZ.de that she was "completely shocked" and "speechless."

The town is located on the outskirts of the major city of Hamburg in northern Germany.

The adult education centre is described on the municipal website as "a place of lifelong learning, an educational and meeting centre for all citizens, companies, institutions, clubs and associations" in the region.

"With our work, we stand for equal educational opportunities for all," the description continued.

Police officers stand near a school parking lot in Wedel, after a teacher has been stabbed on the grounds of an adult education center. Daniel Bockwoldt/dpa

Police officers walk across the parking lot of a school in Wedel, after a teacher has been stabbed on the grounds of an adult education center. Daniel Bockwoldt/dpa
Police search for suspects who broke into a convenience store in Wethersfield

WETHERSFIELD, Conn. (WTNH)  The Wethersfield Police Department is looking for suspects who burglarized a convenience store early Saturday morning.

An employee at the Wolcott Hill Mart, located at 72 Wolcott Hill Rd., called police around 4:57 a.m. and reported that the front window of the building was smashed.

The investigation determined that several items, including money and cigarettes, were stolen. The stores video surveillance captured the suspect entering the business at 3:37 a.m.

Wethersfield Polices Detective Division is investigating this robbery and has released a surveillance picture of the suspects. Anyone with information should contact Detective Robert Malinowski at 860-721-2966.

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For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to WTNH.com.
EL PASO, Texas (KTSM)  More Democrats are calling for President Joe Biden to drop out of the 2024 presidential election amid concerns over his ability to continue leading the nation.

After a poor performance during the first 2024 presidential debate and recent Covid diagnosis, more than 20 Democratic leaders have publicly voiced their disapproval of nominating Biden for a second term as president at the Democratic National Convention (DNC).

With the DNC one month away, Dr. Richard Pineda, political analyst and director of the Sam Donaldson Center for Communication Studies, explained what the party divide could mean for the election.

What does a divided front for democrats portray to voters?

Pineda:

Well, its incredibly challenging, and especially since we just finished with the Republican National Committees big convention where they nominated former President Trump. So, the conventions for both parties are very much like pep rallies. Ill be looking to see whether or not President Trump got a bump in the polls after this convention, but that makes the situation for President Biden even more complicated. If he goes into the Chicago convention and is still the candidate and insistent that he is the person to be the nominee, theres a good chance that the convention becomes contested. Theres a good chance that a lot of support continues to drop off. Thats the real problem for the Democrats, as a whole right now, is not only are they worried about support for the president, but youll hear this more and more, concerns that having the president in the state that hes in, stand as the nominee, will also affect down-ballot races. In other words, any of the places where Democrats are on the ballot in Senate or congressional seats or even local elections, there is some concern that this lack of attention, lack of excitement will just keep rolling down to those ballots.



What are the main concerns Democrats are expressing when calling for Biden to step down?

Pineda:

I think the biggest concern is age. I think that that was heightened by the debate. You know, the debate sort of showed the president in what seem like a weakened state. So right after the debate, I mean, as quickly as that first hour after the debate, people expressed concern and they said this is exactly what we had been talking about, concerns about health, concerns about his stamina to be able to do the job. I think those have only picked up. Then, of course, the recent announcement that the president has COVID. This is just terrible timing. Its less about catching COVID and those side effects, but more about the idea that its just one more thing. So, I think all of this is piling on. I think there were already concerns about the age before, but I think the debate really was an unfortunate moment in the presidency in that it was a very public space in which the president had a very difficult time, at least at the beginning of the debate.

Would Biden have to drop out before the DNC for Democrats to pick another nominee? If he drops out after securing the nomination would what that mean?

Pineda:

Well, one thing thats interesting and important for viewers to remember is that the rules, the convention are not laws. They are essentially policies that are driven by the respective committees. The DNC can make rules however they see fit going into the convention to determine the nominee. I think the most efficient path, for lack of a better description, is the president stepping down before the convention. That is handing power over to the vice president. She goes into the convention as the nominee and then they pick a vice presidential running mate to be on the ticket with her. I say the easiest because in some ways that ensures a kind of continuity in terms of the process. There are, however, other alternatives that are being discussed and thats where it gets really messy, really quick. So, youve got a lot of different people whose names are being tossed out. Gavin Newsom from California. Gretchen Whitmer from Michigan. But at that point, it really does become about the rules the DNC sets for the convention. But in some ways, its almost impossible to figure out what happens. But remember, all of this relies on the president himself saying that he is not going to stand for the nomination or potentially even step down as president. Otherwise, he could say he wants to be the nominee. They could get to the convention; the convention floor could open up and then, it really is anybodys guess at that point.

At this point would a new nominee sway a voter at all?

Pineda:

I think that that the other thing that a lot of viewers forget is that at this point, you really have two pools of voters that are, for the most part, locked up. And I think even when enthusiasm on the Democratic side is low, you have, I think, the bulk of Democratic voters that are still going to vote Democrat. Theyre not going to change unless theres some radical departure. Even folks who are saying that theyre worried about President Biden, arent saying, Im going to switch parties. So, what youre really looking at are a pool of potential undecided voters or as Ive described, these very important pools of voters like moderate white Republican women who might be concerned with the drift of the Republican Party. So thats really who youre thinking about the most. Here is the upside, if there is one to thinking about a transition in the Democratic ticket. You would get a major bump in enthusiasm and a major bump in excitement, even if it was guardedly optimistic. The reason is because it would be such a game change at such a late time. That comes with a lot of potential landmines as well. But, the idea that you would have a new candidate at the 11th hour, possibly Kamala Harris, and in that case would be the move to have a potential female president again. I think that that kind of excitement is probably what the strategists in the party are hedging on. I dont think that any change in the party is likely to lose them voters. I think what might happen is that you diminish the excitement. But truly, right now, if the president looks the way that he does and there are concerns, I think that any change actually results in a positive shift for the Democratic Party. I think thats probably part of the reason that the calls for him to step down have been snowballing, because I think a lot of people are saying, Look, this may not be worse than what we have right now. So, lets try, plan B, if you will.

Has something like this happened before in previous elections?

Pineda:

No. Contemporarily I mean, the conventions have often been, as I said, very much pep rallies. So, its a couple of days to kind of see the candidates, to get people unified on the party themes. You know, youve got some historical examples where there have been contentious floor fights, but nothing like this. And I think the other thing thats significant for viewers is to think about the role that media and social media are playing in this conversation. So, one of the things that was true immediately after the debate, for example, was the sort of outcry of media outlets like The New York Times essentially saying the president should step down. I mean, that really does talk about the power of media, and I think thats significant. I also think the idea of social media at this particular moment. So, you had memes that were making fun of the president and names that were sort of poking at the sort of the inability to articulate answers on stage. I think were in a really unique era. So not only is it unprecedented in terms of the history of what a convention and a nomination and a campaign process looks like, were also, I think, in an unprecedented and remarkable times in terms of media and technology and the way that people are using it, the way that thats being used to stoke certain kinds of reactions. I mean, that to me, I think, is also incredibly important.

The 2024 Republic National Convention wrapped up with the GOP nominating Donald Trump as their candidate.

The 2024 DNC will take place in Chicago from August 19 through August 22.

Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. 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.
According to 2017 data from the Guttmacher Institute, 88% of abortions took place before the end of the first trimester of pregnancy at 12 weeks. (Getty Images)

Its an oft-repeated talking point of anti-abortion rights groups and Republican politicians, before and after the June 2022 Dobbs decision  that those who are supportive of abortion rights also must be in favor of abortions that happen during the last weeks of pregnancy, or even after birth.

Former President Donald Trump brought it up in the June debate against President Joe Biden, saying Bidens position on restoring abortion access would lead to doctors being able to take the life of the baby in the ninth month, and even after birth.

Trumps newly announced vice presidential running mate, Republican Sen. J.D. Vance of Ohio, told Fox News this week that Biden wants taxpayer-funded abortions up until the moment of birth.

And candidates in states such as North Dakota and Montana have campaigned on that rhetoric in recent months, saying some states allow post-birth abortions or abortion the day before a due date.

In reality, abortion after birth does not happen, because it would be categorized as murder under all state laws. And while abortions do occur later in pregnancy, they are exceptionally rare and happen for many diverse reasons, such as a fatal fetal diagnosis and financial or travel barriers that extend timelines.

Abortion-rights advocates say the rhetoric is used because public opinion polls show support becomes more mixed for abortion after 24 weeks, which is the second trimester of pregnancy and the medically recognized point of viability, when a fetus can reasonably be expected to survive outside of the womb with medical interventions. That argument was seemingly bolstered by an anti-abortion groups campaign strategy meeting against Amendment 4 in Florida this week, a ballot question that would restore abortion access to 24 weeks in the state where a six-week ban is currently the law, before many people know theyre pregnant. During a presentation, the campaign organizers displayed a slide that said, How we win: We win by talking about late-term abortion.

Even before Roe v. Wade was overturned by the Dobbs decision, abortion was only protected as a federal right until viability, at which point it could be restricted by states. So if a Democratic presidential administration or Congress were to re-establish and codify Roe as the standard, third-trimester abortion would likely remain restricted in many states. In some states where abortion is legal and there is no restriction by gestational age, such as Alaska, it is still unavailable past the second trimester because there are no clinics that provide it.

According to 2017 data from the Guttmacher Institute, an abortion-rights organization that gathers provider-specific data from across the country, 88% of abortions took place before the end of the first trimester of pregnancy at 12 weeks. A little over 10% happened between 13 and 20 weeks, and 1.3% occurred after 21 weeks, about halfway through the second trimester. Out of 862,320 abortions tracked that year, that means 11,210 happened after 21 weeks. The Atlanta-based Centers for Disease Control and Prevention shows a slightly lower number of 1.1% after 21 weeks, but does not receive abortion data from Maryland, as it is voluntary reporting. Guttmacher reaches out to individual clinics to collect data, and several of the small number of clinics that take patients later in pregnancy are located in Maryland.

I dont need people to feel comfortable with it

The time between 21 and 40 weeks is a long span in a pregnancy, and in 20 states, abortion is generally banned after 22 or 24 weeks. Only nine states and the District of Columbia dont ascribe gestational limits to their abortion laws, and of those, only four  Maryland, New Mexico, Oregon and Colorado  and the District of Columbia have clinics that openly say they will take patients past 28 weeks.

One of those is Partners in Abortion Care in Maryland, where Dr. Diane Horvath is chief medical officer. That clinic opened in October 2022, and saw about 500 patients in its first year of operation. Horvath told States Newsroom that because there are so few clinics that will take patients at an advanced stage of pregnancy, the people who come to them have generally had to make it through many barriers to access care. That includes their home state laws, travel barriers, time restrictions and costs. In 14 states, a near-total ban on abortion is the law, and five others have bans before 12 weeks.

Nobody ever thinks theyre going to need a later abortion, but when you need it, you need it 100%, Horvath said. Just like youd never imagine yourself needing a later abortion, this could happen to you or anybody that you love.

The idea of an abortion happening in a persons third trimester of pregnancy can be uncomfortable for the average person, Horvath said, and for some physicians. Some doctors may have their own objections to it, or they may just choose not to make their feelings known about it at all for fear of being targeted by anti-abortion activists. Nobody should have to participate in that type of care, she said. But when a position is open at her clinic, she receives hundreds of applications.

Horvath said in all the time shes been practicing abortion care, shes never seen a patient who walked in during their third trimester of pregnancy who wanted to terminate simply because they were tired of being pregnant, as some anti-abortion groups might suggest. The idea that people are choosing that path carelessly is just wrong, she said.

The circumstances in which people are seeking abortions later in pregnancy are really dire. This is not to say every abortion has horrible circumstances, but by the time you find yourself later in pregnancy, lots has gone wrong for you, and this may be due to something that was completely out of your control, Horvath said. Its so easy to demonize when you dont want to understand something.

The most important point, she said, is that there isnt a line in pregnancy where the government becomes more well-equipped to make decisions about a pregnancy than the person carrying it, and there is no possible way to fully understand what a person making that decision is going through.

Its possible to feel uncomfortable about this care and the circumstances under which it occurs and still support someones ability to get that care when they need it, Horvath said. I dont need people to feel comfortable with it.

Women interviewed about abortions had fetal anomalies, financial difficulties

As States Newsroom has reported through a series called When and Where: Abortion Access in America, there are many situations when a clinical diagnosis of severe fetal anomalies happens at a routine anatomy scan, which is typically scheduled at 20 weeks. That leaves only two weeks to get an appointment in a majority of states with legal access  and post-Dobbs, it can be a tall order to get an appointment that quickly, as clinics have been inundated with patients from other states where no access is available at any stage.

Katrina Kimport, a professor at the Advancing New Standards in Reproductive Health program at the University of California San Francisco, has published at least two studies about abortions that take place in the third trimester, including one that detailed interviews with 28 women of different races between the ages of 18 and 46. Their gestational ages ranged between 24 and 35 weeks.

One woman in Kimports study who had already had a complication with a previous pregnancy was assured at 20 weeks that everything was going well this time. But at 29 weeks, her doctors observed problems with the fetus brain and initially said she shouldnt worry too much. But further testing showed pieces of the brain were missing or concave, and specialists eventually told her there was no possibility it was compatible with life.

Theres a heartbreaking number of ways that pregnancy can go wrong, Kimport said.

Two women didnt know they were pregnant until their third trimesters  both of whom were still having regular menstrual cycles, indicating they were not pregnant.

Others reported significant financial difficulties affording the procedure, which can cost at least $500 during the first trimester and increase to tens of thousands of dollars in late stages of pregnancy, on top of the costs of out-of-state travel for some of the women. One of the women reported that she and her boyfriend were living on the street. To the extent any of them received financial assistance to obtain the abortion, according to Kimports research, it was through local or regional abortion funds. Many insurance providers do not cover out-of-state abortion care.

Anti-abortion physician says there is never a reason for abortion late in pregnancy

The Charlotte Lozier Institute, a research arm of anti-abortion rights organization Susan B. Anthony Pro-Life America, did not grant an interview for this story, but sent along its own prepared papers on the subject. In one of those papers, the Institute points out there is some research that indicates fetal anomalies or maternal health conditions make up a minority of abortions that happen late in pregnancy, and more often it is because of unplanned pregnancy, economic considerations and relationship issues.

Horvath said it is true that the circumstances include people who are dealing with complex situations in their own lives, like one patient she could remember whose house burned down. That patient was already in a shelter with her children, Horvath said, and could barely provide for them.

While some might suggest having the child anyway and putting it up for adoption at that point, Horvath said that isnt something that should be forced on a person.

The idea that somebody owes society or an infertile couple a baby is not just, she said. We have one of the worst maternal and infant mortality rates in the world, so to force someone to continue a pregnancy beyond the point theyve decided is not the right time is putting them at risk to give a baby to someone else.

The Institute also quotes an anti-abortion rights physician who says there is never an appropriate situation for an abortion at that stage of pregnancy to take place.

The infant may need to be delivered prematurely and die as a result of that, but it is not necessary to take the infants life, said Dr. Byron Calhoun, a known anti-abortion activist perinatologist. Further, if a fetus has an adverse prenatal diagnosis, all patients should be offered perinatal hospice care since this is far better for maternal health than any elective abortion. Perinatal hospice allows the parents to be parents and provide all the love they can for their child.

The Institute did not provide evidence that hospice care is better for maternal health, but perinatal hospice is an option for anyone who wants to do that rather than have an abortion, when the fetus is typically given an injection to stop the heart and then removed from the uterus. Kimport said she has also interviewed women who could not deliver a baby vaginally because of a health condition, and would be forced to have a Cesarean section surgery if abortion was not available.

Physicians who are affiliated with the Lozier Institute have also told news outlets such as the Washington Post that up to the moment of birth means any stage of pregnancy past 22 weeks, whereas others would think of it as the last two to three weeks of a 40-week pregnancy.

Some of the failure to push back on these really outrageously false claims comes from the fact that there are so many things that are wrong about it and its hard to know where to start, Kimport said.

SUBSCRIBE: GET THE MORNING HEADLINES DELIVERED TO YOUR INBOX
According to 2017 data from the Guttmacher Institute, 88% of abortions took place before the end of the first trimester of pregnancy at 12 weeks. (Getty Images)

Its an oft-repeated talking point of anti-abortion rights groups and Republican politicians, before and after the June 2022 Dobbs decision  that those who are supportive of abortion rights also must be in favor of abortions that happen during the last weeks of pregnancy, or even after birth.

Former President Donald Trump brought it up in the June debate against President Joe Biden, saying Bidens position on restoring abortion access would lead to doctors being able to take the life of the baby in the ninth month, and even after birth.

Trumps newly announced vice presidential running mate, Republican Sen. J.D. Vance of Ohio, told Fox News this week that Biden wants taxpayer-funded abortions up until the moment of birth.

And candidates in states such as North Dakota and Montana have campaigned on that rhetoric in recent months, saying some states allow post-birth abortions or abortion the day before a due date.

In reality, abortion after birth does not happen, because it would be categorized as murder under all state laws. And while abortions do occur later in pregnancy, they are exceptionally rare and happen for many diverse reasons, such as a fatal fetal diagnosis and financial or travel barriers that extend timelines.

Abortion-rights advocates say the rhetoric is used because public opinion polls show support becomes more mixed for abortion after 24 weeks, which is the second trimester of pregnancy and the medically recognized point of viability, when a fetus can reasonably be expected to survive outside of the womb with medical interventions.

That argument was seemingly bolstered by an anti-abortion groups campaign strategy meeting against Amendment 4 in Florida this week, a ballot question that would restore abortion access to 24 weeks in the state where a six-week ban is currently the law, before many people know theyre pregnant. During a presentation, the campaign organizers displayed a slide that said, How do we win? We win by talking about late-term abortion.

Even before Roe v. Wade was overturned by the Dobbs decision, abortion was only protected as a federal right until viability, at which point it could be restricted by states. So if a Democratic presidential administration or Congress were to re-establish and codify Roe as the standard, third-trimester abortion would likely remain restricted in many states. In some states where abortion is legal and there is no restriction by gestational age, such as Alaska, it is still unavailable past the second trimester because there are no clinics that provide it.

According to 2017 data from the Guttmacher Institute, an abortion-rights organization that gathers provider-specific data from across the country, 88% of abortions took place before the end of the first trimester of pregnancy at 12 weeks. A little over 10% happened between 13 and 20 weeks, and 1.3% occurred after 21 weeks, about halfway through the second trimester. Out of 862,320 abortions tracked that year, that means 11,210 happened after 21 weeks.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention shows a slightly lower number of 1.1% after 21 weeks, but does not receive abortion data from Maryland, as it is voluntary reporting. Guttmacher reaches out to individual clinics to collect data, and several of the small number of clinics that take patients later in pregnancy are located in Maryland.

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I dont need people to feel comfortable with it

The time between 21 and 40 weeks is a long span in a pregnancy, and in 20 states, abortion is generally banned after 22 or 24 weeks. Only nine states and the District of Columbia dont ascribe gestational limits to their abortion laws, and of those, only five  DC, Maryland, New Mexico, Oregon and Colorado  have clinics that openly say they will take patients past 28 weeks.

One of those is Partners in Abortion Care in Maryland, where Dr. Diane Horvath is chief medical officer. That clinic opened in October 2022, and saw about 500 patients in its first year of operation. Horvath told States Newsroom that because there are so few clinics that will take patients at an advanced stage of pregnancy, the people who come to them have generally had to make it through many barriers to access care. That includes their home state laws, travel barriers, time restrictions and costs. In 14 states, a near-total ban on abortion is the law, and five others have bans before 12 weeks.

Nobody ever thinks theyre going to need a later abortion, but when you need it, you need it 100%, Horvath said. Just like youd never imagine yourself needing a later abortion, this could happen to you or anybody that you love.

The idea of an abortion happening in a persons third trimester of pregnancy can be uncomfortable for the average person, Horvath said, and for some physicians. Some doctors may have their own objections to it, or they may just choose not to make their feelings known about it at all for fear of being targeted by anti-abortion activists. Nobody should have to participate in that type of care, she said. But when a position is open at her clinic, she receives hundreds of applications.

Horvath said in all the time shes been practicing abortion care, shes never seen a patient who walked in during their third trimester of pregnancy who wanted to terminate simply because they were tired of being pregnant, as some anti-abortion groups might suggest. The idea that people are choosing that path carelessly is just wrong, she said.

The circumstances in which people are seeking abortions later in pregnancy are really dire. This is not to say every abortion has horrible circumstances, but by the time you find yourself later in pregnancy, lots has gone wrong for you, and this may be due to something that was completely out of your control, Horvath said. Its so easy to demonize when you dont want to understand something.

The most important point, she said, is that there isnt a line in pregnancy where the government becomes more well-equipped to make decisions about a pregnancy than the person carrying it, and there is no possible way to fully understand what a person making that decision is going through.

Its possible to feel uncomfortable about this care and the circumstances under which it occurs and still support someones ability to get that care when they need it, Horvath said. I dont need people to feel comfortable with it.

Women interviewed about abortions had fetal anomalies, financial difficulties

As States Newsroom has reported through a series called When and Where: Abortion Access in America, there are many situations when a clinical diagnosis of severe fetal anomalies happens at a routine anatomy scan, which is typically scheduled at 20 weeks.

That leaves only two weeks to get an appointment in a majority of states with legal access  and post-Dobbs, it can be a tall order to get an appointment that quickly, as clinics have been inundated with patients from other states where no access is available at any stage.

Katrina Kimport, a professor at the Advancing New Standards in Reproductive Health program at the University of California San Francisco, has published at least two studies about abortions that take place in the third trimester, including one that detailed interviews with 28 women of different races between the ages of 18 and 46. Their gestational ages ranged between 24 and 35 weeks.

One woman in Kimports study who had already had a complication with a previous pregnancy was assured at 20 weeks that everything was going well this time. But at 29 weeks, her doctors observed problems with the fetus brain and initially said she shouldnt worry too much. But further testing showed pieces of the brain were missing or concave, and specialists eventually told her there was no possibility it was compatible with life.

Theres a heartbreaking number of ways that pregnancy can go wrong, Kimport said.

Two women didnt know they were pregnant until their third trimesters  both of whom were still having regular menstrual cycles, indicating they were not pregnant.

Others reported significant financial difficulties affording the procedure, which can cost at least $500 during the first trimester and increase to tens of thousands of dollars in late stages of pregnancy, on top of the costs of out-of-state travel for some of the women. One of the women reported that she and her boyfriend were living on the street. To the extent any of them received financial assistance to obtain the abortion, according to Kimports research, it was through local or regional abortion funds. Many insurance providers do not cover out-of-state abortion care.

Outrageously false claims

The Charlotte Lozier Institute, a research arm of anti-abortion rights organization Susan B. Anthony Pro-Life America, did not grant an interview for this story, but sent along its own prepared papers on the subject. In one of those papers, the Institute points to Kimports research and another study from Colorado to argue that fetal anomalies or maternal health conditions make up a minority of abortions that happen late in pregnancy, and more often it is because of unplanned pregnancy, economic considerations and relationship issues.

Horvath said it is true that the circumstances include people who are dealing with complex situations in their own lives, like one patient she could remember whose house burned down. That patient was already in a shelter with her children, Horvath said, and could barely provide for them.

While some might suggest having the child anyway and putting it up for adoption at that point, Horvath said that isnt something that should be forced on a person.

The idea that somebody owes society or an infertile couple a baby is not just, she said. We have one of the worst maternal and infant mortality rates in the world, so to force someone to continue a pregnancy beyond the point theyve decided is not the right time is putting them at risk to give a baby to someone else.

The Institute also quotes an anti-abortion rights physician who says there is never an appropriate situation for an abortion at that stage of pregnancy to take place.

The infant may need to be delivered prematurely and die as a result of that, but it is not necessary to take the infants life, said Dr. Byron Calhoun, a known anti-abortion activist and perinatologist. Further, if a fetus has an adverse prenatal diagnosis, all patients should be offered perinatal hospice care since this is far better for maternal health than any elective abortion. Perinatal hospice allows the parents to be parents and provide all the love they can for their child.

The Institute did not provide evidence that hospice care is better for maternal health, but perinatal hospice is an option for anyone who wants to do that rather than have an abortion, when the fetus is typically given an injection to stop the heart and then removed from the uterus. Kimport said she has also interviewed women who could not deliver a baby vaginally because of a health condition, and would be forced to have a Cesarean section surgery if abortion was not available.

Physicians who are affiliated with the Lozier Institute have also told news outlets such as the Washington Post that up to the moment of birth means any stage of pregnancy past 22 weeks, whereas others would think of it as the last two to three weeks of a 40-week pregnancy.

Some of the failure to push back on these really outrageously false claims comes from the fact that there are so many things that are wrong about it and its hard to know where to start, Kimport said.

SUBSCRIBE: GET THE MORNING HEADLINES DELIVERED TO YOUR INBOX
According to 2017 data from the Guttmacher Institute, 88% of abortions took place before the end of the first trimester of pregnancy at 12 weeks. (Getty Images)

Its an oft-repeated talking point of anti-abortion rights groups and Republican politicians, before and after the June 2022 Dobbs decision  that those who are supportive of abortion rights also must be in favor of abortions that happen during the last weeks of pregnancy, or even after birth.

Former President Donald Trump brought it up in the June debate against President Joe Biden, saying Bidens position on restoring abortion access would lead to doctors being able to take the life of the baby in the ninth month, and even after birth.

Trumps newly announced vice presidential running mate, Republican Sen. J.D. Vance of Ohio, told Fox News this week that Biden wants taxpayer-funded abortions up until the moment of birth.

And candidates in states such as North Dakota and Montana have campaigned on that rhetoric in recent months, saying some states allow post-birth abortions or abortion the day before a due date.

In reality, abortion after birth does not happen, because it would be categorized as murder under all state laws. And while abortions do occur later in pregnancy, they are exceptionally rare and happen for many diverse reasons, such as a fatal fetal diagnosis and financial or travel barriers that extend timelines.

Abortion-rights advocates say the rhetoric is used because public opinion polls show support becomes more mixed for abortion after 24 weeks, which is the second trimester of pregnancy and the medically recognized point of viability, when a fetus can reasonably be expected to survive outside of the womb with medical interventions. That argument was seemingly bolstered by an anti-abortion groups campaign strategy meeting against Amendment 4 in Florida this week, a ballot question that would restore abortion access to 24 weeks in the state where a six-week ban is currently the law, before many people know theyre pregnant. During a presentation, the campaign organizers displayed a slide that said, How we win: We win by talking about late-term abortion.

Even before Roe v. Wade was overturned by the Dobbs decision, abortion was only protected as a federal right until viability, at which point it could be restricted by states. So if a Democratic presidential administration or Congress were to re-establish and codify Roe as the standard, third-trimester abortion would likely remain restricted in many states. In some states where abortion is legal and there is no restriction by gestational age, such as Alaska, it is still unavailable past the second trimester because there are no clinics that provide it.

According to 2017 data from the Guttmacher Institute, an abortion-rights organization that gathers provider-specific data from across the country, 88% of abortions took place before the end of the first trimester of pregnancy at 12 weeks. A little over 10% happened between 13 and 20 weeks, and 1.3% occurred after 21 weeks, about halfway through the second trimester. Out of 862,320 abortions tracked that year, that means 11,210 happened after 21 weeks. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention shows a slightly lower number of 1.1% after 21 weeks, but does not receive abortion data from Maryland, as it is voluntary reporting. Guttmacher reaches out to individual clinics to collect data, and several of the small number of clinics that take patients later in pregnancy are located in Maryland.

I dont need people to feel comfortable with it

The time between 21 and 40 weeks is a long span in a pregnancy, and in 20 states, abortion is generally banned after 22 or 24 weeks. Only nine states and the District of Columbia dont ascribe gestational limits to their abortion laws, and of those, only four  Maryland, New Mexico, Oregon and Colorado  and the District of Columbia have clinics that openly say they will take patients past 28 weeks.

One of those is Partners in Abortion Care in Maryland, where Diane Horvath is chief medical officer. That clinic opened in October 2022, and saw about 500 patients in its first year of operation. Horvath told States Newsroom that because there are so few clinics that will take patients at an advanced stage of pregnancy, the people who come to them have generally had to make it through many barriers to access care. That includes their home state laws, travel barriers, time restrictions and costs. In 14 states, a near-total ban on abortion is the law, and five others have bans before 12 weeks.

Nobody ever thinks theyre going to need a later abortion, but when you need it, you need it 100%, Horvath said. Just like youd never imagine yourself needing a later abortion, this could happen to you or anybody that you love.

The idea of an abortion happening in a persons third trimester of pregnancy can be uncomfortable for the average person, Horvath said, and for some physicians. Some doctors may have their own objections to it, or they may just choose not to make their feelings known about it at all for fear of being targeted by anti-abortion activists. Nobody should have to participate in that type of care, she said. But when a position is open at her clinic, she receives hundreds of applications.

Horvath said in all the time shes been practicing abortion care, shes never seen a patient who walked in during their third trimester of pregnancy who wanted to terminate simply because they were tired of being pregnant, as some anti-abortion groups might suggest. The idea that people are choosing that path carelessly is just wrong, she said.

The circumstances in which people are seeking abortions later in pregnancy are really dire. This is not to say every abortion has horrible circumstances, but by the time you find yourself later in pregnancy, lots has gone wrong for you, and this may be due to something that was completely out of your control, Horvath said. Its so easy to demonize when you dont want to understand something.

The most important point, she said, is that there isnt a line in pregnancy where the government becomes more well-equipped to make decisions about a pregnancy than the person carrying it, and there is no possible way to fully understand what a person making that decision is going through.

Its possible to feel uncomfortable about this care and the circumstances under which it occurs and still support someones ability to get that care when they need it, Horvath said. I dont need people to feel comfortable with it.

Women interviewed about abortions had fetal anomalies, financial difficulties

As States Newsroom has reported through a series called When and Where: Abortion Access in America, there are many situations when a clinical diagnosis of severe fetal anomalies happens at a routine anatomy scan, which is typically scheduled at 20 weeks. That leaves only two weeks to get an appointment in a majority of states with legal access  and post-Dobbs, it can be a tall order to get an appointment that quickly, as clinics have been inundated with patients from other states where no access is available at any stage.

Katrina Kimport, a professor at the Advancing New Standards in Reproductive Health program at the University of California San Francisco, has published at least two studies about abortions that take place in the third trimester, including one that detailed interviews with 28 women of different races between the ages of 18 and 46. Their gestational ages ranged between 24 and 35 weeks.

One woman in Kimports study who had already had a complication with a previous pregnancy was assured at 20 weeks that everything was going well this time. But at 29 weeks, her doctors observed problems with the fetus brain and initially said she shouldnt worry too much. But further testing showed pieces of the brain were missing or concave, and specialists eventually told her there was no possibility it was compatible with life.

Theres a heartbreaking number of ways that pregnancy can go wrong, Kimport said.

Two women didnt know they were pregnant until their third trimesters  both of whom were still having regular menstrual cycles, indicating they were not pregnant.

Others reported significant financial difficulties affording the procedure, which can cost at least $500 during the first trimester and increase to tens of thousands of dollars in late stages of pregnancy, on top of the costs of out-of-state travel for some of the women. One of the women reported that she and her boyfriend were living on the street. To the extent any of them received financial assistance to obtain the abortion, according to Kimports research, it was through local or regional abortion funds. Many insurance providers do not cover out-of-state abortion care.

Anti-abortion physician says there is never a reason for abortion late in pregnancy

The Charlotte Lozier Institute, a research arm of anti-abortion rights organization Susan B. Anthony Pro-Life America, did not grant an interview for this story, but sent along its own prepared papers on the subject. In one of those papers, the Institute points out there is some research that indicates fetal anomalies or maternal health conditions make up a minority of abortions that happen late in pregnancy, and more often it is because of unplanned pregnancy, economic considerations and relationship issues.

Horvath said it is true that the circumstances include people who are dealing with complex situations in their own lives, like one patient she could remember whose house burned down. That patient was already in a shelter with her children, Horvath said, and could barely provide for them.

While some might suggest having the child anyway and putting it up for adoption at that point, Horvath said that isnt something that should be forced on a person.

The idea that somebody owes society or an infertile couple a baby is not just, she said. We have one of the worst maternal and infant mortality rates in the world, so to force someone to continue a pregnancy beyond the point theyve decided is not the right time is putting them at risk to give a baby to someone else.

The Institute also quotes an anti-abortion rights physician who says there is never an appropriate situation for an abortion at that stage of pregnancy to take place.

The infant may need to be delivered prematurely and die as a result of that, but it is not necessary to take the infants life, said Byron Calhoun, a known anti-abortion activist perinatologist. Further, if a fetus has an adverse prenatal diagnosis, all patients should be offered perinatal hospice care since this is far better for maternal health than any elective abortion. Perinatal hospice allows the parents to be parents and provide all the love they can for their child.

The Institute did not provide evidence that hospice care is better for maternal health, but perinatal hospice is an option for anyone who wants to do that rather than have an abortion, when the fetus is typically given an injection to stop the heart and then removed from the uterus. Kimport said she has also interviewed women who could not deliver a baby vaginally because of a health condition, and would be forced to have a Cesarean section surgery if abortion was not available.

Physicians who are affiliated with the Lozier Institute have also told news outlets such as the Washington Post that up to the moment of birth means any stage of pregnancy past 22 weeks, whereas others would think of it as the last two to three weeks of a 40-week pregnancy.

Some of the failure to push back on these really outrageously false claims comes from the fact that there are so many things that are wrong about it and its hard to know where to start, Kimport said.
The assassination attempt on Donald Trump has boosted voter intention in his favor in swing states, according to a new poll.

A survey on behalf of the British newspaper The Telegraph by Redfield & Wilton Strategies found that 53 percent of eligible voters in Arizona, Georgia, Michigan, North Carolina and Pennsylvania think that Trump will win in November.

The paper said this is almost three points more than its polling on July 10, which took place three days before Thomas Crooks shot at Trump from a rooftop near his rally in Pennsylvania.

Voters in Florida, Nevada and Wisconsin were also asked questions on voting intentions in the poll of 5,005 people conducted between July 16 and July 18. The margin of error ranged from 3.46 percent in Georgia to 4.22 percent in Arizona.

Since October, The Telegraph has polled voters in states that candidates must win to get the Electoral College delegates required to take the White House. The latest survey asked voters in Nevada and Wisconsin for the first time.

Trump has typically been ahead in the surveys but over the last six weeks, this margin between him and President Joe Biden has grown bigger, the paper said.

Expectations Trump would win spiked by five points to 50 percent after Bidens widely panned presidential debate performance on June 27 and this has increased by a further 2.7 points since the assassination attempt, said The Telegraph.

The image of Trump pumping his fist after the assassination attempt is now burned into the minds of Americans, said Thomas Gift, director of the Center on U.S. Politics at University College London, U.K.

Small wonder why that symbol of defiance is resonating with undecided and swing voters, he told Newsweek on Saturday.

Perhaps nowhere can we expect the incident to boost Trumps support more than the swing state where it happened, Pennsylvania, whose 20 electoral votes could determine the outcome in November, Gift added.

There is growing pessimism about Bidens candidacy among Democrats, which has prompted a new round of calls from the partys lawmakers for him to drop out of the race.

Gaffes Biden made at the NATO summit and in interviews have compounded concerns in the Democratic Party that Biden cannot beat Trump. Other findings of the Redfield & Wilton poll, which was shared with Newsweek corroborated this view.

It found that the biggest increase in support for Trump since the last survey was in North Carolina, where there was a four percent uptick in voters-to 45 percent- backing the Republican candidate. There were also gains in support for Trump in Florida and Michigan (three percent and two percent respectively).

Meanwhile, the survey also found that among voters in seven of the eight states polled, Biden has a negative net approval rating-the share of voters who approve of his job performance minus those who disapprove.

The lowest was in North Carolina while the highest was in Georgia (0 percent). By contrast, Trump has a positive net favorability rating among voters in four of the eight states, with the highest recorded in North Carolina (7 percent) and the lowest is in Nevada (-5 percent), according to Redfield & Wilton.

Newsweek has contacted the Trump and Biden campaigns for comment.
Texas police responded to a shooting, only to find a woman with life-threatening injuries lying on the ground.

Witnesses say her boyfriend is a TikTok influencer, whos suspected of the shooting and much much worse.



Ladarius Morshun Brownlee, 28, is behind the denoandzahra TikTok page where you can find content mainly of himself and his girlfriend, who has not been named by authorities but referred to as Zahra online.

From playing pranks on each other to Nerf gun wars to theoretical relationship quizzes, the duo seemed just like any other couple on the clock app.

tiktok-7282214837843660074

That is until police found Zahra lying unresponsive on the ground in the wee hours of Friday morning with a gunshot wound to the face.

Flower Mound police said she was immediately transferred to the hospital. Witnesses identified Brownlee as the perpetrator.

According to authorities, onlookers said Bronwlee and Zahra got into a heated argument while walking home from the Flower Mound Independence Fest. That argument then turned into a physical altercation, police said. Eventually, the two got into a car and drove off with friends in the backseat.

Police said the argument continued in the car until Brownlee pulled over by the 1800 block of Flower Mound Road and pulled out a firearm. After swinging it toward the passengers in the back, he turned it on Zahra and shot her above her eye, police claim. Brownlee allegedly admitted to a 911 dispatcher that hed shot his girlfriend and confessed to it later in an interview with detectives, authorities say.

Brownlee also told the police that, despite the funny TikTok videos, hed had a verbally and physically abusive relationship with Zahra leading up to the shooting, per the Dallas Morning News. Internet users are now scrubbing through the couples page to find any evidence of abuse. One clip posted in May showed Brownlee putting Zahra in a chokehold and her punching him.

As of now, there is some light at the end of this dark tunnel. Zahras sister said at first, the injuries led doctors to believe Zahra wasnt going to live. However, she appears to be making a recovery.

She is doing good right now and is awake and stable, but a long recovery ahead. A week and a half ago, the doctors and detectives told us to say goodbye and today, she is awake, sitting up and took her first steps. Thank you for everyone reaching out and praying for my sister and our family, we appreciate everyone understanding, Zahras sister wrote in an Instagram post.

Brownlee is being held on a $900,000 bond on charges of aggravated assault with a deadly weapon and deadly conduct-discharging a firearm, per jail records.

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Jacqueline Kelly, Jarrod Kieffer, Clark V. Owens and Joshua D. Wright are all running in the Republican primary to replace retiring Judge Patrick Walters in the 18th Judicial District Division 14.

Its the only competitive Sedgwick County District Court judgeship primary, and no Democrats filed to run before the June deadline.

District judges hear a mix of criminal and civil cases, and state statute sets their salary at $114,813 a year.

The advance voting by mail process has begun, and advance in-person voting will get underway Monday, July 22, at the Sedgwick County Election Office in the historic courthouse at 510 N Main.

To help readers familiarize themselves with the judicial hopefuls, The Eagle asked each candidate to share some biographical details about themselves and to explain why they are running for the judgeship. Responses have only been edited stylistically for clarity.

Jacqueline Kelly

Jacqueline Kelly

Age: 41

Occupation: Attorney

Past positions: Department of Defense Contractor, Sedgwick County Prosecutor (Juvenile Offender Criminal, Traffic, Civil Commitments), City Attorney for City of Bel Aire, City Attorney for City of Derby

Where did you earn your law degree? Washburn University School of Law

Phone: 316-749-8965

Email: jacikelly4judge@gmail.com

Website: www.kellyforjudge.org

Why are you running for this judge seat?

I am running for this judge seat because I recognize that the time is right for good, skilled people to contribute to our community. It brings to mind the verse from Esther 4:14, ...and who knows whether you have not come to the kingdom for such a time as this? This notion of duty, honor, country still rings true. The local courts are essential to keeping our community strong and healthy. With several current judges set to retire in the next decade, our community needs to elect the next generation of judges who are dedicated to upholding our foundational values. I have served in various leadership roles, including McConnell Honorary Commander and President of the Wichita Womens Attorney Association, demonstrating a calm and focused temperament essential for fair and just rulings.

Jarrod Kieffer

Jarrod Kieffer

Age: 44

Occupation: Attorney

Past positions: No answer provided.

Where did you earn your law degree? University of Kansas School of Law

Phone: 316-377-0436

Email: jarrodforjudge@gmail.com

Website: https://linktr.ee/jarrodforjudge

Why are you running for this judge seat?

I am running for Sedgwick County District Judge for two reasons. First, while I have enjoyed my time in private practice, I am ready to apply my knowledge and experience to the bench. I welcome the opportunity to give back to my community, and district court judgeship offers that.

Secondly, we need highly accomplished judges of various backgrounds on the bench. Most follow the path of government employment, meaning that only a narrow set of experiences inform the decisions that impact the county. I bring a unique and necessary perspective to the Sedgwick County bench.

I hope the residents of Sedgwick County share my view that we need the highest-quality attorneys serving, and will vote for me because they support highly qualified attorneys from a variety of backgrounds as judges.

Clark V. Owens

Clark Owens

Age: 73

Occupation: District Judge Pro Tem

Past positions: District Court Judge 1991-2013, District Attorney 1981-1989

Where did you earn your law degree? Washburn University School of Law

Phone: 316-644-0941

Email: clarkowens@cox.net

Website: No answer provided.

Why are you running for this judge seat?

I served as a District Court Judge in Sedgwick County for 22 years, during which time I presided over 226 jury trials. In 2013, I took an early retirement at the age of 62. Shortly thereafter, I was asked by the Chief Judge of the court if I would like to work part-time as a District Court Judge Pro Tem. It started out as once or twice a month and quickly became at least five to seven times a month as it is today. I feel I can best serve the people of Sedgwick County if I return to the District Court bench full-time, and that is why I chose to run for another full term.

Joshua D. Wright

Age: 39

Occupation: Trial Attorney

Past positions: Sedgwick County District Attorneys Office / Sedgwick County Public Defenders Office

Where did you earn your law degree? University of Missouri - Kansas City School of Law

Phone: No answer provided.

Email: joshuadwright4judge@gmail.com

Website: No answer provided.

Why are you running for this judge seat?

I decided to run for this seat after gaining experience litigating for both sides. I truly enjoy the challenges the courtroom brings; my career has not been spent sitting at a desk far from the courtroom setting. As District Court Judge, I would bring a strong, experienced, and fair presence to the courtroom.

I have defended or prosecuted hundreds of very serious adult felony cases, almost on a daily basis. The stakes are high for the victims and accused alike. Ive seen the importance of the role that a non-biased, fair and discerning trial judge contributes to the quality of the proceedings.

I feel my extensive courtroom experience trying cases to a jury will be essential in protecting the rights of all parties involved. It would truly be an honor to serve.
Project 2025 calls for the repeal of the Antiquities Act, but Cox says thats a step too far

Ancient ruins are pictured near the Fish Creek area of Bears Ears National Monument in San Juan County

Ruins are pictured near the Fish Creek area of Bears Ears National Monument in San Juan County on May 18, 2018. (Kyle Dunphey/Utah News Dispatch)

Utah Gov. Spencer Cox has his issues with how the federal government manages its public lands in the state. But he thinks the Antiquities Act, which allows the president to designate national monuments without congressional approval, should remain.

Thats at odds with the conservative Project 2025 initiative, which calls for the repeal of the act, established in 1906 and used to safeguard some of Americas most iconic public lands.

I dont support a complete repeal, Cox said Friday during the monthly PBS Utah press conference with the governor. I think the Antiquities Act has value. The problem is the Antiquities Act has not been used the way it was intended to be used.

Published by the Heritage Foundation, a conservative think tank, Project 2025 is a manifesto describing the various policies that a new Republican administration could enact. It touches on issues like immigration, defense, regulations, the environment and the economy.

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Referring to Grand Staircase-Escalante, the manifesto decries the designation of a vast national monument in Utah over the objections of Utah leaders  but with the support of the Hollywood elite. It accuses the U.S. Department of Interior of abusing the Antiquities Act and recommends the second Trump administration, if elected, take a fresh look at past monument decrees.

Cox, while not advocating for a repeal, echoed some of the sentiments in Project 2025, telling reporters he takes issue with large scale, million-acre deployments  that includes national monuments like Bears Ears or Grand Staircase-Escalante.

Thats just not what this was supposed to do, he said.

Grand Staircase-Escalante was designated by President Clinton and Bears Ears was designated by President Obama. Both monuments were drastically reduced in size by President Trump, then reinstated by President Biden.

Utah promptly sued the federal government over Bidens reversal. That case was dismissed in August 2023 by a U.S. District Judge and within days the state filed an appeal with the 10th Circuit Court of Appeals. Cox on Friday reiterated his belief that the case would end up before the U.S. Supreme Court.

I feel very confident that the Supreme Court will look at this and say presidents have not followed the Antiquities Act the way it was intended to be followed, Cox told reporters.

But Steve Bloch, legal director for the Southern Utah Wilderness Alliance, said the governors interpretation of the act doesnt mesh with the last century of precedent.

Bloch pointed to national parks like the Grand Canyon, Grand Teton and four of Utahs Big Five  Arches, Capitol Reef, Zion and Bryce Canyon national parks  which all started as national monuments, designated by a president who used the Antiquities Act. Since 1906, the act has been used over 300 times to set aside millions of acres of land, according to the National Park Service.

Even without arguing explicitly for a repeal, his version of what the act would authorize a president to do is simply inconsistent with how the act has been used and how the act has been upheld by courts for more than 100 years, Bloch said. Its simply rewriting history to say that Congress didnt intend to authorize the president to protect large landscapes.

Repealing the Antiquities Act would require an act of Congress and regardless of political affiliation, public lands, including national monuments in Utah, have broad support among voters in the West.

According to Colorado Colleges annual Conservation in the West poll, 83% of respondents said they supported Bidens 3030 initiative, which includes a push to designate new national monuments and conserve more land.

About 84% of respondents said they support creating new national parks, monuments and wildlife refuges, and designating new tribal protected areas of historic significance.

Meanwhile, a 2023 poll from Deseret News found that 42% of Utah voters support keeping Bears Ears at its current size, compared to 26% who are opposed.

The American public supports these types of designations  Utah is a great example. Four of our five national parks started off as monuments. Nobody thinks that was a bad idea, said Bloch.

Currently two states  Wyoming and Alaska  have exemptions carved out in the Antiquities Act that requires Congress to approve any national monument designations. Cox would like to see something like that in Utah, which he called the pincushion for Democrats.

Whenever they need an environmental win, they just approve another monument in Utah and I dont think that was ever intended, Cox said.

Although Project 2025 spells out an ambitious conservative policy agenda, Trump has recently tried to distance himself from it. Earlier this month, he took to Truth Social, claiming he knows 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, Trump wrote.

Rep. Ken Ivory, R-West Jordan, is listed as one of Project 2025s contributors. And Utah Republican Sen. Mike Lee is quoted on the 922-page initiatives jacket, calling it a blueprint to dismantle the administrative state and return power back to the states and the American people.

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Ihor Klymenko, Then Chief of the National Police of Ukraine, speaks during a parliament session in Kiev. Iryna Farion, a former Ukrainain nationalist lawmaker known for speaking out against Russia, has been killed by a shot to the head, Interior Minister Ihor Klymenko announced in the early hours of Saturday. -/Ukrainian Presidency/dpa

Iryna Farion, a former Ukrainain nationalist lawmaker known for speaking out against Russia, has been killed by a shot to the head, Interior Minister Ihor Klymenko announced in the early hours of Saturday.

The 60-year-old succumbed to her injuries in hospital in Lviv on Friday evening. Police and intelligence officers are searching for the perpetrator, Klymenko wrote on Telegram.

Farion had been an outspoken critic of the widespread use of the Russian language in Ukraine. Her nationalist Svoboda party suspects a Russian link to the murder.

President Volodymyr Zelensky condemned the attack on Farion and directed Klymenko and Security Service chief Vasyl Maliuk to resolve the crime. The perpetrators must be held accountable, he said.

Farion was critically injured by a shot to the temple outside her home on Friday evening. Doctors in hospital fought in vain to save her life.

Klymenko sees a connection between the murder and Farion's activities in the community.

"The main theories currently under consideration are personal animosity, social and political activities of Ms Farion. We do not rule out the possibility that it was a contract killing," the minister wrote on Telegram. He too did not rule out a Russian link.

Farion had also had run-ins with the Ukrainian judiciary due to her statements against the Russian-speaking population. Following student protests, she temporarily lost her position at the university, where the philologist taught Ukrainian.

Among other things, the professor had sharply criticized the fact that many Ukrainian soldiers at the front continued speaking their mother tongue, Russian. She said she had bought her own drones in the fight against the Russian invasion.

Farion was often criticized for dividing Ukrainian society.

Russian state propaganda, however, met the news of the politicians death with satisfaction.

"Iryna Farion, who dreamed of the 'complete elimination' of the Russian-speaking population, has been eliminated. God handles matters there without us," wrote Margarita Simonyan, editor-in-chief of the Russian state television channel RT.
Ihor Klymenko, Then Chief of the National Police of Ukraine, speaks during a parliament session in Kiev. Iryna Farion, a former Ukrainain nationalist lawmaker known for speaking out against Russia, has been killed by a shot to the head, Interior Minister Ihor Klymenko announced in the early hours of Saturday. -/Ukrainian Presidency/dpa

Iryna Farion, a former Ukrainain nationalist lawmaker known for speaking out against Russia, has been killed by a shot to the head, Interior Minister Ihor Klymenko announced in the early hours of Saturday.

The 60-year-old succumbed to her injuries in hospital in Lviv on Friday evening. Police and intelligence officers are searching for the perpetrator, Klymenko wrote on Telegram.

Farion had been an outspoken critic of the widespread use of the Russian language in Ukraine. Her nationalist Svoboda party suspects a Russian link to the murder.

President Volodymyr Zelensky condemned the attack on Farion and directed Klymenko and Security Service chief Vasyl Maliuk to resolve the crime. The perpetrators must be held accountable, he said.

Farion was critically injured by a shot to the temple outside her home on Friday evening. Doctors in hospital fought in vain to save her life.

Klymenko sees a connection between the murder and Farion's activities in the community.

"The main theories currently under consideration are personal animosity, social and political activities of Ms Farion. We do not rule out the possibility that it was a contract killing," the minister wrote on Telegram. He too did not rule out a Russian link.

Farion had also had run-ins with the Ukrainian judiciary due to her statements against the Russian-speaking population. Following student protests, she temporarily lost her position at the university, where the philologist taught Ukrainian.

Among other things, the professor had sharply criticized the fact that many Ukrainian soldiers at the front continued speaking their mother tongue, Russian. She said she had bought her own drones in the fight against the Russian invasion.
Protest held in Russia's Krasnodar due to power outages, protesters being detained  photo, video

Protesters being detained in the Russian city of Krasnodar. Screenshot: video by Baza

Disgruntled residents of the Russian city of Krasnodar have blocked a street due to a power outage.

Source: Ostorozhno Novosti (Beware, News) media outlet; Novaya Gazeta Europe, a Russian socio-political newspaper

Details: Residents of several residential estates took to the streets to protest, stating that electricity had been cut off daily, and on Saturday, there was no power for 24 hours straight.

The Russians are complaining about the heat and seek to draw the attention of the authorities.

The region's governor claimed that the blackout was caused by "abnormal heat and a huge load on the power grid" and that "the supply of electricity to the region depends on the operation of the Rostov nuclear power plant".

Russian law enforcers have reportedly detained at least two residents.

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(PUEBLO, Colo.)  The Pueblo Police Department (PPD) is seeking help from the community to identify a suspect who allegedly burglarized a Pueblo catholic school in June.

According to PPD, officers responded to St. John Neumann Catholic School just before 4:30 a.m. on June 27 on a report of a burglary.

PPD said the investigation revealed that three men had forced a door open, causing approximately $1,000 worth of damage to the school. In addition to the property damage, the suspects allegedly stole several electronics valued over $1,000.

PPD said police reviewed security footage, which showed one of the suspects without a mask and his face uncovered.

Courtesy: Pueblo Police Department

Courtesy: Pueblo Police Department

PPD asked anyone who may recognize this person to contact Detective Vicars (719) 553-3338. The investigation into the burglary is ongoing, PPD 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 FOX21 News Colorado.
Here, kitty, kitty, kitty,

Call them and they will come.

The Buckeye Ohio Rollers Club recently pulled into Wooster for its annual Allbreed & Household Pet Cat Show at the Wayne County Event Center on the fairgrounds in Wooster.

There were 185 cats and kittens entered into the seven show rings Saturday and 173 on Sunday. The feline friends competed for top cat in various judging rings each day, and visitors were able to roam the many rows of cats and kittens and talked to their owners.

Christina Baumer says this is not Finn's favorite part of getting ready for the show.

According to Vicki Jo Harrison, who is the president of the International Cat Association and lead judge at the show, this is one of the largest cat shows in the country.

Cat shows are held on every continent except Antarctica. Before COVID there were 400-500 shows held annually.

The association is back up to 300 shows this year, she said.

Entrants came from all over.

Angela Hasley of Marietta holds her 11-month-old Bengal breed kitten, Uride The Wind. Uride was born in France and won first in his division.

Anne Paul and her daughter flew from Houston, Texas, with six cats in three carriers. Two of her cats, Perfect Storm and Bacchus, are ranked No. 1 internationally in the Ragdoll breed, adult and kitten.

Angela Hasley of Marietta brought her 11-month-old Bengal cat named Uride The Wind. He was born in France before coming to Ohio.

One cat in the show was a rescue from southern Ohio.

There also was a household cat division.

This article originally appeared on The Daily Record: Cats and kittens compete for top feline awards at Wooster show
Academics are notorious for their overblown rivalries, with the mere suspicion of a half-copied idea or misattributed quote sparking bitter feuds that last decades. But even by those standards, the latest story to come from the Dreaming Spires is a seriously nutty one, as two Oxford researchers go to war over a study involving dry roasted peanuts.

Dr Amin Moghaddam claims that he is the real brains behind a study attributed to another research medic  and a man who used to share a laboratory with him, working as his supervisor  Quentin Sattentau, a professor of immunology. The study posits the potentially life-saving theory that dry roasted peanuts are more dangerous in terms of triggering an allergic reaction than raw peanuts.

In 2014, the pair published their findings in the Journal of Allergy and Clinical Immunology. The results came from testing both types of nut on mice and measuring their immune responses. The difference between responses to dry roasted and raw peanuts could be explained, the researchers believe, by chemical changes caused by high temperatures in the dry roasting process, which primes the body to set off its allergic immune response when it encounters a peanut.

Interestingly, that could explain why there are more people with peanut allergies in the West, where dry roasted peanuts are far more common, compared with, for example, East Asia.

At the time of publication, Prof Sattentau  who is credited with leading the research at Oxford Universitys Dunn School of Pathology  proudly declared that this was the first time that a potential trigger for peanut allergy [had] been directly shown. Dr Moghaddam, who co-authored the piece, echoed his words.

But never mind those benefits to society: now the two men are locked in a battle over whose work this really is, and who should get credit  with one declaring a racially charged motive, and even claiming that the resulting row left him suicidal.

Dr Moghaddam said that the entire experience had left him feeling 'suicidal' - Champion News

Moghaddam, who had worked as a senior postdoctoral scientist under Sattentau since May 2003, alleges that his supervisor actually stole his ideas and put himself down as the lead author of the research paper. The argument has rippled out into the university: after Moghaddam left in March 2019, he sued the University of Oxford, as well as Sattentau and their chief supervisor, Prof Matthew Freeman.

Moghaddam had been at Oxford for 16 years, but wasnt awarded any further funding after his fixed-term contract ended. That made him, well, nuts.

Round One of this bout went to Sattentau and Oxford: in 2022, Moghaddam learnt that he had lost his case at the Reading Employment Tribunal.

Moghaddam had claimed during the heated hearing that Sattentau committed author misconduct by putting his name on top of the study, in what he perceived as a calculated approach to steal my ideas and work.

Moghaddam also alleged that hed gone to the head of their pathology department, Freeman, to complain, and had instead been told that he stood on the shoulders of giants  Freeman quoting Sir Isaac Newton. The implication there presumably being that no one truly makes a discovery alone, but builds on the work of others; its a team effort.

But that didnt chime with the dogged Moghaddam, who continued to argue that he hadnt received the credit he was due  and that it had affected his career path, since his ambitions to get a better position in the lab then werent properly supported. He said that Sattentau used his own fixed-term career status as a cover to appropriate Moghaddams ideas and therefore secure more grant funding.

The tribunal also heard that Moghaddam had wanted to be viewed as an independent researcher and to make his own grant applications, but was told he couldnt do so as it was department policy for Sattentau  who had the title of principal investigator  to be the lead on any applications.

Moghaddam, who sounds increasingly paranoid by this stage, also said he felt threatened when, in March 2018, Sattentau had preliminary discussions with the Wellcome Trusts grant panel about funding the next stage of the peanut research. Moghaddam refused to commit to them potentially producing another research paper unless he had guaranteed shared authorship  which Sattentau explained was difficult to agree to ahead of time.

That, Moghaddam told the tribunal, left him feeling very depressed and pessimistic, and convinced that Sattentau was really threatening his future employment by talking about the need to secure funding.

Prof Sattentau said he grew to find his lab mate 'hostile and abusive' - Champion News

Moghaddam, who was born in Iran, also said that the lab favoured white students when it came to crediting report authors. When he went to the employment tribunal, then, his claims werent just of unfair dismissal, but also of race and disability discrimination.

However, the tribunal soundly rejected his interpretation, ruling that Sattentau was actually being supportive towards his application for Wellcome Trust funding. The tribunal did recognise that the relationship between the two men was, by then, unravelling fast.

It was in October 2018 that Moghaddam accused his boss of appropriating his scientific output and rightful authorship, leading to a meeting with Freeman in which their supervisor trotted out that Newton quote  and where Moghaddam claims he felt belittled.

Again the tribunal ruled against him, noting that its a commonly used phrase. Freeman reportedly encouraged Moghaddam to apply for faculty positions elsewhere if he was so keen to become an independent researcher, but Moghaddam took that as a slight as well.

However, employment judge Andrew Gumbiti-Zimuto dismissed all of those claims, saying that the lack of cooperation between the two colleagues simply meant that there was no real prospect of an application for grant funding being successful.

Moghaddams wilder theories were not accepted by the tribunal. In their ruling, it was suggested that Moghaddam had reinterpreted events, imagining malign motives from his boss where none existed.

You might think that would be the end of this storm in a teacup  or perhaps a peanut shell. But the inexhaustible Moghaddam is now appealing the tribunals ruling.

His barrister, Jesse Crozier, argued that the tribunal judge didnt fully resolve whether Moghaddams alleged whistleblowing led to his dismissal, that Sattentau and Freeman deliberately failed to secure the funding that would have continued Moghaddams employment, and that the judge also should have recognised Moghaddam as a disabled person who was entitled to special consideration.

That latter claim is based on the mental health conditions depression and anxiety that Moghaddam had suffered. Crozier claimed that his client had endured long-term effects from those illnesses and narrowly avoided catastrophe.

However Jennifer Danvers, the barrister representing Sattentau, Freeman and the university, argued that the real issue was Moghaddam and Sattentaus unworkable relationship.

Sattentau grew to find his lab mate hostile and abusive, and could not work with him in joint supervision sessions, Danvers reported in written submissions. It was that breakdown in their relationship which was the whole reason for no further funding applications being made, Danvers added.

This tale doesnt yet have a final ending, since Judge Murray Shanks has delayed giving a ruling. Will Moghaddam be left high and dry, or will Sattentau crack? Ill definitely be tuning it for the next episode of their nutty legal saga.

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He raped and kidnapped two Pierce County women at knifepoint. Here is his sentence

A 29-year-old man convicted of raping two women at knifepoint in Pierce County while part of a seasonal work program from Mexico was sentenced Friday to nearly 18 years to life in prison, the high end of his standard sentencing range.

A jury convicted Ricardo Villegas Molina in May of first-degree rape, two counts of first-degree kidnapping, two counts of second-degree rape and second-degree assault for attacks on two women in October 2022.

During his sentencing hearing before Superior Court Judge Edmund Murphy, deputy prosecuting attorney Lindsay Chenelia said Molina targeted sex workers in Tacoma, women who she said are less likely to report to law enforcement and less likely to be believed by police, prosecutors and jurors.

The defendants actions are completely unwarranted, extremely violent, and the state does believe if he were to get out he will commit these crimes again, Chenelia said.

Ricardo Molina, 29, is sentenced on first-degree rape, two counts of second-degree rape, two counts of first-degree kidnapping and second-degree assault for sexually assaulting two women at knifepoint in October 2022, in Pierce County Superior Court, on Friday, July 12, 2024, in Tacoma.

The attorney described for the court the attack that a 50-year-old woman endured after Molina picked her up near Pacific Avenue and 84th Street. According to court records, Molina drove her to an isolated field in the Waller area of Pierce County the night of Oct. 7, 2022 and parked behind a pile of debris so no one could see them.

Chenelia said Molina pulled an 18-inch knife, and the woman ran from the car. Molina chased after her and pushed her to the ground, where he sexually assaulted her. Chenelia said Molina kicked the woman and shoved rocks and dirt into her body.

Somehow she managed to fight for her life and get away, Chenelia said.

Thank you for saving my life.

The woman addressed the court July 12. Molinas sentencing hearing was scheduled for that day, and Judge Murphy heard the victims statement, but the sentencing itself was set over to Friday so court documents could be translated for Molina, who speaks Spanish.

The News Tribune typically does not name victims of sexual assault. The woman told the court she was homeless and people treat her differently because of that. She said she wanted to thank the judge and the criminal justice system for caring about her.

Thank you for saving my life, the woman said. I thought for sure I was dead that night.

On Friday, Chenelia asked Judge Murphy to impose the high end of the standard sentencing range on each count Molina was sentenced for. She said the defendants actions were unwarranted, deliberate and extremely violent. Less than a month after the first attack, Molina raped another woman Oct. 30, 2022. He first contacted her at a convenience store near 84th Street and Pacific Avenue.

Molina drove the woman to a field slightly south of the first attack, and according to court records he pulled a knife on the woman and sexually assaulted her. She escaped from the vehicle, and prosecutors said the defendants DNA linked him to the attack. Prosecutors said they also had GPS evidence that tied him to the incidents.

That woman did not testify at trial. According to court records, the state was not able to get in touch with her.

Molina was arrested Nov. 2, 2022 in Fife, just three days before court records say he was due to return to Mexico. The arrest came after the Sheriffs Department showed a sketch of the suspect to the owner of a farm near the area of one attack. The owner told deputies he recognized the man as a migrant worker and then showed them Molinas vehicle, which was parked in a field.

An interpreter sat with Molina and his defense attorney, Kent Underwood, throughout Fridays sentencing hearing. Underwood said his client maintains his innocence, and he asked the court to keep in mind inconsistencies the attorney perceived in the first victims testimony.

Underwood asked the court to impose a sentence at the low end of the standard sentencing range on each count for a total of 14 years to life in prison.

Because Molina was convicted of first-degree rape for the first attack and first-degree kidnapping in the second attack, both considered serious violent offenses, he must serve his sentences back to back rather than at the same time. Certain sex offenses must also receive indeterminate sentences, meaning Molina must serve a set amount of time before he is eligible to petition the Indeterminate Sentence Review Board for release.

Community custody for life

After hearing from prosecutors, the defense, two friends of Molina and the defendant, Judge Murphy imposed 215 months to life in prison. Molina must register as a sex offender, and he will be on community custody for life. He is also barred from having contact with the victims for life.

The two men who addressed the court in support of Molina spoke through an interpreter. They said they did not have knowledge of the mans case, but they knew him to be a hard worker and a good friend. The first man who spoke, Jose Luis Rodriguez Capilla, said he came from the same town as Molina, and they had known each other since they were children.

He worked with Molina through two seasons as a temporary worker. Molina has two daughters, and Rodriguez Capilla said it was sad to return home to Mexico and hear Molinas elder daughter ask where her father was.

When it was Molinas turn to address the court, he said his rights had been violated since the beginning of the case. He took issue with the fact that the two incidents were joined into one case, and he claimed that the victim who testified had lied to the court. According to prosecutors, the 18-inch knife described in the first attack was not recovered.

I think that all this is unfair, Molina said, according to the interpreter. I didnt have a just and reasonable trial, and I want to appeal.

Molina also described how he believed the jury was biased against him because one juror had been a victim of sexual assault.

I only want to be treated well and for my rights to be respected. And not to be discriminated only for being Mexican, Molina said, according to the interpreter.

After court adjourned, deputy prosecuting attorney Megan Winder told The News Tribune that Molina made a lot of statements that she didnt think were consistent with the evidence. The defendant claimed that the second victims clothing was intact and not torn as the victim reported. Winder said Chenelia held up the clothing for jurors during their rebuttal arguments, and it was cut from bottom to top exactly how the victim described it.

Winder said it was true a sexual assault survivor was on the jury panel, but she said that wasnt uncommon because the population as a whole has a lot of sexual assault survivors. In choosing a jury, she said its important to her to find jurors who are fair and impartial.

Our goal is not to pack the jury in any way, shape or form, Winder said. I think its very important to make sure that there are people who have different backgrounds, but a jury of the defendants peers.
Video above from previous coverage

TAMPA, Fla. (WFLA)  Rapper Sean Kingston and his mother appeared in federal court Friday on charges that they committed wire fraud, according to the U.S. Attorneys Office for the Southern District of Florida.

Kingston, whose real name is Kisean Anderson, and Turner, 61, both of Southwest Ranches, allegedly conspired to commit wire fraud in order to steal high-end specialty vehicles, jewelry, and other goods, prosecutors said.

Both were indicted by a grand jury on charges of conspiracy to commit wire fraud and five counts of wire fraud. If convicted, they could face up to 20 years in prison for each count.

Prosecutors said Kingston and Turner unjustly enriched themselves by falsely representing that they had executed bank wire or other monetary payment transfers as payment for vehicles, jewelry, and other goods purchased by the defendants, when in fact no such bank wire or other monetary payment transfers had been executed.

The two are accused of stealing more than $1 million in property though the scheme, prosecutors said.

Kingston allegedly messaged the victims on Instagram and other platforms to purchase vehicles and other goods, according to the indictment. He is accused of using his celebrity status to persuade the victims into not using traditional business practices and to provide the goods before receiving full payment.

He then allegedly sent fake documents over text stating that the transfers were initiated, but he and his mother would then stop contacting the victims, according to the indictment.

Turner was arrested in May at Kingstons rented Florida home after a SWAT raid. Kingston was arrested a few hours later at his home in California.

At the time of his arrest, Kingston was on probation for trafficking stolen property. His mother previously served prison time for bank fraud.

The Jamaican American performer had a No. 1 hit with Beautiful Girls in 2007 and collaborated with Justin Bieber on the song Eenie Meenie.

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 WFLA.
A federal grand jury in Miami charged rapper Sean Kingston and his mother each with one count of conspiracy to commit wire fraud and five counts of wire fraud, according to an indictment filed last week and announced Friday in a news release from the US Attorneys Office, Southern District of Florida.

If convicted, they each face up to 20 years in prison on each count, the release said.

Kingston, 34, whose real name is Kisean Anderson, and his mother, Janice Turner, 61, were arrested in May on fraud and theft-related charges after a SWAT team raided Kingstons home. It was part of an investigation into allegations they acquired luxury items without paying for them in full.

CNN has reached out to Kingstons publicist for comment.

We look forward to litigating this case and defending Sean in federal court, Kingstons attorney Robert Rosenblatt told CNN.

According to the indictment, Kingston and his mother obtained more than $1 million in property through their alleged scheme. Prosecutors claim Kingston often used his celebrity status to persuade vendors to stray from their regular business practices and provide high-end cars, jewelry and other expensive items prior to receipt of full payment. The pair are also accused of using fraudulent documents to show they initiated payment to vendors when no payment had been made.

The wire fraud incidents took place between April 11, 2023 and March 29, 2024, the indictment alleges.

On Friday, Kingston was released on a $10,000 cash bond and Turner was released on $5,000 cash bond, according to court documents.

Their next court appearance is set for August 9.

We intend to vigorously defend these charges, Turners attorney James Stark told CNN. We hope that everyone keeps in mind that just like every other citizen charged with a crime in our country, they are presumed innocent.

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New Hampshire is at the tail end of a record-breaking heat wave, with communities across the state seeing their longest strings of sweltering days in recorded history.

Concord saw temperatures at or above 90 degrees starting on July 6. July 16 marked the citys 11th day in a row of extreme heat  two days more than the previous longest heat wave, which happened in 2002.

Tuesday marked Manchesters 12th day of extreme heat, also beating out a 2002 record.

In Rochester, residents have experienced 90-degree days since the Fourth of July.

This is part of what scientists have been expecting as Earth's overall atmosphere gets warmer in response to human emissions of greenhouse gasses, said Mary Stampone, New Hampshires state climatologist and a professor at the University of New Hampshire.

Campers try to stay cool amid 90-degree temperatures by hosing down a tractor at Joppa Hill Farm in Bedford, July 12, 2024.

From 1980 through 2010, Concords average number of 90-degree days per summer was about 12, Stampone said. Halfway through this summer, the city has surpassed that already.

Its not only the days that have been hot. Nighttime temperatures have stayed warm, too.

Weve had a lot of nights that have stayed above 70 Fahrenheit, which is kind of an extreme nighttime temperature for us here, Stampone said. Buildings dont cool off, plants start to struggle.

Hot nighttime temperatures, which are increasing faster than daytime temperatures as climate change warms up the atmosphere, can also make it more difficult for people to cool off and can decrease sleep quality.

A hotter atmosphere can also evaporate more water from the surface of the earth, increasing humidity, Stampone said. More humidity means humans are less able to cool off by sweating.

That can make it feel even hotter, she said. We've been having days where the measured air temperature is in the mid 90s, but we're seeing heat indices of 100 or more given the combination of the heat and humidity.

How New Hampshire experiences extreme heat in the future is still being determined, Stampone said, as humans, businesses and governments decide whether or not to cut greenhouse gas emissions. If cuts are made now, temperatures are projected to peak around 2050 and level off later in the century.

If we don't do that, and follow sort of that worst case scenario line of business-as-usual, we can see probably twice as many days above 90 in the latter half of the century than if we reduce emissions now, she said.

In the 2021 climate assessment, Stampone and her team projected that the state could see up to about 60 days above 90 degrees in a high emissions scenario.

The moral of the story is without reduction in greenhouse gas emissions, we're going to be seeing a lot more of these days above 90 than we would if we do reduce our emissions, she said.

As heat continues this summer, Jerry Combs, a meteorologist at the National Weather Service in Gray, Maine, urged residents to take precautions.

If you have to go outside, do it early in the morning or in the evening when the heat of the day is over and the sun angle is lower so you can get access to more shade, he said. If you do have to work outside in the heat of the day, stay hydrated, take frequent breaks.

The heat and humidity New Hampshire has experienced in recent days have also contributed to thunderstorms rolling through communities across the state, Combs said.

You can kind of think of heat and humidity as like energy for these thunderstorms to survive, he said.

Last week, storms caused major flooding across northern New Hampshire. On Tuesday, the western part of the state saw trees toppling power lines and damaging houses and cars.

We saw a very rapid change in conditions, including heavy winds, heavy rains and cloud-to-ground lightning, said Gregory Seymour, Keenes deputy fire chief. We experienced a rapid influx of calls through 911.

Between eight and 10 homes were so damaged by the storm that residents evacuated for the night, and two people were injured. An additional 15 or 20 homes sustained less significant damage, Seymour said. On Wednesday afternoon, utilities reported about 900 customers were still without power.

More thunderstorms are in the forecast Wednesday, with a severe thunderstorm watch in effect until 8 pm for the southern part of the state. Seymour said that makes it especially important that people keep safety in mind.

Keep good distance away from downed trees and wires, he said. Give crews plenty of room to work.

People should also keep generators a safe distance from their home.

After another day of sweltering temperatures, relief is on the way. The National Weather Service says Thursday and Friday wont be quite as hot, and cooler nights are ahead.

These articles are being shared by partners in The Granite State News Collaborative. For more information visit collaborativenh.org.

This article originally appeared on Portsmouth Herald: Record-breaking heat wave provides glimpse of NHs possible climate future
The Texas Democrat, who represented Houston in Congress for three decades, warned that "the road ahead will not be easy" as she disclosed her cancer diagnosis in June 2024

Joshua Roberts/Getty Sheila Jackson Lee at the bill enrollment ceremony to make Juneteenth a national holiday in 2021

Texas Rep. Sheila Jackson Lee, who previously revealed her pancreatic cancer diagnosis, has died, her family announced on Friday, July 19. She was 74.

"Today, with incredible grief for our loss yet deep gratitude for the life she shared with us, we announce the passing of United States Representative Sheila Jackson Lee of the 18th Congressional District of Texas," the statement began.

Saluting Jackson Lee as "a fierce champion for the people," who was "affectionately and simply known as 'Congresswoman' by her constituents," her loved ones noted that she served for over three decades.

"A local, national, and international humanitarian, she was acknowledged worldwide for her courageous fights for racial justice, criminal justice, and human rights, with a special emphasis on women on children."



Related: Congresswoman Sheila Jackson Lee Reveals Pancreatic Cancer Diagnosis: 'The Road Ahead Will Not Be Easy'

Throughout her time in office, Jackson Lee garnered "legislative victories" that "impacted millions," from solidifying Juneteenth as a Federal Holiday to her work with the Violence Against Women Act, her family continued.

Still, she was also a staple and matriarch in her family unit as a wife, sister mother and grandmother, known as Bebe.

"She will be dearly missed, but her legacy will continue to inspire all who believe in freedom, justice, and democracy. God bless you Congresswoman and God bless the United States of America.

Funeral arrangements are currently pending.

Related: Lou Dobbs, Conservative Talk Show Host, Dead at 78

Jackson Lee, who represented the 18th Congressional District of Texas since 1995, announced her cancer diagnosis in a statement on June 2, 2024. She warned that she would be occasionally absent from Congress but would continue to fight for her constituents.

I am committed to working with our Congressional Leadership, including Leader Hakeem Jeffries and the Speaker of House, to serve this nation and be present for votes on legislation that is critical for the prosperity and security of the American people," she said. "By Gods grace, I will be back at full strength soon.

Jackson Lee survived breast cancer more than a decade earlier, announcing in 2012 that she had fully recovered following a year of treatment.



Maureen Keating/CQ Roll Call via AP Texas Rep. Sheila Jackson Lee in February 1997

Jackson Lee was born in Queens, New York City, on Jan. 12, 1950, and lived there through high school. She studied political science at Yale University before earning her J.D. from the University of Virginia School of Law in 1975.

In the late '70s, Jackson Lee aided the U.S. House Select Committee on Assassinations, serving as staff counsel to the task force that investigated Martin Luther King Jr.'s murder. She and her husband then relocated to Houston, where he'd accepted a teaching job.

In Texas, Jackson Lee proved eager to get involved. She was appointed to a municipal judgeship in 1987, then elected to the Houston City Council in 1989 as one of the first Black and female at-Large members.

She soon set her sights on Congress, handily winning the 1994 Democratic primary against four-time incumbent Rep. Craig Washington and gliding to victory in the general election.

Through her decades in Congress, Jackson Lee was instrumental in making Juneteenth a national holiday and pushing for legislation related to police misconduct, wage discrimination on the basis of sex, and accommodations for pregnant workers among other initiatives.

Anna Moneymaker/Getty Texas Rep. Sheila Jackson Lee speaks to abortion rights activists as 'Roe v. Wade' is overturned on June 24, 2022

Jackson Lee ran for mayor of Houston in 2023, though her campaign was plagued by scandal after unverified audio leaked where Jackson Lee was allegedly heard berating her staff with profanity. Jackson Lee issued a statement and apologized, saying, "I know that I am not perfect."

Though she advanced to a runoff in the general election, she lost the race in a landslide to prominent state Sen. John Whitmire. She filed for reelection to the House two days later.

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During Jackson Lee's 2024 congressional campaign, President Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris commended her career in a joint endorsement.

"Weve witnessed her devotion to her constituents, inspiring grit, and invaluable experience deliver an unmatched record of success," they wrote. "She has been a strong ally for hard working American families  in Houston and across the country."

Jackson Lee is survived by her husband, Elwyn Lee, and their two children.

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Read the original article on People.
Rep. Sheila Jackson Lee (D-TX), a longtime congresswoman who served three decades in Congress, has died at the age of 74, her family announced in a statement Friday night.

Today, with incredible grief for our loss yet deep gratitude for the life she shared with us, we announce the passing of United States Representative Sheila Jackson Lee of the 18th Congressional District of Texas, the statement read.

Her family did not note a cause of death, however, Jackson Lee confirmed she was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer just over a month ago, in early June, and was undergoing treatment.

At the time, she wrote that she would approach her cancer battle with the same faith and the same courage as the fight for justice and equality for all. She added that the road ahead will not be easy but had faith that God will strengthen me.

Rep. Sheila Jackson Lee Confirms She Has Pancreatic Cancer

First elected to the House in 1994, Jackson would go on to be a serving member of Congress for 30 years. She was also a member of the Congressional Black Caucus and served on the House Judiciary, Homeland Security and Budget Committees.

In the statement, her family described her as a fierce champion of the people, as well as a local, national and international humanitarian.

Her legislative victories impacted millions, from establishing the Juneteenth Federal Holiday to reauthorizing the Violence Against Women Act, the family added.

Jackson Lee, who represented Texas 18th District, defeated former Houston City Councilwoman Amanda Edwards in a March primary, one of her tightest races to date.

Jackson Lees Democratic colleague, Rep. Adriano Espaillat (D-NY), was on the air with CNN as the news broke, describing her as a national hero for her work on progressive social and racial issues.

Rep. Jasmine Crockett (D-TX) meanwhile said she was at a loss for words so Ill just say rest easy, in a social media tribute.

Former mayor of Houston, Sylvester Turner, said he was deeply saddened at the news while Texas Gov. Greg Abbott (R) wrote, She was a proud Texan and a tireless advocate for the people of Houston. Her legacy of public service and dedication to Texas will live on.

Also among the tributes Friday night were Sen. Ted Cruz (R-TX), who said Jackson Lee was a tireless advocate for Houston. He added he will always cherish our friendship & the laughs we shared throughout the years.

Jackson Lees family finished their statement by adding how she impacted us most as our beloved wife, sister, mother, and Bebe (grandmother).

Funeral arrangements are pending. Jackson Lee is survived by her husband Elwyn Lee and their two children.

Read more at The Daily Beast.

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(NewsNation)  A growing number of Democratic lawmakers are calling on President Joe Biden to drop his re-election bid but so far he has remained adamant about staying in the race.

The Democratic National Convention is one month away and a virtual roll call is set to happen even sooner. Meanwhile, the 81-year-old Biden is currently running 2.5 points behind former President Donald Trump.

If the president does withdraw from the ticket, it would set off a chaotic few weeks as Democrats decide how best to move forward. Heres what that process could look like.

Obama told allies hes concerned about Bidens campaign: Reports

How would replacing Biden work?

Scenario #1  Biden drops out before being formally nominated

If Biden willingly steps aside before being officially nominated, his 3,896 pledged delegates would be free to vote for whomever they choose at the convention. At that point, Biden would no longer control the delegates, though he could endorse a successor, which may carry a lot of weight.

With Biden out, any remaining candidates would make their case to win over the delegates, who would then vote for the nominee at the convention. To win the nomination, a candidate needs to earn support from the majority of delegates.

Theres also a chance Democrats rally around a candidate before the convention, in which case, a free-for-all contested convention would not come to pass. Bidens delegates would simply back the new nominee when it comes time to vote.

Depending on when Biden withdraws, Democrats could host a mini-primary before the convention which would likely mean a campaign blitz between potential replacements, complete with town halls, speeches and debates.

Scenario #2  Biden drops out after being formally nominated

If Biden withdraws after becoming the official nominee, the party rules are fairly clear  the Democratic National Committee (DNC) would fill the vacancy. That decision would be made after discussions with Democratic leadership in Congress and the Democratic Governors Association.

There are several reasons why waiting until after the convention would be a headache for Democrats. For one, the party would be up against state filing deadlines which require both parties to submit their chosen candidates by a certain time. On top of that, waiting to drop out cuts the campaign time for Bidens replacement.

Scenario #3  Democrats replace Biden without his approval

Removing Biden through a hostile takeover would be unprecedented in modern times. Technically, Bidens delegates arent required to support him at the convention even though they are pledged to him.

DNC 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, delegates could go their own way under the good conscience rule.

Bidens anger spills out as Democrats weigh his future

The Associated Press explains why thats highly unlikely: the candidate has the right to review and make changes to their slate of delegates in each state, ensuring that delegate slots are filled by supporters loyal to them.

How would the running mate be decided?

If Vice President Kamala Harris or someone else were to become the nominee, they would choose their running mate, not the party. However, whomever they select would still need to win the delegates support.

Harris is the most obvious successor should Biden withdraw but its not clear who would join her on the ticket.

Potential options include a host of popular Democratic governors including Kentucky Gov. Andy Beshear, Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro, Illinois Gov. JB Pritzker, Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer or California Gov. Gavin Newsom.

Those state leaders could also launch bids of their own if they choose to.

Whats the timeline?

The Democratic National Convention opens in Chicago on Aug. 19. That event is typically when the party formalizes its nominee but this year is set to look different.

Democrats are planning to officially nominate Biden during a virtual roll call before the convention in order to work around Ohios filing deadline which was Aug. 7 but was later extended to Aug. 31.

Who could be Democratic nominee if Biden drops out?

As of right now, the DNC is still working to finalize a plan to compress its virtual roll call into the first few days of August, Axios reported Thursday.

In the meantime, the DNC may decide to switch gears and forego the virtual roll call, ultimately finalizing the nominee at the convention.

What would happen to the Biden-Harris campaign money?

Theres some uncertainty about what would happen to the Biden campaigns $91 million in the bank if he were to drop out of the race. It may depend on who his replacement is.

If the candidate is Harris, or she becomes someone elses running mate, then the new ticket would maintain access to the funds, Saurav Ghosh, a lawyer at the Campaign Legal Center, told Reuters.

However, that transition could face legal challenges, especially if Biden drops out before hes formally nominated.

If neither Biden nor Harris appear on the ticket, the campaign would have to give almost all of the money back, Kenneth Gross, senior political law counsel at Akin Gump, told the Associated Press.

At that point, the Biden-Harris campaign could designate the funds for a super PAC or the party itself. If that happened, it would come at a cost, in part, because television advertising rates are higher for parties than for candidates.

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.
Who do you represent: Florida or Georgia? Vote for 24 best looking State Trooper cruiser

Both the Florida Highway Patrol and Georgia State Patrol want your vote for 2024s Americas Best-Looking Cruiser.

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Republicans are quietly pushing to defund transgender healthcare - and not just for minors

Hundreds of thousands of transgender people could lose access to medical treatment or be forced to detransition under a little-known Republican effort to defund trans healthcare for both adults and children.

Since Republicans took control of the House of Representatives last January, GOP lawmakers on Capitol Hill have quietly added a wave of amendments to "must-pass" government funding bills that would ban federal money from being used for gender transition procedures such as hormone therapy and sex reassignment surgery.

These riders vary widely in their scope and effect. Some target government health programs such as Medicare and Medicaid. Others would revoke insurance coverage for transgender government employees. Still others would bar federal funding for any institution that "promotes transgenderism".

Taken together, though, they would drastically curtail trans peoples access to medical care that advocates routinely describe as critical to their flourishing  much as the 1977 Hyde Amendment restricted abortion access in the wake of Roe v Wade.

"I remember a time when my own medical transition was the only thing going right in my life, and to have it taken away from me would have been existential at least," says Gillian Branstetter, a communications strategist for the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU)s LGBTQ and HIV Project. "This healthcare saved my life and the lives of trans people I know and love."

To be clear, GOP lawmakers arent seeking to limit these procedures for everyone. The proposed restrictions would only apply when they are done as part of a medical transition, and not when they are given to cisgender (or non-trans) people to treat other conditions.

And while such riders currently have little hope of passing a Democratic Senate and presidency, they are a preview of what could happen if the GOP wins back power this November  and Republican lawmakers tell The Independent that is exactly the plan.

"Certainly, Id be hopeful that they would go through [if Trump wins]  that we would stop taxpayers dollars being used for things that taxpayers in Montana dont support," said Montana Republican Matt Rosendale, who authored a House amendment banning US military personnel and their families from receiving transition care through their Pentagon health insurance.

That change will affect a lot of service members. Trans people are two to five times more likely to serve in the US military than cis people, and the military is widely believed to be the countrys biggest employer of trans people.

Independent senator Joe Manchin, who bizarrely claimed not to know whether hed voted to restrict trans healthcare, talks with reporters on July 11, 2024 (AP Photo/Rod Lamkey, Jr)

Asked by The Independent whether he was concerned about interrupting peoples healthcare, Rosendale said: "I dont think that taxpayers dollars should be used for surgeries that change the physical appearance."

Indeed, last week the Republican National Committee officially made cutting off taxpayer funding for all "sex change surgeries" part of its 2024 policy platform.

Other legislators were more diffident. "Yeah? So?" said Maryland Republican Andy Harris, a medical doctor on the House appropriations committee who backed several anti-trans amendments, when buttonholed by The Independent on the Capitol steps on Thursday before Congress left for recess.

Pressed on why he supported those amendments, he said: "Because there should be no special rights."

Meanwhile, West Virginia senator Joe Manchin, who recently left the Democratic Party to become an independent, bizarrely claimed to be unaware that he had voted for a similar pair of amendments  only for his office to reverse course within 24 hours and say he did support them.

Trans people and their allies, however, do not feel so blase.

"Losing this crucial access to gender affirming care would be devastating to our community," says Ash Orr of Advocates for Transgender Equality (A4TE), a Washington DC non-profit.

"It is not hyperbole that passing federal legislation to ban transgender healthcare, just like with abortions, would lead to unnecessary deaths."

How routine funding bills have become a battleground

There is a broad consensus among medical researchers that gender transition is effective, and frequently necessary, in treating gender dysphoria. What exactly that involves is different from person to person.

The most common treatment is hormone replacement therapy (HRT), which masculinizes or feminizes the body over a span of months and years. Many trans people also find that it brings about a holistic improvement in their wellbeing and self-esteem. Though relatively cheap, it must be taken continuously throughout ones life, and stopping it will reverse some (though not all) of its effects.

Some trans people also get surgeries to alleviate their dysphoria, such as genital reconstruction, breast removal and augmentation, or orchiectomy (ie, testicle removal). These are more permanent, but far more expensive, and often have a long recovery period.

Such procedures arent exclusive to trans people. Cis women take HRT to mitigate side effects of menopause, or even acne; children receive puberty blockers to prevent premature sexual development; and intersex people undergo genital reconstructive surgery, frequently without their consent in early childhood.

Menopause can wreck havoc on hormones, so many cis women take HRT to better control their symptoms (Getty Images)

Those instances, however, are not what GOP lawmakers are taking aim at. Their objection is to taxpayer funding of gender transition specifically, and the centerpiece of their efforts is a highly bureaucratic but incredibly consequential process known as appropriations.

Every year, Congress must pass 12 spending bills to keep the government open by "appropriating" money from the US treasury. Each bill funds a different cluster of federal agencies, such as the State Department or the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS).

Traditionally this process has been relatively non-partisan. However, the must-pass nature of these bills creates an opportunity for members to force the spotlight onto their pet issues, proposing amendments that would get little traction in a standalone vote. Republicans have made gender-affirming care one of those issues.

Last year seven out of 12 appropriations bills were amended in the House to restrict trans healthcare, according to a report by the Human Rights Campaign (HRC)  part of a raft of anti-LGBT+ additions ranging from bans on flying Pride flags above federal properties and blocking the enforcement of non-discrimination laws.

This year similar riders were stealthily attached to bills appropriating funds for the Department of Homeland Security, the State Department, the Department of Defence (DoD), and HHS.

That last bill is particularly important because it funds Medicare, which provides health insurance to around 65m older and disabled people, and Medicaid, which does the same for roughly 85m on low incomes.

In June, House Republicans amended this years iteration of the annual National Defence Authorization Act (NDAA) to revoke coverage for trans healthcare under the Pentagons sprawling Tricare health insurance program, which serves around 9.6m current and former service members and dependents. The Senate version of the NDAA was also amended to ban the DoD from paying for trans surgeries.

All this legislation dovetails an ongoing nationwide campaign to ban transition healthcare for under-18s and impose criminal sanctions on doctors who perform it, at both the local and federal level.

"These anti-trans riders dont just target healthcare for trans youth, but adults of any age," says Orr. "[That] indicates what we already knew: the battle over our bodily autonomy does not come from a concern for the safety of adolescents, but from opposition to self-determination and bodily autonomy."

'Losing this healthcare is an existential threat'

How would such laws actually impact trans life in America?

According to the Williams Institute, an LGBT+ research non-profit based in Los Angeles, there were around 164,000 trans adults enrolled in Medicaid plans that covered transition care as of 2022.

The 2015 US US Transgender Survey (USTS) also found that around 7.8 per cent of trans adults had health insurance through Medicare, Tricare, another military scheme, or the US Department of Veterans Affairs, as well as up to 0.9 per cent insured by the Indian Health Service. With an estimated US transgender population of 1.6m, that would amount to roughly another 125,000 to 141,000 people.

Not every person counted in these numbers would necessarily seek medical transition. On the other hand, they do not include the unknown number of trans people who bought federally-subsidized coverage through a health insurance marketplace  which could also be affected by some riders, according to A4TE  or who work for the federal government and get insurance from their employer.

Many individual hospitals and health systems across the country also receive federal aid. While in theory they could ring-fence this money to keep it away from transition care, some might simply stop offering such procedures  just as several major hospitals in red states have already done for minors.

For some affected trans people, this would mean a scramble to find some other way of getting medical care, potentially at considerable personal or financial cost. For others it would mean treatments being delayed or blocked entirely.

Those denied surgery might have to live with bodily features that make them miserable, while those compelled to stop HRT would undergo an involuntary medical transition  or even, if they no longer had the ability to produce their own hormones, a forced menopause.

Swimmer Schuyler Bailar as a NYC Pride Grand Marshal during the 2022 parade (Getty Images)

"Gender-affirming care serves as the foundation for the lives that trans people lead," Branstetter says. "It gives us the freedom to be ourselves and to build our own futures...

"If you deny that to them, or you pull it away, that leaves them with very little hope and very little ability to continue to move through the world. And thats one reason why we have this notoriously high suicide rate."

Dr Jack Turban, director of the University of California San Franciscos gender psychiatry program, and the author of Free to Be: Understanding Kids & Gender Identity, likewise says that denying transition care would cause "a substantial adverse public mental health impact."

That damage, Branstetter argues, would compound the deep discrimination that trans people already face in housing, employment, and other areas of life. As with the Hyde Amendment, it would also fall disproportionately on trans people of color and those in poverty, who are more likely to be on Medicaid and have fewer resources to pursue alternatives.

These bills arent happening in isolation. In addition to the GOPs broad-spectrum war against trans rights and healthcare, the Heritage Foundation  an influential hyperconservative think tank  has proposed sweeping efforts to push trans people out of public life as part of its ambitious Project 2025 manifesto.

Hence, if next years session of Congress opens with Republicans in control of all three branches of government, both Branstetter and Turban fear that withholding taxpayer dollars will only be the beginning.

"Anti-trans politicians have been working to identify more and more creative ways to restrict access to care for transgender patients," says Turban.

"I dont think theres any reason to think that will stop, and this next election will have a dramatic impact on transgender Americans and their ability to access gender-affirming medical care."
Residents of Anapa, Russia, have blocked a road in their city to protest power outages, following similar protests in Krasnodar earlier today.

Source: Meduza, a Russian media outlet based in Latvia, citing Russian Telegram channels Baza and Ostorozhno, Novosti (Beware, News)

Details: Protesters in Anapa blocked several lanes of traffic at the intersection of Shevchenka St and Ivana Golubtsa St, only letting ambulances through.

Anapa residents are disgruntled over the lack of power and water in their homes. Ostorozhno, Novosti (Beware, News) reported that power and water outages have lasted for four days now.

According to Baza, a representative of Rosseti  a Russian power company that manages power distribution  addressed the protesters, saying that "generators are already on the way". Still, the protesters remain on the streets. Police are on duty near the site of the protest.

Background: On Saturday, 20 July, disgruntled residents of the Russian city of Krasnodar blocked a street due to a power outage. Krasnodar Mayor Yevgeny Naumov promised protesters to address the power outage in one of the citys districts "in the near future".

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Residents in the southern Russian city of Krasnodar staged a rare protest on Saturday over electricity cuts and water supply interruptions due to a power grid failure amid record-high temperatures.

Angry residents gathered on the streets near residential buildings shouting Give me light, after experiencing power cuts for several days, videos posted on social media show.

Work to repair the accident is underway and residents are being supplied with drinking water, the citys mayor Evgeny Naumov said Saturday. We all need to remain calm and understand what is happening, although this is not easy, he said in a Telegram post.

The power cuts came as the city is experiencing unusually high temperatures and on Friday a daily record was set for the fourth day in a row, according to Russian state news agency TASS. The maximum temperature was 39 degrees Celsius on Friday, according to TASS.

Krasnodar Governor Veniamin Kondratyev said Saturday that the abnormal heat, the lack of proper capacities during peak load periods and the operation of the Rostov Nuclear Power Plant were some of the factors that contributed to the outages. One of the units of the Rostov plant, the largest in the region, was temporarily shut down earlier this week due to a technical malfunction.

There has been abnormal heat in the Krasnodar region for a week now. The load on the energy system is colossal, Governor Kondratyev said. I know and understand all the indignation of residents due to the power outages.

He said he is in constant contact with energy workers and that Where possible, emergency crews repair breakdowns as quickly as possible. Kondratyev said the citys mayor is currently in the area that has been affected the most and constantly reports on the situation.

Public protests in Russia are very rare, especially after Russia launched its full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022. The government has introduced war censorship laws that can result in severe punishment, including imprisonment, for discrediting the military.

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Bellingham Public Schools denies that it failed to protect an autistic elementary school student from being repeatedly sexually assaulted by another student while on the bus, and that it failed to report the allegations to law enforcement or state child welfare officials, as is required by law.

The parents of a 10-year-old Wade King Elementary School student filed a civil lawsuit June 24 in Whatcom County Superior Court against Bellingham Public Schools. The parents lawsuit accuses the district of knowing the male student, age 9, had a documented history of sexually abusing other children while on the school bus prior to abusing their 10-year-old son; that the district has a special protective relationship with the children in its care and was negligent and failed in its duties to protect the 10-year-old and other children from the 9-year-old child; and that the district failed in its obligations to report the sexual abuse to law enforcement or child welfare officials, The Bellingham Herald previously reported.

All school district employees are mandatory reporters and are required by state law to report any suspected abuse or neglect of a child to law enforcement or to the Washington State Department of Children, Youth & Families. State law requires the report be made at the first opportunity available, but no longer than 48 hours after there is reasonable cause to believe that a child has suffered abuse or neglect.

The parents allege that, because of the districts failures, their son has suffered and continues to suffer emotional, psychological and other damages, and that their relationship with him has been damaged. They are seeking general and special damages, reasonable attorneys fees and costs, and any other relief the court deems just and proper, according to the records.

In its July 18 response to the lawsuit, the school district denied any liability and denied that it failed in its duties to protect the 10-year-old and other children from the 9-year-old child, according to court records.

The defense of this lawsuit is being handled by attorneys retained by Bellingham Public Schools insurance carrier, and all decisions regarding legal strategy, including such things as what is asserted in the Answer to the Complaint are made by the attorneys representing the district. Beyond that, we must reiterate that Bellingham Public Schools cannot comment on pending litigation, Dana Smith, a spokesperson for the school district, said in a July 23 statement to The Herald. In addition to the direction given us by our attorneys not to comment on the litigation, we recognize that litigation is an inherently arduous process for all participants and the district does not want to make the process more difficult for the involved student and his family by litigating the matter publicly.

The Herald has reached out to the districts attorneys and the parents attorney for comment.

Denial of liability

While the district admitted that both students attended Wade King Elementary during the 2022-2023 school year, the district said it did not have sufficient information to confirm or deny that the 9-year-old had a history of sexually assaulting other students while on Bellingham Public Schools buses.

The district denied that it and its staff knew the 9-year-old boy was accused of sexually assaulting two other children in the roughly four-month span prior to when the 9-year-old boy is alleged to have repeatedly sexually assaulted the 10-year-old boy, court records show.

In October 2022, the 9-year-old was accused of sexually assaulting another student while the pair were on the bus. The districts response denies that it and its staff knew of the abuse. The district also said it did not have sufficient information to confirm or deny whether that childs parents reported the allegations to the district, the court records state.

The district denied that it failed to take reasonably prudent actions following the alleged assault in October 2022. It also denied that it asked the bus driver to identify older students to sit next to the 9-year-old child, or that the district failed to inform those students and their parents that they were chaperoning the 9-year-old to prevent him from sexually abusing other students, court documents state.

The district denied the allegations that the 9-year-old boy raped a second student while on the bus and while a safety plan was in place, records state. The district said it did not have sufficient information to confirm or deny whether that childs parents reported the allegations to the district, court records show.

The district also denied that it failed to address and take action in response to the disclosures of the two assaults, the school districts response states.

Title IX investigation

The district denied that spanning a four-month period in spring 2023, the 10-year-old and 9-year-old children rode the bus and sat together roughly six times, in which the 9-year-old is accused of repeatedly sexually assaulting and raping the 10-year-old child. The district also said it did not have sufficient information to confirm or deny that the 10-year-old childs parents reported the sexual abuse to the district and law enforcement, the records show.

At some point after the start of June 2023, the school district initiated a Title IX investigation into the 10-year-old boys allegations, his parents lawsuit shows.

The districts Title IX investigator recommended that the districts decision-maker conclude that the 9-year-old students actions constituted sexual harassment, The Herald previously reported.

A second allegation included in the districts Title IX investigation alleged that the 10-year-old boy had reported to school officials multiple previous incidents prior to early June 2023, in which the 9-year-old student sexually abused him while they were on the bus.

Bus footage reviewed by district investigators showed the two students sat together six times during a month-long span in spring 2023. While nothing in the footage  which does not show what was occurring in the bus seats  explicitly showed sexual misconduct, there are details in the footage that align with details supporting the allegations and accounts from both the 10-year-old student and other witnesses, the parents lawsuit states.

The Title IX investigator recommended the districts decision-maker conclude that the 9-year-old boy repeatedly sexually assaulted the 10-year-old child during spring 2023 while they were on the bus, the court records show.

In its Thursday response to the parents lawsuit, the school district said the Title IX report spoke for itself, court records show.

Dismissal requested

The school district denied that its actions or any negligence on its part was the direct or proximate cause of the 10-year-old boys emotional and psychological distress, or any damage caused to the parents relationship with their son, court records state.

The district also denied that it failed in its duties to protect the boy and other students from the 9-year-old, and that it failed to reasonably foresee that the 9-year-old would sexually abuse the 10-year-old.

The district has also denied that it and its staff failed in their mandatory reporting duties, the court records show.

The district claims that the injuries and damages suffered by the 10-year-old boy and his parents were not the fault of the school district, but were instead caused by the intentional acts of a third party, the records state.

The district also claims that investigative records produced as part of discovery in the lawsuit may show that the boy and his parents failed to mitigate their damages, court documents state.

The district has asked the court to dismiss the lawsuit with prejudice and award the district costs and fees of the lawsuit. If the lawsuit is not dismissed by the court, the district has asked for a jury trial, the records show.

Prior reporting failures

The parents lawsuit was filed roughly seven months after three Bellingham Public Schools administrators resolved the criminal cases against them alleging that they failed to report a Squalicum High School female students repeated sexual assaults to law enforcement or child welfare officials, The Herald previously reported.

In that case, all three administrators were charged with one count of failure to report, a gross misdemeanor. They entered into an agreed-upon deferred prosecution agreement Dec. 5, where the Whatcom County Prosecuting Attorneys Office agreed to continue the criminal cases for roughly 90 days while the administrators did community service. Following that, the prosecutors office stated it would dismiss the charges against all three administrators.

Court records show the prosecutors office dismissed the three administrators cases with prejudice in early January.

The female student who disclosed the sexual assaults to school district officials filed a federal civil rights lawsuit against the district Dec. 7, 2022. Her lawsuit is still pending, federal court records show.

The student, who withdrew from the high school and began attending another school, accuses the district in her lawsuit of violating her federal Title IX rights, failing its duty to protect and care for her and neglecting its duties to report the sexual assaults to law enforcement.

She previously sought $1 million in damages from the district before filing the federal lawsuit, The Herald previously reported.

The district denied it mishandled the students reports in its January 2023 response to the federal lawsuit. The district said it took reasonable steps to stop the reported harassment, that the assault allegations contained in the students lawsuit were not reported to the administrators and that the conduct that was reported to them was not considered abuse or neglect under state law.

Resources

 Brigid Collins Family Support Center: 360-734-4616, brigidcollins.org

Brigid Collins Family Support Center professionals are on-call between 10 a.m. and 2 p.m., Monday through Friday, to answer questions about children, families, abuse prevention or treatment at (360) 734-4616.

 Child Protective Services: Washington state hotline for reporting child abuse and neglect, 866-829-2153.

 Domestic Violence & Sexual Assault Services: 24-hour Help Line: 360-715-1563, Email: info@dvsas.org.

 Lummi Victims of Crime: 360-312-2015.

 Tlils Taaaltha Victims of Crime: 360-325-3310 or nooksacktribe.org/departments/youth-family-services/tlils-taaaltha-victims-of-crime-program/

 Bellingham Police: You can call anonymously at 360-778-8611, or go online at cob.org/tips.

 WWU Consultation and Sexual Assault Support Survivor Advocacy Services: 360-650-3700 or wp.wwu.edu/sexualviolence/.

If you or a child is in immediate danger, call 911 and make a report to law enforcement.

To report child abuse or neglect call 1-866-END HARM.
Scott M. Dowling, of Providence, works in nonprofit management and human resources.

Brown University recently announced a plan to invest $150 million in Lifespan over the next few years. Last year, the Providence City Council approved payment-in-lieu-of-taxes (PILOT) agreements with four private higher-education institutions: Brown University, Johnson & Wales University, Providence College and the Rhode Island School of Design. These agreements could generate $223 million for the city over the next two decades, yet they come with credits that allow universities to reduce their financial contribution through development projects.

The combined endowments of these schools currently is about $7.6 billion, bringing into stark contrast the total value of the PILOT program contributions at less than 3% of the total value of their collective endowments.

In addition to the substantial funds available to them through their invested endowments, these universities are also major property owners in Providence, with combined property holdings estimated to be worth over $2 billion. If these properties and endowments were taxed at Providences commercial tax rate of approximately 3.85%, the annual property taxes alone would amount to around $77 million annually, and $1.54 billion over the life of the PILOT agreement.

However, these institutions contribute far less, with tens of millions of dollars in annual tax savings while pouring twice as much into fellow corporations as they do into the local community, further highlighting the financial advantages these universities and their partners enjoy at the expense of the local communitys needs.

More: Providence approves $600M budget. Here's what's new and what is changing.

The potential revenue from fully taxing the endowments and properties of these institutions would be substantial. Annually, the city and state could collect approximately $77 million from property taxes alone. Combined with the additional $15.6 million annually lost due to the recent Citizens Bank tax break, this would amount to nearly $93 million in potential revenue each year. This additional revenue could significantly enhance public services in Rhode Island.

We spend approximately $17,000 per student annually; the additional revenue could support the education of around 5,470 students or add an additional $3,800 per student to the Providence Public School District. This could improve education quality, reduce classroom sizes, and provide better resources and facilities for students and teachers.

More: Tax rebates for landlords keeping rent affordable? One proposal to stem the housing crisis.

Expanding health care services and coverage could also be achieved with this revenue. Recent updates to the state budget have included significant increases in Medicaid funding. The fiscal year 2023 budget includes $32.7 million for Medicaid reimbursement rate increases, with total Medicaid spending reaching $3.95 billion. An additional $93 million per year could drastically expand the state's commitment to improving public health services, addressing critical needs in the health care system, and increasing access to essential health services for underserved communities.

In addition to education and health care, we are all acutely aware of the housing and infrastructure crises in Rhode Island, both of which could be addressed by redirecting funds to support affordable housing projects and improve infrastructure. This would help alleviate homelessness, provide safe and affordable housing for low-income families; improve overall living conditions; enhance public safety, reduce traffic congestion and carbon emissions; and support economic growth in the hardest hit communities, such as East Providence.

Rhode Island politicians chomping at the bit to provide corporate tax breaks or not taking the initiative to pass legislation to access more funding for their local communities show who their true constituents are.

Our elected officials focus on enhancing the power and influence of wealthy entities detracts from the states ability to address critical issues such as education, health care, infrastructure and affordable housing.

Moreover, these decisions reflect a broader trend in Rhode Island government of policies shaped by the interests of a select few rather than the broader community. The emphasis on corporate welfare over public welfare raises significant concerns about the efficacy, reliability and corruptibility of our politicians.

Only by prioritizing community welfare over corporate welfare can the state ensure a prosperous and equitable future for all its residents.

This article originally appeared on The Providence Journal: Our elected officials focus on enhancing wealthy entities detracts from the states ability to address critical issues such as education.
The Republican National Convention featured top lawmakers and rising stars, famous entertainers rocking out and ripping shirts off and a former president who less than a week before had survived an assassination attempt. Media outlets spent gobs of money to cover the confab, deploying heaps of journalists to flood the zone with coverage.

The day after the convention ended, though, the race for the White House likely remains the same as when Republicans first swarmed Milwaukee on Monday.

President Joe Biden's campaign is still hanging by a thread amid calls from within his party for him to drop out, fueled by concern over his calamitous debate last month. Donald Trump, who had forecasted a more unifying tone after he was grazed by a would-be assassin's bullet Saturday, ended up giving a more typical speech, mixing details of last weekend's shooting with his standard grievances over immigration, his 2020 loss and more.

Such is life in a race between two men with virtually universal name recognition -- so long as it stays that way.

"Given the extraordinary, recent events, something as conventionalized as a convention may not move the needle, but Trump went into the convention with a lead and emerges with a lead, so they don't need it to," said Doug Heye, a GOP strategist and former top Republican National Committee official.

Already, the race has been shaken by seismic events. Biden had what was deemed a historically faulty debate performance, and Trump became one of the few federal, political candidates injured in an assassination attempt.

Polling has suggested that Trump received a bump after June's debate, and there haven't been enough public surveys released since Saturday to reveal how much the shooting changed the race.

Yet strategists in both parties said that history is the bar for what it would take to change the race.

PHOTO: Former President and 2024 Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump speaks during the last day of the 2024 Republican National Convention, in Milwaukee, July 18, 2024. (Brendan Smialowski/AFP via Getty Images)

MORE: Trump pitches unity but revives old grievances

Both Biden and Trump have been in the public eye for decades, and both men have served in the highest-profile political position in the world. Voter opinions of each are largely formed already, raising the standard of what it would take to spark any significant polling fluctuations.

To be certain, there has been noise along the way. Besides this week's convention and the selection of Ohio Sen. JD Vance as Trump's running mate, Trump was convicted on 34 felony counts, Biden's son was also convicted on felony gun charges, protests rocked the country over the war in Gaza and more.

Still, polls barely budged.

"I think that this race at this point is so dug in, it takes what are akin to earthquakes to change anything," said Jon Reinish, a Democratic strategist and former Senate aide.

There was widespread speculation that the Republican convention would make a hefty splash heading into Monday.

Trump was set to announce his vice-presidential pick, a process that had sucked up an intense amount of political and media oxygen, and his ear was still bandaged less than 48 hours after surviving the attempt on his life.

Beyond the raw politics, the event was also not without its fanfare.

Lee Greenwood repeatedly sang his "God Bless the USA" anthem, conservative media personality Tucker Carlson gave an unscripted stemwinder of a speech, and wrestler Hulk Hogan tore off his shirt to reveal a Trump-Vance tank top.

Trump then gave his keynote remarks Thursday night, opening the speech with the harrowing details of Saturday's shooting before drifting into the meandering grievance rhetoric that has been characteristic of most of his campaign rallies so far. He blasted the "invasion" at the southern border, called former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi "crazy" and accused his political opponents of "cheating on elections."

And after his team advertised ahead of time that he would not mention Biden by name, Trump appeared unable to help himself.

"If you took the ten worst presidents in the history of the United States, think of it, the ten worst, added them up, they will not have done the damage that Biden has done. Only going to use the term once, Biden. I'm not going to use the name anymore, just one time. The damage that he's done to this country is unthinkable," Trump said.

MORE: DNC readies to move forward with virtual roll call Biden nomination despite concerns

The remarks indicated a candidate and campaign largely unchanged -- even while ascendant -- and that the race would continue to see the same kind of rhetoric that's characterized the campaign trail for months.

"I didnt think it made a difference. If you watch that convention, you already got your mind made up," said Chuck Rocha, a Democratic strategist who worked on Sen. Bernie Sanders', I-Vt., 2020 presidential campaign. "The shooting probably had a bigger impact. But most of America has made up its mind."

That doesn't mean the way the convention went is without a shred of significance.

The RNC left some Democrats relieved that Trump's remarks veered away from solely focusing on unity, arguing that doing so could have put more daylight between him and Biden in the polls, even as they admitted the president likely currently trails.

"Overall, it doesnt change anything, but they missed an opportunity to put this out of reach," one former senior Trump administration official said of Trump's speech.

"No, I dont think the convention changed the fundamentals," added one source familiar with the Biden campaign's strategy. "A less MAGA VP pick and a more unifying message from Trump may have, but they opted to double down on MAGA and division."

The RNC was a raucous, charged party. It likely doesn't change the race: ANALYSIS originally appeared on abcnews.go.com
Road closures around Mar-a-Lago began Saturday, will last until at least after election day

Road closures around former President Donald Trump's Mar-a-Lago Club began early Saturday morning and will last at least through election day on Nov. 5, according to the Florida Department of Transportation.

The closures have begun earlier and will extend farther north than previously announced, taking town residents and drivers by surprise.

FDOT closed South Ocean Boulevard, also known as State Road A1A, beginning at 5 a.m. Saturday, a spokesman said Friday. The town soon after confirmed the update in an alert sent to residents.

The indefinite closure extends from South Ocean's intersection with South County Road in the north, to the traffic circle with Southern Boulevard just south of Mar-a-Lago, he said.

The closure applies to vehicles, pedestrians and cyclists, he said, adding that those who live between South County and Woodbridge roads will only be able to access their properties from the north. Law enforcement and fire rescue vehicles will be able to access from both the south and north, he said.

This map created by Palm Beach shows where South Ocean Boulevard will be closed beginning 5 a.m. Saturday, July 20, through at least the Nov. 5 general election.

The Palm Beach Police Department previously announced that the closure would extend from Woodbridge Road just north of Mar-a-Lago to the traffic circle, and that it would begin at 4 p.m. Saturday.

While FDOT said the closure is "indefinite," Palm Beach Police said it would last through the Nov. 5 general election "at a minimum."

"The U.S. Secret Service has made this decision, neither Town Officials nor the Town Council," Palm Beach said in its Friday alert. "The Town is working closely with the U.S. Secret Service to minimize the impacts of this road closure. The Town plans to pursue legal options to ensure that the road remains open in the absence of the protected person(s) in residence."

Trump, the Republican nominee for president, was shot Saturday evening as he spoke at a campaign rally in Butler, Pa. Three others were shot, including one who died and two who were injured, Pennsylvania officials said. The gunman, 20-year-old Thomas Matthew Crooks, was shot and killed by the Secret Service.

A U.S. Secret Service vehicle sits outside the main gate of former President Donald Trump's Mar-a-Lago Club in Palm Beach, along South Ocean Boulevard, on July 19. The Palm Beach Police Department announced Thursday that South Ocean next to Mar-a-Lago will closed effective 4 p.m. July 20, through at least the general election on Nov. 5.

The closure is necessary "due to enhanced security measures involving Mar-a-Lago and U.S. Secret Service-protected persons," the alert from Palm Beach Police said. Mar-a-Lago is Trump's primary residence.

The road closing plan caught town officials off-guard.

Palm Beach Police spokesman Capt. Will Rothrock said the department learned of the planned road closure earlier Thursday.

Council member Bridget Moran said Thursday she understands the need to protect Trump while he is in town, but she expressed concern about potential traffic impacts the road closure could create.

"This will put pressure on our already over-burdened roads," she told the Daily News. "It is my hope that we explore any options to alleviate this burden and be understanding of the situation."

People including members of the Florida Department of Transportation, the Palm Beach County Sheriff's Office and the U.S. Secret Service gather outside of former President Donald Trump's Mar-a-Lago Club near the roundabout at the east end of Southern Boulevard on the morning of July 19. The roundabout will serve as the southern point of an indefinite closure that will extend north along South Ocean Boulevard to South County Road, the Florida Department of Transportation said Friday.

Town Manager Kirk Blouin said Palm Beach plans to explore those options beginning next week, telling the Daily News the town would be unable to shut down the road indefinitely "unless we're ordered to."

"If there's a protectee in residence, it makes sense," he said. "If there's no one there, I don't understand the road closure at this moment. I don't know the information that the government may have, or if it's a knee-jerk reaction. But for this weekend, it will be closed, and we're going to get more information next week. We're going to challenge the permanent road closure. And we'll try to work, obviously, with the federal government. We think anyone, regardless of political affiliation, should have the necessary protections to keep them safe. But we've got to have other options."

Blouin said the town plans to request a letter from the Secret Service ordering the closure of South Ocean Boulevard.

"Absent a protectee being in Mar-a-Lago, we're not willing to shut the road down," he said. "That's my opinion. The council may decide otherwise."

Council member Lew Crampton, a South End resident, said he was opposed to permanent road closures around Mar-a-Lago and would support efforts to discuss alternatives with the Secret Service.

"Road closures are understandable when (Trump) is in residence," he said. "We went through all of this when he was president, and we certainly can go through it again, no question. But it isolates the South End, because we have to cross a bridge and visit West Palm Beach before we can get to downtown."

Mayor Danielle Moore also expressed concerns about closing down South Ocean Boulevard near Mar-a-Lago when Trump was not there, telling the Daily News she has heard from numerous residents who were opposed to those plans.

"I certainly understand why the Secret Service has reacted that way after the tragedy of last weekend," she said. "That being said, just speaking of logistics, I have some questions about what the purpose is of closing South Ocean Boulevard when there's nothing out there but water. I have more concerns coming from the west side of Mar-a-Lago. The chief of police has obviously been working very closely with the Secret Service, and I think the plan may change. There may be an alternative down the line. But at the moment, it would be considered, in my mind, making an already bad traffic situation a thousand times worse."

"The safety and security of our protectees is the U.S. Secret Services top priority," a Secret Service spokesperson said in an emailed statement to the Daily News. "Out of concern for operational security, the Secret Service does not discuss the means and methods used for our protective operations."

Past closures lasted days, weeks  not months

The closure announced Thursday and set to take effect Saturday is different from the closures when Trump was in office from 2017 to 2021, when officials would close South Ocean Boulevard as Trump arrived at his Mar-a-Lago residence, and reopen the road when he departed.

Then, the longest closures were typically when Trump and his family would gather at Mar-a-Lago for Christmas and New Years.

Trump's frequent visits to Palm Beach as president meant frequent road closures that frustrated some residents and town officials. This will be the first road closure of its length next to Mar-a-Lago, and the first since the town experienced exponential growth in traffic following an influx of new residents and visitors since the COVID-19 pandemic.

When Trump in 2019 declared Mar-a-Lago to be his permanent residence  it for decades was his home in Trump Tower in Manhattan  some neighbors opposed the move, saying that Trump could not live there based on a Declaration of Use agreement he signed with the town in 1993 to convert the private residence to a private club.

Then-Town Attorney John Randolph, who retired last year, said in May of 2021 that the agreement did not ban Trump from living at the club, and that under the town's zoning code, Trump could live at Mar-a-Lago as a "bona fide employee."

The neighbors who opposed Trump living at Mar-a-Lago cited security concerns and a potential for lower property values.

More security measures added

While Trumps post-White House stays at Mar-a-Lago have not continued to prompt closures of South Ocean, the Secret Service has continued to look for ways to protect a former president who essentially lives in a fishbowl.

The club is open to its members and their guests, along with members of the public who attend events held at the National Historic Landmark, which during Trump's four years in office played host to weddings, fundraising galas, ladies' lunches and more.

Mar-a-Lago stands up to its name, which means "ocean to lake," in that it has two waterfront property lines along the Intracoastal Waterway to the west and the Atlantic Ocean to the east. When Trump was in office and visiting Palm Beach, the U.S. Coast Guard limited and closely monitored boat traffic in both bodies of water adjacent to Mar-a-Lago.

Adding to that challenge are two busy roads, South Ocean and Southern boulevards, that run along the property. South Ocean cuts a north-south line between the main Mar-a-Lago property and the beachfront club, and Southern runs east-west along the club's southern boundary.

The Secret Service and Mar-a-Lago in May of 2023 received approval to build a guardhouse at the club's main entrance on South Ocean Boulevard, with the federal agency citing a need for better, more permanent protections for the former president and his family. The guardhouse also would provide protection for the Secret Service agents who screen each entrant to the property, the agency told the town.

Construction of a new guardhouse for the U.S. Secret Service can be seen beyond the hedges at former President Donald Trump's Mar-a-Lago Club on July 19 in Palm Beach.

The approved guardhouse design includes materials that are resistant to explosions and bullets, officials told the Town Council during the plans review.

As part of the council's approval of the guardhouse, Palm Beach officials required Mar-a-Lago, its security team and the Secret Service to work with the town to redo the outdated traffic management plan for the club, which did not take into account the added security of a former president in residence, or the increased number of attendees at events that are booked at Mar-a-Lago.

The traffic management plan's details, approved by the council in May, included elements that relied upon the South Ocean Boulevard entrance. It's unclear what effect the closure will have on that plan.

Secret Service scrutinized for protection

Since the attempted assassination at the July 13 rally, the Secret Service has been scrutinized by some federal officials and politicians for a perceived lack of action, after several reports indicated that the shooters presence at the rally was known.

The Southern Boulevard gate to former President Donald Trump's Mar-a-Lago Club is guarded by the Secret Service on Friday.

Security at Trumps properties reportedly has been under review, and Trumps campaign sent a memo to staffers telling them to avoid campaign offices in West Palm Beach and Washington, D.C.

The announcement about the road closure was made just hours before Trump was slated to speak during the final night of the Republican National Convention in Milwaukee, Wisconsin.

Trump has not been to Palm Beach since the shooting. After he received medical care for a bullet wound to his right ear, Trump spent several days at his club in Bedminster, N.J., before traveling to Wisconsin for the convention.

Additional security also was reported at Trump Tower in New York City Saturday evening.

This article originally appeared on Palm Beach Daily News: Road closures, detours at Mar-a-Lago club in Palm Beach until election
Watch part two of ROTTEN below

PAGELAND, S.C. (QUEEN CITY NEWS)  You couldnt tell it from the outside, but for the past year, the Pageland Chamber of Commerce building was a war zone. That war turned into a civil lawsuit last year, captioned Foard v. Pageland Chamber of Commerce.

In December 2023, Ethan Foard filed a lawsuit, asking the Chesterfield County courts to rip apart whatevers left of the Pageland Chamber, a nonprofit with a mission to promote Pageland and its businesses.

Former Pageland Chamber of Commerce President Timothy Griffin calls out on a two-way radio during the opening day of the 2023 Watermelon Festival in downtown Pageland, S.C. Griffin is accused of stealing from the nonprofit he ran for six years. (WJZY Photo/Jody Barr)

Ethan Foard, a Pageland business man and elected official, started his own investigation into the Pageland Chamber of Commerce and its finances last year. Foards pursuit of those records has led to a S.C. Law Enforcement Division investigation and a lawsuit accusing former Chamber president Timothy Griffin of theft. (Source: WJZY Photo/Jody Barr)

Foard is a Pageland businessman who was a member of the Chamber when he sought the judicial dissolution after Chamber president Timothy Griffin resigned in August 2023. Foard said the board of directors had also disbanded by late 2023.

The war wasand isbetween Ethan Foard and Timothy Griffin. Foard said hed grown suspicious of the chambers finances and, in late spring, started questioning cash transactions between Griffin and vendors who set up shop during the Watermelon Festival, the towns annual tourist draw. The vendors and the Chamber share in the revenues from amusement rides and the Chamber sells a truckload of T-shirts from the summer tradition.

Watch the final of ROTTEN below

In June 2023, Foard began demanding board meeting minutes, financials, the nonprofits IRS 990 filings, and accounting from Griffin in writing and in person. Those demands led to recorded phone calls with Griffin that revealed the riftmore like a canyonthat ended the friendship between the men.

The Chamber and Griffin are now under a S.C. Law Enforcement Division investigation. The Chamber has now sued its former president. And Timothy Griffin has moved halfway across the country.

READ: Chehalis, WA police reports on the 1989 American Red Cross theft prosecution of its former Executive Director, Timothy Aldridge-Deane, now known as Timothy Griffin:

89B3775-RPTS_RedactedDownload

Our investigation has uncovered a 35-year-old arrest warrant out of Chehalis, Washington, for Timothy Griffin, who was known as Timothy Aldridge-Deane back then. The allegations against Griffin in Pageland mirror the theft case out of Washington state.

Griffin pleaded guilty to felony theft from his tenure as the Executive Director of the Lewis County, Washington, chapter of the American Red Cross. Griffins boss accused him of forging checks, and an internal audit showed he used Red Cross checks to pay his own rent, utilities, child support, phone bill, purchase furniture, and multiple other expenditures marked as unknown in the case file.

Griffin also took the Red Cross Cadillac and pleaded guilty to one count of Taking a Motor Vehicle Without Permission, which carried a maximum penalty of 5 years in prison and/or a $10,000 fine.



















This series of photographs depicts the 1979 Cadillac the Lewis County, WA, Red Cross Chapter told Chehalis Police that Timothy Griffin stole when he abruptly resigned in July 1989. Documents showing the results of an internal audit are also contained above showing unauthorized expenditures Griffin made from the chapters checking account. (Source: Chehalis Police Department)

Griffin pleaded guilty to felony theft from the 1989 case. After he was sentenced to pay more than $12,000 in restitution to the Red Cross and to report to his community supervision officer, the case file shows Griffin did not do what the judge ordered, and his community supervision officer couldnt find him. The judge issued a bench warrant for his arrest and law enforcement entered Griffins name into the National Crime Information Center as a wanted man. Chehalis Police confirmed to Queen City News just this week that that warrant is still active today, more than 30 years after the Lewis County Superior Court issued it.

The warrant does not carry an extradition request, which means if Griffin ever returns to Washington state and law enforcement finds out, hell be arrested and will have to serve the jail sentence imposed on him in 1991.

This March 11, 1992, order was signed by a Lewis County, Washington, judge after Timothy Aldridge-Deane, now known as Timothy Griffin, failed to submit to the sentence imposed on him for stealing money and a car from the American Red Cross chapter in Chehalis, Washington, in 1989. (Source: Lewis County Superior Court)

Timothy Griffin would not communicate with us about any of the Washington state or the Pageland allegations. Griffin said hed sent a statement earlier this week, but he never did.

Hes now accused of using Chamber money to have his Porsche repaired, withdrawing $50,000 in cash from the Chambers bank account between 2021 and 2023, and making personal Amazon purchases using the Chambers debit card.

A civil filing clocked into the Foard lawsuit this week by an attorney representing the Pageland Chamber of Commerce accuses Griffin of misappropriating tens of thousands of dollars of money held by a nonprofit organization and used said funds and assets for personal use and gain, according to the complaint filed on July 16, 2024, in the Chesterfield County courthouse.

07162024-FOARD-V-GRIFFIN-COMPLAINTDownload

Griffins use of Chamber funds and assets was reckless, wanton, and with complete disregard to the rights and interest of the Chamber and its members. Attorney Adam C. Gainey, a Hartsville attorney, wrote in the complaint against Griffin. Griffin, who now lives in Tulsa, Oklahoma, has 30 days after hes served with the lawsuit to file an answer. It could be the first time Griffin explains his defense of the allegations in public.

What happened in Pageland over the last 12 months is truly rotten. Rotten for the town. Rotten for the powerful public relations force that the Pageland Chamber of Commerce once was. Rotten for the friendships that are no more.

And rotten for the reputation of a small town that bills itself, The Perfect Slice of Rural America.

Queen

QCN Investigations

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For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to Queen City News.
EL PASO, Texas (KTSM)  The Village of Ruidoso is reporting flash flooding on Saturday afternoon, July 20, according to the Villages Facebook page.

The Upper Canyon, Cedar Creek and Brady Canyon areas, as well as the area around the Rio Ruidoso, are being impacted and anyone in those areas is being asked to seek higher ground immediately, according to the Village of Ruidoso.

The National Weather Service has extended the flash flood emergency for the Ruidoso area until 6 p.m. Saturday, according to the Village.

This is a dangerous and life-threatening situation. Do not attempt to travel unless you are leaving an area that is subject to flooding, according the Village of Ruidoso.

The White Mountain Relief Center at 687 Hull Road (White Mountain Sports Complex) is open for anyone that has been displaced by the flash flooding Saturday afternoon. They have shelter and food.

At Ruidoso Downs, stakes races scheduled for Saturday, including the Grade 1, $800,000 Rainbow Derby and several New Mexico-bred stakes races, were canceled Saturday after floodwaters once again damaged the racetrack, Ruidoso Downs Race Track and Casino said in a news release.

Races for Sunday have been canceled while repair and clean-up continues, the news release stated.

Racetrack management will determine Sunday if the stakes races missed this weekend can be rescheduled at a later date.

Last month, the Ruidoso and Mescalero Apache areas were hit by two large wildfires, the Salt South Fork wildfires, and then several days of flash flooding after 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 KTSM 9 News.
Russians attacked Ukrzaliznytsia's (Ukrainian Railways) infrastructure, injuring four of the company's employees overnight on 20 July. In particular, the railway contact network at the exit from Kharkiv was damaged, causing some trains to be delayed.

Source: press service of Ukrzaliznytsia

Details: The Kyiv-Kharkiv trains No. 63 and No. 719 were waiting for the aftermath to be remedied, and the traffic resumed at night.

In addition, the InterCity train to Kramatorsk and back is delayed. Ukrzaliznytsia noted that some passengers would wait for trains, while backup minibuses would take others.

As of the morning of 20 July, Ukrzaliznytsia noted that trains to Kramatorsk were still awaiting permission to continue their route and, therefore, would arrive with a significant delay. The same applies to the return train from Kramatorsk, which will depart later.

Background:

On the night of 19-20 July, Russians attacked Ukraine's energy facilities using UAVs, causing power outages in Chernihiv and Poltava oblasts.

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Russia attacks Ukraine with four Iskander missiles and 16 Shahed UAVs: 13 drones destroyed

Ukrainian air defence units shot down 13 of the 17 drones and none of the four missiles launched by Russia on the night of 19-20 July.

Source: Ukraine's Air Force

Details: Reports indicate that the Russians targeted Ukraine with three Iskander-M surface-to-surface ballistic missiles from Voronezh Oblast, one Iskander-K cruise missile and 16 Shahed loitering munitions from Kursk Oblast, and one UAV of an unspecified type.

The Russian forces attacked Kharkiv, Poltava, Sumy, Chernihiv and Kyiv oblasts.

Ukrainian air defence units shot down 13 aerial targets:

- 12 Shahed 131/136 attack UAVs;

- 1 UAV of unspecified type.

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Russia is debating arming Yemen's Houthi rebels with anti-ship missiles, US intelligence has said.

It likely comes in response to Biden approving Ukraine's use of US weapons on Russian soil.

Russia has previously voiced its outrage over US and UK strikes on the Houthis.

Russia is weighing arming Yemen's Houthi rebels with advanced anti-ship missiles, US intelligence agencies have warned, according to The Wall Street Journal.

The move is likely in response to Biden quietly green-lighting Ukraine's use of US-supplied weapons on Russian territory, per the report.

Last month, Middle East Eye reported that Saudi Arabia had already talked Russia out of providing anti-ship cruise missiles to the Houthis. US officials now believe that Moscow is renewing its push to arm the rebels, The Journal reported.

The White House hopes to dissuade Russia from sending the arms by using a third country as an intermediary, the outlet added, citing unnamed US officials.

Russia has previously voiced its outrage over US and UK strikes against the Iran-backed Houthis, which began in response to the militant group's targeting of Red Sea shipping.

The group has attacked ships in the region with missiles and drones since October as part of a campaign that aims to put pressure on Israel and the West over the war in Gaza.

Between October 17 and the start of May, the Houthis attacked commercial vessels at least 53 times while threatening naval vessels in dozens of additional incidents, according to a Congressional Research Service report.

Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov said in January that Russia condemned retaliatory US and UK strikes on Yemen, saying they were "illegitimate" under "international law."

The Dwight D. Eisenhower Carrier Strike Group had fired more than 500 munitions in total against Houthi drones, missiles, and targets in Yemen as of May, as Business Insider previously reported.

Despite these efforts, there are concerns that the US isn't doing enough to combat such attacks.

One administration official told The Journal that US Central Command had been told to come up with more potential targets for future strikes.

Business Insider has reached out to both the US Department of Defense and Russia's Defense Ministry for comment.

The USS Carney battling Houthi missiles and unmanned aerial vehicles in the Red Sea in October. US Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist 2nd Class Aaron Lau

The Houthis have already acquired a number of anti-ship munitions in the past.

The International Institute for Strategic Studies, a London-based think tank, said in a January report that Houthi forces have possessed anti-ship missiles "for almost a decade now, using them to harass military and commercial maritime traffic."

The rebels acquired their first anti-ship missiles in late 2014 and early 2015 when they took control of northern Yemen, the think tank report said.

These missiles included the nearly obsolete Soviet-era P-21 and P-22, as well as the Chinese C-801, it added.

"It is unclear if they remain operational or how many they possess," it continued. "More critically, though, the Houthi forces have gotten their hands on new, better equipment since those early acquisitions.

Cooperation between Russia and the Houthis is growing

Earlier this year, the Houthis reportedly said they would not target Russian or Chinese ships passing through the Red Sea and Gulf of Aden.

In March, Houthi political bureau member Ali al-Qahoum said there is "a constant cooperation and development of relations between Yemen, Russia, China, and BRICS states, as well as an exchange of knowledge and experience in various areas."

"This is necessary to drown America, the US, and the West in the mire [the crisis] around the Red Sea, to get them bogged down, weaken and become unable to maintain the unipolarity," he added.

Read the original article on Business Insider
Russia is spending millions to create a new generation of militant Putin clones

Russia is spending millions to create a new generation of militant Putin clones

Russia is indoctrinating its youth with nationalistic, imperialist ideology.

One college fraternity says it is building "the future elite of Russia."

Experts told BI that Russia's system of patriotic education is to ensure Putinism remains long after the leader's death.

For years, Russia's youth has been fed hardline nationalistic ideology as the Kremlin has sought to engineer a new generation of Putin clones.

In July last year, Sergei Novikov, a senior Kremlin official, said that Russia was fighting three wars  a war on the frontlines in Ukraine, an economic war, and an ideological war "for the minds of young people."

The Russian government has taken significant steps to win that battle for young minds by pumping money into so-called "patriotic education."

The Kremlin is set to allocate around 45.85 billion rubles (roughly $520 million) toward "patriot projects" in 2024, Russia's RBC daily reported last year.

State-run youth groups have also dramatically increased in size since Russia launched its full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022.

The "Movement of the First" group, which aims to provide Russian children with the "education of a citizen and a patriot," was launched by Russian President Vladimir Putin in 2022. It had just shy of 5 million members as of January this year, Russian officials have said.

The group's head said it had opened around 40,000 offices across Russia as of December 2023, per Russia's state-run TASS news agency.

Ian Garner, a historian and analyst of Russian culture and war propaganda, believes such figures indicate that scenes of young Russians fleeing the country, spoiling ballot boxes, and publicly protesting are "ancient history."

"Russia knows that that generation is probably never going to become super ideological," Garner said.

So instead, "Russia is piling huge amounts of money and resources, and has been for the last decade, into creating a highly ideologized, highly nationalized younger generation."

Mikhail Komin, a visiting fellow with the Wider Europe program at the European Council on Foreign Relations, told BI that new "ideological subjects" introduced in Russian schools and universities will likely lead, in the next decade, to a generation of Russian youth that will "share conservative values" and be "much more anti-Western."

'Fraternity of the Academics'

One of the most conservative Russian college fraternities is the "Fraternity of the Academics."

The Academics frat opposes Ukrainian statehood and views Russia as a "third Rome"  the idea that the country, led by Moscow, is the successor to the former Roman capitals of Rome and Constantinople  and "a unique civilization, distinguished from others by its special spiritual and historical mission."

"Russia," a line on the fraternity's website reads, "does not end anywhere."

Nikita Izyumov, a coordinator for the Academics, told BI that they "openly and explicitly promote Imperial ideals in society."

"We inherit the ancient imperial tradition of the first Rome and the new Rome, which accept Christ," he added.

The organization is sponsored by the West-sanctioned Russian billionaire Konstantin Malofeyev, the owner of the nationalist Tsargrad media network.

The Fraternity of the Academics uses a website, social media, and a YouTube channel to attract potential recruits.

The frat said in January that it had around 1,000 members across 28 regions of Russia.

Izyumov said the Academics had a presence in "almost every major university in Russia."

For its part, the Kremlin is "wary of working directly with [Tsargrad and the Fraternity]," Komin said. "It considers them too radical."

Russian paratroopers in Moscow in 2011. DMITRY KOSTYUKOV/AFP via Getty Images

The various Academics fraternity cells are largely similar in style, though some display more extreme behavior than others.

The Chelyabinsk cell, for example, is one of the more extreme variants, publishing anti-immigrant news, memes that attempt to demean members of the LGBTQ+ community, and writing disparagingly about local feminists.

But the Academics' marginal status has meant that its main acts have largely involved "denouncing certain artists or activists as 'anti-Russian' on social media and getting concerts canceled," David Lewis, a professor of politics at the University of Exeter, told BI.

Preparing to fight in Ukraine

"One of the tasks of the Academics is to train defenders of the Fatherland," Izymov said.

They learn drone control skills, weave camouflage nets, make trench candles, and even conduct masterclasses for students on how to make an army dry shower.

"A man in Russia has always been a warrior, it was the case 1000 years ago and will be the case in another 1000 years," Izyumov said. "If an academic decides to go to the front, we give him all the necessary support."

The UK's Ministry of Defence has confirmed that some members of the Fraternity have already gone to fight in Ukraine.

Creating the next generation of Putin clones

According to the UK's MoD, the existence of such a movement shows that "there is a constituency in Russia for a more militant approach towards both the war on Ukraine and the West."

The department says that this will likely impact the "generational turnover that is likely to take place in the Russian administrative elites over the rest of this decade."

The Academics organization says it will form "the future elite of Russia."

But the government wishes to "avoid the rise of a powerful ultra-patriotic movements that could become a future threat to the regime," Lewis said.

"On the one hand, the Kremlin wants to see more of this kind of 'patriotic' civil society, but it also wants to make sure it remains under strict political control," he added. It's all part of "a much bigger campaign to target the next generation of Russian youth."

Russian President Vladimir Putin. ALEXANDER NEMENOV via Getty

Though not huge, what organizations like the Fraternity of the Academics provide is the "illusion of choice," Garner said.

Young people might participate in the youth army, they might participate in a much smaller club like the Fraternity of the Academics, he continued. "But when you strip back the layers, they're really all disseminating the same messages that are highly charged with this nationalist, hateful ideology."

Young people are made to feel that if they want a successful career, or want to participate in civil society, they have "no option but to participate in some manifestation of these organizations," Garner added.

It is an attempt to keep Putinism alive even after the leader is dead and buried. "Putin isn't essential to the Putinist project," he said.

Read the original article on Business Insider
Russia's Rostov Oblast was targeted by a drone attack overnight, Governor Vasily Golubev claimed on July 20.

Rostov Oblast borders Ukraine's Donetsk and Luhansk oblasts, and frequently comes under drone attack, according to the local authorities.

"In the north of the Rostov Oblast, air defense forces destroyed more than 10 drones," Golubev said on Telegram at around 3 a.m. local time.

The governor later wrote on Telegram that more than 26 drones had been downed overnight.

The Russian Defense Ministry blamed Ukraine for the attack and said that 26 drones had been downed overnight over Rostov Oblast. The Kyiv Independent could not verify Russia's claims.

According to the Crimean Wind Telegram channel, a fire broke out at the Millerovo air base as a result of the attack.

The channel shared a video originally published on a Telegram channel for local Rostov news, which described the video as showing "two large fires after an attack by the Ukrainian Armed Forces in the Millerovsky district."

The Kyiv Independent could not verify the video.

Read also: Russian forces attack energy facility in Sumy Oblast

Weve been working hard to bring you independent, locally-sourced news from Ukraine. Consider supporting the Kyiv Independent.
Russian forces launched an attack against Sumy Oblast overnight on July 20, damaging an energy facility in the Konotop district.

According to the Sumy Oblast Military Administration, a Russian drone strike damaged the energy infrastructure. Reports of power outages in the region have not been announced.

Emergency crews are currently on scene and are investigating the extent of the damage.

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.

Due to dwindling energy supplies caused by Russian attacks, 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.

Read also: Ukraine war latest: Ukraine aims to end hot stage of war by end of 2024, Zelensky says

Weve been working hard to bring you independent, locally-sourced news from Ukraine. Consider supporting the Kyiv Independent.
Four civilians sustained injuries in Donetsk Oblast on Saturday, 20 July, as a result of Russian attacks.

Source: Anastasiia Miedviedieva, spokeswoman for the Donetsk Oblast Prosecutors Office, in a comment for Ukrainska Pravda

Details: Russian forces shelled the village of Yampil at 12:00 today, injuring a 40-year-old man who was just outside of his house at the time of the attack.

The Russians also attacked the city of Lyman, injuring a 42-year old man; they likely deployed FAB-250 guided air-dropped bombs.

Russian forces also deployed an FPV drone to strike a gas station in the Selydove hromada at 16:10 today. A 45-year-old man sustained injuries and was treated.

Russian forces also attacked the city of Toretsk. According to early reports, they dropped several KAB-250 bombs on the city, damaging residential buildings and injuring a 71-year-old woman. She was hospitalised.

Several residential houses, outbuildings, and a garage were damaged in Russian attacks across Donetsk Oblast today. Pre-trial investigations have been initiated under Art. 438.1 of the Criminal Code of Ukraine (violation of the laws and customs of war).

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The investigation into the assassination of Ukrainian language professor and former lawmaker Iryna Farion is considering all possible theories, "including the one that leads to Russia," President Volodymyr Zelensky said on July 20.

Farion died in a hospital in Lviv on the evening of July 19, hours after being shot by an unidentified attacker. She was 60 years old.

"All the necessary forces of the National Police of Ukraine and the Security Service of Ukraine have been deployed to search for the criminal," Zelensky said.

Surveillance cameras are being examined, witness interviews are ongoing, and investigators are working across several districts of Lviv, Zelensky added.

Interior Minister Ihor Klymenko said that some of the security cameras near the scene of the crime were turned off due to scheduled power outages, complicating the police investigation.

"We are appealing to everyone who can provide the investigation with additional information," Klymenko said.

According to Klymenko, the main theories are that Farion was murdered due to her public and political activity or due to personal hatred. Investigators are also looking into the possibility that the assassination was a contract killing.

Farion was known for her controversial statements on the use of the Russian language in Ukraine. She joined the ultranationalist party Svoboda in 2005 and served as a member of the parliament between 2012 and 2014.

Farion had been reinstated as a professor at the Ukrainian language department at Lviv Polytechnic University in June 2023, after being fired for sparking outrage due to her public omments on the Ukrainian language. In November 2023, she said that she couldn't call Ukrainian soldiers Ukrainians if they spoke Russian.

The scandal around Farion's statements escalated after she allegedly received a message of support from Maksym Hlebov, a pro-Ukrainian student living in occupied Crimea.

She published the email, including his full name and contact information, on her social media, after which received harsh criticism for putting the boy in danger. Hlebov was interrogated by the Russian occupation authorities in Crimea and forced to apologize on camera.

Ukraine's Security Service (SBU) said in November 2023 that Farion was under criminal investigation both for her statements about Russian-speaking soldiers and for publicizing the message from Hlebov.

Read also: Who was Iryna Farion, the nationalist professor-politician assassinated in Lviv?

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Filip Pronin, the Head of Poltava Oblast Military Administration, has reported that the Russians attacked two districts in Poltava Oblast, with a number of hits recorded.

Source: Pronin on Telegram

Quote: "The enemy has attacked our oblast again. There are hits in the Poltava district. Information about casualties is being clarified."

Details: Pronin also said that civilian infrastructure in the Myrhorod district was also damaged. Early reports indicate that there were no casualties.

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UK Defence Intelligence notes that Russia's main offensive efforts along the war zone in Ukraine are focused on the Avdiivka front.

Source: UK Defence Intelligence review dated 20 July on X (Twitter), as reported by European Pravda

Details: UK intelligence reports that Russia continues to conduct offensive operations in several parts of the war zone simultaneously.

"It is likely that the Avdiivka-Pokrovsk sector in Donetsk Oblast remains the Russian main effort and consequently has seen the highest operational tempo by Russian forces over the last month," the review says.

UK Defence Intelligence noted that the Russians continued to advance north and west of the settlement of Ocheretyne towards the town of Pokrovsk. On the same front, they made minor advances into the village of New-York, a well-fortified area, the last point of the war zone that existed before Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022.

There were no major advances near the town of Chasiv Yar. There have been reports that large-scale assaults by Russian infantry have ceased over the past few days and that Russian forces are operating primarily in scattered small infantry units.

"Russian forces in this area are likely taking a tactical pause while conducting probing attacks and reconnaissance activity," the review notes.

Background:

In a review dated 16 July, UK Defence Intelligence analysed how Russia is trying to prevent potential recruits from escaping the country.

Estonian intelligence stated that Russia maintains the intensity of attacks on the battlefield despite significant losses and the gradual supply of Western weapons to Ukraine.

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As the Sacklers were devastating Washington with opioids, Ferguson was fighting back | Opinion

Ferguson has led on opioids fight

In the beginning of my teaching in eastern Oregon (1978), I observed former students playing sports. If injured, they were given Tylenol (example) and later I might attend their wedding. In 1998 came opioids and later the funerals.

Many drug deaths happened. When the book, Dreamland, came out (2015), I read it immediately. It chronicles the spread of addiction from pills, to meth to black tar heroin.

Dreamland was an eye opening exploration of the American opioid crisis and the complex web of factors that led to its devastating impact. Many families were living through what Quinones described.

Bob Fergusons name became known to me as I researched because he was this gutsy Washington attorney general who knew the Purdue pharma causing the opioid crisis wasnt a meat plant. A brilliant strategist, Ferguson was on top of the Sacklers deceit, the tar heroin, and city gangs distributing.

He did not become a millionaire from Purdue donations like a powerful Oregon House of Representatives member.

Bob Ferguson was aware, involved and showing courage to support families devastated by addiction. Bob Ferguson will make an outstanding governor as he stands up to evil.

Sally Sundin, Walla Walla

Smiley is wrong about Newhouse

Tiffany Smileys claim that Congressman Dan Newhouse is silent on the Snake River Dams is a desperate and egregious lie.

I worked for Congressman Newhouse for over seven years, so I am deeply familiar with his record. Hes worked to pass countless bills to protect the Snake River Dams, hosted town halls for constituents to express their support for them, testified in committees with jurisdiction over them, grilled administration officials on their secret plans to remove them, and gone on offense against politicians on both sides who have taken aim at them.

This is common knowledge in Central Washington, but anyone who doesnt believe me could use any search engine and be met with seemingly endless articles and stories showing how tirelessly he works on just this one issue.

Dan Newhouse is a man of integrity, one of the hardest-working people I have ever met, and he fights for the issues that matter to us in Central Washington.

While I supported Tiffany Smiley for U.S. Senate in 2022, I have lost all respect for her. Its clear she will say anything to get elected. Such people are dangerous, self-seeking, and should be nowhere near the halls of power.

Derek Flint, Ellensburg

Climate change or heat wave?

Our latest heat wave has brought high temperatures to the Tri-Cities commonly experienced by Las Vegas residents decades ago.

Imagine what our summer weather would be like if climate change were real.

Mark Sweeney, Richland

Isaacson is right for District 16

I am a Walla Wallan and retired veteran. It is my pleasure to lend support and vote for Kari Isaacson to be our new District 16 State Senator.

Kari is a dynamic individual who will be an excellent public servant. Karis professional career in the corporate and non-profit arenas provides an experience base that will benefit all in our region.

Her work centered on helping people and communities through identifying needs and delivering realistic solutions. I have personally served on committees with Kari.

She is a leader who listens attentively, grasps the issues and delivers pragmatic, moderate and effective solutions. Practical, Moderate and focused on the future with outstanding integrity.

Richard Best, Walla Walla

Support international students

As Nelson Mandela International Day approaches on July 18, its important to reflect on the value of international, intercultural high school exchanges in fostering peace and understanding. Nelson Mandela championed these ideals, and at AFS-USA, we continue his legacy by promoting active global citizenship through transformative intercultural experiences.

With over 75 years of dedication, AFS-USA brings well over a thousand high school students from more than 80 countries to communities across the United States annually. Here in the Tri-Cities students in the past three years have lived with host families, attended local schools, and engaged in community life, enriching our cultural fabric and fostering lasting bonds.

International high school students offer fresh perspectives, volunteer in local projects, and build friendships that transcend borders, leaving a positive impact on both them and their host communities. As we honor Nelson Mandelas legacy, we invite everyone to join us in nurturing compassionate, globally-minded leaders by hosting a student or volunteering with AFS-USA.

Liz Carosella, Othello

AFS Volunteer
Sacramento police detained a suspect Saturday after a standoff that occurred when he barricaded himself in a big rig in the River District, armed with a metal pole.

The suspect was also wanted for a burglary of a nearby business, Sacramento Police Department spokesperson Officer Anthony Gamble said.

Police shut down the 500 block of Richards Boulevard between Sequoia Pacific Boulevard and North 7th Street while officers worked to end the standoff earlier Saturday afternoon. The suspect had, at first, refused to get out of the truck as non-lethal rounds were fired on him, Gamble said. The man eventually surrendered and was arrested.

No other information was provided about the standoff or when it began.
[Watch in the player above: Ohio State Highway Patrol releases five-year report on road fatalities]

CLEVELAND (WJW)  State troopers and local police are now being more vigilant for drivers on a local interstate who are speeding and who arent wearing their seat belts.

Gov. Mike DeWine earlier this week announced the launch of the states first Speed & Seat Belt Safety Corridor on a dangerous 8-mile stretch of Interstate 90 between East 55th Street and East 260th Street.

I-Team: Cuyahoga County jail inmate dies

About a third of all crashes there since 2021 involved a motorist who was unbuckled, and more than 400 crashes there since 2021 involved speeding, according to the release.

State troopers there have handed out more than 450 tickets for speeding and more than 700 citations for seat belt violations.

Officers and troopers are constantly encountering drivers on this section of I-90 who are driving recklessly with no care for their own safety or the safety of others, DeWine is quoted in the release. Were giving this stretch of I-90 extra attention because many of the fatal and severe-injury crashes here could have been prevented with lower speeds and seat belts.

The effort involves the Ohio State Highway Patrol, the Ohio Department of Transportation and police from Cleveland, Euclid and Bratenahl, according to the release.

Motorists can expect no tolerance speeding and seat belt enforcement as well as new signage reminding them to buckle up and watch their speed.

Ohio bill advanced to observe daylight saving time permanently

Though drivers and front-seat passengers are required to wear seat belts in Ohio, only about 84% of them actually do  72% in Cuyahoga County  which is below the national average, according to a 2023 state survey.

Nearly two-thirds of all fatal crashes statewide since 2021 involved an unbuckled motorist, according to the release. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration estimates wearing a seat belt can cut the risk of injury by about half.

Not wearing a seat belt is a secondary offense in Ohio, meaning drivers cant be pulled over just for that.

Its not about issuing tickets, its about saving lives, DeWine said. By buckling up, you are much more likely to survive a car crash or walk away with minor injuries.

Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. 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.
NOTE: Guest has since been found by the Marin County Sheriffs Department.

SAN FRANCISCO (KRON)  The San Francisco Police Department is searching for a missing man. Kelley Guest, 76, has not been seen since Sunday.

Guest was last seen on the 1000 block of Chestnut Street at 2 p.m. Sunday. He is known to frequent the 1600 block of Pine Street, police said.

He is described as a white man who stands 5-foot-9 and weighs 170 pounds with gray hair and brown eyes. His current clothing is unknown.

Anyone who sees Guest is asked to call 911 and report his physical description and location. Anyone with information about where he might be should call SFPDs Tip Line at (415) 575-4444 or text a tip to TIP411 and begin the text message with SFPD.

Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. 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.
SAN MIGUEL COUNTY, Colo. (KDVR)  Crews in San Miguel County have been busy tackling five mudslide incidents on Highway 145 this past week alone.

We had a very large mudslide, earlier this week, said Sgt. Lance Masters with the San Miguel County Sheriffs Office. Yesterday, we had three different mudslides all along Highway 145 in a fairly short period of time. Id almost qualify that in saying that there was kind of a fourth one in that; one of the mudslides yesterday slid again during the cleanup process.

Grassland fire near I-70 in Lawson prompts evacuation order

Usually, this is around when their monsoon season hits, and just looking at how things are going, the sheriffs office said they can expect more mudslides in the next few days. As they look ahead to the weekend, Masters is reminding the community to be cautious when traveling to and from Telluride on Highway 145.

Its important to make sure somebody knows where you are and where youre going in case something does happen like you get swept up off of the road, Masters said.

He said its also important to be vigilant when driving, and if you do see a mudslide happen, stop and call 911.

I wouldnt suggest trying to navigate the slide because you dont know what youre getting into next and you dont know what the conditions may be, Masters said.

He said mudslides can also trigger large boulders to fall which could hit your car, and proceeding through the slide, no matter how deep or how fast, could cause you to become swept off the road.

San Miguel County crews have tackled five landslides on Highway 145 this past week alone (Credit: San Miguel County Sheriffs Office).

San Miguel County crews have tackled five landslides on Highway 145 this past week alone (Credit: San Miguel County Sheriffs Office).

San Miguel County crews have tackled five landslides on Highway 145 this past week alone (Credit: San Miguel County Sheriffs Office).

San Miguel County crews have tackled five landslides on Highway 145 this past week alone (Credit: San Miguel County Sheriffs Office).

In Colorado, going off the road, especially in the western half of the state, is a really, really bad thing.

Patience requested by drivers stuck on Highway 145

Once crews have arrived on the scene, the No. 1 thing Masters emphasizes is patience.

I think all too often when were commuting, when were trying to get home, when were trying to get to our destination, we sometimes prioritize that mission above our own safety, he said.

See the latest traffic conditions in Denver on FOX31

On Thursday, Masters supervised the mudslide cleanup and witnessed something similar, where people attempted to go around the impasse using their own routes and detours.

Going around and trying to find a detour when we have an approved one is just going to jeopardize you, he said.

In fact, Masters said beyond the first slide, there were several more that drivers would get stopped behind.

Well, that creates problems because we need to facilitate the logistics of the sweepers, of the front end loaders of CDOT and Road and Bridge going to and from so they can clean everything up and now all the sudden I have 70 cars that have lined up, Master said.

Once the rain starts again in a situation like that, he said suddenly it becomes a hazard.

Now, I have people that are actually in the slide zone that I have to get out of there.

Other things that go along with that, he said, are staying up-to-date by following their Facebook page, instead of flagging down crews who are working.

Were stretched thin already in these incidents, Masters said. When youre honking your horn at us, if youre waving us down, you know, we want to make sure that no one is having an emergency in there and to field these questions which are just not important in that moment you are going to slow it down.

Wildflower hikes, places to see Colorados blooms in late July

In the meantime, Masters said this all comes down to safety and getting the road open in an efficient manner.

Be patient. Trust that were doing everything that we can as efficiently as we can to get you on your way, but we also have to be mindful of your safety and our safety as well as the safety of our CDOT and Road and Bridge employees.

Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. 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.
Sandra Hemme walks out of prison in Chillicothe, Mo., after 43 years. Photo courtesy of the Hemme legal team

July 20 (UPI) -- Sandra Hemme walked away from a Missouri prison and into the welcoming embrace of her family members Friday evening after serving 43 years for a 1980 murder she didn't commit.

Hemme, 64, was released at about 5:50 p.m. CDT from the Chillicothe Correctional Center, which is about 90 miles east of Kansas City, Mo.

Attorney Sean O'Brien escorted Hemme from the prison and to members of her family gathered outside the prison.

Hemme's time is prison was the longest that a wrongfully convicted woman has served in the United States, according to the National Registry of Exonerations.

"We are grateful that Ms. Hemme is now, finally, reunited with her family after 43 years," Hemme's legal team, which included the Innocence Project, said. "She has spent more than four decades wrongfully incarcerated for a crime she had nothing to do with. Tonight, she is surrounded by her loved ones, where she should have been all along. We will continue to fight until her name is cleared.

Sandra Hemme was released from a Missouri prison at 5:50 p.m. after serving 45 years for a 1980 murder that she didn't commit. Photo by the Innocence Project

Hemme, a young mentally ill woman, was under the effects of strong prescription drugs when law enforcement investigators questioned her several times about the murder of Patricia Jeschke in St. Joseph, Mo.

Many have since concluded a former police officer who died many years ago likely murdered Jeschke.

"Police exploited her mental illness and coerced her into making false statements while she was sedated and being treated with antipsychotic medication," the Innocence Project told media.

Her conviction was based on the false statements coerced by St. Joseph Police Department investigators who ignored evidence pointing to St. Joseph Police officer Michael Holman, who died in 2015, the Innocence Project said.

No witnesses connected Hemme to the victim, murder or the crime scene, and Hemme had no motive to murder Jeschke, according to the Innocence Project.

The organization said only evidence against her were the false statements that police extracted from Hemme while she "was being treated at the state psychiatric hospital and forcibly given medication literally designed to overpower her will."

Officials at the Innocence Project said the St. Joseph Police Department "hid evidence implicating one of their own."

Evidence showed officer Holman used Jeschke's credit card a day after her murder, his truck was parked her home during the time she was murdered and investigators found her earrings at Holman's home.

Livingston County Presiding Judge Ryan Horsman overturned the conviction against Hemme, which the Missouri Supreme Court later upheld.

"It would be difficult to imagine that the state could prove Ms. Hemme's guilt beyond a reasonable doubt based on the weight of the evidence now available that ties Holman to this victim and crime and excludes Ms. Hemme," Horsman said in his ruling overturning Hemme's conviction.
Sanford zoo releases over 600 amphibians in Northern Florida

The Central Florida Zoo & Botanical Gardens helped relocate 618 striped newts in Northern Florida.

The zoos Orianne Center for Indigo Conservation worked with other conservation organizations to release the threatened species.

The Apalachicola National Forest is now home to the striped newts, as it was in the early 2000s.

Over 160 of those newts were hatched and raised at the OCIC.

Read: Florida Aquarium challenges people to go plastic-free this month

The amphibians were reintroduced in an area where they disappeared.

These populations only exist in 106 ponds in Florida.

Striped newts face threats from fire, drought, cars and habitat loss.

Central Florida Zoo & Botanical Gardens OCIC and partners released over 600 striped newts in Northern Florida to re-establish threatened species.

Central Florida Zoo & Botanical Gardens OCIC and partners released over 600 striped newts in Northern Florida to re-establish threatened species.

Central Florida Zoo & Botanical Gardens OCIC and partners released over 600 striped newts in Northern Florida to re-establish threatened species.

Central Florida Zoo & Botanical Gardens OCIC and partners released over 600 striped newts in Northern Florida to re-establish threatened species.

Central Florida Zoo & Botanical Gardens OCIC and partners released over 600 striped newts in Northern Florida to re-establish threatened species.

Central Florida Zoo & Botanical Gardens OCIC and partners released over 600 striped newts in Northern Florida to re-establish threatened species.

Central Florida Zoo & Botanical Gardens OCIC and partners released over 600 striped newts in Northern Florida to re-establish threatened species.

Central Florida Zoo & Botanical Gardens OCIC and partners released over 600 striped newts in Northern Florida to re-establish threatened species.

Central Florida Zoo & Botanical Gardens OCIC and partners released over 600 striped newts in Northern Florida to re-establish threatened species.

Central Florida Zoo & Botanical Gardens OCIC and partners released over 600 striped newts in Northern Florida to re-establish threatened species.

Central Florida Zoo & Botanical Gardens OCIC and partners released over 600 striped newts in Northern Florida to re-establish threatened species.

Central Florida Zoo & Botanical Gardens OCIC and partners released over 600 striped newts in Northern Florida to re-establish threatened species.

Read: ZooTampa goes the extra mile to keep animals cool during summer heat

The Amphibian Foundation, the Detroit Zoo, and the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission also participated in the release by breeding newts, which comprised some of the population released.

This release marks a critical step in our mission to restore striped newts to their former range, said Steven Greene, lead protected species technician at the Central Florida Zoos Orianne Center for Indigo Conservation. When there are so few of a species left in the wild, every healthy animal we can restore is a win. Even animals as small as the striped newt play a vital role in the functioning of a healthy native habitat.

Click here to download our free news, weather and smart TV apps. And click here to stream Channel 9 Eyewitness News live.
Santa Monica Pier And Mothers Beach Among Most Polluted Waters In California

Heal the Bays annual Beach Report Card, which assigns A through F grades based on bacterial pollution levels, has named the landmark Santa Monica Pier beach and Mothers Beach in its top ten of most polluted beach waters.

Santa Monica Pier is plagued by roosting bird droppings and urban runoff, coming in ranked third on the list. Mothers Beach suffers from very poor water circulation leading to chronic bacterial exceedances, placing it ninth.

More from Deadline

The report assesses 700 Pacific Coast beaches from Washington to Baja. This year saw an overall quality decline across the state, attributed to winter storm runoffs.

The city of Santa Monica has wrestled for years with poor water quality at the Pier, the report noted. Californias 20th century water infrastructure was not designed to address the challenges faced by climate change in the 21st century.

Out of the water, the news was no better.

The Santa Monica Police Department is investigating a group assault that forced the early closure of the Santa Monica Pier on July 14.

The incident began on July 14 with an illuminated drone show near the Santa Monica Pier at about 9 p.m.

After the show, smaller groups headed onto the Pier. There, a 14-year-old boy was attacked.

Police report that the boy was transported to a nearby hospital. The police shut down the Pier a half-hour earlier than its usual closing time of 11 PM.

Santa Monica MPD said additional disturbances were reported at 4th and Colorado as the group moved east.

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WHO says Europe must keep fighting HIV and AIDS

An HIV lab test is selected on a screen in the Checkpoint BLN lab. Jens Kalaene/dpa

The World Health Organization (WHO) is calling for a resolute fight against HIV and related stigma in Europe, ahead of an international AIDS conference that opens in the southern German city of Munich on Monday.

While the numbers of new infections and deaths are rising in Europe, the epidemic situation varies greatly across the region, WHO regional director Hans Kluge told dpa.

"The situation in the European region is one of dramatic contrasts," the Belgian national noted.

He said some countries had almost entirely stopped the transmission of HIV and were on the verge of being able to say that the end of AIDS was in sight. In others, meanwhile, death rates remained unacceptably high.

Late-stage HIV diagnoses remain a problem today, according to Kluge, who said that urgent action was needed to address the widespread stigmatization of those affected, as this was hindering progress.

He expressed hope that the World AIDS Conference starting in Munich on Monday will bring the issue back into sharper focus.

"The conference is also taking place at a time when the topic of HIV/AIDS seems to have disappeared from the radar in many parts of the world," he said.

He mentioned talk of "AIDS fatigue," after the topic had once played a far larger role worldwide. Amid the range of health challenges being tackled now, the WHO regional director said there was no room for complacency in the fight on HIV and AIDS.

The WHO European region includes around 50 countries, including many to the east of the European Union. According to Kluge, about three million people live with HIV in this region, of an estimated 39 million worldwide.

According to the latest HIV/AIDS report by WHO Europe and the European disease control agency ECDC, more than 110,000 people in the region were diagnosed with HIV in 2022. This represents a slight increase compared to 2021 but a significant decrease compared to the pre-Covid year of 2019.

The report said that a large share of the diagnoses in 2022 were made in the eastern part of the region, with the highest per capita rates in Russia, Ukraine and Moldova.

According to the WHO/ECDC report, the number of reported AIDS-related deaths in Europe continued to decline from 2021 to 2022. However, the WHO has said the latest modelling calculations indicate increasing numbers of fatalities and new cases, including undiagnosed cases.

Overall, the world has come a long way in the fight against HIV and AIDS, Kluge said. For decades, an HIV diagnosis was equivalent to a death sentence for millions of people, before antiretroviral therapy proved to be a "game-changer."

Between 2000 and 2021, the global number of new HIV infections had fallen by a whopping 49%, and HIV-related deaths by as much as 61%, according to Kluge.

"The fight against HIV/AIDS is both a success story and a cautionary tale," said Kluge. In the case of Europe, the journey was not yet over, he noted - and not due to a lack of resources, but because of intolerance and stigma.

The 25th international AIDS conference takes place in Munich from July 22 to 26. The organizers expect an estimated 15,000 participants from around the world.
A campaign billboard for Gov. Spencer Cox on I-15 in Salt Lake County on Thursday, June 6, 2024. | Jeffrey D. Allred, Deseret News

The nonprofit Scenic Utah, led by former Salt Lake City Mayor Ralph Becker, has sent a letter to the Federal Highway Administration and the Utah Department of Transportation listing 29 billboards across the state that it finds to be illegal or nonconforming.

The group alleges Utah billboard companies are not complying with the Utah federal agreement on outdoor advertising and are using the Utah Advertising Act to contradict federal law and create an unfair advantage for their industry.

We think that our research has shown that the statutes that are governing outdoor advertising in Utah are some of the most billboard-friendly in the country, Scenic Utah Co-Director Kate Kopischke told the Deseret News. Were not anti-advertising, but the billboard situation in Utah is completely out of control, and no ones enforcing and so thats really been our advocacy with the Federal Highway Administration.

The nonprofit, whose stated mission is to protect and enhance the scenic qualities of our communities, landscapes and roadways around the state, is trying to remove billboards from blocking Utahs picturesque views.

Utah has attributes in its landscapes, but also in the communities that are visually very appealing, Becker, who is head of the nonprofits board of directors, told the Deseret News editorial board in a recent meeting. But (the landscapes) are corrupted too often by the visual blight of billboards or huge power lines.

Former Salt Lake City Mayor Ralph Becker, Scenic Utah, meets with the Deseret News editorial board in Salt Lake City on Monday, July 8, 2024. | Jeffrey D. Allred, Deseret News

A nonconforming billboard means it was originally installed legally but does not meet laws or regulations after it was installed.

The Deseret News contacted both the Utah Department of Transportation and the Federal Highway Administration about the claims made by Scenic Utah.

FHWA conducts regular reviews of state outdoor advertising programs as part of general oversight responsibilities under the Highway Beautification Act, a spokesperson for the highway administration said via email. A review of UDOTs advertising control program is currently in progress. We have heard from Scenic Utah and continue to work with all parties, including the state, on any concerns.

John Gleason, the director of public relations at UDOT, added, We are following all state and federal regulations regarding outdoor advertising and will continue to work with the FHWA to ensure compliance moving forward.

A set of Reagan Billboards under dispute by Scenic Utah stand just off of I-15 in Orem on Tuesday, July 16, 2024. | Scott G Winterton, Deseret News

Beauty vs. business

Dewey Reagan, president and general manager of Reagan Outdoor Advertising  the largest outdoor advertiser from Ogden to Provo  said his company goes to great lengths to ensure procedures are followed correctly and legally.

Were very, very careful about doing that. In fact, Reagan just paid approximately $66,000 in annual permit fees to UDOT about a month ago, he told the Deseret News. We get permits on every sign we build.

He emphasized that outdoor advertisers are continually trying to balance commercial interests with the preservation of Utahs scenic beauty.

Its something that we focus a great deal of time and energy on, Reagan and YESCO both. All of us are constantly looking at ways that we can improve the aesthetics of the product and the technology thats being employed, he added.

The tricky part is that when a city enacts a new, stricter code, all existing signs are rendered nonconforming, and the citys administration of the new regulations can vary significantly.

One of the obstacles to that is that when you have signs that are nonconforming and were erected at the time the Highway Beautification Act was passed or became nonconforming (after), its a problem, Reagan said. Because we would like to improve the way those signs look, but were limited in what we can do when a sign is nonconforming.

Salt Lake City is not allowing the construction of any new billboards, and so in many respects, every billboard in Salt Lake is nonconforming because it cant be moved, cant be adjusted. So nonconforming status is very, very common, YESCO Executive Vice President Jeff Young said.

Illegal, nonconforming or simply an eyesore, Scenic Utah shared polling on its website, showing that the general public is not in favor of outdoor advertising.

The 2019 poll conducted by the American Institute of Applied Politics found the following statistics, according to Scenic Utah:

Seventy-five percent of Utahns agreed with this statement: Billboards are a total eyesore in our community and they have no redeeming value.

Seventy-nine percent of Utahns disagreed with this statement: Billboards are simply a form of advertising, no better, no worse than any other form of advertising.

Eighty percent of Utahns disagreed with this statement: Billboards are an important source of information in our community.

But just because some people wish there were fewer billboards, its not clear what can be done about it. With some exceptions, a person doesnt have to remove a commodity from their property just because others find it unappealing. The Fifth Amendment grants every property owner due process of law.

When people say, take your billboards down, because we hear that, theres a pretty simple response, Young explained. In America, we actually own property, and you cant just tell somebody, I dont like that gas station on the corner, move it, take it down or go somewhere else.

We stand alongside everyone else in this country who enjoys the freedom and the flexibility and the benefit of owning property.

Utah: A billboard-friendly state

Former first lady Lady Bird Johnson quoted Winston Churchill and built on his remarks when she said, First we shape our buildings, and then they shape us. The same is true of our highways, our parks, our public buildings, and the environment we create. They shape us.

In 1965, led by his wife, President Lyndon B. Johnson worked with lawmakers to enact the Highway Beautification Act.

I want to make sure that the America we see from these major highways is a beautiful America, President Johnson said when announcing the initiative that would limit outdoor advertising across Americas growing highway system.

Utah, with its five national parks, many state parks, mountains with ski resorts, salt flats and red-rock canyons is arguably one of the most geographically stunning states in the country.

Running north to south, Utahs I-15 is a drive that does not lack in scenery  the Wasatch Mountain range, the Great Salt Lake and billboards.

In 2022 out-of-home spending increased 11% to $1.9 billion nationwide. Sixty-five percent were local advertisers, per Positively Outdoor. Estimates show that 80% of small businesses would lose business by more than 18% without billboards.

When it comes to starting a business, You have a much higher chance when you open a business of failing than you do succeeding, and that little bit of additional revenue that comes in from your advertising can make all the difference, Young said.

Youngs grandfather, Thomas Tom Young, who founded YESCO in 1920, used to say, Signs are one of the cornerstones of the free enterprise system.

As of yet, neither the Federal Highway Administration nor UDOT has deemed any of the 29 billboards identified by Scenic Utah as illegal or nonconforming. It has been more than a year since the nonprofit submitted its official complaint.

We dont know if theyre going to say everythings fine or if theyre really looking at some major violations, Kopischke said. Weve been waiting for a very long time.

Billboards line the road in Salt Lake City on Monday, July 8, 2024. | Jeffrey D. Allred, Deseret News
As a scholar, he's charted the decline in religion. Now the church he pastors has closed its doors

FILE - Pastor Ryan Burge, an associate professor of political science at Eastern Illinois University and author of "The Nones," poses for a portrait at at First Baptist Church in Mt. Vernon, Ill., Sept. 10, 2023. (AP Photo/Jessie Wardarski, File)

They gathered one last time on Sunday  the handful of mostly elderly members of First Baptist Church in Mt. Vernon, Illinois.

The members, joined by well-wishers, said the Lord's Prayer, recited the Apostle's Creed and heard a biblical passage typically used at funerals, To everything there is a season ... a time to be born, and a time to die. They sang classic hymns  Amazing Grace, It Is Well With My Soul and, poignantly, God Be With You Till We Meet Again.

Afterward, members voted unanimously to close the church, a century and a half after it was created by hardscrabble farmers in this southern Illinois community of about 14,000 people.

Many U.S. churches close their doors each year, typically with little attention. But this closure has a poignant twist.

First Baptist's pastor, Ryan Burge, spends much of his time as a researcher documenting the dramatic decline in religious affiliation in recent decades. His recent book, The Nones, talks about the estimated 30% of American adults who identify with no religious tradition.

He uses his research in part to help other pastors seeking to reach their communities, and hes often invited to fly around the country and speak to audiences much larger than his weekly congregation.

But it's no academic abstraction. Burge has witnessed the reality of his research every Sunday morning in the increasingly empty pews of the spacious sanctuary, which was built for hundreds in the peak churchgoing years of the mid-20th century.

Its this odd thing, where Ive become somewhat of an expert on church growth, and yet my church is dying, said Burge, a political science professor at Eastern Illinois University. A lot of what I do is trying to figure out how much I am to blame for whats happened around me.

Burge, 42, started leading the congregation in 2006, when there were about 50 people on a good Sunday, he recalled. In the years since, he's earned his doctorate and begun working as a professor. He's gained a wide online and print readership, in part by converting dense statistical tables into easy-to-comprehend graphics on religious trends.

All this time, he's continued to pastor the small church.

Im willing to admit that Im not as good as I could be or should be as a pastor, he said. But Im also not willing to admit that its 100% my fault. If you look at the macro level trends happening in modern American religion, its hard to grow a church in America today, regardless of what your denomination is. And a lot of places have way more headwinds than tailwinds.

The church's American Baptist denomination is part of a cluster of so-called mainline denominations  Episcopal, Methodist, Presbyterian, Lutheran and others that were once central in their communities but have been dramatically shrinking in numbers. The nation's largest evangelical denomination, the Southern Baptist Convention, has also been losing members.

While there's no annual census of U.S. church closures, about 4,500 Protestant churches closed in 2019, according to the Southern Baptist-affiliated Lifeway Research.

Scholars say churches dwindle for various reasons  scandal, conflict, mobility, indifference, lower birth rates, members shifting to a church they like better. To be sure, most Americans remain religious, and some larger churches are thriving while many smaller ones dwindle. Some surveys suggest that the long rise of the nones has slowed or paused.

But the nonreligious are far more common today than a generation ago, in the U.S. and many other nations.

If Billy Graham would have been born in 1975 instead of 1918, I dont think he would have been as successful, because he hit his peak right as the baby boom was taking off and America was really hungry for religion, Burge said.

Things are particularly challenging where communities are shrinking, such as the Rust Belt and rural areas.

Burge hopes his research, and his personal experience, can offer some consolation to other pastors in similar circumstances.

This is not all your fault, he said. You know, in the 1950s, you could be a terrible pastor and probably grow a church because there just was so much growth happening all across America. Now it doesnt look like that anymore.

Gail Farnham, 80, has seen that trajectory of church life first-hand.

Her family began attending First Baptist Church when she was 5. Her parents quickly got involved as volunteers and never looked back," she recalled. Like many American families in the '50s, they joined during the booming rise in church involvement. First Baptist peaked at about 670 members by mid-century, leading to the construction of a large new sanctuary and a suite of Sunday School classrooms.

Farnham went on to raise her own children in the church, and as the congregation's moderator, she continued to hold a top leadership role.

First Baptist has had its share of schisms and controversies in the past, but it largely followed the typical arc of many Protestant churches, thriving in the 1950s and only gradually losing sustainability. The Sunday before its final service, eight worshippers attended. This Sunday's attendance of about 40 was swelled by former members and others, gathering for the momentous final service.

The remaining, primarily older members, found a new mission in recent years despite the uncertain future. They joined a program to provide bag lunches for needy schoolchildren. At one point they were providing 300 meals per week.

The closure is bittersweet, Farnham said.

Its something weve seen coming," she said. Its not a surprise. Were thankful weve been able to serve and meet a need in the community. We turned from being a church saying, Oh me, oh my, what are we going to do?' to being a church that said, 'Were going to serve as long as we can with the best we can."

Now everyone, Burge included, will be looking for a new church. I have been preaching every Sunday since August of 2005 and I need to be a member of a church for a while, not up front, he said.

___

Associated Press religion coverage receives support through the APs collaboration with The Conversation US, with funding from Lilly Endowment Inc. The AP is solely responsible for this content.
(NEXSTAR)  Summer is in full swing, meaning many kids are out of school. Even if you arent handling school drop-offs or pick-ups lately, you may still find yourself driving through a school zone, coasting past some version of a sign warning you to reduce your speed.

Those signs, prominent with their bright yellow SCHOOL notice, are hard to miss. Yet you may be more inclined to disregard them during summer  school is out anyway, right?

You could, however, still get a ticket, even on a hot Tuesday in the middle of July. It all depends on what your sign says and who is around.

No dog pee signs are everywhere. Can they be enforced?

According to the City of Madison, Wisconsin, for example, the reduced speed limit applies whenever children are going to or from school, whenever kids are within the sidewalk area or near the school, or at an intersection/mid-block crosswalks marked with a sign.

That, as well as signs like the one below that read when children are present, would mean the school zone speed limit is in effect whenever children are trying to cross the street, or on the sidewalk.

A school speed limit sign indicates that its enforceability when children are present. (Getty)

When school is in session and students are at recess, the school zone speed limit does not apply, at least in Appleton, Wisconsin, the Appleton Post Crescent previously reported, citing now-retired Sgt. Dave Lund of the Appleton Police Department. He added that the school zone is enforceable during normal school hours  considered to fall between about 7 a.m. and 4 p.m. on weekdays  in the school year.

Since much of June, July, and August would fall outside the normal school year, the school zone speed limits would, generally speaking, not be enforceable.

There are two main exceptions: when summer school is being held and, as mentioned above, when children are present.

If there are kids present, you can assume that school is in session and the reduced speed limits are in effect, Mike Lawton, the now-retired chief of police in Republic, Missouri, previously explained to the Springfield News-Leader.

No engine braking: What do these roadway signs mean?

If your area has signs accompanied by flashing lights warning you to slow down, like the sign seen below, you should adhere to that.

A traffic sign, accompanied by flashing lights, displaying the 20 mph speed limit near a school in Zion National Park. (Getty)

Your municipality may also include the times when the school zone is enforced to further ease your qualms. They may be vague, like 7 AM TO 6 PM SCHOOL DAYS, or more detailed, with multiple time frames indicating when the reduced speed limit is in effect.

Sign indicating school zone speed limit of 15 mph, as well as enfocement times. (Cropped; via Getty)

School zone speed limit sign in Miami, Florida. (Getty)

In most places, youll also see a sign that tells you when the school zone has ended. These are often less flashy compared to the signs warning a school zone has started.

Stuck at a red light? You may need to let it know youre there

After passing this sign, you can return to the speed limit posted prior to the school zone, unless otherwise noted.

A sign marking when the school zone has ended. (Cropped; via Getty)

Some cities, like New Orleans, deactivate traffic cameras  which can record traffic violations and send tickets to the address listed for a license plate  in their school zones during the summer. In others, including a handful in Georgia, the cameras will remain on when summer school is in session.

Regardless of where youre located or when youre driving, authorities recommend reducing your speed in school zones, especially when children or other pedestrians are around.

Even if a school zone speed limit may not be enforceable right now where youre driving, those rules will undoubtedly be back in action when students return to class in just a few short 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 WFRV Local 5 - Green Bay, Appleton.
(NEXSTAR)  Summer is in full swing, meaning many kids are out of school. Even if you arent handling school drop-offs or pick-ups lately, you may still find yourself driving through a school zone, coasting past some version of a sign warning you to reduce your speed.

Those signs, prominent with their bright yellow SCHOOL notice, are hard to miss. Yet you may be more inclined to disregard them during summer  school is out anyway, right?

You could, however, still get a ticket, even on a hot Tuesday in the middle of July. It all depends on what your sign says and who is around.

No dog pee signs are everywhere. Can they be enforced?

According to the City of Madison, Wisconsin, for example, the reduced speed limit applies whenever children are going to or from school, whenever kids are within the sidewalk area or near the school, or at an intersection/mid-block crosswalks marked with a sign.

That, as well as signs like the one below that read when children are present, would mean the school zone speed limit is in effect whenever children are trying to cross the street, or on the sidewalk.

A school speed limit sign indicates that its enforceability when children are present. (Getty)

When school is in session and students are at recess, the school zone speed limit does not apply, at least in Appleton, Wisconsin, the Appleton Post Crescent previously reported, citing now-retired Sgt. Dave Lund of the Appleton Police Department. He added that the school zone is enforceable during normal school hours  considered to fall between about 7 a.m. and 4 p.m. on weekdays  in the school year.

Since much of June, July, and August would fall outside the normal school year, the school zone speed limits would, generally speaking, not be enforceable.

There are two main exceptions: when summer school is being held and, as mentioned above, when children are present.

If there are kids present, you can assume that school is in session and the reduced speed limits are in effect, Mike Lawton, the now-retired chief of police in Republic, Missouri, previously explained to the Springfield News-Leader.

Newly arrived migrants encounter hazards of food delivery on the streets of NYC: robbers

If your area has signs accompanied by flashing lights warning you to slow down, like the sign seen below, you should adhere to that.

A traffic sign, accompanied by flashing lights, displaying the 20 mph speed limit near a school in Zion National Park. (Getty)

Your municipality may also include the times when the school zone is enforced to further ease your qualms. They may be vague, like 7 AM TO 6 PM SCHOOL DAYS, or more detailed, with multiple time frames indicating when the reduced speed limit is in effect.

Sign indicating school zone speed limit of 15 mph, as well as enfocement times. (Cropped; via Getty)

School zone speed limit sign in Miami, Florida. (Getty)

In most places, youll also see a sign that tells you when the school zone has ended. These are often less flashy compared to the signs warning a school zone has started.

The Olympics are coming to the capital of fashion. Expect uniforms befitting a Paris runway

After passing this sign, you can return to the speed limit posted prior to the school zone, unless otherwise noted.

A sign marking when the school zone has ended. (Cropped; via Getty)

Some cities, like New Orleans, deactivate traffic cameras  which can record traffic violations and send tickets to the address listed for a license plate  in their school zones during the summer. In others, including a handful in Georgia, the cameras will remain on when summer school is in session.

Regardless of where youre located or when youre driving, authorities recommend reducing your speed in school zones, especially when children or other pedestrians are around.

Even if a school zone speed limit may not be enforceable right now where youre driving, those rules will undoubtedly be back in action when students return to class in just a few short 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 Queen City News.
Seabrook police officer finds new partner in Hunter: He's 'got big paws to fill'

SEABROOK  Seabrook police officer Tyler Houldsworth has a new partner in his cruiser. His name is Hunter, and he has big paws to fill.

It was only four months ago that Houldsworth lost his partner and buddy, K9 Henry, the 7-year-old Belgian Malinois who had served Seabrooks Police Department and residents since 2017. Henry died suddenly of an extremely aggressive form of leukemia on March 22.

Seabrook police recently welcomed their new K9 Hunter, an energetic Belgian Malinois pup.

Despite his heartbreak, Houldsworth, with the support of his wife Alysha and his department, quickly made his way to a breeder in Oxbridge, Massachusetts, to pick up an 11-month-old Belgian Malinois pup named Hunter.

Houldsworth and Hunter started a 14-week training session at the Boston Police Canine Academy on April 1. They had their first official patrol together during the Fourth of July weekend.

It was tough for the first couple of weeks, Houldsworth said. But it helped a little going back to the basics with Hunter."

'It needs to be revitalized': Hampton Beach leaders back major Casino redevelopment

Seabrook pledges to keep K9 program alive after Henrys death

Houldsworth admits losing Henry was difficult, but the department has been very supportive.

The department leadership, he said, was also supportive of keeping the K9 program going.

When Henry died, we spoke with Tyler to see what he wanted to do, said Seabrook Police Chief Brett Walker. After losing Henry, we wanted to give him as much time as he needed to decide.

They told me if I didnt want to do it again, they understood; theyd find another officer, Houldsworth said. If I did, they said I could take as much time as I needed before finding a new dog. They were awesome.

Seabrook officer Tyler Houldsworth and his late partner K9 Henry, who died suddenly earlier this year.

Before making his decision, Houldsworth went home to discuss it with his wife, as there was much to consider about having a police dog in the family. The Houldsworths had just learned they were expecting their first child in November, and they also had another dog, Haven, to consider. Most importantly, having a working police dog at home imposes certain limitations on a family.

Once you have a working dog, its a lifestyle, Houldsworth said.

With his wifes approval, their only stipulation was that the new dog be trained and accustomed to its new environment before the baby arrived.

Once Walker gave the nod, Houldsworth contacted the Boston Police Canine Academy in search of a canine prospect. On March 29, just a week after Henrys death, Houldsworth picked up his new partner. Two days later, both were at the academy to begin the 14-week intensive training program for police dogs.

According to Walker, purchasing Hunter was a $9,000 investment, most of which came from cash Seabrook Police Department had seized from various criminal arrests, such as those of drug dealers and traffickers.

Houldsworth already has Henrys heated outdoor kennel for Hunter to move into, and the Boston Police Canine Academy is cost-free. Money for annual care and feeding was already budgeted, intended for Henry.

More: Seabrook selectman rebuked for campaigning against firefighters' contract

'Puppy at heart' on paw-trol at Seabrook PD

According to Houldsworth, Hunter passed certification in all patrol functions: tracking, apprehension, evidence recovery, building searches and handler protection. He said its still undecided whether to pursue other certifications in explosives or drug detection.

Hunters really still a puppy at heart, Houldsworth said. He was the youngest dog in the class. He has the puppy zoomies every now and then, but weve settled in. Once something clicks with Hunter, he dials right in.

Personality-wise, Hunters a completely different dog than Henry, Houldsworth said.

Henry was unique, Houldsworth said. He could do the (police) work, but Henry really just wanted to make you happy.

Houldsworth said Henry wagged his way into the hearts of most he met except perhaps the criminals he helped take into custody. He got along beautifully with the Houldsworths family dog and captured the affection of his veterinarians staff and a couple of Seabrook selectmen as well.

Hunters social too, Houldsworth said, but in a different way.

Hunters a ball of energy, Houldsworth said. Hes strong and super driven. He mainly wants to do the work.

Hunters also a much quieter working companion in the back seat of Houldsworths police cruiser.

Henry was a barker, Houldsworth said.

As for Houldsworths adjustment to the situation, he admits its not been easy losing one partner and gaining another so soon.

"Ill never have another Henry," he said. "But I havent really replaced him. Ive just moved on to a new experience with a different type of dog. He and I have an awesome relationship now, but Hunter has big paws to fill.

Seabrook heroes: Officers honored for life-saving actions

This article originally appeared on Portsmouth Herald: Seabrook police officer finds new partner in K9 Hunter
Sean Kingston and his mother, Janice Turner, are facing decades in prison after being indicted on wire fraud charges.

The rapper, whose real name is Kisean Anderson, and Turner both made their first appearances in Miami federal court Friday for their alleged involvement in a $1 million wire fraud scheme.

More from The Hollywood Reporter

They have each been charged with one count of conspiracy to commit wire fraud and five counts of wire fraud in connection with a scheme to defraud victim sellers of high-end specialty vehicles, jewelry and other goods purchased via fraudulent documents. If convicted, Kingston and Turner each face up to 20 years in prison on each count.

The United States Attorneys Office of the Southern District of Florida stated in its indictment that the defendants unjustly enriched themselves by falsely representing that they had executed bank wire or other monetary payment transfers. The office alleges that the payments never went through, resulting in the defendants obtaining $1 million in property despite non-payment.

The Hollywood Reporter has reached out to Kingstons representatives for comment.

Nearly two months ago, Kingston was arrested in California, several hours after a SWAT team raided his rented mansion in Southwest Ranches, Florida. At the time, the Broward County Sheriffs Office said the Beautiful Girls artist was taken into custody on a Florida warrant for numerous fraud and theft charges. His mother was also arrested that same day.

Following his arrest in May, Robert Rosenblatt, an attorney representing Kingston and his mother, told the Associated Press in an email, We are aware of some of the allegations being made against both of them. The statement continued, We look forward to addressing these in court and are confident of a successful resolution for Shawn and his mother.

Best of The Hollywood Reporter
Sean Kingston and his mother have been indicted in South Florida on federal charges of committing more than $1 million worth of fraud.

Kingston, 34, and his mother, 61-year-old Janice Turner, made their first appearances Friday (July 19) in federal court, according to court records. A Miami grand jury returned an indictment earlier this month accusing Kingston and his mother of participating in a scheme to defraud victims of high-end specialty vehicles, jewelry and other goods through the use of fraudulent documents.

More from Billboard

Kingston was booked into the Broward County jail on similar state charges last month following a May 23 arrest at Fort Irwin, an Army training base in Californias Mojave Desert where he was performing. Turner was arrested the same day as her son, when a SWAT team raided his rented mansion in Fort Lauderdale, Florida.

According to the federal indictment, Kingston and Turner falsely claimed that they had executed bank wire or other monetary payment transfers for high-end items when no such transfers had taken place. Investigators said Kingston and Turner then kept over $1 million worth of fraudulently purchased items despite not paying for them.

The warrants for the state charges say that from October to March, they stole almost $500,000 in jewelry, more than $200,000 from Bank of America, $160,000 from a Cadillac Escalade dealer, more than $100,000 from First Republic Bank and $86,000 from the maker of customized beds.

The Jamaican American performer had a No. 1 hit with Beautiful Girls in 2007 and collaborated with Justin Bieber on the song Eenie Meenie.

Robert Rosenblatt, an attorney for Kingston and his mother, didnt immediately respond to a message seeking comment from The Associated Press. He previously said they looked forward to addressing the charges and were confident of a successful resolution.

Kingston, whose legal name is Kisean Anderson, was already serving a two-year probation sentence for trafficking stolen property.

His mother pleaded guilty in 2006 to bank fraud for stealing over $160,000 and served nearly 1.5 years in prison, according to federal court records.

Best of Billboard
Reggae artist Sean Kingston and his mother are now facing federal charges for allegedly committing a fraud scheme that cost more than $1 million. The indictment, which came down earlier this month, follows Kingstons mansion being raided and the duo swept up in a state case for the same scheme.

On July 11, Kingston, whose legal name is Kisean Paul Anderson, and his mother Janice Turner were indicted on one count of conspiracy to commit wire fraud and five counts of wire fraud, district court records show.

Mother and son made their first appearance in federal court on Friday. Both paid their respective bonds and did not have to be jailed.

READ MORE: Sean Kingston, his mother arrested on multiple fraud charges after South Florida raid

According to the indictment, the pair masterminded a profitable wire fraud scheme from April 2023 to March.

It was the purpose of the scheme and artifice for the defendants and co-conspirators to unjustly enrich themselves by falsely representing that they had executed bank wire or other monetary payment transfers as payment for vehicles, jewelry, and other goods purchased by the defendants, the indictment read.

As the plan went, Kingston and Turner would make false wire transfers to purchase several expensive items. The businesses gave them the goods but didnt receive the money.

Some of their ill-gotten gains included $480,000 for two watches, $285,000 for another watch and $159,702.78 for a car, records show. In all, Kingston and Turner kept $1,017,702.78 of fraudulently purchased goods.

In May, a state case was opened against Kingston and Turner in Broward for the same fraud scheme.

Kingstons South Florida mansion raided

As part of the states case against Kingston, Broward Sheriffs Office detectives and Davie police SWAT raided his rented seven-bedroom mansion on May 23.

Search and arrest warrants were executed for the property, Kingston and his mother. Kingston was arrested in California on multiple fraud and theft charges that day, same as his mother.

Sean Kingstons Southwest Ranches home is shown during a raid by the Broward Sheriffs Office on Thursday, May 23, 2024. A woman named Janice Turner, 61, was arrested on numerous fraud and theft charges, during the raid at the sprawling white mansion in the 4600 block of Southwest 178th Avenue, spokesperson Carey Codd said in a media release. Turner is Kingstons mother, according to reports. (Amy Beth Bennett / South Florida Sun Sentinel)

At the time, Bob Rosenblatt of The Rosenblatt Law Firm, Kingstons criminal defense lawyer, told the Herald, We look forward to challenging the allegations in court.

The warrants are based on the same alleged crimes detailed in the federal indictments. The state case being tried in Broward Countys 17th Judicial Circuit Court is on behalf of the victims, all of whom are based in Florida.

READ MORE: Why were Sean Kingston and his mother arrested? New documents reveal $1.1 million scheme

The federal case is specifically looking at the wire transfers which passed through computer servers in different states.

History of missed payments

For more than a decade, Kingston has been sued for bounced checks or missed payments when shopping for expensive jewelry. Hes had to pay back thousands of dollars.

In 2014, Avi Da Jeweler was awarded $355,000 in a lawsuit against Kingston and Turner over the missed jewelry bills. Since 2009, Miami jewelry company Haimov Jewelers sued Kingston three times, and in one case he was ordered to pay nearly $100,000.

Kingston faced a criminal conviction in 2023 for not paying for jewelry. He had to complete two years of probation.
CACHE COUNTY, Utah (ABC4)  The Cache County Sheriffs Office said search and rescue crews found the man who was missing after a possible drowning at Porcupine Reservoir in northern Utah.

The man  identified by the sheriffs office as 22-year-old football player Andre Seldon Jr.  was found just after 9 p.m. on Saturday by the dive team with the Utah Department of Public Safety.

The Cache County Sheriffs Office said there was a search underway for a young man after he was seen diving from cliffs at Porcupine Reservoir and did not resurface.

Our football program is heartbroken to have to endure the loss of one of our own, said interim head coach and defensive coordinator Nate Dreiling. Having had a previous relationship with Andre during our time together at New Mexico State, I can tell you he was an incredible person and teammate. Our condolences and prayers go out to Andres family as we grieve with them over this tremendous loss.

Seldon transferred to Utah State this summer from New Mexico State, where he played defensive back for Dreiling. Before that, Seldon played two seasons at Michigan.

Seldon started 28 games for New Mexico State, was voted a team captain, and had 98 tackles, two interceptions, 13 pass breakups, and five tackles for loss. He also had a pick-six for the Aggies last year.

Seldon transferred to TCU this winter but reentered the portal this spring and transferred to Utah State, where he was expected to compete for a starting spot in the secondary.

The Utah State University community is mourning the death of football student-athlete Andre Seldon Jr.



Our thoughts and prayers are with his family and loved ones. pic.twitter.com/cIScmcewp5  USU Football (@USUFootball) July 21, 2024

Our Utah State University Athletics family is devastated over the sudden death of Andre Seldon Jr., said Vice President and Director of Athletics Diana Sabau. We extend our deepest sympathies and heartfelt condolences to his family, friends, teammates, and all who loved Andre.

ORIGINAL STORY: Search and rescue efforts underway after possible drowning in northern Utah

CACHE COUNTY, Utah (ABC4)  Officials began a search and rescue operation on Saturday afternoon after receiving reports of a possible drowning at Porcupine Dam.

According to a press release from the Cache County Sheriffs Office, deputies were informed of the possible drowning around 2:20 p.m. on Saturday.

READ NEXT: Have you seen this horse statue vandal? Ogden police seek help identifying suspect

Initial information indicates that a young adult male was seen diving from cliffs into the water and did not resurface, officials said in the release.

In addition to search and rescue teams, the sheriffs office said dive units have also been deployed to search the area. The dive team and helicopter from the Utah Department of Public Safety were also called in to assist in the search.

We ask the public to avoid the area to allow emergency services to perform their duties without hindrance, the Cache County Sheriffs Office said.

Officials did not disclose any additional information about the individual who may have drowned but said more information about the situation would be released when it became available.

We understand the concern and anxiety this incident may cause within the community, the sheriffs office 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 Second World War veteran has finally received his medals nearly 80 years after he saw action in Belgium and Germany.

George Lewis, who is now 98 and lives with his daughter Liz in Watchet, Somerset, served with the Fifth Royal Tank Regiment from 1944 to 1947.

Mr Lewis never received a reason for his lack of medals but theorised they had been sent to the wrong address.

When Valorie Norman, one of his neighbours, found out, she contacted her brother, who had served in the same regiment as Mr Lewis, to see if he could rectify the situation.

Her brother passed on the story to the Regimental Association, which provided the medals.

Mr Lewis was finally presented with the medals at an event on Saturday, surrounded by his children and other members of his family at the Royal British Legion Club in Watchet.

Dep Lt of Somerset, Brigadier Richard Toomey, presented Mr Lewis with the War Medal 1939-45 and the France and Germany Star.

An awful lot of fuss

Speaking to the PA news agency, Mr Lewis said: Its unbelievable. I have just carried on through life and not really thought about it.

[Being presented with the medals] was a shock as much as anything. You imagine after all this time that they wouldnt be able to find anything about you but they had a complete record.

It seems like an awful lot of fuss to go to when what I did doesnt seem like much, but it is nice to know that they respect what we did for people.

Mr Lewis was signed up to serve in February 1944, one month after his 18th birthday, and was a commander of a tank, seeing action in Belgium, Holland and Germany.

Mr Lewis described how he and his mate would drive with a party of 10, to protect them while they dug a trench. In the evening, they would return to collect the injured.

He did not speak of the horrors he saw while serving, instead reminiscing about the food his friend used to prepare, speaking fondly of a sweet dessert that came in a tin that reminded him of Christmas pudding.

Liz Lewis, his daughter, said: Im very happy, I often wondered what had happened to the medals.

But dad doesnt like talking about the war. I do know a few things, like seeing people being burnt to death because of flame throwers.

He did see a lot  he did his bit, big time. Im very pleased he is getting this recognition, he is really very honoured by all of this.

She said her father went on to work as a transport manager at Heathrow after the war.

Valorie Norman, Mr Lewiss neighbour, said: It shouldve happened a long time ago. To have all the family together is so special, he was so excited.

Loretta Whetlor, the chairman of the Watchet Royal British Legion, added: Im very happy as the chair of the RBL branch and mayor of Watchet to ensure George gets that reception that he so deserves.

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Secret Service agents were spotted on Cape Cod on Saturday as Vice President Kamala Harris flew in to meet with donors at a fundraising event.

Harris is attending an event in Provincetown for the Biden Victory Fund  a joint fundraising committee of the Biden-Harris campaign and Democrats nationwide.

Harris was due to make her remarks at the private gathering at 3:20 p.m., according to Abbie Cheeseman of The Washington Post, the events pool reporter.

She landed on the Cape shortly before noon and was seen with Tony West, Cheesemans report indicated.

Harris Cape visit comes as a growing number of Democrats call for Joe Biden to leave the presidential race.

Harris on Saturday earned backing from Massachusetts Sen. Elizabeth Warren, who told MSNBC on Saturday that the vice president is ready to step up to unite the party and take on Trump should Biden decide to drop out of the race, the Associated Press reported.

Biden, who is currently at his Delaware home recovering from COVID-19, said on Friday that he looks forward to getting back out on the campaign trail sometime next week.

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Secret Service locks down Mar-a-Lago as it amps up security around Trump

The US Secret Service increased security near Donald Trump's Mar-a-Lago Club in Palm Beach.

A local road will be closed to through traffic until the November general election "at a minimum."

The US Secret Service's decision comes after Trump survived an assassination attempt on July 13.

The US Secret Service is bolstering security around Donald Trump's Mar-a-Lago Club after last weekend's assassination attempt.

The Town of Palm Beach told residents that 1100 South Ocean Boulevard will be closed to through traffic starting Saturday morning and continue "24/7 until the November general election at a minimum."

Screenshot from the Town of Palm Beach's traffic alert page. The Town of Palm Beach

"The US Secret Service has made this decision, neither Town Officials nor the Town Council," an alert said. "The Town is working closely with the US Secret Service to minimize the impacts of this road closure."

The alert added that the Town of Palm Beach intends to explore legal options to "ensure that the road remains open in the absence of the protected person(s) in residence."

The new security measures at Mar-a-Lago come one week after 20-year-old Thomas Matthew Crooks shot at Trump during a campaign rally in Butler, Pennsylvania.

US Secret Service agents tend to Donald Trump onstage at a Pennsylvania rally on July 13. Anna Moneymaker/Getty Images

The incident prompted criticism of the US Secret Service, which has shouldered much of the blame for a perceived lapse in security.

Anthony Cangelosi, a former special agent who directed the Secret Service's technical security advances for presidential candidates, previously told Business Insider that he expects the Secret Service to require "a lot more personnel" on-site when Trump speaks publicly in the future.

Cangelosi, who is now a professor at the City University of New York  said he thinks the Secret Service will also rely more on local law enforcement for security at future events.

"It's a tremendous false multiplier in these situations," Cangelosi said. "They know a lot about the area. They can bring in additional personnel. And 99% of the times the local law enforcement likes it, they like participating."

President Joe Biden last week ordered an independent probe into the security at Trump's rally. GOP House Speaker Mike Johnson said the House would launch a "full investigation" into the events related to the shooting.

A press release from the Secret Service said its director, Kimberly Cheatle, is scheduled to testify before the House Committee on Oversight on Monday.

"The Secret Service is fully accountable for the safety of its protectees," the statement read. "We are committed to better understanding what happened before, during and after the assassination attempt of former President Trump to ensure it never happens again. That includes complete cooperation with Congress, the FBI and other relevant investigations."

The FBI is the lead federal law enforcement agency investigating the attempted assassination.

Representatives for Trump's campaign, the Trump Organization, and the US Secret Service did not respond to a request for comment from Business Insider.

Read the original article on Business Insider
Senator Sherrod Brown (D-OH) released a statement calling for President Joe Biden to end his reelection campaign on Friday.

>>RELATED: What happens if President Biden drops out of the race? Heres what could happen next

Brown is the fourth Senate Democrat to call for Biden to step down from the race, according to the AP.

In a statement, Brown said his conversations with Ohioans have led him to this decision.

Over the last few weeks, Ive heard from Ohioans on important issues, such as how to continue to grow jobs in our state, give law enforcement the resources to crack down on fentanyl, protect Social Security and Medicare from cuts, and prevent the ongoing efforts to impose a national abortion ban. These are the issues Ohioans care about and it is my job to keep fighting for them. I agree with the many Ohioans who have reached out to me. At this critical time, our full attention must return to these important issues. I think the President should end his campaign." Senator Sherrod Brown

We will continue to follow this story.
MILWAUKEE  Its a good time to be a Republican Senate candidate.

The 2024 campaign map was already in their favor, with nearly every vulnerable seat this cycle held by a Democrat making it a relatively easy hurdle to overcome to retake the narrowly-divided chamber and give Donald Trump an essential boost for his governing agenda should he win the White House in November.

One of the key races that will decide on Senate control is right here in Ohio between Democratic Sen. Sherrod Brown and Republican Bernie Moreno. Right now, Democrats have a 51-49 majority in the chamber.

The panic in the Democratic Party following President Joe Bidens debate performance further strengthened the GOP's hand, even leading analysts to change one key Senate race  Michigan  from leaning towards Democrats to a toss up. On Saturday, Brown called for Biden to drop out of the race for the presidency. Biden dropped out of the race on Sunday. Brown is backing Vice President Kamala Harris for the nomination.

Trump narrowly survived an assassination attempt at a rally in Pennsylvania earlier this month. but it's too early to tell exactly how the shooting has impacted polling in down-ballot races, but it invigorated attendees to this weeks Republican National Convention that was held in another critical 2024 Senate battleground  Wisconsin  and sparked talk of an overall boost turnout among Republican-leaning voters in the most competitive states.

I think the presidents actions subsequent to the assassination attempt rallied the intensity for a lot of people, said Mike Rogers, the Trump-endorsed GOP Senate candidate in Michigan running for the seat being vacated by retiring Democratic Sen. Debbie Stabenow.

A dozen of the 2024 Republican Senate candidates, including Moreno, spoke back-to-back-to-back at the RNC on Tuesday night, valuable primetime slots in a convention that was dramatically remade in Trumps image compared to the last full-scale national confab in 2016.

Most of their remarks centered on security, the conventions theme for that evening, including familiar warnings against surges in migration to the U.S. southern border and the dangers of fentanyl. Candidates also mentioned inflation, energy policy, their military service and the failures they say have been evident under the Biden administration.

What is the path to a Senate GOP victory?

The bullet that grazed Trumps ear at a rally in Pennsylvania was top of mind for candidates as they made their appeals to voters on the RNC stage.

Moreno said he is extraordinarily angry because of the shooting and expected political support would only be growing for the GOP in Ohio, where Moreno is trying to keep Brown from winning a fourth term.

Moreno didnt say directly whether the assassination attempt on Trump could further boost turnout for Republicans in Ohio, but noted: Our voters are animated. Our voters want this election to happen today."

Moreno, a Cleveland businessman, added that there is another unique appeal for Ohioans to turnout to vote this fall: Ohio Sen. JD Vance is Trumps vice presidential running mate. You gotta root for your hometown team.

Colombian-US businessman Bernie Moreno gestures as he arrives onstage to speak during the second day of the 2024 Republican National Convention at the Fiserv Forum in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, July 16, 2024.

Democratic candidates, including Brown, had been polling ahead of Biden in their states  a necessary element of the party's strategy in order to win in places that could ultimately go for Trump. For example, Baldwin led Hovde by 5 percentage points in Wisconsin late last month.

They are also largely out-raising their Republican counterparts, providing a war chest that will be a meaningful boost in a year when they cant count at the moment on voter enthusiasm for the top of the ticket. But Republicans still sense an opening.

So theyre going to probably out raise us, no doubt about it, said Rogers, who is expected to face the Democratic Senate front-runner, Elissa Slotkin, currently a Michigan congresswoman, this fall. Its how we deploy capital where we believe we can have the most impact, including appealing to working class voters, grassroots organizing and talking to people where they get their news and better messaging," he added.

Tommy Garcia, spokesperson for the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee, countered in a statement to USA TODAY that his party will beat the GOP in November because we have a better message, better candidates, and better campaigns.

Voters continue to see Senate races as candidate versus candidate battles, and voters are repulsed by Senate Republican recruits ever-growing list of scandals, baggage, and toxic policy positions, he said.

Jul 13, 2024; Columbus, Ohio, USA; US Senator Sherrod Brown makes remarks at the Ohio Democrats Family Reunion on Saturday, July 13, 2024 at the Kemba Live concert center in downtown Columbus, Ohio.

What's at stake for Trump?

Winning a majority of Senate seats  or even notching a 50-50 tie with the Democrats  would be a major boost for Trump's agenda should the Republican win a second term in the White House in November.

The Senate is responsible for confirming all manner of presidential appointees, from Cabinet and sub-Cabinet positions to federal judges up to the U.S. Supreme Court.

Being the party in power also means controlling the Senate floor schedule for which bills get considered, though actually moving legislation means some level of bipartisan support is needed because of the filibuster rule that requires 60 votes for passage.

Sen. Steve Daines, R-Mt., the chairman of the National Republican Senatorial Committee, told USA TODAY he reminded Trump of those important details when he visited the former president at his Mar-a-Lago private club and residence soon after being elected in November of 2022 to lead the group tasked with winning the Senate this election cycle for Republicans.

I said the most important thing we can give you when youre president is a Republican majority, Daines said. Should Democrats hold onto their majority, Daines argued it would really be a constitutional crisis, because if you think the resist movement was a big deal last time President Trump was in office, imagine what itd be like going forward in 2025.

This article originally appeared on The Columbus Dispatch: Ohio Senate race key to control of the chamber
OCONEE COUNTY, S.C. (WSPA)  A man turned himself in to the Oconee County Sheriffs Law Enforcement Center earlier this week for multiple counts of criminal sexual conduct with a minor.

According to the sheriffs office, Kevin Bradley Turner, 41, has been charged with the following:

One count of Criminal Sexual Conduct with a Minor  First Degree

Three counts of Criminal Sexual Conduct with a Minor  Second Degree

Warrants detail instances in which Turner allegedly committed the crimes, one instance dating back to January 2019, when Turner is accused of touching a child less than 11 years old.

The other three charges stem from things Turner allegedly did between March and July 2024, where Turner put his hands underneath a teenagers clothes.

Based on evidence obtained in the investigation, a deputy arrested Turner and took him to jail on Tuesday, July 16.

Turner will appear before a judge regarding bond at a later 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 WSPA 7NEWS.
Rep. Zoe Lofgren (D-Calif.) joined the growing list of Democrats calling on President Biden to withdraw from the 2024 race Friday, suggesting in an interview that former Presidents Obama and Clinton should help vet new candidates for a mini primary.

Lofgren joined MSNBC Friday to discuss what would happen if Biden were to decide to step aside  which he has thus far said he would not do  and what she hopes to see happen if someone new were added to the mix.

Should he make that decision, there will have to be quick steps, Lofgren said.

Maybe a vetting hosted by former presidents including Obama and Clinton would be helpful and help focus the attention, she added later. And whoever emerges, including Kamala Harris, would be a stronger candidate than if we tried to exclude a transparent public process.

As the pressure for Biden to drop grows, speculation over whether Vice President Harris would be the nominee if Biden chose to pass the torch and her ability to beat former President Trump in November has as well.

Lofgren, a close ally of former Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.), said she doesnt think Harris should immediately be named as the nominee, should Biden leave the race. Though, she acknowledged that the vice president would likely have the best shot.

I dont think we can do a coronation, she said. But obviously, the vice president would be the leading candidate.

The idea to have the former presidents play a role emerged from others on the left. Democratic strategist James Carville, a former adviser to President Clinton, highlighted the idea in a recent op-ed. He said the previous leaders are the most obvious and qualified people in the world to help facilitate a mini primary.

In a letter dated Thursday, but reported first Friday, Lofgren urged Biden to step aside.

She pointed to her time on the House select committee investigating the Jan. 6, 2021, attack on the Capitol, and said she knows perhaps as well as anyone how unfit Trump is to be president.

As I am aware that you have been provided data indicating that you in all likelihood will lose the race for President, I will not go through it again, she wrote. Simply put, your candidacy is on a trajectory to lose the White House and potentially impact crucial House and Senate races down ballot.

Lofgren and many other Democrats are calling for Biden to withdraw from the race despite his vow to stay the course, insisting he is in it to win it.

Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to The Hill.
Make sense of Kansas primary season with these tips from your friendly local opinion editor

Kansans will vote in the state's primary election next month. Opinion editor Clay Wirestone offers some quick tips to sort through the political clutter. (Getty Images)

With two weeks and a couple of days left to go until the Kansas primary election, I thought it was a good time for all of us to sit down this morning and have a chat.

Primary elections can be easily overlooked in the rush toward November. In a red state like Kansas, however, they can decide an awful lot (setting aside the lucky folks running unopposed). And if you think every Republican legislator votes like every other Republican legislator  welcome to the Sunflower State. You must be new here.

Here are a few words of caution and encouragement for these late-summer days.





If an ad or social media post upsets you, watch out

Pay attention to your emotional responses. If a piece of political content sends you into overdrive, take it as a flashing DANGER sign.

That shows your fight or flight reflexes have been triggered. Your body has decided to pump out the same kind of chemicals that allow mothers to lift cars so their trapped children can escape. Thats not necessarily a bad thing  sometimes we should rescue our children. But in politics?

The well-paid operatives making TV ads and overseeing social media campaigns sometimes understand voters minds better than we do. They understand that if they can make viewers mad or exasperated or disgusted, they can push those viewers to make certain choices. Both Republicans and Democrats do this. The daisy ad, shown above, remains one of the best examples.

Maybe you agree with the ad or social media post. Maybe you were going to vote that way already. But we should all understand when the media we consume has manipulated us to feel or behave a way we might not otherwise feel or behave.

Stand back and marvel with me, writes Eric Thomas. Consider how these Kansas kids are working on heroically small publication staffs in rural towns while juggling so many other responsibilities. (Sherman Smith/Kansas Reflector)

Treat the news media you consume with care

What I wrote above carries over when it comes to TV, online or print news coverage. The News Literacy Project offers a handy five-step process for judging the credibility of a news source. Im taking the liberty of quoting those steps directly below.

Do a quick search: Conducting a simple search for information about a news source is a key first step in evaluating its credibility.

Look for standards: Reputable news organizations aspire to ethical guidelines and standards, including fairness, accuracy and independence.

Check for transparency: Quality news sources should be transparent, not only about their reporting practices (see above), but also about their ownership and funding.

Examine how errors are handled: Credible news sources are accountable for mistakes and correct them. Do you see evidence that this source corrects or clarifies errors?

Assess news coverage: An important step in vetting sources is taking time to read and assess several news articles.

Thats a fair number of steps, I understand. But even one or two can help separate solid reporting from vaporous propaganda.

Kansas Statehouse dome peers through tree branches on May 20, 2024.

Who paid for messaging and what do they get out of it?

Pay attention to the text at the bottom or side of mailers and TV ads. Who has put up the cash to sell this or that candidate to the public?

This matters because not all advertising during elections comes from candidates. Much instead comes from outside groups, such as political action committees or nonprofits promoting ideological beliefs.

The Kansas Chamber and Americans for Prosperity-Kansas have traditionally invested in state elections while promoting their brands of business-oriented conservatism. The KNEA advocates for public education and candidates who support their issues. You can easily visit such groups websites to see what proposals they support and what they would like state legislators to accomplish.

That way, we all might be less surprised when certain bills advocating one position or another pop up during session.

Party labels only tell you so much.

Not all Republicans believe the same things. Neither do all Democrats.

For primary election voters, it therefore makes sense to figure out how candidates differ. In Kansas, Democratic Gov. Laura Kellys Middle of the Road PAC has endorsed in a number of primaries. So has the nonprofit educational group Kansans First, which has backed a moderate Republican agenda. You can also look up news stories and candidate websites, of course.

Some candidates support Medicaid expansion. Some dont. Some support marijuana legalization. Some dont. Some support strong public education, while others want to pass voucher programs. These issues cross party lines and see wide support from Kansas voters. So know where the folks who want to represent you stand.

Kansas candidates for U.S. Senate and congressional seats during the primary ending Tuesday have produced a record number of TV commercials and flooded homes with direct-mail postcards that offer pointed commentary. (Sherman Smith/Kansas Reflector)

Send us your mailers

Do you have mailbox overflowing with campaign mailers? Send them to us! Were assembling a collection of these ads for analysis and future reporting. So far, we have about a dozen submissions but would love to see more examples.

As I noted last month, you can send us those mailers in two different ways. You can take photos of both sides of the advertisement and email those pictures to us at info@kansasreflector.com. You can also send them to us via snail mail. Our address is: Kansas Reflector, 112 SW 6th Ave., Suite 408, Topeka, KS 66603. And speaking of addresses, we will obscure yours.

Time to reflect and recharge

Ill taking some time off next week, so Ill see you all July 29. Ive banked another column for Monday, but Ill attempt to focus elsewhere for a few days.

Try to keep things under control in the meantime.

Clay Wirestone is Kansas Reflector opinion editor. Through its opinion section, Kansas Reflector works to amplify the voices of people who are affected by public policies or excluded from public debate. Find information, including how to submit your own commentary, here.
CEDAR CITY, Utah (ABC4)  In the last couple of years, two condors have been found shot and killed in southern Utah  which is a loss of about 2% of the regions population.

The first California condor was found killed in 2022, and the most recent one was killed at the beginning of last month, according to the Utah Division of Wildlife Resources. For the critically endangered species, the loss of even two birds makes a big difference.

A California condor was found dead in southern Utah. Officials say it was shot with a firearm. (Credit: Utah Division of Wildlife Resources)

In the 1980s there were only 22 California condors in the wild. Since then, conservationists have worked to move them off the brink of extinction. DWR officials say there are now more than 560 condors globally and 85 in the northern Arizona and southern Utah region.

Theyve increased, but not at a huge number. So the fact that weve lost two of these to somebody shooting them in the last two years, thats literally 2% of the [regions] population, said DWR Captain Chad Bettridge. I mean, its serious.

In addition to the shootings, there was also a rise in avian influenza last year which took a hit on the population.

DWR Avian Conservation Program Coordinator Russell Norvell said between the shootings and avian influenza, they have lost more than a decades worth of progress in the recovery of this species.

Bettridge said they are investigating the two shooting incidents together since the birds were both found in the area between Kolob Mountain and Zion National Park.

DWR law enforcement has been following leads on the wildlife shooting, but Bettridge said they have not panned out. They are now asking the public for any information they might have regarding the death of the condors.

In this May 13, 2019 photo provided by the National Park Service is a female condor in Zion National Park, Utah. (National Park Service via AP)

As far as wildlife-related crimes go, it doesnt get a lot more serious than this just because of the circumstance regarding the bird, Bettridge said.

Because the bird is protected on a state and federal level, anyone convicted of killing a California condor in Utah would face both federal and state charges. Penalties could include up to a $5,000 fine, a $1,500 restitution fee, and a five-year prison sentence.

Renowned composer John Williams pens letter to Salt Lake City in effort to save Abravanel Hall

However, Bettridge said he is hoping the shooting was an accident and is asking the person responsible to speak with them.

I dont think somebody would shoot this bird because it was predating on their livestock or anything like that cause thats not normal for condors, he said. So you know its possible someone just saw this huge bird and was interested what it was. If it was a simple mistake like that please reach out to us.

If anyone has information or was in the area around June 4, 5, and 6 and saw something notable, officials say to call 800-662-337 or 844-397-8477, text 847411, or contact them through the Tip 411 app. A reward may be available for information leading to a conviction.

We take this serious and were trying as hard as we can to find out who did it, we just need a little help, Bettridge said.

Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to ABC4 Utah.
Sheila Jackson Lee  a Houston, Texas-area Democratic congressional representative and longtime member of the Congressional Black Caucus  died on Friday at age 74, her family announced. The news comes just under two months after Jackson Lee was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer.

With incredible grief for our loss yet deep gratitude for the life she shared with us, we announce the passing of United States Representative Sheila Jackson Lee of the 18th Congressional District of Texas, her family said in a statement Friday. A local, national, and international humanitarian, she was acknowledged worldwide for her courageous fights for racial justice, criminal justice, and human rights, with a special emphasis on women and children.

Born in New York City in 1950, Jackson Lee received her bachelors degree from Yale University in 1972 and a law degree from the University of Virginia in 1975. She moved to Houston with her husband later that decade, where she began her political career as a municipal judge from 1987-1990. She served on the Houston City Council from 1990-1994. That same year, she was elected to the Houseo f Representatives for the first time.

During her 29 years as a member of Congress, Jackson Lee was a member of the Congressional Black Caucus, known for her dogged support for progressive issues and racial justice. She was a strong supporter of LGBTQ+ rights and immigrants rights, also known as an effective congressional representative throughout her career.

She was also dogged by accusations of mistreating staff. Five staffers quit in 1998, according to the Houston Press, because of how she treated them. In 2011, it was reported that she had among the highest staff turnover rates of all Congress. She served as chair of the CBC for years, but in 2019 stepped down from that role after a former aide sued her for wrongful termination, alleging she was fired because she reported a rape committed by a supervisor who reported to Jackson Lee.

Jackson Lee ran for mayor of Houston in 2023, ultimately coming in second in the runoff election. During the campaign, audio was leaked in which she berated and spoke abusively to staff members. She later apologized and confirmed the audio was authentic.

Shes survived by her husband of 51 years, Elwyn Lee  a University of Houston official  and their two children.

The post Sheila Jackson Lee, Texas Democratic Congressional Representative, Dies at 74 appeared first on TheWrap.
Silverdale bank robbery suspect arrested in Texas after attempting to flee to Costa Rica

On Monday afternoon, Kitsap County Sheriffs deputies released photos of a bank robbery suspect.

The man in the pictures was accused of robbing a Silverdale bank near the 2400 block of Northwest Bucklin Hill Road.

On Friday, deputies said the man was arrested in Texas after attempting to fly to Costa Rica.

When the identification was made, detectives learned he was flying to Costa Rica, with a layover in Dallas.

Dallas police were notified and the 39-year-old suspect was arrested when he arrived.
A new human case of H5 highly pathogenic avian flu has been identified in Colorado, the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said Friday.

The Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment said Sunday that five human cases of bird flu had been detected in poultry workers believed to have caught the bird flu virus through direct work with infected birds. The latest case is from an additional worker from this cohort.

The workers had been involved in culling birds, a process used to control the spread of disease by selectively removing or killing infected animals. The six infected workers have experienced mild symptoms, including pink eye and respiratory issues, and all exposed workers have been offered antiviral medication, according to the CDC.

Genetic sequencing of a sample from one of the Colorado cases shows that its closely related to the first human case of bird flu discovered in Michigan, a sign that the virus has not experienced any changes due to antiviral resistance, according to the agency. These findings are reassuring, it said Friday.

A CDC field team, including epidemiologists, veterinarians, clinicians and an industrial hygienist, is assisting with Colorados outbreak investigation.

Since April, there have been 10 reported human cases of avian influenza in the US, four linked to exposure to sick dairy cows and six connected to infected poultry, according to the CDC. Fridays confirmation includes the latest case in Colorado.

The virus has affected 18.32 million birds from 34 commercial flocks and 16 backyard flocks since April. The US Department of Agriculture is also reporting a growing number of infected cattle, with confirmed cases in 157 dairy cow herds across 13 states.

The organizations say they are working to respond to the ongoing public health challenge posed by the multistate outbreak of bird flu. In part of this effort, the full sequence of the detected virus has been made available to the public so researchers in the US and around the world can analyze it.

In humans, the CDCs risk assessment for the general public remains low.

Poultry products are still safe to eat if they have been properly handled and cooked, the Colorado health department says. The CDC advises that everyone avoid close or long exposure to sick or dead animals, animal poop or bedding. Experts also recommend against consuming unpasteurized or raw milk due to the potential for contamination.

For more CNN news and newsletters create an account at CNN.com
(Reuters) - Slovakia will not be a "hostage" to Ukraine-Russia relations, its Prime Minister Robert Fico told his Ukrainian counterpart in a call on Saturday, after Kyiv placed Russian group Lukoil on a sanctions list, leading to a halt in deliveries.

Slovakia and Hungary said this week they had stopped receiving oil from key supplier Lukoil after Ukraine imposed a ban last month on the transit of resources from the Russian energy company via its territory.

For Slovakia, that meant a loss in some supplies for its Slovnaft refinery, which is owned by Hungarian oil and gas group MOL.

Slovakia's government office said on Saturday that Fico spoke by telephone with Ukrainian Prime Minister Denys Shmyhal and told him Slovakia did not intend "to be a hostage of Ukrainian-Russian relations".

Slovnaft will receive 40% less oil for processing than needed, the government said, which will hit Slovak markets and could also lead to a stop of diesel supplies from Slovnaft destined for Ukraine.

"The inclusion of Lukoil on the sanctions list is just another example of senseless sanctions that do not hurt the Russian Federation but mainly some (European Union) member state, which is unacceptable," Fico's office said.

Fico has been a long-time critic of sanctions against Russia and, after taking office for a fourth time last year, halted direct state military aid to Ukraine, raising criticism for veering foreign policy too close to Moscow.

While the EU has imposed sanctions on Russian crude already, some countries like Slovakia have exemptions to have more time to transition to alternative sources.

(Reporting by Jason Hovet; Editing by Alexandra Hudson)
Tourists on the Areopagous hill as in the background stands the ancient Acropolis hill during a hot day in Athens, on Wednesday, July 17, 2024. Greece's Culture Ministry ordered the Acropolis closed for several hours in the middle of the day Wednesday, while authorities warned of extreme heat conditions across much of the country. | Petros Giannakouris

A recent heat wave in Greece has left many locals and tourists searching for ways to cool down, leaving some businesses with no choice other than to stop their employees from working outdoors.

This measure, along with holding kindergarten classes indoors and keeping pregnant women and seniors off work, have been some of the precautions put into place to protect people from heat, according to ABC News.

Recent heat wave

The heat has been so intense that authorities were forced to close the Acropolis of Athens Wednesday, per The Associated Press. The attraction was closed for several hours beginning at midday.

Tourists visiting the Parthenon temple had to line up early in the morning while the Red Cross distributed water bottles to keep the visitors cool.

We got it done and got out quick, and now were going to some air conditions and some more libation and enjoy the day, Toby Dunlap, who had traveled from Pennsylvania to tour the Acropolis, told The Associated Press. But its hot up there, it really is. If you dont come prepared, youre going to sweat.

According to Reuters, high temperatures have impacted Greece since June, accompanied by hundreds of wildfires. Meteorologists reportedly said that temperatures will not decrease by much before the month ends. Water shortages have accompanied a season of little to no rain.

Adamantia Krassa, a municipal street cleaner, told Reuters that she sometimes gets headaches, blurry vision and dizziness from the heat. In such high temperatures, I believe we should stop working after a certain hour, pause and then resume, she said.

Last month, at least six tourists died as a result of the high temperatures. One, according to The New York Times, was Michael Mosley  a renowned medical journalist and British documentary maker. He disappeared while going on a walk on the island of Symi.

The cause of such extreme heat lies, in part, in Africas southwesterly winds. The ministry for civil protection and climate change said southwesterly winds from Africa would bring temperatures sometimes exceeding 40 degrees Celsius (104 Fahrenheit) at least until July 19, per ABC News. The intense heat continues after the hottest June on record both in Greece and globally.

Temperatures are soaring in southern Europe

Temperatures in the rest of Europe are skyrocketing as well. Two firefighters died in Italy after working to put out fires, according to The Associated Press, and firefighters in western Turkey brought another wildfire under control after several hours.

The government in Albania rescheduled working hours for civil servants, allowing some to work from home as temperatures climb. North Macedonia endured dozens of wildfires, one of which extended over nearly 30 kilometers, or 21 miles.

Firefighting aircraft from Serbia, Montenegro, Croatia, Romania and Turkey responded to the countrys call for assistance, reported The Associated Press.

Spain has endured temperatures as high as 44 degrees Celsius (111.2 Fahrenheit), per The Guardian, and Italy has extended red alerts to several cities as the heat grows more intense. Croatia has also experienced an extended heat wave; a forest fire ignited near Trogir, a town on the Adriatic coast, before being brought under control by over 70 firefighters and three water-bombing planes.
The Durban FilmMart began Friday in South Africa with the spirited, hopeful, often contentious representatives of the host nation weighing in on the highs and lows of its screen industries three decades into democratic rule.

I think this industry has always reflected a combination of anger and courage. You see the demand. The numbers are there. You see the beautiful work. You see the potential, said Onke Dumeko, head of operations at South Africas National Film and Video Foundation (NFVF).

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The challenge is how to meet that demand. How much funding is availablewhen youre really trying to work towards creating an industry that you know can make a world of difference in a country that needs it?

Africas largest economy has faced a host of challenges in recent years, from persistently high rates of crime and unemployment to the rolling blackouts that have become a daily fact of life for South Africans of every racial and economic background.

Dumeko pointed to budget shortfalls at the NFVF  an institution that is vital to both the growth and transformation of the South African biz  as emblematic of larger structural issues holding the screen industries back.

If you compare South Africa to a lot of industries with similar GDPs, the difference here is the lack of intentional focus on this industry, she said. Intentional focus thats vision-led, that says in 30 years, what do we want as an outcome for this industry and how will that impact the rest of the country?

The Dept. of Trade, Industry and Competition (DTIC), which administers South Africas struggling rebate system, found itself taking heat from several filmmakers over what producer Marc Schwinges described as a massive problem that is decimating our industry. Earlier this year, industry sources told Variety that the DTIC is slowly addressing a backlog of payments that has seen some producers waiting as long as two years to be reimbursed for expenditures covered by the cashback scheme.

Film commissions, broadcasters, everyone has to deal with this, and urgently. It is a matter of major importance at the moment. Were unable to cash-flow anything, said Schwinges. How are we supposed to produce content at a high level in South Africa?

The DTIC has bankrupted our industry, added filmmaker Cati Weinek. We really need, as filmmakers, to hold them to account. We cant keep saying we have this fabulous rebate. It is actually so dysfunctional as to not exist. Its very hard to be in this space, to see talent coming up. What kind of industry are we building if we dont have that one pillar standing with us? (The DTIC had not responded to Varietys request for comment by the time of publication.)

For better or worse, streaming services like homegrown player Showmax and global platform Netflix have stepped in to fill the gap. But amid the cost-cutting measures that are reshaping those services business models, South African filmmakers worry they could be left in the lurch.

Suddenly, theres so many more opportunities. Suddenly, theres bigger budgets available, said producer Layla Swart, who is one of the keynote speakers at this years DFM. Its a good thing, but currently, its the only thing that we rely on. We dont actually have a local, specific South African broadcaster that is functioning. Canal+ is taking over [Showmax owner] MultiChoice. Netflix is American. When Amazon left, it crippled a lot of peoples jobs.

I think were all busy trying to fight for the same pie, but were looking at a pie that isnt even going to feed us and satiate us, she continued. At the end of the day, were not cultivating a new generation  the new voices. And at some point, were going to realize that weve got nobody. Its crucially important to start developing talent.

For all its struggles, however, the South African industry looks radically different than it did three decades ago, when the country hosted its first democratic elections. Doors have opened that long remained shut  especially for Black filmmakers  and the locally produced content that appears on screen is more representative of the population of the Rainbow Nation than ever before.

On Friday in Durban, many took time to reflect on their young nations incredible journey  one that it continues to make against almost impossible odds.

We started with almost nothing. We came from a space of prejudice that we had to deconstruct to allow the space for new changes and new voices to be heard. And how amazing that the film industry has changed to a large extent, said Yashika Singh, of South African public broadcaster SABC.

The narratives that have come through the passage of time have shaped who we are as a collective South Africa. Its not been easy. But at the same time, new stories have come to the fore.

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Family members are growing increasingly desperate in their search for a 15-year-old Monterey Park girl who disappeared while riding her bike to a relatives home on Tuesday.

Allison Jillian Chao was last seen on Ring video on the evening of July 16 riding a blue GT mountain bike from her fathers house in the 200 block of North Ynez Avenue, headed for her aunts house in San Gabriel less than four miles away.

She never arrived.

The more time that goes on, the scarier it gets, Allisons mother, Annie, told KTLAs Rachel Menitoff on Friday, fighting back tears. Im afraid the public will lose interest, and it will be harder to find her. Theres less evidence.

Allison Jillian Chao. (Family Photo)

The last known surveillance footage of Allison Chao riding her bike on July 16, 2024. (KTLA)

Family members put up missing posters for Allison Jillian Chao. July 19, 2024. (KTLA)

Allison Jillian Chao. (Family Photo)

Annie Chao says her daughter is a straight-A student entering her junior year at Mark Keppel High School and has no history of running away. She has made no contact with friends, and theres been no activity on social media, Chao said.

Family and friends have been canvassing the surrounding area and posting Missing signs, hoping that someone will come forward with information regarding Allisons whereabouts.

I havent slept in days, and its just every parents worst nightmare, said Chao.

Allison is Asian, around 5 feet 2 inches tall and weighs about 96 pounds. She has black hair and brown eyes. She left her home wearing a purple T-shirt, black shorts, and dark shoes and was carrying a black backpack.

Anyone with information is urged to call Monterey Park Police at 626-573-1311.

Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. 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.
Tourists stroll under an umbrella through the city of Seville, as Hot air masses from Africa are bringing Spain its first real heatwave of the summer. Francisco J. Olmo/EUROPA PRESS/dpa

Temperatures breached 40 degrees Celsius in parts of southern Europe on Saturday, as the Netherlands celebrated the arrival of summer conditions after months of record rainfall.

Hot air from Africa has brought scorching heat to southern Spain, with the Andalusian city of Seville recording over 40 degrees on Friday according to the national weather service (AEMET).

The air was similarly hot and oppressive in the north-eastern city of Zaragoza, which AEMET warned could see temperatures reach 44 degrees on Saturday.

In Italy, meanwhile, the Health Ministry issued its highest heat warning level for 11 major cities on Saturday, down from 17 on Friday.

A high-pressure system has been bringing searing heat to the country for several days, with high humidity adding to the difficulties.

Further east in Greece, many regions have been affected by heat and wildfires.

The capital Athens has seen temperatures remain above 30 degrees for the last 10 days and nights. The constant heat can be exhausting for the human body.

Not every country was groaning under the heat on Saturday, however.

In the Netherlands, a three-day heatwave has brought much-needed warmth and sunshine after record rainfall in recent months.

The national weather service said the country has experienced "a very wet spring, and before that, winter and autumn."

The 12 months from June 2023 to 2024 were in fact the wettest one-year period ever recorded in the Netherlands.

The warmer temperatures are not set to last, however, with forecasters predicting a return to cool conditions on Sunday.

People crowd at the Baltic Sea beach. Stefan Sauer/dpa

People crowd at the Baltic Sea beach. Stefan Sauer/dpa
Southwest flight heading for Tampa diverted to Fort Lauderdale after descending to 150 feet

Southwest flight heading for Tampa diverted to Fort Lauderdale after descending to 150 feet

Vide above: Why do we switch to airplane mode on flights?

TAMPA, Fla. (WFLA)  A Southwest Airlines flight heading for Tampa International Airport was forced to divert to Fort Lauderdale last weekend.

Ben Schlapping, founder of travel news website One Mile at a Time, said on X  the platform formerly known as Twitter  that Southwest Airlines flight WN425 descended as low as 150 feet during its approach to Tampa International Airport.

For context, the Boeing 737 MAX 8 making the flight has a wingspan of 117 feet and 10 inches, according to Boeings website.

The flight, which was traveling from Columbus with plans to arrive in Tampa at 6:10 p.m. on Sunday, July 14, was forced to divert to Fort Lauderdale after abandoning its approach possibly due to weather in the area.

A spokesperson for Southwest Airlines gave the following statement:

Southwest Flight 425 safely diverted to Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport on July 14 after the Crew discontinued their planned approach into Tampa International Airport. The aircraft returned to Tampa after a short time on the ground in Fort Lauderdale. Southwest is following its robust Safety Management System and is in contact with the Federal Aviation Administration to understand and address any irregularities. Nothing is more important to Southwest than the Safety of our Customers and Employees.

Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to WFLA.
Some species of sea turtle see increase in nest numbers, while other decline, FWC says

This year has been a record-breaking year for the number of Kemp-Ridley Sea turtle nests in The Sunshine State, according to the Florida Wildlife Commission.

Numbers from FWC Fish + Wildlife Research indicate that across Florida 22 Kemp-Ridley nests have been confirmed in 2024 which more than doubled the 10 nests in 2023 and 8 in 2022.

Leatherback Sea turtle nests also saw an increase this year with 1,737 found compared to 1,638 in 2023 and 1,690 in 2022.

Read: Quantum Leap Winery reopens in new lakeside location

Meanwhile, Green Sea turtle nests saw a significant decrease with 2,556 nests in 2024 compared to 24,378 in 2023 and 7,346 in 2022.

Loggerhead Sea turtles also saw a decrease in nest numbers with 67,856 this year compared 92,547 in 2023 and 72,840 in 2022.

Read: 76th Emmy Awards nominations: See the list of nominees

For more information about FWC Research Center, CLICK HERE.

Read: Seminole County considers requiring residents to post Bear Activity signs

Click here to download our free news, weather and smart TV apps. And click here to stream Channel 9 Eyewitness News live.
ST. LOUIS  A man who shot and killed a 9-year-old boy back in March 2021 was sentenced to a 15-year prison term on Friday.

Authorities say Daryl L. Williams, 21, shot the 9-year-old on March 7, 2021, in the 900 block of Lasalle Park Court in the Lasalle Park neighborhood.

The 9-year-old, Caion Greene, his 7-month-old brother, and his parents were driving in an SUV after delivering food to the childs grandmother when Williams approached their vehicle.

According to authorities, when Williams approached their SUV, he fired shots into it before running off. The 7-month-old and his parents were not hit, but Greene was shot and killed. Police recovered several .40-caliber shells from the scene.

Greene would have turned 13 years old this week.

While in court, the prosecutor assigned to the case required Williams to watch a slideshow of photos and videos of Greene. Williams made no comment in court on Friday.

Williams will be credited with more than three years of jail time served. Authorities say Williams also admitted to assaulting a jail guard in October 2023 with the help of another inmate.

He pleaded guilty to a reduced charge of second-degree murder, three counts of first-degree assault and one count of unlawful use of a weapon.

Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. 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.
St. Lucie County in active talks with airlines to fly out of Treasure Coast International

Editor's note: This article was modified from its original version to remove inaccurate information about the size of the airport.

ST. LUCIE COUNTY  It could be just a matter of months before there are commercial flights at Treasure Coast International Airport in Fort Pierce, according to county leaders, with ongoing talks taking place with at least two unnamed airlines.

Once that ball gets rolling, those same leaders say, travelers could see destinations, airlines and facilities expand rapidly over the coming years and decades.

FAA certification must come first

A compass diagram marks the spot where future commercial aircraft will park to load and unload passengers and cargo in front of the William Curtis King Jr. Terminal (background) at the Treasure Coast International Airport, 3000 Curtis King Blvd., on Wednesday, March 15, 2023, in St. Lucie County.

First, the county-owned airport will need to secure a Federal Aviation Administration certification that allows for commercial passenger flights. That process has been ongoing, with the county waiting for word from the FAA on its application since last year.

During that time, a number of improvements have been made at the airport. Airport Director Cameron Howard told county commissioners in March that FAA inspectors found a "night and day" difference between an April 2023 inspection and one in February.

With those improvements now in place, and after months of review from federal regulators, FAA certification should be just weeks away, County Commission Chair Cathy Townsend told TCPalm in a campaign interview Thursday.

"We're probably about three weeks away from having that certificate in our hand," Townsend said.

Talks already taking place with airlines

Breeze Airways flight from the Vero Beach Regional Airport on July 31, 2023.

The county has been in active talks with at least two airlines, Townsend said. She said she cannot share the names of the airlines at this time due to ongoing negotiations.

"One is a commercial airline, well known, and the other is (also) a commercial airline, but a little bit smaller. It's more like a Breeze (Airways), or something like that, a smaller airline," Townsend said.

The unnamed larger airline would be looking at destinations in the South, Townsend said, while the smaller would be looking at ones in the Northeast, including possibly the Boston area.

According to previous TCPalm reporting, the previous airport director had communications with Breeze in 2022, before the airline started flying out of Vero Beach Regional Airport. Emails obtained via a public records request showed the former director also communicated with executives of Avelo Airlines, to a lesser extent, shortly after Breeze picked Vero.

Breeze has a policy of neither confirming nor denying future destinations, but it is "all in with Vero," said company spokesperson Gareth Edmondson-Jones.

Avelo spokesperson Courtney Goff said there have been talks between her airline and Treasure Coast airport, which uses the code FPR.

"We have communicated with the team at FPR but have no immediate plans to establish service there," Goff said. "They still have a way to go before any commercial service can be established. We speak to airports with and without Avelo service daily discussing options, but we dont have anything concrete to add."

Airline school separate from commercial discussions, for now

Treasure Coast International Airport and Business Park, 3000 Curtis King Blvd., is 1.5 miles west of U.S. 1 on St. Lucie Boulevard. It has many assets for a commercial airline.

As for the larger airline, Townsend ruled out one option: United Airlines. That airline  the nation's fourth largest by number of passengers carried last year  has plans to start a pilot training program at the Treasure Coast airport, but it is not the carrier the county has talked to about passenger service.

"I can tell you that that's not the main commercial airline that we are talking to currently," Townsend said.

The flight school has been referred to under the code name "Project Eagle" by the Economic Development Council of St. Lucie County. According to the EDC, the project involves renovating an existing hanger and constructing a new hanger, with the airline planning to start instruction by early next year.

The Treasure Coast airport is likely to add more airlines as time goes on, including, possibly, United, Townsend said.

"Common sense would tell you that if they're going to have a school there for their own pilots, that's probably going to be an airline that's going to want to come to the airport," Townsend said.

Flights could begin next year

An empty terminal is seen ready to take in airport security systems for passengers and luggage screening inside the William Curtis King Jr. Terminal at the Treasure Coast International Airport on Wednesday, March 15, 2023, in Fort Pierce.

Whichever airline  or airlines  eventually decides to fly out of Treasure Coast, Townsend said to expect things to move quickly.

"The one airline that has committed to come here" intends to take over the existing terminal, with county staff moving to another building, she said. That airline has had representatives on the ground looking at what it would like to do there, Townsend said.

"Once the (FAA certification) comes in, I think you're looking at about 90 days for them to be able to finish wrapping up what they need to be able to get the terminal rolling for them," Townsend said. "And I would say probably 120 days before the big airline is ready to start taking flights here."

That means that, by sometime next year, the roughly half a million residents of the Port St. Lucie metropolitan area can expect to have commercial flight options from far closer to home, Townsend said.

Room for growth

Treasure Coast International Airport in Fort Pierce has many assets for a commercial service airline.

Townsend went on to lay out a timeline for potential growth at Treasure Coast airport.

After commercial flights start next year, Townsend said the airport could reach a similar size to Melbourne Orlando International Airport. Then, 10-15 years later, Townsend expects the airport to be built out to about the size of Palm Beach International Airport.

Those expectations of rapid growth mirror statements made by county commissioners at a meeting in May, when discussing potential developments near the airport property.

More: St. Lucie County courted Breeze Airways in 2022, but did it lose out to Vero Beach?

More: Improvements at St. Lucie airport are 'night and day,' feds say; passenger service still eyed

Commissioner Larry Leet, who is also the CEO of American Able Jets, which has operated out of both Treasure Coast and Palm Beach International airports, said at the meeting he foresees an airport with multiple terminals along with a separate private entrance, similar to Palm Beach.

"We are going to have the same thing here. It's a matter of time before the county airport is going to be like West Palm Beach," Leet said in May.

Leet added that county staff and commissioners met with staff of Sen. Marco Rubio, R-Florida, last year, where the senator's staff said another large airport is needed in the area to alleviate congestion at Orlando and the airports in South Florida.

The airport already has an international designation, as it has Customs and Border Protection facilities, and is currently used by private and charter flights coming from other countries such as the Bahamas.

Wicker Perlis is TCPalm's Watchdog Reporter for St. Lucie County. You can reach him at wicker.perlis@tcpalm.com.

This article originally appeared on Treasure Coast Newspapers: Treasure Coast airport could have commercial airline flights by 2025
A voter casts his ballot during primary elections on March 10, 2020 in Seattle, Washington. (Photo by John Moore/Getty Images)

Washington on Friday, July 19 kicked off an 18-day voting period in this years Aug. 6 primary election.

To help inform voters, staff at the Standard interviewed over two dozen candidates in eight of the most closely-watched and competitive state-level and congressional races to learn more about why theyre running and their priorities.

You can find these interviews along with an overview of each race below.

Overall, there are 654 elected offices and 94 local measures in front of voters in the primary, according to the secretary of states office. For more on candidates in other federal, statewide, legislative, and judicial races, you can check out the states online voter guide here.

Important information about the primary:

 Ballots were mailed to registered voters ahead of the 18-day voting period that began July 19.

 To participate in the primary, you must be sure your ballot is postmarked or in a designated drop box by 8 p.m. on Aug. 6.

 Voters can register to vote online or by mail until July 29. After that, you can do so in person at a county election office up until 8 p.m. on Election Day.

 The top two vote-getters in primary races will advance to the Nov. 5 general election.

You can find all of the Standards election 2024 coverage here.

Well be adding to our election guide before the general election with more races as well as additional background on candidates and information about the ballot measures that voters will decide in November. For more information on local races, visit voteWA.gov.
An hours-long standoff between an Orange County man and deputies ends with one dead and another one severely hurt, deputies said.

The Orange County Sheriffs Office said the deputy-involved shooting ended Friday night on Colony Oaks Lane in Pine Hills.

OCSO said around 5 p.m., deputies responded to 6809 Colony Oaks Lane, where a man had shot and stabbed the mother of his child.

Deputies said the suspect remained inside the house with the child and a gun and refused to surrender.

Read: Standoff ends: One woman shot in domestic shooting, Orange County deputies say

Investigators said they negotiated with the suspect for several hours, but he refused to surrender while continuing to hold his child hostage.

OCSO said SWAT officers breached the door and saw the suspect holding the child as a shield with the gun in his hand, and fearing for the safety of the child; they shot and killed the suspect.

The sheriffs office said the child was unharmed in this incident, and the mother is in critical condition at the hospital.

Read: Woman dies after shooting in Orange County, deputies say

The Florida Department of Law Enforcement is investigating the shooting and will turn over its findings to the State Attorneys Office for review.

Once that process is completed, OCSO said it will conduct its own internal investigation.

OSCO said the deputies who fired their weapons are on temporary, paid administrative leave pending the initial FDLE review.

Deputies still on the scene after a standoff ended with a man killed last night. Right now, a woman is in hospital critical condition. No IDs have been released so far @WFTV pic.twitter.com/v54yztWrSH  Geovany Dias (@Geovanydias01) July 20, 2024

Click here to download our free news, weather and smart TV apps. And click here to stream Channel 9 Eyewitness News live.
Starbucks will be using new cold cups at 24 stores amid local mandates

Pictured are the tall, grande and venti size of the Starbucks fiber-based compostable cold cups.

Starbucks will start offering fiber-based compostable cold cups at certain locations.

"Based on local mandates, customers at 24 stores will be served their favorite Starbucks beverage in fiber-based compostable cold cups," Beth Nervig, senior manager, social impact communications at Starbucks told USA TODAY.

Cities, states and local governments around the U.S. have enacted laws in recent years intended to address waste and pollution, including the Alameda Disposable Food Service Ware Reduction Law. The law was passed in the Bay Area in 2018 and encourages food-based businesses to promote reusable options for their customers to get their food items in. However, if reusable options are unavailable the law said that food vendors can use, "compostable, fiber-based packaging for to-go items."

California is one of the states where Starbucks is rolling out the fiber-based cups.

The single-use cups will only be available for cold drinks. Customers that prefer hot beverages will still be given the standard paper cup.

The cafe company says that its mission is, "to innovate on both single-use and reusable cups."

Here is what you need to know about Starbucks compostable cold cups.

Starbucks: Introduces value meals with new 'Pairings Menu'

How do the cups look?

Starbucks will start using fiber-based compostable cold cups at certain locations.

Branded with their standard siren logo on the front of the cup, Starbucks chose to use environmentally friendly resources to create the compostable cold cups.

"The new compostable cups and lids are opaque and made from double-walled, fiber-based paper board with a bioplastic liner, and the lids are made from compostable molded fiber, too," Nervig said.

What stores will the compostable cold cups be available at?

The compostable cups will be available at 24 locations in two states.

Nervig said that 21 stores in California and three in Minnesota will offer the cups, but did not indicate addresses of the locations.

Starbucks also lets customers 'bring their own cup' for beverages

After kicking off the new year Starbucks announced that it would allow its customers to bring their own clean reusable cups when they visit a local cafe.

"Customers at participating stores in the U.S. and Canada who bring any clean, personal cup will receive a $0.10 discount on their beverage, and in the U.S., Starbucks Rewards members will receive 25 Bonus Stars," Nervig said.

In addition, Nervig said that the company is continuing to test its returnable cup program in Petaluma, California and Seattle, Washington.

The program launched in 2022 and gives customers the option to deposit their cold or hot drinking cup in a return bin. The cups will be personally washed and used again, the company's press release said.

Ahjane Forbes is a reporter on the National Trending Team at USA TODAY. Ahjane covers breaking news, car recalls, crime, health, lottery and public policy stories. Email her at aforbes@gannett.com . Follow her on Instagram, Threads and X (Twitter) @forbesfineest.

Julia is a trending reporter for USA TODAY. She has covered various topics, from local businesses and government in her hometown, Miami, to tech and pop culture. You can connect with her on LinkedIn or follow her on X, formerly Twitter, Instagram and TikTok: @juliamariegz

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Starbucks will be using new cold cups at 24 stores, local mandates
(Bloomberg) -- Following talks on a migration crackdown with Hungarys Viktor Orban at the European Political Community summit this week, host Keir Starmer allowed himself a rare unguarded moment as he told Italian premier Giorgia Meloni about his efforts to bring his Labour lawmakers along on his policies.

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These were hard conversations to have with my party, Britains new center-left prime minister, fresh off a landslide UK election victory two weeks ago, said to his right-wing counterpart as they walked through the maze in Blenheim Palace. Yeah, I imagine, she smiled back.

The pair are unlikely allies, and it was odder still to see Starmer  a former human rights lawyer  appearing to enjoy Orbans jokes. Yet for allies of the premier, there are lessons to be learned from both leaders  and Marine Le Pen in France and Donald Trump in the US  about what some senior Labour officials see as the key threat to their administration: the surge of the populist right across Europe and America, and the fear that it could be replicated in the UK.

While Starmer likes and had positive talks with more natural allies Emmanuel Macron and Olaf Scholz in Oxfordshire on Thursday, and with President Joe Biden at the NATO summit in Washington last week, his overarching aim is to avoid their struggles at the hands of the political right, according to people close to him who spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss private views.

That means paying close attention to Nigel Farages Reform UK party, and the former Brexit campaigners appeal to disenchanted voters. They can see things about our politics that many of us cant, Josh Simons, a new lawmaker who is close to Starmer, told an audience at a think tanks summer party on Monday, as Chancellor of the Exchequer Rachel Reeves looked on.

At Blenheim Palace, Starmer held talks with Orban, Meloni and others on how to stop migration at source and in southern Europe.

Some Starmer aides and Cabinet members argue a tough approach on migration and crime  typically prioritized by right-wing parties  will be key to securing a second term, an indication of how even the biggest parliamentary majority in a generation wont shield Labour from risks over the next five years.

Those in Labour who subscribe to that view want Starmer to send asylum-seekers to third countries for processing  something he hinted he is considering at his summit press conference on Thursday  and not to be squeamish about drawing a link between irregular migration and rising crime.

The strategy would be to avoid creating a target for right-wing attacks, either by being portrayed as overly liberal on social issues or keen to hike taxes to fund higher public spending  core demands among the Labour base.

As one Starmer supporter put it, there should be no left turn in office after he campaigned from the political center.

Yet as Starmers line to Meloni made clear, his party will be hard to convince.

A major issue for Starmer is the partys impatience after 14 years in opposition, a period of turmoil which included Brexit and the pandemic. The pressure from Labour supporters for the prime minister to emulate Tony Blair in remaking the economy  over more than a decade in power  is immense.

The first clear sign of unrest will likely come as soon as next week when some Labour members of Parliament try to push him into making boosting welfare for parents by removing the two-child cap on benefit payments.

Starmer has said that while hes sympathetic, stretched public coffers wont yet stretch to the 2.5 billion the Resolution Foundation think tank estimates lifting the cap would cost. But the prime minister also launched a task force on child poverty last week, inviting in charities who are campaigning to scrap the cap, a move that led many to conclude he is likely to back down.

To be sure, Starmers allies say there is little prospect of him losing any vote in Parliament. He has a working majority of 180, an amendment on the issue may not even be selected, and new Labour lawmakers have been reminded by whips that an early rebellion would not be viewed well in 10 Downing Street.

A government official described it as a virility test of the new administration, arguing it cant be seen to lose its first fight with the Labour left. They expressed frustration that by moving so soon, the would-be rebels had made it harder for Starmer to lift the cap at the autumn Budget without it looking weak.

Other Starmer allies conceded he will need to throw a bone to his party to ensure unity, amid what Reeves foreshadowed as difficult decisions looming in the Budget in a Bloomberg interview this week.

One said the premier is determined to implement center-left policies, pointing to Wednesdays Kings Speech setting out plans to reform workers rights, re-nationalize the railways and establish a state-owned clean energy company.

Still, the row is reminiscent of disagreements Starmers team had in opposition, between those in who prized fiscal prudence and cautious policies to avoid alienating non-traditional Labour voters, and others wanting more ambition.

The former won that battle with Starmer, most famously on how much to commit to spending on the green energy transition in their manifesto. Its proponents argue they were vindicated by Labours huge election win.

In the first days of the new government, some old clashes are being revisited in the form of skirmishes over appointments of advisers. Thats caused some bad blood and needs to be resolved swiftly and peacefully, a minister said.

As was the case on the green spending, its not yet clear which way Starmer will lean. Some allies said his choice could determine whether his government can deliver the stability he promised, and avoid emulating the setbacks of his progressive allies in Europe and across the Atlantic.

Weve seen the rise of populism and nationalism across Europe, across America and other countries, Starmer told Bloomberg last month. Its very important we make the case that only progressive, democratic parties in government have the answers to the challenges that are out there.

At Blenheim Palace, he made clear hes still grappling with the threat. He said his talks with Meloni on migration as the most important part of the summit, and praised his Conservative predecessor for forging close relations with her.

We build on the relationship that Rishi Sunak put in place, rather than start in a different place, he said.

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2024 Bloomberg L.P.
Francisco Nunez has been invested in supporting clean-water projects for Latin America and the Caribbean for over a decade.

Nunez, from the Dominican Republic, is the Central Caribbean director of The Nature Conservancy, a nonprofit dedicated to conserving water and land. As his home country has been experiencing a major water crisis due to deforestation, overuse of natural resources, and severe storms driven by rising temperatures, Nunez is looking to provide more water security to the region.

"We're going through a severe drought," he told BBC News. "Animals have been dying, crops failing. To build a dam to conserve water supplies is not enough  we need nature to provide water, we need to go back to the ecosystem and rebuild from the beginning."

Nunez's efforts to support his home started in 2011. At the time, he helped start the Latin American Water Funds Partnership, which established 24 water funds across multiple countries in Latin America  two of which are in the Dominican Republic.

These water funds are unique in that they "focus on nature-based solutions contributing to achieve water security for the future," according to Patricia Abreu, who heads the Santo Domingo Water Fund. The funds are looking to restore three river basins, including one in and around Santo Domingo, another in the mountains, and one in the watershed of the Yaque del Norte River.

As these basins increase water security, Nunez and his team have been increasing tree canopies to protect the watersheds. The team works with local farmers willing to plant coffee or cacao crops, as the vegetation supports water retention. To protect these plants and support a healthy water cycle, the Nature Conservancy has been using agroforestry, which is intentionally planting trees or shrubs in farming systems.

While increasing tree canopies has a multitude of benefits in restoring these critical river basins, Nunez ran into one problem: convincing the farmers.

He told BBC News the farmers did not have much trust in programs like the Nature Conservancy or lacked knowledge about the watersheds. He said it took a few months to get some on board, but now, they can't get enough. As of February, not a single farmer had quit the program.

Not only is the project providing key eco-friendly benefits for local communities, but it is helping financially, too. All the farmers involved have not had any added strain on their wallets, as they are compensated for planting the trees and provided with the required seeds and fertilizers.

Since 2011, the project has seen roughly 8,000 acres of water-producing ecosystems restored in the country, providing local communities with clean water for drinking, electricity, and rural and urban agriculture.

Nunez has emphasized that to support these water systems, it must be a collective and local effort. He told The Christian Science Monitor: "There's an understanding now that to fix the water crisis, we need to rebuild the watersheds. This model is about everybody coming together ... to work together with the same goal."

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The North Carolina General Assembly recently passed an exciting new program that will make it easier and more affordable than ever for businesses to invest in clean energy upgrades.

Senate Bill 802 authorizes the launch of Commercial Property Assessed Clean Energy (CPACE) financing in the state, according to WRAL News. Through CPACE, companies can borrow money to install things like rooftop solar panels, energy-efficient HVAC systems, and LED lighting  then pay back the loan over time via a small bump in their property taxes.

So, what does this mean for you?

For starters, it's a huge win for small business owners looking to save some green while going green. Energy efficiency upgrades can translate to major savings on monthly utility bills. But they also tend to require sizable upfront investments that can be hard to swing.

CPACE aims to change that, making it possible for more companies to afford the tech that will shrink both their carbon footprint and their overhead costs. The result: a cleaner environment and more cash to invest back into the business and support employees.

What's more, these upgrades can help make local businesses more resilient in the face of our changing climate and increasingly severe weather events. By producing some of their own power and maximizing efficiency, companies will, on the whole, be better equipped to keep the lights on and the doors open.

The move puts North Carolina in good company, joining the ranks of the 38 other states that have already passed CPACE legislation nationwide, according to WRAL News. To date, CPACE programs have financed over $2 billion in clean energy projects across the country, according to Department of Energy data cited by WRAL News.

"It's a monumental step in clean energy here in North Carolina," said Matt Abele of the North Carolina Clean Energy Association, per the outlet.

"This is going to help those businesses put more money back into their pocket, be able to pay their employees more money and continue to reinvest in the communities that they are already invested in."

Join our free newsletter for easy tips to save more, waste less, and help yourself while helping the planet.
JAXPORT recently announced major infrastructure enhancements are happening to strengthen JAXPORTs position as a leader in the movement of containers, automobiles, and non-containerized cargo like paper products.

The enhancements are possible with the support of the state.

According to an X post, JAXPORT supports nearly 207,000 jobs and $33 billion in economic impact for Florida.

Guests on FDOTs Summer Tour recently visited and toured the port and got to see firsthand how commercial and military cargo is moved.

They also learned the ports role in the global supply chain.

[DOWNLOAD: Free Action News Jax app for alerts as news breaks]

According to the social media post, CEO Eric Green told the group, The success we are experiencing is a direct result of your support.

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States pledged hundreds of troops and spent millions to help Texas at the border so far this year

A soldier with the South Dakota National Guard stands near the banks of the Rio Grande in Eagle Pass on Sept. 11, 2024. (Photo by Justin Hamel)

More than a dozen Republican governors gathered in Eagle Pass in February, heeding a call from Texas Gov. Greg Abbott to confront what he labeled President Joe Bidens border crisis. The governors, along with other GOP state leaders, vowed to send another round of National Guard troops from their states to the Texas-Mexico border.

With shifts in pandemic-era federal border policies, thered been a sharp increase in migrant encounters in the latter half of 2023. But then January saw a steep 50% drop.

Still, the governors told their constituents that they needed to send more people to assist Texas in fending off an invasion, as both Abbott and Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis have called it, or fight drug smuggling. But the deployments have been widely criticized as political grandstanding  opportunities to take photos near personnel in uniform on the border while feeding nationalism and fear during an election year.

States Newsroom outlets across the country have tracked state deployments and expenses so far this year as part of a collaboration with Texas Tribune and Stateline to get a sense of what becomes of these promises, and what those deployments look and feel like at the border.

States generally chip in anywhere from five to 200 troops for deployments that can last anywhere from a couple of weeks to months. Typically, the funding comes from state budgets and state emergency funds.

The federal government also deploys thousands of National Guard members to the border year-round.

Gen. Daniel Hokanson, the chief of the U.S. National Guard Bureau who will retire Sept. 1, told the Senate Appropriations Subcommittee on Defense in mid-June that nearly 2,500 troops were serving at the southwest border under federal command. Sen. Jon Tester, a Democrat from Montana, asked the general about the impact of this deployment on the guards other duties.

There is no military training value for what we do [on the border], Hokanson said. For our guardsmen there, they might as well be deployed to Kuwait or somewhere overseas, because theyre away from their families. Theyre there doing mission sets that are not directly applicable to their military skill set. That time, I think, would be better utilized building readiness to deter our adversaries.  Marisa Demarco

STATE DEPLOYMENTS

Texas

Gov. Greg Abbott launched Operation Lone Star in March 2021, soon after Biden took office. Since then, the state has deployed thousands of people from the Texas Department of Public Safety and Texas National Guard along the roughly 1,250-mile border it shares with Mexico.

It was an unprecedented activation of soldiers for a state operation. Usually the federal government, not a state, deploys troops for long-term assignments and gives them much more notice. Soon after the operation began, guard members began to complain about being paid late or not at all, living in cramped mobile homes and feeling underutilized.

Today, 97% of troops currently on the mission volunteered to be deployed, according to guard leadership. The state also just finished building the first phase of a new base in Eagle Pass to house National Guard members. The base is designed to house up to 2,300 people.

Texas has spent more than $11 billion on Operation Lone Star to date, but its not clear how much of the money has been spent on the National Guard deployment, and the state hasnt divulged exactly how many people have been sent to the border.  Alejandro Serrano / The Texas Tribune

South Dakota

South Dakota Gov. Kristi Noems deployment of 60 National Guard troops in the spring is the states fifth deployment to the U.S.-Mexico border since 2021.

Noem initiated three of the deployments in response to calls for help from Texas, and the other two were federal.

One of the deployments Noem initiated was mostly funded by a $1 million donation from Tennessee billionaire Willis Johnson. That donation and Noems use of it sparked criticism from Democrats, who said it gave the appearance that the South Dakota National Guard is available to do the political bidding of wealthy donors.

Noem funded the remaining costs and the two other deployments she initiated with money from the states Emergency and Disaster Fund, despite a state law that defines emergencies and disasters as events in any part of the state. She declined to deploy guard troops to flood-ravaged areas in South Dakota in late June. Her use of the fund has drawn bipartisan criticism from some legislators, but a majority endorsed the practice during the last legislative session.

Previous deployments have cost the Emergency and Disaster Fund at least $1.3 million, and $1.5 million is budgeted from the fund for this years. No further deployments are planned yet.  Seth Tupper / South Dakota Searchlight

Montana

After Montana Gov. Greg Gianforte made a trip to the border earlier in the year, he declared that he would send members of the Montana National Guard to Texas at the request of the Texas governor, a fellow Republican.

Ten troops were called to active duty for vehicle repair and maintenance.

They returned home in mid-May after a monthlong deployment, where Gianforte met with them for breakfast, and he declared May Military Appreciation Month in Montana.

Despite public document requests being filed in April, no information has yet been released on the expense.  Darrell Ehrlick / Daily Montanan

Indiana

Indianas National Guard has estimated the cost of a 10-month, 50-member deployment at $7 million. The troops were called up under state active duty, meaning Indiana pays their salaries. That budget also covers transportation, supplies and maintenance.

Guard officials have said they will use existing appropriations in their budget for the costs.

Gov. Eric Holcomb made the move this year  his last in office. He didnt need legislative action. There has been little debate on the matter. Republican lawmakers issued supportive statements, and Democrats have been opposed.

Troops deployed in early April. That month, an Indiana guard member assigned to Operation Lone Star shot a migrant who was attacking another migrant, according to a U.S. Border Patrol bulletin.

I am beyond thankful to this individual who potentially saved two lives by defending them and themselves. Im reassured that the training that they got before they deployed and assumed this active duty on the southern border was beneficial, Holcomb told reporters on a Zoom.  Niki Kelly / Indiana Capital Chronicle

New Hampshire

New Hampshire National Guard troops have been deployed to the southern border twice since 2020, each time for about a year and by the federal government. From April through early June, 15 soldiers from New Hampshire were stationed at a Texas National Guard base camp in Del Rio, about an hour from Eagle Pass.

Two months earlier, during an hourlong discussion with Gov. Chris Sununu, the Joint Legislative Fiscal Committees Democrats in February asked the governor how much of an impact 15 National Guard members could have at a border crossing seeing thousands of migrants a day.

Sen. Lou DAllesandro, a Manchester Democrat, said a better response could come from Republicans in Congress who blocked a border deal that cleared the U.S. Senate. Although its a wonderful thought in terms of support, it seems to be that the real issue is that Congress isnt funding what they should be funding to protect the southern border, DAllesandro told Sununu.

The committees Republicans praised Sununus plan to send troops to the border. Senate President Jeb Bradley noted the governor had requested the funding for the 2024 deployment under the civil emergency law to address the states drug overdose deaths, which have topped 400 yearly since 2015.

The three-month deployment cost the state $850,000, which covered salary and benefits. New Hampshire paid the Texas National Guard $200 a day per soldier for room and board, as well as other expenses at its base in Del Rio.  Annmarie Timmins / New Hampshire Bulletin

Idaho

In Idaho Gov. Brad Littles State of the State Address in January, he announced he would send two teams of five state police troopers to the border to learn the best tactics to respond to those who smuggle and abuse vulnerable people.

The 10 officers were sent to the border in April for three weeks and partnered with the Texas Department of Public Safety for the mission.

We are determined to utilize this training to enhance our efforts in Idaho and to combat human trafficking with utmost efficiency, Idaho State Police Col. Kedrick Wills said. Its vital for our troopers to face repeated real-world scenarios to sharpen their skills.

The governor this year recommended $200,000 to the Idaho state police budget to send troopers to the Texas-Mexico border for training. The total cost of the trip was $205,655.

One state police officer said the majority of the time was spent along the border wall assisting the Texas Department of Public Safety and the National Guard with traffic stops and arrests, then turning people over to the Border Patrol.  Mia Maldonado / Idaho Capital Sun

Nebraska

Republican Gov. Jim Pillen has continued a push by his predecessor, former Gov. Pete Ricketts, to send state-paid law enforcement and National Guard members to the Texas border with Mexico.

In 2023, Pillen sent 61 National Guard members and 10 state troopers to the border, and Ricketts sent 32 state troopers to the Del Rio area in 2021.

This year, Nebraska sent 24 National Guard members for roughly three months from April 1 through June 27. Ten state patrol troopers deployed for two weeks from April 14-28. No additional deployments have been announced.

This years two border deployments ordered by Pillen cost a combined $1.27 million. The state says it paid $1.2 million of that total using interest accrued from the second wave of $48 million in federal pandemic relief funds that Congress set aside for rental assistance.

State taxpayers covered the remaining $71,675 from the states general fund, the Nebraska state patrol confirmed.

Pillen has argued that public safety and national security dictate the need for every state to send help, speaking often about the importance of doing what it takes to stem the flow of migrants at the southern border. He has dismissed questions about the cost-effectiveness of state efforts.

Pillen, like Ricketts, has faced criticism of his efforts from some Democrats and from groups that advocate for immigrant rights and those representing Latino voices in Nebraska. They argue that his push is political and his rhetoric about crime and drugs at the border contributes to the animosity and fear local Latinos face.  Aaron Sanderford / Nebraska Examiner

Iowa

Iowa Gov. Kim Reynolds has deployed National Guard troops and state law enforcement officers to the border multiple times in recent years. There are currently five Iowa National Guard troops in Texas who arrived April 1 and will be there through Sept. 30, providing public affairs assistance and vehicle maintenance for Operation Lone Star.

Earlier this year, 110 troops were deployed to the Texas border from April 1 through May 3, assisting the Texas Military Department. Eight Iowa Department of Public Safety troopers and two sergeants went to work with Texas DPS from March 31 through April 27.

The cost of the 2024 border deployment has not yet been released, according to Iowa National Guard officials.

Previous deployments saw 109 National Guard members and 31 Iowa DPS personnel assisting at the border in 2023, and 28 Iowa State Patrol troopers in 2021. While the deployments over the past two years have been financed using federal American Rescue Plan funding, with the 2023 mission costing $1.93 million, according to the governor, the 2021 deployment was paid for with $300,000 in other state funds.

Reynolds has also spoken in favor of the 2023 Texas law  currently under injunction  allowing state law enforcement to arrest migrants suspected of illegally entering the country. She signed into law a similar measure this year that was set to take effect July 1 but is under a preliminary injunction following challenges from the U.S. Department of Justice and civil rights organizations.

The blocked Iowa statute would have also allowed state law enforcement to arrest and charge immigrants if they have been previously deported, removed or denied admission from the U.S., or if they have an order to leave the country. Judges would have been allowed to order people charged with illegal reentry crimes to leave the country or face prison time, with state agencies and law enforcement authorized to transport them to U.S. ports of entry to ensure they leave the country.

State Attorney General Brenna Bird appealed the injunction ruling on Iowas law in June, seeking to begin enforcement.  Robin Opsahl / Iowa Capital Dispatch

Missouri

When Gov. Mike Parson announced a deployment of 200 National Guard troops and 22 state highway patrol officers in February, he cited a visit to the region that he said showed it was a crisis. There has been some debate over the deployment, which was funded in part by a special appropriation bill.

During a February budget hearing, lawmakers focused on short-staffing at the state patrol, noting that the officers were being sent despite being 132 short of full strength.

Does that not put Missouri at risk when were sending even more troopers away when we already have a deficit of 132? asked state Rep. Deb Lavender, a Democrat from Manchester.

Col. Eric Olson, superintendent of the patrol, said only volunteers were going, and they had been selected from eight of the patrols nine regions.

Geographically, we spread that out, Olson said, and we feel like we will be able to manage this event as well as take care of our duties here at home.

There was very little opposition to the actual spending once troopers were deployed in March. National Guard members were sent on rotations of 50 over three months at a cost of $2 million, while patrol officers were split into two teams and sent to Texas for 32 days at a cost of $206,000. The deployments were set to end on June 13. The money came from the states general fund.

The Missouri budget for the fiscal year that began July 1 included $8.8 million to continue deployments for a full year, but Parson has said he will not extend the deployment and vetoed $6 million of that appropriation.

We dont need that money, he said. I think that was more of a political statement people were trying to make.

In his letter to lawmakers explaining the veto, Parson wrote the National Guards deployment to the southern border has already concluded. If there is a need to deploy again, Parson wrote, there is enough money already in the budget to support another short-term mission.  Rudi Keller / Missouri Independent

Tennessee

Gov. Bill Lee has continued to deploy Tennessee National Guard troops to the U.S.-Mexico border since 2021, when he first sent 300 troops on a yearlong mission.

In March, Lee affirmed he would send two waves of 50 active-duty soldiers as part of Operation Lone Star, in addition to the 123 deployed in October 2023.

State funding for these deployments have ramped up through the years. In fiscal year 2022, Tennessee spent $500,000. In 2024, it jumped to $1.4 million. The state governments fiscal year 2025 started July 1, and $5 million in nonrecurring funds was budgeted.  Holly McCall / Tennessee Lookout

Utah

After Utah Gov. Spencer Coxs February visit to Texas southern border, he deployed a small number of troops. The Republican governor announced he would send five people from the Utah National Guard engineer battalion to maintain military equipment, plus one sergeant and four officers from the Utah Highway Patrols Criminal Interdiction Team, which specializes in drug investigations.

The deployment for both groups was scheduled on Feb. 26. The highway patrol team went for 30 days at a cost of $100,000, while the Utah National Guard battalion was sent for 14 days costing $50,000. Funding came from the Governors Offices emergency fund.

Legislative leaders at the helm of the Republican-supermajority Utah Legislature applauded the deployment when it was announced earlier this year, while Democratic leaders pushed back, arguing it shouldnt be Utahs role. Senate Minority Leader Luz Escamilla, D-Salt Lake City, and Senate President Stuart Adams, R-Layton, agreed, however, that Congress and the White House should seek solutions to the nations broken immigration system.

The Utah Democratic Party criticized Cox for playing a part in the MAGA Republican partys ongoing political grandstanding in immigration.

Asked whether the governor has sent or will send any additional resources, a spokesperson said, to her knowledge, no additional deployments are promised or planned. A spokesperson for the Utah National Guard echoed that.  Katie McKellar / Utah News Dispatch

Arkansas

Gov. Sarah Huckabee Sanders has spent more than $2 million in state funding to send 120 Arkansas National Guard members to the southwest border twice since taking office in January 2023.

Eighty guard members were deployed for a mission that lasted from June 24 to Aug. 5, 2023, and cost $1.3 million. This year, another 40 were activated for a $1 million mission from April 1 to May 30.

Both active-duty missions ordered by the governor were paid for with state funds, said Maj. Cibeles Ramirez-Rodriguez, Arkansas National Guard spokesperson.

Additionally, 50 guard members were deployed to the southwest border from October 2022 to October 2023 for a Title 10 federal mission in support of U.S. Customs and Border Protection, Ramirez-Rodriguez said. The state guard also sent 40 members to the southern border in 2021 for 90 days. That mission was primarily to recover and repair vehicles belonging to a Texas task force.

Troops from the Arkansas Guard were deployed between 2006 and 2008 in support of the federal Operation Jump Start under former President George W. Bush, with the state providing more than 750 soldiers and airmen in support of Border Patrol.  Antoinette Grajeda / Arkansas Advocate

Louisiana

Gov. Jeff Landry announced July 1 that engineers with the Louisiana National Guard would deploy in Texas to assist with border security through mid-November. Their assignment extends Louisianas commitment of 150 personnel from its state militia spread across three 30-day rotations.

Landry said the additional time guard members will spend in Texas will not create an additional cost to taxpayers. State lawmakers approved $3 million for Operation Lone Star earlier this year, and there is $800,000 remaining from that allocation, according to the governors office.

Landry is one of many Republican governors who have sent National Guard troops to Texas in support of Abbotts border policies. In addition to busing migrants to Democratic-led cities, the Texas governor placed razor wire along the banks of the Rio Grande near Eagle Pass to hinder unauthorized border crossings.

In a letter to legislative leaders, Landry said Abbott and the Texas National Guard leadership requested additional engineering support from Louisiana. The governor said he has worked with Brig. Gen. Thomas Friloux of the Louisiana National Guard and Jacques Thibodeaux of the Governors Office of Homeland Security and Emergency Preparedness to ensure that this will not impair our ability to mobilize troops here at home if necessary.

Louisiana National Guard members are among the first emergency response personnel put to work ahead of a pending disaster and during the recovery stages. The Atlantic hurricane season started June 1 and lasts until the end of November.  Greg LaRose / Louisiana Illuminator

Georgia

The Georgia Army National Guard has fewer than 20 troops supporting Texas border operations, according to spokesman Maj. William Carraway.

Carraway said the deployments are paid for through Texas Emergency Management Assistance Compact and directed questions about funding to the Texas National Guard and Texas governors office. He declined to give a specific timeline but said the troops likely arrived in early May and that they wouldnt be there long.

Its a short-term thing, he said. Theyre just going over there, and theyre coming back. So theyre not going to be over there for years or anything like that.

Gov. Brian Kemp announced the deployment in a Feb. 13 press conference in the Georgia Capitol, where he blamed Biden for what he termed a crisis on the southern border. Kemp said the troops will be responsible for assisting with the construction of a forward command post on the border.

Kemp has made multiple visits to the U.S.-Mexico border since he was first elected in 2019 and made immigration a major issue in both of his successful campaigns, suggesting in a 2018 commercial that he may need to round up criminal illegals in his big truck.  Ross Williams / Georgia Recorder

Florida

Gov. Ron DeSantis announced on Feb. 1 that Florida would deploy up to 1,000 members of the Florida National Guard and Florida State Guard to assist Texas with Operation Lone Star. That was in addition to the more than 90 officers from the Florida highway patrol, Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission and Florida Department of Law Enforcement that were already on the border.

A couple of weeks later on Feb. 23, DeSantis announced he would send more troops to Texas for border security  50 National Guard members and another 76 Florida highway patrol officers.

How many troops were sent or what it cost the state remains unknown. Gov.Ron DeSantis press office did not respond to requests for comment.

The state budget this year provides nearly $20 million to restore and build upon the Florida State Guard, one of the state agencies that has been sent to deter migrants in Texas and South Florida.

Gov. DeSantis signed measures in 2022 and 2023 that included an additional $12 million to continue to relocate immigrants to sanctuary jurisdictions. This year, there is no funding specifically allocated for those relocations.

A spokesperson for the Florida National Guard said troops have also deployed as part of the federal mission in 2021 and 2023, with the next company set to depart in October and return a year later.  Mitch Perry / Florida Phoenix

FEDERAL DEPLOYMENTS

North Dakota

About 100 members of the National Guard deployed to the southern border in August 2023 under state orders from Gov. Doug Burgum. Members of the 188th Engineer Company, they were integrated into the Texas Department of Public Safety and Military Department for one month as part of Operation Lone Star. The North Dakota Emergency Commission authorized up to $2.2 million for the deployment through a loan with the Bank of North Dakota. About $1.7 million was spent.

Since 2021, members of the North Dakota National Guard have supported U.S. Customs and Border Protection agents every October under federal orders through the Department of Defense. North Dakota National Guard members will complete their third yearlong deployment to the southern border in the fall.

The deployed units, consisting of between 100 to 125 soldiers, are tasked with assisting with surveillance efforts, maintenance and other needs, according to the National Guard.

The 142nd Engineer Battalion will head to the southern border in the fall on federal orders under the direction of U.S. Northern Command and Joint Task Force North, according to a guard spokesperson. The unit will consist of about 50 service members.  Michael Achterling / North Dakota Monitor

Ohio

After a request from Texas governor, in June 2023, Republican Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine authorized 14 Ohio state highway patrol officers and supervisors to go to Texas to help with border surveillance for two weeks. They were not tasked with making arrests. A spokesperson for DeWine said in May that he did not believe Ohio highway patrol troopers had been down to the border at all in 2024.

Ohio National Guard spokesperson Heidi Griesmer said Ohio troops have had a continuous presence at the border since October 2020.

Over the past four years, Ohio has deployed approximately 375 Ohio National Guard members to support the Southwest Border operations at the request of the U.S. Department of Homeland Security and U.S. Northern Command, including Ohio National Guard members who deployed in October 2023 and remain there today, she said.

For operational security reasons, she said, they would not reveal the number of guard members currently at the border. Nor could she confirm whether there would be future deployments. When asked for the costs, she said they dont have a figure for expenditures.

Ohio National Guard members deployments have been paid for by the U.S. Department of Defense, Griesmer said.  David DeWitt and Marty Schladen / Ohio Capital Journal

Alaska

Alaska plans to send 20 National Guard members and two helicopters to the border as part of the federal Department of Defenses ongoing border mission, according to a spokesperson for Alaska Gov. Mike Dunleavy, a Republican. They are scheduled to support the federal Border Patrol for an estimated nine months, starting in early October. While there are no official orders yet, the state continues to move forward with planning.

This mission is entirely federally funded and not related to Texass Operation Lone Star, according to Dunleavys office. The state does not have plans to send the Alaska National Guard to support Operation Lone Star, the governors spokesperson said.

Dunleavy said in February that he was interested in supporting Texass operations, but cited the cost as a potential concern. The estimated cost was $1 million per month to support 100 guard members, and the Legislature did not include funding for this in the annual budget it passed in May, which Dunleavy signed into law in June for the budget year starting in July.  Andrew Kitchenman / Alaska Beacon

LEGISLATIVE PRESSURE

Kansas

The Kansas Legislature allocated $15.7 million to send Kansas National Guard troops to Texas to assist with the U.S.-Mexico border.

Democratic Gov. Laura Kelly vetoed the funding, but she was overridden by GOP supermajorities in both the House and Senate. That means the funding remains in place through fiscal year 2025 but is unlikely to be spent.

As the Kansas National Guards commander-in-chief, it is my constitutional authority to direct the National Guard while on state duty, Kelly said when she vetoed the funding. It is not the Legislatures role to direct the operations or call out the National Guard.

The governor also said lawmakers in Washington must act to solve this issue.

Still, there are Kansas National Guard troops at the U.S. border as part of federal security efforts, whose deployments are federally funded by the Department of Defense.  Sherman Smith / Kansas Reflector

Michigan

Dave Kennedy, a spokesperson for the Michigan National Guard, said there are no troops deployed to the U.S. southern border, nor any scheduled for fiscal year 2024, which ends Sept. 30. While negotiations are ongoing for the FY 2025 budget, there has been no discussion of additional funding for deployments to that region.

However, that hasnt stopped the Michigan Freedom Caucus, a small group of far-right lawmakers in the Michigan House, from demanding Democratic Gov. Gretchen Whitmer send guard troops to Texas or Arizona.

The legislators banded together during the current session after Republicans moved into the minority in Lansing for the first time since 2010. The caucus says the military personnel are needed to help stop what they referred to as sabotage of the nations borders. Several members also visited the border in February.

Whitmers office has noted that the Michigan National Guard has made several deployments to assist at the southern border in the past few years as part of federal operations, during both the Trump and Biden administrations, including 175 members of the 3rd Battalion, 126th Infantry Regiment, who were sent to locations in Fort Bliss, Laredo and El Paso, Texas, from March 2020 to March 2021.  Jon King / Michigan Advance

Pennsylvania

In March, the GOP-controlled Pennsylvania Senate voted along party lines 27-22 to pass a resolution urging Democratic Gov. Josh Shapiro to send Pennsylvania National Guard troops to the U.S.-Mexico border. Introduced by Republican state Sen. Doug Mastriano, the resolution came the same day as a U.S. Supreme Court preliminary ruling that allowed state authorities in Texas to deport people who crossed the border into the U.S.

Mastriano, who ran for Pennsylvania governor in 2022 and lost, argued that immigration was as big a concern for Pennsylvania as it is for border states, noting that in 2006, then-Gov. Ed Rendell, a Democrat, authorized 500 Pennsylvania National Guard soldiers and airmen to deploy to the Texas border on a volunteer basis for Operation Jump Start during the George W. Bush administration.

Shapiro ultimately did not send troops. This issue requires leaders in both parties to step up and deliver real, comprehensive solutions  not more the failed talking points and political grandstanding that have brought us decades without immigration reform, Shapiro spokesperson Manuel Bonder said.  Peter Hall / Pennsylvania Capital-Star

This article was reported and written in collaboration with The Texas Tribune, a nonpartisan media organization that informs Texans  and engages with them  about public policy, politics, government and statewide issues.
Striking Minneapolis park workers on Friday evening overwhelmingly rejected the latest contract offer from the Minneapolis Park and Recreation Board.

Liz Xiong, a spokesperson for Laborers' International Union of North America Local 363, said that 91% of the ballots cast rejected the offer. Just under half of the union's nearly 200 full-time, dues-paying members turned out for the vote, held at Minnehaha Regional Park.

Xiong said Friday's vote site was chosen because the Park Board insisted the union bring the latest offer to a vote and a number of union members were already present at Minnehaha Falls for a demonstration.

"The Park Board doesn't have any jurisdiction to govern or interfere with the way a local union chooses to do its business," Xiong said.

The strike entered its third week Thursday after negotiations between the two sides again broke down Tuesday night. Workers have demanded higher pay, improved benefits and safety precautions.

Xiong said the two sides have agreed on wage adjustments, but that several clauses she called "anti-worker" still remain in the Park Board's offer. One such clause, she said, would allow management to withhold step increases in employee pay at its discretion.

"That defeats the whole purposes of bargaining a contract," she said.

The Park Board said Friday that 46% of park workers have not been working during the strike.
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Credit: Vikiverse / Pixabay

New research suggests that extreme objects known as "kugelblitze"  black holes formed solely from light  are impossible in our universe, challenging Einstein's theory of general relativity. The discovery places significant constraints on cosmological models and demonstrates how quantum mechanics and general relativity can be reconciled to address complex scientific questions.

Black holes  massive objects with such a strong gravitational pull that not even light can escape their grasp  are among the most intriguing and bizarre objects in the universe. Typically, they form from the collapse of massive stars at the ends of their life cycles, when the pressure from thermonuclear reactions in their cores can no longer counteract the force of gravity.

However, more exotic hypotheses exist regarding black hole formation. One such theory involves the creation of a "kugelblitz," German for "ball lightning." (The plural form is "kugelblitze.")

"A kugelblitz is a hypothetical black hole that, instead of forming from the collapse of 'ordinary matter' (whose main constituents are protons, neutrons, and electrons), is formed from concentrating humongous amounts of electromagnetic radiation, such as light," study co-author Jose Polo-Gomez, a physicist at the University of Waterloo and the Perimeter Institute for Theoretical Physics in Canada, told Live Science in an email.

"Even though light does not have mass, it does carry energy," Polo-Gomez said, adding that, in Einstein's theory of general relativity, energy is responsible for creating curvatures in space-time that result in gravitational attractions. "Because of that, it is in principle possible for light to form black holes  if we concentrate enough of it in a small enough volume," he said.

These principles hold true under classical general relativity, which does not account for quantum phenomena. To explore the potential impact of quantum effects on kugelblitz formation, Polo-Gomez and his colleagues examined the influence of the Schwinger effect.

"When there is an incredibly intense electromagnetic energy  for example, due to huge concentrations of light  part of this energy transforms into matter in the form of electron-positron pairs," lead study author Alvaro Alvarez-Dominguez of the Institute of Particle and Cosmos Physics (IPARCOS) at the Universidad Complutense de Madrid, told Live Science in an email. "This is a quantum effect called the Schwinger effect. It is also known as vacuum polarization."

a black orb in space surrounded by a vast ring of glowing gases

In their study, which has been accepted for publication in the journal Physical Review Letters but has not been published yet, the team calculated the rate at which electron-positron pairs produced in an electromagnetic field would deplete energy. If this rate surpasses the replenishment rate of the electromagnetic field's energy in a given region, a kugelblitz cannot form.

The team found that, even under the most extreme circumstances, pure light could never reach the required energy threshold to form a black hole.

"What we prove is that kugelblitze are impossible to form by concentrating light, either artificially in the laboratory or in naturally occurring astrophysical scenarios," study co-author Luis J. Garay, also of IPARCOS, told Live Science. "For instance, even if we used the most intense lasers on Earth, we would still be more than 50 orders of magnitude away from the intensity required to create a kugelblitz."

This finding has profound theoretical implications, significantly constraining previously considered astrophysical and cosmological models that assume the existence of kugelblitze. It also dashes any hopes of experimentally studying black holes in laboratory settings by creating them through electromagnetic radiation.

Nonetheless, the study's positive outcome shows that quantum effects can be efficiently integrated into problems involving gravity, thus providing clear answers to actual scientific questions.

"From a theoretical viewpoint, this work showcases how quantum effects can play an important role in the understanding of the formation mechanisms and appearance of astrophysical objects," Polo-Gomez said.

RELATED STORIEs

 In the last 25 years, black hole physicists have uncovered the unimaginable

 Supermassive black holes provide 'hearts and lungs' that help galaxies live longer

 Hubble Space Telescope finds closest massive black hole to Earth  a cosmic clue frozen in time

Inspired by their findings, the researchers plan to continue exploring the influence of quantum effects on various gravitational phenomena, which have both practical and fundamental significance.

"Several of us are very interested in continuing the study of the gravitational properties of quantum matter, particularly in scenarios where this quantum matter violates traditional energy conditions," said Eduardo Martin-Martinez, also of the University of Waterloo and the Perimeter Institute. "This type of quantum matter can, in principle, give rise to exotic space-times, resulting in effects such as repulsive gravity or producing exotic solutions like the Alcubierre warp drive or traversable wormholes."

Originally published on LiveScience.
Study underscores link between air pollution and newborn health: 'It is imperative that  actions are intensified'

A new study shows that exposure to airborne toxic particles during pregnancy increases the risk of newborns being underweight.

According to a post on Medical Xpress, a research team found that the impact of air quality on development in the womb indicates the need for stricter controls on air pollution. The team included representatives from Hebrew University's School of Public Health and Hadassah Medical Center.

What's happening?

Dr. Wiessam Abu Ahmad and Professor Hagai Levine led the study, and Professor Ronit Nierl contributed to it as well. It was published in the Science of the Total Environment journal.

The researchers analyzed data from 84 studies globally, representing about 42 million births. The study found serious "health risks associated with the fine particulate matter commonly emitted from transportation and industry."

According to Medical Xpress, Dr. Abu Ahmad said: "Our analysis reveals stark regional variations in the impacts of air pollution on fetal development."

Abu Ahmad added that the findings show a need for localized approaches to tackling air pollution.

Why is the link between air pollution and health issues in newborns concerning?

According to Boston Children's Hospital, low birthweight can cause numerous problems, which include low oxygen levels, infection, breathing problems, and the inability to maintain body temperature.

Low birthweight can also be linked to complications as the child gets older, including diabetes, developmental issues, and heart disease, as the Medical Xpress report notes.

Air pollution affects children not just in the womb but also later in life. Another study found that children exposed to fine particulate matter in North Carolina performed worse in school. It found a disproportionate effect on girls and racial and ethnic minority groups.

What's being done about air pollution causing health issues in newborns?

The study shows a need to reevaluate public health policies in place to protect vulnerable populations, such as pregnant women and infants, from air pollution.

In the Medical Xpress article, Professor Levine said: "It is imperative that both personal and governmental actions are intensified to address this health hazard."

While more needs to be done, the UN Environment Programme's 2021 Actions on Air Quality report showed that "31% of countries have legal mechanisms for managing or addressing transboundary air pollution," and countries are increasingly adopting new policies and incentives.

You can encourage your local governments to create new policies by using your voice. You can vote for climate change candidates and ask your representatives to pass policies that protect your community's health.

You can also make an impact by rethinking the way you use transportation. By opting to bike, walk, or use public transit instead of driving a fuel-burning car, you can save money while reducing the production of polluting gases and particles.

Join our free newsletter for weekly updates on the coolest innovations improving our lives and saving our planet.
Super Hornet pilot who battled the Houthis became 1st US female aviator to score an air-to-air kill, Navy says

Super Hornet pilot who battled the Houthis became 1st US female aviator to score an air-to-air kill, Navy says

A female US Navy pilot made a historic air-to-air kill while operating over the Red Sea.

It marked the first air-to-air kill by a female US aviator during combat.

It came as the US Navy battled Yemen's Houthi rebels in the region.

An F/A-18F Super Hornet pilot from Strike Fighter Squadron (VFA) 32 made history by becoming the first US female pilot to score an air-to-air kill, according to a Navy press release.

During a nine-month deployment that began in October, the pilot, who was part of the "Fighting Swordsmen" squadron deployed to the USS Dwight D. Eisenhower aircraft carrier, took down a Houthi "air-to-air contact," the Navy said.

The statement didn't name the pilot or provide further details on the weapon used to take down the target.

The F/A-18 Super Hornet E and F models are equipped with an M61A1/A2 Vulcan 20mm cannon and can be fitted with various missiles, including AIM 9 Sidewinders, AIM 7 Sparrows, and AIM-120 AMRAAMs.

US involvement in the Red Sea started after the Houthis began targeting shipping in response to Israel's offensive in Gaza, which it launched following the Hamas militant group's October 7 attacks.

The Houthis have used aerial drones, drone boats, and missiles to target ships navigating the region.

As these attacks ramped up, the US and allies such as the UK became actively engaged in the region and launched Operation Prosperity Guardian, which aimed to ward off further Houthi strikes.

The Virginia-based VFA 32 squadron, which operates 12 F/A-18F Super Hornet jets, flew more than 3,000 combat hours, completed nearly 1,500 combat missions, and fired more than 20 air-to-air missiles against Houthi "attack" drones as part of its deployment, the Navy statement said.

It also led two self-defense strikes on targets in Houthi-controlled Yemen, "destroying munitions and command and control facilities which were used to target civilian vessels," the statement said.

Boeing, the manufacturer of the Super Hornet, calls it "the backbone" of the Navy carrier air wing.

The female pilot's kill wasn't the only historic air-to-air shot during the Red Sea battle.

An EA-18G Growler squadron that was also stationed aboard the USS Dwight D. Eisenhower became "the first Growler squadron in Navy history to score an air-to-air kill," the Navy said in another press release.

The electronic-warfare Growler is used by the US military for tactical jamming and electronic protection.

"I can't remember the last time the Navy had a more challenging deployment with a combination of multiple extensions, severely limited opportunities for R&R, and true combat," Cmdr. Carl Ellsworth said in the release.

"Not just for aviators, but the crew of the whole strike group as well, in the most kinetic action at sea since World War II," he added. "Words can't do justice to how proud I am of this 'Zapper' Team."

Read the original article on Business Insider
Suspect arrested in shooting of 27-year-old man in Salt Lake City

SALT LAKE CITY (ABC4)  A suspect has been arrested for the shooting of a 27-year-old man in Salt Lake City on Sunday, according to Salt Lake City Police.

Abdiaziz Ibrahim, 20, of West Valley City, is charged with felony discharge of a firearm resulting in bodily injury, aggravated assault resulting in bodily injury, and being a Category 1 restricted person in possession of a firearm.

Shortly before 2:40 a.m. on July 14, police received information about a shooting near 1500 North Mandalay Road. Upon arrival, officers learned that someone had driven a 27-year-old shooting victim to the hospital.

Man arrested in Sugar House for attempted kidnapping of 12-year-old girl

Doctors have reportedly upgraded that individuals condition from life-threatening to critical but stable, a press release from SLCPD states.

On Thursday, July 18, police safely took Ibrahim into custody near 500 North Redwood Road.

Detectives also executed a search warrant at Ibrahims West Valley City home. Details regarding the search have not been released at this time.

Ibrahim is currently being held at Salt Lake County Jail on a no-bail hold.

No further information is available at this time.

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For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to ABC4 Utah.
MANHATTAN, N.Y. (PIX11)  Police have released a photo of a suspect accused of punching an 89-year-old woman in the face unprovoked on a Manhattan street, authorities said.

The victim, Dyan Forest, is known for being the oldest working female comedian in the world. Forest was sucker punched while walking to the gym near Seventh Avenue and West 11 Street A 9 a.m. on Wednesday, police said.

More Crime News

Forest suffered a bruise to her left eye and stumbled to the ground following the attack. The suspect fled and allegedly ran toward Greenwich Avenue and West 11th Street.

First responders transported the victim to a local for treatment.

According to investigators, the suspect was last seen wearing a tank top shirt with a Jurassic Park logo in the middle, authorities said.

Submit tips to police by calling Crime Stoppers at 1-800-577-TIPS (8477), visiting crimestoppers.nypdonline.org, downloading the NYPD Crime Stoppers mobile app, or texting 274637 (CRIMES) then entering TIP577. Spanish-speaking callers are asked to dial 1-888-57-PISTA (74782).

Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. 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)  The suspected shooter of an Oakland freeway shooting was arrested, according to California Highway Patrol.

Around 6 p.m. on June 16, CHP was alerted of a freeway shooting eastbound on Highway 24 at the Acalanes Road off-ramp. According to CHP, the victim informed detectives before the shooting that he and another vehicle crashed after a road rage incident. The suspect then began shooting at the victims vehicle and fled the area.

With the vehicle information received from the victim, the suspect was identified as 30-year-old Oakland resident Aaron Demetrius Davis Jr.

Photo: California Highway Patrol

SF man sentenced for shooting at USPS postal worker a dozen times: DA

Earlier this month, the Golden Gate Division Warrant Service Team served search and arrest warrants at two Oakland residences associated with Davis Jr.

Davis Jr. was arrested at the first residence. Police said they found numerous firearms, including an assault-style rifle, pistols and high-capacity magazines in the searches.

Davis was later booked into Contra Costa County Jail on felony charges of attempted murder, assault with a firearm, discharging a firearm from a vehicle and illegal firearm possession.

Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. 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.
Trump has received a boost in voting intention in national and swing state polls since the attack - Getty/Jim Watson

A majority of voters in five key swing states now expect Donald Trump to win the US election, following a shift in the days after the assassination attempt against him.

Polls conducted for The Telegraph on either side of the attack on Saturday show that most Americans in battleground states now consider him a president-in-waiting.

For the first time since the presidential race began, a majority of 53 per cent in a combined poll across Arizona, Georgia, Michigan, North Carolina and Pennsylvania think that Trump will win in November.

That proportion, reported in a poll taken between Tuesday and Thursday this week, has increased by almost three points since July 10  three days before Thomas Crooks shot at Trump from a rooftop near his rally in Pennsylvania.

Trump has received a boost in voting intention in national and swing state polls since the attack, increasing concern among Democrats who believe that Joe Bidens campaign has already failed.

The data suggests that registered Democrats in swing states agree with many of their partys congressmen that Mr Bidens campaign is doomed to fail. More voters believe Trump will win than say they will vote for him.

Since October, The Telegraph has asked voters in the five states the same question about who they expect to win the election. The polls were carried out by Redfield & Wilton Strategies.

The results show that Trump has always been the favourite, but the margin between the two men has increased significantly in the last six weeks.

Following the presidential debate on June 27, where Mr Biden gave a haphazard performance that sparked fresh concerns about his age, the proportion of voters who believed he would lose to Trump increased by five points, to 50 per cent.

In the week between July 10 and July 18, a period that covers the assassination attempt, it increased by a further 2.7 points.

The Telegraphs poll is the first to assess the impact of the attack on voters perception of the presidential campaigns.

Swing states have an outsize impact on the presidential election because candidates must win there to accrue enough electoral college delegates to take the White House.

In total, there are thought to be seven swing states, and the latest poll shows Trump is winning in six of them.

His lead is greatest in North Carolina, which he won in 2020, and Georgia, which Mr Biden won by a wafer-thin margin of 0.02 points. The pair are tied in Wisconsin.

Mr Biden is facing serious questions about his campaign from senior Democrats, including Nancy Pelosi, the former house speaker, and the partys leaders in the House of Representatives and Senate.

Barack Obama, who served with Mr Biden in the White House for eight years and is considered one of his closest allies, has also expressed concerns about his poll numbers.

The assassination attempt against Trump is thought to have galvanised his base and prevented Mr Biden from using attack lines that could be perceived as aggressive. Some Democrats now think that the US president should pass the torch to Kamala Harris, his vice-president.

The shooting has also damaged Mr Biden directly. Following the incident, in which a bullet clipped Trumps ear, his supporters blamed Mr Biden and pointed to statements in which he has called his rival a dictator.

The Telegraphs poll shows that a majority of voters in all seven swing states think that rhetoric describing Trump as a threat to democracy was either significantly responsible or fairly responsible for the attack. Crookss motive has not yet been established by the FBI.

Although most voters say they approve of Mr Bidens response to the attempt on Trumps life, they also think Trump demonstrated courage and believe it will help his election campaign.

A significant majority think that the Secret Service, which has been blamed for failing to secure the area, is responsible for the near success of the assassination attempt.
An audience packs the room for a Republican debate of 8th Congressional District candidates. The debate was held at Providence Academy in Howard.

HOWARD  The gym of Providence Academy on Friday night transformed into a forum of contentious debate among three Republican candidates competing to persuade voters that they best represent the interests of Wisconsin's 8th Congressional District.

The full parking lot, filled seats, and children in tow reflected the particular interest in this primary triggered by former Rep. Mike Gallagher's resignation in April.

"If we don't get a conservative in office, we're screwed," said Kaye Forystek, an attendee who voiced border security and immigration as a top issue.

State Sen. Andre Jacque of De Pere, former state Sen. Roger Roth of Appleton, and local gas station entrepreneur Tony Wied of De Pere all hope to clinch the Republican primary on Aug. 13 to go on in November against the Democratic challenger, Dr. Kristen Lyerly, to voice the interest of voters living across 11 northeastern Wisconsin counties.

"We're electing someone who's going to be our employee," said Joe Giganti, the debate moderator and host of the conservative radio talk show, "The Regular Joe Show" on WTAQ. "We want to make sure we're sending someone to Washington who's unafraid."

(From left) Former state Sen. Roger Roth, former gas station chain owner Tony Wied and state Sen. Andre Jacque are competing for the Republican nomination for the 8th Congressional District seat vacated by Mike Gallagher.

Candidates were given three minutes for opening remarks, one minute to answer questions, time for rebuttal, and two minutes for closing statements, strictly enforced by Giganti's producer in a black "Make America Great Again" cap. Rules stipulated that microphones would shut off for candidates who didn't begin their answer to yes-no questions with a "Yes" or "No."

Here are key takeaways from the debate:

Abortion was not a topic of debate, but comment of being 'too pro-life' stole the show

Giganti asked candidates about everything from the attempted assassination of former President Donald Trump to election integrity to medical freedom. The topic of abortion was absent, except in a tussle between Jacque and Wied that devolved into bitterness amongst the crowd at the end of the debate.

During a question about how he defined conservatism, Jacque accused Wied of calling him "too pro-life" during an encounter with Ed Perkins, RE-Press Corp founder and member of Appleton Concerned Taxpayers. Wied claimed to have never made the statement.

Perkins, who was not initially at the debate, arrived at the end to clarify the dispute, to a room split between those standing who believed no clarification was necessary and those seated and waiting for Perkins' statement.

"Nobody needs this," a woman in the back shouted.

"I need it," a woman across the aisle replied.

Perkins confirmed that Wied made the comment to him in the context that Wied allegedly said Jacque "will never win, he's too pro-life," which was met with a "Whatever!" from the back.

Trump's presence loomed, but wasn't centerstage

Wied has been endorsed by Trump and made sure to contrast that to his opponents in his opening remarks, calling Jacque a "Never Trumper" and labeling both Roth and Jacque as career politicians who "are failing us," to raucous applause.

Roth and Jacque clarified throughout the debate that their positions on issues such as border security, First and Second Amendment rights, and the economy were in lockstep with Trump.

However, when asked a yes-no question about whether he agreed with Trump's comments on the 2020 election results being "rigged" or "stolen," Wied's microphone was initially cut after he did not provide an immediate "Yes" or "No."

Asked the same question, Jacque replied, "Can I respond with 'Hell yes'?"

Trump has repeatedly made false claims that he won the 2020 election and that he won Wisconsin.

Moments of unanimity during yes-no questions

The effect of many questions requiring a simple "Yes" or "No" before elaboration unified the candidates' positions on certain topics.

The candidates would all support mass deportations of illegal immigrants. All would support eliminating the Department of Education. All agreed that men shouldn't participate in women's sports.

"Wow, finally, we all agree," Giganti said.

Attendees may not have been swayed by debate

The debate was "contentious," "spirited," and "good," in the words of attendees. But while the debate focused on policies and personal beliefs, the limelight was on the scuffle between Jacque and Wied by the end.

"Two came out as fighters, and the third faded into the background," said Franklin Pride, an attendee who had education, immigration, and electability as top-of-mind issues. "I don't think people came away convinced of a candidate they didn't come in for."

For the August primary and November general election, voters will vote twice on the same ballot for the 8th Congressional District: once for a candidate to fill Gallagher's vacant seat until Jan. 3, 2025  what would have been the last day Rep. Gallagher's term  and once more for a complete term in the House of Representatives until 2027.

Jesse Lin is a reporter for the Green Bay Press-Gazette. He can be reached at jlin@gannett.com.

This article originally appeared on Green Bay Press-Gazette: Republican candidates compete for 8th Congressional District in debate
EVANSVILLE  A multi-jurisdictional effort by Southern Indiana law enforcement on Friday led to the apprehension of Martin K. Miniard, the man investigators now accuse of carrying out a fatal shooting in Evansville earlier in the week.

Miniard, 54, was booked into the Vanderburgh County jail just after midnight on one preliminary charge of murder. Vanderburgh County Prosecutor Diana Moers told the Courier & Press that Miniard's arrest affidavit was "sealed" as of Saturday.

Miniaird's capture comes after Evansville police officers on Wednesday found 37-year-old Joshua A. Seymour dead in his home at 302 E. Louisiana St. The Vanderburgh County Coroner's Office later determined Seymour died from a "shotgun wound to the chest," a police spokeswoman wrote in a news release.

An Evansville Police Department cruiser parked along East Louisiana Street as officers and detective conduct a death investigation Tuesday, July 17, 2024.

What we know about murder investigation, Miniard's arrest

Sgt. Trudy Day, of the Evansville Police Department, said investigators obtained an arrest warrant for Miniard, though Day did not disclose in a news release how detectives linked Miniard to Seymour's killing.

"Miniard was located in New Harmony, Indiana (on Friday)" the release states. New Harmony is located about 25 miles northwest of Evansville in Posey County. "Multiple agencies worked together and Miniard was taken into custody."

A U.S. Marshals Task Force made up of at least one federal agent and local Indiana law enforcement assisted the EPD in apprehending Miniard. According to Vanderburgh County Sheriff Noah Robinson, the task force is utilized to execute "high-risk warrants" throughout Southern Indiana.

Two Vanderburgh County deputies took part in the operation to arrest Miniard, Robinson said.

The investigation - at least briefly - crossed state lines, according to Billy Bolin, who heads up the police department in Henderson, Kentucky, just across the Ohio River from Evansville.

"Flock cameras alerted on (Miniard's) vehicle at the Henderson Wal-Mart," Bolin told the Courier & Press. Flock Safety cameras use powerful image-recognition tools to log vehicles' license plates and other information in real time.

More on Flock cameras: Evansville police to install license-plate cameras in 'high-crime' areas

"We then found video from the store that showed him leaving in another vehicle," Bolin added.

Moers said prosecutors charged Miniard with felony murder, and that he will appear in court on Monday. The state would file a motion to unseal Miniard's arrest affidavit, Moers added.

Houston may be contacted at houston.harwood@courierpress.com

This article originally appeared on Evansville Courier & Press: Man accused of Evansville murder arrested in Posey County
Tech outage latest | Airlines rush to get back on track after global tech disruption

[Watch previous FOX 8 News coverage in the player above.]

(AP)  Transport providers, businesses and governments on Saturday are rushing to get all their systems back online after long disruptions following a widespread technology outage.

The biggest continuing effect has been on air travel. Carriers canceled thousands of flights on Friday and now have many of their planes and crews in the wrong place, while airports facing continued problems with checking in and security.

At the heart of the massive disruption is CrowdStrike, a cybersecurity firm that provides software to scores of companies worldwide. The company says the problem occurred when it deployed a faulty update to computers running Microsoft Windows, noting that the issue behind the outage was not a security incident or cyberattack.

Heres the latest:

Delta Air Lines and its regional affiliates have canceled hundreds of flights

DALLAS  Delta Air Lines and its regional affiliates canceled more than a quarter of their schedule on the East Coast by midafternoon Friday, aviation data provider Cirium said.

More than 1,100 flights for Delta and its affiliates have been canceled.

United and United Express had canceled more than 500 flights, or 12% of their schedule, and American Airlines network had canceled 450 flights, 7.5% of its schedule.

Southwest and Alaska do not use the CrowdStrike software that led to the global internet outages and had canceled fewer than a half-dozen flights each.

Portland, Oregon, mayor declares an emergency over the outage

PORTLAND, Ore.  Mayor Ted Wheeler declared an emergency Friday after more than half of the citys computer systems were affected by the global internet outage.

Wheeler said during a news conference that while emergency services calls werent interrupted, dispatchers were having to manually track 911 calls with pen and paper for a few hours. He said 266 of the citys 487 computer systems were affected.

Border crossings into the US are delayed

SAN DIEGO  People seeking to enter the U.S. from both the north and the south found that the border crossings were delayed by the internet outage.

The San Ysidro Port of Entry was gridlocked Friday morning with pedestrians waiting three hours to cross, according to the San Diego Union-Tribune.

Even cars with people approved for a U.S. Customers and Border Protection Trusted Traveler program for low-risk passengers waited up to 90 minutes. The program, known as SENTRI, moves passengers more quickly through customs and passport control if they make an appointment for an interview and submit to a background check to travel through customs and passport control more quickly when they arrive in the U.S.

Meanwhile, at the U.S.-Canada border, Windsor Police reported long delays at the crossings at the Ambassador Bridge and the Detroit-Windsor tunnel.

A technician works on an information display near United Airlines gates at Chicago OHare International Airport in Chicago, Friday, July 19, 2024, after a faulty CrowdStrike update caused a major internet outage for computers running Microsoft Windows. (AP Photo/Carolyn Kaster)

A technician removes software from an information display near United Airlines gates at the Chicago OHare International Airport in Chicago, Friday, July 19, 2024, after software issues delayed and canceled flights globally. (AP Photo/Carolyn Kaster)

The folklore music group Misquillahualy, from the Mexican state of Hidalgo, waits for a new flight to Colombia after theirs was canceled at Benito Juarez International Airport in Mexico City, Friday, July 19, 2024. Some flights were canceled and others were delayed amid a global technology outage. (AP Photo/Marco Ugarte)

Passengers wait at Benito Juarez International Airport in Mexico City, Friday, July 19, 2024. Some flights were canceled and others were delayed amid a global technology outage. (AP Photo/Marco Ugarte)

Britains transport system still trying to get back on track

LONDON  Britains travel and transport industries are struggling to get back on schedule after the global security outage with airline passengers facing cancellations and delays on the first day of summer holidays for many school pupils.

Gatwick Airport said a majority of scheduled flights were expected to take off. Manchester Airport said passengers were being checked in manually and there could be last-minute cancellations.

The Port of Dover said it was seeing an influx of displaced air passengers, with hourlong waits to enter the port to catch ferries to France.

Meanwhile, Britains National Cyber Security Center warned people and businesses to be on the lookout for phishing attempts as opportunistic malicious actors try to take advantage of the outage.

The National Cyber Security Centers former head, Ciaran Martin, said the worst of the crisis was over, because the nature of the crisis is that it went very wrong very quickly. It was spotted quite quickly and essentially it was turned off.

He told Sky News that some businesses would be able to get back to normal very quickly, but for sectors such as aviation it would take longer.

If youre in aviation, youve got people, planes and staffs all stranded in the wrong place So we are looking at days. Id be surprised if were looking at weeks.

Germany airline expects most of its flights to run normally

BERLIN  Eurowings, a budget subsidiary of Lufthansa, said it expected to return to largely scheduled flight operations on Saturday.

On Friday, the global IT outage had forced the airline to cancel about 20% of its flights, mostly on domestic routes. Passengers were asked to take trains instead.

Online check-in, check-in at the airport, boarding processes, booking and rebooking flights are all possible again, the airline said Saturday on X. However, due to the considerable extent of the global IT disruption there may still be isolated disruptions for passengers, it 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 8 Cleveland WJW.
When a Teen Didnt Return Home, Her Boyfriend Was Questioned: Inside the Case of Danielle Locklear 10 Years Later

Danielle Locklear, 15, disappeared on March 11, 2014

Facebook Danielle Locklear

On the evening of March 11, 2014, Danielle Locklear, 15, told her grandfather she had plans to visit a friend, who lived close by.

When the South View High School freshman didnt return home, her grandfather reported her missing two days later, on March 13, per the Fayetteville Observer.

Her shocking disappearance in Hope Mills, N.C., led to an intense search that involved local, state and federal investigators, according to the Observer. Community members, including the teens boyfriend JeMichael Malloy, a high school senior who lived in nearby Fayetteville, also took part in the searches, ABC 11 reported.

The case took a chilling turn less than a month after she vanished when Malloy, then 17, confessed that he killed the teen, who he had been dating since June 2013.

"It's been a month-long nightmare, and I feel like they've been around us. They've been in our home. He's walked with us on searches. We're disgusted," Locklear's aunt, Chena Simmons, told ABC 11 at the time. "And to find out that the perpetrator, or the person who took her life allegedly is her own boyfriend, is a lot to take. It's a lot. We can't deal with it."

Cumberland County Sheriff's Office Je'Michael Malloy

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"All I can say is that this is a tragic event, for the family of the victim for the families of the suspect," Hope Mills Police Chief Joel Acciardo said, according to the Observer. "Everybody involved was young. Everybody involved had their whole lives ahead of them."

Malloy admitted he choked the teen during a fight at a local creek hangout on March 11, stuffing a sock in her mouth, per the Observer.

He and his friend Dominic Tayvon Lock, 18, then disposed of her body in the South River in Cumberland County.

Cumberland County Sheriff's Office Dominic Tayvon Lock

Authorities said cinder blocks were used to weigh down her body, which was discovered on April 2 at the bottom of the river, per FOX 8.

Malloy pleaded guilty and was sentenced to 25 to 31 years in prison in 2016 for the killing, WRAL reported.

Facebook Danielle Locklear

At his sentencing, Danielles mother, Rowna Fowler, told Malloy, You ripped out my soul.

I cant watch my baby get her high school diploma," she said, according to FOX 8. "I cant watch her get married. That was my only one, I cant have any more children, JeMichael. You took that away from me."

Lock, who drove the couple to the creek and helped dispose of the body, pleaded guilty to being an accessory after the fact to first-degree murder in 2015, per WNCT.

Fowler also spoke at Locks sentencing in 2016.

I went to a funeral home and they pulled my child out of the freezer and I had to look at her in a plastic bag because they wouldnt even open it, she said, according to FOX8.

Lock was released from prison nearly eight and a half years later, per FOX8.

Malloy, now 28, is projected to be released in 2040, according to the North Carolina Department of Adult Correction.



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Read the original article on People.
UPDATE: Braze Rucker is now in custody. Efforts to identify and locate the driver remain ongoing. For an updated article, click here.

PUTNAM COUNTY, Tenn. (WKRN)  Interstate 40 East in Putnam County was closed Friday night due to a trooper-involved shooting near mile marker 285 outside Cookeville.

According to Tennessee Highway Patrol (THP), the incident took place on Friday, July 19 at approximately 7:47 p.m. near the Burgess Fall exit.

Officials said Trooper Adam Cothron pulled over a white Kia Forte for a traffic violation and was shot during the interaction. Shortly after, the vehicle fled on Highway 109 near Gallatin.

 Have breaking news come to you: Subscribe to News 2 email alerts 

Just after 9 p.m., THP posted to X that they were actively searching for two black males with facial tattoos driving a white Kia Forte.

Then, minutes later, THP posted a picture of the vehicle wanted in connection with the shooting. Officials described the suspect vehicle as a white Kia Forte with a possible Tennessee temporary tag that reads Q9SC4JR.

Car wanted in search (Source: THP)

Just after midnight, THP announced that the suspect vehicle was found abandoned in Sumner County  more specifically, on Highway 109 near Gallatin, law enforcement later confirmed. However, the search for the driver and passenger remained ongoing.

Two people in custody after deputy pursuit in Clarksville

Authorities then uploaded a photo of the passenger involved in the incident, identifying him as 29-year-old Braze Rucker.

Possible suspect in July 19 THP trooper shooting (Source: THP)

Possible suspect in July 19 THP trooper shooting (Source: THP)

If you have any information that will aid us in locating this person along with the other individual involved please dial 911 immediately, the update read.

A Blue Alert was issued for Rucker and he has since been added to the Tennessee Bureau of Investigations Most Wanted list. Officials said they have obtained warrants against Rucker  who should be considered armed and dangerous  for criminal responsibility of facilitation of a felony in connection with the shooting.

What is a Blue Alert?

On Saturday, July 20, THP announced that there is a reward of up to $10,000 being offered for any information that could lead to Ruckers arrest.

THP released a video Saturday night to discuss the shooting and the search for Rucker, during which time Col. Matt Perry said, Should Mr. Rucker see this, I strongly encourage you to turn yourself in. Law enforcement across Tennessee and the country are looking for you.

Braze Rucker (Source: TBI)

Anyone who spots Rucker should not approach him, officials said. Instead, call 1-800-TBI-FIND or 911.

We are seeking a non-violent resolution to the apprehension of all individuals involved in this extremely violent situation, Perry stated.

CRIME TRACKER | Read the latest crime news from Middle Tennessee

Trooper Adam Cothron (Source: THP)

The trooper, Cothron, was first treated at Cookeville Regional Medical Center and was then flown to Vanderbilt University Medical Center. According to THP, Cothron is in stable condition.

As of Saturday night, Cothron is alert and in good spirits, which, according to Perry, is exactly what we would expect from the trooper we know and love. However, Perry still encourages everyone to keep Cothron, his loved ones, and his coworkers in their thoughts and prayers.

THP said Cothron joined the agency in 2015 and was a former deputy sheriff for Trousdale County.

He is a certified K-9 handler and is an outstanding trooper and comes from a respected law enforcement family, but what he is best known for is being a father and a husband to his wonderful family, the Tennessee Department of Safety and Homeland Security added.

 Read todays top stories on wkrn.com

According to the Putnam County Sheriffs Office, an account has been set up at Citizens Bank to help Cothron and his family in the aftermath of the shooting. The bank has 21 locations in Bedford, Clay, Coffee, DeKalb, Jackson, Macon, Overton, Putnam, Smith, Sumner, and Wilson counties.

Multiple lawmakers  like state Sen. Paul Bailey (R-Sparta), state Rep. Kelly Kiesling (R-Byrdstown), and Putnam County Mayor Randy Porter  have posted their condolences on social media, along with other law enforcement agencies. That includes the Putnam County Sheriffs Office, the Trousdale County Sheriffs Department, and the Marion County Sheriffs Department.

What happened to our trooper is a heinous, horrific, just almost unhuman type of an action. It did not have to happen. He was pulled over for a traffic stop; it may have led to just a simple, minor, misdemeanor citation, but it did not, Lt. Bill Miller, a public information officer for THP, told News 2. It led to a trooper fighting for his life. It left a wife and this troopers children at home in fear that their husband and father may not come home.

No additional details have been released about the investigation into Friday nights shooting.

 Download the News 2 app to stay updated on the go.

 Sign up for WKRN email alerts to have breaking news sent to your inbox.

 Find todays top stories on WKRN.com for Nashville, TN and all of Middle Tennessee.

This is a developing story. WKRN News 2 will continue to update this article as new information becomes available.

Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to WKRN News 2.
FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. (KNWA/KFTA)  A Texas couple is suing the City of Fayetteville claiming the citys short-term rental rules are unconstitutional, according to court documents.

Shelley and Stephen Hause, from Round Rock, Texas, own a home in Fayetteville and intend to use it as a short-term rental. Their daughter is attending the University of Arkansas and has health issues that require frequent care.

The couple said they have to make frequent trips from their Texas home to Fayetteville and purchasing a home in Fayetteville would best meet their needs.

According to the lawsuit filed in the U.S. District Court for the Western District of Arkansas in Fayetteville on July 12, the couple said they wanted to lease the home to guests for fewer than 30 days at a time to offset the cost of their second home.

The city filed a motion to dismiss the case on July 17, claiming the couple had already filed the suit in Washington County Circuit Court.

Regulations for short-term rentals in Fayetteville were first adopted in 2021.

The city has two short-term rental types. Type 1 says for the residence to remain a full-time residence, the occupant or owner must occupy it for at least nine months out of the year and have proof of Homestead Tax Credit or long-term lease agreement. There is typically a room in the residence that can be rented out.

Decatur man accused of attempted capital murder in Siloam Springs

Type 2 is a short-term rental that is not occupied by a permanent resident.

The owner lists this property full-time as a short-term rental and has no intention of having permanent residents living in the property, the city of Fayettevilles website said.

Type 2 rental owners have to take the extra step of getting a conditional use permit from the Fayetteville Planning Commission.

In July 2023, the Fayetteville City Council adopted an amendment regulating short-term rental operations in the city by restricting the number of Type 2 short-term rentals to 475. By December, the city hit that cap.

The couple claims they checked to see if the city had hit its cap before applying for a permit with the planning commission.

Hoodwinked: Arkansas man suing Las Vegas dancer for $38.5M after alleged fraud scheme

The commission denied their permit application in October saying there were already too many short-term rentals in their neighborhood.

The lawsuit said at least three city council members were needed to sponsor an appeal to the commissions denial, but all declined to do so.

The couple claims that the citys ordinance is unconstitutionally vague and said the planning commission can factor in the concentration of nearby short-term rentals when considering an application but does not define the density limitations or what the city considers nearby.

The lawsuit also says the ordinance gave different privileges to residents compared to nonresidents, violating a clause in the constitution.

The lawsuit says the citys short-term rental regulations violate the Fourth Amendment, which protects people from unreasonable search and seizure by the government.

The [short-term rental] ordinance requires owners of short-term rentals to maintain a registry of

guests who have stayed at the property and hand over such registry to the city upon request,' the lawsuit said.

Mental evaluation ordered for Rogers man accused of stabbing coworker with X-Acto knife

It claims the ordinance also discriminates against short-time renters by restricting their right to travel, and the couple has the right to invite a stranger into their home.

The case was first filed in Washington County District Court in December 2023 and the city argued it should have been dismissed because the couple filed the complaint 44 days after the commissions denial instead of the required 30 days. The decision is still pending in that court.

The citys motion in federal court said the couple filing the case in both state and federal court is placing a burden on the city and judicial system and could raise the possibility of conflicting rulings between the courts.

The city also said the couple is asking the federal court to appeal the planning commissions decision and says that is a job for the Washington County Circuit Court.

Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to KNWA FOX24.
Spotlight PA is an independent, nonpartisan, and nonprofit newsroom producing investigative and public-service journalism that holds power to account and drives positive change in Pennsylvania. Sign up for our free newsletters.

HARRISBURG  As extreme heat stifles Pennsylvania for a fourth week, thousands of people incarcerated in state prisons have little opportunity for relief because more than a third of the facilities lack universal air conditioning.

Of the 24 Pennsylvania state prisons, four have limited or no air conditioning in areas where incarcerated people live, work and gather. Five more have only partial coverage, according to the state Department of Corrections.

The agency is working to expand air conditioning availability in prisons when state funds and resources are available, said spokesperson Maria Bivens.

But until that happens, many incarcerated individuals are stuck in sweltering conditions.

Ralph Bolden is incarcerated at Laurel Highlands, Pennsylvanias prison for people who are older or have complicated health needs, which does not have air conditioning in all of its housing units. Bolden described his block as a sauna in an email to Spotlight PA.

Besides it being difficult to get in and out of bed, use the bathroom, etc., the heat is rougher on me and those also disabled, wrote Bolden, who uses a wheelchair due to multiple sclerosis.

The National Weather Service has placed much of Pennsylvania under either a heat advisory or excessive heat warning for nearly a month, cautioning that the combined air temperature and humidity pose a significant health risk.

The high heat this year broke records in many parts of the state, and experts warn climate change will make future summers hotter.

In such conditions, the NWS recommends people stay indoors, seek air-conditioned spaces, drink plenty of water and check on relatives and neighbors, especially those whose age or health makes them particularly vulnerable to the heat.

While 91% of Pennsylvania households use some kind of air conditioning equipment to stay cool in the oppressive heat, a large portion of the incarcerated population doesnt have that option.

In prisons, everything  from a persons movements, to their access to water, to the kind of clothing they can wear  is tightly regulated. Opportunities to cool down may be infrequent, if not impossible, said experts who spoke with Spotlight PA.

I have the resources to sit in front of the air conditioner, said Celeste Trusty, deputy director of state policy for Families Against Mandatory Minimums and the former secretary of the state Board of Pardons.

I have the ability to regulate my body temperature. But when you look at the prison population, they dont.

When prisons dont have air conditioning, other means of cooling can also be scarce, Trusty said. Even the opportunities for fresh air that are available may not provide relief, she said, because many prison recreation yards have limited shade.

The Pennsylvania Department of Corrections constantly monitors temperatures inside the prisons, Bivens said, and any deterioration of interior conditions is taken very seriously. The agency has not recorded any heat-related deaths in the past three years, according to medical staff.

Per policy, staff try to keep cells with no windows or outside access between 68 and 74 degrees, Bivens said. To do this in facilities without air conditioning, the department provides staff and incarcerated people with extra water and ice and brings in fans to keep air circulating.

Inmates have sinks in their cells as well as access to drinking water which can help keep them hydrated and cooler, Bivens said. Also, our staff have been educated about the signs and symptoms of heat-related illnesses.

Older facilities, unique challenges

At least eight prisons, including Frackville and Waymart, have plans for upgrades to current air conditioning systems or expanded air conditioning coverage included in the departments current five-year capital plan. Coverage at Cambridge Springs was upgraded in several buildings in recent years.

But the other facilities with partial to very limited coverage  Dallas, Huntingdon, Laurel Highlands, Muncy, Quehanna Boot Camp and Rockview  do not have expansions planned.

The nine facilities with partial to very limited air conditioning include buildings that are decades, or in some cases, more than a century old.

In those buildings, air conditioning can only be provided by window or standing floor units, Bivens said.

This includes Laurel Highlands and Waymart, the states two facilities for people with serious medical or mental health conditions, which both originated as state-run hospitals under the Department of Human Services before the state converted them to prisons.

The special needs and medical units of these facilities are air-conditioned, and projects are underway to add air conditioning to housing and update the cooling system in the medical building at Waymart, Bivens said.

But expansions are limited by available funds and resources, Bivens said. Each year, all prisons submit requests for building and maintenance items they would like completed, including upgrades to air conditioning, but expensive capital projects are subject to approval during the state budget process.

High heat worse for at-risk populations

Higher temperatures can also exacerbate underlying health conditions for incarcerated people, who age at a more advanced rate than those living outside.

At Muncy, one of Pennsylvanias prisons for women, Jessica Kenley described fellow incarcerated people who use wheelchairs, walkers and canes walking the equivalent of a city block in the heat.

Kenley said the dining hall is air-conditioned, but the kitchen isnt, so the kitchen workers suffer the most.

At Laurel Highlands, managing the heat can be difficult for people with complicated health issues.

My block has a lot of dialysis patients, Bolden wrote of his housing at Laurel Highlands.

My friend who sleeps near me does dialysis three times a week and he says that  because of the heat  hes drinking too much water and putting on too much water weight, which is causing him to bloat, Bolden said. This is very unhealthy for them.

Bolden also wrote that the prisons chapel lacks air conditioning. After religious services, he said, people return to the block soaked.

Erika Whisted, whose son is incarcerated at SCI Dallas, said the prison has experienced extremely high heat during the recent wave. Those inside are able to purchase a small handheld fan for personal use if they have family or friends who can send them money, Whisted said.

But the fans, which Bolden also described to Spotlight PA, are weak, small, and barely evaporate your forehead sweat when it gets hot, he said.

Whisted shared her concerns with staff at SCI Dallas, she said, but when she reached a sergeant and asked who could tell her more about how the department keeps people safe during high heat, he hung up on her.

Our animal shelters have air conditioning, she said. And yet we treat human beings in Pennsylvania with such disregard.

Rising temperatures create new problems

The temperatures in Pennsylvania arent as extreme as those in southern states such as Texas and Louisiana, which now face lawsuits over the deadly heat inside prisons. But temperatures are rising year over year, and dangerous heat inside prisons will only get worse, said Cascade Tuholske, a geographer at Montana State University who recently published a study on hazardous heat in United States prisons.

Tuholske and fellow researchers examined more than 4,000 carceral facilities  including prisons, jails, and immigration detention centers  and measured hazardous heat levels at those locations between 1982 and 2020. They found that prisons experience more days of hazardous heat annually than other areas in the country, and that figure has increased over the past 40 years.

The majority of facilities experiencing drastic increases are in the South, but Tuholske found increases in the Northeast and Midwest as well.

Pennsylvania is actually emblematic of a place where attention really should be focused, he said.

In cities like Houston, Miami and Phoenix where extreme heat is common, local officials are more prepared to mitigate the worst heat waves when they arrive, Tuholske said. Both Miami and Phoenix have heat officers tasked with protecting residents from potentially deadly temperatures.

But in places not used to heat, like Pennsylvania, a bad wave can be devastating if facilities are not prepared.

The same kind of temperature in Phoenix would still be a hazard, but they can deal with it. 115 degrees isnt unusual, he said. Its extremely dangerous in places that arent used to it.

Humidity also plays a role and can be deadly when combined with high heat. In Pennsylvania, an air temperature of 95 degrees could feel worse than the same number in Arizona, Tuholske said, because the humidity here interferes with the bodys ability to cool itself.

All of these factors compound in prisons, where the population is older, sicker and more likely to be on medications that interfere with heat regulation, he said.

Several jails across the state also lack air conditioning, including the detention center in Philadelphia, and even prisons that do have air conditioning experience outages. SCI Phoenix, the states newest facility, built in 2018, experienced sporadic outages between July 5 and 6, the department confirmed.

High heat is a perennial problem that many incarcerated people and their loved ones have become resigned to, said Noah Barth of the Pennsylvania Prison Society, especially as the summers keep getting worse and worse.

But the problem is also distinctly solvable, Tuholske said. Air conditioning works, he said, and retrofitting older buildings now might ultimately be less expensive in the long run.

Exposure to extreme heat in prisons exacerbates the health conditions of people who are already likely to have higher instances of mental health issues and physical illnesses, he said. That means they need more expensive care both while they are incarcerated and when theyre released.

Its the humane thing to do, but it also seems more cost-effective, he said.

BEFORE YOU GO If you learned something from this article, pay it forward and contribute to Spotlight PA at spotlightpa.org/donate. Spotlight PA is funded by foundations and readers like you who are committed to accountability journalism that gets results.
Posters for Montanans Securing Reproductive Rights, the group behind CI-128 in 2024. (Photo by Blair Miller, Daily Montanan)

Three ballot initiatives, two that could change the way candidates are selected in primary elections, as well as one to enshrine reproductive rights in the Montana Constitution, crossed an initial threshold, signaling that all three measures will likely be before voters in the 2024 general election in November.

Montanans for Election Reform and Montanans Securing Reproductive Rights both announced Friday that Montana Secretary of State Christi Jacobsens official website showed that both groups had collected enough signatures to meet the legal threshold to go before voters.

Montanans for Election Reform proposed and qualified two measures, Constitutional Initiatives 126 and 127. Montanans Securing Reproductive Rights secured Constitutional Initiative 128.

Montanans Securing Reproductive Rights said it had surpassed the minimum number of signatures needed. It need 60,359 signatures total, and that included a 10% of voters in 51 House Districts.

MSRR said by 4 p.m. Friday CI-128 had 74,186 verified signatures, according to the Secretary of States website.

Meanwhile, Montanans for Election Reform had surpassed the total signature threshold as well as meeting the number of signatures in legislative districts.

Both groups report gathering more valid signatures than required to make it onto the ballot, even with counties still counting.

The news of the measures garnering enough signatures comes after a busy week in which Lewis and Clark District Court Judge Mike Menahan said that the Secretary of State should not be tossing out signatures from inactive voters. In his ruling, he said that an attorney for Jacobsen had suddenly  and without notice  determined that inactive voters, usually those who have changed addresses since voting, should not be counted.

Menahan issued a temporary restraining order, stopping Jacobsen from acting on that interpretation, and ordered any signatures that had been rejected because of inactive voters to be restored.

Inactive voters can become active voters simply by showing up to vote, according to court testimony, and they are considered registered voters.

Were excited to have met the valid signature threshold and the House District threshold required to qualify this critical initiative for the ballot, said Kiersten Iwai, executive director of Forward Montana and spokesperson for MSRR. Still, we will not stop fighting to ensure that every Montana voter who signed the petition has their signature counted. The Secretary of State and Attorney General have shown no shame in pulling new rules out of thin air, all to thwart the will of Montana voters and serve their own political agendas.

Jacobsens office filed an emergency appeal to the Montana Supreme Court on Thursday, asking the states highest court for a writ of supervisory control, which would take the case out of Menahans hands, and allow the Supreme Court to decide the measure. The Montana Supreme Court has not made a determination on that appeal.

For now, Menahans order remains in effect, and it requires the counties to continue to verify the signatures. During the weekend, the Montana Secretary of State said it will fix the software it changed to invalidate inactive signatures.

Montanans across the state are celebrating the qualification of CI-126 and CI-127 for the ballot this November, said Frank Garner, Board member for Montanans for Election Reform, the bipartisan coalition working to pass these initiatives. We know County Clerks and their staff have been working tirelessly to process every single signature of each Montana citizen who wants more freedom, choice, and accountability in our elections, and we thank them for their commitment to the citizen initiative process. Despite recent attempts by the Secretary of State to take away the rights of registered Montana voters, today, the will of Montana citizens prevailed, and we will keep fighting for the right of every Montana voter to have their voice heard.

On Monday, the Montana counties will receive a list of rejected inactive voters and then will have until noon Wednesday to reprocess the signatures. According to a report generated by the office, there are 7,389 registered inactive voter signatures for CI-128.

Montanans for Election Reform report that counties will need to reverify more than 8,700 signatures for CI-126 and CI-127.

CI-126 and CI-127 deal with a new, top-four model for political candidates, and require a successful candidate for office to win with a majority, not a plurality.

CI-128 protects the right to abortion in Montana, even though court decisions have affirmed the right to it, via the states right to privacy. It would also prohibit the government from interfering with right the travel for medical services, as well as protect medical professionals from government interference. It would protect abortion up until the point of fetal viability.

The three issues that have qualified for the ballot are all opposed by the Montana Republican Party. Jacobsen is a Republican running for re-election herself.

Constitutional Initiative 126

Amends the Montana Constitution to provide a top-four primary election. All candidates, regardless of political party, appear on one ballot. The four candidates receiving the most votes advance to the general election. A candidate may list a political party preference, but a candidate isnt required to be nominated by a political party. A candidates political party preference isnt an endorsement by the political party. The legislature may require candidates gather signatures up to five percent of the votes received by the winning candidate in the last election to appear on the ballot. All voters may vote for one candidate for each covered office. The amendment applies to the elections for governor and lieutenant governor, secretary of state, auditor, attorney general, superintendent of public instruction, state representative, state senator, United State representative, and United States Senator. Amends the Montana Constitution to provide that elections for certain offices must be decided by majority vote as determined as provided by law rather than by a plurality or the largest amount of the votes. If it cannot be determined who received a majority of votes because two or more candidates are tied, then the winner of the election will be determined as provided by law. This act applies to elections for governor and lieutenant governor, secretary of state, auditor, attorney general, superintendent of public instruction, state representative, state senator, United States representative, United States Senator, and other offices as provided by law. A constitutional initiative that would amend the Montana Constitution to expressly provide a right to make and carry out decisions about ones own pregnancy, including the right to abortion. It would prohibit the government from denying or burdening the right to abortion before fetal viability. It would also prohibit the government from denying or burdening access to an abortion when a treating healthcare professional determines it is medically indicated to protect the pregnant patients life or health. The initiative would prevent the government from penalizing patients, healthcare providers, or anyone who assists someone in exercising their right to make and carry out voluntary decisions about their pregnancy. Source: This information taken from the approved petition language from the Montana Secretary of States website.

Constitutional Initiative 127

Constitutional Initiative 128
Three dead in upstate New York head-on collision; investigation ongoing

Three people are dead following a crash in upstate New York on Friday.

On July 19, at approximately 4:50 p.m., the New York State Police responded to a two-car head-on collision on I-86 eastbound in the town of Chemung, Chemung County.

A preliminary investigation revealed that a 2018 Nissan Maxima, operated by a 36-year-old male traveling westbound on I-86, crossed over the median and struck a 2015 Acura RDX traveling eastbound. The Acura had two occupants: an 18-year-old male operator and a 44-year-old female.

All three occupants were pronounced dead at the scene.

The identities of those involved were not immediately released.

Three people were killed in a crash in the town of Chemung on Friday.

The New York State Police were assisted by the Chemung County Sheriff's Office, New York State Department of Transportation, Chemung Fire Department, Greater Valley Emergency Medical Services, and Wellsburg Fire Department.

The investigation is ongoing.

This article originally appeared on Rochester Democrat and Chronicle: Three dead in head-on collision on I-86 in Chemung, New York
SCRANTON, LACKAWANNA COUNTY (WBRE/WYOU) Three suspects have been detained after a series of suspicious bank transactions were reported in the Scranton area Friday afternoon.

In a release, Scranton Police say just before 3:00 p.m. they responded to the report of a suspicious person trying to conduct a transaction inside the Community Bank on the 500 block of Davis Street.

People inside the bank became suspicious after the male was unable to answer questions related to the account information, police noted.

Other Community Banks in Scranton then communicated that they had reports of similar transactions, as stated in the release.

Officials say witnesses outside the bank noticed a car with New Jersey plates acting suspiciously outside the bank.

Man charged with committing $1.5M pandemic fraud

Police said the male then entered the vehicle and drove off with multiple occupants inside, but police quickly identified the vehicle and stopped it. The vehicle then fled while the officer was speaking with one of the occupants into Moosic, as noted in the release.

The release states that occupants inside the vehicle then fled on foot in the wooded area of Montage Mountain Road and Interstate 81.

Authorities say after a brief pursuit on foot, all three suspects were detained with assistance from the Moosic and Taylor Police Departments along with Pennsylvania State Police.

All suspects are currently in custody as the Scranton Police Department continues to investigate 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 PAhomepage.com.
'Someone knows something.' Reward now $30K to find Nikki Cheng McCain, missing since May

Nikki Cheng Saelee McCain of Shasta County was last heard from on May 17, 2024. The 2002 Chevrolet Avalanche she drives was found in Tehama County on May 25.

Two local agencies and a group from Miami, Florida, have teamed up increase the reward amount for information that leads to finding a Shasta County woman who has been missing since May.

The Redding Rancheria, Shasta County Secret Witness and the Kingsman Philanthropic Corp. are pitching in $30,000, or up to $10,000 each, for information that could help locate Nikki Cheng Saelee McCain, who was last seen May 17.

Little is known about the nature of McCain's disappearance, except that her 2002 pewter-colored Chevrolet Avalanche was found May 25 in Tehama County. The Shasta County Sheriff's Office would not say where in the county her truck was located.

McCain is 39 years old, 4 feet 11 inches tall, weighs 110 pounds and has brown hair and brown eyes, the sheriffs office said.

Rancheria officials sent out a news release Friday saying they hope the increased reward money will improve the chances of finding the mother of four.

Kingsman conducts recovery operations for missing and exploited women and children, according to its website. It is a nonprofit made up of military veterans, retired law enforcement and other security experts, the website says.

Brian Fitzgibbons, the Kingsman's director of operations, said he met McCain's sisters while working on a television show about missing persons.

"Particularly concerning about this case is that Nikki was the alleged victim and witness in a horrific domestic violence case that was being brought against her husband, Tyler McCain. She went missing before she had a chance to stand up to him in court," Fitzgibbons said in a text message.

Charges against Tyler McCain, who had pleaded not guilty in the case, were dropped July 5.

The district attorney's office said Nikki Cheng Saelee McCain legally had to be present for the case against her husband to go forward. Without her involvement in the case, Superior Court Judge Daniel Flynn said he had to dismiss the charges against Tyler McCain.

"As of yesterday, 7/18, Nikki has been missing for two months. Two months of no answers for her four children... and her sisters and family are torn apart by this," Fitzgibbons said. "Someone knows something."

The Redding Rancheria is asking anyone with information to call the Nor-Cal Alliance for the Missing at 530-638-3855 or 530-378-4491. Tips about McCain's whereabouts can be left online with secret witness at secretwitness.com/submit-a-tip. The Kingsman organization can be reached at 786-509-7135 or by email at tips@therealkingsman.org.

The sheriffs office is asking anyone who might have information about her to call the the department's major crimes unit at 530-245-6135.

Reporter Damon Arthur welcomes story tips at 530-338-8834, by email at damon.arthur@redding.com and on Twitter at @damonarthur_RS. Help local journalism thrive by subscribing today!

This article originally appeared on Redding Record Searchlight: Reward to find Nikki Cheng McCain, who is missing, now $30k
CHEMUNG, N.Y. (WETM)  Three people died after a two-car crash in the Town of Chemung on Friday evening.

According to the New York State Police Department, a 2018 Nissan Maxima was driving west on I-86 shortly before 4:51 p.m. on July 19 when it crossed over the median. The car then drove into the eastbound lane and hit a 2015 Accura RDX.

The 36-year-old male driver of the Nissan, the Accuras 18-year-old male driver, and the Accuras 44-year-old female passenger were pronounced dead at the scene, according to police.

The crash is under investigation, and the names of the victims have not been publicly released at this time.

The Chemung County Sheriffs Office, the New York State Department of Transportation, the Chemung Fire Department, Greater Valley Emergency Medical Services, and the Wellsburg Fire Department assisted the New York State Police Department at the scene of the crash.

Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to WETM - MyTwinTiers.com.
FILE PHOTO: A man types into a keyboard during the Def Con hacker convention in Las Vegas

MADRID (Reuters) - Three pro-Russian hackers have been arrested for alleged cyberattacks against Spain and other NATO countries for terrorist purposes, Spanish police said on Saturday.

The suspects were detained for their alleged participation in distributed denial of service (DDoS) cyber attacks against public institutions and strategic sectors, the Civil Guard said.

It did not say if the three suspects, who have not been named, have been charged or detained

The cyberattacks were allegedly carried out against web pages of public and private organizations in the government sectors, critical infrastructures and essential services in countries which support Ukraine in the conflict with Russia, it said.

Police released a video on social media platform X of a raid at the home of one of the suspects in which a Soviet-era hammer and sickle flag was mounted on a wall.

"These computer attacks have been organized by the hacktivist group NoName057(16), (which started) after the invasion of Ukraine by Russia and (which has been) one of the most active," the Civil Guard said in a statement.

"In their own founding manifesto, this group acknowledges that they 'will respond proportionately in response to the hostile and openly anti-Russian actions of Western Russophobes'."

The arrests took place in Manacor on Spain's Balearic Island of Mallorca, and in Huelva and Seville, in southern Spain, police said.

Police said the investigation was ongoing.

(Reporting by Graham Keeley)
It's time. Biden should drop out so Democrats can run a historic two-woman ticket.

Editor's note: President Joe Biden formally ended his reelection campaign Sunday and endorsed Vice President Kamala Harris for the Democratic nomination in an announcement on X, formerly Twitter.

No American political party ever needed a reset more than the Democrats right now.

The drumbeat for President Joe Biden to step aside just keeps growing. The kind of quiet advice he has been receiving about that from former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, former President Barack Obama, Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer and House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries is now reverberating loudly in public.

It's past time to face it  Joe Biden is the past for Democrats. He served a long and distinguished career, capped by the presidency he always coveted. But he isn't up to the job of defeating the man he beat in 2020, former President Donald Trump.

It's time for a change. And that change must happen now, not later. Biden should finish his term while stepping aside in the campaign, throwing his support to Vice President Kamala Harris at the top of the ticket.

Its hard to imagine the party rolling the dice on an open Democratic National Convention in Chicago four weeks from now. That way portends chaos.

Its also difficult to see the Democratic Partys Black female supporters, the one loyal chunk of the base that stuck with Biden as his poll numbers crashed, accepting the elevation of another presidential nominee over Harris, the first Black, South Asian and female vice president of the United States.

Harris, 59, has the resume  a former California attorney general, service in the U.S. Senate and four years as an understudy for the most powerful position on the planet. Biden, in a July 11 news conference, called Harris "qualified to be president."

The ticket Democrats should push after Biden drops out

Vice President Kamala Harris stands in the House of Representatives ahead of President Joe Bidens State of the Union address at the U.S. Capitol on March 7, 2024.

Harris would need a running mate. And the Democrats have a decent bench.

California Gov. Gavin Newsom looks ready and will certainly try his hand in four years. People who know Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro suggest that he has been gearing up for a presidential run since high school.

Even so, the Democrats need more than experience and ambition. They need a ticket that looks like history in the making if theyre going to turn the page on Bidens slide to antiquity.

They should draft Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer, 52, a big name popular in a critical swing state, easily elected to a second term in 2022 and legally barred from seeking a third.

Then Democrats should hype the hell out of a historic ticket of two women in their 50s while turning the tables on Trump, a 78-year-old known for slurring his words during rallies and wandering off on weird rhetorical tangents about sharks, Hannibal Lecter and other things that clearly frighten him.

Trump's document case: Florida judge who just gave Trump a pas will now be judged herself

The Harris-Whitmer campaign could energize Democrats against Trump

Trump's meandering speech while accepting his party's nomination at the Republican National Convention showed just how beatable he is again.

We were told he would push for unity. But Trump couldn't stick with that train of thought for even 20 minutes before lurching into more than 70 minutes more of his standard exaggerations and lies, stoking division with culture-war caricatures.

Picture two experienced women  tested surrogates for a Democratic platform that has scored big wins since 2022 on the Republican quest to stifle reproductive freedoms  facing off against Trump and his newbie vice presidential pick, Sen. JD Vance of Ohio.

Those are some debates Id watch.

While Harris and Whitmer could hammer away at Trump for all the reasons voters rejected him in 2020, they could also dig into the shape-shifting Vance, who morphed from a well-regarded author who rejected Trumpism to an eager accomplice for authoritarianism.

At 39, they can cast Vance as untested, unready and unreliable.

Harris could bring a zeal that Biden has run out of

President Joe Biden campaigns in Las Vegas on July 16, 2024.

Bidens disastrous debate in June and his ineffective attempts to recover sowed the seeds of his political end, in part, because he was incapable of refuting in real time the lies Trump told on stage with him.

Harris would bring a prosecutors zeal to fact-checking Trump, a candidate known to be rattled when challenged by a woman in just about any venue.

Vances position on abortion  he has rejected exceptions for rape and incest and wants a national ban  is even more strident than what Trump claims he wants. Imagine Whitmer pressing Vance on his suggestions that divorce, even in violent marriages, is some sort of trick pulled on America by the sexual revolution.

MAGA's response to Trump shooting: Republican reaction to Trump shooting only sows more division. Our leaders must stop it.

Dont get me wrong  Im not saying a Harris-Whitmer ticket jumps out to an immediate lead and leaves Trump and Vance in the dust. Trump right now looks to have a very good shot at winning a second term.

But Harris and Whitmer could upend that. Just the ticket change alone will prompt low-information voters who have not tuned into the presidential race so far to take notice.

That would draw more attention to debates, which could be platforms to reach voters who may be thinking 2024 is just too messy to mess with.

Potential attacks on both Democrats are pretty easy to predict

Biden put Harris in charge of border security. Trump has exploited illegal immigration, falsely casting it as the source of violent crime at a time when those crime rates are actually falling.

Harris would probably make a more cogent argument that Trump forced Republicans to kill a bipartisan immigration bill in the U.S. Senate that would have addressed many concerns on both sides of the aisle.

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.

Whitmer was the target of a 2020 kidnapping plot that resulted in criminal convictions for some of the men involved. That gave rise to the kind of far-right-wing conspiracy theories that Trumps Republican Party now so eagerly taps into.

Who better to debunk conspiracy theories than a candidate targeted by an actual conspiracy?

Whitmer clearly has the GOPs attention. Republican delegates from her state, speaking at their partys convention in Milwaukee, singled her out for criticism while nominating Trump and Vance.

RNC speakers threw plenty of shade at Harris, too.

Thats a big platform, providing national attention to two Democrats not at the top of the ticket. The Republicans wouldn't be trash-talking Harris and Whitmer if they didn't see them as a threat.

Biden should step aside, touting his accomplishments in the White House and his role in opening the next chapter in the Democratic Party's history.

Follow USA TODAY elections columnist Chris Brennan on X, formerly known as Twitter: @ByChrisBrennan

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: Biden, leave the race. Let Harris and Whitmer fight Trump
For at least three years, the Los Angeles County Sheriffs Department secretly investigated  and ultimately urged the state attorney general to prosecute  a Los Angeles Times reporter who wrote about a leaked list of problem deputies, according to internal department records.

The inquiry began in 2017 when investigators under then-Sheriff Jim McDonnell tried to figure out who slipped the list of roughly 300 names to reporter Maya Lau. The case soon fizzled out. But after Alex Villanueva took office as sheriff in 2018, the department revived it, according to a 300-page investigative case file recently reviewed by The Times.

The department eventually deemed Lau a criminal suspect  alleging she knowingly received stolen property. And it pointed to Diana Teran, its own constitutional policing advisor, as the source of the leak, even though Teran was the one whod initially reported it and denied passing along the information.

Sheriffs officials sent the case to Atty. Gen. Rob Bonta in 2021, and in May of this year his office formally declined to prosecute. The office declined to answer specific questions, saying only that it "found insufficient evidence" to merit criminal charges.

Im glad this investigation is over, and its an outrage that the Sheriffs Department would criminally investigate me as a reporter for doing my job, Lau, who left the paper in 2021, told The Times. Its the kind of action thats aimed at intimidating journalists from digging into government agencies.

Read more: Inside the Sheriff's Department's secretive investigation into Villanueva's critics

The Sheriffs Department confirmed its investigation into Lau is closed and said it is no longer surveilling reporters.

"Under the leadership of Sheriff [Robert] Luna, we do not monitor journalists and we respect the freedom of the press," the department wrote this week in an emailed statement.

In an email Thursday, Villanueva did not address specific questions about the investigation into Lau. Instead, he accused another reporter of a crime and said lawyers for the county had been trying to obstruct the case at every step.

Journalists generally cannot be held liable for reporting on leaked documents that involve matters of public concern, even if the reporter knew that the materials were obtained illegally.

Youre not authorized to break into a file cabinet to get records. Youre not authorized to hack computers. But receiving information that somebody else obtained unlawfully is not a crime, said attorney David Snyder, executive director of the First Amendment Coalition, which advocates for free speech and government transparency. Publishing that information is protected under the 1st Amendment.

::

The leaked records at the center of the investigation date to 2014, when Teran  who was working at the Office of Independent Review, a civilian oversight group hired by the county  had begun collecting names for a so-called Brady List of officers with problematic disciplinary histories. The name refers to a landmark 1963 U.S. Supreme Court decision, Brady vs. Maryland, that requires prosecutors to turn over any evidence favorable to a defendant, including evidence of police misconduct.

To make her list, Teran relied on information from the district attorneys office and from Sheriffs Department databases, according to what she told investigators in 2017 and 2018 as part of the administrative inquiry. She stopped adding new names in late 2014, because she believed the Sheriffs Department had started keeping its own official Brady List by that point.

Then in 2015, she started working for the Sheriffs Department as a constitutional policing advisor, a position created by McDonnell to act as an internal watchdog.

Two years later, the LASD investigative file says, she heard that Lau and other Times reporters had begun asking certain deputies how they felt about being on the Brady List. To figure out what list the reporters had and where theyd gotten it, Teran tracked down any recent public records requests from The Times.

Read more: Inside a secret 2014 list of hundreds of L.A. deputies with histories of misconduct

She found out reporters had asked the district attorneys office for information about roughly 300 deputies  the same deputies named on her list from 2014. When she reviewed the names, Teran noticed the reporters list even featured the same errors as hers, down to the typo on one employee identification number. At that point, the report said, Teran became concerned that her Brady list was leaked to the media and began trying to figure out who could have leaked it.

The report says there was one high-ranking official in particular she began looking into by asking the departments Data System Bureau what copy machine he had access to and whether there was a way to examine its hard drive. According to the case file, however, the drive had been destroyed and there was no remedy for Teran to seek in trying to exonerate herself.

Three days later, on Dec. 8, 2017, The Times published its story detailing some of the misconduct and criminal convictions that had landed deputies on the list. One deputy planted evidence, The Times reported. Another pulled over a stranger and received oral sex from her in his patrol car. A third pepper-sprayed an elderly man in the face and then wrote a false report to justify arresting him. (The Times series highlighted the secrecy of police misconduct records, and a year later, the California Legislature approved landmark measures that provided dramatically greater public access to internal investigations of police shootings statewide.)

A week after the story ran, internal affairs investigators interviewed Teran. According to the investigative case file, Teran told them the names of several high-ranking officials she thought may have gotten a copy of her list, including the interim sheriff and several chiefs and commanders. They all denied keeping copies or leaking them to Lau, according to the report.

At some point before McDonnell left office in 2018, investigators dropped the inquiry, marking it unresolved and inactivated" instead of turning it into a formal criminal investigation.

Several months into the Villanueva administration, Det. Mark Lillienfeld was assigned to investigate a related case involving allegations that Teran and other oversight officials had illegally accessed deputy personnel records, including some the department had voluntarily turned over to them months earlier. That inquiry by Lillienfeld  a key investigator on Villanuevas controversial public corruption unit  reopened the dormant Brady List probe.

The 80-page report Lillienfeld ultimately produced, part of the more than 300-page investigative case file reviewed by The Times, is at times difficult to follow. The writing is punctuated by testy asides and innuendos about Villanueva foes, whom the report accuses of engaging in extramarital affairs, ethical violations and new crimes, among other things.

Amid the long and often scrambled narrative, the report describes two possible instances in which Teran could have leaked the list. The first was in May 2017, when Lau sat down with Teran and Mark Smith  the departments other constitutional policing advisor  to ask a series of questions about Brady policies and the handling of Brady material.

The report states that Teran denied having a paper or digital copy of the list with her that day. The report calls her denial of leaking the records a lie and said it was "deceptive" for Teran to say she didn't have the list with her based on the assumption that she would have had her computer with her in her office, where the interview took place. The computer, the report says, would have contained a copy of the list.

But according to a transcript of her September 2018 interview with investigators, Teran was never asked whether she had a digital copy. She was only asked whether she had a copy in her purse, briefcase or "anything like that."

Read more: L.A. County sheriff's unit accused of targeting political enemies, vocal critics

After alleging Teran leaked the Brady List in May 2017, the investigative file suggests she could have also leaked it more than a year later.

Shortly after McDonnell lost his bid for reelection in November 2018, Lau emailed the Sheriffs Department to ask for a phone interview with Teran, according to the report.

We're doing a story today on what Villanueva will mean to reforms, Lau wrote. Given that he's said he would eliminate the (constitutional policing advisors), I think it would be great to hear from Diana on what the CPAs actually accomplished.

The two talked on the phone a few hours later, and Lau quoted Teran in an article published the following morning on Nov. 28, 2018.

Later that week, Lau put in another records request  something reporters do on a regular basis  for information about 322 department employees, including the incoming sheriff. The request was sent weeks before a new law was set to take effect broadening public access to police disciplinary records, but Lillienfelds report focused on the proximity to Lau's interview with Teran.

It defies explanation or logic to think that Lau was able to obtain a list of over 300 LASD personnel within just three days after meeting with Teran, from any source other than Teran, Lillienfeld wrote.

When internal affairs interviewed Teran in 2018, she said she wasnt the source of the leak.

I just want to make it abundantly clear that I did not provide Maya Lau a copy of this list or any other list that we have referred to  either at that meeting or any other meeting or any subsequent meeting, ... nor did I talk to her on the phone and read her the list, nor did I give or direct anybody else to provide her with that information, she told investigators under oath. I just want to make it abundantly clear that it wasn't just on that date, but on any date and of that, I am 100% positive.

A little over two years after Lillienfeld began his investigation, in fall 2021, Undersheriff Tim Murakami sent the 300-page case file  which included the inquiries into both the Brady list leak and the accessing of personnel records  to Bonta. The file identified Lau as a suspect along with Teran, Terans assistant, Inspector General Max Huntsman and an attorney for Huntsmans office.

Ultimately, Bontas office declined to prosecute the case, notifying the Sheriffs Department  but not the five people identified as suspects, including Lau  of that decision in May. Around the same time, though, Bonta announced 11 felony charges against Teran in a similar case that his office says stemmed from an unrelated investigation.

::

The years-long attempt to prosecute Lau is not the only time the Sheriffs Department has targeted a reporter in recent years. In 2020, LAist reporter Josie Huang was slammed to the ground and arrested by sheriffs deputies while covering a protest. Her press ID was visible on a lanyard around her neck. Villanueva defended his deputies handling of the incident and referred the case to the district attorneys office so Huang could be prosecuted. Prosecutors declined to take up the case, and Huang sued, settling with the county last year for $700,000.

Two years after Huangs arrest, Villanueva targeted another Times journalist in a criminal leak investigation for her reporting on a departmental cover-up. After announcing the inquiry at a public news conference, he backed off under a barrage of criticism and denied that he considered the reporter a suspect.

Both of those cases received widespread media coverage, and this week independent journalist Cerise Castle reported on department records showing that sheriff's officials had been keeping an eye on her as far back as 2021.

Read more: Villanueva backs off investigation of Times reporter who revealed cover-up

But until now the departments investigation into Lau flew under the radar.

Snyder, the First Amendment Coalition executive director, raised concerns about how far the investigation into Lau may have gone. The case file does not mention any efforts to surveil Lau or monitor her phone, and Lillienfeld did not respond to a request for comment. Its also unclear what state prosecutors did after agreeing to take over the case.

If you as a reporter believe your work could subject you to criminal investigation, thats a chilling effect, Snyder said. Thats not good for journalism, its not good for democracy, and thats the reason these investigations shouldnt happen  cant happen  under the law.

Sign up for Essential California for news, features and recommendations from the L.A. Times and beyond in your inbox six days a week.

This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times.
The tone of Democratic calls for Biden to step aside has hardened his desire to stay in the race: 'It's like they don't know he's Irish'

The tone of Democratic calls for Biden to step aside has hardened his desire to stay in the race: 'It's like they don't know he's Irish'

Biden faces growing calls to exit the race as he recovers from COVID-19 in Delaware.

But the tone of the pleas has only hardened his decision to stay in the contest, the Post reports.

Biden is eyeing a return to the campaign trail soon, with possible stops in Georgia and Texas.

Since late Wednesday, President Joe Biden has been hunkered down in Delaware, recovering from his latest bout with COVID-19.

But Biden has also been watching the moves of his fellow Democrats from afar. He remains under immense pressure from leading members of his party and top donors to reconsider his reelection bid, a highly consequential decision that he has so far rejected.

Over the past 48 hours, a wave of Democrats  including vulnerable red-state lawmakers like Sens. Sherrod Brown of Ohio and Jon Tester of Montana  have called on Biden to end his candidacy. It's part of a larger push from a growing number of officials, spooked by the president's poor debate performance last month and voter concerns about his ability to serve out a second term should he win reelection.

But Biden and his family remain defiant, upset over the debate criticism from fellow Democrats. They feel that the president could have weathered the storm with the party's support, The Washington Post reported.

According to the newspaper, the tone of some of the calls for Biden to exit the race has only made the president more committed to remaining the nominee.

"It's like they don't know he's Irish," a Biden family confidant recently told the Post.

Biden's close family relationship has always been a cherished part of his political identity, from his days in the Senate representing Delaware to his stint as vice president and subsequently as president.

One major development in recent weeks has been the emergence of Hunter Biden as a more visible player in his father's political orbit, with the presidential son having sat in on several key White House meetings since the June debate. And it comes weeks after Hunter Biden  who for years has been political fodder for Republicans  was convicted on felony gun charges.

While reporting from numerous outlets has highlighted the importance of first lady Jill Biden and Hunter Biden in any decision-making on Biden's political future, the most recent report from the Post pointed to a more nuanced sentiment among family members regarding his decision to remain the Democratic nominee.

Biden has repeatedly reiterated that he has no plans to exit the race, and his family has stood with him on that decision. But should the president change course, the family would also support that decision, according to the Post.

Axios on Saturday reported that Biden is aiming to disprove his Democratic critics with a post-COVID return to the campaign trail, with possible stops in Georgia and Texas.

Read the original article on Business Insider
Top security officials defended women being in the U.S. Secret Service in a Saturday statement following the assassination attempt on former President Trump.

In the days following the attempted assassination of former President Trump, some people have made public statements questioning the presence of women in law enforcement, including in the United States Secret Service, reads the statement from Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas, alongside other U.S. security officials.

These assertions are baseless and insulting, the statement continued.

The Secret Service has faced increased scrutiny in the wake of the assassination attempt against Trump last weekend, with some questioning how the gunman had access to a roof that had a clear line of sight to the former president.

Every single day, in communities big and small across our great country, women are serving in federal, state, local, tribal, territorial, and campus law enforcement, the statement said. They are highly trained and skilled professionals, who risk their lives on the front lines for the safety and security of others. They are brave and selfless patriots who deserve our gratitude and respect.

We in the United States Department of Homeland Security  the largest law enforcement organization in the federal government  will, with great pride, focus, and devotion to mission, continue to recruit, retain, and elevate women in our law enforcement ranks. Our Department will be the better for it, and our country more secure, the statement continued.

Secret Service Director Kimberly Cheatle, one of the people behind Saturdays statement, has faced scrutiny herself in the wake of the shooting. House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.) called on her to resign Wednesday.

Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) also called for new leadership at the Secret Service Wednesday.

Last weeks near-assassination of former President Trump was a grave attack on American democracy, McConnell said in a post on social platform X. The nation deserves answers and accountability. New leadership at the Secret Service would be an important step in that direction.

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TOPEKA (KSNT)  One person is dead after an overnight shooting in Topeka on Saturday, marking the Topeka Police Departments 11th homicide investigation of the year.

Police investigate Topekas 10th homicide of 2024 in central Topeka

Officers responded to the 2900 block of SW Topeka Blvd. at around 12:00 a.m. on Saturday, July 20, in reference to a shooting.

Upon arrival, officers say they located one individual suffering from a gunshot wound. This individual was pronounced dead at the scene.

The investigation is ongoing at this time.

For more crime news, click here. Keep up with the latest breaking news in northeast Kansas by downloading our mobile app and by signing up for our news email alerts. Sign up for our Storm Track Weather app by clicking here.

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LONG ISLAND CITY, Queens (PIX 11)  A local woman is speaking out after she said she was randomly attacked by a woman in Queens as she was walking down the street just days ago.

That woman recounted the horrifying incident that left her with face wounds and bloodied.

Runing Lao said she had just left Chipotle Wednesday afternoon when she began walking down the street, and a woman who she had never met before started punching her and then used a broken umbrella to slash her in the face.

I was definitely crying cause I never thought something this dangerous could happen to me, Lao said.

The shocking and unprovoked attack on Jackson and 43rd avenues in Long Island City left Lao injured and shaken. She wears bandages on her face to cover the bright red scars left following the attack when the woman allegedly attacked her out of nowhere.

I was just walking right there crossing the street and then all of a sudden a woman hit me for no reason and she  keep hitting me, said Lao. I was yelling for help and then I tried to defend myself with my umbrella.

Desperately trying to fend off her attacker with an umbrella, Lao says the woman snatched it from her, broke it in half, and used it to beat her in the face.

I was just totally shocked and honestly, I kinda froze cause I had my food in my left hand the whole time, said Lao. I had my bag on my right shoulder. I dont really know whats going on.

She screamed for help but says no one came to her aid, despite the nearby onlookers. Just when hope seemed lost, a man she now calls her hero noticed the commotion and intervened. Jerome David lives nearby and said it was a no-brainer to step in and help. He pinned the woman down until the police came.

This is New York you see some of the craziest things, but it takes one and two to really react and do something to prevent  and we all should do that, David said.

Lao is now focused on her recovery but says its the emotional scars thatll take longer to heal than the physical ones. As she bravely speaks out about her terrifying experience, shes hoping her story will shed light on her attack while encouraging others to step in when they see someone in trouble.

The woman who police say attacked Lao has been identified as 34-year-old Arriana Garcia. Shes now facing charges of assault with intent to cause injury, as well as disorderly conduct.

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Litter in and around the landfill. Waste outside of the permitted area. Releases of liquid pollution. Failure to file mandatory reports.

These are some of the issues found at four of the states active landfills, documented by letters of deficiency sent by the Department of Environmental Services from January to June. Many of the problems centered around the management of leachate, the trash juice created when rainfall mixes with waste that can be highly toxic.

One of those facilities, a subsidiary of the Vermont-based Casella Waste Systems, failed hundreds of times to keep leachate to its required levels and to file mandatory reports, data, and investigations with the state, according to a June letter from DES.

That same company is trying to overcome local opposition to build a landfill half a mile from a lake in the tiny North Country town of Dalton, about a 20-minute drive from Bethlehem, the 2,500-person town that houses its current landfill, North Country Environmental Services.

Other landfills that have received letters this year include ones in Rochester, run by Waste Management New Hampshire; Conway, run by the town; and Lebanon, operated by the city.

Waste Management's Turnkey Landfill in Rochester.

Jeff Weld, a Casella spokesperson, told the Bulletin the issues outlined by DES are unacceptable and that Casella would conduct a significant investigation into their root causes. He said, too, that the issues are not representative of the companys expectations for operational excellence, but that they posed no potential harm to people or the environment.

We have immediately implemented several operational improvements to diminish the production of leachate at the site, Weld said, while also increasing the number of wastewater treatment and hauling contractors available to help manage the sites wastewater.

Spokespeople for the landfills in Rochester and Lebanon said the issues had been addressed. A representative of the Conway landfill did not respond to requests for comment.

Casella has been the subject of public scrutiny amid its yearslong battle to build a new landfill in Dalton. It has also been criticized before for its management of the Bethlehem facility.

In 2021, 154,000 gallons of leachate overflowed at the facility in what may have been the largest spill in state history. Weld said the company believed the spill did not extend beyond a surface water detention pond at the landfill.

In 2022, Casella paid $50,000 in the settlement of a federal Clean Water Act lawsuit brought by environmental groups that alleged the landfill was polluting the Ammonoosuc River, which borders the facility. The company maintains it did nothing unlawful.

The DES letter, sent in June, laid out issues ranging back to last summer.

Please be aware that leachate storage on the liner in the depths and at the frequency suggested by the currently available data is a significant issue, DES wrote to the facility. When this occurs, it is NCESs responsibility to identify and resolve the issue as quickly as possible.

That quote stood out to Amy Manzelli, an attorney from BCM Environmental & Land Law who represents North Country Alliance for Balance Change, a group that opposes the Dalton landfill and advocates on solid waste issues.

When the department explicitly editorializes on an issue, she said, identifying it as a, quote, significant issue, end quote, that really jumps out at you as a red flag that this is an unusually important, significant issue.

Problems abound

A letter of deficiency is the medium level of enforcement action that DES can take, Manzelli explained. The ones received by at least four landfills this year laid out a collection of issues.

The landfill in Lebanon, operated by the city, had leachate breakouts in 13 areas, including five releases beyond the facility and into the environment, according to a letter DES sent in April. The facility did not immediately notify DES, as required, and at least some of the issues were not handled in a timely manner, the letter said.

DES also observed large quantities of litter in and outside the footprint of the landfill. A 2023 review of the facility, which DES said it received in March, found it was placing waste outside of its permitted vertical limits.

Christopher Kilmer, the assistant public works director for Lebanon, said the city has worked to address the violations.

Weve worked diligently with New Hampshire DES to return to a level of compliance, which we have done ahead of time, Kilmer said.

In Rochester, a landfill run by Waste Management of New Hampshire had at least 13 leachate discharges between the end of December 2022 and late April of this year, according to a May letter from DES. The number of incidents within that time period represents an ongoing operational issue at the Facility, DES wrote.

In three site visits since December 2022, the facility was found to be non-compliant on all three occasions with requirements to cover waste, at a minimum, at the end of each operating day, according to DES.

DES also noted it had not been notified, as required, about elevated levels of leachate at the facility.

Garrett Trierweiler, the companys public affairs director, said in an email that Waste Management has complied with all the requirements of the action plan as stated and will work with DES on any future issues.

In January, a landfill in Conway received an amended letter of deficiency for not yet addressing a problem first identified in August 2022 and for additional issues discovered in an October site visit.

The lingering issue that had not been addressed was failing to properly restrict access to the facility; in the recent site visit, DES staff saw that the main gate was open before the operator arrived to open the facility for the day.

DES also observed uncovered and improperly covered waste at the landfill. The facility was also landfilling liquid waste, which is prohibited, according to the letter. It also failed to make necessary reports around leachate.

In a February response to DES, the town said the unauthorized waste would no longer be disposed at the facility until it can pass the testing requirements. It also confirmed the gate would be closed when the facility was not open and that it would report the leachate figures as required.

Andrew Smith, the towns public works director, could not be reached for comment.

The Titanic

In Bethlehem, Casella racked up hundreds of violations largely by repeating the same infractions over and over again.

In its letter, DES said the facility has not operated in a manner that controls the production of leachate to the greatest extent practicable, the standard required by state regulations. In fact, it produced  and, therefore, had to pump out  millions of more gallons of leachate in recent months than it did as recently as the start of last year.

Pumps take leachate off of the liner, where it travels through pipes and into a storage tank before getting trucked off the facility to be treated, said Weld, the Casella spokesperson. These systems are redundant, he said, to prevent leachate from leaking into the environment: dual liners, pipes inside of pipes, and tanks inside of secondary tanks.

From the second half of 2021 to the first half of 2023, the landfills pumped out up to 2.8 million gallons of leachate per quarter, or every four months. That skyrocketed from the second half of 2023 to the beginning of this year, with the amount of leachate ranging up to 5.2 million gallons per quarter.

Landfills are also required to have systems in place that will prevent more than 12 inches of leachate from being stored on the liner, said Leah McKenna, administrator of the DES Solid Waste Management Bureau.

On 450 occasions between July 2023 and June of this year, the Bethlehem facility failed to keep leachate to that required level. In one recent instance, that level was 116.42 inches, or almost 10 times higher than the required maximum.

The facility is supposed to keep leachate below that level even up to the 25-year, 24-hour storm events, according to the letter. Precipitation data included in the [facilitys] quarterly reports, DES wrote, indicate that there were no storm events that exceeded the 25-year/24-hour storm.

The landfill also failed to file reports and investigative reports when leachate flowed into its collection system at rates that were supposed to trigger such notifications to the state. Those exceedances occurred 726 times.

McKenna, the DES official, said Casella had submitted the items the department requested in response to its letter. Not all of those documents had yet been made publicly available through the departments online system as of Thursday morning, though McKenna said they would be soon.

McKenna said she could not comment on any potential open enforcement actions, but DES wrote to the facilities that failure to comply with the letters may result in a formal administrative action.

Andrea Bryant is a retired school teacher of 35 years who lives on 32 acres of land abutting a state park and forest  and about a mile from the landfill.

I should be in just silence and pureness, she said. And Im not.

The smells and noises from the landfill travel to her home. The sounds wake her up by 7 a.m. most days. And many times, she said, shes been pushed into the house by a wave of stench.

Its destroyed my life, she said, and divided her town in the process of building and expanding.

Bryant wasnt surprised by the letter from the state outlining the hundreds of violations. The company does what they want to do, she said. She said she was pleased to see the list of violations, because its about time that theyre held accountable.

Bryant and others who opposed expanding the landfill long suspected problems would arise.

We used to call it the Titanic, she said.

This story was originally published by the New Hampshire Bulletin.

This article originally appeared on Portsmouth Herald: Toxic trash juice a problem at 4 NH landfills, including Rochester
MEMPHIS, Tenn.  Traffic downtown near Riverside between Georgia Ave and Beale St. will be blocked off from 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. on Saturday.

This is because of the All White Affair Festival hosted at Tom Lee Park. More than 4,000 people are expected to be in the area for the event.

Memphis Police encourage drivers to use alternate routes.

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A bus carrying Ukrainians has crashed in Poland. Photo: Polish police in the city of Swiebodzin

Ukraine's Foreign Ministry has provided details of a minibus traffic collision involving Ukrainian citizens in western Poland and noted that the Ukrainian consul in Wrocaw is on his way to the scene.

Source: digital representative of Ukraine's Foreign Ministry on consular affairs; European Pravda

Details: The accident occurred near the Polish town of Swiecko in Lubusz Voivodeship at around 04:00 on Saturday, 20 July.

All nine people in the minibus that collided with the vehicle are Ukrainian citizens who have been taken to the hospital.

"The condition of five Ukrainian citizens is assessed as critical. Among them are four children aged 2, 3, 4 and 15. The Consul of the Consulate General of Ukraine in Wroclaw is heading to the scene of the accident. He will provide consular support, visit the medical facilities where the affected Ukrainians are being treated, and find out the circumstances of the accident," the Foreign Ministry said.

Background: On the morning of 20 July, Polish media reported that a minibus carrying Ukrainian citizens collided with a road maintenance vehicle on the A2 road between the Polish city of Wrocaw and Frankfurt, Germany. The accident was initially reported to have occurred near the city of Swiebodzin, 60 km from the German border.

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DRESDEN, N.Y. (WETM)  A Colorado woman was injured after a train hit her car on Thursday morning.

According to the Yates County Sheriffs Office, a 77-year-old woman from Englewood, Colorado, was driving east on Seneca Street in the Village of Dresden at about 10:35 a.m. on July 18. A Norfolk Southern train was traveling north on tracks that cross Seneca Street.

Authorities say that the car didnt yield to the train, and the train hit the car. The car came to a stop on the west side of the train tracks.

Penn Yan Ambulance took the 77-year-old driver to Soldiers and Sailors Memorial Hospital to be treated for her injuries. The trains conductor and engineer were both uninjured.

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The sound of church bells around the world is usually made by machine. But before newspapers, radio, telephones, television and the internet, bell ringing by hand communicated important information within small communities across Europe.

Now, a small school of bell ringers in northeastern Spain wants to recover the art of hand, or manual, bell ringing. The schools founder and leader, Xavier Pallas, says there is a whole language of bell ringing to rescue and return to use.

The Vall d'en Bas School of Bell Ringers effort comes two years after the international community recognized the import of manual bell ringing in Spain. The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization, UNESCO, added the practice to its Humanity's Intangible Cultural Heritage list in 2022.

A method of messaging for centuries

Pallas' students have learned how to ring out calls for village celebrations, warnings of bad weather or fire, religious services, and deaths. Pallas says bells could still "help mark the rituals that we need."

The change to mechanical ringing devices over the past century has flattened the bells' songs and muted their messaging powers, the teacher said. If the bells are played with expertise, he added, the sound can signal a time for celebrating or mourning. The sound can even signal when to run to the aid of a neighbor in need.

"For centuries, the tolling of church bells was our most important communication method," said Pallas. He spoke inside the belfry that also serves as classroom, in the town of Joanetes.

"Machines cannot reproduce the richness of the sounds that we used to hear, so there has been a simplification and unification of bell ringing. The language has been lost little by little until now, when we are finally recognizing its worth."

Reconnecting with the past

Manual church bell ringing has continued in Eastern Orthodox countries. But most Christian churches in Western Europe today use electronic bell ringing systems.

The students at Vall d'en Bas include women and men from diverse professional backgrounds. One student was in his 20s. Several students were retirees.

All spent the past few months researching bell sequences, documenting their history and learning to play them.

Roser Sauri jumped at the chance to reconnect with her childhood. She worked to recover and play the sequence that had sounded in her grandfather's village to announce his baptism.

"The bells formed a part of my life," said Sauri, who now works in artificial intelligence.

Honoring humans and God

Juan Carles Osuna and two other students recently tolled for the death of a woman. That meant swinging the largest of the bells. It weighs 429 kilograms.

"It's an emotional experience, Osuna said. You feel your blood pumping. You feel the strength, and how you are communicating with everyone in earshot.

He added, "For me it is an honor, it's a way to honor both humans and God."

Dreaming of bell ringers across Spain

Xavier Pallas says he has a full class lined up for the fall and about 60 more people on an admission wait list. He believes that a recovery of bell ringing in a neighborhood or town's life could help strengthen local communities.

The school leader said, "This is a means of communication that reaches everyone inside a local community and can help it come together at concrete moments."

Im Caty Weaver.

The Associated Press reported this story. Caty Weaver adapted it for VOA Learning English.

______________________________________________

Words in This Story

church - n. a building for public holy services, especially of Christian belief

ritual - n. ceremony, especially of religious tradition

belfry - n. a bell tower

diverse - adj. involving many different kinds of related or similar things

sequence - n. the order in which things are or should be connected, related, or dated

swing - v. to move quickly in a sweeping curve

concrete - adj. belonging to or based on actual experience; not abstract
Trump campaign is preparing to go to battle with Kamala Harris in 2024 campaign if Biden leaves: report

Trump campaign is preparing to go to battle with Kamala Harris in 2024 campaign if Biden leaves: report

The Trump campaign is reportedly already planning for a potential battle with Kamala Harris if Joe Biden decides to drop out of the 2024 race.

Thats included drawing up attack ads, poll-testing Harriss vulnerabilities on various issues, and compiling opposition research, two individuals briefed on the matter told The New York Times.

The Trump camps thinking is that if Biden drops out, Harris will be the most likely replacement, given that the Democrats wouldnt want to alienate the Black voters in their base by sidelining the nations first Black vice-president, the individuals told the paper.

The effort to plan for a Trump-Harris match-up predates even the Republican National Convention, according to the sources, with the Trump campaign reportedly planning out anti-Harris signs and videos that couldve debuted at the RNC if the Democrats had announced a switch-up ahead of the event.

For the moment, Joe Biden remains committed to taking on Trump in November.

The Trump team reportedly thinks Kamala Harris would be most likely to replace Joe Biden, and is preparing to campaign against her (AP)

The president is currently at his beach house in Delaware recovering from a case of Covid.

That hasnt stopped top Democrats from openly and privately speculating about his future and urging him to step down from his re-election campaign.

Nancy Pelosi reportedly told Biden he cant beat Trump, and favors an open nomination process, rather than automatically elevating the vice-president to the top of the Democratic ticket.

Senator Elizabeth Warren, meanwhile, told MSNBCs The Weekend on Saturday that the option of Harris taking the leading spot gives me a lot of hope.

We have Vice President Kamala Harris, who is ready to step up to unite the party, to take on Donald Trump and to win in November, she said. Remember, 80 million people voted for Joe Biden and Kamala Harris in 2020 knowing that Kamala Harris would be ready to step up if needed."

A majority of Democrats, meanwhile, think Harris would do a good job as the partys presidential nominee, according to a recent Associated Press-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research poll.
Trump on Evan Gershkovich sentencing: Biden will NEVER GET HIM OUT

Former President Trump weighed in on the recent sentencing of Wall Street Journal reporter Evan Gershkovich in Russia, attempting to draw a contrast with President Bidens handling of Americans held captive overseas.

Wall Street Journal reporter Evan Gershkovich was just sentenced to 16 years in prison by a Russian Court. Biden will NEVER GET HIM OUT, unless he pays a kings ransom. Trump posted to his Truth Social site.

I will get him out FOR NO COMPENSATION immediately following our victory on November 5th, and it will be my great honor to do so, he wrote, adding that people should vote for him, and the Journal should STOP BEING STUPID!!!

Earlier this year, Trump signaled he was skeptical that Gershkovich would be released before the November election, because he thinks Biden has dealt with Russian President Vladimir Putin very poorly. He argued that his relationship with Putin was better and could aid in the reporter being released from prison.

Gershkovich was sentenced Friday to 16 years in prison in a closed-door trial in the Russian city of Yekaterinburg. He pleaded not guilty to espionage charges.

Officials in the United States, press freedom groups and the Journal have all argued that the charges are fabricated.

Gershkovich was arrested in March 2023 and accused of collecting state secrets on the Russian military on behalf of the U.S. government  becoming the first American journalist to be detained in Russia since the Cold War.

Wall Street Journal Publisher Almar Latour and Emma Tucker, the editor-in-chief, quickly condemned the sentencing.

Biden released his own statement following the news Friday, noting that the White House is pushing hard for Evans release and will continue to do so.

The president has long condemned Trump for his close ties to Russia amid its war with Ukraine. His reelection campaign has even painted the former president as a lap dog for Putin.

Its not clear how Gershkovichs sentencing will impact ongoing negotiations between Russia and the U.S. for a potential prisoner swap. Former Marine Paul Whelan has been detained in Russia since 2018.

Biden said he has no higher priority than the release and return of Gershkovich, Whelan and all Americans wrongfully detained abroad.

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Which Trump family members could have influence in a second administration?

MILWAUKEE - Even within Donald Trumps family there are more MAGA and less MAGA members.

The more MAGA wing is ascendant as the former Republican president seeks to reclaim the White House, and is poised to wield the most influence in a second Trump administration. That was evident in Milwaukee this week at the Republican National Convention as the GOP wrapped up four days of party pageantry.

Trump's eldest son, Donald Trump Jr. was everywhere, while daughter Ivanka Trump and son-in-law Jared Kushner, controversial veterans from the last Trump White House, only made a brief appearance.

The rise of Donald Trump Jr. as the most politically active, and arguably the most influential, Trump family member already is having big implications for a potential second Trump administration after he helped cement a kindred spirit, Ohio Sen. JD Vance, as his father's running mate. Vance has transformed into a MAGA true believer with isolationist and economic populist beliefs who would help Trump further steer the nation in that direction.

During Trump's tumultuous presidency, Ivanka Trump and Kushner often were portrayed as checks on some of the more hard right figures around the former president when it came to issues such as immigration policy, even as they were pilloried over nepotism concerns and financial conflicts of interest.

Donald Trump Jr. is a MAGA star, who embraces the same kind of slashing style his father is known for and is beloved by the former presidents most ardent followers.

I think Don Jr. is the one who delivers his fathers message most closely to the way he would do it, Corey Lewandowski, who ran Trumps campaign for a stretch in 2016 and is helping with the current campaign, told USA TODAY as he circulated around the convention. He has a massive following and Don. Jr truly loves this stuff, I mean thats what he does.

The eldest Trump sons rising influence is another sign that a second Trump administration could be more extreme than the first, although plenty of signs already were pointing in that direction and the former president is far and away the biggest force driving that, promising a slew of controversial moves, from mass deportations to a more politicized justice system.

The influence of unaccountable family members with their own motives and conflicts may only heighten the concerns surrounding Trump's comeback bid.

Ronan Anthony Villency, Kimberly Guilfoyle, Donald Trump Jr., and Eric Trump during the third day of the Republican National Convention at Fiserv Forum. The third day of the RNC focused on foreign policy and threats. Mandatory Credit: Jasper Colt-USA TODAY

Trump family business

Trumps family always has been integral to his businesses, and politics is now the family business.

During Trumps presidency both Ivanka Trump and Kushner took official jobs in the White House, but have since receded from the spotlight. They aren't active in the 2024 campaign.

That has led to speculation about which Trump family members could replace them as the biggest power players if he is re-elected, and attention has centered around Donald Trump Jr., his fiance Kimberly Guilfoyle, his brother Eric Trump and Erics wife Lara Trump, the co-chair of the Republican National Committee.

Those four were the most visible Trump family members in Milwaukee. All had prominent speaking slots.

Even Donald Trump Jrs oldest daughter delivered brief remarks, but Ivanka Trump and Kushner never spoke in public, only appearing on the last night to watch the convention from the former president's suite and join him on stage afterward with a large group of family members.

Trumps wife Melania and youngest son Barron didnt have speaking roles either, although Melania also made an appearance on the last night of the convention in the suite and on stage after her husband's speech.

Barron Trump, 18, originally was announced as a delegate for his father from Florida but that was canceled, sparking speculation that his mother objected. He later appeared at a Trump rally in Miami in the run up to the convention, his first appearance on the campaign trail according to his father, who introduced him and declared welcome to the scene, Barron.

Barron Trump is headed to college, though, and isnt expected to have a prominent role in the campaign.

Melania Trump also seems unlikely to take an active role in the campaign. She has rarely appeared in public since leaving the White House and especially in recent months as her husband was on trial, which resulted in 34 felony convictions for falsifying business records in a case stemming from hush money payments to a porn star to conceal an alleged affair.

Melania Trump is simply a private person who has been focused on raising Barron, according to those close to the family.

Ive seen Melania down at Mar-a-Lago with him, but Melanias gone through a lot, former U.S. House Speaker Kevin McCarthy told USA TODAY, noting she recently lost her mother and watched the assassination attempt on her husband.

'They'll all be influential'

Some Trump allies played down the idea that any one family member is more influential than another, and noted that the former president listens to a wide array of voices.

I think theyll all be influential, Charlie Kirk, the founder of the youth-focused Turning Point USA and an influential figure in Trump world, told USA TODAY on the convention floor Wednesday. Eric is very close. Don. Ivanka still is listened to, Im sure.

Ric Grenell, Trumps former acting director of national intelligence and another influential figure in Trumps orbit who is expected to serve in a second Trump administration if he wins, said Donald Trump Jr. is a very accomplished and a wonderful person, so of course youre going to listen to him.

But Donald Trump listens to a whole bunch of people, he added.

Trump's eldest sons rise in prominence

Trumps two eldest sons Eric Trump and Donald Trump Jr. have always been prominent campaign surrogates. They've been heavily involved in his political activities since the 2016 run.

Now they are standing above all other Trump family members, though, as the most public figures, along with Republican National Committee co-chair Lara Trump.

At the convention, Trumps sons were highly visible presences from beginning to end, starting with the delegate roll call on Monday where they stood on the floor  along with daughter Tiffany Trump and Lara Trump  to call out the Florida delegates for their father, giving him the tally he needed to secure the nomination.

Both appeared with their father in the evenings in his suite to watch the convention with a rotating group of figures close to the campaign.

Both gave high-profile convention speeches, with Eric Trump speaking shortly before his father Thursday and Donald Trump Jr. before Vance Wednesday.

Both attended various events before the evening convention programs.

Eric Trump spoke at a breakfast for the Florida delegation, which he chaired.

Donald Trump Jr. spoke at an event hosted by Axios, where he made it clear that he is heavily involved in campaign decisions and could be a major factor in a second Trump administration.

He talked about aggressively pushing Vance as his fathers VP nominee, repeatedly countering those promoting other candidates. And he said that while he wont be the one picking who gets to serve in his fathers administration if he wins, he plans to act as a gatekeeper and keep those he deems unworthy out.

I just want to be the veto, he said.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Donald Trump Jr. is rising in influence as Ivanka takes a back seat
Trump Jr. mostly right on story about Teddy Roosevelt getting shot in Milwaukee

Statement: After being shot at a Milwaukee rally in 1912, former President Teddy Roosevelt finished his speech and kept fighting.

When former President Donald Trump arrived in Milwaukee for the Republican National Convention, comparisons to the plight of another storied former president were plentiful.

Trump, the GOP nominee to take on President Joe Biden this fall, flew to Wisconsin after a rally in Pennsylvania during which he was shot in the ear with a bullet that was meant to take his life.

More than a century ago, former Republican President Teddy Roosevelt was visiting Milwaukee for a rally when he was wounded in an assassination attempt.

That shooting isnt very well known, but its been a talking point at the convention this week as conservatives seek to tie Trump to Roosevelt, who carefully cultivated a manly image.

Trumps son, Donald Trump Jr., referred to it during his Wednesday night speech at the convention, broadcast to millions of viewers across the country.

"At a political rally less than 1 mile from where we stand tonight, Teddy Roosevelt was struck by a would-be assassins bullet," Trump Jr. said. "But he didnt quit, either. He finished his speech and kept fighting."

Trump Jr. has the general idea right but is off on a few details  which make the story of what happened to Roosevelt all the more interesting.

Roosevelt shot before speech; copy of remarks, glasses case slowed the bullet

Roosevelt was touring the Midwest when he visited Milwaukee while campaigning for a third term as president because he was unhappy with the work of then-President William Howard Taft, according to a Library of Congress article on the incident.

He arrived in the city Oct. 14, 1912. He dined at the Gilpatrick Hotel  now the site of the Hyatt Regency Milwaukee  and then headed to the Milwaukee Auditorium, now Miller High Life Theatre, to give his speech.

Outside the hotel, he was shot by John Schrank, a New York City resident who had followed Roosevelt through several states to try to kill him. Roosevelt fell back, and the bullet pierced his chest, according to the Library of Congress article  but not before it was slowed by a metal eyeglasses case and a 50-page copy of his speech folded in half.

After Schrank was taken into custody, Roosevelt was driven to the auditorium  about a block away  and delivered an hour-plus speech to the crowd with the bullet still inside him, using his bloodied shirt as a symbol of his resilience. He was then rushed to a hospital.

Donald Trump Jr. is interviewed on Radio Town during the final day of the Republican National Convention in Milwaukee.

Trump was actively delivering his speech at a rally when he was shot, so Roosevelt wasnt in the exact same situation, as Trump Jr. claimed. He was shot before his speech and decided to give it anyway. (Granted, the security procedures for protecting a former president after an assassination attempt were probably much different then.)

The attempt on Roosevelts life was one event that shaped his image as a "self-made cowboy soldier," as History.com describes him, who "embodied a new ideal of manliness."

Republicans have been pitching themselves for years as "the party of manliness, the alphas, of the tough ones," American University assistant professor of public communications Kurt Braddock told The Washington Post. Drawing parallels between Trump and Roosevelt feeds that idea, Braddock said.

PolitiFact's ruling

Trump Jr., in connecting the attempted assassination of his father to that of Roosevelt in Milwaukee in 1912, said Roosevelt was struck at a political rally, "finished his speech and kept fighting."

It wasnt midrally, as happened to Trump, but Roosevelt certainly did press on, cementing a forceful image of himself that Trump supporters are seeking to have the public remember.

Our definition of Mostly True is a statement that is accurate but needs clarification or additional information.

That fits here.

Our sources

Donald Trump, with Virginia Gov. Glenn Youngkin, center, and Donald Trump Jr., was wearing a bandage over his injured ear at the Republican National Convention in Milwaukee.

This article originally appeared on Austin American-Statesman: Is it true that Teddy Roosevelt finished a speech after being shot?
Trump has long been criticized for his treatment of women. Some of his closest allies seek to present a different vision

When Sarah Huckabee Sanders faced what she described as relentless attacks from the left, it was former President Donald Trump who comforted her, she said.

Trump attorney Alina Habba described the Republican nominee as her friend.

And Kai Trump, his oldest grandchild, made a surprise appearance to share the side of my grandpa that people dont often see.

A common theme rang through speeches from women at this years Republican National Convention: Despite how Trumps public treatment of women may seem to some, he is an advocate for them behind closed doors.

In speech after speech in Milwaukee this week, women spoke of quiet moments when they said Trump comforted them in the wake of Democratic attacks or media criticism, advocated for them professionally or showed compassion or familial care. They described him as a friend and a loving father and grandfather in the moments people dont see.

Trump has long been known for the brash, even vulgar way he sometimes speaks about women. He has also been dogged by allegations about sexual misconduct and extramarital affairs. Accusations of sexism plagued his 2016 presidential campaign, a race he won despite the October release of a video in which he bragged about being able to grab women by their genitals because hes a celebrity.

In 2023, a civil court found Trump liable of sexually abusing writer E. Jean Carroll in the 1990s. The former president was later ordered to pay millions of dollars in damages for his defamatory statements disparaging Carroll and denying her rape allegations.

Speeches from women, including his family members and people who have worked for him, fit into a broader effort at the convention to soften his public image.

I was insulted as a guest at the White House Correspondents Dinner, my family was denied service and kicked out of a restaurant, and a parent at my 3-year-old sons preschool spit on my car, Sanders, who served as one of Trumps White House press secretaries, said during her Tuesday night address. And in those moments, it was President Trump who defended me.

Sanders, now the governor of Arkansas, said at one point the former president pulled her aside and told her, Sarah, youre smart, youre beautiful, youre tough, and they attack you because youre good at your job.

Arkansas Gov. Sarah Huckabee Sanders speaks at the RNC in Milwaukee on July 16, 2024. - Bernadette Tuazon/CNN

Habba, one of Trumps lawyers, said she wanted to take the audience behind the headlines to reveal his character, his kindness and his commitment to the country.

President Trump championed my journey, empowering me to be who I became today, Habba said.

Kellyanne Conway, Trumps 2016 campaign manager and White House senior counselor, praised the former president for elevating women to key roles in his campaign and administration.

He saw something in me and the other working moms that perhaps we did not see in ourselves, Conway said.

Family members, from his granddaughter  who said the former president bragged to friends when she made the honor roll  to his sons partners shared their personal experiences with him.

I know what you hear out there about Donald Trump, Lara Trump, the former presidents daughter-in-law and the co-chair of the Republican National Committee, said in her speech. But when I look at Donald Trump, I see a wonderful father, father-in-law and, of course, grandfather to my two young children, Luke and Carolina.

History of sexism and misconduct allegations

The effort to reframe Trumps treatment of women was part of a larger push to soften the former presidents image in the wake of the assassination attempt last weekend.

The medias negative portrayal of President Trump and his treatment of women is entirely false, Karoline Leavitt, the Trump campaigns national press secretary, said in a statement. President Trump is loved by millions of women across the country, and those who know him personally, myself included, will tell you hes supportive, generous, and kind.

Leavitt added that during Trumps first term he supported policies such as expanding access to paid family leave and child care and that he would do so again.

Broadening the former presidents appeal to women will be key in November. Bidens success in swing states in 2020 is attributable in part to his stronger support among women turned off by Trumps brashness. In 2020, Biden won 57% of women, compared with 42% who backed Trump, according to CNN exit polls.

But its not clear whether praise of the former presidents private behavior will impact how people perceive years of his public behavior. Trump had faced allegations of sexism since he sought the Republican nomination in 2016.

During a 2015 GOP primary debate, moderator Megyn Kelly asked then-candidate Trump about his history of referring to women he disagreed with as fat pigs, dogs, slobs and disgusting animals. He later blasted Kelly and said she had blood coming out of her wherever.

During that first campaign, he insinuated that both Carly Fiorina, one of his Republican opponents, and the wife of Sen. Ted Cruz of Texas, another 2016 rival, were unattractive.

And in the final weeks of that election, old Access Hollywood footage of him bragging about being able to kiss women and grab them by their genitals prompted mass condemnation from members of his own party.

Former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, his 2016 Democratic opponent, argued that Trumps past treatment of women made him unfit to be president.

When I think about what we now know about Donald Trump and what he has been doing for 30 years, he sure had spent a lot of time demeaning, degrading, insulting and assaulting women, Clinton said at a Florida rally days before the election.

Clintons loss, and fears over what a Trump presidency would entail, prompted global Womens March protests.

Since then, other parts of his background have been scrutinized. Earlier this year, Trump was found guilty of 34 felony counts of falsifying business records to cover up an alleged extramarital affair with a porn star. And then there is Carrolls allegation that Trump sexually abused her in a luxury department store dressing room in the spring of 1996. Trump faced no jail time in the civil trial, but he was ordered to pay $88 million total for defamation.

Trump has denied the affair at the center of the hush money case and denied assaulting Carroll.

The former president has also denied about a dozen other sexual misconduct allegations, including groping and sexual harassment, that took place before he took office. In 2017, Trump called the claims fake news.

Sanders, the White House press secretary at the time, was asked whether the White Houses official position was that all the women were lying.

Yeah, we have been clear on that from the beginning, and the president has spoken on it, she said at an October 2017 press briefing.

For much of the 2024 campaign, Democrats have focused their criticisms of Trump on his policies, specifically his appointment of Supreme Court justices who voted to overturn federal abortion protections. But as President Joe Biden has faced increased pressure within his own party to step aside, he has started to broaden his attacks. During a rally in Detroit earlier this month, Biden referenced both the hush money case and the civil case involving Carroll.

Mr. Trump raped her, Biden said, referencing what the judge in the Carroll case wrote.

In Milwaukee, however, Trumps criminal cases were framed as further evidence of persecution hes suffered for his supporters.

Every attack on President Trump only strengthens our movement, said Habba, who represented Trump in the Carroll defamation suit. Sham indictments and baseless allegations will not deter us, because the only crime President Trump has committed is loving America.

This headline has been updated.

For more CNN news and newsletters create an account at CNN.com
Trump holds first rally after assassination attempt with his new running mate, Vance, by his side

GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. (AP)  Donald Trump held his first campaign rally since he survived an assassination attempt Saturday, returning to the battleground state of Michigan alongside his newly named running mate.

It was exactly one week ago, even to the hour, even to the minute," Trump told the crowd, reflecting on the July 13 shooting in Pennsylvania that left him with a bloodied ear, killed one of his supporters and left two others injured.

I stand before you only by the grace of almighty God, he said, the white gauze on his ear now replaced by a skin-colored bandage. I shouldnt be here right now," he went on.

Trump was joined by Ohio Sen. JD Vance at the pairs first event together since they became the GOPs nominees at the Republican National Convention in Milwaukee.

I find it hard to believe that a week ago, an assassin tried to take Donald Trumps life, and now we have got a hell of a crowd in Michigan to welcome him back on the campaign trail, Vance said before Trumps arrival.

Michigan is one of the handful of crucial swing states expected to determine the outcome of Novembers presidential election. Trump narrowly won the state by just over 10,000 votes in 2016, but Democrat Joe Biden flipped it back in 2020, winning by a margin of 154,000 votes on his way to the presidency.

After appearing uncharacteristically subdued and emotional during the Republican convention, Trump returned to his usual rally mode, insulting his Democratic rivals, repeating his lies about the 2020 election, and peppering his address with jokes that sparked laughter from an enthusiastic audience.

At one point, Trump glanced at a screen showing him from an unusual angle and joked about his combover.

Thats a severe sucker. Whats with that one? he said. I apologize. Man! I looked up there, I said, Whoa! Thats like a work of art!

At another point, as he invited a supporter on stage, he quipped, He does not carry guns!

But Trump also talked about the shooting, acting out how he'd turned his head to look up at a chart of southern border crossings projected on a giant screen, narrowly dodging the bullet that hit his ear.

I owe immigration my life, he said.

Hours before he took the stage, Trump's supporters crowded the streets of downtown Grand Rapids in anticipation of the former presidents remarks. Supporters began lining up Friday morning, and by Saturday afternoon, the line stretched close to a mile from the entrance of the 12,000-seat Van Andel Arena.

Many wore shirts featuring the image of Trump, on stage, after he was shot, pumping his fist in the air, along with the usual red Make America Great Again hats.

Mike Gaydos, who traveled from Indiana with his three sons to attend the rally, said he didnt consider himself a huge Trump supporter in the past but wanted to show support for the former president following his attempted assassination.

We cant allow something like that to collar us, he said. Bravery is what I thought he showed that day, and I want to show my sons about bravery as well.

Numerous streets, closed as an additional security precaution, were dotted with vendors selling food and apparel. Among them was a vendor from North Carolina who said he had spent the night making shirts featuring Trump Vance 24."

Downtown Grand Rapids also saw a significant police presence, with officers stationed on nearly every block, while others patrolled on horseback and bicycles. The heightened security outside the venue created a tense environment, with some attendees mentioning that drones overhead had made them nervous. The event was held indoors, which makes it easier to secure.

Attendees were required to pass through a metal detector upon entering the arena, yet the presence of security inside appeared consistent with previous events.

This is the tightest Ive ever seen the security, said Renee White, who said that shes been to 33 of Trumps rallies. We usually can bring in some small bags, but today I had to just leave stuff out there.

White had been seated behind the podium at the rally in Butler, Pennsylvania, where the gunman opened fire from a nearby rooftop. She described the shooting as surreal but said that it wouldnt stop her from going to his rallies.

If Im going to be taken out, at least Im doing something I love to do, right? she said. On Saturday, she was again seated behind Trump, almost in the same spot as she had been in Butler.

Trump's choice of Vance was aimed, in part, at helping him win support from Rust Belt voters in places like Michigan, Pennsylvania, Wisconsin and Ohio who helped Trump notch his surprise 2016 victory. Vance specifically mentioned those places during his acceptance speech at the convention, stressing his roots growing up poor in small-town Ohio and pledging not to forget working-class people whose jobs were sent overseas and children were sent to war.

Democrats have dominated recent elections in Michigan, but Republicans now see an opening in the state, especially as Democrats remain divided about whether Biden should drop out of the race.

Biden has insisted he is not quitting, and has attempted to turn the focus back towards Trump, saying Friday that Trumps acceptance speech at the Republican convention showcased a dark vision for the future.

Trump on Saturday polled the crowd on who theyd like to see as his opponent, with cheers for Biden and loud boos when Trump asked about Vice President Kamala Harris.

Trump and his team have tried to cast Democrats' efforts to replace Biden as a coup" in what appears to be part of a larger effort to try to distract from Trump's efforts to overturn the 2020 election after he refused to accept the results, as well as the Jan. 6 attack on the Capitol by his supporters.

At this very moment, Democrat Party bosses are frantically trying to overthrow the results of their own partys primaries to dump Crooked Joe Biden from the ballot," Trump charged.

Later, he pushed back against efforts to cast him as a threat to democracy and an extremist, even as he has vowed mass deportations and threatened retribution against his political enemies.

They keep saying, Hes a threat to democracy...' Last week I took a bullet for democracy, he said to rousing cheers.

Trump also again tried to distance himself from the Heritage Foundation's Project 2025, a policy and personnel plan for a second Trump term that was crafted by a host of former administration officials.

Trump blasted the project, which has become a centerpiece of Biden's campaign, as severe right and seriously extreme, just like the radical left.

I dont know anything about it," he insisted.

Biden's campaign responded with a statement that noted Trump's speech accepting the GOP nomination, in which he urged unity and said he was running to be president for all of America, not half of America."

We were promised a new Donald Trump who would unite the country  instead all we saw tonight was the same Donald Americans keep rejecting over and over," said Biden-Harris spokesperson Ammar Moussa. Hes peddling the same lies, running the same campaign of revenge and retribution, touting the same failed policies, and  as usual  focused only on himself."

The 81-year-old Democratic incumbent, who appeared in Detroit this month, is currently isolating at his beach home in Delaware recovering from COVID-19.

U.S. Rep. Hillary Scholten, a Democrat representing Grand Rapids, is among the growing number of lawmakers calling on Biden to exit the race after his disastrous performance at last month's debate.

___ Colvin reported from New York,
WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Former U.S. President Donald Trump said on Saturday that Chinese President Xi Jinping wrote him a note after the Republican presidential nominee suffered a gunshot wound to his ear during an assassination attempt last week.

"(Xi) wrote me a beautiful note the other day when he heard about what happened," Trump told a crowd in Grand Rapids, Michigan, in his first campaign rally since narrowly escaping the July 13 assassination attempt.

Trump mentioned Xi's letter while discussing his economic policy toward China during his presidency, adding, "I got along very well with President Xi."

The former U.S. president also referenced messages from other world leaders following the shooting at a rally in Pennsylvania.

Trump on Thursday accepted the Republican Party's nomination to be its candidate in the Nov. 5 presidential election.

(Reporting by John Kruzel; Editing by Paul Simao)
Trump says he had a very good phone call with Zelensky, discussed Russia-Ukraine war

Former President Donald Trump said he had a very good phone call with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky on Friday.

The call between the two leaders, who have had a complicated relationship, marks their first conversation since Trump left the White House and comes the day after he formally accepted the Republican Partys nomination for president. It also comes amid concerns in Europe about what Trumps policy toward the Russia-Ukraine war would be if he were to win the presidential election in November.

President Zelenskyy of Ukraine and I had a very good phone call earlier today. He congratulated me on a very successful Republican National Convention and becoming the Republican nominee for President of the United States, Trump said in a post on Truth Social. He condemned the heinous assassination attempt last Saturday and remarked about the American people coming together in the spirit of Unity during these times.

Trump continued, I appreciate President Zelenskyy for reaching out because I, as your next President of the United States, will bring peace to the world and end the war that has cost so many lives and devastated countless innocent families. Both sides will be able to come together and negotiate a deal that ends the violence and paves a path forward to prosperity.

In a post on X describing the call, Zelensky said he congratulated Trump on his nomination and condemned the shocking assassination attempt in Pennsylvania.

I wished him strength and absolute safety in the future, he said. I noted the vital bipartisan and bicameral American support for protecting our nations freedom and independence.

Zelensky concluded, We agreed with President Trump to discuss at a personal meeting what steps can make peace fair and truly lasting.

Since Russias invasion of Ukraine in 2022, Trump has repeatedly said he could settle the Ukraine war in a day, but it remains unclear how he would pursue peace.

In last months CNN presidential debate, Trump said that Putins terms for an agreement  which would include Ukraine ceding the four territories currently occupied by Russia  are not acceptable. But the former president and his allies have also criticized sending US military aid to Kyiv.

But the former president and his allies have also criticized US military aid to Kyiv.

Trump has long been critical of NATO defense spending. In February, the former president said he would encourage Russia to do whatever the hell they want to any NATO member country that doesnt meet spending guidelines on defense, alarming many leaders in Washington and Europe.

Trump and Zelensky also have their own history. Nearly five years ago, Trump repeatedly pushed for Zelensky to investigate his political rival Joe Biden and his son, Hunter, on a call ahead of the 2020 election. That perfect phone call, in Trumps words, led to his first impeachment.

European diplomats have been preparing for Trumps potential return to the White House, CNN previously reported, working to set up guard rails for NATO and trying to ensure lasting support for Ukraine in its war with Russia.

Last week, when Zelensky was in the US, he said that everyone is waiting for November, including Putin. He also said that Biden and Trump are very different but both support democracy, which is why he claimed: I think Putin will hate both of them.

This story has been updated with additional reporting.

CNNs Kylie Atwood and Mariya Knight contributed to this report.

For more CNN news and newsletters create an account at CNN.com
Trump says he had a "very good phone call with Zelensky

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky congratulated Donald Trump on the Republican nomination and condemned the assassination attempt in Pennsylvania during a phone call Friday. File Photo by Julia Nikhinson/UPI

July 20 (UPI) -- Former president Donald Trump spoke by phone with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, discussing an end to Ukraine's ongoing war with Russia.

Trump said the two leaders had a "very good phone call" Friday.

"I spoke with Donald Trump to congratulate him on the Republican nomination and condemn the shocking assassination attempt in Pennsylvania. I wished him strength and absolute safety in the future," Zelensky said in a statement on X.

Zelensky himself has been the target of assassination attempts.

The Ukrainian president said the two agreed to a future in-person meeting to discuss strategies on how to end the ongoing conflict between Russia and Ukraine.

Former president Donald Trump spoke by phone with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, discussing an end to Ukraines ongoing war with Russia. Photo by Tannen Maury/UPI

"Ukraine will always be grateful to the United States for its help in strengthening our ability to resist Russian terror. Russian attacks on our cities and villages continue every day. We agreed with President Trump to discuss at a personal meeting what steps can make peace fair and truly lasting," Zelensky said in the statement.

Trump has campaigned on a promise to end the war between Russia and Ukraine.

"I appreciate President Zelenskyy for reaching out because I, as your next President of the United States, will bring peace to the world and end the war that has cost so many lives and devastated countless innocent families," Trump said in a statement following the call.

"Both sides will be able to come together and negotiate a deal that ends the violence and paves a path forward to prosperity."

Zelensky recently met with newly elected British Prime Minister Keir Starmer and addressed the country's Cabinet, where he called for a reduction of weapon use restrictions on arms supplied by Western countries for use in Ukraine's war with Russia.
Bethel Park High School officials have contradicted reports that Trump shooter Thomas Matthew Crooks was bullied, threatening, and a member of the schools rifle team.

In updated statements posted Saturday, officials said they have no record of Crooks ever trying out or being dismissed from the rifle team due to character or performance concerns, as previously reported.

It is possible that Crooks informally attended a practice, took a shot, and never returned, the school said in its statement. However, the school added that they dont have any record of that happening.

A statement also dispelled reports that Crooks made threats of violence against the school, describing Crooks as a quiet, bright young man who generally got along with his teachers and classmates. And according to the school, there was no indication in his grades or behavior that he was being bullied.

According to our records, Mr. Crooks excelled academically, regularly attended school, and had no disciplinary incidents, including those related to bullying or threats, the school said. They added that it would be wildly irresponsible for them to speculate about Crooks life outside the school since graduating in 2022.

Reports about what Crooks might have been doing before he took a shot at former President Trump at Pennsylvania rally have included that he searched for porn and used a drone at scope out the event.

Read more at The Daily Beast.

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(The Hill)  The search history of Thomas Matthew Crooks, identified as the 20-year-old gunman who attempted to assassinate former President Trump at a rally outside Pittsburgh last weekend, includes photos of Trump and President Biden, among other things.

Crooks, who was killed after opening fire at the campaign event, had searched dates of Trumps appearances and the upcoming Democratic National Convention, FBI officials told members of Congress, The New York Times first reported.

The FBI disclosed what it had learned in private briefings to lawmakers and the head of the Secret Service, offering the best glimpse into what Crooks was thinking ahead of the shooting, which grazed the former presidents ear.

The gunman  who was from Bethel Park, Pa.  had no criminal history or outward political beliefs, though he was a registered Republican.

Even though officials have gained access to his search history, no motive has been identified. They have not found any evidence of co-conspirators or connections to foreign activity.

The Times noted that the calls with FBI officials were tense, as members of both chambers of Congress demanded answers about the assassination attempt.

The officials said there was some indication that Crooks may have been struggling with depression. They noted that he searched major depressive disorder, a person on the calls and another familiar with what was said told the Times.

They added that the gunman was on good terms with his parents, but they were not closely involved with his day-to-day life. Crooks worked at a nursing home.

The Times also found that he received multiple packages over the last couple of months, several that were marked hazardous material. Officials said they found three explosive devices connected to him: One in his home and two in his car that was parked near Trumps rally.

While the searches didnt turn up any political motivation, FBI officials said it appears Crooks was interested in powerful people. He also had searched FBI Director Christopher Wray, Attorney General Merrick Garland and a member of the British royal family.

Still, the lack of political or ideological information was notable since most people who commit these acts can be traced back, an official told the lawmakers.

CNN reported that an official briefed on the matter suggested that Crooks wanted to carry out a mass shooting and the location and timing of the Trump rally was the best opportunity.

The outlet also pointed out that investigators found the arrest photo of Ethan Crumbley, the student who killed four of his classmates in a Michigan shooting in 2021. He had also searched the guilty verdicts of Crumbley and his parents, which marked the first time parents of a shooter have been prosecuted.

On the day of the rally, Crooks had searched for details around Trumps rally and a local gun store, where he purchased bullets that same day, per CNN.

Investigators believe he visited the rally location a week before it was held and that morning before it began. They think he then went home and retrieved his fathers AR-15 and went back to carry out the shooting.

The Secret Service continues to face scrutiny over the incident, including calls mounting for director Kimberly Cheatle to step down. Investigations into the shooting are still ongoing.

Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to Queen City News.
The search history of Thomas Matthew Crooks, identified as the 20-year-old gunman who attempted to assassinate former President Trump at a rally outside Pittsburgh last weekend, includes photos of Trump and President Biden, among other things.

Crooks, who was killed after opening fire at the campaign event, had searched dates of Trumps appearances and the upcoming Democratic National Convention, FBI officials told members of Congress, The New York Times first reported.

The FBI disclosed what it had learned in private briefings to lawmakers and the head of the Secret Service, offering the best glimpse into what Crooks was thinking ahead of the shooting, which grazed the former presidents ear.

The gunman  who was from Bethel Park, Pa.  had no criminal history or outward political beliefs, though he was a registered Republican.

Even though officials have gained access to his search history, no motive has been identified. They have not found any evidence of co-conspirators or connections to foreign activity.

The Times noted that the calls with FBI officials were tense, as members of both chambers of Congress demanded answers about the assassination attempt.

The officials said there was some indication that Crooks may have been struggling with depression. They noted that he searched major depressive disorder, a person on the calls and another familiar with what was said told the Times.

They added that the gunman was on good terms with his parents, but they were not closely involved with his day-to-day life. Crooks worked at a nursing home.

The Times also found that he received multiple packages over the last couple of months, several that were marked hazardous material. Officials said they found three explosive devices connected to him: One in his home and two in his car that was parked near Trumps rally.

While the searches didnt turn up any political motivation, FBI officials said it appears Crooks was interested in powerful people. He also had searched FBI Director Christopher Wray, Attorney General Merrick Garland and a member of the British royal family.

Still, the lack of political or ideological information was notable since most people who commit these acts can be traced back, an official told the lawmakers.

CNN reported that an official briefed on the matter suggested that Crooks wanted to carry out a mass shooting and the location and timing of the Trump rally was the best opportunity.

The outlet also pointed out that investigators found the arrest photo of Ethan Crumbley, the student who killed four of his classmates in a Michigan shooting in 2021. He had also searched the guilty verdicts of Crumbley and his parents, which marked the first time parents of a shooter have been prosecuted.

On the day of the rally, Crooks had searched for details around Trumps rally and a local gun store, where he purchased bullets that same day, per CNN.

Investigators believe he visited the rally location a week before it was held and that morning before it began. They think he then went home and retrieved his fathers AR-15 and went back to carry out the shooting.

The Secret Service continues to face scrutiny over the incident, including calls mounting for director Kimberly Cheatle to step down. Investigations into the shooting are still ongoing.

Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to The Hill.
Trump, Vance hit the campaign trail for 1st time together

Former President Donald Trump returned to the campaign trail in the battleground state of Michigan  days after accepting the Republican nomination for president at the party's convention for the third time.

This time, though, Trump was joined by his running mate, Ohio Sen. JD Vance, for the first time at a campaign rally in Grand Rapids, Michigan, on Saturday evening. It marks Trump's first rally since his assassination attempt at a rally in Pennsylvania last Saturday.

Walking out to an enthusiastic crowd, Vance wasted no time attacking his political opponent, Vice President Kamala Harris.

"The Vice President Kamala Harris, she doesn't like me," Vance said. "Kamala Harris said something to the effect that that I have no loyalty to this country. Well, I don't know Kamala, I did serve in the United States Marine Corps and build a business. What the hell have you done other than collect the check?"

PHOTO: Former President Donald Trump and vice-presidential nominee J.D. Vance attend their first campaign rally together at Van Andel Arena in Grand Rapids, Mich, July 20, 2024. (Jim Watson/AFP via Getty Images)

Vance went on to talk about his background, growing up in Ohio and his family struggles.

He later returned to the stage to introduce Trump, who was wearing a beige bandage around his injured right ear.

PHOTO: Republican presidential candidate former President Donald Trump speaks at a campaign rally, July 20, 2024, in Grand Rapids, Mich. (Evan Vucci/AP)

Trump immediately talked about last week's shooting, reiterating that he stands only by the "grace of God" and gave his respects to the three people who were shot during the incident.

The former president then pivoted to the RNC, remarking about the highlights from the crowd to the speeches.

"It was just love. It was just a big four-day love fest," he said.

Trump then mocked the Democrats over the current questions on President Joe Biden's future, remarking the Democrats have "no idea who their candidate is and neither do we."

"That's a problem, but we'll see. Hopefully, they get it worked out sort of interesting," he said.

Trump also bashed Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer, saying he'd "be happy to run against her."

MORE: Trump is trying to distance himself from Project 2025 -- but its architects helped shape his RNC party platform

Trump turned to Project 2025, reiterating his claim that he doesn't know who they are but admitting he "knew some" of the people involved in it. He argued that the Democrats are using Project 2025 as misinformation against him

"They keep saying he's a threat to democracy. I'm saying, 'What the hell did I do for democracy?' Last week, I took a bullet for democracy," he said.

PHOTO: The crowd cheers as former President Donald Trump with vice presidential nominee J.D. Vance attend their first campaign rally together at Van Andel Arena in Grand Rapids, Mich., July 20, 2024. (Jim Watson/AFP via Getty Images)

Trump spoke for 70 minutes before bringing up congressional Republican candidates.

GOP senate candidate Sandy Pensler was at the rally and announced that he would be dropping out and endorsing his opponent Mike Rogers in the primary at today's rally.

"Trump endorsed Mike Rogers tonight. So am I. Mike's gonna make a heck of a senator," Pensler said.

Trump frequently went off script, chastising Democrats on topics such as crime and immigration, at times making false and exaggerated claims.

He also continued to boast false claims that the 2020 election was stolen from him.

"Bad things happened last time. We're not going to let them happen this time," he said.

PHOTO: Republican presidential candidate former President Donald Trump speaks at a campaign rally, July 20, 2024, in Grand Rapids, Mich. (Evan Vucci/AP)

Trump later suggested, without any evidence, the election could be stolen again.

Before the rally began, some supporters told ABC News that they felt the shooting humbled Trump.

"I think it kind of maybe brought him down to our level," Michigan resident Mark Heidema said.

The rally was inside the Van Andel Arena, an easier-to-secure indoor venue after the gunman at last week's outdoor venue fired from a nearby roof. The indoor venue is a change from Trump's previous rallies this election cycle, which are primarily outdoors, weather permitting.

MORE: Trump recounts assassination attempt during RNC speech, 'I'm not supposed to be here'

The arena is located in the heart of downtown Grand Rapids, surrounded by several restaurants and hotels.

PHOTO: Former President Donald Trump and Vice-Presidential candidate, JD Vance appear on the first day of the Republican National Convention at the Fiserv Forum, July 15, 2024, in Milwaukee. (Leon Neal/Getty Images)

Many attendees said they came to show Trump they weren't afraid after what happened last week. Some camped overnight outside the venue to get a good spot.

"He's not afraid to fight for us and we're not afraid to fight for him," Lisa Donlin, a Michigan mother, told ABC News.

This is Vance's first official campaign rally as part of the GOP ticket. It shouldn't be seen as a coincidence that Trump and Vance's first rally together is taking place in Michigan, a key battleground state.

The Trump-Vance campaign has made it clear since Vance was announced as Trump's running mate that they see the Ohio senator as crucial in their strategy to win the battleground states in the Midwest: Michigan, Wisconsin and Pennsylvania.

On Newsmax Monday evening, Vance recalled his conversation with the former president when he offered him the opportunity to be his vice president, saying that Trump told him, "You can help me in some of these Midwestern states, like Pennsylvania, Michigan, and so forth."

During his acceptance speech at the Republican National Convention earlier this week, Vance emphasized his background growing up in Middletown, Ohio, and living in the Rust Belt.

"I promise you one more thing, to the people of Middletown, Ohio, and all the forgotten communities in Michigan, Wisconsin, Pennsylvania, Ohio, and every corner of our nation: I will be a vice president who never forgets where he came from," Vance said Wednesday night.

PHOTO: Republican presidential nominee and former President Donald Trump arrives to attend Day 3 of the Republican National Convention (RNC), at the Fiserv Forum in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, on July 17, 2024. (Mike Segar/Reuters)

But Vance has come a long way since his Rust Belt days, having gone on to attend Yale Law School and worked in the tech industry as a venture capitalist.

In 2016, Vance released his memoir, "Hillbilly Elegy," which shared his story of growing up in poverty in America's Rust Belt and being surrounded by violence and addiction.

A few years later, he launched his campaign for Ohio's open Senate seat, winning the general election in 2022, defeating then-Rep. Tim Ryan.

MORE: Who is JD Vance, the Ohio senator and Trump's VP pick?

Michigan is an essential state for both candidates. Biden defeated Trump in Michigan in 2020, however, Trump won the state in 2016 over Hillary Clinton.

The arena will be a familiar venue to Trump as he held a rally there in March 2019. Trump made Michigan his final stop before Election Day in his previous election cycles.

During Trump's keynote address at the RNC on Thursday, the former president mentioned the auto industry several times in an attempt to appeal to Michigan, home of many auto manufacturers. Although Trump pledges to bring back auto industry jobs, Trump disparaged United Auto Workers' leadership, saying the union's leader should be "fired immediately."

"So with all the other things happening on our border, and they're being built by China to make cars and sell them into our country, no tax, no anything. The United Auto Workers ought to be ashamed for allowing this to happen and the leader of the United Auto Workers should be fired immediately," Trump said.

UAW, which endorsed Biden in January, responded in a post on X Thursday night, saying ".@realDonaldTrump is a scab and a billionaire and that's who he represents. We know which side we're on. Not his."

Trump, Vance hit the campaign trail for 1st time together originally appeared on abcnews.go.com
Former President Trump vowed to bring peace after he spoke on the phone with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky on Friday.

President Zelenskyy of Ukraine and I had a very good phone call earlier today. He congratulated me on a very successful Republican National Convention and becoming the Republican nominee for President of the United States, Trump posted to his Truth Social site.

Trump said Zelensky condemned the heinous assassination attempt against the former president last Saturday and remarked about the American people coming together in unity.

I appreciate President Zelenskyy for reaching out because I, as your next President of the United States, will bring peace to the world and end the war that has cost so many lives and devastated countless innocent families, Trump wrote. Both sides will be able to come together and negotiate a deal that ends the violence and paves a path forward to prosperity.

Trump officially became the Republican nominee for the 2024 presidential election on Thursday, just days after a gunman opened fire at his rally in Butler, Pa.

Zelensky shared similar remarks to Trumps in a post on social media platform X, condemning the shocking assassination attempt and wishing Trump strength and absolute safety in the future.

I noted the vital bipartisan and bicameral American support for protecting our nations freedom and independence, Zelensky said. Ukraine will always be grateful to the United States for its help in strengthening our ability to resist Russian terror.

Zelensky said he agreed with Trump to discuss at a personal meeting what steps can make peace fair and truly lasting.

The call marks a turning point for Trump and Zelensky. Russia invaded Ukraine in Feb. 2022, after Trump was already out of office.

In the past, the former president has repeatedly said if he is reelected, he would solve the Russia-Ukraine war in 24 hours.

Zelensky previously challenged Trumps remarks and invited him numerous times to visit war-torn Ukraine.

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Trump and Zelenskyy hold phone call  and Ukraine says it liked what it heard

Former President Donald Trump spoke with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy on Friday for the first time since Russias full-scale invasion of Ukraine, and unlike their last controversial phone call, both sides claimed to be satisfied with how the conversation went.

Trump said that it was a very good call and that he will work to negotiate a peace deal between Moscow and Kyiv. A person close to Zelenskyy who requested anonymity to discuss the private conversation said it went exceedingly well and that Trump pledged to achieve a just peace in Ukraine if he wins back the White House.

Zelenskyy wrote in a post on X that he and Trump agreed to schedule a personal meeting to discuss what steps can make peace fair and truly lasting.

Trump has pledged to swiftly end the war in Ukraine if reelected in November, going so far as to state he would negotiate peace before he assumes office in January, and has disparagingly called Zelenskyy the greatest salesman of all time for his efforts to secure billions of dollars in military, economic and humanitarian aid from Washington.

The war in Ukraine was not a major topic of discussion at the Republican National Convention this week in Milwaukee, though as Trump accepted the Republican nomination on Thursday night, he boasted that I will end every single international crisis that the current administration has created, including the horrible war with Russia and Ukraine, which would have never happened if I was president.

The conversation came just a few days shy of the five-year anniversary of the phone call between the two leaders that led to Trumps first impeachment, after he asked Zelenskyy to consider investigating Joe Biden on discredited allegations.

According to both sides, Fridays call was more traditionally diplomatic, with Zelenskyy congratulating Trump on officially becoming the Republican Partys presidential nominee.

Zelenskyy initiated the call nearly a week ago after the assassination attempt against Trump at a campaign rally in Pennsylvania, the person close to Zelenskyy said. Zelenskyy himself was the subject of an assassination attempt by Russia in the early days of Moscows full-scale invasion in 2022.

The prospect of Trumps reelection has alarmed officials in Europe and Ukraine who are concerned that his administration will halt U.S. military and economic support for Kyiv.

Those anxieties only increased in recent weeks as Trump met with Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban on the final day of the NATO summit in Washington and picked Sen. JD Vance (R-Ohio) as his running mate.

Vance once described Zelenskyys efforts to restore Ukraines 1991 borders as fantastical and has stated that he doesnt care what happens in Ukraine.

A Trump spokesperson did not reply to a request for comment.

Though Trumps recent foreign policy comments have been cause for concern in Kyiv and other EU capitals, Zelenskyys aides and advisers were thrilled by how well the call went, according to the person close to Zelenskyy.

I, as your next President of the United States, will bring peace to the world and end the war that has cost so many lives and devastated countless innocent families, Trump wrote on Truth Social after he got off the phone with Zelenskyy.

Both sides will be able to come together and negotiate a deal that ends the violence and paves a path forward to prosperity, Trump added.
Tunisian President Saied Running Again With Some Rivals in Jail

(Bloomberg) -- President Kais Saied will run for a second term in Tunisias Oct. 6 elections as authorities crack down on rivals.

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A non-partisan who was the surprise winner of the previous vote in 2019, Saied said his bid aims to continue the struggle in the national battle for liberation in the North African country.

If I had been given a choice, I would not have chosen, but when the sacred national duty calls, there is no room for hesitation, Saied said in a four-minute video his cabinet posted on Facebook.

The president warned voters against accepting bribes from candidates seeking endorsements, and to watch for peddlers of deception.

The mask has fallen off the faces of some and others shall certainly be unmasked in the coming days, he added.

The 66-year old constitutional law professor seized near-total powers in July 2021, raising fears that hes drifting toward autocratic rule. The first presidential electoral season since then kicked off this month with a wave of arrests involving the main opposition party, as well as restrictions on media coverage.

On Friday, a court in Tunis sentenced presidential candidate Lotfi Mraihi to eight months in prison and banned him for life from standing in any election after he was found guilty of money laundering.

Tunisias election commission has imposed a ban on political ads and opinion polls, which constitute a novelty in the nation since it gave birth in 2011 to the boldest democratic revolt of the Arab Spring.

Most Tunisians have had to contend with a steep decline in their living standards since then, due in large part to political turmoil and instability.

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MEMPHIS, Tenn.  Two people were injured early Saturday morning after being shot at while sitting in a community center parking lot.

At 1:25 a.m., officers responded to a shooting at 810 Western Park Drive at the Westwood Community Center.

When they arrived, they saw a 2024 black Toyota Rav4 resting against a tree with the drivers side rear window shot out.

Officers located a victim in the drivers seat with a gunshot wound to the back of his head. Officers also located another victim in the passenger seat, holding pressure on the first victims wound.

Father of family shot on I-240 shares his side of the story

Both victims said that they came to the park to hang out. Shortly after arriving, they said that they saw a silver SUV, possibly a Jeep, pull into the lot.

A heavyset man allegedly exited the car armed with an AR pistol and said, Dont move.

One of the victims attempted to drive away and he said he was shot in the back of the head and hit the tree. Both victims said that the suspect fled the scene in an unknown direction.

Aftermath of overnight shooting in the Westwood Community Center parking lot.

Aftermath of overnight shooting in the Westwood Community Center parking lot.

An RTCC officer told officers at the scene that they had the shooting on video. He said that the victims pulled onto the lot and backed into a parking space around 1:16 a.m.

The video shows they were there for 20 seconds before a boxy silver SUV pulled onto the lot. It also showed that as soon as the victim saw the vehicle, they pulled away.

The suspect exited the silver SUV and began to shoot at the victims.

Man accused of holding man at gunpoint, stealing over $40k in jewelry

One of the victims was taken to Regional One in critical condition. The other victim was taken to Methodist South in non-critical condition.

At the scene, officers found five 300 blackout shell casings recovered on the scene.

Mary Bain has been volunteering at the Westwood community center for years and was devastated to hear two people were shot there early this morning.

Lord have mercy, thats all I could say. Lord have mercy. And hoping nobody died from that incident. But these guns, they need to put these guns down, Bain said. I cant take this anymore because its sad. Everybody needs to stop, get down on their knees, and pray for Memphis.

While Saturday was a hard day for Bain, she says she plans to get back to her volunteer work on Monday. She says the best way to overshadow the crime is to put more good into the city.

Maybe one child will pick up on it. One will pick up on it, and that will be a blessing, Bain said.

If you have any information that could help police, call CrimeStoppers at 901-528-CASH.

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A 17-year-old English teenager was arrested Thursday over an alleged connection to a hacking group responsible for a series of ransomware attacks on American companies, including one that kept MGM Resorts Internationals computer system down for 10 days last year.

He was initially placed into police custody on suspicion of blackmail and offenses related to the Computer Misuse Act, according to a statement from West Midlands Police, a law enforcement agency in England.

And was released on bail while the agency continue with our enquiries.

The teen is believed to have been working with a large scale cyber hacking community that carried out an online attack in September 2023 which left the resort chain vulnerable, according to previous USA TODAY reporting.

MGM Hotels & Casino properties across the country were impacted by the cybersecurity issues, going dark in an attempt to protect systems and data, USA TODAY reported.

Customers took to social media to document experience, reporting outages at ATMs, slot machines, restaurants, even with digital room keys over the course of multiple days, according to reporting by TechCrunch.

The resort chain was able to somewhat resume normal operations at most properties by Sept. 20, a week after the ransomware attacks were reported, Reuters first reported.

Heres what we know.

Arrest is part of a larger global investigation, authorities say

An exterior view of MGM Grand hotel and casino on Sept. 13, 2023, a couple days after reporting a cyberattack that left its computer systems inoperable.

Multiple international agencies, including the FBI, worked to coordinate the Thursday arrest.

The teens arrest serves as a a testimony to the strength of the FBIs domestic, international, and private sector partnerships, Bryan Vorndran, assistant director of the cybercrimes division said in a news release.

The FBI, in coordination with its partners, will continue to relentlessly pursue malicious actors who target American companies, no matter where they may be located or how sophisticated their techniques are.

A number of digital devices were collected from the teens home after the arrest. The devices collected are set to undergo forensic examination, according to West Midlands Police.

The arrest is part of a global investigation into a large scale cyber hacking community which has targeted a number of major companies which includes MGM Resorts in America, according to the news release.

Hinesh Mehta, part of the West Midlands regional organized crime unit, said investigators will continue to work with the FBI and the National Crime Agency as the situation develops.

This arrest has been made following a complex investigation which stretches overseas to America  These cyber groups have targeted well known organizations with ransomware and they have successfully targeted multiple victims around the world taking from them significant amounts of money, Mehta said in the news release.

To all the cybercriminal out there, Mehta has one clear message: We will find you. Its simply not worth it.

Forever grateful to authorities following arrest, MGM says

The resort chain was proud to have helped authorities locate and arrest one of the alleged criminals responsible for the cyberattack against MGM Resorts and many others, according to a statement obtained by USA TODAY on Friday.

We know first-hand the damage these criminals can do and the importance of working with law enforcement to fight back, the statement reads.

MGM Resorts says that the message to criminals was made clear last year when they voluntarily shut down their systems, refused to pay a ransom and worked with law enforcement.

Its not worth it. We are forever grateful to the FBI for their support and work with international law enforcement to bring these criminals to justice, according to the statement.

Tech giant Microsoft also issued a statement in response to the arrest, writing: Today sends a strong message to cybercriminals: there will be consequences for your actions.

Microsoft commends law enforcement for taking action against those that seek to cause harm, and we remain committed to collaborating with others across the public and private sector to collectively combat cyber threats and make the Internet a safer place, Microsoft said in a news release.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Teenager arrested by U.K. police over alleged involvement in MGM hack
PIGEON FORGE, Tenn. (WATE)  Authorities arrested a fugitive wanted for alleged child sex crimes, and rescued three children from his Pigeon Forge, Tennessee home earlier this month, INTERPOL Washington said Friday.

The suspect, identified as Bahamian man Angelo McQueen, was accused of committing sexual offenses against a minor in Nassau before he traveled to Florida March 1, 2024 as a B2 non-immigrant visitor. INTERPOL said authorities also suspected he had kidnapped his biological daughter and brought her to the U.S.

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McQueen was taken into custody July 5 in a joint operation by the U.S. Marshal Service, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and INTERPOL Washington.

The three children found inside of his residence are now in the care of the Tennessee Department of Childrens Services. Authorities did not release further details.

At the time of his arrest, McQueen was employed by the Dollywood amusement park in Pigeon Forge.

A spokesperson for Dollywood confirmed that McQueen was an employee of a third-party cleaning company that was contracted by Dollywood.

The subject was an employee of APDC Cleaning Services, Inc. (APDC), a third-party staffing service that recruits and hires international workers. APDC was responsible for background identity checks and employment authorization of its employees assigned to Dollywood. He was assigned to a back-of-house position at Dollywood but was not working at the time of his arrest. Dollywood has ended its business relationship with APDC and is in process of separation with any other APDC contract workers assigned to the park. Any more information or questions about the subject need to be directed to APDC or to law enforcement. Dollywood

McQueen is now in ICE custody, pending removal proceedings, INTERPOL Washington said.

This joint operation underscores the vital importance of international cooperation and swift action to find dangerous fugitives and protect our most vulnerable, said INTERPOL Washington Acting Director Jeffrey Grimming. We thank our great USMS and ICE partners for their immediate response and will continue to offer our tools, resources, and global network in the fight for justice.

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Sheila Jackson Lee died on Friday amid her battle with pancreatic cancer. She was one of the longest serving members of Texas congressional delegation. Credit: Eddie Gaspar/The Texas Tribune

WASHINGTON  Sheila Jackson Lee, a Houston Democrat who was one of the longest serving members of Texas congressional delegation and a longtime advocate for progressive causes, died on Friday amid her battle with pancreatic cancer. She was 74.

Jackson Lee began her congressional career as an underdog, defeating four-term U.S. Rep. Craig Washington in the 1994 Democratic primary, before establishing herself as a fixture in Congress and Houston with ties to the highest reaches of the Democratic Party.

No matter the issue  from delivering racial justice to building an economy for working people  she was unrelenting in her leadership, President Joe Biden said in a statement released Saturday. Always fearless, she spoke truth to power and represented the power of the people of her district in Houston with dignity and grace.

Jackson Lee was a progressive advocate on Capitol Hill for decades. She was an early opponent of the Iraq War and advocate for gay rights. In 2021, Jackson Lee was arrested for engaging in civil disobedience over a federal voting rights bill. By the time of her death, she was a senior member of the House Judiciary, Homeland Security and Budget committees. She never shied from speaking on the House floor or before the cameras on causes she cared about.

"She always said what she meant and backed up her words with action, former President Bill Clinton, who endorsed her in elections as recently as last year, said in a statement. Above all, she knew how to get things done. We just loved her."

Former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi said in a statement that Jackson Lee was a tireless fighter for fairness, equity and justice for all. "In a testament to her relentless determination, Congresswoman Jackson Lee was the author and lead sponsor of legislation that established Juneteenth as the first new federal holiday in 38 years. And as an author of the Violence Against Women Act, she was a champion for the rights of women, Pelosi said.

Jackson Lee, D-Houston, speaks at a Washington, D.C., rally in support of the Senate passing a federal assault weapons ban on Friday, March 24, 2023. Credit: Julia Nikhinson for The Texas Tribune

Jackson Lee was also a household name in the 18th Congressional District, which includes Downtown Houston. She was known for her frequent visibility at constituent graduations, funerals, food drives and baby showers. She handed out masks during the COVID-19 pandemic and encouraged constituents to get vaccinated.

She often used her trademark chutzpah to fight for federal funds to be sent to Houston. In 2009, she secured $1 billion for the citys light rail system after cornering then-Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood ahead of then-President Barack Obamas first joint address to Congress. She could reliably be found in the aisle ahead of the State of the Union address, among the few members to directly meet with the president on his way to the dais.

"She was a fierce fighter to make sure that what was sent to Texas benefited all Texans," U.S. Rep. Al Green, D-Houston, said in an interview. "I will celebrate her life and note that she, she lived every second of her life."

But that persistence waned this year as her illness kept her increasingly at home, missing every vote in June and almost all of May, according to the House Clerk. Green, who used to live two doors down from Jackson Lee in Houston years before they were in Congress, said he spoke with her just off of the House floor the last time she voted.

"I could see then that she was not in the best of health, but she was still determined to make sure that her vote was counted," Green said.

Jackson Lee was operating in full gear only months before. The veteran congresswoman made a pivot last year when she announced a run for Houston mayor.

I hope Ive been a humble servant for you for 28 years, she said at City Cathedral Church, where she announced her bid. Sheila Jackson Lee wants to come home to be your Mayor, for the City of Houston.

The move was rumored for months but ended up becoming a messy debacle after a leaked tape last year revealed her berating staff with a string of profanities. Her office was long known for a high turnover rate among staff. Despite an endorsement from outgoing-Mayor Sylvester Turner and House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries, Jackson Lee lost the race to former-state Sen. John Whitmire, a fellow Democrat.

Jackson Lee then faced her first competitive primary in decades, a race against Amanda Edwards, who years ago served as an intern in her office. Jackson Lee was able to tap into decades of strong relationships throughout her party, securing the endorsement of the Democratic establishment going all the way up to President Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris. House Democratic leadership and former Presidents Clinton and Obama also endorsed her in the race. She won the primary by over 22 percentage points.

A native of Queens, New York, Jackson Lee graduated from Yale University in 1972, part of one of the first classes of women to graduate from the university, and from the University of Virginia Law School in 1975. She moved to Houston after her husband, fellow Yale alumnus and Houston native Elwyn Lee, got a job with the University of Houston.

She served as a municipal judge and on the Houston City Council before launching her 1994 campaign for Congress. She and Austin Democratic Rep. Lloyd Doggett were the longest-serving Texans in Congress at the time of her death.

Once in Congress, Jackson Lee built strong ties with her partys leadership and throughout her caucus. She has campaigned for her friends in far flung districts and in the Capitol for leadership positions. She advocated for House Speaker Nancy Pelosi to again take the gavel in 2018 amid a left-wing revolt against her leadership. Jackson Lee also served as one of 10 deputies to House Minority Whip Katherine Clark.

"Congresswoman Jackson Lee was an inimitable force for change and a warrior for justice over the course of her historic, trailblazing career," Jeffries said in a statement.

There are benefits to her strong relationships. She was the first female ranking member of the Judiciary Subcommittee for Crime and Federal Government Surveillance and chaired the subcommittee in the 117th Congress from 2020 to 2022. She was also tapped to speak at the 2016 Democratic National Convention, heralded by the staff of Democratic candidate Hillary Clinton as a uniquely effective surrogate.

Notable friends and allies issued tributes late Friday. Through crises and disasters - as well as triumphs - Sheila's ceaseless and unwavering dedication to those she represented served as an inspiration and source of strength to me in my career, said Rodney Ellis, a longtime state senator from Houston who is now a Harris County commissioner. She exhibited this dedication every day through her deeds, actions, and accomplishments.

Turner, the former mayor, praised her as an advocate for the people of Houston, saying: Her work on the ground, in some of the poorest and under-resourced communities; the channeling of billions of federal dollars back to her district; her presence at someone's bedside, giving words of comfort to families who lost loved ones; her appearances at places of worship and events showcasing the global diversity of our City; and her uncanny ability to be everywhere, working every day for those who needed a champion, made her truly exceptional."

Election night watch party attendees pray for Jackson Lee on primary election day, March 5, 2024, in Houston. Credit: Mark Felix for the Texas Tribune

House Speaker Mike Johnson, R-Louisiana, called her a "fierce advocate for the Houston community" with a "larger-than-life personality and devotion to her constituents."

Sheila and I served together on the Judiciary Committee for seven years," Johnson noted in a statement Saturday. "While we rarely agreed on policy, I always enjoyed our spirited debates about law and policy, and I counted her as a friend."

Jackson Lee stepped into the shoes of the trailblazers who held the 18th Congressional District seat before her  including Barbara Jordan, the first Black woman from a southern state to be elected to the United States House of Representative, and Mickey Leland, a former At-Large Majority Whip.

Jackson Lee was not immune from criticism, particularly over her avid hunger for the spotlight and her high staff turnover. Washingtonian Magazine dubbed her among the meanest members of Congress for her treatment of her staff.

Jackson Lee expressed remorse after the audio of her verbally abusing staff leaked last year, saying in a statement at the time that in my zeal to do everything possible to deliver for my constituents I have in the past fallen short of my own standards and there is no excuse for that.

But she has also noted that her white, male colleagues often escape the criticisms regarding how they treat staff that have followed her through her career.

"I'm a woman of a certain era," she told the Tribune in 2017. "I think I've been a victim of discrimination, sexism and even racism, frankly, because I am sure there is a whole array of stories to be told, and I don't go around trying to find out about them ... I don't worry about it. I do the work in this office. I do it quietly and consistently, and I check off the boxes of who's being helped and who's in need."

Big news: director and screenwriter Richard Linklater; NPR President and CEO Katherine Maher; U.S. Rep. Pete Aguilar, D-California; and Luci Baines Johnson will take the stage at The Texas Tribune Festival, Sept. 57 in downtown Austin. Buy tickets today!
U.S. Sen. Sherrod Brown of Ohio calls on President Joe Biden to end reelection campaign

Ohio Sen. Sherrod Brown has become the latest Senate Democrat to call for President Joe Biden to end his reelection campaign, just weeks before the Democratic National Convention.

Brown faces a tough reelection bid against Republican businessman Bernie Moreno in a state where voters have picked former President Donald Trump twice. Brown had said little about Biden's political future since the disastrous debate performance that reinforced Democrats' worst fears about the president's age and political future.

But that changed Friday when Brown joined fellow Democratic members of Congress calling for Biden to drop out of the race.

"Over the last few weeks, I've heard from Ohioans on important issues, such as how to continue to grow jobs in our state, give law enforcement the resources to crack down on fentanyl, protect Social Security and Medicare from cuts, and prevent the ongoing efforts to impose a national abortion ban," Brown said in a statement. "These are the issues Ohioans care about and it is my job to keep fighting for them.

"I agree with the many Ohioans who have reached out to me. At this critical time, our full attention must return to these important issues. I think the president should end his campaign."

In response, Moreno called on Biden to resign the presidency and asked Brown to join him.

"If Joe Biden is unfit to run, he is unfit to serve," Moreno said in a statement. "Make no mistake, Brown was fully aware of Joe Biden's mental decline, covered it up, and used Biden as a vessel to pass the most liberal agenda in American history."

Brown believes Biden should serve out the rest of his term and will not weigh in on who should be the Democratic nominee instead, according to his campaign.

Moreno had criticized Brown for largely staying silent as other high-profile Democrats have called on Biden to call it quits.

Ohio Democrats: Early virtual Biden nomination avoids ballot deadline confusion, lawsuits

"I'm not a pundit," Brown told reporters earlier this month, adding that Ohioans had legitimate questions about Biden and he would keep listening.

Brown is the fourth Senate Democrat to call for the president to abandon his effort to seek their party's nomination. Sens. Peter Welch of Vermont, Martin Heinrich of New Mexico and Jon Tester of Montana previously called on Biden to step down. U.S. Rep. Greg Landsman, of Cincinnati, also said Friday that it was time for Biden to step aside.

Biden is facing increasing pressure from donors and fellow Democrats to drop out of the presidential race. Democrats are poised to select a presidential nominee in a virtual roll call vote in early August  in part to ensure Biden made the Ohio ballot. But that date has not yet been set.

The statements come just two days after Ohio's other U.S. senator, JD Vance, accepted the Republic Party's nomination for vice president during its national convention in Milwaukee.

USA TODAY NETWORK Ohio Bureau reporter Haley BeMiller contributed to this report.

This article originally appeared on The Columbus Dispatch: Ohio Sen. Sherrod Brown calls on President Joe Biden to end campaign
'Stand strong together.' What Kamala Harris said about the election at Provincetown event.

U.S. Vice President Kamala Harris is on Cape Cod.

Harris landed at Air Station Cape Cod in Bourne Saturday shortly before 1 p.m. and headed to Provincetown in a motorcade of SUVs for a Biden Victory Fund fundraiser at Pilgrim Monument and Provincetown Museum where she is scheduled to speak at 3:20 p.m.

Bryan Rafanelli, event co-host and sponsor, told the Times in a previous interview that tickets for 'A Reception with Vice President Kamala Harris' sold for as high as $150,000 and the fundraiser is expected to raise "easily $1 million." Guests include Gov. Maura Healey, U.S. Sen. Ed Markey, State Sen. Julian Cyr, D-Truro Mayor of Boston Michelle Wu, Delaware state Sen. Sarah McBride, who is widely known as the first transgender state senator in United States history, will also be in attendance, said co-host Alix Ritchie.

Special guests at the event are actresses Jennifer Coolidge, of the hit series "White Lotus," and Tony Award winner Adrienne Warren, known for "The Women King" movie.

Kamala Harris speaks to the crowd at Provincetown fundraiser

"We must be intentional about reminding people that they are not alone. We are all in this together," Harris said to the guests at the Biden Victory Fund fundraiser Saturday afternoon.

She told the crowd that to build a movement for progress they must "continue to stand strong together."

Harris said she was extremely confident President Biden will stand strong and be re-elected. "It is clear that Joe Biden is one of the most consequential presidents in American history."

Reception with Kamala Harris underway

As the fundraising event in Provincetown got underway, Boston Mayor Michelle Wu gave opening remarks Saturday at 3:15. Healey and Coolidge were among the speakers who were inside a tent adjacent to the Pilgrim Monument overlooking downtown Provincetown and the harbor. At about 3:45 p.m., U.S. Secretary of Transportation Pete Buttigieg spoke on a stage in front of a colorful banner with "VPTOWN" on it. "It's time to double down and earn the victory of our lifetimes, during the election of our lifetimes," he said to exploding applause.

Vice President Kamala Harris, Attorney General Andrea Campbell and Lt. Gov. Kim Driscoll, left to right, acknowledge the group assembled under the wing of Air Force Two. Vice President Kamala Harris arrived at Air Station Cape Cod Saturday, July 20, 2024. Air Force Two landed shortly before 1 p.m. at the Coast Guard air station. She was greeted by a group of officials before getting into a vehicle for a caravan to Provincetown. Harris attended a fundraiser at the Pilgrim Monument Saturday afternoon. Merrily Cassidy/Cape Cod Times

The motorcade carrying Harris arrives in Provincetown at about 2:30 pm

Vice President Kamala Harris' motorcade made good time arriving at 2:30 p.m. in Provincetown. The motorcade had at least a dozen vehicles, including state police, motorcycles and official SUVs with flags.

Cape Cod Times Reporter Rachael Devaney, who is among the media inside the fundraiser, said Jennifer Coolidge was just spotted. She arrived with her own escort. She was wearing comfortable shoes and carrying her heels in her hands. In addition to Coolidge and Warren, celebrity guests include Billy Porter and Darren Criss. Tony Award winner Warren will be performing.

According to a White House press release, 800 guests will attend.

Vice President Kamala Harris, second from left to right, Attorney General Andrea Campbell, Lt. Gov. Kim Driscoll, Congresswoman Katherine Clark and Harris' brother-in-law Tony West pose for photos and acknowledge the press gathered for her arrival Saturday afternoon. Vice President Kamala Harris arrived at Air Station Cape Cod Saturday, July 20, 2024. Air Force Two landed shortly before 1 p.m. at the Coast Guard air station. She was greeted by a group of officials before getting into a vehicle for a caravan to Provincetown. Harris attended a fundraiser at the Pilgrim Monument Saturday afternoon. Merrily Cassidy/Cape Cod Times

The motorcade carrying Vice President Kamala Harris heads up Winslow Street in Provincetown Saturday, July 20, 2024 to a fundraising event at Pilgrim Monument and Museum.

Earlier in the day

At just before noon, a dozen attendees of the fundraiser gathered wearing casual attire and donning straw hats to protect from the sun. Both entrances to the Pilgrim Monument were blocked by black Secret Service vehicles and visitors were asking if the monument is open. There was one protester holding a red cardboard sign saying "Stop Funding Genocide" at the Bradford Street entrance to Pilgrim Monument.

Vice President Kamala Harris waves to the group of officials that gathered for her arrival at Air Station Cape Cod. Vice President Kamala Harris arrived at Air Station Cape Cod Saturday, July 20, 2024. Air Force Two landed shortly before 1 p.m. at the Coast Guard air station. She was greeted by a group of officials before getting into a vehicle for a caravan to Provincetown. Harris attended a fundraiser at the Pilgrim Monument Saturday afternoon. Merrily Cassidy/Cape Cod Times

Vice President Kamala Harris arrived just before 1 p.m. at U.S. Air Station Cape Cod in Bourne on Saturday before heading to a fundraising event in Provincetown.

Bethany Patten, of Boston, standing in line at the Bradford Street entrance, said she was attending because she does "a lot of work in climate change policy so I want to support any administration that's going to care about climate."

Patten added she hopes Harris will "give messages of hope" at the event.

Attendees of the fundraising reception with Vice President Kamala Harris at the Pilgrim Monument and Provincetown Museum line up at the Bradford Street entrance Saturday at noon.

"I'm very excited to just see her and hear what she has to say and see the other Massachusetts and Boston leaders who are here. It's an interesting moment and I'm curious what kind of message they have. I hope we're going to hear something unifying but also optimistic," said Watertown resident Jeff Burchard, adding there will probably be a lot of doors left open as to the future of the Democratic presidential race.

What other fundraisers have been held in Provincetown

Provincetown has been the site of several high-profile political fundraisers, many hosted by Rafanelli and his Rafanelli Events. Jill Biden headlined a Biden-Harris fundraiser last July. Former President Bill Clinton, former presidential nominee Hillary Clinton, pop icon Cher and current United States Secretary of Transportation Peter Buttigieg have also made fundraising appearances.

On scene reporting was compiled by Cape Cod Times Interim Executive Editor Linda Murphy.

This article originally appeared on Cape Cod Times: Kamala Harris talks about the election at Provincetown event. Live.
UC Merced to be annexed into city limits. What that means for students, residents

UC Merced, and a 2-mile strip of roadways that connect it to the City of Merced, are almost officially a part of the city.

On Thursday, July 18 the Local Agency Formation Commission of Merced County unanimously approved the annexation. After a 30-day administrative review process the annexation will be made official.

The current city limits are located at G Street. Annexation would include the UC Merced campus, as well as a 2-mile segment of Bellevue Road between G Street and Lake Road. Approximately 1,139 acres will be annexed into the city, which has a population of about 90,971 people.

By bringing UC Merced within city limits, we are expanding our geographical boundaries and strengthening our communitys educational and infrastructural framework, said Merced Mayor Matthew Serratto in a statement.

This decision reflects our dedication to promoting efficient urban planning and delivering top-notch services to all residents.

From the planning phases of UC Merced in 1995 annexation has been contemplated, but annexation has not been feasible due to the campus being located 2-miles from city limits.

In 2003, the city entered into an Urban Services Agreement with the UC Regents, which agreed to extend sewer and water lines to the campus.

Within this agreement, the university also signed an annexation agreement. Through this, the university agreed that when the city council deemed it was appropriate, Phase I of the campus to the city would be annexed.

Annexation was made possible in 2020 when then-Assemblymember Adam Gray passed legislation (AB 3312) making it easier.

This strengthens our partnership with the city and will enhance opportunities for students, faculty and the entire community as we build a brighter future for Merced together, UC Merced Chancellor Juan Sanchez Munoz said in a statement.

As of Fall 2023 UC Merceds enrollment numbers were 8,373 undergrad students; 54% of those students are Hispanic and 22% Asian. There are also a total of 775 graduate students with an additional 1,626 employees.

For fall 2024, UC Merced received 33,000 applications which is a 12% increase from last year.

The students will be allowed to vote in Merced municipal elections if they list the campus as their residence.
Oleh Holubchenko, a paediatric surgeon from Okhmatdyt, on blood-stained scrubs, helps the survivors of the Russian attack on Okhmatdyt. Photo: Okhmatdyt Children's Hospital on Facebook

Russian Telegram channels are spreading a video of a "Ukrainian police officer" supposedly spraying artificial blood on a doctor from the Okhmatdyt Children's Hospital, which was severely damaged by a missile attack on 8 July. The doctor in question is a real person who was helping the civilians injured in the Russian attack.

Source: Ukraine's Centre for Countering Disinformation (CCD), which refutes the video as a fake and denies the attempts by Russian propagandists to present the video as genuine

"Having verified the information with the National Police of Ukraine, the Centre announces that this video is a staged work by Russian propagandists," the CCD said.

Experts have analysed the video and found several facts to prove it was staged.

First of all, the uniform and shoes of the "police officer" and the "doctor" are perfectly clean. However, those who worked at the site of the attack had their clothes covered in dust.

Secondly, in the video, the "National Police officer" does not have a belt system  a weapon, a holster, a radio, a first aid kit, etc  and a helmet cover. Additionally, the placement of the badge with the National Police symbols violates the uniform regulations.

Experts also paid attention to the footwear: The "law enforcement officer" was wearing boots. However, Ukrainian police officers have been wearing special sneakers for some time now.

The "doctor" himself also aroused suspicion in the CCD.

"The hair of the 'doctor' in the video by Russian propagandists resembles a wig by all visual signs. The clothes' materials in reality and the video are entirely different. In addition, the uniform of a real doctor has a horizontal seam on the back, while the Russian actor's uniform does not," the CCD said.

Background:

It should be noted that the doctor in question is a real person  Oleh Holubchenko, a paediatric surgeon from Okhmatdyt. The man was wearing blood-stained scrubs while helping the survivors at the site of the Russian attack on the children's hospital.

His wife, Olena Holubchenko-Bilinska, in a comment to Ukrainska Pravda. Zhyttia confirmed that Holubchenko had suffered a contusion and back injury due to the shock wave.

The Okhmatdyt Children's Hospital has partially resumed its work. Some of the buildings that suffered the greatest damage are beyond repair.

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Ukraine will withstand if US under Trump limits aid  US Secretary of State

US Secretary of State Antony Blinken believes that Ukraine, thanks to other allies, could withstand without US support if the next president changes the country's policy.

Source: Associated Press, as reported by European Pravda

Details: In his speech at the Aspen Security Forum, Blinken commented directly on the possibility of Donald Trump winning the presidential election in November and its effects on US support for Ukraine.

He noted that any new US administration would have to take into account the solid bipartisan support for Ukraine in Congress.

Blinken added that any administration can certainly pursue its own policies, though he also mentioned the security agreements signed with Ukraine by over 20 countries and the European Union in addition to the United States.

"Were we to renege on that ... I suppose that's possible, but happily we've got another 20 some-odd countries that are doing the same thing," the secretary of state said.

Blinked added that Ukraine itself is on a course ensuring that it "stands on its own feet militarily, economically, democratically".

Background:

Additionally, on Friday, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and former US President Donald Trump reportedly had a telephone conversation.

After the conversation, Trump reiterated that he wanted to bring Ukraine and Russia to the negotiating table and "bring peace to the world".

Zelenskyy stated that he and Trump had agreed to meet in person to discuss what steps could ensure a fair and truly lasting peace.

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Ukraine's interior minister on former lawmaker Iryna Farion's murder: Shooter had prepared in advance

Ukraine's Interior Minister Ihor Klymenko has stated that the murder of former Ukrainian lawmaker Iryna Farion was premeditated.

Source: Klymenko on the investigation into the murder of Iryna Farion during a briefing

Quote: "The shooter was preparing in advance, and it was not a spontaneous murder.

Time will tell for how long he was preparing  a week or two."

Details: Klymenko noted that the police in Lviv and Lviv Oblast are working together with investigators, operatives, and officers from the Security Service of Ukraine who have arrived from Kyiv.

Quote: "We are working and hope to have the first results of our work by the morning.

We already have several lines of enquiry. The main ones, I can say, are [Farions] public and political activities and [the assailants] personal animosity."

Details: Klymenko noted that there are problems with identifying the person who was waiting for Farion at the entrance to an apartment block due to interruptions in the operation of video cameras due to a power outage.

Klymenko thanked the witnesses who had provided information about the crime.

He did not rule out the possibility that Farion's murder was ordered by Russian secret services.

Quote: "We are doing everything possible to ensure that this person who committed the crime does not escape justice."

Background: On the evening of 19 July, an attempt was made on the life of former MP Iryna Farion on Masaryk Street in Lviv.

After the attempted assassination, President Volodymyr Zelenskyy stated that Ukraine's Interior Minister Ihor Klymenko and Vasyl Maliuk, Head of Ukraine's Security Service, were promptly reporting on the search for the attacker.

Lviv Mayor Andrii Sadovyi and Ukraine's National Police reported that former MP Iryna Farion, the target of an assassination attempt on 19 July, had died in hospital.

Previously:

On 12 February 2024, the Halytskyi District Court of Lviv refused to reinstate former MP Iryna Farion as a professor of the Ukrainian Language Department of the Institute of Humanities at the Lviv Polytechnic National University.

On 15 November, Lviv Polytechnic National University dismissed Farion from her position as a professor of the Ukrainian Language Department after she insulted Ukrainian soldiers for speaking Russian.

Sources in law enforcement agencies confirmed to Ukrainska Pravda that the reason for her dismissal was a violation of Article 41 of the Labour Code: committing an immoral offence by an employee performing educational functions that are incompatible with continuing this work.

The Security Service of Ukraine initiated criminal proceedings and ordered a number of examinations of Farion's remarks and publications.

Farion reacted to her dismissal from Lviv Polytechnic University by stating that she was preparing a lawsuit.

On 29 May, the Lviv Court of Appeal ruled to reinstate Farion as a professor of the Ukrainian Language Department at the Institute of Humanities at Lviv Polytechnic National University.

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Ukraine's sanctions on Russia's Lukoil may result in fuel crisis in Hungary

Hungary is facing a fuel shortage following Ukraine's decision to ban Russian oil passing through its territory.

In June, Kyiv imposed sanctions blocking the transit of pipeline oil from Lukoil to Central Europe to cut off the Kremlin's source of income used to support its military. Yet, Ukraine's ban does not apply to other Russian oil exporters who still use the pipeline.

The restrictions have created supply shortages in Budapest, which depends on Russia for 70% of its oil supply, with Lukoil providing half of that volume, according to Politico.

Following Ukraine's move, Hungarian Foreign Minister Peter Szijjarto said this measure could threaten Hungary's long-term energy security.

"Ukrainian authorities showed a willingness to find a solution to the situation, but these attempts have faded since," Szijjarto said.

During the meeting with Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov earlier in the week, Szijjarto said Budapest had begun talks with Moscow to find alternative supplies of Russian oil.

Later, Kremlin Press Secretary Dmitry Peskov accused Kyiv of making a "political decision." Peskov claimed the situation is "critical" for those still purchasing Russian oil.

Read also: Opinion: Russias shadow fleet strategy draws from Irans playbook

Ilona Gizinska, a researcher and Hungary expert at the Centre for Eastern Studies, told Politico that Kyiv's ban could create "a severe situation." Hungarians could face sky-high energy prices and electricity shortages in just "weeks" unless a solution will be found, she added.

Hungary could negotiate more imports with Rosneft or ramp up supplies from Croatia via the Adria Pipeline, according to Gizinska. Budapest also has its emergency strategic reserves, which have enough oil for 90 days, she added.

Lukoil is one of several Russian companies that supply oil to Hungary and Slovakia through the southern part of the Druzhba Pipeline in Ukraine. On July 18, the transit stopped.

Lawmaker Inna Sovsun, who belongs to the Holos (The Voice) political faction and sits on the parliament's energy committee, said that Ukraine has now "taken the matter into its own hands," Politico reported.

"We have been waiting for over two years for the EU, for the G7, to introduce real sanctions against Russian (pipeline) oil," she said.

"It's actually absurd to allow them to make this money by transporting this oil through Ukrainian territory if the money is then being used to kill us," Sovsun said, adding that Moscow made $180 billion from its oil exports last year.

Sovsun allegedly hinted that the ban also aims to overturn Hungary's opposition to weapons deliveries to Ukraine and the country's accession to the EU, according to Politico.

Hungary has remained Russia's closest ally within the EU and has repeatedly opposed Ukraine's accession to NATO and the EU, opposed sanctions on Russia, and undermined Western aid efforts for 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.
Ukraine believes that if the Black Sea Grain Initiative is revived, the conditions should be revised, particularly regarding the inspection of ships departing from Ukrainian ports.

Source: Ukraine's Ambassador to Turkiye, Vasyl Bodnar, during the national joint 24/7 newscast on Saturday, 20 July, as reported by European Pravda

Details: Bodnar noted that Ukraine's success in establishing its own safe Black Sea route via the Danube "encourages other partners, including Turkiye, to seek safer conditions for the passage of ships".

"Vessels pass through the territorial waters of Romania, Bulgaria and Turkiye, and the focus now is on creating a safer direct route," the ambassador explained.

"The only thing that does not suit us is that we would be back to the conditions that functioned within the first grain corridor. There can be no control and no inspections of ships leaving Ukrainian ports. We will never agree to this," he stated.

However, Bodnar noted that the grain corridor could reduce the cost of insurance for ships heading to Ukraine and increase shipping safety in the Black Sea.

"We are also working with the Turkish side. But our priority is the implementation of President [Volodymyr] Zelenskyy's Peace Formula, which provides for global food security and shipping safety," the diplomat concluded.

Background:

Following Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine and naval blockade of Ukrainian Black Sea ports in July 2022, Turkiye and the UN facilitated the establishment of the Black Sea Grain Initiative.

As part of the agreement, Ukraine safely exported almost 33 million metric tonnes of its grain via the Black Sea through what is known as the grain corridor. However, in July 2023, Russia withdrew from the agreement, claiming that its requirements had not been met.

In August, a meeting on free shipping will be held in Turkiye to discuss food security.

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Women vendors sit at their stalls next to a metro station in the Ukrainian capital in the morning. People in Ukraine are facing a harsh winter because of the energy crisis provoked by Russian attacks, and need additional help to make it through the colder months, the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees has warned. Kay Nietfeld/dpa

People in Ukraine are facing a harsh winter because of the energy crisis provoked by Russian attacks, and need additional help to make it through the colder months, the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees has warned.

"Energy, energy, energy. I have never seen such unanimity everywhere. They are really worried about this issue," Filippo Grandi told dpa in describing his impression of talks with Ukrainian officials.

Officials are very concerned, he said, noting that ordinary people, especially in the eastern Ukrainian metropolis of Kharkiv, were already afraid of being left without heating in winter.

What is needed is to "keep up the support," Grandi said.

Following the devastating Russian missile attacks on Ukrainian power plants in particular, the UN refugee agency has observed a slight increase in the number of refugees over the past two to three months.

"They are worried to have to face winter - or even this very hot season - without power," Grandi said.

For this reason the electricity crisis, and not necessarily the military attacks, were considered the main reason for Ukrainians to seek refuge abroad.

Russian missile and drone attacks have destroyed more than nine gigawatts of power plant capacity since March. As a result, there have been hours-long power cuts across the country since May.

Many returning to Ukraine

The UN has also observed a not insignificant number of returnees. "The estimate is that from February 2022, 1 million people have returned for at least three months," Grandi said. These were not people making a quick trip back home to check on their house.

Still, around 6.5 million Ukrainians, or one-seventh of the population, remain outside the country.

Grandi's organization estimates that the willingness to return remains high, with some 60% to 70% of Ukrainian refugees in Europe wanting to go back.

But they say: "We are worried, there's no work, there's a power crisis, there is still fighting."

Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine began in February 2022. It has triggered the largest refugee crisis in Europe since World War II.

The UN also estimates that there are some 3.5 million internally displaced people in the country.
Women vendors sit at their stalls next to a metro station in the Ukrainian capital in the morning. People in Ukraine are facing a harsh winter because of the energy crisis provoked by Russian attacks, and need additional help to make it through the colder months, the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees has warned. Kay Nietfeld/dpa

People in Ukraine are facing a harsh winter because of the energy crisis provoked by Russian attacks, and need additional help to make it through the colder months, the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees has warned.

"Energy, energy, energy. I have never seen such unanimity everywhere. They are really worried about this issue," Filippo Grandi told dpa in describing his impression of talks with Ukrainian officials.

Officials are very concerned, he said, noting that ordinary people, especially in the eastern Ukrainian metropolis of Kharkiv, were already afraid of being left without heating in winter.

What is needed is to "keep up the support," Grandi said.

Following the devastating Russian missile attacks on Ukrainian power plants in particular, the UN refugee agency has observed a slight increase in the number of refugees over the past two to three months.

"They are worried to have to face winter - or even this very hot season - without power," Grandi said.

For this reason the electricity crisis, and not necessarily the military attacks, were considered the main reason for Ukrainians to seek refuge abroad.

Russian missile and drone attacks have destroyed more than nine gigawatts of power plant capacity since March. As a result, there have been hours-long power cuts across the country since May.
Despite a cascade of defections from within his own party in recent weeks, President Joe Biden has been able to count on labor unions as a bulwark against diminishing support for his re-election bid. That backing has begun to weaken, however, placing further pressure on Biden at a moment of peril for his campaign.

A 55,000-member union local in the Pacific Northwest on Friday issued a public letter calling on Biden to end his candidacy. Democratic members of Congress with close ties to labor on Friday also joined the roster of elected officials calling on Biden to step aside.

Local 3000 of the United Food and Commercial Workers, the union in the Pacific Northwest, released a letter on Friday that said Biden should leave the race. The labor organization did not endorse Biden in this year's Democratic primary, opting to weigh in as "uncommitted," but it has vowed to support whoever the party nominates for the general election.

"We call on President Biden to pass the torch to the next generation. He has much to celebrate over his career of accomplishments fighting alongside working people, but it is time for him to retire with dignity, and campaign as hard as we all will for an alternative candidate," the union's letter said. "The stakes are simply too high to do otherwise."

PHOTO: In this Sept. 22, 2023, file photo, President Joe Biden addresses striking members of the United Auto Workers (UAW) union at a picket line outside a General Motors Service Parts Operations plant in Belleville, Michigan. (Jim Watson/AFP via Getty Images, FILE)

Sen. Sherrod Brown, D-Ohio, among the top allies of organized labor in the chamber, called on Biden to end his re-election bid on Friday. Democratic Rep. Mark Pocan, of Wisconsin, co-founder and co-chair of the House Labor Caucus, did the same.

Two allies of Biden in the labor movement told ABC News that he should step aside and a third said it would support an alternative Democratic nominee. The labor allies requested that ABC News not publish their names due to the sensitivity of the issues surrounding Biden's candidacy.

A union with a presence in several battleground states, which endorsed Biden, told ABC News that it would back an alternative candidate at the top of the Democratic ticket.

A labor leader, who also endorsed Biden, told ABC News that they believe Biden should leave the race, praising Biden for his pro-labor policies but warning of the threat to workers presented by his Republican opponent, former President Donald Trump. "I think the time has come," they said.

Concern about Biden is widespread among union officials, the labor leader said. "There's not a person in the labor movement who isn't worried," they added, pointing to Biden's unsteady debate performance and weakened election prospects. "Unions are looking at the same thing that everybody else is looking at."

Another labor leader, who has publicly supported Biden, said it is time for him to step aside from his campaign. The person similarly cited the risk posed by Trump, including the potential to undo Biden's achievements in office. "Let's secure his legacy and build on it," they said. Worry about Biden is pervasive among union officials, but they risk fracturing the support of voters if they speak out publicly, the person added.

Sean O'Brien, president of the 1.3-million member International Brotherhood of Teamsters, which endorsed Biden in 2020, spoke at the Republican National Convention this week. "We are not beholden to anyone or any party," O'Brien told the audience in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. "We want to know one thing: What are you doing to help American workers?"

The speech angered White House officials, Congressional Democrats and other labor leaders, the Washington Post reported.

The Teamsters did not immediately respond to ABC News' request for comment. In a statement to the Post, Teamsters spokesperson Kara Deniz said: "The Teamsters refuse to be pressured to fall in line by those who continue to applaud a broken system," Deniz continued. "We will continue to participate in the political process at all levels on behalf of working people.

In a statement to ABC News, the Biden campaign touted the president's record on labor issues, contrasting him with former President Donald Trump.

"Joe Biden is the most pro-union president in American history, the first president to walk a picket line, the defender of more than 1 million pensions, and a champion for working people over greedy corporations," a Biden campaign spokesperson said. "That's why our campaign has more than 30 unions supporting us -- it reflects Joe Biden's record of delivering results for working families while Donald Trump delivers for his wealthy donors and himself."

MORE: Biden says he's returning to campaign trail next week as calls grow for him to step aside

The concerns are part of growing anxiety among the Democratic Party and its allies about Biden's candidacy. Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer told Biden in a private conversation last Saturday that it would be best if he dropped out of the 2024 presidential race, ABC News sources previously reported. House Minority leader Hakeem Jeffries is said to have expressed a similar sentiment, ABC News found.

PHOTO: President Joe Biden speaks at the 115th NAACP National Convention in Las Vegas, July 16, 2024. (Tom Brenner/Reuters)

To be sure, Biden retains support from many of the nation's largest labor unions. The AFL-CIO, a labor federation that boasts about 12.5 million members, told ABC News that it stands by a statement issued last week reiterating its support for the Biden-Harris ticket.

"We are still Riding with Biden," DeLane Adams, assistant communications director at the 600,000-member International Association of Machinists and Aerospace Workers, an affiliate of the AFL-CIO, told ABC News.

Several other unions echoed that ongoing support for Biden's presidential bid, including the Communication Workers of America and the International Union of Painters and Allied Trades.

The UFCW, the 1.3-million member union to which Local 3000 belongs, shared a statement with ABC News on Friday pledging its continued support for Biden's presidential campaign.

"President Biden is the nominee of the Democratic Party and the only pro-labor candidate in this race, and we strongly support his candidacy over former President Trump," the UFCW said.

Larry Cohen, former president of the Communications Workers of America, said Biden will ultimately decide whether to continue his campaign. If union leaders were to speak out publicly, they may "damage his chances to beat Trump," Cohen added. "They're playing a tricky risk game."

Still, he said, if Biden steps aside, union leaders would likely come out in support of Vice President Kamala Harris as the nominee. The two labor leaders who spoke to ABC News agreed. "It has to be the vice president," one labor leader said, citing the limited time remaining before Democrats nominate their presidential candidate.

MORE: These are the Democrats who have called for Joe Biden to step aside

At least one prominent figure in the Democratic party has voiced concern about whether unions would sustain the same level of backing for an alternate candidate. Speaking on Instagram Live on Thursday, Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, D-NY, who has supported Biden's bid, said labor unions may not back a replacement to the same degree as they would Biden.

"Whether people like it or not, President Biden has very strong, broad union support, and that is not something that just goes automatically to any Democrat."

Cohen said such fears are overstated due to the severity of the threat Trump poses for workers and unions. "Another four years of Donald Trump would be worse than the first," Cohen said. "The key difference is Trump versus Biden or Trump versus Harris, not Biden versus Harris."

Union support for Biden weakens amid calls for him to step aside originally appeared on abcnews.go.com
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The United Nations Postal Administration (UNPA) is issuing six se-tenant postage stamps depicting six countries' lunar orbiter or landing missions in commemoration of International Moon Day on July 20, 2024. | Credit: United Nations Postal Administration

Photos of the moon captured by American, Russian, European, Japanese, Indian, Korean and Chinese spacecraft are the subject of new United Nations (UN) postage stamps commemorating the 55th anniversary of the NASA's Apollo 11 lunar landing mission.



The UN Postal Administration (UNPA) will release six se-tenant postage stamps and three souvenir sheets on Saturday (July 20) to celebrate International Moon Day. Since 2021, the UN has recognized the day that astronauts Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin walked on the moon "to raise awareness about the commitment to sustainable lunar exploration on the part of national and international space programs worldwide."



"Today's moon exploration is wreathed with ambitious plans but the expansion of our so-far pristine horizons must take place sustainably," said Aarti Holla-Maini, director of the UN Office for Outer Space Affairs, in a statement that appears on the souvenir sheets. "The United Nations will leverage its unique convening power to foster the necessary dialogue on the way forward."

The stamps and sheets will be issued in three denominations corresponding with the UNPA offices in New York (U.S. dollars), Geneva (Swiss francs) and Vienna (euros).



Designed by Rorie Katz with the UN, the stamps reproduce imagery from six different moon missions, with three more represented on the souvenir sheets. The se-tenants' subjects include:

Danuri, also known as the Korea Pathfinder Lunar Orbiter (KPLO), South Korea's first moon mission launched in 2022;



Surveyor 1, the United States' first soft lunar lander, which preceded the Apollo missions in 1966;



Chandrayaan-3, India's first probe to land on the moon in 2023;



SLIM, or Smart Lander for Investigating Moon, Japan's first spacecraft to reach the surface in 2024;



SMART-1, the European Space Agency's (ESA) first mission to the moon in 2003; and



Chang'e-5, China's first lunar sample-return mission, launched in 2020.

Souvenir sheets and example first day covers from the United Nations Postal Administration's (UNPA) International Moon Day being released for sale in New York, Geneva and Austria on July 20, 2024.

The souvenir sheets further commemorate the United States' Apollo 11 mission, which landed on July 20, 1969; the former Soviet Union's Luna 2 robotic probe, which achieved the world's first moon landing on Sep. 14, 1959; and China's Change'e-4, the world's first probe to touch down on the far side of the moon on Jan. 3, 2019.



In addition to the stamps and sheets, the UNPA has also designed pictorial International Moon Day postmarks (one for each office) and are offering for sale first day covers (stamped envelopes postmarked for the day the stamps are issued). The se-tenant postage stamps are limited to 12,000 per pair; 17,000 for the Apollo 11 souvenir sheet and 18,000 for each of the other two sheets.



Previous UNPA space stamps include a 2007 collection of eight stamps marking 50 years since the start of the Space Age; a 2011 release for the 50th anniversary of human spaceflight; a 2013 pair of nebula-theme stamps for World Space Week; a 2018 set commemorating the 50th anniversary of the first UN conference on the exploration and peaceful uses of outer space; and a 2022 collection of six stamps and six souvenir sheets for Mars missions launched by the U.S., China and United Arab Emirates (UAE).

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(FOX40.COM)  A popular destination in the Auburn State Recreation Area will remain closed on Saturday and Sunday due to continued dangerous behavior by visitors, according to California State Parks.

On July 14, the Auburn SRA first announced that they would be closing access to Upper Lake Clementine after witnessing dangerous driving and pedestrian behavior along Foresthill Road.

According to the Auburn SRA, cars are illegally parking along the roadway, drivers are making illegal U-turns in traffic and pedestrian are crossing on blind turns.

The area will remain closed on Saturday and Sunday as State Parks continues to work with Placer County and other local authorities to find solutions.

Northern California county greenlights decade-long strategy for wildfire threat protection

State Parks said they plan to have the area reopened on weekends by July 27 with some new policies and procedures in place.

The Upper Lake Clementine area will require weekend and holiday reservations for day use and weekdays will remain first come, first served.

To get more information on the reservation system call 530-885-4527 between 8 a.m. and 4 p.m., Monday through 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 FOX40.
FILE PHOTO: A general view of the International Court of Justice in The Hague

By Kanishka Singh

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The U.S. criticized "the breadth" of the top U.N. court's opinion that Israel's occupation of Palestinian territories is illegal, with Washington saying it would complicate efforts to resolve the conflict.

"We have been clear that Israel's program of government support for settlements is both inconsistent with international law and obstructs the cause of peace," a U.S. State Department spokesperson said on Saturday in an email.

"However, we are concerned that the breadth of the court's opinion will complicate efforts to resolve the conflict," the State Department added.

The International Court of Justice, or the World Court, said on Friday that Israel's occupation of Palestinian territories and settlements was illegal and should be ended as soon as possible, delivering its strongest findings to date on the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.

The State Department said the ICJ opinion that Israel must withdraw as soon as possible from the Palestinian territories was "inconsistent with the established framework" for resolving the conflict.

Washington said that framework took into account Israel's security needs, which it says were highlighted by the Oct. 7 attacks on Israel by Palestinian Islamist group Hamas. Those attacks killed 1,200, with around 250 people taken as hostages, according to Israeli tallies.

TWO-STATE SOLUTION

The advisory opinion by ICJ judges is not binding but carries weight under international law and may weaken support for Israel.

The State Department said the way forward was through direct negotiations.

"Israeli settlements in the West Bank and East Jerusalem, and the regime associated with them, have been established and are being maintained in violation of international law," ICJ President Nawaf Salam said on Friday while reading the findings of a 15-judge panel.

The court said Israel's obligations include paying restitution for harm and "the evacuation of all settlers from existing settlements".

Israel rejected the opinion and said a political settlement can only be reached through negotiations. The office of Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas welcomed the opinion, which it called historic.

The State Department said it "strongly discourages" parties from using the ICJ opinion "as a pretext for further unilateral actions that deepen divisions or for supplanting a negotiated two-state solution."

The ICJ case stems from a 2022 request for a legal opinion from the United Nations General Assembly. It predates Israel's war in Gaza, which began after the Oct. 7 attacks and has killed almost 39,000, according to the health ministry in Gaza, which has been under Hamas rule, while causing a hunger crisis, displacing Gaza's nearly entire 2.3 million people and spurring genocide allegations that Israel denies.

The ICJ opinion said the U.N. Security Council, the General Assembly and all states have an obligation not to recognize the occupation as legal nor "render aid or assistance" toward maintaining Israel's presence in the Palestinian territories.

Israel captured the West Bank, Gaza Strip and East Jerusalem - which the Palestinians want for a state - in the Six-Day War in 1967 and has since built and expanded settlements in the West Bank.

(Reporting by Kanishka Singh in Washington; Editing by Daniel Wallis and Paul Simao)
As much of the world slowly gets back online after an outage caused by cybersecurity giant CrowdStrike led to global travel and business gridlock, malicious actors are also trying to exploit the situation for their own gain.

U.S. cybersecurity agency Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) said in a statement Friday that though the CrowdStrike outage was not linked to a cyberattack or malicious activity, it has "observed threat actors taking advantage of this incident for phishing and other malicious activity."

CISA warned individuals to "avoid clicking on phishing emails or suspicious links," which can lead to email compromise and other scams.

It's not uncommon for malicious actors to exploit chaotic situations to carry out cyberattacks, especially campaigns that can be easily created and customized at short notice, like email or text phishing.

One security researcher on X, formerly Twitter, said malicious actors were already sending phishing emails using a variety of domains that impersonate CrowdStrike. One of the emails posted falsely claimed it could "fix the CrowdStrike apocalypse" if the recipient paid a fee worth several hundred euros to a random crypto wallet.

In reality, the only working fixes are either to repeatedly restart affected computers in the hope that they stay on long enough for the newly fixed update to download and install, or manually remove the defective file from every bricked computer.

Social engineering expert Rachel Tobac, who founded and heads cybersecurity firm SocialProof Security, said in a series of posts on X that criminals will also use the outage as cover to trick victims into handing over passwords and other sensitive codes.

"Remember: verify people are who they say they are before taking sensitive actions," Tobac said.

Early Friday morning, a defective software update released by CrowdStrike caused a countless number of Windows computers running the company's anti-malware and security software to crash. CrowdStrike said the bug has been fixed, but warned that the need to manually remediate each affected computer could result in lasting outages.

CISA said it was "working closely with CrowdStrike and federal, state, local, tribal and territorial partners," as well as critical infrastructure and its international partners to help with fixes.
Destroyer captain says the US Navy's Red Sea fight is more intense than even the Tanker War in the 1980s

The US Navy's counter-Houthi mission has been described as its most intense combat since World War II.

The captain of a destroyer that deployed to the Red Sea said it surpasses the dangerous Tanker War.

That conflict was part of the broader Iran-Iraq War of the 1980s.

The US Navy has spent months battling Houthi missiles and drones threatening warships and civilian vessels alike in a high-tempo operating environment that has been described as the most intense combat the sea service has seen in nearly eight decades.

One American warship very familiar with the Houthi threat is the destroyer USS Mason, which just returned to its homeport after a restless, monthslong deployment protecting key shipping lanes in the Red Sea and Gulf of Aden.

The Mason's crew, like those of other ships of the Dwight D. Eisenhower Carrier Strike Group that left the region a few weeks ago, has been deeply involved in the counter-Houthi mission, and they have scored intercepts against threats like one-way attack drones and anti-ship ballistic missiles. They also "escorted and saved" more than two dozen merchant vessels as they navigated dangerous waters, the Navy said this month.

Cmdr. Justin Smith, the Mason's commanding officer, told Business Insider in a recent interview that the deployment was "highly successful," noting that it involved "unprecedented sustained combat operations" that have been "unmatched since World War II."

"I am extremely proud of my crew's performance and the resiliency throughout the entire deployment," he added.

Different threat environments

The Navy has seen plenty of combat since 1945  including Korea, Vietnam, and conflicts in the Middle East  but much of it was power projection ashore rather than intense combat at sea between ships and even fleets as WWII had seen. One rare exception to this was the Tanker War that was a part of the larger Iran-Iraq War in the 1980s.

USS Mason sails in the Gulf of Aden Nov. 25, 2023. US Navy Photo by Mass Communication Specialist 3rd Class Samantha Alaman

The Tanker War, the spillover from their brutal land war, saw several years of Iranian and Iraqi attacks on merchant vessels in the Persian Gulf. US warships eventually deployed to the region from 1987 to 1988 to provide escort for Kuwaiti tankers reflagged as American vessels that Tehran had been targeting, an operation that has similarities with the US-led task force trying to defend merchants from Houthi attacks.

The American warships faced a difficult threat environment that consisted of mines and also anti-ship missiles. One such missile that was fired by an Iraqi fighter jet hit the frigate USS Stark, killing more than three dozen Navy personnel. Iraq called it an accident as the Iranians celebrated; the US cut off ties with Iran in 1980 after its revolution and provided some support to Iraq during the conflict.

The Tehran-backed Houthis have fired anti-ship cruise missiles in their ongoing campaign just like Iran did during the conflict in the 1980s. But the rebels have introduced other weapons as well. The group became the first group to use anti-ship ballistic missiles in combat and have routinely fired these weapons into the Red Sea and Gulf of Aden. One attack on a merchant vessel killed several civilians.

The commanding officer of another destroyer deployed to the Red Sea, USS Carney, described anti-ship ballistic missiles to BI as a challenging threat because they're so fast and dynamic. In this conflict, the US Navy scored the first successful interceptions of ballistic missiles fired towards ships.

Smith, the Mason captain, said the Navy is facing a different operating environment in the Red Sea than it did in the Persian Gulf back in the 1980s.

The USS Dwight D. Eisenhower conducts flight operations in the Red Sea on Feb. 23, 2024. US Navy photo

"You are facing higher-end threats, you are facing being inside of a weapons engagement zone for days and months at a time," Smith said.

One Navy sailor who served in the combat-information center on the destroyer USS Gravely during its deployment told BI that the crew might only have seconds to respond to an incoming missile depending on its speed.

The Houthis are an unpredictable enemy, and missile launches can happen at any moment. In this environment, sailors have had to maintain a high-readiness state around the clock as they scanned radar and other sensors for signs of incoming attacks.

Beyond anti-ship missiles, the Houthis have also demonstrated their effectiveness at using drone boats packed with explosives to strike merchant vessels. These vessels are largely defenseless, unlike the US warships in the area, which so far haven't been hit despite some close calls.

"I think the difference between the Tanker War and what we are doing in the Red Sea is that longer, enduring threat and the ability to be inside of a larger area  always having that risk of being targeted or having an engagement that's going to have to take place," Smith said.

"The challenges  from detection and the sustainment, and the watch teams and the readiness  is a lot higher," he said. "And that's why I compare that more so to World War II than, I'd say, even outpacing what was seen during the Tanker War."

Intense air-defense battles

Archer Macy, a retired Navy admiral who served on the amphibious transport dock USS La Salle during the Tanker War, emphasized the high level of readiness required of the American warships in the Red Sea.

This Sept. 21, 1987 file photo shows mines aboard the Iranian ship Iran Ajr being inspected by a boarding party from USS La Salle in the Persian Gulf. AP Photo/Mark Duncan, File

"They have to be ready to shoot on a moment's notice," Macy, now a senior associate at the Center for Strategic and International Studies' Missile Defense Project, explained. "It's a very high state of readiness, and you have to maintain it."

Specifically from the perspective of the almost non-stop air-defense engagements, the Red Sea fight has definitely been more intense than anything the US Navy has seen since World War II, including the Tanker War, he said.

The Second World War was much more intense given the fleets that were facing off. "What the guys were facing in World War II off of Okinawa with the Kamikazes was a lot more than we have faced in the Gulf," Macy said.

The same can't necessarily be said about air combat or sea operations, though. The Tanker War, for example, included a sea battle in which the US Navy sank three Iranian vessels and damaged five more in what was its largest naval action since WWII.

US aircraft have carried out a number of strikes inside Yemen, targeting rebel facilities, radar sites, weapons, and other assets. But they have done so relatively uncontested and at a slower pace than what was seen during the Vietnam War, where naval aviators flew intense bombing campaigns under the threat of Soviet-made surface-to-air defenses.

"Certainly, it's the most intense air-defense challenge we've encountered in a long time," Macy said of the Red Sea fight. But, he added, "it does not match up to World War II."

Read the original article on Business Insider
US prepares to introduce new measures to jam Russian and Chinese satellites

The US Space Force is about to deploy a new ground-based signal jamming system designed to stop Chinese and Russian satellites from transmitting information about US troops during a conflict.

Source: Bloomberg

Details: The first ground-based jammers for Remote Modular Terminals are scheduled to be installed this year after several successful tests. By 31 December, the first 11 of the 24 jammers will be deployed in locations that will not be disclosed for security reasons.

The US Space Force stressed that the terminals are small, transportable, and inexpensive satellite communications jammers that can be deployed in harsh environments to protect US forces.

These new terminals will augment a more extensive jamming system called the Counter Communications System and a medium-sized system called Meadowlands, which the US Space Force has already deployed and is using.

Background:

The US Department of Defense has been actively expanding its space warfare capabilities in 2024, as it believes that China and Russias rapid progress in space operations poses an increasing threat to US satellites in orbit.

Data obtained by the US suggests that Russia is developing nuclear weapons designed to be deployed in Earth orbit, which could pose a threat to American satellites.

Russia has also launched satellites that can be used as space-based weapons.

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US is preparing new sanctions against China for supporting Russia's war efforts

The United States plans to impose new sanctions against Chinese entities that fuel Russia's war in Ukraine, Bloomberg reported on July 19, citing U.S. National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan.

Sullivan hinted that Chinese banks may also be targeted, according to Bloomberg.

"We think China should stop because we think it is profoundly outside of the bounds of decent conduct by nation states," Sullivan said at the Aspen Security Forum in Colorado.

"You can expect to see additional sanctions measures as we watch this picture continue to evolve in the coming weeks."

China has positioned itself as neutral in the ongoing war but has deepened economic ties with Russia and become Moscow's leading source of dual-use goods that feed the Russian defense industry.

Sullivan brought up U.S. President Joe Biden's executive order at the end of 2023, which allowed the U.S. Treasury Department to impose sanctions on banks that finance the production of dual-use goods that help the Russian defense industry.

"These powers had not been granted for nothing," the U.S. national security advisor added.

"We put that in place so that when we find a bank that we feel falls within that sanctions regime, we can do something about it," Sullivan said.

"I don't have a prediction today, but I will just tell you that we have, over time, put the tools together to be able to respond to this kind of behavior. And we will respond to this kind of behavior."

Washington has warned Beijing before of possible sanctions for supporting the Russian defense industry. Sullivan's statement indicates that new restrictions are "near," Bloomberg reported.

China responds when the U.S. comes forward with concrete evidence of financial transactions that violate the sanctions imposed on Russia by the U.S. But "writ large, the picture is not pretty," with Chinese firms continuing to help Russia's war efforts, Sullivan added.

Chinese leadership has previously denied supporting either side of the war and claimed that its ties with Russia do not go beyond the confines of a "normal" relationship, while underscoring its close partnership with Moscow.

Chinese President Xi Jinping and Russian President Vladimir Putin last met in May when Putin visited China for two days.

Speaking on May 16 at a press conference, the pair put on a united front and cast themselves as partners opposed to a Western, U.S.-led world order.

Read also: China, Russia begin joint military drills

Weve been working hard to bring you independent, locally-sourced news from Ukraine. Consider supporting the Kyiv Independent.
By Kanishka Singh

WASHINGTON (Reuters) -The U.S. State Department said on Saturday it has raised Bangladesh's travel advisory to level four, which urges people to not travel to the Asian country due to what Washington described as "civil unrest" amid ongoing protests.

The State Department also said it authorized the voluntary departure of non-emergency U.S. government employees and family members in Bangladesh. A day earlier, the department had urged people to reconsider travel to the country.

WHY IT'S IMPORTANT

Massive protests have broken out in Bangladesh over student anger against quotas that set aside 30% of government jobs for the families of those who fought for independence from Pakistan.

Police have fired tear gas to scatter protesters in some areas while the government has banned public gatherings, imposed communications restrictions, deployed the army in some parts and imposed a curfew. Dozens have been killed in the past week.

KEY QUOTES

"Travelers should not travel to Bangladesh due to ongoing civil unrest in Dhaka. Demonstrations and violent clashes have been reported throughout the city of Dhaka, its neighboring areas, and throughout Bangladesh," the State Department said in a statement.

"Due to the security situation, there may be a delay in provision of routine consular services," it added.

The State Department also said that due to security concerns, U.S. Embassy personnel in Bangladesh are subject to some movement and travel restrictions, which could limit their ability to provide emergency services to U.S. citizens in Bangladesh.

REACTION

The United States and Canada have called on Bangladesh to uphold the right to peaceful protest and expressed concern over violence that has occurred in the country in recent days.

CONTEXT

Students have protested over public sector job quotas, which include a 30% reservation for family members of fighters from the 1971 War of Independence from Pakistan. Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina said the government would form a judicial committee to investigate the killings.

The quotas have caused anger among students who face high youth unemployment rates, with nearly 32 million young Bangladeshis not in work or education out of a total population of 170 million people.

(Reporting by Kanishka Singh in Washington and Gnaneshwar Rajan in Bengaluru; editing by Diane Craft and Nick Zieminski)
Fire crews continued to make progress in putting out several Utah and Arizona blazes that were sparked in July, sending smoke over St. George and surrounding communities.

The air quality had returned to normal ranges on Friday, according to readings from PurpleAir sensors in the St. George area, with the only area still showing unhealthy air conditions north of St. George, in La Verkin.

Read on for updates on five fires that started July 12 through July 17.

Follow the latest on Utah wildfires, smoke from fires and red flag warnings here.

Firefighters battling the Graff Point Fire about five miles south of Cedar City in Iron County, Utah survey the damage to forest lands on Thursday, July 18, 2024.

Graff Point Fire

The Graff Point Fire, sparked by lightning, was discovered at 10 p.m. on July 12 about five miles south of Cedar City in Iron County. It burned 544 acres, and firefighters had built containment lines around 85% of the blaze as of Friday. Suppression costs were estimated at $3.3 million.

Full containment on the fire is expected by July 26. Firefighters over the next week will continue to mop up and monitor that fires do not ignite again in the area, according to the federal incident team managing the fire.

Local fire crews are scheduled to take control of the incident at 6 a.m. on Saturday, July 20. Evacuations and road closures were expected to be lifted at that time, fire officials said.

Firefighters battling the Graff Point Fire about five miles south of Cedar City in Iron County, Utah survey the damage to forest lands on Thursday, July 18, 2024.

Quail Springs Fire

The lightning-sparked fire was discovered at 3:26 p.m. on July 13 in Mohave County, Arizona, about 14 miles south from St. George. It had consumed 1,508 acres and was 45% contained as of Friday. Suppression costs were estimated at about $602,000, according to the Wildland Fire Interagency Service.

Gulch Fire

The lightning-sparked fire was discovered at 4:14 p.m. on July 13 in Mohave County, Arizona, about 12 miles southwest of St. George. The fire burned 926 acres, and firefighters had built containment lines around 90% of the blaze as of Friday. Suppression costs were estimated at just under $400,000.

Cane Springs Fire

The fire was discovered at 7:07 p.m. on July 17 in Mohave County, Arizona. It burned 236 acres as of Friday.

Deer Springs Fire

The human-caused Deer Springs Fire was discovered at 7:02 p.m. on July 7 in the Great Basin Area, about eight miles north of Kanab in Kane County. It burned 11,766 acres and containment was at 85% as of Friday. Suppression costs were estimated at $5.6 million.

This article originally appeared on Redding Record Searchlight: Utah, Arizona fires: Smoke expected to ease over St. George
SALT LAKE CITY (ABC4)  Utah gubernatorial candidate State Rep. Phil Lyman filed a complaint in Utahs courts requesting to inspect unredacted signatures of his oppositions campaigns, including those that helped get incumbent Gov. Spencer Cox and Lt. Gov. Deidre Henderson on the ballot. His request was denied in court on Friday.

The Court heard oral arguments on the Motion on July 18, 2024, at which time neither party sought to supplement the record with testimony or other evidence. Having carefully considered the papers and arguments of counsel, the Court respectfully DENIES the Motion, a filing in the Third Judicial Court states.

Lyman and his campaign had filed official notice requesting election returns, including cast vote records (CVR), tabulator information, ballot images, tabulator tapes, and back up project databases, for all 29 Utah counties.

PREVIOUSLY: Lyman files lawsuit for signatures endorsing governor campaigns

The filing denying Lymans motion states that he and his campaign sought an unredacted list of signors to the Signature Packets with their accompanying personal identifying information, including name, date of signature, address, age or birthdate, voter identification number, and whether the signature was verified, as well as a sufficient opportunity to inspect the unredacted Signature Packets, so they may evaluate and, if necessary, challenge the signatures gathered by these competing campaigns before the July 22, 2024, statewide canvassing deadline.

More specifically  this meant signature packets for the Spencer Cox/Deidre Henderson, Brad Wilson, and Derek Brown campaigns, all candidates for office during the 2024 election cycle. Lyman said the lawsuit was about Utahns right to transparency and to uphold the integrity of the signature-gathering process.

Under Rule 65A of the Utah Rules of Civil Procedure, a preliminary injunction or temporary

restraining order may be issued only if the plaintiff shows four things:

There is a substantial likelihood that the applicant will prevail on the merits of the underlying claim. The applicant will suffer irreparable harm unless the order or injunction issues. The threatened injury to the applicant outweighs whatever damage the proposed order or injunction may cause the party restrained or enjoined. The order or injunction, if issued, would not be adverse to the public interest.

The court states that irreparable harm is generally considered the most important element that must be proven. The requirement for irreparable harm means that the plaintiff may not rely on harms that are overly speculative.

The court determined that Lymans requests were not enough to allege a generalized harm when requesting extraordinary relief, such as a preliminary injunction.

A week after the night of Utahs primary election, Lyman said he had no plans to concede saying Utah deserved a fair election. Lyman doubled down on questioning the integrity of the election with his lawsuit.

Confidence in our elections is crucial, Lyman said in a statement on July 8. Continued obstruction by Lieutenant Governor Henderson, which makes it impossible to independently verify Cox/Hendersons signature packets, does nothing to promote transparency and faith in our elections. We believe this action is essential to ensure the integrity of this important process.

Lyman claimed that he has consistently requested elections information, in both 2020 and 2024, and has consistently been denied.

Despite Lymans doubts, experts say the signatures to get on a ballot are vigorously verified just like a signature that would go onto a mail-in ballot. Zoe Nemerever, an assistant professor of political science at Utah Valley University, previously told ABC4 that signatures, once verified, would be considered legitimate.

Theyre not hokey signatures, even if theyre collected by paid signature gatherers, she said. Theyre still legitimate citizens from the correct districts signatures.

Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. 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.
Utah Gov. Spencer Cox (left) and Colorado Gov. Jared Polis speak at the National Governors Associations summer meeting at the Grand America Hotel in Salt Lake City on July 12, 2024. (Courtesy of the Utah Governors Office)

Its been a year since Utah Gov. Spencer Cox was elected as chairman of the National Governors Association and launched his Disagree Better campaign.

At the time, Politico columnist Jonathan Martin pointed out that the NGA, which he described as a once-vital forum for common ground, had appeared to have fallen prey to polarization, noting that of the nations 26 Republican governors, only three showed up to that years summer meeting, including Cox.

Cox, Martin reported, used his first speech as the NGAs chairman to beg his fellow governors to turn the NGA into a model of civil debate, saying, If were ever going to find our better angels again, it has to start with us setting the example of how to disagree better.

But its hard to do much disagreeing, or have a conversation at all, when nobody is listening: Fewer than a half-dozen governors were still in attendance for his remarks Friday, the sessions closing day, and they were all Democrats, Martin wrote last year. After more than a century of bringing together the nations governors, the NGA  long a wellspring of ideas, forum for best practices and platform for innovating policymaking  is at grave risk of falling victim to the silos plaguing most every other element of American politics.

Though Martin also offered some hope, writing, if any governor can reverse or at least slow this trend, its Cox.

Now the year is over. Last week, at the NGAs summer meeting in Salt Lake City  with big-name speakers including Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and Hollywood star Matthew McConaughey  Cox closed out his NGA chairmanship. He passed the baton to Colorado Gov. Jared Polis, who pledged to continue the Disagree Better work within the NGA while launching his own initiative as chair titled, Lets Get Ready: Educating All Americans for Success.

Governors who attended the National Governors Associations 2024 summer meeting in person, July 11-12 in Salt Lake City

Utah Gov. Spencer Cox, Republican (2023-2024 NGA chairman)

Colorado Gov. Jared Polis, Democrat (2024-2025 NGA chairman)

Wyoming Gov. Mark Gordon, Republican

Oklahoma Gov. Kevin Stitt, Republican

Virginia Gov. Glenn Younkin, Republican

Delaware Gov. John Carney, Democrat

Wisconsin Gov. Tony Evers, Democrat

Hawaii Gov. Josh Green, Democrat

Massachusetts Gov. Maura Healey, Democrat

Rhode Island Gov. Dan McKee, Democrat

Maine Gov. Janet Mills, Democrat

New Jersey Gov. Phil Murphy, Democrat

Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz, Democrat

So how did Cox do? Are enough governors listening to the Disagree Better message?

If governor attendance to the summer meeting is any indication, it appears Cox was able to bring along slightly more Republican governors  that is, one more than last year. Including himself, four GOP governors attended the conference in person: Wyoming Gov. Mark Gordon, Oklahoma Gov. Kevin Stitt, and Virginia Gov. Glenn Youngkin.

The rest of the 13 total governors who attended, according to what Utah News Dispatch observed and a list verified by the Utah governors office, were Democrats.

Overall governor attendance to the summer meeting  which is usually not as robustly attended as the NGAs winter meeting  was on par with whats expected for summer meetings (roughly 10 to 20 governors out of a total of 55).

But impact goes beyond just the governors attendance. When considering total attendees, this summer gathering saw the most attendance in the last five years with over 1,100 registrations, including 60 members of the media, according to the Colorado governors office.

And that doesnt include others who tuned in online or have participated in the Disagree Better campaign in some other form or another. When pressed by a reporter during a media scrum on Friday morning on whether enough governors are listening to his Disagree Better campaign, Cox said hes been pleased with the number of governors that have participated in the effort.

Weve had over 20 governors that have participated in Disagree Better, and its split about 50-50, Republicans and Democrats, he said, adding that about 40 governors attended this years winter meeting that had some similar presentations, including two members of the (U.S.) Supreme Court, a conservative member and a liberal member.

So we believe its been incredibly, incredibly positive, Cox said, and the feedback weve gotten from governors has also been positive.

But during his speech on July 12  closing out the two-day event that served as a capstone to his Disagree Better campaign  Coxs remarks hinted governor participation in NGA was on his mind and could be better. His comments also indicated NGA isnt immune to the polarization hes been trying to combat and could be threatened because of it.

Cox focused much of his speech on urging Americans to focus not so much on tearing down, whether its institutions or people or parties. Building is hard, he said, and its something the U.S. needs more of. We need some architects. We need more builders. And thats exactly what were trying to do.

After that speech, for which he was given a rowdy and drawn-out standing ovation, Cox said he had one more thing to say  and it was focused on the NGA itself.

This institution, of the National Governors Association, please dont tear it down, he said, his voice straining with emotion. Its worth saving.

He paused while gathering his composure.

Its one of the last organizations on earth, in this country, that brings people of both parties together to actually get stuff done, he said. And we need that more than ever.

Cox acknowledged governors schedules are often already jam-packed with meetings.

Look, I know its hard. I know its hard to go to all the meetings, he said, listing off several other acronyms for government organizations. Theres always a reason to make an excuse for the other things. But Im just telling you, we need you. I know you guys are here, but there are a lot of us that arent here.

He thanked the governors who did attend, while begging them, Please, please, please, please  help me convince our colleagues how important (NGA) is.

Cox also said hes confident under the leadership of Polis, as the NGAs new chair, we will be strong. He then announced the new lineup of NGA leadership, including Oklahoma Gov. Kevin Stitt as vice chair. (Each year, the organization switches its chairmanship between Republicans and Democrats).

After Polis officially accepted the NGA gavel from Cox, the organizations new vice chair Oklahoma Gov. Kevin Stitt, a Republican, said he and Polis want to continue (Disagree Better). I think its so important, a conversation that all of us need to have.

Polis  before presenting his new NGA chairs initiative titled Lets Get Ready: Educating All Americans for Success  applauded Cox for taking a new kind of initiative with Disagree Better.

Instead of focusing on usual issues like perhaps infrastructure or mental health, he said Cox really broke the mold and said what we need  is this kind of moral progress as a nation and about how we can disagree better, the way that governors can play a constructive role in helping to heal this national spirit, learning how to engage in meaningful conversations and disagreements with one another again.

Polis said the Disagree Better effort is even more important today than when we began this work, and I know it will live on.

Bill McBride, executive director of the NGA, told attendees in an opening speech on July 11 that although NGA chairs initiatives technically last a year, their impact continues. That would certainly be the case with Disagree Better.

As a bipartisan organization representing our nations governors, finding common ground is essential to the work of the National Governors Association, he said.

In response to a request for further comment on the matter of governor participation and Coxs plea to not tear down the NGA, Polis spokesperson Shelby Wieman said the Colorado governor encourages all governors to participate in the open, meaningful and bipartisan discussions at the (NGA) about the challenges we face, and will continue to make NGA a welcoming space for everyone, no matter their political affiliation.

Wieman said the summer meeting was very productive with governors from both parties and across the country joining together to discuss issues facing our country.

She noted that the governors met directly with Zelenskyy, spoke with McConaughey about improving discourse, and met with King Abdullah II of Jordan, along with other panel discussions.

Hundreds of attendees and thousands more viewed these important conversations, she said. The NGAs public summer meeting discussions were taped and can be viewed on the NGAs website.

Disagree Better is more important now than ever for governors and all Americans, Wieman said. Many governors have been engaged in the initiative and it is having an impact on how Governors interact with one another and Americans. As chair of the NGA, Governor Polis will continue to work with Republicans and Democrats alike to advance good ideas, no matter where they come from.

Contributing: Quentin Young, Colorado Newsline
Utah Gov. Spencer Cox on Friday pledged his support to former President Donald Trump in a notable shift after telling CNN last week he would not vote for Trump in November and hadnt voted for him in 2016 or 2020.

Cox told Trump in a letter he posted on X that God had a hand in saving you, after the attempt on the former presidents life at his Pennsylvania rally last weekend. Your life was spared. Now, because of that miracle, you have the opportunity to do something that no other person on earth can do right now: unify and save our country, he wrote.

Coxs vow to do his best to help and support Trump comes the day after the former president formally accepted the Republican Partys nomination for a third consecutive election, further cementing his hold on and vision for the party. It marks a departure from his previous criticism of the former president.

Cox told CNNs Kaitlan Collins last week on The Source that he would not vote for either presidential candidate this year, noting Trumps role in the January 6, 2021, insurrection at the US Capitol as a concern. He had not voted for the top of the GOP ticket since 2012, Cox told Collins.

In his letter, Cox said he was impressed with the statements Trump and former first lady Melania Trump made following the assassination attempt, saying that there was strength in those words, and also humility. It was a side of you most of us have not seen, and it gave so many of us tremendous hope for the future of our country.

The governor noted differences between himself and his partys nominee, writing: Mr. President, I know we have some differences and you probably dont like me much. And thats OK. I get it. Im not writing this letter looking for a position in your Cabinet or a role on your team. But I have loved so many of your policies and firmly believe that our country has suffered over the last four years due to a lack of leadership and is in desperate need of change.

Trump, he wrote, has a chance to build a coalition of support that our country has not seen since Ronald Reagan.

And you dont have to compromise on a single conservative policy in order to do it. By treating President Biden with basic human dignity and respect and by emphasizing unity rather than hate, you will win this election by an historic margin and become one of our nations most transformational leaders, Cox said.

He continued, By extending an olive branch to voters who are open to persuasion and ignoring the extremists, you can solidify a legacy as one of the most important presidents in our nations 250-year history. You can make your success, in leading our country to a new era of peace, unity, and prosperity, the greatest way to silence your critics.

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FILE - This April 18, 2024, photo released by the Utah Department of Corrections shows death row inmate Taberon Dave Honie, who was convicted of aggravated murder in the brutal stabbing of his girlfriend's mother. (Utah Department of Corrections via AP, File)

Utah officials said Saturday that they are scrapping plans to use an untested lethal drug combination in next month's planned execution of a man in a 1998 murder case. They will instead seek out a drug that's been used previously in executions in numerous states.

Defense attorneys for Taberon Dave Honie, 49, had sued in state court to stop the use of the drug combination, saying it could cause the defendant excruciating suffering.

The execution scheduled for Aug. 8 would be Utahs first since the 2010 execution of Ronnie Lee Gardner, by firing squad.

Honie was convicted of aggravated murder in the stabbing of his girlfriend's mother, Claudia Benn, 49.

After decades of failed appeals, Honies execution warrant was signed last month despite defense objections to the planned lethal drug combination.

They said the first two drugs he was to have been given - the sedative ketamine and the anesthetic fentanyl  would not adequately prevent Honie from feeling pain when potassium chloride was administered to stop his heart.

In response, the Utah Department of Corrections has decided to instead use a single drug  pentobarbital. Agency spokesperson Glen Mills said attorneys for the state filed court documents overnight Friday asking that the lawsuit be dismissed.

We will obtain and use pentobarbital for the execution, Mills said. He said agency officials still believe the three-drug combination was effective and humane.

State officials previously acknowledged that they knew of no other cases of the three-drug combination being used in an execution.

At least 14 states have used pentobarbital in executions, according to the Death Penalty Information Center in Washington, D.C.

However, theres been evidence that pentobarbital also can cause extreme pain, including in federal executions carried out in the last months of Donald Trumps presidency.

Honie's attorney in the lawsuit, federal defender Eric Zuckerman, did not immediately respond to an email seeking comment.

Meanwhile, a hearing is scheduled for Monday on Honie's request to the state parole board to commute his death sentence to life in prison.

Honies lawyers said in a petition last month that a traumatic and violent childhood coupled with his long-time drug abuse, a previous brain injury and extreme intoxication fueled Honies behavior when he broke into his Benn's house and killed her.

They blamed poor legal advice for allowing Honie  a native of the Hopi Indian Reservation in Arizona  to be sentenced by a judge instead of a jury that might have been more sympathetic and spared him the death penalty.
The VA is opening a clinic focused on serving women veterans. It wants your help finding a name.

Blueprints for the new Women's Clinic at the Minneapolis VA have almost everything.

The new clinic space will be airy and accessible, with room for a dizzying array of veteran health services, from lactation consultation to cancer screenings. After years of planning, the groundbreaking is set for September at the Veterans Affairs Health Center.

All the clinic needs now is a name.

The VA is hoping for the public's help on that one.

If you know a veteran, living or deceased, who served her country and her community, the VA is accepting nominations until Oct. 30.

The naming committee will be looking for veterans who were honorably discharged and who had a connection to the Minneapolis VA or the Midwest region it serves.

Maybe the honor will go to a towering figure from state history. Maybe it will go to a living legend like 101-year-old World War II veteran Marion Peck of Le Sueur, a finalist for the 2024 SilverSneakers Member of the Year award. We'll find out if she wins on July 22.

"She did squats for me, the first time I met her," said Dr. Alisa Duran, VA women's health medical director. "With our aging veterans, you always do sort of a 'get up and go' evaluation and look at how they walk and ask about falls. And she's like, 'Watch this!'... We see a lot of our veterans out in the community doing really cool things."

Women are the fastest-growing group within the VA  the number of women veterans has tripled since 2001. The Minneapolis VA Health Care System served more than 7,000 women veterans last year alone. But the clinic space that greeted them was less than they deserved.

The current Women's Clinic sits in an old ICU deep inside the sprawling Minneapolis campus. Veterans had to thread through a series of corridors, waiting rooms and unrelated departments to reach the clinic.

Beyond an inconvenience, not having direct access to care could be a painful barrier for patients dealing with service-related trauma. One out of every three women veterans reports that they experienced sexual harassment or assault during their time in the military. The new facility will allow them to walk in directly from the parking lot, without facing the crowds inside the larger complex.

A great deal of thought will go into the new facility. The new mammogram suites will allow veterans to control the compression of a procedure that can trigger anxiety. The Women's Clinic treats women still in their childbearing years, women going through menopause, all the way up to the Greatest Generation, still going strong at 101 like Marion Peck.

"I loved the Navy," Peck said during a recent VA interview about her SilverSneakers competition. "If they'd take a 101-year-old I'd be on an aircraft carrier tomorrow."

For veterans who were exposed to toxic environments like burn pits during their service, the clinic is expanding cancer screenings for at-risk groups. The new clinic space will have room for classrooms and support groups to meet. There will be social workers and specialists and counselors on hand to help new mothers  veterans can be at higher risk of postpartum depression  through the first year.

A clinic this good is going to need a good name.

"We wanted this new clinic space to represent our women veterans," Duran said. "I think one of the best ways to do that is to name it in honor of one of our female veterans."

The name that goes above the clinic door won't necessarily be the veteran with the highest rank or highest profile. The committee that chooses the name will include a number of women veterans, and they know the qualities they're looking for.

The woman whose name goes on the building will be someone whose life is an example of "service beyond their years of military service," said Emma O'Brien, women veterans program manager. "Of course they'll want to know about what accolades they had while they were on military duty, but also how they've continued to serve their community beyond that."

Anyone who follows the Minnesota Department of Transportation's annual snowplow naming contest knows how much Minnesotans enjoy naming things.

Last year, the St. Cloud VA Healthcare system set out to rename a hallway in honor of one of central Minnesota's women veterans. They received two dozen nominations. The honor went to the late Paynesville native Winnifred "Winnie" Galbraith, who served in the Women's Army Corps during WWII and went on to long years of service with American Legion posts in Little Falls and Waite Park.

The first nomination came in hours after the VA put out the call.

"This went out yesterday and I received one yesterday afternoon. They were ready," O'Brien said. "I'm not surprised. I've had several people, male and female veterans, tell me, 'You should name the new clinic after so-and-so.' Everyone has someone they think it should be named after."

Construction is expected to begin in September and the new clinic should open in 2026. If you know a good name for the new clinic, you can download the nomination form at va.gov/minneapolis-health-care/health-services/women-veteran-care.

If Marion Peck's name doesn't end up on the building, maybe we can get a statue of her out front, in silver sneakers.
Republican vice presidential nominee Sen. JD Vance (Ohio) called on President Biden to resign from office amid calls from within the Democratic party to step aside.

If you cant run, you cant serve, he posted on X Saturday morning. He should resign now.

His comment comes after 12 Democrats called for Biden to leave the presidential race on Friday alone. As of Saturday, 35 Democratic lawmakers have called for Biden to step aside primarily over concerns about his ability to defeat former President Trump in the fall.

The list includes a relatively broad sample of the caucus, including Democrats running competitive re-election bids, like Sen. Sherrod Brown (D-Ohio), and those in uncontested districts, like Rep. Zoe Lofgren (D-Calif.). Just as many lawmakers, however, have issued statements backing Biden as the candidate, and have called for party unity.

Vance critiqued Democrats calling for Biden to step aside, pointing to what he views as a dissonance between wanting Biden off the ticket while believing he can still perform the job now.

Everyone calling on Joe Biden to stop running without also calling on him to resign the presidency is engaged in an absurd level of cynicism, he wrote.

On Saturday, Vance made his first appearance on the campaign trail as Trumps VP pick in Grand Rapids, Mich. President Biden won the state in 2020, serving as one of several key battleground states that secured a Democratic victory.

Having fallen flat at the RNC Convention, Peter Thiels Project 2025 errand boy is lashing out, a Biden campaign spokesperson said in a statement to The Hill about Vance. Its sad really, but we understand its difficult for him running against Joe Bidens historic, bipartisan record of delivering the infrastructure bill Trump couldnt, capping insulin at $35/ month for millions of seniors, lowering prescription drug costs and so much more.

Updated at 6:08 p.m. EST.

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(Bloomberg) -- With very little international oversight of Venezuelas upcoming election, a network of citizen witnesses is the opposition partys best hope of minimizing the risk of vote tampering.

Most Read from Bloomberg

The Unitary Platform  whose Edmundo Gonzalez is running against President Nicolas Maduro  says it has organized enough volunteers to help observe the count at the countrys roughly 30,000 polling tables on July 28.

The witnesses presence is key to the proper supervision of an election, especially given the recurring flawed practices of the ruling party in Venezuela, said Jesus Castellanos, a political scientist and former Venezuela electoral authority official now based in Chile. Witnesses actions are essential to guarantee respect for the popular will in this process.

Venezuelan law has always allowed each party to appoint a witness at each voting table, in each center, but the volunteers have taken on a greater importance given claims of fraud and voter manipulation in recent elections, and an insufficient number of credible international observers this year. Venezuela withdrew the European Unions invitation to observe the vote. The Carter Center, United Nations and Brazil are sending a few electoral experts  not observers  with very limited responsibilities.

All eyes, both within and outside the country, will be watching for transparency and fairness in the vote.

We are in an important moment, I think its a way to contribute to change, said Maria Alejandra, a 29-year-old volunteer witness, whose last name was withheld for safety reasons. The task is a risky one: More than 100 people supporting Machado and Gonzalez in any way have been arrested this year, according to a recent count by Foro Penal, a nonprofit network of lawyers who provide legal assistance to political prisoners in Venezuela.

Still, Maria Alejandra remains optimistic, like many Venezuelans who are feeling the fervor from an energized movement led by the oppositions Maria Corina Machado. She is currently banned from holding office, so Gonzalez is running her place.

In late June, the government changed electoral rules to require that people only serve as witnesses at their own designated voting table. But so many Venezuelans were willing to volunteer that the opposition says the law hasnt stymied its ability to find witnesses for nearly all stations. More than 30% of people surveyed by Caracas-based Delphos in early July said they were willing to stay at voting centers as witnesses, and more than 20% said they were somewhat willing.

Im not worried, we are organized, people right now are not afraid, said Maria, the volunteer. It is going to be different.

On voting day on July 28, the volunteer witnesses, along with polling station staff and some voters, will watch the count. Each staffer and witness must sign a document that states the ballots at each table are valid, and then the electoral authority must upload the numbers from each voting table to their website.

It doesnt always happen this way. Most recently, the electoral board said 10 million people voted in a referendum over the disputed Essequibo territory with neighbor Guyana, despite reports of empty polling centers. Seven months later, the agency still has not published the table-by-table breakdown of votes.

In recent weeks, the opposition has been hosting virtual trainings for its witnesses. However, eight days before the vote, they say they still havent received the required credentials from the electoral authority that would actually allow their witnesses to enter the voting centers. Some trust that they will receive the credentials in the coming week, as in previous electoral processes, but others fear it could happen at the very last minute, to prevent them from distributing the documents to each witness in time.

Venezuelan witnesses face many other challenges, too. Sometimes, they are instead asked to help with other duties if the voting staff is short of people. In some cases, according to previous elections complaints, witnesses have not been allowed inside the center or threatened until they leave. According to Castellanos, this usually happens in small centers that only have one or two voting tables, in places controlled by the government or in remote areas.

And sometimes, claiming fraud goes nowhere. In regional elections in 2017, Andres Velasquez  who at the time was the oppositions candidate for governor of Bolivar state  provided proof of vote tampering. Still, the ruling partys candidate governed until 2021. Velasquez never received an answer to his appeal.

We guarantee the people of Venezuela that each voting table will be taken care of, opposition spokesperson Biagio Pilieri said Thursday. We are going to get the voting minutes, and respect what they say.

The government did not respond to a request for comment, but at a Friday event said Pilieris remarks were part of a plan by the opposition to disavow the results given by the electoral authority, using the copies of their witnesses minutes, in order to put pressure on the international community to keep its sanctions policy toward Venezuela.

Meanwhile, most credible polls in early July showed an average 20-point lead in the race by the opposition. The government dismisses such surveys and says Maduro is leading with a similar difference.

For now, 74-year-old former diplomat Gonzalez remains in the race. Some analysts believe the current conditions will prevail until the date of the vote, discarding previous scenarios in which Gonzalez would be disqualified, the oppositions voting card annulled and the election suspended.

Rain, shine or lightning, Maduro said Thursday, there will be elections on July 28.

--With assistance from Fabiola Zerpa.

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PORTLAND, Ore. (PORTLAND TRIBUNE)  A familiar sight on the way to the Oregon coast along Highway 26 may not be so familiar anymore, thanks to some much-needed updates.

The welcome to Vernonia sign, located at the junction of Highway 26 and Highway 47, has been greeting motorists for years, but it has been steadily in disrepair. All that has changed, as a new sign will be greeting motorists, according to Wela Negelspach, administrative and program manager for the Columbia Economic Team.

PHOTOS: PDX airport debuts immersive, forest-like terminal Aug. 14

The old sign was falling apart, Negelspach said. It was actually just disintegrating by the day. I think it was made out of wood, so it had seen its time.

Negelspach said a group of volunteers in Vernonia called the Freewheelers decided to raise money to get a new sign.

Portland General Electric shares five tips to avoid potential scammers

We had funds from Travel Oregon that we had to spend, she said. It just kind of all came together fluidly  We worked quite a bit with the Freewheelers to get from them what they wanted Vernonia to be seen as.

Read more at PortlandTribune.com.

The Portland Tribune and its parent company Pamplin Media Group are KOIN 6 News media partners

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TOPEKA (KSNT)  Friends are planning a candlelight vigil to celebrate the life of a Topeka woman who died after a domestic violence incident.

Friends of 38-year-old Dedra L. Simmons, of Topeka are hosting a candlelight vigil celebrating her life. The vigil will be at 7:30 p.m. Saturday, July 20 at the corner of Southwest 13th Street and Southwest Western Avenue. Creators of the event say all who want to remember her are invited to the balloon release and candlelight vigil.

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Former Kickapoo tribal chair indicted for assault

Community members are encouraged to wear purple, as the color represents domestic violence awareness. According to the event, Simmons leaves behind her mother, sister, three sons and two granddaughters.

Topeka police say Simmons death is the 10th homicide in Topeka in 2024. Around 6 a.m. Friday, July 19, Topeka police responded to a domestic disturbance call in the 1300 block of Southwest Western Avenue. When officers arrived, they found Simmons suffering from life-threatening injuries. She was taken to a local hospital and later died.

Topeka police transported 32-year-old Demetris Gadson to the Shawnee County Department of Corrections on the following charges:

Murder in the 2nd degree

Attempted murder in the 2nd degree

Aggravated domestic battery

Cruelty to animals

Last chance to win prize, Topeka St. Jude Dream Home

The investigation into this incident is ongoing. Anyone with information regarding this investigation is encouraged to email telltpd@topeka.org or contact the Topeka Police Criminal Investigation Bureau at 785-368-9400. Anonymous tips can be made by calling Shawnee County Crime Stoppers at 785-234-0007. You can also make anonymous tips online.

For more crime news, click here. Keep up with the latest breaking news in northeast Kansas by downloading our mobile app and by signing up for our news email alerts. Sign up for our Storm Track Weather app by clicking here.

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A violent perv beat and raped a woman inside a business on a bustling Queens commercial strip this week, police said.

The sicko entered a commercial building at Main Street and 40th Road in busy downtown Flushing around 10:45 p.m. Sunday and pummeled the 53-year-old woman in the head and face, cops said.

He then raped the woman and ran off, cops said.

The woman was taken to a local hospital, where she was listed in stable condition, authorities said.

The still-at-large sicko pummeled and raped the 53-year-old victim inside a Flushing business, cops said. NYPD

The late Sunday attack happened along a busy commercial strip in downtown Flushing.

A surveillance image released by the NYPD late Thursday showed the brute entering a subway station through the turnstiles.

An NYPD spokesperson was unable to provide the name of the business where the sexual assault occurred, or say whether the victim worked there.

Anyone with information on the sickening crime is asked to call the NYPDs Crime Stoppers Hotline at 1-800-577-TIPS (8477) or for Spanish, 1-888-57-PISTA (74782).

The public can also submit their tips by logging onto the Crime Stoppers website at https://crimestoppers.nypdonline.org/, on X @NYPDTips.
LAS VEGAS (KLAS)  The Voter ID ballot initiative has qualified to appear on the November ballot after signatures were verified by election officials on Friday.

A news release from Repair The Vote PAC said 185,573 signatures had been submitted in support of the initiative, which would require each voter in Nevada to present photo identification when voting in person. If the vote is by mail, Voter ID would require the voter to provide the last four digits of their drivers license or social security number.

The initiative is meant to bolster confidence in elections and ensure that every vote is legitimate, according to the news release.

A minimum of 25,591 signatures from each of the states four congressional districts is required for the initiative to qualify for the ballot.

The Secretary of States website indicates the petition was ruled sufficient as of Friday.

We are elated to have met another massive milestone in this process; now it is up to Nevadans,

said David Gibbs, Chairman of Repair The Vote PAC.

Efforts to amend the state Constitutional amendments require passage in two consecutive elections. Voter ID would be placed on the 2026 ballot if it passes this year.

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SEATTLE (AP)  A Seattle police officer has been fired for making callous remarks about the death of a graduate student from India after she was struck last year by another officers vehicle in a crosswalk.

Seattle interim police Chief Sue Rahr fired Officer Daniel Auderer on Wednesday for the comments he made in the hours after the January 2023 death of Jaahnavi Kandula, The Seattle Times reported.

24 arrested in retail theft sting, over $3K in stolen merchandise recovered

Rahr wrote in a departmentwide email sent Wednesday that it was her duty to uphold the high standards necessary to maintain public trust, and said Auderers actions have brought shame on the Seattle Police Department and our entire profession, making the job of every police officer more difficult.

Her decision came after Gino Betts Jr., the civilian director of the Office of Police Accountability, recommended that Auderer be terminated for unprofessional conduct and showing bias in recorded statements.

Mayor Bruce Harrell, in a statement issued Wednesday afternoon, said he supported Rahrs decision. He and the chief acknowledged it is likely to be appealed and lead to arbitration, and potentially affect the departments efforts to end more than a decade of federal oversight of officer accountability.

This incident damaged the public trust we have been working to strengthen since Day One of my administration, Harrell said.

Auderer is the elected vice president of the Seattle Police Officers Guild, which represents roughly 900 rank-and-file officers. An email sent to the guild from The Associated Press seeking comment was not immediately returned.

In a disciplinary action report laying out the reasons for her decision, Rahr said in Auderers presentation at the disciplinary hearing he acknowledged that his words were hurtful, was horrified to know what they meant to the young womans family, and he wished he could bear their pain. He closed with a heartfelt apology, the chief wrote.

As she considered this, however, she told him your cruel and callous laughter and the pain inflicted on Kandulas family could not be outweighed. Auderer has been an officer since 2009 and Rahr also said she received a number of letters of support for Auderer from his co-workers.

Auderer argued that the conversation he had with union President Mike Solan after Kandulas death was private and was never intended to be overheard. Rahr wrote that his intent to keep his comments private was not sufficiently mitigated considering the devastation of his actions.

Betts and the departments command staff, in a recommendation made to then-Chief Adrian Diaz in January, found Auderer should either be fired or suspended for 30 days without pay, the departments most severe punishment short of termination.

Auderer met with Diaz in May before the chief was to impose discipline but Harrells demotion of Diaz and appointment of Rahr as interim chief later that month delayed action.

Auderer, 49, had been assigned to the traffic division when he became involved in the investigation into Kandulas Jan. 23, 2023, death. He responded to the South Lake Union scene to determine whether Kevin Dave, the officer driving the car that struck Kandula, was impaired.

Dave was driving 74 mph (119 kph) in a 25 mph (40 kph) zone on the way to an overdose call and started braking less than a second before hitting Kandula, according to a report by a detective from the departments traffic collision investigation team. It determined that Dave was going 63 mph (101 kph) when he hit Kandula and his speed didnt allow either of them time to detect, address and avoid a hazard that presented itself.

Prosecutors with King County in Seattle said in February they would not file felony charges against Dave, citing insufficient evidence to prove beyond a reasonable doubt that Dave was consciously disregarding safety. Dave was cited and fined $5,000 by the Seattle City Attorneys Office for negligent driving.

Dave received a delinquent notice in May for failure to pay the fine and is now contesting the citation with a hearing set for mid-August, according to a spokesperson for Seattle Municipal Court.

The investigation into the collision is ongoing. After Kandulas death, Dave was transferred to an administrative role within the department.

Auderer examined Dave and determined he was unimpaired. Auderer then called Solan, the union president. The end of Auderers two-minute conversation was captured on his body camera, which he didnt know was running.

Auderer is heard laughing after stating Kandula was dead, incorrectly saying she was just 26, and reasoning her young life had limited value and that the city should just write a check for $11,000.

The conversation went undiscovered until last August, when police officials heard the audio from his body camera.

Backlash to Auderers comments was swift, including condemnation from the government of India, Kandulas home country. The public outcry also led the police department to reassign him to desk work pending the outcome of the internal investigation about his comments.

Auderer and Solan have insisted their conversation involved union business and has been taken out of context  saying they were showing disdain for a legal process in which civil lawyers would argue and try to place a dollar value on Kandulas life. Solan also claimed the OPA investigation amounted to union-bashing.

Betts concluded it was immaterial whether the recording was unintentional and that the topic, union business, didnt excuse its content.

For many, it confirmed, whether fairly or not, beliefs that some officers devalue and conceal perverse views about community members  heightened by the fact that the rank-and-files highest elected representatives participated in the call, Betts wrote in his findings, which are also sharply critical of Solans unwillingness to cooperate with the OPA investigation.

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Would slashing public defender caseloads in Washington better ensure people accused of crimes, but unable to afford a lawyer, receive counsel as they are constitutionally guaranteed?

The state Supreme Court is considering a request to reduce the number of cases public defense attorneys handle each year by up to two-thirds, and is seeking the publics opinion on whether it is a good idea.

Justices will hold a hearing next month on changes sought by the Washington State Bar Association and its Council on Public Defense to deal with persistent challenges imperiling the ability to provide timely and effective representation for indigent defendants statewide.

Public defense in Washington is facing a crisis of attrition and an inability to recruit staff brought about by excessive workloads and poor compensation, bar association members wrote in the summary of the requested amendments to the Courts Standards for Indigent Defense Services.

Attorneys are resigning from the public defense profession in droves because they cannot continue the work given the volume of cases, they wrote.

More: Mounting caseloads and lack of defense attorneys putting Bremerton's court at risk

The bar association wants the court to increase minimum support staff requirements, revise attorney qualifications to enable lawyers to handle a variety of cases faster, and pare caseloads.

Justices do not face a deadline to act. They enjoy a full slate of options. They can accept, reject or modify any or all of the proposals. Any decision will be handled similar to a court case.

We hash it out with robust discussion, Justice Mary Yu said in an email Wednesday. Our discussion for voting is like case discussions; it is confidential but the outcome is public via a court order. The vote including dissents are published. What is different than cases, is that we can talk with anyone about the proposed rule before we act.

It is about money

Caseloads have been a topic of conversations the past two years.

Under standards the state Supreme Court adopted in 2012, a full-time public defense attorney or assigned counsel should have no more than 150 felony cases or 300 misdemeanor cases a year.

In January 2022, the Council on Public Defense started a comprehensive review of the existing Standards for Indigent Defense Service.

In the meantime, a year ago, the American Bar Association, the National Center for State Courts and the RAND Justice Policy Program released the National Public Defense Workload Study that concluded public defenders should handle far fewer than 150 felony cases.

Washingtons high court asked the state bar association to weigh in on whether, in light of the report, the current cap needed adjusting.

The association responded in March with a recommendation  now under public review  for new maximums of 47 felony or 120 misdemeanor cases in a year, depending on the severity. The reduction would be phased in over three years.

Under the proposal, crimes are assigned a number of credits based on seriousness and complexity of providing a legal defense. A motor vehicle theft is assigned one credit and a murder seven, for example. That means a lawyer could theoretically be assigned 47 vehicle theft or seven homicide cases in a year before hitting their limit.

Reducing caseloads by roughly 60% will require hiring many attorneys. Local government leaders are concerned they wont be able to find them and, if they do, will lack money to pay them. And if the Supreme Court sets new minimum staffing levels for paralegal and other support staff, it will compound the challenge.

A rigid requirement doesnt make sense for all of the circumstances we have, Lindsey Hueer, government relations advocate for the Association of Washington Cities said on Wednesday. It might actually create problems that are not already there.

Its a message the organization delivered to leaders of the state bar association In March  before they approved the recommendations they sent to the court.

Funding constraints will leave cities facing an untenable choice to cut critical programs, including funding for other court staff and judicial programs, as well as human service programs designed to address root causes of criminal behavior and keep individuals out of the criminal justice system, Candice Bock, government relations director wrote in a letter to the bar association.

Even if the state provides money, she continued, cities will not be able to hire triple the number of public defense attorneys. A reduced caseload standard will not result in three times as many individuals being interested in pursuing a career in public defense in such a short amount of time.

Jason Schwarz, director of the Snohomish County Office of Public Defense and chair of the associations Council on Public Defense, acknowledges theres no easy solution.

Ultimately it is about money, he said. I dont know how the state and local governments are going to figure it out.

Supreme Court justices will host two public hearings, the first on Sept. 25. Comments can also be submitted by Oct. 31 via email to supreme@courts.wa.gov or in writing to P.O. Box 40929, Olympia, WA 98504-0929.

This story was initially published by Washington State Standard, a nonprofit news organization and part of the States Newsroom network, covering state issues. Read more at washingtonstatestandard.com.

This article originally appeared on Kitsap Sun: Washington state could lower caseloads to ease public defenders crisis
CABOT, Pennsylvania  Michael Drane held his hand over his head and squinted to see past the billowing mass of an American flag hung from a fire ladder.

The 66-year-old saw two snipers positioned with binoculars atop the Cabot Methodist Church that had once been his sons' grade school. Below them were dozens of local and regional firefighters and law enforcement.

Friday, the church was a scene of mourning after the nations most recent act of political violence, which placed Butler County in the national spotlight as community members grappled with loss and tried to heal.

You always think this will happen in another county, in another state or on the other side of the world, Drane said. You just dont think it can happen here, to you.

An American flag flies, attached to a fire truck, at Cabot United Methodist church Friday, July 19, for the funeral of Corey Comperatore, the Buffalo Township man killed at Saturday's rally for former President Donald Trump from a would-be assassin's stray bullet.

Six days earlier, roughly 16 miles from the church in Cabot, former President Donald Trump was shot in the ear by Thomas Matthew Crooks. Two others were critically injured. Corey Comperatore was killed shielding his family from Crooks bullets.

Comperatore was laid to rest Friday following a private funeral with family and friends. Outside the ceremony, Drane paid his respects, standing alongside his wife and family members.

Were just numb, seeing all of this, he said.

A shaken community grapples with loss

Although Drane didnt know Comperatore, he drove by their home every day on his way to work, seeing the family at major milestones, including when they moved to the area.

I saw his wife walking around the front yard when she was pregnant, Drane said, pointing down the road. Their house is 3 miles from the church.

While standing outside Cabot Methodist Church waiting for the funeral service to begin, Dranes 59-year-old brother James walked down from the church lot after parking his Upper Burrell Township fire engine nearby.

A family watches the fire engines leave outside Cabot United Methodist church Friday, July 19th for the funeral of Corey Comperatore the Buffalo Township man killed at SaturdayOs rally for former President Donald Trump from a would-be assassinOs stray bullet.

A firefighter and veteran, James Drane said its important the country remember Comperatore, a veteran and firefighter, even if he didnt die carrying out those roles.

It feels like a police officer who died in the line of duty, James Drane said. It almost feels like were doing more.

James Dranes wife and children died at very young ages, so he feels a connection to Comperatore, who he said died a hero protecting his family.

Looking to the present for optimism

Despite the tragedy, James Drane is optimistic about the future after seeing the outpouring of support from around the nation and the world.

Two GoFundMe pages have raised over $7.7 million that will go toward the Comperatore family and the families of the two other shooting victims, David Dutch, 57, and James Copenhaver, 74. They were said to be in stable condition one day after the shooting. Trump said Thursday they were continuing to progress in their recovery.

In recent days, Drane said he saw fire trucks in his community that had driven from as far away as Massachusetts and West Virginia to honor Comperatore.

Looking down the street at more than a dozen journalists, photographers and cameramen mingling with residents holding flags, he said the nation still can unite and heal.

Every tragedy has a silver lining, he said. This brought the community and the country together.

Looking to a brighter future for Butler County

During the funeral, Sharon Ambrose, 63, planted American flags in the ground outside her sister-in-law's home, which sits adjacent to the church. The hard ground proved difficult, so she handed four flags to her grandkids.

Ambrose did not know Comperatore personally but had family who considered him a best friend. Those family members, mostly in-laws, attended the Friday funeral.

Merri Carbo waves a flag outside as a motorcade of fire engines and EMS vehicles headed off to the funeral of Corey Comperatore, the Buffalo Township man killed at Saturday's rally for former President Donald Trump.

I wanted to show up and support them, even if Im not in there, she said.

The assassination attempt left Butler County shaken and has affected everyone, but Ambrose is confident the community will heal and move on.

For example, she said, the 76th annual Butler Farm Show will begin on Aug. 5 and run for five days on the same grounds Comperatore was killed.

Its still going forward, but Im sure (the shooting) will impact it, Ambrose said. Im sure there will be something honoring (Comperatore)."

Her grandkids plan to show cows and pigs. The competition, she said, is something most children in the county look forward to competing in.

Its a good way to move on, Ambrose said.

Corey Comperatore honored, laid to rest

As the funeral wrapped up, Comperatores family and friends left the church. Some sat on chairs while others stood outside the front doors. Some wiped away their tears while others stood, watching the honor guard.

When the sound of bagpipes blew from the funeral, onlookers like Ambrose, her sister-in-law and the Dranes stood at attention, saluting toward the church until the last note fell quiet.

The silence that followed enveloped the street outside the church, only to be interrupted by the sharp crack of a gun salute that made some well-wishers flinch.

Moments later, firefighters placed and strapped the casket onto the back of the No. 7 Saxonburg Volunteer Fire Department truck that had carried Comperatore in during the procession.

Pallbearers ride with the casket of Corey Comperatore from Cabot United Methodist Church in Winfield Township to the cemetery Friday, July 19th. Comparatore was killed at SaturdayOs rally for former President Donald Trump from a would-be assigns stray bullet. Kevin Whitlock / Massillon IndependentnPublished Image

Ambroses grandkids stood along the street waving their flags as others stood with their hats off watching Comperatores family drive by on their way to place their loved one to rest in a cemetery a few miles away.

For the community, this was awful, Ambrose said. Were still going forward.

Bryce Buyakie is a reporter for the USA Today Network. He can be reached by email at bbuyakie@gannett.com or on X, formerly known as Twitter, @bryce_buyakie.

This article originally appeared on Akron Beacon Journal: Community begins to heal as it remembers Corey Comperatore
Project: A new subdivision called East Mountain near Moon Mountain City Park.

Location: Deerfern Road and Rockrose Lane, Eugene.

In Eugenes tight housing market, it can be a challenge for individuals and households to find the right fit for their needs and lifestyles.

A new subdivision in the Laurel Hill region of Eugene aims to provide new homes for sale in the Southeast hills. The subdivision, East Mountain, has seven different two-story floor plans to choose from, ranging from three-bedroom, two-bathroom dwellings to homes with four bedrooms and three bathrooms. Prices for these homes start in the $500,000 range.

The East Mountain subdivision is undergoing phased construction in Eugene's Laurel Hill region. Once complete, the neighborhood will offer dozens of market-rate homes for sale.

East Mountain is located near parks such as Moon Mountain City Park, Laurel Hill Park, Amazon Park and the Floral Hill trailhead. The neighborhood sits about a 10-minute drive from Edison Elementary School, Roosevelt Middle School and South Eugene High School. It takes about five minutes to drive to the University of Oregon campus and just over 10 minutes to get to Lane Community Colleges main campus off of E. 30th Ave.

Over 20 of the homes in the East Mountain subdivision have already been sold and occupied while several houses are still under construction for future move-ins.

Subdivision Size: There are currently over 50 homes that are either sold, for sale or slated for future sale.

Developer: Holt Homes, serving Oregon and Southwest Washington.

Sources: City of Eugene Planning and Development Department Permit Records, Lane County Property Records, Holt Homes.

Is there something under construction that youd like to learn more about? Contact growth and development reporter Hannarose McGuinness at hmcguinness@registerguard.com

This article originally appeared on Register-Guard: What's that construction in Eugene's south hills?
VIRGINIA (WFXR) The White House recently announced $325 million in funding from the Choice Neighborhoods Implementation Grant to seven communities across the country to build more homes and revitalize neighborhoods that have been left behind. One community receiving funding includes the Norfolk Redevelopment and Housing Authority (NRHA), which received $2.5 million to help lower housing costs in Virginia.

The awards will redevelop low-income housing with services focused on income, health, and education. Grants may also be used for neighborhood improvements which promotes economic development and increase in private investments.

We are excited to announce the Choice Neighborhoods funding here in Las Vegas, which marks a transformative step towards uplifting our communities. This funding is not just an investment in buildings and infrastructure  its an investment in people, said United States Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) Acting Secretary Adrianne Todman. By enhancing housing options, this administration remains committed to building neighborhoods where everyone has the chance to thrive.

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Choice neighborhoods are a critical tool used by the White House to preserve and expand the supply of affordable housing across the nation. The program has led to new businesses, parks, and grocery stores in low-income neighborhoods nationwide, and has increased resident income in most areas as well.

The seven awardees, including the Norfolk Redevelopment and Housing Authority, will collectively invest more than $2.65 billion in additional resources within the Choice Neighborhood area.

Not only are these awards made in neighborhoods in greatest need, but awardees demonstrate the vision, diligence, and capacity to leverage these funds to expand housing supply and provide vital resources to residents, said Richard J. Monocchio, HUDs Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary for Public and Indian Housing.

Founded in 1940, the NRHA is the largest redevelopment and housing authority in Virginia. It is a national leader in real estate development and property management.

Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to WFXRtv.
President Joe Bidens health is improving after he was diagnosed with COVID-19 on Wednesday while traveling in Las Vegas, according to the Physician to the President.

A statement issued by Dr. Kevin OConnor says that the president completed his sixth dose of PAXLOVID  a prescription medicine used to treat mild-to-moderate coronavirus symptoms  on Saturday morning.

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He is still experiencing a loose, non-productive cough and hoarseness, but his symptoms continue to improve steadily, Dr. OConnors statement read. His pulse, blood pressure, respiratory rate and temperature remain absolutely normal.

Bidens oxygen saturation is excellent, and his lungs remain clear, Dr. OConnor added.

It was determined through genomic sequencing that Biden, 81, contracted the KP .2.3 variant; according to the CDC, this variant accounts for approximately a third of new infections in the U.S.

The president continues to tolerate treatment well and will continue PAXLOVID as planned, Dr. OConnor said. He continues to perform all of his presidential duties.

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After first being diagnosed, Dr. OConnor reported that Biden was experiencing upper respiratory symptoms [including] a runny nose, non-productive cough and general malaise.

Biden was slated to speak at the UnidosUS event in Las Vegas on Wednesday afternoon as part of an effort to rally Hispanic voters ahead of the November election, but he was unable to after testing positive.

Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. 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 White House said Friday that is setting a goal of ending the federal governments purchasing of single-use plastics by 2035.

The Biden administration added that it would try to phase out federal purchasing of such plastic for food service operations, events and packaging by 2027.

Plastic production and waste have doubled over the past two decades, littering our ocean, poisoning the air of communities near production facilities, and threatening public health, the White House said in a fact sheet.

Microplastics have become omnipresent in the environment. Human exposure to these tiny plastics have been linked to brain development and reproductive development issues in animal studies.

Whether the White Houses new goals actually come to fruition could be dependent on who wins the presidency both in November and in years ahead. Nevertheless, environmental advocates praised the move.

The U.S. government is the worlds largest purchaser of goods and services, and its purchasing decisions can have a global impact said Christy Leavitt, plastics campaign director at Oceana, in a written statement.

This positive step reduces U.S. reliance on single-use plastics, which harm our oceans, climate, and communities, Leavitt 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.
'I have witnessed the grief of a politician' who did not bow out, ran against age and lost

As Bill Roths widow, reading your July 9 article about Bills failed reelection bid of 2000 stirred up some painful memories.

When Bill told me he was running again, I became very concerned. He had aged considerably in the past few years. I worried that he was not up to the heavy demands of being a senator and a committee chair. After he fell in public, I became more worried about Bills welfare. He would be heartbroken if he lost and not up to the challenge if he won. I asked Bill to sit down with myself, our son, and his chief of staff. The three of us urged Bill not to run. Unfortunately, there were many around him who assured Bill that he could handle the job and would win. He chose to listen to them.

Incumbent U.S. Sen. Bill Roth, R-Del., gives the thumb up after casting his vote at the H.B. du Pont Middle School near Yorklyn on Nov. 7, 2000. Roth lost the race to his Democratic opponent, then-Delaware Gov. Thomas Carper.

On Election Night, the campaign staff had reserved the Gold Ball Room for a celebration and set aside the Presidential Suite for Bill and me to retire to after the celebration.

READ THE STORY THAT INSPIRED THIS PIECE: The veteran Delaware politician who wouldn't retire. It's not who you think

When it became evident that Bill had lost, the staff took us up to the Suite. Bill looked around at the champagne cooling in a bucket and at the handsome decor of the Suite. His face was drawn and pale. He turned to me and said, I want to go home. His heart was broken. I took him home.

I have witnessed the grief of a politician, one with a long record of significant accomplishments when he loses the support of the people. Bill thought he would win despite his age and his health problems. The reality was that the voters wanted a younger representative with new ideas and new energy.

For Bill, it was a very sad ending to his 30 years in the Senate. I think he never got over it. As his spouse, I believe he would have been happier if he had bowed out. His remaining years would not have been touched with a sense of loss but instead with one of accomplishment.

Jane R. Roth is a senior judge for the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit and wife of the late Bill Roth, a long-serving U.S. Senator from Delaware. She currently resides in Washington, D.C.

This article originally appeared on Delaware News Journal: The grief of losing an election to age and the hard choice to make
Cream Big

Out in wild Ohio, a woman has been arrested for allegedly smashing the windows of a Cybertruck out of which someone ran an ice cream stand.

As Dayton's WHIO local broadcaster reports, a 29-year-old Indiana woman was arrested earlier this week for clobbering the futuristic-looking Tesla truck used by the owners of Cyber Cream Dayton, a seemingly mom n' pop ice cream stand operated out of the back of the vehicle.

According to the owner of the Cybertruck, he was alerted to the sound of glass breaking by his home's Ring camera.

When he went outside, he saw the woman drive up into his driveway, get out, and start hitting the car  which apparently had two children inside it  and then get back into her own and drive away.

"They were both crying," the man told WHIO of the kids, whose relation to him is unknown. "They just witnessed something really bizarre and strange happen."

Charging Up

Just minutes after the incident, police found the woman nearby and arrested her on a misdemeanor vandalism charge. The man who owns Cyber Cream Dayton told the local broadcaster that he's not going to press any additional charges against the woman, who he'd never seen before she went berserk on his electric truck.

To make matters worse, the man who owns Cyber Cream Dayton said that because of the expensive damage done to his Cybertruck during this "random act of violence," as he called it in an Instagram post, he and his wife will be unable to continue running the business that only got up and running in May.

"Within 30 seconds," he said, "our business was torpedoed."

While a lot remains unclear about this story, including what the woman hit the car with and why there were children in the car while the man was seemingly indoors, it nevertheless sounds like a pretty jarring incident.

Adding kids into the mix makes this story all the scarier.

"I feel really sorry for the children," the Cyber Cream Dayton owner said, "and we just really wish the best for everyone, we want everyone to come out OK with this."

More on Cybertrucks: Cybertruck No Match for the Fury of Hungry Raccoons
A woman from Oregon who burned a Quran outside a Dearborn mosque says she plans to return to the city by the end of the summer to again burn the holy book for Muslims.

Sorbeah Almosa lit on fire a Quran at about 4 a.m. on July 13 on a sidewalk outside the Al-Huda Islamic Association, a mosque on Warren Avenue, as a protest against what she said were extremist statements made at rallies in Dearborn in recent months. Almosa is outspoken against Islam, claiming that Islamic law, sharia, poses a threat to the U.S. She has taken part in various conservative protests in Oregon in recent years.

"I will be back," Almosa told the Free Press on Wednesday. She said the next time she's in Dearborn, she intends to protest against Dearborn Mayor Abdullah Hammoud and again burn a Quran because he issued a public alert about her the day before she burned the Quran.

Her Quran-burning was the latest event in Dearborn over the past 15 years involving anti-Islam protesters targeting the city, which has the highest percentage of Arab Americans among all cities in the U.S. Most of the Arab American population in Dearborn is Muslim. In previous years, demonstrators against Islam were met with protests and the hurling of objects in a couple of cases, but there were none this time.

Almosa said that officers approached her when she was walking toward the mosque during the early morning hours of July 13. There were nine officers in five cars in total who eventually arrived, she said. A Dearborn officer spoke with her about her plans and then allowed her to burn the Quran she had with her.

"That's protected First Amendment speech," the officer said on a video Almosa recorded and posted on X. "If you burn like the Quran or Bible or American flag, that is First Amendment protected speech."

The officer asked her whether she had any accelerant with her, saying he wanted to make sure the fire didn't spread and cause damage. Almosa said no, and then moments later, burned the book.

Screenshot of video by Sorbeah Almosa taken on Saturday, July 13, 2024, outside Al Huda Islamic Association, a mosque in Dearborn on Warren Avenue. At about 4 a.m., she burned a Quran here, according to her and a city spokesman. Almosa said she plans to return to Dearborn.

"I finally made it out to Dearborn, Michigan," she said in a video, holding a Quran that was ablaze. "Got cop protection while I burn this Quran ouside of Al-Huda."

She flew back to Portland a few hours later.

Almosa was not charged, arrested or given a ticket by police. In the past, Dearborn authorities have been more strict in dealing with anti-Islam protesters. In 2011, a Christian pastor from Florida known for burning Qurans, Terry Jones, was put on trial after trying to hold a rally in Dearborn, briefly jailed, and then ordered to not protest outside a Dearborn mosque, the Islamic Center of America, for three years.

During his trial, then Dearborn Police Chief Ronald Haddad testified that a Muslim cleric in Dearborn told him of his concern of the potential reaction of youths, saying that for some Muslims, burning a Quran is worse than a thousand deaths. Jones rallied in 2012 at the mosque after Wayne County and federal judges ruled in his favor. In 2010, some Christian missionaries were arrested by Dearborn police at the Arab International Festival for disturbing the peace; after they filed a lawsuit, the city of Dearborn publicly apologized to them in 2013 and reached a settlement. In another case, a federal appeals court ruled in favor of a California pastor whom the city tried to prevent from handing out pamphlets. In 2014, a Detroit man, Ali Hassan Al-Asadi, was fined $400 by the city of Dearborn for open burning and littering after he burned Qurans in Dearborn.

A city spokesman, Hassan Abbas, confirmed Almosa did burn the Quran at 4 a.m. and left shortly afterward. Cpl. Dan Bartok of Dearborn police did not return messages seeking details about the incident.

After Almosa arrived in metro Detroit, she posted a video on X at about 6:30 p.m. July 12 of her driving outside Al Huda mosque and a mosque in the south end of Dearborn, the American Moslem Society. About an hour later, Mayor Hammoud issued a public alert on his Facebook account the evening of July 12 warning of her.

"Please be vigilant and report any sightings of the individual pictured below," Hammoud wrote, with photos of her beneath. "She has recently arrived in Dearborn and expressed intent to burn Qurans. There have been reports of her driving around neighborhoods and surveilling religious institutions."

Hammoud added that the city has increased police patrols at houses of worship.

"For your safety, please do not approach her. Instead, contact the Dearborn Police Department immediately if you have any information," Hammoud wrote.

A Quran was burned outside the Al-Huda Islamic Association on Warren Avenue in Dearborn on Saturday, July 13, 2024.

Almosa said she was not aware the mayor had put out an alert about her until she was back in Oregon.

"You've made it incredibly dangerous for me," she said of Hammoud's alert. "I was not aware of this. And he had notified the police and the police were at that particular location waiting for me. They were already there by the time I got there. And I don't know how long they had been there because I told nobody what time I'd be going there."

More: Students at fake university in Michigan created by ICE can sue US, court rules

Almosa said that when she walked on the sidewalk toward the mosque, a police officer approached, surprising her.

Almosa said she's going to speak to an attorney and research Michigan laws before she returns to Dearborn to protest against Hammoud, whether outside City Hall or another address, and intends to burn the Quran while doing it.

"So long as I'm not on his property, I can stand on the sidewalk and yell at him, I can go to City Hall, I can go to where he works," she said.

A message left with Al-Huda mosque was not returned. In a separate case in 2022, Ahmed Taqi, 37, of Dearborn, set fire to a part of the mosque and then was killed by police after he had fired first at them, police said. Taqi had mental health challenges, Hammoud said at the time. The FBI ruled out any ideological or sectarian motivations.

Contact Niraj Warikoo: nwarikoo@freepress.com or X @nwarikoo

This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: Oregon woman burns Quran in Dearborn, plans to return to protest again
A woman with dementia who became lost in the Utah mountains amid severe heat last month was found safe, thanks to her dog staying by her side and barking over multiple days.

On June 24, the woman went out to walk her dog near her familys cabin in the states Emery County, local news station KTVX reported on Friday. When she didnt come back, her family searched for her all night before contacting authorities in the morning.

Search teams were initially unable to find the woman, as daytime temperatures soared to near 100 degrees. Then, at about 3:30 a.m., conservation officer James Thomas and search dog Kip heard the sound of another dog barking, according to a social media post from the Utah Division of Wildlife Resources.

Conservation officer James Thomas is pictured with Kip, a search dog who was crucial to a woman's rescue in Utah. Utah Division of Wildlife Resources/Facebook

They followed the sound but didnt find the woman at the time. Thomas noted to KTVX that Kip kept running up toward the mountainside, but the officer thought it was unlikely the woman was up that high.

The next day, a neighbor said that he had also heard barking. Security footage taken near the neighbors home showed the direction the woman had gone, and revealed that she had been walking toward the mountainside. Thomas, Kip and the neighbor used that information to get closer to her location, higher on the mountain than they had been before. As evening fell, the barking started up again, growing louder, the state wildlife agency said.

Following the barking ultimately led to the missing woman and her dog, a chocolate Labrador. KTVX reported that the Lab was not on a leash, but had stayed by the woman.

Shes really lucky that she had her dog with her, Thomas said.

The wildlife agency said the woman was shoeless, extremely dehydrated, and marked with scratches and bruises, but that she was overall in good condition. She was taken to a local hospital for evaluation.

At the end of the day, her dog saved her life by barking to alert our officer and K-9 Kip, the agency said. Were so glad she was found safe.

Related...
PORTLAND, Ore. (KOIN)  A woman has been hospitalized with life-threatening injuries after being attacked by a pack of dogs in North Portland on Monday morning, Portland police said.

Just after 8 a.m., officers responded to a medical call near an encampment at North Columbia Boulevard and North Upland Drive, saying it was a chaotic scene.

Shots fired, fire started in Cully townhouse as police lead standoff with man inside

On arrival, they found a pack of dogs had attacked a woman. While the woman was being attacked, two other people tried to intervene and were injured by the dogs as well, officials said.

The woman was taken to the hospital while one of the bystanders was also hospitalized with serious injuries, officials said. The other bystander only suffered minor injuries.

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Multnomah County Animal Control then responded to the scene and took possession of the eight dogs believed to have been involved in the incident. They are now being held by the agency pending further investigation by PPB and Multnomah County Animal Control.

No further information, including the identity of the victim, has been released at this time.

Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to KOIN.com.
CUMBERLAND COUNTY, Pa. (WHTM)  A woman is wanted for a smoke shop burglary in Shippensburg where State Police say tens of thousands of dollars worth of items were stolen.

According to State Police in Carlisle, a warrant is out for Jessica Stines arrest for the theft at the Shippensburg Vape and Smoke Shop, located at 304 N Earl Street, that happened in October 2022.

Stine, of Shippensburg, is accused of stealing hundreds of items worth $24,063.80, which included cigarettes, smoking devices, cash, Pennsylvania Lottery tickets, and a black safe, according to court documents.

After arriving at the scene, Troopers say they saw there were missing cigarettes, the cash registers were empty and lottery tickets were removed from their drawers and put around the counter. One smoking device was broken and others were missing.

A worker told Troopers when they showed up for their morning shift, they saw the registers were empty. According to the charges, there was also a witness who reported seeing the entire theft happen and gave State Police the suspects description.

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State Police say video cameras also showed Stine disabling the alarm system, entering the store, and putting items in trash bags.

State Police were later told that Stine was seen with garbage bags that had cigarettes and vape smoking products, along with a black mask, hours after the theft happened, the charges say.

Stine faces felony charges of theft, burglary and criminal trespass along with misdemeanor charges of tampering with evidence and criminal mischief.

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Anyone with information on Stines whereabouts is asked to contact PSP Carlisle at (717) 249-2121.

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Trump seems to be offering up a similar playbook to what he offered up back in 2020 - BRENDAN SMIALOWSKI/AFP via Getty Images

The Grand Old Party now belongs to Donald Trump. What will he do with it?

The former president has, perhaps for the first time since the Trump saga began in 2015, staked his claim on the Republican party without any meaningful pushback.

Republicans who once called him dangerous or an idiot  including his vice presidential pick JD Vance  have all boarded the Trump train. The traditional wing of the party (think former presidential candidate Mitt Romney, or the Republicans who Trump helped to oust like Liz Cheney) skipped the convention and have gone quiet.

The battle for the soul of the Republican Party was fought and Trump has proved victorious  at least for this current phase of US politics. Make America Great Again (Maga) is the new economic policy of the Republican Party.

But as one battle ends, another begins  and what exactly does it mean to make America great again?

Right now there are varying, and sometimes dramatically different, versions of the Trumpian agenda  especially when it comes to economic policy. The best-highlighted narrative in recent days is that espoused by Trumps choice for vice president.

Vance, the junior senator from Ohio, rose to fame back in 2016 with his autobiography Hillbilly Elegy, which spoke to the experiences of white, working-class Americans in Rust Belt towns who had been overlooked by decades of economic policy crafted in Washington DC.

Tax cuts are by no means the priority of Trump's running mate, JD Vance - Drew Angerer/Getty Images

The books release overlapped with Trumps first run for the White House, when he was speaking and appealing to a similar demographic. Vance didnt believe it at the time  but in his speech at the Republican National Convention this week, he insisted that Trump is Americas last best hope to restore what, if lost, may never be found again.

Yet what Vance advocates for the economy is not so much a restoration of what came before, as a far more radical version of Trumps existing protectionist leanings.

For all of Trumps talk of trade wars and America First during his first presidency (and there were certainly plenty of nods to this agenda throughout the four years), he took a relatively traditional Republican approach to the economy: pushing through tax cuts and promoting a more liberal business environment.

While Vance broadly agrees with creating a more liberal regulatory framework, tax cuts are by no means his priority. In an interview with the New York Times earlier this year, he laid out the case for more tariffs  going much further with protectionism in a bid to push up American wages.

Its a noble goal, but his means for achieving it is also likely to weaken the purchasing power of the people it is meant to benefit: driving up prices is rarely a recipe for making people feel better off.

Trumps choice of Vance has been seen as a signal by many Republicans that he would lean into the protectionism he flirted with last time he was in the White House. He was already floating the idea of a 10pc import tariff long before he chose his running mate.

But what might his team of roving economists say about this?

While Trump is being pushed in a protectionist direction by one side, more free-market thinkers in his orbit have been advocating for Trump to stick to tax. This spring, a group of his former economic advisers, including Larry Kudlow and Art Laffer, suggested that he consider a flat tax, while pushing back on the idea of going all in for trade wars.

Its also hard to imagine that the recent endorsements from a host of billionaires were driven by enthusiasm for cracking down on trade. The assassination attempt on Trump last weekend led Elon Musk to pledge his support, while a series of venture capitalists have also made it known that they back him.

One wonders whether Vances desire to target big business and high finance  Were done, ladies and gentlemen, catering to Wall Street, he said at the convention  will appeal to the entrepreneurs and investors who are looking for a second Trump presidency to result in greater economic freedom for them and their firms.

Then what to make of the Heritage Foundations Project 2025, just under 900 pages of policy blueprints, ranging from massive tax cuts to further crackdowns on abortion access? The conservative think tank has had close ties to Trump since 2016 and saw 70 of its staff go to work for the transition team or the administration in the first year of his presidency.

Trump distanced himself from Project 2025 a few weeks ago, insisting that it was not connected to his campaign. Still, this can only tell us so much, not least because the document contains two cases for trade: one for more protectionist fair trade and the other for free trade.

In other words, the debate over Maga economic policy is still very much alive. So perhaps we should look to the founder of the movement for some clarity  what Trump himself has to say about his economic agenda.

The former president gave us hints in his convention address. As is often the case with Trump, what he plans to do in the future was framed by whats happened in the past. The great economy, he said of his first term. The biggest tax cuts ever. The biggest regulation cuts ever. The creation of Space Force, the rebuilding of our military. We did so much. We do so much.

Exaggeration is also frequently part of the package. Its the world according to Trump  but one which even he admits takes a more laissez-faire approach.

Well start paying off debt and start lowering taxes even further. We gave you the largest tax cut. Well do it more. Trump appears to want nothing more than for this election to be a replay of 2020. And it seems hes offering up a similar playbook to what he offered up back then.

It doesnt sound like Vance, or a pre-drafted policy document for that matter. In fact, it sounds not so different from the traditional Republican economic agenda. But can he stick to it?

Kate Andrews is economics editor at The Spectator

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LAS VEGAS (KLAS)  The IT outage that caused major delays to airlines on Friday also impacted several on and off-the-Strip casinos.



Walking around Palace Station on Friday, an 8 News Now reporter didnt see any major issues. However, that was a different story Thursday night for the company that owns it: Station Casinos.



Nobody came around the floor to update us to what timeframe we could be looking at, Dr. Dana Trippi said.



Trippi said she was gambling inside Red Rock Casino at around 10 p.m. Thursday, when she noticed she couldnt cash out.



How about shutting the doors or telling people that, you know, you cant cash out? Because the machines were working, Trippi said. They actually were working until the person cashed out.



Trippi left without her $97, telling 8 News Now, it wasnt worth her time to continue staying.



Alex Acuna of Station Casinos told 8 News Now in a statement: The company had a temporary outage late Thursday night due to a third-party vendor, lasting a few hours.



MGM Resorts International told 8 News Now, theyre hotels and gaming floors were operating as usual.

However, guests staying at the Aria Resort and Casino sent 8 News Now photos and videos at around 11 am Friday of slot machines not working and a rope around a whole section.



Some of the machines displays had blue screens.



When the photos were sent to MGM, the company stated the problems werent related to the outage that some are calling the biggest.



It probably is one of the largest in history just because the massive amount of customers of Crowdstrike, Shannon Wilkinson, chief technology officer of Tego Cyber, said.



Wilkinson described Crowdstrike as one of the biggest cybersecurity companies in the world.



She stated Crowdstrike operates a software in computers that protects users from viruses.



What happened last night is that Crowdstrike pushed an update to make sure that they could properly protect their customers, and something in that update was flawed, and it caused what we call in the it industry the blue screen of death, Wilkinson said.



In regards to Trippis problems, Station Casinos told 8 News Now Red Rock management is reaching out to her to address the concerns.



The Nevada Gaming Control Board posted on X Friday its monitoring the tech outage and has its agents on standby to offer assistance to impacted gaming license holders.



Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. 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.
Last week, the quick actions of an Incident Response Team member with the Washington State Department of Transportation potentially saved the life of a man suffering from heat-related illness by the side of the road.

Jeff McLaughlin was patrolling I-90 westbound when he saw a car stopped on the shoulder, which he initially thought might be occupied.

Despite this, McLaughlin stopped and walked up to the car. He noticed a man slumped over in the drivers seat with the windows rolled up, in 100-degree heat. After knocking on the window, McLaughlin was able to get the mans attention but said he looked extremely exhausted.

The man told McLaughlin that he had run out of gas and was waiting for his son to bring some. McLaughlin told the man that he could put enough gas in his car to get him on his way and offered some water. Only moments later, McLaughlin returned to the car and reportedly found the man having a seizure.

McLaughlin quickly called paramedics, opened the doors to the car, and started pouring cold water bottles on the mans body. First responders arrived and were able to help the man regain consciousness. He was taken to a nearby hospital where it was later determined that he was suffering from heat-related illness.

According to the Washington State Department of Transportation, McLaughlins decision to stop when he spotted the car, followed by quick actions on the side of the highway, potentially saved the mans life.

The Incident Response Team responds to thousands of incidents each year, ranging from clearing debris or simply changing a tire - to assisting during a major collision or road closure. WSDOT says that every day these workers might have the opportunity to save a life.

Jeff McLaughlin was awarded the regions Culture of Safety & Regional Administrators coin for his heroic efforts, with WSDOT adding, We are so grateful for Jeff and our Incident Response Team.
Armed rebels of the Iran-backed Houthi militia take part in a demonstration. Osamah Yahya/dpa

Israel on Saturday mounted airstrikes in Yemen's port city of Hodeidah, media loyal to Yemen's Iranian-aligned Houthi militia reported.

Houthi mouthpiece TV al-Masirah said the "US-Zionist [Israeli] aggression" had targeted oil storage facilities at the Hodeidah port, triggering fires and thick smoke.

The broadcaster, citing the Houthi-controlled Health Ministry, said the Israeli strikes had left dead and injured people, without giving specific figures.

The attack came a day after the Houthis claimed a drone attack on an "important target" in Tel Aviv in what the militia said was retaliation for Israeli military action in the Gaza Strip.

A Houthi official confirmed Saturday's attack was Israeli and vowed retaliation.

"[There has been] an Israeli aggression on Hodeidah and a fire at the main port in Yemen," said Nasruddin Amer, the the deputy head of the Houthis' media authority.

"Yemeni operations supporting Gaza will not stop and the response to this aggression is inevitable," he said in an X post.

Houthi militants have also been attacking ships in the Red Sea and said they want to force an end to the Israeli attacks in the Gaza Strip, which followed the unprecedented massacre by the Palestinian Islamist organization Hamas in Israel in October
Armed rebels of the Iran-backed Houthi militia take part in a demonstration against the USA and Israel. Osamah Yahya/dpa

Yemen's Houthis said on Saturday they are prepared for a long war with Israel, hours after Israeli jets struck at the militia-controlled coastal city of Hodeidah in the west of the war-ravaged country.

Houthi military spokesman Yehya Saree said the group would response to "this blatant aggression" and would not hesitate to strike at vital targets in Israel.

"The armed forces will not stop their operations supporting our brothers in Gaza whatever the consequences, and with God's support are preparing themselves for a long war with this enemy," he added in a televised statement.
Armed rebels of the Iran-backed Houthi militia take part in a demonstration. Osamah Yahya/dpa

Yemen's Houthi militia has vowed an "effective" response to an Israeli attack on the Red Sea port of Hodeidah that the Iranian-allied group said had targeted civilian facilities.

The militia's ruling self-styled Supreme Political Council condemned the "heinous Israeli aggression" and said it would not dissuade the Houthis from their pro-Palestinian stance, according to the militia-controlled news agency SABA.

The council said the Israeli strikes had targeted oil storage facilities and the Houthi-controlled city's electricity station, leaving dead and injured people.

The Houthi mouthpiece TV al-Masirah aired footage purportedly showing people injured in the attack.

"What we emphasize is that this heinous aggression will only make the Yemeni people and their brave armed forces more determined," said the militia's spokesman Mohammed Abdel-Salam in a post on social media platform X.
Yoga instructors across the country band together to put pressure on Lululemon's dubious climate action: 'The gap between what they say and what they do is so big'

Thousands of yoga teachers across the country are calling out athleisure brand Lululemon for its negative environmental impact despite its claims to care for the planet.

A Bloomberg article highlighted yoga instructors Sierra Hollister and Michael Johnson, who had at one point been persuaded by Lululemon to be brand ambassadors but have since spoken up about the retail giant's misleading claims on their commitment to the planet.

Hollister and Johnson, both yoga instructors in Asheville, North Carolina, were pressured into being Lululemon ambassadors when the retail store opened its first location in Asheville in 2012. They had their photos hung in the store and were given generous Lululemon gift cards, but Johnson said that the experience felt shallow, "plastic and fake," as per Bloomberg.

Both instructors are now part of over 7,000 other yoga instructors and students who have signed petitions through climate action organizations Stand.Earth and Actions Speak Louder, asking Lululemon to "match its climate action with its climate rhetoric."

One of the company's core pillars is the planet, yet it emitted over 840,000 tons of carbon dioxide equivalent from its supply chain alone in 2021, according to Lululemon's own figures.

Additionally, they are focusing on Lululemon because it is "one of the biggest fashion brands," and has "the potential to be a leader in this industry," Stand.Earth representative Erdene Batzorig told Bloomberg. If Lululemon takes climate action, many of its peers may follow.

According to a company report, the majority of the pollution from Lululemon's supply chain is due to the fact that their garments are primarily made from polyester, which is derived from petroleum.

The yoga instructors involved with Stand.Earth and Actions Speak Louder are hoping to pressure Lululemon into changing this by transitioning to a renewable energy supply chain, as per Bloomberg.

"They can totally afford to drop coal," Hollister said on the matter.

Lululemon's massive environmental impact reflects a larger global issue of major companies and brands not taking the steps necessary to reduce their negative impact on the planet.

NRDC reported that if left unaddressed, the fashion industry as a whole could account for a staggering 26% of global carbon emissions by 2050. This highlights the importance of consumer pressure, like the network of yoga instructors speaking out against Lululemon's climate claims.

The good news is that numerous companies are doing something about their impact on the environment. In the fashion industry, examples include Gucci piloting a Circular Hub to research sustainable production models and sustainable shoe brand Thousand Fell taking your old shoes and clothing to upcycle.

Lululemon does take action to reduce its overall carbon footprint. However, it isn't enough.

Philipp Strohm, CEO of YogaMeHome, stated, "The gap between what they say and what they do is so big.  They need to make some changes," as per Bloomberg.

Join our free newsletter for cool news and actionable info that makes it easy to help yourself while helping the planet.
Ukrainian servicemen wrote "For Farion" on these mortar rounds in tribute to Iryna Farion. Photo: Vasyl Osoba, Iryna Farions son-in-law, on Facebook

President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has said that he received the latest reports on the murder of former MP Iryna Farion on the morning of 20 July and all lines of enquiry are being investigated, including the theory that Russia and its secret services were involved.

Source: Volodymyr Zelenskyy on Telegram

Quote from Zelenskyy: "This morning Ihor Klymenko, Minister of Internal Affairs, and Vasyl Maliuk, Head of the Security Service of Ukraine, presented the latest reports on the investigation into Iryna Farion's murder.

[Footage from] all available surveillance cameras is being checked, witnesses are being interviewed, and the territory of several districts is being inspected. All lines of enquiry are being investigated, including the one leading to Russia."

Details: Zelenskyy added that the interior minister, the deputy general prosecutors and the heads of the National Police and the Security Service are all in Lviv.

Background:

On the evening of 19 July, an attempt was made on the life of former MP Iryna Farion on Masaryk Street in Lviv.

After the attempted assassination, Zelenskyy said Klymenko and Maliuk would report to him promptly on the search for the attacker.

Farion later died in hospital.

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Ukrainian leader Volodymyr Zelenskyy invited the 45th President of the United States, Donald Trump, to Ukraine during a phone conversation, and they discussed the possibility of a meeting.

Source: Serhii Nykyforov, Zelenskyys press secretary, on air of the national 24/7 newscast

Quote from Nykyforov: "Zelenskyy urged Trump not to believe representatives from countries trying to explain or justify Putin's actions. There are no justifications for this, of course. He is just a common murderer, as the president stated in the phone conversation.

He reported on the strike on Mykolaiv, during which Ukrainians were killed again. They also discussed and condemned the 8 July attack on Kyiv and the Okhmatdyt hospital.

Trump also said something very interesting: he advised [Zelenskyy] not to believe "fake news" claiming that his victory in the election could benefit Russia.

Indeed, you can say there was a principled agreement from both sides regarding the meeting. They discussed possible timeframes for this meeting, but it is still too soon to talk about it. The teams will work on coordinating schedules and details to determine when this might be possible."

Details: However, Nykyforov added that they discussed Trump's possible visit to Ukraine, including when and where it could happen. However, it's still too early to provide details, he said.

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T-Mobile has come a long way, and over the years, has expanded its business by providing home internet service.

A new report states that T-Mobile is in talks to purchase privately owned fiber provider Metronet.

If the deal comes to fruition, the brand will partner with investment firm KKR & Co. Inc. in a 50/50 split.

T-Mobile has been quite busy over the past few years, growing into something that most would never have thought possible. It's been nearly a decade since the then underdog launched its first Un-carrier campaign, with the intent of changing the wireless industry forever. And well, it succeeded, and from that success it has catapulted itself into a new hemisphere, becoming the best wireless carrier in the US thanks to its speed, coverage, and customer service.

As the wireless carrier has grown, so has its ambitions, which has caused it to purchase some of its competitors. Of course, many remember the giant merger with Sprint, which was finally completed in 2020. And more recently, the brand was able to close out its deal with Mint Mobile. With that said, it looks like T-Mobile's hunger is insatiable, as it recently announced plans to buy US Cellular, and there's now even a report surfacing that it's aiming to make a run at purchasing the largest privately owned fiber internet provider in the US.

Another big move from Magenta

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Source: T-Mobile

The report comes from TMT Finance (paywall) sharing that T-Mobile, along with investment firm KKR & Co. Inc. are attempting to purchase Metronet, an internet service provider that currently delivers fiber internet service to home and business customers across 17 states (via Light Reading). The terms of the deal aren't currently clear, but it would be a 50/50 arrangement between the two investors. According to Metronet's About page, the brand currently has more than two million customers.

Metronet is currently expanding its fiber network in parts of Texas, specifically, Killeen and Copperas Cove. Now, how this all relates to T-Mobile? Well, if you aren't aware, the brand has been expanding its home internet services as of late, and even has an arm of its business that deals with fiber internet. By purchasing Metronet, the brand could expand its offerings, and at the same time add more customers. While the transaction would be significant, this kind of move wouldn't really significantly bolster the brand's position in the market.

T-Mobile currently offers its fiber services in just eight states, which includes California, Colorado, Florida, and New York  just to name a few. As you might expect, T-Mobile isn't the only familiar name in this market, with competitors like AT&T and Verizon also offering fiber internet services. Nothing has been officially announced, so there's always the possibility that this deal will fall through, but don't be surprised if you hear the wireless carrier announce in the near future that it is expanding its fiber services to more areas.
Thomas Edison's birthplace is now home to an incredible, unexpected modern renovation: 'We are not only embracing sustainability but also enriching the story of electricity'

The birthplace of Thomas Edison has moved into the new era of electricity with the installation of donated solar panels, according to Electrek.

The Thomas Edison Birthplace Museum in the village of Milan, Ohio, is now a place where visitors can see solar power in action as they learn about Edison's contributions to powering America.

Edison has long been connected to electricity, at least in the minds and hearts of those who grew up in the American school system. After all, he's known for trying to harness lightning with a kite and a key, according to The Franklin Institute.

More practically, the Thomas Edison National Historical Park tells how he invented a light bulb that lasted long enough for daily use. He wasn't satisfied with that, though. He wanted to make a lighting system that would be practical for use throughout an entire city, according to the Library of Congress.

What many people don't know is that Edison also saw the potential for solar energy long before it could be used on a practical level. As Electrek reported, he supposedly told Henry Ford and some others in 1931: "I'd put my money on the sun and solar energy. What a source of power! I hope we don't have to wait till oil and coal run out before we tackle that."

Now, people can not only learn about the ways Edison wanted to optimize the use of electricity and maximize efficiency, but they can see it in action when they visit the museum.

This is, of course, in addition to the practical benefits the museum will gain from the solar panels. They will be safer, and the museum will save money on electric bills because it will be using less energy from the grid, as the panels will produce at least part of what it needs. This means the historic site will use less dirty energy and contribute to lowering our reliance on oil, gas, and coal.

Ron Cull, a board member for the museum, emphasized the dual benefits of this solar panel installation. "By incorporating solar energy into the museum's framework," he said, per Electrek, "we are not only embracing sustainability but also enriching the story of electricity, from its inception to its modern-day applications."

One can't help but think that Edison would be proud. We might not have developed solar energy on his timeline, but now that we have it, we are bringing it home to him.

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Congresswoman Sheila Jackson Lee with Congressman Al Green and Houston Mayor Sylvester Turner speaks during a press conference to discuss Houston ISD's plans to convert libraries at most NES and NES-aligned campuses to team centers at City Hall on Monday, July 31, 2023 in Houston. Karen Warren/Staff photographer FILE - U.S. Rep. Sheila Jackson Lee, center, D-Texas, speaks during an immigration rally in Guadalupe Plaza in Houston, Texas, April 10, 2006. Longtime U.S. Rep. Sheila Jackson Lee, who helped lead federal efforts to protect women from domestic violence and recognize Juneteenth as a national holiday, has died Friday, July 19, 2024, after battling pancreatic cancer, according to her chief of staff. DONNA CARSON/AP Rep. Sheila Jackson Lee, D-Texas, bows her head in prayer as she attends a Memorial Day ceremony at Houston National Cemetery on Monday, May 27, 2024 in Houston. Brett Coomer/Staff photographer President Joe Biden signs the Juneteenth National Independence Day Act, in the East Room of the White House, Thursday, June 17, 2021, in Washington. From left, Rep. Barbara Lee, D-Calif, Rep. Danny Davis, D-Ill., Opal Lee, Sen. Tina Smith, D-Minn., obscured, Vice President Kamala Harris, House Majority Whip James Clyburn of S.C., Sen. Raphael Warnock, D-Ga., Sen. John Cornyn, R-Texas, Rep. Joyce Beatty, D-Ohio, Sen. Ed Markey, D-Mass., and Rep. Sheila Jackson Lee, D-Texas. Evan Vucci/AP U.S. Congresswoman Sheila Jackson Lee speaks during a press conference regarding to recovery and assistance from last weeks storms Tuesday, May 21, 2024 at Fonde Community Center in Houston. Whitmire and Jackson Lee competed in the mayoral race in last years election. Yi-Chin Lee/Staff photographer Rep. Sheila Jackson Lee and HISD Deputy Superintendent for school services Faye Bryant put books in to yellow barrel at Turner Elementary as they announce Tuesday, May 14, 2002 that HISD students will be asked to donate old story books, pens and pencils for students in Afghanistan. Carlos Antonio Rios/Houston Chronicle Rep. Sheila Jackson Lee, D-Texas, speaks to her supporters during her election night watch party on Tuesday, March 5, 2024 in Houston. Jackson Lee is facing Amanda Edwards in the race for re-election for 18th congressional district seat. Brett Coomer/Staff photographer U.S. Rep. Sheila Jackson Lee cries during a press conference calling for gun control measures after the mass shooting at an elementary school in Uvalde, Texas, on Tuesday, May 24, 2022, at the George Thomas Mickey Leland Federal Building in Houston. Jon Shapley/Staff photographer U.S. Rep. Sheila Jackson Lee addresses marchers on Tuesday, June 2, 2020 at City Hall in downtown Houston. Elizabeth Conley/Staff photographer

Sheila Jackson Lee had a mission.

She was determined to live up to the standard that U.S. Rep. Mickey Leland, a Houston icon, had set when he represented Fifth Ward in Congress before his tragic death in a plane crash in Ethiopia in 1989.

I just have his spirit in my soul, she told me in an interview last year as we talked about her approach to being a member of Congress for nearly 30 years. Jackson Lee died Friday at the age of 74.

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READ MORE: No one loved Houston more than Sheila Jackson Lee

While it is a common story for members of Congress to lose touch with their districts, Jackson Lee said Leland, despite being an important national player who also worked on international issues like addressing famine in Africa, was always in the district making sure people felt represented.

He was a reverent and consistent fighter for his district, Jackson Lee said of the lesson she tried to apply during her decades in office.

To that end, Jackson Lee built a reputation of working in her district like few other members of Congress do. It wasnt just attending ribbon cuttings and a few community meetings. She would also seek out unadvertised community picnics and take time to pay her respects at constituents' funerals, even when she didnt know the deceased.

I just want to be called an Energizer bunny that keeps on working for the people of this great district, she said.

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It explains why she rarely faced any opposition in her races for Congress.

In 2020, U.S. Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortezs surprise victory in New York over a 30-year incumbent inspired hundreds of younger Democratic candidates around the nation to challenge veteran members of Congress. Jackson Lee drew six challengers.

She took the competition seriously and campaigned vigorously. She said she would take nothing for granted.

Its indicative of being a vocal member of Congress, Jackson Lee said of all the primary opponents. Its easy to draw individuals to run against you.

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She said her plan was to listen to voters and talk about the issues that are important to improving the economy. She easily won the primary and cruised to another term in Congress.

Jackson Lee was first elected to Congress in 1994 after having served two terms on the Houston City Council.

In Washington, she distinguished herself as a prolific filer of legislation. Jackson Lee loved to tout her work to restore funding for childrens health insurance programs, protect early education programs like Head Start and her commitment to demanding more funding for public education.

She also became known as an outspoken critic of then-President Donald Trump while a member of the House Judiciary Committee, which played a key role in his first impeachment.

Yet she could also sway Republicans, even Trump, to support some of her causes.

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In 2020, Trump signed a bill she authored to commission a federal study for a 51-mile Emancipation Trail between Galveston and Houston  a first step toward establishing the national landmark commemorating the announcement of the abolition of slavery in Galveston.

The trail would begin at the former Osterman Building in Galveston, where Maj. Gen. Gordon Granger issued General Order No. 3 on June 19, 1865, declaring all slaves free. President Abraham Lincoln had signed the Emancipation Proclamation more than two years earlier, but slaves in Texas were not freed until the Union Army arrived to enforce the order.

The trail would extend along Texas 3 and Interstate 45 to Freedmens Town and Emancipation Park in Houston. Freedmens Town was a center of opportunity for freed people in the years after Grangers order and home to more than 400 African American businesses by 1915. By 1920, a third of Houstons population lived there.

I feel like doing a dance, Jackson Lee told me after Trump signed the bill.

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She told me her congressional district was not an easy one to represent given its history. Before Leland, it was the iconic Barbara Jordan who represented the district. She said she felt the weight of both Leland and Jordan as she worked to live up to a standard she felt was worthy of them.
Approximately 1000 Indian students have safely returned to India via land ports and regular flights from Dhaka and Chittagong airports amid the ongoing student protests in Bangladesh. The Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) has been actively coordinating with various authorities to facilitate the smooth return of Indian citizens. A significant number, 778 students, crossed back through land ports, while about 200 took regular flights.

Bangladesh is still experiencing violence days after clashes over the allocation of government jobs. According to various reports, the death toll now stands at 115.

The Indian High Commission in Dhaka, along with Assistant High Commissions in Chittagong, Rajshahi, Sylhet, and Khulna, have been instrumental in aiding Indian nationals' return in light of the recent events in Bangladesh. The MEA has been working closely with local authorities to ensure safe passage to border crossings along the India-Bangladesh border.

"Our High Commission in Dhaka and Assistant High Commissions are constantly in contact with over 4000 students across various Bangladeshi universities, providing all necessary support. We've also helped students from Nepal and Bhutan cross into India upon their request," stated the MEA.

Additionally, the High Commission and Assistant High Commissions maintain regular communication with the Bangladesh authorities to guarantee the safety and security of Indian nationals and students. Security escorts are provided for road travel during repatriation via selected land ports when needed.

Concurrently, the High Commission in Dhaka is coordinating with Bangladesh's civil aviation and airlines to maintain continuous flight services to India from Dhaka and Chittagong, available for our nationals' journey back home.

The MEA mentioned that the High Commission of India in Dhaka and the Assistant High Commissions of India in Bangladesh remain available for any assistance required by Indian nationals through the emergency contact numbers.
Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina announced a nationwide curfew on Friday following the deadly clashes over the allocation of government jobs. The troops have been stationed in large numbers to restore law and order across the country. As per reports, at least 105 people have been killed so far and over 1,500 have been injured in the protests that took a bloody turn this week. By 8 p.m. on Friday, a total of 245 Indians, among them 125 students, had returned to India.

Protesters are calling for the abolition of a quota system that allocates up to 30% of government jobs to relatives of veterans from Bangladeshs 1971 war of independence against Pakistan.

A senior official from the home department reported that 363 individuals entered Meghalaya via the Dawki Integrated Check Post, including 204 Indians, 158 Nepalese, and one person from Bhutan. The total number of people taking refuge in the state increased to over 670.

Police and security officials used live ammunition and tear gas on protesters in Dhaka on Friday, while also imposing a ban on all gatherings in the capital.

The demonstrators believe the system is unfair and mostly helps supporters of Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina and her Awami League party, which led the independence movement. They want it changed to a system based on merit.

The protests, which started weeks ago, escalated significantly this week, presenting the biggest challenge to Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina since she secured her fourth consecutive term in January's elections. These polls were boycotted by major opposition groups.

According to an Associated Press reporter, border guard officials were firing at a crowd of over 1000 protestors as they gathered outside the national television broadcasters office and set the building on fire.

The Indian High Commission in Dhaka is working with local Bangladeshi authorities to ensure the safety of students wishing to travel to India. The mission, along with the BSF and the Bureau of Immigration, is also assisting Indian students returning from Bangladesh. "The High Commission of India in Dhaka is coordinating with local authorities in Bangladesh to provide adequate security to students who are keen on travelling to India," sources told ANI.

To assist the return of Indian citizens and students from Bangladesh, the Indian government has designated three border crossings: Benapole-Petrapole, Gede-Darshana, and Akhaura-Agartala - to remain open for travel.
New Delhi: Reacting to the Kerala government appointing a foreign secretary for the state, Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) State president K Surendran criticised the Pinarayi Vijayan-led Kerala government and said it is a "blatant overreach" and a violation of the Union List of the Constitution.

K Surendran shared a post on the microblogging site X and said, "The appointment of an IAS officer as 'Foreign Secretary' in Kerala by CM Pinarayi Vijayan is a blatant overreach and a violation of the Union list of our Constitution."

Describing the action as "unconstitutional," the BJP leader questioned whether the intention was to establish Kerala as a "separate nation."

"The LDF government has no mandate in foreign affairs. This unconstitutional move sets a dangerous precedent. Is CM @pinarayivijayan trying to establish Keralam as a separate nation?" he questioned.

However, the Kerala government has assigned additional responsibilities related to External Cooperation to K Vasuki, who serves as Secretary of the Labour and Skills Department.

Meanwhile, The Kerala Government has additional responsibilities related to External Cooperation with IAS K Vasuki, who serves as Secretary of the Labour and Skills Department.

"Dr. K Vasuki IAS (KL 2008), Secretary, Labour and Skills Department will hold the additional charge of the matters connected with the External Co-operation. The officer will coordinate and supervise all the matters in this regard and incidental thereto, in addition to the existing charges," the government order dated July 15 and signed by Joint Secretary Manikantan R, ANI reported.

The order mentioned that the Resident Commissioner at Kerala House in the national capital will assist K Vasuki in matters related to External Cooperation, coordinating with the Ministry of External Affairs, Missions, and Embassies.

"The General Administration (Political) Department will deal the subjects related to external co-operation and will assist Dr. K Vasuki IAS till alternate arrangements are made. The Resident Commissioner, Kerala House, New Delhi will support the officer in the matters of External Co-operation, to liaise with the Ministry of External Affairs, Missions and Embassies etc," the order mentioned.
New Delhi: Union Minister and Lok Janshakti Party (Ram Vilas) leader Chirag Paswan before joining politics tried his hand at Bollywood but now didn't have any plan of returning to films. In a recent interview, he joked that he is such a "bad actor" that even his Lok Sabha colleague and first co-star, Kangana Ranaut, will not agree to share the screen space with him again.

In a recent interview with PTI, the Lok Janshakti Party (Ram Vilas) chief shared that he has no plans to get married for at least another two years as he wants to dedicate all of his time to politics, especially as the Bihar elections are due next year.

"I am very clear about my priority that I am married to my work. And if I don't have time for my better half, I should not get into that," the MP said.

Chirag Paswan made his debut in Bollywood in the 2011 movie 'Miley Naa Miley Hum', he starred alongside Kangana Ranaut, who recently joined BJP and secured a Mandi Lok Sabha seat in the 2024 general election.

Responding to the question on returning to the cinema, Paswan said, "Again? After one disaster!"

"No, not at all. And I think anybody who has seen the movie will agree with me..... I do not think I can take this lightly. And yes, no director, producer, including Kangana herself, will agree to do a movie with me," Paswan added.

In Bihar, the NDA won 30 of the state's 40 Lok Sabha seats, with Paswan's party achieving a 100 per cent strike rate by bagging all five seats it contested in the Lok Sabha election 2024.
Four states will go to the polls in the coming months - Maharashtra, Jharkhand, Haryana and Jammu & Kashmir. While the BJP may have been galvanising its cadre for the polls, the saffron party is facing a precarious situation that indicates it's losing ground among voters. The recently concluded assembly bypolls for 13 seats across seven states painted a grim picture for the saffron brigade. The BJP could win only two seats while the 10 seats went to the INDIA bloc despite the Congress and Aam Aadmi Party contesting against each other.

While the BJP was incumbent in only three of these 13 seats and all three were in Bengal, the party lost all three to TMC while gaining one in Himachal Pradesh and one in Madhya Pradesh.

Now, for the upcoming bypolls in Uttar Pradesh for 10 seats, the Samajwadi Party and the Congress have joined hands once again. The SP will contest seven seats and the Congress three. This will be the actual test of the BJP's governance in Uttar Pradesh ahead of the 2027 general assembly elections because the bypoll trends show the BJP's vote share registered a downslide.

In West Bengal's four seats that went to the bypolls, the BJP's vote share dipped by up to 34% while in three seats of Himachal Pradesh, the declined by up to 25%. In Uttarakhand, the saffron party's vote percentage sunk by around 12% in the Badrinath seat while increased by 10% in the Manglaur seat. In Bihar and Madhya Pradesh, the vote share declined while increased in Punjab and Tamil Nadu. The Lok Sabha and the bypoll results show that the INDIA bloc is proving to be a tough challenger for the NDA.

The trends since the Lok Sabha polls show the changing mood of the public where the BJP-led NDA is losing its vote share while the Congress-led INDIA bloc is at an advantage. This also indicates voters' fatigue with Narendra Modi and the NDA government's policies. The NDA governments - both at the Centre and the state levels, need to come up with policies that benefit all the sections and not just one or two sections. It also needs to counter the freebies offered/promised by the opposition parties effectively.
New Delhi: The Uttar Pradesh government, led by Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath, has mandated that shopkeepers, whether running a hotel, dhaba, or fruit stall, need to display their names. Reportedly, an incident unfolded at Sakshi Dhaba in Muzaffarnagar where police visited to verify if a dhaba with a Hindu name was being operated by a Muslim or Hindu. After confirming the owner as Lokesh Bharti, police demanded the names of all employees, revealing that four were Muslim. Allegedly, the police then ordered the dhaba owner to immediately fire these employees.

In Today's DNA, Anant Tyagi analysed the intentions behind the actions of Muzaffarnagar Police.

Watch Today's Full Episode Here:

As per the CM Yogi's order, is only to reveal the real name and identity at the dhabas. It was not written anywhere in the order that Muslim shopkeepers cannot sell food items.

On the other hand, opposition leaders have criticised the Uttar Pradesh government's order on the nameplate rule. PDP leader Mehbooba Mufti raised a question and said why Prime Minister Modi is silent on this matter.
The recent surge in terror attacks has proved to be a real headache for the armed forces, especially with 40% of attacks taking place inside the Jammu region, which was never a target of the terrorists. The Doda attack was the sixth major terror incident in Jammu this year after Kathua. This shows that terrorists have opened a new front against the Indian forces. To eliminate the terrorists, the army has deployed additional forces in the district.

Para Forces Among Additional Deployment

As per reports, the Indian Army has deployed an additional 3,000 soldiers in the Jammu region to tackle the terrorists who are likely to be present in the Pir Panjal range. The additional deployments include a brigade headquarters, three infantry battalions and some teams of the elite Para-Special Forces. Additional troops from the Central Armed Police Forces (CAPF) are also being deployed.

Coordinated Operations

Latest reports indicate the presence of over 50 foreign terrorists that might include retired Pakistan Army regulars of the Special Service Group (SSG) and terrorists well-trained in guerilla warfare. These well-trained terrorists are armed with modern weapons like MP-4 assault rifles, steel-core bullets and highly-encrypted communication equipment. Also, a Steyr AUG  an Austrian-made bullpup assault rifle has been recovered from the infiltrating terrorists' body. Thus, to eliminate them, the army is conducting 'a series of joint and coordinated operations' with the J&K Police to eliminate these terrorists.

Terror Hideouts In Pir Panjal

These terrorists are believed to have infiltrated India months ago and they are believed to have been getting support from the local overground workers. They have recced the area for months and are now well aware of the hilly terrain and their hideouts where they retreat after carrying out ambushes on army teams.
Incidents of misbehaviour and assaults involving women during flights have become increasingly common. A recent incident involving a woman on a flight from Kolkata to Abu Dhabi has sparked yet another debate over women's safety.

The woman was allegedly shown pornographic clips and groped by a senior executive from Jindal Group. She was flying with Etihad Airways when the man named Dinesh Kr Saraogi, who she claimed was in his mid-sixties, started engaging with her in a casual conversation before making his move.

Started Casual Conversation; Made His Move

The 28-year-old woman identified herself as the co-chair of the India Conference at Harvard University. She recounted the harrowing experience on the social media platform X. She shared an incident that happened to her during a flight from Calcutta to Abu Dhabi, which was a transit to Boston.

She recalled that she was sitting next to an industrialist who she claimed was the CEO of Jindal Steel. He told her about his life in Oman, where he now resided, though he frequently traveled. His conversation began innocently enough, touching upon the roots, family, and hobbies. He hailed from Churu in Rajasthan and shared that both of his sons were married and settled in the US, the woman said.

As the conversation progressed, he inquired about hobbies, specifically if she enjoyed watching movies. When she responded affirmatively, he mentioned having some movie clips on his phone.

I was seated next to an industrialist (Dinesh Kr. Saraogi, CEO of Jindal Steel)

He must be roughly 65 in age & told me he now lives in Oman but travels frequently. He started chatting me up - very normal conversation about our roots, family etc



He is from Churu in Rajasthan...  Ananya Chhaochharia (She/her) (@ananyac05) July 18, 2024

The woman said, "He then proceeds to tell me he has some movie clips on his phone. He whips out his phone and earphones to show me PORN!" The situation rapidly escalated as he began groping her.

Flight staffs quickly relocated her to other seating area, offering me tea and fruits to calm her nerves.

She added, I am forever grateful to your 2 crew members on flight EY 257 on July 16 from CCU to AUH, who shielded me and stood by through this ordeal. The woman further expressed that, The woman shared, I am fine, a little rattled and disturbed. I feel violated, but I also want to make sure this never happens to another woman.

Meanwhile, the man continued to pester the staff, repeatedly asking about the woman's whereabouts. The flight crew also informed the police in Abu Dhabi, ensuring that law enforcement was waiting as soon as the plane landed.

Sharing an incident that happened with me in the flight from Calcutta to Abu Dhabi (transit to Boston).



I am very grateful to the staff of @__Etiihad and the Abu Dhabi police for the support they provided me.



TW: Sexual Assault  Ananya Chhaochharia (She/her) (@ananyac05) July 18, 2024

Zero-Tolerance: BJP MP Naveen Jindal

In response to the woman's posts on X, Jindal stated that his group of companies maintains a zero-tolerance policy regarding such matters.

"Thank you for reaching out and speaking up! It takes a lot of courage to do what you did, and I want you to know that we have a zero-tolerance policy for such matters. I have asked the team to immediately investigate the matter, and thereafter strictest and necessary action will be taken," Jindal, who is also a BJP MP, said.
Srinagar: For the first time in Kashmir's terror history, a Steyr AUG, an Austrian-made bullpup assault rifle, was recovered from the body of an infiltrating terrorist in the Keran sector of Kupwara district in north Kashmir.

The Army recovered a significant cache of arms and ammunition, including a Steyr AUG, an AK series rifle, five grenades, and other materials from two infiltrating terrorists. The terrorists were killed as they attempted to sneak across the Line of Control in the Keran sector of Kupwara.

In a statement, the Army said, "On July 17, credible input was received from the Jammu and Kashmir Police, corroborated by intelligence agencies, regarding a group of foreign terrorists likely to infiltrate through the Keran sector."

"On July 18, at around 1230 hrs., alert troops observed the movement of two terrorists through thick foliage on their side of the LoC. The infiltrating terrorists were challenged and responded with gunfire, leading to an intense firefight," the statement added.

"In the ensuing firefight, two foreign terrorists were neutralized. Searches were conducted, leading to the recovery of weapons and other incriminating material, including a Pakistani identity card," the statement read.

Earlier, Commander 268 Infantry Brigade, Keran sector, Brigadier NR Kulkarni, noted that in recent weeks, there had been intelligence inputs regarding terrorists attempting to infiltrate the LoC along the Keran sector. They aimed to carry out sabotage and subversive activities, particularly targeting the ongoing Amarnath Yatra.

On June 15, three foreign terrorists were killed while attempting to sneak across the LoC in the Keran sector. The Army recovered a large quantity of war-like stores at that time, including three AK series rifles with magazines, four pistols, and a grenade.

This was the third infiltration attempt foiled by the Army along the LoC in the past month.
A woman lost her life and three others were injured when a portion of a balcony from a four-storey residential building in South Mumbai collapsed on Saturday morning, officials reported.

The collapse occurred at Rubinnisa Manzil, located on Sleater Road near the Grant Road railway station, around 11 am. According to a fire brigade official cited by PTI, the injured individuals were immediately rushed to a local hospital, where the woman was declared dead. The three others are currently undergoing treatment.

Rubinnisa Manzil, an old building under the Maharashtra Housing and Area Development Authority (MHADA), had been previously declared dangerous by the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC). A notice had also been issued to the building earlier regarding its precarious condition.

Following the balcony collapse, seven people were successfully rescued from the building, the official added.
The Uttar Pradesh government has ordered shopkeepers en route of the Kavad Yatra to display their names on shop boards. PDP chief Mehbooba Mufti questions PM Modis silence on the UP administration's order regarding the Kavad Yatra, stating it is unconstitutional and an example of the fear that they have to change the constitution.

Prime Minister should clarify whether he endorses this or not. Mufti said, "It is clear that BJP wants to destroy the constitution which gives an individual every open right."

"They dropped from 350 to 240 seats in recent Lok Sabha polls but still not mending their ways. This serves as a warning to the voters, showing how they aim to dismantle the country's constitution," PDP Chief said.

Mehbooba warned the people of the country and said, "They start with Muslims, then Dalits and eventually target other minorities as well. The Uttar Pradesh government's order is unconstitutional."

"Prime Minister should speak up about how he is witnessing these situations in the country and clarify whether he endorses the order or not," she said.

On Friday, Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath mandated that food and beverage shops along Kanwar routes should display the name and identity of the owner to maintain the sanctity of the pilgrim's faith.



Mehbooba Mufti was speaking on the joining of the former Peoples Conference leader into the PDP, who rejoined today after 3 years.
A disturbing incident of road rage in Maharashtra's Pune on Saturday left a digital content creator severely injured. Jeryln Dsilva, a digital content creator from Pune, was violently assaulted while driving on the Baner-Pashan Link Road. Dsilva, a popular Instagram influencer with 70,000 followers described details of the harrowing incident in a video. The attack occurred after Jeryln allowed a motorist pass her while he was attempting to overtake her vehicle. At the time of the incident, she was riding her bike with two young children.

According to Jeryln's account in a video she posted, the attack occurred after she allowed another motorist to pass her while he was attempting to overtake her vehicle. The driver stopped his vehicle, confronted her, and struck her in the face, causing severe bleeding. He also pulled her hair, leaving her shaken and injured.

Jeryln is currently receiving medical treatment at a private hospital in Baner. The incident has sparked outrage and concern over the safety of women and bikers in Pune, with many calling for stricter action against road rage offenders.

"What is happening to the city? Today it's me, tomorrow it could be you," Jeryln wrote in the caption of her video. She also expressed her concern over the safety of women and bikers in Pune given such aggressive behavior by fellow motorists.
West Bengal leader of Opposition Suvendu Adhikari on Friday got surrounded by heat again over a video of him showing slipper to the protestors at Nadias Ranaghat. In the video of the incident, the BJP leader, visibly losing his temper, was also seen shouting back at the demonstrators. The footage shared by Trinamool Congress leader went viral on the social media platform X.

In response to strong backlash from the Trinamool Congress, Adhikari asserted that individuals with ill intentions were attempting to prevent him from visiting the homes of BJP workers who were denied the opportunity to vote.

The TMC Rajya Sabha MP Kunal Ghosh shared the video and captioned it, What does it mean? This is all! In the clip Adhikari can be seen facing relentless heckling from the crowd, the BJP leader removed his slipper and brandished it at the people before heading towards his vehicle. Instead of getting in immediately, he paused and shouted back at the protesters.

Meanwhile, Adhikari did not exactly clarified on why he took off his slippers, but posted a on X On my way I was obstructed by TMC goons who had ill intentions and blocking my path seemed to be the first step to cause harm to me in some manner. It happened in the presence of the Officer in Charge of Gangnapur Police Station; Anupam Dhali, who played a pivotal role in the organised vote loot during the Bypoll.

He tagged the Ministry of Home Affairs and the CRPF DG in the post.

Today I visited Gangnapur; Nadia District, to meet the Hindu Voters who weren't allowed to cast their votes in the recently concluded Ranaghat Dakshin Assembly Bypoll.

On my way I was obstructed by TMC goons who had ill intentions and blocking my path seemed to be the first step pic.twitter.com/Ia4gPEqSCt  Suvendu Adhikari (@SuvenduWB) July 19, 2024

Earlier, Adhikari's comment about the 'BJP's minority morcha' quickly drew criticism, even from his own party members. Some senior BJP leaders speculated that Adhikari, feeling increasingly isolated within the state BJP, might be trying to create a niche for himself by appealing to the party's more extreme members.

The BJP leader said at an extended meeting of partys working committee in Kolkata, "Stop this Sabka Saath, Sabka Vikas'; there is no need for a minority morcha
New Delhi: Guru Purnima is an auspicious day dedicated to honoring all gurusthose who teach, mentor, or guide us, and inspire us with their wisdom and values.

On the special occasion of Guru Purnima, actress Jaya Bhattacharya, who plays the role of 'Urmila,' in Sun Neo's Chhathi Maiyya Ki Bitiya and actress Neelu Vaghela, who plays the role of 'Ma Hukum' in Sun Neos Sajha Sindoor revealed who they consider their gurus in their life and how they have inspired and played an important role in changing their lives.

Jaya Bhattacharya who portrays the pivotal role in the show Chhathi Maiyya Ki Bitiya as Urmila said, "Gurupurnima is a very special day for me because it was the first time I faced a camera and sang two songs about Gautam Buddha in Lucknow. I believe life itself is our greatest teacher, offering lessons through our experiences. Watching films taught me acting, and I am inspired by Smita Patil and Meena Kumari. In every show, from the spotboy to the director, everyone is our Guru. Their experiences are invaluable.

The senior actor S.M. Zaheer once told me, 'You won't get anything before its time or more than your destiny,' and to not just be a good actor but also a great human being. I remember and follow his advice till today. I still wish for my school teachers on teacher day and appreciate what I learned from them. I am also grateful to my energy healing teacher, who has helped me grow as a person." she added

Neelu Vaghela who portrays the role of Ma Hukum in the show Sajha Sindoor shared, On Guru Purnima, we honor the gurus who guide and support us. My first show was 'Diya Aur Baati,' directed by Sumit sir. The first shot was in Bikaner, where I filmed a scene of fainting at a wedding procession. Despite many retakes, Sumit sir explained everything well, highlighting the differences between television and film techniques.

Another challenging scene involved a bomb blast where Bhabho, a strong character, doesn't shed a tear. Playing Bhabho was difficult, and I am grateful for the invaluable support from Shashi ma'am and Sumit sir. It's been a long journey, and the entire team's support has been crucial. On Guru Purnima, I would especially thank Sumit sir and Shashi ma'am for allowing me to portray Bhabho. Vaghela added

Chhathi Maiyya Ki Bitiya features Devoleena Bhattacharjee, Brinda Dahal, Sara Khan, Ashish Dixit, and Jaya Bhattacharya in pivotal roles.

The show centers on Vaishnavi's devotion to Chhathi Maiyya, who guides and protects her worshippers, celebrating the victory of good over evil. Saajha Sindoor starring Sangita Ghosh, Sahil Uppal, Neelu Vaghela, and Krutika Desai is a family drama focused on Phuli and Gagan.
The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) on Saturday said that their airstrikes targeted a fuel depot in the Houthi-controlled Al-Hudaydah port in western Yemen. The operation aimed at Houthi military sites was confirmed by the IDF on Saturday. "IDF fighter jets recently struck Houthi terrorist military targets near the Al-Hudaydah port in Yemen, responding to numerous attacks against Israel in the past months," stated the IDF.

These strikes are reportedly the first Israeli actions on Yemeni territory since the outbreak of the Israel-Hamas conflict in October. On July 19, Houthi rebels launched four drones and a ballistic missile towards Tel Aviv, resulting in one civilian fatality and minor injuries to eight others. The assault included a Sammad-3 drone of Iranian origin.

IDF Spokesman Daniel Hagari revealed that the attack utilized a modified Samad-3 drone, enhanced for greater range. Hagari also noted the drone's launch from Yemen. Israeli Defence Minister Yoav Gallant, on Friday, cautioned that Israel would hold accountable any party that inflicts harm or conducts terrorist acts against it.

In addition, Israel's Foreign Minister Israel Katz responded to the defense forces' retaliatory strike with a warning to Iran via a social media platform X post. "We will retaliate against any aggressor. Iran's support, training, and funding of the Houthi group is part of its regional terror network targeting Israel," Katz declared.

He called on the global community to enforce stringent sanctions on Iran, stating, "Now is the time for the international community to intensify sanctions on Iran. Directed by Iran, the Houthis are significantly disrupting maritime freedom and trade routes." Katz also emphasized, "Iran is the core of the problemit must be confronted immediately."

Meanwhile, Houthi spokesman Mohammed Abdulsalam on social media platform X wrote "The brutal israeli aggression on Yemen by targeting civilian facilities, oil tanks, and the power station in Hodeidah aims to double the suffering of the people and pressure Yemen to stop supporting Gaza."
India and Turkey's relations have never been in sync for the last decade and it appears that Ankara's close ties with Pakistan are set to prove the final nail in the coffin of its relations with New Delhi. Turkey has imposed this discreet ban in favour of Pakistan, according to reports. A Turkish government official disclosed this information during a closed-door session in the Turkish Parliament.

According to the minutes of the Foreign Affairs Committee debate on July 10, 2024, Mustafa Murat Seker, deputy chairman of the Presidency of the Defense Industry (SSB), Turkeys leading arms procurement agency, inadvertently revealed the government's secret policy regarding India. Virtually, India has been blacklisted by Turkey when it comes to defence export.

Turkish-Indian relations have significantly deteriorated over the past decade under President Recep Tayyip Erdogan's administration, primarily due to policy decisions, particularly Ankara's unwavering support for Pakistan in its conflicts with India.

According to NordicMonitor, President Erdogan's clandestine paramilitary group SADAT, led by his former chief military aide Adnan Tanriverdi, has been implicated in anti-India activities. The group recruited Syed Ghulam Nabi Fai, a Kashmiri-born individual who served time in a US federal prison, to gather resources against India.

Fais US-based organization, the Kashmiri American Council (KAC), which received funding from Pakistans Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI), collaborated with SADATs front organization, the Union of NGOs of the Islamic World (Islam Dunyasi Sivil Toplum Kuruluslari Birligi, IDSB).

However, Turkey's ban is not going to affect India. India has already revoked a $2-billion naval deal with a Turkish defence company and cancelled defence exports to Ankara. With New Delhi focussing on Make In India in defence, the manufacturing of indigenous arms and ammunition has touched a record high in recent years. The value of defence production in FY 2022-23 was Rs 1,08,684 crore. In the last five years (since 2019-20), the value of defence production has been increasing steadily, and grown by over 60%.

India's defence exports have also surged recently. It may be recalled that defence exports touched a record-high of Rs 21,083 crore in FY 2023-24, reflecting a growth of 32.5% over the last fiscal when the figure was Rs 15,920 crore.
The Philippines premier home, fashion, and lifestyle trade show, Manila FAME, returns to the World Trade Center Metro Manila from October 17 to 19, 2024.

With the theme ReimagiNATION, the event celebrates Filipino artisans constant evolution in materials, processes, styles, and presentation to meet global tastes.

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Nearly 400 original designs, co-created by Manila FAME exhibitors and renowned product specialists, will be exclusively launched across various pavilions.

The Design Commune, a highlight of the show, features two curated sections: home and lighting. Curators Rita Nazareno and Gabby Lichauco, collaborating with 25 local companies, will unveil 150 new prototypes inspired by Beyond Reality, drawing from diverse cultural influences and reimagining everyday objects.

Design Communes fashion pavilion, curated by veteran designer Anthony Ramirez, showcases the work of 15 local enterprises. Exploring Parametricism, Ramirez draws inspiration from organic structures like topography, plants, and biomimicry to create 90 prototypes that highlight the stories and talents behind Filipino fashion.

The Artisans Village, curated by PJ Aranador, shines a spotlight on regional MSMEs. With the theme Uri, the village celebrates the diverse cultural heritage of Philippine provinces, showcasing traditional materials, patterns, and craftsmanship in a range of products, including wearables, accessories, furniture, and gifts.

Manila FAME 2024 promises to be a vibrant showcase of Filipino creativity, innovation, and craftsmanship. The event offers a platform for local artisans and designers to connect with international buyers, industry insiders, and design enthusiasts, fostering new opportunities and collaborations.

Organized by the Center for International Trade Expositions and Missions (CITEM), the export promotions arm of the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI), Manila FAME continues to play a vital role in promoting the Philippines as a global design hub.
UN court calls on Israel to end its "unlawful" presence in occupied Palestinian territories

Xinhua) 09:19, July 20, 2024

Photo taken on July 19, 2024 shows a public session of the International Court of Justice (ICJ) at the Peace Palace in The Hague, the Netherlands. The International Court of Justice (ICJ) on Friday called on Israel to end its "unlawful" presence in the occupied Palestinian territories as rapidly as possible. (Photo by Sylvia Lederer/Xinhua)

THE HAGUE, July 19 (Xinhua) -- The International Court of Justice (ICJ) on Friday called on Israel to end its "unlawful" presence in the occupied Palestinian territories as rapidly as possible.

In a public session of The Hague-based UN court, ICJ President Judge Nawaf Salam read out the advisory opinion at the request of the UN General Assembly regarding the legal consequences of Israel's occupation of the Palestinian territories, including East Jerusalem.

"The State of Israel's continued presence in the Occupied Palestinian Territory is unlawful," said the advisory opinion. "The State of Israel is under an obligation to bring to an end its unlawful presence in the Occupied Palestinian Territory as rapidly as possible."

In the non-binding document, the court also said that Israel's settlements are illegal under international law and that Israel is "under an obligation to cease immediately all new settlement activities, and to evacuate all settlers" from the occupied Palestinian territories.

Israel has the obligation to "make reparation for the damage caused to all the natural or legal persons concerned" in the occupied Palestinian territories, it said.

The court also said that all states and international organizations, including the United Nations, are under an obligation "not to recognize as legal the situation arising from the unlawful presence" of Israel in the occupied Palestinian territories.

It said that all states must not assist "in maintaining the situation created by the continued presence" of Israel in the occupied Palestinian territories.

The United Nations, particularly the General Assembly that requested the opinion, and the Security Council, should determine the specific steps and actions needed to "bring to an end as rapidly as possible" Israel's unlawful presence in the occupied Palestinian territories, it added.

On Dec. 30, 2022, the UN General Assembly adopted a resolution requesting the ICJ to provide an advisory opinion regarding the legal consequences of Israel's occupation of Palestinian territories, including East Jerusalem.

In February 2024, the ICJ held public hearings at which Palestine, 49 UN member states, and three international organizations presented oral statements regarding the issue.

At the hearings, Palestine's UN envoy Riyad Mansour urged the ICJ to declare Israel's occupation of Palestinian territories illegal, emphasizing that such a ruling would pave the way for an immediate end to the occupation and the establishment of a "just and lasting peace."

Without participating in the hearings, the Israeli Prime Minister's Office issued a statement rejecting the legitimacy of the hearings, accusing them of attempting to further undermine Israel's right to survival and self-defense.

Palestinian representatives are seen during the announcement of an advisory opinion by the International Court of Justice (ICJ) at the Peace Palace in The Hague, the Netherlands, on July 19, 2024. The International Court of Justice (ICJ) on Friday called on Israel to end its "unlawful" presence in the occupied Palestinian territories as rapidly as possible. (Photo by Sylvia Lederer/Xinhua)

Judges attend a public session of the International Court of Justice (ICJ) at the Peace Palace in The Hague, the Netherlands, on July 19, 2024. The International Court of Justice (ICJ) on Friday called on Israel to end its "unlawful" presence in the occupied Palestinian territories as rapidly as possible. (Photo by Sylvia Lederer/Xinhua)

Palestinian representatives are seen during the announcement of an advisory opinion by the International Court of Justice (ICJ) at the Peace Palace in The Hague, the Netherlands, on July 19, 2024. The International Court of Justice (ICJ) on Friday called on Israel to end its "unlawful" presence in the occupied Palestinian territories as rapidly as possible. (Photo by Sylvia Lederer/Xinhua)

(Web editor: Peng Yukai, Wu Chaolan)
Forecast high temperatures Saturday will be in the 90s across South Texas. Pivotal Weather

Were going through a rare, extended period when temperatures have been relatively comfortable here in South Texas. Maybe comfortable is not the right word, but we all know it could be much worse this time of the year.

San Antonio has not touched the 100-degree mark since July 6. Since then, the average high temperature has been 93.8 degrees. Last year, the same time frame yielded an average high of 102.6 degrees.

This weekend, temperatures are expected to rise several degrees from where theyve been the past couple of days, but highs are still likely to stay below the triple-digit threshold. We wont have to deal with the heat for long, though, as another summer cold front brings cooler weather and rain chances back for next week.

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Weekend forecast

Saturday: If you have any outdoor errands or yard work to take care of, the morning will be the time to do it as lows sit comfortably in the 70s between 5 a.m. and 9 a.m. After that, temperatures will rise quickly to around 90 degrees by noon. Afternoon temps are expected to reach 97 to 98 degrees in the Alamo City under partly to mostly sunny skies.

Future weather radar for 3 p.m. Saturday shows isolated storms across South Texas. Most areas will stay dry. WeatherBell

Once again, high atmospheric moisture levels will result in isolated thunderstorms during the afternoon and evening. Overall rain chances are just 20%, so you have an 80% chance youll stay dry. The best chance of rain will be between 1 p.m. and 6 p.m.

Sunday: Weather models are bringing the cold front into Texas as early as Sunday. However, the front is expected to stall out over parts of West, Central and North Texas, keeping the cooler temperatures and rain chances to the north of San Antonio.

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As a result, the Alamo City will likely stay hot on Sunday with highs in the middle to upper 90s. Rain chances will stay low, only at 10% to 20% in the metro area.

Next weeks changes

The front will move closer to San Antonio on Monday, but many weather models still keep it north of San Antonio early in the week. Because of that, Monday afternoon may remain dry with highs in the low to mid-90s.

By Monday night, thunderstorms may start to move south toward San Antonio, but chances will be greatly influenced by the exact position of the cold front. If it continues to stall to the north, San Antonio rain chances could be delayed until later in the week.

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Weather models continue to point toward Tuesday through Thursday as the best time for rain chances and the coolest temperatures for South Texas. Highs are expected to fall into the upper 80s, well below average for late July. Lows will hover in the low to mid-70s.

Potential cumulative rainfall totals in Texas through all of next week, according to the GFS weather model, show multiple inches across Central and South Texas. Pivotal Weather

As for rain, off-and-on storms are expected across South Texas throughout the middle of the week. It wont rain all day, but storms could provide periods of very heavy rainfall and gusty winds.

A great deal of model disagreement remains as to how much rain San Antonio will get. The area has about a 50% chance of weekly rainfall totals greater than 2 inches. More precise rainfall forecasts will be available by early next week. The heaviest rainfall is favored north of San Antonio, from the Hill Country and into Central Texas.
The Manila International Airport Authority (MIAA) has announced the suspension of at least 17 international and 31 domestic flights scheduled on Saturday due to a global IT services blackout.

As of 9 a.m., the following flights have been canceled:

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 Cebu Pacific (CEB) international flights to and from Incheon, Denpasar, Bangkok, Ho Chi Minh, Taipei, Shanghai, Jakarta, and Hanoi, as well as domestic flights to and from Cebu, Puerto Princesa, Tacloban, Cagayan de Oro, Laoag, Iloilo, Butuan, Dipolog, Davao, and Caticlan

 CEBs sister airline CebGo flights to and from Cebu and Legazpi

 AirAsia Philippines six local flights to and from Cebu, Iloilo, and Caticlan, along with United Airlines flight UA-190 from Manila to San Francisco

The airport management is working to address the global IT systems outage affecting several airlines in Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA) Terminal 3 and Terminal 2.

A number of other airlines, including Etihad, JejuAir, Jetstar Asia, Jetstar Japan, Scoot, and Hongkong Express, have also been affected.

Cebu Pacific and AirAsia have since issued statements acknowledging the technical issues and are working to restore full functionality to their systems.

Passengers are advised to prepare for potential long queues due to manual check-in processes, as well as asked to check their flight status with the respective airline before heading to the airport to avoid congestion at the terminal.

To alleviate passenger discomfort, MIAA General Manager Eric Jose Ines has deployed additional personnel and provided Malasakit Kits, including food snacks and bottled water, to affected individuals.

In addition, the Civil Aviation Authority of the Philippines (CAAP) has confirmed that airports in Bicol and Davao were also affected.

The CAAP terminal operation team has been instructed to activate Medical Assistance and Malasakit Desks, the Police  Aviation Security Unit counter, and other measures to assist affected passengers.
Mongolian court sentences journalist to almost five years jail

A Mongolian court sentenced a controversial journalist to almost five years in prison for illegally obtaining state secrets and a host of other crimes, in a case that critics say exposes a deepening crackdown on press freedom.

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Naran Unurtsetseg became one of Mongolias best-known journalists by exposing abuse in a Buddhist boarding school, violence in the military, and by taking on some of the countrys most powerful people.

Her confrontational broadcasts with her outlet, Zarig, sparked controversy over her tactics but won her legions of fans in a country where corruption is deep-rooted and has sparked civil unrest.

On Friday, Unurtsetseg wrote on Facebook that a court in the capital Ulaanbaatar had sentenced her to four years and nine months of prison time following a closed-door trial.

This is repression, she wrote.

A court decision said she was found guilty of illegally obtaining state secrets, tax avoidance, disclosing personal information and defamation.

This is the first time that Mongolia has punished a journalist since the early 2000s, said Zagdsuren Borgilmaa, board member of the Confederation of Mongolian Journalists, the countrys main press NGO.

Democratic Mongolia boasts a vibrant media scene, with scores of outlets representing all shades of the political spectrum and confrontational debate commonplace.

But against a recent backdrop of what critics say is declining rule of law, it has plummeted in press freedom rankings.

Reporters Without Borders in 2024 ranked the country 109th in the world.

According to the Confederation of Mongolian Journalists, some 20 media workers are now under some kind of formal investigation for their reporting.
Libya, Morocco, and the Seychelles top the list for the highest ICT development levels in Africa, according to the Measuring Digital Development  ICT Development Index 2024 report released at the end of June.

The latest report from the International Telecommunication Union (ITU) reveals significant progress in ICT development among the 47 African countries studied, though substantial disparities remain.

The report assesses progress in ICT development across 170 countries and territories globally, based on 10 indicators. These include the percentage of individuals using the internet, mobile broadband penetration, mobile broadband internet traffic, the cost of mobile data and voice services, and mobile phone ownership rates.

Countries and territories are scored on a scale from 0 to 100 points for each indicator. These scores are then combined, with equal weight, to produce an overall score for each country, ranging from 0 (complete lack of connectivity) to 100 points (optimal connectivity).

Libya leads the African continent with a score of 88.1 points, jumping from fifth to first place in one year, thanks to significant increases in mobile and internet penetration. Morocco follows closely with 86.8 points, and the Seychelles ranks third with 84.7 points. Mauritius (84.2), South Africa (83.6), Algeria (80.9), Botswana (78.7), Tunisia (77.2), Egypt (76.8), and Gabon (74.7) round out the top 10.

The report highlights that the average score for Africa rose to 50.3 points, an increase of 3.7 points from the 2023 index, driven by improvements in the majority of the countries studied. However, disparities remain stark. For instance, the gap between Libya and Chad, which comes at the bottom of the list, exceeds 66 points.

Chad (21.3) is preceded by Burundi (24.4) and Somalia (28.7).
On the run

Some calls came in around 8:30 p.m. Thursday that a man was driving a 4-wheeler recklessly and reportedly had nearly hit some pedestrians.

Kent Bowman, 31, of Butte was running on foot when police arrested him for resisting arrest, obstructing a peace officer and criminal possession of drug paraphernalia (a pipe).

Bond set

Butte police assisted Adult Probation and Parole in the arrest of Eric W. Mahkuk, 46, of Glendive.

Mahkuk had five warrants out for his arrest for criminal endangerment. His bond was set at $100,000.

Taken into custody

At the request of the Twin Falls, Idaho, police, Butte officers went to a residence in the 3500 block of Gaylord Street and took Thomas G. Hernandez, 37, of Butte into custody.

Hernandez had a warrant for his arrest. His bond was set at $250,000.

Suspicious man

A call came in Wednesday about a suspicious man in the 1600 block of Gaylord Street.

The man turned out to be Jadan L. Busch, 26, of Butte, who had a warrant for his arrest out of Rosebud County. His bond was set at $25,000.

Booked, jailed

Shortly after 7 p.m. on Tuesday, Paul D. Pierce, 47, of Butte was booked into the jail.

He was arrested by a Montana Highway Patrol trooper for criminal possession of dangerous drugs and parole violation

Cracked windows

It was reported early Thursday afternoon that two windows of a 2002 Jeep Cherokee had been cracked while parked in the 1100 block of South Utah Avenue.
After nine months of delays, disagreement and no progress, the city of Helena is restarting the bid for a fire tower repair contractor.

At this time, the scope of the work has been redefined, Parks, Recreation and Open Lands Director Doug Smith said at a June 10 administrative meeting.

However, while both the city and the previous contractor, Porter & Associates Architectural Conservation, agreed to end the team-up, they each pointed the finger at the other.

The city believes the contractor wasnt available enough and had unreasonable demands, Smith said. The contractor said the city knew his availability ahead of time and failed to hold themselves accountable.

I dont think the city is working in good faith, Doug Porter of Porter & Associates said.

The collaboration started in November 2023, when the city of Helena confirmed Porter had won the bid to repair the fire tower built in 1874 known as "The Guardian of the Gulch," which had been burned in an arson fire in 2016.

Porter works out of Vermont and is one of few historic wood repair experts in the country.

Experts are needed for a project like this as Helena's fire tower has a uniquely made urban timber frame  the only one of its kind in the country, city officials said. Porter has restored several landmarks, including the Keane Wonder Mine Aerial Tramway in Death Valley National Park and the Cable Mountain Draw Works in Zion National Park.

Smith and Craig Marr, parks superintendent, believe Porter was the only contractor to apply.

In December, the city drafted the first contract, and Porter gave pause. Although there were multiple disagreements, there were two big issues, from Porters view.

The first was the contractor crew would be in charge of the utilities locates (making sure the construction does not interfere with utilities, some of which are underground) and building permits. Porter insisted it wouldnt be viable to put the crew in charge of these support jobs because the crew was coming from out of town.

The city said that wasn't its responsibility, Smith said.

The other big conflict was that the city held a right to delay the project for any reason but placed financial penalties on Porter if his crew missed a deadline.

Porter argued it was an unfair deal that allowed the city to change its demands (such as the scope of the project and timing) without giving any leeway to the crew to adjust.

Marr said Porter was being unreasonable and didnt want deadlines, didnt want penalties.

Among the other conflicts was when and how the fire tower would be repaired. Porter wanted to disassemble the fire tower and rebuild with repairs in two trips, which ran the risk of the fire tower being missing for its own 150th anniversary in August.

When the city pushed back, Porter said the project description he applied for didnt list a one-visit repair in the rules.

Contract negotiations  which usually take only a few weeks, if that  went on for months, and the summer 2024 season grew closer.

A few months in advance, Porter told the city he had other projects going on and would be unavailable after March 25 and all of April. He insisted a second contract be written before then, otherwise they wouldnt be able to finish repairs in time.

The city said itd aim to finish its second contract by Feb. 21, Porter claimed, which city PIO Jacob Garcin confirmed. Then, it said itd send the contract by Feb. 23.

The second contract wasnt sent to Porter until April, when he was out of the country. Beyond being too late to respond, Porter said he thought the new contract was even more restrictive.

I returned home from project work May 12 to find that Craig Marr sent a revised contract on April 1 (five days too late for me to receive it), Porter wrote in a June 18 letter, and that in an article on the fire tower in a Helena newspaper, the ... City Manager blamed the lack of progress on fire tower repairs on me. Nothing could be further from the truth.

Meanwhile, Smith said Porter ran the clock and had created this problem by asking for too many changes.

It was our understanding that he needed the contract in place by mid-May to secure the timber needed for the project, Garcin said in an email. The Feb. 21 and Feb. 23 dates were discussed, and city staff provided the updated agreement as quickly as we could.

We would just reiterate that by April, negotiations had been on-going for approximately 6 months, he continued. There had been multiple sincere attempts to address Mr. Porters concerns with the contract by that time.

Shortly before July 10, both parties agreed to end the partnership. The earliest the fire tower could be repaired would be summer 2025.

A new contract application (commonly called an RFP or request for proposal) was put out Monday and will be open until Aug. 15. Porter said hes certain (he) wont reapply.

The whole thing is incredibly disappointing and frustrating, Lewis and Clark County Heritage Preservation Officer Pam Attardo said.

The Lewis & Clarks City Heritage Tourism Council had been involved in the repair process until a few months ago, when Helenas Parks, Recreation and Open Lands Department fully took over. The sudden loss of progress came as a shock.

Experts like Porter are rare and hard to recruit, Attardo said. Hed had multiple trips to Helena before and had worked with Attardo. It may take two to four years to convince another contractor to come out again.

They may be working from photos, but Doug Porter was with the wood scientist testing the tower, Attardo said. He also helped measure the fire tower in 2022. She questioned why the city struggled to connect with him after working with Porter for years.

She's concerned the fire tower isnt going to be repaired by someone qualified enough. Specific standards need to be met, including using precise woods with the right moisture content, to maintain its place on the National Register of Historic Places.

Meanwhile, the city is confident the bids will come. People will want to work on a historic and important symbol, especially if they were too busy to apply last year, Smith said. The city would only accept the most qualified candidates.

Its all about getting it right, Smith said.
Governors across the country said they have been briefed on the massive global technology outage that has grounded flights, disrupted businesses, and knocked out emergency call centers and said they are monitoring developments.

CrowdStrike, a cybersecurity firm, said the breakdown is not the result of a "security incident or cyberattack."

"CrowdStrike is actively working with customers impacted by a defect found in a single content update for Windows hosts," CEO George Kurtz wrote on X.

The outages have been linked to a software update provided by CrowdStrike that is affecting Microsoft's Windows Operating System.

"The issue has been identified, isolated and a fix has been deployed," Kurtz said in the posting.

In the meantime, governors said they were working to resolve any issues involving state computer systems.

"I am closely monitoring impacts to critical infrastructure in New York State due to a worldwide software issue. Our top priority is to ensure 911 systems are fully operational. A fix for the underlying issues has been identified & we are working with agencies on a resolution," New York Gov. Kathy Hochul said on X.

She said the state is aware that the outage wasn't caused by a cyberattack or security incident.

"We are working with state agencies, local governments, and the third party service provider to resolve any issues impacting New Yorkers," she said.

Gov. Tim Murphy of neighboring New Jersey said he was also keeping an eye on the situation.

"I've been briefed on the global technology outages which have grounded flights, disrupted banks, and slowed the work of businesses and critical services including 911 call centers," he said on X, pointing out that he activated the State Emergency Operations Center early Friday morning.

Murphy said his administration is providing "guidance to relevant executive branch agencies on how to address the situation."

"We are also engaging county and local government, 911 call centers, and utilities to assess the impact and offer our assistance," he said.

In Massachusetts, Gov. Maura Healey alerted residents that they could have difficulty reaching certain agencies.

"I'm closely monitoring the global CrowdStrike incident, and our team is working to assess and mitigate the impact on Massachusetts," she said on X.

"We're in contact with public safety, health care, and transportation officials, but residents may experience delays while we resolve the outage," Healey said.

Delaware Gov. John Carney shared a similar message.

"State of Delaware computer systems have been affected by a worldwide IT outage overnight. Public safety services are operating normally. Please be aware that other State services may experience extended delays while we work to restore service," Carney said in a posting on X.

Gov. Ned Lamont of Connecticut said officials are "assessing any possible impacts" the CrowdStrike outage could have on state computer systems.

"We are asking state employees who may be experiencing technical difficulties to report them to their service desk or help desk as appropriate," he said on X.
DES MOINES  New restrictions on abortions are not yet in effect in Iowa as legal procedures remained pending Friday.

Meantime, a lower court judge on Friday indicated his willingness to provide multiple days notice before taking action on a legal challenge to the states new abortion law.

Iowa District Court Judge Jeffrey Farrell on Friday, during a virtual meeting with lawyers, discussed future legal proceedings in the case involving the law that would ban abortions in Iowa once cardiac activity can be detected.

The law was passed by statehouse Republicans in July 2023 but had been halted by a district court order while legal challenges worked through the courts.

Ultimately, the Iowa Supreme Court on June 28 ruled the law is constitutional and ordered the lower court to dissolve the injunction and allow the law to go into effect.

On July 11, though, plaintiffs in the case filed a request that the Iowa Supreme Court rehear the case.

Farrell cannot dissolve the injunction and allow the law to go into effect until the Supreme Court rules on that request, which it had not as of Friday afternoon.

Sally Frank, a law professor at Drake University, said it is rare for the court to grant such requests.

Farrell told lawyers during their virtual meeting Friday afternoon that he anticipates the Supreme Court will reject the request for a rehearing.

He then asked lawyers if they had any requests regarding the timing of his dissolving the injunction and allowing the law to go into effect.

Peter Im, a lawyer for the Planned Parenthood Federation of America, asked Farrell for multiple days notice before the injunction is dissolved. Im said such notice would help patients and health providers who are working through currently scheduled appointments.

Farrell told the lawyers that he considered the request reasonable.

The new Iowa law bans abortions once cardiac activity can be detected, which typically is around the sixth week of pregnancy  often before a woman is aware of being pregnant. Advocates for abortion access say the law effectively will ban the vast majority of abortions in Iowa.

Until the new restrictions go into effect, abortion is legal in Iowa until roughly the 20th week of pregnancy.
I was recently surprised when I received two emails asking about robotic roofing installation. My column about AI in the construction industry caught the attention of prospective roofing installers. I expected carpenters to throw rocks through my window over replacing them with AI bots. But the big question is if these alternatives are even ready for construction use.

Installing a roof is among the least desirable construction jobs, one of the classic 3 Ds: dull, dirty, and dangerous..very dangerous. And yet civilization is all about shelter and arguably architecture itself is all about providing a roof over our heads, so its a lot more critical than we think.

In 2023 Renovate Robotics Inc developed a machine with a robotic arm to install shingles. The theoretical advantages are the reduction of dangerous roofing perils. A robot is attached to the roof and moves horizontally across the surface installing shingles as it goes. Human operators monitor and load shingles into the machine. It wont necessarily eliminate the human workers, but in theory it could make the process a lot safer. Eventually they hope to have remote monitoring to collect and store the data as it moves along. This is truly an infant industry, but it is on the horizon.

Then there is the possibility of drones with nail guns. The University of Michigan engineers have been working with octocopter drones that can attach asphalt shingles to roofing with a nail gun. It places the shingle and installs the nails horizontally without a human at the controls. They could remove and clean the surfaces then install asphaltic shingles to minimize the human danger. Both nail guns and the batteries are required and are very heavy, so this option is a ways off.

Drones have been very instrumental in making inspections of bridges, wind turbines and cell towers by industries needing them. Drones might make the transition from surveillance to performing construction tasks but how soon will they be replacing your roof is still up in the air (pun intended), but more and more automation is entering the workforce.

Architecture itself is all about providing a roof over our heads

Here is a good time to think about your roof and how important proper care and experience is required. The roofing industry is moving from hand nailing to nail guns, but not all roofing materials can make that transition. Talk to your roofer to make sure the material you're using is safe.

One of the most important elements of a roof is what's underneath it, namely the sheathing. Roofs over 50 years old often have skip sheathing of horizontal wood strips that the roofing is attached. Today, solid plywood or OSB is used for a solid surface as well as lateral diaphragm protection for wind or earthquakes, As to the quality of shingles, the thicker the better.

Concrete tile roofs have become very popular and generally new construction subdivisions use them predominantly. One must remember, concrete tiles do crack and installing solar panels is tricky.

Clearly the shape and design of the roof can complicate the roof installation costs. Hips tend to cost more. No matter what kind of roof you choose, it should be installed by a certified roofing company with an impeccable reputation. Please don't use your Uncle Harry & Aunt Betty down the street with a pickup and a boom box.

While robotic installed roofing is in its infancy, the most important factor of a new roof is a consistent installation pattern and providing ventilation of the attic. A roof attic should be properly insulated but still provide ventilation for moisture reduction. Typically, vents are placed at the bottom of the roof, bird holes, and ventilation vents at the roof top. Often this is a ridge vent, but it's important to make sure they do not clog up.

I asked Bret Hummer of Modern Method Roofing Company to describe the state of the industry today:

Weve seen very little solid progress on robotics installations. Wed welcome the technology but the fine details of shingling around penetrations/flashings, fireplace saddles and details that require cutting and metal work, arent even close to fruition. Then theres an investment for purchasing these tools that will be expensive. We actually have machines that tear off or remove the shingles, but we found them to be lacking in the fine precision elements of tear off and just dont work economically.

Bret noted, Drones can.. visually improve our estimating processes. The roof could be extremely steep requiring video footage of the roof details. The drone footage is a good marketing tool for customers. We use drones to demonstrate our best products to customers."

Satellite imagery is most valuable for estimating roof dimensions. Technology is so good now that we get finite measurements of the roof, and these programs compute square footage and flashing quantities. Nonetheless, we still get up on the roof to touch, feel and examine. A drone cant do that.

I asked Bret about general roofing costs. While every roof is different, some general costs are helpful. By the way, roofers use a square that is equal to 100 square feet:

Composition fiberglass shingles are the lowest priced commodity for roofs. They are rated Class A fire rated and some varieties are 'cool roof compliant.' Starting budget for a 30-year expected life, range in the $650.00/square. A 40-year composite add 10%; a 50-year add another 10%. Additionally, there are some higher-end designer-style thicker shingles that cost a bit more but look terrific.

Concrete tiles start at $1,800-2,300/square. Much more fire resistant, cooler, and aesthetically pleasing.

Metal roofs have become very popular in recent years, especially for that Farmhouse Country look. One of the advantages of a metal roof is it's recyclable and the variety of styles and finishes is enormous. Besides the traditional standing seam, imitation barrel tile is available. While 40-year comp roofs can provide the same fire safety as a metal roof, metal roofs, if properly installed and of the correct materials can last over 50 years.

I asked Bret about metal roofing and the cost for a standing seam metal roofing is approximately $3,000/sq. Metal roofs can be cooler by reflecting sun heat and last 50-75 years and can be extremely beautiful.

Whatever you do, dont wait until winter to ask for a quote. Think about it now and ask a professional. Be careful if he/she appears with a dog and a boom box.

Photos: Napa debuts Fourth of July drone show Napa Fourth of July drone show Napa Fourth of July drone show Napa Fourth of July drone show Napa Fourth of July drone show Napa Fourth of July drone show Napa Fourth of July drone show Napa Fourth of July drone show Napa Fourth of July drone show Napa Fourth of July drone show
Imphal: Myanmar nationals currently languishing inside the detention centers in this border state have started hunger strikes demanding to release them.

Regarding this, Sorokhaibam Bhadrika, Superintendent of the Manipur Central Jail spoke to the newsmen at Imphal on Saturday and stated that the Manipur Jail authorities do not have the power to release them as they were penalized by the Court under Section 14 of the Foreigners Act.

"Ready for a challenge? Click here to take our quiz and show off your knowledge!"

The Jail SP also said that the detainees can be deported back to Myanmar only after getting thorough clarification from the Myanmar Embassy.

Regarding the demands for the detainees to be released in Moreh, Indias last border town in the Manipur sector with Myanmar on the south, where they were apprehended, and not to hand over them to Myanmar (Burma) authorities, the SP made it clear that these demands cant be fulfilled as it is under the policy of the Government of Manipur and not under the Manipur Central Jail authority.

The SP further asserted that the detainees were being taken care of as per the rules and were provided with an adequate amount of uncontaminated water, both for drinking and other uses, even when water is scarce in the state.

He also said that the detainees could communicate with their families through video calls.

It is worth noting that as many as 5, 000 Myanmar nationals including women and children entering Manipur without valid documents are taking shelter at different detention centres in Manipur.
One woman was killed and two others were wounded in a Samurai-style sword attack near Los Angeles apparently stemming from a domestic dispute, according to a report.

Los Angeles County Sheriff Deputies responded to a call Thursday afternoon in San Dimas and encountered a woman with blood on her leg and hands holding the sword, KTLA reported.

The woman waved down the deputies and then laid the blade down.

"That female then directs them to a residence on the street where the deputies find an additional female also suffering from lacerations, who was later pronounced dead at the scene," Lt. Daniel Vizcarra of the sheriff's department said, the station reported.

"As they continued through the residence, an additional female was found in the residence unharmed, who was also transferred to a local hospital due to a medical emergency."

Deputies said it's unclear what sparked the violence, adding the investigation is proceeding slowly because the women only speak Mandarin Chinese.

"The preliminary investigation suggests that there may be a family connection, but again, because of the language barrier, we have not confirmed that," Vizcarra said.
The Minister of Civil Aviation Murlidhar Mahol confirmed in an official notice issued on Saturday that airline systems across Indian airports have resumed normal operations since 3 AM. The minister stated, "Since 3 AM in the night, Airline systems across airports have started working normally. Flight operations are going smoothly now. There is a backlog because of disruptions yesterday and it is getting cleared gradually. By noon today, we expect all issues to be resolved. We are constantly monitoring the operations at our airports and also with the airlines ensuring travel readjustments and refunds are taken care of. We thank you for your patience." The disruption, which began on Friday, was linked to a severe outage impacting Microsoft Windows systems. The Indian Computer Emergency Response Team (CERT-In) issued an advisory, addressing the widespread issue caused by the latest update of the CrowdStrike agent, Falcon Sensor. This update led to system crashes and the "Blue Screen of Death" (BSOD), affecting numerous Windows hosts equipped with the CrowdStrike Falcon Sensor. Reports indicated that the update had caused stability issues, rendering many systems inoperable. In response, CrowdStrike reverted the changes made in the recent update. However, for hosts experiencing crashes, CERT-In recommended specific mitigation steps. Union Minister for Information Technology, Ashwini Vaishnaw, assured the public that the government was in close contact with Microsoft to address the issue. "MEITY is in touch with Microsoft and its associates regarding the global outage. The reason for this outage has been identified and updates have been released to resolve the issue. CERT is issuing a technical advisory. The NIC network is not affected," the minister stated on Friday. Microsoft also acknowledged the outage affecting its online services globally, including in India. In its latest update, Microsoft reported continuous improvements in its services as mitigation actions progressed. The resumption of normal airline operations comes as a relief to many travelers who faced significant delays and disruptions due to the system outage. (ANI)
VMPL New Delhi [India], July 20: Kichnam Masale, a leading name in the spice industry, proudly celebrates over three decades of delivering authentic Indian spices to kitchens around the globe. Since its inception in 1992, Kichnam Masale has been dedicated to preserving and sharing the rich culinary heritage of India through its premium quality spices. Kichnam Masale offers an array of traditional spices and blends, meticulously sourced and crafted to ensure the highest quality and authenticity. From the fiery heat of red chili powder to the aromatic richness of garam masala, Kichnam Masale provides a diverse selection that caters to both home cooks and professional chefs. Key Milestones and Achievements: 1. Serving 5 Lakhs Customers: Kichnam Masale proudly serves over 5 lakh satisfied customers, a testament to our quality and trust. 2. Established in 1992: With over three decades of expertise, Kichnam Masale has been a trusted name in the spice industry since 1992. 3. Served More Than 15,000 Food Retailers: Our commitment to quality has led us to serve over 15,000 food retailers, ensuring our spices reach every corner of the market. 4. Worked with 600+ Distributors: Our extensive network of over 300 distributors ensures that Kichnam Masale products are always within reach. 5. Online and Offline Presence: We are committed to convenience and accessibility, offering a 30 per cent discount on online purchases as well as a strong offline presence. Product Highlights: * Premium Quality: Kichnam Masale prides itself on using the finest ingredients, handpicked from the best farms across India. * Authenticity: Each spice blend is crafted using traditional recipes, preserving the authentic flavors of Indian cuisine. * Versatility: The range includes single spices, spice blends, and special mixes for various Indian dishes, making it easy to create a variety of flavorsome meals. * Packaging: The spices are packaged in eco-friendly, resealable packs to ensure freshness and convenience. "We are proud to celebrate our journey of bringing the true flavors of India to our customers," said Dhamija, Managing Director at Kichnam Masale. "Our mission has always been to offer the finest quality spices that reflect our rich culinary traditions. Our continued success and growth are a testament to our unwavering commitment to quality and authenticity." Kichnam Masale invites customers to explore their range of spices available through their official website and selected retail partners. Exclusive recipes and cooking tips are also available to help customers make the most of their spices. For more information about Kichnam Masale, visit www.kichnam.com or follow us on https://www.instagram.com/kichnamspices/?hl=en . About Kichnam Masale: Kichnam Masale is a renowned brand in the spice industry, known for its high-quality and authentic Indian spices. Since 1992, Kichnam Masale has been dedicated to preserving the rich culinary heritage of India by sourcing the finest ingredients and crafting each product with care and precision. The brand aims to bring the vibrant flavors of Indian cuisine to kitchens worldwide, serving over 5 lakh customers and partnering with more than 600 distributors and 15,000 food retailers. (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)
India's ultra-high-net-worth individuals (UHNIs) hold the potential to enhance their philanthropic impact, with contributions potentially tripling to Rs 75,500 crore annually, according to a report by Accelerate Indian Philanthropy (AIP) and Boston Consulting Group (BCG), titled "Wealth with Purpose: A Report on Private Indian Philanthropy". The study engaged over 100 UHNIs from wealth segments ranging from Rs 200 crore to Rs 2000 plus crore, underscoring a transformative shift in Indian philanthropy, driven by a desire for strategic and sustainable impact. The study found that 90 per cent of the surveyed UHNIs are eager to amplify their philanthropic efforts. If UHNIs allocate just 5 per cent of their incremental wealth, their annual contributions could surge to Rs 75,000+ crore--an over three-fold increase compared to current levels. This potential for significant growth highlights an untapped reservoir of philanthropic capital that could drive profound social change in India. Indian philanthropy is transitioning from traditional charitable donations to a more strategic and impactful approach. This shift is largely driven by young, first-generation wealth creators who are increasingly focusing on long-term solutions and experimental models designed for scalable impact. These emerging philanthropists are prioritizing systemic change over short-term relief efforts, reflecting a broader cultural evolution in how wealth is utilized for social good. The report introduces the TIE model, which categorizes philanthropic engagement into three areas- Treasure (financial resources), Involvement (time, talent, ties), and Evangelization (advocacy and influence). This model emphasizes a holistic approach to philanthropy, suggesting that substantial and sustainable impact requires more than just financial contributions--it also involves active participation and advocacy. Collaboration emerges as a critical factor in amplifying philanthropic impact. The report advocates for increased knowledge sharing and joint efforts among philanthropists, which can enhance the overall ecosystem and scale of impact. By working together, philanthropists can overcome common barriers and create a more effective and interconnected philanthropic network. The study identifies six distinct philanthropic archetypes in India- inspiration seekers, cause champions, emerging givers, core givers, strategic enablers, rainmakers. Each archetype represents different stages and motivations in the philanthropic journey, offering a nuanced understanding of the diverse approaches to giving in India. Key trends include early engagement, the importance of scale, and a preference for direct grant-making. However, barriers persist, such as personal challenges (e.g., time constraints, motivational issues), structural issues (e.g., procedural complexities, information gaps), and cultural challenges (e.g., beliefs about wealth preservation and lack of social recognition). Despite these obstacles, the next generation of philanthropists is showing increased openness and involvement. Ashish Dhawan, Founder-CEO, The Convergence Foundation and AIP Core Founder, said, "Personal wealth accumulation in India is surpassing global averages and there is an opportunity for philanthropy to play a much bigger role but currently it lags behind global giving averages." He added, "Philanthropy can play a catalytic role in driving India's economic and social transformation, and our vision, through AIP, is to collectively accelerate philanthropy towards that end. We advocate for philanthropy to create systemic impact by way of addressing the country's growth and developmental challenges at a population-level and in a sustainable manner." Neeraj Aggarwal, Chair, Asia-Pacific, Boston Consulting Group, said, "This report highlights a crucial positive trend in India -the rise of a robust philanthropic culture. Realizing the dream of 'Viksit Bharat' requires collective commitment. We now have an evolved set of philanthropists who are not only giving but also getting involved with their time and ties, engaging in bold experimentation, and tackling large-scale issues." He added, "At the same time, we have an emerging new generation that not only believes in early engagement but also prioritizes long-term solutions over short-term charitable work. The report highlights six such archetypes of philanthropists each with different motivations, but each equally critical to bringing us closer to our aspirations. I hope it inspires transformative contributions." Amitabh Jaipuria, CEO of Accelerate Indian Philanthropy, echoed these sentiments, stressing the importance of both increased giving and personal involvement. "India's UHNIs are uniquely positioned to drive the country's social and economic transformation through their philanthropic efforts. This report serves as a guide for UHNIs to understand the evolving landscape of philanthropy, recognize their potential impact, and adopt strategies that can contribute to India's transformation," Jaipuria said. (ANI)
Union Minister for Chemicals and Fertilizers JP Nadda on Saturday reiterated the crucial role of the petrochemicals and the chemical sector in achieving the vision of Prime Minister Narendra Modi of achieving a USD 5 trillion economy by 2025. Addressing the launch of the 13th edition of the India Chem with the theme "Advantage Bharat: Indian Chemicals and Petrochemicals Paving the Future," here, the Union Minister announced that the government is prepared to make significant policy and programme interventions to overcome challenges faced by chemicals and petrochemicals industry and stimulate the sector's growth. "As Prime Minister Modi desires that we have to become a USD 5 trillion economy, we have to align our programs and policies accordingly to see to it that the petrochemical industry, chemical industry also go in the same way and align itself so that we all together contribute to achieving that five trillion economy goal," Nadda stated. The Government is committed to the growth of the industry and has initiated numerous structural reforms to support industrial development in general, and to strengthen the chemical sector in particular, Nadda said adding that that this sector is a top priority for the Government. "As a minister, I can assure you that whatever interventions are needed in policies, in programs, whatever changes in the strategies are needed, the government is committed to it, and we will go forward," Nadda said. The minister also highlighted areas requiring concerted efforts from all stakeholders. "We need to focus on imports, R&D, and manpower training. These are a few areas requiring efforts from everyone," Nadda said calling for collaborative action to drive the sector's growth. The Indian chemical industry, currently valued at USD 220 billion, is projected to reach USD 300 billion by 2025 and an impressive USD 1 trillion by 2040. The sector, which contributes 5.9 per cent to India's Gross Domestic Product (GDP) accounts for 7 per cent of its overall exports. The sector has established India as a key global player, ranking sixth in the world and fourth in Asia in terms of chemical market size. He added that the year 2024 is an important year as the 13th edition of IndiaChem is set to be held on October 17-19 in Mumbai. He also assured the industry representatives that the government will come up with policy interventions required to strengthen the sector and that the "the Ministry will initiate policy measures to achieve the outcomes that will come out of the deliberation that will take place in Mumbai." Union Minister of State for Chemicals and Fertilisers, Anupriya Patel also addressed today's event. "This sector is very important, very vital for the overall economic growth of the country. It's like a backbone that supports many other industries like textiles, automobiles, agriculture," she said. Patel highlighted the government's commitment to supporting the industry's growth. "The government of India recognises this sector as a key priority area. We have a clear focus on investment-friendly reforms and the removal of policy bottlenecks," the Minister said. She said these efforts include enhancing the ease of doing business, reducing compliance burdens, rationalising tax structures, implementing FDI policy reforms and boosting domestic manufacturing.Sustainability emerged as a key theme in the minister's address. She urged the industry to "embrace sustainable practices, adopt green chemistry principles, reduce carbon footprints, and enhance energy efficiency." The Minister called for a concerted effort to adopt circular economy principles, including minimisation of use of hazardous chemicals, improved water management, and the exploration of biotechnological alternatives to traditional chemical synthesis methods. Patel said "India is the second largest exporter of chemical dyes and dyestuff as well as agrochemicals in the world. It also contributes about 3 per cent of global chemical sales". India Chem 2024, the flagship event of the Department, is one of the largest composite events of the industry in the Asia-Pacific comprising an International Exhibition and Conference. (ANI)
In a hearing held on Friday, Judge Curtis Farber estimated that jury selection for Weinstein's sexual assault case could commence on November 12, according to The Hollywood Reporter.

This comes after Manhattan District Attorney Alvin L Bragg expressed intent to retry Weinstein following the overturning of his previous conviction in April.

During the hearing, Weinstein's attorney, Arthur Aidala, reiterated his client's innocence and urged for an earlier trial date, citing Weinstein's deteriorating health conditions while incarcerated at Rikers Island, according to The Hollywood Reporter.

Aidala stated that Weinstein is "suffering tremendously" and emphasized the urgency of an earlier trial date, originally requesting September.

The original trial in February 2020 saw Weinstein convicted of criminal sexual assault in the first degree and rape in the third degree, based on the testimonies of Miriam Haley and Jessica Mann, respectively.

However, Weinstein was acquitted on other charges and sentenced to 23 years in prison.

Following the overturning of his conviction earlier this year, Manhattan D.A. Alvin L. Bragg reaffirmed his commitment to pursuing justice, indicating the possibility of new indictments against Weinstein as additional women have come forward with sexual assault allegations.

Weinstein's legal battles extend beyond New York, as he was also convicted by a Los Angeles jury in 2022 on charges related to former Russian model Evgeniya Chernyshova, known as Jane Doe No. 1.

Weinstein has since filed an appeal against his 16-year prison sentence in that case.

According to The Hollywood Reporter, the retrial in New York is expected to be closely watched, given the high-profile nature of the case and the broader implications for the #MeToo movement.

As legal proceedings continue, Weinstein remains a central figure in ongoing discussions surrounding accountability and justice in cases of sexual assault. (ANI)
Actor Conor Leslie, famed for potraying Donna Troy in the DC show 'Titans' is set to lead the horror thriller 'Archangel', according to The Hollywood Reporter. She is reuniting with the show's screenwriter Bryan Edward Hill Hill is making his directorial debut with the movie. It will be unveiled at next week's San Diego Comic-Con, with Hill and Leslie in attendance. Spooky Pictures and Image Nation Abu Dhabi are behind the film, which suggests the rise of a new horror superpower. Their two previous films were 'Watcher', a thriller directed by Chloe Okuno and starring Maika Monroe, and the microbudget horror smash 'Late Night with the Devil', which became IFC Films' highest-grossing opening weekend ever and grossed over 10 million dollars domestically. 'Archangel' is all about a privately funded organization, which is involved in the research of finding out the possibility of life after death. It is targeted by an old force that wishes to prevent humanity from comprehending the real nature of the supernatural. The film features Greg Hovanessian, Alyshia Ochse, Azure Parsons and Trevor Riley. It was produced by Spooky Pictures' Roy Lee and Steven Schneider, Image Nation's Derek Dauchy, and Kevlar Creative's Julius Pryor and Hill. Executive producers include Ben Ross and Rami Yasin. A panel at Comic-Con will provide a first look at 'Archangel', with Schneider joining Hill and Leslie, who has previously appeared on 'The Man in the High Castle'. Artwork from the graphic novel will also be displayed, according to The Hollywood Reporter. (ANI)
Actor Sharon Stone spoke about her battles with ill health, her fears for the future of her country, and the changes happening in the film industry, reported Variety. Sharon Stone attended the Taormina Film Festival to receive the Golden Cariddi Lifetime. She shared how the film industry has evolved and also spoke about her 'Basic Instinct', which is a 1992 film directed by Paul Verhoeven and written by Joe Eszterhas. Starring Michael Douglas, Sharon Stone, George Dzundza, Jeanne Tripplehorn, and Wayne Knight. "The world has changed dynamically since 1992. When I made 'Basic Instinct,' it seemed like a scandal," Stone said. "The studios have changed dramatically. They've changed from making a variety of movies to making these gigantic 100 million dollars and 200 million dollars films. When I was making these beautiful films 30 years ago, they would be 50-60 million dollars tops. Now streamers are taking over our business. And I don't think that that's a terrible thing. We're coming back to making smaller and more relevant films." "I just have to say now that women are writing, producing, and are more and more a part of filmmaking, and films are less about men writing about their fantasies of the way women are and actors asked to portray the male fantasy, and the critics are less asked to tell us if we fulfil the male fantasy, or not," she added. "That film is so changed from whether women are fulfilling the written, directed, produced, edited, and criticized... if we'd have met with a male fantasy, and now it's more about: are we fulfilling this human condition?" Her career was completely disrupted, and a nine-day brain bleed put her life in danger. Her rehabilitation included authoring a book called "The Beauty of Living Twice," as well as "making a daily decision to change your reality." Art appears to have served as a resource for both her personal recovery and full expression as a human being. Antonio Marras Dress "I've always felt that I was a 360-degree artist," said Stone, who was wearing a dress designed by Antonio Marras. "I am a writer and painter. I'm an actor. I wish I could sing. I am a good dancer. I started painting when I was a child. My Aunt Vaughn and Vaughn is my middle name, had two master's degrees: one in painting and one in literature. And so my growing up was very full of painting; and very full of literature. And I was very, very lucky for that. I studied painting at university. I studied all kinds of art: painting, sculpting, oil, watercolour, acrylic, jewellery making... everything." "When I went to New York, I was painting in New York as well as modelling and trying to work as an actress. And things happened for me as an actress. I didn't have time to paint anymore. And then when Covid happened, I started painting all the time. And it was also pretty wonderful because I had made some money as an actress, and I could afford to buy canvases that were already stretched..." "I'm thrilled to announce that the Municipality of Rome has offered me a one-woman show at the Richard Meier Museum, and I'll be having that show in mid-November here in Italy. It's the most exciting thing that has happened to me as a painter. I'm so excited I could cry but I won't because I don't have time to. I'm painting like a crazy person," she said, reported Variety. Sharon Stone is the recipient of various accolades, including a Primetime Emmy Award, a Golden Globe Award, and a nomination for an Academy Award. (ANI)
Actor Janhvi Kapoor is quite elated after receiving positive response from the audience over the trailer for her upcoming film 'Ulajh'. Janhvi's portrayal of an Indian Foreign Service (IFS) officer Suhana has garnered widespread praise, with fans raving about her new avatar. Expressing gratitude to the audience, Janhvi in a statement said, "I am overwhelmed by the response that the trailer has received. I am glad and truly grateful to all my fans and audience, who are excited to see me in this role. This gives me the courage to always deliver my best. This is the first time I'll be seen playing an IFS officer, and it was both challenging and exciting to experience this side and the world of diplomats, where you learn so many new things and understand a completely new side to national defence and international relations." The trailer for Ulajh showcases Janhvi Kapoor as Suhana, the youngest Deputy High Commissioner, who navigates a difficult mission at the London embassy under close watch. Her performance defies stereotypes, addressing nepotism head-on. Gulshan Devaiah joins the cast as a mysterious undercover agent, injecting further suspense into the narrative. The trailer teases a labyrinth of secrets and betrayals, hinting at an internal leak that jeopardises the lives of undercover agents and throws Suhana into a desperate struggle for survival. 'Ulajh,' scripted by Sudhanshu Saria and Parveez Shaikh with dialogue by Atika Chauhan, is slated for release on August 2, 2024. (ANI)
An Ohio man who stabbed his victim 45 times, set his body on fire, and posted 70 Snapchat videos of the horrific slaying will spend the rest of his life in prison, despite a last-minute plea that he's a changed man.

Timothy Kendrick, 35, pleaded guilty in June to charges of aggravated murder, murder, kidnapping, tampering with evidence and gross abuse of a corpse, in connection with the death of 30-year-old Drew Mendelbaum, The Columbus Dispatch reported.

Prosecutors said Kendrick, a transient, met the victim at a Columbus, Ohio, gas station in July 2021, and invited him back to his extended-stay hotel across the street under the guise of drinks. Instead, he struck Mendelbaum on the head, stabbed him dozens of times and slashed his throat during a two-hour deadly, torture session, after he thought the victim was trying to steal his wallet.

Kendrick posted dozens of bloody videos to Snapchat, showing himself holding a knife to Mendelbaum's throat, stomping on his body, and cleaning up the murder scene, prosecutors said, according to WBNS-TV and WCMH-TV.

He then bound Mendelbaum's ankles with zip-ties, wrapped his body in a shower curtain, stuffed it in a duffle bag, placed it in a shopping cart, and set it on fire outside a business.

Kendrick was arrested two weeks later after authorities tied him to the Snapchat videos.

Before learning his fate Thursday, Kendrick begged Franklin County Common Pleas Court Judge Andy Miller for compassion.

"Give me one more chance. This experience is making me the best version of myself, I just need one more chance," Kendrick pleaded, the Dispatch reported.

But, Miller didn't buy it.

"Regret is not remorse. Regret is feeling sorry for yourself, it is not sympathy for those you have done wrong," Miller explained. "The defendant has not really taken responsibility for anything. He still invokes a victim stance. He insists he tortured and killed a man and put it all on social media because he was drugged and someone tried to steal his wallet."

During Kendrick's sentencing hearing, Mendelbaum's mother delivered a heartbreaking victim impact statement.

"My only consolation is that he's now at peace," Dr. Gail Herman said. "I think how he suffered alone in his last minutes and how it must have been awful for him."

Kendrick was denied the possibility of parole.
Actor Niyati Fatnani, who has impressed the audience with her performance as Piya Rathod in 'Nazar' and Ginni Garewal Singh in 'Channa Mereya', is all set to be seen performing some daring stunts in 'Khatron Ke Khiladi 14', hosted by Rohit Shetty. During a conversation with ANI, she shared her experience of being part of the show and said, "I have gained memories for life and I am grateful to the show, to the entire team for this experience. No matter how much money you spend, you will not be able to experience all this. You have to do so many stunts and you have to go to a new country. So yes, I can show this to my kids. That's me." Niyati opened up on the challenges she faced while prepping for the show, "Adventure has never been my personality. I always feel good about challenging myself. I learned to swim 20 days ago. Here have to do 9 feet of swimming. Underwater swimming. So my fear of water, you will see in the stunt too, I just freaked out when I had to do the water stunt. I got to know what a panic attack is. I experienced everything. When I had a cable car stunt, a height stunt and for the first time, I was experiencing that I was jumping directly into the air." However, she said that she got a lot of support from Rohit Shetty. "I said to Mr. Rohit, Sir, I'm very scared. Sir is telling me, 'You can do it, Niyati'. I think I will always remember all this." 'Imlie' actor Gashmeer Mahajani also shared how it was to be on the show and said, "A lot of unexpected things happened. I went off on a flying start. You will see a lot of drama and a lot of ups and downs throughout the whole journey. So I am happy about it. I got to learn a lot." What made him frustrated, he said, "The biggest thing, which made me a little frustrated, was that initially I tried to do a stunt like a hero, with style but I found that I was losing because in films if you do a stunt and there is a mistake, you get a chance to rectify it, here there are no retakes. So, it's important to be a little scared and do it with fear sometimes if you want to move forward." There is excitement among the contestants but at the same place, there are certain fears that they have to face and overcome them. Actor Aditi Sharma, spoke about her fears and how her family motivated her. Actor Aditi Sharma said that after a long wait, she is doing the show and she is all excited about it. As she mentioned, "I am happy finally, I am doing the show. I think it's all a mental game. And in danger, definitely you have to mentally strive. But the problem is that you have so many factors like fear of elimination and fear of proving yourself to the contestants that you are not weak. You get so scared and panic under so much pressure because you get scared to prove yourself to others. So I think that happens a lot of times and it is way more difficult than what you can even think of. Of course, my mom supported me a lot and motivated me." Kedar Aashish is also super excited to be on the show and he opened up on how he prepared himself for the show, "I prepared myself a lot. And I don't think that one or two days or a month or three months of preparation is useful in such places. There can be some last-minute things that you can do. I used to swim in school. After that, I never did swimming as such. So, I started swimming especially 15 days ago. And I also had to face snakes so many times during the shoot. So, here you have to learn how to win over your fears and weaknesses." Karan Veer Mehra shared his experience, saying, "I'm very scared of dogs. And I was afraid of reptiles and, creepy crawlies and spiders. But luckily I was able to overcome my other fears. I did a dog stunt in which there was a dog bite. And they had given me a suit in which I was getting bitten but not that much. So I was able to do my stunt. Endurance and stamina helped me a lot." The 14th season was shot in Romania. It will be starting on Colors from July 27. (ANI)
The passengers of the Air India's Delhi-San Francisco flight, which was diverted to Russia's Krasnoyarsk Airport due to a technical issue, have left for the US city in another aircraft, the airline said. The ferry flight departed from the Russian airport carrying all the stranded passengers, Air India said in a post on social media platform X. https://x.com/airindia/status/1814349896444424516 "AI1179 departed Krasnoyarsk (KJA) at 0002 Hrs local time (20 July) for San Francisco (SFO), carrying all passengers and crew of AI183 that was diverted to KJA," it said. "Air India has mobilised additional on-ground support at SFO to carry out the clearance formalities for all passengers upon arrival. The team at SFO are prepared to provide all necessary assistance to the passengers, including but not limited to medical care, ground transportation, and onward connections in applicable cases," the airline added. After the flight took off, the Embassy of India in Moscow also thanked the Foreign Ministry of Russia and others for the assistance provided to the passengers. In a post on X, the India Embassy said, "Air India Rescue Flight AI 1179 with passengers of AI-183 took off from Krasnoyarsk for San Francisco". "The Embassy of India, Moscow thanks the Foreign Ministry of Russia and its Representative Office in Krasnoyarsk, Russian Federal Agency for Air Transport, the Krasnoyarsk Krai Government, airport authorities and security officials, for the assistance to the passengers and to Embassy's team in the coordination work throughout the emergency situation," the post added. Earlier, Air India said that they had obtained clearance for a relief flight that would take the passengers of flight AI-183, stranded at Krasnoyarsk airport due to a technical issue, to San Francisco. The airline said that the team is carrying essentials and sufficient food for all passengers. In a post on X, the airline said, "UPDATE #4: FERRY FLIGHT AI1179 TO KRASNOYARSK, RUSSIA. Our ferry flight AI1179 from Mumbai (BOM) to Krasnoyarsk, Russia (KJA) is now airborne and is expected to arrive at KJA at 2000 Hrs (local time) on 19 July 2024. An Air India team, including crew and security personnel, are on board the flight to provide any support that the passengers and staff at KJA may require. The ferry flight is carrying essentials in addition to a sufficient amount of food for all passengers. The aircraft will ferry all passengers and crew out of KJA at the earliest." The Indian Embassy in Moscow also said that an Embassy team of three senior officials and an interpreter is on the ground in Krasnoyarsk to assist the passengers of the Air India flight AI183 which made an emergency landing on Thursday. Earlier, the airline had said that "Food and beverage amenities at the terminal, which were closed for the evening, have now opened and meals are being provided to all passengers. Representatives from the Indian consulate in Moscow have travelled overnight and are working with Russian authorities to allow passengers to move to hotels, which have been on standby throughout the night. Regulatory clearances have been obtained for a relief flight that will depart Mumbai at 1100 hrs IST and ferry the guests out of Krasnoyarsk International Airport later today. Air India regrets the inconvenience to passengers arising from this diversion, which was undertaken in the interest of safety." (ANI)
A Class 9 student was allegedly abducted and raped in a moving car in Madhya Pradesh's Gwalior district last month, police said. According to officials, the incident occurred last month on the Gwalior-Shivpuri National Highway under the jurisdiction of Mohna police station. When the family members came to know about the matter, they approached the police station and lodged a complaint. Acting on the complaint, a case was registered at Mohana police station in the relevant sections of the rape and POCSO Act, Gwalior ASP Niranjan Sharma told ANI on Friday. "A police team was formed to nab the accused. The team caught the two accused, the rapist and his accomplice who shot the video. Both of them were being questioned. The vehicle used in the incident is also being seized and a team has been sent to nab the third accomplice. The accused are aged between 18 and 20 years," Sharma said. The accused also recorded a video of the assault and circulated the same on social media. When the minor girl told her family about the incident, they approached the police and lodged a complaint, Gwalior ASP Niranjan Sharma told ANI. ASP Sharma further said that the 13-year-old girl, a Class 9 student, filed a complaint at Mohna police station. She said she had befriended a youth from Chinour about a year ago, who later introduced her to his friends. They maintained contact through chat, ASP Sharma told ANI. On June 1, the accused came in a car with his two friends and called the girl to meet. After that they forcibly made her sit in the car and took her away, the officer said. "One of the youth raped her on the back seat of the car. During this, one youth was driving the car; the other one was sitting on the seat next to the driver and was making a video of the incident. After committing the crime, the accused continuously attempted to blackmail the girl on the basis of the video. The accused also threatened to kill her but when the girl did not listen to them, the accused made her video viral," ASP Sharma added. Further investigation into the matter is underway, he added. (ANI)
Samir Chakraborty passed away at the age of 72 in the early hours of Thursday in a private hospital in Agartala.

On Friday, CM Saha visited the late Chakraborty's residence in Agartala to offer his sympathy and support to the bereaved family members.

CM Saha shared that he had known Samir Chakraborty and his family professionally for many years.

During his visit, CM Saha spoke with Chakraborty's family members and close relatives.

In a conversation with media representatives, CM Saha remarked, "I have known Samir Chakraborty and his family for a long time. They used to consult me for medical reasons. He was also close to my elder brother and frequently visited our printing press for his writings. He often visited my chamber too."

CM Saha further elaborated that the late Chakraborty had been suffering from high blood sugar and other health problems and had undergone surgery. He passed away at ILS Hospital.

"I feel deeply saddened by his demise. I pray to God that he finds peace wherever he is. I also extend my condolences to his family," CM Saha added. (ANI)
A fresh batch of pilgrims left for the Amarnath yatra with great enthusiasm from the Panthachowk Srinagar base camp under tight security measures on Saturday. The pilgrims left for the Baltal and Pahalgam yatra base camps. "I have come from Amarnath Yatra from Mumbai. We are going from the Baltal route. The arrangements are good and we are being taken safely. Our journey so far has been smooth. Food, stay, water - we are getting all the facilities after coming so far. It is very appreciable. Though the journey is tough, our spirits are high and we will come back after darshan. The ambience is nice," Monika Agarwal, one of the pilgrims, said speaking to ANI. Another pilgrim, Hemanta, who completed his Amarnath yatra, appreciated the food arrangements made by the security forces for the yatris. "I have come from Nashik. We landed here on July 13. The BSF camp made good arrangements. We went to Pahalgam and then got to Baltal. The Jammu and Kashmir Police has also made good arrangements and supported us. Arrangements for food are at their best. You cannot see a larger bhandara like this. We went on foot. We felt good after darshan. Everyone should come to Amarnath at least once," Hemanta said speaking to ANI. The Shri Amarnathji Shrine Board organises the Amarnath Yatra, which is divided into two routes: one through Pahalgam and the other through Baltal. Baltal serves as the camping ground for pilgrims in the Ganderbal district of Jammu and Kashmir. Almost all the pilgrims visiting the holy shrine said that they were satisfied with the services provided for the journey. This year, the Amarnath Yatra is taking place amid a significant increase in the number of terror attacks in Jammu and Kashmir. (ANI)
NITI Aayog Member-Health VK Paul said that with Artificial Intelligence, the digital health "scene" in the country is set to change "very rapidly". "Artificial Intelligence is going to change health care practice, public health and health professional education. We are at the cusp of revolution. Digital health has been evolving period of time but with AI, machine learning, deep learning, intelligent learning and intelligent roboticsm the scene is set to change very rapidly," Paul said speaking to ANI on Friday at the third CII Digital Health Summit. The summit, themed 'Leveraging AI for Improving Health Outcomes,' was organised by the Confederation of Indian Industry (CII) in the national capital on Friday. Paul further said that the country should strive to lead the world in digital health and every sector of the society should contribute to it. "In today's summit we can see some very significant developments which are happening at a rapid pace. India's destiny is to lead the world in digital health, and in AI for health. That is the endeavour that we should really work towards. Policy enablers, private sector, industry, academia can contribute to the health of India, India's people and people at large in the globe," the NITI Aayog Member said. Rhea, a robot displayed at the CII Digital Health Summit, spoke on the contribution of Artificial Intelligence in enhancing the health care system in the country. "Artificial Intelligence can greatly enhance the health care system in India by enabling predictive analytics for preventive measures, automating routine tasks, offering decision support for diagnosis and treatment plans, and improving the personalisation of patient care. AI can also aid in the management of medical records and resources," Rhea said, speaking to ANI on Friday. In response to a question about whether artificial intelligence can replace doctors in the field of health, Rhea said, "While the AI in robots like myself can support and enhance the work of doctors, we cannot replace their experience, inhibition and personal touch that doctors provide. We are here to assist and work alongside healthcare professionals to improve patient care." The CII Digital Health Summit brought together key stakeholders from the healthcare industry, government, and technology sectors to explore the transformative potential of artificial intelligence (AI) in healthcare. (ANI)
The Indian Coast Guard's (ICG) three ships are conducting a firefighting operation after a major fire broke out on the MV Maersk Frankfurt cargo ship near Karwar, Karnataka, which carries dangerous international maritime goods, on Friday. Indian Coast Guard (ICG) Ships Sujeet and Samrat have augmented firefighting efforts and the operation is currently being conducted by three ICG Ships Sujeet, Sachet, and Samrat. Persistent efforts by the ships for more than 12 hours have prevented the fire from spreading further. In its latest update, the Indian Coast Guard said "India Coast Guard Ships Sujeet, Sachet and Samrat have been fighting the fire for over 12 hours, preventing its spread. As of 0700 hrs, 20 Jul, the vessel is 6.5 NM south of Karwar, ICG Dornier aircraft from Goa is conducting aerial assessments, with an additional aircraft from Kochi positioned for Search And Rescue. ETV Water Lily departed Mumbai on 19 Jul, arriving on scene by 21 Jul." Late on Friday night, the Indian Coast Guard control room in Mumbai received a distress call from container carrier MV Maersk Frankfurt 50 NM off Karwar regarding a major fire onboard. ICG Dornier and ships Sachet, Sujeet and Samrat were immediately pressed into action. An additional aircraft was also mobilized to augment Search and Rescue efforts. The Coast Guard said that firefighting was in progress to avert ecological disaster and ensure the safety of the vessel and crew. As of 7 a.m. on July 20, 2024, the Maersk Frankfurt is positioned 6.5 nautical miles south of Karwar. The vessel has been advised to alter course away from land and is currently heading on course 180 at a speed of 6 knots. However, prevailing south-westerly winds and heavy swells are posing challenges in firefighting operations. Earlier on Friday, a fire broke out on a container cargo merchant vessel about 102 nautical miles southwest of Goa. In visuals, huge flames of fire can be seen gushing out of container ships while ICG ships are throwing water to douse flames. Notably, ICG is carrying out firefighting operations on the ship, which carries dangerous international maritime goods amid bad weather and heavy rains. (ANI)
The accused have been identified as Sitare, Chhote Laheri and Mohd. Azad, Senior Superintendent of Police Darbhanga Jagunath Raddi said, adding that the prime accused in the murder case, Kazim Ansari, has already been arrested.

The SSP said that action is being taken on the basis of evidence collected in the case and scientific research.

Hours after the killing of the father of Vikassheel Insaan Party (VIP) chief Mukesh Sahani's father in Darbhanga on Monday, the Bihar police announced the formation of a special investigation team to probe the case.

The killing has intensified the political discourse in the state, with RJD spokesperson Shakti Singh Yadav criticising the Nitish Kumar government, alleging a breakdown in law and order.

"No day goes by without a murder...The Chief Minister is in an unconscious state of mind," Yadav remarked, highlighting widespread concerns over safety and governance.

Bihar Deputy Chief Minister Samrat Choudhary has assured action in the case.

Reacting to the incident, Choudhary said, "Action will be taken and the accused will be put behind bars. The government stands with Mukesh Sahani's family."

Union ministers Ramnath Thakur and Giriraj Singh also pledged government action, emphasising that the investigation was ongoing and promising justice for the victim's family.

"The accused will not be spared. The State government is taking the matter seriously," BJP MP Giriraj Singh affirmed.

Jitan Sahani was the father of former Bihar government minister and president of the VIP Party, Mukesh Sahni. In the Lok Sabha elections, the Mukesh Sahani-led Vikassheel Insaan Party (VIP) on April 5 joined hands with the Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) to contest three Lok Sabha seats in Bihar. (ANI)
Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Mohan Yadav on Saturday inaugurated the Regional Industry Conclave being held in Jabalpur district. Regional Industry Conclaves are being organised as a pre-event of the "Invest Madhya Pradesh-Global Investor Summit-2025". GIS-2025 is proposed to be organised in Bhopal on February 7 and 8 next year. CM Yadav along with state cabinet ministers Prahlad Singh Patel, Rakesh Singh, and Chetanya Kasyap inaugurated the Conclave by lighting the lamp. It is the second Regional Industry Conclave being held in the state to invite investment in the state. The first event in the series of Regional Industry Conclave was organised in Ujjain on March 1 and 2 this year. Investments of hundreds of crores were received for the state during the conclave. According to an official release, over 3500 industry leaders including leading industrialists, representatives of various industry associations, and prominent foreign delegates are participating in the Jabalpur Regional Industry Conclave. Besides, CM Yadav will virtually inaugurate around 60 units and will also hold one-to-one discussions with industrialists on the occasion. Earlier, Chief Minister Mohan Yadav held a meeting with industrialists from Chhindwara and other areas including Jabalpur, and encouraged industrial investment. The objective of the Conclave is to remove regional disparities in industrial development by harnessing regional potential. The aim is to promote regional development by acquainting the investors with the industrial capabilities and opportunities of the Jabalpur region, the statement in the release read. The objective of the conclave is to promote cooperation by bringing investors from major markets on one platform and having meaningful discussions, it added. During the Conclave, five regional sessions will be organised focusing on the investment potential of Jabalpur and surrounding areas. These include agriculture, food and dairy processing, defence, mining and minerals, textiles and apparel and tourism. There will also be round-table discussions with industry associations, start-ups and experts from defence, textiles and apparel, the statement read. The summit will also include over 300 buyer-seller meetings and one-to-one discussions. Jabalpur Expo and Defense Exhibition will also be organised to give the investors an experience of Mahakaushal. The event will conclude with a cultural program and networking dinner showcasing the culture and cuisine of the region, it added. (ANI)
Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis assessed the disruptions after the rainfall in Nagpur and directed the administration to remain vigilant so that there is no inconvenience to the citizens following the continuous downpours. Taking to the microblogging site X, Deputy Chief Minister Fadnavis said, "Life has been disrupted due to heavy rains in Nagpur city and district. I am in constant touch with the Divisional Commissioner, Collector and local administration, and the Collector himself is visiting the city." "Schools have been closed and residents of low-lying areas where water has entered have been shifted to safer places. Some roads are closed in some areas. It has been directed that the administration should be vigilant so that there is no inconvenience to the citizens," his post read. "Even in Nagpur division, some parts of Gadchiroli have been disconnected. The Divisional Commissioner is constantly in touch with all district collectors. They have also been asked to put all systems in alert mode," said the post. Rain also lashed parts of Mumbai city on Saturday, causing severe waterlogging in several parts of Mumbai. Several roads have been closed and traffic has been diverted on various routes following the waterlogging situation in the city. Heavy downpours were also reported in Porbandar, Junagadh and Devbhumi Dwarka districts of Gujarat, which have caused waterlogging in several areas, resulting in traffic snarls and the closure of some roads, causeways and underpasses, adding to the hardships of the people. Earlier, restoration work on the railway track in Gujarat's Porbandar, which was affected due to heavy rains and waterlogging, was underway. The monsoon covered the entire country on July 2, six days ahead of its normal schedule. Delhi, Punjab, Uttarakhand, Uttar Pradesh, Himachal Pradesh, Rajasthan, and Jammu and Kashmir received the spell in early July. (ANI)
Disgraced Hollywood movie mogul Harvey Weinstein is tentatively scheduled for a November rape retrial, where he will potentially face new sexual assault allegations brought forth by victims in New York.

During a brief hearing in Manhattan Criminal Court Friday, Judge Curtis Farber announced a court date of Nov. 19, but also hinted at the possibility of an earlier September date, contingent upon the outcome of the pretrial discovery, USA TODAY reported.

In court last Tuesday, Assistant District Attorney Nicole Blumberg said the prosecution was still mulling over whether or not to pursue additional sex assault charges against the 72-year-old convicted sex offender after more survivors came forward following the Court of Appeals' decision to overturn his New York rape conviction in April, ABC News previously reported.

Weinstein has long denied any wrongdoing.

"We believe the defendant forcibly raped and sexually abused women in Manhattan that fall within the statute of limitations," Blumberg told Farber, according to the outlet. "There were women in 2020 who were not ready to proceed with the legal process. They are now ready."

Blumberg said the prosecution is gunning for a November retrial, while Weinstein's defense team said they'd like to proceed sooner than later, citing the producer's deteriorating health, including his battles with macular degeneration and diabetes.

"He is anxious to go to trial and prove his innocence," one of his attorneys, Diana Fabi Samson, said outside the courthouse Friday, according to the Associated Press.

The former showbiz tycoon behind wildly successful films, such as Django Unchained, Good Will Hunting and Pulp Fiction, is currently serving a 16-year prison sentence for a 2022 rape conviction in Los Angeles, but will stay in New York pending his retrial.

Jessica Mann, an aspiring actress who previously accused Weinstein of rape during his initial New York trial, plans to testify against her alleged attacker in November, the AP reported. Another one of Weinstein's alleged New York victims, production assistant Miriam Hayley, has not yet decided to take the stand a second time, her lawyer said.
Kerala Health Minister Veena George convened a high-level meeting on Saturday in the Malappuram district after reports of a suspected case of the 'Nipah' virus in the state. The meeting discussed the measures to be taken to prevent the spread of the virus and to ensure the safety of the public. The officials also reviewed the current situation and the steps taken so far to control the outbreak. Minister Veena George reached Malappuram to lead the efforts to control the outbreak. The government has also constituted committees to oversee the implementation of the Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) for Nipah virus control. The meeting was attended by top officials, including the Additional Chief Secretary of the Health Department, the Director of the National Health Mission, and the District Collectors of Malappuram and Kozhikode. As per officials, the samples of the suspected patient were sent to the Pune virology lab. Earlier last month, the Kerala Health Minister announced that Nipah prevention efforts will be intensified in the state, particularly during the critical months of May to September, when the virus is most likely to spread. Minister George emphasized the importance of extreme caution and outlined several key preventive measures. She urged the public not to destroy bat habitats, as disturbing them could increase the risk of virus transmission. Additionally, she advised against consuming fruits that have been bitten by birds and drinking honey from banana peels, both of which could be contaminated by bats. Veena George also highlighted the necessity of proper hygiene, recommending that hands should be thoroughly washed with soap and water if they come into contact with bats, their excrement, or objects they have bitten. She stressed the importance of educating children about these precautions to ensure community-wide awareness and safety. The Nipah virus, transmitted from animals to humans, can lead to severe illness and fatalities. On May 19, 2018, a Nipah virus disease (NiV) outbreak was reported in Kozhikode district of Kerala. According to the World Health Organisation (WHO), there were 17 deaths and 18 confirmed cases as of June 1, 2018. The two affected districts were Kozhikode and Mallapuram. The Nipah outbreak reported in Kozhikode and Malappuram districts of Kerala in May 2018 was the third Nipah virus outbreak in India, the earlier being in 2001 and 2007, both in West Bengal. (ANI)
Nearly 30 hours after the Air India flight to San Francisco took off from New Delhi it landed safely at the airport in the US city following a diversion to Krasnoyarsk International Airport in Russia due to a technical reason. Originally badged as AI-183 the flight operating from New Delhi to San Francisco was diverted to Krasnoyarsk International Airport (UNKL) in Russia due to a technical reason on July 18. In its final update on Saturday, Air India announced that the flight now re-badged as AI 1179 arrived safely in San Francisco. "AI 1179 landed safely in San Francisco at 2027 Hrs local time (July 19). We thank the DGCA, the Government of India, the Embassy of India in Russia, the Russian authorities, the Transportation Security Administration (TSA), US Customs and Border Protection, Krasnoyarsk International Airport, and all partners involved, for their support in the situation. Finally, our thanks to the passengers of AI183 of 18 July for their patience and understanding during the diversion. Safety remains our foremost priority and something we will never compromise on," Air India said in its post on X. On July 18, Air India flight AI-183 with 225 passengers and 19 flight crew that took off from Delhi at 6 PM was diverted to Krasnoyarsk International Airport in Russia due to technical reasons. It later made a precautionary landing at Krasnoyarsk after the cockpit crew detected a potential issue in the cargo hold area. The passengers and crew disembarked and were taken to the terminal building for further processes. Since Air India did not have its staff at KJA, they arranged for third-party support to provide all necessary assistance to passengers. Air India also informed passengers that they were in liaison with government agencies and regulatory authorities, and were making arrangements for a ferry flight to KJA to take passengers onwards to San Francisco at the earliest. Later that day, ferry flight AI1179 took off from Mumbai (BOM) to Krasnoyarsk, Russia (KJA) expecting to land at 8 pm local time on July 19. Air India informed passengers that an Air India team, including crew and security personnel, were on board the flight to provide any support that the passengers and staff at KJA may require. The Airline said that the ferry flight was carrying essentials in addition to a sufficient amount of food for all passengers. The airline also set up a dedicated hotline for the family, relatives, and friends of AI183 guests for any information they may require. AI1179 departed Krasnoyarsk at midnight local time on July 20 for San Francisco (SFO), carrying all passengers and crew of AI183. Air India said that it had mobilised additional on-ground support in San Francisco to carry out the clearance formalities for all passengers upon arrival. The Airline said that the team in San Francisco was prepared to provide all necessary assistance to the passengers, including but not limited to medical care, ground transportation, and onward connections in applicable cases. Finally the flight AI 1179 landed safely bringing an end to a 48 hour travel ordeal for passengers. (ANI)
Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) State president K Surendran has slammed the Pinarayi Vijayan-led Kerala government for appointing IAS officer K Vasuki as Foreign Secretary in the state, saying that it is a "blatant overreach" and a violation of the Union List of the Constitution. "The appointment of an IAS officer as 'Foreign Secretary' in Kerala by CM Pinarayi Vijayan is a blatant overreach and a violation of the Union list of our Constitution," Surendran said in a post on 'X'. Terming the move "unconstitutional," the BJP leader questioned if he wants to establish Kerala as a "separate nation." "The LDF government has no mandate in foreign affairs. This unconstitutional move sets a dangerous precedent. Is CM @pinarayivijayan trying to establish Keralam as a separate nation?" he questioned. The Kerala government has, however, given additional charge of the matters connected with the External Co-operation to its Labour and Skills Department Secretary K Vasuki. "Dr. K Vasuki IAS (KL 2008), Secretary, Labour and Skills Department will hold the additional charge of the matters connected with the External Co-operation. The officer will co-ordinate and supervise all the matters in this regard and incidental thereto, in addition to the existing charges," the government order dated July 15 and signed by Joint Secretary Manikantan R read. The order mentioned that the Resident Commissioner at Kerala House in the national capital will be supporting Vasuki in matters concerning External Co-operation and will liaise with the Ministry of External Affairs, Missions and Embassies. "The General Administration (Political) Department will deal the subjects related to external co-operation and will assist Dr. K Vasuki IAS till alternate arrangements are made. The Resident Commissioner, Kerala House, New Delhi will support the officer in the matters of External Co-operation, to liaise with the Ministry of External Affairs, Missions and Embassies etc," the order mentioned. (ANI)
Maharashtra Congress president Nana Patole hit out at state BJP president Chandrasekhar Bawankule's "conspiracy in registration of voters" allegation. Nana Patole demanded the ruling party initially provide an account of "what they did while in power" and added that they have "failed in running the government" in Maharashtra. The war of words between the BJP and the Congress erupted after Maharashtra BJP president Chandrashekhar Bawankule alleged a "big conspiracy" in the state's electoral procedures, urging action against officials implicated in vote manipulation. "What have they done or are doing for the people while in power. They should first give an account of it, there is no use alleging after losing," Nana Patole said while speaking to ANI in Mumbai on Saturday. "Secondly, if an officer does this, then the control is theirs, and the power is theirs. You have failed in running the government; they do not know how to run the government," the Congress chief said. Further hitting out at the ruling party, Patole said, "They only know how to sell Maharashtra to Adani and bring drugs from Gujarat to Maharashtra. What can we say about those who do not know how to run the government?" Bawankule has claimed, "In Dhule and Malegaon Lok Sabha as well as the Assembly constituencies, there are more than 3000 entries which are in Dhule as well as in Malegoan..voter ID number, photo are all are same. When the Election Commission have digitalised everything, why didn't they notice this? The same people would vote in Dhule as well as in Malegoan". The BJP chief said that they have approached the Election Commission for action in the matter. "In Maharashtra, I feel like this has happened in 30-40 Assembly constituencies. We have filed a complaint to the Election Commission today. Those officials who are working like this need action, action needs to be taken against them, BJP has put forward this demand. This is a big conspiracy. This is especially the votes of one particular community," he said. Elections to the 288-member Maharashtra Legislative Assembly is scheduled to be held later this year with the tenure of the current state assembly ending in 2024. However, the Election Commission of India is yet to announce the dates. In the recent parliamentary elections, the state-level alliance Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) won 30 out of the total 48 constituencies in Maharashtra, with Congress emerging as the largest party in the state, with 13 Lok Sabha MPs. Its allies Shiv Sena (UBT) won 9 and the NCP (Sharad Chandra Pawar) won 8 MPs. While the ruling BJP-led National Democratic Alliance (NDA) was reduced to 17 seats from 41 in 2019. (ANI)
Amid escalating unrest in Bangladesh, Meghalaya Chief Minister Conrad K Sangma said that 40 medical students hailing from Meghalaya were evacuated from Dhaka on Saturday. "Forty Meghalaya citizen, mostly medical students, are being evacuated from Dhaka today. They will enter via Agartala and will make onward journey to Shillong," CM Sangma said in a post on X on Saturday. He asserted that all arrangements to ensure the safe evacuation of students have been made. The Chief Minister further said that the state government is in constant touch with the Indian Embassy in Bangladesh to facilitate the evacuation process. "Our government is in constant touch with the Indian Embassy and medical colleges in Bangladesh for evacuation of our students. Buses have been kept on standby in Agartala and other logistics arranged to bring our students home safely," As many as 405 Indian students have been safely evacuated from Bangladesh as of Friday evening, CM Sangma earlier said. He said that the evacuation was made through the Dawki Integrated Check Post, adding that some students belonging to Nepal, and Bhutan and a few tourists were evacuated. The Ministry of External Affairs on Friday directed the Indian nationals in Bangladesh to follow the advisory issued by the High Commission of India in Dhaka, which says they must avoid local travel amid violent quota protests. The MEA advisory stated that the High Commission and Assistant High Commissions will be available on helpline numbers for any assistance required by Indian nationals and also advised them to minimise their movement outside their living premises. "Indian nationals in Bangladesh are requested to follow the advisory issued by the High Commission of India in Dhaka. The High Commission and Assistant High Commissions remain available on helpline numbers for any assistance required by Indian nationals," the MEA said in a post on X. Kirti Vardhan Singh, Minister of State for External Affairs, expressed hope earlier in the day that the Bangladesh government would resolve the matter soon. He added that the current situation is "worrying" and that the issues of students should always be heard. "The Bangladeshi Prime Minister, Sheikh Hasina, has been in power for several terms. She would surely restore normalcy after discussions and deliberations," the MoS said while speaking to ANI on Saturday. "We don't want to meddle in the private affairs of the country...I wish the issue would be resolved soon," he added. The protests in Bangladesh have been driven by demands for reform in the country's quota system for civil service jobs, which reserves positions for specific groups, including descendants of those who participated in the 1971 War of Independence against Pakistan. Bangladesh has imposed a curfew, and the authorities have disabled mobile internet services nationwide, citing the need to curb disinformation, reported The Washington Post. (ANI)
After the encounter with terrorists in Doda in which four soldiers were killed, Union Minister of State Jitendra Singh said on Saturday that the government has made some strategies that can't be made public. He also mentioned that village defence guards are going to be revived and that more modern weapons will be given to them. "In the last few days, some violent activities have happened in Doda. In 90s, when terrorism was at its peak, people had to migrate to Jammu and leaders here took them in, but in Doda, no migration has happened due to the communal harmony of the region." "Our neighbouring country is doing these mischiefs here. The government has taken cognizance of terror activities in Doda. Some strategies have been made that can't be made public. Village Defence Guards (VDGs) are going to be revived and more modern weapons will be given to VDGs," Singh added. The Union MoS also emphasised that whatever peace happens in the Union Territory, it will happen under the Modi government. "Whatever happens, will happen under the Modi government. Modi ji showed it by removing Article 370. If today peace has been established in Kashmir Valley and 2.5 crore tourists have come here, then this has also happened during the tenure of Modi ji. When a tourist comes, it shows that he is confident that peace has now been restored here," Jitendra Singh said. Meanwhile, in view of the infiltration of highly trained Pakistani terrorists in the Jammu region, the Indian Army is readjusting its deployments in the area as per intelligence inputs and security requirements. The Indian Army has deployed around 500 Para Special Forces commandos in the area to hunt down the 50-55 terrorists from Pakistan who have entered the region to revive terrorism there, defence sources told ANI. The intelligence agencies have also bolstered their apparatus in the area and are working to take out the terrorist support infrastructure there, including over ground workers who support terrorists, they said. The Army has already brought in troops to the area including one brigade strength of around 3,500-4000 personnel, to counter Pakistan's proxy aggression here, the sources added. Earlier, on July 15, based on specific intelligence inputs, a joint operation was conducted by the Indian Army and the JK Police in the area north of Doda. Four Indian Army soldiers, including Captain Brijesh Thapa, were killed in action during an encounter with terrorists in Jammu and Kashmir's Doda district on July 16. (ANI)
The occasion was marked by the delivery protocol signing ceremony held at CSL, in the presence of directors of Kochi Metro Rail Limited (KMRL) and CSL, along with senior officials from KMRL, CSL, DNV, and IRS.

Harikrishnan S, Chief General Manager CSL, and Shaji P Jananardhanan, Chief General Manager KMRL, signed the protocol document on behalf of their respective organizations. Both organisations worked closely towards the successful completion of this project, which contributes significantly to the sustainable development and modernization of water transportation in Kochi.

The Electric Hybrid 100 Pax Water Metro Ferry BY 126 is a state-of-the-art vessel designed to provide an efficient, eco-friendly, and convenient transportation option for residents and visitors in Kochi.

With a focus on sustainability and environmental responsibility, this ferry is equipped with electric hybrid technology, ensuring reduced emissions and minimized environmental impact.

By delivering the vessel, CSL and KMRL have demonstrated their commitment to advancing the Nation's maritime capabilities while prioritizing eco-conscious transportation solutions. The collaboration between the two organizations is a testament to the potential for excellence in the Indian shipbuilding industry.

CSL and KMRL officials conveyed their gratitude to all stakeholders, including DNV and IRS, for their support and partnership on the project.

The Water Metro Ferry project stands as a pivotal contribution to the sustainable development and modernization of water transportation in Kochi. (ANI)
Uttarakhand Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami on Saturday said that ABVP is an organisation that runs on the ideals of Swami Vivekananda. Uttarakhand Chief Minister participated as the chief guest in the Mahanagar Chhatra Sammelan organised by Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad (ABVP) at DAV PG College. On this occasion, Dhami also honoured the meritorious students who got excellent marks in the high school and intermediate examinations during the Pratibha Samman ceremony and announced to provide an amount of Rs 1 crore for the construction of six new classrooms of Atal Bihari Vajpayee Utkrishta Academic Block in DAV PG College Dehradun. The Chief Minister further said that ABVP is an organisation running on the ideals of Swami Vivekananda, which works for student welfare and national interest. He said that today the workers of the Vidyarthi Parishad are contributing from the temple of education to the border of the country. On many occasions, the Vidhyarthi Parishad has been engaged in works related to social concerns. The Chief Minister said that whenever he participates in the programmes of colleges, there is a new infusion of energy in his mind. He said that while pursuing education at Lucknow University, he was associated with the Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad. Dhami said that the State Government is making continuous efforts to provide the youth with the opportunity to work in every field. "A strict anti-cheating law has been implemented in the state. Since its implementation, all recruitment processes have been done with complete transparency," he said. The Uttarakhand Chief Minister added, "After the implementation of the anti-cheating law, hard-working candidates are being selected in many examinations. On the day of the examination, candidates are being given a 50 per cent discount on the fare of roadway buses." Meanwhile, Dhami also took to his official X handle and posted about his address to the youth in an event organised by ABVP. He said, "Addressing the youth power in the Pratibha Samman Samaroh organized by Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad (Dehradun-Metropolitan) in Dehradun, and honoured talented youth..." He added, "ABVP is inculcating the values of patriotism in the youth of the country through the nationalist tradition. This is the reason that today, Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad has become the largest student organization not only in India but also in the world." (ANI)
West Bengal Bharatiya Janata Party Chief Sukanta Majumdar on Saturday came out in support of Uttar Pradesh government's directive for food shops on the Kanwar Yatra route to display their owners' names, saying that a similar notifications were issued during the Mulayam Singh Yadav and Akhilesh Yadav governments. He added that it's a routine exercise and not specific to the Kanwar Yatra. He claimed that the Opposition is misleading people and spreading lies on the issue. "Opposition is misleading people and spreading lies. A similar kind of notification was issued during Mulayam Singh Yadav's government, and Akhilesh Yadav's government also issued such notifications... it's a routine exercise and not specific to the Kanwar Yatra. The law requires that names be registered, not identifying anyone by religion... Hindus who eat non-veg go to Muslim shops. In West Bengal, we go to many such shops, which are run by Muslims. The opposition is trying to divide the people and Asaduddin Owaisi is playing the role of Jinnah," Majumdar told ANI. Notably, Uttar Pradesh government has mandated all eateries along the Kanwar Yatra route to display their owners' names. Citing the fact that the earlier UPA government also implemented the same directive for food shops on the Kanwar Yatra route, Majumdar said that if the BJP does it, it's communal, however, if UPA does it, it's secular. "During Mulayam Singh's time, a similar notification was issued... The UPA government did the same; if the BJP does it, it's communal; if the UPA does it, it's secular," he added. Majumdar expressed concern over Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sharma's statement that Assam will be converted into a Muslim-dominated state by 2041. He said that infiltration from Bangladesh has changed the demographics, not just in Assam but also in West Bengal and Jharkhand, where "land jihad" is ongoing."...(It) is concerning. Historically, due to Lachit Borphukan, the Mughals couldn't enter Assam, so historically, there were few Muslims, especially in Upper Assam. But infiltration from Bangladesh has changed the demographics, not just in Assam but also in West Bengal and Jharkhand, where "land jihad" is ongoing. The whole country should think about this," he said. (ANI)
Mahila Congress workers on Saturday held a protest march to Thiruvananthapuram Municipal Corporation over the death of sanitation worker Christopher Joy, who died while cleaning the Amayizhanjan canal in Thampanoor, Thiruvananthapuram. During the demonstration by the Mahila Congress workers, the police forces used water cannons and also detained the protestors. On July 18, BJP had also held a protest march towards the corporation office over Joy's death. Joy was a municipal corporation worker, who tragically died while cleaning the Amayizhanjan canal in Thampanoor, Thiruvananthapuram. On July 15, Joy's body was found after being missing in the drainage canal for 46 hours, officials said. The Kerala Cabinet granted Rs 10 lakh as compensation from the Chief Minister's Relief Funds to Christopher Joy's mother on July 17. "The body had been spotted at the canal stretch behind the Sree Chitra Home at Thakarapparambu. The police and municipal authorities were informed," said the Councillor of Thiruvananthapuram Corporation, Rajendran. Two corporation workers, Rajeev and Manoj, had confirmed that the body was of Joy. Speaking with ANI, one of the workers said, "At 9:30 am, we went to search and were among the first people to find the body. The dead body was found between Uppalamoodu and Thakarapparambu." He added that the body was swept away due to the heavy rains. Personnel of the Fire Force, National Disaster Response Force and the Indian Navy were engaged in the rescue operations of the deceased. Scuba diving personnel were deployed into the tunnel and even entered the manholes between the railway tracks to locate the worker but due to the solid waste stuck in the canal, their movements were difficult. Additionally, a robot was also fitted with a camera and sent. However, the rescue operation was unsuccessful. Joy's body was retrieved after 46 hours from the canal. 42-year-old Joy was hired by Southern Railways to clean the Aamayizhanjan canal waterway near the Thiruvananthapuram Railway Station. Earlier, on July 16, Kerala Governor Arif Mohammed Khan visited and met the family of Joy. Khan also consoled the deceased's family during his visit. (ANI)
A man was found guilty Friday in Ireland of murdering his older brother in a melee that broke out during a funeral at a graveyard.

Patrick Dooley, 36, of Killarney, is the fourth person to be convicted in the killing of Thomas Dooley, 42, a father of seven, in 2022, the BBC reported.

Dooley claimed that he jumped into the fray to protect his older brother after he was attacked by a gang of men with weapons during the funeral at Rath Cemetery in Tralee, the outlet reported.

It was unclear why Thomas Dooley was attacked.

On Thursday 43-year-old Thomas Dooley Sr. (from a different Dooley family), his son Thomas Dooley Jr., 21, and a teenager were also found guilty in the killing by a jury at Central Criminal Court in Cork.

The jury is expected to continue deliberating the cases against two others, Michael Dooley, 29, and Daniel Dooley, 42, who are also related to the deceased.

Thomas Dooley's wife, Siobhan Dooley, who was injured during the attack, testified that the trouble began after her late husband's brother Patrick and brother-in-law Thomas Dooley Sr. approached him at the funeral.

"They were actually grinning. I said to my husband to run. He said, 'No, why should I run? I have nothing to run for,'" she said, according to EchoLive.ie.

"I saw Tom [Thomas Sr.] with something in his hand. I saw him with two weapons in his hands. One was kind of shiny and looked to be new. The other had a bit of rust on it. I think one had a kind of round top on it, the other was kind of a big chunk of a yoke... Tom said, 'You're a big man now.' Patrick was grinning," the widow testified.

She said she tried to get in the way of the two men, but one of them said, "Take her out, too, get rid of her" before she was knocked to the ground.

"They were actually pushing each other to get in at him. I remember one of them pushing (another) back. 'Shove over, give me a chance, give me a go,'" she said.
Union Health Minister JP Nadda on Saturday attended the launch of the portal and guidelines at the Training and Awareness Programme for Street Food Vendors and emphasized the importance of continuous learning for vendors and said that staying open to new knowledge is important for their business growth. Nadda said, "In this training, we got the opportunity to know how the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) is working with you to empower you." Talking about the training that was given to the street vendors present at the programme, the Union Minister said that learning in life never ends. "If these people who gave you the training call you after 10 years, they will have 10 new things to teach you and you will have 10 new things to learn. This is an ongoing programme. Therefore, be determined to learn because this will only help your business grow," Nadda said. Notably, FSSAI trained more than 1000 street food vendors under the Food Safety Training and Certification (FoSTaC) training programme in Vigyan Bhawan. The training focused on street food safety for street food vendors, aiming to enhance their knowledge and practice. He further said, "Not a single city is there in India that is not associated with some food item and this is our heritage. In G20 also, Prime Minister Narendra Modi had raised this topic. When representatives from all over the world came, they should not just stay in New Delhi but should also travel around the country. That's why, about 200 meetings were held in 75 cities so that whoever came, could visit the whole country and see the country's culture." Nadda further spoke about PM Modi's vision to make everyone empowered. He said, "PM Modi's dream is to empower every human being and what does empowerment mean? Empowerment means that whatever work is done, it is done in a good way after being trained. And there is a big difference between trained and untrained, skilled and unskilled. If one gets trained, then one can expand their business and reap benefits." During the training programme, the street vendors were also given testing kits for testing oil, milk and milk products, and other food items. Speaking on the distribution of testing kits, Nadda said, "The ones present here also received testing kits. The testing kit will help the vendors to know whether the ingredients like oil, spices and other things that they are using are of good quality or not." The Union Minister also talked about the PM SVANidhi scheme, launched by the Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs to grant affordable loans to street vendors and said, "People have recieved loans amounting to Rs 8,600 crore under the scheme. They have used it to improve their business and have got very good results." Nadda also emphasised that the government's aim is that people's business grows, and people get good food. He added, "I have full faith that in the 'Viksit Bharat', our street food vendors will also develop, and will contribute to 'Viksit Bharat.'" (ANI)
Police conducted a search at a Central School on the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) campus in Madhya Pradesh's Indore on Saturday, after the school authorities lodged a complaint about receiving an email threatening to 'blow up' the campus on August 15 (Independence Day), officials said. The threat email prompted immediate action from the authorities to ensure the safety and security of the school and students. According to police, the threat email from an unidentified user was sent to the official email of PM Shri Kendriya Vidyalaya, located on the IIT campus in Indore's Simrol, on July 17. Following the receipt of the threat email, the school authorities approached the Simrol police on July 18, prompting an investigation into the matter. Following the complaint, a team of police, along with a bomb disposal squad and sniffer dogs, conducted a thorough check of the school campus. "Simrol Police received a complaint regarding an email sent to the official email address of PM Shri Kendriya Vidyalaya, IIT Indore. The sender, who identified himself as 'XYZ', threatened to blow up the school campus on August 15. There were also some slurs written in the e-mail," Sub Divisional Officer of Police (SDOP), Simrol, Umakant Choudhary, told ANI. To make the matter sensational, the sender mentioned ISI, Pakistan (official) in the subject of the email. Based on the school authorities' complaint, we have registered a case under section 351(4) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS), 2023, and a probe has been initiated, SDOP Choudhary said. Choudhary further mentioned that while sometimes these emails turn out to be hoaxes, the police are taking this matter seriously. "Today, we conducted a thorough search of the school premises along with the bomb disposal squad and sniffer dog teams. Nothing suspicious has been found so far," he said. The SDOP added, "We have also had a meeting with the campus security officer and interacted with teachers and students. Everyone has been advised to remain alert and report anything suspicious. We are closely monitoring the situation, and there is no need to panic." The police team will continue to investigate the matter, and regular security checks of the campus will be conducted in the coming days. Additionally, the cyber police team has launched a probe to trace the sender of the email. (ANI)
Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) MLA Golu Shukla from Indore-3 assembly constituency voiced his support on Saturday for the Uttar Pradesh government's order directing eateries along the Kanwar Yatra route to display names of their respective owners. The BJP MLA said that he sees nothing wrong with the directive. "We have been organizing the Baneshwari Kanwar Yatra for the last 21 years. This year, the yatra will start from Maheshwar with a 'Dugdh Abhishek' to the Narmada river on July 22, the first Monday of the Shravan month, and will continue until July 29," Shukla told ANI. On the second Monday of Shravan, July 29, the yatra will conclude with an offering of water to Baba Mahakal at the Mahakaleshwar temple in Ujjain. The eight-day yatra typically sees around 5,000 participants, Shukla pointed out. Regarding the UP directive, Shukla said, "Shopkeepers should indeed display their names and identities outside their shops. There is nothing wrong with this. We support what UP Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath has said." When asked if he would advocate for a similar directive in Madhya Pradesh, Shukla mentioned he would discuss it with Chief Minister Mohan Yadav. "There is no issue of spreading hatred or division with this directive. It is not about dividing Hindus and Muslims. The Muslim community has welcomed our Kanwar Yatras in various cities in the state for years," he added. Earlier on Friday, Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath mandated that food and beverage shops along Kanwar routes display the name and identity of the operator/owner to uphold the sanctity of the pilgrimage. Additionally, action will be taken against those selling halal-certified products. This directive has sparked a political debate between the BJP and the opposition. (ANI)
An eight-member high-level Inter-Ministerial Central Team (IMCT) from different Ministries of the Government of India visited various districts of Assam for assessment of the flood damages from July 18 to 20. The team led by Joint Secretary, Ministry of Home Affairs, Mihir Kumar, wrapped up their flood damage assessment after deliberating with the senior officials of Government of Assam at Lok Sewa Bhawan, Dispur on Saturday. Earlier, the Inter-Ministerial Central Team was divided into two groups and visited the flood-affected districts of Dibrugarh, Majuli, Dhemaji, Lakhimpur, Nagaon, Cachar, Karimganj & Hailakandi. The Central Team inquired and assessed the damages and loss of the livelihood and properties of the visiting districts of Assam in the meeting. During their visit, they interacted with local officials and visited flood-damaged sites. The meeting on Saturday was chaired by Ajay Tiwari, Additional . Chief Secretary to the Govt. of Assam. Speaking on the impacts of floods, Tiwari said that Cyclone Remal triggered the first wave of floods and the state has already encountered two waves that have affected humans, livestock, and wildlife alike. Mihir Kumar said the team had a bird's eye view of the damages caused by the recent Assam Floods. He elaborated on the assessment done by the team on the grounds and highlighted the severe inundation of agricultural lands that these two waves of floods had caused. He also appreciated the level of preparedness displayed by the districts and the Govt of Assam and the prompt and effective relief operation undertaken in the flood-affected areas. Addressing the meeting CEO ASDMA, Gyandendra Dev Tripathi asked the IMCT to declare the two waves of floods in 2004 as calamities of severe nature. Further, IMCT was also requested to recommend the release of Rs 500 crore from the National Disaster Response Fund (NDRF) on an interim basis. The meeting was also attended by officers of various departments of the Govt. of Assam, the Indian Army, and NDRF. Deputy Commissioners of flood-affected districts also joined virtually and shared their issues with the IMCT. (ANI)
Uttarakhand Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami honoured the youths at the Pratibha Samman ceremony organised by Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad (Dehradun-Metropolitan) in Dehradun on Saturday. The Chief Minister also planted saplings along with the office bearers of the Vidyarthi Parishad. In a post on X, CM Pushkar Dhami wrote, "Addressing the youth power in the Pratibha Samman Samaroh organised by Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad (Dehradun-Metropolitan) in Dehradun, I honoured talented youth. Along with this, I also discharged my duties towards the environment by planting saplings along with the office bearers of the Vidyarthi Parishad." He further stated that the ABVP has become the largest student organisation not only in India but in the world. CM Dhami further said, "ABVP is inculcating the values of patriotism in the youth of the country through the nationalist tradition, which is why the Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad has become the largest student organisation not only in India but in the world today." He said that ABVP is an organisation that runs on the ideals of Swami Vivekananda. Uttarakhand Chief Minister participated as the chief guest in the Mahanagar Chhatra Sammelan organised by Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad (ABVP) at DAV PG College. On this occasion, Dhami also honoured the meritorious students who got excellent marks in the high school and intermediate examinations during the Pratibha Samman ceremony and announced to provide an amount of Rs 1 crore for the construction of six new classrooms of Atal Bihari Vajpayee Utkrishta Academic Block in DAV PG College Dehradun. The Chief Minister further said that ABVP works for student welfare and the national interest. He said that today the workers of the Vidyarthi Parishad are contributing from the temple of education to the border of the country. On many occasions, the Vidhyarthi Parishad has been engaged in work related to social concerns. The Chief Minister said that whenever he participates in the programmes of colleges, there is a new infusion of energy in his mind. He said that while pursuing education at Lucknow University, he was associated with the Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad. Dhami said that the State Government is making continuous efforts to provide the youth with the opportunity to work in every field. "A strict anti-cheating law has been implemented in the state. Since its implementation, all recruitment processes have been done with complete transparency," he said. (ANI)
She received her degree at the convocation ceremony held at the National University of Singapore as she completed her Master's in Arts and Social Sciences, specialising in the arts and social sciences of Southeast Asian countries.

Pawan Kalyan congratulated his wife on her achievement. Earlier, Ana Konidela studied at St. Petersburg State University in Russia and received an honours degree in Oriental Studies. She also studied the history, languages, and cultures of Asian countries, with a special focus on Thai history.

During her time at St Petersburg State University, she also learned three languages. Later, she received her first Master's degree in Thai Studies from Chulalongkorn University in Bangkok.

Earlier in the month, Pawan Kalyan thanked Prime Minister Narendra Modi as the PM met Janasena Party MPs Bala Showri and Tangella Uday Srinivas.

"My heartfelt thanks to Hon. PM Shri @narendramodi ji for giving your valuable time to JSP MPs: Shri Bala Showri and Shri Tangella Uday Srinivas. And your invaluable suggestions given to them regarding public service would be a great learning to our JSP leaders, cadre and to me. Grateful to you, sir," wrote Pawan Kalyan, taking to the social media platform X.

PM Modi also took to X and wrote, "Met MPs from @JanaSenaParty. I have been working with Shri @PawanKalyan Garu for many years now and I am amazed by his tenacity and passion for public service. I am sure JSP will always be at the forefront of serving society and contributing to India's progress." (ANI)
Telangana State Irrigation Minister Uttam Kumar Reddy held a meeting on Saturday with officials from the National Dam Safety Authority under the chairmanship of the NDSA chairman. The key meeting was held regarding various issues related to the Medigadda, Annaram, and Sundilla barrages here in the national capital. After the meeting, the minister addressed the media at Telangana Bhavan in Delhi, stating, "We had a detailed discussion for about two and a half hours with the dam safety officials regarding the tests conducted so far, the works done, and the future actions to be taken for the Medigadda, Annaram, and Sundilla barrages. No new irrigation area has been created with the Kaleshwaram Project." He further mentioned that the previous government constructed the barrages without conducting any tests and that no barrage has the capacity to store more than 3-4 TMC of water. However, the Medigadda barrage was designed to store a total of 16.1 TMC, with 5 TMC allocated for dead storage, which is not appropriate. The Annaram project has significant seepage, and there are also flaws in the Sundilla barrage, as pointed out by the dam safety authority. Over the past five years, approximately 65 TMC of water has been pumped, averaging only 13 TMC per year. If the project had been constructed near Tummidi Hatti, the electricity expenses would have been significantly reduced. Currently, about Rs 10,000 crores are spent annually on electricity charges. Including interest, an additional Rs 10,000 crore is spent on electricity expenses. Our government is committed to constructing the project near Tummidi Hatti, ensuring the Kaleshwaram project remains as it is, and modifying it to bring water through gravity. The repair works is being carried out by the contractors who were originally responsible for the construction. The government has not incurred any expenses for these repairs. The repair works was assigned to them as per the suggestions of the National Dam Safety Authority. The dam safety authority has formally recommended lifting the gates of the three barrages and releasing the water downstream, and this work is currently in progress. We have implemented most of the NDSA's recommendations and will continue to act based on the suggestions of the technical experts' committee. "There will be another meeting of the officials on Monday. Our government's goal is to bring the Kaleshwaram Project into full utilisation as soon as possible," the minister stated. Along with the minister, State Irrigation Department Advisor Aditya Nath Das, Irrigation Department Secretary Rahul Bojja, Special Secretary Prashant Jeevan Patil, Telangana Bhavan Resident Commissioner Dr. Gaurav Uppal, Irrigation Department Engineer-in-Chief Nagender Rao, Kaleshwaram Chief Engineer Sudhakar Reddy, and other expert committee members participated in the meeting, along with NDSA Chairman Anil Jain and former Central Water Commission Chairman J. Chandrasekhar Iyer. (ANI)
Jammu and Kashmir Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha on Saturday chaired a high-level meeting with Army Chief, various heads of security and law enforcement agencies on the security situation in Jammu division. "The Lieutenant Governor Shri Manoj Sinha today chaired a high-level meeting with Army Chief, various heads of security and law enforcement agencies on the security situation in Jammu division," as per a press release. Chief of the Army Staff, General Upendra Dwivedi; DG BSF, DG CRPF, DGP J-K, Heads of Intelligence Agencies and other senior officials of army, CAPFs and J-K Police attended the meeting. The Lieutenant Governor asked the Army, CAPFs and the Jammu Kashmir Police to pro-actively conduct coordinated counter-terrorism operations in Jammu Division. "We must launch meticulous and well-planned counter-terrorism operations with greater synergy between all the agencies to wipe out terrorists and those aiding and abetting them," the Lieutenant Governor said. The Lieutenant Governor also directed that the security grid should be further strengthened to ensure zero cross-border infiltration. Meanwhile, in view of the infiltration of highly trained Pakistani terrorists in the Jammu region, the Indian Army is readjusting its deployments in the area as per intelligence inputs and security requirements. The Indian Army has deployed around 500 Para Special Forces commandos in the area to hunt down the 50-55 terrorists from Pakistan who have entered the region to revive terrorism there, defence sources told ANI. The intelligence agencies have also bolstered their apparatus in the area and are working to take out the terrorist support infrastructure there, including overground workers who support terrorists, they said. The Army has already brought in troops to the area including one brigade strength of around 3,500-4000 personnel, to counter Pakistan's proxy aggression here, they said. The Army brass on the ground has been working towards strategies to search and destroy the terrorists, who are equipped with the latest weaponry and communication equipment, they added. The Army already has an existing counter-terrorist infrastructure in the area with presence of two forces of the Rashtriya Rifles, including the Romeo and Delta forces along with other regular infantry divisions in the area, they said. Four Indian Army soldiers, including Captain Brijesh Thapa, were killed in action during an encounter with terrorists in Jammu and Kashmir's Doda district on July 16. (ANI)
Uttar Pradesh Police on Saturday said that all preparations for the Shravan Shivratri festival have been successfully completed. They expressed confidence that the festival will be conducted smoothly. "In the context of the upcoming Sawan Shivratri festival, a final phase meeting was held today. Officers from the neighbouring districts of Delhi were also invited and participated in this inter-departmental meeting. All preparations have been completed successfully, and we are confident that the festival of Shravan Shivratri will be conducted smoothly. All aspects, including security, cleanliness, and other necessary arrangements, were discussed in the inter-departmental meeting," ASP Manish Kumar Mishra told ANI. Shravan Shivratri is a holy Hindu festival, solely dedicated to Lord Shiva. During this auspicious month of Saawan, Lord Shiva is worshipped all over the country. It is believed that Lord Shiva got married to Parvati on this day. During the month of Shravan, devotees of Lord Shiva, keep a fast every Monday to seek his blessings. While married women wish for a happy marital life, unmarried women pray for a suitable life partner just like Lord Shiva. The month of Shravan is famous for Kanwar Yatra, devotees bring Ganga Jal and offer it to Lord Shiva on the day of Shivratri. Shravan Shivratri falls in the month of July or August every year. Shravan Shivratri is celebrated with much fervour and enthusiasm in the North Indian states like Uttarakhand, Himachal Pradesh, Punjab, Uttar Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan and Bihar. Temples across North India perform puja and shiva darshan during Sawan month. Earlier in the day, 'Kanwariyas' began the 'Kanwar Yatra' from Uttarakhand's Haridwar and Uttar Pradesh's Muzaffarnagar on foot to seek the blessings of Lord Shiva, as the auspicious month of 'Shravan' will begin on July 22. The Uttarakhand police administration has made tight security arrangements ahead of the holy month of Shravan. At the same time, in view of the 'Kanwar Yatra', the administration has also made tight arrangements for the security of the Kanwariyas. After the Uttar Pradesh government mandated all eateries along the Kanwar Yatra route to display their owners' names, triggering political outrage, the Haridwar Police Administration on Friday issued an order to restaurant owners to display names on the Kanwar Yatra route. The Kanwar Yatra is a significant ritual during this period. People gather water from sacred rivers for this rite and place it in little mud pots known as kanwars. Devotees don saffron-coloured clothes while carrying the holy water and walk on foot to visit temples dedicated to Lord Shiva. Devotees who are termed Kanwariyas visit places like Haridwar, Gaumukh and Gangotri in Uttarakhand, and Sultanganj in Bihar to fetch the holy water of River Ganga and then worship God with that water. In the Hindu calendar, 'Shravan also known as 'Shravan' is the fifth month of the Hindu lunar calendar, is one of the holiest months of the year. Every Monday during this period is regarded as a highly auspicious time to fast and seek the blessings of Lord Shiva. The month of 'Shravan' will begin from July 22. (ANI)
The Deputy leader of the Congress party in Lok Sabha, Gaurav Gogoi and Deputy leader in Rajya Sabha, Pramod Tiwari, will attend the all-party meeting ahead of the budget session on Sunday. Union Minister of Parliamentary Affairs Kiren Rijiju will hold a meeting with the floor leaders of political parties in both the houses of the Parliament, Ministry of Parliamentary Affairs said in a press release. The All-Party Meeting will be held at 11:00 am on July 21 at the Main Committee Room, Parliament House Annexe, New Delhi. The Budget Session of Parliament will commence on July 22 and subject to exigencies of Government Business, the session may conclude on August 12. Earlier on July 16, the Halwa ceremony, marking the final stage of the budget preparation process for the full Budget of 2024-25, was held in North Block in the presence of Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman, Minister of State Pankaj Chaudhary, and secretaries. A customary Halwa ceremony is performed every year before the "lock-in" process of the budget preparation begins. The Halwa Ceremony is a preparation of the Indian sweet dish in a large 'kadhai' at the North Block. The Finance Minister ceremoniously stirs the 'kadhai' and generally serves the halwa to everyone involved in the Budget-making process. This tradition is also a way to acknowledge the hard work of all the finance ministry officials. The halwa ceremony heralds the process of printing all the budget documents ahead of the presentation in Parliament. The halwa ceremony is a significant event as it also marks the beginning of lockdown at the finance ministry. This means no official is allowed to leave the ministry compound. Everyone part of the Budget team is allowed to leave only after the financial document is presented in Parliament. The printing of the Union Budget inside the basement located at the North Block has become a permanent feature since 1980. (ANI)
The colossal CrowdStrike tech snafu that shut down air travel, snarled banking and hospital systems, and tangled businesses worldwide created a fertile ground for criminal hackers that could trigger continuing major distruptions and fleece computer users, experts across the globeare warning.

Cybersecurity firm Crowdstrike said Friday that the chaos was triggered after a "defect" in one of its software updates hit Windows operating systems.

A "fix" was quickly deployed and the situation was slowly returning to normal, but many systems were still in flux Saturday, with thousands of flights, including hundreds of U.S. planes, grounded.

Continuing fallout is expected to be triggered by an army of hackers burrowing into temporarily vulnerable systems.

U.S. cybersecurity agency CISA said in a statement Friday that though the CrowdStrike outage was not linked to a cyberattack or malicious activity, it has "observed threat actors taking advantage of this incident for phishing and other malicious activity."

CISA warned individuals to "avoid clicking on phishing emails or suspicious links" which could provide access to hackers into their computers.

"Criminals look to take advantage of incidents like this Crowdstrike outage, creating a sense of urgency that you need to do what they say to protect your computer and your financial information," Catriona Lowe, deputy chair of Australia's Competition and Consumer Commission, noted on the government's "Scamwatch" site.

Britain's National Cyber Security Centre issued a similar message Friday, warning against "opportunistic malicious actors" already moving in to profit from the mess.

Criminals posing as representatives of Crowdstrike or Microsoft in emails or on the phone are seeking personal information, including bank account numbers, or sending fraudulent software "fixes" that are actually invasive worms into computers and operating systems to establish control.

Australia's Minister of Home Affairs Clare O'Neil called a press conference Saturday to warn the public.

"Some small businesses in particular, and some individuals are receiving emails from people who are pretending to be CrowdStrike or who are pretending to be Microsoft, and are indicating you need to put in bank details to get access to a reboot," she explained.

"I ask Australians to be really cautious over the next few days about attempts to use this for scamming or phishing," O'Neil added.

"If you see an email, if you see a text message that looks a little bit funny, that indicates something about CrowdStrike or IT outages, just stop. Don't put any details."

Experts warned that only Crowdstrike's website should be used for information and help as those affected by the glitch work to get up and running again.
After Uttar Pradesh government issued a directive for food shops on the Kanwar Yatra route to display their owners' names, the opposition parties continued to attack the state government, citing discrimination on the basis of religion, while the ruling party defended itself. Notably, amid the row in Uttar Pradesh, the Haridwar Police Administration also issued an order for restaurant owners to display names on the Kanwar Yatra route. All India Majlis-E-Ittehadul Muslimeen (AIMIM) president Asaduddin Owaisi said that it reflects the hatred towards Muslims in India. "Fear on UP's Kanwar routes: This is The reality of hatred for Indian Muslims, credit for this visceral hatred goes to political parties, leaders of Hindutva and so-called lip servicing Secular parties," Owaisi said in a post on 'X', sharing a photo of an egg stall displaying the name of its owner. Rajya Sabha MP Kapil Sibal also took a dig at this move asking whether the Kanwar Yatra route is the same as the journey towards 'Viksit Bharat'. "Kanwar Yatra Route UP directs eateries including roadside carts to display the names of owners! Is this the route to a "Viksit Bharat"? Divisive agendas will only Divide the country!" Sibal said in a post on 'x'. Communist Party of India (Marxist) leader Brinda Karat also hit out at the Yogi Adityanath government over this move likening it to Nazi Germany. "The Uttar Pradesh government is destroying the Constitution of India by issuing such orders...A whole community is being humiliated...They are trying to divide society...This type of targeting was done by Nazis in Germany...I condemn it," Karat said speaking to ANI on Saturday. Shiv Sena (Uddhav Balasaheb Thackeray) MP Sanjay Raut lashed out at the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) over the recent government order in Uttar Pradesh that mandates shopkeepers to put up nameplates in front of their stalls stating their owner's name, saying that the ruling party will not benefit from dividing the country through such orders as it will break the nation's unity. "Now you (BJP) are directing foodstalls to put up nameplates based on caste and religion? Do you want to divide the country? You won't profit from it. You are breaking the nation's unity," Raut said, speaking to reporters in Mumbai on Saturday. Bharatiya Janata Party MP Kangana Ranaut has questioned actor Sonu Sood's stand on the Uttar Pradesh government's directive for food shops on the Kanwar Yatra route to display their owners' names. After Sonu Sood's post stating that only "humanity" should be displayed on shop nameplates, BJP MP Kangana Ranaut questioned the actos' stand on Friday. Sonu Sood took to X to express his views on the matter, stating, "There should be only one name plate on every shop: "HUMANITY" Reacting to Sonu Sood's stance, Kangana Ranaut said, "Agree, Halal should be replaced with "HUMANITY." The People's Democratic Party chief, Mehbooba Mufti, attacked the Uttar Pradesh government and said that the BJP wants to finish the rights of Muslims, Dalits and of other sections. Addressing a press conference today, Mufti said, "Our Constitution gives equal rights and it does not discriminate against anyone. They (BJP) are violating the Constitution. Rahul Gandhi rightly said that if they cross 400 (seats in Lok Sabha elections) then they are going to destroy the Constitution. These people came down from 350 to 240 but still they did not learn the lesson." "I think the people who voted for them in this election must have got the hint that they want to destroy the Constitution at any cost. They want to finish the rights of Muslims, Dalits and then other sections because they want to create a different system here," she added. Samajwadi Party chief and former Chief Minister of Uttar Pradesh Akhilesh Yadav also criticised the move and urged the court to take suo-motto cognizance on the matter. Earlier, Muzaffarnagar Police said that the police have urged all the eateries to "voluntarily display" the names of their owners and employees, adding that the intention of this order is not to create any kind of "religious discrimination" but only to facilitate the devotees. Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) MLA Golu Shukla from Indore-3 assembly constituency voiced his support on Saturday for the Uttar Pradesh government's order directing eateries along the Kanwar Yatra route to display names of their respective owners. "We have been organizing the Baneshwari Kanwar Yatra for the last 21 years. This year, the yatra will start from Maheshwar with a 'Dugdh Abhishek' to the Narmada river on July 22, the first Monday of the Shravan month, and will continue until July 29," Shukla told ANI. West Bengal Bharatiya Janata Party Chief Sukanta Majumdar on Saturday came out in support of Uttar Pradesh government's directive for food shops on the Kanwar Yatra route to display their owners' names, saying that a similar notification was issued during the Mulayam Singh Yadav and Akhilesh Yadav governments. "Opposition is misleading people and spreading lies. A similar kind of notification was issued during Mulayam Singh Yadav's government, and Akhilesh Yadav's government also issued such notifications... it's a routine exercise and not specific to the Kanwar Yatra. The law requires that names be registered, not identifying anyone by religion... Hindus who eat non-veg go to Muslim shops. In West Bengal, we go to many such shops, which are run by Muslims. The opposition is trying to divide the people and Asaduddin Owaisi is playing the role of Jinnah," Majumdar told ANI. Haridwar District Magistrate (DM), Dhiraj Singh Garbyal, said on Saturday that the move is intended to ensure "the convenience of the public and allow people to know the details of the food outlet's owner." Union Minister Giriraj Singh said, "This is a matter of the state government, if the state government comes up with any new rule then everyone has to obey it." Shiv Sena (UBT) leader Aaditya Thackeray said that this is an attempt by the BJP to create distance between people, I only ask that no matter whose nameplate it is, if he is a member of BJP, then is it appropriate or not?" Congress leader Salman Khurshid said, "On behalf of Congress, we have said very clearly that this is wrong and the formal statement has already come from our spokesperson. But since you are asking me, I definitely say that whether it is some social work or some religious work, people of every religion gather at their respective major festivals. The civilization of our country has always been like this." "We should enthusiastically help each other on such occasions. This is our civilization. And why we are being separated from this civilization has not been told. It has not been told that there is any restriction for anyone, when we go on such a Yatra, Kanwar Yatra, then we cannot sit or eat food at the house of a person of another religion," Khurshid added. (ANI)
Sharing details regarding his telephonic conversation with Kuleba on X, Jaishankar stated, "A good conversation with FM @DmytroKuleba of Ukraine this afternoon. Spoke about further developing our bilateral relationship."

Dmytro Kuleba also posted about his talks with Jaishankar and recalled his visit to New Delhi earlier this year.

Taking to X, Kuleba stated, "Building on my visit to New Delhi earlier this year and the meeting between President Zelenskyy and Prime Minister Modi in Italy, I spoke with my Indian counterpart @DrSJaishankar about the further development of Ukrainian-Indian bilateral relations. Earlier in March, Kuleba arrived in India for a two-day official visit at the invitation of EAM Jaishankar. During his visit, Kuleba held a meeting with Jaishankar and discussed regional and global matters including the ongoing Russia-Ukraine conflict and efforts to achieve a 'peaceful settlement, according to Ministry of External Affairs (MEA).

In June this year, Prime Minister Narendra Modi held a meeting with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy on the sidelines of the G7 Summit in Italy.

During the meeting, PM Modi reiterated India's commitment to fostering a peaceful resolution to the ongoing hostilities in Ukraine. The leaders engaged in productive discussions aimed at strengthening bilateral ties and addressing the situation in Ukraine, according to MEA release.

In a press release, MEA stated, "The PM conveyed that India continues to encourage peaceful resolution of the conflict through dialogue and diplomacy, and reiterated that India would continue to do everything within its means to support a peaceful solution. The two leaders agreed to remain in touch." (ANI)
Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump's running mate, JD Vance, on Friday took a shot at US President Joe Biden, asking how he can remain in office if he doesn't have the "cognitive function" to run for re-election. Taking to X, the Ohio Senator asked, "If Joe Biden doesn't have the cognitive function to run for re-election, then he certainly doesn't have the cognitive function to remain as Commander-In-Chief. How can any Dem pushing him to drop out of the presidential race, argue in good faith that he should stay on as POTUS?" His statement came as several Democrats have called for Biden to step aside as the party nominee. Biden has been under intense scrutiny following his incoherent performance in the nationally televised 90-minute debate with Trump earlier this month. However, Biden has vowed he will be "running this race to end" of the November election. In the debate, Biden looked notably hoarse and exhibited limited vocal range, struggling at times to articulate clear differences from Trump. His attempts to cite statistics and legislative achievements were often marred by stumbling and a lack of vocal clarity. Calls from Democrat members became louder on Friday, when Senator Martin Heinrich became the third Democratic senator to call for Biden to move aside, and four House Democrats issued a joint statement urging the president to end his reelection bid. Last week, it was reported that nearly 20 Democrats in the United States Congress have urged Joe Biden to drop out of the 2024 presidential race. The majority of those who urged Biden to withdraw from the race are rank-and-file lawmakers, even as the Democratic Party leadership continues to publicly back the president's re-election, US-based media outlet Politico reported. The lawmakers calling for Biden to exit the race include top national security Democrats like Jim Hines and Adam Smith, the ranking members on the Intelligence and Armed Services Committees, respectively, Politico reported. Most of these hailed from "safe districts" in which the President won by healthy margins in 2020. Lloyd Doggett, a lawmaker from Texas, the first lawmaker to call for Biden to end his re-election bid, represents 'safe' seat and has been in Congress for nearly 30 years. Despite the calls from Democrats, Biden said on Friday that he is looking forward to getting back on the campaign trail next week. He slammed former US President Donald Trump's speech at the Republican National Convention and called it a 'dark vision for the future,' The Hill reported. In a statement, Biden said, "Donald Trump's dark vision for the future is not who we are as Americans. Together, as a party and as a country, we can and will defeat him at the ballot box," The Hill reported. He further said, "I look forward to getting back on the campaign trail next week to continue exposing the threat of Donald Trump's Project 2025 agenda while making the case for my own record and the vision that I have for America: one where we save our democracy, protect our rights and freedoms, and create opportunity for everyone." Biden has been isolating at his Rehoboth Beach, Delaware, home after testing positive for COVID-19 on Wednesday while he was campaigning in Las Vegas. (ANI)
Maldives Foreign Minister Moosa Zameer will Saturday embark on a four-day official visit to China. During his visit, Zameer will hold a meeting with his Chinese counterpart, Wang Yi, and other senior officials. Moosa Zameer will undertake an official visit to China from July 20 to 24 at the invitation of Wang Yi. It will be Zameer's first visit to China after he becoming Maldives Minister of Foreign Affairs in November 2023. During his visit, Zameer will hold discussions with key Chinese companies that have played a pivotal role in the economic development of the Maldives, according to the statement released by the Maldives Ministry of Foreign Affairs. For his visit to China, Zameer will be accompanied by the Maldives Minister of Finance, Mohamed Shafeeq, and the Maldives Minister of Construction and Infrastructure, Abdul Muththlib, and senior government officials, according to the statement. In a statement, the Maldives Ministry of Foreign Affairs stated, "At the invitation of His Excellency Mr. Wang Yi, Member of the Political Bureau of the CPC Central Committee, Director of the Office of the Central Commission for Foreign Affairs and Minister for Foreign Affairs of the People's Republic of China, the Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Maldives, Moosa Zameer will undertake an Official Visit to China from 20 20-24, 2024." Earlier in January, Maldivian President Mohamed Muizzu was on a state visit to China at the invitation of Chinese President Xi Jinping. This was the first state visit of Maldives President since assuming office in November last year. Xi Jinping hosted a state banquet for Mohamed Muizzu and Maldives First Lady Sajidha Mohamed. During his visit, Muizzu signed key agreements with the Chinese government and held official talks to enhance collaboration between the two countries, the Maldivian President Office said in an official press statement. Muizzu also held several meetings with Chinese officials to explore avenues to strengthen socioeconomic connections and bilateral relations between the two countries. (ANI)
Sheikh Theyab bin Mohamed extended his best wishes to the graduates for their future success in serving the country and safeguarding national interests.

Sheikh Theyab also congratulated the leadership of the programme, commending their efforts in developing national competencies to protect the country's achievements. He also praised the programme for equipping a new cohort of UAE Nationals with the knowledge and skills to support national security. (ANI/WAM)
Khalid Muslahi, Undersecretary, Oman Foreign Ministry, visited the Indian Embassy in Oman to offer condolences over the passing away of an Indian national in a shooting incident in Muscat. India's Ambassador to Oman, Amit Narang, appreciated Muslahi's visit and Omani authorities' prompt action and support. In a post on X, the Indian Embassy in Oman stated, "H.E. Khalid Muslahi, Undersecretary @FMofOman visited the Embassy to offer condolences for the passing away of an Indian in the shooting incident in Muscat. Amb @Amit_Narang appreciated the visit and conveyed his appreciation for the prompt action & support of Omani authorities." Muslahi's visit comes after an Indian national was killed and another was injured in a shooting incident at a mosque in Muscat city in Oman on July 15, according to a statement released by the Indian Embassy in Oman on Tuesday. At least six people have been killed and 28 others wounded in a shooting at a mosque in Oman in a rare act of violence in the Gulf nation, Al Jazeera reported. The attack took place in Wadi al-Kabir, a district east of the capital city Muscat, during a major religious event for Shia Muslims Four Pakistanis and a policeman were among those killed, and at least 28 other people were injured, Pakistani and Omani authorities said, as per Al Jazeera. In a statement on July 16, Oman's police said that three gunmen behind the attack were killed and police officers have "concluded the procedures for dealing with the shooting," it said. There was no immediate claim of responsibility for the attack. Following the shooting incident in Oman in which six people were killed, the Indian Embassy in Muscat said it is closely following up on the well-being of the Indian community. The embassy also issued condolences to those killed in the incident. It further said it is working for the repatriation of the mortal remains of the deceased Indian national. "Embassy is closely following up the well-being of the resident Indian community in the aftermath of the shooting incident in Muscat city on July 15, 2024," the Indian embassy said in a statement on Wednesday. Indian Ambassador to Oman, Amit Narang, spoke with Tausif Abbas, son of Basha Jan Ali Hussain, who was killed in the shooting. He also spoke with the families of those who suffered injuries and assured them of their full support. "Ambassador assured full support of the Embassy for repatriation of Shri Hussain's mortal remains back to India and all other support that the family may need, Embassy officials have visited the 3 Indian nationals who have sustained injuries and are undergoing treatment in Khoula hospital. Ambassador Amit Narang also spoke with their families and assured full support," the statement added. The Indian envoy also conveyed his "sincere appreciation" for the "prompt action" taken by the Omani security agencies in dealing with the crisis and protecting the lives of innocent civilians. (ANI)
Misri co-chaired the third Development Cooperation Talks of the 13th Five-Year Plan in Bhutan.

"Foreign Secretary @VikramMisri & Foreign Secretary Aum Pema Choden co-chaired 3rd Development Cooperation Talks of the 13th Five Year Plan. Reviewed implementation modalities & cooperation in diverse areas of development partnership under 13 FYP period," the Indian Embassy in Bhutan said on X.

https://x.com/Indiainbhutan/status/1814489045583454461

Further, the two sides expressed satisfaction with several development projects implemented under the 12 FYP.

"The two sides expressed satisfaction at large number of development projects implemented under 12 FYP in sectors such as connectivity, infrastructure, cultural heritage, health, education, agriculture, sports, skilling, and digital economy," the post added.

https://x.com/Indiainbhutan/status/1814488238721323056

Moreover, the two secretaries also virtually inaugurated 19 schools in Bhutan.

"The two Foreign Secretaries virtually inaugurated 19 schools in Bhutan, which were constructed during the 12th FYP period," the embassy stated.

https://x.com/Indiainbhutan/status/1814488251559788559

Misri, arrived in Paro, Bhutan, on Friday and met with Bhutanese Prime Minister Dasho Tshering Tobgay during his two-day official visit.

He assumed the charge of Foreign Secretary of India on July 15, this year.

In a post on X, the Indian Embassy in Bhutan said, "The visit is in keeping with the tradition of regular high-level bilateral exchanges and will provide an opportunity for the two sides to review the entire gamut of bilateral ties."

Further, the Embassy also stated that the meeting reaffirmed the strong friendship between India and Bhutan, with Misri assuring the Bhutanese government of India's commitment to strengthening their bilateral ties.

Misri is on an official visit to Bhutan from July 19 to 20, 2024, his first visit abroad after taking over as Foreign Secretary.

During the visit, Foreign Secretary Misri will receive an audience with the King of Bhutan, Jigme Khesar Namgyel Wangchuck.

He will call on Prime Minister Tshering Tobgay, Minister of Foreign Affairs and External Trade Lyonpo DN Dhungyel, and other senior officials of Bhutan. (ANI)
The island nation's Ministry of National Defence (MND) in a statement said that China's People's Liberation Army (PLA) aircraft and People's Liberation Army Navy (PLAN) vessels have been detected in and around Taiwan's Air Defence Identification Zone (ADIZ).

17 of the aircraft crossed the median line and entered Taiwan's northern, southwestern and eastern ADIZ, prompting a strategic response from Taiwan's defence forces.

Taiwan's Ministry of National Defence in a post on X said, "22 PLA aircraft and 7 PLAN vessels operating around Taiwan were detected up until 6 a.m. (UTC+8) today. 17 of the aircraft crossed the median line and entered Taiwan's northern, southwestern and eastern ADIZ. We have monitored the situation and responded accordingly."

https://x.com/MoNDefense/status/1814465246435659850

Earlier, on Thursday, Taiwan reported heightened military activity by China around the Taiwan Strait early Thursday, revealing that a significant number of Chinese aircraft and vessel around its territory.

The MND detected 20 PLA aircraft and 6 PLAN vessels in the vicinity of Taiwan, marking a notable escalation in military activities.

Ten of the detected aircraft crossed the Taiwan Strait's median line, which traditionally serves as an informal boundary separating the two sides.

The incident comes amid rising tensions across the Taiwan Strait, as China has increased its military presence and conducted frequent drills in the region. The manoeuvres are seen as part of Beijing's ongoing pressure campaign against Taiwan, which China views as a renegade province.

In recent months, both Taiwan and China have experienced heightened military interactions, including regular incursions into Taiwan's ADIZ and increased naval patrols in the Taiwan Strait. These activities are viewed as efforts by China to assert its claims over Taiwan and challenge Taiwan's sovereignty.

The increased military activity by China has drawn concerns from international observers and partners of Taiwan. (ANI)
China has slammed the European Commission over their stand on Taiwan, terming it "gross interference" in the country's internal affairs, Taiwan News reported. The EU chief, Ursula von der Leyen came under fire on Friday from China for standing up for Taiwan. In her manifesto, the German politician had described the Indo-Pacific as a "decisive region." She also called for "collective efforts to deploy the full range of our combined statecraft to deter China from unilaterally changing the status quo by military means, particularly over Taiwan." Responding to the EU's stand, Beijing said Von der Leyen's policy guidelines constituted "gross interference" in the country's internal affairs, Taiwan News reported, citing a Euronews article. The Director General for European Affairs at the Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Wang Lutong, fanned the flames further by saying, "Playing with fire on Taiwan is highly dangerous." Wang further said that "meddling" is not a right choice for Europe. "Meddling and even trying to join forces is by no means a right choice for Europe," Wang was quoted as saying. Earlier, Taiwan President Lai Ching-te congratulated von der Leyen for her "steadfast support for peace and stability in the Taiwan Strait." He added that he looked forward to building even stronger ties with the EU. "Congratulations, @vonderleyen, on your reelection as @EU_Commission President. Greatly appreciate your steadfast support for peace & stability in the Taiwan Strait. I look forward to fostering stronger #Taiwan-#EU ties built on our shared commitment to human rights & democracy," President Lai stated. Von der Leyen, from the center-right European People's Party (EPP), was re-elected Thursday after a secret ballot that saw the backing of 401 Members of the European Parliament. She is the 13th president of the EU and its first female leader. In her manifesto, she outlined how Europe would work closely with regional actors such as Japan, South Korea, New Zealand, and Australia to address "common challenges in cyber, space and in the secure supply of critical minerals and technologies." She further added that Beijing "should be prevented" from upsetting the decades-long status quo in the Taiwan Strait, Taiwan News reported. It further cited a Politico article which stated, "Von der Leyen vows to stop China from invading Taiwan." It added that the US believes China intends to attack Taiwan in 2027, which would be in the middle of Von der Leyen's new five-year mandate. (ANI)
Highlighting India-US relations and increasing cooperation in the Indo-Pacific region, US Ambassador to India Eric Garcetti said that the US's trust in India has resulted in the approval of selling their most exquisite jet engine technology to India, which America has not even sold to some of its closest allies. The envoy recalled Prime Minister Narendra Modi's visit to the US and said that both nations had 173 different projects, adding that if you can get five or ten, it's a big group. "Last year, when the prime minister visited, we had 173 different projects. You know, some people say when there's a state visit, if you can get five or ten. That's a big group. We had 173, and I could probably list 300 or more from the education partnerships we have, for instance, campuses in both the United States and India that are doing cutting-edge research on cures for diseases, on the moonshot to try to cure cancer," Garcetti said. Commending the US's trust for India, more than its allies, Garcetti said, "The trust that the United States has for India resulted in the approval of selling our most exquisite jet engine technology, something that we haven't even done with some of our closest allies, and the exercises that we are doing to make sure that our people know each other." General Electric signed a memorandum of understanding with Hindustan Aeronautics to co-produce F-414 fighter jet engines in India last June during the historic Official State Visit of Prime Minister Narendra Modi to the US. GE's F414 engine is a turbofan engine used by the US Navy for over 30 years.It is equipped with a dual-channel full authority digital engine control (FADEC), a six-stage high-pressure compressor, an advanced high-pressure turbine, and a "fueldraulic" system for nozzle area control. It offers exceptional throttle response, excellent afterburner light and stability, and unrestricted engine performance when required. The F414 engine has powered military aircraft in eight nations, making it a trusted choice for modern fighter jets. The US Ambassador said that both nations know how to interoperate in their time of need. "We know how to interoperate, whether it's a natural disaster or, God forbid, a war, where we have to be together," he said. Calling India and the US, "two great democracies," Garcetti said that part of our democracies is our constitution, which upholds the civil and human rights of all people. "We've certainly been inspired by India's not only an independence movement but the non-violence movement of Mahatma Gandhi and others who helped inform people like Martin Luther King about our struggles for racial equality," he added. The US envoy noted that a part of the US's foreign policy is always to invite criticism. "So part of our foreign policy is always to invite criticism and also to look at the places we can work together on women's empowerment, the racial and religious minority rights that people have, to be able to practice religion, to be able to not have gender take away from your opportunities and to ensure that all people have equal human rights," he continued. He highlighted that the US and India, together, are working on arenas like transgender rights, women empowerment, ending poverty, and many more. "To me, those are the proactive and positive agenda of human rights between India and the United States, an example that is a contrast to dictatorships and to extremism in the world today," he said. Further highlighting India's collaboration on climate financing, the US envoy said that the largest solar manufacturing plant in southern India is not only creating jobs for Indians but is also exporting those so that America can have good solar power. "I could talk about the work that we're doing on climate financing. The largest solar manufacturing plant in southern India, through First Solar, doesn't depend on critical minerals that are throttled by China but instead is not only creating jobs for Indians but also exporting those so that America can have good solar power. That isn't a strategic concern," he said. He said that the US-India relationship comes from the seabed all the way to the stars. "US and India are a force for good. This is not just a strategic calculation. This is a warmth that comes from our heart and also a knowledge that when we put our things together, we can do better than either country alone." (ANI)
Donald Trump holds a 3% lead over President Joe Biden in a national poll average, with one survey showing the former president has gained five points over his Democratic rival since the beginning of July.

A CBS News/YouGov poll taken between July 16 and July 18, the day Trump accepted the Republican nomination for president at the Republican National Convention, found that the former president has extended his advantage over Biden by five points: 52% to 47% since July 3 when a survey had Trump up 50% to 48%.

The RealClearPolitics' average of the polls shows Trump sitting atop a 3-point lead, which has expanded since Biden's disastrous debate performance on June 27.

In an Emerson College poll taken between July 15 and July 16, Trump leads Biden 46% to 42%.

The survey also found that the president lost 2 points to Trump since earlier this month.

The former president also leads Biden by 4 points  46% to 42%  in a Morning Consult poll taken between July 15 and July 17.

All of the polls  which have margins of error ranging from 1 to 3 points, which could negagte Trump's lead in some surveys  were conducted after Trump escaped an assassination attempt last Saturday at a campaign rally in Butler, Pa.

"Recent polling shows Biden losing support more significantly than Trump gaining it since the attempted assassination. This raises questions about whether Biden's decline is still influenced by the debate or if Trump has reached his support ceiling," Spencer Kimball, executive director of Emerson College Polling, said in a statement.

Only one poll listed on RealClearPolitics shows Biden with a lead.

An NPR/PBS/Marist poll taken between July 9 and July 10 shows Biden ahead of Trump 50% to 48%.

The survey has a 3 percentage point margin of error.

As Trump, 78, basked in the glow and national spotlight of the Republican National Convention, Biden, 81, has been self-isolating with a bout of COVID and fighting off calls for him to step down from the campaign as more and more Democrats believe he has no path to victory in November.

The number of Democrats in Congress urging Biden to quit the race has now grown to 35, according to the Associated Press.

"There is no joy in the recognition he should not be our nominee in November," said Rep. Morgan McGarvey of Kentucky, one of the Democrats, the AP reported. "But the stakes of this election are too high and we can't risk the focus of the campaign being anything other than Donald Trump."

Several Democrats, fearful of a Trump juggernaut performance at the RNC, were relieved after his speech, which many considered too long, rambling, and the same old Trump who lost to Biden last time around.

"What the hell was he talking about?" Biden asked in a post on social media Friday, before dissecting Trump's speech point by point.
US State Secretary Antony Blinken will meet Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi next week in Laos as the country prepares to host senior officials of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN), reported Voice of America (VOA). The US State Secretary said that he speaks with Wang "on a fairly regular basis," stressing that it is important for clarifying each country's intentions and avoiding unintended conflicts. "We're able to communicate very clearly in areas where we disagree. So at least China knows where we're coming from, just as we know where they're coming from," on such topics as the South China Sea and Taiwan, Blinken said, while addressing the Aspen Security Forum, a prominent national security and foreign policy conference in the United States. The US and China are not members of the Southeast Asian bloc, however; senior diplomats from both countries are typically invited to attend related regional meetings and often hold face-to-face discussions on the sidelines, VOA reported. Earlier on Friday, the US government advised American citizens in Taiwan to plan accordingly for an upcoming annual air defense exercise in Taiwan called Wan An Number 47, scheduled for Monday to Thursday. During the 30-minute exercise for civilians, the emergency notification system will be tested, signalling the start and end of the event. Blinken's talks with Wang next week in Vientiane, the capital of Laos, will follow a four-day major policy meeting called "China's Third Plenum", held by China's ruling Communist Party (CCP) in Beijing. The meetings will aim at advancing the country's technological power and fortifying its national security. Moreover, ASEAN has announced its intention to expedite negotiations with China on a code of conduct to reduce the risk of conflicts in the hotly contested South China Sea. Notably. the Southeast Asian bloc hopes to conclude talks by 2026, reported VOA. "We're tracking all the time, not just the Taiwan Strait, (but also the) South China Sea," Blinken said at the Aspen forum. He further noted escalating tensions between China and the Philippines because of recent collisions near the waters around Second Thomas Shoal, known as Ren'ai Jiao in China. (ANI)
In a post on X, Mushtaq Ahmad Khan said, "Government terrorism is not acceptable, military operations are not acceptable, in any case, we want peace".

https://x.com/SenatorMushtaq/status/1814381815185973571?t=DPhyjLqS3B7XrJTLnsLy8w&s=08

Mushtaq also shared a video of the protest he participated in.

Highlighting the grim consequences of the violent clash, former MNA from North Waziristan, Mohsin Dawar, commented "Blood in response to peace".

https://x.com/mjdawar/status/1814216379211682246?t=VdDy6aJDtjmwc8vTSCfe-A&s=08

PTI leader Sher Afzal Khan Marwat echoed similar sentiments and said, "Watching this video, I feel deep sorrow and condemn the recent shootings against peaceful protestors in Bannu, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. It is disheartening to witness such brutality inflicted upon innocent Pakistanis, exercising their fundamental right to peaceful protest."

https://x.com/sherafzalmarwat/status/1814237821533638972?t=n-M0zqyNgV2uR8tnuicVyg&s=08

Journalists also voiced their indignation regarding the incident. Journalist Sabahat Zakariya expressed her dismay and said, "Pakistani forces firing directly into a peaceful protest. Jallianwala Bagh to Babbra to Okara to Bannu. So much for 'freedom'."

https://x.com/sabizak/status/1814393531269784034?t=ecm3VHg9zXaRe7ot5GJobA&s=08

According to the Human Rights Commission of Pakistan (HRCP), at least five protestors were killed and over 20 injured after security forces fired on participants of a peace rally in Bannu on Friday. Thousands had gathered in the southern Khyber Pakhtunkhwa town to protest against terrorism, which escalated and turned unpleasant, resulting in gunfire.

The peace rally in Bannu, organised by local traders and political parties, saw participants waving white flags as symbols of peace.

Tensions escalated when protestors reportedly tried to enter the cantonment area, prompting security officials to open fire. The Bannu police stated that army personnel fired on protestors as they attempted to breach the Bannu cantonment, resulting in chaos and numerous injuries.

The Bannu rally was held following a deadly attack earlier in the week, where a suicide bomber targeted an army outpost, resulting in the deaths of eight Pakistani soldiers. (ANI)
US Secretary of State Anthony Blinken has denounced the cooperation extended by North Korea, Iran and China to Russia amidst its war in Ukraine, noting that doing so was "not good" for the reputation of these countries. "It's not particularly good for your reputation to be working closely with Russia and helping it perpetuate its war in Ukraine," Blinken said in his remarks during a forum hosted by the Aspen Strategy Group on July 19. The US has frequently expressed its concerns over a growing military alignment between North Korea and Russia and China's purported support for Russia's defence industrial base. In a fireside chat moderated by National Public Radio host, Blinken was asked whether sanctions imposed on Russia by the US and other European nations actuall worked and did it prompt Russian President Vladimir Putin "to behave better?" The US Secretary of State in his response stated that the US had brought countries together and "added collectively to the pressure on Russia." "It means that everything that so many countries around the world can do easily, it's much harder for them to do. Everything that we can do cheaply, it's much more costly for them to do. And this has a growing, powerful weight on Russia's economy and on Russia's future," Blinken said. The US Secretary noted that a combination of sanctions, export controls and brain drain from Russia have contributed to impose a "heavier and heavier weight" on Moscow. "Now, it's also true the Russians have found workarounds, and particularly in their relationship with North Korea, with Iran, and unfortunately with China, they have found ways to keep the defence industrial base moving so that they can continue to prosecute the aggression against Ukraine," Blinken said. China, said the US Secretary, posed a challenge because Beijing unlike North Korea and Iran did not give weapons to Moscow but provided inputs for Russia's defence industrial base. "Seventy per cent of the machine tools that Russia is importing come from China. Ninety per cent of the microelectronics come from China. And that's going into the defence industrial base and turning into missiles and tanks and other weapons," Blinken said. The US Secretary of Defence also said that the US and other countries have called out China and imposed sanctions on Chinese companies. "China can't have it both ways. It can't all at once be saying that it's for peace in Ukraine when it is helping to fuel the ongoing pursuit of the war by Russia. It can't say that it wants better relations with Europe when it is actually helping to fuel the greatest threat to Europe's security since the end of the Cold War," Blinken said. (ANI)
Robinder Sachdev, a Foreign Affairs expert, said that the Bangladesh protests are also being joined by radicalists, the extreme left and China-backed groups, apart from the students, which is a worrying trend. Speaking to ANI, Sachdev said, "Sheikh Hasina has been in power for the last fifteen years. The last elections were boycotted by the opposition. In a way, the democratic participation has not been there. The radicalists, extreme left and China-backed groups are taking advantage of the situation." He said that whenever there is such an attack, the Indian diaspora becomes a victim of hate crimes in Bangladesh. "In such an environment, there is a high risk of hate crimes against the Indian diaspora in Bangladesh," Sachdev said, adding that Sheikh Hasina is seen as pro-India. "With Sheikh Hasina being seen as pro-India, hate crimes being carried out against Indians and total lawlessness in the country, it gives the opportunity to miscreants to commit further mischief," Sachdev said. Sachdev said that India cannot meddle with the internal affairs of Bangladesh, but it can take steps to ensure the safety of Indians in Bangladesh. There are several Indian engineers in Bangladesh. "India must evacuate the Indians from Bangladesh. It is up to Bangladesh to handle its internal affairs. It is India's job to take care of its citizens all over the world," he said. India must make sure that its borders are sealed, he said. "In such a volatile situation, there is a risk that Bangladeshis may try and flee from Bangladesh, and the Chinese may try to take advantage of it. It is beneficial for China as tensions between Bangladesh and India flare," Sachdeva said. Sachdeva said that China is to benefit from the India-Bangladesh spat because "Sheikh Hasina has not been very cooperative with China. Bangladesh's opposition has been much more pro-China and pro-Pakistan in its stance." He said that the times are very volatile. The miscreants' groups may try to give the students' quota protests a different, anti-Indian turn. So, it is in the interest of Indians to return to India. The protests will result in losses for businesses and will add to the job crisis as people come back to India. Sachdeva said that apart from bringing Indians back, the government must seal the borders, as many radicalists may try to enter the country at this time along with refugees. Student protests in Bangladesh have turned violent, with dozens of people reportedly killed and hundreds injured in clashes with police. Protesters are demanding that the government end a quota system that reserves jobs for relatives of veterans who fought in the war of independence from Pakistan in 1971, something they consider discriminatory. (ANI)
Prime Minister Narendra Modi received a congratulatory phone call from his New Zealand counterpart, Christopher Luxon, on his victory for the third time in the general elections and the two leaders, during their interaction, reiterated their firm commitment to take bilateral cooperation to new heights in the years to come. "Noting that India-New Zealand ties are anchored in shared democratic values and close people-to-people ties, both leaders reiterated their firm commitment to take bilateral cooperation to new heights in the years to come," per the press release from the Ministry of External Affairs on Saturday. PM Modi took the oath as Prime Minister of India for his third successive term on June 9 at an impressive ceremony at the Rashtrapati Bhavan, which was attended by leaders from India's neighborhood and the Indian Ocean region. President Droupadi Murmu administered the oath of office to Narendra Modi, followed by other members of his team of ministers. Prime Minister Modi also thanked counterpart, Luxon, for looking after the interests of the Indian community in New Zealand. "Highlighting the momentum generated by recent high-level contacts between the two sides, they agreed to advance mutually beneficial bilateral cooperation in various areas, including trade and economic cooperation, animal husbandry, pharmaceuticals, education, and space, among others," the MEA release read. "Prime Minister Modi thanked Prime Minister Luxon for looking after the interests of the Indian diaspora in New Zealand. Prime Minister Luxon assured of continued efforts towards their security and well-being," it added. The two leaders agreed to remain in touch. (ANI)
The Indian family of four, who lost their lives, included two children as well.

"Embassy @indembkwt expresses its deepest condolences on the tragic demise of Mr Mathews Mulackal, his wife and 2 children due to fire in his flat in Abassiya yesterday night," the Indian embassy wrote in a post on X.

It stated that the officials will ensure the early repatriation of the family's mortal remains.

"Embassy is in touch with his family and will ensure early repatriation of mortal remains," the embassy said.

https://x.com/indembkwt/status/1814590649817080199

Earlier in June, at least 45 Indians were killed in the fire incident at a labor accommodation in Kuwait's Mangaf.

Among the deceased from the fire incident that took place on June 12, seven were from Tamil Nadu, three from Andhra Pradesh and one each from Bihar, Odisha, Karnataka, Maharashtra, Uttar Pradesh, Jharkhand, Haryana, Punjab, and West Bengal, in addition to 23 people from Kerala. (ANI)
Professor Sajjad Raja, Chairman of the National Equality Party for Jammu and Kashmir, Gilgit Baltistan and Ladakh (NEP-JKGBL), took to social media to criticise the Pakistani military for consistently exceeding its authority and constitutional limits. He called for the military leadership to be held accountable in Pakistan's courts for violating its defined powers and unlawfully exercising authority against the constitution and laws. In a post on X, Sajjad stated, "The Pakistani military has consistently overstepped its authority and constitutional limits. Therefore, the leadership of the Pakistani military should be brought before Pakistan's courts for violating its defined powers and committing the crime of unauthorised use of authority according to the constitution and law." https://x.com/NEP_JKGBL/status/1814568935422857438?t=xdZNa8b6TAMC6Ubmv-NSKw&s=08 Highlighting the military's failures, Professor Raja emphasised its neglect of constitutional duties such as defending national borders and ensuring citizens' rights within the framework of the constitution. He further stated, "As far as responsibilities are concerned, the Pakistani military has never fulfilled any of its constitutional duties. The duty of the military is to defend the national borders and provide facilities to the citizens within the framework of the constitution, ensuring dignity, respect, and peaceful coexistence. The Pakistani military has neither successfully defended Pakistan's geographical borders nor ensured the rights of dignity, respect, and peaceful coexistence for the people within the country." Furthermore, Professor Raja criticised the military for its lack of allegiance to the Pakistani constitution, alleging frequent interference in national politics and suppression of peaceful protests advocating for fundamental human rights. He accused the military of coercing and even killing civilians, thereby violating their constitutional freedoms. The statements by Professor Sajjad Raja underscore a growing dissent against the military's role in Pakistan, urging for accountability and adherence to constitutional principles to ensure the rights and welfare of Pakistani citizens. Sajjad issued his statement in response to the Director General of Inter Services Public Relations (ISPR), emphasising the critical importance of standing united with the Pakistani army. In a post on X, DG ISPR said, "Standing with the Pakistani army is crucial today. The decision has to be made whether to stand with the enemy or with the Pakistani army. The Pakistani army has sacrificed a lot for Pakistan and its people." (ANI)
Prominent Baloch activist Mahrang Baloch has stated that the families of missing Baloch people have been protesting for months, only to get false promises from the administration. In a post on X, decrying the situation of Baloch people, the activist wrote, "The families of Baloch missing persons in Turbat have been protesting for months with only false promises from the administration. Now, they're on a hunger strike in extreme heat, and their health is deteriorating. Their loved ones must be released immediately." https://x.com/MahrangBaloch_/status/1814558213997535232?t=I7HVhptFZfEMGwdPpRPtNg&s=08 In Turbat, Balochistan, hundreds of protestors have gathered, demanding the safe release of individuals who have been forcibly disappeared. The Baloch Yakjehti Committee (BYC) has strongly criticised the Pakistani authorities, accusing them of neglecting the issue and pointing out a significant lack of response from the administration. The demonstrators' outcry underscores growing frustration over what they perceive as systemic disregard for human rights and accountability in addressing cases of enforced disappearances in the region. The Pakistani police, on the other hand, have escalated their crackdown on families of Baloch individuals who have disappeared under mysterious circumstances. This crackdown represents a harsh and intensified approach by authorities towards those who are advocating for the safe return of their missing loved ones. Recently, Pakistani police brutally attacked a peaceful protest organised by the Baloch community demanding the safe return of Zaheer Ahmed Baloch at Saryab Road, Quetta. The police's response to the peaceful protests sparked widespread criticism across the country. Social media platforms have been flooded with posts and videos from human rights activists and organisations condemning the severe actions of Pakistan. According to the Baloch Yakjehti Committee, Zaheer Baloch, a father of two and the main breadwinner for his family, has served as a government employee for over 15 years. He was reportedly abducted on June 27th by CTD personnel while returning home from work. Meanwhile, amid these developments, plans are currently being made for a Baloch National Gathering that will take place across Balochistan in light of these ongoing incidents. The gathering aims to bring together Baloch communities from various regions to discuss and address issues of common concern, including the plight of missing persons and other challenges faced by the Baloch people. Mahrang Baloch, speaking on behalf of the Baloch Yakjehti Committee, had announced plans for a Baloch National Gathering in Gwadar on July 28, 2024. In a video statement, she emphasised the committee's vehement opposition to what they describe as the ongoing genocide of the Baloch people by Pakistan. Mahrang highlighted various facets of this alleged genocide affecting the Baloch community, including direct violence, deaths due to accidents and neglect-related illnesses, and drug-related issues among Baloch youth. Economic hardships faced by Baloch farmers, laborers, and fishermen, including mounting debts and land seizures for state projects, were also strongly condemned. (ANI)
Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) President, Nawaz Sharif criticised the actions of the previous administration on Saturday, stating that the nation "is not being treated well, which was achieving development goals and getting rid of the International Monetary Fund (IMF)," according to Geo News. After being disqualified by the Supreme Court for failing to declare a payable salary, Nawaz resigned as prime minister in 2017. "Justice is offered to a man roaming in the street," he added. The former prime minister asked, "What is the need [of such decisions] that increased sufferings of this country?" bemoaning the fact that, prior to his removal from office, the nation was effectively reaching the milestones of development and prosperity. "Electricity bills become a trouble for everyone. Not only for poor people but for everyone," the PML-N president added. He further claimed that his government "eliminated loadshedding and controlled electricity rates," according to Geo News. He urged the administration of Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif "to do everything to provide relief to the masses." During the same session, Punjab Secretary of Energy Dr Naeem Rauf provided a thorough programme overview and announced the launch of a pilot project test run in several places where the solar panel systems' performance will be monitored. He continued by saying that the programme will go live on August 14, following the conclusion of the pilot project's test run. Meanwhile, Punjab Chief Minister, Maryan Nawaz ordered the authorities concerned to introduce more relaxations in the Solar Panel Financing Scheme and complete work for the early launch of the renewable energy programme. The chief minister pledged to take drastic measures to help the populace, stating that the cost of grains and power has severely impacted their financial situation. (ANI)
Qaiser, a former National Assembly Speaker's described the reports of 'secret talks between Imran Khan's party PTI and PPP' as completely "baseless and misleading."

He also made it clear that no remarks have been made regarding talks with the PPP by him or any other PTI leader.

Additionally, the senior PTI leader refuted making any statements to the media about this matter, and Imran Khan, the party's founder, has not issued any directives regarding holding negotiations with the PPP, he said, according to ARY News.

Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif's ruling coalition received a major setback after the country's Supreme Court declared Imran Khan's Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf (PTI) eligible for seats reserved for women and minorities

Barrister Gohar had earlier stated that everyone who was expecting a ban on the PTI has been completely silenced by the Supreme Court's ruling.

PTI Chairman Barrister Gohar Ali declared that the party had no intention of forming a government with the People's Party in alliance.

"This option was also available to us on February 09," he added. "We will act as a strong opposition party," he said.

It is important to note that the Pakistan People's Party (PPP) senior leadership expressed disapproval of the federal government's move to outlaw Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI).

PPP leader Raza Rabbani emphasised in a statement that prohibiting a political party is incompatible with democratic ideals and pleaded with the federal government to refrain from taking such measures.

Rabbani emphasised that there is already a great deal of political and economic uncertainty in the nation. He warned that the government's decision to outlaw PTI would have a detrimental effect on the federal government and exacerbate the current political unrest. (ANI)
A Brazilian musician was killed in a freak accident during a live show when he was electrocuted while hugging a sopping-wet fan at the concert that apparently triggered a jolt from an electric cable, according to reports.

Ayres Sasaki, 35, died instantly during the performance on stage at a hotel in Salinopolis, Brazil, on July 13, People reported, citing media reports in the South American country.

Sasaki embraced the soggy fan, causing a nearby cable to short circuit and spark the fatal jolt.

It's still unknown why the fan was drenched, or if he was affected by the electricity that killed Sasaki.

Sasaki's family are seeking more details about the situation.

"We are contacting people who were with him at the moment to understand how everything happened. We will gather all the information in a statement that we will release to the press," his aunt, Rita Matos, told media in Brazil.

The Solar Hotel where he was performing released a statement the following day saying it is assisting in the investigation.

"We are fully dedicated to providing support to his family and taking the necessary measures. We reaffirm our commitment to fully cooperating with the competent authorities for the proper clarification of the events," the hotel said in a statement on Instagram.

"Our thoughts and condolences are with Ayres Sasaki's family and friends at this difficult time," it continued.

Sasaki's wife of 11 months, Mariana, thanked her husband's fans for their support.

"I would like to thank you for every message of affection and comfort, for every prayer during this difficult time that we are going through," she wrote, Istoe Gente reported.

"I haven't been able to read all the messages yet, but as I feel better, I will respond to each one. Thank you."
Expressing concern, Imran Khan's wife Bushra Bibi has alleged that the former Prime Minister's life is in danger in Adiala Jail, citing previous incidents when he was shot at, and reportedly poisoned, The Express Tribune reported. In an informal conversation with the journalists at the prison on Saturday, she revealed her fears not only regarding Khan's life but also about her own as well. She also mentioned that the court has not yet responded to their plea for an investigation into the poisoning. Bushra Bibi claimed that Imran Khan was kept in filthy circumstances and fed tainted food when describing the conditions at the jail. She said that Khan looked malnourished when they met at Attock Jail and that he spent the whole night picking insects out of his hair. The treatment of political prisoners in contrast to convicted criminals was also condemned by Bushra Bibi. She emphasised that, whereas Khan suffered without even the most basic amenities, other detainees were treated like royalty. When a journalist questioned Bushra Bibi about claims of adding toilet cleaner to food and her accusations against the authorities, she responded by saying that, the 'claims were true', according to The Express Tribune. As the meeting came to an end, Bushra Bibi emphasised her and Imran Khan's readiness to take an oath, stating that the charges made against them were fabricated. (ANI)
External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar said on Saturday that the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) is focused on ensuring the safety and well-being of Indian nationals in Bangladesh. Sharing the update on the return of Indian nationals in Bangladesh on X, which was posted earlier by the official spokesperson of MEA, Randhir Jaiswal, the EAM wrote, "Appreciate the concern of families and well wishers of Indian nationals in Bangladesh." "MEA is fully focused on ensuring their safety and well being. The current situation is as below," Jaishankar said further. https://x.com/DrSJaishankar/status/1814633483178021190 In its official release earlier today, amid the ongoing violence in Bangladesh, the High Commission of India in Dhaka and the Assistant High Commissions in Chittagong, Rajshahi, Sylhet and Khulna have been assisting the return of Indian nationals home following the recent developments there. In order to facilitate safe travel, the MEA is also coordinating with civil aviation, immigration, land ports and Border Security Force (BSF) authorities. "In coordination with the local authorities, measures are being taken by the High Commission and the Assistant High Commissions to facilitate safe travel to the border crossing points along the India Bangladesh International Border. MEA is also coordinating with civil aviation, immigration, land ports and BSF authorities to ensure a smooth passage for our citizens," the MEA said in its release. The protests in Bangladesh have been driven by demands for reform in the country's quota system for civil service jobs, which reserves positions for specific groups, including descendants of those who participated in the 1971 War of Independence against Pakistan. Bangladesh has imposed a curfew, and the authorities have disabled mobile internet services nationwide, citing the need to curb disinformation, according to The Washington Post. According to MEA, 778 Indian students have returned to India through various land ports so far.In addition, around 200 students have returned home via regular flight services through Dhaka and Chittagong airports. "The High Commission of India in Dhaka and our Assistant High Commissions are in regular touch with more than 4000 students remaining in various universities in Bangladesh and are providing necessary assistance. Students from Nepal and Bhutan have also been assisted with their crossing into India on request," the MEA said. (ANI)
The Indian Embassy in collaboration with Cambodian authorities has rescued 14 Indian citizens trapped in cybercrime scam and is working for their expeditious return home, the Indian Embassy said in a statement. In a post on X, the Indian Embassy in Cambodia stated, "@indembcam in collaboration with Cambodian authorities have got 14 Indian citizens trapped in cybercrime scam released. They are being looked after by Cambodian side. The Embassy working for their expeditious return home & remains committed to their welfare." 14 Indian nationals trapped in cybercrime scam in Cambodia rescued: Indian Embassy "In close cooperation with Cambodian authorities, the Embassy has facilitated the rescue and repatriation of over 650 Indian citizens who had fallen victim to these scams," it said. "Most recently, the Embassy provided specific leads to the Cambodian Police, leading to the rescue of 14 additional Indian victims. These individuals are currently being cared for by an NGO working in coordination with Cambodia's Ministry of Social Affairs, Veterans and Youth Rehabilitation," it added. The Indian Embassy is in ongoing communication with Cambodian officials, urgently requesting the expedited completion of necessary formalities to "ensure the safe and timely repatriation of the 14 rescued Indian nationals back to India," the statement said "The Embassy continues to closely monitor the situation and remains committed to protecting the welfare of Indian citizens in Cambodia. Indian nationals are advised to exercise extreme caution regarding any job offers in the country and to immediately report any suspicious activities to the Embassy," it added. Earlier in May, the Indian Embassy in Cambodia issued an advisory for those travelling to Cambodia for jobs. It asked Indian nationals to secure employment only through authorized agents approved by the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA). The advisory outlines the significant risks associated with fraudulent job offers and emphasizes the need for caution. Indian Embassy in Cambodia stated that job seekers can also approach the Embassy of India in Phnom Penh. It noted that instances have been reported wherein Indian nationals are being lured for employment through Thailand in Laos. The Indian Embassy in Cambodia noted that these fake jobs are for posts like 'Digital Sales and Marketing Executives' or 'Customer Support Service' by dubious companies involved in call-centre scams and crypto-currency fraud in Golden Triangle Special Economic Zone in Laos. "All Indian nationals who are travelling for jobs in Cambodia and the Southeast Asian region, are advised that there are many fake agents operating in the region, who along with agents in India, are luring people to scam companies, involved especially in cyber crimes. Anybody who takes up a job in Cambodia should do so only through authorised agents approved by the Ministry of External Affairs of India," the advisory stated. According to the Indian Embassy in Cambodia, agents in places like Dubai, Bangkok, Singapore and India associated with these firms are recruiting Indian nationals by taking a simple interview and the typing test, and are offering high salaries, hotel bookings along with return air tickets and visa facilitation. (ANI)
The Embassy of India to Sweden and Latvia said on Saturday that it is closely coordinating with Latvian authorities after the suspected drowning of an Indian student in Riga. The embassy said in a statement that it is in touch with the student's family and has assured all possible help. In a post on X, the Indian Embassy stated, "Embassy is in regular contact with Latvian authorities regarding the unfortunate incident of suspected drowning of an Indian student in Riga We remain in touch with the family and will continue to extend all possible help." Latvia-based news portal LSM quoted friends of Albin Shinto from Kerala, who is suspected to have drowned while swimming in the Jugla canal in Riga. Shinto was swimming with four friends in the canal on the evening of July 18 when the tragic incident occurred. The portal said eyewitness Arhik Haries stated that his fellow student Shinto was one of five friends who swam in the canal in the evening on July 18. According to Haries, Albin got into difficulties and was sinking from view, LSM reported. Two of his friends tried to save him and almost succeeded. However, they also got into difficulties. A passing fisherman managed to save the rescuers with his boat. However, Albin was lost beneath the waves, LSM reported. Haries said that police and rescuers, including a diver, quickly reached the spot and searched for "two to three hours. However, they were unable to find Albin and called off the search with night approaching. According to news portal LSM, the search will not be conducted until Monday due to the limited resources available to carry out large-scale and lengthy search operations. (ANI)
Arkansas GOP members say they see shift in Trumps energy since assassination attempt

Arkansas GOP members say they see shift in Trumps energy since assassination attempt

MILWAUKEE, Wisc.  A handful of Arkansans can be found among the sea of Republicans at the RNC this week making their support clear for former president Donald Trump.

From the governor to state senators to everyday Arkansans serving as delegates for the GOP, everyone KARK 4 News spoke with has pointed to the growing unity within the party.

Photos: A visual look at the 2024 Republican National Convention

Arkansas delegate Len Blaylock III, who is a veteran himself, and State Sen. Ben Gilmore (R-Crossett) said so far the most impactful speeches have come from Gold Star Veteran families. The families said their loved ones lost their lives during President Joe Bidens Afghanistan withdrawal.

The families who spoke to former president Trump as the sole leader who comforted them and say they feel their veterans deaths were avoidable by President Biden.

Another thing that Blaylock and Gilmore pointed to is the energy of former president Trump and the shift theyre seeing since the assassination attempt.

How many people would have bowed out at this point? Blaylock said. But he (Trump) is at the point of no return. And I think hes just got a level of emotional intelligence where hes trying to be strong for the party.

Arkansas Gov. Sarah Huckabee Sanders, Sen. Tom Cotton speak on second day of Republican National Convention

Gilmore pointed to the spiritual impact of the assassination attempt on Trump and the party.

As scripture tells us, we have an appointed time with death and I think he came very close to that but clearly, like all of us, God has plans for our lives, Gilmore said. I think hes realized he has a purpose on this earth.

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For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to KARK.
Spanish police on Friday announced the takedown of a major network transporting Latin American cocaine into Europe by boat in an international operation involving 50 arrests across eight countries.

The investigation was started by police in Spain and Britain in June 2020 but quickly expanded, drawing in forces from 11 different countries and backed by Europol, Europe's policing agency, a Spanish police statement said.

In total, they confiscated 1.5 tons of cocaine and seized eight vessels used for shifting their product from Latin American and Caribbean nations to Spain. Europol released a video showing authorities opening bricks of cocaine on one of the ships as well as officers raiding properties, making arrests, and finding drugs, cash and firearms.

The narcotics were shipped from loading points in Brazil, Colombia, Guayana, Trinidad and Tobago, Santa Lucia, Barbados and Panama to Spanish ports in the Canary Islands, the southern region of Andalusia and the eastern city of Valencia

The leader, who was arrested in Norway, is a veteran drug smuggler known as "The Professor," the statement said. Europol said Friday it had previously designated the leader as a "high value target."

He has had "more than 20 years" in the business, winning him the "full confidence of the Colombian and Mexican drug cartels" with whom he coordinated the shipments, it added.

The network also included members of the so-called "Balkans' cartel" who were "living the high life" in Spain's southern Costa del Sol, the statement said.

But there was also a spiritual element, police said.

"The criminal organization would appeal to a santero (witchdoctor) to receive his blessing and for the success of its cocaine transportation operations between Latin America and Europe," it said.

Seeking a santero's blessing is a key element of Santeria, an Afro-Cuban belief system that fuses African religions with Catholicism and which is very popular in Latin America.

Of the detainees, 26 were arrested in Spain, among them 16 Norwegians -- one of whom was a former bank robber, who also targeted armored cash-in-transit vehicles and had spent 15 years behind bars for violence.

Spanish police announced the takedown of a major network transporting Latin American cocaine into Europe by boat in an international operation involving 50 arrests across eight countries. / Credit: Europol

The other 24 suspected gang members were arrested in Bulgaria, Colombia, Norway, Panama, Portugal, Trinidad and Tobago, and the UK.

Most of the arrests took place on June 24, Europol said.

In Spain, one of the main gateways into Europe for Latin American cocaine, police regularly raid drug smugglers, with the last major raid in June involving eight tons of cocaine with 40 arrests. After that sting, Europol released a nearly 10-minute video, showing K-9 dogs and officers finding bags of suspected drugs as well as multiple suspects being detained.

The new bust followed other major drug seizures this week, involving cocaine shipments headed for Europe. On Tuesday ,authorities in Paraguay announced Tuesday the largest cocaine seizure in the country's history, after officials were surprised to find more than 4 tons of the drug stashed inside a shipment of sugar bound for Belgium.

The day before that, authorities in Ecuador said they found more than six tons of cocaine hidden in a banana shipment headed to Germany.

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This Minnesota mother wants to save autistic children from drowning, one city at a time

When Sheletta Brundidge found out Minnesota police had recovered the body of a missing 4-year-old boy who had autism, she knew she needed to go and support his family.

The boy, Waeys Ali Mohamed had been reported missing just a day earlier and police believe he wandered into a creek, where he drowned, according to television station KARE.

I don't want another child to drown, she told USA TODAY Thursday afternoon. I don't want another mother to cry out. I don't want another funeral for a little child who is nonverbal, who has autism, who has drowned.

Autism is used to describe a range of conditions that include difficulty managing social skills, repetitive behaviors, speech and nonverbal communication, according to nonprofit Autism Speaks.

Brundidge is based in Cottage Grove, Minnesota, about 13 miles southeast of Saint Paul. Her oldest child, a boy, is 17 years old. Her three younger children have all been diagnosed with autism and are 9, 10 and 11.

Some autistic children have a tendency to wander off and can be drawn to water, not realizing it can be dangerous.

Thats why she started her own initiative called Spread Love with Locks to make sure parents in need have locks to keep their children safe. She has worked with police departments, YMCA locations and even Amazon to distribute the locks to families in need.

One of her upcoming giveaways will be in Sutton, Massachusetts, about 50 miles southwest of Boston. Thats where Eva, a 4-year-old autistic girl, drowned in a neighbors pool on July 11.

Read more: 4-year-old girl reported missing in Massachusetts found unresponsive in neighbor's pool

Sheletta Brundidge, a Cottage Grove, Minnesota businesswoman who donates locks to parents whose children have special needs. The locks require a 6 to 10 digit code, making it harder for children with special needs to leave the house and get lost.

Teaching autistic children about water safety

Drowning is one of the leading causes of injury-related deaths among children, especially those younger than 4 and teenagers. Its even higher for autistic children, said Lindsay Naeder, vice president of services & supports at Autism Speaks.

For children with autism, the risk of drowning is actually 160 times greater than the general child population, she told USA TODAY Thursday afternoon, citing a study out of Columbia University. Out of the dozens of cases that happen weekly, unfortunately, between 75 and 90% of wandering-related deaths are a result of drowning as well.

She said autistic children often wander from safety. Its also called eloping from safety, she said.

And according to a study published in the journal Pediatrics, nearly a third of wandering incidents occurred from a school setting.

Naeder said the organization surveyed families in the community and found that 50% of respondents had experienced wandering before.

And when children wander, they are often drawn to bodies of water, whether its a pool, the ocean, a lake, a drainage ditch, a water treatment plant or something else.

The first lesson that's taught around swim and water safety for the autism community is how to keep yourself out of water, she said, adding that there are private groups and community organizations such as the YMCA and Swim Angelfish that specialize in working with children with special needs.

But sometimes private lessons can be costly, she said.

Private lessons cost way more than open classes that are available to groups, so unfortunately, there is a paywall there in terms of access for families of those that do have more intensive support needs, Naeder said.

'Elopement' Her boy wandered from home and died. This mom wants you to know the perils of 'elopement.'

Mom recommends coded locks to keep autistic children from leaving the house

Any child can get away from their parents very quickly, so when Brundidge saw that her friend had a keypad lock on the front door of her new home, she wondered if any companies made them to be installed inside the home.

She checked a local store first to no avail. After that, she went to a few other stores and tried her luck with Amazon.

She thought about experiences she has had with her own children, including her son. That led her to buy four locks: one for her basement, one for the garage, one for an office and one for the front door.

Sheletta Brundidge with her children Daniel, Brandon, Cameron and Andrew.

The locks require a 6 to 10 digit code to open and also come with keys guardians can set aside, Brundidge said.

When he tries to put that code in, he can't, she said. Hes got like two or three times. It locks up, but it makes a beep. That lets me know he's trying to get out of the house. Probably about a week after we installed those door locks, he stopped trying  We haven't had an incident of him wandering in like two years.

She often orders and donates the following products:

Tragedy: Body of autistic 3-year-old boy found after he went missing from resort near Disney

An indoor lock that requires users to enter a code to open the door it is attached to.

'I've already done that work, why am I going to sit on that?'

Brundidge said finding resources for autistic children can be difficult. It can sometimes take a while to qualify for resources because you have to wait for an official diagnosis, she said.

She had to do a lot of digging to get help for her children and found scholarships, grants that will pay for therapy services that the insurance wont cover, and more.

But while she was able to find resources for her children, it was quite the task, so she does all she can to make things easier on other parents.

She hosts free workshops for parents with special needs, helping parents find resources for their families. Now, people call her The Autism Mom.

She said everything she learned to help her children was passed onto her from other parents. Shes just doing her part, she said.

If I've already done that work, why am I going to sit on that? said Brundidge, who also has a multimedia online platform with weekly podcasts called SHElettaMakesMeLaugh.

It's my job to take that information and take those resources, and pass them onto the mama whos working day and night and the father who is taking care of his autistic children.

Autistic children come first at this moms events

Brundidge said at her events, there are also face painting stands, tattoos and balloons.

She wants to help families keep their children safe, yes, but she also wants to show families their children come first and they can have fun in a space thats safe for them.

Children with special needs are always last on the bus, she said. We are last in the lunchroom. Our children last on the playground. Were the last to get to school and were always the last ones to leave. At my events, I want to make sure they know that they are first.

She also stressed that its important for people to give autistic children and their parents grace.

Sheletta Brundidge with her children Daniel, Brandon and Cameron.

Oftentimes, people see autistic children and assume they are just disobedient, Brundidge said.

We have all these things in place, all this work we're doing to try to keep our kids safe and still, stuff happens, she said. We're doing the best we can. We're doing everything we can and what we need is prayers and support, not judgment and condemnation.

Saleen Martin is a reporter on USA TODAY's NOW team. She is from Norfolk, Virginia  the 757. Follow her on Twitter at @SaleenMartin or email her at sdmartin@usatoday.com.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Meet the mom working to prevent drownings among autistic children
The South Carolina Department of Probation, Parole and Pardon Services has added two men to the agencys Most Wanted List after the pair slipped their court-ordered electronic monitoring devices and went AWOL, the agency announced Friday.

Ennis Laval Jackson, of Charleston County, and Anthony Propst, of Richland County, were under PPPs supervision following criminal convictions when they absconded roughly a week ago, agency spokeswoman Anita Dantzler said. There is no evidence to suggest that the men are together or connected, she said.

At the time the men removed their electronic monitoring devices, Jackson was on probation for a third-degree burglary conviction. Propst, a convicted child sex offender, had been enrolled in a supervised re-entry program following his release from prison for violation of a Jessies Law electronic monitoring provision, Dantzler said.

In such cases, PPP is notified immediately that a GPS monitor has been cut, and the agent assigned to the offender travels to the persons last known address and the location of the discarded monitor to search for the fugitive. If the offender isnt picked up right away, PPP adds the person to the agencys Most Wanted List, Dantzler said.

There are currently eight men, including Jackson and Propst, on PPPs list.

Anyone with knowledge of either mans whereabouts is asked to call 1-888-761-6175 and provide as much information as possible. All information shared with authorities is kept confidential.
SANTA FE, N.M. (KRQE)  The New Mexico State Police (NMSP) arrested a man after they made a traffic stop on July 16.

In the afternoon, an officer stopped for a seatbelt violation, but the passenger had an outstanding warrant for aggravated assault with a deadly weapon. He was identified as Jesse Angel Tredway, 19.

New Mexico State Police officer recognized by White House for 2023 traffic stop

Authorities obtained a search warrant for Tredways backpack and alleged they found cash, cocaine, heroin, fentanyl, and other items used in trafficking illegal drugs.

Tredway was taken to the Santa Fe Adult Detention Center for trafficking (6 counts), distribution of a controlled substance (5 counts), violation of cannabis trafficking regulations, and wearing no seat belt.

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For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to KRQE NEWS 13 - Breaking News, Albuquerque News, New Mexico News, Weather, and Videos.
Sheila Jackson Lee, a longtime Democratic congresswoman from Texas who was an outspoken advocate for Black Americans for decades, has died. She was 74.

Today, with incredible grief for our loss yet deep gratitude for the life she shared with us, we announce the passing of United States Representative Sheila Jackson Lee of the 18th Congressional District of Texas, her family said in a statement Friday.

Jackson Lee announced in June that she had been diagnosed with pancreatic cancer. At the time, she acknowledged that the road ahead will not be easy and said she had faith that God will strengthen me.

Her family remembered her as a fierce champion of the people, saying that she was affectionately and simply known as Congresswoman by her constituents in recognition of her near-ubiquitous presence and service to their daily lives for more than 30 years.

Born on January 12, 1950, in Queens, New York, Jackson Lee was among the first women to graduate from Yale University and served as a Houston municipal judge and a city councilwoman before she was first elected to represent Texas 18th Congressional District in 1994, unseating a Democratic incumbent in the primary for the Houston-area seat.

Rep. Sheila Jackson Lee, with her husband, Elwyn Lees, left, speaks to supporters during her election night watch party on March 5, 2024, in Houston. - Brett Coomer/Houston Chronicle via Getty Images

During her congressional tenure, Jackson Lee was an outspoken advocate for progressive interests and Black Americans. She was one of the sponsors of legislation to establish Juneteenth as a national holiday, frequently spoke out against police brutality and advocated federal legislation to prosecute police misconduct.

She was widely admired among progressives for her opposition to the Iraq War and was a fierce critic of former President Donald Trump. She opposed the tallying of electoral votes certifying Trump as the winner of the 2016 election, citing an unfounded claim about massive voter suppression, and occasionally used her position on the House Judiciary Committee to excoriate members of Trumps circle.

Although she was unsuccessful in some of her most ambitious aims, Jackson Lee remained an advocate for racial justice, particularly in the wake of George Floyds killing at the hands of police in 2020.

We will not stop until the nation knows Black lives matter, and reparations are passed as the most significant civil rights legislation of the 21st century, Jackson Lee said at a march in Washington in 2020.

At the time of her death, she was a chief deputy whip for House Democrats and a vice chair of the Congressional Progressive Caucus. She formerly served as whip of the Congressional Black Caucus.

Congresswoman Jackson Lee was a patriot and a fighter to the very end. Words cannot express the sense of loss our Caucus feels for our beloved friend. She will be deeply missed by all who knew her, Congressional Black Caucus Chairman Steven Horsford and members of the caucus said in a statement following her death.

Jackson Lees tenure in Congress was not without controversy. Her ties to Enron  her district included the corporations headquarters and it was a major contributor to her early congressional campaigns, The New York Times reported  were scrutinized in the aftermath of its failure in the early 2000s, though she denied taking it easy on the company.

And in 2019, she resigned as chairwoman of the nonprofit Congressional Black Caucus Foundation and stepped down from a House Judiciary subcommittee chairmanship after a lawsuit that alleged she fired a staffer who reported sexual assault by a supervisor at the foundation. At the time, Jackson Lee declined to discuss specific details about internal personnel matters but otherwise denied the allegations, and the lawsuit was ultimately dismissed by a federal judge in February 2020.

Last year, Lee sought the Houston mayorship, earning endorsements from former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, former President Bill Clinton, former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton and Harris County Judge Lina Hidalgo. She lost in a runoff to Texas state Sen. John Whitmire, a fellow Democrat.

Following that loss, Jackson Lee filed to seek a 16th term in Congress, and in March, she won a competitive Democratic primary over former Houston City Council Member Amanda Edwards, a former intern.

President Joe Biden on Saturday remembered Jackson Lee as a great American, writing in a statement, Sheila Jackson Lee is part of a long line of patriots who delivered the promise of America to all Americans. Jill and I send our love and condolences to her family, her constituents, and beloved colleagues of the Congressional Black Caucus.

House Democratic Leader Hakeem Jeffries said in a statement that House Democrats and the city of Houston mourn a giant, remembering the congresswoman as an accomplished legislator, passionate public servant, loving mentor and wonderful friend to so many of us in the Congressional Black Caucus and House Democratic Caucus family.

I am grateful for her fearless advocacy, fierce determination, formidable service and legacy of leadership, Jeffries said.

Calling her death a tremendous loss, Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer wrote on X that the congresswoman fought so hard throughout her life to make our country a better place for all.

I have never known a harder-working political leader than Rep. Sheila Jackson Lee, who studied every bill and every amendment with exactitude and then told Texas and America exactly where she stood, Maryland Rep. Jamie Raskin said on X.

On CNNs Laura Coates Live, fellow Texas Rep. Al Green remembered Jackson Lee as someone in Congress that was always, always working to bring about a just resolution to any problem, adding that she helped him become a better congressman.

In Congress, she developed a reputation for grabbing a seat close to the entranceway in the House chamber for the presidents annual State of the Union address so she could engage with the commander in chief. It wasnt for the photo opportunities, she insisted to The Huffington Post in 2016, it was also an opportunity to quickly conduct business with presidents.

As to why she was able to gain regular access to such a prized perch, she said, Because of so many good friends, I am welcomed in that seat.

Funeral arrangements are pending, according to the family.

Her legislative victories impacted millions, from establishing the Juneteenth Federal Holiday to reauthorizing the Violence Against Women Act. However, she impacted us most as our beloved wife, sister, mother, and Bebe (grandmother), her family said Friday. She will be dearly missed, but her legacy will continue to inspire all who believe in freedom, justice, and democracy.

This story has been updated with additional details.

CNNs Chandelis Duster and Samantha Waldenberg contributed to this report.

For more CNN news and newsletters create an account at CNN.com
Former President Donald Trump told Ukrainian leader Volodymyr Zelenskyy on the phone that he would "bring peace to the world" and negotiate a deal between Ukraine and Russia to end the fighting that has been raging since Vladimir Putin invaded in February 2022.

Trump posted on his Truth Social media platform on Friday, a day after he accepted the Republican presidential nomination, about the "very good phone call earlier today" with Zelenskyy.

He said that Zelenskyy congratulated him on becoming the GOP nominee and "condemned the heinous assassination attempt" during last Saturday's campaign rally in Pennsylvania.

Zelenskyy "remarked about the American people coming together in the spirit of Unity during these times."

Trump also said they talked about how "I, as your next President of the United States, will bring peace to the world and end the war that has cost so many lives and devastated countless innocent families."

He added: "Both sides will be able to come together and negotiate a deal that ends the violence and paves a path forward to prosperity."

Zelenskyy, in a post on X, confirmed that he congratulated Trump on the nomination and condemned the "shocking assassination attempt," adding that he "wished him strength and absolute safety in the future."

He also thanked the U.S. for "strengthening our ability to resist Russian terror. Russian attacks on our cities and villages continue every day. We agreed with President Trump to discuss at a personal meeting what steps can make peace fair and truly lasting."

I spoke with @realDonaldTrump to congratulate him on the Republican nomination and condemn the shocking assassination attempt in Pennsylvania. I wished him strength and absolute safety in the future.



I noted the vital bipartisan and bicameral American support for protecting our  Volodymyr Zelenskyy /   (@ZelenskyyUa) July 19, 2024

The phone call comes amid worry over the future of U.S. support for Ukraine if Trump wins in November because of his criticism of the NATO alliance, resistance to providing financial aid to Kyiv for the war effort, and his frequent gushing praise of Putin.

Trump has called "savvy" Putin's invasion of Ukraine a "genius" move.

The concern was heightened when Trump picked Sen. J.D. Vance as his running mate. The Ohio Republican has been a staunch opponent of sending military aid to Ukraine.

Trump has repeatedly boasted he could end the war in Ukraine in 24 hours, but has failed to offer any details, even after challenges by Zelenskyy to do so. Some fear Trump would end the war by pressing to turn Ukraine over to Russia.

"If Trump knows how to finish this war, he should tell us today," Zelensky said in a Bloomberg Television interview earlier this month. "We want to know."

John Bolton, Trump's national security advisor, gave a blunt response when asked about Trump's purported plan on CNN: "This is nuts."

"Now, I'm not a shrink. But I know the technical term, for somebody who says, I will bring peace to the world. This is nuts. He has no idea how he's going to negotiate an end to this war, except I think that his affinity for Vladimir Putin will lead to concessions to the Russian side that are going to be devastating for Ukraine," Bolton said.

"I think this is a very dark moment. And it's not just a dark moment for Ukraine. ... We have been assisting Ukraine because it's in the core of American national security interest, to defend against unprovoked aggression on the continent of Europe, and to try and get peace and stability there, that benefits us in innumerable ways," Bolton added.

Secretary of State Antony Blinken, asked Friday about what happens to U.S. assistance to Ukraine if Trump wins in November, said it's imperative the country "stands on its own feet militarily, economically, democratically."

And "we have Ukraine on that trajectory," he added. "Even as we're working to do everything we can to make sure that it has what it needs to deal with the ongoing Russian aggression, we're also helping Ukraine build this plan, program for the future."
A row of energy transmission towers carries electricity along a highway outside of LaPlace, on July 1, 2024. (Wes Muller/Louisiana Illuminator)

A Republican freshman state senator running for a seat on the Louisiana Public Service Commission has coaxed support from two of his former GOP legislative colleagues. Instead of running against him, as they said they would, theyve opted to sit the race out and endorse him instead.

Former state Reps. Barry Ivey of Central and Scott McKnight of Baton Rouge said Friday they had chosen not to qualify for the District 2 PSC race and are throwing their support behind Sen. J.P. Coussan of Lafayette. All three served in the Louisiana House of Representatives up until last year.

Coussan, who works in the real estate field, will face Julie Quinn, a Republican lawyer who held a Louisiana Senate seat from 2005 to 2012, and Nick Laborde, a Democrat human resources consultant.

Theyre seeking to replace Dr. Craig Greene, a Baton Rouge Republican who decided not to seek re-election. Greene is widely seen as a moderate on the five-member on the Public Service Commission who has often cast the deciding vote among two Republicans and two Democrats.

After qualifying for the Nov. 5 race Thursday, Coussan said he was running to be your next conservative watchdog in the utility space.

The politics of the PSC are nuanced because theres different market players that come from all different walks of life, different political philosophies, Coussan said. At the end of the day, you know, were looking for reliable and affordable energy.

His business-friendly outlook would result in more affordable utility bills for household customers because companies also want to see the lowest prices for power, he said.

Quinn qualified for the election Wednesday and described herself as a fiscal conservative. She lived in Metairie when she held a state Senate seat and now resides in Baton Rouge.

Quinn said she wants to make sure utility rates continue to stay affordable, particularly in light of the insurance crisis that is already driving up housing costs.

Im not a fan, obviously, as a fiscal conservative, of taxing the consumer on everything and passing along everything, Quinn said.



When asked about her views on renewable energy, Quinn said she likes the concept of renewable energy, but that she also thinks renewable energy sources  such as solar power  are being pushed at an unattainable rate.



We have to maintain our support for our traditional energy sources. Make sure they can afford to continue to function, she said.

Laborde, who will turn 30 before Election Day, is making his first foray into politics. An Avoyelles Parish native who now lives in Baton Rouge, he is the great nephew of the late Raymond Laborde, the former mayor of Marksville who also held a seat in the Louisiana Legislature for 20 years. Raymond Laborde was also commissioner of administration during the final term of Gov. Edwin Edwards. The state prison in Avoyelles bears his name.

In a conversation with reporters Thursday after he signed up to run, Nick Laborde pledged not to accept campaign contributions from any of the companies he would regulate.

In any other place on Earth, if you paid an official to do what you wanted, thatd be called a bribe. But in Louisiana, we just say thats business as usual, and I think the Public Service Commission especially can be very susceptible to that.

Asked whether he would forgo campaign donations from PSC-regulated businesses, Coussan said when those checks come in, Ill make that determination. He also stressed that votes during his nine years in the Legislature were not influenced by any of his donors.

Quinn didnt respond to attempts to learn her stance on campaign contributions from regulated businesses.

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Piper Hutchinson contributed to this report.

Correction: This report was updated to correct Nick Labordes age.
To read the witnesses stories, click on their images in the photo above or these images below:

In a strikingly well-documented moment in American history, the photos are everywhere of bleachers filled with people attending Donald Trump's rally in Butler County on July 13 before, during and after gunfire erupts (hear Butler, Pa., fire and emergency medical services audio about the shooting). Those there to hear the former president found themselves in the line of fire of an alleged assassination attempt. These are their stories:

Renee White

In images captured by the crush of television and cellphone cameras trained on the attack at the Butler Farm Show grounds, Renee White is a distinctive figure  decked out in a Tiffany blue T-shirt reading Mean tweets 2024, her light blonde hair swept up under a matching Make America Great Again hat. Shes almost directly behind Trump.

A few days later, she recalled watching intently as he kicked off his speech, launching into grievances against the news media and Biden administration policies before jumping into the subject of immigration, a major Republican talking point heading into the November election.

Then the first shot rang out.

Two more shots followed, reverberating through the venue.

Ms. White, standing just feet from the former president during her 32nd Trump rally, watched him bring his hand to his ear, swatting like there was a bee. And then the North Carolina resident saw him drop to the stage floor. U.S. Secret Service agents piled on top, protecting Trump with their bodies.

Around her, attendees fell to the ground to avoid gunfire that continued for several seconds. Ms. White stayed up.

They were like, Get down, get down, get down, and Im like Why am I gonna get down? she said. I remember just standing there like, Man, if I was gonna go, this is how I would go. It was surreal.

Seconds later she heard an agent say shooter down and she watched as they began moving Trump from the stage, leaving behind a shoe and a towel. And she watched him fist pump the air. He then mouthed Fight, fight fight, according to later reports.

Despite bullets reverberating off the grandstand, killing one man and injuring two others, she had one priority: the safety of the former president.

I was thinking about Trump in that moment  It was almost like I wasn't there, or like I had a shield around me and I felt protected, Ms. White said. I don't know, it's crazy. Even later at the end when they told everybody to get back down, I ended up standing on the bleacher seats so I could see more and be higher.

After minutes of chaos, Secret Service agents began shuffling attendees out of the venue. As people sat in their vehicles waiting to be let out, Ms. White, who went on to attend the Republican National Convention in Milwaukee last week, began walking up and down rows of cars screaming Lets fight harder.

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Anthony Ellis

Three pops, then three more. The echoing noises startled Anthony Ellis, a 40-year-old Army veteran from Bridgewater who served in Iraq and who had been enjoying his first Trump rally in a seat directly behind the former president.

First, it sounded like firecrackers. Then you see the reaction of the [former] president, then it was like shock, like whats happening? Mr. Ellis said. Take cover, get down  I felt Gods presence right there, Im not going to lie, Im a man of faith. I had complete peace in the moment and was just really observing the crowd, trying to scan the area.

Amid the confusion and chaos, it was difficult to take cover.

It was really hard to move or get down because everyone was crunched down on the bleachers, trapped for a second, he said.

As attendees scrambled, he looked up and watched the events unfold on stage. It almost looked like slow motion to me, he said. I saw [Trump] grab his ear and go to the ground. All that everyone has been seeing over and over, that was in full view.

Immediately following the shooting, Mr. Ellis found his friend Shane Chesher, 37, in the crowd.

The two began praying and others joined in, he said.

Mr. Ellis said he has been left trying to make sense of it all. It was just a really somber thing, he said. I spent all day Sunday processing. Im still processing.

Hes also been questioning the response by the Secret Service and police.

Im a veteran, he said. Ive been to war. We could have pulled a few dozen veterans to pull perimeter. How does that happen?  Its really hard to believe that it was let to happen with so much security  theres no way in hell that should have been let happen.

Mr. Ellis also wonders how the gunman, who authorities identified as 20-year-old Thomas Matthew Crooks, was able to put the former president in his sights.

Youve got an obvious threat, youve got the crowd yelling gun, he said. The man had a gun and they didnt take him out. Something is not right.

It wont keep him away from future Trump rallies. I would go again, he said.

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Shane Chesher, Dana Wise, Sonya Hantz and Hantz's two children

Time seemed to stand still for Dana Wise as she draped her body over two children, shielding them from the bullets she heard ricocheting off the metal bleachers that they sat on directly behind the former president.

Ms. Wises own teenage daughters were supposed to be in the seats that she flung herself onto when gunfire erupted, but they had been unable to attend that day.

In lieu of her daughters, Ms. Wise, 38, and her husband, Shane Chesher, had invited their friend Sonya Hantz and her two daughters to join them in the bleacher section  where the pair of mothers would find themselves moving quickly to cover and comfort the girls once they realized the pops echoing through the rally were gunshots.

I looked at the children that were near me and they looked so terrified, Ms. Wise said. I couldnt stop. My mind immediately went to them and I dropped to keep them protected. My friend was laying on top of her daughter so I leaned down and made sure they were covered and calm  If something were to happen, I didnt want that to be their last moment.

Ms. Hantz, 38, of Natrona Heights, said her youngest daughter, who is 10, was terrified as bullets plinked off the bleachers  tears in her eyes as she clutched a crocheted octopus she made in hopes of giving it to Trump.

As a mom, I had her in my arms and my hand on my other daughters leg, just telling her it's OK, Ms. Hantz said. Its almost like, as a mom, you have that panic and fear but you're almost not allowed to show it.

Meanwhile, Ms. Wise watched her phone light up with calls from family members who saw her dive down on live television. The sceen eventually went black from a dead battery.

Ms. Wise, Mr. Chesher, and Ms. Hantz told the Post-Gazette that, in the moments of the shooting, an eerily calm feeling permeated through the bleacher section that had shifted from being a backdrop for Trump to finding itself directly in the line of fire.

It was almost like, if you jumped, you would stay stuck in the air because everything was in slow motion, like time had stopped, Ms. Wise said. It was a very strange feeling.

Mr. Chesher, who was seated to the immediate right of his wife and who can be seen directly behind Trump in footage of the incident, said the speed of events left him barely time to react.

Most people beside me ducked, he said. I saw the people above me kind of kept standing. I knelt, but I didn't ever fully duck. I just didn't understand what was really going on. It all happened so fast.

Ms. Hantz peeked her head up and saw the disheveled former president, surrounded by Secret Service. She was struck with terror.

He just looked really unstable on his feet, wobbly, weak at the knees, she said. It was a very scary experience. And I just remember the fear that I had and Im just thinking, please tell me that Im not going to have to watch this man die right in front of me.

Moments later, Trump raised his fist and began chanting fight before being whisked off stage.

Mr. Chesher, from his seat in the center of the bleacher crowd, broke into the Lords Prayer, quickly joined by dozens of other attendees in what he described as a surreal moment. When we said, deliver us from evil, and we were just delivered from evil, it had a new meaning to us, he said.

Ms. Hantz was also moved. It was a beautiful moment amidst the chaos, for the whole stands to come together.

Days later, Ms. Wise remains shaken. I still feel like I'm stuck in a fight or flight mode, she said. It's been kind of weird.

The shooting has not changed Ms. Hantzs childrens minds about attending another Trump rally in the future, she said. I asked them if they would want to go back to another one and they said, yeah.

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Barbara Williams

Barbara Williams needed a few seconds to reflect. So the 58-year-old Baltimore resident still sat in the bleachers after the shots had rung out, the former president moved to safety and others were leaving, urged on by the Secret Service.

I kind of just sat there for a bit in a state of disbelief, Ms. Williams said. And Ill tell you something else. Once they got him out, I had it in my mind, I said, I bet he's gonna come back out here and say, you missed and put up his middle finger.

Instead, Trump was taken to Butler Memorial Hospital to be examined.

Ms. Williams, who had arrived in Butler Thursday night to volunteer at the rally, was still in awe of the former presidents response immediately following the shooting, offering up a fist bump to show he was OK.

Decked out in a red hat and holding a campaign sign, she had been seated near the base of the stage, Secret Service agents stationed in front of her. When the shooting started, she, too, thought it was firecrackers. Then police officers started screaming. She eventually heard chatter amongst Secret Service agents saying the shooter was down.

Once you realize that somebody attempted to assassinate him, then your first fear is, Oh my God, did they do it? Did they kill him? So when he got up, everybody started cheering, Ms. Williams said. That was just a wonderful moment when he got up and shook his fist.

She watched as Trump was guided off the stage, blood running from his ear and him searching frantically for his shoes. In a video captured by Ms. Williams, crowds can be heard chanting U.S.A., U.S.A., U.S.A., as he limps down the stage stairs surrounded by agents. Calls of We love you, Trump and We love you, Donald are heard in the background.

She doesnt remember being scared for her own safety. That would come later. Afterwards, she thought to herself, God, if they hadn't gotten [the shooter], who knows how many of us might have been hit?

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John W. Myers Jr. and his wife, Lynne Myers

John W. Myers Jr. was instantly annoyed when the first shot rang out. The 66-year-old Karns City resident thought some asshole got a firecracker here.

Then Trump grabbed his ear, dropping to the ground.

To Mr. Myers right, Secret Service agents jumped on top of the former president. From his left, in a set of bleachers where Mr. Myers and his wife, Lynne Myers, had considered sitting before choosing the center section, screams for help echoed across the crowd. Corey D. Comperatore, 50, of Sarver, had been fatally shot.

It was very, very quick and very surreal, Mr. Myers said.

In the moment, he crouched down in the bleachers alongside his wife. He tried to determine where the shooter was located, initially thinking the person was in the stands.

In the commotion, never would have thought there was a shooter with a long rifle outside of the perimeter making a shot like that, Mr. Myers said.

People began standing back up. Trump had been ushered into a black Chevy Suburban. Secret Service agents began urging attendees from the stands.

No one hurried, Ms. Myers, 65, said. Everyone just walked out  and the farther away we got, there were more people saying, Don't stop, just go. But there was no chaos, there was no anger. Ms. Myers wasnt scared until several days later, when I realized that this is what happened. This is what I witnessed.

As realization settled in, she also began questioning how it could have happened. Attendees went through metal detectors. They were not permitted to bring in large bags. And Secret Service agents were stationed on two buildings located directly behind the stage.

But to the left, a building outside the Farm Show grounds was unsecured, allowing 20-year-old Thomas Matthew Crooks, of Bethel Park, to climb to the roof.

It just struck me as we're wide out in the open, he's going to be on that stage, wide out in the open, Ms. Myers said. They should have had those buildings covered. And I actually wasn't even afraid then, but I was just like, That's just weird that there are no guys anywhere on the buildings.

Ms. Myers hadnt been to a Trump rally before. The couple tried to attend the 2020 rally at the Pittsburgh-Butler Regional Airport but were unable to get tickets.

It kind of hits you all over, she said. Like, OK, [we] were really right in the midst of it.

Mr. Myers, a gun owner, called the shooting a black mark on the United States of America, its a black mark on Butler County. Its all you think about, he said. Its all you dream about. Its life changing.

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Rev. John Pistorius

The Rev. John Pistorius admits he is unnerved.

We were right in the line of fire, the 65-year-old Chicora resident said.

Rev. Pistorius, who pastors at Christs Family Church in Chicora, was sitting in the center set of bleachers to the far right of Trump when the popping noises started.

As the scene unfolded, he watched Trump put a hand to his ear. When that hand came back down, there was blood.

There was this complete panic on the lower level below us, he said. People were screaming and ducking. Quite honestly, it did not sink in. Even though we realized this was a serious situation, we were just in awe, we were awestruck.  We did not comprehend the gravity of the situation.

In the aftermath, Rev. Pistorius realized he wasnt scared, but rather concerned.

I'm troubled by the social media, the flurry of things that I'm seeing and reading, people expressing hatred for this man, wishing that the assassination had been successful, Rev. Pistorius, who was attending his first Trump rally, said. That disturbs me. It disturbs me that we have such a divide in this country, and that it's a moral divide.

Rev. Pistorius said people need to be more willing to listen to different opinions and more open minded. He hosted a prayer vigil at his church to help people process their grief following the shooting that killed one man and injured two others.

I saw this massive number of people that were all hoping to hear something that got cut short, he said. Its just very disturbing.

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Joleen Monteleone

Joleen Monteleone watched Secret Service agents whisk a disheveled Trump from the stage. Then the commotion started behind her. Help! We need help! someone in the rows of bleachers behind her was screaming.

Are they shot? asked Ms. Monteleone, 57, of Butler, who was sitting in a set of bleachers to the right of Trump.

Yes!

Ms. Monteleone started waving her arms in the air and calling for a medic. Corey D. Comperatore, 50, of Sarver had been fatally shot. Those in the nearby seats tried unsuccessfully to save him.

She is now grappling with how close she was to the bullets.

It was very scary, Ms. Monteleone said. The first thing when I heard the shots, when I realized, oh  this, this is a gunshot, the first thing that you think of is your family, my children, my husband. I better get down.

In the days that followed, Ms. Monteleone realized that as the scene unfolded in front of her, she didnt hear the screams or other noises that rang out during the commotion.

I only heard certain things, which I've never really been in a position like that before, she said. I guess that's probably normal. Your brain kind of goes into survival mode, I guess, to keep yourself calm and collected.

When she got home that night, her husband enveloped her in a hug.

I kept saying, I'm fine, I'm OK.

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Chris Takach and David Sullivan

When the gunfire stopped, Chris Takach and David Sullivan didnt hesitate. The two Steubenville, Ohio, firefighters began moving metal barriers to allow medics to bring injured people from the stands and running into the bleachers to help.

I just think it's just automatic, you know? I mean, it's the first responder mentality. Mr. Sullivan, 57, said.

The two had decided to attend the rally to show Trump that he has support from area firefighters. They wore their Steubenville Fire Department helmets and held signs reading Firefighters for Trump.

Even before the assassination attempt, theyd been putting their skills into action. They spent hours at the sweltering fairgrounds that day, spending part of the time assisting people struggling with heat exhaustion, taking their vitals and fanning attendees to help them cool down. They secured spots in the grass near the bleachers, to the right of the stage.

Just minutes into Trumps speech, the shots rang out.

We didn't realize they were shots, or couldn't believe, Mr. Takach, 56, said. In my mind, I'm like, Surely, this is not happening.

From their positions, bullets could be heard ricocheting off the grandstand. At one point, a bullet hit a speaker, sending itl to the ground, they said.

When the gunfire stopped and they realized there might be victims, they started moving the barricades.

We were just lifting eight-foot sections, three-foot high metal barriers, out of the way, Mr. Takach said. We were somewhat close to the handicap section  and then next thing you know they come down quickly carrying the victims out.

They made their way into the stands to see if anybody else needed assistance. People were still crouched in the footwells and sitting on benches, until the Secret Service started ushering people out.

There wasn't enough time to be scared, Mr. Takach said. We got down, took cover, and then got back up, and I felt like it was over.

I had confidence the whole day with the Secret Service  and I felt secure that they had mitigated the situation. And then that's when we got back up. We were probably down for less than a minute.

Mr. Sullivan, who had considered taking his 15-year-old daughter to the rally but ultimately decided against it, said the reality is now setting in.

It's a sad, senseless tragedy, he said, really, for all Americans, Republican [or] Democrat.

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Chet Jack and Corey Check

Corey Check was brimming with excitement as he snapped a photo of himself giving Donald Trump a thumbs up as the former president entered his rally in Butler on Saturday.

Just minutes later, jubilation turned to terror as Mr. Check, who was seated in the bleacher section directly to the right of Trump, found himself ducking for cover.

When I got down the first time, I thought, this is bad, this is a shooting, he said. Once we heard get down, that just clicked instantly in my mind that it was gunshots and it was terrible  were just laying on the ground and I thought, maybe Im going to get shot today, maybe Im going to die.

The 22-year-old committeeman for the Butler County Republican Committee described chaos after the gunfire stopped.

Some [people] were trying to get out, he said. Some people were trying to push the guardrail right next to me. Some people were trying to push it down and unlock it. The Secret Service told some people to get down, and some didnt. Then he (the agent) pulled out his gun and everyone got down again.

What Mr. Check saw while ducking for cover has stayed with him.

I saw [the Secret Service agents] pistol in that shadow through the red, white, and blue banner, because he was crouching down, he said. And that image is just burned into my head like I cannot unsee it.

Chet Jack, a 65-year-old member of the Pennsylvania Republican Committee who was seated in the same section as Mr. Check, off to the former presidents right, said he tried to determine where the shots were coming from as soon as they rang out.

They seemed to be coming from above my head and to the right hand side, so I turned to see if I could determine where the shooter was, and I couldnt see him.

Amid the bedlam, he watched people rush to the wounded, with most of the attention focused on Corey D. Comperatore. Mr. Comperatore was killed in the shooting.

I heard people shouting for medics, he said. I saw people  Rico [Elmore] had gone there   and they were attempting to help him. Then I saw folks moving the crowd over so they could get in there to treat and remove victims at that point  It was very chaotic.

Despite the tragedy, he felt positive about the way others in the crowd lept into action. Evil did show his face, but remarkably so much good showed its face. Theres people who went to the aid of the victims selflessly. They didnt know whether the shooter was dead, but they went and they helped.

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Stories: Jacob Geanous, Megan Tomasic

Design: Ed Yozwick | Development: Laura Malt Schneiderman
TOKYO, Jul 20 (News On Japan) - A worldwide system failure affecting computers running 'Windows' has caused flight disruptions at Japan's domestic airports, with international flights being particularly impacted yesterday.

Due to the global system failure, several international flights at Haneda Airport, operated by three American airlines, were either canceled or delayed on Friday.

Narita Airport was also affected, with five airlines experiencing disruptions. Jetstar canceled 28 flights yesterday, and today, three flights between Fukuoka and Narita have also been canceled.

Previously: Communication Meltdown Hits Airports

Source: TBS
KANAGAWA, Jul 21 (News On Japan) - A 43-year-old American male, who has been teaching English at elementary and junior high schools in Kanagawa Prefecture for 18 years, is voicing his struggles with living expenses.

Jesse Ali: 'This shirt (from a thrift store) was 500 yen. Everything on the wall is also 500 yen. When the supermarket has discounts, I buy expired items at 20% off and store them in the freezer.'

On the 19th, the Japan National Tourism Organization announced that the number of foreign tourists visiting Japan in the first half of 2024 reached a record high of approximately 17.78 million. Additionally, the amount spent by foreign tourists in Japan from April to June totaled about 2.1 trillion yen, marking a record high for any quarter, fueled by the historically weak yen.

The spending per foreign tourist amounted to 239,000 yen, and if this pace continues in the second half, the total consumption could reach 8 trillion yen.

Meanwhile, some foreigners who have lived in Japan for many years are also expressing their financial difficulties.

Jesse Ali, a 43-year-old from California, works as an Assistant Language Teacher (ALT), teaching English conversation classes at elementary and junior high schools.

Jesse works five days a week, with a monthly take-home pay of around 180,000 yen. However, his take-home pay decreased to about 76,000 yen in March due to the spring break and was about 110,000 yen in April.

Jesse lives in a share house with shared bath, toilet, and kitchen facilities, paying 83,000 yen including utilities. March was a deficit month for him.

Jesse Ali: 'I like the company. It's a good company, but the salary is insufficient. I want them to raise the wages.'

He cuts down on food expenses, eating only one meal a day, sometimes relying solely on school lunches.

In 2011, five years after Jesse started working in Japan, the yen exchange rate reached 75 yen per dollar. However, in 2024, it surpassed 160 yen at one point, marking a significant depreciation of the yen.

Jesse Ali: 'The yen was strong back then. It was easy to repay university loans and debts. Sending a small amount of money to the U.S. covered my monthly payments. But as the yen weakened, I've really been struggling with money.'

Jesse, who also has debts, plans to take on a side job to increase his income in the future.

Source: FNN
Nigerian doctor and visual artist, Dr. Fola David, has set a new world record for creating the largest painting by an individual.

The drawing Unity in Diversity showcases the diverse ethnic groups of Nigeria through their unique attire, languages, culture, and artistic expressions.

On Friday, after four days of effort, David surpassed the previous record of 629.98 square metres set by Indias Ravi Soni and remains resolute in achieving his ultimate goal of creating a 1000-square-metre artwork.

On Friday, he took to Instagram and wrote: Congratulations to us all. On Day 4 at 9 p.m., we broke the current record of 629.98 square metres, but we are not yet done!

The goal is to get over 1000 square metres of canvas covered in drawings; we are currently at 689 square metres. Lets Go!

The location has transformed into a hub for art enthusiasts and supporters who are gathering to champion Dr. Fola David as he creates history. Notable figures include former presidential candidate Peter Obi and former world record holder Hilda Bacci.

Additionally, Professor Olufemi Fasanmade, Dean of Student Affairs at the University of Lagos, and other officials visited to confer an award on Fola David, recognising his contributions to the promotion of art as an alumnus of the school.

See more photos below
A study committee looking at a possible Council Bluffs streetcar discussed the next steps during a meeting Thursday.

The city is in the process of conducting a planning and environmental linkage study for the project, which is crucial to identifying the feasibility of the streetcar as well as open doors for federal funding if the project moves to construction.

Craig Mielke, senior project manager at Felsburg Holt & Ullevig, kicked off the meeting Thursday with an update on the study area. The area was expanded after discussions with the community group as well as other stakeholders.

The study area consists of two categories: a smaller box which will be a more in-depth analysis of transit alternatives around where the streetcar is anticipated to be positioned and a larger framing box which looks at environmental impacts for surrounding areas.

The concept of a study area is that it is a little flexible and that it can change over time, and then again as we proceed through the process, Mielke said.

The current area also accounts for possible extension opportunities in the future, allowing this process to not have to be repeated if extensions are decided on, according to planning consultants.

The other main component of the study is to determine the project's purpose and need, which would be similar to a mission statement.

Thursdays meeting continued the discussion of determining the purpose and need for a streetcar.

Brandon Garrett, chief of staff for the City of Council Bluffs, said it could be to increase access to employment and health care. Brenda Mainwaring, president and CEO of the Iowa West Foundation, brought up the goal of enhancing regional transit opportunities.

An overarching goal that was agreed upon by the group was the idea that the streetcar would lead to future development, allowing more affordable housing.

Theres a regional demand for affordable housing, Mayor Matt Walsh said.

Concerns were also mentioned about how likely it will be to qualify for federal funding, as a factor can be ridership. Garrett said that with the low numbers of ridership Council Bluffs has on public transit currently available, he is worried the numbers wont line up.

Additionally, Garrett said he was concerned about the fact that future developments that would drive ridership dont currently exist, although the project moving forward could spur development, as Omaha expects.

Christopher Gibbons, planning & code compliance manager for the city, expressed similar concerns wondering how the city can expect ridership to increase when there has been no previous evidence of increased ridership.

Walsh said that the increased frequency of the streetcar would drive ridership.

People dont want to wait 30 minutes for a bus, Walsh said.

As the project continues to move forward, the group plans to soon begin public engagement. In early October, the committee is going to host a public workshop that will run practically all day.

At this workshop, the committee plans to come prepared with a few identified transit alternatives for the project. After that, they encourage the public to also come up with ideas for transit alternatives that may have been missed.

The day will consist of the public and the committee working side by side to further develop the project, as well as allowing any questions to be answered.
China, Canada should uphold original intentions, promote normalization of ties: Chinese FM

Xinhua) 09:26, July 20, 2024

Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi, also a member of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China Central Committee, holds talks with Canadian Minister of Foreign Affairs Mlanie Joly in Beijing, capital of China, July 19, 2024. (Xinhua/Li Xiang)

BEIJING, July 19 (Xinhua) -- Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi held talks with Canadian Minister of Foreign Affairs Mlanie Joly on Friday, calling on both sides to return to their original intention of establishing a strategic partnership and promote the normalization of bilateral relations.

Wang, also a member of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China Central Committee, said that in recent years, China-Canada relations have experienced difficulties and twists, which is not the situation China wants to see and requires serious reflection from the Canadian side.

There is no conflict of fundamental interests between China and Canada, and people in the two countries have long practiced friendly exchange, Wang said. And China-Canada relations have long been at the forefront of China's relations with Western countries.

Wang said that China and Canada, as two major countries with important influence in the Asia-Pacific region, share extensive common interests and complementary advantages. Maintaining and developing bilateral relations well serves the fundamental interests of the two countries and two peoples.

The two sides should view each other in an objective and rational light, treat each other with mutual respect, handle differences in the spirit of seeking common ground while shelving differences, and strengthen cooperation through the principles of equality and mutual benefits, Wang stressed.

Noting that next year marks the 20th anniversary of the establishment of the China-Canada strategic partnership, Wang said the two sides should return to their original intentions, draw lessons from history, earnestly honor their commitment to establishing diplomatic ties, and inject momentum into the normalization of bilateral relations.

China and Canada should continue to play their important roles as engines of economic and trade cooperation, and explore dialogue and cooperation in various fields, Wang added.

Joly spoke about the long history of friendship between the Canadian and Chinese peoples. She said that Canada is willing to actively and pragmatically improve and develop relations with China, and maintain contact and dialogue.

Canada is ready to strengthen cooperation in fields such as the economy and trade, tourism, drug control, climate change, environmental protection and people-to-people exchange to achieve mutually beneficial development, Joly said.

She noted that Canada will continue to abide by the one-China policy.

Wang called on the Canadian side to take concrete actions to facilitate personnel exchanges between the two countries, maintain people-to-people exchanges and improve the popular support from the two countries. He said that issues related to Taiwan, Xizang, Xinjiang and Hong Kong constitute China's internal affairs and brook no external interference.

Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi, also a member of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China Central Committee, holds talks with Canadian Minister of Foreign Affairs Mlanie Joly in Beijing, capital of China, July 19, 2024. (Xinhua/Li Xiang)

(Web editor: Peng Yukai, Wu Chaolan)
It's the "happiest place on Earth"  unless you work there.

About 14,000 unionized employees at Disneyland overwhelmingly authorized a strike against the iconic theme park in Anaheim, California, according to a report late Friday.

The potential work stoppage was favored by 99% of those who voted and came two days after a rally at which disgruntled staffers chanted, "Shut it down!" outside the gates, the Orange County Register reported.

"Disney cannot continue to silence cast members," the Disney Workers Rising Bargaining Committee said in a statement. "We are prepared to take action."

A contract covering about 9,000 workers expired on Tuesday, and contracts covering the other 5,000 staffers are set to expire on Sept. 30, according to the Register.

Negotiations reportedly began in April and were set to resume on Monday and Tuesday.

The workers belong to four unions that comprise the Master Services Council, which represents ride operators, store clerks, custodians, candy makers, ticket takers, parking attendants, tram drivers and others, according to the Register.

In a statement, Disneyland downplayed the strike vote, calling it "not unusual as part of a negotiations process," and saying the park remained open pending the still unscheduled strike.

"We greatly appreciate the important roles our cast members play in creating memorable experiences for our guests, and we remain committed to reaching an agreement that focuses on what matters most to them while positioning Disneyland Resort for growth and job creation," the company said in a statement.

Nearly 17 million people visited Disneyland in 2022, making it the world's second most popular theme park after Disney's Magic Kingdom in Lake Buena Vista, Florida, according to the most recent figures compiled by the Aecom consulting company.

The park opened in 1955 and bills itself as "the happiest place on Earth," a trademarked slogan that appears over the entrance and elsewhere, as well as on merchandise sold in its shops.
Morocco was elected on Friday in the person of Nadia Annouz, Vice-President of the National Authority for Probity, Prevention, and Fight against Corruption, as a member of the African Union Advisory Board Against Corruption (AUABC) for a 6-year term.

The election took place during the 45th session of the AU Executive Council held in Accra, Ghana.

Moroccos candidate, Nadia Annouz, earned the member position reserved for the Northern Region on the AUABC with a large majority of 35 votes.

This election testifies to the model expertise of Moroccan profiles in the fight against corruption at national and continental level.

Morocco is represented at the AU Executive Council 45th ordinary session by a delegation led by Foreign Minister Nasser Bourita.

During this session, foreign ministers of the AU member states are examining several reports, including that of the 48th ordinary session of the Permanent Representatives Committee (PRC) and the report on the activities of the AUs 2024 theme Educate an African fit for the 21st Century: Building resilient education systems for increased access to inclusive, lifelong, quality, and relevant learning in Africa.

Several other issues are being addressed, including AUs participation in the G20 and the African Unions partnerships. The Executive Council is also expected to adopt the AU budget for 2025.
The World Bank has launched a new Sweden-funded Trade Facilitation Support Program (TFSP) in Middle East and North Africa (MENA) that aims to streamline trade processes, reduce costs, and enhance connectivity, thereby boosting regional and international trade.

By aligning with international standards and focusing on inclusive growth, the TFSP is designed to boost economic development, reduce poverty, and create opportunities across the MENA region. Its key features include simplified border processes, transparency and predictability, economic recovery and development, inclusive growth and strengthening collaboration among MENA countries. The program will initially focus on Egypt, Jordan, Yemen, Morocco, Tunisia, Algeria, Iraq and Lebanon, providing tailored support based on each countrys needs and readiness.

By reducing barriers and enhancing cross-border trade, the World Banks TFSP aims to foster economic growth and create better job opportunities in the region. The programs emphasis on enhanced trade efficiency can significantly reduce poverty by providing more economic opportunities and lowering the cost of goods. The TFSP also includes initiatives to address the specific challenges faced by women traders and small and medium enterprises (SMEs), promoting inclusive economic participation. The programs focus on streamlining trade processes will help the MENA region better respond to global crises and ensure the swift delivery of essential goods.
Moroccos police officers arrested an Interpol-flagged British National at Marrakech Menara Airport on Thursday.

The 31-year-old British citizen was subject to an international arrest warrant based on his alleged involvement in drug trafficking, Barlamane news website reported, citing a security source.

After verifying the Interpol database, the police identified the individual as the subject of a red notice issued at the behest of the National Central Bureau in Manchester, UK, in connection with his alleged involvement in a criminal network in Scotland.

The suspect is accused of illegal drug trafficking, including cocaine, cannabis resin, and synthetic drugs such as diacetylmorphine, and amphetamines, according to the security source.

He was remanded into police custody pending further investigation under the supervision of the public prosecutors office.

The Interpol Bureau in Rabat will notify the relevant British authorities of his detention before initiating extradition procedures.
torn between feeling awful for her and being was it worth that much to get in trouble also don't the sport of gymnastics require good lung pressure to succed or am i just mistaken

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I feel like shes under so much stress, just let her smoke a dang cigarette!!

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Meanwhile the Dutch team is just letting a rapist compete. https://nltimes.nl/2024/07/17/dutch-volleyball-player-convicted-raping-child-wont-stay-paris-olympic-village

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isn't that the country with a golden carriage that has slaves drawn on it?

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WHAT?!? I mean, of course, but still, WHAT?!

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The 29-year-old and Dutch sporting organization and Olympic committee NOC*NSF decided together that Van de Velde will still participate in the Olympics, but he will reside elsewhere during the sporting event. The change in housing is meant to ensure more calmness. Van de Velde also will not speak with journalists during the event.



oh well that makes it fine!



fucking trash

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ugh



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Van de Velde confessed in 2016 that he engaged in criminal sexual activity with the girl on three occasions in 2014. He was 19 at the time, and knew how old the girl was when it happened. He also gave her alcohol. He was extradited to United Kingdom in 2016.



so is he going to be under supervision 24/7 or are young girls just supposed to fend for themselves



fucker

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I just looked this up, and the child he raped was TWELVE. All the articles need to update the headlines to Steven van de Velde, Pedophile Rapist.

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absolutely crazy. :( surrounded by french cigarettes and croissants and this is what happens to you

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unfortunately if she was underaged by JP law I understand why they'd do that, but damn :( poor girl.

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Yeah. Should have waited, sis :(

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Yeah, this is on par with Japanese idiosyncrasy

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Oh no . Pretty sure that theyd feel strongly about weed as if its a performance enhancer drug . oughtve waited right after the olympics anyways .



In such an ideal world, Id go straight sober and celibate for months to finish off my olympics competition and call it a day even to blow off all the steam ;P

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Poor kid 

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As a former cigarette smoker who knows just how utterly difficult it is to break the habit, I feel bad for her. The urge is much stronger during stressful times so I imagine she was trying to find relief somehow, or knowing the possible consequences she simply wanted out under pressure. In any case, Im pretty sure shes kicking herself right now.



I have no comment on her drinking though.



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but that rapist is still there, right?

rapists running countries, rapists in the olympics



...these are supposed to be the heroes of the children, right? leaders of countries and olympians are what we're supposed to want our children to be, right?



but uh



they're rapists

so

uh



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Phelps & lochte thanking their lucky stars merica dgaf

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eh. Phelps lost a huge sponsor and USA Swimming suspended him when that photo of him smoking weed surfaced in 09, and then suspended again in 2014 for a DUI. he just got lucky with the timing of his scandals.



Ryan Lochtes mainstream career basically ended in 2016. lost many of his sponsors, got a heavy suspension from USA Swimming, barred from official Team USA events post-Rio Games. and then he was caught up in a doping scandal in 2018

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What happened with Lochte in 2016?

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I think this is way too harsh. She's 19 and probably under so much stress :(

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Lol as if they havent seen what happens around Kabuki Cho, Nichoume, Douyama or Sakurazaka

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That's why the Netherlands (EU) and Japan are very different.



JP is 1000 years ahead of "progressive Europe"

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Feel bad for her but also... not so much. She knows how strict Japan is, why risk it?

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maybe she wanted out

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smoking a ciggy?! in japan?! and drinking?! in JAPAN?! that's fucking so hypocritical and dumb. lik, if it effefts her performance, criticize her for it but to send her home and band and shame her? no. for ciggies and a bevy? no.

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It's the age. She's not of legal smoking or drinking age in Japan.

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You know how many underage people smoke and drink? In the US its 21 and guaranteed most people drink before

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But she's not IN Japan.



ETA: oh no, she was, she had just arrived. I thought she was already in Paris.



Edited at 2024-07-20 01:31 pm (UTC)

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ah, ok. i can see why there'd be a lot of shit then. even though it's (still) ridiculous.

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Once one of the worlds most successful oil companies, the Mexican state-owned firm Pemex, has been falling increasingly into debt over the last decade, only surviving by pursuing cheaper shallow-water oil operations and being bailed out by the government. The recently elected incumbent Mexican president, Claudia Sheinbaum, is expected to continue supporting President Andres Manuel Lopez Obradors (AMLO) ambitious oil and gas plans despite Pemexs failings, in addition to adding renewable energy capacity. However, following years of safety failures and ongoing financial issues, many are questioning just how long Mexicos oil and gas major can stay afloat.

Mexico has long relied on oil and gas production to bring in revenue. It is home to 5.978 billion barrels of proven reserves of crude and production stands at around 1.8 million bpd. The state-owned oil company Pemex has been an important player in Mexicos oil industry, particularly as AMLO curbed foreign participation in the countrys energy market as he pursued nationalisation policies. However, for several years, the government has been investing heavily in supporting Pemex as it fell into debt. Since 2019, for each peso the government invested in Pemex, it received a return of just 1.4 pesos, compared to 5.7 pesos between 2015 and 2018 and much more in previous years.

Under the previous Enrique Pena Nieto administration, the government sought to end Pemexs monopoly of Mexicos oil industry, reducing the need for risky exploration activities by attracting greater private investment in the sector. However, President AMLO aimed to make Mexico more self-sufficient by nationalising much of its energy industry. This included the development of the new Dos Bocas oil refinery in Tabasco, run by Pemex, which is expected to boost Mexicos crude refining capacity to provide greater energy security. Considering the countrys six existing refineries operate at just 50 percent capacity at present this could offer a major boost. However, this is expected to lead to a reduction in oil revenue, as Mexico will stop exporting a lot of its crude. AMLOs government has invested around $53 billion of public money in fossil fuels, as well as offering $25 billion in tax cuts.

One of the main reasons that Pemexs revenue has fallen is due to a decrease in oil production in recent decades. Previously a top-five oil producer, Pemex dropped out of the top-10 crude producers worldwide in the last decade. Much of the reason for Pemexs reduced oil production is due to the underinvestment in oil operations in recent years. For years, the government used oil and gas revenues irresponsibly instead of introducing fiscal reforms that would support the development of new assets, which forced Pemex to borrow money. It has now become the most indebted oil company in the world, with a debt of around $102 billion, equivalent to around 7 percent of Mexicos GDP. It is still turning a profit on its exploration and production activities, but downstream operations are making a loss. Due to its poor financial records, credit agencies have downgraded Pemex, making it more expensive for the firm to borrow.

Pemex is now worried that concern around climate change could hinder its investment opportunities, as many banks and other investors are divesting from the fossil fuel industry. In 2022, Pemex stated, Limitations from ESG financing" are posing a threat, as is the "acceleration in energy transition that is decreasing the market for Pemex's crude oil and products, an issue about which it is still concerned. The company launched its first ESG strategy this year in a bid to encourage investors to back its operations, despite its poor financial situation. Pemex has pledged to achieve net-zero carbon emissions by 2050 and was successful in reducing its greenhouse gas emissions by 2.3 percent between 2021 and 2022. The firm plans to invest between 10 and 14 percent of its annual capital expenditure to its sustainability strategy.

However, it has a poor track record when it comes to sustainability. As other countries reduce their gas flaring activities to reduce emissions, Pemex continues to be one of the worlds worst culprits for flaring. Mexico flared the seventh-highest quantity of gas worldwide in 2022, while it was the 10th-largest methane emitter in 2021. Nevertheless, Pemex has the potential to attract greater investment if it reduces flaring and diversifies its energy activities to focus on renewable energy and critical mineral mining, but this has yet to be seen.

Despite previous failings, Sheinbaum aims for Pemex to boost production from 1.5 million bpd to 1.8 million bpd. It is still uncertain whether the government will absorb $40 billion of Pemexs debt to help the company expand its oil activities as well as potentially expand into renewable energy and lithium mining. Meanwhile, attracting foreign investment will depend heavily on Pemexs efforts to decarbonise and improve its ESG practices. While there is some hope for Pemexs future, there are still several challenges standing in the way of a comeback.

By Felicity Bradstock for Oilprice.com

More Top Reads From Oilprice.com:
Turkey has said it is prepared to significantly increase natural gas exports to the European Union, desperate to further wean itself off Russian gas, but it wont be easy or cheap: In order to do that, the most likely route is to re-export Azeri natural gas from Turkey. That, in turn, would require Turkey to take in more Russian gas to make up for the shortfall.

In terms of reducing the amount of natural gas revenue for Moscows war coffers, then, its a wash. Money spent by the EU on Russian natural gas would simply be shifted to Turkey, but the revenue for Russia remains the same, more or less.

Ankara is keen to play the role of savior and boost its leverage with respect to Brussels, but it wants some demand guarantees before it starts spending on the necessary infrastructure.

Over the past couple of years, Europe has been trying to secure alternative gas supplies to replace Russian gas transiting through Ukraine. Back in 2019, Russia and Ukraine inked a five-year pipeline transit agreement to supply natural gas to EU countries. Both countries have continued to honor the deal despite the war and sanctions.

Related: The Biggest U.S. Solar-Storage Project Launches in Nevada

That is about to change, with Ukraine signaling recently that it has no intention of renewing the pact when it expires at the end of this year. Nor does the EU have any interest in reviving the deal.

Azerbaijan is the key here to any plan for Turkey to boost gas exports to the EU. Azerbaijans natural gas sold to Turkey could be re-exported to Europe, possibly through Bulgaria, but not without effort and expense.

In an interview with Bloomberg, Turkish Energy Minister Alparslan Bayraktar pushed hard for a Bulgaria route, noting a potential for increasing volumes to the EU up to 10 billion cubic meters per year, while sending a clear message to Brussels: It wont happen without some demand guarantees.

According to Bayraktar, the capacity to export via Bulgaria right now is only around 3.5 billion cubic meters a year. But from a technical point of view, Turkey is capable of boosting this interconnection.

What we need is an increase in the capacity of the interconnection between Turkey and Bulgaria, which currently can only receive about half of the amount of seven billion cubic meters per year that, from a technical point of view, Turkey can provide it, Bayraktar told Bloomberg.

Turkey and Bulgaria signed a deal in 2023 to permit Bulgarias state-owned Bulgargaz to import 1.85 billion cubic meters of gas per year-- good for ~60% of Bulgaria's annual demand--through the Strandzha-Malkoclar interconnection border point with Turkey. Bulgargaz has to pay a 2 billion service fee to Turkish gas firm Bota? over a 13-year period, regardless of whether it makes use of this capacity.

The ball is now in Brussels court, and the clock is ticking on ways to replace gas transiting through Ukraine. According to Rystad Energy, Europe will need another 7.2 Bcm annually of more expensive liquefied natural gas (LNG) to make up for this shortfall, and Ankara appears to hold all of the cards.

By Alex Kimani for Oilprice.com

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The European Parliament's endorsement on July 18 of German Ursula von der Leyen for a second five-year term as president of the European Commission marks a bid for continuity in the EU's executive branch with a seasoned politician whose European tenure has been inextricably bound to the fortunes of the bloc's political center.

An accomplished scion of the European project's founding generation of senior civil servants, the Belgian-born von der Leyen built a successful career as an adroit and effective cabinet minister under German Chancellor Angela Merkel before getting enlisted into the EU's senior echelons five years ago.

Throughout her career, she has broken new ground for women and earned a reputation for hammering out consensus over urgent issues on both the German and EU political scenes. She was the first female German defense minister and the first woman to hold the office of president of the European Commission.

Some of the most urgent challenges currently facing the 65-year-old von der Leyen are questions over diplomatic unity and material support for Ukraine in its defense against Russia, threats to transatlantic relations, divisions over Israel's nine-month-old war with U.S.- and EU-designated terrorist group Hamas in the Gaza Strip, and tensions over the bloc's agricultural, industrial, and environmental goals, especially in light of the European Green Deal adopted in 2019.

She is no stranger to the kind of closely fought political bargaining that secured her second term despite a right-wing surge in last month's European elections, having been recruited into her first term as part of a late-hour deal to offset centrist losses in the 2019 voting.

But ahead of her confirmation with a comfortable 41-seat cushion in the secret ballot in the European Parliament on July 18, she insisted that a centrist approach was essential to prevent the bloc from being "torn apart from the inside or the outside." She challenged European lawmakers undecided on her reelection with an appeal to let her "lead the fight" against extremist political forces.

"Europe's democratic center must hold," she told the main chamber of the European Parliament in Strasbourg on July 18. "I will never let the extreme polarization of our societies become accepted."

"I will never accept that demagogues and extremists destroy our European way of life, and I stand here today ready to lead the fight with all the democratic forces in this house," she added.

Early Life

Von der Leyen arguably got a running head start on her European path. She was born in 1958 as one of seven children of Ernst Albrecht, a senior civil servant at the inception in the 1950s of the pillars that came to form the European Union. Albrecht then launched a lofty, though controversial, domestic political career in his native Lower Saxony and beyond.

She initially studied economics but shifted to medicine, graduating from Hanover Medical School in 1987 and working as an assistant physician before moving as a newlywed with a growing family to the United States for four years in the mid-1990s.

On her return to Germany in 1996, von der Leyen rose quickly within the mainstream center-right Christian Democratic Union (CDU). She thrived under Merkel's chancellorship that began in 2005, first as family affairs minister and then labor minister before becoming Germany's first female defense minister in 2013. Her triumphs fostered widespread speculation that she was a potential successor to Merkel.

Von der Leyen had just taken over as defense minister when Moscow annexed Crimea and sparked armed separatism in eastern Ukraine in 2014, lighting a fuse that would transform the continent when Russia launched its full-scale invasion eight years later.

She responded to the Crimean crisis with some of the loudest and earliest calls for Europe to assume greater responsibility for its own defense, although it took years for Germany's own defense spending to rise in line with such a goal.

EU Tenure

As president of the European Commission, von der Leyen has steered the EU executive's tough response to the Russian invasion of Ukraine and related threats -- unprecedented sanctions, tens of billions in aid to Ukraine, and weapons supplies despite opposition from members such as Hungary -- while adopting more flexible approaches on potentially divisive issues including immigration, agricultural and budget policy, and even her own priority of tackling climate change.

She also spearheaded the bloc's actions to stem the devastating effects of the COVID-19 pandemic that began in early 2020 and eventually killed millions and polarized societies within months of her taking up the leadership of the European Commission, including an unprecedented vaccine-development and -sharing effort. The vaccine crisis generated one of the longest-lasting scandals of von der Leyen's tenure, over her role in the commission's contracts with vaccine makers and its efforts to withhold related documents.

In a speech to the European Parliament to make the case for her reelection on July 18, she warned of the current "period of deep anxiety and uncertainty," saying, "I'm convinced that Europe, a strong Europe, can rise to the challenge."

She also hinted at a tough line against actions by member states that could undermine EU unity in the face of Russian aggression, calling Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban's self-styled "peace mission" via Russia and China an "appeasement mission."

In her speech, Von der Leyen also listed fresh priorities, including a stiffening of EU borders, a merit-based approach to EU enlargement, a "new EU strategy" for agriculture, and boosts aimed at economic and industrial efficiency. She also demanded an end "now" to the bloodshed in Gaza.

The Process

Von der Leyen is president of the center-right European People's Party (EPP), which remains the largest grouping in the European Parliament despite gains by far-right parties in last month's elections.

After her appointment by the EU's 27 national leaders in late June, von der Leyen needed support in parliament from a simple majority of at least 360 of the 719 currently active seats. She received 401 of 707 votes cast on July 18.

She was expected to rely heavily on the votes of her EPP, as well as deputies from other groups in the parliament, namely the Progressive Alliance of Socialists and Democrats and the liberal Renew Europe, despite some likely defections. Last minute horse-trading is also expected to have brought votes from the Greens/European Free Alliance and the more Euroskeptic European Conservatives and Reformists.

The defeat of her candidacy would have sparked a desperate clamber for a replacement with few signs of an easy consensus among the 27 leaders of the bloc's member states.

The top European Commission post is one of three key institutional presidencies, the other two being the leadership of the European Council, which defines the general political direction and priorities the bloc, and the European Parliament. (The rotating presidency of the Council of the European Union, a body composed of government ministers from each member state, is a largely symbolic one, which mostly entails chairing council meetings.)

The most important functions of the commission's president are to work alongside the European Council president to set the bloc's strategic and general priorities, assign portfolios in and guide the "College" of 27 commissioners (one from each member state), and participate in debate among member governments.

But the political independence and executive mission of the commission -- to propose and enforce legislation and implement policies and budgets -- make its presidency a particularly influential platform.

By RFE/RL

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Sheriff's deputies and police officers responding to a call about a road-rage shooting in Virginia were fired on by a man in what one law enforcement officer described as "an ambush," riddling the police car with more than 100 bullet holes.

Andrew Susalis, 35, was arrested after the incident in York County on Wednesday afternoon and faces more than a half-dozen charges, including two counts of attempted second-degree murder, officials said.

The mayhem began when deputies from the York-Poquoson Sheriff's Office and the James City County Police arrived at a house to investigate a road-rage incident from earlier that morning.

As they exited their cars, a man opened fire on them with a high-powered rifle from the upper floor of a nearby home, shooting multiple rounds at the officers and leaving the police cruiser pockmarked with bullet holes.

"We counted, conservatively, 100 holes in that car," Sheriff Ron Montgomery said at a news conference.

One of the officers was able to find shelter by the cruiser.

"He was on the inside of that vehicle, near the curb, the entire, approximately five minutes, of shooting that was occurring, until the shooting stopped," James City County Police Chief Mark Jamison said.

"Once they got the suspect in custody, they were able to get him from there and our medics were on the scene and were able to administer any aid that he needed, as well as the other officers," he added.

The officers didn't return fire because they couldn't determine where the gunshots were coming from.

None of the officers was injured.

Jamison emphasized: "We don't sign up to pull up to a house trying to protect the community and take over 100 rounds from a rifle," but he noted that such a thing is (clearly) possible.

"I'm just extremely pleased and grateful that our officers were not severely injured, that they survived this by the grace of God and they're alive today," he said, terming the incident as "an ambush."

Susalis is being held in the Virginia Peninsula Regional Jail.
Kendra and Scott Morgan of Lincoln were supposed to be on the beach in Florida Friday afternoon. Instead, they were stuck at Omahas Eppley Airfield as a global tech outage caused flight delays and cancellations for multiple major airlines.

American Airlines, Delta Air Lines, United Airlines, Spirit Airlines and Allegiant Air had all of their flights grounded for varying lengths of time Friday morning nationwide. By Friday afternoon, passengers at Eppley were still dealing with continued delays and cancellations.

The outage was tied to cybersecurity firm CrowdStrike, which said the problem occurred when it deployed a faulty update to computers running Microsoft Windows. The company noted the outage was not because of a security incident or cyberattack.

The Morgans were scheduled for a 7 a.m. Delta flight out of Eppley to Atlanta, where they would take a connecting flight to Destin, Florida, along with their two adult daughters and one of their daughters friends.

They arrived at the airport around 5:30 a.m., Kendra Morgan said. First, they heard their flight was delayed until around 9:30 a.m. and then it was canceled altogether.

After hours of making phone calls and dealing with problems with airline websites and apps, by 2:30 p.m. they were able to find a 5 p.m. Southwest flight to Atlanta that would allow them to catch an 11:15 p.m. Delta flight to Destin.

Scott said while hes experienced travel delays in the past due to weather or mechanical problems, hed never seen anything like what happened Friday.

Ive never had a technology issue where it eliminated all of my options to get to a destination, he said.

Kendra said they expected to arrive at their beach destination about 12 hours after they were originally going to.

I feel better than some because we dont have little kids, she said. Were making it work.

Shriti Singh was flying home to Boston Friday. Her Delta flight from Eppley to New Yorks LaGuardia Airport was scheduled for 2:40 p.m. but had been delayed until 4:20 p.m. Singh said she was worried about being able to get a flight from LaGuardia to Boston.

Now that theres more delays, I dont know if Im going to have any connecting flights, she said.

CrowdStrike provides software to thousands of companies worldwide, leading the outage to cause disruptions for hospitals and banks. The outage even caused problems for 911 services and court systems in some states.

In a statement, CHI Health said some of its facilities were affected by the outage and were taking immediate action to restore any impacted systems. Any patients whose appointments were affected would be contacted directly, the statement said.

Nebraska Medicine said in a statement that it was continuing to operate as normal. The Omaha Police Department also said it was unaffected.

This report includes material from the Associated Press.

Our best Omaha staff photos & videos of July 2024
File photo: Sule and Buhari

President Muhammadu Buhari and the Governor of Nasarawa State, Mr Abdullahi Sule, are meeting right now, Punch Metro reports.

Sule came to the Presidential Villa about 10am ahead of the Federal Executive Council meeting.

Its unclear the agenda of the closed-door meeting with Buhari.

Nasarawa is the state to which the dethroned Emir of Kano, Muhammadu Sanusi II, was banished to on Monday by Governor Abdullahi Ganduje of Kano State.

Findings indicated that the governor might have visited to brief the President on the latest security situation in his state.
Illinois Shakespeare Festivals Macbeth is gorgeous, electrifying and easy to follow. The atmosphere is all shadows, storms and darkness; theres nothing like it in all of Shakespeare. And before the hurly-burly is done, Scotland is ripped apart, and Macbeth and Lady Macbeth implode, heart, mind and body.

Macbeth (a paranoid, Richard Nixon-esque Greg Beam) begins as a good man, a war hero, in fact, and loyal to his king. He happens upon three "Weird Sisters" (the audience-favorite power trio of Nya Garner, Jocelyn Maher and Sophie Anne Miller) who are draped and tattered and weird as all get out. They prophesy of his rising power. Macbeth, they incant, will be Thane of Glamis, then promoted to Thane of Cawdor, and finally, King hereafter. In a flash, Macbeth acknowledges his needy, gnawing ambition, and the awful course is set. More than anything, Macbeth wants to prove hes a man, and heres his chance.

Lady Macbeth (a conniving, then unstable, Jessica Dean Turner) matches her husbands murderous ambition with icy calculation. She knows just how to taunt his weaknesses and goad him into action. A few murders and their consciences are lost, but not completely, and thats why they haunt us. A little water clears us, Lady Macbeth says of their bloody hands. But, oh my, it does not.

Macbeth becomes king, but hes too small of a man. As Shakespeare puts it, Now does he feel this title hang loose about him like a giants robe upon a dwarfish thief. Hes more insecure than ever, and the darkness is rising.

Macbeth has felt relevant since the day it was written, some 400 years ago. It wrestles with ambition, order versus chaos, and the disruption of hierarchies. No wonder Director Corey Allen chose to set it in a mashup of the past, present and future.

Allens compelling vision permeates every corner. Ive never seen the ISF playing space used more completely (Weird Sisters even appear on the catwalk). Set Designer John C. Stark created an elegant, geometric structure that suggests a world of order pushed into disorder. Nannette Acostas fluidly timeless costumes marry Scotlands kilted past with classic soldier garb and a sleek futuristic sheen. Lighting by Heather Reynolds enhances at every turn. The sound design, composed by Nathanael Brown, is singular and riveting, pinpointed to the millisecond and heart-poundingly perfect.

Nearly everyone in this talented cast plays multiple roles, and its fun to watch them transform. Nate Cheeseman as Macduff is the man Macbeth can never be. Cheeseman is oh-so-human when he learns his family has been slaughtered (All my pretty chickens?) and yet rises as a hero to save his country.

Thomas Anthony Quinn is noble as King Duncan, hilarious as the drunken Porter and quietly powerful as the doctor watching Lady Macbeth crumple.

Isabel Lee Roden, as Duncans heir Malcolm, grows before our eyes. Jordan Coughtrys Banquo astonishes in the ghost scene. Esmeralda Trevino and Ari Goldfarb are heart-touching as Macduffs wife and child, as is Sophie Rock as Banquos child. Kira Small plays Duncans other son Donalbain and later appears as Hecate, a dark supernatural role she embodies with Tim Burton flair.

This has been a landmark season at the Illinois Shakespeare Festival. Some shows are selling out. Dont wait to get a ticket for this firestorm of a Macbeth.

IF YOU GO What: Illinois Shakespeare Festivals Macbeth Where: Ewing Cultural Center, 48 Sunset Road, Bloomington When: 7:30 p.m. July 21, 23, 26, 31 and Aug. 3 Cost: $15-$48, season passes and group rates available; call 309-438-2535 Running time: 2 hours and 15 minutes with a 15-minute intermission

PHOTOS: The Illinois Shakespeare Festivals Theatre for Young Audiences
BLOOMINGTON  The Sunrise Rotary Club of Bloomington-Normal, in partnership with four other local Rotary Clubs, will host a series of free movie nights in downtown Bloomington. They plan to project the movies onto the new Route 66 mural, which depicts a drive-in theater.

The street will be blocked off, a screen will be draped over the "drive-in" portion of the mural, and speakers will be set up for the movies, said Jamie Mathy, owner of Red Racoon Games and a Rotary member.

The mural is on the wall of Red Racoon Games, on Jefferson Street between Main and East streets, and the showings will begin at dusk.

The first showing will be Saturday, Sept. 7, featuring the film "IF," and the second will be Saturday, Oct. 5, featuring "Hocus Pocus," according to a news release.

Attendees will need to bring their own seating. Concessions will be available for purchase during the movie nights.

The project has been made possible by the Bloomington-Normal Sunrise Rotary Club, along with the Bloomington, Normal, Daybreak and Sunset Rotary clubs, the news release said.
Donald Trump and his allies are anticipating protests in the streets if the former president wins the White House, and are strategizing to use American troops as a national police force to quell distruption, an inside source has told the New Yorker.

The startling plan was exposed in a lengthy article this week in the magazine on the right-wing administrative architects of an envisioned Trump administration who aim to manage the logistics of pushing through many of the goals of the highly controversial Project 2025 plan, which Trump has publicly claimed he knows "nothing about."

New Yorker journalist Jonathan Blitzer focused on the well-funded Conservative Partnership Institute and its satellite organizations in Washington, D.C., which are prepared to help manage the system and undertake the massive staffing of a Trump administration when as many as thousands of federal workers could be fired and replaced with Trump and right-wing loyalists, he writes.

Those close to Trump are "anticipating large protests" if Trump wins, and allies have been working on plans to impose a "version" of the Insurrection Act that would allow Trump to "dispatch troops to serve as a national police force," Blitzer writes.

When Trump was in the White House he asked Joint Chiefs of Staff Gen. Mark Milley about shooting Black Lives Matter protesters during a 2020 meeting, his Defense Secretary Mark Esper told NPR in an interview.

"Can't you just shoot them, just shoot them in the legs or something?" an "enraged" Trump asked, recounted Esper, who said the question took everyone in the room "aback."

The planned changes in a possible second Trump White House would be carried out in part to satisfy Trump's demand that people working for him follow all of his orders as he installs a new government, according to Blitzer's source, which was not the case the last time he was president.

The strategy to use U.S. troops to police American citizens is a small part of a massive envisioned overhaul of the federal government and the president's powers. Much of the blueprint is discussed in detail in the 900-page Project 2025 "Mandate for Leadership" playbook created by the ultra-conservative Heritage Foundation with the aid of some 70 staff members of the Trump White House.

Some of the plan's aims include shutting down the Department of Education as part of a goal to take apart the federal government, executing  or "obtain finality" for  all prisoners on death row, sanctioning only "heterosexual, intact, marriage" because all other relationships are "unstable" or create "poor behavior," and slashing Medicaid.

Federal workers would largely be classified as political appointees so they could all be fired en masse without violating labor laws and replaced by right-wing loyalists under the plan.

The Justice Department, which has largely operated independently of the executive office over the years, would be turned over to Trump to command, Blitzer reported.

Attorney Jeffrey Clark, the former Trump administration official who sought to mobilize the Justice Department to overturn the 2020 election in Trump's favor, is expected to be part of a future Trump administration, according to the New Yorker.

If Clark gets a top job at the DOJ, he'd likely use his position to "remake the department as an instrument of the White House," Blitzer writes.

Clark was indicted in Georgia last summer, where he's charged with violating the state's racketeering law and attempting to make false statements. He has pleaded not guilty.

Many of the plans for the envisioned Trump administration would be launched within "hours" of the moment the former president retakes office, according to the New Yorker  which is why Trump told Sean Hannity late last year that he wouldn't be a dictator "except for Day One," Blitzer noted.
MILWAUKEE  After speaking at a Serbs for Trump rally at a downtown bar, disgraced ex-Gov. Rod Blagojevich acknowledged his conversion from a leading Illinois Democrat to a self-described Trumpocrat has been as much personal as political.

I feel the profound sense of gratitude, debt of gratitude, to President Trump for what he did. Restored my freedom. Reunited with my family. Gave my little girls their father back, Blagojevich said, referring to then-President Donald Trumps 2020 decision to commute the former governors 14-year prison sentence on federal corruption charges.

So putting the personal aside, which is part of my motivation, Id be dishonest if I said otherwise, its also the fact that the Democratic Party today, as I said, is not the same party I was active in. But the Republican Party isnt either, he told the Tribune.

America is going through a political realignment. People are moving from one party to the other. A lot of these corporate country club people are becoming the new Democrats and a lot of everyday, regular working people are joining this new Trump Republican Party. So, Im part of that realignment, he said.

Unlike the last convention in Chicago, when Democrats gathered in 1996 and Blagojevich was a congressional candidate and a rising political star, he had no main event stage presence at the Republican National Convention, which did include showmen like wrestler Hulk Hogan as part of the primetime festivities.

Instead, he was one of the headliners at the Serbian-themed event Wednesday evening before a bar crowd of about 60 people, along with home-state conservative firebrand U.S. Sen. Ron Johnson, in a recognition of Milwaukees long history with Serbian emigres.

For some Illinois Republicans, Blagojevichs embrace of Trump makes him an unwelcome guest at the party. Some opposed Trumps decision to free Blagojevich to time served, although he was not granted a pardon for his crimes.

At the Serbs for Trump gathering, members of the self-proclaimed party of law and order listened happily as Blagojevich touted another convicted felon, Trump.

The two have a history that goes back more than a decade when the former governor, while awaiting trial in his criminal case, appeared on Trumps popular reality TV series Celebrity Apprentice in 2010 only to hear the words, Youre fired, in the fourth episode.

A decade later, Trump freed Blagojevich from prison after he served almost eight years on charges that included shaking down a childrens hospital for campaign contributions and trying to personally enrich himself by offering to sell then-President-Elect Barack Obamas U.S. Senate seat.

To quote me, him freeing me after 2,896 days, thats almost eight years. Well, that was effin golden, Blagojevich told the crowd, a flippant nod to the infamous FBI recording that captured the former governor discussing the price of Obamas Senate seat.

By the way, Donald Trump is also a historical figure in many ways and one of them is hes the only president in American history to have fired and freed the same guy, he said, to a smattering of laughter. Even Lincoln didnt do that.

In his nearly half-hour speech, Blagojevich sought to portray both himself and Trump as victims of a corrupt system that we have now in America. In an interview afterwards, an unrepentant Blagojevich called both mens convictions fraudulent.

Some of these prosecutors are corrupt. Some of these judges are corrupt. Its not that theyre taking money. But theyre refusing the rule of law by turning themselves into political weapons and theyre lying and cheating in big trials, Blagojevich said. Thats what they did to me. Thats what they did to Trump.

Trump was convicted in May in his hush money trial in New York, but his sentencing was postponed after the Supreme Court ruled former presidents have broad immunity for official acts. He also has two other cases pending, both involving charges that he plotted to steal the 2020 election win from Democrat Joe Biden.

Blagojevich also bashed the present-day Democratic Party, saying its not the same as when he was on the rise from being a state representative, to a congressman, to governor.

Theyre no longer the party of everyday, ordinary working people, Blagojevich said of Democrats in his speech. They no longer represent the home health care worker who takes care of your sick grandmother.

But Blagojevichs empathetic views run counter to his thoughts captured on an FBI tape after the Tribune, only months before his arrest, reported that a poll found him with a record low 13% job approval rating.

I (expletive) busted my ass and pissed people off and gave your grandmother a free (expletive) ride on a bus. OK? I gave your (expletive) baby a chance to have health care. And what do I get for that? Only 13% of you all out there think Im doing a good job. So (expletive) all of you, Blagojevich said then.

Instead of welcoming his embrace of Trump, some leading Illinois Republicans say he brings little to the party given his status as the states first impeached governor and a convicted corrupt politician.

Outgoing Illinois GOP Chairman Don Tracy said hes not a fan of Gov. Blagojevich at all, though he can understand why hed want to ride on Trumps coattails. He also said he thinks Blagojevichs conviction is not comparable to Trumps.

There is no comparison between what Blagojevich did to get convicted by the feds for trying to sell a U.S. Senate office and the sham political prosecution of President Trump, said Tracy, of Springfield.

U.S. Rep. Mike Bost, of Murphysboro, and U.S. Rep. Darin LaHood, of Peoria, cosigned a letter in 2018 to then-President Trump expressing their concerns about granting clemency to Blagojevich. On Thursday, Bost, who as an Illinois House member was a member of the committee that considered Blagojevichs impeachment, agreed with Tracy that the former governors case cant be compared to Trumps.

If he wants to talk good about Republicans, God bless him, Bost said of Blagojevich. He sure wasnt a Republican when he did what he did.

LaHood, a former federal prosecutor, said he thought Trumps commutation of Blagojevich sent the wrong message.

President Trump talks about draining the swamp, LaHood said. Nothing exemplifies the swamp more than Rod Blagojevich and his actions.

Kathy Salvi, selected last week to succeed Tracy as chair of the Illinois GOP, voiced a more sympathetic tone about the former governor, noting how he and her husband, former state Rep. Al Salvi, served together in the Illinois House in the 1990s.

She also said that while Blagojevichs story and the mistakes he made should serve as an example, his support for Trump and his America First agenda is welcomed.

I welcome the support of anybody who is willing to vote Republican and support those principles, which are good for this country and will set us on a good path, Salvi said.
A distinguished list of current and former Heads of State and Government, African Union Commission Executives and Organs, Ministers, Officials from African Financial institutions, Private Sector Delegates, Philanthropists, High Net Worth Individuals, Regional Economic Communities, and Regional Mechanisms from across Africa will gather in Accra this Saturday.



The occasion is The African Unions High-Level innovative launching of the peace financing mechanisms, aimed at expanding the engagement of the private sector in resource mobilization for peace in Africa. This significant event will take place on 20th July 2024 at 17:00 GMT at the Kempinski Hotel in Accra, Ghana.



The event will gather an esteemed group of attendees, with notable speakers addressing the event, including H.E. Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo, President of the Republic of Ghana, H.E. Moussa Faki Mahamat, Chairperson, African Union Commission, H.E Dr. Mohamed Salem Ould Merzoug, Minister for Foreign Affairs, Cooperation, and Mauritanians Abroad, Mrs. Dagmawit Moges, Director, AU Peace Fund Secretariat and several other officials from various private sector organizations and financial institutions in Africa.



The launch event will feature a series of keynote addresses, networking opportunities, and cultural performances. Attendees will have the chance to engage with Africas most influential leaders, discuss innovative peace financing mechanisms, and make financial commitments to support the Peace Funds initiatives.



A key feature of the event will be the Peace Fund Round Table titled "Fostering Partnerships for Sustainable Peace in Africa". This panel discussion will explore strategies for mobilizing resources and enhancing collaboration among member states, financial institutions, and the private sector to promote peace across the continent.



The AU Peace Fund is a critical tool in fulfilling the AUs mandate to achieve peace and security across Africa. Established in 1993 and revitalized in 2018, the Peace Fund now includes a Crisis Reserve Facility (CRF) to respond rapidly to unforeseen requirements. The Fund's efforts align with Agenda 2063, focusing on realizing a prosperous, integrated, and united Africa, grounded in good governance, democracy, respect for human rights, justice, and the rule of law.



Currently, the AU Peace Fund has over USD 392 million available in its endowment fund, nearing its initial target of USD 400 million. However, more resources are required to ensure predictability, adequacy, and sustainability in addressing Africa's existing peace and security challenges. Innovative resource mobilization methods, including voluntary contributions from Member States, the private sector, and High Net Worth Individuals, are being explored to meet these needs.



The AU Peace Fund has a robust governance structure to ensure oversight, transparency, and accountability. This includes a Board of Trustees with five regional representatives and international partners from the United Nations and the European Union, an Executive Management Committee, and private fund managers overseeing the assets. An Independent Evaluation Group and a Board of External Auditors ensure resource management is transparent and effective.



The Peace Fund is structured around three key thematic windows:



1. Mediation and Preventive Diplomacy: Focuses on preventing violent conflicts through early warning systems and peace-making efforts.

2. Institutional Capacity Building: Strengthens institutions across Africa by supporting Regional Economic Communities and Regional Mechanisms, ensuring transparency and accountability.

3. Peace Support Operations: Concentrates on observation and stabilization missions to maintain peace and security.

The Peace Fund finances strategic activities authorized by African Union Policy Organs, making it a cornerstone of the African Peace and Security Architecture (APSA).



The High-Level Event on innovative peace financing mechanisms aims to galvanize support from key stakeholders in the private sector, multilateral financial institutions, and high net worth individuals to bolster the Peace Fund's financial standing and enhance its impact. By investing in conflict prevention and sustainable peace efforts, Africa can save significant costs and build a future where peace prevails, allowing the continent to flourish and reach its full potential.



Hosting this significant event in Accra underscores Ghana's pivotal role in promoting peace and security across the continent. As a champion for AU financial institutions, H.E. President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addos leadership further highlights Accras political influence and deep-rooted commitment to Africas progress. Known for its rich cultural heritage, Accra is the ideal location for such a landmark gathering, showcasing the city's dedication to fostering peace and stability across Africa.



As Africas political and diplomatic elite gather in Accra for the AU Peace Fund event, it represents a remarkable step towards securing a peaceful and stable future for the continent. It is an opportunity to demonstrate solidarity, share innovative ideas, and commit to sustainable peace financing.



"This event will not only celebrate the progress made by the AU Peace Fund as part of the AU reforms but also galvanize further support and resources needed to address Africaspeace and security challenges," said Ms. Dagmawit Moges, Director of the AU Peace Fund Secretariat.



For more information about the African Union Peace Fund and its initiatives, visit AU Peace Fund.

Source: Peacefmonline.com









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

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One person was fatally shot and two were wounded when gunfire erupted in the parking lot of a Hindu house of worship in Massachusetts early Saturday.



There's no indication the deadly violence is tied to the Shri Swaminarayan Temple in Lowell, about 20 miles northwest of Boston.



Instead, it appeared that the bullets began flying after a fight broke out among a group of people gathered in the lot, according to authortities.



No arrests have been made and an investigation was underway.

Several cars, alcohol bottles and a pile of clothes were visible in an area surrounded by yellow police tape, NBC Boston reported.



A black sedan appeared to have been struck by several bullets, according to local TV station WCVB.

Cops found two people shot when they responded to reports of shots fired around 4:50 a.m., Middlesex County District Attorney Marian Ryan and Lowell Police Superintendent Greg Hudon said in a joint statement.



Both victims were rushed to a local hospital where a 43-year-old Lowell man was pronounced dead.



The other victim, a 35-year-old man, remained hospitalized with unspecified wounds, and a 26-year-old woman who suffered minor wounds went for treatment at a hospital on her own, authorities said.



The shootings disrupted plans for a Saturday event expected to draw about a thousand people to the temple and police were directing attendees around the crime scene, NBC Boston said.
Dr. Nyaho Nyaho-Tamakloe, a leading member of the ruling New Patriotic Party (NPP) appears to be unenthused about the Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia and Dr. Matthew Opoku Prempehs ticket as the flag bearer and running mate of the NPP.



According to the stalwart of the NPP, the party cannot win the election genuinely with the ticket of Dr. Bawumia and his running mate Dr. Matthew Opoku Prempeh.



Dr. Tamakloe said, "that ticket I personally don't believe can win a genuine election in this country.



He maintains that Dr Bawumia did not have a hand in the selection process of his running mate, insisting that the decision to have NAPO join Dr. Bawumia will further stifle the synergy of the party.



Dr. Nyaho Nyaho-Tamakloe said, "And as I predicted earlier, that there is no way Bawumia will have a free hand to pick his running mate? Never. I said it earlier, I have the tape. [I said] his running mate we pick for him. And that's exactly what happened."



"Why should Bawumia not be allowed to pick his own running mate? Whether he will gel with his running mate that is his palava."



As the NPP seeks to 'break the eight', it appears that there are a lot of reconciliation works that ought to be done within the rank and file of the party.



He said this in an interview with Joy FM.



Dr. Nyaho-Tamakloe is rather of a divergent view that the party is capable of winning the December 2024 elections genuinely.



"Certain mistakes are made and they are difficult to correct. So that mistake made by NAPO, look at the reaction as a result of his statement that has sort of degenerated almost everywhere, even outside the country. Nigerians are even talking about it."



He urged the Electoral Commission (EC) not to engage in any act that will undermine the peace of the country.



He said, any tricks they will play to change the results will lead this country into a serious disaster.

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.

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Deputy Information Minister, Sylvester Tetteh has recounted the horrific protests in Kenya resulting in the death of some citizens and eventual cancellation of some taxes that were to be introduced by the government.



Kenyan police have banned protests in the centre of the capital, Nairobi, and surrounding areas until further notice.



The protests began against unpopular tax rises which have subsequently been withdrawn by the President, William Ruto.



Following the violent protests, some section of the citizenry is said to be calling for the President to resign and the security services picked intelligence that there was going to be another demonstration, hence leading to the ban.



Speaking to host Kwami Sefa Kayi on Peace FMs morning show Kokrokoo, Hon. Sylvester Tetteh, affectionately referred to as Sly Tetteh, narrated how he and other Ministers and Members of Parliament were caught in the middle of the protest.



He disclosed that they were locked for nine hours in a fortified place in the Kenyan Parliament whilst he was on an international assignment in the country.



Sly Tetteh further revealed that the protests became uncontrollable to the extent that some of them had to be hidden in ambulances to escape the riotous crowd.



For what he witnessed in Kenya a month ago, the Deputy Minister warned those inciting Ghanaians to replicate the Kenyan situation to desist from it.



When you look at what has happened in Kenya today, they will pay the price for itI mean you can criticize. You can press home your demands but not to take the law into your hands to that extent because they will pay, they will pay the price, he cautioned.



He advised that no matter Ghanas economic situation, violence is not an option.



no matter the form of democracy, its better, he emphasized.





Source: Ameyaw Adu Gyamfi/Peacefmonline.com/Ghana









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Former Auditor General Daniel Domelevo has called for the publication and verification of assets declared by public office holders.



He says it is important to verify the assets declared to avoid speculative declaration.



Publish the assets, until we do that the declaration is useless. So one, you have to publish and two, verification is also key. if you dont verify people can make the anticipatory declaration, he said on the Key Points on TV3 Saturday, July 20 while commenting on the Afrobarometer report.



Mr Domelevo further described the fight against corruption by President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo as abysmal.



To him, if the president wants to be seen to be fighting corruption he should be more proactive in finding out from his appointed who among them have acquired state properties.



Until that is done, the president cannot be said to be fighting corruption, he said 

Asked what his assessment of the presidents fight against corruption he said It is very abysmal, he is not fighting corruption.



He added I will credit him for establishing anti-corruption but that is not enough. I think he can be more proactive in finding out how many government appointees have acquired state properties. If he is able to do that then we will say that his man is serious.



What I expect is it doesnt matter who is involved there must be consequences for corruption and he should also make ani corruption institutions independent and strong.



He was commenting on the recent Afrobarometer report that states among other things that given the corrosive effects of official corruption on popular support for and satisfaction with democracy the news from recent findings about corruption trends is not good



The report said that in the eyes of ordinary Africans, the problem is getting worse.



On average across 39 countries, nearly six in 10 citizens (58%) say corruption levels in their countries increased over the past year, including 82% in South Africa and 87% in Eswatini. Only three countries record majorities who say corruption decreased: Benin (70%), Mali (64%), and Zambia (53%).



Levels of perceived corruption among political leaders paint a similar picture: Across up to 30 countries for which we have complete data, 38% of respondents say most or all officials in their presidents office are corrupt, up by 13 percentage points since 2011/2013. Perceptions of widespread corruption show similar increases for members of Parliament (+11 points) and the judiciary (+8 points), with marginal increases of 3 points for local government councillors and civil servants.



Two-thirds (67%) of Africans say their governments are failing in the fight against corruption, and 71% say people who report corruption to the authorities risk retaliation.

Source: 3news









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

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This article has been reviewed according to Science X's editorial process and policies . Editors have highlighted the following attributes while ensuring the content's credibility:

An invasive species capable of wiping out entire aquatic ecosystems and causing millions of dollars in damage to infrastructure has been found for the first time in the Colorado River, the most important river in the American Southwest.

Colorado Parks and Wildlife officials on July 16 announced the discovery of zebra mussel larvae in the river east of Grand Junction. The mussels are nearly impossible to remove and pose an extreme risk to the critical river, its wildlife and its infrastructure, experts and state officials said.

The discovery of the mussels so far upstream on the 1,450-mile river means the species could easily spread downstream and take over large swaths of the Colorado, said Reuben Keller, a professor who studies aquatic invasive species in the School of Environmental Sustainability at Loyola University Chicago. There is no effective way to remove the mussels from a river once they are established, he said.

"Zebra mussels getting into the Colorado River is the beginnings of what could be an enormously damaging and widespread infestation," Keller said.

The Colorado River, known as the lifeblood of the Southwest, flows from headwaters in Rocky Mountain National Park to the Gulf of California in Mexico and makes modern life in the region possible. The river and its major tributaries provide drinking water and power for 40 million people, irrigate millions of acres that feed the country and provide crucial habitat for thousands of species.

Native to eastern Europe, zebra mussels obliterate ecosystems by eradicating basic food sources other species rely on. The small mussels attach to hard surfaces, like rocks, and grow in thick mats that kill plants and prevent insect life. The mussels feed on algae and stip all of it out of the water, eliminating the base of the food chain in many aquatic ecosystems. Food sources are destroyed for species that rely on aquatic vegetation, insects or algaewhich is all species.

No species in the western U.S. has evolved to eat the mussels, Keller said, at least not reliably.

"They just take over all of that habitat," Keller said. "Ecologically, that's obviously problematic."

Colorado Parks and Wildlife found the first zebra mussel larvacalled a veliger on July 1 during routine testing in the Government Highline Canal, which is diverted from the Colorado River just east of Grand Junction. On July 8, CPW staff collected samples from two locations upstream of the canal diversion. They found a single veliger in each sample.

CPW staff have not yet found adult mussels, but they plan to conduct increased sampling. Slower sections of water, like pools and eddies, are more susceptible to mussel infestation, according to the agency.

Anyone who uses the river or surrounding waters needs to clean, drain and dry any watercraft or equipment, CPW spokesman Rachael Gonzales said.

"We're looking at what's next," she said. "It's going to be very difficultif not impossibleto remove and eradicate them in a system as large and complex as the Colorado River."

While the zebra mussel is new to the river, the closely related and equally pernicious quagga mussel has established a population further downstream. Large infestations have taken root in the system's largest reservoirsLake Mead and Lake Powelland caused millions of dollars in damage to dam infrastructure.

Zebra mussel veligers can be seen only with a microscope and float freely in river water. They are hardy and can travel miles before attaching to a surface, Keller said. A single female mussel can release up to a million veligers a year, he said.

The mussels multiply rapidly once they are connected to a surface and can clog pipes, drains, pumps and other water infrastructure, leading to costly and difficult repairs. When they die, their shells can obstruct motors and other moving parts of dams, boats and other machinery.

The Government Highline Canal, where the first larva was found, provides irrigation water to more than 23,000 acres of farmland in the Grand Valley. The canal, operated by the Grand Valley Water Users Association, is 55 miles long and sends water down 150 miles of pipes and irrigation systems.

"This news is devastating," Tina Bergonzini, general manager of the Grand Valley Water Users Association, said in a news release. "Having our canal and the Colorado River test positive increases the threat of this invasive species and could impact everyone in the Grand Valley. From irrigation to drinking water, the ramifications cannot be underestimated or overstated."

Bergonzini said the association will join CPW and federal officials in stepping up its efforts "to protect our infrastructure, the livelihoods of so many and water security for us all."

Biologists first discovered zebra mussels in the U.S. in 1988 in the Great Lakes region. Since then, they have spread via waterways and human transport across a huge swath of the eastern half of the country.

Larvae can spread into a new waterway by attaching to boats, boots or any other submerged objects, and then unwittingly be released later if those objects are not sufficiently cleaned.

Federal and state agencies for decades have fought to keep the mussels from spreading into the West. Data from the U.S. Geological Survey shows that since 2007, the mussels have been detected in three Western states: California, Colorado and Utah. The species failed to establish itself in Utah but survived in California.

In Colorado, the species did not take hold in Grand Lake and Pueblo Reservoir but has been established in Highline Lake at Highline State Park, northwest of Grand Junction.

CPW first found the mussels in Highline Lake in 2022 and launched a multiyear, multistep process to kill the species and stop the spread. That winter the agency lowered the lake's water level by 30 feet to freeze the mussels and then applied a copper solution to kill them.

But the mussels were found again in October 2023, and CPW planned to drain the lake to kill the mollusks.

It's possible the mussels aren't faring well in the Colorado River and the detected veligers will not establish a population, said Keller, the Loyola professor. But that scenario is highly unlikely, especially with the robust population of the quagga mussels further downstream.

"I wouldn't hold out too much hope that the species won't take off," he said.

2024 MediaNews Group, Inc. 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

There's little else in the food world that brings about as much social turbulence as the durian. This so-called "king of all fruits" is considered a delicacy across its native Southeast Asia, where durian season is currently in full swing.

Global interest in the pungent food has also grown considerably in recent years. But despite this, the durian continues to be loathed as much as it is lauded. What's behind its polarizing nature?

Loved and loathed in equal measure

The international market for durians grew 400% last year. This is mainly due to China, where demand has expanded 12-fold since 2017.

And although heavy rain and heat waves have resulted in lower yields, the projected growth for 2024 looks promising.

But not everyone is a devotee. The durian often becomes a prickly topic in my conversations with friends in Southeast Asiawith family members clashing over its loud presence in the kitchen.

Durian is even banned in various hotels and public spaces across Southeast Asian countries. In 2018, a load of durian delayed the departure of an Indonesian flight after travelers insisted the stinky cargo be removed.

The fruit's taste and smell are notoriously difficult to pinpoint. One article touting its benefits describes its odor as a rousing medley of "sulfur, sewage, fruit, honey, and roasted and rotting onions."

Cultural and historical perspectives

Regardless of its divisive qualities, the durian has a central role in Southeast Asian cuisine and cultures. For centuries, Indigenous peoples across the region have sustainably grown diverse species of the fruit.

At Borobudur, a ninth-century Buddhist temple in Java, Indonesia, relief panels depict durian as a symbol of abundance.

In Malaysia, it's common to find courtyards full of durian trees in people's homes. These trees are cherished, as they provide generations of family members with food, medicine and shelter.

The durian also features in creation stories. In one myth from the Philippines, it's said that a cave-dwelling recluse named Impit Purok concocted a special fruit to help an elderly king attract a bride. But when the king failed to invite him to the wedding party, the furious hermit cursed his creation with a potent stench.

In the West, the durian was first recorded and observed in the early 15th century by Italian merchant and explorer Niccolo de' Conti. De' Conti acknowledged the fruit's esteem throughout the Malay archipelago, but considered its odor nauseating.

Early Western illustrations of the fruit can be found in Dutch spy and cartographer Jan Huygen van Linschoten's book Itinerario (1596). The author remarks that the durian smells like rotten onions when first opened, but that with time one can acquire a taste for it.

Another scientific account comes from the 1741 book Ambonese Herbal, by German botanist Georg Eberhard Rumphius. Rumphius identified the fruit's tough outer skin as the source of its pungency, noting how the people of Indonesia's Ambon Island had a habit of disposing of the noxious rinds on the shoreline.

A fruit of contradictions

In Southeast Asian film and literature, the durian exerts a powerful yet contradictory effect on the senses. Director Fruit Chan's film Durian Durian (2000) homes in on these polarizing tendencies.

Set in Hong Kong, the film traces the transformation of the characters' attitudes towards the durian. While the fruit incites revulsion at first, it eventually becomes an object of affection among the family portrayed in the film.

This acceptance of the durian doubles as an analogy, reflecting the family's acceptance of one of the main characters' life as a sex worker.

In contrast, the Singaporean film Wet Season (2019) by Anthony Chen highlights various traditional views of the fruit. For example, the illicit affair between a teacher and her student calls attention to a persistent belief in the durian's ability to arouse sexual desire and boost fertility (although any aphrodisiac benefits remain scientifically unproven).

A number of literary works also probe the durian's cultural complexity. Singaporean poet Hsien Min Toh's poem, Durians, opens by referring to the fruit's "unmistakeable waft: like garbage and onions and liquid petroleum gas all mixed in one."

At the same time it frames the durian tree as a canny being, as it never allows falling fruit to harm the vulnerable humans spreading its seeds on the ground below.

US poet Sally Wen Mao attends to the enigma in her poem Hurling A Durian. She notes how on one hand the fruit nurtures desire, while on the other it purges memory like a poison. Mesmerized by its perplexing allure, the poet inhales its penetrating scent and strokes its rind until her fingers bleed.

The future and conservation

Although 30 species of durian are known to science (and more continue to be identified), only one species, Durio zibethinus, dominates the global market. Unfortunately, the growing demand for this one type is causing harm by displacing native forests, flora and even Indigenous communities.

In Indonesian Borneo, or Kalimantan, oil palm plantationsthreaten durian diversity by leaving less room for diverse species of durian to be cultivated. This imperils the cultural practices and beliefs linked to the durian tree.

It also impacts all the other animals that rely on the fruit. Elephants, orangutans and many other endangered fauna relish the durian, while bats and other pollinators help sustain its diversity. As such, effective conservation efforts must engage meaningfully with local people and species.

Perhaps, if past depictions of the durian helped shape its reputation, then new depictions could help conserve this king among fruits.

This article is republished from The Conversation under a Creative Commons license. Read the original article.
GLENS FALLS  Drag queen story hours have been a hot topic in the news across the country, including right here in Hometown USA, but now they just might be the hottest show in town.

Local playwright Neal Herr may be best known for his production, Nearby Faraway, the musical drama about Georgia OKeeffe, the American painter, and her husband/manager Alfred Stieglitz, which premiered in Lake George in 2022.

However, on Thursday Herr invited members of the public to join him for a participatory reading of his newest farce, Drag Queen Story Hour, which he was inspired to write after following the events at the Rockwell Falls Library in Lake Luzerne last year.

The events at Rockwell Falls, which you may know about that library, a year ago, were serious, leading to bomb threats, fisticuffs, police, resignations, and library closings, Herr said at the opening of a dramatic reading of the show. Audience participation was part of event. Gender identity and sexual preference are serious; even life and death matters sometimes.

Drag Queen Story Hour the musical, however, is not serious. Herr described it as a full-length family friendly Gay Pride satire about book-banning, Pride flag controversies, and LGBTQ polarization here and in small towns all over America.

The characters are like a Simpsons episode  broadly satirical, Herr said. Its just goofy fun, ultimately of course making topical, political points.

The show revolves around the Smallville Library which finds itself at the center of controversy after the library assistant reads a book to a group of children featuring gay characters. The evangelical preacher of the town rallies his Flock to call for the banning of all books except the Bible. Meanwhile the Mayor of Smallville is struggling with how to handle a growing local movement of liberal Yoo-Yoos who want to fly a Gay Pride flag in front of the courthouse.

Rockwell Falls Library: read stories that inspired the musical

Work continues at Rockwell Falls while doors remain shut LAKE LUZERNE  Amid the familiar business of trying to clarify past financial discrepancies 

Library president resigns while library remains closed Statement from Kathleen M. Jones:Although Rockwell Falls Public Library is still a library i

Sure, there was a fight at the Rockwell Library board meeting, but that is only a small part of the story Alex Portal at the The Post-Star has covered the story of the animosity inside the Rockwell Falls Library Board since it starte last April. Read about the fight Tuesday night and how it came about and where it is going from here.

Rockwell Falls bring in new board members LAKE LUZERNE  The Rockwell Falls Public Library Board is back to full capacity after the Ne

The preacher infiltrates the library board and rouses the trustees to replace the head librarian with the contrite library assistant before sewing so much discord that all the trustees quit, leaving the preacher in charge of the library. However, the demure library assistant has a few tricks and secrets up her sleeve which save the day.

As another example of art imitating life, the local newspaper reporter covering the controversy acts as a sort of narrator, periodically exclaiming provocative headlines which set each scene. And at one point following up with, Hey, Im milking this thing for all its worth.

The show is meant to poke a little fun at how quickly divisiveness can escalate and how all the different players contribute to the chaos.

Ultimately, Herr said, he wants it to spark conversation, and hopes presenting the subject matter in a humorous way will help people, no matter what side of the isle theyre on, feel safe discussing these very tempestuous issues.

Were at a point in our country, not just with LGBT, but everything is polarized. Its to where almost you cannot talk to anybody about anything, Herr said. I love art thats topical, that addresses whats happened in the last year and is happening right now.

I think being funny about it and having fun with it may be a way to crack the door open, he added.

Herr said hes lived in big cities for much of his life. He never really had a desire to move to a small town but fell in love with what Glens Falls has to offer. From that perspective, Herr said divisive issues, such as the drag queen story hour controversy, can be far more visceral in small towns.

Ive lived in Houston and New York City, and it doesnt work like that at all. You do what you want, and youll probably never see those people again, he said. If you make enemies in a small town, its uncomfortable. Youve got to live together and figure how to live with their barking dog, because youre right next door.

A self-proclaimed hippie, Herr said hes known and been friends with members of the LGBTQ+ community all his life. For him, the idea that anyone could find fault with a person dressing up in costume to read and perform for children, whether its a man dressed as a woman, or a hippie dressed as a cowboy, is completely preposterous.

Ive done kid shows all my life dressed as a cowboy, dressed as a werewolf, would they object to that? Herr posed. Would that confuse children, no. Children know theater, they pretend. They know!

Pride flag: read stories that inspired the musical

Glens Falls passes flagpole policy that will allow heritage flags to fly on City Park's flagpole The city has been considering for months what to do about groups and individuals who want to see their flags represented on flagpoles throughout the city. Flags celebrating Gay pride, women's history, military appreciation, Hispanic heritage and other will be eligible to be flown. The city came to a compromise that many people said was not perfect but was fair.

Read-throughs like Thursdays event are a common step in the process of writing a play, Herr explained. It gives the author a better understanding of the pacing and the overall tone and tenor of the show outside of his own creative mind as he reworks and tweaks it for production.

Typically, a reading is done by professionals, or performers familiar with staging and theatricality; however, with Drag Queen Story Hour, Herr said he was hard-pressed to find colleagues in the theater community willing to tackle the topic.

At least two actors and a music director said they could not possibly do this show, or they would get fired, he said. Venues said it was too touchy a subject.

So, on Thursday, Herr invited members of the public to join in the rough draft read-through, then engage in a conversation about the show and its subject matter.

A lot of people think its too teasy-hot potato, but to me, I say, Art does that, Herr asserted. We get to grapple and see a perspective because we can laugh at ourselves and see each other.

Before the reading, the show was dedicated to Jake Evans, the drag performer who was originally scheduled to read at Rockwell Falls in April, 2023.

We dedicate this work of fiction to Jake, whose drag name is Scarlet, he said. Who was prevented from reading picture books to children dressed as a woman.
The former Marine who was held in Russia from 2019 to 2022 has warned people to be "skeptical" when Donald Trump brags that he will get Ethan Gerhkovich released from a Russian prison, a claim the former president repeated on Friday when the Wall Street Journal reporter was sentenced to 16 years at a secret trial.

The Republican presidential nominee turned to his Truth Social media platform on Friday to needle President Joe Biden for not getting Gershkovich released.

"Wall Street Journal reporter Evan Gershkovich was just sentenced to 16 years in prison by a Russian Court. Biden will NEVER GET HIM OUT, unless he pays a 'king's ransom,'" Trump said, repeating similar claims he has made on the campaign trail.

"I will get him out FOR NO COMPENSATION immediately following our victory on November 5th, and it will be my great honor to do so. Vote for TRUMP, and The Wall Street Journal should STOP BEING STUPID!!!" he continued.

In May, Trump boasted that he would use his relationship with Russian President Vladimir Putin to free Gershkovich, who has been held since being arrested in March 2023.

"Vladimir Putin, President of Russia, will do that for me, but not for anyone else, and WE WILL BE PAYING NOTHING!" Trump said.

Trevor Reed, a former Marine who was released in April 2022 in a prisoner swap following months of negotiations with Russia during the Biden administration, questioned why if Trump has the power to get Gershkovich released he didn't do the same for him and Paul Whelan, another U.S. citizen being held in Russia.

"As a former wrongful detainee in Russia, I would just like to remind everyone that President Trump had the ability to get myself and Paul Whelan out of Russia for years and chose not to. I would be skeptical of any claims about getting Evan Gershkovich back in a day," Reed wrote on X in May in response to Trump's assertion.

Whelan, also a former Marine, was arrested in Moscow in December 2018 on espionage charges during the Trump administration.

He was sentenced to 16 years in prison in June 2020 when Trump was still in the White House.

Biden arranged for the release of WNBA star Brittney Griner in December 2022 in exchange for Viktor Bout, an arms dealer known as the "Merchant of Death."

The Kremlin has said they have had no contact with Trump, and Putin has not talked to the former president.
Sonia Garcia is a trending food reporter for the Houston Chronicle. She can be reached at sonia.garcia@houstonchronicle.com.

A Rio Grande Valley native, she previously was an editor and writer for the Austin digital news startup Austonia after graduating from Texas State University. She enjoys trying new restaurants in Houston, where she lives with her 14-year-old Chihuahua.
In Lily Acostas rental apartment, the faucets dont work.

The windows have mold. The refrigerator is broken, and water regularly leaks from her bathroom toilet, Acosta explained as she walked through her unit.

Its disgusting. Absolutely disgusting, said Acosta.

For five years now, Acosta has fought with her landlords over living conditions she feels are inhumane. Acosta was one of several Richmonders at a local apartment complex  the Residences at Brookside  who say their landlord is letting the building fall into disrepair.

Several residents spoke to The Times-Dispatch at a walkthrough of the 650-unit residential complex in Richmonds South Side. The walkthrough was organized by New Virginia Majority, a not-for-profit that advocates for housing justice.

Josue Castillo, an organizer with the group, walked Times-Dispatch staff members through the complex and facilitated interviews with three Spanish-speaking residents.

Acosta has lived in the complex for seven years with two children, one of whom is diabetic. Acosta spoke through a translator, describing broken flooring and monthslong struggles to have a refrigerator replaced, which is critical for storing her childs insulin.

Honestly, its frustrating. My floor is coming off. The window is covered in mold. The refrigerator is broken, said Acosta.

Once minor problems, Acosta said her frustration has grown as the leasing office has failed to remedy her living situation for her family.

Property records show that the Residences at Brookside complex is owned by D.C.-based West End Capital Group. The company did not respond to requests for comment on Friday afternoon.

Castillo, the organizer, said the company tried to evict Acosta. Court records show she has disputed the eviction.

Some of the other apartments in the complex are abandoned and unlocked. Castillo walked reporters through some of those units. Residents said the abandoned units invite squatters and wild animals.

We dont feel safe in this space, Acosta said.

The property is managed by Gates Hudson, a management company based in Fairfax. Regional managers for Gates Hudson did not return calls seeking comment.

Records show that West End Capital Group manages just over 900 apartments in Richmond, including another residential community in Richmonds South Side: The Residences at Westover Hills.

West End Capitals website says the companys primary focus is delivering superior risk-adjusted returns for our investors by applying a long-term, value-oriented approach to real estate investing.

Acosta said her rent was also recently raised by $209. After pushback from tenants, the rent was reduced by $10, Costa said. She said shes never missed a payment.

Another resident, Maribel Umanzor, lives in a Brookside unit with her son, who requires a nasogastric tube because of a health condition. Shes lived in the unit since 2021. For the past three months, she said shes dealt with a leaking roof.

The problems are getting worse and worse, said Umanzor. Its really a dangerous place.

Another resident, Cindy Giron, said her apartment has mold and a broken floor. She also worries about her familys safety.

I have a young son who crawls in the middle of all this, said Giron in a news release sent out by New Virginia Majority.

New Virginia Majority said it began working with the tenants in January 2023 and formed a tenants committee shortly after.

Castillo said the walkthrough comes after submitting 70 written requests to landlords for repairs without seeing substantial improvements to the tenants conditions.

The group said they organized the walkthrough to showcase the plight of working-class Richmond residents.

Tenants in Richmond are facing a real crisis accessing healthy and safe housing. Ive seen families living in units with damaged appliances and broken floors. Our communities of color and working-class communities are suffering, said Claudia Arevalo, another organizer with the group.

In 2023, the company filed for 337 evictions at the complex, which has approximately 650 single-family apartments and condos. The company ranked 12th in a recent analysis conducted by The Times-Dispatch, which measured eviction activity by landlords across the city of Richmond.

The residential community last made headlines in 2021, when one of the residence apartments flooded with sewage.
Government begins dismantling of Playa del Carmen real estate company after fraud charges

Playa del Carmen, Q.R.  Government officials have begun the task of dismantling the Playa del Carmen building once used to sell real estate. State officials were at the building Friday removing everything inside.

Before they finished, the lettering that once spelled DeRiMaya along with the companys logo was also removed.

The companys name and logo were stripped off the building Friday. Photo: Govt QR July 19, 2024.

The company Desarrolladora de la Riviera Maya (DeRiMaya) and several of its primary employees are facing more than 250 million pesos in real estate fraud charges. The now-defunct real estate company was a commercial company, Desarrollo de la Riviera Maya, SA de CV (DeRiMaya) as a working partner with the Secretariat of Sustainable Urban Territorial Development for the sale of land in Playa del Carmen.

The joint partnership was created in 2017. Earlier this year, the building was seized by the the FGE (Fiscalia General del Estado) after an ongoing investigation revealed irregularities.

At least 4,000 people in the municipality of Soldaridad were affected.

The company was seized by the state in January of this year.

On Friday, the formal delivery of all historical documentation of DeRiMaya was carried out through the Legal Counsel, the Comptrollers Office and the Secretariat of Sustainable Urban Territorial Development, the government of Quintana Roo reported in a statement.

Governor Mara Lezama said the state has initiated the corresponding actions to regain control of the assets and administration of the Riviera Maya Development Company (DeRiMaya).

This measure was taken after DeRiMaya withdrew from an Amparo suit against the Secretariat of Agrarian, Territorial and Urban Development (SEDATU) related to the reincorporation of 1,200 hectares located in the Luis Donaldo Colosio Colony in Solidaridad.

State officials removed everything from inside the building.

Photo: Govt QR July 19, 2024.

The decision to proceed with the recovery of control of DeRiMaya responds to the need to correct the improper administration that had occurred around these lands.

In a first step towards regularization, on July 19 of this year, the formal delivery of all historical documentation of DeRiMaya to the Government of the State of Quintana Roo was made.

The documents were delivered through the Legal Department, the Comptrollers Office and the Secretariat for Sustainable Urban Territorial Development.

Two of the charged partners were arrested from the Tijuana airport in May trying to flee Mexico.

This action is one of the first measures of the Committee for the Regularization of the Luis Donaldo Colosio Colony as part of the commitment of the Federation and the State Government to the regularization of land for the well-being and tranquility of 4,000 families in Solidaridad.
Lightning strike kills engine: Cozumel tourist vessel with 13 on board rescued by Navy

Cozumel, Q.R.  A Cozumel tourist fishing boat hit by lightning Friday afternoon required assistance from the Navy. More than a dozen people were onboard the vessel when it was struck by a bolt of lightning that left its engine dead.

The incident happened during the Friday afternoon thunderstorm that passed over the state, soaking a majority of the northern areas. Cozumel vessel Sea Rose was deep sea fishing near Palanacar Jardines with 13 on board when it was hit.

In a statement, the Secretariat of the Navy reported personnel from the Ninth Naval Region and the Fifteenth Naval Zone locating the boat and rescuing those on board.

On Friday, support was provided to 13 people who were aboard a vessel, which was struck by lightning near Palancar Jardines beach in Cozumel, Quintana Roo.

This action was carried out when the Command and Control Room of the Fifteenth Naval Zone received a report of a vessel named Sea Rose with 13 people on board, which had faults in its propulsion system, having been struck by lightning, located one nautical mile from Palancar Jardines beach in Cozumel, Quintana Roo.

Fishing vessel Sea Rose required assistance after being hit by lightning.

Photo: Secretariat of the Navy July 19, 2024.

A Defender-type vessel and an Interceptor Patrol belonging to the Naval Station for Search, Rescue and Maritime Surveillance (ENSAR) of Cozumel and the Fifteenth Naval Zone, respectively, were ordered to set sail immediately.

They sighted the aforementioned vessel with the crew in good health, proceeding to sail in convoy to a safe port in Cozumel.
Mexicos Isthmus of Tehuantepec Interoceanic Corridor to connect with Guatemala

Mexico City, Mexico  President Lopez Obrador says Mexicos Isthmus of Tehuantepec Interoceanic Corridor will be connected to Guatemala. He says the project will include three train lines with the rehabilitation of seaports to boost merchant transportation.

President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador led the progress report on the Isthmus of Tehuantepec Interoceanic Corridor, a comprehensive project that includes three railway lines and the rehabilitation of seaports, which will boost the movement of goods.

Raymundo Morales Angeles, the General Director of the Tehuantepec Isthmus Interoceanic Corridor project explained that Line K links Ciudad Ixtepec, Oaxaca and Ciudad Hidalgo, Chiapas, a region bordering Guatemala, over 459 kilometers.

We are going to become more and more united with Guatemala and we are going to allow the development of the southeastern region of Mexico, but also Central America, he said.

In this railway project, under the direction of the Navy, an intermodal yard is being built in Suchiate, Chiapas and a passenger station is being established in Ciudad Hidalgo.

Simultaneously, Line K is being rehabilitated up to the international bridge. The Government of Guatemala plans to build an intermodal yard in Tecun Uman and to modernize railway lines in the interior of the country.

Through the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Mexican Agency for International Development Cooperation (AMEXCID), Mexico will donate 400,000 linear meters of rail, sleepers and track fixing systems with the purpose of incorporating Guatemala as soon as possible into the connectivity network that will improve the flow of cargo.

By mid-September, the first stage of Line K will be completed up to Arriaga, Chiapas. The overall progress is 58 percent, he said adding that the project will be delivered to the people of Mexico in the third quarter of 2025.

In the report, the Secretary of the Navy, Jose Rafael Ojeda Duran, detailed that Line Z is completed and in operation. It connects the Pacific and Atlantic oceans from the ports of Coatzacoalcos, Veracruz, to Salina Cruz, Oaxaca, in a maximum journey time of seven hours.

Since its inauguration in two stages, in September and December 2023, this means has mobilized a total of 44,313 passengers and 109,665 tons of different types of cargo including clay, cement, corn and sand.

The Navy is promoting development in the municipality of Matias Romero through the installation of a railway complex consisting of a single dispatch center, workshops, garages, training center, corporate building and rehabilitation of the historic station.

To date, the overall progress is 26 percent and its completion is scheduled for June 2025.

Raymundo Morales Angeles, the General Director of the Tehuantepec Isthmus Interoceanic Corridor project. Photo: AMLO July 18, 2024.

The rehabilitation of 95 kilometers of track from Coatzacoalcos to Medias Aguas, Veracruz , previously concessioned to Ferrosur, continues. It will be a suburban train that will provide service to isolated communities such as San Juan Guichicovi. The project will be completed in June of next year.

The FA Line from Coatzacoalcos, Veracruz, to Palenque, Chiapas, where it will interconnect with the Maya Train, will be 100 percent operational in September. Since December 2023, it began to move cargo to the Roberto Ayala terminal.

The federation is rehabilitating seven stations: Cuichapa, Roberto Ayala, Teapa, Juarez, Pino Suarez, Pakal Na, and Las Choapas, while building seven sidings and two transfer yards.

The two strategic ports of this project, Salina Cruz, Oaxaca, and Coatzacoalcos, Veracruz, have the capacity to move around 300,000 containers per year. At their consolidation point, they will reach 1.4 million containers per year.

The Interoceanic Corridor of the Isthmus of Tehuantepec is a profitable project . In the case of the railway lines, the break-even point will be reached in the first quarter of 2027 with 1,732 million pesos. Meanwhile, the seaports no longer report a deficit, said Director Morales Angeles.

Overall, this major mobility project has a multimodal logistics platform made up of 1,189 kilometers of railway tracks on three lines with the capacity to carry different types of double-stack cargo and transport passengers using American, European and suburban trains.

Security tasks are supported by a Marine Infantry Brigade with 2,512 elements in four battalions covering 21 detached units.

Photo: AMLO July 18, 2024.

President Lopez Obrador said that Line Z is a project of global dimension. The Government of Mexico is enabling this strategic step due to the current growth of the market and maritime transportation between Asia and America.

Before representatives of the media, Lopez Obrador reiterated that the Interoceanic Corridor project will continue in the next federal government headed by President-elect, Claudia Sheinbaum Pardo.
Long lines of passengers form at the check-in counters at Ninoy Aquino International Airport, amid a global IT disruption caused by a Microsoft outage and a Crowdstrike IT problem, on July 19, 2024 in Manila, Philippines. A significant Microsoft outage impacted users globally, leading to widespread disruptions, including cancelled flights and disruptions at retailers globally. Airlines like American Airlines and Southwest Airlines reported difficulties with their systems, which rely on Microsoft services for operations. The outage affected check-in processes and other essential functions, causing frustration among travellers and lines to back up at many affected airports worldwide. (Photo by Ezra Acayan/Getty Images) Ezra Acayan/Getty Images

A massive IT outage that disturbed Microsoft customers and businesses across the world Friday caused flight delays and cancellations at Houston airports, led to the temporary closure of Port Houston and forced Texas A&M University to cancel classes.

The far-reaching outages stemmed from a faulty software update for the Texas-based cybersecurity company CrowdStrike. It affected users of Microsoft Windows from Sugar Land to Germany to India.

The company said the problem did not stem from a security incident or a cyberattack, though it later warned that hackers may try to take advantage of the technical issues.

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"The system was sent an update, and that update had a software bug in it, and caused an issue with the Microsoft operating system, CrowdStrike CEO and President George Kurtz said on the "Today" show. And we identified this very quickly, and remediated the issue, and as systems come back online as they're rebooted, they're coming up and they're working."

Affected users opened their computers to find whats known as the blue screen of death, with a message that read: It looks like Windows didnt load correctly.

CrowdStrike boasts nearly 300 of the Fortune 500 companies as customers, and the outage led five airlines to ground all flights for a time.

In Houston, the outages briefly shut down the citys ports, among the largest in the world, on Friday morning. It affected computers at Houstons airports, along with operating systems for United and American airlines, leading to flight delays and cancellations.

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Harris Health System, the regions safety net system for poor and uninsured residents, canceled most elective procedures and shuttered outpatient clinics Friday morning. And Texas A&M nixed classes as it dealt with its own effects.

The outage did not affect local 911 operations or Houston police, nor did it hinder CenterPoint Energy, Houstons electricity provider, as the company continued its effort to restore customers who lost power during Hurricane Beryl 11 days earlier. As of Friday afternoon, the company had reduced the number of customers without power to less than 4,000.

By the afternoon, many systems returned to normal and airlines resumed operations, trying to catch up on schedule interruptions. In the afternoon, Kurtz said the company had mobilized all of its resources to help customers restore service.

CrowdStrike was founded in 2011 by Kurtz, providing cloud-based security solutions. It moved its headquarters from Silicon Valley to Austin in 2021. The company has a market capitalization of over $70 billion, though its stock price plummeted 11% on Friday, dropping from $343 per share to $305.

"Were deeply sorry for the impact that weve caused to customers, to travelers, to anyone affected by this," Kurtz said on "Today."

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For travelers, especially, the outages were disruptive.

Christina Williams sat in the Terminal A baggage claim at George Bush Intercontinental Airport early Friday, holding the right leg of her 2-year-old daughter, Addie. She had a stuffed toy Eeyore in her stroller, as Williams husband, Nik, searched for more information about their flight to Philadelphia.

The child watched a Daniel Tiger video on YouTube. Christina said it was a last resort on an unexpectedly frustrating morning. Their Spirit Airlines flight was supposed to leave at 8 a.m., but it was difficult to get information. They were checked in, but they didnt have a boarding pass.

They decided to quit trying and head home.

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"We dont know if well get refunds on our car rental and return flights," Christina said.

Nik returned a few minutes later. Their flight to Philly was seemingly gone, and soon Christina, Nik, Addie and Eeyore were, too.
Update, July 21, 2024, at 2:15 p.m.: Joe Biden has announced he has decided to end his run for president. In a letter to the nation, he thanked Kamala Harris for her partnership. In a subsequent tweet, he endorsed her:

My fellow Democrats, I have decided not to accept the nomination and to focus all my energies on my duties as President for the remainder of my term. My very first decision as the party nominee in 2020 was to pick Kamala Harris as my Vice President. And its been the best pic.twitter.com/x8DnvuImJV  Joe Biden (@JoeBiden) July 21, 2024

The original article follows.

When the political satire Veep premiered on HBO in 2012, it was viewed by those of us outside of government as a show too absurd to be a true commentary on the vagaries of American political power. By the time the show ended in 2019, two and a half years after Donald Trump had been sworn in as the president, the audience had come around to some hard truths: Veeps absurdism was starting to feel like a black mirror to reality. There are the vanity-obsessed lawmakers, the slobbering cronies, unethical lobbyists, and the now-predictable incompetence and selfishness that we recognize as holding us all hostage in a political system that feels far from representative. Central to all of that in Veeps universe is Vice President Selina Meyer, an ineffectual, sharp-elbowed politician whos routinely shunted to the side in President Hughes administration. In early seasons of the show, her sole political power is in being trotted out for photo ops with the people while rarely getting invitations to official briefings. Most of the shows jokes stem from her barely repressed fury at being ignored by her own party; she struggles so much to get any face time with the president that the audience never sees his face either.

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If that sounds uncomfortably familiar to non-Veep viewers, thats because youre probably already thinking about her real-life analogue: the veep herself, Kamala Harris.

On social media, you can find countless side-by-side comparisons of Harris real statements and Meyers scripted ones; both share a penchant for long-winded, nonsensical speeches, folksy interactions with the public that come off as clueless, and klutzy answers to even the simplest questions. But my favorite Harris-as-Meyer moment took place on Drew Barrymores daytime talk show in April. Harris, I presume, was on the show to give some canned answers about Bidens second-term promises and the importance of voting. Instead, she was foisted into a disproportionately emotional chat with the former child star best known for giggling in the rain. Perched on a couch with alarmingly little personal space between the two of them, Barrymore leans into Harris, taking the vice presidents hands as she delivers this plea:

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I keep thinking in my head that we all need a mom. Ive been thinking that we all need a tremendous hug in the world now, but in our country, we need you to be Momala of the country. And as a woman who respects so much, and wants to share, and wants to be confident, and has no ounce of me that has competitiveness, when we lift each other up, we all rise. However, we need a great protector.

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What  the hell is she talking about? Who knows, but its all Ive been able to think about for the past few months. Momala. I repeat it to myself almost daily. Has any vice president been talked to so condescendingly, and with no real recourse available to her? Of course not: No one would ever ask Dick Cheney to take over the reins as Papa America and bring us comfort during the Iraq War. Even Joe Biden, back when he was the VP himselfin his aviators, eating an ice cream cone, politely edging away from a frenzied Leslie Knope on Parks & Recreationwas in on the joke, and still treated with some admiration. Harris, meanwhile, has the distinct expression of someone whos just been spit on in public but is forced to grin and bear it.

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Harris has spent much of her first term as vice president known less for her accomplishments than for being a living meme.

This kind of bizarro-world moment is one of a hundred for Harris, who has spent much of her first term as vice president known less for her accomplishments than for being a living meme. There was Harris dancing with a marching band made up of children, Harris laughing maniacally with her whole body, Harris mimicking a senators voice while swearing him in. Most infamous is the clip of Harris talking about coconut trees, which has been taken out of context a thousand timesironic for a message that was about existing in the context of all in which you live and what came before youand remixed and memed in a surefire sign of this summers feeling of widespread insanity. Theres just something a little deranged and funny about Harris, the way her speeches contain these circuitous and repetitive slogans, or her attempts at relatability which get her mired in televised quagmires (Momala). Its been a long time since the Democrats have had anyone who was ha-ha funny and not does-he-have-dementia funny.

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But its not a coincidence that Harris, of all people, has had her vice-presidential term defined largely by being the butt of the joke. Since she joined Bidens ticket in 2020, Harris has been sidelined by her party, defanged in quips made by pundits and in TikTok memes, and largely forgotten by voters in a fate befitting that of the first woman of color in her position. How funny, then, that, amid increasingly panicked concerns over Bidens age and mental acuity, with those worries multiplied at least threefold following the assassination attempt on Trump, Harris is now being bandied about as one of democracys last hopes as the presidential election draws nearer like the promise of death itself. As the pressure on Biden to drop out of the race intensifies with each passing day, Democrats have worked themselves into a tizzy over who can possibly replace him. America (or half of it, at least) feels a little doomed, and the only person who might be able to save us is the very person weve been dutifully ignoring this whole time. Veep couldnt have scripted it any better.

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It may be surprising to recall that, before Harris became the neutered vice president, she had all the makings of a promising candidate. Or, at least, what we thought was a viable candidate in 2019. She had the right backstory: a biracial woman of color, a first-generation American raised by a scientist mother from India and an economist father from Jamaica, who came of age at Civil Rights protests at Berkeley in the 1960s. But, as Harris stepped onto the national stage early on in her presidential campaign, a dissonance emerged over who she was and what she stood for.

Harriss political career began in the early 90s when she was a deputy district attorney in California, and since those early beginnings, shes oscillated between enforcing the status quo as a state prosecutor and attempting to inject some fairness in a deeply unfair system. In 2019, when she first started campaigning for president, Harris ran on what she described as a progressive record within policing. Trumps campaign called her the most liberal member of the Senate, which progressives dutifully pointed out was actually not the case. After the summer of 2020, in a major shift from our decades-long status quo, there was real political momentum to hopefully enact change and hold cops accountable for abuses of power. Black and brown voters in particular were suspicious of a woman of color who was still operating in the very systems that unfairly persecuted her fellow community members. Before she even had a real shot at the presidency, Harris was caught in her own double bind: To progressives, she was a cop, and to conservatives, shed never be enough of a cop.

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When asked, on Watch What Happens Live in June 2020, about the movement to defund the police, Harris repeated an answer nearly verbatim to the one she gave Meghan McCain on The View a few days prior. It really, I believe, is about reimagining public safety and how we achieve it, she said. Healthy communities are safe communities, and the way to create healthy communities is to invest in the core needs those communities have. This is the safest, easiest answer she could give, a trap she falls into often. The shape of her word salad of a reply, although lacking in any real detail, sounds like something progressives would wantor at least what they wanted a few years ago during the height of the protests against police brutality. But this is impossible to square away with her actual record. A New York Times investigation in August 2020 showed that Harris was often reluctant to involve herself in cases around police shootings as Californias attorney general in 2011. Shes defended Californias death penalty in court despite saying shes personally against it. In her 2019 memoir, The Truths We Hold, she describes herself as a progressive prosecutor, whatever that might mean, but she also fought to keep nonviolent offenders incarcerated in California prisons as attorney general.

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Throughout her campaign, there was a constant push and pull between the images that Harris tried to project: She simultaneously wanted to dispense with the myth that she was the most liberal option while also reassuring progressives that she was the liberal option they were looking for. The result was a muddled candidate, one who struggled to gain a real foothold despite good debate performances and a marketable personal narrative.

But in 2019 and 2020, Harris had real defenders and supporters in the #KHive. A play on Beyonces Beyhive, KHive was the self-coined online term for Harris supporters, placed on the same shelf as Bernie Bros or (shudder) Cuomosexuals. There wasnt a significant ideological underpinning to the KHives once rabid support; mostly, it seemed, they were drawn to Harris because she could have been our first woman-of-color president, and those very factors meant she had an even steeper uphill battle to the ballot box. The fact that Harris is a biracial Black woman made her a target of the right; even today, shes still being insulted, demonized, and lied about by right-wing pundits and trolls. The KHive was self-deputized to defend her against such attacks (along with any mild critique). They formed enough of a base that as a running mate, she could offer the Biden ticket access to those coveted female, Black, and brown voters. The KHive was significant enough that Biden even made a video asking them for their support in 2020. (These days, according to new data from the Cut, support for Harris from Black women still far outpaces their support of Biden.)

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Harris presence on Bidens ticket helped swing Black votersnamely ones who still disapproved of Bidens treatment of Anita Hill in the 90sto their side. But, once elected as vice president, Harris quickly receded from view, perhaps in an effort to downplay reports that Harris was mistreating staff membershow very Veep indeed!or perhaps to mollify complaints coming from both ends of the political spectrum. Republicans hated her: She wanted to open the jails and make everyone gay! Progressives hated her, too: She built her career on holding up many of the very systems her more radical parents protested against in the 60s. Between those anxieties and the rumors that, as a boss, she was cruel, or ineffectual, or disorganized, or egomaniacal, no wonder the White House chose to simply defang her instead.

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Shut out of any meaningful positions of power within the administration, and without a weighty national issue to successfully champion, Harris has been dispatched to do the kind of low-stakes posturing that Selina Meyer was always so pissed off about. In 2021, Biden appointed Harris to handle migration issues at the southern border, a job that already felt a little fake, but felt even more ludicrous once Republicans dubbed the gig border czar. Classic: A flimsy, impossible task handed to Harris, warped into a job title for the scary biracial woman here to ruin America with Soviet-style socialism.

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For the past few months, Harris has been spending much of her time engaged in the soft sciences of campaigning: Pride events where shes wiggling around in a bedazzled denim jacket, reproductive rights events where she talks about what she and Biden will do after the election to bring back Roe v. Wade, outreach events with different ethnic groups in an attempt to bring Biden their (exhausted, indifferent) vote. We rarely heard from Harris when it comes to the economy, war, national debt, or climate change. Mostly, shes been trotted out as token woman (when it comes to abortion or reproductive rights) or Black woman (Juneteenth) or Indian woman (Diwali only, steering clear of most discussion around Indias ruling Bharatiya Janata Party).

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Where this leaves Harris is in the same gender trap that Hillary Clinton crawled into, times a factor of race. As New York magazines Rebecca Traister wrote in June, Clinton was perhaps the most acute example of an assertive Democratic woman whose efforts to satisfy a ravening press and public intolerant of female complexity left her so twisted and poll-tested that she became largely illegible as human, let alone female. Harris struggles with this, too; in all her attempts to appear approachable and relatable, she comes across as slightly off-kilter, like an OpenAI-generated image thats too shiny and has too many extra fingers to be legitimate. No wonder were all laughing at her singing The Wheels on the Busshe looks like shes never heard a song before in her life.

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The internet cant resist such a strange spectacle, of course, especially as this election is shaping up to be our most dystopian thus far. Harris funny repeated aphorisms, her signature cackle, her mom-at-a-wedding dancingall make her social-media catnip. Lately, the memes have increased tenfold as everyone has collectively lost their minds, leaning into the absurdity of our political realitycoconut trees and all. Were stuck between a septuagenarian convicted felon and an octogenarian who accidentally referred to himself as the first black woman to serve with a black president. So yes, the coconut tree memes are all we have.

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The grand twist of Harris being made into a joke is that her name is now being floated as our last true hope in this election cycle. Pundits and anonymous so-called senior political operatives alike are asking Why not Kamala? with a growing urgency. There have probably been more half-ironic conversions to the KHive in the past three weeks than in the past three years.

Either too silly or too dangerous, Harris is caught between two poles of absurdity, just as she has been this entire time.

But memes do not necessarily a presidential successor make. The Biden administration wanted a more palatable, less visible Harris, one they could trot out at reproductive rights rallies, and not one that spooked people leery of biracial radicals or of hard-ass prosecutors. They got it: For better or for much, much, worse, theyre stuck with a version of Harris whose first-term record and public perception among left-leaning voters are more akin to that of a goofy auntie than of the second most powerful person in the country. Meanwhile, the right is still treating her like a radical whos prone to destroying the economy and enforcing communism. Either too silly or too dangerous, Harris is caught between two poles of absurdity, just as she has been this entire time. Its telling that, despite being vice presidentthe job that trains you for presidentshes still not the No. 1 pick among her own party members. Establishment Democrats and their donors arent scrambling to slot her in as Bidens natural replacement; most of the support around her comes from a few media figures and weirdos on the internet intersplicing footage of her dancing to the tune of the new Charli XCX record. While big-time Democratic supporter George Clooney is writing op-eds for the New York Times about possible replacements, hes not even listing Harris first on his own list of possible candidates. Theres nothing more Veep than that.

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However, things have changed a lot since these Momala memes first started to take hold earlier this summer. Biden is weaker than ever, even worse than after his disastrous debate performance against Trump. With J.D. Vance now formally on the GOP ticket, a brutalist, even more unflinchingly anti-woman Republican Party is fully formed and still very likely to take the presidency this fall. Trump, having survived an assassination attempt, is more popular than ever, armed now with a shield of martyrdom and a direct line to Ronald Reagan and Jesus comparisons. It would take a lot to beat this team. Who knows if Harris can actually do it; whether shes capable or not, she might be our last best hope.

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Related From Slate Kamala Harris Could Probably Wrap This Thing Up Pretty Quickly Read More

Miraculously, Harris seems to be responding in turn. Finally, shes stepping off the sidelines to directly address what kind of threat the Republican Party could pose in the near future. At a campaign stop in North Carolina earlier this week, she sounded more sure, more confident, and more presidential than ever. If you claim to stand for unity, you need to do more than just use the word, she said to raucous applause. You cannot claim you stand for unity if youre pushing an agenda that deprives whole groups of Americans of basic freedoms, opportunity, and dignity. She spoke fiercely about Project 2025, about the plan to restrict abortion rights across the country, about the Trumpian attempts to overturn the last election. Were too busy watching what youre doing to hear what youre saying, she says with a smile, but shes not fucking around. Shes not falling out of a coconut tree. Shes mad as hell; its a good reminder of why so many people thought she had such a good chance in 2019.

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Desperation-fueled memes were only ever going to take us so far in this cursed election. At the end of the day, what we need is someone who can step up to the plate, who can wrangle a disjointed party, and who can speak truth to the abject lies coming from Trumps campwhat we need is an adult. When Barrymore pleads with Harris to be the countrys Momala, I can see the fear and longing in her eyesshe seems to really believe that Harris is the one person who can nurture this country back into some semblance of functionality, like only a mom can. Yet what I see in Harris expression is the soft, simmering irritation of a woman who does not want to have to mother anyone. What she wantswhat she has clearly always wantedis to be trusted with the job. But you know how it is with your own Momala, right? You only ever call her when you really, really, really need her to fix something.
Hana Ikramuddin is a Hearst Fellow in Connecticut. She spent the first part of her fellowship at the Houston Chronicle.

Raised in the Twin Cities, Hana majored in journalism and political science at the University of Minnesota in Minneapolis.

She has held internships with the Star Tribune, APM Reports and Sahan Journal. In her free time, she loves to cook, make chai and take care of her houseplants.
Diplomatic community Pride 2024 statement.

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As friends and partners of Slovakia, we are honored to support the LGBTQI+ community and Pride events across the country, from Banska Bystrica and Trnava, to Bratislava and Kosice. Pride serves as a poignant reminder that all human beings are born free and equal in dignity and rights, and of the fact that everyone, regardless of who they are or whom they love, deserves the same respect, dignity, and equality in the enjoyment of their human rights.

We support Slovaks in their efforts to guarantee that all individuals, regardless of sexual orientation or gender identity, are able to fully enjoy their human rights and fundamental freedoms. International and regional instruments on human rights, such as the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, the European Convention on Human Rights, and the Charter of the Fundamental Rights of the European Union, ensure the promotion of universal respect of human rights and fundamental freedoms, and stipulate that all are entitled to equal protection against any discrimination. These principles compel all of us to work toward equal treatment for everyone. This includes members of the LGBTQI+ community.

Hate-motivated violence and attacks, including the tragic 2022 Teplaren attack, loom large in our collective memory. We continue to condemn all forms of discrimination and violence, reaffirming our commitment to defending the rights of every person, no matter who they are or whom they love.

We stand firm against attempts to undermine these rights, understanding that our collective prosperity and security are rooted in the inclusion and protection of all. Today, we send a clear message: everyone deserves to live authentically and without fear. We will continue to advocate for peaceful and inclusive societies where love and respect prevail.

To the LGBTQI+ community in Slovakia and beyond, we stand shoulder to shoulder with you, unwavering in our support.

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https://sputnikglobe.com/20240719/trump-in-call-with-zelensky-says-he-will-resolve-ukraine-conflict-if-elected-in-november-1119436739.html

Trump in Call With Zelensky Says He Will Resolve Ukraine Conflict If Elected in November

Trump in Call With Zelensky Says He Will Resolve Ukraine Conflict If Elected in November

Sputnik International

Republican presidential nominee, former US President Donald Trump said he told Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky that he would end the conflict in Ukraine if elected.

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"President Zelensky of Ukraine and I had a very good phone call earlier today...I appreciate President Zelensky for reaching out because I, as your next President of the United States, will bring peace to the world and end the war that has cost so many lives and devastated countless innocent families," Trump said in a statement on Truth Social on Friday. Trump further said that he believes both sides will be able to come together and negotiate a deal. Zelensky said in a separate statement that both sides agreed to eventually meet in person for further talks on what steps can be taken to facilitate a negotiated settlement.Earlier this month, Russian President Vladimir Putin said he takes seriously Trump's statements on being ready to help resolve the conflict in Ukraine. The Kremlin noted that Putin at present has no plans to conduct talks with Trump on achieving peace in Ukraine. Moreover, Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban recently went on a "peace mission" tour, during which he visited Russia, Ukraine, and China and met with their presidents to outline his vision of a peace process in Ukraine. Later, he also met with Trump in Florida. Some EU leaders criticized what they see as a misuse of the bloc's rotating presidency by Hungary's prime minister. The US presidential election is slated for November 5. The main contenders expected on the ballot are incumbent President Joe Biden and his predecessor, Trump.

https://sputnikglobe.com/20230221/trump-says-hed-call-putin-zelensky-to-hammer-out-ukraine-peace-deal-on-election-night-if-reelected-1107670176.html

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https://sputnikglobe.com/20240719/yemen-is-doing-what-gulf-states-should-have-1119436971.html

Yemen is Doing What Gulf States Should Have

Yemen is Doing What Gulf States Should Have

Sputnik International

The Yemeni Ansar Allah forces (Houthi) struck Tel Aviv on Thursday, killing at least on Israeli. Their attack was done in solidarity with the Palestinians in Gaza, a spokesperson said.

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Israel blamed the attack on human error and claimed its defenses were not breached.Video on social media shows a gliding-type drone flying over the shoreline near Tel Aviv before arriving in the city and causing a large explosion. The Houthis said the new drone is undetectable by Israeli air defenses and named it the Jafa, after the Palestinian name for Tel Aviv before it was occupied by Israel. Its projected path indicates it bypassed far more than just Israeli defenses, traveling nearly 1000 miles (~1600 km) according to some estimates.The Yemeni drone did not just bypass Israeli air defenses, it also bypassed the US Navy, the UK Royal Navy. It bypassed Saudi air defenses it bypassed Jordan, it bypassed everything and it managed to hit in the capital of the Israeli occupation state, journalist and editor of The Cradle Esteban Carrillo told Sputnik. [Israel is] calling it human error. "We saw something enter through the south, we didnt think it was a threat. Well, they were wrong.The Houthis have made clear that their actions against Israel are done in solidarity with the Palestinians in Gaza who have been suffering under an Israeli military campaign that has been described as a genocide by multiple world leaders and human rights organizations. But Yemen is one of the poorest countries in the world and there are several rich Arab states in the area, with the resources to do more.Carrillo says he is not surprised that they have declined to do more.Carrillo noted that while many countries in the region have not officially normalized relations with Israel, it has become a de facto normalization due to their desire to keep warm relations with the West.While certain Gulf states have been more willing to take actions that anger the US, such as when OPEC+ cut oil production against the wishes of US President Joe Biden, those actions usually have a financial benefit for the countries, while aiding the Palestinians only offers moral standing.Theres nothing to be gained from [helping the Palestinians] except the moral stance, right? The ethical stance to show that you care for human beings who are being shelled day in and day out for nine months, entire families exploding into bits, Carrillo explained, adding that This is not something that interests the Gulf leaders.Still, the Yemenis and Hezbollah in Lebanon are making a significant impact, not only with their shelling of Israel, where Hezbollah has forced the evacuation of the north but also in the Red Sea, where the Houthis have all but halted shipping to Israel and the combined forces of the US and the UK have been unable to stop them. The strike on Tel Aviv proves that the Houthis have even greater capability than previously thought, and represents a new phase in the war.The Walla Daily also asked if this was the start of a war with Yemen, but openly wondered if the Israeli Defense Force was up to the task. The question arises, in this sense, if the IDF has the appropriate means for a significant attack [against Yemen], the paper wrote (translated).

https://sputnikglobe.com/20240607/houthis-vow-to-continue-targeting-us-carrier-group-after-unveiling-new-hypersonic-missile-1118852457.html

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https://sputnikglobe.com/20240720/houthis-say-israeli-strike-on-yemens-port-will-not-remain-without-response-1119446084.html

Houthis Say Will Respond To Israeli Strike on Yemen's Port

Houthis Say Will Respond To Israeli Strike on Yemen's Port

Sputnik International

The Ansar Allah (aka Houthi) movement has promised a response to the Israeli attack on the Yemeni port city of Hudaydah.

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"The Yemeni Armed Forces confirm that they will respond to this blatant aggression," the Houthis said in a statement. The movement said that the Israeli attack had targeted a power station, the Hudaydah port and fuel tanks, adding that those were civilian targets. The Houthis also vowed to continue operations in support of the Gaza Strip. Earlier in the day, the Israel Defense Forces claimed responsibility for a series of airstrikes on Hudaydah, calling the strikes a response to attacks carried out against Israel. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said the attacked port had been used for military purposes, including importing weapons from Iran.

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https://sputnikglobe.com/20240720/israeli-us-media-warn-israel-has-no-defense-against-axis-of-resistance-drone-arsenal-1119443644.html

Israeli, US Media Warn Israel Has No Defense Against Axis of Resistance Drone Arsenal

Israeli, US Media Warn Israel Has No Defense Against Axis of Resistance Drone Arsenal

Sputnik International

A heavy Houthi drone snuck past Israeli air defenses and slammed into a building about 100 meters from a US Embassy branch office in Tel Aviv on Friday morning. The IDF said the drone was tracked for six minutes but not downed due to human error. Israeli media fears the security failure is just a taste of what Israel would face in an all-out war.

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israel defense forces (idf)

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The Houthi drone attack in downtown Tel Aviv should be a wakeup call for Israel to make a realistic assessment of its real military capabilities, veteran Israeli defense observer Amir Bohbot suggested in op-ed for the Jerusalem Post on Saturday.Pointing to the ongoing war in Gaza, which put the Israeli military and especially its Air Force on high alert for over nine months now, Bohbot expressed concern that the conflict has compromised the IDFs ability to engage in a large-scale, multi-arena war of high intensity.It is important to recognize the looming threat of a major war, the observer wrote, pointing to the powerful forces arrayed against Israel in the region, from Hezbollah in Lebanon to the Houthis in Yemen, militias in Iraq and Syria, and Iran leader of the anti-Israeli, anti-US Axis of Resistance. These forces have amassed as many as 5,000 drones and missiles to strike Israel in an all-out conflict.The Israeli defense observer did not offer any solutions to the problem, apart from a vague reference to possible investments in offensive weapons.The Jerusalem Post contributors concerns were echoed by Tel Aviv-based New York Times correspondent Patrick Kingsley, who suggested in his own piece Saturday that Israel has few options to retaliate to the Houthi drone attack, which made clear the weakness of its air defense system against slow-moving, low-altitude, low heat-emitting drones.Yoav Gallant, the Israeli defense minister, has vowed revenge for the attack, but analysts said this weekend that Israel had few obvious options against a militia that shares no common border with Israel and has appeared undeterred by earlier displays of force by Western powers, Kingsley suggested, referring to the ongoing campaign of US-UK strikes in Yemen amid the Houthis self-imposed partial blockade of the Red Sea.Israel-based Washington Institute fellow Ehud Yaari dismissed the prospect of Israeli airstrikes against the Houthis having any impact. What would be the benefit? If we enter the scene and we contribute our own strikes to dozens and dozens of strikes carried out by the US and the UK, thats not going to shift to this scale, he told the Times.As for Israeli air defenses, the NYT pointed out that theyve repeatedly struggled to identify, track and destroy drones, particularly those fired by Hezbollah from Lebanon before Friday mornings Houthi strike.General Shafir expressed support for the Gaza truce idea, saying it may prompt some kind of a lull for a while.But Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has rejected calls for a ceasefire, and dismissed as false a report earlier this month that Israeli generals want a truce in Gaza and are ready to accept Hamas remaining in power  a prospect Netanyahus coalition allies have fervently rejected.Hezbollah Sword of Damocles Hangs Over IsraelWhile the IDF remains bogged down in Gaza, Israeli officials including Prime Minister Netanyahu have been warning for over two months that Israel is prepared for a very intense operation against Hezbollah, sparking fears of an all-out war.The Israeli occupation forces admitted for the first time that it has a shortage of tanks because of damage of the fronts in Gaza and the north, Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah said in a televised address on Wednesday amid the ongoing tensions with Israel. If your tanks enter southern Lebanon you wont suffer from a shortage of tanks since you wont have tanks at all, he warned.Nasrallah cautioned that if Israel continues to target civilians during its ongoing air and missile strikes in southern Lebanon in its skirmishes with Hezbollah, the militia will be pushed to launch missiles at [Israeli] settlements that were not previously targeted.

https://sputnikglobe.com/20240719/yemen-is-doing-what-gulf-states-should-have-1119436971.html

https://sputnikglobe.com/20240713/israeli-newspaper-says-country-is-collapsing-as-46000-businesses-shutter-1119357894.html

https://sputnikglobe.com/20240709/houthis-open-office-in-baghdad-a-stones-throw-from-fortified-us-embassy-compound-1119315124.html

https://sputnikglobe.com/20240630/has-israeli-military-grown-weary-of-netanyahu-1119194799.html

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can israel beat hezbollah, is hezbollah stronger than hamas, who's stronger hezbollah or hamas
https://sputnikglobe.com/20240720/moldova-becomes-logistics-hub-for-western-warplanes---ex-prime-minister-1119441489.html

Moldova Becomes Logistics Hub for Western Warplanes - Ex-Prime Minister

Moldova Becomes Logistics Hub for Western Warplanes - Ex-Prime Minister

Sputnik International

Moldova has become a logistics hub for Western military aircraft, Ion Chicu, the leader of the center-right PDCM party and former prime minister, said, expressing concern over a possible transfer of lethal cargo through the eastern European country.

2024-07-20T10:28+0000

2024-07-20T10:28+0000

2024-07-20T10:28+0000

world

moldova

west

nato

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maia sandu

hub

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"Today, Moldova has become a logistics hub for transportation by military aircraft. There are photos of landed transport and military aircraft. As a citizen, as a parent, I am concerned by everything that is happening," Chicu told the Rlive broadcaster. The ex-prime minister said the country should avoid being dragged in a military conflict. Moldovans should send a clear signal to the government that turning their country into "a battlefield between the West and the East" is unacceptable, he added. Moldova plans to increase its defense spending to 1% of the country's GDP by 2030, according to the National Security Strategy for 2024-2034, approved by the pro-Wesern government earlier this week. The Moldovan constitution contains a neutral clause. However, it has been cooperating with NATO since 1994 within the framework of an individual partnership plan. When Moldovan President Maia Sandu's Party of Action and Solidarity came to power, the country began holding frequent exercises with the participation of military personnel from the United States, the United Kingdom, Germany, and Romania.

https://sputnikglobe.com/20240609/ukraine-did-not-attack-transnistria-because-it-is-de-jure-part-of-moldova---ex-president-1118881122.html

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hub for western military aircraft, western warplanes, european country
https://sputnikglobe.com/20240720/russia-boosts-oil-supply-to-china-by-481-in-january-june-2024-year-on-year-1119440473.html

Russia Boosts Oil Supply to China by 4.81% in January-June 2024 Year-on-Year

Russia Boosts Oil Supply to China by 4.81% in January-June 2024 Year-on-Year

Sputnik International

Russian oil supply to China increased by 4.81% in January-June 2024 to 55.122 million tonnes worth $32.807 billion year-on-year, data from the Chinese General Administration of Customs showed on Saturday.

2024-07-20T08:53+0000

2024-07-20T08:53+0000

2024-07-20T08:53+0000

russia

china

russia

chinese general administration of customs

liquefied natural gas (lng)

oil

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China purchased 8.43 million tonnes of Russian oil worth $4.914 billion in June, data showed. China's oil imports totaled 275.484 million tonnes in January-June of this year that cost $167.39 billion, up by 2.1% year-on-year. In 2023, the Asian nation's imports of Russian oil jumped by 24% to 107 million tonnes year-on-year. Meanwhile, Russia's liquefied natural gas (LNG) supply to China decreased by 9.24% to 3.515 million tonnes in January-June 2024. In June alone, China imported 663,880 tonnes of LNG from Russia worth $377.857 million.

https://sputnikglobe.com/20240531/india-russia-oil-for-rubles-deal-another-sign-of-rapid-dedollarization-1118725665.html

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https://sputnikglobe.com/20240720/russia-captures-new-ukrainian-long-range-drone-1119439620.html

Russia Captures New Ukrainian Long-Range Drone

Russia Captures New Ukrainian Long-Range Drone

Sputnik International

Russian specialists have managed to capture and examine a new Ukrainian kamikaze drone with a jet engine capable of gaining speed when approaching air defense and electronic warfare zones.

2024-07-20T06:24+0000

2024-07-20T06:24+0000

2024-07-20T06:25+0000

russia's special operation in ukraine

ukraine

russia

drone

drone strike

uav

anti-uav

new uav

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Russian specialists have managed to capture and examine a new Ukrainian kamikaze drone equipped with a jet engine and capable of gaining speed when approaching air defense and electronic warfare zones. Studying the trophy will help counter a new UAV, said Dmitry Kuzyakin, general director of the Center for Complex Unmanned Solutions."We have managed to study the Ukrainian kamikaze drone. This is the enemy's fundamentally new design - the UAV is equipped with a jet engine, making it more expensive at a reduced flight range. There are also advantages [that we will study to] get crucial data on countering the new threat," he said.The drone is capable of accelerating rapidly as it approaches the range of air defense and electronic warfare systems, he noted.He stressed that the results of the examination have already been delivered for further countermeasures.The Center for Complex Unmanned Solutions deals with the full cycle of FPV systems combat application issues, from training in piloting and effective use, to the production of the drones themselves. Over the years, the company has created a line of combat FPV-drones, Joker, and a set of ground equipment. The latest model Joker-10 carries a payload of up to 5 kilograms, developing a speed of up to 100 kilometers per hour (up to 200 kilometers per hour without payload).

https://sputnikglobe.com/20240331/he-who-laughs-last-russian-joker-drones-may-double-up-as-air-defenses-1117670022.html

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https://sputnikglobe.com/20240720/slovak-govt-says-ukrainian-sanctions-against-russias-lukoil-harm-eu-countries-1119446208.html

Slovak Govt Says Ukrainian Sanctions Against Russia's Lukoil Harm EU Countries

Slovak Govt Says Ukrainian Sanctions Against Russia's Lukoil Harm EU Countries

Sputnik International

Ukraine putting sanctions Russia's Lukoil company harms not Russia, but only European Union countries, the Slovak government said on Saturday.

2024-07-20T21:01+0000

2024-07-20T21:01+0000

2024-07-20T21:01+0000

economy

slovakia

european union (eu)

lukoil

russia

robert fico

ukraine

russian economy under sanctions

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"[Slovak Prime Minister] Robert Fico is convinced that the inclusion of Russia's Lukoil in the sanctions list is just another example of absurd sanctions, which harm not Russia, but primarily some countries of the European Union, which is unacceptable," the Slovak government said in a statement. Fico also had a phone conversation with his Ukrainian counterpart Denys Shmyhal concerning the situation and said that Slovakia was not going to be a "hostage of Ukrainian-Russian relations," the statement read. Slovak oil refinery Slovnaft will be receiving 40% less oil for processing than required as a result of the Ukrainian decision, which could lead to the suspension of supplies of diesel that Slovnaft produces for Ukraine, the government added. The Slovak Economy Ministry earlier confirmed that the country was no longer receiving oil from Lukoil due to Ukraine stopping its transit through its territory. Slovnaft is provided with supplies of Russian oil from another supplier, but the current situation is being discussed with the Ukrainian side, the ministry also said.

https://sputnikglobe.com/20240624/west-losing-war-with-russia-both-militarily-morally---slovak-deputy-speaker-1119112420.html

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ukrainian sanctions on russia, sanctions on lukoil, sanctions harming european economy
https://sputnikglobe.com/20240720/three-people-injured-in-russias-belgorod-region-after-ukrainian-shelling---governor-1119439192.html

Three People Injured in Russias Belgorod Region After Ukrainian Shelling - Governor

Three People Injured in Russias Belgorod Region After Ukrainian Shelling - Governor

Sputnik International

Three Russians were injured in the Belgorod region after Ukrainian forces shelled two civilian homes.

2024-07-20T01:21+0000

2024-07-20T01:21+0000

2024-07-20T01:21+0000

russia's special operation in ukraine

alexander gladkov

belgorod region

russia

ukraine

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"The armed forces of Ukraine shelled Shebekino again. According to preliminary information, three people have been injured," Gladkov wrote on his Telegram channel. He noted that two of the victims were men and one was a woman. They have been transferred to a local hospital and are receiving treatment.Gladkov added that two residential homes caught fire after the shelling but they were quickly extinguished by firefighters.Hours later, he posted that the entire region is under a missile alert, and urged residents to stay in their basements until they get the "all clear" signal.Russia has described the Kiev regime's intentional targeting of civilians in Belgorod as acts of terrorism.

https://sputnikglobe.com/20240514/pentagon-declines-to-comment-on-recent-ukrainian-strikes-on-belgorod-1118416429.html

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https://sputnikglobe.com/20240720/uk-navy-reports-two-drone-attacks-on-merchant-ship-northwest-of-yemeni-city-of-mocha-1119441246.html

UK Navy Reports Two Drone Attacks on Merchant Ship Northwest of Yemeni City of Mocha

UK Navy Reports Two Drone Attacks on Merchant Ship Northwest of Yemeni City of Mocha

Sputnik International

The United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations (UKMTO) said on Saturday it had received a report of two drone attacks on a vessel sailing in the Red Sea, northwest of the Yemeni city of Mocha (Al Mukha).

2024-07-20T10:25+0000

2024-07-20T10:25+0000

2024-07-20T10:25+0000

world

red sea crisis

united kingdom (uk)

red sea

yemen

navy

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"UKMTO has received a report of an incident 64NM [nautical miles, 73.6 miles] northwest of Al Mukha, Yemen. The Master reports two attacks: the first by an Uncrewed Aerial System (UAS), which exploded in close proximity to the vessel, resulting in minor damage; the second by an Uncrewed Surface Vessel (USV), which also exploded in close proximity to the vessel," the UK naval force said on social media. The force reported further unmanned aerial vehicles sightings. Both the vessel and the crew were safe. Yemen's Ansar Allah movement, also known as the Houthis, vowed in fall to attack ships associated with Israel until it halted military actions in the Gaza Strip. The attacks prompted the United States to form a multinational coalition, which includes the United Kingdom, among others, to protect shipping in the Red Sea and strike Houthi targets on the ground.

https://sputnikglobe.com/20240514/royal-marines-to-get-new-multi-role-support-ships-amid-scramble-to-fix-uk-navys-woes--1118419424.html

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Pennsylvania-sired sophomore trotting colts visited Harrahs Philadelphia on Friday afternoon, July 19 for their third preliminary state-sired rounds, with two $97,489 Sire Stakes divisions captured by a pair of 5-1 shots, each stopping the timer in 1:53.

The Greenshoe colt Supernova Hanover dropped four seconds from his mark in winning for driver Todd McCarthy, trainer Per Engblom and owners Engblom Stable, Douglas Sipple and the Mal & Janet Burroughs LLC of the new U.S. Hall Of Famer. Supernova Hanover got the ride in the golden chair as favoured Luke The Spook and Greenspan duelled during a :27 third quarter, then cleared and moved out in the stretch to catch the chalk by a half-length, gaining in the :55 back half.

It was again pacesetter and pocket-sitter in the second Sire Stakes division, but this time it was the pacesetter, the Bar Hopping gelding Usain Hanover, who prevailed, holding off the longest shot on the board, Ordained, by a neck while covering his last half in :55.4. David Miller drove the Nifty Norman pupil for Enzed Racing Stable Inc.

David Miller and sire Greenshoe picked up stakes doubles when they paired on the fastest of three winners in $27,397 Stallion Series divisions, the 1:54 mile of Going Green, with the gelding reducing his lifetime best by four and one-fifth seconds. Going Green did hard work uncovered to make the lead, then held off the rival at his back, Green Pastures, by a length for trainer Jenny Melander and the partnership of Melander Racing Inc., Clark Stables LLC and Noonan Harness Racing LLC.

Splendid has now won three Stallion Series races among his seven-race winning streak, on Friday putting up a time of 1:56 for driver Chris Lems, trainer Todd Rooney and owners Rooney Racing and Trotting For Bourbon. The Father Patrick colt was in the two-hole when pacesetter Loxahatchee lost stride turning for home, and had the largest lead at the wire among todays stakes horses, 1-1/4 lengths over Bird And Grenade.

The International Moni gelding Sainthood has now won his last two starts, here overcoming the outside post eight to take his Stallion Series cut in 1:55.4. Sainthood set the pace then withstood Takemetochurch Deo by a neck for driver George Napolitano Jr., trainer Joe Pavia Jr., and Bay Pond Racing Stable.

Twenty-one-year-old Carter Dalgety made his first driving day in the United States a memorable one by guiding 11-1 shot Handlelikeaporsche to a 1:51.1 win in the days final race. The New Zealander, whose father Cran served as a mentor to the younger Dexter Dunn, is imitating Dunn's brief trip to North America few years ago to sample the racing life, and Dalgety may come back permanently in a bit; if he does, he could have an in with the many Down Under trainers on the East Coast, such as U.S. Hall Of Fame ballot candidate Chris Ryder, the trainer of Handlelikeporsche.

Driver Simon Allard and trainer/owner Mark Akins continued in sizzling form by combining for four Friday winners.

The racing week closes out on Sunday with a 12:40 p.m. start. Fast-class pacers who can threaten 1:50 comprise the days feature, a $15,000 USD contest. Free Philly programs will be available at phha.org.

(PHHA / Harrahs Philadelphia)
Fearless Ginger, Adamsville Road and My Red Sea shared the spotlight on Friday, July 19 at Eldorado Scioto Downs, winning the evenings feature races.

In the $41,096 final of the Dr. Davis Pace, Fearless Ginger and driver Austin Hanners went straight to the front with Gulf Moon (Aaron Merriman) pressing on from the six-hole towards the :26.1 opening quarter. Hanners pulled Fearless Ginger right back out of the pocket to re-take the lead heading into the second turn. Laurel Court (Jeremy Smith) pulled first-up towards the :54.4. half which flushed Illegal (Tyler Smith) out from the four-hole. As the field hit the 1:22 three-quarters, Fearless Ginger opened up and she went on to win by a length and a quarter over the fast-closing Bettorthanamillion (Brett Miller), who went up the passing lane. Gulf Moon was third.

In the Dr. Davis Pace, a mini-series of three legs and a final for fillies eligible to the Buckeye Stallion Series who did not race in the second leg of the Ohio Sires Stakes. Fearless Ginger was scratched sick from the first leg and finished second twice. Tim Lane owns and trains the three-year-old filly by Fear The Dragon who now has five wins in 11 starts this season after a winless rookie campaign.

Adamsville Road convincingly won the $34,247 Open Trot after having his own way, leading gate-to-wire to win in 1:53. Leaving from post six, Adamsville Road and driver Luke Hanners lead the field through fractions of :28.1, :57.2 and 1:24.4. The 2-5 favourite, Refined (Dan Noble), got away fourth and went first-up after the half to challenge the leader. Adamsville Road won by a half length over Refined and Ahundreddollarbill (Brett Miller), who finished in a dead heat for second. John Ryan Melsheimer trains the five-year-old Swan For All gelding, a 21-time winner, for Mel Rose Stable and Joe Nesselroad.

My Red Sea and Austin Hanners took the $34,247 Fillies & Mares Open Pace in 1:51.1. Odds On Cinamon (Luke Hanners) took the early lead, followed closely by Trick Of The Light (Dan Noble) as they headed to the :27.2 opening quarter. My Read Sea then went first-up and flushed Hungry Lizzo (Jeremy Smith) by the :56.3 half. Hungry Lizzo got on even terms with Odds On Cinamon by the 1:23.3 three-quarters. My Red Sea went three-wide coming out of the last turn to win by a quarter length. Trick Of The Light shot up the passing lane to finish second with Seaside Diva (Chris Page) getting up for third. Jason Irwin trains the four-year-old daughter of Downbytheseaside, now a 12-time winner, for Jennifer Bongiorno Stable and Robert Weinstein.

(With files from Scioto Downs)
Ontario-sired two-year-old pacing fillies invaded Kawartha Downs on Friday night, July 19 for Grassroots and Prospect Series action as the Fraserville, Ont. track celebrated the 50th anniversary of the Ontario Sires Stakes.

A large crowd gathered to watch the evening's Sires Stakes action amid the on-track festivities as well as Kawartha's first Wiener Dog Derby held between the harness races.

First-time winner Manhattan Mayhem topped the two-year-old pacing fillies, winning the fastest stakes division of the night in 1:55 flat. Scott Young drove the Shawn Steacy trainee in a $20,000 Grassroots contest, going first-over from fourth approaching the third quarter mark and kicking home in :28.3 to win by one length over late pocket-popper Jenny Longlegs (Guy Gagnon), with the fast-closing Night Dancer (Nick Boyd) edging out the favoured first-round winner Saddlebags (Samuel Fillion) to show. A winner in her second career start, the Bettors Delight-Manhattan Again filly is owned by Ontario breeders Tony Basile of Toronto and Andrew Atlas of Whitby, along with their partner Nancy Malik of Ottawa.

Tricky Wicky doubled up in the Grassroots Series, following up her winning effort in the July 9 opening leg at Woodbine Mohawk Park with a 1:55.3 triumph in rein to Nick Boyd. Rene Dion trains the McWicked-Dobre Povendane filly, a homebred for David and John Prushnok of Indiana, Pennsylvania.

Driver Jason Ryan, trainer Nick Gallucci and owner/breeder Millar Farms teamed up for a pair of Grassroots victories with the maiden-breaking fillies Oneformybaby (Hes Watching-Poto Hanover), who dropped from the Gold level to win her second career start in 1:55.2, and Ithadtobeyou (Bettors Delight-Mindsweeper), a 1:57.2 winner after hitting the board in her debut during last week's opening leg.

Ryan also picked up a Prospect win with Allstar Fireaway making a successful career debut in 1:58.2 for trainer Jason Woodward.

In the other $8,000 Prospect divisions, the Eric Nadeau-trained Century Lunar won as first asking in 1:58.1 with leading Kawartha driver Samuel Fillion in the bike and Mafalda broke her maiden in her second career start in 1:58.2 for the Baillargeon brothers -- driver Mario and trainer Ben.

The next Grassroots leg for the freshman pacing fillies is scheduled for Aug. 17 at Mohawk while the Prospect Series continues on Aug. 7 at Grand River Raceway.

To view Friday's harness racing results, click the following link: Friday Results - Kawartha Downs.

(Standardbred Canada)
Spanberger for Governor announced this week more than $3.45 million had been raised so far this year, and a total of $7.09 million since the campaign launched in November.

The campaign said it is the highest fundraising total of any Virginia statewide candidate at this point in the election cycle.

U.S. Rep. Abigail Spanberger, D-7th, is serving the final months of her third term in Congress. She will run next year to be the first female governor of Virginia. Republicans have yet to field any candidates

According to the gubernatorial campaign, 90% of donors to Spanbergers campaign gave $100 or less, 72% of all contributions were from Virginians, nearly 25,000 contributions were $100 or less, and the average grassroots donation was $29.

These numbers represent enthusiasm. Virginians across the Commonwealth are sending a clear message  theyre ready for Abigail Spanberger to serve as the next Governor of Virginia, said Samson Signori, Campaign Manager, Spanberger for Governor.

Virginians know that Abigail will get things done on the issues that matter most  from protecting our fundamental freedoms to investing in Virginias schools. Abigail and her campaign are incredibly grateful for the dedicated grassroots supporters whove already donated their time, energy, and resources  and our early momentum on the ground will only continue to grow.

An analysis of nearly 1,000 pages of donations since last November showed Spanberger for Governor received big and small donations from all around Virginia, including Culpeper and Orange, as well as her former Richmond area base, Northern Virginia and D.C.

She received contributions from around the U.S., including Florida, Rhode Island, Utah, California, New York, New Jersey, Rhode Island, Massachusetts, South Dakota, Maine, Pennsylvania, North Carolina, Missouri and Delaware.

Donations came from employees of Save the Children, NYC Dept. of Education, Carnegie Endowment for International Peace, FEMA, State of Maryland, INOVA Health, Physicians for Women, US DOT, National School Boards Association, State Department, VA, U.S. Dept. of Energy, Sierra Club, PEC, Montpelier Foundation, Microsoft and the World Bank.

Supporting her with financial donations were Fredericksburg teachers, UVA physicians, farmers, veterans, social workers, artists, journalists, professors and a pastor and donor listed as a homemaker.

The Spanberger for Governor campaign received $500 from William Bayne, owner of the Crystal City Gentlemans Club in Arlington.

The Clean Virginia Fund PAC of Charlottesville was among top donors, giving $250,000 in the spring.

Clean Virginia Executive Director Brennan Gilmore said in a statement at the time, announcing their endorsement of Spanberger for Governor, that the congresswoman has been a critical voice for bringing together industry leaders, environmental organizations and business groups to find common ground, combat climate change and build a more resilient economy.

Future Governor Spanberger will focus on policies that have a tangible impact on the lives of all Virginians  ensuring every family benefits from environmental sustainability, lower energy costs and a government that responds to the people, he said.

Former AllScripts CEO Glen Tullman, CEO of Transcarent in Chicago, also gave $250,000 to Spanberger for Governor.

Other top donors were Robert Hardle of Level One Partners in Charlottesville, donating $95,000. He sits on the Board of Visitors at the University of Virginia, Spanbergers alma mater.

Shannon Hunt-Scott of The Scott Foundation in Los Gatos, Calif. gave $125,000 to Spanberger for Governor. She and husband, Kevin Scott, Microsoft CFO, created the foundation in 2014 that supports causes advancing educational equity, social entrepreneurship, civic engagement and social and reproductive justice, according to thescottfoundation.org.

In Congress, Spanberger sits on the U.S. House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence and the U.S. House Agriculture Committee. Before Congress, she was a federal law enforcement officer and CIA case officer. She and her husband, Adam, have three school-aged daughters, and reside in Glen Allen.
People are shown at the Northline Transit Center, 7705 Fulton Street, on Thursday, July 20, 2023 in Houston. Melissa Phillip/Staff Photographer A Route 82 bus passing by construction cones at 3800 block of Westheimer Road Tuesday, May 7, 2024 in Houston. The Westheimer improvement project will improve bus stops and repair pavement on a six-mile stretch of Westheimer Road from Loop610 to downtown. Yi-Chin Lee/Staff photographer

University of Houston students are expected to push Metro to revisit a rapid bus line that would connect many suburban students to their campus when they speak out Tuesday at a City Council meeting.

Transit officials announced last month that they were shelving the University Corridor, citing financial strains and a squeeze on other services had the project moved forward. Advocates  UH students among them  have worried what the delay means for the plans long-term viability, even though Metro executives said their decision is not an abandonment of what voters approved.

The line is intended to run from the Tidwell Transit Center south along Lockwood to the University of Houston and Texas Southern University, then west mostly along Wheeler, Richmond and Westpark to the Westchase Park and Ride. Some students had celebrated the promised corridor for how it might increase access to higher education, leading UHs Student Government Association to formally ask Metro to start up the project again.

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The commuter students at UH are the heart of UH, said Savannah Bivens, a student representative who co-authored a resolution urging transit officials to reconsider. We were so hopeful for this.

University of Houston officials were not as sold on the plan as some students seemed to be, however.

In response to questions about the corridor, UH directed the Houston Chronicle to a letter that university President and UH System Chancellor Renu Khator sent to Metro after the board concurred on the pause in June. Khator drew Metro officials attention to a list of concerns she sent them in 2022  among them, that having both rail and mass transit surrounding campus would significantly impact traffic and mobility, especially during big events, and that it would effectively cut off UH from major highways and thoroughfares.

Metro and UH formed a working group to solve those issues, but no formal resolution was reached, the president said.

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Our concerns detailed in this letter remain, Khator wrote in the latest communication. As a major stakeholder in this discussion, we hope decisionmakers will consider the concerns detailed in the letter as we work with you and others in considering the University Line and other projects in a joint effort to create a multi-modal transportation system that serves all of our community.

UH enrolls more than 46,000 students  83% of whom live off-campus  and employs 3,200 faculty. Many of the off-campus students live in Houstons suburbs and drive to campus daily, a trend that earned UH a nickname that Khator has tried to shake: Cougar High.

TSU has 8,500 students, 77% of whom live off-campus, according to school data. The university also employs around 1,400 faculty and staff.

Texas Southern University was happy to participate in the planning process as a community partner for the University Corridor, along with other universities, officials said in a university statement. TSU always welcomes opportunities to provide access to our campus for our students and visitors. We look forward to working with METRO on next steps.

The University Corridor was once the backbone of the regions long-term transit plan but could now be delayed by years. Voters signed off in 2019, setting in motion the route where buses would travel in their own lanes, separated from vehicular traffic. Most of the cost, estimated at $2.2 billion, was planned to come from federal funds, with Metro providing the rest from its share of the regions 1-cent sales tax for transportation.

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Metro officials said in June, when they decided to shelve the project, that the cost would tie up too much of the agencys capital program.

We have a responsibility to make sure our decisions are financially sound, Metro Chairperson Elizabeth Brock said. Without the numbers working, we cannot move forward.

Officials spent $72 million over three years getting the planned project ready for construction. How much of that work can be revived when and if the project proceeds again would depend on whether Metro would go forward with that design or seek changes to the route or other parts of the project.

In the interim, Metro could advance aspects of the long-range plan. And officials are pursuing other planned projects that were meant to link with the university corridor, including an Inner Katy bus rapid transit line.

Benjamin Rizk, former UH Student Government Association president, said he believes many students who commute from Katy would have benefited from the University Corridor.

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He commuted before moving closer to campus, and he knows students who spend more than an hour in the car each day. Those hours are valuable, Rizk said, and those who are able to take public transportation can at least do homework during that time. (Metros purple line, a light rail option, runs from downtown through UH.)

Bivens said that on-campus students like herself can also struggle with not having reliable transportation to take them off campus.

And a rapid bus route would seemingly help in fulfilling Khators goals to make UH a more residential campus, to increase graduation rates and become a top 50 public university, Rizk said.

Reliable public transit has long been connected to access to higher education and success within the system. Kate Elengold, assistant professor of law at the University of North Carolina School of Law, said she found in a 2019 survey that reliable transportation rose to the top when she asked Americans what their primary barriers were in their decisions to stop out out of college.

The problem was present for respondents across the board, but especially for Latinos, Elengold said.

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Transportation was kind of a thread that was holding a lot of different things together for students who were all living full and complex lives, she said. When transportation failed on any of these axes, it resulted in students dropping out.

Still, many universities might hesitate to bolster public transportation around their campuses, Elengold said.

Theres a push and pull about access versus affordability versus cost versus culture, she said. A lot of universities are trying to do a lot of things that may be in tension with one another.
The Bryan City Council recently approved regulation guidelines for possibly constructing Battery Energy Storage Systems (BESS) in city limits, though Texas cities such as Tomball have raised concerns over possible fires or explosions at such sites.

A BESS is a collection of batteries that charge, collect and store energy from the grid or power plant. Whenever energy demand is high, the BESS can discharge stored energy into the system, easing the demand for power. A BESS may consist of one or more batteries, is typically a stationary divide, and can range in size and intensity based on the magnitude of the power grid. With energy demand continuously increasing in Texas, solutions are being explored, including construction of BESS.

The regulations involving BESS are relatively new, being first outlined in the 2021 International Fire Code, and are frequently being revised as more information about the system is learned. On July 9, Bryans council approved additional city ordinances to improve safety measures at future BESS sites.

Robert Williamson, fire marshal for the Bryan Fire Department, said the planning committee wanted oversight on future battery system constructions to work on minimizing risk, which was included and approved in the Bryan city ordinance.

The ordinance that just passed gives [the] planning [committee] the ability to look very closely at the appropriateness of one of the sites, he said. The Fire Marshals Office still retains the ability to do the permitting process and apply standards, do plan review, that kind of thing.

The Tomball City Council denied a similar plan for the Houston-area city a year ago.

Lithium ion batteries have been proven as effective and efficient sources of power, but do have the possibility to catch on fire. Some factors that could cause battery fires include physical damage, electrical damage, overcharging or using charging equipment not designed for the battery, exposure to extreme temperatures and overall product defects, according to the National Fire Protection Association.

Its important to note that, when we do emergency planning like this, it is not necessarily the odds that we look at. Its the risk involved. So, in the event that there was a problem at one of the sites, we want to make sure that we have put residences at the least amount of risk, Williamson said.

According to the approved city ordinance, each BESS will need to be 1,000 feet away from residential zoning districts and must be located at least 500 feet away from another property that has a BESS. The property will need to be at least one acre and be enclosed by a minimum 6-foot tall security fence with anti-climbing devices.

Williamson also confirmed that the systems must be continuously monitored to ensure any possible safety concerns are dealt with immediately, lowering the risk of an incident.

As the magnitude of the danger increases, so should the level of planning and the level of oversight that would come into that kind of a system, he said. Existing fire code is chock full of applicable standards, design criteria and things like commissioning and decommissioning of the storage system. What were not going to tolerate is a company walking away and leaving the city of Bryan holding the bag on what is effectively a hazardous material site.

Bryan Fire Chief Rich Giusti said a BESS-related incident could prove difficult to handle due to the metals and toxic chemicals involved and the fact that batteries can burn at 3,000 to 4,000 degrees Fahrenheit.

We dont have any agent or anything thats going to be able to put that out because it burns so hot. The only thing we could do is cool it so that it doesnt get to the next bank, the next cell, and so forth on that, he said. For right now, until there are better mechanisms to confine and mitigate that situation, the city of Bryan does not want those batteries near residences, schools, businesses and so forth.

Monitoring any future battery systems will be essential to preventing a future fire, but other measures can be put in place to decrease risk. Giusti said the BESS will include technology that allows workers to know when the batteries are producing excess heat.

The very best is going to be that we have a good ordinance and, right now, that goes far above what the standard is, he said. We wanted that because theres a lot of unknowns. The best-case scenario is we have good monitoring, its away from people, we have extinguishing cooling agents that are there with it and theyre outside in racks so you have no containment of any explosive gasses.

Safety will continue to be a priority when deciding future ordinances for the city, Giusti said.

City ordinance may change if the technology changes to where they can prove to us that were able to contain this and keep any types of toxic chemicals or the heat from hurting the people that are living next door, he said. We do not want to inhibit business for the city of Bryan. What we want to do is ensure that our residents are safe.
Poets from BRICS countries gather in China

Xinhua) 09:27, July 20, 2024

HANGZHOU, July 19 (Xinhua) -- More than 70 poets from BRICS countries have come together in Hangzhou, east China's Zhejiang Province, to participate in a poetry event.

During the event, they will express their thoughts through poetry, highlighting the friendships between different countries, ethnic groups and cultures.

Participants are expected to visit Hangzhou and Beijing, engaging in a series of literary activities such as academic dialogues, seminars and poetry sharing sessions.

Zhang Hongsen, vice chairman of the China Writers Association, expressed the hope that the poets would use poetry to build a bridge of communication between minds and work together to create a beautiful home for humanity.

First held in 1980 by a poetry magazine that the association publishes, this event is considered the most influential and longest-running literary gathering in China.

(Web editor: Peng Yukai, Wu Chaolan)
The Pointe at Bayou Bend, the 398-unit affordable housing complex at 800 Middle St., is near completion. Yi-Chin Lee/Staff photographer

Mayor John Whitmire sent the chair of the Houston Housing Authority board a letter Friday morning, asking the organization to hold off on leasing a nearly complete, 398-unit affordable housing complex along Buffalo Bayou East. The Pointe at Bayou Bend had been expected to begin leasing this fall and to be fully occupied by December, according to housing authority documents.

"I am greatly concerned with the possibility of residents moving into the apartments at this time," Whitmire said in his letter.

He cited the discovery, near the apartments at 800 Middle St., of waste from the days when the city incinerated trash in the area. He said the ash found on HHA-owned land north of the apartments contained lead. The ash led to four environmental violations issued by the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality; those are still outstanding, the commission said June 26 in an emailed statement.

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800 MIDDLE ST: East End is roiled as mixed-income housing plans advance

The Houston Housing Authority did not respond to questions about whether it will honor Whitmire's request to put a pause on leasing the building. The city does not have direct control over the housing authority's actions, although the mayor appoints the board. In a highly unusual move, Whitmire replaced the majority of the housing authority's board in February.

"At the request of the Mayor's office, we've already completed additional testing on the housing development site which confirms there are no concerns," the authority said in an emailed statement, adding it would conduct "additional environmental assessment" of the surrounding undeveloped property before residents moved in.

Regarding the TCEQ violations, it asserted that, "to our knowledge, we have addressed outstanding violations."

At the housing authority's June board meeting, chairman Joseph Proler had praised the project's "quality," "environment" and benefits to the community, saying that touring the nearly completed project had been emotionally moving. The project has been in the works for more than four years, and will replace a number of public housing units torn down to make way for the I-45 expansion.

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Throughout the four years of planning and construction, there has been pushback from nearby residents. In addition to environmental concerns, residents have said that the apartment's 398 units of affordable housing is too high of a concentration of low-income residents for the neighborhood and that the area will not be able to handle the traffic.
The delicious holiday, taking place July 21, is celebrated annually on the third Sunday in July, which is National Ice Cream Month. Sally Anscombe/Getty Images

Cooling off with a frozen treat will be even easier this weekend as several local businesses celebrate National Ice Cream Day.

The delicious holiday, taking place July 21, is celebrated annually on the third Sunday in July, which is National Ice Cream Month. This year, there's several ways to celebrate in Houston for ice cream lovers of all ages.

Here's the scoop on all things National Ice Cream Day.

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National Ice Cream Day Freebies

Dippin' Dots

In honor of National Ice Cream Day, participating locations will be handing out a free mini cup of Dippin' Dots during a two-hour window. Participating locations in the Houston area include the BayBrook Mall, Katy Mills Mall and Parkdale Mall. Customers should check with their local Dippin' Dots location to determine when the free ice cream will be available.

Dairy Queen

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Dairy Queen will provide customers with a National Ice Cream Day deal in the Dairy Queen App. The fast-food chain will be giving out free Dilly Bars on July 21 with any DQ Texas App purchase.

Customers must have the Dairy Queen app and sign up for DQ Rewards. The free Dilly Bar reward can be redeemed with any purchase over $1.

Marble Slab

On Sunday, Marble Slab customers can enjoy a free small cup of ice cream when they purchase a cup, small or large, of ice cream in-store.

Additionally, Marble Slab is offering $5 off its ice cream cakes throughout the month of July with the code CAKE24.

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Insomnia Cookies

Customers will get two free scoops of ice cream with any Insomnia Cookies online or in-person purchase from Friday to Sunday.

National Ice Cream Day Events

Children's Museum Houston

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Ice cream lovers can dive into the science behind the frozen treat at the Children's Museum Houston National Ice Cream Day Celebration. Participants will make ice cream in a bag and then enjoy with their choice of toppings and mix-ins.

The event is free with any general admission ticket to the museum and will happen at the top of every half hour from 10:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. in Alexander Art Academy.

Other National Ice Cream Day Celebrations

Amy's Ice Cream

In honor of National Ice Cream Day, Amy's Ice Cream is giving away a free three-month Sweet Fleet Box subscription, which delivers three pints of rotating ice cream flavors every month.

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You can enter the giveaway by liking the post and following Amy's Ice Cream and Phil's IceHouse on Instagram.

Van Leeuwen Ice Cream

The popular ice cream company announced its partnership with Sanrio, the lifestyle brand known for Hello Kitty, to celebrate National Ice Cream Day with a new Yummy Berry White Chocolate Truffle Ice Cream flavor available on July 21 only.
Justin Ballard is the Houston Chronicle's first ever newsroom meteorologist. He can be reached at justin.ballard@houstonchronicle.com.

He brings five years of experience forecasting tropical systems, severe weather outbreaks, and blizzards to the Houston Chronicle. His unique experience in forecasting will serve him well in his role at the Chronicle, as Houston has experienced a number of impactful weather events in recent years.

Justin looks forward to his work with the Houston Chronicle, where he'll be responsible for posting daily weather forecasts. On top of daily forecasts, he is excited to tackle more in-depth weather and climate stories that impact the residents of Southeast Texas.

A North Carolina native, Justin joined the Chronicle in July 2023. He graduated with his bachelor's degree in meteorology from the University of North Carolina at Charlotte in December 2017.
U.S. Representative Sheila Jackson Lee poses for a portrait at The Houston Chronicle in Houston, TX on August 29, 2023. Sharon Steinmann/Staff Photographer Congresswoman Sheila Jackson Lee hosts a packed crime prevention town hall meeting in conjunction with the Houston Heights Association and other civic associations at the Heights Library to address the recent rise in crime in the Houston Heights Community on Monday, Feb. 2, 2009, in Houston. ( Sharon Steinmann / Chronicle ) Sharon Steinmann/Houston Chronicle

Sheila Jackson Lee wasnt ready to quit and the people she served werent ready to let her go. Given the choice between a fresh-faced challenger bursting with smarts and energy in March, Democratic primary voters of the 18th congressional district chose to keep their U.S. representative of 30 years, whose passion for improving their lives never wavered.

Jackson Lees seniority and her influence were as hard to replace as her relentless work ethic and uncanny ability to troubleshoot the conundrum of some desperate individual stymied by federal bureaucracy. The last time we saw her in an endorsement screening, she was multitasking on her phone, juggling our questions while trying to make sure a Dreamer with delicate immigration status could get home to his grandmothers funeral in Mexico City.

Im not over the hill, Jackson Lee told us at one point after a question about her age. Im on the Hill.

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She was always on. Always charging. Always throwing elbows to advance the causes she cared about. And, yes, always seeking out the nearest microphone with the precision of a sophisticated homing device.

JOY SEWING: No one loved Houston more than Congresswoman Sheila Jackson Lee

But somewhere, her cellphone has stopped buzzing. Her ever-present piles of loose paper and notes rest unrustled in their folders. Her clever tongue, sometimes sharp, even crude, but most often eloquent, is silent.

Late Friday, news broke that one of Congress longest serving members, a champion of the rights of Houstonians, of Texans, especially women, Black Americans and immigrants, had died, only weeks after she announced her diagnosis of pancreatic cancer. She was 74.

Deaths haste in taking her seems almost as frenetic as the pace at which The Congresswoman, as she preferred to be called, approached her 14 terms in Congress.

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Even though she rarely drew an opponent, she never stopped making her case on the House floor, even when the chamber was empty, and never stopped campaigning to keep her job. Shed worked so hard to get there. She lost several races for judge before finally being appointed a municipal court judge and then finally being elected to the City Council when there were few women in local government. The headstrong woman from Queens who had graduated from Yale and earned a law degree at the University of Virginia wasnt easily accepted in her husbands hometown of Houston.

And yet, she made a life here. And a career that touched so many other peoples lives. Her presence was so heavily felt and her face so recognizable  and not just because of her regal crown of braids and vibrantly colored accessories. She was a fixture of political life and every civil rights battle from the preservation of public schools to police brutality.

Her absence leaves an emptiness that may just have her friends and foes asking the same question: What are we going to do without her?

Suddenly, those who reveled for years in ridiculing her diva demeanor, her moth-like compulsion toward the spotlight and her periodic appearances on Congress meanest boss lists find themselves looking for another pin cushion. Suddenly, those who counted on her to advocate, to give voice to their struggles, to give late-night guidance on mental health care or even for a portable A/C delivered promptly after a newspaper columnist reported one of her constituents didnt have one, find themselves looking for a new champion.

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No one is simple. No one is perfect. In politics, even less so. Jackson Lee was proof of how that complexity could be employed for good.

Proudly occupying the same congressional seat that once belonged to the legendary Barbara Jordan, Jackson Lee was a show horse with something to show for it.

Rated one of the most effective legislators, she authored criminal justice legislation and kept vigil in the call for reparations for the descendants of enslaved people. Her two proudest career accomplishments: she spearheaded an expanded rewrite of the Violence Against Women Act, and along with Texas Republican Sen. John Cornyn, she led the effort to make Juneteenth a national holiday.

A lightning rod who was also a pragmatist, she worked across the aisle. Not even a year after losing a tough mayoral campaign against longtime Democratic state Sen. John Whitmire in December, Jackson Lee was back at the table with him in May, conferring on the response to the devastating derecho storms.

She was always showing up. To weddings and funerals, to luncheons and small community center events, to direct traffic at a COVID-19 testing site.

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We can honestly say, said former Mayor Sylvester Turner, Sheila Jackson Lee left it all on the field.

Houston, and Texas, are better for it. Thank you, Congresswoman, for the many years of service and fight. Take a rest now. Youve earned it.
A person holds a sign that reads "Mass Deportation Now" on the third day of the Republican National Convention at the Fiserv Forum on July 17, 2024 in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. Delegates, politicians, and the Republican faithful are in Milwaukee for the annual convention, concluding with former President Donald Trump accepting his party's presidential nomination. Joe Raedle/Getty Images Attendees hold signs that read "Make America Strong Again" and "Mass Deportation Now" on the third day of the Republican National Convention at the Fiserv Forum on July 17, 2024 in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. Delegates, politicians, and the Republican faithful are in Milwaukee for the annual convention, concluding with former President Donald Trump accepting his party's presidential nomination. Scott Olson/Getty Images People hold signs that read "Mass Deportation Now!" on the third day of the Republican National Convention at the Fiserv Forum on July 17, 2024 in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. Delegates, politicians, and the Republican faithful are in Milwaukee for the annual convention, concluding with former President Donald Trump accepting his party's presidential nomination. Alex Wong/Getty Images

MILWAUKEE  Republicans this week made clear what they want to see from Donald Trump if he returns to the White House: Mass Deportation Now!

That was the message emblazoned on hundreds of blue and red signs the Trump campaign doled out to delegates at the Republican National Convention on Wednesday night. Send them back, the crowd chanted as Gov. Greg Abbott delivered a fiery immigration-focused speech, saying he was confident Trump would round up immigrants.

To keep our families safe, the Republican platform promises to launch the largest deportation operation in the history of our country, Trump said Thursday night.

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Deporting people en masse is a controversial idea with an ugly history that has nonetheless grown in popularity among Republicans as border crossings reached historic levels during President Joe Bidens time in office.

The Trump campaign has not said how it plans to execute the proposal Democrats decry as vile or how many people would be targeted.

But experts say it would be extremely complicated, expensive and next to impossible to carry out the mass removals Republicans want to see under the current immigration system. Courts are deeply backlogged and take years to decide cases. Returning migrants to the many nations from which they came requires cooperation from those countries, which the United States would have to negotiate.

They would really, really have to  by many orders of magnitude  increase what they did before, said Kathleen Bush-Joseph, a policy analyst at the nonpartisan Migration Policy Institute.

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There are roughly 11 million immigrants living in the country without legal authorization, more than 2 million in Texas, according to estimates from the Homeland Security Department. They include immigrants in mixed-status families, meaning their kids or partners are U.S. citizens, and so-called dreamers brought to the country when they were children.

When Trump ordered Immigration and Customs Enforcement officers to deport more immigrants during his first term in the White House, his administration removed 1.5 million people over those four years, according MPI. The Biden administration, meanwhile, has continued those deportations, even as it has refocused the agencys priorities. It has deported more than 1.1 million people and is on track to match the 1.5 million deportations Trump logged.

This week, the GOP approved a platform calling for the largest deportation operation in American history  second only on the GOP agenda to sealing the U.S.-Mexico border. And former Trump officials, including Thomas Homan, who led ICE under Trump, have vowed that the president would follow through, greatly ramping up the aggressive tactics of his first term.

You aint seen nothing yet, Homan said during a discussion hosted by the conservative Heritage Foundation.

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Stephen Miller, a former White House aide who was the architect of Trumps first-term immigration policies, started floating the idea of mass deportations last year. He told the New York Times that because of the magnitude of arrests and deportations, the administration would build vast holding facilities that would function as staging centers for immigrants waiting to be flown to other countries. Those camps would likely be built on open land in Texas near the border, he said.

Homan tempered that some this week. We arent building concentration camps, he said during the discussion. Nor would a Trump administration sweep neighborhoods, he said.

MORE FROM THE RNC: Texas Gov. Greg Abbott made his primetime debut at the RNC. Here are 4 takeaways

Instead, Homan said, the magnitude of deportations would be historic simply because record numbers of asylum-seekers crossed the border over the last three years, many of them fleeing economic and political unrest in South and Central America. The vast majority of asylum claims get denied, and the administration would work to remove everyone who is rejected and receives a removal order, he said.

Under President Trump, hes still going to prioritize national security threats and criminals  but no ones off the table, Homan said. If youre here illegally, its not OK.

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The U.S. cannot deport anyone until a judge has ordered their removal.

About 1.3 million people living across the country without authorization have already been issued removal orders, but ICE doesnt have the capacity to deport them. It currently takes years for judges to issue those removal orders because the immigration courts are so backlogged, Bush-Joseph said. If Trump wanted to accelerate that timeline, she said, it would require Congress to approve a massive investment in those courts.

Even then, removing people with existing orders would be a very complicated undertaking, she said, in part because people are coming to the U.S. from so many parts of the world.

Mexico currently accepts migrants only from a few nations laid out under agreements with the Biden administration, meaning the U.S. would have to send all other migrants directly to their home countries and have those governments agree to take them.

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Activists say Republicans vague calls for mass deportation are stoking fears in immigrant communities, as it remains unclear who could be targeted by the program.

Thats the biggest cause for concern  when you call for mass deportation and not necessarily targeted things. It puts everybody on edge, said Cesar Espinosa, executive director of FIEL Houston, an immigration rights organization.

Espinosa said the Houston area is home to 600,000 undocumented people and about 1.3 million people living in mixed-status families.

Deporting a large number of hardworking community members, but also separating spouses from their loved ones or their children  this would have a devastating impact, he said. Houston of all places should be watching everything being said and should be responding to everything being said.

Democrats say Trumps proposal is a vile throwback to past deportation efforts, including the so-called Operation Wetback overseen by President Dwight Eisenhower in the 1950s. Trump vowed Thursday that his deportation program would be even larger.

That operation saw hundreds of thousands of Mexican immigrants  and many U.S. citizens  from across the country crammed into boats, trains and planes and sent to Mexico.

What the Republican Party is wanting to do as they fully exploit this issue is take us back to an era  a very dark period in American history  where there were mass deportations and internment camps of Mexicans and Latinos, said U.S. Rep. Veronica Escobar, an El Paso Democrat.

Escobar said Latinos living the U.S. legally are incredibly naive to think they would be safe under a new mass deportation effort.
The Lego company aims for a late September opening of its first Nebraska store.

The store will open in a bay at the Nebraska Crossing shopping mall, located in Gretna off Interstate 80 and U.S. Highway 6.

The target date is Sept. 20, according to Rod Yates, owner of Nebraska Crossing.

With a target date that far out, however, its probably a good idea to wait to mark your calendar.

The mall has a teaser up on its Facebook page with a photograph of children playing with the famous plastic bricks and the message: Coming Soon! Late Summer/Early Fall

Yates said workers are busy getting the store ready.

Its under construction, he said. I know because my office is above the space, and I hear the thundering of construction. They put up new window graphics as well.

Local Nebraska Lego fans have been eagerly awaiting the opening.

Until recently, the closest Lego stores to Nebraska were in Kansas City and Minneapolis.

A Lego store opened this year in the Des Moines area. That store is located at the Jordan Creek Town Center in West Des Moines.

The companys iconic connecting bricks, first produced in 1949, have found their way into childrens toy chests and playrooms for decades.

The company sells buildable play sets and models based on history, pop culture, movies, science, nature and more.

The stubby Lego figures with the C-shaped hands have also starred in animated features.

The Lego Group is a privately held company based in Billund, Denmark.

The company was founded in 1932.

Photos: Lego-themed house in Wisconsin LEGO-THEMED HOUSE LEGO-THEMED HOUSE LEGO-THEMED HOUSE LEGO-THEMED HOUSE LEGO-THEMED HOUSE LEGO-THEMED HOUSE LEGO-THEMED HOUSE LEGO-THEMED HOUSE LEGO-THEMED HOUSE LEGO-THEMED HOUSE LEGO-THEMED HOUSE
U.S. Rep. Sheila Jackson Lee speaks during a news conference after Mayor Sylvester Turner announced his endorsement of her mayoral bid on Wednesday, Nov. 8, 2023 in Houston. Brett Coomer/Staff photographer U.S. Rep. Sheila Jackson Lee holds up an Astros rally towel while speaking during an event at the Harris County Democratic Party headquarters after Lina Hildago won reelection for Harris County Judge on Wednesday, Nov. 9, 2022 in Houston. Hidalgos Republican opponent, Alexandra del Moral Mealer raised 4x the amount of fundraising money in her bid. Elizabeth Conley/Staff photographer Members of congress, Al Green, from left, Sheila Jackson Lee and Sylvia Garcia speak during a news conference announcing a nearly half million dollar grant for air monitoring on Monday, July 10, 2023 in Houston. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, the Houston Health Department and U.S. Congress-members announced the grant of nearly $500,000 at the Houston Botanic Garden to the Houston Health Department for air monitoring in environmental justice communities. Brett Coomer/Staff photographer Rep. Sheila Jackson Lee, D-Texas, died Friday at 74. Here, she is followed by staff assistant Jennifer Park, walks on Capitol Hill in 1998. KHUE BUI/AP Mayor Sylvester Turner speaks during a news conference where he endorsed Rep. Sheila Jackson Lee to succeed him in the mayors office on Wednesday, Nov. 8, 2023 in Houston. Brett Coomer/Staff photographer

Friends, community leaders and elected officials from both sides of the aisle heaped praise on the life and career of U.S. Rep. Sheila Jackson Lee, who died Friday after being diagnosed with pancreatic cancer. She was 74.

Jackson Lee passed from this world and into the pantheon of legendary Texas leaders, Harris County Precinct 1 Commissioner Rodney Ellis said in a statement Friday.

Through crises and disasters  as well as triumphs  Sheilas ceaseless and unwavering dedication to those she represented served as an inspiration and source of strength to me in my career, Ellis said.

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Tributes rolled in Saturday from across Houston and across the country, from dozens of community organizations she helped in Houston, to the highest reaches of national politics.

Former President Bill Clinton and former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton released a joint statement on X, formerly known as Twitter, saying Jackson Lee approached her final battle with the same strength and courage she was known for throughout her life and career, and her legacy will live on.

Throughout her nearly 30 years in Congress, she was an unwavering champion for women and children, a staunch advocate for sensible gun reform, a relentless defender of the Constitution and the cause of justice, an important leader within the Congressional Black Caucus, and so much more, the statement read. Above all, she knew how to get things done. We just loved her.

President Joe Biden, who worked with Jackson Lee for almost 30 years in Congress, called her a towering figure in our politics.

We saw it through her efforts to reauthorize the Violence Against Women Act, make Juneteenth a federal holiday, reintroduce the George Floyd Justice in Policing Act, and so much more, the statement read.

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Biden said Jackson Lee was unrelenting in her leadership.

Always fearless, she spoke truth to power and represented the power of the people of her district in Houston with dignity and grace, the statement read.

Closer to home, U.S. Sen. Ted Cruz, R-Texas called her a "tireless advocate for Houston," and posted on X: I will always cherish our friendship & the laughs we shared throughout the years. Heidi & I offer our prayers and sincerest condolences to her family.

Former Mayor Sylvester Turner said what made Jackson Lee truly exceptional was her uncanny ability to be everywhere, working every day for those who needed a champion.

Even if you disagreed with her politics, you had to respect her work ethic, Turner said. Sheila Jackson Lee left it all on the field.

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Harris County Judge Lina Hidalgo called Jackson Lee a champion for her community in a statement on X.

The Congresswoman was never afraid to lend her fearless voice to move mountains not just for her constituents, but for all in Harris County and any place she could make a difference, Hidalgo wrote. Her strength and stamina were truly never-ending and her determination to rally a chorus to the fuse of justice was unwavering.

Mayor John Whitmire called Jackson Lee a tireless champion for her constituents to the very end.

Despite her illness, she worked as hard as she could for as long as she could for the 18th Congressional District, he said in a statement. Only a few months ago, we worked together at the Houston Office of Emergency Management and with FEMA to help Houstonians recover from the derecho. I ask Houstonians to join me in praying for her husband, children, grandchildren and extended family. May she rest in peace.

U.S. Rep. Al Green said constituents lost a champion when Jackson Lee died. He would remember her as someone who was always ready to show up and offer support in emergencies. He admired her for pulling Juneteenth across the finish line and reintroducing the George Floyd Justice in Policing Act.

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All of the great legislation of our time, she has been associated with one way or another. So, I think that it's fair that she was a person who had a heart for people, he said. She was an issue-oriented person ready to help people.

Isaiah Martin, who previously ran for Jackson Lees seat, called her an inspiration.

You taught us how to serve, how to fight and how to relentlessly work for change, Martin wrote on X. But most importantly, you cared. You cared so, so much for others. There will never be another Sheila Jackson Lee.

Commissioner Adrian Garcia in a Friday statement said it was hard to quantify Jackson Lees impact.

The word tireless gets thrown around in politics, but theres no one Ive ever met with that kind of work ethic who could compare to Congresswoman Jackson Lee, Garcia wrote. Her work didnt only benefit the Houstonians she represented for decades, it helped make our nation better for all Americans.

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Houston City Controller Chris Hollins said Jackson Lee will be profoundly missed."

Her legacy stands as a testament to courage, dedication, compassion, and determination in improving the lives of those she served. From her tenure on the Houston City Council to representing the 18th Congressional District of Texas in the U.S House of Representatives, her nearly 35 years of public service made an indelible mark on American politics and on the lives of millions to whom she dedicated her lifes work, Hollins wrote in the statement.

Hollins dropped his campaign for Houston mayor in April 2023, about a week after Jackson Lee entered the race. Though he did not endorse any candidates to ensure the controllers independence from the upcoming mayoral administration, he said Jackson Lee would make a fine mayor.

Pete Buttigieg, the U.S. secretary of Transportation, called Jackson Lee an extraordinary advocate for her district.

Her values, and her impact and achievements will be long remembered, he wrote on X.

This is a great loss to people across the globe suffering injustice, U.S. Rep. Al Green, D-Texas, wrote on X. Although weve lost her physical presence, her spiritual presence will continue to reside in all who knew her.

U.S. Rep. Lizzie Fletcher, D-Texas, said that Jackson Lee "worked tirelessly as a champion for our community, our country, and our Constitution, serving with passion, persistence, and purpose."

Residents across the city "benefited from her strong leadership, hard work, and unwavering dedication to public servicefrom City Council to Congress," Fletcher said in a statement. "And all Americans have benefited, and will continue to benefit for generations to come, from her efforts to ensure justice, equality, and freedom throughout our nation.

U.S. Rep. Colin Allred wrote on X that Jackson Lee was a fierce advocate for Houston and her constituents.

No one worked harder for her community and if Houston needed something, she got it done, the Democratic nominee to represent the state in the U.S. Senate wrote.

Said U.S. Rep Marc Veasey, a North Texas Democrat: Job well done! he wrote on X.

U.S. Rep. Wesley Hunt, a Houston Republican, said in a statement late Friday that he was proud to call Jackson Lee a friend.

Although we had our political disagreements, there were many moments with her, both public and private, that showed me that bipartisanship and service to country first can still bring members of Congress together, Hunt said.

Preston Middleton, Jackson Lees campaign adviser, described a courageous woman with a voracious sense of humor.

Her ground game and her bedside manner with constituents was Michael Jordan-esque, it was Kobe Bryant  I saw greatness close up, Middleton said late Friday, referring to the basketball superstars.

He remembered her as someone who he would laugh and joke with, as someone who loved Jamaican and soul food. The pair would often hit up Dennys on Southmore  Jackson Lee would order a Super Slam breakfast with eggs, bacon, pancakes, hash browns and orange juice  to talk about her goals for the district. It was in these moments that Jackson Lee became like family to Middleton.

Sometimes I would slip up and call (her) mom, Middleton said. I didnt mean to, itd just kind of come out, but she was more like an aunt to me than she was Congresswoman. And thats the part of her, the loving, caring part the loving part of her is what you saw and how she handled people.
Saudi Arabia's National Housing Company has awarded a major contract to China State Construction Engineering Corporation (CSCEC) for building 20,000 residential units within the suburbs and communities developed by NHC across the kingdom.

These units will be of various sizes and designs equipped with key amenities including healthcare, educational, commercial, and public service facilities to ensure a high quality of life for its residents, said the company in a statement.

According to NHC, this agreement is a part of its strategy to increase the real estate supply through strategic partnerships with major global companies. The goal is to establish high-quality housing projects in various regions of the kingdom.

The agreement was signed by CEO Mohammed bin Saleh Al Buty and CSCEC's President for the Middle East and Africa Region, Gao Yu Chun in the presence of the Minister of Municipal and Rural Affairs and Housing, Majid bin Abdullah Al Hogail.

This is an extension of the Saudi-Chinese partnership and builds on a series of pacts signed during the recent visit of Minister Al Hogail to China, said the statement

There NHC signed agreements with CSCEC to establish an industrial and logistics city for building materials to secure supply chains for its suburbs and communities, it stated.

Additionally, an agreement was inked with China Machinery Engineering Corporation (CMEC) to build 20,000 housing units in various regions of the Kingdom. These partnerships are expected to contribute significantly to the development of the real estate sector.

NHC pointed out that this partnership is part of its effort to develop high-quality projects with leading global contracting companies.

A pioneer in the real estate development sector and the largest primary developer of suburbs and urban communities in the kingdom, NHC has set an ambitious target to deliver more than 300,000 new housing units by the end of next year at a total investment of more than SAR250 billion ($68 billion).

NHC is dedicated to creating high-quality living spaces and aims to increase the real estate supply with housing options that meet global standards, said the statement.

This is in line with Saudi Vision 2030's goal of raising the homeownership rate for Saudi families to 70%, it added.-TradeArabia News Service
Worldwide air cargo rates and demand softened slightly from most regions in the second week of July, although tonnages and average global prices remain significantly higher than this time last year, thanks to continuing elevated demand and high rates from Asia and the Middle East, new data said.

According to the latest weekly figures and analysis from WorldACD Market Data, there was a -1% drop in worldwide tonnages in week 28 (8 to 14 July), mainly due to falls from Europe (-5%), Asia Pacific (-2%) and Africa (-5%).

But a post-Independence Day rebound from North America (+6%) origins and from Central & South America (CSA) (+4%) helped keep total worldwide tonnages relatively firm during what is normally a quiet month.

On the pricing side, average worldwide rates edged down -1% to $2.50 per kilo in week 28, with small (-1%) declines from Asia Pacific, Middle East & South Asia (MESA), Europe, and CSA origins.

However, that figure of $2.50 per kilo is up +11%, year on year (YoY), based on a full-market average of spot rates and contract rates, and remains significantly higher than the equivalent period prior to Covid (+44% compared to July 2019).

As in previous weeks, those higher rates are mainly driven by increases from Asia Pacific and MESA origins, where average prices are up by +23% and +51%, respectively, in week 28.

Combining the figures for weeks 27 and week 28 reveals a similar picture on the rates side, with average prices up +11% globally and by +24% and +51%, respectively, from Asia Pacific and MESA origins, although compared with the previous two weeks (a two-week on two-week or 2Wo2W comparison) rates rose by +2%, thanks to a +3% rise in week 27, week on week (WoW).

Spot Rate Analysis

After last week highlighting some extremely high spot rates from various Asia Pacific origins to Europe and to the US in week 27, fresh analysis based on the more than 450,000 weekly transactions covered by WorldACDs data, reveals that average spot prices eased off slightly in week 28 from some east Asia origin markets to Europe, dropping -16% from Thailand and -11% from Taiwan, to $2.65 and $3.65 per kilo, respectively.

And average spot rates from China to Europe slipped back slightly for the third consecutive week. But there were further increases from Hong Kong (+7%), South Korea (+5%) and Japan (+3%) origins to Europe, despite a -8% fall in tonnages from Hong Kong, WoW.

Meanwhile, spot rates from Asia Pacific origins to the US were fairly stable in week 28, including from China, but they remain well up compared with the equivalent week last year (+63% and +38%, YoY, respectively).

Elsewhere, the highly elevated tonnages and price levels from various MESA origins to Europe seem set to persist into the second half of 2024, as the attacks on container shipping in the Red Sea continue to cause vessel diversions from the region.

There was a reduction in overall air cargo demand in week 28 from MESA to Europe of -7%, driven mainly by declines in tonnages from Dubai (-17%) and India (-7%), although all three remain up substantially compared with this time last year (+17%, +82% and +16%, respectively, YoY).

On the pricing side, the increases compared with last year are even more pronounced, with average MESA to Europe spot rates of $3.25 a kilo in week 28, standing more than double (+126%) their level last year and falling just slightly (-1%) compared with the previous week.

India to Europe spot rates of $3.49 a kilo in week 28 have fallen somewhat from their highs of more than $4 a kilo three months ago, but they are dramatically up (+158%) on last years levels. Meanwhile, Bangladesh to Europe spot prices held firm in week 28 at $4.25 a kilo, although they have dropped back from levels of more than $4.60 for several weeks in April and May.  TradeArabia News Service
Congresswoman Sheila Jackson Lee hands out baby formula as she hosted a drive-thru baby formula giveaway, in partnership with the nonprofit National Association of Christian Churches, in Third Ward for mothers and babies in need at Jack Yates High School on Saturday, May 14, 2022 in Houston. Karen Warren, Houston Chronicle / Staff photographer Congresswoman Sheila Jackson Lee speaks at a press conference after handing out baby formula as she hosted a drive-thru baby formula giveaway, in partnership with the nonprofit National Association of Christian Churches, in Third Ward for mothers and babies in need at Jack Yates High School on Saturday, May 14, 2022 in Houston. Karen Warren, Houston Chronicle / Staff photographer U.S. Rep. Sheila Jackson Lee speak against the state takeover of HISD Friday, March 31, 2023, at Cesar Chavez High School in Houston. That is a fail system of demomcracy, Jackson Lee said. Yi-Chin Lee/Staff photographer U.S. Rep. Sheila Jackson Lee talks to reporters after speaking during her official kick-off party for her mayoral run at Post Houston on Friday, April 14, 2023. Elizabeth Conley/Staff photographer Mayoral candidate, Sheila Jackson Lee, chats with voters outside the Metropolitan Multi-Service Center polling location, Tuesday, Nov. 7, 2023 in Houston Kirk Sides/Staff photographer U.S. Rep. Sheila Jackson Lee (TX-18) talks to the Houston Chronicle Editorial Board with her primary challenger Amanda Edwards on Friday, Jan. 26, 2024 in Houston. Elizabeth Conley/Staff Photographer

U.S. Rep. Sheila Jackson Lee, one of the longest-serving members in Congress and an icon of Houston politics, died Friday.

Jackson Lee was up for re-election in November. After handily clinching the Democratic nomination over former Houston City Councilor Amanda Edwards, she was widely expected to win another term representing the deep blue district that includes part of Central Houston and vast portions of northwest and northeast Harris County. Lana Centonze is running as the Republican.

What happens to her spot on the November ballot?

Under state law, the Harris County Democratic Partys executive committee will have until Aug. 26 to nominate a candidate to run in the Nov. 5 general election.

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If the committee does not choose a candidate in time, then the Texas Democratic Party would have two days, or until Aug. 28, to make the choice.

Chad Dunn, a lawyer for the Texas Democratic Party, said state party rules advise that, if possible, there should be at least 10 days from the creation of the vacancy before a meeting is called.

County executive committees will sometimes create an informal filing period, or they may create a survey for candidates to fill out, or they may notice the meeting and ask the candidates to show up in person and make their pitch in front of the committee, Dunn said.

Who will hold Jackson Lees seat for the remainder of her term?

Gov. Greg Abbott has the authority to call a special election to fill the vacancy through the remainder of Jackson Lees two-year term, which is up in January. His office did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

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Once Abbott calls a special election, the law requires him to schedule it within about two months if it will be held as an emergency election. State law does not set a deadline for Abbott to make the initial announcement.

In 2021, when U.S. Rep. Ron Wright, a North Texas Republican, died of COVID-19, Abbott called a special election to fill the seat within about a month. The special election was held about two months later.

Its unclear when, or whether, Abbott will call a special election to fill Jackson Lees seat, because by the time it is conducted, there would only be a few months before the term expires.

REMEMBERING SHEILA JACKSON LEE: Learn about the late Houston congresswoman

The last time a situation like this arose was in 1968 when Democratic U.S. Rep. Joe R. Pool died in July, also about six months before his term ended. In that case, the governor did call a special election for about a month later.

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Cal Jillson, a political science professor at Southern Methodist University, noted that the political dynamics were different then, however, as Democrats were in control of the state.

Politics will come into play whenever it is possible, Jillson said.

With the razor-thin GOP margin in Congress this year, a vacancy for Democrats could make the difference on any bill, Jillson added.

Governors across the country historically have been accused by political observers on both sides of the aisle of employing gamesmanship when deciding when and whether to call special elections for Congressional vacancies.
DP World, a key provider of end-to-end supply chain solutions, said it has completed a strategic merger with Turkey's Evyap Group, thus bringing together the strengths of two major ports on the Marmara Sea to create a new international logistics hub that will elevate Turkiye's pivotal role in global trade.

The completion follows regulatory approval from the Turkish Competition Authority.

The newly formed entity, DP World Evyap, sees DP World assuming a 58% stake in Evyapport, while Evyap Group secures a 42% share of DP World Yarmca, said DP World in a statement.

The rebranding will introduce 'DP World Evyap Yarmca' and 'DP World Evyap Korfez' as the new names for these key maritime gateways.

DP World Evyap will help meet the increasing demand for sophisticated logistics in the region, boost Turkiye's export and import volumes, open up the growth of new sectors and strengthen the country's growing status as a major hub in international supply chains, it stataer.

The merger will produce a combined 2,088 m of berthing space, and will allow more than one ultra-large container vessel simultaneously at both terminals.

Total annual container handling capacity will also exceed 2 million TEUs, and the integrated operation expands to include project and heavy lift cargo services.

Moreover, DP World Evyap will have access to advanced road and rail links and expedited turnaround times, powered by a team of over 900 logistics experts dedicated to optimising cargo journeys.

Group Chairman and CEO Sultan Ahmed bin Sulayem said: DP World's vision is to lead global trade to a stronger, more efficient and sustainable future. Our strategic partnership with Evyapport advances this strategy in Turkiye; one of our most important markets."

"We're delighted to bring enhanced end-to-end solutions to our customers and the many benefits in speed and efficiency of this union," he stated.

Kris Adams, CEO of DP World Turkiye, said: "This is an exciting partnership that will bring significant economic benefits to Turkiye and the wider region. DP World Evyap's combination of the respective strengths of our existing infrastructures will provide our customers with a powerful new service offering at the heart of this increasingly important region for global trade."

Mehmed Evyap, founder and CEO of Evyap Holding, said: "This partnership combines the global expertise of DP World and the local knowledge of Evyapport and strengthens our presence in the port sector as we expand our investments in this field."

"The new company will shorten operation times, increase service diversity and add value to our customers and Turkiye's trade with efficiencies achieved across the two partnership terminals," he added.-TradeArabia News Service
The UAE has recently signed several economic and investment agreements and partnerships, of which mineral industries represent an important aspect, as they cater immensely to the country's industrial needs.

Lithium, nickel, cobalt, copper, graphite, manganese and rare earths are at the top of the list of critical minerals due to their increasing importance in the production of electric cars and batteries.

Countries are increasingly interested in securing supplies of critical minerals and not relying on a single country to provide these minerals, with the aim of avoiding potential disruptions in clean energy supply chains.

According to the "Sharek.Emirates" information platform, the mineral wealth in the emirates is of great importance as a large number of industries depend on it, as there are huge reserves of it that constitute a cornerstone for future investments and projects in this sector, and include raw materials and minerals, which are obtained through various extraction and mining operations.

The UAE has been securing these minerals from multiple sources, especially the African continent, in light of protectionist measures and global competition over strategic and critical minerals.

Critical minerals are defined as a group of mineral resources and rare earth elements that play central roles in advanced technology sectors, such as renewable energy, electronics, and advanced defense systems, and are essential components in the manufacture and production of solar panels, wind turbines, electric vehicle batteries, and other clean energy technologies.

According to a new research paper prepared by Interregional Strategic Analysis, in Abu Dhabi, investments in the metals sector come within the 300 Billion Project strategy, which aims to raise the industrial sectors contribution to the GDP to AED300 billion by 2031, while the industrial sector in the country has achieved a qualitative leap in its contribution to the countrys GDP estimated at AED197 billion by the end of 2023.

According to the Ministry of Industry and Advanced Technology, UAE industrial exports have grown by 10% since the launch of the 300 Billion project, reaching about AED187 billion in 2023.

The metals sector provides significant job opportunities in the manufacturing sector in light of the spread of waves of protectionism, and with many countries focusing on modern industrial investments based on strategic metals related to modern industries such as: semiconductors, electric cars, sustainable energy projects, electronics, precious stones and other vital industries with large investment returns.

The acquisition of rare earth minerals has become one of the dimensions of the great competition between the world's major countries, especially America and China, and the ongoing trade war between them.

In the context of investing in the minerals sector, Global Resources Holding Company, the mining investment arm of the International Holding Company (IHC), has advanced.

Emirates Global Aluminium is the world's largest producer of high-quality aluminium. The country has many large industrial entities in a variety of metal industries, most notably iron, glass and other industries.

The country also has a proven track record in the global and regional manufacturing sector according to the highest global indicators.

The UAE Ministry of Investment has sealed an investment memorandum with Kenya, thus paving the way for investment co-operation in the mining and technology sectors, as the mining sector in Kenya has great growth potential thanks to its strategic reserves of gold, copper, ilmenite, tantalum and many other minerals.
A massive tech failure that caused travel chaos around the world on Friday is continuing to cause some disruptions although airports are largely reporting that the IT issue has been solved, a report said.

Thousands of flights were cancelled and banking, healthcare and payment systems were also affected by the software glitch.

The knock-on effect continues with thousands of travellers still trying to make their way home, or attempting to go on holiday, the BBC report said.

The boss of CrowdStrike, the cybersecurity firm responsible for worldwide IT outages, has apologised and warned against 'bad actors' exploiting the issue.

While the software bug has been fixed, experts say the manual reboot of each affected Microsoft computer will take a huge amount of work.

Banks, airlines, television networks and health systems around the world that rely on Microsoft 365 apps were hit by widespread outages early Friday linked to CrowdStrike.

The outage was caused by a technical problem that global cybersecurity firm CrowdStrike said it had identified in its software. CrowdStrike provides antivirus software to Microsoft for its Windows devices.

"Earlier today, a CrowdStrike update was responsible for bringing down a number of IT systems globally," Microsoft said in a statement.

Microsoft said it had completed its mitigation actions and "our telemetry indicates all previously impacted Microsoft 365 apps and services have recovered. We're entering a period of monitoring to ensure impact is fully resolved."
Security talks: Prime Minister Dr Keith Rowley, centre, chairs a National Security Council meeting at the Office of the Prime Minister, Central Administrative Services, Tobago. Minister of National Security Fitzgerald Hinds, Chief Secretary of the Tobago House of Assembly Farley Augustine, Minority Councillor of the THA Petal Daniel-Benoit and Commissioner of Police Erla Christopher were also in attendance.
Cybersecurity firm CrowdStrike's shares took a plunge this Friday after one of its security updates caused a global IT outage, disrupting multiple airports, broadcasting, and medical operations.

CrowdStrike closed on an 11.1% drop at 304.96 per share as news outlets confirmed that the outage that its software update caused many Windows computers to be hit with the "Blue screen of death suddenly."

The stock drop came amid CrowdStrike's biggest share growth in six months as cyberattacks continued to surge globally since last year.

CrowdStrike IT Outage Not a 'Cybersecurity Incident,' CEO Claims

Microsoft, which allows CrowdStrike to provide antivirus services to Windows computers, earlier reported that the outage also affected its Azure cloud services and Microsoft 365 suite of apps.

CrowdStrike CEO George Kurtz already clarified that the outage was not a cybersecurity incident but rather was due to "a defect found in a single content update for Windows hosts."

CrowdStrike is actively working with customers impacted by a defect found in a single content update for Windows hosts. Mac and Linux hosts are not impacted. This is not a security incident or cyberattack. The issue has been identified, isolated and a fix has been deployed. We  George Kurtz (@George_Kurtz) July 19, 2024

As of writing, most impacted computers remain down, although CrowdStrike is already working on the technical update to resolve the issue.

Also Read : Microsoft Teams Suffer Outage, Limits Access to Multiple Users

CrowdStrike IT Outage Halts Digital Operations

With most of their computers effectively unusable, many businesses had to resort to pen-and-paper to continue some operations, while most had to either delay or cancel schedules due to the outage.

Australia, in particular, has been heavily impacted by the outage as most of its businesses use Windows computers or the CrowdStrike software for their IT networks.

Similar problems are reported across France, which is hosting the Summer Olympics this year, and the UK.

Several Asian countries also confirmed service disruption, although most government units claimed not to have been affected.

Due to the scale of the outage, experts expect that several companies may soon want to hold Microsoft and CrowdStrike financially liable, similar to the response to the cyberattack on car retailers in North America last month.
Car dealership operations are once again facing technical difficulties following the Microsoft-CrowdStrike outage that halted global IT operations.

First reported by Automotive News, several car retailers confirmed to have either reduced or halted operations following the Windows computers outage, many of which just starting to recover from the outage that impacted over 15,000 dealers in North America last month.

Among the confirmed impacted car dealers were Penske Automotive Group, Lithia Motors, and Continental North America, which holds several franchise locations in the US and Canada.

Even CDK Global, the IT service targeted by the cyberattack in late June, confirmed that it was also affected by the recent global outage.

However, unlike the CDK Global cybersecurity incident, the auto retailers claimed the server disruption had been "minimal" with others already "getting closer to more stability."

IT Outages Continue to Impact US Car Retail Market

With many car retail services impacted, the car retail market's sales drop can be expected to continue as businesses struggle to sell their cars and services to more customers.

Experts earlier projected that the industry could recuperate most of its losses from the cyberattack within a month.

However, the recent incident might just have further extended the recovery period.

CrowdStrike CEO George Kurtz already clarified that the outage is not due to a "cybersecurity incident," but instead an antivirus update bug on Windows computers.

CrowdStrike is actively working with customers impacted by a defect found in a single content update for Windows hosts. Mac and Linux hosts are not impacted. This is not a security incident or cyberattack. The issue has been identified, isolated and a fix has been deployed. We  George Kurtz (@George_Kurtz) July 19, 2024

The company is already working on the technical update to resolve the issue, although Kurtz did not give an exact timeline for when the problem will be completely fixed.

Related Article : Why Do More Online Platforms Suffer Global Outages Today?

Potential Lawsuit Against CrowdStrike

Due to the scale of the IT outage, many people already projected that a similar situation with CDK Global could happen to CrowdStrike as multiple businesses file lawsuits against the company for the global service disruption.

Even now, more car retailers are suing CDK Global for failing to prevent the cyberattack days after most of its services have already been restored.

With CrowdStrike providing its services to millions of Windows computers, the legal action is expected to be bigger as well.
Chinese electric vehicle giant BYD on Thursday announced the prices of its three electric car models sold in Vietnam, where 10 other Chinese automobile brands have been operating.

The three BYD models include the Dolphin, SUV Atto3, and Seal priced at VND659 million (US$25,880), from VND766 million ($30,080) - VND866 million ($34,010), and from VND1.1 billion ($43,160) - VND1.3 billion ($51,010), respectively.

These prices are higher than those of gasoline-engine vehicles and EVs of other brands in the same categories.

We have carefully studied the Vietnamese market for over 10 years, said Liu Xue Liang, general manager of BYD Asia Pacific Auto Sales Division, underlining that the prices were set for the market as a result of an in-depth study.

In addition to concerns over the future of the Chinese EVs in Vietnam due to their high prices, many local customers showed their curiosity about their charging systems.

Vo Minh Luc, CEO of BYD Vietnam, said that the company has no plans to build charging stations, but it will cooperate with other firms to supply customers with charging systems.

Customers can charge their BYD cars at the brands dealerships.

Moreover, each BYD EV buyer will be provided with an EV charger.

It will be tough for EV drivers to travel for a long distance without charging stations along roads, said Quang Ha, a resident of Thu Duc City under Ho Chi Minh City.

Ha said that to purchase an electric car in Vietnam, buyers will base on the popularity of EV brands and convenience in charging and relevant services.

Nguyen Minh Dong, director of a technology consulting firm, said that charging stations are the pivot of the EV industry.

The EV industry will thrive only when charging infrastructure is ready, he stressed.

Meanwhile, Vietnamese EV maker VinFast is dominating the local market, with 150,000 charging stations nationwide. The brand is continuing to expand its charging system.

The charging system plays a decisive role in the success of an EV brand, Dong said.

BYD had previously informed that it would spend some $250 million building an EV assembly plant in Vietnam, but it switched its plan to Indonesia, Thailand and Cambodia.

China is producing the most EVs in the world and is the worlds largest seller of EVs.

In the first five months of 2024, BYD became the global best-selling EV brand, with over one million cars sold.

In June, the brand sold more than 341,650 EVs.

Customers test BYD cars in Thu Duc City, Ho Chi Minh City on July 18, 2024. Photo: T.T.D./ Tuoi Tre

Speaking of the future presence of Chinese EVs in Vietnam, the Vietnam Automobile Manufacturers' Association (VAMA) said that Chinese automakers are capable of producing low-cost EVs and distributing them to the Southeast Asian nation in the coming time.

Vietnam is a potential market for EVs, as the government is moving to discontinue vehicles using fossil fuels by 2040.

The VAMA assessed that Chinese EVs in particular and vehicles imported from other nations in general are piling pressure on locally-assembled and produced ones.

Since completely-built-up cars imported from ASEAN countries started to enjoy zero percent import duty in 2018, many domestically-assembled cars have failed to compete with imports from Thailand and Indonesia.

Facing the entry of Chinese EVs, VinFast has offered a promotional program which features free parking and charging for customers who buy VinFast cars from now until July next year.

Besides, VinFast's parent company, Vingroup, has established FGF Services and Trading JSC to trade and rent EVs, contributing to stabilize the prices of the VinFast cars.

An EV charging station in Ho Chi Minh City. Photo: Quang Dinh / Tuoi Tre

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Editors note: Roberto De Castro, an Italian doctor affiliated with the Hanoi-based Thien Nhan and Friends (TNF) Fund, established in 2009 to support genital reconstruction for children, recently shared with Tuoi Tre News about his successful mission in Gambia. His letter was edited by Tuoi Tre News for clarity, consistency, and coherence.

The Thien Nhan and Friends (TNF) Fund, after 15 years of intensive and regular surgical activities in Vietnam and Italy, has successfully completed its first volunteer mission in Banjul, Gambia, West Africa.

The invitation to join the English pediatric urologists on their mission in June came to me from London, from the prestigious Evelina Childrens Hospital.

The super-specialists goal was to operate on an unfortunate child who had lost his entire penis and three fingers due to a devastating infection that had spread throughout his body following a squirrel bite (an incredible, yet true, situation!).

Italian doctor Roberto De Castro (R) and local surgeons during the reconstructive surgery for Ibrahim in Banjul, Gambia. Photo: Supplied

TNF was founded with the specific mission of providing genital reconstruction for male children born without or who have lost their genital organs due to trauma, animal attacks, or illness. While this procedure was considered revolutionary 20 years ago, it is now internationally recognized.

Therefore, I could not refuse the invitation, despite the journey and inconveniences (which were entirely self-financed), to contribute my expertise in this unique reconstructive surgery for the child in need.

Gambia, the smallest nation in Africa, is a narrow former British colony, so nearly everyone speaks English. It stretches approximately 40km wide and 350km long along the course of the great river.

The capital, Banjul, is situated at the mouth of the river leading to the Atlantic Ocean.

Despite being among the poorest in Africa, the population remains resilient and cheerful.

Local surgeons during the reconstructive surgery for Ibrahim in Banjul, Gambia. Photo: Supplied

Ibrahim, my patient, was nine years old when he was bitten and 11 at the time of surgery.

The terrifying infection spread throughout his body, leaving scars on his legs and causing necrosis that resulted in the complete loss of three fingers and his penis up to the pubic root.

Local surgeons and English volunteers skillfully enabled him to resume urination using the salvaged urethral residue.

They also meticulously followed my instructions during the six-month preparation for the functional phalloplasty operation, which took place on June 20.

I had on my team a consultant pediatric urologist from the Evelina, along with the only two pediatric surgeons in Gambia from Benjul Hospital, along with nurses and a highly skilled Cuban anesthesiologist  all highly competent and dedicated.

While the local surgical instruments are really at the minimal level, the materials such as sutures and catheters, brought from London, were excellent.

Surgeons perform the reconstructive surgery for Ibrahim in Banjul, Gambia. Photo: Supplied

We achieved the best possible outcome by incorporating the small remaining penile tissue into the skin reconstruction.

Ibrahim now has a slightly short and stocky penis, aesthetically pleasing with a circumcised appearance, and the urethra reconstructed up to the tip.

We pray that he does not develop a wound infection, that he can urinate regularly from his new penis, and that the saved corpus cavernosum remnant will provide some degree of swelling in the future.

I left Gambia with the enduring memory of Ibrahim and his parents smiles when I showed them the photos of his newly reconstructed penis (at that moment still covered in bandages) and with the appreciation of the local and English doctors.

For me, it was a tiring but great pleasure and privilege, which I hope can be counted among the successes of the TNF.

Thanks everyone,

Roberto

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Cuban President Miguel Diaz-Canel Bermudez announced a state mourning in commemoration of General Secretary of the Communist Party of Vietnam Nguyen Phu Trong, who passed away at 1:38 pm on July 19, 2024 in Hanoi.

The Latin American country will officially observe a mourning from 6:00 am on July 20 to midnight on July 21, while the state mourning will run from 6:00 am to midnight on July 22, according to a post on Saturday on the Facebook page of the Cuban Embassy in Vietnam.

On Friday, First Secretary of the Communist Party of Cuba Central Committee and President of Cuba Miguel Diaz-Canel Bermudez expressed his deepest condolences to the family of Party General Secretary Trong and the Vietnamese people.

The National Assembly of People's Power of Cuba paid a minute's silence in memory of Vietnamese Party General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong during its sitting on July 19, 2024 (local time). Photo: Facebook of the Cuban Embassy in Vietnam

The National Assembly of People's Power of Cuba paid a minute's silence in memory of Vietnamese Party General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong during its sitting on Friday (local time), according to the Cuban Embassy in Vietnam.

Besides Cuba, embassies of China, the U.S., South Korea, Australia, France, and many other countries in Vietnam have offered condolences over the passing of General Secretary of the Communist Party of Vietnam Nguyen Phu Trong.

As Vietnamese Party General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong passed away, the Communist Party of China and the Chinese people lost a good comrade, a good brother, a good friend. They send their deepest condolences and most sincere regards to the Central Committee of the Communist Party of Vietnam (CPV), the government and people of Vietnam, according to a post on the Facebook page of the Chinese Embassy in Vietnam.

They affirmed that the Vietnamese Party leader was a staunch Marxist and a great leader of the Communist Party of Vietnam and the Vietnamese people.

He dedicated his entire life to the cause of his Party and nation, making outstanding contributions to Vietnam's Doi Moi (renewal), the cause of building socialism in Vietnam as well as the socialist movement in the world, the message said.

The embassy added that Vietnamese Party General Secretary Trong was a close comrade and a sincere friend of the Communist Party of China (CPC) and the Chinese people. He inherited and developed the traditional comrades-plus-brothers friendship between the two Parties and two countries and forged a profound friendship with the CPC and Chinese leaders.

The Vietnamese Party chief and his Chinese counterpart Xi Jinping jointly elevated the China-Vietnam relations to a community with a shared future that carries strategic significance and promoted the continuous development of the China-Vietnam comprehensive strategic cooperative partnership. The CPC, the Chinese government and people will always miss comrade Nguyen Phu Trong, according to the post.

We believe that CPV and the Vietnamese people will turn grief into strength, carry on the legacy of comrade Nguyen Phu Trong, stay united and strive to make new and greater achievements in the cause of Doi Moi and socialism building.

Comrade Nguyen Phu Trong lives forever in the Vietnamese motherland, the Chinese Embassy in Vietnam wrote on Facebook.

Vietnamese Party General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong (R) shakes hands with Chinese Party General Secretary and President Xi Jinping during the Chinese leaders visit to Vietnam in December 2023. Photo: Nguyen Khanh / Tuoi Tre

U.S. Ambassador in Vietnam Marc E. Knapper also expressed his deep sadness over the passing of General Secretary of the Communist Party of Vietnam Nguyen Phu Trong, according to the diplomat's statement posted on the U.S. Embassy's website on Friday.

It is with deep sadness that we mark the passing of Communist Party of Vietnam General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong. Our thoughts are with his wife, Ngo Thi Man, the rest of his family, and the people of Vietnam during this difficult time, Knapper said.

The ambassador added that Vietnam lost a visionary leader who for decades served as a bridge between Hanoi and Washington as he did with the rest of the international community.

The U.S. will forever be grateful for Party General Secretary Trongs leadership in promoting peace, stability, and prosperity, according to the U.S. ambassadors statement.

We hold our relationship with Vietnam in the highest regard, and we look forward to working closely with President To Lam and all Party, State, and National Assembly leadership, Knapper said.

Vietnamese Party General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong (R) shakes hands with U.S. Ambassador in Vietnam Marc E. Knapper. Photo: vn.usembassy.gov

In addition, the Embassy of South Korea on Friday showed its grief over the passing of Party General Secretary Trong through a post on Facbook.

Meanwhile, the French Embassy in Vietnam wrote on the platform that it would like to extend the sincerest condolences to the family of Party General Secretary Trong, the people in Vietnam, CPV, and the government of Vietnam.

At this time of mourning on the passing of General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong, the Australian Embassy and Consulate-General in Vietnam express our deepest condolences to his family, the people, the Party and Government of Vietnam. Our thoughts are with you, according to the Embassy of Australia in Vietnams post on its Facebook page.

Vietnams Party General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong passed away at 1:38 pm on July 19, 2024 in Hanoi, Nhan Dan (People) newspaper cited information from the Central Committee on Health Care for Senior Governmental Officials.

The Party chief drew his last breath at Military Central Hospital 108 despite the efforts of leading doctors and healthcare experts to treat his serious illness.

General Secretary Trong was born in 1944.

The Central Committee of the Communist Party of Vietnam, the National Assembly of the Socialist Republic of Vietnam, the President of the Socialist Republic of Vietnam, the Government of the Socialist Republic of Vietnam, and the Central Committee of the Vietnam Fatherland Front will issue a special announcement regarding the organization of the State Funeral for comrade Nguyen Phu Trong.

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Leaders of many countries, including Laos, China, Cambodia, Cuba, and Russia, have offered condolences to Vietnamese leaders and people after General Secretary of the Communist Party of Vietnam Nguyen Phu Trong passed away at 1:38 pm on Friday in Hanoi.

They sent telegrams and letters of condolence to the Central Committee of the Communist Party of Vietnam (CPV), the National Assembly of the Socialist Republic of Vietnam, the President of the Socialist Republic of Vietnam, the Government of the Socialist Republic of Vietnam, the Central Committee of the Vietnam Fatherland Front, and the Vietnamese people.

The content of their telegrams and letters of condolence is as follows:

Laos: Party General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong is an outstanding leader in the new era

The Central Committee of the Lao People's Revolutionary Party, the Lao National Assembly, the President of Laos, the Lao Government, the Central Committee of the Lao Front for National Construction, and the people of Lao ethnic groups expressed their deep condolences over the passing of the Vietnamese Party chief.

The Party, State, and people in Vietnam lost a steadfast revolutionary leader.

Lao leaders stated in their condolence letter that Party General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong devoted all his energy and intelligence to important works in the cause of national liberation and reunification, and the renewal of the Communist Party of Vietnam, especially the Party building and rectification, as well as in the fight against corruption and other irregularities, helping Vietnam continuously develop, thus raising the country's position in the region and the world.

Comrade Nguyen Phu Trong has become an outstanding leader of the era, Laos leaders affirmed.

They added that the Party, State and people of Laos lost an extremely close and dear comrade.

Comrade Nguyen Phu Trong is a revolutionary leader in the new era, the successor of President Ho Chi Minh, who has made great, valuable and important contribution to strengthening and cultivating the great friendship, special solidarity and comprehensive cooperation between the two Parties, the two states and the peoples of Laos and Vietnam during the past time.

Lao leaders voiced their belief that the Party, State and people of Vietnam will turn this loss into solidarity strength, continue moving forward, building Vietnam into an industrialized and modernized country, and achieving the target of rich people, a strong country, and a fair, democratic, and civilized society.

Vietnams Party General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong (C), President of Laos Thongloun Sisoulith (L), and President of the Cambodian People's Party Hun Sen at their meeting in 2021. Photo: Vietnam News Agency

China: Comrade Nguyen Phu Trong lives forever with us!

The Communist Party of China and the Chinese people lost a good comrade, a good brother, a good friend. We send our deepest condolences and most sincere regards to the Central Committee of the Communist Party of Vietnam, the state and people of Vietnam, read China leaders condolences to Vietnam.

The Vietnamese Party leader was a staunch Marxist and a great leader of the Communist Party of Vietnam and the Vietnamese people. He dedicated his entire life to the cause of his Party and nation, making outstanding contributions to Vietnam's Doi Moi (renewal), the cause of building socialism in Vietnam as well as the socialist movement in the world, Chinas message said.

China claimed that Vietnamese Party General Secretary Trong was a close comrade and a sincere friend of the CPC and the Chinese people, noting that he inherited and developed the traditional comrades-plus-brothers friendship between the two Parties and two countries, and forged a profound friendship with the CPC and Chinese leaders.

The Vietnamese Party chief and his Chinese counterpart Xi Jinping jointly elevated the China-Vietnam relations to a community with a shared future that carries strategic significance and promoted the continuous development of the China-Vietnam comprehensive strategic cooperative partnership. The CPC, the Chinese government and people will always miss comrade Nguyen Phu Trong.

Vietnams Party General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong (L) and Chinese Party General Secretary and President Xi Jinping. Photo: Vietnam News Agency

The CPC said it believes that CPV and the Vietnamese people will turn grief into strength, carry on the legacy of comrade Nguyen Phu Trong, stay united and strive to make new and greater achievements in the cause of Doi Moi and socialism building.

China and Vietnam are socialist neighbors connected by mountains and rivers and a community with a shared future that carries strategic significance, Chinas letter of condolence said.

China has always regarded Vietnam as a priority in its neighborhood diplomacy and stands ready to work with Vietnam to continuously consolidate political mutual trust, strengthen solidarity and cooperation, and step up the building of this community to benefit the two peoples and contribute to promoting peace and development in the region and the world.

Cambodia: Party General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trongs passing is a huge loss

President of the Cambodian People's Party Hun Sen expressed his sadness at Party General Secretary Trong's passing in his letter of condolence, saying it was a great loss to the CPV, the Vietnamese State and the entire Vietnamese people.

The legacy of General Secretary Trong, a clear-minded leader who devoted his entire life to the struggle for Vietnam's independence and for peace and prosperity of the Vietnamese people will be remembered by many generations, Hun Sen wrote.

Comrade General Secretary has consolidated the strong fraternal friendship with Cambodia and persistently made efforts over the years to enhance close cooperation not only between the Cambodian People's Party and the Communist Party of Vietnam, but between the two governments and people of our two countries, the Cambodian leader added.

On behalf of the Cambodian People's Party and the Cambodian People, Hun Sen offered his deep and sincere condolences to the family of Party General Secretary Trong.

Vietnams Party General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong (R) and President of the Cambodian People's Party Hun Sen. Photo: Vietnam News Agency

Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Manet also sent a condolence letter to his Vietnamese counterpart Pham Minh Chinh.

He wrote that Party General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong devoted his whole life to the revolutionary cause of the CPV and peace, development, and prosperity of Vietnam. Vietnam has lost an outstanding leader, and Cambodia has lost a good friend who always strived to contribute to the Vietnam-Cambodia brotherly relationship.

In a letter of condolence sent to Vietnamese NA Chairman Tran Thanh Man, President of the Cambodian National Assembly Khuon Sudary described Party General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong as an outstanding leader, with profound vision and great dedication, who had a great impact on Vietnam's socio-economic development and institutional modernization.

His passing away leaves a great loss to not only Vietnam but also all people who had the honor of knowing him, Khuon Sudary wrote.

We are extremely grateful for Party General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong's continuous dedication in promoting the strong relationship between Vietnam and Cambodia as well as his important role in bringing the two countries closer together, she stated.

Cuba: an irreparable loss

General Raul Castro Ruz and First Secretary of the Communist Party of Cuba Central Committee and President of Cuba Miguel Diaz Canel-Bermudez also expressed their deepest condolences to the family of Party General Secretary Trong and the Vietnamese people.

The passing away of comrade Nguyen Phu Trong is an irreparable loss for Cuba. Cuba will always remember comrade Nguyen Phu Trong as a great brother who tirelessly promoted the special friendly relations between the two Parties, parliaments, governments, and peoples, the letter read.

The National Assembly of People's Power of Cuba paid a minute's silence in memory of Vietnamese Party General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong during its sitting on July 19, 2024 (local time). Photo: National Assembly of People's Power of Cuba

Our beloved friend Nguyen Phu Trong will be remembered by generations of Cubans as a pillar in the long-standing traditional friendship between our two countries and as a great brother who was always ready to give his hand of solidarity to Cuba in the most complex and challenging situations.

They recalled Party General Secretary Trong's visit to Cuba in March 2018, and especially the memorable moments of his trip to Santiago de Cuba to pay homage to his friend, a historic leader of the Cuban revolution, Fidel Castro Ruz.

Vietnams Party General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong (R) and First Secretary of the Communist Party of Cuba Central Committee and President of Cuba Miguel Diaz Canel-Bermudez in Hanoi. Photo: Vietnam Government Portal

Comrade Nguyen Phu Trong's life and career are a priceless legacy for future generations. His contributions to the role of the Communist Party, the creative application of Marxism-Leninism and Ho Chi Minh's thought, and his vision of international relations in the current context are among his outstanding contributions to the building of socialism in Vietnam. This will be reflected in new victories in the Doi Moi cause in Vietnam under the wise leadership of the CPV, read the letter.

Cuban leaders shared their belief that the example that Party General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong set and the legacy he left will be an invaluable source of encouragement for all efforts of Vietnamese people.

"We would like to reiterate to comrade To Lam our support and solidarity, along with our steadfast will to continue strengthening the unbreakable brotherly bond that connects Cuba and Vietnam. We would like to send you a hug of friendship and most respectful greetings.

Russia: Party General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong is a great friend

Vladimir Putin sent his letter of condolence to Vietnamese State President To Lam.

He wrote Nguyen Phu Trong devoted his whole life to serving his homeland. Over the years of serving in high-responsibility state and party posts, he has earned deep respect from his compatriots and significant weight in international affairs.

Russian President Vladimir Putin (R) received Vietnamese Party General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong in 2018. Photo: Vietnam News Agency

In Russia, he will always be remembered as a true friend, who made a great personal contribution to the establishment and development of the comprehensive strategic partnership between Moscow and Hanoi, Putin said.

The Russian leader added that I had a chance to spend time with this wonderful person many times, and I will forever cherish the memory of him.

He expected Vietnamese State President To Lam to convey his words of sincere sympathy and support to the family and friends of Party General Secretary Trong, as well as to all the friendly people of Vietnam.

In her letter of condolence, Valentina Matvienko, Speaker of the Federation Council of the Federal Assembly of the Russian Federation, wrote a great friend of Russia, an experienced political activist, and a famous state leader has passed away, adding that General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong made many contributions to strengthening the comprehensive strategic partnership between Vietnam and Russia, as well as the cooperation between the two countries' parliaments.

The letter of Chairman of the State Duma of Russia Vyacheslav Volodin read that it is difficult to fully appreciate the great contributions by comrade Nguyen Phu Trong to strengthening the friendship between Russia and Vietnam.

On behalf of the National Duma deputies of the Russian Federation, he extended his condolences to the family of comrade Nguyen Phu Trong.

Vietnams Party General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong passed away at 1:38 pm on July 19, 2024 in Hanoi, Nhan Dan (People) newspaper cited information from the Central Committee on Health Care for Senior Governmental Officials.

The Party chief drew his last breath at Military Central Hospital 108 despite the efforts of leading doctors and healthcare experts to treat his serious illness.

General Secretary Trong was born in 1944.

The Central Committee of the Communist Party of Vietnam, the National Assembly of the Socialist Republic of Vietnam, the President of the Socialist Republic of Vietnam, the Government of the Socialist Republic of Vietnam, and the Central Committee of the Vietnam Fatherland Front will issue a special announcement regarding the organization of the State Funeral for comrade Nguyen Phu Trong.

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General Secretary of the Communist Party of Vietnam Nguyen Phu Trong passed away but his images stay forever in the hearts of the Vietnamese people.

General Secretary of the Communist Party of Vietnam and President of the Socialist Republic of Vietnam for the 2016-21 tenure Nguyen Phu Trong is sworn in during a ceremony in Hanoi. Photo: Vietnam News Agency

Vietnamese Party General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong (R) and President of China Xi Jinping make a toast after Vietnam and China sign cooperation agreements on November 12, 2017 during Xis visit to Vietnam. Photo: Nguyen Khanh / Tuoi Tre

Vietnamese Party General Secretary and State President Nguyen Phu Trong (R) shakes hands with U.S. President Donald Trump in Hanoi on February 27, 2019. Photo: Nguyen Khanh / Tuoi Tre

Vietnamese Party General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong (L) shakes hands with U.S. President Barack Obama at the White House in July 2015. Photo: ZIMBO

Russian President Vladimir Putin (R) shakes hands with Vietnamese Party General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong. Photo: Vietnam News Agency

Vietnamese Party General Secretary and State President Nguyen Phu Trong (C) during a meeting with voters. Photo: Viet Dung / Tuoi Tre

Vietnamese Party General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong (L, 2nd) makes banh chung (square glutinous rice cakes) before Tet. Photo: Nguyen Kim Phu

Vietnamese Party General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong (R, 2nd) meets with ethnic minority people. Photo: Vietnam News Agency

Vietnamese Party General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong poses for a photo with Vietnamese children in 2010.

Vietnams Party General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong passed away at 1:38 pm on July 19, 2024 in Hanoi, Nhan Dan (People) newspaper cited information from the Central Committee on Health Care for Senior Governmental Officials.

The Party chief drew his last breath at Military Central Hospital 108 despite the efforts of leading doctors and healthcare experts to treat his serious illness.

General Secretary Trong was born in 1944.

The Central Committee of the Communist Party of Vietnam, the National Assembly of the Socialist Republic of Vietnam, the President of the Socialist Republic of Vietnam, the Government of the Socialist Republic of Vietnam, and the Central Committee of the Vietnam Fatherland Front will issue a special announcement regarding the organization of the State Funeral for comrade Nguyen Phu Trong.

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Read what is in the news in Vietnam today:

Politics

-- Leaders of Laos, China, Cambodia, Cuba, and Russia sent telegrams and letters of condolences to the leaders and people of Vietnam after Communist Partys General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong passed away on Friday.

Society

-- The National Center for Hydro-Meteorological Forecasting forecasts that a tropical depression, located in the east of in the East Vietnam Sea as of 7:00 pm on Friday, will intensify into a storm by 7:00 pm on Saturday.

-- Vietnams airports remained unaffected despite relations to Microsofts cloud service outage thanks to the early transition to a backup computer system, Dinh Viet Thang, director of the Civil Aviation Authority of Vietnam, said on Friday afternoon.

-- Khanh Hoa Province in south-central Vietnam debuted its first mobile firefighting motorbikes.

-- The Ministry of Public Security announced on Friday the indictment and temporary detention of Nguyen Thi Nhu Loan, CEO of Quoc Cuong Gia Lai Joint Stock Company, for violating regulations on the management and use of state assets causing loss and waste.

-- The Ho Chi Minh City Tax Department has temporarily delayed the departure of 2,766 individuals and business representatives who have outstanding taxes from the first half of this year.

Business

-- Over 4,000 CEOs, 85 investment funds, and 150 start-ups from Vietnam and Southeast Asia are set to attend InnoEx 2024, a leading innovation forum and exhibition sponsored by Qualcomm, the worlds leading semiconductor company, in Ho Chi Minh City on August 22-23.

Lifestyle

-- Starting July 22, both domestic and international tourists visiting Ho Chi Minh City can sign up for the Ho Chi Minh City Free Walking Tour, offered by BenThanh Tourist travel company, at no cost.

Sports

-- Vietnamese female referees are undergoing Video Assistant Referees training for the first time during a course held jointly by the Vietnam Football Federation and Vietnam Professional Football League from Saturday to Tuesday in Hanoi.

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Photos of a child sitting on the railing of a newly-opened bridge in northern Vietnam have sparked a wave of criticism on social media.

The mentioned bridge is Ben Rung Bridge linking Hai Phong City with Quang Ninh Province. It was opened to traffic on Wednesday, attracting many people to get fresh air and take photos.

Many netizens have criticized adults for letting the child on the bridge railing to take photos.

Do Tuan Anh, general director of the Hai Phong Traffic Construction Investment Project Management Unit, the investor of the bridge, told Tuoi Tre (Youth) newspaper on Thursday that the unit had received reports of the case and was coming up with a bridge management plan.

Tuan Anh added that the unit had opened the bridge to traffic but had not handed over it to the locality.

Although it has assigned employees to guard the bridge, they have no authority to handle residents putting themselves in danger.

An adult sits on the Ben Rung Bridge railing. Photo: V.TINH / Tuoi Tre

The unit will ask the Peoples Committee of Thuy Nguyen District, Hai Phong City to work out safety measures and recommend the residents not to sit on the bridge railing, Tuan Anh said, adding that letting a child sit on the bridge railing was extremely dangerous.

Nguyen Huy Hoang, chairman of the administration in Thuy Nguyen District, said that the district would assign personnel to work with the Hai Phong Traffic Construction Investment Project Management Unit to warn residents of not sitting on the bridge railing, gathering, or parking vehicles on the bridge.

The six-lane Ben Rung Bridge spans over the Da Bach River and carries a price tag of VND1.941 trillion (US$76.8 million).

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A major global IT outage was reported on Friday as thousands of businesses have to halt operations when their Windows computers suddenly displayed the notorious "blue screen of death."

The cause of the outage: an antivirus update from cybersecurity provider CrowdStrike. An update bug that basically bricked most of the IT infrastructures in the world.

While CrowdStrike CEO George Kurtz assured partnered firms and customers that the outage was not due to a "cybersecurity incident," the scale of the impact could as well be.

CrowdStrike is actively working with customers impacted by a defect found in a single content update for Windows hosts. Mac and Linux hosts are not impacted. This is not a security incident or cyberattack. The issue has been identified, isolated and a fix has been deployed. We  George Kurtz (@George_Kurtz) July 19, 2024

Here are some reasons why:

Also Read : Microsoft Outage Hits Global Operations of Bank, Airlines

Billions of Dollar in Losses

For one, the CrowdStrike IT outage is unique in the way that the update bug can only be removed manually from each computer.

While the fix may be simple, the overwhelming amount of computers that needed the repair would require a huge number of IT staff working around the clock before their services stabilized.

Big tech companies have to wait a little longer as they would still need to install proper cybersecurity software, which CrowdStrike is supposed to provide, before returning online.

All of these culminate in halted operations that could cost several industries millions if not billions, of dollars before CrowdStrike could roll out the technical update to resolve the issue permanently.

Lives at Danger

Businesses are not the only infrastructures affected by the outage. In fact, many hospitals and medical facilities also rely on CrowdStrike's cybersecurity services amid the surge of cyberattacks on the healthcare sector.

Earlier service outages have already shown the gravity of a service disruption in medical responses as major operations have to be rescheduled, patients being transferred to other hospitals, and multiple delays across almost every service.

Transportation Delays

Airports are one of the biggest customers in IT services. They are also among the most impacted by the recent CrowdStrike outage.

Several airlines have already announced flight delays, re-schedules, and even cancelations as customers scramble to complete their flights soon, hinting at further confusion even after the CrowdStrike bug is resolved over the next few days.

With the Summer Olympics close to full swing, the transportation delay could heavily impact many people's schedules in the coming months, especially those traveling to France and nearby European nations.
Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh recently underscored Vietnams determination to complete 600 kilometers of expressways in the Mekong Delta within this tenure of the government (2021-26) and another 600 kilometers in the next term.

To reach the target, PM Chinh required localities in the region to join forces with the government with a greater will, stronger efforts, and more drastic actions.

Over the past decades, the Mekong Delta has had more underdeveloped traffic infrastructure compared with other parts of the country.

In 2010, the delta had 40 first kilometers of expressways as the Ho Chi Minh City-Trung Luong Expressway connecting Ho Chi Minh City and Tien Giang Province was opened to traffic.

Twelve years later, the second motorway, Trung Luong - My Thuan Expressway, was inaugurated in 2022, raising the total kilometers of expressways in the region to over 90.

Over the past few years, a series of key traffic infrastructure projects, particularly expressways, have been planned.

According to the road network planning for 2021-2030, with a vision to 2050, the Mekong Delta is set to have six expressways with a total length of approximately 1,200 kilometers, each with four to six lanes.

Three vertical expressways would stretch 597 kilometers, including the eastern North-South Expressway, the western North-South Expressway, and the Ho Chi Minh City - Tien Giang - Ben Tre - Tra Vinh - Soc Trang Expressway.

There would also be three horizontal expressways spanning 591 kilometers in length, consisting of the Chau Doc - Can Tho - Soc Trang Expressway, the Ha Tien - Rach Gia - Bac Lieu Expressway, and the Hong Ngu - Tra Vinh Expressway.

A bridge is under construction in Ca Mau Province, southern Vietnam. It is among the 128 bridges along the Can Tho - Ca Mau Expressway. Photo: Thanh Huyen / Tuoi Tre

The expressway dream of over 20 million people in the Mekong Delta is coming true as many expressway projects are under construction.

Tran Truong Son, a local driver, said he was glad when the prime minister inspected the construction sites of traffic infrastructure projects in the region. Some bottlenecks would be surely removed as a result.

Authorities and residents in the delta are joining hands to develop expressways. Local residents are willing to hand over their land for expressway construction.

Nguyen Trung Hien, residing in Soc Trang Province, said his family handed over part of their farmland for the Chau Doc - Can Tho - Soc Trang Expressway project.

Once the expressway is opened to traffic in late 2027, I can travel on it to the Tran De Seaport or Chau Doc [a city in An Giang Province], and will not have to take a detour like I do now which takes time, Hien said.

Meanwhile, authorities in the provinces and cities involved in the expressway construction projects have spent efforts on site clearance.

Ca Mau has completed over 99.9 percent of the site clearance work for a section of the eastern trans-Vietnam expressway project in the province, according to secretary of the provincial Party Committee Nguyen Tien Hai.

In Can Tho City, the cleared sites for the eastern North-South Expressway and the Chau Doc - Can Tho - Soc Trang Expressway are almost complete.

Secretary of the municipal Party Committee Nguyen Van Hieu said the city would work with power and telecom units to finalize the site clearance in August.

The demand for sand is huge in the Mekong Delta of Vietnam. Photo: Chi Quoc / Tuoi Tre

Regarding the supply of sand to the expressway projects, Minister of Natural Resources and Environment Dang Quoc Khanh informed that contractors have been committed to ensuring sand for leveling for nearly 600 kilometers of expressways in the Mekong Delta.

According to Nguyen Van Sanh, former director of the Mekong Delta Development Research Institute, three important factors for the region's development are human resources, traffic infrastructure, and regional connectivity, with the second helping remove hindrances to the two others.

Each province has its own economic development plans, but they cannot achieve their goals without adequate traffic infrastructure, Sanh added.

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Operations of Vietnams airports were not affected by a Microsoft's cloud services outage that affected thousands of flights globally on Friday, since they swiftly shifted to using their standby computer systems as soon as the incident started, said the Civil Aviation Authority of Vietnam (CAAV).

A failed tech update from U.S. cybersecurity software company CrowdStrike crashed Microsoft Windows systems around the world on Friday, affecting the operation of airports, along with banks, hospitals, and media outlets, in different countries, according to international media.

A defect was found in a single content update for Windows hosts that affected Microsoft customers, CrowdStrike CEO George Kurtz said on social media platform X, Reuters reported.

However, this cloud service outage did not cause interruption to the operation of airports in Vietnam, Dinh Viet Thang, director of CAAV, told Tuoi Tre (Youth) newspaper on Friday afternoon.

As soon as the incident happened and affected the computer system of Vietnams budget carrier Vietjet at Ho Chi Minh City's Tan Son Nhat International Airport, the airport authority immediately switched to using the computer network of Saigon Ground Services Joint Stock Company to carry out procedures for passengers smoothly, Thang stated.

As informed on Vietjets Facebook page, the global Microsoft Cloud system problem affected the reservations and online check-in provided by global airlines from about 11:30 am to 2:30 pm (Vietnam time).

The incident hit computers that use Microsofts cloud services. However, the number of computers affected was not large, he affirmed.

Vietnamese airports have standby computer systems for immediate use in such circumstances, so their operation was normal, with no flights disrupted, stated the CAAV leader.

The Vietnamese national flag carrier does not use such services, so it remained unaffected, he added.

Due to the incident, major U.S. airlines, including American, Delta and United, were forced to ground flights, while delays and disruptions were also reported by other carriers and airports around the world, New York Post reported.

At least 2,645 flights were canceled and 9,175 were delayed in the U.S. alone, according to FlightAware data.

Globally, 4,249 flights were canceled and another 38,163 were delayed as of 5:00 pm Friday evening.

CEO of CrowdStrike George Kurtz apologized for the disruptions in a post on X on Friday, noting the issue had been identified and isolated and a fix was underway, according to USA Today.

Services began to come back online on Friday evening but full recovery could take weeks after airports, healthcare services and businesses were hit by the largest outage in history, The Guardian cited experts as saying.

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FILE PHOTO: Japan Self-Defense Forces (JSDF) soldiers walk past a Patriot Advanced Capability-3 (PAC-3) missile unit after Japan's Chief Cabinet Secretary Yoshihide Suga (L) reviews the unit at the Defense Ministry in Tokyo

By Nobuhiro Kubo and Tim Kelly

TOKYO (Reuters) -A U.S. plan to use Japanese factories to boost production of Patriot air defence missiles - used by Ukraine to defend against Russian attacks - is being delayed by a shortage of a critical component manufactured by Boeing, four sources said.

Japan's Mitsubishi Heavy Industries (MHI) already makes about 30 PAC-3 missiles each year under licence from defence contractor Lockheed Martin and can increase that number to about 60, two Japanese government officials and two industry sources told Reuters.

The U.S. hopes to increase production from about 500 a year to more than 750 per year globally as soon as possible, a person familiar with the program said. But no expansion at all will be possible in Japan without additional supplies of the missiles' seekers, which guide them in the final stages of flight, the officials and industry sources said.

"It could take several years before MHI is able to raise output" because of the shortage, said one of the industry sources, who like the others declined to be identified because they are not authorised to speak to the media.

The production snag in Japan shows the challenges Washington faces in plugging industrial help from its global allies into its complex supply chains.

Boeing last year began expanding its seeker factory in the United States to increase production by 30%, although the additional lines won't operate until 2027. The company did not say last year how many were produced, but noted it had just delivered its 5,000th.

A Boeing representative referred questions to Lockheed Martin, the prime contractor for the interceptor.

Lockheed Martin has said it is increasing its U.S. output of Patriot interceptors from 500 to 650 by 2027. Each costs about $4 million.

Even if enough seekers are available, expanding annual PAC-3 production in Japan beyond 60 would require MHI to build more capacity.

In its 2022 plan to double military spending, Japan's government said it would offer financial help to defence companies that wanted to expand production. Those subsidies, however, only apply to equipment destined for the country's Self Defense Forces and not exports.

That means that MHI or the United States would have to stump up the money to pay for a new PAC-3 factory, which could cost tens of millions of dollars or more, one of the Japanese government sources said.

"The Indo-Pacific is a large area of focus for the U.S. and our allies and strategically postured capabilities in the region are critical to support deterrence and maintain readiness," Lockheed Martin said in an email, referring questions about PAC-3 production in Japan to the Japanese and U.S. governments, and MHI.

Japan's Ministry of Defense declined to comment. MHI declined to comment.

A U.S. defence official said a $4.5 billion contract signed in June with the U.S. Army - the Patriot system's primary customer - marked the beginning of a ramp-up in production of both missiles and seekers.

Foreign and defence ministers from Japan and the United States are set to meet in Tokyo this month for talks that are expected to include deepening industrial cooperation on defence. The Patriot project is seen as a key part of that effort.

Even with help from allies, supply chain bottlenecks complicate U.S. efforts to supply Ukraine's demand for munitions, including air defence systems that can thwart Russian attacks.

In the deadliest wave of air strikes in months, a Russian missile in July struck a children's hospital, killing at least 41 civilians.

In December 2023, Japan eased military export rules to allow it to help replenish U.S. Patriot missile stocks, which had been tapped to help Ukraine.

U.S. Ambassador to Japan Rahm Emanuel, who called that a "historic decision", has been a leading proponent of deeper military industrial ties with Japan that could ease the strain on U.S. defence contractors.

U.S. President Joe Biden and Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida agreed in April to deepen defence industry cooperation.

In an opinion piece published by the Wall Street Journal two months after that meeting, Emanuel described a shrunken U.S. military industrial complex as a "weak link" that had been exposed by the Ukraine war and the Middle East conflict.

(Reporting by Nobuhiro Kubo, Tim Kelly; additional reporting by Mike Stone, Allison Lampert, Idrees Ali and Kaori Kaneko; Editing by Gerry Doyle and Sam Holmes)
Italy's Meloni says she can work with EU head von der Leyen despite party vote

ROME (Reuters) - Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni said she would still be able to work with Ursula von der Leyen despite her Brothers of Italy party having voted against a second term for the German as head of the European Commission.

Members of the European Parliament backed von der Leyen's bid for another five-year term at the helm of the European Union's powerful executive body on Thursday.

"We have cooperated until now and we will continue to do so in the future," Meloni said of her relationship with von der Leyen.

"We are people who have responsibilities and we understand their importance," Meloni said in an interview with Italian daily Corriere della Sera published on Saturday.

Meloni, who has led a right-wing Italian government since 2022, said she supported von der Leyen's comments in her address to the European Parliament on the need to control immigration but the Italian leader added that Europe overall needed less regulation and to find ways to boost its economic competitiveness.

She also stressed Italy's importance as the third-largest economy in the EU and a founding member of the bloc, adding that it had the most stable government of all major EU nations.

"Everyone recognises the weight and role of Italy," she said.

The Italian prime minister also said she would be able to work with whoever was elected U.S. president in November.

"For me what counts is the strength of the alliance with the United States," she said.

"To think that an alliance between two G7 nations would change with a change of government is stupid and childish."

(Writing by Keith Weir; Editing by Tomasz Janowski)
At least 40 dead after a boat caught fire while travelling from Haiti to Turks and Caicos Islands

Haitian presidential advisor Leslie Voltaire (C) speaks to the press (AFP via Getty Images)

At least 40 people have died after a boat caught fire while travelling from Haiti to the Turks & Caicos Islands.

The International Organization for Migration said that at least half the 80 capacity of the vessel - all said to be Haitians - died amid the tragedy on Wednesday.

The boat departed Fort Saint-Michel but did not make it to the Caribbean island, some 250km (155 miles) away, catching fire while still in Haitian waters.

Haitis coastguard said that eleven people were being treated for injuries, including burns, after the fire began in Cap-Haitien - to the islands north.

More than 200 Kenyan police officers have been redeployed in Haiti (AFP via Getty Images)

Jean-Henry Petit, who leads the civil protection office in northern Haiti, told the Miami Herald newspaper that it is a custom to light candles for a safe passage.

He said that these could have led to gasoline-filled drums catching fire and exploding.

Haiti has struggled in recent years with armed gangs causing violence, especially in the capital Port-au-Prince.

This week hundreds of Kenyan police were flown into Haiti to help bring stability.

Gregoire Goodstein, of the International Organization for Migration, said: This devastating event highlights the risks faced by children, women, and men migrating through irregular routes, demonstrating the crucial need for safe and legal pathways for migration.

Haitis socioeconomic situation is in agony. The extreme violence over the past months has only brought Haitians to resort to desperate measures even more.
One part of Cyprus mourns, the other rejoices 50 years after split

By Angeliki Koutantou and Yiannis Kourtoglou

NICOSIA (Reuters) -Greek Cypriots mourned and Turkish Cypriots rejoiced on Saturday, the 50th anniversary of Turkey's invasion of part of the island after a brief Greek inspired coup, with the chances of reconciliation as elusive as ever.

The ethnically split island is a persistent source of tension between Greece and Turkey, which are both partners in NATO but are at odds over numerous issues.

Their differences were laid bare on Saturday, with Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan attending a celebratory military parade in north Nicosia to mark the day in 1974 when Turkish forces launched an offensive that they call a "peace operation". Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis was present for events in the south, where the events are noted as the anniversary of the 'barbaric' Turkish invasion.

"The Cyprus Peace Operation saved Turkish Cypriots from cruelty and brought them to freedom," Erdogan told cheering crowds who gathered in north Nicosia.

"We are ready for negotiations, to meet, and to establish long-term peace and resolution in Cyprus," he said, adding that Greek and Greek Cypriot calls to reunite Cyprus under a federal umbrella - which are prescribed in U.N. resolutions - are no longer possible.

Greek Cypriots want reunification as a federation. Turkish Cypriots want a two-state settlement.

"We have one aim: A Republic of Cyprus with a single sovereignty, a single international personality, a single nationality, in a bizonal, bicommunal federation, a single state where all citizens will be Cypriots and Europeans, without a foreign occupation army, without outdated guarantees," Mitsotakis told a sombre event in the southern parts of Nicosia in remembrance of 1974.

Greece and Turkey recently agreed to discuss how to improve relations, but "the fact that we have been discussing, doesn't mean that we agree and, more importantly, that we back down," Mitsotakis said.

REMEMBERING THE DEAD

Cyprus gained independence from Britain in 1960, but a shared administration between Greek and Turkish Cypriots quickly fell apart in violence that saw Turkish Cypriots withdraw into enclaves and led to the dispatch of a U.N. peacekeeping force.

The crisis left Greek Cypriots running the internationally recognised Republic of Cyprus, a member of the European Union since 2004 with the potential to derail Turkey's own decades-long aspirations of joining the bloc.

It also complicates any attempts to unlock energy potential in the eastern Mediterranean because of overlapping claims. The region has seen major discoveries of hydrocarbons in recent years.

Cypriot President Nikos Christodoulides, whose office represents the Greek Cypriot community in the reunification dialogue, said the anniversary was a sombre occasion for reflection and for remembering the dead. He also drew parallels with Russia's invasion of Ukraine to the events in Cyprus in 1974.

"The condemnable and unacceptable events we see happening in Ukraine today ... were perpetrated 50 years ago in Cyprus and we are living its consequences every day," he said.

Across the south, church services were held to remember the more than 3,000 people who died in the Turkish invasion.

"It was a betrayal of Cyprus and so many kids were lost. It wasn't just my son, it was many," said Loukas Alexandrou, 90, as he tended the grave of his son at a military cemetery.

In Turkey, blanket state television coverage focused on violence against Turkish Cypriots prior to the invasion, particularly on bloodshed in 1963-64 and in 1967.

Turkey's invasion took more than a third of the island and expelled more than 160,000 Greek Cypriots to the south.

Reunification talks collapsed in 2017 and have been at a stalemate since. Northern Cyprus is a breakaway state recognised only by Turkey, and its Turkish Cypriot leadership wants international recognition.

(Reporting by Michele Kambas, Stamos Prousalis and Yiannis Kourtoglou in Nicosia, Azra Ceylan in Istanbul and Angeliki Koutantou in Athens, Writing by Michele Kambas; Editing by Tom Hogue, Helen Popper and Timothy Heritage)
Panda pair from China to debut at U.S. San Diego Zoo next month

Xinhua) 09:30, July 20, 2024

A photo released by San Diego Zoo Wildlife Alliance on July 19, 2024 shows Yun Chuan, an almost five-year-old male panda, at his new home at the San Diego Zoo in San Diego, California, the United States. The panda pair that arrived at the San Diego Zoo from China earlier this summer will make their eagerly-awaited public debut on August 8, San Diego Zoo Wildlife Alliance announced on Friday. (San Diego Zoo Wildlife Alliance/Handout via Xinhua)

LOS ANGELES, July 19 (Xinhua) -- The panda pair that arrived at the San Diego Zoo from China earlier this summer will make their eagerly-awaited public debut on August 8, San Diego Zoo Wildlife Alliance announced on Friday.

Yun Chuan and Xin Bao landed in California from China on June 27 for a 10-year international giant panda protection cooperation with San Diego Zoo, marking a new round of such collaboration between the two nations. The two are the first pandas to enter the United States in 21 years.

"We are delighted to introduce Yun Chuan and Xin Bao to our San Diego Zoo community," said Paul Baribault, President and CEO of San Diego Zoo Wildlife Alliance in a press release, adding that "our newest residents will bring joy to our visitors and symbolize the enduring spirit of international conservation efforts."

"Together with our partners, we continue to make significant strides in ensuring a hopeful future for this iconic species," he added.

Yun Chuan is an almost five-year-old male identifiable by his long, pointy nose. In 2007, his mother, Zhen Zhen, was the fourth cub born at the San Diego Zoo. Xin Bao is a nearly four-year-old female best recognized by her large, round face and big, fluffy ears.

Since their arrival in late June, the pair has been acclimating to their home in the newly re-imagined Panda Ridge, said the zoo.

The innovative space is four times larger than the San Diego Zoo's previous panda habitat and inspired by famous geological formations in China, emulating mountains, canyons and cliffs. It features new shade trees for climbing, a diverse array of plants, and rolling hillsides that allow Yun Chuan and Xin Bao to navigate and explore vertically, according to the zoo.

On Friday, the zoo also released the first video of the two pandas as they continue settling into their new home.

"Not only is the space of the new panda habitat much larger, but also the comfort of panda habitat and the experience of tourists are considered," said Ling Shanshan, a Chinese expert from China, who is helping a local team keeping a close eye on the pandas' health, tracking their weight, appetite and other health indicators on daily basis to ensure they thrive in their new environment.

"The new home helps visitors gain a deeper understanding of panda life," she noted.

San Diego Zoo, one of the most visited zoo in the country, is the first U.S. zoo to have a cooperative conservation program with Chinese partners. Located north of downtown San Diego in Balboa Park, it is home to more than 12,000 rare and endangered animals representing over 680 species and subspecies.

The panda pair were selected from the China Conservation and Research Center for the Giant Panda (CCRCGP), which has conducted scientific research cooperation with San Diego Zoo for over 25 years, with fruitful results in the protection, breeding and disease control of giant pandas, and related public education.

Giant pandas are one of the world's most endangered species. Nearly 1,900 pandas live in the wild, mostly in the provinces of Sichuan and Shaanxi in China, rising from 1,100 in the 1980s.

A photo released by San Diego Zoo Wildlife Alliance on July 19, 2024 shows Xin Bao, a nearly four-year-old female panda, at her new home at the San Diego Zoo in San Diego, California, the United States. The panda pair that arrived at the San Diego Zoo from China earlier this summer will make their eagerly-awaited public debut on August 8, San Diego Zoo Wildlife Alliance announced on Friday. (San Diego Zoo Wildlife Alliance/Handout via Xinhua)

A photo released by San Diego Zoo Wildlife Alliance on July 19, 2024 shows Yun Chuan, an almost five-year-old male panda, at his new home at the San Diego Zoo in San Diego, California, the United States. The panda pair that arrived at the San Diego Zoo from China earlier this summer will make their eagerly-awaited public debut on August 8, San Diego Zoo Wildlife Alliance announced on Friday. (San Diego Zoo Wildlife Alliance/Handout via Xinhua)

A photo released by San Diego Zoo Wildlife Alliance on July 19, 2024 shows Xin Bao, a nearly four-year-old female panda, at her new home at the San Diego Zoo in San Diego, California, the United States. The panda pair that arrived at the San Diego Zoo from China earlier this summer will make their eagerly-awaited public debut on August 8, San Diego Zoo Wildlife Alliance announced on Friday. (San Diego Zoo Wildlife Alliance/Handout via Xinhua)

(Web editor: Peng Yukai, Wu Chaolan)
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Axiom Space to replace International Space Station (ISS)

American space agency National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) has geared up with tech associates to replace the dooming International Space Station (ISS) with Axiom Space

Saturday July 20, 2024 5:29 PM , ummid.com News Network

Washington: American space agency National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) has geared up with tech associates to replace the dooming International Space Station (ISS) with Axiom Space.

Owned by Elon Musks SpaceX, Axiom Space will be the worlds first commercial space station unlike the International Space Station (ISS) which was funded by governments and operated by their space agencies namely - NASA (National Aeronautics and Space Administration), CSA (Canadian Space Agency), ESA (European Space Agency), JAXA (Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency), and State Space Corporation Roscosmos of Russia.

SpaceX is already playing instrumental role in the end the operation of the ISS. It has also been awarded $843 mn contract by NASA to build a unique Deorbit Vehicle to usher the International Space Station (ISS) to its doom.

The Deorbit Vehicle for the International Space Station is being designed to help NASA and its international partners ensure a safe and responsible transition in low Earth orbit at the end of the International Space Stations operations.

The International Space Station (ISS) ends its operational life in 2030 whereas Axiom Space will start its operation in 2026 and replace the ISS before its end.

About Axiom Space

The construction of the Axiom Space is underway in full collaboration with the American space agency NASA.



The construction of the worlds first commercial space station is underway. Following completing preliminary and critical design reviews in collaboration with NASA, our partners at Thales Alenia Space began welding and machining activities for the primary structures of Axiom Station's first module, the mission said. Axiom Space is preparing for a 2026 launch of the first section of our next-generation platform that will operate in low-Earth orbit, it added.

Watch Axiom Space progress

Headquartered in Houston, Texas, the space infrastructure developer company was founded in 2016 by Michael T. Suffredini and Kam Ghaffarian. Axiom Space CEO Suffredini was previously the program manager for the International Space Station.

The company first flew a spaceflight in 2022 - Axiom Mission 1. It was the first commercially crewed private spaceflight to the International Space Station (ISS).







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Bangladesh: Over 100 dead, curfew imposed, military called in as situation worsens

The government in Bangladesh has deployed the military to help police and security forces even as the death toll in the latest protests against quota in government jobs crossed 100 mark Friday July 19, 2024

Saturday July 20, 2024 3:33 PM , ummid.com News Network

Dhaka: The government in Bangladesh has deployed the military to help police and security forces even as the death toll in the latest protests against quota in government jobs crossed 100 mark Friday July 19, 2024.

As many as 115 people have been killed in the latest escalation news agency AFP reported citing its sources in police and hospitals.

The government has imposed curfew to contain the violence that has spread beyond the national capital Dhaka.

"The army has been deployed nationwide to control the law and order situation," armed forces spokesman Shahdat Hossain told AFP.

The curfew will remain in effect until at least 10:00 am Sunday, private broadcaster Channel 24 reported.

The students in Bangladesh have been demanding reforms to a controversial quota system that gives advantages in job placements to family members of freedom fighters.

Why students are protesting?

The students from Dhaka University (DU), the most prestigious varsity of the country, are protesting against a 1971 law providing reservation in government and civil services jobs in capital Dhaka and other cities of the country.

As per the law, 50% of the government jobs would be filled not based on merit but through affirmative action favoring women and residents of less developed areas.

The most controversial section of this quota system is that 30% of civil service positions and public sector jobs are reserved for the relatives of those who fought for Bangladesh's independence in 1971 and are called war heroes.

It is alleged that the reservation system is misused to favour the supporters of the ruling Awami League party. The demonstration escalated when pro-Awami League supporters intervened, entering the DU campus and violently attacking the students.

The protests took an even ugly turn Thursday as the demonstrating students set fire to the country's state broadcaster, a day after Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina appeared on the network seeking to calm the escalating clashes.

The students protests started after the Bangladesh High Court restored the quota system in public sector jobs, superseding a 2018 decision by Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina's government to scrap it. However, the Supreme Court stayed the High Court's order after the government's appeal, setting a date of August 7 to hear the government's challenge.

Meanwhile, the authorities in Bangladesh shut down the cellular network and internet service across the country following the violent clashes between security forces and students.

The violence further prompted the local authorities to shut the Metro rail inside the capital alongside the railway services to and from Dhaka since Thursday afternoon.

[Source of the images: Social media/X]







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UGEAC 2024 Choice Filling Starts Today, Last Date July 26

Bihar Combined Entrance Competitive Examination Board (BCECE) has started on its official website bcece.admissions.nic.in from today Online Registration and Choice Filling for Under Graduate Engineering Admission Counselling [UGEAC] 2024.

Saturday July 20, 2024 1:04 AM , ummid.com News Network

UGEAC 2024 Choice Filling: Bihar Combined Entrance Competitive Examination Board (BCECE) has started on its official website bcece.admissions.nic.in from today Online Registration and Choice Filling for Under Graduate Engineering Admission Counselling [UGEAC] 2024.

Candidates should note that UGEAC Choice Filling started from today i.e. July 20, 2024. The last date of registration and choice filling is July 26, 2024.

UGEAC 2024 Registration/Choice Filling

Click here to go to official website: bceceboard.bihar.gov.in . Click on "Registration and Choice Filling for UGEAC 2024". Log-in using UGEAC ID and Password or JEE Main Application No. Enter your date of birth and Security Code. Click on SUbmit Button to complete Choice Filling.

Candidates should note that last date of Choice Filling for Under Graduate Engineering Admission Counselling [UGEAC] 2024 on the website is July 26, 2024.

Candidates participating in UGEAC 2024 Counselling should also note that Round 1 Seat Allotment will be released on July 31, 2024.

The Bihar Combined Entrance Competitive Examination Board (BCECE) had on June 25, 2024 UGEAC 2024 Rank Card and Merit List .

The Bihar Englineering Counselling Board had had earlier also released Seat Matrix for UGEAC 2024.

BCECE UGEAC 2024 Counselling - Important Dates

Publication of UGEAC Merit List on Board's Web: June 25, 2024

Starting date of UGEAC Online Registration and Choice filling for Seat Allotment: July 20, 2024

Last date of Online Registration, Choice filling for Seat Allotment and locking: July 26, 2024

1st Round Provisional Seat Allotment result publication date: July 31, 2024

Downloading of Allotment order / Booking of Slots for Document Verification andChoice Upgradation (1st Round): July 31 to August 04, 2024

Documents Verification and Admission (1st Round): August 01 to 04, 2024

2nd Round Provisional Seat Allotment result publication date: August 09, 2024

Downloading of Allotment order / Booking of Slots for Document Verification and Choice Upgradation (2nd Round) : August 09 to 12, 2024

Documents Verification and Admission (2nd Round): August 10 to 12, 2024

Bihar Combined Entrance Competitive Examination Board (BCECEB) is constituted under Bihar Combined Entrance Competitive Examination Act, 1995.

Apart from Bihar NEET Medical and Engineering Counselling, it conducts competitive examinations every year for admissions in various professional courses of Medical, Engineering and Agricultural streams in the Institutions of the state of Bihar.





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UPSC Chairman Manoj Soni resigns in sudden move

Manoj Soni, Chairman of Union Public Service Commission (UPSC), has resigned from his post about five years before his tenure was supposed to end

Sunday July 21, 2024 9:52 AM , ummid.com News Network

New Delhi: Manoj Soni, Chairman of Union Public Service Commission (UPSC), has resigned from his post about five years before his tenure was supposed to end.

The sudden move comes at a time when the UPSC is in the midst of the crisis surrounding the Puja Khedkar case.

Puja Khedkar , a Probationary IAS Officer, has been accused of faking her identity and using fake documents to avail benefits reserved for medically unfit and candidates from lower castes.

Manoj Sonis resigned as Chairman a day after the UPSC confirmed Puja Khedkar faked her identity . In a showcause notice issued Friday, the UPSC also said it had filed a police case against Khedkar and initiated action for the cancellation of her selection for the Civil Services.

Official sources said Soni has resigned as Chairman citing personal reasons. The officials further said that Sonis resignation is yet to be accepted.

RSS Man

A member of the UPSC since June 2017, Manoj Soni was appointed as chairman on April 18, 2022.

Before joining UPSC, Manoj Soni was the vice-chancellor of the Maharaja Sayajirao University in Gujarat's Vadodara.

There are allegations from different quarters that Soni has close ties with the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS), while the UPSC should be a neutral body.

Criticising the governments move to appoint Soni as UPSC Chairman, Congress leader Rahul Gandhi called him a RSS Pracharak.

"Union Pracharak Sangh Commission. India's Constitution is being demolished, one Institution at a time," Rahul Gandhi said in his tweet .





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The condolences were addressed to the Communist Party of Vietnam (CPV) Central Committee, the National Assembly and Government of Vietnam, and the Vietnam Fatherland Front Central Committee.



The Central Committee of the Lao People's Revolutionary Party (LPRP), the Lao National Assembly, the President of Laos, the Lao Government, the Central Committee of the Lao Front for National Construction (LFNC), and the people of Lao ethnic groups expressed the deep condolences over the passing of the Vietnamese Party leader.



Vietnam has lost a steadfast revolutionary leader; and the Party leader's passing away is big loss to the Party, State, people of Vietnam and his family, the message wrote.



It further said that throughout his revolutionary career, he devoted all his energy and intelligence to important works in the cause of national liberation and reunification, and the renewal of the Communist Party of Vietnam (CPV), especially the Party building and rectification, as well as in the fight against corruption and other negative phenomena, helping Vietnam continuously develop, thus raising the country's position in the international and regional arena. Comrade Nguyen Phu Trong has become an outstanding leader of the era.



The Party, State, and people of Laos have lost an extremely close and dear comrade. He is a revolutionary leader in the new era, a successor of President Ho Chi Minh, making great, valuable and important contributions to strengthening and nurturing the great friendship, special solidarity and comprehensive cooperation between the two Parties, States and peoples of Laos and Vietnam.



"We believe that the Party, State and people of Vietnam will turn this loss into solidarity strength, continue moving forward, building Vietnam into an industrialised and modernised country, and achieving the target of rich people, a strong country, and a fair, democratic, and civilised society," it said.



Meanwhile, in its condolence message, the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee said the Chinese Party and people have lost a good comrade, a good brother, and a good friend.



With immense grief, it extended the deepest condolences and sincerest sympathies to the CPV Central Committee, the Vietnamese State and people.



The Vietnamese Party leader was a staunch Marxist and a great leader of the CPV and the Vietnamese people. He dedicated his entire life to the cause of his Party and nation, making outstanding contributions to Vietnam's Doi Moi (renewal), the cause of building socialism in Vietnam as well as the socialist movement in the world, the message said.



He was a close comrade and a sincere friend of the CPC and the Chinese people. He inherited and developed the traditional comrades-plus-brothers friendship between the two Parties and two countries, and forged a profound friendship with the CPC and Chinese leaders, it added.



The Vietnamese Party leader and his Chinese counterpart Xi Jinping have jointly elevated the China-Vietnam relations to a community with a shared future that carries strategic significance and vigorously promoted the continuous development of the China-Vietnam comprehensive strategic cooperative partnership. The CPC, the Chinese government and people will always miss comrade Nguyen Phu Trong.



The CPC said it believes that CPV and the Vietnamese people will turn grief into strength, carry on the legacy of comrade Nguyen Phu Trong, stay united and strive to make new and greater achievements in the cause of Doi Moi and socialism building.



China and Vietnam are socialist neighbours connected by mountains and rivers and a community with a shared future that carries strategic significance. China has always regarded Vietnam as a priority in its neighbourhood diplomacy and stands ready to work with Vietnam to continuously consolidate political mutual trust, strengthen solidarity and cooperation, and step up the building of this community to benefit the two peoples and contribute to promoting peace and development in the region and the world, the message said.

In his letter of condolences, President of the Cambodian People's Party Hun Sen showed his sadness at Party General Secretary Trong's passing away, which he described as a great loss to the CPV, the Vietnamese State and entire people.



The legacy of comrade Trong, a clear-minded leader who devoted his entire life to the struggle for Vietnam's independence and for peace and prosperity of the Vietnamese people will be remembered by many generations, stated Hun Sen.



The CPP leader underlined that through his leadership, Party General Secretary Trong has reinforced the friendship and brotherhood with Cambodia and, for years, strived to enhance the close cooperation not only between the CPP and CPV but also between the two Governments and peoples.



Hun Sen extended his deep and sincere condolences to the bereaved family.



In his letter, Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Manet wrote that Party General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong devoted his whole life to the revolutionary cause of the CPV and peace, development, and prosperity of Vietnam. Vietnam has lost an outstanding leader, and Cambodia has lost a good friend who always strived to contribute to the Vietnam-Cambodia brotherly relationship, he stated.



Mourning the Vietnamese Party leader, President of the Cambodian National Assembly Khuon Sudary described Party General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong as an outstanding leader, with profound vision and great dedication, who had a great impact on Vietnam's socio-economic development and institutional modernisation.



His passing away leaves a great loss not only to Vietnam but also to everyone who had the honour of knowing him, Khuon Sudary wrote.



We are extremely grateful for Party General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong's continuous dedication in promoting the strong relationship between Vietnam and Cambodia as well as his important role in bringing the two countries closer together, she stated.



In their letter, General Raul Castro Ruz and First Secretary of the Communist Party of Cuba Central Committee and President of Cuba Miguel Diaz Canel-Bermudez expressed their deepest condolences to the family of Party General Secretary Trong and the Vietnamese people.



The passing away of comrade Nguyen Phu Trong is an irreparable loss for Cuba. Cuba will always remember comrade Nguyen Phu Trong as a great brother who tirelessly promoted the special friendly relationship between the two Parties, parliaments, Governments, and peoples.



Our beloved friend Nguyen Phu Trong will be remembered by generations of Cubans as a pillar in the long-standing traditional friendship between our two countries and as a great brother who was always ready to give his hand of solidarity to Cuba in the most complex and challenging situations, the letter read.



They recalled Party General Secretary Trong's visit to Cuba in March 2018, and especially the memorable moments of his trip to Santiago de Cuba to pay homage to his friend, a historic leader of the Cuban revolution, Fidel Castro Ruz.



Comrade Nguyen Phu Trong's life and career are a priceless legacy for future generations. His contributions to the role of the Communist Party, the creative application of Marxism-Leninism and Ho Chi Minh's thought, and his vision of international relations in the current context are among his outstanding contributions to the building of socialism in Vietnam. This will be reflected in new victories in the Doi Moi cause in Vietnam under the wise leadership of the CPV, read the letter.



General Raul Castro Ruz and President Miguel Diaz Canel-Bermudez affirmed their belief that the example that Party General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong set and the legacy he left will be an invaluable source of encouragement for all efforts of Vietnamese people.



They confirmed to President To Lam their support and solidarity as well as the persistent will to continue promoting the unbreakable bond of brotherhood between Cuba and Vietnam.



Expressing his deepest condolences, Russian President Vladimir Putin noted that comrade Nguyen Phu Trong dedicated his whole life to his Fatherland. Through the many years working in important positions of the State and Party, comrade Nguyen Phu Trong received high respect from Vietnamese people and had a great reputation in the international arena. Russia will remember the CPV General Secretary as a true friend who made great personal contributions to the establishment and development of the comprehensive strategic partnership between Russia and Vietnam, Putin said.



I had an opportunity to meet that wonderful person many times and will forever remain impressed, he wrote, extending his sincere condolences and encouragement to the bereaved family and the entire Vietnamese people.



In her letter of condolences, Valentina Matvienko, Speaker of the Federation Council of the Federal Assembly of the Russian Federation, described Party General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong as a big friend of Russia, an experienced political activist, and a famous State leader; and highlighted his contributions to the reinforcement of the comprehensive strategic partnership between Vietnam and Russia as well as bilateral cooperation.



The letter of Chairman of the State Duma of Russia Vyacheslav Volodin read that it is difficult to fully appreciate the great contributions by comrade Nguyen Phu Trong to strengthening the friendly relations between Russia and Vietnam. On behalf of the National Duma deputies of the Russian Federation, he extended his condolences to the bereaved family./.




A communique run by Granma, the daily of the Communist Party of Cuba, said the country will officially observe a mourning from 6 am of July 20 (local time) to midnight of July 21, while the state mourning will run for the whole of July 22.



During the state mourning, flags will be hoisted half-mast at all the public buildings and military offices



The Cuban leader expressed deep grief at the passing away of Party General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong, who he called a beloved comrade and sincere friend of Cuba.



Also on July 19, the Cuban National Assembly observed a minute in commemoration of Party General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong.



Cuban media described Party General Nguyen Phu Trong as one of those who enthusiastically boost the fraternal and special relations and the mutual must between the Parties, National Assemblies, Governments, and peoples of the two countries.



The Party leader made official visits to Cuba in 2012 and 2018./.VNA
By Mai Huong

Viet Nam's national 'One Commune, One Product' (OCOP) programme, active until next year, is crucial for rural economic development, transitioning from small-scale to value chain-linked production.

Goods under the OCOP banner are tied to a specific geographical origin, with a certain reputation for being unique and of excellent quality. The programme utilises internal resources, such as wisdom, creativity, human resources, raw materials and local culture, increasing product value and employment, and raising rural incomes.

However, for international expansion, OCOP items need systematic elevation. Strengthening the value chain is essential for them to penetrate global markets, yielding high profits for farmers/workers and promoting sustainable rural economic growth.

The latest data of the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development (MARD) showed, all 63 provinces and cities nationwide had classified over 13,300 OCOP items, exceeded the target of 10,000 products for 2021-2025. Of these, 74 per cent achieved three-star status, 25 per cent achieved four-star status and 0.3 per cent were rated five stars, with others being potential 5-star products.

The programme has attracted over 7,400 participants, including cooperatives, enterprises and production facilities.

Phung uc Tien, deputy minister of MARD, noted that OCOP items had shifted the mindset from agricultural production to agricultural business, linking agricultural development with local economic, service and tourism growth.

Experts observe that after six years, the programme has led to an increase in the number of products, with greater diversity in types, designs and styles. These products now boast improved quality, environmental friendliness and clear origins, building consumer trust and facilitating regulatory monitoring.

OCOP items are gaining influence and attracting strong consumer demand, prompting their inclusion in many large enterprises and supermarkets' distribution systems. High-quality OCOP items like Tai Hoan vermicelli (from Bac Kan Province), Bich Thao coffee (Son La Province) and ST24 rice (Soc Trang Province) have been exported abroad.

Challenges in going abroad

Despite efforts to maximise product potential and elevate the Vietnamese brand globally, OCOP items still face challenges in market expansion, particularly in terms of exports. Participation in modern retail chains and major markets like Europe, the US, Japan and South Korea remains limited.

Experts note that localities need to better support raw material development and traceability to meet market demands. Elevating a product from 3- to a 4-star status, which is necessary for export, requires meeting standards in trade promotion, geographical indications, value chain linkage, market access and product origin. These requirements are challenging for small-scale producers. Achieving five stars is even more difficult, requiring regular export markets beyond existing standards.

ang Xuan Hung, director of Kon Tum Salanganes Nest, explained that achieving higher star ratings involved meeting increasingly strict standards. A 5-star rating would require approval from MARD, whereas a 4-star rating could be granted by provincial authorities.

Despite the stringent criteria, attaining a star rating boosts consumer confidence. OCOP producers receive support from various ministries and departments, including promotional assistance at domestic and overseas fairs and exhibitions and prioritised sales on e-commerce platforms.

Founded in 2017 from a family business in Kon Tum Province in the Central Highlands, Kon Tum Salanganes Nest has been building its brand since 2020. Hung emphasised that maintaining high quality in raw materials, production, and processing was essential for brand building and improving the product's star rating.

Since mid-year, the company had exported its products to China. Although the quantity was small, feedback from Chinese customers had been positive.

"Chinese enterprises are meticulous, thoroughly inspecting factories, water sources, production processes, machinery, and evaluating samples in China before approving exports," Hung told Viet Nam News.

According to Hung sustainable exports require securing a certified raw material area and establishing a compliant factory, technology and production process. There is a lack of economic policies designated to support OCOP production, with current support limited to product promotion rather than providing loan policies.

"I started business by borrowing money from relatives and friends. Presently, the company relies on collateral to secure loans. Many OCOP businesses dont need preferential loans but desire long-term loan policies for secure stable production," Hung said.

In Nghe An Province, uc Phong Co Ltd's hanging bamboo lantern is Nghe An's first 5-star national OCOP item, exported to 34 countries. The company is expecting to add two more 5-star products this year: gift boxes and bamboo table lamps, blending traditional and modern elements.

"Obtaining the sustainable forest management certificate brings many benefits to the community, increases the value of wood and enhances income per unit area," Thai ai Phong, director of the company, said.

However, he said, the certification process still faced numerous challenges, and the progress was slow, not matching the potential, causing difficulties for export-oriented enterprises like his company.

Phong also pointed out that local authorities had not paid sufficient attention to supporting the development of raw material areas and ensuring traceability, which is crucial for meeting market demands in terms of quantity and quality.

Enhanced support

Nguyen Minh Tien, director of the Agricultural Trade Promotion Centre (Agrotrade), said that beyond enhancing domestic consumption, Agrotrade was assisting OCOP businesses in exporting their products.

Products rated 4 stars or higher, meeting export standards, were promoted at international fairs by the centre. This year, select OCOP items would be showcased at two fairs in Dubai and Japan, Tien told Viet Nam News.

Last year, a pilot introduced an OCOP booth at a craft fair in Milan, Italy, featuring standout Vietnamese products like woodwork, sculptures, horn products and silk, which captivated Italian customers. Later this year, some Ha Noi-based silk businesses would also participate in this event in Milan.

He also emphasised the success of OCOP items in international markets. Glass noodles and dried rice from Thai Nguyen and Bac Giang provinces had established markets in the EU and Australia, and Le Gia shrimp paste had been exported to Japan.

This year, following MARDs directive, Agrotrade would choose exemplary OCOP items to promote on e-commerce platforms such as TikTok, expanding to global platforms with a specific focus on ASEAN and China (utilising platforms like Douyin and Taobao in China).

"However, challenges persist," Tien said, noting only a limited number of items meet export conditions, particularly food products due to stringent requirements in export markets.

"OCOP producers are primarily cooperatives and small enterprises. Beyond technical barriers, the cost of export compliance assessment can reach several hundred million ong, a significant expense for OCOP units."

Currently, Agrotrade supported businesses with procedural guidance, customs connections and foreign enterprise linkages, he said. It also assisted OCOP producers with improving product design, packaging and labelling, providing market research insights to tailor products to user preferences.

"OCOP items hold economic value and serve as ambassadors of Viet Nams agriculture and culture," he said.

Efforts from provinces

Provincial governments are actively supporting OCOP production by organising events to promote them nationwide and assisting in brand building and e-commerce channel development.

In major cities like HCM City, the programme has expanded geographically and in scope since 2022. It has been implemented citywide instead of being limited to five suburban districts as in the initial phase.

The programme now evaluates and classifies OCOP items across six sectors: food and beverages, medicinal herbs, textiles and apparel, souvenirs, interior decorations and community-based tourism services. This expansion has attracted a diverse range of participants, including businesses, cooperatives, collaborative groups, farms, and households.

To date, HCM City has recognised 191 OCOP items from 67 entities, including 79 products rated 4 stars and 112 products rated 3 stars. One product is currently under consideration for 5-star certification.

Ha Noi, leading the nation in OCOP items, has classified 2,711 products since 2019, of which, there are six 5-star products, 1,473 four-star products and 1,220 three-star products. The capital city aims to have 2,000 more OCOP items certified with three stars or higher by 2025.

Nghe An, Tien Giang and An Giang provinces have all significantly developed their OCOP programmes, with measures to identify and protect local products, enhancing producer credibility.

Efforts of cities and provinces nationwide aim to stimulate broader participation in the programme and facilitate the commercialisation of new products in the domestic and overseas markets, fostering economic growth and enhancing Viet Nam's agricultural and cultural heritage.  VNS
HCM CITY State-owned Agribank is seeking to auction 28 apartments in HCM City with a starting price of VN60 billion (US$2.35 million) to recover debt amid a sluggish property market.

The auction pertains to the non-performing debt owed by An Tam Construction Investment Company Limited, which has not been able to make payments.

The outstanding debt amounts to over VN93 billion as of May 30, inclusive of VN62 billion in principal and over VN31 billion in interest.

The debt is secured by apartments at the Cherry Apartment project in Thu uc City, developed by the Hoang Quan group.

Costing VN203 billion to build, the 12-story apartment building is comprised of 99 apartments and has a total floor area of 19,000 square metres.

Construction on the building began in 2010 with an expected completion date of 2013. But legal issues have caused delays to the project.

The auctioning could significantly impact numerous homeowners who have already made payments for their properties, thus placing them at risk of losing ownership to the lender.

This situation has raised a prevalent issue where homeowners unknowingly purchase apartments that are utilised as collateral by developers for bank loans.

City officials have identified at least 60 housing projects in the city that have been mortgaged to banks by developers, resulting in delays in the issuance of ownership certificates to buyers.

To protect the interests of homebuyers, analysts recommend banks assume the responsibility of managing mortgaged assets to prevent scenarios where homeowners are at risk of losing their properties due to debt recovery measures initiated by the bank.

Meanwhile, homeowners are recommended to carefully research the status of a property project, particularly its legal standing, before making a purchasing decision.

Sluggish market

Analysts warn that the property market slump has prevented banks from selling collateral to recover bad debts.

Potential buyers are hesitant to engage in such transactions due to concerns about legal issues and disputes with property owners.

Analysts say the failure to sell high-value assets to recover bad debt is often due to banks setting high prices so that they can fully recover their loan, interest and penalties, which is not working amid the sluggish market.

A regulation that prevents more than a 10 per cent reduction in asset prices from the previous auction poses a further challenge.

Adding to the challenges of the current market condition was the arrest in late 2022 of Truong My Lan, the chairwoman of Van Thinh Phat, who is on death row for financial fraud.

Viet Nam is currently struggling with non-performing loans, which are in fact posing a threat to its banking system.

With 70 per cent of its collateral comprised of real estate, banks are grappling with non-performing loans worth VN224 trillion as of the end of last March.

The Asian Development Bank has warned of potential risks to the banking system stemming from irregularities in corporate bond issuances and real estate markets.  VNS
HA NOI  South Korea has just agreed on the export conditions for pomelo from Viet Nam to this market.

The Tien Phong (Vanguard) newspaper quoted Nguyen Quang Hieu, deputy director of The Plant Protection Department under the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development (MARD), as saying that if nothing changed, the two sides could complete the negotiations in July and then Viet Nam could export pomelo to South Korea.

With a market of 50 million people, the leader of the Plant Protection Department evaluated South Korea as a potential market for Vietnamese pomelo, helping this fruit increase turnover and become an important export agricultural product of Viet Nam.

Currently, the whole country has 105,400 hectares of pomelo cultivation, with an output of nearly 905,000 tonnes with diverse pomelo varieties, typical for each region.

Vietnamese fresh pomelo has been exported to 12 countries and territories. Recently, Vietnamese pomelo had an official export visa" to the US and New Zealand markets.

The fruit brought Viet Nam about $45 million last year. The Plant Protection Department expected that Vietnamese pomelo would continue to have the opportunity to officially export to the Australian market next year.  VNS
HA NOI  Deputy Prime Minister Le Minh Khai has asked the Ministry of Industry and Trade (MoIT) to study the establishment of a petroleum exchange.

In a recent dispatch conveying the instructions of Deputy Prime Minister Le Minh Khai, the Government Office said that a number of press agencies have published opinions of experts saying that it was necessary to consider applying a petroleum exchange floor to transparentise and ensure harmony of interests among businesses.

Accordingly, the establishment of a petroleum trading floor could bring many benefits to Viet Nam.

When the trading floor is operated, it would publicly disclose price information and transaction volumes, thereby reducing the possibility of price manipulation, creating a flexible and rapid pricing mechanism, and improving the distribution and circulation of petroleum products, said experts.

Besides, economic experts said that in the current context of the petroleum market, although there was still a state monopoly, there were basically private individuals participating in retail so it would be still possible to set up a floor.

Furthermore, a recent decree allows a retail business to purchase goods from many outlets, which creates a premise for establishing a floor, according to experts.

Regarding this issue, Deputy Prime Minister Le Minh Khai assigned the MoIT to preside over and co-ordinate with relevant ministries and agencies to review and research information, press reports and recommendations on the establishment of a petroleum exchange floor to enhance openness and transparency, and overcome the instability of the petroleum market in recent times.  VNS
SINGAPORE  Statistics in the first half of this year show that for the first time, Viet Nams fishery products maintained its position as the fifth largest partner in Singapore for the second consecutive quarter.

The Viet Nam Trade Office in Singapore said Viet Nams fishery exports to Singapore in the period under review rose by 0.81 per cent to reach US$51.7 million, occupying a market share of 9.46 per cent. A sharp export revenue rise was seen in fresh fish (25.42 per cent).

Trade Counsellor in Singapore Cao Xuan Thang advised Vietnamese businesses to further improve the quality of the exports and take an active part in the offices efforts to connect with the host countrys peers so as to broaden their presence there.

Singaporean statistics show that in the first six months of this year, the country spent about SGD546.14 million (over $406 million) to import fishery products from nearly 100 countries and territories. Imports from Viet Nam included frozen fillet (28.69 per cent) and processed fish (19.24 per cent).

It is implementing a policy of continuously diversifying the sources of supply to ensure food security, and this is intensifying the competition among the exporters of fishery products to Singapore.  VNS
Compiled by Thanh Hai

Franchise is becoming a popular business model in the domestic and international food and beverage (F&B) sector.

However, although many brands have made a name for themselves thanks to their franchise chain, many companies are still not interested in it as a business model.

According to a recent survey conducted by Vietdata, Vietnamese consumers are increasing their spending on eating out, up by between 5 and 10 per cent. About 14.9 per cent of customers are willing to spend more than VN100,000 (US$4) for dinner every day, 3.5 times higher than in 2022.

A report by Kirin Capital on the outlook for the sector showed that the market value of Viet Nams F&B industry in 2024 is expected to increase by 10.92 per cent compared to 2023, reaching more than VN655 trillion ($27.7 billion). To achieve this number, F&B businesses do not simply focus on providing meals and drinks but they must have creativity, flexible management and operations to overcome market challenges and competition.

One attractive way to do that is to follow the franchise model, also known as franchising, which is increasingly popular in Viet Nam.

Ten years after starting a business, the Ma Hai Bread brand has become the largest franchised bread brand chain in Viet Nam, having about 1,000 franchise partners nationwide and with a franchise price of VN7.5 million.

Co-founder of the Ma Hai Bread brand oan Van Minh Nhut said that the next goal is to expand the number of partners to 10,000. And after that it will be to offer the Vietnamese bread brand to the world, through franchising.

Recently, SIBA Food's BAF Meat clean pork dealership model has been looking for franchise business partners, who can supply the necessary equipment, to offer pork from the BAF Meat brand.

Franchise is also a deep penetration strategy of foreign businesses for the 'delicious piece of cake' of Viet Nams F&B market.

After four years of operation in Viet Nam, the Korean GS Retail convenience store brand GS25 currently owns 200 stores, focusing mainly on the southern markets such as HCM City, Binh Duong, Vung Tau and ong Nai provinces. GS25 recently accelerated chain expansion through franchising by cooperating with HDBank who will support VN1.6 billion per store for GS25 franchisees.

With the franchise strategy, the GS25 brand is gradually realising its goal of becoming the leading convenience store brand in Viet Nam with more than 2,000 stores after ten years in operation.

Ranked second in terms of market share in Viet Nam, after Pizza Hut, is Domino's Pizza. Through the franchise model and managed by Vietnam Food and Beverage Services Company Limited under the IPPG Group, Domino's Pizza currently has more than 50 stores in nine provinces and cities across the country, serving nearly ten million customers every year.

In April 2024, Domino's Pizza accelerated its coverage in Viet Nam, appearing in Nha Trang City, marking a strong step forward in this brand's plan to expand market share in the central region.

Many F&B businesses choose to stay out of the franchising 'game'

However, in spite of clear advantages, the franchise business still has limitations that make many F&B businesses still stay out of this model.

Le Thai Hoang, CEO of Thai Market, a chain of Thai restaurants in many provinces and cities nationwide, said that for the development strategy of the Thai Market brand, franchising is not the only road to success.

According to Hoang, he has tried franchising but found it ineffective and decided to stay out of this 'game'.

Full-service restaurants like Thai Market have complex menus and standards of management, operations and customer care services. It has complexity, professionalism, precision and high quality. As a result, our franchise partners will have a very hard time living up to our rules and operating principles," said Hoang.

The CEO of Thai Market has chosen instead a growth strategy in terms of brand reputation and zoning. Specifically, HCM City was chosen as a concentrated development location. In addition, it also aims to expand the brand, specifically in numbers of restaurant chains into big cities such as Ha Noi and a Nang.

Similarly, another brand that has participated in the rustic beverage segment since 2019, Rau Ma (pennywort) Mix, is still making money, even though it does not participate in franchising.

With 60 specialised stores located in eye-catching locations in the central urban areas of HCM City and Binh Duong, the founder of Rau Ma Mix Le Thanh at has not yet decided to franchise the brand because the ingredients of pennywort and fresh milk do not contain preservatives, so the shelf life is extremely short. Some products only have a one-day expiration date.

at added that the logistics process from production to shop at Rau Ma Mix are strictly controlled, so not all partners have enough dedication to operate effectively.

"Large companies in the F&B industry do not enter the pennywort market because they do not find it attractive enough and doing business with fresh ingredients requires more attention than dry ingredients," added the founder of Rau Ma Mix.  VNS
TOKYO  A Vietnamese employee has won a national contest on customer service of 7-Eleven Japan  the biggest chain of convenience stores in Japan.

Le Thi Huong Thao, who works at the Kobe Sannomiya Station Minami store in the city of Kobe, is the first foreigner who has won the contest.

This year, the contest attracted nearly 2,500 employees of 7-Eleven stores in 47 prefectures across Japan.

Thao received high marks for her thoughtful attitude. In assisting customers at the counter, she explained how to use vouchers for free goods printed on receipts and highlighted attractive features of services and products, while sharing personal stories about her family from her homeland.

Thao started learning Japanese eight years ago and also her job at 7-Eleven after being introduced by a language school.

7-Eleven has greatly focused on training foreign workers. In 2018, it initiated "omotenashi (hospitality) training". In a three-hour session, workers are educated on Japanese-style customer service, familiarise themselves with store items and learn how to bow and generally improve their store operation abilities.

Foreign nationals currently comprise 11 per cent of the workers at 7-Elevens, with the proportion growing annually.

According to the Japanese Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare, the number of foreign workers in Japan at the end of last October was 2.049 million, up 12 per cent from a year earlier.

A survey in fiscal 2023 by the Japan External Trade Organisation (JETRO) shows that about 20 per cent of Japanese retailers planned to expand their foreign workforce over the next two to three years. VNA
HA NOI  Heads of state and government, and leaders of parliaments and political parties; and political organisations of Laos, China, Cambodia, Cuba, and Russia have sent their condolences to Viet Nam over the passing away of Party Secretary General Nguyen Phu Trong.

The condolences were addressed to the Communist Party of Viet Nam (CPV) Central Committee, the National Assembly and Government of Viet Nam, and the Viet Nam Fatherland Front Central Committee.

The Central Committee of the Lao People's Revolutionary Party (LPRP), the Lao National Assembly, the President of Laos, the Lao Government, the Central Committee of the Lao Front for National Construction (LFNC), and the people of Lao ethnic groups expressed the deep condolences over the passing of the Vietnamese Party leader.

Viet Nam has lost a steadfast revolutionary leader; and the Party leader's passing away is a big loss to the Party, State, people of Viet Nam and his family, the message wrote.

It further said that throughout his revolutionary career, he devoted all his energy and intelligence to important works in the cause of national liberation and reunification, and the renewal of the Communist Party of Viet Nam (CPV), especially Party building and rectification, as well as in the fight against corruption and other negative phenomena, helping Viet Nam continuously develop, thus raising the country's position in the international and regional arena. Comrade Nguyen Phu Trong has become an outstanding leader of the era.

The Party, State, and people of Laos have lost an extremely close and dear comrade. He is a revolutionary leader in the new era, a successor of President Ho Chi Minh, making great, valuable and important contributions to strengthening and nurturing the great friendship, special solidarity and comprehensive cooperation between the two Parties, States and peoples of Laos and Viet Nam.

"We believe that the Party, State and people of Viet Nam will turn this loss into strength of solidarity, continue moving forward, building Viet Nam into an industrialised and modernised country, and achieving the target of rich people, a strong country, and a fair, democratic, and civilised society," it said.

Meanwhile, in its condolence message, the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee said the Chinese Party and people have lost a good comrade, a good brother, and a good friend.

With immense grief, it extended the deepest condolences and sincerest sympathies to the CPV Central Committee, the Vietnamese State and people.

The Vietnamese Party leader was a staunch Marxist and a great leader of the CPV and the Vietnamese people. He dedicated his entire life to the cause of his Party and nation, making outstanding contributions to Viet Nam's oi Moi (Renewal), the cause of building socialism in Viet Nam as well as the socialist movement in the world, the message said.

He was a close comrade and a sincere friend of the CPC and the Chinese people. He inherited and developed the traditional comrades-plus-brothers friendship between the two Parties and two countries, and forged a profound friendship with the CPC and Chinese leaders, it added.

The Vietnamese Party leader and his Chinese counterpart Xi Jinping have jointly elevated China-Viet Nam relations to a community with a shared future that carries strategic significance and vigorously promoted the continuous development of the China-Viet Nam comprehensive strategic cooperative partnership. The CPC, the Chinese government and people will always miss comrade Nguyen Phu Trong.

The CPC said it believes that CPV and the Vietnamese people will turn grief into strength, carry on the legacy of comrade Nguyen Phu Trong, stay united and strive to make new and greater achievements in the cause of oi Moi and socialism building.

China and Viet Nam are socialist neighbours connected by mountains and rivers and a community with a shared future that carries strategic significance. China has always regarded Viet Nam as a priority in its neighbourhood diplomacy and stands ready to work with Viet Nam to continuously consolidate political mutual trust, strengthen solidarity and cooperation, and step up the building of this community to benefit the two peoples and contribute to promoting peace and development in the region and the world, the message said.

In his letter of condolences, President of the Cambodian People's Party Hun Sen showed his sadness at Party General Secretary Trong's passing away, which he described as a great loss to the CPV, the Vietnamese State and the entire people.

The legacy of comrade Trong, a clear-minded leader who devoted his entire life to the struggle for Viet Nam's independence and for peace and prosperity of the Vietnamese people will be remembered by many generations, stated Hun Sen.

The CPP leader underlined that through his leadership, Party General Secretary Trong has reinforced the friendship and brotherhood with Cambodia and, for years, strived to enhance the close cooperation between the CPP and CPV and the two Governments and peoples.

Hun Sen extended his deep and sincere condolences to the bereaved family.

In his letter, Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Manet wrote that Party General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong devoted his whole life to the revolutionary cause of the CPV and Viet Nam's peace, development, and prosperity. The country has lost an outstanding leader, and Cambodia has lost a good friend who always strived to contribute to the Viet Nam-Cambodia brotherly relationship, he stated.

Mourning the Vietnamese Party leader, President of the Cambodian National Assembly Khuon Sudary described Party General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong as an outstanding leader, with profound vision and great dedication, who had a great impact on Viet Nam's socio-economic development and institutional modernisation.

His passing away leaves a great loss not only to Viet Nam but also to everyone who had the honour of knowing him, Khuon Sudary wrote.

We are extremely grateful for Party General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong's continuous dedication in promoting the strong relationship between Viet Nam and Cambodia as well as his important role in bringing the two countries closer together, she stated.

In their letter, General Raul Castro Ruz and First Secretary of the Communist Party of Cuba Central Committee and President of Cuba Miguel Diaz Canel-Bermudez expressed their deepest condolences to the family of Party General Secretary Trong and the Vietnamese people.

The passing away of comrade Nguyen Phu Trong is an irreparable loss for Cuba. Cuba will always remember comrade Nguyen Phu Trong as a great brother who tirelessly promoted the special friendly relationship between the two Parties, parliaments, Governments, and peoples.

Our beloved friend Nguyen Phu Trong will be remembered by generations of Cubans as a pillar in the long-standing traditional friendship between our two countries and as a great brother who was always ready to give his hand of solidarity to Cuba in the most complex and challenging situations, the letter read.

They recalled Party General Secretary Trong's visit to Cuba in March 2018, and especially the memorable moments of his trip to Santiago de Cuba to pay homage to his friend, a historic leader of the Cuban revolution, Fidel Castro Ruz.

Comrade Nguyen Phu Trong's life and career are a priceless legacy for future generations. His contributions to the role of the Communist Party, the creative application of Marxism-Leninism and Ho Chi Minh's thought, and his vision of international relations in the current context are among his outstanding contributions to the building of socialism in Viet Nam. This will be reflected in new victories in the oi Moi cause in Viet Nam under the wise leadership of the CPV, read the letter.

General Raul Castro Ruz and President Miguel Diaz Canel-Bermudez affirmed their belief that the example that Party General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong set and the legacy he left will be an invaluable source of encouragement for all efforts of Vietnamese people.

They confirmed to President To Lam their support and solidarity as well as the persistent will to continue promoting the unbreakable bond of brotherhood between Cuba and Viet Nam.

Expressing his deepest condolences, Russian President Vladimir Putin noted that comrade Nguyen Phu Trong dedicated his whole life to his Fatherland. Through many years working in important positions of the State and Party, comrade Nguyen Phu Trong received high respect from Vietnamese people and had a great reputation in the international arena. Russia will remember the CPV General Secretary as a true friend who made great personal contributions to the establishment and development of the comprehensive strategic partnership between Russia and Viet Nam, Putin said.

I had an opportunity to meet that wonderful person many times and will forever remain impressed, he wrote, extending his sincere condolences and encouragement to the bereaved family and the entire Vietnamese people.

In her letter of condolences, Valentina Matvienko, Speaker of the Federation Council of the Federal Assembly of the Russian Federation, described Party General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong as a big friend of Russia, an experienced political activist, and a famous State leader; and highlighted his contributions to the reinforcement of the comprehensive strategic partnership between Viet Nam and Russia as well as bilateral cooperation.

The letter of Chairman of the State Duma of Russia Vyacheslav Volodin read that it is difficult to fully appreciate the great contributions by comrade Nguyen Phu Trong to strengthening the friendly relations between Russia and Viet Nam. On behalf of the National Duma deputies of the Russian Federation, he extended his condolences to the bereaved family.  VNS
GENEVA  The signing of the Geneva Agreement on Indochina 70 years ago marked an important milestone in the history of the world in general and Viet Nam in particular, according to David Fernandez Puyana, Ambassador, Permanent Observer of UN University for Peace (UPEACE) to the UN and other international organisations in Geneva.

Speaking to the Vietnam News Agency (VNA) there on the occasion of the 70th anniversary of the agreement, he said that it demonstrated important progress in the United Nations (UN) globalisation process.

The official noted that the UN was founded in 1944 with only 54 independent countries but today it has nearly 200 member countries.

He believes this process represents part of the development history of the UN, which is directly related to colonialism. After the Geneva Agreement, there was a collapse of the colonial system, with a series of Asian-African colonialised countries gaining independence in the late 1950s and early 1960s. This was a great success for many countries, he commented.

The Geneva Conference on Indochina began on May 8, 1954. After 75 days of complicated and intense negotiations with 31 sessions, the Geneva Agreement was signed with contents directly related to Viet Nam, including participating States respect for the independence, sovereignty, and territorial integrity of Viet Nam, Laos and Cambodia, no interference in the countries internal affairs, ceasefire on the entire Indochina battlefield, and the French coalition army's withdrawal from Indochina, he noted.

He held that looking back to the 70-year agreement would help draw valuable lessons and experience for modern Vietnamese diplomacy.

Commenting on Viet Nam's bamboo diplomacy strategy and the four no's policy of Viet Nam, which clarify the country's neutrality without siding with one country against another, the ambassador underlined that it represented a new diplomatic method. He welcomed the country's policies, especially those on upholding independence and self-reliance, which match the UN principles, prioritising dialogue and the flexible settlements of issues.

Despite challenges, these policies show the world that Viet Nam is a peace-loving country that always attaches much importance to dialogue, according to the UPEACE Ambassador, who described this as an important model in peace building.  VNS
General Secretary of the Communist Party of Viet Nam Central Committee Nguyen Phu Trong passed away on July 19 afternoon at the age of 80, according to the Expert Council for Health Protection of Central-level Officials.

The Vietnam News Agency interviewed the Chinese Ambassador to Viet Nam Xiong Bo following the event.

How do you assess the role and contributions by Party General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong to the revolutionary cause of the Vietnamese Party, State, and people? Over the recent past, Viet Nams corruption fight and Party building and rectification have gained considerable achievements, how do you assess Party General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trongs role in this work?

First of all, I am deeply grieved and would like to express my deepest condolences on the passing away of Party General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong. The Central Committee of the Communist Party of China immediately sent its message of condolences to the Central Committee of the Communist Party of Viet Nam, respectfully commemorating Party General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong.

Party General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong is a person who persisted Marxism and a great leader of the Communist Party of Viet Nam and the Vietnamese people. He was elected as General Secretary of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of Viet Nam at the Partys 11th, 12th, and 13th Congresses, and supported and loved by the Vietnamese people.

Party General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong attached great importance to the combination of Marxism and the revolution cause of Viet Nam. Over the past more than 10 years, he has led the Party, Government, and people of Viet Nam in making important contributions to the development of socialism in the country.

Party General Nguyen Phu Trong is not only an outstanding politician, but also a great theorist who has a profound and clear-minded perception of the need for Viet Nam to keep the Partys leadership and to persist the way to socialism, leaving deep imprints on me.

Party General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong attached special importance to the corruption fight and Party building and rectification, especially after the 13th Congress of the Party, the Central Committee of the Communist Party of Viet Nam headed by Party General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong has pushed up the corruption fight with a spirit of no tolerance and reaped many important results, firmly ensuring the maintenance of social order and security and the way to socialism suitable to the situation in the country.

In recent years, Viet Nam has implemented bamboo diplomacy featuring Vietnamese bamboo with strong roots, solid stems, and flexible branches. How do you assess the role of Party General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong in shaping and developing of this diplomatic school?

Party General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong initiated and persistently implemented the bamboo diplomacy, underlining that sturdy root means consistently following the CPV leadership and the path to socialism.

At the same time, it is necessary to be flexible in terms of strategy on the basis of firmly maintaining independence and self-reliance, and actively developing friendly relations with countries in the world.

Under the leadership of the CPV Central Committee headed by General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong, Vietnamese diplomacy has gained many important achievements as described by the CPV leader that Viet Nam has never enjoyed such fortune, power, international standing and prestige as it does today.

We found that Viet Nam's diplomacy underscores the priority of developing relations with neighbours and world powers as well as countries sharing traditional friendship with Viet Nam. At the same time, the country has persistently supported true multilateralism, respected and protected international equality and justice, and opposed the interference in the internal affairs of other states. China highly evaluates this.

What are your comments on the imprints that Party General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong has left in the Viet Nam-China overall relations? During the Viet Nam visit by General Secretary of the Communist Party of China and Chinese President Xi Jinping in late 2023, the two sides established a new positioning" for bilateral relations, elevating the comprehensive strategic cooperative partnership between the two countries, and building a Viet Nam-China community with a shared future that carries strategic significance. How do you assess Party General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong's contributions to this event?

Party General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong is a close comrade and a sincere friend of the Communist Party of China and the Chinese people. He was the one who inherited and developed the traditional "comradeship and brotherhood" relations between the two Parties and countries of China and Viet Nam, forming a passionate friendship with the Communist Party of China and Chinese leaders.

Since taking office as the General Secretary of the CPV, comrade Nguyen Phu Trong has made significant contributions to promoting the development of relations between the two Parties and the two countries, especially through the exchange of three historic visits with General Secretary Xi Jinping, during which they oriented the development of relations between the two Parties and countries of China and Viet Nam in the new era together, which have played an important and irreplaceable role.

In the past two years, Party General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong visited China right after the 20th National Congress of the Communist Party of China, and warmly welcomed General Secretary Xi Jinping last year. The two leaders announced the building of a Viet Nam-China community with a shared future that carries strategic significance, defining a new positioning of the ties between the two countries in the new era, elevating the relations between the two Parties and countries to a new historical height. We recognise, highly appreciate and will never forget this.

Could you share your impressions of Party General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong? What left the deepest impression on you?

I have been the Chinese Ambassador to Viet Nam for more than five years, and my work has received great support from Party General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong. After taking office in 2018, I was very honoured to present my credentials to General Secretary and President Nguyen Phu Trong. This was the first time the Party leader received a foreign ambassador presenting credentials after he assumed the position of President.

Since then, I have met with the Party leader many times and had opportunities to listen to his important and profound insights on developing the relationship between the Parties and countries of Viet Nam and China, which has left deep impression on me.

The event that left the deepest impression on me took place on August 25 last year. At the invitation of Party General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong, I accompanied him on the visit to the Huu Nghi International Border Gate in the northern province of Lang Son, which is located at the border between the two countries. Party General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong repeatedly emphasised that Viet Nam-China friendship border gate is unique in the world, sending an important message to the people of both countries and the international community that the traditional friendship between China and Viet Nam is unparalleled.

Together with Party General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong, we replanted the Viet Nam-China friendship tree. The Party leader affectionately said: "This friendship tree has strong roots like the Viet Nam-China relationship. Under the care of the people of the two nations, this friendship tree will surely grow strong and healthy." Party General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trongs personal efforts to promote the traditional friendship between the two countries made me feel extremely touched.

Thank you for your conversation.  VNS
HAVANA  Cuban President Miguel Diaz-Canel on July 19 announced a state mourning in commemoration of General Secretary of the Communist Party of Viet Nam Nguyen Phu Trong.

A communique run by Granma, the daily of the Communist Party of Cuba, said the country would officially observe mourning from 6 am on July 20 (local time) to midnight on July 21, while the state mourning will run for the whole of July 22.

During the state mourning, flags will be hoisted at half-mast at all public buildings and military offices.

The Cuban leader expressed deep grief at the passing away of Party General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong, who he called a beloved comrade and sincere friend of Cuba.

Also on July 19, the Cuban National Assembly observed a minute in commemoration of Party General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong.

Cuban media described Party General Nguyen Phu Trong as one of those who enthusiastically boosted the fraternal and special relations and the mutual trust between the Parties, National Assemblies, Governments, and peoples of the two countries.

The Party leader made official visits to Cuba in 2012 and 2018.  VNS
VIENTIANE  Party General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong was a witted politician, a scientist, a professor, and an exemplary leader, stated Lao Minister of Technology and Communications Boviengkham Vongdara, who is also Chairman of the Laos-Viet Nam Friendship Association, while talking about his memories of the Party leader.

Speaking to the Vietnam News Agency in Vientiane on July 20, the Lao official praised books by Party General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong as priceless heritage, demonstrating his concern about Viet Nam's national development, the spirit of great solidarity, and the fight against corruption, as well as the building and developing of a prosperous, strong, civilised, and happy Viet Nam. Academician Vongdara affirmed that these were the great and invaluable contributions by the late leader.

He held that the Party leader's contributions to the path to socialism had been spotlighted in his book entitled Some theoretical and practical issues on Socialism and the path towards Socialism in Viet Nam, which highlights the application of Marxism-Leninism ideology in Viet Nam and the role and significance of the Communist Party in the journey to socialism as well as in the building of a market economy under the Party's leadership.

Vongdara said that the Lao People's Revolutionary Party (LPRP) would study and apply Party General Secretary Trong's experience and ideology, which are helpful for the Lao people and those of the countries that are heading to socialism.

The Lao official underlined that the Vietnamese Party leader paid great attention to human resources training, culture and people development, which was demonstrated in his writing on the occasion of the 94th founding anniversary of the Communist Party of Viet Nam, and his speech at the meeting to prepare personnel for the 14th National Party Congress.

In external relations and international diplomacy, Party General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong initiated the diplomatic policy featuring Vietnamese bamboo, the national symbol of Viet Nam that can be found in any rural village.

According to Vongdara, this policy is in line with President Ho Chi Minh's ideology, which underlines the steadiness of strategy and flexibility in tactics. The Lao official commented that this was a wise diplomatic policy.

Mentioning the development of Viet Nam's relations with other countries and especially Laos, Vongdara affirmed that Party General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong was greatly interested in building ties with other countries and paid huge attention to the great friendship, special solidarity, and comprehensive cooperation between the two Parties, States, and peoples of Viet Nam and Laos

Party General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong once said that it was a priceless legacy that President Ho Chi Minh, President Kaysone and President Suphanouvong laid the foundation and nurtured the evergreen ties between the two countries.

The official recalled his memories of his chances to meet the Vietnamese Party leader and his reminding of the need to maintain the special solidarity, great friendship, and comprehensive cooperation between the two countries.

Vongdara highlighted his impression of Party General Secretary Trong, who had warm handshakes and slow speaking, just like when a senior guides their children and grandchildren.

The Lao official said that the Laos-Viet Nam Friendship Association would work to help the young generation to realise the Vietnamese Party leader's teachings in nurturing the youth and building a contingent of good personnel for the Party to inherit the Party's career and deepen the ties between the two countries.

Vongdara stressed that Party General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong was a humble leader who never sought personal gain. He was the nucleus of leadership in the fight against corruption, the nucleus of leadership in the work of Party building and rectifying, and the nucleus of solidarity of the people, and a leader who always worked for the benefit of the people.

The Laos-Viet Nam Friendship Association and the Viet Nam-Laos Friendship Association would continue to use the lessons and examples of Party General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong to educate the young generation of the two countries to bond with each other more deeply.  VNS
HA NOI  Member of the Party Central Committee and Minister of Public Security, Sen. Lt. Gen. Luong Tam Quang recently wrote an article highlighting great contributions by Party General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong to the cause of national security protection and social order and safety assurance.

The article said Party General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong is a talented, steadfast, and exemplary leader of the Party and State, a shining example of great personality, industriousness, intelligence, humane character, tolerant and compassionate heart, who has dedicated his life to the goals and ideals of the Party and the happiness of the people. He is beloved, respected, and highly regarded by the people and admired by international friends.

According to the article, the life of Party General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong is closely tied to the glorious and prideworthy renewal cause of the Party and people. He continuously studied and followed the ideology, morality, and lifestyle of President Ho Chi Minh, and always exemplified pioneering and exemplary character and preserved the solidarity and unity of the Party, and his love for compatriots and comrades, thus consistently strengthening the close relationship between the Party and the people, and promoting the great national solidarity.

The Party leader steadfastly and creatively applied Marxism-Leninism and Ho Chi Minh's thought, firmly adhering to national independence and socialism, and the policy of oi Moi (Renewal).

Along with the Party Central Committee, he supplemented and perfected the Party's theory of innovation, socialism, and the path to socialism in Viet Nam, thus connecting ideologies and actions throughout the entire Party, the entire people and the entire military to successfully implement the resolutions, directives, and conclusions of the Party Central Committee, helping Viet Nam have the unprecedented "potential, fortune, position and international prestige" today.

For safeguarding national security and ensuring social order and safety, one of the consistent viewpoints in comrade Nguyen Phu Trong's strategic guidance thinking is to firmly grasp the situation, absolutely not to be passive or surprised, especially in terms of strategy; create clear changes in social order and safety for the peaceful and happy life of the people; always maintain and strengthen the Party's leadership "regardless of circumstances and conditions", and be steadfast in the principle that the People's Public Security must always put itself under the Party's absolute and direct leadership in all aspects. This is an objective and inevitable requirement for the mission of safeguarding security and order.

He has also paid attention to directing the work of building and perfecting laws on security and order. The leader repeatedly emphasised that under the Party's leadership, the Party's policies and viewpoints on tasks related to security and order must be institutionalised through legal documents and implemented through state management mechanisms.

To ensure that the people's public security force successfully fulfils all political tasks, worthy of being a reliable support of the Party, the State, and the people, Party General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong, who is also a member of the Executive Board of the Central Police Party Commission, has paid special heed to directing the work of building a truly clean and strong People's Public Security force.

The Party leader emphasised the requirement to strengthen political and ideological education, cultivate communist ideals, and enhance the study of Marxism-Leninism and Ho Chi Minh's thought, considering building political integrity and absolute loyalty to the Party and the nation as the goal of education and training.

He advised the People's Public Security force to always remember, engrave in their mind, and implement the mottos "For the sake of the country and people, forget yourself", One will remain if the Party remains, and "Honour is the most noble and sacred thing. Police officers and soldiers were required to constantly follow and uphold the six virtues that Uncle Ho taught: upholding pioneering, exemplary, and responsibility for the Party and the people; always keep themselves pure and steadfast; and under no circumstances should one abuse power to infringe upon the democratic rights of the people.

The reality of the revolution showed that the Party leader clearly recognised the great role of the people in the cause of security and order protection. He always reminded the People's Public Security Force to stay close to the people and win their increasing trust and have their increasing support.

The minister stressed that the force must keep in mind President Ho Chi Minh's teachings to always serve the people and rely on the people, while staying loyal to, respecting and showing love to the people, as well as listening to the people and protecting their interest. The Party chief stressed the need for solidarity and close coordination between the force and the Vietnam People's Army (VPA) like two wings of a bird, thus protecting and maintaining peace, stability for national development.

Under the leadership of the Party and State, thoroughly understanding and implementing the directions and teachings of the Party leader, the whole People's Public Security Force has been a solidarity bloc with unity in will, ideology and actions, while remaining strong solidarity with the VPA, ministries, sectors and localities as well as international partners, promoting the glorious tradition of the force, overcoming all difficulties and completing all assigned tasks.

The achievements and victories of the force were recognised by Party General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong, who affirmed that at any time, even when it is difficult or challenging, the People's Public Security force has always shown absolute loyalty to the Party, the Fatherland and the People; steadfastly performing well the function of advising the Party and State, closely coordinating with sectors and localities, especially closely coordinating and synergising with the Vietnam People's Army to firmly protect the national independence, sovereignty and maintain national security, social order and safety, safeguarding the peaceful life of the people, and creating a peaceful and stable environment to build and develop the country.

The instructions delivered by Party General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong for the cause of protecting national security and ensuring social order and safety will continue to be promoted by the People's Public Security force in all fields of work, thus fighting and building a truly pure, strong, regular, elite, and modern force. Party General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong is a shining example for generations of People's Public Security officers and soldiers to respect, study, practise, and follow forever. The images of the leader - a true communist with a kind heart, who devoted his life for the country and the people - will remain forever in the minds of the people and officers and soldiers of the People's Police force.  VNS
HA NOI  Heads of state and government, and leaders of parliaments and political parties of countries; and leaders of international organisations have sent their sympathies to Viet Nam over the passing of General Secretary of the Communist Party of Viet Nam (CPV) Central Committee Nguyen Phu Trong.

Specifically, the CPV Central Committee, State President To Lam, Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh, Chairman of the National Assembly Tran Thanh Man, the Vietnamese people and the Party leaders family have received condolences from King of Cambodia Norodom Sihamoni; Thai Prime Minister Srettha Thavisin; Indias President Droupadi Murmu and Prime Minister Narendra Modi; General Secretary of the Workers' Party of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK) Kim Jong Un; President of the Republic of Korea (RoK) Yoon Suk Yeol; US President Joe Biden; Prime Minister and President of the ruling Liberal Democratic Party of Japan Kishida Fumio; Governor-General of Australia Sam Mostyn, and the countrys Senate President Sue Lines, and House of Representatives Speaker Milton Dick; and UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres, and President of the UN General Assembly Dennis Francis.

In his letter, the Cambodian king extended his infinite condolences over the passing of Nguyen Phu Trong, an eminent leader of the country and people of Viet Nam, who made great contributions to the national building and development.

On behalf of the Government and people of Thailand, PM Srettha Thavisin sent his profound condolences to the Government and people of Viet Nam and the Party General Secretary's family for this great loss.

He expressed his admiration for the leaders important and exemplary contributions to the cause of nation-building and development, as well as to the strengthening of Thailand-Viet Nam relations, especially the declaration on the upgrading of the two countries' relationship to a strategic partnership on the occasion of the Party General Secretary's historic visit to Thailand in 2013.

The Indian leaders expressed their respect for the life and career of General Secretary Trong. They affirmed that they would stand side by side with the leaders and people of Viet Nam and the Party chiefs family during this painful period.

General Secretary of the Workers' Party of the DPRK Kim Jong Un affirmed that General Secretary Trong devoted his whole life to the struggle for the development of the Vietnamese Party and State and the happiness of the Vietnamese people; and spent a lot of effort in strengthening and developing the friendship and cooperation between the two countries, in accordance with the spirit of the agreement reached at the summit talks in March 2019 in Ha Noi.

He emphasised that Trongs merits would remain forever in the revolutionary history of the Vietnamese people as well as the friendly relations between the two countries.

In his message, RoK President Yoon Suk Yeol expressed his sincere condolences to the family of the Party leader and the people of Viet Nam for the loss of a respected leader.

He affirmed that the achievements and wishes of the General Secretary for the brilliant development of Viet Nam and the deeper friendship and collaboration between Viet Nam and the Republic of Korea will forever remain in the minds of the two peoples.

In his statement on the passing of the Vietnamese Party leader, US President Joe Biden affirmed that General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong was a champion of the deep ties between the American and Vietnamese people whose leadership helped nurture the friendship and partnership the two countries enjoy today.

His 2015 historic visit to the White House was a milestone in our bilateral relationship. Thanks to his vision, during my 2023 state visit to Ha Noi, Viet Nam and the United States became comprehensive strategic partners, the highest level of partnership in the Vietnamese system. The people of Viet Nam and the United States  and people across the Indo-Pacific region  enjoy greater security and opportunity today because of the friendship between our two countries. That is thanks to him, he wrote.

The United States  and I personally  will remember and appreciate his commitment to reconciliation and to building a future oriented toward peace, stability, and prosperity in the region and around the world. We honor his legacy and mourn his passing alongside the people of Viet Nam, Biden added.

In his message of condolences, Japanese PM Kishida Fumio asserted that the exchanges of opinions with the General Secretary during their meetings had become unforgettable memories for him. He also showed his deepest gratitude for Trong's great contributions to promoting the Japan-Viet Nam relationship in various fields.

In their letters, the Australian leaders appreciated the affection and sincerity that Party leader Trong devoted to the relations between Viet Nam and Australia, especially in upgrading the bilateral relationship to a comprehensive strategic partnership.

They emphasised that Vietnamese Party chief's great contributions to the cause of building and developing a peaceful and prosperous Viet Nam would always be remembered by the international community.

They also affirmed that they would continue to attach importance to cultivating "strategic trust" in the Viet Nam-Australia relationship as desired by the General Secretary.

Meanwhile, UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres stressed that as the General Secretary of the CPV Central Committee since 2011, Trong was a leader with a key role in Viet Nam's contemporary history. Under his leadership, Viet Nam continues its strong development path to become one of the world's leading fast-growing economies and an important partner of the UN.

UNGA President Dennis Francis praised Trong as a dedicated leader who devoted himself to his country for decades.

Cambodian Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation Sok Chenda Sophea, Indonesian Foreign Minister Retno Marsudi, Thai Foreign Minister Maris Sangiampongsa, and Japanese Foreign Minister Kamikawa Yoko also sent their condolences to Vietnamese Minister of Foreign Affairs Bui Thanh Son.  VNS
BEIJING  General Secretary of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee and President of China Xi Jinping on July 20 came to the Vietnamese Embassy in Beijing to mourn the passing of General Secretary of the Communist Party of Viet Nam (CPV) Central Committee Nguyen Phu Trong.

He was accompanied by Cai Qi, member of the Standing Committee of the Political Bureau of the CPC Central Committee, Secretary of the Secretariat of the CPC Central Committee and Chief of the CPC Central Committees Office; Wang Yi, Politburo member, Director of the Office of the CPC Central Committees Commission for Foreign Affairs and Minister of Foreign Affairs; Liu Jianchao, member of the CPC Central Committee and head of the International Department of the CPC Central Committee; and many other Chinese officials.

Writing in the condolence book, Xi expressed his deep sympathy over the death of the Vietnamese Party leader.

He told Vietnamese Ambassador Pham Sao Mai that Trong is a consistent Marxist and a great leader of the Vietnamese Party and people.

He devoted his whole life to the Vietnamese Party, State and people, led the nation to carve out major achievements in the socialism building cause, and received support and love from the whole Party, military and people, Xi said, affirming that China always bears in mind the significant contributions by the Vietnamese leader to bolstering the traditional comrade and fraternal friendship between the two countries.

According to the top Chinese leader, the CPC Central Committee consistently backs the CPV Central Committee in its development path, as well as supports and believes in the further success of Viet Nams renewal and socialism building cause. Besides, it stands ready to join hands with Viet Nam to make efforts to promote the comprehensive strategic cooperative partnership and build a China-Viet Nam community with a shared future that carries strategic significance in a deeper and more substantive manner.

Ambassador Mai expressed gratitude to the Chinese leader for paying respect to General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong and extending condolences to the Party, State, and people of Viet Nam. The ambassador also thanked the CPC Central Committee for sending condolences to the CPC Central Committee at the earliest, demonstrating the importance the Chinese Party, State, people, and the leader personally attach to the relationship between Viet Nam and China, as well as the special sentiment he holds for General Secretary Trong.

Mai emphasised that Trong was a great intellectual and talent of the Vietnamese revolution; a thinker, a cultural figure, and a theory leader of the Communist Party of Vietnam; and an outstanding disciple who continuously studied and followed the ideology, morality, and lifestyle of President Ho Chi Minh, dedicated his entire life to the revolutionary cause of the Vietnamese Party and the people, and lived for the country and its people. Therefore, the passing of General Secretary Trong is a great loss to the Party, State, and people of Viet Nam.

During his life time, Trong devoted a lot of love and enthusiasm and made many important contributions to the relationship between the two Parties and the two countries, the diplomat stated, stressing that under the attention and direct instructions of the two General Secretaries, the relations between the two Parties and the two countries had made gigantic progress over the past 10 years, becoming a community with a shared future which carries strategic significance, and receiving the support of their people, he said.

The ambassador affirmed that the Party, State and people of Viet Nam always consider developing relations with their Chinese counterparts a top priority and a strategic choice. He added that he would, together with the Chinese side, thoroughly implement the common perceptions of the two General Secretaries, and would be ready to work with the Party, State and people of China to further develop the Viet Nam-China comprehensive strategic cooperative partnership in a healthy, stable and sustainable manner, in accordance with the "six more" orientation, towards jointly building a China-Viet Nam community with a shared future that carries strategic significance.

The same day, Chinese Premier Li Qiang, Chairman of the Standing Committee of the National Peoples Congress of China Zhao Leji, Chairman of the Chinese Peoples Political Consultative Conference Wang Huning, and members of the Standing Committee of the Political Bureau of the CPC Central Committee Cai Qi, Ding Xuexiang and Li Xi sent wreaths.

The CPC Central Committee, the State Council, the Standing Committee of the National Peoples Congress, the National Committee of the Chinese Peoples Political Consultative Conference, the Central Military Commission of the CPC, and several central and Beijing agencies and organisations also sent wreaths in tribute to Party General Secretary Trong.

Earlier on July 19, the CPC Central Committee sent condolences to the CPV Central Committee over the passing of the Vietnamese leader.  VNS
HA NOI  Leaders of many communist parties and left-wing political parties worldwide have expressed their deep condolences over the passing of General Secretary of the Communist Party of Viet Nam (CPV) Central Committee Nguyen Phu Trong, and spoken highly of his contributions to the nations development as well as the progressive communist movements across the globe.

According to the Vietnam News Agencys correspondent in Japan, Chairman of the Presidium of the Japanese Communist Party (JCP) Central Committee Shii Kazuo on July 20 wrote an article sharing his deep sadness over the passing of the Vietnamese Party chief, who he described as a friend who could talk openly and honestly about any topic and any field.

The same day, Akahata, the daily newspaper of the JCP, posted on its front page the CPV Central Committees announcement on the death of Nguyen Phu Trong.

It highlighted that since he took office in 2011, the Party chief, the theoretical pillar of the Party and State, was responsible for shaping the political path of the CPV, helping promote the countrys oi Moi (Renewal) for years.

The Party leader wrote an article on a number of theoretical and practical issues on socialism and the path towards socialism in Viet Nam in 2021. In 2013, he became the head of the Central Steering Committee on Prevention and Control of Corruption and Negative Phenomena, strongly promoting the fight against corruption.

Regarding foreign affairs, under the leadership of Party General Secretary Trong, Viet Nam has pursued a comprehensive, flexible foreign policy while staying consistent with the policy of independence and self-reliance, Akahata stated, adding the country has actively promoted its high-level diplomacy with the US, China, Russia, Japan, as well as many other ASEAN member states, and set up its strategic partnerships with powers.

The national flag is flown at half-mast at the headquarters of the Communist Party of Sri Lanka (CPSL) to show respect for the Vietnamese Party leader. General Secretary of the CPSL Dr. G. Weerasinghe affirmed that the Vietnamese Party chief was an inspiring revolutionary leader, who promoted the spirit of the Vietnamese revolution and contributed to shaping the development of socialism in Viet Nam in the modern era.

He acknowledged Trongs great contributions to the CPVs revolutionary cause and the Vietnamese peoples happiness, adding he was an excellent theorist of the international communist movement, and a close friend of the CPSL.

Talking with the Vietnam News Agencys correspondents in Latin America and Caribe, Secretary-General of the United Left Movement Party (MIU) and Minister of Regional Integration Policies of the Dominican Republic Jose Miguel Mejia Abreu expressed his outpouring of grief over the passing of Trong, saying this is a great loss to the Vietnamese people and international friends.

Having meetings and talks with the Vietnamese Party chief, he said he was impressed by the humble leaders political vision and persistence in inspiring the people who struggle for the freedom and self-determination rights of their nations.

The Vietnamese leader left a wide range of legacies, including Party building and rectification, proactive criticism and self-criticism that help the CPV develop more strongly and recognise its pioneering role in the countrys comprehensive development, he said, commending Party General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trongs anti-graft campaign with no restricted areas.

Earlier, MIUs official website posted a writing about Party General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong, highlighting his contributions to the Party building and nation development.

Head of the French Communist Party Fabian Roussel shared the loss with Viet Nam and expressed his sympathy over the passing of the countrys Party leader.

Meanwhile, the former Chairman of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of Bohemia and Moravia, and former Deputy Chairman of Deputies of the Parliament of the Czech Republic offered his sympathy and spoke highly of the contributions made by Party General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong to the nations construction and development cause as well as its Party building.

He also stressed that the viewpoints of the CPV and Trong have contributed greatly to the communist and workers movement worldwide.  VNS
TOKYO  Chairman of the Presidium of the Japanese Communist Party (JCP) Central Committee Shii Kazuo wrote an article sharing his deep sadness over the passing of General Secretary of the Communist Party of Viet Nam (CPV) Central Committee Nguyen Phu Trong.

In the article, he noted he has had a relationship with Nguyen Phu Trong for more than 30 years, with many talks and exchanges in Tokyo and Ha Noi. Trong is a friend who could talk openly and honestly about any topic and any field.

He expressed his sincere condolences to the Party chiefs family, the people of Viet Nam and the Communist Party of Viet Nam.

According to Shii Kazuo, Nguyen Phu Trong has played a great role in implementing Viet Nam's sound foreign policy in accordance with the UN Charter and international law, including maintaining independence, self-reliance, diversification and multilateralisation of foreign relations; supporting complete disarmament of nuclear weapons; promoting the development of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN), contributing to peace in the world and Asia.

Nguyen Phu Trong directed and led Viet Nam's oi Moi (Renewal) cause, which has reaped great achievements in poverty reduction and economic development, he wrote, adding his Party always pays attention to and supports this process of Viet Nam.

Under the leadership of Party General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong, the relations between the two communist parties have developed strongly, expressing his delight over the two parties agreement to join hands to promote efforts for peace in East Asia and nuclear disarmament during the talks between their leaders on December 26, 2023.

He went on to say that the ties between the two parties began developing when Viet Nam carried out its struggle against the US invaders and expressed his wish that the two parties would continue branching out the traditional friendship and solidarity.

He recalled Trongs memoir about Japan posted on Nhan Dan (People) newspaper following his trip to the nation in 1994, in which he spotlighted the heart-felt solidarity and friendship with the Japanese communists.

During the last meeting with him, he recalled his writing, and hoped for a better relations between the two parties, Shii reminisced the memory with his depth of emotion.

The JCP leader once again offered his condolences over the passing of Party General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong, and wished that Viet Nams oi Moi would be successful, and the ties between the two communist parties as well as the two nations and their people would develop robustly.  VNS
Cao Tan Hieu, a native of the Mekong Delta province of Tien Giang, is collecting farm tools to create a comprehensive picture of the province's rural life for future generations to see and understand.

In his traditional three-compartment southern house in Binh Ninh Commune, Hieu, head of Cho Gao District's education department, has dedicated an entire section to collecting hundreds of farm tools and equipment linked to the province's agricultural practices in the old days.

His collection includes many familiar items that were indispensable to every southern peasant during the pioneering and agricultural production periods. However, these tools are gradually disappearing due to the increasing mechanisation of agriculture.

Hieu got the idea to collect farm tools while renovating his family's ancestral house in 2021.

Seeing the items from the difficult years before the country's reunification in 1975 still intact, he wanted to preserve them to help future generations know and understand more about traditional agricultural production and the hardworking, creative spirit of the southern peasants.

Many of his friends, upon visiting his house and admiring the artefacts, were very fond of them, with some even contributing a few items to enrich the collection.

During a recent visit, Nguyen Van Ut from My Tho City filmed a clip and sent it to his relatives abroad to introduce the agricultural production process through various stages of peasants in the South in the past, and in Viet Nam in general.

Meanwhile, Nguyen Hoang Bao from Chau Thanh District said that people of his generation, born in the 1980s, rarely saw or knew these tools in daily life, having only read about them in books or watch on movies.

Tools like the plough for tilling soil pulled by buffalo, the water scoop for lifting water from canals to fields, the knife for clearing grass and bushes, or the rice winnowing fan displayed here provide vivid images that help young people understand the creativity of their ancestors in land clearing and rice growing for centuries.

Besides farm tools, Hieu also collected many household items that were indispensable in the old southern lifestyle, such as the kerosene lamp, the wine (water) jug, and the betel nut box, and chicken-shaped iron.

These utensils all have significant meaning, and help viewers appreciate and understand the daily life of the southern people.

Hieu said that he was very surprised to see his simple idea highly appreciated and enthusiastically supported by friends and family.

He plans to continue collecting and adding more household utensils and farm tools to make the collection more complete.

When financially capable, he intends to build a wooden house by a fish pond to display the artefacts, like a mini "museum" for everyone to visit and admire.

The Binh Ninh Commune People's Committee [commune administration] is calling for people to participate in collecting and donating more artefacts to enrich Hieus collection.

If invested in and developed to be widely introduced to the public, this model could become a cultural tourism site in Binh Ninh Commune in the future. VNS
BANGKOK  The Vietnamese Embassy in Thailand on July 19 supported family members of those who died in the Bangkok hotel incident to receive their personal belongings handed over by Thai police, and continued to provide them with guidance on relevant consulate procedures.

It has also sent detailed information to domestic authorities and asked for support in the procedures for the import of the bodies, scheduled for July 20 and 21. The office will continue to closely follow the incident and coordinate with relevant authorities, and take subsequent and necessary citizen protection measures.

Earlier, on July 19 morning, Ambassador Pham Viet Hung received Sanan Angubolkul, Chairman of the Thailand-Viet Nam Friendship Association, who came to express condolences on the incident.

On July 16, six people, four of them Vietnamese together with two others US citizens of Vietnamese origin, were found dead at Grand Hyatt Erawan hotel in Pathum Wan District of Bangkok, Thailand. Medics at the King Chulalongkorn Memorial Hospital of Thailand on July 17 confirmed that the six died of cyanide poisoning.  VNS
VIENTIANE  Party General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trongs devotions and contributions to Viet Nam have engineered the nations development, making the overseas Vietnamese (OVs), including those in Laos, glow with immense pride in the respected leader.

With her boundless grief at the passing away of the Party chief, Principal of the Nguyen Du Lao  Vietnamese bilingual school Nguyen Thi Thanh Huong affirmed he was a vivid example of studying and following of President Ho Chi Minhs teachings.

Party General Secretary Trongs pioneering and resolve to fight corruption and negative phenomena made significant contributions to bolstering the socio-economy, stabilising the political situation, fortifying defence, security and foreign affairs, and consolidating the peoples confidence in the Party and State, she said, highlighting the teachers and students of the school will follow the eminent leaders example.

Reminiscing the time when she had the honour to meet Party General Secretary Trong during his trip to Laos, Huong stressed that the images of a kind and warm leader with silver hair, generous eyes and a friendly smile left a lasting impression on her.

She held that he always attached much importance to and gave a top priority to the time-tested traditional friendship and special ties between Viet Nam and Laos, which had been nurtured by generations of leaders of both sides.

Under the vision of Party chief Trong, the two countries had stood shoulder by shoulder to develop the relations to a new high, she added.

Chairman of the Vietnamese Association in Vientiane Le Van Mui, meanwhile, expressed his outpouring of grief over the passing of the Party leader, who gave him sincere words of advice including those on how to make the Viet Nam-Laos relations closer and closer.

Party General Secretary Trong had been a towering figure in the community, he said, adding many OVs in Vientiane went to the pagodas to pray for the leader.

Showing his depth of emotion when receiving the bad news, Vice Chairman of the Vietnamese Business Association in Laos Hoang Van Quan said that Party leader Trongs leadership helped Viet Nam weather headwinds while creating a facelift for the nation, with improved lives seen in both rural and urban areas.

Quan said the humble Party chief with valuable lessons impressed him a lot.

Another OV in Laos, Nguyen Thi Thu Huyen, affirmed that Party General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong left a special imprint in the nations fortune, adding he is a great father that the OVs always trust in and feel proud of.

As the head of the Central Steering Committee on Prevention and Control of Corruption and Negative Phenomena, the Party leader, with his political resolve, drastically, harmoniously and comprehensively drove the anti-graft campaign.

Many ideas, viewpoints, guiding principles, and action principles in fighting corruption and negative phenomena initiated and directed by the General Secretary have proven effective, affirmed in reality, and brought about valuable lessons in both theory and practice, she observed.

Over the past time, Vietnamese high-ranking leaders visiting Laos have taken time to meet with the Vietnamese community here to get a better insight into their desire and propose the host nation create more favourable conditions for them,according to Huyen, expressing her gratitude towards the Party, State, especially Party General Secretary Trong, who she described as a father of her homeland.  VNS
Overcoming hundreds of applicants, Cake has been highly rated by The Asian Banker for its outstanding development within the past three years and recognised as a self-developed bank with the most effective and innovative AI implementation in Vietnam.

Since its launch, this digital-only bank has enticed 4.4 million users, mobilised more than $308 million, and received hundreds of thousands of credit/ loan applications each month.

Cake possesses a comprehensive range of products to meet the financial needs of individual customers, such as opening accounts, credit cards, savings, and consumer loans.

In particular, Cake has successfully applied big data analysis and AI in all aspects of the bank's activities, from management operations (back office), to risk management (middle office) and customer experience and security (front office).

As such, all transactions on the Cake app are processed online, and all approval activities are completed in just a few minutes, maximising the customer experience by saving them cost and time.

Leveraging these existing advantages, in 2024, Cake aims to become NEXT GENAI BANK - Vietnam's leading digital GenAI bank.

Nguyen Huu Quang, CEO of Cake Digital Bank said, Cake appreciates The Asian Banker's recognition and evaluation toward our process of becoming the first next gen AI bank in Vietnam."

"This award helps us affirm our position in the financial technology market. At Cake, AI is not just a slogan. We have been integrating everything related to AI in every stage of the customer journey to enhance and provide an easy as Cake experience for customers.

In the categories of Financial Technology Innovation Awards, part of the Retail Finance and Financial Technology Innovation Awards 2024 by The Asian Banker, Cake was honoured alongside world-class traditional banks with experience and advantages in technology and innovation in the country, such as BIDV and Kasikornbank Vietnam.

Chris Kapfer, a representative of The Asian Banker said, Cake has successfully passed all of the organisation's strict assessments for the award category including both technology and deployment efficiency criteria."

"We particularly recognised Cake for their vision, execution capabilities, market-leading financial services, outstanding achievements in technological application methods, and, especially, AI implementation.

Cake Digital Bank has enticed 4.4 million users after more than three-year launching

On July 16, Cake also became the first digital bank and one of the top 5 banking and finance organisations in Vietnam to receive an international certificate ISO/IEC 30107-3 for facial biometric recognition, recognised by iBeta, a global leader in quality assurance testing.

This solution was built and implemented by Cake's Vietnamese technology engineers team, which is also refined and optimised on a large dataset of Vietnamese people to ensure the most accurate results, enhancing the user's experience when making transactions.

The Asian Banker Excellence in Retail Finance and Technology Innovation Vietnam Awards 2024 is a prestigious programme, recognising the best products as well as business applications in terms of retail banking and financial organisation in Vietnam.

With their scale and worldwide reputation, The Asian Banker ensures strict transparency and integrity in all organisational activities. All applications participating in the competition are evaluated through many rounds of competition, with a review board consisting of industry-leading global experts.

MB secures prestigious software and IT service awards Military Commercial Joint Stock Bank (MB) has just clinched three Sao Khue Awards 2024, extending its winning streak to six consecutive years. The bank's innovative digital products - the Stellar fashion payment bracelet, the MB JCB Be The Sky card, and the mSeller sales management software - were honoured at the event.
The move follows Trung Nguyen Legends efforts to promote The Tao of Coffee philosophy to the world through a documentary of the same name produced by Warner Bros. Discovery, and The Tao of Coffee: From Beans to Beauty on CNN. The new store openings mark a bold move by Vietnams leading coffee corporation on its journey to conquer the global market, positioning Vietnam as a coffee powerhouse.

Trung Nguyen Legend develops stores in US and China

A year after launching its first franchise store in the US, which received a warm response, on July 18 and 25 Trung Nguyen Legend opened two Trung Nguyen Legend Coffee World spaces in San Jose, California. They are the first Trung Nguyen Legend Coffee World spaces and Trung Nguyen Legend's fourth and fifth outlets in the US.

Trung Nguyen Legend Coffee World at 909 Story Road, Unit 100, San Jose (the US) attracted coffee lovers to experience the coffee culture of Vietnam on the opening day

Located at 909 Story Road, Unit 100, and 1631 East Capitol Expressway, Unit 107, both Trung Nguyen Legend Coffee World spaces are situated on busy roads with abundant cultural, commercial, and business activities in the city of San Jose, easily attracting a large number of American customers and international tourists to experience and discover.

Designed as a space for cultural coffee, artistic coffee, where the essence of the world's three representative coffee civilisations converge, Trung Nguyen Legend Coffee World offers American coffee lovers a special space with a strong imprint of Vietnamese culture and the three coffee civilisations of Ottoman, Roman, and Thien (meditation).

Notably, Thien Coffee is a cultural and artistic product created by Trung Nguyen Legend which is being introduced to American coffee lovers for the first time.

Trung Nguyen Legend leaves an impression with a menu of authentic Vietnamese phin coffee, iced milk coffee, and creative espresso-based drinks such as Latte, Mocha, Cappuccino, and Americano, using 100 per cent Robusta beans from Buon Ma Thuot, a coffee hub in Vietnam. In 2023, the famous and reputable culinary website Eater Los Angeles (USA) published an article praising Trung Nguyen Legend's Vietnamese coffee menu on the occasion of the opening of its first store in the US: Trung Nguyen Legend Cafe will serve phin- and espresso-based coffee drinks using 100-percent Vietnamese-grown Robusta and Arabica beans."

International customers are excited to explore unique and distinctive coffee enjoyment styles according to the world's three coffee civilisations, deeply infused with Vietnamese coffee culture, at Trung Nguyen Legend Coffee World (Nanjing, Shanghai, China)

Alongside the expansion of its presence in the US, Trung Nguyen Legend plans to open eight new locations in Shanghai, Suzhou, and Zhejiang, bringing the total number of its coffee outlets in China to 18, mainly in Shanghai, Beijing, Chengdu, Dongxing, Suzhou, and Zhejiang.

After nearly two years in China, Trung Nguyen Legend coffee shops have left strong imprints of Vietnamese coffee culture and unique coffee enjoyment styles. They have quickly become popular destinations that attract numerous customers. In the documentary The Tao of Coffee", Discovery assessed that the story of the three coffee civilizations of Ottoman, Roman, and Thien, pioneered by Trung Nguyen Legend in their coffee spaces in Shanghai, is gradually elevating into an immersive historical experience that captivates coffee lovers.

With strong love and acceptance from international customers, Trung Nguyen Legend is making efforts to implement its goal of opening 130 shops in China in 2024, marking the beginning of a long-term plan for 1,000 shops in the trillion-dollar market. Additionally, in September 2024, Trung Nguyen Legend will expand its coffee model to Australia and Canada and continue to promote the plan to open 100 spaces in the US, as well as in Japan, South Korea, Dubai, France, Southeast Asia, Asia, and Europe.

The Trung Nguyen E-Coffee initiative is "a coffee franchise model inspiring successful startups for the community" and "represents the culmination of the companys strategy to elevate Vietnamese coffee culture", according to CNN's assessment. Trung Nguyen E-Coffee currently has 800 outlets in Vietnam, the US, Iceland, etc., along with more than 1,000 franchise contracts successfully signed.

Vietnams No. 1 coffee brand plans to conquer global market

Along with its continuous efforts to open new coffee shops in leading international markets, more than 300 Trung Nguyen, G7, and Trung Nguyen Legend products produced using the worlds best Robusta beans from Buon Ma Thuot have become popular in more than 100 countries and territories.

In the US, G7, Trung Nguyen, and Trung Nguyen Legend products are present in the Costco supermarket chain, nearly 100 per cent of Asian supermarkets in the US, and across various online sales channels such as Amazon, Walmart, eBay, and Say Weee. Efforts to promote trade, expand the distribution system, and establish strategic partnerships in the US are also being continuously strengthened.

Specifically in China, Trung Nguyen Legend Group has 15 importers, 300 secondary distributors, 30,000 offline sales points, and thousands of online stores on platforms like JD, Amazon, Taobao.com, Tmall.com, and Century Mart. Particularly, the Chinese market has had over 15 million regular drinkers of G7 coffee. In The Tao of Coffee", Discovery reported that the G7 brand is now sold in 100 countries and ranked as one of the top five coffee brands in China, supplying 2.5 billion coffee sachets per year.

Besides the US and Chinese markets, Trung Nguyen Legend officially opened its second international office in South Korea (after China) in 2023. The group not only collaborates with online sales channels such as Coupang (the largest retailer on the South Korean e-commerce platform) and retail chains like Lotte Mart, Homeplus, Emart, and Hanaromart supermarkets, but also developed an official sales channel in South Korea: https://g7coffee.co.kr/.

Trung Nguyen Legend's coffee products have also covered nearly 100 per cent of major retail chains in other countries, such as Costco, Walmart, Carrefour, Auchan (Russia), Woolworth (Australia), Loblaws (Canada), and Lotus (Thailand).

Trung Nguyen Legend's energy coffee products are always among the top 20 best-selling instant coffee products on Amazon

Enhancing the cultural value of Vietnamese coffee and the worlds finest Robusta beans from Buon Ma Thuot, Trung Nguyen Legend's coffee products have received love and support from international consumers, continuously sitting high on various international rankings. These include the top five most beloved and best-selling coffee brands on online channels in South Korea, the top 13 most beloved instant coffee brands in China, and the top 20 best-selling instant coffee products on Amazon.

As A leader of the Vietnamese caffeine revolution, turning Vietnamese coffee from a common beverage into a lifestyle, a way of life," according to Discoverys assessment, Trung Nguyen Legend is making efforts to expand a system of distinctive and coffee shops deeply imbued with Vietnamese cultural imprints around the world. Thus, one day, when the world thinks of coffee, they will think of Vietnam.

The Tao of Coffee by Warner Bros. Discovery promotes Vietnamese coffee On November 30, the documentary The Tao of Coffee, produced by global media company Warner Bros. Discovery, aired on the Discovery Channel in Vietnam, South Korea, Japan, India, and other countries and territories in Asia.

Trung Nguyen Legend launches G7 Gold instant coffee product Trung Nguyen Legend, dubbed a pioneer in the Vietnamese caffeine revolution by Discovery, has launched its G7 Gold products. As the first generation of instant coffee combines the flavours of the world's three coffee civilisations, Trung Nguyen Legend affirms its innovation efforts.
A global cyber snafu Friday resulted in lines at the Waco Hilton, software problems at City Hall and a 20-minute delay for the first American Eagle flight out of Waco Regional Airport.

Blame the mess on CrowdStrike, an Austin-based cybersecurity company whose faulty Windows update ignited the firestorm that snarled banking systems, airports, hospitals and personal computers around the world.

Major airlines, including American, Delta and United, grounded hundreds of flights while delaying others and forcing travelers to stew or make other arrangements. Several local businesses said their IT staffs saved the day by detecting problems early and troubleshooting and intervening before the problems ballooned.

The Texas Department of Public Safety said drivers license offices statewide shut down due to a technical issue which is related to the global CrowdStrike incident.

Waco-area DPS spokesperson Sgt. Ryan Howard said the agency tried to notify those with appointments. He said IT teams were working diligently to fix the problem, but DPS had no current estimate on when drivers license offices would open.

Waco Regional Airport emerged relatively unscathed, though aviation director Joel Martinez said he became aware of problems globally.

Our morning flight, which departs about 5 a.m., left about 20 minutes late due to some issues at the ticket counter, Martinez said, adding that a flight departing Waco Regional at about 10:30 a.m. for Dallas-Fort Worth International Airport left without a hitch.

Neither he nor a person who identified himself as a supervisor at the American Eagle office in Waco expressed doubts a flight scheduled to leave at 6:30 p.m. would do so.

Fortunately, we are not part of the larger impact this is having on travelers, said Martinez, remarking that this could serve as a marketing point.

Austen Caronia, who directs the Waco Hiltons front office operations, said he learned something was amiss around 11 p.m. Thursday, when we couldnt get logged into our computers.

By noon Friday he said partial access had been restored, though were not fully back.

He said some guests showed frustration over delays in getting their rooms, and left to eat lunch or run errands until service was restored.

Local hotelier Kary Lalani did not experience major issues Friday.

Im sure across the industry hotels will be disrupted from an occupancy perspective as it sounds like travelers will be dealing with flight delays, cancellations and chaos for the next few days, he said. Hopefully, everything will be restored quickly.

The city of Waco released a statement, saying, Overnight, the City of Waco network was negatively impacted by a bad patch from the Anti-Virus vendor CrowdStrike. For a brief time, there were some integral servers and workstations offline, in addition to some Windows workstations.

Our Information Technology Department responded and worked through the night to restore all systems. Today they have visited all City locations to address affected devices, the release stated. This is the same issue affecting airlines, governments, banks, and other networks across the world.

The city statement noted that all city departments, including police and fire, have and practice manual processes to ensure public safety and critical infrastructure are not in danger in these types of situations.

Jim Halbert, chief appraiser for the McLennan Central Appraisal District, said his office faced issues its IT vendor remedied with a visit early Friday morning, when internet service was restored.

He said via email Friday afternoon MCAD still was not able to access its database at the moment, but said it would meet the July 25 deadline to certify appraisals.

Kody Petillo, Wacos director of solid waste, said billing software at the Waco landfill was not working properly early Friday morning, but IT had the situation remedied before customers began arriving.

He said a software called Routeware, used exclusively for route guidance in the solid waste industry, also was not functioning early Friday, meaning the city dispatched its most experienced drivers and operators to service the routes.

The Associated Press reported that a faulty software update wreaked havoc on Friday. The update issued by CrowdStrike affected customers running Microsoft Windows. It was not the result of hacking or a cyberattack, according to CrowdStrike, which apologized and said a fix was on the way.

Several local TV stations nationally could not broadcast early Friday, and some state and local governments reported problems at courts, motor vehicle departments, unemployment agencies, and emergency call centers.

Affected hospitals had problems with appointment systems, forcing them to suspend patient visits and cancel some surgeries.

Locally, Baylor Scott & White Health had this to say: Our priority is the health, safety and wellbeing of those we serve and our team members. Patient care is safely continuing as we work through issues related to the technical disruption that is impacting computer systems across the globe.

It would not identify issues it is working to resolve.

Joe Nesbitt, president and CEO of Central National Bank, said in an email response that issues at the bank were short-lived.

Our IT team became aware of the issue in the early hours this morning and had us back up and running by 7:30 a.m., he said.

Waco-based economist Ray Perryman acknowledged the outage will no doubt have tragic human costs and associated economic losses. On the whole, however, it appears that much of the effect will be manifested in delays and inconvenience rather than substantial economic costs.

On a worldwide basis, the losses will almost certainly be in the billions, but not enough to move the needle on overall growth, he said. For individual areas, the effects will be relatively small, and there is no reason to expect that Central Texas will bear a disproportionate burden.
Russian Defence Ministry report on the progress of the special military operation (1319 July 2024)

From 13 to 19 July 2024, the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation delivered 11 group strikes by high-precision weaponry and attack unmanned aerial vehicles at the enemys aviation bases, objects of power infrastructure ensuring operation of the Ukrainian military industrial enterprises, AFU air defence and electronic warfare means.

Also strikes were delivered at deployment areas of the AFU units, echelons with weaponry and military hardware, ammunition depots including with those supplied by Western countries, and materiel.

The goal of the strikes have been achieved. All the assigned targets have been engaged.

Over the past week, units of the Sever Group of Forces improved the situation along the front line.

Losses were inflicted on manpower and hardware of two mechanised brigades, one assault brigade, one motorised rifle brigade, two marines brigades, and four territorial defence brigades.

In addition, 23 counter-attacks launched by the enemys assault detachments have been repelled.

The AFU losses amounted to up to 1,370 Ukrainian troops, five tanks, 25 motor vehicles, 28 field artillery howitzers, including seven foreign-made 155-mm howitzers, and seven electronic warfare stations.

As a result of successful actions, units of the Zapad Group of Forces improved the tactical situation and inflicted losses on formations of four AFU mechanised brigades, one tank brigade, two infantry brigades, and three territorial defence brigades. Six counter-attacks launched by the enemys assault detachments were repelled.

The AFU losses amounted to up to 3,920 Ukrainian troops, one tank, eight armoured fighting vehicles, including three U.S.-made M113 armoured personnel carriers, 46 motor vehicles, 38 field artillery howitzers, including 12 155-mm howitzers produced by the NATO countries.

Moreover, 30 field ammunition depots and six electronic warfare stations were destroyed.

Units of the Yug Group of Forces took more advantageous lines and inflicted losses on manpower and hardware of three AFU mechanised brigades, one motorised infantry brigade, two airmobile brigades, and two air assault formations.

In addition, 10 counter-attacks launched by the enemys assault detachments have been repelled.

The AFU losses amounted to up to 3,930 Ukrainian troops, one tank, 14 armoured fighting vehicles, including two U.S.-made M113 armoured personnel carriers and three U.S.-made HMMWV armoured fighting vehicles, 48 motor vehicles, 71 field artillery guns (including 28 howitzers produced in Western countries.

Ten electronic warfare stations and 24 field ammunition depots were destroyed.

As a result of active actions, units of the Tsentr Group of Forces liberated Yuriyevka (Donetsk Peoples Republic).

Losses were inflicted on formations of three AFU mechanised brigades, two motorised infantry brigades, one infantry brigade, one air assault formation, and two territorial defence brigades.

Thirty-eight counter-attacks launched by the AFU units were repelled.

The AFU losses amounted to up to 2,215 Ukrainian troops, 11 armoured fighting vehicles, including one U.S.-made Bradley infantry fighting vehicle, two U.S.-made M113 armoured personnel carriers and one MaxxPro armoured fighting vehicle, 26 motor vehicles, and 27 field artillery howitzers.

As a result of active actions, units of the Vostok Group of Forces liberated Urozhaynoye (Donetsk Peoples Republic).

Losses were inflicted on manpower and hardware of five AFU formations, three territorial defence brigades, and one national guard brigade. Five counter-attacks launched by the AFU units were repelled.

The AFU losses amounted to up to 925 Ukrainian troops, one tank, three armoured fighting vehicles, including two U.S.-made M113 armoured personnel carriers, 35 motor vehicles, 26 field artillery guns, including 19 howitzers and self-propelled artillery systems (155-mm calibre) produced by the NATO countries.

Units of the Dnepr Group of Forces inflicted losses on formations of two AFU mechanised brigades, one mountain assault brigade, one marine brigade, and three territorial defence brigades.

The AFU losses amounted to up to 715 Ukrainian troops, two tanks, 37 motor vehicles, and 21 field artillery howitzers. Nine electronic warfare stations and 11 field ammunition depots were destroyed.

Over the past week, air defence units shot down three MiG-29 aircraft of the Ukrainian Air Force, eight U.S.-made ATACMS operational-tactical missiles, 10 French-made Hammer guided aerial bombs, one S-200 surface-to-air guided missile converted to hit ground targets, 44 HIMARS MLRS projectiles, 305 unmanned aerial vehicles, including 94 in airspace of the western regions of the Russian Federation.

Units of the Black Sea Fleet wiped out 10 uncrewed surface vessels in the Black Sea waters.

Over the past week, 19 Ukrainian servicemen have surrendered on the line of contact.

?? In total, 630 airplanes and 277 helicopters, 27,841 unmanned aerial vehicles, 552 air defence missile systems, 16,611 tanks and other armoured fighting vehicles, 1,379 combat vehicles equipped with MLRS, 12,059 field artillery howitzers and mortars, as well as 23,829 units of special military equipment have been destroyed during the special military operation.

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WtR
https://icj-cij.org/home Status of the Occupied Palestinian Territory  The West Bank and East Jerusalem are

occupied territories in which Israel has status of occupying Power  Examination of status of the Gaza Strip  Israels obligations in the Gaza Strip are commensurate with degree of its effective control. <> Israel is bound by the ICCPR and the ICESCR, Israel is bound to comply with CERD, Question of Oslo Accords, Oslo Accords cannot be understood to detract from Israels obligations under pertinent rules of international law applicable in the Occupied Palestinian Territory. LEGAL CONSEQUENCES ARISING FROM THE POLICIES of Israel https://www.icj-cij.org/sites/default/files/case-related/186/186-20240719-adv-01-00-en.pdf

and

The Jewish people are not occupiers in their own land  not in our eternal capital Jerusalem, not in the land of our ancestors in Judea and Samaria, Netanyahu said in a statement shortly after the verdict was read out. No false decision in The Hague will distort this historical truth, just as the legality of Israeli settlement in all the territories of our homeland cannot be contested, he added.

Except Nutty Hu Hu, it is not your land and you are not what we have been propagandized to believe

WtR
In a significant win following a competitive pitch process, Bombay Design Centre (Bombay DC) has been selected to revamp Tata Chemicals' corporate website. This project signifies Bombay DC's expertise in digital transformation and their innovative approach to website design.

Bombay DC will leverage their cutting-edge advancements in digital and technology design to elevate Tata Chemicals' online presence. The project encompasses a complete overhaul of the website, including design, messaging, content, user experience (UX), and the underlying technology. The goal is to create a website that not only meets but exceeds the expectations of Tata Chemicals' global audience and delivers a strong and impactful user experience.

Ankur Rander, CEO of Bombay DC, expressed: "Bombay DC is honoured to partner with Tata Chemicals on this pivotal project. Our goal is to create a digital platform that accurately represents the story of Tata Chemicals, its global impact, and a user experience that stands apart. With this, we want to set a new standard for corporate websites, especially in the manufacturing sector, reinforcing Tata Chemicals' commitment to sustainability.
Disney is currently investigating a significant data breach after the hacktivist group Nullbulge claimed responsibility for leaking over 1.2 terabytes of internal communications. This breach allegedly includes sensitive information about upcoming projects, advertising campaigns, and even employee data.

Nullbulge, which identifies as a group protecting artists rights, stated that they targeted Disney due to its use of artificial intelligence (AI) in creative processes, which they consider detrimental to artists. The hackers claimed they accessed Disney's internal Slack channels through an insider, although this has not been independently verified.

The leaked data reportedly contains raw images, project details, and technical information. Nullbulge has a history of opposing the use of AI in creative industries, arguing that it constitutes intellectual theft.

Disney confirmed the investigation but has not provided details about the extent or impact of the breach. This incident has heightened concerns in the creative industry about the implications of AI on artists' livelihoods.
Havas agencies, including Havas London, Lemz, New York, and Immerse, have lost their B Corporation certifications following an investigation by B Lab. This decision comes after Havas Media signed a contract with Shell, raising concerns about the company's alignment with B Corp values of transparency and sustainability.

A B Corporation (or B Corp) is a certification awarded to companies that meet high standards of social and environmental performance, accountability, and transparency. The certification is administered by the nonprofit B Lab, which assesses companies based on their impact on various stakeholders, including workers, customers, community, and the environment. B Corps aim to use business as a force for good, balancing profit and purpose.

The B Lab, which oversees B Corp certifications, acted upon complaints highlighting the environmental impact of Havas Media's association with Shell. Clean Creatives, an activist group, led the criticism, urging agencies to avoid partnerships with fossil fuel companies.

The removal of B Corp status reflects growing pressure on agencies to uphold ethical standards, particularly concerning climate change. Activists argue that working with fossil fuel companies contradicts B Corp principles. This incident underscores the broader movement demanding greater accountability within the advertising industry.
Adgullys IMAGEXX Summit and Awards 2024, the premier PR industry event, took place on July 18, 2024, at the Holiday Inn, Aerocity, Gurgaon. This prestigious event brought together industry leaders, professionals, and innovators to celebrate excellence in public relations and communication.

The event witnessed an engaging keynote address by Aakriti Bhargava, Co-Founder, Wizikey, on Tech to the Rescue of PR: How Tech Will Change Public Relations in This Decade.

Aakriti Bhargava began her keynote by sharing her journey in the PR industry. She said, I have held several roles within PR, starting in an agency, then moving to corporate communications, and eventually running my own agency for ten years. After a decade, I felt something needed to change, and thats how Wizikey was born.

Wizikey, Bhargava explained, is a product designed with the belief that technology should serve PR professionals. We are very smart people in this industry, she noted. To emphasize the need for tech integration, she engaged the audience with a quick survey, asking How many of you have more than five years of experience in PR? Many hands went up. Continuing further, she asked, How many of you use WhatsApp to communicate news with your peers?, followed by How many end up collating news in Excel sheets at the end of the month? The responses revealed the widespread reliance on traditional methods, highlighting the need for technological advancements in PR.

I dont want to delve too much into history, but we must understand how the PR landscape has evolved. From the early 20th century to the 2010s, we primarily consumed print and broadcast media. Then, we experienced a media explosion with websites, social media, and podcasts, which we are still adapting to, Bhargava noted. She also emphasized the rapid pace at which news is generated today, saying, The speed of news has increased tenfold, if not more.

In this fast-paced environment, Bhargava highlighted the unpredictable nature of modern PR crises. Today, crises can erupt on Twitter or any platform instantly, she said, adding that this unpredictability necessitates a new approach to PR, one that leverages technology to keep pace with the rapid flow of information.

Why hasnt technology intervened in PR the way it has in other fields like sales or HR? Bhargava pondered. She explained that PR has always dealt with big data manually, but recent advancements in AI and technology now allow for emotional intelligence to be integrated into these systems, making them more effective.

Bhargava identified three key areas where technology will significantly impact PR: Speed, Accuracy, and Creativity.

Speed: We need to produce reports and media lists quickly. AI can generate reports in seconds, transforming tasks that used to take days. Accuracy: Technology can enhance the accuracy of sentiment analysis and defect detection. AI can process 1 lakh articles in under a second, providing insights we couldnt achieve manually. Creativity: AI can help generate content ideas and match content globally, allowing PR professionals to focus on creative strategies rather than mundane tasks.

She cited an example of predictive analysis in action, saying, We worked with a client facing global crises. We set up a system to send negative news alerts directly to their WhatsApp, enabling them to respond instantly.

Bhargava emphasized that integrating AI and technology into PR isnt about replacing humans, but complementing their work. For me, she said, this means fun, science, and magic.

These are edited excerpts. For the complete address, please watch below:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BbdDQAcX6wk
When it comes to iconic Southern food, macaroni and cheese is certainly near the top of the list.

Thats likely why you can find it on the menu at a lot of restaurants throughout Alabama, which can make choosing where to eat when youre craving the Southern dish a difficult choice.

Lucky for us, This is Alabama recently asked its followers on its Facebook page which restaurants in the state served the best mac and cheese. From off-the-beaten-path barbecue joints to iconic meat-and-threes and more, the answers did not disappoint.

You can read 10 of them below, and you can read all of them on the This is Alabama Facebook page.

Mac and cheese from Scruggs BBQ in Decatur, Ala. (Thomas Garner of DIWYM.com/Scruggs BBQ)Thomas Garner of DIWYM.com/Scruggs BBQ

Scruggs BBQ

Scruggs BBQ in Decatur, Ala., is known for serving up some seriously good barbecue, but that doesnt mean you should sleep on the sides it offers. Its macaroni and cheese being proof of that. Its the perfect mix of melted cheese and soft noodles with that ooey-gooey factor every great mac and cheese out there has to have.

Mac and cheese served at Real and Rosemary in Birmingham, Ala. (Courtesy of Real and Rosemary)Courtesy of Real and Rosemary

Real and Rosemary

While a lot of the restaurants readers suggested have been around for years (and even decades), that doesnt mean you should count out some of the states newer recipes. With three locations in the Birmingham area, Real and Rosemary is a great place to get a mac and cheese fix made using simple, who ingredients for that home-cooked flavor thats hard to beat.

The mac and cheese is a popular dish at New Market BBQ in New Market, Ala. (New Market BBQ)New Market BBQ

New Market BBQ

New Market BBQs smoked mac and cheese is so good that it even made the Alabama Department of Tourisms list of 100 Dishes to Eat in Alabama Before You Die in 2019. As the name suggests, the mac and cheese is smoked in the restaurants barbecue pit and topped with their signature rub for a one-of-a-kind flavor youll only find at the Madison County eatery.

Big Bob Gibson Bar-B-Q in Decatur, Alabama.

Big Bob Gibson Bar-B-Q

One restaurant that came up early and often when readers were asked about where to find the best mac and cheese in the state was Big Bob Gibson Bar-B-Q, which has two locations in Decatur. It seems that during the restaurants nearly 100 years in business, its learned a thing or two about how to make a classic Southern side like macaroni and cheese stand out -- even when served next to some award-winning barbecue.

Read more: Alabama barbecue legend selected for national BBQ Hall of Fame

Mac and cheese, green beans, fried chicken and a corn muffin served during lunch at Filet and Vine in Montgomery, Ala. (Drew Sutton)Drew Sutton

Filet and Vine

Filet and Vine in Montgomery, or Derks as many locals call it, is a lot of things, including a bottleshoppe, quick market, deli and home to a meat-and-three hot bar serving up some of the best Southern cooking in the Capital City. While it offers more than seven meats and a dozen sides that rotate daily, the homemade mac and cheese, served every day, is one dish you can expect to be a popular pick among hungry diners no matter what else is on the menu.

The steam table at Pannie-George's Kitchen in Auburn, Ala., features a selection of fresh vegetables.(Bob Carlton/bcarlton@al.com)

Pannie-Georges Kitchen

Speaking of meat-and-three spots that know their way around a pan of mac and cheese, Pannie-Georges Kitchen, with locations in Auburn and Montgomery, is certainly one. In fact, wed say the only bad thing about the restaurants mac and cheese is that the dish isnt offered daily, so you have to keep a lookout for when it makes the menu (and get there early on those days so you dont miss out on that gooey goodness).

Read more: The inspring story behind this beloved Auburn restaurant

Side dishes, including coleslaw, turnip greens, grits, mac and cheese, and banana pudding from SAW's BBQ. Photo by Tamika Moore.

Saws Soul Kitchen

There are a lot of reasons to love Saws Soul Kitchen, from its funky atmosphere to its amazing barbecue, and it seems its macaroni and cheese, offered as a premium side at most of its six locations in the Birmingham area, is another one to add to the list. So next time youre headed to Saws to get your fix of their signature pork n greens, maybe get a side of mac and cheese on the side too. Soon, you might be craving it just as much.

Read more: The story behind one of the most Alabama dishes ever

City Cafe in Northport, Ala.(Ben Flanagan/bflanagan@al.com)

City Cafe

With more than 80 years in business, City Cafe has become a beloved staple in Northport, Ala., since opening its doors in 1931. A classic meat-and-three, offering a wide range of homecooked, Southern mains and sides that change daily, its likely that many of its loyal customers plan their visit around whether its delicious mac and cheese is on the menu that day.

Read more: Five things to know about City Cafe

This familiar sign with cartoon red snapper in a top hat points diners in the direction of Niki's West Steak & Seafood Restaurant at 233 Finley Ave. West in Birmingham, Ala. (Bob Carlton/bcarlton@al.com)

Nikis West

With so many tasty offerings to choose from, it says something that the mac and cheese served up at Nikis West, an iconic meat-and-three in Birmingham, is an easy and obvious choice for many of its regulars. Thats probably why while its menu might change daily, macaroni and cheese can always be found among the sides -- unless, of course, they run out due to high demand.

Read more: Nikis West: The story behind a classic Alabama restaurant

Jim 'N Nick's Bar-B-Q was founded by the father-and-son team of Jim and Nick Pihakis in Birmingham, Ala., in 1985. Jim 'N Nick's now has 48 locations in six states, including 17 in Alabama.(Ben Flanagan/bflanagan@al.com)

Jim and Nicks Bar-B-Q

Jim N Nicks might have locations in six states these days (including 17 throughout Alabama), but it got its start in Birmingham, and clearly its macaroni and cheese left a mark. Offered on its own as a side or loaded up with pork and served as a meal, Jim N Nicks mac and cheese was a popular pick among readers, and it isnt hard to see why.

Read more: 12 things you might not know about Jim N Nicks Bar-B-Q
22 1 / 22 2024 Alabama Deep Sea Fishing Rodeo opening day

A stormy Friday morning made for a slow start to the 91st Alabama Deep Sea Fishing Rodeo, but the big fish started to come in by days end  including a bull shark that wasnt far shy of the state record.

The firing of a cannon marked the start of action at 5 a.m. Friday. A rodeo staffer said the rodeo site on Dauphin Island had promptly been socked with three hours of heavy rain after that. At 1 p.m. the site was still scattered with puddles, even inside the sponsor tent.

Not everybody waited for the storms to pass. Charter captain Frank Harwell said he had hit the water early with his son and one of his sons buddies. It paid off with a cart full of snapper and mackerel, but they didnt necessarily come easy.

Anybody tells you it wasnt bad out there, theyre lying, Harwell said as he hopped off his boat Friday afternoon at the weigh station. Normally they bite hard during a storm. But there was no escaping what we were in.

Kyle Whisenhunt hoists a red snapper caught by the Minutes of Use fishing team on the first day of the 2024 Alabama Deep Sea Fishing Rodeo.Lawrence Specker | LSpecker@AL.com

He wasnt really complaining, though. He shrugged it off as typical rodeo weather.

We always have a typhoon one day of the rodeo, he said. Maybe this was it for this year.

Traffic at the docks might have been light through midafternoon, but there were enough fish coming in by land and by sea that rodeo staff in the weigh station never had to wait long for the next angler to arrive. From there, a lot of fish went to a corps of researchers from the University of South Alabama and the Dauphin Island Sea Lab.

Sean Powers, chair of USAs Marine Sciences Department and a senior marine scientist at the Sea Lab, said that while the action hadnt been particularly heavy so far, hed been pleased to see dozens of flounder being brought in. To him, that was an early indication that the species was on the rebound thanks to new regulations put in place a few years ago.

Marine scientists Marcus Drymon, left, and Sean Powers do double duty as judges for the 2024 Alabama Deep Sea Fishing Rodeo.Lawrence Specker | LSpecker@AL.com

Nor was he the only senior scientist on hand to see what revelations the 2024 rodeo might bring. Shark expert Marcus Drymon, a professor at Mississippi State University, was on the dock ready to greet any sharks brought in.

One of the biggest happenings at the 2023 rodeo was the arrival of a tiger shark that weighed in at over 1,000 pounds, setting a new state record. Drymon said that while there was some social-media criticism around the animals death, it was a scientific bonanza.

Its all about perspective, he said. Theres a tremendous amount we learn.

That particular shark had turned out to be a pregnant female carrying 42 pups, each about 18 inches long, he said. That and the sharks sheer size were encouraging, he said.

Thats all information we take to the stock assessment, he said. Its information you cant get without a tournament like this.

Its satisfying because it shows the federal management plan is working, Drymon said. The U.S. government has done a really good job protecting sharks.

Drymon, like Powers, is a rodeo judge. Both praised the Mobile Jaycees, who put on the tournament, for their willingness to partner up with researchers.

Drymon said, There were no fishery statistics in the 1930s. Rodeo records from the ADSFR and other events, gleaned from old newspaper reports, showed that the sizes of sharks caught in the Gulf peaked in the late 1980s, followed by a crash. That told scientists something was going on at a Gulf-wide level. The problem was overharvesting via commercial longline fishing, Drymon said, and regulations were put in place to restrict it.

The population has had 20 to 30 years to rebound, he said, and last years record-setting tiger shark suggests the sharks have been making progress. He speculated that if that holds true, rodeo spectators may see more big sharks this year and in the future.

A 432-lb. bull shark weighed in at the 2024 Alabama Deep Sea Fishing Rodeo was just 16 pounds short of the state record. The fish was brought in by Derek Rogers, right; his father David Rogers, left; and Brett Rutledge, who set a state record at the 2023 ADSFR with a 1,019-lb tiger shark.Lawrence Specker | LSpecker@AL.com

A few hours later, as big fish started to come in, a near-record bull shark lent some weight to Drymons theory. The crane emplaced near the docks hadnt been used for most of the day, but it finally was fired up late in the afternoon for a 107.5-pound swordfish and a 120.7-pound yellowfin tuna.

Shortly before 6 p.m., word began to spread that a big bull shark was coming in. It turned out to weigh 432 pounds, just a little short of the 448-pound, 4-ounce state record.

Remarkably, it was brought in by a team consisting of Derek Rogers, his father David Rogers and Brett Rutledge. All three were on the five-man team that brought in last years record tiger shark. (Rutledge is credited with that record, while Derek Rogers was credited on the leaderboard with this bull.) Derek Rogers said the bull shark was brought in without any particular drama, though it was a 40-minute fight.

Drymon said he also was excited about the rodeos decision to add a catch-and-release option for jack crevalle for the first time. He compared them to tarpon, saying they are great sport to catch but dont taste all that good. Since theyre probably not headed for the kitchen, catch-and-release makes a lot of sense and avoids putting unnecessary pressure on the population.

The species is doing fine here, he said. But in south Florida its not.

Shifting to a catch-and-release model before theres a crisis means were being proactive, not reactive, Drymon said.

The rodeo continues through Sunday. A spokesman for the event said more than 3,600 tickets were sold and more than a half-million dollars in prizes will be awarded. The rodeo maintains a live online leaderboard.
Slutty Vegan, the popular vegan restaurant chain, announced on social media they temporarily closed their Birmingham location on June 11, and theres no sign that the restaurant will reopen.

Hey big head, Birmingham is off to get a BBL, the Instagram posts caption says, while listing the addresses for other Slutty Vegan locations.

Neither Pinky Cole, the CEO of Slutty Vegan, nor any restaurant representatives have responded to AL.coms request for comment.

Teona Henry, who worked at Slutty Vegan before the closure, posted on Facebook that she found out the restaurant closed without warning. Henry said she personally attempted to contact Cole, but she was unable to reach her.

This isnt the first time Slutty Vegan has been temporarily closed.

In early 2023, the restaurant closed for four days due to mechanical issues, and for a few days in early 2024 due to technical difficulties. In 2023, the restaurant was vandalized.

In a previous AL.com interview with Cole, she said Birmingham was a successful location.

Birmingham Slutty Vegan is actually profitable, Cole said.

That is one of my profitable locations. Which Im happy about because if you know anything about the restaurant industry, restaurants arent profitable. We have new management in place. We have new team members in place. We have a good group of people. I dont have to worry about the Birmingham store because I have people properly running the store.

The Birmingham Slutty Vegan location was the first location Cole opened outside of Atlanta.

The Hooker Fries at Slutty Vegan (Courtesy, Slutty Vegan)

Birmingham was the springboard to be able to identify things will be different...I was used to Atlanta systems, county and state taxes. So coming to Alabama, the laws and permits are set up differently, Cole told AL.com. So there were a lot of learning curves that took us over a year to be able to identify. But now, I feel like we have arrived and were past the toddler stage.

Slutty Vegan, based in Atlanta, opened its first Alabama location in August 2022 with people from all across the city looking to support the Black owned business.

The restaurant is known for bangin plant-based burgers, fries, other sandwiches, sides and desserts in a yellow and red colored storefronts among their 12 locations across the country.

Since the Birmingham location opened, Cole opened up other locations across the country like in Dallas, Harlem, and on Spelman Colleges campus.

The Slutty Vegan food truck first came to Birmingham in 2020, and the average wait-time was two hours to get sluttified with one of their menu items.
A power struggle within the small city of Clay is spilling over into decisions about which books belong on library shelves.

Last month, the city manager told library board members they could no longer purchase religious books, in an effort to avoid lawsuits from political groups. City manager Ronnie Dixon initially told library staff that they could not buy a Christian book, but, after complaints, later backtracked and allowed them to purchase it.

Dixon did not want the library to purchase Hero Tales: A Family Treasury of True Stories from the Lives of Christian Heroes by Dave and Neta Jackson.

The library should not do anything that would draw attention from watchdog groups, Dixon said in a June meeting. The library should not purchase books already in the JCLC if it could draw attention based on content of a religious or gender/sexual nature, and no books should be purchased if a religious book is used as the only source.

Dixons statement caused alarm among Christians in Clay. While the state recently updated rules for how libraries should keep inappropriate books away from children, there are no restrictions on religious books or material.

Library board members also were confused.

In an email to Dixon, library board secretary Sarah Grafman said, When I read the governors statement, which I remember discussing in previous meetings, it was my understanding that she was referencing LGBTQ+ content, not religious. My concern, based on your statement, is we are exposing ourselves to liability regarding religious liberty questions.

In his response, Dixon said, While most of our community would accept any Christian books we were to purchase, we do have watchers that will object and possibly escalate. AL.com has left email and voicemail messages requesting an interview with Dixon.

Mayor Charles Webster said the situation has been blown out of proportion and has become more about a clash of personalities between the library board and Dixon.

It was a miscommunication, Webster told AL.com. Webster said a patron had complained about the book. It wasnt an issue. We just had one person question, why are yall putting religious books on the shelf. It wasnt that we were against that book.

The book was eventually approved and purchased.

Webster said he isnt sure taxpayer dollars should purchase of books geared towards people from one religion.

If you put a Bible on the shelf you have to put a Quran on the shelf, Webster said. Youre setting yourself up for a lawsuit when you start specifying stuff and you leave out one group. You have to allow for everybody. You cant just do something for one group.

Library board members are frustrated and feel they dont have a lot of decision-making power.

The city doesnt want the library board to have a say in what the library does, Grafman said. I feel like its embarrassing to the city and no one really seemed to listen to me.

She said she believes the Freedom From Religion Foundation is one of the groups Dixon was talking about.

Because the city was receiving letters from them, that he thought it would that it would be better to stop purchasing, Grafman said.

According to Grafman, Dixon threw the letters in the trash. But she didnt see the letters herself; she said she reached out for clarification because this seems like a weird stance to take.

AL.com contacted the Freedom from Religion Foundations legal department to verify if any complaints were made to the City of Clay. The organization hasnt found any documents so far.

The Freedom From Religion Foundation, a nonprofit group advocating for the separation of church and state, has complained this year about a high school football teams religious motto and on-duty prayers at the Birmingham Police Department.

Tara Gearhart resigned as library director in June. Gearhart did not return AL.coms request for comment.

Library board chair Jane Anderton said the city council should not make such decisions and that the bylaws mandate library boards be governing bodies. Mayor Webster told her that the board was only advisory, she said.

Dixon is supposed to be in charge of day-to-day library operations, including book purchases.

Anderton said every expenditure, even for small items like rugs, must be approved by Dixon before being purchased for the library, like were going to our daddy.

Concerns about governmental overreach were brought up at a July 9 library board meeting. Anderton said that Rep. Danny Garrett (R-Jefferson County) allocated $10,000 to the library and the board wasnt informed. Webster said the money hasnt been received.

She said Dixon has done good things for the city, especially in helping local schools. However, she thinks he should not oversee library operations.

Grafman said a board meeting to work on new curation policies and bylaws is July 23.
A woman died when two vehicles left a Walker County roadway and crashed on Friday, state troopers said.

Melissa S. Parker, a 42-year-old from Dora, died when a Chevrolet Silverado struck the Toyota Tundra she was driving, according to a press release from the Alabama Law Enforcement Agency.

Prior to impact, both vehicles left the roadway, which resulted in the roadside crash, said Brandon Bailey, a senior state trooper, in the release.

The crash happened at 12:35 p.m. on Horse Creek Boulevard near Singleton Road. The scene was about a mile west of Dora.

Jose S. Perez, the 34-year-old Bessemer man driving the Silverado, and a 31-year-old passenger, were injured and transported to Brookwood Baptist Medical Center in Jasper, according to state troopers. Bailey said they were not wearing seatbelts.

Troopers said they are still investigating what happened.
A private event venue in north Birmingham where four people were killed and 10 others wounded has been ordered padlocked.

A Jefferson County judge on Friday granted a City of Birmingham request for a temporary restraining order against Trendsetters Lounge and Event Center, GWLLC and Mortgage Reality Inc.

The shooting happened late Saturday night at the small event center located at 3427 27th Street North.

Police said a gunman or gunmen in vehicle opened fire on building where a Birmingham man was hosting his birthday party. The honorees mother and two cousins were killed in the gunfire, as well as another family friend.

Ten other people sustained non-life-threatening injuries.

A small memorial to the victims of a fatal mass shooting sits outside Trendsetters Lounge and Event Center in north Birmingham.(Carol Robinson)

The City of Birmingham, claiming the event center is a public nuisance, on Wednesday filed for temporary and permanent restraining orders. The business does not have a name on the building, but city filings call it Trendsetters.

Trendsetters Lounge and Event Center said its marketed as an upscale lounge/sports bar strictly for the grown and sexy, City Attorney Nicole King wrote.

The center does not have a business license, city officials said, said the Birmingham Police Departments Business Compliance Unit had twice before warned the owners or operators that they were in violation of state and municipal laws.

Additionally, documents show, despite Saturdays deadly mass shooting, the center still has two future events scheduled, one in August and another in September.

The defendants have allowed and continue to allow criminal, violent and life-threatening activity' at the business, King wrote.

Community members, she said, are in imminent danger.

The request included photos of a bullet hole in the building.

A hearing was held Friday morning before Jefferson County Circuit Judge Monica Agee.

After testimony from police and city officials, Agee ordered the property padlocked as soon as it can be safely accomplished and said police are authorized to undertake any necessary measures needed to ensure that (the property) is inaccessible to (the defendants) and the general public.

A hearing on the citys request to permanently shut down the event center is set for July 29.
Robert Crowley is a U.S. Army veteran, and volunteer with the Paralyzed Veterans of America and Mid-South chapter representative.

Hes described in a lawsuit as a devoted father, grandfather and great-grandfather. But 27 years ago in 1997, he was convicted of attempted murder. Though hes a registered voter in Alabama, his ability to vote on Nov. 5 is in doubt because of a new Alabama law that could disqualify him and many others from voting.

Its also a new law that is confusing and unconstitutional, according to a lawsuit filed Wednesday in Montgomery County Circuit Court that challenges the law  which was HB100 in the Alabama Legislature this spring  before absentee voting begins in September.

Every American should be able to exercise their freedom to vote, regardless of whether they have a past felony conviction, said Blair Bowie, director of the Campaign Legal Centers Restore Your Vote program.

CLC, along with Montgomery attorney J. Mitch McGuire, filed the lawsuit that seeks to block HB100 from being implemented.

HB100 makes an already confusing voting rights restoration process in Alabama even harder to navigate, Bowie said.

Expanding Moral turpitude

Rep. Adline Clark, D-Mobile

The intent of HB100, sponsored by Democratic Rep. Adline Clark of Mobile, was to protect election workers by adding crimes against election workers and other election officials to a list of disqualifying felonies that can strip someones ability to vote.

But before the bills passage, lawmakers amended it to add six more felonies as crimes of moral turpitude  a designation that means those convicted are disqualified from voting.

Four additional categories of felonies for inchoate crimes, such as attempted crimes and conspiracies, were also added to the list.

According to the lawsuit, HB100 effectively adds over 120 new disenfranchising state convictions to the list of felonies involving moral turpitude. Before HB100, that list included only approximately 40 disenfranchising state felonies.

More Alabamians with prior felony convictions have been able to vote since 2017, Bowie said, referring to the year that state lawmakers adopted the Felony Voter Disqualification Act that defined the more than 40 crimes  including murder, rape, assault, sexual abuse  as crimes of moral turpitude.

The lawsuits two plaintiffs  Crowley and JaiGregory Clarke, a community organizer in Jefferson County  have attempted murder convictions and would be disqualified from voting under the new law.

Questionable timing

The biggest question raised in the lawsuit is whether HB100, signed by Gov. Kay Ivey on May 16, violates the Alabama Constitution because of its timing.

Voters in 2022 overwhelmingly adopted a constitutional amendment that says laws affecting elections cannot change within six months of an election. But HB100 includes an implementation date of Oct. 1, which is less than 35 days before the Nov. 5 election.

The lawsuit argues there is confusion and no direction from state officials about the laws enforcement. Alabama Secretary of State Wes Allen hasnt provided direction on the new law, the lawsuit argues, other than providing a statement to AL.coms Mike Cason in late May, that says the new law doesnt take effect until Nov. 6.

Preventing confusion around such crucial, unanswered questions in the months preceding a general election is precisely why approximately 80 percent of Alabama voters passed Amendment 4, enshrining in the Alabama Constitution a prohibition on election bills taking effect within six months of a general election, the lawsuit states.

Allens office declined comment, referring statements to the Alabama Attorney Generals Office. The Attorney Generals Office did not respond to a request to comment.

Othni Lathram, director of the Legislative Services Agency, said while he cannot comment on how the Secretary of States Office is implementing the new law, his agencys analysis while lawmakers were considering the bill earlier this year included an acknowledgement of the new constitutional amendment. The analysis simply says the legislation, while effective Oct. 1, would not impact who votes in November because of the 2022 constitutional amendment.

The timing of the new law  if it takes effect on Oct. 1 -- would also prevent Alabamians like Clarke and Crowley from getting their voting rights restored through the Certificate of Eligibility to Vote  or CERV  process through the Alabama Bureau of Pardons and Parole (ABPP), the lawsuit states.

The CERV process allows felons who lose their voting rights and who have completed their sentence, paid all fines, court costs and restitution  and who do not have a pending felony charge  to seek the restoration of their ability to vote.

But the ABPP has 44 days to respond to CERV applications, meaning they are not required to consider a CERV to the newly disqualified voters under the law that takes effect on Oct. 1 until Nov. 14  nine days after the Nov. 5 election.

Legislative procedure

The lawsuit challenges a piece of legislation that was, during the waning days of the legislative session in early May, was viewed as a rare piece of bipartisan election-related legislation.

Its passage was through an unusual process. The bill was resurrected during the last week of the session after it was seemingly defeated by a 4-4-3 vote during a Senate Judiciary Committee hearing on April 24, which is a rarity during a legislative session. The concerns from Republicans on the Judiciary Committee during the April meeting focused on levying harsh punishments on angry voters engaged in verbal spats with poll workers. The original intent of HB100 was to respond to a rise in threats to poll workers and election officials in other parts of the country  not necessarily in Alabama --since the 2020 presidential election.

The legislation, though, sailed to passage with Allen pushing for it after it was amended on the Alabama House floor to include the additional crimes to the list those disqualifying felons from voting. Rep. Jim Hill, R-Moody, proposed the amendment to add to the list of moral turpitude crimes. He said he supported the idea after he was asked to sponsor the amendment by Allen.

Clarke, the sponsor of HB100, told AL.com Thursday she will let the courts decide the merits of the case.

The League of Women Voters, in late May, expressed concerns about adding additional crimes to those disqualifying voters from elections in Alabama, arguing that the state was encouraging the legacy of Jim Crow. Allen, though, said he felt HB100  as amended  is a strong crime deterrent.

Im not disqualifying anyone from voting as it relates to HB100, he said to AL.com in May. Its the criminals who disqualify themselves when they break the law and wreak havoc on our communities.

Alabama has a long history of disenfranchising voters for crimes of moral turpitude, going back to the Alabama Constitution of 1901, which was aimed at keeping Blacks and poor whites from voting.

For years, there was no definition moral turpitude, giving county boards of registrars and political appointees discretion over which people convicted of crimes could be disqualified from voting. Voters convicted of misdemeanors and felonies could get disqualified in past years.

In 1985, the U.S. Supreme Court struck down Alabamas disenfranchisement of voters for misdemeanors. Alabama voters approved a new constitutional amendment in 1996 disqualifying votes who committed felonies involving moral turpitude, but there was no definition behind that term.

More than 21 years later in 2017, lawmakers approved the Felony Voter Disqualification Act to define moral turpitude.
Fifty-five years ago today, Huntsville and the world saw something never seen before and rarely since: images of people on another world.

NASAs Apollo 11 mission launched astronauts Neil Armstrong, Michael Collins and Edwin Buzz Aldrin, using technology made in and managed from Huntsville. Armstrong and Aldrin walked on the lunar surface, while Collins piloted the command module in orbit. Today, those Saturn rockets remain the only launch vehicles that have taken humans  24 in all between 1968 and 1972 -- that far from home.

The Huntsville Times spoke with Brian Odom, NASAs chief historian, about the significance of July 20, 1969, for people in North Alabama. Here are five things we learned.
More than four years ago, Democrat leaders colluded with the WHO (as part of the wannabe global government) and Big Tech to perpetrate a horrific crime: the denial of access to hydroxychloroquine (HCQ) and other lifesaving COVID-19 treatments. The primary purpose was to legalize fraud-ridden voting by mail and seize power following the 2020 elections. Once in power, the perpetrators were able to cover up this crime even though it is ongoing. The FDA continues to reject HCQ and the even less controversial ivermectin (IVM). Instead, it pushes the harmful and dangerous quasi-vaccine.

The number of direct deaths from COVID-19 has exceeded one million in the U.S. alone. Almost all of these deaths could have been avoided using HCQ- or IVM-based treatment. If not for the unusually mild omicron variant, the death count could be tens of millions.

The effectiveness and safety of HCQ or HCQ-based treatments have not been reasonably questioned on medical grounds since late March 2020. In addition to the rigorous scientific studies led by Prof. Didier Raoult in France, HCQ was the preferred treatment by most doctors treating COVID-19 worldwide by April 2020. The hydroxychloroquine + azithromycin protocol has saved Italy and Spain. Thousands of doctors have attested to its success worldwide. Sixty-five percent of physicians in new survey would give anti-malaria drugs to their own family to treat COVID-19. The top three treatments that doctors reported having prescribed were Azithromycin (58%), Hydroxychloroquine (50%), and Bronchodilators (48%) And so on. Hardly any practicing physician treating patients with HCQ expressed a negative opinion.

What happened next defies explanation. Obama-Clinton-staffed medical establishment and the WHO, empowered by their Big Tech allies, have practically banned the use of HCQ and other effective COVID-19 treatments of prophylactic measures in the West.

The safety and security departments of Big Tech behemoths were simultaneously suppressing information about Hunter Bidens laptop and about effective COVID-19 treatments.

Even if the rejection of HCQ could be explained (but not vindicated) by Trump Derangement Syndrome, the rejection of other medicines from IVM to convalescent plasma was not so obviously accounted for.

The aim of the Democrat party was a power-grab. In addition to voting by mail, the pandemic allowed it to hide the already visible dementia of Biden and to blame Trump for pandemic suffering. Another kind of power-grab was also the aim of the WHO. The WHO demanded to be treated as a global FDA, with nations of the world deferring to its decisions on what treatments to use and not to use for COVID-19. Big Tech supported this bizarre demand. After its success, the WHO attempted to enshrine its power in the Pandemic Agreement.

This mass murder by the denial of access to medications became possible because of the migration of communications to the internet and allowing five to seven corporations, selected mainly by the Obama administration, to control it. Regions that did not rely on the internet much, such as Africa, or where internet communications were not entirely under the same Big Tech control, including Asia, had much lower COVID-19 death rates.

Big Tech is capable of such crimes because of how it operates. Both pompous executives and little operatives making changes in its databases stay far removed from the suffering and death of the people caused by their actions.

Too much of the blame is directed at Dr. Fauci and Big Pharma. Dr. Fauci was likely misled by the assault on HCQ, which was conducted through Big Tech manipulations. The medical establishment probably had too much of the old guard linked to the Clintons. Congressional Democrats preserved it. For example, they forced the resignation of Trump-appointed CDC director Dr. Brenda Fitzgerald by false accusations of conflicts of interest.

But even in this environment, Fauci could not suppress HCQ. It was already widely used in April 2020. Physicians did not require permission from Fauci or the FDA. Big Pharma played a secondary role. Yes, Gilead has added to the defamation of HCQ to promote its anti-kidney Remdesivir. However, it could do so only because it had political support.

None of the guilty parties has publicly changed its position or admitted that it was wrong. Most of them are in a position of power. The FDA still denies the effectiveness of IVM for COVID-19, even after it settled a lawsuit about its earlier false claims.

We could not discuss the suppression of COVID-19 treatments in 2020 because Big Tech suppressed such discussions and because it was hard to believe.

We could not discuss it after the Biden regime came to power because congressional Democrats were conducting official investigations against doctors defending HCQ for COVID-19. HCQ-based treatment is associated with Donald Trump, and the Biden administration has been targeting organized Trump-supporters as violent extremists.

Supporting the use of hydroxychloroquine for COVID-19 was cited as aggravating evidence against Dr. Simone Gold, who was among other people admitted by the police into the Capitol on Jan 6: On January 5 [sic], GOLD gave a speech in support of the use of hydroxychloroquine and against COVID-19 lockdowns. She was arrested on January 18, 2020.

This mass murder, committed by denying access to life-saving treatments during the pandemic, cannot be forgiven or forgotten.

Image: NASA Goddard Space Flight Center via Flickr, CC BY 2.0 (cropped).
In 1170, King Henry II and Thomas a' Becket, the Archbishop of Canterbury, got into an intense argument. In the Middle Ages, the Church and the Crown had almost equal power. Either entity could arrest, try, imprison, or execute. Either could own property, confiscate property, or stand an army. Basically, Henry and Becket argued over who could do what to whom. The fact that the two men had once been good friends didnt soften the argument any.

In one heated discussion, Becket stormed out of the throne room, and Henry uttered the fateful words, Would someone please rid me of this pesky priest. No one knows if he shouted those words like a command in battle or if he just muttered them sotto voce in quiet frustration. It didnt matter what he meant, what he thought. The four knights who had been in the throne room at the time knew that they had to take it as a command and so, off to Canterbury they rode.

They found Becket kneeling before the altar in the Cathedral there, and there they hacked him to death. That Becket was subsequently canonized made little difference to the archbishop, but it did bring up the issue of whether or not the king was above the law. Hmm where have we heard that before?

It was on the 8th of July, 2024, that our president uttered the following words:

I have one job, and thats to beat Donald Trump. Im absolutely certain Im the best person to be able to do that. So, were done talking about the debate; its time to put Trump in a bullseye,

It was on July 13, just five days later, that Thomas Crooks did just that.

Can we prove that Old Joe

1. Knew what he was saying,

2. Realized that someone might take him up on it, or

3. Had it all planned out ahead of time?

Of course not. Not yet, anyway.

But we can begin to wrap our brains around the importance of official utterances. King Henry repeatedly denied that he had meant for his loyal knights to take him literally, but that didnt undo anything. Becket was still dead.

Biden could claim a mulligan on the bulls eye remark, but Corey Comperatore, a brave father, is dead, a wife bereaved, two daughters robbed of the leadership of a good man, and two severely injured patriots. To say nothing about the fact that a presidential candidate was shot. This wasnt an Ooops.

We cant say Biden caused this -- proximity is not causality. However, we have an irresponsible, mindless idiot in the Oval Office, and hes likely to say or do anything. He might, as commander-in-chief, give an order that will set off a whole firestorm of death and destruction. We also dont know whos playing puppeteer. Whose words are issuing forth from Old Joe?

No doubt Democrats and Republicans alike are hoping some legal, smooth method will rid us of this pesky president. The election and inauguration, however, are half a year away. A lot of mindless comments can come forth from Joe in that amount of time, and judging from the speed with which Washington gets things done these days, the 25th Amendment wouldnt be much faster, and then we just get another empty head connected to a flapping mouth.

This may be one scenario that the Founders didnt foresee. How could anyone foresee a nation so superficial, so stupid, so self-involved as to elect (or allow to be elected) such a person to the most powerful position in the history of the world? Did we just love Joe because he, too, loves ice cream? Were we just charmed by that rakish, crooked grin? Were we just in awe of the job he did as vice president and of the gracious and classy First Lady? Were we just appalled at the level of prosperity and peace we had enjoyed under Trump? What?

I have heard it said that a nation gets the leadership it deserves. If that is so, let us all pray for mercy. We have squandered our fortune, destroyed our industries, miseducated our children, and locked God out of the public square. We have murdered millions of babies -- and only God knows who they could have, would have been. We have mutilated our families, our bodies, and the bodies of our children. We have castrated our laws. We dont deserve anyone better than the Biden cartel. But we dont deserve Christs sacrifice on our behalf either, and yet if we merely believe, we have all its benefits.

I believe we did see Gods mercy in action on the 13th of July. Well never know if that slight turn of the head was angelic interference or Gods preplanning, but Im quite sure that this event was much more than just coincidence. We all saw God controlling history, which He does, but were rarely aware thats what were seeing.

We do, as human beings, have free will, but there is a multitude of things God still controls, and history will proceed as He wants it to. He brought about the storm that cost Napoleon Waterloo. He guided the arrow that ripped through the eye-slot on Harold Godwinsons helmet and made William the Conqueror. I have no idea why God wanted the French to take over England, but the deck had certainly been stacked in Williams favor.

God decides who arrives on this earth, where, and when. How is it that our brilliant and brave Founding Fathers were all alive and well-educated and gathered together in the 13 colonies at the end of the 18th century? History had never seen such an arrangement, and it produced a nation that has provided unheard-of prosperity and happiness, that has saved the world from overwhelming evil at least three times and may well do so again.

God, in His omniscience, uses our choices and decisions for His purposes even though we rarely recognize His hand in things. Even the bad choices we make, the evil we choose to do, can be used by His omnipotence for good. Thomas Crooks, for reasons that will remain his own, climbed a ladder, fired his rifle at Donald Trump and changed history -- not the way he might have wanted it to go, but that act altered the course of the election in many ways.

The world finally saw Trump as human -- not as supernaturally evil as hes been portrayed, but as vulnerable, bleedable, and amazingly brave.

The world saw the government and its DEI policies fail horribly.

We have watched the Left do almost everything conceivable to destroy this one man, and now theyve tried the worst -- either with malice aforethought or by irresponsibly poking the wrong bear. And this may not be the last attempt -- we need to be aware of that.

In the meantime, even though things look hopelessly dire, we can now know that God is being merciful to this nation, that help is on the way, and that, despite Old Joes obvious incompetence, all will eventually be well. Let us all shorten the eventually by being Americans together and putting aside the recklessness that has nearly devoured us. Let us stand behind the man who stood up for us, bleeding but shaking his fist in the air.

Deana Chadwell is an adjunct professor and department head at Pacific Bible College in southern Oregon. She teaches writing, logic, and literature. She can be contacted at 1window45@gmail.com

Image: Public Domain
Donald Trump may very well be the next president of the United States. But when the going inevitably gets tough, who can a future President Trump look to for support?

The GOP? (pause here for laughter to subside.)

The GOPES stood by as the rest of the Deep State ran coups against Donald Trump before, during, and after his first term in office. They tut-tutted, harrumphed, and penned strongly worded letters, while their partys leader was soundly and roundly abused.

Their impeachment investigation of Joe Biden is the worst joke on the planet. (Apart from expecting women who shop in the Petite Section to be human shields for presidential candidates.)

Legislatively, they gave Obama and Biden practically everything they asked for while denying Trump his border wall and breaking campaign promises to overturn the ACA, aka Obamacare.

At present, a chinless turtle and a Chris Hayes lookalike front the GOP Senate and House respectively, an apt visual reminder of their utter spinelessness and willingness to capitulate. Barring massive turnover in the ranks of the RINOs, Trump should not count on the GOP having his back.

As almost every American is now well aware, Trump certainly cant count on the Secret Service to have his back. Barring a sudden head turn, Donald Trump would be dead.

The SS failed as badly as they can, only bad aim saved the package. It doesnt really matter if the Secret Service was wildly incompetent or possibly compromised and part of a plot. Either way, Trump cant count on them and would be wise to hire his own security detail.

But, dont worry, all you government lovers out there, the troubling incident will be thoroughly investigated and reported on by Funny Business, Inc.

Yes, the fine folks who tried to sink Trump with the Russia Collusion Scam, The Mueller Report, and the FBI-manufactured Half-Whitmer kidnapping plot will look very carefully into the hard-to-figure-out forces of evil who almost killed Trump.

And then, that very same FBI who couldnt tell Congress just how many FBI agents, personnel, or confidential informants were in the January 6th crowd, and who raided and ransacked President Trumps home over a records dispute with permission to use deadly force, that same agency will enlighten us as to exactly what happened in Butler, PA.

Or, more likely, parrot the narrative that their Deep State masters wish to push upon a naive American public.

No, by now, Trump certainly sees the FBI as a rogue federal agency determined to take him down; nor should he ever trust the CIA.

As you may recall, major CIA poohbahs both past and present collaborated on the phony letter implying that Hunter Bidens laptop -- a bunker buster for Bidens campaign at the time - was merely Russian meddling, an attempt to spread disinformation.

They knew the laptop was legitimate, as did the FBI, who are probably still trying to determine, after five long years of examining Hunters laptop, whether or not Pres. Bidens influence-peddling, sex-trafficking, illegal gun-slinging, crackhead son, violated any laws.

No, Trump cant trust the GOP, the CIA, or the FBI. He should also be wary of the National Archives as well, for helping to put his family at risk of deadly force.

Also remember that the National Security Council gave us Alexander Vindman, the portly, bespectacled former Ranger, who started the first Trump impeachment over... a phone call.

Trumps big sin was apparently asking Ukraine to look into whether or not the Biden Crime Family was operating a multi-million-dollar grift in the Ukraine (which they were.) Although the baseless impeachment process was ultimately futile, and poor Vindman was cast out of government into a world of eating donuts by the bakers dozen while desperately awaiting spot appearances on CNN or MSNBC, the process was the punishment.

Certain members of the National Security Council may already be planning further traps for Trump in the event hes re-elected, but Im sure he knows this.

And in the years since Trump first announced his presidential candidacy, has there been a bigger, more wretched hive of scum and villainy than the U.S. Department of Justice?

The stink of DoJ corruption attaches itself to all the various plots against Trump, all the baseless lawfare, and all the damaging leaks meant to put Trump in a bad light.

Bob Mueller, almost as palpably senile as our puppet president, said he couldnt charge Trump with conspiring with the Russians, nor could he exonerate him. Um, no one asked you to exonerate him, Bob. Now eat your pudding.

The DoJ and their Feeb lapdogs look the other way at Biden and Clinton criminality, mostly peaceful BLM rioting, and pro-Palestinian groups taking over college campuses and abusing Jews. But they come down hard on people praying outside abortion clinics, parents critical of loony left-wing school boards, and citizens who committed the grievous sin of trespassing through open doors in the Capitol Building on January 6th. The FBI would have you believe that the main threat to our country is white domestic terrorists, meaning, of course, Trump supporters, a few of whom were just killed or grievously wounded, thanks to our richly diverse (and short of stature) Secret Service.

As currently constituted, the Department of Justice is surely the biggest threat to President Trumps re-election, ability to carry out his agenda, chances of staying solvent and out of jail, and odds of simply staying alive. Is there anything the DoJ wouldnt do to get Trump?

Of course, a brave, determined, and honest media would look to investigate, report on, and thereby, expose all the bad anti-Trump actors listed above. But, of course, our current media are a bunch of lying, bum-kissing swine, the kind of groveling weasels whod feel right at home in Mos Eisley. The media is not only a rabid, longtime enemy of Donald Trump, theyre also truly an enemy of the American people.

Whatever the media tells you, always wonder what the real truth is, and who their lies, misdirection, obfuscation, and slander are actually supporting or protecting. Whoever it is, it aint DJT.

Hollywood, of course, is no friend to Trump, actors like Wacko DeNiro having fantasized multiple ways that one might assault or kill the former president. And academia, with their diverse but plagiarism-prone leadership and tolerance for campus lawlessness and anti-Semitism, will undoubtedly do everything in their power to turn young people against Trump, not to mention the rule of law and America as founded.

No, there are no major institutions or halls of power on Donald Trumps side in this great battle for the soul of America. As the late, great Rush Limbaugh pointed out, the only group supporting once and possibly future President Trump is the many, many millions of Trump voters and supporters, the latter group growing larger by the day thanks to Sliden Bidens horrendous reign of error.

As individuals, then, we must do everything in our power to stand up to all the groups looking to take Trump down. We must fight them, as a senile Joe Biden might say, at the battle box, and show them who holds the power of the purse. And above all, lets all donate to Trumps campaign so maybe they can hire some 63 Marines or Navy SEALs to keep him safe.

God knows, the Secret Service clowns who watched Crooks take half an hour scouting the shooting site and setting up before then shooting the former president and three supporters cant be trusted.

Image: Defense Visual Information Distribution Service
During WWII, film director Frank Capra produced seven films under the theme of Why We Fight. In these films, Capra explained the war to American service-people and civilians, and urged them to unite in the complex and labor-intensive task of defeating the Axis Powers and defending American values.

Today Americans need to understand why Hamas fights. Without understanding that their goals are completely antithetical to Western civilization, we cannot fathom either the depths of barbaric depravity Hamas inflicts on the Jewish People and Israel, or make an informed policy decision about the war that began with the Hamas onslaught on southern Israel on Oct. 7, 2023.

Gazans hold a deep-seated and millennial-long hatred of Jews and Israel. To determine whether it may be possible to de-program people with this pathological hatred, as we de-programed Naziism in Germany and militarism in Japan, we must explore the causes of such hatred and determine whether it could even be amenable to change, or whether it cannot be solved at this time, and instead must be beaten back and defeated soundly now, and held down militarily for the foreseeable future; I conclude the latter.

From its inception in 1987, Hamas has been an existential threat to the State of Israel, to all Israeli citizens (Arab and non-Arab Christians, Druze, Muslims, Jews, Bahai, and others), to all Jewish people and all Christians worldwide. This hatred is manifest in its Charter and in threats by Hamas to annihilate all Jews, which Hamas has openly renewed since Oct. 7, 2023.

Hatred of Jews prevails among the Gaza civilian population. Gaza civilians are noncombatants under international law, entitled to certain protections during war, which the IDF assiduously provides. However, most of these non-combatant civilians are not what the West would call innocent. They are, in fact, fiercely pro-Hamas, anti-Israel, and anti-Jew, hoping that Hamas will defeat Israel and kill all the Jews there.

As Dr. Victor Davis Hanson explains,

Over 500 Gazan civilians tagged along with Hamas killers to join in the thievery, assault, torture, beheadings, rape, and murder. Many civilians were also among the 20,000 day laborers who worked in Israel and thus lent their knowledge of the geography of the kibbutzim to enable Hamas killers to hunt down Jews. Hostages who were removed to Gaza were struck and spit upon by throngs of civilians. Trophy corpses trucked back were further desecrated by the frenzied street mobs. The knowledge that hundreds of Jews were being murdered a short distance away did not sober Gazans but sent them into hysterical rejoicing. Occasional reports from released hostages or Israeli captives who attempted to escape confirmed the general support of the people for Hamass killing spree. Bonuses were offered to freelancing Gazansin the fashion of Old West bounty huntersto bring back Israeli hostages: for the most part, young children, women, and the elderly. Reports of selling live hostages circulated.

The creation of Palestinian Nationalism is one cause which led to Hamass perceived necessity to carry out the Oct. 7 massacre. This was explained in a lecture at Shalem College on Jan. 1, 2024 by Haviv Rettig Gur, a Senior Analyst for the Times of Israel. In his presentation entitled The Great Misinterpretation: How Palestinians View Israel, at 1:06 Gur speaks of the,

Themes within Arab culture of Islamic betrayal, . . . Arab betrayal. . . . weakness that functions as a theme of Palestinian history at every turn. Arab weakness, Muslim weakness, and the desperate desire to be redeemed from that weakness. . . . Islamic weakness . . . is at the heart of the Palestinian story. Its a theme of how Palestinians think about us, imperial patrons. . . . We saw how the fact that we were Russian [emigrants to the Holy Land] in 1882 matters as much as the fact that we were Jews. . . . being Russian was the fear factor toward us, because theyre Ottomans. . . . theres always an imperial patron.

Gur explains that although the original Jewish Russian immigrants in the 1880s90s were themselves refugees fleeing overwhelming persecution and pogroms, once rid of them Russia viewed their Jews in the Middle East as Russian citizens, and negotiated with the Ottoman rulers for extraterritoriality, meaning that the immigrant Jews were not subject to Ottoman and local law. Thus, however abject the Jews poverty and weakness, the Arabs considered them as colonizers, an extension of Russian sovereignty.

As Jewish immigration came from, at different times, Britain, France, and Germany, the Arabs considered these Jews colonists from these countries, although they were, rather, refugees fleeing to escape persecution who were returning to their ancestral home.

The Arabs inability to destroy the Jews through massacres and other pressure over the years came to be seen as a stain on Arab and Muslim honor.

Beyond Islamic nationalism, there is also the Islamic religious component of Israel being an illegal occupier of Palestine, known as Waqf.

A main feature of the Islamic movement is the trope that all of modern day Israel is land held in trust for Allah, and that Jews are occupying that land illegally. This provides a religious rationale for the chant From the River to the Sea, but this is a legal definitional overreach, bringing Islamic trust law into the sphere of religiosity beyond the bounds of its legal language.

Waqf, usually translated as endowment, is the Arabic term for land held in trust for religious purposes. The authoritative handbook for the modern practice of Islam, Reliance of the Traveller, explains this Islamic charitable civil/religious endowment concept:

k30.0 ESTABLISHING AN ENDOWMENT (WAQF) . . . In Sacred Law, it refers to the retention of any property that can be benefited from while the property itself still remains, by suspending disposal of it; with the financial proceeds of it going to some permissible expenditure. The scriptural basis for it is the hadith related by Muslim that the Prophet (Allah bless him and give him peace) said.

This trust concept has its counterparts in Western law where an individual or charity donates irrevocably a piece of land or an apartment building. The capital asset can never be relinquished, and the produce or rent generated are property of the recipient, to be disposed of in accordance with the terms of the endowment. In the case of Islamic waqf, this must be for religious purposes.

Although it is clear that waqf involves a voluntary donation or endowment from a person (such as an apartment building owned by an individual) for religious purposes, Hamas has preempted the Islamic legal definition of the waqf concept to conclude that an endowment has been made by God to the Muslim community where the capital of this endowment is the entire land where the State of Israel is located. As Robert Spencer states in his essay The Quran: Israel Is Not for the Jews:

The Hamas charter asserts that the Islamic Resistance Movement [i.e. Hamas] regards Palestine as an Islamic Waqf consecrated for future generations until Judgment Day. A waqf is a religious endowment bestowed by God. Consequently, neither it, nor any part of it, should be squandered: Neither it, nor any part of it, should be given up. Neither a single Arab country nor all Arab countries, neither any king or president, nor all the kings and presidents, neither any organization nor all of them, be they Palestinian or Arab, possess the right to do that. Palestine is an Islamic Waqf land consecrated for Muslim generations until Judgment Day.

The education system for Arab children in both Gaza and Judea and Samaria (the West Bank), created by the United Nations Relief and Works Agency (UNRWA), continues to reinforce the anti-Israel and anti-Jew mindset of the Arab residents and their children.

For decades, Arab children have been taught in their schools and summer camps to hate and despise Jews and Israel, and are recruited to take up arms against the Jewish State. The literature and the school textbooks demonstrate conclusively the pernicious part played by UNRWA and Hamas in this education system.

Researcher and reporter David Bedein has been following the UNRWA education processes for years. In an op-ed in Israel National News on Oct. 2, 2023, five days before the Hamas onslaught in southern Israel, Bedein reported on a research study of the strategic threat to Israel and Jews posed by UNRWA:

UNRWA oversees 59 refugee camps that comprise more than five million descendants of Arab refugees relocated by the 1948 war.  UNRWA has educated the next generation to blindly believe in a sacred right of return by force of arms to the very homes which they left back in 48, homes that no longer exist, in villages that have since grown into Israeli cities, collective farms and woodlands.  On April 7 of this year [2023], three graduates of UNRWA school educational system living in the UNRWA Askar refugee camp near Nablus murdered [Rabbi Leo Dees] wife Lucy and two daughters, Rina and Maia, in a drive-by shooting.  [T]he parents who spoke with pride in their sons willingness to kill Jews in order to achieve the right of return to villages that no longer exist.

Hamas must be defeated, unequivocally, and following the end of the present wars against Hamas, a multi-generational effort by the civilized world will be required to reeducate the Middle East to renounce Jew hatred among the Muslims of Gaza, Hezbollah-dominated Lebanon, and Judea and Samaria.

Michael S. Goldstein is Arizona State Director of Proclaiming Justice to the Nations. He is a 30-year veteran of the United States Navy and of the U.S. intelligence community. His articles appear in American Thinker.

Image: Free image, Pixabay license.
Republicans have wrapped up their national convention in Milwaukee this week, and President Trump has emerged triumphant.

Attention now goes to the Democrats and their upcoming convention beginning on August 19 in Chicago.

That should be some convention because right now, at least two news reports have the Democrats' candidate, Joe Biden, is whimpering and flying into rages.

According to NBC News in a story headlined: Biden left feeling angry and betrayed by top Democrat leaders wavering on his campaign:

The president is furious at how the party has tried to force him out, two sources say, as Democrats in Congress increasingly believe the question is when, not if, he will end his campaign. President Joe Biden feels personally hurt and betrayed by the way so many Democrats, including some of the partys top leaders, have left him hung out to dry as he faces the biggest crisis of his political career, according to two sources familiar with his thinking.

According to Fox Business's Charlie Gasparino:

BREAKING: Word from inside the @POTUS war room to Wall Street c-suiters who are following this drama is that Joe Biden is beside-himself angry, which is why it's taking so long for him to concede to reality. This guy is a tough man who feels completely dissed. I first reported on  Charles Gasparino (@CGasparino) July 19, 2024

He's like a wounded Frankenstein's monster of Democrats' own making; artificially stitched together, rotting, braying, lashing out.

That's some candidate to present to the public, and as of this writing, he's not going.

That wretched picture of Biden's candidacy is complemented by report after report of top Democrats attempting to get that guy off the ticket. Obama and Ron Klain reportedly tried. Chuck Schumer and Nancy Pelosi reportedly tried. NBC reports that they are going to step it up with even more whispers and leaks. Nothing is working. He insists he will stay.

Jeff Greenfield wrote a very good explanatory piece for Politico magazine describing how Democrats probably could knock Biden off the ticket through rules changes, but there are obstacles -- one of which is if Biden refuses to withdraw from the race. Getting Biden out at that point is rife with pitfalls:

Of course, that also requires someone stepping up to challenge Biden.



Simply saying that the delegates are free to vote as they choose ignores another key convention rule: A candidate has to agree to be in contention and must submit a list of 300-600 supporters, with no more than 50 from any one state. So which of the potential challengers  many of whom are looking to a 2028 run  would agree to have their name put in contention and risk the ire of Biden loyalists? Would Harris actually challenge her boss? Would any serious contender?

They don't have anyone with those requirements lined up.

On the other hand, if Biden does stand down:

... its a lot less likely that any one candidate will have an absolute majority when the elected delegates are polled  which means the 700 superdelegates would not be allowed to vote on the first ballot. But if the delegates want the voice of experience and party leadership heard when the balloting begins, that rule can be changed. That scenario could potentially lead to a quick coalescing around Harris as next in line. On the other hand, if the mini-primary idea gains steam, that might be an effort to allow for a more open field of competitors. The convention can also adopt whatever process it chooses, up to and including ranked-choice voting, so that a nominee can be chosen within a few ballots. The party likely has very little desire to repeat the 103-ballot battle of 1924.

He forecasts chaos among the likely scenarios, and that's without the Antifa and pro-Hamas crazies banging at their door from presumably the outside, creating 1968-style chaos of their own. It's bound to be a mess on the nomination front.

Meanwhile, just imagine what it will be like if Joe Biden digs in and gets the nomination he thinks he's entitled to. He'll shuffle out waving both arms in double peace-signs like Richard Nixon -- and the glowering faces of Pelosi, Schumer, Obama and the rest of the Democrat elite, will be giving forced smiles, if not frowning with arms folded.

Doesn't sound like a formula for bringing voters in. Who'd want to vote for such an angry, contentious bunch, with such a terrible previous four years their only selling point?

Not even Democrats want him, but Joe is steadfast in thinking he can indeed win the election, same as he did last time.

All this while Trump sails onward, holding happy rallies, gathering new voters from all demographics, and watching in amazement as even his #NeverTrump critics and the tech and hedge fund barons start to warm up to him.

No wonder Biden is shouting and yelling like King Lear against the mighty tide.

Image: Screen shot from a camera aimed a television set during a live broadcast. Filtered with Adobe CameraRaw.
Ever since October 7, Biden has been doing his best to put the brakes on Israels efforts against Hamas. By doing so, he turned what should have been a short war that destroyed a tyrannical enemy and probably freed the Gazans as much as it did the Israelis into a long war with a higher-than-necessary death toll on both sides. He did this to placate the pro-Hamas wing of the Democrat party, especially the voters in Dearborn, Michigan. However, his deadly efforts have failed. Dearborn hates Biden.

You cannot negotiate with or placate evil. The go-to examples, of course, are both the Nazis and the Bushido Japanese (who were as insanely evil as the Nazis, although their death toll was lower). The only way to end the evil they wrought was to destroy them completely. Doing so not only ended a brutal war and freed the nations theyd invaded but it also freed their own people.

There are two things to remember about tyrannies: The first is that the populace is a mix of those enthusiastically complicit in the regime and those who are passively or forcibly complicit in the regime because of fear. They face death as surely as a foreign enemy if they dont get with the program. (The Soviet Unions gulags tell the same tale, as do the concentration camps in North Korea.) War frees them as surely as it saves the more obvious victims of a tyranny that rampages beyond its borders.

Image: January protest in Dearborn. X screen grab.

The second is that the only thing that ends a tyranny is to destroy its leaders in government and the military. I always go back to the Exodus story. Angry atheists insist that God was a sadist to inflict plagues on the Egyptian people rather than only on Pharaoh. They miss the point, which is that Pharaoh, in his palace, didnt mind that his people were suffering. He relented only when he sufferedthat is, when the reciprocal killing of the firstborn took his own child.

Hamas is evil from the top down. Its a death cult openly dedicated to the extermination of the Jewish people in the most brutal ways possible. Its also a money laundering scheme, which sees its leaders rake in billions from abroad, with only minute amounts trickling to the ordinary people. And as October 7 showed, many in Gaza are voluntarily complicit, whether participating in the attack, celebrating after it, or holding hostages to the present day.

The way the war should have been foughtand the way Israel wanted to fight itwas to strike incredibly hard and fast at Hamas, destroying it from top to bottom. A clean, fast war results in many fewer deaths, both civilian and military, compared to a long, drawn-out war.

But Biden was having none of that. He wanted peace talks and ceasefires. He built expensive, fragile piers that brought supplies that Hamas instantly whisked away before the Mediterranean whisked away the pier itself. And most significantly, he withheld weapons systems that Israel had already bought and paid for. Everything Biden did slowed the successful Israeli offensive and gave breathing room and supplies to Hamas.

The reason Biden treated an ally this way in the face of an acknowledged terrorist organization can be summed up in one word: Dearborn.

Dearborn, Michigan, which has Rashida Tlaib as its representative, is the most Muslim city in America. According to the 2000 census, Arab Americans were 29.85% of the population. By 2020, Dearborn was at least 54% Arab, with some estimates going as high as 70%. This is the city Biden views as essential to his 2024 victory. (Anyone stepping into Bidens shoes during the campaign will feel the same.)

Making Dearborn happy is proving to be a problem for the Biden cabal. Democrats govern by trying to balance the needs of special interest groups rather than looking to benefit Americans as a whole. With regard to the Israel-Hamas war, this means that Biden couldnt abandon Israel entirely. Doing so would have offended the Jewish voting bloc and the remaining old-style Democrats who still support the only liberal democracy in the Middle East.

However, what the Biden cabal didnt realize is that while the Jewish group (stupidly) can be placated with soft words, the pro-Hamas group is made of stronger stuff. Its members want Israel gone, and Biden isnt making that happen.

So, in one of the great ironies of modern politics, Bidens shameful efforts to hamper Israels abilities to destroy a genocidal terror organization and free the people it controls have lost Dearborn. (The report comes from the Guardian, which takes at face value Hamass data about the civilian death toll.)

On a scorching Saturday afternoon in Dearborn, Michigan, the feeling of despairing resignation over the war and the role Americas political leaders are playing in enabling the suffering in the besieged territory is near-omnipresent  and so is a sense of apathy over the coming presidential election. [snip] As the death toll continues to mount in Gaza with little sign of a political solution forthcoming, the mood in Americas largest Arab American community in recent months and weeks has decidedly changed. While flags and protests against Israels assault on Gaza, which has now killed more than 38,000 people, drew fervent energy and anger to Dearborns streets when the city became a protest hub around the states presidential primary, the sense today seems one of resignation and anger at Americas political leadership. For Joe Biden, who won the key battleground state of Michigan in 2020 by just 154,000 votes, that could be deeply damaging come November. [snip] According to a poll conducted by the Arab American Institute in May, Biden has the support of less than 20% of Arab Americans  down from nearly 60% in 2020. The poll estimates he could lose 91,000 votes in Michigan alone.

In some ways, the above report is funny in an ironic way. But mostly, its incredibly tragic that Bidens blind pursuit of electoral votes led to thousands of unnecessary deaths, all while achieving nothing. And thats because you cant negotiate with evil.

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The GOP convention is over and it's on to Chicago. What will Democrats do if President Biden steps aside? I don't know, but I would like to see the delegates decide. This is from the Chicago Tribune:

At the very least, the DNC owes it to the doubters -- an AP/NORC poll conducted from July 11 to 15 found that 65% of Democrats wanted Biden to throw in the towel, including 75% of those under the age of 45 -- to give Democrats until the convention to choose a nominee. Other than propping up a teetering candidate whose candidacy is unwanted by the majority of his own party, theres no excuse at this point not to allow delegates to vote in person in Chicago.

That's correct. The Democrats have not really had a primary since 2008. In 2016, they screwed Senator Sanders to help Hillary Clinton. In 2020, they pumped up a retired VP to keep Sanders from winning the nomination. In 2024, they kept Kennedy from running and creating some excitement. So why not open it up to the delegates and see what happens?

It will make great TV and the ticket may surprise us. Who could end up on the ticket? Your guess is as good as mine but this is not the Democrat Party that Joe Biden grew up in. It's more leftist, more radical and a lot more concerned about gender orientation than the price of gasoline.

P.S. Check out my blog for posts, podcasts and videos.

Image: AT via Magic Studio
In the aftermath of the attempted assassination of former president Donald Trump just a few days ago, pundits are issuing their analyses and critiques of the Secret Services strategic and tactical failure to ensure the safety of the 45th president and the Republicans 2024 presidential candidate.

One glance at the layout of the rally grounds, and it doesnt take a security expert to realize that the Secret Services failure on this occasion was epic. But its not the only recent failure by this once illustrious organization under its newest director, Kimberly Cheatle. Cheatle has been the head of the Secret Service for a little more than two years.

Sadly, this failure was on display not just to the American people; the video of the near fatal assassination attempt has been seen in every civilized  and not so civilized  nation on Earth. Truly, the bullet from Thomas Crookss AR-15 that wounded President Trump, and came desperately close to killing him, was the shot heard round the world.

Cheatle has acknowledged that the buck stops with me, but shes not resigning. There have been deflections, with attempts to blame local police (they were in charge of the perimeter) as well as Cheatles declaration that agents were stationed inside the building Crooks fired from (because it was sloped and unsafe for the agents)!

As more and more information on the events surrounding the rally emerge, both before and during Trumps appearance on the stage, the apparent blunders and examples of ineptitude have multiplied. As Dana Perino opined from her Fox News desk at the RNC convention, this is a catastrophic cascade of incompetence.

Lets turn the clock back to July 2, 2023, barely a year after Kimberly Cheatle had been appointed the new director. The same Secret Service found a bag of cocaine in the West Wing of the White House, which includes the Oval Office and other working offices of the presidential aides and staff. The White House is supposed to be the most secure residence in the entire world. Not anymore.

Immediately, the Secret Service went to work to ferret out the culprit who brought an illicit drug into the heart of the nations capital. Now lets put on our Sherlock Holmes deerstalkers and think. What individual connected to President Biden do we know of who regularly indulged in drug use  in fact, even took pictures and videos of himself in various states of drug-induced stupor? Why, Hunter Biden, the presidents son.

Immediately, Karine Jean-Pierre, the White House press secretary, told us that Biden and his family werent in the White House when the cocaine was discovered. They were all at Camp David. And the media dutifully repeated her statement in every story published or every newscast aired. It was a transparently pre-emptive bid to deflect suspicion from the obvious and prime suspect.

The obvious rebuttal to that is that the cocaine couldve been placed there while the Biden family was still in residence. Theres also some discrepancy as to the exact time the Bidens left for Camp David. Was it before or after the cocaine was discovered? Did they whisk Hunter away so that he wouldnt have to face questions from the Secret Service or the media?

Less than two weeks later, the nations premier investigative agency, under their newly appointed director of less than a year, abandoned its inquest. They claimed that there wasnt enough DNA or fingerprints on the bag of cocaine to implicate anyone, no video surveillance footage that identified the culprit, and that interviewing the 500 or so staff and visitors might infringe on their privacy and civil rights.

These sound like feeble excuses  a flimsy attempt to whitewash the matter and keep from further debasing the already foul reputation of Bidens drug-snorting, whoremongering son, not to mention having more criminal charges brought against him.

The upshot of this episode is that the Secret Service looked inept  on the surface. To more discerning minds, it was obvious that they had been directed to protect President Biden  and his son  from anything incriminating. And they had a director selected for her office by Jill Biden, who got to know her when she was the head of Jills security detail. Was Cheatle chosen for her capability or for her loyalty to the presidents wife? That she was willing to sacrifice the Secret Services sterling reputation to please her mistress is telling.

The legacy media accepted the Secret Services explanation without much question. A few voices raised some doubts, but they soon melted away, and the event was all but forgotten  until the Secret Services recent monumental failure. Then this anemic investigation sprang readily to mind.

The once-revered Secret Service, the worlds finest protective and investigative agency, has fallen from its lofty heights and has, at the very least, demonstrated serious ineptitude on these past two occasions. Is there more behind these failures? The chilling reality is that we may never know.

Eric Dawe is an award-winning writer, chess enthusiast, and the author of two historical fiction novels based on Virgils Aeneid: Aeneas, Last King of Troy and Aeneas, Landfall of Legend.

Image: kolyaeg via Pixabay, Pixabay License.
A Duke University School of Medicine DEI plan from 2021, recently revealed, asserts that concepts such as individualism and timeliness can be a part of white supremacy culture.

According to the New York Post, the report states:

White supremacy culture is the idea (ideology) that white people and the ideas, thoughts, beliefs, and actions of white people are superior to People of Color and their ideas, thoughts, beliefs, and actions.

The report continues:

In the workplace, white supremacy culture explicitly and implicitly privileges whiteness and discriminates against non-Western and non-white professionalism standards related to dress code, speech, work style, and timeliness. Some identifiable characteristics of this culture includes [sic] perfectionism, belief that theres only one right way, power hoarding, individualism, sense of urgency and defensiveness.

Individualism? Who needs it? We know all Blacks not only look alike, but think alike, right?

I mean, Black folks like their chicken and watermelon  and are not very good swimmers. Everyone knows that.

And they all vote Democratic.

As President Biden so astutely noted back in 2020: If a Black person isnt committed to voting for him, then that person aint Black. Period. (True story!)

We wouldnt want them making up their own minds, anyway. That could lead to chaos and fewer votes for Democrats. Fortunately, Blacks dont have the mental capacity-- or courage -- to be independent thinkers, so the report would make you think. And it would be unfair of us  racist really -- to think that Black people are capable of obtaining valid IDs like the rest of us. And who could expect a person of color to dress appropriately or be on time? So, it is much better to treat people as part of a group, or groups, nothing less, nothing more. Intersectionality rules!

The previous paragraphs, of course, were sarcasm.

And individualism is, by definition, not a white supremacy culture  or part of any groups culture, ethos, or standard. It is, however, the key to a rich and rewarding life and society. One might almost say it is the real key to diversity. The best kind of diversity. Our government and institutions used to recognize this. No longer.

Are professors now the dumbest people? And why are our institutions of higher learning led by people with lower IQs? Sure, that may be stereotyping, but were supposed to lump people together now in various groups, correct?

Maybe it would be best if we went back to treating people like individuals.

Image: Warren LeMay, via Wikimedia Commons // CC0 1.0 universal public domain dedication
The unhinged young man who tried to take Donald Trumps life at a recent campaign rally may well have been acting on his own.

But, even if that proves to be the case, he likely thought his actions were an effort to save our democracy.

How could he not, after the Democrat-Media Complex has, for the past several years, incessantly stated that Trump must be stopped -- by any means necessary  to save our democracy?

Trump has countless times been referred to as Hitler, a villain, an extremist, and, of course, a threat to democracy. Our democracy.

Meaning, the Democrats democracy, as they believe is rightfully theirs.

But neither Democrats nor the media will be held accountable for their words and actions, because, well, they never are. There exists not only a two-tiered justice system in this country, but a two-tiered system of blame, accountability and condemnation. It is revolting.

This unequal treatment is unlikely to ever be fundamentally transformed, because we tolerate it. We tolerate a lot of things.

To wit:

Democrats and the media falsely accused the Trump campaign of colluding with the Russians. And no one cared.

Democrats, the media, and 51 top intelligence officials ludicrously claimed that the Hunter Biden laptop had all the earmarks of a Russian disinformation campaign. And no one cared.

Antifa, BLM, and assorted thugs burned down parts of our major cities, did billions of dollars in damage and killed and injured dozens of people. And no one really cared.

Statues of past heroes and historic figures -- even including Washington, Lincoln, and Churchill  were vandalized or destroyed. And no one cared.

We were locked down for many months on end and told that we couldnt even attend the weddings  or funerals  of our loved ones. Our kids were kept out of school. Many folks were told that their jobs werent all that important. Many businesses closed. And no one really cared.

Dozens of Christian churches have been burned down across Canada in the past several years. Literally thousands upon thousands of Christian churches, schools, cemeteries, and monuments have been vandalized, looted, or burned across Europe in recent years. And no one cares.

A statue of child Jesus at Holy Family Roman Catholic Church in New York was recently beheaded. And no one cared.

Hardly a day goes by that we dont hear of an illegal immigrant raping, assaulting, or murdering someone. And no one truly cares.

The Biden administration has repeatedly tried to imprison its primary political opponentto save our democracyand no one truly cares. Least of all spineless RINOs and other Republicans.

And now this. A Trump supporter has been killed, two others critically injured, and Trump himself was shot in the head. (And a CNN analyst said that it is not legitimate for Trump and his supporters to perceive themselves to be under threat.)

Yes, you could substitute And too few cared for And no one cared in this post to be more precise, but the point remains the same. Unless enough of us rise up and say, Were just as mad as hell  and were not going to take it anymore!  we will have to keep taking it. Forever.

Somewhere, the Founders weep.

Image: The Prophet from The World, via Wikimedia Commons // CC BY 2.0 DEED
President Trump made a marvelous speech at the Republican National Convention, at times tender, personal, courageous, brave, and on target on pretty much all of the issues.

But there was one little supporting point in his immigration platform that didn't make any sense at all.

It was the time at which he described certain nations emptying their prisons and sending their criminals north to Joe Biden's open border for catch-and-release entry into the U.S. He was right to criticize that.

But one of his supporting points didn't make sense, and if anything, seemed rather hurtful to an important ally.

He described one nation that supposedly had done this prison-emptying, saying its president has touted himself as a crime-fighter, which could only be one person: President Nayib Bukele, of El Salvador, who made his country safe from the gangs that plagued it for decades.

 TRUMP CALLS OUT BUKELE



He blames Bukele for sending El Salvador's worst criminals to America.



He's trying to convince everybody what a wonderful job he does in running the country, well he doesn't do a wonderful job. pic.twitter.com/g6s80mgifJ  Censored Men (@CensoredMen) July 19, 2024

Trump said:

"... crime statistics all over the world are going down because they're taking their criminals and they're putting them into our country. A certain country and I happen to like the president of that country very much but he's been getting great publicity because he's a wonderful shepherd of the country, he says how well the country is doing because their crime rate is down, and he said he's training all these rough people, they're rough rough rough, he's training them, and I've been reading about this for two years and I think oh, that's wonderful, let's take a look at it. But then I realized he's not training them, he's sending all of his criminals, his drug dealers, his people that are in jails, he's sending them all to the United States. And he's different in that he doesn't say that. He's trying to convince everybody what a wonderful job he does in running the country. Well, he does a wonderful job and by the way, if I ran one of the countries, many countries, many, many countries from all over, I would be worse than any of them, I would have had the place totally emptied out already."

It left me, and a lot of us mystified.

I've followed the country for years and not once have I heard a report that President Bukele is emptying his prisons of his country's criminals and releasing them into the United States. We know that's going on with Venezuela and most likely, Cuba, which has done this in the past. It may be going on with Nicaragua, the next country over from El Salvador, which is organizing charter flights from all corners of the Earth with itself as the transhipment point and profiteer for the explicit purpose of sowing chaos in the U.S. I wrote about that here.

But El Salvador? Bukele is putting them in jail and leaving them there. He's jailed 105,000 of them, or 1.7% of his country's entire population. He's even making them earn their keep to force them to make reparations to society.

The president of El Salvador , Nayib Bukele, launched the Zero Leisure Plan, so that all prisoners in the country have to work for their food in prisons and repair the damage they have done to society.

pic.twitter.com/Q5pgNHOLe0  BowTiedMara (@BowTiedMara) June 28, 2024

Being criminals, they don't like it. There may be cases of uncaught criminals hearing about this crackdown and fleeing to the United States where crime is not enforced and their odds of being deported are very low, heading for the hills, as it were, but this is not the same as emptying prisons and encouraging its denizens to leave for el norte as has been credibly reported from Venezuela.

Illegal immigration from El Salvador has gone to 39,545 Border Patrol encounters on the Southern border (out of 770,043 from all countries in fiscal 2024) since Bukele made his country safe. That's about half a percent of all illegal encounters, and way less than in the past, because people don't want to go north, they're happy to live in safety and security at home. Bukele's even attracting American expats to his country.

What's more, Bukele imposed a severe tax on migrants entering the country to transship northward. This is why they cross through nearby Honduras and not El Salvador on their way to the U.S.-Mexican border. Bukele didn't even want to encourage transit of migrants, not in his country.

It's such a mystery that Trump pinned this on the wrong guy, it would have been so easy to put the finger where it belongs, on Nicolas Maduro and his filthy drug-dealing government in Venezuela, which really does do this, or on corrupt, evil Daniel Ortega of Nicaragua who's making a pretty penny on the illegal migrant trade himself as he organizes more and more charter flights into his country for the journey north. But somehow El Salvador got the Trump salvo.

It makes little sense, because Trump may have met with Bukele as recently as last month, there was a cordial, back-slapping meeting with Don Trump, Jr. in this video clip.

 "We don't jail the opposition here" - President Nayib Bukele to Trump Jr: pic.twitter.com/sjbtJd3nJL  End Wokeness (@EndWokeness) June 2, 2024

Did some kind of personal disagreement happen, or was Trump given an intelligence briefing suggesting something that the rest of us don't know about?

Unless I'm wrong, the most likely explanation was bad advice, from an inept advisor, who must have suggested that all Latin American leaders are alike or something like it that would put bad information in President Trump's stack of briefs. Good advisors on Latin America are hard to come by and we already know that Joe Biden certainly doesn't have any. It could as easily be the case with Trump, in which case, he needs some better ones asap.

What I'm hoping is that more clarity can come of this if he's right, and if not, someone like Sen. Marco Rubio or Don Jr. can get Trump the better information, pointing out where the real problem is, which doesn't seem to be El Salvador.

For now, President Bukele is keeping it cool, cryptically tweeting this in a rare use of the English language for him, which could only be in response to Trump's charges.

Taking the high road.  Nayib Bukele (@nayibbukele) July 19, 2024

My own view is that Trump will fix this once he's aware, and in fact could fix this easily by saying it wasn't Bukele he was talking about.

But he ought to reach out to Bukele to understand more about what he's doing in order to keep him well within the orbit of U.S. allies. Bukele could do a lot of good in countering the leftist clowns still running the shows in so many of these other Latin countries, some of which really are emptying their jails into America when Trump takes office next year.

Allies like that should be encouraged.

Image: Twitter video screen shot
Samsungs Galaxy Watch 7 is finally here and that means theres going to be a slew of new watch bands to choose from, and weve rounded up some of the best options to help you find one that fits your style. Theres something about accessorizing your watch to meet the demands of your style that just feels good. Whether its something leather that blends in with nearly everything, or a band made of soft fabric thats nice and casual.

Samsung tends to offer a lot of different options for its watches and there are generally some pretty good third-party options too. That also means there can end up being so many options it can feel overwhelming to pick through them. And thats why were setting out some of the best ones so you have less to sift through. Also worth mentioning, is that the Galaxy Watch 7 is compatible with older bands that Samsung offers. With that said, lets dive in and check out all of the best Galaxy Watch 7 bands that are available.

Samsung Galaxy Watch 7 Sport Band

This is the band youll get with the Galaxy Watch 7 if you order one, and to my surprise, its one of the most comfortable bands Ive used on a smartwatch. Its certainly the most comfortable sport band Samsung has ever produced and for that reason, its easily one of the best options for the new Galaxy Watch 7. That being said, you might be asking why this band is on the list if you already get one with the watch itself.

The answer is that it comes in multiple colors. I like all the colors of the band and I could see myself switching between them. And I know Im not the only one who thinks this way. Sometimes you want to accessorize with what youre wearing and one color might be better for a specific outfit. All together, Samsung offers the band in Dark Gray, Silver, Cream, Green, and Orange.

Outside of color accessorizing, the Sport Band uses Samsungs new one-click button attachment system which makes it super easy to attach bands and swap them out. Plus, the little ridges in the band make for a nice little bit of airflow to help keep your wrist cooler than some bands might. Additionally, the Sport Band retails for just $50 so if youre going to accessorize with multiple bands, this one is great because itll cost less than some options. This band comes in the small/medium size and the medium/large size. So just about everyone should have no issues with this band fitting.

If theres any downside to this band at all, its that it isnt available in enough color options. Other than that, this is an excellent option and a must-have if you like to exercise a lot. Because its not going to soak up sweat and itll be quite comfortable while youre working out.

Buy at Samsung

Samsung Galaxy Watch 7 Fabric Band

While the Sport Band is great for active uses in addition to everyday wear, the Fabric Band from Samsung this year is excellent for casual everyday wear. It uses the same one-click system to attach to the watch lugs as the Sport Band (as will all the bands from Samsung now), but the clasp is magnetic. This makes it so much easier to fasten the watch to your wrist than the Sport Band that uses the T-Buckle. And its a big reason why Im still such a fan of the Magnetic D-Buckle sport band that Samsung made for the Galaxy Watch 5 Pro.

I love the Sport Band that comes with the Galaxy Watch 7. But nothing beats a magnetic band clasp for me. Not only because its easier to fasten, but its easier to adjust too if you ever want to loosen or tighten the band a little bit.

The fabric is also extremely comfortable against your skin and that is especially so if youre wearing this watch to sleep for the sleep tracking features. Its also a bit slimmer than the Sport band which might not be to everyones tastes, but trust me when I say itll grow on you. Another neat thing about this band is that comes in slightly multi-colored options. The Green has some different shades of green in it for the fabric weave, and then theres a White and Pink option as well as my personal favorite, the Wine color which is a nice deep shade of red with very subtle lighter shades woven throughout. Worth noting is that these colors are for the small/medium size. The medium/large size comes in Green, Navy, and White/Blue.

All-in-all, the Fabric Band is a really solid choice for a band if you want to keep your band purchases to Samsungs offers, and it comes in at the same price as the Sport band which is $50. Not bad at all.

Buy at Samsung

Samsung Galaxy Watch 7 Athleisure Band

Samsungs Athleisure band for the Galaxy Watch 7 is the best of both worlds. Its the band you go with if you dont want to or cant choose between the Sport band and the Fabric band. Designed in a NATO style, the Athleisure band has a silicone/rubber base with a fabric outer. Its unique because it blends both the two previous bands together, sort of.

What really makes it stand out though is that it was designed to be extra long. This is so you can wear it over clothing if you want to. Think about any time you might go running or walking on a cold morning and you want to look at your watch for whatever reason. If you didnt wear your watch over your clothing then youd generally have to pull your sleeve up to look at the display. But you dont have to worry about that here with the Athleisure band.

Sure this is a niche scenario I just gave, but I guarantee you its more common than you might think. Of course, this does mean you also wouldnt be able to take advantage of the sensors. But you might not always need to use those or care about them working for the brief time you would wear the watch over your sleeve. Samsung also designed this band to have two loops to help make it extra secure while you wear the watch using this band.

It comes in several colors which are Green, Cream, and Pink in the small/medium size, and Green, Silver, or Sky Blue in the medium/large size. This band option is a little bit more expensive than the others, retailing for $70 as opposed to $50. But if that doesnt bother you then this is still a very comfortable band to wear against your skin and the extra-long design is great for wearing over your sleeves.

Buy at Samsung

Galaxy Watch Magnetic D-Buckle Band

This is still one of the best bands Samsung offers and thankfully, it works with the Galaxy Watch 7 because the attachment mechanism is the same. Samsung changed things up with the Galaxy Watch Ultra and how you attach those bands is slightly different, so none of the older bands work with it unless you find an adapter online to make them work. That isnt the case with the Galaxy Watch 7, and that is both slightly surprising and an awesome confirmation.

I couldnt find any definitive details about whether or not the old bands would work so I finally tried swapping the Magnetic D-Buckle band off my other watch once the Galaxy Watch 7 game in, and it fits just fine. The reason this is my favorite band is because as I mentioned above, its the simplest and most convenient band to use with the watch when youre fastening the watch to your wrist.

A tiny latch on the underside of the band lets you feed one side of the band through a loop and once you have it as tight as you want it, you can push that latch down to lock it in place. Now all you have to do is slide the watch over your hand and onto your wrist any time you want to fasten it. Then simply fold the band back over itself and let the magnet latch the band shut and youre off and running. The only downside with this band is that it can only be picked up in the medium/large size, and it only comes in two colors. Gray, and Black.

For those who need a small/medium size or prefer more color options, this probably isnt the best band to go with. And thats a shame because its so good. Ive been using it since the launch of the Galaxy Watch 5 Pro which means its about two years old at this point, and its still working just like the day I got it with no damage or other issues. It is a bit more pricey at $80, but totally worth the extra money.

Buy at Samsung

Galaxy Watch Milanese Band

This is another really solid band option from Samsung and its the perfect option if you want something thats more well-suited to a professional or classy look. Metal bands are certainly heavier but they do go well with situations where youre trying to dress up. Say, for a night out, or if you work in a very professional setting and you want to look the part. Of course, you can easily wear these with casual outfits too.

Whats nice about the Milanese band is that it also uses the same style of magnetic clasp as the Magnetic D-Buckle Sport band up above. You loop one side of the band through a small opening and then lock it down with a latch. From there, just like with the D-Buckle Sport band you slide the watch over your hand and close the clasp with the magnet to secure it to your wrist. Another really easy and convenient band to use with your Galaxy Watch if you dont want to fuss with the T-Buckle and have to thread that little prong through the right hole.

There are of course some downsides to this band. Only the small size is available from Samsung. So if the small is too small for your wrist, then this option wont work for you. Its also only available in two of the three colors that Samsung made. You can pick it up in either Black or Gold. The Silver appears to be out of stock and Samsungs website doesnt really make it clear if it will be getting more in stock. Still, if you like either of the available colors and you need the small size, then this band will surely be an excellent addition to your Galaxy Watch 7.

And like the new bands that were released with the Galaxy Watch 7, this one (which released alongside the Galaxy Watch 6), it uses the one-click attachment. Just press the little button on the underside of the band when securing it to the watch lugs and let go once both are in place. Repeat for the other side and youre all done. Just like with the clasp, this is a much more convenient, not to mention quicker, way to attach your watch band. And it should make things less of a hassle for you if you swap bands often.

Buy at Samsung

Galaxy Watch D-Buckle Hybrid Eco-Leather Band

This band will be a lot like the last two in terms of the clasp since it uses the magnetic d-buckle system, but instead of silicone or metal, it uses a hybrid eco-leather for the material. While not genuine leather, it has that leather look and feel to it on the outer part of the band that can be a nice compromise to swapping back and forth between leather and sport bands for a watch.

This might be the one to go for if you dont want to swap too often if at all, because the underside of the band that touches your skin is the same kind of silicone material youll get from the sport bands. So if you like how that feels while you exercise, this should be fairly comfortable for workouts. All while having that nice leather design on the outer part of the band for some added style.

This band is available in both small/medium and medium/large sizes which means there are lots of options with this one regardless of what size your wrists are. This band comes in six different colors but not all of them are available for each size. So depending on which color you like best, you should make sure the size you need has that color in stock. For example, the Indigo and Black colors arent available in the small/medium size. But you can get the small/medium size in Camel, Blue, Cream, and Etoupe.

At $80 its right up there with the pricing for some of the other bands that Samsung sells. However, there are leather bands out there that are made of genuine leather that may cost less money. They could also just as easily be a lot more money depending on the brand.

Buy at Samsung

WITHit Silicone sport and stainless steel bracelet combo

First things first, this one was designed for the Galaxy Watch 6, but since the older bands from the Galaxy Watch 6 and even the Galaxy Watch 5 models will fit the Galaxy Watch 7, that should extend to this too.

The main reason we selected this band is because its kind of a really good bargain. You get both a silicone sport band and a stainless steel link bracelet band in one pack. Letting you effortlessly switch back and forth to fit the occasion. Wear the link bracelet to work or when dressing up for special outings, and slap the silicone sport band for casual day-to-day or workouts.

What makes this such a good value other than the fact that you get two band types in one package is that it costs $50 for both of them. Thats honestly really good for the price when you consider that Samsung is charging at least $50 for one band alone. Now, Samsungs bands are great and some of my favorite bands are directly from Samsung designed specifically for its watches, but you cant argue the value of this bundle from WITHit for the same price as some of Samsungs offerings.

Especially with one of them being made of stainless steel links, so you end up getting both casual and classy dress-up looks in one. The only thing some might not like is that theres only one color available, and thats black. If you dont like black for watch band colors as much, then this probably isnt the option to go with. It also depends on what color of watch case you get. Black metal bands might not look that great with either of the two color watch cases that the Galaxy Watch 7 comes in. So thats something to consider.

If that doesnt bother you, however, then you can pick this band combo up from Best Buy. And it really is a steal.

Buy at Best Buy

Ritche Quick Release Leather Watch Band

This one is an old classic thats been on nearly all our smartwatch band lists. And theres a very good reason why. Its high-quality. The Ritche Quick Release leather band is made with genuine leather and if you like the look of leather then youll love this band option for your Galaxy Watch 7. Leather bands, and leather products in general, tend to stand the test of time and last for a while. And its hard to put a price on something that has longevity like that.

But you can put a price on this band and luckily the price for these Ritche bands isnt that high. In fact, its the least expensive option on this list so far. These will set you back a mere $20 on Amazon and the beauty with that is you can get the band in more than one color if there are multiple colors that catch your eye. Speaking of colors, this band comes in a ton of different options.

The one thing I want to mention is that this band is offered in a number of different sizes, and the 20mm size is the one you need for the Galaxy Watch 7. With that being said, the 20mm size may not have all of the colors available. However, there are several different color combinations to choose from and many of them will look nice with either color of the Galaxy Watch 7 watch case.

This does use a T-Buckle clasp so if you dont mind not having the magnetic clasp then this is an excellent band option for your new watch. Plus, being that its made of leather, it should develop a nice patina over time. And the patina is the best part about a leather watch band because itll slightly change the look and color of the band the longer you own it.

Buy at Amazon

Nylon Band for Samsung Galaxy Watch Series

I really love this next option because once again, it comes in numerous colors. This makes it perfect for anyone thanks to the amount of different color choices. At present it looks like there are 20 different color options in total. Ranging from greens to pinks and theres even a multi-colored option or two in there.

The braided Nylon should hold up well over time and if it doesnt, the band only costs $10. So you could easily replace it without having to spend too much money. If it does hold up over time though, then the less expensive $10 price tag just gives you more of a reason to grab a few so you have color choices to go with different outfits.

There are a couple of other things that makes this band choice a really good one. First, it has a similar one-click system to the one that Samsung is using on all of its newest bands for the Galaxy Watch series. This makes it super simple to swap out bands. Its a little quicker than sliding back the prong like you have to do with some bands to get them into place between the watch lugs. It also uses a magnetic clasp to fasten the watch band around your wrist. And by now, you know how I feel about the magnetic clasps.

Theyre just so convenient and again it speeds up the whole process of putting the watch on and taking it off.

Buy at Amazon

Elastic Band for Samsung Galaxy Watch Series

Last but not least on our list, these elastic bands are pretty cool and it doesnt really get much easier when it comes to putting on a watch. Simply attach the band to your Galaxy Watch 7 and then every time you want to put it on, all you have to do is stretch the band to fit over your hand and thats it. No changing holes with the prong to make sure its tight enough or loose enough.

No readjusting the magnetic clasp like on the D-Buckle sport band if its not quite where you need it. Heres another thing thats really neat. These also use a similar one-click attachment system to Samsungs. So swapping out bands is going to be a breeze and take just a few seconds. And thats a good thing because these bands come in a 3-pack with different colors. Letting you have options for different outfits. Better yet, theyll be available from around $10  $13 depending on the color choices you go with.

The elasticity also makes for a great option for when youre exercising as they shouldnt be too abrasive against your skin or pinch your skin from all the movement like a metal band or bracelet might.

Buy at Amazon
In recent years, terms like AI and satellite connectivity have taken the smartphone industry by storm. Apple popularized the latter by implementing support in the iPhone 14 series. Now, it seems that Google will enter the segment by offering a Satellite SOS feature in the Pixel 9 series.

The Android 15 beta 4 arrived recently, and its code is revealing potential new features that Pixel phones or Android devices in general will get. Android Authority found direct references to Satellite SOS telecommunications that would be present in the Pixel 9 series, which is expected to include the necessary hardware to support it. A leak from mid-April showed what the UI would look like while showing instructions to establish a connection with a satellite.

The Satellite SOS feature would be free for two years on the Pixel 9 series

According to the report, strings in the Android 15 beta 4 code mention the name Pixel Satellite SOS. This suggests that Google is working on support for emergency satellite telecommunications on Pixel devices. However, it will probably only be available on the Pixel 9 series and future models. This is because current and older models do not integrate the required hardware.

In addition, the strings suggest that Google would offer a period of free use similar to that of iPhone devices. That is, the Pixel Satellite SOS service would be free for two years. After the term expires, people would have to start paying a fee to continue using it. More specifically, the string says that Satellite SOS is included at no charge for {two} years.

The source suggests that {two} could be just a placeholder, so the actual free trial time could differ. However, it seems certain that the company will offer a time of use without having to pay.

The feature could arrive later with an update

Interestingly, another string mentions that Your Pixel has been updated to support satellite communication. So, the feature may not be available on the Pixel 9 series for launch. Instead, it would arrive later through an update.

Android 15 is just getting full support for satellite telecommunications. This means that the OS natively includes the tools necessary to use it and for other apps to detect it. However, it is up to each manufacturer to implement their own solution on their devices. They need to reach deals with telecommunications carriers to enable the service.
Samsung marches on with its July security update rollout. Having already updated all eligible flagships and foldables in most parts of the world, the company is rapidly sweeping through the mid-range lineup. It recently released the new security patch for the Galaxy A54, Galaxy A34, Galaxy A15, Galaxy A14, and a few other models.

Galaxy A54, A34, and more Samsung devices get the July security update

The July security update for Galaxy devices, aka July SMR (Security Maintenance Release), contains over 60 patches. These include fixes for Android OS vulnerabilities from Google and partners and fixes for Galaxy vulnerabilities from Samsung. At least six security flaws patched this month are confirmed to be critical vulnerabilities, potentially allowing a threat actor to gain remote access to an infected Galaxy smartphone or tablet.

Samsung has already pushed the new SMR to dozens of Galaxy devices, including some mid-range models. A few more models recently joined the party. The Galaxy A54 is picking up the update in Samsungs home country South Korea and the US. The new firmware build numbers for the phone are A546SKSS6CXG1 (Korean units) and S546VLUDS9CXG2 (US units on Tracfones network). A global rollout should be just around the corner.

The Galaxy A34, a 2023 mid-range phone Samsung didnt release in the US, is receiving the July update in Latin America. The new SMR is available widely in the region with the build number A346MUBS8CXF1 or A346MUBS8CXF2. The official changelog from Samsung says the device is getting some system stability improvements along with the latest security patches. Dont expect any major new features, though.

The Galaxy A15 and Galaxy A14 are the other two Samsung smartphones that recently started getting the July security update. The update is available in various international markets but with similar changelogs. Its only a security patch with no additional goodies. These budget and mid-range phones are unlikely to receive major new feature updates before Android 15 and One UI 7.0, which may arrive in early 2025.

Wider rollout for other models

Alongside these Galaxy A phones, Samsung is widely rolling out the July SMR to the Galaxy Note 20 series, Galaxy S20 FE, and Galaxy A53. The last Note phones first picked up the update in the US. Its now available in other markets, including Europe. The latter two phones, meanwhile, initially received the July update in international markets. Samsung recently rolled it out to the US units. You can check for new updates from the Settings app.
China to boost equipment upgrades, trade-in of consumer goods

Xinhua) 09:37, July 20, 2024

BEIJING, July 19 (Xinhua) -- China will expand policies to encourage large-scale equipment upgrades and consumer goods trade-ins to better leverage the potential of domestic demand, according to a State Council executive meeting on Friday.

China will create overall provisions for ultra-long special treasury bonds for this purpose, said the meeting chaired by Premier Li Qiang.

It stressed efforts to optimize support measures for equipment upgrade projects and broaden the support scope to include the energy and power sectors and old elevator upgrading, as well as energy-saving, carbon reduction and safety upgrades in key industries.

China will provide further support for the scrapping and upgrading of old operating ships and old operating trucks, increase the subsidy standards for the renewal of agricultural machinery and new energy buses, and increase the subsidy ratio for equipment upgrade loans, according to the meeting.

The meeting stressed implementing the guiding principles from the third plenary session of the 20th Communist Party of China Central Committee with concrete actions.

In addition, the meeting reviewed and adopted draft regulations governing affairs of ex-servicemen including employment, housing, social security, and vocational training.

(Web editor: Peng Yukai, Wu Chaolan)
US actress Jamie Lee Curtis has said she is having a really good time filming the Freaky Friday sequel.

Her co-star, Lindsay Lohan, confirmed in March that a follow-up to the 2003 comedy about a body-switching mother and daughter was in the process, and in June Walt Disney Studios announced production was under way.

On Saturday, Curtis, 65, shared a photo of her wearing under-eye skincare masks to Instagram and said she was so happy to be filming in Los Angeles.

She wrote: Ive been having a really good time at work on @disneystudios FREAKY FRIDAY 2 and my exceptional partner in switching @lindsaylohan noticed that I was maybe needing a little pick me up and gave me some @peterthomasrothofficial eye thingies.

She added: So happy to be shooting in Los Angeles and bringing together the talented community of artists who live here and want to keep working here in the entertainment capital of the world, my hometown.

Photos online show the pair on set with Lohan wearing a bright red and brown ensemble and Curtis sporting silver heels and a tailored suit cinched with a black belt.

In June Walt Disney Studios shared a photo of the actors in a post that said: The Colemans are back and coming to theaters in 2025! The sequel to Freaky Friday is now in production!

Jamie Lee Curtis at the premiere of the original Freaky Friday (Andy Butterton/PA)

Last year, Curtis told the New York Times that she phoned Disney to discuss a sequel after numerous people asked her if it was a possibility.

Freaky Friday, about a mother and daughter who switch bodies thanks to a magical Chinese fortune cookie, is based on a 1972 novel by Mary Rodgers.

The 2003 adaptation starred One Tree Hills Chad Michael Murray and NCIS actor Mark Harmon, who are both reprising their roles.

In the new film Lohans character Anna has a daughter of her own and a soon-to-be stepdaughter.

The Freaky Friday sequel is to premiere next year.
Lando Norris saw off McLaren team-mate Oscar Piastri to claim pole position for Sundays Hungarian Grand Prix.

The British driver executed an impressive lap at the Hungaroring to beat Piastri to top spot by just 0.022 seconds and claim only the third pole of his career  and McLarens first front-row lockout in nearly a dozen years.

Red Bulls Max Verstappen had to settle for third, 0.046 sec back.

Ferraris Carlos Sainz finished fourth and British Grand Prix winner Lewis Hamilton took fifth. In the other Mercedes, George Russell crashed out of qualifying at the first hurdle and is set to start 17th.

LANDO NORRIS LANDS A THIRD CAREER POLE POSITION! A special lap when it mattered, he starts from P1 in Budapest #F1 #HungarianGP pic.twitter.com/QvhHlLFwXr  Formula 1 (@F1) July 20, 2024

RBs Yuki Tsunoda crashed heavily at turn five, leading to a suspension with just two minutes and 13 seconds of qualifying remaining.

But while Norris led off a gaggle of cars at the restart, light drizzle meant none of the major players improved on their earlier times.

Norris, 24, has looked the real deal throughout practice and his timely pole arrives just a fortnight after he confessed to throwing away a home win at Silverstone.

I am very happy because ending up on top is the best part, said Norris, 84 points behind Verstappen in the standings at the midway stage of the season. A one-two for the team is fantastic.

George Russell suffered a shock Q1 exit (AP Photo/Denes Erdos)

We have got confidence. We are not searching for it. We have a good car to fight for pole and that is what we did today. To end up on pole is sweet.

Hamilton vowed to use his victory at Silverstone as a springboard to further success but both he and Mercedes were brought back down to earth at a venue which the seven-time world champion has so often ruled.

Hamiltons eight victories and nine poles at the Hungaroring are unmatched but he has not been happy with the handling of his Silver Arrows all weekend and, after progressing to Q3 by the skin of his teeth, he finished more than six tenths behind Norris.

Sergio Perezs future at Red Bull, and indeed the sport, is in serious jeopardy after he crashed out of Q1 for the second race in row.

Despite signing a two-year extension to stay at Red Bull in June, the 34-year-old is in the midst of a desperate run which has seen him score just 15 points in his last six appearances.

Sergio Perez endured another difficult day (Martin Divisek/Pool via AP)

Team principal Christian Horner described his drivers form as unsustainable at Silverstone and then hauled him into his kitchen following the British GP for a crisis summit.

But Perezs shunt here at turn eight will raise further questions about his future with New Zealander and Red Bull reserve driver Liam Lawson waiting in the wings after he tested for the team at Silverstone last week.

Perez qualified 16th and, when the running restarted following an 11-minute delay, Russell became the days second high-profile early casualty.

As a damp track improved in the concluding minutes of Q1, Russell was unable to generate enough speed in his Mercedes to make it out of the first session  a fall from grace for the driver who captured pole at Silverstone.

Sorry about this sessions, guys, said Russell. Its on me. He is due to line up from 17th on Sunday.
Lando Norris continued his impressive form at the Hungarian Grand Prix after he clocked the quickest time in final practice.

Norris, who was also the fastest driver at the Hungaroring on Friday, finished just 0.044 seconds clear of McLaren team-mate Oscar Piastri.

Max Verstappen took third spot, 0.281 seconds slower than Norris, with George Russell fourth in his Mercedes. Lewis Hamilton finished 10th.

Norris has had good opportunities to add to his sole win which he scored in Miami earlier this season, but fell short at recent rounds in Canada, Spain, Austria and the British Grand Prix.

However, he will head into qualifying here as the favourite to take what would be only the third pole position of his career.

Over at Mercedes, Hamilton ended his two-and-a-half-year wait for victory at Silverstone a fortnight ago. But the seven-time world champion has failed to trouble the top of the time charts so far this weekend.

On Saturday, Hamilton also suffered an innocuous spin after he lost control of his Mercedes at Turn 10 with five minutes remaining. He finished the session 0.688 sec slower than Norris.

Qualifying for Sundays 70-lap grand prix gets under way at 16:00 local time (15:00 BST).
More flight cancellations and delays expected in wake of global IT outage

Flight delays and cancellations are among the disruption expected to continue into the weekend after a global IT outage, as experts warned it could take weeks for systems to fully recover.

A flawed update rolled out by cybersecurity firm CrowdStrike knocked many offline around the world on Friday, causing flight and train cancellations and crippling some healthcare systems.

A fix was deployed for a bug in the update, which affected Microsoft Windows PCs, on Friday afternoon, with the chief executive of the company at the centre of the outage warning it would take some time for systems to be fully restored.

George Kurtz also apologised for events, saying he is deeply sorry, and made clear it was not a security or cyber incident.

In a technical statement, CrimeStrike said a sensor configuration had triggered a logic error which the company said had been corrected.

Airports across the UK  including London Gatwick, Heathrow Airport, Manchester Airport and Belfast International Airport  stressed that passengers should check with airlines for any delays or cancellations before travelling over the weekend.

A spokesperson for London Gatwick said: Following earlier global issues, our airport IT systems are now operating as normal and we expect the majority of our flights to operate as usual tomorrow.

Some delays and cancellations will however continue this evening and over the weekend. We strongly advise passengers to check with their airline for the latest updates.

A spokesperson for Manchester Airport said: Check-in and boarding for the affected airlines are being carried out manually and are taking longer than normal resulting in some long queues at check-in.

Some flights may be impacted by delays and schedules have been affected by issues caused by the effects of the global IT outage at airports all over the world. This means some flights could be cancelled by airlines at short notice.

Outages have affected flights (Jacob King/PA)

Some 167 flights scheduled to depart UK airports were axed on Friday, with others delayed, while 171 flights due to land in the UK were cancelled, following the technical glitch.

Aviation analytics company Cirium said 5,078 flights  or 4.6% of those scheduled  were cancelled globally on Friday, including the 167 UK departures.

Away from travel, the National Pharmacy Association warned disruption to pharmacy services is likely to continue through the weekend, even when systems are back online, as outlets deal with a backlog of medicine deliveries.

Industry expert Adam Leon Smith of BCS, the Chartered Institute for IT, warned that it could even take weeks for all computers and systems to be fully restored.

The fix will have to be applied to many computers around the world. So if computers are getting blue screens and endless loops, it could be more difficult and take days and weeks, he said.

Professor Ciaran Martin, the founding chief executive of the National Cyber Security Centre (NCSC), also said it was hard to estimate how long it would take to recover from the outage.

The underlying problem is fixed and the fixes are being implemented, he said.

The NHS is aware of a global IT outage and an issue with a GP appointment and patient record system. If you have an appointment please do attend unless you are told otherwise. If you need help use 111 online or by phone and in an emergency call 999. https://t.co/M4QxHP2GqM  NHS England (@NHSEngland) July 19, 2024

Some industries can recovery quickly. But others like aviation will have long backlogs. That said, Id be surprised if we were still facing serious problems this time next week.

Experts warned users to remain vigilant against potential scams as systems recover.

In a letter to customers and partners, Mr Kurtz said: We know that adversaries and bad actors will try to exploit events like this.

I encourage everyone to remain vigilant and ensure that youre engaging with official CrowdStrike representatives.

The NCSC highlighted an increase in phishing referencing the outage.

On its website, the company urged organisations to ensure mitigations are in place and advised individuals to be alert to suspicious emails or messages.

Note that an increase in phishing referencing this outage has already been observed, as opportunistic malicious actors seek to take advantage of the situation, the NCSC said.

Sky News was knocked off air (Sky News/PA)

CrowdStrikes stock tumbled in value when the US markets opened on Friday as investors digested the impact of the outage.

Shares slid by over 8% at the start of trading, knocking around 10 billion US dollars (7.8 billion) off its market value. The largest financial markets in the US and UK fell during the trading session as other companies were also affected.

The flawed update caused major infrastructure to grind to a halt with computer systems knocked offline, and many devices were showing the so-called blue screen of death as they got stuck in an endless cycle of trying to reboot themselves, affecting key sectors across the country.

The outage caused disruption in the majority of GP practices, NHS England said, and ambulance services also reported increased pressure on 999 and NHS 111 services with calls from patients who were unable to contact other NHS providers because of the IT issues.

Across England, GP surgeries reported being unable to book appointments or access patient records as their EMIS Web system went down.

In the UK, Sky News briefly went off air on Friday morning and Britains biggest train company Govia Thameslink Railway warned passengers to expect disruption because of widespread IT issues.

Around the world, banks, supermarkets and other major institutions reported computer issues disrupting services, while many businesses were unable to take digital payments or access key databases.

Microsoft deputy chief information security officer Ann Johnson described the outage as a very major issue and could not predict how long it would take to get all customers back online.
Iryna Farion opposed Russian-speaking soldiers from being admitted into the Ukrainian army - YURIY DYACHYSHYN

A Ukrainian nationalist politician who opposed Russian-speaking soldiers being allowed to join the countrys army has been shot dead outside her home.

Iryna Farion died on Friday evening in a hospital in Lviv hours after an assassin fired a single bullet into her head as she left her apartment block.

Police have launched a manhunt for the murderer, who fled on foot, and Volodymyr Zelensky has asked to be informed on its progress.

The Ukrainian president suggested Russia may have been involved in the killing, which was celebrated by pro-Kremlin voices on social media.

All versions are being investigated, including the one leading to Russia, Mr Zelensky said.

Eyewitnesses said that an unknown man wearing a hat and thick glasses despite the summer heat had been watching Farions apartment block over the past fortnight.

Broken security cameras fixed to the apartment block are hampering the official police investigation. Russian bombing raids against Ukraines power generation infrastructure have triggered nationwide power cuts.

Igor Klimenko, Ukraines interior ministry, said investigators were working on several potential motives.

The main ones, I can say, are social, political activity and personal hostility, he said.

Sow fear among all Ukrainians

Farion, 60, was well-known in Ukraine as a prominent linguistics professor and for pushing a hard-line nationalist agenda.

She was an MP for the Right-wing Svoboda party from 2012-14 and sparked controversy last year when she said that Ukrainian soldiers who spoke Russian could not be considered true patriots and should be thrown out of the army.

Language is a sensitive issue in Ukraine and although Ukrainian has gained in popularity since Russias invasion in 2022, millions of people still regard Russian as their first language.

Farions comments gained fierce criticism from the Ukrainian military, which is suffering from a recruitment crisis. She was also fired as a professor at Lviv Polytechnic University, although she was reinstated last month.

On social media, Russian commentators celebrated the murder of Farion, who they regarded as an odious Ukrainian nationalist.

Oxana Shevel, an associate professor in political science at Tufts University in the US, said: Killing her is meant to sow fear among all in Ukraine who publicly speak out against Russias genocidal war.

Farions death is the first assassination of a high-profile official in Ukraine since Russias full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022, although Ukrainian security services have foiled a handful of plots to kill Mr Zelensky.

Ukrainian special forces have also been accused of several assassinations in Russia.

In August 2022, Darya Dugina, a pro-war Russian journalist, was killed by a car bomb near Moscow and in July 2023 a Russian submarine commander was shot dead by a gunman as he jogged through a park in Krasnodar.
A Jewish settler in the Eviatar outpost in the Israeli-occupied West Bank prays for legalisation of the outpost. The ICJ has ordered Israel to end its occupation of the Palestinian territories. Photograph: Ohad Zwigenberg/AP

The foreign minister, Penny Wong, has urged Israel to take concrete steps to stop expanding settlements and crack down on extremist settler violence after the international court of justices (ICJ) ruling on Israels illegal occupation of Palestinian territory.

The courts historic, albeit non-binding reading, handed down on Friday, found multiple breaches of international law by Israel, including activities that amounted to apartheid.

It ordered Israel to end its occupation of the Palestinian territories as rapidly as possible and make full reparations for its internationally wrongful acts, in a sweeping and damning advisory opinion that says the occupation violates international law.

Related: UN court orders Israel to end its occupation of Palestinian territories

In a statement published to X on Saturday, Wong said the Albanese government had been firm and consistent that settlement activity was illegal under international law and a significant obstacle to peace.

She called for concrete steps from Israel to respond to extremist settler activity, while adding the federal government was carefully considering detail of the opinion to understand conclusions reached.

We respect the independence of the court and its critical role in upholding international law and the rules-based order, her statement read.

We are carefully considering the detail of the ICJ opinion to fully understand the conclusions reached.

Wong said the Australian government had made clear that anyone identified as an extremist settler would be denied a visa to travel to Australia.

A just and enduring peace will require the legitimate aspirations of the Palestinian people to self-determination to be realised, her statement read.

We want to see concrete steps taken by Israel to cease the expansion of settlements and to respond to extremist settler activity.

The Australia Palestine Advocacy Network welcomed the overnight ruling by the ICJ, which concluded Israel was forcibly dispossessing Palestinians of their lands, amounting to an annexation of large parts of occupied territory.

Its president, Nasser Mashni, had urged the federal government to support the ICJ ruling and take concrete steps to sanction Israel, including severing trade ties and recalling the Australian ambassador.

The ICJ has no enforcement powers of its own, and it is now up to the international community  that is, governments  to pressure Israel to dismantle its apartheid regime and its illegal settlements, put an end to decades of systemic oppression, and restore justice for Palestinians, he said.

This ruling leaves no room for equivocation or compromise  Australia must stand firmly and take urgent and decisive steps to hold Israel accountable, including robust diplomatic measures and sanctions.

Anything less would be a betrayal of this governments commitment to justice and international law.

The New Israel Fund Australia said it had warned for many years that Israel couldnt maintain its status as a liberal democracy while simultaneously maintaining a military occupation.

It is possible to invest in peace and security instead of occupation, it said.

The federal government has been consistent in its backing of a two-state solution but has given no hint of when it would be prepared to recognise a Palestinian state.

Its stance prompted former Labor senator Fatima Payman to cross the floor to side with the Greens last month on a motion declaring an urgent need for the Senate to recognise the state of Palestine. Payman subsequently resigned from the party.

Wong had unsuccessfully sought to amend the motions wording to specify that recognition of Palestine could occur as part of a peace process in support of a two-state solution and a just and enduring peace.
I ask Australians to be really cautious over the next few days about attempts to use this for scamming or phishing', Clare ONeil says of Microsoft IT outage. Photograph: Mick Tsikas/AAP

Scammers are attempting to use the global CrowdStrike outage on Microsoft Windows systems to steal from small businesses by offering fake fixes, the Australian government has warned.

The world has begun to recover from a global outage of Windows systems running the cybersecurity company Crowdstrikes software, after the company issued a faulty update. But bad actors have seized upon the crisis to attempt to scam the public, the home affairs minister, Clare ONeil, said on Saturday.

What we are seeing some reporting of is attempts to conduct phishing through the incident that just occurred, she said.

Related: Computer says no: what the papers say after IT outage causes global chaos

She said small businesses in particular were receiving emails from people pretending to be CrowdStrike or Microsoft and seeking bank details to access a reboot to fix the error.

I ask Australians to be really cautious over the next few days about attempts to use this for scamming or phishing, she said. If you see an email, if you see a text message that looks a little bit funny, that indicates something about CrowdStrike or IT outages, just stop. Dont put any details.

She said if people receive calls along those lines they should hang up, and if people do hand over their banking information then to contact their bank immediately to report it.

This is a moment where we can help our fellow Australian citizens. If someone has tried to scam you, they are trying to scam others, she said. You can help protect your fellow citizens by jumping online, going to the Scamwatch website and just report back whats happened so we can make sure that the government can continue to alert people as we move forward.

The Australian Cyber Security Centre warned on Saturday that a number of malicious websites and unofficial code were being released, claiming to help businesses recover from the outage. The centre said it strongly encourages all consumers to source their technical information and updates from official CrowdStrike sources only.

CrowdStrikes own threat intelligence reported that malicious activity includes phishing emails posing as CrowdStrike support or independent researchers selling scripts to automate recovery from the issue. The organisation identified more than 30 domains that had been used in the scams so far.

The Australian Competition and Consumer Commission deputy chair, Catriona Lowe, warned the public not to download unsolicited software and to be wary of any unsolicited calls or emails.

Criminals look to take advantage of incidents like this CrowdStrike outage, creating a sense of urgency that you need to do what they say to protect your computer and your financial information, Lowe said.

Anyone can be scammed, so it is important to be wary of any unsolicited contact that purports to provide assistance in the aftermath of a major event like this.

ONeil said the Australian economy was in a recovery phase after Fridays outage, but there would still be teething problems for some businesses in bringing their services back online.
Kendall Jenner is just one of the few celebrities who may now be forced to drop anchor miles from the shoreline

The yachts draw up each summer to the pristine coves and sparkling waters of Capri.

But under plans put forward last week by the mayor of the Italian island, they will soon be barred from sailing too close.

Frustrated with hordes of tourists clogging up famous sites such as the Blue Grotto, Franco Cerrotta, the mayor of Anacapri, is is proposing a barrier of 40 buoys be placed 100 metres (330ft) offshore for a distance of 6 kilometres (3.7 miles) around the western rim of the island.

A-list visitors like Beyonce, Leonardo di Caprio and Kendall Jenner will be forced to drop anchor outside the perimeter, while tour operators ferrying day-trippers to the Grotto will find their path blocked.

Like Venice, this island off the coast of Naples is joining the list of Italian destinations establishing measures to keep people away.

No-one has the right to damage the environment or risk hurting children in swimming areas, Mr Cerrotta told The Telegraph. There is too much traffic and motorboats are travelling too fast. We have to stop boorish behaviour and defend the sea.

Tourists have been drawn to Capri for at least 2000 years, following in the footsteps of Tiberius, the Roman emperor, who built a sumptuous hilltop palace here.

But their number now tops that of the entire population over the summer months, with 16,000 foreigners visiting the island in May and June, compared to the 13,000 residents.

No place is more popular with tourists in peak season, according to the Italian travel and tourism body, Federaturismo.

Last week, the mayor met port officials from Naples to discuss his councils proposal  but it is unlikely to take effect before 2025.

Leonardo DiCaprio (right) pictured on a boat with his father George, niece Normandie DiCaprio and stepmother Peggy Farrar - CAPR

Boat rental companies are furious, saying the move will damage their business. One boat operator, who declined to be named, accused the mayor of acting as if he was Mussolini referring to Italys former fascist dictator.

During the summer holiday season boat operators earn a premium charging up to 100 (85) an hour to take visitors on scenic cruises around the island. They claim the buoys would hamper their business and drive tourists away.

Capri depends on tourism, the unnamed boat operator said. We need to respect existing laws and regulate boat speeds in swimming areas, not just make unilateral decisions.

Holly Star, an Australian who runs the Michelangelo Cooking School with her husband, Gianluca, said: The volume of day trippers puts pressure on the islands infrastructure, resources and community and doesnt enable those travellers to experience the true essence of Capri.

Its impossible to grasp the natural beauty and rich culture here without devoting more time.

Capri's spectacular coastline, rich in inlets, with numerous yachts

Lorenzo Coppola, a hotel owner who heads the local hotel association, said the tourists congregate in key areas that are overcrowded and the inflow needs to be managed more effectively because infrastructure and resources were already stretched.

Capri was forced to temporarily suspend tourist arrivals when its water supply broke down in June and it collapsed again last week. Ferries and buses are crammed with daily arrivals.

The island has doubled its visitors fee from 2.5 euros to 5 euros but some say that is not enough to protect the future of Capri and its residents.

Teodorico Boniello, the head of the local consumers association, told The Telegraph: Capri is becoming a dormitory for tourists and residents are being forced out.

There are more people coming here than we can cope with and families cant afford to stay. The national government needs to take urgent action to protect the community and the islands future.
Fern Brady: A lot of people in the UK want their food to taste of as little as possible.

Hair and makeup: Juliana Sergot using Nars & Kiehl's Photograph: Alex Lake/The Observer

Mum was really into getting me and my brothers to try different foods. Which is why I resent any depictions of working-class people just eating Turkey Twizzlers because my mum used to bake us focaccia and stuff. She worked in Tesco on the checkout but shed have Greek food nights for us. We were always the children with weird packed lunches.

Ive never had a bread that I didnt like. I even went to get hypnotised out of eating bread. [Fellow comedian] Lou Sanders went to the same woman to get hypnotised out of eating sweets. Then I was at Lous house for dinner and I couldnt eat because Id had a load of toast beforehand. And Lou was eating sweets as the starter. We were both like: I dont think the hypnotist has worked   So yeah, thats one of the stupidest things Ive ever spent money on.

Being on the Off Menu podcast was good for getting a lot of food sent to you. But then I went to my first Comedy Awards do and my dress burst open because Id been eating all the free food.

Im autistic and I always used to be like: Oh, Im lucky I dont have the thing a lot of autistic people have where they just want to eat beige foods. But what I noticed is, when I get burnt out, the desire to eat lots of different flavours goes away. I just want to eat the plainest foods possible and I revert to toast and sweets. Its terrible, but its a good way of alerting you to the fact youre getting burnt out.

I was a vegetarian as a child, stopped and then I was veggie again at uni. But I had this really horrible boyfriend, who was a really smug vegetarian and every time he cheated on me Id eat a bacon sandwich. So that stopped me from being veggie for years. I went back to being veggie when I moved to London, but, when I wrote my book [Strong Female Character], I started eating meat again. I think it was to do with the memories coming up of that horrible boyfriend.

I hate roasts. I hate everything around the culture of having a roast. And I hate how excited people are about having a roast. And when people get excited about Nandos, I think: Arrgh, a bit tragic. A lot of people in the UK want their food to taste of as little as possible.

Last year, I decided I was going to start a coffee roastery in my shed  no other comedian is selling coffee on their website. The thing that motivated me was my local coffee shop was like: You cant start a roastery. And I was like: Watch me. But then my partner put paid to that idea.

Id never watched Bake Off before being on it. Then, when I finished filming, I watched it and it dawned on me: I approached this the wrong way. I went in as if I was in an actual competition, rather than one where youre supposed to be really silly. What really wrecked my head was that I was so starstruck by Mel B, because she was my favourite Spice Girl as a child. The excitement over meeting her clashed with my extreme competitiveness. She kept coming over and asking how to make buttercream and I wanted to help her, but also wanted her to get away from my island. It was such a strange feeling.

My favourite things

Food

Malatang. Its a Sichuan pepper-flavoured hot pot, but much tastier.

Drink

The happiest part of my day is drinking coffee.

Place to eat

Bocca Di Lupo in Soho, because the menu changes a lot and the staff are so nice. Loads of comedians go there now: I went for my anniversary dinner and Rosie Jones and her parents were sat behind me and I thought: This is the end of romance.

Dish to make

I liked making cardamom buns, but that memory has been tainted by Paul Hollywood. He was like: Oh, theyre not equal size and shape. Then I looked at my buns and I saw them with fresh perspective and they just looked shit and pathetic.

Fern Brady is on tour across the UK with her latest show, I Gave You Milk to Drink, from 20 Aug-20 Nov.
The Russian House, which a senior opposition politician has described as an 'extension of the Kremlin' - Horst Schtok/Alamy Stock Photo

Behind the austere steel and glass facade of the Russian House in Berlin, borscht is on the menu and the bookshelves are stuffed with Tolstoy and Dostoevsky paperbacks.

Also on the premises of the Russian cultural centre is a cinema, screening episodes of Manyunya, a Soviet television comedy.

There is even a travel agency downstairs, for Russians who are so nostalgic for the motherland that theyd rather just book a flight home.

To outsiders, it may seem like an ordinary meeting place for Russian expats.

But German authorities are under growing pressure to close down the Russian House, amid concerns it is merely a front for Kremlin spies and propaganda purposes.

Claims of sanction-busting activities

A senior figure in Germanys opposition CDU party has warned that the centre is a front for totalitarian propaganda, and suspects it could be evading EU sanctions imposed after the invasion of Ukraine.

It could additionally serve as a hub for Russian agents according to Roderich Kiesewetter, the CDUs crisis prevention spokesman and a former general staff officer of the Bundeswehr.

In view of Russias imperial aspirations and totalitarian orientation, Russian cultural institutions must always be regarded as a political instrument, Mr Kiesewetter told The Telegraph.

This is exactly why all pro-Russian cultural institutions should be closely investigated and, if necessary, closed.

The Russian House has long served as an extension of the Kremlin, spreading disinformation and propaganda. Suspected violations of sanctions are also known.

Asked whether Chancellor Olaf Scholzs government was taking enough action to address those concerns, he said: No, not at all. Legally, it is absolutely possible to close the Russian House.

He also noted: The Russian House is operated by the government agency Rossotrudnichestvo, which is regarded as an umbrella organisation for a network of Russian compatriots and agents. In this regard, the accusation that the house can also serve as a hub for espionage activities or agent activities is obvious.

Earlier this week, The Telegraph visited the Russian House, which sits between department stores and souvenir shops on Friedrichstrasse, a bustling boulevard in the city centre.

Visitors are mainly Russian expats

A Russian language bookshop, offering translations of the Harry Potter books and American Marvel comics, is on the same premises.

The glass and concrete building has a security guard and a metal detector stationed at the entrance, and is open to the public.

But the vast majority of its customers appeared to be Russian expats seeking the comforts of Russian food and books, rather than tourists or Germans.

The Russian House appears to be taking care to avoid any displays of political content, following a scandal in October 2022 when the centre screened a Holocaust film which depicted Ukrainians as Nazis, echoing Vladimir Putins war propaganda against Kyiv.

The Telegraph understands that the German government is reluctant to close down the Russian House as it fears this would prompt an in-kind response from Moscow, such as the closure of Germanys cultural centre, the Goethe Institute, in the Russian capital.

A spokesman for Germanys foreign office said: At the instigation of the German federal government, the operating organisation of the Russian House has been sanctioned across the EU since July 21, 2022.

The listing results in a freeze of all assets located in the EU for the operating organisation Rossotrudnichestvo. In addition, a comprehensive ban on making assets available is imposed, meaning that EU legal entities may not directly or indirectly make economic resources or financial means available to the organisation or its affiliated entities.

Germany a prime target for Russian spying

Speaking to a reporter earlier this year, Pavel Izvolsky, the director of Russian House, said he did not know why EU sanctions had been imposed on the agency that controlled his centre.

He said: I dont know why Rossotrudnichestvo is under sanctions. It was a decision of Brussels and the EU. It came as a big surprise for me. There are many ministries of the Russian government. Why did they sanction us and not the defence ministry? I dont understand it.

Germany is one of Ukraines biggest financial supporters, committing 21 billion in crisis funding and weapons, such as Leopard tanks, infantry fighting vehicles, and Patriot air defence systems.

It has stopped short of sending powerful, long-range Taurus missiles to Ukraine as Mr Scholz is concerned this could prompt major retaliation by Putin against Germany, which does not have its own nuclear weapons programme.

German intelligence chiefs have warned that decades of lax security and pro-Russian sentiment in the former Communist east have made their country a prime target for Russian spying and sabotage.

Earlier this month, Germany and the United States reportedly foiled a plot to assassinate Armin Papperger, the chief executive of Rheinmetall, a German arms firm which is providing support for the Ukrainian army.

In April, German authorities arrested two German-Russian citizens on suspicion of plotting to sabotage US military sites in Bavaria, which also provide assistance to Ukraine.
Therapies made by a compounding pharmacist are not subject to the same dosing, quality or safety standards as MHT which is TGA-approved. Photograph: BSIP/Universal Images/Getty Images

Prof Susan Davis was shocked to see her name on the website of an Australian telehealth menopause clinic offering a product she believes is frankly reprehensible and misleading women.

Davis, the director of Monash Universitys Womens Health Research Program, was concerned that the unauthorised use of her name and accompanying quotes suggested she backed the custom-made menopause hormone therapy (MHT) being sold.

Known as compounded bioidentical MHT, the treatments are custom-mixed by pharmacists and often promoted as a personalised and natural way to manage menopause symptoms.

While MHT sold in ordinary pharmacies contain known quantities of hormones and are approved by drugs regulator the Therapeutic Goods Administration, therapies made by a compounding pharmacist are not subject to the same dosing, quality or safety standards.

Related: Pills or patches, sprays or gels  everything you need to know about HRT

The website removed Daviss name and quotes after she complained . The company was also using her name on advertisements recruiting doctors.

However, Davis said the problem of companies selling compounded MHT by misleading women to believe it was more natural and therefore safer than regular MHT had really come to a head as industries sought to profit from the menopause moment, especially on social media.

Davis said she frequently had patients come to her with all sorts of problems because they were using a compounded product containing either too much or too little of specific hormones.

Davis, an endocrinologist, said women did not realise the compounded formulations were an unregulated prescription.

Compounded bioidentical hormones have been associated with endometrial cancer, the Australian Menopause Society (AMS) has warned.

On its own, oestrogen  used to treat hot flashes and night sweats and prevent bone loss  may increase the risk of endometrial cancer.

Ensuring the correct dose of the progesterone hormone to balance this is important to protect the lining of the uterus against thickening, which is what increases the cancer risk.

Dr Amie Hanlon, an obstetrician-gynaecologist and member of the AMSs board of directors, said one of the greatest concerns with the use of compounded hormones was that it cant be guaranteed that, if women are using oestrogen, that theres enough progesterone in their products for safety of the uterine lining.

There have been some cases of endometrial cancer arise from the use of compounded hormones, Hanlon said.

Davis said that as well as patients who had required surgical management due to complications from thickening of the lining of the uterus, she had also seen patients with issues arising from massive oestrogen doses.

The Australasian Menopause Society would be aligned with the other national and international societies in that we would all strongly advise against the use of compounded bioidentical hormone therapy, Hanlon said.

Related: Why is menopause still holding Australian women back from their full potential?

The Pharmacy Board of Australias guidelines state that pharmacists should only compound products if there is not an appropriate commercial product available, or if a commercial product is unsuitable for a patient; for example, if someone is allergic to an ingredient in a manufactured product.

In May the federal government banned compounding pharmacies from creating replicas of Ozempic and other weight loss drugs due to safety concerns.

Davis said she did not support a total ban on compounded therapies as these are sometimes the only option in quite unique circumstances.

But the circumstances in which compounded hormones can be prescribed need to be tightly regulated, she said. There should also be the requirement that patients be provided with written information that the treatment is not TGA approved or regulated.

Why do women buy compounded MHT?

Prof Martha Hickey, the chair of obstetrics and gynaecology at the University of Melbourne and the lead author of the Lancet clinical series on menopause published in March, said she was concerned by the increasing promotion of compounded MHT, particularly on social media.

The companies selling these products claim the customised compounding can be better suited to an individuals specific hormone levels, which they will often test based on biological samples. However, Hickey said there was no evidence that the tests, or the customised formulas, can better manage symptoms and hormone levels, which can change frequently during the menopause transition.

We all love the idea of something being individualised  it makes it sound more special, that its being tailored to our needs  but there isnt evidence that these kinds of compounds can provide that individualised care, Hickey said.

Davis said the websites of companies  including the one which appropriated her quotes  are rife with misinformation. She has seen pseudo-scientific claims that bioidentical hormones are more natural than synthetic hormones because they are derived from the Mexican yam root.

Davis said the TGA-approved hormones doctors commonly prescribe were equally natural, given they were also derived from the Mexican yam. The difference is that the TGA-approved products meet regulatory standards.

Related: Menopause market: Australian women being driven to treat symptoms with unnecessary products, study reveals

Most hormone production is from the Mexican yam  including the oral contraceptive pill, Davis said.

It is no different to many of the therapies approved by the TGA, our national regulator of drugs, [which are] equally as bioidentical as what theyre offering.

Theres absolutely no need for a woman to go first to a compounded hormone when we have these available.

The cost of compounded HRT is also considerably higher than conventional HRT. Supplements are also a money pit for women, but theyre probably not going to hurt you, Davis said. The compounded hormones have the potential for harm.

Hickey said women might be turning to compounded hormone therapy when they hadnt received the solutions they were hoping for from conventional menopausal HRT.

All the industries are trying to profit off the menopause moment  This is not just about the unregulated products, its also about heavy marketing of the regulated products, Hickey said.

Many symptoms commonly cited  like brain fog and rage  have not been shown to improve with any kind of menopausal hormone therapy and may not be due to menopause, Hickey said.

Say you have rage or brain fog, and you went to your doctor, and you were given menopausal hormone therapy, and it didnt get better But you can read on social media that it is a menopause symptom, then you might be seeking something else to try and help you deal with that, she said.

Our problem in Australia is that these products are not regulated, and how theyre advertised is not well regulated, so I think it makes women very vulnerable.
Congressman Seth Moulton says Joe Bidens failure to recognise him at D-day was part of a deeper problem. Photograph: Boston Globe/Getty Images

A US congressman has said he decided to join calls for Joe Biden to exit the presidential race after he claimed the 81-year-old appeared not to recognise him at a recent event.

Seth Moulton, a Democratic congressman from Massachusetts, was one of the first Democrats to call for Biden to drop out of the race shortly after his disastrous debate performance last month. On Friday, Moulton ramped up his efforts to oust the president from the 2024 ticket in a damning op-ed for the Boston Globe.

Related: Joe Biden and the Democrats dilemma  podcast

Moulton said he met Biden in a small group for the 80th anniversary of D-day in Normandy on 6 June. For the first time, he didnt seem to recognise me, the Democrat wrote. Of course, that can happen as anyone ages but, as I watched the disastrous debate a few weeks ago, I have to admit that what I saw in Normandy was part of a deeper problem.

It was a crushing realisation, and not because a person I care about had a rough night but because everything is riding on Bidens ability to beat Donald Trump in November.

America needs him to win and, like most Americans, Im no longer confident that he can. The president should bow out of the race.

Last week Donald Trump, the former president and Republican nominee for the 2024 race, was the target of a failed assassination attempt. Moulton said the shooting had shifted the national conversation for now [but] what hasnt changed are these basic facts: Biden is trailing Trump in critical swing states, and he has yet to show us that he is willing or able to change his strategy.

Adam Smith, a Democratic congressman from Washington, had harsher words for Biden on Saturday, saying the presidents campaign team was committing an epic act of political malpractice by allowing him to run.

Speaking to the BBCs Today programme, he said: Democratic party leaders all across this country need to stop being coy, quiet and polite about it and they need to express firmly their opinion that the president should step aside and they need to go to President Bidens campaign team and they need to tell him, You are committing an epic act of political malpractice. Please stop and please put the interests of the party and the country ahead of the selfish interests of Joe Biden.

Biden, who is recovering from Covid, has been under intense pressure to resign since his widely panned debate performance last month. While the president has tried to allay fears about his age and mental capacity for the job with a number of TV interviews and public appearances, he has continued to make gaffes and calls for him to go have persisted.

Related: In search of a credible replacement for Joe Biden | Letters

Last week, at a make-or-break Nato press conference, Biden mistakenly referred to Kamala Harris as vice-president Trump and, earlier in the day, accidentally introduced the Ukrainian president, Volodymyr Zelenskiy, as President Putin.

On Friday, Biden said he was looking forward to getting back on the campaign trail next week as the number of Democratic members of Congress calling on him to step aside surpassed 30.
Summit

The European Political Community junket over which Sir Keir Starmer presided at Blenheim Palace last week was described by him as being a reset of our relations with Europe. This concerned those of us who wish to respect the largest democratic vote in this countrys history to keep Britain out of the European Union, but that was not its main significance. One of the 45 European leaders present was Volodymyr Zelensky, the leader of Ukraine; and his presence was by far the most important. Tedious north London and university high table arguments about rejoining the EU are trivial compared with the existentialist question about Ukraine; and whether the free world is prepared to stop the tyrant Putin taking what he wants from a sovereign neighbour.

The EPC was founded in response to Putins invasion of Ukraine in 2022. On Friday, Mr Zelensky became the first foreign leader to address the Cabinet since Bill Clinton in 1997. Sir Keir is said to have promised Mr Zelensky that British support for Ukraine would be stepped up as part of Britains unshakeable support for that country. There is no reason to doubt his sincerity. Politically, he is on safe ground: most Britons feel disgust at Putins brutality, and share a sense that Ukraine has been bitterly wronged. Sounds from the rest of Europe have been generally less attractive, however, despite Polands having indicated that it would speed up delivery of F-16 jets to Ukraine; and these were tiptoed around at Blenheim.

Germany announced last week that it was halving its military aid to Ukraine. President Macron, one of Ukraines most fervent supporters, is struggling with the more proximate problem of governing a country that through his own recklessness and stupidity he has helped make nearly ungovernable. Elsewhere on the continent are those such as Viktor Orban from Hungary, who wish the whole thing would just go away: though for it to do so would require some major concession to be made to the Russians, rewarding their naked aggression and violating Ukraines intensely strong idea of itself as a nation distinct from its former imperial masters: which brings us to Donald Trump.

Even before a crank attempted to shoot him on 13 July, Mr Trump was set fair to become president of the United States for the second time. His exceptionally close escape, and the unbowed fashion in which he reacted to it, means his opponents will require a miracle to stop him returning to the White House in January. This has serious implications for the Russo-Ukraine war. Last week Mr Trump announced the Ohio senator JD Vance as his running mate. Mr Vance has said that he doesnt care what happens to Ukraine one way or the other. He has opposed further aid and his appointment will delight the Kremlin.

The view there is that when and if he becomes president Mr Trump will try to force territorial concessions out of Ukraine, thereby making all the slaughter and humiliation worth Russias while. With Russias assault so far having failed to conquer Ukraine, two-and-a-half years in, such an initiative could come just as Kyiv might, at last, have the means to press home an advantage against an increasingly enfeebled and demoralised enemy.

At Blenheim, of all places, with its Churchillian resonances, one geopolitical point should have been paramount: that bullies control the playground unless there is a concerted effort to stand up to them. From 1941 Churchill and Roosevelt called such an effort against the Axis the United Nations, the name later being used to describe the hoped-for new world orders debating chamber, where international disputes could be settled without war. Stalins determination to cling to notions of more barbaric conduct hamstrung that, and the UN was soon divided between the Soviet bloc (and its communist and anti-American allies) and what came to be called the West. The West was defined from 1949 with the foundation of Nato; and it is Nato today that, while not belligerent on behalf of Ukraine, is watching its struggle with Russia, its individual members doing what they can to support the side of right and freedom.

But if Mr Trumps throwaway line about ending the war on his first day in office has any link with reality, what does it mean? It can only mean the territorial surrender for which the Kremlin hopes, as a means of Putins saving face. But will Ukraine stomach that? It doesnt matter that the development of its 20th century borders, after Versailles and then Yalta, were in some respects an offence against history. Its present borders, part Habsburg, part Romanov, are those with which its people now identify. Ironically, they have been made so by Russias aggression. If a newly-enthroned President Trump expects Mr Zelensky to surrender part of his territory to the aggressor, Mr Zelensky is likely to do two things: to tell Mr Trump where he can put his grandstanding initiative, and to ask Europe  the very people Sir Keir gathered at Blenheim last week  to support him in doing so.

It is hard to see how the British government could do anything but agree with Mr Zelensky, if it is not to forfeit its credibility in international relations. For that reason David Lammy, the Foreign Secretary, had better be on a plane to Washington as the polls close on 5 November to see whether he can talk the putative president-elect out of doing anything stupid. Since Mr Lammy has only just stopped trumpeting his love affair with the Obamas, and in 2018 called Mr Trump a neo-Nazi-sympathising sociopath, he may have his work cut out. Other European powers, if they have any sense, will have to reject anything that, by rewarding Putins aggression, could encourage him to repeat it  say against the Baltic States, which are members of Nato.

What should have been discussed at Blenheim was whether Mr Trump understood that if he cuts Ukraine adrift, he is torpedoing the very concept of the West that has existed since at least 1949, co-terminously with Nato. Perhaps he is such an isolationist that he doesnt care. If that is so, the half-per cent increase the Government promises in our defence spending will not be nearly enough; the world will by a quantum have become far more dangerous.
Environment Secretary Steve Reed - PAUL GROVER FOR THE TELEGRAPPH

Every single river in the country is polluted, the Environment Secretary has said as he warned that water companies have been covering up the true scale of sewage spills.

Steve Reed said he is not surprised that people are worried about swimming in the sea, lakes and rivers around the country as there is no guarantee that the water is not contaminated.

In his first interview since taking up office, he told The Sunday Telegraph: Every single River in England today is polluted...The public quite rightly are furious that they have to worry about letting their kids splashing about in the river, for fear of what they might catch, because its polluted.

Mr Reed said he will introduce a new system monitoring sewage spills, which involves independent scrutiny of the data, to stop water companies from massaging the figures.

The Environment Agency is currently conducting the largest ever criminal investigation into potential law breaking by water and sewerage companies at thousands of sewage treatment works.

Sewage was spilt 464,056 times last year, totalling more than 3.6 million hours, a record high since monitoring began, according to the latest data published by the Environment Agency.

Water companies are permitted to release sewage into rivers and seas during exceptional circumstances, such as extreme wet weather, to stop it backing up into peoples homes.

But the regularity of spills has led to criticism that the industry has failed to invest in infrastructure to cope with changing weather and increasing population.

A cost of doing business

Under the current regime, water companies are fined by the regulator for sewage spills, but Mr Reed said the financial penalties are so low that bosses just price it in.

Currently, the fines are so low that the company treats it as a cost of doing business, he said. Its cheaper for them to pollute Windermere than it is to fix the sewage pipes that are pumping that filth into the most iconic lake in our country  that cannot be allowed to continue.

Its cheaper for them to pay the fine than to invest in fixing the broken infrastructure. That creates a perverse incentive for them not to fix whats gone wrong.

He said his departments new Water Bill will ensure that the companies face automatic and severe fines for illegal pollution incidents.

Mr Reed said he will introduce further laws aimed at fundamentally transforming the water industry.

This will include setting up a partnership between the government and water sector aimed at raising billions of pounds of private sector investment and encouraging water companies to make long-term plans for investment in their infrastructure.

Steve Reed is in good spirits as he reminisces about how he spent his childhood holidays splashing around by the seaside. But the new Environment Secretarys fond memories quickly turn to anger as explains that this is no longer the experience of families seeking a retreat on the British coast.

When I was younger, wed go to the beach and Id go in the sea and no one worried about it, Steve Reed recalls. Wed go to a lake somewhere and Id go swimming. No one had to think about it twice  you just assumed the water was clean enough to go in and it was.

He went on to describe how this care-free approach is a far cry from the attitude of families in modern-day Britain.

Today parents worry about letting their kids in the water for fear of what they might catch. I want to get back to a position where you dont have to think about that, you just know that the water is clean, he told The Sunday Telegraph.

I want kids today, grandkids  I want them to splash about in the water just like I could. I think theres a huge sense of loss for parents and grandparents to think that their kids cant do what they could do because theres too much sewage in our waterways.

Annual summer rush harvest for basketry on the River Isle in Somerset - ZACHARY CULPIN/BNPS

It is not just the sea that Mr Reed is worried about, it is also rivers and lakes across the country.

Ive been up and down the country during the recent election campaign, he said. Ive got friends who have experienced the same thing. Either theyve gone swimming or theyve put their kids in the water and people have got sick.

You cant guarantee that the water youre going into isnt contaminated because the Conservative government failed to properly regulate the water companies. They let them get away with this for 14 years. So my job is to turn that around.

What weve inherited from the previous government is a situation where every single river in the country is polluted to some extent.

Earlier this month, the water regulator Ofwat announced that it was investigating 11 water and sewage companies in England and Wales for potentially illegal sewage pollution.

While water companies are allowed to release sewage during exceptional circumstances to stop it backing up into peoples homes, campaigners say the frequency of spills is evidence that they are acting outside regulations. Last year, water companies released sewage more than 477,000 times, which was a 58 per cent rise on the previous year.

Illegal releases of sewage

The Environment Agency is carrying out a parallel criminal investigation into companies compliance with environmental permits.

But the regulator has been criticised in the past for failing to act strongly enough to stop suspected illegal releases of sewage into rivers and seas by water companies.

Part of the problem, according to Mr Reed, has been a regulator that has not had enough powers to keep the water companies in check. One of the new laws announced in the Kings Speech was the Water Bill, which will give Ofwat new powers to ensure water bosses face personal criminal liability for lawbreaking.

It will also allow Ofwat to ban the payment of bonuses to water company chiefs if environmental standards are not met, and it will give the regulator the ability to levy automatic and severe fines.

The Bill, which will be brought to parliament in September with a view to getting it on the statute books by Christmas, will also require water companies to install real-time monitors at every sewage outlet, with data that can be independently scrutinised by water regulators.

Mr Reed also wants water companies to foot the bill for much higher levels of compensation payments when water supplies are contaminated.

Weve had contamination incidents, like the one in Brixham earlier this year, he said. The drinking water was contaminated and people were very upset because levels or compensation were very, very low, given the damage that was being done.

Volunteers distribute bottled water in Brixham - HUGH HASTINGS/GETTY IMAGES

And businesses didnt get any compensation at all. So were looking at how we can increase levels of compensation. Id like to see it doubled and Id like to see businesses bought in scope as well.

Last month South West Water said it would automatically apply a 50 credit to customer bills to offset any cost associated with the contamination issues, after 100 people caught a water parasite disease in the Brixham area of Devon.

Mr Reed pointed out that those in the hospitality sector  such as restaurants, pubs and hotels  were impacted by the contamination but were not eligible for any compensation.

The water company is responsible for causing this harm  they should be compensating people who are damaged by it and I do strongly believe in the polluter pays principle.

During the election campaign, the Conservative party repeatedly attacked Labour over their rural policies, claiming that if elected they would wage war on rural communities.

Pointing to Labour manifesto pledges to ban trail hunting, end the culling of badgers, and hike charges for gun owners, the Tories claimed that Sir Keir Starmer was treating countryside voters with contempt.

Nothing to worry about

Since coming to power, Labour has set out their proposals to overhaul the planning rules to help it meet its promise of building 1.5 million new homes. Under their plans, developers will be allowed to build on the green belt if necessary by taking a more strategic approach to green belt land designation and release to build more homes in the right places.

But Mr Reed said that rural communities  who may be concerned that this will result in the countryside being paved over by developers  do not have anything to worry about.

He insisted that it will not be the green belt that is built on per se, but rather the grey belt  land technically in the green belt but not of a particularly high landscape value.

Were not going to build on the green-belt, were going to focus on the grey belt, which is designated green belt but it isnt. Its things like car parks, petrol stations  nobody would think of that as green and pleasant, Mr Reed said.

So well focus on the grey belt. Well focus on brownfield first as part of our approach to planning. But also where areas have got their own local plan in place, then those posts will be respected. If people have got a local plan, if areas have got their local plan in place, which is a statutory framework plan, then it will not be overwritten.

So no ones got anything to worry about.
Cash payments rose for the first time in a decade last year during the cost of living crisis. Photograph: Andrew Duke/Alamy

Campaigners say the chaos caused by the global IT outage last week underlines the risk of moving towards a cashless society.

Supermarkets, banks, pubs, cafes, train stations and airports were all hit by the failure of Microsoft systems on Friday, leaving many unable to accept electronic payments. The impact was especially severe for businesses that no longer accept cash.

The Payment Choice Alliance (PCA), which campaigns against the move towards a cashless society, lists 23 firms and groups, at least some of whose outlets take only credit or debit cards.

There will always be outages, said Ron Delnevo, the PCAs chair. But if there is no alternative, then the whole thing can collapse around you.

Cash payments increased for the first time in a decade last year, according to UK Finance, which represents banks. The number of people who never use cash, or use it less than once a month, reached 23.1m in 2021, but declined to 21.6m last year.

UK Finance said there was definitely still a place for cash. Its up to individual businesses, but we think its good to give people a choice. Most businesses still do offer cash.

The GMB Union said the outage reinforced what it had been saying for years: that cash is a vital part of how our communities operate. When you take cash out of the system, people have nothing to fall back on, impacting on how they do the everyday basics.

Several smaller, unrelated outages had already affected retailers this year. In March, McDonalds, Tesco, Sainsburys and Greggs suffered problems with their payment systems. All of the outlets also accept cash.

Authorities in China and the US have fined businesses for not accepting cash. Delnevo said the UK should have a law requiring all businesses to take cash.

Martin Quinn, campaign director for the PCA, said using cash allowed for anonymity. I dont want my data sold on, and I dont want banks, credit card companies and even online retailers to know every facet of my life, he said. Budgeting by using cash is also easier for some, he added.

If I go out for a night and decide to spend 50, then I might wake up with a bit of shrapnel in my pockets. But if Im in the pub and Im just going tap, tap, tap, then the next morning Ill wake up and find Ive gone into my overdraft.

Link said that, overall, its cash machines were at normal levels, but busier around supermarkets.
A hospital worker drags an empty wheelchair down a corridor

India believes Labour will be more likely than the last British government to grant UK visas to nurses and IT workers.

Trade talks between the UK and India started more than two years ago but were put on hold in March as there was no chance they could be completed before the Indian election.

David Lammy, the Foreign Secretary, will visit India this week and is likely to discuss the resumption of talks.

India previously demanded more visas for nurses, care workers, IT professionals and financial consultants as its price for a free-trade deal with the UK.

The Indian government is said to want to resume talks from where they left off under the previous Conservative administration, in the hope of ironing out a number of differences.

A New Delhi source said: India is keen to resume talks on a positive note, but the date needs clarity.

The trade deal was at the final stage in the previous government and we want to see whether the Labour Government wants to start from where we left it in March before the elections or start afresh from scratch.

They added: Our stance on visas for professionals remains unchanged. We are expecting a positive outcome under the Labour Government.

Previous sticking points

The UK-India trade deal talks had reached an advanced stage but a number of sticking points emerged.

The then UK government wanted to see tax breaks on Scotch whisky exported to India, while India demanded that migrants be able to claw back payments such as National Insurance contributions when they leave the UK.

Earlier this month, Narendra Modi, the Indian prime minister, congratulated Sir Keir Starmer on a remarkable general election victory.

Narendra Modi said he looked forward to strengthening ties - Max Slovencik/Shutterstock

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 said.

Another issue that may come up in Mr Lammys discussions with Indian officials is the UK-based activities of the separatist Khalistan movement, which seeks to create a homeland for Sikhs in India.

Last year, crowds gathered at the Indian High Commission in London and a window was smashed.

The disturbance, believed to be caused by supporters of the Sikh separatist movement, led to two security guards sustaining minor injuries and police arresting one man on suspicion of violent disorder.
A mural of Jerusalem with the caption the gate of return is painted on the border fence that separates Israel and Lebanon in the Lebanese town of Kafr Kila. Photograph: William Christou

Odaisseh had last been bombed four days ago. Israeli missiles would strike it again in the evening. But on this searing July morning, the small Lebanese village on the frontier with Israel was deathly quiet as three armoured cars with UN markings crept along its narrow main road.

From here to the end of Odaisseh, we are not going to see people in the streets, said Lt Col Jose Irisarri, a Spanish officer serving in a battalion of UN peacekeepers in southern Lebanon. Only ambulances and paramedics.

For months, Israel and the militant group Hezbollah have been exchanging fire over the blue line that demarcates Israeli-held territory from Lebanon. Fears are growing it could boil over into full-blown war. In Odaisseh, and other areas to which the Guardian gained access last week with a UN peacekeeping patrol, it appears that war has already arrived.

Long stretches of Odaisseh and a neighbouring village, Kafr Kila, have been reduced to jagged seas of concrete rubble, strewn with rebar, electrical cables and upturned furniture. A yellow Hezbollah flag was tangled in the wreckage of one Kafr Kila home. Shocks of bright-pink bougainvillea protruded from the ruins of others.

The few buildings along Odaissehs main road to be spared a direct hit still carry scars of the villages repeated poundings by heavy bombs, their windows shattered and metal garage doors left writhing and twisted.

The extent of the damage in these villages since October has been rarely glimpsed, at least by the media. Surveillance cameras mounted across the Israeli frontier watch anything that moves. Still, someone has returned in the past week to mount red and black flags in some of the debris, in defiant commemoration of the Shia Muslim religious festival Ashura.

The convoy encountered no traffic but for a Lebanese army vehicle and three ambulances from emergency services organisations linked to Hezbollah and another Shiite party, Amal. At least 16 health workers have been killed in Lebanon since October.

There was no sign of life in the centre of Odaisseh but a lone, stray dog and a young man beneath the awning of a shop, staring as the UN convoy passed. Kafr Kila appeared to have just three people in the streets: two young men and an older one, sitting in the dark underneath a wooden shelter at the roadside, drawing from a water pipe.

We used to call this happy Lebanon, Irisarri says, surveying the damage through his cars reinforced window. For years after Israel and Hezbollah last went to war in the summer of 2006, despite intermittent, renewed outbreaks of fighting, peacekeepers regarded these scenic hills less than an hour from the beaches of the eastern Mediterranean as a plum posting.

That has changed since 8 October, the day after Hamas surprise assault on southern Israel, when Hezbollah launched a barrage of artillery and rockets at Israeli-controlled territory in solidarity with its allies in Gaza.

What has followed over the past nine months has been an escalating game of tit-for-tat, with Hezbollah and local Palestinian allies mounting increasingly heavy bombardments of Israeli military positions and civilian settlements, and Israel responding with vastly greater firepower and a surgical campaign of assassinations of Hezbollah commanders. At least 543 people have died in Lebanon, most of them Hezbollah fighters but many not, including three children killed earlier this week. At least 30 Israelis have died, mostly soldiers.

Those green fields are Israel, Irisarri gestures out the window at farmland in the valley below. It is startlingly close. In quieter times, the call to prayer in Odaisseh could be heard in Misgav Am, the Israeli kibbutz within sight over the fence. But the call no longer sounds and there would be nobody to hear it: both areas have been emptied of civilians, part of an exodus from the wider region of about 60,000 Israelis and more than 90,000 Lebanese.

Related: Israel reportedly kills senior Hezbollah commander in drone strike  as it happened

Israeli attacks have outnumbered those of Hezbollah and its allies by about five to one, according to data from the tracking group Acled. It is a chequered battlefield, the damage overwhelmingly concentrated in Shia areas while some nearby Christian-majority ones are nearly intact. From Marjayoun to Kafr Kila, about 5km, you can see completely different villages, Irisarri says. In some we can see people shopping and having normal lives.

Analysts and diplomats assess both sides would prefer to end the fighting so that civilians can return home, but are entangled in a cycle of mutual escalation. Whats going on now is an attrition war, says Khalil Helou, a retired Lebanese general. One that we are losing, as Lebanon. And Hezbollah is losing. And Israel is losing.

The Israeli prime minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, has been under pressure to find a way for his citizens, many holed up in hotels at the governments expense, to return to the north before the next school year in September. Military planners in Tel Aviv understand an open war with Hezbollah, thought to have more than 130,000 rockets and missiles in its stockpile, could do unprecedented damage to Israeli cities.

Hezbollah, too, is thought to be feeling the strain. The faces of hundreds of its slain commanders and fighters line walls and roadsides across Shia-majority parts of the country; in response to precisely targeted Israeli drone and airstrikes, the groups leader Hassan Nasrallah recently warned members to stop carrying phones. But the assassinations continue. When you dont have a phone and go to a gathering, that is more suspicious, Helou says.

A ceasefire in Gaza could provide a way out. Hezbollah says it would unilaterally stop launching weapons into Israel if its forces left Gaza. What appears more politically palatable for Netanyahu is a transition to an undefined lower-intensity war. Depending what form that takes, negotiators hope it may be enough for the Islamist group to back off.

Say there is no big operation, military operation on the ground against Gaza or trying to invade some places again, says Abbas Ibrahim, a former Lebanese security chief who negotiated between Hezbollah and the west during his tenure. It means its a ceasefire.

Israels other call is for Hezbollahs fighters and weapons to be relocated at least 5km away from the border  far from villages like Odeissah and Kfar Kila.

That is a more difficult demand, analysts say, and misunderstands how deeply woven the group is in frontline villages such as these, which have been defined for decades by resistance to Israeli wars and occupations.

A fighter [in these areas] has his normal life as farmer or a worker in a factory or sometimes a business owner, but at the same time has this dual role as a Hezbollah fighter, says Mohanad Hage Ali, a fellow at the Carnegie Middle East Centre.

Instead, Israel may be seeking to make the villages unliveable, Helou says. These guys are at home, he says. Their homes are their combat positions. You cant tell them to leave. So, the Israelis are destroying the homes, destroying the combat positions.

Additional reporting by William Christou
A double-decker bus after the Leeds riots

Protesters in Leeds chanted please bring the kids back after a child care case triggered a night of mob rioting.

The Harehills area of the Yorkshire city descended into violence on Thursday after police and social services removed children from a home belonging to a Romanian Roma family.

A mob of about 1,000 people pelted police with bricks and bottles before torching a police car and a bus.

Tensions remained high as members of the Roma community held a vigil where they chanted please bring the kids back.

Leeds city council later called for calm and announced it was investigating its handling of the family matter.

The remains of a bus after it was torched during violent protests on Thursday night - Asadour Guzelian

On Saturday, the parents of the four children taken into care announced they were going on hunger strike to demand their return.

Stefania Banu, a community leader and representative of the Roma community in Leeds, claimed social services and police showed systemic racism and discrimination in its handling of the case.

Its been a misunderstanding of the Romanian Roma culture, which we believe is systemic racism and discrimination, he said.

The father of the children wept as he told The Telegraph his family was heartbroken and simply wanted his children returned.

Local people watch the clean up of the Harehills area - Christopher Furlong/Getty Images

It is understood the social services intervened over concerns the family was planning to travel to Romania.

Ms Banu, who has held meetings with the council, claimed social services and police did not explain to the parents why the children were being removed or offer them a proper chance to address complex allegations of neglect.

Videos posted on social media of two children being forcibly removed  one in handcuffs  are believed to have fuelled Thursday nights disorder.

West Yorkshire Police said officers were called at 5pm on Thursday after social workers reported being met with hostility when dealing with a child protection matter.

Ms Banu claims the Roma community didnt understand what was happening during the social services intervention.

She said her community is accustomed to systemic injustice and they reacted, adding: They are a united community which talks about the children as if they were their own children. It was the reaction of one big family.

Police patrol the Harehills neighbourhood after riots in Leeds - Christopher Furlong/Getty Images

Friday night saw a few hundred people attend a peaceful vigil, which went on until the early hours of Saturday morning.

In a statement, Leeds city council said: The council has agreed to undertake an urgent review of the case and work with Romanian and Roma-led organisations, the churches, and the Honorary Consulate of Romania and other family representatives for the best interests of the family and wider Roma community.

The local authority urged all communities to remain calm to try to prevent a repeat of Thursday nights disturbances which culminated in five arrests on Friday.

Local people are devastated by what happened, and we want to ensure there is no repeat of the distressing scenes we saw. Such actions will have a long lasting and harmful impact on our community, the statement continues.

The Romanian and Roma community have played a fantastic role in the community and have contributed much to the diversity and richness of the Harehills. We want this work to continue, and develop further work that makes Harehills an even better place to work and live.

Yvette Cooper, the Home Secretary, said those responsible for Thursday nights audacious criminality should feel the full force of the law.

West Yorkshire Police is analysing footage of the violence and has made five arrests, further arrests are expected in the next few days.

A police presence was maintained on Saturday in the rows of terraced redbrick houses where a large Romanian Roma community is based.

A man has been charged with arson and violent disorder after the disturbances.

Iustin Dobre, 37, of Clifton Mount, Harehills, was charged after a bus was set on fire during rioting in Harehills, Leeds, on Thursday evening, West Yorkshire Police said.

He was charged with violent disorder and arson reckless as to endanger life.

Police said he was remanded to appear at Leeds Magistrates Court on Monday.

Earlier on Saturday, officers arrested another five people on suspicion of violent disorder. They remain in police custody.

Four people who were initially arrested have been bailed pending further investigation.
Coles and Woolworths have indicated they are open and trading on Saturday, but say some checkouts may still be closed. Photograph: Lukas Coch/AAP

Supermarkets, banks, airlines and industries across Australia are slowly recovering on Saturday morning from the massive global Windows outage caused by a CrowdStrike software update gone wrong, with experts warning it could take weeks to resolve.

On Friday morning, the CEO of the Texas-based cybersecurity company, George Kurtz, apologised for the outage, and said it was not a cyber-attack, but a software update issue on its cloud-based cybersecurity platform Falcon for Microsoft Windows. It had since been fixed.

However, because the error effectively disabled systems across the globe, landing them on the blue screen of death, it requires manual intervention to fix each system, rather than simply broadcasting out a new update to resolve the error.

This means IT support staff in businesses across the globe will need to implement the fix one computer at a time, in person and not remotely, experts have said.

As of Saturday morning, both Coles and Woolworths indicated they were open, but some checkouts may still be closed. Guardian Australia observed at one Woolworths about one-third of the self-checkouts were displaying the blue screen errors.

All our stores are open today and trading with both cash and card. Saturdays are a busy shopping day and we have plenty of stock on hand, a Woolworths spokesperson said. Some checkouts continue to be affected by the global outage so we thank customers in advance for their patience and treating our team with respect.

Following some disruption to a small number of orders last night, our online system is operating as normal with our team expected to pick and deliver thousands of orders over the weekend.

A Coles spokesperson said supermarkets were open, but indicated some liquor stores may delay being opened as they recover.

Some registers may be temporarily unavailable while we fully recover. We are putting on additional team members to assist customers with their shopping, and we thank everyone for their patience, the spokesperson said.

Many Liquorland, Vintage Cellars and First Choice Liquor stores will also be trading. All our remaining liquor stores will re-open as soon as systems are restored.

Sydney and Melbourne airports reported being up and running on Saturday morning, but indicated some airlines may have delays.

The global technology issue affected check-in procedures for some airlines at Melbourne Airport last night, however most passengers were able to depart, Melbourne airport posted on X.

This morning, all airlines are online and can check in passengers. There may be an increase in passenger congestion today in our terminals as airlines process some delayed passengers from last night.

Sydney airport warned of knock-on impacts from the previous nights delays.

Qantas is understood to be back to business as usual, and no cancellations were reported on Saturday morning as a result of the outage. Jetstar said its IT systems are back up and running and the vast majority of flights are planned to operate today as scheduled, but there may be some impacts to flights as a result of cancellations on Friday.

Bendigo Bank said on Saturday morning it was restoring its systems after the outage and ebanking was now available but there may be delays in some transactions. ATMs were unaffected. The Commonwealth Bank said all of its services were available on Saturday morning.

Broadcasters, including the ABC and Channel Ten, which suffered technical issues due to the outage were back online on Saturday. In an email to staff, Tens head of news, Martin White, said staff stepped up in the most trying circumstances.

We went from writing a rundown on a piece of paper  to typing into the one working laptop to go on set  to putting together a series of the most comprehensive and dynamic bulletins you will ever see, he said.

We put our own tech struggles aside, for the sake of our viewers. And that is what makes for great journalism.

Related: Full recovery from largest IT outage in history could take weeks

After the second meeting of the national coordination mechanism of Australian governments that was activated following the outage, the home affairs minister, Clare ONeil, said the Australian economy was in a recovery phase from the outage, with most systems back online.

For most customer-facing systems, most companies that use CrowdStrike are fully operational, but we are seeing some teething issues, she told reporters in Melbourne. ONeil said most in the country would go about their weekend not noticing any issues, but said people should be patient and not take out any frustration on frontline staff.

ONeil acknowledged there needed to be an examination of why so many organisations were reliant on one US-based company like CrowdStrike.

I think there is a conversation here about what needs to be done when we have so many companies around the world who are reliant on one particular provider of technology, she said. But I would also say that as with my cyber responsibilities, as Ive often said to Australians, it is not feasible or possible for any government around the world to say that were never going to have it outages and were never going to have cyber-attacks.

ONeil said it was too early to say the cost to the Australian economy or discuss whether CrowdStrike should pay compensation.

There will be a long run of discussions about what weve learned and who is ultimately culpable. Those are not questions for today.

The Australian Cyber Security Centre warned on Saturday that a number malicious websites and unofficial code were being released claiming to help businesses recover from the outage, and the centre said it strongly encourages all consumers to source their technical information and updates from official CrowdStrike sources only.

In a new update on Saturday, Kurtz said he sincerely apologised for the outage, and CrowdStrike understands the gravity and impact of the situation. The company has pledged to provide support for those affected, and continuous updates.

Nothing is more important to me than the trust and confidence that our customers and partners have put into CrowdStrike, he said. As we resolve this incident, you have my commitment to provide full transparency on how this occurred and steps were taking to prevent anything like this from happening again.

CrowdStrike was approached for comment.
The remains of a school and a church in Ta Baw Kor Der, Myanmar. Schools have been frequently targeted by airstrikes across the country, the report says. Photograph: Matias Bercovich

Airstrikes, arson, shelling and ground fighting between the military and armed rebel groups have damaged at least 174 schools and universities in Myanmar since a military coup in 2021, according to a new report.

Open source investigator, the Centre for Information Resilience (CIR), said analysis of imagery from conflict zones showed burned and collapsed buildings.

The group said it had documented 64 deaths and 106 injuries from the attacks, although it was difficult to verify the full extent of casualties because of a lack of access to the sites.

The country was plunged into conflict after Myanmars military seized power three years ago, ousting the democratically elected government of Aung San Suu Kyi and sparking armed resistance and protest across the country. According to Action on Armed Violence, a charity that investigates violence against civilians, at least 50,000 people have been killed.

Matt Lawrence, director of CIRs Myanmar Witness project, said that in more than half of attacks it assessed, education centres had been destroyed or significantly damaged, which would have a lasting impact on youngsters living in these areas.

He said the destruction of schools would harm a generation growing up during the conflict without access to education, which he said was important to produce reasonable, progressive leaders.

What worries me is, as this conflict goes on  and its likely to go on for a long time  the conflict will be inherited by that generation and instead of being informed by the reason and hope they get through the education system, theyre instead going to be informed by the factionalism and war theyve grown up with, said Lawrence.

CIR, which published its findings on Saturday, used reports and imagery uploaded on social media or directly sent to it, as well as drone footage from the grassroots peoples defence forces, which have emerged since 2021 to fight the junta.

Lawrence said that wherever there was intense fighting, schools would be damaged. Some of the worst destruction is in Sagaing region, where fighting has been fierce.

Related: Rohingya being forcibly conscripted in battle between Myanmar and rebels

He said while it was not always possible to identify who was responsible for the damage, only the Myanmar military had access to the aircraft used for airstrikes.

The juntas key weapon in this conflict is airstrikes. Theyre bombing villages, bombing schools. But they also use fire and burn down villages and schools, he said.

Both sides will say the schools they attacked were being used for a military purpose at the time. Thats often the excuse given for attacking these areas that should be protected, but often that is the only infrastructure for a community to teach its children  the removal of that place removes the opportunity for them to be educated.

The report was released before Sundays meeting of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (Asean).

Commenting on the analysis, the UK Foreign Office said: Schools are meant to be a place of safety and opportunity, not collateral in a conflict. Asean is critical to finding a path to peace in Myanmar. We again reiterate our call to all parties, particularly the Myanmar military, to refrain from airstrikes, safeguard civilians, and protect civilian infrastructure.
Labour says its support for nuclear deterrence is 'total' - Chris Eades/The Sun/PA

More than a quarter of Sir Keir Starmers Cabinet opposed the renewal of the Trident nuclear weapons system.

Six members of the Prime Ministers top team voted against renewing the deterrent when the issue came before the Commons in 2016.

These included Angela Rayner, Sir Keirs deputy, and David Lammy, the Foreign Secretary, while Louise Haigh, Lisa Nandy, Jo Stevens and Ian Murray also voted against.

Fifteen of Sir Keirs Cabinet broke with the party line under Jeremy Corbyn, Sir Keirs predecessor, and voted to support securing Trident for a generation.

But Ms Rayner and Mr Lammy were two of the most vocal supporters of Mr Corbyns position, claiming welfare and public service cuts meant Britains nuclear deterrent could no longer be justified.

Labour launched a strategic defence review last week which is due to look at ways the nuclear deterrent can be modernised and maintained.

The partys election manifesto included a triple-lock commitment to the nuclear submarine programme in the wake of the party shifting its policy positions on national security issues.

It promised to maintain Trident, build four new submarines in Barrow-in-Furness and commit to all the future upgrades needed to British nuclear defences.

However in the aftermath of the vote in 2016 Ms Rayner said: Thanks for the tremendous support [for] my position over Trident.

Amazed we can find money for this but we steal 30 a week off disabled people.

A similar argument was made by Mr Lammy, the MP for Tottenham, the previous year.

In January 2015, he wrote on social media: We shouldnt be prioritising nuclear bombs when public services like housing and the NHS are in crisis. Ill be voting against Trident renewal.

During the general election campaign, Ms Rayner said she still backed global nuclear disarmament, while Mr Lammy insisted he was now 100 per cent behind Trident.

Appearing on a BBC political programme on July 18 2016  the day of the Commons vote  Ms Nandy, who is now the Culture Secretary, made the case against renewing Trident.

During her 2020 Labour leadership campaign, she would clarify she wanted to keep Trident as long as progress could eventually be made towards global nuclear disarmament.

In 2015, Ian Murray, the Scotland Secretary, proudly declared in an article for the LabourList website he was a lifelong opponent of nuclear weapons.

He came under pressure during the election to clarify whether he would stand by his lifelong remark or fall in line behind Sir Keirs unshakeable commitment to the deterrent.

HMS Vigilant, one of the UK's four nuclear warhead-carrying submarines, at HM Naval Base Clyde - Danny Lawson/PA

Tory critics have raised concerns about how Cabinet ministers views on nuclear weapons could impact Britains special relationship with the United States.

Mark Francois, a Conservative MP and former Armed Forces minister, said: As it now looks increasingly likely we will see a Trump presidency, he may well be unimpressed to learn how many members of the new British Cabinet voted personally against renewing our nuclear deterrent.

This is not just about paying your membership fee of the Nato club. Its about whether you even believe in its ultimate deterrent capability at all.

A Labour spokesman said: The Labour Governments support for nuclear deterrence is total.

As set out in the Labour manifesto, the deterrent is triple-locked. We will build four new nuclear submarines at Barrow-in-Furness, maintain Britains continuous at-sea deterrence, and deliver all future upgrades needed to keep our country safe.

While in government the Conservatives hollowed out our Armed Forces, shrunk the Army to its smallest size since Napoleon, wasted billions of pounds by mismanaging defence procurement, and allowed morale to fall to record lows. They failed British troops and British taxpayers.
As Donald Trump (far right) clinches the Republican nomination, Joe Bidens political future grows even hazier and Kamala Harris waits in the wings. Composite: AFP, Getty Images

They browsed Trump bobbleheads, Trump mugs (Make coffee great again!) and Trump T-shirts, including a new line celebrating his defiance of an assassins bullet. They lined up at food stalls for beef sticks, gourmet popcorn, Puerto Rican roasted chicken and the local speciality, fried cheese curds. Beer was flowing, the sun was shining and Republicans were experiencing something they had not felt for a long time: joy.

This years Republican national convention in Milwaukee had the swagger of a party that believes it is on a glide path to the White House. Entirely in thrall to Donald Trump, it was more united than it has been in decades. The former US president might offer a notoriously dark and divisive vision but his supporters exuded optimism in what one journalist dubbed the happiest place on Earth.

That was based not only on 78-year-old Trumps strength but the weakness of his opponent. Joe Biden, 81, reeling from a calamitous debate performance and now suffering from the coronavirus, was facing growing calls from his party to quit the race. In contrast with Republicans harmony, Democrats are locked in a circular firing squad and painful struggle over the best way forward.

With just over a hundred days until the election, Republicans have the momentum. An Emerson College poll published on Thursday found 46% of registered voters said they support Trump, compared with 42% for Biden and 12% undecided. Crucially, Trump was ahead in all seven battleground states that will decide the all-important electoral college.

Its very clear the path to the electoral college for Trump has widened and for Biden its narrowed, Amy Walter, publisher and editor-in-chief of the Cook Political Report, said in an interview on the sidelines of the Milwaukee convention. Even before the debate, before the assassination attempt, Biden was trailing.

The fundamental challenge for Biden and his campaign is theyve been on their heels for months. The debate was the opportunity to get back on offence; obviously, its not. You feel it while youre here that Trump is ahead and its his race to lose and Biden is behind with a divided party and without an obvious path forward.

Last weeks Republican convention set out to consolidate the lead by appealing to moderate voters. It proved to be a disciplined operation, mostly avoiding topics such as abortion rights and the January 6 insurrection while toning down attacks on the media. There was no repeat of the Lock her up! chants aimed at Hillary Clinton that filled the low-morale convention hall in 2016.

Walter added: In 2016, because the party was so divided, what was unifying Republicans was their disdain for Hillary Clinton  all of the chants of Lock her up, all of the signs and T-shirts to put Hillary in jail. Theres not a whole lot of anti-Biden or anti-Harris stuff here that Ive seen. Its all pro-Trump, were united, we believe we can do this and dont give Democrats, dont give Biden, dont give Harris any opportunity to get back in this game.

Trump himself may have given Democrats at least a half-chance with a Thursday night speech that rambled for more than an hour and a half  the longest televised convention speech in history  and regressed into his characteristic divisive themes and lies.

But whereas the 2016 convention was marred by boos and infighting as Trump seized control, this one was defined by overwhelming displays of solidarity and a full embrace of his Maga agenda. Delegates brandished signs that included Make America great again, Trump = success, Biden = failure, Trump America First. Biden America Last, American oil from American soil and Mass deportation now!

The cult of personality extended to a Trump bust made of Indiana limestone, a book of Trump poetry fashioned from his tweets and Trumps shoe in an exhibition of presidential footwear.

Danny Willis, 25, chair of Delaware Young Republicans, said: Now we have people taking shots at him  attempted assassination. Were all here even more engaged, more inspired, more proud to vote here and make sure we get Donald Trump back in the White House.

That the ex-presidents life had been spared by a quarter of an inch was widely seen as divine intervention, elevating him to the status of a martyr. Some delegates wore ear bandages on the convention floor to express their support. Trumps erstwhile primary election foes, Nikki Haley and Ron DeSantis, showed up with full-throated endorsements.

Even Asa Hutchinson, a Trump critic who also contested the primary, acknowledged: Confidence is the right word. Ive been to six Republican conventions and Ive never seen a higher level of confidence as they go into the fall election.

Hutchinson, a former governor of Arkansas, advised Democrats to replace Biden before it is too late: You got to switch. You got to roll the dice. Take a chance on somebody else. Its strength versus weakness. Strength wins every time.

Self-isolating at his Delaware beach house,Biden now faces the biggest decision of his political career. But the walls are closing in on the embattled Democrat.

A stream of dismal polling has deepened Democrats pessimism about the presidents chances of winning re-election. A survey this week by AP-Norc Center for Public Affairs Research found that among his own supporters, two-thirds of Democrats now say Biden should not be the nominee.

His latest bout of Covid-19 was terribly timed  interrupting a multi-day trip to battleground Nevada designed to confront a host of compounding weaknesses: the presidents poor standing on immigration and the economy as well as his sliding support among Latinos and Black voters.

A fiery speech at the NAACP annual convention in Las Vegas, during which the president touted his accomplishments on behalf of Black America and declared that Kamala Harris, the 59-year-old vice-president, could be president of the United States, did little to quell widening dissent within the party. Online clips of his flubbed lines circulated, ensuring that even one of his most vigorous post-debate appearances came up short.

Daniella Ballou-Aares, the chief executive of a coalition of business leaders called Leadership Now Project that has urged the president to pass the torch to protect American democracy, acknowledged: Every scenario is risky right now. Theres no risk-free scenario.

But theres a very strong bench in the Democratic party so the feasibility of getting a good ticket is certainly there, she added. Of course its going to be a hard run to win, but that risk seems like a better bet than the current path that were on.

As of Friday, more than 30 congressional Democrats, including three US senators, had called on the president to step aside, while the partys top leaders, including Chuck Schumer, the Senate majority leader; Hakeem Jeffries, the House minority leader; and Nancy Pelosi, the former House speaker, all reportedly telling the president in private that his path to victory is all but extinguished.

In their pleas to the president, they praise his half-century of public service and his accomplishments in the White House, which included the passage of landmark climate legislation, an infrastructure package, a gun control measure and billions in dollars in aid to Ukraine. But they also appeal to his patriotism, saying he helped to save the country from Trump in 2020, but now risks handing the former president a second term.

Some high-profile Democrats are rising to Bidens defense, notably two progressive powerhouses, Bernie Sanders, the Vermont senator, and Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, the New York representative. In a lengthy Instagram live stream, Ocasio-Cortez blamed Democratic elites for belatedly coming forward with their concerns about the presidents age without considering the amount of chaos replacing him would inject into the race.

Biden ally Rev Al Sharpton, who spoke to the president on Monday ahead of his NAACP speech, also cautioned against pressuring Biden to step aside.

Let him make up his mind, he said. If he decides to walk, let him walk with his dignity, and if he decides to stay in it, hes earned the right.

Sharpton was skeptical of certain members motivations for seeking Bidens replacement and said he was dismayed by the degree of disrespect being extended to a president with a lengthy record of legislative accomplishments. He said some of the calls appeared to be playing to a centrist kind of voting baseas many progressive, Black and Hispanic leaders stand by the president.

If you want to talk about contrast, look at how incoherent Donald Trump was last night. He was all over the place, Sharpton said, noting that not one Republican has asked him to step aside, so whats the standard?

Publicly, Biden has dug in. In recent media appearances, hes said he was 1,000% certain he would continue as the partys nominee, unless he was hit by a train or diagnosed with a medical condition. But his campaign is struggling to break through, with every attempt to turn the attention back on Trump and his anti-democratic agenda swamped by questions about the presidents mental acuity and fitness for office.

They dont know how to turn this around, Frank Luntz, a pollster and consultant, said recently, warning that Biden risked suffering a death of a thousands cuts.

An overwhelming majority of Democratic delegates are pledged to Biden, who was expected to be formally nominated as the partys standard-bearer at its convention in Chicago next month. But amid the turmoil, the thousands of delegates elected to decide the partys nominee are suddenly unsure how to proceed and say they are being given little guidance.

These Democrats  the party faithful  are wrestling with technical questions  what would an open convention look like, what is the process for choosing a new nominee  but also how they should, as the rules state, reflect the sentiments of those who elected them if the candidate ends his campaign?

Elaine Kamarck, a senior fellow at the Brookings Institution and a member of the Democratic national conventions rules committee, said: Weve never had a situation quite like this where the primaries were over, a very clearcut winner, and yet something was discovered, unclosed, whatever you want to call it, after the end of the primaries that caused people to severely doubt whether or not their nominee should proceed. Weve never faced this.

Speaking on a briefing call organized by Delegates Are Democracy, a newly launched initiative intended to help educate delegates about the nomination process, Kamarck said Harris was the most likely replacement for Biden at this late stage in the election cycle  not necessarily because she is the best candidate but because she has major built-in advantages, including that she has already been vetted at the national level and is privy to daily security briefings.

With every day, with every minute, Kamarck said, were running out of time.

Yet if the past month has proved anything, it is that there are more twists, turns and unknowns to come. John Zogby, an author and pollster, said: The editor of my book said to me yesterday: Is it over? I said: Absolutely not! Not only barring the unforeseen  weve already had the unforeseen a few times already.

Imagine what could happen over the next four months.
The King and Queen will be travelling to Australia and Samoa in October - Getty/Andrew Matthews

The luxury beachside resort where the King and Queen will stay in Samoa is in a rush to upgrade after reviews condemned its musty linens and outdated tiles.

The hotel, which The Telegraph is not naming for security reasons, has secured 85,000 (WST$300,000) in government funding to upgrade the tired premises ahead of the royal visit in October.

A large chunk of the money will be used to upgrade the presidential suite, where Their Majesties will likely stay, while other funds will be used to install baths, water features, improve the driveway to the presidential suite and the entrance roundabout.

Buckingham Palace confirmed last week that the King would be travelling to Australia and Samoa in October.

The tour, which was originally set to take in New Zealand and Fiji, was curtailed on doctors advice following the Kings cancer diagnosis and will now last around 10 days in total.

The couple is expected to travel to Australia first, with visits to the Australian Capital Territory and New South Wales, before attending the Commonwealth heads of government meeting, which begins on Oct 21 in Samoa.

The four-star hotel earmarked for the stay on the Polynesian island is situated within a lagoon just a stones throw from white sandy beaches.

Villagers to stand guard

The manager has revealed that local villagers have been asked to help guard the outside of the resort during the Kings visit.

The hotels farm and ocean to plate ethos that prioritises fresh, local produce will no doubt please the King, while its commitment to the environment, from sustainable waste systems to village tree planting days, also chimes with the monarchs own green credentials.

However, the reviews are mixed, with some recent visitors warning that while the staff are lovely, the facilities are less than clean, everything is run down and falling apart.

Others warned that the rooms were tired, the bathroom fixtures and fittings were dated, the bed linen musty and the air conditioning noisy.

The food was described by one guest as bland and tasteless.

But while the local government has agreed to fund the required refurbishments, the money has not yet been forthcoming, prompting fears that the improvement works will go right down to the wire.

The money is expected to be taken from the WST$20 million (5.5 million) allocated in the national budget for the Commonwealth meeting.

Good and bad reviews

Other guests have been gushing in their praise for the hotel, singling out its location, friendly staff and beautiful beach.

The manager acknowledged that there were always good and bad reviews, and that visitors had different expectations.

We have to acknowledge the circumstances as it is and work for ways to make it better, he said. The accommodations and other plans will be of the highest calibre.

The hotel will be closed for a week ahead of the King and Queens visit to allow staff to prepare and to carry out the necessary security inspections.

Staff are hoping to welcome their VIP guests with a traditional ava ceremony to show off Samoan culture and are waiting to hear back from the British High Commission about whether it will be permitted.

The ceremony is one of the islands most important rituals and involves the sharing of a ceremonial ava drink, made with the dried roots of the native kava plant mixed with water and drunk from a coconut shell cup.

The heads of government meeting brings together delegations from 56 countries in Africa, the Caribbean and Americas, Europe, Asia, and the Pacific.

Buckingham Palace said the King and Queens programme will be subject to doctors advice, with any necessary modifications to be made on health grounds.
British GPs say they are not ready to cooperate with UK Biobank, which wants access to patients primary healthcare data. Photograph: Chinnapong/Shutterstock

Researchers have called on the government to step in to settle a dispute preventing them from fully exploiting the worlds largest store of human genetic data. The scientists say they are unable to access patients data, held by British GPs, despite a decade of requests, and that the refusal is impeding the development of new diagnoses and treatments.

Prof Naomi Allen, chief scientist of UK Biobank, told the Observer it had sequenced genomes of more than 500,000 volunteers and collated a host of other data about them. However, it was still prevented from accessing their primary health care data held by their GPs.

We have been trying to get our hands on primary care data for a decade now and we have got nowhere, Allen said. It is deeply frustrating and shows the government needs to step in to shoulder responsibility so busy GPs dont have to.

That data would transform our ability to uncover the causes of so many diseases and help researchers develop new treatments. Getting access to primary care data from GPs would ultimately help the whole world in terms of treating illnesses.

However, the BMA  which represents the views and rights of doctors  said in 2023 that it was not yet ready to cooperate with UK Biobank. There were concerns about GPs workloads and their role as legal controllers of the data. A year later, GPs have not changed their position.

In November the Observer reported that the health information database had been shared with insurance companies by Biobank, despite a pledge it would not be. The data was provided to insurance consultancy and tech companies for projects to create digital tools that help insurers predict a persons risk of getting a chronic disease.

Allen said at the time that careful processes had always been followed: De-identified health data has been shared because these are bona fide researchers working on health-related research, including looking at what impacts human health and longevity  and that is what our participants signed up to help with.

UK Biobank, funded from the Wellcome Trust and the Medical Research Council, was set up to create a massive DNA database of British people, information that could unravel the causes of disease and pinpoint treatments. Half a million volunteers aged between 40 and 69 years old provided blood from which their entire genomes were sequenced. Over the past two decades they have had their brains and bodies imaged by MRI scanners, worn monitors to assess activity levels and taken part in cognitive questionnaires.

This anonymised information has been shared with thousands of researchers internationally, helping them predict diseases before standard symptoms appear.

An example is provided by Parkinsons disease. Researchers, using UK Biobank data, established a link between activity levels in individuals who develop the condition several years later, making it possible to identify those who will get the condition many years earlier than is possible today. There are drugs now on the market that can help the early symptoms of Parkinsons, so there are benefits for patients, Allen said. In addition, researchers have found a pattern of proteins that can predict the development of dementia up to 10 years in advance, and there are now at least two drugs that have been approved by the FDA to treat early onset Alzheimers disease and reduce early cognitive decline.

Among the myriad files of information about volunteers used to make these breakthroughs are hospital records. However, their GP records cannot be accessed even though these patients have given explicit written consent for their use by scientists. This data provides indications of the very earliest appearance of a symptom of a condition. The fact we cannot get hold of that data is our number one bugbear, said Allen.

However, Dr Katie Bramall-Stainer, chair of the BMA GP Committee, England, said GPs took their responsibilities as controllers of patient data seriously. If a GP were to pass on data which was then not protected sufficiently  the GP would be held responsible, regardless of whether the patient consented. We are still in the process of exploring with UK Biobank what assurances they can provide to inspire absolute confidence from individual practices. The BMA would not oppose a centralised national solution.

Today, the average age of a UK Biobank volunteer is about 70. Of these, 15,000 have developed breast cancer; 15,000 have prostate cancer; 10,000 have colorectal cancer and 30,000 have dementia. In total, about 10% of all volunteers have died.

We have now got a relatively narrow window of opportunity to collect as much information as we can from these remaining individuals to find out what is causing disease in middle and old age, added Allen. It is a key priority and getting access to all their health data is going to be crucial. That is why we want to get access to GPs data.
Roads have been widened for the military in Rafah surrounded by total destruction. Photograph: Ohad Zwigenberg/Reuters

In the months before the Israeli invasion, Gazas southernmost city of Rafah was a lifeline, a place where thousands sought shelter or scrabbled to raise funds to cross into neighbouring Egypt.

Now satellite images and social media video uploaded by Israeli soldiers stationed around the city show roads widened for armoured vehicles surrounded by total destruction, including buildings razed to the ground in the once bustling city.

Social media video and satellite images show the destruction of the Rafah crossing point, previously the last remaining passenger route out of Gaza, after Israeli forces seized control of the area in early May. Soon afterwards, Israel said it had operational control of the entire Philadelphi corridor, a slim strip of land that runs next to the border with Egypt, where an Israeli presence is prohibited by the 1979 peace treaty between the two nations.

Israeli forces also built a new road between the Rafah and Kerem Shalom crossing points, known as Davids Pass, and widened parts of the road running along the Philadelphi corridor, to smooth the way for military vehicles. A social media video uploaded by an Israeli soldier standing next to the Mediterranean, in an area once dotted with tents, shows a makeshift Israeli watchtower in the shadow of one that was until recently used by Egyptian soldiers, and a cluster of military bulldozers and construction equipment.

The moves appear designed to support the long-term presence of Israeli troops in Gaza, signalling little end to a war that has already lasted over nine months, the longest in Israels history.

Its almost a forever war, said Nadav Weiman, the head of Breaking the Silence, an organisation of Israeli veterans critical of the state and militarys policies.

Rafah, previously a city of about 200,000 people, swelled as more than a million more sought shelter, huddling close to Gazas sole southern crossing point, a beacon for those able to leave until Israeli forces took control and then destroyed the crossing. This choked off the supply of aid that flowed in through southern Gaza. Since early May, no aid trucks have entered Rafah, while UN data shows that fewer than 2,500 trucks have entered the enclave in three months, a fraction of the relief required.

The changes to Rafah are in line with Israeli military construction elsewhere in Gaza, including bulldozing a buffer zone around the border with Israeli territory and construction of the Netzarim corridor, which bisects the territory and cuts off Gaza City from population centres to the south. The Israeli newspaper Haaretz estimates that Gaza has now lost about 26% of its territory to the military as a result of these changes.

When asked whether Israeli troops would continue to occupy the Philadelphi corridor long term, the Israel Defense Forces said it does not comment on operational plans.

Israels activities in Rafah have disturbed its allies in Cairo and in Washington, blowing past the red lines previously set by US president Joe Biden, who warned in May that he would decline to supply offensive weaponry if Israel were to go into Rafah.

A serving Egyptian officer who spoke to the Sinai Foundation for Human Rights, a monitoring group, told them it was the saddest day of my life, when he was instructed to withdraw his troops from the Egyptian side of the Philadelphi corridor. The Egyptian military, he believed, feared further confrontations similar to an exchange of fire between the two forces that occurred in late May which killed two Egyptian soldiers.

I was taught that this corridor is forbidden for any Israeli military presence, he said, adding that Egypts top military brass and political leaders had long referred to it as a red line.

The presence of Israeli troops in Rafah, particularly in the Philadelphi corridor, also endangers already fragile peace negotiations, as Hamas have demanded the complete withdrawal of Israeli forces from Gaza. Israel is continuing to negotiate, but seeks an agreement that would allow them to maintain a presence in Gaza even with a temporary lull in fighting.

Its possible that this is a tactic for negotiations, said Ahmed Salem, who heads the Sinai Foundation for Human Rights. Hamas understands the value of the corridor, and controlling the Rafah crossing is one of their most important financial resources.

Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu made a highly symbolic visit to the Rafah crossing in recent days, inspecting a lookout point at the Philadelphi corridor, shortly before flying to Washington to address Congress and meet Biden.

He described an understanding that our holding the Philadelphi corridor and the Rafah crossing are vital for the future. Israeli military pressure, he claimed, is a way to advance a deal to free an estimated 116 hostages still held by Hamas and other militant groups in Gaza. This double pressure is not delaying the deal  it is advancing it, he said.

Netanyahu has insisted that Israel must continue to battle Hamas, despite calls for a ceasefire and hostage exchange deal now even coming from the highest levels of the IDF. He said recently I dont intend to end the war before every goal has been achieved, and has mentioned continuing fighting until next year.

David Mencer, a spokesperson for Netanyahu, said: With the intensive phase of this war coming to an end, the prime minister talks about a longer conflict, the necessity to go into Gaza to defeat terrorists when they raise their heads as needs be.

He added: He doesnt talk about an unending war. All Israelis want the war to end as soon as possible, were not suicidal.
Suella Braverman with party supporters at her general election count in Fareham and Waterlooville - Paul Jacobs

The Conservatives risk becoming centrist cranks, Suella Braverman has said, after she faced calls to pull out of the race to unite the Right of the party behind Robert Jenrick.

The former home secretary is expected to launch a second tilt at the top job after running in the race to replace Boris Johnson in 2022.

But some want her to strike a deal with Mr Jenrick, who served as her immigration minister and is another likely leadership contender, to avoid splitting the Tory Right.

Dismissing calls for the Tories to lean into the centre ground before the next general election, Ms Braverman told The Telegraph: I am terrified that we are still as a party refusing to learn the unarguable lesson of the 2024 election.

If we dont recover the voters we deliberately, and arrogantly, spurned, we will turn the Conservative Party into the 21st century version of the 20th century Liberal Party.

And we can do better than being a collection of fanatical, irrelevant, centrist cranks, who make it our business to insult our should-be voters for not being as smug and self-righteous as we are.

Both Ms Braverman and Mr Jenrick have been highly critical of the Conservatives record on migration and called for the UK to leave the European Convention on Human Rights.

Robert Jenrick says his arguments on migration are labelled 'very Right-wing' but insists they are 'mainstream views' - David Rose/Telegraph

One senior Conservative MP said Mrs Braverman would be a disaster as she is the most Right-wing candidate possible, urging her to stand aside and fall in behind Robert.

Another former minister on the Right of the party said: The best thing would be for her and Jenrick to combine.

Their remarks came after a spokesman for Mrs Braverman denied reports in the i newspaper that she was considering defecting to Nigel Farages Reform UK.

Speaking to The Telegraph, Mrs Braverman insisted the Tories must learn from their historic election defeat, in which Reform picked up more than four million votes.

If we keep disagreeing with Reform on many and fundamental things, we wont get those votes back, Mrs Braverman said.

We have no God-given right to them. Any Tory leader who rejects Reform voters, doubles down on the disastrous decisions the last cabinet let Rishi Sunak make.

Destroy Suella

Sources close to the former home secretary suggested rival leadership campaigns were making a concerted attempt to destroy Suella while at the same time believing she had enough influence that she should row in behind their chosen candidate.

They also insisted Mrs Braverman and Mr Jenrick are good friends but questioned his Right-wing credentials, while noting her opposition to Theresa Mays Brexit deal in all three meaningful votes in 2019.

In an interview with The Telegraph on Saturday, Mr Jenrick said his arguments on migration and Islamism had been labelled very Right-wing but insisted they were mainstream views.

In a separate intervention, Mrs Braverman urged Sir Keir Starmer to scrap the two-child benefit cap, a demand that to date has mostly been made by politicians on the Labour Left.

Writing for The Telegraph, she argued it would be affordable to remove the two-child limit, noting it has an estimated cost of 1.7 billion.

She said the policy had failed to discourage poorer families from having more children, adding: The Conservatives must reinvent ourselves as the primary party of the family. We need to support families in all their forms, or else face a crisis.

Sir Keir Starmer also faced pressure from Rosie Duffield, Labour MP, to scrap the two-child benefit cap, which she claimed amounted to social cleansing.

In an article for the Sunday Times, Ms Duffield said: The cruelty of the two-child limit is Gilead-level. Like in The Handmaids Tale, women are subjugated according to their social class. It legislates against womens autonomy over their own bodies, the exact opposite of anything that could possibly be described as a Labour Party value.

She added: The Labour Party needs to recognise that this is an issue of social cleansing, an anti-feminist and unequal piece of legislation, and scrap it in line with our previous party position since its conception.

The rules and timeline of the forthcoming Tory leadership contest will be announced this week after a further meeting of the influential 1922 Committee of backbenchers.

Senior Tories doubt whether Mrs Braverman will receive enough nominations from MPs to reach the final two, at which point members have traditionally had the final say, or even make it onto the ballot.

Danny Kruger, the chairman of the New Conservatives, backed her 2022 campaign but is now understood to be supporting Mr Jenrick.

Steve Baker, who also endorsed her in the 2022 race and went as far as to hail her as the future of the party, is backing Tom Tugendhat to succeed Mr Sunak.

Other hopefuls

Other leadership hopefuls include Dame Priti Patel, another former home secretary, and Mr Tugendhat, the shadow security minister, who will announce their bids in the coming weeks.

Kemi Badenoch, shadow housing secretary, is also expected to run, while James Cleverly, the shadow home secretary, is said to be taking soundings from his supporters.
The fast food chain Wendy's began to open UK outlets in 2021 and plans to have 400 - Nathaniel Noir/Alamy

A council is under fire after giving 200,000 of levelling up cash to a new branch of a burger restaurant chain.

Wendys opened its newest outlet in Hull city centre earlier this month with the six-figure sum it received from the local authority.

Hull City Council benefited from 19.5 million through the levelling up fund, which was set up by the previous Conservative government.

The council gave Square Burgers Ltd, which owns the Wendys franchise, 200,000 so it could occupy a previously vacant unit on Jameson Street, one of the busiest streets in Hull.

But the funding prompted a backlash from thousands of city residents  and claims the cash could have been better spent elsewhere.

A petition branding it an insult to smaller traders and demanding emergency funding for independent businesses received more than 2,200 signatures.

Nobody visits Hull to sit in a big restaurant chain, you can get them anywhere, it reads.

What makes this city unique is its independent traders and culture. These are the spots where communities are born, and these are the places that should be protected.

We have already seen many unique, hardworking independents close their doors.

Taxpayers will be outraged

Callum McGoldrick, a researcher at the TaxPayers Alliance think tank, said: Taxpayers will be outraged that the Government is effectively bribing businesses over where to set up shop.

Residents want to see investment in serious projects that will elevate their areas or local businesses, not pointless gimmicks.

Projects under the levelling up fund need to be adequately vetted to ensure they serve the people who foot the bill.

Hull is also home to the largest branch of Wendys in the world, which replaced a fish and chip shop at Kingswood retail park when it opened in December.

Mike Ross, the leader of Hull City Council, insisted local levelling up funding was really good for the city and noted more than 90 per cent went to small and medium-sized businesses.

Paul Drake-Davies, the councils cabinet member for regeneration, said: Wendys has already invested heavily into Hull with its other restaurants, and its great that this levelling up funding can support it doing likewise in the city centre.

Plan for 400 outlets

Wendys returned to Britain for the first time in more than two decades after the end of the pandemic in 2021, and is planning as many as 400 UK restaurants in the coming years.

The chain, which has overtaken Burger Kings sales in the UK, will use Britain as part of its wider strategy to expand into continental Europe.

Other beneficiaries of levelling up funding in Hull included a church which received a 187,000 facelift and a new community cafe.

A Hull City Council spokesman said: The previous governments levelling up fund saw the council receive 7.5 million in funding and, to date, over 9 in 10 [92 per cent] of successful applications have come from independent businesses.

In this case a bid, by an independent franchisee, was made that fit the criteria, including investing almost 1 million of its own capital. This has been used to complete works on the building.

Importantly, this project is about revitalising the city centre, bringing unused buildings back into use and creating jobs. So far, it has been successful in doing so.
Giorgos fled Avgoustina during the invasion with just the clothes on his back. We dreamed we would go back, he says. Photograph: Kostas Pikoulas

For 47 years Giorgos and Despoina Kleitou have lived at 52 Democracy Street.

When they moved into the state-provided, three-bedroom house in Latsia, on the southern fringes of Nicosia, the Greek Cypriot couple were in their prime. And, like so many others forcibly displaced by war on this eastern Mediterranean island, they still had dreams.

We dreamed we would go back to Angastina, says Giorgos, now a sprightly nonagenarian breaking into a smile at the memory of his village in Turkish-occupied northern Cyprus. We fled with nothing, just the clothes on our backs, he recalls. On the first day of the invasion our home was bombed. There was a huge crater outside the door but we always thought wed be back.

Farther east, outside the great Venetian-walled city of Famagusta, Sema Kilinc, a former seamstress, has similarly spent the past 49 years living at 5 Mutlu Sokak, a narrow street of low-level buildings pervaded by the unmistakeable scent of jasmine when night falls.

Like the Kleitous, the walls and shelves of Kilincs home  a one-storey villa that once belonged to Greek Cypriots  are stacked with photographs that take her back to her own past in Paphos, the now buoyant resort town in the islands internationally recognised south. I left my home and all my memories in Paphos. It was where my entire family had always lived, the 76-year-old Turkish Cypriot says. They renamed our street Mutlu because it means Happy in Turkish but in truth no one is happy here.

Today, as both sides of war-split Cyprus mark the conflict that began to unfold on the morning of 20 July 1974  a conflict that would leave thousands dead, missing, raped, tortured and internally displaced  it will be in the knowledge that almost nothing has changed.

Fifty summers on, the trauma borne of a tragedy provoked by an Athenian-inspired coup still lingers on either side of the UN-patrolled ceasefire line that keeps Greek and Turkish Cypriots apart.

Related: Cyprus seeks to revive peace talks with Turkey over divided island

When, at 5.20am local time (0320 BST) on Saturday, sirens wail to commemorate the start of the invasion launched by Ankara in response to the attempt by Athens and its far-right junta to unite the island with Greece, families such as the Kleitous will not only relive the events that left them, and their five children, destitute and uprooted. After decades of false promises and no sign of a peace settlement, they will also ask why?.

Two hundred thousand of us were displaced and yet, 50 years later we are still living like this, says Pandelis, the couples actor son, taking in the cluttered surroundings of a sitting room that by necessity also serves as his elderly parents bedroom and living space. And yes, you have to ask why? What happened was a huge tragedy. It turned boys like me, a teenager at the time, into men overnight.

It did, his mother agrees, tearing up at the memory of how the family had got into their car and fled with Turkish tanks and armoured carriers behind us to the nearest British base for sanctuary. But what to say? Fifty years have passed and nothing has changed.

In a military operation still remembered as one of the most successful in modern times, Turkish troops seized 37% of the islands territory, prosecuting the invasion in two phases after naval ships loaded with soldiers, tanks and heavy artillery began landing on Cypruss northern coast from Turkey barely 25 miles (40km) away.

By 6am on that fateful Saturday morning, parachutists were being dropped north of Nicosia over the vast Mesaoria plain.

It was a campaign that Ankara, one of the former British colonys three guarantor powers, claimed it had every right to make in the name of protecting the Turkish Cypriot minority, much of which had been pushed into enclaves with the outbreak of intercommunal violence after the islands independence in 1960.

Elsewhere the invasion was met with condemnation and dismay. In every tragedy there is catharsis, a cleansing process, because punishment is meted out, says Pandelis. Here almost nobody was punished. Everyone involved in the coup that landed us in this mess got positions of power. And now, we as your children live that trauma too, he told his parents.

To this day Cyprus remains the EUs sole divided state, with the breakaway Turkish Republic of Cyprus  an entity that proclaimed independence in 1983  recognised only by Ankara.

Half a century later the events of 1974, though expected to be commemorated with gusto on Saturday by the statelets nationalist leadership , are also a time for reflection for Turkish Cypriots desperate to end the isolation and abnormality of living in what many see as a parallel universe dominated by settlers and, increasingly, the authoritarian gaze that comes with aid from Ankara.

In her home on Happy Street where the mosaic floors, fixtures and wooden panelling are as they were when she first moved in, a nod, her three daughters say, to the familys acceptance that the abode was always meant to be temporary, Sema also wants answers. In a single day in 1974 the mother of three lost her husband, Coskun, and two cousins believed to have been killed by the nationalist Greek guard who, responding to the invasion, targeted minority enclaves in retaliation.

Her brother, Mehmet, whose body has never been found, is among the more than 2,000 casualties of war considered missing. By December 2023 the remains of 958 people  mostly Greek Cypriots  had still not been recovered.

Related: Archive, 1974: Turkey invades Cyprus

Why can there be no peace? asked the septuagenarian among the estimated 45,000 Turkish Cypriots forced to migrate north. Despite everything that has passed, everything that has happened, that is what we want.

With memories of coexistence fading, time is of the essence if the wests longest-running diplomatic dispute is to be resolved. The omens are far from propitious. The two communities have not sat at the negotiating table since talks aimed at reunifying the island as a federated republic collapsed in Switzerland in July 2017.

Ersin Tartar, the Turkish Cypriots ultranationalist leader, says peace can only be guaranteed through a two-state solution that Greek Cypriots and the EU reject outright.

But the maximalist demands of successive Greek Cypriot administrations have also been criticised. We lost the war and we should have compromised, says Pandelis. We should have voted for the Annan [peace] plan in 2004. After all, when has a conqueror ever left peacefully?

This UN blueprint envisaged a loose federation of two largely autonomous constituent states. While Turkish Cypriots voted overwhelmingly in favour of the plan, it was torpedoed when three-quarters of the Greek Cypriot community, ignoring international appeals, voted to reject the accord.

The impasse, reflected in the ever-worsening images of decay along the islands 112-mile long ceasefire line  in the capital Nicosia abandoned, bullet-pocked homes stand as tokens of time  also comes amid escalating tensions in the buffer zone. Earlier this month, the UN secretary general, Antonio Guterres, warned of a dramatic rise in security breaches in the neutral territory, saying the violations undermined UN peacekeeping efforts.

Sixty years after the UNs arrival, concerns are mounting over the tenability of sustaining what has become one of the oldest peacekeeping missions in the world. If the body pulls out, many fear it will be a matter of time before clashes erupt over the buffer zone.

In his colonial-era home, one of the few still standing in the heart of a capital whose skyline is being increasingly eclipsed by newly built high-rises, Takis Hadjidemetriou, a historic figure of the left, finds it hard to conceal his consternation. The situation is very unstable and we cannot foresee what will happen, he says.

At the age of 90, the former politician could be forgiven for playing down such fears if, after independence, he had not also experienced the turbulence of Cyprus so closely himself. Of course we should all be living together in peace on this island and we should all be drawing lessons [from this anniversary], he said.

Bold decisions are needed to move forward  unfortunately we have continued to follow a political life based on myths rather than reality, and on propaganda rather than cooperation.

So many years later few believe refugees from either community would return en masse to their ancestral homes if the possibility arose.

But 50 years on the need to tie up the loose ends that fuel the drama of Cyprus  trauma rooted in the violence that culminated in Turkeys invasion in 1974  is also viewed as paramount if wounds are to be fully healed. On either side of the islands ethnic divide reports of elderly Cypriots feeling compelled to confess to crimes on their deathbeds have emerged.

For our trauma to be dealt with fully we have to face the truth, says the human rights lawyer Achilleas Demetriades, who contested the last presidential elections on a reunification ticket and has been pushing for the establishment of a truth commission on the missing.

Closure will only happen when the truth is out, when people know what really happened to their relatives, he says. There are still too many loose ends because in Cyprus today the truth is in short supply. What we have been dealing with is mass, state-sanctioned impunity. Its urgent that we uncover what really happened before the actors involved pass away. Its the way to catharsis and ultimately reconciliation.
Members of the Cypriot community in the UK have protested outside the Turkish embassy in central London on the 50th anniversary of Ankaras invasion of the Mediterranean island.

Around 250 protesters assembled outside the embassy on Saturday evening, with demonstrators chanting No more Turkish occupation and Turkish troops out of Cyprus.

Two police vans separated the demonstrators from a smaller contingent of around 40 counter-protesters who waved the Turkish flag and that of northern Cyprus, which is recognised only by Turkey.

The president of the National Federation of Cypriots in the UK (NFC), Christos Karaolis, symbolically delivered a letter to the Turkish embassy which was guarded by armed police.

Speaking at the protest, Mr Karaolis told the PA news agency: We want to send a really clear message that after 50 years of Turkish occupation in Cyprus, we dont forget, and actually, we still want to see the island reunited.

So our message to Turkey is clear. Lets get the troops out of the island and lets reunite the island.

Mr Karaolis said the UK had a very special obligation to Cyprus because of its historic ties with the island.

He added: The new Labour Government needs to be taking steps to get Turkey back to the negotiating table on the agreed UN framework of a bi-zonal, bi-communal federation.

Members of the National Federation of Cypriots in the UK (Lucy North/PA)

We have a good relationship with Turkey as the UK  lets use that to figure out how we get Turkey back to the table on the agreed UN framework.

Counter-protesters chanted Thank you Turkey for saving us and 50 years of peace during the demonstration.

After the protest had finished, the Turkish ambassador to the UK, Osman Koray Ertas, came out of the embassy and shook the hands of counter-protesters.

Turkish Cypriots in the islands northern section celebrate the July 20 1974 invasion as protection from the Greek-speaking majoritys domination.

The invasion followed a coup on the island aimed at union with Greece, which was backed by the military junta then ruling in Athens.

The protesters gathered outside the Turkish embassy in central London (Lucy North/PA)

The resulting war led to the Turkish capture and ongoing military presence in the northern part of the island.

The NFC said the occupation had caused significant harm to Cypriots including the deprivation of the freedom of expression in the enclaved communities.

During the protest, black cab drivers drove past and beeped their horns to show support for either side, with passengers in dozens of vehicles waving the Cypriot flag as they went by.

One man stood in the road and stamped on the flag of northern Cyprus in sight of counter-protesters, with police stepping in to prevent a woman from chasing after him.

Protester Lorna Vassiliades, who left Varosha in Cyprus aged 12 after the Turkish invasion, said the anniversary was a very difficult day.Ms Vassiliades, who works as an artist and researcher in the UK, said: I remember being bombed. I remember soldiers on the street and crying and being hungry.

Pro-Turkey protesters outside the embassy (Lucy North/PA)

Its very painful for us in Varosha  we cant go to our homes. Its very painful to see an island divided and 50 years is such a long time for injustice.

I appreciate that some Turkish Cypriots feel that they were saved by Turkey. I would like to believe that we can live together.

Counter-protester Ediz Enver said the 1974 invasion had stopped the killing of Turkish Cypriots in Cyprus.

Mr Enver, 53, said: Ever since 50 years ago, theres been peace on the island.

They wont accept us as counterparts, they think were second-class citizens. There is never going to be unity  the only solution is a two-state solution.

My family were nearly killed by the Greeks  the British Army rescued them.

The NFC was founded shortly after the Turkish invasion to represent the UK Cypriot community, which now consists of 300,000 people.
Did you recently commit to a regular exercise plan? If so, congratulations, because youre well on your way to a healthier body. But dont forget about strengthening your brain health too!

No matter how old you are, you can improve brainpower by doing activities that are intensive, repetitive, and progressive. And its best if you learn new skills and work to master them! If you can train your brain to make decisions more quickly and accurately, you can get better at other everyday tasks.

These kinds of activities can also boost your learning, memory, and mood. What makes all this possible? Something called plasticity, which is literally the brains ability to change. The key is finding activities that:

Consistently require you to master new elements

Demand your attention

Make you feel rewarded

Ready to give your brain the workout it deserves? Here are 10 habits that will help keep your brain healthy every day of the year.

Do a challenging jigsaw puzzle

The next rainy day, turn off the TV and pull out that jigsaw puzzle from the top of your closet. Make sure it has at least 500 pieces. Completing one like that requires you to heavily engage your visual processing system by:

Distinguishing between different shapes and colors

Rotating pieces around in your mind

Scanning for target pieces

It also engages the part of your brain that controls movement as you manipulate pieces in your hand and shift attention from the small piece to the (literal) big picture. Plus, jigsaw puzzles are fun, social projects to do with a group.

Go on a guided tour of a museum

When was the last time you visited a museum? Signing up for a guided tour at a museum can benefit your mental health, according to researchers at the University of Pennsylvania.

Pay careful attention to what the guide says. When you get home, try to reconstruct the tour by writing an outline that includes everything you remember. Research on brain plasticity shows that memory activities like this one can improve brain function by engaging all levels of brain operation, which include:

Receiving information

Remembering it

Thinking about it

You may be in a better mood after your museum outing too. The UPenn researchers found that museums  particularly art museums  are good at reducing anxiety and depression.

Work on your peripheral vision  outside

Have a favorite outdoor spot to people-watch? Try this brain activity while youre enjoying the view. First, grab a park bench or cafe window seat, then follow these steps:

Stare straight ahead and dont move your eyes. Concentrate on everything you can see without moving your eyes, including in your peripheral vision. When youve finished, write a list of everything you saw. Try again and see if you can add to your list.

Stretching your ability to focus is good for the brain. Paying close attention like that encourages the brain to pump more acetylcholine (a brain chemical important for learning, attention, and memory). Acetylcholine tends to decline with age, so give it a little boost now.

Try BrainHQs brain exercises

Have you heard of brain training? One program that really works is BrainHQ. A team of leading brain scientists developed this online brain health program, which has been proven effective in hundreds of studies. These exercises can speed up thinking, sharpen focus, and improve memory. And you can do them on your computer, tablet, or smartphone.

Bonus: Did you know that BrainHQ may be included with your Medicare Advantage plan? Check your eligibility today.

Learn a musical instrument

Maybe youve always wanted to pick up piano or violin but never gotten around to it. Nows your chance to make sweet music  and give your brain the workout it needs.

Playing music calls on many brain functions, including:

Fine motor control

Highly attentive listening

Keeping the right rhythm, which helps you coordinate movement and timing

Translating written notes (sight) to music (movement and sound)

Plus, just think about all the fun youll have performing live for your friends and family.

Memorize a song

Lets say youre either a Beatles or a Stones person  but you dont know every word to every song. Pick a favorite tune youd like to memorize, press play on your listening device, and follow these steps:

Listen to the song as many times as necessary to write down all the lyrics.

Learn to sing along.

Once youve mastered one song, move on to another (joining the neighborhood garage band is optional!).

Heres the thing: When you get better at careful listening, it helps strengthen your ability to understand, remember, and think.

Plus, memorizing a song requires you to pay closer attention and use your active memory. When you focus on the song, your brain releases acetylcholine, a chemical that enables brain plasticity and stimulates your memory.

Turn down the volume on your TV

Next time you watch your favorite streaming series, try this experiment. Grab the remote and turn down the volume a little from where you normally have it.

If you concentrate hard enough, can you still follow whats going on? Heres why testing this can be good.

You may be turning up the volume on a show because the part of your brain that helps you process hearing is experiencing static or slower electrical activity. You cant actually get rid of this brain static by turning up the volume  but you might do it anyway to make whats being said louder. That only teaches your brain to need a louder signal.

Lets say you try the lower-volume exercise, and you can follow along just fine. When it gets too easy, turn the volume down another notch. That will help retune your brain to listen to information at a more conversational tone.

Learn to use your other hand

Ever wonder what itd be like to do activities with both your right and left hand? Try this brain exercise: Tonight, if youre right-handed, use your left hand to brush your teeth (or if youre a lefty, vice versa). Work your way up to more complex tasks such as:

Using a fork, knife, or spoon at your next meal

Using your computer mouse

Writing

These exercises take something you already know how to do and put them in a new and demanding context. Doing such an activity can drive large-scale brain plasticity. Thats because millions of neurons in your brain will have to adjust to establish better control of your other hand.

Take a walk on an uneven surface

This one may sound odd, but it makes sense when you think about it. Scientists believe that walking on uneven surfaces like a cobblestone street or a (moderate!) rocky hike can improve your balance.

How? Walking on uneven surfaces challenges the balance system in your inner ear in ways that improve its function. The result: better balance, which is key to preventing serious injuries.

This type of exercise, which combines body and mind, can even work as a treatment for adults who are recovering from a stroke.

Play more word games

This one might come in handy the next time youre stuck in traffic or waiting at the doctors office. Give yourself five minutes to list as many words as you can from letters in a multisyllable word. For example, if your word is memorize, you might come up with:

Ire

Me

Memo

Mere

More

Zero

This type of exercise works on what psychologists call fluency, or your ability to find a word. Generating as many words as you can in a limited time challenges your brain to practice its word-finding skills in brief pauses. Many word games lack that time challenge aspect and have not been shown to improve fluency.

Bottom line: Even if you were planning on getting your body in shape for the new year, dont forget about your brain. And these 10 tips are just the beginning. Check back soon for more brain-training activities to add to your list.

Additional sources

Fish and brain health study: Nutrients

Best omega-3-rich fish: Mayo Clinic

Museum study: Penn Today
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Bailey Bardrick's trip is not going as planned  in fact, it may not be going at all.

As airlines continue to grapple with the fallout from Friday's global IT outage, thousands of flights have been canceled or delayed.

For Bardrick, a feeder flight from Northwest Arkansas to Atlanta was canceled, meaning she couldn't make her onward connections to Honolulu and Tokyo.

I didnt even get past security. The app popped up that it was canceled," she told USA TODAY, and she's still not sure when she'll be able to get underway.

"I invested a couple thousand into this trip. Ive been planning it for a while and its frustrating to not have any answers on when the next flight is," she said.

According to the Federal Aviation Administration, several U.S. carriers, including American Airlines, United Airlines, and Delta Air Lines, issued ground stops for all their flights early on Friday due to communication problems, which caused a domino effect into Saturday.

There were over 1,600 flights canceled and more than 4,900 delays as of 3 p.m. ET Saturday, according to flight-tracking website FlightAware. Delta and United Airlines have been hit the hardest with 821 and 379 cancellations so far, respectively. Endeavor Air, a wholly-owned regional subsidiary of Delta has also seen significant cancellations.

Airlines rely on complex systems: Why the CrowdStrike hiccup could cause days of chaos

The cybersecurity firm Crowdstrike blamed the global tech outage on a defect in an update for Microsoft Windows hosts.

Today was not a security or cyber incident. Our customers remain fully protected," Crowdstrike CEO George Kurtz posted Friday on X. "We understand the gravity of the situation and are deeply sorry for the inconvenience and disruption. We are working with all impacted customers to ensure that systems are back up and they can deliver the services their customers are counting on. As noted earlier, the issue has been identified and a fix has been deployed. There was an issue with a Falcon content update for Windows Hosts."

The aviation sector was hit particularly hard due to its sensitivity to timings. Airlines rely on a closely coordinated schedule often run by air traffic control. Just one delay of a few minutes can throw off a flight schedule for take-offs and landings for an airport and airline for the rest of the day.

"The issue affected many separate systems, such as those used for calculating aircraft weight, checking in customers, and phone systems in our call centers," United Airlines said in a statement Friday. "After pausing all departures overnight, flights resumed on Friday morning and we are working diligently to get our customers to their destinations."

Story continues below.

Are flights still grounded? How long will flight delays last?

The FAA will issue ground stops and other precautionary flight control measures as needed, but most of the cancellations and delays Saturday are likely to be caused by airline crews and equipment being out of place.

"The airline industry is very thinly populated with planes. Once theyre out of place, they cant run their normal playbook because their planes are not in place to run their route," Jon Haass, a professor of cyber intelligence and security at Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University-Prescott, told USA TODAY. Its not just one piece of software anymore, its an entire system.

Travelers are advised to contact their airlines and monitor the FAA's website for the latest information.

How to find the reason for flight delay

Customers can ask airlines why their flight is canceled or delayed, but the Department of Transportation confirmed that it considers the delays and cancellations caused by Friday's IT outage to be "controllable" by the airlines. While airlines may say they didn't cause the computer error, it means that the DOT will hold them responsible for upholding the commitments they've made to customers when it comes to policies like rebooking or hotel and meal vouchers as the mess gets sorted out. Every airline's policy is outlined on the DOT customer service dashboard.

The Bureau of Transportation Statistics also tracks causes of delays and cancellations.

Airline waivers

Airlines are doing what they can to provide extra flexibility to those affected by the outage.

Delta said in a statement that it was "continuing its operational recovery Saturday" and issued a waiver allowing all passengers traveling Friday to rebook their flights.

United issued a waiver for select airports so passengers can make changes if their flights are affected, though a United spokesperson told USA TODAY that nearly all of the airline's flights depart or arrive in one of the airports covered by the waiver.

Spirit issued a waiver allowing customers who are booked to fly Friday or Saturday through any airport in its network to change their flights at no additional charge.

What happens if my flight is canceled?

Department of Transportation rules require all airlines to offer customers a refund if their flights are canceled for any reason, but customers may be entitled to additional compensation if a cancellation is within the airline's control.

What should I do if my flight is delayed?

If your flight is experiencing a long delay, the Transportation Department suggests asking airline staff if they will pay for meals or a hotel room.

The DOT dashboard reflects airlines' official policies, but many carriers handle compensation for delays on a case-by-case basis and may provide vouchers or other benefits in some situations that are not formally covered.

What is considered a significant flight delay?

Each airline defines significant delays differently, but the DOT's dashboard identifies which airlines provide compensation for controllable delays of 3 or more hours.

For instance, all major U.S. carriers are supposed to provide a meal voucher for flights delayed by at least 3 hours for reasons within their control. Additionally, Alaska, JetBlue and Southwest offer credit or a travel voucher when a controllable delay "results in passenger waiting for 3 hours or more from the scheduled departure time," according to the dashboard.

How to file compensation for a delayed flight

Travelers seeking monetary compensation for delayed flights should file a claim with their respective airlines. Passengers seeking other types of compensation, like frequent flyer miles, may be able to request those through the airline's customer service.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Why is my Saturday flight canceled? Delta, United still recovering
You know what you have to do to be a cannibal? You have to have actually eaten someone," the actor said

Todd Williamson/E! Entertainment/NBCU Photo Bank via Getty Armie Hammer

Armie Hammer denies cannibalism and abuse claims.

The actor addressed his mental health after contemplating suicide.

He has not been charged for any of the allegations against him.

Armie Hammer is addressing alarming claims against him.

The Death on the Nile actor, 37, appeared on Piers Morgan Uncensored to discuss past allegations made against him  including accusations of sexual and physical abuse, as well as cannibalism.

Related: Armie Hammer Says 'Bizarre' Cannibal Allegations Led to His 'Career Death,' Which He Is Now 'Grateful For'

Lets first of all address the elephant in the room. Are you a cannibal? the English broadcaster, 59, asked Hammer in the interviews opening scene.

Piers Morgan Uncensored/Youtube Armie Hammer on Piers Morgan: Uncensored

The actor replied: You know what you have to do to be a cannibal? You have to have actually eaten someone.

Morgan later asked Hammer point-blank if he had ever "eaten any human flesh," to which Hammer responded, "No. Not a question I'd ever thought I'd have to answer by the way. But no, never."

During the in-depth interview, which lasted more than an hour, Hammer spoke about several of the headline-making claims about him throughout the years, and how they affected his mental health and his family.



He was also asked about his past relationships, more so the affairs he had while married to his now ex-wife, Elizabeth Chambers.

The former husband and wife were married from 2010 to 2023, and share daughter Harper, 9, and son Ford, 7.

Christopher Polk/Getty Images Armie Hammer, January 2018

This was a very intense affair, very sexually charged, between two people with very similar proclivities and kinks, he said of his former girlfriend, Effie Angelova.

Angelova had accused Hammer of sexual assault, stating during a 2021 press conference: "On April 24th, 2017, Armie Hammer violently raped me for over four hours in Los Angeles, during which he repeatedly slammed my head against a wall, bruising my face. He also committed other acts of violence against me to which I did not consent.

Related: A Breakdown of Armie Hammer's Allegations and Controversies

Other women came forward with similar allegations, claiming the actor was into cannibalistic fantasies and BDSM, but at the time, the Los Angeles Police Department determined there was insufficient evidence to charge Mr. Hammer with a crime." (Per WebMD, BDSM is "a variety of sexual practices that include bondage, discipline, dominance, submission, and sadism.")

Any of those conversations that we had inside of that relationship, when you take them outside of that context and put them into broad daylight, it doesnt look so good, Hammer told Morgan.

You know, different people have different sexual fantasies," the Hotel Mumbai actor continued. "And theres a very broad spectrum of sexuality, and people are allowed to engage with their own sexuality however it fits them and what they do."

Mike Coppola/Getty Armie Hammer, February 2018

He added that he believes the cannibalism rumors were born out of a desire, to sort of like, I want you so completely, and I want you so totally that its almost like I want to eat you. 

Hammer was also previously accused of branding ex-girlfriend Paige Lorenze with a knife.

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.

Just like the tip of a small knife  I mean, there wasnt even blood in the situation. It was more like a scrape. Its along the lines of couples getting their own initials tattooed on each other, he told Morgan of adding an A to her skin.

Hammer claimed the repercussions of the accusations made him consider suicide, but he decided against it because of his kids.

He added that he had to undergo a psycho-legal evaluation during a custody battle with Chambers, 41.

During the time of the evaluation, I was only allowed to be around the kids with supervision, a therapist, he recalled, saying at one time he wasn't allowed to take his kids to the bathroom.

It was tough. It was a dark time for everybody.

If you or someone you know has been a victim of sexual abuse, text "STRENGTH" to the Crisis Text Line at 741-741 to be connected to a certified crisis counselor.



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Read the original article on People.
Former Los Angeles County Sheriff Alex Villanueva testifies under oath about deputy gangs in front of the county's Sheriff Civilian Oversight Commission. (Irfan Khan / Los Angeles Times)

A multi-year criminal investigation under former Los Angeles County Sheriff Alex Villanueva into the agency's inspector general  a probe that a legal advisor for the county called "not legally viable"  was based largely on unfounded accusations that state and federal prosecutors repeatedly turned down, documents reviewed by The Times show.

Villanueva long used the case to try to discredit the county watchdog, regularly referring to Inspector General Max Huntsman as a felony suspect and asking county officials to remove him from the job at least twice . At one point, Villanueva cited the probe as part of the justification to lock Huntsman out of department databases.

But in May prosecutors with the state Department of Justice quietly notified the Sheriffs Department in a memo that they would not file criminal charges in the investigation launched in 2019.

The department has never fully explained the allegations against Huntsman and four other people named as suspects. But an 80-page Sheriff's Department report recently reviewed by The Times  part of a more than 300-page investigative case file  shows investigators relentlessly pursued a probe focused on supposedly stolen records and document leaks.

Inspector General Max Huntsman listens to former Los Angeles County Sheriff Alex Villanueva's testimony. (Irfan Khan / Los Angeles Times)

The criminal investigation began soon after Villanueva took office, when his transition team noticed "abnormalities" while reviewing personnel records, according to the report. In early 2019, the sheriff's chief of staff asked internal criminal investigators to look into it, and in 2021 the department sent the case file to state prosecutors.

One prong of the investigation focused on Huntsman's concerns that some personnel files, including Villanuevas, were being kept secret from oversight officials. The department eventually agreed to turn them over, only to investigate Huntsman for obtaining them, the report shows.

The investigation also included allegations that oversight officials, as well as the former LASD constitutional policing advisor, Diana Teran, stole records of Villanueva and his top associates. Oversight officials have said they were entitled to access confidential personnel files as part of their jobs, and there is no evidence in the report that any of the files, downloaded in 2018, were leaked to the press or improperly used.

The meandering report likens the alleged theft of Sheriffs Department personnel records to pilfering from a McDonald's charitable donation box or stealing the recipe for Coca-Cola. In some instances, the report points to the number or frequency of downloads as evidence of wrongdoing. In one case, an oversight official's decision to search eight files in one day is framed as a possible criminal violation.

Read more:Top advisor to D.A. Gascon charged with illegal use of deputies' confidential records

Because of the unusual nature of the case, at one point lawyers for the county sought an outside legal opinion. Retired federal prosecutor Lawrence Middleton warned them in 2020 that the department could be putting its employees in jeopardy by pursuing a criminal investigation that, in my view, is not legally viable."

The last time the department decided to investigate its investigators, Middleton continued, it did not end well for the department. That was an apparent reference to a decade-old scandal in which Sheriff Lee Baca and other top officials were convicted in a scheme to obstruct an FBI investigation of abuses in county jails.

The Sheriff's Department dismissed Middleton's legal opinion, characterizing it in its report as a clear and unambiguous threat" against those doing the investigating.

The department recently confirmed that its investigation is now closed and said there was no additional information to release.

"Our current administration operates distinctively from its predecessor," the department wrote in an emailed statement. "Actions taken in prior administrations do not reflect our current policies or practices."

In an emailed response Thursday, Villanueva said, "we never presented the case to feds or the state, merely asked for their assistance." He did not respond to specific questions, accused a reporter of a crime and said lawyers for the county had been "trying to obstruct the case at every step." The state Department of Justice said it was "unable to comment on investigations, closed or open."

***

Peace officer personnel records historically have been tightly protected from disclosure under state law and department policy. But a long-standing written agreement between the department and the Office of Inspector General permits oversight officials to review certain confidential files as part of their duties, which include monitoring deputy disciplinary cases, shootings and jail conditions.

In the fall of 2018, Office of Inspector General attorney Bita Shasty noticed that a case file shed seen before seemed to have vanished. She emailed Teran  then at the Sheriffs Department  to ask if she remembered the case or knew why the file wouldnt show up.

It's really weird, Shasty wrote. I am trying to see if you tried to pull up the case if it will come up for you. Please let me know.

About 20 minutes later, Teran explained that the file might not be visible if it had been marked private for a sensitive investigation. If it is private to IAB [internal affairs] it is so others in the department can't pull it up, she wrote, but I am sure they are good with OIG having [a] copy."

The following day, the report said, a higher-ranking oversight official spoke with LASD Internal Affairs Bureau Capt. Josie Woolum about the hidden files. Woolum later emailed her assistant to recap the conversation, explaining that shed told the Office of Inspector General there were 54 Private to IAB files and that there was no formal process to decide which ones would be marked private.

Any executive, or I, can decide to do so for a number of business reasons, she wrote.

A day later, Huntsman sent a letter to then-Sheriff Jim McDonnell to say he hadnt known the department could obscure such files from oversight officials. He said he understood that the agreement signed years earlier gave oversight officials complete access to department personnel records, and that hiding files was contrary to the intent of the agreement.

"I request that you provide the Office of the Inspector General complete and full access, he added.

For the next few weeks, officials went back and forth about the files. Finally, in late November 2018, the report says, Huntsman emailed Teran and his No. 2, Dan Baker, about the records. "Diana has permission from the sheriff (McDonnell) to give us the files we seek, he wrote. Please provide her a hard drive so she can download them.

Teran responded: "Just to be clear, I was only authorized to provide the files in closed cases, not pending.

Citing unspecified various laws, the report alleges that even as sheriff, McDonnell didnt have the authority to allow the sharing of those files. At one point, the report says that when investigators tried to interview McDonnell, he invoked his Fifth Amendment right against self-incrimination.

Elsewhere, the report says that it wasnt clear if he invoked that right or simply didnt want to cooperate. McDonnell  whose administration had long been a target of Villanueva's criticism  declined to comment.

In early December 2018  after several weeks of emails, calls and meetings between oversight and sheriff's officials  Woolum sent the files to Baker. Even though the department had ultimately turned over the records willingly, the report alleges the Woolum had been duped, but didn't provide any evidence of that.

In an interview Thursday, Woolum said "there's no way I would've been duped."

"If I provided any information to OIG or any other outside entity, it would've been within the normal scope of business, or it would have been at the direction of someone above me," she added.

She didn't remember specific details about the exchange of files, but said she was never interviewed by the detective, Mark Lillienfeld, at the time. "That is a huge piece that is missing," she said. "It's basic investigation 101. He missed a great opportunity to get the facts."

In an emailed statement this week, the department said that under Sheriff Robert Luna, oversight officials have full access to the agency's personnel database, including files marked private.

***

At that point, McDonnell was no longer sheriff; Villanueva had been sworn into office two days earlier. In the weeks before he took the helm of the Sheriffs Department, some officials  including Huntsman  had begun to worry the new sheriff would destroy or alter records.

That concern was exacerbated when Villanuevas incoming chief of staff requested that Chief Alicia Ault  who oversaw the departments professional standards division  reinstate a fired deputy and alter his disciplinary record . Ault said in a deposition in a civil case that she was told he wanted it done before Villanueva took office so it would appear to have been done by McDonnells administration.

Ault quit over what she described at the time as a highly unethical demand.

Read more:L.A. County sheriffs top watchdog is under investigation  by the L.A. County sheriff

Our reason for getting those files was, in part, to be sure the Sheriffs Dept. complied with the law, Huntsman told The Times this month. We were concerned that there might be an attempt to alter government records, and we wanted to obtain a copy so that we would be able to provide proof to anybody later.

In 2018, department officials created a secret audit tool that would allow them to track who accessed personnel files  including outside oversight officials.

Over the next 11 months, the sheriff's report says, that auditing tool showed that Office of Inspector General officials downloaded an extraordinary number of items  1,500  from the departments database of personnel files. Huntsman said that number was not surprising because that was precisely our job.

According to the report, Shasty accessed the files of nine current or former sheriffs officials on Nov. 28, 2018. In the following days, she reviewed more files, and on Dec. 1, she downloaded dozens of cases involving people Villanueva was planning to promote or rehire. Shasty downloaded or accessed some of those same personnel files again on Jan. 2.

This engendered suspicion among Sheriff's Department investigators, according to their report.

There was no reasonable or legitimate explanation for Shasty to query certain files because she had looked them up a month earlier, the report said. In another instance, the report states that none of the people whose files Shasty accessed was under any type of investigation at the time, making it a violation of the memorandum of agreement to access them, as well as a violation of California government code and likely California bar ethics rules.

Shasty declined to comment.

The report doesnt present any clear allegations that the records Shasty accessed were misused or leaked.

Teran, meanwhile, downloaded dozens of case files on at least three separate occasions, including on June 5, 2018, the day of the primary election, and Dec. 2, 2018, her last day working for the Sheriffs Department, according to the report.

The report equates the file downloads to the theft of trade secrets, arguing that the economic value to news reporters who obtained them would be incalculable.

If disclosed or published contrary to law, for a non-legitimate purpose, (to sell newspapers or gain viewers to a website or broadcast) these files and the information they contain could cause irreparable harm, to not only the subject whose personnel file was breached but victims, witnesses, informants, and other stakeholders in the criminal justice system, the report says.

The report presents no evidence that any of the downloads was shared with the media or improperly made public.

Even though California Atty. Gen. Rob Bonta eventually rejected the case the Sheriffs Department sent him, this year he charged Teran in a separate case featuring similar allegations. His office says the two are unrelated.

In the new case, Bonta has alleged that after Teran left the Sheriffs Department and began working for the L.A. County district attorneys office, she illegally used confidential records of about 11 sheriffs deputies when she flagged their names for inclusion in a database of problem officers.

Terans attorney, James Spertus, has said that his client did nothing wrong and that the records in question were already public in existing court filings.

***

After Villanueva took office, his transition team started reviewing personnel records to decide which deputies to rehire and noticed the "abnormalities"  leading to the investigation and allegations that Teran had downloaded confidential personnel records.

Sheriff's Department investigators tried to figure out whether any had been leaked to the media by going through more than 2,500 emails. The report says they found none of the emails contained unlawfully obtained data.

In April 2019, the department brought its findings to the FBI and the state attorney generals office. Federal and state officials concluded no crimes had been committed and told sheriffs officials they wouldnt take on the investigation.

Still, Villanueva's investigators pressed ahead. By August, the internal criminal investigators handling the case had terminated their inquiry and the matter was turned over to veteran department homicide investigator Lillienfeld  who had been rehired out of retirement and became a key member of a new public corruption unit that critics said targeted the sheriffs political enemies.

But Lillienfeld had a fraught history with the department. In 2018, after he had retired and begun working for the district attorney's office, sheriff's officials banned him from all county lockups because he was caught on camera posing as a deputy and sneaking into Mens Central Jail. The Times first reported the story in October 2019 , as Lillienfelds investigation began ramping up. This week, he did not respond to a request for comment from The Times.

At some point the investigation expanded beyond its initial line of inquiry into Terans downloads and began probing other questions  both about the Private to IAB files and about a list of problem deputies leaked to a Los Angeles Times reporter.

Meanwhile, Villanueva said publicly that he had recused himself from the matter and had put Undersheriff Tim Murakami in charge of the case. In August 2019, Murakami announced the investigation in a letter to the Board of Supervisors.

Despite the FBIs prior lack of interest in the case, Lillienfeld and his lieutenant met for two hours in October 2019 with FBI officials and then-federal prosecutor Brandon Fox to press their case against Teran, Huntsman and others.

After hearing the allegations, Fox told investigators he felt there were clearly no violations of federal law presented" and asked the detectives if they wanted a declination letter from his office, according to a supplemental report in the case file. The sheriffs investigators declined, saying in the report they weren't seeking an opinion but instead advising the FBI in case agents wanted to take over the investigation, and ensuring there was no conflict.

Then in March 2020, lawyers for the county got the opinion from Middleton.

He wrote that the perception that the investigation was aimed at intimidating and obstructing the Office of Inspector General's probe into the department will only grow stronger if the investigation continues even after the Department has been advised that there likely are no viable criminal charges.

The following month, Murakami complained to the U.S. Department of Justice about the perceived threat from Middleton. He said he would shut down the investigation if it was hampering any work the FBI or Department of Justice was doing.

In a response, then-U.S. Atty. Nicola Hanna said Middleton was retired and did not speak for his office.

I unfortunately cannot provide you with an advisory opinion as to whether any member of your Department is violating obstruction of justice laws in carrying out the investigation you describe, Hanna continued.

That October, Lillienfeld and another lieutenant met with a special agent in charge at the FBI, according to another report in the case file. The pair wanted to team up or hand off all their materials to the FBI. The FBI agent declined the offers.

The following year, in November 2021, the department again sent the case to Bontas office, describing it as a long-term criminal inquiry that began in 2017 and had established ample evidence of unlawful conduct including theft, burglary, receiving stolen property and other crimes. Despite the previous disinterest, in early 2022 Bontas office responded with a short letter agreeing to review the case.

This year state prosecutors formally declined to file charges, according to a three-sentence letter reviewed by The Times from Chief Assistant Atty. Gen. Lance Winters to Sheriff Robert Luna.

We have completed our review, and we have declined to file any charges, Winters wrote.

Its unclear why it took Bontas office more than two years to reject it. In an emailed statement early Thursday, the state Department of Justice said only that it did a "thorough investigation" and ultimately "found insufficient evidence to warrant criminal charges."

***

Its highly unusual for law enforcement officials to openly discuss ongoing corruption probes, especially before there are charges filed.

But throughout his term as sheriff, Villanueva trumpeted details of the case, even though he claimed hed recused himself.

People got caught with their hands in the cookie jar, he said in September 2020 on Facebook Live. It turns out I was one of 22 employees, where their files were illegally accessed and downloaded. When you illegally access them, that's a misdemeanor crime. When you download them, and remove them, then it becomes a felony. This happened 2,400 times.

He went on to say: These files, as they were downloaded, they started appearing in the media. Gee, I wonder how.

The long-running investigation, he said, has just led to a lot, and they keep discovering more, they keep investigating more. And I'm not even part of that process, definitely not, I have recused myself.

Read more:L.A. County sheriff's unit accused of targeting political enemies, vocal critics

Lillienfeld left the department after Luna took office in late 2022. The department has declined to answer specific questions about the probe, noting that the investigation took place under a prior administration and officials turned the matter over to the state in 2021.

To Huntsman, its been disappointing to see a department that was once so eager to publicly flaunt the case against him now so tight-lipped about its conclusion.

When the AG told LASD they wouldnt be prosecuting the inspector general, LASD kept it a secret, he said.

In fact, Huntsman added, he has never officially been informed by the department or the attorney general's office that he's no longer a criminal suspect.

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This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times.
Seven police officers and a police dog in Spokane, Washington, were hospitalized Friday for injuries they got when their vehicles collided with a suspect vehicle during a high-speed car chase.

All those involved in the crash, including three suspects who were arrested, are expected to recover from their injuries, police said.

A SWAT team and K-9 officer had finished looking for a suspect with a warrant on Friday at 1 p.m. when the police dog saw a suspect vehicle from a recent drive-by shooting, according to a report posted by Spokane Police Department liaison officer Sgt. Teresa Fuller.

The K9 officer attempted to stop the vehicle, but the vehicle fled, and  due to the severity of the original crime  the officers began to pursue it, police said.

During the chase, an assisting armored police vehicle crashed into the suspect vehicle at the intersection of Oak and Carlisle streets in a west-central Spokane residential neighborhood. The vehicle with the K-9 officer pursuing the suspect car then crashed into the suspect car, too, police said.

Road rage: Man fatally shot in apparent road-rage incident in Indianapolis; police investigating

High-speed chase narrowly hurt civilian, only lasted 2 minutes

The crash could have been worse, as a civilian car pulled over when it saw the armored vehicle approaching with lights and sirens on, narrowly escaping the collision, police said.

Three suspects were detained and transported to an area hospital with non-life-threatening injuries, police said. The police officers were also transported to the hospital after securing the safety of the crime scene, while the K-9 officer was taken to a local veterinarian, police said.

Officers were being treated for "a variety of different injuries related to the crash," Justin Lundgren, interim police chief of the Spokane Police Department, said in a press conference after the incident and posted on YouTube by Spokane TV affiliate station KREM.

The pursuit lasted about two minutes and achieved "a high rate of speed, particularly right before the collision took place," said Lundgren, who declined to say which drive-by shooting incident the suspects were arrested for.

This particular incident highlights the challenges our patrol officers are up against every day with the number of shootings they investigate and the behavior of the suspects, not only while committing these violent crimes, but the great lengths theyll go to escape," Lundgren said in a statement. "It puts the community at risk.

Follow Mike Snider on X and Threads: @mikesnider & mikegsnider.

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This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Video shows 2 Spokane police vehicles crash into car with 3 suspects
By Trevor Hunnicutt and Jeff Mason

PROVINCETOWN, Massachusetts/REHOBOTH BEACH, Delaware (Reuters) -U.S. Vice President Kamala Harris pressed the case for the re-election of President Joe Biden at a fundraiser in Massachusetts on Saturday despite continued pressure from fellow Democrats and big-money donors seeking an end to his bruised campaign.

"We are going to win this election," Harris said. "It's not going to be easy but we are a group of people that understand anything worthwhile takes hard work."

While she alluded to the turmoil that has engulfed Biden's candidacy since a poor debate performance last month, Harris did not refer to calls for Biden to drop out of the 2024 race.

The fundraiser drew 1,000 people and raised more than $2 million, according to its host, celebrity wedding planner Bryan Rafanelli. Celebrities and singers including Jennifer Coolidge, Billy Porter and Darren Criss were set to attend.

Biden and top aides on Friday vowed to continue with his presidential campaign against Republican candidate Donald Trump, even as major donors signaled they were unwilling to open their checkbooks unless the 81-year-old president steps aside.

The crisis of confidence in Biden's ability to win the Nov. 5 election has placed a huge spotlight on Harris, widely believed to be the most likely replacement if he steps down.

Harris fundraising events have been getting added interest from donors who want to signal they are willing to coalesce around her potential bid for the White House, according to three Democratic fundraisers.

On Saturday in Provincetown, Harris denounced the extremism and intolerance that she said marked Trump's vision for America.

"Right now in our country those freedoms are under full-on attack," she said. "White supremacists have showed up at pride festivals armed with assault weapons. ... We see extremists fan the flames of hate and homophobia for political gain."

"Go get him Kamala!" a person shouted, drawing a wave of cheers.

As speculation has grown that Harris might soon replace Biden as the Democratic Party's candidate, she has offered her full support for him staying in the race.

"He's fighting for the American people," she said on Saturday.

Thirty-five congressional Democrats, representing more than 10% of the party's members in Congress, have now publicly called on Biden, who is isolating at his Delaware home with COVID-19, to drop out following the June 27 debate against Trump.

The debate raised serious concerns inside the party over Biden's ability to win the election or carry out his duties for another four years.

Biden's doctor said on Saturday the president still has mild COVID-19 symptoms but is improving steadily.

Biden's campaign hoped to raise some $50 million in big-dollar donations in July for the Biden Victory Fund but was on track for less than half that figure as of Friday, according to two sources familiar with the fundraising efforts.

The campaign called reports of a July fundraising slump overstated, noting that it anticipated a drop-off in large donations due to vacations. It said the campaign still has 10 fundraisers on the schedule this month.

(Reporting by Jarrett Renshaw; Editing by Paul Simao and Sandra Maler)
Soldiers have been deployed in the streets, while gatherings have been banned and the Internet is still down. Some sources claim that at least 105 have died with 1,500 injured in clashes. A prison was attacked and set on fire with inmates allowed to escape. What started as a protest over public employment quotas has quickly morphed in an all-out battle. Hundreds of Indian students have been repatriated, while India is not taking any position over the clashes.

Milan (AsiaNews/Agencies)  Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina has ordered a nationwide curfew in Bangladesh, deploying army troops to restore order following protests that have been going on for almost two weeks, with violence escalating in the past two years.

Authorities shut down the Internet and communications services. Some sources reached by AFP report that the death toll has risen to 105 with more than 1,500 injured.

Awami League Secretary General Obaidul Quader announced the curfew, saying it was needed to maintain order in what is shaping up to be the most serious crisis Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina has faced coming to power.

The daughter of Mujibur Rahman, the Father of the Nation who led the country in its war of liberation from Pakistan, she has served as prime minister uninterruptedly since 2009.

Police reportedly banned all gatherings in the capital, Dhaka, and fired tear gas and opened fire on protesters.

In addition to schools and universities, the underground train and rail connections to and from Dhaka have also been closed.

Earlier, protesters had stormed a prison in Narsingdi district, freeing the detainees before setting fire to the facility.

As AsiaNews reported, the unrest was triggered by student opposition to a quota system in public employment, which still reserves 30 per cent of jobs to the descendants of the 1971 freedom fighters, a system many deem a patronage tool in the hands of the Awami League.

Opposition by youth movements linked to the ruling party together with harsh police repression have turned this specific protest into all-out battle with the government of Sheikh Hasina, bringing together the student protest and widespread revulsion at the repression of dissent.

Before the internet was shut down, the official websites of the central bank, the Prime Minister's Office, and the police were hacked by group calling itself THE R3SISTANC3.

"Operation HuntDown, Stop Killing Students," read messages splashed on the sites, adding in crimson letters: "It's not a protest anymore, it's a war now."

Neighbouring India is closely monitoring the situation in Bangladesh, home to thousands of Indians.

We see this as an internal matter of Bangladesh, said Indian External Affairs Ministry spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal at a media briefing.

In such an explosive situation, hundreds of Indian students have already crossed the border to return to their home states in north-east India.

Meanwhile, Bangladeshs minorities are also frightened of possible repercussions of the ongoing violence on them.
by Melani Manel Perera

Following a Supreme Court ruling, the calendar of Sri Lankas presidential election is expected in days. The Christian advocacy group urges candidates to limit the powers of the presidency and work on healing the wounds still left open 15 years after the end of the civil war.

Colombo (Asia News)  The National Christian Council of Sri Lanka (NCC) has welcomed a recent Supreme Court decision that reiterated the need to hold the presidential election by the end of the year, in compliance with the Constitution.

Just as the Election Commission of Sri Lanka stated that it will announce the calendar of presidential election within the next two weeks, the NCC calls on all Sri Lankan voters to exercise the power inherent in their vote with diligence and responsibility.

The Christian advocacy organisation urges voters to reject candidates facing charges of corrosive corruption, racism, and heinous crimes, reminding voters that the root causes of the current economic crisis are essentially political."

The economic mismanagement that has plagued the country in recent years, the corrosive corruption, and the expenditure on vanity projects that lacked any economic justification, were possible because there were inadequate checks and balances on those who exercised political power, ineffective scrutiny of the executive and the coopt[at]ion of the legislature, so that there were no effective accountability mechanisms as well, the NCC statement reads.

The NCC renews its call for the abolition of a powerful presidency, regardless of the office holder or the political party he or she represents.

"The over-mighty presidential system also nullifies other democratic institutions. We note that in the past most presidential candidates in successive elections have promised to abolish the executive presidency during their election campaigns but conveniently ignored this once elected to office.

The NCC urges all presidential candidates to commit to support the abolition of the executive presidency within a specified period and implement it without fail."

The Christian group also cites the legitimate grievances of northern and eastern Tamil community that led to the war and massive polarisation between the country's main ethnic groups, noting that the interethnic conflict can only be resolved through a political solution that addresses its root causes, including the discrimination endured by certain groups.

In addition, it says that it is also important to address the genuine aspirations of the Malayaha Makkal in plantation areas, communities who have been denied dignity and other human rights for decades.

Fifteen years after the end of the civil war, the military and various government agencies still occupy land, impose restrictions, and engage in intimidation and the suppression of dissent, even preventing certain communities from remembering their dead.

Finally, the NCC notes that the vote is a political-spiritual act, an opportunity for voters to express compassion and solidarity with all marginalised and vulnerable groups, to build a better country for all and ensure the prosperity and well-being of their homeland.
by Stefano Caprio

For the historian of ideas Mikhail Maiatsky, Putin's Russia has "erased philosophy", replacing it with a pseudo-scientific patriotic ideology, based on the arbitrary rereading of Russian and universal history. A focus on existentialist thinker Ivan Ilyin is not meant to reflect on the meaning of ongoing tragedies. An aesthetics of renaissance on which Alexei Losev wrote in the 1980s is more urgent than ever.

A prominent Russian historian of philosophy, Mikhail Maiatsky, who has lived and taught in Switzerland for more than 30 years, has published a text in a collection of essays by various authors entitled Facing the Catastrophe, in which he says that Russias war in Ukraine has definitively ended the period of post-Soviet culture.

Putin's Russia, in his opinion, has "erased philosophy", replacing it with a pseudo-scientific patriotic ideology, based on an arbitrary rereading of Russian and universal history.

Referring to the reflections of French philosophers like Jacques Ranciere and Gilles Deleuze, Maiatsky defines the conditions in which Russia has been living for almost three years as "the apotheosis of the unpredictable, of randomness, and of a-causality", which destroys all potential and all prospects for the future.

Moreover, it is not really possible to speak of a "post-Soviet philosophy", considering that the first 20 years after the end of the USSR were dedicated above all to the rediscovery of the cultural heritage devastated and almost erased in the 20th century, especially that of Slavophile thought defeated by the Bolshevik revolution.

At the start of the 1990s, collections and studies multiplied such as The Russian Idea ( ) by Mikhail Maslin, who later edited the History of Russian Philosophy (  ) adopted in 2008 by Lomonosov University in Moscow.

Many others have published guides and studies of the history of philosophy for universities, with the aim of achieving a real "reconversion of philosophy", passing from the compulsory studies of the Soviet era, Marxism-Leninism, and atheism, to history and religious philosophy and even to theology.

Several institutes of ecclesiastical studies have been established, the most authoritative undoubtedly being Saint Tikhon's Orthodox University of Humanities in Moscow. Even Catholics opened the Saint Thomas Institute in the capital in 1991, now run by the Jesuit fathers.

But in the last decade, Great-Russian nationalism has progressively overwhelmed all attempts to rediscover the multifaceted spirit of Russian culture of the centuries prior to the "Soviet yoke", settling on Pan-Slavist" positions, the same that exasperated the 19th century debate between Slavophiles and Westernisers.

This orientation saw the Russian idea or the Russian world as the fulfillment of the destinies of history, like the famous essay Russia and Europe by Nikolay Danilevsky of 1869, the so-called "comprehensive catechism of Slavophilism, a philosophy that has once again been bent for the struggle against the West that humiliates Russia.

The feeling that inspired the tome was the ruinous defeat in the Crimean War, and has been revived recently following the collapse of the Soviet Union.

Danilevsky proposed a "biological" quest to find the Russian specimen as the definitive, original, and "pacified" human type, following the succession of 10 historical specimen after the Roman-Germanic type became fossilised, bound to merge into the Russian cultural domain.

A more recent point of reference is the existentialist thinker Ivan Ilyin, called Putin's favourite philosopher. Expelled from the USSR in 1922, he died in 1954, after sympathising with Nazism as the only salvation from Soviet communism.

A new Higher School of Politics has now been named after him at Moscow's most prestigious university, the Russian State University for the Humanities, under the direction of one of the greatest ideologues of Eurasianism and universal Russian sovereignism, the populist Alexander Dugin.

In reality, Ilyin focused on the questions of man and the renewal of society, in a very penetrating philosophy of spiritual experience, so much so that in 1918 he wrote his doctoral thesis on Hegel's philosophy as a doctrine on the concreteness of God and man, one of the best Russian researches of philosophical criticism.

He lived in Berlin during the years of Hitler's rise, but then moved to Switzerland where he wrote Axioms of Religious Experience (  ), which was published in 1953, based on the key concept of "evidence" understood in a very broad, figurative, and metaphorical sense.

Ilyin thought that the condition of the human soul was opposed to the blindness of superficial visibility, the capacity for multiform contemplation and profound sensitivity, to find the direction to take after all the upheavals.

None of these philosophers, even if deemed the inspiration of militant Russia, can really offer reflections on the meaning of the ongoing tragedies.

Nothing can really justify Russia's world war, starting with Ukraine and all the territories of its lost empire  its ideological appeals have no real roots even in the most extreme Russian philosophy of the ancient and recent past.

The events of the past two years do not have an adequate definition, there is no "Eurasianism" or "sovereignism" that makes explicit the semantic meaning of the destruction, and the proclaimed "Russian world" is empty conceptually, even more than socially, politically, militarily, and economically.

Maiatsky also turns to a recently released American collection of essays, Experts' Scenarios on Russia's Future, which seeks to identify the future effects of the ongoing war, showing how much war trivialises and empties of meaning human attitudes and reactions, making it impossible to assess the true extent of conflicts, especially when they multiply and overlap.

Who is the aggressor and who is the victim are obvious, but this becomes insignificant in the ideological cauldron of cliches: We are one people", "Ukraine does not exist", "Our fight is not with the Ukrainians, but with American imperialism, plus other references to Israeli oppression of the Palestinians, or the territorial integrity of Armenia, so on.

Russia has inaugurated the "season of infantilism" according to the philosopher, showing that it is incapable of abiding by the rules of international politics, that it only wants to bend the rules to its own interests, looking for completely groundless justifications.

What is happening is not only irreparable, but as Hannah Arendt put it: All we know is that we can neither punish nor forgive such offenses.

The death of tens of thousands of peaceful Ukrainians, including hundreds of children, is an irreparable event, not to mention the psychological trauma of millions of children and adults on all sides: morality does not take one side or the other, it simply vanishes into thin air.

There is no "Russian world", there is only the triumph of resentment, sadism, indifference, and frustration. Maiatsky suggests to place the following inscription on Putin's tomb: He put an end to the Russia project.

After all, a very common expression among Russians emigres is "we are dead", preventively handing themselves over to burial or dreaming of a future rebirth.

The very concept of "emigration" changed after February 2022, with an artificial division between those who could escape and managed to do so, those who could not, and those who could leave but did not.

Those on the outside hope for a quick collapse of the Putin regime, those on the inside try to survive and hope that everything does not collapse on them, and it is impossible to determine who is against and who is for the war. The sense of bewilderment of one's own personal, family, even national and ethnic reality prevails, on both sides of the divide.

The exodus of the past two years has created a new demographic, if not exactly anthropological, condition devoid of cultural and religious, geographical, and political references, and this indeterminacy does not only concern Russians and Ukrainians, given the interaction of Artificial Intelligence and Information Technology in the world in which we all live.

We are all teetering on the cusp of history, feeling the thrill of the thin blade that prevents us from moving, fearful of losing our spiritual wholeness, even before we lose our territorial integrity.

The war is not stopping; on the contrary, it seems to extend indefinitely. Peace conferences and invitations to negotiations appear to be skirmishes without content, due to necessary breaks from the scorching heat and the reloading of weapons, to resume autumn offensives before the new winter break.

Exhaustion and addiction are felt simultaneously, and it no longer makes sense to watch the news, which do nothing but fuel anger, dullness, and depression.

There is no solution, only resurrection, a human rebirth after the shameful reduction of religious rebirth to the service of the most inhuman politics.

One of the few philosophers who was able to preserve the legacy of Russian religious thought during the Soviet decades, Alexei Losev, published an essay in 1982, a few years before his death on the Aesthetics of the Renaissance ( ), in which he took up the intuitions of the great theologian Pavel Florensky, who died in a concentration camp in 1937.

Between the "submission to God" of the Middle Ages and the "struggle with God" of the new age, both positions defined as theocratic biopolitics, only true humanism remains, the one that believes in a God who wants to experience humanity in order to make it reborn from all destruction, through the purification of repentance and the free choice of one's own destiny.

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20 July 2024 10:00 (UTC+04:00)

The 2nd Shusha Global Media Forum on the fight against disinformation will be held on July 20-22, Azernews reports.

The forum will feature four panel sessions on Impact assessment: scoping disinformation, Policies and initiatives to build a more resilient society against disinformation, The impact of artificial intelligence on reality, media and disinformation: Promoting media literacy, and Climate movement and media.

During the panel sessions, officials from different countries, media and civil society representatives, representatives of international organizations and media experts will come together to exchange views and experiences.

The forum participants will be informed about the preparations carried out regarding the 29th session of the Conference of the Parties to the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change (COP29), the fight against the impacts of climate change at the country level, as well as the sustainable approach in the restoration and reconstruction works implemented in the liberated areas.

The Forum, which will be attended by more than 150 foreign guests from about 50 countries, including news agencies of 30 countries, 3 international organizations and 82 media entities, will provide a platform for joint discussions and action for the participants.

The 1st Shusha Global Media Forum was held on July 21-23 last year. President of the Republic of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev attended the opening ceremony of the 1st Media Forum on New Media in the Era of the 4th Industrial Revolution. The head of state addressed the opening ceremony and answered questions.

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20 July 2024 13:45 (UTC+04:00)

The captain of a Malaysia Airlines aircraft, operating the London-Kuala Lumpur flight, requested an emergency landing at Heydar Aliyev International Airport, Azernews reports, citing the press service of Heydar Aliyev International Airport.

The reason was a sudden deterioration in the health of one of the passengers (heart attack).

The Airbus A350 aircraft successfully landed at Baku airport at 06:42 local time.

Specialized equipment  an ambulift  was promptly used for the evacuation of the passenger, who was immediately provided with first aid and transferred to the emergency medical team.

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20 July 2024 11:10 (UTC+04:00)

President of the Republic of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev will meet with the participants of the 2nd Shusha Global Media Forum on fight against disinformation, Azernews reports.

The meeting will be live-streamed.

Will be updated

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20 July 2024 12:07 (UTC+04:00)

The global media forum starts its work in Shusha City today, Azernews reports.

The airplane with foreign guests that will participate in the forum landed at Fuzuli International Airport.

The guests will depart from here by special buses to Shusha.

The 2nd Shusha Global Media Forum on the fight against disinformation will be held on July 20-22. Over 150 foreign guests from almost 50 countries will join the forum, including news agencies from about 30 countries, 3 international organizations, and 82 media structures.

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20 July 2024 16:20 (UTC+04:00)

The Days of Uzbek Cinema will be held in our country from July 20 to 23, organized by the Ministry of Culture and the Film Agency of the Republic of Azerbaijan, Azernews reports citing Ministry.

To mark this occasion, a delegation led by Avazkhon Tadjikhanov, Deputy Minister of Culture of the Republic of Uzbekistan, and Alisher Khocayev, Deputy General Director of the "Uzbekkino" National Agency, will participate in the events hosted in Baku.

Today, the opening ceremony of the cinema days will take place at the Nizami Cinema Center. The feature film "Evrilish" ("Evolution") will be screened during the ceremony. On July 21, at 2:00 p.m., moviegoers will enjoy the films "Yasha, xotin" ("Live, Wife") and "Sudya" ("Judge") at 4:00 p.m. On July 23, at 11:00 a.m., the movie "Bahodir" will be shown.

Admission to the sessions is free.

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20 July 2024 16:10 (UTC+04:00)

The opening ceremony of the second Shusha Global Media Forum themed Unmasking False Narratives: Confronting Disinformation was held on July 20.

Azernews reports that the President of the Republic of Azerbaijan, Ilham Aliyev, attended the Forum and answered the questions.

Moderator  Rebecca McLaughlin-Eastham, host and producer at Euronews channel: It is wonderful to see you, Mr. President. Thank you for gracing us with your presence today.

Excellences, distinguished guests, my honored peers in the global international journalistic community. All welcome to this fantastic 2nd Shusha Global Media Forum. We are delighted that you joined us in magnificent Shusha, which we have to say when we have travelled here today has gorgeous green valleys. Terrific tunnels. How fast was the trip. We wish you every continued success in its development. We are delighted that our forum today is held under the patronage of his Excellency, the President of the Republic of Azerbaijan, Ilham Aliyev. Thank you again for being here with us.

My name is Rebecca McLaughlin-Eastham, I am a TV anchor and Executive Producer, representing Euronews TV Channel here today. And I am delighted to be a moderator. Thank you for having me.

We have a fantastic agenda for you, not only before but only today. I know that you are greatly anticipating an interactive session with his Excellency and you will have the opportunity to put your questions to him. I do have a long list of names and we do have a generous map of time. Thank you again Mr. President. You are so generous in taking your questions. Just two tiny pieces of advice if I may. When we come to you please keep your questions brief. No compound questions, as journalists know very well. Keep them brief and to the point, give me the headlines. And if you can please also say who you are and what organization you represent will be very grateful.

We should also just remind ourselves why we are here, why there are more than 50 countries represented in the delegates that we see before as today. We gathered here in Shusha to drill down into unmasking false narratives. That is the theme of this years forum. So important when it comes to confronting disinformation. We know with the advent and rapid advancement of technology there are so many advantages that it brings to our sector yet the perils are greatly outlined too, which makes it really important for the governments, ministries but also journalists at large, media sector to help protect individuals, societies, governments, the public and private entities, which makes our job in the media ever most scrutinized but also ever more important. So, thank you again for being truth seekers and we to feel your questions to that effect. With regard to the themes that are coming up in the coming days, they will be split into four man pillars. The first of which is an impact assessment. Where do we stand? What are the risks and how we navigate when it comes to the rich of disinformation. Secondly, we will speak policies and initiatives. Lots of questions of course to you, Your Excellency, when it comes to what we can do to better bolster the government side of things. We will also look at inevitable impact positive, negative or otherwise of AI, when it comes to media and disinformation, promoting media literacy so crucial to our event. And climate action. We all know what is happening here in November. We are all very excited about COP29 and climate action, the transition. This will be a focus of our discussions. And I just want to give you a quick teaser what is coming up on day three. Because there is a special presentation after the fourth session moderated by Francis Martin Kane. There will be a special presentation on the subject of Solidarity for the Green World focusing on COP29. And there will be a presentation by Elnur Sultanov.

And, of course, you will be taking your questions I will be very much forward to that. Just to let you know some other things to look for before we delve into our Q&A. There is a magnificent gala dinner. There will also be exclusive film screenings and there will be amazing sightseeing tour. So, please, be fully involved. We want this to be a collaborative, interactive, transparent and very candid discussion over the next three days about how we can do things better.

Mr. President, thank you again for being here. Can I start by asking you about last years forum. What milestones have been reached since then? What positive action has been taken in the media space in your opinion since then?

President Ilham Aliyev: First of all, thank you for the invitation. Its a big honor to address this distinguished audience. I was informed that we have delegations from 49 countries, plus host country journalists - media representatives from Azerbaijan. So, in total, 50 countries have gathered here in Karabakh for the second time to address the issues you already described.

I remember last year, almost exactly a year ago, here in this room, I also had a great discussion with the participants. I also expressed my hope that this forum can be traditional. Now, its already the second time, so I think this tradition will continue.

With respect to development in the region and in the country since the last Shusha Forum, I think it would take all the time of our session if I start to name what happened, not only in the area of media but also in general in the country and the region. As far as the region of the Southern Caucasus is concerned, I would say that we are now facing a historical transformation of the region with historical, geopolitical changes. Traditional alliances are a little bit under the phase of deterioration. New formats of cooperation emerge. Of course, the full restoration of our sovereignty last September was the key event not only between the 1st and 2nd forums but in our modern history in general. So, a lot of things have happened, and hopefully, all these developments will lead to a more predictable situation in the region.

I think all what we need is to feel ourselves, I mean, the peoples of the region on the safe side. There have been enough wars, enough confrontations, and as you already mentioned, what youve seen coming from Fuzuli Airport to here is an enormous reconstruction program we are implementing, and what you've seen is just maybe 5% of what is going on in the region of Karabakh and East Zangazur. So, we are very optimistic. I would say that the whole society of Azerbaijan is optimistic and enthusiastic. And this is a good driver. I think the main driver for any country to succeed is the mood of society, its comfort and its expectations. Especially, when societies see that what they strived for, for so many years, has become a reality.

Moderator Rebecca McLaughlin-Eastham: Mr. President, just one more question before we go straight to the floor. Under our theme, unmasking false narratives and confronting disinformation, how great are crises we facing? How big is this fight that we need to fightfighting the good fight?

President Ilham Aliyev: Unfortunately, our country is actually the subject of what is today a top topic of the discussion. And it's already, unfortunately, become a part of our life. Sometimes we are surprised when information about Azerbaijan in international media is true. False information, disinformation, manipulation of facts, and false narratives are all things we have faced for many, many years. There are different reasons for that. One of them, of course, was the conflict between Armenia and Azerbaijan and the mobilization of all the Armenian diaspora structures, and pro-Armenian politicians and media representatives in attacking Azerbaijan, creating false narratives, and trying to present Azerbaijan as completely different from what it was and what it is. I remember during many meetings with different foreign guests, during sincere conversations, in the absolute majority of cases, the message to me was, We did not expect to see in Azerbaijan what we've seen. So that means these false narratives are really very damaging. They not only damage the reputation, but also damage the country's business potential and investment opportunities, distract attention from the international community to the core issues the country is facing, and concentrate on absolutely unrealistic scenarios.

We've been subject to ethnic cleansing and occupation for almost 30 years, but it was as if we were the aggressors. Including this media coverage and also, as I said, politically motivated messages and decisions, we became a subject of international sanctions. The United States imposed sanctions on Azerbaijan back in 1992. We were the subject of aggression, but because of the Armenian lobby in the United States and pro-Armenian members of Congress, we were sanctioned. So, it is an absolutely absurd situation. The country is facing a humanitarian crisis, the deportation of a million people, total devastation of the occupied territories, and is being sanctioned because of that. At that time, we didn't have access to international media outlets. We were just a newly born, independent country. So, we had to work very hard. At first, it seemed to us that we could not deliver our message properly. We were blaming ourselves and trying to mobilize our resources to explain, to educate, to use different channels of communications. But then we realized that many, very many personalities just did not want to know the truth or they wanted to completely present the situation in an absolutely different manner. So, the best way to deal with that for a country like Azerbaijan, which is only 30-plus years independent, is to invite people like you here to Baku, to other regions, to Karabakh and to see who we are, what our plans are, what our expectations are, what country we want to build, and whether we succeeded or not. And that is the best way to do it. Today, we see that even the American President is facing what we've been facing for so many years,. President Trump was the one who named the Washington Post and the New York Times as fake news. I completely agree with him. Not only in this but in many other statements. So now, the President of the United States is a subject of media harassment, media attacks, and manipulation of public opinion. So, seeing all that, we can be a little bit relaxed. Now, attention is diverted from Azerbaijan. Of course, we would wish for the media to be objective. Everybody is subjective, but media representatives have a special responsibility because their message and their coverage, in many cases, influence the lives of people.

Moderator Rebecca McLaughlin-Eastham: Thank you very much, Mr. President. Thank you for your candor. I now turn my attention to the floor. As said, I do have a list of names and we do you have a roving mic. So, please just raise your hands so that I can see you and we'll bring the microphone to you. And first up is Mikhail Gusman, the First Deputy Director General of TASS News Agency.

President Ilham Aliyev: As always as always, first.

Mikhail Gusman: Mr. President, a year ago I participated in the first Shusha Forum and asked my question in Azerbaijani. Today, my question will be in Russian. Ilham Heydarovich, you have just mentioned President Trump. I traveled for 38 hours to come to Shusha. Perhaps the day before yesterday, for four days, I worked at a convention of the Republican Party in the state of Wisconsin. I will be happy to share my impressions, but I did spent four days at the convention, working for my agency, first with a very large number of Republican Party leaders and then with my colleagues. It really was a very interesting convention. I will say this for the first time, the title of my notes which are not even ready yet, it was a convention for the creation of a leader, as I called it. Because it was very different from the previous Republican conventions, and it was very interesting. But my question is that  frankly speaking, I wouldn't even ask it if I hadnt worked at the convention, but this question is now being asked of President Putin, this question is also being asked of other leaders of different countries, and many leaders are putting this question to themselves. The internal situation in America is not easy. A month ago it was one, but during this month the situation in the Democratic Party has changed dramatically. But you as President of Azerbaijan, on November 6 of this year, on the Wednesday after the first Tuesday after the first Monday, I mean the month, as elections are held according to the constitution. Who would you prefer to be announced according to the results of the election. On the morning of November 6, this will already be clear. Who would you prefer? I am not even asking you which of the two candidates because it is already clear with one of the candidates after the congress, with the second one there is a certain situation, although I am personally convinced that President Biden will remain in the race.

President Ilham Aliyev: Thank you for your question. It would probably be not quite appropriate for me to give an absolutely unambiguous answer. I always try and strive to be as sincere as possible in my answers to any audience, be it a representative of the media or a representative of the Azerbaijani public. I do not palter with the truth. But there are certain points related to a concept such as political culture that do not allow me to answer your question directly, although I think your question is absolutely rhetorical. We have known each other for decades. I am absolutely sure that you know perfectly well what preference I would make. And I think I am not the only one in Azerbaijan. As far as we are concerned, of course we look at this situation through our own prism. The decision will be made by the American people. It is their president that will be elected. But it is also of great importance for the whole world. Because the fate of many and many peoples and countries will largely depend on the decisions that will be made by the first person of the United States. And I think one of the important messages that President Trump has voiced during the campaign, which is still underway, is that there were no wars under his administration. America did not start wars under him, there was no Vietnam, Korea, Yugoslavia, Afghanistan, Libya, Iraq, Syria  the list could be continued. It was a period in which it didn't happen. Well, it is probably something deserving great respect.

And the second thesis is  I do not want to go too much into the details of the topic, as they say  but the second thesis, which is also important, and in this case, first of all, for the United States itself and countries that are under its direct influence, and this, of course, is a clear position on the issue of traditional values. I think that the absolute majority of the Azerbaijani people not only share this position, but actively promote it and put it into practice.

I think if I go any further, it will become quite clear, so I think I should stop for now.

Mikhail Gusman: Thank you very much, Ilham Heydarovich, but I was allowed to ask two questions at the first forum. So please let me follow the traditions of the first forum.

President Ilham Aliyev: In this case it is a question for the moderator.

Mikhail Gusman: You mentioned that Azerbaijan remains true to traditional values. There is another country that absolutely correlates with Azerbaijan in this respect  it is Russia. I asked this question at the first forum about what I believe was a historic meeting in Moscow on February 22, 2022, where a historic memorandum between our countries was signed. And since then, the relations between Russia and Azerbaijan have been on an upward trend in an absolutely, I would say, vertical direction. You spoke about it at the last meeting with the President of Russia and the President of Russia spoke about it at the meeting with heads of news agencies in Sochi, when he was answering a question of the Director General of AZERTAC. In other words, it would seem that there is nothing more to wish for. And yet, if we sharpen the question a little on the situation, are there any topics that have not been resolved in the relations between Russia and Azerbaijan? I would say it a bit softer  where is the greatest potential between Russia and Azerbaijan, and not only in the economy? Since I represent TASS, the news agency should know everything  I know that you have invited the President of Russia to Azerbaijan and you have talked about it. There are rumors in our circles that it may be in the near future. So what will you have to discuss with the President of Russia, if such a meeting does take place?

President Ilham Aliyev: Thank you. Let me say at once that there are simply no issues that need to be resolved in our bilateral relations. And for quite a long time already. In principle, we had settled all issues on the basis of mutual understanding, mutual respect, consideration of mutual interests and taking into account the centuries-old history of relations between our peoples even before the signing of the Declaration on Allied Cooperation, which you mentioned. Recently, you are absolutely right, the frequency of summit meetings has increased, and there is a great need for that. We had meetings both in Moscow in April and on the margins of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization event earlier this month. And there will probably be more meetings before the end of the year. There are many topics. But I will say that although the agenda is very broad  you probably know it better than anyone else, I think the issues of multilateral cooperation are coming to the forefront. Because on the bilateral track, in principle, everything has been adjusted. Political interaction is very successful. The turnover is growing, albeit not like between Russia and Armenia. As you know, the turnover between Russia and Armenia has grown five times in the last two years, from 1.5 billion dollars to 7.3 billion dollars. It is very interesting to us, we are wondering how Armenia was able to increase its exports so much. Well, the question, as they say, is rhetorical. Well, our growth over the last year was somewhere around 17 percent  4.3 billion or 4.4 billion. There is such a stable growth.

But as for the issues related to multilateral cooperation, there are many topics we are discussing and addressing, of course, with the involvement of partners from other countries as well. First of all, this is the North-South transport corridor, which is becoming more important than ever before for Russian shippers, taking into account the geopolitical situation and the fact that all segments of this project have already been created in Azerbaijan. We are talking about expanding the capacity of this corridor. But there are many other topics as well.

Of course, no summit meeting goes by without the discussion of issues that are particularly close to us. These include humanitarian cooperation, contacts between people, cultural cooperation, education. So this is a huge layer that we are all well aware of. So I am sure that this progressive development of our relations will be continued. This is extremely important for our countries and for the region as a whole.

Moderator Rebecca McLaughlin-Eastham: Thank you very much. Mr. President. Up next we have Holger Friedrich from Berliner Zeitung. Please, your question.

Holger Friedrich: My name is Holger Friedrich from Berliner Zeitung, Germany. Many thanks for the invitation. I'm interested to know how you deal with incorrect sometimes incomplete, sometimes maybe manipulating reports about the development in this region, about your country, about your presidency regardless whether thats from the east, from the north, from the south? Thank you.

President Ilham Aliyev: Unfortunately, it mainly comes from the West. As I already said, it became part of our day-to-day life. At the first stage, we were surprised. At the second stage, we were disappointed. At this stage, we are absolutely indifferent. Because the main decision-maker here is the people of Azerbaijan. Whatever the government is doing is for the benefit of the people and the country.

Of course, we would prefer the coverage of events in our country and in the neighborhood to be objective. If it is not objective due to some misinformation, we don't mind, but if it is a deliberate media attack, a deliberate attempt to discredit what we're doing, of course, the question is, why it's happening. We, as I said, cannot do much, but what is happening now here in Karabakh, I think, is one of the ways how we can improve or change the situation. But I think the more time passes, the more reality in political circles in the West appear to treat Azerbaijan as an equal partner.

You know, when Soviet Union collapsed, there was a kind of perception in the West and also in many post-Soviet republics that the only way how to move forward and survive is to do what the big guys are telling you. We've chosen a different way. It was not easy. We had to face attempts of destabilization, attempts of orange revolutions or color revolutions in the beginning of the 2000s. But at the same time, it protected Azerbaijan from transforming into a satellite, a proxy, or a vassal and eventually, that could lead to enormous sufferings for the Azerbaijani people. We've chosen the way of independence, de facto and de jure, independent foreign policy, self-sufficient economies, fruitful cooperation with those partners who want to cooperate with us. Of course, reliance on domestic sources of potential income, in combination with strong ties in the region, allowed us to overcome most of our economic problems. We just decided to do our homework, to concentrate on our country, on our people, and not pay attention to who said what in the European Parliament or in the Council of Europe. We are absolutely indifferent to that.

So, the more people from your part of the world come here and see. I think the better the understanding of our country will be, and the better the relations between Azerbaijan and the countries in the West will become because perceptions, media, and other elements of public space influence the decision-makers. The decision-makers cannot ignore public opinion, and if a country is deliberately demonized as we still are, it becomes difficult for politicians to make decisions in favor of their countries because of that. I think it's this kind of a road with two directions, and we need to come closer. The closer we are, the less misinformation we will face.

Moderator Rebecca McLaughlin-Eastham: Next we have Gela Vasadze. He is an independent journalist and a political analyst from Georgia.

Gela Vasadze, independent journalist and political analyst from Georgia: Mr. President, greetings! Thank you very much for organizing such a representative event. It is always very pleasant to be here. To be honest, I have been thinking about it for a very long time. I have one question and I wanted to formulate it as clearly as possible for everybody to understand. I really wanted to ask you when you spoke about the national development concept, the national idea of Azerbaijan. What have you come to today? What is the situation like today? I will therefore formulate it like this: what is your dream Azerbaijan and your dream South Caucasus today?

President Ilham Aliyev: Thank you. I am pleased to see you. I remember you participating in last years forum too. Thank you for coming.

You know I spoke about this during my swearing-in speech in February  all of us together, the entire society and all people striving to contribute to the future development, we need to define a new national concept. We all had the same concept regardless of our political preferences, and that was the restoration of territorial integrity and the return of our territories. We achieved that in full last September. I also said that we should not be complacent and should not exploit this topic. Because this is the easiest way. And this topic, in principle, could be exploited for a very long time if we wanted to. But it will lead us nowhere. Of course, we will never forget the occupation, the victims, our great victory, and for our entire lives we and our descendants will be proud of this victory. But we cannot be fixated on this, we cannot exploit this theme and turn it into a symbol all the time. No. We must move forward. And this is why, as President, I addressed our society saying that we should think together. I can't come up with this on my own. And even if something comes to my mind, it will be generated by public debate, public mood or events that are taking place in Azerbaijan and in the world. This is the first thing.

I will also tell you that I outlined this in February, but there is still a process of reflection underway. But I am also convinced that whatever the new national idea or ideas may be, they cannot exist in isolation from the geopolitical context. And the geopolitical context in the world and in our region has changed dramatically, perhaps even more than anyone can imagine. And in this case, Azerbaijan's victory in Karabakh is not the only geopolitical change. I have already mentioned at the very beginning that old alliances are undergoing erosion and new formats of cooperation are emerging. I could go further into this topic, but I think it is clear what we are talking about.

If we are talking about the countries of the South Caucasus, each of these countries has undergone serious political and foreign policy transformations  I would even say close to cardinal ones. Therefore, this is a new situation in the South Caucasus. And we need to comprehend it properly. And based on this comprehension, and proceeding from the vector of foreign policy Georgia, Armenia and Azerbaijan will follow, it will be possible to formulate an answer to the question you have asked: what kind of South Caucasus do we want to see? Of course, everyone will say that we want to see a peaceful South Caucasus, without wars, without conflicts, without territorial claims, where everybody loves and cooperates with each other. But these are all nice words maybe for a toast, but not for real politics. At this stage, when a new foreign policy agenda is shaping up in Georgia and Armenia, we should clearly understand it, analyze it and then, since it has not changed in Azerbaijan, and I am sure it will not, we should take steps to follow the path of not even integration, but at least some kind of interaction. I have said many times that I deeply regret that countries of the South Caucasus, which were involved in wars, were not able to follow the path of the Baltic States, which were not openly at war with each other. Had this been the case, I am sure that both economic development and political interaction in the South Caucasus could have been an example of cooperation today. Because the peoples inhabiting our countries have lived side by side for centuries, but it did not happen. There is no point in talking about it now. But there is an opportunity now. But in order to take it, again, we need to analyze everything correctly here in Azerbaijan and see all the way to the end how these foreign policy modifications in Georgia and Armenia will conclude, and then we need to take more effective steps. In any case, we believe that long-term peace is possible and, of course, preferable.

Moderator Rebecca McLaughlin-Eastham: Francis Kane, please, your question.

Francis Martin Kane, Editor at Large, Arabian Gulf Business Insight: Thank you, Excellency. Mr. President. First of all, let me tell you how grateful I am for the opportunity to be here in Shusha, in Karabakh has been a long-term ambition of mine to visit. So thank you very much for the opportunity. Thank you also for the chance to gauge how Azerbaijan is viewing the world of media ahead of a very big event indeed for you in this coming November. I live and work in Dubai, in the UAE. And I know that you were there last year for COP28, which turned into a very successful event, I believe. Despite a largely hostile and quite negative Western press. I think it was successful because they ignored it. And so I would like to ask you how you see the media coverage of COP29 coming and what will be your approach to what will probably be a hostile and negative Western media?

President Ilham Aliyev: Thank you very much. Actually, almost the next day, maybe or the next week after the decision was made in favor of Baku, we became the subject of a media attack from the West.

It was expected. Many people with whom I discussed Azerbaijans presidency, I mean, among my colleagues, heads of state and government, were warning me that it would be a big headache. But we clearly realized that we would be the subject of attack. We could not predict what the topics of accusation would be, but we were sure there would be enough. But we started being accused of being a country rich with oil and gas. That was very strange because, by the way, the UAE COP28 President was also the subject of the same attacks, but unfortunately, it was such a broad, coordinated media process against us. At first, we were not prepared for that. We, of course, tried to explain that it is not our fault that we have oil and gas. You should not judge us by that. You should judge us by how we use the revenues, how we diversify our economy, how we tackle unemployment and poverty. All those figures today are at the level of developed countries, maybe sometimes even below. I mean, 5% poverty is something many countries would wish to have, and that's because of a fair distribution of the wealth generated from fossil fuel sales, transparent and absolutely accountable. But nevertheless, this trend continues. I can tell you that as time passes, there are less and less attacks on us. Our COP Team is working very efficiently and is actually spending most of their time at different meetings abroad. And our COP agenda is very clear, very predictable, and result-oriented. So, I would say that after six months have passed, since even more than that, since the decision was made, we are now less under fire. But we understand that the closer to the event, the fire level will grow.

Coming back to what we just discussed about this unjust coverage and double standards, we all know that one of the COPs was held in Glasgow, in an oil-producing part of the United Kingdom. No one accused the United Kingdom of its oil and gas. So this is just one illustration of what we were talking about. But you know, the advantage of this event many times prevails this, if I may use this word, the disadvantages because this is a main event on a global scale. This is the number one conference on the international arena. For the first time, it is going to be held in the area of the former Soviet Union and the region, and it is a unique chance for us to step into a higher league. Because we are not only organizing, we do a lot on the substance. We launch initiatives. We now actively work with developing countries in order to build bridges between the Global South and the Global North. Our advantage is that we've chaired the Non-Aligned Movement for four yearsinstitution with 120 countries. We've been selected unanimously, and our chairmanship was prolonged for one more year unanimously. So a lot of credit we got there because we did a lot as the chair. I don't want to go into much detail.

At the same time, Azerbaijan is one of the few countries, possibly the only in our part of the world and the former Soviet Union, which has signed or adopted strategic partnership declarations and agreements with 10 members of EU. The members of EU are officially Azerbaijans strategic partners. We are members of the Islamic Cooperation Organization. We are members of the OPEC+ format. We work actively with oil-producing countries and have already proposals how oil-producing countries can play a more instrumental role in accumulating finance. We actively communicate with European institutions. I just returned yesterday from London, where I attended the European Political Community summit, which I participated in for the third time. So, this is our advantage. We can build bridges because, frankly speaking, I was not deeply involved in the climatic agenda before. But now I realize there is a big mistrust between developed and developing countries. There are mutual blames and accusations about who did more damage to the planet and who is more responsible, and how to bring those responsible to justice or punishment. We want to put down all of that, because it will lead us nowhere.

We are now launching a program to support Small Island Developing States. Our President of COP29 will spend a week in the UK, meeting with Commonwealth officials. We have announced that we will establish a joint fund with the Commonwealth to support Small Island Developing States. For them, this is an existential threat. So, we are doing a lot on that track. I think that using a very positive legacy of the UAE as COP28 President, we can build on that. But you know, the funny thing is that before the UAE, it was Egypt, another fossil fuel-producing country, hosted COP, and after us, it will be Brazil. So the same. But this demonstrates that these countries, which are absolutely on the safe side with respect to energy security, want to demonstrate their responsibility. They want to make contribution to invest in green technologies, green transition. As Madam Rebecca said, one of the topics will be green solidarity. Yes, the year 2024 has been officially announced as the Green World Solidarity Year in Azerbaijan. I hope we will have a good event and achieve good results. And, of course, we invite all our friends to be with us in November.

Moderator Rebecca McLaughlin-Eastham: We will definitely be there. Next, Carlyle Corbin, international expert on governance, representative of French Polynesia to UN.

Carlyle Corbin: Mr. President. One of the narratives that considered false is that of contemporary colonialism having been ended. Obviously it's not. You've been very active in probably most of all leaders of the world. It has been your consistent position on this question. And also certainly during your tenure as the chair of the Non-Aligned Movement the Baku initiative group here has been very, very involved, in this world in terms of putting together a platform for the territories that are still colonies to proceed in the colonization process. We just completed a major study on the French colonial territories, including all of the territories that will be examined and presented on Monday. I would like to know certainly, you mentioned the Small Island Developing States as well. Being from the Caribbean, we are very pleased and very fortunate to have your support in the context of climate change, as you mentioned, is certainly an existential threat. We would like to know your view on continued and future initiatives with respect to the decolonization process, with the remaining colonies in the world.

President Ilham Aliyev: Thank you very much. You're absolutely right that we started actively addressing this issue after we were elected as chair of the Non-aligned Movement. This was part of our responsibility, because many countries of the Non-aligned Movement suffered from colonialism in the past and suffered a lot and sacrificed millions of lives during the time of colonialism, and some countries still suffer from that. Like Comoro Islands and Mayotte are still under colonial rule, and that was our obligation. We wanted to help these countries to get rid of this disgusting feature of the past.

Unfortunately, in the French government, they again using media which is under their control, or trying to accuse us that we are meddling into their internal affairs, but this is not true. We do it in response to their anti-Azerbaijani acts in the UN Security Council, the European Union, and other institutions where they have actually launched a cold war against us. No, we do it because we're absolutely sure that what France is doing is unacceptable, is disgusting, and must be stopped. They have no right to control the rights of people living more than 10,000 kilometers from their territory, and whom they humiliate, whom they assimilate, and whom they kill. Seven people were killed during the last events in New Caledonia. The responsibility lies with the Government of France and its president.

We will continue to support all peoples who suffer from colonialism as much as we can. With all our resources, and of course, through the Baku Initiative Group. As you know, this is an NGO. But NGO created in Azerbaijan through joint efforts, and they are doing a great job, because the voices of those suffering from colonialism have not been heard. Because not many countries can afford to accuse a country like France or what they are doing. Many countries prefer just to close their eyes or to turn their face and not to be involved, not to have a headache, not to be demonized in Le Figaro or Le Monde, which have become an instrument in the hands of French presidents regime. I tell it with complete confidence. We know the messages, which go to these media outlets from the Elysee Palace, but we don't care. We will support you as much as we can with all our resources until you are free. You and millions like you are free to live on your land, to plan your future, and to protect your heritage, your dignity, and your language, which they want to deprive you of. We will stand by you.

Moderator Rebecca McLaughlin-Eastham: Thank you very much, Your Excellency. Next we have a question from Maxim Shevchenko.

Maksim Shevchenko: Mr. President, thank you for the invitation to beautiful Shusha. I have seen it in ruins, I have seen it in grief when it was deprived of its homeland. I participated, in the early 2000s, in an attempt at humanitarian negotiations between Azerbaijan and Armenia, etc. So when I see such revival of the liberated territories now, I am happy for Azerbaijan, and I want to thank you and through you all the people of Azerbaijan for what you have done.

President Ilham Aliyev: Thank you.

Maksim Shevchenko: I will continue this thought. This is a very important topic  false narratives. In Russian it sounds even harsher. Narratives of lies. What kind of a lie is this? It is a lie that allows the West, as you said today, to continue to dominate peoples of the world, to continue to impose its political and historical narratives on the peoples of the world, to dictate its will to different territories. These narratives are formed there for some reason. Who lived in a certain place, which ancient historians allowed them to live there, who has the right to dictate that because of something someone wrote a thousand years ago, to carry out ethnic cleansing or form their states today. So when the Azerbaijani people dealt a blow to this lie under your leadership, it was in fact the beginning of the destruction of the whole system, a system of deception which was formed throughout the 20th century on the ruins of the Ottoman Empire, on attempts to destroy the Russian Empire, on attempts to create nations subordinated to Western masters.

I have a question regarding the fate of the South Caucasus. A very large number of my Azerbaijani friends come from Western Azerbaijan, where the ashes of their ancestors lie in the ground for dozens, perhaps hundreds of generations, and they are deprived of the opportunity to visit their historical homeland, where Azerbaijanis and indeed people of different religions and belonging to different nations lived for thousands of years. There probably have been wars and conflicts there, but these territories have never known ethnic cleansing. Almost 300,000 Azerbaijanis were expelled from the territory of Western Azerbaijan and Armenia after the collapse of the Soviet Union. They say that this process actually started back in the 1980s. I have heard different things about that. But I don't want to bring any additional intonations here, as you said, as a continuation of the past. The future belongs to humanitarian cooperation. I have a question to you: is it possible, can we live up to such a situation when Azerbaijanis can visit their homeland at least as guests? Maybe even someone will want to live there. I have friends, and they are elderly people who still remember living on the shores of Lake Goycha, or Sevan in Armenian. Many of them speak Armenian, by the way, but today they are deprived of this opportunity. I know Armenians who probably want to come to Azerbaijan in the same way, which for many of them has been their homeland for many generations. So how do you see this process of humanitarian exchange, a restoration of justice, a restoration of the true integrity of the Caucasus with its Caucasian traditions, and the absence of ethnic cleansing. This applies to Georgia for me as well. Here my position is unchanged. Every Georgian must return to the lands from where they were expelled. I say this boldly as a Russian citizen. Will this process move off the ground? Will this process move forward? Will Azerbaijanis see their homeland on the territory of Western Azerbaijan?

President Ilham Aliyev: Thank you, thank you for your question. Before saying what I think about this issue, I would like to say that Azerbaijanis were deported from the territory of today's Armenia back in the early 20th century, in 1918 and then, after the war, World War II, I mean, under a completely far-fetched pretext of repatriation of Armenians living in Western countries to Armenia and freeing up space for them. Then in the 1940s and 50s, several decrees were adopted by the Soviet government, the leadership of the country, as hundreds of thousands were deported then, to the Kura-Araz lowland, a place completely unfit for life and completely different in terms of the natural and climatic conditions from Zangezur, Goycha and other territories of Western Azerbaijan where they used to live before. That is, many of them simply could not stand it and died. But also, of course, the ethnic cleansing of the late 1980s, which is when everything started. Because many people, again, going back to the comments you made at the beginning of your question about the narratives of lies, it was all hushed up in the media of the West, including Russia, the Russia of the 1990s. It was silenced. There was 100-percent lop-sided approach to maintaining the false narrative of Armenia, when the barbaric deportation of Azerbaijanis from the territory of Armenia, Gafan district and others was completely hushed up. And that's basically where it all started. It was the spark that later turned into a huge fire. So our people experienced all the hardships of deportation.

As for your question specifically, I am deeply convinced that this day will surely come. Here, of course, we are counting on the political will of the Armenian leadership, its commitment to the principles of democracy and the rule of law that it has been declaring. You know, even before the anti-terror operation was carried out last September, we had repeatedly invited representatives of the Armenian population of Karabakh to meetings in order to talk to them. I actually appointed a special representative of the President from among members of the parliament, who was specifically instructed to establish contacts and determine the further residence and vital activities of the Armenian population of Karabakh. The first meeting with representatives of the Armenians of Karabakh took place on the territory we did not control at the time, in Khojaly, at the base of the Russian peacekeeping contingent. But at that time we also proposed that the next meeting should be held on the territory under our control. But the then separatist regime refused to do so. And over the course of several months, we invited them to meetings twice, but they refused on both occasions. After that, many international actors who tried to participate in the process approached us with the question: how will their livelihood be organized? And then we had to just put the reintegration project just on the internet. And it is available. I believe that many people interested in this problem are already familiar with it. Everything was clearly laid out there. Under what conditions they can stay there, on the territory of Azerbaijan  on the condition of the adoption of citizenship. The way to achieve this and the conditions for obtaining work and residence permits were also laid out. So there are no other forms of how a citizen of another country can live permanently in a different country. But that was also refused. So we were as constructive as possible in terms of ensuring the security and livelihoods of those people of Armenian nationality who lived in Karabakh, which was not under our control at the time. When we secured control over it and put an end to separatism on September 20, we held several meetings with representatives of the Armenian population again, but there was no result again. This is concerning our approach. And naturally we expect exactly the same approach from the Armenian government. We expect them to make a clear statement on how the Azerbaijanis expelled from the present-day territory of Armenia, from Western Azerbaijan, or the descendants of those who were expelled can return to their historical lands, visit them or live on these lands. Moreover, according to our reliable information, 90 percent of villages inhabited by Azerbaijanis have no life in them now, i.e. they are empty. They have been reduced to stones, just like Fuzuli was reduced to stones for 30 years, Aghdam, and all other Azerbaijani towns and villages. Some villages there are inhabited by Armenian population. This is why I deeply believe that this day will definitely come. And when I spoke about it many times, of course, the international world controlled by the Armenian diaspora began to accuse me of almost cherishing thoughts of an invasion. I was saying: we will not go there in tanks, we will go there in cars. I still say that now. I think that this is one of the messages that the sponsors of today's Armenian regime, especially in Paris and other Western capitals, should convey to them very clearly. They are now imagining themselves to be the most advanced Europeans. Let them demonstrate what is characteristic of the European Union  protection of ethnic minorities, their language, their history, their culture. Let them demonstrate this in practice, not in words. I think that Azerbaijan's wish or Azerbaijan's actions will not be enough here. I believe that it would be good if international media organizations and international non-governmental organizations get involved in this issue. Because the number of Azerbaijanis expelled from Western Azerbaijan and their descendants in Azerbaijan today accounts for millions. This, if we take the regional context of Azerbaijan, is the largest region in terms of population.

Moderator Rebecca McLaughlin-Eastham: Thank you. I would like the question to be asked by the representative of Haber Global.

Saynur Tezel, TV anchor of Turkish Haber Global TV channel: Mr. President, Your Excellency, thank you for having us here. I am very honored and very impressed and very happy to be here in Karabakh in Shusha, especially after 30 years of occupation, demolition. Its very great to witness the major change, the fantastic change of the region.

I'm journalist from Haber Global based in Istanbul. I'd like to ask the current situation of the peace agreement On November 9, 2020, the victory in Karabakh was achieved. As you mentioned, in your opening remarks on September 19, 2023, the anti-terror operation in Khankendi ended the Armenian occupation in Karabakh, and ensured the Azerbaijans territorial integrity. However, the peace agreement hasnt been signed yet. You have clearly stated that let me quote constitutional change indispensable condition for the peace agreement with Azerbaijan. So, I would like to ask about the recent peace-oriented statements of Armenian Prime Minister Pashinyan. He has given speeches, the peaceful speeches in Armenian parliament, and to the public as well as sending messages opposing to the revanchist aims, revanchist sentiments. When President Erdogan was asked about this he responded let me quote: now is the time to move away from the fabricated historical narratives, and progress on the realistic basis. Pashinyan has now understood this. Many provocative actors aside from the Diaspora, revanchists, are trying to influence Armenia in the process. I hope Armenia chooses the right path. Because opportunities do not remain open forever. It is important to seize the moment. End of quote. So my question is what are the conditions for this opportunity to remain open? Do you think the peace agreement will be signed soon? Thank you.

President Ilham Aliyev: If you allow me, I will start from the very beginning. After the Second Karabakh War ended, there was a certain vacuum. At that time, the former Minsk Group was still operational and functional. When their representatives, these three co-chairs, visited Azerbaijan afterward, I realized that they themselves did not know what should be done next. Because Azerbaijan actually did everything itself, bringing an end to the conflict. Most of the principles that had been negotiated for more than twenty years were achieved. It was us, the country and I personally, who proposed starting work on a peace agreement. Because their question was: what should we do next? My idea was that after the Karabakh deal is done, what we need to do? The two countries should normalize their relations. This was publicly announced by Azerbaijan, but there was no response from Armenia. Then after a while, we disclosed the principles on which the peace agreement should be based. These five principles, fundamental principles of international law, I'm sure everybody involved in this process knows what I'm talking about. Still, it took a lot of time for Armenia to agree. Negotiations started on our initiative. They continued for a certain period of time without any tangible progress for one particular reason. Because Armenia wanted to incorporate the issue of so-called Nagorno-Karabakh into the peace agreement, which we opposed, based on the fact that this is our internal issue. Internal issues should not be subject to agreement between two states. Having this issue unresolved, it was absolutely useless to concentrate on other important topics. After Azerbaijan restored its sovereignty last September, we waited for three more months before Armenia agreed to restart negotiations. From a practical point of view, the real negotiations only started last December. Only six months have passed, and the negotiations have been held only at the level of foreign ministers. There have been several meetings of foreign ministers of both countries in different locations.

With respect to the text of the peace agreement, as I was informed by our foreign minister, about from 80 to 90 percent of the text is agreed upon. Armenia had to withdraw its reservations and all these terminology related to the so-called Nagorno-Karabakh, which opened the door for normalization. But there are two important issues which must be addressed. At least, at the moment, two. One, Armenia should respond positively to our proposal for a joint application by Armenia and Azerbaijan to the OSCE to dissolve the Minsk Group. Because the Minsk Group has been dysfunctional for many months, and maybe already a couple of years. There is no chance for the Minsk Group to become functional again. First because the co-chairs now actually de facto at war with each other, I mean two against one. Secondly, France has completely lost its chance of being a mediator, or even being present in the Southern Caucasus, because they cannot operate in the region without our agreement. If they want to do it without our agreement, they will fail again. Once again, it would be another painful loss for them. Under this circumstances, what is the sense of keeping the Minsk Group de jure alive? In OSCE, as you know, there is a consensus mechanism. If Armenia wants to keep de jure Minsk Group it will remain, but if it wants to keep it that means that their territorial claims to Azerbaijan are still here. This is a very serious factor. It's a kind of litmus test. If they mean what they say. Why I say that is because often they say something that is absolutely contradictory to what they do. If they really now say that Karabakh is Azerbaijan on the very high level, though in 2019, several kilometers from here in Khankendi, the same person was very emotionally saying Karabakh is Armenia. So, now he says that Karabakh is Azerbaijan. Good. I mean, transformation and reforms are always appreciated, but now, this must be backed by practical steps. First, a joint application to the OSCE to dissolve the Minsk GroupArmenia disagrees. Second, a change in the Armenian constitution. And once again, I'd like to say that it's not something which we are doing in order to interfere in their affairsno. The Armenian Constitution has references to the Declaration of Independence, which clearly poses a territorial threat to Azerbaijan, because it deals with the unification of so-called Nagorno-Karabakh with Armenia. So, until this paragraph is there, a peace agreement is not possible. And again, I want everybody to understand me correctly. It's absolutely not part of our interference. But with this paragraph in their constitution, it is not possible because a constitution is higher than any other document, including an international treaty. So, we don't want to find ourselves in a situation where one day they will change their mind and again we will have to do what we've done in September.

In the meantime, the process of agreeing on the text is continuing. I don't know when the next meeting of foreign ministers will be. I am now less optimistic because, as you probably know, Prime Minister Pashinyan refused to meet with me in the U.K. The U.K. government proposed organizing a meeting between us on the sidelines of an event in Oxfordshire. But the Armenian side refused. We were surprised. Because just four months ago, Chancellor Scholz organized this meeting in Munich where he participated for five to six minutes. And then he left. That was a kind of modality of the meeting. He would meet with both leaders, and then say some introductory remarks, and then leave. And that was what happened. So, the UK government proposed the same with participation of the Prime Minister of the UK. But Prime Minister Pashinyan refused. If he doesnt want to talk to me, then what kind of peace are we talking about? If he doesnt want to talk to the UK Prime Minister, then why did he go to London to Oxfordshire? So, there are a lot of things, which are in deep contradiction, but we will see. As I said, I just returned yesterday. We will see. One track is the text. Another track is what I said about the legal format.

Moderator Rebecca McLaughlin-Eastham: Thank you Mr. President. We move now to Prof. Paolo Liebl Von Schirach, President, Global Policy Institute (GPI); Professor, Political Science and International Relations, Bay Atlantic University, BAU, Washington D.C.

Paolo Liebl Von Schirach: Thank you very much. Yes, we are based in Washington DC. Mr. President, I was honored to be here last year. Thank you so much for inviting me again, thanks to the organizers. Quick footnote, if I may, on this topic of the Azerbaijani citizens of Western Azerbaijan. We held a meeting in Washington DC a few days ago. And we had Mrs. Zulfikar, who is the spokesperson for Western Azerbaijan Community to discuss this very issue that you elaborated upon, because we're very well aware of how biased coverage of these matters are. People know nothing about 300,000 plus, Azerbaijani ethnic Azerbaijani Armenians, who were as you described in much detail evicted forcibly from their country and with no compensation, no justification and no nothing. So, we had the opportunity to provide a little bit of education and give a spokesperson and you know, a chance to educate us about what happened.

And the footnote. My question is back on energy, and COP29.There has been, as you know very well in the how the world is evolving. Let's say the aspiration to be to move the world, particularly the West, and mostly, I would say in the European Union, to move away from carbon and all go renewable, we all green, etc. While the European Union recently said well, maybe not now, maybe later. It's a good idea, but we can't quite do it which is to say very bluntly, oil and gas are here to stay. Let me just illustrate I come from the United States, in which the administration has committed itself to spend hundreds of billions of dollars in green energy. Guess what, last year 2023, the United States had its maximum production of oil and gas in history. Okay, this under the Biden administration, which has committed 100% to a green agenda, and where oil and gas is work of the devil. So my point is this. And here's my question. You are hosting COP29 very soon. And you are a country that produces oil and gas but as you said last year, I remember your words, you said but we're also moving ahead very nicely on renewable energy. So you are in a position to do both. And you will for a chance control the narrative because you are the host country. So what is your message to a world which is a yes, we want to be green? We want to go renewable, but we can't do it today. Because its technology is not there. The costs are too high. And there are many other technical issues. And your country is in a position of being, as you said, a bridge between the global north and the global south and you produce oil and gas and thank God for that you stabilize Europe, European energy. We know that pipelines that go all the way from here to Italy and beyond. So what is your message to the world in this sense of having to live in this hybrid environment of both continuing to rely for quite some time on carbon energy, but at the same time, exploring, moving ahead and investing and being entrepreneurial in renewables in renewable energy? Thank you very much.

President Ilham Aliyev: Thank you. If my message can be articulated in a short sentence, it would be: Put down hypocrisy. That's the short message. But in order to disclose a little bit, I just want to say that since we last met, Azerbaijan has made substantial progress in renewables. We inaugurated the first solar power station of 230 megawatts. Now, the construction of a wind power station of 240 megawatts is underway. Soon, we will enjoy the groundbreaking ceremony for the third solar power station of 240 megawatts. The first was done by Masdar, the second, which is now under construction, is ACWA Power, and the third, which we expect to start with BP - the leading energy companies of the world. Above that, last month in Baku, we had the groundbreaking ceremony for three solar and wind power stations with a total capacity of one gigawatt. So, we are doing a lot of that. We have great potentialboth technical and economic. The technical potential of offshore wind power in Azerbaijan is 157 gigawatts based on IFC, which is part of the World Bank institution. The economic potential of onshore solar and wind is 27 gigawatts, which clearly indicates how much we can generate. Its enormous.

Plus we are now in the final stage of feasibility studies on a green energy cable from Caspian offshore wind farms to Romania under the Black Sea. The potential of that cable will be four gigawatts. We signed an agreement with ACWA Power company to build storage because one of the problems with renewables is the lack of storages. Now, with new technologies, you can have storage and accumulate energy. The first storage with this kind of battery will be for 200 gigawatts. We do all that by attracting foreign investments and investing our own money. Additionally, it will save us a lot of natural gas, which Europe needs so badly now. When I said that the message is to put down hypocrisy, its because, on one hand, they ask us to increase the production of gas and deliver it to Europe because they are now in shortage. On the other hand, they do not finance it. That was one of the topics of my discussions with European colleagues. The European Investment Bank (EIB) has totally stopped financing fossil fuel projects. The European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD) has almost totally stopped financing these projects. The Southern Gas Corridor, which is an integrated 3,500-kilometer pipeline system, is fully packed. It works at 100% capacity. There is a lot of demand from European countries for additional gas. We just signed, just a couple of days ago, an agreement with a company from Slovenia, which will probably be the 9th partner of Azerbaijan, I mean consumer. But European financial institutionsthey stopped financing. They want us to expand the Southern Gas Corridor from 16 to 32 billion cubic meters  TANAP and Trans Adriatic pipeline from 10 to 20  to invest billions of dollars. By the way, I can tell you that we have not recovered the costs of the Southern Gas Corridor so far. And we are still recovering. All that we earn from gas sales goes to finance, I mean, to pay the debts. They want us to put in additional billions, while at the same time, they in the EU say that in 10 years or maybe less they will no longer need gas. So, we must be crazy to invest billions for something, which they will not need, and then they look into our eyes and say, Where is our gas? So, my message is, stop this game, you know, without fossil fuels, it's not possible to live. This is first.

Second, I know how much European companies invest in renewables, and I applaud them for that. They do a great job, but international analysis demonstrates that no matter how much they invest, they will still face shortages. They will still need additional energy, which is why we are working on the cable I just said. Not only that, but just a couple of months ago, we signed an MOU with Uzbekistan and Kazakhstan to evaluate the possibility of an undersea cable in the Caspian because these two countries also have great renewable potential and some projects are being implemented. So, if everything goes according to our plan, we could have a green energy cable from Uzbekistan, Kazakhstan, Caspian, Azerbaijan, Georgia, Turkiye, and then Romania. This would be a project even bigger than the Southern Gas Corridor, but we need cooperation. And we need coordination. Every February, already, I think for the 10th or 9th time, we host the Advisory Council of the Southern Gas Corridor in Baku with participation from dozens of countries, co-chaired by the European Commission and Azerbaijan, and one of the subjects is exactly green energy. We are in favor of synergy because if you do one thing and not the other, it will not work. Synergy, a reasonable approach, and of course, a balance of interests between producers, transitors, and consumers.

Moderator Rebecca McLaughlin-Eastham: Thank you very much. Finance, synergy collaboration breaking down the silos, key themes of COP29. Much to be discussed, as we lead down to November. Thank you as president. Next we have Mr. Ramis Yunus, political analyst.

Ramis Yunus: Dear Mr. President, it is a great honor for me to be here and greet you in the crown jewel of Karabakh, in the holy city of Shusha. Thank you very much for this opportunity. May Allah bless you, may allah protect the people of Azerbaijan!

President Ilham Aliyev: Welcome to homeland.

Ramis Yunus: Thank you. Mr. President, allow me to ask my question in English considering the large number of distinguished guests.

President Ilham Aliyev: Sure.

Ramis Yunus: Dear Mr. President, it is a great honor for me to be here and greet you in the crown jewel of Karabakh, in the holy city of Shusha. Thank you very much for the invitation Thank you very much for the opportunity. My question will be regarding the relationship between Azerbaijan and the United States. As you know, US presidential election will take place in November. But my question is not about this election, like Mr. Gusman questions. We got today is your great diplomatic answer, your opinion, your approach and your point of view. I got it. But you also have excellent experience communicating this both Republicans and Democrats. Mr. President, let me ask you. Did you find it easier to find understanding with democratic or republican administration? And what do you think a change of power in the White House will influence US policy in our region? Thank you very much, Mr. President.

President Ilham Aliyev: Thank you. Once again, welcome home. Welcome back. Im very glad to see you after so many years. Of course, if you look at the development of our relationship, particularly the visible aspects, of course, with the Republican administration, our relations have always been much more productive, fruitful, and result-oriented. You can just look at my communications with American leaders and presidents, and everything will be clear. During President Trumps presidency, we enjoyed very fruitful cooperation based on mutual respect and appreciation of each others support on different tracks. Our relations with the United States were pretty stable. Despite the ups and downs, which were not initiated by us. There were just exaggerated expectations from Azerbaijan that did not materialize. There was a second attempt to influence our political life. Attempts to finance political opposition - direct financing, either directly or through proxy NGOs - everything has been clarified here. You know, Azerbaijan is not a big country, and in Baku, everybody knows everything about everyone. So, it's very difficult to hide anything. Despite all those ups and downs, we always looked at this relationship as strategic and important and tried to be as helpful as we could, including our practical participation in so-called peacekeeping missions in Afghanistan. When it started, Azerbaijan was among the first non-NATO countries to join the operations and stayed there until the last month. The United States troops had already leftor perhaps a better word is fled or disappearedand we were still there. We were at the airport with Turkish troops, the last to leave Afghanistan. That was our commitment to our partnership. When they needed us, for Afghanistan and for many other reasons, I remember how many times high representatives of the U.S. Transportation Command and the Department of Defense visited Azerbaijan and expressed gratitude for our help through what was called the Northern Distribution Network, which went through Azerbaijan and then across the Caspian to Central Asia, especially taking into account that the main route to Afghanistan through other locations was complicated. But after the mission in Afghanistan ended, what did they do? They re-imposed sanctions on us. They re-imposed sanction with the section 907 to the Freedom Support Act without any logic or explanation. That's how they repaid us for being a good partner and friend. And what do you think the people of Azerbaijan can think about working with this administration? When they need you, you are the good guy, and they come and say good things. But when they don't need you, they not only ignore you, they impose sanctions on you. For what? For restoring our sovereignty and territorial integrity. I told practically all the leaders I met in Oxfordshire just a couple of days ago. Because all of them were asking about Armenia and the peace treaty, as if they had resolved all the issues in Europe and the only thing left for them to be happy about was to see our progress with Armenia. I was surprised that in all these conversations, they raised this issue. I never raised issues when talking to leaders of European or any other countries that dont have a direct reference to me. I concentrate only on bilateral matters, but okay. I tried to explain to them that we didn't do anything different from what those you support are trying to do. The difference is that they failed despite all your billions, while we succeeded. We restored the internationally recognized territory of Azerbaijan, which was under occupation, by force and political means. And we have been under sanctions. So, of course, it is very disappointing, more disappointing where the vocabulary, which was used during different public events. No business as usual with Azerbaijan. We all remember that, and then what happened? Business as usual is back, and we didnt do anything to satisfy those exaggerated and unrealistic demands. So, I think what I have said already is absolutely clear. And as Mr. Gusman, I think, when you asked the question, you used the answer. But thank you for giving me this opportunity to disclose a little bit.

We are deeply disappointed with the attitude of this American administration towards Azerbaijan. A one-sided approach, attempts to build dividing lines in the Caucasus, a very strange meeting between the US Secretary of State, the President of the European Commission, and the EU High Representative, and Mr. Pashinyan on April 5th in Brussels, and attempts to finance Armenian military buildup through the so-called European Peace Facility. You know how they call it - the Peace Facility. And all that is against us, and this is absolutely unacceptable. We openly, sometimes publicly and sometimes privately, deliver the message that Azerbaijani interests in the Southern Caucasus must be observed. If anybody wants to ignore our interest, it will be a mistake, a miscalculation, and again, a disappointment. So, I hope that changes will occur, regardless of the outcome of the presidential elections. To be absolutely frank, we also think that part of the anti-Azerbaijani actions was motivated by the campaign. They need Armenian voices. They need Armenian votes. And that's why maybe they do these things. I don't know. That's my humble assessment. I just want to be absolutely fair in my judgments, but nevertheless, regardless of the outcome, I hope that there will be more understanding in Washington and Europe about Azerbaijan, its potential, and its role. The fact that we do not advocate for ourselves and do not make a show doesn't mean that we don't have potential; we have it. Everybody who touched us knows it. This potential can be used for common good purposes, for consolidation, and for partnership, not for demonization. I have already quoted President Trump, who called the Washington Post and the New York Times fake news. Can you imagine a newspaper like the Washington Post publishing dozens of editorials about Azerbaijan, calling me a dictator and a satrap? I don't know what else; maybe Hikmat knows he has. But once again, Ramis, very glad to see you.

Moderator Rebecca McLaughlin-Eastham: We have lots more questions. But Your Excellency, would you like to continue with a few more or would you like to wrap it up?

President Ilham Aliyev: Sure. If there is still, I see many hands.

Moderator Rebecca McLaughlin-Eastham: Thank you for your questions, by the way. Jordan Morgan. I'll come to you next from Director of Programmes, Forward Thinking, please, if you could stand up for me. Thank you.

Jordan Morgan: Mr. President. Thank you for welcoming me back to Shusha. It's a pleasure to be here again. And also thank you to the organizers. My name is Jordan Morgan. And I'm working at Forward Thinking. We're a conflict resolution NGO based in London, and I'm focused very much on the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. My question is, I'd be interested to know the Azerbaijani position on how best to seek a permanent ceasefire in Gaza. Thank you.

President Ilham Aliyev: Well, our position is absolutely clear. We have already publicly announced several times that this confrontation should stop as soon as possible. For many years, we have provided political and economic support to Palestine. We support their aspirations to have an independent state, and the two-state solution is the only way to achieve lasting peace in the Middle East, with the capital in Shargi Quds, as we call it, Eastern Jerusalem. This position has been articulated by us and demonstrated through our voting in the United Nations, the Islamic Cooperation Organization, and many other international institutions. It is absolutely stable and straightforward. The conflict should stop immediately, and we are aware of the different attempts to mediate. We never try to be mediator anywhere when we are not invited. If we are invited, of course, we will play our role. But I think that here, the Arab League should be more vocal and active. First of all, this is my position as President. It is an issue that the Arab League, as an institution, should address more than any other country due to objective reasons. Thank you very much.

Moderator Rebecca McLaughlin-Eastham: Thank you very much. We move now to Maryna please. Maryna Honcharuk, Ukrainian journalist, Co-Founder of the Ukrainian-Turkic Center. If you could please stand for us.

Maryna Honcharuk: Dear, Mr. President, my name is Maryna Honcharuk and I'm from Ukraine. First and foremost, I would like to express my gratitude for your support of Ukraine and for the humanitarian aid provided to our country. In addition to military aggression by Armenia, Azerbaijan is also facing an information war with the aggression country spreading misinformation to the international community. For us, Azerbaijans experience in combatting fakes and disinformation is crucial as Ukraine is currently under both information and military aggression from Russia. That what advice can you offer to countries seeking to convey the truth about the war to the international community? Don't you think our two countries civil society representatives could cooperate on this field? Thank you.

President Ilham Aliyev: Thank you for your words about humanitarian assistance to the Ukrainian people. So far, we have provided humanitarian and financial assistance worth 40 million euros, and this assistance continues. It's absolutely transparent and humanitarian in nature. We have implemented several social infrastructure projects in the city of Irpin and will continue to do so. You know that Ukrainian children are visiting us regularly. We will do what we can to help because we know what is when you have big problems.

With respect to the media, I think Ukraine is in a much more preferable situation from that point of view because all the Western media is on your side. You have CNN, BBC, France 24, Japanese media, Korean media, and all the Western and associated media institutions. They all support you. This is absolutely different from our case. Therefore, I will be a bad adviser to you what you should do. Of course, when there is a war between two countries, you cannot expect that the country with which you are at war will publish anything positive about you. It cannot be changed because even now, although the war between Azerbaijan and Armenia ended a while ago, if you look at the Armenian and Azerbaijani press, if you find one positive article, then those who published this article will be considered as traitors. So, you should not expect positive coverage from the Russian press or media that aligns with the Russian position. But again, you have all the world press on your side. However, as you can see, it is not enough to put an end to the war.

During the meetings in Oxfordshire, a lot was dedicated to Ukraine. I can tell you that in all the plenary sessions, including the opening and closing sessions, 90% of the statements by the leaders were about Ukraine. So, you have consolidated support, but again, it is not enough to stop the war.

Also, as far as I observed, there are a lot of attempts at mediation. But, of course, it will depend on both sides readiness to talk. I think to talk is always better than not to talk. During our confrontation with Armenia, if I may draw an analogy, we had a continuous process. Yes, it was free from results, but it was a process. The former Minsk group, though we disliked what they've done and absolutely fairly disliked, but it was a process, a negotiation. I met with leaders of Armenia number of times, including the current leader, his predecessor, and the predecessor of his predecessor. I had to. Those two predecessors were directly involved in war crimes against Azerbaijanis, including the genocide in Khojaly. You can imagine that for me, it was not pleasant to shake their hands, but for the sake of peace and the liberation of territories. As a President, I had to set aside all my feelings and all my emotions. When you are in these shoes, you should put your emotions out of your office. Did those meetings help us restore the territorial integrity? I think yes, it helped us. I don't want to go into much details, but I think many people will understand. It helped us, and we got the lands when we were ready to do it. There was also a time when we had to agree to a ceasefire. It was in 1994. It was not an easy decision, believe me. Many times, when my guests from Western countries ask me how it can be resolved, I say my father loved Azerbaijan no less than I do or any other Azerbaijani. But he agreed to a ceasefire in May 1994 and saved the country. Because at that time, Azerbaijan, in fact, didn't have a regular army. He had only started to build it. After him, we continued and built the army we are proud of. Sometimes you have to make difficult decisions.

Even as a President with 17 years in office, when we liberated Karabakh, I could have waited 17 more years if necessary. It was not necessarily for me to be the president during whose terms the lands were liberated; it could have been 50 years from now. You should not be selfish. It's not about me or someone else. It's about the people, the country, and dignity. We have lessons from history. Difficult decisions sometimes must be made in order to achieve a big goal. It's a very long story, but from this point of view, Azerbaijan's experience can be interesting, but from point of media, you have all the media behind you, and your case is well presented in the international media. And once again, thank you for your kind words about our humanitarian support.

Moderator Rebecca McLaughlin-Eastham: Thank you, Mr. President. Let me come now to Ansis Bogustovs, Host/Producer, Riga TV24 and Radio Latvia.

Ansis Bogustovs: Mr. President, thank you for inviting us from the Baltic countries as well. I'd like to learn a little bit and then compare ambitions of the European Union with also ambitions of this very region we are in. Congratulations. Of course this territorial integrity now you have, but I understand there are many mines. So how will be the process of the de-mining of the territory, how long it will be? How long will be for people willing to return to be able to return? So how many families left and how many families will come back? You probably know the numbers or at least feeling of your own country's citizens. But then also to put it in a perspective of this CO2 neutrality, I heard that you have an ambition to declare this as a territory, even before EU would reach this goal of maybe 2030. But probably even not 2050 but the Karabakh would be a CO2 neutral, how you will do it and how much of investment you will attract this with your own money, the gas and oil profits or you're going to somehow track. Maybe it also gives actually some link to Ukrainian story of how this de-mining could go on in here but then later on in Ukraine. Thank you.

President Ilham Aliyev: Unfortunately, yesterday we had another casualties. Three people lost their health on the mines. We have more than 300 people who have been killed or severely injured since November 2020. Unfortunately, the maps of mines that Armenia finally presented to us are absolutely useless. They are not accurate. In the beginning, when we asked them to provide us with the maps of mines, they said they didn't have them; their prime minister told me this. But then they had to acknowledge that they did have them. But what they gave us is absolutely useless.

This is one of the main impediments to the rapid rehabilitation of the lands because only authorized areas can be visited by people. Before we start building infrastructure and housing projects, deminers do their job. We lack personnel; we don't have enough skilled people, and of course, it's very costly. International companies offering their services have prices for demining that are five to ten times higher than the cost known to us, as we have our own national demining company. How long will it take? You know, recently, some of my colleagues from the Balkans told me that they are still experiencing explosions. Many years have passed since the last Balkan war, but the explosions continue. Unfortunately, we will have to live with this for decades. According to our information, verified by different other sources, more than 1 million mines have been planted. The terrible side of this situation is that Armenians continued to plant mines even after 10 November, 2020. When we did not control the Lachin corridor, they brought mines from Armenia, and we detected them. And how do we know? Because they have their date of production  2021, made in Armenia. So they continued their mine terror against us even after the Second Karabakh War ended.

With respect to the return, we now have four cities and four villages where people have already returned. We have close to 8,000 people already living in the liberated territories. By the end of the year, the number will grow to 20,000. Here in Shusha, a couple of months ago in May, we inaugurated the first housing projects consisting of 23 buildings, four- or five-storey buildings. If you have time, you can visit the site; it's not far from your hotel. This is where people are already living. Everywhere in Karabakh and East Zangezur, there is a huge rehabilitation program.

On the green energy zone, yes, it was announced. Karabakh, East Zangezur, and also Nakhchivan, which is geographically more or less the same region, have been announced as a green energy zone. There is great potential for solar energy. The solar plant, I referred to, to be built by bp, is situated in Jabrayil, not very far away from here. There are big plans for Nakhchivan, including a solar plant with a capacity of 500 megawatts. Since the end of the Second Karabakh War, we have actively invested in hydro energy with 270 megawatts of hydro power stations already operational within three and a half years. The ultimate number will be, so far, 500 megawatts. This potential will completely cover the region. Additionally, with the construction of fully integrated electric lines, electricity from Karabakh will be transported to other parts of Azerbaijan. This is really a very ambitious agenda.

Our main investors are foreign companies. Azerbaijan participates as a minority shareholder. This means that the business climate, investment opportunities, and internal rate of return on investments are acceptable. Otherwise, no one would have spent any dollar here. This is a multi-billion-dollar investment project. As I said, almost two gigawatts have already been agreed upon, and in total, 10 gigawatts are covered by agreements or MOUs. Next year, I'm sure, if you visit, you will see the transformation of the region to green energy completely.

Moderator Rebecca McLaughlin-Eastham: We move now to Reuters. Naila Balayeva, Reuters news agency.

Naila Balayeva: Thank you. Mr. President, Russia will stop exporting natural gas to Europe via Ukraine on 1st January 2025. How can Azerbaijan help increase supplies of gas to Europe? How possible are the supply of Azerbaijani gas to Europe via Ukraine under a swap deal for countries such as Austria and Slovakia? And in the U.K., you stated the possibility of doubling gas supplies to Europe in 2027. Will it be only the gas resources of Azerbaijan, or will gas from the remaining countries also be attracted?

President Ilham Aliyev: Thank you. When we signed the declaration on strategic partnership in the energy field with the President of the European Commission in July 2022, we set a specific target. It is not a formal commitment but a target to double the supply of Azerbaijani gas to Europe. We are moving towards that direction. In 2021, our supplies to Europe were more than 8 bcm. This year, it will be close to 13 bcm, only to Europe. The total supply will be 25 bcm. When we were talking about 2027, doubling the production, that means 16 bcm by end of 2027. These resources are planned to be delivered through the existing transportation network, through the Southern Gas Corridor, and its interconnectors.

With respect to the termination of duration of the contract between Ukraine and Russia, we've been approached by Ukrainian authorities and the European Union to facilitate in prolongation of this contract. It seems that both sides are interested in that, because Ukraine itself needs this gas. As you correctly mentioned, countries like Austria and Slovakia will be in serious trouble. Either they will have to pay hundreds of millionsI don't want to name the precise figure because it's none of my business, that's why I'm talking approximatelybut it's hundreds and hundreds of millions more to get gas from other sources. Or physically, they will have no access to additional gas, because unlike other European countries, these two are in the most difficult situation. You may have heard that Azerbaijan was again accused, coming back to the topic, of reselling Russian gas to Europe, which is absolutely fake news again. Just one example: yes, we did contract one billion cubic meters of gas from Russia when the prices on international markets were very high, and the price for Russian gas was affordable. This was purely a commercial business case, nothing more than that. As I said already, we export 25 billion cubic meters and only import - one billion. Being accused of being a kind of a channel for Russian gas exports is absolutely unfair. That was a great-great fake news.

So, having this experience, we are very careful, because what we have today is enough for us. We have a growing European market. As I said, eight plus one more country soon are among our consumers. We have a new great discovery at the field, which is called Absheron, which will produce 1.5 bcm this year and probably up to 5 bcm in the coming years. Next year, we will have gas production from the ACG gas field. So, we are not in need of anyone's gas. You probably know, due to certain reasons, the transportation of Turkmen gas to Azerbaijan through Iran has also stopped. So, we don't need it. But we've been approached by Ukraine and the European Commission. We are also in the process of negotiations with Russia on this matter. If we can help, we will. But again, I just thank you for that question, because in order to avoid all kinds of accusations that we are doing something on speculative basis. I just wanted to inform you. I think that it is possible to prolong this deal. Again, it will be good for Russia to have 50 billion cubic meters or more to sell on the premium European market. We know that Russia is now looking for other markets, which is understandable. They have started supplying gas to Kazakhstan. They have started supplying gas to Uzbekistan, because these two countries had problems with their traditional supplier. I know about some other ideas. Every country needs diversified supply routes. We have gas pipeline to Russia, Iran, Georgia, Turkiye, to Italy, everywhere. We are on the safe side. Maybe I'm answering too long to your question, but it's important because it has different layers. Once again, we are ready to help. But understand that we are facilitators, nothing more.

Moderator Rebecca McLaughlin-Eastham: Thank you. And we love long answers. You're speaking to a roomful of people who crave long and not short answers. Let me come to Durdona Salikhova, Editor-in-Chief, Uzbekistan National News Agency (UZA).

Durdona Salihova, Editor-in-Chief, Uzbekistan National News Agency (UZA): Good afternoon, dear forum participants, dear Mr. President. First of all, I would like to express my deep gratitude to the forum organizers for the invitation and for allowing me the opportunity to participate in this forum. My question is, let's say, purely professional in nature. How do you see the future of the media industry and assess the role of artificial intelligence in this process?

President Ilham Aliyev: It might be difficult for me to compete with such venerable representatives of the media industry here and say something they do not know. But as far as artificial intelligence is concerned, yes, this is a topic that is already entering a completely new plane now. From time to time, official reports are published in competent sources in Azerbaijan claiming that some business projects are allegedly announced on my behalf, but this has absolutely nothing to do with me or Azerbaijan as a whole. Unfortunately, many people believe this. And it is hard to say what to do about it. Because someone may read a refutation, but someone may not read it, or perhaps it is given when it is already too late. Because it is very difficult to detect such fake news right away. You discover it after some time, and during this time people already believed it. So far this is of a non-fatal nature. In other words, someone just wants to make money on this. Artificial intelligence is used to make announcements on my behalf: invest money here, invest money here. But if this goes on like this, then they may make other announcements tomorrow - declare war, for example, on my behalf. And someone may believe it and may take some other action.

In this case, we are talking not only about Azerbaijan. There are nuclear countries that can be manipulated by artificial intelligence in the same way. And not only that. At the household level. There are a lot of purely everyday stories where irreparable harm can be caused to human relationships, human dignity, or a persons reputation. There are many examples when public figures were outrageously discredited with various fake videos, visual or audio. You have to tell us how to deal with it. You must tell politicians, I mean your audience and in general the media community, and politicians must make a decision, a very serious decision of a restrictive nature. Because this is no longer just fake news, it is a serious threat to life, the safety of societies, countries, individuals, their integrity, privacy, etc. I hope you will be discussing this topic here today, tomorrow and the day after tomorrow.

I hope that an international mechanism can be developed. And this will not be perceived in any way as some kind of infringement of the freedom of speech, etc.  an international mechanism either at the level of an international organization, the UN, I dont know, the G20, or some key countries in order to put an end to this. This is a huge threat. And thank you for bringing up this topic.

Moderator Rebecca McLaughlin-Eastham: Thank you very, Mr. President. Next one is Mirshahin Aghayev, Real TV, Azerbaijan.

Mirshahin, Real TV, Azerbaijan: Mr. President, you have repeatedly touched on this topic, saying that Azerbaijan was blamed for producing hydrocarbon resources, and you touched on this topic today as well. Today I want to remind you of 30 years ago. The Contract of the Century was signed on September 20, 1994, and I interviewed you about 10 minutes after that contract was signed. When you spoke about that contract, you stated that the results of the contract would benefit the future of the Azerbaijani people. It is very interesting to me. We talked about this in our interviews and conversations with the Great Leader. You participated in negotiating almost all the conditions related to the contract. You were leading the preparation process. The late Khoshbakht Yusifzadeh spoke extensively about this. I am very interested to find out about the states that are now complaining about Azerbaijan. They were also heavily involved in the preparation of the Contract of the Century. How did they behave back then? Were they saying no, this is not necessary, let's not sign the contract, no, let's keep this, lets consider this environmental issue or something else? Or they were actually working? Because I know that it was not so easy to get into that contract. They were chosen after rigorous competition. I remember Amoco, I remember Pennzoil, bp. I am interested in this, and in general, how much can we believe in the sincerity of certain states that claim they will supposedly try to save the world with COP29? I am as sure of Azerbaijan's sincerity about this as I am of your statements. But how can we believe that 30 years from now they will not object to green energy to Azerbaijan? After all, today these countries, on the one hand, are afraid of the butterfly effect, that the world will fall apart, but on the other, they are spending all the money, dollars and euros of the world on the Russia-Ukraine war. They are almost thinking of deploying nuclear warheads. How difficult is it for you to do business with such dishonest partners and what do you expect from COP29? Will they really own their words? Thank you.

President Ilham Aliyev: You know this very well, we have had many conversations with you. Unfortunately, we are somehow used to such an insincere attitude. Sometimes when we don't see double standards, we ask ourselves - what's going on? We are so used to it that it has become a new normal to call white black and black white. Here, the only way to go about this is to ignore it, not to pay attention, not to deviate from one's path and to take all necessary steps for the country and the people in a timely manner. Just as in 1994, as you mention it, a historic decision was made by the Great Leader. It was a historic decision, and at that time I also remember there were many considerations, there were many opinions regarding this contract. There were those who did not accept it. You also remember it very well and covered those developments. A coup d'etat was attempted less than two weeks after that contract was signed, and one of the reasons for that was the contract itself. This was the basis of subsequent geopolitical developments. This contract was one that could bring real independence to Azerbaijan, and we knew it at the time. Our friends knew it, and those who did not like us knew it too. It was a breathing tube for us, an oxygen tube. I remember my father always asking me after that contract was signed: when are we going to reap the fruits of it it. We were doing do our best, i.e. our entire team, the late Khoshbakht Yusifzadeh, the late Natig Aliyev, Valeh Alasgarov, may Allah grant him good health, and others, including myself. We did our best to produce the first oil in the shortest possible time. If you look at the history of oil contracts of the world, you will see that it was not possible to produce oil from such a huge oil field in just three years, in such a short period of time. The 1994 contract was signed in September. I think it was ratified by the parliament after three to four months, it came into force as a law, and in November 1997, the first oil was produced from the Chirag-1 platform. After that, the Baku-Supsa pipeline was built two years later, then the Great Leader laid the foundation of Baku-Tbilisi-Ceyhan with his own hands. So all this showed again how long-term the work we were doing then and now was. If this agreement had not been signed then or if the agreement on Shah Deniz had not been signed two years later, imagine the difficulties both we and the countries benefiting from our gas and using it for their energy security today could be facing. So this was a manifestation of global thinking and wisdom.

As for complaints, you know, at that time they had other complaints about us. You probably remember that too. They were saying that there was no oil in Azerbaijan, that oil pipelines should not be built, that Azerbaijan was bluffing, it does not have oil, and that it is spreading false information. Production from Azeri-Chirag continues to this day. When the Shah Deniz contract was signed, they were spreading a myth that there was no gas in Azerbaijan. Azerbaijan itself is buying gas elsewhere and can never transport gas to any country. There are already eight countries, and production this year is expected at 50 billion cubic meters. Some of it will be re-injected into the reservoir to further increase oil production, some will be directed to domestic consumption, and 25 billion will go to world markets. This is not only about profit. This is of geopolitical importance, everyone knows this perfectly well, i.e. those closely familiar with this field  today the gas factor is the number one factor of energy security. I do not rule out that, you may be right  the day may come when they will criticize us for green energy. Because there are many things that are now coming to light about green energy that are making people and decision makers think again. How will those materials be disposed? What will be the fate of batteries and accumulators? That is, a ticking bomb has already been placed underneath it, so that it can explode on someone's head when it is necessary. But let me say again that all the steps and initiatives we take have the main goal  to strengthen our country, increase our economic strength, further strengthen our economic and political independence and enable Azerbaijan to access the top league.

COP29 will be a very important step in this direction. Some people may not have understood this when we had this desire. Even today, there are some who frown on this, wondering why it is necessary, let's live comfortably. It will be yet another again, there will be more visitors. We are already seeing the results. The geopolitical importance of Azerbaijan has significantly increased. Bilateral relations with the countries we are in contact with at the international level are developing in a completely different way. In addition to traditional topics, this topic and other related topics are also included.

As I have already mentioned, there are more than 50 small developing island states. We are establishing a special fund for them, and we will invest significantly in that fund. We will help them. Of course, they will become our natural allies, and I am not listing other countries. By taking these steps, we are strengthening our country to a great extent, and our COP representatives and teams are here today. They are also working very hard. I said to them that you should work hard abroad, in foreign countries, you should travel around the world so that you can convey Azerbaijan's position and agenda to all parties.

From an organizational point of view, I honestly do not see any difficulties. Because we have extensive experience. It is difficult to say from the beginning what the ultimate result will be. Moreover, it no longer depends on us. We will do our best, build bridges, strengthen contacts between the Global South and the Global North. But, of course, the ma
20 July 2024 21:45 (UTC+04:00)

On July 20, a banquet was held in honor of the participants of the 2nd Shusha Global Media Forum on "Unmasking False Narratives: Confronting Disinformation".

Azernews reports that the guests tasted the delicious dishes of our national cuisine with the sounds of Azerbaijani music.

The 2nd Shusha Global Media Forum, organized on the occasion of the 149th anniversary of our national press, was attended by more than 150 foreign guests from 50 countries, including information agencies of 30 countries, 3 international organizations, and 82 media subjects. Among the participants of the Global Media Forum are representatives of foreign media, as well as media representatives, experts, and officials of Azerbaijan.

The forum will continue until July 22.

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20 July 2024 09:00 (UTC+04:00)

US Secretary of State Antony Blinken plans to meet Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi in Laos next week.

Azernews reports that Blinken said this during his speech at the annual security forum of the Aspen Institute.

Blinken answered the question about whether he is in frequent contact with his Chinese colleague.

"I talk to him regularly. I will meet him in Laos next week.

It is important that we continue to communicate about the issues we cannot agree on," the US Secretary of State said.

It should be noted that on July 26-27, the next meeting of the heads of foreign policy departments of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) will be held in Laos.

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20 July 2024 22:28 (UTC+04:00)

Archaeologists in Rome may have uncovered the remains of a medieval palace for popes that long preceded the Vatican, Azernews reports citing CBC.

If the ancient structure did in fact serve the purpose they believe it does, then learning more about it could provide new insight into the earlier eras of the papal seat in Italy and the power struggles that shaped it over time.

While excavating a piazza around the Archbasilica of St. John Lateran in central Rome, a team of archaeologists happened to discover an advanced hidden structure, surrounded by walls that could have been built as early as the 9th century A.D., and as late as the 13th century, the Italian Ministry of Culture said in a news release.

The wall was potentially constructed as a means to physically create and protect the patriarchate of the time, which consisted of the patriarch, or leader, as well as his office. It may have encircled a castle or other fortified structure where various popes were said to have lived during the years it still stood.

Italian officials said that the remains could have ties to the former Roman Emperor Constantine, who would have begun to oversee construction on the building, in his own vision, in the 4th century. Constantine ordered the construction on the same site that held barracks for the emperor's mounted card. Although the patriarchate was first limited to only a basilica  which was huge on its own  the area was expanded and renovated multiple times throughout the Middle Ages and ultimately became the papal seat until conflict with France temporarily pushed the popes out of Italy in 1305. When they returned, the papal seat was transferred to the Vatican.

What archaeologists found beneath the square in Rome marked the first extensive excavation of its kind on the property, and with that, a number of opportunities to learn about Italy's history and its connections to the Pope and Catholicism.

"The new discoveries in Piazza San Giovanni in Laterano are yet another demonstration of the richness of the territory of Rome, an inexhaustible mine of archaeological treasures," said Italian Culture Minister Gennaro Sanguiliano in a statement.

"Every single stone speaks to us and tells its story: thanks to these important discoveries, archaeologists will be able to learn more about our past. I would like to express my satisfaction for the commitment and passion that researchers are putting into their work. It is essential to combine the protection of our history with the need to protect and modernize the urban fabric," the statement said.

The basilica structure that existed within the borders of the walls found in the excavation took a long period of time to plan, build and renovate, according to the culture ministry. During that period, Rome faced intermittent raids from neighboring adversaries as well as conflict within the city of Rome itself, as aristocratic people vied for access to the Italian throne.

After the papal seat was returned to Italy  having been pushed from there to Avignon for decades between 1309 and 1377, the terms of seven consecutive popes between 1309 and 1377  it was ultimately transferred to the Vatican.

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What Those Big Yellow Numbered Signs at Oregon Coast Beach Accesses Are For

Published 7/15/24 at 8:25 a.m.

By Andre' GW Hagestedt, Oregon Coast Beach Connection





(Oregon Coast)  One of those questions local businesses and individuals in Oregon beach towns still get is: what are those big, yellow numbered signs at beach accesses? They are everywhere along the Oregon coast  at almost every access now. And they are literally a life saver. (NW 15th St. access in Lincoln City)

But what are they?

Each beach access has a number now, and the large day-glow signs are there in case of emergencies. If something happens and you need to call 911 while on the beach, you can usually look just a ways inland and see that massive sign from where you are.

Back in 2015, the announcement was made by Oregon State Parks and Recreation Department (OPRD) that it had finished over 420 signs at over 200 beach locations, there to assist people in calling 911 during an emergency to better relay where you are. It's been a great help to first responders, even back in 2015 when the bulk of the signs had been completed.

Now, they are all completed, said OPRD's Stefanie Knowlton. In fact, you can look them all up at this map of beach safety signs on the coast.

You'll find them on the majority of Oregon's 362 miles of beaches: from Astoria / Warrenton down to the tip of the south coast at Crissey Field in Brookings (a park that actually butts up against the state line to California).

They number one through 198, though there are numerous ones adjacent to a number that have A, B, etc tacked onto the number (as in 1A). For example, Pacific City's main beach access is 37 while 37A is about a mile south at Pacific Avenue. Many of the A, B or C's are within a quarter mile of each other or the single numbered access.



Lincoln City's Canyon Drive access



One of the first to go up was at Lincoln City's SW 35th St. access back in 2008, numbered 47A. There was no explanation at the time: its purpose was a bit of a mystery. However, as others showed up along the coastline word got out what they were for.

Since that big announcement in 2015, even more have gone up. At the time, OPRD said there were still some 45 miles of beach accesses in the Oregon Dunes National Recreational Area between Coos Bay and Florence. There are lots more now in that area.

Back in '15, Jim Kusz was captain of North Lincoln Fire & Rescue in Lincoln City, and he told Oregon Coast Beach Connection meetings about the project had been going on since 2004. He was a major beach safety advocate at the coast and served on the committee for the safety sign project. He said it would be taking much of the guesswork out of finding people in emergencies, making response time faster.



Bandon, courtesy Manuela Durson - see Manuela Durson Fine Arts

By that time, it had already helped considerably. Otherwise, it had been rather confusing for people calling about a situation on the beach.

The signs have proven to be an excellent aid for our Water Rescue Team and in coordinating our rescue efforts with United States Coast Guard and other agencies, he said.

Along with those numbered indicators, more than 200 beach safety messages were planted at even more beach accesses than before. These warn the public about possible hazards such as rip currents or sneaker waves. They also make clear the list of prohibited activities, such as fireworks or littering. The use internationally-recognized symbols, clearly showing what will keep people safe and how to keep the beach safe from human interaction.



Atop Cape Sebastian, State Parks

Among the big messages is staying off logs and keeping back from cliff ledges.

Unfortunately, accidents happen on the beach. Rolling logs, rip tides and unstable cliffs are all potentially dangerous, OPRD said.

For about two decades, Oregon officials even took out billboard ads promoting beach safety such as staying off logs. It seemed about once or twice a year, someone  often a child  got hurt or even killed getting squashed by a log. More people seem to have gotten that message. That number seems to have fallen now, though sneaker wave issues still continue rather heavily to this day.

Some private community developments were paying for their own large number signs, but most of the coastline's signs were funded by visitor fees and lottery dollars.

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Andre' GW Hagestedt is editor, owner and primary photographer / videographer of Oregon Coast Beach Connection, an online publication that sees over 1 million pageviews per month. He is also author of several books about the coast.

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All In a Day's Work - Brown Pelican, Baby Cormorant Rescued on N. Oregon Coast

Published 7/13/24 at 6:35 p.m.

By Andre' GW Hagestedt, Oregon Coast Beach Connection

(Seaside, Oregon)  Along the Oregon coast, periodically birds need rescuing  and luckily for them up on the north coast there's two facilities to help out with that. Both the Seaside Aquarium and Astoria's Wildlife Center of the North Coast had to help rescue two birds on Friday in way or another. (All photos Seaside Aquarium)

We were happy to assist in the rescue of a brown pelican and a juvenile cormorant, said the aquarium.

The injured brown pelican was already known about when aquarium staff got the call, but the baby cormorant was their own discovery on the beach. Talk about two birds with one....well...something.

The brown pelican had a broken wing and was near the life guard tower when the Wildlife Center of the North Coast called and asked if we could capture the little guy, the aquarium said.

Manager Keith Chandler said he didn't get to look at it closely as it was already boxed up for travel by the time he saw it. And, he said, he wouldn't have wanted to take a peek from past experiences with them.

Then, during the morning hours, as Seaside Aquarium staff were working on some of their beach equipment out near the tideline, a disoriented and apparently injured baby double-crested cormorant popped up.

Then this morning while we were working on the beach, we came across a juvenile cormorant in need of some TLC, the aquarium said. Both are now safely in the hands of the caring and loving staff of the Wildlife Center of the North Coast. Good luck little guys!

The interesting aspect of the cormorant is that they knew the little one was in trouble simply because it was on the beach. That's a sign of trouble for them.

Those birds shouldn't be walking: they should be flying or in the water, Chandler said. And if it's flying, you shouldn't try to catch it. If it was walking it means something's really wrong with it.

In the end, that means the crew had no idea exactly what was wrong with it.

Chandler has had some interesting experiences with brown pelicans in the past. See Pelican Rescue at Ft. Stevens Both Tragic and Comical | Oregon Coast Beach Connection. He wound up in a somewhat comical chase one back in '21.

Brown pelicans are common along the Oregon coast, and often found along beaches and about estuaries. They are large and ponderous, according to Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife (ODFW). They're easily recognized by its large size, massive bill, and brownish plumage.

Also in the area: Wild Tales from Oregon Coast Lighthouses: Giant Holes to Killer Storms - Port Orford, Coos Bay, Bandon, Florence and Seaside / Cannon Beach.

They're especially common in spring, summer and fall along the coast: a very energetic bird that is a part of large flocks. Those numbers get even larger when they join up with other species of birds and their flocks hunting for schools of fish just offshore.

As adults, double-crested cormorants have sport deep coppery feathers with black borders, which shimmer with a green iridescence. Their striking appearance includes a rich orange throat atop a gracefully curved neck. During the breeding season, the double-crested cormorant lives up to its name, displaying plumesranging from white to blackthat adorn either side of its head.

Also in the area: Scientific First for Oregon Coast: New Kind of Sunfish Confirmed at Gearhart - Not a Mola mola but a hoodwinker sunfish.

This species is adaptable and opportunistic, holding the distinction of being the most abundant and widespread among the three cormorant species found in Oregon. These birds can be spotted both inland and along the coast.

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Andre' GW Hagestedt is editor, owner and primary photographer / videographer of Oregon Coast Beach Connection, an online publication that sees over 1 million pageviews per month. He is also author of several books about the coast.

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7 Bizarre Basalts of Oregon's North Coast: Lava Frozen in Time

Published 7/14/24 at 7:55 p.m.

By Andre' GW Hagestedt, Oregon Coast Beach Connection

(Oregon Coast)  Once upon a time, much of the northern half of this coastline was covered in lava. Rather, once upon numerous times: perhaps hundreds of these lava flows came over the proto-Oregon coastline from about 18 million years ago to around 14 million years. Back then, of course, just about all of this was under water and the shoreline was some 70 miles east of here (give or take a few dozen miles, depending on the epoch). (Above: Oceanside - all photos Oregon Coast Beach Connection)

All those gnarly rivers of fire came from a big hole in the Earth's crust at about where the Idaho border is now, and much of it came flowing down the top of what would one day be Oregon, thus being called the Columbia River Basalts. That frozen, cooled-off lava forms all the blackened rock you see in the Columbia Gorge, and then many of the landmarks here on the northern Oregon coast.

It's an ancient, freaky story  and a tad frightening. And it left behind scores of amazing, even bizarre structures along these beaches.

What about the south coast? That's a different story, an even more ancient one. Plus, there are no basalts down there. Here are a mere seven of examples of such basalt wonders, but far more are present in the virtual tour links found with each description. It's also where you'll find maps to these areas.

Oceanside's Star Trek Beach (Tunnel Beach)

This tiny village of Oceanside on the north Oregon coast is tucked away, practically out of site, but crammed with wonders. The most obvious is the tunnel going through Maxwell Point, where Tunnel Beach sits, sometimes called Star Trek Beach for the way parts of its surreal slabs resemble one episode or another of the famed series. A few caves lurk here, as do a host of starfish colonies. Hotels in Oceanside - Where to eat - Oceanside Maps and Virtual Tours

Cook's Chasm Near Yachats

Some natural steps also exist here (see the geologic article about this subject) at nearby places like Strawberry Hill and Neptune Beach. However, right at the boundary between Lincoln County and Lane County  a few miles south of Yachats  sits this jaw-dropping wonder. The spouting horn at Cook's Chasm fires water off into the air, created by the wave-compressing action of the basalt rock just beneath the surface. It makes a dramatic hissing noise as well.

Even more awe-inspiring is when the sunset hits it just right and the spouting wave gets gussied up in wild colors.

Here's a major twist, however: these basalts don't come from the Columbia Basalts. This is the story of Yachats' own volcano. Hotels in Yachats - Where to eat - Upper Lane County Maps and Virtual Tours

Noisy Secret Beneath Newport's Yaquina Head

Yaquina Head is a massive headland that forms all kinds of rocky things to play on, jutting at or making holes of sorts to play in.

Just below it is Cobble Beach, where the large, rounded rocks make funky noises when hit by the tides. Not to mention, the beach is a strange, large-grained black slope in spots. It's markedly different than the rest of the coastline. The color comes from all the black basalt around it, eroded into fine bits  but they're huge grains of sand by comparison and sizably ouchy to walk on. Hotels in Newport - Where to eat - Newport Maps and Virtual Tours

Steps at North Point





At the very northern tip of Depoe Bay, on the central Oregon coast, there lurks a kind of basement in the basalt with step-like structures leading down  all made by nature.

The spot is called North Point, found a ways behind Sunset Avenue (across from the gas station), and it's here that a hidden spot sits, fascinating in a wide variety of aspects. One of its most notable parts is a sort of sunken area in the basalt that feels a bit like a basement. Even more intriguing are the natural steps formed by this former lava flow.

Also of note: you can sometimes feel the waves rumble through the rocks at this place. It's full of amazing areas. Hotels in Depoe Bay - Where to eat - Depoe Bay Maps and Virtual Tours

Surreal Slabs Near Manzanita

It's a rather breathy hike to these spots at the southern tip of Oswald State Park, but some true surrealism in nature awaits you at the end of the path that begins from a small gravel parking lot near the big overlooks above Manzanita. [Manzanita Freaky Cliffs, Devil's Cauldron ]

One striking structure is a weird cove with a tube-like basalt structure at the top, called the Devil's Cauldron. It's like a hole in the cliffs that suddenly opens to the ocean floor a few hundred feet below. As if that weren't enough, you'll quickly spot two massive and freaky basalt features rising high above the ocean. The first is Cube Rock  partially seen from the highway  and the second is Pulpit Rock, lying just to the south of the viewpoint. Cube Rock is especially impressive, looking like a stone column carved by a race of giants. Hotels in Manzanita, Wheeler - Where to eat - Manzanita, Wheeler Maps and Virtual Tours

Silver Point Oddity at Cannon Beach





You'll have to walk a ways to get here: the closest path is a hard-to-find hidden access at the southern edge of Cannon Beach. But much is here to delight in, and luckily some of it can be seen from above.

One of the most engaging features at Silver Point  the beach just below the gravel overlook south of town  is where a large basalt blob sits. Given the right conditions, you see a chunk of the waves going sideways, rather than coming in. The rock here causes the waves to bounce back, then darting from north to south, looking a little like a strange creature rushing back and forth just under the water. Hotels in Cannon Beach - Where to eat - Cannon Beach Maps and Virtual Tours

Tillamook Rock Lighthouse Near Seaside and Cannon Beach

Over a mile out to sea sits one of the strangest and most striking features of the Oregon coast: the Tillamook Rock Lighthouse. Constructed in the mid 1800s, it was decommissioned in the 1950s, and since has become a lonely sentinel out at sea. See What is Tillamook Head Geologically? Deep Inside N. Oregon Coast Headland at Cannon Beach. While you cannot visit it, the history of the Tillamook Rock Lighthouse is remarkable. Seaside Virtual Tour, Map. - Hotels in Cannon Beach - Where to eat - Cannon Beach Maps and Virtual Tours







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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.
Biotech entrepreneur Vivek Ramaswamy told The Daily Wire on Monday that he wouldreplacing J.D. Vance as U.S. senator from Ohio now that former President Donald Trump has picked Vance to be his running mate for the 2024 election.At the Republican National Convention in Milwaukee, The Daily Wire's Cabot Phillips asked Ramaswamy if there is a possibility he would become senator as Ohio GOP Governor Mike DeWine is faced with appointing Vance's successor if Trump wins.Ramaswamy said.he added.Ramaswamy, a native of Ohio, ran against Trump for the GOP's presidential nomination before dropping out and endorsing Trump in January. He was said to be under consideration in veepstakes and has also been talked about for a potential Cabinet position.In his interview with The Daily Wire, Ramaswamy further stated thatthewould require work both within the executive branch as well as the legislative branch.This would go towardRamaswamy said.Ramaswamy continued.Former Ohio Republican Party Chairwoman Jane Timken, who lost to Vance in the 2022 U.S. Senate race, told NOTUS at the convention she wouldreplacing Vance if given the opportunity.The report also noted that Rep. Jim Jordan (R-OH), who is chairman of the House Judiciary Committee and a close ally to Trump, wasby a source as a suggestion.DeWine released a statement that said Trump made awith Vance as his running mate. The governor told the media at the GOP convention it isto begin talking about a potential replacement for Vance in the Senate.Whoever is picked in this scenario, according to NBC's local Cleveland affiliate WKYC, would not necessarily hold the seat for Vance's full term that ends in January 2029. A special general election for the final stretch would be held in November 2026 during midterms season.In the 2024 race for Ohio's other U.S. Senate seat, Sen. Sherrod Brown (D-OH) is facing off against businessman Bernie Moreno - who emerged victorious in the GOP nomination fight in March. Polls show Brown with an advantage for the general election.
One of the things that the Democrat National Committee did to rig the primary process for Joe Biden was to prevent any debates during the Democrat presidential primaries. Now a Democrat Congressman is calling them out on that. Congressman Adam Smith (D-Washington), speaking on MSNBC, has declared that Biden would not today be the Democrat nominee if Democrat primary voters could have seen him in a debate before the primaries.

The DNC also reordered the primaries to push states like Iowa and New Hampshire, which have gone first for years but were not friendly territory for Biden and might have given a challenger momentum, to later slots and moved Biden-friendly South Carolina to first place. They also worked with Democrats at the state level in places like North Carolina to keep Biden's primary challengers off of the primary ballot completely.

https://www.breitbart.com/clips/2024/07/20/dem-rep-smith-biden-wouldnt-be-nominee-if-voters-saw-debate-before-primaries/

The Democrat Party establishment did a cram down of Biden on their voters, and now at the last minute are trying to pull an undemocratic "bait and switch" to a different candidate, orchestrated by Obama. Voters should soundly reject this diabolical scheme in November.
Horrendous image of Belfast rioter exposing himself in front of child is condemned

Involvement of young in Belfast riots amounts to child abuse, says commissioner

Shocking image taken during the disorder in the Village area of south Belfast

Amy Cochrane Sat 20 Jul 2024 at 08:05

An image of a masked man exposing his genitals in front of a child during unrest in Belfast has been branded absolutely horrendous and obscene.
Kevin Davidson was last seen in south Belfast on Tuesday July 9.

People in Belfast are being urged to check their garages and sheds as police continue their search for a missing man.

Kevin Davidson was last seen in south Belfast on Tuesday July 9.

Police said they are growing increasingly concerned for his welfare.

Mr Davidson, aged 34, is described as being 5ft 7in in height and of medium build. He has brown hair and is unshaven.

Sergeant McAnally said: Kevin was last seen in the early hours of Tuesday July 9 at the Donegall Avenue area of south Belfast.

"We are appealing to anyone with information in respect of Kevins whereabouts to contact us on 101 or via psni.police.uk/report , quoting serial 1084 15/07/24.

We would also ask the local community to check their garages, outbuildings and sheds.
A former Ukrainian legislator best known for her crusade to promote the Ukrainian language has died after being shot in the street by an unknown assailant.

Iryna Farion, 60, initially survived the assault in the western city of Lviv on Friday, but later died of her wounds in hospital.

A manhunt is currently under way for her attacker, who fled from the scene. Ukrainian officials said an investigation is being carried out and that the attack is being treated as an assassination.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said on his official Telegram channel: All available surveillance cameras are being worked on, witness interviews are ongoing and several districts are being surveyed. All leads are being investigated, including the one that leads to Russia.

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All necessary forces from the National Police of Ukraine and the Ukrainian Security Service have been deployed to search for the criminal.

Ms Farion served as a member of the Ukrainian parliament between 2012 and 2014, and was best known for her campaigns to promote the use of the Ukrainian language by Ukrainian officials who spoke Russian.

She controversially criticised Russian-speaking members of Ukraines Azov regiment who defended the port city of Mariupol in the first days of the full-scale invasion.

Police are considering personal animosity toward the former MP due to her social and political activities as a likely motive behind the attack, said interior minister Ihor Klymenko, who will oversee the investigation in Lviv.

Elsewhere in Ukraine, at least two people were killed and three more injured after a Russian missile strike on infrastructure in the countrys north-eastern Kharkiv region, governor Oleh Syniehubov said.

Ukrainian officials also confirmed that the death toll following a Russian strike on Friday on the city of Mykolaiv, had risen to four.

A child was among the victims, said the citys mayor, Oleksandr Sienkevych.

Volodymyr Zelensky said all leads were being investigated in the politicians death (AP)

Writing about the Mykolaiv strike on social media, Mr Zelensky said that a projectile had hit a playground next to an apartment block.

Russia proves every day with its terror that pressure is not enough, he said.

This destruction of life must be stopped. We need new solutions to support our defences. Russia must feel the power of the world.

Ukraines air force said Russia had launched four missiles and 17 drones overnight, of which 13 drones had been shot down.

The attacks have left thousands of people without power or running water in the Poltava region of central Ukraine, governor Filip Pronin said.

Russia has continuously targeted Ukraines energy infrastructure, leading to blackouts across the country.

A pulverising Russian onslaught in recent months has forced Kyivs troops to withdraw from some towns and villages in the eastern Donetsk region.

The latest targets are the mining town of Toretsk and the city of Pokrovsk, where Russia is stepping up its assaults.

Ukrainian forces repelled 20 and 27 attacks on those areas respectively over 24 hours, Ukraines General Staff said.

That was almost double the number of assaults recorded at other hot spots along the front line, it added.

Russias defence ministry also announced it had shot down 26 Ukrainian drones over Russias southern Rostov region, several hundred miles from the front line. Three more drones were destroyed over the Belgorod region, as well as one over the Smolensk region, it said. No casualties were reported.
Japans presence in the Pacific region is expected to take on a markedly military tone, writes Tess Newton Cain.

A crew member on the bridge of the Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force's helicopter destroyer JS Ise during a three-day maritime exercise in the Philippine Sea on Jan. 31, 2024.

The triennial meeting of the Japanese Prime Minister with the leaders of the Pacific Islands Forum  referred to as PALM  is normally not much of an attention grabber. But this years meeting, which has just concluded in Tokyo, makes it clear that Japan is looking to significantly ramp up its presence in the region.

This comes on the back of increased bilateral engagement  think new embassies in Kiribati and Vanuatu  and a reinvigorated QUAD with a focus on resource and burden sharing among the membership of the strategic security partnership (Australia, India, Japan, USA).

The joint declaration from this their tenth meeting, known as PALM10, with its associated action plan sets out what we can expect from Japanese engagement with the Pacific over the next three years. The use of the seven pillars of the 2050 Strategy for the Blue Pacific Continent as a structure for future engagement is notable.

The Blue Pacific concept was developed by Pacific nations as a home-grown framing to address their challenges.

Other partners have inserted the term Blue Pacific into announcements and documents. However, this takes the recognition of the Pacifics own framework to another level. It is particularly significant given that Japans former Prime Minister Shinzo Abe coined the term Indo-Pacific, which many in the Pacific islands region have resisted.

Secretary General of the Pacific Islands Forum Baron Waqa (L) and Japans Prime Minister Fumio Kishida shake hands during the opening session of the 10th Pacific Islands Leaders Meeting (PALM10) in Tokyo on July 18, 2024. [AFP]

PALM10 sees a move to an All Japan approach to working with Pacific partners. Whilst several Japanese agencies are referenced in the outcome documents, the most notable is the prominence of the Japanese Self-Defense Force in future engagement.

Japans military impacts in the Pacific islands region are well known and loom large in the regional memory. While the PALM10 action plan references the continuation of activities related to World War II, such as retrieval of remains and clearance of unexploded ordnance, new activities will see the Japanese presence in the region take on a markedly military aspect.

This will add to what is an already crowded environment in which defense diplomacy has been increasing in recent years. However, Japans use of this strategy has been relatively limited until now.

The PALM10 action plan refers to increased defense exchanges to consist of port calls by Japanese Defense Force aircraft and vessels. This may not be as easy to achieve as Tokyo officials might like.

At the same time as PALM10 was in session in Tokyo, Vanuatus National Security Advisory Board refused a request for a Japanese Maritime Self Defense Force vessel to dock in Port Vila. The reasons for the refusal remain unclear.

Japans Prime Minister Fumio Kishida (C) speaks during the opening session of the 10th Pacific Islands Leaders Meeting (PALM10) in Tokyo on July 18, 2024. [AFP]

Other examples of increased use of the JSDF are the provision of capacity building to Pacific personnel for participation in peace-keeping operations and inclusion of a Self-Defense Unit in disaster relief teams to be deployed to Pacific island countries at their governments request.

At the end of the Action Plan are items for clarification. Included in the list (of three) for Japan to clarify are two that continue this push for increased defense diplomacy.

They are: a proposal to accept Pacific cadets into the National Defense Academy of Japan and to use the Japan Pacific Islands Defence Dialogue to foster mutual understanding and confidence building. The JPIDD has met twice, most recently earlier this year.

We are now into the Pacific meeting season and in six weeks the 53rd Pacific Islands Forum Leaders Meeting will convene in Nukualofa, Tonga. Japan is a longstanding dialogue partner of the forum.

The ongoing review of regional architecture includes revisions to how dialogue partners are selected and accommodated. What was discussed and agreed at PALM10 will play a role in determining where at the Blue Pacific table Japan will sit.

Tess Newton Cain has worked as an independent consultant and researcher in the Pacific islands region for more than 25 years. She is a former Lecturer in Law at the University of the South Pacific and an adjunct associate professor at Griffith University, Australia. The views expressed here are her own and do not reflect the position of BenarNews.


A protester gestures as he and others clash with Border Guard Bangladesh and police outside the state-owned Bangladesh Television station in Dhaka, July 19, 2024.

Clashes between police and protesters escalated in Bangladesh on Friday, the second day of a complete shutdown declared by students demanding an end to a job quota system.

A BenarNews journalist witnessed border guards shoot three youths near his residence as protesters vandalized a government office nearby and burned its furniture in the street.

BenarNews confirmed 63 deaths on Friday and thousands of people injured, after contacting hospitals in the Dhaka area. Another 32 people died in street clashes earlier in the week.

Authorities suspended metro rail service and banned all gatherings and motorcycle travel in Dhaka on Friday as they struggled to regain control of the city.

The internet has been completely shut down in Bangladesh since Thursday, and mobile communications are extremely slow.

Students began protesting in early July seeking reform of a quota for government jobs favoring the families of veterans of Bangladeshs 1971 war for independence.

The protests escalated after disparaging comments by Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina on Sunday, with pro-government groups, law enforcement and demonstrators fighting in the streets.

An injured man is treated at the Dhaka Medical College Hospital as violence continues across the country tied to anti-quota protests by students, July 19, 2024. [Sultan Mahmud Mukut/Reuters]

Protesters use a piece of sheet metal as a shield during a clash with Border Guard Bangladesh and police outside the state-owned Bangladesh Television station in Dhaka, July 19, 2024. [Mohammad Ponir Hossain/Reuters]

Demonstrators throw stones as they clash with police during the ongoing anti-quota protest in Dhaka, July 19, 2024. [Abu Sufian Jewel/AFP]

Bangladesh police stand guard at the headquarters of state broadcaster Bangladesh Television station after students set it on fire one day earlier, July 19, 2024. [Munir Uz Zaman/AFP]

People walk past vehicles burned during unrest in Dhaka, July 19, 2024. [Munir Uz Zaman/AFP]
GREAT BARRINGTON  Jade Madrone was struggling with pregnancy-related diabetes while also caring for a young child when the bridge she relies on to get to town was suddenly shut down.

Since the diagnosis, she was driving from her home on Brush Hill Road to downtown Great Barrington more than usual  to the community center to exercise to keep her gestational diabetes in check; to playgroups to help reverse a speech and walking delay for her first child; and attending parenting groups.

After the state ordered the Brookside Road bridge closed on May 2, these routines more than doubled her time in the car, making a trip that would normally take 7 minutes one way an hour roundtrip. And now, after giving birth to her second child last week, she worries about the detour's impact on her family when she returns to work next year.

The state Department of Transportation closed the bridge after a routine inspection found it unsafe for vehicles. Traffic must now travel more than 5 miles south on Route 7 to Maple Avenue in Sheffield, hang a left up to Home Road, then double back to go north. For the next four years.

For those traveling to the southeast part of town, the bridge detour is somewhere between 19 and 30 minutes on winding back roads with hit-or-miss cell service.

This, as well as two other bridge shutdowns since 2019, has residents asking how the town's bridges got to this point, and who is responsible.

Madrone says the shutdown is a lot more than inconvenient.

I specifically purchased a home where I did so that I would have access to those resources, knowing I wanted to start a family, Madrone told the Great Barrington Select Board on July 8, and my new child will not have access to that, I guess, for the next four to five years.

GAMBLING WITH TIME

A group of residents as well as an Eisner Camp representative demanded answers during a recent Select Board meeting. They want to know how the span lost sections of steel beams in recent decades without any of the repairs that were recommended by DOT engineers.

These holes in the supportive beams of the 75-year-old truss bridge are called section loss. More than 20 years of inspection reports reviewed by The Eagle showed continued loss, and the gradual downgrading of the bridge's condition to "structurally deficient"  and then, "poor."

Initially, the town attributed the bridge shutdown to the impact of heavy vehicles weighing more than the posted load for the bridge. Residents confirm that trucks crossed that bridge daily. In fact, an average of 1,449 vehicles crossed the bridge every day, according to 2017 National Bridge Inventory data. Of that, 6 percent was truck traffic.

The DOT sent reports from its inspections every two years  with the exception of the most recent inspection being three years  to Town Hall to be reviewed by the Department of Public Works.

So why didnt town staff and elected officials act sooner to save the bridge? Why did a warning in a 2019 email from an engineer to a state official to make repairs as soon as possible go unheeded?

First of all, that email may not have ever reached Town Hall, according to several sources familiar with the situation. There were no substantive emails between the state DOT and the town since 2000 about Brookside, public records requested by The Eagle show. This does not include phone calls, however.

When he started the job two years ago, DPW Superintendent Joe Aberdale found a town brimming with infrastructure projects, he said. He quickly started juggling.

There are 22 bridges in Great Barrington, and half are the town's responsibility. Aberdale learned of the situation with Brookside, and was looking into repairs for the bridge, according to minutes of the Select Boards January 2023 priority planning meeting. He told The Eagle last month that he does not know what, if any, past maintenance or repairs were made.

There was a plan for Brookside that Aberdale inherited and agreed with, he said. At the May 2 inspection and shutdown, that plan fell through.

This is where town officials have been gambling with time. The plan was to move the one-lane temporary bridge now keeping Division Street open to Brookside Road when the Division Street bridge is replaced. The town had already prepared for this, conducting soil boring tests and surveys at Brookside.

And there are lots of other reasons for the Brookside shutdown, like three other failing bridges  including on Division Street  that serve even more residents and businesses. Those have kept Town Hall busy, along with other crises of deferred maintenance that led to brown tap water in Housatonic.

Since 2019, the state has shut down three critical bridges in town, including Brookside Road, Division Street and Cottage Street. All three will be replaced within the next five years and paid for by the state.

WHAT ABOUT A TEMPORARY BRIDGE?

The DOT says it will take at least four years to replace the Brookside bridge. Bridge permits are many and take time to obtain. So do all manner of surveys and designs and engineering.

It took three years after the Division Street bridge was suddenly shut down to install the temporary bridge that reopened the road in 2022. Doing the same at Brookside Road would take nearly as long as fully replacing it, said Town Manager Mark Pruhenski.

A temporary bridge would also push the bill onto town taxpayers instead and drive costs up to more like $5.5 million, he said.

The DOT says it will take $3.6 million to replace the bridge, with the state paying 20 percent and the federal government paying the rest. While towns are responsible for repairs and maintenance of their own bridges, the state funnels some money as well as federal dollars into towns needing bridge rehabilitation or replacement, said DOT spokesperson John Goggin in an email.

The agency is now moving toward the official design work, Goggin added.

Meanwhile, town officials have told drivers to avoid other potential detours, like East Sheffield Road, some of which are in bad shape. Its narrow and filled with blind spots. Likewise, Kellogg Road in Sheffield is off limits for a detour  it, too, has a decaying bridge the town and the state are worried about.

TIME IS CRITICAL

Jade Madrone's neighbor on Brush Hill Road, Amanda Serafini, is also worried. She told the board that she moved to this neighborhood for more ease taking care of her elderly parents who take care of her 105-year-old grandma.

Its not the quick and safe route into town she and other neighbors were sold on.

I am now putting on my car 112 miles a week just to go up and around on the detour, Serafini said.

Fairview Hospital, once a roughly 5-minute drive, is now a 20-minute drive.

Should Serafini or Madrone need an ambulance, thats now a roughly 21-minute response from the ambulance garage on Lewis Avenue  nearly triple the response time, according to Google Maps.

If New Marlboroughs ambulance responds to her home instead  which is part of the current dispatch plan due to the detour  thats a little better, at roughly 18 minutes.

This worries Jessica Krupski, 70, who built her home on Water Farm Road 49 years ago. She says a lot of residents of this woodsy, hilly area in the southeast corner of town are older people for whom time is critical in a medical emergency.

If any of them grab the left side of their chest, she said, theyre dead.

Great Barrington is working with other towns to avoid that outcome. With the bridge closed, it's all about which department can get there first, said Sheffield Fire Chief David Ullrich, whose station is closer to the detour. If theres a fire in Great Barrington, Sheffield is also getting called.

Ullrich is particularly concerned about the Eisner Camp, which fills up with people in the summer, he said. The camp is also on the Great Barrington Fire Departments list of hazard targets given the number of campers and staff. Great Barrington Fire Chief Scott Turner did not respond to a request for comment.

'YOU HOPE'

They knew it was sick. But no one expected the Brookside bridge to die when it did.

We thought we had more time, Pruhenski said.

I dont think we took [the shutdown] as being imminent, said longtime Select Board Chair Stephen Bannon.

Board Vice Chair Leigh Davis, a member since 2019, did not respond to requests for comment.

With so many bridges aging out at the same time, towns are left scrambling to catch up to decades of deferred maintenance. Ideally they would be trying to get ahead of problems, said state Rep. William Smitty Pignatelli.

When the bridge reports come out in all of these towns that say, Hey your bridge is in 'fair' condition,' the first question should be, What do I have to do to get it back into good condition? Pignatelli said. And thats what towns historically do not do.

Pignatelli, who is acting as a liaison between Pruhenski and the DOT regarding the bridge, thinks Great Barrington is on the right track.

But the bridge failed, even despite past and current Department of Public Works superintendents trying to solve the problem. The town continued to defer Brookside.

At the behest of DPW superintendents, the bridge was placed in the long list of capital needs in proposed budgets at $3 million for at least the most recent five fiscal years, according to those documents.

Former superintendents Joseph Sokul and Sean VanDeusen declined to comment on the record.

Brookside and several other road, sidewalk and bridge projects are listed eighth on the Select Boards high priority list that it revisits twice a year. The next priority planning meeting will be held on July 30.

A total of $12 million in capital projects slated for fiscal 2025  including an additional bridge on Division Street over the Williams River  were deferred to fiscal 2026, Pruhenski said.

Where to put taxpayer money first is, of course, a leading factor in why no one will drive across the Housatonic River at Brookside Road until around at least 2028.

Nobody thinks their taxes are too low, said former Select Board member Ed Abrahams. You hope you get one more year [out of a bridge].

Every year, he said, is a tough budget year.
Has there been a sadder time in the history of the republic in modern memory? That is, post-Civil War. Well never beat that. But this counterintuitive crossroads where we meet the devil inside our democratic process, is a deep sinkhole. And thats before an assassination attempt that nearly succeeded.

The iconic image of Donald Trump, fist raised, blood running down his face, could not be more powerful. It doesnt erase what the former president represents. But the visceral contrast between his standing-tall moment and Joe Bidens equally tangible infirmity at the debate could not be more stark. Whatever backroom discomfort and dissent was once whispered amongst the GOP on Capitol Hill, it long ago dissolved. And now they support a martyr to the cause  whatever it might be. For undecided voters, everything is not automatically bad just because Trump espouses it. Biden, for his part, was always a mixed bag. Now that bag is leaking.

Charismatic figures evidencing egomania, amorality and anger have taken nations to unthinkable places. Russia had Stalin then and has Putin now. China had Mao; today it is Xi. America has been an exception. We dont yet know how far a Trump redux would go, whether liberal anxiety is overblown. The majority of Americans might once have chosen not to take that chance. Yet the alternative on offer is an octogenarian who confuses Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy with Russian President Vladimir Putin and only functions by teleprompter. Do we trust our fate instead to the onset of senility?

The picture just painted, the collective pronoun we, stands in for faith in our system of government to bend but not break  even in the face of assassination attempts, of which there have been no shortage. Democracy is the worst form of government, except all those other forms, as Winston Churchill popularized. Look back across the pond. The Brits birthed Brexit. The French election was a ping-pong match.

As long as Biden remains, he distracts. Cracks have been showing for some time. The press corps went along with the fiction of Franklin Delano Roosevelts health  no film footage ever revealed his wheelchair to the public  and willful disregard colored all-too-much coverage of Biden pre-debate. Special Counsel Robert Hur was castigated for his portrayal of an elderly man with a poor memory. Hur is now recast as clear-eyed if cruel. Sunlight is curative.

Those who argue that presentation ability isnt crucial miss the point. The deer in headlights that 51-million viewers saw in the Atlanta debate crossed a bridge too far. Our greatest fear underwent a seismic shift. Bidens inner-circle apologists still defend a weakness in style not substance, but effective communication is a core function of the presidency  with the nation, with other nations and with voters this fall. FDRs fireside chats mattered deeply. Churchills oratory rallied a besieged nation. A crippled communicator will not get elected. Whatever you think of Donald Trump, his instinctive raised fist was the iconography of a master.

In his dotage, Joe Biden has surrendered to his own narcissism and his private mythology  to wit, Im running the world. Hes out-Trumping Trump. Never down for the count. Overlooked by Obama. Bidens post-debate tour has revealed a preternaturally stubborn politician  possibly with Parkinsons, possibly just frail  increasingly divorced from reality. In considering only the Lord Almighty capable of driving him from the race, Biden tempts those of biblical belief to beware of lightning that might strike. Recall the Democratic Party machine running Hillary Clinton as her due: How was that workin for ya?

An open letter to First Lady Jill Biden Jill, I know Joe believes his country needs him. We do: to step aside.

Steam is building on the Hill  witness Nancy Pelosi  and among mega-donors and bundlers like George Clooney to force Bidens hand. So far, it has only hardened his arteries. I called in my last column for Jill Biden to persuade Joe. Look how refusal to retire shook Ruth Bader Ginsburgs standing in the history books. But Jill is likely his enabler-in-chief. Stand By Your Man should be deleted from her playlist. If she wants to help him, she needs to uncover Dorian Grays portrait. For those Dems who say we owe it to Kamala Harris should Biden step aside: no sale. Open the convention. She may well prevail. The identity politics of the party are killing it, and deservedly so.

Here we are with a questionable troika as the best we can muster out of a country of 333 million: a declining Biden, an ascendant lame-duck Trump and an acid-casualty Kennedy riding the family name. If these are the cream of the crop, we need to turn the soil and grow something else. Small wonder the erosion we are witnessing in Americas standing in the world. For an historic weakening of the democratic ideal versus authoritarianism, look no further.

There is only one candidacy that can still change before Nov. 5. August may become the cruelest month. Where were you in Chicago?
Interview: China's resilient growth reaffirms its role as important engine of world economic growth: Cambodian senior official

Xinhua) 09:40, July 20, 2024

PHNOM PENH, July 19 (Xinhua) -- China's resilient economic growth has reaffirmed its role as a major engine of global economic growth, a Cambodian senior official said on Friday.

China's economy grew by 5 percent in the first half of 2024.

"This growth rate is high, signaling China's steady recovery and reaffirms China's role as an important engine for global economic growth," Cambodian Ministry of Commerce's Secretary of State and spokesperson Penn Sovicheat told Xinhua.

"I have observed that China's economy has gained a steady upward momentum and nurtured new growth drivers despite the complex external environment," he added.

Sovicheat said as the global manufacturing hub and the stabilizer of global value chains, China's stable economic growth is crucial to support the global economy and development.

"China has been a locomotive of global growth for decades and there is no doubt that the world's second largest economy will continue to be an important player in global development in decades to come," the official said.

He said China's steady economic progress and significant potential in trade and investment are undoubtedly major positive news for the current global economy.

"Looking ahead, I foresee that China will continue to be a major global player in manufacturing clean energy technologies, electric vehicles and digital technologies, among others," Sovicheat said.

China's stable economic growth is a great boon not only to China itself, but also to the rest of the world, particularly to the least developed countries and developing countries, he said, adding that everyone will benefit from this.

"I'm sure that the Chinese economy will enjoy further growth, with bright prospects ahead," he said.

"As a close friend of China, Cambodia is delighted to see China's better economic performance," he said.

Sovicheat said as China has always shared its fruit of development with the rest of the world through a number of global initiatives such as the Belt and Road Initiative, Global Development Initiative, Global Security Initiative and Global Civilization Initiative, China's resilient economic growth will inject stronger impetus into building a community with a shared future for mankind.

"China has been and will continue to be a key contributor to promoting global peace, security, stability, common development and shared prosperity," he said.

(Web editor: Peng Yukai, Wu Chaolan)
Actor Armie Hammer has admitted he thought he was untouchable as he addressed sexual assault allegations previously made against him.

In an interview with Piers Morgan, The Call Me By Your Name star spoke about an accusation by a former girlfriend that he carved his initial into her, and explicit messages he allegedly sent on social media.

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Hammer consistently denied all criminal allegations against him after police in California investigated sexual assault claims in 2021, and last year Los Angeles County District Attorney decided not to charge him following a two-year investigation.

"Are you a cannibal?"



Piers Morgan grills Armie Hammer about the scandal that ruined his career and ended his marriage - going live on YouTube at 6pm (UK).



 https://t.co/QR11ywt8D5@piersmorgan | @armiehammer pic.twitter.com/z4AB7TmDJV  Piers Morgan Uncensored (@PiersUncensored) July 19, 2024 Advertisement

In a teaser clip for the Piers Morgan Uncensored interview, the actor says: I thought I was untouchable and boy, was I wrong.

Addressing the claim that he carved the letter A into his girlfriends pelvis, he says he used the tip of a small knife and there wasnt even blood.

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Discussing an accusation that he wrote explicit messages saying what he wanted to do with a previous partner, he added: This was a very intense (affair), very sexually charged, between two people.

Different people have different sexual fantasies.

But I dont think thats any different than when someone looks at a baby and goes, Oh my God, look at those cute little fat legs, I just want to eat you up.

In the clip, Morgan asks the actor about a claim that he told a former partner that he felt like a god when standing over them with a knife, and Hammer replies: I dont remember saying those things.

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Armie Hammer with former partner Elizabeth Chambers (PA)

Addressing the allegations more widely, the actor says: None of those people were hurt or upset because I pushed any sexual boundaries.

Hammer shares two children with his former partner, TV personality Elizabeth Chambers.

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In the interview he reveals he couldnt be alone with his children at one stage and admitted he felt suicidal at times.

Hammer is also known for starring in Death On The Nile, The Man From U.N.C.L.E. and The Social Network.
Police have imposed a strict curfew with a shoot-on-sight order across Bangladesh as military forces patrolled parts of the capital, Dhaka.

The crackdown came after scores of people were killed and hundreds injured in clashes over the allocation of civil service jobs.

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The curfew began at midnight and was relaxed from noon to 2pm (7am-9am BST) for people to run essential errands, and is expected to last until 10am on Sunday (5am BST), during which time officers are authorised to fire on mobs in extreme cases, said Obaidul Quader, the general secretary of the ruling Awami League party.

The demonstrations  called for mainly by student groups  started weeks ago to protest a quota system that reserves up to 30% of government jobs for relatives of veterans who fought in Bangladeshs war of independence in 1971.

Violence erupted on Tuesday, with the Daily Prothom Alo newspaper reporting the death of at least 103 people.



The quota system for veterans of the Bangladeshi war of independence has sparked anger (AP)

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Friday was likely to be the deadliest day so far. Somoy TV reported 43 killed, while an Associated Press reporter saw 23 bodies at Dhaka Medical College and Hospital, but it was not immediately clear whether they all died on Friday.

On Thursday, 22 others were reported dead as protesting students attempted to completely shut down the country.

The US embassy in Dhaka said reports indicated hundreds to possibly thousands were injured across Bangladesh. It said the situation was extremely volatile.

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Bangladeshi authorities have not shared any official numbers of those killed and injured.

Officials said the curfew was to quell further violence after police and protesters clashed in the streets and at university campuses in Dhaka and other cities across the South Asian country.

Authorities blocked online communications by banning mobile and internet services.

Several television news channels also went off the air, and the websites of most local newspapers were down. Meanwhile, some key government websites, including Bangladeshs central bank and the Prime Ministers office, appeared to have been hacked and defaced.

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The situation has been described as volatile (AP)

Local media also reported that some 800 inmates fled from a prison in Narsingdi, a district north of the capital, after protesters stormed the facility and set it on fire on Friday.

The chaos highlights cracks in Bangladeshs governance and economy and the frustration of youths who lack good jobs upon graduation.

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They also represent the biggest challenge to Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina since she won a fourth consecutive term in office after Januarys elections, boycotted by the main opposition groups.

Protesters argue the quota system is discriminatory and benefits supporters of Hasina, whose Awami League party led the independence movement, saying it should be replaced with a merit-based system.

Ms Hasina has defended the quota system, saying that veterans deserve the highest respect for their contributions in the war against Pakistan, regardless of their political affiliation.



Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina has backed the quotas (AP)

Representatives from both sides met late on Friday in an attempt to reach a resolution. At least three student leaders were present and demanded the reform of the current quota system, the reopening of student dormitories shut by the police following the clashes and for some university officials to step down after failing to protect campuses from the violence.

Law Minister Anisul Huq said the government was open to discussing their demands.

The main opposition Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) has backed the protests, and vowed to organise its own demonstrations as many of its supporters joined the students protests.

However, the BNP said in a statement its followers were not responsible for the violence and denied the ruling partys accusations of using the protests for political gains.

The Awami League and the BNP have often accused each other of fuelling political chaos and violence, most recently ahead of the countrys national election, which was marred by a crackdown on several opposition figures.

Ms Hasinas government had accused the opposition party of attempting to disrupt the vote.
US president Joe Bidens efforts to revive his re-election bid and win over sceptical Democrats have done little to soften the push for him to exit the 2024 race, despite a week of campaigning and his own insistence that he is the best candidate to confront Donald Trump.

Mr Biden has weighty options before him this weekend that could set the direction of America and his party as the nation heads toward the November election against an energised Republican Party, which has officially nominated Mr Trump as its candidate for the White House.

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Almost 35 Democrats in US congress say it is time for Mr Biden to step aside, with 12 coming forward on Friday alone.

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More legislators are expected to speak out in the days ahead.

Donors have also raised concerns, and an organisation called Pass the Torch, Biden is planning a rally on Saturday at the White House.

He said hell end the electric vehicle mandate on day one.



Donald, there is no electric car mandate.



And American manufacturing is booming under my administration. Advertisement  Joe Biden (@JoeBiden) July 20, 2024

Representative Morgan McGarvey of Kentucky, one of the Democrats calling for Mr Biden to quit, said: There is no joy in the recognition he should not be our nominee in November.

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But the stakes of this election are too high and we cant risk the focus of the campaign being anything other than Donald Trump.

The stand-off has become increasingly untenable for the party and its leaders, a month from the Democratic National Convention that should be a unifying moment to nominate their incumbent President to confront Mr Trump. Instead, the party is at a crossroads unseen in generations.

It is creating a stark juxtaposition with Republicans who, after years of bitter and chaotic infighting over Mr Trump, have essentially embraced the former presidents far-right takeover of the party, despite his criminal conviction in the hush money case and pending federal criminal indictment for trying to overturn the 2020 election ahead of the January 6 attack on the Capitol in 2021.

In a horrifying moment that made headlines around the world, Mr Trump survived an attempt on his life at a rally in Pennsylvania last weekend, with a member of the crowd being killed.

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From his beach home in Delaware, 81-year-old Mr Biden is isolating with a Covid infection, among a small circle of his family and close advisers.

White House doctor Kevin OConnor said on Friday that the President still had a dry cough and hoarseness, but his symptoms had improved.

The Republicans have nominated Donald Trump to take on Mr Biden again in the autumn (AP)

Mr Bidens team insists he is ready to return to the campaign trail next week to counter what he called a dark vision laid out by Mr Trump.

Together, as a party and as a country, we can and will defeat him at the ballot box, Biden said on Friday. The stakes are high, and the choice is clear. Together, we will win.

But outside the Rehoboth enclave, the debate and passions are intensifying.

A donor call with some 300 people on Friday was described as a waste of time by one participant, who was granted anonymity to discuss the private conversation.

While the person was complimentary of vice president Kamala Harris, who spoke for five minutes, the rest of the time was filled by others who brushed aside donor concerns, according to the participant.

Not only are the Democrats split over whether Mr Biden should stay in the race or step aside, they also lack consensus about how to choose a successor.

Many Democrats have called for Mr Bidens vice president Kamala Harris to step forward (AP)

Democrats who are agitating for Mr Biden to leave do not appear to have coalesced around a plan for what would happen next, for now.

Very few members of congress have mentioned Harris in their statements, and some have said they favour an open nominating process that would throw the partys endorsement behind a new candidate.

Democratic senators Jon Tester of Montana and Peter Welch of Vermont have both called for Mr Biden to exit the race and said they would favour an open nominating process at the convention.

Having it be open would strengthen whoever is the ultimate nominee, Mr Welch said.

Other Democrats say it would be politically unthinkable to move past Ms Harris, the nations first woman vice president, who is black and south-east Asian, and logistically unworkable with a virtual nominating vote being planned for early next month, ahead of the August 19 Democratic convention in Chicago.

Minnesota representative Betty McCollum, who is among those who called on Mr Biden to step aside, explicitly endorsed Ms Harris as a replacement.

Mr Biden is currently recovering from Covid (AP)

She said: To give Democrats a strong, viable path to winning the White House, I am calling upon President Biden to release his delegates and empower vice president Harris to step forward to become the Democratic nominee for President.

It is unclear what else, if anything, the president could do to reverse course and win back lawmakers and Democratic voters, who are wary of his ability to beat back Mr Trump and to serve another term after his halting debate performance last month.

Nearly two-thirds of Democrats say Mr Biden should withdraw from the presidential race and let his party nominate a different candidate, according to a new AP-NORC Centre for Public Affairs Research poll, undermining his post-debate claim that average Democrats are still with him.

At the same time, a majority of Democrats believe Kamala Harris would do a good job in the top slot, according to a separate poll by the same body.

Mr Biden, who sent a defiant letter to Democrats in congress in the initial aftermath of his debate performance vowing to stay in the race, has yet to personally visit Capitol Hill to shore up support, an absence noticed by senators and representatives.

Mr Biden did conduct a round of virtual conversations with various caucuses in the past week  some of which ended poorly.

At the same time, Mr Biden still has strong backers. He picked up support on Friday from the Congressional Hispanic Caucus campaign arm and has backing from leaders of the Congressional Black Caucus and the Congressional Progressive Caucus.
Services from airlines to healthcare, shipping and finance were coming back online on Friday evening after a mistake in a security software update sparked hours-long global computer systems outages, another incident highlighting the vulnerability of the world's interconnected technologies.

After the outage was resolved, companies were dealing with backlogs of delayed and cancelled flights and medical appointments, missed orders and other issues that could take days to resolve. Businesses also face questions about how to avoid future blackouts triggered by technology meant to safeguard their systems.

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A software update by global cybersecurity firm CrowdStrike, one of the largest operators in the industry, triggered systems problems that grounded flights, forced broadcasters off-air and left customers without access to services such as healthcare or banking.

Global shipper FedEx faced major disruptions and some moderators who police content on Meta's Facebook were hit.

CrowdStrike is not a household name, but it is an $83 billion company with more than 20,000 subscribers around the world, including Amazon.com and Microsoft.

CrowdStrike chief executive George Kurtz said on X that a defect was found "in a single content update for Windows hosts" that affected Microsoft customers.

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We're deeply sorry for the impact that we've caused to customers, to travellers, to anyone affected by this, including our company

"We're deeply sorry for the impact that we've caused to customers, to travellers, to anyone affected by this, including our company," Kurtz told NBC News.

CrowdStrike has one of the largest shares of the highly competitive cybersecurity market, leading some industry analysts to question whether control over such operationally critical software should remain with just a handful of companies.

The outage also raised concerns that many organisations are not well-prepared to implement contingency plans when a single point of failure such as an IT system, or a piece of software within it, goes down. But these outages will happen again, experts say, until more contingencies are built into networks and organisations introduce better back-ups.

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The scale of the outage was massive, but not yet quantifiable because it involved only systems that were running CrowdStrike software, Ann Johnson, who heads Microsoft's security and compliance business, said.

"We have hundreds of engineers right now working directly with CrowdStrike to get customers back online," she said.

"This event is a reminder of how complex and intertwined our global computing systems are and how vulnerable they are," Gil Luria, senior software analyst at DA Davidson, said.

"CrowdStrike and Microsoft will have a lot of work to do to make sure that it won't allow other systems and products to cause this kind of failure in the future," he said.

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Travel disruptions

Air travel was immediately hit by the issue because carriers depend on smooth scheduling that, when interrupted, can ripple into lengthy delays.

Around 5,000 of the scheduled commercial flights on Friday were cancelled globally, with more expected, according to aviation analytics firm Cirium.

Delta Air Lines was one of the hardest hit, with 20 per cent of its flights cancelled, according to flight tracking service FlightAware. The U.S. carrier said it expected additional delays and cancellations potentially through the weekend.

Airports from Los Angeles to Singapore, Amsterdam and Berlin said airlines were checking in passengers with handwritten boarding passes, causing delays.

Banks and financial services companies warned customers of disruptions and traders across markets spoke of problems executing transactions. Insurers could face a raft of business interruption claims.

Healthcare providers also reported being impacted by the outages, with booking systems sent offline, while some broadcasters, including Sky News, were forced off-air.

As the day progressed, more companies reported a return to normal service. -Reuters
Traditional pomp and cannon fire marked the coronation of Malaysias billionaire King Sultan Ibrahim Iskandar.

The new monarch has pledged to govern fairly during the five-year term he will serve under a unique rotating monarchy system.

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Sultan Ibrahim (65) was sworn in on January 31st.

Saturdays coronation at the national palace formalised his role as Malaysias 17th king in a ceremony steeped in Malay culture and pageantry.

Sultan Ibrahim Iskandar will serve for five years (AP)

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Nine ethnic Malay state rulers take turns as Malaysias king for five-year terms under the countrys rotating monarchy, which began when Malaysia gained independence from Britain in 1957.

Malaysia has 13 states, but only nine have royal families, some which trace their roots to centuries-old Malay kingdoms that were independent states until they were brought together by the UK.

Wearing black and gold traditional ceremonial outfit and headgear, Sultan Ibrahim and Queen Raja Zarith Sofiah were greeted by military salute before they proceeded to the throne.

The heads of the other royal families, Brunei Sultan Hassanal Bolkiah and Bahrain King Hamad Isa al Khalifa were seated on a stage beside the throne.

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Sultan of Brunei Hassanal Bolkiah and Queen of Brunei Pengiran Anak Saleha attended the coronation at the National Palace in Kuala Lumpur (Pool via AP)

At the start of the proceedings, a copy of the Koran was presented to the Sultan who kissed it. The monarch received a gold dagger, a symbol of power.

Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim then pledged his governments loyalty and said the royal institution was a pillar of strength for the nation. He then proclaimed Sultan Ibrahim as Malaysias new king.

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God willing, I will discharge my duties faithfully and honestly, and to rule fairly, Sultan Ibrahim said in his coronation speech.

He also urged Mr Anwars government to step up efforts to improve the livelihood of the people and bolster the nations development. After the sultan took his oath, guests in the hall chanted long live the king three times.

Sultan Ibrahim Iskandar is one of Malaysias richest men (AP)

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Sultan Ibrahim, from southern Johor state bordering Singapore, is one of the countrys richest men, with a business empire spanning from telecoms to real estate.

He is known for his collection of luxury cars and motorbikes, and is the only state ruler with a small private army  a concession granted to his state when it joined modern-day Malaysia.

The sultan is vocal about Malaysian politics, and has spoken out about corruption and racial discrimination.

Known as the Yang Di-Pertuan Agong, or He Who is Made Lord, the king plays a largely ceremonial role, with administrative power vested in the prime minister and Parliament.

Malaysias Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim was alongside the new monarch at the ceremony (Pool via AP)

The monarch is the nominal head of the government and armed forces and is regarded as the protector of Islam and Malay tradition.

All laws, cabinet appointments and the dissolution of Parliament for general elections require his formal assent.

The king has the power to proclaim an emergency and pardon criminals.
Turkeys president has dampened down hopes for a quick resumption of talks to heal a half-century of ethnic division on Cyprus.

Recep Tayyip Erdogan reaffirmed his support for a two-state deal that Greek Cypriots dismiss as a non-starter.

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Speaking ahead of a military parade to mark the 50th anniversary of a Turkish invasion that split the island along ethnic lines, Mr Erdogan ruled out a peace deal based on a United Nations-endorsed plan for federation.

Although Mr Erdogan has previously rejected the federation plan, Greece and the Greek Cypriots had hoped he would soften his position.

The military parade took place in the Turkish occupied area of the divided capital Nicosia (AP)

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The anniversary is a festive occasion for Turkish Cypriots in the islands northern third, who view the invasion as salvation from the Greek-speaking majoritys domination.

The invasion followed a coup that aimed at a union with Greece, which was backed by the Junta then ruling in Athens.

In the south, the howl of air raid sirens at daybreak began a solemn day marking what Greek Cypriots remember as a catastrophe that left thousands of people dead or missing and displaced a quarter of the Greek Cypriot population.

Mr Erdogans remarks may further complicate UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres effort to get both sides back to the negotiating table.

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His personal envoy, Maria Angela Holguin Cuellar, has spent the past six months scoping both sides out.

The event marks 50 years of the Turkish invasion (AP)

Mr Erdogan told Turkish Cypriots lining the parade route in scorching heat in the northern half of the divided capital, Nicosia: We will continue to fight with determination for the recognition of the TRNC (breakaway Turkish Cypriot state) and the implementation of a two-state solution.

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A federal solution in Cyprus is not possible, this is what we believe.

The Turkish Cypriot side, as equals with the Greek side, are willing to negotiate and are ready to sit down and negotiate. If you want a solution, you need to recognise the rights of Turkish Cypriots.

Turkish Cypriot leader Ersin Tatar reiterated that Turkish Cypriots reject domination by the Greek Cypriot majority and seek equal national status for their breakaway state they unilaterally declared in 1983, which is only recognised by Turkey.

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Mr Erdogan and Cypriot leader Ersin Tatar met the public in Nicosia (AP)

He added that theres now no common ground for a return to peace negotiations.

Referring to a recent resolution in the Ankara parliament calling for a two-state solution, Mr Tatar said it will help us and our cause incredibly.

The islands Greek Cypriot president Nikos Christodoulides urged Turkey and the Turkish Cypriots to re-engage in reunification talks if Ankara genuinely seeks regional security and stability and to nudge closer to the European Union.

After numerous failed rounds of peace negotiations, many Cypriots on both sides  although jaded  still hold out a glimmer of hope for a peace deal.

Mr Erdogan strongly backed the two-state solution on the divided island (AP)

Greek Cypriot commemorations include the unveiling of memorials to fallen heroes, church services and a gathering late Saturday at the Presidential Palace addressed  for the first time  by Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis.

Mr Erdogan earlier presided over golden jubilee events, replete with a visit by Turkeys first amphibious assault ship to carry the countrys potent Bayraktar drones, and an airshow.

The European Union, which Cyprus joined in 2004, urged both sides to show genuine commitment to a peace deal in line with UN resolutions.

Too much time has been lost, an EU spokesperson said.

A forced division can never be a solution. Hope for a better future, a united Cyprus, still exists.
A former Ukrainian legislator best known for her crusade to promote the Ukrainian language has died after being shot in the street by an unknown assailant.

Iryna Farion (60) initially survived the assault in the western city of Lviv on Friday, but later died of her wounds in hospital.

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A manhunt is currently under way for her attacker, who fled from the scene. Ukrainian officials said an investigation is being carried out and that the attack is being treated as an assassination.

Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelenskiy said on his official Telegram channel: All available surveillance cameras are being worked on, witness interviews are ongoing and several districts are being surveyed. All leads are being investigated, including the one that leads to Russia.

It is very important and symbolic for Ukraine and Ukrainians to have such a strong and committed partner as the United Kingdom.



With each chapter of this war, our cooperation provides more solutions to repel tyranny, and Britain's leadership inspires other countries. We must not pic.twitter.com/UBV1swNLQW Advertisement  Volodymyr Zelenskyy /   (@ZelenskyyUa) July 20, 2024

All necessary forces from the National Police of Ukraine and the Ukrainian Security Service have been deployed to search for the criminal.

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Ms Farion served as a member of the Ukrainian parliament between 2012 and 2014, and was best known for her campaigns to promote the use of the Ukrainian language by Ukrainian officials who spoke Russian.

She controversially criticised Russian-speaking members of Ukraines Azov regiment who defended the port city of Mariupol in the first days of the full-scale invasion.

Police are considering personal animosity toward the former MP due to her social and political activities as a likely motive behind the attack, said interior minister Ihor Klymenko, who will oversee the investigation in Lviv.

Elsewhere in Ukraine, at least two people were killed and three more injured after a Russian missile strike on infrastructure in the countrys north-eastern Kharkiv region, governor Oleh Syniehubov said.

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Ukrainian officials also confirmed that the death toll following a Russian strike on Friday on the city of Mykolaiv, had risen to four.

A child was among the victims, said the citys mayor, Oleksandr Sienkevych.

Volodymyr Zelenskiy said all leads were being investigated in the politicians death (AP)

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Writing about the Mykolaiv strike on social media, Mr Zelenskiy said that a projectile had hit a playground next to an apartment block.

Russia proves every day with its terror that pressure is not enough, he said.

This destruction of life must be stopped. We need new solutions to support our defences. Russia must feel the power of the world.

Ukraines air force said Russia had launched four missiles and 17 drones overnight, of which 13 drones had been shot down.

The attacks have left thousands of people without power or running water in the Poltava region of central Ukraine, governor Filip Pronin said.

Russia has continuously targeted Ukraines energy infrastructure, leading to blackouts across the country.

A pulverising Russian onslaught in recent months has forced Kyivs troops to withdraw from some towns and villages in the eastern Donetsk region.

The latest targets are the mining town of Toretsk and the city of Pokrovsk, where Russia is stepping up its assaults.

Ukrainian forces repelled 20 and 27 attacks on those areas respectively over 24 hours, Ukraines General Staff said.

That was almost double the number of assaults recorded at other hot spots along the front line, it added.

Russias defence ministry also announced it had shot down 26 Ukrainian drones over Russias southern Rostov region, several hundred miles from the front line. Three more drones were destroyed over the Belgorod region, as well as one over the Smolensk region, it said. No casualties were reported.
Inside a plain grey factory in an industrial estate in Campbellfield, teams of men and women are making caravans. Carpenters, electricians, sheet metal workers and unskilled labourers build each van by hand, in a methodical manufacturing process that takes a day and a half per van.

Almost a decade after the local car industry died, caravan-making is booming, with a workforce that numbers in the tens of thousands building vans from the ground up. Caravan-making now employs more people than Australias carmakers did at their peak.

Concept Caravans national manager Conrad DCunha says the sector has had enormous growth. Credit: Joe Armao

We didnt build chassis, but now we do. All fabrication is done here; we buy the aluminium, build our own furniture. The only thing we buy is appliances, says Conrad DCunha, national dealer manager of Concept Caravans.

Concept Caravans Barry Road factory is minutes from Fords former Broadmeadows assembly plant, which is a vast moonscape now but employed more than 2000 people before it closed in 2016.
Id been told in my role as a consultant that I couldnt present or facilitate. They said that because of the way that I look, I wouldnt have the respect of business leaders out there because Im very young looking, Im Asian and a woman. I started SeenCulture to build a product and build tech to do something about it. Loading Its a succession planning platform to put everyone on a level playing field, so people can get recognised for their potential, and their leadership potential in particular, when it comes to things like promotions and job opportunities. It enables people leaders to make data-driven decisions that mitigate bias. It was in trying to drum up funding to build out SeenCultures platform that Tugano thinks she ran into affinity bias, in which people have a preference for people who are just like them. Thats when favouritism can breed, Tugano said.

If Im pitching this to an investor, nine times out of 10 they are a white, privileged man who hasnt actually felt the pain of what its like to be an underrepresented individual wanting to feel seen. So they dont get it. The entrepreneur did eventually win funding from a number of firms, including InterValley Ventures, Techstars, M8 Ventures, Cut Through and LaunchVic, the Victorian state governments start-up agency. Angel investors including Kirstin Hunter and Preethi Mohan also cut cheques for Tugano. This is despite the share of capital flowing to female tech founders plummeting to a level not seen since 2019, according to a report this month from Cut Through Venture. Access to venture funding for women is poor globally, but the problem is acute in Australia. Female-founded start-ups account for 11 per cent of investment deals so far this year. All-male teams have received an average of $4 million per deal in 2024 to date, more than double the $1.8 million average for all-female teams. One of Australias largest venture capital firms, Blackbird, on Wednesday released new data showing that in the past 12 months it invested in 16 new companies, and only five had a woman in the founding team.

In dollar terms, all-female teams have received 5 per cent of Blackbirds core funds since 2022, compared with 13 per cent for mixed-gender teams, and 82 per cent for all-male teams. Blackbirds own data has found no correlation between the gender of the investor making the decision and who they invest in, according to operating principal Kate Glazebrook. Credit: AFR Were frustrated with what weve been able to show from the last year, particularly because whats behind the scenes is an enormously increased focus on this over the last two years at Blackbird, said the companys operating principal, Kate Glazebrook. Id say the current state in Blackbird is a sense of exploration. Theres a sense of, weve got to be able to have better answers to this as an industry and as a fund. While theres broad consensus among investors that the numbers arent good enough, theres less agreement on what to do about them.

Some think one of the root causes of the issue is a relatively straightforward one: there are too few women at the table making the investment decisions. The start-ups of today are the large corporations of tomorrow, so if we dont back women-led businesses early, what hope do we have of solving issues like the gender pay gap? Rachel Yang, Equity Clear co-founder Just a quarter of Blackbirds investment committee are women, a proportion that is similar for its rivals. One-third of AirTrees investment committee are women, and that firm has made zero investments in all-female teams this financial year, compared with 86 per cent for all-male teams. One of Australias other largest venture capital firms, Square Peg, did not provide its diversity statistics when asked by this masthead. Were always open to ways of encouraging diversity across the venture capital and start-up industry, and we recognise there is more support we can provide in this important area, a Square Peg spokeswoman said. Blackbirds own data has found no correlation between the gender of the investor making the decision and who they invest in, according to Glazebrook.

Her company is trying a few things to shift the needle, including allyship training, blind voting in pitches and hiring, and ensuring everyone  man, woman, junior, senior  can effectively express their views. Those efforts have yet to translate into more investments for women. Rachel Yang is the co-founder of Equity Clear, a recently formed group leading calls for greater transparency and reporting of diversity metrics from venture capital funds. AirTree, Blackbird and others use its templates to publicly report their diversity metrics. Some venture capital firms have signed a pledge to be transparent about how they fund female-founded start-ups. Samar Mcheileh, co-CEO at Scale Investors, and Rachel Yang, partner at Giant Leap, helped drive the initiative. Credit: Eamon Gallagher Whats frustrating is that the narrative is often focused on the fact that women-led start-ups are not being funded, rather than focusing on the benefits of actually funding them, Yang said. Investors are leaving value on the table without realising. The start-ups of today are the large corporations of tomorrow, so if we dont back women-led businesses early, what hope do we have of solving issues like the gender pay gap?

Some, including Yang, think that voluntary reporting of diversity metrics doesnt go far enough, and that legislative change might be necessary. Loading Australian venture capital firm F5 Collective sponsored a controversial bill in California, SB 54, mandating venture capital firms to report the diversity of founders theyre backing, including race, disability status, gender and LGBTQ+ status. SB 54 has been signed into law in California and will come into effect from March 2025. F5 chief Tracey Warren wants something similar in Australia. In Australia last year, there was $3.5 billion deployed to start-ups. If we move the needle by 1 per cent, and get 1 per cent more into womens hands, thats $35 million in additional funding going to Australian women, Warren said.

Really robust reporting is a natural place to start and thats why we sponsored that bill; we had to work with Democrats and Republicans, and we did in the US because we thought that would then give us ammo to walk into Australia, which is 20 years behind on this stuff. Tracey Warren, CEO of VC fund F5 Collective, backed laws requiring venture capital funds to report their diversity stats. Credit: Arsineh Houspian The idea of such a law in Australia is off-putting for local firms such as AirTree and Blackbird, who prefer a voluntary reporting system. Were conscious that founders, particularly of underrepresented or marginalised groups, may not want to disclose all that information, so it should be optional, an AirTree spokeswoman said. Some dont want reporting at all. Australian technology investor Steve Baxter, a former Shark Tank investor and CEO of Transition Level Investments, called the proposal ridiculous. Baxter maintains that investments should be entirely merit-based and that gender should stay out of the equation.

Carolyn Breeze, the CEO of investment fund Scalare Partners, said she sees a significant difference in pitching styles between men and women. Can you think of anything more ridiculous than having to ask people you invest in what race they are, are they disabled, what gender or LGBTQ+ status they are? he said. The people caring about this do not care for merit and success but [rather] the outward appearance of things that frankly dont matter. For those who do see the under-representation of women as a problem, some think the issue largely lies with the pipeline; that the statistics are the way they are because there are too few female entrepreneurs applying for venture capital funding in the first place. Kristen Phillips heads up a female-specific start-up accelerator program, New Wave, based out of the University of NSW. In the past five years, 650 women have gone through the philanthropically funded program and worked on 250 start-up ideas between them.

The numbers are bleak, and what weve seen is that women are being told time and time again that theyre going to be less successful in this industry, and that CEO roles and start-ups are better suited to men, Phillips said. Its this kind of feedback and history that means why would women ever sign up for it? Women represent 50 per cent of the population, so if we are getting 50 per cent less of the innovations and ideas, were going to miss out on the wealth of ideas and innovations that can serve the whole of our society. I think we need more primary school and high school programs to help challenge that prevalent mentality. Everyone talks about needing to financially support women more in the start-up space, but so few do it. We need funds to put their money where their mouth is and put their money into women as direct cash support. Others suggest women should perhaps rethink their approach to pitching for funding. Carolyn Breeze, the CEO of Sydney-based investment fund Scalare Partners, said she noticed a significant difference in pitching styles between men and women.

Loading I often see women pitch their businesses focusing more on realistic outcomes rather than high-risk, high-reward scenarios that investors tend to favour, she said. Women often talk about the purpose behind the business, why they started this business or created the solution. For example, a woman founder may focus on the need that they meet in terms of other peoples welfare, whereas men tend to focus more on returns on investment and growth vision. It is crucial for the entire ecosystem to work together  Collaboration and sustained efforts are key to making meaningful progress in closing the funding gap. Tugano is staying focused on building out her start-up. She recently landed Atlassian and Culture Amp as customers, and has now racked up more than 1500 users on her platform.
Berlin: Adidas says that it is revising its campaign for running shoes inspired by a design dating back to the time of the 1972 Munich Olympics, which has drawn criticism from Israel over the involvement of supermodel Bella Hadid.

The German-based sportswear company has been advertising the SL72 shoes, which it describes as a timeless classic. Israels official account on social media network X objected to Hadid as the face of their campaign in a post which noted that eleven Israelis were murdered by Palestinian terrorists during the Munich Olympics.

Bella Hadid has repeatedly made public remarks criticising the Israeli government. Credit: Getty

Hadid, whose father is Palestinian, has repeatedly made public remarks criticising the Israeli government and supporting Palestinians over the years. After the latest conflict between Israel and Hamas broke out, she posted an October 23 statement on Instagram, lamenting the loss of innocent lives while calling on followers to pressure their leaders to protect civilians in Gaza.

Adidas said in an emailed statement that the campaign for the SL72 shoe unites a broad range of partners.
One factor that may stretch out a decision: advisers believe Biden would not want to do it before Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu visits Washington on Wednesday, at the initiative of Republicans to address Congress, as he would be unwilling to give Netanyahu the satisfaction, given their strained relations lately over the war in the Gaza Strip. Yet Biden bristles at pressure, and those pushing him risk his getting back up and prompting him to stay on. Two people familiar with his thinking said he had not changed his mind as of Friday afternoon (Saturday morning AEST). In privately railing about Obama and even aides to former president Bill Clinton, Biden has made clear that he finds it particularly rich that the architects of historic Democratic losses in the 1994 and 2010 midterm elections would be lecturing him about how to save the party after he presided over a better-than-expected midterm in 2022. While one person said Biden was not irked at Clinton himself  in fact, he is grateful the former president has been pressing donors to keep giving  others said that Obama was another story.

We have to cauterise this wound right now, and the sooner we can do it, the better, said Congressman Gerald E. Connolly, who has not publicly called for the president to step aside. He said the barrage of criticism must be difficult for Biden. I mean, to me, this is very painful. I think it just shows the cold calculus of politics. More congressional Democrats publicly called on the president on Friday to pass the torch to another candidate to take on former president Donald Trump. Among them were senator Martin Heinrich of New Mexico and at least nine House Democrats, including Zoe Lofgren, a close ally of Pelosi, her fellow Californian. Nancy Pelosi is considered by Biden as the main instigator of the calls for him to step aside. Credit: New York Times The fact that Pelosis allies have been coming out is seen as no coincidence at the presidents vacation house in Rehoboth Beach, Delaware. When another of her allies, Adam Schiff, spoke out earlier this week, a Biden administration official noted that it might be Schiffs lips moving, but it was Pelosi doing the speaking. It has not just been her allies. Massachusetts congressman Seth Moulton  a Pelosi rival  said that Biden, a mentor and friend who had helped him get elected to the House in 2014, didnt seem to recognise me when they met at the D-Day anniversary commemoration in France last month.

Of course, that can happen as anyone ages, but as I watched the disastrous debate a few weeks ago, I have to admit that what I saw in Normandy was part of a deeper problem, Moulton wrote in The Boston Globe, repeating his call for Biden to drop out. Loading Biden pushed back with a statement vowing to continue the race. He said: I look forward to getting back on the campaign trail next week to continue exposing the threat of Donald Trumps Project 2025 agenda while making the case for my own record and the vision that I have for America: one where we save our democracy, protect our rights and freedoms, and create opportunity for everyone. The White House and the Biden campaign have denied that he is about to drop out. Absolutely, the president is in this race, campaign chair Jennifer OMalley Dillon said on MSNBCs Morning Joe, one of the presidents favourite shows and a regular venue for Democrats speaking to other Democrats. Youve heard him say that time and time again. She acknowledged, though, that the campaign has had erosion. Im not here to say that this hasnt been a tough several weeks for the campaign, she said. Theres no doubt that it has been. And weve definitely seen some slippage in support, but it has been a small movement. She argued that polls show the race was hardened already before the debate and not that many voters have shifted since.

The American people know that the president is older, OMalley Dillon said. They see that. They knew that before the debate. Yes, of course, we have a lot of work to do to make sure that we are reassuring the American people that, yes, hes old, but he can do the job, and he can win. Loading All the political machinations were occurring as the president was fighting off symptoms from COVID-19 in isolation in Rehoboth. He was still coughing and hoarse, but he was improving, according to his doctor. Jill Biden was with him, although staying in a separate room. Among those with him in Rehoboth this weekend will be aides Steve Ricchetti and Annie Tomasini. Anthony Bernal, the first ladys chief of staff, accompanied her. It was unclear if Biden would still return to Washington on Sunday as planned, but he was tentatively scheduled to travel Wednesday to Austin, Texas, for a postponed celebration of the 60th anniversary of the Civil Rights Act at the Lyndon B. Johnson Presidential Library. Bidens pique at his former partner, Obama, represents the latest chapter in a complicated relationship. While not close when they teamed up to run in 2008, they became friends over their two terms in the White House together, bonding especially when Bidens son Beau died in 2015.

But Biden has nursed a grudge ever since Obama gently discouraged him from running for president in 2016 and steered the Democratic nomination to Hillary Clinton, who lost to Trump. So Obamas advice may not be particularly welcome in Rehoboth, which is perhaps one reason the former president is not offering it directly, according to people close to him. Obama last saw Biden at a lavish, record-setting Hollywood fundraiser before the debate in June, when the two appeared onstage together. At the end, Obama appeared to be leading Biden offstage. One former Obama aide who was there that night said it was clear the former president was startled and shaken by how much Biden had aged and seemed disoriented. Joe and Jill Biden in early July. People close to him say he is increasingly accepting he may not be able to stay in the presidential race. Credit: AP That fundraiser was the last big haul for the campaign, which had hoped to raise about $US50 million ($75 million) this month from large donors for the Biden Victory Fund, just as it did in June. But after the debate, it may collect less than $US25 million in July, an excruciatingly modest sum for a summer month in a presidential race, according to four people briefed on the campaigns finances. The campaign is not required to disclose its July fundraising numbers until mid-August, and a spokesperson dismissed the reports as speculation. As they try to influence Biden, many associates are holding back from harsh public statements because they feel empathy for him and worry such statements might backfire. Going public, some said, might cause the president to dig in even more. And some were reluctant to have their names attached to statements because they worry about his reaction to a pile-on from his friends.
After facing the flak on the job reservation bill, the Karnataka government is now planning to increase the working hours of IT employees to 14 hours a day from the current 10, triggering opposition from IT sector unions.

The proposal to amend the Karnataka Shops and Commercial Establishment Act to facilitate 14-hour working day was presented in a meeting called by the labour department with various stakeholders in the industry. The representatives of the Karnataka State IT/ITeS Employees Union (KITU) have already met with labour minister Santosh Lad and raised their concerns over the move. Click here to connect with us on WhatsApp

The proposed new bill Karnataka Shops and Commercial Establishments (Amendment) Bill 2024 attempts to normalise a 14-hour work day. The existing act only allows a maximum of 10 hours work per day including overtime, which has been completely lifted in the current amendment.

IT sector unions have come out in public in protest against the move, calling it 'inhuman, that will have implications on 2 million workers in the state.

"It will facilitate the IT/ITES companies to extend the daily hours of work indefinitely. This amendment will allow the companies to go for a two shift system instead of the currently existing three shift system and one-third of the workforce will be thrown out from their employment. During the meeting, KITU pointed out the studies on the health impact of extended working hours among the IT employees," said Suhas Adiga, general secretary of KITU.

According to a KCCI report, 45 per cent of employees in the IT sector are facing mental health issues such as depression and 55 per cent facing physical health impacts. Increasing working hours will further aggravate this situation. A WHO-ILO study says increased working hours will lead to an estimated 35 per cent higher risk of death by stroke and 17 per cent higher risk of dying from ischemic heart disease, the union said.

"Karnataka Government in their hunger to please their corporate bosses, completely neglects the most fundamental right of any individual, the right to live. This amendment shows that the Government of Karnataka is not ready to consider the workers as human beings who need personal and social life to survive," Adiga added.

"The government considers them as only a machinery to increase the profit of the corporates to whom it serves.This amendment comes in a period when the world starts to accept the fact that increased working hours are negatively impacting productivity and more countries are coming with new legislations to accept the right to disconnect as a basic right of any employee," he added.

The Karnataka State IT/ITeS Employees Union urged the government to rethink and warned that any attempt to go with the amendment will be an open challenge to the 2 million employees working in the IT/ITeS sector in Karnataka.

"KITU calls upon all the IT/ITeS sector employees to unify and come forward to resist this inhuman attempt to impose slavery on us," he added.

Meanwhile, labour minister agreed to have one more round of discussion before taking any decision.

This comes after the controversial draft Bill proposing job quota for locals in Karnataka was put on hold on Wednesday following high-pitched industry protests.
The association also said in the memorandum that the government should increase fund allocation for tea development and promotion scheme for the period 2021-26 | Photo: Shutterstock

The tea industry has sought higher rates under the Rodtep scheme to make exports more competitive in the overseas markets. Leading industry body Indian Tea Association (ITA), in its pre-budget memorandum, said that the present Rodtep rate for bulk tea is 1.7 per cent (free on board) subject to a cap of Rs 6.70 per kilogram. Click here to connect with us on WhatsApp The association urged the government to increase the reward base rate under the Remission of Duties and Taxes on Exported Products (Rodtep) for black tea in bulk to remain competitive in the international markets. The Rodtep scheme ensures that exporters receive refunds on embedded taxes and duties that were previously non-recoverable.

Another industry body Tea Association of India (TAI), in its pre-budget proposal submitted to the government, said the Rodtep rate for tea should be higher than the earlier MEIS (merchandise exports incentive scheme) of five per cent to enable Indian tea to retain its competitiveness in the global market.

Since its inception in January 2021, the Rodtep scheme has already provided support amounting to Rs 42,000 crores to more than 10,500 export items, an official statement said in March.

The association has also sought for imposition of an anti-dumping duty on imports of Nepal tea.

The TAI said that this measure would prevent the dumping of cheap and duty-free tea from Nepal and boost exports of genuine Darjeeling tea.

Such a measure would also thwart the passing off of Nepalese tea as a geographical indication (GI) tag product.

The ITA said that the government should exempt tea from levy on TDS on cash withdrawals due to a lack of banking infrastructure in the tea-growing areas in the country.

The association has sought concessional customs duty on imports of specified machinery required for tea production.

In its pre-budget memorandum, ITA said that the modernisation of the plantation sector is dependent on the upgradation of machinery which is not available within the country.

The government should grant a concessional import tariff on specified tea machinery items, the industry body said.

The association also said in the memorandum that the government should increase fund allocation for tea development and promotion scheme for the period 2021-26.

According to ITA, the Tea Board's new promotion and development scheme for the 2021-26 period has discontinued plantation development and factory upgradation incentives for big growers.

The "lack of financial support" from the government has "incapacitated the tea producers' ability to bring about improvement in quality and productivity leading to long-term impact on viability", the association said.

The ITA also sought that the fund allocation for the period 2021-26 be enhanced to enable restoration and implementation of the erstwhile incentive schemes for big growers.
A judge has tentatively scheduled Harvey Weinstein's planned retrial on rape and sexual assault charges to begin on November 12. Weinstein wore an American flag pin on his jacket on Friday during a brief court appearance in Manhattan that was delayed by more than 90 minutes due to a disruption that affected computers around the world, according to Judge Curtis Farber. Click here to connect with us on WhatsApp Besides the setting of the trial date, the hearing addressed issues related to evidence in the case against the former Hollywood movie mogul, particularly information from phones that will be reviewed by a former judge to determine whether materials were relevant to the case and should be turned over to defense lawyers.

At a hearing last week, prosecutors said they anticipated a November retrial. They told Farber that they were still actively pursuing new claims against Weinstein, though they conceded that they hadn't yet brought any findings to a grand jury.

Weinstein denies that he sexually assaulted anyone.

His lawyers told Farber that they'd prefer an earlier trial date.

He is anxious to go to trial and prove his innocence, one of Weinstein's attorneys, Diana Fabi Samson, said outside the courthouse.

Weinstein, 72, is jailed on Rikers Island. One of his attorneys, Arthur Aidala, has complained that Weinstein hasn't been getting proper care in jail for diabetes, macular degeneration and fluid in his lungs and heart.

Aidala was not in court on Friday, but another Weinstein attorney, John Esposito, told reporters that during a sidebar conversation with the judge, the defense again brought up Weinstein's medical issues. Farber said he would assist to the extent that he could to ensure that Weinstein is properly cared for, Esposito said.

Esposito said the preference would be for Weinstein to be moved back to Manhattan's Bellevue Hospital, where he could receive proper medical attention so he's in a good physical and mental state of mind for trial.

He was treated at Bellevue for several days after he was brought to New York City hours after the state's highest court threw out his 2020 conviction earlier this year. The appeals court wrote that the original trial judge unfairly allowed testimony against him based on allegations that weren't part of the case.

He remains jailed in part because he was sentenced to 16 years in prison in California after he was convicted in a rape case in Los Angeles in 2022. In an appeal filed there last month, his lawyers argued he didn't get a fair trial. Esposito said Friday that he doesn't expect the appeal in the California case to be decided for at least another year.

Weinstein's New York conviction had been considered a landmark in the #MeToo movement, an era that began in 2017 amid numerous allegations of sexual misconduct against the once powerful studio boss behind Pulp Fiction and Shakespeare in Love."



In New York, Weinstein had been convicted of rape in the third degree for an attack on an aspiring actress and of forcing himself on a TV and film production assistant in 2006. He has denied any wrongdoing.

Prosecutors have said one of the accusers in that case, Jessica Mann, is prepared to testify against Weinstein again. Gloria Allred, a lawyer for the second accuser, Mimi Haley, said last week that her client hadn't yet decided whether to participate in the retrial.

The Associated Press does not generally identify people alleging sexual assault unless they consent to be named, as Haley and Mann did.
Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump on Friday signalled a strong policy against China if elected to power after the November general elections. Trump, 78, is seeking his second term. China was mentioned a maximum number of 14 times in his lengthy speech that lasted over an hour and a half. China was followed by Russia, nine times, and Iran was mentioned eight times in his speech concluding the four-day Republican National Convention here. Click here to connect with us on WhatsApp In his speech, the former president indicated that his foreign policy would be tougher than the one was in his first term, (2017-2020). The entire world, I tell you this, we want our hostages back, and they better be back before I assume office or you will be paying a big price. With our victory in November, the years of war, weakness, and chaos will be over, he said.

China is likewise circling Taiwan, and Russian warships and nuclear submarines are operating 60 miles off the coast in Cuba, he said.

America, he said, is on the cusp of a new golden age. But we will have the courage to seize it. We're going to take it. We're going to make it a current -- I mean, we're going to bring this into a golden age like never seen before. Remember this. China wants to do it. Japan wants to do it. All of these countries want to do it. We have to produce massive amounts of energy if we're going to produce the new -- if you look at some of the things that have been done and some of the things that we're going to do. But AI needs tremendous -- twice the electricity that's available now in our country, he said.

Trump said that the Bagram air base is now under Chinese control. The Biden Administration gave up Bagram, one of the biggest bases anywhere in the world, the longest runways, the most powerful, hardened, thickened runways. We gave it up. And I liked it, not because of Afghanistan. I liked it because of China. It's one hour away from where China makes their nuclear weapons. And you know who has it now? China has it now. We were keeping that. And now China is likewise circling Taiwan, and Russian warships and nuclear submarines are operating 60 miles off the coast in Cuba, he said.

In his first term, the former president said, the US had an economy, the likes of which nobody, no nation had ever seen. China, we were beating them at incredible levels, and they know it. They know it. We'll do it again, but we'll do it even better. I will end the illegal immigration crisis by closing our border and finishing the wall, most of which I've already built, he said.

According to Trump, in his first term, he told China and other countries that if they buy from Iran, the US will not let them do any business in this country. And we will put tariffs on every product you do send in of 100 per cent or more. And they said to me, 'Well, I think that's about it'."



"They weren't going to buy any oil, and they were ready to make a deal. Iran was going to make a deal with us, and then we had that horrible, horrible result that we'll never let happen again. The election result, we're never going to let that happen again, he said.

Trump mentioned Covid-19 as the China Virus.

The former president assured his Republican party base that every war would end.

I will end every single international crisis that the current administration has created, including the horrible war with Russia and Ukraine, which would have never happened if I was president; and the war caused by the attack on Israel, which would have never happened if I was president, he said.

Iran was broke. Iran had no money. Now Iran has $250 billion. They made it all over the last two-and-a-half years. They were broke. I watched the other day on a show called Deface the Nation. Has anyone seen it? And they had a congressman who was a Democrat say, "Well, whether you like him or not, Iran was broke dealing with Trump." I told China and other countries, if you buy from Iran, we will not let you do any business in this country, and we will put tariffs on every product you do send in of 100 per cent or more, he said.

And they said to me, 'Well, I think that's about it'. They weren't going to buy any oil, and they were ready to make a deal. Iran was going to make a deal with us, and then we had that horrible, horrible result that we'll never let happen again. The election result, we're never going to let that happen again, said the former president.

Under President George Bush, Russia invaded Georgia. Under President Barack Obama, Russia took Crimea. Under the current administration, Russia is after all of Ukraine, he said.

Under President Trump, Russia took nothing. We defeated 100 per cent of ISIS in Syria and Iraq, something that was said to take five years. 'Sir, it will take five years, sir.' We did it in a matter of a couple of months, he said.
Kenneth David Tate, 49, of Chattanooga, went to be with Jesus on Thursday, July 18, 2024 surrounded by his family who loved him dearly. We are comforted in knowing he was greeted by a host of loved ones who welcomed him into Heaven.

David was a professional painter and cabinet finisher who took great pride in his work. He graduated from Central High School in 1993. David loved spending time with his family, four wheeling, fishing, and playing on the beach, cheering on the Tennessee Vols, turning old furniture into something beautiful and new, but especially loved taking his family to church.

David was truly the best of us! He was a devoted husband, a loving and patient father, a wonderful son who honored his parents, a cherished brother, and an amazing uncle, cousin and nephew. He was a friend to all who met him with an enormous heart and compassion for everyone. If David was your friend, he was a friend for life.

He was preceded in death by his paternal grandparents, Verna and Oscar P. Tate, Jr. and his maternal grandparents, Grace and Gilbert Wright, Jr.

David is survived by his parents, Kenneth and Brenda Tate of Harrison; his wife of 21 years, Shannon Tate; his precious son, Lucas Michael Tate; sister, Joy L. Tate of Harrison, and nephew, Jeffery Tyler Gilliam; in-laws, Mike Ashley of Chattanooga, Toni and Mickey Noll of Ooltewah, as well as a large extended family of many aunts, uncles and cousins.

David will be missed more than words can express. We will honor his life every day until we meet him again at Heaven's gate.

The family will receive friends on Tuesday, July 23, from 57 p.m. at Revive Church, 4872 Jersey Pike, Chattanooga, 37416. A Celebration of Life will follow with Pastor Tim Ashley officiating.

In lieu of flowers, the family asks that you make a donation to the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society in honor of David's hard-fought battle.

John 3:16 - "For God so loved the world that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish but have eternal life."

Share your memories and express condolences at www. turnerfamilyfuneralhome.com

Arrangements are by Turner Funeral Home, Highway 58 Chapel, 423 622-3171.
Tripoli, Libya (PANA) - A Libyan delegation from the government of national unity, led by the interim Minister of Planning, Mohamed Al-Zidani, took part in the work of the High-Level Political Forum on Sustainable Development for the year 2024 in New York
An extensive manhunt is on for a man who shot a state trooper during a traffic stop on Friday night in Putnam County.

At approximately 7:47 p.m. while on patrol on I-40, mile marker 285, near the Burgess Falls exit, Tennessee Highway Patrol (THP) Trooper Adam Cothron pulled a white Kia Forte over for a traffic violation. During the interaction with the two black males in the Kia Trooper Cothron was shot. The two men then fled the scene and abandoned the Kia on Highway 109 near Gallatin.

Trooper Cothron was flown to Vanderbilt University Medical Center in Nashville where he is in stable condition.

Patrol officials said, "Before joining the THP in 2015 Trooper Cothron was a former deputy sheriff for the Trousdale County Sheriffs Office. He is a certified K-9 handler and is an outstanding trooper and comes from a respected law enforcement family, but what he is best known for is being a father and a husband to his wonderful family. We ask that you please keep him and his family in your prayers."

The trooper's body-worn camera recorded an image of a male passenger in the Kia. That person was identified as Braze Rucker, 29. The THP and the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation (TBI) have obtained warrants for the arrest of Rucker for criminal responsibility of facilitation of a felony in relation to the shooting .

Rucker was the passenger in the vehicle.

The Patrol said, "The THP, TBI along with countless other law enforcement agencies across Tennessee are collaboratively working to locate Rucker and the other individual(s) of the Kia Forte. We are seeking a non-violent resolution to the apprehension of all individuals involved in this extremely violent situation. The search is ongoing, and we are limited to the information that can be released. Please continue to follow the THP and TBI social media sites for updates.

"There is a reward of up to $10,000 being offered for information leading to the arrest of Braze Rucker. If anyone has any information that will help law enforcement locate these individuals, please call 1-800-TBI-Find. If you spot Rucker, do not approach him, he is considered armed and dangerous, but instead, we ask that you dial 911 immediately. The TBI has also placed Rucker on TBI's Most Wanted."
The body of a Rhea County man was recovered shortly before 8 a.m. on Saturday. Authorities had been conducting a search since Thursday night. He was identified as Matthew Cashman, 58, of Rhea County. Mr. Cashman is the twin brother of Rhea County Commissioner Mark Cashman. Arrangements will be announced at a later time.

The body was taken to the State Medical Examiners Office in Knoxville for an autopsy.

According to Rhea County Emergency Management Director Brad Harrison, the body was recovered in Watts Bar Lake just yards from where the man went missing. The Rhea County Sheriff's Department Marine Patrol found the man floating and recovered the body.

Director Harrison said members of the Rhea County Rescue Squad began searching for the man after he was reported in distress by his companion around 9:15 p.m. in Watts Bar Lake near Toestring Road.

The man was rafting on an inner tube with a woman when his inner tube burst, Director Harrison said. The woman told the man she was going to get help and for him to swim back. When she returned, they could not find him. The pair had floated out to one of the many islands in the lake and spent time on it.

Director Harrison said that the Rescue Squad called for Tri-State Mutual Aid and they began a search.

They had asked for a Tennessee Association of Rescue Squads (TARS) general call out for Saturday, but the body was recovered before they arrived.
In the 1990s, thousands of ancient bones went missing from Iowas Effigy Mounds National Monument, a location that is known for containing Native American burial remains.

About two decades later, a detective with the National Park Service tracked down the stolen bones and the culprit behind the theft.

The United States is home to countless burial mounds that were built by Native Americans over millennia. Most of the mounds are conical or rod-like structures made by piling up dirt into earthworks.

But in the Midwest, between 700 and 1,000 A.D., the construction of mounds became more complex and artistic.

Communities known as the Effigy Moundbuilders created mounds that were shaped like animals and water spirits. Many of these elaborate structures can be found in southern Wisconsin, but others are elsewhere, such as the 206 burials at Effigy Mounds in Iowa.

In 1976, Iowa passed the first protection law for Native American graves in the country, effectively stopping all archaeological work involving the burial mounds. Before then, archaeologists had been excavating the mounds and removing remains.

In 1990, the Native American Graves Protection and Repatriation Act (NAPGRA) was signed into law, which required all remains gathered within the past five years to be returned to Native American tribes.

In 2011, park officials realized that more than 2,000 bone fragments belonging to at least 41 people were nowhere to be found. Even worse, they had been missing for over two decades. The new superintendent, Jim Nepstad, launched an investigation into the missing artifacts.

Eventually, Thomas Munson, who served as the superintendent from 1971 to 1994, confessed to the crime. He hid the bones in his garage for over two decades.

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Home News Hindu extremists seize Bibles from children, beat women in attack on worship service

HYDERABAD, India  Worship services at a church in a village in central Indias Madhya Pradesh state have been suspended since Hindu extremists attacked the congregation on June 1, sources said.

The mob of about 20 villagers led by members of the Hindu extremist Bajrang Dal intruded into the house of Pastor Madia Damor in Thuvadara village, Jabua District, disrupting the worship service and beating the 50 people gathered for fasting prayer, including women and children.

The assailants arrived at about 4 p.m., seized Bibles from children and began beating male and female members, Pastor Damor said.

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There was all chaos, he told Morning Star News. The children and women were crying, shouting, asking them to stop, but they forcefully dragged them out of my house, Pastor Damor told Morning Star News. When I tried to stop the mob from attacking the women and children, they pushed me off and threatened me that they would kill me if I conducted church prayers in the village again.

Others also tried to protect the children and women as the mob seized a 54-year-old Christian identified only as Noorji and pushed him a few meters in front of the pastors premises.

The mob started pelting stones at Noorji. He was isolated from the congregation, and they chased him away by a few meters and started pelting stones at him, Pastor Damor said. Then they pointed at Noorji and warned the members that whoever gathers for prayers would be stoned to death. They scared the children also by pointing at Noorji, saying, Look at him! This could be you if you come to prayers again.

Noorji underwent treatment at a private hospital in Jabua for over a month.

He has not recovered fully yet, the pastor said. The treatment has been very expensive for Noorjis family. He is only a laborer and earns daily wages for his livelihood.

The Bajrang Dal mob targeted Noorji because his entire family had put their faith in Christ, he said.

His children and their spouses also have been baptized and stood boldly for Christian faith in this Thuvadara village, he said.

Village Christians later went to Ranapur Taluk police station to report the attack. Pastor Damor detailed the facts of the attack to police, but the mob soon arrived, and officers sided with the assailants, he said.

Instead of listening to us and recording our statements, the police started questioning us, Pastor Damor told Morning Star News. The police asked me, Why do you conduct worship services in the village when they are saying not to conduct Christian worship? The police did not understand our grievances. Even after seeing Noorji bleeding continuously, the police did not take any steps to send him for medical examination and treatment.

The Christians were unable to spend more time seeking justice as they had to rush Noorji to a private hospital for treatment, he said.

Hindu extremists previously launched attacks on the congregation in 2019, 2015 and 2012, he said.

Each time we go to the police station to report the attack, the police dont believe us, he said.

In the 2019 assault, his daughter-in-law was so severely injured that they had to cease worship services for a year.

It was a time when my family and I were forced to take the decision to leave the ministry, Pastor Damor told Morning Star News. It was very difficult for me personally. But the whole country was shut due to COVID-19 lockdown.

Church members learned to use mobile phones and the internet to continue virtual services.

God opened a door when all the doors were shut, Damor said. It was only during COVID-19 lockdown that new members came to believe Christ even from among those who attacked us earlier. The Lord has done great wonders.

Church members in need of prayer now stop by his house by 7 a.m., before villagers begin work, to wake secretly pray for urgent needs.

Parents bring their sick children early in the morning seeking prayers, the pastor said. If they have come from a bit far away, we advise them to join in prayers over phone.

Sunday worship, however, has completely stopped, he said.

The congregation fears there could be another attack if they gathered again, he said.

Instead of filing a First Information Report and investigating, police at Ranapur Taluk filed a Non-Cognizable Report, which prohibits them from investigating without a warrant from a court.

This house church is the only place of Christian worship in Thuvadara village, Pastor Damor said. They have shut down the only church present in the village. We request prayers for courage and strength to continue the ministry during these difficult times.

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.
Home News Israeli settlements in Palestinian territories violate international law, top UN court rules

The International Court of Justice has declared Israel's "prolonged occupation" and settlement policies in Palestinian territories since 1967 are unlawful and must end swiftly. This non-binding advisory opinion may intensify the legal and diplomatic scrutiny on Israel amid its ongoing conflict with Hamas in Gaza.

The United Nations court ruled Israel's settlements in the West Bank, along with the "annexation" of East Jerusalem and continued control over certain aspects of the Gaza Strip, violate several international laws and norms, including The Hague Regulations and the Fourth Geneva Convention.

"The Court considers that the violations by Israel of the prohibition of the acquisition of territory by force and of the Palestinian people's right to self-determination have a direct impact on the legality of the continued presence of Israel, as an occupying Power, in the Occupied Palestinian Territory," the ICJ said.

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It added, "The sustained abuse by Israel of its position as an occupying Power, through annexation and an assertion of permanent control over the Occupied Palestinian Territory and continued frustration of the right of the Palestinian people to self-determination, violates fundamental principles of international law and renders Israel's presence in the Occupied Palestinian Territory unlawful."

The findings urge Israel to cease further settlement activities, dismantle existing ones and pay reparations for damages caused by these violations.

The court said Israeli laws, like the 2018 Nation State Basic Law, and governmental policies promote permanent Israeli control over these territories, challenging the fundamental rights of the Palestinian people to self-determination.

Israel Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, alongside other senior government officials and settlement leaders, vehemently rejected the court's decision. They argued that the Jewish people's historical connection to areas like East Jerusalem and the West Bank  referred to as Judea and Samaria in Israel  legitimizes their claim, despite international opposition.

Israel captured parts of the West Bank, East Jerusalem and the Gaza Strip, areas the Palestinians wanted for an independent state, in the 1967 Six-Day War.

"The Jewish people are not occupiers in their own land, including in our eternal capital Jerusalem nor in Judea and Samaria, our historical homeland," Netanyahu said in a statement. "No absurd opinion in The Hague can deny this historical truth or the legal right of Israelis to live in their own communities in our ancestral home."

Israel didn't take part in the oral hearings and submitted a written statement calling the court's questions "prejudicial" and "tendentious," according to Agence France-Presse.

The Palestinian leadership welcomed the ICJ's opinion, seeing it as a validation of their long-held views on Israeli policies. The office of Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas described the decision as "historic" and called for its immediate implementation.

Similarly, Hamas, the Islamic terror group that has controlled the Gaza Strip since 2007, saw the ruling as a step for the international community to act against Israeli "occupation."

The opinion, though not enforceable, carries weight in international diplomacy and has the potential to influence Israel's international standing as it continues its war against Hamas in Gaza following the terror group's Oct. 7 attack that killed 1,200 in southern Israel. The Hamas-run Gaza Health Ministry reports over 38,000 people have been killed in Gaza since the war began. That figure doesn't differentiate between combatants and civilians.
Home News Harvard's recommendations for combating antisemitism are inadequate, lawmakers say

Republican Rep. Elise Stefanik of New York and 27 other members of Congress expressed dissatisfaction with the recommendations presented by Harvard University's antisemitism task force, claiming they are "weaker" than the suggestions offered by a group assembled by former Harvard President Claudine Gay in December 2023.

The lawmakers  headed by Rep. Tim Walberg, R-Mich.  sent a letter to Harvard University Interim President Alan Garber on Tuesday regarding the "inadequacy" of the task force's preliminary recommendations for combating antisemitism.

The preliminary recommendations, which were released on June 6, offer steps for addressing discrimination and harassment against Jewish students on campus.

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In addition to calling for an improved disciplinary process for addressing antisemitism, the proposed recommendation suggests adding antisemitism and anti-Israel biases to discussions about "oppression and injustice" during Harvard's orientation for new students.

The proposed recommendations also called for fostering spaces for productive dialogues and taking various steps to ensure a "welcoming environment" for religiously observant Jewish students, including accommodations for students who must miss class due to religious holidays or the Sabbath.

The lawmakers contend that the preliminary recommendations "reaffirm" reports of antisemitism Jewish students face on campus, including from faculty members and teaching fellows.

"While the Preliminary Recommendations rightly call for substantive discipline and public condemnation in response to this hateful misconduct, they fail to offer real solutions for doing so," the lawmakers asserted.

"Instead of offering a tangible plan to address antisemitism at Harvard, the task force's most specific and actionable recommendations are to organize public talks on respectful dialogue and religious relations, increase the availability of hot kosher meals, and to circulate guidance about accommodating Jewish religious observance and a calendar of Jewish holidays," the lawmakers asserted.

"The inadequacy of the Preliminary Recommendations is particularly alarming given that Harvard's leaders had already received a strong, detailed, and comprehensive set of recommendations from the AAG on December 18, 2023, which identified eight goals and 38 steps for combating antisemitism," the letter continued.

"Rather than build on these recommendations by presenting concrete plans for implementing them, the task force took six months to reinvent the wheel and offer an inferior set of recommendations."

Recent Harvard Divinity School graduate Shabbos Kestenbaum, who testified in May before a House Judiciary Committee about antisemitism at Harvard, called the preliminary recommendations "a slap in the face," according to the letter.

During his testimony, Kestenbaum alleged that Harvard administrators were not receptive to his concerns despite incidents involving hundreds of students and faculty members setting up anti-Israel encampments. He also recalled how many protesters established their "own rule of law on campus" by appointing people to serve as "safety marshals," who would monitor the movements of Jewish students like him.

"None of this addresses the pervasive and systemic nature of antisemitism," Kestenbaum said about the preliminary recommendations. "There's nothing in here about the hiring and firing of faculty members, nothing in here about examining the pernicious and dangerous role that diversity, equity and inclusion has played in antisemitism, there are no recommendations or even a mention of security at Harvard Chabad and Hillel."

In response to an inquiry from The Christian Post, a spokesman for Harvard University directed the outlet to the school's preliminary recommendations.

"Harvard has and will continue to be unequivocal  in our words and actions  that antisemitism is not and will not be tolerated on our campus," the university spokesperson stated. "We remain committed to combating hate and to promoting and nurturing civil dialogue and respectful engagement."

Earlier this year, Stefanik issued a statement regarding Harvard's former president Gay's resignation, saying that it was "long overdue." Calls for Gay's resignation began following her testimony during a December 2023 hearing intended to address antisemitism at Harvard, the University of Pennsylvania and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology.

Many felt that the three university presidents failed to condemn antisemitism directly amid a rise of on-campus pro-Palestinian protests following the terror group Hamas' Oct. 7 terror attack in southern Israel and the ensuing Israeli military offensive in Gaza.

Gay was also called to resign following accusations of plagiarism and failing to properly cite sources in her academic work.
Home News Historic First Baptist Dallas erupts in flames; Robert Jeffress says 'the people of God will endure'

A four-alarm fire Friday evening caused significant damage and a roof collapse to the historic sanctuary of First Baptist Dallas in Texas, an influential Southern Baptist megachurch with connections to many prominent Christian leaders.

"We continue to praise God for His hand of protection on our church," First Baptist Dallas stated in a Facebook post Friday night.

"We are grateful that no one was injured today and are thankful for the first responders who helped contain the fire to our Historic Sanctuary. They continue working but the primary fire has been extinguished. One way or another, we intend to meet for church this Sunday."

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Fire and rescue crews responded to a call about a fire on San Jacinto Street at 6:05 p.m., and a second alarm was requested around 6:20 p.m., according to NBC DFW. Fire crews were still present at the scene Saturday morning.

It is unclear what caused the fire, and it is under investigation. According to Dallas Fire-Rescue, the church's secondary chapel was impacted by the fire and suffered a partial collapse.

The red brick building, known as the church's old sanctuary, was built in 1890. It was the church's home for a long time before it moved to its new worship center about 12 years ago. First Baptist Dallas has been led by Pastor Robert Jeffress, a Fox News contributor and host of the daily radio program radio "Pathway to Victory," which is aired on hundreds of stations nationwide. On social media, Jeffress urged prayer for the church.

"We have experienced a fire in the Historic Sanctuary. To our knowledge, no one is hurt or injured, and we thank God for His protection. He is sovereign even in the most difficult times," he wrote. "'And we know that God causes all things to work together for good to those who love God, to those who are called according to His purpose.'  Romans 8:28."

In an interview with Fox 4, Jeffress said that the sanctuary was the site of many personal events, including his baptism when he was 6 and ordination for the ministry at 21. The church had just concluded vacation Bible school with over 2,000 kids at the sanctuary.

"It holds a lot of memories," Jeffress said. "We thank God nobody was hurt.  I'm grateful that the church is not brick and mortar, its people. The people of God will endure. First Baptist Dallas will endure. We thank so many of our friends around the country who are praying for us right now."

First Baptist Dallas Pastor @robertjeffress after fire at historic sanctuary: "I'm grateful that the church is not bricks or mortar or wood, it's people." pic.twitter.com/KM7Pnzkzko  FOX 4 NEWS (@FOX4) July 20, 2024

First Baptist Dallas will meet for an 11 a.m. worship service on Sunday at the Dallas Convention Center.

The fire drew responses from many prominent Christian leaders and politicians.

While our hearts are broken that we will never sit on these pews or stand in that pulpit of the historic sanctuary again at FBC Dallas we give thanks to God for the multiplied scores of thousands since 1891 who walked these aisles to give their hearts to the Lord Jesus, O.S. Hawkins, chancellor at Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary in Fort Worth and president emeritus at GuideStone, wrote on X.

While our hearts are broken that we will never sit on these pews or stand in that pulpit of the historic sanctuary again at FBC Dallas we give thanks to God for the multiplied scores of thousands since 1891 who walked these aisles to give their hearts to the Lord Jesus. pic.twitter.com/1PhOUN8t3J  O S Hawkins (@OSHawkins) July 20, 2024

Texas Sen. Ted Cruz, R-Texas, posted a tweet saying he and his family are praying for First Baptist Dallas.

First Baptist is a historic church  the late Rev. Billy Graham was a member here for over half a century, Cruz wrote. I am confident Gods Light will shine down on the First Baptist.

While the late evangelist Graham didnt reside in Dallas, he was a member of the church from 1953 until 2008, when he moved his membership closer to his home in North Carolina, The Dallas Morning News reported at the time.

Denny Burk, the director of the Center for Gospel and Culture at Boyce College of the Southern Baptist Theological Seminary in Kentucky, wrote on X that he and his wife were members of the church before moving to Louisville. He called the fire a grievous loss.

It was where we worshipped weekly when we were members. It had no sprinkler system and (I suspect) has long been a tinderbox, he wrote. The church had back-to-back historic pastorates in the twentieth century. Two pastors who each ministered for 50 years. Two pastors in a hundred years! George W. Truett followed by W.A. Criswell. Both of them preached in that building. Both of them towering figures in the SBC.
Home News Jewish students suing their universities want colleges held accountable for antisemitism

A Jewish student who says he was threatened by a Harvard employee wielding a machete testified during a congressional hearing this week addressing allegations of antisemitism on college campuses.

The House Judiciary Subcommittee on the Constitution and Limited Government held the hearing Wednesday to address reports of antisemitic incidents amid a series of anti-Israel protests on college campuses throughout the country, many of these protests included demonstrators setting up encampments on university property, prompting several college leaders to seek help from law enforcement.

Shabbos Kestenbaum, a graduate student at Harvard University in Massachusetts, and Eyal Yakoby, an undergraduate student at the University of Pennsylvania, testified that their respective universities are not safe for Jewish students and are suing the universities for failing to address hatred of Jews.

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Harvard University and the University of Pennsylvania did not immediately respond to The Christian Posts requests for comment.

During his opening testimony, Kestenbaum said his family has ties to Germany, and that the Nazis arrested his great-great-grandfather, Rabbi Yosef Breuer, while Kestenbaums great-great aunt hid under the bed. On the night of Kristallnacht, a wave of antisemitic violence the Nazis carried out against the Jews, the familys historic Breuer synagogue burned to the ground.

My story of antisemitism, therefore, is deeply painful, and it is deeply personal, Kestenbaum said, warning the subcommittee that Kristallnacht did not begin with things like book burnings and broken windows.

Kristallnacht began with a pernicious ideology that swept across German society, the Harvard graduate student said. Kristallnacht began with the acceptance and normalization of Jew-hatred.

The graduate student recalled hundreds of Harvard students and faculty members setting up an anti-Israel encampment on the first day of Passover, demanding that the university divest from the Jewish state of Israel. Kestenbaum said the demonstrators cheered after replacing the American flag on campus with a Palestinian one, saying they chanted about globalizing the intifada.

Kestenbaum contends that the protesters established their own rule of law on campus by appointing people to serve as safety marshals, who would follow Jewish students like him. The safety marshals would often record Jewish students like Kestenbaum and monitor their movements.

The student recounted that he tried to contact Harvards administrators many times to discuss these issues, but nothing was done. Harvard agreed to meet with the students and establish initiatives such as a Palestinian studies department as part of the university's negotiations with the protesters behind the encampment.

I am a Jewish student and have thus far been unable to meet with President Alan Garber or my dean, Marla Frederick, to discuss the pervasive anti-Semitism on campus, Kestenbaum said. Only those who call for the ethnic genocide of Jews, violate school policy, and send mask thugs to follow Jews are given the honor of having a seat at the table.

At one point during the hearing, Kestenbaum spoke about the Harvard employee who demanded the graduate student debate him about whether the Jews were responsible for the Sept. 11 terrorist attack against the United States. In a video created by the same person, the employee held up a machete, threatening Kestenbaum.

To this day, Harvard has not yet acknowledged to me what they will do to protect me and what they have done to discipline the staff member, the student testified.

Yakoby filed a lawsuit against his university, stating during his testimony that "Bigotry, violence, and harassment have become part of Penn's daily syllabus."

The Jewish student recalled an anti-Israel encampment that was allowed to remain on campus for weeks and how the demonstrators would chant things like "Al-Qassam make us proud."

Al-Qassam is the armed wing of Hamas, the terrorist group that killed at least 1,200 people in a surprise attack against Israel on Oct. 7. In response to the invasion, Israel launched an offensive to eradicate the terror group and secure the release of the over 240 individuals it took hostage. The Hamas-controlled Gaza Health Ministry says that over 35,000 people have been killed since the war began, but those figures don't differentiate between combatants and survivors. The United Nations says about 52% of those killed have been women and children.

"While students walk to class, they are met with masked individuals screaming at them, 'Go die,' 'You are Hitler's children,' and 'nazis,'" Yakoby said. "One member of the encampment wore a sweatshirt with two rats surrounding a Jewish star."

"This is not just an issue for Jews  it is an issue for all Americans," the undergraduate student said. "On Oct. 7, Israel was physically attacked, but ideologically, every free country had been infiltrated. Because the same people who wave the flags of Hamas are burning the flag of the United States."

As Yakoby recalled, the University of Pennsylvania's president declared the anti-Israel encampment violated the school's policies within 24 hours of its assembly, but the encampment remained. Four days before the anti-Israel camp was disbanded, the university released a statement saying that it had heard reports of demonstrators planning to escalate the situation, which included occupying buildings.

"To be clear, the university knew about documents circulating within the encampment having instructions for violence, there were terroristic threats, and they waited at least four days to do something," Yakoby said. "On top of that, once the encampment was cleared, the university found weapons within the encampment."

Near the end of the hearing, Kestenbaum asserted that Jewish institutions should not allow Harvard recruiters "within 50 feet of their school" until the university implements policies to hold people accountable for antisemitism.

"It's not that Jewish students don't feel safe at Harvard," he said. "Jewish students are not safe at Harvard."

Likewise, when asked the same question about whether he would advise a Jewish high school senior to attend the University of Pennsylvania, Yakoby urged it to enforce its rules.

"Unless the university enforces their own rules between now and graduation, then no Jewish student, no one that doesn't support the pro-terror encampments that are happening, should step foot on Penn's campus," he said.
Home Opinion The Iranian church continues to grow despite all opposition

As we approach the 2000th anniversary of the founding of the Church, there has been an increasing focus on fulfilling the Great Commission, resulting in a growing and expanding Church around the world. In turn, I am compelled to bring attention to one of the fastest growing churches in the world, one so dear to my heart and lifes calling: the Iranian Church.

I was born into a very passionate-for-Jesus, Spirit-filled family in Iran. My grandfather was a first-generation Christian, following a radical encounter with the Lord. For several years after his conversion, his family hosted meetings in their home, launching an exciting movement in Iran and serving as a founding picture of the Iranian Church today. In fact, it grew to a point  much like the first church in Acts  where people were standing outside their full to capacity home, straining through open windows, desperate to hear the message, eventually needing to relocate to accommodate the growing crowd.

Despite the current regimes takeover in 1979, resulting in an extremely controlled and oppressed nation, the Iranian Church continues to grow and thrive. In fact, I have witnessed countless resemblances to that of the very first church, outlined in Acts 2:

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They devoted themselves to the apostles teaching and to fellowship, to the breaking of bread and to prayer. Everyone was filled with awe at the many wonders and signs performed by the apostles. All the believers were together and had everything in common. They sold property and possessions to give to anyone who had need. Every day they continued to meet together in the temple courts. They broke bread in their homes and ate together with glad and sincere hearts, praising God and enjoying the favor of all the people. And the Lord added to their number daily those who were being saved (Acts 2:42-47).

Just as the first Church faced intense opposition and danger, so do the developing Church of Iran. Similarly, as a result of divinely interrelated avenues, all pointing these Iranians to salvation in Christ  including miraculous encounters with Jesus, evangelism through action, and the right resources offered at the right times  the Iranian church is larger and more active today than ever before in history.

Miracles: Muslims meeting Jesus

Before the Islamic revolution, there were only several hundred believers with Muslim backgrounds. Today, there are more than 1 million Christian believers who have converted from Islam. This complete turn of the tide can only be attributed to the mercy and grace of Christ in an intensely oppressive environment and to the Iranian search for truth in opposition to the regimes dishonest narratives toward the people. These converts eyes have been opened to the reality of the darkness that they once embraced, thinking it was life, and in their search for truth, they have found Jesus.

In fact, oftentimes, Jesus is the direct person with whom Muslims interact. Most have heard of Him but have maintained a lifelong misperception of who He really is. The vast majority of testimonies we hear about are miraculous revelations that the person of Jesus is God himself  a blasphemous concept in the Muslim faith  often paired with a supernatural experience in their lives. In these moments, Muslim converts are overwhelmed by the reality of Gods character, experiencing His transformative love for the first time.

Unlike the Western world, there is hardly any ability to remain lukewarm in faith in Iran. The light of the Gospel shines the brightest in the darkest of nations. When Jesus appears to these once-staunch Muslims in dreams or visions, completely transforming their belief systems, they face social ostracization and persecution through imprisonment, violence and death for their new faith  realities they readily embrace in order to boldly follow Jesus and share the Gospel message of joy with others.

Evangelism: Practical service and radical care

In Iran, it is crucial that we are not simply throwing theology at the people, but rather, demonstrating the love of God in practical ways. Jesus himself was extremely practical in the way he loved people and transformed their lives. Therefore, it is imperative that we model that love by recognizing the needs of the people and meeting those needs.

For example, as social and religious turmoil has been amplified in Iran over the last two years, hospitals were warned that they would be heavily penalized if they treated anyone with a gunshot wound or wounds that appeared to stem from protest participation. So, one of the best ways to practically love the people of Iran was to help those bleeding in the streets by offering them shelter, care and medical aid. In doing so, the Christians of Iran were able to meet needs and share Jesus in the process.

Speaking to the hearts of Iranians: Bible translations and digital church

A key way that Iranians experience love is through being prioritized in culture and language. With more than 39 languages spoken throughout the nation, almost all considered unofficial except for the national language of Farsi, each with specialized vocabulary and nuances, the value of preserving these languages is great to the Iranian people. As Bible translations are being distributed for the first time into these heart languages in written forms and audio forms, these people are deeply touched, often gathered together, experiencing Gods Word speaking to their hearts for the very first time.

Another way the people of Iran are being reached with the Gospel message is through online platforms and satellite signals. Because the people of Iran are acutely aware of the governments aim to misguide them with false information, they seek out connections and information online through unregulated internet servers and satellite waves. Taking advantage of these servers to share the Gospel message through digital church services has been revolutionary for the growing church body in Iran.



The overwhelming result: Organic church growth

While intentional church planting occurs from time to time, it remains extremely rare. Normally, the churches in Iran are planted out of very organic growth. As Iranians encounter the love of Jesus, they are often miraculously freed from addiction, healed of disease, delivered from depression, or restored in marriage; as a result, people see that a miracle has occurred, serving as a starting point for this person to share what Jesus has done in his or her life. From this starting point, Iranians begin gathering together to explore the character of Jesus through discussion, prayer, worship and Bible readings.

And that is really the definition of a church, isn't it? Touching the hearts of the unreached, the unwelcome, the unloved  the very people that Jesus gravitated towards  to share His love, is entirely the point. Rather than waiting for these Iranians to become cleaned up and perfect to turn to the Christian faith, Jesus is meeting them right where they are.

Like the church of Acts, these radically transformed converts are consumed with the Spirit of God, left with the audacious choice of following God and leaving behind their old lives completely, inevitably facing intense opposition and persecution. These followers, unable to stay silent on all that Jesus has done for them, are sharing the Gospel, selflessly helping others and boldly performing miracles. They are congregating together for learning and discipleship in one another's homes in every opportunity they possibly can, and the number of those saved in Christ is growing daily.

This is the true, unapologetic church, fulfilling the Great Commission in Iran.
Home Opinion The ominous resurfacing of Christian antisemitism

A Christian social media influencer with a large platform recently texted me after reading my 2021 book Christian Antisemitism: Confronting the Lies in Todays Church. He was burdened and grieved by the contents of the book, saying to me, This needs to be updated! I responded, Thats the problem. The book was an update to my previous book on Christian antisemitism, Our Hands Are Stained with Blood: The Tragic Story of the Church and the Jewish People.

Now he was telling me that the update needed to be updated. Thats how rapidly this insidious spiritual disease is spreading again in the Church.

While I cant demonstrate this statistically, I have been documenting it anecdotally, and it seems that the lid has been taken off and hidden views are now being shared openly.

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For example, after a recent debate on the ongoing election of Israel, I spotted this comment on X, speaking of the Jewish people: The porn, trans and usury people? Imma go with Martin Luther. The post also contained a screenshot of a vile, antisemitic Luther quote.

Yes, this is the same Luther who, in 1543, called for Jewish synagogues to be set on fire and places of business to be broken down and destroyed, for rabbis to be forbidden to teach on the penalty of death, for Jews to be rounded up in ghettos and deprived of jobs  and more.

Yet this individual wrote, Imma go with Martin Luther?

You might say, Hes obviously just another loony antisemite.

Perhaps so, but according to his profile, he is a 1689 Baptist, meaning that he holds to the London Confession of 1689 and takes pride in his Baptist orthodoxy. He also states that he is a Church history buff and Abortion abolitionist, among other things.

So, he is an antisemite, for sure. But he is also a professing committed, Evangelical, pro-life Christian. You can be assured he is not alone.

When I responded to a video of a Lutheran pastor who shockingly downplayed Luthers antisemitism, I made clear that this pastor had opened the door to more antisemitic sentiments. (The pastors name is Chris Rosebrough and the video was produced by American Gospel, known for their strongly anti-charismatic stands.) As predicted, those sentiments found expression on our YouTube channel, as professing Christians posted their comments in defense of Luther.

One wrote, If Chris Rosebrough is correct and it was a deep theological concern, a love for Christ, a love for the church, and a desire to protect God's people from false teachers that drove Luther to speak the way he did about the Jews, then what Luther said pales in comparison with what the Holy Spirit inspired Paul to write in Galatians 5:12: I wish those who unsettle you would emasculate themselves!

He continued, God and His people hate false teaching. It's a serious matter. And it calls for strong language. And it's loving to use strong language. Because we love God, we love His truth, and we love His people. And when His people are threatened by false teaching, God is angry and calls us to warn and denounce with strong language. Is this what Luther was doing?

But of course! Luther was motivated by love, just like the Nazis who joyfully reprinted Luthers Jew-hating screeds.

Another wrote, Chris did a great job of explaining yes WITH historical context why Luther said what he said, and how Luther wasnt aware that it was sin since it was the law of the Roman Catholic state that those who held to false religions were breaking the law. You chose to claim that Chris was being untruthful which is not true.

Still another asked, Has anyone here read parts of the Talmud?

Yet another produced quotes allegedly from Harry Truman, comparing the Jews to Hitler and Stalin, then claiming that Albert Einstein (and 25+ other high-ranking Jewish intelligentsia) made similar charges in a 1947 letter to the New York Times.

You can be assured that this viewer, too, claimed to be a Christian, referencing the need for the Jews to be saved.

On and on this drivel goes, with still another writing, Youre bothered by what Luther said about the Jews but not bothered by what they have said and do say about your own savior? How about the fact that they spit on Christians in the streets of Israel? Oh wait. Dr Brown youre not worried about that. You instead would rather make videos against the Christians who speak out about it.

And this, about me: ... I believe loyalty to his people supercedes [sic] that of his wishy-washy Christian faith.

Again, this is all quite anecdotal, but I could multiply quotes like these, all from alleged, committed Christians, almost ad infinitum. And I see them coming in increasing measure, be it from extremist Catholics or from those who weaponize the words Christ is King or from alleged charismatic prophets.

Even my theological opponent in the aforementioned recent debate, who denied that the Jewish people are in any sense chosen, quoted a number of standard New Testament texts that are misused by antisemites to claim that all Jews are children of the devil (John 8:44) and that all Jews who deny Jesus are not really Jews but are the synagogue of Satan (Revelation 2:9; 3:9), among other passages. He also stated that Judaism is an antichrist, blasphemous religion, with some viewers offering their amen in the comments section.

In fact, it is becoming a mark of Christian orthodoxy to demonize the Jewish people and the Jewish religion. To fail to do so in the strongest, even vilest terms, is to raise questions about your own faith. What a contrast from Pauls words about his own Jewish people who rejected Jesus as Messiah, stating that, I can testify about them that they are zealous for God, but their zeal is not based on knowledge (Romans 10:2).

The irony for me personally is that, as a Jewish believer in Jesus, I have been reaching out to my own people for almost 53 years since the moment I came to faith. And I have always affirmed, without hesitation, that Jesus-Yeshua is the only way to the Father and that Jews who reject Him, no matter how pious they may be, are still lost.

Yet because I affirm with Scripture that the Jewish people remain chosen (for a mission, without the guarantee of their salvation, as taught throughout the Bible), and because I unceasingly stand against antisemitic libels, that makes my own faith suspect in the eyes of the orthodox Christians. To add insult to injury, these Christian zealots fail to realize that one of the biggest reasons that Jewish people do not believe in Jesus is the conduct of the Church, which at times offered Jews baptism or death, among other horrors.

Unfortunately, it would not surprise me if this anti-Jewish rhetoric does not become much uglier in the days ahead, even to the point of threats and violence (along with calls for Jews to leave America).

As Christian researcher Aaron David Fruh wrote in the Jerusalem Poston July 20, 2023, Today theological Antisemitism is flourishing in church pulpits and seminary lecterns. Replacement theology would lay dormant for several years after the Holocaust but has returned with vengeance. It would only be a matter of time before theological Antisemitism would merge with nationalism as it did in the 4th century under Constantine and as it did during the Holocaust under the Nazis.

May God awaken His Church to denounce this foul plague and declare to the Jewish people and the world that these ugly voices do not represent Jesus or the Gospel. The matter is urgent.
Home Opinion What's it like to tour 'Bible country' in person

There is an arresting phrase that appears in St. Pauls letter to the Romans. He speaks of those who walk in the footsteps of faith. He is reminding this early Christian Church that the promises given Abraham are realized through faith by which we are justified before a holy God. But the phrase also reminds us that we can walk in the footsteps of those who have gone before us. Today we can do that literally.

This summer I led another group tour to Bible country where we followed the missionary journeys of Paul. I have now led seven such study trips. I refer to this as vacation with a higher purpose, These trips are life-changing. On this particular trip we traveled to Greece, Turkey, and Italy. We visited sites where Paul founded churches, such as Philippi and Corinth. We cruised to Ephesus and Patmos, with stops at the beautiful islands of Mykonos, Crete and Santorini. The trip concluded in Rome, where Paul was executed. Ive also led groups to the sites of the seven churches of Revelation, to Reformation sites in Europe, historic Christian Britain, and most of all, to Israel.

What is the value of a vacation with a higher purpose? The short answer is that it fortifies your faith. How so? First, it demonstrates that the places we read about in the Bible are real. They are not legend or fairy tale. They are concrete places that existed then and exist now, and you can visit them today. Imagine that you have been studying a Shakespeare play. You know it, understand it fairly well, and read it carefully. But then, one day, you go to Shakespeares hometown of Stratford, England, or the Globe Theater in London. This experience will make the play come alive. Now imagine doing that in Bible country. The impact is spiritually powerful. It enlarges your view of God.

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A trip like this is not like a beach vacation. We are literally walking in the footsteps of faith where the Israelites walked, or Jesus walked, or where the apostles and early Christians actually walked. When we visit a sight, we open the Bible, read and explain the passage, and point to what happened right in that very spot.

A trip like this helps make the Bible come alive. Before the trip begins, I tell our group to read various scripture passages because we will be standing, sitting or walking near or at the exact spot where it happened. So recently, we read and taught on location about Lydia of Philippi at the very river where she heard Paul preach and became one of the first converts to Christianity in Europe. We read from Revelation 1-2 on the isle of Patmos by the cave where the apostle John had his great vision of heaven. We read 2 Timothy in the Mamertine Prison where Paul was incarcerated before his execution. Teaching at these sights was, for me, goosebump moments.

Theres a vivid awareness that something significant happened right here. We are standing on holy ground. And I know that those who traveled with us will never read those Bible passages the same way again. They will never look at the maps in the back of their Bibles with casual indifference. Instead, they will say, Ive been there, I know what that area looks like.

A trip like this creates a bond with the early church. We learn some of our family history. We learn what happened to Jesus apostles and who took their place. We gain insights into the pagan and sometimes hostile world where they first proclaimed the Gospel. We recall the powerful testimony of these early Christians and the growth of the church. We are reminded what faithfulness looks like. We are sobered yet emboldened by the courage of the early Christian martyrs as we consider the cost of discipleship.

As we walk in the footsteps of faith, we learn about the interplay between culture and Christianity. A tour like this also enlarges ones view of classical civilization. The church arose in a Hebrew context, in a world that had been Hellenized, where the Romans ruled. Hebrew Scripture, Greek philosophy, and Roman might all influenced the rise of Christianity. Classical culture and biblical history repeatedly intersect. You cant easily split them apart. The earliest church was Jewish. The language they wrote in was Greek. The soldiers who kept the roads open and preserved the peace were Roman. These ancients were much more sophisticated than we imagine. Their architecture, their engineering, even their plumbing will surprise you. One cant study Bible history without learning about Western civilization, even though Christianity was born in the Middle East.

Finally, one big takeaway from a trip like this is that civilizations rise and fall. It happened to Rome, once called the eternal city. It happened to Jericho, to the Minoa, to Egypt, to Persia, to the Greeks, and the Romans. And it will happen to us. As we prepare groups for a trip like this, we remind them that excavating an ancient site is like digging into a 7 layer cake. Only there are about 12 layers. Each layer represents another civilization that has come and gone. You are standing on their rubble. They are all temporary. Yet persisting through it all is an eternal Kingdom that cannot be shaken.

These are just some of the impressions you will take away when you walk in the footsteps of faith. A trip like this will teach you, it will sober you, but it will direct your thoughts to things that really matter. And if you come ready to learn, it will enlarge your view of God, the world and of the Church as well.
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After 2019, as China tightened its grip on Hong Kong and mass protests gripped the city, police raided the Apple Daily and Stand News newsrooms and prosecuted their top editors with national security crimes. Several smaller media outlets shut down rather than risk similar treatment.

It was the beginning of a chill for journalists.

First as a local news reporter, and later at the Wall Street Journal, I witnessed the trials and sentencing of almost twenty journalists, citizen reporters, editors, and commentators.

Daily life for the remaining reporters fell into a new rhythm. Slow. Careful. Some reporters and editors from shuttered newsrooms started new media ventures, YouTube channels, and podcasts. Many steered clear of the citys politics and focused instead on pop culture or lifestyle reporting.

Even at news publications, there were vastly fewer revelatory stories on sensitive political issues and investigations on abuses of public power. Journalists shifted uncomfortably in their seats when they heard story ideas they felt could touch a nerve in the government. I saw editors press for extra-solid sourcing in anticipation of government condemnation.

When Taiwan held a presidential electiona sensitive event in China, which covets the islandreporters murmured about how to handle sound bites and footage differently depending on whether Beijings preferred candidate won. (They didnt.)

The Hong Kong Journalists Association became an important defense against the erosion of an effective pressand a frequent target for the ire of the Chinese government.

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The association advocates the rights and interests of journalistsit issues a widely read annual index on the state of press freedom and works against legislation that would further erode it. It financially supports journalists who are in legal trouble. It is fifty-six years old, which makes it older than the government it so often critiques (which was formed in 1997 when the governance of Hong Kong was passed from Britain to China).

Despite the fact that members of press associations had been expelled from the country previously, the Journal wanted its reporters in Hong Kong to sign up for the HKJAso they could be protected, and to have press cards that could help mitigate highly charged moments with police. During 2019, as other outlets followed suit, HKJAs membership swelled.

I had been on its board for three years when, in May, I decided to run for its chair. I wanted to show reporters in the city that they could continue to report because someone was still willing to defend their rights.

Three weeks ago, my editor at the Wall Street Journal found out about my candidacy and immediately directed me to withdraw from the election. She said that the role would be incompatible with my job as a Journal reporter.

The Journal, she said, continues to report on incidents related to press freedom in the city, such as trials against the press, so having its employees advocating for press freedom publicly would create a conflict. The Journal, my supervisor said, did not want its reporters seen calling for greater freedomsbecause, unlike in Western nations, it is not an established principle in Hong Kong.

Because I was the only candidate running for chair, my withdrawal would have meant that union operations were paralyzed. So when I won, I stayed on. For three weeks I existed in a kind of limbo. And then, on July 17, I was fired. The Journal told me it was restructuring. When two previous rounds of layoffs affected more than a dozen journalists and editors, I had been told my position was secure. But this round there was one layoff: me.

The Global Times, controlled by the Chinese state, said that the Journals decision was intended to distance it from our union, because we wantonly defame[d] the government.

My situation was not unique. I had fielded resignations from other board members who faced similar pressure from their employers. Journalists and employers who sought support from us are now understandably wary of potential backlash by association.

And I am without a job. A striking contrast sprang to mind. Over the past year the Journal rallied its entire staff to a campaign for the release of Evan Gershkovich, who was handed a sixteen-year sentence by a Russian court Friday, after a sham three-day trial and unlawful detention for more than a year.

The Journals staff in Hong Kong, myself included, participated in a Run for Evan event along Hong Kongs harbor, which was initiated and organized by the company. The Journal also called for solidarity with Evan at the Society of Publishers in Asia Awards, held in Hong Kong.

If press groups like HKJA cease to exist, as the Chinese governmentand perhaps foreign news outletswould find convenient, there will be fewer protections for reporters doing the same job as Evan, in similar circumstances, here in Hong Kong.

Not to mention fewer communities for weary correspondents to recharge with a drink, find solace among peers, and regain the strength to keep on reporting against odds that only seem to grow steeper.

Selina Cheng is a former Wall Street Journal correspondent in Hong Kong.